Independence

The family of Maria Pike and her baby Destinii Hope rallied outside of Independence Police headquarters Sunday and demanded transparency from investigators. Independence Police released highly-edited footage of the incident last week.

Independence has not named the officer who fatally shot Maria Pike and her daughter Destinii Hope, after police responded to a domestic disturbance call on Nov. 7, 2024. The body camera footage shows just three minutes from the 20-minute incident.

The culinary scene just east of Kansas City proper is full of hidden gems, neighborhood mom-and-pop shops and iconic old-school joints. Here’s where to eat like a local in Independence, Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit and elsewhere.

About 80 students in the Independence School District had transferred away from their neighborhood schools due to lack of space. The district hopes to relieve that pressure by repurposing an elementary auditorium into six new classrooms.

The city of Independence, Missouri was famously the starting point for the Santa Fe, California and Oregon Trails, as well as the hometown of President Harry Truman. These days, it boasts a a thriving arts scene and charming historic downtown.

Kunce, an attorney and a U.S. Marine veteran from the Kansas City area, now begins an uphill battle to unseat GOP Sen. Josh Hawley in November.

Country Club Plaza, Oak Park Mall and Independence Center face similar challenges and starkly different futures.

Clinton’s Soda Fountain has been a pillar of the Independence community since the 1980s for its ice cream and nostalgic feel. As a teenager, President Harry Truman worked in the same building at a different ice cream shop.

Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick's office said the Independence School District audit was not prompted by citizen complaints, but selected because of its four-day school week and because it’s one of the state’s larger school districts.

The Missouri Attorney General and State Tax Commission are suing Jackson County to toss out more than 190,000 property assessments — and force schools to pay back millions of dollars that they’ve already spent.

After the federal Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Acts expired, many states passed their own laws to require employers to provide paid sick leave. Missouri does not have a paid sick leave policy in place.

While Englewood Arts offers classes in drawing, ceramics, and glass blowing, it isn't your typical arts center. It's also leading the way for affordable housing in Independence.