Jackson County

The Blue Springs restaurant closed after violating Jackson County's mask mandate but could reopen in Independence next month.

Board members will help prosecutor Jean Peters Baker better shape policy in Jackson County.

Kevin Strickland has spent more than 43 years in prison for a crime prosecutors now say he did not commit. Judges in the court that convicted him have now been recused, and a new judge appointed.

An arts district is emerging in Independence, and Jackson County is looking to develop a strategic arts and culture plan for the entire county.

Rae's Cafe and its owner, Amanda Wohletz, had defied the county's health order and allowed unmasked customers and employees into the restaurant.

Judge Kevin Harrell decided not to recuse himself or Jackson County's 16th District Circuit Court from the case — a ruling that could be appealed by the state attorney general.

The Missouri Attorney General has raised questions about the appearance of bias within the 16th District Circuit Court and asked the judge to recuse himself and the jurisdiction. A date for Kevin Strickland's innocence hearing has still not been set.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker has filed a motion saying that Kevin Strickland, who has been in prison for four decades for murder, is innocent. But Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt opposes the case.

More than 2,800 eviction cases have been filed in Jackson County court so far this year. Attorneys expect those numbers to increase after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration's eviction moratorium.

Legal delays and appeals from the Missouri Attorney General's Office have kept Strickland incarcerated, despite the fact that Jackson County Prosecutors say he's innocent. His family is bearing the burden.

Instead of setting a date to begin hearing evidence, a judge and attorneys will meet Sept. 13, to decide if Strickland's case will be heard in a Jackson County Court.

The CDC's COVID-19 data set is supposed to help track the pandemic, but a new NPR analysis has found the majority of fields are blank and millions of cases across the country are missing altogether — including in Missouri.