Jackson County

"A voter who has already cast an absentee ballot cannot vote another ballot," even if the legal back-and-forth over Missouri's congressional map ends with a different version being used, local election officials said.

A Jackson County jury found Fredrick Scott guilty of first-degree murder in four of six killings, capping a case that spanned nearly a decade. He was acquitted on two other counts. Scott faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The Lee’s Summit School District will decide later this month whether to collect more in taxes or consider cutting staff members and programs. The budget shortfall is partly a result of less-than-expected state funding from Missouri — and it's far from the only district facing tough choices now.

A measles case in eastern Jackson County shut down the health department Monday as officials work to limit the spread and find people who may have been exposed. This is the second confirmed measles case in Jackson County this year.

On Nov. 3, voters in Kansas and Missouri will decide multiple consequential ballot issues — including on abortion access and gerrymandering. They'll also vote for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and other offices from the governor down to the local level.

Rohlfing, a U.S. Army veteran, is running against Democrat Stacy Lake in November to become the next Jackson County executive. He says he would focus on providing “world class customer service” if elected.

First District voters recalled a City Council member for the first time in Independence's history after he voted to approve a multibillion-dollar data center. A special election to fill the vacancy will need to be scheduled.

Kansas City's Santa Fe Neighborhood has received $1.4 million from Jackson County’s leftover COVID relief funds to make exterior and interior repairs. The goal is to encourage residents not to move away but to stay and commit to beautifying the historic community.

COVID case numbers are slowly climbing but trending below past years, when cases surged as kids returned to their usual school activities. Still, health experts warn that doesn’t mean Kansas City is in the clear.

The free-to-use machine, called a Bluebox, has public health items like the naloxone product Narcan, fentanyl test strips, COVID tests, safe sex kits and more. It’s the third such vending machine in Jackson County, with more still to be installed.

Lake, an attorney who won the Democratic primary for Jackson County executive, is running against Republican Alan Rohlfing in November. The county has struggled under a dysfunctional legislature, and the interim executive was recently indicted on federal bribery charges.

For decades, the names of thousands of local enslaved people lay hidden in deeds, wills, probate records and bills of sale. A recent discovery is shedding new light on Missouri's history of slavery.