KSD Highlights Safety Resources for Students and Families

Creating safe, welcoming and supportive schools remains a daily priority across the Kearney School District as staff members continue working with families, law enforcement and community partners to protect students and support a positive learning environment.

The district’s safety efforts include collaboration with local law enforcement and first responders, trained school safety personnel, emergency planning and drills, threat assessment procedures, visitor management systems and ongoing education to help students and staff know what to do when concerns arise.

District leaders said families play an important role in that work, especially by staying informed about available resources and encouraging students to speak up when they see or hear something concerning.

The district’s Safety & Security webpage provides information about the School Safety & Security Team, emergency response procedures, common terminology families may hear during an emergency, reunification procedures and ways to report a safety concern.

The webpage also includes anonymous reporting resources, including Courage2Report, Missouri’s confidential school safety reporting system, and Scholastic Crime Stoppers. Students and families are encouraged to tell a trusted adult or KSD employee whenever they become aware of a potential safety issue.

In addition to campus safety, the district is also emphasizing online safety. KSD families can use the Online Safety Hub, which offers articles, videos, courses and other resources to help parents and guardians better understand the digital spaces students navigate.

Families may also access the Qustodio Parents App, which gives parents and guardians greater visibility into how their children are using district-issued devices.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Kearney Proclaims August 20 as Hometown Radio Day

As National Radio Day approaches on August 20, the City of Kearney recognized the role of local radio in keeping residents informed, connected, and engaged.

Mayor Randy Pogue proclaimed August 20 as “Hometown Radio Day” in Kearney during the August 17 Aldermen Board meeting, while also recognizing 102.7FM KPGZ as Kearney’s hometown radio station.

For nearly a decade, KPGZ has served the community with local news, weather updates, community event coverage, public service announcements, and Bulldog sports broadcasts. The station has also worked with local businesses, volunteers, listeners, and community partners to promote events, support charitable efforts, and highlight the people and traditions that help define Kearney.

The proclamation notes that local radio remains an important source of information and communication for residents, especially by promoting civic involvement, celebrating community achievements, and helping people stay informed about matters that affect daily life.

“NOW, THEREFORE, I, Randy Pogue, Mayor of the City of Kearney, Missouri, do hereby proclaim 102.7FM KPGZ as Kearney’s Hometown Radio Station and August 20, as HOMETOWN RADIO DAY in the City of Kearney and encourage all residents to recognize and celebrate the important role local radio plays in informing, connecting, and strengthening our community,” reads Mayor Pogue’s proclamation.

City leaders also recognized the support of local businesses whose sponsorship helps make hometown radio possible and contributes to the economic vitality and quality of life enjoyed by Kearney residents.

National Radio Day is observed each year on August 20 to honor the lasting value and impact of radio broadcasting across the United States. In Kearney, the local observance will serve as a celebration of the station, its listeners, and the many community partners who continue to make hometown radio part of the city’s daily life.

Highway Patrol Launches ‘Show-Me Shield’ Reporting Site

The Missouri Department of Public Safety and the Missouri State Highway Patrol on Tuesday, August 18, announced the launch of a new site for the public to report suspicious activity in Missouri: “Show-Me Shield” has replaced the Missouri SafeNation app. Show-Me Shield, which can be accessed by visiting ShowMeShield.mo.gov, is now available for the public to file suspicious activity reports (SAR) online.

Based on the national “See Something Say Something” initiative used to encourage the public to report potential terrorist-related suspicious activity, Show-Me Shield is where Missourians may report unusual items or situations they encounter, persons attempting to elicit information at a level beyond simple curiosity about a building’s purpose, operations, security procedures and/or personnel, when shift changes occur, etc.

These activities may be innocent, and it’s important to consider the context of each situation. Law enforcement will determine whether the behavior warrants additional investigation.

The Patrol also announced its Courage2Report school violence and anti-bullying hotline will now be accessed by visiting Courage2ReportMO.com

Courage2Report will receive tips online or by calling 1-866-748-7047. Tips will continue to be handled 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, by trained professionals. The Courage2Report and SafeNation apps have been deactivated and will no longer be monitored.

The Missouri School Violence Hotline (SVH) began in October 2001. In 2019, through the Missouri School Safety Initiative, the reporting mechanism moved to the Missouri Information Analysis Center for 24/7 operation and was named Courage2Report. The goal is to make schools safer by helping school districts and law enforcement learn about school violence before it happens.

Courage2Report partners with public and private schools in Missouri with students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. All reporting through the Courage2Report platform is confidential.

KPGZ News – Missouri State Highway Patrol

Police Funding Tax Returns to Voters in November

Kearney voters will once again decide whether to approve a half-cent sales tax dedicated to supporting the city’s police department.

The measure, known as Prop P, is scheduled to appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. If approved, the local public safety tax would help fund police staffing, competitive wages, overtime and additional safety needs for the Kearney Police Department. A similar initiative fell short by just 44 votes last year.

For shoppers, the increase would amount to 5 cents on a $10 purchase or 50 cents on a $100 purchase.

City officials say the need for additional funding remains unchanged since the proposal was last put before voters in 2024.

“Our needs haven’t decreased, just like every other city’s needs; expenses continue to go up,” said Colleen Doctorian, a communications representative for the city of Kearney.

Doctorian said revenue from the proposed tax would be directed toward officer pay and department safety, two areas city leaders have identified as priorities.

Retention is also a major reason the city is bringing the question back to voters. Doctorian said competitive salaries are necessary to keep experienced officers in Kearney and maintain public safety services.

“It is very important in order to retain officers we have to have funding to fund salaries and keep our officers safe,” Doctorian said.

Among voters, opinions on Prop P remain mixed. Opponents site inflation and the rising cost of everyday expenses as reasons why they are opposing the measure.

Kearney residents will go to the polls on November 3 to vote on Prop P.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Flock Camera Found Cut Down Near 19th and Nation Road

Kearney Police are investigating after a pole supporting a Flock license plate reader camera was cut down Thursday morning , though the pole and camera were left at the scene.

The reader was located near 19th Street and Nation Road, close to the site where a new fire station is under construction. City officials said the camera was in a remote area, and there were no nearby homes with security cameras that could have captured the incident.

Colleen Doctorian, the City of Kearney’s public information officer, said an officer discovered the damage early Thursday.

“Early this morning one of our officers noticed that the Flock camera that’s at 19th and Nation Road had been cut down,” Doctorian said.

Images from the scene showed what appeared to be a clean cut through the pole, with the camera lying on the ground nearby.

The damaged camera is one of 14 Flock cameras installed in Kearney, where the technology has become the subject of ongoing public discussion. Some residents have raised privacy concerns about automated license plate readers, while others have said they support the cameras as a law enforcement tool.

Doctorian said the city plans to replace the Nation Road camera. She said the police department uses the cameras to help with criminal investigations, describing them as one of several technology tools available to police.

City officials said anyone caught cutting down the cameras could potentially face felony property damage charges.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Kearney Police Department at 816-407-3700 or the department’s business line at 816-628-3925.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.