MoDOT to Repair Pavement on I-35

The Missouri Department of Transportation will be conducting pavement repair work on I-35 near Kearney resulting in various lane closures. See below for dates and times. All work is weather permitting.

Thursday, July 25 at 7 p.m. to Friday, 26 at 6 a.m.

- I-35 southbound between mm 30.2 and 28.4, 2 miles north of Kearney

Saturday, 27 at 7 p.m. to Sunday, 28 at 6 a.m.

- I-35 southbound at mm 30.2, 2 miles north of Kearney

- I-35 northbound at mm 30.2/Muddy Fork River

Monday, July 29 at 7 p.m. to Tuesday, July 30 at 6 a.m.

- I-35 southbound from north of 19th St in Kearney to south of Fishing River Bridge

- I-35 northbound at mm 30.2, 2 miles north of Kearney

Motorists are reminded to slow down and pay attention while driving in work zones. Not all work zones look alike. Work zones can be moving operations, such as striping, patching or mowing. They can also be short term, temporary lane closures to make quick repairs or remove debris from the roadway.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.

No Excuse Absentee Voting Now Open

No Excuse, absentee in-person ballots are now available to Missouri Voters at their local election office. Residents must show an official, government-issued photo to cast an absentee in-person ballot.

On the ballot this August include races for governor, state treasurer, attorney general, secretary of state, U.S. Congressional seats, and U.S. Senator. Seats will also be decided in the Missouri House and Senate.

There are also two proposed constitutional amendments up to voters next month. One would create a property tax exemption for childcare centers and the other would increase minimum funding for the Kansas City Police Department, which is run by the state.

Locally, The Kearney Fire and Rescue Protection District has two questions in the August election for district voters to consider. If approved the initiatives will fund much-needed equipment, additional staff and a second location.

Residents of the Kearney Fire District will be voting on Question 1 and Question 2 in the August ballot. Question 1 asks for an extension of the current bond that passed in 2010.

Question 2 asks for a half-cent sales tax increase. Funding from the sales tax will be used for funding new staff positions at the second station, funding the increased operating costs of the second station including utilities, personal protective gear, and building maintenance.

No excuse absentee voting is allowed until the day before the election. The primary election is on August 6. The Clay County election office is located at 100 W. Mississippi St. in Liberty.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Sales Tax Holiday Helps Shoppers Save

Missouri’s annual back-to-school sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 am on Friday, August 2, and runs through midnight on Sunday, August 4. During this time, certain back-to-school purchases such as school supplies, computers, clothing and other qualifying items as defined by statute are exempt from state sales tax.

During the sales tax holiday, state sales tax will not be charged on the following items:

Clothing that does not have a taxable value of more than $100. Eligible clothing items include any article of apparel intended to be worn on or about the body, including footwear and disposable diapers for infants or adults. Cloth and other material used to make school uniforms or other school clothing are also included. Not included are watches, watchbands, jewelry, handbags, handkerchiefs, umbrellas, scarves, ties, headbands, or belt buckles.

School supplies, not exceeding $50 per purchase, that are used in a standard classroom for educational purposes. School supplies include, but are not limited to, textbooks, notebooks, paper, writing instruments, crayons, art supplies, rulers, book bags, backpacks, chalk, maps, globes, handheld calculators, graphing calculators that do not have a taxable value of more than $150, and computer software that does not have a taxable value of more than $350. Not included are watches, radios, CD players, headphones, sporting equipment, portable or desktop telephones, copiers or other office equipment, furniture, or fixtures; and

Personal computers that do not cost more than $1,500 and computer peripheral devices that do not cost more than $1,500. A personal computer can be a laptop, desktop, or tower computer system which consists of a central processing unit, random access memory, a storage drive, a display monitor, and a keyboard. Peripheral devices include items such as a disk drive, memory module, compact disk drive, daughterboard, digitizer, microphone, modem, motherboard, mouse, multimedia speaker, printer, scanner, single-user hardware, single-user operating system, soundcard, or video card.

Anyone who makes a qualified purchase may participate in the holiday. You do not have to be a Missouri resident or student to participate and save.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Drainage Repair to Close 19th Street Interchange

The Missouri Department of Transportation is conducting drainage repairs on 19th Street in Kearney resulting in a full closure between I-35 east ramps to Watson Drive.

The road closure will begin Monday, July 29 at 6 a.m. and continue to Wednesday, July 31 at 4 p.m. There will be no posted detour. Motorists should use the I-35 and Route 92 interchange as an alternate route. All work is weather permitting.

Motorists are reminded to slow down and pay attention while driving in work zones. Not all work zones look alike. Work zones can be moving operations, such as striping, patching or mowing. They can also be short term, temporary lane closures to make quick repairs or remove debris from the roadway.

For more information about MoDOT news, projects or events, please visit our website at modot.org/kansascity.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Local IT Company Addresses CrowdStrike Incident

Lockbaud, a Kansas City-based IT services provider, highlights the importance of proactive cybersecurity measures in response to a recent CrowdStrike update that caused widespread system disruptions and blue screen errors.

Sam Sapp, Lockbaud

Sam Sapp, owner of Lockbaud, emphasized the irony and significance of this incident, given CrowdStrike's role as a prominent cybersecurity provider.

"This situation underscores a critical lesson in IT security: even tools designed to protect us can sometimes be the source of disruption," Sapp stated.

The incident, which began on July 18, 2024, affected numerous organizations worldwide, causing system crashes and operational interruptions. CrowdStrike has confirmed that the issue stemmed from a defect in a single content update for Windows hosts and is not related to a security breach or cyberattack.

Key points highlighted by Sapp include:

- Widespread Impact: The incident affected banks, airports, supermarkets, and mediavcompanies across multiple countries.

- System Vulnerabilities: Even trusted security solutions can introduce vulnerabilities, emphasizing the need for robust backup and recovery processes.

- Rapid Response: CrowdStrike's quick acknowledgment and efforts to resolve the issue demonstrate the importance of transparent communication during IT crises.

Sapp offered the following advice for businesses in light of this incident:

- Implement Staged Updates: Roll out updates to a small subset of systems before full deployment to catch potential issues early.

- Maintain Offline Backups: Keep recent system backups that are not connected to the network to facilitate quick recovery if needed.

-Diversify Security Solutions: Avoid relying solely on one security provider to mitigate risks associated with single points of failure.

- Enhance Incident Response Plans: Regularly update and practice incident response procedures to ensure preparedness for unexpected disruptions.

"While this incident is unfortunate, it serves as a valuable reminder of the complexities in cybersecurity," Sapp added. "It reinforces the need for layered security approaches and robust contingency planning."

Lockbaud remains committed to helping businesses navigate the evolving landscape of cybersecurity challenges. The company continues to monitor the situation and is prepared to assist clients in implementing best practices to prevent and mitigate similar incidents in the future.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.