School District Celebrates Southview Upgrades

Principal Rebecca Parks and Director of Operations Erek Noland gave Kearney School District’s Board of Education members a tour on Wednesday, Aug. 21 of the Proposition B bond projects that were completed recently as promised at Southview Elementary.

The Southview upgrades included a new secure entry and front office area, additional rooms designed to serve students with special needs, collaborative learning spaces and furnishings in every grade-level pod, improved HVAC systems, and other significant work. The project began in the spring with architectural designs by DLR Group and was managed by Newkirk Novak Construction Partners.

Dr. Parks expressed her gratitude to Southview staff members, parents, guardians and students for adapting to the disruptions caused by the project. She was also grateful to the community for supporting the zero-tax-rate-increase Prop B capital improvement bond when it went to voters in April of 2022.

“I just want to thank our entire team, our students and our families for their patience and good spirits throughout this process,” Parks said. “I know our teachers are thrilled by the new collaborative learning spaces and I’ve heard so many positive comments from everyone.”

In addition to the work at Southview, Newkirk Novak also completed important upgrades to the HVAC system at Kearney Middle School this summer, according to Operations Manager Ben Vanderau.

During the school board’s regular business meeting Wednesday evening, Mr. Vanderau and DLR Group representative Kevin Greischar shared some plans for the next round of Prop B projects. That work will include upgrades and expansions at Hawthorne Elementary, Kearney Elementary and Dogwood Elementary. Those projects should be completed by the time classes begin for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The school board also learned from Mr. Vanderau that the total cost estimate for the renovations at the remaining elementary schools has come in significantly lower than expected. This will potentially free up funds for more capital improvements. Mr. Noland will work with the district’s long-range facilities planning committee, which includes key stakeholders, to identify high-priority projects for the additional funds.

Ray Weikal contributed to this story.

Kearney Radio Announces Online Country Radio Station

On National Radio Day, August 20, Kearney Radio Station 102.7FM KPGZ announced a fitting addition to its classic hits format. Country music channel KearneyCountry.com is now broadcast through the KPGZ Mobile App.

local news and events as well as classic hits and country hits can be found on the kpgz mobile app

The idea for a second station came from a community survey KPGZ conducted in 2023, with Northland CAPS students.

“The survey found that 48% of people who responded listen to country music some or all of the time,” said General Manager Brian Watts. “Nearly 50% of our residents were listening to another genre of music, so we thought by adding an additional format we could capture another audience.”

Most of the on-air time may be spent playing 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s era country music, but like the 102.7FM side, the focus of the station is Kearney.

“This station, like 102.7FM, gives individuals, businesses, and religious and civic organizations a voice in the community,” said Watts. “We cultivate our own local news, announce local weather and events, and broadcast Kearney Bulldog Sports.”

The station plays country music 24 hours a day on a player on KearneyCountry.com as well as the KPGZ mobile app which listeners can download free to their Apple or Android mobile devices. To switch to the country stream in the app, users can tap the menu icon in the upper left corner, then tap on “Change Station”.

The mobile app also features sections for news, weather, sports and past Kearney sports broadcast replays.

Sheriff’s Office Seizes Large Amount of Fentanyl

Clay County Sheriff’s deputies seized enough fentanyl during an arrest last week to kill 327,000 people.

Josiah J. Langston - CLay County Sheriff’s Office Photo

They located and arrested 21-year-old Josiah J. Langston the afternoon of Aug. 15 in the 3900 block of N. Skiles Avenue. They were looking for Langston due to a prior warrant he had for drug trafficking. When deputies approached him, he rammed a patrol car, but he was unable to flee. No one was hurt, and deputies took him into custody.

Inside Langston’s vehicle, investigators located 1.5 pounds of powdered fentanyl, and 0.4 pounds of methamphetamine. They also found $2,000 in cash. Just two milligrams of fentanyl can be a lethal dose, meaning the amount of fentanyl seized could have killed nearly two-thirds of the population of Kansas City, Mo.

Langston has been charged with two counts of first-degree drug trafficking and one count of resisting arrest. This is in addition to his prior drug trafficking charge. He is now in the Clay County Detention Center on a $450,000 bond. Investigation is continuing, and more charges – including federal charges – are possible.

This arrest and seizure were a joint operation conducted by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office’s Drug Task Force and Special Operations Squad.  

Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Jesse James Parade Entry Information

The Jesse James Festival is coming up again next month and the festival committee is asking for participants in the Jesse James Parade. This will be the 53nd year for the festival.

This year’s Jesse James Parade theme is “Patriotic.” The categories judged at the parade include floats, non-motorized, motorized, equestrian and crowd pleaser. Ribbons or plaques along with the ultimate prize will be given to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.

The parade this year will be on Saturday, September 21, at 10 am in Kearney. Parade applications can be found HERE. The deadline to register is August 31.

Entry forms should be completed and returned with fee to the PO Box 536, Kearney, MO 64060. The parade order of line-up will be placed in order by date of receipt of entry form with fee.

For questions, please call Julie Hedges at 816-507-5503 or Ashley Hedges at 816-797-3957.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Police Department Announces Promotions of Seven Officers

The Kearney Police Department is excited to announce the promotion of seven experienced professionals following a rigorous promotion process that concluded in July. These promotions reflect the officers’ exceptional service, leadership and commitment to Kearney. The newly promoted officers are:

- Corporal Charles Leach - promoted to the rank of Sergeant. 

- Detective Blake Westerfield - promoted to the rank of Detective Corporal. 

- Officer Jeff Parton - promoted to the rank of Corporal. 

- Officer Phillip Lamanna - promoted to the rank of Corporal. 

- Officer Mark Taylor - promoted to the rank of Corporal. 

- Officer David Parker - promoted to the rank of Corporal.

- Officer Austin Dotson - promoted to the rank of Corporal. 

seven experienced professionals completed a rigorous promotion process that concluded in July.

Police Chief Mark Thomas, expressed pride in the newly promoted officers, stating, “These promotions are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our officers. Each of them has demonstrated their dedication to the principles of integrity, compassion, service and teamwork. I am confident they will excel in their new roles and continue to serve Kearney with professionalism and distinction.”

The promotion process involved a series of evaluations, including written exams, interviews and the submission of a resume highlighting their experience, training, education, and community involvement. The promoted officers stood out for their exemplary performance and readiness to take on greater responsibilities.

In addition to the promotions, two police officers have been assigned to new positions. Officer Caleb Nelson has been assigned as a detective in the Investigations Unit and Officer Cameron Philip will be the new School Resource Officer at the Kearney School District.

The Kearney Police Department remains committed to fostering a culture of growth and excellence to ensure that our officers are well-equipped to meet the evolving needs of Kearney. 

These officers will be recognized at Kearney City Hall for their achievement at the August 19, 2024, Board of Aldermen Meeting.