Second Alleged Porch Pirate Arrested

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrest of the second suspect who is connected to porch pirate thefts that happened over Thanksgiving weekend and the weekend after.

Deputies located 41-year-old Matthew T. Robinson of Excelsior Springs

Deputies located 41-year-old Matthew T. Robinson of Excelsior Springs, in Independence on Wednesday, December 12.

Robinson charged with one count of felony theft and one count of felony possession of a controlled substance in connection to the package thefts of more than a dozen residences in Clay County. These are the same charges faced by his accomplice, 24-year-old Kayley Worthington.

Deputies served a search warrant at a house in Excelsior Springs in late November and recovered 51 stolen items valued at over $2,600, as well as methamphetamine. The thefts occurred in Liberty, Smithville and the Northland.

Detectives have now identified 12 victims, but many of the stolen items remain unclaimed. Clay County residents who had a package stolen are urged to make a report with their local police department.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Families Gain New Resource Guide for Supporting Children

Missouri families now have a new tool at their fingertips: a comprehensive resource guide designed to support parents and caregivers of children from birth to age 12.

This guide, developed in partnership by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and LifeCourse Nexus Training and Technical Assistance Center (UMKC Institute for Human Development), provides descriptions, links and phone numbers of various statewide resources and is organized by types of supports which are categorized as discovery and navigation, connecting and networking, and goods and services.

“Through many of our partners throughout the state, we are thrilled to provide Missouri families with this easy-to-use guide,” said Melanie Highland, director of the Division of Senior and Disability Services with DHSS. “Whether a family is looking for support for their child’s special health care needs, mental health resources or child care information, this guide connects them to resources that strengthen their support network.”

While the guide is useful for all families, it was targeted to assist Missouri families of children with special health care needs and disabilities, highlighting Missouri Family to Family and the Special Health Care Needs Family Partnership. Both programs provide free statewide services and are staffed by parents or family members of individuals with special health care needs or disabilities.

To access the guide online, visit Health.Mo.Gov/SHCN

KPGZ News – DHSS Press Release.

Bulldog Girls Dominate the Court in Home Opener

The Kearney Bulldog girls basketball team defeated the Shawnee Mission North Bison by a final score of 54–32 on Monday, Dec. 10. The Bulldogs scored first and never looked back in their home opener.

Brooke Paalhar scored 11 points on the night.

Kearney took a big lead in the first half and doubled the score at the end of the first and second quarters, 18–9 and 30–15, respectively.

The Bison defense didn't bother the Kearney girls. The Bulldogs were able to do a super job of taking care of the ball and executed on offense. Kearney did a great job playing a tough man to man defense throughout the game and handled anything Shawnee Mission threw at them, whether it was picking them up at half court or a full court 2-2-1 press.

Kearney showed a lot of depth during the game. Eight girls were able to play meaningful minutes throughout the night. They stayed with a man to man defense all night, and offensively found several open lanes for productive points.

The Kearney Bulldogs were led by Maggie Lakin with 16 points.

The Kearney Bulldogs were led by Maggie Lakin with 16 points. Brooke Paalhar had 11, Kennedi Casey added 8, Addie Taylor scored 9, Morgan Pennington had 3, Kayla wrestler scored 3, and Ryleigh Van Emmerik and Mallyrie Schwab-Wetzel both added 2 points.

Coach Resler was pleased with the team’s performance:

“They had no answer for Maggie early on so we just kept feeding her and if somebody else would have got hot we would do the same thing with them. Brooke hit a three…and then we ran that zone play when they switched to zone, [that got] her a wide open look, and unfortunately she missed it but she looked over and just kind of grinned because it was the most open look she had. So that's kind of what we do is try to feed the hand that's hot.”

The Bulldog girls are back in action at home on Tuesday, Dec. 17, as they play a double-header with the Bulldog boys against Grain Valley. KPGZ radio will carry the broadcast starting at 5 pm on 102.7FM and KearneyCountry.com.

KPGZ Sports – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Kearney Launches New Tax Incentives for Property Improvements

The City of Kearney has introduced an exciting new program to encourage property improvements in the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods. The K-353 Redevelopment Corporation is now accepting applications for its Chapter 353 tax abatement program, designed to help revitalize eligible residential and commercial properties.

The all-new K-353 Redevelopment Plan targets a 215-acre area generally known as Original Kearney,

The Board of Aldermen recently approved the program under Chapter 353 RSMO, a state statute that permits cities to abate real property taxes for specific improvements in a designated geographical area. The all-new K-353 Redevelopment Plan targets a 215-acre area (see attached boundary map) generally known as Original Kearney, encompassing 317 parcels of residential and commercial properties. The program aims to combat blight, enhance the city’s existing housing stock and attract new businesses and multi-family developments to a resurgent downtown.

“This area is the cornerstone of our city’s identity,” said Mayor Randy Pogue. “Many buildings here date back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. This program provides a unique opportunity to preserve our community’s heritage by offering attractive tax incentives for property owners who choose to rehabilitate and enhance their properties. We are confident this initiative will inspire new investment, bringing renewed energy to the neighborhood and our city as a whole.”

The K-353 Redevelopment Plan offers eligible applicants 100% real property tax abatement on new improvements for up to 15 years, effectively freezing property taxes at their pre-improvement level. The program features four levels of tax abatement based on the scope of investment and the type of improvements made:

• Level A-1: Investments of $15,000–$24,999, requiring all improvements to be exterior.

• Level A-2: Investments of $25,000-$149,999, requiring 50% of improvements to be exterior.

• Level B: Investments of $150,000-$749,999, requiring 50% of improvements to be exterior.

• Level C: Investments of $750,000 or more, requiring 50% of improvements to be exterior.

Tax abatement is activated once the approved project is completed.

The program’s Policy and Guidelines are available at City Hall, 100 E. Washington St., and can also be downloaded from the city’s website at www.kearneymo.us. For more information, contact the Economic Development Department at 816-551-3008.

KPGZ News – City of Kearney contributed to this story.

Deputies Search for Second Porch Pirate Suspect

Matthew T. Robinson, 41, of Excelsior Springs

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is requesting the public’s assistance to locate the second suspect in a string of Northland package thefts that took place over the Thanksgiving holidays and the weekend that followed.

Matthew T. Robinson, 41, of Excelsior Springs has now been charged with one count of felony theft and one count of felony possession of a controlled substance in the case. These are the same charges faced by his accomplice, 24-year-old Kayley Worthington. She was arrested Monday and remains in custody. Robinson has numerous other warrants for his arrest, as well.

24-year-old Kayley Worthington

After seeing multiple reports on social media last week of packages being stolen in Liberty, Smithville, and Kansas City, North, Sheriff’s Office investigators began collaborating with police departments in those cities and working to identify the thieves. Their investigation led them to a home in Excelsior Springs early Monday evening, where they located Worthington and took her into custody. Robinson was at the home but managed to escape. Deputies served a search warrant at the house and recovered 51 stolen items, as well as methamphetamine.

Detectives have now identified 12 victims, but many of the stolen items remain unclaimed. Clay County residents who had a package stolen last week are urged to make a report with their local police department.

If you know where Matthew Robinson is, please call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). You can remain anonymous and get a cash reward.

KPGZ News – Clay County Sheriff’s Office.