Boys Execute First Time Win over Park Hill South

The Kearney Bulldogs boys basketball team fought their winter break blues with a win over Class 6 Park Hill South Panthers on Friday, Jan. 3. It was an exciting game as the Bulldogs came back from a 7-point deficit to win, 61-53.

The Bulldogs have been 0-7 to this point against the Panthers. Park Hill South beat Kearney by 12 points here at home in 2015.

Tre Smith led the team with 23 points for the BUlldogs.

It was a tale of quarters as the Bulldogs held their own against Park Hill South and won the first quarter, 14-11. In the second quarter, the Panthers started chipping away at the Bulldog lead and late in the quarter went on a 9-0 run.

Park Hill South owned the third quarter, scoring 20 points in the quarter. The Bulldogs came back in the fourth quarter and scored 21 points thanks to Tre Smith's relentless defense on Park Hill South guards as he had multiple runouts late in the fourth quarter.

The Panthers went in and out from zone to man-to-man defense enough times that it confused the Bulldogs for a little bit, but Kearney was able to get some defensive rebounds in that second-half that weren't there in the first half. Aden Sallee, Drew Wilson and Ty Smith did a fantastic job on the defensive glass in the second half and kept Park Hill South from getting second opportunities.

The Bulldogs had an amazing scoring night. Tre Smith led the team with 23 points. Drew Wilson hit his season average and scored 13. Brad Doll made the scorebook with 10 points and was especially effective with big free-throws down the stretch in the fourth quarter. Aden Sallee scored 9 points and Brock Scott, Ty Smith and Carter Brock each made two.

This brings the Bulldogs’ record to 6-3 on the season. Their next home game will be during the Kearney Classic Tournament, January 13-17.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Major Winter Storm Takes Aim at NW Missouri

The National Weather Service expects ice, sleet, and heavy snow accumulation this weekend. Meteorologists are expecting as much as 13 inches of snow to fall in Northwest Missouri.

The National Weather Service has now issued a Winter Storm Warning from 6 pm Saturday, January 4, to 3 am Monday, January 6. Areas included in this storm warning include portions of east central and northeast Kansas and central, north central, northeast, northwest, and west central Missouri.

On Saturday, our area could see freezing rain and sleet, and then on Sunday, January 5, it will changeover to very heavy snow. Thunderstorms with snow are possible which could increase snowfall rates to 2" per hour at times. There will also be wind gusting up to 35 mph at times with this storm causing blowing and drifting of the snow Sunday into Monday. 

Heavy mixed precipitation expected. The National Weather Service expects total snow and sleet accumulations between 6 and 13 inches and ice accumulations up to two tenths of an inch.

This amount of snow and ice can cause complications for roads and homes. Homeowners should be prepared for tree damage and branches to fall, damage to power lines and power poles, and power outages.

The Missouri Department of Transportation and the City of Kearney have announced that they will be treating roads in the area and will continue to monitor street conditions throughout the weekend. The City of Kearney asks vehicle owners not to park on the streets if possible, to allow public works trucks and plows to be more effective.

Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative staff met this week to review emergency action plans and procedures and to ensure they are prepared to respond to any service disruptions resulting from the winter storm.

Travel is discouraged during this storm, but if you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Zero Traffic Deaths Reported this New Years Holiday

Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers investigated fewer traffic incidents this New Year’s Holiday than they did last year. Traffic-related deaths were also down this year.

Last year, troopers investigated 115 traffic crashes and 59 crash injuries. They worked three crash fatalities and arrested 139 people for DWI.

This year the Highway Patrol reported there were 44 traffic crashes and 21 people were injured during New Year’s holiday counting period, which began at 6 pm Tuesday, December 31, 2024, and ended at 11:59 pm Wednesday, January 1, 2025.

The Highway Patrol also reported that there were no traffic-related deaths over the holiday counting period. There were 0 boating crashes and 0 drownings over the 2025 New Year’s holiday counting period.

Driving while intoxicated arrests were also down this New Year's holiday. Troopers arrested 55 drivers for DWI this year.

The fatality statistics in this news release could change if late deaths occur, or if other departments report fatal traffic crashes.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Hands-Free Law Goes into Effect

Last year, 106 people were killed in distracted driving crashes in Missouri and voters have had enough. Driving while using a handheld electronic communication device is now against the law for all drivers in Missouri.

Photo by Mike Skoropad

Distracted driving is a leading cause of crashes in Missouri period from 2013 to 2022, there were nearly 200,000 distracted driving related crashes resulting in at least 800 fatalities. According to AT&T, nearly nine in 10 people engage in smartphone activities while driving.

Under the new law, drivers are prohibited from physically holding a cell phone, manually sending or receiving text-based messages, recording or sending video calls or social media posts, and watching a video or movie while driving.

After passing a hands-free law 15 states experienced an average decrease in fatality rates of 15.3% and six states and the District of Columbia experienced a decrease of more than 20%.

The penalty for the first offense is a $150 fine, which goes up to $500 if it's in a school or construction zone.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Senior Real Estate Property Tax Relief Begins Jan. 1

The Senior Real Estate Property Tax Relief program was passed by the Clay County Commission in 2023. On January 1, the work begins when the program goes into effect.

To be eligible for the Senior Real Estate Property Tax Relief program, you must turn or be 62 years of age during the calendar year 2025, a Clay County resident and own your home, the home you are claiming must be your primary residence, and you must be responsible for the property tax.

To enroll in the program, seniors will need a valid US Government issued photo identification, proof of all taxes paid, and proof of ownership.

The tax relief is not retroactive and all Clay County residents eligible for the tax relief, and who apply in 2025, will have a base tax year of 2024. The tax relief is calculated by subtracting the real estate property tax of the base year from the current year’s real estate property tax.

Participants are required to submit an affidavit every year after the initial application to ensure eligibility is still being met.

For more information about the Senior Real Estate Property Tax Relief program, visit HERE. https://www.claycountymo.gov/563/2024---2025-Senior-Real-Estate-Property-

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.