Help and Hope for Drug and Alcohol Addiction in Inter-City

You don’t have to hit rock-bottom. There is help for you now.
(816) 361-5900 FirstCall KC 24 Hour Confidential Crisis Hotline

If you or someone you care about has a problem with drugs or alcohol, write down or preferably memorize this phone number: (816) 361-5900. This is the number for First Call, a CONFIDENTIAL 24-hour crisis hotline that is answered by trained professionals who know the exact resources in our area that are ready to help anyone struggling with substance abuse issues.

People who have pulled themselves out of a drug or alcohol addiction will often tell you that they wish they’d done it sooner and that even while they were addicted they often had a strong desire to quit. “I hated myself. I could see the damage I was doing to my life and my family, but there didn’t seem to be any way out. “

The motivation to break an addiction has got to be strong -- it often takes a life-changing event to make a substance abuser turn their life around. “When they’ve OD’d or nearly OD’d or a friend has, or they’ve had a bad experience, right then they’re motivated. After they feel better they might not be, so it’s really important to have people think about that right then when they need help,” said Stacy Daniels Young, a clinical psychologist who serves as the director of COMBAT. COMBAT provides funding for dozens of agencies in Jackson County that are devoted to helping people break free from addiction.

HELP IN THE INTER-CITY AREA

People with private health insurance have many more options for getting treatment than people without it. Lack of insurance need not be a barrier for getting help and treatment, though. In the Inter-City area there are several agencies ready to help people who may think they have no options.

Comprehensive Mental Health Services (CMHS) is at the forefront of providing not only addiction treatment but basic services to help people struggling with addiction and other mental health issues get on their feet. Helping people get on Medicaid is an important service they provide. According to Julie Pratt, Vice President of Operations at CMHS, “A lot of our consumers don’t have Medicaid. That’s one of the things that we try to help them with when they come in the door are some of those basic needs, like

making sure they have a Social Security card, a drivers license, if they qualify for Medicaid we help them go and apply for that.”

Jenny Duncan, the CMHS Director of Addiction Services added, “You can’t address whatever substance abuse or whatever problems you’re dealing with if you’re worrying about ‘Where am I going to get food?’ and ‘I don’t have anywhere to live,’ so you have to start with the basics. So we’re doing more than just addressing a substance use issue. You can’t focus on those kinds of things when you have so many other things going on.”

CMHS takes pride in their many success stories. Indeed many of their volunteers and employees were once clients. “We have some that actually start the program,

Gateway. They’ll graduate successfully and then we want them to have a year clean, and then they’ll come back and work for us. They’re employees. They’re mental health techs in our Gateway program. They’re giving what they’ve lived to the current clients that are in the house right now -- ‘I've been there. It can happen. You can do this and you can get through this,’ so we do, we employ people,” said Duncan, and Pratt added, “And they’re the best employees. We’ve had some wonderful success stories.”

It’s because of this success that as of July 1, CMHS began offering the services of a federal program designed to medically assist people who are addicted to heroin and other opioids by distributing the drug Buprenorphine (brand name Suboxone), an alternative to the traditional treatment of Methadone. “They’ll

come in and get a quick screening done and immediately see the doctor.” Missouri is one of only eight states participating in this program, and Comprehensive

Mental Health was chosen because of its proven record of providing successful treatment to people struggling with addiction and mental health issues.

Although the opioid crisis is raging around the country, we were told by representatives from Comprehensive and several other agencies that methamphetamine

continues to be the most widely abused drug that people are seeking treatment for.

HOPE FOR WOMEN IN ADDICTIVE RELATIONSHIPS

For women in relationships where addiction is an issue, whether they are users or their partners are or both, Hope House can help to break the cycle of abuse

that often comes from being in dangerous relationships. Hope House has a 24-hour hotline at (816) 461- HOPE (461-4673). Janet Howard of Hope House tells us,

“Hope House is an Emergency Shelter for victims of domestic violence, this includes physical abuse but also encompasses emotional, sexual, financial and

psychological abuse,” many of which are typical in relationships where substance abuse is an issue.

“Each victim who comes to Hope House is screened by phone to see if they meet our criteria. If the victim meets the criteria then they are given further instructions, if they do not meet our criteria then further resources are provided.” A woman can’t come into Hope House if she is under the influence

at the time of admission. “If they are under the influence then sobriety would be the first need before entering our services.”

Once entering Hope House there are a great many services provided to women and children to help them start a new life free from abuse and addiction. “We are State Certified Substance Abuse Program Level 3. We provide groups and individual therapy for the victims through our shelter services.

Typically victims come into shelter for safety concerns, (fear of abuser, abusers family, or homeless due to domestic violence). Upon completion of the shelter program victims are then placed in our Outreach Program for further therapy, support, or services.”

FAITH AND FELLOWSHIP IN INTER-CITY

Several of the agencies we spoke with in researching this article were singing the praises of a resource in our area that has been invaluable in helping people who were once prisoners of addiction to break free and stay clean: Maywood Baptist Church, located at 10505 E Winner Rd. in Englewood. A spokesman tells us, “Maywood Baptist has Wednesday night groups which are very good and generally speaking most of the people in those classes are in recovery. They also have a

Narcotic Anonymous program at Maywood Baptist which meets several times a week. The best thing I can say about Maywood is that there are so many people

in recovery there and so many success stories so if you are looking to get sober it’s a great place to start and stay as well.

So many stories of Victory there. If you’re looking for recovery stick around Maywood Baptist Church.”

Google Street View Takes You Back in Time

It’s been ten years since Sugar Creek used the threat of Eminent Domain to seize the homes of residents who lived near the intersection of 24 Highway and Sterling in order to build what they called the “Sugarland Center,” a 225,000 square-foot retail center that they promised would include a winery, multiple restaurants, a 45,000 square-foot supermarket along with other popular retail stores.

Some residents happily took the generous payouts offered for their property by the City of Sugar Creek, while other homeowners went down fighting. Some were unwilling to see homes that had been in their families for generations be demolished in the name of commercial progress. In the end, after spending millions of dollars, the City of Sugar Creek won the battle for the right to demolish 33 properties.

But like so many ideas that sounded good to developers in 2007, the economic collapse put an end to Sugar Creek’ lofty shopping center plan and ten years later what was once a sweet, quiet neighborhood now stands truly desolate and blighted.

Thanks to Google’s Street View, though, anyone with a computer can go “back in time” and look at the homes and streets that Sugar Creek claimed were “blighted.” Just go to http://maps.google.com and type in “24 Highway and Smart Ave” and click on the Street View image. Use your cursor to navigate to the “NOW” image above, click the forward arrow that will appear and Voila! You’ll be
transported back to 2007 where you can make the loop around Smart Avenue and see a few of the nice little houses where families once lived (and paid property taxes -- which the city no
longer receives -- adding to the multi-million dollar losses). If your web browser allows it, you'll see the image below. Just click on the road and go back in time.



Ten years later hundreds of acres of wasteland are all that remain at a busy intersection on 24 Highway. Click here to see some ideas for bringing this corner back to life!

Kansas City Bermudas Baseball Team

Back: Gene George, Larry "Dino" Maddox, Don Heriford, (future Judge) Jack Gant,
Paul Bandy, Bill George.
Front: Bob Cupito, Al Gauert, Algon George, Howard George, Joe "Jo Jo" Farris

In the early 1950s a group of guys calling themselves the "Kansas City Bermudas," wearing pink Bermuda shorts and sporting a variety of unusual headgear, would drive out to small towns in outlying areas looking for teams to play baseball with. They figured that the "hay haulers" in these country towns would see the pink shorts and consider them to be "sissies" from the city and easy prey on the ball field. The country teams would soon learn this would never be the case.

The undefeated “Barnstorming Bermudas” were made up of seasoned athletes. Paul Bandy was a star basketball player at East High School, and Don Heriford at Northeast.

After being awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Korea, Bill George was captain of the football team at Central Missouri State University. He spent six years playing baseball in the Minor Leagues, and would later be inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame for the decades he spent officiating collegiate sporting events.

Gene George would go on to play semi-pro football for the Kansas City Jiggers, winning a national championship against the Portland, Maine Seahawks, and would spend 20 years as a coach at Northeast Junior High School.

After serving in the Marine Corps in Guam guarding Japanese prisoners accused of war crimes, Jack Gant played shortstop for the UMKC Kangaroos while studying law. Always interested in politics, he served as Assistant Prosecutor and State Senator before being appointed Judge in the 16th Circuit. Sports continued to play a big role in his life all the while, coaching and pioneering youth sports programs in our area. The Jack Gant Award is presented every year to the best overall student-athlete at UMKC.

For the Kansas City Bermudas, it was all about fun, games, and a lot of laughs. For Al George, who served as the team's bat boy, it meant a lot more than that. "It was one of the greatest honors of my childhood. Those guys were my heroes and my idols."

USS SPROSTON DISPLAY FINDS A HOME ON THE SQUARE

There's a new feature at the Veterans Hall in the Truman Memorial Building on the Independence Square. It's an impressive display featuring a scale model of the USS Sproston (DD-577), a Fletcher- Class Naval Destroyer, along with other mementos collected by the USS Sproston Reunion Group. This great Navy destroyer lovingly called a “Tincan” like all destroyers are called by the sailors who served on them, was first commissioned in 1943 and served honorably during World War II, Korea, the Cold War, and Vietnam before finally being decommissioned in 1968.

Orville Amos, president of the USS Sproston Reunion Group says, “I personally had the greatest honor of my life to have served aboard her from early 1962 to late 1964. During this period she made two deployments to the Western Pacific (which the Navy calls WESTPAC) from our home port of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. These deployments were designed to show the flag and maintain a presence in the Western Pacific and the South China Sea.”

The USS Sproston was one of 175 ships of this class commissioned during World War II. She was named in honor U.S. Navy Lieutenant John G. Sproston who was killed in action while leading an attack on a Confederate ironclad during the Civil War. This destroyer model was built by James McLaughlin, a WW II veteran, and was donated to the USS Sproston Reunion Group upon his death. Orville says, “The ship model came to us with a significant amount of damage so we decided to have it refurbished by a professional model builder; hence the pristine ship model just as she was commissioned in 1943. Special thanks go to Dick Clark, a WW II veteran who sent us the commissioning pennant which is also on display, and also to Vice Admiral James A Sagerholm who provided the clear plastic dome that protects the model.”

Finding someplace to display the model proved to be a challenge. The Truman Library considered housing the display but declined due to the fact that there wasn't a direct connection between President Truman and the USS Sproston. The National World War II Museum in New Orleans also turned down the model because they already have so many Tincans on display. Then Orville approached the Truman Memorial Building about adding it to the Veterans Hall and the USS Sproston DD-577 Model finally found a home.

“The story here is not about a single person but the comradery of a tincan crew,” says Orville. “I always found it amazing that a crew that consists of young men, most between the ages of 17 to 21, could go to sea and make a U S Navy warship function like a well oiled machine. I can't find the words to describe the bond that connects destroyer men, and now women. But I guarantee you that any tincan sailor who reads this will know instantly what I'm talking about. Finally in my 21 year membership in the USS Sproston reunion group I've been privileged to meet some of the most admirable veterans I've ever known. Especially the WW II veterans who served in the last war where ships actually lined up and shot at each other. For any sailor who reads this story I wish them fair winds and following seas.”

You can see the USS Sproston model along with many other displays of military memorabilia, interactive kiosks with video recordings of local Veterans, and the Veterans Courtyard and Memorial Foyer at the Truman Memorial Building located at 416 Maple on the Independence Square, any Monday through Saturday.

If you'd like more information about the USS Sproston you can visit the website www.sproston.com
or contact Orville Amos at oamos541@aol.com.

LIFE AFTER PRESIDENCY: THE TRUMANS COME HOME

The election for President of the United States of America in 1952 was a blow out for Dwight David Eisenhower. Adlai Stevenson, the Democrat, lost the Electoral College -- 442 to 89. The Democrats won  the south. President Truman would not have done much better. He decided in 1950 that the job sucked. The USA didn’t have a presidentfrom noon until half past on January 20, 1953, when Eisenhower was inaugurated.

After power nap at the residence of Dean Acheson the Trumans left Washington D.C. that evening at 6:30. Approximately 1000 people were at the D.C.’s Union Station to see the ex-president off. His parting words to the masses were, “In all my career, and it has been a long one, I’ve never had an experience like this. This is the first time I’ve had the experience of being sent home in a blaze of glory. I’ll never forget this if I live to be 100 and that’s what I expect to do.” He made it to 88.

Silver Springs, Maryland, was his first stop and several hundred people showed up to see him. Next stop was Martinsburg, West Virginia. In Cincinnati, Ohio the train stopped for 15 minutes, just enough time to buy a newspaper. A reporter shouted, “Ask the president to look this way!” Harry replied, “I’m just Harry Truman. I’m not the president anymore!”

The next morning at a stop in Seymour, Indiana, Mrs. Truman could be seen through the windows eating breakfast while Harry greeted the crowd that had gathered. As the train started to pull away Mrs. Francis L. Jordan of Seymour handed Harry a package of home country smoked sausage from her freezer for his first breakfast at home. Harry smiled and said, “Well thank you. Bless your heart.”

There was a short stop in St. Louis to change trains, something which would never have happened to a sitting president. At the train station in Independence 10,000 people, one fourth of the population, waited in 40 degree temperatures for the 6:30 train that would be 20 minutes late. Also waiting for the couple was the American Legion Band and Mayor Weatherford. As Harry and Bess stepped from the train bright lights for the TV cameras and the sound of the Missouri Waltz filled the air. The mayor’s speech was quick: “Welcome home neighbors, and you’ll always be Mr. President to us!”

The former First Lady stepped forward to say a few words. “Thank you all very much. We are delighted to be here. It is a wonderful welcome.” She tried to continue but her eyes teared up and she stepped back from the microphone. The Trumans then entered the mayor’s auto and drove north with a police escort. People lined the streets and cheered as the former First Couple drove home.

On the front porch of the Truman home Harry was reacquainted with Sgt. Arthur Bell, a current member of the Missouri State Highway Patrol and former member of Battery D 129 Field Artillery, WWI, who was to be his security detail. After a few more photos on the front porch the Trumans retired after a very long day.

The town pretty much left the couple to themselves until the official reception to be held on February 5th. From getting off the train until the gala Harry was busy. First there was his visit to the Grandview property he was considering to be the site of the Truman Library which was expected to cost $1.5 million. $100,000 was already in the bank. Next he got an office in Kansas City. He did a lot of walking with the press who were trying very hard to get him make a statement about Eisenhower’s negative comments but he didn’t take the bait. Many of his walks were 14 blocks leaving some of the younger pursuers out of breath. He loved it.

On Thursday, February 5, 1953, at the RLDS Auditorium 650 people broke bread with one of the best presidents in the country’s history. Bess wore white pearls and Harry wore a blue suit with a white carnation. Turkey dinner was on the menu. Tickets were $3.50. The orchestra struck up the Missouri Waltz, after which Mr. Truman gave a ten minute speech. Mrs. Truman thanked everyone and everyone went home happy.

Among the notables in attendance were the mayors of the local cities, among them Rudy Roper of Sugar Creek.

The event was broadcast nationally on television, radio, and newsreels that were shown before the feature presentations at movie theaters. The media covering the gala included Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox, MovieStone, Pathe, Metro, United Press TV, local television news, and more.

These were the days before former presidents received a pension. Harry’s take home pay was now $112 dollars a month for being a Major in the Army.

Who Owns This Dump???

When visitors from around the world exit I-435 to visit the Truman Library, this is one of many abandoned and blighted sights they are treated to.8623-8625 Winner Rd. (24 Highway) in KC is registered to a defunct corporation whose agent passed away several years ago. The owners (whom we won’t name yet) have not paid property taxes for two years but the site won’t be up for tax auction until August, 2018. We hope that Kansas City will take action quickly to remove this eyesore and help us begin the revitalization of “The Road to Harry’s Library.” In Kansas City you can report dangerous buildings simply by dialing 311.

New Place to Eat on Truman Road

James Fausett Cooks Food to Order at
Pappy's Den on Truman Road

Just west of Sterling and Truman Road there is a little place called Pappy's Den which has been there since 1962. The owner, John Buckley, recently noticed that there is no food to be found on Truman Road in that part of Independence. Buckley and a chef named James Fausett decided to open a food trailer at Pappy's, located at 10805 Truman Road.

It was a hard battle to open the city's first and only locally owned and operated food truck or trailer. The city was new to this and so were John and James but they figured it out. The city finally did all of the final inspections and gave it a 100%, No Violation inspection which is almost impossible to get in Independence.

Now they are offering made to order food (you can call ahead and it will be ready) from Ruebens to open-faced hot beef sandwiches, to a fat cheeseburger with egg and bacon, homemade lasagna, calzones, and much more.

Look out for the next food truck -- Pappy's is setting the bar high! Order ahead by calling (816) 874-9161.

Total Eclipse of the Sun August 21, 2017

With our area being directly in the path of the upcoming total solar eclipse, the Independence Square will be celebrating all that weekend with “The Dark Side of the Square: An Eclipse Festival.” On Friday, August 18, enjoy Live Music Under the Stars from 7 to 11 p.m. at Between the Bricks, the outdoor courtyard of the Courthouse Exchange located at 113 W. Lexington Ave.

Saturday night enjoy a Family Moonlight Movie at dusk in the parking lot of the Pharaoh Cinema, 114 W. Maple on the Square. Sunday night the Pharaoh will be offering Wine, Brew & a Movie Too at dusk.

On the day of the Eclipse, Monday, August 21, the Independence Square will be hosting a Block Party, with solar eclipse viewing with music, games, food & more from 11:41 am – 2:36 pm.

Merchants around the Independence Square will be offering special deals all weekend.

To safely view the eclipse special “eclipse glasses” are available for sale around the Square. For more information about the August 21 Total Eclipse or to order eclipse viewing glasses online, visit www.eclipse2017.org.

REMORSEFULLY NUMB EMBARKS ON FIVE-STATE TOUR

New Single “Sidewalk Scandals” Just Released 

Remorsefully Numb Is (left to right):
Jake Ayers, A.J. Gibson, Chaz Florido, and Josh Macha
Find them on Youtube - Facebook - Twitter

 In eighth grade band class at Bingham Middle School, drummer Jake Ayers and guitarist Andrew (A.J.) Gibson decided to take a shot at the school talent show, calling themselves “Lonely Product.”
Now, five years on, Jake and A.J. along with bassist Josh Macha and lead guitarist Chaz Florido are getting ready to embark on a five state tour that will take them to St. Louis, Chicago, Des Moines, Topeka, Joplin, and Tulsa as REMORSEFULLY NUMB, an alternative rock band from  Independence. They just released the single "Sidewalk Scandals" Their tour kicked off in Kansas City at the All-Star Bar on Wednesday, July 19. I met them at a local coffee shop and got the following interview for us.

JAKE: I'm Jake, I'm the drummer.
CHAZ: I'm Chaz and I play lead guitar.
A.J.: I'm Andrew, I do rhythm guitar and vocals.
JOSH: Josh, bass.

DEREK: How old are y'all?
JAKE: I'm 19.
JOSH: 22.
A.J.: I'm 19 also.
CHAZ: I am 18.

DEREK: How do you describe your sound?
JAKE: Alternative Emo Rock
A.J.: I would honestly just say “Alternative Rock,” because we use a cluster of genres.

DEREK: What are some of the bands that influence your sound?
JOSH: We listen to a lot of Brand New, and mostly I just go with the flow and play my own stuff.
JAKE: I'm gonna have to say Travis (of Blink 182), Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Nirvana, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Used, the Police, and the Ramones.
CHAZ: Honestly, Metallica's the one that got me into guitar. And then I play a lot of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, and Brand New, so it completely took a different turn but it's all good music.
A.J.: It all started back in middle school for me. As a multi-instrumentalist, my inspiration for playing guitar is probably Green Day, and then my vocal inspiration was Nirvana, and then I really like Brand New, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, Weezer, Johnny Cash. There's a lot of good music groups out there.

DEREK: Will Remorsefully Numb release an album soon?
JAKE: We're nowhere near an album yet. Me and A.J. got a phone call about this the other night and we are contemplating a three or four song E.P., if not before this tour then for sure after.
A.J.: Yeah, after this tour, and then do a second one to promote it.

DEREK: Who would you say are your favorite bands from around here?
A.J.: Young Medicine, Sons of Mourning is pretty good, See It Through was really good too.
JAKE: I'm gonna have to say either Boys Home, or From Dust To Beating Hearts, and Freedom .45.
CHAZ: I'm not big on the local scene, but I do like Boys Home. They're really good.
JOSH: There's a local doom metal band called Inner Alter, they're pretty good and so are Sons Of Mourning, and I recently found this band Nature Boys who are like a surf punk band, and I guess that sums it up.

DEREK: Do the lyrics in your songs reflect how you feel?
A.J.: Our lyrics are written in a way that you can apply to multiple situations other than the situation we're describing in the song.
JAKE: I've really been feeling the song "Free From The World" (not released yet) that we have, A.J. ran those lyrics by me and I've been having troubles with graduating and college and that sort of stress, and the lyrics behind that song have been soothing me more than I thought it could. It's really been getting me by.

DEREK: Was it difficult transitioning from a 3-piece band to a 4-piece band with the addition of Chaz?
JAKE: I'm gonna be honest, I think emotionally we can all agree that it was. We've always been three so it was definitely a change. It made it easier to write, though. We started writing more advanced than we thought we could.
A.J.: It was something to get used to, but it was easier than I thought it would be.

DEREK: If you could open for any band, who would it be?
JAKE: Movements would be pretty cool, they're from California and they're touring so they're not very big yet. But yeah, Movements.
CHAZ: I'm gonna say Weezer, I can see that being a good show.
A.J.: This is a difficult one, The Story So Far. They're from California, but not because they're from California.
JOSH: If I was going to be realistic, I think it would be Waves. That’d be pretty cool to open for. Dreamwise however, it would probably be FIDLAR. I'd also wanna open for Cannibal Corpse.

DEREK: How do you feel about the music industry?
JAKE: Me, personally, I'm a little confused because I feel like there's still a lot I need to learn about it before I can say I know it.
CHAZ: If we're talking about what I hear on the radio and stuff, I'd say it's become very saturated with things that the corporations think people want to hear. They push it so hard and I get it, if it's catchy, that's good, but it shouldn't be thrown together just to make sales.
A.J.: I shouldn't really say so much on something that I know so little about, but there needs to be more stuff with substance. Some of it's really fun to listen to like Chaz was saying, but there's really nothing you can take away from it. The only problem I have with the music industry is that they didn't accept us.
(yet!)

DEREK: How long before Remorsefully Numb hits number 1?
JAKE: We still gotta get our genre popular before that happens.
A.J.: If it happens, cool. If it doesn't, whatever.
JOSH: We all enjoy it so as long as we enjoy it and we have a good following, that's all that matters.
CHAZ: Seven years.

That brings this to a close; once again this is Derek Benkovich with Jake, A.J., Chaz, and Josh of Remorsefully Numb, signing off!

Derek Benkovich is lead guitarist for the band Jett Blakk and music contributor to The Inter-City News. Contact him at Derek@Inter-CityNews.com

Find Money You Didn't Know You Had

More than $900 million unclaimed dollars are sitting in the Missouri Treasury and some of it may belong to you. It is estimated that one in ten Missourians have money waiting for them in Jefferson City, and getting that money may be just a few clicks away.

Unclaimed money comes into the State Treasury from abandoned bank accounts, insurance companies, and other businesses that might have owed you (or your parents and grandparents) money that you didn’t know about. In addition, abandoned safe deposit boxes are auctioned off every year with the proceeds going into the owner’s name in the Unclaimed Property department where, like all Unclaimed Property, it will stay forever -- or until it is claimed.

To see if there is any money waiting for you visit www.showmemoney.com and enter your name. More than half the citizens with unclaimed property can file a paperless claim online. If you are an heir of someone that is deceased who has unclaimed property in Jefferson City you can claim that money as well, although you’ll need to take a few extra steps.

In fact, every state in the U.S. has an Unclaimed Property division. If you, your parents, grandparents, or anyone else of whom you are an heir lived in other states or served in the military, it could be well worth your while to check out the Unclaimed Property websites of any state where you or your relatives have resided. If you don’t have access to a computer you can send a list of names, addresses, and previous addresses to

Missouri State Treasurer Eric Schmitt

Unclaimed Property

PO Box 1004

Jefferson City, MO 65102

The Missouri Treasurer also has a special search you can do for unclaimed U.S. Savings Bonds, either at www.showmemoney.com or at the address above.

NEW VOTER ID LAW: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

INFORMATIONAL MEETING AND TOWN HALL
TUESDAY, JULY 25 AT 6:00 P.M.
COMMUNITY SERVICES LEAGUE BUILDING
10725 E 24 Hwy, Independence, MO

In last November’s election Missouri voters passed a constitutional amendment requiring photo identification to vote. This law took effect on June 1, 2017 for all future pubic elections, beginning with the August 8 special election in Independence.

Current registered voters who present an unexpired Missouri drivers or non-drivers license, a current passport, or military ID should have no problem casting their ballots. Other options for eligibility include presenting a voter registration card, utility bill, bank statement, government check or any paycheck showing name and address, or a student ID from a Missouri college, university, technical or vocational school ALONG WITH a signed statement attesting to your identity which can be downloaded at www.showit2vote.com or by visiting the Jackson County Board of Elections at 215 N. Liberty Street on the Independence Square.

If you are a registered voter but have no ID you can vote a provisional ballot but your vote will only count if you come back to the polling place and show a photo ID or your signature matches the signature in the voter registry. If you can’t afford a photo ID, you can get help by calling (866) 868-3245 or by filling out a form on the showit2vote.com website.

A NOTE TO VOTERS FROM
STATE REPRESENTATIVE INGRID BURNETT

“While I did not support this bill because I believe it puts undue burden on citizens for participating in our Democracy, I believe it is important to make sure voters are well informed of the new  requirements, and that there is opportunity for your questions to be answered. I am working with several different parties to bring that information to you by planning a Town Hall Meeting on Voter ID and Voter Protection Training, and I hope you will be able to attend.”

WHEN: Tuesday, July 25, 2017 at 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: The Community Services League Building, 10725 E 24 Highway in Independence

WHO: Missouri Secretary of State, Jay Ashcroft, will provide information about new voting requirements.

Jackson County Board of Elections Director, Tammy Brown, will provide information about
absentee voting and local voting procedures.

Voter Protection Coalition will provide voter protection training.

Well informed and active voters are critical to the health of our Democracy!

24 Highway and Sterling Revitalization Ideas

Independence Special Election August 8

The City of Independence will beholding a Special Election on Tuesday, August 8 to ask voters to continue an existing sales tax to be used for construction, maintenance and repair of city streets, sidewalks, curbs, bridges, culverts and traffic signals. Please vote in this election, and use the Contact Information on the left side of this page to contact the Independence Mayor and City Councilpersons to remind them about our needs for improvement in the Inter-City area!