Independence Council Member Eileen Weir plans a public meeting tonight on the status of the old Anderson School on 35th Street.

The meeting is at 5 p.m. in the pavilion at Roberts Park, which is near the intersection of Blue Ridge Boulevard and Blue Ridge Cut-off. That’s a few blocks north of U.S. 40, and the park is on the west side of Blue Ridge Boulevard.

The Pioneer Woman is missing.

The six-foot bronze statue at the National Frontier Trails Museum in Independence was stolen over the weekend. It was noticed missing Monday morning.

There is a reward of up to $5,000 for the return of the statue intact

An Oak Grove couple were sentenced in federal court Monday for an $800,000 tax fraud scheme.

Independence firefighters have not determined the cause of a fire that damaged the old Medical Center of Independence building Saturday.

Seven students from Truman High School qualified to compete at the tournament, which is June 16 to 21 in Birmingham, Ala. Those who qualified are Wicks, international extemporaneous speaking; Tara Williams and Rachel McGee, duo interpretation; Michael Cohen, dramatic interpretation; Caitlin Fitzpatrick, domestic extemporaneous speaking; Kenyon Briggs, U.S. extemporaneous speaking and Damon Brown, U.S. extemporaneous speaking.

A new principal has been selected to lead Truman High School.

The Independence School District announced Friday that David Gordon has been hired as principal of the Independence high school.

Local businesses on Friday honored several Independence police officers and firefighters who have gone the extra mile to serve others.

One phrase describes the tone Independence Superintendent Jim Hinson tried to set for the district, “What’s best for kids.”

“This has been about us,” he said during Tuesday’s Independence Board of Education meeting. “It isn’t about individual accomplishments. We did not do anything by ourselves. We did it by all working together.”

The priorities in the city of Blue Springs have remained the same the last couple of years - continuing to work on maintaining the city’s equipment and roads and completion of the massive Woods Chapel Road project that is now almost one year ahead of schedule.

Looking at the proposed 2013-14 capital improvements program, those priorities remain at the forefront.

The good-natured banter between members of Chasing Fire, which took place before a recent practice session in the stylish basement of guitarist David Hilton’s home in Blue Springs, is almost as much fun to listen to as the band’s new album, “Is This What You Wanted?”