News

Work begins next month on three years of construction on Interstate 70 that, when finished, should make the afternoon commute to Eastern Jackson County go a little more smoothly.

Independence police officers responded how they were trained, Chief Adam Dustman said, when one officer fatally shot a mother and her infant daughter last November seconds after the mother charged the officer with knife while holding the baby in front of her torso. Dustman, addressing media Thursday a week after Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said she would not charge an IPD officer for the shooting, said the officer was “absolutely” justified in the shooting at the mother, 34-year-old Maria Pike, in her unit at an apartment complex.

A group of prosecutors meant to handle cases of repeat offenders and property crime patterns, which new Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson announced last week, will cover Eastern Jackson County in addition to Kansas City.

The Jackson County Environmental Health Division inspects lodging establishments and sites where food is served outside Independence and Kansas City. Recent inspection results in Blue Springs include:

Critical violations involve factors that can directly lead to foodborne illness and must be corrected within 72 hours or as otherwise stated. All critical violations must be corrected within 72 hours (or as otherwise stated on the report).