BY ANDY TAYLOR

INDEPENDENCE — Sheriff Robert Dierks wants to sharpen his incisors and put a bigger bite on former jail inmates who owe money for a variety of services incurred during their incarceration.

At Monday’s meeting of the Montgomery County Commission, Dierks and Jimmy Holt, Department of Corrections coordinator, revealed the total costs of jail inmate services that have yet to be reimbursed. Most of those costs involve medical care, including hospitalization, that was provided to the inmates during their stint in the county jail.
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Montgomery County remains the state’s leader in unemployment for the second consecutive month.

The Kansas Department of Labor reported Friday that Montgomery County’s jobless rate in July was 14.3 percent — up from the 11.1 percent posted in June.
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8:48 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 20

Independence Fire Department and the Independence division of the Montgomery County Rural Fire Department are battling a residential structure fire near the intersection of First and Magnolia streets.

Details will be made on this website as they become available.

A three-vehicle wreck occurred shortly before 10 a.m., Thursday one and a half miles north of Dearing on Tenth Street Road.

Sheriff Robert Dierks said a 1997 Buick Lesabre owned and driven by Matthew W. Wilson, 1610 W. Laurel, Independence, was traveling south on the road when it crossed the center line and hit a 2005 truck owned by the Union Pacific Railroad. The truck was driven by Vincent L. Williams of Weleetka, Okla. A third vehicle, owned by Atmos Energy, was driven by RIchard M Hull, 1902 Brookside, Independence, was also struck by the Wilson vehicle while it was parked stationary in a nearby driveway.

Wilson was taken to the Coffeyville Regional Medical Center with unknown injuries.

BY ANDY  TAYLOR
Montgomery County Chronicle

The area along U.S. 169 highway east and north of Coffeyville has the look of a major Tonka toy playground.

That’s because a six-mile stretch of the highway is filled with dozens of bulldozers, earth movers, backhoes, dump trucks and a myriad of other heavy equipment pieces that — if reduced to miniature size — would be the envy of the neighborhood toy box.
However, there is nothing miniature about this stretch of highway.

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BY ANDY TAYLOR
Montgomery County Chronicle

INDEPENDENCE — Sunday was a day of celebration for the Independence Tennis Association as it officially opened its renovated clubhouse at Riverside Park.

Ken Brown, Independence High School tennis coach and a long-standing supporter of local tennis activities, cut the ceremonial ribbon that opened the clubhouse to the public for the first time since arson destroyed the nearly 70-year-old facility on May 29, 2008.

Before cutting the ribbon, which was held by members of the Independence Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors, Brown said the arson fire didn’t burn the spirit or character of Independence.

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BY ANDY  TAYLOR
Montgomery County Chronicle

CHERRYVALE — Persons owning golf carts inside the city limits of Cherryvale will now be able to drive those carts on city streets under an ordinance that was approved by city councilors Monday.

Councilors voted 3-1 to approve the ordinance that will allow golf carts on city streets with conditions. Under the ordinance, golf carts will be prohibited on city streets with a speed limit in excess of 30 miles per hour, and golf carts will not be allowed on city streets between sunset and sunrise.
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BY ANDY  TAYLOR
Montgomery County Chronicle

CANEY — The Kansas Port of Entry on U.S. 75 highway at the south edge of Caney has closed permanently, a spokesperson with the Kansas Highway Patrol said.

Major Mark Goodloe of the Kansas Highway Patrol said the port, which is a facility that weighs and permits northbound commercial vehicle traffic coming into Kansas, closed for a variety of reasons, namely financial.
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