The impending winter storm expected to hit Montgomery County early Monday evening has already forced county courthouse offices in Independence and Coffeyville to close on Tuesday.  USD 445-Coffeyville has also closed school for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Check back at this website or on Facebook for updates on closures or cancellations.

The Coffeyville Police Department is actively investigating the death of a 2-month-old infant on Tuesday.

According to a police statement, emergency medical personnel were summoned to 1528 S. Elm after 10:30 a.m., Tuesday regarding an infant not breathing. The infant was transported to Coffeyville Regional Medical Center where it was later pronounced dead.

The incident is currently under investigation. There were no obvious signs of foul play, according to the statement.

BY ANDY TAYLOR
chronicle@taylornews.org

Issues involving the clean-up of local properties and the removal of unsafe structures were discussed at Tuesday’s Coffeyville City Commission meeting.

Commissioners agreed to adopt a policy that would waive local building permit fees for any local residential property that is occupied, including rental properties, in a quest to encourage the “sprucing up” of those homes.

The building permit fee wavier was suggested by commissioner Pam Jones, who said she believed the fee waiver would allow homeowners and landlords to have more money to invest in their homes.
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As Kansas celebrates its 150th anniversary on Jan. 29, Kansans reflect on the many figures and events of the state’s past decades.

The Montgomery County Chronicle offers these 25 questions as a way to test your knowledge of the Sunflower State. A word of caution: the questions go beyond the basic facts about Kansas information, such as buffaloes, sunflowers and Indians. If you can answer a majority of the 25 questions, consider yourself an expert on Kansas.
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BY ANDY TAYLOR
chronicle@taylornews.org

INDEPENDENCE — An investigation continues today into a spree of vandalism incidents last Wednesday night, Jan. 19, that heavily damaged equipment at Mercy Hospital and Crystalbrook Church in Independence. The church is located north of the hospital.

Det. Harry Smith of the Independence Police Department said one arrest has been made and several other arrests are probable as a result of the vandalism and destruction of property. Smith said he could not yet release the name of the arrested individual pending the arrest of the other suspects.

What is known is that a white male is believed to have entered Mercy Hospital through its emergency room entrance sometime after 7  p.m., told a registration employee that he was at the hospital to visit a relative and then proceeded to unmanned areas of the hospital, where a wide range of vandalism was later discovered. Security cameras at the hospital captured the image of the lone individual walking into those unmanned areas.
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The Montgomery County Chronicle publishes death notices on this website at no charge to the family of the deceased. Complete obituary can be found in the print edition of the Montgomery County Chronicle. Complete obituaries are printed at $20, which is billed to the funeral home handling the funeral and burial arrangements.

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A primary election will be required on Tuesday, March 1 for voters in the Independence Community College district to narrow the list of voters for a general election in April.

Ten candidates are seeking three seats on the ICC board, thereby requiring a runoff election to narrow the list of 10 candidates to the top six. The top six vote recipients in the March 1 primary election will advance to the April 5 general election, where the top three candidates will be elected.
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COFFEYVILLE — A routine traffic stop by Coffeyville police on Thursday, Jan. 20, lead to the discovery of methamphetamine, stolen property and drug paraphernalia.

Commander Mike Brown said a patrol officer stopped a vehicle with an illegal tag near 8th and Northeast streets shortly before 1:30 p.m.  Upon further investigation the officer found the three occupants in the car were in possession of methamphetamine.
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BY ANDY TAYLOR
chronicle@taylornews.org

City commissioners got an earful from local landlords Tuesday night during a work session to discuss possible implementation of rental housing standards.

The proposed housing standards, which were endorsed by the Coffeyville Planning and Zoning Commission, in 2010, were among the key recommendations of a comprehensive plan adopted by commissioners in May 2010.

The proposed rental standards would, among other things, require licensing of landlords who own rental properties within the city limits, inspections of rental properties to determine if they conform to minimum housing standards, and fine landlords whenever housing violations are not addressed.
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