A state audit says the Bates County sheriff’s office spent $178,382 on a mounted patrol, rodeos and parties; Sheriff Chad Anderson disputes the characterization and pushed back on social media.

Lee’s Summit is asking voters to approve a 1/4‑cent sales tax estimated to raise about $6.1M a year to add crews, equipment and engineers for stormwater work.

A Kansas City man was sentenced to 21 months after prosecutors say he staged armed robberies so immigrants could apply for U‑visas. Authorities say the ring used real guns and paid participants to fake victim reports.

A KU student faces misdemeanor charges after prosecutors say he sold fake "21+" wristbands to underage patrons the night two people were shot outside The Hawk. The complaint ties the wristbands to minors who gained re‑entry that night.

Moka & Co. will open a Mission drive‑thru this fall at 5922 Barkley St., joining a recent cluster of Yemeni‑style cafés popping up across Johnson County.

Marigolds, a sandwich shop built for KU Med workers, will open in October in the former Panera space on West 39th, offering biscuits, hot sandwiches and quick to-go service.

Q39 will open a Lee's Summit restaurant on Aug. 3, a nearly 10,000‑sq‑ft space with wood-fired grills, a 40-seat private room and reservations now open.

Texas Roadhouse filed plans for a new steakhouse at the Legends in Kansas City, Kansas; the site would be the chain’s eighth in the metro and the company has not released a construction schedule.

The TIF Commission renewed backing for about $210M to upgrade Country Club Plaza infrastructure, advancing a revised redevelopment variously estimated at roughly $1.3 billion to about $1.5 billion amid height and school‑funding fights.

Defense attorneys say the woman charged in the 2020 death of 4‑year‑old Jessica Mast should be moved to Missouri Department of Mental Health custody after a jail evaluation found her incompetent. A hearing is set for Aug. 12.

Mizzou reshuffled its top sports staff: longtime deputy Marcy Girton will retire mid‑August and former UL Lafayette AD Dr. Bryan Maggard will return as deputy AD/COO, with multiple promotions and a new national search.

Three additional counts were filed Monday against a Baldwin City massage therapist after multiple women said they were assaulted during sessions at Om Grown Yoga.

More than $3 million in projects are chasing roughly $1.5 million left from the American Royal origination fee. Officials are weighing cameras, cleanup gear and debt relief.