Independence Daily Reporter

11/05/2025

11/05/2025

2025 MONTGOMERY COUNTY GENERAL ELECTION UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

Caney City Mayor

Joshua Elliot 2

Cherryvale City Council Member W1 P1

(Vote for 1)

Norman Johnson 89

Write-in 104

Cherryvale City Council Member W2 P1

Write-in 113

Coffeyville City Commissioner

(Vote for 3)

William John Kendall 248

Michael Golden 347

Deborah Maples 405

Don Edwards 185

Elk City Mayor

James A. Reed 0

Write-in 2

Elk City Council Member

(Vote for 2)

Desirea Packard 2

Heather Duntz 0

Lisa Ruark 0

Write-in 1

Independence City Commissioner

(Vote for 2)

Scott Smith 252

Cory Standridge 158

Darnell Lawrie II 108

Marjorie Reynolds 160

Timothy White 218

Liberty City Council Member

(Vote for 5)

Linda Berryman 1

Johnny E. Mize Sr 1

Richard Hetz Jr 0

Virginia Hough 1

Jim Tallman 1

Michelle Bills 2

Tanya King 3

Becky Stapleton 3

Debbora Long-Thomas 4

Tyro City Mayor

Rick Wilson 13

Tyro City Council Member

(Vote for 5)

Rusty W. Adams 10

Wayne Graham 11

Wayne Blakemore 11

Jeffery Lane Finney 11

CCC Board of Trustees

Dickie Rolls 366

Joe M. Miller 339

David Baldwin 526

Becky L. Barnhart 467

ICC Board of Trustees

(Vote for 3)

Jerri Hammerschmidt 289

Cynthia Sherwood 417

Isaias McCaffery 508

Darnell Lawrie II 245

John Eubanks 440

Logan A. Null 737

USD 436 Board Member D A P 2

Joshua Elliot 103

USD 436 D B P 3

Hannah Hedges 104

USD 445 Board Member At-Large

(Vote for 3)

Shanna Motl 420

Delia M. Northup 442

Denise A. Gates 468

USD 446 Board Member At-Large

(Vote for 3)

Sam Blackard 545

Saniel McDill 338

Ben Seel 288

Jeffrey N. Carnes 408

Deborah Fox 365

USD 447 Bord Member At-Large

(Vote for 3)

Robert John 185

USD 461 Board Member At-Large

(Vote for 3)

Drew Johnson 8

Christine Smith 6

Kelly Birk 7

Wildcat Extension District 14 Board Member At-Large

(Vote for 2)

Janet K. Rau 1105

Tonja McCollam 1314

11/04/2025

Earlier today it was made known that the 2025 general election ballots for cl Cherryvale were incorrect. On the original ballot, it listed council member Norman Johnson in the incorrect ward. The Reporter reached out to Montgomery County Clerk and election official Ami Standridge to ask for clarification and what would be done to rectify the situation. Emails to the County Clerk went unanswered.
Late this afternoon, Standridge released a memo about the situation:

To the citizens of Montgomery County and Cherryvale.

As the Montgomery County Clerk and County election officer, I want to provide clarification regarding a candidate filing issue that has arisen for the city of Cherryvale election.
During the filing period, a candidate submitted paperwork for a municipal office that appears to have been filed for the wrong position (the candidate resides in a different ward than the one shown on the application). The filing was accepted and processed in good faith according to Kansas statutes. All filings are handled based solely on the documents and fees submitted by the candidate.
Once the statutory filing requirements are met- including completion of a declaration of intent, payment of the filing fee, and compliance with the deadline- the County election officer is required to place the name on the ballot.
Under K.S.A. 25-21a01(1). "Any person who meets the qualifications for the office saught may become a candidate for municipal office by filing a declaration of intent to become a candidate with the county election officer, accompanied by a filing fee of $20."
At this point in the election cycle, the candidates name has already been certified and printed on the ballot. There is no statutory authority allowing the County Clerk to remove or alter a candidates name after certification, regardless of a filing error. The legal effect of this error is currently under review.
My office is responsible to insure that all filings, ballots, and election procedures comply with Kansas election law. We will continue to administer and certify this election according to those laws.
We appreciate the public's understanding and patience. Our goal remains to uphold a fair, transparent, and lawful election process for all Montgomery County residents."
We will update this post as more information becomes available.

11/03/2025

Congratulations, Sparklight!

11/02/2025

Don't forget!

10/28/2025

From Montgomery County Sheriff's Office

Early Tuesday morning deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, along with Independence Rural Fire Department, Independence City Fire Department, and Independence EMS, were dispatched to a vehicle on fire subsequent to a rollover accident on U.S. Highway 75 near County Road 3600, southwest of Independence, Kansas.
After the fire was extinguished, first responders discovered a deceased occupant inside the vehicle. The individual was identified as 21-year-old Heath Ellis of Caney, Kansas. Preliminary investigation indicates that Ellis’s 2024 Kia left the roadway for an unknown reason, overturned, and came to rest after striking a culvert.

This incident remains under investigation by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and no further information will be released at this time.

10/28/2025

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY FROM 7:00 P.M. THIS EVENING UNTIL 1:00 P.M. TOMORROW FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN OUR AREA:

Chautauqua, Elk, Labette and Montgomery Counties

Northwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph are expected.
Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

10/25/2025