Heart KC Stories from the Heartland

08/10/2025

How to guide for voting November 4 By Peggy Bair Voters in Leavenworth County will have a chance to make some important decisions this fall about a variety of local elected positions. Voter participation has been relatively low in local elections. For instance, according to the Leavenworth County Clerk’s office, in the 2023 local election, only 19% of registered voters cast ballots....

https://heartkc.com/2025/10/08/voting-in-leavenworth-county/

03/10/2025

Sam Maxwell IV Sam Maxwell IV will be quick to point out that his family goes back generations as citizens of Leavenworth. He is a fourth generation Maxwell who describes himself as a “blue collar working for the blue collar.” Maxwell made an unsuccessful bid for city commission in 2023 but hopes to do better in the current race. “I’ve lived in this town my whole life, born and raised,” said Maxwell....

https://heartkc.com/2025/10/03/leavenworth-city-commission-candidates/

03/10/2025

Bruce Shopfner Bruce Shopfner In his run for Leavenworth City Commission, retired Lt. Colonel Bruce Shopfner (pronounced "Shof-ner") hopes to bring his organizational skills to help Leavenworth achieve financial sustainability while growing its economy. Shopfner graduated from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science Agriculture as a poultry science major and then earned his master’s degree in teaching with an emphasis in biology from Park University. ...

Bruce Shopfner Bruce Shopfner In his run for Leavenworth City Commission, retired Lt. Colonel Bruce Shopfner (pronounced “Shof-ner”) hopes to bring his organizational skills to help Lea…

03/10/2025

Joe Wilson Joe Wilson’s resume ranges from military, law enforcement, nonprofit work and IT. Wilson is an owner of the IT company SorWil Technology Solutions, that provides IT and cyber security support for its clients. Wilson is a Leavenworth High School graduate where his early leadership skills began as a cadet in JROTC. “I found my people when I got into ROTC,” Wilson said....

https://heartkc.com/2025/10/03/leavenworth-city-commission-candidate/

03/10/2025

Jason Redmon Leavenworth City Commission candidate Jason Redmon is a retired Lt. Colonel who, although he has served at stations around the world, emphasized that he made Leavenworth his forever home by conscious choice. “I first came here in 2011, the first time, for school. It’s the intellectual capital of the Army, right? That is what foreign officers and leaders from around the world think of when they hear about our town” Redmon said....

https://heartkc.com/2025/10/03/city-commission-candidate-jason-redmon/

03/10/2025

Rebecca Hollister at the League of Women Voters candidate forum this fall. Rebecca Hollister Rebecca Hollister is a newcomer to elected office but has been active in the Leavenworth community and is a 2017 graduate of Leavenworth High School where she was a member of the National Honor Society. She went on to graduate from Georgetown in Washington, D.C. in 2021....

Rebecca Hollister at the League of Women Voters candidate forum this fall. Rebecca Hollister Rebecca Hollister is a newcomer to elected office but has been active in the Leavenworth community and i…

03/10/2025

by Peggy Bair This article is an introduction to the six candidates competing for the three open seats on the Leavenworth City Commission. This article also provides information about how, when and where to vote, what are voter rights, how to register if you are not yet registered and the importance of your action as a voter. With the city of Leavenworth facing critical budgeting decisions now and in the coming years, the upcoming election for commission may be one the biggest voting decisions citizens will have in front of the…...

by Peggy Bair This article is an introduction to the six candidates competing for the three open seats on the Leavenworth City Commission. This article also provides information about how, when and…

03/10/2025

With the city of Leavenworth facing critical budgeting decisions now and in the coming years, the upcoming election for commission may be one the biggest voting decisions citizens will have in front of them. According to the County Clerk's office, the last city commission election only attracted 19% of the registered voters. That means that only 1 in 5 registered voters made the decision about the city commission presently-sitting members....

https://heartkc.com/2025/10/03/leavenworth-city-commission-candidate-steve-clay/

23/09/2025

by Peggy Bair Candidates for Leavenworth City Commission and USD 453 Present By Peggy Bair On Saturday September 20, the League of Women Voters hosted a forum for candidates running for Leavenworth City Commission and USD 453 school board seats. Election day is November 4, 2025. Four of the six candidates running for Leavenworth City Commission were able to attend the public forum....

by Peggy Bair Candidates for Leavenworth City Commission and USD 453 Present By Peggy Bair On Saturday September 20, the League of Women Voters hosted a forum for candidates running for Leavenworth…

11/03/2025

Leavenworth Veterans Administration Workers Address Workforce Cuts by Peggy Bair HeartKC On Saturday, March 8, 2025, about 65 federal government workers, union representatives, and family members held a rally in front of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Leavenworth, holding American flags and signs in support of veterans. The “Protect Veterans, Respect Federal Workers March” united VA workers facing federal workforce cuts by the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). ...

https://heartkc.com/2025/03/11/va-federal-workers-march/

03/10/2024

by Peggy Bair The town of Leavenworth and Leavenworth High School are featured in a documentary film based on 1970’s LHS basketball coach, Ken Zacher. The title is “Full Court Press: the Ken Zacher Story.” The film will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 10, at the Leavenworth High School auditorium. Before coming to Leavenworth, Zacher’s coaching career included his racially-charged experiences as the 1971 varsity basketball coach at Nowata High School in Nowata, Okla....

by Peggy Bair The town of Leavenworth and Leavenworth High School are featured in a documentary film based on 1970’s LHS basketball coach, Ken Zacher. The title is “Full Court Press: the Ken Z…

01/02/2024

Tongie v Pleasant Ridge basketball!