The following is a list of things to do Thursday through Wednesday, Sept. 12 through Sept. 18, in the Courier-Tribune coverage area. To have your event included, email us by noon Monday the week of the event at news@mycouriertribune.com.
LIBERTY — No new details regarding possible charges were released Monday, Sept, 9 in the court case involving the burglary of Adventure Outdoors, the downtown Liberty gun dealer. One juvenile suspect, who has not been publicly identified by the legal system because he is a minor, was back in court Monday after first appearing in Clay County Circuit Court this summer. The case was continued to Oct. 7 as the defendant’s attorney is preparing for another client’s trial.
LIBERTY — The 12-member Downtown Task Force’s ideas for how downtown Liberty could be improved was presented Monday, Sept. 9, at the Liberty City Council meeting. Suggestions include creating mixed-use areas and parking garages. For their ideas, the task force visited metropolitan cities such as Lee’s Summit to look at downtown areas.
LIBERTY — Historic Downtown Liberty Inc. will mark 20 years in 2025. In preparation for the anniversary, the board and team leaders have been working for a year to look at a refresh to the brand, said Danelle O’Connell, HDLI executive director.
CLAY COUNTY — The trial for Andrew Lester, the elderly man charged in the shooting of an unarmed teen who came to his house by mistake in 2023, will not take place next month as originally planned. A judge this week ordered a mental health examination of Lester, delaying the case.
KEARNEY — An 18-yearold Riverside man faces a felony charge after Kearney police investigated occupied residences that were shot into. Officers were initially dispatched to the 1200 block of Geneva Circle on Sept. 2 for property damage. Once on scene, investigators determined two occupied residences were shot into multiples times.
CLAY COUNTY — Joshua T. Rocha, the Kansas City man charged with murdering North Kansas City police officer Daniel Vasquez, also faces five felony charges of possession of child porn after being indicted by a grand jury.
Joyce Marie (Haggard) Hon, 79, of Liberty, Miss ouri passed away peacefully surrounded by family and close friends in Kansas City Hospice House at North Kansas City Hospital on September 1st after having been hospitalized for two months following an acute illness. Joyce was born in Kansas City, Missouri on September 23, 1944, to John Haggard, Jr. and Jewel Rose (Claunch) Haggard. She was a life-long Kansas City northlander, graduating from Park Hill High School in 1962. She married her high school sweetheart Jerry Lee Hon on August 11, 1962. They recently celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary together. Alongside Jerry, Joyce carried on the legacy of her parents, working and co-owning the family business Haggard Hauling and Rigging, Inc., before retiring after 29 years of devoted service. She concluded her career at William Jewell College, working in the business office, Provost’s office, bookstore, and finally the alumni office, retiring in 2008. Joyce was a skilled craft enthusiast, especially talented in needlepoint, quilting, crocheting, and cardmaking.
Richard S. Pryor was born in Clay County, Missouri on December 20th, 1935, to Ted R. & Ruby S. Pryor. He grew up on the family farm with his two older brothers, Ted William “Bill” & Charles F. “Bud.” Richard attended Liberty public schools and graduated as president of his class in 1953. The death of his mother during his college years profoundly changed his life’s course. After two years at William Jewell College, Richard was offered a job at a local bank, which led to his lifelong career in banking. In 1957, following the family tradition of military service, he volunteered for the Army and spent most of his service in France on an Ordnance Depot. During this time, friends started calling him Dick, a name that stuck for life. Dick returned to First National Bank in Liberty in 1959. That fall, he met Linda, a new English and speech teacher at Liberty High School. They married on July 10th, 1960. Dick pursued further education, earning an AA Degree from Longview College, a business Degree from Columbia College, and graduating from the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin. He became a bank officer before 21 and joined the National Bank in North Kansas City in 1961. In 1969, at 33, he was offered the Presidency of the Thornton National Bank in Nevada, Missouri, where the family lived for four years. In 1973, Dick became CEO and part-owner of the Bank of Jacomo in Blue Springs, Missouri. Under his 20-year leadership, the bank and its holding company grew to two charters with six locations in five towns. Dick was actively involved in his communities. He served on city councils, chambers of commerce, school boards, and hospital boards in various cities. He was instrumental in founding St. Mary’s Hospital in Blue Springs and establishing a junior college branch campus there. He was named Citizen of the Year in 1980 and Business Person of the Year in 1992 in Blue Springs. Dick and Linda were staunch supporters of higher education. Dick serv
SMITHVILLE — After adapting to new leadership throughout the offseason, Smithville football got off to a hot start in the first game under new head coach, Josh Speer. Speer who took over for nine-year coach Jason Ambroson, picked up his first career head coaching win in blowout fashion as the Warriors defeated Raytown South 49-0 on Friday, Aug.