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South Kansas City school districts discuss goals, focus for upcoming school year

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South Kansas City school districts discuss goals, focus for upcoming school year


KANSAS CITY, Mo. — We’re not quite in back to school mode yet — we’re still a couple weeks away — but every day we get a little closer.

On Monday night, a few dozen people heard from heard from three south Kansas City, Missouri, school districts about what they’re bringing to the table this year.

Grandview, Center, and Hickman Mills school districts were all sat at a panel at a South Kansas City Alliance meeting.

KSHB 41 News staff

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South KCMO meeting

Each district has a lot in common, including one specific goal — boosting math and literacy scores.

“Super excited about our focus on math as well as literacy,” said Dr. Yolanda Cargile, the superintendent at the Center School District.

Dr. Yolanda Cargile

KSHB 41 News staff

Dr. Yolanda Cargile, superintendent of Center School District

Dr. Cargile, Dr. Prissy LeMay with Grandview, and Casey Klapmeyer with Hickman Mills say that’s one of the things their districts are zeroing in on

They had other big wins to share too.

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“This year that retention rate was 89 percent,” Klapmeyer said.

He’s proud of the district’s teacher retention — which is up from losing about a quarter of teachers every year just a few years ago.

That consistency and built-up expertise is big for students.

Cargile says the district is already thinking about expanding summer school options after seeing the positives this year.

“And that is looking for alternative measures to provide support for students in the area of academics as well as behavior,” she said.

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LeMay says Grandview is focusing in on STEM education.

Dr. Prissy LeMay

KSHB 41 News staff

Dr. Prissy LeMay, assistant superintendent of curriculum & instruction for the Grandview School District.

“Super excited about relaunching project ‘Lead The Way’ in grades three through five,” she said.

The three districts have had a busy summer planning for this upcoming year, but the overall message is that they’re excited to help students hit the ground running.

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K-State football lands top-ranked recruit in Kansas

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K-State football lands top-ranked recruit in Kansas


Collin Klein and the K-State coaching staff made a major statement on the recruiting trail over the weekend. Cooper Ohnmacht, a four-star recruit and the top-ranked player in Kansas in the 2027 recruiting class, committed to K-State on Sunday. The Wildcats defeated Penn State, Wisconsin and several other power four programs in securing the services of Ohnmacht.

The Great Bend, Kan., native is ranked as the No. 304 player nationally and the 10th-best athlete in the country in the 2027 class, according to the Rivals industry consensus rankings, which incorporates the evaluations of the three major recruiting services nationally. 

Ohnmacht is a big-time athlete who has excelled at both safety and wide receiver while also earning major accolades in track and field. The 6-0, 185-pounder, recorded 52 receptions for 755 yards as a junior to lead his team, which also featured national recruit in tight end Ian Premer, who has signed with Notre Dame. Ohnmacht, who is projected to play safety at K-State, had 57 tackles along with five interceptions during the 2025 season. 

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Ohnmacht is also a two-time state champion in the triple jump in Class 5A. His triple jump of 48-3 as a sophomore was the best all-class jump during the 2025 track season by seven inches, according to Catch it Kansas. He placed 14th in the triple jump at the Nike Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., in 2025. 

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The commitment of Ohnmacht marks the third time the Wildcats have landed the state’s No. 1 recruit since 2023. Avery Johnson’s decision to sign with K-State in 2023 ended an 18-year drought of the top player in Kansas going elsewhere. Offensive tackle Gus Hawkins, a top-200 player nationally from Mill Valley in the 2024 class, made it back-to-back years the No. 1 player in the state elected to continue their career in Manhattan. The Wildcats landed another national recruit in 2025 when Linkon Cure, a top-50 recruit in the country, chose K-State over Oregon and others. However, the Goodland, Kan., native was the second-ranked player in the state behind Andrew Babalola, who signed with Michigan.

K-State also earned the commitment of Correll Buckhalter Jr. on Sunday. The Texas native is the son of former Nebraska running back and NFL veteran Correll Buckhalter. He is ranked as the No. 742 player nationally and a top 100 prospect in Texas for the 2027 class.

Klein and his staff have now secured 17 commitments in the 2027 class, which is ranked 40th nationally and fourth-best in the Big 12, per the Rivals industry consensus rankings.

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One dead, one critical after late-night shooting along Kansas City’s Westport Road

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One dead, one critical after late-night shooting along Kansas City’s Westport Road


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – One man is dead and another is in critical condition after a shooting overnight on Westport Rd., police say.

The Kansas City Police Department said it responded to the area of Mercier and Westport Rd. just before 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, after reports of a shooting.

Officers indicated that they entered a nearby business and found two men unresponsive. They began rendering medical aid until EMS arrived.

First responders reported that one man was taken to a nearby hospital with critical injuries. The other was pronounced dead at the scene.

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FILE(Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department)

Homicide detectives noted that they began to gather evidence and collect witness statements. As of Sunday morning, police do not know what led to the shooting and no one is in custody.

Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.



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2026 KC Pride Parade draws hundreds Saturday to Kansas City streets

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2026 KC Pride Parade draws hundreds Saturday to Kansas City streets


KSHB 41 reporter La’Nita Brooks covers stories in Kansas City, Missouri, and stories offering solutions on crime. Share your story idea with La’Nita.

Hundreds of people filled the streets of Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday for the KC Pride 2026 parade. The route started in Westport and ended near Country Club Plaza.

This year’s theme, “It’s all ours,” represents everything Pride has built and all that is to come — a message that resonated deeply with many in the crowd.

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Brian Luton

Erynn, attendee

“I feel like today means like we matter, like as queer people,” said attendee Erynn. “I’m a lesbian but anyone who’s queer, trans — especially right now — it feels like they’re trying to make us matter less. They’re trying to almost reduce visibility. And something like this, to me, says you’re not going to silence us and we’re going keep being visible and keep being who we are, and we’re going to do it in a joyful fun-loving way.”

The parade drew people from across the region, including some who came to KCMO specifically for the event.

Stan Forrest, attendee

Brian Luton

Stan Forrest, attendee Pittsburg, Kansas

“I’m from Pittsburg, Kansas, so we came up to spend the day and hangout and go to the parade,” Stan Forrest said.

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For others, the day was about community and a decades-long journey.

Fanny Mandelberger, attendee

Brian Luton

Fanny Mandelberger, attendee

“I came out 50 years ago,” Fanny Mandelberger said. “So, obviously to be in community. To keep the not so much a fight just living your authentic self. I’m grateful to my ancestry that taught me resilience, (to) stand up for who you are.”

Those in attendance said they hope the celebration continues to grow.

“It was amazing,” Forrest said. “We had a lot of fun. Everyone here is so joyful, it’s really refreshing to see.”

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KC Pride 2026

Brian Luton

KC Pride 2026

A social media post from Our Spot KC/KC Pride this week sparked discussion after it suggested Kansas City, Missouri, officials were banned from attending this year, due to the city council’s rescission of the city’s conversion therapy ban. The organizations responded with a new statement on social media and the original post has since been removed.

“We posted the wrong draft. We are human, after all, and we’ve been quite busy running our biggest weekend of the year,” KC Pride said in part on social media.

An excerpt from the new statement can be read below.

“As Our Sport KC’s staff and volunteers have been preparing for KC PrideFest and Parade 2026, we’ve heard from countless community members who feel betrayed and hurt by the recent repeal of Kansas City, Missouri’s conversion therapy ban and the vague replacement language that followed. We want to publicly give voice to those legitimate concerns and the impacts to LGBTQ+ youth, adults and families.

“We stepped away from PrideFest production to have several conversations this week and make sure our voices were at the table because that is what this work actually looks like. Showing up when it is hard, building relationships that last, and staying committed to real solutions over quick reactions. We have seen and heard apologies from some leaders for the way this was handled and we receive that accountability as a step in the right direction. We are working directly with the LGBTQ+ Commission, the mayor’s office, legal teams, community members and councilmembers to get the language right and get our community protected. We are hopeful that this moment also opens the door to getting the commission fully seated, supported and resourced with a dedicated full-time liaison, so it can function the way our community has always deserved…”

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PrideFest continues at Theis Park through the weekend.

Below are more sights from the parade Saturday morning.

KC Pride.png

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KC Pride Parade 2026.
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KSHB 41 News in the KC Pride Parade 2026.
KC Pride The Spot.png

Brian Luton/KSHB

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The Spot – Kansas City 38 in the KC Pride Parade 2026.
KC Pride.png

Brian Luton/KSHB

KC Pride Parade 2026.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

La'Nita Brooks





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