VIDEO: Highlights of Sporting Kansas City improving to 6-0-0

Sporting Kansas City earned another shutout win, defeating Real Salt Lake 1-0. Here are highlights of the game.

LIVE-BLOG: Severe Weather Outbreak 2012

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

Today, a severe weather outbreak has happened in Oklahoma, Southern and Central Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and other locations in the Midwest.

Some of those storms are slowly making their way to Kansas City.

Stay tuned here for more information throughout the night.

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UPDATE 8:18 p.m. - It should be noted that right now, no watch or warning has been issued for Wyandotte County. For those looking for good news about tonight's storms, KMBC reports that a Tornado Watch for the station's most northern viewership has been canceled, perhaps signaling that the tornado threat for Kansas City is more limited. 

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UPDATE 8:22 p.m. - Apologies for making a non-KCK update, but a hospital in Creston, Iowa has apparently been hit by a tornado, CNN is reporting live right now. A search and rescue group has been dispatched to the location.

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UPDATE 8:30 p.m. - In a press release, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback is encouraging all Kansans to remain at home or at a location with a safe shelter during the night.

“This advice applies whether you are at home, at work, traveling or just out running some errands,” Brownback said via a press release. “If you’re at home or work, head for the basement or storm shelter as soon as a warning is given. Don’t wait. If you do not have a basement or other shelter, go to an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor. If you’re away from home, find out where the nearest shelter is so you can get there immediately.”

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UPDATE 8:35 p.m. - The National Weather Service updated its "threat-level" and forecast map for tonight.

Here's the tornado threat:

The metro area is just outside of the highest risk area for tornadoes.

Still, there could be significant wind damage, as the highest risk area for wind damage includes the metro.

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UPDATE 9:26 p.m. - KMBC Channel 9 has some photos of a tornado that hit around Salina, Kan., earlier tonight.

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UPDATE 9:42 p.m. -  According to one of the meteorologists on The Weather Channel, Wichita may be directly hit by a large tornado within the next 20 minutes or so. If you have relatives down South of Kansas City, it might be time to tell them to get ready. 

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UPDATE 10:36 p.m. - There's been "significant" damage reported at the airport in Wichita, per "The Weather Channel." Also reported is the fact the storm is intensifying. For Kansas City metro residents, there's good news - it appears this storm will miss Kansas City.

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UPDATE 10:49 p.m. - Again, if you have family or friends in Wichita, it might be time to give them a call.

Here's the warning from The National Weather Service:

IMPACT...THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. YOU COULD BE KILLED IF NOT UNDERGROUND OR IN A TORNADO SHELTER. COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS IS LIKELY. MANY WELL BUILT HOMES AND BUSINESSES WILL BE COMPLETELY SWEPT FROM THEIR FOUNDATIONS. DEBRIS WILL BLOCK MOST ROADWAYS. MASS DEVASTATION IS HIGHLY LIKELY MAKING THE AREA UNRECOGNIZABLE TO SURVIVORS.

KCK Best Buy location to close

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

The Best Buy store at Village West will be closing soon.

Located at 10500 Parallel Parkway, the store will close May 12, or until supplies run out.

Best Buy says employees will be given severance packages or will be given other positions within the company. 

"This was not an easy decision to make," a press release reads. "We chose these stores carefully, and are working to ensure the impact to our employees will be as minimal as possible, while serving all customers in a convenient and satisfying way. But we also recognize the impact this news has on the people who deserve respect for the contributions they have made to our business."

The KCK location is one of 50 stores nation-wide that will close by May 2012. 

Full news release:

Best Buy announced plans March 29, 2012 to close 50 U.S. stores as part of a number of key initiatives for this year. To date, we have closed two stores this year (one in Kansas City, Mo., and one in Scottsdale, Ariz.), plus have notified five Twin Cities stores and one San Antonio store that they will close later this year.

This morning, we have confirmed the remaining 42 store locations that will close. A complete list of store locations can be found at the end of this statement. Employees of these 42 stores have been notified this morning.

This was not an easy decision to make. We chose these stores carefully, and are working to ensure the impact to our employees will be as minimal as possible, while serving all customers in a convenient and satisfying way. But we also recognize the impact this news has on the people who deserve respect for the contributions they have made to our business.

We will be working to help these employees find other positions inside Best Buy. If they don’t find new positions, or if they choose not to work at a different location, a transition including severance packages will be available. 

We expect most of these stores will permanently close by May 12. Three additional locations are expected to permanently close later this summer. 2

Three of these 42 locations remain open today, Saturday; the rest of the affected stores are closed today, and will reopen Sunday, April 15. Customers currently doing business with these stores are being contacted today.

Best Buy continues to have additional retail store locations – big boxes and standalone Best Buy Mobile stores – for customers to choose from in these affected locations.

More broadly, our previously announced retail store actions are intended to increase points of presence, while decreasing overall square footage, for increased flexibility – including key store remodels with a new Connected Store format, while continuing to build out the successful Best Buy

Mobile small format stores throughout the U.S. We will continue to share details of such actions as the year progresses. We are committed to making it easier for customers to shop with us, whenever and wherever they want.

"Walking for Life and Health Event" tomorrow

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

Unified Government Mayor/CEO Joe Reardon and area pastors are inviting the community out for an early morning jog Saturday morning.

From 8:45 a.m. - 10 a.m. tomorrow morning, the "Walking for Life and Health" event will take place on Parallel Parkway from 5th to 7th Street.

Local churches and health agencies are expected to join the effort.

Late-inning rally fuels KCKCC

By ALAN HOSKINS

Down 5-0 early, Kansas City Kansas Community College staged two big late inning rallies for a 12-7 victory over Brown Mackie at Community America Thursday.

The win improved the Blue Devils’ record to 21-17 heading into a pair of Jayhawk East doubleheaders at Coffeyville Saturday and Sunday. The Blue Devils then return home to host Longview in one 9-inning game Thursday at 1 p.m. and twin bills against Independence Saturday and Sunday.

Coming in in relief of Landon Teal with one out in the second and trailing 5-0, Tyler Lankford worked the final 7 2/3 innings, allowing just five hits and one earned run while striking out five and walking two.

Zac Butler paced a 13-hit KCKCC attach with a double and two singles while Dean Long and Jacob Woods each singled and doubled. Long finished with three RBI while Andrew Kreiling and Poncho Amaya contributed doubles.

Down 5-3 in the sixth, the Blue Devils took the lead 7-5 with four runs on just two hits, a leadoff double by Woods and a two-run single by Long, and then put the game away with a five-run eighth inning. The uprising was highlighted by singles by Butler and Trent Sullivan, an RBI double by Kreiling and a two-run single by Sam Laney.

Alcott Arts Center season opener tonight

The Alcott Arts Center will hold its season opener for the 2012 art calendar tonight.

Press release:

The Alcott Arts Center would like to announce our 2012 Season Opener.

We start at 6 p.m. with Second Friday and Second Saturday Art Exhibits featuring Tim Slagle's Wood Works (Alcott Arts Center Co-Founder and Alcott Board Vice President) and Chloe Asbury's

Photography (Alcott's Youth Advisory Board Member). On Friday April 13th Alcott Arts Center opens with the Musical performances of the "Mid Life Players" production of "Company the Musical". Music and Lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM Friday, April 13, 7:30pm, Saturday April 14 2;00pm & 7:30pm, Sunday, April 15, 2:00pm.

Tickets: $8 general admission, $7 Senior Citizens

Alcott will also once again be having an Open Jam, so bring an instrument and make music with others.

After a very rough winter with the copper theft we feel very blessed to be able to reopen. The Alcott has been rescued by several good hearted people throughout our resurrection. We now have a rebuilt electrical system, security system with camera's and are up and ready to run with this years programming and events.

While we still have to finish paying for the construction, we will be open on time! We are still working to raise the $4000 to match grant money offered by the Lockton Family Foundation, so please help us get the matching funds to help us pay our bills associated with this situation.

We will be thanking everyone but for now we want to share this weekends events with you.
We have attached this weekends event fliers to this email.

Please come out and share in the excitement this weekend and of course please share this information with anyone you feel would be interested.

Alcott Arts Center
180 S. 18th Street
Kansas City, Kansas 66102
913.233.2787

Alcott is not ADA accessible.

First high school play for KCKCC One-Act Festival April 19-22

For the first time in the 13-year history of the Original Student One-Act Play Festival at Kansas City Kansas Community College, a play written by a high school student will be performed.

One of three plays to be performed Thursday through Sunday in KCKCC’s Performing Arts Center on the campus at 7250 State Avenue, “Life is an 8-Bit Theatre” was written by Thomas Crowder, a senior at Washington High School who will be attending the University of Kansas next fall majoring in literature.

The other one-act plays to be performed are “Pastry Balls” written by Vicki Wendt and directed by Brandy Hoover; and “Chinese Helium,” written by Brandon Durkes and directed by Vicki Wendt. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 19-22. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens.    

“With our involvement with Washington High School this semester, we encouraged their Theatre Appreciation students to submit original one-act plays they had written for consideration and we selected ‘Life is an 8-Bit Theatre’ written by senior Thomas Crowder,” said Dr. Charles Leader, Director of the KCKCC Theatre program. “It’s a live-action video game and will be directed by one of our theatre majors, Brandon Durkes.”      

“Life is an 8-Bit Theatre” takes a look at life inside a Dungeons and Dragons Fantasy-type video game where a wrong move has no do-overs. “Its old school Nintendo adventure games framed inside a video game with lots of flashing lights, wizards and knights – a tongue in cheek homage that’s more funny than serious,” says Durkes.

The cast includes Nathan Mortensen, Robert Dulle II, Brandy Hoover, J. Benjamin Wood, Charles Humphrey Jr., Sharell Hall and Fred Rucker.

Durkes’ original one-act play, “Chinese Helium,” which will be directed by Vicki Wendt, is a satirical look at the corporate greed, dirty dealings and double crosses that are buried underneath the world of big business.

A 2005 graduate of Topeka High School, Durkes has written one-act plays in each of the last three years and also directed KCKCC’s production of “Radio Talk.” A performer in several KCKCC productions, he will be completing his BFA program in Theatre and Acting at Missouri State this fall.

The cast for “Chinese Helium” is made up of Robert Dulle II, Shalita Durham, Sharell Hall, Chris Donte Benson, Andrew Roberson, Fred Rucker and Nathan Mortensen.

Vicki Wendt’s “Pastry Balls” will open the performances. Inspired by the Food Network, a young woman attempts to impress her boyfriend with her culinary skills while keeping her roommates at bay. A current KCKCC student completing an Associate in Business, Wendt recently graduated from UMKC with a BLA and a minor in theater.

Her director, Brandy Hoover, is a graduate of Bonner Springs High School. A theater major, she’s President of the Drama Club, a Student Senate representative and theater office assistant and has performed in nine KCKCC productions.

Cast members are Shalita Durham, Sharell Hall, Vicky Hoover and Christ Donte Benson.

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PHOTO: Written by Washington High School senior Thomas Crowder (right) and directed by KCKCC theatre major Brandon Durkes, “Life is an 8-Bit Theatre” is the first play written by a high school student in the 13-year history of the Original One-Act Play Festival at KCKCC Thursday through Sunday, April 19-22. (KCKCC Photo by Dr. Charles Leader) 

School related volunteer opportunities

By DIANE HENTGES, United Way of Wyandotte County

The school year may be coming to end but there still is a need for volunteers in certain schools and school programs. A couple of these are very time limited, a couple hours for just one day. That is not a lot of time. Check your calendars. Can you spare the time and make difference in the life of a child?

Banneker Elementary School will hold a school carnival on May 11, 2012. They are currently recruiting volunteers to help with this school day event. 

The festivities will happen after lunch. Volunteers will need to on site by 1pm for a brief orientation to the specific job. The event will be over by 3:30 so volunteers should be ready to leave by 3:45 p.m. 

Volunteers will help with last minute set-up, help with various carnival booths, mange foot traffic and help with clean-up. This will be a fun activity for the volunteer and the student. If you are interested in volunteering please contact Grant at 913-627-4724 or at ghuffm@kckps.org. 

Communities in Schools will host Reality U, a financial literacy event, at two high schools in District 500 before school is out. They need interested volunteers to help make each of these events a truly meaningful experience for students. Training will be provided. 

They will have the program on April 26^th   in the morning at Schlagle High School and mornings, May 3 and May 4 at J.C. Harmon High School.  If you want more information on how you or maybe your work group can help with one or all of these projects, please contact Ashley at 1-785-856-5190 or at realityu@ciskansas.org. 

PACES, a program of Wyandotte Center wants to recruit volunteer tutors for students, K-12. Sessions are Tuesday evenings from 6pm to 7:30pm during the school year. 

Tutors are needed to finish out this academic year. If you are interested in making a difference in the life of a child, please contact Joyce at 913-956-3417 or at adams_j@wmhci.org

For information on how you can GIVE, ADVOCATE, and VOLUNTEER please contact me at 913-371-3674 or at dhentges@unitedway-wyco.org.or check out our web site at www.unitedway-wyco.org.

Severe weather possible tomorrow

With it being the middle of April, the annual "time for severe weather" posts will be picking up soon.

Tomorrow afternoon to tomorrow evening, a large group of thunderstorms are expected to hit the Kansas City metro area.

Heavy rains, damaging winds, large hail and even tornadoes are possible tomorrow.

More from the National Weather Service:

A LARGE AND SLOW MOVING STORM SYSTEM TRACKING OVER THE SOUTHERN
ROCKIES IS EXPECTED TO GENERATE SEVERAL PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS OF FRIDAY...SATURDAY...AND SUNDAY ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI AS INSTABILITY INCREASES. ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT DO OCCUR WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL... DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES.

Providence Medical Center and Saint John Hospital to recognize hospital volunteers

Leaders at Providence Medical Center, Kansas City, Kan., and Saint John Hospital, Leavenworth, Kan., want their volunteers to know they “are outstanding in their field.” 

That’s why they are recognizing the hospitals’ more than 180 volunteers during National Volunteer Week, April 15-21, for contributing more than 26,000 hours of service to the organizations in 2011.

“Our volunteers are an amazing group of individuals who come together each week and make it possible for us to provide our healing ministry to the communities we serve,” says Catherine Rice, senior associate of communications for Providence and Saint John. “They are an inspiration to us all!”

Randy Nyp, president/CEO for the hospitals, adds that the work the volunteers perform is absolutely essential to the smooth operation of Providence and Saint John.

“We are blessed to have more than 180 men and women on our team, offering their kindness, time and talent,” Nyp says. “They volunteer in more than 40 hospital departments and contribute to the warm and healing environment at the hospitals.”

Volunteer Week activities for 2012 are centered around the theme, “Volunteers Inspire People.” The highlight of the week will be an appreciation luncheon at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park April 18.

Volunteers from both hospitals are invited to attend. Volunteers also have the opportunity to participate in a word search puzzle contest.

Providence and Saint John volunteers perform a wide range of jobs, including driving the Providence courtesy shuttle, staffing the hospitality carts, and working in the hospitals’ gift shops, waiting rooms and at information desks.

To learn more about the volunteer opportunities available at Providence or Saint John, visit the hospitals’ Web site, www.providence-health.org\volunteer.

Kansas tops states in current wind energy projects, report says

By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World

Topeka — Kansas has more wind energy projects under construction than any other state, according to a wind industry report released Thursday.

Kansas has more than $2 billion worth of wind project under construction at the moment, the American Wind Energy Association reported.

AWEA also said that Kansas has become a wind turbine manufacturing hub with the new Siemens facility in Hutchinson.

In addition to ranking first with 1,189 megawatts of wind projects under construction, Kansas ranked seventh for wind energy as a percentage of total energy portfolio at 8.3 percent. South Dakota ranked first at 22.3 percent.

The industry group said wind power enjoyed a strong year of double-digit growth in the United States, but needed Congress to extend the Production Tax Credit to keep up the momentum.

“In hard economic times we’re creating jobs and delivering clean, affordable electricity,” said AWEA Chief Executive Officer Denise Bode stressed. “But we will lose all these consumer benefits and a brand new, growing manufacturing sector if Congress allows the Production Tax Credit to expire. Businesses need certainty. That is why it is urgent that Congress extend the PTC now, or risk losing a bright new manufacturing sector," Bode said.

Wyandotte County Democrats to caucus Saturday

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

The Wyandotte County Democratic Party is invited to caucus this Saturday.

Though very little drama is expected (President Barack Obama has no opponent), Democrats are encouraged to come out and still offer support, according to the Wyandotte County Democratic Party.

Caucuses will be held from 1 - 4 p.m. The caucus process is expected to begin at 2 p.m.

More information from a news release:

If you turn 18 before November 6 election day, you may participate.

The presidential campaign caucuses are organized by state senate districts. The Wyandotte County districts and the state senator representing the district are listed below:

District 4 (represented by David Haley)
Trinity Community Church
5010 Parallel Parkway
coordinated by State Rep. Valdenia Winn

District 5, Wyandotte County portion (represented by Kelly Kultala)
Open Door Baptist Church
3033 N. 103rd Terrace
coordinated by Barbara Ikerd

District 6 (represented by Chris Steineger)
Turner High School
2211 South 55th Street
coordinated by former State Rep. Pat Pettey

Executive Director of KCK School Foundation for Excellence recommends Providence Emergency Room

As a life-long resident of Wyandotte County, Shelley Coulter, executive director of the KCK School Foundation for Excellence, considers Providence Medical Center, Kansas City, Kan., her hometown hospital.

So when she began experiencing symptoms she thought might be related to a heart attack, she headed to the first hospital she thought of—Providence. “I had had a difficult experience at the hospital during a previous visit, so I was hesitant to return,” Coulter admits.

“But I have a long history with Providence,” she explains.  “I was born at the old St. Margaret’s Hospital, have had two children at Providence, know lots of good people who work there and have been through the hospital’s Emergency Services department several times over the years. Even though I could have driven to another hospital just as easily, I believe in second chances and I decided to give Providence one that day.”

After a thorough cardiac evaluation, doctors determined she wasn’t experiencing a heart attack at all, but instead was having an acute gallbladder attack. A surgeon removed her gallbladder promptly, and a few days later she was on the road to recovery.

“Every experience I have had in the Providence ER has just gotten better and better,” Coulter says. “I have been impressed with the care I have received at the hospital. Providence is our community hospital, and I would encourage area residents to give it a second chance too.”

Providence Redesigns Emergency Services Department

The Providence Emergency Services Department recently underwent a “radical redesign” in its processes, a redesign that has resulted in improving the ER’s “door to doc” time to just 30 minutes, no matter what your concern.

“Probably the most impressive thing about the new process from a patient’s perspective is how quickly you see a provider,” says Greg Epperson, M.D., medical director of Providence Emergency Services.  “The patient simply tells an intake coordinator their complaint, then they are taken immediately to an examination room where they see a provider.  We have eliminated all of the layers in between and the need to ask the patient to repeat their story over and over again. We really haven’t had anyone in our waiting room since we began using this process.”

The improvements in emergency care at Providence are the result of direct input from the bedside nurses and physicians caring for the hospital’s patients. 

“During the redesign process, it became clear that the reasons patients come to the Providence Emergency Services Department have changed through the years,” explains Tom Weidmaier, R.N., director of the Providence Emergency Services Department.  “About 65 percent of the department’s patients have non-life-threatening emergencies that can be assessed and treated quickly, such as broken bones or stitches. The remaining 35 percent have life-threatening emergencies that require more extensive assessment and hospitalization.”

To provide outstanding care to both groups, the Providence Emergency Services staff established two teams to deliver emergency care simultaneously.

An express team cares for the majority of patients. An acute team cares for patients who are sicker or who have life-threatening illnesses or injuries.

With the new express and acute teams, the department is staffed to care for both types of patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week,  providing excellent care for life-threatening conditions AND optimal and timely care for the 65 percent of patients who come into the department with non-life-threatening conditions.

Other improvements include:

• Significantly lowered the percentage of patients who leave without receiving treatment from 8.8 percent in June 2011, to 1.6 percent currently.

• Reduced the length of stay for patients admitted to the hospital from 282 minutes in February 2011, to the current 208 minutes. 

• Lowered the amount of time patients who are treated and released spend in the Emergency Services Department from three hours in June 2011, to less than two hours currently.

• Reduced the overall average length of stay in the Emergency Services Department for all patients by 14 percent.

WyCo Treasurer's Office to be closed in for vehicle-related matters in early May

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

The Treasurer's Office in Wyandotte County will be closed for vehicle-related business from May 1-8.

Other office services and business will remain open, but the vehicle registration process and other vehicle-related services will not be offered as the state of Kansas is updating its DMV system.

Because of the delay, the May vehicle registrations will be mailed out later than usual. Those with May registration dates can expect their letters during the last week of April.

“The switchover might inconvenience some of our customers, but it’s a necessary part of the transition,” said Debbie Pack, Wyandotte County Treasurer. “All we can ask is that our customers are patient with us while we work through this change.”

Meanwhile, for those with registrations expiring this month who want to renew online, they are required to do so by April 26. The state Website will also be closed until May 7.

More from a release:

Kansas Web-Tags will shut down at midnight April 26 and will not be back online until May 7. The website already warns customers that online renewals must be made at least 10 days prior to a registration’s expiration date, the last day of the month, for the customer to be guaranteed a timely renewal.

Vehicle owners whose registrations expire in April, and who want to renew online, need to do so by midnight April 26. Otherwise, they are encouraged to renew in person at the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City Kansas Treasurer’s Office to be sure their renewal is processed by end of day April 30.

Registration renewals due in May, which are printed to be compatible with the new system, will be mailed later than usual. Typically, registration renewals are mailed within the first two weeks of the month prior to their expiration. This cycle, May renewals will mail the fourth week of April.

May registrations can’t be renewed online until after May 7. However, they can be renewed by mail and in person, but not during conversion between May 1 and 8.

Mental Health First Aid training to be held at Wyandot Center

The Wyandot Center and PACES will be offering training on Mental Health First Aid in early May.

More information from a press release:

With accounts of signs and symptoms of mental illness aired in the daily news, have you ever wondered how you would respond to help in a situation like one of these stories – a pilot with behavioral problems, a person with road rage, a troubled teen-ager? 

Mental Health First Aid training is designed to do just this: help you recognize signs and symptoms and know what to do in a mental health crisis to help a family member, friend or person with whom you come into contact.

Wyandot Center and PACES will offer the next Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training on Thursday and Friday, May 3 and 4, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day with time for breaks and lunch.

The 12-hour program will be offered at Wyandot Center’s 1301 North 47^th Street Building and is open to the community.

There is a $40 fee per each participant. Register by emailing Beth Yoder Stein at yoderstein_b@wmhci.org, or contact her for more information at 913-328-4633.

26 KCK schools receive National ENERGY STAR awards

Twenty-six buildings in the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools have earned ENERGY STAR certification from the federal government’s Environmental Protection Agency. 

This recognition is given to the most energy efficient buildings in the country. 

The schools were recognized at the Kansas City, Kansas Board of Education meeting on April 10.

“We are extremely pleased to receive this recognition from ENERGY STAR,” said Dr. Kelli Mather, chief financial officer. “Our energy conservation efforts are saving taxpayer dollars while also helping protect our local environment. We are very proud of our conservation success and honored to be recognized by ENERGY STAR.”

Buildings earning ENERGY STAR certification were:

Banneker Elementary

Bethel Elementary

Caruthers Elementary

Claude Huyck Elementary

Douglass Elementary

Emerson Elementary

Eugene Ware Elementary

Frank Rushton Elementary

Grant Elementary

Hazel Grove Elementary

J.F. Kennedy Elementary

Lindbergh Elementary

Mark Twain Elementary

New Chelsea Elementary

Noble Prentis Elementary

Parker Elementary

Stony Point South Elementary

T.A. Edison Elementary

Welborn Elementary

W.A. White Elementary

Northwest Middle

Rosedale Middle

West Middle

F.L. Schlagle High

Sumner Academy of Arts and Science

Wyandotte High

To earn ENERGY STAR certification, buildings must rate in the top 25 percent nationwide for energy efficiency.

Since the implementation of the Energy Education program in September 2009, the district has realized a savings of more than $3.6 million. In a lagging economy, this savings has helped maximize funds available for classroom instruction, programs, and maintaining personnel.

The key to the success of the program lies in educating staff. Energy Savings Specialists Malinda Threadgill and Curtis Stevenson have worked at building relationships with staff, students, and the community to achieve this goal.

They have focused on simple conservation efforts that add up to big savings and support a cleaner environment. Staff have worked at turning off unnecessary equipment and lights, closing shades, and using energy efficient light bulbs. 

They also have changed negative energy savings behaviors such as opening classroom windows or blocking open playground doors during recess. 

In addition to ensuring that all buildings are properly shutdown during periods of non-occupancy, they also work during occupied times with staffs on comfort issues and improving communications between buildings and maintenance departments.

To date, the Energy Education program has surpassed its original projected savings by more than $400,000. If the program continues at this pace, it will result in energy savings equivalent to $23,268,000 over a 10-year period.

“People use energy – buildings don’t, so it’s up to each of us to focus our efforts on conserving,” Mather said. “Our staff is to be commended for the dozens of changes, large and small, they have adopted to make this program a success. And these lessons we learn can certainly be passed along to our students.”

According to ENERGY STAR, U.S. school districts spend $6 billion combined each year on energy and in most districts, more money is spent on utility bills than any other budget item except salaries.

The good news is significant conservation savings are possible. 

ENERGY STAR reports that the top energy-performing schools use three times less energy than the least efficient schools.

Brownback pushes for tax cuts during panel discussion in New York

By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World

Topeka — Gov. Sam Brownback says a scared public is ready to embrace change, such as his proposed overhaul of the Kansas tax code.

Participating on a tax discussion panel Tuesday in New York, Brownback said people want "bold solutions." He said, "The public is scared now. They are scared for the future of their country."

The nine-member panel hosted by the George W. Bush Presidential Center consisted of conservative economists and Fox television's John Stossel.

Stossel said that maybe Kansans were scared but New York's Upper West Side wasn't.

But James Glassman, founding executive director of the Center's Bush Institute, and facilitator of the discussion, borrowed Brownback's words in his closing remarks, saying that perhaps the time was ripe for bold policy solutions.

The title of the discussion was "Tax policies for 4 percent growth: Blitz solutions." It was streamed live on the internet.

Brownback, the only elected official on the panel, used the platform to push for his tax-cutting proposals before the Kansas Legislature.

Brownback, a Republican, has proposed phasing out the state income tax and removing taxes on income for nearly 200,000 businesses, including sole proprietor, partner or Subchapter-S corporations.

His plan would keep in place the 6.3 percent state sales tax, which under current law is set to decrease to 5.7 percent in 2013, and remove numerous deductions and tax credits.

Democrats and some Republicans have opposed the proposal, saying it would take revenue away from education, social services and public safety. They have proposed a lower-cost plan aimed at reducing property taxes.

The House and Senate have both approved measures that reduce tax rates and eliminate the income tax for some businesses. Negotiators are expected to work on a compromise later this month when the Legislature reconvenes.

"I'm hopeful we can get it through," Brownback said.

Brownback said his overhaul was needed to make Kansas more competitive. "I'm tired of getting beat by Texas," he said.

During the discussion, Brownback also said cutting state spending was also critical and he defended his veto last year of state funding for the arts.

While in New York, Brownback and Kansas Commerce Secretary Pat George also met with several Fortune 500 businesses interested in doing business in Kansas, the governor's office said.

PHOTOS: Basketball returns to the JFK Center

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com 

One of the silver-linings for some residents from last year's budget-slashing and budget battles was the decision to reopen the John F. Kennedy Recreation Center.

The center, which was previously closed, is back open now and a new basketball court was installed inside the gymnasium portion of the center.

Pictured are several basketball players from the Kansas City Blue Dogs AAU program and different schools across Kansas City.

Between 50-75 players stop in on Friday afternoons to play hoops in a place that was closed this time last year.

Unified Government Commissioner Tarence L. Maddox played a big role in re-opening the center and he occasionally drops to check out the action. The center is located at 1310 N. 10th Street in downtown Kansas City, Kan.

Donnelly to host first annual pediatric health fair

Donnelly College’s Practical Nursing program is organizing a “Spring into Health” Pediatric Fair taking place Saturday April 14, 2012 from 9:00am to 2:00pm.

The event is free, and families across the Kansas City area with children between the ages of one to 18 are welcome to attend.

There will be more than 20 health and safety related stations that will include child health assessments and screenings for vision, hearing and blood pressure. Car seat inspections will take place.

The Wyandotte Health Department will present information relevant to older youth, such as diet, drug prevention, stress and coping mechanisms.

Donnelly is partnering with KU Medical Center who will provide several physicians to the Fair. The “Ask-a-Doctor” will booth will address any and all questions regarding pediatric care.

Children will also find various entertainments, including a moonwalk, face-painting, music, exercise and coloring stations.

The Donnelly students organizing this event are at the end of their Practical Nursing academic program and will graduate in June.

According to Maureen Wiederholt, Director of Health Occupations for DC, “This Fair was born out of a service learning project in the Mother and Baby Child Development Class, and the students have done an amazing job with it. It’s clear that there’s a tremendous need in the community, and Donnelly’s PN students look forward to offering this program annually each spring.”

The event will be held in the Donnelly College parking lot. In case of inclement weather, the event will take place indoors in the Donnelly College Meeting Room.

UG seeking comments on carport policy changes

News release: 

The Unified Government is offering an opportunity for citizens to provide their Metal Carports input on changes being proposed to the ordinance for metal carport structures in our community.

Please provide all comments by Sunday, April 15, 2012.We ask that feedback be sent by email to planninginfo@wycokck.org , or comments can also be mailed to Urban Planning, 701 N 7th Street, Suite 423, Kansas City, KS  66101.

There is information posted on the Unified Government's Neighborhood Resource Center website regarding scheduled meeting dates and documents containing additional information about carports for review. 

KCKPS students, parents to sample menu items that meet the new USDA requirements

New nutrition guidelines set by the USDA will require school meals to take on a new look beginning with the 2012-2013 school year.

Some of the requirements being phased in include boosting the offering of whole grain-rich foods, decreasing sodium, providing zero trans fat products, and ensuring that students are offered both fruits and vegetables every day.

The Nutritional Services Department in the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools has already instituted many of these changes. But they will be looking for new menu items that meet these criteria this week during their Taste of 500 event.

Held annually, Taste of 500 is a food tasting fair that allows students to sample food items from a number of food service brokers and then provide feedback on the taste and quality. The event will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 13 at J.C. Harmon High School.

“Many of the products that will be available to sample at the fair are ones that have been developed specifically to meet the USDA’s new nutrition standards,” said Karla Floyd, nutritional services director.

Student representatives from grades 2-11 have been invited to participate. For the first time this year, parents of students also have been invited to taste food products that could be featured in their students’ meals. The food items presented will be evaluated using a simple scoring technique. Positive responses will be considered for upcoming school menus.

KCKPS has been ahead of the process of instituting the new nutrition requirements for several years. All schools already offer skim or low-fat milk, along with a variety of fruits and vegetables of many colors, plus additional whole grains.

KCKCC softball team on winning streak

Nothing like the combination of stingy pitching and timely hitting as Kansas City Kansas Community College’s Lady Blue Devils softball team proved the past week.

Led by the pitching of Jenny Schneider and Katie Cothran and hitting of Mercedes Overstreet, Alyssa Lee and Schneider, the Blue Devils rallied for 4-3 and 2-1 Jayhawk Conference wins over Neosho County on Tuesday and then swept Cottey College 9-0 and 13-1 on Thursday. 

The four-game sweep boosted the Blue Devils’ record to 12-16 overall and 7-9 in the Jayhawk East as they head into the final weeks of the season with five of their last seven doubleheaders at home. At Coffeyville Tuesday, KCKCC returns for three home twin bills in a row starting with Pratt Friday at 3 and 5 p.m.; Dodge City Saturday (noon-2 p.m.) and arch-rival Johnson County next Tuesday (2 and 4 p.m.). 

Trailing 3-0 in the opener against Neosho, Mercedes Overstreet closed the gap to 3-2 in the fourth with a two-run homer following a double by Alyssa Lee and set up a game-winning two-run comeback in the fifth. After a walk and singles by Monica Lee and Cothran loaded the bases, Alyssa Lee tied it with a sacrifice fly and Overstreet singled in the winning run. Schneider scattered eight hits for the win, allowing no earned runs as Neosho took advantage of three errors to score three times in the second. 

Neosho again led 1-0 in the first inning of the nightcap and it stayed that way until the sixth inning when the Blue Devils scored twice with two out. Taylor Sherrill started with a single and with two out, Alyssa Lee singled to tie it and Schneider delivered a run-scoring double to win it. Cothran got the win, allowing just five hits.

Schneider provided her own batting support in the 9-0 blanking of Cottey, driving in three runs with a double and single while allowing just five hits in the shutout. Cothran also had two singles in an 8-hit attack as the Blue Devils scored two runs in each of five straight innings.

The Blue Devils scored six times in the second inning and seven times in the fourth in the 13-1 win while Cothran was limiting Cottey to three hits. MoNica Lee and Cothran each had three singles with Lee driving in three runs to lead a 12-hit KCKCC attack. Emily Lappert added a pair of singles and Alika Buttermore and Overstreet both doubled.    

Barbara Atkinson stepping down as executive vice chancellor of KU Medical Center and executive dean of School of Medicine

By ANDY HYLAND, The Lawrence Journal-World

Barbara Atkinson will step down as executive vice chancellor of Kansas University Medical Center and as executive dean of the School of Medicine on June 30, earlier than her previously outlined timetable.

“There is no question that the KU Medical Center has benefited tremendously under Dr. Barbara Atkinson’s leadership,” said KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little in a written statement.

Gray-Little named Steven Stites, Peter T. Bohan Professor and chairman of internal medicine, to serve as acting executive vice chancellor and executive dean, effective immediately.

Atkinson served as the chair of pathology at the KU School of Medicine, and in 2002 assumed duties as the executive dean of the medical school. Since 2004, she has served as both executive dean and as executive vice chancellor of KUMC.

In November, Atkinson announced her plans to retire, but said she would stay on as dean of the medical school until a new dean was identified, and as executive vice chancellor until December 2013.

“I believe that with the conclusion of our application for (National Cancer Institute) designation, this is a very good time to pass the torch to new leadership,” Atkinson said in a prepared statement. “I am confident that our application to the NCI will be favorably received, and with it will come exciting new opportunities for our KU Medical Center to provide ever better and more effective care to the citizens of our state and region.”

Gray-Little has indicated her desire to separate Atkinson’s two roles, and a search to identify the next dean of the medical school has already begun.

Salsgiver named head football coach at Washington High School

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

Bryan Salsgiver has been hired as head coach of the Washington Wildcats football program.

Salsgiver will become the third football coach for Washington in the past five years. He arrives to Washington High School after being an assistant football head coach at Shawnee Mission South.

Salsgiver is an alum of Shawnee Mission South, where he played quarterback for the Raiders.

For Salsgiver, the job will be tough.

He inherits a program that's coming off a 2-7 season. Worst yet, Washington football is just 3-24 in the past three years.

After last year, multiple players transferred to Schlagle High School and other programs in the metro area.

KCKCC job fair set for April 18

Representatives of more than 55 area employers are expected for the Workplace – Kansas City Job Fair 2012 at Kansas City Kansas Community College Wednesday, April 18.

Open to the public without charge, the Job Fair will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Field House at the north end of the KCKCC campus at 7250 State Avenue.

Sponsored by the Career Center at KCKCC, the Fair will give persons an opportunity to visit with area employers and fill out applications for employment.

“Dress professionally and bring plenty of resumes – no copy machine will be available,” recommends Linda Wyatt, Director of the Career Center.

Employers who will be attending include Aerotek, Advantage Metals Recycling, Applebee’s, Boilermakers Local 83, Career Advisor, Centralized Showing Service, City of Lawrence, Comfort Keepers, Cushing Memorial Hospital, Department of Justice (FBOP), DeVry University, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Economic Opportunity Foundation, Fed Ex Ground, Friends University, Hollywood Casino and KC Fairfax Federal Credit Union;

Kansas City Board of Public Utilities, Kansas City Electricians Training Center, KCMO Police Department, Kansas National Guard, Leavenworth Lansing Health Center, Livestrong Sporting Park, Lowe’s, Nebraska Furniture Mart, North Kansas City Hospital, Olathe Health System, Olathe Police Department, Omega, Primerica Financial Services, Sunflower Healthcare, PACES/Wyandot Center, Pipefitters Local Union 533, Quintiles Phase I Services and 7th Street Casino;

Schlitterbahn Waterpark, Shawnee Mission Medical Center, SMH Consultants, State Street Corporation, Swope Health Services, T-Mobile, The Forum at Overland Park, University of Kansas Hospital, Truman Medical Center, Unified Government of KCK/Wyandotte County, University of Phoenix, UPS, Westin/Sheridan Crown Center Hotel, U.S. Bank, Workforce Partnership and YMCA of Greater Kansas City. 

For further information, contact the KCKCC Career Center at 913-288-7644.

Sporting KC midfielder Roger Espinoza named Big Brothers Big Sisters spokesperson

SportingKC.com

Sporting Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza announced today that he will serve as a spokesperson for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City  (BBBS-KC). 

Espinoza has been a Big Brother in the BBBS-KC program to a 9-year-old boy named Ethan for one year. 

Through his involvement as a Big Brother, Espinoza felt a personal connection with the organization and decided that he wanted to do more to support the cause.  

"I've been part of Big Brothers Big Sisters for one year already," said Espinoza.  "Mentoring my Little has been amazing. Now I feel like I can help a lot more and I want to become even more active with Big Brothers Big Sisters. I hope I can inspire others to become involved with this great organization."

Espinoza will star in a volunteer recruitment campaign aimed at finding more Bigs for over 600 waiting kids. 

Additionally, he will provide BBBS-KC Bigs and Littles Sporting KC tickets and meet and greet opportunities and participate in BBBS-KC events to raise money for the organization.

Espinoza will join Eric Hosmer of the Kansas City Royals and Eric Berry of the Kansas City Chiefs as official spokespeople for BBBS-KC. 

"We feel very fortunate to have these three amazing athletes as advocates for Big Brothers Big Sisters," said BBBS-KC CEO Micheal Lawrence. "Their work and dedication will lead to many more kids being matched with mentors here in Kansas City."

Car accident causes gas leakage

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

A handful of homes around the area of 2900 Block of 83rd Street were evacuated Saturday night after a truck struck a gas meter in the area.

The homes were evacuated as a precaution, but no one was injured as a result of the accident of the gas leakage.

“Crews responded to the scene of a gas meter struck by a pickup truck,” said Craig Duke, deputy chief of the Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department. “On arrival crews found vehicle on top of gas meter. Crews were unable to shut off gas due to vehicle on top of meter.”

A tow truck was called to remove the vehicle from the meter. After the gas was shutoff, residents were allowed to return home.

Full statement from Duke:

Crews responded to the scene of a gas meter struck by a pickup truck. On arrival crews found vehicle on top of gas meter. Crews were unable to shut off gas due to vehicle on top of meter. Gas Company was immediately dispatched. As a precautionary measure several homes within the immediate vicinity were temporarily evacuated until Gas Company arrived and shut off meter. Tow truck was called to remove vehicle from meter. Occupants returned when gas was shut off. No injuries reported.

Cowley sweeps KCKCC baseball team

All but eliminated from Jayhawk East title contention by a four-game weekend sweep by league-leading Cowley, a first round home playoff series is next up on the wish list for Kansas City Kansas Community College.

In fifth place at 13-11, the Blue Devils get a chance to catch or overtake fourth place Coffeyville (15-9) when the two teams collide for back-to-back doubleheaders at Coffeyville Saturday and Sunday. First up, however, is a home twin bill against Brown Mackie at Community America Thursday at 2 p.m.

Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the Blue Devils against Cowley – two one-run losses, two shutouts and a 5-run seventh inning rally.

A 5-hit pitching performance by Zac Butler went for naught in Friday’s opening 1-0 loss as Cowley scored the game’s only run on a two-out error while the KCKCC offense was limited to four hits.

A three-run rally highlighted by singles by Trent Sullivan, Shaun Williams, R.J. Barnes and a two-run single by Gabriel Cosne gave the Blue Devils a 7-5 lead going into the seventh inning of the nightcap only to have the Tigers take advantage of a pair of one-out errors to score five times for a 10-7 win. Sullivan and Poncho Amaya had two hits each for KCKCC.

Limited to four hits including a triple by Jacob Woods and a double by Dean Long, the Blue Devils dropped a 3-0 decision in Sunday’s opener and a 3-2 setback in the nightcap.

KCKCC took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the second game on a walk, two-out singles by Dave Richards and Long and an error but Cowley tied the game in the second and won it on a triple in the third against Payton Bosserman, who allowed just four hits but all came in the Tigers’ two scoring innings. The Blue Devils had a 6-4 edge in hitting led by Long’s two hits.    

The sweep pushed Cowley’s league record to 20-4 and a two-game lead over Johnson County (18-6). Neosho and Coffeyville are a distant third at 15-9 followed by KCKCC (13-11) and Highland and Allen County, both 10-14.

Reardon, KCMO and Overland Park mayors to speak at KCKCC next week

The mayors of Kansas City’s three largest cities will address some of their most important economic issues in an open forum at Kansas City Kansas Community College Tuesday, April 17. Kansas City, Mo.

Mayor Sly James, Overland Park Mayor Carl Gerlach and Joe Reardon, Mayor of the Unified Government of KCK/Wyandotte County, will discuss various issues from 9:30-11 a.m. in the Jewell Student Center on the KCKCC campus at 7250 State Avenue.

Sponsored by the Economics Club and Intercultural Center at KCKCC, the open forum is believed to be the first of its kind featuring all three mayors.

Dr. Mehdi Shariati, Economics Club advisor, said contemporary urban area issues that may be discussed include current challenges and the corresponding perspectives, local resource mapping, localism and regionalism and specific and general areas of cooperation rather than competition.

“Each of these politico-economic entities is the product of a unique set of circumstances and each has its own set of challenges,” said Dr. Shariati. “Historically, these three economies have competed for private sector investments and federal government aid and project funding.

 “As the amount of investment decreases, the resources are dwindling and partly due to competition from abroad and other urban areas and partly due to the cost of maintaining the aging infrastructure, the degree of competition has increased substantially. Given this predicament, the question of what is to be done is an increasingly an urgent one.”

USDA recognizes two KCK schools for Outstanding Nutrition Environments

Two Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools District elementary schools have earned the prestigious Bronze Award from USDA Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services for meeting USDA’s Healthier US School Challenge (HUSSC) school meal criteria.

They are: Frank Rushton Elementary School and Banneker Elementary School.

HUSSC awards are part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative and are given to schools that take specific steps to improve their programs and address childhood obesity.

Schools must apply for the honor and are selected based on a rigorous set of criteria related to nutrition and physical activity. The Bronze Award includes a monetary prize of $500.

Frank Rushton will receive their award at a celebration set for 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 10. Banneker will receive their award at a celebration set for 9:05 a.m. on Friday, April 13.

Registered Dietitians (RD) from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation worked with students and staff at both schools with the Energy Balance 4 Kids program, and provided nutrition education and guidance in modifying school wellness policies and the district’s lunch menu in order to apply for the HUSSC award.

The HUSSC is a voluntary initiative established in 2004 to recognize those schools participating in the National School Lunch Program that have created healthier school environments through promotion of nutrition and physical activity.

In February 2010, the First Lady introduced Let’s Move!, incorporating the HUSSC into her campaign to raise a healthier generation of kids. At that time, monetary incentive awards became available for each HUSSC award level: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Gold Award of Distinction.

Among the criteria that Frank Rushton and Banneker had to meet in order to earn the award were:

• provide nutrition education to students
• provide students the opportunity for physical activity
• maintain an Average Daily Participation of school enrollment for reimbursable lunches of at least 60 percent for Silver awards
•  adhere to guidelines established by FNS for foods served/sold in schools outside the National School Lunch Program

“Our mission is to inspire excellence through the service of quality, healthy and satisfying meals served to the students of KCK Schools,” said Karla Floyd, Nutritional Services director. “With the support of the administrators, teachers, cafeteria manager and staff, physical education specialists, counselors, and all other team players, the hope is that the students will learn to make healthy choices while exhibiting consistent physical activity balancing a healthy lifestyle.”

This achievement is significant because obesity is a growing concern for school children in the United States.

Recognizing that schools have more influence on the lives of young people than any other institution, USDA encourages all schools to take a leadership role in helping students learn to make healthy eating and active lifestyle choices that will last a lifetime.

For more on the HealthierUS Schools Challenge, please visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/healthierus/index.html.

Alcohol-related traffic fatalities in Kansas down

By SHAUN HITTLE, The Lawrence Journal-World

Kansas saw a sharp decrease in the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities this year — from 138 in 2010 to 76 in 2011 — according to preliminary data released by the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Can Kansas chalk up the good news to the state’s new DUI ignition interlock law, in effect since July?

It’s a little early to tell, said Pete Bodyk, traffic safety manager for KDOT. The law requires even first-time DUI offenders to install an ignition interlock on any automobile they drive.

“Hopefully it’s the start of a downward trend,” Bodyk said.

Kansas had lagged behind the country in reducing alcohol-related fatalities, seeing increases in recent years as numbers dropped across the country. Alcohol-related traffic fatalities averaged 116 between 2000 and 2010 in the state.

Kansas also saw about a 12 percent drop in alcohol-related accidents, from 2,801 in 2010 to 2,463 in 2011.

Bodyk said the decreases are probably the result of a combination of factors, including the new law and the intense media coverage of it. Bodyk also cited increased commitment by police agencies across the state to crack down on drunken driving.

“I think law enforcement is doing a better job,” Bodyk said.

Karen Housewright, director of field operations for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, praised efforts to curb drunken driving in Kansas, which joined 14 others states to enact a first-time offender ignition interlock law. Most states have some form of ignition interlock law, but some only apply to repeat DUI offenders.

While it’s impossible to say exactly how the law affected the numbers, the growing evidence is clear, Housewright said.

“We know they (ignition interlocks) save lives,” Housewright said. “The evidence is hard to refute.”

A recently released study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that an ignition interlock law in Washington state reduced DUI reoffending for first-time DUI offenders by 11 percent.

But another finding from the study was that only one-third of those convicted under Washington’s law actually applied for an ignition interlock. That raises the possibility that some drivers convicted of a DUI might continue to simply drive without the interlock, said Anne McCart, co-author of the study.

Drivers convicted of a DUI must apply to the Kansas Department of Revenue for a modified license and prove they have an ignition interlock installed. Between July 1 and March 2, the state received 2,991 such applications, said Jeannine Koranda, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Revenue.

There are additional updates to the last year’s DUI law being considered by the Kansas Legislature that could further strengthen the law, Bodyk said.

Senate Bill 453, currently in committee, would make refusing an alcohol breath test a misdemeanor that carries the same penalty as a positive test. Currently, refusing a breath test results is an automatic one-year license suspension, but it is not a criminal violation.

Events need volunteers: RealityU, Barnyard Babes, Stack the Deck

By DIANE HENTGES
Director of the Volunteer Center the Wyandotte County United Way

There are a number of very interesting volunteer opportunities just waiting for the right volunteer. Maybe you are that “right” volunteer. Review the opportunities described in this article.

If you are interested, follow-up with the contact noted for that particular opportunity.

Remember back to your high school days and picture we each had of what the “real” world was like. Communities in Schools helps high school students prepare for the real world with their program, Reality U (a financial literacy event) offered in high schools in Wyandotte County. 

The program is driven by volunteers. A Reality U will be April 12 at Wyandotte High School. Volunteers are needed for sessions one, 7:25 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.; session two, 9:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.; session three, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; and session four, 12:45 to 2:20 p.m. Volunteers can work one session or more. Training will be provided.

CIS will have the program on April 26th at Schlagle High School and May 3 and May 4 at J.C. Harmon High School.

If you want more information on how you or maybe your work group can help with one or all of these projects, please contact Ashley at 1-785-856-5190 or at realityu@ciskansas.org.

Spring is here and our attention turns to all things that grow. It is a good time to take a trip to the farm at the Agricultural Hall of Fame. Spring on the farm is a time for sprouting crops, blooming flowers and baby animals!

April 28th, from 11:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m., the Ag Hall of Fame will host barnyard Babes. Special guests of the day will include chicks, calves, kids (baby goats), and more!

Volunteers are needed that day, for 2-3 hour shifts to help with Barnyard Babies at the Agricultural Hall of Fame in Bonners Springs. Volunteers will help with hands-on activities.

They will also be needed to help with hayrides, be a driver, a greeter or one who helps guests on to and off the hay wagon. If you are interested in this opportunity contact Cathi at 913-721-1075 or a chahner@aghalloffame.com.

We know that area non-profits turn to various fun fund raisers to engage the community, to garner support and to get their message out. Associated Youth Services is hosting Stack the Decks on April 20th at the Overland Park Marriott.

They need volunteers to help with set-up for the event. The Set-up Crew will assist AYS staff in preparing the silent auction items, descriptions and bid sheets as well as event registration and decorations. These activities will take place the afternoon of the 20th. In addition, AYS is recruiting Auction Hosts. These volunteers are responsible for interacting with guests, and answering questions about the auction.

The Auction Hosts will also facilitate the closing of the auction in stages throughout the evening and serve as spotters during the Live Auction. To volunteer for either of these opportunities, please contact Teri at 913-831-2820 or at tkriege@aysusa.org.

For information on how you can GIVE, ADVOCATE, and VOLUNTEER please contact me at 913-371-3674 or at dhentges@unitedway-wyco.org.or check out our web site at www.unitedway-wyco.org.