Month: April 2014

Family Dollar to close 370 stores nationwide

Family Dollar, which has nine stores in Kansas City, Kan., announced today it would close about 370 underperforming stores in the second half of fiscal 2014.

The store has about 8,000 stores in 46 states, according to company information.

Making the announcement today, as the second quarter financial report was released, Family Dollar officials stated that net sales for its stores were down slightly in the second quarter of the year, $2.7 billion as compared to $2.9 billion in 2013.

Company officials cited severe winter weather as part of the reason for slow sales. Also, the 2013 holiday season was described as a “more promotional competitive environment and a more financially constrained consumer.”

Besides closing stores, the company announced it was lowering prices on 1,000 basic items; reducing costs by reducing its workforce; and slowing planned growth of new stores.

Instead of opening 525 new stores as planned in 2015, the store now plans to open 350 to 400 new stores, according to the report. The company’s fiscal report is online at http://corporate.familydollar.com/pages/family-dollar-2q-fy14-earnings.aspx.

 

Sporting KC defender Opara to undergo surgery for season-ending injury

Ike Opara

Sporting Kansas City defender Ike Opara will undergo surgery on April 16 to repair a chondral defect in his right ankle and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2014 season, the club announced on Thursday.

Opara suffered the serious season-ending injury in the 57th minute of Sporting Kansas City’s 3-2 victory at Colorado on March 29 in a collision with Rapids defender Jared Watts.

Opara has made 60 MLS appearances (including postseason) in five professional seasons since being selected No. 3 overall in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.

Sporting Kansas City acquired Opara prior to the 2013 season and the 25-year-old centerback has played 30 games in all competition for the club over the last two years.

Opara has been a key contributor for teams that have won the NCAA National Championship (Wake Forest, 2007), Supporters’ Shield (San Jose, 2012) and MLS Cup (Sporting Kansas City, 2013).

He represented the United States at the 2009 FIFA Under-20 World Cup and was most recently a member of the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team.

Wednesday’s surgery will be performed under the care of orthopedic surgeon Dr. Matthew Kneidel.

Blue Devils collect 16 hits in 21st win of season

by Alan Hoskins

Pounding out 16 hits in an 11-4 win over Saint Mary’s JV Tuesday, Kansas City Kansas Community College’s baseball focus immediately swung back to Jayhawk Conference play.

At home to Labette for a 1 p.m. doubleheader today, the Blue Devils face a return meeting with Labette in Parsons Saturday.

Six Blue Devils had two hits each as the Blue Devils improved to 21-17.

Garret McKinzie doubled twice, Tyler Raymond doubled and singled and Lucas Norton, Mitch Glessner, Sam Baxter and Alex Thrower had two singles each.

KCKCC jumped in front early, scoring twice in the first on a single by Norton, double by Raymond, Christian Arnold’s sacrifice fly and Glessner’s RBI single and added single runs in the second and third.

Zane Mapes’ squeeze bunt scored Thrower in the second; Glessner drove in his second run after a McKinzie double in the third.

McKinzie and Arnold had back-to-back doubles in a 2-run fifth; two more scored on singles by Norton and Raymond and an error in the sixth; and the final three crossed in the seventh on singles by Baxter , Hunter Walsh, Tanner Foerschler, hit batsman and an error.

Three Blue Devil hurlers combined on a 5-hitter in the 9-inning contest.

Starter Spencer Nielsen gave up just one hit and no earned runs in four innings; Derek Watkins retired six of the first seven eight hitters he faced before St. Mary broke through for three runs and three hits in the seventh; and Jonathan May finished up, allowing one hit and striking out two in 2.2 innings.