Month: August 2014

K-5 repair, resurfacing project to begin Aug. 11

On Monday, Aug. 11, a pavement repair and resurfacing project will begin on a 2.25-mile stretch of K-5 from I-635 to Sunshine Road in Kansas City, Kan.

Also, project work will take place on the ramps at I-635/18th Street, K-5/18th Street and K-5/10th Street. Project work includes pavement patching on K-5 mainline lanes and patching, milling and asphalt overlay on ramps. Work will take place during daylight hours (sunrise to sunset), Monday through Friday with some occasional Saturday work.

Traffic control installation work began the week of Aug. 4 and then starting at 9 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 11, northbound and southbound K-5 from I-635 to Sunshine Road will be reduced to one lane each direction, 24/7 round the clock throughout the project duration. There will be a 12-foot lane width restriction and a 45 mph posted speed limit through the project work zone throughout the project duration.

Project work will first be completed on adjacent ramps during two full 24/7 weekend closures followed by the patching work on K-5 mainline lanes.

The ramps from northbound and southbound I-635 to 18th Street, southbound I-635 to eastbound-northbound K-5, 18th Street to eastbound/northbound K-5 and southbound-westbound K-5 to 10th Street will be closed, 24/7 round the clock, beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14, and will reopen to all traffic at 6 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 18. A marked detour will be provided. I-635 to K-5 ramp traffic will detour to Leavenworth Road then back on northbound I-635 to K-5.

Updated daily traffic information for this project and for the entire Kansas Metro Area can be viewed online at: www.ksdot.org/kcmetro/laneclose.asp.

Drivers should expect delays and must allow extra time during their daily commutes. The Kansas Department of Transportation urges all motorists to be alert, obey the warning signs, and slow down when approaching and driving through the project work zone.

Realm Construction, Inc., Blue Springs, Mo., is the primary contractor on this rehabilitation project with a total contract cost of $1.32 million. Project work is scheduled to be completed in late August 2014, weather permitting.

Business owner indicted on federal bank fraud charges

An area business owner has been indicted on federal bank fraud charges, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Brenda Wood, 45, Leavenworth, Kan., was indicted Wednesday on five counts of bank fraud, one count of theft from an employee benefit program, and four counts of willful violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

The indictment alleges the crimes took place while Wood owned several businesses including one in Kansas City, Mo. — Professional Cleaning and Innovative Building Services, Inc. (PCI) — and three in Bonner Springs, Kan. — Action Real Estate Services, LLC; G&W Investments, LLC, and Riverview Crossings, LLC.

The indictment alleges Wood obtained loans for herself and her companies through Farmers Bank in Overland Park, Kan., by making false representations and submitting falsified documents to the bank. Among the allegations in the indictment are these:

• Wood obtained a loan on behalf of Riverview Crossings to purchase property in Bonner Springs in part by forging the signature of a second mortgage holder releasing the deed, the indictment alleged.
• Wood submitted falsified invoices totaling more than $100,000 to support fraudulent draws on the Riverview Crossings loan, the indictment alleged.
• Wood obtained a loan on behalf of PCI to buy property in Basehor, Kan., in which she fraudulently inflated the purchase price to make it appear the loan met the bank’s loan-to-value ratio requirements, the indictment alleged.
• Wood obtained a $350,000 line of credit in part by fraudulently representing to the lender that her company, PCI, was awarded a contract to provide cleaning services at an Internal Revenue Service building in Kansas City, Mo., the indictment alleged. In fact, her company was not even a finalist for the contract, authorities stated.
• Wood diverted more than $200,000 from an escrow account for PCI to her personal account, the indictment alleged.
• Wood set up a 401(k) plan for PCI and embezzled more than $30,000 from the plan, the indictment alleged.
• Wood failed to file annual financial reports for the PCI 401(k) plan, the indictment alleged.

Farmer’s Bank received $12 million from the U.S. Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program. In November 2012, the bank paid the U.S. Treasury approximately $11.4 million to redeem the funding, resulting in a shortfall of more than $500,000.

If convicted, Wood faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on each of the bank fraud charges, a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of theft from an employee benefit program, and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count of violating ERISA.

The Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, the Special Investigator General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting.

P.R.I.D.E. parade, festival planned Aug. 9

A parade and festival sponsored by P.R.I.D.E. and the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters is scheduled on Saturday, Aug. 9.

A Day with P.R.I.D.E. Black Fire Fighters, 17th annual Back-to-School Parade and the Garvin Run and Memorial Balloon Release are among the events.

Grand marshal of the parade, which starts at 9 a.m. Aug. 9, will be John F. Drew Sr., first black U.S. deputy marshal from the state of Kansas, and former director of the Northeast Community Development Center.

The lineup for the Garvin Run is at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 9 at 1726 Quindaro Blvd.

The parade route is from Cissna and Quindaro Boulevard to 9th and Quindaro Boulevard (Parkwood Park behind Fire Station No. 5). School bands, drill team and dancers plan to participate in the parade.

Those who are interested in participating in the parade may call Paul Jones at 913-908-5622 or the P.R.I.D.E. office at 913-321-2733.

The event at Parkwood Park, 9th and Quindaro, will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event includes special awards, games for children and a talent showcase. There will be school supply giveaway for children in kindergarten and older, while supplies last.

Hot dogs, chips and drinks will be available.

The Parkwood pool on Aug. 9 is open free to all swimmers who bring a canned good donation.

The event has several sponsors including the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan.