Month: September 2014

Missouri River bridge open house scheduled next week

A Missouri River bridge open house will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, at 212 N.W. Platte Valley Drive, Riverside, Mo.

The meeting will be about the U.S. 69 bridge over the Missouri River, which affects the Fairfax area. At the open house, visitors may view plans and meet the contractor. The design-build company is American Bridge.

The location of the meeting Sept. 10 is just south of Highway 9, between Horizons Parkway and I-635.

The Missouri Department of Transportation is replacing the U.S. 69 bridges over the Missouri River between Platte County, Mo. and Wyandotte County in Kansas.

Currently, the project is in the design and survey phase, with geotechnical boring occurring.

In mid-September, work on the roadway crossovers is scheduled to begin.

In October, traffic will be shifted to run two-way on the existing Platte Purchase Bridge.

In December, demolition is scheduled for the Fairfax Bridge.

Completion date for the project is December 2016.

Phone scam tries to trick residents about warrants

The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office has received reports of calls being made to residents informing them that a warrant has been issued for their arrest for either an offense or failing to appear for jury duty, according to a news release.

The caller insists that if the fine is not paid immediately then they will be arrested and taken into custody.

It’s also been reported that the caller uses several names to identify himself. He is using the names of Wyandotte County deputies, the Sheriff, District Court judges and even going as far as to identify himself as a deputy or detective, according to the spokesman.

The caller asks the citizen to call back when they have the number of their pre-paid money card. They also have a voicemail setup so that when the victim calls back it identifies the Perpetrator as Deputies for the Sheriff’s office. Many of the calls also appear to be from a 913 area code.

The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office does not call citizens advising them of warrants, nor do they ask citizens to call back with a pre-paid card number, the spokesman said.

It appears that these phone calls are targeting mostly senior citizens at this time. Authorities are asking citizens not to follow any directions by these callers. Hang up and call the Sheriff’s Office to file a report at 913-573-2861.

The Kansas City, Kan., Board of Public Utilities stated there have also been a series of phone scams targeting electricity customers. These scams involve telephone callers claiming to be from BPU and then using various techniques to defraud customers. Some threaten customers with disconnecting electric service to their home or business if they do not make a payment immediately. The scam artists sometimes instruct customers to send them money via a prepaid cash card before their power is shut off.

Signs of a scam
Always remember, often, scammers who operate by phone don’t want to give you time to think about their pitch; they just want you to say “yes,” the spokesman said. But some are so cunning that, even if you ask for more information, they seem happy to comply. They may direct you to a website or otherwise send information featuring “satisfied customers.” These customers, known as shills, are likely as fake as their praise for the company, the spokesman said.

KCKCC trip to Ireland, England and Scotland nearly full

by Alan Hoskins

Kansas City Kansas Community College’s 2015 spring trip to Ireland, England and Scotland is filling up fast.

“Just eight spaces remain and there may be less than that by the time this is read so anyone interested should act quickly because it’s only a matter of time when it is filled,” said Alan Hoskins, trip organizer. “The last thing we want is to have to turn someone down.”

A total of 25 persons from the Kansas City area have signed up for the trip, the largest number to go on a KCKCC trip in many years. While most of those signing up are from the KCK area, the trip is open to all interested persons.

Entitled “Rural Landscapes of Ireland & Britain,” it’s a 16-day adventure beginning May 22, 2015, and includes an optional 3-day extension in London. The first KCKCC trip to the British Isles in more than 10 years, travelers will spend six days in Ireland and four each in Scotland and England plus the 3-day London extension.

Highlights of the Ireland agenda which will begin in Shannon will include the spectacular scenery of the Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula, exploration of such charming areas as County Cork, Killarney and Kilkenny, the Blarney Castle and a tour of Dublin.

A ferry will take travelers across the Irish Sea to Wales and the landmark Conwy Castle before crossing into England and the largest Roman amphitheater in England, the magnificent Pennines known as “the backbone of England” and an optional excursion to Liverpool to explore the world of the Beatles.

Loch Lomond, the Eilean Donan Castle and Isle of Skye and the site of the notorious 1692 massacre of the MacDonald clan are among the stops in the Scottish Highlands before finishing in Edinburgh, one of Europe’s most striking cities, and St. Andrews where golf was founded centuries ago. The extension to London will include a sightseeing tour of Big Ben, Downing Street and Buckingham Palace and excursions to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Oxford.

The cost of the trip is $4,529 (double occupancy) and includes round trip airfare from Kansas City, daily breakfast buffets, eight 3-course dinners with wine or beer, lodging in hand-picked hotels, private deluxe motor coach and tour director. The 3-day London extension is $569 and single accommodations are available.

Brochures and full itineraries are available either by mail or email by contacting Alan Hoskins at [email protected] or 913-687-6426. A deposit of $300 will guarantee space and no price increase.