Month: November 2014

Kansas City, Mo., man sentenced to 18 years for trafficking crack cocaine near KCK playground

A man from Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced Wednesday to 18 years in federal prison for trafficking crack cocaine near a playground in Kansas City, Kan., U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Arrick Warren, 29, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of Bethany Park playground in Kansas City, Kan., one count of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of the playground, and one count of maintaining a residence within 1,000 feet of the playground in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Warren initially was charged in June 2013 in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan.

A criminal complaint alleged investigators with the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department arranged to make two controlled buys of crack cocaine from Warren, who was dealing drugs from a residence at 1026 Reynolds Ave., in Kansas City, Kan.

On Jan., 16, 2013, investigators served a search warrant at the house, where they seized drugs, more than $25,000 in cash and a .45 caliber pistol.

Grissom commended the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic for their work on the case.

KCK baseball great, Ray Sadecki, dies

Kansas City, Kan., baseball great Ray Sadecki died Nov. 17 at the age of 73.

A major-league pitcher, he was a 1958 graduate of Bishop Ward High School, and was an Arizona resident.

Pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers, Sadecki had a 20-win year in 1964 for the Cardinals. He helped the Cardinals win the National League title that year.

Sadecki grew up in Kansas City, Kan., where his parents owned a grocery store.

A renovated baseball field at 9th and Homer streets in Kansas City, Kan., was renamed Ray Sadecki Field in 2002.

KCKCC to hold Great American Smokeout event

by Kelly Rogge
The Kansas City Kansas Community College Respiratory Therapy Department is sponsoring the Great American Smokeout later this week.

The event is from 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 20 in Lower Jewell on the KCKCC campus at 7250 State Ave. The KCKCC Wellness Committee is also organizing an effort to pick up cigarette butts and trash around campus from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Rob Crane at 913-288-7183 for more information or to volunteer.

Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. However, an estimated 42 million Americans still smoke cigarettes. As of 2012, there were also 13.4 million cigar smokers in the country and 2.3 million who smoke tobacco in pipes.

Andrica Wilcoxen, outreach and prevention coordinator at KCKCC’s Student and Community Resource Center, said the American Cancer Society marks the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November each year. The goal is to encourage smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. By quitting, even for one day, smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life. One that can lead to reducing the risk of cancer.

During KCKCC’s Great American Smokeout, there will be free health screenings including those for – blood pressure checks, carbon monoxide screening and a test that will show people how young their lungs are.

“In the past, these screenings really opened up participants eyes based off their results,” Wilcoxen said. “We encourage everyone at KCKCC and our community members to be part of the screenings. These are screenings that many people do not utilize on a regular basis.”

In addition, the Respiratory Therapy Department and the Division of Student Services: Student and Community Outreach will be giving out information as to how to quit smoking and will give away a turkey. All proceeds of the fundraiser will go toward the Respiratory Therapy Scholarship fund.

For more information on the Great American Smokeout, contact Andrica Wilcoxen at 913-288-7439.

Kelly Rogge is the public information supervisor for Kansas City Kansas Community College.