Month: January 2015

Besler, Kempin selected for U.S. Men’s National Team January camp

Sporting Kansas City captain Matt Besler and homegrown goalkeeper Jon Kempin were named to the United States Men’s National Team roster on Friday and will take part in the U.S. MNT January Camp from Jan. 12 – Feb. 8 in Carson, Calif.

The annual training camp will be highlighted by the first two international matches on the United States schedule in 2015.

Chile will host the U.S. on Jan. 28 at Estadio El Teniente in Rancagua, Chile, before the United States returns home to face Panama at 3 p.m. on Feb. 8 at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. (ESPN, UniMas, UDN).

“The prize in 2015 for the senior National Team is the Gold Cup, and this camp will give a lot of our players a chance to kick start their preparations for an important year,” U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. “We also get an opportunity to introduce the next wave of young players into the program, and in particular work with many of our Olympic-age guys as they build toward qualifying for the 2016 Olympics in Rio.”

Besler has made 23 international appearances for the United States Men’s National Team since his debut in 2013. The 27-year-old central defender led the national team with 11 starts in 2014, including starting roles in all four games at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

“This is another big year ahead of us in 2015,” Besler said. “The January Camp is always a good way to set the tone for the upcoming campaign and establish a positive rhythm within the national team environment. It is an important time of the year which brings a welcomed new wave of excitement and energy.”

An Overland Park, Kan., native, Besler has made 161 appearances in MLS competition (including postseason) over six seasons since being selected in the first round of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft out of Notre Dame. He is a three-time MLS All-Star (2011, 2013, 2014) and has twice been named to the MLS Best XI (2012, 2013) to go along with an MLS Defender of the Year honor in 2012.

Kempin, 21, joins the full U.S. Men’s National Team for the first time in his career after previously representing the United States at the Under-14 through Under-23 levels and attending the U.S. Soccer Residency Program from 2008-2009. The Leawood, Kan., native was most recently a member of the U.S. Under-21 Men’s National Team during a breakthrough 2014 campaign in which he made his MLS debut.

In doing so, he became the youngest at his position to play in Major League Soccer since 2012 and also entered the record books as the youngest goalkeeper to start an MLS match in club history. Kempin earned back-to-back MLS Save of the Week honors in his first two appearances and was named MVP of the 2014 MLS Chipotle Homegrown Game.

“I am extremely honored to be able to represent my country in my first senior team call up,” Kempin said. “I am excited to work with some of the best players in the world and learn from the likes of Nick Rimando and Sean Johnson. The experience I will get from working with Jurgen (Klinsmann) and his coaching staff will be very valuable to my career. My dream is to represent the United States in the Olympics and World Cups. I feel like being invited to the January Camp is one step closer to achieving those dreams.”

He also appeared in the Champions Shield friendly against the English Premier League’s Manchester City, one of six total appearances for the club last season (4 MLS, 1 CCL, 1 friendly) while also spending time on loan at USL PRO affiliate OKC Energy FC.

Kempin, a product of the Sporting KC Academy and the team’s first homegrown player signing at age 17, now enters his sixth professional season in 2015. He made his competitive debut during the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and helped Orlando City SC claim the USL PRO Championship in 2013, making 34 saves in nine games while on loan with the Lions.

The United States – No. 27 in the latest FIFA rankings – has scheduled seven international friendlies to be played against top competition over the next six months in preparation for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup (July 7-26). The U.S. will face five teams ranked in the top 20 in the world, including regional rival Mexico (April 15), fifth-ranked Netherlands (June 5) and 2014 FIFA World Cup champion Germany (June 10).
– Story from Sporting KC

Changes approved for KCK animal ordinance

Changes to the animal ordinance were among the items passed Thursday at the Unified Government Commission meeting.

With no discussion of the items, the commission approved final changes for the animal ordinance that had been discussed and received preliminary approval last month. The changes came back to the commission for some changes in language.

A total of three dogs and three cats will be allowed under the ordinance – a change from the previous limit — and no change was made to the ban on pit bulls in Kansas City, Kan. There are new definitions for dangerous and vicious animals, and penalties are outlined in the ordinance.

To view the changes in the animal ordinance, visit the meeting agenda online at http://www.wycokck.org/InternetDept.aspx?id=33516&menu_id=1390.

Several zoning changes were approved at the meeting, as well as a $34 million bond issue for the Village West Apartments project at 110th and Delaware Parkway, and a $23 million bond refunding.

The commission also received a plat of Central Industrial Park, to be developed at Kindleberger Road and Fairfax Trafficway.
The appointment of Tyrone Garner to the Housing Authority Board also was approved.

Firefighters save KCK resident from carbon monoxide poisoning

Kansas City, Kan., firefighters rescued a man who was overcome by carbon monoxide fumes yesterday.

According to a spokesman for the Fire Department, the 28-year-old man was using a gasoline-powered concrete saw in his basement about 10:30 p.m. Jan. 8 when he became dizzy.

The resident made his way upstairs to the ground floor, where he passed out for about 4 minutes, the spokesman said. The resident then awoke and called 911.

Emergency crews met the man at the front door and took him from the home into an awaiting EMS unit for evaluation and treatment, the spokesman said.

EMS personnel evaluated the patient and found his carbon monoxide levels were 38 percent, he said. The patient was given oxygen, and then taken to a hospital for care. EMS protocols recommend taking the patient to the hospital if carbon monoxide levels are over 10 or 11 percent, he said.

Crews entered the building and found carbon monoxide readings in the basement to be 780 parts per million, the spokesman said.

Then they ventilated the structure by opening all exterior door and windows resulting in the level being reduced to zero after about 15 minutes, the spokesman said.

Called the silent killer, carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and invisible gas, according to information from the Fire Department. It is produced anytime that fuels such as gasoline, kerosene, wood, natural gas, oil and propane burn incompletely.

About 200 to 300 deaths a year are the result of carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the National Safety Council. The Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department responds to more than 50 calls a year to homes and businesses that have elevated levels of carbon monoxide, the spokesman said.

Even small amounts of carbon monoxide over a long period may result in an individual becoming sick, the spokesman said. Furnaces, water heaters, stoves, fueled space heaters and fireplaces all produce some levels of carbon monoxide.

The Fire Department spokesman recommended that homes have a carbon monoxide detector, which can be purchased at hardware stores and other stores. The detectors can be placed in a centrally located area outside of each sleeping area, the spokesman said.. The alarms need to be checked monthly and replaced according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Homes need both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, according to the Fire Department.

The Fire Department also recommended using barbecue grills outside, not inside; have all heating and cooking equipment checked yearly by a professional; never use the stove or oven to heat the home; make sure to open the flue in the fireplace when in use; vehicles that are being warmed should be removed from the garage immediately after starting; do not run engines or motors indoors; and make sure the exhaust of a vehicle is not covered with snow.

Those who think they are the victim of carbon monoxide poisoning should move to fresh air and stay there, the spokesman said. Kansas City, Kan., residents may call the Fire Department for assistance, and wait until the emergency crew says it’s OK to re-enter the building, the spokesman said.