Area warms up a little today, after dangerously cold morning

National Weather Service graphic
National Weather Service graphic

One of the coldest days of the year began with dangerously cold subzero wind chills this morning in Wyandotte County.

The temperature was 3 degrees around 1 a.m., and 5 degrees at 4 a.m., with wind chill readings of minus 9 and minus 11.

But temperatures climbed to 15 degrees by 10 a.m., with a wind chill of zero, according to the National Weather Service. Today’s high is expected to be 27, as the area climbs out of the deep freeze.

Another surge of cold air is expected Friday night, that could bring wind chills into the minus 10 to minus 15 range in the region.

The weather service said there is a chance of scattered snow flurries between noon and 5 p.m. Thursday. Today’s wind will be 17 to 21 mph with gusts as high as 33 mph.

Tonight, it will be partly cloudy with a low around 8. The wind chill will be between minus 6 and 4. The west wind will be 13 to 15, changing to north northwest after midnight. Winds may gust as high as 22 mph.

Friday’s high will be near 15, with a wind chill between minus 8 and 2. Northwet winds will be 10 to 13 mph with gusts as high as 18 mph.

Friday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low around 4. The wind chill will be between minus 3 and 2. The west northwest wind of 5 to 8 mph will become light and variable in the evening.

Saturday’s forecast is mostly sunny, with a high near 28. There will be a south wind of 5 to 13 mph.

Sunday, it will be partly sunny with a high near 35. Sunday night, there will be a 30 percent chance of snow, with a low around 23.

Monday, the 30 percent chance of snow continues, with a high near 30.

KCKCC-Leavenworth to offer course on world terrorism this spring

by Kelly Rogge

Kansas City Kansas Community College –Leavenworth Center is offering a new course in World Terrorism this semester.

CRJS 0207 World Terrorism will be offered from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays at KCKCC-Leavenworth Center.

The cost is $279 plus a textbook. The class can be taken for three hours of credit or can be audited for no credit. Qualified high school students can take this class under Senate Bill 155, which will cover the cost. Textbooks are the responsibility of the student.

In addition to CRJS 207 World Terrorism, CRJS 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice (Monday) and CRJS 204 Criminal Procedure (Thursday) are also being offered during the spring semester at KCKCC-Leavenworth Center. Enrollment Day at KCKCC-Leavenworth Center is from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8.

The instructor of CRJS 0207 World Terrorism, Ernest Evans, has published two books as well as 25 articles on the topic of terrorism. In addition, he has done extensive field research in areas of the world where there has been terrorism, including Northern Ireland, the Middle East and Central America. In the course of this field research he has personally interviewed an estimated 200 terrorists.

Although it has been 13 years since the Sept. 11 attacks, the threat posed by terrorists to the United States has not gone away, according to a statement with the class announcement. The U.S. is currently engaged in a major campaign to defeat the radical Islamic group ISIS that operates in Iraq and Syria. Troops still remain in Afghanistan to fight against any resurgence of Al Qaeda and there are U.S. soldiers and other officials throughout the world whose primary responsibility is to protect the U.S. for terrorist attacks. The goal of CRJS 0207 is to present threat conditions and how the risk of terrorist attacks can be reduced, according to a spokesman. Preparedness measures are provided to assist agencies in the development and implementation of appropriate agency-specific preparedness measures, according to the class announcement.

Topics that will be covered include weapons of mass destruction; post Sept. 11 threat; nuclear, biological, chemical, explosive terrorism; agricultural threats; cyber security; deterring terrorism; methods and modes of attack; terrorism and the media and U.S. counter-terrorism options, among others.

For more information or to enroll, contact the KCKCC-Leavenworth Center at 913-651-2111.

Kelly Rogge is the public information supervisor at KCKCC.

Animal ordinance returns to UG Commission meeting Thursday

The animal ordinance amendments will return to the Unified Government Commission meeting on Thursday, Jan. 8.

The meeting will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 8 at the Commission Chambers, lobby level, City Hall, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan.

Also on the 7 p.m. Jan. 8 agenda are several planning and zoning items.

There is a special UG Commission meeting at 5 p.m. in the ninth floor conference room at City Hall regarding ninth floor security measures. The ninth floor meeting is closed to the public.

Immediately after the ninth floor meeting will be a special session in the fifth floor conference room concerning the casino grant fund.

The animal ordinance at the 7 p.m. meeting will include the changes made from the Nov. 17 Public Works and Safety Standing Committee and the commission meeting of Dec. 4, according to the agenda. There were some language changes to the ordinance requested at the Dec. 4 meeting.

In general, the ordinance amends the animal code, increasing the number of dogs allowed from two to three, and decreasing the number of cats allowed from four to three. It also would adopt a trap, neuter and release policy that will apply to feral cats.

Portions of this ordinance were approved earlier, and a ban on pit bulls was not lifted at the earlier meeting. There is no public comment period listed for the animal ordinance; public comments were held earlier.

The ordinance language concerning nuisance animals and specific penalties for specific behavior of animals is coming back to the commission for approval.

It outlines provisions concerning nuisance animals, such as noise, property damage, running at large, putting persons in fear, animal injury and violations.

It also states that it is unlawful to keep any dangerous animal in the city, and defines that as a bite injury or the killing of another dog or cat. There is additional information defining dangerous animals and the rules concerning them.

Vicious animals, defined as any animal that has caused great bodily harm, disfigurement or death to any person, will not be allowed within the city limits, according to the ordinance. It does not apply to an animal that caused bodily harm to a person committing a crime on the property of the owner of the animal.

For a look at more of the details in the changes to the animal ordinance, visit the UG website at the agenda for Jan. 8, at http://www.wycokck.org/InternetDept.aspx?id=33516&menu_id=1390.

Some of the other items on the UG meeting at 7 p.m. include:

– Change from agricultural to limited business district zoning for the continuation of a child care facility currently operating under a special use permit at 545 S. 94th St.

– Change from limited business district to residential family district zoning for a residence at 5430 State Ave.

– Renewal of special use permit for a storage shed, community garden and gazebo at 323 S. 14th St., with the Kansas Bhutanese Community Foundation.

– Renewal of a special use permit for a banner program in Fairfax, from the Fairfax Industrial Association.

– Special use permit for a two-car detached garage at 102 S. 64th St.

– Special use permit for a miniature horse at 840 Shawnee Road.

– Special use permit for four to six chickens at 1817 S. 94th St.

– Special use permit for 32 Highway Liquors, a liquor store at 6832 Kaw Drive.

– Vacation of utility easement at 10621 Parallel Parkway, The Legends.

– Preliminary and final plan review for Community America Credit Union building at 7714 State Ave.

– Adoption of the UG’s 2015 state and federal legislative programs.

– An ordinance authorizing the issuance of $34 million in industrial revenue bonds for Phase 2 of the Village West Apartments project developed by NorthPoint Development. The site is adjacent to the multifamily project at 110th and Delaware Parkway.

– A resolution to authorize a bond sale of general obligation refunding bonds at $21,155,000, with estimated savings of $1.6 million, and taxable general obligation refunding bonds at $1,985,000 with estimated savings of $149,000.