Month: February 2015

Volunteers from Wyandotte County help make Folk Alliance International conference a success

Members of the 3 Trails West Cowboy Band from Wyandotte County played in the lobby of a Kansas City, Mo., hotel during the Folk Alliance International conference this week. (Photo by William Crum)
Members of the 3 Trails West Cowboy Band from Wyandotte County played in the lobby of a Kansas City, Mo., hotel during the Folk Alliance International conference this week. (Photo by William Crum)

by William Crum

It is estimated that roughly 100 people volunteer for the Folk Alliance International conference held at the Westin Crown Center and the Sheraton at Crown Center in Kansas City, Mo.

The international Folk Alliance brings an estimated more than $50,000 to $75,000 to both Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan., however these figures are not completely in as of yet, according to the officials. The figures will be available later.

On Saturday, the third day at the event at the Sheraton, the music festival has performances from all over the world scheduled, including the legendary Victor and Penny, the Howlin’ Brothers from Nashville, Tenn., and Alferd Packer Memorial String Band from Lawrence, Kan. The cost for this event is $25 a session. There’s no better way to spend a cold winter Saturday evening than listening to great folk music.

Volunteers come from the area, including Wyandotte County, to assist in the festival. This is the third year of the conference and next year should be bigger.

For more information, including a schedule of events, go to the website www.folk.org.

Members of the 3 Trails West Cowboy Band from Wyandotte County played in the lobby of a Kansas City, Mo., hotel during the Folk Alliance International conference this week. (Photo by William Crum)
Members of the 3 Trails West Cowboy Band from Wyandotte County played in the lobby of a Kansas City, Mo., hotel during the Folk Alliance International conference this week. (Photo by William Crum)

Saturday events

In the event of inclement weather, call the sponsoring organization first to see if the event is still being held.

Democrats to meet Saturday
The Wyandotte County Third Saturday Democratic Breakfast will meet this Saturday, Feb. 21, at Kansas City Kansas Community College, 7250 State Ave. The meeting will be in Room 2325-2326, located in the bottom floor of the Jewell Building. The meeting will include a forum for all Democratic candidates in the upcoming spring elections. Democratic candidates in both the primary and general elections will be invited to speak. Candidates should contact Scott Mackey at scottmackey08@yahoo.com if they plan to attend and speak. A breakfast buffet will be available at 8:15 a.m., with the forum beginning at 9:15 a.m. The cost of the breakfast buffet is $10, or $7 for students and those on limited incomes. Democrats and independent voters are invited to attend the meeting. People who plan to attend the breakfast and meeting may make reservations by Friday, Feb. 20, to scottmackey08@yahoo.com. Reservations are not necessary to attend, but are encouraged.

Community meeting planned with police chief, sheriff
A community forum is planned Feb. 21 for the community to meet local law enforcement officers. The coffee and doughnuts hour is planned at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at the East Fellowship Hall, Mount Zion Baptist Church, 417 Richmond Ave., Kansas City, Kan. It is a joint effort of the Kansas City, Kan., Baptist Ministers Union and participating churches, with local law enforcement officers. Police Chief Terry R. Zeigler and Wyandotte County Sheriff Don Ash, with some of their officers, will be the guests at the meeting. The meeting will be from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. According to an announcement, the purpose of the coffee hour is to acquaint the public with the police and sheriff departments, in the hope of building the best possible relationship between the community and local law enforcement agencies. The Baptist Ministers Union Civic Committee includes the Rev. C.L. Bachus, the Rev. Jimmie L. Banks, the Rev. Rickey D. Turner and the Rev. Bobby Young, president.

In the event of inclement weather, call the sponsoring organization first to see if the event is still being held.

Juvenile charged in attack at intake center

The Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office charged Phillip Lavon Taylor, 17, with one count of aggravated battery. Taylor is a 17-year-old juvenile and was charged in the juvenile division of the district court.

Taylor is charged in connection with an attack Thursday evening on a female at the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center, according to the district attorney’s office. JIAC is a juvenile office where juveniles who are taken into custody by police are processed for release to parents, legal guardians or some other residential center. JIAC processes juveniles who are not going to be detained in the juvenile detention center.

Taylor was taken to JIAC by Kansas City, Kan., police. Taylor is charged with attacking a female worker in the JIAC offices, the district attorney’s office stated. The worker was transported to the University of Kansas Medical Center where she was treated and released.

Taylor is currently being held in the Wyandotte County Juvenile Detention Center awaiting an appearance in juvenile court on Monday. A motion to determine whether Taylor should be prosecuted as adult has been filed with the district court.

Taylor appeared on Jan. 23 in the Wyandotte County Juvenile Division of the District Court for sentencing on two misdemeanor battery cases, according to the district attorney’s office. These two cases are unrelated to each other and to the present charges.

The court sentenced Taylor on the misdemeanor charges and closed the cases without requiring a probation be served.

Taylor is presumed innocent until proven guilty.