Month: February 2015

Lady Blue Devils top five in nation for a reason, Labette coach says

by Alan Hoskins

Kansas City Kansas Community College wasted no time in living up to its new No. 5 ranking in the NJCAA Division women’s basketball poll Wednesday by cruising to a 74-47 win over Labette at Parsons.

The win, the Blue Devils’ sixth in a row, boosted their overall record to 22-2, a league-leading 8-1 record in the Jayhawk Conference and kept them perfect at 7-0 atop the Region VI Division II standings. Meanwhile, Johnson County, which fell to No. 6 in the latest Division II rankings, dropped its second game in a row at Coffeyville 55-53.

“It was clear from the get-go that the Lady Blue Devils were the superior team as they raced out to a double-digit lead before the media timeout midway through the first half,” wrote Sean Frye in the Parsons Sun. “By halftime, KCKCC was up 44-25 thanks largely in part to 16 points from Cierra Gaines. The Blue Devils essentially went on cruise control the second half, playing a platoon of subs while maintaining their lead despite an at time feisty Lady Cardinals squad.”

“Kansas City Kansas is top five in the nation for a reason,” said Labette head coach Anna Nimz. “They have incredible athleticism and they came ready to play tonight. We did a nice job possession by possession but lost our consistency and didn’t quite have it tonight.”

Gaines, who was 7 of 9 from the field, led four Blue Devils in double figures with 16 points while Cheyenne North turned a double double with 13 points and a game high 10 rebounds. Janai Mitchell added 14 and Julia Garrard turned in a near double double with 11 points and eight rebounds. Cassidy Harbert led in assists with five and collected seven rebounds.

KCKCC built the 44-25 halftime lead on 57.5 per cent shooting but was only 3 of 14 from 3-point for the game (21.4 percent).

“Another good road win, especially after playing three in a row,” said KCKCC coach Valerie Stambersky. “We’re getting better – but still have a lot of things we need to improve.”

The game ended a three-game road trip for the Blue Devils, who are home against Fort Scott Saturday at 2 p.m. and again next Wednesday against Hesston at 5 p.m.

Alan Hoskins is the sports information director for KCKCC.

Applicants sought for BPU Ethics Commission

The Kansas City, Kan., Board of Public Utilities is seeking letters of interest and resumes from persons interested in filling a vacancy on the BPU Ethics Commission.

The purpose of the Ethics Commission is to ensure proper implementation of BPU’s code of ethics and to review and report on all violations of the ethics policy, a BPU spokesman said. The commission meets to deliberate ethical issues and renders advisory opinions concerning questions of ethics, conflicts of interest, and the applicability of BPU’s Ethics Policy.

The commission is made up of five members. The BPU Board of Directors wants the Ethics Commission to represent the diverse population of the community, according to the spokesman. The commission must fill one vacancy.

Applicants must live in Wyandotte County. They must be of good moral standing and cannot have been convicted of a felony or serious crimes. All commission members must comply with BPU Ethics Policy.

The deadline for submitting letters of interest and resumes is March 16.

A search committee will review the applications; the full BPU Board will make the appointment.

Interested persons should send a letter of interest and a resume to:

Ethics Commission Application
C/o Chief Communications Officer
Board of Public Utilities
540 Minnesota Ave.
Kansas City, KS 66101

Letters and resumes may also be faxed to 913-573-9175 or e-mailed to [email protected]
For further information call 913-573-9173.

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.