UG to meet July 30 for budget vote, other items

The Unified Government Commission will meet Thursday, July 30, to take a final vote on the budget and on several other items on the agenda.

The budget vote will be at the 7 p.m. meeting in the Commission Chambers, City Hall, lobby level, 701 N. 7th, Kansas City, Kan.

A special session will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 30, in the fifth floor conference room, Suite 515, City Hall.

There are 10 resolutions on the 7 p.m. agenda concerning the budget.

The agenda includes several planning and zoning items, and other items:

– A change of zone from nonretail business district to single
family district for an existing residential home at 616 N. 9th St.

– A special use permit for the temporary use of land for a trailer at 6500 Inland Drive.

– A special use permit for an auto auction parking facility at 8501 Gibbs Road.

– Special use permit for live entertainment in conjunction with restaurant at 1017 N. 6th St.

– Special use permit for live entertainment in conjunction with restaurant and drinking establishment at 8121, 8123 and 8125 Parallel Parkway.
Special Use Permit for live entertainment in conjunction with

– Special use permit to keep one horse at 1411 N. 47th St.

– Vacation of right-of-way at 9020 State Ave.

– Vacation of right-of-way at 1130 Ray Ave.

– Amendment to the existing floodplain management ordinance, updating dates.

– A change to the ordinance that requires a special use permit for tire shops, automotive mechanical shops, used car lots and automotive salvage years. The provision concerns signs, landscaping, screening and condition of automobiles.

– Amendments to the ordinances about use of residential yards for nonresidential parking purposes.

– An ordinance prohibiting the use of any yard area for commercial or any nonresidential or ongoing nonresident parking purposes in residential districts.

– An ordinance amending the existing floodplain management ordinance to reflect the new effective date of Sept. 20, 2015, on the FIRM panels.

– An ordinance concerning tire shops, automotive mechanical shops, used car lots and automotive salvage yards, except when concerning new automotive dealerships.

– An ordinance rezoning property at 2035 N. 109th St., from planned limited business district to planned general business district.

– An ordinance vacating property at 1022 Merriam Lane.

– Renewal of a special use permit to keep two goats at 3415 N. 63rd St.

– Adoption of 10 budget resolutions and ordinances.

To see an agenda, visit www.wycokck.org.

Kansas AG to ask U.S. Supreme Court to review cases

Kansas will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review three recent lower court decisions that overturned state criminal convictions or sentences, Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today.

The state will request U.S. Supreme Court review of the recent decision by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals that concluded the murder conviction of Kimberly Sharp must be set aside. Sharp was convicted in connection with the 2006 murder of David Owen in Topeka. Her conviction was upheld by the Kansas Supreme Court on direct review but set aside earlier this month by the federal appeals court on habeas corpus review.

The state also will request U.S. Supreme Court review of two recent Kansas Supreme Court decisions, one overturning a conviction and the other partially vacating a sentence. The Kansas court overturned the capital murder conviction of Luis Aguirre, who was convicted in connection with the 2009 murders of Tanya Maldonado and their young son Juan Maldonado in Riley County. It also vacated the post-release portion of the sentence of Bryce Dull, who was convicted in Sedgwick County of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, burglary and misdemeanor theft and whose sentence included a requirement of lifetime post-release supervision upon his release from prison.

“In each of these cases, we are unsure the correct legal conclusion was reached under the applicable principles of federal law, so we are requesting review by the U.S. Supreme Court,” Schmidt said.

The U.S. Supreme Court grants only about one percent of the requests to review lower-court decisions. Kansas currently has three cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, and in those cases the state is briefing arguments and preparing for oral arguments expected in October. Those cases are Kansas v. Jonathan Carr (Sedgwick County), Kansas v. Reginald Carr (Sedgwick County), and Kansas v. Sidney Gleason (Barton County).

To see the Kimberly Sharp decision that Schmidt is appealing, visit Kimberly Sharp, http://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/opinions/14/14-3090.pdf.

T-Bones sign Banks and Leon

Frias goes on disabled list; Cavan retires

As they return to action tonight at Sioux Falls after two days off, the Kansas City T-Bones announced they’ve signed infielders Ernie Banks Jr. and Sergio Leon.

Banks — no relation to “Mr. Cub” Ernie Banks — is a 6-foot-4 and 260-pound infielder from Chesapeake, Va.

Banks, whom the Florida Marlins selected in the 44th round of the 2007 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Norfolk State University, has spent the majority of his eight-year professional career in independent leagues. He played eight games this season with Garden State of the Can-Am League, batting .200. In 498 career games, Banks is a career .298 hitter with 545 hits, 66 home runs and 324 RBIs.

Leon is a 5-foot-10 and 175-pound rookie infielder from Miami. He hit .266 in 49 games, with 49 hits and 22 RBIs for Marshall University this past season. As Marshall’s shortstop, Leon committed 13 errors in 207 chances in 2015.

To make room for Banks and Leon, the T-Bones placed infielder Vladimir Frias on the disabled list due to an injury suffered Friday night against Winnipeg. Additionally, infielder Ryan Cavan has announced his retirement.
– Story from T-Bones