Calm, cool weather on Tuesday and Wednesday, chance of storms Thursday

Calm, cool weather is expected for Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by a cold front with a chance of storms on Thursday.

Today’s high will be 72 with partly sunny skies, the National Weather Service said. The Tuesday night low will be around 56.

Wednesday’s forecast is much the same, with a high of 72, according to the weather service.

The weather will change on Thursday, the weather service said.

Showers and thunderstorms are expected to accompany a cold front as it sweeps through the region on Thursday, according to the weather service.

A few storms could reach far northwest part of the region late Wednesday night. Forecasters are not expecting a lot of storms but a few of the stronger ones could produce marginally severe hail over parts of the region, according to the weather service.

The chance of rain is 40 percent on Thursday, and the skies will be partly sunny with a high near 80, the weather service said.

Thursday night, there will be a 30 percent chance of rain with a low of 53, according to the weather service.

Friday, it will be mostly sunny with a high of 66, according to the weather service. Friday night’s forecast is partly cloudy with a low of 57.

On Saturday, it will be mostly sunny with a high of 72, the weather service said. Saturday night, the low will be 57.

On Sunday, expect sunny skies with a high of 81, according to the weather service.

New futsal courts open in KCK

by Mary Rupert

Students from Welborn Elementary School took a soccer clinic from Sporting KC players at the new futsal court ribbon-cutting and grand opening today at Welborn Park, North 55th and Jodee Lane, between Parallel Parkway and Leavenworth Road in Kansas City, Kan.

The Welborn students went through their warmups, running around the court, stretching, touching their toes, and then were instructed on how to do soccer footwork. Each one of them had a soccer ball and practiced footwork.

The Welborn Park futsal court was converted from a tennis court into a futsal court. It is one of four futsal courts already completed, with four more in progress. It is the first part of the completion of youth futsal courts in Wyandotte County that was part of an agreement made with Sporting Kansas City when the stadium was announced here.

Futsal is like soccer, but played with a fewer number of people on a hard-surfaced court that is not a full-sized field.

Besides the soccer clinic, the kids received a T-shirt and a soccer ball to take home today.

Sporting KC defender Amobi Okugo, who helped with the futsal clinic at today’s event, was asked what today’s events meant to him.

“Just seeing the kids happy. Growing up, I didn’t have this opportunity to have these futsal fields, and you just see their excitement,” Okugo said. “It just brings joy to us as players.”

Also helping with the clinic was Bernardo Anur, a Sporting KC midfielder.

Mayor Mark Holland said the project was in the works for years, originally planned as three soccer fields for kids, and then changed into eight futsal courts in the parks, one in each Unified Government district.

If there had been three soccer tournament fields built, there would have been fences around them and kids wouldn’t have been able to use them all the time, according to the mayor. The futsal courts are open whenever parks are open, and may not need as much maintenance as soccer fields.

“I just can’t emphasize enough the importance of the partnership with Sporting Kansas City, and the importance of their commitment, not only to bringing world-class soccer to the stadium out west, but also to bringing accessible exercise and healthy living options and organization to these futsal courts right here to the urban areas,” Mayor Mark Holland said. It is “pretty critical to our community and to all these kids.”

At the very beginning of the project, Greg Cotton, Sporting Club chief of staff, and other Sporting KC officials drove to 75 or 80 potential sites for the futsal courts in Wyandotte County. They put together a set of criteria, including sites close to population density, schools, bus lines and kids.

“At the end of the day, it’s wonderful we’re putting one of these courts, at least one and in some cases two, in every single commissioner district in KCK,” Cotton said. “We’re going to have the opportunity to do some really cool stuff starting in the spring when all these courts are done.”

A tournament will be launched where each of the courts serves as a staging hub for a different age group playing futsal, he said. The winners of those will play together in a tournament.

Back in 2009, Sporting executives and UG officials were discussing what they could do for the community, he said.

“And we said we can do better. We can do something bigger, we can do something that will actually further the mission of giving kids a place to play,” Cotton said. The idea of putting futsal courts in each district evolved from this discussion.

Futsal helps players’ skill development, he said. There will be clinics held at the futsal courts and tournaments.

Cotton said the courts are for the kids of the community to play on, and they didn’t want to fill them up with a lot of programming that would stop other kids from being able to use the courts.

Unified Government Commissioner Melissa Bynum, 1st District at large, said it was a wonderful public-private partnership.

“This futsal court project is breathing new life into all of our parks,” Bynum said.

Commissioner Jane Philbrook, 8th District, said that this futsal court project took a little time, “but if you just wait, see what you can get.”

She said it was great to hear from the community about what they wanted for the futsal courts and their locations. The improvements at Welborn Park also include a newly resurfaced walking trail and new playground.

Besides Welborn Park, at 2520 N. 55th, grand openings were held today at three other futsal courts in Kansas City, Kan., — Bethany Park at 11th and Central; Highland Park at South 50th and Shawnee Drive; and Westheight Park at Wood Avenue and North 20th Street.

Four more futsal courts will be completed in May 2016 at Vega Field in Argentine, Garland Park, Edwardsville and Harmon High School, according to officials.

Kansas City, Kan., saw its first futsal court during the MLS All-Star game festivities in 2013. Then, two tennis courts at Wyandotte High School were converted into the first futsal courts here, and are currently open.

Sporting Kansas City is funding the futsal project, and the Unified Government is contributing some of the work at some of the futsal courts.

Amobi Okugo, Sporting Kansas City defender, participated in a futsal clinic with Welborn Elementary School students on Monday, Oct. 5, at Welborn Park. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Amobi Okugo, Sporting Kansas City defender, participated in a futsal clinic with Welborn Elementary School students on Monday, Oct. 5, at Welborn Park. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Students at Welborn Elementary School participated in a futsal clinic at the new futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Students at Welborn Elementary School participated in a futsal clinic at the new futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. Liam O’Connell with Sporting KC programs, helped with the clinic. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Students at Welborn Elementary School participated in a futsal clinic at the new futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Students at Welborn Elementary School participated in a futsal clinic at the new futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. Betsy Maxfield, vice president of soccer projects at Sporting, helped with the clinic. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Students at Welborn Elementary School participated in a futsal clinic at the new futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Students at Welborn Elementary School participated in a futsal clinic at the new futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Students at Welborn Elementary School participated in a futsal clinic at the new futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Students at Welborn Elementary School participated in a futsal clinic at the new futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Sporting KC defender Amobi Okugo assisted students at Welborn Elementary School in a futsal clinic at the new futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Sporting KC defender Amobi Okugo assisted students at Welborn Elementary School in a futsal clinic at the new futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Students at Welborn Elementary School participated in a futsal clinic at the new futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Students at Welborn Elementary School participated in a futsal clinic at the new futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Students at Welborn Elementary School participated in a futsal clinic at the new futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Betsy Maxfield, vice president of soccer projects at Sporting KC, assisted students at Welborn Elementary School in a futsal clinic at the new futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Betsy Maxfield, vice president of soccer projects at Sporting KC, assisted students at Welborn Elementary School in a futsal clinic at the new futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Sporting KC defender Amobi Okugo and midfielder Bernardo Anur assisted with a futsal clinic for Welborn Elementary School students on Monday, Oct. 5, at the new Welborn Park futsal courts. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Sporting KC defender Amobi Okugo and midfielder Bernardo Anur assisted with a futsal clinic for Welborn Elementary School students on Monday, Oct. 5, at the new Welborn Park futsal courts. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Sporting KC defender Amobi Okugo and midfielder Bernardo Anur took a selfie during a futsal clinic for Welborn Elementary School students on Monday, Oct. 5, at the new Welborn Park futsal courts. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Sporting KC defender Amobi Okugo and midfielder Bernardo Anur took a selfie during a futsal clinic for Welborn Elementary School students on Monday, Oct. 5, at the new Welborn Park futsal courts. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

The ribbon was cut on Monday, Oct. 5, for the new futsal courts at Welborn Park. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
The ribbon was cut on Monday, Oct. 5, for the new futsal courts at Welborn Park. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Mayor Mark Holland spoke at the grand opening of the futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Mayor Mark Holland spoke at the grand opening of the futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Greg Cotton, chief of staff for Sporting Club, spoke at the grand opening of the new futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Greg Cotton, chief of staff for Sporting Club, spoke at the grand opening of the new futsal courts at Welborn Park on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Commissioner Melissa Bynum, 1st District at large, spoke at the grand opening of the Welborn Park futsal courts on Monday, Oct. 5, while Sporting KC announcer Nate Bukaty looked on. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Commissioner Melissa Bynum, 1st District at large, spoke at the grand opening of the Welborn Park futsal courts on Monday, Oct. 5, while Sporting KC announcer Nate Bukaty looked on. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Commissioner Jane Philbrook spoke at the grand opening for the Welborn Park futsal courts on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Commissioner Jane Philbrook spoke at the grand opening for the Welborn Park futsal courts on Monday, Oct. 5. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19IbPg3flsQ[/embedyt]
A grand opening and ribbon cutting was held on Monday, Oct. 5, for futsal courts at Welborn Park in Kansas City, Kan. (Video by Mary Rupert)

Denver man who flew marijuana plane into Kansas sentenced to prison

A Denver man who flew a plane loaded with marijuana into an airport in Iola, Kan., was sentenced Monday to a year in federal prison followed by a year on supervised release, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. In addition, the Drug Enforcement Administration administratively forfeited his plane, more than $450,000 in cash and two cars.

Kenneth E. Weaver, 59, Denver, Colo., pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. In his plea, he admitted that on July 11, 2014, he flew his plane into the Iola airport carrying 207 pounds of medical grade marijuana.

The Drug Enforcement Administration administratively forfeited his plane (a 1979 Israel Aircraft Industries Model 1124 jet) $457,580 in cash, a 2007 Bentley Continental auto, and a 2010 BMW X auto.

Grissom commended the Allen County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett for their work on the case.