Month: December 2015

Open government training session planned Jan. 7 in KCK

The Kansas Attorney General’s Office and the Sunshine Coalition for Open Government will offer a free training session on Kansas open records and open meetings laws in Kansas City, Kan., next month, Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced today.

The training session will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 7, at the Kansas City Kansas Community College Technical Education Center at 6565 State Ave. Those wishing to attend should register on the attorney general’s website at www.ag.ks.gov or call 785-296-2215.

The attorney general’s office and the Sunshine Coalition have provided a week of training about open government laws at locations throughout the state for the past several years. A new law passed earlier this year by the Legislature places formal responsibility on the attorney general’s office to provide and coordinate training on Kansas open government laws.

The law also provided the attorney general’s office with additional tools to investigate and enforce violations of the laws. During this transition, the attorney general’s office is again coordinating a training series with the Sunshine Coalition to include several trainings to be held over the course of the fiscal year that will end June 30, 2016.

“Many violations of the law are unintentional and can be avoided through proper training,” Schmidt said. “As we move toward expanded training opportunities and enforcement required under the new statute, I encourage elected officials, public employees and members of the media and general public to attend this training to learn more about what is required under these laws.”

The training about the Kansas Open Records Act and the Kansas Open Meetings Act will be conducted by attorneys in Schmidt’s office who specialize in open government laws. Panelists will include Kansas Sunshine Coalition members, local government officials and media representatives.

Schmidt said his office is planning additional training opportunities in Southeast Kansas and Western Kansas this fiscal year. More information on those opportunities will be announced in the coming months.

Piper results

Piper High School– boys basketball at Shawnee Mission East
– Piper Varsity lost 40-56
– Piper JV won 48-44
– Piper 9th lost 36-50
Piper High School– debate at Free State
– Penyweit/Zimmerman (4-1) placed 5th
– Debate at Lawrence
– Cara Bruce/Jessica Hutchings cleared to semifinals where they placed 3rd in JV
– Tyler Ash/Michael Gentry cleared to quarterfinals where they placed 4th in JV.
– At this tournament, Cara Bruce, Nick Delaquila, Ellen Havel, Jessica Hitchings, Audrey Wenzl, and Ariana Williams all qualified for state champs.

– From Doug Key, Piper High School activities director

Junior Police Academy students visit county jail

Students in the Junior Police Academy at Bishop Ward High School recently toured the Wyandotte County Jail. (Photo from Josh Sukraw, Bishop Ward High School)
Students in the Junior Police Academy at Bishop Ward High School recently toured the Wyandotte County Jail. (Photo from Josh Sukraw, Bishop Ward High School)

by Josh Sukraw

No cell phones allowed. No pencils, keys, or anything that could fall out of your pocket and be used as a weapon.

“Nothing is allowed in your pocket and this is for your own safety,” stated Officer Santiago Vasquez, a student resource officer at Bishop Ward High School and senior master patrolman with the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department. Vasquez was explaining protocol to 30 students who were about to tour the Wyandotte County Jail as part of the Junior Police Academy at Bishop Ward.

Students in the Junior Police Academy aren’t the typical high school student, but rather they are students who have an interest in law enforcement or the judicial system. This field trip gave them the chance to see a part of that system that not very many civilians see.

“The field trip was engaging. That’s what I wanted to achieve with this trip. I wanted them to appreciate what they have while hopefully gaining interest in a potential career with law enforcement,” Officer Vasquez said.

Students entered the jail through the Sally Port, a secured entryway where the first door opens. The students enter into a waiting area where the door closes and then a second door opens allowing entrance into the jail. All of this is controlled remotely by a command center within the jail.

Once inside, the students had a brief tour of the jail, starting where prisoners are booked. They then walked through the female prison block and one of the men’s cell blocks.

Students had the opportunity to hear from Linda Hendrix, sheriff’s administrative manager, as she discussed the financial and administrative side of a jail. They learned that operating a jail requires planning to ensure things will run smoothly.

After the presentation the students were surprised with lunch, where they got the opportunity to eat the same meal the prisoners ate that day. Reactions from the students varied from disbelief to delicious.

Students finished the day with a tour of the mental health ward, the medical facility, prisoner cells and a security tower.

A spokesman for Bishop Ward thanked everyone in the Sheriff’s office and the Wyandotte County Jail for making the field trip possible and providing an educational experience.

Josh Sukraw is the marketing and social media manager at Bishop Ward High School.