Month: March 2016

After traffic stops on I-70, four vehicles crash

A four-vehicle accident on eastbound I-70, west of the 78th Street exit, at 8:34 a.m. March 28 started with traffic that had slowed to a stop in the right lane.

According to the Kansas Turnpike Authority trooper’s report, four vehicles were eastbound on I-70 when three of them slowed to stop because of traffic. A Chevrolet Blazer then struck a Hyundai car in the rear, and then struck a Jeep Liberty in the rear, pushing it into the back of a BMW 335I-XD, according to the report.

The driver of the Blazer, a 22-year-old woman from Overland Park, Kan., was injured and taken to the hospital, according to the report.

The driver of the Hyundai, a 45-year-old Platte City, Mo., woman, also was injured and taken to a hospital, the report said.

The driver of the Jeep Liberty, a 23-year-old Kansas City, Kan., woman, was injured and taken to the hospital, according to the report.

The driver of the BMW, a 62-year-old Shawnee, Kan., woman, was not injured, the report stated.

Fire danger this afternoon, storms possible Wednesday

Relative humidity on Tuesday. (National Weather Service graphic)
Relative humidity on Tuesday. (National Weather Service graphic)

Thunderstorms possible Wednesday. (National Weather Service graphic)
Thunderstorms possible Wednesday. (National Weather Service graphic)

The National Weather Service says there will be increased fire danger this afternoon, with thunderstorms possible on Wednesday afternoon.

Gusty southerly winds and low relative humidity means there are elevated fire concerns today, the weather service said. Residents should avoid outdoor burning.

Today, the high will be near 68, with a south southeast wind of 11 to 20 mph, gusting as high as 29 mph, according to the weather service.

Tonight, the low will be around 54, with a south southeast wind of 18 mph, gusting as high as 28 mph, the weather service said.

Wednesday, temperatures will reach 73 with high winds before a line of strong to severe thunderstorms could enter eastern Kansas late in the afternoon and track across the region in the evening hours, according to the weather service. There is a 40 percent chance of rain.

The severe risk begins after 4 p.m. Wednesday and then spreads east. Large hail, damaging winds and very heavy rains are the main threats, the weather service said.

Wednesday night, the chance of rain and storms is 60 percent, with a low of 46, according to the weather service. A south wind of 13 to 18 mph will gust as high as 28 mph.

Thursday, it will be mostly sunny with a high of 59, the weather service said. A west northwest wind of 13 to 15 mph will gust as high as 21 mph.

Thursday night, the low will be around 37.

Friday, it will be mostly sunny with a high of 53, according to the weather service. Friday night, the low will be around 35.

Saturday will be sunny with a high of 64, the weather service said. The low Saturday night will be around 44.

New round of CDBG funding to begin

A new round of Community Development Block Grant funding will allow nonprofits to apply, and there will be the same level as last year’s funding for them.

That recommendation was made after discussion Monday night at the Unified Government Administration and Human Services Committee meeting.

While there is a total amount of funding of about $580,000 in the 2016-2017 CDBG budget available, the maximum available for public services will be about $275,000, according to UG officials. Other uses for the funds include public facilities and improvement, rehabilitation and acquisition of existing housing and economic development activities.

The services currently funded for public service activities include $20,000 for Livable Neighborhoods, $148,000 for the Willa Gill Center, $52,575 for the Wyandotte Homeless Services Coalition and $50,000 for the Doing Real Work program, according to Wilba Miller of the community development department.

The balance of the funding could be available to other agencies that qualify and apply.

According to UG staff, there will be a three-week window to apply for the funds. One more week was added to the application process today. The funds become available in the first quarter of 2017.

Miller explained that there are many rules that apply to this federal funding, and that the UG will hold a workshop to explain the rules to agencies that are interested. Timelines of projects are important, said Melissa Mundt, assistant UG administrator.

According to Mundt, today the UG received a denial of use of funds from Habitat for Humanity on an earlier CDBG project. The UG had allocated $250,000, but the agency is not able to execute the work on the timeline that was required, she said. UG staff said the CDBG grants are reimbursement grants, and the funding cannot be advanced to do the projects.

Mundt said the staff will ask the UG Commission to approve the reallocation of those dollars to sidewalks projects, because that is the only thing they can move quickly enough. The item may come up at a future UG meeting.

A community forum on the grant application process is planned for 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 7, on the fifth floor of City Hall, with agencies applying for grants from April 8 through April 29 at noon.