Month: March 2016

Shooting reported near KCK school

A shooting was reported in an area near Mark Twain Elementary School, 2300 Minnesota Ave., this morning in Kansas City, Kan.

The incident occurred about 10:11 a.m., police said. The school and also Wyandotte High School nearby were on lockout as a precaution until noon. Students were dismissed at noon as usual on Wednesdays.

A Kansas City, Kan., police spokesman said no one was injured, and the suspect was still at large as of 12:30 p.m. today.

The police spokesman said workers were outside doing landscaping for the school when there was some sort of verbal altercation. Both district employees and temporary workers were at the site. An employee, who is thought to be a temporary day labor worker, walked off the job site, the spokesman said. A few minutes later, shots were fired in the direction of the job site, and it was believed that the temporary employee who walked away was the one firing shots, according to police.

No one was injured, and Mark Twain Elementary School was struck once near the top of the school building, the spokesman said.

The suspect fled the scene, the spokesman said, and police are searching for the suspect.

A spokesman for the Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools said the worker in question was not an employee of the district, but was a temporary day labor worker. A lockout is when doors of the school are locked and no one goes in or out, and is used when an incident happens outside of the school.

The Kansas City, Kan., Police Department is investigating the case. Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

Repair work scheduled on I-435 southbound bridge over K-5

An aerial view of the southbound I-435 lane closure location needed for pothole repair work. (KDOT photo)
An aerial view of the southbound I-435 lane closure location needed for pothole repair work. (KDOT photo)

The southbound I-435 left two lanes on the bridge over K-5 in Wyandotte County will be closed for bridge deck pavement repair work beginning at 9 a.m. Monday, April 4,, weather permitting.

One lane will be left open during the repairs, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.

I-435 should reopen to traffic at 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, weather permitting, according to KDOT.

The southbound I-435 to K-5 exit ramp will remain open, a KDOT spokesman said.

Work was completed recently to repair the pavement on the right two lanes on the bridge deck.

From April 4 to April 6, crews are expected to complete pavement repair work on the left two lanes, the center and left lane, of the bridge deck, weather permitting, according to KDOT.

Advance message boards are in place alerting traffic to the lane closure, the KDOT spokesman said. Traffic will be directed through the work zone via cones and signage.

Updated daily traffic information for this bridge deck repair project and for the entire Kansas City metro area can be viewed online at:www.ksdot.org/kcmetro/laneclose.asp.

The Kansas Department of Transportation is asking all motorists to be alert, obey the warning signs, and slow down when approaching and driving through the project work zone.

Bonner Springs job fair to be April 21

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 21, Bonner Springs will hold a job fair in the Sunflower Room of the Bonner Springs Community Center, 200 E. 3rd St., Bonner Springs, Kan.

Job seekers in the area are encouraged to attend this free event and to bring lots of copies of their resumés.

The program is made possible through a partnership of Workforce Partnership, Bonner Springs City Library, Kaw Valley Virtual Learning Center, Vaughn-Trent Community Services, and Bonner Springs Parks and Recreation.

Special features of this job fair include the Workforce Partnership mobile unit on site, a recreational vehicle with 13 computer workstations. Eighteen employers are confirmed for participation.

Eighteen employers are confirmed for participation: Academy Bank, Adventure Zip KC, Alex R. Masson Wholesale Growers, Bonner Springs USD 204, Capstone Logistics, the City of Bonner Springs, Commerce Bank, EARP Distribution, Fastenal Distribution Center, FedEx Freight, Inc., Golden LivingCenter, INX International Ink Co., JCPenney, McDonald’s, Nuts and Bolts, Price Chopper, QPS Staffing, and the YMCA. In addition to the five sponsoring agencies, KCKCC Tech Center, the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, and Unified Government Transit will be on hand with career and employment information.