Month: April 2016

Prescription drug take-back day to be April 30

Law enforcement officers at locations across the state will be collecting unused leftover medications for safe disposal on Saturday, April 30, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today.

The collection events are part of a nationwide effort to safely dispose of leftover medications to prevent accidental or intentional misuse. Since the program began in 2010, more than 38 tons of unwanted medications have been collected and destroyed in Kansas alone.

“Unused medications are dangerous for kids, pets and the environment,” Schmidt said. “Getting these leftover medicines out of the medicine cabinets keeps them from falling into the wrong hands and makes our communities safer.”

Medications will be accepted at drop-off sites across the state from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

The National Drug Take-Back Day is coordinated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, which collects and safely destroys the medications.

Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are increasing, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that traditional methods for disposing of unused medicines – flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash – pose potential safety and health hazards and should be avoided.

Unused prescriptions can be turned in year-round at many local law enforcement locations. Kansans should contact their local sheriff’s office or police department for more information.

In Wyandotte County, locations for drug take-back day on April 30 include:
• CVS Pharmacy, 4300 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, Kan.
• South Branch of the Kansas City, Kan., Public Library, 3104 Strong Ave., Kansas City, Kan.
• CVS, 4645 Shawnee Drive, Kansas City, Kan.
• DeGoler’s Pharmacy, 5701 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan.
• DeGoler’s Pharmacy, 21 N. 12th, Kansas City, Kan.
• Hen House Pharmacy, 8120 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kan.
• DeGoler Pharmacy, WestMed Medical Building, 2040 Hutton Road, Kansas City, Kan.
• Bonner Springs Price Chopper, 501 S. Commercial Drive, Bonner Springs.
• DeGoler’s Pharmacy, 202 Oak St., Bonner Springs.

For other locations for drug take-back day, visit http://tinyurl.com/zfkxe8z.

Blue Devils clinch home playoff berth but seedings most uncertain

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

The good news is that Kansas City Kansas Community College will be host to first round Region VI baseball playoffs.

That was assured Saturday when the Blue Devils divided a doubleheader at Fort Scott, winning the opener 9-2 but losing the nightcap 6-5. Just who the Blue Devils will play in the best-of-three series May 7-8 is a whole different matter. A Jayhawk Conference championship is still within reach but KCKCC could also tumble all the way to fourth.

It all begins Thursday when the Blue Devils (22-10) play host to No. 4 ranked Neosho County (25-7) in the final four-game series of the season starting at 1 p.m. Jayhawk play will then end Saturday with a twin bill against Neosho at Chanute.

A sweep would give KCKCC the league championship but even a split could drop the Blue Devils to fourth depending how their closest pursuers fare. Johnson County (21-11) closes against Fort Scott (16-16) while Cowley (21-11) clashes with Allen County (18-14).

“It’s going to be an uphill battle but going into the final week of the season having a chance to win the conference championship is going to make it fun,” said KCKCC coach Matt Goldbeck, whose Blue Devils will play a non-conference game at William Jewell JV Tuesday.

Jacob Purl ran his record to 8-1 in the 9-2 opener, allowing just five hits and two runs while striking out five and walking three, while Travis Stroup led a 12-hit attack with three hits highlighted by his ninth and 10th home runs of the season. Conor Behrens also had three hits including a pair of doubles and Ryan Fisher tripled and singled as each drove in two runs.

Stroup put the Blue Devils in front to stay with a 2-run home run in the first following a Behrens’ double and then crushed another 2-run shot following a Behrens’ single in a 4-run sixth inning. KCKCC opened a 5-0 lead in the third, scoring three times on a single by Albert Woodard, an RBI double by Behrens and singles by Stroup and Drew Holtgrieve sandwiched around a Fisher sacrifice fly. In addition to Stroup’s home run in the sixth, KCKCC got run-scoring singles from Behrens and Fisher.

Fort Scott rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh for the 6-5 win in the nightcap. After the Greyhounds scored the tying run on two singles and a hit batsman, Danny Crews delivered a 2-out, 2-run single off Avery Fliger. It made Fliger the losing pitcher for the first time in eight decisions.

After Fort Scott had taken a 1-0 lead against starter Tanner Vestal in the first, KCKCC tied the game in the third on hits by Daulton Smith and Easton Fortuna and a ground ball and then went ahead 3-1 in the fourth on consecutive singles by Stroup, Eli Lovell and Fisher and Chase Redick’s ground ball. Gabe Franklin’s home run triggered a game-tying 2-run Greyhound fourth inning but the Blue Devils went back ahead 4-3 on back-to-back doubles by Stroup and Lovell in the sixth.

A Conor Behrens’ home run, his eighth of the season, cut Fort Scott’s lead to 6-5 in the eighth but Nick Sloan struck out four of the other six batters he faced in the final two innings.

More photos from Bishop Ward’s ‘Be Active!’ Day

Bishop Ward High School’s “Be Active!” Day on Saturday, April 23, included the annual Tour de Cyclone bike ride. Other activities during the day included the Battle of the Badges flag football game and a Bishop Ward baseball game. (Photos by Adrian Cisneros)
Bishop Ward High School’s “Be Active!” Day on Saturday, April 23, included the annual Tour de Cyclone bike ride. Other activities during the day included the Battle of the Badges flag football game and a Bishop Ward baseball game. (Photos by Adrian Cisneros)

Bishop Ward High School’s “Be Active!” Day on Saturday, April 23, included the annual Tour de Cyclone bike ride. Other activities during the day included the Battle of the Badges flag football game and a Bishop Ward baseball game. (Photos by Adrian Cisneros)
Bishop Ward High School’s “Be Active!” Day on Saturday, April 23, included the annual Tour de Cyclone bike ride. Other activities during the day included the Battle of the Badges flag football game and a Bishop Ward baseball game. (Photos by Adrian Cisneros)

Bishop Ward High School’s “Be Active!” Day on Saturday, April 23, included the annual Tour de Cyclone bike ride. Other activities during the day included the Battle of the Badges flag football game and a Bishop Ward baseball game. (Photos by Adrian Cisneros)
Bishop Ward High School’s “Be Active!” Day on Saturday, April 23, included the annual Tour de Cyclone bike ride. Other activities during the day included the Battle of the Badges flag football game and a Bishop Ward baseball game. (Photos by Adrian Cisneros)

Bishop Ward High School’s “Be Active!” Day on Saturday, April 23, included the annual Tour de Cyclone bike ride. Other activities during the day included the Battle of the Badges flag football game and a Bishop Ward baseball game. (Photos by Adrian Cisneros)
Bishop Ward High School’s “Be Active!” Day on Saturday, April 23, included the annual Tour de Cyclone bike ride. Other activities during the day included the Battle of the Badges flag football game and a Bishop Ward baseball game. (Photos by Adrian Cisneros)