May 2016 – Page 54 – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!

Wednesday weather warms up

A gradual warming trend is expected through the remainder of the week with temperatures returning to near normal levels by the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

Most of the period will remain dry with the exception of Thursday night when a few scattered showers move into the area, the weather service said.

Today, after patchy fog in the morning, the day will become partly sunny, with a high near 66, according to the weather service. There will be a northeast wind of 6 mph.

Tonight, expect a low of 48 with partly cloudy skies, and an east wind of 6 mph, according to the weather service.

Thursday, it will be mostly sunny with a high near 69, and a southeast wind of 5 to 7 mph, the weather service said.

Thursday night, there is a 30 percent chance of showers with a low of 54, according to the weather service. An east southeast wind will be 5 to 7 mph. New precipitation will be less than a tenth of an inch.

Friday, the high will be near 70 with mostly cloudy skies and a southeast wind of 5 to 8 mph, the weather service said. Friday night, expect a low of 53.

Saturday, there will be mostly sunny skies with a high of 74 or 75, according to the weather service. Saturday night’s low will be around 57.

Sunday, the high will be near 77 with mostly sunny skies, the weather service said. Sunday night’s low will be 62.

Rain returns to the forecast on Monday, with a 30 percent chance of rain and storms and a high of 79, according to the weather service.

Court orders Kansas to register voters who were blocked

A federal court has ordered Kansas to register thousands of eligible voters who have been blocked from doing so. The state must begin registering them effective June 1, according to the order.

The ruling stems from an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit filed on behalf of Kansans who have tried to register to vote through the Kansas Department of Motor Vehicles and have been forced to provide additional documentation of citizenship.

Thousands of people have been blocked from registering. The ACLU was in court last month seeking the preliminary injunction to allow them to register so they can participate in the August primary and November general election.

Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, said of today’s order:

“This ruling lifts the barrier that the state illegally imposed on Kansans who were trying to register to vote. It means thousands of people who could have been sidelined during the upcoming primary and general election will be able to participate.”

The ACLU is representing the League of Women Voters of Kansas and individual plaintiffs. Co-counsel are the ACLU of Kansas and Dechert LLP.

The ruling is at www.aclu.org/legal-document/fish-v-kobach-preliminary-injunction-memorandum-and-order

Planning Commission meeting reveals development details

Views
Opinion column

by Murrel Bland

Agenda items on the Unified Government’s Planning Commission meeting Monday, May 9, revealed details of who would be developing 800 acres along the Turner Diagonal from State Avenue to K-32.

The developer listed on the public records at the meeting was Seefried Industrial Properties, based in Atlanta with offices in Dallas. That organization sought and received changes in zoning on property owned by North Point Development. That property near 69th Street and Riverview Avenue is called Turner Commerce Center and includes about 100 acres.

Brent Miles, a vice president with North Point, spoke in favor of the change. Miles is a former president of the Wyandotte Economic Development Council.

Turner Commerce Center originally proposed three buildings. The Planning Commission approved a change for one building that would have 850,000 square feet of floor space.

Seefried is seeking this property from North Point as part of a much larger acquisition that could, when built out, employee 4,000 or more persons.

According to its website, Seefried leases or manages nearly 23 million square feet of floor space in the United States and other countries. Twenty five of the largest freight forwarders have partnered with Seefried as well as major retailers and e-commerce businesses.

Major upgrades in this infrastructure will be necessary for this project. Recently the Unified Government, in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Commerce, has applied for a federal grant that would help with road improvements in this area along the Turner Diagonal. Business West recently sent a letter to Anthony Foxx, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, urging him to approve this grant.

Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is the executive director of Business West.