May 2016 – Page 81 – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!

KCKCC’s All-Kansas golf team headed back to nationals

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Kansas City Kansas Community College’s golfers proved to be the toughest of the tough in NJCAA Division II regional tournament play.

Playing at Sycamore Ridge, one of the state’s toughest courses made even more difficult by the weather, the Blue Devils blew away the field in earning a berth in the NJCAA Division II national tournament for the 10th time in Gary Shrader’s 16 years as head coach.

An all-time best fifth in last year’s national tournament, the Blue Devils swept the first three places in medalist competition in winning the 54-hole tourney by 36 shots with a 954 total. Coffeyville was second (990) followed by Allen County (1014) and Independence (1067).

Just as they did in finishing fifth in the nation last year, the Blue Devils did it with an all-Kansas lineup. Sophomore Colton Allen of SM Northwest took medalist honors with all three rounds in the 70’s (73-78-76) for a 227 total.

Olathe East sophomore Zach Spencer took runnerup honors (78-79-81-238) with freshman Jeremy Durham of Derby overcoming seven out-of-bound shots on the opening round to take third (89-78-79–244). Freshman Matt Thayne of Hesston (86-84-81-251) and sophomore Dalton Ayres of Newton (85-84-83-252) rounded out the KCKCC scoring.

“You talk about Colbert Hills and Sycamore Ridge, which was designed by Jim Colbert, as being two of the toughest courses in the state and then you play Sycamore Ridge at 7,000 yards in the wind and wet because of rain the day before, it’s really tough,” Shrader said.

So tough that there were only two rounds in the 70s the first day.

“I was really concerned after the first few holes because we had guys already four or five over,” Shrader said. “I was wondering if it was going to be that way all day but Colton Allen really played steady golf, especially with a lot of pressure because we had guys behind him going high.”

The regional championship advances KCKCC to the NJCAA Division II championship May 24-27 at Swan Lake, Ind., which is located about 40 miles south of South Bend.

KCKCC’s golf team had a right to whoop it up after winning the NJCAA Division II Region VI golf championship and a berth in the national tournament. Team members are, front, Zach Spencer, second row, from left, Colton Allen and Jeremy Dunham; and back row, Matt Thayne and Dalton Ayres. (Photo from KCKCC)

Bridge projects affected by weather in Wyandotte County

Ramp closing sign at I-435 and I-70. (KC Scout photo)

Two bridge projects have been affected by rainy weather in Wyandotte County. Both were originally scheduled to start Monday.

I-70 and I-635

Weekday overnight lane closures: According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, the I-70 and I-635 interchange dual bridge repair project will begin with an overnight lane closure on westbound I-70 at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, and reopen at 5 a.m. Thursday, May 2, when it is scheduled to be completed.

Long-term lane and ramp closures: A dual bridge repair project will begin on I-70 and I-635 with closures starting at 11 p.m. Tuesday, May 10, through the project duration, according to KDOT. The project work is scheduled to be completed in early September 2016.

• Westbound I-70 over the Quarry Road bridge will be reduced to two open lanes, 24/7 round the clock.
• Southbound I-635 to westbound I-70 ramp will be closed. Marked detour will be provided via K-32-Kansas Avenue west to Turner Diagonal. An optional detour will be State Avenue west to Turner Diagonal.
• Northbound I-635 to westbound I-70 ramp will be closed. Marked detour will be provided via K-32-Kansas Avenue west to Turner Diagonal. An optional detour will be State Avenue west to Turner Diagonal.

I-435 at I-70 multi-bridge repair project

I-70 and I-435 bridge project (KDOT illustration)

Weekday overnight lane closures: Northbound and southbound I-435 will be reduced to one open lane each direction from Riverview Avenue to just north of I-70 for traffic control work beginning at 8 p.m. on Sunday-Monday, May 8-9, and reopening at 5 a.m. on Monday-Tuesday, May 9-10. Project work is scheduled to be completed on Tuesday, May 10.

Weekday overnight lane closures: Northbound I-435 will be reduced to one open lane each direction from Riverview Avenue to just north of I-70 for traffic control work beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10, and reopening at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, May 11. Project work is scheduled to be completed on Wednesday, May 11.

Weekday lane closure: Southbound I-435 will be reduced to one open lane each direction from just north of I-70 to Riverview Avenue traffic control work on Wednesday, May 11, between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. Project work is scheduled to be completed on Wednesday, May 11.

Long-term lane and ramp closures: A multi-bridge repair project will begin on the I-435 bridges at the I-70 interchange with the following closures taking place beginning at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11, through the project duration. Project work is scheduled to be completed in early October 2016.

• Northbound and southbound I-435 from north of I-70 to south of I-70 over the bridges will be reduced to two open lanes, 24/7 round the clock.

• Eastbound I-70 to northbound I-435 ramp will be closed. Marked detour via eastbound I-70 to 78th Street exit back to westbound I-70 to access northbound I-435.

• Northbound I-435 to westbound I-70 ramp will be closed. There is a marked detour via northbound I-435 to westbound State Avenue back to southbound I-435 to access westbound I-70.

• Westbound I-70 to southbound I-435 ramp will be closed. There is a marked detour via westbound I-70 to northbound I-435 to westbound State Avenue to access southbound I-435. There will be a suggested secondary detour route via 110th Street back to eastbound I-70 to 78th Street exit back to westbound I-70 to northbound I-435 to westbound State Avenue to access southbound I-435.

– Information from KDOT

School finance case expected to be argued today

Another chapter in the Kansas school finance case is expected to be heard today by the Kansas Supreme Court.

Janet Waugh, of Kansas City, Kan., a Kansas Board of Education member from the 1st District, said on Monday that her opinion is that the courts probably will not accept what the Legislature has passed this year. She said she believes the state has presented the school finance figures in a way that looks like there is more funding, when there was actually not.

The courts on Feb. 11 in the Gannon case said that previous legislation had not fixed the problem of inequity, and ordered the Legislature to come up with a solution. Another school finance bill then was passed.

The Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools is one of the plaintiffs in the court case. Arguments are being heard today and a decision is not expected today in the case.

“Given the state’s failure to cure the inequities affirmed by this court, this court has the equitable power to remedy the unconstitutionalities in various ways,” the plaintiffs stated in their April 25 brief.

The state argued in its April 25 brief that House Bill 2655 complied with the court’s directives and fully restores the previous capital outlay equalization formula, which the court already declared to be constitutional, cured any local option budget inequities with the same previous formula. The state argued that “if any remedy is required, it should be to sever any unconstitutional provisions in the most narrow and targeted way necessary to eliminate the constitutional violation.

“Ordering that Kansas schools be shut down is neither a necessary nor a judicially proper remedy,” the state argued.

If the courts do not accept the Legislature’s recently passed school finance law, it’s likely the court will order them to produce something else, Waugh said. That could result in a special session of the Legislature.

The question then becomes, will the courts accept the second legislative solution, she said. If they don’t, time may run out to comply with the court’s order to fix the situation by June 30, with schools facing the possibility of being closed June 30.