August 2016 – Page 69 – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!

Temperatures start climbing today through Thursday

Temperatures will increase in the region today through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Heat indices will generally stay below 100 degrees today, though will quickly climb both Wednesday and Thursday, with values approaching 103 to 107 degrees, the weather service said.

A cold front will bring a return of storm chances by Friday, with cooler temperatures expected heading into the weekend, according to the weather service.

Today, there is a 20 percent chance of showers between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11 a.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 90 with a heat index as high as 99. A calm wind will become southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight, there is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 75.

Wednesday, a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms is likely before 1 p.m., the weather service said. The skies will be mostly sunny with a high near 93. The heat index may rise to 103. A light southeast wind will become south 5 to 9 mph in the morning.

Wednesday night, the low will be around 76, with a south wind of 7 to 9 mph, according to the weather service.

Thursday, the high will be near 96, the weather service said. A south southwest wind of 8 to 14 mph will gust as high as 20 mph.

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms is in Thursday night’s forecast, according to the weather service. The low will be 78.

Friday will be rainy and cooler. There is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 87, the weather service said.

New KCKCC softball complex getting final touches

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

With the start of fall classes just two weeks away, final touches are being put on Kansas City Kansas Community College’s new softball complex.

The first all-weather field in the Jayhawk Conference, the official opening of the complex will come at a Blue Devil Alumni Game to be played Saturday, Oct 22.

“We feel that it is only right that the players who had to endure the old field have the opportunity to be the first on the new field,” said KCKCC head coach Kacy Tillery. Practices on the new field, however, will begin shortly after the start of the fall semester.

Preliminary work on the complex began last October with the demolition of the old field with most of the major construction completed this summer. Artificial turf on the infield and outfield was laid by Field Turf while the Precision Co. built batting cages, put up fencing in the outfield, along the foul lines and behind home plate and donated a new scoreboard.

Dugout, maintenance areas and a press box were constructed by the KCKCC Buildings and Grounds Division in conjunction with the Dr. Thomas R. Burke Technical Center.

“We’re excited,” Tillery said. “It’s a field I’d put up with any in the state of Kansas and that includes the four-year schools like KU, Wichita State and Emporia State.”

Tillery said the artificial turf should all but eliminate games lost to inclement weather.

“Just this past spring we had 14 doubleheaders either canceled or postponed by the weather and probably upwards of 50 or more over the last three years,” she said. “We’d have pools of water at home plate and first and third base. And that doesn’t approach the number of practices we lost because the field was not playable.”

One of the major changes is the rotation of the playing field with home plate facing in a southeasterly direction.

“Home plate is adjacent to the concession stand which will give fans much better access to the rest rooms and concessions,” Tillery said. The rotation will also eliminate fielders on the right side of the infield having to look directly into the sun.

“The new field will also be much safer,” she said. “As it was, the infield was scary because you’d never know which direction a hard hit ground ball might go.”

Other changes will include a warm-up area and three batting cages behind the third base dugout, a warm-up area for pitchers behind the visitor’s dugout and a limited amount of parking for the handicapped.

With a new scoreboard donated by the Precision Co. as a backdrop, the rubber on the pitching mound is finely tuned at KCKCC’s new softball complex. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

Three batting cages adjacent to the home dugout will provide additional practice area at KCKCC’s new all-weather softball complex, the first all-weather facility in the Jayhawk Conference. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

Questions about inspections surface after fatality on water slide

by Mary Rupert

Questions about inspections of the Schlitterbahn’s Verruckt ride have surfaced following a fatal accident that took the life of an Olathe boy, Caleb Schwab, on Sunday afternoon.

The world’s tallest water slide, 168 feet 7 inches, opened in Kansas City, Kan., and has been running for two years. It has been closed since the accident on Sunday. The Schlitterbahn water park also has been closed, and was expected to stay closed for a few days, according to park officials. The park is tentatively scheduled to reopen Wednesday, but the Verruckt water slide will not reopen at that time, according to a statement.

Two or three persons are required for each raft on the Verruckt, and there is a minimum height and weight requirement.

After a steep drop in a raft, the riders go up a hill on the water slide and then land in a pool. The riders are secured by a safety belt, including a shoulder strap and seat belt around the waist, secured by a hook-and-loop (like Velcro) fastener. Riders slide through a tube that is open at the top. Netting is over the top and sides of the tube that riders slide through. The spaces in the netting are coarse enough to put a finger through but not large enough to put an adult hand through.

A Schlitterbahn spokesman said today that all rides are inspected daily by personnel before the park opens.

Under Kansas laws, inspections of amusement rides are required, but they can be self-inspections.

“An amusement ride erected at a permanent location in this state shall be self-inspected by a qualified inspector at least every 12 months,” according to Kansas law.

Under a self-inspection, the company may hire an outside inspector who inspects the ride once a year. The Kansas Department of Labor, which is in charge of overseeing safety of amusement rides, is allowed to conduct random inspections of amusement rides, the state law says. However, the law doesn’t set any required number of state inspections that must be performed per year by the state.

A spokesman for the Kansas Department of Labor today issued a statement: “The Kansas Department of Labor and Secretary Lana Gordon would like to express their deepest sympathies to the Schwab Family during this incredibly difficult time. KDOL is reviewing the matter and will exercise appropriate authority under relevant Kansas statute and administrative regulations, as they pertain to public safety.”

Edwin Birch, a spokesman for the Unified Government of Kansas City, Kan., and Wyandotte County, stated that the UG does not conduct inspections on water park or theme park rides.

The UG inspects the structural components according to the requirements of the International Building Code, Birch stated. “The UG will look at things like the safety of stairs and stair railing, the foundation and concrete. Third-party inspections are required per the IBC for structural welding/bolting. These are generally performed by a testing agency, as they have the specialized equipment and training,” Birch stated.

The UG inspects projects to ensure they are constructed according to the documents provided by the design professional, he stated.

Verruckt’s opening was delayed about a month in 2014 while adjustments were being made, according to past news stories. (https://wyandotteonline.com/new-schlitterbahn-water-slide-opening-postponed-again/)

Today, a Schlitterbahn spokesman issued a statement:

“We are deeply and intensely saddened for the Schwab Family and all who were impacted by the tragic accident on the Verrückt water slide at Schlitterbahn Kansas City on Sunday afternoon.

“The family and each and every one of those affected are foremost on our minds and in our hearts today. We ask the community to please keep all of those impacted in your thoughts and prayers.

“The primary investigation is being conducted by the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department. All questions regarding the investigation should be directed to law enforcement.
“Grief counselors are being provided at Schlitterbahn Kansas City for employees and guests. Anyone impacted can contact us at 913-312-3091 to schedule a visit with a grief counselor.

“Safety is our top priority at Schlitterbahn. All rides are inspected daily before opening.”

In a statement Monday evening, a Kansas City, Kan., police spokesman said the incident was still under investigation, and the police department will not be giving any interviews or news conferences on it.

According to police, they and firefighters responded to an emergency call about 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Schlitterbahn water park, and found the 10-year-old boy dead from a neck injury at the end of the ride, in the pool.

Two adults were also in the same raft with the boy, they received minor facial injuries and were taken to the hospital, the police spokesman said. The two adult women were not related to the boy.