Month: June 2017

Sunny weather today may be followed by rain on Wednesday

Wyandotte County is in a slight risk area for severe weather, according to the National Weather Service. (National Weather Service graphic)

Mostly sunny skies are in the forecast for today in Wyandotte County, according to the National Weather Service, with a high near 82.

Thunderstorms will move back into the forecast during the predawn hours on Wednesday, the weather service said.

The first storms to move through will probably be below severe, but later in the day on Wednesday, there is a chance for strong to severe thunderstorms, according to the weather service. Large hail and damaging winds will be the primary threats.

Also, heavy rain is expected from Wednesday through Friday, with the heaviest rains likely occurring along and north of Route 36, which runs near St. Joseph, Mo. Flash flooding with river and stream flooding will be possible in places, the weather service said.

There is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4 a.m. Wednesday, the weather service said. A low of 70 is possible on Tuesday night, with wind gusts as high as 23 mph.

The chance of rain and storms increases to 40 percent after 7 a.m. Wednesday, the weather service said. Wednesday’s high will be near 88. A south wind of 15 to 20 mph will gust as high as 33 mph. Between a tenth and quarter of an inch of rain is possible.

Wednesday night, there is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a low of 71, according to the weather service. A south southwest wind of 10 to 15 mph will gust as high as 25 mph. From a tenth to a quarter of an inch of rain is possible.

Thursday, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, the weather service said. The high will be near 87 with a south wind of 11 to 14 mph, gusting as high as 22 mph. Between a tenth and quarter of an inch of rain is possible.

Thursday night, there is a 70 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms likely before 1 a.m., then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be 69. Between three-quarters and 1 inch of rain is possible.

Friday, it will be partly sunny with a high near 84, the weather service said.

Friday night, the low will be around 65, according to the weather service.

Saturday, it will be mostly sunny with a high of 85, the weather service said.

Predicted precipitation through Friday night. (National Weather Service graphic)

Wyandotte Daily receives awards in journalism contest

The Wyandotte Daily received awards in the 2017 Heart of America Awards presentation June 24 at the Brio Tuscan Grille, Kansas City, Mo.

Mary Rupert won a Gold Award in general reporting for a story about “Expanding KanCare.” The contest judge wrote, “Thorough coverage (and taking photos) and well-organized and clear content.” The story can be seen at https://wyandotteonline.com/expanding-kancare-would-bring-50-million-or-more-to-wyandotte-county-advocates-say/.

In addition, Rupert received a Silver Award for a column on the news, “Window on the West,” as well as a Bronze Award in general reporting, and Silver and Bronze awards in sports reporting.

Publications and individuals entered stories and photos from 2016 in the annual awards contest, which is sponsored by the Kansas City Press Club. Entries were judged by out-of-state chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists, and journalism educators from the College Media Association and Kansas Collegiate Media.

Massive storms result in coordinated cleanup effort here

A tree was down on 90th Street south of Parallel Parkway at Providence Medical Center on Saturday morning, June 17. There were high winds in a storm that hit the area Friday night, June 16.

A tree was down on North 82nd Street, between Parallel and State Avenue, on Saturday morning, June 17, following a Friday night storm.

The Unified Government delivered a coordinated team effort after massive storms on June 16 and 17 in Wyandotte County, according to UG officials.

Matt May, UG emergency management director, said 80 mph winds – hurricane-level strength – were recorded in Wyandotte County that weekend. May made his report to the UG’s Public Works and Safety Committee Monday night, June 26.

Severe tree and wind damage occurred Friday night, June 16, and also in another storm on Saturday, June 17, he said. While storm damage was throughout the county, it appeared to be worse on Friday in the north, and on Saturday in the south part of the county.

At one point, there were 13,000 Board of Public Utilities customers without power in Kansas City, Kansas, he said.

May said one area hard hit was at 83rd Terrace and Yecker, where there were about six blocks of tree limbs littering the street. It took about an hour on June 16 to get to a resident’s home in that neighborhood, he said.

May said the biggest challenge following the storm was a lot of single power outages at homes, with trees on power lines.

The Public Works Department cleared the streets, leaving at least a passageway, he said.

The UG asked residents to call the 311 telephone line if they had tree limbs that needed to be cleared. The UG coordinated pickups of tree limbs throughout Kansas City, Kansas.

Out of about 1,000 calls received at the 311 number, May said that five residents were identified as not having a way to get the debris from their yard to the curb for pickup.

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) volunteers then went out to the five residents’ homes on Saturday, June 24, and cleared four out of five, he said. In one yard, the debris was so dense, involving large trees, that it was beyond the scope of the volunteers, he added.

Anyone who still needs help clearing storm debris should call 311, May said.

Jeff Bryant, a member of the UG Public Works and Safety Committee who also serves on the BPU board, said the second storm was more damaging than the first. At one point, the BPU called in three other cities for assistance, he said.

He commended Ottawa, which sent its entire electric crew to help Kansas City, Kansas.

Commissioner Melissa Bynum said she was appreciative of all the work done by the UG and BPU personnel.

Commissioner Jane Philbrook said the storm damage was spotty, with a few homes hit here and there on a street.

There was no path to the storm, May said.

“We didn’t get a feel for how this was until working with the 311 calls,” he said.

May said cooling centers were opened on Saturday to provide a safe place for people who did not have air-conditioning.

In other action at Monday night’s Public Works and Safety meeting, the committee approved revisions to the county emergency plan concerning firefighting, search and rescue, and assessment, recovery and mitigation.

Also approved was authorization for the UG to enter into a wholesale wastewater treatment service contract with the city of Edwardsville. It was a multiple-year process, but there is finally a tentative agreement, according to UG officials.

The committee also approved an ordinance setting seat belt fines, to bring it into compliance with a new state law. The ordinance change will not contain the amount of the new fine, but will state that it is up to the judge’s order, in case the state law changes again some time later, according to a UG attorney. The fine will increase from $10 to $30. Twenty dollars of the fine will go to the state, according to a UG attorney.

The committee also approved authorization of a survey for the construction of a new Rosedale electric substation for the BPU.

Also approved was authorization for a survey to construct the UG Juvenile Center complex and parking area.

The items approved at the UG Committee level will next go to the UG Commission level for approval.