Month: March 2018

Several receive police awards at annual ceremony

Several persons received awards at the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department’s Awards Ceremony on Thursday, March 22.

The awards were presented during a Unified Government Commission meeting at City Hall.

Two residents were given the Citizen Award for their efforts.

Robert J. Boyles, who did not attend the ceremony, received the award for his efforts in stopping a suspect in a stolen vehicle case. According to police officials, he saw officers pursuing a vehicle when the suspects got out of the vehicle at a bridge and ran on foot toward Missouri. Boyles got out of his vehicle, tackled a suspect and held on until officers arrived, according to police.

Adrienne Gilchrist, who works with juveniles in the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Department, was out shopping at Dollar General on Metropolitan Avenue last November when it was robbed at gunpoint. Gilchrist got in her vehicle and followed the suspect, then gave the information to police. The suspect was apprehended and charged with armed robbery at the store, according to police.

Sgt. Tobi Wolf was awarded the Distinguished Service Award. When a man called about his roommate who had stopped breathing in November, Sgt. Wolf went to the address on Washington Avenue, checked the victim’s pulse, attempted to revive the victim, then administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation for about two minutes until Emergency Medical Services arrived. It is believed she may have saved the victim’s life, according to police.

Sgt. Mike Golden and Officer Mike Wilcox received the Valor Award. On March 20, 2017, a suspect entered the city from Bonner Springs, being chased by other officers. The suspect had previously fired shots at officers in fleeing from Leavenworth County.

The suspect left his car at 60th and Everett, where the suspect pointed his weapon at Sgt. Golden, then Golden fired his weapon and the suspect fled on foot. A police canine, Dax, tracked the suspect to 60th and Corona, hiding in a vehicle, and the suspect refused to surrender. The suspect locked himself in the vehicle, according to police. Officer Wilcox put himself in harm’s way by gaining entry into the vehicle, police said. After being confronted by Dax, the suspect surrendered and was arrested.

The officers put their lives on the line by attempting to apprehend the suspect after the suspect had already fired several rounds at multiple police officers in different jurisdictions, police said.

Also receiving the Valor Award were Capt. Raymond Nunez, Capt. Michaell Howell, Officer Dion Dundovich, Officer Lewis Edwards, Officer Miguel Leal, Kansas City, Missouri, Officer Andy Keil and Kansas City, Missouri, Officer Matt Neal.

On Nov. 6, 2017, the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department and other area law enforcement organizations were participating in an investigation targeting violent crime and drive-by shootings, according to police. They received information that suspects were armed with guns and planning to commit a violent act in the community. Officers mobilized and were able to intercept the suspects at 13th and Haskell, according to police.

Officers Edwards and Dundevich boxed in the suspect with their vehicles, leaving the police officers in a potentially dangerous position and that was done to prevent suspects from escaping and committing a violent act, according to police. The armed suspects refused to give up and began to ram the officers’ vehicles with their vehicle, police said. Kansas City, Missouri, Officer Neal deployed a noise diversion device into the suspects’ vehicle to deter the suspects from continuing their violent act, according to police. The suspects then fired at officers, with officers returning fire to protect themselves, police said. The suspects eventually surrendered and were taken into custody.

Because of the brave acts of the officers, the suspects were taken into custody and were not able to commit the violent acts in the community, according to police.

Capt. Michael Howell also received the Valor Award. Howell was shopping off-duty at a Costco store in Lenexa on Nov. 26, 2017, when he noticed people running to the exits. A shopper told him a man was pointing a gun at people threatening to kill them.

Howell approached the store manager, identified himself as a police officer, and found out what was going on. The suspect was threatening to kill people, police said. Howell found the man concealed behind a large display, and yelled, “Stop, police, drop the gun.” The suspect turned and pointed the gun at Howell, police said. Howell fired, ending the threat to himself and the store bystanders.

“Without Howell’s quick thinking and bravery, the suspect could have shot many innocent patrons of the store,” Major Dustin Dungan of the KCKPD said. “The officer was off-duty, had no body armor, and no backup. It is clear he took the lives of others as being more important than his own.”

His action saved hundreds of people from danger, Dungan said.

The Lancaster-Melton Award of Merit was presented to Detective Jamie Miller and Detective Jakob Blackman.

The award was presented for their work in connection with stopping a gang that was involved in drive-by shootings and drugs in 2017 in the 8th Street area, according to police. The detectives, assigned to a task force, intercepted phone calls of plans to harm people. When one of the persons involved in the gang was shot several days before the operation’s launch, the effort shifted to target the trafficking patterns of drug sales.

Detectives were able to gather information leading to charges filed against 11 gang members for racketeering. Ten of the 11 are in custody and off the streets of Kansas City, Kansas, Dungan said.

“This group was causing fear in the neighborhood and committing violent crimes, but due to the hard work of Detective Miller and Blackman, members of the VCTF (Violent Crimes Task Force) and SOU (Special Operations Unit), the citizens of Kansas City, Kansas, are much safer,” Dongan said. They took down a violent gang involved in selling drugs in the city, drive-by shootings and at least one homicide, he said.

In addition, the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department received the Kansas Department of Transportation AAA Silver Award, presented by Bob Hamilton. Several efforts were cited, including the community’s efforts on Safe Routes to School and driving safety programs, with improvements seen in lower traffic fatalities, better adult seat belt use, fewer alcohol-related crashes and fewer speed-related crashes.

Also, the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Department received the AAA Bronze Safety Award for community traffic safety. An increase in adult seat belt use was cited.

To see a video of the awards ceremony, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=720HMge0KvA.

T-Bones add Collier to the roster

The Kansas City T-Bones have signed right-handed pitcher Tommy Collier for the 2018 season after acquiring him last week via trade with the Sugarland Skeeters of the Atlantic League.

Tommy Collier joins the T-Bones after spending 2011-2016 with the Detroit Tigers organization and reaching AA Erie in 2016, posting a career 41-37 record and a 3.88 ERA in 650 innings with Detroit.

The last two winters Collier has pitched in the Venezuela Winter League for La Guaira, pitching in 64 innings with a 4.22 ERA over the two combined seasons.

Collier was the 22nd round pick of the Tigers in the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft out of San Jacinto College in Houston, Texas. He went 4-1 with a 1.85 ERA in his rookie season with Connecticut in the New York/Penn League in 2011.

In 2012 he made the jump to low A West Michigan going 9-8, and he led all the starters on the club with a 2.74 ERA in 24 starting nods.

In 2013, 2014 and 2015, Collier split time between High A Lakeland and AA Erie and spent 2013 in the prestigious Arizona Fall League with Mesa. Collier combined for a 4.43 ERA in 2013 in 67 innings and in 2014 tossing 133 innings with a 5.75 ERA for Detroit. The right-hander went 7-8 in 2015 with a 3.70 ERA in 155.2 innings combined at both stops.

At AA Erie in 2016, the Houston, Texas, native won a career-high nine games in 25 starts with 130.2 innings with a 4.20 ERA.

Collier led the SeaWolves in wins and innings pitched that season, adding 87 strike outs. In 2008, Collier was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers out of high school in the 29th round of the MLB Draft from Cypress-Fairbanks High School in Cypress, Texas. He was then drafted in the 49th round by Toronto in 2009 while at San Jacinto College but did not sign.

Season, group, mini-plans and nightly party suites are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting the Box Office at T-Bones Stadium. Call the Box Office at 913-328-5618 or purchase and print at www.tbonesbaseball.com. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday – Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Home opening night is May 22 when the T-Bones play host to Gary SouthShore at T-Bones Stadium at 7:05 p.m.

– Story from T-Bones

After Kansas schools report identifies $2 billion price tag, lawmakers explore work-around

by Celia Llopis-Jepsen, Kansas News Service

A report commissioned by the Kansas Legislature made clear just how much it might cost to improve student outcomes at public schools.

It’s so expensive, says a new lobbying group, that it threatens the quality of Kansas roads, health care and other government functions.

That fledgling outfit wants to amend the state constitution, freeing lawmakers to dodge steep hikes in school spending. External experts argue that added money would be needed to fulfill promises to graduate high school students better prepared for college or the workplace.

John Donley, a lobbyist for the freshly minted Kansas Coalition for Fair Funding, says his group’s goal will be to “allow all functions of government to be funded — not necessarily just K-12.”

“We are reaching out to anyone who has an interest in the issue,” he said.

The idea that aid to local school districts may be in conflict with other priorities isn’t new. But it gained steam in recent months amid a Kansas Supreme Court ruling in October that found school funding inadequate.

In December, lawmakers asked state agency officials to testify about how it would hurt everything from state universities to state hospitals if Kansas took money from their budgets to increase public school funding by $600 million.

School districts suing the state have said at least that much money is needed to get significantly more children up to grade level in math and reading. But a recent school finance report, commissioned by legislative leaders, pegged the figure at up to $2 billion.

“Every level of funding is in jeopardy right now with this ruling,” Senate President Susan Wagle said Thursday. She pointed to cybersecurity and transportation as examples of pressing needs where officials fear financial neglect.

“They’re concerned that they’re going to be on the short end of the stick,” she said, “that they won’t get funded as a result of us answering the court” on school funding.

An ongoing lawsuit, Gannon v. Kansas, began in 2010. A string of rulings in that case have all come down in favor of the school districts.

To people pushing for more school spending, the idea that Gannon is forcing the state to eat into other parts of its budget sounds like spin.

“All of that is contingent on the idea that there is a limited amount of dollars that is fixed by whatever our current revenue situation is,” said Mark Tallman, a lobbyist for the Kansas Association of School Boards. “We have fewer state resources, in part, because that’s been a choice, and then we’re saying we have to pit different areas against each other.”

Over the past decade, revenues withered first because of the 2008 global financial crisis and then continued to struggle after Gov. Sam Brownback’s signature 2012 tax cuts.

Last summer, the legislature hiked taxes by $600 million annually, but income tax brackets remain lower than they were before the former governor’s cuts.

“We ought to evaluate the needs of every part of state government,” Tallman said, “and determine — Kansans determine — what level of services do they want? And then we need to find the revenue.”

Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who helped craft at least one attempted constitutional amendment on schools when he was a lawmaker, has voiced support for revisiting the matter.
Yet he’s cautioned lawmakers against using an amendment to get out of the Gannon lawsuit.

Wagle said she agrees any amendment should pertain to future lawsuits — not the long-pending Gannon case.

“Many are expressing concern that we’re in an endless vicious cycle of litigation,” she said. “Until we pass a constitutional amendment, we won’t be out of that cycle.”

Kansas school finance has been shaped by a series of lawsuits and court rulings since the 1970s.

Some see the litigation as holding the state purse hostage decade after decade. Others argue it has created a fairer system by shifting away from funding schools largely through wildly unequal local tax bases.

Sen. Pat Pettey, of Kansas City Kansas, said the way out is complying with the court’s order — not amending the constitution.

“This is just going against that totally,” Pettey said. “It’s saying that we want to change our constitution because we don’t want to take care of our K12 education.”

The Kansas City, Kansas, school district is one of the plaintiffs suing the state. Its students come primarily from low-income families. They fall well below the state average for finishing high school and in math and reading proficiency.

In 1966, by popular vote, Kansans inserted a provision in their constitution requiring the state to provide “suitable” funding for schools. It also says education should improve over time.

Since then, lawmakers have repeatedly sought to change the wording or alter the course of litigation through other amendments, such as tightening the reins on Kansas Supreme Court justices and the court’s powers.

Several such proposals emerged and died in 2005, as the political fight over another school finance lawsuit inched closer and closer to constitutional crisis.

Tallman said school leaders are wary of the renewed push to change the state constitution. They generally suspect, he said, that “there would be more to lose than to gain.”

Amending the constitution is far from easy. It requires two-thirds majorities in each legislative chamber, followed by a majority of voters casting ballots in a referendum.

Donley says the Kansas Coalition for Fair Funding hasn’t settled on what type of amendment to pursue, and isn’t yet disclosing its membership.

“When the formal announcement is made,” he said, “it will include business groups, it will include agricultural groups, it will include contractor groups, it will include potentially some mental health coalition type groups.”

Donley wouldn’t say who will fund the effort, just that it’s seeking members and hasn’t yet received contributions.

He conceded that any push for an amendment will fail unless it garners broad support from interest groups and lawmakers across the political spectrum.

But, he says, in the face of the recent school finance report suggesting as much as $2 billion may be needed for schools, Kansans need to think about what they want.

“The conversation,” he said, “is ripe to be had.”

Celia Llopis-Jepsen is a reporter for the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio covering health, education and politics. You can reach her on Twitter @Celia_LJ. Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to the original post.

See more at http://kcur.org/post/after-kansas-schools-report-ids-2-billion-price-tag-lawmakers-explore-work-around.