Month: April 2018

Co-owner of Schlitterbahn pleads not guilty in connection to charges involving waterslide death

Ron Barroso, an attorney for Schlitterbahn co-owner Jeffrey W. Henry, met with reporters after a hearing today at Wyandotte County District Court. (Photo by William Crum)

by William Crum

Jeffrey W. Henry, co-owner of Schlitterbahn waterpark, has pleaded not guilty to charges involving a death on the Verruckt waterslide in August 2016 in Kansas City, Kansas.

Henry made an appearance in Wyandotte County District Court today. A grand jury indictment charged Henry with second-degree murder, aggravated child endangerment and aggravated battery in connection with the death and other injuries on the waterslide. The prosecution is being handled by the state attorney general’s office.

In August 2016, the 10-year-old son of a state legislator died while riding the Verruckt waterslide.

Jeffrey W. Henry

Henry was brought to Wyandotte County earlier this week, and bonded out of the Wyandotte County Jail. Jail records listed the bond amount as $500,000. He is not considered to be in good health, and is expected to return to Texas. The judge required him to give up his passport.

An effort by the attorney general’s office to require Henry to wear a GPS ankle monitoring device was not approved by the judge today.

After the hearing, Henry’s attorney spoke with reporters. “Mr. Henry said he does not want to hurt anybody in Wyandotte County. He’s a very kind and gentle man,” he said.

The next hearing in the case is expected to be April 25.

Besides Henry, there were two other individuals, the Schlitterbahn corporation, and Henry and Sons Construction charged in connection with the waterslide death.

Electric space heaters recalled

About 350,000 Vornado VH101 Personal Vortex electric space heaters have been recalled because of the potential to overheat, according to the company and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The electric space heater may overheat when in use, posing fire and burn hazards, according to safety information released by the CPSC. About 15 reports were received of heaters catching on fire.

The heaters measure about 7.2 inches long by 7.8 inches wide by 7.10 inches high and have two heat settings (low and high) and a fan only/no heat setting. “Vornado” with a “V” behind it is printed on the front of the unit. The model/type “VH101,” serial number and ETL mark are printed on a silver rating label on the bottom of the unit.

Consumers should unplug and stop using the heaters that were recalled and contact Vornado for instructions on how to receive a refund or replacement unit, according to the news release.

The heaters, made in China, were sold at Bed Bath and Beyond, Home Depot, Menards, Orchard Supply, Target and online at several sites including Amazon.com.

Consumers may contact Vornado toll-free at 855-215-5131 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or online at www.vornado.com and click on “Recalls” in the lower right corner of the homepage or www.vornado.com/recalls and click on the VH101 Personal Heater recall button for more information.

Check the serial number of the space heater at https://recallvornadovh101.expertinquiry.com/.

See more at www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2018/vornado-air-recalls-electric-space-heaters-due-to-fire-and-burn-hazards.

Pitcher returns to T-Bones

The Kansas City T-Bones announced have signed right-handed pitcher, former T-Bone and Liberty, Missouri, product Lucas Irvine for the 2018 season.

Lucas Irvine spent two seasons with the T-Bones in 2012 and 2013 and joins the club again after a solid 2017 season for Somerset in the Atlantic League.

Irvine went 9-4 with a 4.26 ERA in 135.1 innings with 89 strike outs in 25 starts for the Patriots. He would lead the team with nine wins and was first in innings pitched at 135.1 innings.

Irvine spent parts of two seasons early in his career with Kansas City. In 2012 he appeared in 30 games (13 starts), going 4-2 with a 2.59 ERA in 104.1 innings. He was second in the club in strike outs with 107 for the T-Bones.

In 2013 Irvine returned to make 17 starts for the T-Bones, going 6-5 with three complete games in 121.1 innings. He was traded to New Jersey in the CAN-AM League on Aug. 13, 2013 joining current T-Bones manager Joe Calfapietra’s club for a late playoff run.

Irvine, was in the top five in the league in ERA (2.96, third), strikeouts (94, fifth), complete games (3, tied-second) and innings pitched (121 2/3, second) at the time of the trade and would finish second for the T-Bones staff in innings and strike outs (94). He was moved once again after the Jackals season to Camden in the Atlantic League and pitched in one game to close out a busy 2013.

Irvine is a native of Liberty, Missouri, and attended Liberty High School. He then moved to Northwestern State University of Louisiana where he was drafted twice, the first time in 2010 in the 43rd round by the Chicago White Sox and again in 2011 in the 27th round by the Tampa Rays.

Irvine signed with the Rays in 2011 and spent one season with the Rays at rookie level Princeton in the Appalachian League before joining the T-Bones in 2012.

In 2014 Irvine pitched in Japan in the “indy” IBLJ Shikoku-Kyushu Island League for the Kagawa Olive Guyners before returning to the Atlantic League in 2015 and joining the Somerset Patriots.

He went 6-8 with a 3.41 ERA in 129.1 innings, making 22 starts and being named to the 2015 Atlantic League All-Star Team. Irvine had his contract purchased by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 28 of 2015 and was assigned to High A Visalia in the California League where he went 2-0 with a 2.13 ERA in 12.2 innings (two starts).

Irvine spent most of 2016 with the Diamondbacks where he earned a 5-3 record with a 3.98 ERA and 52 strikeouts spread across 14 games (nine starts) between the High-A, Double-A and Triple-A levels.

He posted a 4-0 record at High A Visalia with a 2.32 ERA in seven games over 51.1 innings before a jump to AA Mobile in the Southern League. At Mobile the right-hander tossed 29.2 innings, going 1-3 with a 5.76 ERA.

In between the two stops, Irvine made one appearance at AAA Reno, allowing 1 ER in 2.2 innings. He closed out 2016 at AAA Aquascalientes of the Mexican League, making eight starts in 41 innings with a 4.61 ERA and a 2-3 record. The last two winters Irvine pitched for Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League.

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 and10 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