Month: May 2018

Kansas Speedway encourages people to take ‘Henry’s Challenge’ in kindness effort

Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate. And during Kansas Speedway’s upcoming race weekend, the Speedway is joining with 37KindDays.org for not only the 37 Kind Days 250, but to encourage people to “Take Henry’s Challenge – 37 Days of Kindness.”

The inspiration for this organization is Henry who was 12 when he died unexpectedly. After his death, his parents started receiving letters, cards and personal stories from others about the many kind things that he had done. Henry raced go-karts and his favorite number was 37, which inspired the number behind the challenge.

“I’m honored that we are able to partner with 37 Days of Kindness for our NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race,” said Kansas Speedway President Patrick Warren. “This is a special organization that wants kindness to others to become a habit and I urge everyone to join me in taking Henry’s Challenge in the hopes of helping others.”

“Cheryl and I are so very proud that the Kansas Speedway is honoring our son’s way of life by promoting ‘37 Days of Kindness’ at the upcoming NASCAR event,” said Keith Williams, founder of 37kinddays, Inc. “Our son was a professional go kart racer and a great kid that found time to do daily small acts of kindness which influenced friends, teachers and others. Since his passing last year, we developed this unique challenge to continue his way of spreading kindness.”

In addition to the 37 Kind Days 250 on May 11, volunteers will be handing out orange wristbands at the gates on Saturday, May 12, to race fans to inspire them to take the Challenge. And it’s simple – fans can go to www.37kinddays.org and pledge to be kind to others for 37 days in the hopes of bringing joy to others.

Fueled by the donations of others, 37 Kind Days is a nonprofit corporation based on the inspiration of Henry Williams, who passed away at the age of 12. Henry was well known for doing small, daily acts of kindness which were inspiring to others. Since the formation of the “Challenge” in 2017, the organization has spread kindness in all 50 states and 12 countries. Our world needs more kindness and this unique and fun challenge serves as a simple platform to continue what Henry started.

Kansas Speedway, a premier motorsports facility in the Midwest, holds two NASCAR race weekends a year, in addition to hosting approximately 200 other events throughout the year. Kansas Speedway’s first race weekend of the season is May 11-12 with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series under the lights. In the fall, the NASCAR playoffs return Oct. 20-21 with the NASCAR XFINITY Series and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Also in the fall is the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards series finale. To purchase season or single day tickets, call 866-460-RACE (7223) or log onto www.kansasspeedway.com.

General parking is free at Kansas Speedway and fans can bring in one 14x14x14-inch soft-sided cooler with their favorite food and beverages.

What Kansas lawmakers did, and didn’t do, this year

by Scott Canon, Kansas News Service

In an election year with a state Supreme Court ruling hanging over their heads, Kansas lawmakers wrestled over school spending, taxes and guns.

They fought among themselves and often split ways from legislators they’d chosen as leaders.
In the end, they decided not to throw a tax cut to voters. It would have partly reversed tough political choices they made a year before to salvage state government’s troubled financial ledger.

After scores of speeches, a handful of work days that spilled into the next day, and an untold number of painful comprises and surrenders, the Kansas Legislature called it quits on Friday.
Here’s a few notable things that did and didn’t make it through the Kansas House and Senate:

What passed

• A budget. Lawmakers had no choice other than to pass something. They restored some of the cuts made to higher education made during Sam Brownback’s years as governor, but not enough to restore funding to past levels. State workers will get a raise, including people who got passed over for pay hikes last year. But pay for university workers, state troopers and legislators will stay flat. Lawmakers also pumped more money into the state pension fund, KPERS, that it short-changed in recent years when state revenues dipped (following Brownback’s signature tax cuts).

• More school money. Here, they had little choice. The Kansas Supreme Court has demanded the state send more to local districts. That amount will now climb over the next five years until schools get an added $530 million annually. Word on whether that’s enough to satisfy the high court is expected this summer.

• Promised payouts. Kansas was one of the few remaining states that offered a wrongfully convicted person zero compensation for any time spent behind bars. Now a bill headed to Gov. Jeff Colyer promises $65,000 for each year served. It also offers state health care for roughly one year and some help with college costs.

• Adoption rules. Legislators cleared the way for faith-based agencies to get paid by the state for adoption and foster placements even if they exclude families based an organization’s religious beliefs. That means an agency could exclude same-sex or single parents.

• Telemedicine. Lawmakers passed a bill that would require insurance companies to pay for online health services the same way they would for care in clinics. But the bill includes a clause banning abortion-related services. If courts threw out a state abortion law, the requirement for insurers to cover telemedicine would evaporate.

What didn’t pass

• A tax change. By the slimmest of margins, and in the final hours of their 2018 session, legislators ultimately defeated a bill to make sure a federal tax overhaul last year didn’t translate to a tax increase for some Kansans. It would have allowed people to itemize on their state tax returns in situations that didn’t account for it on their federal forms. At one point, the legislation also would have cut taxes for a much broader group of tax filers by increasing personal deductions.

• Concealed carry. Lawmakers had seemed poised to lower the age at which someone can carry a concealed weapon to 18. The bill stalled in the session’s final days. So you can’t carry a hidden gun until you’re 21.

• Medicaid expansion. Last year, legislators voted to expand Medicaid to 150,000 additional low-income people. Much of the cost would have been covered by the federal government. But supporters couldn’t rally enough lawmakers to overcome a Brownback veto. This year, the push didn’t get nearly as far and Kansas remains among the Republican states unwilling to buy into more of Obamacare.

• Criminal registries. The Kansas Sentencing Commission wanted to trim back the number of people who must continually register their whereabouts. Kansas has one of the most expansive registry requirements in the country and the agency said it adds to prison overload by making it harder for people to succeed after they’ve served their sentences. The Legislature decided to study the issue and think about it again next year.

Scott Canon is digital editor of 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 him on Twitter @ScottCanon. 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/what-kansas-lawmakers-did-and-didn-t-do-year-hint-not-tax-cuts.

Vermes signs contract extension

Peter Vermes, manager and technical director for Sporting Kansas City, has signed a contract extension with the club through the 2023 season.

“I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to continue to lead this club,” Vermes said in a news release. “Our ownership group has shown tremendous ambition over the last decade, and I am proud to be involved in a first-class organization that continues to grow and evolve at Sporting KC.

“We have a remarkably talented staff and a stadium and fan base that are second to none. Our players are committed to each other and to the club’s culture, which has played a crucial part in our sustained success over the last several seasons. I want to thank everyone involved at Sporting KC as well as our supporters for making this decision so easy, and I look forward to continuing this special journey for years to come.”

“This is a great day for Sporting Kansas City,” Sporting Club co-owner Mike Illig said. “Peter has become one of the most successful managers in the history of Major League Soccer, and we are delighted to extend his contract at the club. This long-term deal shows commitment from the organization and from Peter, who has helped the club accomplish remarkable things on and off the field for the last decade. He has guided the first team to four major championships and seven straight playoff appearances while playing an integral role in the development of the Sporting KC Academy, Swope Park Rangers and world-class facilities such as Children’s Mercy Park, Swope Soccer Village and Pinnacle. His passion, energy and attention to detail make him one of a kind, and we are excited for Peter to lead Sporting KC well into the future.”

Vermes, who became Sporting KC’s manager in 2009, has won four major championships at the helm – the 2013 MLS Cup and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles in 2012, 2015 and 2017. His trophy haul ranks as the second highest among active MLS coaches, trailing only Sigi Schmid of the LA Galaxy. Vermes is the club’s all-time winningest coach and the sixth winningest coach in MLS history, compiling a 121-93-76 regular-season record and a 150-108-86 mark in all competitions.
Currently the longest tenured manager in Major League Soccer, Vermes has led Sporting KC to a club-record seven straight appearances in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Under his guidance, Sporting KC has become the only American club in MLS to win four major trophies since 2012.

“Peter embodies Sporting Kansas City; a passion for the club and the city, a winning mentality, the relentless pursuit of perfection, and a drive to always improve,” Sporting KC CEO-President Jake Reid said. “His accomplishments over the past decade speak for themselves. We are thrilled to have him call Sporting KC home for at least five more years. His loyalty to the club, the city, the team and the ownership group is paramount. We are excited to have Peter at the helm for more great years ahead.”

Vermes, 51, is one of two MLS coaches to spend 10 consecutive seasons with the same club, alongside former New England Revolution coach Steve Nicol. His 10-year tenure with Sporting KC is the second longest all-time among Kansas City’s major professional sports franchises, behind Hank Stram of the Kansas City Chiefs (1963-1974).

Vermes was named Kansas City’s sixth manager on Aug. 4, 2009, and ushered in a new era of success at the turn of the decade. He propelled Sporting KC to first-place finishes in the Eastern Conference in 2011 and 2012, setting a club record with 63 points (18-7-9) during the 2012 campaign. That same year, he led the team to its first trophy in eight years when Sporting KC defeated Seattle Sounders FC in the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final at Children’s Mercy Park.

Sporting KC reached even greater heights in 2013, winning the club’s second MLS Cup with a dramatic triumph over Real Salt Lake at Children’s Mercy Park as Vermes became the first person to win a League championship as a player and coach with the same team. He previously captained Kansas City to its first MLS Cup title in 2000 as a central defender.

After leading the side to another playoff berth in 2014, Vermes hoisted his second U.S. Open Cup in 2015, the same year he passed Bob Gansler as the club’s winningest coach. He steered Sporting KC to further postseason appearances in 2016 and 2017, claiming his third Open Cup title last September when Sporting KC topped the New York Red Bulls 2-1 on home soil.

Vermes has served as Sporting KC’s technical director since 2006. He oversees all soccer operations at the club, including scouting, roster management and the development of Swope Park Rangers and the Sporting KC Academy.

A native of Delran Township, New Jersey, Vermes embarked on a prosperous playing career that spanned from 1988-2002. He earned 67 caps for the United States Men’s National Team, notably representing his country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in South Korea and the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy.

Vermes was the first American player to compete in the top divisions of Hungary (1989) and the Netherlands (1990), then spent four seasons in Spain’s second division (1991-1995) before returning to the U.S. for Major League Soccer’s inaugural 1996 campaign. He started 208 of 209 MLS appearances over seven seasons, recording 11 goals and 19 assists while reaching the playoffs every year.

Vermes joined Kansas City ahead of the club’s historic 2000 season, winning the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup double while earning MLS All-Star, Best XI and Defender of the Year accolades. He ended his playing career following the 2002 campaign, his third with Kansas City, and was elected to the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2013.

– Story from Sporting KC