Serving Kansas City (Wyandotte County) Kansas for over 50 years!
Stan Park, Kansas City, Kansas, was named to the dean’s list at Georgia State University for the spring semester.
Students on the dean’s list must have a grade point average of at least 3.5 for a minimum of nine semester hours of academic credit taken at Georgia State, with no incompletes. They must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 for all classes taken at Georgia State.
Georgia State is an urban public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, with 52,000 students.
The Board of Public Utilities has joined a group, Utilities United Against Scams association, that is raising public awareness of scams that have targeted utility customers.
David Mehlhaff, chief communications officer for the BPU, said BPU is the first municipal utility in the region to join this group, which also includes regional companies such as Westar and KCPL.
“It’s a way of sharing information,” Mehlhaff said.
Utility scammers are widespread, and have gone nationwide, so utilities now are sharing information about it and working with law enforcement to fight scammers, he said.
A lot of scam attempts have been made on BPU customers in the past several years, he said. BPU has started a page on its website warning customers about scams.
“We only had one customer I know of who ever fell for it,” Mehlhaff added. The BPU has tried hard to send out information warning customers about scams.
There are some warning signs of a scam.
“The utility never calls up and demands payment,” Mehlhaff said. Scammers have software to make telephone numbers look like they are coming from the BPU, but they are really from somewhere else, he said.
Elderly customers, Spanish-speaking customers and small businesses have been targeted in the past, he added.
Scammers may tell them their utilities may be cut off unless they get a prepaid money card and send it to them.
“We don’t call,” Mehlhaff said about the BPU. “We never call a customer demanding payment. We never make a cold call. We may call a customer back who called and wants to make a payment arrangement.”
The Utilities United Against Scams includes more than 100 utilities in North America that are joining together to fight scams.
Residents are advised never to give credit or debit card, Social Security, ATM, checking or savings account numbers to anyone that comes to their home, calls, texts or sends an email requesting this information about their utility bill, without verifying that it is an authentic BPU call. Customers may ask to see company identification or call BPU’s customer service department, 913-573-9190, to verify information.
Residents also should be suspicious if they receive an email about their utility bill, if they have not requested online communications with BPU.
Customers using BPU’s online bill pay system should always make online payments directly through www.bpu.com.
Residents should never provide personal information through suspicious links or attachments.
Customers who suspect they have been victims of fraud, or who feel threatened during contact with a scammer, should contact local law enforcement authorities.
For more information, visit www.bpu.com/forhome/avoidfraud.
The Kansas City Kansas Community College Foundation has announced the recipients of its summer 2018 and fall 2018 scholarships.
Students receiving the Summer 2018 R.A. Long Technical Education Scholarship :
• Walker Graham
• Carla Johnson
• Greg Renner
• Quinton Rose
• Maria Sandoval-Marrufo
Fall 2018 KCKCC Foundation Scholarship recipients:
• Nour Alhammami – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Toyana Anderson – Foundation Scholarship
• Tha Aye – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Si-Anna Barnett – Clarence L. Turpin Scholarship
• Crystal Baum – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Kemper Bednar – Vern’s Agape Nursing Scholarship
• Lester Biggs – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Antonio Bustamante – J. Paul and Fern Watkins Jewell Scholarship
• Cassie Callaway – Foundation Scholarship
• Perla Canul – InTouch Solutions Scholarship
• Susiveth Cervantes – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Talia Dao – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Caleb DeRoos – Foundation Scholarship
• Amanda Fletcher – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Kiera Forrest – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Walker Graham – J. Paul and Fern Watkins Jewell Scholarship
• Erika Gudino – Foundation Scholarship
• Shasika Gurung – Foundation Scholarship
• Treyvyon Harrison – Wyandotte High School Class of 1955 Scholarship
• Ashley Heeter – Dr. Lelia H. Alexander Memorial Scholarship
• Jessica Her – J. Paul and Fern Watkins Jewell Scholarship
• Cynthia Hernandez – Rita M. Ahart Nursing Scholarship
• Rebecca Hernandez – J. Paul and Fern Watkins Jewell Scholarship
• Brittany Hillman – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Zing Hlei – Asian American Chamber of Commerce Scholarship
• Ngun Hmung – InTouch Solutions Scholarship
• Alaina Howe – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Cing Huai – Wyandotte High School Class of 1955 Scholarship
• Jacob Jackson – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Kealya Jordan – Foundation Scholarship
• Zsamina Jordan – Foundation Scholarship
• Ciin Kim – Vern’s Agape Nursing Scholarship
• Amanda Kuhn – Clarence L. Turpin Scholarship
• Emily Langston – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Elizabeth Lee – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Jorge Lopez – Frances Speer Memorial Scholarship
• Angelica Maese-Solano – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Emiliano Martell – Foundation Scholarship
• Courtney Martinez – Foundation Scholarship
• Isaiah Matthews – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Amber Minchew – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Julio Minon – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Pyu Pway – Foundation Scholarship
• Claudia Ramirez – Foundation Scholarship
• Quinton Rose – George Powell Applied Skills Based Technology Scholarship
• Cesar Sanchez Davila – George Powell Applied Skills Based Technology Scholarship
• Maria Sandoval-Marrufo – George Powell Applied Skills Based Technology Scholarship
• Ehkeelar Soe – Foundation Scholarship
• Khin Sui Par – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Ram Thang – J. Paul and Fern Watkins Jewell Scholarship
• Hni Tial – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Ni Tial – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Ilse Torres – Foundation Scholarship
• Blessing Ugwuegbu – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Nadia Vallecillo – Foundation Scholarship
• Itzel Villarreal – Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship
• Kevin Warner – Foundation Scholarship
• Tonya Womack – Foundation Scholarship
• Khin San Yi – Foundation Scholarship
• Delanie Young – Foundation Scholarship
• LaMika Young-Bett – J. Paul and Fern Watkins Jewell Scholarship
The KCKCC Foundation Scholarship Application and Criteria and TEC Scholarship Application and Criteria are now available online at www.kckcc.edu/foundation/scholarships. A completed application and supporting documentation can be emailed to [email protected] or delivered to the Foundation Office in Mathematics Room 3500. Incomplete applications received on the deadline date will not be considered for awards.
The application deadline for spring 2019 Foundation scholarships is Oct. 1 and Oct. 23 for KCKCC-TEC scholarships. The application deadline for fall 2019 is March 1 for Foundation Scholarships and March 23 for KCKCC-TEC scholarships. Scholarships are competitive and funding is limited, so those interested are asked to submit applications as soon as possible.
Those who do not apply will not receive an award. For additional questions, contact Debbie Cowick, foundation scholarship coordinator, at 913-288-7369.
– From Kelly Rogge, KCKCC