Month: June 2018

One injury reported in three-vehicle crash on I-635 Tuesday

One person was reported injured in a three-vehicle crash on southbound I-635 at Shawnee Drive at 7:40 a.m. Tuesday, June 5.

According to a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper’s report, three vehicles were southbound on I-635 when a Pontiac G8 slowed for traffic. A Chevrolet Cruz rear-ended a Mercury Cougar, and the Cougar collided with the G8, according to the trooper’s report.

The driver of the Cougar, a 56-year-old Kansas City, Kansas, man, was injured and taken to a hospital, according to the trooper’s report.

The driver of the Cruz, a 22-year-old woman from Kansas City, Kansas, was not injured, according to the trooper’s report. A 27-year-old woman from Kansas City, Kansas, who was a passenger in the Cruz also was not injured. A 21-year-old Kansas City, Kansas, man who was a passenger in the Cruz was not injured, the report stated.

The driver of the G8, a 25-year-old man from Pratt, Kansas, was not injured, the trooper’s report stated.

Sporting KC to visit Real Salt Lake in U.S. Open Cup fourth round match tonight

Sporting Kansas City’s quest for a second straight Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title begins Wednesday with a trip to face rivals Real Salt Lake in the Fourth Round at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.

The match will kick off at 9 p.m. Central time and stream live on SportingKC.com, while the Sporting KC Uphoria app will provide live updates.

The U.S. Open Cup Fourth Round will see 32 teams take the field – 20 from MLS, nine from the second-division United Soccer League and three amateur sides – with winners advancing to the Round of 16 later this month.

Sporting KC and Real Salt Lake will square off in one of four all-MLS fixtures in the Fourth Round, pitting two teams who enter Wednesday in strong form.

Real Salt Lake endured a rocky start to the 2018 campaign, going 3-5-1 through early May, but head coach Mike Petke’s side has caught fire since then by winning four of their last five. RSL has been particularly excellent on home soil, claiming six straight victories at Rio Tinto Stadium since dropping their home opener to LAFC on March 10.

On the opposite sideline, Sporting KC leads the Western Conference in points (28), wins (eight), goals (28), goal difference (plus-14) and fewest goals allowed (14).

The club has allowed just five goals in their last 10 games since March 31, the fewest in MLS during that time, while a balanced attack has seen 12 different players find the back of the net, more than any other team.

Manager Peter Vermes’ men have lost just once since dropping their season opener to New York City FC and and sit one point behind Atlanta United FC in the Supporters’ Shield race.

The Western Conference rivals have met twice previously in Open Cup competition, with Real Salt Lake earning a 2-1 win in the 2007 qualifying phase and Sporting KC prevailing 3-1 in the 2015 semifinals. The sides also met in the 2013 MLS Cup at Children’s Mercy Park as Sporting KC triumphed 7-6 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw.

Winner of three straight games, Real Salt Lake is coming off a 2-0 home win over Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday. Homegrown forward Corey Baird bagged his team-leading fourth goal of the season on 57 minutes before Luis Silva sealed the victory with a strike in second-half stoppage time.

The following night, Sporting KC cruised to a 4-1 triumph over Minnesota United FC at Children’s Mercy Park that gave the side a two-point lead at the top of the West.

Daniel Salloi’s sublime opener set the stage for a dominant performance that included further goals from Cristian Lobato, Diego Rubio and 19-year-old Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal, who became the second-youngest Kansas City player to score in an MLS regular season match.

Sporting KC owns four Open Cup titles in team history, tied with the Chicago Fire and Seattle for the most among MLS clubs.

Vermes has guided the side to three Open Cup championships over the last six seasons, hoisting the trophy in 2012, 2015 and 2017 to go with the club’s first title in 2004. Real Salt Lake posted its best Open Cup finish in 2013, finishing as runners-up to D.C. United.

The 2018 U.S. Open Cup began May 6 with 97 teams from all levels of American soccer. The 105th edition of the storied tournament features a single-tiered bracket with eight rounds of single-elimination play until a champion is crowned in September.

– Story from Sporting KC

Extreme need for blood donors in KC area

The Community Blood Center of Kansas City has declared a blood emergency in Greater Kansas City.

The center is asking the community to donate blood to help replenish the blood supply for more than 60 hospitals throughout the area, including eastern Kansas and western Missouri.

Currently reserves are below a seven-day inventory that is necessary to maintain a safe blood supply, according to the Community Blood Center. There was a drop in donations in April and May.

These low levels are particularly dangerous leading into summer months, when people are less likely to donate blood as schools go on summer break and families take vacations, according to the center. The best preparation for life-threatening situations is having blood on hospital shelves in advance.

“While blood donations tend to slow down in the summer months, the need does not,” said David Graham, executive director of CBC. “Right now, supplies are low and we need all those who are able to donate and help ensure that every patient and hospital has access to life-saving blood when they need it.”

People with all blood types are encouraged to donate, especially donors with O negative and B negative blood types, according to a spokesman. O negative blood donors are considered “universal,” and their blood type is needed most readily in trauma situations and emergency rooms across the country. B negative is a particularly rare blood type.

Community members are encouraged to find time to donate blood at a CBC donor center or convenient mobile blood drive, according to the Community Blood Center. Companies, organizations, and community groups are also encouraged to host a blood drive this summer to help rebuild the blood stock supply.

According to the Community Blood Center, persons may donate blood or platelets at a donor center; donate at a mobile blood drive; hold a blood drive in the community or at an organization; and educate others about the need for blood donations.

For more information on where to donate or how to set up your own drive, visit www.savealifenow.org or call 1-877-468-6844.

Upcoming Community Blood Center blood drives in Wyandotte County include:

Wyandotte United Methodist Church, 7901 Oakland Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, plans a Community Blood Center blood drive from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. June 19 in the church Fellowship Hall. To schedule a donation, visit www.esavealifenow.org or call 816-753-4040.

A Community Blood Center blood drive is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 20 and 21 at the University of Kansas Hospital, Hixson Atrium, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, Kansas.

Parkway Baptist Church, 12320 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, plans a Community Blood Center blood drive from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. June 25 in the church classrooms. To schedule a donation, visit www.esavealifenow.org or call 816-753-4040.

Kansas City Kansas Community College, Room 2325, Jewell Center, 7250 State Ave., plans a Community Blood Center blood drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 11. To schedule a donation, visit www.esavealifenow.org or call 816-753-4040.

The Bonner Springs YMCA will hold a Community Blood Center blood drive from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. July 11 at the Bonner Springs YMCA Classroom A, 2251 S. 138th, Bonner Springs, Kansas. To schedule a donation, visit www.esavealifenow.org or call 816-753-4040.