KCK schools to hold listening tour June 16

The Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Education will hold a listening tour for the community, the district’s staff, parents and students from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 16, at the Central Office and Training Center, board room, 2010 N. 59th St., Kansas City, Kansas.

According to a news release from the school district, the purpose of the listening tour is for the staff, parents, students and community to share what is important to them and their families regarding the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools.

The school board members will have the chance to hear first-hand from patrons and the community, which will help them set board priorities in the future. Those attending also will have the opportunity to meet the school board.

Kobach’s replica gun at Shawnee parade sparks criticism, city apology

On Saturday, Kris Kobach rode what he calls a “patriotic jeep” through the Old Shawnee Days parade with a machine gun replica mounted on top. (Photo from Kris Kobach’s Twitter page)

by Nicholas Telep, Kansas News Service

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach is drawing national scrutiny after he appeared in the Old Shawnee Days parade in Johnson County on Saturday riding in a Jeep with a large machine gun replica mounted on it.

In a tweet after the parade, Kobach called the vehicle a “souped-up Jeep,” and posed with it. The gun appeared to be a .50 caliber machine gun. Kobach said the firearm was a replica.

The city of Shawnee quickly released a statement on Twitter, apologizing and saying the float “in no way” reflected the city’s values.

“Please know that the safety of our residents is always our highest priority, and we apologize if this made anyone feel unsafe or unsettled,” the statement said.

On Sunday, Kobach took to Twitter again to defend himself, calling the negative response to his gun display a “snowflake meltdown” and framing it as an attack on Second Amendment rights.

Chris Reeves, a member of the Democratic National Committee from Kansas, called the gun a “ridiculous weapon” and implied Kobach may have violated federal law by displaying it in public.

Jo Ella Hoye, head of the Kansas chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, told The Star that Kobach was “misguided.” Moms Demand Action also had a float in the parade.

A now-deleted tweet from the Kansas Division of Emergency Management read “Hey Kris, I think you are a bad guy with a gun. Also, maybe worse, you a dumb guy with a gun.”
The division later claimed on Twitter that its account had been hacked.

Nicolas Telep is KCUR’s morning news intern. 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/kobachs-replica-gun-shawnee-parade-sparks-criticism-city-apology.

Kiwanis awards nine scholarships

Kiwanis Club of KCK West awarded nine scholarships Thursday, May 31, to seven graduating seniors and two college freshmen. The Kiwanis Club heard about their plans and goals for the future. Receiving the scholarships were, left to right, Colin Barnes, Sumner Academy; Ted Bynum, Kansas State University; Sophie Roper, Piper High School; Emily Wilson, Piper; Aubree Knetter, Piper; Kara Evans, Piper;, Riley Apperson, Piper; Sophia Frick, Piper; and Michelle Obiesie, Baylor University. (Submitted photo)
Kiwanis Club of KCK West awarded scholarships at a breakfast Thursday, May 31. (Submitted photo)