Month: August 2018

Turner school budget hearing to be tonight

The public hearing on the Turner school district budget will be held at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, at the 800 S. 55th St., Kansas City, Kansas.

According to the proposed budget, the total mill levy will be 60.630 mills in 2018-2019 for those who live in the Turner school district, and that includes the district, the Turner Recreation Commission levy and recreation benefits levy. This compares to a total of 67.532 mills for 2017-2018 for the Turner school district and recreation.

The proposed budget states that the mill levy for district expenditures in the Turner district will be reduced from 60.553 mills in 2017-2018 to 53.630 mills for the 2018-2019 year. The proposed budget expenditures are $75.28 million in 2018-2019, as compared to $67.54 million in 2017-2018.

There was a 7.9 percent valuation increase on property in Wyandotte County, on the average, this year.

According to Turner budget information, Turner school taxes on a $100,000 home would be $570.75 for 2018-2019, as compared to $650.12 for 2017-2018, if the home’s assessed valuation remained the same.

For more Turner school district budget information, visit http://206.128.135.41/attachments/299fa2af-2d81-4b45-9b0a-e62111eaa493.pdf.

Law enforcement cracks down on drunken driving

A crackdown on drunken drivers is planned now through Labor Day, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.

The “You Drink, You Drive, You Lose” campaign will include more than 150 law enforcement agencies across Kansas working to stop drunken driving.

Law enforcement will look for and pull over all motorists who show signs of impaired driving, according to a KDOT spokesman. Funds are being made available for extra enforcement and overtime during this time.

According to KDOT, Labor Day weekend is one of the most dangerous times to be on the road. Three people are injured every day in alcohol-related crashes in Kansas, on the average. Nationally, more than one-third of all fatalities over the Labor Day weekend in 2016 involved a drunken driver with a blood alcohol content of .08 or greater.

“Drunk driving is not a victimless crime and is 100 percent preventable,” said Chris Bortz, Kansas Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Program manager. “Impaired drivers cause 20 to 25 percent of all traffic fatalities.”

Impaired drivers can face jail time, suspension of their driving privileges, fines and other costs of up to $10,000. Included in this cost, the offender will be required to install and pay monthly services fees on an ignition interlock, according to KDOT. Beyond the financial and legal penalties, impaired drivers face the risk of losing their own lives or taking someone else’s.

“Alcohol and driving never mix,” Bortz said. “If you plan on drinking don’t plan on driving.”

History of barbecue in KCK to be topic of talk Wednesday

The history of barbecue in Kansas City, Kansas, will be the topic of a lecture from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 22, at the Grinter Barn, 1400 S. 78th, Kansas City, Kansas.

Bill Nicks, site administrator at Grinter House, and a historic re-enactor and local history specialist, will give the lecture.

Kansas City, Kansas, has a long history of barbecue restaurants, according to local residents.

While there will be light refreshments such as cookies served at the lecture, there are no plans to serve barbecue.

The event is sponsored by the Museums and Historical Sites of Wyandotte County.

The public is invited to attend the talk.