Month: September 2018

Congressman’s opponent fails to appear

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Opinion column

by Murrel Bland

Sharice Davids, a Democrat, was invited to the candidates’ forum Friday, Sept. 21, at the Congressional Forum. Despite several attempts encouraging her to attend the meeting at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, she said she had other commitments.

The forum, sponsored by the Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber of Commerce, is a nonpartisan organization that was established in 1968 when Larry Winn Jr., a Republican, was U.S. Representative from the Third District of Kansas. Later, U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, a Democrat, was an active supporter of the organization.

The Republican incumbent, U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder, did show up with his staff members and political advisers. John Holt, a news anchorman for WDAF-TV, Fox4 News, moderated the forum. Holt rejected questions proposed by Daniel Silva, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, in favor of his own questions.

Both candidates are seen on a substantial number of television commercials. The commercials favoring Davids portray Yoder as a tool of big business; the commercials favoring Yoder portray Davids as an ultra-liberal who would increase the national debt.

Political observers believe the Third District, which includes Wyandotte and Johnson counties and a small portion of Miami County, could elect a Democrat. They explain that in the 2016 general election, Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate, carried the district. That could give Democrats a chance. Davids is seen as the strongest opponent that Yoder has ever faced. Davids beat out five opponents in the highly contested primary election earlier this year; Yoder had only two token primary opponents. Both Davids and Yoder are trying to appeal to the voter in the broad middle political spectrum.

Holt asked Yoder about his relationship with President Donald Trump. Yoder said he accepted the president’s invitation to join him when they attended the recent national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Kansas City, Missouri. But he said that his primary focus is representing the Third District regardless of party politics.

Yoder said he works across the aisle, cooperating with Democrats when it is in the best interest of the Third District. He said he meets with U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver regularly, a Democrat from Kansas City, Missouri, to work on common issues.

He said Davids is too far to the left when it comes to immigration and health care issues. He criticized her for calling for the elimination of immigration enforcement officers and for health care that would substantially increase the national debt. He said he has pushed for increased federal funding for the National Institute of Health, which is seeking a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease.

Apparently Davids and Yoder will have a chance to meet. According to Davids’ website, The Kansas City Star will sponsor a televised debate Sunday, Oct. 29.

The general election will be Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is the executive director of Business West.
Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Wyandotte Daily.

Mild weather expected today, rain possible Tuesday

National Weather Service graphic
Forecast rain totals through Tuesday night show 0.16 inches for Wyandotte County. (National Weather Service graphic)

A high near 81 is expected today, with rain in the forecast for Tuesday and Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service.

A cloud cover will begin to slowly build across the area today, although temperatures may still rise into the low 80s this afternoon, the weather service said.

Today, it will be mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 81 and a south wind of 5 to 9 mph, the weather service said.

Tonight, it will be partly cloudy, with a low of 66 and a south southeast wind of 5 to 8 mph, according to the weather service.

Tuesday, expect a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1 p.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 77 with a south wind of 5 to 11 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.

Tuesday night, there is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 51 with a north wind of 6 to 10 mph.

Wednesday, it will be mostly sunny with a high near 68 and a north wind of 5 to 8 mph, the weather service said.

Wednesday night, it will be mostly clear with a low of 48, according to the weather service.

Thursday, it will be sunny with a high near 72, the weather service said.

Thursday night, it will be partly cloudy with a low of 51, according to the weather service.

Friday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 71, the weather service said.

Friday night, it will be mostly cloudy with a low of 57, according to the weather service.

Saturday, it will be partly sunny with a high near 77, the weather service said.

Saturday night, there is a 30 percent chance of rain, with a low of 63, according to the weather service.

Sunday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 80, the weather service said.

Victim of fatal traffic accident identified

The victim of a fatal traffic accident on Sept. 20 has been identified, according to a Kansas City, Kansas, police spokesman.

The victim of the accident Sept. 20 was identified as Chrissy A. Saale, 29, a resident of Kansas City, Kansas, who was a passenger in a vehicle fleeing from police, according to the spokesman.

An investigation revealed that she died as a result of injuries sustained in the wreck, police stated.

The police spokesman stated that the incident started about 12:19 a.m. Sept. 20 when an officer observed a suspicious vehicle near 18th and Metropolitan. They followed the vehicle to a dead end and when it made a U-turn, the officers conducted a traffic stop, pulling in front of the vehicle, police stated.

Officers observed the driver, and an unresponsive female passenger, according to the spokesman. As officers approached the vehicle, the driver backed, then drove toward the officers, striking the driver’s side of the police car, the police spokesman stated.

The officers then initiated a pursuit, but terminated the chase near the state line, the spokesman stated. Kansas City, Missouri, police picked up the pursuit until the vehicle came back into Kansas City, Kansas, and the Kansas City, Missouri, police helicopter continued to follow it, according to the spokesman.

Eventually the vehicle drove the wrong way on I-635, then went to I-70, where it struck another vehicle head-on near 57th Street, police stated.

The driver who had fled police was taken into custody and the passenger was dead at the scene, the spokesman stated. The driver of the vehicle that was not fleeing from police had minor injuries, according to the spokesman.

The spokesman stated that the Kansas Highway Patrol will investigate the accident, and the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department will handle the criminal investigation relating to the events leading to the pursuit.

Anyone with information may contact the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS.