Month: June 2019

Davids backs bill that would provide $10 million for levee safety

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-3rd Dist., secured an additional $10 million in funding for the National Levee Safety Initiative (NLSI) to keep Kansas communities safe in an appropriations bill for fiscal year 2020.

This marks the first funding increase since the initiative’s establishment in 2014, bringing the total appropriated funding level up to $15 million.

Flooding continues in the Midwest, including moderate flooding on the Missouri River in Wyandotte County, and minor flooding on the Kansas River in Kansas City, Kansas. The Corps of Engineers stated in a news conference today that releases of 75,000 cubic feet per second of water from reservoirs in South Dakota will probably continue through June and July into the Missouri River, so continued flooding is possible.

“We’ve seen historic flooding across the Midwest this spring, damaging our communities and farms and reminding us all of need to have resilient flood infrastructure in place. Yet we are still relying on levees that are on average 50 years old and not built to withstand the severe flooding facing our country. That’s why I’ve advocated for the National Levee Safety Initiative, and why I’m so glad we were able to secure additional support for this critical program to help keep Kansas families safe,” Rep. Davids said.

This U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ initiative sets levee safety guidelines, maintains the National Levee Database, provides for levee rehabilitation and repair, and supports Kansas’s levee safety programs. Levee systems provide critical flood control for communities.

But the program has yet to receive funding other than for the National Levee Database, and a 2016 Government Accountability Office report found that the Army Corps had difficulty implementing many aspects of the NLSI due to a lack of funding.

“Improving our levee system now will prevent billions of dollars in future flood damage repairs and will save Kansas taxpayers money. We can’t wait any longer – we must act now to protect our communities and avoid unnecessary future costs. I look forward to seeing this bill come to the House floor,” Rep. Davids said.

In April, Davids urged the House Appropriations Subcommittee to include critical funding for the NLSI as they develop the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY2020.

Now that the funding has been included in the Appropriations bill, it will move to the House floor for a vote.

Rep. Davids’ staff stated that any Army Corps of Engineers levee in Wyandotte County should be eligible for funding from this bill, along with other A.C.E. levees.

Wyandotte County 4-H programs find a ‘home away from home’ at the Due West Ranch

4-H youth and leaders on Friday posed at the Due West Ranch at 134th and Donahoo Road in Kansas City, Kansas, before a ribbon-cutting to celebrate a partnership between 4-H and Due West. Left to right were Mary Sharp, co-owner of Due West Ranch; Nicole Crosson, Wyandotte County 4-H youth development agent; Chandler Harris, Madi Bone, Delaney Schempp and Macey Schempp. (Staff photo)

by Mary Rupert

Wyandotte County 4-H programs and events will now be held at the Due West Ranch at 134th and Donahoo Road in Kansas City, Kansas.

Youth and program leaders gathered on Friday for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the new partnership between 4-H and the Due West Ranch.

Nicole Crosson, 4-H youth development agent, said the new site at Due West will offer 4-H programming. An incentive program will be offered for youth enrolled in 4-H, she said, with discounted rates offered. Also, youth programming still will take place at the 4-H office at 1216 N. 79th, she added.

Area youth will be able to sign up at school for one of the horse programs, for example, and then go to the Due West Ranch for the program, Crosson said.

It is a way for 4-H to bring programs in a farm or ranch setting to urban children, she added.

There are horses, dogs and goats at the ranch, among other animals, she said. 4-H is planning a lot of agricultural programs there, she said.

Some programs that might be held at Due West include gardening projects and livestock projects, she said, including some food safety instruction. There also is an arena and meeting space.

The owners are really gracious and want to do education programming, Crosson said. The owners have already held conferences and educational-related events at the Due West Ranch, she added.

For several years, Due West Ranch has offered a riding center. The ranch, founded in 2002, moved its location a little west of the original one on 121st in 2015, and the new location has an indoor and outdoor arena and facilities designed for educational purposes, according to Bill Basler, co-owner of Due West Ranch. He said Due West’s arena has already served as a substitute site for a few 4-H horse shows when another site was unusable because of the weather.

Basler, who has extensive experience in training and selling horses, said the ranch is on 40 acres and it includes meeting spaces. An event space was built in a former shop, heating and cooling was added, and it has been used for graduation and wedding parties as well as meetings, he said.

He said Due West will be continuing its present operations while adding 4-H educational programs. Currently, there are about 140 riding lessons offered there each week, he added. Besides lessons, Due West offers boarding, camps, training and events.

For several years, the ranch also has served as the home for a therapeutic riding center that specializes in helping persons with disabilities. The ranch has six instructors who have been certified in therapeutic horsemanship instruction and riding instruction.

The 4-H program in Wyandotte County now serves about 8,000 youth through different programs, according to officials. While the youth club format still is ongoing, 4-H now also serves children through programs in the schools.

“It fits really well with 4-H,” said Mary Sharp, co-owner at Due West. She is a teacher in Olathe who has also offered riding lessons for about 32 years. She also has served as a long-time horse show judge and a collegiate equestrian coach. “We’re really excited to give the 4-H community a home. Anything education-related we’re interested in.”

The focus of Due West is on equine, with an education-based equine operation, Sharp said. Agriculture has always been important to her family, she said. The lessons at Due West focus on horsemanship and safety.

“Another big connection that we’re excited about that we can associate with 4-H is the move of the American Royal to Wyandotte County,” Sharp said. “This is going to be the epicenter of ag ed.”

“It’s definitely going to open doors to get inner-city youth exposed to agriculture,” Crosson said. Youth who go into agriculture don’t have to be in production, they can be agricultural scientists, researchers, extension agents and many other careers, she said.

Ailee Lindsay, in the 4-H horse program, posed with a display about the Wyandotte County 4-H horse project during an event Friday at the Due West Ranch. (Staff photo)

Bill Basler, co-owner of Due West Ranch, said Due West will be continuing its present operations while adding 4-H programs. (Staff photo)
Nicole Crosson, Wyandotte County 4-H youth development agent, said the new partnership with Due West is a way for 4-H to bring programs in a farm or ranch setting to urban children. (Staff photo)
4-H youth will have the opportunity to use a meeting space in a converted shop at Due West for their meetings in the future. (Staff photo)
Due West Ranch provides boarding for horses and offers about 140 riding lessons each week. (Staff photo)
Due West Ranch is located at 13400 Donahoo Road in Kansas City, Kansas. (Staff photo)

T-Bones drop series to Chicago

by Sophie Darting

The Kansas City T-Bones were unable to take advantage when they had runners on base and ended up falling, 5-2, to the Chicago Dogs in the series finale and last game of the homestand on Sunday afternoon in Kansas City, Kansas.

During the rubber match of the series, both the Kansas City T-Bones and the Chicago Dogs sent an ace to the mound in Tommy Collier (1-3) and Luke Westphal (4-0). It certainly showed throughout the first four innings. It was a pitcher’s duel; both starters were dealing, matching each other pitch for pitch, and inning for inning, until the fifth inning.

The T-Bones (9-13) faced a tall task in the southpaw on the mound for the Dogs (14-7), as Westphal had a league-leading 0.00 ERA, with 31 strikeouts and had yet to give up a run in 23.2 innings pitched this season. The T-Bones quickly changed that.

After getting men on base but being unable to convert them into runs in the previous innings, Kansas City finally had some success in the bottom of the fifth inning.

After Chicago broke up the scoreless pitchers’ duel in the top of the fifth when they scored a run off an RBI-single by Keon Barnum, Kansas City answered in the bottom of the frame.

Ryan Brett roped a one-out double to right field and was able to tag and advance to third on a fly ball by Ramsey Romano. Danny Mars stepped up to the plate with a runner on third and two outs, and he delivered, as he also doubled and scored Brett to tie the ballgame in the bottom of the fifth.

Collier had been pitching well throughout the contest and was able to get himself out of any jams that he faced, stranding Dogs on base in almost every inning. However, Chicago finally got to him in the top of the sixth inning, knocking in three runs with the help of run production from the bottom of the order.

An RBI single by Harrison Smith, an RBI double by Rey Gonzalez, and another RBI single, this time by David Olmedo-Barrera, gave Chicago a 4-1 lead and ended Collier’s day on the mound.

Chicago added another run in the top of the eighth off a pair of back-to-back doubles by Gonzalez and Olmedo-Barrera to increase their lead to 5-1.

Dylan Tice gave the T-Bones life again in the bottom of the eighth inning when he launched his first home run as a T-Bone to make it a 5-2 ballgame.

The Dogs scored again in the ninth inning, extending the lead to 6-2, and the T-Bones ultimately fell, as they were unable to mount a comeback against the Dogs’ bullpen.

The T-Bones will have an off-day on Monday and then hit the road on Tuesday, June 11, to face the Cleburne Railroaders and then the Texas Airhogs in a six-game road trip. The games will be on the T-Bones Broadcast Network, http://mixlr.com/t-bones-baseball/.

Full and half-season 2019 ticket packages as well as mini plans are on sale online or by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting the Saint Luke’s Box Office between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Group ticket sales are also on sale.

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