October 2019 – Page 64 – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!

KCKCC volleyball home Wednesday after splitting four in Nebraska

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Kansas City Kansas Community College returns to the Jayhawk Conference volleyball battlefield Wednesday after dividing four contests in the Central Nebraska Tournament in Columbus Friday and Saturday.

The Blue Devils (13-10) entertain Labette Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and are home again next Monday against No. 6 ranked Fort Scott in their next-to-last regular season home contests.

KCKCC opened play in the Central Nebraska tournament with a 3-0 win over Southwestern Iowa Friday and finished with a 3-1 win over North Platte Saturday but dropped two contests in between, 3-2 to Central on Friday and 3-1 to Northeast Nebraska on Saturday.

“Our right side hitters Tara Mattingly and Cassidy Crist, and our middle blockers Michelle Dvorak and Malaysia StClair, played very well,” KCKCC coach Mary Bruno-Ballou said.

A sophomore from Wichita Northwest, Mattingly had 45 kills and 15 digs in the final three matches; DeSoto freshman Cassidy Crist 59 kills in four matches. Dvorak, a freshman from Park Hill South, had 39 kills, and St. Clair, a sophomore from Beaumont, Tex., had 20 kills. Gracie Golay, a sophomore from Trinity Academy in Wichita, had 113 assists in the final three contests.

KCKCC cruised 25-11, 25-16, 25-14 over Southwestern in the opener as Dvorak and Crist each had 10 kills, Adriana Velez 15 and Mattingly 13 assists and Amilex Lopez 15 digs.

Mattingly’s 21 kills and Golay’s 30 assists weren’t quite enough against Central as the host college eked out a 17-15 win in the final set. KCKCC won the first and third sets 28-26 and 25-21 but lost the second 25-16 and fourth 25-14.

After a 25-16, 23-25 split in the first two sets, Northeast Nebraska won the final two 25-12, 25-23. Mattingly had 15 kills, Dvorak 13, Crist 11 and StClair 8 for KCKCC while Golay had 40 assists. Defensively, Lopez had 22 digs, Natalia Vega Aponte 20 and Mattingly 16.

The Blue Devils took the first two sets against North Platte 25-20, 25-13, dropped the third 25-22 and then closed out the match 25-18 as Crist had 20 kills and Mattingly 11 kills and 9 digs. Lopez led in digs with 21 with Aponte added 10 and Golay 12 to go along with 43 assists.

Sunny, high near 71 today, rain possible Wednesday

Cooler temperatures will follow a cold front moving into the area later this week. (National Weather Service graphic)

Wyandotte County may receive a half-inch to an inch of rain Thursday through Friday. (National Weather Service graphic)

Wyandotte County is in an area of marginal risk for severe storms on Thursday, with a greater threat to the south. (National Weather Service graphic)

Today will be sunny and mild, with a high near 71, according to the National Weather Service.

A strong cold front will move into the area late Wednesday through Friday, the weather service said.

Thunderstorms, gusty winds and cooler temperatures may follow. A few strong storms are possible in the region. Rainfall totals Thursday through Friday could be a half-inch to 1.5 inches in the region, according to the weather service.

Parts of the region may experience their first near-freezing or at-freezing temperatures of the season on Saturday morning, the weather service said.

The Missouri River at Parkville, where the gauge is on I-435 over the Missouri River between Wyandotte and Platte counties, currently is in minor flood stage. The Kansas River at 23rd Street, where the gauge is near Kansas Avenue and the state line, is below minor flood stage and this morning, it went below the action stage.

Today, the high will be near 71 with a calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon, the weather service said.

Tonight, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 52 and a south southeast wind of 3 to 5 mph, according to the weather service.

Wednesday, there is a 20 percent chance of showers after 1 p.m., then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 69, the weather service said. A south wind of 6 to 9 mph may gust as high as 25 mph.

Wednesday night, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers are likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 a.m., according to the weather service. It will be mostly cloudy with a low of 59. A south southeast wind will be around 8 mph, gusting to as high as 21 mph. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is possible.

Thursday, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers are likely after 1 a.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 75 with a south wind of 9 to 13 mph, gusting to as high as 25 mph. Between a quarter and half-inch of rain is in the forecast.

Thursday night, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely after 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 44. Between a quarter and half-inch of rain are possible.

Friday, there is a 30 percent chance of showers before 1 p.m., with a high near 49, the weather service said.

Friday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 36, according to the weather service.

Saturday, it will be sunny with a high near 58, the weather service said.

Saturday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 39, according to the weather service.

Sunday, it will be sunny with a high near 62, the weather service said.

Sunday night, it will be mostly clear with a low of 41, according to the weather service.

Monday, Columbus Day, it will be mostly sunny with a high near 66, the weather service said.

The Missouri River at Parkville, where the gauge is on I-435 over the Missouri River between Wyandotte and Platte counties, is currently in minor flood stage. (National Weather Service – USGS graphic)

The Kansas River at 23rd Street, where the gauge is near Kansas Avenue and the state line, has fallen below action stage and is below minor flood stage. (National Weather Service – USGS graphic)

In the wake of fatal shooting, hundreds walk down Central Avenue to make a statement

A community walk took place Monday night from 13th to 10th and Central, where four people were killed and five more were injured early Sunday morning. (Photo by Mary Rupert)

by Mary Rupert

Residents and friends and families of victims walked down the middle of Central Avenue at dusk on Monday to make a point.

“We’re here and we need to show strength for the future, for our kids,” said Edgar Galicia, executive director of the Central Avenue Betterment Association, which organized the walk.

“We should save ourselves working together. We should work together for a better future,” he said.

He talked about how much the community in the Central Avenue area has built itself up in the past few years. Earlier in the day Galicia said CABA will support whatever decision the bar makes about staying open or not.

Unified Government Commissioner Brian McKiernan said he rejects the notion that crime is to be expected in this neighborhood. Four generations of his family have lived within a few blocks of 10th and Central, he said.

“This is a good neighborhood that is full of good people who work hard every single day of their lives to make life better for themselves and their families and their communities,” McKiernan said. “Unfortunately, there are times when even very good people encounter unexpected and unwanted difficulties and tragedies and sadness that can be truly tragic. We will do our best to support you and be with you in the days and weeks ahead, recognizing that our best will not be nearly enough.”

He said they may be asking themselves how to prevent it from ever happening again. He had two suggestions: Reach out to the members of one’s immediate family and offer them love, care and support that will nourish them throughout their everyday lives. Second, reach out to community members, get to know them better and renew the commitment to work with them to improve physical, spiritual and mental health of everyone in the community.

“Just maybe, the love and support and care we show one another will change the community in a positive way and will decrease the chances that anything like this ever happens again,” McKiernan said.

Two persons have been charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the bar shooting case. Four people died, and another five persons were wounded by gunshots at 1:27 a.m. Sunday at the Tequila KC bar at 10th and Central in Kansas City, Kansas.

Starting at 13th Street and walking to 10th, the group of about 200 persons carried candles and signs and some brought their families. Central was closed to traffic and police often were turning cars away from the neighborhood’s main street.

When they got to Tequila KC bar at 10th and Central, where the shooting occurred early Sunday morning, a few people sang “Amazing Grace” and the group listened to speeches by Edgar Galicia of Central Avenue Betterment Association and Unified Government Commissioner Brian McKiernan.

For the most part, it was a quiet walk and a quiet group. District Attorney Mark Dupree and some law enforcement members walked with the group. A few people called out, “No more guns!” One woman sat on a nearby doorstep, sobbing.

T-shirts were offered through CABA as a way to raise funds for families of the victims.