Month: February 2020

Sporting KC’s new partner in the shield club is Wise Power

Sporting KC has announced a new partnership with Wise Power, a renewable energy provider founded in Kansas City, that includes naming rights to the Wise Power Shield Club at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Wise Power as one of the club’s newest partners at Children’s Mercy Park,” Jon Moses, Sporting KC vice president of corporate partnerships, said in a news release. “Wise Power has designed technology products and services that are incredibly innovative and stylish. We’re integrating those same essential elements in the Wise Power Shield Club with an exciting new look and feel this year for guests to enjoy.”

“Wise Power is pleased to enter this partnership with Sporting KC,” said Wise Power President-CEO Kevin Williams. “We searched for a location to showcase our products, demonstrate our capabilities and train our distributor community. The Wise Power Shield Club will allow us to do all three. We are excited to associate our brand with a quality organization and support the enhancement of this fantastic venue.”

Wise Power integrates cutting-edge hardware and software systems patented to create new solutions for customers nationwide. The company’s intelligent energy storage systems store electricity to power homes and businesses, as well as a new “Wise Power Pack” storage system to power electric vehicles.

The next-generation technology will be showcased inside the Wise Power Shield Club, a premium indoor space designed for guests to enjoy an authentic Kansas City experience throughout the Major League Soccer season.

The Wise Power Shield Club is located on the west side of the stadium at concourse level.

The Wise Power Shield Club offers a climate-controlled lounge area featuring floor-to-ceiling windows with a midfield view of the pitch. Amenities include a SportingStyle retail location, local food and drink options such as Port Fonda, American Royal Barbecue and J. Rieger and Co., and an outdoor patio for pre-match festivities.

One of nine charter MLS members, Sporting will kick off the team’s 2020 campaign on Feb. 29 at Vancouver Whitecaps FC before playing host to rival Houston Dynamo in the club’s home opener on March 7. Single-game tickets for Sporting Kansas City’s first 10 home matches, as well as multi-game and full season ticket packages, are on sale at SportingKC.com/tickets.

  • Story from Sporting KC

KCK school mourns loss of ‘Mr. Bob,’ crossing guard killed saving two kids’ lives

A crossing guard identified as Bob Nill was struck and killed Tuesday morning outside Christ the King Catholic School. (Photo by Laura Ziegler, KCUR)

by Laura Ziegler and Kyle Palmer, Kansas News Service

A crossing guard employed by the city of Kansas City, Kansas, died Tuesday after he pushed two schoolchildren out of the way of an oncoming car.

The incident occurred just before 8 a.m. along the 5400 block of Leavenworth Road outside the Christ the King Catholic School. Kansas City, Kansas, Police have identified the victim as 88-year-old Bob Nill.

Christ the King Principal Cathy Fithian called Nill a “lovely person” who had been helping kids safely across the busy road outside the school for the past five years.

Students at Christ the King Catholic School called crossing-guard Bob Nill ‘Mr. Bob.’ (Photo by Bart Nill)

“Mr. Bob is what the kids called him. They loved him so much,” she said. “He was always so worried about kids’ safety. When there was ice on the sidewalk, he’d come up and tell us in the school so we could come up and make sure the kids wouldn’t fall. He always thought about the kids more than himself,” she said.

Dave Reno, a spokesman for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, said Nill had been employed by the city as a crossing guard since 2015. He said Nill was “dedicated and approachable.”

“Everybody’s pretty broken up about it,” Reno said. “It’s solemn around here today.”

Kansas City, Kansas, police are investigating the incident. Investigators say a black sedan heading east struck Nill. The driver of the sedan was taken to a hospital after the incident.

Officer Jonathan Westbrook, a police spokesman, said police didn’t know the cause of the accident.

Fithian, the principal, said two children came running into the Christ the King school building just after 8 a.m., saying a vehicle had hit “Mr. Bob.”

Fithian said the two children, a 3rd grader and 5th grader, had been preparing to cross the street when Nill yelled at them to stop.

“He saved their lives. Thank God they listened to him,” she said.

Fithian said the two children had some counseling before leaving to go home with their parents, who were also shaken up. Fithian said other area Catholic schools have offered Christ the King counseling support, but her thoughts are on Nill and his family at this time.

“He gave his life for the kids today,” she said.

Editor’s note: In his younger years, Bob Nill was a Kansas City, Kansas, businessman, coach and a local banker.

Laura Ziegler is KCUR’s community engagement reporter. Kyle Palmer is KCUR’s news director.
Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to kcur.org.
See more at https://www.kcur.org/term/kansas-news-service#stream/0

Police notes

Aggravated battery reported
 Aggravated battery was reported at 12:21 a.m. Feb. 18 in the 100 block of North 10th Street, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

When officers responded to a disturbance call, they made contact with the suspect and victim, according to the report. Officers saw the victim had major lacerations and was bleeding profusely, according to the report. The officers rendered medical assistance and put a tourniquet on the victim, the report stated. Then EMS arrived to assist.

It was later learned that the suspect had cut the victim with an unknown sharp object and hit the victim multiple times, according to the report. The suspect was taken into custody and the victim was taken to a hospital.

Burglary reported on Freeman

Aggravated burglary was reported about 6:25 a.m. Feb. 18 in the 2900 block of Freeman Avenue, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

According to the report, the suspect pried the victim’s apartment door open while the victim was asleep inside. The victim woke up and confronted the suspect inside the apartment, the report stated. The suspect fled.

Rape reported

Rape was reported about 5:18 p.m. Feb. 18, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department. A victim went to the report desk and stated a suspect raped the victim multiple times.

Shooting into occupied home reported

A shooting into an occupied home was reported at 11:45 p.m. Feb. 18, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department. Seven victims were inside the house when the suspects fired multiple rounds into the home, the report stated. Five victims were juveniles. There were no reported injuries, according to the report.