Month: May 2020

Cool, springlike weather today

National Weather Service graphic

Today’s temperatures will reach the high 60s, with a steady warmup starting into the weekend, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

Temperatures could reach the 80s by Saturday and Sunday, according to the weather service forecast.

Shower and storm chances will increase late Thursday into Friday, with on-and-off showers and storms continuing through Memorial Day, the weather service said.

A few strong storms may exist across portions of southwestern Missouri and southeastern Kansas Friday evening, according to the weather service, with hail and wind the primary concerns.

Today, there is a slight chance of sprinkles before 11 a.m., with a high near 69 and an east wind of 8 mph, the weather service said.

Tonight, it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 59 and an east wind of 7 to 9 mph, according to the weather service.

Thursday, it will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 74 and an east southeast wind of 7 to 9 mph, the weather service said.

Thursday night, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m., according to the weather service. It will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 60 and an east southeast wind of 6 mph. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is possible.

Friday, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1 p.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 78 with a south wind of 5 to 7 mph, gusting as high as 18 mph. Between a quarter and half-inch of rain is possible.

Friday night, there is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a low of 63, according to the weather service. New rainfall of between a quarter and half-inch is possible.

Saturday, there is 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m., with a high near 84, the weather service said.

Saturday night, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a low of 67, according to the weather service.

Sunday, there is an 80 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1 p.m., with a high near 80, the weather service said.

Sunday night, there is a 70 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a low of 63, according to the weather service.

Monday, Memorial Day, there is a 70 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 77, the weather service said.

Monday night, there is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms with a low of 61, according to the weather service.

Tuesday, there is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms with a high near 79, the weather service said.

KCKCC assistant Matthews back to Baker as head soccer coach

Sara Matthews

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

One of Baker University’s best women’s soccer players is coming back. The assistant women’s coach at Kansas City Kansas Community College the past two years, Sara Matthews, is returning to Baker as the head women’s soccer coach.

In four seasons at Baker, Matthews was a three-time team captain, Heart of America all-conference and the 2007-2008 Baker Student Senate Female Athlete of the Year. After earning an MBA from Washburn University while serving as an assistant coach, she returned as assistant coach at Baker from 2010-2014.

“We’re very excited to have Sara back,” Nate Houser, Baker athletic director, said. “Her time as a student athlete as well as an assistant coach during our first journey to the national stage make her a perfect fit for the program. As a coach, she was with us for our first national semifinal appearance in 2010, our national quarterfinal appearance in 2011 and our final 16 appearance in 2013. She was also part of the team’s last conference championship and knows what it takes to win in the Heart of American Conference.”

“Returning to my alma mater is still a bit surreal, especially during the COVID-19 craziness and not being able to get on campus right away,” Matthews said. “However, this opportunity is so special to me having both played there and coached there. Many coaches don’t get this opportunity in their career so I feel so honored and thankful. The amount of support I’ve already received in a short amount of time has reminded me of Baker’s family atmosphere. I love my Baker roots and can’t wait to get going.”

“This is a perfect fit, I’m very happy for her,” said KCKCC coach Shawn Uhlenhake, whose Blue Devils had their first winning season (13-4), were nationally ranked and reached the Region VI championship game this past season. “Sara demonstrated many capabilities for us that will help make her a great head coach. She set the level high for the next assistant.”

“I absolutely loved my two years at KCKCC and am truly grateful to Shawn and KCKCC for every moment of growth and success we’ve been able to share,” Matthews said. “The girls, staff and coaches have made it an amazing experience. KCKCC and our Blue Devil soccer team will always hold a special place in my heart and I can’t wait to provide another option and connection to a four-year school for a number of girls.”

Matthews is Uhlenhake’s second assistant coach to leave for a head coaching position in his four years at KCKCC. Two years ago Katie Kelly left to take over the coaching reins at Avila University.

In addition to serving as an assistant coach at KCKCC, Baker and Washburn, Matthews was head coach at Avila for four years. She has also coached the KC Fusion Soccer Club team since 2013 and has had more than 75 percent of her players compete at the collegiate level. In 2017, she was named Kansas Youth Soccer Association Girls Competitive Coach of the Year after winning the Fall State President’s Cup and the U.S. Youth Soccer Region II President’s Cup.

The successor to Mark Sheldon, Matthews inherits a veteran Wildcat squad that returns three all-conference players from a team that finished 10-7-1 and defeated three teams that were ranked or received votes in the NAIA Coaches Top 25 poll.

More COVID-19 testing sites announced in Wyandotte County

Testing eligibility expanded

Today the Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force and the Unified Government Health Department announced expanded eligibility for COVID-19 testing, in addition to more COVID-19 pop-up testing sites to be held in the next two weeks.

“A strong network of community partners is dedicated to making testing more accessible by offering additional testing locations and hours ,” said Andrea Perdomo-Morales, chief program officer with Vibrant Health, in a news release. “By loosening the eligibility requirements for testing, we make COVID-19 testing available to more and more residents, even those who may not be showing any symptoms of the virus but who have been exposed to it. We are making sure that these individuals can find out if they are positive for the virus and isolate accordingly, which helps protect everyone in our community. Our ultimate goal is to reduce the spread of the virus and protect our community members, and this is a step in the right direction.”

Eligibility for testing

People who live or work in Wyandotte County are eligible to get tested at the Health Department or at a pop-up testing site if they meet one of the following three criteria:


• Have had at least one symptom in the last 48 hours.
• Are asymptomatic (have no symptoms) but have had close contact with someone who has tested positive.
o Close contact is defined as being within six feet of someone with COVID-19 for at least 10 minutes.
• Are asymptomatic but have an association to a known outbreak site (a location with at least 5 confirmed cases) .
o Example: someone who works at a business with a known outbreak.

Pop-up testing during the next two weeks

The Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force has organized drive-through testing for the rest of May at community locations across Wyandotte County. These locations were carefully selected to increase access to COVID-19 testing for underserved populations, according to a spokesman. Testing events are held in coordination with Vibrant Health and Swope Health.

Upcoming testing sites include:


Date, time (subject to change), location in Kansas City, Kansas

  • Wednesday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Kansas City Community Church, 5901 Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas.
  • Thursday, May 21, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Holy Name of Jesus, 1007 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, Kansas.
  • Thursday, May 21, from 2 to 6 p.m., Veritiv 2552 S. 98 St., Edwardsville, Kansas.
  • Friday, May 22, to be announced.
  • Tuesday, May 26, from 2 to 6 p.m., George Meyn Center, 126th and State Avenue, Bonner Springs, Kansas.
  • Wednesday, May 27, from 2 to 6 p.m., Kansas City Kansas Community College Technical Education Center, 6565 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
  • Thursday, May 28, from 2 to 6 p.m., Salem Baptist Church, 1824 N. 11th St., Kansas City, Kansas.
  • Friday, May 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Rainbow Mennonite Church and Rosedale Development Association, 1412 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, Kansas.

Testing is provided free of charge to Wyandotte County residents, according to a spokesman. Individuals who want to be tested at the sites listed above must register in advance by calling 913-371-9298 (calls to this number are answered by Community Health Council of Wyandotte County).

Testing is provided regardless of a person’s immigration status, health coverage, or ability to pay.

The Health Department will continue drive-up and walk-up testing from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday in the Health Department parking lot at 619 Ann Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. No appointment is needed. Eligibility criteria is now the same as the criteria for the pop-up testing sites.

Partnerships to organize testing opportunities

The Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force and its partners focus on making testing and other resources more accessible and equitable to underserved members of the community, a spokesman stated.

The organization of pop-up testing in Wyandotte County is a collaborative effort among Argentine Assembly of God, Hosanna Christian Network Radio, Bethel Neighborhood Center, Calvary Temple Baptist Church, Community Health Council of Wyandotte County, Grandview Park Presbyterian Church, MORE2 , Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation (AIRR), Groundwork NRG, JUNTOS Center for Advancing Latino Health, Livable Neighborhoods Taskforce, NBC Community Development Corporation, Salem Baptist Church, Swope Health, the Unified Government, University of Kansas Family Medicine, University of Kansas Health System, University of Kansas Medical Center, Unified Government Public Health Department, Vibrant Health, Wyandotte Health Foundation, and Wyandotte residents.

A map of testing locations and other testing details can be found on the Unified Government’s COVID-19 webpage at www.wycokck.org/COVID-19. Click on the COVID Hub, then click on the section that says “Experiencing Symptoms? Get Tested!” For questions on COVID-19, call 3-1-1.

  • Information from the Unified Government Health Department