Groups plan ‘Souls to the Polls’ event on Saturday

Several groups are supporting a Souls to the Polls car caravan on Saturday, July 11, in Kansas City, Kansas.

The event will encourage people to get out and vote in the Aug. 4 primary election, according to Elizabeth Ann Sanders, chairperson of the event.

People who want to participate in the caravan will meet at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the parking lot near the Jewell Building of Kansas City Kansas Community College, 7250 State Ave., she said.

Sanders said this is a nonpartisan event to try to let citizens’ voices be heard.

Participants can make hand-made signs, and bring them to the parking lot, where they can tape them to their cars in the caravan, she said. She said they will have painters’ tape. They have been working with the police regarding traffic concerning this caravan, she added.

The cars will drive through ward 9, precinct 6; ward 11, precinct 5; and ward 11, precinct 8, she said. In these areas, voter turnout has been light in the last election.

Among those groups that are participating in this event are the League of Women Voters, Mainstream Coalition, the Black Ministerial Alliance, Grandparents Against Gun Violence, the NAACP, Dotte Votes, Connect the Dotte and other nonprofits, including sororities and fraternities, she said.

The voter registration deadline for the primary election is Tuesday, July 14, and voters who want mail ballots should request the advance ballots by July 28. For more details, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/over-9000-people-sign-up-for-mail-ballots-for-primary/.

Police notes

Shooting reported near 67th and Kaw Drive

Police responded to reports of a shooting on July 9 near 67th and Kaw Drive, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

When police arrived, everyone involved in the shooting had left. Police learned that after a verbal argument, people had begun shooting at each other.

Two persons later were found at a hospital with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, according to police.

Police seek missing 3-year-old

Olivia Ann Jansen

Kansas City, Kansas, police are asking the public’s help to find a missing 3-year-old, Olivia Ann Jansen.

Olivia was last seen at her residence in the 4400 block of Gibbs Road, Kansas City, Kansas, this morning, according to police.

She was last seen wearing pink pajamas.

Anyone with information on Olivia’s whereabouts is asked to call the police at 913-596-3000 or call 911.

An Amber Alert has now been issued for Olivia.

According to the Amber Alert, police received information from the family that at 6:30 a.m. Friday, Olivia’s father woke up and discovered she was not in the residence and the back door of the home was open. Because of her age and a search of the area, investigators suspect that she was taken from the location, although at this time, they are not sure.

There is no known suspect at this time and no known suspect vehicle, according to the Amber Alert information.

Olivia is described as having brown hair with blue-green eyes. She is about 3 feet tall and weighs about 50 pounds. She had been dressed in pajamas, a pink top and purple or teal bottom. Her hair was in a ponytail, according to the Amber Alert information.