Month: July 2020

Police notes

Victim held against will

Police received information that a victim was being held against the victim’s will on July 7 at 47th and Parallel Parkway, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

The suspect was armed with a gun, the report stated. When officers arrived, the victim screamed for help, according to the report.

When officers entered the room, the suspect threw the gun out the window and was taken into custody without incident, the report stated.

Cars, residence struck by gunfire near 6th and Ann

Officers responding to a shooting call discovered several parked vehicles and a residence struck by gunfire on July 7 near 6th and Ann Avenue, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

While they were there, officers were told about a walk-in patient at an area hospital who had a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, the report stated.

The victim at the hospital was uncooperative and would not give a location of the incident, according to the report.

Victim struck by gunfire while inside car

A victim was struck by gunfire while in a vehicle on July 7, according to a social media post by the Kasnas City, Kansas, Police Department. According to the victim, an unknown person drove by and shot several rounds at his vehicle, and a person inside the vehicle was struck in the legs. The location of the vehicle was not released.

Victim shot in leg

Officers went to a shooting call on July 7 near 32nd and State and found a victim who had a gunshot wound on the back of his leg, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

The victim was uncooperative with the investigation, police stated.

Shooting on street reported near 16th and Quindaro

Officers located several shell casings and a cell phone on the street on July 7 near 16th and Quindaro Boulevard, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

The victim was found in the area of 26th and Delavan, according to the report. Officers saw the back window of a vehicle shot out, with other damage to the vehicle from gunfire, according to the report.

Heat index could reach 98 today

The heat index could rise to the high 90s today in Wyandotte County. (National Weather Service graphic)
At left, there is a greater chance for strong to severe thunderstorms from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m. Thursday, according to the weather service, with heavy rain and high winds possible. The green area has a smaller chance for severe storms. Winds could be 30 to 50 mph. (National Weather Service graphic)

The heat index in Wyandotte County could reach 98 today, with a high near 92 in the National Weather Service forecast.

Heat indices will likely rise above 85 degrees by 9 a.m. and persist until at least 9 p.m., the weather service said. Winds will be out of the south between 10 to 15 mph, with occasional gusts going over 20 mph this afternoon.

A round of strong to severe overnight storms will move into the area after 4 a.m. Thursday, possibly lasting until midday, according to the weather service. The storms could linger in the area through Friday.

Wyandotte County is on the edge of this system, with smaller chances for severe storms, the weather service said. Winds could gust to 30 to 50 mph in some areas.

Warm and humid conditions are expected for the upcoming weekend, along with another chance for storms on Saturday, according to the weather service.

Today, it will be sunny with a high near 92 and a heat index as high as 98, the weather service said. A light south southwest wind will become south 5 to 9 mph in the morning.

Tonight, there is a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 74 with a south southeast wind of 5 to 8 mph. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is possible.

Thursday, there is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 89, and a southwest wind of 5 to 7 mph, the weather service said. The heat index will be as high as 96. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is possible.

Thursday night, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a low of 71, according to the weather service. A west northwest wind of 6 mph will become calm in the evening. Between a half and three-fourths of an inch of rain is possible.

Friday, there is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 p.m., according to the weather service. The high will be near 92 with a calm wind.

Friday night, there is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m., with a low of 73, according to the weather service.

Saturday, there is a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m., with a high near 93, the weather service said.

Saturday night, there is a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 a.m., with a low of 70, according to the weather service.

Sunday, it will be sunny with a high near 90, the weather service said.

Sunday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 69, according to the weather service.

Monday, it will be sunny, with a high near 91, the weather service said.

Monday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 74, according to the weather service.

Tuesday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 95, the weather service said.

For more weather information, visit www.weather.gov.

Over 9,000 people sign up for mail ballots for primary

More than 9,000 Wyandotte County residents have applied for mail-in ballots for the primary election Aug. 4.

The Wyandotte County Election Office sent out a mailing to all households in the county that told of the mail ballot option, said Frances Sheppard, assistant county election commissioner.

The response, during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been huge. She said voters should get their request for a mail ballot in by July 28.

Sheppard said the election office will start mailing out the ballots on July 15. Overseas ballots, including ballots for members of the military service, were mailed on June 19.

The ballots have to be postmarked on or before Election Day and received no later than three days after the election. The advance ballots also can be dropped off in person by 7 p.m. on Election Day at the election office, 850 State Ave., or at a polling place.

While it appears there will be substantial voting by mail, voters still will be able to vote in person at their polling places from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Election Day, Aug. 4, and also can vote in advance at satellite polling locations, according to Sheppard.

COVID-19 to change the look of polling places, with more distancing

“We’re taking extra precautions at polling sites,” Sheppard said.

There will be social distancing, along with markers on the floors, she said. There will be a limited number of people who can be inside the room at one time, she added.

They hope people will be able to get in and out quickly, and everyone who turns out to vote will be able to vote, she said. That’s why they’re also offering advance voting in person and by mail again this year, she said.

Advance in-person voting at the election office will start on July 21, she said. There will be three advance voting in-person sites, including the election office at 850 State Ave., the Joe Amayo Argentine Recreation Center, 2810 Metropolitan Ave., and the Eisenhower Recreation Center, 2901 N. 72nd St., Kansas City, Kansas.

Precautions in place to prevent fraud

There has been some speculation nationally that mail or advance ballots are not secure, however, Kansas has always offered the opportunity for advance ballots, Sheppard said. In the early 1990s voters had to have an excuse, a religious reason or going out of town, to get an advance ballot, but that law changed a long time ago, she said. No excuse is needed now, and any registered voter can get a mail-in ballot.

“It’s very safe, we’ve never had any problems,” she said. “There’s always checks and balances in Kansas.”

There are laws that are followed when handling the ballots, according to the election office. There also are laws in place to prosecute anyone attempting to commit a fraud. Photo ID, address and signature verification also may be used to detect fraud.

Candidates and political parties also may have poll watchers in the polling places, observing the election.

There also are procedures in place to prevent fraudulent ballots, including encoding ballots for each election. Copies will not work on voting machines. Also, the penalties for violations are felonies.

The mail-in ballots are counted after the polls close on election night by an election board, according to the election office. They are not counted when they come in – they are tabulated after the polls close Aug. 4. There is a separate set of voting machines, separate from those at the polling place, that is used to tabulate votes cast by mail and at the early voting sites.

Voter registration deadline is July 14

The voter registration deadline is coming up shortly, at the end of the business day on July 14, Sheppard said. To see if you are registered, go to Voter View online, which has a link on the wycovotes.org website, or call the Wyandotte County election office at 913-573-8500.

If not registered, Wyandotte County residents may fill out a voter registration form, and there is a link to it from the wycovotes.org website. Registration is currently by mail and online.

Federal and state candidates are on the ballot this year, including candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Kansas Senate, Kansas House, State Board of Education, District Court Judge, and Wyandotte County District Attorney.

In the primary election this year, voters must be either registered Democrats or registered Republicans, since it is a partisan primary.

Voter View, to find out if you are registered, where your polling place is, and what is on the ballot, is at https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/voterview.

A voter registration application is at https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56606b47e4b0b9403ad6ff96/t/5c7030e21905f46c1410405f/1550856418896/2019+Voter+Registration+Application.pdf.

An advance voting ballot (by mail) application is at
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56606b47e4b0b9403ad6ff96/t/5e822b7a679da75b43a9fd29/1585589114506/AV1+Mail_2020+PRIMARY.pdf

A list of candidates on the ballot is at https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56606b47e4b0b9403ad6ff96/t/5efcc1a5fcc25b263e161260/1593622949066/2020+Primary+Election+-+OFFICIAL+List+of+National++State+Candidates+for+Wyandotte+County.pdf.

More information is at www.wycovotes.org. Voters also may call the election office at 913-573-8500 or email [email protected].