Month: March 2021

KCKCC volleyball rebounds with 3-0 defeat of Coffeyville

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

Kansas City Kansas Community College rebounded from a five-set loss Thursday with a 3-0 thumping of Coffeyville Saturday.

Down two sets to one, Cloud County came back for a 3-2 win Thursday before the Blue Devils blitzed Coffeyville in three sets.

The Blue Devils (7-5) are right back in action Tuesday at No. 7 ranked Johnson County at 6 p.m. and then return home to play host to Allen County Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and No. 6 Highland Saturday at 11 a.m.

The win over Coffeyville gave the Blue Devils a sweep of the long-time Jayhawk power. After winning 3-2 at Coffeyville earlier, KCKCC make quick work of the second meeting, winning 25-20, 25-25, 25-14.

“After the loss to Cloud, the group decided they didn’t want to feel like that again and hit another level,” KCKCC coach Mary Bruno-Ballou said. “We had heart, executed our game play well and played excellent volleyball as a group. An absolute team win; proud of them and the success they’ve had as a group.”

Cassidy Crist led the Blue Devils with 17 kills in the swift 3-game match. Nicole Hughes and Mia Tomasic added seven and Michelle Dvorak six. Adriana Velez had 33 assists while Kelcey Hund had 14 digs, Velez 10 and Crist 8.

After dropping the opening set to Cloud 25-18, the Blue Devils bounced back with 25-24 and 25-22 wins only to drop the final two sets 25-22, 15-8. Four Blue Devils had 10 or more kills and five had double digits in digs.

Crist led in kills with 17 followed by Dvorak with 12 and Hughes and Tomasic with 10 each. Hund led in digs with 17 with Velez adding 15, Crist and Tomasic 13 each and Abigail Marcouillier 10. Velez had 47 of KCKCC’s 51 assists.

Johnson County and Neosho County share the Jayhawk Conference lead at 7-1 followed by Highland, 6-1; Fort Scott, 7-4; KCKCC, 6-4; Cloud County, 6-5; Coffeyville, 3-4; Allen County, 5-7; Cowley College, 4-7; Labette, 1-9; and Hesston, 0-9.

Kansas residents can apply now for Low Income Energy Assistance Program to pay high electric bills

Gov. Laura Kelly is encouraging Kansas residents to apply for funds available through the Low Income Energy Assistance Program to help pay high electricity bills caused by extremely cold temperatures.

Because of extreme cold, residents may see higher than usual utility costs.

“My administration is considering every tool at our disposal to ensure Kansans and communities are protected from price surges caused by the extreme weather,” said Gov. Kelly said in a news release. “While LIEAP assistance is available to Kansans experiencing higher than usual utility costs, we continue to communicate with our local and federal partners to address this problem.”

LIEAP is a federally-funded program that helps eligible households pay a portion of their home energy costs by providing a one-time per-year benefit. The 2021 LIEAP application period is from Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, through Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Applications must be received before 5 p.m., March 31, 2021. To find additional information about the LIEAP program and applications, visit http://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/ees/Pages/EnergyAssistance.aspx.

In addition to promoting LIEAP assistance, the following actions are currently being taken to address higher than usual utility costs for Kansans:


• The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) has instructed utilities under its jurisdiction (Evergy, Liberty, Southern Pioneer, Kansas Gas Service, Black Hills, Atmos, and the city of Eskridge) to defer the extraordinary costs associated with cold weather. (The BPU is not under the KCC’s jurisdiction.)
• Utility companies regulated by the KCC are now required to submit what costs they incurred because of the storm, along with a plan detailing what steps they are taking to mitigate the cost to consumers.
• KCC is working on a plan to spread extra costs out over several months or more to soften the impact on customers.
• Gov. Kelly and the KCC asked the Federal Regulatory Commission to investigate the events that led to a utility shortage and aid the state in protecting consumers from high costs.


The following additional resources are available for Kansans who may struggle to pay their utility bills:


• All KCC regulated utilities are offering payment plans to help customers spread out costs. Kansans should contact their utility provider to explore available options.
• Kansans can find a list of agencies and organizations providing assistance in their area at https://kcc.ks.gov/public-affairs-and-consumer-protection/utility-weatherization-related-assistance-programs.
• Kansans with questions can contact the KCC’s Public Affairs and Consumer Protection Office at 800-662-0027 or 785-271-3140.

No. 6 Johnson County holds off Blue Devil rallies, 73-65

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

No. 6 Johnson County took Round One in the battle for Jayhawk Conference basketball superiority, holding off Kansas City Kansas Community College 73-65 in Overland Park Saturday.

The win in the Jayhawk opener for both teams was the ninth against one loss for the Cavaliers while the Blue Devils (7-6) had a five-game winning streak come to an end. KCKCC now returns for a pair of home games against Hesston Wednesday and Highland Saturday afternoon.

JCCC broke open a tight game midway through the second half by draining three consecutive 3-pointers in a 1:07 span of a minute and seven seconds to open a 54-40 lead and then repulsed a late KCKCC comeback. Twice the Blue Devils got within six points at 65-59 and 67-61 in the final two minutes but missed a chance to get even closer by missing three straight free throws and the Cavaliers protected their lead with six consecutive foul shots in the final 30 seconds.

Poor free throwing proved costly for the Blue Devils, who made only 4-of-13 for 30,8 percent although nothing seemed to fall – 27-of-75 field goal attempts for 36 percent and 7-of-28 from 3-pont (.250). The Cavaliers were .431 from the field, .348 from 3-point.

“They got out to an early lead and we answered back,” KCKCC coach Brandon Burgette said. “But we didn’t do a good job of guarding or building on our momentum from our last game. We weren’t ourselves; we did not play Blue Devil basketball. When we did play good defense, we struggled to convert.”

Deron McDaniel had 19 points and six rebounds and Caleb Jones 16 points and a near double with nine rebounds to lead KCKCC. Trey Bates added seven points and Shaylon Janloo and Robert Rhodes six each. Rhodes also had eight rebounds.

Led by Jaland Whitehead’s 14 rebounds, JCCC won the board battle 45-39. The Blue Devils had just seven turnovers while forcing a dozen.

“In this conference you can’t have off nights and tonight was one of those,” Burgette said. “We have to be more disciplined and tough during the tough times of the year.”

In other action Saturday, No. 15 Fort Scott stunned No. 4 Highland 57-51 while Labette’s game at Hesston was postponed.