Month: April 2021

Saturday COVID-19 vaccination hours added for Wyandotte County residents

The Unified Government Health Department has announced it will add hours on every Saturday in April at its east vaccination facility at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 18th and Ridge.

Saturday hours will be 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. April 10, April 17 and April 24. The Saturday vaccinations are open to people age 18 and older who live in Wyandotte County.


Patients being vaccinated on Saturdays will receive the one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine. This vaccine is approved only for those 18 and older. Wyandotte County residents wishing to be vaccination can either walk in to receive their vaccination or make an appointment.

“Throughout the vaccine rollout, we have been working to make vaccines more accessible for our County,” said Juliann Van Liew, director of the Unified Government Public Health Department. “We’ve heard from many of our partner agencies and community members that people needed the option of weekend vaccination hours. Now we’re able to provide those throughout April. Wyandotte County residents can walk in or make an appointment, whichever they prefer. If they need transportation assistance, we can provide that as well. We want everyone living in Wyandotte County to have the opportunity to get the vaccination at a time and a location that works for them, and we hope this helps make that possible.”

Some vaccination hours reduced

In order to accommodate the new Saturday vaccination hours, the Health Department will need to reduce hours on Mondays temporarily. For April:
• The Armory vaccination (100 S. 20th St.) site will be closed on Monday, April 12.
• The former Kmart site (7836 State Ave) will be closed on Monday, April 19.
• The former Best Buy site (10500 Parallel Parkway) will be closed on Monday, April 26.

How to schedule a vaccine appointment online

  1. Go to WycoVaccines.org, and click on the blue button that says, “Click here to schedule an appointment online.”
  2. Fill out pertinent contact information.
  3. Select a preferred vaccination site. A calendar will then be displayed with available dates.
  4. Select a date to see available appointment times, then click the time you would like to schedule.
  5. Once the vaccination appointment is scheduled, the application shows a confirmation, along with any additional instructions.
  6. When coming in for your appointment, you will be asked to show proof of that you live in Wyandotte County, such as a piece of mail addressed to you, drivers’ license, or similar.
  7. When users book an appointment using the Self-Scheduling Tool, that means they will be vaccinated within the hour of their appointment time. For example, if a user selects “10 a.m.” as their appointment time, they will be vaccinated between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on their selected date.

How to schedule a vaccine appointment by phone

Wyandotte County residents who don’t have an internet connection can call 3-1-1 (913-573-5311) for assistance in scheduling their vaccination appointment time and date, or for assistance in requesting a ride to and from vaccine sites.
While walk-in patients are welcomed at any of the sites, walk-in patients will not be accepted after 2:30 p.m. All Wyandotte County residents who want a vaccination (whether by appointment or walk-in) must bring proof of residence with them, such as a piece of mail, drivers’ license, or similar.

Request a ride to and from a vaccination site

People who live in Wyandotte County can request transportation assistance to get their COVID-19 vaccination. They can submit a request online at WycoVaccines.org or by calling 3-1-1.

Tips for getting your vaccine

When it’s time for you to get your COVID-19 vaccine, keep these tips in mind:
• Please eat something (even a snack) before getting your vaccination.
• Be prepared to wait in the Recovery area for 15-30 minutes after your vaccination
• Wear a short-sleeved or sleeveless shirt so you can be vaccinated more easily (if it’s chilly out, wear a sweater or jacket over your short-sleeved shirt).

Volunteer opportunities

The Health Department is seeking additional volunteers to help with COVID-19 vaccine efforts. Volunteers are needed in both clinical and non-clinical roles. People interested in joining the volunteer team are invited to fill out the Volunteer Application: ughealth.info/volunteer.

Others offering vaccinations


The University of Kansas Health System also is offering vaccinations for Wyandotte and Johnson county residents. Any resident of Kansas can call to get an appointment whether they are a patient or not at the health system. There are about 8,000 open appointments.

KU Health System offers vaccinations seven days a week at different locations. Appointments are required. Current patients may use MyChart to make an appointment. Others may call 913-588-1227 or visit kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine.


There are also pharmacies giving COVID-19 vaccinations in Wyandotte County by appointment, when available. These include Price Chopper and Hen House pharmacy at 76th and State Avenue, and 81st and State Avenue (see https://www.ballsfoodspharmacy.com/), and Medicine Shoppe pharmacy at 65th and Parallel by appointment when available (see https://www.facebook.com/The-Medicine-Shoppe-Kansas-City-281548241870522). CVS pharmacy also has announced that it will offer COVID-19 vaccines at one of its stores in Kansas City, Kansas. Registration is at CVS.com.

COVID-19 case numbers reported

The University of Kansas Health System reported eight active COVID-19 patients on Wednesday morning, an increase of one from Tuesday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. Of the eight patients, three were in the intensive care unit, no change from Tuesday. One patient was on a ventilator, the same as Tuesday. There were another 14 COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized but are out of the acute infection phase, a decrease of one since Tuesday. There is a total 22 patients, no change since Tuesday.

Wyandotte County reported an increase of 15 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, April 7, for a cumulative 18,155 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 287 deaths reported, no change from Tuesday. According to the Wyandotte County vaccine page, there were 21.5 percent of the county’s residents who had at least one COVID-19 vaccination, and 11.6 percent who completed their vaccinations. There was a total of 35,567 Wyandotte County residents with at least one vaccination shot, and 19,146 residents who had completed their vaccinations.

The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 164,810 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, an increase of 201. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 66. The number of cumulative deaths was 2,341.

The state of Kansas reported 303,767 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, April 7, an increase of 540 cases since Monday. There were a total cumulative 4,932 deaths reported statewide, an increase of five.

The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Wednesday night reported 30,921,976 cases in the United States, with 559,109 total deaths reported nationwide.

COVID-19 tests scheduled

Free COVID-19 tests will be available from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 8, at Vibrant Health, Argentine location, 1428 S. 32nd, Kansas City, Kansas. The tests are in partnership with the Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force. Nasopharyngeal swab-PCR tests will be provided by Vibrant Health.

COVID-19 testing is available at 8 a.m. Thursday at Lowe’s, 6920 State Ave., by appointment. The tests are listed on the Go Get Tested site
at www.gogettested.com/Kansas. The WellHealth tests need appointments, which can be made at the website.

Unified Government Health Department COVID-19 testing and vaccine sites are scheduled to be open on Thursday, April 8. For more information, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.

The Health Department is offering saliva COVID-19 tests to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, April 8, at the former Kmart at 7836 State Ave. and at the former Best Buy at 10500 Parallel Parkway. Tests from the Health Department are free for those who live or work in Wyandotte County.

The tests are open to asymptomatic people as well as those who have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. Check with the UG Health Department’s Facebook page to see if there have been any changes in the schedule. Bring something that shows that you live or work in Wyandotte County, such as a utility bill.

The Health Department’s general contact page is at https://www.wycokck.org/Health/Contact.aspx. Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.

Testing sites are at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19.

Saliva testing is now offered at the UG Health Department. For more information, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/02042021-ugphd-saliva-testing-available.pdf.

The KU doctors’ news conference is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/358223565512095.

The University of Kansas Health System COVID-19 update page is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/292961702392386.

A weekly vaccine report for the state of Kansas is at
https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/DocumentCenter/View/123/Vaccine-Historical-Document-22521?bidId=.

Wyandotte County has a local mask and social distancing ordinance approved by the UG Commission. The UG COVID-19 webpage is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.

The KDHE’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.

The KC Region COVID-19 Hub dashboard is at https://marc2.org/covidhub/.

The Wyandotte County page on the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 website is at https://bao.arcgis.com/covid-19/jhu/county/20209.html.

The Johns Hopkins Data in Motion, a presentation on critical COVID-19 data in the past 24 hours, is at https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/covid-19-daily-video.

Blue Devils deal No. 16 Crowder third loss in 33 games

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

Lansing sophomore Alyssa Seichepine made the most of a rare starting opportunity Tuesday, contributing two pivotal doubles in Kansas City Kansas Community College’s 4-1 win over Crowder College Tuesday.

It was only the third setback in 33 games for Crowder, which came into the game ranked No. 16 in the NJCAA Division I national poll. The win also came just after Crowder had taken an 11-1 win in the opener.

Ranked No. 20 in the latest Division II poll, the Blue Devils improved their record to 25-7 heading into a Jayhawk Conference doubleheader with No. 11 ranked Johnson County (12-8) Friday in Overland Park. The games were originally scheduled for Saturday and will start at 1 and 3 p.m.

Crowder took a 1-0 lead in the of the third inning of Tuesday’s nightcap but the Blue Devils rebounded immediately, tying the game on doubles by Seichepine and Bradi Basler. KCKCC then broke the 1-1 deadlock in the bottom of the sixth.

After a walk to Basler and a single by Alexis Rymer, freshman Lindsey Gettle put KCKCC ahead with a run-scoring double and Seichepine doubled in two big insurance runs.

Basler scattered five hits, walking one and striking out three in a complete game performance. Savannah Maynard also had two hits for KCKCC.

The Blue Devils were limited to singles by Maynard and Jenna Daugherty in the 11-1 opener. Breanna Droge took the loss, giving up 12 hits and nine earned runs.

Utilities just got a new financial tool that could speed the end of coal plants in Kansas

by Brian Grimmett, Kansas News Service

Lawmakers basically let utilities refinance the cost of their old power plants. And if they get the debt from those coal-fired facilities off the books, they can shut them down and switch faster to renewable energy sources.

Wichita, Kansas — Utility companies in Kansas will soon have a new accounting tool that could speed the closure of coal-fired power plants — and save customers money.

The financial tool is known as securitization. It’s not a new idea, but it is complex. The Kansas Legislature passed a bill approving the use of the tool after more than two years of discussion.

Here’s what you need to know about the change, and how it could remake how utilities generate electricity in Kansas.

What is securitization?

It’s a way for a utility company to refinance what it owes on some of its large investments — think mostly coal plants — at a much lower interest rate.

Instead of paying off an old loan at a higher interest rate, a utility can clear the debt from building a plant off its books, replacing that cost with a lower-interest bond backed by bill-paying customers.

And while the debt is paid off through the new bonds, the utility has new freedom to switch to cheaper sources of energy like wind, solar.

How will this save customers money?

One key is how the sort of return utility shareholders are promised by state regulators. Without the refinancing, they’re promised about a 9% return on the money they invested in an old power plant. With the refinancing, the company no longer makes a return on the plant and customers only have to pay the interest from the bond — about 2%.

Closing a plant also eliminates operational and maintenance expenses. If replaced with renewable energy, a closure also eliminates fuel costs. A utility company doesn’t make money on that fuel, but does pass the expense on to customers.

Ashok Gupta, an energy economist with the Natural Resource Defense Council, said replacing coal with renewable energy is better for the environment, less expensive to operate and provides utilities with new investment opportunities.

“That’s what creates this win-win-win for utilities, their customers and the environment,” he said.

State regulators won’t sign off on any plan unless utilities can show that the total costs of retiring and refinancing a plant and any new investments won’t increase customers’ bills.

What could go wrong?

Some environmental advocates worry that the tool won’t be used to replace aging coal with renewable energy. They wanted rules demanding that new investments go toward renewable energy.

“We do a disservice to our state, to our citizens and to the environment if what happens is we retire the coal plants and instead build a whole bunch of gas plants,” said Dorothy Barnett, the executive director of the Climate and Energy Project.

What incentives does a utility company have to use the tool?

It’s all about money. Operating aging coal plants is expensive, and increasingly unprofitable. As long as those investments are still on the books and running, there’s only so much new investment regulators will let a company make.

Evergy lobbyist Jason Klindt said without access to this low-cost type of financing the best course of action for the company would be to keep coal plants running. That’s because it would be the only way to provide the return its shareholders expected.

So if everybody wins, why didn’t regulators let utilities play with the books like this before?

Before the effort to transition away from fossil fuels started to gain steam, utilities didn’t have much reason to think about shutting fossil fuel plants down early. The coal plants were essential, cheap and working the way the utilities thought they would when they made the original investment 40 – 50 years ago.

But the transition is happening. Renewable energy is cheaper and cleaner than coal.

Is anybody else doing this?

About 20 states have some kind of securitization law. In the past few years, the concept has become more popular as utility companies look for ways to transition away from fossil fuels.

Some states have also used the tool to help pay for repairs when natural disasters destroy infrastructure. In Kansas, natural gas companies have said they’re interested in using the tool to cover costs that came with when natural gas prices spiked during the February cold snap.

Brian Grimmett reports on the environment, energy and natural resources for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter @briangrimmett or email him at grimmett (at) kmuw (dot) org. The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy.
Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org.
See more at https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-04-05/utilities-just-got-a-new-financial-tool-that-could-speed-the-end-of-coal-plants-in-kansas.