Month: June 2021

Free COVID-19 vaccines available today in Wyandotte County

Free COVID-19 vaccines and testing are available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 26, at the Edwardsville Community Center, 696 S. 3rd St., Edwardsville, Kansas.

The testing and vaccines are through Vibrant Health. There will also be free food boxes and free cleaning supplies at the Edwardsville event.

The Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th, Kansas City, Kansas, is open for COVID-19 vaccines from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 26. Those who are age 18 and older are eligible to receive the Johnson and Johnson vaccine on Saturday. This is the last Saturday the Armory clinic will be open for vaccines. The Saturday clinics are in partnership with Donnelly College.

Mobile vaccines can still be requested online at WycoVaccines.org or by calling 3-1-1 (913-573-5311).

The UG Health Department currently is offering prizes and incentives for those Wyandotte County residents who get a COVID-19 vaccine or test at the Kmart or Armory vaccination sites. Those Wyandotte County residents 18 and older can be entered into a contest to win a $500 gift card. Those who are 12-17 can receive a silver season pass to World of Fun and Oceans of Fun, or dinner for four and game passes at Dave and Buster’s, while supplies last.

Those Wyandotte County residents who come into the Armory or Kmart site for a COVID-19 test will receive a $25 Visa gift card, while supplies last.

The UGPHD mass vaccination site hours will be changing in July to one stationary site, the Kmart site, and the Armory site will be closed beginning the week of July 5. There will be a new focus on mobile vaccination clinics in the community.

Other sites available for vaccinations

Vaccinations at KU Health System are open to the public. Current patients may use MyChart to make an appointment. Others may call 913-588-1227 or visit kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine to make an appointment to get vaccinated. KU Health System currently is vaccinating residents of Kansas and Missouri who are 12 or older, by appointment only. Those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the appointment.

There are also pharmacies giving free COVID-19 vaccinations in Wyandotte County by appointment, when available. These include Price Chopper and Hen House pharmacies, which are now also accepting walk-in vaccinations or appointments, and are starting vaccinations for age 12 and up at those pharmacies that are giving Pfizer vaccine (see https://www.ballsfoodspharmacy.com/).

CVS has announced walk-in appointments for COVID-19 vaccine at some of its stores. Those interested in getting a vaccination at a CVS pharmacy are asked to visit a CVS website in order to make sure there is vaccine available. The website is at www.cvs.com/. Walgreens and Walmart also were listed on www.vaccines.gov as giving vaccinations.

Other pharmacies and sites giving vaccines are listed at www.vaccines.gov. The website also tells whether vaccines are in stock at the locations.

Case numbers reported

Wyandotte County reported an increase of 11 COVID-19 cases on Friday, June 25, for a cumulative 19,023 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 299 deaths reported, no change.

The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 176,724 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Friday in the Kansas City region. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 58. There were 2,530 cumulative deaths.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 317,304 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Friday, June 25, an increase of 287 cases since Wednesday. There was a total of 5,147 cumulative deaths reported statewide.
According to KDHE figures, Johnson County had a cumulative 59,758 COVID-19 cases on Friday, June 25, an increase of 75 since Wednesday. Sedgwick County had a cumulative 57,902 COVID-19 cases on Friday, June 25, an increase of 46.

The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Saturday morning reported 33,603,984 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 603,525 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 12,667 new cases nationwide and 349 new deaths nationwide.
States with high numbers of new cases were Texas, 1,623; California, 1,185; Missouri, 891; Nevada, 804; and Arizona, 587.
Countries with high numbers of new cases were Brazil, 79,277; India, 48,698; Colombia, 32,733; Argentina, 24,023; and U.S., 12,667, according to Johns Hopkins information.

Additional flooding possible today in region

A hydrology chart from USGS showed the Missouri River above Parkville, where the gauge is located on the Missouri River on I-435 between Platte and Wyandotte counties, went up to the action stage before receding a little. (USGS chart)
From a tenth to a quarter-inch of rain is possible Saturday in Wyandotte County. (National Weather Service graphic)

Ongoing minor to major river flooding will continue today and may be aggravated by additional rainfall today in the region, according to the National Weather Service.

Flash flooding may be possible south of a Kirksville to Gardner line where an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain is possible across saturated ground.

Hydrology charts from the USGS showed the Missouri River above Parkville, where the gauge is on the Missouri River at I-435 between Wyandotte and Platte counties, went up to the action stage overnight before receding.

A few storms this afternoon and evening in the region could be strong, according to the weather service. Winds up to 50 mph and small hail are possible with the storms.

In Wyandotte County, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms likely, mostly after 1 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. The high will be near 81 with a southwest wind of 10 mph. Between a tenth and quarter-inch of rain is possible.

Tonight, there is a 70 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be near 68 with a southwest wind of 5 to 9 mph becoming calm after midnight. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is possible.

More rain is in the forecast for Sunday. There is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 79 and a north northeast wind of 3 to 6 mph, the weather service said.

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

Officer-involved shooting on Vista under investigation

The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department is investigating a fatal, officer-involved shooting Friday afternoon in the 5000 block of Vista Street.

A police spokesman stated that officers were dispatched about 3:46 p.m. Friday to the 5000 block of Vista Street on a domestic disturbance.

While the officers were en route, the caller told the dispatcher that the suspect, who was armed, had been shot, the spokesman stated.

When officers arrived, the armed suspect confronted them, the spokesman stated. Officers discharged their firearms, and the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the spokesman.

The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department, the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office are investigating.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS, the police spokesman stated.