Month: June 2021

Significance of today’s Juneteenth holiday discussed

Events scheduled today in KCK

As the community prepared for the celebration of Juneteenth, the new holiday’s significance was discussed at a news conference Friday morning at the University of Kansas Health System.

Juneteenth has been celebrated since June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Texas learned about their freedom and learned about the Emancipation Proclamation that had been issued by President Lincoln two years earlier. Now it is commemorated as the day that slavery ended in America.

The holiday has been celebrated since 1865, but it was only this week that Juneteenth was named a federal holiday by the President signing a bill from Congress.

No matter what background, people should take some time on Juneteenth to reflect on what is important, the sacrifices some made so others could have liberty, according to Chaplain Clarence Miller.

Chaplain Miller recounted the history of Juneteenth, including 10,000 federal soldiers that arrived to enforce emancipation, and were met by 4,000 Confederate soldiers opposing it.

He said his family always celebrated Juneteenth when he was a child, and on a community level, there are a number of things that happened at local parks, including church services outdoors, talent shows and barbecues.

The national holiday designation has been a long time coming, he said.

COVID-19 has been tough for everyone, and his church isn’t doing anything specifically this Juneteenth, but he looks forward to getting back to doing activities again when the pandemic ends, Chaplain Miller said.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, said it would be great to celebrate outdoors if it’s not too hot. He encouraged people to promote COVID-19 vaccinations at their events.

Broderick Crawford, president of the New Bethel Church Community Development Corp. in Kansas City, Kansas, said his family also celebrated Juneteenth when he was young, and his family was from Louisiana, where Juneteenth has a greater significance.

He pointed out the federal holiday passed unanimously in the Senate and a large majority in the House, one of the few things that there has been agreement on.

“This is going to be one of the few opportunities folks have to get outside. There will be parades and all sorts of activities to get outside,” he said.

Activities are happening in Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri, he said, with food, games and vendors.

One of the largest events is expected to be at the 18th and Vine area in Kansas City, Missouri, he said, with food, games and activities.

In Kansas City, Kansas, a parade starts at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 19, and travels on Quindaro Boulevard to the Vernon Multi-Purpose Center, he said. Everything culminates near the John Brown Statue near the Vernon Center. That is the site of the former Western University.

As they travel on Quindaro Boulevard, there will be a festival, barbecue and games, he said.

Historian Chester Owen is the grand marshal of the KCK parade, and will present information about it, he said.

Crawford said the Unified Government Health Department will provide masks and COVID-19 testing at the Juneteenth event Saturday.

His congregation, at New Bethel Church, is participating as one of the flagship churches for testing through the Health Department. They have had a vaccine and testing program, along with mammogram screening recently. Crawford estimated the congregation is about 75 to 80 percent vaccinated at this time.

The church is making an effort to get medical information to its members through doctors so they have a chance to make their decisions based on facts, he said.

Dr. Hawkinson recommended that people participating in events this weekend celebrate in a healthy manner, and remember to use sunscreen, stay hydrated in the hot weather, get vaccinated and talk with friends and family about getting their vaccinations.

For large events, CDC guidelines say that vaccinated people do not need masks, while unvaccinated people should wear masks (see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html).

Miller and Crawford made their remarks at the morning media update Friday at the University of Kansas Health System, online at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/307746447502697.

Free walk-in vaccinations available

The Kansas National Guard Armory at 100 S. 20th (near 18th and Ridge) will be open for free walk-in vaccinations for everyone 18 and older from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 19. The vaccines are through the Unified Government Health Department.

The Unified Government Health Department vaccination hours changed recently. To see the schedule and more information about vaccinations, visit WycoVaccines.org or https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.

Those who receive COVID-19 vaccinations are asked to consider bringing an ID to make the process go faster.

The Health Department is doing more mobile COVID-19 vaccinations, and people may request vaccines to be given at different sites in the community by going to WycoVaccines.org and clicking on “mobile vaccine request.” People also may request a ride to vaccination sites on the same page.

Those who wish to schedule an appointment may use the Health Department’s self-scheduling tool at WycoVaccines.org and click on a blue button that says, “Click here to schedule an appointment online.” The page is available in Spanish by clicking at the top of the page. Walk-in appointments also are welcome.

Those who don’t have an internet connection may call 3-1-1 or 913-573-5311 for assistance in scheduling their vaccination appointment time and date.

To see more information about Health Department vaccinations and next week’s schedule, visit WycoVaccines.org.

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

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, reported the COVID-19 case numbers Friday at the University of Kansas Health System were 14 active COVID-19 patients being treated at the hospital, a decrease of three since Thursday. Five patients were in the intensive care unit. Two were on ventilators. Eleven other patients were still in the hospital, in the recovery phase. There was a total of 25 patients, same as Thursday. One week before, there was a total of nine COVID-19 patients.

Wyandotte County reported an increase of 13 COVID-19 cases on Friday, June 18, for a cumulative 18,977 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 175,861 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Friday in the Kansas City region. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 54.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 316,539 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Friday, June 18, an increase of 196 cases since Wednesday. There were a total of 5,129 cumulative deaths reported statewide.
According to KDHE figures, Johnson County had a cumulative 59,550 COVID-19 cases on Friday, June 18, an increase of 36 since Wednesday. Sedgwick County had a cumulative 57,732 COVID-19 cases on Friday, June 18, an increase of 44. Leavenworth County had a cumulative 7,291 cases on Friday, June 18.

The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Friday night reported 33,516,213 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 601,571 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 10,399 new cases nationwide and 281 new deaths nationwide.
States with high numbers of new cases were California, 1,056; Texas, 793; Missouri, 761; Colorado, 543; and New York, 446.
Countries with high numbers of new cases were Brazil, 74,042; India, 62,480; Colombia, 29,945; Argentina, 23,597; and U.S., 10,399.

Free testing available

Free COVID-19 testing will be offered from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 19, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas. This is the eastern location for the UG Health Department clinics.

Wyandotte County residents may contact the Health Department at wycohelp.org to sign up for a test to be delivered to their home.

For more details about free COVID-19 testing offered by the UG Health Department, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19, https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept or call 3-1-1.

The Health Department’s general contact page is at https://www.wycokck.org/Health/Contact.aspx. The department’s 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. There are more test sites listed on this page.

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/598191457866019.

The University of Kansas Health System COVID-19 update page is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/330310795391910.

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

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.

Basler named first-team NJCAA All-American

Bradi Basler (KCKCC photo)
Bradi Basler of KCKCC has been named to the NJCAA Division II All-America first team. (Photo from Alan Hoskins, KCKCC)

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

Bradi Basler didn’t make the All-Jayhawk Conference softball first team. But she did make the NJCAA Division II All-America first team.

One of 11 athletes named to the first team, Basler led Kansas City Kansas Community College to a 41-15 record in 2021, the second most wins in history. She did it with both her bat and her arm. Only the second player in Jayhawk history to hit for the Triple Crown, she’s the only player to lead the conference in batting (.503), home runs (20) and runs-batted-in (80) and also in pitching victories (20).

Because of that versatility, Basler was an obvious selection for the utility position on the All-America first team.

“It was difficult to know how to nominate her – for her offense or for her pitching,” KCKCC coach Lana Ross said. “So I nominated her for both positions.”

A freshman eligible from Lansing, Basler was named Freshman of the Year in the Jayhawk but was relegated to the All-Jayhawk Conference second team as a pitcher. Winter Snyder of Labette and Paige Hughes of Cowley College were named first team utility players.

The good news is that Basler will be returning for a third season – and the best may be yet to come.

“She definitely wants to get better and is willing to work to get better,” Ross said. “There’s always things to work on. She knows she has potential and wants a better season next year.”

Basler got in only 14 games when the COVID pandemic shut down her first season in 2020. She hit .385 in 39 plate appearances, rapping three home runs and driving in 24 runs. She also made nine appearances on the mound, compiling a 4-4 record with a 5.13 earned run average. She struck out 59 and walked 20 in 43 innings.

In addition to her Triple Crown this spring, the left-hand hitting Basler also led the Blue Devils in hits (85), extra base hits (40), slugging (.988) and walks (33).

A righthander on the mound, she was 20-6 with a 3.64 ERA. She had 18 complete games in 26 starts along with a team high four saves. She also struck out 126 and walked 45 in 150 innings and handled 178 fielding chances without an error.

“She’s definitely one of the best hitters I’ve ever coached,” said Ross, who coached several All-Americans in her first 14 years at Iowa Western. “She has so many tools from the left side of the box – unbelievable power and yet she can lay down a bunt. She’ll continue to work on her game to be one of the best ever at KCKCC.”

Other past KCKCC All-Americans include Allison Kassick, who holds the Blue Devil record for hitting at .504 in 2017; and Kaleena Micheli and Dana Dunsmore.

Barring injury, Basler will write numerous all-time bests into the record book. Her 20 home runs in a season are already an all-time best and she’s tied for the career lead with 23. Her hits in a season (85) are also a single season best and her .503 batting average is second only to Allison Kassick (.504).

In pitching, Basler’s next win will tie the career record for wins (21) and it’s only a matter of time when she’ll break several other career records.

Basler is the only Jayhawk Conference player named to the NJCAA Division II first team. Pitcher Lilli Weir of Highland and infielder Kaylin Watkins of Johnson County were named to the second team while third team selections include catcher Cheyenne Minnick and infielder Gabby Schultz of Highland and outfielder Paige Hughes of Cowley College.

While Basler was the only Blue Devil named to either the first or second All-Jayhawk team, six Blue Devils earned honorable mention – pitcher Breanna Drogge, infielders Savannah Maynard, Alaina Howe and Jenna Daugherty and outfielders Alexis Rymer and Devin Purcell. Drogge and Maynard are both first year freshmen.