Temperatures could rise to the mid-80s on Friday, according to the National Weather Service forecast. (National Weather Service graphic)
Temperatures were 74 degrees at 9 a.m. Friday, and are expected to rise to a high of 86 today, according to the National Weather Service forecast.
Calm weather continues a few days before the possibility of rain late Sunday and Monday, the weather service said. Rain is possible much of the rest of next week.
Today, it will be sunny, with a high near 86 and a south southwest wind of 5 to 8 mph, the weather service said.
Tonight, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 66 and a south wind of 7 mph, according to the weather service.
Saturday, it will be sunny with a high near 86, and a south southwest wind of 6 to 11 mph, gusting to 18 mph, the weather service said.
Saturday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 67 and a south wind of 8 mph, according to the weather service.
Sunday, there is a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m., with a high near 84, the weather service said. A south wind of 6 to 11 mph will gust as high as 21 mph.
Sunday night, there is a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms before 7 p.m., with a low of 68, according to the weather service.
Monday, there is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m., with a high near 85, the weather service said.
Monday night, it will be partly cloudy, with a low of 68, according to the weather service.
Tuesday, there is a 50 percent chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1 p.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 85.
Tuesday night, it will be partly cloudy, with a low of 69, according to the weather service.
Wednesday, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 86, the weather service said.
Wednesday night, there is a 30 percent chance of showers, with a low of 70, according to the weather service.
Thursday, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 86, the weather service said.
More mobile vaccination clinics and special events are being scheduled in Wyandotte County, including one on Friday and Saturday at the Kansas Speedway.
Free walk-in COVID-19 vaccines will be available to the public, no appointment needed, from 8 a.m. to noon Friday, June 4, at the KCKCC Upper Jewell building, 7250 State Ave. The mobile clinic is in partnership with UG Health Department and KCKCC. Those getting the vaccines can live anywhere. For more information, visit www.WycoVaccines.org or call 3-1-1.
Free walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available for everyone 12 and older from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, June 4, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th St., (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas.
People may also schedule vaccinations at WycoVaccines.org. Residents may request rides to the vaccination clinic through a form on the same website.
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
The number of active COVID-19 patients on Thursday morning at the University of Kansas Health System was steady, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. There were six active COVID-19 patients, an increase of one since Wednesday. Two of the patients were in the intensive care unit, an increase of one from Wednesday. Six other patients were hospitalized because of COVID-19 but were not in the acute infection phase, a decrease of one from Wednesday. The total is 12 patients, no change from Wednesday.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of two COVID-19 cases on Thursday, June 3, for a cumulative 18,849 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 295 deaths reported, the same as Wednesday.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 174,641 cumulative, COVID-19 cases on Thursday, an increase of 58 cases since Wednesday in the Kansas City region. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 45.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 314,523 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Wednesday, June 2, an increase of 526 cases since Friday, May 28. There were a total of 5,080 cumulative deaths reported statewide, an increase of four. Johnson County had a cumulative 59,208 cases on Wednesday, an increase of 64 since Friday, according to the KDHE. Leavenworth County had a cumulative 7,264 cases on Wednesday, an increase of nine since Friday. Sedgwick County had a cumulative 57,376 cases on Wednesday, an increase of 104 since Friday.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Thursday night reported 33,326,128 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 596,401 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 16,913 new cases nationwide and 610 new deaths nationwide. States with rising numbers of new cases were Texas, 2,492; Florida, 1,234; Arizona, 915; California, 913; and Washington, 693. Countries with rising numbers of new cases were India, 134,154; Brazil, 95,601; Argentina, 35,017; Colombia, 27,000; and U.S., 16,913, according to Johns Hopkins information.
Free testing available Friday
Free COVID-19 testing will be offered from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, June 4, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th St., (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas.
Wyandotte County residents may contact the Health Department at wycohelp.org to sign up for a test to be delivered to their home.
One of the WellHealth sites for free COVID-19 testing is open beginning at 8 a.m. Friday, June 4, at Lowe’s at 6920 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Appointments are required. For more information, to see other testing sites and to make an appointment, visit https://www.gogettested.com/kansas.
With just three veterans returning, 10 recruits signed for 2021-2022
by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information
You will need a program when Kansas City Kansas Community College opens the men’s basketball season this fall.
Only three Blue Devils return from the COVID-ravished team that finished 10-8 in 2021. And the new faces won’t be the only change.
“We will change the offense,” said third year coach Brandon Burgette. “It will be totally different. We won’t be as big as we were but we’ll have bigger guards with more athleticism and more speed. It will be totally different, a different style of play – guards who can play faster, who can guard, press and play together.”
The defending Jayhawk and Region VI champion, the Blue Devils played in only half of their conference games this past spring, finishing 3-2.
“Looking back, we underachieved,” Burgette said. “It was a very disappointing season, especially with the COVID. We missed 18 days of practice and five games in which we could not be around each other because of the quarantine. We had social distancing and wore masks during practice – just less interaction with the team, less bonding.”
Burgette’s task for 2021-2022 will be to replace 95 percent of the scoring and 94 percent of the rebounding from this past season.
Gone are six of the top seven scorers and rebounders headed by third team All-American guard Deron McDaniel and 6-7 rebound leader Caleb Jones, both of whom were first team All-Jayhawk and All-Region VI. McDaniel led in scoring (15.2) and 3-point goals (56); Jones averaged 14.3 points and led in rebounds with 9.1 per game.
Also gone are guards DeAngelo Bell, who averaged 10.3 points and 1.8 assists; and Trey Bates III, the leader in assists (4.0) while averaging 8.6 points; and forwards 6-8 Jermaine Yarbrough, who averaged 7.1 points and 4.1 rebounds; and 6-7 Robert Rhodes, the Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman who averaged 8.1 rebounds and 6.4 points. Together, Jones, Rhodes and Yarbrough hauled in 359 rebounds, more than half the team’s 727.
The three returnees are headed by 6-5 forward Shayon Janloo, the lone returning starter who averaged 8.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 16 starts. The other returners are 6-6 forward Bryce Johnson, who averaged 5.6 points and 2.9 rebounds; and 6-0 Zach Nelson, who was second in assists (3.2) while averaging 2.2 points.
“A big energy guy, Shaylon will give us more scoring and leadership,” Burgette said. “Zach was a solid backup point guard who will allow us to play at a faster past; Bryce Johnson should be a big piece for us. Extremely athletic, he has a lot of maturing to do on and off the floor but we expect big things.”
So how do you replace nearly 1,200 points and 610 rebounds? For Burgette, it has meant recruiting from coast to coast (Los Angeles to Florida and the Bahamas) and the Midwest (Detroit, Chicago and St. Louis) thanks to the countless relationships built by Burgette in basketball circles.
Ten recruits have already been inked for 2021-2022.
“We’re not done; we have three more to get,” Burgette said.
The new recruits include four transfers, 6-5 Josh Butler, a wing from Lee’s Summit who transferred from cross-town Metropolitan Community College; 6-7 forward Keondre Brown, who transferred from Compton College in Los Angeles; Tomas Teklegergis, a 6-0 point guard from Chicago who is transferring from Jackson College in Detroit; and 6-4 Joshua Dumas, a wing guard from Nassau in the Bahamas, who was at Midland College in Texas last year but was injured most of the year. All four will have two years of eligibility.
Butler averaged 10 points and 6.1 rebounds at Metro.
“Long, athletic with big time motor,” Burgette said. “Brown is very skilled with experience; a finisher around the rim. Teklegergis has a great basketball IQ and leadership while Dames is a shooter and scorer.”
New guards include Cortez Hawlett, a 6-1 point guard from Raytown High School; 6-1 Nyk Bryant of Park Hill; and 6-2 Gavin Russell from Belton.
“Hawlett is a quick, fast, shifty playmaker,” Burgette said. “Bryant is a slasher and big time energy guy while Russell is a shooter.”
New forwards/wings include 6-7 Jerry Maxinaud from Fort Lauderdale, Florida; 6-5 Dane Foster from Sedalia; and 6-3 Caleb Jones from St. Louis Vashon.
“Maxinaud is a rim protector who can score around the rim and is great from 17 feet out,” Burgette said. “Foster is skilled and a very good playmaker for his size; Jones is an athletic wing who can put the ball on the floor and finish around the basket.”
In the coming academic year, Burgette and assistant Brady Morningstar are looking forward to a return to a normal season.
“I’ve never had a full year,” Burgette said. “Two years ago I didn’t get to pick my own team and then we missed out on a chance to play in the national tournament and this season, we did not get to work out the whole summer. We couldn’t even play five-on-five until January.”
