Serving Kansas City (Wyandotte County) Kansas for over 50 years!
Kansas City, Kansas, police detectives are asking the public to help identify a person in connection with a kidnapping Jan. 1 near 10th and Central, Kansas City, Kansas.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department Detective Bureau at 913-573-6012.
Blessed Sacrament and Christ the King Catholic churches have information about Masses at the churches’ websites or Facebook pages at www.facebook.com/Christ-the-King-Parish-KCKS-1392808997677579 and www.facebook.com/BlessedSacramentkck. Masses at Christ the King are at 4 p.m. Saturday, 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday. Masses at Blessed Sacrament are at 6 p.m. Saturday, and at 7:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sunday.
Bonner Springs United Methodist Church, 425 W. Morse Ave., Bonner Springs, will hold a Community Blood Center blood drive from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2, in the fellowship hall. To make an appointment, visit savealifenow.org or call 816-753-4040.
Casa – Worship House Christian Church, 5217 Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas, will have Sunday services at 11 a.m. Jan. 9. See details at www.facebook.com/casadealabanzaKCKS. For more information, visit Facebook @casadealabanzaKCKS.
The First Christian Church of Bonner Springs, 148 N. Nettleton, plans a Community Blood Center blood drive from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, in the fellowship hall. To make an appointment, visit savealifenow.org or call 816-753-4040.
The Keeler Women’s Center, 759 Vermont Ave., Suite 100-B, Kansas City, Kansas, will hold all classes through Jan. 14 virtually because of the increase of COVID-19 cases in the community. There will be no in-person classes. “The Many Ways of Prayer: New Beginnings, with Kathy Keary, will be from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Jan. 10. The Holy Women Series will feature Santa Lucia (St. Lucy), from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 13, led by Brenda Mortell. Registration for the free classes is required to 913-689-9375 or visit www.keelerwomenscenter.org.
Oak Ridge Missionary Baptist Church, 9301 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, will have information about services at https://www.facebook.com/ORMBCKC or http://ormbc.org/church-online/. Oak Ridge Church also is the site for Vibrant Health COVID-19 testing and vaccination events Jan. 3 to 12. Appointments are not required. For hours and more details about vaccinations and testing, see the Vibrant Health calendar at https://vibranthealthkc.org/events/.
Open Door Baptist Church, 3033 N. 103rd Terrace, Kansas City, Kansas, will have services in person at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 9, and livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/opendoorkc/ and https://www.opendoorkc.com/.
Our Lady and St. Rose Catholic Church, 2300 N. 8th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will hold at 11 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 9. For more information, see https://www.facebook.com/ourladyandsaintrose.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 2646 S. 34th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will have free COVID-19 testing and vaccines from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 9. There will be free COVID-19 vaccines, with registration at https://sacredheart0109.timetap.com. First, second and third doses of COVID-19 vaccines are available. There will be first and second vaccinations for children 5 and up. All those 12 and older will qualify for the booster dose if it has been at least 6 months since they received the second dose of Pfizer and Moderna. Those who received a single dose of Johnson and Johnson vaccine will qualify for a booster dose if it’s been at least two months since they received the first dose. PCR saliva tests also are available at this event. Those who get a COVID-19 vaccination will receive a free order of tacos. Free hams and chickens will be available, one per family with at least one vaccinated member, while supplies last.
Stony Point Christian Church, 149 S. 78th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will have services at 10:15 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 9. Sunday school will be at 9 a.m. Services also will be livestreamed on its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/StonyPointChristianChurch. Stony Point is planning a Valentine’s dinner after church Feb. 13, with proceeds benefiting the youth group.
St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas, has information about Masses, and livestreamed Masses, at https://www.facebook.com/StPatrickKCK. St. Patrick Church plans a Community Blood Center blood drive from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas. Chiefs T-shirts will be given to those who donate blood or who present to donate blood. To make an appointment, visit savealifenow.org or call 816-753-4040.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1300 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will have services at 10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 9. The service will be in person and livestreamed on Facebook. See more information at https://www.facebook.com/StPaulsKCK/ or https://www.stpaulskck.org/.
Wyandotte United Methodist Church, 7901 Oakland Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, will have a worship service at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 9. A video of the service will be at https://www.facebook.com/Wyandotteumc.
Information about other church services in Wyandotte County may be available from the church’s social media page.
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by Sherman Smith, Kansas Reflector
Topeka — Kansas medical providers on Friday praised Gov. Laura Kelly for declaring a state of emergency and issuing executive orders to help confront an overwhelming surge in COVID-19 infections.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer of the University of Kansas Health System, said the governor’s “bold action” will help hospitals address staffing shortages exacerbated by a multitude of breakthrough cases that are preventing staff from treating sick patients. He cautioned, however, that hospitals are prepared for the latest surge to get increasingly worse throughout the month of January.
The hope is that trends in the United States will mirror those in South Africa, where the number of new infections plunged after the country initially saw a dramatic increase in cases from the omicron variant.
“We don’t know that,” Stites said. “That’s just hope. That’s not reality yet. The reality is we’re seeing the highest number of new cases we’ve ever seen. We’re watching hospitalizations spike with the highest number of hospitalizations we’ve seen. What we next have to ask ourselves: What happens to deaths?”
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 37 more deaths from COVID-19 between Wednesday and Friday, along with 97 new hospitalizations and a stunning 16,341 new cases.
Doctors who participated a virtual news conference hosted by KU Health repeatedly pushed back on narratives about the omicron variant producing less serious illness than previous strains of COVID-19. The problem is the omicron variant is far more contagious. Even if you’re half as likely to be hospitalized, Stites said, hospital counts will go up because so many more people are being infected at once.
Sam Antonios, chief clinical officer for the Wichita-based Ascension Via Christi Health, said a small fraction of a large number is still a large number.
“We hope that it ends up being a mild disease, but so far we haven’t seen that,” Antonios said.
Kim Megow, chief medical officer at HCA Midwest Health, which serves the Kansas City metro area, said the emergency declaration is necessary because “hope is not a strategy.” The organization’s modeling and forecasts include a lot of unknowns, Megow said, but indicate the current number of infections and hospitalizations could double before the surge peaks in early February.
“Is that going to be where we go? We don’t know,” Megow said. “It could be better. It could be worse.”
The governor’s executive orders allow hospitals and nursing homes to employ retirees and students to help with a number of tasks, including testing. Kelly has asked the Legislature, which opens a new session on Monday, to pass a law extending those orders through March. Otherwise, her emergency declaration expires in 15 days.
Legislative leaders met Friday to review her orders and offered support for preserving them.
“It seems like these provisions will help our hospitals in this temporary time of need, and we’re all supportive of that,” said House Speaker Ron Ryckman, an Olathe Republican.
During the news conference, Stites stressed the importance of wearing a mask to limit the spread of the virus and keep businesses and schools open. He urged political leaders to have the courage to support the use of masks.
Doctors also continued to encourage residents to get a free, safe and effective vaccine and booster shot. At the KU Health system, just eight of the 100 patients who are actively being treated for COVID-19 are fully vaccinated.
The enemy, Stites said, is not each other.
“The enemy is within, and it’s twofold,” Stites said. “First, it’s the virus, right? Because the virus is the enemy. And the second enemy is dishonesty. Because if we don’t tell the truth, and if we don’t just be open and honest about things, then we can’t have a conversation that allows us to take on the enemy within — SARS-CoV-2.
“So let’s remember that we’re on the same team and the real enemy in the room is this damn virus. And the way to beat it is by taking that seriously, and following the rules of infection control: Wear your mask, keep your distance, don’t go out if you’re sick, get vaccinated. We can win, but we can only win if we can stand together and not stand against each other.”
Kansas Reflector stories, www.kansasreflector.com, may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
See more at https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/07/kansas-doctors-praise-governors-bold-action-as-covid-19-infections-continue-to-spike/.