Rain, storms in forecast today, Thursday

(Photo illustration)

Wyandotte County is in an area that is at marginal risk of severe thunderstorms on Wednesday. (National Weather Service graphic)
On Thursday, Wyandotte County is in an area at slight risk of severe thunderstorms. (National Weather Service graphic)

Rain and storms are in the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Several rounds are possible for strong storms starting today and into the weekend, the weather service said.

Today, Wyandotte County is at marginal risk for severe storms. Large hail is possible with these storms, according to the weather service. The area at greater risk on Wednesday is south of I-70 and west of I-49.

On Thursday, Wyandotte County will be at a slight risk for severe storms, according to the weather service. Strong storms are possible Thursday afternoon into the evening, some capable of producing large hail.

On Saturday, thunderstorms are possible by the evening hours and overnight, the weather service said. There could be isolated instances of straight line winds with stronger storms.

High temperatures this week will be up and down over the next few days. Today’s high will be near 68; Thursday’s will be 74; Friday, 82; Saturday, 76; and Sunday, 62, according to the weather service.

Today, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon, the weather service said. The high will be near 68 with a south wind of 15 to 17 mph, gusting as high as 32 mph. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is expected.

Tonight, it will be partly cloudy, with a low of 48 and a west northwest wind of 5 to 9 mph becoming light and variable after midnight, according to the weather service. Winds may gust up to 20 mph.

Thursday, 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 74, with a light east wind becoming east southeast 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Winds may gust up to 22 mph. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is in the forecast.

Thursday night, there is a 60 percent chance of rain and possibly a thunderstorm before 1 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 63. An east southeast wind of 10 to 14 mph will gust as high as 22 mph. Between a tenth and quarter inch of rain is in the forecast.

Friday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 82, the weather service said. A south wind of 13 to 20 mph will gust as high as 32 mph.

Friday night, it will be partly cloudy with a high near 66, and breezy, according to the weather service.

Saturday, there is a 50 percent chance of showers after 1 p.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 76, and it will be breezy.

Saturday night, there is an 80 percent chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm, according to the weather service. The low will be around 51, and it will be breezy.

Sunday, there is a 40 percent chance of showers, with a high near 62, the weather service said.

Sunday night, it will be partly cloudy, with a low of 42, according to the weather service.

Monday, it will be sunny, with a high near 63, the weather service said.

Monday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 42, according to the weather service.

Tuesday, it will be sunny, with a high near 67, the weather service said.

Governor signs Kansas law allowing harsher penalties against child abusers

by Noah Taborda, Kansas Reflector

Topeka — Under a new Kansas law, those found guilty of child abuse will face harsher penalties in line with other severe crimes.

House Bill 2508, signed into law Monday by Gov. Laura Kelly, amends the Kansas Criminal Code’s severity levels for the crime of child abuse and allows for more specific sentencing based on the severity of abuse.

“We owe it to our children to hold abusers accountable and any crime against our most vulnerable should be met with adequate punishment,” Kelly said. “This bill provides the needed updates for prosecutors to ensure victims of child abuse are granted the same justice as victims of other serious crimes.”

The new law passed the House without opposition and only received two no votes in the Senate.

Under the law, penalties for child abuse range from a severity level 3 felony to a severity level 6 felony depending on the age of the child and the type of abuse inflicted.

Rep. Fred Patton, R-Topeka, touted the measure as a collaborative effort between law enforcement, prosecutors and other stakeholders to improve this area of the criminal justice system.

“The bill makes several key improvements to our justice system, including increasing penalties for those who cause harm to our most vulnerable Kansans, our children,” Patton said.

In addition to the amended child abuse penalties, the governor also approved laws allowing the consumption of alcohol on state fairgrounds and restricting lawsuit advertising practices. Also approved was a measure creating the Kansas Cotton Boll Weevil Program.

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/briefs/governor-signs-kansas-law-allowing-harsher-penalties-against-child-abusers/

Virtual job fair planned Wednesday

A virtual job fair is planned Wednesday, April 20, by the Kansas Department of Commerce.

Job seekers will have the opportunity to learn about job openings at the Commerce Department at the job fair, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 20.

Job seekers will be able to chat with Commerce managers and the human resource team members. Job seekers also may participate in the virtual job fair through a computer, smart phone or tablet. Job candidates will be able to upload their resumes to a virtual job fair account prior to the event.

“The team at Kansas Commerce is changing the economic landscape in Kansas – companies are relocating to our state and expanding existing operations every day, bringing with them with high-paying jobs and new opportunities for Kansans,” Lt. Governor and Secretary David Toland said. “Our state continues to accumulate nationwide awards and accolades, and we want you to join us here at the best economic development agency in the country.”

Numerous statewide virtual job fairs have been presented since the pandemic began and are a safe way to successfully connect Kansas job seekers and employers, according to a spokesman.

The April 20 job fair will seek to fill the following open positions at Commerce: program manager for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program; communications coordinator for the Marketing-Communications Division; deputy counsel for the Legal Division; community development specialist; and director of advanced technology in the Office of Innovation.


To register for the virtual job fair, visit https://app.premiervirtual.com/events/b22ab809-af5c-47a2-8dae-fe7a34a454fb/clone-kansas-dept-of-commerce-kansasworks-job-fair-april-20,-2022

Those who need assistance in creating a resume may contact their local workforce center at 877-509-6757.