Month: June 2022

Explorers walk off 7-6 in 10th inning

by Kaitlyn Sanders, Monarchs

Sioux City, Iowa — The Kansas City Monarchs (20-9) lost their second straight game against the Sioux City Explorers (13-15) with a walk-off game-winning RBI courtesy of Blake Tiberi in the 10th inning.

It looked like it might be the Monarchs’ night when Kansas City got the scoring going early in the first inning. Darnell Sweeney and Kevin Santa both reached on base hits and both came home to score on a pair of RBI singles from Matt Adams and David Thompson to take a 2-0 lead.

Sioux City answered quickly with an RBI single of its own from Ademar Rifaela in the bottom first. Chase Harris hit a single to left field, and Nick Franklin was walked before Rifaela brought in Harris with a single to right field, putting one run on the board at 2-1.

The Monarchs kept the scoring going in back-to-back innings with a solo home run from Casey Gillaspie off Sioux City starter Tyler Beardsley in the top second, making the score 3-1.

The Explorers tied it in the third at three each with a two-run home run from Rifaela off Jon Harris.

Kansas City was quiet for two innings, but Adams reached base with a single to right field before Gillaspie hit a double to deep left-center to bring in Adams and to take back the lead at 4-3 going into the bottom of the sixth.

Neither starter figured in the decision. Monarchs’ starting pitcher Jon Harris went 5.2 innings, giving up six hits and three earned runs with five strikeouts while Explorers’ starter Tyler Beardsley went six innings, giving up nine hits and four earned runs.

In the seventh, J.C. Escarra walked to lead off the inning before Darnell Sweeney doubled to left field. Kevin Santa drove in a pair of runs with a single to center, doubling the Monarchs lead at 6-3.

The Explorers were not going to go quietly as they added a run to the board in the bottom of the eighth. Nate Samson and Gabe Snyder both were walked by Monarchs pitcher Brandon Koch before Blake Tiberi delivered a base-hit single, bringing in Samson and cutting into the lead at 6-4.

A pitching change to Jameson McGrane with two outs didn’t deter Chase Harris as he delivered a game-tying two-RBI single as Snyder and Tiberi rounded the bases to tie the game at six.

In the top of the ninth, Joel Booker ran for Escarra who walked to start the inning. He then stole second base before advancing to third on a fielders choice. Gaby Guerrero reached first base on a walk, but the Monarchs left the two men stranded in scoring position when Matt Adams grounded into a fielders choice.

The game nearly did not go extra innings as the Monarchs escaped a bases-loaded no-out jam in the bottom of the ninth. Jameson McGrane hit Nick Franklin to start the inning before Rifaela and Samson both walked. With one out, the Monarchs got two outs on a line drive to right by Trey Martin and a throw home from Guerrero to double Franklin.

In the top of the 10th the Monarchs loaded the bases with two outs but could not score. Closer Thomas McIlraith got Alexis Olmeda to fly out to left to end the inning. The X’s then got the walk-off RBI double from Blake Tiberi off Matt Blackham to win the game 7-6.

The Monarchs will play game three in Sioux City at 7:05 p.m. Thursday, June 16. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:35 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Tickets to Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com.

39 defendants indicted in metro-wide drug bust

Twenty Mexican nationals are among 39 defendants indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a $4.7 million conspiracy to distribute more than 335 kilograms of methamphetamine and 22 kilograms of heroin over the past two years, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Western Missouri.

“This operation took a significant amount of illegal drugs off the street, and disrupted a large Mexican drug-trafficking organization in the Kansas City metropolitan area,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “State, local, and federal law enforcement agencies worked together in this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation to bring drug traffickers to justice and protect our community from the violence and other harms that result from the flow of illegal drugs.”

On June 8, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations led an operation that involved 140 officers and agents from 14 state, local and federal law enforcement agencies. The takedown resulted in the arrests of 31 defendants charged in the indictment as well as three additional felony state arrests. Three of the federal defendants were already in custody at the time of the takedown and five of the federal defendants remain fugitives from justice.

On the day of the takedown, officers executed 16 search warrants and seized 84.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, 4.5 kilograms of heroin, 10.4 kilograms of fentanyl, 7.6 kilograms of cocaine, 10.5 kilograms of marijuana, 687 Xanax pills, 3.1 kilograms of unknown pills, a quantity of bulk cash, five firearms, a 3D printer with manufactured ghost gun parts, and a liquid methamphetamine conversion lab.

“This indictment represents HSI and our law enforcement partners’ dedication to removing deadly narcotics from our community,” said Special Agent in Charge of the Kansas City area of responsibility Katherine Greer. “We stand alongside our community leaders, stakeholders and the public, to continue our work toward a safer community without the significant dangers associated with these illegal substances.”
The 91-count indictment was returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 1, 2022. The indictment was unsealed and made public following the arrests and initial court appearances of the defendants.

The federal indictment charges Jose Jesus Sanchez-Mendez, also known as “Michoacano,” 41, Jesus Morales-Garcia, also known as “Don Jesus,” 43, Luis Eduardo Pineda-Zarao, 26, Juan Bernardo Galeana-Aguilar, 45, Baltazar Flores-Norzagaray, also known as “Sinaloa,” 50, Rafael Perez-Esquivel, 51, Jose Eliazar Valle-Rivera, 39, Uziel Morales-Baltazar, 31, Erick Fernando Martinez Contreras, also known as “Alex,” 34, Joel Enrique Roman, also known as “Pelon,” 44, Miguel Angel Juarez-Lopez, also known as “Chapo,” 47, Jonathan Zuniga-Villafuerte, 30, Sergio Armando Valencia-Ochoa, 36, Juan Humberto Lemus-Mejia, 24, Yuliana Del Carmen Perez Ciprian, 38, Trinidad Torres-Meza, 41, Miriam Veronica Bustos-Martinez, 37, and Liliana Valencia-Mendoza, 40, addresses unknown and all citizens of Mexico; Flor Gonzalez-Celestine, 52, a citizen of Mexico residing in Kansas City, Missouri; and Jose Bernabe Zamora-Cardenas, also known as “Mufa,” 52, a citizen of Mexico residing in Kansas City, Kansas.

The federal indictment also charges Tina Marie Cruces, 36, Lisbet Espino, 24, Frank Anthony Valdivia, 43, Melissa A. Bates, 55, and Monica L. McCubbin, 39, all of Kansas City, Missouri; Santiago Raul Mendieta-Sanchez, 41, a citizen of Honduras residing in Kansas City, Missouri, Jennifer S. Lawson, 35, of Buckner, Missouri; Felton Stone Jr., 45, Donald R. Moses, also known as “Moe,” 51, Felipe Antonio Alcala, 30, Anthony C. Hughes, 37, Maria Nancy Valdez, 32, Ignacio Barragan-Vazquez, 32, Yvonne Guzman-Carpio, also known as “Morena,” 39, Kongmhink Her, 41, addresses unknown; Marco Antonio Salazar, also known as “Tono,” 29, and Nelson Alirio Garcia-Guerra, 28, both citizens of Guatemala, addresses unknown; Arantxa Sabrina Valderrama-Barros, also known as “Sabri,” 25, a citizen of Venezuela, address unknown; and Daniel Felipe Suarez-Reinoso, 30, a citizen of Colombia, address unknown.

All of the defendants are charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin from Feb. 28, 2020, to June 1, 2022, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

In addition to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, Sanchez-Mendez, Zamora-Cardenas, Valencia-Ochoa, Valencia-Mendoza and Suarez-Reinoso are charged with participating in a money-laundering conspiracy related to transporting or transferring the proceeds of the drug-trafficking conspiracy to Mexico.

Sanchez-Mendez and Morales-Garcia are also charged with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise related to the drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracies and other offenses alleged in the indictment. The indictment alleges Sanchez-Mendez and Morales-Garcia occupied a position of organizer, supervisor, or manager of the ongoing criminal enterprise, from which they obtained substantial income.

The federal indictment charges various defendants in various counts of distributing heroin and fentanyl, distributing methamphetamine, possessing methamphetamine and heroin with the intent to distribute, possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm, money laundering, reentry by an illegal alien, and using cell phones to facilitate drug-trafficking crimes.

The indictment also contains forfeiture allegations that would require the defendants to forfeit to the government $4,718,700, which represents the proceeds of the alleged drug-trafficking conspiracy and criminal enterprise. The indictment alleges the conspiracy involved the distribution of more than 335.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, with an average street price of $300 per ounce, and more than 22.1 kilograms of heroin, with an average street price of $1,500 per ounce.

The forfeiture allegations would also require the defendants to forfeit to the government $277,440 that was seized by law enforcement officers from a vehicle driven by Suarez-Reinoso and $51,445 that was seized by law enforcement officers while executing two search warrants at Kansas City, Missouri, residences.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Byron H. Black, Patrick C. Edwards, and Mary Kate Butterfield. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Olmsted County, Minn., Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the FBI, the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

How to reduce energy usage and costs this summer

BPU offers tips for consumers

As the temperatures outside rise, so too does energy consumption resulting from air conditioning and other summertime activities. With a little planning and following the tips below, you can beat the heat, reduce energy usage and utility costs, and minimize your carbon footprint.

• Give your air conditioner a checkup. Clearing or cleaning a clogged air-conditioning unit filter can save 5 to 15% in energy use, and keeps the unit in proper working order.

• Adjust your thermostat. Set your thermostat temperature just cool enough to keep you comfortable, and then bump it up one degree. Each degree set above 75⁰F could save 10-15% in energy used.

• Use fans instead of or to supplement air conditioning. Fans use 1/60th the energy of an air conditioner. While they don’t cool the air, they pull body heat away from the skin, and can be used alongside air conditioning, letting you raise your thermostat a few degrees and still remain comfortable. Ceiling fans make rooms feel four degrees cooler.

• Use electricity during off-peak hours. The time of day you use electricity is also important. Shifting energy use to “off peak” hours – early morning or late at night – can help reduce load on the grid and lower energy costs.

• Block the sun with shades and drapes. When fully pulled down and closed over a window with a lot of sun exposure, blinds can reduce heat gain by up to 45%

• Close doors and vents. Closing doors and air-conditioning vents in rooms that are not in use can help make your cooling system more efficient, and cuts back on cooling rooms no one is in.

• Plants provide much needed shade. Planting shrubs and trees on the south and west sides of your house, or at least over your outdoor air-conditioning unit, can make your cooling system up to 10% more efficient.

• Kitchen and laundry. Avoid frequently opening your refrigerator. A microwave uses less energy than an oven. Wash full loads of clothes. Hang clothes to dry instead of using a clothes dryer.

  • Story from BPU