Month: November 2022

Missing persons report issued for KCK woman

Joannie Wilcox

The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department has issued a missing persons report for Joannie Wilcox, 61, who lives on North 74th in Kansas City, Kansas.

Wilcox, who has a medical condition requiring prescription medications, left without her medications, according to her family, which is concerned about her.

She was last seen leaving in the evening of Nov. 9 near Washington High School, according to police.

Wilcox is 4-feet-9 with gray hair, according to the police.

Anyone who may have seen Joannie Wilcox or knows of her whereabouts should call 911 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS, according to the police.

Chamber examines election results, looks to 2023

Opinion column

by Murrel Bland

The Public Policy Committee of the Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber of Commerce met Friday, Nov. 11 to assess the recent general election results and worked on its Legislative Agenda for 2023.

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the incumbent Democratic Congresswoman for the 3rd District, was successful in winning a third term. She was able to defeat Republican challenger Amanda Adkins for a second time. Rep. Davids won despite Republicans who gerrymandered the 3rd District by stripping out traditionally Democratic areas of Wyandotte County and putting it in the 2nd Congressional District.

Wyandotte County will be represented by two Congress members. U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, a conservative Republican incumbent, defeated Democratic newcomer Patrick Schmidt by more than 35,000 votes.

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, the Republican incumbent, had little trouble defeating Mark Holland, a Democratic former Kansas City, Kansas, mayor, who lost by more than 200,000 votes statewide.

Third party candidates played an important role in the race for governor and lieutenant governor. The incumbent, Democrat Laura Kelly and her running mate, Democrat David Toland, were able to edge by, defeating Republicans, Attorney General Derek Schmidt and his running mate, Katie Sawyer. State Sen. Dennis Pyle, an independent candidate, and Seth Cordell, a Libertarian, attracted more than 30,000 votes. Had they not been in the race, most political observers believe Schmidt would have won. Pyle was upset that his Kansas Senate District had been gerrymandered.

Democratic legislative candidates were successful in Wyandotte County except for Bill Hutton, who lost to Republican Mike Thompson.

In reviewing its Legislative Agenda, the Chamber probably will keep many of its existing agenda items as its looks to 2023. The Chamber has traditionally supported STAR bonds, a finance method that uses sales tax to pay for infrastructure, the efforts of the district attorney to enforce business licenses, expanded Medicaid, origin-based sales tax, early child education, workforce development, sports book gaming and affordable child care.

Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is a member of Business West.

Today’s public meetings

School board Finance Committee to meet today

The Finance Committee of the Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Education will meet at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, at the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools Central Office and Training Center, 2010 N. 59th St., in the East Room.

Community Health, Recreation and Wellness Task Force Committee to meet Tuesday afternoon

A task force on community health, recreation and wellness will be conducted at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, by the Unified Government in the fifth floor conference room, Suite 515, at City Hall, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas. The meeting will be on Zoom.

To watch the meeting, click on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89174582148?pwd=Z2ZMRjNISUNjZGtKd1Bkd2xFOTFoUT09.

The meeting ID is 891 7458 2148.

The passcode is 208947.

More information is at https://www.wycokck.org/Departments/Clerks-Office/Agendas-Minutes.

Charter ordinance subcommittee scheduled to meet today

The Unified Government Charter Ordinance Subcommittee is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, in a hybrid format. The meeting can be viewed in person on the fifth floor conference room at City Hall, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas, or virtually via Zoom.

The Zoom meeting is at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84372898888?pwd=YzJxUVNhQ0lFNDlDK250WU9OS2RyQT09.

The meeting ID is 843 7289 8888. The passcode is 163819.

More information is at https://www.wycokck.org/Departments/Clerks-Office/Agendas-Minutes.

County Administrator Selection Task Force meeting

The Unified Government’s County Administrator Selection Taskforce meeting is scheduled in person at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, in the sixth floor conference room at City Hall, 701 N. 7th St, Kansas City, Kansas. A meeting with GovHR search service is scheduled.

This meeting has been scheduled at the same time as the above Charter Ordinance Subcommittee meeting.

More information is at https://www.wycokck.org/Departments/Clerks-Office/Agendas-Minutes.

Environmental Sustainability and Green Energy Task Force meeting scheduled Tuesday

The Environmental Sustainability and Green Energy Task Force will meet from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, at City Hall, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas, or via Zoom.

At the meeting, the public may hear sustainability initiatives used by area regional communities. Ways to improve sustainability in Wyandotte County may be discussed.

More information is at https://www.wycokck.org/Departments/Clerks-Office/Agendas-Minutes.