Author: Ward

Canaries fly past T-Bones with four homers

Sioux Falls, S.D. — The Sioux Falls Canaries have been waiting for their offense to get into a groove. Unfortunately for the T-Bones, the Canaries found that groove with four home runs in a 12-5 win over Kansas City on Thursday night.

Kansas City jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning thanks to a two-run home run by T.J. Mittlestaedt off Sioux Falls starting pitcher Kyle Vasquez (2-1). That was the T-Bones’ only lead. And it was short-lived.

In the bottom of the second, T-Bones starter Matt Smith (0-1) plunked A.J. Kirby-Jones and then delivered back-to-back walks to Chris Valencia and Shelby Ford, which set up a grand slam by Chris Duffy. The Canaries took a 5-2 lead later in the inning on an RBI single by Carlos Mendez.

Smith lasted three innings and allowed seven runs on six hits and three walks. Free passes were once again a major problem to Kansas City’s woes. Kansas City pitching allowed four walks and hit two batters, all of which scored.

The Canaries added three more home runs in four at-bats later in the game when Kirby-Jones homered with two outs in the sixth, and then Ford and Duffy led off the Sioux Falls seventh with back-to-back home runs.

The T-Bones out-hit the Canaries 12-11, as every Kansas City batter reached base except Nick Giarraputo. Byron Wiley went 3 for 4 with a walk and an RBI.

The T-Bones look to even the series Friday night with Daniel Barone (1-0) on the mound. Sioux Falls will counter with Joe Bircher (0-1) for the 7:05 first pitch from Sioux Falls Stadium. The game can be heard on 1660-AM in Kansas City or worldwide at tbonesbaseball.com.
– Story from T-Bones

Substance abuse treatment center approved

A special use permit for a substance use disorder treatment facility was approved 7-0 May 29 by the Unified Government Commission.

The substance use treatment facility will be a building inside the Salvation Army’s Harbor Light Village at 6711 State Ave.

Mirror Inc. of Newton, Kan., will run the center, according to Beverly Metcalf, the organization’s president, who appeared at the UG meeting.

According to officials, the Salvation Army had provided similar services at this location since 2007.

Metcalf said Mirror operates programs in 16 to 18 communities in Kansas, including 22 locations in those communities.

A number of people spoke in favor of the project, while no one spoke against it. A person who worked for community corrections for a number of years said it was important to have a place in Wyandotte County where clients can be treated. Wyandotte County has had to send many clients to Topeka or Johnson County previously, she said.

Also, the current wait time is very long for services, she said, which adds to the time that some clients are spending in jail, with the county paying the jail costs.

In other action, the commission approved an ordinance that would allow up to $34 million in taxable industrial revenue bonds to be issued for the Village West Apartments project, Northpoint Development. According to UG documents, the 306-unit project is nearing completion, and the developer has met all the performance goals in the development agreement. Repayment of the bonds is entirely the responsibility of the developer, according to UG documents.

Special Olympics torch run planned June 3

Law enforcement officers will carry a Special Olympics torch in a run through 30 Kansas counties in June.

The torch will be carried from Olathe, Kan., to Kansas City, Kan., on June 3. The torch eventually will reach Wichita, where the Special Olympics Summer Games is scheduled.

The torch run is the largest grassroots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle for Special Olympics. Officers volunteer hundreds of hours each year and in 2013 raised $451,482.00 in support of Special Olympics Kansas programs.

Runners from different agencies will meet in Olathe for an opening ceremony and start their run at 9:15 a.m. June 3. The runners plan to be at the Schlitterbahn water park at 94th and State in the afternoon. At 4 p.m., the runners are expected to run east on State Avenue, and north on 78th Street to the FOP Hall at 7844 Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kan.

A closing ceremony will be held around 4:45 p.m. June 3 at the FOP Hall.

Thirty miles will be run through Johnson and Wyandotte counties.

For more information, visit www.kansastorchrun.org.