Wyandotte County high school seniors named Kansas Honor Scholars

More than 180 Wyandotte County high school seniors have been named Kansas Honors Scholars.

The program through the University of Kansas Alumni Association and KU Endowment marks its 50th anniversary this year. More than 3,600 high school seniors in Kansas were honored for academic excellence and achievement.

High school seniors in the top 10 percent of their class were honored from about 360 high schools.

Usually the program honors seniors at recognition ceremonies, but because of the pandemic, the scholars were honored in a virtual program this year. The program is at kualumni.org/khs. In addition, the association mailed distinctive Kansas Honor Scholar medallions, certificates and letters of recognition to all high schools for distribution to the students.

The program is made possible by KU Endowment, alumni donations and proceeds from the Alumni Association’s Jayhawk license plate program, and allows the University and the Alumni Association to create more scholarship opportunities for Kansas students.

In 2020, the association raised more than $7,000 for one-time Kansas Honor Scholar Scholarships, funded entirely by alumni donations. In addition, two students will receive the $1,000 renewable four-year Herbert Rucker Woodward Scholarship, given annually for more than two decades to Kansas Honor Scholars. Since 1985, more than 18,000 Kansas Honor Scholars have enrolled as freshmen at KU.

Named Kansas Honor Scholars from Wyandotte County:

From Bishop Ward High School: Rachel Cisneros, Alexa Hernandez, Aislinn Jorge, Lizbeth Martinez, Edgar Montoya, Stella Subasic, Nikila Taylor, and Richard Yamamoto.

From Bonner Springs High School: Poneak Alongkornvilai, Emily Ashford, Hannah Baric, Sofia Bowman, Keyana Cruse, Natalie Delgado, Jazmin Graham, Rebecca Graham, Izabelle Koenig, Darrah Lane, Kallie Millison, Maggie Myers, Laura Nobles, Dylan Palmberg, Sierra Pier, Hailey Robinson, Samson Selleck, Bruce Sherrow, Ian Tomasic, Seth Wacker and Sasha Welicky.

From Schlagle High School: Arely Aguilar-Dena, Giselle Alvarado-Ortega, Janiya Burns, Van Lian Cung, Baldemar Funes Hernandez, Giovanny Garcia Mireles, Debra Gunn, Victor Gutierrez-Alvarez, Skyla Her, Kenya Hernandez Lopez, Marae Jackson, Yoselin Juarez, Pamong Lee, Maleah McCluney, Plae Meh, Alondra Mejia Isidro, Briyanna Miller, Jayla Newson, Katherine Pedraza, Angel Pena-Hernandez, Jailyn Polk, Kenia Ramirez, Desiree Rice, Alexis Vielma and Paw Way.

From Harmon High School: Hawa Ali, Lizbeth Ambriz-Fernandez, Jervin Anavisca Rodriguez, Melissa Chavez, Leslie Chavez Hinojos, Danna Chavez Trejo, James Cook, Xochytl De Lara, Miguel Flores, Alex Fonseca Varela, Jessica Hawj, Jacob Ingram, Yanet Jimenez-Pantoja, Alicia Madrigal, Vanessa Morales, Kenly Nicolas-Estrada, Faith Packer, Ehkalu Paw, Deyra Ramos, Karla Ramos, Htay Reh, Fernanda Sanchez Gonzalez, Pamela Segoviano; Oscar Silva Valles, July Soe, Esmeralda Soria Galvan, Angel Temple, Brian Xolot and Kristal Zamudio De la Cruz.

From Kansas State School for the Blind: Rich Yamamoto.

From Piper High School: Blake Beashore, Noelle Collins, Alyson Droppelmann, Payton Fergus, Gabrielle Fisette, Gwen Gambrill, Alyssa Gray, Andrew Hart, Jill Haworth, Olivia Hilty, Samuel Nunez, Jennifer Obiesie, Cassidy Rubin, Alexis Saragusa and Evelyn Vazquez.

From Sumner Academy: Stephen Barratt, Sierra Bilyeu, Andrew Bristow, Farrel Camargo Juarez, Illse Cardenas, Marleny Ceron Larios, Andrew Curts, Ashley Diaz-Rocha, Jacqueline Fernandez, Kymora Freeman, Neymara Freeman, Areli Garcia-Lopez, Jafet Limas, Erin Lynch, Mikayla Mielkus, Perla Navarro-Ortiz, Kacy Pugh, Ashley Robinson, Suzanne Schmidt and Emelin Tapia.

From Turner High School: Ashlyn Bakersfield, Bridget Barcenas, BriAnne Blackmore, Cyra Chronister, Andrea Esquivel-Valencia, Rachael Everitt, Dylan Franklin, Karla Gutierrez-Duarte, Emilyanna Her, Jennifer Interiano, Anai Melendez, Kassandra Munoz, Lesly Romo, Patricia Salazar, Anastacia Santos, Yesenia Siguenza, Judith Silvestre, Telicia Soto, Kimberlee Xiong and Selena Yang.

From Washington High School: Layla Carr, Ardesia Carter, Brianna Castleberry, Elana Collins, Nu Eng, Julia Estrada, LaNita Gomez, Christopher Her, MiMi Htay, Chyler Hughes, Vidal Lopez, Sian Mang, Monica Medina Cabrera, Eh K’Pru Moo, Isadora Moua, M’ia Nance, Juan Olivas, Thawng Pum, Mana Thang, Za Thang, Edgar Valles-Acosta, Sarenity Xiong and Neramit Yangsansoen.

From Wyandotte High School: Deylon Burton, Lucero Cardenas Vargas, Evelyn Chela-Anaya, Carlos Cisneros, Andrei Colado, Melisa Delfin-Anzures, Jenifer Delgado Hernandez, Alondra Diaz-Delgado, Saul Franco Morales, Brayan Guzman-Bustillos, Paul Helton, Anissa Love, Laura Macias-Martinez, Vivian Maradiaga, Jose Marrufo, Dulce Martinez Luna, Edgar Mendez-Cano, Heidy Mera Paredes, Katerin Molina Peraza, Kelvin Montenegro Marroquin, Valeria Nunez-Contreras, Ximena Ordaz, Cecilia Pan Wai, Sydrionna Rolls, Saira Ruelas Violeta, Jonatan Ruiz-Meza, Anahi Salas, Luis Salazar-Machado, Jesus Salinas-Oseguera, Cynthia Vasquez and Itzel Yanez.

Online program to address polio epidemic

A virtual program on the polio epidemic is scheduled at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 24.

The program, “We’ve Been Here Before: the Polio Epidemic,” is offered through the Bonner Springs Library, in partnership with the Northeast Kansas Library System and six neighboring libraries.

The program is the second in a series of programs that examine historical events that have lessons to teach in the midst of the pandemic.

Interested persons may register for the program at https://bit.ly/2PgymSV.

The program on March 24 is a moderated discussion about the polio vaccine.

Mass vaccinations in the 1950s helped eradicate polio from the United States. The panel of experts for the polio discussion includes:

• René F. Najera, Dr.PH, editor, History of Vaccines, College of Physicians of Philadelphia
• Chris Crenner, M.D., Ph.D., Hudson-Major professor and chair at the University of Kansas Medical Center
• Carl Chinnery, a past district governor from District 6040 and member of the Lee’s Summit Rotary Club
• Jim Arnett, Rotary District 5710 polio chairman and spouse of a polio survivor of Kansas City’s 1946 polio epidemic

This program series is a partnership of the public libraries in Atchison, Basehor, Bonner Springs, Lansing, Leavenworth, Linwood, and Tonganoxie, as well as NEKLS.

The first program in this series, in February, was on the 1918 flu pandemic. That program was in partnership with the National World War I Museum and Memorial, and almost 3,000 people tuned in to it. C-SPAN has contacted the museum for permission to air it.

UG committees to meet tonight

Two Unified Government committees are scheduled to meet, starting at 5 p.m. tonight.

The meetings will be on Zoom and also are expected to be shown on UGTV on cable television and on YouTube.

The Public Works and Safety Committee meets at 5 p.m. Monday, March 22. On the agenda is a grant application to improve criminal justice responses to domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department is seeking to apply for a $500,000 grant for this program.

Another item on the agenda is an ordinance that would govern operating hours of the public parks, as well as address hunting and firearms at the parks, camping at the parks and digging within the UG parks.

A revision is proposed to the parks rules concerning boat owners who keep boats at Wyandotte County Lake. All new dock renters would have to be Wyandotte County residents, under the proposal.

The UG Administration and Human Services Committee will begin after the end of the Public Works and Safety meeting.

On the agenda are a presentation of the UG’s 2021 comprehensive fee schedule and an update on CARES Act funding.

Also, the committee will hear a presentation about a $923,365 grant application for COVID-19 infrastructure expansion funds. The grant funding, if received, would provide critical resources in COVID-19 testing and epidemiological surveillance-related activities including testing, contact tracing, surveillance, containment and mitigation to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Interested persons may join the Zoom meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81724355863?pwd=S0lBeGpydFpoQ2lrOFdQb3BHdHhnQT09.

The passcode is 890671.

To connect by telephone, call toll-free 888-475-4499 or 877-853-5257.

The webinar ID number is 817 2435 5863.

The meeting also is expected to be on UGTV on cable and on Youtube.