Category: Kansas City Missouri

Fringe Festival to open this week

by William Crum

OK, it’s one hot summer, so what do you do? Well, there is something that is going on, the annual Fringe Festival.

This is where various acts such as vaudeville, comedy, dance and theater perform at various venues in Kansas City, Missouri. It runs from July 20 to 30.

Every year this event attracts people from all over the world and this year is going to be no exception to that.

According to the Fringe Festival officials, over 120 acts will be performing at various venues in the Kansas City, Missouri, area and two of the acts include people with ties to Wyandotte County. One play is called “Check Mate,” by David Hanson, who happens to be the assistant director of the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Libraries, and it will be performed at the Arts Tech studio in Kansas City, Missouri. The other play is called “My White Son” and is performed and written by Lewis Morrow. It is at the Arts Asylum theater in Kansas City, Missouri.

Every year a lot of people from Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, also volunteer for the Fringe Festival. The cost of the show is $10 per person and for $5 you can buy a Fringe button, which allows you to go to late-night of the Fringe, plus when you buy a button you get a discount at certain merchants within the community, such as Chez Elle, the restaurant best known for their crepes, and the Musical Theater Heritage, where you can get 20 percent off your ticket and this offer includes a Christmas show.

This year is even more special because according to the Fringe Festival authorities, they are talking about expanding and one place that they’re looking at for a venue is the Alcott Arts Center on 18th Street in Kansas City, Kansas. This will be the first time in the 13 years that the Fringe Festival has been going on that it is considering expansion, and where else but Wyandotte County. Nothing is official yet but negotiations are underway.

On Thursday, July 20, at the Folly Theater in Kansas City, Missouri, they’re going to have an event called the Fringe Teasers where you can see various samples of acts that perform in the festival. It is a free event that starts at 5:30 p.m.; get there early.

If you want to go to a place where they have good quality entertainment for all members of the family, this year’s Fringe Festival is for the young and old alike, and I highly recommend it. If you can’t go Thursday night you can always visit their website, https://kcfringe.org/.

Eight fireworks injuries reported by KU Hospital

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The University of Kansas Hospital’s Burnett Burn Center in Kansas City, Kansas, has reported eight total patients with fireworks-related injuries from 1:30 p.m. Friday, June 30, to 1:30 p.m. Monday, July 3.

The injuries were over a three-day period. According to an updated report released by the hospital, six of the patients were males and two were females.

The patients ranged in age from 17 months to 60 years old, according to the hospital.

Injuries were reported to hands, chest, eyes and arms, the hospital reported.

Fireworks responsible for the injuries included an M80, firecrackers, smoke bombs and sparkler, according to the report.

Two persons were admitted to the hospital, the report stated. There was no information on the cit of residence of the injured.

The Burnett Burn Center is the only nationally accredited burn center for treatment of both adult and child burns, according to the hospital spokesman.

To see a video from KU Hospital about the burn center, fireworks injuries and some of its fireworks patients in the past, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2JK4iDo69g.

Missouri man charged in Overland Park bank robbery

A Missouri man was charged Thursday with robbing an Overland Park bank, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Steven D. Lavy, 55, Kansas City, Missouri, was charged in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, with one count of bank robbery.

A criminal complaint alleges that on June 21, Lavy robbed Bank of the West at 12080 Blue Valley Parkway in Overland Park. He placed a blue bag on the counter and showed the teller a gun. He was wearing a polo shirt, khaki pants, a fake mustache, a hospital mask and a straw hat.

When Lavy left the bank with the money, a bank employee took a picture of his license plate.

When officers of the Leawood Police Department spotted the car, Lavy led them on a chase that lasted several minutes. Lavy’s car rammed a Leawood police car two times before he was taken into custody, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the robbery charge. The Leawood Police Department, the Overland Park Police Department and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tris Hunt is prosecuting.