Author: wyandottedaily

by Jim McLean, Kansas News Service Campaign reports filed this week show a bunched field breaking from the starting gate in the Kansas race for governor. Some handicappers’ favorites — notably Secretary of State Kris Kobach — trail at the rear of the pack. Still, only a few of the dozen candidates thought to hold potentially winning pedigrees appear in danger of fading fast. Combined, nearly $6 million poured into the race before the state even rang in 2018 — or more than twice where fundraising stood at this point in the state’s last race for governor. The flood of…

Mike Nichols Democrat Mike Nichols has launched his campaign for Wyandotte County District Court Judge, citing his years of experience representing the citizens of Wyandotte County. He is running for the Division 5 position, as Judge Dexter Burdette is retiring later this year. Jane Sieve Wilson also is running for the Division 5 position. Nichols, a former Wyandotte County prosecutor, has spent the last several years as a lawyer in private practice in downtown Kansas City, Kansas. He handles criminal, divorce, child custody, juvenile, probate and guardianship cases. “My practice involves being in court in Wyandotte County almost every day.…

Wyandotte County saw a voter turnout of 31.3 percent as of 11 a.m. on Election Day, according to Election Commissioner Bruce Newby. Ballots that were voted by mail and returned by Nov. 5 totaled 8,128; in-person early voting totaled 7,686 ballots cast; and Election Day turnout as of 11 a.m. was 10,243, according to Newby. The highest turnout in a midterm election since 1996 in Wyandotte County was 44 percent in 2002, according to Newby. The average turnout for a midterm election is 40.1 percent. The highest turnout in a presidential election year was 71 percent in 1996 in Wyandotte…

David G. Alvey (File photo) by Mary Rupert Mayoral challenger David Alvey said Thursday in an interview that if elected, he thinks he can do a better job than incumbent Mayor Mark Holland. Alvey, who filed for the office last week, said many factors were behind his run for mayor, including the PILOT tax on the Board of Public Utilities’ bill, high property taxes and underground utilities along Leavenworth Road. He mentioned several additional issues as well. Alvey said he would represent the entire community, and that he would be a full-time mayor. Alvey serves on the BPU board, representing…

Ann Brandau-Murguia (2015 file photo) by Mary Rupert Third District Unified Government Commissioner Ann Brandau Murguia said this week she won’t run for mayor of Kansas City, Kansas, this year. Murguia, who ran for mayor four years ago against Incumbent Mayor Mark Holland, said she remains very interested in the mayoral contest and who will be the next mayor. She said she is not supporting either Holland or challenger David Alvey at the present time, as she has not yet discussed her interests with all candidates. She will be talking to candidates to determine the one she will support. She…

An 85-year-old Olathe, Kan., man died in a fatal accident at 3:50 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, on I-435 southbound near Kansas Avenue in Edwardsville, according to a Kansas Highway Patrol crash report. The man was driving a Honda Element southbound on I-435, and for an undetermined reason, he lost control of the vehicle, drifted onto the outside shoulder and struck the bridge pillar for Kansas Avenue, the trooper’s report stated. He was identified as Robert A. Nash, 85, of Olathe, Kan., according to the trooper’s report. His next-of-kin has been notified. Six students from Wyandotte County graduated from Fort Hays…

The Kansas Highway Patrol has released more information about a crash at 2:48 p.m. Sept. 2 on K-32 westbound at I-435 in Edwardsville, Kan. Three vehicles, including two large trucks and a sport utility vehicle, were involved in the crash, the trooper’s report stated. A Toyota Rav4 and a Kenworth semi pulling a trailer were stopped at a stoplight on westbound K-32 when a Kenworth box truck rear-ended the Toyota and pushed it into the semi, according to the trooper’s report. Two persons in a Toyota Rav4 were injured and taken to a hospital, according to the trooper’s report. The…

by Nomin Ujiyediin, Kansas News Service Topeka, Kansas — The University of Kansas and Kansas State University have both delayed the start of in-person classes until March 23, with the possibility of continuing online-only for weeks after that, in the wake of the continued spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. KU decided Wednesday night, and K-State put out a statement on Thursday morning. Meanwhile, top administrators at other public universities in the state made clear they may follow suit with their own campus shutdowns. The Kansas Board of Regents, which governs the state’s public universities, voted Wednesday night to allow each…

Because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, Kansas City Kansas Community College has made the decision to transition to fully virtual classes for the rest of the semester. Also, according to college officials, the spring commencement ceremony for students was canceled today. “We will be looking at other ways to celebrate with our students,” Dr. Greg Mosier, college president, told the KCKCC Board of Trustees today. The college campus remains closed for the rest of the week, with spring break extended until Sunday, March 29. Classes are to resume on Monday, March 30, but they will be online. Dr. Mosier told…

Twenty-one Wyandotte County students were named recently to the fall dean’s honor list at the University of Saint Mary. The university’s main campus is at Leavenworth, Kansas. It also has an Overland Park, Kansas, campus, and offers online programs. Those on the list had a grade point average of 3.5 or better. The University of Saint Mary is a Catholic coeducational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. Students on the honors list from Bonner Springs include: Bailey Hightower Miyah Hightower Darcy Noe Sayra Serrano-Villegas Students on the honors list from Kansas City,…