The Kansas City, Kansas, Women’s Chamber of Commerce will hold a networking event from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16, at Tapatio Mexican Grill, 151 S. 18th St., Kansas City, Kansas.
There is no charge for the networking event, and there is a cash bar. Registration is required to http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=hykkgckab&oeidk=a07efyyucn988426abc
by Brian Grimmett, Kansas News Service
Kansas experienced its 23rd-wettest year on record in 2018, according to weather data that goes back as far as 1895.
“But not evenly distributed either across the state or across the year,” Kansas State climatologist Mary Knapp said of the moisture.
The year started with much of the state in some form of drought. It wasn’t until heavy rains and flooding in September, October and November that parts of eastern Kansas finally dropped their drought status.
Higher than normal rainfall continued into December where the statewide average was 1.87 inches. That’s the 14th-wettest ever.
The state’s wettest December was in 1913 when the average rainfall was 3.15 inches.
The especially wet month has saturated soils across the state and could cause problems in the coming year.
“If we have a normal spring rainfall pattern, we could have an increased incidents of flooding simply because there’s nowhere for that water to go,” Knapp said.
Kansas temperatures were in line with historical averages in 2018.
But, like rainfall, temperature varied greatly over the course of the year. April was Kansas’ coldest on record, while May was the second-warmest.
“So we went from much colder than normal to much warmer than normal in a very short time span,” she said, “which presented a lot of challenges particularly in agriculture.”
Climate experts say as average temperatures rise in the region over the next 50 years due to increases in heat-trapping greenhouse gases, Kansas will continue to see wetter individual storm systems in the spring and fall.
Brian Grimmett reports on the environment and energy for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KMUW, Kansas Public Radio, KCUR and High Plains Public Radio covering health, education and politics. Follow him on Twitter @briangrimmett.
Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link ksnewsservice.org.
See more at http://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-was-wetter-normal-2018
A new 18th Street bus route starts today. (RideKC graphic)
A new bus route for 18th Street begins today, according to RideKC and the Area Transportation Authority.
The new route starts at 18th and Quindaro and travels south on 18th, ending at 51st and Roe Avenue in Roeland Park. Stops along the way are planned at 18th and Parallel Parkway, 18th and Tauromee Avenue, 18th and Central Avenue, 18th and Kansas Avenue, and 18th and Ruby Avenue.
Called the 118 18th Street route, it started at 5:30 a.m. and runs until 7:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Buses are scheduled every 60 minutes.
According to RideKC, the new route will improve access to shopping and jobs in Kansas City, Kansas.
The new 118 18th Street route will connect to the 101 State Ave., 102 Central Ave., 104 Argentine, 106 Quindaro – Amazon, 107th 7th Street Parallel, 402 Johnson – Quivira, 403 Antioch – Olathe, 405 Nall – Downtown, 435 JOCO Downtown Midday, and 519 Olathe Express routes.
Some of the destinations along the route include Fast Fred’s Market, Wilson’s Pizza, Donnelly College, Prescott Plaza including Ball’s Sun Fresh, Sav-A-Lot and Walmart Neighborhood Market in Argentine, and the Roeland Park Shopping Center, which includes Price Chopper, Aldi and Walmart.
The fare for the new 118 18th Street is $1.50, or 75 cents for those with a Reduced Farecard. A Day Pass is available for $3, and a 31-Day Pass is $50. Customers can pay with cash or use the free RideKC app to purchase their fares.
For more information, visit http://ridekc.org/bulletins/118-18th-street.
