The Kansas House of Representatives opted to prolong the morass of this year's legislative session by adjourning for Memorial Day weekend before lunchtime. But not before issuing a stinging rebuke of Gov. Sam Brownback's tax proposal.
House members on Friday morning overwhelmingly voted 5-109 against a tax bill that the Senate passed at Brownback's behest.
If the measure had passed, it would have kept the state sales tax rate at 6.3 percent, rather than drop it to 5.7 - as the law required.
In Kansas City, we're no strangers to sports fans running across the field in some dramatic, stupid fashion. At last night's Royals-Angels tilt, a new chapter was written in Kansas City fans' hilarity and stupidity. In the bottom of the eighth inning, a fan sprinted onto the infield and headed straight for the mound (video after the jump).
Maybe he had sweaty palms from the jog, because he snatched up the rosin bag before juking a police officer almost out of his shoes and continuing his jaunt around the K. If nothing else, it was a fun distraction for fans as the Royals went down 5-4 for their 13th loss in the last 17 games. The fan faces a three-year ban at Major League Baseball parks. Maybe by then the Royals will be competitive?
Virgie Dillard, the 70-year-old owner of Missouri Office Systems and Supplies, is in hot water for allegedly selling counterfeit electronics to a customer most people would rather not mess with: the U.S. Army.
Dillard and her employee Roland Evans were brought up on federal charges today. They're accused of selling about $2.8 million worth of sham computer equipment to the Army Recreation Machine Program.
Evans was arrested today and made his initial appearance; Dillard is expected to surrender to authorities soon.
A grand jury indictment issued at federal court in Kansas City details allegations of a nasty crime in Independence where a black family had its house set on fire by racist neighbors.
It's a story from June 26, 2008, that, if true, summons memories of a much earlier and far less progressive time in this country's civil rights attitude.
Victoria Cheek-Herrera, 33, is accused of drawing a swastika, coupled with the words "white power," on the driveway of the house that Larry Davis and Stacey Little rented in Independence with their children.
Cheek-Herrera and an unnamed conspirator then got their hands on some gasoline from a juvenile and used it to make a Molotov cocktail. The indictment says they then tossed the bomb against the side of the residence, setting it on fire.
If you're slumming it at bars in Waldo tonight, you might can come away with a little valuable information about your ability to drive after a few cocktails. The Kansas City Police Department is hosting a "Know Your Limits" event tonight at Tanner's Bar and Grill (7425 Broadway). You can have a few drinks, and KCPD officers will give you a breathalyzer if you want. The police will not issue citations based on blood alcohol content. Turning it into a contest with your buddies is not encouraged, though.
The department says the event is "Purely educational, to help prevent drunk driving. No tickets will be issued based on the results. Information on how alcohol affects individuals will be available." And phone numbers for cab companies will be distributed. A few things to keep in mind: Don't be belligerent; cops aren't giving tickets based on BAC alone. Also, if you blow a high number, it's definitely a good idea to use the cab company information the friendly officers give you. In related news, KCPD announced that there will be a DUI checkpoint in Kansas City over the weekend.
Plenty of local residents think that Kansas City International Airport is fabulously convenient, especially compared with larger airports.
Research firm J.D. Power & Associates agreed - at least they did in 2010, when they festooned KCI with their highest ranking for passenger satisfaction among medium-sized airports, in part due to its convenience at the check-in counter and security checkpoints.
Why, then, do local officials take such a dim view of KCI's accessibility?
"Fly out midmorning," suggests Kansas City aviation director Mark VanLoh. "That's the best time to go. But for the business travelers who have to go early, they know the delays and confusion we have."
But while the Astros can revel in capturing the series in an otherwise abysmal season, there may be another reason the Houston team is struggling to draw fans (there were 12,092 fans in attendance last Monday night). CNNSI.com has the story of an Aramark vendor who was fired from his post at Minute Maid Stadium after video of him taking his snow cone tray, which still had snow cones in it (not that it's any better if it's empty) into a bathroom stall and setting it on the floor during the first game of the series against the Royals, was sent to a Houston news station. The video is in the link. It's not graphic, and yet it's still stomach-churning.
Kansas City is home tonight against the Los Angeles Angels. The game starts at 7:10 p.m. and Royals' fans can move on to more civilized dining options like the batting helmet full of nachos.
Just one week after the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph settled a $600,000 civil lawsuit with a family swept up in the diocese's child-pornography scandal, it faces two new suits. A lawyer representing two Missouri girls filed civil suits Tuesday against the diocese, Bishop Robert Finn (who already pleaded guilty to misdemeanors during the scandal) and the Rev. Shawn Ratigan.
In August, Ratigan pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of producing child pornography. He's currently in Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary awaiting sentencing. The AP reports that the new suits claim Ratigan took sexually explicit photos of the children and that he might have shared them online.
Monday Night Raw may have just been in Kansas City, but the WWE's biggest weekly television show is returning to the Sprint Center on October 14 for another live go-round on the USA Network. Tickets went on sale for the return date as Monday's show played out. (After the jump, find out how to buy them.)
Occupation: Executive director, Greater Kansas City Women's Political Caucus
Hometown: Excelsior Springs
Current neighborhood: Elms Boulevard in Excelsior Springs
Who or what is your sidekick? My 5-year-old daughter, Mackenzie
What career would you choose in an alternate reality? I would be a professional political activist ... oh, wait, that's what I am.
What was the last local restaurant you patronized? Ventana
Where do you drink? Westport Coffeehouse or Brio ... depends on the drink.
Kansas House ignores Brownback, Senate, goes home early for long weekend
Parisi's Pete Licata is a World Barista Championship semifinalist
Soundgarden's sludgy sound, last night at the Midland (review)
Oklahoma Joe's ribs named the best in the country by The Daily Meal
Don't mess with the Army, feds remind two local businesspeople
Story celebrates with a pig roast and other weekend possibilities
Royals fan sprints on the field, steals rosin bag
KCPD will breathalyze patrons at Tanner's tonight