Monthly Archives: April 2022

Andover, Kansas, tornado Friday evening; Remembering 31 years ago this week EF5 killed 17

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KOAM TV-7 STUDIOS, Kan. — About 7:20 p.m. Friday evening, April 29, 2022, reports in Andover, Kansas, of a damaging tornado across that area to the east of Wichita.

Andover historically was hit by an EF5 tornado in April of 1991 and 17 people were killed. The only tornado of recent history to rival the intensity of Joplin’s EF5 tornado in 2011.

FRIDAY EVENING TORNADO AND RESPONSE

SEDGWICK COUNTY GOVERNMENT — Wichita Fire Department Rescue Teams 1 & 2 are assisting citizens to navigate debris and escorting those in need to shelter. Sedgwick County Fire Department Taskforce 5, which is a multi-agency group that responds to rescue-related events, and the Regional Hazmat Team have been deployed and are continuing to support citizens of Sedgwick County and Butler County & Andover Fire Departments.

Law Enforcement agencies are assessing damage and identifying downed power lines outside the path of the tornado. It was reported that an Evergy station received damage and is causing delays in the restoration of service.

  • Barricades are set:
  • 159th Street and Pawnee (southbound)
  • 159th Street and 31st Street S (northbound)
  • 143rd Street E
  • 39th Street S (northbound)
  • 143rd Street E and Pawnee (southbound)
  • 31st Street S from 127th-159th streets both directions.

There has been an issue with citizens going through barricades at 159th and Pawnee (southbound). There are also power lines and trees down throughout the area. We want to remind citizens to honor the barricades and stay out of the area so emergency crews can continue to assess the area and assist those in need.

We are continuing to evaluate the damage related to the severe weather in southeast Wichita/Sedgwick County. Only minor injuries have been reported at this time. The Sedgwick County Fire Department has deployed Taskforce 5 to support Butler County and Andover Fire Departments. — Sedgwick County Government

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MSSU "Picnic on the Oval" celebrate semester's nearing end

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JOPLIN, Mo. — The countdown is on to the end of the semester — and on Friday (4/29) Missouri Southern Students, faculty and staff celebrated with a special gathering. It’s the traditional “Picnic on the Oval” which marks the last few days of regular classes.

This year, campus construction prompted much of the activity to move inside Billingsly Student Center. Organizers say it’s still a chance to eat together and have some fun before finals kick off.

“The school year can be kind of a grind for our students. And so it’s a nice little treat for them to get some free food and tshirts and have some fun. Kind of blow off some steam before the semester’s done,” said Craig Gullett, MSSU Student Activities.

Finals week starts on May 9th — graduation is slated for May 14th.

Rep. Sara Walsh in Lamar

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LAMAR, Mo. — A Missouri State representative vying for a seat in Congress makes a stop in Lamar today.

State Representative Sara Walsh is running for Missouri’s 4th Congressional District. Vicky Hartzler currently holds the position but is now running for the U.S. Senate.

Walsh visited the Daylight Donuts shop in Lamar today to hear what constiuents want her to work for in Washington.

She’s the current Missouri House Majority Caucus Chair. And, she adds she comes from humble beginnings — her dad installed floors for a living, she calls her mom a “committed prayer warrior.” Walsh herself formerly worked in a factory to put herself through college, later serving in the nonprofit sector.

“Having served in the Missouri legislature, I’ve found out that having a broad background and having worked in those different fields is wonderful, because not only can you connect with people, but you understand because you’ve walked in their shoes. And so, that’s the best kind of congressperson, I believe, is someone who’s walked in people’s shoes so they can take that and truly represent that in the halls of Congress,” said Walsh.

Walsh will be up against seven other Republicans in the August 2nd primary election: Mark Alford, Rick Brattin, Kalena Bruce, Taylor Burks, Jim Campbell, William Irwin, and Kyle Labruce.

Jack Truman is the sole Democrat running.

Pittsburg ArtWalk returns

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PITTSBURG, Kans. — A longstanding Pittsburg tradition is finally making its in-person return. The Pittsburg ArtWalk returned to Broadway on Friday.

Since 2006, artists have partnered with local businesses to display their work throughout downtown. More than 50 artists are taking part this year.

It’s the first in-person ArtWalk since the pandemic began in 2020. A virtual version temporarily replaced it — as did a more spread out version called, “The ArtCrawl.”

Organizers are happy to have the original Artwalk back.

“The energy in Pittsburg is absolutely insane right now, I have never seen so much buzz about this ArtWalk before, it’s really electrifying. Everybody’s involved, everybody’s participating, everybody who’s not even in the barricaded area in the ArtWalk is still sharing and posting things and getting involved whether they’re just going to have a sidewalk sale or just having artists hanging up their artwork in their business,” said Crista Cunningham, Pittsburg ArtWalk President.

22 dog houses designed by 5th graders at Lakeside Elementary will be auctioned off in front of the Colonial Fox Theater starting at 7 Friday night. Proceeds will benefit the Southeast Kansas Humane Society.

"Toy Car" for children with movement disabilities

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PITTSBURG, Kans. — Some Mechanical Engineering students at Pittsburg State have spent the past year working on a toy car for children with movement disabilities. On Friday, the Pittsburg community got its first look at the prototype.

“These kids kind of need something kid-ish, toy-ish to kind of excite their mind. Which this is something that would take two or three years to refine, so we’re on a short deadline.” Christian Schultz, PSU Mechanical Engineering Senior.

On Friday students from across the Mechanical Engineering Department at Pittsburg State University presented their senior projects to the Industrial Advisory Committee. Five of those students were approached by the non-profit “Geeks For Kids.”

“They build mobility vehicles for children with movement disabilities. They originally had been using an off- the-shelf vehicle, but there’s a possible discontinuation, so they tasked us, Pitt State undergrad team to design a chassis and power train for them,” said Shultz. “We kind of based our design off a small lunar rover but we adapted it to hopefully fit a kid.

Over the past year, schultz and his team have created this toy car prototype.

The new design hopes to help the non-profit cut down the costs many families face.

“Wheelchairs that you buy off the shelf are extremely expensive, probably starting at a base cost of $3,000 going up to anywhere towards 10,000 to $20,000, so there’s a lot of kids out there who are living in hospitals or living in homes with movement disabilities, who their parents can’t afford a wheelchair,” he added.

The team’s work isn’t done. They will present the prototype at a Geeks For Kids event in Kansas City in the beginning of June.

“They’ll refine our design, switch some materials. They’re looking at taking our design and they’re going to send it to a weld shop and a few other places and see how easy they can fabricate it. They actually are planning on donating this to a kid,” said Shultz “They need that to learn their environment and grow in their environment.”

Report highlights top Kansas high schools

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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A report out this week ranks the best public high schools in each state. It shows the top schools in Kansas are mainly in the northeast part of the state, with only three of the top 20 in the Wichita area.

U.S. News & World Report compiles the ranking of schools every year. The directory includes each school’s enrollment and the ratio of students to teachers.

The publication uses several factors to determine a school’s rank. A third of a school’s score is determined by whether students are ready for college. Seniors need to earn a qualifying score in one AP or IB exam. Scores on state tests to graduate from high school make up another 40% of the score. Another 30% includes factors like graduation rates, curriculum, and underserved student performance.

Students in Kansas need at least 21 credits to graduate, including four English language arts, three history and government, three science, three math, one physical education, one fine arts, and six elective courses. A task force is currently considering changing those requirements.

Top 20 Kansas public high schools in 2022:

  1. Sumner Academy of Arts and Science (Kansas City) – view report
  2. Blue Valley North (Overland Park) – view report
  3. Shawnee Mission East (Shawnee Mission) – view report
  4. Olathe Northwest (Olathe) – view report
  5. Blue Valley (Stilwell) – view report
  6. Blue Valley West (Overland Park) – view report
  7. Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park) – view report
  8. Andover Central (Andover) – view report
  9. Blue Valley Southwest (Overland Park) – view report
  10. Northeast Magnet (Wichita/Bel Aire) – view report
  11. Lawrence Free State (Lawrence) – view report
  12. Rock Creek (St. George) – view report
  13. Mill Valley (Shawnee) – view report
  14. Manhattan (Manhattan) – view report
  15. Shawnee Mission South (Shawnee Mission) – view report
  16. De Soto (De Soto) – view report
  17. Andover (Andover) – view report
  18. Shawnee Mission Northwest (Shawnee Mission) – view report
  19. Olathe North (Olathe) – view report
  20. Holton (Holton) – view report

Top Wichita-area public high schools:

  1. Andover Central – view report
  2. Northeast Magnet – view report
  3. Andover – view report
  4. Wichita East – view report
  5. Hesston – view report
  6. Mulvane – view report
  7. Maize – view report
  8. Wellington – view report
  9. Maize South – view report
  10. Goddard Eisenhower – view report

Top Topeka-area public high schools:

  1. Holton – view report
  2. Marais Des Cygnes Valley – view report
  3. Washburn Rural – view report
  4. Jefferson West – view report
  5. Shawnee Heights – view report
  6. Valley Falls – view report
  7. Jefferson County North – view report
  8. Topeka – view report
  9. Jackson Heights – view report
  10. Perry Lecompton – view report

Top Lawrence-area public high schools:

  1. Lawrence Free State – view report
  2. Lawrence – view report
  3. Baldwin – view report
  4. Eudora – view report
  5. Lawrence Virtual School – view report

Top Manhattan-area public high schools:

  1. Rock Creek – view report
  2. Manhattan – view report
  3. Onaga – view report
  4. Wamego – view report
  5. Junction City – view report

In all, U.S. News & World Report ranked about 18,000 public high schools. To see its list of about 360 Kansas schools, click here.

Missouri hunters start applying in May for elk and black bear permits

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missourians can apply for elk and bear hunting permits during the month of May.

The Missouri Department of Conservation is offering five permits to hunt bull elk in Missouri this fall. One permit will go to an area landowner and the other four permits will go to the general public.

400 permits will be issued for black bear hunting season, but only 40 black bears are allowed to be taken down during the season. 10 percent of black bear permits will be given to area landowners. All of the permits will be given out based on a random drawing.

The elk hunting season has a nine-day archery portion from October 15 to October 23 and a nine-day firearms portion from December 10 to December 18. The five permits are valid for both portions. Elk permit applications are $10. Those selected then buy the permit for $50. Only one elk is allowed to be harvested. The results of the drawing will be online by July 1. Click here for more information.

Missouri black bear hunting season is from October 17 to October 26. Black bear permit applications are $10 and each applicant must select one of three Black Bear Management Zones (BMZ). Those selected then buy the permit for $25. Each BMZ has a specific quota.

  • BMZ 1: Permit quota of 200 issued with a harvest quota of 20 bears.
  • BMZ 2: Permit quota of 150 issued with a harvest quota of 15 bears.
  • BMZ 3: Permit quota of 50 issued with a harvest quota of 5 bears.

Click here for more information.

Miami HS fundraiser helps "Make A Wish" come true

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MIAMI, Okla. — Miami High School students and the Make A Wish Foundation are making dreams come true this week.

4-year old Mason is from Miami and was diagnosed with leukemia before the age of one. The Make A Wish Foundation worked together this week with the Miami High School to fundraise for Mason to do something very special.

“And we have this great partnership with Miami High School, and this is their 3rd year to help us raise money for local kids. So, we let the kids know this year they have another Wish Kid waiting, and they jumped right on it and said, ‘Of course, we want to grant his wish, we want to help raise money for Make A Wish.’ And so, we just got the ball rolling there and then we just talk a lot about doing different fundraisers throughout the year that the community would really get behind, that the students would get behind and enjoy doing, and of course Miami always comes through and supports in a huge way. So, we’re super grateful for what they do for our Wish Kids, for Make A Wish, and then also for these high school kids that are getting to experience just the joy of helping others,” said Erin Nantois, Make A Wish Foundation.

“It’s been really impactful to be able to watch the like, whenever a kid is like, super sad and they have this illness or this sickness and getting to see them go on their like, wish is like, they get a little bit of happiness and they get something to look forward to,” said Jordyn McMinn, High School Senior.

On Friday, the school held a pep rally, announcing that after a week of fundraising, they had raised over $10,000 for Mason.

He has not yet decided what he wants to do as his wish, but his parents say these funds will definitely help.

The school held a silent auction and they also worked with local businesses to host a fundraising pancake dinner. Many community members reached out with support as well.

“That’s just amazing, that they were able to raise that much money and give back and ‘Make A Wish’ is an incredible organization, and they’re just able to grant kids’ wishes. So, eventually, when it’s his time, it’ll just provide him a more amazing experience, whatever trip or whatever it is that he decides he wants to do, or that we get to take him on, will just be that much more fun, because of everything they did,” said Leslie McGuire, Mason’s Mom.

Mason’s family say thanks to all the help this past week, Mason’s dreams will come true.

“Everybody that participated in this, they were great. I mean, we’re so grateful for everything that they did – the community as a whole, the school as a whole,” said Brandon McGuire, Mason’s Dad.

CJ Special Olympics Day

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CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — More than 300 Special Olympic athletes spent part of their Friday at Carl Junction High School. All there for this year’s Southwest Missouri Regional Special Olympics Track and Field Day.

“I think that we actually should be encouraging other schools that don’t have these programs to have them. Because I think it’s a really good way to help prevent bullying in general ’cause it helps people understand that even though someone might act different, it doesn’t mean they should be bullied,” said Brook Hale, Carthage Special Olympian Athlete High School Junior.

Brook Hale, a junior at Carthage High School, won a gold medal in the 4×1 relay today. This year marks her fourth year as Special Olympian. She has a love for competition and having a good time, something that makes all the athletes feel like family.

“I know personally with my Unified Buddy she absolutely loves it. They love being out here. Any of the students love being out here because we all just feel like a big old family having fun cheering them on and just having a good time,” said Hailey Bryant, Senior Carthage High School, Brook Hale Unified Buddy.

Students in the Launch Club at Carl Junction held a dodgeball tournament and were able to raise $15,000 to benefit the Special Olympic athletes in the Southwest region.

“Just knowing that I won’t be here next year but we’ll still be able to do amazing work helping the community and giving back. Knowing that we started this year and be here for years to come, that’s amazing. And I’m so excited this is something that will be a legacy here at CJ,” said Maggie Brown, Carl Junction Senior CJHS Launch.

“When our athletes win a medal after they compete they are so excited it just really means the world to them to have their time in the spotlight and to compete and be an athlete like everyone else,” said Jana Fornelli, Program Director Special Olympics Missouri Southwest Area.

350 athletes competed today and represented 17 teams from across the Southwest Missouri region. For many, the season isn’t over just yet.

“And those that do go on to State it’s a big honor for them and we look forward to wishing them the best of luck to go to State,” said Fornelli.

Healthcare Spotlight: Bob Denton, Freeman Emergency/Trauma

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JOPLIN, Mo. — The Healthcare Spotlight is highlighting the impact more than four decades of experience can have in the Emergency Room.

“Things are always changing and things are always evolving,” said Bob Denton, Freeman Emergency/Trauma.

And that’s a good thing for Bob Denton. His healthcare career spans 46 years, starting with a random conversation about jobs with his college lab partner.

“And I said, ‘Well, I’m not qualified to do anything.’ And he said, ‘Well, can you drive?’ And I said, ‘Well, yeah I can drive.’ ‘But do you have a driver’s license?’ I said, ‘Of course I have a driver’s license.’ And now there’s like, ‘Would you be interested in driving an ambulance?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I can do that.’ He said, ‘Well, can you drive fast?’ I said, ‘Oh, yeah,'” recalled Denton.

He’s come a long way since then, now in charge of Emergency/Trauma for Freeman Health System.

“My day to day job is ensuring that this department is ready to care for the people in this community and that the staff had the resources and the tools that they need to do that job and the training and the experience is there,” he said.

With so much experience under his belt, his goals have been changing.

“My perspective has changed. My priorities have changed. Right now my ultimate goal is to mentor others. So there’s people that understand what happens in the ER.”

He adds how you do the job is just as important – with kindness, respect, and professionalism.

“Some of our outcomes are really good. Some of them are not so good, and we do the best we can to make the outcome as good as it can possibly be,” Denton added.