(AP) – Leaders of a program aimed at reducing crime in Kansas City are hopeful that lessons learned in 2013 will mean less violence in 2014.
The Kansas City No Violence Alliance uses a “focused deterrence” crime prevention strategy that that has been successful in other cities.
The idea is that police and prosecutors focus on the small number of people responsible for the majority of violent crimes. Often, those people are affiliated with gangs or loosely organized criminal groups. They and their associates are told that violence no longer will be tolerated.
But along with that law enforcement stick comes a carrot of social services help for those seeking a chance to escape from the criminal life.
(AP) – Missouri lawmakers are considering changes to the governor’s authority over the state budget.
The discussion comes after budget disputes in recent years. Most recently, Gov. Jay Nixon froze $400 million in the current year’s spending plan, while citing concerns lawmakers would override his veto of a tax cut.
The veto was sustained and all but $134 million for capital improvements has since been released.
Republican House member Todd Richardson plans to propose a constitutional amendment for the annual legislative session starting next week. Richardson says he wants governors to have the ability to restrict spending when it is needed to keep the budget balanced, while also protecting the Legislature’s power to decide how funds are spent.
Nixon says Missouri governors’ current tools for managing the budget are needed.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A program aimed at encouraging self-reliance and physical activity among poor inner-city youths not only provides them with bikes, but also teaches them to maintain their refurbished rides.
25-year-old Ben Alexander was working at a community center when a seventh-grader started asking questions about how he biked to and from work. The boy said they should fix up bikes for children because few in the neighborhood have them.
Since 2011, more than 1,000 have graduated since 2011 from the FreeWheels bike safety classes that Alexander has taken to Kansas City, Kan., middle schools, apartment complexes and social service agencies. And hundreds have been given bikes through the group’s Earn-a-Bike program, where kids learn how to take apart bicycles and put them back together.
A Missouri teenager was seriously injured in a New Year’s morning crash in Jackson County.
According to the Missouri Highway Patrol nineteen-year-old Jacob L. Ellis of Lee’s Summit was driving a 2004 Chevy Suburban west on US 50, west of F Highway just before 5 a.m.
The vehicle traveled off the right side of the road and struck an embankment, went airborne and overturned multiple times striking a fence and coming to rest. Ellis was transported to Centerpoint. He was not wearing a seat belt.
Thirty-seven year old Eric A. Stinebaugh of Malvern, Kansas died in a New Year’s eve crash in Osage County. According to the
Kansas Highway Patrol Stinebaugh was driving a 1995 Dodge Ram eastbound on 269th five miles south of Osage City. The roadway was icy and the truck slid off the road towards the south and struck a tree. Stinebaugh was declared dead at the scene. Kelley D. Gordon age 33 of Topeka, a passenger in the truck, was transported to Stormont Vail.
Three other passengers Amber R. Tincher age 33, Gunner Tincher age 5 and Grady Tincher age 2 of Osage City were not transported but possibly had injuries. Stinebaugh and the other adults were not wearing seat belts. The children were not is safety seats but were wearing seat belts.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new tally finds philanthropy made a comeback in large donations in 2013 with the nation’s wealthiest donors giving more than $3.4 billion to charity.
A report from The Chronicle of Philanthropy on the top gifts of the past year found there were more gifts of $100 million or more than in 2012.
The largest donation of 2013 came from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. They announced in December that they had given 18 million shares of Facebook stock to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The gift was valued at more than $990 million. This was the first time donors under the age of 30 have made the nation’s largest philanthropic gift.
The chronicle found colleges and universities also benefited from some of the biggest donations.
ATCHISON, KAN.,–December 30, 2013—Leading hardlines distributor Blish-Mize Co. of Atchison, Kan has announced that Jonathan D. Mize has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, succeeding his father, John H. Mize.
“I’m excited and honored to be appointed Chief Executive Officer & President of our company,” said Jonathan. “Under my father’s leadership as CEO for the past 30 plus years, he has moved our company forward and kept it growing and profitable, and I look forward to more progress. I also want to congratulate my father for over 52 years of service, and in his new role as our executive chairman.”
For the past few years, Jonathan has served as President & COO and previously served in other officer capacities. He will be the 5th generation of the Mize family to hold the title of Chief Executive Officer. He also serves as President & COO of Hardware House, LLC , a subsidiary of Blish-Mize Co. John H. Mize will become Executive Chairman of Blish-Mize Co. and will remain Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors.
“As we look to the future, I can honestly say that I am very confident that Blish-Mize will continue to thrive. During his more than two decades of service, Jonathan has been involved in the promoting and hiring of a strong management team to help him run the company in the future. Jonathan knows the business, lives our core values, and has the respect and admiration of the company’s officers, directors, employees, suppliers, and valued customers. In short, he has earned the right to lead Blish-Mize as CEO. His movement up the leadership ladder of our company comes from good old-fashioned hard work, teamwork, enthusiasm and his drive for results. As his supervisor, mentor and father, I could not be happier for him or more pleased for our company,” said John Mize.
“As we enter our 143rd year in business, we have a great team, and we are in a great position to continue to help our customers be successful in hardware retailing for many more years to come,” said Jonathan Mize.
Blish-Mize customers include building materials dealers, lumberyards, home centers, hardware stores and paint stores. They are also a fulfillment center for many online retailers. They provide over 50,000 SKUs and represent over 1,000 manufacturers. The company prides itself on a customer-centric business philosophy.
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
306 AM CST WED JAN 1 2014
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LIGHT SNOW IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...
.A FAST MOVING WINTER SYSTEM MOVE THROUGH THE AREA ON
WEDNESDAY BRINGING A PERIOD OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW. GUSTY NORTH
WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH THE FALLING SNOW TO CREATE VISIBILITY
PROBLEMS DURING THE PERIOD OF HEAVIEST FALLING SNOW. BY LATE
WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING WIDESPREAD 2 TO 4 INCH
SNOW AMOUNTS CAN BE EXPECTED. NORTH WINDS BETWEEN 5 AND 15 MPH IN
COMBINATION WITH VERY COLD TEMPERATURES WILL BRING THE WIND CHILLS ON
THURSDAY MORNING DOWN TO 10 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO.
ATCHISON KS-DONIPHAN-ATCHISON MO-NODAWAY-WORTH-GENTRY-HARRISON-
MERCER-PUTNAM-SCHUYLER-HOLT-ANDREW-DE KALB-DAVIESS-GRUNDY-
SULLIVAN-ADAIR-BUCHANAN-CLINTON-CALDWELL-LIVINGSTON-LINN MO-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ATCHISON...TROY...TARKIO...MARYVILLE...
GRANT CITY...ALBANY...STANBERRY...BETHANY...PRINCETON...
UNIONVILLE...LANCASTER...DOWNING...MOUND CITY...OREGON...
SAVANNAH...CAMERON...GALLATIN...JAMESPORT...TRENTON...MILAN...
GREEN CITY...KIRKSVILLE...ST. JOSEPH...PLATTSBURG...HAMILTON...
POLO...CHILLICOTHE...BROOKFIELD
306 AM CST WED JAN 1 2014
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT
CST TONIGHT...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL HAS
ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW...
WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT.
* TIMING...LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO START FALLING BY NOON OR SHORTLY
AFTER NOON ON WEDNESDAY. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL LIKELY FALL BETWEEN 2 PM
AND 9 PM. BY MIDNIGHT WEDNESDAY NIGHT EXPECT WIDESPREAD SNOW TO
COME TO AN END.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...WIDESPREAD 2 TO 4 INCHES
* IMPACTS... WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE NORTH AT 15 MPH GUSTING UP TO
30 MPH THROUGH THE DAY. THIS WILL CAUSE VISIBILITY ISSUES AS WELL
AS DRIFTING OF SNOW.
* TEMPERATURES...OVERNIGHT LOWS ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY
MORNING WILL BE NEAR ZERO DEGREES. NORTH WINDS BETWEEN 5 AND 15 MPH
WILL CAUSE WIND CHILL VALUES ON THURSDAY MORNING TO BE BETWEEN 10
AND 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE
TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED
VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
&&
PLEASE REPORT SNOW OR ICE AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
ON FACEBOOK BY SEARCHING FOR...U.S. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
KANSAS CITY...OR BY VISITING HTTP...//GO.USA.GOV/DFQB (UPPER
CASE). ON TWITTER...CONTACT US AT @NWSKANSASCITY.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The mother of former Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the team after exhuming his body so that his brain could be examined.
The lawsuit, filed by Cheryl Shepherd in Jackson County circuit court Tuesday, alleges that Belcher was subjected to “repetitive head trauma” and that the Chiefs failed to provide adequate medical care before he killed his girlfriend and then committed suicide last December.
Belcher’s body was exhumed this month at his family’s request so his brain could be studied for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative condition found in some former players.
Shepherd is seeking a jury trial and $15,000 in damages.
A spokesman for the Chiefs told The Associated Press that the team was aware of the lawsuit but could not comment on pending litigation.
Kansas City No Violence Alliance uses a “focused deterrence” crime prevention strategy that that has been successful in other cities.
