The Kansas School School District announced today it has delayed a meeting where School Board members were expected to elect a new board president and other officers.
Sources with district say that meeting, which was scheduled for tonight, was delayed due in part to an ongoing investigation into Northeast Board member Duane Kelly. Officials are looking into whether Kelly actually lives in the district that he was elected to represent.
In a press release sent this afternoon, district officials said the meeting was being delayed until next week because of the "unavailability of two newly elected board members illness and/or for reasons beyond their control."
Kelly, after a major school district shift last fall, technically lived in the Independence School District and had not relocated to a new home in his new, smaller district.
Kelly said he had rented an apartment in the 200-block of North Indiana in the Scarritt Renaissance neighborhood, but neighbors said they never see him there. one resident even contacted the district's attorney to file a complaint.
The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 23 in the Auditorium at the Board of Education Building, 12ll McGee St.
For more on this check The Northeast News on Wednesday.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Northeast Catholics to see Pope in New York
Several Northeast residents and staff with Holy Cross Catholic School will be part of a delegation heading to New York City this weekend to see the Pope give his first Mass in Yankees Stadium.
Holy Cross Principal Jean Ferrara said Wednesday that she and a dozen others selected from Northeast are going to be part of a 75-person delegation from around the Meto and St. Joseph area.
"We are not going to get to really meet him, but we will get to see him wave as he passes in the Pope-mobile," Ferrara said. "We are still very excited and honored to be picked to go."
Catholics from all over the United States are flocking to New York this week at Pope Benedict XVI makes his first visit to the country since being named leader of the Catholic Church. Today the Pope is visiting with the nation's leaders in Washington, D.C., and will head to New York this weekend where he will give Mass.
The Pope will then give a speech before the United Nations before embarking on a tour around New York's Catholic Churches.
Holy Cross Principal Jean Ferrara said Wednesday that she and a dozen others selected from Northeast are going to be part of a 75-person delegation from around the Meto and St. Joseph area.
"We are not going to get to really meet him, but we will get to see him wave as he passes in the Pope-mobile," Ferrara said. "We are still very excited and honored to be picked to go."
Catholics from all over the United States are flocking to New York this week at Pope Benedict XVI makes his first visit to the country since being named leader of the Catholic Church. Today the Pope is visiting with the nation's leaders in Washington, D.C., and will head to New York this weekend where he will give Mass.
The Pope will then give a speech before the United Nations before embarking on a tour around New York's Catholic Churches.
Friday, April 11, 2008
BREAKING NEWS: School board member Duane Kelly under investigation
Kansas City School District Board Member Duane Kelly is under investigation by District officials for allegedly not living in the home that he said he did when he filed for reelection.
School District Officials, following a resident's tip, were seen canvassing the area around the address Kelly listed on election documents, interviewing neighbors regarding Kelly’s residence and presence, or lack thereof on the block.
According to election board documents, Kelly declared an address in the 200 block of North Indiana Avenue — a rental property with a "for sale" sign prominently displayed in the yard, near the Kansas City Museum, in the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood.
But tax documents on the Jackson County Web site show Kelly’s address as 2800 Hawthorne, in Independence outside the Kansas City District’s boundaries. District officials had not concluded their investigation at the time of this report but promised a full investigation into the matter.
This isn’t the first time elected officials have claimed false residency in Historic Northeast.
In the mid-90s, the Kansas City School District investigated local accountant Paul Arena for allegedly residing in Independence, near the Susquehanna business district, while hold an elected seat in the Northeast sub-district on the School Board.
Arena claimed he lived with his mother who had a property near Smart and Bales avenues, ironically, also in the Scarritt Neighborhood.
After a very public de-frocking, Arena was summarily trounced in an election where political one-hit wonder Lance Lowenstein literally drove Arena out of Northeast on a rail.
School District Officials, following a resident's tip, were seen canvassing the area around the address Kelly listed on election documents, interviewing neighbors regarding Kelly’s residence and presence, or lack thereof on the block.
According to election board documents, Kelly declared an address in the 200 block of North Indiana Avenue — a rental property with a "for sale" sign prominently displayed in the yard, near the Kansas City Museum, in the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood.
But tax documents on the Jackson County Web site show Kelly’s address as 2800 Hawthorne, in Independence outside the Kansas City District’s boundaries. District officials had not concluded their investigation at the time of this report but promised a full investigation into the matter.
This isn’t the first time elected officials have claimed false residency in Historic Northeast.
In the mid-90s, the Kansas City School District investigated local accountant Paul Arena for allegedly residing in Independence, near the Susquehanna business district, while hold an elected seat in the Northeast sub-district on the School Board.
Arena claimed he lived with his mother who had a property near Smart and Bales avenues, ironically, also in the Scarritt Neighborhood.
After a very public de-frocking, Arena was summarily trounced in an election where political one-hit wonder Lance Lowenstein literally drove Arena out of Northeast on a rail.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Paseo Bridge construction to start in two weeks
Officials today from kcICON and the Missouri Deaprtment of Transportation announced that construction on the new Christopher S. Bond bridge will begin on Monday April 21.
So far, officials said, work has been mostly of a research nature as crews look for utilities and do soil samples.
Starting next week as work officials begins, drivers will notice several exits and highway on/off ramps will be closed — including the Interstate 70 westbound on ramp in Columbus Park off Independence Ave.
Traffic will also be reduced to one lane during off-peak hours on the bridge. Motorists who use the bridge and surrounding exits are encouraged to find an alternate route.
Officials are planning a ground breaking ceremony on April 18. For more information on the project check The Northeast News on Wednesday or go to kcICON's Web site at www.kcicon.com
Bus tax opponents were "lying scumbags"
Mayor Mark Funkhouser took aim at opponents of the city's recently approved bus tax.Funkhouser, during a press conference this morning, call the group that opposed the 15 year sales tax "lying scumbags."
Funkhouser also compared the group, which remained anonymous, to the political action groups that ran attack advertisements against him during his own mayoral election.
The Vote No group spent more than $100,000 on advertisements, both print and television, claiming that the city was misusing the bus tax and could not be trusted with a 15 year extension.
Funkhouser also hinted that the group's fundraising and ad campaign may have been illegal.
The tax on Tuesday passed with an overwhelming majority.
After the press conference today, Funkhouser admitted, "I probably shouldn't have said that."
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
And the winner is...
With all ballots cast, counted and totaled the Kansas City Election Board is reporting that all three ballot measures passed.
Bus tax:
Payday loans:
Smoking ban:
KC School Board:
Bus tax:
| |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| YES | 19042 | 51.87% | |
| NO | 17670 | 48.13% |
KC School Board:
| W. EDDY | 7358 | 43.25% | |
| A. WEST | 8727 | 51.30% |
Polls close without incident
The polls are now officially closed.
Election board officials said they had a much lighter turnout than they had expected. Rain, low interest and only a handful of items on the ballot did not have the kind of draw that most other elections might.
For example, in the Northland voters only had three items to decide. The rest of the city had several low-profile and uncontested school board races to decide from.
Results should be up soon and as soon as they break we will bring them to you here.
Election board officials said they had a much lighter turnout than they had expected. Rain, low interest and only a handful of items on the ballot did not have the kind of draw that most other elections might.
For example, in the Northland voters only had three items to decide. The rest of the city had several low-profile and uncontested school board races to decide from.
Results should be up soon and as soon as they break we will bring them to you here.
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