Free complimentary copy July 29, 2016 • Volume 3, No. 40
www.raytowneagle.com • 75¢
District 28 House candidates speak on issues at forum
Jim Aziere
Jerome Barnes
Editor’s note: Responses have been edited for brevity. Quotes have not otherwise been edited. Responses appear in the order in which they were given.
Josh Greene
Diane Krizek
Pat Riehle
August 2
Bill VanBuskirk
All six candidates for the District 28 seat in the Missouri House of Representatives were at Raytown City Hall Tuesday evening for a forum hosted by the Raytown Area Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters
of Kansas City/Jackson, Clay and Platte counties. Jim Aziere, Josh Greene, Jerome Barnes, Pat Riehle and Diane Krizek are the Democratic candidates. Bill VanBuskirk is the only Republican candidate. The following are portions of the responses candidates gave to questions from the audience at the forum: Would you support a ban on assault weapons? What is your position on open carry without a permit? • Barnes: I believe in the Second Amendment. I do believe that
when you’re dealing with guns you need proper training. There’s just no doubt about it. I’m for a ban on assault weapons and I’m also for training before you can carry a concealed weapon. • Greene: The definition of an assault weapon always changes around. We need something that actually locks in what an assault weapon is to make it an assault weapon — like an AR-15, something with magazine, something like that — and we need commonsense legislation for gun safety. …
I would like to see something like a tax credit for the person with a gun safe in the state of Missouri. • Krizek: Yes, I support the Second Amendment, and I believe every person should be able to defend their home, their property and their loved ones. Assault weapons need to be controlled, in my opinion, because they get in the wrong hands, so we need common-sense legislation. • Riehle: I am for concealed carry classes and learning how to use that as a tool. Hunters should have
the right to own their guns for upland game, deer hunting, the sport that they love. As far as the AR-15 or assault weapon question, I am for a limited magazine. • VanBuskirk: I believe in our Second Amendment rights. … I believe in our right to protect ourselves, our families, and if we want to use a gun to go hunting to do that, so I’m an advocate of our Second Amendment. I think it doesn’t need to be changed.
By Kris Collins On Aug. 9, it’s expected the Raytown Board of Aldermen will consider a potential raise for Raytown EMS employees. The city’s finance committee spoke at length on the topic in two meetings in early July, and it was decided at the close of the second meeting that Finance Director Mark
Loughry would bring a proposed 10 percent pay increase before the board. Raytown EMS ranks the lowest in pay compared with 17 other agencies in the Kansas City Metro Area, with average pay at 18 percent less than the average pay of the other agencies. The 10 percent proposed raise would continue through the re-
mainder of the fiscal year, which ends Oct. 31. The increase to the budget would be approximately $29,000. Raytown EMS Director Doug Jonesi noted in a report to the finance committee that his department has had trouble maintaining staffing levels with such pay, and it has been hard to attract applicants to fill vacancies. He wrote in the report that
when any of the 15 employee positions the department has, which he rates minimal to begin with, are unfilled, the department’s primary function of providing emergency medical service becomes difficult to perform. The department’s call volume has been growing each year. Raytown EMS responded to 4,100 calls in 2015. Since October 2012, the depart-
ment has lost 14 employees to resignation, 12 of which Jonesi noted took higher-paying jobs elsewhere. The department currently has two vacancies, one opened in March and the other in May. “Bringing Raytown EMS pay above the metro median will begin to turn that around – higher quality applicants, as well as keeping the
By Kris Collins
Candidates continued on page 8
Potential raises for Raytown EMS to go before aldermen
EMS continued on page 6
Raytown schools expanding educational opportunities with Southland CAPS program By Kris Collins By fall of 2018, Raytown C-2 School District students will have the opportunity for hands-on job experience even before graduation. This past week Superintendent Allan Markley announced the district is forming the Southland Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) program — modelled after Northland CAPS — for not only Raytown students but those in some
districts south of the Missouri River. The primary difference between the two programs, said Brian Huff, assistant superintendent of secondary education, is that the Southland CAPS program will be governed by the Raytown Schools Board of Education, not by a separate body. “All of our activities will run through Raytown, just like Herndon [Career Center],” Huff said. “It will really end up being an arm of Herndon.”
The program is still being planned out. It’s uncertain at this point which other school districts and businesses will participate in Southland CAPS. The program will be administered during the school year and students will spend half of the day on campus. The first semester of the program will focus on classroom work and students will be at their internships for the second semester. It’s not yet known what disciplines of study, or strands, will be part of the program.
“Our goal is experiential,” Huff said. “It’s not to develop specific skills for the students but to have them see a broad array of what’s available in these strands. It differs from Herndon or Summit Tech in that at Herndon you’re going to learn a specific skill and get credentialed in a certain skill.” To that end, the first semester of the program is intentionally broad and the second more narrowly tailored. For example, the first semes-
ter’s curriculum may be centered on healthcare and students could choose internships in healthcare IT or pediatrics. The up-front cost of the program is $100,000. Huff said the program will be fee-based and not cost the district any further expenses after its inception. Questions on the program may be directed to Cheryl Reichert, director of the Herndon Career Center, at 816268-7140.
Royals celebrate 2015 World Series Championship at White House
Photo courtesy Jackson County The 2015 World Series champion Kansas City Royals pose for a photo with President Barack Obama July 21 while the team was being honored at the White House for a championship season
The Kansas City Royals organization was in Washington D.C. this past week for a time-honored tradition in American sports: meeting the president. The Royals have made two such trips in the history of the ball club,
and Frank White Jr. has been present for both, first as a player in 1985 and most recently on July 21 as Jackson County executive. White coached many of the 2015 Royals in the club’s farm system. “It is a great feeling to wit-
50th Anniversary Page 2
ness players that I managed and coached win the World Series and be celebrated by the president of the United States,” he said. “It is an honor and a privilege to represent the people of Jackson County each and every day, but I must admit,
New Judge Page 3
this is truly special.” Royals great George Brett also attended the ceremony. The Royals presented President Barack Obama with a championship jersey inscribed with the team name in gold lettering to commem-
orate the 2015 championship. Royals owner David Glass thanked President Obama and said the team anticipates being back to celebrate another championship soon.
Royals continued on page 10
Steak and Potatoes Page 9