Morning Rush: Boilermaker union pay, Jackson County jailhouse death, the gift of life
Welcome to The Kansas City Star’s Morning Rush, where we get you ready for the day ahead.
Here’s what you need to know:
Boilermaker leaders’ pay
The president of the Kansas City, Kan.-based union brings in more than $750,000 in annual salary and other disbursements, Judy Thomas reports. That’s significantly more than leaders of some of the largest unions in the nation. This development comes five years after the leaders faced scrutiny for high compensation, and at a time when the union’s membership ranks are decreasing.
Jackson County jailhouse death
When Jackson County inmate ReGina R. Thurman complained of chest pains and other symptoms of a cardiovascular condition, a nurse told her to relax as she lay dying on the jailhouse floor. Thurman’s relatives, who are considering a lawsuit, say the incident speaks to the dysfunction of a facility that has been the subject of multiple investigations the past two years. Mike Hendricks reports.
Giving the gift of life
The Star’s David Frese tells the beautiful story of how his wife, Natalie Frese, came to donate her left kidney to Ty Poell, her boss and principal at Tonganoxie Elementary School, who was suffering kidney failure as a result of Alport syndrome.
Sporting KC security takes flak
Sam McDowell broke the news Saturday that the MLS Players Union released a highly critical statement of security at a Sporting KC match. The criticism came days after Colorado goalkeeper Tim Howard was suspended three games for a profanity-laced exchange with fans.
Innovative EMT class
A new class, thought to be one of a kind in the country, is preparing Kansas City high school students as licensed emergency medical technicians with a direct path to the Kansas City Fire Department. It helps the department increase its ranks of minorities and women while giving area students a major career opportunity.
This story was originally published April 17, 2017 at 7:46 AM with the headline "Morning Rush: Boilermaker union pay, Jackson County jailhouse death, the gift of life."