The Kansas City Star from Kansas City, Missouri • 4

"V- V- -i v' vr IK' -v iT0? itovj- £enmi3mnafflimQ 1 1 1 iA GREEN PROJECT New STIMULUS idea will power Overland Park sewage plant MONEY FUEL Casino proposals advance a JtMBARCUSI THE KANSAS QTY STAR Bom with twln-to-twln transfusion syndrome Mary Elizabeth (loft) and Mary Elton Govea bavo boon putting on tho pounds at their homo In Overland Park Their parents Bo and StaCy Govea ara happy $156 million strategy will us human waste and leftover graasa to ran ganorators ByJIMSULIJNGER Kansas City Star Federal stimulus dollars will be turning human waste and restaurant grease into electricity within the next two yean at a large sewage treatment plant Overland Park The project which will cost $156 million is the largest shovel-ready environmentally green project in Kansas funded by those federal dollars Solid waste will flow into the from area toilets and will combined with restaurant fats oils' and ZjLT about the project run two elec- trie generators producing one megawatt of penwer each (By contrast the coat-fired plant just authorized fix- western Kansas would produce 895 megawatts) John the wastewater general managei I of I needs of the plant itself the Douglas Smith Middle Basin Treatment Plant at 10001 College Blvd The plant will be (me of about a half dozen similar en-waiitewater 1 in the nation and the on-rone in the Midwest The project is expected to create 270 new jobs according to the Environmental Protection Agency Richard Hood an EPA spokesman said the technol-was cutting-Most of the six other plants are in California and one uses cow manure instead of restaurant grease he said estimates the system will save the county more than $600000 a year on eneigy plant will allow us to use less energy have less emissions released and most of all produce longterm savings for raid Annabeth Sur-baugh Johnson County Commission chairwoman Solid waste Will be deposited in three large where bacteria will begin breaking down the waste Private haulers will put the restaurant grease oils and fats into a separate tank After heating the restaurant waste is then pumped into the digesters The methane gas created in this bacterial stew goes through a purifier and is then burned to power two electric generators The sludge that is left from the wastes will be SEE SEWAGE I AS crime victim i This time thg pollco While a Kansas City police sergeant was chasing sus- pected carjackers on foot lest weekend a thief stole his equlp-ment bag from his patrol car The sergeant who pulled over in the 3000 block of 32nd -Street caught one of two suspects who fled from a stolen car about I am Sunday When ha returned to hfs patrol car hfs bag was missing from the baCk seat It contained rain gear two ticket books a gas mask and handcuffs among other equipment I Christine Vandal cvendekgtastarxont On would be next to the iptfldwiy and another would bo near the SchlKtarbahn resort By MARK WIEBE Tha Kansas City Star The two remaining proposals for a casino in Wyandotte County cleared planning and zoning hurdles Monday miring a special meeting at City HalL The Kansas City Kao Planning Commission recommended approving the revision of a' preliminary plan for the $387 million first phase of a Hard Rode Hotel Casino next to Kansas Speedway The Planning Commission also recommended a change of zoning a spedal-use permit for die $320 million fust phase of a HoUywbod-themed casino next to the Schlitterbahn water park resort site east of Interstate 435 and north of State Avenue The two proposals are vying to manage a state-owned casino made possible by legislation approved two years agoi A third proposal for a casino in Edwaidsville was withdrawn last week by Golden Gaming of Las Vegas Kansas Entertainment LLC a partnership Speedway and the based Cordish Co submitted the Hard Rock proposal The plan was similar to the me the state selected last year and that the developer withdrew after the downturn in the economy When the state reopened the selection process Kansas Entertainment submitted a phased-in project that calls fot 2300 slot machines and 86 table games overlooking die racetrack in the first phase On Monday Speedway President Jeff Boeiger announced that as part of that phase the track would petition for a second Sprint Cup race If it does not land one Boeiger said the developers will give $5 million each to die state and to the Unified Government The first phase would also include a lounge a buffet and two bars Future phases would include more casino floor space a 65000-square-foot ballroom parking' and 300-room hold die total investment to $700 million Because it had previously subnutted a casino plan Kansas Entertainment did not have to apply for zoning changes But Penn Hollywood Kansas Inc which submitted die Schlitterbahn proposal did A subsidiary of Penn National Gaming Inc of WVo-missing Pa' the developer has proposed a first phase with 2000 slot machines and 58 table games a 250-room hotel three restaurants and two lounges Future phases would add more than LOOP slot machines another 250 hotel rooms and retail and entertainment venues for a total investment of SSOOmiffkm The Unified Board of Commissioners is scheduled to vote oi whether to endorse the proposals at its June 4 meeting The Kansas Lottery Commission has until June 30 to ne-: contracts with the two gotiate conh developers To reach Mark Wlebe cal 816-2347745 or send a-mag to mwtabetgkcitarcom iju feed them every three hours this Bo Govea said takes around an hour to feed each one You feed one for an hotii then the other for an houcWto not going to comptyn for jure In around six months or so they should be able to get It When the twin! were barn one weighed 1 pound 5 ounces and the other lpoqnd 7 ounces Tbdajt Mary Ellen weighs 16 pounds 5 ounces while Miry Elizabeth weighs 14 pounds ounces "The Occupational therapist says Ellen is developmental just where she should bemr normal the donor In twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome one child gets more and one getting enough The only thing they are lacking weight Elizabeth Is about three or four weeks behind her listen" The twins will have someone to boss around someday: The couple is expecting another child twins are doing just Stacy Govea said die one 00 the way is a regular lb reach Stava Pena tall pwmtesUrconi A LOT TO he Marys twin girls bom in April 2008 who doctors once thought might not survive are doing quite well one yearlatet sy In August I wrote about the return to Kansas City of Mary Elizabeth and Mary Ellen Govea bom April 262008 with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome The twins flew back to Kansas City from Salt Lake four months neonatal cam After they returned Mary Him went home while Mary Elizabeth went straight to Children's Mercy Hospital where the remained three more weeks been a long yeat" Bo Govea their father said last week just a blessing Ifi amazing that they are even here They're a little high-maintenance But very healthy They're always smiling They have a lot to smile lvin-to-twintransfuskmsyndrome occurs in identical twins who share the same placenta and some of the same circulation The condition -often leaves at least one of the twin malnourished Prior to the birth doctors had STEVE PENN warned Bo and his wife Stacy that if tip twins wee to arrive before 24 weeks they probably be saved foe doctor that we didn't want to see him until 24 weeks afad that we were going to mate Bo Govea rccalled "VA just wanted to remain positive But we were pretty much expecting that if they did make it they would have issues going Their optimism and deep faith prevailed Despite numerous surgeries this past year the twins are doing remarkably welL Friday night Mary Ellen slept peacefully on the sofa at their home while Maiy Elizabeth preferred the comfort of ablanket on the float The twins must be fed through tubes that run into their stomachs A machine that injects the food was situated nearby census Kansas county now 'majority-minority NewUS Census Bureau num- bars show that Kansas is home to 1 one of six counties nationwide that have recently reached status Finney County in southwest Kansas Joins 303 of the nation's 3342 counties that have a minority of noHispanic whites The Census Bureau said Finney County became a majority-mi- nority county in the past two years The five other newly majority-minority countiesare in Mis- sissippl Florida California and Texai which has tw(X I The Associated Press Ii I BLUE STAR AWARDS 1 Rising talents to be recognized Area high school musical the ter students will behonbred Thursday at the annual Blud Star- Awards atStarlight Theatre The free public ceremony held in conjunction with Blue Cross A Blue Shield of Kansas City recognizes outstanding achievement in -23 Categories Entertainment wiU include numbers from the five nominees for overall school musical production Two $2000 Rising Star scholarships a Iso will be awarded The event is at 7:30 pim on Starlight's Cohen Community Stage I Matt Campbell 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