Cleaning up after severe weather strikes on July 4 HARTFORD (KVOE) -- Spending a milestone holiday cleaning up after severe weather isn’t exactly what Hartford residents had in mind when they woke up July 4, but that’s the task they faced after a damaging windstorm blew through the community.
Severe thunderstorms rolled across town Saturday morning. Mayor Kenny Hamman was in Emporia when the storm hit, and he went back to town as soon as he started getting reports of damage. When he got back, work was already underway.
Damage was sporadic but significant. City Hall had part of its roof pulled up and a few windows broken out. Inspection is also needed to determine the scope of rain damage with storms that moved across the town later in the day. Regardless, Hamman says the City Hall damage shouldn’t affect local government operations.
Elsewhere, tree limbs of all sizes were downed and a handful of trees were uprooted, again on an isolated to widely scattered basis.
Hamman expects the city’s insurance company to be in town Monday for damage assessment specifically at City Hall.
Meanwhile, residents are being directed to take their tree debris to the burn area just south of Hartford. Hamman says plans are being discussed to offer help in case residents can’t get their trees and limbs to the burn area, including the possibility of a secondary drop-off location for additional transport by the city. ---- Bobby Witt Jr. named starting American League shortstop for All-Star Game KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) The accomplishments for Bobby Witt Jr. continue to grow. The Kansas City Royals’ superstar shortstop has added one to his ledger: All-Star Game starter.
After earning All-Star reserve player status the previous two seasons, Witt was named the starting American League shortstop for the 2026 MLB Midsummer Classic.
Witt leads the team in runs (44), hits (93), doubles (20), walks (37), stolen bases (29), batting average (.290) on-base percentage (.362) and on base + slugging (.832).
He is also fourth in the major leagues in wins above replacement (4.7).
The Royals’ top pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, Witt has been a mainstay in the lineup since his debut in 2022.
He advanced to the final two voting and beat out Toronto’s Andres Gimenez to earn the start. The 26-year-old will be the third shortstop in club history to start an All-Star Game (Fred Patek - 1978, Alcides Escobar - 2015. ---- Two rescued after car is submerged in Kansas River TOPEKA (WIBW) - Two people were rescued Saturday afternoon after the car they were in became fully submerged in the Kansas River at the Kaw River Park boat ramp off Sixth Street.
The two occupants, believed to be a man and a woman, were both pulled from the water and are being evaluated for injuries.
One occupant was rescued near the boat ramp. The other was swept downstream by the current and later rescued at the West-Gate Bridge.
The cause of the vehicle entering the river remains unclear and is under investigation.
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