We know the question on your mind, Kansas Citians — what’s summer going to feel like? Thanks to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center, we know what temperatures and precipitation trends to expect in our city for June, July, and August. While exact weather conditions typically can’t be predicted more than a week in advance, here’s a seasonal outlook to help you prepare for what summer will bring.

Reminder: The first day of summer is on Thursday, June 20.

Temperature

Think hot. This summer KC has a 33-40% chance of temperatures being higher than normal.

Precipitation

Expect average precipitation. Kansas City has a 50-50 chance of seeing average rainfall amounts this summer.

June

June’s temperatures will have an air of familiarity. Temperatures are projected to fall between 69-85°, with an average high of 82°. That’s pretty standard for the Heartland, just don’t forget to slather on that sunscreen.

July

July is when we turn up the heat — but just a tad. July’s temperatures will fall between 80-89°. Not much rainfall is anticipated so plan for warm, clear days. Perfect for picnics on the Nelson-Atkins’ lawn.

August

Historically, the average high in August is 88° and the average low is 60°. It’s also when many local orchards open for apple and berry picking. Though some start as early as July.

Make the most of the sunny days

There’s no shortage of things to do in Kansas City this summer. Here are just a few of the activities our team is eyeing.

United Kansas met the requirements to become a registered political party in the state, one of only three minor political parties active in the state, according to the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office.

The party started canvassing for supporters two months ago to get to the statutorily required 19,548 signatures, or 2% of the total votes cast during the last gubernatorial election. United Kansas follows No Labels Kansas, which was recognized in January as a minor party, and the Libertarian Party of Kansas, which has been recognized since 1992.

The party says its mission is “to unite Kansas under shared values and common goals” and that it values multiparty dialogue, grassroots community efforts and inclusivity for all Kansans. It says its key issues are fostering business-friendly environments, affordable health care, quality education and continuous funding, fostering civic engagement, infrastructure modernization and environmental protection.

In a letter on its website, United Kansas’s party chair Jack Curtis advocates for fusion voting to transform the Democratic process to make it more collaborative.

“By allowing them to cross-nominate candidates, we ensure that these parties have a genuine stake in the electoral process rather than be sidelined as a potential spoiler. This not only amplifies diverse voices but also encourages major parties to adopt more moderate and inclusive stances, leading to a more balanced political environment,” Curtis wrote.

Curtis is joined in party leadership by vice chair Sally Cauble, a former Republican State Board of Education member, and treasurer Aaron Estabrook, an Independent former member of the Manhattan City Commission and USD 383 Board of Education.

The party will be able to select candidates for the November elections through a convention or caucus by June 3. It will be able to hold statewide primaries for office if its candidate for governor gets more than 5% of the vote statewide.

There’s no question that Sarah Gonzales-McLinn killed Laurence businessman Hal Sasko. She was found guilty by a jury of her peers, and she’s serving a minimum 25-year prison sentence.

Yet someone can both be guilty of a heinous crime and also see it as their only way to escape a dire situation. Gonzales-McLinn, in advocates’ estimation, was the victim of sex trafficking by Sasko. She suffered repeated rape and abuse for his sexual gratification. Those advocates want Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly to understand both truths and to grant Gonzales-McLinn clemency. More than a year into their efforts, they now want the public to contact Kelly’s office.

Former reporter Dave Ranney has appeared at recent public presentations, and he spoke to me for this week’s episode of the Kansas Reflector podcast.

He said Gonzales-McLinn’s account of the situation, in which she began living with Sasko at age 17, remains consistent.

“Sarah’s story has never changed. I mean, from day one,” he said. “Sara has been evaluated by two forensic psychologists, both of whom reach the same conclusion that she’s no longer a risk to society. And her story doesn’t change with either one of them. And these are professionals who are very accustomed to detecting whether someone is telling you the truth or making stuff up.”

When I wrote about Gonzales-McLinn in January 2023, I put it this way: She was failed on every level by the people in her life.

She was failed by people around her as a child and teen. She was failed by Sasko, who presented himself at first as a kindly parental figure before unfurling a devious scheme to bind her economically and psychologically. She was failed by those who knew about the situation but chose not to act. She was failed by the legal system that didn’t allow jurors to hear of her shocking abuse. And she has been thus far failed by a political system that should have redressed her situation long before now.

That fundamental take has not changed in the 16 months since.

Neither has Gonzales-McLinn’s address.

Michelle McCormick, executive director of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, told me that advocates see similar situations all too often.

“The tactics that he used fit into all the categories that we train, when I provide professional training to law enforcement and prosecutors and advocates and health care providers and any person who will ever listen,” she said. “You know, we talk about the tactics that are used in sexual violence, domestic violence, in the emotional control tactics. The way somebody is identified as vulnerable. How someone will groom them, isolate them from supports, using emotional belittling tactics to try to chip away their self worth like that. The experiences that Sarah describes, in her own words, match the experiences of hundreds and hundreds of Kansans that I’ve worked with in the 25 years I have been an advocate.”

If we have failed Gonzales-McLinn, as I believe we have, think about all the other victims we have likewise failed along the way. Think of all the stories that we didn’t hear or believe. And think of the suffering that resulted.

“What bothers me the most, I think, is that none of this information was considered in any of the criminal processes,” McCormick said. “It wasn’t even considered in the early media coverage.”

If we don’t listen to or believe victims of sexual assault, we help perpetuate it.

That goes for lawyers, judges and journalists.

Unfortunately, writing or talking about injustice often invites comparisons. What about other cases in which our justice system imprisoned people for crimes they did not commit? What about poverty or climate change or wars halfway around the globe? What about all of those people and their lives? Shouldn’t they come first in line? For that matter, what about law-abiding Americans struggling to make ends meet?

I have one answer: Care about this case because it can be addressed right now.

Care about this case because Gonzales-McLinn suffered a gross miscarriage of justice.

Care about this case because we cannot close our hearts to all the women and children who suffer at the hands of abusers.

Unfortunately, Kelly must wrangle the dark art of politics. With primary and general elections coming up this year, Gonzales-McLinn’s freedom could well cost Democrats and moderate Republicans seats in the Legislature. I can imagine the mailers from big money groups now. No one takes office with the intention of costing their party or allies, and Kelly has two more years left in office.

I know what I think. But I’m not the one who holds the cards.

The final words today come from Gonzales-McLinn herself. She wrote a short note explaining what she hopes to do and accomplish if granted clemency. For those curious about her ambitions in the years ahead, please take a look. That goes for you too, governor.

“In a lot of ways, I just want to be normal,” she writes. “I want to hit the milestones that a lot of people my age do. Work, spend time with my family, finish college, hang out with friends, buy a home, go on vacations, just live my life.

“I also know that I have a strong desire to share my story. With the hope that it can help someone who is struggling to make it through something similar. I want people to know that there is life and healing after trauma. Even though it feels like things will never get better I want them to know it does. And your life doesn’t have to be defined by it. I want them to know that there is a future and hope.”

Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.