Kansas
Kansas City, Kansas, Wiffle ballers get unexpected visit from Salvador Perez
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — America’s pastime compressed into the backyard game of Wiffle ball built a field of dreams this week for several lucky Kansas City, Kansas, kids.
An unexpected visitor Thursday night noticed a backyard group of Wiffle ballers were short on players and asked to join the game.
“He just came over yesterday and asked to play with us, and we were all in amaze,” said Cameron Lard, who lives in the home nestled on the side of a sunken backyard Wiffle ball field. “This is not a normal guy. This is Salvador Perez. This is a Hall of Famer for the Royals!”
That was Lard’s reaction when he recognized the adult asking to play with a group of kids was Salvador Perez, the Royals superstar catcher.
Ryan Gamboa
“I guess if it was not Salvador Perez, I would’ve been more worried,” Cameron’s mom, Lesley Lard, explained to KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa. “But a lot of people come to play in the neighborhood. My son and I are huge Royals fans so he knew pretty quickly who it was.”
Cameron’s mom posted a video to her X account of Salvy and the boys playing that created a buzz on social media.
“I don’t even know if they understand how big of a deal it is for this to happen,” she said.
The boys understood and raced to tell their parents. They asked Mrs. Lard to send the picture to share with their class at school.
Before the first pitch at Friday night’s game at Kauffman Stadium, the Lard’s backyard was full again when another surprise happened.
“Timeout!” someone shouted from the driveway next door. “Somebody wants to say hi real quick.”
It was Salvador Perez, again.
“Salvy!” Cam cried out, running to the FaceTime call.
Ryan Gamboa
Perez was checking in with the boys and asked why they didn’t wait for him to play.
In an interview with KSHB 41 and other media outlets Friday at Kaufman Stadium, Perez said he was spending time with a friend who lives in the neighborhood on what he thought would be his night off.
With the help of a friend, Perez presented Cameron with an autographed baseball bat.
“Getting a phone call from Salvy, this is crazy,” Cameron said.
A kid’s game building unexpected friendships and stories to last a lifetime.
KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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Kansas
KHP says 135 spill was human waste
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) -Matthew Ho likes to keep a clean car.
“I basically use my car a lot for work, with my multiple day jobs and weekend jobs,” Ho said.
However, on Tuesday, it was anything but.
“I was on 135 going northbound towards Bel Aire,” Ho said, “Right about the exit of 21st st I kind of saw this big mess of pile up that just happened right as I was blinking.”
Ho had no choice but to drive through it. Then the smell came.
“I think it took a little bit just because at first it didn’t seem like it was anything,” Ho said.
The smell continued to get worse and there was nothing he could do about it. It was a 90 degree day, and even with that intense weather he could not use the air conditioning because the air that it used was smelly itself.
“It sticks, and now that we’re downdraft winds you can just smell it all the time,” Ho said.
The company responsible for the spill, No Limit Logistics LLC, said, ‘There was no human waste’. The Kansas Highway Patrol says otherwise.
Ho has tried to wash the smell out of his car multiple times.
“It didn’t work,” Ho said, “Washed the car again, still didn’t go away.”
Now, he is looking for someone to take responsibility.
“I would really like compensations for all the car wash, especially when it was something I didn’t do personally,” Ho said, “A mechanical failure on a truck isn’t necessarily someone’s fault, but someone’s liable for it.”
Copyright 2026 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com
Kansas
Kansas City fire heavily damages house, demolition possible: firefighters say
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Fire damaged a Kansas City house so extensively it may need to be demolished.
Firefighters responded to a house fire near W. 81st and Summit Street around 1:45 p.m. on May 12.
Firefighters said they noticed smoke coming from the attic when they arrived at the house. They were able to extinguish the fire minutes after they arrived.
No one was in the house at the time of the fire, according to the fire department. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Inspectors are examining the house to see if it is stable and safe enough to remain standing or if it will need to be demolished.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
Kansas
Boeing makes $1 billion investment in Wichita facility
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Boeing is making a billion-dollar investment in its Wichita location over the next three years, the company announced Monday.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said the investment will be used to upgrade facilities, expand employee training and strengthen the production system.
He said this will prepare the facility for a higher production rate, especially as Boeing tries to keep up with a record-high demand. The company is currently sitting on a backlog of 6,100 commercial planes, valued at $695 billion.
“It’s going to take the skills and capabilities of all of you to help us deliver on our record backlogs and meet the growing demand in aerospace,” Ortberg said. “And I know the 13,000 Wichita teammates are ready to deliver on that promise.”
There could be even more work coming to the facility. Reuters reported that Ortberg will be going to China with President Donald Trump and a few other leaders in the tech industry to talk about trade and investment opportunities.
Lt. Gov. David Toland said that more work at the company will help the Wichita economy and that it is up to the city to build up the workforce.
“We’ve got a company that’s put its money where its mouth is,” Toland said. “And as Kansans, as Wichitans, it’s on us now that we’re continuing to skill up our workforce, that we’re creating the talent pipeline that’s essential to allowing companies like Boeing to continue growing.”
Over the past several years, Wichita has invested in the aviation workforce. This includes expanding aviation education at WSU Tech and tapping students in WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research to help with federal projects like the “Golden Dome” missile defense shield.
Last week, Boeing and WSU Tech announced a new partnership to build a workforce training center that will be a hub for Boeing’s Wichita workforce.
Sen. Jerry Moran hopes Boeing’s investments will ease concerns or caution surrounding the company’s return to Wichita and build on the city’s reputation in the aviation industry.
“You’ve heard me say that people come here and we convince them that this is the Air Capital of the World,” Moran said. “I don’t think we need any more convincing. This is now known. We are the Air Capital of the World.”
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