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Month: September 2014

Alex Smith leads Chiefs past Dolphins

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By STEVEN WINE
AP Sports Writer

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The first victory of the season provided some relief for the injury-ravaged Kansas City Chiefs.

Alex Smith shook off five sacks to throw three touchdown passes and help the Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins 34-15 on Sunday.

Smith led touchdown drives of 62, 76 and 66 yards in a span of four possessions as Kansas City took leads of 14-0 and 21-10. The defense protected the early lead, allowing only four third-down conversions and sacking Ryan Tannehill four times.

The Chiefs improved to 1-2 and won for only the third time in their past 11 games, including postseason. The Dolphins fell to 1-2, another wobbly start for a team that hasn’t won a postseason game since 2000.

Smith, who ranked 35th and last in the NFL in passing after two weeks, went 19-for-25 for 186 yards, with three of his incompletions dropped. He threw scoring passes of 11 and 4 yards to Joe McKnight, and 20 yards to Travis Kelce.

The Chiefs were without seven starters, including running back Jamaal Charles, who was inactive because of a high ankle sprain. Knile Davis, subbing for Charles, rushed for a career-high 132 yards on 32 carries, and he scored on a 21-yard run.

Kansas City totaled 23 first downs despite shaky pass protection. One sack of Smith resulted in a safety, and another by Jared Odrick forced a fumble that set up Miami’s only touchdown.

Miami’s Lamar Miller gained 108 yards rushing, but Tannehill struggled for the third game in a row, this time against a pass defense ranked as the worst in the NFL. He went 21-for-43 for 205 yards.

Many fans streamed for the exits in the final minutes, while others lingered to boo the offense.

Even when the Dolphins put up points, they could look inept. One scoring drive covered zero yards in four plays, sandwiched between rookie Jarvis Landry’s 74-yard kickoff return and Caleb Sturgis’ 51-yard field goal.

Coach Joe Philbin gave his many second-guessers fresh fodder. When the Dolphins ran on third-and-10 at the Chiefs 45, they gained 4 yards and had to punt. On fourth-and-2 at the Chiefs 30, they attempted a 47-yard field goal and missed it in a 0-0 game.

And trailing by six points in the fourth quarter at midfield, Tannehill was sacked trying to throw on third-and-1, forcing a punt.

The teams appeared evenly matched at the outset. The Dolphins were penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct when an official ran into a coach along the sideline. Two plays later, Kansas City lost 15 yards on a botched exchange on a double reverse.

The Chiefs’ early highlights were a pair of 64-yard punts by Dustin Colquitt. But the offense got rolling midway through the second quarter, mounting a 62-yard drive capped by Davis’ 21-yard touchdown run.

The Chiefs drove 76 yards for another touchdown on their next series to lead 14-0.

They wrapped up the victory with a 44-yard touchdown drive following a 47-yard punt return by Frankie Hammond Jr. Smith hit McKnight for the score to make it 27-15 with 4:35 left.

2 arrested in kidnapping of 8-year-old Kansas girl

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Arrest jailTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two people have been arrested in the weekend kidnapping of an 8-year-old Topeka girl.

The Topeka Capital-Journal  reports that the girl was missing for nearly six hours when she was found Saturday afternoon more than two miles away from her home. Maj. Jerry Stanley says the preliminary investigation showed she had been assaulted.

A man and woman were arrested Saturday night on charges that included aggravated kidnapping, aggravated child endangerment and aggravated burglary.

About 50 people had participated in the search for the missing girl. Some took 4-wheelers to nearby woods, while others printed off dozens of flyers.

 

FHSU women’s soccer plays to draw with Emporia State

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FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State Women’s Soccer played to a 0-0 draw with Emporia State on Sunday (Sept. 21) at FHSU Soccer Stadium. 
 
The Tigers (3-2-1, 1-0-1 MIAA) put together a strong defensive effort in the double overtime match, with goalkeeper Kristen Thompson tallying six saves and three Tigers’ defenders playing all 110 minutes (Gabrielle Makatura, Jamie Babyak and Mallory Diederich).
 
Both squads had several scoring opportunities, as FHSU had 16 shots and ESU posted 12, but neither team yielded.  The Tigers set the pace in extra time, firing five shots in the final 20 minutes of play, while ESU had just one shot in both extra periods (none on goal).
 
Nearing the end of the first overtime, Davey found herself in a scramble inside the box and fired a shot, but a diving save from Hornet goalkeeper Yadira Rivera kept the game-winner from crossing the goal line.
 
Offensively, Davey had four shots (three on goal) to lead the team, while Jasmine Beaulieu and Jordan Hester each had three shots (one on goal). 
 
The Tigers hit the road next week to start a four-game road trip, taking on Southwest Baptist on Thursday (Sept. 25) at 4 p.m., in Bolivar, Mo.

Aoki, Guthrie, Royals avoid sweep, beat Tigers

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Each win moves the Royals one step closer to the end of their long playoff drought, and Sunday was a big one.

Nori Aoki hit a two-run triple, and Kansas City beat the Detroit Tigers 5-2 to avoid a sweep in the weekend series between the AL Central’s top teams.

Billy Butler went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Kansas City's 5-2 win over the Tigers Sunday at Kauffman Stadium. (Photo: Chris Vleisides)
Billy Butler went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Kansas City’s 5-2 win over the Tigers Sunday at Kauffman Stadium. (Photo: Chris Vleisides)

“Today’s game shows that we’re not going away,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “They have that feeling. They had that feeling this morning that they knew this was going to be a big game. They had a lot of confidence in themselves when they hit the field.”

Kansas City pulled within 1 1/2 games of Detroit for the top spot in the division. The Royals, looking for their first playoff appearance since they won the World Series in 1985, also stayed in position for a wild card.

The Tigers finish the season at home with seven games against Chicago and Minnesota.

“Hopefully we’ll come home and it’ll get loud,” Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter said. “It’s going to be fun. It shouldn’t be hard to get pumped up. If you don’t have that adrenaline now you’re not human. You should check your pulse.”

Aoki’s tiebreaking triple in the fourth scored Omar Infante and Mike Moustakas, making it 4-2 and chasing Rick Porcello from the game.

“It would have been nice to get two or three wins (against Detroit), but one win means we’re still in good position,” Aoki said. “We’re going to play our best and leave it all out on the road.”

Jeremy Guthrie (12-11) pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the second and was pulled after 81 pitches and 5 1-3 innings, yielding one earned run. (Photo: Chris Vleisides)
Jeremy Guthrie (12-11) pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the second and was pulled after 81 pitches and 5 1-3 innings, yielding one earned run. (Photo: Chris Vleisides)

Porcello (15-12) is 0-4 in his past five starts. He yielded nine hits and walked two in 3 1-3 innings.

Kansas City’s Jeremy Guthrie (12-11) pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the second and was pulled after 81 pitches and 5 1-3 innings, yielding one earned run.

The Royals’ dominant bullpen trio of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland held the Tigers scoreless after Guthrie exited.

Davis struck out two, bringing his total to 103, tying a Royals record for a reliever. Holland threw a perfect ninth for his 43rd save in 45 chances, and his first since Sept. 3.

“We really needed that victory,” Holland said.

Alex Gordon added an RBI double in the seventh for Kansas City, snapping an 0-for-14 slump.

“It was a big game, but this team’s not going anywhere,” Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer said. “We’ve been fighting all season, we’re not going to take one bad series at the end and fold.”

Ian Kinsler hit his 16th homer in the third for the Tigers.

J.D. Martinez scored in the fourth on an error by Moustakas at third base. Moustakas has committed six errors in the past 12 games.

“It’s hard to sweep and it’s difficult in their ballpark,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “I’m happy with two of three and now we’ll go home.”

FANS SHOW UP

All three games with the Tigers drew 37,000-plus, bringing the Royals’ home attendance to 1,915,482 for 81 dates. That’s the most fans the Royals have drawn since 1991.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: RHP Anibal Sanchez (right pectoral strain) pitched a three-inning simulated game. If he feels good Monday, he likely would be activated this week with a role to be determined.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy, who has missed his previous two starts with a sore shoulder, will return to the rotation Monday, starting at Cleveland.

UP NEXT

Tigers: Rookie LHP Kyle Lobstein, who has walked 11 and struck out 18 in 27 2-3 innings, will start the series opener at home against the White Sox on Monday night.

Royals: Kansas City will need to rally quickly when it plays in Cleveland on Monday. The teams will resume their game that was suspended by rain Aug. 31 in Kansas City, with the Indians leading 4-2 going to the bottom of the 10th. The Royals and Cleveland will then play their regularly scheduled game.

Lawrence library reveals new banned books cards

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LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Lawrence Public Library has unveiled its third edition of trading cards that feature artwork inspired by censured books.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that 47 artists submitted works. The seven winners were chosen by a panel of judges and announced Thursday. All submissions will be available in the library during national Banned Books Week, which starts Sunday and ends Saturday.

During those days, the library will release one trading card a day to the public for free.

The books represented on the cards include Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea,” Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and Ken Kesey’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

Following Banned Books Week, the library will have the 2014 deck available for purchase online.

Juvenile lockup in Kan. boosts portion size, fruit intake

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JailTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Shawnee County is feeding its juvenile inmates more after finding behavior improves when portion sizes increase.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that in July the corrections department tried out doubling the portion size of the meals it serves youth detained at the Shawnee County Juvenile Detention Center. As part of the experiment, the sugary snack provided each evening was replaced with fresh fruit.

County corrections department spokesman Maj. Tim Phelps says staff members saw a noticeable improvement in the behavior and educational program performance of the youths.

A state grant is covering the $3,000 cost of providing more food in August and September. Corrections officials say they’ll ask county commissioners next month to continue the arrangement for a full year, with a grant available to cover the $16,000 cost.

 

One dead, one hospitalized after Sunday morning crash

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Fatal crashINDEPENDENCE, Kan.- One person was killed and another was injured in an accident just after 9:30 a.m. on Sunday in Montgomery County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Mistubishi SUV driven by Lane Edward Marten, 47, Battle Creek, IA., was eastbound on the entrance ramp to U.S.169 at U.S. 400 and crossing over the highway.

The SUV failed to stop at a stop sign and drove into the path of a 2012 Ford pickup driven by Michael Wolfe Matchette, 45, Spring Hill.

 

Marten was transported to Labette Health where he died. Matchette was transported to Mercy Hospital. The KHP reported both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident.

Cost of shutting down Wolf Creek could top $1B

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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A new report estimates that the Wolf Creek nuclear power plant could cost as much $1 billion to shut down when it reaches the end of its useful life about 30 years from now.

The Wichita Eagle reports that the cost is recalculated every three years. That allows the Kansas Corporation Commission to ensure enough money is collected from customers to fund a trust to pay for the future expense.

The report offers two options. Dismantling the plant as soon as it’s shut down would cost around $765 million in current-value dollars, although the cost could grow if spent nuclear fuel disposal issues aren’t resolved. Mothballing the plant near Burlington for several decades before beginning to tear it down would be safer but cost more than $1 billion.

 

Bicycles a perk at Pittsburg State

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BikePITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — The pastor of Campus Christians at Pittsburg State University is scrambling to meet the demand for bicycles he fixes up and loans to students for the school year.

Don Smith has been offering the service for decades, getting bikes in working order and loaning them out for a refundable $35 fee.

The Morning Sun reports that this is the first fall semester that Smith didn’t have enough bicycles for every student who wanted one. He’s been working to whittle down a waiting list with 75 names.

Smith repairs the bicycles in a shop in the basement of the Campus Christians house. He says he tries not to make them too attractive, since good-looking bikes can be attractive to thieves.

NASA’s Maven robotic spacecraft arriving at Mars after year

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MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — It’s showtime at Mars.

NASA’s Maven spacecraft is on track to reach the red planet late Sunday night following a journey spanning 10 months and 442 million miles.

If all goes well, the robotic explorer will slip into Martian orbit for a year or more of atmospheric study. It’s designed to circle the planet, not land.

Maven will be the first spacecraft to focus on the upper atmosphere of Mars. Scientists believe the Martian atmosphere holds clues as to how Earth’s neighbor went from being warm and wet billions of years ago to cold and dry. That early wet world may have harbored microbial life, a tantalizing question yet to be answered.

The $671 million mission began with a launch from Cape Canaveral last November.

 

FHSU hosts annual collegiate target shooting competition

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Member of FHSU's shooting Team competes in FHSU's annual Clay Target Competition.
Member of FHSU’s shooting Team competes in FHSU’s annual Clay Target Competition Saturday.

By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

Nearly 100 shooters from 12 universities across the country competed in Fort Hays State University’s sixth annual Open Collegiate Clay Target Competition Saturday and Sunday.

Oklahoma State University’s Shooting Team member Austin Knapp said the FHSU’s annual event is one of the best and biggest around.

“This is my third year coming. They put on a really great shoot,” Knapp said.

“We have outstanding shooters represented here,” FHSU’s Shooting Team Head Coach Duane Shepherd added, noting the sport has grown “exponentially” in the last few years.

“We started our club in summer of 2005 and I think there were 33 to 35 teams in the national tournament that year,” Shepherd said. “Last year there were 117.”

Shepherd said the sport takes lots of a lot of dedication and discipline.

“It is a mind game because you are shooting 100 targets at a time,” he said.

The annual event was the first for freshman Erica Bonetti, who came from Sacramento, Calif., this year to join the FHSU Shooting Team.

She agreed the sport is a mental one.

“I like the competition aspect because it is a mental game. Only you can do your best, it is not anyone else,” Bonetti said.

The colleges that participated in the event were FHSU, Wichita State University, Connors State (Okla.), Oklahoman State University, Trinidad State (Colo.), University of Central Missouri, University of Missouri, Colorado State University, Colorado University, Hastings College (Neb.), University of Wyoming and Tarleton State (Texas).

The event was held at the Hays City Sportsman’s Club.

Help still needed for Oct. 7 ‘Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat’

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TRICK OR TREAT SHELBY
Hays High School volunteers sort donated canned foods at the Community Assistance Center during “Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat.”

Hays High School DECA

The annual “Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat” canned food drive is set for Tuesday, Oct. 7, in Hays. Volunteers will be going door to door collecting non-perishable food items from 6 to 9 p.m.

To assure residents the items collected are for the Community Assistance Center, all volunteers will be wearing an identification badge with “Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat” clearly printed.

Leave items on the porch if you will not be home or do not want someone to ring the doorbell. Youth and adult volunteers from Hays give their time to make this food drive a success.

Any house missed or those living in a rural area may take food items to the Community Assistance Center in Hays located at 12th and Oak until noon Oct. 31.

Hays High DECA still needs groups and organizations to assist with this year’s collection. Contact DECA Adviser Shaina Prough at Hays High School, (785) 623-2600, if you are interested in helping or need further information.

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