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KFIX Rock News: Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon” Re-Enters Billboard Album Chart

floyddsotm2LOS ANGELES (AP) – Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” is back on the charts.

Billboard reports it’s number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart this week, thanks to the Google Play store selling it for 99 cents.

It sold 38,000 copies.

It’s the album’s highest rank since October 15, 2011, when a deluxe version of the album was released.

“Dark Side of the Moon” stands as the album with the most weeks on the Billboard 200, with 889 weeks.

The next closest album is “Johnny’s Greatest Hits” by Johnny Mathis, with 490 weeks.

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University of Kansas fundraising effort meets goal

University of Kansas
University of Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas Endowment has reached a $1.2 billion fundraising goal two years early but officials say the effort will continue.

The endowment’s Far Above campaign met its goal last week after it received a $58 million gift from the estate of Madison and Lila Self, the largest individual gift in the university’s history. That brought the total raised so far to $1.218 million.

Campaign chairman Kurt Watson says the last two years of the eight-year campaign will focus on using funds for student scholarships and faculty fellowships or professorships, rather than capital needs.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports the Far Above campaign began in 2008 with a goal of raising $1 billion, which was raised in 2012 to $1.2 billion.

Early Review: ‘The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies’

James Gerstner reviews movies for Hays Post.
James Gerstner reviews movies for Hays Post.

Thanks to my wife’s good luck in a radio contest, I was able to see “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” about a week early, and, to be honest, I’m glad that I didn’t have to pay for it.

This film has been marketed over and over again as “The defining chapter of the Middle-Earth” saga.” Unfortunately, I can’t think of a tagline that more egregiously misrepresents its film than this one. There is some small merit to the final chapter of “The Hobbit” trilogy, but it is miles and miles from being “The defining chapter of the Middle-Earth saga.” In fact, this is my least favorite of the  “Hobbit” movies, all three three of which are likewise miles below their distant “Lord of the Rings” cousins.

Not only is “Battle of the Five Armies” the least well-crafted of the six films set in Middle-Earth, it is also the most blatantly inauthentic. This film absolutely reeks of merchandising opportunities and cheap thrills. From the beginning, the tone and direction of the “Hobbit” films have been far more juvenile and more pandering than “Lord of the Rings.” Part of that is due to the difference in source material; however, far more of it comes from that dark place (the land of Mordor greed where the shadows filmmakers lie) where the film caters to what it thinks will sell tickets as opposed to what would best serve its story as a piece of art.

Furthermore, for a film titled “The Battle of the Five Armies” the battle itself is disappointingly mediocre. Gone is the spectacle and danger of The Battle for Helm’s Deep in “The Two Towers,” and gone are the intimate moments and attention to detail of the flight through Moria in “The Fellowship of the Ring.” Instead, “The Battle of the Five Armies” chose to punctuate its climactic battle with jokes and stupidity. I kid you not, the level of seriousness and threat, not to mention storytelling, in “The Battle of the Five Armies” is easily outmatched by the latest expansion to “World of Warcraft” – “Warlords of Draenor.”

This final “Hobbit” film is far from defining anything, much less the Middle-Earth saga. I’m all for finishing journeys that have been started, but my advice is to wait to finish the journey of Bilbo Baggins and Company until the telling is available on Redbox or Netflix. My recommendation is to go out and buy “Guardians of the Galaxy” on DVD or Blu-Ray. “Guardians” is everything “Battle of the Five Armies” is not. “Guardians” is authentic, it’s true to itself. “Guardians of the Galaxy” built it and people came, despite all odds. The age of Middle-Earth is over, the age of Marvel is at the height of its power and the age of “Star Wars’ is a year away from being reborn.

3 of 6 stars

Sunday front drops half-inch of rain on Hays — snow possible today

What felt like a spring Sunday afternoon was swept away overnight by strong northwest winds, dropping the temperature 20-plus degrees and bringing the possibility of snowfall.

Sunday’s warm front resulted in significant precipitation, with most Hays measurements totaling approximately 0.5 inches.

Western Ellis County saw rain reports Sunday ranging from 0.24 inches to 0.31 inches.

Gove County had a report Sunday of 0.8 inches, while Norton County had a report of 0.94 inches.

Monday’s cold front brings with it a 30 percent change of snow, with win sustained from 25 to 28 mph. The wind is expected to continue into the evening.

Sunday also say an out-of-the-ordinary thunderstorm event for December, which resulted in a tornado being reported in far southern Kansas.

Click HERE for the extended forecast.

Kan. man sentenced to life in prison in meth death

Jail  PrisonWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The owner of a Wichita auto shop will likely spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of killing a man by injecting him with a lethal dose of methamphetamine.

Thirty-three-year-old Dang Sean was sentenced Friday for the January 2013 death of 34-year-old Shawn Lindsey.

A life sentence for first-degree murder will run consecutively with a 77-month term for aggravated kidnapping.

Prosecutors say Lindsey was bound and tortured before Sean injected him with a quarter-ounce of meth at the Automotive Bullies car repair shop because Lindsey owed a debt to Sean.

The Wichita Eagle reports one other suspect is serving life in prison, while cases against four other men charged in Lindsey’s slaying are in various stages in the Sedgwick County court system.

Kansas reports tornado, snow in same day

Sunday tornado north of Harper- courtesy photo
Sunday tornado north of Harper- courtesy photo

HARPER, Kan. (AP) — Kansas weather is often unpredictable but Sunday was a particularly odd day in the state.

The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings Sunday evening in Harper, Kingman and Reno counties in south-central Kansas. A tornado briefly touched down about five miles northeast of Harper but no injuries or serious damage was reported.

Later Sunday evening, snow began falling in Cheyenne County in far northwest Kansas.

Much of the rest of the state experienced rain and misty conditions.

Meteorologist Chris Jakub told The Wichita Eagle  the unusual weather occurred when warm and moist conditions met a strong upper-level system. He said the mix of weather was unusual for mid-December in Kansas.

Crunch time again for health insurance sign-ups

Healthcare Healthcare.govRICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama’s health insurance program faces another big test Monday.

This time it’s more than just getting the website to work.

Monday is the deadline for new customers to pick a health plan that will take effect Jan. 1.

For current customers, it’s the deadline to make changes that could reduce expected premium increase ahead of the new year.

The deadline is midnight Monday, Pacific time. That gives consumers in the East an extra three hours.

HealthCare.gov is expecting heavy traffic, and telephone hold times at the federal call center already have started creeping up.

The issue is not so much technology this time but how well the program works for the millions of consumers who are counting on it.

Open enrollment runs through Feb. 15.

Partly cloudy, windy Monday

Screen Shot 2014-12-15 at 6.41.11 AMWindy today with seasonable temperatures.

Today A 30 percent chance of snow, mainly before 7am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40. Windy, with a northwest wind 25 to 28 mph.

Tonight Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 24. Blustery, with a north northwest wind 19 to 24 mph decreasing to 11 to 16 mph after midnight.

Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east northeast in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 21. East southeast wind 5 to 7 mph.

Wednesday Partly sunny, with a high near 41. East southeast wind 7 to 10 mph.

Wednesday Night A 30 percent chance of snow after 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25.

Thursday A 30 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 34.

Thursday Night A 30 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 25.

Friday A chance of rain and snow. Cloudy, with a high near 36. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Page pushes win streak to 15 with individual title; FHSU wrestling fifth at Jet Invitational

FHSU Athletics
Fort Hays State had four place-winners, including one individual champion while finishing fifth at the 2014 Jet Invitational, hosted by Newman University.  Trey Page won the 285 pound weight class, claiming his fourth tournament title of the year, while Jon Inman (184) finished third and Garrett Jones (133) and Bradley Little (157) each had fourth place finishes. As a team, the Tigers scored 55 points with eight falls (a tournament-high) for the day.

Page pushed his current win streak to 15 matches and is now 22-1 on the season after going 4-0 on the day for his fourth title of the season.  Page started the day with two straight pins, sticking Mathew Holt (Bethany) in 1:43 and Joseph Garland (Pratt Community College) in 1:42.  From there, Page knocked off Labette Community College’s Nolan Smith by major decision (11-3) in the semifinals to set up a finals showdown with Blake Andrews – who was undefeated (16-0) headed into the match.  In the championship, Page, ranked eighth nationally, rolled over the Ouachita Baptist product with an 8-0 major decision.

Jon Inman finished the day at 5-1, taking third place in the tournament after a slip-up in the quarterfinals early in the bracket.  Inman started his tournament with a pin over Juan Ortiz (Newman) in just 1:57, but was pinned by Brock Warren (Northeast Oklahoma) in the next round (6:35), sending the fifth-ranked Inman to the consolation bracket for the rest of the day.  Once there, Inman ran off a fall (6:26) over Trevor Whittaker of Bethany, a major decision (15-5) over Caleb Hawes of Central Oklahoma and an 11-7 decision over Derek Sivertsen (Oklahoma City) to set up a consolation finals rematch with Warren.  In the third/fourth place match, Inman would not be denied, picking up an 8-6 decision to go out with a win.

Jones and Little each reached the semifinals in their respective brackets but would have to settle for fourth place after losing two of their final three matches.  Jones lost by decision (8-2) in the semifinals to Dustin Reed (Central Oklahoma) before pinning Kris Workman (Newman) in 6:56, but fell victim to a pin in 1:26 to Adrian Gains (Oklahoma City) in the consolation finals.  Little’s semfinal match went to Ouachita Baptist’s Dakota Head by decision (11-10) before Little rebounded with a 2-1 decision over Bethany’s Jonathan Blackwell.  In the consolation finals, Dawaylon Barnes picked up a revenge victory from earlier in the day, taking down Little, 8-2, for third place.

The Tigers close out 2014 competition on Thursday, Dec. 18 with a home dual against Colorado School of Mines, beginning at 6 p.m.

Complete results for the Jet Invitational are below…

Team Scores
1. Ouachita Baptist University 111.5
2. Oklahoma City 73.0
3. Northeast Oklahoma 68.0
4. Central Oklahoma 61.5
5. Fort Hays State 55.0
6. Newman 32.5
7. Labette Community College 25.5
8. Colorado School Of Mines 22.5
9. Bethany (Kan.) 21.0
10. Pratt Community College 6.0
11. Neosho County Community College 4.5

FHSU Individual Results

125 – Adam Ludwin
Champ. Round 1 – received a bye
Quarterfinal – Dustin Reed (Newman) won by decision (2-1)
Cons. Round 2 – received a bye
Cons. Round 3 – won by decision (6-3) over Erik Juanes (Northeast Oklahoma)
Cons. Semifinal – Zach D`Amico (Central Oklahoma) won by decision (6-1)

133 – Garrett Jones
Champ. Round 1 – received a bye
Quarterfinal – won by fall (4:24) over Caleb Micho (Colorado School Of Mines)
Semifinal – Dustin Reed (Central Oklahoma) won by decision (8-2)
Cons. Semifinal – won by fall (6:56) over Kris Workman (Newman)
Cons. Final – Adrian Gains (Oklahoma City) won by fall (1:26)

141 – Tyler Dryden
Champ. Round 1 – received a bye
Quarterfinal – Josh Myers (Ouachita Baptist University) won by tech fall (20-3, 3:38)
Cons. Round 2 – Andrew Beck (Pratt Community College) won by decision (9-7)

149 – Ky Biddle
Champ. Round 1 – Daniel Melcher (Pratt Community College) won by decision (10-9)
Cons. Round 1 – received a bye
Cons. Round 2 – Kristian Holguin-Mendez (Northeast Oklahoma) won by major decision (14-4)

157 – Bradley Little
Champ. Round 1 – received a bye
Quarterfinal – won by decision (7-6) over Dawaylon Barnes (Northeast Oklahoma)
Semifinal – Dakota Head (OBU) won by decision (11-10)
Cons. Semifinal – won by decision (2-1) over Jonathan Blackwell (Bethany)
Cons. Final – Dawaylon Barnes (Northeast Oklahoma) won by decision (8-2)

165 – Bryce Lewis
Champ. Round 1 – Tyler Welch (Neosho County Community College) won in sudden victory – 1 (4-2)
Cons. Round 1 – received a bye
Cons. Round 2 – won by tech fall (16-1, 7:00) over Benjamin Krantz (Colorado School Of Mines)
Cons. Round 3 – won by decision (3-1) over Noel Torres (Newman)
Cons. Semifinal – Dexter Carter (Ouachita Baptist) won by decision (7-1)

174 – Nathan Shipley
Champ. Round 1 – Colton Gallo (Central Oklahoma) won by decision (5-0)
Cons. Round 1 – received a bye
Cons. Round 2 – won by decision (6-4) over Tanner O`Donnell (Bethany)
Cons. Round 3 – won by fall (3:17) over Darick Jones (Neosho County Community College)
Cons. Semifinal – Colton Gallo (Central Oklahoma) won by decision (5-2)

184 – Jon Inman
Champ. Round 1 – won by fall (1:57) over Juan Ortiz (Newman)
Quarterfinal – Brock Warren (Northeast Oklahoma) won by fall (6:35)
Cons. Round 2 – won by fall (6:26) over Trevor Whittaker (Bethany)
Cons. Round 3 – won by major decision (15-5) over Caleb Hawes (Central Oklahoma)
Cons. Semifinal – won by decision (11-7) over Derek Sivertsen (Oklahoma City)
Cons. Final – won by decision (8-6) over Brock Warren (Northeast Oklahoma)

197 – Cash Drylie
Champ. Round 1 – received a bye
Quarterfinal – won by fall (3:53) over Josh Latham (Northeast Oklahoma)
Semifinal – Zach Anderson (Bethany) won by major decision (14-3)
Cons. Semifinal – Paul Wilson (Colorado School of Mines) won by fall (0:27)

285 – Trey Page
Champ. Round 1 – won by fall (1:43) over Mathew Holt (Bethany)
Quarterfinal – won by fall (1:42) over Joseph Garland (Pratt Community College)
Semifinal – won by major decision (11-3) over Nolan Smith (Labette Community College)
Final – won by major decision (8-0) over Blake Andrews (Ouachita Baptist)

Police: Kansas teen dies in drive-by shooting

policeKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Police say a 16-year-old boy wounded in a drive-by shooting has died from his injuries.

The Kansas City, Kansas, police department says Kahlif Hampton died Sunday after being shot in the head on Friday. Officers say a woman who was also injured in the home shooting is expected to survive.

Police say suspects fired multiple shots into the townhouse from a vehicle in the back alley.

The department is investigating the shooting and is searching for two suspects. No arrests have been reported.

2 hospitalized after motorcycle accident

MHP motorcycle accident crashLEAVENWORTH- Two people were injured in an accident just after 8:30 p.m. on Sunday in Leavenworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Harley Davidson driven by Steven Ray Lee, 58, Leavenworth, was westbound on Parallel at 139th Street. The driver lost control and came to rest in the north ditch.

Lee and a passenger  Melinda S. Keeney, 51, Shawnee, were transported to KU Medical Center.
The KHP reported they were wearing eye protection but not wearing helmets.

Police: Kan. man killed outside company Christmas party

policeWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say a man has died after a shooting outside of a company’s Christmas party.

KAKE-TV reports officers found the man Saturday night outside of a 3P Processing Christmas party at a rented Knights of Columbus hall. Sgt. Nichelle Woodrow says the victim in his mid-20s had multiple gunshot wounds and was found in the parking lot.

He was taken to an area hospital where he died. His identity and other details about the shooting haven’t been released. It’s unclear whether the man was attending the party and whether he was an employee.

Company officials declined to comment to the station.

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