Daniel A. “Dan” Braun, 41, Victoria, died Friday, August 19, 2016 at the Hays Medical Center.
He was born November 20, 1974 in Russell, Kansas the son of Andrew M. and Belinda S. (Dinges) Braun. On June 3, 2000 he married Renee K. Rodger in Milberger, Kansas.
He was an Environmental Scientist with KDHE and a member of Westview Church in Hays. He graduated from Russell High School in 1993, received his A.S. degree from Barton County Community College and his B.S. degree in Sports and Recreation Management from Fort Hays State University. He played baseball while at Barton County, loved to hunt and fish, was a member of Ducks Unlimited, enjoyed working on the farm and coaching sports for his daughters, was an avid Kansas State University football fan, and loved to cook and barbecue.
Survivors include his wife Renee, of the home, his parents Andy and Belinda Braun of Russell, a son Hoyt E. Braun of Victoria, two daughters; Abigail P. “Abi” Braun and Avery G. Braun of Victoria, grandparents Jim and Erma Dinges of Schoenchen, KS, two brothers; Joshua Braun and wife Dena and their son Dylan of Leander, TX, and Nate Braun and wife Destinee and their children Jayden, Riley, and Lilly of Russell, KS, father and mother-in-law; Gary Rodger of Russell and Brenda Rodger of Victoria, brother-in- law Sean Rodger and wife Andrea and their children Lyla, Cohen, and Stella of Victoria, grandmother-in- law Velda Nuss of Russell, aunts and uncles; Helen and Vince Werth, Judy and Matt Mulford, Sherry and John Stettinger, Mark and Tina Dinges, Brian Gross, Sharon Gross, Stephanie and Mark Grover, Jim and Sharon Braun, Pat and Tom Baalman, and Richard Braun.
He was preceded in death by grandparents Andrew E. and Mathilda Braun, and LaVera Dinges, an uncle Harry Dinges, and grandparents-in- law Eugene Nuss and Ray and Faye Rodger.
A celebration of Dan’s life will be at 10:00 am on Monday, August 22, 2016 at the Westview Church, 3000 W. 41 st Street, Hays. Burial will follow in the St. Fidelis Cemetery in Victoria, Kansas. Visitation will be from 4:00 until 8:00 pm on Sunday at the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1906 Pine Street, and from 9:00 am until service time on Monday at the church.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested for his children in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com or via email at [email protected]
HUTCHINSON— The final of four young Kansas men convicted for being involved in the January robbery of a Kwik Shop at 43 and Plum in Hutchinson was sentenced Friday to nearly seven-years in prison.
The attorney for Dakota Ney, 19, Hutchinson, asked for a dispositional departure to community corrections for the conviction of aggravated robbery.
District Judge Tim Chambers would have no part of that because of the violence involved by this defendant.
It was Ney who forced the clerk to open the drawer and give money while the other two stole cigarettes and other items.
He also knocked the victim to the floor, used a taser device on her while kicking and beating her.
She still suffers from those injuries today and appeared in court with a walker. She was allowed to speak and told the judge that she can’t forgive him and does not believe he should be allowed to walk the street. She told the judge, “I couldn’t live with that.”
Two other suspects Karl Koenig, 19, and Drake Lindsay, 19, entered pleas involving the Kwik Shop robbery as well as the burglary of a smoke shop.
Lindsay was sentenced to five years and six months in prison while Koenig received a more harsher sentence of six years and seven months because of past criminal convictions for burglary and criminal damage.
Kurt Koenig was given two years ten-months in prison after he entered a plea to conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery. He was the one who drove the vehicle for the other three and never actually entered the store.
DENVER (AP) — Christian Ponder ran for a score and threw for another in the fourth quarter and San Francisco pulled away to beat the Denver Broncos 31-24 in an exhibition Saturday night.
Ponder was signed earlier in the week to bolster the team’s depth at quarterback.
Blaine Gabbert, trying to solidify his hold on the starting quarterback job in Colin Kaepernick’s absence, led a scoring drive and finished 6 of 9 for 69 yards in roughly a quarter and a half of play.
Kaepernick, who missed the first exhibition because of a sore right shoulder, resumed throwing in practice Thursday and is expected to begin fully participating in workouts next week in hopes of playing Friday against Green Bay.
Ponder, who was out of football last season, was added by the 49ers (1-1) after backup quarterback Thad Lewis suffered a season-ending knee injury in their exhibition opener against Houston last week. Ponder scored on a 22-yard bootleg and then completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to Dres Anderson.
The Broncos (1-1), also in search of a quarterback after the retirement of Peyton Manning and free agency departure of Brock Osweiler, did not get a decisive performance from their contenders.
Trevor Siemian led a nifty game-opening touchdown drive that C.J. Anderson finished with a 19-yard run, but he also was picked off by Eric Reid, who returned the interception 42 yards for the score. Reid easily eluded Siemian’s attempt to tackle him near the goal line. Siemian was 10 of 14 for 75 yards.
Mark Sanchez, who started the Broncos’ exhibition opener last week, relieved Siemian and led a drive ending in a field goal but struggled overall, with three sacks and fumbling twice. He completed 10 of 17 for 120 yards and just missed having one of his throws intercepted by cornerback Chris Davis.
Paxton Lynch, the Broncos’ first-round draft pick, was the most productive among the three though he has primarily gotten third-team reps in training camp.
He threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to John Phillips late in the third quarter and another covering 4 yards to Durron Neal in the waning minutes. His final pass was intercepted in the last moments by cornerback Kenneth Acker.
ROOKIE WATCH
49ers: WR Bryce Treggs, an undrafted free agent out of Cal, caught a 25-yard pass from fellow rookie Jeff Driskel to help set up a second-quarter field goal. Treggs later left the game with a knee injury. WR Devon Cajuste, an undrafted free agent from Stanford, caught a 40-yard pass from Jeff Driskel in the third quarter.
Broncos: FB Andy Janovich, a sixth-round pick out of Nebraska, helped clear the way on Anderson’s first-quarter touchdown run by picking off a 49ers defender with his lead block on the play.
POSITION BATTLES
49ers: RB Mike Davis, in the mix for the right to back up starter Carlos Hyde, ran five times for 26 yards but also had two fumbles. … RB DuJuan Harris, also competing for a backup spot, appeared headed for the end zone late in the third quarter, but fumbled at the 1 and the ball was recovered in the end zone by the Broncos for a touchback.
Broncos: Rookie RB Devontae Booker, competing with Ronnie Hillman to be the primary backup to starter C.J. Anderson, ran nine times for 36 yards and also provided solid pass protection when asked to stay in and block on passing plays. Zaire Anderson, looking to add depth at inside linebacker and contribute on special teams, forced two fumbles.
INJURY UPDATE
49ers: LB Nick Bellore was sidelined by a knee injury in the third quarter. … DT Tony Jerod-Eddie was sidelined in the first half with a chest injury. … LB Eli Harold left late in the second quarter after hitting the ground hard at the bottom of a pileup. No announcement was made on the nature of his injury. … WR Bruce Ellington did not play because of an ankle injury. … DT DeForest Buckner, the first of the 49ers’ two first-round picks, was held out with a lower-body injury.
Broncos: T Darrion Weems left the game early in the second quarter with a concussion. … LB Corey Nelson left midway through the second quarter with a wrist injury. … DE Vance Walker, who tore his right ACL during a training camp practice earlier in the week, has been placed on season-ending injured reserve. … OLB DeMarcus Ware, continuing his recovery from back problems, missed a second exhibition game, but could begin practicing with the team as soon as next week.
FHSU football players help students move in Thursday.
By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN FHSU University Relations and Marketing
Volunteers turned out in droves Thursday morning for move-in day at Fort Hays State University.
Classes for the 2016-17 school year begin Monday, and the campus was abuzz with students moving early Thursday morning.
University personnel donning gold shirts were easily visible, and newcomers to campus couldn’t help but feel welcome.
Even a group of Tiger football players showed up to help carry students’ belongings into the residence halls, including Hays freshman redshirt Braydon Delzeit.
Delzeit grinned as he watched his teammates pick up boxes. He could be excused for not doing any lifting. A defensive tackle, Delzeit tore ligaments on the top of his right foot during preseason camp so he is sporting a cast on his lower leg and is making his way around campus on a scooter.
FHSU admissions counselor Jana Wilkinson also was all smiles as she manned a volunteer tent on a corner near McMindes Hall.
Wilkinson is a 2015 December graduate from Fort Hays State, with a degree in organizational leadership.
She planned to go to graduate school but jumped at the chance when she learned of a job opening in the admissions office, where she began work in March.
“I love Fort Hays State so much and didn’t want to leave,” Wilksinson said.
Tom and Cris Holcomb hope their son has similar feelings for his new school.
The Holcombs accompanied Clay, a freshman agriculture major, to Hays from their home in Kiowa to help him get settled into the college life.
Parents and student alike agreed they liked the price tag. Fort Hays State has the lowest tuition of any state university in Kansas.
“And,” Clay Holcomb added, “I know (FHSU) has a really good ag program.”
A Fort Hays State University student organization, Tiger Pals, and The Arc of Central Plains will host a kickoff celebration beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, in front of Sheridan Hall on the FHSU campus.
Tiger Pals was founded by three FHSU track and field student athletes: Keshawn Sewell, Jake Morrow and Justin Montney.
Tiger Pals is a volunteer organization that assists individuals with special needs and disabilities by enhancing their physical, social and mental well-being through engaging activities. Tiger Pals promotes disability awareness, unique mentorship opportunities and community involvement.
“Jake, Justin and I are extremely excited to see the implementation of this program and how it grows during our time as FHSU students,” said Sewell. “We hope to build a foundation that will allow this program to last well beyond our time here at FHSU and are excited about the opportunity to impact the lives of individuals in our community who otherwise may not get to experience many of the things we take for granted.”
“We hope to bridge this gap and provide FHSU students the opportunity to build relationships with those individuals who would greatly appreciate the time spent together,” he said.
The celebration will include a 5k run, fun run or walk, pancake feed, carnival games and competitive games.
The 5k run check-in will begin at 7 a.m. in front of Sheridan Hall. Competitors will receive their packets and bib numbers. T-shirts, at $5 each, will be available during check-in.
The 5K Run is $10 for adults and free for FHSU students. A half-mile fun run or walk for children ages 12 and under is free, and registration is not required.
Awards will be given for the top male and female finishers.
Each participant in the fun run or walk will receive a ribbon.
The 5K run will begin at 8 a.m. in front of Sheridan Hall. The fun run or walk will start shortly after the 5K run on the Big Creek Trail directly under the bridge leading to Gross Memorial Coliseum.
Maps of both routes are available on the FHSU Tiger Pals Facebook page under the Files tab.
A pancake feed will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the FHSU Quad. Carnival games and competitions will also be available.
Competition games are for FHSU students and Hays area businesses who choose to submit teams of six individuals. Competition games include tug of war, egg volleyball, bubble ball soccer and an obstacle course. Prizes will be awarded.
Funds raised will help create opportunities for mentors, mentees and the community at large. Donations are accepted at https://runsignup.com/Race/KS/Hays/TigerPals5K for those who are unable to attend.
FHSU students who want to volunteer their time working with adults and children with special needs can sign up for Tiger Pals at the Kickoff Celebration. They will be notified to fill out a matching application that will pair them with an individual whom they will have to meet with regularly, similar to Big Brothers Big Sisters. A $10 membership fee covers background checks.
For more information, contact Sewell at (620) 480-0782 or [email protected].
The Kansas Department of Transportation announced it is indefinitely delaying right-of-way acquisitions for previously planned modernization projects along K-383 in Norton and Phillips counties.
The projects to widen and reconstruct the road from the U.S. 36 junction in Norton County to the U.S. 183 junction in Phillips County were originally scheduled for construction in 2018 and 2019. In April, KDOT announced the projects were among 25 that would be delayed as a state budget measure. Consultations with local stakeholders led KDOT to indefinitely suspend right-of-way purchases and planning activities until there is more certainty with the state budget issues and the abandonment of the rail line from Almena to Orleans, Neb. by the Nebraska, Kansas & Colorado Railway.
KDOT anticipates completing a mill and overlay project on K-383 in Phillips County from the Phillips/Norton County line to the U.S. 183 junction in 2017 to help extend the life of the existing pavement. Details about that project will be released at a later date.
Following a membership-wide election spanning the entire network of more than 550 U.S. cities that are members of Sister Cities International, Cindy Elliott, assistant provost for global relations at Fort Hays State University, was one of 10 people elected to Sister Cities’ 27-member Board of Directors.
Elliott was elected as an at-large board member during the organization’s 60th annual conference in Washington, D.C., in July.
Sister Cities International was created Sept. 11, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower at his White House Conference on Citizen Diplomacy. It’s mission is to create world peace and understanding, one individual, one community at a time.
“This mission is as relevant today as it was 60 years ago,” said Elliott.
Elliott joined FHSU in 1998 as dean of the Virtual College and helped launch FHSU’s China initiative. Before coming to FHSU, she was director of distance learning at Florida International University and manager of product development and distribution at Miami-Dade Community College. She is also a trustee of the FHSU Foundation, the Sias International University Foundation and the Smoky Hills Public Television Advisory Board.
Hays has two sister cities, Santa Maria, Paraguay, and Xinzheng, China. The local board is a 10-member advisory board to the Hays City Commission.
“It is a privilege to represent a vibrant city the size of Hays,” said Elliott. “I am the only person on the board from a city of less than 100,000.”
U.S. member cities have relationships with 2,300 communities in 150 countries on six continents.
Sister Cities’ website is www.sistercities.org and can be engaged on social media: Facebook, Sister Cities International; Twitter, @SisterCitieslnt; Instagram, @SisterCitieslnt; and Medium: @SisterCitiesInternational.
TOPEKA–Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) Acting Secretary Tim Keck announced the award of 17 grants totaling $580,000 for the Kansas Prevention Collaborative – Community Initiative (KPCCI).
Grantee organizations will use these funds to address the problems of underage drinking and/or youth marijuana use and to produce sustainable system changes in their communities to discourage those behaviors.
Secretary Keck recognized the importance of addressing substance abuse concerns locally and in an integrated fashion, saying “Data at both the state and national level underscore that a comprehensive prevention effort is the most effective approach. Research also shows a strong correlation between binge drinking and depression and suicide.”
“We know that underage drinking and other substance use is oftentimes associated with multiple behavioral health issues, so this grant will allow communities to utilize data to better understand these complex relationships,” Secretary Keck said.
“This funding will allow us to enhance our local-level prevention efforts by increasing capacity across the state,” said Sarah Fischer, Director of Prevention and Promotion Services at KDADS. “It will help communities analyze and address the presence of risk factors that can contribute to behavioral health concerns, such as adverse childhood experiences, divorce, poverty and low educational achievement.”
The 17 Kansas coalitions awarded grants include:
· Central Kansas Partnership, Barton County
· Finney County Community Health Coalition Inc., Finney County
· Haysville Healthy Habits, Sedgwick County
· Safe Streets Wichita, Sedgwick County
· Jefferson County Alliance of Service Councils, Jefferson County
· Manhattan Area Risk Prevention Coalition, Riley County
· Marion County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, Marion County
· CATCH Coalition, Meade County
· Morris County Anti-Drug Task Force, Morris County
· Olathe Communities That Care, Johnson County
· Drug Free Osage County, Osage County
· Quality of Life Coalition, Dickinson County
· Reno County Communities That Care Coalition, Reno County
· Coalition for Children and Families, Rice County
· Substance Abuse Task Force, Safe Streets, Shawnee County
· Rossville Safe Streets, Shawnee County
· Sumner County Community Drug Action Team, Sumner County
The grant initiative is designed to allow communities to address local alcohol and marijuana concerns but also to explore how behavioral health concerns such as suicide and problem gambling, and depression can impact youth and adult drug use.
Communities will utilize the Strategic Prevention Framework model designed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to assess their local needs, build capacity and create a plan during this 10-month planning grant award period.
The coalitions awarded grants will be supported in their efforts by KDADS and its partners in the Kansas Prevention Collaborative (KPC).
About the Kansas Prevention Collaborative
The Kansas Prevention Collaborative was created in 2015 in an effort to integrate and innovate behavioral health prevention efforts. A partnership of several different state, educational and provider agencies, the KPC’s goal is to expand prevention efforts to be more inclusive of mental health promotion, suicide prevention and problem gambling education and awareness, as well as to increase the availability of resources to adequately fund local-level prevention and promotion strategic plans. For more information, see https://www.kdads.ks.gov/commissions/behavioral-health/consumers-and-families/services-and-programs/kpc.
A warming trend begins today into Tuesday. After a chilly start today, temperatures will climb into the 80s. South wind will increase on Monday and Tuesday and temperatures will increase slightly both days. A couple of upper-level disturbances will bring a chance for mainly late day thunderstorms on Tuesday and Wednesday. Temperatures will cool back to slightly below normal Wednesday through Friday.
Today: Sunny, with a high near 85. West wind 5 to 15 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. South wind 9 to 13 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 88. Breezy, with a south wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. South wind 11 to 17 mph.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. South wind 10 to 18 mph.
Well over a dozen Kansas Legislative incumbents have competitive races in the fall including (from left to right) Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook, Sen. Steve Fitzgerald, Rep. Amanda Grosserode, and Rep. Ron Highland. KANSAS LEGISLATURE
Primary election night was brutal for conservative Republicans in the Kansas Legislature.
Six Republican members of the Senate lost their primaries. The more moderate candidates won two additional seats left open by conservatives who decided not to run for reelection.
Eight Republican House members were ousted in the primaries. The Kansas Chamber, which has been known to back lawmakers who align with Gov. Brownback on tax policy, had endorsed all of those defeated incumbents. Eight others the Chamber endorsed in 13 open House races also lost.
A KCUR analysis shows there are still plenty of races where Democrats will be competitive in the fall and that means the possibility of more conservatives going down to defeat.
“I don’t see any way conservatives can continue with a working majority in the Kansas House starting in 2017,” says Republican Rep. John Rubin, a conservative from Shawnee who retired this last legislative session.
While Rubin says he’s not sure about the complexion of the 2017 Senate right now, the KCUR analysis shows at least 10 Senate seats and at least 20 House seats are truly up for grabs.
How did we decide which races are competitive? They met one or more of these criteria:
The candidate from the challenging party (almost exclusively Democrats running in Republican-held districts) has at least $10,000 cash on hand from the close of the last reporting period that ran from Jan. 1-July 21. Having that much in the bank means there’s enough money to print yard signs, palm cards and mail out a postcard.
None of the candidates has $10,000, but the challenging party’s candidate has more money.
It is a Republican-held district where Democrat Paul Davis won in the 2014 race for governor. Where Davis did well, a Republican is vulnerable. (A Democrat-held district where Gov. Sam Brownback won would also be considered competitive).
It is a district where Gov. Sam Brownback had a small margin of victory. If he won by 50 percent or less, a Democrat has a chance.
University of Kansas political science Professor Patrick Miller says there’s no doubt conservatives will lose more ground in the Legislature after Nov. 8.
“If the public is going to send a message of rejection against the governor and his policies, that’s really a two-step process. Last week (the primaries) for moderate Republicans, November for Democrats,” Miller says.
Competitive Kansas Senate Districts
The question, of course, is how many Democrats will win.
Two Senate races to watch
There are a couple of Senate races in northeast Kansas to keep an eye on that if Republicans lose might be the start of a long election night for conservatives.
One is the Senate District 10 seat held by Mary Pilcher-Cook from Shawnee. Pilcher-Cook is well known, elected to three terms in the House before winning her Senate seat in 2008 and she had $55,684 in the bank in the last report. But Brownback won the district with only 49 percent of the vote two years ago. While her challenger, Vicki Hiatt, barely makes the money threshold (she had $10,653 in the bank) observers believe she’s had an active campaign in a swing district that could go blue. Hiatt is a retired teacher in a year it appears voters are exceptionally interested in education.
The other Senate bellwether is District 5 in Leavenworth County where incumbent Republican Steve Fitzgerald is facing tough general election opposition from Democrat Bill Hutton, a lawyer and local municipal judge.
Fitzgerald swept into office with a lot of other conservatives four years ago by beating Democrat Kelly Kultala by just 763 votes out of nearly 25,000 cast. Davis won the district two years ago with 49 percent of the vote, so it’s clearly swing. While Fitzgerald has raised a lot of money ($55,577 cash on hand), Hutton is keeping pace ($41,017 cash on hand).
Two House races to watch
Competitive Kansas House Districts
In Lenexa, Amanda Grosserode, is the two-term incumbent representing House District 16. She first starting turning heads in 2009 when she organized a protest against the federal stimulus program at the office of then Democratic Congressman Dennis Moore.
It’s still a swing district, where Davis won 50.5 percent of the vote in 2014 to Brownback’s 47 percent. Now Grosserode, tea party organizer and homeschooler, is up against a PTA mom and Sprint Yellow pages executive — Cindy Holscher.
Holscher has the endorsement of Stand UP Blue Valley, the Johnson County pro-public schools group that downed several conservatives in the primaries. And Holscher (with $25,319) was way ahead of Grosserode (with $15,437) in cash on hand at the end of July.
Meanwhile, if there’s a proving ground for how well organized Democrats are, it could be House District 51, which covers a slice of rural Kansas between Topeka and Manhattan.
At first glance, the district appears pretty solidly red. Davis only got 36 percent of the vote here in the 2014. But at the same time, Brownback didn’t hit the 50 percent threshold.
The incumbent, Rep. Ron Highland, chairman of the House Education Committee, has been in the Brownback camp. The Democratic challenger, Adrienne Olejnik, is a Rossville city council member. She announced in October and has been actively campaigning ever since. And she’s raised more money than Highland ($14,818 cash on hand to his $11,555).
Six districts turned moderate could go blue
While moderates did score huge victories in the primaries, several have more to overcome in the general. The KCUR analysis shows three Senate seats and three House seats already picked up by moderates are still competitive based on how much money the candidates have and votes for governor in 2014.
One to watch is Senate District 21 in Overland Park where Dinah Sykes faces Democrat Logan Heley. Sykes handily beat incumbent Sen. Greg Smith. But Heley with $44,012 had raised nearly twice as much money as Sykes ($26,122) in a district Brownback lost two years ago.
The X Factors
There are other factors, of course.
Is a candidate going door-to-door? Appearing at events in the district? That can make up for less money.
The Democratic party hasn’t done too well in the last couple of elections. Though they’ve done better fielding candidates this time, with a Democrat running in all 40 Senate districts, many are placeholders without serious campaigns.
Will Brownback’s approval rating continue to hover below 20 percent and will that be a drag on conservatives running for reelection? The governor insists the ousting of so many conservatives during the primary was not a repudiation of his policies.
Rubin says that can’t be true. “I think you’d have to be, frankly, in a state of denial, to not recognize that the governor’s policies, again those that I agree with and those that I don’t, but the governor’s policies were front and center in many of those races,” he says.
And then there’s the Donald Trump factor. Nobody knows what having him at the top of the ticket will mean. Will Republicans, especially in Johnson County, stay home? Will it energize Democrats? Will it galvanize some who haven’t voted in recent elections?
“If you have a race that is decided by a couple of percentage points where literally, probably, everything that happens matters because the race is so close, then Trump could have an effect,” Miller says.
Sam Zeff covers education for KCUR, which is a partner in a statewide collaboration covering elections in Kansas. Follow Sam on Twitter @SamZeff.
Kansas Elections Editor Amy Jeffries contributed to this report. Find her on Twitter @amyoverhere.
GEARY COUNTY – Two Geary County men were injured in an accident just after 10:30p.m. on Saturday in Geary County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Chevy Impala driven by Gillian F. Demaroney, 26, Milford, was southbound on U.S. 77 seven miles north of Junction City.
The driver swerved to miss an animal, went off the road to the west and overturned
A passenger Richard A. Rivera, 29, Junction City, was ejected from the vehicle.
Demaroney and Rivera were transported to Via Christi in Manhattan.
They were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Todd Gurley rushed for a touchdown in his preseason debut, and the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 21-20 on Saturday night.
Gurley, who was held out of exhibition games last season as a rookie while recovering from a torn ACL, rushed for 20 yards on four carries and scored on a 3-yard run.
With the Chiefs (0-2) holding out four defensive starters, including safety Eric Berry and linebacker Josh Mauga, the starting offensive line played four series and allowed Rams running backs Gurley, Benny Cunningham and Malcolm Brown to rush for 85 yards on 15 carries.
Case Keenum started at quarterback and led the Rams (2-0) to two touchdowns, going 4 of 5 for 53 yards with an 11-yard scoring pass to Pharoh Cooper before giving way to rookie Jared Goff.
The No. 1 overall draft pick mostly struggled for the second consecutive week despite working with the first-unit offensive line for two series. Goff lost a fumble after tripping over left guard Cody Wichmann and fumbled out of bounds while being sacked.
Goff’s first touchdown pass came on a 10-yard throw to Brown, who made a juggling catch to put the Rams ahead early in the fourth quarter. Goff played the entire second half and finished 8 of 12 for 82 yards.
Alex Smith was 9 of 12 for 137 yards and one touchdown, leading the Chiefs to 17 points on four possessions. Smith’s pump-fake on a 20-yard touchdown pass completely fooled two Rams defenders and allowed Jeremy Maclin to step into the end zone untouched.
Maclin and Rams cornerback Lamarcus Joyner were ejected with 44 seconds left in the first half after trading slaps to the head.
Referee Pete Morelli accidentally identified Joyner as playing for St. Louis, resulting in boos from the Coliseum crowd.
Jabriel Washington recovered quarterback Aaron Murray’s fumble at the Rams 23-yard line to seal the win. The Chiefs forced a three-and-out to get the ball back with 1:22 left, but Murray threw four incompletions to end the threat.
ROOKIE WATCH
Chiefs: D.J. White started at cornerback, working opposite last season’s Defensive Rookie of the Year Marcus Peters. The sixth-round pick from Georgia Tech was effective when blitzing, but had mixed results in coverage. White finished with one tackle.
Rams: The Rams loaded up on rookie wide receivers hoping to find complements to Tavon Austin and Kenny Britt, but are still waiting for someone to break through. Cooper scored on his only reception, while Paul McRoberts added one catch for 6 yards. Production is more likely to come from the tight ends Tyler Higbee, who did not play because of illness, and Temarrick Hemingway, who had a 26-yard reception from Goff.
POSITION BATTLES
Chiefs: Nick Foles was solid against his former team, going 18 of 22 for 133 yards. With Tyler Bray’ status uncertain after suffering a small chip fracture in his cervical spine last week against the Seattle Seahawks, Foles’ experience as a starter with the Rams and Philadelphia Eagles represents a significant upgrade behind Smith regardless of when the fourth-year quarterback from Tennessee is able to return.
Rams: With the secondary struggling again, cornerback E.J. Gaines’ first live action since suffering a foot injury in training camp last year was a welcome sign. Gaines finished with four tackles and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he started opposite Trumaine Johnson next week at Denver.
INJURY UPDATE
Chiefs: Fullback Trey Millard was taken off the field on a cart after suffering a left knee injury covering a punt. Millard previously tore the ACL in his left knee as a senior at Oklahoma.
Rams: Wide receiver Bradley Marquez suffered a right leg injury in the third quarter. Marquez did not appear to be able to put any weight on his leg as he was helped off the field.
Alex Gordon hits his 1st of 2 home runs Saturday vs. Minnesota. (Courtesy Kansas City Royals/Chris Vleisides)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Gordon hit two home runs and a double, Ian Kennedy pitched eight sharp innings and the Kansas City Royals extended their winning streak to seven games, beating the Minnesota Twins 10-0 Saturday night.
The Royals’ string is their best since they won seven straight in April 2015. The World Series champions have won 12 of 14 to move back into the AL wild-card race.
Gordon has homered five times in five games. He connected in the fourth inning and again in the fifth for his fourth career multihomer game and his first since May 18, 2014.
Kennedy (8-9) gave up four hits, walked none and struck out six. He allowed only one runner past second base and has an 0.79 ERA in his past five starts.
Salvador Perez and Gordon hit back-to-back home runs in a four-run fifth, chasing Hector Santiago (10-8).
FHSU University Relations and Marketing
board to the Hays City Commission.
A warming trend begins today into Tuesday. After a chilly start today, temperatures will climb into the 80s. South wind will increase on Monday and Tuesday and temperatures will increase slightly both days. A couple of upper-level disturbances will bring a chance for mainly late day thunderstorms on Tuesday and Wednesday. Temperatures will cool back to slightly below normal Wednesday through Friday.
