We have a brand new updated website! Click here to check it out!

Month: July 2017

Utley notches 1,000th RBI in Dodgers’ win over Royals

Posted on

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Yasiel Puig homered, Chase Utley notched his 1,000th career RBI, and the NL West-leading Dodgers beat the Royals 4-1 on Friday night in the opener of Kansas City’s first interleague visit to Los Angeles since 2003.

The Dodgers won their fourth in a row behind Kenta Maeda (7-4). The Japanese right-hander gave up one run and four hits in five innings, struck out five and walked two while bouncing back from a poor outing. He had allowed five runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings of a 5-3 loss at San Diego last weekend.

Los Angeles has won 12 of Maeda’s 16 starts.

Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth to earn his 21st save in as many chances.

The Dodgers improved to a major league-best 37-11 at home.

Puig hit his 16th homer off Jason Hammel (4-8) in the sixth to make it 3-1.

Larks drop series opener in Haysville

Posted on

HAYSVILLE, Kan. – Haysville scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh and beat the Hays Larks 5-2 in their series opener Friday night at Plagens/Carpenter Field. The win snaps the Aviators (7-24) seven-game losing streak and is only their second win their last 24 games.

Haysville took vantage of a walk and two errors to grab the lead. Tyler Flores double off Parker Schkade broke the 2-2 tie. An error and Troy Konwinski single yielded the other two runs.

Starter Walter Pennington allowed one earned run on three hits over six innings with four strikeouts and three walks. Schkade allowed three runs on one hit without recording an out and suffered the loss.

Clayton Rasbeary’s double scored Alex Weiss to tie the game 1-1 in the top of the fifth. Trey Ochoa singled later in the inning, driving in Rasbeary to put Hays up 2-1.

Despite the loss, the Larks (20-10, 20-9 Jayhawk League) remain a game behind first place Liberal in the Jayhawk League. The Bee Jays lost their series opener in Great Bend 7-2.

Hays Monarchs split first two games at Hutchinson tournament

Posted on

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The Hays Monarchs split their two games at a tournament in Hutchinson Friday. Chase Werth pitched a complete game shutout in a 1-0 win over Great Bend in their opener. The Monarchs (14-9) lost 2-1 to McPherson in their second game.

Werth scattered three hits while striking out five while walking two. The Monarchs were held to two hits and scored their only run in the fifth inning on a bases loaded walk to Gavin Schumacher.

Tate Garcia scattered five hits while striking out two and walking three in the second contest. Mac scored two in the fifth on a ground out and single. Gavin Schumacher singled to score Eston Brown in the sixth for the Monarchs only run.

The Monarchs take on the Central Kansas Cyclones Saturday and the Kingman Eagles Sunday.

FHSU softball adds two more for 2018 season

Posted on

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State head softball coach Adrian Mohr announced the addition of two more student-athletes for the upcoming 2018 season on Friday (July 7). Transferring from junior colleges to FHSU are Sarah Kay and Kaci Isaacson. Kay will be a junior, while Isaacson is a sophomore. This brings Mohr’s signing class to nine individuals after announcing the signing seven from the prep ranks back in December.

Kay, a native of Evergreen, Colorado, is transferring from Otero (Colo.) Junior College where she played two years. As a sophomore in 2017, Kay batted .405 with 22 extra-base hits (13 doubles, 3 triples, 6 home runs), 33 RBI, and 36 runs scored. As a freshman in 2016, she hit .333 with 12 extra-base hits (9 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home run), 25 RBI, and 45 runs scored. She had 12 stolen bases over her two years. Kay served as both an infielder and catcher at Otero. Kay played her prep career at Evergreen High School, where she hit over .500 her final three years and finished with a career high school batting average of .498 with 76 RBI.

A native of Salina, Kansas, Isaacson played one year at Barton (Kan.) Community College. As a freshman in 2017, she posted a .377 batting average with 27 extra-base hits (21 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs), 37 RBI, and 39 runs scored, while stealing eight bases. Isaacson was an All-KJCCC Honorable Mention selection as a shortstop. She played her prep career at Salina South High School, where she earned all-state honors and multiple all-league honors in softball.

Below is the entire signing class for the 2018 season.

Name Pos B/T Ht Yr Hometown Previous School
Sara Breckbill C/UT R/R 5-10 Fr. Parker, Colo. Chaparral HS
Terran Caldwell OF L/R 5-4 Fr. Aurora, Colo. Grandview HS
Jordan Flakus INF R/R 5-7 Fr. Eudora, Kan. Eudora HS
Sydney Harsh OF B/R 5-5 Fr. Arvada, Colo. Ralston Valley HS
Kaci Isaacson INF R/R 5-6 So. Salina, Kan. Barton (Kan.) CC
Megan Jamison P R/R 5-7 Fr. Fort Collins, Colo. Fossil Ridge HS
Sarah Kay UT R/R 5-7 Jr. Evergreen, Colo. Otero (Colo.) JC
Grace Philop UT L/R 5-5 Fr. Fort Collins, Colo. Fossil Ridge HS
Sierra Rodriguez P R/R 5-10 Fr. Phoenix, Ariz. O’Connor HS

BEECH: Rethink your drink

Posted on
Linda Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences with Kansas State Research and Extension.

Thirsty? The heat of summer increases the need to drink plenty of fluids. But which beverages can we choose to quench our thirst without sinking the grocery budget?

Drinks are one of the easiest places to save money on your food bill. In order to do this, we have to be willing to let go of old, expensive habits and open the door to newer, cheaper ones.

When we’re thirsty, it’s a signal that our bodies need water. Nutritious beverages like milk and fruit juice also play a valuable role in maintaining good health.

But, most other beverages besides water, milk and juice are diet and budget luxuries. These include such favorites as soda pop, sports drinks, fruit drinks, lemonade, coffee, tea, and almost any other beverage you can imagine. They add calories, caffeine, sugar, fizz and flavor to our diet. They do not add significant nutritive value. When we buy these types of luxury beverages, we are paying for someone to combine water and flavorings and then package them in a container that probably costs more than the beverage itself.

This doesn’t mean we need to give up our favorite drinks. It does mean that we need to recognize them for the luxuries they are. Then it’s a lot easier to put them in their proper place in the budget.

One way to approach the beverage budget is to assign a priority ranking for the drinks we may want to buy. Below is one example. Your list may be different, but it gives an idea of how to begin to rethink your drinks with the budget in mind:

  • High Priority – Tap water, lowfat or fat free milk, fruit juice concentrates.
  • Medium Priority – Canned and bottled 100% juices, nonfat dry milk powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, store brand instant coffee and tea, cheap ground coffee and tea bags.
  • Low Priority – Whole or 2% milk, store brand soda-pop, store brand powdered fruit-flavored drink mixes and lemonade, most bottled fruit-flavored drinks and punches.
  • Seldom or Never- Fresh and refrigerated juices, chocolate milk, flavored coffee and tea, juice boxes or pouches, bottled water, name brand soda-pop, energy drinks, sports drinks, beer and other alcoholic beverages.

Your list won’t look exactly like this one, but it may be similar. Where there is room in the budget for a luxury beverage, by all means– indulge a little. Occasional treats make sticking to a tight budget a lot easier. Just be sure the important things are purchased first. For example, buying your favorite soda pop on sale is no bargain if you don’t have enough milk or juice to last until the next paycheck.

For more information on eating well on a budget, check out the K-State Research and Extension human nutrition website at: https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/humannutrition/nutrition-topics/eatingwell-budget/index.html. You can also find helpful tips for healthy beverages at: www.ksre.k-state.edu/humannutrition/nutrition-topics/beverages-healthydrinks/index.html.

Rating agency: Kansas budget issues ‘likely to persist’ after tax hike

Posted on

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A major financial rating agency says a structural imbalance in Kansas’ budget is “likely to persist” even after the state increased income taxes.

S&P Global Ratings said in a report this week that while the state boosted its revenues, it also increased spending for the next two years. S&P also said the state still is diverting money from highway projects to sustain other spending and is not fully funding contributions to public pensions.

S&P did not change its negative credit outlook for Kansas.

Legislators enacted the tax increase over Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s veto to raise $1.2 billion over two years. The new law rolls back past tax cuts Brownback championed.

The S&P report came a month after Moody’s Investors Service upgraded the state’s credit outlook to stable from negative.

Kansas man jailed for alleged attack on a woman in her home

Posted on
Name: Demel, Christopher Ray

SALINE COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a suspect after an attack on a  woman in her home.

Just after 5 a.m. Thursday, police responded to a home in Salina after a woman called to report a man identified as Christopher Demel, 26, allegedly kicked her in the stomach, according to Salina Police Captain Mike Sweeney.

The woman who had a protection from stalking order against Demel, also had scrapes on her arms, legs, back and stomach. In additional she had some internal bleeding, according to Sweeney.

As police arrived, Demel fled the South Salina residence, breaking a chair as he left. Police made contact with him shortly after the incident. He was arrested for one count of aggravated battery, three counts of stalking and damage to property.

Three children in the home were not injured. The victim was treated and released at Salina Regional Health Center.

Sears closing more stores including locations in Kansas

Posted on
Sears in Garden City will close this fall-google image

NEW YORK (AP) — Struggling department store chain Sears says it’s closing even more stores as it tries to turn around its business.

Sears Holdings Corp. CEO Eddie Lampert said in a blog post Friday that the company would close another eight Sears including one in Kansas and 35 Kmart stores that are unprofitable by early October.

Hundreds of store closings have already been announced this year. They included the Sears in the Salina Central Mall and K-Mart in Wichita and Leavenworth.

Sears had said in March that there was “substantial doubt” it could continue after years of bleeding money, though it has insisted that its actions to turn around its business should help reduce that risk. With more people shopping online, mall foot traffic has dropped.

Lampert noted Friday that Sears has opened smaller stores to attract customers and is on track to cut $1.25 billion in yearly costs.

1 dead, 1 hospitalized after 2-vehicle Kansas crash

Posted on

WYANDOTTE COUNTY – A Kansas man died in an accident just after 1:30p.m. Friday in Wyandotte County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1998 Chevy Lumina driven by James Roden, 58, Edwardsville, was eastbound on Kansas 32 in the 11800 Block of Kaw Drive.

The vehicle crossed the median, entered the westbound lanes and collided with a westbound 2004 Ford F150 driven by Gerard Walker, Tonganoxie.

Roden was pronounced dead at the scene.
Walker was transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center. Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Mississippi man pleads guilty to attempted murder of Kansas store clerk

Posted on
Alex Deaton courtesy of Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office

PRATT, Kan. (AP) — A man suspected of killing and wounding people in Mississippi, New Mexico and Kansas in February has pleaded guilty to charges arising from the Kansas case.

Alex Bridges Deaton, of Philadelphia, Mississippi, pleaded guilty Friday to attempted first-degree murder and aggravated robbery stemming from the shooting of a convenience store clerk in Pratt in March. Two other charges were dropped. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 16.

Deaton is charged in Rankin County, Mississippi, with first-degree murder, auto theft, and drive-by shooting. He’s accused of strangling his girlfriend, stealing her car, and shooting a jogger in February.

Scene of Deaton’s crash in Ellsworth Co.-photo courtesy KHP

He’s also suspected in the killing of a woman cleaning a church in Neshoba County, Mississippi.

He also allegedly carjacked a couple in New Mexico before fleeing to Kansas and shooting the clerk.

Five lakes under public health warning due to blue-green algae

Posted on

TOPEKA—The Kansas Department of Health and Environment, in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism, has issued a public health warning for five lakes and a watch for two lakes due to harmful algal blooms.

If a lake is under a public health warning for blue-green algae, activities such as boating and fishing may be safe. However, direct contact with water (i.e., wading, skiing and swimming) is strongly discouraged for people, pets and livestock. The lakes currently under a watch or warning status are

  • Warning: Marion Reservoir, Marion County
  • Warning: Milford Reservoir (all zones), Geary, Dickinson and Clay counties
  • Warning: Sam’s Pond, Syracuse, Hamilton County
  • Warning: Webster Lake, Rooks County
  • Warning: Wolf Pond, Barton County
  • Watch: Marion County Lake, Marion County
  • Watch: Overbrook City Lake, Osage County

 Lakes under a warning are not closed. Marinas, lakeside businesses and park camping facilities are open for business. If swim beaches are closed, it will be specifically noted. Drinking water and showers at parks are safe and not affected by algae blooms. Boating and fishing are safe on lakes under a warning, but contact with the water should be avoided. It is safe to eat fish caught during a harmful blue-green algae outbreak, as long as the fish is rinsed with clean water. Only the fillet portion should be consumed, and all other parts should be discarded. Hands should also be washed with clean water after handling fish taken from an affected lake. Zoned lakes may have portions fully open for all recreation even if other portions are under a warning.

 Kansans should be aware that blooms are unpredictable. They can develop rapidly and may float around the lake, requiring visitors to exercise their best judgment. If there is scum, a paint-like surface or the water is bright green, avoid contact and keep pets away. These are indications that a harmful bloom may be present. Pet owners should be aware that animals that swim in or drink water affected by a harmful algal bloom or eat dried algae along the shore may become seriously ill or die.

 When a warning is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:

 Lake water is not safe to drink for pets or livestock.

  • Lake water, regardless of blue-green algae status, should never be consumed by humans.
  • Water contact should be avoided.
  • Fish may be eaten as long as they are rinsed with clean water and only the fillet portion is consumed, while all other parts are discarded.
  • Do not allow pets to eat dried algae.
  • If lake water contacts skin, wash with clean water as soon as possible.
  • Avoid areas of visible algae accumulation.

KDHE samples publicly accessible bodies of water for blue-green algae when the agency receives reports of potential algae blooms in Kansas lakes. Based on sampling results, KDHE reports on potentially harmful conditions.

 For information on blue-green algae and reporting potential harmful algal blooms, please visit www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/index.htm.

Man accused of shooting at trooper on I-70 charged in Washington State

Posted on
Surveillance video from July 2012 robbery at a bank in Washington State

SEATTLE (AP) — A federal grand jury has brought the first bank robbery and weapons charges against a man the FBI says is the “AK-47 bandit” who held up banks in five states.

The indictment filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Seattle accuses 39-year-old Richard Gathercole of Roundup, Montana, of using an AK-47 rifle to steal $15,000 in North Bend, Washington, in 2012.

That is one of at least six banks Gathercole is suspected of robbing since 2012.

Gathercole is being held in Lexington, Nebraska, on unrelated charges that he fired on a Kansas state trooper who was trying

Gathercole-photo Dawson Co.

to pull him over last month on Interstate 70 Northwest Kansas.

FBI agents found seven homemade bombs in a raid of his Montana home.

It is not clear whether Gathercole has hired an attorney for the federal case.

Friends help family of 12-year-old who drowned in Kansas lake

Posted on
Mercedes Natalie Fierro Leyva-photo GoFundMe

COMANCHE COUNTY – Family and friends of a 12-year-old girl who drowned on Tuesday are working to help support the family.

Searchers with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism found the body of Mercedes Natalie Fierro Leyva shortly after 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, more than two hours after the she went missing while swimming at Coldwater Lake.

On Thursday, friends established a GoFundMe page to assist the family with expenses.

Coldwater Lake is about 130 miles west of Wichita.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright Eagle Radio | FCC Public Files | EEO Public File