Today
Sunny, with a high near 66. West northwest wind 11 to 15 mph.
Tonight
Clear, with a low around 32. West wind 8 to 13 mph.
Monday
Sunny, with a high near 58. Windy, with a north northwest wind 14 to 19 mph increasing to 21 to 26 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 36 mph.
Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 24. North wind 8 to 18 mph.
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 55. West northwest wind 7 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 30.
Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 58.
Wednesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 32.
Paul Davis, the former Democratic leader in the Kansas House, is running for the 2nd District Congressional seat in Kansas. In the 2014 governor’s race, Davis carried the district by six points over Gov. Sam Brownback. FILE PHOTO / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
Political forecasters attempting to gauge the chances for a power shift in Congress are watching several key 2018 races across the country, including two in Kansas.
In the 3rd District, several Democrats are competing for the right to challenge four-term Republican Kevin Yoder, and in the 2nd District, a former Democratic candidate for governor hopes to claim an open seat.
Democrats challenging Yoder have the advantage of running in a district that Hillary Clinton carried over President Donald Trump in the 2016 election, albeit by a single percentage point.
Paul Davis, the former Democratic leader in the Kansas House, has what might prove to be a bigger advantage in the 2nd District, which covers roughly the eastern third of the state. He carried it by six points in his unsuccessful 2014 bid to unseat Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.
That strong showing and the fact that at the end of the first reporting period Davis had raised more campaign cash than his Republican rivals combined suggests that he is capable of winning the seat, said University of Kansas political scientist Patrick Miller.
“Clearly Paul Davis showed that he could appeal to some of those right-leaning voters in 2014,” Miller said. “His challenge is to replicate that and really get back that center-to-right support that can carry him over.”
Davis, a partner in a Lawrence law firm, is hopeful but cautious.
“Obviously I wouldn’t be in the race if I didn’t believe we had a good opportunity to win,” Davis said. “I also know that I’m a Democrat in Kansas and things are never easy.”
If Davis can get by Kelly Standley, a small-business owner from St. Paul, in the primary, he plans to court independent and moderate Republican voters by pledging to cross the aisle to forge compromise solutions on health care, taxes, the environment and a host of other key issues.
“You know, we’ve got plenty of people on both sides of the aisle in Washington that are just sitting on the end of the political spectrum, just providing more and more noise,” Davis said. “What we need right now are people who are going to be Kansans and Americans first and not Democrats and Republicans.”
GOP field lacks big names
State Sen. Steve Fitzgerald of Leavenworth announced his bid for the GOP nomination in the 2nd District in July. CREDIT FILE PHOTO / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
When Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins decided not to run for a sixth term, she expected that several high-profile Republicans would jump into the race to succeed her.
That didn’t happen.
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach opted to run for governor instead. Attorney General Derek Schmidt considered a run but decided instead to seek re-election.
To ensure that the GOP fielded its best candidate, state Sen. Steve Fitzgerald, from Leavenworth, was willing to defer to any number of higher-profile Republicans. But when none stepped forward he jumped into the 2nd District race, saying it was essential for Republicans to hang on to the seat to help thwart an attempt by Democrats to gain control of the U.S. House.
“Bernie and Hillary’s Democrats are desperate to retake Congress and resume their death march to socialism,” Fitzgerald said at his July campaign launch. “We cannot let that happen.”
Fitzgerald said if elected he would help President Donald Trump further his agenda for tax cuts, tougher border security and the rollback of Obama-era environmental regulations.
“The puddles in your backyard are no longer ‘waters of the United States’ to be regulated by the federal government,” he said, before also praising Trump’s decision to withdraw from what he called “the international climate scam.”
Republican state Sen. Caryn Tyson of Parker highlighted her support for President Donald Trump’s agenda when she joined the 2nd District race in August. CREDIT FILE PHOTO / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
Five now in GOP field
Similarly, state Sen. Caryn Tyson, from Parker, highlighted her support for the Trump agenda when she joined the race in August.
“We need to embrace the president’s call to repeal and replace Obamacare, secure our borders and pass comprehensive tax reform to cut taxes,” Tyson said in her campaign announcement.
In a recent interview, Tyson, who manages a Linn County ranch with her husband, described herself as a “reasonable conservative,” which she defined as someone willing to engage in debate and compromise to get things done.
As she campaigns, Tyson said she has not detected any buyer’s remorse from 2nd District voters who supported Trump.
“A majority of people, I think, tend to take the attitude that they wish he wouldn’t tweet so much,” she said. “But they agree with the agenda that he campaigned on.”
State Rep. Kevin Jones, a former Green Beret from Wellsville, and Basehor City Councilman Vernon Fields and Topekan Matt Bevens round out the GOP field.
Former Kansas Commerce Secretary Antonio Soave recently withdrew from the race amid reports that Brownback fired him for, among other things, awarding state contracts to friends and business associates.
Race seen as competitive
Davis’ 2014 performance and his early fundraising prowess have put the 2nd District race on various watch lists. The seat is one of several that prognosticators believe Democrats could flip if there is a substantial midterm backlash against Trump.
Recently, Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a website run by University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato, adjusted its prediction on the Kansas 2nd District race, moving it from the “likely Republican” column to “Republican leaning.”
It’s a slight change, but one that signals that campaign watchers expect the race to be competitive, said KU’s Miller.
“I don’t think that either side has a clear leg up,” Miller said. “The strengths of Paul Davis versus the Republican tilt of the district — we don’t really know how that will come out.”
TOPEKA – More than 13,000 Kansans are diagnosed with cancer each year, and approximately 5,300 die from the disease. In fact, cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the state. To address cancer-related issues across the state, the Kansas Cancer Partnership (KCP) announces availability of the Kansas Cancer Prevention and Control Plan 2017-2021 and its companion document, Burden of Cancer in Kansas 2017. Both documents are posted on the new KCP website, www.KSCancerPartnership.org.
“KCP is a coalition of dynamic individuals and organizations from across the state,” said Gary Doolittle, MD, University of Kansas Cancer Center. “KCP members are committed to reducing the burden of cancer in Kansas through evidence-based prevention, screening and survivorship interventions.”
Dr. Doolittle, who serves as KCP Chair, went on to describe the cancer plan as a road map for KCP to address issues across all cancers, while highlighting cancers with the highest incidence and mortality in Kansas. The plan presents methods to prevent cancer from occurring, diagnose cancer in its earliest stage when it is most easily treatable, and improve survivor quality of life during and after treatment. These goals will be accomplished through promotion of activities that increase healthy choices, cancer screening, access to care and health equity.
The burden report describes the current status of cancer incidence and mortality in Kansas, as well as associated risk and protective factors among Kansans. “The purpose of the report is to help guide cancer stakeholders at the state and local levels in their cancer prevention and control activities by identifying gaps and establishing baselines for planning and evaluation. Ryan Lester, Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Bureau of Health Promotion Director, explained. “Updates to this document will help identify areas where increased efforts are needed.”
The documents may be downloaded in full or in part from the website, which includes more information about KCP membership, regional coalitions and cancer-related resources. A limited quantity of hard copies of both the cancer plan and burden documents are available by request by emailing [email protected] or by calling 785-296-1207.
Fort Hays State University’s online Bachelor of Science in Information Networking Telecommunications Computer Networking earned the No. 3 spot on TheBestColleges.org’s list of the 10 best online bachelor degrees in networking administration in the nation for 2017.
FHSU’s program earned the ranking based on its admission rate, graduation rate, retention rate and online enrollment.
The 124 credit-hour program includes 65 credit hours of general education courses, 39 credit hours of core concentration course, and 20 credit hours of electives.
“The school boasts a generous transfer credit policy that allows students to earn credit from courses taken at other accredited institutions and through experience in the military or other relevant professional experiences,” said TheBestColleges.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) – Junior Etou had 22 points and seven rebounds, Elijah Joiner buried a go-ahead 3-pointer in the closing minutes and Tulsa held off Kansas State 61-54 on Saturday night.
The Golden Hurricane (5-4) took the lead early in the second half, then withstood a back-and-forth affair before Joiner hit from the right wing with just over three minutes left in the game.
The Wildcats (8-2) had several chances to tie the game, but Dean Wade missed a 3-pointer and Barry Brown missed a short jumper and Kamau Stokes clanked another 3 off the back of the rim.
All told, Kansas State didn’t hit a field goal in the final five minutes, missing all nine of its attempts. The Wildcats were also just 4 for 31 from beyond the arc.
Xavier Sneed had two of the 3-pointers and finished with 15 points and eight boards, while Wade had 13 points and Stokes had 11. Barry Brown scored 10 but was 0 for 7 from 3-point range.
Tulsa improved to 6-1 against the Wildcats in a series dating to 1932.
The Golden Hurricane were playing without junior guard DaQuan Jeffries, their third-leading scorer at nearly 12 points a game, who has been dealing with a hand injury. And they could have used the extra ball-handler in the first half, which was dominated by sloppiness by both teams.
The Wildcats, who entered the game 13th nationally in scoring defense, forced Tulsa into as many turnovers (11) in the first half as made field goals. Etou had four of them as he struggled to deal with the pesky hands of the Wildcats’ perimeter players.
Still, the Golden Hurricane trailed just 30-27 at halftime, and they used an early flurry of points in the second half to pull ahead on Etou’s 3-pointer with 12:38 to go.
The game remained a nip-and-tuck affair down the stretch, neither team ever leading by more than six until the final seconds, when Tulsa was able to put things away.
BIG PICTURE
Tulsa won a defensive slugfest despite 15 turnovers, including eight from Etou. A big reason was the Golden Hurricane’s perimeter defense and work on the boards, where they out-rebounded the Wildcats 40-30 despite giving up several inches in the paint.
Kansas State was trying to match its best start by Bruce Weber, but instead watched its 23-game non-conference home win streak come to an end. The Wildcats considered the game at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita a home game, even though it was a 2-hour drive from their campus in Manhattan.
UP NEXT
Tulsa begins a two-game homestand against Prairie View A&M on Thursday night.
Kansas State gets a week off before facing Southeast Missouri State next Saturday.
Investigators on scene of Friday’s accident-photo courtesy KCTV
KANSAS CITY (AP) – Police in Kansas City, Missouri, say an 8-year-old boy has died after being hit by a garbage truck outside his grandparents” home.
Television station WDAF reports that Dra’Viontay Baker was playing in a small wagon with a 9-year-old friend when the truck hit him Friday afternoon.
Police say Dra’Viontay was rushed to Children’s Mercy Hospital, where he died. Officials said the boy was a third-grader at Truman Elementary. His friend was not injured.
Police say the driver was not impaired and stayed on the scene until officers and medics arrived. The driver told police he was unable to stop in time to avoid hitting the boy.
MONTGOMER COUNTY — Two people died in an accident just after 11a.m. Saturday in Montgomery County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1998 Dodge Avenger driven by Terry Lee Reeder II, 29, Marysville, WA., was westbound in U.S. 166 three miles east of U.S. 75.
The vehicle crossed the center line to the south edge line of the eastbound lanes and struck a 2008 Buick Lucerne driven by Alvin D. Gaston, 85, Coffeyville, head-on.
Reeder and a passenger in the Dodge Kaity Pierce, 25, Stanwood, WA., were pronounced dead at the scene.
Three children in the Dodge Athena M. Reeder, 6; Elysian K. Reeder, 7; and Terry Reeder III, 9, all of Coffeyville were transported to Coffeyville Regional Medical Center.
Gaston was transported to Jane Phillips Medical Center in Bartlesville. All were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
EMPORIA, Kan. – Hadley Gillum recorded his third double-double of the season scoring 21 points and grabbing 11 rebounds as Fort Hays State picked up their 100th all-time win over Emporia State Saturday, 69-58. It was also their sixth straight over the Hornets at White Auditorium.
Mark Johnson Postgame Interview
Game Highlights
Brady Werth added 14 points before fouling out and Aaron Nicholson scored 10, all in the second half as the Tigers move to 3-1 in the MIAA and 7-3 overall. Nicholson went 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. His first tied the game at 50. The second pushed the lead to eight with 2:29 to play.
FHSU used a 17-4 first half run to build a 10-point lead and were up nine at halftime. They quickly pushed the lead to 13 with 16:43 to play only to see the Hornets answer with a 20-4 run to get within three with 10:28 to play. The lead with still three with just under 10 minutes left when Nicholson scored five points in a 7-0 run.
The Tigers shot 51-percent for the game while holding the Hornets to a season-low 35-percent.
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) – Wichita State’s Landry Shamet did it all, and his Shockers needed every bit of it to hold off a spirited upset bid from Oklahoma State.
The sophomore guard scored a career-high 30 points, and the sixth-ranked Shockers defeated the Cowboys 78-66 on Saturday.
Shamet only had 11 field goal attempts, but he made 14 of 16 free throws, including 10 of 12 in the second half.
“I thought on the offensive end, he was tremendous, rushing the basket, knocking down free throws and shooting the 3-ball,” Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said. “He’s just a complete player.”
Shamet took several hard hits in the game for his troubles. At one point, he collided with Oklahoma State’s Brandon Averette, and Averette crashed down onto his back. After Shamet told reporters he took a beating, Marshall told him he’d have Sunday off.
“I lead by example,” Shamet said. “I know what I do every day – I work hard, and these guys respect me and I respect them and it’s mutual. It’s ever-growing. I feel like I get more and more comfortable vocally, and I feel like with my play, I’m just trying to get more aggressive and lead by example.”
Conner Frankamp scored 14 points and Darral Willis, Jr. added 12 for the Shockers (8-1).
Wichita State’s only loss was by a point to Notre Dame. The Shockers won at Big 12 member Baylor last Saturday and now have built a solid non-conference resume.
“We obviously needed this challenge, going on the road to win on back-to-back Saturdays,” Marshall said. “It just helps us get better.”
Wichita State made 12 of 26 3-point attempts and outrebounded the Cowboys 36-26.
Tavarius Shine scored a career-high 20 points and Mitchell Solomon added a career-best 17 for Oklahoma State (7-2).
Oklahoma State first-year coach Mike Boynton was trying to get his first win over a ranked team. Instead, the Cowboys had their 15-game non-conference home win streak snapped.
“I’m proud of the effort,” Boynton said. “For us to go toe to toe with them is something to build upon.”
Oklahoma State led for most of the first half, but Wichita State closed with an 8-0 run. Shamet made a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to give the Shockers a 26-23 lead. Oklahoma State did not score for the final 3:04 of the half and didn’t make a field goal for the final 6:09, when Oklahoma State led by eight for its largest advantage before the break.
Shaquille Morris’ only points came on a 3-pointer with about 8 minutes remaining, but the shot gave the Shockers a five-point lead. Wichita State remained in control the rest of the way.
The performance left Boynton feeling good about his program.
“If they’re the number six team in the country, which I think they might be better, we’re really close to being damn good,” Boynton said. “I believe that.”
BIG PICTURE
Wichita State: The Shockers, one of the best shooting teams in the nation, struggled early before getting it together in the second half. Wichita State shot 52.2 percent after the break and made 8 of 14 3-pointers.
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys appear close to being pretty good. They played hard defense for Boynton, but their offense was inconsistent. Oklahoma State missed an opportunity to take control of the game in the first half and never really regained it.
QUOTABLE
Marshall on series with Oklahoma State: “I would prefer to play them every year. Hats off to the coaches for being willing to play us, and it was all their idea.”
FOUL DISPARITY
While Shamet made 14 of 16 free throws, Oklahoma State’s entire team went 18 for 21. The Cowboys committed 28 fouls, and Solomon and Kendall Smith both fouled out.
STRUGGLING STARS
Morris entered the game tied for the team lead with 14.6 points per game. He shot 1 for 5 and had just one rebound in 24 minutes before fouling out.
“He obviously didn’t play great offensively, but he was good at the other end,” Marshall said. “They’re a great defensive team, and they did a good job limiting his touches.”
Jeffrey Carroll, Oklahoma State’s leading scorer for the season, went 1 for 9 from the field and finished with three points.
UP NEXT
Wichita State: Hosts Oklahoma on Dec. 16.
Oklahoma State: Plays Florida State in the Orange Bowl Classic on Dec. 16.
Law enforcement authorities on the scene of Saturday morning shooting-photo courtesy KAKE
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have a suspect in custody.
Just before 1 a.m. Saturday, police responded to the report of a shooting at Pawnee and Cardington in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.
Upon arrival officers located a 31-year-old man in the street who had two gunshot wounds to his leg.
The victim directed officers to a residence in the 2200 block of south Parkridge.
When officers arrived at the house they observed a 21-year-old man exit the home armed with a handgun. Officers took the suspect into custody without incident. When officers entered the residence, they located a 44-year-old man with multiple gunshot wounds, and a 38-year-old woman who was uninjured. The 31-year-old man was taken to an area hospital for medical treatment.
The 44-year-old man was pronounced dead.
Officers booked the 21-year-old suspect into jail for first degree murder, aggravated battery firearm, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
At 12:35 a.m. Saturday, the Hays Police Department received a report that a 20-year-old male was at the emergency room with a gunshot wound to the face and that he had been a victim of a robbery. The incident reportedly took place in the victim’s motel room located in the 3400 block of Vine Street.
The victim reported that two males knocked on his door, and when he opened the door the two males forced their way into his room at gun point. The two males took the victim’s wallet and a .45 caliber handgun. During the robbery, the victim was reportedly held down and shot in the face with a CO2 powered handgun, causing the victim to seek medical treatment.
During the course of the investigation, information was obtained that helped the police department to locate the suspects at an apartment complex in the 1300 block of East 33rd Street. The City of Hays Special Situation Response Team served a search warrant at that location and arrested the two males without incident. The victim’s wallet, cash, and both guns were recovered.
Dean Joseph Manning, 26, and Pascual Rueda Guzman, 22, have both been arrested for aggravated battery and aggravated robbery. Both are being held in the Ellis County jail and are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Hays Police Department said in a news release this was not a random act of violence and that the victim was acquainted with at least one suspect. The suspects had gone to the motel room in an effort to recover property that allegedly had been stolen earlier in the week.
If anyone has any additional information about this robbery, contact Investigator Jeff Ridgway at the Hays Police Department at (785) 625-1030.
JACKSON COUNTY — A Kansas woman has died from injuries in a Friday fire at a home in Jackson County.
Just before 8 a.m., first responders were dispatched to a home in the 600 Block Commercial Street in Netawaka, according to a media release.
A woman identified as Catherine A. Duncan, 75, was badly burned from a fire in a cooking stove. The open flames ignited her clothing. The stove was being used to heat the residence. Life Star Air Ambulance airlifted Duncan to the University of Kansas Medical Center Burn Unit. She was pronounced dead at 9:25 p.m. Friday, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
The residential structure was not damaged in the fire.
The Netawaka, Whiting, Fire Departments responded to the scene as well as Jackson County EMS and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
EMPORIA, Kan. – The Fort Hays State women rallied from 11 points down at the start of the fourth quarter to take a one-point lead with 3:16 to play, but Emporia State outscored them 7-3 the rest of the way for a 73-70 win Saturday at White Auditorium. Taylor Rolfs, who hit all five of her 3-pointers in the second half, missed on one in the closing seconds that would have forced overtime.
Tony Hobson Postgame Interview
Game Highlights
The Tigers (7-2, 2-2 MIAA) used a 17-2 furn over the first and second quarters to build a 10-point lead early in the second. The Hornets (6-2, 2-0 MIAA) would close the half on a 14-4 run to tie the game 30-30 at the break. The run would extend to 31-11 helping then to a 10-point lead with 2:36 to play in the third quarter.
Fort Hays State opened the fourth quarter with a 15-5 run and tied the game 62-all on a Taylor Rolfs 3-pointer. Kasey Kennett hit her only 3-pointer with 3:16 to play to give the Tigers their last lead at 67-66.
Emma Stroyan led the Tigers with 18 points, Rolfs added a career-best 17 and Tatyana Legette scored 17.
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