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Larks win series finale against El Dorado

HAYS, Kan. – After falling 2-0 after two and a half innings Sunday night, the Hays Larks would get a three-run rally in the third inning in part thanks to a two-RBI double by Wyatt Divis to take a 4-2 lead. El Dorado would tie the game at 4-4 in the top of the sixth before Kolby Robinson would score on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the inning to give Hays the 5-4 lead and the eventual winning score.

Frank Leo Postgame Interview

Two shutout innings by pitcher Sloan Baker and a scoreless ninth inning save by Fabian Muniz would seal the deal for the Larks and give them the 2-1 series win over the El Dorado Broncos.

John Rensel Jr. lead the way for the Larks with two hits and a run scored. Wyatt Divis finished 1-3 with 2 RBI’s and a run scored.

Austin Thomason gave up five hits in five innings pitched and two earned runs and four strikeouts in the no-decision for Hays. Sam Slusser pitched one inning and gave up a run in his first win of the season.

The Larks go on the road for a three-game series in Liberal starting Tuesday.

Eagles win KC Legends Wood Bat Tournament

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Despite being down four starters for the weekend, the Hays Eagles Senior American Legion went 5-0 and won the KC Legends Wood Bat Tournament.

The Eagles went 3-0 in bracket play Sunday, beating the Buhler Nationals 5-2, the Shawnee Rockets 7-4 and the Missouri Nationals 9-8 in the title game.

Brett Herrman’s single in the bottom of the ninth inning drove in the winning run in the championship game. They led 5-0 after three but had to rally with two runs in the fifth to tie. Both teams scored in the seventh.

Palmer Hutchison allowed five runs on five hits with seven strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings of relief for the win.

The Senior Eagles are now 11-1-1 on the season.

Kansas teen remains jailed in Iowa for alleged sex crime

ANKENY, IOWA — A Kansas teen remains jailed in Iowa for alleged sex crimes.

Miller- photo Polk County Jail

Just after 8p.m. Thursday, authorities in Iowa booked 18-year-old Devin Michael Miller  of Rose Hill into the Polk County Iowa Jail on requested charges of enticing away a minor under 13 for sexual abuse or exploitation, according to the Polk County Jail booking report.

The case involves allegedly sending and receiving nude photos on a cell phone in April, according to Ankeny police.

Chapman’s homer in 8th lifts A’s past Royals

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Marcus Semien didn’t have much time to think after making a diving stop on Salvador Perez’s sharp grounder in the eighth inning. With Kansas City’s Whit Merrifield off third base and breaking for home, the Oakland shortstop had no one choice but to throw to the plate.

It worked out perfectly for both Semien and the A’s.

Matt Chapman homered leading off the bottom of the eighth, moments after Semien’s defensive gem cut down the go-ahead run, and the A’s beat the Royals 3-2 on Sunday.

“Just reaction,” Semien said. “I had a tough grip. I had my whole palm on the ball so I just tried to throw it as hard as I could from there. Merrifield’s pretty quick so you got to get the transfer and the throw there as quick as you can. That was good.”

Oakland manager Bob Melvin called it one of the best plays of Semien’s career. Closer Blake Treinen, who was on the mound and had a perfect view, termed it ‘incredible.’

Merrifield doubled off A’s starter Sean Manaea and advanced to third on Mike Moustakas’ groundout. Treinen replaced Manaea and got Perez to hit a grounder that Semien made a diving stop on, and threw to home while still on his knees to nail a sliding Merrifield.

“Chapman made a great swing but that swing doesn’t get us the win if Marcus doesn’t make that play,” Treinen said. “We were trying to call a sinker there because (Perez) swung through a good one down the pitch before. High percentage groundball/swing-and-miss pitch and he put a pretty good swing on it. Marcus made a better play.”

Melvin agreed.

“That’s a really good runner at third going on contact,” Melvin said. “To dive like that, get up and have to throw it off balance on the money like that, no legs underneath him . game-winner.”

Stephen Piscotty and Jonathan Lucroy both drove in runs for the A’s, who squandered numerous scoring chances before Chapman came through with a solo home run off Royals reliever Jason Adam (0-1).

Treinen (3-1) retired five batters to win following a strong start Manaea. Winless since May 14, Manaea allowed six hits and two runs over 7 1/3 innings and had six strikeouts with no walks.

Perez hit his 11th home run for the Royals, who have lost seven of eight.

Kansas City’s offensive funk continued, although Moustakas gave his ballclub a jolt in the first inning when he laid down a bunt to beat Oakland’s defensive shift. But Moustakas was stranded at second, one of four runners the Royals left in scoring position.

“He practices it and his mindset is he’s going to beat the shift,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. “If guys can do it, managers are going to have to make adjustments.”

Alex Gordon doubled off Treinen with one out in the ninth and moved to third on a groundout before Drew Butera fouled out to Lucroy to end the game.

WHO NEEDS A GLOVE?

A fan sitting in the second deck behind home plate caught two foul balls on consecutive pitches, both of them bare-handed.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RF Jorge Soler was held out of the starting lineup for a second straight day after fouling a pitch off his foot Friday, although Yost noted Soler is feeling better.

Athletics: Opening day starter Kendall Graveman continues to rehab in Arizona but Melvin doesn’t expect the right-hander back any time soon. … 2B Jed Lowrie was given the day off. Chad Pinder started in place of Lowrie. … Jake Smolinski was called up from Triple-A Nashville before the game. RHP Chris Bassitt was optioned to Triple-A Nashville.

UP NEXT

Royals: Following a day off Monday, Kansas City returns home to host the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. RHP Ian Kennedy (1-6, 5.76 ERA) takes the hill for the Royals seeking to end an 11-start winless stretch.

Athletics: RHP Daniel Mengden (5-4, 2.85) faces the Astros on Tuesday. Two of Mengden’s four losses this season have come against Houston.

Kan. Supreme Court sends DNA request back to lower court in Kan. rape case

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court has remanded a convicted man’s request for DNA testing back to Leavenworth County District Court for further review.

George -photo KDOC

The court on Friday reversed earlier rulings by a district judge and the Kansas Court of Appeals that denied the request from 39-year-old Gregory Mark George Jr., who is serving time for rape, aggravated robbery and aggravated intimidation of a witness.

The Leavenworth Times reports George was convicted of raping a clerk during a robbery at a Lansing convenience store in 2004.

In 2013, George filed a petition for DNA testing of hairs that were collected as part of his case but were never tested.

The state Supreme Court ruling asks a district judge to determine whether the requested testing might produce evidence that could help exonerate George.

Kan. law will allow bystanders to break into vehicles to save people, pets

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

It’s not officially summer, but it’s still hot outside.

The rising heat puts both small children and pets at risk if they are left in hot vehicles.

A new Kansas law, which will go into effect July 1, protects anyone from civil liability who breaks into a vehicle to rescue an animal or a vulnerable person, including a small child.

However, Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler noted people need to follow certain guidelines when trying to rescue a person or pet.

• The Good Samaritan has to determine the person or animal in the vehicle is in immediate danger.
• The person has to determine there is no other safe way of getting the person or pet out of the vehicle.
• The person also must call 911 right before or after he or she breaks into the vehicle.
• The person also must remain on the scene until law enforcement arrives.

Scheibler said he hopes this new law will serve to educate the public about the dangers of hot vehicles.

“This is a good thing. It allows people to take some sort of action in those situations in which people or animals need their assistance,” Scheibler said. “The important thing is people need to use good judgement, and they should never hesitate to call us in those situations. I think this law has good intentions to try to educate the public and prevent tragedies.”

A number of years ago a child died in a hot car in Hays. The person who was attending to the child did not usually take the child to daycare and forgot the child was in the back seat. Scheibler recommended placing something in or on your vehicle to remind you a child is on board. This could be a ribbon on the door handle or a note on the dash.

Heat stroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths in children younger than 15, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Heat stroke can happen when the outside temperature is as low as 57 degrees. Organ damage starts in children when their bodies reach 104 degrees. Death can occur at 107 degrees.

Learn more on children and hot vehicles at the healthychildren.org.

There is no Kansas law that prohibits a pet owner from leaving an animal in a vehicle.

However, Scheibler said, in extreme cases, a person could be investigated for animal cruelty in the case of a pet or child endangerment in the case of a child.

Animal control will respond to all reports of endangered pets, although it may take some time for the officer to arrive.

Nikki Hausler, Hays animal control officer, said it is not enough to just see a panting dog in a vehicle. The pet must show signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion, which can be difficult to identify. Unless it is clear the animal is in immediate risk, it is best to call police to deal with the situation.

Even in cooler temperatures, the temperature inside a vehicle rises quickly and can be a danger to any living creature.

In as little as 10 minutes, the temperature in a vehicle can increase 19 degrees, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Hays Vet Dr. Mark Meier said when a dog’s body temperature reaches more than 106 degrees, its organs start to shut down. Overheating can cause death or permanent organ damage.

“I think the biggest thing is that if you don’t need to have your pets with you, leave them at home,” he said. “Pets are becoming a bigger part of our families, and it is not worth the risk.”

The city is already receiving calls about pets in hot vehicles.

“I have digital thermometer that I can use to measure the inside temperature of a vehicle,” Hausler said. “Luckily, I have not found any pets in heat distress or heat stroke, but I use the app to educate owners. Even if they crack the windows on a day with high humidity and its hot like it has been — 90 degrees — a car can heat up in the matter of minutes.”

She explained people often go into a store and think they will be there for a few minutes. They get delayed in a checkout line or they find more items they initially intended or they stop to talk to a friend — and they end up spending much more time in the store than they anticipated.

“One thing that shocks me is last summer, I was called out to the hospital for pets in vehicles,” Hausler said. “When you go for a medical appointment, it can be so much longer than you anticipate. A hospital parking lot is not the place for your dog either.”

Sharon Thompson of Hays stopped at Walmart on a recent trip to Topeka and discovered bulldogs locked in a car. She call 911 and reported it. She stayed with the vehicle for 22 minutes until the police arrived, and the owner of the pets had still not emerged from the store. She said she was in anguish watching the pets suffer in the heat until someone arrived.

Hausler said her No. 1 recommendation for pets owners is to leave the pets at home, especially during these warm months. They will be much safer.

Because of Hays being located on the interstate, local police also receive calls for people who are traveling and leave their pets in vehicles.

Hausler encouraged travelers to take their pets into to consideration when they stop. Eating at a sit-down dinner may not be the best choice for your pet. Even if you leave the car running, the car could die, the vehicle could overheat or even catch on fire.

“It may be best to get something to grab and go when you are on the road and keep the dog cool in the vehicle,” she said.

State accepting nominations for Minority Enterprise Development Week awards

KDC

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Commerce Office of Minority and Women Business Development is accepting nominations for Kansas minority and/or women-owned businesses, advocates, young entrepreneurs, and corporations. These nominations celebrate National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week, October 14-20, 2018. Nominees and winners will be recognized at the annual Kansas Minority and Women Business Awards Luncheon to be held on October 11, 2018, at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Topeka.

“Minority and women-owned businesses are essential drivers of our Kansas economy, and this special awards ceremony will honor the tremendous accomplishments of these amazing entrepreneurs in our state,” said Robert North, Interim Secretary for the Kansas Department of Commerce.

The deadline to nominate a business or individual is June 15, 2018. Online nomination forms can be accessed at KansasCommerce.gov/MEDweek.

The 2017 award winners included:

Kansas Women-Owned Businesses

  • MySmartPlans – Kansas City (Construction Firm)
  • Advanced Welding Technologies, LLC – Wichita (Manufacturing Firm)
  • FSC, Inc.- Overland Park (Professional Service Firm)
  • Toronto Lumber Company – Toronto (Retail Firm)
  • Sage Restoration LLC – Overland Park (Service Industry Firm)
  • International Express Trucking, Inc. – Kansas City (Supplier/Distributor Firm)

Kansas Minority-Owned Businesses

  • Recyclable Materials Relocating, LLC – Kansas City (Construction Firm)
  • Quik Tek Machining, LLC – Wichita (Manufacturing Firm)
  • LaborMax Staffing KC Metro – Kansas City (Professional Service Firm)
  • Paleterias Tropicanas – Kansas City (Retail Firm)
  • Project Fitness LLC DBA Project Fitness CrossFit – Garden City (Service Industry Firm)
  • Sarin Energy Solutions – Overland Park (Supplier/Distributor Firm)

Minority Business Advocate

  • Sandra Olivas, Bank of Labor – Kansas City

Women Business Advocate

  • Debra Kunz, Center for Deliberate Growth™ – Mission

Young Entrepreneur

  • Paul Kaster, Crooked Branch Studio – Leawood

Corporation of the Year

  • Textron Aviation – Wichita

About the Kansas Department of Commerce Office of Minority and Women Business Development

The Office of Minority and Women Business Development provides assistance in business management, identifying resources for financing and establishing contacts in the public and private sectors. The office is responsible for certifying minority- and women-owned businesses as small disadvantaged businesses for procurement and subcontracting opportunities.

Fundraiser to benefit WaKeeney cancer victim

By LINN ANN HUNTINGTON
Contributing Writer

After Audrey Macke of WaKeeney survived breast cancer eight years ago, she hoped the cancer wouldn’t come back. Then in February the disease struck again—this time in the form of stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Macke recently completed her fifth round of chemotherapy at Cancer Treatment Center of America in Tulsa, where she has stayed since her treatments began, said her daughter-in-law, Jonna Dinkel of Hays.

Dinkel and other family members and friends are holding a fundraiser on Saturday, June 23, to help with Macke’s expenses.

The community flea market, “Bargains for a Benefit,” will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of Westview Church, 3000 W. 41st St. in Hays. Macke has been a longtime member of the church.

Community members are encouraged to hold their own garage sales at the event, donate items for the benefit sale, and just come and browse for bargains, Dinkel said.

“All vendors are welcome, and we are accepting any types of donated items,” she added.

Donated items may be dropped off at the church on Thursday and Friday, June 21 and 22. Dinkel is also currently accepting donated items at her home, 2221 Southview Drive, outside of Hays, where she will store them until the sale.

Those holding their own garage sales at the event are asked to donate 20 percent of their proceeds to the fundraiser, Dinkel said. That money will help with Macke’s living expenses while she is getting treatment, Dinkel said.

Those attending the flea market will be able to purchase items from food vendor trucks. Farmer’s market vendors will also be selling items. Dinkel said several local groups have donated nice items that will be raffled off.

Volunteers are needed to sort through and price items prior to the sale, Dinkel said. Those wishing to participate in the sale, volunteer, or make donations are asked to contact her at 785-656-2505 or at [email protected]. In case of rain, the event will be moved inside the church, she said.

KDHE waste grants benefit NW Kansas schools, townships

KDHE

TOPEKA–The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Bureau of Waste Management has announced the recipients of waste tire recycling grants. These annual solid waste grants are awarded to municipalities and school districts across the state. The grants total almost $468,000 for 2018.

The waste tire recycling grants go toward funding safe surfacing at playgrounds, running tracks, picnic tables and benches made from waste tires. This year’s 51 individual waste tire recycling grants range from $209 to $61,213. The grants are funded through a 25-cent tax paid on the purchase of new tires.

The list of grantees can be found at https://www.kdheks.gov/waste/grants/SFY18WTGSpreadsheetFinal.pdf.

For more information on KDHE’s waste reduction grant opportunities and application procedures, visit www.kdheks.gov/waste.

 Local grants include:

Plainville Township #11, Plainville, tables purchase five tables, including two ADA tables, for Plainville Township Lake, $1,952.

Rooks County Township #12, Codell, tables/benches, purchase two picnic tables and two benches for Codell Park, $1,118.

St. Mary’s School, Ellis, loose fill rubber mulch, purchase loose fill rubber mulch for a 3,604-square-foot playground at St. Mary’s School, $6,300

USD 432, Victoria, loose fill rubber mulch, purchase loose fill rubber mulch to backfill a previously installed playground at Victoria Elementary School and bring it up to the appropriate depth of 6 inches, $8,925.

 

Police: Kansas woman hurt in party bus shooting

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a drive by shooting that sent one person to the hospital.

Just after 11:30 p.m., Saturday, police responded to a drive-by shooting call at the Keeper of the Plains, 650 N. Seneca in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Police located a 19-year-old woman on a Spots Party Bus with a single gunshot wound to her shoulder.

She was taken to an area hospital for treatment of a non-life-threating injury.  Through the investigation it was learned the party bus was dropping off individuals when an unknown suspect, outside of the bus, fired multiple gunshots at the bus striking the victim.

During the incident a silver 2002 Honda Civic occupied by three individuals was also struck by one gunshot.

No individuals were injured in the Honda, according to Davidson.

Police have made no arrests. Anyone with additional information on this case please call Crime Stoppers at 267-2111 or WPD Detectives at 268-4407.

STEAM storytime to be offered at Sternberg

Every Friday at 9:30 a.m. through Aug. 10

Come enjoy a science story and activity at the Sternberg Museum. They will explore topics such as shadows, engineering, fossils and flowers. Each week will cover something new and you will have a fun project you can take home. 

Kansas teen sentenced in death of transgender woman

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas teenager has been sentenced to juvenile corrections in the stabbing death of a transgender woman.

Tyreece Walker-photo courtesy Biglow Funeral Home

Sedgwick County authorities say the boy was sentenced Friday for second-degree murder in the 2016 death of 32-year-old Tyreece Walker.

The juvenile, whose name was not released, was sentenced to juvenile corrections until the age of 22½ with aftercare until he’s 23. The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office says that was the maximum sentence allowed under Kansas law for juvenile offenders.

The teenager, who was 16 when Walker was killed, claimed he acted in self-defense when he stabbed Walker at an apartment complex.

If the teen commits a new violation while serving his juvenile sentence or during aftercare, he could be sent to an adult prison for nearly 14 years.

🎥 Hays author listed in Kansas Notable Books

KS STATE LIBRARY

TOPEKA  — Acting State Librarian Eric Norris has announced the 13th annual selection of Kansas Notable Books. The fifteen books feature quality titles with wide public appeal, either written by a Kansan or about a Kansas-related topic.

“I am proud to present the 2018 Kansas Notable Book list.  Choosing only 15 books is no easy task,” said Eric Norris, Acting State Librarian. “The selection committee began with a pool of over 100 submitted titles and worked diligently to identify the year’s best works by authors and illustrators from Kansas, as well as those works that highlight our history and heritage. Kansans are encouraged to visit their local public library and celebrate the artists and the artistry of Kansas.”

Kansas Notable Books is a project of the Kansas Center for the Book, a program of the State Library. The Kansas Center for the Book is a state affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Throughout the award year, the State Library promotes and encourages promotion of all the titles on this year’s list at literary events, and among librarians and booksellers.

An awards ceremony will be held at the Kansas Book Festival, Saturday, September 8, 2018, 9:30 a.m., at the State Capitol to recognize the talented Notable Book authors. The public is invited.

2018 Kansas Notable Books

Bad Kansas: Stories by Becky Mandelbaum (Rockport WA), University of Georgia Press

In this darkly humorous collection, Kansas becomes a state of mind as the characters struggle to define their relationship to home and what it means to stay or leave, to hold on or let go.

Cricket in the Thicket: Poems about Bugs by Carol Murray (Overland Park), illustrations by Melissa Sweet (Portland ME). Henry Holt & Co

Playful poems highlight surprising facts about the world of insects – from familiar ants and exotic dragonflies to cringe-worthy ticks and magnificent fireflies in this picture book for children.

Dodge City: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and the Wickedest Town in the American West by Tom Clavin (Sag Harbor NY), St. Martin’s Press

Cowpokes, desperadoes, and lawmen: it wasn’t always easy to tell which was which. This rollicking tale of Dodge City brims with colorful characters. From frontier settlement, to cattle drives, to a railroad town, the history of Dodge City is the story of how the West was won.

Feet of the Messenger: Poems by H.C. Palmer (Lenexa), BkMk Press Books

Between the horrors of the Vietnam War and the pacific silences of the Kansas prairie, these poems honor both the beauty of the English language and the ancient powers of poetry to speak experience without diminishing it.

Fireflies in the Gathering Dark: Poems by Maril Crabtree (Mission), Aldrich Press

These poems traverse landscapes, inner and outer: physical landscapes and metaphysical ones; the landscape of relationships; the landscape of age, from childhood to maturity; and the questing landscape that leads to new understandings.

Headlights on the Prairie: Essays on Home by Robert Rebein (Irvington IN), University Press of Kansas

These essays bring a storyteller’s gifts to life’s dramas, large and small. Moments of singular grace and grit encapsulate the lives of feedlot cowboys, long-haul truckers, and farm kids dreaming of basketball glory.

Ike and McCarthy: Dwight Eisenhower’s Secret Campaign Against Joseph McCarthy by David A. Nichols (Winfield), Simon & Schuster

This fast-paced account reveals President Eisenhower’s subtly clever role in the destruction of demagogue Joe McCarthy. Drawn from documents in the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Nichols presents a gripping story of a classic power struggle.

Kansas Baseball, 1858-1941 by Mark E. Eberle (Hays), University Press of Kansas

The early history of baseball in Kansas is the story of towns and the ballparks they built. It was a time when baseball was adopted by early settlers, then taken up by soldiers sent west, and finally by teams formed to express the identity of growing and diverse communities.

Click here to watch an Eagle TV interview with Eberle and Mike Cooper about the book.

Kansas Guidebook 2 for Explorers by Marci Penner (Inman) and WenDee Rowe (Inman), Kansas Sampler Foundation

The ultimate guidebook for all things to see and do in Kansas features 4,500 attractions, 843 eateries, and more than 1,600 color photos. Counties are arranged alphabetically within six geographic regions as are the cities within each county. Entries include directions, hours and contact information.

The Man from the Train: The Solving of a Century-Old Serial Killer Mystery by Bill James (Lawrence) and Rachel McCarthy James (Lawrence), Scribner

A baseball statistician and his daughter deliver a provocative story that aims to solve a 100-year-old mass murder case. The two painstakingly scoured thousands of newspapers and records to discover and reveal the identity of one of the deadliest serial killers in America.

Midnight at the Electric by Jodi Lynn Anderson (Asheville NC), HarperTeen

While the stories of three women span multiple generations and thousands of miles, their lives are intertwined. Before leaving Kansas to go to Mars, Adri discovers Catherine’s journal of the Dust Bowl and Lenore’s letters about World War I. Each story weaves a unifying thread of hope.

The Shape of Ideas: An Illustrated Exploration of Creativity by Grant Snider (Derby), Abrams ComicArts

What do ideas look like? Where do they come from? These one- and two-page comics have been featured in the New Yorker, the New York Times, and the Kansas City Star. They are a colorful look into the creative process.

Stark Mad Abolitionists: Lawrence, Kansas, and the Battle over Slavery in the Civil War Era by Robert K. Sutton (Bethesda MD), Skyhorse Publishing

In 1854, Boston was in an uproar. Businessman Amos Adams Lawrence was inspired to put his efforts and considerable fortune toward keeping slavery out of Kansas. The town that came to bear Lawrence’s name became part of a bigger story of people willing to risk their lives and fortunes for freedom.

That is My Dream! by Langston Hughes and Daniel Miyares (Lenexa), Schwartz & Wade

Langston Hughes’s inspiring and timeless poem “Dream Variation” comes joyously to life in a gorgeously illustrated picture book. Follow one child on a walk through his small segregated town in the 1950s. Then watch his mind take flight as he images a brighter, more inclusive world.

To The Stars Through Difficulties by Romalyn Tilghman (Long Beach CA), She Writes Press

Inspired by the women who built fifty-nine Carnegie libraries in Kansas, the No Guilt Quilters overcome numerous obstacles to build the Cultural Center on the Plains- proving that New Hope is more than just the name of a town.

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