KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Ryan O’Hearn homered and drove in a career-high three runs, Brad Keller threw seven strong innings and the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on Monday night to spoil Sean Reid-Foley’s major league debut.
Reid-Foley (0-1) was removed after 97 pitches and five innings, allowing three runs, six hits and three walks while striking out three. Reid-Foley is only the second player in major league history to be born in Guam. He was 12-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 23 minor league starts this season.
O’Hearn, a rookie who entered hitting .130 with three RBIs, hit an opposite-field homer on Reid-Foley’s first pitch with Brett Phillips aboard with two outs in the second.
O’Hearn walked with the bases loaded in the fourth to bring home Lucas Duda, who led off the inning with a single.
Brad Keller (5-5) yielded one run and four hits to pick up his third victory in his past four decisions.
Wily Peralta worked around Justin Smoak’s walk leading off the ninth for his seventh save.
Devon Travis homered in the first for Toronto. It was his fourth home run in 26 at-bats at Kauffman Stadium.
Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen singled to left in the second in his first big league at-bat, but Alex Gordon threw out Russell Martin trying to score from second to end the inning. Gordon picked up his ninth assist and leads the majors with 91 outfield assists since 2010 when he was moved from third base to left field.
Whit Merrifield had three of Kansas City’s seven hits. The Royals got their second victory in 11 games.
The Blue Jays dropped 31 games behind AL East leader Boston, the furthest they have been out of first since ending 2004 33 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees.
RARE DUO DEBUTING
Reid-Foley and Jansen became the first batterymates to make their major league debuts at the same time in the American League since LHP Billy Rohr and C Russ Gibson on April 14, 1967 for Boston at Yankee Stadium. It has occurred five times in the past 25 years in the National League.
ROYALS DEFENSE SHINES
The Royals played their 13th straight errorless game, extending their club record. They have not committed an error in 120 innings.
“One thing we’ve consistently done this year is play defense,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “The same tune we were playing in the championship years. I’m pleased with the way we’ve played defensively. It’s a real struggle when you’re not winning games and playing sloppy defense. At least defensively, we’re giving ourselves a chance.”
Their last error was July 29 in the first inning at Yankee Stadium.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: 3B Josh Donaldson (left calf tightness) will begin running the bases this week. Manager John Gibbons is hopeful that Donaldson will play again this season. … An MRI revealed IF Yangervis Solarte (oblique) has a Grade 2 strain. He will be re-evaluated in three weeks.
Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (shoulder impingement) was placed on the disabled list. RHP Glenn Sparkman was recalled from Triple-A Omaha and will start on Thursday in Duffy’s place.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: LHP Ryan Borucki is 2-2 with 2.81 ERA in his first eight starts.
Royals: RHP Heath Fillmyer pitched seven scoreless innings against the Cubs to win his previous start.
At 8:22 a.m. Tuesday, Hays Police officers responded to a 911 call from a business in the 500 block of Vine Street regarding an upset man in a red Ford Mustang looking to get his semi out of impound. The semi had previously been impounded and stored at the business.
The semi owner, later identified as Mitchell W. Dallmann, 29, had reportedly pulled a rifle out of his vehicle while in the parking lot of the business. Dallmann had cycled the action of the rifle, waved it around while yelling at an employee of the business and then drove southbound. Dallmann was located in La Crosse by the Rush County Sheriff’s Department and was arrested without further incident for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Dallman is currently in the Ellis County jail.
“The Hays Police Department would like to thank the Ellis County Sheriff’s Department, Rush County Sheriff’s Department, and the Kansas Highway Patrol for their assistance,” the HPD said in a news release. “Dallmann is considered innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.”
The 2018 football season got under way on Monday as the Hays High Indians worked through a rain soaked afternoon before being chased of the field by lightning late in practice. First year head coach Tony Crough had 74 in pads for the first practice. Crough begins his fourth year total as a head coach.
Coach Tony Crough
Crough says the goal in this first week is to figure out who will play where within the schemes he has brought to the program. The position the players are at over the first few days of practice may not be where they continue to play as the preseason moves along. Crough is also in charge of the offense. Former Fort Hays State football player Layton Hickel is the defensive coordinator. Overall the program features ten coaches to help the team.
Hays makes a return to 5A as the smallest school in the classification. The regular season has eight games on the schedule with the ninth week scheduled through the first round of the playoffs which each team qualifies for. The Indians’ first game is August 31st in Junction City.
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A fired white Kansas police officer has been indicted in the fatal shooting of a black man.
Officer Matthew Harrington-photo Leavenworth PoliceHarrington -photo Leavenworth County Sheriff
Leavenworth County Prosecutor Todd Thompson announced Monday that Matthew Harrington, of Henderson, Nevada, has been indicted on one count of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Antonio Garcia Jr.
The shooting happened in July 2017 when Harrington was investigating a domestic dispute involving a reported stolen vehicle.
Harrington was fired in January for what Leavenworth Police Chief Patrick Kitchens called a violation of the department’s use of deadly force policy.
Attorney Ken Barnes says the Garcia family is “relieved” and is considering a wrongful death lawsuit.
Harrington’s bond was set at $50,000 when he appeared in court Monday. His attorney didn’t immediately return a phone message.
MISSION HILLS, Kan. (AP) — A couple from a Kansas City suburb alleges that a $90 million billing scheme found last year at a rural Missouri hospital has spread to as many as 10 other hospitals.
A lawsuit filed in Georgia accuses Jorge Perez, pictured here at his Kansas City-based company EmpowerHMS, of participating in a fraudulent lab billing scheme. CREDIT DAN MARGOLIES -Kansas News Service
James and Phyllis Shaffer of Mission Hills, Kansas, are suing Jorge Perez over alleged replays of the original scheme discovered at Putnam County Memorial Hospital in Unionville, Missouri.
Missouri’s auditor released a report in 2017 saying the hospital billed insurance companies for lab tests that didn’t occur at the facility and received a cut of payments funneled to another lab company. The audit doesn’t name Perez, but records show he’s vice president of Florida-based Hospital Partners Inc., which the audit prominently mentioned.
The newspaper was unable to reach Perez for comment.
LENEXA, Kan. (AP) — Turn5, an online car-parts retailer, plans to open a distribution center in Lenexa and hire 100 workers in the next three years.
The company announced Monday that its center will officially open Oct. 29. It will distribute products under the American Muscle, Extreme Terrain and American Trucks brands.
The Kansas Department of Commerce said the state typically offers incentives to companies such as Turn5 but those details won’t be released until contracts are final.
The city of Lenexa will not provide incentives because Block Real Estate Services received a tax abatement to build the facility where Turn5 will locate.
BRANDON, Miss. (AP) — A man is pleading guilty in Mississippi to two in a series of killings and shootings of which he’s accused.
Scene of Deaton’s crash when he was captured Ellsworth Co.-photo courtesy KHP
Alex Deaton pleaded guilty Monday in Rankin County Circuit Court to murder, drive-by shooting and motor vehicle theft.
A judge is sentencing Deaton to life in prison.
Deaton admits that he killed his girlfriend, stole her SUV and shot a jogger in February 2017 in the suburbs of Jackson.
Police say Deaton then carjacked a New Mexico couple, fled to Kansas, shot a store clerk and stole the clerk’s car.
Deaton-photo Rankin Co. MS Sheriff
Deaton pleaded guilty in July 2017 in Kansas to attempted first-degree murder and aggravated robbery. He was sentenced there in October to nearly 13 years in prison.
Deaton is also indicted for killing a woman near Philadelphia, Mississippi.
KANSAS CITY (AP) — Officials with Lee Jeans say the company plans to move its headquarters from Merriam, Kansas, to North Carolina.
Courtesy Lee Jeans
The company announced Monday that the move to Greensboro, North Carolina, is part of a reorganization and split by its parent company, VF Corp.
Lee Jeans will join Wrangler jeans in North Carolina as part of a spinoff from VF Corp.
Vanessa McCutchen, spokeswoman for VF Corp., says the company is still considering the fate of the 130 Merriam-based Lee employees. It wasn’t clear whether they would relocate to Greensboro or otherwise remain with the company.
After capturing their first MIAA championship and making the playoffs for the first time in 20 years, the Fort Hays State football team will open the 2018 campaign ranked fifth in the American Football Coaches Association Division II Top 25 Poll. The Tigers share the No. 5 spot with Northwest Missouri State. The Tigers week one opponent, Central Missouri, is ranked 18th. Pittsburg State, Emporia State, Missouri Western State, Central Oklahaoma and Washburn are all in the receiving votes category.
Coming off their first ever Division II national championship in 2017, Texas A&M-Commerce will start the 2018 season ranked No. 1aches’ Top 25 Poll. This is the first time since the poll began in 2000 that the Lions start the season ranked No. 1. West Florida, who lost to Texas A&M-Commerce in the championship game, begins this year at No. 2. The Argonauts are followed by Minnesota State at No. 3, Indiana (Pa.) at No. 4.
The first week of action starts off with four Top 25 matchups, all on Thursday, August 30. The first game has No. 2 West Florida hosting No. 22 Carson-Newman (Tenn.) while No. 4 Indiana (Pa.) travels to No. 15 Ashland (Ohio). The third Top 25 matchup is a conference battle as No. 5t Fort Hays State (Kan.) plays host to No. 18 Central Missouri. The final matchup has No. 10 Grand Valley State (Mich.) hosting No. 13 Indianapolis (Ind.).
RANK SCHOOL 2017 RECORD POINTS PREVIOUS RANK
1 Texas A&M-Commerce (13) 14-1 748 1
2 West Florida (14) 11-4 721 2
3 Minnesota St. (2) 13-1 691 4
4 Indiana (Pa.) (2) 13-1 666 3
T-5 Fort Hays St. (Kan.) 11-1 591 8
T-5 NW Missouri St. (2) 9-3 591 16
7 Harding (Ark.) 11-4 550 6
8 Ferris St. (Mich.) 11-2 503 5
9 Central Washington 11-1 494 7
10 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 8-3 478 NR
11 Midwestern St. (Texas) 10-1 473 11
12 West Alabama 10-3 470 12
13 Indianapolis (Ind.) 11-1 402 13
14 Colorado St.-Pueblo 9-3 401 17
15 Ashland (Ohio) 11-2 350 10
16 Shepherd (W.Va.) 10-1 332 14
17 Assumption (Mass.) 11-2 292 9
18 Central Missouri 9-3 209 NR
19 West Georgia 9-4 196 19
20 Sioux Falls (S.D.) 9-3 158 20
21 Winona St. (Minn.) 10-2 134 15
22 Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 8-3 118 NR
23 Ohio Dominican 7-3 105 NR
24 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 9-3 102 NR
25 Findlay (Ohio) 10-3 101 22
Others Receiving Votes: California (Pa.), 89; Delta St. (Miss.), 74; West Chester (Pa.), 74; Colorado Mesa, 66; Bowie St. (Md.), 60; Virginia St., 51; Minnesota-Duluth, 41; Albany St. (Ga.), 39; Florida Tech, 36; Colorado Mines, 34; Shippensburg (Pa.), 31; Tuskegee (Ala.), 26; Wingate (N.C.), 25; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 22; Valdosta St. (Ga.), 22; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 21; Notre Dame (Ohio), 18; Eastern New Mexico, 17; Edinboro (Pa.), 15; Missouri Western St., 14; Bloomsburg (Pa.), 13; Emporia St. (Kan.), 11; Central Oklahoma, 9; LIU Post (N.Y.), 8; Slippery Rock (Pa.), 8; Augustana (S.D.), 5; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 5; Humboldt St. (Calif.), 4; Catawba (N.C.), 3; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 3; Hillsdale (Mich.), 3; Southern Arkansas, 1; Washburn (Kan.), 1.
Rooks County is in process of purchasing the Rooks County Golf Course, but not all local residents are pleased with the purchase.
The 70-acre-golf course, which is 5 miles north of Plainville, is owned privately by a family that lives out of state. Recently, the family has been unable to care for the course.
The course has fallen into disrepair, and membership renewals and statements for cart shed rentals were not sent out this year.
“Because of the maintenance issues, people didn’t have to join,” said Roger Hrabe, director of Rooks County Economic Development. “They could just go out and golf. People were keeping their sheds out there and their carts, and no one was being paid.”
The Hambright family, which owned the course, was seeking to sell the nine-hole course, the only grass-green course in the county.
Hrabe said economic development agreed to put up the $130,000 for the purchase of the course with the county retaining ownership and providing management of the course. The county agreed to buy the course with economic development funds on a split vote with Commission Chairman John Ruder and Commissioner Larry Poore voting for the purchase and Commissioner Corky Hagan voting against. A verbal agreement has been made with the owners, and the county is waiting for the contract to be signed.
Hrabe said saving the course is a quality of life issue for the county.
“If you start looking at the percentage of people who golf out of your total county population,” Hrabe said, “it’s not high, but it is a quality of life issue that a lot of people want and a lot of people would use whether they are residents or not. If you are going to attract people, whether you are attracting younger people coming in or keeping the retired people here, it is something that is important.”
The course is currently being run by volunteers. The county’s hope is that the course will be able to regain enough paying members that the course will be self-sustaining. The county has estimated an annual operating budget of $30,000. The county has a group of five volunteers who have agreed to serve as a board for the course, Ruder said, but the county is waiting on the sale to go through to formally organize that group.
Ruder admitted the county did not have a formal business plan for the golf course, saying he thought that “was putting the cart before the horse.”
The lack of a clear business plan and questions about maintenance and operating expenses at the course drew concerns from community residents.
Shayn Balthazor, Rooks County resident and business owner, started a petition requesting that certain questions be answered about the course before the sale went through. The petition also requested the sale go to a public vote.
“I started the petition because I didn’t feel that the commissioners had done enough research or analysis into costs, overhead, condition of property and equipment or potential income,” Balthazor said.
Balthazor attended two county commission meetings to speak on the issue.
“I stated that if any other business owner or prospective business owner asked for help from economic development (where the money to purchase the golf course is coming from), they would be required to have a business plan before economic development would consider helping financially,” he said.
Balthazor raised concerns about the septic system, which had allegedly seeped in the area of the clubhouse in the past.
Ruder said the county is hoping the septic tank just needs cleaned out.
Hrabe said maintenance does need to be done at the course, specifically work on the cart sheds. Ruder said it was the county’s hope that once the county gained ownership of the course and started collecting fees again, money could be set aside for these upgrades.
Hrabe said none of the maintenance issues, including the septic system, appeared to be serious. Ruder said the course is in working order at this time. It will be staffed strictly by volunteers until further notice, Ruder said.
Balthazor also expressed concern about the property tax implications and objected to the economic development money being used for the purchase of the golf course. As county property, the golf course would be tax exempt.
“The money is coming from economic development, which receives its revenue from a mill levy,” he said. “The money is taxpayer paid money, and taxpayers pay mils on their property tax. I’d like to see this money put toward bringing new business to the county or help a private owner purchase the golf course without footing the whole purchase. I’m not sure how the county purchasing the golf course will help develop the economy in our county.”
Hrabe said if private owners could eventually be found to purchase and operate the course again, the county would support that.
Because no fees were being collected by the current owner, the number of members or potential members is in question.
Ruder said as few as 40 to 50 paid members could mean the golf course could be self-sustaining. Hrabe was optimistic, saying the course had the potential for as many as 200 members. He said the numbers are a matter of conjecture, but the county is basing membership goals on what they once were.
Balthazor said there were too many unknowns.
“I oppose the purchase. If they had done a proper business plan, knew costs, overheads and true income potential, and could know with little shadow of doubt that it would be successful, I might be (swayed) for the purchase of the golf course,” he said. “Ultimately, we the petitioners just wanted the commissioners to do their homework and then give the voters the opportunity to vote on the subject. We wanted to be informed and then decide if it would be a good investment for the county as a whole.”
Balthazor, who is a former member of the golf course, said the petition received more than 250 signatures and was presented to the county clerk within 14 days of the legal notice of sale appearing in the local newspaper. However, this was after the commission had already voted to purchase the property on June 29. Poore said the petition was not considered for this reason.
“We were not asking much,” Balthazor said, “just a say in how our tax dollars are going to be spent on a subject that isn’t a necessity to the business of running the county.”
Despite the petition, Ruder and Hrabe both said most of the feedback they had received on the purchase of the golf course has been positive.
“The folks that are talking to me are happy that the county got involved,” Ruder said. ” Our goal is to save the golf course.”
Commissioner Corky Hagan was out of state and unable to speak to the Hays Post before publication.
Nolan Sprague was hurt Thursday. Mill Valley High School baseball coach Jeff Strickland says the pitcher for the Shawnee, Kansas, school went through an hours-long surgery on Friday.
Strickland says the teenager was alert and talking when he visited him Sunday, but tired and in a lot of pain. Strickland says Nolan is a “fun-loving, really good kid” who was headed for college baseball. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family with medical expenses.
Nolan’s father, Kevin Sprague, operates the Strike Zone Baseball academy in Shawnee.
Olmer J. Wittman – Hays, Kansas, age 92, died Sunday, August 12, 2018, at the Good Samaritan Society of Hays.
He was born September 14, 1925, on the farm at Vincent, Kansas to Michael and Anna (Brungardt) Wittman Jr. He married Mildred L. (Windholz) on October 19, 1948, in Emmeram, Kansas.
He was a sewing machine salesman and service technician for over 30 years. He worked for the universal Sewing Machine Center of Wichita, Singer Sewing Center and Hays Vacuum / Sewing Center both in Hays until he retired in 2012. He attended Vincent Grade School and was a 1945 graduate of Victoria High School. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy.
He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, St. Joseph 3rd degree Knights of Columbus and 4th degree member of Bishop Cunningham Assembly all of Hays. He was a past member of the Sunflower Polka Club.
He played the mandolin with his father’s band “The Mike Wittman Band” later, he and his two brothers-in-laws, Augie and Leroy Windholz, formed the group “The Dutch Hop Boys”. Finally Olmer, formed his own group “The Polkaneers”. Between these three groups he shared the joy of polka music with the community and surrounding area for over 50 years.
Survivors include his wife, of almost 70 years, Mildred Wittman, of the home; two sons, Alan Wittman and wife, Sammy and Larry Wittman and wife, Michelle, both of Hays, KS; three daughters, Wanda Krug and husband, Jerry, Wichita, KS; Karen Disch and husband, Don, Edmond, OK; Brenda Schremmer and husband, Perry, Topeka, KS; one sister-in-law, Katie Windholz, Quinter, KS; nine grandchildren; 11 step grandchildren; 17 great grandchildren and 12 step great grandchildren.
Olmer was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters, Lillian Romme and husband, Harry; Valeria Rome and husband, Wilmer; Lucille De Young; one brother, Vernon Wittman and wife, Armella; two brothers-in-law, Linus Windholz and wife, Ida; and Leroy Windholz.
Services are 10:00 A.M. Wednesday, August 15, 2018, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 13th and Ash, Hays. Kansas. Burial in St. Joseph Cemetery, Hays, Kansas.
Visitation is from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Tuesday, at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601 and from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. Wednesday, at St. Joseph Church, Hays, Kansas.
A Daughters of Isabella rosary will be at 6:30 P.M. Tuesday, a Knights of Columbus 3rd and 4th degree rosary will be at 6:45 P.M. Tuesday, followed by a vigil service at 7:00 P.M. Tuesday, all at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays. The 4th Degree Assembly Knights of Columbus will stand honor guard from 6:00 to 7:00 P.M. Tuesday, at the mortuary.
The family suggest memorials to St. Joseph Catholic Church, Good Samaritan Society of Hays or Hospice of Hays Medical Center.
Condolences can be left by guestbook at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or can be sent via e-mail to [email protected]
