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Month: March 2019

Update: Chiefs’ Hill linked to domestic battery case in Kansas City

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By DAVE SKRETTA 

Tyreek Hill -photo courtesy KC Chiefs

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The Chiefs are investigating an incident in which star receiver Tyreek Hill was involved in a domestic battery episode in suburban Kansas City earlier this week.

The team said in a statement to The Associated Press that it was aware of a police report filed Thursday by the Overland Park Police Department that lists Hill’s address and identifies a juvenile as the victim. Hill’s fiancee, Crystal Espinal, is identified among “others involved.”

The couple has a 3-year-old son, Zev.

Overland Park police Officer John Lacy said the case has been turned over to prosecutors for review. No charges have been filed against Hill, and Johnson County prosecutor’s spokeswoman Kristi Bergeron didn’t immediately return a phone message seeking comment.

Chiefs spokesman Ted Crews said Friday the team has been in contact with local authorities and the NFL as it gathers more information but declined further comment.

The 25-year-old Hill has a history of domestic violence.

While starring at Oklahoma State in 2014, Hill allegedly punched and choked Espinal when she was pregnant with their son. He was kicked off the team and pleaded guilty to domestic assault and battery by strangulation, and received three years of probation in the case.

The conviction was dismissed in August and expunged from his record after he finished probation.

Hill transferred to West Alabama and was chosen by the Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2016 draft, a selection widely criticized given his history. The Chiefs said at the time they had vetted Hill and were comfortable with their decision, and they put safeguards that included counseling and other checks they hoped would keep Hill on the right path.

“Tyreek has done a nice job staying on top of himself with that,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said late last month. “Do we communicate with him? Yes. We have things set up for him if there are issues, but he’s been phenomenal. Every team has that, but it gives you confidence in human beings that they can make a change when they put their mind to it and do things the right way.”

It appeared to be working, too. Hill won over a skeptical fan base with his game-breaking ability and the way he interacted with them, often signing autographs for hours during training camp.

The two-time All-Pro had also positioned himself for a massive payday.

He had 87 catches for 1,479 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, helping quarterback Patrick Mahomes win league MVP honors and the Chiefs win a third consecutive AFC West title. They advanced to the conference title game before losing in overtime the Super Bowl-champion Patriots.

Hill is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the Chiefs had been building their roster to create enough salary cap flexibility to sign him to a long-term deal. The largest contract given to a wide receiver is the $90 million, five-year deal that the Giants gave Odell Beckham Jr., who has since been traded to the Cleveland Browns.

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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The Chiefs are investigating an incident in which star receiver Tyreek Hill was involved in a domestic battery episode in suburban Kansas City earlier this week.

The team said in a statement to The Associated Press that it was aware of a police report filed Thursday by the Overland Park Police Department that lists Hill’s address and identifies a juvenile as the victim. Hill’s fiance, Crystal Espinal, is identified among “others involved.”

The couple has a 3-year-old son, Zev.

No charges have been filed in the case, but Chiefs spokesman Ted Crews said the organization has been in contact with local authorities and the NFL as it gathers more information.

New NW Kansas police officers graduate from academy

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Officers from left to right are: Lieutenant Tim Greenwood, Officer Lane Hoffman, Officer Nick Kleiber, and Lieutenant Brandon Wright. HPD photo

YODER — Fifty-one new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center on March 8. Independence Police Chief Jerry Harrison was the speaker for the ceremony in KLETC’s Integrity Auditorium.

The new officers were members of the 254th basic training class at the center. Located one mile west and one mile south of Yoder, near Hutchinson, the center is a division of University of Kansas Professional & Continuing Education.

The graduates, who began their training Nov. 12, represented 38 municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas.

Graduates receive certificates of course completion from KLETC and Kansas law enforcement certification from the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training, the state’s law enforcement licensing authority. The training course fulfills the state requirement for law enforcement training. Classroom lectures and hands-on applications help train officers to solve the increasingly complex problems they face in the line of duty.

Established by the Kansas Legislature in 1968, the center trains the majority of municipal, county and state law enforcement officers in Kansas and oversees the training of the remaining officers at seven authorized and certified academy programs operated by local law enforcement agencies and the Kansas Highway Patrol.

About 300 officers enroll annually in KLETC 14-week basic training programs. The center offers continuing education and specialized training to over 10,000 Kansas officers each year.

Area graduates who granted permission to release their names are listed below by county and agency.

Barton County
• Ellinwood Police Department in Ellinwood — Craig Merritt, patrol officer
• Great Bend Police Department in Great Bend — Matthew Barker, Malik Moon, Craig Ramsey, patrol officers

Ellis County
• Hays Police Department in Hays – Lane Hoffman, Nicholas Kleiber, patrol officers

Sherman County
• Goodland Police Department in Goodland – Jamie McKinney, patrol officer

Smith County
• Smith County Sheriff’s Office in Smith Center – Jeremy Presbrey, deputy

Curious George comes to Russell

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SHPTV

BUNKER HILL – Smoky Hills Public Television has announced that Curious George is coming to Russell. The free family event will be at the Dream Theater in Russell on Tuesday, March 19 at 1 p.m.

Children are invited to meet and take pictures with Curious George. Following the meet and greet, you can grab your popcorn and watch a movie! There will also be gift bags for the first 500 kids.

“We are excited to once again bring our Family Fun Day back to the Russell community,” said Tricia Flax, Smoky Hills Public Television Events Coordinator. “This year we will have Mark Popp, the Balloon Twister, on hand to entertain the kids before the movie! Don’t miss out on this great event, Curious George is excited to meet you and your family!”

Family Fun Day is an educational and entertaining event that Smoky Hills Public Television puts on approximately 4 times a year across central and western Kansas. SHPTV brings a special PBS character to visit and FREE books and educational gifts are distributed to those children in attendance.

Time to enroll in HHS summer driver’s ed

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Submitted

Anyone interested in taking Driver Education this summer through Hays High School, contact Bruce Rupp at Hays Middle school.

You may call the school at 785-623-2450 or email him at [email protected].

Hays High School allows both in-district and out-of-district students to take the course.

The enrollment meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, March 18 in the Hays High School cafeteria.

If you are unable to attend, there will be forms available at both Hays Middle School and Hays High School.

FHSU graduate student participates in Leadership Hays class

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Andrews
FHSU University Relations

Chelsie Andrews, Bennington graduate student at Fort Hays State University, is participating in Leadership Hays, coordinated by the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce.

Andrews double–majored in tourism and hospitality management and leadership studies as her undergraduate degrees at FHSU and is now working towards a Master of Professional Studies in human resources management.

Leadership Hays is a multi-session program held from February through May and helps develop leadership skills and challenges its participants to implement the techniques learned in their personal and professional lives.

This year there are 21 participants from 19 areas of business that are participating in the program. Together, they will collaborate ideas, practice leadership skills, discuss leadership qualities and network.

Their final project will be a testament of the skills gained as they plan an activity to benefit the children in Ellis county.

“I saw the word ‘leadership’ and wanted to give it a shot,” said Andrews. “My goal is to give back to the community while gaining vital leadership tools that will aid me in my future career.”

“Chelsie’s dedication to her academic and professional pursuits are admirable as she seizes opportunities while being a part of FHSU and the Hays community,” said Dr. Stacey Smith, chair of the Department of Applied Business Studies and associate professor of Tourism and Hospitality Management.

Kansas Storytelling Festival scheduled next month in Downs

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The Kansas Storytelling Festival opens on Friday afternoon and closes the following evening. Within this charmed pocket of time, the Kansas Storytelling Festival offers two evening concerts and many separate sessions of stories, workshops, and music. There’s something for everyone; Puppets and Stories for Children, Homespun Tales, Historical Portrayals, Poetry, Music, and more.

On Friday afternoon and all day Saturday, storytelling sessions are held simultaneously at different locations, all within comfortable walking distance. Stories continue almost until the evening storytelling concerts. Local organizations provide food options at the festival as well as local restaurants. Opportunities to sit down and exchange stories with a friend abound.

Performers
Whether it’s toe-tappin’ music, a glimpse into history, tall tales, or simply entertaining, fun-loving anecdotes about living, there is something for everyone at this year’s 26th annual Kansas Storytelling Festival.

Bill Harley
Bill Harley uses song and story to paint a vibrant and hilarious picture of growing up, schooling and family life. His work spans the generation gap. He reminds us of our common humanity and challenges us to be our very best selves. A prolific author and recording artist, Bill tours nationwide as an author, performing artist and keynote speaker. Bill’s songs are joyous, direct and honest. His stories are filled with the details of daily life – all told and sung from his slightly off-center point of view.

www.billharley.com

Geraldine Buckley
With her trademark wit, warmth and humor, storyteller and educator Geraldine Buckley has been involved in storytelling, speaking, performance poetry and conducting creative workshops for over thirty years. She shares folktales and Greek myths and performs true stories based on her own globe-trotting adventures at festivals, schools, theatres, house-concerts, prisons, and conferences. Geraldine bridges cultural gaps and entertains with joy.
www.geraldinebuckley.com

Joe Herrington
Joe Herrington grew up in Texas at the feet of storytellers in a day before television had assaulted the young imagination. His grandfather and uncle both talked in stories and from them he learned to weave tales and appreciate the power of words. Joe loves Western ways and traditions. He writes his stories about those times and those amazing people of unblemished character and honor. In his words, “When the campfire flickers, I get a stir in my soul. A yearning swells within me to recall the events of good days past and tell their story.” Calling all Texans and others who love a story about that big western sky and the wilderness beneath it!
https://www.joeherrington.com/

Megan Hicks
Megan Hicks has a warm sense of humor and deep respect for anybody who is now or ever was a kid. She’s a storyteller who captivates audiences of all ages and from all walks of life. As a self-proclaimed Teller-Without-a-Niche, Megan dives heart-first into every story she tells – fairy tale, personal story, American history, parody, ghost and horror, humor. Magically, her listeners are happy to follow. She takes her love of whimsy with her wherever she goes as she creates new stories and adaptations, and discovers new purposes for the “found objects” that continue to inspire her ingenuity.
www.meganhicks.com

Ed Stivender
When Ed Stivender takes the stage the audience will hear yarns – yarns spun from the epic and ridiculous, yarns drawn from centuries-old traditions, and yarns improvised on the spur of the moment. Since 1977, when he left his day job as a high school teacher in Connecticut and turned to storytelling full-time. Ed has fabulated his way around the globe. In reviews of his work, Ed has been called “the Robin Williams of storytelling” and “a Catholic Garrison Keillor,” but we think you will find his stories uniquely his own.
https://www.edstivender.com

Downs, Kansas, is called the “The Town of Many Stories,” and rightly so. We tell stories. We listen to stories. We save stories. Each April since 1994 we honor stories by hosting the Kansas Storytelling Festival.

https://www.kansasstorytelling.com/

Prepurchase admission https://www.kansasstorytelling.com/register

Criminal Justice Task Force In Kansas Could Tackle The Bigger Picture

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By NOMIN UJIYEDIIN

Image MICHAEL COGHLAN / CREATIVE COMMONS-FLICKR

Bills on drug sentencing, probation and marijuana possession stalled in the Kansas Legislature this year. Instead, lawmakers continue to consider appointing a task force to address the criminal justice system as a whole.

A bill introduced late last month would create the Kansas Criminal Justice Reform Commission, a panel of lawmakers, law enforcement officers, legal experts, judges, lawyers, advocates, clergy and mental health providers and others.

State Rep. Russ Jennings, Republican chair of the House corrections committee, said most laws pertaining to criminal justice address only one issue at a time, rather than looking at the system as a whole. He wants the commission to address criminal justice as a system, rather than as a set of individual issues.

“The commission would be able to take it really in-depth,” he said, “not just single pieces of the system one at a time, but rather a comprehensive review of our system.”

The commission would review criminal sentencing, probation, parole, data systems and drug and job training programs for people who commit crimes. The group will also assess diversion programs intended to keep people out of prison.

The state’s prison system of more than 10,000 adult inmates is currently more than 100 people over its capacity. It’s struggled to hire corrections officers, health care workers and other staff.

Rep. John Carmichael of Wichita, a Democratic member of the House corrections committee, said a major goal is to reduce the number of incarcerated people in Kansas.

“In a global scale, which people do we need to incarcerate for the public safety?” Carmichael said. “And which people can we better treat and deal outside of the state penal system?”

A number of bills introduced and debated this session intended to do just that.

Some measures would have reduced the state’s prison population by hundreds, according to the Kansas Sentencing Commission, which has warned lawmakers about rising population projections. But the bills didn’t get a hearing in committee or didn’t meet the Legislature’s deadline for a floor vote — meaning the ideas are unlikely to advance this year:

  • Striking down felony possession of marijuana, estimated to reduce the state’s prison population by at least 92 in a year
  • Letting people on probation potentially get time off their sentences in exchange for good behavior, estimated to reduce the prison population by at least 121 in a year
  • No longer requiring people convicted of drug crimes to register in a state database, estimated to reduce the prison population by at least 54 in a year

The bill creating the criminal justice commission remains on the table, awaiting discussion in the House Committee on Appropriations.

Lauren Bonds, interim executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, said she was disappointed that many of the bills didn’t make it through.

“We’re missing opportunities here,” Bonds said. “That being said, we’ve seen success of commissions and task forces in the past.”

Bonds said she was optimistic about the people appointed to the commission, and its potential to change the state’s criminal justice system on many levels, including probation, diversion, mental health and prisons.

“It’s a kind of a tacit admission that the problem is big and it’s pervasive,” she said. “We’re messing up and we’re not providing people with realistic opportunities to avoid prison.”

Nomin Ujiyediin is a reporter for the Kansas News Service. You can reach her on Twitter @NominUJ.

Sunny, mild Saturday

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Today
Sunny, with a high near 57. West southwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming north in the afternoon.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 28. North northeast wind 6 to 9 mph.
Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 54. East northeast wind 5 to 7 mph.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. East northeast wind 6 to 8 mph.
Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 52. East southeast wind 7 to 11 mph.
Monday Night
Rain likely, mainly after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tuesday
Rain likely before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 31.
Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 56.

KDWPT: Buy spring turkey combo before April 1 and save

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KDWPT

PRATT – Counting the days until Kansas’ spring turkey season? Buy your permits and tags in March and you can also count the money you’ll save. Through March 31, residents and nonresidents can save by purchasing their Spring Turkey Combo permit, which includes a spring turkey permit and a turkey game tag.

The turkey permit allows the taking of one bearded bird. The game tag allows for a second and can only be purchased after a turkey permit is purchased.

Youth turkey permits are valid in all of Kansas’ six turkey management units. All other turkey permits and game tags available over the counter are valid in turkey units 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. A limited number of adult permits for Unit 4 (southwest) were allocated through a drawing.

Take a look at these savings!

  • Resident Spring Turkey Combo – $37.50; if purchased separately – $27.50 and $17.50
  • Resident Youth Spring Turkey Combo – $12.50; if purchased separately – $7.50 for each
  • Resident Landowner/Tenant Spring Turkey Combo – $20; if purchased separately – $15 and $17.50
  • Nonresident Spring Turkey Combo – $87.50; if purchased separately – $62.50 and $32.50
  • Nonresident Youth Spring Turkey Combo – $22.50; if purchased separately – $12.50 each
  • Nonresident Landowner/Tenant Spring Turkey Combo – $45; if purchased separately – $32.50 each

Unless exempt, a valid hunting license is required in addition to the turkey permit and game tag: resident hunting license: $27.50, nonresident hunting license – $97.50, and nonresident youth hunting license ­– $42.50.

The 2019 spring turkey season runs April 1-16 for youth and hunters with disabilities and April 8-16 for archery. The regular season is April 17-May 31.

Spring Turkey Combos, turkey permits, game tags and hunting licenses can be purchased at the more than 600 license outlets across the state and online at www.kshuntfishcamp.com. Find everything you need to know about spring turkey hunting in Kansas at www.ksoutdoors.com.

Kansas beats West Virginia to reach Big 12 finals

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Dedric Lawson poured in 24 points, Quentin Grimes added 18 before leaving late with cramps and No. 17 Kansas roared away from West Virginia for an 88-74 victory Friday night in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals.

Devon Dotson added 13 points and Marcus Garrett had 11 for the third-seeded and reigning champion Jayhawks (25-8). They advanced to play No. 5 seed Iowa State for the title Saturday night.

Kansas has advanced to the championship game three of the past four years.

The 10th-seeded Mountaineers (14-20) led much of the first half and hung tough early in the second, but three games in three days finally caught up to them. Tough wins over Oklahoma and No. 8 Texas Tech left them with tired legs — probably minds, too — and the Jayhawks eventually went on a 13-2 run midway through the second half to seize control.

The lead reached 20 with 7 1/2 minutes to go, and the Jayhawks cruised the rest of the way.

Lamont West led West Virginia with 16 points. Derek Culver had 14.

Kansas has won the tournament 11 times, and Iowa State is unbeaten in four championship trips, but the two teams have met in the finals just once: The Cyclones won 70-66 in 2015.

Grimes has struggled with his shot most of the season, to say nothing of living up to his five-star status out of high school. But the freshman guard found his stroke from the opening minute, when he buried the first of five first-half 3-pointers to get the Jayhawks off and running.

West Virginia pulled ahead midway through the half, but Grimes added three more 3s to regain the lead, then hit a buzzer-beater from 30 feet to give the Jayhawks a 48-40 advantage.

Lawson fueled their clinching run, getting it started with an easy basket and added another bucket and a 3-pointer during the 13-2 charge. By the time Garrett finished it off, a crowd heavily in favor of Kansas was buzzing about the opportunity to face the Cyclones.

OOPS MOMENT

The Jayhawks were ahead 75-58 with 6:33 left when West hit a pair of free throws. Freshman big man David McCormack gathered the ball while standing out of bounds and tossed it to Garrett for the inbounds. But when Garrett stepped over the out-of-bounds line, it wound up being a turnover, and Bill Self immediately called timeout to lay into his team on the bench.

BIG PICTURE

West Virginia lost four players to injuries, transfers and dismissals, and it left them with very little depth. That appeared to play a factor in the second half, when the Jayhawks began to get up and down the floor and the Mountaineers were unable to keep up .

Kansas has played this week with a chip on its shoulder after failing to win a share of the regular-season title. Now, the Jayhawks have a chance to match the 1999 team by winning the tournament as a No. 3 seed, and perhaps help their NCAA Tournament seeding on Selection Sunday.

UP NEXT

Kansas plays the Cyclones for the championship Saturday night.

Shayok sends Iowa State past K-State in Big 12 semifinals

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Marial Shayok had watched shot after shot hit everything but net Friday night, and Iowa State’s leading scorer and veteran leader could very well have grown hesitant and frustrated.

Instead, he hit the two biggest shots of the game.

Shayok rattled in a tying 3-pointer down the stretch, swished another from right in front of his own bench, then added a couple of free throws in the closing seconds to help the fifth-seeded Cyclones beat No. 15 Kansas State 63-59 in the Big 12 semifinals.

“I had all the confidence in the world,” Shayok said, “despite missing a bunch of shots in the second half. I just kept my confidence. This team has my back and the coaches have my back.”

Shayok finished with 21 points, Nick Weiler-Babb added 12 and Iowa State (22-11) advanced to play Kansas or West Virginia on Saturday night. The Cyclones are 4-0 when playing for the title.

“We had lots of chances,” Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said. “Shayok with the big 3 when we were all struggling making shots — he stepped up and made that big 3 that turned the game.”

Cartier Diarra had 15 points to lead five players in double figures for the Wildcats (25-8), who shared the regular-season title with Texas Tech. The Red Raiders were bounced from the tournament by the 10th-seeded Mountaineers in the quarterfinals Friday night.

The Wildcats once again played without All-Big 12 forward Dean Wade, who sat on the bench with a walking boot on his right foot. It remains unclear whether he’ll be ready for the NCAA Tournament.

“We know that it’s win-or-go home. You have to play together at all times,” Diarra said. “I think that’s the biggest thing moving forward, just keeping that mindset, and focusing on who we’re going to be playing against and not looking ahead.”

Kansas State got off to a hot start, unlike its quarterfinal win over TCU, but the Cyclones and their massive contingent of fans slowly turned the tide late in the first half.

It began when Sneed missed a layup for the Wildcats and Tyrese Haliburton scored a third-chance basket at the other end for Iowa State. Kansas State went on to miss 12 straight field-goal attempts while the high-flying Cyclones went on a 21-4 charge to end the half.

Momentum promptly switched in the locker room.

The Wildcats, who had the Big 12’s best defense this season, buckled down to start the second half, and they put together an 11-0 run that made it 38-all with 15 minutes to go.

“Their teams are so tough. They’re resilient. They have championship DNA,” Cyclones coach Steve Prohm said. “We talked at halftime how those guys were going to respond.”

They kept the run going, too, when Diarra was whacked on the way to the basket and needed to get treatment on the sideline after his free throws. Sneed finally knocked down a 3-pointer, Makol Mawien added a bucket in the paint, and Barry Brown’s fast-break layup forced Iowa State to call timeout.

The Cyclones still trailed 55-52 when Shayok’s first 3 bounced off the rim, then off the glass and dropped through. Then, after Diarra missed a 3 at the other end, Shayok hit his go-ahead 3.

Brown’s driving layup got Kansas State to 59-57 with 20.3 seconds left, but Weiler-Babb answered with a pair of free throws. Shayok answered two by Kansas State’s Xavier Sneed with two more of his own, and a team that struggled late in the season began celebrating a trip to the finals.

“We got back to competing in practice, just working hard and going at each other,” said the Cyclones’ Michael Jacobson. “I mean, to be honest, sometimes you have to hit rock-bottom and start building back up, and I think that’s what has happened to us.”

BIG PICTURE

Iowa State won despite committing 17 turnovers and struggling from the field for most of the second half. The Cyclones also won without much help from sharpshooter Talen Horton-Tucker, who had six points on 3-for-10 shooting.

Kansas State could use Wade if it expects to do damage in the NCAA Tournament. He’s the go-to guy when times get tough, and the 6-foot-10 forward probably couldn’t have helped stop the Cyclones’ big run at the end of the first half.

UP NEXT

Iowa State will play the West Virginia-Kansas winner for the title.

No. 3 Tigers fight off Pittsburg State to advance to NCAA II Regional semifinals

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HAYS, Kan. – After trailing by as many as eight in the first half, the third-ranked Fort Hays State women’s basketball team rallied after halftime to knock off Pittsburg State 74-65 in front of 3,345 at Gross Coliseum in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship Central Regional.

It was third time the Tigers came away victorious against the Gorillas over the last five weeks, the first time FHSU has defeated Pittsburg State three times in a single season.

FHSU Postgame Press Conference

Game Highlights

Taylor Rolfs opened the scoring with a three-pointer, but a 12-0 run from Pittsburg State soon put the visitors in front by seven, 12-5. The run matched the longest scoring stretch by a Tiger opponent this season. Madison Mittie hit a big three-pointer from the right wing late in the quarter before PSU went back in front by five, 15-10 with a buzzer-beating three of their own.

(Courtesy FHSU Athletics / Allie Schwiezer)
Belle Barbieri scores two of her 15 second half points Friday vs. Pittsburg State.

The Tigers trailed by as many as eight at the midway point of the second quarter before Kacey Kennett made two big three-pointers to help FHSU tie things up with 41 seconds left before halftime, 29-29. The junior knocked one down to spark a 13-5 Tiger run before wrapping up the run with another triple while being fouled. She buried the free throw before PSU dropped in a layup to take a two-point lead into the break, 31-29.

Kennett poured in another three-pointer on the first possession of the third quarter, putting the Tigers back in front for the first time since midway through the first. After PSU tied things up, FHSU responded with a 7-0 run on back-to-back layups from Belle Barbieri and another triple from Rolfs. The Gorillas rallied once again, tying things up with two minutes left before Barbieri gave the Tigers the lead for good with another bucket.

The Tigers padded their lead to 10 by the midpoint of the final quarter, thanks to a step-back three-pointer from Hailey Walker. Pittsburg State closed within two later in the game, but Fort Hays State held on after hitting eight of their final 10 shots from the floor alongside a 6-for-6 effort from the charity stripe. Leading by just two, Mittie doubled the lead with a wraparound layup with just over one minute to play. Barbieri put up three points the old fashioned way on the ensuing possession, stretching the lead to seven with 33 seconds to play. Rolfs and Mittie added two free throws each in the waning seconds to seal the victory.

Barbieri led the way with 17 points, eclipsing 10 points for the 21st time this season. Rolfs added 16 on 6-of-8 shooting while Kennett put up her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 assists. Mittie drilled four of her five attempts in the game, totaling a season-high 11 points while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out three assists. Tatyana Legette distributed a team-high six assists, her seventh game of the year with five or more dimes.

The Tigers cleaned up the on the glass, outrebounding PSU 38-25. The Tigers knocked down 48.3 percent of their shots, including a 7-for-17 effort from behind the arc.

Fort Hays State moves on to the regional semifinals to take on the regular season NSIC champions, MSU Moorhead. The Dragons advanced to Saturday after knocking off Minnesota Duluth, 63-54.

Affidavit: Kan. sheriff’s charges stem from girlfriend’s DUI arrest

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INDEPENDENCE, Kan. (AP) — Charging documents say a Kansas sheriff who’s charged with two misdemeanors tried to interfere in the drunken driving arrest of his then-girlfriend.

Sheriff Dierks -photo courtesy Montgomery Co.

The affidavit released Thursday in the interference and witness intimidation case against Montgomery County Sheriff Robert Dierks says the woman was stopped in January 2018 after dispatch received a report that she was driving recklessly. She then called the sheriff, who said he would pick her up.

Before he got there, the deputy headed to jail with the woman. The affidavit says Dierks called and asked if he could make the deputy change his mind and then asked the deputy not to attend the woman’s court hearing. Dierks told investigators the woman broke up with him for not helping her get out of the DUI.

Dierks’ attorney didn’t immediately return a phone message.

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