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Month: April 2019

Kansas man sentenced to prison for fatal DUI crash

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SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man was sentenced to prison Friday afternoon in connection with a 2017 fatality crash on K-15 in Derby.

Ellis -photo Sedgwick Co.

On February 1, a jury found 24-year-old Joe Ellis of Wichita guilty of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated battery for the crash. Judge Christopher Magana sentenced him to 9-years in prison, according to a media release from District Attorney Marc Bennett.

On August 22, 2017, a westbound car driven by Ellis ran the stop sign at K-15 and 55thStreet South. The car struck a southbound pickup driven by Thomas Toon of Burden who survived his injuries. Mark Standerfer, 33 of Mulvane, was a passenger in the car driven by Ellis and died of his injuries on August 31st.

Witnesses told Sedgwick County Sheriff deputies that Ellis’ car was moving at a veryhigh rate of speed when he ran the stop sign. Ellis was found to have methamphetamine in his bloodstream.

Relieved To Have A School Funding Plan, Kansas Lawmakers Await The Court

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By STEPHEN KORANDA

It took a fight, but the Kansas House and Senate have agreed to the school funding hikes Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly called for. Now, lawmakers will wait to see if it’s enough to satisfy the state’s highest court.

Sen. Molly Baumgardner, left, was the Senate’s lead negotiator on the school funding agreement.
STEPHEN KORANDA / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE

“By investing in our local schools, we can ensure that all Kansas children – no matter who they are or where they live – have the opportunity to succeed,” Kelly said in a statement touting the bill’s passage. She’s expected to sign it.

The Kansas Supreme Court said the half-billion dollar boost lawmakers approved last year largely provided the resources needed to support public schools and help struggling students. Still, justices said it required an inflation adjustment.

The newly passed plan will add about $90 million in funding for schools per year for four years. After that, current state law says future spending increases will be set by a rolling average of the Midwest Consumer Price Index.

According to the Kansas Association of School Boards, it translates to a roughly 3% raise to the general aid districts get from the state.

Though conservative Republican leaders concerned about the cost had held off a vote in the House for weeks, the bill drew broad bipartisan support. It passed the House on a 76-47 vote, and 31-8 in the Senate.

“Folks really do believe that this is our best shot at ending that litigation,” Republican Sen. Molly Baumgardner said after the final vote.

But within hours an attorney representing the districts suing the state told the Associated Press that he doesn’t believe the money will be adequate beyond the 2019-2020 school year.

A coalition of school districts initially supported the governor’s funding recommendation, which was based on calculations from the state Department of Education, but after further study pulled its endorsement.

Republican leaders who objected to the spending argued that it would not guarantee improvements in student achievement nor an end to litigation if the state can’t live up the agreement — at least not without tax increases or cuts to other state services.

“The plan in front of us today will not give our schools the certainty they deserve,” House Speaker Ron Ryckman said during debate on the bill. “This is a promise that we cannot keep.”

Some supporters of the bill shared those cost concerns but hope the state’s tax collections will be able to cover the expense.

“I know it’s a lot of money,” Republican Rep. Brenda Dietrich said after the vote. “But nobody knows what our revenue will look like.”

The ongoing fight in the Gannon case, filed in 2010, is really an outgrowth of the Montoy lawsuit settled in 2006. After the economic downturn, the state reneged on funding obligations from the agreement that ended Montoy, which led to the filing of Gannon.

When justices struck down the state’s funding formula in 2017, they noted that around a quarter of students struggled in reading and math. Lawmakers tried to tailor their new plan in response.

The agreement directs the Kansas State Board of Education to identify programs that help kids at risk of falling behind. And it calls for the continuation of the legislative task force on dyslexia for another three years.

The bill also folds in some of the accountability measures that conservatives were insisting on. Included is an audit in 2021 of school district savings accounts and bilingual education for students learning English.

The state Department of Education will have to publish one-page performance reports for individual schools, district budgets, and reports specifying how much is being spent on school finance litigation.

Ryckman’s concern about the cost of the increases recommended by the governor prompted him to offer a last-minute alternative that would have only given schools an additional $120 million for the next four years. It would have banked another $240 million in the event the Legislature or the courts decided more was needed for education down the road.

That idea was quickly sidelined after Senators refused to budge from the four-year, $360 million plan that passed their chamber.

The full House never actually approved a spending plan, which put House members at a disadvantage in the negotiations over funding.

During those talks between the House and Senate, the CPI adjustment in the future was a major sticking point.

“The … plan is to put taxpayers on the hook in perpetuity for inflation,” Republican Rep. Kristey Williams said as talks got heated.

House leaders ultimately relented to break the logjam and allowed the Senate plan to go up for debate.

Even if the court signs off on the funding now approved by the Legislature — briefs are due later this month with oral arguments scheduled for early May — wrangling over the CPI adjustment could continue.

Senate leaders did also raise concerns about the automatic increases in school spending and want to look at the issue again next year.

“I think there’s another way to skin the cat that would make sense, but we don’t have time to do it,” Republican Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning said.

Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda.

Team Defiance to host April 25 fundraiser for Cancer Council of Ellis County

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Team Defiance, made up of Fort Hays State University Leadership students, is hosting an event for Cancer Council of Ellis County to help raise funds to give back to those who are and have been affected by cancer.

We will be hosting an event at Defiance Brewery, 2050 Old Highway 40, on Thu., April 25 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

During the event, snacks and live entertainment will be provided by Kristi Gray of Radio Active, and we will be having a silent auction with numerous items donated to us from businesses in the Ellis County community.

During the event, we will be accepting monetary donations. With a donation of $50.00 or more, you will be given a ticket for a free beverage of your choice.

Attendees must be 21 or older.

Paisley Pear Wine Bar, Bistro and Market gift basket

We just wanted to share one of the gift baskets donated to us that will be auctioned off during our event in April! It was generously donated to us by the Paisley Pear Wine Bar, Bistro and Market located in Downtown Hays!

We can’t wait to share with you the other items donated to us from our community!

Some of the items that we have already received include gift baskets ranging from $50-$100, two FHSU season football tickets with a signed football and FHSU gear ranging from $250-$300, and a multitude of gift cards!

For more information contact Cheyenne Harding at [email protected].

– SUBMITTED –

🎥 Local legislators: ‘Kansas budget held hostage by K-12 funding’

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Tammy Wellbrock, HACC exec. dir., reads an audience question during a Saturday forum with area legislators Sen. Rick Billinger, and Reps. Barb Wasinger, Leonard Mastroni and Ken Rahjes.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, signed a school finance bill into law Saturday afternoon after it was passed by the state legislature Thursday evening. The bill increases spending on public schools by roughly $90 million.

Saturday morning in Hays, four area state legislators, all Republicans, all agreed there is “just not enough of the pie” to go around. Rep. Ken Rahjes (R-Agra), chairman of the Higher Education Budget Committee, said the “state is being held hostage by K-12 funding.”

“We have all these programs that need funded. We have all these folks that need. And simply raising taxes is not going to solve the problem. We fed that beast and it continues to grow,” Rahjes said.

Rep. Barb Wasinger (R-Hays) voted against the school funding bill, saying the extra money was not going to students and teachers.

Rahjes reluctantly voted in favor of the school finance bill. Hays Representative Barbara Wasinger voted against it.

She said she was looking for accountability in the bill, with more funding going into classrooms and for teacher salary increases.

“Did you see the new activity buses that Great Bend did? Paid a quarter of a million dollars for each one of them,” Wasinger said. “Russell used money that they got to build an AstroTurf football field. Last year, Shawnee raised their administrators’ salaries 13%. I have nothing against administrators, but why wasn’t that spent for teachers?

“Good teachers are leaving us because they’re not being paid enough. Let’s start giving them some money.

“I would have voted for the House bill even though it was still a lot of money. It put in accountability measures and put kids and teachers first, finally. It was voted down, and so I voted against the Senate bill that came over.”

Wasinger contends her vote was “not a vote against education.”

Most Senate Republicans lined up behind Kelly’s plan last month after the four school districts suing the state – Wichita, Hutchinson, Dodge City and Kansas City –  initially supported it, then withdrew their endorsement and called for higher spending after the 2019-20 school year.

According to Sen. Rick Billinger (R-Goodland),  those school districts now want nearly $900 million over the next four years.

“Our (total state) budget is at $7.7 billion and a little over $4 billion is K-12 funding,” Billinger said, “and I support K-12 and I voted for the $92 million. I had an explanation for my vote – we’re being held hostage.”

Western Kansas schools are not the problem, according to Rahjes, especially the small rural districts.

“Most of our administrators could be a substitute teacher one day and cook the meals. They’re the athletic director. They drive the bus, all for a lot less money than some of the bigger districts in the eastern part of the state.

“I believe school board members in this part of the world are very judicious with their money and they want to make wise investments.”

Now that the school finance package is passed, it will be defended in front of the Kansas Supreme Court.

Rahjes expects the court to rule it’s not enough money.

Then, he predicts, “you will see a constitutional amendment try to get into your hands the next election to take the Supreme Court out of the appropriations process.”

“I believe that folks are fed up.”

The Republican-controlled Legislature adjourned Friday for its annual spring break and will reconvene May 1 to work on the budget.

First Dist. Congressman Roger Marshall (R-Great Bend) spoke at Saturday’s legislative forum in Hays.

First District Congressman Roger Marshall (R-Great Bend) attended an early portion of the forum presented by the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce.

Marshall talked about the two issues he said are on the minds of Kansans and its biggest challenges – a lack of employees and the cost of health care.

 

Sunny, breezy Sunday

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Today
Sunny, with a high near 74. Windy, with a north northwest wind 9 to 14 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 36 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 44. North wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable.
Monday
Sunny, with a high near 78. West northwest wind 7 to 16 mph.
Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 48. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable.
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 82. Southwest wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 58.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. Breezy.
Wednesday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. Very windy.
Thursday
A chance of rain and snow showers before 10am, then a chance of rain showers. Cloudy, with a high near 44. Very windy. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Second teen charged in killing of 17-year-old Kan. high school student

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OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A second teenager has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a 17-year-old Olathe East High School senior.

Rowan Padgett photo courtesy ARA Cremations

The new suspect charged is a 17-year-old boy. He and a 16-year-old girl also chargedwith murder earlier this week are accused in the death of 17-year-old Rowan Padgett of Overland Park. Prosecutors are seeking to try both teens as adults.

Authorities say Padgett’s killing in a suburban cul-de-sac on March 29 occurred during a drug deal involving the anxiety drug Xanax.

Padgett, an Olathe East High School senior, was just weeks from celebrating his 18th birthday when he died.

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FHSU softball swept at home by Missouri Western State

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HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Softball struggled to convert key offensive opportunities in a pair of losses to Missouri Western on Saturday at Tiger Stadium. The Griffons won by scores of 4-1 and 5-1 to move to 22-14 overall, 9-5 in the MIAA. The Tigers are 14-15 overall and fell to 7-7 in MIAA play at.

Game 1: Missouri Western 4, Fort Hays State 1
The Tigers can look at two excellent opportunities squandered in the early going of game one as a big reason for a loss. In the bottom of the second, with the game still scoreless, FHSU loaded the bases with two outs but could not push a run across. An inning later down 1-0, the Tigers loaded the bases again, this time with one out and could not put a ball in play with two straight strikeouts.

The Tigers could have done serious damage in the fourth when they loaded the bases again with one out, but a sacrifice fly RBI by Grace Philop was the only run they had to show for that opportunity. At the time, it cut a 2-0 MWSU lead in half.

Michaelanne Nelson (5-8) threw a complete game for the Tigers with seven hits and two walks allowed, while striking out a season-high seven batters. FHSU and MWSU tied in the hit column with seven each, but the Griffons came up with timely hitting when they needed it. They pushed a 2-1 lead to 4-1 with a pair of runs in the sixth. FHSU left 11 runners on base in the game, compared to six for MWSU.

Missouri Western starter Kaili Hinds lasted only 2.0 innings before Kenzie Hilzer (4-7) worked in relief the rest of the way. Hilzer picked up the win, allowing five hits and two walks over 5.0 innings with seven strikeouts. Hilzer moved to 4-7 on the season.

Game 2: Missouri Western 5, Fort Hays State 1
The Tigers saw a bit of déjà vu in game two, coming up empty in a one-out bases loaded situation in the first inning. With Missouri Western already leading 2-0 after a two-run home run in the top of the inning, the Tigers could not counter with any runs of their own in the bottom half. A strikeout and groundout ended the Tiger threat.

Fort Hays State trimmed the lead in half to 2-1 in the third inning when Bailey Boxberger had an RBI single to right field, scoring Terran Caldwell from second with two outs. From that point, the Tiger bats went silent as MWSU pitcher Lexi Kinnaird (6-3) recorded 12 consecutive outs to close out the complete game. Kinnaird allowed six and struck out seven.

Hailey Chapman (8-7) produced her second double-digit strikeout performance in the circle this year, fanning 11 Griffons in a complete-game effort. She allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks in the loss.

Tiger Notes
-Grace Philop and Terran Caldwell led the Tigers with three hits each in the doubleheader.
-MWSU had five extra-base hits in the doubleheader compared to just one by FHSU.
-FHSU pitchers combined for 18 strikeouts, compared to 15 by the MWSU staff.
-Missouri Western now has five straight wins over FHSU going back to the 2017 season.

Up Next
Fort Hays State hosts Northwest Missouri State (9-16, 4-8 MIAA) on Sunday at Tiger Stadium. The doubleheader starts at 12 pm.

Three-run first not enough for Tiger baseball in loss to Bearcats

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MARYVILLE, Mo. – Despite scoring three runs in the first inning, the Fort Hays State baseball team dropped the second game of their weekend conference series to Northwest Missouri State 4-3 Saturday at Bearcat Field. o 3-26 overall and 2-18 in conference play, while the Bearcats moved to 16-15 on the season and 12-8 in MIAA action.

Tyler Olson’s double down the left field line scored scored Landon Erway to give the Tigers (3-26, 2-18 MIAA) and early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Ryan Grasser then delivered a two-run single, scoring Olson and Taylan Mullins-Ohm.

Tiger starter Ethan Booe shut down the Bearcat (16-15, 12-8 MIAA) bats for the better part of three innings until they cut into the Tiger lead with an RBI single in the third. The Bearcats tied the score at 3-3 in the fourth with an RBI double and an RBI single in consecutive plate appearances. NWMSU took the lead for good in the fifth with a sacrifice fly.

Booe tossed 5 1/3 innings allowing four runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Ryan Brown pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, allowing two hits with a strikeout.

Quintin Van Ackeren (4-1) allowed three runs on three hits over six innings. Alex Slocum, Aaron Easley and Trevor Dudar combined to pitch three innings of one-hit, shutout ball with Dudar picking up his seventh save of the season.

The Tigers and Bearcats will wrap up the series on Sunday (April 7) inside Bearcat Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Live Civil War-era cannonball discovered in Kansas museum

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PLEASANTON, Kan. (AP) — Authorities in eastern Kansas have detonated a Civil War-era cannonball that had been on public display for two decades before officials determined it was live ordnance.

photo courtesy KMBC-TV

KMBC -TV reports that the cannonball had been on display for 20 years at a Pleasanton museum before it was detonated Friday afternoon.

The 90-pound cannonball was donated to the Trading Post Museum. It had originally been purchased in the Chesapeake Bay area in the 19th Century.

A visitor to the museum Thursday noticed a fuse in the cannonball and alerted museum officials that it might still be live. Museum officials contacted authorities, and Fort Riley’s Explosives Ordnance Disposal Unit later came out to detonate it in a controlled environment.

No one was injured.

FHSU earns 7 national top-10 rankings in February & March

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FHSU University Relations

Degree programs offered by Fort Hays State University through its FHSU Virtual College received seven top-10 recognitions along with other rankings in February and March for being among the best and most affordable programs offered by U.S. colleges and universities.

The top-10 selections:

Grad School Hub
No. 2, 5 Best Online Master’s Degrees in Art & Art History 2019
Grad School Hub, www.gradschoolhub.com, gave Fort Hays State’s Master of Liberal Studies in art history a No. 2 national ranking, based on affordability, graduate outcomes, and student satisfaction.

FHSU’s art history concentration in the MLS degree prepares students for careers as art critics, art history teachers, gallery managers, and museum curators. Core classes include courses on information literacy, origins and implications of the knowledge society, and “Ways of Knowing in Comparative Practice.” The culminating course is “Graduate Readings in Art History.”
To see this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2FPCRfV.

Study.com
No. 2, Best 50 Marketing Schools
Study.com, https://study.com, cited Fort Hays State for its “hands-on approach to learning in its Department of Applied Business Studies.” The group also noted that concentrations for the Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing are available in general marketing, business development, sales or digital marketing, and certificate programs are also available in general marketing, social media marketing, and tourism and hospitality marketing. Study.com also prized the availability of internships and opportunities to participate in networking opportunities with professionals.
To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2FDKW7k.

MBA Central
No. 3, 20 Best Online Sports Management MBA Degree Programs for 2019
Quality and affordability gave FHSU a top spot on MBA Central’s list for its Master of Business Administration with a concentration in sports management. The program, said MBA Central, www.mbacentral.org, covers all facets of the sports industry including sports marketing, planning, promotion, facilities management, and legal issues.
FHSU’s program earned MBA Central’s top rating for affordability (under $15,000). Programs were also ranked on the basis of support services and quality of classes. MBA Central also noted high rankings for FHSU’s MBA programs from U.S. News and World Report, Best Value MBA, GetEducated.com and OnlineU.
To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2I1GGjo.

NursingSchoolHub.org
No. 3, Top 25 Most Affordable Online Nursing Degree Programs 2019
FHSU’s online RN to BSN program earned a top spot on Nursing School Hub’s list for its convenience and affordability. Not only is the FHSU program one of the least expensive accredited nursing programs in the country, said NursingSchoolHub, www.nursingschoolhub.com, but virtual students can begin during summer, fall or spring, and classes include current topics of high interest in the field such as health care informatics and ethical and legal issues.

The criteria were regional accreditation for the university as a whole, nursing program accreditation and tuition of less than $1,000 per credit hour. FHSU’s current undergraduate online credit-hour rate is $218.67, which includes both tuition and fees. The FHSU Virtual College does not have an in-state-out-of-state differential. The numerical ranking is from least expensive to most expensive.
To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2Wu49Ou.

College Factual
No. 6, Best Colleges and Universities for Non-Traditional Students
Non-traditional students – students over the age of 25 – represent the bulk of those going to college today, making it extremely important for colleges to begin to cater to their unique needs. College Factual, www.collegefactual.com, rated Fort Hays State No. 6 out of 1,159 colleges and universities in the nation and, for a second year in a row, No. 1 in Kansas for providing quality education to non-traditional students.

College Factual based its rankings on three categories of criteria: financial factors, degree completion rates, and student body composition and support.
To see this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2yXlbLn.

Great Value Colleges
No. 8, 50 Most Affordable Online RN to BSN Programs 2019
The same RN to BSN program and the same criteria also landed FHSU a spot on the list from Great Value Colleges, www.greatvaluecolleges.net. Great Value liked the fact that the RN to BSN program is designed to be completed in three semesters, and students can access their coursework anytime that fits their schedules and from anywhere in the world. Students can earn their BSN degrees without leaving their jobs as RNs.

The rating is based on affordability – the lower the tuition, the higher point rating; the institution’s online ranking with U.S. News and World report (This year, for the third year in a row, FHSU’s U.S. News and World Report online ranking was best in Kansas.); and the number of format customizations available.
To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2CFItHH.

TheBestSchools.org
No. 10, The 25 Best Online Master’s in History Programs
FHSU’s Master of Arts in history program landed on TheBestSchools’ list for its convenience to distance students. One of the key points cited by TheBestSchools, https://thebestschools.org/, is that FHSU delivers all program coursework asynchronously and never requires online students to visit campus for any reason.

Criteria include academic excellence, strength of faculty scholarship, reputation, available financial aid, the range of degree programs available, and the strength of online instruction methodology.
To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2FwjYNO.

Fort Hays State was also ranked as among the best in the nation in three other categories:

Abound: MBA
Top Degrees MBA 2019
The Master of Business Administration program at FHSU’s W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship is among the first group of top MBA programs in the country as rated by Abound: MBA, a new initiative of Abound from Colleges of Distinction, a college guidance system. The designation covers both the on-campus and online MBA programs.

Abound, abound.college, said that the Robbins College programs lay a “foundation for success no matter the concentration. MBA students can choose the general track or 12 other concentration areas.”
Abound: MBA programs are evaluated on criteria in each of four areas: accessibility, affordability, acceleration, and advancement.
To see this listing, visit https://bit.ly/2CNLLZv.

OnlineMasters.com
No. 16, The Best Online Master’s in Liberal Arts Programs
OnlineMasters.com, www.onlinemasters.com, rated FHSU’s online Master of Liberal Studies degree with the liberal arts concentration as No. 16 in the nation and the best in experiential learning, which OnlineMasters noted helps students “develop the necessary skills for career advancement through combined practical application and rigorous coursework.”

OnlineMasters bases its rankings on academic quality (graduation rate, retention rate, enrollment rate and number of graduates); the number of online programs offered; faculty credentials; graduation reputation (polling and surveying current students and alumni); quality of instructor accessibility and responsiveness; student services and technology; and affordability.
To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2WplcB3.

SuccessfulStudent.org
No. 32, The Best Online Psychology Degree Programs
Successful Student, successfulstudent.org, ranked two bachelor psychology degree programs as No. 32 in the nation but best in Kansas. The ranking covers the online Bachelor of Arts and the online Bachelor of Science in psychology, and several degree options available in the programs.

The rankings are based on quality of the program, types of courses available, the quality of faculty members involved, other awards and rankings, reputation, and the online education method.
To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2TY1fVn.

About the FHSU Virtual College
Education at distance from Fort Hays State began in 1911 when faculty voted to offer courses free by mail so that one-room school teachers across western Kansas could afford to gain the continuing education required to teach. The distance education department created then evolved continuously with changing technology and culture until, in 1997, the Department of Continuing Education and Instructional Technology became the FHSU Virtual College.

Rooks Co. seeking information on wanted felon after high-speed chase

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The Rooks County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Daniel Robert Reid. On Friday, Reid led Rooks County Sheriff’s deputies on a high-speed pursuit. Reid was arrested on suspicion of a number of crimes.

Reid later was able to bond out of jail and never reported for his bond supervision. A bench warrant for Reid’s arrest was issued out of Rooks County District Court.

Reid also has a felony warrant out of Shawnee County for theft and criminal damage. Reid is believed to possibly be locally in the area or in Topeka.

Prior to the new charges, Reid had spent time in prison for various charges including aggravated robbery.

Call 911 or your local law enforcement agency if you have any information.

Russell Community Theater presents ‘About Time’

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Ward Craig and Teressa Roe

By TOM COLE

RUSSELL – Russell Community Theater opens its 2019 season with “About Time”, April 30-May 4, 2019 at the RCT Playhouse located at 5th and Kansas in Russell.

RCT volunteer, Bob Roe, steps into the director chair to present a “slice of life” show by Tom Cole. His cast includes RCT veterans Teressa Roe and Ward Craig.

In “About Time”, an elderly married couple is found in the kitchen of their condominium at breakfast, lunch, dinner and finally for a late snack.

The couple talks about everything under the sun, including food, sex, children and aging. She is slowing down some and he can’t get around like he once could. But they are both still sharp as tacks, and the snappy dialogue proves humor is one of the essential factors in survival during the aging process.

Through the four scenes, they grapple with what it means to share – and come to the end of – a life together.

Performances run Tuesday through Saturday, April 30-May 4 at the RCT Playhouse, 5th and Kansas, Russell. Show time is 8:00 p.m. Admission is $12 or by season ticket.

“About Time” is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

Russell Community Theater is a non-profit theater company in Russell, Kansas. The sole purpose of RCT is to produce theater for the community and the surrounding area.

Completely volunteer-driven, RCT is supported financially solely through ticket admissions and gifts from those supportive of community theater. Since its inception in 1986, RCT has presented 95 full-scale theatrical productions.

For more information, call 785-483-4057. Please find us on Facebook.

Stewart’s grand slam lifts Tigers over Royals

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Royals have had the lead with opponents batting in the 7th inning in six of seven games this season.

DETROIT (AP) — Christin Stewart hit a two-out grand slam in the seventh inning, lifting the Detroit Tigers to a 7-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.

The Tigers trailed 4-2 in the seventh but rallied against Kansas City’s struggling bullpen. Kevin McCarthy (0-1) allowed three hits and a hit batter. The only out on his watch came with the score 4-3, when Alex Gordon threw Josh Harrison out at the plate. Detroit eventually loaded the bases with two out, and Stewart hit a drive down the line in right field off Wily Peralta.

It was the second home run of the season for Detroit’s rookie outfielder. Stewart’s other one was also big — a 10th-inning shot at Toronto that provided all the scoring in a 2-0 victory in the season opener.

Whit Merrifield, Jorge Soler and Hunter Dozier all homered for the Royals, but Kansas City’s bullpen — which entered the game with a 7.45 ERA — couldn’t hold on.

Shane Greene pitched a perfect ninth and now has saves in all six Detroit victories this season — without blowing any. The Tigers have won four straight, and the Royals have dropped five in a row.

Tigers starter Matt Moore retired the first eight hitters he faced, but he left the game after three innings with a sprained right knee. Detroit led 2-0 in the sixth when Merrifield hit a solo shot, extending his hitting streak to 27 games. Kansas City then tied it in the seventh on a home run by Soler, and Dozier hit a two-run homer off Victor Alcantara (2-0) later that inning.

Nicholas Castellanos hit an RBI single in the seventh for the Tigers, and Miguel Cabrera followed with a single that could have loaded the bases with nobody out. Instead, third-base coach Dave Clark sent Harrison, who was thrown out at home. One out later, Jeimer Candelario drew a walk that loaded the bases for Stewart.

Merrifield’s hitting streak, which dates to last season, is now tied for the second-longest in Royals’ history. Jose Offerman had a 27-game streak in 1998, and George Brett had a 30-game run in 1980.

Royals first baseman Frank Schwindel, whose error in the second gave Detroit the game’s first run, singled in the seventh for his first career hit.

Cabrera hit an RBI single in the fifth that put the Tigers up 2-0.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: OF JaCoby Jones (left shoulder) and RHP Drew VerHagen (right shoulder) started rehab assignments with Class A Lakeland on Friday night. Jones went 1 for 4 but struck out three times, which left Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire a bit bemused. “Says, ‘When am I getting out of this place?’ You’re in A ball, just struck out three times,” Gardenhire said with a smile. “When you get a couple hits, not strike out three times in A ball — that would be my answer.”

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Brad Keller (1-0) takes the mound in the series finale Sunday. Because of off days, he’ll be able to start for the third time in Kansas City’s first eight games.

Tigers: RHP Tyson Ross (0-1) makes his first home start for Detroit after signing in the offseason.

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