WEST HAVEN, Conn.– The University of New Haven has named former University of Kansas Athletic Director Sheahon  Zenger, Ph.D., as its new director of athletics and recreation, according to a media release from the school.

KU fired Zenger in May 2018.  He replaces Chris Palmer, a former football coach who spent decades in the National Football League, who retired earlier this year.

Zenger played football at Fort Hays State University.

With more than 25 years of experience in administration, development, coaching, and academia, Zenger brings unprecedented experience to the Chargers. Most recently, he served as an assistant to the chancellor at Texas Christian University and an adviser to the director of athletics. Prior, he was director of athletics for the University of Kansas (2011 to 2018) and Illinois State University (2005 to 2011).

Zenger, who officially joined the University on September 1, leads the University’s intercollegiate athletics program and oversees its recreational offerings. He has been charged with directing the University’s early exploration of a potential move to the Division I level.

“President Kaplan’s growth of the University’s programs, facilities, and endowment during his tenure has been nothing short of phenomenal,” Zenger said. “And his excitement about expanding the University’s athletic footprint and reputation is exceptional. I am very pleased to be joining this remarkable community and can’t wait to begin contributing to the University’s success.”

Zenger was selected following an extensive national search that was conducted by a university-wide committee, in consultation with DHR International, a respected global executive search firm. During the recruiting process for this vital position, President Kaplan and Zenger connected on a multitude of levels. The duo will jointly teach a seminar for honors students that will take place during the fall semester.

As director of athletics at the University of Kansas, Zenger raised tens of millions in funds, built nine athletic buildings, and created a culture of collegiality in the athletic department. During his seven years, the athletic teams combined to make nearly 70 postseason appearances. The program earned four national Coach of the Year awards and 11 Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year awards. Twice during his tenure the athletics department set a record for the program’s highest cumulative GPA.

“We are thrilled to bring Sheahon’s broad background and talent to the University of New Haven and look forward to his vision and leadership of our athletics program,” said President Kaplan. “He brings a unique combination of strengths and experience that are aligned with our ambitious vision to ensure that our student-athletes compete at the highest level on and off the field.”

Zenger joins the University at an exciting time in its history. Earlier this year, the University announced that The Charger Challenge, the University’s inaugural comprehensive campaign, which was launched as a precursor to the University’s Centennial in 2020, exceeded its original goal of $100 million. The milestone, which does not include more than $28 million in federal and state contracts that have also been secured during the campaign, was reached almost a year in advance of the start of the 100th year, leading the University to increase its campaign goal to $120 million to raise additional funds for, among other priorities, athletics. According to President Kaplan, continuing to build the athletics program will help advance the momentum that has taken place on campus.

“Our student-athletes have long proven to be stars on the field, in the classroom, and in the community, said President Kaplan. “I am confident that Sheahon will take our already successful athletics program to an even higher level. I look forward to the many important contributions he will undoubtedly make.”

According to the release, the University of New Haven is a private, co-educational university that was founded on the Yale campus in 1920.

LINCOLN COUNTY, NE — Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspect on drug charges after a traffic stop.

Just after 1 a.m. Tuesday, a trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol observed an eastbound Nissan Pathfinder speeding near York, according to a media release. During the traffic stop, an NSP K9 detected the odor of a controlled substance coming from inside the vehicle.

Troopers searched the vehicle and found approximately 18 pounds of marijuana as well as 800 THC vape cartridges. The driver, Aaron Braun, 26, of Madison, Wisconsin, and passenger, Kristofor Cooks, 27, of Fitchburg, Wisconsin were both arrested for possession of marijuana – more than one pound, possession with intent to deliver, and no drug tax stamp. Both were booked into the York County Jail.

Later Tuesday morning, another trooper observed a Ford F-250 with a license plate violation traveling eastbound near North Platte. During the traffic stop, an NSP K9 detected the odor of a controlled substance inside the vehicle.

A search of the vehicle revealed 14 pounds of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and multiple types of controlled pills. The driver, Keith Cerney, 32, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was arrested for possession of marijuana – more than one pound, possession with intent to deliver, possession of controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, and no drug tax stamp. He was booked into the Lincoln County Jail.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Google will pay $170 million to settle allegations its YouTube video service collected personal data on children without their parents’ consent.

The company agreed to work with video creators to label material aimed at kids and said it will limit data collection when users view such videos, regardless of their age.

Some lawmakers and children’s advocacy groups, however, complained that the settlement terms aren’t strong enough to rein in a company whose parent, Alphabet, made a profit of $30.7 billion last year on revenue of $136.8 billion, mostly from targeted ads.

Google will pay $136 million to the Federal Trade Commission and $34 million to New York state, which had a similar investigation. The fine is the largest the FTC has levied against Google, but it’s tiny compared with the $5 billion fine against Facebook this year for privacy violations.

YouTube “baited kids with nursery rhymes, cartoons, and more to feed its massively profitable behavioral advertising business,” Democratic Commissioner Rohit Chopra said in a tweet. “It was lucrative, and it was illegal.”

The federal government has increased scrutiny of big tech companies in the past two years — especially questioning how the tech giants collect and use personal information from their billions of customers. Many of the huge Silicon Valley companies are also under antitrust investigations aimed at determining whether the companies have unlawfully stifled competition.

Kids under 13 are protected by a 1998 federal law that requires parental consent before companies can collect and share their personal information.

Tech companies typically skirt that by banning kids under 13 entirely, though such bans are rarely enforced. In YouTube’s lengthy terms of service, those who are under 13 are simply asked, “please do not use the Service.”

Yet many popular YouTube channels feature cartoons or sing-a-longs made for children. According to the FTC, YouTube assigned ratings to its video channels and even had a “Y” category directed at kids ages 7 or under, but YouTube targeted ads to those kids just as they would adults.

The FTC’s complaint includes as evidence Google presentations describing YouTube to toy companies Mattel and Hasbro as the “new Saturday Morning Cartoons” and the “#1 website regularly visited by kids.”

“YouTube touted its popularity with children to prospective corporate clients,” FTC Chairman Joe Simons said. But when it came to complying with the law, he said, “the company refused to acknowledge that portions of its platform were clearly directed to kids.”

According to the settlement, Google and YouTube will get “verifiable” consent from parents before they collect or use personal information from children. The company also agreed not to use data collected from children before.

YouTube has its own service for children, YouTube Kids. The kids-focused service already requires parental consent and uses simple math problems to ensure that kids aren’t signing in on their own.

YouTube Kids does not target ads based on viewer interests the way the main YouTube service does. But the children’s version does track information about what kids are watching in order to recommend videos. It also collects personally identifying device information.

On Wednesday, Google said that starting early next year, YouTube will also limit personalized ads on its main service for videos meant for kids. Google is relying on video creators to label such items, but will employ artificial intelligence to help.

YouTube won’t seek parental consent there, however, even on videos intended for children. YouTube is avoiding that precaution by instead turning off any personal tracking on those videos, saying it will collect only what is needed to make the service work. For such videos, YouTube also won’t offer features like comments and notifications.

Videos made for kids will still feature ads — just not the targeted, personal ads that generally bring in the most money for video creators.

“I think there has been a general anxiety of the kids and family community of creators on YouTube for quite some time,” said Chris Williams, CEO and founder of pocket.watch, a studio that works with many popular YouTube child stars, including Ryan ToysReview.

Pocket.watch helps YouTube stars expand beyond the streaming site and find new lines of business, from consumer products to network TV shows. Williams expects that business to become more important. But YouTube will still be the big way to build an audience, he said.

“It represents a part of the puzzle for your brand growth, a big one,” he said.

The settlement now needs to be approved by a federal court in Washington. As with the Facebook settlement, the FTC vote was 3-2, with both Democrats opposing it as too weak.

Sen. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said the settlement won’t turn YouTube into a safe place for children and “makes clear that this FTC stands for ‘Forgetting Teens and Children.'”

A coalition of advocacy groups that helped trigger the investigation said the outcome will reduce behavioral advertising targeting children.

Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, said the settlement “finally forced Google to confront its longstanding lie that it wasn’t targeting children on YouTube.”

But he said the “paltry” fine signals that politically powerful corporations can break the law without serious consequences.

Other critics, including dissenting Democratic Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, said too much responsibility was being placed on video creators to classify their own content as kid-oriented, and thus limited to less-lucrative ads. They say that potentially allows Google to turn a blind eye as some try to cheat the system to make more money through ad revenue sharing.

Andrew Smith, the FTC’s consumer protection director, acknowledged that concern as valid, but said YouTube “has strong incentives to police its platform” to avoid further action.

Google is already under a 2011 agreement with the FTC that barred it from mispresenting its privacy policy and subjected the company to 20 years of regular, independent privacy audits. Google was fined $22.5 million in 2012 for violating that settlement when the FTC found it improperly used tracking cookies on Apple’s Safari browser.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and after asking the public for help have located a suspect and made an arrest.

Just after 11:00 p.m. August 27, police were dispatched to the 2500 Block of SW Clay in Topeka after report of a shooting, according to Lt. Aaron Jones.

Upon arrival, officers located a woman who was suffering from a non-life threatening gunshot wound to the leg. AMR transported her to a local hospital for treatment.

Information gathered has led investigators to issue an attempt to locate for Donald Jackson Jr, 44 of Topeka.  He was last seen leaving the area in a small, red, two door vehicle, according to Jones.

On Wednesday, the US Marshals’ Fugitive Task Force located Jackson and arrested for on requested charges that include Aggravated Battery, Shooting into an Occupied Dwelling and Shooting into an Unoccupied Dwelling, according to Lt. Manuel Munoz.

Jackson has numerous convictions that include arson, criminal threat, obstruction and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He was released from prison August 15.

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SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and asking the public for help to locate a suspect.

Just after 11:00 p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to the 2500 Block of SW Clay in Topeka after report of a shooting, according to Lt. Aaron Jones.

Upon arrival, officers located a woman who was suffering from a non-life threatening gunshot wound to the leg. AMR transported her to a local hospital for treatment.

Information gathered has led investigators to issue an attempt to locate for Donald Jackson Jr, 44 of Topeka.  He was last seen leaving the area in a small, red, two door vehicle, according to Jones.

Police advised the public not approach Jackson and notify law enforcement if you see him.

Jackson has numerous convictions that include arson, criminal threat, obstruction and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He was released from prison August 15.

HUTCHINSON— A woman found beaten and unconscious in an alley in Hutchinson August 24 has died.

According to the Reno County Attorney’s office, 29-year-old Lora Stratton died at a Wichita hospital. She never regained consciousness.

Senior District Attorney Thomas Stanton says he will be filing a motion amending charges against 24-year-old Isaac G. Ervin to first-degree murder.

Stanton says no additional charges are anticipated at this time against the co-defendant, 22-year-old Delshay Visonhaler, who is charged with one count of reckless aggravated battery and one count of obstruction.

Ervin is expected to make an appearance before Judge Joe McCarville for a status hearing on Sept. 18. Stanton says the amended charges will be brought against the defendant at that time.

 

 

 

 

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — A high school football player has collapsed and died after practice in southwest Missouri.

The Joplin school district said in a statement that emergency personnel responded around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday to the Joplin High School gymnasium after sophomore Kadin Roberts-Day had a medical emergency. The team had been practicing indoors.

The statement says Kadin was transported to a hospital and died due to cardiac arrest.

Kadin was a 6-foot-3-inch (1.9 meter), 205-pound (93-kilogram) offensive lineman.

The statement describes Kadin’s death as “tragic” and offers sympathy to his family and friends. It says coaching staff and teammates remember him as “extremely personable and caring.”

The district is making counseling services available for students.