KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police in Kansas City, Missouri, are investigating four recent deaths as homicides, including the shooting of a woman riding in a vehicle.
Police said 25-year-old Ki’essence Pelton was pronounced dead at a hospital early Sunday morning. They said the driver of the vehicle in which she was riding took her there after realizing she had been shot.
The Kansas City Star reports that her death was part of a violent Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Police found 30-year-old local rapper Mack Jones’ body on Saturday morning in a parked vehicle, days after he was reported missing.
Also, the body of 30-year-old Gregory Payton Jr. of Kansas City, Kansas, was found in parked vehicle the same morning.
And 48-year-old Lynn Armstrong’s body was found inside an apartment Friday morning.
Teterville, Kansas was a small community which formed near the Teter Oil Fields in southeast Kansas in the 1920s. The community was named for James Teter who owned the land were the oil and homes were located.
Teter Rock was a pile of local rocks which James Teter erected at a high point on his land as a guidepost for homesteaders searching for the Cottonwood River. As Teterville grew, the rocks were used in the construction of several of the buildings and the Teter marker disappeared.
The Teterville community faded away as the Teter Oil Fields played out. Today a few foundations are the only part of Teterville which remains, but Teter Rock was reconstructed in 1954. A 16′ slab of rocks was erected in honor of Mr. Teter.
Last week’s inspection results from the Kansas Department of Agriculture:
Kitchen ‘N Stitchen 2324 370th Ave., Gorham – July 3
A routine inspection found one violation.
On two of two rubber spatulas that were being stored in a drawer under the prep table, there was a green and black substance that was on the rubber heads.
MCPHERSON – The Larks scored in all but two innings and Ryan Ruder tossed seven shutout innings as Hays picks up an 11-1 run-rule victory Sunday over the McPherson Pipeliners.
Seven of the nine Larks hitters had at least one RBI and George Southerland, Max McGuire and Alex Strachen each drove in two. Mikey Gangwich hit his fourth homerun of the summer.
Ruder scattered six hits in seven shutout innings while striking out four and walking just one for his fifth win.
After sweeping the Pipeliners in the two-game series in McPherson the Larks are 23-7.
They have Monday off before beginning a two-game series with Dodge City on Tuesday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals can only hope a four-day layoff won’t curtail the wave of momentum they’re riding into the All-Star break.
Anthony Rendon doubled in the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, Brian Dozier and Victor Robles homered, and Washington beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 Sunday for its 10th win in 12 games.
The resurgent Nationals have blown past Philadelphia into second place in the NL East. Since sinking to 19-31 on May 23, Washington has gone 28-11 and lost only one of 13 series.
Now, it’s hurry up and wait until their next game, on Friday in Philadelphia.
“It would it be nice to keep playing on this hot streak,” manager Dave Martinez said. “I’d say the way they’re playing, keep going is great, but I think we all need a break.”
Starting pitching has been a big reason for the turnaround. In extending a trend, left-hander Patrick Corbin struck out 11 and scattered five hits over seven scoreless innings.
Over the last seven games, Nationals starters have a 1.35 ERA with 65 strikeouts. It was the ninth time in the last 12 games that Washington starters allowed one run or fewer.
The big three of Max Scherzer, Corbin and Stephen Strasburg turned in a history-making performance in the first half, making the Nationals the first team in NL history to have three pitchers with at least 125 strikeouts prior to the All-Star break.
“As a team, just to finish there how we did is awesome, being five games up (47-42) to where we were a couple months ago,” Corbin said. “We’re kind of where we want to be.”
The hitting has been robust, too. Washington has homered in a franchise-record 21 straight games, the longest active streak in the big leagues.
“I love how we overcame a lot of things in the first month and a half and how we finished,” Dozier said. “We’ve made it happen.”
Corbin left with a 2-0 lead, courtesy of solo homers by Dozier and Robles, but the Royals pulled even in the eighth . After Fernando Rodney gave up a two-out RBI single to Adalberto Mondesi, Alex Gordon greeted Sean Doolittle (6-2) with a run-scoring double.
Washington emphatically answered in the bottom half against lefty Jake Diekman (0-6). Rendon’s double to the gap in left-center scored Adam Eaton , and Howie Kendrick capped the uprising with a pinch-hit, two-run double.
Much earlier, the game developed into a pitching duel between Corbin and Jakob Junis, who allowed only five hits over seven innings.
“I’ve been struggling a little big lately, so to go out there and have a good outing like that — seven innings, two runs — that’s good going into the break and the second half,” Junis said. “Hopefully I can take the good from this game and build off that.”
There probably won’t be too many times when he goes up against a foe as effective as Corbin.
“He pitched a great game, and I had to compete with that,” Junis said. “I’m just glad I kept it close.”
BOUNCED IN RUBBER GAMES
The Royals fell to 1-8 in series deciding games, the lone exception a win over Detroit on June 13 to decide a three-game set. That remains KC’s lone victory in a rubber game since May 30, 2018. In addition, the Royals are 8-21 in series finales this year.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: RHP Max Scherzer has a sore back and will not pitch Tuesday in the All-Star Game, which enables him to get an eight-day break before his next start. “Our season matters so much more than the All-Star Game,” Scherzer said. … INF Ryan Zimmerman wasn’t in the starting lineup for a second straight day. “Everything’s good. This is kind of part of the deal moving forward,” said Zimmerman, who missed 53 games from April to late June with a foot injury. “It’s just going to be managing everything for the rest of the year, but I’ll take it. I’m just excited to be back and to be able to help.” … RHP Kyle Barraclough (sore forearm) was sent to Class A Potomac on a rehab assignment Sunday.
UP NEXT
Royals: Last-place Kansas City emerges from the All-Star break with a home game Friday night against the Detroit Tigers, the second-worst team in the AL Central.
Nationals: Washington comes out of the break with a Friday night visit to Philadelphia, home of Bryce Harper and the Phillies, who are also in hot pursuit of first-place Atlanta in the NL East.
As the department focuses more on health and safety, Ellis County emergency personnel now have their own fitness room at the Emergency Services building.
A fitness room in the basement of the EMS building was in the original plans but, in an effort to reduce the cost of the project, it was scrapped. However, thanks to several donations, grants and volunteer work, the fitness room opened on June 27.
“When this building was originally designed, it had a fitness room,” Director of Fire and Emergency Management Darin Myers said. “Due to costs at the time when we first built it and opened, that room was cut out.”
He said officers within the Ellis County Fire Department began discussing ways to help the volunteers improve their health and one of the first ideas was to provide physicals for the firefighters. They also wanted a way to provide them a place to work out.
Myers said they then started to look at ways they could construct the room themselves.
After talking with firefighters who work out at Munsch Fitness, Jacob Proffitt was the first to donate equipment to the project. They also received equipment donations from the owner of a Planet Fitness franchise in North Carolina, Myers said.
Midwest Energy provided a $1,000 grant and the department received a $500 grant from State Farm agent Matt Lyon. The Ellis County Commission also approved $29,424 of sales tax funds to help pay for construction. Those funds were left over from the original building project.
After a contractor finished out the room, the firefighters primed and painted the room in an effort to save money on the project. Then, when the equipment came in, more than a dozen firefighters and their friends helped unload the equipment and take it down to the room on a Sunday.
Myers said they handed out more than 70 keycards to firefighters and members of the Emergency Medical Services and Ellis County Sheriff’s Departments also have access. He said since it opened on June 27, he has seen someone using the equipment every day.
“That’s another benefit of getting on our fire department,” said Myers. “I know some of the firefighters are paying upwards of $50 per month (for gym memberships.)”
The space before the renovation.
Company 6 Fire Captain Chris Cline said it is a great benefit for the firefighters.
“It’s amazing. It’s a huge bonus for the department and for the members,” Cline said. “Firefighting is one of the most physical jobs you can possibly do, so anything that can help me gain an advantage out in the field is a plus.”
According to Myers, over the last 10 years the majority of firefighters who have died in the line of duty were volunteers and of all deaths among firefighters the majority of them are cardiac related.
“The statics show that cardiac-related deaths … are the leading cause of way firefighters die in the United States,” Myer said. “So the strength equipment is not as important as some of the others — running on a treadmill or using a bike, elliptical or trainer.”
Ellis County Health Administrator Kerry McCue said EMS employees had previously brought in their own equipment to work out because they understood the value of preventing injuries by staying in shape.
McCue said, “Back injuries are career-enders for EMS personnel, and this is a way to protect staff.”
Now that the construction of the fitness room is complete, the new fire department policy on physicals will begin soon.
Myers said in the beginning there was some skepticism from the firefighters because of the unknowns surrounding the policy but, now that they have settled on what Myers calls and “enhanced” DOT physical, he believes the program has a lot of support.
There is a pulmonary or lung capacity test, a drug test, blood work and a physical assessment or capacity test.
“It’s a big adaptive challenge for our fire department,” said Myers.
He said the physicals, which are based on national standards, are also an effort to change the culture of the department.
“Being aware of the importance of being physically fit for your own safety but also for the firefighters (whose) lives are on the line right next to you,” Myers said.
Myers added that his No. 1 objective is to protect the firefighters, but this also helps to protect the public.
“If we can’t do our job, then we need to be finding ways to do it better – and this is one way to do it,” Myers said. “We owe it to the community, and the community expects us to provide that service for them.”
They will begin implementing the new physical policy in January with half of the department and the rest of the department the year after that in an effort to save the county money.
“It’s kind of a proud moment that they’re taking that initiative to increase their health,” Myers said. “Part of these whole physicals are not just being physically fit but the preventative measures.”
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Investigators are working to determine what caused a fire that damaged a church in Kansas City, Kansas, and injured two firefighters.
The Kansas City Star reports the fire started early Sunday morning in the basement of the Wyandotte Tabernacle Church. It was reported shortly before 2 a.m.
When firefighters arrived, the church was engulfed in flames.
Assistant Fire Chie Morris Letcher says the roof partly collapsed and firefighters shifted into defensive mode. More crews were called in to help extinguish the blaze.
Two firefighters suffered minor injuries and were taken to a hospital for treatment.
WICHITA (AP) — A 7-year-old boy has died after an ATV crash in western Kansas.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the Kansas Highway Patrol says Kanon Michael Bowles of Syracuse died Saturday.
Investigators say Bowles was driving an ATV in Hamilton County when it began to spin off the road. Troopers say the ATV rotated multiple times over the driver’s side and Bowles was thrown from the vehicle.
Emergency crews took Bowles to Hamilton County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
By BERNY UNRUH Cottonwood Extension District Agent
The thrill of victory!Doesn’t everyone love a good competition? There is a new contest at the Ellis County Fair this year. The King Arthur Flour contest has some great prizes in both the youth and the adult division.The rules and guidelines for this contest and all the other opportunities can be found at www.elliscountyfair.comLook under Events and then under “4-H Events” to find the Open Class portion of the fair book.
All fair entries must be pre-entered in advance at www.fairentry.com by Monday, July 8th. This will allow entry forms to be printed and ready for you when you arrive to enter your exhibits. Search for Ellis County Fair, set up your account using your email address and a password.You will receive email confirmation that your entry has been received.
For the King Arthur Flour baking competition, the exhibitor must bring the opened bag of King Arthur Flour or submit a UPC label from the bag when the entry is made at the fair. The contestants will bake a cake of their choosing, place it in a disposable plate or covered cardboard (covered with a plastic bag and wire tie) and bring it to the fair. Don’t forget to bring the recipe on entry day. Open class foods entries must be brought to the Fairgrounds exhibit hall between 8 and 9 am on Tuesday, July 16th.
If baking a cake is not your thing, consider the special class challenge started by Mark Purvis and Terry Mannell. The theme for this year is “Favorite Family Recipe”. The judging for this class takes place at the conclusion of the formal food entry judging.
So now is the time to plan your fair exhibits and get them entered online by July 8th to make the most of the Ellis County Fair experience. There really is something for everyone at the Ellis County Fair.
Berny Unruh is the Family and Community Wellness Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District.She can be reached at 785-628-9430 or at [email protected]
The Ellis County Public Works Department is announcing that a small bridge/culvert replacement project will begin Monday, July 15.
The 1600 and 1700 block of 230th Avenue, between 55th and Feedlot Road, will be closed to through traffic beginning at 7:30 a.m. Monday, July 15, and will reopen at 5 p.m. Thursday, weather permitting.
The project will widen the area by the current culvert and increase safety for the traveling public.
Motorists traveling in the affected closure area should use alternate routes of travel until the project is completed. It is recommended to use U.S. 183 to avoid the affected area. This is one of the first steps for the improvement of 230th from Interstate 70 north to Feedlot Road, along with milling the surface of Feedlot Road from 230th to U.S. 183. Further improvements will be made to Feedlot in late summer to early fall.
