September 2017 – Page 25 – Great Bend Post Archive

Thursday Mid America Sports Update

Posted on September 21, 2017

TORONTO (AP) – Mike Moustakas hit his 37th home run of the season, breaking Steve Balboni’s Royals record, and Kansas City routed the Toronto Blue Jays 15-5. Salvador Perez and Whit Merrifield also connected for the Royals. Moustakas went 3 for 4 and came within a triple of hitting for the cycle. He eclipsed Balboni’s 1985 record with a solo blast to right off Carlos Ramirez in the sixth.

CINCINNATI (AP) – Dexter Fowler homered for the third straight game while Matt Carpenter and Paul DeJong also homered as the St. Louis Cardinals gained ground in their National League playoff push with a 9-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Tommy Pham finished with two doubles, a single and two RBIs and Yadier Molina added a two-run double as the third-place Cardinals (79-72) gained a game on Colorado in the wild-card race.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) – Latif Blessing scored midway through the first half, Daniel Salloi added a breakaway goal in the second and Sporting Kansas City held on to beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 on Wednesday night to win its fourth U.S. Open Cup title. Three of those titles have come in the last six years featuring defenders Graham Zusi, Matt Besler and Seth Sinovic.

UNDATED (AP) – Josh Sargent, a 17-year-old forward who has starred on U.S. youth teams, has agreed to sign with Werder Bremen. The German Bundesliga team says Sargent will sign a professional contract on Feb. 20, his 18th birthday. Sargent had four goals and one assist at this year’s Under-20 World Cup and is slated to be part of the American team at the Under-17 World Cup next month.

UNDATED (AP) – The Southeastern Conference coaches who entered the season facing questions about their job security haven’t done much to quiet them. In fact, the heat from fans has intensified around coaches like Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin, Auburn’s Gus Malzahn, Arkansas’ Bret Bielema and Tennessee’s Butch Jones. There’s plenty of time for change – good or bad.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt watched every team pass on him in the draft, many of them multiple times. But after Kansas City traded up to select him in the third round, he made it his mission to silence his doubters. And so far, his record-setting start has the Chiefs 2-0 heading into Sunday’s game against the Chargers.

FBS sees huge spike in targeting penalty enforcement so far

Posted on September 21, 2017

By ERIC OLSON – AP College Football Writer

College football’s Bowl Subdivision has seen a 73 percent increase in the number of targeting penalties enforced through the first three weeks of the season compared with the same point in 2016.

National coordinator of officials Rogers Redding said Wednesday that 55 targeting penalties have been enforced in 214 games (0.26 per game). Last year at this time, 35 targeting penalties had been enforced in 230 games (0.15).

Targeting is called if a player uses the crown of his helmet to strike an opponent above the shoulders or strikes the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent with a helmet, forearm, hand, elbow or shoulder.

Big Ten coordinator of officials Bill Carollo said the early numbers are alarming.

“I fired off an email to a few people to say we need to do something about this,” he said. “Let’s not wait until the end of the season. Not let’s wait to do a study. I don’t have all the answers, but it needs to get to the level of commissioners, athletic directors and partnering with coaches.”

The rule didn’t change from last year. Targeting penalties that are upheld by video review result in a 15-yard penalty and the ejection of the player called for the targeting.

Redding said the increase in number of calls could be attributed to on-field and replay officials becoming more comfortable making the call.

Last year, for the entire 2016 season, there was an average of 0.17 targeting calls enforced per game. The 0.26 per game so far this season is a 53 percent increase.

Redding said comparing the first three weeks of 2016 to the first three weeks of 2017 is a better gauge because games in September tend to be played differently because there are more mismatches, and less experienced players are on the field.

Redding said there have been 75 targeting penalties called on the field through three weeks, and 20 of them have been overturned on review. Last year, there were 44 fouls called on the field through three weeks, with nine of them overturned.

Of the 55 targeting penalties enforced, 15 of the calls were initiated by the replay official. Redding said he did not have complete data for how many calls were made by replay officials last year.

Moustakas breaks Royals’ HR record in 15-5 rout of Jays

Posted on September 21, 2017

TORONTO (AP) – Mike Moustakas hit his 37th home run of the season, breaking Steve Balboni’s Royals record, Salvador Perez and Whit Merrifield also connected and Kansas City routed the Toronto Blue Jays 15-5 on Wednesday night.

Rookie right-hander Jakob Junis (8-2) allowed four runs, two earned, in 6 1/3 innings, improving to 5-0 with a 2.42 ERA over his past eight starts.

Moustakas went 3 for 4 and came within a triple of hitting for the cycle. He eclipsed Balboni’s 1985 record with a solo blast to right off Carlos Ramirez in the sixth.

Merrifield also had three hits and drove in a pair of runs as the Royals snapped a three-game losing streak and won for the second time in their past seven.

Kansas City came within a run of matching its season high. The Royals scored 16 against Detroit twice within a seven-day span in late July.

Police: 20-year-old Kansas man jailed for fatal shooting

Posted on September 21, 2017September 21, 2017

DOUGLAS COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have made an arrest.

Just before 10p.m. Tuesday, police responded to the 2000 block of W. 27th Terrace in Lawrence for reports of a shooting, according to a media release.

Responding officers located 26-year-old Lawrence resident Bryce Holladay with fatal injuries.

Police questioned Steven Austin Drake III, 20, in relation to this incident and took him into custody. He has been booked in to the Douglas County Jail on one count of Voluntary Manslaughter.

Anyone with more information on this incident is asked to contact the Lawrence Police Department at (785)832-7509, or Crime Stoppers of Lawrence and Douglas County at (785)843-TIPS. Tips to Crime Stoppers can be anonymous.

Kan. woman hospitalized after car hits deer, travels off bridge

Posted on September 20, 2017September 21, 2017

HODGEMAN COUNTY— A Kansas woman was injured in an accident just before 6p.m. Wednesday in Hodgeman County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Buick LeSabre driven by Iola Y. Battles, 78, Garden City, was northbound on county road 224 six miles east of Jetmore.

The vehicle swerved to miss a deer, struck the animal and the driver lost control.
The Buick traveled off the bridge on the east side and into the dry creek bed.

Battles was transported to the Hodgeman County Health Center. She was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Indictment: Colorado Man Robbed Bank in Kansas

Posted on September 20, 2017

Fisher, Jr. -photo Fountain Valley Police

TOPEKA— A Colorado man already serving time for a bank robbery in Arkansas was indictedWednesday on charges he robbed a bank in Manhattan, Kan., according to U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.

Kenneth Wayne Fisher, Jr., 41, formerly of Colorado Springs, Colo., is charged with one count of bank robbery. The indictment alleges that on Aug. 26, 2015, Fisher robbed Sunflower State Bank at 2710 Anderson Ave. in Manhattan.

A few months after the Manhattan robbery, Fisher was arrested in California. He was extradited to Arkansas to face charges of robbing a bank in Bentonville, Ark., on Aug. 28, 2015. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced earlier this month to more than eight years in federal prison for the Arkansas robbery.

UPDATE: Teen in custody walks away from Kansas sheriff’s office

Posted on September 20, 2017September 20, 2017

Deputies located the teen and he is in custody, according to the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Department.

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GREENWOOD COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are looking for a teen who skipped out of a Kansas sheriff’s office.

Just after 1p.m. Wednesday a teen taken into custody in Greenwood County earlier in the day walked out of the sheriff’s office in a southeasterly direction, according to a social media report.

Deputies arrested the teen for an offense and he was held as a juvenile offender until his parents could pick him up. He left prior to his parents arrival. He was last seen wearing a white shirt and blue jeans.

Deputies asked anyone with information on the teen please call the Sheriff’s office at 620-583-5568

Another teenager planning to run for Kansas governor

Posted on September 20, 2017

Tyler Ruzich -photo courtesy Shawnee Mission North

PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. (AP) — A second Kansas teenager says he wants to run for governor next year.

Tyler Ruzich, of Prairie Village, who will turn 17 next week, filed campaign papers with the state this week. He is a junior at Shawnee Mission North High School.

Ruzich considers himself a moderate Republican but says he is still developing specific policy positions.

Another 16-year-old, Jack Bergeson of Wichita, is running for the Democratic nomination for governor.

Ruzich says he contacted Bergeson, who encouraged him to run.

Ruzich says the young candidates agree that having two teenagers in the race is an opportunity to get young people involved in politics and government.

Kansas has no age requirement for running for governor.

Kansas woman charged for alleged mistreatment of her dogs

Posted on September 20, 2017

RENO COUNTY— A Kansas woman has been formally charged with three counts of animal cruelty.

Following an investigation, police arrested her September 13, and took the dogs after reports indicated she hit them.

Cheyenne Rippy, 19, Pretty Prairie, is accused in one of the charges with failing to provide food, water, protection from the elements and opportunity to exercise or other care for the well-being of several dogs in her care.

The final two counts accuse her of causing injury to her dogs.

One of the charges, according to the state, occurred on Aug. 31, while the other two occurred between Sept. 1 and Sept. 13.

Rippy is free on bond and entered not guilty pleas to the three misdemeanor counts. She was assigned an attorney and she’ll be back in court on Oct. 5.

UPDATE: Suspect in Kan. tax office shooting owes almost $400K in unpaid taxes

Posted on September 20, 2017September 20, 2017

Tuesday shooting scene photo courtesy KWCH

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities continue their investigating of the Tuesday afternoon shooting of an employee the Kansas Department of Revenue office in Wichita.

Officer Charley Davidson confirmed Wednesday morning that the suspect Ricky Wirths, 51, Wichita, is being held for attempted first-degree murder.

Just after 2:30p.m. Tuesday police responded to report of a shooting at the Department of Revenue Taxation office near the intersection of 21^st Street and Amidon in Wichita, according to Davidson. Officers found a 35-year-old employee of the office with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. Davidson reported Wednesday that the victim is improving and in stable condition.

On Tuesday morning, the Department of Revenue and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s office had been at a home in the 900 Block of West 31^st Street North following up on a Department of Revenue investigation. The shooting victim has been part of this investigation, according to Davidson. Tax records indicate Wirths has two tax warrants totaling almost $400,000 related to his construction business, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue.

At 2:30p.m. Tuesday, Ricky Wirths, the individual who is the object of the Department of Revenue investigation, walked into the Department of Revenue office and asked for the victim by name. The victim came to the front of the business to meet with Wirths. As they discussed the investigation, Wirths pulled a handgun and shot the victim multiple times, according to Davidson.

The victim fled back into the office area and the suspect fled in a pickup truck. Officers found the suspect and arrested him without incident near the intersection of 31^st North and Arkansas. Police have interviewed multiple witnesses to the crime and have recovered a gun.

Wirths is being held without bond, according to the Sedgwick County Jail booking report.

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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police say a man under investigation by the Kansas Department of Revenue is suspected in a shooting that critically injured an employee at the agency’s Wichita office.

Wichita Police spokesman Charley Davidson told reporters that a 35-year-old employee was shot multiple times Tuesday before the gunman fled the scene. The suspect was arrested about a half hour later and is in custody.

Davidson says there was a Revenue Department investigation involving the suspect earlier in the day, but he did not have details.

Police were called at about 2:40 p.m. to the shopping center where the office is located.

The investigation is ongoing. No names or other details were immediately released.

Gov. Sam Brownback released a statement asking for prayers for the victim. The statement also said the office where the shooting occurred will be closed the rest of the week.

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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police say a man under investigation by the Kansas Department of Revenue is suspected in a shooting that critically injured an employee at the agency’s Wichita office.

Davidson says there was a Revenue Department investigation involving the suspect earlier in the day, but he did not have details of its nature.

Police were called at about 2:40 p.m. to the shopping center where the office is located.

The investigation is ongoing. No names or other details were immediately released.