The Iola Register: September 9, 2023

Love of adventure still strong

By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register

Bill Shirley wasn’t certain he wanted to travel again, especially to favorite haunts, now that his wife, Roberta, had passed away.

“I knew I’d be seeing everything through her eyes, saying she’d love to see this or that. I was afraid I’d sound like a broken record,” he said recently.

And maybe he did.

After 65 years of marriage, that’s to be expected.

Roberta died in 2022 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s.

But Bill, at age 85, got his bag out in mid-August and ventured to Austria and Germany, along with his daughter, Susan Massey of Mount Vernon, Ill., and Jim and Karen Gilpin of Iola.

The trip whetted his appetite for more.

“It was great,” he said. “I’m hoping to take my grandson, Josh, and his family next summer.”

“I’m the type that if I like something, I want to do it again. Why not?”

He figures he’s been to the region at least a dozen times. “Every time I go, I feel more and more comfortable.”

The trip included visits to Munich, Vienna and Garmisch in Bavaria. They toured castles and opera houses. At-

tended orchestral concerts.

Drank beer and delighted in the fare.

Bill navigated the cities’ cobblestones streets with the help of Jim, who pushed him in a wheelchair.

“He was a godsend,” Bill said.

On his visit to the Register, Bill sported a T-shirt from the town of Garmisch.

“I bought three of them,” he said, noting the group’s luggage had been lost in transit.

A highlight for Bill was

a visit to the small town of Karl, Austria, home to Roberta’s grandfather and where extended family remain.

It was in Karl that the party met up with Herbert Fruhmann, who first met Bill and Roberta more than 20 years ago as a young student to serve as their interpreter.

“He’s now a successful businessman with a family of his own,” Bill remarked.

Bill credits Roberta’s continued correspondence with Herbert and his family that the two families have re-

mained close over the years.

Bill was especially touched on this most recent trip when the Fruhmann family presented him with a painting of the house of Roberta’s grandfather in Karl.

Bill said the bucolic community reminded him of Piqua, noting it is predominantly Catholic.

The comment led Bill to a walk down memory road. Their courting days had their challenges — no thanks to

See SHIRLEY | Page A5

ACC career: ‘The best years of my life’

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

(Editor’s note: With Allen Community College set to celebrate its centennial anniversary, the Register spoke with several former Red Devils on why ACC retains a special place in their hearts. Today, we speak to Neil Crane.)

Lots of diehard sports fans can recall basketball coaching legend Bob Knight’s infamous chair toss, when he hurled a plastic chair across the court after he was whistled for a technical foul.

What nobody knows was

that almost immediately after that infamous February 1985 loss to Purdue, Knight boarded a plane from Bloomington, Ind., and flew to Iola.

The purpose was a recruiting trip. On Knight’s wish list was Allen’s Lannell Moore, a dynamic inside-outside player known for his blend of intelligence and athleticism.

Roberta Crane, Neil’s wife, remembered the scene vividly as the ACC crowd realized a celebrity was in their midst.

“I saw him standing in the hallway, outside the gymnasium,” Roberta recalled. “I told him we had a seat for him.”

“No, ma’am,” Knight replied politely, but sternly. “You keep that seat.

I can see everything I need from right here.”

Coach Crane and Knight met after the game at a fellow Allen instructor’s house for dinner and drinks.

“I had a good relationship with him for a while,” Crane recalled. But when Moore signed elsewhere, “it got pretty dicy,”

Crane laughed. “But it happens. It always does with coaches.”

The scene was one of several special memories for Coach Crane over his 21-year coaching career.

Crane, 84, father of ACC women’s coach Leslie Crane, won 401 games as a college coach, including more than 300 at the helm of the Red Devils during his tenure from 1975 to 1990.

“That was the best 15 years of my life,” Crane said. “I had great players, and I worked with great people. The best years of my life have been here at Allen County.”

Chiefs struggle in opener

PAGE B1

Justification sought from Marion Co. judge

By TIM

CARPENTER

Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — The Kansas Commission on Judicial Conduct requested Marion County District Court Magistrate Judge Laura Viar explain her decision to authorize search warrants used in controversial raids of the Marion newspaper office, the publisher’s home and a city council member’s residence.

SMALL TOWN, BIG DREAMS

Crane grew up in Gridley, and like many his age, spent every waking hour playing — or dreaming — sports. He was a standout in basketball, football and baseball.

After graduation, Crane played a combination of the three at Butler County Community College and the College of Emporia, a small private school run by the Presbyterian Church.

After college, Crane coached both football and

See CRANE | Page A2

The August searches were based on allegations advanced by local police that personal information on a business owner had been stolen by the newspaper. The raids, especially the seizure of equipment that threatened to undermine publication of the newspaper, triggered condemnation by dozens of journalism organizations.

First Amendment attorneys said they were convinced the judge ought to have been able to grasp the warrants were constitutionally flawed. A co-owner of the Marion County Record who hurled obscenities at offi-

See JUDGE | Page A5

Bill Shirley recently returned from a trip to Germany and Austria with his daughter, Susan, and fellow Iolans Jim and Karen Gilpin. Here, he shows a painting of his late wife’s grandfather’s childhood home in Austria that was given to him by friends there. REGISTER/SUSAN LYNN

Toby McCammon, left, was a standout player from Iola who later played under and coached with Neil Crane at Allen Community College. At left are Roberta and Neil Craine. COURTESY PHOTOS

Crane: ACC coaching career rewarding

Continued from A1

basketball at the high school ranks at Ransom and Wakeeney before, in 1967, he returned to the College of Emporia as defensive coordinator for the football team and as an assistant basketball coach and head baseball coach.

He was there for two years before getting a head coaching gig in his favorite sport — basketball — at Highland Community College.

He remained at Highland for seven years, and then after a year away from coaching, spotted an opening at Allen Community College.

Former ACC administrators Hugh Haire and Bill Spencer did a nice job of selling the school, although Crane didn’t need much convincing.

“It was a great school academically, and it was close to home,” he noted.

Crane’s success built quickly.

Through the 1980s, Allen’s basketball program was the place to be for local sports fans.

Those who waited too long to show up on game nights, often were left standing outside the packed gymnasium, Crane recalled.

As he sorted through pictures of some of his more talented disciples, Crane recalled their talents.

John Kool-Aid Wiley, went from Allen to Minnesota. “Man, he was good,” Crane said.

Darrell Martin went on to become a standout for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

“Alvin Fields went to Washington University. He was probably the best shooter I ever coached. One night against Coffeyville, he scored 44 points for us. Problem was, the other guy scored 45.”

And then was JR Rider, whose sole year at Allen preceded a stint at UNLV under Jerry Tarkanian and then a 10-year NBA career.

“JR was probably the most talented all-around player I’d ever seen,” Crane said. “When he made up his mind to play, nobody could touch him.”

Ryan Thornton went on to star at Southwest Missouri State; Darrell Tanner went northwest to the University of Washington.

Many of his former players reach out to Crane on a regular basis, for holidays, birthdays, or just to say hi.

“That’s why we’ve kept the same phone number,” Roberta said.

“I think they’re just trying to see if I’m still alive,” Neil cracked.

While four-year coaches have their unique

Obituary

beat us a third time, I’d eat it with hot sauce,” Crane said.

The Independence fans heard the comment, and dressed up as jars of tabasco sauce as the Red Devils entered the gymnasium.

“I still get asked about that,” he laughed.

CRANE is proud of his coaching career, but says he doesn’t hold a candle to his daughter’s legacy.

“Leslie’s a better coach than I ever was,” he said.

After graduating from Iola High School, Leslie Crane was a star player under ACC coach Van Thompson, then went on to play at Arkansas State.

From there, she followed her father’s footsteps up the coaching ladder.

Frances Searce

Frances Irene Searce, age 75, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023 at St. Francis Via Christi in Wichita. She was born Dec. 19, 1947 in Iola. to Lewis A. Hunt and Vera (Thompson) Hunt. She was by her grandparents, James and Alice Gregg.

She graduated from Iola High School in 1965.

She was married to Charles Scearce. He died in 1968.

She is survived by her sister, Mary Lou and Mike Byers.

Inurnment will be at Highland Cemetery at Iola. No service is planned.

Mapleton to host ‘Hometown Proud’

pressures related to recruiting players, getting youngsters to relocate to southeast Kansas usually depended on connecting with other coaches, Crane noted.

“A lot of the major college coaches would bring their kids here,” Crane said. “We had a lot to sell, with our facilities, and our ability to sit down and get to know the coaches. That was the key.”

Crane’s reputation at Allen led to an invitation to serve as an assistant under former Kansas basketball coach Larry Brown for the 1985 National Sports Festival.

Brown and Crane coached the North Squad, whose players included Danny Manning, Jeff Grayer, Kenny Battle, Roy Marble and Rod Strickland.

“My job was to make sure the lights were on,” Crane laughed.

The North Squad won the gold medal that season.

Crane recalled sitting down to dinner with Brown and iconic basketball announcer Dick Vitale after the championship game.

The conversation turned to Crane’s son, Erik, who’d had a rough summer that year, suffering a broken leg and a concussion at different

points of the year. “Your son’s had a tough year,” Brown told Crane as he slid his gold medal toward the Allen coach. “Maybe this will make it a little better.”

“That’s the kind of guy Coach Brown is,” Crane said. “It was a great experience.”

Roberta recalled the times athletes would spend weekends at the Crane house.

“Those were the days when the college didn’t have meal plans,” Crane noted. “So she’d fix them chili or whatever. And we’d sit around watching football or basketball on Saturdays.”

THE STORIES continue to flow as Crane recalled some of his toughest rivals.

Coffeyville was always good for a knock-down battle.

Few, however, could match the fevered intensity of Allen’s rivalry with nearby Independence.

“I think there was a three-year period, where the only time we lost was to Independence,” Crane said. “And the only time Independence lost was to us.”

One year, Allen had already lost to the Pirates twice at the buzzer, and was about to match up a third time.

“I said, if they could

She guided Kansas City, Kansas, for four seasons, followed by stints at to Iowa Western University, the University of Missouri and the Independence women’s team.

Since 2021, she was has coached the ACC women, increasing their win total to 19 in 2022-23.

“She’s gonna have a good season this year, too,” her father predicted.

CRANE’S two sons, Erik and Mitch, excelled on the athletic field as players, but entered the business world upon graduation.

Erik is president and chief executive officer at CPI Technologies of Springfield, Mo.

Mitch is senior vice president of engineering and technology for Extract in Tulsa.

MAPLETON — Mapleton will celebrate “Hometown Proud” with its 2023 homecoming celebration this weekend.

A street dance from 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday around the city park kicks off the celebration.

Sunday begins bright and early with breakfast at 9, a com-

munity church service at 10 and lunch in the park for free-will donations.

A horseshoe pitch starts at noon, a parade follows at 1:30 p.m., a recognition program at 2:15, and kids games at 2:45.

Drawings are throughout the day, as well as vendors’ booths and a car show.

PUBLIC NOTICE

FIRST FIVE-YEAR REVIEW OF REMEDIAL ACTION COMPLETED

Former United Zinc and Associated Smelters NPL Superfund Site Iola, Allen County, Kansas – September 2023

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 is announcing the completion of its First Five-Year Review (FYR) of the cleanup remedy (also known as a site decision) at the Former United Zinc and Associated Smelters National Priorities List (NPL) Superfund Site (site). EPA has been working in the city of Iola, Kansas, to remediate (clean up) lead-contaminated yards since 2006, after initially detecting elevated heavy-metal levels, such as lead, in smelter waste, soil, and sediments across the city.

FYR Summary: With this FYR, EPA found that the Residential Yard remedy (also known as Operable Unit 1, or OU1) is working as intended. At this site, EPA has remediated approximately 1,103 residential properties (which includes yards and child high-use areas such as childcares, parks, and playgrounds). This approach at OU1 is expected to be protective of human health and the environment upon completion and will include the following activities:

• EPA will continue to test and clean up as many residential properties as possible at this site; additional properties are continually being sampled and remediated.

• EPA offers FREE soil lead testing and cleanup across Iola, Kansas. If your property has not been tested for potential lead contamination and/or cleaned up, please contact EPA (see contact listed below).

• EPA continues to work cooperatively with state and local partners – especially on-site outreach to the community, health education, and Institutional Controls (ICs) needed to maintain the remedy.

• EPA made a series of recommendations in the FYR to address other issues; see the FYR for details.

Lead is a toxic metal that is harmful if inhaled or swallowed and can pose serious health risks, particularly to children under 7 years old, as well as pregnant women and nursing mothers. FYRs provide an opportunity to evaluate site remedies to determine if they remain protective of human health and the environment. EPA is continuing the free residential soil lead testing and cleanup opportunity (remediation) across the site Information Repository: Site project information is available to the public at web repositories. To view Administrative Record files and other cleanup documents for this site, please visit EPA’s Site Profile page at: www.epa.gov/superfund/formerunitedzinc

Documents are also available during normal business hours at the following locations: EPA Region 7 Records Center, 11201 Renner Blvd., Lenexa KS 66219 (1-800-223-0425); and the Iola library, 218 E. Madison Ave, Iola, KS 66749 (620-365-3262) for individuals without internet access.

Annual Childhood Lead Testing: EPA also encourages parents and caregivers to have children under 7 tested for elevated blood lead levels annually. The only way to know if your child has an elevated blood lead level is to have his or her blood tested; lead-poisoned children do not always look or act sick. Your doctor can do a simple blood test. Talk to your pediatrician, general physician, or other health care professionals about testing your child and to arrange for lead screening, such as the Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Department in the Allen County Office (620-365-2191).

FYRs are required by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (commonly known as the Superfund law) due to hazardous substances remaining on-site above levels that permit unrestricted use and unlimited exposure. Please send questions and requests for site information to:

- Elizabeth Kramer, Community Involvement Coordinator, email: kramer.elizabeth@epa.gov, phone: 913-551-7186.

- Don Bahnke Remedial Project Manager, email: bahnke.don@epa.gov, phone: 913-551-7747.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 | 11201 Renner Boulevard, Lenexa, KS 66219 | Toll-free: 1-800-223-0425

Neil Crane once donned his pajamas for a latenight practice at Allen Community college. Here, he shares a laugh with B. Ellen Smith during the evening. COURTESY PHOTO

Iola Fire Department

From left, Sage Shaughnessy, Levi Ballou, Josh Jeffries, Michael Burnett, Tyler Wooten, Andy Hill, Fire Chief Corey Isbell, Eric B’Hymer, Zachary Wilper, Sarah Heisler, Dakota Parker, Brogan Nicholas and Ryan Chapman. Not pictured: Casy Weast, Kenneth Powell, Jeremy Ellington, Travis Knavel, Brad Vyhlidal, Justin Cease, Hunter Badger, Clayton Carpenter, Carter Grosse, Sarah McDaniel, Eric Sanders, Ashley Robb, Chris Bailey and Robert Mills.

Iola Police Department

Front row, left to right, Lt. Thomas Roush, Officer Levi Anstaett, Lt. Tim Francis, Officer Julia Thompson, Sgt. Bob Droessler, Lt. Brandon Andres, Officer Mike Ford, Chief Jared Warner; back row, Officer Mike Aronson, Officer Matthew Komma, Admin. Asst. Nina Houk, Detective Jared Froggatte, CRO Danny Rodriguez, Officer Dalton Houk, Detective David Shelby and Officer Nate Jackson. Not pictured: Lt. Chad Reeves, Officer Martin Schomaker and Officer Dillon Simpson.

Drop in demand for CBD oil affects hemp production

By DYLAN LYSEN Kansas News Service

A drop in CBD oil production in Kansas appears to be causing a huge reduction in the number of farmers growing hemp.

When the state launched its program to oversee the newly legalized crop in 2019, more than 200 farmers signed up. This year, only 41 secured licenses from the state to grow it.

Before the drop in demand, most Kansas hemp was used to make CBD oil, a product used for health purposes and as an additive for food.

But industrial hemp experts say there is still a growing market for other hemp products — like fiber for clothing and grain for animal feed.

“There’s been a reduction in the number of growers and the number of acres on the CBD side,” said Sarah Stephens, CEO of Midwest Hemp Technologies in Augusta. “But there’s been an increase in the number of growers and number of acres on the fiber and grain side.”

Hemp is related to cannabis, but hemp varieties have very low levels of the psychoactive compound THC.

The U.S. government legalized growing hemp in 2018, effectively making cannabidiol, or CBD, legal in all 50 states. The following year, Kansas began regulating the crop and a rush of farmers registered to grow it.

Supporters of hemp hyped it as a promising crop because of the popularity of CBD oil, especially in states that have not legalized medical or recreational marijuana use.

But the demand for CBD appears to have dropped off, and with it the need for hemp plants to produce it.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture reported 90% of hemp produced in Kansas between 2019 and 2020 was used for CBD oil production. This year, that’s dropped to less than 5%.

Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kelsey Olson said the first few years of hemp production in Kansas were propelled by a strong CBD market. But since that time, more states have legalized the use of recreational marijuana, including neighboring Missouri. Now only a handful of states like Kansas completely prohibit the use of marijuana.

Legalized products made from marijuana may be more enticing than CBD to some customers.

“The landscape has changed over the last few years across the country,” Olson said, “I think that may have shifted some of the use.”

But the farmers and processors who have stuck with the crop contend that there is still value in other

hemp markets. The plant’s fiber can be used for everything from clothing to biodegradable plastic alternatives.

Melissa Nelson is the co-owner of South Bend Industrial Hemp, a processing facility in Great Bend. She said her business ignored the CBD fad and focused on processing hemp for fiber. The biggest market she sees now is using hemp stalks for stronger animal bedding than the standard straw bedding. That decision appears to have paid off. Despite the drop in hemp farmers statewide, Nelson said her business continues to grow.

“More farmers,” Nelson said, “are growing for fiber and grain production instead of cannabinoids.”

Stephens said there are also hemp markets that Kansas farmers are not yet capitalizing on. For instance, Stephens said health food stores sell hemp grain food products. But not enough U.S. farmers are producing the grain needed for those products, so they are mostly imported from Canada.

To counteract that, Stephens said she’s part of a group of Kansans hemp producers working to educate farmers on the unlocked potential of the fiber and grain markets. If successful, Stephens said Kansas could become a major producer of the crop.

WORSHIP WITH US AREA

CHURCH DIRECTORY

The Board of County Commissioners of Allen County, Kansas (the “County”), has heretofore, pursuant to resolution duly adopted, declared it advisable to acquire and construct improvements and additions to the Allen County Courthouse (the “Project”) at an

upon application to the County Clerk set forth below pursuant to K.S.A. 25-1117 et seq.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The following additional information is provided by the County with respect to compliance with the provisions of K.S.A. 10-120a and K.S.A. 12-6,122. This information has been obtained from sources deemed reliable by the County. Certain portions of this information are based upon projections. No assurances can be given that these projections will be accurate as of the date of issuance of the bonds due to changing market conditions, any changes in assessed valuation of the County, changes in the amount of state financial aid received by the County and other matters unknown or unavailable at this time. The projected rates of property taxation to be used to pay the principal of and interest on the Bonds are based upon the current assessed valuation of the County, the assumed principal repayment schedule and the average interest rates from recent bond issues for similar types of financings and the current level of state financial aid the County would receive with respect to the bonds, all as shown below.

judicial offices, and secure entry and lobby; renovation of the existing judicial area to include secure areas, a jury room, conference rooms, ADA accessibility, and judicial offices, storage and work space; and all other necessary and related improvements; all pursuant to the provisions of K.S.A. 10 101 et seq. and K.S.A. 19-15,114 et seq., as amended?

To vote in favor of any question submitted on this ballot, make a cross or a check mark in the square to the left of the word “Yes.” To vote against it, make a cross or a check mark in the square to the left of the word “No.” O YES

O NO

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The polls will open at 7:00 o’clock A.M. and will close at 7:00 o’clock P.M., on November 7, 2023, the election day. The voting places in the County, and the area each voting place will serve, will be as follows:

Voters Residing in Precinct, Will Vote at, Location East Elm, West Elm & Deer Creek Townships, Gas Community Building, 624 W. Pine, Gas, KS 66742 North & South Elsmore, Marmaton, Osage Townships, Moran Senior/ Community Center, 407 N. Cedar, Moran, KS 66755 Humboldt City, Ward 1&2, Cottage Grove, Humboldt, Logan, Salem Townships, Humboldt Methodist Church, 806 N. Ninth St., Humboldt, KS 66748

Iola City, Wards 1,2, 3 & 4, Carlyle, Geneva, North & South Iola Townships, North Community Building, 505 N. Buckeye, Iola, KS 66749

The election will be conducted by the officers and/or persons provided by law for holding elections, and the method of voting will be by ballot. Registered voters are eligible to vote by advance voting ballot

(First published in The Iola Register Sept. 2, 2023) IN

DISTRICT COURT OF ALLEN COUNTY, KANSAS

In the Matter of the Estate of MARY L. QUECKBOERNER, Deceased Case No. AL-2023-PR-000016 NOTICE OF HEARING

THE STATE OF KANSAS TO ALL PERSONS CONCERNED:

You are hereby notified a Petition has been filed in this Court by Traci Hermsen, the duly appointed, qualified and acting Administrator of the Estate of Mary Louise Queckboerner, deceased, requesting that her acts be approved; her account be settled and allowed; the heirs be determined; the Estate be assigned to

Contact

the persons entitled thereto; the administration of the Estate be closed; and the Petitioner be finally discharged as Administrator and released from further liability.

You are required to file your written defenses to the Petition on or before September 26, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. in the District Court of Allen County, Kansas, 1 North Washington Ave., Room B, Iola, KS 66749, at which time and place the cause will be heard. Should you fail to file your written defenses, judgment and decree will be entered in due course upon the Petition.

Traci Hermsen, Administrator KNIGHT LAW, LLC Jacob T. Knight 6 E. Jackson Ave. Iola, KS 66749 (P): (620) 305-2598 Attorney for Petitioner (9) 2, 13, 16

Ex-US intelligence officer for North Korea raises alarm on nukes

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP)

— The founder of North Korea’s ruling dynasty, an isolationist totalitarian leader named Kim Il Sung, was still building some of the country’s first nuclear facilities when Syd Seiler arrived on the Korean Peninsula as a young U.S. military intelligence officer.

Over the four decades since, Seiler has watched closely as Kim, his son and now his grandson have clung to their nuclear program and developed the potential to lob nuclear warheads at the U.S. and its allies if they choose.

Now Seiler is freshly retired after decades of advising presidents, military commanders and diplomats, making reported secret trips to North Korea and serving as a lead negotiator on talks to contain its nuclear program. And he has a parting message to American leaders: Don’t be discouraged.

North Korea’s fiery rounds of missile test launches are no reason to give up on the international sanctions and pressure, or to simply accept that the ruling Kim family is now a nuclear-armed power, Seiler told The Associated Press this week.

“That’s a failure of deterrence?” he asked, rhetorically. “That’s nonsense. We’re deterring an attack.”

Seiler helped shape the U.S. policy of deterrence, diplomacy and international pressure to deal with the nuclear threat. Following are some of his conclusions, drawing on his decades of experience before retiring this summer as the U.S. national intelligence officer for North Korea:

NORTH KOREAN LOGIC Seiler sees a strategy and a rhythm to the single-minded nuclear and missile expansion, the rounds of U.S. and South Korean military exercises and North Korean test launches, and the blustery threats, as when the government of Kim Jong Un — grandson of the founding ruler — threatens a “deluge of fire” on neighboring

South Korea. But the Kim family’s worry is not so much about an attack from outside, Seiler argues. He said in sticking to the nuclear program even at the expense of North Korea’s economy, Kim Jong Un has taken a lesson from deposed Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. A firing squad abruptly ended the communist leader’s rule in 1989 when his people rose up against him.

Having cut North Koreans off from most contact with the outside world, Kim Jong Un, his father and his grandfather before him have seen their regime’s survival as lying in convincing their people the country is a worker’s paradise under threat from the outside world, and only the Kim family and its nuclear weapons can protect them, the former intelligence officer said.

the use of force,” Seiler said, referring to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

“And suddenly whether Kim, either directly signaled or indirectly signaled by the new relationship with Vladimir Putin, sees a flashing yellow light or green light to engage in similar military actions against” enemy South Korea, he said.

America’s newly retired national intelligence officer for North Korea points to growing concern the north is building up its nuclear capabilities.

“That would be the worst-of-all fears scenarios,” he said.

But that’s much less likely, he said. “I don’t think what Russia wants to do is to seek a relationship with North Korea in any way that significantly leads to instability in the region.”

THREAT TO SOUTH

KOREA

Actions prioritizing the nuclear program over the feeding of your people seem irrational, Seiler said. “But in terms of the logic of North Korea, they make sense.”

RUSSIA TIES

U.S. officials have said Kim Jong Un may travel to Russia this month for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, who they say is looking to North Korea to supply ammunition for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Kim “probably sees in this meeting an opportunity to join hands with a like-minded fellow anti-U.S. leader,” Seiler said.

Worrisome possible outcomes include Russia helping North Korea beef up “its pretty antiquated ... museum-ready” conventional forces or its weapons of mass destruction, Seiler said.

“And of course, the worst-case scenario is that Kim Jong Un is watching a leader seeking to ... achieve strategic objectives through

Even this year, one U.S. intelligence assessment has been that Kim Jong Un would continue to be a bellicose neighbor for South Korea and an unpleasant member of the global community — but was unlikely to actually wage nuclear war at least through 2030.

But Seiler and others see growing reasons to worry now about what Kim may have planned for South Korea, its democratically governed and U.S.-allied neighbor.

As Kim expands and improves his nuclear arsenal beyond what he would need for deterrence, he has sharpened his threats toward the south in the past 1 1/2 years while honing ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S., South Korea’s protector, Seiler noted.

“North Korea was clearly developing capabilities that would enhance its position visà-vis South Korea. And so going forward, this is where the room for concern is,” Seiler said.

Coupled with growing domestic debate in South Korea about how much the country should rely on the United States’ protection, there’s “kind of an awakening of a

Judge: Group seeks answers

Continued from A1

cers searching her living room died one day after the raid. Before the dust settled, Marion County’s attorney withdrew the warrants on grounds of “insufficient evidence.” The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said seized items including computers, telephones and other reporting equipment taken by local law enforcement had to be returned to owners.

In addition, Keri Strahler of Topeka filed a complaint against Viar with the Commission on Judicial Conduct. Commission members met Sept. 1 to consider her complaint. Two members of the ethics panel recused themselves, but the remainder agreed it was important for the judge to respond to the complaint. The case also was added to the commission’s Novem-

ber agenda.

Viar, a 2003 graduate of the Washburn University law school, assumed the magistrate’s job less than one year ago. The 8th district magistrate performs court duties for Dickinson, Geary, Morris and Marion counties. She was Morris County attorney from 2005 to 2022 and worked as city attorney of Cottonwood Falls from 2015 to 2022.

Viar signed search warrants at the request of Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody, who was named chief after resigning from the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department rather than be demoted for purportedly creating a toxic work environment.

Eric Meyer, publisher and co-owner of the newspaper, said staff at the publication had angered Cody prior to the raid by seeking infor-

mation about his background in law enforcement.

One reporter at the weekly newspaper filed a federal lawsuit against Cody following the raid for an alleged violation of her constitutional rights.

The Marion Record’s attorney, Bernie Rhodes, said law enforcement authorities exceeded boundaries of the search warrants. It was secured based on an assertion a Record reporter somehow violated state law by looking up information on a public website of the Kansas Department of Revenue about a restaurant owner’s driving license status.

Subscribers have unique access to

North Korea threat that, frankly, we should have caught on to a couple of decades ago,” he said.

Denial or wishful thinking may have led some in the West to overlook the implications of the growing threat for a time, he said, although the intelligence community was well aware.

Meanwhile, Putin is battling in Ukraine to reclaim what he maintains is Russia’s historical territory, and the U.S. and its allies are paying growing attention to China’s stated openness to reclaiming Taiwan by force if need be.

It’s all “helped create an environment where this issue of what Kim Jong Un might choose

to do in the use of force domain, backed by his nuclear weapons, is a greater subject of debate than it was even a year ago,” Seiler noted. How strong is that risk right now?

“Well, I think right now Kim is deterred,” Seiler said.

‘I WAS BROUGHT TO TEARS’

Among his experiences in North Korea that stood out, Seiler pointed to watching a landmark 1983 Korean television show. Unscripted, the show turned into an emotional, marathon, 453-hour live broadcast that reunited Korean families divided under Japanese colonization or during World War II

and the Korean War. For Koreans, the broadcast laid bare the heartache of separated families in the Cold War. It led to what would be sporadic and brief North-South reunions across the rigidly divided Korean Peninsula.

“’I grew up here. I lost my sister there. My little sister had a birthmark there,’’’ Seiler said, recounting those who called in to the show. “And someone would call in and say, ‘Hey, are you so-and-so?”’

“I was brought to tears by it,” Seiler said.

“But it’s also a reminder,” Seiler said. “We can never let the humanitarian dimensions of this issue fall off the table.”

Shirley: European trip affirming

Continued from A1

their respective parents. To his mother, Roberta was “that red-headed Catholic.”

To her father, Bill was “an unpromising Presbyterian.” They married anyway. He was on leave from an overseas tour. The ceremony was at a chapel on Fort Benning, recently renamed Fort Moore. She was 20; he was 19.

Bill served in the Army for 22 years. For almost half of that time, he served in Germany, Japan and Thailand.

Marriages frequently suffered from the demands of military life. Spouses are separated for long periods of time. The very nature of the job can put members in harm’s way.

When once queried by a fellow serviceman the secret of his marriage, he replied, “Roberta is the perfect military wife. I do whatever she asks.”

The couple had four children. Tim was born in Fort Benning, Ga.; Susan in Germany; Scott in Garnett, and Sara in Japan. Scott, then of Iola, passed away in 2009.

Susan is a retired Colonel in the Air Force who now works as a nurse practitioner.

“She followed Roberta’s footsteps,” who worked as a registered nurse for 30 years.

“She was such a perfectionist,” Bill recalled. “She made

straight A’s all through high school and college. She once got a B-plus and cried.”

Following his military service, Bill devoted the next 20-plus years to education with the Iola school district and Allen Community College.

“If you’re ever having a bad day, go to a kindergarten or first grade class,” he advised.

“You’ll automatically feel better.”

AS YOU CAN tell, Bill wasn’t so much interested in recalling the trip’s itinerary. He didn’t take pictures or keep a log. But the friends, he’ll never forget.

Bill Shirley is surrounded by friends and family, including Jim and Karen Gilpin at left, at a restaurant in Vienna. PHOTO COURTESY OF KAREN GILPIN

Syd Seiler speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Washington. Seiler is freshly retired after decades of advising presidents, making reported secret trips to North Korea and serving as a lead U.S. negotiator on talks to contain its nuclear program. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Front row from left to right, Michael Lilly, Travis Baughn, Dan Rider, Jerred Findley; back row from left to right, Terry Johnson, Justin Pritchard, Jackson Meats, Fire Chief Darrell Baughn, Jason Trego and Brogan Nicholas. Not pictured: Julia Thompson, currently serving in Hawaii with the National Guard, and Randy Slocum.

Front row from left, Jennifer Friend, Dinah Glaze and Brenda Beth; second row, Stephanie Vest, Karma Knavel, Jeanne Carson, Daniel McMurray, Nicole Gibson and Haley Donovan; third row, Sheriff Bryan Murphy, Steve Womack, Dathan McMurtrey, Justin Thompson, Chad Thompson, Wayne Carson and Brian Plumlee; back row, Austin Dixon, Travis Buck, Undersheriff Raymond Hale, Tyler Powelson, Alex Reynolds, Daren Kellerman, Dalton Altis, Terry McDonald.

Not pictured: Patrick Cash, John Walker, Lisa Sears, Bryce Andres, Levi Lampe, Shane Smith, Seth Pollet, Doug Campbell, Bethannie Yarnell, Dallas Merritt, Jaden Hart, Kayla Garber, Cole Hanson, Colton Slocum.

Humboldt Police Department

Front row from left to right, John Johnson, Drake Tilman, Paul Ornelas, Ty Wooden, Police Chief Shannon Moore; back row from left to right: Sheri Modlin, Daniel McMurray and Stevey McBeth. Not pictured: Sheri Smith and Josh Miller.

Allen County 911 Center

Front row from left, Theresa Francis, Breail Thompson, Karen Kimball, Angie Tatman; back row from left, Roberta Ellis, Brian Thompson and William Salava. Not pictured: Director Chelsie Decker, Jackson Meats, Jason Trego and Roy Harman.

Elsmore/Savonburg Volunteer Fire Dept.

Front row from left, Travis Friend, David Janssen, Michael Beggs, Luke Becker, Tristen Shrock; back row from left, Chad Starliper, Jerry Kauffman, Fire Chief Jay Jackman, John Starliper and Assistant Chief Gary Beggs. Not pictured: Alex Henderson.

Humboldt Volunteer Fire Department

Front row from left, Fire Chief Sean McReynolds, Reece Criger, Thad Wells, Kent Goodner, Donny VanLeeuwen, Dylan Blanchard; back row from from left, Derrick Onnen, Mark Slater, Daren Peters, John Hole, Seth Hegwald and Jason Hegwald. Not pictured: Logan Yokum, Randy Modlin, Dalton Modlin, Drake Tilman, Wayne Carson, Nathan Ellison, Scott Lucke, Mike Barfoot.

Sports Daily B

Saturday, September 9, 2023

Yates Center medals at Lyndon

LYNDON — The Yates Center cross country team had three runners medal at the Lyndon Cross Country Invitational on Thursday.

Laken Culver earned an eighth-place medal in the seventh grade twomile race with a time of 15:38. Asher Arnold took an eighth-place medal in the junior varsity 5K with a time of 23:23 and Jalynn Birk won first place in the junior varsity 5K race with a time of 28:27..

Local runners hit stride at Fort Scott

By QUINN BURKITT

FORT SCOTT — Cross country runners from Iola, Marmaton Valley and Crest met at the Fort Scott Invitational Thursday afternoon.

Josie Walter finished highest of all local runners, coming in second in the varsity girls 5000-meter run.

Marmaton Valley’s Sophia Heim came in third place in the junior varsity girls 5000-meter run.

“Josie’s a workaholic. Her focus now is working on not starting so fast in races,” Crest head coach Kaitlyn Cummings said. “She’s learning she can gradually get faster, save energy and

be able to use it more toward the middle and end of races.”

Rankings in the varsity boys 5000-meter race were:

10. Gunner Ellington, Crest, 19:06.72; 12. Cole Moyer, Iola, 19:15.44; 26. Keegan Hill, Iola, 20:32.14; 31. Brennen Coffield, Iola, 21:02.05;

33. Elijah Taylor, Crest, 21:11.34; 49. Ryan West, Crest, 23:52.11.

“The varsity boys have always done a great job of finding their teammates in races and closing the gap between them,” said Iola head coach Brittany Daugharthy.

“It’s always exciting to see how their race strategies help each other. These guys are able to focus on the race at hand, but be thinking of

ways to push each other.”

Placings in the JV boys 5000-meter race were: 19. Kaiden Vega, Iola, 24:34.21; 27. Brendon Newman, Marmaton Valley, 25:09.89; 33. Joshua Wanker, Iola, 26:13.27.

“There is a great atmosphere with this team,” said Daugharthy. “They are a positive group, usually laughing while pushing each other. In the six years I’ve coached, this is by far the youngest team we’ve had. But our veterans are doing a great job of making cross country a positive experience for our new runners.”

Placings in the varsity girls 5000-meter run were: 2. Josie Walter, Crest, 20:54.13; 4. Peyton Schmidt,

Crest, 22:22.19; 14. Aubrey Allen, Crest, 25:11.66; 21. Kaylee Allen, Crest, 27:05.26.

“We’re progressing the way we want to this season, each course changes and I was really impressed last night,” Crest head coach Kaitlyn Cummings said. “It’s not going to happen all at once. To get better you have to put forth the effort and want to get better.”

Placings in the JV girls 5000-meter were: 3. Sophia Heim, Marmaton Valley, 27:14.07; 4. Lynsie Fehr, Iola, 27:32.65; 8. Mahaile Genoble, Iola, 28:28.82.

Iola travels to Parsons while Marmaton Valley and Crest are both at Wellsville next Thursday.

Lions rally to beat Chiefs 21-20 in NFL opener

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) —

The Lions walked into roaring Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night, where the Kansas City Chiefs are nearly unbeatable and were trying to open their latest Super Bowl title defense with a win, and proved what Detroit coach Dan Campbell has come to know in turning around the long downtrodden franchise.

“This is a resilient team,” Campbell said. “We’re built to handle some stuff.”

Now, everyone else knows it too.

Under the bright spotlight of the NFL’s season opener, Jared Goff threw for 253 yards

and a touchdown, new Lions running back David Montgomery ran for the go-ahead score late in the game and Detroit held on for a 21-20 victory over the Chiefs.

“We expected to win this game,” said Campbell, who won just three games his first season but led the Lions to eight wins over their final 10 games a year ago, when they went 9-8 and narrowly missed the playoffs. “We came in here, knew what we needed to do, knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and we did that. We won.”

Amon-Ra St. Brown had six catches for 71 yards and a

score, and Lions rookie Brian Branch returned Patrick Mahomes’ first pick in an opener 50 yards for another touchdown, helping Detroit snap the Chiefs’ eight-game Week 1 winning streak.

The Lions also snapped their own five-game skid in season openers.

“A lot of work has been put in this offseason,” Goff said, “and you want to start off winning the first one, and we did that today. We didn’t play the best on offense, I thought the defense kept us in the game, but we found a way.”

The Lions were trying to run out the clock when Goff’s

fourth-down pass near midfield was batted down with 2:30 left, giving the Chiefs a chance. But they made a mess of it: Kadarius Toney dropped a potential 20-yard gain, a deep completion was called back for holding, Skyy Moore dropped a pass and a false start left Mahomes heaving a fourth-and-25 throw downfield.

When it fell incomplete and Detroit took over, Montgomery ran for a first down and the Lions ran out the clock.

Mahomes finished with 226 yards passing and two

See CHIEFS | Page B2

Also finishing in the seventh grade contest were Culver took eighth place with a time of 15:38, Joseph Bishop, 19th place, 17:41, Connor Bysfield, 22nd place, 18:03. Decembyr Garrett took 21st place in the girls seventh grade two-mile with a time of 22:44.

In the eighth grade two-mile race, Isaac Stoll took 17th place with a time of 16 minutes while Maddox Bysfield took 24th place with a time of 19:40.

The Wildcats compete at the John Anderson cross country meet in Wellsville Tuesday at 4 p.m.

IMS splits wins at

Fort Scott

By QUINN BURKITT The Iola Register

The Iola Middle School Mustangs split a couple of home games against Fort Scott on Thursday.

Iola’s eighth grade team squeaked out a 2422 victory before Fort Scott won the seventh grade contest, 36-14.

The eighth grade Mustangs scored a touchdown in each of the first three quarters and held Fort Scott scoreless in the second. Iola also held the Tigers to six points in the opening quarter due to a failed two-point conversion which ultimately determined the win.

Iola’s seventh-graders didn’t wake up until the second half when they scored all of their points, one touchdown in each of the third and fourth quarters. Fort Scott struck for 24 points before halftime, adding two more in the third quarter for the double-digit lead.

Eighth grade Iola scored a touchdown and two-point conversion in each of the first two quarters. Reginald Davis rushed for

See MUSTANGS | Page B3

Iola’s Kaiden Vega, No. 1642 at left, begins the JV boys 5000-meter run at Fort Scott Thursday. REGISTER/QUINN BURKITT

Iola’s Cole Moyer, right, leads the pack in the varsity 5000-meter run. REGISTER/QUINN BURKITT

Crest’s Kaylee Allen, right. REGISTER/QUINN BURKITT

The Iola Register

Chiefs: Stunned by Lions in season opener

Continued from B1

touchdowns, despite his receivers dropping a slew of passes. He also was the leading rusher for the Chiefs, whose self-inflicted wounds proved too much to overcome.

“Got to be better,” Mahomes said.

There had been equal parts anticipation and anxiety leading up to the game in Kansas City, where the Chiefs had celebrated their previous Lombardi Trophy in the midst of a pandemic, and only about 18,000 fans were able to join in the revelry.

Hundreds began tailgating outside the Arrowhead Stadium parking lots 14 hours before kickoff Thursday, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell along with about 80,000 more people joined them to see the Chiefs raise their latest championship banner. That was the anticipation. The anxiety came from the absence of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and fellow All-Pro Chris Jones, who is in the midst of a contract holdout. The defensive tackle was expected to miss the opener, but Kelce had only been questionable since Tuesday, when he hyperextended his knee in the final full practice before game day.

“It wasn’t feeling right,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “I wasn’t going to put him out there with that, and he was honest with me.”

Detroit scored first in a showdown of two of

the league’s top offenses a year ago. Goff took advantage of a clean pocket, thanks in part to Jones sitting in a stadium suite, to march down field and find St. Brown with a 9-yard touchdown pass.

The Chiefs answered with Mahomes finding five different wide receivers on a long drive, the last of them rookie Rashee Rice, who atoned for an earlier drop by snaring a short touchdown pass to knot the game at 7-apiece.

It remained that way until Campbell made a questionable decision late in the half.

The Chiefs were facing fourth-and-2 near midfield but had been called for holding, and rather than decline it, Campbell chose to push them back. Mahomes responded to thirdand-17 by hitting Marquez Valdes-Scantling with a 24-yard strike. He

added a 26-yard pass to Justin Watson, then hit Blake Bell with a short TD throw to give the Chiefs a 14-7 halftime lead.

With the Lions’ offense still going nowhere in the second half, the defense stepped up. Branch caught a pass that bounced off Toney’s hands and found nothing but 50 yards of grass separating him from the end zone and a 14-all tie.

Up to that point, Mahomes had thrown 20 touchdown passes without an interception in five-plus season openers. The Chiefs tacked on two field goals, but the missed chances to get into the end zone proved costly. The Lions followed up Harrison Butker’s second kick by driving 75 yards, twice converting on third down, with Montgomery capping the march with a 9-yard touch-

Sabalenka edges Keys in US Open semifinal

NEW YORK (AP) — Way down and almost out, Aryna Sabalenka just kept reminding herself the match wasn’t over until the final point.

Then she momentarily forgot that it hadn’t arrived.

Sabalenka refocused after a premature victory celebration to wrap up a 0-6, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (10-5) victory over Madison Keys on Thursday night and reach her first U.S. Open final.

She wasn’t sure how she was going to get there when the hard-hitting Keys rolled through the first set in 30 minutes and opened a 5-3 lead in the second.

“You just have to keep trying, keep staying there, and keep pushing it. Maybe you’ll be able to turn around this game,” Sabalenka said. “Lucky me, somehow magically, I don’t know how, I was able to turn around this game.”

down run that gave Detroit the the lead for good.

“The Lions did a heck of a job. They capitalized on a couple of things and we’ve got to fix it,” Reid said. “I liked the aggressiveness on the defensive side. There were some good things on offense. We just have to be more consistent.”

STREAK ENDS

The Lions’ Marvin Jones fumbled away a good scoring chance in the second quarter, when Trent McDuffie knocked the ball out deep in Kansas City territory. It was the veteran wide receiver’s first fumble in his 12-year career and came on his 563rd touch, the longest active streak in the NFL.

LATEST ON KELCE

Kelce had a bone bruise and some swelling in his knee, though tests taken after the injury in practice showed no ligament damage.

The Australian Open champion had been just 1-5 in Grand Slam semifinals, including losses the last two years in the round in New York. The second-seeded Sabalenka will face No. 6-seeded Coco Gauff on Saturday.

She did it by taking the two tiebreakers by a combined 17-6, able to laugh off her mistake in the second one.

When she moved out front 7-3, she dropped her racket and put her hands to

See US OPEN | Page B3

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) celebrates his 8-yard touchdown run against the Kansas City Chiefs. JAMIE SQUIRE/GETTY IMAGES/TNS

No. 15 K-State looks to avoid another non-conference letdown

MANHATTAN, Kan.

(AP) — Kansas State began last season with a shutout of South Dakota, ran roughshod through Missouri in Week 2, then faced a team from Tulane that the Wildcats were expected to beat at home.

They were dumped 17-10 and left searching for answers. The Wildcats quickly found them, beating Oklahoma the following week and rolling to the Big 12 title game, where they beat College Football Playoff participant TCU for the championship. Those answers have stuck with the No. 15 Wildcats through a shutout

of Southeast Missouri State to open the season and with Troy visiting Saturday — a team much like the Green Wave, talented and successful.

“We don’t want to have a moment like that where we have to kind of have a little reality check to learn from,” said Kansas State quarterback Will Howard, who threw for 297 yards and two scores while running for a touchdown and catching a TD pass in the 45-0 romp over the Redhawks. “We don’t want to have, like, a hiccup to come back from, you know?”

Perhaps the Wildcats

(1-0) were overconfident a year ago. Or maybe they were looking ahead to their trip to Oklahoma. Whatever the reason, coach Chris

Klieman’s bunch look nothing like the team that beat the Sooners when they lost to Tulane.

“Any team can beat

US Open: Semifinals sees Keys downed

Continued from B2

her face, covering a huge smile after believing she’d won. But tiebreakers in decisive sets go to 10 points.

So Sabalenka quickly realized there was work to be done and finished the job on her third match point.

Sabalenka, the 25-year-old from Belarus, was already assured of rising to the top of the women’s rankings on Monday even if she lost.

It appeared that’s what she was going to do when the 17th-seed-

ed Keys served for the match at 5-4 in the second. Sabalenka broke at love.

“Obviously, I started really well. I don’t think she was playing her best at the start,”

Keys said. “Then, from the second set, it just got a lot closer. I was obviously up a break, and I think serving for it I was tight. She played free. Then from there, it just seemed like it was really kind of neck and neck.”

Early in that second set, after getting broken, Sabalenka went

over to the corner near her guest box and slammed her racket on a towel box. Then she chucked her racket toward her entourage, but it didn’t quite reach them and landed on the court.

But though she looked frustrated, she was remaining positive.

“Obviously, I was keep reminding myself that I lost a lot of tough matches,” Sabalenka said. “I mean, one day all those matches should just, like, help me somehow.”

Mustangs: Defeat Fort Scott

Continued from B1

82 yards and Reed Clift threw for a touchdown pass.

“We battled this game,” Iola head coach Scott Ellis said. “We were up with a nice three-touchdown lead but let them back in it. A couple of pass plays hurt us defensively and an onside kick we weren’t able to come up with. Even so, I am so proud of how we came up with the win.”

Kevon Loving made a 29-yard touchdown, rushed for 53 yards total and recovered a fumble.

Clift scampered in for a seven-yard touchdown.

Clift’s longest pass went for 38 yards to Davis.

Noah Anderson led the Mustangs on defense with nine tackles, followed by Loving and Clift’s seven tackles apiece. Colton Thompson also made three tackles. Brycen Baker, Anderson and Davis each made one sack.

“Our boys executed well. Great job by our linemen tonight giving us time to pass and opening up the holes for runs,” said Ellis. “Any time you can step outside of the league and get a win with a football powerhouse is huge. Our boys stepped up.”

Seventh grade Iola’s seventh grade team was shown up when Fort Scott went for 30 points between the second and third quarters in a 36-14 loss for the Mustangs.

Iola’s Emerson Broden ran for a team-high 42 yards followed by Lucas Boeken for 37 yards. Broden threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Henry Kramer as well as an interception to Fort

Scott. The Mustangs also fumbled the ball three times, proving costly.

“Defensively, we struggled making any stops. Offensively, we stubbed our toes a couple times in the first half but played much better in the second,” Ellis said. “I’m proud of the boys playing until the end, but

we know we need to keep working and improving.”

Boeken also led the charge defensively with a team-high seven tackles and Kramer went for four tackles.

Harley Tidd and Broden went for three tackles apiece. Iola travels to Anderson County next Thursday at 4 p.m.

Keys was trying for a second trip to the U.S. Open final, where she lost to Sloane Stephens in 2017. She had her upper left leg taped before the third set but said the injury didn’t affect her.

“I think everyone at the start of the tournament would obviously be really, really excited to be in the semis,” Keys said, breaking into tears. “Right now it sucks. But I just think being able to take this and turn it to a positive is really possible.”

you. I don’t really care what level they’re at,” Klieman said. “And that’s not just physically, that’s mentally; that’s emotionally. (Troy) is a really good football team and could beat a lot of Power Five schools.”

Indeed, the Trojans (1-0) played Ole Miss tough a year ago, and South Carolina down to the wire in 2021. They have two wins over Big 12 teams, beating ex-member Missouri in 2004 and Oklahoma State three years later. And they were 12-2 last season, winning the Sun Belt and the Cure Bowl while finishing 19th in the final AP Top 25 poll.

They opened last week with a 48-30 win over perennial FCS power Stephen F. Austin.

“The biggest part of this game is really putting us on the map,” said Troy offensive lineman Eli Russ, who played at Kansas State when he was at Oklahoma State. “I think a lot of people kind of doubt us. They say we’re a little bit of a smaller school. We’re not as athletic as these guys. But I disagree with that. I think we work harder than almost anybody.”

The question is

whether hard work can overcome the Trojans’ shortcomings on the road against a Big 12 power. “If we don’t play a lot better,” Troy coach Jon Sumrall warned, “it will be a blowout against us. This is a legitimate top-20 football team. If our guys aren’t excited about getting ready for this game, we’ve got problems.”

TROJANS’ HORSE

Troy running back Kimani Vidal ran for a school-record 248 yards on 25 carries a week ago. He’s eclipsed 200 yards in three of his last five games, and Vidal needs just 845 yards the rest of the season to break the school’s career rushing mark. “He had some big home runs,” Klieman said. “He’s a physical runner. He’s got great vision, great quickness.”

NON-POWER FIVE WOES

Along with losing to Tulane last season, the Wildcats lost to Arkansas State in their only non-conference game during the 2020 season, which was altered dramatically by the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Kansas State is 3-0 against non-conference Power Five opponents during

See KSU | Page B7

Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson (5) runs for a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Southeast Missouri State. AP PHOTO/CHARLIE RIEDEL

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Allen Community College Notice of Non-Discrimination

disability in admissions, educational programs or activities, and employment; all as required by applicable laws and regulations under Title II, Title VI, Title IX, and Section 504. Inquiries concerning discrimination should be directed to the Vice President for Student Affairs, Allen Community College, 1801 N Cottonwood St, Iola, KS 66749, 620-365-5116, vpsa@allencc.edu. Allen Community College offers these degree and cer@cate programs for all students regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, or disability: AA, AS, AGS, MS, Career and Technical Education Certificates, and programs leading to licensure. Admission criteria include a completed application, high school transcript or proof of GED completion, and transcripts from any other cdleges attended.

allencc.edu

Ex-Philadelphia police officer surrenders

PHILADELPHIA (AP)

— A former Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed a driver who was sitting in his car turned himself in Friday morning and will now face murder charges in the fatal shooting.

Former Officer Mark Dial surrendered on a criminal warrant and was scheduled to be arraigned later Friday. The district attorney said the charges against Dial include murder, official oppression and other counts. His attorney said the shooting was justified.

The district attorney’s office also released police bodycam footage of the fatal shooting of

27-year-old Eddie Irizarry. It showed Dial firing his weapon through the driver’s side window of Irizarry’s sedan during a vehicle stop on Aug. 14. Dial shot Irizarry about seven seconds after getting out of a police SUV and striding over to Irizarry’s car, according to the video. Six shots were fired.

The videos, pulled from Dial’s body-worn camera and the camera of a second officer on the scene, “are crucial evidence in the case and in many ways they speak for themselves,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said at a news conference.

Dial’s attorney, For-

tunato N. Perri Jr., said a vigorous defense was planned.

“Despite what has been portrayed to the media, the facts will unmistakably show that Officer Mark Dial was legally justified in discharging his weapon while fearing for his life,” Perri said in an email to The Associated Press.

Authorities have said Dial shot Irizarry as he sat in his car after officers spotted the car driving erratically around noon Aug. 14 and followed it for several blocks. Then, officers approached as the driver turned the wrong way down a one-way

street and stopped. The department backtracked after initially claiming the officers made a traffic stop and shot a person outside the vehicle after he “lunged at” police with a knife. Outgoing Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said a review of the officers’ bodyworn cameras “made it very clear that what we initially reported was not actually what happened.”

Dial, who has been on the force for five years, was suspended with intent to dismiss after officials said he refused to cooperate in the investigation of the killing.

Teen dies after one-chip challenge

By JOSEPH WILKERSON New York Daily News/

The company behind the “One Chip Challenge” is removing its extremely spicy products from store shelves following a teenager’s death.

“The Paqui One Chip Challenge is intended for adults only, with clear and prominent labeling highlighting the chip is not for children,” Paqui wrote in a

statement. “We have seen an increase in teens and other individuals not heeding these warnings,” they added. “As a result, while the product continues to adhere to food safety standards, out of an abundance of caution, we are actively working with our retailers to remove the product from shelves.”

Paqui issued the statement days after Harris Wolobah, 14, died shortly after at-

News briefs

Biden and India's Modi build ties

NEW DELHI (AP) — President Joe Biden has opened his visit to India by meeting privately Friday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Indian leader’s home.

The White House says the session was marked by “undeniable warmth and confidence” in one another going into the annual Group of 20 summit.

Climate, economic security and other issues will dominate the agenda. Biden spent just under an hour meeting with Modi.

White House adviser Kurt Campbell says warm sentiments have replaced a sense of distrust and uncertainty that previously defined relations between the U.S. and India.

Pelosi says she'll seek reelection

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she'll run for reelection to another term in Congress in 2024.

This comes as Democrats work to win back the majority in the House. The 83-year-old

Pelosi made the announcement Friday. First elected to Congress in 1987, the Democratic leader made history becoming the first female speaker in 2007. Pelosi regained the speaker’s gavel in 2019. Pelosi led Democrats through substantial legislative achievements, including passage of the Affordable Care Act, as well as turbulent times with two impeachments of President Donald Trump.

Pelosi says the United States needs “to show the world that our flag is still there, with liberty and justice for all.”

IRS plans to crack down on 1,600 millionaires

WASHINGTON (AP) —

The IRS is launching an effort to crack down on 1,600 millionaires and 75 large business partnerships that owe hundreds of millions of dollars in past due taxes.

IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel says that with a boost in federal funding and the help of artificial intelligence tools, the agency has new means of targeting rich people who've “cut corners” on their taxes.

The IRS announced

tempting the challenge at his high school in Worcester, Mass. Wolobah ate one of the chips at school and was taken to the nurse’s office. He was sent home from there, but fainted at his house and was rushed to a local hospital. Wolobah’s cause of death has not yet been determined, but his family suspected the chip was to blame.

The One Chip Challenge began in 2016, as

FAA considers new technology

The Federal Aviation Administration is considering requiring that all planes be equipped with technology designed to prevent close calls around airports.

The FAA said Friday that it asked an internal rulemaking panel how to go about requiring technology to tell pilots, for example, when they are lined up to land on the wrong runway.

Many newer airline planes have some of this technology, but older planes and privates ones often do not.

The National Transportation Safety Board says it has started investigations into seven close calls since January.

Apple says iPhone update is critical

Apple released a significant security update for iPhones and iPads Thursday to patch newly discovered security vulnerabilities in the devices' system software. The issue was discovered by researchers at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab, who said the software flaw was being “actively ex-

Paqui marketed their products as being infused with the “spiciest pepper in the world,” the Carolina Reaper. Unlike most snacks, Paqui chips are sold in one-chip packs. Wolobah was the first person to die hours after eating the chip, but he was not the first to experience serious medical issues. Three kids at a California high school were hospitalized in January 2022 after trying the challenge.

ploited” to deliver commercial spyware called Pegasus developed and sold by the Israeli company NSO Group.

Pegasus is an expensive tool typically used to target dissidents, journalists and political opponents, so ordinary users likely have little to fear.

Still, Citizen Lab recommends that all users should immediately update their devices.

LOIS by Chance Browne

ZITS by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

BEETLE BAILEY by Mort Walker

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE by Chris Browne

BLONDIE by Young and Drake

MUTTS by Patrick McDonell

MARVIN by Tom Armstrong HI

Doctors warn about skin cancer that killed Jimmy Buffett

By CINDY GOODMAN South Florida Sun Sentinel/TNS

Dermatologists say the skin cancer that killed Jimmy Buffett is becoming more common and urge people to look out for a few unique features. While rare, the aggressive skin cancer pops up most often in skin areas exposed to the sun, such as the face, scalp or neck. People who are fairskinned, older than 50, and exposed regularly to the sun are at higher risk of developing Merkel cell carcinoma. The key to survival is finding out early, and acting quickly.

People diagnosed and treated for this form of skin cancer while it is still localized have a five-year survival rate of 75%, but once it spreads to a distant organ, the survival rate plunges to only 24%.

What to look for Dermatologist Steven Hacker says he has many patients he is treating or following that have Merkel cell

carcinoma.

“It looks like a very non-specific bump that is flesh-colored or reddish blue and can be the size of an eraser tip on a pencil,” he said. “It needs to be biopsied to make a diagnosis. The sooner it’s caught, the better your chances are.”

If something looks like a pimple or bug bite and doesn’t go away, get checked by a dermatologist, he said. It some cases, the original bump spawns more nearby.

Merkel cell carcinoma can be aggressive, especially when it spreads to distant parts of the body. It is the second most common cause of skin cancer-related death, after melanoma.

“While it’s rare in the U.S., in Florida we actually see a lot of it,” said Dr. Michael Kasper, director of radiation oncology with the Lynn Cancer Institute in Boca Raton. “We see it a couple of times a month.”

And, while it is more common in men, Kasper says they see women with it too.

“With the population living in Florida, one of biggest things that sets us apart is the suppressed immune system that happens as we age.”

Kasper said with Merkel, the nodule below the skin’s surface tends to be hard or firm, although not at all painful. “It can grow fairly

quickly. Sometimes, doctors who don’t know what it is will try to drain it and nothing will come out,” he said. “It should not be drained. If you know what you are looking at, you know not to drain it. If you find it early and it is localized, most of the time it can be cured.”

A VIRUS called Merkel cell polyomavirus may play a role in causing most cases of the cancer, Kasper said. Just how this virus causes Merkel cell carcinoma is still unknown.

When a biopsy shows Merkel cell carcinoma, doctors will remove the nodule, but also do radiation to completely get rid of cancerous tissue and reduce the chance of recurrence. There also will be a biopsy of the nearby lymph node and a full body PET scan to see if the cancer has spread to organs.

Oncologists recommend immunotherapy if the Merkel cell carcinoma has spread or is inoperable. In 2019, the federal government approved an new immunotherapy to treat people with advanced Merkel cell carcinoma.

Other skin cancers

Although skin cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis is the U.S., most Americans fail to get checked regularly, according to an online survey in January of more than 2,000 people by Prevent Can-

What’s different about paint on new cars?

By BOB WEBER Tribune News Service

Q: What is different about the paint jobs on new cars? It looks distinctively different than that on all older cars — like a hard shell coating.

L.F., Park Ridge, Illinois

A: I have noticed the same phenomenon but haven’t given it much thought. After all, I’m a nuts-and-bolts guy. So I turned to PPG for help. “A traditional automotive paint process begins with the application of pretreatment and electrocoat followed by a primer layer. After the primer layer is cured, a topcoat layer of basecoat and clearcoat is applied and cured. The result is a five-layer lustrous and durable paint finish,” PPG’s Mark Silvey told me. “Innovations across all five layers of coatings on new cars have enabled automotive manufacturers to continually enhance the appearance of cars, make the coatings more durable and scratch

resistant, and have helped to make vehicles easier to keep clean and maintain.”

Q: I own a 2023 Toyota Camry SE. The car came with a maintenance plan for the first two years, including oil changes. The first scheduled oil change is not until 10,000 miles. They say because it is synthetic oil that is the appropriate time frame.

I don’t put a lot of miles on the car (4,000 in the first six months) especially during the summer when I primarily ride my motorcycle. Is there a time limit for oil if you are still below the mileage limit? Also, do you think that 10,000 miles is an excessive amount of miles to wait

between oil changes?

B.A., Oak Lawn, Illinois

A: Full synthetic oil doesn’t break down as quickly as semi-syn or regular motor oil. You are safe to follow the book and/or the oil change reminder light.

Q: Is it necessary to replace brake discs each time the pads are replaced?

B.K., Riverwoods, Illinois

A: Rotors (the discs of disc brakes) used to be quite beefy. During a brake job, the mechanic machined them to remove any grooves and other imperfections. Now, rotors are so thin and inexpensive that replacement with a brake job is com-

mon. But unless there is damage, you may opt out.

Q: I love 4-cylinder my Equinox. It has a sunroof and tow hitch, a rare combination. However, at 196,000 miles, my check engine light is on with a P0014 and a P0016 code. I’m told I need a timing belt replacement. But no one wants to do it because they tell me the engines aren’t designed to last more than 200,000 miles. Chevy recommends a replacement engine for $12,000 (ridiculous!).

I’m not ready for the investment in a new car. Is a rebuilt engine a viable option? Who are the best providers? Or should I cut my losses?

P. T., Chicago

A: I have installed many rebuilt engines over the years. They are a considerably less expensive option than new ones. Often, a short block is all you need. The other components get transferred to it. I have relied on Jasper, which says on its website that they provide “a 3-year/100,000-

mile warranty on our gas engines.” The codes are related to the camshaft actuator position sensor. I would replace it before replacing either the timing belt or, heaven forbid, the engine. If that solves the problem, you should still replace the timing belt soon.

About the author: Bob Weber is a writer and mechanic who became an ASE-certified Master Automobile Technician in 1976. Weber’s work has appeared in professional trade magazines and various consumer publications including Consumer Guide and Consumers Digest. Send questions along with name and town to motormouth.tribune@ gmail.com.

cer Foundation. The survey found 70% of Americans 21 and older have not had a skin check in the past year.

The three most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Anyone, regardless of skin color, can get these, although those with freckles, fair skin and light hair are most at risk.

Basal cell carcinomas typically grow slowly and don’t spread to other areas of the body. But if this cancer isn’t treated, the cells can expand deeper and penetrate into nerves and bones. Squamous cell cancer usually is not life-threatening, but if not treated, can grow large or spread to other parts of the body. Melanoma is the most serious type of the more common skin cancers because it is most likely to grow and spread. Merkel cell carcinoma is is 40 times rarer than melanoma. Buffett, the “Margaritaville” singer and legendary Florida beach fan, had been battling it for four years.

Today in history

On Sept. 9, 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the first civil rights bill to pass Congress since Reconstruction, a measure primarily concerned with protecting voting rights; it also established a Civil Rights Division in the U.S. Department of Justice. *****

In 1942, during World War II, a Japanese plane launched from a submarine off the Oregon coast dropped a pair of incendiary bombs in a failed attempt at igniting a massive forest fire; it was the first aerial bombing of the U.S. mainland by a foreign power.

Jimmy Buffett performs at a Get Out the Vote rally for U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D- Florida) on Nov. 3, 2018, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES/TNS)

The 2023 Honda CR-V Sport Touring. (HONDA/TNS)

Ruixin Liu leads LPGA in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI (AP) —

Ruixin Liu of China was still suffering from allergies that forced her to withdraw from the LPGA Tour event last week. It didn’t stop her from posting a 7-under 65 on Thursday for her best round of the year and a one-shot lead in the Kroger Queen City Championship.

Liu started so well that her lone regret was a par on the 12th hole when she hit her approach to 18 feet on the par 5 and three-putted for a par. She had seven birdies through 13 holes and then closed with five pars.

Liu had a one-shot lead on the Kendale course at Kenwood Country Club over Peiyun Chien, Elizabeth Szokol, short-hitting Dottie Ardina and Linnea Strom.

Liu reached the par-5 second hole for a twoputt birdie, made a 15foot birdie on the next hole and then it all felt easy.

“From that point on the putter is just rolling great,” Liu said. “I pretty much made everything

except for hole No. 12. That’s the only bad hole I played today, because my second shot was only like 18 feet for eagle and I three-putted.”

She had no complaints, especially after a severe allergy reaction caused her to withdraw from the Portland Classic. Liu said she still didn’t have a clear head for the opening round in Cincinnati and has no idea why she played so well.

“I’m very happy to take it,” she said.

The Queen City Championship is the final LPGA event before the Solheim Cup on Sept. 22-24 in Spain, and some of the better performances came from Europe.

Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark and Charley Hull, a runner-up in two majors this year, each were at 67. Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden was at 69, along with Americans Jennifer Kupcho and Ally Ewing, the defending champion at Kenwood.

Rose Zhang holed a 20-foot par putt on the

18th hole for a 70.

Lexi Thompson showed little improvement. Thompson is having her worst year on the LPGA Tour but still made the Solheim Cup team through the women’s world ranking. Thompson, who has missed five of her last six cuts, made double bogey on the last hole for a 73. She would need a good score Friday just to make the cut.

Lydia Ko and Women’s PGA champion Ruoning Yin were at 68.

The LPGA Tour is coming off a week that delivered one of the biggest surprises of the year. Thai teenager Chanettee Wannasaen, a Monday qualifier who was No. 367 in the world, won the Portland Classic.

Liu might be another surprise. She is a sixtime winner on the Futures Tour but has never finished in the top 10 on the LPGA Tour in individual play.

She is No. 250 in the world and her best result is a tie for 20th that counts toward the ranking. So it was amazing

to feel poorly from allergies and post her low round of the year.

“I don’t want to give myself too much expectation because physically I don’t feel great,” Liu said. “So I’m just going to take a good break, try to sleep good, and try to do the same thing tomorrow.”

It’s a different Kenwood course from a year ago, when rain drenched the Kendale course and allowed player to lift, clean and place. This year is drier and the ball was running.

That was a big help to Ardina, who is 168th in driving distance with an average of 233 yards. But the greens are mostly open in front, and Ardina was able to run fairway metals onto the putting surface and convert the putts.

“To be honest, I only played the back nine for the practice round. I didn’t play the front nine, so I was just kind of winging it out there this afternoon,” Ardina said. “I was just trying to hit fairways and greens.”

Unseeded Ben Shelton makes US Open semifinal

NEW YORK (AP) —

When it comes to Ben Shelton and the rest of the men who will be participating in the U.S. Open semifinals on Friday, it’s quite obvious that one of these is not like the others.

First of all, Shelton is unseeded and ranked 47th. Carlos Alcaraz is seeded No. 1, Novak Djokovic is No. 2 and Daniil Medvedev is No. 3, the first time since 2011 that the top three players in the men’s bracket made it to the final four in Flushing Meadows.

Shelton, a 20-yearold who was born in Georgia and won an NCAA singles title for the University of Florida in 2022, has yet to earn a Grand Slam trophy, let alone the U.S. Open. Djokovic owns 23 major championships overall, Alcaraz two and Medvedev one. Djokovic won titles in New York in 2011, 2015 and 2018 and was the runner-up on six other occasions; Medvedev left as champion in 2021 and was the runner-up in 2019; Alcaraz is the defending champion.

Shelton will be appearing in his first major semifinal. His opponent Friday, Djokovic? This is No. 47 for him, one more than Roger Federer for the most

IOLA

Tuesday: Cross country @ Caney Valley, 4:30 p.m.; Volleyball @ Burlington, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday: Tennis @ Chanute, 3 p.m.

Friday: Football @ Parsons, 7 p.m.

Tuesday: Volleyball @ Baxter Springs, 5 p.m.; Cross country @ Caney Valley, 4 p.m.

Friday: Football v. Neodesha, 7 p.m.

by a man in the Open era. Medvedev is in his seventh trip to the final four; his opponent, Alcaraz, has made it this far for the fourth Slam in a row.

“I’m definitely going to try to bring some things to the table that are different and hopefully disruptive on Friday,” Shelton said.

Here’s how new all of this is to him: When Shelton finished off a physically demanding four-set victory against Frances Tiafoe in an all-American quarterfinal on Tuesday night, someone mentioned that he’d have some time to rest, recuperate and prepare to meet Djokovic.

That was news to the kid.

“I’m pretty glad I have two days off from singles. I didn’t know until a couple minutes ago,”

Shelton said with his trademark big smile. “They’re like, ‘You know you don’t play ‘til Friday, right?’ That was nice to hear.”

But he did not sound overwhelmed by the prospect of trying to test his intimidating left-handed serves — he leads the tournament with 76 aces and a top speed of 149 mph (240 kph) — against Djokovic, who is widely considered the top returner in the game and has won 44% of his opponent’s service games in the tournament (Medvedev leads that category at 49%).

“Whenever you play somebody for the first time, and someone who has been in this situation so many times and come out vic-

torious so many times, that’s in the back of your head. You just know how rock-solid the guy is and how mentally tough, how physically tough. So that’s definitely something that I have to game plan for,” said Shelton, who had never traveled outside the United States until the beginning of this year and reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in January. “I also think that it’s an advantage with my game style playing someone who’s never played me before,” he said. “I think that I can

See SHELTON | Page B8

ACC CREST

Saturday: Volleyball home tournament, 8:30 a.m.

Tuesday: Volleyball @ Pleasanton, 3 p.m.

Thursday: Cross country @ Wellsville, 4 p.m.

Friday: Football @ Oswego, 7 p.m.

Saturday: Volleyball @ Humboldt, 8:30 a.m.

MARMATON VALLEY

Tuesday: Volleyball @ Uniontown, 4 p.m.

Thursday: Cross country @ Wellsville, 4 p.m.

Friday: Football v. Sunrise Christian Academy, 7 p.m.

Saturday: Volleyball @ Humboldt, 8:30 a.m.

YATES CENTER

Tuesday: Volleyball @ Uniontown, 5 p.m.

Thursday: Cross country @ Wellsville, 4 p.m.

Friday: Football @ St. Paul, 7 p.m.

Saturday: Volleyball @ Humboldt, 9 a.m.

SOUTHERN COFFEY COUNTY

Friday: Football @ Chetopa, 6 p.m.

Saturday: Volleyball @ Hartford, 9 a.m.

KSU: Set to host Troy Saturday

Continued from B3

that stretch, beating Mississippi State, Stanford and Missouri.

K-STATE’S QB2

Klieman said not to read too much into the fact that freshman Avery Johnson got second-team reps against Southeast Missouri State. He has been competing with Jake Rubley for the job, but the veteran quarterback was nicked up heading

into the opener and sat it out. Johnson was 3 of 4 for 55 yards with 35 yards rushing and a touchdown.

TROY IS STREAKING

The Trojans have won 12 straight games, the second-longest active streak in the nation behind the 18-game of top-ranked and defending national champion Georgia. Troy’s winning streak, which began after a loss at Appalachian

State last September, is its longest since the 1987-88 seasons, when the Trojans were still a Division II school.

POTENTIAL REINFORCEMENTS

The Wildcats hope to have Iowa transfer Keagan Johnson available after the wide receiver missed the opener with an undisclosed injury. They also will get North Dakota State transfer Marques Sigle back.

Ben Shelton celebrates at the US Open. ELSA/GETTY IMAGES/TNS

Shelton: At US Open

Continued from B7

bring some things to the table that maybe you don’t see in your normal match.”

Aside from the zipping serves and hit-it-hardas-you-can forehands, there’s also the boundless enthusiasm Shelton displays. The biceps flexing and the loud shouts of “Yeah!” after winning points and his victory-celebrating “Hang up the phone, the conversation’s over!” routine that mimics something done by former Florida track and field athlete Grant Holloway, who recently won his third consecu-

Sports in brief

tive world championship in the 110-meter hurdles.

Alcaraz, for one, has taken note.

“I love seeing him play. I really do. And he also has a good time on court. It shows. He smiles. Very aggressive. Big-hitting shots. If I’m not mistaken, he was playing in college a year ago and now he’s in the semifinals of a Grand Slam a year later, facing one of the best players ever,” Alcaraz said. “We’ll see how he responds, but he seems to be doing it with lots of ease, maturity.”

Basketball World Cup: US is out MANILA, Philippines (AP) — There will be no gold medal for the U.S. at this World Cup. And for the second consecutive time in FIBA’s biggest tournament, there might not even be any medal at all for the Americans. Instead, it’s Germany on the cusp of a world title. Andreas Obst scored 24 points, Franz Wagner added 22 and Germany shredded the U.S. defense for much of the

way in its first win over the Americans — 113111 in the World Cup semifinals on Friday night.

Rubiales in more hot water

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spanish state prosecutors have accused Luis Rubiales of sexual assault and coercion for kissing a player on the lips without her consent after the Women’s World Cup final. The now-suspended president of the Spanish soccer federation

RACING THIS WEEK

SOUTHERN 500 AT DARLINGTON

kissed Jenni Hermoso during the awards ceremony after Spain beat England to win the title on Aug. 20 in Sydney.

Prosecutors presented their case for potential criminal charges against Rubiales to Spain’s National Court in Madrid two days after Hermoso formally accused him of sexual assault.

2026 World Cup picks Sue Bird

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Sue Bird is going back to international

XFINITY BURNOUT ALERT! Denny Hamlin celebrates after winning the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington Saturday. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty)

Kyle Larson led the final 55 laps of Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 to score his first Darlington Raceway win in the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

‘Lady in Black’ no match for Kyle Larson — finally

DARLINGTON, S.C.-Welcome back, Kyle Larson.

The 2021 Cup Series champion held off a desperate charge from fellow playoff driver Tyler Reddick at sold-out Darlington Raceway to claim victory in Sunday night’s Cook Out Southern 500 and earn an automatic berth in the Round of 12.

Larson entered the playoff opener with an undistinguished average finish of 17.5 in his previous six races, but he weathered a transmission momentary stuck in neutral and a disconcerting brush with the wall to register his third victory of the season, the 22nd of his career and his first at the famed ‘Lady in Black.’

“Yeah, finally from start to finish,” Larson said of his ability to put together a complete race. “Eighteenth to third in the first stage, I didn’t think that was possible. Our race car was really good when the sun was out. Just had to work on it.

“I messed up once and it got hung in neutral, and I slid and hit the wall, and I think bent the toe link a little bit, so it was kind of a struggle from there. Definitely had to fight it more than I was earlier, but we kept our heads in the game. That was really important. This race is all about keeping your head in it.”

Larson took the lead for the first time during a quick pit stop on Lap 313 and held it for the final 55 circuits. Reddick rolled off pit road second but couldn’t find a way past the race winner.

“Kyle and I were pretty close the majority of the day, honestly, and he just got ahead of us there on pit road, but all in all, this is the day that we needed to have,” said Reddick, who led 90 laps and crossed the finish line 0.447 seconds behind Larson.

Chris Buescher ran a mistake-free race and finished third, followed by William Byron, who charged forward from his 23rd starting position. Ross Chastain ran fifth with Brad Keselowski and Bubba Wallace behind him as playoff drivers claimed the top seven positions.

While Larson leaves Darlington with guaranteed admission to the Round of 12, Byron, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, leads the playoff standings by one point – over Larson. Reddick is 15 points behind Byron, followed by Buescher and Denny Hamlin, who trail by 18 points.

Catastrophes proved the undoing of several playoff drivers who showed excellent speed but succumbed to a variety of pitroad mistakes and errors in judgment.

Hamlin led 177 laps, swept the first and second stages and dominated the race – until he made an extra green-flag pit stop on Lap 274, believing he had a loose wheel. Hamlin lost a lap and any chance he had of starting the playoffs with a victory. Hamlin’s night got worse when he was collected in a five-car wreck on Lap 331. He finished 25th, one lap down.

After Hamlin’s demise, Kevin Harvick was chasing Reddick for the lead. Harvick steered his car toward pit road on Lap 310, causing Reddick to check up in front of Ryan Newman in an attempt to duplicate Harvick’s maneuver. Newman spun in

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the Southern 500 at Darlington Sunday. (Jared C Tilton/Getty)

Turn 4, causing the sixth caution, and the red light indicating a closed pit road caught Harvick just before he reached the entry line. The resulting penalty sent Harvick to the back of the field for a restart on Lap 317, with no time to recover past 19th place.

A driver with no margin for error entering the Round of 16, Michael McDowell didn’t have the speed to stay on the lead lap, but his Waterloo came in the same Lap 331 wreck that involved Hamlin and fellow playoff driver and pole winner Christopher Bell. McDowell’s No. 34 Ford was too badly hurt to continue, and he fell out of the race in 32nd place.

McDowell heads to Sunday’s playoff race at Kansas in 16th place in the playoff standings, 19 points behind Bell in 12th.

Late in the first stage, Bell slammed the outside wall and damaged the suspension on his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, ruining any chances of victory.

Bell, who finished a lap down in 23rd, wasn’t the only playoff driver who fell victim to mistakes in the first stage, which ran under the green flag from start to finish. Joey Logano scraped the wall at the apex of Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 86.

His No. 22 Ford bit the wall again on Lap 115 when the No. 23 Toyota of Wallace spun underneath him in Turn 4 and knocked the right rear of Logano’s car into the fence, after Hamlin had taken the green-checkered flag to win the stage and the accompanying playoff point.

After qualifying 31st, Martin Truex Jr. (who finished 18th) lost four spots after brushing the wall late in the stage and ran 18th in the first segment. Truex’s problems multiplied in Stage 2 when he had to make an unscheduled pit stop because of a loose wheel and lost two laps.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (16th) lost a lap serving a pass-through penalty for speeding on pit road during his first green-flag pit stop, as mistakes began to shape the playoffs – as they invariably do.

The race was red-flagged at Lap 188 during the race’s second caution period because lights on the inside of the race track in Turns 3 and 4 had not illuminated as the sun set.

basketball. But as an ambassador, not a player.

The American great was introduced by FIBA as the global ambassador for the 2026 Women’s Basketball World Cup that will be played in Berlin.

Bird won five Olympic gold medals and four more in World Cups during two decades playing for USA Basketball. She retired from the WNBA’s Seattle Storm last year. Bird takes the ambassador role from Spanish great Pau Gasol.

CUP PLAYOFFS: 2ND RACE HOLLYWOOD CASINO 400

Kansas Speedway 3 p.m. ET Sunday, USA

• Kansas Speedway is a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) tri-oval race track in the Village West area near Kansas City, KS. It was built in 2001.

• Surface: Asphalt

• Length: 1.5 miles (2.414 km)

• Turns: 4

• Banking in turns: 17-20 degrees variable banking

• Banking on frontstretch: 9-11 degrees variable

• Banking on backstretch: 5 degrees

• Groundbreaking: May 25, 1999

• Inaugural race: ARCA RE/MAX (now ARCA Menards Series) June 2, 2001

• Tri-Oval: 1.5 mile

• Road course: 2.37 mile

• Property size: 1,200+ acres

CUP PLAYOFF NOTES

After the rst race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, here’s a rapid look at the playoff picture. There are two races left in the Round of 16 — at Kansas Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.

• Kyle Larson led the nal 55 laps to score the victory in the Cook Out Southern 500. The victory secures Larson’s spot in the Round of 12 regardless of the results of the next two races. It was an impressive effort for Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team, which rallied from an 18th-place starting spot and into the top ve during the second round of green-flag pit stops.

• Tyler Reddick turned a strong Saturday that saw his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota qualify third into quite the night. Reddick led 90 laps and was stalking Larson’s tire tracks in the nal moments in his hunt for the Darlington win. At the checkered flag, Reddick was second, 0.447 seconds behind the race winner.

• An incredible stretch of races continues for Chris Buescher and the No. 17 RFK Racing team. Buescher stormed to a third-place nish at the track “Too Tough to Tame,” his best result at the historic 1.366-mile track. Buescher entered as the winner of three of the last ve races of the regular season.

Bubba Wallace in Victory Lane last year at Kansas.

CHRIS GRAYTHEN GETTY IMAGES