The Iola Register, Aug. 29, 2023

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Old Settlers bring on the fun

2023-2024

SEASON PREVIEW

Because of a production mistake, this special supplement was not included in Saturday’s edition. Find it inside today.

Saturday was picture perfect for Old Settlers Day in Neosho Falls. Activities included horseshoes and tug-of-war as well as kids games, Bingo and music with Undertaker Tunes and Jake Marlin & The Reckless. At right, marking their Bingo cards are, from left, Aleah Bland, Zolene Bland, and Hadassah Bland of Iola. Bottom left, Lahrimyr Jacobs, left, and Bexlie Lockhart enjoy a treat before the kids games start.

Bottom right, Gregory McCullough competes in horseshoes. The town was founded in 1857. In 1879, President Rutherford B. Hayes attended its district fair. REGISTER/VICKIE

MOSS

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

Rebecca A. Dobbs of Gas, charged with first-degree murder in the January 2022 death of her infant son, has pleaded guilty to one charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Dobbs pleaded no-contest to the lesser charge last week in Allen County District Court.

In a no-contest plea, the defendant does not admit guilt, but acknowledges evidence exists of a crime and does not contest that evidence.

As part of the plea deal, prosecutors dismissed a count of aggravated child endangerment. The original first-degree murder charge was amended to involuntary manslaughter in June.

Cecil Jay Dobbs, who was born Nov. 8, 2021, was found lifeless after Dobbs called police to the 500 block of South Jefferson in LaHarpe on Jan. 11, 2022. Dobbs had told officers she had fed her child early

Credits still available for shelter campaign

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

About $71,000 in tax credits are still available to help Hope Unlimited build a new shelter to help victims of violence and abuse.

The tax credits will be available until the end of the year and represent less than half of the $200,000 granted by the Kansas Department of Revenue’s Community Service Tax Credit Program.

Those who donate more than $250 to the shelter can claim 70% of the donation as

a tax credit.

“If you know you are going to have to pay state taxes, why not give to a local charity for a capital improvement project?” Dorothy Sparks, executive director of Hope Unlimited, said.

A fundraising campaign for the shelter kicked off in April and has so far collected about $500,000, Sparks said. That includes promised donations from area counties served by Hope Unlimited — Allen, Anderson, Neosho and Woodson counties.

“We feel really good about

where we are but we still need to raise more,” Sparks said. “Any donation helps.”

The goal is to build a new shelter, more than doubling the current space with room to grow to meet the needs of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

It is expected to cost about $3 million. Funding will come from the tax credits, grants and donations — both from corporate sources and individuals — and from participating governments. Sparks said the organiza-

IES student donates hair to charity

By the Register staff

Nine-year-old Matrim Olson decided to make his first hair cut in more than two years worth his while Friday.

Olson, a fourth-grader at Iola Elementary School, donated more than 13 inches of growth in the form of three long braids to Wigs For Kids, a non-profit organization that helps children suffering from hair loss stemming from chemotherapy, radiation therapy, alopecia, trichotillomania, burns and other medical conditions.

Olson, who has always favored having long hair rather than short, was leery of getting it cut at all, but decided

See HAIRCUT | Page A3

tion has applied for a grant to help with construction, but won’t know if they are successful until November.

HOPE UNLIMITED began in 1984 to help victims of domestic violence and abuse, with board members offering their own homes as a safe space. The first shelter followed a couple of years later.

About 10 years ago, Hope Unlimited moved its shelter into its current two-story house. It can accommodate 18 if the parents and children

See SHELTER | Page A6

Jerrica Mueller of Revival Salon and Spa prepares to cut Matrim Olson’s hair. He donated three 13-inch braids, shown at right, to Wigs For Kids. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Uniontown picnic is Labor Day weekend

UNIONTOWN — The Annual Old Settlers Picnic has been celebrated on Labor Day weekend in Uniontown since 1905. This year’s theme is “Picknicking in the Park.”

Activities kick off at 6 a.m. Saturday with the Butch Hall Memorial Pond Hopping Bass Tournament at Union Station, 684 Maple Rd. Weigh-in will be at 3 p.m. The Lake Frances 5K Run and 2-mile Fun Run starts at 8 a.m. at 1083 Highway 54. It’s a fundraiser for the Uniontown Cross Country team.

The Kids Fishing Derby at the Uniontown High School pond, 601 Fifth St., runs from 9 to 11 a.m. Prizes will be awarded.

A street dance with Bourbon County Revival begins at 7 at the Uniontown City Park. Also at 7 is a co-ed Ranch Rodeo at the Saddle Club Are-

Cherryvale music festival returns

na, 685 Maple Rd.

Sunday’s activities start at 10 a.m. with coffee, milk and doughnuts at the City Park, followed by church services at 10:30.

At 4 p.m., Bingo is at the Uniontown Community Center, 206 Sherman St.

Family Game Night begins at 6 o’clock at the park. Also at 6 p.m. is the 54th Annual Old Settlers Youth Rodeo.

Activities continue on Monday, Labor Day, with the Dale Jackson Memorial Car Show, with registration from 9 to 11 a.m. The trophy presentation is at 2 p.m.

The children’s parade starts at 10:30 a.m. followed by the parade at 11.

Other activities begin at noon, including Picnic in the Park, a free kids carnival, baby parade, kids games, raffle drawings, cash prizes, contests and recognition of Old Settlers.

Colony church news

Colony Christian Church

Ben Prasko filled in for Pastor Chase on Sunday, Aug 20.

Being young and single, Prasko dove into the topic of marriage to discover its purpose, benefits and responsibilities.

In Genesis 2, God declares it is not good for man to be alone and therefore makes a helper for him, Prasko said. God’s purpose in marriage is connection, intimacy, procreation, and a glimpse on earth of the perfect relationship we will experience with God in heaven someday.

God lays out certain responsibilities for those who enter into marriage. First they

must be equally yoked. Without having the same commitment to biblical truth guiding your moral conduct, it is impossible to share the level of trust, intimacy, and partnership in marriage that is necessary to carry out the responsibilities God has given each person in the marriage covenant.

These responsibilities include: wives respect your husband and follow his leadership, and husbands must love their wives in the same sacrificial way as Christ loved the Church.

Marriage is a lifelong covenant in which our priority should not be who is right for me, but how can I become the husband or wife who honors God.

Dog mangles passport; threatening wedding

By THERESA BRAINE New York Daily News/TNS

A golden retriever named Chickie was in the doghouse after chowing down on a groom’s passport, threatening his and his fiancee’s destination wedding in Italy.

Donato Frattaroli of South Boston and his fiancée, Magda Mazri, discovered the decimated document hours after filling out their intention-of-marriage forms at city hall in Boston.

They were scheduled to fly to Italy a week later, for their Aug. 31 wedding.

“I’m just a little stressed,” Frattaroli told WCVB-TV as he faced being the only one absent from his wedding. All the guests and his soon-to-be bride were going to go without him if he couldn’t get a new passport.

The couple reached out to local officials and got help from the offices of U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch and Sen. Ed Markey, who Frattaroli said were “super responsive.”

The politicians pulled some strings with the State Depart-

CHERRYVALE —The fourth annual End of Summer Bash music festival is coming Saturday, Sept. 9, at the My Place Event Grounds, 850 S. Liberty St., in Cherryvale.

The event features 10 of the Midwest’s best rock and metal bands:

Aether (Dodge City)

Burn the Gates (Kansas City)

Diabolical Orange Monkey (Central)

EdgeOverEdge (Cherryvale)

Flowsion (Independence)

From Ashes (Chanute)

Ghost in the Atlantic (South Coffeyville, Okla.)

Riverside Current (Joplin, Mo.)

Straight Away (Independence)

Why Bother (Pittsburg)

Emcees for the event are comedians Rick Felt and Craig McGee. The show is hosted by the band EdgeOverEdge, with Mat Austin on vocals and guitar, Quentin Austin on bass and vocals, Darryel Neel on guitar and vocals, and Zach Lyon on drums and vocals.

The gate opens at 1 p.m. and bands start at 2. Other activities include a cornhole tournament and food. Admission is $5 at the

Thief steals official’s SUV

FARGO, N.D. (AP)

— Former North Dakota Gov. Ed Schafer learned a lesson about his car keys after his vehicle was stolen as he hosted a Fargo radio show.

Schafer was guest hosting KFGO’s “News and Views” program Friday morning when police called the station to ask if he owned a 2020 GMC Yukon, the station reported.

gate. Children under 6 get in free. It is an all ages event, but parental discretion is advised.

“People always say there is nothing to do in small towns and we wanted to change that. I got brought into this music scene with open arms and I want to do my part to contribute to preserving that, alongside my community,” Quentin Austin said.

ment as Frattaroli and Mazri crossed their fingers and hoped their updated “dog-ate-myhomework” story would generate enough sympathy for an expedited passport.

The wish worked, and Chickie was out of the doghouse — though the pooch is not invited to the wedding.

Frattaroli snagged a passport appointment for Monday, with promises of a new one on Wednesday — two days before their Friday flight.

Frattaroli said a filing cabinet or safe tops his post-nuptial purchase list.

“We’re just really fortunate and optimistic that everything is going to work our way,” Mazri told WCVB after the news. “The most important thing is that we get married.”

Correction

The Crest school district’s current mill levy is 37.178. A proposed school bond issue of $5.95 million would raise it about 16 mills to a total of 53 mills.

It turns out that the SUV had been stolen out of the station’s parking lot. The thief apparently drove it to a probation office and surrendered to authorities, Schafer said.

The vehicle has a push-button start feature and requires a key fob to be in the vehicle before it can be operated. But Schafer had left a spare fob inside, enabling the thief to start it up and drive off.

The former governor and U.S. agriculture secretary says he’s been warned about being more careful.

Summit addresses mental health in ag

By AJ DOME Kansas Reflector

DODGE CITY — Kan-

sas mental health care workers acknowledge a gap in mental health services and data for farmers and ranchers in the western portion of the state.

Idalia on track to hit Florida

MIAMI (AP) — Trop-

ical Storm Idalia intensified and was expected to be a major hurricane when it reaches Florida’s Gulf Coast later this week, the National Hurricane Center said Monday, as officials declared states of emergencies in dozens of counties and ordered some evacuations in preparation for potentially life-threatening storm surges.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned of a “major impact” to the state, noting that what was originally forecast to be nothing stronger than a tropical storm was now predicted to become a Category 3 hurricane.

Idalia would be the first storm to hit Florida this hurricane season and a potentially big blow to the state, which is still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Ian almost a year ago.

DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 46 counties, a broad swath that stretches across the northern half of the state from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Coast. The state has mobilized 1,100 National Guard members, who have 2,400 high-water vehicles and 12 aircraft at their disposal for rescue and recovery efforts.

Large parts of the western coast of Florida are at risk of storm surg-

es and floods anytime a storm of this magnitude approaches.

“Now, the property — we can rebuild someone’s home,” DeSantis said during a news conference Monday. “You can’t unring the bell, though, if somebody stays in harm’s way and does battle with Mother Nature. This is not something that you want to do battle with.”

The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning Monday from Longboat Key in the Sarasota area to the Holocene River, up past Tampa Bay. Pasco County, located north of Tampa, ordered a mandatory evacuation for low-lying areas, areas prone to flooding and residents living in manufactured or mobile homes. More evacuation orders were expected in other areas.

President Joe Biden spoke to DeSantis on Monday morning, telling the Florida governor that he had approved an emergency declaration for the state, the White House said. DeSantis is running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.

Early Monday, the storm was about 80 miles off the western tip of Cuba with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph the hurricane center said. Idalia was moving north at 8 mph.

Plea: Manslaughter

Continued from A1

that morning, but a second attempt to feed Cecil two hours later was unsuccessful.

Officers were called about six hours later.

After an autopsy, first-degree murder charges were filed two months later, in March 2022.

31st District Chief Judge Daniel Creitz ordered a pre-sentence investigation. Dobbs will be sen-

Haircut

Continued from A1

in May to get it cut after learning how his donation could help others in need.

But a jam-packed summer schedule, plus the ability to donate even longer locks to a worthy cause, prompted him to wait further to make the donation.

Handling the honors was Jerrica Mueller of Revival Salon and Spa.

Olson is the son of Nic and Paige Olson of Piqua, and the grandson of Register reporter Richard Luken.

Officials with the Kansas chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness held an inaugural summit Aug. 22 in Dodge City, called “Standing in the Gap,” to highlight the difficulties of accessing mental health care services in rural Kansas and offer potential solutions to frontier mental health issues.

NAMI Kansas executive director Sherrie Vaughn said her Topeka-based organization is concerned about the lack of mental health care in some rural areas. “We continue to see an increase in suicides in our frontier and rural communities,” Vaughn said, “farmers and ranchers specifically, and just access to care overall. It continues to be an ongoing problem.”

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, agricultural producers have a higher suicide rate than other professions.

The CDC report, published in 2020 with data sourced in 2016, found that men who worked in the agriculture industry were at greater risk, with a ratio of 43 deaths by suicide per 100,000 people. Statewide, the suicide rate for men is 19 per 100,000 people.

Maria Perez, a clinical pharmacist and NAMI summit presenter, said men who work in the agricultural sector in Kansas are three to four times more likely than women to die by suicide. Of the suicide deaths recorded in Kansas in the past several years, Perez said, 50% involved firearms. Additionally, 90% of people nationwide who died by suicide had an undiagnosed mental illness.

The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a certified listener, call 988.

Crisis Text Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support. To speak with a trained listener, text HELLO to 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential.

U.S.”

The CDC report indicated the suicide rate among the working-age population in the U.S., people ages 16-64, increased by 40% in less than 20 years. In 2017, about 38,000 people died by suicide in America. That figure peaked at 48,344 in 2018. The most recent data comes from 2021, when 47,646 suicides were tallied in the U.S.

FARMERS and ranchers are more prone to suicidal thoughts and attempts for multiple reasons, Perez said.

Stress over finances, crop conditions, insurance and other physical health matters can compound over time, and without proper counseling or access to services, rural residents’ mental health can suffer.

Hodgeman County rancher Brian Hastings was one of five panelists who participated in a group discussion at the summit. He told the group of about 50 attendees that he thinks the long distances ag producers cover in Kansas contributes to overall feelings of isolation, as well as a lack of accessible care.

“We’ve got some very good services out in southwest Kansas, but in my own opinion, they’ve got way too much to do,” Hastings said. “You talk about burnout among farmers and ranchers, but I think medical providers are having issues, too.”

mentality of most ag producers in the state is one of rugged individualism, a “do it yourself” attitude, which can conceal a lot of mental health concerns.

“When you’ve got a rancher that’s been ranching for 60 years, nobody tells him what to do,” Hastings said. “That’s why he’s still out there, he’s independent. But he doesn’t know why his buddy is starting to drink so much beer, you know. It used to be, you drank beer after 6 o’clock. Well, now they’re drinking beer at 8 or 9 o’clock (in the morning), filling up the cooler and going out to the field, and it’s a problem. It’s depression, and these folks just don’t understand the connection.”

Hastings said it’s important for groups like NAMI Kansas and other mental health care providers to continue having conversations about mental health needs of rural residents, to both combat the stigma surrounding mental health and find workable solutions.

Sim Wimbush, a social worker and disability policy engagement director for Healthy Blue of Kansas, was another panelist. She said she’s concerned by the tactic some insurance companies are taking following the end of the public health emergency spawned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Some of the current insurers are denying claims for assessments, like behavioral health assessments, being done virtually,” Wimbush said. “They’re say-

ing, ‘Well, the pandemic is over, so you should be doing this in person now.’ In a rural area where it can take you maybe an hour-plus, two hours-plus, to get to an appointment, if you can find someone to begin with … to me that’s a big concern.”

Wimbush said having consistent telehealth and behavioral health options — as well as reliable broadband internet access — in western Kansas is key to ensuring people can access care when they need it. Fellow panelist Itzel Moya, who helped found the southwest Kansas chapter of NAMI in 2021, said another challenge for mental health care providers comes from a language barrier. As the Spanish-speaking population grows in southwest Kansas, so too does the need for health care materials to be printed in Spanish, as well as the need for bilingual care providers.

“In western Kansas, we do have more providers that speak Spanish now, and we have more resources that are in Spanish now, in comparison to how it was when I was growing up,” Moya said, “but it could still be better.”

Eric Van Allen, vice president of business development for national nonprofit health insurance plan CareSource, said everyone from mental health advocates to local religious leaders and other farmers and ranchers can “do better” to collectively normalize talking about rural mental health needs.

tenced Nov. 6. Kansas sentencing guidelines set prison sentences between four and 20 years for first-degree manslaughter convictions.

Suicide is “the 10th-leading cause of death in the U.S.,” Perez said. “There’s an average of 129 suicide deaths per day in the

Hastings is a licensed marriage and family therapist in addition to owning a cow and calf operation in western Kansas. He said the

NAMI Kansas executive director Sherrie Vaughn speaks to the audience at the first “Standing in the Gap” rural mental health summit Aug. 22 in Dodge City. (AJ DOME FOR KANSAS REFLECTOR)

Helpful tips on how to survive the dog days of summer

The recent miserably hot weather has had many (myself included) desperately looking forward to cooler temperatures.

As I write this, more than half of Kansas is under an excessive heat warning from the National Weather Service. According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, more than 100 Kansans are hospitalized each year as a result of heat stress.

So what can you do to beat the heat? Check out these tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

• Wear lightweight clothing.

• Stay in an air-conditioned space as often as possible. If you do not have air conditioning at home, remember that your local public library may serve as a cooling center.

• Protect yourself

Clara Wicoff Extension Agent for Nutrition, Food and Health

from the sun. Since sunburn can cause dehydration, be sure to wear a widebrimmed hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen if you have to go outside.

• Never leave children or pets in a parked car. Try giving yourself visual cues to help prevent this from happening, such as always keeping a stuffed animal in your child’s car seat and then placing that stuffed animal in the front of the car with you after your child is buckled in.

• Stay hydrated. Do not wait until you are thirsty since the feeling of being thirsty lags behind your body’s

HANS RENIERS/UNSPLASH.

need for water. To learn more about the importance of fluids to your health, visit bit.ly/ksreliquidassets to check out a recently released fact sheet from K-State Research and Extension.

• Keep your pets hydrated, too.

• Know the signs of heat-related illness. These can include (but are not limited to) confusion, dizziness, fainting, headache, losing

consciousness, nausea or vomiting, and tiredness or weakness. Visit bit.ly/heatsigns to learn more about warning signs and what to do if someone shows these signs.

To learn more about hot weather tips from the CDC, visit bit.ly/ cdchotweathertips. For more information, please contact me at clarawicoff@ksu.edu or 620-365-2242.

Advice on cowherd management

As September is coming, take into consideration these recommendations from Jason Warner, Extension Cow-Calf Specialist.

For spring-calving cow herds:

• If not already done, make plans for weaning calves.

• Test your forages and have feedstuffs on hand prior to weaning.

• Check and clean waterers and prepare weaning/receiving pens.

• Evaluate cow body condition scoring (BCS) at weaning.

• Record scores with the BCS record book

Hunter Nickell

ue of gain when making feeding and marketing decisions for cull cows.

For fall-calving cow herds:

• The final 60 days prior to calving represents the last opportunity to add BCS economically.

• Ensure mature cows are ≥ 5.0 and 2-4-year-

• If consumption is twice the target intake, then cost will be too

• If using fly control products, continue to use them until recommended times (based on date of first frost) for your area.

• Risk of grass tetany is greatest for lactating cows. Consider magnesium levels in mineral supplements for cows grazing cool-season forages and winter annuals this fall.

• Schedule breeding soundness exams for bulls used for fall service.

• Monitor BCS, particularly on young

and calf condition/ fleshiness going into the fall until weaning.

• Schedule any pre-weaning vaccination or processing activities

• Consider the economic value by implanting nursing fall-born calves and weaned spring-born calves.

• Schedule your breeding protocols for fall replacement heifers in advance of the breeding season.

GENERAL MANAGEMENT

• Employ multiple strategies, chemistries for late-season fly/insect control.

• Take inventory of and begin sampling harvested forages for fall feed needs.

• Use the forage inventory calculator (agmanager.info/hay-inventory-calculator).

• Balance forage inventories with fall/ winter grazing acres.

• If you planning harvested corn or sorghum silage:

• Test the nutrients and nitrates.

• Use the Management Minder tool on KSUBeef.org to plan key management activities for your cow herd for the rest of the year.

Allen County Farmers’ Market is now only open on Thursday evenings 5:30-7 p.m., as produce has started slowing due to the extreme heat.

This week, vendors will have the following: fresh baked goods (including bread, brownies, candy, cinnamon rolls, cookies, fudge, pies, scones) along with chicken, pork, jerky, eggs, honey, jams, and jelly, drink, and seasoning mixes.

The fresh produce selection will offer cantaloupe, cucumbers, green peppers, onions, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes including cherry tomatoes,

watermelon, and zucchini.

Craft items include handmade hot pads, fishing lures, hand forged knives, key fobs, mirrors, shampoo bars, towels, hooded towels, totes, and wallets. Miss Chelsea’s Dance Academy will be featured this week. MCDA students are fundraising to help offset costs accumulated in traveling to compete and perform across the Midwest. Through their participation, youth improve themselves by building teamwork, discipline, confidence, diligence, creativity, and an appreciation for the performing arts.

from a local K-State Research and Extension office.

• Use BCS to strategically supplement cows during fall, if needed.

• Female requirements are lowest at weaning, so weight and BCS can be added more easily in early fall rather than waiting until closer to calving.

• Schedule pregnancy checking and fall health work if not already done.

• How were pregnancy rates relative to last year?

• Do you need to rethink our fall/winter nutrition program?

• Evaluate the cost of gain relative to the val-

old females are ≥ 6.0 at calving.

• Review your calving health protocols as needed.

• Have calving equipment cleaned and available to use as needed.

• Plan to adjust your nutrition program to match the needs of lactating cows.

• Use the estrus synchronization planner (available at iowabeefcenter.org) to help plan fall synchronization protocols.

• Plan your mineral supplementation for this coming fall and winter.

• Record date and amount offered and calculate herd consumption.

bulls.

• If bulls are BCS ≤ 5.0 after summer breeding, consider supplementing to regain BCS going into fall.

CALF MANAGEMENT

• If you are creep feeding spring-born calves, continue to closely monitor intake

• With high feeder calf prices, consider price risk management tools. Visit with your local Farm Service Agency and extension office if you plan to utilize Conservation Reserve Program acres for emergency forage use or for information on other assistance programs.

ELISE COATES/UNSPLASH.

Women’s maternity care tied to fate of rural hospitals

In a report published earlier this month by the Kansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee (KMMRC), the state’s maternal outcomes have worsened in recent years. Both pregnancy-related deaths and illnesses increased between 2016 and 2020.

According to the report, about two-thirds of pregnancy-related deaths were among women of color.

Just over a year ago, Kansas passed an expansion to postpartum coverage under KanCare, allowing mothers to be covered by the state’s Medicaid program for up to a year after giving birth. While it is too early to see the impact of this expansion on maternal outcomes in Kansas, a study of Texas’ expansion suggests there will be many benefits — women take advantage of mental health and substance abuse programs in addition to postpartum care under the state’s one year extension.

However, the reality is that expanding postpartum coverage will have significantly less impact on Kansas mothers who live in maternity deserts.

A maternity desert is defined as a county with no hospital obstetrics care and no obstetricians or gynecologists (OBGYNs).

According to a 2022 March of Dimes report, 48% of Kansas’ counties are maternity deserts and 24% of counties have low access to maternity care.

Concerningly, Kansas’ maternity deserts are expected to grow.

In an investigation by Wichita’s KWCH Factfinder 12 team earlier this year, over half of the state’s rural hospitals are at risk of closing. These hospitals provide critical care and services for people in their communities, including maternity care.

Of 104 rural hospitals, 60 are at risk of closing, including 29 facing immediate risk.

Rural hospitals are more vulnerable to financial pressures due to low occupancy rates, high levels of uncompensated care, competition from other hospitals, and weak local economies.

But without these hospi-

Alexandra Middlewood Insight Kansas

tals, there are very limited options for care in the state’s rural areas. Most patients would be forced to travel long distances to more populated counties, which is less than ideal in most circumstances and incredibly dangerous in emergency situations.

According to the KMMRC report, two-thirds of pregnancy-related deaths are among women on Medicaid or without insurance.

Full Medicaid expansion would go a long way in keeping hospitals open and expanding maternity care across rural Kansas.

The good news is Medicaid expansion is popular in Kansas.

According to the 2022 Kansas Speaks public opinion survey distributed by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University, nearly 76% of Kansans support KanCare — Kansas’ Medicaid program — expansion. Support has increased about 11 points since 2015.

The bad news is there’s long been a lack of political will to pass full KanCare expansion in the state legislature, despite public support and federal funds to subsidize the expansion.

But legislators can be swayed by loud and participatory groups of citizens. In fact, it was grassroots advocacy that led to the expansion of postpartum coverage during the 2022 legislative session.

If citizens decide to advocate for Medicaid expansion it would go a long way towards keeping rural hospitals open to provide care to their communities, including care to expecting and postpartum mothers.

About the author: Alexandra Middlewood, PhD, is the department chair of political science at Wichita State University.

A look back in t me. A look back in t me.

70 Years Ago August 1953

Hoover Drug Store has just installed an automatic gadget which turns out a steady stream of ice cubes to be used in chilled drinks. The machine first makes a slab of ice 28 by 30 inches, which is slipped upon a heated screen with one inch square mesh. This cuts the ice into one inch cubes.

*****

Al Weiland’s No. 37, driven by Frank Ornelas, won the Trophy Dash and the Feature Race in the Stock Car program at the Allen County Free Fair yesterday afternoon.

*****

According to the census taken this spring by the personal property assessors, Allen County’s population is now 17,480 and Iola’s is

Carter’s final gift is fitting

By DANIELA J. LAMAS Guest essay for The New York Times

When former President Jimmy Carter entered hospice care in February, many assumed that his death would be imminent, a matter of weeks at most. But six months later, he is still spending time with family and friends, still enjoying moments with his wife of nearly eight decades. Life continues, albeit under a shadow.

As he now approaches what has been reported to be his “final chapter,” Mr. Carter’s decision to enter hospice and to continue publicizing that choice is a fitting final gift of candor from a former president to an American public that has long been uncomfortable with our own mortality.

is to acknowledge that we will all end, a reality that few of us are willing to face until there is no choice left.

But Mr. Carter and his family were able to see it differently. After a series of short hospital stays, this winter Mr. Carter made what for so many is an impossible decision. He would opt for hospice care in order to remain at home rather than undergo further medical interventions — even though, we now know, he was not in his final days. And just as in 2015, when he announced that his melanoma had spread to his brain, he would make this decision public.

down to 6,819. ***** A large barn owned by the Sisters of St. Joseph was recently struck by lightning and destroyed by the resulting fire. Mr. and Mrs. Francis Peters, tenants, were able to save three calves but lost a new tractor, plow and the equipment in their milk room which adjoined the barn. The property is located on the north side of U.S. 54 about a quarter of a mile east of Rock Creek. *****

Tippie’s Super Handy Market at 401 S. State will hold an open house this week. The store is owned by Edgar Tippie, who first started as a fresh fruit and vegetable dealer several years ago. The fire-proof one-story building is at the corner of State and Neosho Streets.

Here in the hospital where I work as a critical care doctor, the very word “hospice” so often conjures the idea of death and defeat. Just a few days ago, I found myself in a conference room with a man whose wife was dying. She was in her 50s, with cancer that had infiltrated her chest and abdomen. Her time was short, a matter of months at most, and she was in pain and scared, and wanted to be at home. So I suggested to the husband that we consider hospice. I said the word gently, but even so, my patient’s husband flinched. No. His wife wanted to do everything, to fight, to not give up. It wasn’t time for hospice. Not yet.

I tried to explain that hospice care could help his wife stay at home — which had been her goal — with the tools to manage her symptoms as they worsened. I tried to explain that this was not about “giving up,” but about maximizing the quality of the time that she had. There was so little that we could do for her in the hospital, ultimately. But all he could hear was a word that made him think of endings and loss.

That is why hospice services are so often engaged late, in the days immediately before death, if at all. Half of all patients in hospice are enrolled for only 18 days or less. One in 10 are in hospice for only one or two days before they die. It is easy to understand how this happens. After all, to choose this path

“That is completely characteristic of the Carters,” Jonathan Alter, a biographer of the former president, told me. “It is the way they have lived their entire lives.” Mr. Alter’s book, “His Very Best,” aims to reassess Mr. Carter’s four years in office and challenge the common belief that Mr. Carter was but a mediocre president who became a great former president. Reflecting on the presidency, he describes a man of compassion and decency who was not afraid to make decisions that might be unpopular, who kept the peace, advanced human rights and worked to protect the environment, as symbolized by his placing solar panels on the roof of the White House.

What is perhaps even more remarkable — especially today, in a country where the health status of a president can be a closely guarded secret — Mr. Carter has always been one to try to tell the truth to the American people. In his book, Mr. Alter tells a story about the time Mr. Carter developed a case of painful hemorrhoids during his presidency and had to miss a day’s work. It would have been easy for him to obfuscate the truth of his medical condition, but Mr. Carter had no interest in doing so. “He said that if the global markets think the president of the U.S. is down and don’t know why, that’s a problem,” Mr. Alter said. “So tell the press I have hemorrhoids.” And his staff did.

When it came to the transition to hospice care, Mr. Carter was no different. And perhaps in being so open and honest, he could encourage others to pursue the same path. “This is intentional,” Mr. Alter noted.

“They know this is giving a

boost to the hospice movement and they’re gratified by that.”

This is not to say that home hospice is the only “right” way to die. Mr. Carter is surrounded by family with the resources to care for him if his symptoms worsen. Home hospice is not designed to offer care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Instead, the system largely relies on families to care for the people they love, and there are many families for whom this is not possible or for whom the harsh realities of the dying process are simply too much to bear. Dying at home is not the only way to preserve grace and dignity at the end, but for some, it is the right way.

They say you die as you lived. In the years since he left the White House, Mr. Carter has devoted himself to philanthropic causes throughout the globe. Over the past four decades, he has helped to build and renovate thousands of homes through Habitat for Humanity, offering safety and stability to those who would otherwise have none. That work is one of his great legacies, so important to him that he attended a building project just a few years ago, heavily bandaged and bruised after a fall at home.

It is only fitting that a man who has built homes for so many others would return to his own home as he sees his time growing short. And when his time in hospice draws to a close, there is likely to be no medical team rushing in, no chest compressions or shocks. There will be only a final breath, and then there will be quiet.

About the author: Dr. Lamas is a pulmonary and critical-care physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Former President Jimmy Carter sneaks a kiss with Rosalynn Carter while the couple was working on a Habitat for Humanity build in 2015, in Memphis, Tenn. (BEN GRAY/ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION/TNS)

Former President Jimmy Carter entered his “final chapter” — hospice care — in February. (GETTY IMAGES/TNS)

Poll: Biden’s too old; Trump should grow up

WASHINGTON (AP)

— Americans actually agree on something in this time of raw discord: Joe Biden is too old to be an effective president in a second term. Only a few years his junior, Donald Trump raises strikingly less concern about his age.

But they have plenty of other problems with Trump, who at least for now far outdistances his rivals for the Republican nomination despite his multiple criminal indictments. Never mind his advanced years — if anything, some say, the 77-year-old ought to grow up.

A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds much of the public oddly united in sizing up the one trait Biden cannot change.

The president has taken to raising the age issue himself, with wisecracks, as if trying to relax his audiences about his 80 trips around the sun.

Age discrimination may be banned in the workplace but the president’s employers — the people — aren’t shy about their bias.

In the poll, fully 77% said Biden is too old to be effective for four more years. Not only do 89% of Republicans say that, so do 69% of Democrats. That view is held across age groups, not just by young people, though older Democrats specifically are more supportive of his 2024 bid.

In contrast, about half of U.S. adults say Trump is too old for the office, and here the familiar partisan divide emerges — Democrats are far more likely to disqualify Trump by age than are Republicans.

What’s clear from the poll is that Americans are saying out with the old and in with the young, or at least younger.

Democrats, Republicans and independents want to sweep a broad broom through the halls of power, imposing age limits on the presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court. In all about two-thirds of U.S. adults back an age ceiling on candidates for president and Congress and a mandatory retirement age for justices.

Specifically, 67% favor requiring Supreme Court justices to retire by a certain age, 68% support age ceilings for candidates for House and Senate, and 66% support age ceilings for candidates for president.

With elders mostly running the show and the Constitution to contend with, don’t expect that to happen any time soon.

Even so, the survey suggests lots of people across political lines are open to seeing a younger face, a fresher one, or both, capture the public imagination.

Among them is Noah Burden, a 28-year-old communications consultant in Alexandria, Virginia. Despite a clear preference for Biden over Trump, he wishes the top contenders for the presidency were closer to his generation.

“They’re too old overall,” Burden said. That older generation represents “a sense of values and sense of the country and the world that just isn’t accurate anymore. It can be dangerous to

have that view.”

Similarly, Greg Pack, 62, a past and possibly future Trump voter in Ardmore, Oklahoma, wishes Biden and Trump would both move along.

“Just watching and listening to Biden it’s pretty self-evident he is not what he was,” said Pack, a registered nurse.

Trump? “He is a lot sharper but at the end of his term, who knows?” Pack said, contemplating January 2029. “I’m just ready for someone younger.” He’s had about enough of a man who is “all about himself” and is “wearing his indictments like a badge of honor,” but if that’s who it takes to defeat Biden, so be it.

WHAT’S YOUR WORD?

The AP-NORC survey went beyond posing questions and presenting choices. It also had a word association exercise, asking people to offer the first word or phrase that comes to mind at the mention of each man.

The answers underscored how age is a particular drag for Biden across party lines, even when people aren’t prompted to think about that, and how Trump largely escapes that only to draw disdain if not disgust on other fronts.

In those visceral responses, 26% mentioned Biden’s age and an additional 15% used words such as “slow” or “confused.” One Republican thought of “potato.” Among Democrats, Biden’s age was mentioned upfront by 28%. They preferred such terms over “president,” “leader,” “strong” or “capable.” One who approves of his performance nevertheless called him “senile.”

Only 3% in the survey came up with “confused” as the first descriptor for Trump, and a mere 1% used “old” or the like. Instead, the top words were those like “corrupt” or “crooked” (15%), “bad” and other generally negative terms (11%), words such as “liar” and “dishonest” (8%), along with “good” and other generally positive comments (8%).

Why the divergence between the two on public perceptions of their age?

“Biden just seems to be very compromised by age-related conditions,” said Eric Dezenhall, 60, a corporate scandal-management consultant who has followed Trump’s career and worked in Ronald Reagan’s White House. “Even people who like him see him as being frail and not altogether ‘there.’”

“Whatever Trump’s negatives are, I don’t think most people see

Alyssa Baggio, 32, is a Democratic-leaning independent in Vancouver, Washington, who works as a recruitment specialist for a homebuilder. She thought Biden was too old for the presidency before he started it. She’s convinced of it now and open to voting next year for someone else, just not Trump.

them as being related to being disabled in an age-related way,” he said.

“In fact, the more you throw at him, the more he seems like a ranting toddler. Disturbing, sure, but elderly? Not necessarily. Trump has been ranting this way for almost eight decades, and it always drives him forward.”

For Diego Saldana, 31, it hits close to home when he see Biden fumbling some words or taking halting steps.

“I see all the symptoms my grandpa had,” he said. “You can’t be ruling a country” that way. His granddad now is 94. Saldana supports Trump despite hesitancy over the criminal charges against him.

Eric Colwell, 34, an audit manager in Sacramento, California, came up with “old” for Biden and “incompetent” for Trump as his first-impression words. An independent who leans Democratic, he sounded a little embarrassed on the phone that the U.S. can’t do better than these two.

“Sheer optics,” he said. “Older gentlemen. You want your leaders, from a visual standpoint, to be spry and energetic. And we tend to fall short.”

He views Trump, with all his hand gestures and animation, as “a larger figure, a little more lively, just his personality. That gives him that energetic appearance.” But Colwell is certainly not going there.

“Biden was a good step to steady the water,” he said. “Biden is more representative of the status quo and normalcy and that’s probably what drew everyone initially to him” after the tumult of the Trump presidency.

“Now you have a return to stability. But in terms of moving forward and having any measurable change on my generation, we’re probably going to need younger leadership.”

“I don’t think he’s done a terrible job in office,” she said of Biden, “but I think that’s more because, as opposed to Trump, he surrounds himself with more experienced and logical people.”

Not that she places great value in experience, except in foreign affairs. “D.C. is a swamp,” she said, “and the more experience you have, the more you sink into the swamp.”

Said Jose Tapia, 33, a tech-company videographer in Raleigh, North Carolina, “There’s got to be a multitude of younger people who are also super qualified. There’s no fresh faces at all.”

Older Democrats are less negative than younger ones on Biden’s decision to run again. In the poll, only 34% of Democrats under 45 want him running for reelection, compared with 54% of those older. Still, about three-quarters of younger Democrats say they’ll at least probably support him if he’s the nominee; others did not commit to that.

Shelter: Donations

Continued from A1

share rooms.

Organizers already realized they needed a larger shelter when the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 pushed the issue to the forefront.

“COVID taught us we can’t share space effectively,” Sparks said.

Families, especially those with children, need their own space and private restrooms. Typically, children outnumber adults at the shelter, Sparks said. Most victims of domestic violence are women, particularly those with children.

Although men are also victims, it’s less common that men will seek shelter. But the new facility could accommodate them as well, Sparks said.

An architect continues to develop plans for the shelter. Sparks said a goal is to have 10 private rooms that could house up to 25, including children. The rooms will include microwaves and mini-refrigerators to allow those families to be more self-sufficient.

The shelter will also include shared spaces such as a large kitchen and a place for children to do homework and access computers and the internet.

“When COVID came around, we were trying to do school in the shelter by Zoom. It was very challenging,” Sparks said.

A long-term goal is to build a childcare center on site. Child care is a huge barrier to employment. Having a center on site will make it easier for parents to work and also will make it easier for the children, who won’t have to leave the area.

“It provides continuity, which is important for children whose lives are in the middle of upheaval,” Sparks said.

THE GOAL is to break ground on the shelter in 2024. Construction is expected to take about a year. For more information or to donate, call Sparks or Donita Garner at 620365-2016.

Pope: Some replace faith with ideology

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has blasted the “backwardness” of some conservatives in the U.S. Catholic Church, saying they have replaced faith with ideology and that a correct understanding of Catholic doctrine allows for change over time.

Francis’ comments were an acknowledgment of the divisions in the U.S. Catholic Church, which has been split between progressives and conservatives who long found support in the doctrinaire papacies of St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI, particularly on issues of abortion and samesex marriage.

Many conservatives have blasted Francis’ emphasis in-

stead on social justice issues such as the environment and the poor, while also branding as heretical his opening to letting divorced and civilly remarried Catholics receive the sacraments.

Francis made the comments in a private

meeting with Portuguese members of his Jesuit religious order while visiting Lisbon on Aug. 5; the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica, which is vetted by the Vatican secretariat of state, published a transcript of the encounter Monday.

From left, Dorothy Sparks, executive director of Hope Unlimited, talks with Jane Martin and Mary Louise Barber at a campaign kickoff for a new shelter in April.

This split photo shows former President Donald Trump, left, and President Joe Biden. The occasion was the final presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, on Oct. 22, 2020.

(BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI AND JIM WATSON/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES/TNS)

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Sports Daily B

Iola, Humboldt tip off volleyball season

BURLINGTON — Iola

High and Humboldt High girls didn’t waste any time to hit high gear with some high-flying volleyball action Saturday.

Iola’s Mustangs went 3-2, while the Lady Cubs went 2-3 at the Burlington Invitational to kick off the 2023 season. Iola’s victories included a straight wet win over Waverley (25-19 and 25-18), and a pair of wins against Wellsville (25-19 and 25-18 in the first matchup and a thrilling

25-23, 23-25 and 25-17 decision in the second).

The Mustangs came up short in 25-12 and 25-14 defeats to Baldwin and 25-21 and 25-19 to Humboldt.

Iola had several standouts.

Reese Curry pounded home 35 kills, followed by Jackie Fager with 20, Rio Lohman with 17 and Alana Mader with 15.

Curry also served up nine aces for the Mustangs, who served at an 85% success rate on the day.

Lohman and Mader were

both strong at the net, racking up 13 and 11 blocks, respectively.

Elza Clift led the defense with 54 digs. Mariah Jelinek followed with 30, Fager with 28 and Curry with 21.

Kaysin Crusinbery was the primary ball handler, setting up 84 assists.

THE LADY CUBS defeated Wellsville in three sets, 2325, 25-15 and 25-18, before its straight-set win over Iola. Humboldt was not as fortunate in its other matches,

falling 25-21 and 25-19 to Prairie View, 25-16 and 2512 to Rossville and 25-14 and 25-14 to Baldwin. “We had moments that were really good and some not so good,” Humboldt head coach Terry Meadows said. “We played good defense most of the day. We just need to find ways to attack more on offense.”

Shelby Shaughnessy and Ricklyn Hillmon provided much of Humboldt’s firepower, smacking home 38 and 24 kills, respectively.

Three Rivers League foes hit court

MOUND CITY — Crest, Marmaton Valley and Yates Center High’s volleyball teams received a heavy dose Saturday of Three Rivers League action to start the 2023 season. After Yates Center edged Crest in an early nailbiter, 19-25, 25-17 and 26-24 in the tie-breaker, the Lady Lancers fell to host Jayhawk-Linn

25-13 and 25-19. Crest rebounded nicely from there, defeating St. Paul (25-23 and 25-20), Uniontown (25-15- and 2521), Oswego (25-13 and 25-14) and Marmaton Valley (25-23 and 28-26).

“We had some really great moments, but didn’t play anywhere near our potential as a team,” Crest head coach

Abigail Hermreck said. “We have to do better with outof-system balls and consistency with our offense.

“We have four players who have never started varsity and they are coming along fast,” she said. “It is very exciting to know that we are only getting better with how hard these girls work.”

While many of Crest’s

stats were unavailable by press time — Coach Hermreck’s tablet went down early in the day — Hermreck was able to compile serving stats. Sophomore Kaelin Nilges led the team with a 90% success rate (44 of 49). Brooklynn Jones was next at 89% (24 of 27) and Kayla

Shaughnessy and Chanlynn

Wrestler each served up five aces. Kenisyn Hottenstein had 76 assists, while Skylar Hottenstein had 60 digs, followed by Shaughnessy with 43, Kinley Tucker with 33, Cassidy Friend with 25 and Kenisyn Hottenstein with 17.

THE MUSTANGS have a two-week break before their next matches, a home tournament on Saturday, Sept. 9. Humboldt hits the court again Tuesday at Jayhawk-Linn.

Mariners sweep KC

By

SEATTLE (AP) — Luis Castillo pitched seven shutout innings and the Seattle Mariners grabbed sole possession of first place in the AL West, beating the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.

Teoscar Hernández and Julio Rodríguez homered as Seattle won for the 11th time in 12 games. The Mariners also improved to a major league-best 36-14 since July 1 for their best 50-game stretch since they also went 36-14 from April 23-June 18, 2003.

Seattle (74-56) and Texas were tied for the AL West lead coming into the day, but the Rangers lost 7-6 to the Twins. Seattle trailed Texas by 7 1/2 games on Aug. 15.

It’s the latest the Mariners have had sole possession of first in a season since Aug. 24, 2003.

“We have a lot of baseball to go,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “There’s

Five things that stood out in the Chiefs’ preseason finale

By SAM MCDOWELL The Kansas City Star

They did keep score.

The Chiefs did finish out their preseason with a 33-32 win against the Browns.

But if we needed any further reason that the outcomes of these things are irrelevant (which we did not), let me share this: Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Nick Bolton were among the Chiefs’ healthy scratches at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

But, hey, they played anyway. And there are some things to learn from what we saw Saturday, even if the final

score isn’t one of them. Here are five observations from Saturday:

1. The Justyn Ross dilemma A good problem to have. Let’s start with that. The receivers on the roster bubble continue to perform like guys worthy of being on NFL opening rosters. While the Justyn Ross hype has been blown out of control, he does continue to flash here and there on game days. So too does Ihmir Smith-Marsette, by the way. Ross high-pointed a threeyard touchdown pass Saturday, his second score of the preseason. Ross does offer

the Chiefs a dimension they don’t have elsewhere in the wide receiver room — capable of winning a jump ball. Is that alone enough for a roster spot? Would the Chiefs commit to using him in that role?

Because nothing has changed from what I wrote earlier this week ahead of Tuesday’s cutdown day.

The Chiefs have enough talent to keep seven receivers.

They do not have enough regular-season snaps to justify keeping seven.

Their internal history

See CHIEFS | Page B4

Marmaton Valley High’s Piper Barney goes up for a kill attempt Saturday against Southeast of Cherokee.

PHOTO BY HALIE LUKEN/MVHS

CAMERON VAN TIL The Associated Press

See KC | Page B3 See TRL | Page B6

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Blaine Gabbert (9) takes a snap in the first half during a preseason game against the Cleveland Browns Saturday. KANSAS CITY STAR/EMILY CURIEL/TNS

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Buescher wins as NASCAR playoff chase arrives

DAYTONA BEACH,

Fla. (AP) — Chris Buescher has become a NASCAR title contender in less than a month.

Buescher won the Cup Series regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night, eliminating fan favorite Chase Elliott from playoff contention and sending Bubba Wallace into the postseason.

Buescher and teammate Brad Keselowski finished 1-2 for RFK Racing, the first for the team since 2014. It was Buescher’s third victory since late July, making him a championship favorite no one could have expected five weeks ago.

“We certainly got momentum on our side right now,” Buescher said.

Because Buescher had previously won this season, Wallace landed the 16th and final playoff spot on points.

“That was the most stress but also the most

locked in I’ve ever been,” Wallace said. “Proud to be locked into the playoffs. We’ve gone through a lot of trials and tribulations. So proud of the effort we put in.”

“Second is the first loser,” Keselowski quipped. “But you could have ended up in a ball of flames in (turns) three and four, too, and that would have been pretty dumb. ... It would have been really difficult to pull a move off without probably wrecking both of us.”

Aric Almirola finished third in another Ford, followed by Elliott and defending series champion Joey Logano.

Seventeen drivers, most notably Wallace and Elliott, started the night with hopes of securing the final playoff spot.

Elliott had been facing an uphill battle for months. He missed six races after breaking his left leg in a snowboarding accident in early March and was sus-

pended for another for intentionally wrecking Denny Hamlin in May. Those absences left NASCAR’s most popular driver him trying to dig out of a hole all summer.

Elliott needed a victory that never came.

He knew Daytona was a wild card, but he still managed to get to the front and lead two laps early. He was in the mix late but had little Chevrolet help around him.

“Yeah, it’s a bummer for sure,” said Elliott, who missed the playoffs for the first time in eight Cup seasons. “I appreciate everybody’s support through this season. Hasn’t been what I would want by any means. Certainly going to be some lessons taken from it, and I think we’ll be better for it on the other end.”

Martin Truex Jr. took the regular-season championship over Denny Hamlin, giving Truex an extra 15 playoff points. Truex and Hamlin were the only drivers vying for the regular-season title at Daytona.

The more notable race was for the final postseason spot. Seven of the drivers vying for the berth were eliminated in a 12-car melee a little past the midway point.

Ty Gibbs was one of those knocked out of contention. Christopher Bell was pushing Gibbs near the front of the field but got him sideways in Turn 4. Gibbs slammed into race leader Ryan Blaney, turning Blaney’s No. 12 Ford into the outside wall. Blaney hit so hard that at least two tires lifted off the ground.

Teoscar Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run Saturday against the Kansas City Royals, in the second game of a three-game sweep. GETTY IMAGES/ ALIKA JENNER/TNS

KC: Seattle sweep

Continued from B1

no question about it. But we have played extremely well, really since the first of July. And it’s a testament to our players. They just keep their head down and focus on getting better.”

Castillo (11-7) allowed one hit, struck out six and walked one in his fourth consecutive win. The All-Star righthander retired his last 13 batters.

“It’s been awesome to watch him go out and do it every fifth day,” Servais said. “And today he was as sharp as he’s been in quite some time. When your starting pitching is that consistent, you’re gonna be in a lot of games.”

Hernández put Seattle in front with his third homer in the past two games, hitting a 433-foot solo shot to center off rookie Alec Marsh (0-7) in the second inning. It was his 22nd homer of the season.

Rodríguez also went deep for the second straight day, lining a two-run shot to left-center in the fifth to make it 3-0. It was his 23rd of the season.

Kansas City’s Nelson Velázquez cut it to 3-2 with a two-run homer off Gabe Speier in the eighth. It was Velázquez’s eighth homer.

Driver discharged from hospital

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — NASCAR driver Ryan Preece, whose car rolled about a dozen times during a terrifying crash at Daytona International Speedway, was on his way home about 12 hours later after being discharged from a hospital Sunday.

Stewart-Haas Racing said Preece was headed back to North Carolina after getting clearance from doctors at Halifax Health Medical Center. The team earlier said Preece was “awake, alert and mobile” and “had been communicating with family and friends.”

The 32-year-old Preece was able to climb out of his mangled No. 41 Ford on Saturday night with help before emergency workers put him on a gurney and into an ambulance.

ing back.”

Preece and SHR teammate Chase Briscoe made contact coming out of Turn 4, and Preece’s car turned hard left and then went into an uncontrollable barrel roll as soon as it slid from the asphalt to the infield grass. The car came to a halt on all four tires, with some minor damage to the roll cage.

Preece being able to climb out with help was a testament to NASCAR’s Next Gen car, which is considered the safest iteration in its 75-year history.

The car was roundly criticized following its debut in 2022 because rear-impact collisions wreaked havoc on drivers.

suffered head trauma. NASCAR spent much of last year and the offseason testing and tweaking its car to try to limit the G-forces delivered to drivers. The changes were welcomed, resulting in considerably fewer missed races and no reported concussions in 2023.

Busch, meanwhile, has yet to return to racing and formally retired from the Cup Series Saturday at Daytona. The 45-year-old Busch held back tears as he called it quits, saying his “body is just having a battle with Father Time.”

The Royals put runners on second and third with two outs in the inning, but Justin Topa struck out Salvador Perez to preserve the one-run lead. Andrés Muñoz struck out the side in the ninth for his 10th save.

“You can feel the positivity and the good vibes here,” Castillo said. “It’s a team that just wants to go out there and win.”

Marsh allowed three runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out nine in his seventh career start.

Kansas City lost for the 10th time in 12 games. Nine of its past 10 losses are by two runs or fewer.

“Super frustrating series,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Really a frustrating road trip. Played better than what the results ended up.”

LAYING OUT Seattle right fielder Dominic Canzone made a full-extension diving catch on a slicing line drive by Maikel Garcia in the sixth.

PITCH MAGNET Seattle’s Ty France was hit by a pitch for a franchise-record 28th time this season when Marsh plunked him with a slider in the second. France also held the previous mark, with 27 hit by pitches in 2021.

“I feel like I got pushed in a bad spot,” Gibbs said.

At least nine others were collected in the crash, including Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon and Austin Cindric.

He initially went to the track’s infield care center before being transported to Halifax Health for overnight observation.

Preece tweeted about two hours after the race, posting: “If you want to be a race car driver, you better be tough. ... I’m com-

Kurt Busch of 23XI Racing suffered a life-changing concussion during a qualifying crash at Pocono Raceway last summer, and Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman missed five races because of a concussion.

Multiple other drivers complained about the violence felt during what they considered routine hits and wondered if they too had

Busch added that he’s dealt with arthritis and gout while trying to shake lingering effects of a brain injury that rocked stock car racing a year ago.

Preece’s accident harkened memories of Ryan Newman’s harrowing wreck in the 2020 Daytona 500. Newman was able to walk out of the hospital days later, another testament to NASCAR safety improvements made since Dale Earnhardt’s death on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

Ryan Preece, driver of the (41) RaceChoice.com Ford, flips after an on-track incident during the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway Saturday. GETTY IMAGES/SEAN GARDNER/TNS

Managers on hot seat as season hits home stretch

By DAVID BRANDT The Associated Press

It’s five months into the regular season and all 30 Major League Baseball managers who started the year with their respective teams are all still employed. That’s fairly rare but not totally uncommon. The ax could be coming soon.

Here’s a look at some of the managers who are in a tenuous position as the season winds down.

— Aaron Boone, New York Yankees: This is Boone’s sixth season and the previous five were all very good. But the Yankees have fallen to last place in the AL East with a 62-68 record, GM Brian Cashman called the season a “disaster” and it’s fair to say that patience isn’t always the best virtue for teams in the Big Apple. The Yankees haven’t had a losing season since 1992.

— Buck Showalter, New York Mets: The 67-year-old had the Midas touch in 2022, lead-

ing the Mets to 101 wins before a disappointing wild-card round exit against the San Diego Padres. Another big season was expected after owner Steve Cohen spent huge on the team’s payroll, but the Mets have plunged to the bottom of the NL East with a 60-71 record.

— Bob Melvin, San Diego Padres: The 61-yearold is well respected and took over the Padres in 2022, leading them to an 89-win season and a spot in the NLCS be-

fore losing to the Phillies in five games. But the high-priced roster — with stars like Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Yu Darvish and Xander Bogaerts — is just 61-70 this season and almost certainly will miss the playoffs.

— Oliver Marmol, St. Louis Cardinals: The 37-year-old was surprise choice in 2022 to lead the storied franchise, but the front office looked like geniuses after Marmol guided

the team to a 93-win season. He hasn’t been able to keep the momentum, with the Cardinals falling to 56-75 and a last-place spot in the NL Central. They’re on pace to lose at least 90 games for the first time since 1990.

— Pedro Grifol, Chicago White Sox: The first-year manager has been in charge during a hugely disappointing season on the South Side, and owner Jerry Reinsdorf just fired executive vice president

Ken Williams and GM Rick Hahn. On top of that, pitcher Keynan Middleton didn’t have a lot of great things to say about the clubhouse culture following his trade to the Yankees.

— Bud Black, Colorado Rockies: The 66-year-old manager is well liked but is now presiding over his fifth straight losing season. It’s not all Black’s fault — the team’s roster construction is a mess and the team’s best players can’t seem to stay healthy — but it seems like the Rockies might need a new voice in the dugout.

— Phil Nevin, Los Angeles Angels: Nevin took over from the fired Joe Maddon midway through last season but hasn’t had much more success.

The Angels are one of the most confounding teams in baseball, failing to make the playoffs despite having twoway sensation Shohei Ohtani and one of this generation’s best players in Mike Trout. Nevin is far from that team’s only problem, but it

wouldn’t be shocking to see the franchise make a change.

TRIVIA QUESTION

The Yankees have finished last in their division just twice over the past century. What were those seasons?

RISING

The Seattle Mariners continue to play inspired baseball, jumping to the top of the AL West with a 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.

They’re 24-6 over their past 30 games, rocketing past the defending World Series champion Houston Astros and scuffling Texas Rangers.

FALLING

Speaking of the Rangers, they looked like they were going to waltz into the playoffs just a few weeks ago.

Now, it’s not so clear.

Texas has lost nine of its last 10, no longer leads the AL West and is just 2 1/2 games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays for the final AL wildcard spot. TRIVIA ANSWER 1966 and 1990.

Chiefs: Tough choices ahead as cutdown day beckons

Continued from B1

shows they rarely use a sixth wide receiver, at least not on offense.

On the six occasions in which Andy Reid teams kept six receivers, those six combined for seven catches — for their entire seasons.

Which makes keeping a seventh receiver feel like a real stretch. It’s basically stashing a guy for development purposes, in a league in which you so often need all 53 to contribute.

I still think a trade is the best solution here, assuming the Chiefs can find a partner — and I’m not saying Ross has to be the guy moving the other way. The Chiefs have flexibility.

2. The Rashee Rice dilemma

A not-so-good problem to have.

Rashee Rice has not yet appeared in an NFL regular season game, and he already has a case of the drops.

Actually, he had it before he arrived. Rice had a drop rate of 7.8% in college. If you read scouting reports before the draft, it was listed

on almost every one. And now he’s dropped four passes in the last two preseason games, including three on Saturday. A week ago, he told me “clearing a play,” was the most difficult challenge of the transition to the NFL.

He’s got a few more to clear, and one in particular might be pretty

difficult to erase from memory. Rice dropped a deep pass in which he had nothing but green grass in front of him.

Look, it is certainly a problem. But it’s not the end-all, be-all for a wide receiver. In actuality, it’s not even all that indicative of total success for a receiver.

You know who else has a problem with

drops? A.J. Brown. Ja’Marr Chase. Jaylen Waddle.

Not ideal. But not prohibitive.

3. The quarterback battle

You wouldn’t think a Chiefs preseason game absent Patrick Mahomes would have much intrigue at the quarterback spot.

Oh, to the contrary.

The Chiefs have turned the No. 2 job into a battle between veteran Blaine Gabbert and Shane Buechele, with Buechele leading the most recent leg of the race.

That may not be the case for much longer. Buechele got the start, and there were some anxious moments, to put it kindly.

He did operate only one drive with the starting offensive line, but Buechele threw a lot of passes into traffic that his intended receivers probably wish he hadn’t. Two ended up intercepted.

A week after his perfect outing in Arizona, Buechele was just 8 of 17 for 89 yards, one touchdown and the two picks.

Gabbert, on the other hand, performed well for the second straight week — 10 of 18 for 169 yards, 2 touchdowns and one interception.

Gabbert won the day. Did he win the backup job?

4. The rookie on the rise

If we can track back to the draft for a moment, the Chiefs’ pick that prompted more confusion than any other was fourth-rounder Chamarri Conner, considered a reach based on the national scouting reports.

But the Chiefs started just one rookie in their preseason finale — you guessed it, Connor.

He’s playing nickel cornerback, bumping Trent McDuffie outside and Jaylen Watson to the bench. Oh, and he’s still getting some snaps at safety too.

A few days ago, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said he couldn’t recall putting so much on the plate of a rookie before he’s played his first NFL game.

It’s clear Conner will have a role this season, even if that role is sub-

ject to change.

5. The kickoff returns

It all looked bad early Saturday for the Chiefs, but there’s one area that’s looked bad all preseason. The kickoff return.

You know, the play the NFL is all but begging teams to eliminate by offering them a chance to get the ball at the 25-yard line with a fair catch from anywhere on the field.

The Chiefs returned nine kickoffs in the preseason. Their average starting position: the 17-yard line.

Six of the nine didn’t even make it past the 16.

Their best? They reached the 31-yard line. All of a six-yard gain compared to the fair catch.

This is a small sample size that says what the large sample size says: It is just not a profitable endeavor to continue to return kickoffs. I’ve said it before but will say it again: The preseason is about evaluation, and if the Chiefs are truly evaluating the kickoff returns, it all points to one conclusion. A fair catch.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross warms up during practice at Chiefs training camp on Aug. 11. THE KANSAS CITY STAR/EMILY CURIEL/TNS

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone may be out of a job by the end of the season. GETTY IMAGES/LACHLAN CUNNINGHAM/TNS

Doc turns appointment into weight lecture

Adapted from an online discussion.

Hi, Carolyn: Will you give me a Pap smear or a pep talk? I am dreading my yearly OB/GYN appointment. My doctor, while very personable, continues to care more about my weight than any other issues. I am in my mid-50s and obese, but I am working out two to three times a week with a professional trainer. Those sessions are quite strenuous.

I am not normally at a loss for words, but my mild pushback during the last physical resulted in an irritated doctor, pushing additional “suggestions” — which usually entail signing up for a commercial weight-loss program, visiting a colleague who is not in my network, tummy tucks, etc. I generally reserve those topics for my yearly visits with my general practitioner and prefer she concentrate on my “woman parts.” Yet I know the first thing

out of her mouth during the next visit will be, once again: “You still need to lose weight. Are you still exercising?” —

At a Loss for Words

At a Loss for Words: A pep talk, then: Get another doctor. If that’s not practical, then state clearly to this one that you are working with your primary doctor on the weight and will not discuss it in this appointment. It’s your appointment, your care. You say what and when. If you lose your nerve in situations like this, then write it down and hand the note over.

Readers’ thoughts:

• If — or better yet, when — you leave this OB/GYN, be sure to explain why, ideally in writing and to management if the doctor is not

the practice owner.

• I have to ask all my doctors not to discuss my weight: If they tell me I should lose weight, then I will obsess about it and start to gain weight. Most get it and are respectful. I did have to tell one of them twice.

A “My weight is not up for discussion” on an intake form worked really well, too. They are trying to help, but it’s not always helpful. Best of luck!

• Please find another gynecologist who will respect your boundaries. Too often, doctors like yours are quick to dismiss symptoms of diseases as a “need to lose weight.” Then they act all surprised when you end up having a basketball-size tumor removed from your ovary. So, for your own mental and physical health, find a gynecologist who is focused on you as you are, and not on what you look like. You deserve better! Talk to your GP, who you trust, and ask for a referral.

Can your child hear the teacher?

By JASON HOWLAND Mayo Clinic News Network/TNS

Checking your child’s hearing should be on your back-to-school list.

Dr. Kelly Conroy, a Mayo Clinic audiologist, says children with an undiagnosed hearing issue can face both academic and social struggles.

You know your child can see the video board, but what if he can’t hear the teacher?

“Hearing loss on school performance is quite impactful,” says Dr. Conroy.

She says it’s especially true in kindergarten and elementary schoolaged kids.

“That’s when they’re really learning a lot

of their language and speech skills. They’re also learning to get along socially with other children,” adds Dr. Conroy.

Hearing loss in children can result in a variety of ways, but noise is a big culprit.

“One of the major issues we’re seeing right now are children that have listened to MP3 players or iPods very loudly for long periods of time,” explains Dr. Conroy.

Besides noise, infections and other problems in the middle ear can lead to hearing loss. And hearing problems can run in families.

Dr. Conroy says a hearing check should be a standard part of

your student’s back-toschool routine because earlier detection can lead to earlier intervention in the case of a hearing problem.

America What if didn’t NOTICE ?

in government!

• dishonest businesses!

• unfair competitive practices! Find out about these and much more in your local newspaper. Participate in Democracy. Read your Public No ces.

Dear Carolyn: I have a 1-year-old, and my relationship is at a breaking point. There have been a lot of pressures (difficult pregnancy, 200-squarefoot home), and I honestly sometimes feel as if my partner hates me. But when it’s good, it’s so good, and we adore our little one. I hate the idea of him growing up split between parents, but I also hate the idea of him growing up with us like this. With very little kids, is it best to split or not? — To split or not to split

To split or not to split: I would hate you if I lived with you and a baby in 200 square feet. I would hate me even more. And new parents are stressed and spiky. So if you can move to a better space, then do that — and postpone any splitting thoughts till you see whether that works. Remember: If you do split, then you’ll have all the new-parent stress plus the added expenses of two homes, so apply those projected costs toward more room(s).

ZITS

by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

BEETLE BAILEY by Mort Walker

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE by Chris Browne

MARVIN by Tom Armstrong

by Chance Browne

BLONDIE by Young and Drake

MUTTS by Patrick McDonell

Jamboree fun

Marmaton Valley High’s football team was part of a preseason jamboree hosted by St. Paul High School Friday. Above, Marmaton Valley’s Tyler Lord, left, blocks a Flinthills player during a scrimmage. At left, Marmaton Valley’s Dreden Ellis (40) and Brevyn Campbell (54) move to block a St Paul defender. The Wildcats host Oswego Friday. PHOTOS BY TAYVEN SUTTON (ABOVE) AND HALIE LUKEN

Notre Dame blasts Navy

DUBLIN (AP) — Sam Hartman credited coaches, the offensive line, running backs, the defense, even the event organizers.

This after a dream debut as Notre Dame quarterback.

Hartman threw for four touchdowns and the No. 13 Fighting Irish routed Navy 42-3 on Saturday in a season-opening victory in Ireland’s capital.

Notre Dame (1-0) scored at will by air and on the ground against the Midshipmen (0-1), improving to 3-0 all-time against Navy in Dublin games.

Hartman completed 19 of 23 passes for 251 yards.

“It starts up front. I had a lot of time to go through my reads and progressions, and felt comfortable,” Hartman said.

Hartman connected with Jaden Greathouse on two scoring strikes, the second a 20-yard reception that made the score 35-0 early in the third quarter and kept the Irish offense perfect at that point — scor-

ing touchdowns in their first five possessions.

The Irish quickly eased fears about another possible slow start after going 0-2 to open last season.

“You couldn’t draw it up any better,” Irish coach Marcus Freeman said.

After touchdowns runs by Audric Estimé and Jadarian Price, Hartman’s first TD pass went to Greathouse, who caught a deep ball at the 5 and took it in for a 35-yard scoring play and a 21-0 lead.

Hartman, a grad transfer who set ACC records at Wake Forest, ended Notre Dame’s nearly flawless first half with a 14yard touchdown pass to Jayden Thomas. Notre Dame’s sixth drive ended when new kicker Spencer Shrader missed a 42yard field goal attempt in the third quarter. Hartman hit Deion Colzie in the flat for a 25-yard touchdown pass that made the score 42-0 early in the fourth quarter.

Team USA topples Greece to advance in FIBA World Cup

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The first required step at the Basketball World Cup for the Americans is now complete. They’re going to the tournament’s second round.

An achievement, technically — but one barely worth acknowledging.

Winning gold is the only goal for the Americans on this end-ofsummer trip to Manila, and Monday was just another step, they hope, toward getting there.

Austin Reaves led a balanced scoring effort with 15 points and the U.S. topped Greece 10981 to clinch a spot in the second round that starts Friday.

“There’s only really one thing that gets us excited out here,” U.S. guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “We’ve got to

take care of business every night to be able to do that.”

Jalen Brunson and Anthony Edwards each scored 13 for the Americans (2-0), who haven’t lost in seven games overall this summer.

Brunson made all five of his shots, Bobby Portis had 10 points and Josh Hart grabbed 11 rebounds for the winners.

The win, combined with New Zealand’s 9587 overtime victory over Jordan earlier Monday, ensured that the U.S. is moving on. The Americans will finish group play against Jordan on Wednesday, then play Lithuania and Montenegro — in some order — on Friday and Sunday in Round 2.

“We’re really excited to win the first two and to guarantee ourselves moving to the next

TRL: Volleyball

Continued from B1

Hermreck at 86% (42 of 49).

MARMATON Valleyand Yates Center both recorded up-anddown days in the season-opening tournament. Each went 3-3.

Marmaton Valley dropped a tough threeset match to Southeast, 25-12, 23-25 and 25-15, before bouncing back with three straight wins, 25-22 and 25-13 over Pleasanton, 25-8 and 25-11 over Altoona-Midway and 2517 and 25-7 over Chetopa.

The day ended on a sour note, with a loss to both Northeast (2513 and 25-21) and the aforementioned defeat at the hands of Crest.

YATES CENTER followed its early thriller

over Crest with a second win, 25-14 and 2521 over St. Paul.

But Oswego proved to be a formidable foe, downing YC 25-8 and 25-22.

The Wildcats then dropped a heartbreaker to Northeast, winning the first set, 25-16, but losing a pair thrillers, 25-23 in the second and 26-24 in the tiebreaker.

Yates Center made quick work of Uniontown, 25-13 and 25-14, but dropped its final match of the day to host Jayhawk-Linn in straight sets, 25-23 and 25-19.

Individual statistics from Marmaton Valley and Yates Center were unavailable.

Marmaton Valley and Crest won’t have to wait long for a rematch. Both are in Hartford Tuesday. Yates Center is at West Elk Tuesday.

round,” U.S. coach Steve Kerr said. “But we just keep on, one game at a time — and, hopefully, six more.”

Georgios Papagiannis led Greece (1-1) with 17 points. Nikos Rogkavopoulous added 14.

“We couldn’t compete the way we wanted to,” Greece coach Dimitrios Itoudis said. “We wanted them to feel us a little bit on the court.”

Getting to the second round isn’t exactly a surprise for the U.S., the current tournament favorites and a team seeking a sixth World Cup gold medal. There was no real gold-medal contender in Group C along with the U.S., and the Americans followed up a 27-point win over New Zealand in Saturday’s opener with a 28-point victory that was never in doubt Monday.

But France — the reigning Olympic silver medalist — getting eliminated in Round 1 of this World Cup served as a reminder: Even for basketball superpowers, nothing is guaranteed anymore. And the U.S. took a businesslike

approach to get past Greece.

“All respect to Greece,” Brunson said. “That team over there, they play hard, they’re well-coached. A lot of respect for that squad. And for us, we’re still getting better.”

Greece is playing this summer without its best player, two-time NBA MVP and 2021 NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the

Milwaukee Bucks. He said he needed more time to recover from offseason knee surgery. Without Giannis, Greece went to Papagiannis instead.

The former lottery pick — taken No. 13 in the 2016 draft — played 39 games in the league with Sacramento and Portland, last appearing in the NBA in 2018. He provided a flash of what he could do, scoring 11 points in the first quarter, 15 in the half, and trying to keep Greece’s upset shot afloat. It wasn’t anywhere near enough. The U.S. lead was 50-37 at the half, and the Americans pushed the margin out to 79-56 going into the final 10-minute period.

“We’re 12 deep on our roster and we’re just trying to stay solid on every possession and put pressure on the opponent,” Kerr said. “We needed to do that tonight. ... Eventually, we broke the dam and opened up the game.”

Marmaton Valley High’s Brooklyn Adams tips the volleyball in a match Saturday.

PHOTO BY HALIE LUKEN/MVHS

/MVHS

Jalen Brunson and his Team USA cohorts have advanced to the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup. GETTY IMAGES/ETHAN MILLER/TNS