C.L. Hoover Opera House Board announces the retirement of their directors, Joe and Sheila Markley.

The Markleys, who were already well-known in the area as music teachers in the Chapman school district, have been the guiding hand for the Opera House for the last ten years. They have introduced many innovations and improvements in the building and the stage, including lighting and sound system improvements, and have staged many seasons of diverse entertainment for the area.

They have extended and stabilized our financial base with increased participation and membership.

They have promoted our Opera House statewide by their participation and leadership as Co-Presidents of the Kansas Historic Theaters Association. They have been members and presenters nationally for the League of Historic American Theaters, as well. Joe and Sheila are responsible for making our Opera House the crown jewel and the focal point of downtown Junction City.

Their crowning achievement has been the purchase and remodel of 131 West 7th Street, a building formally known as Peter Pan Grocery Store. The Markleys began an innovative program for youth called ASTRA, where children can learn performing arts. The new addition provides the required space for teaching and practice, office space for the Junction City Little Theatre, office and studio space for Junction City Arts Council, and rehearsal and storage space for the Junction City Community Band.

The C.L. Hoover Opera House wishes Joe and Sheila Markley well in their new endeavors.

Advertising for the position of Executive Director begins immediately.

C.L. Hoover Opera House announces retirement of Joe and Sheila Markley

The subject of low voter turnout in Geary County surfaced during a recent Chamber of Commerce candidate forum. It arose during the county clerk segment.

Challenger Kim Bradney noted that the county is near the bottom of all 105 counties in voter turnout. "So few people are making decisions for all of us." She has suggested an education plan that could possibly involve educating students at the elementary and middle school levels.

Current County Clerk Courtney Gilbert has talked with the Secretary of State's Office where there was a feeling that not a lot of military members participate in local elections. They do not know the candidates that they are voting for.

Gilbert said, "It's your constitutional right to vote." She added she has only been county clerk for a year an a half but has been a registered voter and has voted since she was 18 years old. Gilbert added she is a firm believer that if you don't vote you don't have the right to complain. She tries to educate people via social media,&nbsp; through a quarterly newsletter and other methods.

Bradney feels in the elementary schools kids need to start understanding the electoral process and why they should vote. She would like to see more information put out to the public and the clerk's website updated with more information. She feels there are also social media platforms where the clerk's office should have a presence.

Geary County Clerk candidates address election turnout issue

Junction City - Geary County United Way has presented a framed certificate recognizing the effort by county employees through the Stuff the Bus and Adopt a Backpack programs.

The employees filled 24 backpacks with school supplies, far more backpacks than any one organization had ever done. United Way Director Nichole Mader made the presentation during the commission's meeting on Monday.

United Way says thank you for Geary County employees support

Geary County Public Works Director Corey Trumpp has announced his plan to retire on Dec. 9. He informed the county commission in a brief announcement on Monday.

Trumpp noted that he has served in the job for more than seven years.

Geary County Public Works Director to retire 

Fort Riley has announced that they will host a one-stop hiring fair beginning October 28 at Riley’s Conference Center. This multi-day event offers prospective job applicants the opportunity to apply for open positions on post and, if qualified, participate in interviews. Qualified applicants may receive job offers by the end of the week-long event.

This one-stop hiring event allows applicants to complete most of the hiring process in a condensed format. The first day will feature presentations about available positions, followed by opportunities to apply and be referred to the hiring agency, if qualified. Applicants who receive a tentative job offer will be asked to return on subsequent days to continue the hiring process.

Anyone without a Department of Defense (DOD) identification card can apply for a visitor pass online in advance at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pass.aie.army.mil/Riley/">https://pass.aie.army.mil/Riley/</a>. Visitors can also visit the Visitor Control Center located near the Henry Gate, Exit 301 off I-70. For questions about accessing Fort Riley, please call (785) 239-2982.

Fort Riley holding one-stop hiring fair

Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.

Bonds have been posted. Photos are unavailable.

Dariana Harden, Failure to appear, arrested 10/03

Cameron Baker, Outside warrant, arrested 10/04

Collin Bluhm, Probation violation, arrested 10/04

Marchekka Woods, Failure to appear, arrested 10/04

Donque Williams, Outside warrant, arrested 10/04

Joel Jordan, Interference with LEO, Possession of marijuana, Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body, Use or possess with intent to use simulated controlled substance, Cancelled/suspend/revoked drivers license, Interference with LEO, Falsely report a crime intending to obstruct, Outside warrant, arrested 10/04

Daniel Schubert, Failure to appear, arrested 10/04

Paulo Tolentino, Operate a motor vehicle without a valid license, arrested 10/05

Louis Gardner, DUI-Liquor or Drugs, arrested 10/05

Jaylen Jackson, Failure to appear, Possession of marijuana, arrested 10/05

Timothy Janke, Failure to appear, arrested 10/05

Tyson Deaton, DUI-Liquor or Drugs, arrested 10/05

Brandon Nicholson, Theft-All other, arrested 10/05

Marcus Nicholson, Theft-From a building, arrested 10/05

Jesse Hartl, Unlawful damage to property, arrested 10/05

Deberra Patton,&nbsp;Unlawful damage to property, arrested 10/05

Stefan Velcu, Drivers license without valid DL, arrested 10/06

Teresa Menacho, Outside warrant, arrested 10/06

Charles Richmond, Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, arrested 10/06

Geary County Booking Photos Oct. 4-7 

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with&nbsp;American Red Cross communication manager Logan Wright.

🎤Forward Ever: American Red Cross communication manager Logan Wright

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) would like to remind Kansans as we approach the respiratory virus season to remain aware of symptoms, preventative measures and when to seek medical treatment.

Every year, respiratory viruses such as influenza (flu), COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and pneumococcal disease cause hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths during the fall and winter virus season.

“We know the risk of contracting and spreading respiratory viruses will increase as we move into the fall and winter months,”&nbsp;KDHE Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dereck Totten said.&nbsp;“It is imperative that people follow common-sense preventative measures and consider getting a vaccine, especially if they fall into a high-risk category.”

Getting an immunization is an important preventative measure against respiratory viruses. &nbsp;Vaccines are available for all three major fall and winter respiratory diseases – flu, COVID-19, and RSV (for groups eligible for RSV immunization). In addition, pneumococcal vaccines are recommended for children younger than five years, adults, 65 years and older, and individuals at an increased risk for pneumococcal disease.

Kansas will receive approximately $780,000 from the federal government this year to cover about 9,380 COVID-19 doses for uninsured and underinsured adults. These doses will be equitably distributed across Kansas to Local Health Departments, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics, and other vaccination locations to help provide vaccine coverage to uninsured and underinsured adults in Kansas.&nbsp;

While anyone can become sick from common respiratory viruses like COVID-19, flu, RSV, and pneumococcal disease, some individuals have risk factors that can increase their chances of getting a severe illness.

Groups of people at a higher risk for respiratory illnesses:

Older adults&nbsp;Young childrenPeople with weakened immune systemsPeople with disabilitiesPregnant and recently pregnant individuals

If you believe you may have a respiratory virus (if you feel sick or tested positive for one) and you have risk factors for severe illness, seek health care right away for testing and/or treatment.

If you test positive for the flu or COVID-19, treatment may be an option to make your symptoms less severe and shorten the time you are sick. Treatment should be started within a few days of when your symptoms begin.

Examples of respiratory virus symptoms include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny or stuffy nose, decrease in appetite, sore throat, vomiting, new loss of taste or smell, headache, muscle or body aches, diarrhea, and/or weakness.

Washing hands and improving airflow in the places where people live and work are important to lowering risk from respiratory viruses.

Effective treatments are available for those who get flu or COVID-19 and are recommended for those at higher risk for severe illness. Treatment can reduce severe illness, hospitalization, and death.

You should seek emergency care‎ if you have an emergency warning sign (like trouble breathing or chest pain), seek emergency medical care immediately.

Everyday actions like masking and physical distancing can provide an additional layer of protection and can protect their family, friends, and coworkers.

Tests are available that can quickly detect these respiratory viruses.

KDHE reminds Kansans to be aware as respiratory virus season approaches

Chuck Otte&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;cotte@ksu.edu

Unlike the last two months, which didn’t deviate from average very much, September took a marked swing to the warmer and drier side of the spectrum. Neither was record breaking, but certainly noticeable! The average daily high during September was 84.4, 4.0 degrees above normal. The average overnight low was 60.5, 3.0 degrees above normal. This gave us a monthly mean temperature of 72.5, 3.6 degrees above average. While it was warm, it was actually cooler than four out of the last five Septembers! The highest temperature for the month was 98 on the 19th. The lowest temperature for the month was the morning low of 53 on both the 26th and the 30th. 

While 90 seems like a high temperature for September, it isn’t uncommon. Over the last 70 years, September has yielded an average of six days in September with a temperature 90 or above. Some years we have no 90 or higher readings and some years (1954) we’ve had as many as 20 days of 90 or above. Last year we had 13 days of 90 or above. September of 2024, in this regard, was average with 6 days of 90 or above. There were two temperature records set in September. The overnight lows of 77, on the 19th and again on the 21st set new record high lows for those dates. The previous record on the 19th was 75 set in 2022. For the 21st the previous record was 74 set in 1956. The hottest September on record was in 1954 with a monthly mean temperature of 78.1. It should also be noted that five of the hottest Septembers on record were 2019 (76.3 - second hottest), 2023 (75.0 - fourth hottest) and 2021 (74.6 - fifth hottest). 

The coldest September on record was in 1974 with a monthly mean temperature of 61.1 degrees.&nbsp;After average rainfall in August, September took a decidedly dry turn. A few days of light rain, from the 19th to the 25th, provided the only precipitation for the month. Average precipitation for September is 2.85 inches yet all that could be managed for the month was 0.52 inches. Normal year to date precipitation through the end of September is 28.50 inches. Year to date in 2024 we are running slightly below that with 27.29 inches. 

The driest September on record was in 1947 when 0.24 inches was all that was recorded. The wettest September was in 1967 when 13.28 inches deluged the area. September 2024 was the fourth driest September on record, dating back to 1931.October historically brings autumnal weather to the region with warm days and crisp nights as well as our average first frost date. Average daily highs begin the month at 75 and by Halloween day they have fallen to 61. Overnight lows on the 1st are 51 and by the 31st they have dropped to a chilly 39 degrees. 

Average precipitation for October is 2.48 inches. For those snow loving residents there is a very slim chance of snow during October with a long term average October snowfall of a mere one tenth of an inch. The average first frost date is October 20th. However, in seven of the last ten years, the first frost has occurred later than October 20th, as late as November 13th in 2021. With temperatures running well above average to start the month, we could be looking at a November first frost date again!

September 2024 Junction City Area Weather Summary

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a home burglary in Manhattan.

Just after 2:30a.m. Saturday, officers filed a report of burglary in the 2000 block of Shirley Lane, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

A 28-year-old woman and a 35-year-old-man reported their residence was broken into by an unknown subject who stole a handgun with case, a tote bag, and a wedding ring. 

Total estimated loss associated with this report is $2,500. Anyone with information can contact&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rileycountypolice.org/287/Crime-Stoppers">Crime Stoppers</a>. Using Crime Stoppers allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

RCPD: Handgun taken in home burglary

It was a good weekend for Oktoberfest. Organizer Justin Hoover estimated the total attendance at about 25,000 people in downtown Junction City.

This was the fourth year for the event. "Well I think they like the contests a lot. Stein holding is always a favorite and stein carrying is a favorite," said Hoover. "

&nbsp; Approximately 75 to 80 volunteers assisted with putting on the celebration.

Hoover said he thought the festival layout was better this year. "We took the tents off of Washington Street. We try and get traffic up and down Washington Street and I think we were pretty much successful with that." Hoover added that a little more needs to be done at the 6th Street end of the Oktoberfest layout.

This was the fourth for the annual event. Hoover confirmed it will be back downtown next year and thanked the public for their support of Oktoberfest.

Oktoberfest draws people to downtown Junction City

&nbsp;USD 475 announced via social media that the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JCHSUSD475?__cft__[0]=AZUZ0wtcOpCCA3AmRkwI12slrpHCl4VWWmTjGKgd3EORh5_aiPVu7_rmR6gXD2ChqLxwk0LwPXmHFwY1kZGMfsy7uR0RROxsom3l8BSmKACRrG6iLYkQRpTJL2sXNBDprAZkwHG8wUVIofqThGY7ZU1AvenyGbSCtq0jKn9cFQPDjUFgIqFiLoA3M6iiws8yL5A&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Junction City High School USD 475</a> boys' and girls' cross country teams had a banner weekend as the Blue Jays claimed first overall at the Bob Schmoekel Invitational. Individually, sophomore Anthony Testa and freshman Linden Pickler both crossed the finish line in fourth place to pace the Blue Jays at Milford State Park. Results:

<a href="https://tinyurl.com/3hmfwbmm?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR20h_ghHsjDaccMlEN9h7ii7tKxvNDVdj6TGQZHT4FoNUfaVQWEOF0xC74_aem__2qjjnfvHuLjcIs_Pzw0nw" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/3hmfwbmm</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/thrivein475?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZUZ0wtcOpCCA3AmRkwI12slrpHCl4VWWmTjGKgd3EORh5_aiPVu7_rmR6gXD2ChqLxwk0LwPXmHFwY1kZGMfsy7uR0RROxsom3l8BSmKACRrG6iLYkQRpTJL2sXNBDprAZkwHG8wUVIofqThGY7ZU1AvenyGbSCtq0jKn9cFQPDjUFgIqFiLoA3M6iiws8yL5A&amp;__tn__=*NK-R">#ThriveIn475</a>

Bob Schmoeckel Invitational results

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference and FOX Sports announced Monday that Kansas State’s October 19 game at West Virginia will kick at 6:30 p.m. (CT) and will be shown on either FOX or FS1.

FB: K-State at West Virginia to Kick at Night

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Sam Leavitt threw four touchdowns passes, including&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ASUFootball/status/1842776268573446194">a 3-yard strike to Jordyn Tyson with 16 seconds left</a>, and Arizona State rallied for a thrilling 35-31 victory over Kansas on Saturday night.

The Sun Devils (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) outlasted the Jayhawks in a back-and-forth game that featured six lead changes in the second half. Cam Skattebo ran for a team-high 186 yards, including a crucial 39-yard dash on the game-winning drive.

“Good job by our guys just executing,” Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham said. “That was it. We just played the next play. We didn't get rattled. We just responded.”

Leavitt completed 14 of 24 passes for 157 yards. His consistent play helped the Sun Devils bounce back from their first loss of the season, a 30-22 setback to Texas Tech on Sept. 21.

“It was just back to what we do,” Leavitt said. “The last game we played wasn't our brand of football, so we got back to that.”

Kansas (1-5, 0-3) has lost five straight, including four by a touchdown or less. Jalon Daniels threw for a season-high 260 yards and two touchdowns. Devin Neal ran for 71 yards and a touchdown.

The teams battled each other along with some record-setting heat in front of a sellout crowd of 54,639 on Saturday. The temperature at kickoff was 107 degrees, which set the mark for the hottest October game in Tempe dating back to 2000.

The Jayhawks didn't seem fazed by the heat, pushing ahead 31-28 with 2:04 left when Daniels hit Quentin Skinner for his second touchdown catch of the night, this one on a diving completion that went for 34 yards.

But the Jayhawks couldn't close it out, allowing the Sun Devils to drive eight plays for 75 yards in less than two minutes.

“At the end of the day, our job is to stop the offense,” Kansas defensive end Dean Miller said. “Unfortunately, we came up short. We've got to do better as a team and as a unit.”

Leavitt capped the decisive drive by floating the 3-yard touchdown pass to Tyson, who had slipped past a defender. It was Tyson's second touchdown catch of the night and a proud moment for the sophomore, who missed all of last season with a knee injury.

Kansas took a 24-17 lead with 10:49 left in the game when Neal made a nifty cut before running untouched for the 31-yard touchdown.

The Sun Devils went up 21-17 early in the fourth quarter on a direct snap to Skattebo, who ran for the 1-yard touchdown. Leavitt converted on a crucial third-and-18 during the drive, rifling a precise pass over the middle to Tyson.

Arizona State tied the game at 14-all just before halftime when Leavitt threw a short pass Chamon Metayer, who ran 20 yards for the end zone. Kansas was hurt by two penalties over a three-play stretch on cornerback Cobee Bryant, who was flagged for holding and pass interference.

Arizona State's Keyshaun Elliott and Clayton Smith were ejected in the second half for targeting. The two — who are among the Sun Devils' best defensive players — must also miss the first half of Friday's game against No. 18 Utah.

Kansas: It's another brutal loss for the Jayhawks, who had high expectations entering the season but have just one win midway through the schedule. Kansas was ranked No. 19 in the nation after their season-opening win just five weeks ago.

Arizona State: It's another galvanizing win for the Sun Devils, who are much improved under coach Kenny Dillingham in Year 2. They'll have their biggest test of the year on Friday against No. 18 Utah.

Arizona State: Host No. 18 Utah on Friday.

🏈 Leavitt throws 4 TDs to lift Arizona State past Kansas

NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Verdugo hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning and saved at least one run with a sliding catch along the left-field line, boosting the New York Yankees over the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Saturday night in their AL Division Series opener.

New York’s Gleyber Torres and Kansas City’s MJ Melendez hit two-run homers in a back-and-forth game in which the Royals wasted leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 5-4 and the Yankees failed to hold 2-1 and 4-3 margins. It was the first postseason game with five lead changes, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Kansas City pitchers tied their season high with eight walks, forcing in a pair of runs in the fifth inning. The Yankees were just 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position before Verdugo lined a single off loser Michael Lorenzen.

Verdugo’s hit scored Jazz Chisholm Jr., who singled leading off and stole second on a play allowed to stand following a video review. Yankees manager Aaron Boone started Verdugo in left over rookie Jasson Domínguez in a defense-influenced decision. Verdugo entered the game in a 2-for-34 skid at the plate

With the Yankees trailing 3-2, Verdugo made a sliding catch on Michael Massey’s fourth-inning fly just inside the line to strand two runners. The ball hit Verdugo’s right wrist just below his glove and bounced off his chest before he grabbed it with his bare left hand.

Chisholm, playing third base this year for the first time after the Yankees acquired him from Miami at the July trade deadline, made three fine defensive plays, two with the help of first baseman Oswaldo Cabrera, starting because of Anthony Rizzo’s fractured fingers.

Four Yankees relievers combined to allow only an unearned run over four innings after ace Gerrit Cole came out, unhappy with his performance. Clay Holmes, dropped from his closer’s job last month, worked 1 2/3 innings for the win. Luke Weaver got four straight outs for the save in his postseason debut.

Yankees star Aaron Judge went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, and Royals standout Bobby Witt Jr. was 0 for 5, barking at plate umpire Adam Hamari after a called third strike in the ninth.

Juan Soto went 3 for 5 and threw out Salvador Perez in the second inning trying to score from second on Melendez’s single to right. Kansas City first baseman Yuli Gurriel threw out runners at the plate on grounders in the first and fifth.

After a day off between Games 1 and 2, the series between the AL-best Yankees and wild-card Royals resumes Monday night. These teams met in four playoffs from 1976-80, with the Yankees winning the first three and getting swept in the last.

Cole allowed four runs — three earned — and seven hits in five-plus innings. Royals starter Michael Wacha gave up three runs, four hits and three walks in four-plus innings.

Tommy Pham hit a second-inning sacrifice fly, and Torres put the Yankees ahead 2-1 in the third with a 339-foot home run just over the right-field short porch.

Melendez’s two-run homer in the fourth gave Kansas City a 3-2 lead, but Royals pitchers issued four seven-pitch walks in the fifth, forcing in runs with walks by Angel Zerpa to Austin Wells and by John Schreiber to Anthony Volpe. The Yankees had not gotten a pair of bases-loaded walks in a postseason game since Bullet Joe Bush and Joe Dugan against the New York Giants’ Rosy Ryan in Game 6 of the 1923 World Series.

Volpe's throwing error at shortstop set up pinch-hitter Garrett Hampson's two-run, sixth-inning single through a drawn-in infield that put the Royals ahead 5-4. Wells’ two-out RBI single off Lorenzen tied the score in the bottom half.

New York's Carlos Rodón (16-9, 3.96 ERA) starts against the Royals' Cole Ragans (11-9, 3.14) in a matchup of left-handers. Rodón made a pair of postseason appearances for the Chicago White Sox, in relief against Oakland in 2020 and a start against Houston in 2021 which he pitched 2 2/3 innings, allowing Carlos Correa's go-ahead, two-run double. Ragans won the Wild Card Series opener at Baltimore on Tuesday with six scoreless innings of four-hit ball.

⚾ Verdugo's go-ahead single lifts Yankees over Royals in ALDS opener

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

There may be no standard definition of a sports "superfan," but everyone knows one when they see one. Cleveland's John Adams comes to mind. The Guardians fan attended every home baseball game from 1973 until his death, at the age of 71, in 2023. He literally beat the drum from the stands for 48 seasons, or more than 3,500 games.

Kansas City has its own Superfan. Chris Coats, a United States Postal Service employee from Raytown, Mo., has been attending Royals games for most of his life, including 31 of the team's 33 playoff games since 2014. Coats attended the two American League Wild Card games in Baltimore earlier this week and is sticking around on the east coast for the Divisional Series that begins Saturday at Yankee Stadium. The goal is to make it back to Kauffman Stadium for Wednesday's game three in the series.

"It's going to be about 18 hours after Monday night to try to get back by Wednesday," Coats said in a Friday appearance on 1590 KVGB/95.5 FM's "Sports Day" show. "I think we can manage. We did 16 to Baltimore and we did okay. I've got a home-game streak going of over 1,600 games. I've got to make it."

With 81 home games a season, Coats' streak dates back more than 20 seasons. Things picked up around 2009 when Coats began following the Royals to other stadiums. Wearing a promotional Royals flag as a cape, he made the Fox Sports Kansas City broadcast at a game in Houston. The nickname "Superfan Chris" was christened.

"I was walking back and I found Ryan Lefebvre," Coats said. "We just got to talking. I had driven to Houston and I told him I was driving to Pittsburgh. He said, 'Oh wow, we'll have to get you on TV there, too. That's a heck of a drive.'"

Coats became a regular on Royals broadcasts as the team continued to struggle with losing seasons from 2004 to 2012. The Royals finished the 2013 season at 86-76, then made it to Game Seven of the 2014 World Series. Coats was one of several fans that postseason featured on the side of buses in downtown Kansas City.

Coats has now been to all 30 Major League Baseball cities but has yet to visit the new Truist Park in Atlanta or LoanDepot Park in Miami. Also a Kansas City Chiefs and Missouri Tigers fan, he frequently attends football games in the fall.

"I get five weeks off every year but I've been saving a lot of that every year for something like this," Coats said of the MLB playoffs. "I asked for the whole month of October off and they gave it to me. I told them I'd come back as long as the Royals aren't playing. I don't expect to use all the time, but I guess I will if they make it to the World Series."

During his streak, Coats has married and had two boys. The youngest son, at just five years old, has attended between 50 and 60 Royals games this year and made the 16-hour trip to Baltimore with his father.

"I wanted to include him on the ride," Coats said. "I worked Monday, then I packed up the car and we drove. We had about 24 hours to get there. We made it work and what an incredible series to watch."

Coats has watched games from the old Yankee Stadium and the new park that is already 15 years old. As discussion in Kansas City turns to a new downtown stadium, Coats said there are plenty of good examples to choose from.

"A lot of the National League ballparks are pretty good," he said. "Pittsburgh and San Diego, there's just something about the background. Even St. Louis, with the Arch in the background, the downtown atmosphere is pretty cool. I know the Royals are pushing for it and the fans don't like it but it's something else."

Kansas City will play games one and two of the American League Divisional Series at Yankee Stadium on Saturday and Monday evenings. Game three moves to Kansas City with a time to be determined.

Kansas City 'Superfan' looking to keep attendance streak alive during playoffs

The Hays Indians beat the Junction City Blue Jays 27-17 Friday night at Blue Jay Stadium. 

The game started with both teams fumbling on their opening possession. Junction City started the scoring with a 67-yard touchdown connection between junior quarterback Conrad Gomez and junior wide receiver Lovell Autry. 

Hays responded with a six-yard touchdown run by running back Holden Lind to tie the game at 7-7 after the first quarter. 

Junction City led 10-7 at halftime, following a 28-yard field goal from senior kicker Ethan Hileman. 

Hays scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to lead 21-10 at the end of the third. 

Junction City scored on a 27-yard connection between Gomez and senior receiver Xander Caldwell with 2:13 to go in the game to cut the Hays lead to 21-17.&nbsp; The Blue Jays did not recover the kick and Hays scored with less than a minute to go to win the game 27-17. 

Hays improves to 3-2 on the season, while the Blue Jays fall to 1-4.  Junction City will host Topeka High next Friday night at Blue Jay Stadium.

Hays edges out Junction City on Friday night

Week five of the high school football season has arrived, and the Junction City Blue Jays will host the Hays High Indians on Friday night at Blue Jay Stadium.

Junction City enters the matchup with a 1-3 record. For Hays, they enter even at 2-2.

The Blue Jays have had three consecutive losses against top-tier 6A teams. First in week two to Lawrence, then to Wichita Northwest in week three, and just last week, a shutout loss to Manhattan.

The Indians of Hays have also suffered losses against two top-tier 6A. Their first loss of the season was to 6A powerhouse Derby, and then they lost 34-30 in week three to Manhattan.

You can hear the game on 107.9 FM / 1420 KJCK Radio. Pregame coverage begins at 6:30; Kickoff will be at 7:00 p.m. 

You can also listen to the game by clicking <a href="https://streamdb9web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/KJCKAM">here</a>.

Blue Jays host Hays Indians in week 5

BALTIMORE (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. beat out an infield single to drive in the go-ahead run and send the Kansas City Royals into an AL Division Series with a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday for a two-game sweep of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-orioles-al-wild-card-b1a51520c564ba2d18ce0c95d6761758">their Wild Card Series</a>.

With two outs and runners at the corners in sixth inning, Witt hit a grounder to the edge of the dirt behind second base, where Jordan Westburg made a diving stop and throw to first. Witt was already there after zooming 90 feet in 4.14 seconds, allowing Kyle Isbel to score from third.

It was the second consecutive game in which the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bobby-witt-jr">AL batting champion</a>&nbsp;provided the decisive hit. Witt's RBI single in Tuesday's series opener plated the only run&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-baseball-playoffs-2024-royals-orioles-088619707dc5aed035f49ee0fbbce578">in a 1-0 victory</a>.

“You never know when this opportunity ever is going to happen again, so got to make the most of it while you have it,” Witt said. “That’s the fun part of this game. This is why we do it, these situations here.”

Kansas City, which endured two seven-game losing streaks over the final month of the season, advanced to face the AL East champion New York Yankees. Game 1 is Saturday in the Bronx.

Cedric Mullins homered for the Orioles, who fell to 0-5 during two quick playoff exits the past two years. Baltimore has dropped its last 10 postseason games.

The new-look Royals lost 106 games last season but used a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/97e7e58c4c2257c95fa0bebe10cc7144">30-win improvement</a>&nbsp;to get back to October for the first time since winning the 2015 World Series.

Second baseman Michael Massey, who led off the game with a double and scored on a single by Vinnie Pasquantino, said the front office bringing in experienced veterans with playoff experience like Tommy Pham, Yuli Gurriel, Michael Wacha and Will Smith made this possible.

“They’ve been there before, they’ve done it, so I think it’s helped a lot of guys,” Massey said. “It’s helped us, for sure me, to be around those guys and just watch them, more than anything, and see how they go about their business, has been — I think that’s helped us stay even keel.”

The Royals left 12 runners on base and got through another close game with a razor-thin margin for error thanks to some masterful managing by Matt Quatraro, himself a postseason rookie like Witt, Game 1 winner Cole Ragans and so many others.

Quatraro let starter Seth Lugo get an out after loading the bases with nobody out in the fifth before spinning up bullpen roulette, starting with winning pitcher Angel Zerpa, who got KC out of that jam and then got the first out of the sixth. John Schreiber got three more outs, Sam Long two, Kris Bubic three and Lucas Erceg the final three to earn his second save of the series.

“It’s so impressive that they believe in themselves and they trust their stuff and they just come after some of the best hitters in the world,” Quatraro said.

The Orioles were swept in their only playoff series for a second consecutive year, going 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position this time and 5 for 32 combined. They face numerous offseason questions, from the future of manager Brandon Hyde to the possibility of losing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2c5a9a7c148b2c2d84994ab3fcc705fd">pending free-agent starter Corbin Burnes</a>.

“Especially when you lose like this, there’s frustration, there’s anger, there’s disappointment because you felt like there was opportunities there in those couple games to change the score, and it didn’t happen,” Hyde said.

Orioles: LF Colton Cowser broke his left hand when it was hit by the ball as he struck out swinging in the fifth. He exited after six innings.

The Royals face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/carlos-rodon-yankees-alds-ed2934c198986eff681314996cc63641">Yankees ace Gerrit Cole</a>&nbsp;in the opener of their ALDS, with any starter but Ragans or Lugo rested and ready to go. Wacha had been in line to start Game 3 against Baltimore.

⚾ Royals advance to the ALDS with sweep of the Orioles

Valley View Senior Life hosted Junction City Blue Jay and Junior Jay football players Tuesday evening. Players practiced and then received a meal.&nbsp;

Football Frenzy comes to Valley View Senior Life

BALTIMORE (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. made the most of his much-anticipated playoff debut, driving in the only run Tuesday to back Cole Ragans' six sharp innings and help the Kansas City Royals return from a nine-year postseason absence with a 1-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in Game 1 of their AL Wild Card Series.

Witt, the 24-year-old shortstop who led the majors with 211 hits and a .332 batting average this season, singled to left field off a 95 mph, first-pitch cutter from 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes with two outs in the sixth. Maikel Garcia came around to score after drawing a walk, stealing second — Burnes allowed runners to swipe a major league-high 41 bases this season — and moving to third on a groundout.

Just after Witt delivered, Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/PatrickMahomes/status/1841227979432870173">posted on social media</a>: “Let’s go!! Keep it going!!! @Royals”

They couldn't keep adding to their lead, but that didn't matter, thanks to Ragans, who was every bit as good, if not better, than Burnes before leaving after 80 pitches because of cramping in his left calf, plus a bullpen that was KC's weakness during the regular season but was more than fine Tuesday.

Sam Long, Kris Bubic and Lucas Erceg, who earned the save, shut down the Orioles the rest of the way.

The Royals lost 106 games last season but a 30-win improvement has them back in October for the first time since winning the 2015 World Series.

Now they can end this best-of-three series and advance to an AL Division Series against the New York Yankees by winning Game 2 in Baltimore on Wednesday, when KC will send All-Star Seth Lugo to the mound. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said he wouldn’t announce his starter until after Tuesday’s game, although it was expected to be Zach Elfin.

Baltimore has lost its last nine postseason games, a skid that dates to 2014.

Ragans, a lefty All-Star picked up in a trade with the Texas Rangers last season, was terrific, mixing a 98 mph fastball with a variety of off-speed offerings while allowing just four hits and striking out eight.

Burnes looked every bit the ace Baltimore hoped it was getting when it acquired him from the Milwaukee Brewers in February. The AL's All-Star starter this season exited to a standing ovation from the orange-clad fans at Camden Yards after giving up a leadoff single in the ninth. He allowed one run, five hits and that one key walk.

The right-hander became the first starter to throw a pitch in the ninth inning of a postseason game since Washington ace Stephen Strasburg in Game 6 of the 2019 World Series against Houston.

But Baltimore's sluggers — the team's 232 homers trailed only the Yankees in 2024 — could not come through in the clutch.

The Orioles got a runner to third in the third, but Jordan Westburg flied out to the warning track in left. The hosts then put men at the corners with one out in the fifth, but Ragans struck out James McCann and 2023 AL Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson to end that threat.

And in the eighth, with a pair on and two out, Erceg replaced Bubic and got Anthony Santander to ground into a fielder's choice.

Royals: 1B&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-kansas-city-injuries-3d58f8b6810ed0d06ffd2cce41107a70">Vinnie Pasquantino</a>&nbsp;came off the injured list for this series after being out since Aug. 29 with a broken right thumb, and he was in his usual No. 3 spot in the starting lineup as the DH. He wouldn't be able to play the field for another two to three weeks — if KC remains in the postseason. Pasquantino went 0 for 3 on Tuesday.

Lugo (16-9, 3.00 ERA) will be making the first postseason start of his career. "Something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time," he said.

Eflin went 10-9 with a 3.59 ERA combined for Tampa Bay and Baltimore in 2024.

⚾ Witt Jr. and Ragans lead the Royals over the Orioles to open AL Wild Card Series

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Taylor Swift was back at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night to see her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs play the New Orleans Saints after the pop superstar had missed the team's previous two games on the road.

Swift is in the final days of a break from her record-setting Eras Tour, which resumes with the first of three shows Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The tour's North American leg continues in New Orleans and Indianapolis before heading to Toronto and Vancouver in November and December. The final show is scheduled for Dec. 8.

Swift also missed Kelce's annual Kelce Car Jam over the weekend, a charity car show that raises money for his 87 and Running foundation, which helps underserved youth in the areas around Kansas City and Cleveland. There was still plenty of star power with Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, joining Kelce's parents his brother, retired Eagles center Jason Kelce.

Swift began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-chiefs-broncos-b08b0e53fdd232dc0a468b5fa43b5b04">her high-profile romance with Kelce</a>&nbsp;last season, when he invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to watch him in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kelce-chiefs-891e7df84295f5b35cfa97a5ec427721">a September matchup with the Bears</a>. Since then, the two have spent plenty of time together, often with cameras following every move.

Swift has stayed out of the spotlight the past couple of weeks, though. That after a particularly headline-grabbing week in which she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-endorse-kamala-harris-president-3a36b6f9695c20153891bba35c47f21d">endorsed Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;for president, took home&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mtv-vmas-video-music-awards-2024-c8611104c22b980398b440ef9dd8ceed">seven trophies from the MTV Video Music Awards</a>, and show up to see the Chiefs beat the visiting Cincinnati Bengals.

Swift has become close friends with the Mahomes family over the past year. That created some controversy when the 14-time Grammy winner said she supported Harris over Donald Trump in the November election; Trump has referenced the quarterback's wife after she had liked — and then unliked — an Instagram post by the Republican presidential nominee.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patrick-mahomes-wife-donald-trump-chiefs-nfl-b2ba221de1c83138c2fac126223e46bb">Patrick Mahomes has declined to endorse anyone in the election</a>, instead urging people to register to vote.

“I don’t want my place and my platform to be used to endorse a candidate,” Mahomes said. “My place is to inform people to get registered to vote. It’s to inform people to do their own research and then make the best decision for them and their family.”

Taylor Swift back to watch Kelce and the Chiefs with Eras Tour soon to resume

SALINE COUNTY —The Salina Police Department has completed its investigation of an incident that occurred at South Middle School on September 6.

Police eported a 13-year-old was bench pressing in the school weight room. When the student finished the exercise the 39-year-old male teacher sat on him. 

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