(Riley County, KS – April 23, 2025) At a time of year when unintentional injuries typically rise, Safe Kids Riley County Coalition is celebrating Safe Kids Month by providing activities, tips, and resources to educate parents and caregivers about how to keep their kids safe from preventable injuries.&nbsp;

Summer often brings vacations, barbecues, picnics, and time away from work and school. Yet summer is also known as “trauma season” among health professionals in the United States because unintentional injuries and deaths increase dramatically among children. In fact, 41 percent of all deaths from unintentional injuries occur during the months of May through August.

One of the most important ways Riley County Safe Kids Coalition helps keep kids safe is by providing the ongoing Car Seat Check Lane. People can visit the Manhattan Fire Department (MFD) Headquarters at 2000 Denison Avenue every Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. to get their car seat checked for proper installation. Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will educate people how to select the appropriate car seat type for their child’s age, height, and weight as well as on how to properly install the car seat. &nbsp;Families are encouraged to bring their child’s car seat and take advantage of this free service.

The Car Seat Check Lane is a designated Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office (KTSRO) inspection station. For more information about the Car Seat Check Lane or to learn more about child passenger safety, please contact Riley County Health Department at 785-776-4779 ext. 7605

In addition, the Riley County Health Department (RCHD) is offering a special safety Storytime at the Manhattan Public Library, 629 Poyntz Ave., May 13th at 10:00am. RCHD will also share family safety tips on their Facebook page @rileycountyhealthdepartment throughout the month of May.

Ensuring child safety: Safe kids month and free car seat check lane

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement in Riley County investigating a battery and robbery have arrested to local teens.

On April 12, officers filed a report of aggravated robbery and aggravated battery in the 1100 block of Moro Street that occurred at approximately 11:00 p.m., according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

 A 17-year-old boy was listed as a victim and reported that multiple persons had battered him. The victim also reported that property was stolen from his person during the incident. 

Arrested in connection with the incident were Amarion Blanton, 15,&nbsp; and Joshua Davis Jr., 17, both of Manhattan. 

Blanton, was arrested on April 22, at approximately 2:32 p.m. in the 1700 block of Winne Drive, on a requested charge of aggravated robbery and aggravated battery.&nbsp; Davis Jr. was arrested on April 22, 2025, at approximately 2:12 p.m. in the 400 block of Brookmont Drive, on a requested charge of aggravated robbery and aggravated battery. Both are&nbsp; confined in the North Central Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center.

2 Manhattan teens accused of violent robbery

&nbsp;This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Kansas, east central
Kansas, north central Kansas and northeast Kansas.

.

The national Weather Service said Wednesday and Wednesday night there is a marginal risk for severe thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter and 60 MPH will be
possible along with locally heavy rain.


DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

Low chances for severe thunderstorms may return Thursday afternoon
and evening.

Localized areas of heavy rain capable of causing flooding are
possible by Thursday night.&nbsp;

Weather Outlook

DJ Giddens, a Junction City native, Junction City High School graduate, and now a former K-State Wildcat running back will hear his name called in this year’s NFL Draft. The Draft begins Thursday, April 24, at Lambeau Field, the home of the Green Bay Packers.

Football has been part of Giddens's life for as long as he can remember. DJ played football for the Junction City Jr. Jays growing up, then for Junction City High School, and most recently was running back for the Kansas State Wildcats. “I still have videos of me playing for the Jr. Jays,” Giddens said. “I’m not going to lie, that feels just like yesterday. It was just playing and being free, no worries just having fun.”

In high school, DJ shined in his senior season at Junction City and helped lead the team to a sub-state appearance in the fall of 2020. Giddens explained that the sub-state game against Derby gave him the confidence that he could perform at the next level. “I feel like the Derby game, the last game of my senior year, gave me a lot of confidence going against a good team like that, and playing how I played,” Giddens said. DJ then graduated from Junction City in the spring of 2021 and began his K-State career where he redshirted that fall.

In 2022, Giddens played for the Wildcats and was part of the Big 12 Championship team that won the Title game in Arlington, Texas. He also played in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama that season.

In 2023, DJ was the main featured running back for KSU, as Deuce Vaughn had been drafted by the Dallas Cowboys. In his red-shirt sophomore season, Giddens earned Honorable Mention Big 12 Honors and helped lead the Wildcats to a victory over NC State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

2024 was the final season for Giddens at Kansas State, and he led the team in rushing yards. DJ finished the year with 1,343 rush yards and had seven rushing touchdowns. He also had three receiving touchdowns for the Cats as well.

DJ Giddens declared for the NFL Draft on Dec. 14, 2024, and did not play in KSU’s win over Rutgers in the Rate Bowl.

Looking back at his K-State career, Giddens noted the Oklahoma State game and the Colorado game both played during the 2024 season prove he can play in the National Football League. In the game against OSU, Giddens broke away from the defense and scored a 66-yard touchdown. “Having that touchdown run just shows I can finish off runs and be explosive too,” Giddens said. DJ finished that game with 187 yards rushing and one touchdown against the Cowboys. In the game against the Colorado Buffaloes, Giddens ran wild again. “The Colorado game, I was just playing free again, being myself, and got in that mode,” Giddens said. He finished the game with 182 yards against Colorado.

Giddens began preparing for the NFL Draft in January, when he went to Plano, Texas, to train for the NFL Combine in March. DJ had an exceptional performance at the combine, running a 4.43 40-yard dash. He was measured at 6 feet and 212 pounds.

The NFL Draft is this week, with round one on Thursday, rounds two and three on Friday, and rounds four through seven on Saturday. This year’s NFL Draft is in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Referencing hearing his name being called at the draft, DJ Giddens said, “It feels good, but it’s out of my control at this point for who will pick me up and when I will get picked up. Right now, I just keep on working, and that’s what I’m going to keep on doing,” Giddens said.

Despite all of his success at K-State, and now headed into the NFL, DJ knows the community he is from and said he plans to make it back to Junction City to visit. “I’ve got to come back, can’t forget about that, can’t forget it,” Giddens said. The path wasn’t always easy for DJ, and he had this to say. “Coming from me, being from Junction, I wasn’t highly recruited out of high school, I didn’t have the best grades, and everything wasn’t just in front of me. You just got to stay disciplined, keep working, stay humble, stay down till you come up, and if you keep working at what you want, you’re going to get where you want to be. Don’t ever think you can’t be that person doing whatever you want to do,” Giddens said.

DJ Giddens is projected to be a late day two, early day three selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Junction City Native DJ Giddens prepares for 2025 NFL Draft

The following is a summary of arrests, citations by the Riley County Police Department. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Riley County Arrest Report April 23

Manhattan City Commissioners gave consensus support Tuesday night to proceeding on an interim solution proposal for the Blue Earth Water Plaza. There is an 18-inch water depth plus a flat spray area also toward the south end of the feature. The facility includes use as a wading pool and splash park.

There have been several maintenance issues that have sometimes delayed opening on time and the site was never designed to be used as a pool or splash plad. It is an open body of water and there are slip and fall hazards.

Staff wants to remove the identified hazards ranging from infilling the stream with a paver system, removing the boulders and stepping stones and replacement of laminar jets with illuminated directional jets to refinishing trench gates, jet lids and the stream border.

The cost estimate is 278,000 with construction beginning in July and being done by fall. Money would come from South End Transportation Development District funds. A proposed contract would come before the commission in June to consider approval.

The project would be in place an estimated 5-7 years.

There is a permanent concept plan suggested for the 2030-32 time frame, but it isn't final either.

City reaches consensus for proposal to move forward on an Interim Blue Earth Water Plaza upgrade

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Army revealed new gender-neutral fitness standards on Tuesday.

The new standards, which will be graduated in over the next seven months, require that men and women meet the same fitness benchmarks for 21 combat specialties.

The positions where such standards would be put in place include infantry officer, an M1 Abrams tank armor crewman, special forces members and artillery crew.

The Army had been working on revising its guidelines over the last year, but leveling standards for men and women in combat fields has also been a priority of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

US Army reveals new gender-neutral fitness standards

TOPEKA - A new course focusing on work zone safety has been launched for Kansas drivers.

Kansas Work Zone Safe is a free online driving course aimed at teaching teens and other new drivers how to safely navigate through work zones. The course will include information on safe behaviors, laws and situations drivers may encounter in work zones.

Current data from the Kansas Department of Transportation shows 1,705 work zone crashes occurred in Kansas in 2024 – an average of 4.6 per day. Those crashes resulted in 508 injuries and eight fatalities.

“Behind every flag, cone and flashing light are highway workers and first responders who have families that want them to come home every night,” said Haley Dougherty, KDOT State Highway Safety Engineer. “This course is designed to raise awareness in new drivers about safe driving practices in work zones, which should make the work zone safer for all.”

With an estimated 2,500 miles of construction let by KDOT in the last several years and taking place this year, many highway workers will be relying on drivers to slow down and pay attention so everyone can make it home safely.

Drivers can access the course at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/WorkZoneSafe.com/1/010101965da8d9e5-31b30476-2177-41a5-953f-a24fff6d01e8-000000/-eKjFaexEQ3iM_0s37Cw_R5h7W-N2FJoS9dCRnYB7Rg=401">WorkZoneSafe.com</a>&nbsp;by clicking the link for the Kansas course. Students who complete the course will be eligible for a scholarship to be awarded at a later date. Details about the scholarship incentive will be provided as they become available.

The new platform begins during National Work Zone Awareness Week, a campaign focused on increasing work zone safety. Go to KDOT’s website,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.ksdot.gov%2Ftravel%2Ftraveler-safety%2Fwork-zone-safety%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/010101965da8d9e5-31b30476-2177-41a5-953f-a24fff6d01e8-000000/tUWWSTKlnSTAOhXpjSvIdNvGYDpHYpEnJA6q06hV6bE=401">ksdot.gov/travel/traveler-safety/work-zone-safety</a>, or KDOT’s Facebook page,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKSDOTHQ%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/010101965da8d9e5-31b30476-2177-41a5-953f-a24fff6d01e8-000000/YsJXILEhcVMSRvDh6v5-01cV9DYNHnLybHdiJHBUH-s=401">facebook.com/KSDOTHQ</a>.

The Kansas Work Zone Safe course is supported by KDOT, the Kansas Contractors Association and other transportation organizations across the state. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/WorkZoneSafe.com/2/010101965da8d9e5-31b30476-2177-41a5-953f-a24fff6d01e8-000000/dUshJqE-bzG-YdKX-PjbjdNvfaCooLKsAy9YugPf6kM=401">WorkZoneSafe.com</a>.

New online work zone course geared to assist new Kansas drivers

Geary County Emergency Management provided information from the National Weather Service.

Periods of Showers and Thunderstorms Through Friday with severe Storms possible this evening and then Wednesday afternoon and evening&nbsp;

 There are several moderate to high chances for showers and thunderstorms tonight through Friday.● Severe thunderstorm potential exists this evening then Wednesday afternoon and evening.● Some locations may see heavy rainfall amounts by Friday, with flooding concerns generally increasing through the week.&nbsp; The entire area can expect some precipitation by Friday afternoon, but confidence in how much and when this will fall is not certain.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Showers and thunderstorms are possible this week

.Geary County Fish &amp; Game Association will be holding a Spring Archery Fun Shoot on Saturday, April 26 at Sportsman’s Acres, 3922 Highway K-244 Spur, just south of the Milford Lake Dam. Spokesman Larry George noted that the start time is 9:30am with sign-in starting at 9:00. &nbsp;

Entry fees are $20.00 for adults and $15.00 for under 18 years old.&nbsp; The shoot will have a variety of 3D targets arrayed on the archery walking trail with varying distances.&nbsp; It will include 20 stations with 2 positions at each station for a total of 40 shots.&nbsp; 

Shooters must declare one of three categories of bow: Traditional, Bowhunter, or Open/Target Bow.&nbsp; Once signed up you can traverse the course at your own speed.&nbsp; &nbsp;Range finders will be allowed and Lunch will be provided.&nbsp;

Gift certificates will be given to the best overall score in each category and one for the best youth score.

For more info contact Shirley Allen at 785-375-7305 or email at saa7989.lgm@gmail.com

Spring Archery Fun Shoot will be held on Saturday

Eligible donations made through the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation on Grow Green Match Day Tuesday can receive a 50% match of up to $7,500.

The Flint Hills Wellness Foundation noted that there are two ways to give to Common Table on Grow Green Match Day:

The Greater Manhattan Community Foundation provided information on the In-person activities.

Support can be provided for different organizations.

Individual contributions ranging from $25 to $1,000 per organization will receive a local match at $.50 per $1, so a $1,000 gift will receive a $500 local match.&nbsp;If a donor gives a $5,000 gift split evenly between five organizations, each group is eligible to receive a $500 match.&nbsp;

Tuesday is Grow Green Match Day in Manhattan

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Freddy Fermin hit a winning single in the 11th and the Kansas City Royals rebounded from a blown two-run, ninth-inning lead to beat Colorado 4-3 on Tuesday night and drop the Rockies to 4-18.

Daniel Lynch IV (3-0) pitched a hitless inning as part of a five-hitter, sending Colorado to its ninth loss in 10 games. The Rockies are 1-12 on the road.

Jacob Stallings put Colorado ahead 3-2 with three-run double after Carlos Estévez walked the bases loaded with two outs in the ninth.

Salvador Perez singled off Seth Halvorsen starting the bottom half, advanced on Maikel Garcia’s double and scored on Michael Massey’s sacrifice fly.

With automatic runner Mark Canha on second starting the 11th, Tyler Kinley (0-1) intentionally walked Bobby Witt Jr., who extended his hitting streak to 14 games with an eighth-inning single. Kinley threw a wild pitch and intentionally walked Vinnie Pasquantino, and Fermin lined a single to center.

Drew Waters homered in the sixth off Ryan Feltner and Kyle Isbel bunted for an RBI single in the eighth that drove in Waters, who slid home ahead of the glove flip from first baseman Michael Toglia.

With runners on second and third in the 10th, Mickey Moniak was picked off third base by Fermin, the Kansas City catcher.

Kansas City has gone 17 games without scoring more than four runs, the longest streak by an AL team since the Royals' 19 straight in 2018. Kansas City has scored four or fewer runs in 22 of 24 games this season.

Rockies RHP Chase Dollander (1-2, 7.36 ERA) and Royals RHP Michael Lorenzen (1-3, 4.57 ERA) start Wednesday night.

⚾ Fermin hits winning single in 11th inning, Royals beat Rockies 

BOSTON (AP) — Sharon Lokedi broke the Boston Marathon course record, and fellow Kenyan John Korir joined his brother as a race champion on Monday as the city celebrated the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War.

Lokedi, who ran for the University of Kansas from 2015-2019, outran two-time defending champion Hellen Obiri over the final mile a year after losing a sprint down Boylston Street to her in one of the closest finishes in race history. Lokedi finished in an unofficial 2 hours, 17 minutes, 22 seconds — 19 seconds ahead of Obiri and more than 2 1/2 minutes faster than the previous Boston best.

Six months after winning Chicago, Korir finished in 2:04:45 — the second-fastest winning time in race history as the runners took advantage of perfect marathon weather to conquer the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston’s Copley Square.

After crossing the line, Korir was greeted by his older brother, 2012 Boston winner Wesley Korir. Although the race has been won by a pair of unrelated John Kelleys and two different Robert Cheruiyots, the Korirs are the first brothers — or relatives of any kind — to win the world's oldest and most prestigious annual marathon.

Conner Mantz of Provo, Utah, finished fourth after losing a three-way sprint to the finish with Alphonce Felix Simbu of Tanzania and Cybrian Kotut of Kenya. Simbu was second and Kotut was third.

Korir ran without his bib showing, pulling it out of his running tights as he sprinted down Boylston Street.

Reenactors on horseback, accompanied by a fife and drum playing “Yankee Doodle,” helped start the festivities and add a bit of levity when Paul Revere’s horse was spooked by the finish line decal on the street and stopped. The actor portraying the colonial silversmith and patriot had to hop off and walk the last few steps himself as the small early crowd laughed and clapped.

After reading a proclamation, Revere gently tugged the horse the rest of the way before riding off to more ceremonies commemorating the midnight ride on April 19, 1775, that warned the colonists in Lexington and Concord that the British were on the march.

Marcel Hug of Switzerland had no such trouble completing the course, zooming into Copley Square in 1:21:34 for his eighth Boston wheelchair title. He beat two-time winner Daniel Romanchuk by more than four minutes in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boston-marathon-wheelchair-bob-hall-0426d27b488fbb668c04523a391d655d">50th anniversary of Bob Hall’s pioneering push</a>&nbsp;to add a wheelchair division to the race.

“It means a lot to win this year, 50 years of wheelchairs in Boston,” Hug said. “For me, it will take some time to realize what it means, eight times wins. It’s such an incredible number.”

Susannah Scaroni of the United States won the women’s wheelchair race for the second time, finishing in 1:35:20. Her victory guaranteed that the “Star-Spangled Banner” would play on Boylston Street in Copley Square on Patriots’ Day, the state holiday that commemorates the first shots of the Revolutionary War&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lexington-concord-battles-250-independence-history-debate-031df77dc1cfa5cf669b6694dfe509ee">250 years ago Saturday</a>.

Former KU star wins Boston Marathon in record time

DETROIT (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 4-3 Sunday to stop a six-game losing streak.

With the score 3-3, Jonathan India's groundout off Tyler Holton (1-2) advanced automatic runner Drew Waters to third, and Witt hit a 280-foot fly to left. Waters scored headfirst ahead of Riley Greene's throw.

Carlos Estévez (1-0) intentionally walked Greene to put runners on the corners with two outs in the bottom half, then retired Dillon Dingler on a popup.

Kansas City went 2-8 on its trip and is 9-14. Detroit had won three straight.

Detroit left fielder Kerry Carpenter left the game after the eighth inning because of right hamstring soreness.

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings, while Royals starter Michael Wacha gave up two runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 inning

Hunter Pasquantino and Drew Waters built a 2-0 lead with RBI singles in the second, but consecutive, two-out run-scoring singles by Carpenter and Zach McKinstry tied the score inthe fifth.

McKinstry's RBI single in the seventh ended Daniel Lynch IV's scoreless streak at 31 innings.

Mark Canha tied the score in the eighth with an RBI single after Witt reached second on a throwing error by third baseman Javier Báez.

With the bases loaded in the seventh, Salvador Perez scooped Greene's grounded and start an inning-ending 3-2-3 double play.

Skubal is 11-1 with a 1.96 ERA in 18 starts at home since the start of the 2024 season.

Royals: LHP Kris Bubic (2-1, 1.88) starts Tuesday homestand opener against Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (0-1, 4.82).

Tigers: RHP Keider Montero (0-1, 9.00) starts Monday's series opener against Padres RHP Randy Vasquez (1-1. 1.74).

⚾ Witt's sacrifice fly in 10th helps Royals beat Tigers to stop 6-game skid

DETROIT (AP) — Andy Ibáñez hit a tiebreaking home run in the second inning to back rookie Jackson Jobe and lead the Detroit Tigers to a 7-3 victory over Kansas City on Friday night that extended the Royals’ losing streak to five.

Spencer Torkelson delivered a two-run double in the seventh for his AL-leading 13th extra-base hit for the Tigers.

Kansas City dropped to 1-7 on a 10-game trip. Bobby Witt Jr. doubled in the first to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, scoring on Vinnie Pasquantino’s double for a 1-0 lead.

Tomás Nido, who had three hits, hit a tying single in the second and Ibáñez’s drive leading off the fourth put Detroit ahead for good.

Jobe (2-0) allowed one run and five hits in five inning.

Riley Greene and Trey Sweeney had RBI singles in a three-run fifth to chase Cole Ragans (1-1), whose team record-tying streak of three straight starts with 10 or more strikeouts ended. Ragans gave up five runs and six hits in four innings, striking out eight for a major league-best 39.

Witt singled and scored on Pasquantino’s single in the ninth off Kenta Maeda. Tommy Kahnle got two outs for his fourth save.

The Royals sent the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth, but Kahnle struck out Cavan Biggio before Drew Waters lined out.

The Royals began the day averaging 2.95 runs — ahead of only Colorado. They have scored four runs or less in 19 of 21 games and haven’t scored more than four since April 4 against Baltimore.

⚾ Ibáñez hits tiebreaking homer to lead Tigers over Royals

DETROIT (AP) — Tomás Nido and Andy Ibáñez hit solo homers and rookie Jackson Jobe pitched five strong innings to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

Kansas City's Bobby Witt Jr. doubled in the first to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, scoring on Vinnie Pasquantino's double for a 1-0 lead.

Nido, who went 3 for 4, homered for the first time with the Tigers to tie it in the second. Ibáñez's solo shot leading off the fourth put them ahead for good.

Riley Greene and Trey Sweeney had RBI singles in a three-run fifth to chase Royals starter Cole Ragans (1-1), whose team record-tying streak of three straight starts with 10-plus strikeouts ended. Ragans gave up five runs on six hits in four innings, striking out eight for a major league-best 39.

Witt singled and scored on Pasquantino's single in the ninth off Kenta Maeda. Tommy Kahnle got the final two outs for his fourth save.

The Royals have lost five straight and are 1-7 so far on a 10-game road trip.

The Royals sent the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth, but Kahnle struck out Cavan Biggio before Drew Waters lined out to end it.

The Royals began the day averaging 2.95 runs — ahead of only the Rockies. They have scored four runs or less in 19 of 21 games and haven’t scored more than four since April 4 against Baltimore.

⚾ Nido and Ibáñez homer in Tigers victory over Royals

DETROIT (AP) — Riley Greene broke out of an extended slump with three hits and two RBIs to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 6-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night.

The Royals lost their fourth straight game and have dropped six of seven.

Greene, who had one hit and 18 strikeouts in his previous 32 at-bats entering the game, popped out to short in the first inning before RBI singles in the third and fifth innings. He added an infield single in the seventh.

Spencer Torkelson had two hits and drove in three runs for Detroit, which had lost three of four.

Reese Olson (2-1) worked five scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Tommy Kahnle earned his third save.

Maikel Garcia had an RBI single in the eighth inning for the Royals. Former Tiger Michael Lorenzen (1-3) gave up four runs on seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

Kansas City hitting coach Alec Zumwalt was ejected in the ninth inning for arguing balls and strikes.

After Detroit jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third, the Royals loaded the bases with one out in the fourth. But, Drew Walters struck on on three pitches from Olson, and Kyle Isbel popped out to left on the first pitch he face.

Torkelson, who hit .219 last season and spent 2 1/2 months in Triple-A, is batting .286 with six homers and 16 RBIs in 20 games.

Royals LHP Cole Ragans (1-0, 2.28) will face Tigers rookie RHP Jackson Jobe (1-0, 3.00) in the second game of a four-game set.

⚾ Riley Greene sheds slump as Tigers send Royals to their 4th straight loss

NEW YORK (AP) — Lee Corso’s nearly four-decade run on ESPN’s “College GameDay” is coming to an end.

Corso, the longtime&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUAPPOaUr4k" target="_blank">ESPN broadcaster and folksy former coach</a>&nbsp;widely known for his endearing expressions and elaborate headgear picks, is set to retire after a career with the show that began in 1987, ESPN announced Thursday. His final broadcast will be Aug. 30 — Week 1 of the 2025 college football season — and the network said additional programming to celebrate Corso is also planned.

“My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and ‘College GameDay’ for nearly 40 years,” Corso said in a statement to ESPN. “I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.”

Corso, who turns 90 in August, began his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/44715325" target="_blank">popular headgear segment</a>&nbsp;in October 1995 at a game at Ohio State. Since then, he has gone 286-144 in 430 selections wearing everything from helmets and mascot heads to dressing up as the Fighting Irish leprechaun from Notre Dame, the Stanford tree and historic figures James Madison and Benjamin Franklin.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jS6-PBVUulY" target="_blank">“Not so fast, my friend”</a>&nbsp;is one of his most well-known comments and his good humor alongside Kirk Herbstreit, Rece Davis and Desmond Howard and many others going back more than three decades helped make Corso and the show a beloved staple for millions on college football Saturdays.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Corso’s career has lasted through a health scare in 2009, when he suffered a stroke that left him unable to speak for a while. He returned to “College GameDay ”later that year. Though he hasn’t joined his colleagues as much on the road in recent years, Corso was at the site of last year’s national title game between Ohio State and Notre Dame in Atlanta.

Corso was a college and pro football coach for 28 years before transitioning to broadcasting. He coached 15 years in college at Louisville, Indiana and Northern Illinois.

🏈 Lee Corso to retire from ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ after four-decade run

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit a tiebreaking homer leading off the seventh inning that ended a 10-game drought, and the New York Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep.

With a runner at second base in the ninth, Cody Bellinger made a diving catch in right field on MJ Melendez’s sinking liner to preserve Fernando Cruz’s first career save.

Judge went deep for the first time since April 4 in Pittsburgh when he lifted a 1-0 sinker from John Schreiber (1-1) into the New York bullpen beyond the right-center fence.

Judge had three hits for the third time this season. He reached base four times and his batting average climbed 27 points to a major league-best .409.

Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt had some dominant moments and pitched 5 2/3 innings of three-run ball in his season debut. After recovering from rotator cuff tendinitis, the right-hander permitted four hits and threw 73 pitches.

Anthony Volpe hit a two-run double in the third and Bellinger had an RBI double in the fourth to give the Yankees a 3-1 lead.

Schmidt retired 11 straight before Drew Waters opened the fifth with a single and scored on Kyle Isbel's triple. Isbel scored the tying run on a groundout by Jonathan India.

Salvador Perez hit an RBI single four batters in before Schmidt settled down.

Kansas City starter Kris Bubic allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Mark Leiter Jr. (2-1) got four outs after Schmidt was lifted, and Cruz pitched two scoreless innings.

After the Royals tied the game, Bobby Witt Jr. swung at the first pitch and flied out to end the fifth.

Judge entered hitting .382 (13 for 34) over his previous 10 games.

Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (1-2, 3.71 ERA) opposes Tigers RHP Reese Olson (1-1, 6.00) in the opener of a four-game series Thursday at Detroit.

Yankees: RHP Will Warren (1-0, 5.14 ERA), who earned his first career win Saturday, faces Rays RHP Taj Bradley (2-0, 3.71) in the opener of a four-game series at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, on Thursday.

⚾ Judge hits go-ahead homer as Yankees sweep the Royals 

** (Home games at Rathert Field are in Bold)

The Brigade now play in the Jayhawk Collegiate League

May 30 (7:00 p.m.) - Wichita Wildcats

June 2 (7:00 p.m.) - Kingman Islanders

June 8 (6:00 p.m.) – Kansas Cannons

June 12 (7:00 p.m.) - Great Bend Bat Cats

June 14 (DH 5/7 p.m.) - Haysville Aviators

June 17 (7:00 p.m.) - Newton Rebels

June 20 (7:00 p.m.) - Hutchinson Monarchs

June 25&nbsp;(7:00 p.m.) - Wichita Wildcats

June 28 (7:00 p.m.) - Kingman Islanders

July 5 (7:00 p.m.) - Kansas Cannons

July 7 (7:00 p.m.) - Great Bend Bat Cats

July 11 (7:00 p.m.) -&nbsp;Manhattan Barnstormers

July 12 (7:00 p.m.) - Newton Rebels

July 15 (7:00 p.m.) - Hutchinson Monarchs

July 19 – Jayhawk Collegiate League All Star Game (In Hutchinson)

July 24-Aug. 2 – NBC World Series in Wichita

Junction City Brigade updated Full 2025 Schedule

KANSAS CITY— A Kansas City area man faces charges after his toddler son shot and killed himself with the father's loaded firearm.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2595/Ronald-Lewis-COMPLAINTREDACTED">Ronald L. Lewis, Grandview, Mo., faces</a>&nbsp;1st Degree Involuntary Manslaughter, a class C felony, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

If convicted, Lewis could face three to ten years in prison.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2594/Ronald-Lewis-PCREDACTED">According to court records</a>, On November 2, Kansas City police were dispatched to a residence on a reported shooting and were told that the two-year-old victim suffered a gunshot wound to the head. The victim was later declared deceased at the local hospital.&nbsp;

Lewis told detectives he was sitting on the couch in the residence with the victim when he heard a single gunshot next to him and noticed the boy was shot in the head. Lewis told detectives he previously placed his loaded handgun under a pillow on the couch he and the boy were seated on.&nbsp;

The defendant is in custody on a $30,000 bond.&nbsp;

KC toddler found his father's loaded handgun under a pillow

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating three suspect on multiple allegations after&nbsp;

Just after 2a.m.&nbsp; April 19, 2025, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received notification regarding multiple individuals in a gray for F-150 pickup truck breaking into a clothing donation bin in the 6800 block of SW 29th Street, according to Sheriff Brian Hill.

A deputy located the vehicle in the 5200 block of SW 37th Street and conducted a traffic stop.

During the investigation, it was determined that the driver was wanted by the Topeka Police Department and illegal narcotics were located.

Ronald A. Weiland, 62, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges Possession of an opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant; Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body; Possession of marijuana; Aggravated domestic battery;&nbsp;Aggravated assault, Domestic battery and Criminal restraint

Carl E. Smith, 61, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the SNDOC on requested charges of Possession of an opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human bod and Possession of marijuana

Paulette K. Weiland, 57, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into jail on a Topeka bench

3 jailed after report of break-in to Kan. clothing donation bin

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at Ukraine's president, saying Volodymyr Zelenskyy is prolonging the “killing field” after pushing back on ceding Crimea to Russia as part of a potential peace plan.

Zelenskyy on Tuesday ruled out ceding territory to Russia in any deal before talks set for Wednesday in London among U.S., European and Ukrainian officials. “There is nothing to talk about. It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people,” Zelenskyy said.

During&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-rubio-witkoff-coalition-paris-74e93e2943687a7d8c7b23608919459a">similar talks last week in Paris</a>, U.S. officials presented a proposal that included allowing Russia to keep control of occupied Ukrainian territory as part of a deal, according to a European official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Trump called Zelenkyy's pushback “very harmful” to talks.

“Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?” he wrote on social media.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-putin-ukraine-crimea-seizure-8245aec572fb71236febfa8735c42879">Russia annexed Crimea in 2014</a>&nbsp;after sending troops to overrun it. Weeks later, Moscow-backed separatists launched an uprising in eastern Ukraine, battling Kyiv’s forces.

Trump also asserted they were close to a deal and that Ukraine's leader can have peace or "he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country," adding that Zelenskyy's statement “will do nothing but prolong the ‘killing field,’ and nobody wants that!"

Wednesday's meeting was pared back at the last minute, while Vice President JD Vance said negotiations are reaching a moment of truth.

“We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say ‘yes’ or for the United States to walk away from this process," Vance told reporters during a visit to India.

He said it was “a very fair proposal” that would “freeze the territorial lines at some level close to where they are today,” with both sides having to give up some territory they currently hold. He did not provide details.