By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

Any new business is a gamble. It helps when that new
business serves a need. Dustin Chambers and his wife, Stephanie, got tired of
driving to Hutchinson or Wichita to dance to live music. When a property
opened up on Main Street in downtown Great Bend, the couple pounced. Rhythm &amp; Brews, 1210 Main Street, opened on Jan. 16.

“My wife and I used to go out and dance,” Dustin said. “We were
tired of driving an hour, two hours away. We wanted to bring something to be
able to do here in town without having to drive away for it.”

In under two months of business, Rhythm &amp; Brews is
already growing. Open Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. through at least the
dinner hour, then plan is to provide entertainment four nights a week.

“We are a full-menu restaurant with a full liquor license,”
said Chambers. “We built a stage to be able to have live music every Saturday.
When everything gets to where we need it to be, we’ll be doing open-mic nights
on Wednesdays, karaoke on Thursdays, a DJ on Friday, and live bands every
Saturday.”

Some new businesses have had to shutter their doors before
gaining a foothold. Chambers said that has not been the case with Rhythm &amp;
Brews.

“The response from the public has been more than we could
have ever hoped for,” he said. “The bands, before we opened, I was not able to
find very many. Now, they’re actually contacting us, wanting to book off the
videos I’ve put on our Facebook page. The word is getting out that we’re a live-music
venue in Great Bend.”

Chambers believes being a good business also means giving back to the community. He plans to hold fundraisers and toy drives, and his venue also gives aspiring artists a chance to perform. Gavynn Maddox, a junior at Great Bend High School, recently had that opportunity with a two-hour show.

The Fallis/Stockham Syndrome, a
classic-rock duo, is set to perform this Saturday. Most Saturday shows will begin
at 8 p.m. and go until midnight, though some acts will close shop at 11 p.m. The
business’s early success has also led to the booking of two nationally known
comedians. Dustin Sims and Jesse Peyton will host up to three shows
at Rhythm &amp; Brews in mid-May based on ticket sales.

Rhythm & Brews offers a full menu, live entertainment as newest Great Bend business

Last Friday, March 6, shortly after 8 a.m., officers with the Great Bend Police Department were alerted to a burglary in progress in the 1100 block of Hubbard Street. The reporting party advised that a female that he did not know had entered his residence and took several items, including a firearm. 

Officers began to search for the suspect with the description provided by the reporting party. A short time later, an officer with the Great Bend Police Department located the suspect in the 1100 block of Holland Street in the alley way. Officers gave several commands to the suspect, who failed to comply. K9 Niko was deployed to subdue the suspect. After a successful apprehension, officers located the stolen firearm and several other stolen items. 

Officers arrested Crystal Caruthers, 41, for Aggravated Burglary, Possession of Stolen Property, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, and Felony Interference with Law Enforcement. Caruthers was treated for her minor injuries by the Great Bend Fire Department Emergency Medical Services. Caruthers was transported to the Barton County Jail where she was booked and held in lieu of bond.

This incident is still under investigation. Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to contact crime stoppers at 620-792-1300 or the Great Bend Police Department 620-793-4120 or online at p3tips.com.

Great Bend police arrest suspect in burglary, theft of firearm

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

A grass fire broke out Thursday morning in Russell County, prompting all fire departments in the county to respond.

Russell County Emergency Manager David Elliott said the fire was reported at 6 a.m. near 203rd and 15th streets, south of Wilson Lake.

Elliott said no structures were damaged and no homes were in immediate danger.

No injuries were reported, and the number of acres burned remains unknown.

📷 Russell County fire near Wilson Lake under control

Bring your flashlights and join the Great Bend Rec for a Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt. At 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, ages 3-12 will hunt more than 10,000 eggs at the Great Bend Sports Complex. 

The hunt will be divided by age brackets, with the 9-12-year-olds hunting for camouflaged black eggs. Gates open at 8:30 p.m., and the hunt starts promptly at 9, so don’t be late.

Stay after the hunt as Great Bend Rec lights up the sky with a fireworks celebration. The fireworks show will start immediately following the hunt. Registration will be collected at the gate. A fee of $5.00 per child will be collected.

For more information about this program and other programs the Great Bend Rec offers, please visit our website at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.greatbendrec.com/">www.greatbendrec.com</a>, visit our Facebook page, or call the Recreation Commission office at 793-3755 ext. 110.

Great Bend Rec's Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt, fireworks show set for March 28

After seeing a need many years ago for both senior housing and childcare facilities, Ellinwood Hospital &amp; Clinic entered into an agreement with both Housing Opportunities, Inc, and St. John’s Child Development Center to lease properties for those needed services for a nominal fee. Recently, the decision was made to sell those properties to those organizations.

“In 1999, the hospital entered into an agreement with Housing Opportunities for them to build the apartment complex that is now “The Oaks” for the primary purpose of senior housing,” Justin Lear with the Board of Trustees for Ellinwood Hospital and Clinic, said.

There was no rent payment within the agreement and the only renumeration provided was a monthly nominal fee for road maintenance around the property, according to Lear. However, the property would continue to be owned by the hospital and would return to the hospital upon completion of the 50-year lease.

“Since we began the new hospital facility project, the Housing Opportunities Inc., board has expressed interest in completing purchase of the property to solidify their continued position of providing housing to Ellinwood seniors,” Lear said.

After making an offer on the property, legal counsel determined there must be a bidding process. That was completed early this year, and Housing Opportunities, Inc., won the negotiated bid for the property and all considerations given to the purpose, use, and continued benefit to the Ellinwood community.

“Since The Oaks was built in 2000, Ellinwood District Hospital has generously allowed Housing Opportunities, Inc. to utilize the land it owned, making this important housing resource possible for the community,” Callie Miller, Executive Director with Housing Opportunities, Inc., said. “We are grateful for the partnership with the hospital over the years, reaffirming our shared commitment to stability and the long-term success of housing.”

The relationship with St. John’s Child Development Center began to help with the childcare needs of the community, according to Lear.

“Originally, the lease to the CDC was for a nominal lease amount of $50 and their share of the utilities, with maintenance provided by the hospital,” Lear said. “The hospital has been generous with assistance in updates and repairs and supported the CDC’s efforts to maintain their areas of the building continually.”

With the move of the hospital to the new facility, Lear said there was no longer a need for the south portion of the old building for an outreach clinic or offices. Representatives with CDC expressed interest in expanding into that area; and as a result, the lease was updated to include the entire structure at the same terms as held previously.

“The CDC has done a lot of updates to the facility, and the hospital continues to recognize that without the CDC, many of our staff or employees of other businesses wouldn’t have access to local childcare,” Lear said. “With the grant funding and updates the CDC was completing, they were concerned with the longevity of the agreement. That was secured, along with the expansion of space, within the terms of the updated agreement in early 2025.”

Again, hospital counsel advised the property must be offered through a negotiated bid for it to be disseminated at some value to another party, while also noting the encumbrance of the lease to the CDC. That negotiated bid process was recently completed with St. Johns CDC, the successful winner, with their monetary bid and all considerations given to the purpose, use, and continued benefit to the Ellinwood community.

According to Tricia Schlessiger, CDC Board Member, St. John’s Child Development Center has partnered with Ellinwood Hospital since 1994 to provide Daycare and Preschool to the Ellinwood Community.

“We are incredibly thankful for this relationship and it’s hard to find a citizen of Ellinwood who hasn’t been touched by the CDC,” she said. “We now care for the next generation of children whose parents attended our center and are now bringing their children.”

According to Schlessiger, when fully moved, the center will be licensed for 85 children.

“Our community is truly blessed to have both the Ellinwood Hospital and the St. John's Child Development Center.”

Ellinwood Hospital sells property to two local service organizations

Booked Martinez, Jacque D. on Barton County District Court Warrant #BT2022TR0801 for Failure to Appear with a bond of No Bond. Hold for Johnson County Sheriff's Office on warrant #261003826.

Released Ramirez, Sergio by Order of the Court on Barton County District Court warrant #BT2025CR0490 for Failure to Appear; bond of $40,000 reinstated.

Released Suchy, Blake W for Time Served on Barton County District court warrant #BT2025CR0161 for Probation Violation.

Booked in Lomas, David on Barton County District Court warrant #BT2025CR0033 for Failure to Appear, bond set at NO BOND, #BT2023CR0166 for Failure to Appear, bond set at NO BOND.

Barton County Sheriff's Office Booking activity (3/11)

Thursday Sunny, with a high near 70. Windy, with a southwest wind 18 to 23 mph increasing to 28 to 33 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 47 mph. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 39. Breezy, with a south southwest wind 20 to 25 mph becoming north 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph.

Friday Sunny, with a high near 64. North northeast wind around 9 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 40. South southeast wind 9 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Saturday Sunny, with a high near 75. South southeast wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 36.

Sunday A slight chance of rain and snow showers before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 50. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Thursday's weather

Great Bend Rec's Adult Coed Spring Pickleball League concluded on March 10.  All eight league members played seven games each Tuesday, one with each other member as their partner. 

 Sandy Walters finished in first place with a record of 29 wins and 6 losses over the 5-week league.  Jeff Clark and Steve Neeland tied for second place with a record of 23 wins and 12 losses.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Great Bend Rec names adult coed spring pickleball champions

USD 428 invites families of new students to attend the Preschool and Kindergarten Pre-Enrollment Night on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM at the USD 428 District Education Center, 1809 24th St., Great Bend.

“Starting school is a big milestone for both children and families,” said JoAnn Blevins, Director of Teaching &amp; Learning for USD 428. “This event gives parents the chance to learn about our preschool and kindergarten programs, meet the educators who will guide their child’s early learning, and take the first step in joining the USD 428 school community.”

The come-and-go event allows families to connect with USD 428 teachers and support staff, who will be available to answer questions and share information about early childhood opportunities in the district.

· Preschool programs in Great Bend welcome 3- and 4-year-old students, offering free half-day instruction led by certified teachers.

· Kindergarten is available at five neighborhood elementary schools for students who turn 5 years old on or before August 31, 2026.

“Our goal is to make the enrollment process welcoming and simple while helping families feel confident about the learning journey ahead,” Blevins added. “We love meeting our newest Panthers and helping them launch into learning.”

The Barton County Health Department will also be on-site, offering school-required vaccinations for students whose parents choose to take advantage of the service.

To streamline the pre-enrollment process, parents are encouraged to bring:

· Proof of their child’s name and age (birth certificate or baptismal certificate)

Families who complete pre-enrollment paperwork during the event will receive a special gift bag for their child, while supplies last.

For more information about the Preschool and Kindergarten Pre-Enrollment Night, visit GreatBendSchools.net or call the USD 428 District Education Center at 620-793-1500.

USD 428 hosting Pre-K and Kindergarten Pre-Enrollment Night on April 8

Get ready for a sweet afternoon of fun. Encounter Church will host its annual Candy Blast on Saturday, April 4, welcoming families from Great Bend and surrounding communities.

The excitement begins indoors at 12 p.m. with an hour of games, music, and prize giveaways for kids of all ages. Parents and guardians are encouraged to register their children so they can participate in the prize drawings during the indoor activities.

At 1 p.m., the fun moves outdoors to the west end of the church property at 601 S. Patton Road, where kids will line up by age group to watch thousands of pieces of candy launched from giant cannons. Children sixth grade and younger can gather candy to take home, making sure no one leaves empty-handed.

“This is a free event for the whole family,” says Megan Peterson, Children’s Pastor at Encounter Church. “Grab the kids, invite your friends, and kick off Easter weekend with the sweetest event of the year! With tons of candy, games, and prizes, it’s a day your family won’t want to miss.”

For more details, visit the Encounter Church Event Facebook page.

Great Bend's Encounter Church hosting free 'Candy Blast' event on April 4

United Way of Central Kansas brought practical life lessons to Hoisington High School seniors on March 10 through its #RealWorld program, an interactive event designed to help students prepare for life after graduation.

The program connects students with local professionals who share real-world knowledge on topics many young adults will face for the first time — from finances and renting to health and critical thinking.

Community partners led engaging sessions throughout the morning. First Kansas Bank started the morning discussing investing basics and emphasized that starting early can be more important than investing large amounts later in life, encouraging students to begin saving and investing now — no matter the amount.

Clara Barton Medical Center came into the event with a fun Family Feud-style game, helping students think through health scenarios and when to seek self-care, schedule an appointment, visit urgent care, or go to the emergency room.

MPIRE Realty Group walked students through renting basics, including understanding leases, responsibilities as a tenant, and the importance of choosing the right roommate.

Dale Hogg of Hogg Strategies &amp; Stories talked about recognizing bias in ourselves and in headlines, encouraging students to think critically about the information they consume and the decisions they make every day.

The Center for Counseling &amp; Consultation led students through exercises designed to manage stress and anxiety by engaging different parts of the brain and focusing attention on the present moment.

Students also left with a handout encouraging them to continue conversations with parents, guardians, and other trusted adults about real-life topics such as taxes, vehicle maintenance, and everyday responsibilities. They were also encouraged to ask adults about their own experiences and lessons learned when they first moved out on their own.

United Way of Central Kansas created the #RealWorld program to help bridge the gap between classroom learning and the practical skills young adults need as they begin living independently. Throughout the Spring, UWCK will be bringing this program to seniors in Larned, Ellinwood, and Great Bend.

Hoisington High seniors hear from local professionals in UWCK's 'Real World'

Now is the time to recognize those who go above and beyond! You can nominate a School Hero! On the fourth Tuesday of each month, Eagle Media will select a Hero to recognize! The winner will also receive $500! Nominate a School Hero is presented by: <a href="https://opikan.com/">OPI</a> (Office Products Incorporated) &amp; Golden Belt Printing.&nbsp;

Any adult who works at a school in Barton County is eligible to be nominated. Admin, Teachers, Para's, Coaches, Maintenance, Cafeteria, etc.

Nominate a School Hero! Presented by: OPI & Golden Belt Printing

Big Bend Custom Engraving, Freedom Claims Management, Great Bend Redi Mix, Francis Financial, Medial Park Pharmacy, R&amp;R Roofing, Allstaff Chartered, Miller Plastics, Rosencrants Bemis Water Well Service, Great Bend Rec, Jimlo Glass Center, Haz Mat Response

Make a Difference Contest 

- Conor Nicholl of Sunflower Sports Solutions

- Jeremy Foster of Great Bend Girls Wrestling

Thursday on Sports Day(Watch)

Flushing the memory of a dismal opener at Cougar Field Wednesday, the Barton Community College softball team regrouped in the nightcap to earn a valuable early season split hosting Hutchinson Community College.

Dusting off the record books for both programs, the Blue Dragons sent 23 batters to the plate in the opening inning, erupting for 18 runs on their way to a 21-0 victory.

Behind the pitching of&nbsp;Ellie Crawford, strong defensive plays behind her, and timely production throughout the lineup, the Cougars put the past behind them in salvaging the split with a 5-4 victory in game two.

The results leave both teams at 5-1 in conference play with Barton moving to 13-9 overall while Hutchinson sits at 16-6. The Cougars wrap up their brief two-date homestand Saturday hosting Butler Community College in a 1:00 p.m. first pitch at Cougar Field.

Karter Alvord&nbsp;was the lone Cougar to record a hit in each contest, roping a double in the opener before a leadoff third-inning single in game two extended the sophomore's on-base streak to 28 straight games.

Kahli Fields&nbsp;joined Alvord with the team-high two hits, both coming in the nightcap, including a third-inning single that put the Cougars in front for good at 2-1.

Crawford went the distance to earn the game two victory, the freshman from Hoisington improving to 5-0 on the season after scattering 11 hits while striking out a career-high five.

Hutchinson outhit Barton 27-10 in the doubleheader, recording 16 hits in the opener and 11 in the nightcap.

Emery Benson-Hladik led Hutchinson's game one effort going 4-for-4 while Addi Lutz finished 3-for-4 with seven RBIs, four coming in the opening inning before adding three more on a bases-clearing double. Tailor Golly and Riley Dreher each finished with four hits on the day, collecting a pair in each contest.

Game One – Hutchinson 21, Barton 0 (5 innings) An opening-pitch hit batsman hardly foreshadowed what was to come as Hutchinson sent 23 batters to the plate in the first inning, erupting for 18 runs.

The Blue Dragons produced 10 hits in the frame while capitalizing on a pair of Barton errors, six walks, and two hit batters to produce the program-record single-inning outburst.

On the flip side,&nbsp;Trista Rogers&nbsp;took over in the circle as Barton's third pitcher of the inning and delivered a key effort, covering the final 4.2 innings to help preserve the bullpen for the nightcap. Making just her third appearance and entering with only two innings pitched on the season, the freshman from Haven scattered nine hits and allowed three runs, those coming in the fourth inning for Hutchinson's final tallies.

Barton's hits came on Thatcher's two-out triple in the second, McCormick's two-out single in the fourth, and Alvord's one-out double in the fifth.

Game Two – Barton 5, Hutchinson 4 Scoreless through the first two innings, Hutchinson broke through first in the third as Lutz doubled to lead off the frame before eventually scoring on O'Connor's sacrifice fly.

Alvord's leadoff single followed by&nbsp;Ella Pomme's walk helped Barton answer in the home half.&nbsp;Shaylee Spears&nbsp;moved the runners with a sacrifice bunt before&nbsp;Laney Wood's sacrifice fly brought home the equalizer. Fields then battled through three 1-2 pitches before driving a single up the middle for the go-ahead run with&nbsp;Carly Erpelding&nbsp;following with a double, her now team-leading 28th RBI of the season.

Hutchinson stranded one in the fourth while Barton left the bases loaded after two-out walks by Alvord and Spears on either side of Pomme's single.

The Blue Dragons threatened again in the fifth during a two-out rally as O'Connor kept the inning alive before Dreher lined a shot into the left-center gap. Spears, making the start in center field in place of Wood, tracked down the drive and relayed to Alvord at the cutoff, who wheeled and fired a strike to Erpelding at the plate to cut down the runner and preserve Barton's lead.

Hutchinson again moved into scoring position in the sixth, advancing a one-out double to third on a wild pitch, but Crawford shut down the threat by striking out the next two hitters.

Freshman production provided Barton valuable insurance in the home half of the sixth.&nbsp;Addison Jones, making the game two start at first base, led off the inning with a liner to center for the Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, freshman's first collegiate hit. Barton caught a break on a potential double-play ball off Alvord's bat as an errant throw allowed runners at the corners.

Seeing a 2-0 pitch she liked, Spears ripped a shot into the right-center gap for a standup double, driving in the Berthoud, Colorado, freshman's first collegiate runs and pushing Barton's lead to 5-1.

Hutchinson mounted one final rally in the seventh as Golly and Stauffer singled before O'Connor delivered her first collegiate home run to trim the deficit to one. The blast did little to rattle Crawford, who induced a pair of groundouts to seal the victory.

From rout to response: Barton softball salvages split with Hutchinson

The Baltimore Ravens landed their star pass rusher in Trey Hendrickson, Maxx Crosby is back in Las Vegas for now and Daniel Jones is staying in Indianapolis as part of a busy start to the new league year. Wednesday's biggest move came when the Ravens agreed to a four-year, $112 million contract with Hendrickson, a four-time Pro Bowl defensive end. On Tuesday night, Baltimore backed out of a deal with the Raiders for Crosby over a failed physical, a person with knowledge of that deal told The Associated Press.

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Bobby Hurley’s tenure as Arizona State’s coach is over after 11 up-and-down seasons. Arizona State athletic director Graham Rossini announced on Wednesday that Hurley’s contract will not be renewed, just hours after the Sun Devils’ blowout loss to No. 7 Iowa State in the Big 12 tournament. Hurley will be placed on paid administrative leave through the remainder of his contract, which ends in June. Hurley led the Sun Devils to the NCAA Tournament three times, including two straight in 2018-19, but needed to make another March Madness run if his contract was going to be extended. Arizona State fell well short, finishing 12th out of 16 teams in the Big 12 at 7-11 and 17-16 overall. Hurley finished 185-167 at Arizona State.

HOUSTON (AP) — A day later than expected, the United States has punched its ticket to the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic. The Americans got the help they needed from Italy, which beat Mexico 9-1 on Wednesday night. Italy beat the U.S. 8-6 a night earlier, turning the Americans into spectators as they hoped to avoid elimination. The Italians won Group B with a 4-0 record. The U.S. was runner-up in the group at 3-1. Mexico was eliminated, having also lost to the U.S. The Americans will stay in Houston to meet Canada on Friday night. Italy will play Puerto Rico in the other quarterfinal at Daikin Park on Saturday.

NEW YORK (AP) — Nneka Ogwumike and the other members of the WNBA players’ union executive committee feel that movement is being made toward a new collective bargaining agreement. Ogwumike spoke after nine hours of negotiations Wednesday night. That followed a 12-hour session that began Tuesday and finished at 5 a.m. EDT Wednesday. In proposals over the last 24 hours, the league has increased its salary cap offer for the first year to $6.2 million — up from $5.75 million in previous negotiations. That's according to a person familiar with the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the discussions.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Caitlin Clark made a triumphant return from an injury in her U.S. senior national team debut, finishing with 17 points and 12 assists as the Americans beat Senegal 110-46 on Wednesday in the FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament. Clark sustained a right groin injury in a WNBA game for the Indiana Fever in July and hadn’t played since then. The former Iowa star averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds in just 13 games in her short second season after starting her pro career by being named rookie of the year. She was back in rhythm Wednesday, helping the Americans shoot 58.7% from the field and 54.8% from 3-point range.

PHOENIX (AP) — A day of fun in the sun for a Major League Baseball spring training game in the Cactus League looks like it’s about to get toasty — even by Arizona standards. Record-setting heat is forecast over the next 10 days in central Arizona with temperatures that could rise into the 90s by the end of this week and top 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.6 degrees Celsius) late next week. National Weather Service meteorologist Katherine Berislavich in Phoenix said Wednesday that the current forecast shows a roughly 55% chance the temperature will top 105 by next Wednesday, March 18. That chance improves to 70% on March 19 and 85% on March 20.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s sports and youth minister says the country is in no position to take part in the World Cup after the United States killed its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in its ongoing war. Iran was expected to take part in the World Cup that will be held across North America in June, but Iranian Sports and Youth Minister Ahmad Donyamali told state television that his country’s soccer team players are not safe in the U.S., according to a video of the interview posted Tuesday.

Vinnie Pasquantino had the World Baseball Classic’s first three-homer game, leading Italy over Mexico 9-1 to win Pool B and advance the United States to the quarterfinals as group’s second-place team. Italy’s victory ended a day of uncertainty for the Americans, who needed help to reach the quarterfinals after losing to Italy 8-6 on Tuesday night. Pasquantino, who opened the tournament 0 for 12, homered leading off the second, sixth and eighth innings to propel Italy to the quarterfinals for a third time and second tournament in a row. Jon Berti also homered for Italy to help build a big lead early.

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Defending champion Jack Draper rallied from a set down and beat five-time champ Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) Wednesday night in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open. The 24-year-old Draper, who is coming back after missing eight months due to an arm injury, advanced to the quarterfinal round and will face Daniil Medvedev, who beat Alex Michelsen 6-2, 6-4 in the round of 16 to advance.

BODO, Norway (AP) — The Champions League’s Cinderella club Bodø/Glimt is writing another chapter in its fairytale run. The homely Norwegian club won 3-0 against Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of a round of 16 clash at its tiny Aspmyra Stadium. Sporting was the latest favored team to struggle inside the Arctic Circle. Manchester City and Inter Milan were each beaten 3-1. Bodø/Glimt led in the 32nd minute when Sondre Brunstad Fet scored with a penalty. Ole Blomberg scored in first-half stoppage time and Kasper Høgh in the 71st. The winner after the return game in Lisbon will play either Arsenal or Bayer Leverkusen.

INTERLEAGUE Final	Houston	4	Miami	1	 Final	Atlanta	5	Tampa Bay	3	 Final	Baltimore	7	Pittsburgh	2	 Final	San Francisco	5	Kansas City	2	 Final	Chicago Cubs	9	Kansas City	8	 Final	Athletics	13	Arizona	3	 Final	Colorado	11	Seattle	7

AMERICAN LEAGUE Final	Minnesota	2	Detroit	1	 Final	L.A. Angels	8	Chicago White Sox	4	 Final	N.Y. Yankees	8	Toronto	1

NATIONAL LEAGUE Final	Washington	3	St. Louis	1	 Final	Cincinnati	6	Milwaukee	3

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Final Philadelphia 4 Washington 1 Final Montreal 3 Ottawa 2

TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL Final	(7)Iowa State	91	Arizona State	42	 Final	(24)Louisville	62	SMU	58

Thursday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

Tuesday, March 10 Arizona State 83, Baylor 79 Cincinnati 73, Utah 66 BYU 105, Kansas State 91 Oklahoma State 92, Colorado 83 Wednesday, March 11 Iowa State 91, Arizona State 42 UCF 66, Cincinnati 65 OT BYU 68, West Virginia 48 TCU 95, Oklahoma State 88 Thursday, March 12 11:30 Texas Tech vs Iowa State 2:00 Arizona vs UCF 6:00 Houston vs BYU 8:30 Kansas vs TCU Friday, March 13 (Semi-Finals) 6:00 Texas Tech/Iowa State winner vs Arizona/UCF winner 8:30 Houston/BYU winner vs Kansas/TCU winner Saturday, March 14 (Championship) 5:00 TBA VS TBA

Big 12 Tournament Scores and Schedule

Tuesday March 10 Class 2A Girls @ Tony's Pizza Events Center - Salina Ellinwood 55, Rossville 48 Class 1A-DII Boys @ White Auditorium - Emporia Lebo 46, Victoria 40 Class 1A-DI Boys @ Kansas Wesleyan University - Salina Central Plains 57, Canton-Galva 34 Wednesday, March 11 Class 1A-DI Girls @ Friends University - Wichita Pretty Prairie 39, Hodgeman County 35 Class 1A-DI Girls @&nbsp;Tony's Pizza Events Center - Salina Little River 57, Central Plains 27 Class 3A Girls @ United Wireless Arena - Dodge City Holcomb 45, Ellsworth 32&nbsp; Thursday, March 12 Class 2A Girls @ White Auditorium - Emporia 2:00 Ellinwood (26-1) vs Eureka (23-2) Class 1A-DI Boys @ United Wireless Arena - Dodge City 6:00 Central Plains (25-2) vs South Central (21-4) &nbsp;

Area State Tournament Scores/Schedule

Thursday, March 12 12:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Sports Day 1:45PM&nbsp; KHOK - 2A Girls State Basketball - Ellinwood vs Eureka 5:30PM&nbsp;1590/95.5FM - ACC Quarterfinals - Florida State vs Duke&nbsp; 8:00PM&nbsp;1590/95.5FM - ACC Quarterfinals - Clemson vs North Carolina&nbsp; 8:00PM B104 - Jayhawk Basketball - Kansas vs TCU - Big 12 Tourney Friday, March 13 12:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Sports Day 1:45PM B104 - Region 6 Semi-Finals - Barton Men vs Seward County 5:30PM&nbsp;1590/95.5FM - Big 12 Tournament Semi-Finals 8:00PM 1590/95.5FM - Big 12 Tournament Semi-Finals Saturday, March 14 4:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Big 12 Tournament Championship 7:00PM 1590/95.5FM - ACC Tournament Championship TBA B104 - Barton Men - Region 6 Championship vs TBA Sunday, March 15 3:00PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Kansas City vs Chicago White Sox Monday, March 16 12:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Sports Day Tuesday, March 17 12:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Sports Day Wednesday, March 18 12:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Sports Day 8:00PM 1590/95.5FM - NBA Basketball - LA Lakers @ Houston

Eagle Radio and Hull Broadcasting PBP Schedule

Wednesday Boys&nbsp;Quarterfinals

Pittsburg St Mary’s-Colgan 54, Wichita Classical 47

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Hutchinson Central Christian 39, Wallace County 28

Wednesday State Tournament Scores

The No. 14 Kansas Jayhawks play in the Big 12 Tournament against the TCU Horned Frogs. The teams meet Thursday for the second time this season. Kansas is 12-6 against the Big 12, and TCU is 12-7 against the Big 12.

TCU Horned Frogs (22-10, 12-7 Big 12) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (22-9, 12-6 Big 12)

Kansas City, Missouri; Thursday, 9:30 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Jayhawks -5.5; over/under is 142.5

BOTTOM LINE: No. 14 Kansas and TCU play in the Big 12 Tournament.

The Jayhawks' record in Big 12 games is 12-6, and their record is 10-3 in non-conference play. Kansas is second in the Big 12 in rebounding with 35.9 rebounds. Flory Bidunga paces the Jayhawks with 9.0 boards.

The Horned Frogs' record in Big 12 action is 12-7. TCU has a 3-2 record in one-possession games.

Kansas is shooting 46.2% from the field this season, 1.4 percentage points higher than the 44.8% TCU allows to opponents. TCU averages 9.2 more points per game (78.5) than Kansas allows (69.3).

The teams play each other for the second time this season. Kansas won the last matchup 104-100 on Jan. 7. Darryn Peterson scored 32 to help lead Kansas to the victory, and Liutauras Lelevicius scored 23 points for TCU.

TOP PERFORMERS: Tre White is scoring 14.3 points per game with 6.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the Jayhawks. Peterson is averaging 16.3 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 39.8% over the last 10 games.

David Punch is shooting 51.4% and averaging 14.0 points for the Horned Frogs. Lelevicius is averaging 1.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Jayhawks: 6-4, averaging 71.6 points, 35.3 rebounds, 13.3 assists, 5.6 steals and 5.6 blocks per game while shooting 42.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.0 points per game.

Horned Frogs: 9-1, averaging 78.0 points, 33.0 rebounds, 15.6 assists, 8.9 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 43.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.7 points.

Kansas takes on TCU in Big 12 Tournament

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas doesn't play its Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal until Thursday, and under normal circumstances, the Jayhawks would've skipped entirely the opportunity to spend 30 minutes three days ahead of time practicing inside the familiar T-Mobile Center.

But when coach Bill Self crossed paths with Brandon Schneider, whose women's team had just played on the new, high-tech glass floor installed at the downtown Kansas City arena, he was convinced that those 30 minutes might be worthwhile.

“The floor was fine,” Self said afterward, “but it did seem a little different from a traction standpoint than the majority of courts are.”

That's been the general assessment of the floor: Much like ice, it's a little bit slick but pretty cool.

"It's really cool. It's really cool-looking," BYU women's player Brinley Cannon said, "but it definitely is a little bit of a different feel.”

The Big 12 announced last month that it would be playing its men's and women's tournaments on the surface, which is produced by ASB GlassFloor and has been used at the NBA All-Star Game and in Europe but never during an official competition in the U.S.

Rather than traditional wood, the floor has an aluminum and steel spring-action design that is supposed to mimic the flexibility of hardwood. The LED panels, which allow the league to display everything from data-driven graphics to advertising, have ceramic coating and little dots etched into the glass that are supposed to create grip that is consistent with traditional surfaces.

The ball seems to bounce like usual, though with a different “thudding” sound. There are a whole lot more squeaks from sneakers than usual. But the biggest difference has been the traction: Numerous players have slipped when they might not otherwise.

“I will say it was a little slippery in some areas,” Kansas women's player Elle Evans admitted.

There are a whole lot of other differences that come with such an unusual court.

When players hit the ground, rather than traditional brooms, workers wearing black jumpsuits that say “Windex Glass Care Team” on the back scurry onto the floor with specialized mops to clean up. Sometimes, they spray a cleaning solution before wiping it away.

Just how you might clean your windows at home.

Team logos are prominently displayed during introductions. During timeouts, the 3-point line, half-court line and lane lines morph into flashing red lasers. When someone dunks, the entire interior of the 3-point arc lights up as if it's shattered glass.

“There was one of the media timeouts where the graphic on the court started to move,” BYU women's coach Lee Cummard said, only half-jokingly, “and it kind of freaked me out a little bit, right?

“I wasn’t paying attention to the court,” Cummard added, “but in pregame introductions, the whole court being lit up in BYU blue and their names being the whole court, I thought that was as cool of a thing I’ve seen as far as pregame introductions.”

One group that seems to like the slightly springy aspect of the court: the officials.

"Every official last week came up and said, ‘Brett, this is going to help me — if we ever play on this court again — it’s going to prolong my career,' because it provides shock absorption for their knees," Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said. “Beyond that I haven't heard much, to be honest with you. But we encourage all the key stakeholders to provide us feedback.”

The Big 12's new glass floor gets mixed reviews at league tourney

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Travis Kelce will be back catching passes from Patrick Mahomes for the Kansas City Chiefs one more time.

The Chiefs made official their deal to bring the four-time All-Pro tight end back for a 14th season Wednesday, when the new league year made pending contracts official. The 36-year-old Kelce had decided in recent days to shove off retirement for another year rather than end a superlative career that includes three Super Bowl rings with a 6-11 record this past season.

The one-year deal for Kelce is worth $12 million with incentives that could push the total to $15 million.

“You always need to take a step back, breathe and let the emotions of the season settle down and see where the body is," Kelce said during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday. “Man, I’m still in love with this game. I still love going to work, putting on the pads, grinding it out and just playing the game.”

Kelce had indicated as far back as the NFL scouting combine that he wanted to play for Kansas City if he returned.

“My best opportunity was playing for the Chiefs yet again and running this thing back,” Kelce said. "There’s a lot of pieces in Kansas City that I just absolutely love and I can’t wait to get back in the building with them.”

Kelce also said his fiancee, pop superstar Taylor Swift, played a role in his decision to return.

"We share the same love for what we do, and fortunately we’ve had this desire since we were kids in our selective professions,” Kelce said. “It’s amazing to see her keep going to the table, keep finding new things to write about, keep finding new melodies and, on top of that, still seeing her have that love and joy in what she does.

“Of course that’s motivating. That’s motivating for anybody to see, let alone my fiancée, knowing that I’m going through something where I’m trying to figure out exactly what the future holds for me."

As for the Chiefs, the chance to keep playing for coach Andy Reid and alongside best buddy Mahomes — who hopes to be ready for Week 1 after late-season surgery on a torn knee ligament — was enticing.

So was the chance to play once more for Eric Bieniemy, who is returning for a second stint as Kansas City's offensive coordinator after the departure of Matt Nagy.

The Chiefs were happy to give Kelce some time to make his decision. But they also were hopeful that it would come by the start of the new league year, giving them some cost certainty for free agency and roster certainty ahead of the NFL draft.

“I think we’ve kind of taken a different approach with Travis in the sense that we’ve prepared for either scenario,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said during last month’s scouting combine. “Coach (Reid) had mentioned he’s had great dialogue with Travis. On our end, myself, (assistant general manager) Chris Shea and Travis’ crew, we’ve had some good dialogue there.

“Travis is the best, he’s an icon and hopefully he comes back and we’ll just let that process play out.”

Kelce began contemplating retirement even before last season, but he quickly decided that he didn't want his career to end with a Super Bowl loss to Philadelphia. He instead redoubled his offseason conditioning work and returned in his best shape in years, and he wound up catching 76 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns last season.

But whether he can sustain that pace yet again is a big question mark. Kelce turns 37 in October.

“The biggest thing coming back was that we’ve got to be even more hungrier than we’ve been before. Talking to Pat and Coach Reid and the guys, it’s pretty (evident) there’s a lot of ‘dog’ mentality right now to get this thing fixed," Kelce said. “That mentality itself is already motivating me to get to where I need to be during the season.”

Travis Kelce returns to Kansas City Chiefs for 14th season

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a>

Passengers at a handful of airports this week waited in hours-long security lines as the government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security dragged on.

Though Transportation Security Administration officers are required by law to work during a lapse in funding, more than usual have been absent after receiving only a partial paycheck during the most recent pay period. TSA officers will miss an entire paycheck this weekend if the shutdown is still in effect then.&nbsp;

No end to the shutdown appeared imminent Wednesday, as the U.S. Senate rejected a bill that would have funded TSA and other agencies in DHS that are not related to immigration enforcement.

In the meantime, TSA officers are not being paid.&nbsp;

Most live paycheck-to-paycheck, said Johnny Jones, the secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 100, which represents TSA agents.

The lack of pay has contributed to absenteeism, Jones added. The union does not condone coordinated “sick-outs,” which are illegal.&nbsp;

But individual officers miss work for one of three reasons during a shutdown, he said: pre-planned time off, legitimate illness or personal emergencies, and those calling in sick but seeking other work to pay bills.

“If you’re normally receiving a paycheck, you wouldn’t have that third group,” he said.

Some of those who are working are going without lunch or making other sacrifices, Jones added. And he said two colleagues were evicted during the most recent shutdown last fall, which lasted for 43 days.

The U.S. war against Iran, which has an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trumps-iran-war-estimated-cost-billions-already-no-end-sight" target="_blank">estimated price</a>&nbsp;in the billions of dollars in just its first two weeks, has also driven resentment among TSA workers, Jones said.

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