
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Early Learning Center at Our Redeemer Lutheran has reopened with the capability of covering just 17 kids, when they were between 50 and 60 at full capacity at the time of their closure in August.

"Based on our current staffing levels, we wouldn't be able to take any more children at this time," said director Jessica Carpenter. "I, obviously have some prospective staff, but, of course, that's always an issue, finding quality staff."

The problem is child care, as an industry, hasn't paid enough in the area, traditionally.

"What we're asking is people to have a lot of experience and then we are only paying them $8 to $10 an hour, with most of the time, zero benefits," said Denice Gilliland-Burbank with the United Way. "When you combine those two things, you've created a perfect storm of continuous staff turnover, which makes it really hard for the centers to operate in a capacity that allows them to have highly trained staff and also provide a really great learning environment for children."

Also, substitute teaching, particularly now that requirements have been lessened to just a high school diploma, is competitive compensation with a $10 an hour job, with the flexibility of being able to say no when you need to, for those with a heart for kids.

"That's probably the same type of person that would be willing to do either one of those jobs," Gilliland-Burbank said. "So much of it comes down to pay for individuals. Our child care centers will tell you, most of the time they lose their really great lead qualified staff to the school districts or to Head Start, because then they can at least get benefits."

Child care advocates say it is important for the business community to understand the breadth and depth of the problem if long-term solutions are going to be available.

Early Learning Center opening helps, but child care pay is still an issue

BUHLER, Kan. — Buhler USD 313 is trying to stem a rush of COVID cases. 

The district on Friday announced that it is currently experiencing a high rate of positive COVID-19 cases in schools.&nbsp;

The district website and dashboard now has a new chart showing the daily numbers and absences by building. <a href="https://sites.google.com/usd313.org/buhlernavigatingnext/covid-surveillance-reports">https://sites.google.com/usd313.org/buhlernavigatingnext/covid-surveillance-reports</a>.

Teacher shortages continue to impact the district. On Friday, the district had 14 uncovered classrooms. Those shortages result in canceled bus routes, after school activities, and field trips.&nbsp;

The district said in a note to patrons that they anticipate a peak of positive cases coming in the next couple of weeks and are hopeful that it will then begin to decline. The note continued that there will be additional guidance coming soon for managing the pandemic in public schools. If the new guidance results in changes to the Stay to Learn, Work and Play policy, they will share that information on Friday.&nbsp;

The district wanted to stress that if your child is not feeling well, is ill, or has symptoms of an illness, please keep him or her at home.

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 Buhler USD 313 dealing with COVID case increase

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After taking today (Monday) off the Hutchinson Fire Department will continue with the wildfire mitigation program Tuesday. The fire department completed the burning along 30th and 17th Avenues on Friday.&nbsp;

The fire department hopes to resume burning along North Plum and possibly East 82nd between Plum and Monroe. Crews are also expected to burn along 69th near the Sandhills State Park, and along Inverness and Spyglass near Prairie Dunes. The burning is expected to last through mid-February.

Motorists might experience delays or even short term road closings due to fire equipment and smoke.&nbsp;

Fire mitigation resumes Tuesday


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The heating related fires in 2021 had several different causes, according to Hutchinson Fire Marshal Mike Cain.

For 2021, we had one fire directly caused by a space heater where it was too close to combustibles, fell over or something got on it," Cain said. "We had three others that that were caused indirectly by space heaters, the most probable cause was an overload of the branch circuit electrical, generally too many plugged in. This occurs mainly in older homes with aged or outdated electrical systems, for instance knob and tube wiring. People tend to plug in multiple space heaters and start blowing a 20amp fuse so they put in a 40 amp fuse to keep that from happening. All four of those fires were in rentals."

What we saw just as much in 2021 was a string of improperly installed, usually homemade, wood burning stove fires,"  Cain said. "We had four of those within the last part of 2021, three in rentals and one owner occupied, all in garages."

The next leading cause of fires related to heating involved the improper disposal of fireplace or wood burning stove ashes with people who ended up with fires generally scooping out the ashes and throwing them in their poly cart. There were four of those fires in 2021.

Fire Marshal: Heating related fires in 2021 had several causes

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — With the surge of COVID cases, and the increasing strain on medical facilities, the Reno County Health Department is stressing community members to please stay home if you are feeling sick.&nbsp;

A release from the health department said that those who are mildly ill do not need to seek immediate medical attention. Common symptoms of COVID include fever, cough, sore throat, respiratory symptoms, and muscle aches. The health department says to rest, stay hydrated and monitor your symptoms.&nbsp;

COVID tests are also in short supply. If you are seriously ill or at high risk for complications, seek immediate medical attention. The health department also has revised its COVID policies to match that of the CDC. Those guidelines are available on the health departments website or at <a href="http://renogov.org">renogov.org</a>.

At last check as of Friday, there were 966 active cases of COVID in the county.

Health Department stresses the need to stay at home if sick

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — With the renovation of the J. Bernard White Park along 5th Avenue in progress, the Hutchinson Public Art and Design Council is searching for an artist to take on a public art project at the park.

The park was named after J Bernard White, a WWI veteran who lived in the Creekside Neighborhood.

The three projects possible for this park are:

A sidewalk mural alongside Cow Creek in the park.

A 2D art installation attached to the 4 ft. tall chain link fence facing 5th Avenue.

A weather-proofed sculpture displayed on the park grounds.

Projects that support and encourage community involvement will be given priority. The selection committee will also prioritize art that features themes that tie in with Cow Creek, the history associated with J. Bernard White, or a general theme of sidewalk transportation.

The project needs to be accomplished within a budget of $2,500 and installed before May 2022. Questions and project proposals should be submitted to Sean Thomas at sean.thomas@hutchgov.com by January 31st.

Artist sought for park project

LANGDON, Kan. — Students in Fairfield USD 310 are prepared to go to remote learning on Tuesday after the district canceled classes on Friday and all activities for this week.

As of Thursday, the district had more than 20% of the student body out of class and about 39% of the teachers due to an outbreak of COVID.

Materials for students can be picked up starting today at the campus. If you are wanting meals for the week, patrons need to contact Jaqui Conrad at jconrad@usd310.org or you can call the kitchen at 620-596-2007. Orders for meals must be placed by 2 p.m. today.

Meals may be picked up on Tuesday through Friday, from 11:00 a.m. until noon. Family members can pick up student meals without the students being present. Meals will not be available Friday or Monday since school is not in session.

For students in the Sylvia area needing Internet services for&nbsp; remote learning, the Pleasant Hill Church of the Nazarene will be providing free WiFi service to do schoolwork. Please contact FES Music Teacher James Davis for more information at <a href="mailto:jdavis@usd310.org">jdavis@usd310.org</a>.

Fairfield USD 310 prepared for remote learning Tuesday

Glenn Brunkow, Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher

This past week I returned from one of the best weeks of the year, the American Farm Bureau Convention and Annual Meeting. It is truly something I look forward to each year and a highlight on my calendar.

My favorite thing about the meeting is people in agriculture from all across the United States come together to decide on how to tackle the toughest issues facing our industry. I always meet new and interesting people like the sweet potato farmer from Mississippi I got to eat lunch with on Sunday. Our crops may have been different, but we spoke one common language — agriculture.

I really enjoy just hanging out in the hallways listening to everyone talk about the weather and what was going on at their farms and ranches. It is a time to renew old friendships like my good friend Ben from Georgia or my buddy Rick from Idaho. We see each other once a year, but it does not take long to catch up on our lives. I love listening to the different accents and ways of communicating.

The American Farm Bureau is truly a big tent organization; the meeting brings in producers from all across the nation. All types of agriculture from vegetables to honey, row crops, cattle and everything in between. You will find some of the largest farmers and ranchers in the same room as producers with much smaller operations. The best part is that there is a seat at the table for everyone.

I really enjoy the general sessions, and this year I attended some highly informative workshops. I also had the privilege of judging the Young Farmer and Ranchers Committee’s Excellence in Agriculture award. I have to say it was humbling to listen to all the great accomplishments of the applicants, the amount of work they have done is absolutely amazing. I am also sure the tours were fantastic but, in my mind, those great events were not the most important part of our week in Atlanta.

The annual business meeting of the American Farm Bureau Federation is what we all come for. When we take the ideas that started out at the grassroots level and were distilled and refined through the state and national process and make the final tweaks before we adopt them. This policy making process is the blueprint of what will happen for the next year, our playbook of how to guide legislators and regulators for the benefit of agriculture.

This process is tough, and it can be contentious at times. When you have an organization as diverse as ours not everyone will agree on how things should be done. In the end, arguments are presented, and points are made. The voting delegates take the information provided to them and make decisions shaping ag policy for at least the next year if not longer. Almost as soon as the gavel sounds, members begin working on policy for next year and looking forward to another good week in January.

Insight: Ag Across America

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Recent obituaries


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
If you have a beloved pet, it's important to plan for its care, in case you die before your pet does.

"Sometimes, owners have set up with their directives, something very specific they want done with that pet," said Jonathan Austin, DVM, with Hutchinson Small Animal Hospital. "If they have communicated that to me and we have that noted in their medical record, then we follow their instructions, to do what they wanted. Some people are really good planners and they accommodate for everything."

If you lose someone suddenly and those plans aren't made, you can ask the vet for help.

"Sometimes, when it's a situation where there is not a family member that has agreed to take the pet, or none of the family want the pet, we have seen that, sadly, if it's a younger pet and a healthy pet, then we certainly try to assist them in finding a new opportunity, a new home for that pet," Austin said. "They can adjust. They can find a new family or a new person and do well."

The hope is always to find the animal another loving home, whether it's with family or not. In Kansas, an animal is considered property for the purpose of an estate plan, so what the owner puts in official documents is what goes in that case.

Austin: Plan for pet care in case you die first

PRETTY PRAIRIE — 
The entire city of Pretty Prairie will soon have access to fiber internet and gigabit speeds, thanks to IdeaTek. In 2020, IdeaTek received grant funding to build fiber to a portion of the Reno County community. Wanting all residents to have the same opportunities, IdeaTek leadership has decided to invest in Pretty Prairie and bring fiber internet to the rest of the city. This will mean faster, more reliable service for homes, businesses, educational facilities and enterprises. “This investment is another exciting step in expanding our mission of delivering internet freedom to Kansas communities,” said Daniel Friesen, IdeaTek’s Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer. “We are extremely excited for the opportunities this much-needed fiber investment will bring to Pretty Prairie,” he said. “We strongly believe all Kansans should have the freedom to choose reliable, unlimited internet, and we look forward to becoming an integral part of the city’s future growth.” Homes and businesses will be ready for internet installations by March. Pretty Prairie is one of several community builds IdeaTek has planned for 2022. Investment in fiber is a scalable solution for Kansas’ future growth. “IdeaTek’s ultimate goal is to connect every home in Kansas with high-speed, affordable fiber-optic internet,” Friesen said. “Our mission is to build to the standards of the future, not today. We need to provide equal opportunity to all Kansans.” IdeaTek was founded by Friesen and four high school friends in 1999. Today, the company employs over 120 Kansans and is continuing to grow. The team is dedicated to the mission of connecting underserved communities with affordable high-speed internet. To date, IdeaTek has deployed more than 3,600 miles of fiber — plus built more than 100 fixed wireless towers — serving customers in over 50 Kansas communities. For more information about IdeaTek or to sign up for service, visit <a href="http://ideatek.com">ideatek.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

IdeaTek to complete high-speed fiber internet project in Pretty Prairie

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — It's no secret that the Dragons (15-4, 9-4) have struggled on the road this season (2-4).&nbsp;

But in the comfort of the Sports Arena, the Dragons are a perfect 11-0.

The first loss of the season came on the road at Independence (14-3, 10-2).&nbsp;

The Dragons had no trouble with the Pirates Monday night at home.

Hutchinson lost that first matchup 85-69.

The Dragons easily avenged that first loss of the season with a 31-point victory.

The Dragons outscored the Pirates 23-10 in the second quarter to take a 42-22 lead into the break.

Tor'e Alford led the Dragons with 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

Kalyn Ervin knocked down three triples to finish with 16 points.&nbsp;

Mya Williams (13) and Mel Kailahi (10) also finished in double digits.&nbsp;

Hutchinson scored 32 points in the paint to Indy's 12.

Hutchinson shot 42.6% for the game while holding Indy to 22.8%.

Maisa Marcal led the Pirates with 19 points. No other Pirate scored more than seven.&nbsp;

FINAL: Hutchinson 80 Independence 49

Independence never led by more than two. That lead came just 2:05 into the game.&nbsp;

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WBB: Dragons avenge first road loss

LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;– The Kansas Jayhawks dropped a back-and-forth thriller to No. 14/13 Baylor on Sunday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse, with the Bears pulling out an 82-79 win thanks to four free throws in the final eight seconds.

Aniya Thomas gave Kansas a four-point lead with 25 seconds left when she connected on one of two free throw attempts. But Baylor’s Ja’Mee Asberry hit a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left to make it a one-point game. The Bears then got a steal from Jordan Lewis with 10 seconds left. Lewis immediately gave the ball up to Asberry, who was fouled with eight seconds on the clock. Asberry hit both free throws to give Baylor a one-point lead at 80-79. The Jayhawks called a timeout and got a good look, but couldn’t finish. Baylor’s Nalyssa Smith corralled the rebound and got it to teammate Sarah Andrews, who hit two more free throws with just more than a second left. Kansas called a timeout, but couldn’t get a shot up before the buzzer and fell by three.

Kansas fell to 11-3 with the loss and 2-2 in Big 12 play, following a pair of wins earlier in the week over TCU and Texas. Baylor, meanwhile, improved to 11-4 overall and 1-2 in league play. Playing in front of a spirited home crowd, Kansas jumped out to an early lead and was up on Baylor 20-14 after the first quarter. The Jayhawks shot 8 of 15 from the floor in the first quarter and outrebounded the Bears, 10-6. Holly Kersgieter, who finished with a season-high 23 points, had eight points in the first quarter, and was perfect from the field at 3-of-3.

Baylor responded in the second quarter, thanks in large part to a 17-2 run in the frame. The Bears led 41-36 at half, outscoring Kansas 27-16 in the second. The Jayhawks shot 41 percent in the first half and outrebounded Baylor 21-18. Kersgieter had 12 points at the break.

The Jayhawks cut the lead to three after the third at 63-60. Julie Brosseau, who hit three 3-pointers for Kansas on Sunday, hit from deep in the final minute to tie the game, but Asberry hit a 3 at the buzzer to give the Bears a three-point lead heading into the final quarter. The two teams traded leads in the fourth, before Baylor eventually hung on for the victory.

On top of Kersgieter’s season-high 23 points, Ioanna Chatzileonti had a career-high 20 points to go with eight rebounds in 36 minutes. Zakiyah Franklin also hit the 20-point mark, finishing with 20 points, which also established a new season high for her. Franklin also added six assists, which is just one off her season best.

Andrews led all scorers with 25 points, while also adding six assists in 37 minutes. Asberry finished with 20 points, while Smith had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Queen Egbo also had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

"The crowd was exceptional, it's probably the best student turnout we have had at any time since I have been here. Hopefully they had a good time and you know they'll look forward to coming back and supporting this team. We really greatly appreciate everybody that made the effort to give us the best home court advantage possible today."

The Jayhawks return to action on Wednesday at Kansas State in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

– With 20 points against Baylor, Ioanna Chatzileonti set a new career high. Her previous high was 19 which she set against Saint Louis on November 21.

– Holly Kersgieter had five 3-point field goals which ties her career high. She has now hit this mark four times in her career, most recently against Texas Tech on February 20, 2021.

– Kansas had three players score 20 or more points in Sunday’s game. Kergieter led the team in scoring for the ninth time this season with 23 points and was followed by Chatzileonti and Zakiyah Franklin who each had 20. This marked the first time since Kansas had three players score 20 or more points since Jan. 30, 2019 against Oklahoma.

– With 23 points, Kersgieter set a new season high. Her previous high was 22 against UTEP on November 27.

– Franklin’s 20 points were also good for a new season high. Her previous high was 14 against UTEP on November 27.

– Kansas had a total of 39 rebounds. Chatzileonti lead the team in boards for the third time this season with eight.

– The Jayhawks shot .500 (28-for-56) from the field, marking the sixth time this season that the team has shot .500 or better.

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🏀 Kansas WBB Falls Late to No. 14/13 Baylor

🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Monday Morning

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 404 yards and five touchdowns, Travis Kelce caught a TD pass and threw another one, and the Chiefs sent Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger into his expected retirement with a 42-21 win in the wild-card round of the playoffs Sunday night. Byron Pringle caught touchdown passes from both Mahomes and Kelce, and Jerick McKinnon and Tyreek Hill also reeled in scoring catches for the Chiefs. Their pursuit of a third straight AFC title now includes a date with the Bills next week. The 39-year-old Roethlisberger finished with two TD passes in his likely finale.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is likely headed into retirement after a 42-21 loss to the Chiefs in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Sunday night. It was the fourth straight loss in the playoffs for the Steelers, whose last win came in the divisional round in Kansas City almost five years ago to the day. It was a particularly brutal loss for their six-time Pro Bowl quarterback, who failed to even get his offense past midfield until midway through the third quarter. By that point, the Chiefs had built a 35-7 lead and were well on their way to victory.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Steelers had running back Najee Harris and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster available for their wild-card playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night. Harris was questionable after working out Friday and was removed from the injury report entirely on Saturday. Smith-Schuster thought his season was over after a shoulder injury Oct. 10, but was able to return to practice this week. Chiefs cornerback Rashad Fenton was inactive after he was added to the injury list with a shoulder problem about 2 hours before kickoff.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sophomore Keegan Murray scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Iowa withstood a furious comeback by shorthanded Minnesota to beat the Golden Gophers 81-71. Murray sank 11 of 17 shots from the floor in notching his fourth double-double of the season for the Hawkeyes (13-4, 3-3 Big Ten Conference). Payton Sandfort scored in the paint to push Iowa's lead to 66-46 with 10:24 remaining and after the teams traded baskets Treyton Thompson scored eight points in a 22-6 run to get Minnesota (10-5, 1-5) within 72-68 with 2:47 left to play. Jamison Battle's 3-pointer pulled the Golden Gophers within 74-71, but Murray answered with a 3 for Iowa with 59 seconds to go and Bohannon made four free throws in the last 30 seconds.&nbsp;

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — David DeJulius scored 18 points and made a go-ahead layup with 2:20 remaining in the game as Cincinnati rallied past Wichita State 61-57 in American Athletic Conference play. Hayden Koval had 13 points for the Bearcats (13-5, 3-2). John Newman III added 10 points. Tyson Etienne had 14 points and six assists for the Shockers (9-7, 0-4), who have now lost four games in a row. Etienne's layup with 2:36 left to play gave Wichita State a 57-56 lead, but the Shockers went scoreless from there.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Sarah Andrews scored 25 points, Ja'Mee Asberry added 20 and they combined for the final seven points in the last 14 seconds to give No. 14 Baylor an 82-79 win over Kansas. Asberry knocked down a second-chance 3-pointer with 14 seconds to play to pull the Bears within 79-78. Kansas had a turnover on the front-court inbounds pass and Asberry was fouled at 12.2 seconds, her free throws making it 80-79. After a Kansas miss, Andrews was fouled with 1.5 seconds to go and she iced the game. Holly Kersgieter had &nbsp;25 points for Kansas. &nbsp;Ioanna Chatzileonti and Zakiyah Franklin added 20 points apiece.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic has arrived in his native Serbia after being deported from Australia because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19, ending his hopes of defending his Australian Open title. 

A plane carrying the No. 1-ranked player from his stopover in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, touched down today in the Serbian capital, Belgrade. A handful of fans waving the Serbian flag greeted him at the airport.

UNDATED (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks had a surprisingly easy time defeating the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) posted his third triple-double of the season and the Bucks led 77-38 at halftime en route to a 118-99 rout of the Warriors. Antetokounmpo finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in his 28th career triple-double. 

Khris Middleton chipped in 23 points, Bobby Portis had 15 and Grayson Allen had 15 for the Bucks, who welcomed back coach Mike Budenholzer. Milwaukee had gone 1-3 while Budenholzer was in COVID-19 protocols.

Andrew Wiggins had a team-high 16 points for the Warriors, while teammate Stephen Curry had just 12.

Checking out Thursday's other NBA action:

— The Grizzlies' team-record winning streak is now at 11 games following a 116-108 decision over the Timberwolves. Desmond Bane scored 21 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 20 to help Memphis avenge their 43-point loss to Minnesota on Nov. 20. Ja Morant had 16 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and John Konchar added 15 points and a career-best 17 rebounds. 

— The Nets lost for the sixth time in their last seven home games, absorbing a 130-109 defeat against the Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered 33 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Thunder, who are 14-27 at the midway mark. Rookie Josh Giddey provided 19 points to the Thunder's first win in six games.

— The Nuggets carved up the Trail Blazers, 140-108 as Will Barton furnished 21 points and Nikola Jokic added 20. Barton had to leave the game for good with a strained neck after falling into the knee of Portland center Jusuf Nurkic on a drive. 

— Brandon Ingram dropped in 24 points and Jonas Valanciunas had a double-double with 18 points and 16 boards in the Pelicans' 113-89 thrashing of the Clippers. Rookie Herb Jones scored 14 points and had three steals for the Pelicans, who parlayed 15 Clippers turnovers into 23 points. 

UNDATED (AP) — The New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks are separated by just three games in the NBA's Eastern Conference standings, but their plans for the stretch run now appear to be divergent.

The Hawks have become sellers after falling to 17-23, sending forwards Cam Reddish and Solomon Hill to the Knicks for small forward Kevin Knox and a 2022 first-round draft pick. The Knicks also get a second-round choice in this year's draft. 

Reddish received regular playing time for Atlanta this season, averaging 11.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 34 games. Reddish and Knox are recent first-round picks, but Knox started just 61 of 195 games for the Knicks after being drafted in 2018.

Reddish is reunited with former Duke teammate RJ Barrett as the Knicks try to improve on their 21-21 start.

The deal gives the Hawks additional salary cap room this summer.

— Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard is out at least six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a core injury that has been causing him abdominal pain. The six-time All-Star has missed five games since the start of the year and 11 games overall this season because of the injury.

— The Bulls expect forward Derrick Jones Jr. to miss two to four weeks because of a bone bruise in his right knee. Jones was injured in the opening minute of a 138-112 home loss to the Nets on Wednesday. 

— A trade between the Pistons and Nuggets has been rescinded after big man Bol Bol didn't receive medical clearance with Detroit. The Nuggets had finalized a deal to send Bol to the Pistons in exchange for guard Rodney McGruder along with a 2022 second-round pick via Brooklyn.

UNDATED (AP) — Third-ranked UCLA can expect to take a tumble in the AP men's basketball poll on Monday.

Head coach Dana Altman earned his 700th career win as Jacob Young poured in a season-high 23 points to lead Oregon past the Bruins, 84-81 in overtime. Young provided consecutive baskets in OT to put the Ducks ahead to stay in their fourth consecutive win.

Johnny Juzang scored 23 points for the Bruins, who had won five straight.

— Drew Timme scored 30 points on 13-of-14 shooting as second-ranked Gonzaga beat rival BYU 110-84 to extend the nation's longest home winning streak to 61 games. Andrew Nembhard had 22 points and 12 assists, and Julian Strawther added 20 points for the 13-2 Bulldogs, who shot 69%.

— No. 5 Southern California rallied from a 51-41 deficit to defeat Oregon State 81-71. Chavez Goodwin had 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Drew Peterson added 15 points. 

— Sixth-ranked Arizona is 13-1 after Azoulas Tubelis and Justin Kier provided 14 points apiece in a 76-55 blowout over Colorado. Arizona shot 51% and had 20 assists on 29 field goals to match its best start since 2015-16.

— Brad Davison provided 23 points and Tyler Wahl added 20 in No. 13 Wisconsin's sixth straight win, 78-68 against Ohio State. Wisconsin was 10 of 23 from 3-point range in improving to 14-2 overall, 5-1 in the Big Ten.

— Kevin Obanor had 17 points and No. 19 Texas Tech backed up its consecutive wins over Top 10 teams with a 78-57 victory over Oklahoma State. Adonis Arms scored 13 points for the 13-3 Red Raiders, who were coming off Tuesday's win at top-ranked Baylor.

— Jalen Terry scored 28 points and David Jones added 24 as DePaul stunned No. 20 Seton Hall, 96-92. The Blue Demons did it while playing most of the second half without conference scoring leader Javon Freeman-Liberty because of an apparent right leg injury.

AP source: Texans fire Culley after just one season as coach

UNDATED (AP) — David Culley is one and done as head coach of the Houston Texans.

Culley has been let go following a 4-13 record in his lone season at the helm. The Texans had quarterback issues early in the season but split their last four games, finishing with a 28-25 loss to the top-seeded Titans.

Culley said Monday he expected to return, but general manager Nick Caserio was said to still be evaluating him at that time.

It's the first time the Texans have fired a coach after just one season. 

The dismissals of Culley and Miami's Brian Flores leave Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin as the NFL's only Black head coach.

— Left tackle Trent Williams practiced with the 49ers on Thursday after missing the season finale with an elbow injury. Williams is on target to play Sunday against the Cowboys, saying the elbow feels good. Williams was officially limited and wore tape on the elbow instead of a brace.

— The NFL has no plans to move the Feb. 13 Super Bowl to Arlington, Texas, or anywhere else despite the recent rise in COVID-19 cases and the accompanying health precautions in California. Both NFL officials and local organizers say the championship game isn't leaving the Los Angeles area. 

MLB talks resume after 42-day gap, little evident progress

UNDATED (AP) — Labor talks to end the baseball lockout have resumed for the first time in 1 1/2 months.

There with little evident progress during a bargaining session that lasted about an hour on Thursday, jeopardizing a timely start to spring training. Major League Baseball imposed the lockout on Dec. 2 as soon as the five-year collective bargaining contract expired, a few hours after talks broke off. 

The discussions Thursday were the first on core economic issues following a 42-day gap. MLB made proposals it hoped would at least start to generate momentum, but players did not commit to a specific date to respond.

Alabama WR Williams, offensive lineman Evans enter NFL draft

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama offensive stars Jameson Williams and Evan Neal are entering the NFL draft and skipping their senior seasons. 

Williams led Crimson Tide receivers with 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns in his lone season after transferring from Ohio State. Neal played left tackle last season and started 39 games on the line in three seasons.

Both are All-Americans and projected first-round picks.

UNDATED (AP) — The Columbus Blue Jackets grabbed a 4-0 lead against the Carolina Hurricanes on New Year's Day, only to absorb a 7-4 loss. There was none of that on Thursday.

Yegor Chinakhov scored twice and Elvis Merzlikins (murz-LIH'-kihnz) turned back 31 shots as the Jackets blasted the Canes, 6-0. Amil Bemstrom and Jack Roslovic each added a goal and an assist for Columbus, which put the game away with a four-goal third period.

Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen gave up four goals on 32 shots, taking a seat on the bench after Patrik Laine and Chinakhov scored in a 32-second span early in the final period.

The Hurricanes' first shutout loss of the season drops them out of a first-place tie with the Rangers in the Metropolitan Division.

Igor Shesterkin returned from COVID-19 protocol and stopped 37 shots to lead the Rangers' 3-0 shutout of the Sharks. Chris Kreider got his first career short-handed goal and an empty-netter to reach 200 goals as the Rangers blanked San Jose for the second straight meeting.

— Tuukka Rask made his return to the Boston nets and David Pastrnak provided the Bruins' second hat trick in two nights, leading a 3-2 victory against the Flyers. Rask made his season debut after recovering from surgery last summer to repair a torn labrum, finishing with 27 saves in the Bruins' seventh win in eight games.

— Steven Stamkos scored his team-leading 18th goal and Anthony Cirelli put the Lightning ahead to stay in a 4-2 downing of the Canucks. Andrei Vasilevskiy (va-sih-LEHV'-skee) made 24 saves for Tampa Bay, including a stop on Elias Petterson's breakaway in the third period.

— Third-period goals by Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich pushed the Blues past the Kraken, 2-1. Ville Husso made 31 saves as the Blues extended their home points streak to 13 games.

— Mikey Anderson, Viktor Arvidsson and Anze Kopitar scored in a span of 1:23 of the third period to secure the Kings' third straight win, 6-2 over the Penguins. Dustin Brown had a goal and an assist to reach 700 career points, and Sean Durzi had a goal and two assists to help Los Angeles finish 5-2 on its seven-game homestand.

— The Predators had won five straight before Jeff Skinner scored twice and Aaron Dell handled 29 shots in the Sabres' 4-1 victory at Nashville. Mark Jankowski and Vinnie Hinostroza also scored for Buffalo, who snapped a six-game skid.

— Connor Hellebuyck (HEH'-leh-buhk) made 33 saves for his second shutout of the season, sending the Jets to a 3-0 win at Detroit. Andrew Copp scored twice and Kyle Connor added an empty-netter in Winnipeg's first game since a 7-1 loss in Colorado a week ago.

— Philipp Kurashev scored 2:24 into overtime to send the Blackhawks to their third straight win, 3-2 against the Canadiens. Dominik Kubalik and Patrick Kane also scored for Chicago, and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 27 shots as Chicago handed Montreal its fifth loss in a row.

— The Islanders pulled out a 3-2 win over the Devils on Mat Barzal's tiebreaking goal with 4:53 remaining. Josh Bailey and Adam Pelech (PEH'-lihk) scored and Zach Parise added two assists for the Islanders, who ran their point streak to five games and played for the first time since New Year's Day. 

— The Senators also were in action for the first time since New Year's Day, getting two goals from Nick Paul in a 4-1 verdict over the Flames. Matt Murray made 27 saves for his first victory of the season.

Ovechkin, McDavid, Draisaitl picked for NHL All-Star Game

NEW YORK (AP) — Washington star Alexander Ovechkin oh-VECH'-kin and high-scoring Edmonton teammates Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl (DRY'-sy-tul) headline the rosters for the NHL All-Star Weekend.

Ovechkin led voting in the Metropolitan Division to earn the captaincy for the Feb. 4-5 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It's his eighth selection.

The event features a three-game tournament played in a 3-on-3 format, with 11-man teams from each of the league's four divisions. 

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Sports Headlines for Monday

The Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team looks to answer the bell from the seasons’ second loss on Saturday with a quick turnaround in a Monday matchup with the Independence Pirates.

The Blue Dragons and Pirates meet for the second time this season at 7:30 p.m. at the Sports Arena. The Blue Dragons play the second of three-straight home games in a five-day stretch.

Hutchinson (16-2) starts the second half of Jayhawk Conference play in second place, one game behind Dodge City.

The Blue Dragons closed the first half of league play with the highest combined scoring game in Hutchinson history, a 132-127 loss to Garden City on Saturday at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons posted the seventh-highest single-game offensive total in history with six players scoring in double figures, led by Kaimen Lennox’s career-high-tying 24 points. Angelo Stuart had 21 points, while Kobe Campbell (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Jacquez Yow (19 points, 10 rebounds) posted double-doubles.

The Blue Dragons continue to lead the Jayhawk Conference in scoring (96.1 ppg), rebounding (46.8 rpg), assists (18.5 apg) and made 3-pointers per game (9.5). The Dragons have scored 100 or point points in six games this season and have 10 or more 3-pointers nine times.

Independence enters Monday on a four-game losing streak after Saturday’s 76-68 loss at Butler. Johan Nziemi had a team-high 18 points to lead the Pirates, who shot just 39 percent against the Grizzlies.

Independence is top 3-point shooting team in the KJCCC this season at 37.4 percent. The Pirates average 8.1 made 3-pointers per game. Lucas Kroft is shooting 46.4 percent and Rodney Munson is shooting 39.7 percent. Kroft has missed the last three games for Independence.

Independence hit nine 3-pointers against the Blue Dragons in the first meeting this season, a 96-91 Hutchinson victory on Nov. 17 at Independence. Angelo Stuart had 22 points to lead the Blue Dragons in that game, while Yow had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Munson had 14 points to lead the Pirates.

Monday’s game is the 76th all-time meeting. The Dragons lead the series 52-23.

HutchCC men look to bounce back Monday at home

Fresh off a victory on Saturday that saw the Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team move into second place in the Jayhawk Conference, the Blue Dragons get a crack at the league leader on Monday at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons (14-4) play host to first-place Independence (14-2) to open the second half of the of the KJCCC season at 5:30 p.m. on Monday at the Sports Arena. Monday’s game is the second of three-straight home games for the Blue Dragons.

With an 8-4 league record following Saturday’s 60-48 home win over Garden City, the Blue Dragons trail the Pirates by 2.5 games for first place. Independence defeated Butler 59-58 on Saturday in El Dorado to move to 10-1 in league play.

Independence won the first meeting with the Blue Dragons, defeating Hutchinson 85-69 at the ICC Fieldhouse. The Dragons have lost three-straight to Independence dating back to last season.

Tor’e Alford hit 5 of 8 3-pointers to lead the Dragons in the first meeting with Independence to finish with 22 points. Mya Williams had 20 points. The Pirates were led guard Maisa Marcal, who had 23 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.

In three career games against the Blue Dragons, Marcal is averaging 20.1 points per game. She had 22 points in Indy’s win over Butler on Saturday and is averaging 14.8 points per game this season.

Sophomore Mele Kailahi led the Blue Dragon effort on Saturday against Garden City posted her second-straight and fifth-overall double-double of the season with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Over her last four games - three have been double-doubles, Kailahi is averaging 15.2 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.

Alford, Hutchinson’s third-year guard, is climbing three career statistical charts. Alford is currently eighth on the Blue Dragon career 3-point chart with 127 3-pointers. She is also eighth in career assists with 247. Alford ranks 22nd on the Blue Dragon career scoring list with 784 career points.

Blue Dragon women with chance to move up Monday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 404 yards and five touchdowns, Travis Kelce caught a TD pass and threw another one, and the Chiefs sent Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger into his expected retirement with a 42-21 win in the wild-card round of the playoffs Sunday night. 

Byron Pringle caught touchdown passes from both Mahomes and Kelce, and Jerick McKinnon and Tyreek Hill also reeled in scoring catches for the Chiefs. 

Their pursuit of a third straight AFC title now includes a date with the Bills next week. The 39-year-old Roethlisberger finished with two TD passes in his likely finale.

Chiefs advance in playoffs with Sunday win

WICHITA, Kan. --&nbsp;One of these days Wichita State will catch a break in a close game against Cincinnati. Sunday wasn't that day. The visiting Bearcats scored the last five points to leave Charles Koch Arena with 61-57 victory. David DeJulius scored 18 points, including the go-ahead basket with 2:18 to play for Cincinnati (13-5, 3-2 American). The Bearcats have won eight of the 10 AAC era meetings between the teams. Six of those UC wins have come down to the final possession. <a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6187">Tyson Etienne</a>&nbsp;had 14 points and six assists to lead the Shockers (9-7, 0-4) who were playing without starting point guard&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6189">Craig Porter Jr.</a>&nbsp;(health &amp; safety protocol). <a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6192">Morris Udeze</a>&nbsp;put up 12 points and 11 rebounds and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6190">Ricky Council IV</a>&nbsp;added 11 points. WSU dropped a third-straight game at home for the first time since the 2007-08 season and dipped to 0-4 in league play for the first time since an 0-6 MVC start in 2008-09. The Shockers surrendered just 12 points in the paint and out-rebounded the visitors 39-32. The Bearcats converted just 6-of-21 attempts from inside the lane but atoned by knocking down jump shot after jump shot -- 6-of-10 from mid-range and 10-of-26 from three. Cincinnati's 10 triples were the most by a Shocker opponent all season. WSU had limited foes to conference-best 28.7 percent coming in. DeJulius (3-for-4), Hayden Koval (3-for-5) and John Newman II (2-for-3) did much of the damage for the Bearcats. FIRST HALF: WSU led by 10 points after just 11 minutes of play. Etienne hit a three to snap a 7-all tie and assisted two&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6194">Kenny Pohto</a>&nbsp;baskets during a 7-0 run. <a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6197">Qua Grant's</a>&nbsp;three made it a 20-10 game. The Shockers were 9-of-16 (.563) from the field up to that point but made just 13-of-43 (.303) thereafter, beginning with a stretch of six-straight misses. Cincinnati spanned halftime with a 9-0 run to tie the game. Koval and DeJulius made consecutive threes to whittle WSU's lead to 31-28 halftime. SECOND HALF: Jeremiah Davenport opened the second half with a three to make it 31-all with 18:39 to play. The Shockers responded with an 8-0 push. Udeze scored twice inside. Council juked his man and converted a tough reverse layup and Pleasant stuck a putback for a 39-31 cushion at the 14:58-mark. It was 42-34 with 13:56 to go after Udeze's three-point play, but the Shockers finished on a 5-for-20 shooting slide. Cincinnati scored 27 points over the final 13:32, converting 10-of-16 shots. A Mika Adams-Woods jumper tied the game with 8:31 to play and Davenport put the Bearcats in front for the first time since early in the first half with another jumper at the 6:36-mark. Etienne scored the final eight Shocker points over the last 7:28, capped by a circus layup with 2:34 to play that gave the hosts a 57-56 lead. DeJulius wriggled to the rim for a layup with 2:18 to play for a 58-57 Bearcat advantage. Cincinnati got a stop and added two more Adams-Woods free throws to make it a three-point lead with 1:45 left. Etienne missed a driving layup and – after Udeze's offensive rebound – a step-back jumper. Cincinnati ended its next possession ended with a shot-clock violation but also bled 43 seconds off the clock. Dennis missed a game-tying three from straight away with 14 seconds remaining and DeJulius iced the game with a free throw. NOTABLE:

Bearcats Sink Shockers with Second-Half Barrage

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — David McCormack had 19 points and 15 rebounds, Jalen Wilson added 23 points and eight boards, and ninth-ranked Kansas overcame a sluggish first half to rout defensive-minded West Virginia 85-59. Ochai Agbaji also had 20 points and seven rebounds for the Jayhawks. They led 33-31 at halftime but blitzed through the second half to remain perfect against the Mountaineers in 10 meetings at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas held Taz Sherman, the Big 12's second-leading scorer, to five points on 1-for-9 shooting. Malik Curry led the Mountaineers with 23 points.

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