Judy Ann Holloway, 73, of McPherson, KS, peacefully passed away surrounded by family on Thursday, April 11, 2024, at McPherson Hospital.

She was born on December 3, 1950, in&nbsp; Herington, Kansas, the daughter of Harvey and Alta (Aldridge) Fleming.&nbsp; She graduated from McPherson High School in 1969 and continued her education at Hutchinson Junior College, Wichita State University, and McPherson College.&nbsp; On August 9, 1969, Judy was united in marriage to Gary C. Holloway at First Christian Church in McPherson.&nbsp; This union was blessed with two sons, Barry and Chris.

Judy was one of the first employees of McPherson Pizza Hut in the 1970s.&nbsp; She taught for 15 years in USD #418 as a classroom teacher and as a gifted education teacher.&nbsp; After she retired in 2005, she was a substitute teacher and an adjunct professor at Tabor College for two years.

She loved to play tennis and tried to please her husband by playing golf with him, even though she hated the game.&nbsp; Judy adored her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.&nbsp; She wrote two children’s education books and had them published.&nbsp; She was a Den Mother for the Cub Scouts and helped with many school activities. Judy loved watching her sons and grandchildren play their sports.&nbsp; She enjoyed trips to Hawaii and was the all-time best at shop-‘til-you-drop.&nbsp; She worked with the Blessings Boutique gang at the church for their annual fundraiser.&nbsp; In her spare time, she loved reading and playing cards (especially Krypto with her good friend Donna Viola), board games, and playing the slot machines at the casino.

Survivors include: her loving husband of 54 years, Gary Holloway; a son, Chris (Julie) Holloway of McPherson, KS; a sister, Karla (R.J.) Reutiman of Centennial, CO; two grandchildren, Baylee (Hunter) Dixon of South Hutchinson, KS and Carter Holloway of Manhattan, KS; two great-grandchildren, Briggs Dixon and Wrenley Dixon; and many extended family members and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Harvey and Alta Fleming; a son, Barry Holloway; sister, Jan Pecoraro; two nieces, Kerstin Hall and Stacey Bruza; and a nephew, Jeff Myers.

A private graveside service will be held at a later date at McPherson Cemetery with Pastor Lynn Scott officiating.&nbsp;

Memorial donations can be made to the First Christian Church Blessings Boutique in care of Stockham Family Funeral Home, 205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.

Personal condolences may be sent to the family at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stockhamfamily.com/" target="_blank">www.stockhamfamily.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713172413742.jpeg" alt="Judy Ann Holloway" />
 <figcaption>Judy Ann Holloway</figcaption>
 </figure>Judy Ann Holloway, 73, of McPherson, KS, peacefully passed away surrounded by family on Thursday, April 11, 2024, at McPherson Hospital.She was born on December 3, 1950, in&nbsp; Herington, Kansas, the daughter of Harvey and Alta (Aldridge) Fleming.&nbsp; She graduated from McPherson High School in 1969 and continued her education at Hutchinson Junior College, Wichita State University, and McPherson College.&nbsp; On August 9, 1969, Judy was united in marriage to Gary C. Holloway at First Christian Church in McPherson.&nbsp; This union was blessed with two sons, Barry and Chris.Judy was one of the first employees of McPherson Pizza Hut in the 1970s.&nbsp; She taught for 15 years in USD #418 as a classroom teacher and as a gifted education teacher.&nbsp; After she retired in 2005, she was a substitute teacher and an adjunct professor at Tabor College for two years.She loved to play tennis and tried to please her husband by playing golf with him, even though she hated the game.&nbsp; Judy adored her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.&nbsp; She wrote two children’s education books and had them published.&nbsp; She was a Den Mother for the Cub Scouts and helped with many school activities. Judy loved watching her sons and grandchildren play their sports.&nbsp; She enjoyed trips to Hawaii and was the all-time best at shop-‘til-you-drop.&nbsp; She worked with the Blessings Boutique gang at the church for their annual fundraiser.&nbsp; In her spare time, she loved reading and playing cards (especially Krypto with her good friend Donna Viola), board games, and playing the slot machines at the casino.Survivors include: her loving husband of 54 years, Gary Holloway; a son, Chris (Julie) Holloway of McPherson, KS; a sister, Karla (R.J.) Reutiman of Centennial, CO; two grandchildren, Baylee (Hunter) Dixon of South Hutchinson, KS and Carter Holloway of Manhattan, KS; two great-grandchildren, Briggs Dixon and Wrenley Dixon; and many extended family members and friends.She was preceded in death by her parents, Harvey and Alta Fleming; a son, Barry Holloway; sister, Jan Pecoraro; two nieces, Kerstin Hall and Stacey Bruza; and a nephew, Jeff Myers.A private graveside service will be held at a later date at McPherson Cemetery with Pastor Lynn Scott officiating.&nbsp;Memorial donations can be made to the First Christian Church Blessings Boutique in care of Stockham Family Funeral Home, 205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.Personal condolences may be sent to the family at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stockhamfamily.com/" target="_blank">www.stockhamfamily.com</a>.

Judy Ann Holloway |1950-2024|

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — According to a social media post on Wednesday from Tyler Davis, Taco Hut will not be open again until next week.

"The City has requested that we implement a few things before we open up to the public again," Davis said. "Changing ownership always comes with some new inspections and new regulations. So, there are a couple of things I have to get nailed down in the building. Nothing major, and only things that will make the place overall a safer building for everyone."

The first official day for the re-opening will be next Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. 

"Don't expect to see major changes," Davis added. "Rather, it will be your regular ol' Taco Hut, just with a few new people slinging the tacos."

Davis said they are actively hiring for both days and evenings. Pay starts at $12/hr, but will consider higher pay for qualified candidates. Looking for one full time person and several part timers. People with previous Taco Hut experience are also very welcome.&nbsp;

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1711985315592.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — According to a social media post on Wednesday from Tyler Davis, Taco Hut will not be open again until next week."The City has requested that we implement a few things before we open up to the public again," Davis said. "Changing ownership always comes with some new inspections and new regulations. So, there are a couple of things I have to get nailed down in the building. Nothing major, and only things that will make the place overall a safer building for everyone."The first official day for the re-opening will be next Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. "Don't expect to see major changes," Davis added. "Rather, it will be your regular ol' Taco Hut, just with a few new people slinging the tacos."Davis said they are actively hiring for both days and evenings. Pay starts at $12/hr, but will consider higher pay for qualified candidates. Looking for one full time person and several part timers. People with previous Taco Hut experience are also very welcome.&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Taco Hut transition delays reopening

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Tyler Davis from Bogey's announced a new venture for his business on social media on Monday.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1711985315592.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Tyler Davis from Bogey's announced a new venture for his business on social media on Monday.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fbogeysofhutch%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0f7xroXbMrPmX4xXEwhwzEppYqTpRFS6DpuFyGSwkV5ZSonSRgC3aq9uZxqMFrw1Jl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="698" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Taco Hut has new owners

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — March's Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month is Randa Nickel, she is a pre-school teacher at South Hutchinson Elementary School with USD 309.

"Teachers get into teaching because they love children," Nickel said. "I taught kindergarten for ten years, then I was a stay at home mom for seven. Now, I'm back in the classroom again. I've been in preschool now for five years. I absolutely adore my job."

She sees the thought of getting ABCs and 123s into little kids as happening even more often than it did before she came back to the classroom.

"The state has really pushed us in a direction of academics earlier with kids," Nickel said. "I don't know that that's necessarily developmentally appropriate. There are a lot of things that I felt like, when I first started teaching kindergarten, that they are expecting preschoolers to know now. Some of that is just introduction."

Like many teachers of Pre-K and lower elementary grades, Nickel has to keep the kids in motion to keep their attention.

"We do a lot of movement," Nickel said. "We switch activities very frequently. We start our morning off by a morning story. Then, as soon as we're done with our story, we stand up and we do three wiggle songs, is what we call them, to get our wiggles out for the day, so that we are ready to sit and listen and learn. We don't do a lot of sitting. We do a lot of moving and playing. We do a lot of play based learning, where they are playing with a purpose. They don't realize that they are learning something while they are playing, but they are."

Nickel's class received pizza from Pizza Hut and ice cream from Braum's as recognition of her award.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711191843429.jpeg" alt="Randa Nickel is pictured with her class and with Ashley Weve with EAGLE Media and Cris Schul with Allen Samuels CDJR." />
 <figcaption>Randa Nickel is pictured with her class and with Ashley Weve with EAGLE Media and Cris Schul with Allen Samuels CDJR.</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — March's Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month is Randa Nickel, she is a pre-school teacher at South Hutchinson Elementary School with USD 309."Teachers get into teaching because they love children," Nickel said. "I taught kindergarten for ten years, then I was a stay at home mom for seven. Now, I'm back in the classroom again. I've been in preschool now for five years. I absolutely adore my job."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711192014243.jpeg" alt="The students received an ice cream and pizza party thanks to Randa Nickel winning the Teacher of the Month. The pizza is from Pizza Hut and the ice cream is from Braums." />
 <figcaption>The students received an ice cream and pizza party thanks to Randa Nickel winning the Teacher of the Month. The pizza is from Pizza Hut and the ice cream is from Braums.</figcaption>
 </figure>She sees the thought of getting ABCs and 123s into little kids as happening even more often than it did before she came back to the classroom."The state has really pushed us in a direction of academics earlier with kids," Nickel said. "I don't know that that's necessarily developmentally appropriate. There are a lot of things that I felt like, when I first started teaching kindergarten, that they are expecting preschoolers to know now. Some of that is just introduction."Like many teachers of Pre-K and lower elementary grades, Nickel has to keep the kids in motion to keep their attention."We do a lot of movement," Nickel said. "We switch activities very frequently. We start our morning off by a morning story. Then, as soon as we're done with our story, we stand up and we do three wiggle songs, is what we call them, to get our wiggles out for the day, so that we are ready to sit and listen and learn. We don't do a lot of sitting. We do a lot of moving and playing. We do a lot of play based learning, where they are playing with a purpose. They don't realize that they are learning something while they are playing, but they are."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711192099155.jpeg" alt="Randa Nickel's class is ready for their party on Friday, March 23." />
 <figcaption>Randa Nickel's class is ready for their party on Friday, March 23.</figcaption>
 </figure>Nickel's class received pizza from Pizza Hut and ice cream from Braum's as recognition of her award.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Teacher of the month: Nickel adores her job

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Morgan Kappenman, third grade teacher at Wiley Elementary, is February's Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month. For Kappenman, this is her first year teaching third grade.

&nbsp;"I've kind of been everywhere, but specifically about third grade, I like how independent they are," Kappenman said. "Still, they are young enough where they love to come to school and they love to build those relationships and they are excited about new things. They are also right at that age where they are excited about all those leadership opportunities that we have to offer here at Wiley."

The transition into 'big kids' is key for Wiley third graders.

"The most rewarding thing about third grade is just seeing how much growth, because they go from second grade, third grade is a new hallway, so we're kind of like the upper grade hallway," Kappenman said. "It's fun to see them go from feeling like, so young, to like that huge step, that huge growth, when they get to third grade. That's a lot of fun. That's the most rewarding part."

There are 23 students in Kappenman's class, so that presents some challenges to make sure to teach to each student's abilities and grow them at their best rate.

"Something that we do here at Wiley, we do personalized learning," Kappenman said. "There are not a lot of times that you will see any teacher teaching a whole group. Most of the time, we're doing small groups, to meet those needs of students. You'll see students getting the learning at their own level and not necessarily at another friend's level.&nbsp; That's the hardest thing, but you have to stay extremely organized. You have to have a lot of structure in your room and very clear expectations, to make that possible.

Kappenman's class received a pizza and ice cream party thanks to Pizza Hut and Braums as a result of her award.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709320419957.jpeg" alt="Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month Morgan Kappenman" />
 <figcaption>Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month Morgan Kappenman</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Morgan Kappenman, third grade teacher at Wiley Elementary, is February's Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month. For Kappenman, this is her first year teaching third grade.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709320556691.jpeg" alt="Morgan Kappenman's students received ice cream from Braums on Friday, March 1, as she was named Teacher of the Month by EAGLE Media." />
 <figcaption>Morgan Kappenman's students received ice cream from Braums on Friday, March 1, as she was named Teacher of the Month by EAGLE Media.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;"I've kind of been everywhere, but specifically about third grade, I like how independent they are," Kappenman said. "Still, they are young enough where they love to come to school and they love to build those relationships and they are excited about new things. They are also right at that age where they are excited about all those leadership opportunities that we have to offer here at Wiley."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709320672388.jpeg" alt="Morgan Kappenman's students received pizza from Pizza Hut on Friday, March 1, as she was named Teacher of the Month by EAGLE Media." />
 <figcaption>Morgan Kappenman's students received pizza from Pizza Hut on Friday, March 1, as she was named Teacher of the Month by EAGLE Media.</figcaption>
 </figure>The transition into 'big kids' is key for Wiley third graders."The most rewarding thing about third grade is just seeing how much growth, because they go from second grade, third grade is a new hallway, so we're kind of like the upper grade hallway," Kappenman said. "It's fun to see them go from feeling like, so young, to like that huge step, that huge growth, when they get to third grade. That's a lot of fun. That's the most rewarding part."There are 23 students in Kappenman's class, so that presents some challenges to make sure to teach to each student's abilities and grow them at their best rate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709320745677.jpeg" alt="Morgan Kappenman's 3rd grade class had a pizza and ice cream party, thanks to their teacher being named Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month." />
 <figcaption>Morgan Kappenman's 3rd grade class had a pizza and ice cream party, thanks to their teacher being named Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month.</figcaption>
 </figure>"Something that we do here at Wiley, we do personalized learning," Kappenman said. "There are not a lot of times that you will see any teacher teaching a whole group. Most of the time, we're doing small groups, to meet those needs of students. You'll see students getting the learning at their own level and not necessarily at another friend's level.&nbsp; That's the hardest thing, but you have to stay extremely organized. You have to have a lot of structure in your room and very clear expectations, to make that possible.Kappenman's class received a pizza and ice cream party thanks to Pizza Hut and Braums as a result of her award.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Growth is most rewarding for Kappenman

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — January’s Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month is Diana Harmony. She is a first grade teacher at Union Valley Elementary School.

Harmony has spent the last 10 years at Union Valley.

"When they are young, they still have this love for learning," Harmony said. "They love finding out new things. Even the smallest new thing that they find out is super exciting to them."

Harmony has been in lower elementary her entire time in the Buhler district, doing kindergarten and intensive reading teaching at different times before ending up in first grade in recent years. Harmony said there is a little bit of difference between kindergarten and first grade teaching.

"By first grade, there's more curriculum stuff academically that they need to learn," Harmony said. "They have the social skills a little bit better in place, but we still have to teach that part."

They got a chance to work on some of those social skills as Harmony's class received pizza from Pizza Hut and ice cream from Braums as part of her award.

"The rest of the stuff, the reading and the writing and the math, that, we can get to them, if they have those other social skills and those soft skills already in place," Harmony said.&nbsp;

Harmony was nominated by Gayla Stallknecht, “Diana is very caring and always wants the best for each and everyone of her students!”

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the HutchPost mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily HutchPost email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705750824351.jpeg" alt="January's Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month is Diana Harmony. She is a first grade teacher at Union Valley Elementary." />
 <figcaption>January's Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month is Diana Harmony. She is a first grade teacher at Union Valley Elementary.</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — January’s Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month is Diana Harmony. She is a first grade teacher at Union Valley Elementary School.Harmony has spent the last 10 years at Union Valley.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705751061928.jpeg" alt="Chris Schul from Allen Samuels CDJR and Ashley Weve from Eagle Media present Harmony with her award." />
 <figcaption>Chris Schul from Allen Samuels CDJR and Ashley Weve from Eagle Media present Harmony with her award.</figcaption>
 </figure>"When they are young, they still have this love for learning," Harmony said. "They love finding out new things. Even the smallest new thing that they find out is super exciting to them."Harmony has been in lower elementary her entire time in the Buhler district, doing kindergarten and intensive reading teaching at different times before ending up in first grade in recent years. Harmony said there is a little bit of difference between kindergarten and first grade teaching."By first grade, there's more curriculum stuff academically that they need to learn," Harmony said. "They have the social skills a little bit better in place, but we still have to teach that part."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705750950562.jpeg" alt="Diana Harmony's class enjoys pizza from Pizza Hut as part of her Teacher of the Month award for January." />
 <figcaption>Diana Harmony's class enjoys pizza from Pizza Hut as part of her Teacher of the Month award for January.</figcaption>
 </figure>They got a chance to work on some of those social skills as Harmony's class received pizza from Pizza Hut and ice cream from Braums as part of her award."The rest of the stuff, the reading and the writing and the math, that, we can get to them, if they have those other social skills and those soft skills already in place," Harmony said.&nbsp;Harmony was nominated by Gayla Stallknecht, “Diana is very caring and always wants the best for each and everyone of her students!”<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the HutchPost mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily HutchPost email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Harmony is Teacher of the Month

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — December's Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month is Candy Geiser. She is a preschool teacher at the Early Education Center.

"They're like my own kids," Geiser said. "It's kind of weird, I think, sometimes, but I enjoy working with them. They just need somebody there that's reliable and ready to be there with them. I love playing with my kids and just being there for them and teaching them and watching them grow."

There are daily wins for Geiser as the kids come in to school each day.

"They are amazing," Geiser said. "There's just little times when they transition into the classroom without having that withdrawal from mom or dad and they are happy and they come in and you're like, yes! Because, at this age, it's still kind of hard for them to separate from Mom and Dad and they get a little separation anxiety, so when they walk into the classroom happy and ready to go, that's a win."

It's important that school be fun and a place where they want to be.

"We're focusing a lot on playing and learning with them," Geiser said. "At this age, that's where they really learn is in the play, not just the teaching. I teach preschool kids. We're prepping them to get ready for kindergarten and we're trying to help them just learn all the basics."

Geiser's class received pizza from Pizza Hut and ice cream from Braums as part of her award.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the HutchPost mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily HutchPost email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702468437863.jpeg" alt="December's Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month is Candy Geiser. She is a Preschool teacher at the Early Education Center." />
 <figcaption>December's Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month is Candy Geiser. She is a Preschool teacher at the Early Education Center.</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — December's Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month is Candy Geiser. She is a preschool teacher at the Early Education Center.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702468514020.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"They're like my own kids," Geiser said. "It's kind of weird, I think, sometimes, but I enjoy working with them. They just need somebody there that's reliable and ready to be there with them. I love playing with my kids and just being there for them and teaching them and watching them grow."There are daily wins for Geiser as the kids come in to school each day."They are amazing," Geiser said. "There's just little times when they transition into the classroom without having that withdrawal from mom or dad and they are happy and they come in and you're like, yes! Because, at this age, it's still kind of hard for them to separate from Mom and Dad and they get a little separation anxiety, so when they walk into the classroom happy and ready to go, that's a win."It's important that school be fun and a place where they want to be."We're focusing a lot on playing and learning with them," Geiser said. "At this age, that's where they really learn is in the play, not just the teaching. I teach preschool kids. We're prepping them to get ready for kindergarten and we're trying to help them just learn all the basics."Geiser's class received pizza from Pizza Hut and ice cream from Braums as part of her award.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702468569541.jpeg" alt="Candy Geiser's class enjoys their pizza and ice cream from Pizza Hut and Braums." />
 <figcaption>Candy Geiser's class enjoys their pizza and ice cream from Pizza Hut and Braums.</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the HutchPost mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily HutchPost email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Teacher of the Month: Daily wins make it worthwhile

Elizabeth (Beth) Ann Francis Schroeder was born in Wichita, KS on December 27th, 1961, to parents Carol and Eugene Schroeder. She was the youngest of four children, having three older siblings, Tim, Patrice, and Jo Lynn.

She was raised under the signature Pizza Hut Red Roof, starting from napping in booths as a child, to young teen waitress, to young adult serving tables in the Pear Tree Restaurant and Peppy Partridge Club, to keeping books in the Pizza Co. office on and off until the franchise sold many years later.

A lifelong lover of Rock n’ Roll music, nice cars, and a good smoke, she attended school at Hutchinson Community College to receive her Associate Arts Degree in Broadcasting. While going to college and working at KSKU radio in Hutchinson, she met her future husband and lifemate Bruce Chalmers. They married July 22nd, 1982, and created a family with three children - Abbey Jo, Brandell Eugene, and Carolann Patricia. The whirlwind early years led Beth and Bruce to start their own radio station, KQNS 95.5 “The Rock'', which won an award for KAKE 10 Best Kansas Company 1996.&nbsp; Through the buzz of her blossoming life, she was a loving wife, mother, leader, daughter, sister, and friend to all.&nbsp; She kept an open door to all children her kids brought home, offering a meal and a warm place to rest if needed.

As her children grew, she became a grandmother to three - Sylas Dean, Isla Ellice, and Cohen Michael. She loved being the fun grandma that let them have a soda or happy meal and stay up late. She could be talked into a water slide or lacing up a pair of roller skates because she loved to fill hearts with happy memories, even if she needed a chiropractor after.&nbsp; In her later years, she opened her heart even more and became a caretaker to aging and ailing loved ones on multiple occasions, even quitting work to move in with her mom and care for her after she could no longer live alone.&nbsp;

Beth is preceded in death by both parents Eugene (1988) and Carol (2023), brother Tim (2004), and sister Patsy (2023). She is survived by sister Jo, ex-husband Bruce, children Abbey, Brandell, and Carolann, and grandchildren Sylas, Isla, and Cohen.&nbsp;

A celebration of life will be held at the American Legion in McPherson on her birthday, December 27th, 2023, from 4-7 pm.

Memorial donations can be made to the American Cancer Society in care of Stockham Family Funeral Home, 205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702466801637.jpeg" alt="Elizabeth (Beth) Ann Francis Schroeder" />
 <figcaption>Elizabeth (Beth) Ann Francis Schroeder</figcaption>
 </figure>Elizabeth (Beth) Ann Francis Schroeder was born in Wichita, KS on December 27th, 1961, to parents Carol and Eugene Schroeder. She was the youngest of four children, having three older siblings, Tim, Patrice, and Jo Lynn.She was raised under the signature Pizza Hut Red Roof, starting from napping in booths as a child, to young teen waitress, to young adult serving tables in the Pear Tree Restaurant and Peppy Partridge Club, to keeping books in the Pizza Co. office on and off until the franchise sold many years later.A lifelong lover of Rock n’ Roll music, nice cars, and a good smoke, she attended school at Hutchinson Community College to receive her Associate Arts Degree in Broadcasting. While going to college and working at KSKU radio in Hutchinson, she met her future husband and lifemate Bruce Chalmers. They married July 22nd, 1982, and created a family with three children - Abbey Jo, Brandell Eugene, and Carolann Patricia. The whirlwind early years led Beth and Bruce to start their own radio station, KQNS 95.5 “The Rock'', which won an award for KAKE 10 Best Kansas Company 1996.&nbsp; Through the buzz of her blossoming life, she was a loving wife, mother, leader, daughter, sister, and friend to all.&nbsp; She kept an open door to all children her kids brought home, offering a meal and a warm place to rest if needed.As her children grew, she became a grandmother to three - Sylas Dean, Isla Ellice, and Cohen Michael. She loved being the fun grandma that let them have a soda or happy meal and stay up late. She could be talked into a water slide or lacing up a pair of roller skates because she loved to fill hearts with happy memories, even if she needed a chiropractor after.&nbsp; In her later years, she opened her heart even more and became a caretaker to aging and ailing loved ones on multiple occasions, even quitting work to move in with her mom and care for her after she could no longer live alone.&nbsp;Beth is preceded in death by both parents Eugene (1988) and Carol (2023), brother Tim (2004), and sister Patsy (2023). She is survived by sister Jo, ex-husband Bruce, children Abbey, Brandell, and Carolann, and grandchildren Sylas, Isla, and Cohen.&nbsp;A celebration of life will be held at the American Legion in McPherson on her birthday, December 27th, 2023, from 4-7 pm.Memorial donations can be made to the American Cancer Society in care of Stockham Family Funeral Home, 205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.&nbsp;Personal condolences may be sent to the family at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stockhamfamily.com/" target="_blank">www.stockhamfamily.com</a>.

Elizabeth (Beth) Ann Francis Schroeder Chalmers |1961-2023|

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Lori Tracy, a four-year-old classroom teacher in the Pre-K program at Faris Elementary, is this month's Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month.

"I took a break last year and taught Kindergarten and then came back," Tracy said. "Because I missed it. I missed the little four-year-olds."

Tracy really finds it rewarding to teach the little ones for whom school is still new and still a place they want to be.

"I feel like they are just so naturally motivated to learn," Tracy said. "They just come in with so much energy and we kind of take that energy and we use it to kind of fuel our day in a positive way. I don't think you get that with every age group. I think there's something special about these little ones. They are just so happy to be here and they love you and little things that we do are so special to them."

When you can establish a structure within a classroom, that's when it really starts to be enjoyable, according to Tracy.

"In August, we're just learning how to come to school," Tracy said. "This time of year, we're three months in and they are so solid with our routine and my expectations. This is when it's really fun. It's so much more rewarding, I think, now, because I can see the work that we've done kind of come into play and so I can give two kids an activity to do and they can work together. They can work through it. They can solve problems a little more independently, because we've been working on it the past three months. This is really a fun time of year. They are blossoming."

Craig Johnson nominated Tracy, saying, "It is an honor long overdue."

Tracy's class was treated to a special pizza and ice cream party thanks to Braums and Pizza Hut on Friday, Nov. 17.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700310123965.jpeg" alt="Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month Lori Tracy with EAGLE Media's Ashley Weve." />
 <figcaption>Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month Lori Tracy with EAGLE Media's Ashley Weve.</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Lori Tracy, a four-year-old classroom teacher in the Pre-K program at Faris Elementary, is this month's Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month."I took a break last year and taught Kindergarten and then came back," Tracy said. "Because I missed it. I missed the little four-year-olds."Tracy really finds it rewarding to teach the little ones for whom school is still new and still a place they want to be.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700310217356.jpeg" alt="Lori Tracy's four-year-old class at Faris Elementary" />
 <figcaption>Lori Tracy's four-year-old class at Faris Elementary</figcaption>
 </figure>"I feel like they are just so naturally motivated to learn," Tracy said. "They just come in with so much energy and we kind of take that energy and we use it to kind of fuel our day in a positive way. I don't think you get that with every age group. I think there's something special about these little ones. They are just so happy to be here and they love you and little things that we do are so special to them."When you can establish a structure within a classroom, that's when it really starts to be enjoyable, according to Tracy."In August, we're just learning how to come to school," Tracy said. "This time of year, we're three months in and they are so solid with our routine and my expectations. This is when it's really fun. It's so much more rewarding, I think, now, because I can see the work that we've done kind of come into play and so I can give two kids an activity to do and they can work together. They can work through it. They can solve problems a little more independently, because we've been working on it the past three months. This is really a fun time of year. They are blossoming."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700310285733.jpeg" alt="Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month Lori Tracy works with her four-year-olds on their pizza and ice cream party from Pizza Hut and Braums on Friday, Nov. 17" />
 <figcaption>Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month Lori Tracy works with her four-year-olds on their pizza and ice cream party from Pizza Hut and Braums on Friday, Nov. 17</figcaption>
 </figure>Craig Johnson nominated Tracy, saying, "It is an honor long overdue."Tracy's class was treated to a special pizza and ice cream party thanks to Braums and Pizza Hut on Friday, Nov. 17.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Teacher of the Month: 'Something special' about four-year-olds

<a href="https://goshockers.com/news/2023/10/30/athletics-2024-hall-of-fame-class-announced.aspx">Via GoShockers.com</a>

WICHITA, Kan. — Wichita State announced their latest 2024 Pizza Hut Hall of Fame class of inductees on Monday, and the class includes former Buhler standout golfer Taryn Torgerson.

She golfed for the Wichita State women's golf program from 2014 to 2018 and was the 2018 individual champion in the American Athletic Conference, was the 2016 individual champion in the Missouri Valley Conference and led the team to a 2016 MVC championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.

Torgerson finished her Wichita State career first in tournament titles (6), first in lowest career stroke average (75.55), first in lowest single season stroke average (73.26) and first in lowest 54-hole stroke average (226.64).

Her father Brendan is the boys and girls golf coach at Buhler and coached Taryn during her career at Buhler High School.&nbsp; 

A dinner for the inductees is set for 6 p.m. on Jan. 27 at the Beggs Ballroom on the Wichita State campus, while the induction ceremony is scheduled for halftime of Wichita State's Jan. 28 (2 p.m.) men's basketball game against SMU.

Cost for the dinner is $50 per person, and paid reservations can be made online at goshockers.com or by calling the Shocker Ticket Office at 316/978-FANS or in person at the WSU Ticket Office located on the south side of Charles Koch Arena.

The addition of this year's class brings the total of former coaches and student-athletes in the Hall of Fame to 160, while there are 13 at-large selections.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698749376595.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://goshockers.com/news/2023/10/30/athletics-2024-hall-of-fame-class-announced.aspx">Via GoShockers.com</a>WICHITA, Kan. — Wichita State announced their latest 2024 Pizza Hut Hall of Fame class of inductees on Monday, and the class includes former Buhler standout golfer Taryn Torgerson.She golfed for the Wichita State women's golf program from 2014 to 2018 and was the 2018 individual champion in the American Athletic Conference, was the 2016 individual champion in the Missouri Valley Conference and led the team to a 2016 MVC championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.Torgerson finished her Wichita State career first in tournament titles (6), first in lowest career stroke average (75.55), first in lowest single season stroke average (73.26) and first in lowest 54-hole stroke average (226.64).Her father Brendan is the boys and girls golf coach at Buhler and coached Taryn during her career at Buhler High School.&nbsp; A dinner for the inductees is set for 6 p.m. on Jan. 27 at the Beggs Ballroom on the Wichita State campus, while the induction ceremony is scheduled for halftime of Wichita State's Jan. 28 (2 p.m.) men's basketball game against SMU.Cost for the dinner is $50 per person, and paid reservations can be made online at goshockers.com or by calling the Shocker Ticket Office at 316/978-FANS or in person at the WSU Ticket Office located on the south side of Charles Koch Arena.The addition of this year's class brings the total of former coaches and student-athletes in the Hall of Fame to 160, while there are 13 at-large selections.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⛳ Torgerson to enter WSU Hall

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — For Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month, Morgan Elementary kindergarten teacher Celestia Rich, building the foundation for further learning is important to her.

"You really get the chance to teach them everything that you don't really have to do in second grade or first grade, even," Rich said. "We start at the very basics, like, this is how we sit at the carpet and this is how we listen. I think that was a big adjustment, just starting at the foundation things that they need, so that their first and second grade teacher can take them and use those skills."

There can be a large variance in what kids know when they come to kindergarten.

"You have kids who start out knowing all their letter names and sounds and kids who have never learned how to sit on the carpet before," Rich said. "The first, I would say, nine weeks, I think we're still in it. You are praising those kids who can do it. Those kids that can do it, I usually ask them to help model, like, oh, can you show so and so how to sit nicely at the carpet? I have kids who maybe had a really rough preschool year who came to me and I think, just the routine and the structure and just the explicit modeling of this is how we sit, this is how we listen, this is how we talk to each other, I really think, over and over and over, eventually, it kicks in."

The other thing about kindergarten is that they haven't been to school in a COVID year, except for a handful of three-year old preschoolers that would now be six, so things can go somewhat back to normal for them.

"They don't know what that meant," Rich said. "They didn't know what Zoom school was, or those apps we had to get on. It is kind of refreshing. Kindergarten teachers get that luxury of getting that first wave of kids."

She was nominated by Megan Baughman for her calm and patience in the classroom. Rich is also expecting her first child and says that the kids are excited for her and want to help her where they can.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697794694229.jpeg" alt="Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month Celestia Rich of Morgan Elementary with EAGLE Media's Ashley Weve." />
 <figcaption>Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month Celestia Rich of Morgan Elementary with EAGLE Media's Ashley Weve.</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — For Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month, Morgan Elementary kindergarten teacher Celestia Rich, building the foundation for further learning is important to her."You really get the chance to teach them everything that you don't really have to do in second grade or first grade, even," Rich said. "We start at the very basics, like, this is how we sit at the carpet and this is how we listen. I think that was a big adjustment, just starting at the foundation things that they need, so that their first and second grade teacher can take them and use those skills."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697794856161.jpeg" alt="Celestia Rich's kindergarten class from Morgan Elementary in Hutchinson." />
 <figcaption>Celestia Rich's kindergarten class from Morgan Elementary in Hutchinson.</figcaption>
 </figure>There can be a large variance in what kids know when they come to kindergarten."You have kids who start out knowing all their letter names and sounds and kids who have never learned how to sit on the carpet before," Rich said. "The first, I would say, nine weeks, I think we're still in it. You are praising those kids who can do it. Those kids that can do it, I usually ask them to help model, like, oh, can you show so and so how to sit nicely at the carpet? I have kids who maybe had a really rough preschool year who came to me and I think, just the routine and the structure and just the explicit modeling of this is how we sit, this is how we listen, this is how we talk to each other, I really think, over and over and over, eventually, it kicks in."The other thing about kindergarten is that they haven't been to school in a COVID year, except for a handful of three-year old preschoolers that would now be six, so things can go somewhat back to normal for them."They don't know what that meant," Rich said. "They didn't know what Zoom school was, or those apps we had to get on. It is kind of refreshing. Kindergarten teachers get that luxury of getting that first wave of kids."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697811819801.jpeg" alt="Students in Celestia Rich's class at Morgan Elementary enjoy pizza from Pizza Hut and ice cream from Braums." />
 <figcaption>Students in Celestia Rich's class at Morgan Elementary enjoy pizza from Pizza Hut and ice cream from Braums.</figcaption>
 </figure>She was nominated by Megan Baughman for her calm and patience in the classroom. Rich is also expecting her first child and says that the kids are excited for her and want to help her where they can.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Teacher of the Month: Rich foundation for students is vital

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month for September is Zaelynn Foth, a 4th Grade teacher from Haven Grade School. Foth likes the level she teaches now.

"I feel like I get to see a lot of different personalities and see how they can work together, things like that," Foth said. "I enjoy being able to have real conversations with them. I taught first grade my first year and they are a little older, so I can have more real conversations with them, and I can kind of joke around with them, things like that."

Foth knows that the losses of COVID are still here for her class.

"I feel like there's some growth that needs to be made academically from missing some in person time, as well as relationship building, kind of missing those fundamental years," Foth said. "In 1st and 2nd grade they learn to have conversations with people and interact. Some of those social skills, I would say, sometimes are lacking, because of missing some fundamental time in the classroom."

Like many previous winners, it's seeing that knowledge that you have tried so hard to get kids to pick up come back from them that is the fun part of the job.

"I love being with kids," Foth said. "It's the reason I went into teaching. I enjoy being around them and getting to get to know them more and more every day. I enjoy seeing them learn new things and be excited about learning, not always the case, you know? Not always is math the most exciting thing to learn, but I love to see the light bulb goes off when they learn something, or see the growth they make in what we're doing in class."

Foth's class received a pizza party from Pizza Hut and ice cream from Braum's since she won the teacher of the month.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694807047602.jpeg" alt="Zaelynn Foth is the September Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month." />
 <figcaption>Zaelynn Foth is the September Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month.</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month for September is Zaelynn Foth, a 4th Grade teacher from Haven Grade School. Foth likes the level she teaches now.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694807006395.jpeg" alt="Zaelynn Foth's Fourth Grade Class at Haven Grade School-Photo by Ashley Weve" />
 <figcaption>Zaelynn Foth's Fourth Grade Class at Haven Grade School-Photo by Ashley Weve</figcaption>
 </figure>"I feel like I get to see a lot of different personalities and see how they can work together, things like that," Foth said. "I enjoy being able to have real conversations with them. I taught first grade my first year and they are a little older, so I can have more real conversations with them, and I can kind of joke around with them, things like that."Foth knows that the losses of COVID are still here for her class."I feel like there's some growth that needs to be made academically from missing some in person time, as well as relationship building, kind of missing those fundamental years," Foth said. "In 1st and 2nd grade they learn to have conversations with people and interact. Some of those social skills, I would say, sometimes are lacking, because of missing some fundamental time in the classroom."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694806970611.jpeg" alt="Chris Schul from Allen Samuels CDJR is with students from Zaelynn Foth's class at Haven Grade School-Photo by Ashley Weve" />
 <figcaption>Chris Schul from Allen Samuels CDJR is with students from Zaelynn Foth's class at Haven Grade School-Photo by Ashley Weve</figcaption>
 </figure>Like many previous winners, it's seeing that knowledge that you have tried so hard to get kids to pick up come back from them that is the fun part of the job."I love being with kids," Foth said. "It's the reason I went into teaching. I enjoy being around them and getting to get to know them more and more every day. I enjoy seeing them learn new things and be excited about learning, not always the case, you know? Not always is math the most exciting thing to learn, but I love to see the light bulb goes off when they learn something, or see the growth they make in what we're doing in class."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694806900876.jpeg" alt="Students in Zaelynn Foth's class enjoy ice cream from Braum's-Photo by Ashley Weve" />
 <figcaption>Students in Zaelynn Foth's class enjoy ice cream from Braum's-Photo by Ashley Weve</figcaption>
 </figure>Foth's class received a pizza party from Pizza Hut and ice cream from Braum's since she won the teacher of the month.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Teacher of the Month: For Foth, growth is the reward

<a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=FB&amp;linkID=kansas&amp;shopperContext=&amp;caller=&amp;appCode=">TICKETS</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/football-fan-guide/">FAN GUIDE</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/mobile-ticket-central/">MOBILE TICKETS</a>

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;It’s officially football season as the Kansas Jayhawks kick off their season on Friday, Sept. 1 against Missouri State at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Fans can expect to see&nbsp;the return of popular and some new&nbsp;game day enhancements for the 2023 season.

The Jayhawks play host to seven home games in 2023, including the season opener against Missouri State on Friday, Sept. 1 under the lights at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. The Jayhawks will host Illinois on Friday, Sept. 8, before taking on Big 12 opponents BYU, UCF, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Kansas State throughout the 2023 season.

See below for a breakdown of gameday enhancements for the 2023 Kansas Football season:

Help welcome the Jayhawks back to the Booth by joining us for the Hawk Walk! New for 2023, the Jayhawks will walk down “The Hill” to the locker room two hours and 15 minutes before kickoff. They will be dropped off near the Campanile, with Hawk Walk taking place as they walk down the Hill. Fans can line the walk and greet them as they arrive for the day’s game.

New for 2023, all tickets and parking passes will be accessible via mobile device to increase efficiency. Fans are encouraged to download the Kansas Jayhawks Mobile App and download tickets to their mobile wallet before arriving to the stadium to decrease wait times. For more information on mobile tickets and parking, including step-by-step directions to download your tickets,&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/mobile-ticket-central/">view the mobile tickets guide</a>.

Concessions Happy Hour is back! From 90 minutes to 30 minutes before kickoff, fans can enjoy concessions happy hour – an offer that allows fans to get items like hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, pretzels and beverages (sodas and beer) at a discounted price. The happy hour pricing can be found&nbsp;at these select stands on the lower-level concourse: 4, 6, 21, and 23.

Fans can expect to see some new food options around David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, including new additions Pizza Hut, Uplift Coffee and Biggs BBQ. All concessions are now 100% cash less and take all forms of credit and debit card, including Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Gameday on the Hill Presented by Electric Park

Enjoy the re-imagined Gameday on the Hill before every game during the 2023 home season. You will find entertainment from local cover bands and DJs, and food trucks at the bottom of the Campanile hill.

Gameday on the Hill will feature a fan tailgate that includes open-air and tented seating and socializing areas, TV’s, tailgating games,&nbsp;light snacks and a cash bar. Admission comes with&nbsp;one drink token&nbsp;which you will receive upon check-in. Non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages will be available. For more information,&nbsp;<a href="https://fevogm.com/group/gamedayonthehilltailgate?utm_source=ku&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=fb&amp;utm_term=fb_tailgate_on_hill&amp;utm_content=fbtailgateonhill&amp;elq_cid=371774&amp;RSRC=Email&amp;RDAT=1886&amp;ehash=bc9cc75d1e7d8acabacf50f748e900d1a8c56cdc65f35a6d7012f13396636387">click here.</a>Activities on the Hill begin three hours prior to kickoff. There’s fun for everyone, including an expanded Family Fun Zone including inflatables, tailgating games, kids activities and more on the practice fields.

Students can expect a variety of giveaways and events throughout the 2023 season, including free student tailgates with food and activities for select games (Missouri State, UCF, Kansas State). There will also be student giveaways every game on a first-come, first-served basis, including a student jersey giveaway to the first 2,000 fans against Missouri State on Sept. 1.

Returning from the 2022 season, Kansas Football games will feature a sideline personality to serve as an in-game host to help bring the energy on gamedays.

As the Jayhawks take the field, the team entrance will feature the return of the “Hollow K” formation from the Marching Jayhawks for the team to run through in addition to added pyrotechnics.

Before each home game a former Kansas Jayhawk student-athlete will continue the tradition of raising the gameday flag on the north end of the stadium to honor the program’s history.

Fans can also expect to see a new look around David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, with new branding and signage throughout the stadium.

With Friday night’s kickoff slated for 7 p.m. CT, parking lots will not open to fans until 2 p.m. In addition, beginning mid-afternoon, some campus roads will become one-way thoroughfares to accommodate fan arrival to the game.

With portions of K-10 and 23rd&nbsp;Street undergoing construction, fans are encouraged to arrive early to avoid delays. For more information on directions, parking, the clear bag policy and more, refer to the&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/football-fan-guide/">Kansas Football fan guide</a>.

Fans needing assistance on game day can contact the KU Help line by texting “KUHELP” to 1-866-218-6864.

Fans looking to attend the season opener can purchase single-game tickets in advance to save money and avoid lines on game day. In addition, mini packs and season tickets are available with season tickets starting as low as $195.&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=FB&amp;linkID=kansas&amp;shopperContext=&amp;caller=&amp;appCode=">Tickets can be purchased here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693342469109.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Kansas Athletics<a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=FB&amp;linkID=kansas&amp;shopperContext=&amp;caller=&amp;appCode=">TICKETS</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/football-fan-guide/">FAN GUIDE</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/mobile-ticket-central/">MOBILE TICKETS</a>LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;It’s officially football season as the Kansas Jayhawks kick off their season on Friday, Sept. 1 against Missouri State at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Fans can expect to see&nbsp;the return of popular and some new&nbsp;game day enhancements for the 2023 season.The Jayhawks play host to seven home games in 2023, including the season opener against Missouri State on Friday, Sept. 1 under the lights at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. The Jayhawks will host Illinois on Friday, Sept. 8, before taking on Big 12 opponents BYU, UCF, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Kansas State throughout the 2023 season.See below for a breakdown of gameday enhancements for the 2023 Kansas Football season:New Hawk Walk<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693342580197.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Help welcome the Jayhawks back to the Booth by joining us for the Hawk Walk! New for 2023, the Jayhawks will walk down “The Hill” to the locker room two hours and 15 minutes before kickoff. They will be dropped off near the Campanile, with Hawk Walk taking place as they walk down the Hill. Fans can line the walk and greet them as they arrive for the day’s game.Mobile Tickets and ParkingNew for 2023, all tickets and parking passes will be accessible via mobile device to increase efficiency. Fans are encouraged to download the Kansas Jayhawks Mobile App and download tickets to their mobile wallet before arriving to the stadium to decrease wait times. For more information on mobile tickets and parking, including step-by-step directions to download your tickets,&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/mobile-ticket-central/">view the mobile tickets guide</a>.Concessions Happy HourConcessions Happy Hour is back! From 90 minutes to 30 minutes before kickoff, fans can enjoy concessions happy hour – an offer that allows fans to get items like hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, pretzels and beverages (sodas and beer) at a discounted price. The happy hour pricing can be found&nbsp;at these select stands on the lower-level concourse: 4, 6, 21, and 23.New Concessions OfferingsFans can expect to see some new food options around David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, including new additions Pizza Hut, Uplift Coffee and Biggs BBQ. All concessions are now 100% cash less and take all forms of credit and debit card, including Apple Pay and Google Pay.Gameday on the Hill Presented by Electric ParkEnjoy the re-imagined Gameday on the Hill before every game during the 2023 home season. You will find entertainment from local cover bands and DJs, and food trucks at the bottom of the Campanile hill.Gameday on the Hill will feature a fan tailgate that includes open-air and tented seating and socializing areas, TV’s, tailgating games,&nbsp;light snacks and a cash bar. Admission comes with&nbsp;one drink token&nbsp;which you will receive upon check-in. Non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages will be available. For more information,&nbsp;<a href="https://fevogm.com/group/gamedayonthehilltailgate?utm_source=ku&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=fb&amp;utm_term=fb_tailgate_on_hill&amp;utm_content=fbtailgateonhill&amp;elq_cid=371774&amp;RSRC=Email&amp;RDAT=1886&amp;ehash=bc9cc75d1e7d8acabacf50f748e900d1a8c56cdc65f35a6d7012f13396636387">click here.</a>Activities on the Hill begin three hours prior to kickoff. There’s fun for everyone, including an expanded Family Fun Zone including inflatables, tailgating games, kids activities and more on the practice fields.Student Giveaways and EventsStudents can expect a variety of giveaways and events throughout the 2023 season, including free student tailgates with food and activities for select games (Missouri State, UCF, Kansas State). There will also be student giveaways every game on a first-come, first-served basis, including a student jersey giveaway to the first 2,000 fans against Missouri State on Sept. 1.Live Sideline HostReturning from the 2022 season, Kansas Football games will feature a sideline personality to serve as an in-game host to help bring the energy on gamedays.PyrotechnicsAs the Jayhawks take the field, the team entrance will feature the return of the “Hollow K” formation from the Marching Jayhawks for the team to run through in addition to added pyrotechnics.K Club Flag RaisingBefore each home game a former Kansas Jayhawk student-athlete will continue the tradition of raising the gameday flag on the north end of the stadium to honor the program’s history.Stadium Signage EnhancementsFans can also expect to see a new look around David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, with new branding and signage throughout the stadium.With Friday night’s kickoff slated for 7 p.m. CT, parking lots will not open to fans until 2 p.m. In addition, beginning mid-afternoon, some campus roads will become one-way thoroughfares to accommodate fan arrival to the game.With portions of K-10 and 23rd&nbsp;Street undergoing construction, fans are encouraged to arrive early to avoid delays. For more information on directions, parking, the clear bag policy and more, refer to the&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/football-fan-guide/">Kansas Football fan guide</a>.Fans needing assistance on game day can contact the KU Help line by texting “KUHELP” to 1-866-218-6864.Fans looking to attend the season opener can purchase single-game tickets in advance to save money and avoid lines on game day. In addition, mini packs and season tickets are available with season tickets starting as low as $195.&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=FB&amp;linkID=kansas&amp;shopperContext=&amp;caller=&amp;appCode=">Tickets can be purchased here</a>.

🏈 KU announces gameday enhancements for 2023

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An American soldier facing military disciplinary actions fled across the heavily armed border from South Korea into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/north-korea">North Korea</a>, U.S. officials said Tuesday, becoming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-north-korea-border-entry-4456952c66626ea2d5a04578d4e7bb31">the first American detained in the North in nearly five years</a>.

Two U.S. officials said the soldier detained was Private 2nd Class Travis King, who had just been released from a South Korean prison where he'd been held on assault charges and was facing additional military disciplinary actions in the United States.

King, who's in his early 20s, was escorted to the airport to be returned to Fort Bliss, Texas, but instead of getting on the plane he left and joined a tour of the Korean border village of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/panmunjom">Panmunjom</a>, where he ran across the border, the officials said on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter ahead of a public announcement.

Details about King, including his hometown and what additional charges he faced, were not immediately available. It was also unclear how he managed to leave the airport while he was being escorted.

The American-led U.N. Command said he is believed to be in North Korean custody and the command is working with its North Korean counterparts to resolve the incident. North Korea’s state media didn’t immediately report on the border crossing.

Cases of Americans or South Koreans defecting to North Korea are rare, though more than 30,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea to avoid political oppression and economic difficulties since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

Panmunjom, located inside the 248-kilometer (154-mile) -long Demilitarized Zone, has been jointly overseen by the U.N. Command and North Korea since its creation at the close of the Korean War. Bloodshed and gunfire have occasionally occurred there, but it has also been a venue for numerous talks and is a popular tourist spot.

Known for its blue huts straddling concrete slabs that form&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-north-korea-border-entry-4456952c66626ea2d5a04578d4e7bb31">the demarcation line</a>, Panmunjom draws visitors from both sides who want to see the Cold War’s last frontier. No civilians live at Panmunjom. In the past, North and South Korean soldiers faced off within meters (yards) of each other.

Tours to the southern side of the village reportedly drew around 100,000 visitors a year before the coronavirus pandemic, when South Korea restricted gatherings to slow the spread of COVID-19. The tours resumed fully last year. During a short-lived period of inter-Korean engagement in 2018, Panmunjom was one of the border sites that underwent mine-clearing operations by North and South Korean army engineers as the Koreas vowed to turn the village into a “peace zone” where tourists from both sides could move around with more freedom.

In November 2017,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5deb0391ceac48558036db10c9208bef">North Korean soldiers fired 40 rounds</a>&nbsp;as one of their colleagues raced toward the South. The soldier was hit five times before he was found beneath a pile of leaves on the southern side of Panmunjom. He survived and is now in South Korea.

The most famous incident at Panmunjom happened in August 1976, when two American army officers were killed by ax-wielding North Korean soldiers. The U.S. officers had been sent to trim a 40-foot (12-meter) tree that obstructed the view from a checkpoint. The attack prompted Washington to fly nuclear-capable B-52 bombers toward the DMZ to intimidate North Korea.

Panmunjom also is where the armistice that ended the Korean War was signed. That armistice has yet to be replaced with a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula technically in a state of war. The United States still stations about 28,000 troops in South Korea.

There have been a small number of U.S. soldiers who went to North Korea during the Cold War, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ab3ea3fb4dc84f5e8233afffdec449ab">Charles Jenkins</a>, who deserted his army post in South Korea in 1965 and fled across the DMZ. He appeared in North Korean propaganda films and married a Japanese nursing student who had been abducted from Japan by North Korean agents. He died in Japan in 2017.

But in recent years, some American civilians have been arrested in North Korea after allegedly entering the country from China. They were later convicted of espionage, subversion and other anti-state acts, but were often released after the U.S. sent high-profile missions to secure their freedom.

In May 2018, North Korea released&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4b7802fb42934d18b31c000f4c99c04e">three American detainees</a>&nbsp;-– Kim Dong Chul, Tony Kim and Kim Hak Song -– who returned to the United States on a plane with then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a short-lived period of warm relations between the longtime adversaries. Later in 2018, North Korea said it expelled American Bruce Byron Lowrance. Since his ouster, there have been no reports of other Americans detained in North Korea before Tuesday’s incident.

The 2018 releases came as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was engaged in nuclear diplomacy with then-President Donald Trump. The high-stakes diplomacy collapsed in 2019 amid wrangling over U.S.-led sanctions on North Korea.

Their freedoms were a striking contrast to the fate of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/otto-warmbier-united-states-new-york-ohio-north-korea-ff3163f4d9916e4f8c9cfb74bbfba381">Otto Warmbier</a>, an American university student who died in 2017 days after he was released by North Korea in a coma after 17 months in captivity. Warmbier and other previous American detainees in North Korea were imprisoned over a variety of alleged crimes, including subversion, anti-state activities and spying.

The United States, South Korea and others have accused North Korea of using foreign detainees to wrest diplomatic concessions. Some foreigners have said after their release that their declarations of guilt were coerced while in North Korean custody.

Tuesday's border crossing happened amid high tensions over North Korea's barrage of missile tests since the start of last year. A U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-us-north-korea-nuclear-0c6a71344452d5b12420c13fd66a5a1f">nuclear-armed submarine visited South Korea</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday for the first time in four decades in deterrence against North Korea.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689700325324.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An American soldier facing military disciplinary actions fled across the heavily armed border from South Korea into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/north-korea">North Korea</a>, U.S. officials said Tuesday, becoming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-north-korea-border-entry-4456952c66626ea2d5a04578d4e7bb31">the first American detained in the North in nearly five years</a>.Two U.S. officials said the soldier detained was Private 2nd Class Travis King, who had just been released from a South Korean prison where he'd been held on assault charges and was facing additional military disciplinary actions in the United States.King, who's in his early 20s, was escorted to the airport to be returned to Fort Bliss, Texas, but instead of getting on the plane he left and joined a tour of the Korean border village of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/panmunjom">Panmunjom</a>, where he ran across the border, the officials said on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter ahead of a public announcement.Details about King, including his hometown and what additional charges he faced, were not immediately available. It was also unclear how he managed to leave the airport while he was being escorted.The American-led U.N. Command said he is believed to be in North Korean custody and the command is working with its North Korean counterparts to resolve the incident. North Korea’s state media didn’t immediately report on the border crossing.Cases of Americans or South Koreans defecting to North Korea are rare, though more than 30,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea to avoid political oppression and economic difficulties since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.Panmunjom, located inside the 248-kilometer (154-mile) -long Demilitarized Zone, has been jointly overseen by the U.N. Command and North Korea since its creation at the close of the Korean War. Bloodshed and gunfire have occasionally occurred there, but it has also been a venue for numerous talks and is a popular tourist spot.Known for its blue huts straddling concrete slabs that form&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-north-korea-border-entry-4456952c66626ea2d5a04578d4e7bb31">the demarcation line</a>, Panmunjom draws visitors from both sides who want to see the Cold War’s last frontier. No civilians live at Panmunjom. In the past, North and South Korean soldiers faced off within meters (yards) of each other.Tours to the southern side of the village reportedly drew around 100,000 visitors a year before the coronavirus pandemic, when South Korea restricted gatherings to slow the spread of COVID-19. The tours resumed fully last year. During a short-lived period of inter-Korean engagement in 2018, Panmunjom was one of the border sites that underwent mine-clearing operations by North and South Korean army engineers as the Koreas vowed to turn the village into a “peace zone” where tourists from both sides could move around with more freedom.In November 2017,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5deb0391ceac48558036db10c9208bef">North Korean soldiers fired 40 rounds</a>&nbsp;as one of their colleagues raced toward the South. The soldier was hit five times before he was found beneath a pile of leaves on the southern side of Panmunjom. He survived and is now in South Korea.The most famous incident at Panmunjom happened in August 1976, when two American army officers were killed by ax-wielding North Korean soldiers. The U.S. officers had been sent to trim a 40-foot (12-meter) tree that obstructed the view from a checkpoint. The attack prompted Washington to fly nuclear-capable B-52 bombers toward the DMZ to intimidate North Korea.Panmunjom also is where the armistice that ended the Korean War was signed. That armistice has yet to be replaced with a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula technically in a state of war. The United States still stations about 28,000 troops in South Korea.There have been a small number of U.S. soldiers who went to North Korea during the Cold War, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ab3ea3fb4dc84f5e8233afffdec449ab">Charles Jenkins</a>, who deserted his army post in South Korea in 1965 and fled across the DMZ. He appeared in North Korean propaganda films and married a Japanese nursing student who had been abducted from Japan by North Korean agents. He died in Japan in 2017.But in recent years, some American civilians have been arrested in North Korea after allegedly entering the country from China. They were later convicted of espionage, subversion and other anti-state acts, but were often released after the U.S. sent high-profile missions to secure their freedom.In May 2018, North Korea released&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4b7802fb42934d18b31c000f4c99c04e">three American detainees</a>&nbsp;-– Kim Dong Chul, Tony Kim and Kim Hak Song -– who returned to the United States on a plane with then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a short-lived period of warm relations between the longtime adversaries. Later in 2018, North Korea said it expelled American Bruce Byron Lowrance. Since his ouster, there have been no reports of other Americans detained in North Korea before Tuesday’s incident.The 2018 releases came as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was engaged in nuclear diplomacy with then-President Donald Trump. The high-stakes diplomacy collapsed in 2019 amid wrangling over U.S.-led sanctions on North Korea.Their freedoms were a striking contrast to the fate of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/otto-warmbier-united-states-new-york-ohio-north-korea-ff3163f4d9916e4f8c9cfb74bbfba381">Otto Warmbier</a>, an American university student who died in 2017 days after he was released by North Korea in a coma after 17 months in captivity. Warmbier and other previous American detainees in North Korea were imprisoned over a variety of alleged crimes, including subversion, anti-state activities and spying.The United States, South Korea and others have accused North Korea of using foreign detainees to wrest diplomatic concessions. Some foreigners have said after their release that their declarations of guilt were coerced while in North Korean custody.Tuesday's border crossing happened amid high tensions over North Korea's barrage of missile tests since the start of last year. A U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-us-north-korea-nuclear-0c6a71344452d5b12420c13fd66a5a1f">nuclear-armed submarine visited South Korea</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday for the first time in four decades in deterrence against North Korea.

Why U.S. soldier crossed into North Korea ‘willfully, without authorization

Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics

#6 Memphis (28-26, 10-14) vs. #3 Wichita State&nbsp;(30-23, 13-10&nbsp;American) Tuesday, May 23&nbsp;| 47 minutes after the conclusion of 3:00&nbsp;pm CT game | Clearwater, Florida&nbsp;(BayCare Ballpark) TV: ESPN+&nbsp;| Radio:&nbsp;KFH 97.5&nbsp;FM/1240&nbsp;AM LHP Luke Ellis (3-3, 4.42) vs. RHP&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/grant-adler/7467">Grant Adler</a>&nbsp;(5-3, 2.41)

SCENE SETTER:&nbsp;Wichita State opens the American Athletic Conference Championship on Tuesday night against Memphis at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida. The Shockers are the number three seed in the bracket, matched with the sixth-seeded Tigers in the opening round. WSU plays the final game of the day on Tuesday, with a first pitch time scheduled for 47 minutes after the conclusion of game three, which starts at 3:00 pm CT. Wichita State is on the same side of the bracket as #2 Houston and #7 Tulane; with a win the Shockers will play one of those two teams on Thursday. The Shockers matched their best finish since joining The American in 2018, earning third place by virtue of a comeback win at UCF on Friday. The Knights won the other two games in the series by a single run, including a walk-off 16-15 victory in the series opener that resumed Friday after just six pitches on Thursday. Wichita State is hunting their first appearance in the NCAA tournament since the 2013 season, a regional bid that was later vacated by the NCAA.

SHOCKER BASEBALL ON THE RADIO AND ESPN PLUS:&nbsp;KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM will once again serve as the radio home for Wichita State baseball broadcasts in 2023. "The Voice of the Shockers" and Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Famer Mike Kennedy will have the call in Clearwater, with&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/staff/denning-gerig/113">Denning Gerig</a>&nbsp;joining the broadcast as color commentator. All games of the tournament will also be streamed live on ESPN+ ($). The championship game will air live on ESPN News. Live audio, in addition to live statistics, will be available for all games at GoShockers.com/listen and ShockerStats.com.&nbsp;

SERIES HISTORY:&nbsp;The Shockers and Tigers have met just 16 times in the all-time series history, with every game taking place after Wichita State joined the American Athletic Conference in 2018. The Shockers hold an 11-5 lead in the series, winning two of three games in Wichita earlier this season. Wichita State rolled to comfortable wins in the first two games by nine and seven runs, respectively, but Memphis bounced back to take the Sunday series finale, 6-3. Projected Tigers starter Luke Ellis went 3.1 innings and allowed two runs in the victory. WSU has won all five series against the Tigers, including a four-game set in Wichita in 2021.

SCOUTING MEMPHIS:&nbsp;The Tigers ended the regular season with a 28-26 overall record, including 10-14 in American Athletic Conference play. Memphis heads to Clearwater on the heels of a series win at Tulane, sandwiching a pair of run-rule wins around a Friday defeat. Even with the outburst against the Green Wave, Memphis still ranks at the bottom of the conference with just 5.4 runs per game largely due to a lack of extra-base power. The Tigers are slugging .420 as a team with just 55 home runs. Third baseman Logan Kohler is the most dangerous name in the lineup, hitting .328 with 12 doubles and 10 home runs. The pitching staff ranks third in the conference with a 5.30 ERA led by a pair of talented lefties; senior starter Dalton Fowler was named the conference's Pitcher of the Year on Monday after leading the league with 104 strikeouts. Junior closer Dalton Kendrick has racked up 12 saves, fifth-most in the country. Memphis is led by first-year head coach Kerrick Jackson, who returned to the collegiate ranks after a stint as president of the MLB Draft League. Jackson was previously the head coach at Southern for three seasons, and has also coached at Emporia State and Coffeyville Community College in Kansas.

BRINGING HOME THE HARDWARE:&nbsp;Wichita State was well-represented on Monday's all-conference honors, leading the league with five First Team selections among nine total honorees. Second baseman&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/brock-rodden/7450">Brock Rodden</a>&nbsp;highlighted the awards, recognized as the AAC's Player of the Year. Tuesday starter&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/grant-adler/7467">Grant Adler</a>&nbsp;was named the conference's Newcomer Pitcher of the Year. That pair was joined on the First Team by outfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/chuck-ingram/7448">Chuck Ingram</a>, right-handed pitcher&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/clark-candiotti/7475">Clark Candiotti</a>&nbsp;and two-way player&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/payton-tolle/7456">Payton Tolle</a>. Lefty reliever&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jace-miner/7449">Jace Miner</a>&nbsp;and outfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/kyte-mcdonald/7459">Kyte McDonald</a>&nbsp;earned spots on the Second Team, while reliever&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/nate-snead/7469">Nate Snead</a>&nbsp;and third baseman&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jack-little/7464">Jack Little</a>&nbsp;were voted All-Conference Freshmen. Interim head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/loren-hibbs/1122">Loren Hibbs</a>&nbsp;was named Coach of the Year, becoming the first Shocker head coach to win the award since Gene Stephenson in 1998.

NINTH INNING MAGIC:&nbsp;Wichita State put together two remarkable ninth inning rallies this past week in Orlando against UCF. In the completion of the suspended series opener, the Shockers entered the ninth trailing 15-8 but scored seven runs to tie the game, highlighted by a two-out grand slam from freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jack-little/7464">Jack Little</a>. UCF went on to win the game 16-15, but the Shockers got revenge with another ninth inning rally later that day. Trailing 7-6 with just three outs left to play with, WSU scored six runs en route to a 12-7 victory. A bases-loaded walk to&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/seth-stroh/7454">Seth Stroh</a>&nbsp;put the Shockers in front, then Little and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/chuck-ingram/7448">Chuck Ingram</a>&nbsp;knocked in two runs apiece to complete the rally.

TOURNEY TRENDS:&nbsp;Over the course of four seasons in the American Athletic Conference, Wichita State has not faired well at the conference tournament. The Shockers best showing came in 2019, when they bested top-seeded East Carolina twice but also lost twice to UConn to finish 2-2. WSU won one game in 2018 and 2021, and lost to Houston and UCF as part of an 0-2 showing last season.

TWO-WAY TALENT:&nbsp;Last week, sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/payton-tolle/7456">Payton Tolle</a>&nbsp;was named one of 12 semifinalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award. The award is named for the former Washington State University standout who achieved success both as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s and was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. As Wichita State's Saturday starter, Tolle has gone 9-2 with a 4.57 ERA in 82.2 innings; offensively, he is hitting .319 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI. Tolle is the lone representative on the list from the American Athletic Conference. ONE-MAN WRECKING CREW:&nbsp;Junior outfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/chuck-ingram/7448">Chuck Ingram</a>&nbsp;has piled up 14 multi-hit games in the last 21 contests, raising his batting average to .366 to finish the regular season with the conference's best average. Ingram's BABIP (batting average on balls in play) is an incredible .517 (78-for-151), including a league-best 19 doubles. The right-handed hitter has almost tripled his walk rate in his junior season to go along with a career-high 16 stolen bases.

RUNNING INTO PROBLEMS:&nbsp;The Shockers do not allow a significant number of stolen base attempts (71 in 53 games, an average of 1.3 per game) but have had difficulties throwing out those runners. WSU has cut down just 10 of 71 baserunners, a caught-stealing rate of 14.1%.

JACE THE ACE:&nbsp;Left-hander&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jace-miner/7449">Jace Miner</a>&nbsp;had his long scoreless inning streak snapped on Friday at UCF, allowing a run after working 20.2 shutout frames. Before giving up the run, Miner struck out a career-high seven batters over 4.0 innings of work, keying a WSU come-from-behind victory. For the season, Miner's ERA stands at 2.03, and the southpaw has held opposing batters to a .156 average (21 hits in 40.0 innings).

PITCHING TURNAROUND:&nbsp;Pitching coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/mike-pelfrey/1119">Mike Pelfrey</a>&nbsp;and interim head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/loren-hibbs/1122">Loren Hibbs</a>&nbsp;have completely revamped the Shocker arms in 2023, trimming nearly a run and a half off the Wichita State ERA as compared to a season ago (5.97 to 4.39). The Shockers enter play on Tuesday 26th in the country in ERA thanks to a pitching staff littered with strike-throwers; WSU ranks 13th nationally in walks per nine innings (3.31) and 9th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.90:1).

EVERYBODY RUNS:&nbsp;With 87 steals as a team, the Shockers are getting baserunning production from up and down the lineup.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/kyte-mcdonald/7459">Kyte McDonald</a>&nbsp;(20),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/chuck-ingram/7448">Chuck Ingram</a>&nbsp;(16),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/brock-rodden/7450">Brock Rodden</a>&nbsp;(12),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/garrett-pennington/7468">Garrett Pennington</a>&nbsp;(11) and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jack-little/7464">Jack Little</a>&nbsp;(10) all have double-digit steals, the first time that five individual Shockers have recorded 10 or more steals in a season since 2008. McDonald became the first Shocker since Daniel Kihle in 2015 to steal 20 bases in a season.

DOUBLE UP:&nbsp;Head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/loren-hibbs/1122">Loren Hibbs</a>&nbsp;made no secret of his desire for the Shockers to hit more doubles in 2023, believing the stat represents a good offensive approach and aggressive baserunning. The Shockers have lived up to that expectation this season, leading the American Athletic Conference and ranking 34th nationally with 118 team two-baggers. WSU has ten players with six or more doubles.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684848447316.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics#6 Memphis (28-26, 10-14) vs. #3 Wichita State&nbsp;(30-23, 13-10&nbsp;American) Tuesday, May 23&nbsp;| 47 minutes after the conclusion of 3:00&nbsp;pm CT game | Clearwater, Florida&nbsp;(BayCare Ballpark) TV: ESPN+&nbsp;| Radio:&nbsp;KFH 97.5&nbsp;FM/1240&nbsp;AM LHP Luke Ellis (3-3, 4.42) vs. RHP&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/grant-adler/7467">Grant Adler</a>&nbsp;(5-3, 2.41)SCENE SETTER:&nbsp;Wichita State opens the American Athletic Conference Championship on Tuesday night against Memphis at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida. The Shockers are the number three seed in the bracket, matched with the sixth-seeded Tigers in the opening round. WSU plays the final game of the day on Tuesday, with a first pitch time scheduled for 47 minutes after the conclusion of game three, which starts at 3:00 pm CT. Wichita State is on the same side of the bracket as #2 Houston and #7 Tulane; with a win the Shockers will play one of those two teams on Thursday. The Shockers matched their best finish since joining The American in 2018, earning third place by virtue of a comeback win at UCF on Friday. The Knights won the other two games in the series by a single run, including a walk-off 16-15 victory in the series opener that resumed Friday after just six pitches on Thursday. Wichita State is hunting their first appearance in the NCAA tournament since the 2013 season, a regional bid that was later vacated by the NCAA.SHOCKER BASEBALL ON THE RADIO AND ESPN PLUS:&nbsp;KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM will once again serve as the radio home for Wichita State baseball broadcasts in 2023. "The Voice of the Shockers" and Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Famer Mike Kennedy will have the call in Clearwater, with&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/staff/denning-gerig/113">Denning Gerig</a>&nbsp;joining the broadcast as color commentator. All games of the tournament will also be streamed live on ESPN+ ($). The championship game will air live on ESPN News. Live audio, in addition to live statistics, will be available for all games at GoShockers.com/listen and ShockerStats.com.&nbsp;SERIES HISTORY:&nbsp;The Shockers and Tigers have met just 16 times in the all-time series history, with every game taking place after Wichita State joined the American Athletic Conference in 2018. The Shockers hold an 11-5 lead in the series, winning two of three games in Wichita earlier this season. Wichita State rolled to comfortable wins in the first two games by nine and seven runs, respectively, but Memphis bounced back to take the Sunday series finale, 6-3. Projected Tigers starter Luke Ellis went 3.1 innings and allowed two runs in the victory. WSU has won all five series against the Tigers, including a four-game set in Wichita in 2021.SCOUTING MEMPHIS:&nbsp;The Tigers ended the regular season with a 28-26 overall record, including 10-14 in American Athletic Conference play. Memphis heads to Clearwater on the heels of a series win at Tulane, sandwiching a pair of run-rule wins around a Friday defeat. Even with the outburst against the Green Wave, Memphis still ranks at the bottom of the conference with just 5.4 runs per game largely due to a lack of extra-base power. The Tigers are slugging .420 as a team with just 55 home runs. Third baseman Logan Kohler is the most dangerous name in the lineup, hitting .328 with 12 doubles and 10 home runs. The pitching staff ranks third in the conference with a 5.30 ERA led by a pair of talented lefties; senior starter Dalton Fowler was named the conference's Pitcher of the Year on Monday after leading the league with 104 strikeouts. Junior closer Dalton Kendrick has racked up 12 saves, fifth-most in the country. Memphis is led by first-year head coach Kerrick Jackson, who returned to the collegiate ranks after a stint as president of the MLB Draft League. Jackson was previously the head coach at Southern for three seasons, and has also coached at Emporia State and Coffeyville Community College in Kansas.BRINGING HOME THE HARDWARE:&nbsp;Wichita State was well-represented on Monday's all-conference honors, leading the league with five First Team selections among nine total honorees. Second baseman&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/brock-rodden/7450">Brock Rodden</a>&nbsp;highlighted the awards, recognized as the AAC's Player of the Year. Tuesday starter&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/grant-adler/7467">Grant Adler</a>&nbsp;was named the conference's Newcomer Pitcher of the Year. That pair was joined on the First Team by outfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/chuck-ingram/7448">Chuck Ingram</a>, right-handed pitcher&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/clark-candiotti/7475">Clark Candiotti</a>&nbsp;and two-way player&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/payton-tolle/7456">Payton Tolle</a>. Lefty reliever&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jace-miner/7449">Jace Miner</a>&nbsp;and outfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/kyte-mcdonald/7459">Kyte McDonald</a>&nbsp;earned spots on the Second Team, while reliever&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/nate-snead/7469">Nate Snead</a>&nbsp;and third baseman&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jack-little/7464">Jack Little</a>&nbsp;were voted All-Conference Freshmen. Interim head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/loren-hibbs/1122">Loren Hibbs</a>&nbsp;was named Coach of the Year, becoming the first Shocker head coach to win the award since Gene Stephenson in 1998.NINTH INNING MAGIC:&nbsp;Wichita State put together two remarkable ninth inning rallies this past week in Orlando against UCF. In the completion of the suspended series opener, the Shockers entered the ninth trailing 15-8 but scored seven runs to tie the game, highlighted by a two-out grand slam from freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jack-little/7464">Jack Little</a>. UCF went on to win the game 16-15, but the Shockers got revenge with another ninth inning rally later that day. Trailing 7-6 with just three outs left to play with, WSU scored six runs en route to a 12-7 victory. A bases-loaded walk to&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/seth-stroh/7454">Seth Stroh</a>&nbsp;put the Shockers in front, then Little and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/chuck-ingram/7448">Chuck Ingram</a>&nbsp;knocked in two runs apiece to complete the rally.TOURNEY TRENDS:&nbsp;Over the course of four seasons in the American Athletic Conference, Wichita State has not faired well at the conference tournament. The Shockers best showing came in 2019, when they bested top-seeded East Carolina twice but also lost twice to UConn to finish 2-2. WSU won one game in 2018 and 2021, and lost to Houston and UCF as part of an 0-2 showing last season.TWO-WAY TALENT:&nbsp;Last week, sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/payton-tolle/7456">Payton Tolle</a>&nbsp;was named one of 12 semifinalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award. The award is named for the former Washington State University standout who achieved success both as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s and was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. As Wichita State's Saturday starter, Tolle has gone 9-2 with a 4.57 ERA in 82.2 innings; offensively, he is hitting .319 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI. Tolle is the lone representative on the list from the American Athletic Conference. ONE-MAN WRECKING CREW:&nbsp;Junior outfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/chuck-ingram/7448">Chuck Ingram</a>&nbsp;has piled up 14 multi-hit games in the last 21 contests, raising his batting average to .366 to finish the regular season with the conference's best average. Ingram's BABIP (batting average on balls in play) is an incredible .517 (78-for-151), including a league-best 19 doubles. The right-handed hitter has almost tripled his walk rate in his junior season to go along with a career-high 16 stolen bases.RUNNING INTO PROBLEMS:&nbsp;The Shockers do not allow a significant number of stolen base attempts (71 in 53 games, an average of 1.3 per game) but have had difficulties throwing out those runners. WSU has cut down just 10 of 71 baserunners, a caught-stealing rate of 14.1%.JACE THE ACE:&nbsp;Left-hander&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jace-miner/7449">Jace Miner</a>&nbsp;had his long scoreless inning streak snapped on Friday at UCF, allowing a run after working 20.2 shutout frames. Before giving up the run, Miner struck out a career-high seven batters over 4.0 innings of work, keying a WSU come-from-behind victory. For the season, Miner's ERA stands at 2.03, and the southpaw has held opposing batters to a .156 average (21 hits in 40.0 innings).PITCHING TURNAROUND:&nbsp;Pitching coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/mike-pelfrey/1119">Mike Pelfrey</a>&nbsp;and interim head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/loren-hibbs/1122">Loren Hibbs</a>&nbsp;have completely revamped the Shocker arms in 2023, trimming nearly a run and a half off the Wichita State ERA as compared to a season ago (5.97 to 4.39). The Shockers enter play on Tuesday 26th in the country in ERA thanks to a pitching staff littered with strike-throwers; WSU ranks 13th nationally in walks per nine innings (3.31) and 9th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.90:1).EVERYBODY RUNS:&nbsp;With 87 steals as a team, the Shockers are getting baserunning production from up and down the lineup.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/kyte-mcdonald/7459">Kyte McDonald</a>&nbsp;(20),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/chuck-ingram/7448">Chuck Ingram</a>&nbsp;(16),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/brock-rodden/7450">Brock Rodden</a>&nbsp;(12),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/garrett-pennington/7468">Garrett Pennington</a>&nbsp;(11) and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jack-little/7464">Jack Little</a>&nbsp;(10) all have double-digit steals, the first time that five individual Shockers have recorded 10 or more steals in a season since 2008. McDonald became the first Shocker since Daniel Kihle in 2015 to steal 20 bases in a season.DOUBLE UP:&nbsp;Head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/loren-hibbs/1122">Loren Hibbs</a>&nbsp;made no secret of his desire for the Shockers to hit more doubles in 2023, believing the stat represents a good offensive approach and aggressive baserunning. The Shockers have lived up to that expectation this season, leading the American Athletic Conference and ranking 34th nationally with 118 team two-baggers. WSU has ten players with six or more doubles.

⚾ Shockers prepare for AAC tournament

KANSAS CITY—&nbsp; A Kansas City&nbsp; man was sentenced in federal court Thursday for the armed robbery of a pizza delivery driver, after a suspect involved in the robbery was killed during a shootout with police officers.

Samuel M. David, 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 12 years and three months in federal prison without parole, according to the United State's Attorney.

On Aug. 4, 2022, David pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence.

His sister and co-defendant, Rochelle E. David, 24, was sentenced in January to 14 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to the same crimes.

Rochelle David placed an order for pizza to a Pizza Hut restaurant on Oct. 19, 2020, in order to lure a Pizza Hut employee to her address to conduct an armed robbery with the assistance of Samuel David and Ennice Ross. When the delivery driver arrived at about 10:18 p.m., Samuel David and Ross confronted him in the parking lot. Ross displayed a firearm in his waistband and Samuel David demanded the driver’s money. Samuel David went through the driver’s pockets, taking a wallet and knife from him. They also took $100 in cash from the driver’s vehicle.

Ross ordered the delivery driver to take them to an ATM to withdraw more money from the driver’s bank account. The driver took them to a gas station, where Samuel David attempted to use the driver’s bank card to withdraw money from an ATM. Samuel David returned to the car and told Ross he wasn’t able to withdraw any money. Samuel David stabbed the driver in the hand with the driver’s knife.

Samuel David ordered the delivery driver to take them to his residence in Gladstone, Mo., where he lived with his parents, while Rochelle David followed in a separate vehicle. Samuel David and Ross accompanied the driver into his residence, where they encountered the driver’s parents. Ross stayed with the driver’s parents while Samuel David walked the driver to his bedroom, where the driver opened a safe that contained approximately $2,000. Samuel David took the safe, and he and Ross left the residence.

On Oct. 23, 2020, police officers were conducting surveillance in the area where the armed robberies occurred in an effort to locate Rochelle David in connection with an unrelated homicide investigation. She was seen leaving the apartment building in a vehicle with Samuel David and Ross. Officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in the area of Admiral and Tracy. Samuel David and another person got out of the vehicle, but Rochelle David and Ross stayed in the vehicle. Rochelle David told Ross that one of the officers who stopped them was the one who recently chased her. Shortly before she got out of the vehicle, she told Ross, “Shoot the one with the red hair first.” Rochelle David then got out of the vehicle, after which Ross opened his door and fired on officers with his gun. The officers returned fire, which resulted in his death.

After being arrested, Rochelle David was questioned about the homicide. She admitted that Ross wanted to kill a homeless person and she was with him when they picked up a homeless man in Kansas City on Oct. 21, 2020. They drove around for a time with the victim, then Ross got out of the vehicle and she saw him shoot the victim.

KANSAS CITY—&nbsp; A Kansas City&nbsp; man was sentenced in federal court Thursday for the armed robbery of a pizza delivery driver, after a suspect involved in the robbery was killed during a shootout with police officers.Samuel M. David, 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 12 years and three months in federal prison without parole, according to the United State's Attorney.On Aug. 4, 2022, David pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence.His sister and co-defendant, Rochelle E. David, 24, was sentenced in January to 14 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to the same crimes.Rochelle David placed an order for pizza to a Pizza Hut restaurant on Oct. 19, 2020, in order to lure a Pizza Hut employee to her address to conduct an armed robbery with the assistance of Samuel David and Ennice Ross. When the delivery driver arrived at about 10:18 p.m., Samuel David and Ross confronted him in the parking lot. Ross displayed a firearm in his waistband and Samuel David demanded the driver’s money. Samuel David went through the driver’s pockets, taking a wallet and knife from him. They also took $100 in cash from the driver’s vehicle.Ross ordered the delivery driver to take them to an ATM to withdraw more money from the driver’s bank account. The driver took them to a gas station, where Samuel David attempted to use the driver’s bank card to withdraw money from an ATM. Samuel David returned to the car and told Ross he wasn’t able to withdraw any money. Samuel David stabbed the driver in the hand with the driver’s knife.Samuel David ordered the delivery driver to take them to his residence in Gladstone, Mo., where he lived with his parents, while Rochelle David followed in a separate vehicle. Samuel David and Ross accompanied the driver into his residence, where they encountered the driver’s parents. Ross stayed with the driver’s parents while Samuel David walked the driver to his bedroom, where the driver opened a safe that contained approximately $2,000. Samuel David took the safe, and he and Ross left the residence.On Oct. 23, 2020, police officers were conducting surveillance in the area where the armed robberies occurred in an effort to locate Rochelle David in connection with an unrelated homicide investigation. She was seen leaving the apartment building in a vehicle with Samuel David and Ross. Officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in the area of Admiral and Tracy. Samuel David and another person got out of the vehicle, but Rochelle David and Ross stayed in the vehicle. Rochelle David told Ross that one of the officers who stopped them was the one who recently chased her. Shortly before she got out of the vehicle, she told Ross, “Shoot the one with the red hair first.” Rochelle David then got out of the vehicle, after which Ross opened his door and fired on officers with his gun. The officers returned fire, which resulted in his death.After being arrested, Rochelle David was questioned about the homicide. She admitted that Ross wanted to kill a homeless person and she was with him when they picked up a homeless man in Kansas City on Oct. 21, 2020. They drove around for a time with the victim, then Ross got out of the vehicle and she saw him shoot the victim.

Brother, sister get prison for robbery of KC pizza delivery driver

#16 Oral Roberts (36-11, 20-1&nbsp;Summit) vs.&nbsp;Wichita State&nbsp;(27-19, 10-7&nbsp;American) Tuesday, May 9&nbsp;| 6:00&nbsp;pm CT | Wichita, Kansas (Eck Stadium) TV: ESPN+&nbsp;| Radio:&nbsp;KFH 97.5&nbsp;FM/1240&nbsp;AM RHP Joshua Caravalho (5-1, 3.67) vs. RHP&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/grant-adler/7467">Grant Adler</a>&nbsp;(4-3, 2.64)

SCENE SETTER:&nbsp;Wichita State returns to the friendly confines of Eck Stadium for the final homestand of the 2023 season, beginning Tuesday night with a midweek matchup against Oral Roberts. The Shockers and Golden Eagles are meeting for the third time this season, with ORU claiming the first two matchups by scores of 6-5 and 5-2. Wichita State is coming off a pair of losses over the weekend in Houston, dropping Friday's contest 5-3 before a late rally on Saturday fell short in a 7-5 defeat. Sunday's series finale was canceled due to rain, meaning that the Shockers are currently alone in third place in the American Athletic Conference standings. WSU trails Houston by two full games and East Carolina by a game and a half due to the canceled series finale against the Cougars. With seven games still to play, WSU has already bested their win total from a season ago when the Shockers went 21-36. Wichita State is hunting their first appearance in the NCAA tournament since the 2013 season, a regional bid that was later vacated by the NCAA.

SHOCKER BASEBALL ON THE RADIO AND ESPN PLUS:&nbsp;KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM will once again serve as the radio home for Wichita State baseball broadcasts in 2023. "The Voice of the Shockers" and Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Famer Mike Kennedy will have the call against Oral Roberts. Tuesday's contest and all other home games this season will also be streamed live on ESPN+ ($). Former Shocker pitcher (1991-94) and Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Famer Shane Dennis will have the call of the action on Tuesday. Live audio, in addition to live statistics, will be available for all games at GoShockers.com/listen and ShockerStats.com.&nbsp;

SERIES HISTORY:&nbsp;Tuesday represents the 73rd all-time meeting between the Shockers and Golden Eagles, with Wichita State holding a 39-33 lead in the series. Oral Roberts has won both games between the two teams this season, a wild 6-5 thriller on March 7 in Wichita and a 5-2 decision on March 21 in Tulsa. In the first meeting, WSU trailed 5-0 into the bottom of the sixth inning before rallying to put the tying and winning runs on base in the ninth. Golden Eagles closer Cade Denton escaped the jam when&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/david-herring/7462">David Herring's</a>&nbsp;deep fly ball was run down in center field by ORU's Jonah Cox. The second matchup was tied 2-2 into the bottom of the sixth, but Oral Roberts scored the eventual winning runs when Blaze Brothers doubled and came all the way around to score on a Wichita State error. This year's schedule is the first time since the 2013 campaign that Wichita State and Oral Roberts will play one another three times in a season. WSU and ORU have also met seven times in NCAA tournament play, with the Golden Eagles holding a 4-3 edge in postseason contests.

SCOUTING ORAL ROBERTS:&nbsp;Oral Roberts enters play on Tuesday as one of the hottest teams in all of college baseball, winners of eight straight games and 26 of their last 29 for an overall record of 36-11. The Golden Eagles are ranked as high as #16 in the national polls (Collegiate Baseball) and have already locked up their 20th Summit League regular season championship with a 20-1 conference record. Only a loss to North Dakota State on April 22 has denied Oral Roberts an unblemished mark in Summit League play. ORU is led by one of the nation's most dynamic players in Jonah Cox, who has recorded a hit in all but one game this season and is currently riding a 31-game hitting streak. Cox leads the country with 85 hits and ranks third nationally with seven triples. Expected starter Joshua Caravalho has limited Wichita State to just one run over 10 innings in two starts this season. The Golden Eagles have the second-best fielding percentage in the nation at .984, committing just 27 errors. Head coach Ryan Folmar is in his 11th season at the helm of the Golden Eagles, boasting a record of 355-221.

DYNAMIC DUO:&nbsp;The potent middle of the order combination of&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/brock-rodden/7450">Brock Rodden</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/garrett-pennington/7468">Garrett Pennington</a>&nbsp;continues to torture opposing pitchers. Both homered in the two-game series at Houston over the weekend, moving into a tie for third place in the American Athletic Conference with 13 home runs apiece. Rodden leads the conference with 53 RBI, while Pennington ranks second with 45. If Pennington can record five RBI over the final seven games of the season, the Shockers will have two players with 50 or more runs batted in for the first time since the 2011 season (Chris O'Brien - 70, Johnny Coy - 59, Preston Springer - 56).

MIDWEEK IMPROVEMENT:&nbsp;Wichita State has gone 5-6 in midweek games this season, notching wins against Kansas State (2x), Oklahoma (2x), and Oklahoma State, . The Shockers went just 3-10 in midweek action a year ago, and did not win a single such contest on the road.

CUTTING DOWN ON THE CHARITY:&nbsp;Shocker pitchers have had occasional issues this season hitting opposing batters, including a stretch of eight games from late March to early April in which WSU hit four batters in a game three times. Recently, however, WSU has dramatically cut down on those free passes; Wichita State hurlers have not hit a batter in the last 91 innings dating back to the game at Kansas State on April 18.

REHAB COMPLETE:&nbsp;One of the bright spots from this past weekend in Houston was the return of left-handed pitcher&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/austin-wallace/7457">Austin Wallace</a>, who made his season debut with a scoreless eighth inning on Saturday. It was the first outing for Wallace in more than 400 days after he injured his arm last spring in a game against Kansas on March 30. The southpaw struck out the first batter he faced on Saturday, then pitched around a two-out single to keep Houston off the board.

SERVING UP MCDONALD:&nbsp;Junior outfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/kyte-mcdonald/7459">Kyte McDonald</a>&nbsp;returned to the lineup on Saturday after missing the last two games due to injury and picked up right where he left off, recording a base hit in his first at-bat. That knock extended his streak of consecutive at-bats reaching base to nine, the longest such streak for a Shocker since Tyler Weber set the school record by reaching base 12 straight times in 2007. McDonald was retired in his final three at-bats, but has still raised his batting average 39 points over the last nine games.

PITCHING TURNAROUND:&nbsp;Pitching coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/mike-pelfrey/1119">Mike Pelfrey</a>&nbsp;and interim head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/loren-hibbs/1122">Loren Hibbs</a>&nbsp;have completely revamped the Shocker arms in 2023, trimming nearly two full runs off the Wichita State era as compared to a season ago (5.97 to 4.17). The Shockers enter play on Tuesday 25th in the country in ERA thanks to a pitching staff littered with strike-throwers; WSU ranks 15th nationally in walks per nine innings (3.35) and 11th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.84:1).

EVERYBODY RUNS:&nbsp;With 71 steals as a team, the Shockers are getting baserunning production from up and down the lineup.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/kyte-mcdonald/7459">Kyte McDonald</a>&nbsp;(16),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/chuck-ingram/7448">Chuck Ingram</a>&nbsp;(11),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jack-little/7464">Jack Little</a>&nbsp;(10) and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/brock-rodden/7450">Brock Rodden</a>&nbsp;(10) all have double-digit steals, the first time that four individual Shockers have recorded 10 or more steals in a season since 2012 (Erik Harbutz, Tanner Dearman, Garrett Bayliff and Taylor Doggett).

DOUBLE UP:&nbsp;Head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/loren-hibbs/1122">Loren Hibbs</a>&nbsp;made no secret of his desire for the Shockers to hit more doubles in 2023, believing the stat represents a good offensive approach and aggressive baserunning. The Shockers have lived up to that expectation this season, leading the American Athletic Conference and ranking 38th nationally with 103 team two-baggers. WSU has nine players with six or more doubles.

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 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics#16 Oral Roberts (36-11, 20-1&nbsp;Summit) vs.&nbsp;Wichita State&nbsp;(27-19, 10-7&nbsp;American) Tuesday, May 9&nbsp;| 6:00&nbsp;pm CT | Wichita, Kansas (Eck Stadium) TV: ESPN+&nbsp;| Radio:&nbsp;KFH 97.5&nbsp;FM/1240&nbsp;AM RHP Joshua Caravalho (5-1, 3.67) vs. RHP&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/grant-adler/7467">Grant Adler</a>&nbsp;(4-3, 2.64)SCENE SETTER:&nbsp;Wichita State returns to the friendly confines of Eck Stadium for the final homestand of the 2023 season, beginning Tuesday night with a midweek matchup against Oral Roberts. The Shockers and Golden Eagles are meeting for the third time this season, with ORU claiming the first two matchups by scores of 6-5 and 5-2. Wichita State is coming off a pair of losses over the weekend in Houston, dropping Friday's contest 5-3 before a late rally on Saturday fell short in a 7-5 defeat. Sunday's series finale was canceled due to rain, meaning that the Shockers are currently alone in third place in the American Athletic Conference standings. WSU trails Houston by two full games and East Carolina by a game and a half due to the canceled series finale against the Cougars. With seven games still to play, WSU has already bested their win total from a season ago when the Shockers went 21-36. Wichita State is hunting their first appearance in the NCAA tournament since the 2013 season, a regional bid that was later vacated by the NCAA.SHOCKER BASEBALL ON THE RADIO AND ESPN PLUS:&nbsp;KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM will once again serve as the radio home for Wichita State baseball broadcasts in 2023. "The Voice of the Shockers" and Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Famer Mike Kennedy will have the call against Oral Roberts. Tuesday's contest and all other home games this season will also be streamed live on ESPN+ ($). Former Shocker pitcher (1991-94) and Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Famer Shane Dennis will have the call of the action on Tuesday. Live audio, in addition to live statistics, will be available for all games at GoShockers.com/listen and ShockerStats.com.&nbsp;SERIES HISTORY:&nbsp;Tuesday represents the 73rd all-time meeting between the Shockers and Golden Eagles, with Wichita State holding a 39-33 lead in the series. Oral Roberts has won both games between the two teams this season, a wild 6-5 thriller on March 7 in Wichita and a 5-2 decision on March 21 in Tulsa. In the first meeting, WSU trailed 5-0 into the bottom of the sixth inning before rallying to put the tying and winning runs on base in the ninth. Golden Eagles closer Cade Denton escaped the jam when&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/david-herring/7462">David Herring's</a>&nbsp;deep fly ball was run down in center field by ORU's Jonah Cox. The second matchup was tied 2-2 into the bottom of the sixth, but Oral Roberts scored the eventual winning runs when Blaze Brothers doubled and came all the way around to score on a Wichita State error. This year's schedule is the first time since the 2013 campaign that Wichita State and Oral Roberts will play one another three times in a season. WSU and ORU have also met seven times in NCAA tournament play, with the Golden Eagles holding a 4-3 edge in postseason contests.SCOUTING ORAL ROBERTS:&nbsp;Oral Roberts enters play on Tuesday as one of the hottest teams in all of college baseball, winners of eight straight games and 26 of their last 29 for an overall record of 36-11. The Golden Eagles are ranked as high as #16 in the national polls (Collegiate Baseball) and have already locked up their 20th Summit League regular season championship with a 20-1 conference record. Only a loss to North Dakota State on April 22 has denied Oral Roberts an unblemished mark in Summit League play. ORU is led by one of the nation's most dynamic players in Jonah Cox, who has recorded a hit in all but one game this season and is currently riding a 31-game hitting streak. Cox leads the country with 85 hits and ranks third nationally with seven triples. Expected starter Joshua Caravalho has limited Wichita State to just one run over 10 innings in two starts this season. The Golden Eagles have the second-best fielding percentage in the nation at .984, committing just 27 errors. Head coach Ryan Folmar is in his 11th season at the helm of the Golden Eagles, boasting a record of 355-221.DYNAMIC DUO:&nbsp;The potent middle of the order combination of&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/brock-rodden/7450">Brock Rodden</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/garrett-pennington/7468">Garrett Pennington</a>&nbsp;continues to torture opposing pitchers. Both homered in the two-game series at Houston over the weekend, moving into a tie for third place in the American Athletic Conference with 13 home runs apiece. Rodden leads the conference with 53 RBI, while Pennington ranks second with 45. If Pennington can record five RBI over the final seven games of the season, the Shockers will have two players with 50 or more runs batted in for the first time since the 2011 season (Chris O'Brien - 70, Johnny Coy - 59, Preston Springer - 56).MIDWEEK IMPROVEMENT:&nbsp;Wichita State has gone 5-6 in midweek games this season, notching wins against Kansas State (2x), Oklahoma (2x), and Oklahoma State, . The Shockers went just 3-10 in midweek action a year ago, and did not win a single such contest on the road.CUTTING DOWN ON THE CHARITY:&nbsp;Shocker pitchers have had occasional issues this season hitting opposing batters, including a stretch of eight games from late March to early April in which WSU hit four batters in a game three times. Recently, however, WSU has dramatically cut down on those free passes; Wichita State hurlers have not hit a batter in the last 91 innings dating back to the game at Kansas State on April 18.REHAB COMPLETE:&nbsp;One of the bright spots from this past weekend in Houston was the return of left-handed pitcher&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/austin-wallace/7457">Austin Wallace</a>, who made his season debut with a scoreless eighth inning on Saturday. It was the first outing for Wallace in more than 400 days after he injured his arm last spring in a game against Kansas on March 30. The southpaw struck out the first batter he faced on Saturday, then pitched around a two-out single to keep Houston off the board.SERVING UP MCDONALD:&nbsp;Junior outfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/kyte-mcdonald/7459">Kyte McDonald</a>&nbsp;returned to the lineup on Saturday after missing the last two games due to injury and picked up right where he left off, recording a base hit in his first at-bat. That knock extended his streak of consecutive at-bats reaching base to nine, the longest such streak for a Shocker since Tyler Weber set the school record by reaching base 12 straight times in 2007. McDonald was retired in his final three at-bats, but has still raised his batting average 39 points over the last nine games.PITCHING TURNAROUND:&nbsp;Pitching coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/mike-pelfrey/1119">Mike Pelfrey</a>&nbsp;and interim head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/loren-hibbs/1122">Loren Hibbs</a>&nbsp;have completely revamped the Shocker arms in 2023, trimming nearly two full runs off the Wichita State era as compared to a season ago (5.97 to 4.17). The Shockers enter play on Tuesday 25th in the country in ERA thanks to a pitching staff littered with strike-throwers; WSU ranks 15th nationally in walks per nine innings (3.35) and 11th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.84:1).EVERYBODY RUNS:&nbsp;With 71 steals as a team, the Shockers are getting baserunning production from up and down the lineup.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/kyte-mcdonald/7459">Kyte McDonald</a>&nbsp;(16),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/chuck-ingram/7448">Chuck Ingram</a>&nbsp;(11),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jack-little/7464">Jack Little</a>&nbsp;(10) and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/brock-rodden/7450">Brock Rodden</a>&nbsp;(10) all have double-digit steals, the first time that four individual Shockers have recorded 10 or more steals in a season since 2012 (Erik Harbutz, Tanner Dearman, Garrett Bayliff and Taylor Doggett).DOUBLE UP:&nbsp;Head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/loren-hibbs/1122">Loren Hibbs</a>&nbsp;made no secret of his desire for the Shockers to hit more doubles in 2023, believing the stat represents a good offensive approach and aggressive baserunning. The Shockers have lived up to that expectation this season, leading the American Athletic Conference and ranking 38th nationally with 103 team two-baggers. WSU has nine players with six or more doubles.

⚾ Shockers host ORU in final midweek matchup

Mary Jane Barton, age 57, passed away on Sunday, April 30, 2023, at her Valley Center residence. She was born October 5, 1965, in Iola, Kansas to Herbert and Lorna (Siefker) Dolen.

Mary Jane graduated from Marmaton Valley High School in 1984. After high school,&nbsp; she attended Allen County Community College where she graduated in 1986 and then finished her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Wichita State University in 1988. She worked at Pepsi and Pizza Hut Corporation while in college. Mary Jane passed her CPA exam in 1991. She worked at Ascension Via Christi for 32 years and was currently a Finance Analytics Manager. She also loved doing taxes and would help people during tax season as time allowed.

On May 26, 1990, she married Roger Barton in Iola, Kansas. Mary Jane and Roger shared almost 33 years together. In the early years of their marriage prior to having children, Mary Jane and Roger spent a lot of time traveling in the U.S. with their goal to visit all 50 states together. Before her passing they had visited 39 states together with the last family vacation in 2021 going to New York and New Jersey.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683296494262.jpeg" alt="Mary Jane Barton.jpg" />
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 </figure>Mary Jane Barton, age 57, passed away on Sunday, April 30, 2023, at her Valley Center residence. She was born October 5, 1965, in Iola, Kansas to Herbert and Lorna (Siefker) Dolen.Mary Jane graduated from Marmaton Valley High School in 1984. After high school,&nbsp; she attended Allen County Community College where she graduated in 1986 and then finished her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Wichita State University in 1988. She worked at Pepsi and Pizza Hut Corporation while in college. Mary Jane passed her CPA exam in 1991. She worked at Ascension Via Christi for 32 years and was currently a Finance Analytics Manager. She also loved doing taxes and would help people during tax season as time allowed.On May 26, 1990, she married Roger Barton in Iola, Kansas. Mary Jane and Roger shared almost 33 years together. In the early years of their marriage prior to having children, Mary Jane and Roger spent a lot of time traveling in the U.S. with their goal to visit all 50 states together. Before her passing they had visited 39 states together with the last family vacation in 2021 going to New York and New Jersey.Mary Jane was a woman of great faith and a member of Central Christian Church in Wichita, KS where she attended and served in the children’s programs such as AWANA and VBS. Her favorite title and one she held dearly to her was being a mother and grandmother. She was a devout mother and ensured she raised her children well and for the Lord in addition to giving them a wonderful childhood. In her spare time, Mary Jane enjoyed cooking, gardening, traveling, and playing games like Yahtzee, Scrabble and Nertz with her family. You could count on Mary Jane eating tomato sandwiches for lunch during the summer and have family game nights regularly. Mary Jane was a highly creative and thoughtful person and would regularly go out of her way to take care and love on those around her. She always found so much joy in bringing happiness to her friends and family.She is survived by her husband Roger; daughter Kayla (Caleb) Claussen; 3 sons Jarrett, Derek, and Isaac Barton; brother Don Dolen; 3 sisters Lorna Ludlum, Dianne Kauth and Donna Stucky. She is also survived by 2 grandchildren Sadie and Sage Claussen.Mary Jane is preceded in death by her parents, Herbert and Lorna Dolen and grandparents, A.W. and Hilda Siefker who raised Mary Jane since she was 4 years old.A private family graveside service was held at the Valley Center Cemetery on Wednesday, May 3rd. A Celebration of Life for Mary Jane will take place on May 26th, 2023, from 2-4 pm at Riverlawn Christian Church in the Fireside Room. The address is 4243 N Meridian Ave, Wichita, KS 67204.In lieu of flowers, memorials or donations may be made directly to Roger Barton to help offset expenses and may be left with Petersen Funeral Home.