T-Bones rally, win opener in Sioux Falls

The Kansas City T-Bones trailed 4-0 after the second inning, but rallied to a 7-6 win over Sioux Falls Wednesday night.

The game got off to a rough start for Kansas City, as the Canaries raced out to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings against Kansas City starting pitcher Casey Barnes.

The T-Bones responded however, getting a three-run home run from Jake Blackwood to pull Kansas City within a 4-3 deficit.

Things got a little scary in the bottom of the third inning, when Barnes was struck on his pitching arm. Barnes left the game with the bases loaded and the Canaries held a 5-3 lead.

The T-Bones turned to Josh Tols, one of four separate T-Bones relievers who pitched scoreless outings. Tols got out of the inning, but not before the Canaries held a 6-3 lead. Barnes was charged with six runs, with four being earned.

Tols worked two and two-thirds innings of two-hit baseball with four strikeouts.

The T-Bones rallied with two runs in the fifth inning, and took the lead with two more in the seventh inning. James Boddicker drove in Adam Bailey, as the winning run with a sacrifice fly.

Joe Van Meter (2-3) picked up the win for Kansas City, with one and one-third scoreless innings. Aaron Baker pitched one and two-thirds innings, and Fernando Hernandez notched his 11th save in perfect fashion in the ninth inning.

The T-Bones (33-25) continue the three-game series Thursday night against Sioux Falls (25-38) with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

The T-Bones return home to CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan., on Aug. 5. Tickets are available by calling the box office at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at 913-328-5618.
– Story from T-Bones

Two KCK persons face drug charges

Jose Antonio Nunez-Aguilar, 24, Kansas City, Kan., and Gerardo Rene Garcia-Rodrigues, 39, Kansas City, Kan., have been charged with one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

The crime is alleged to have occurred from January through June 29, 2015, in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

If convicted, they face a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic is prosecuting.

Cerner wins multibillion-dollar contract with Defense Department

by Dan Margolies, Heartland Health Monitor

Kansas City-based Cerner Corp. on Wednesday landed what’s thought to be one of the biggest health information technology contracts ever awarded.

The Washington Post reported that the 10-year contract for the U.S. Defense Department’s Military Health System was worth $4.3 billion. Bloomberg Business said the contract was valued at as much as $9 billion through 2033.

Cerner beat out archrival Epic Systems for the contract, which calls for Cerner and its partners to upgrade health records for 9.5 million people at more than 50 hospitals and hundreds of clinics in the United States and abroad.

A spokeswoman for Cerner, Angela Vogen, said in an email that it would be “inappropriate” for the company to discuss specifics of the contract. She said that the Cerner team “stands ready to lean forward with the DoD to implement a world-class electronic health records system.”

Cerner teamed with Leidos, Accenture Federal Services and Intermountain Healthcare on the bid. The Cerner team was one of six that originally submitted proposals. Earlier this year, the Defense Department narrowed the list to three.

Cerner has about 16,000 employees worldwide and is the fastest-growing company in Kansas City. It has its Cerner Continuous Campus in Kansas City, Kan., near I-70 and I-435. The company posted sales of $3.4 billion last year.

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