A near record nine three-point goals by freshman Lane Hartley weren’t enough to prevent Kansas City Kansas Community College from dropping a 96-85 decision at North Arkansas Tuesday night.
Winless in four starts, the Blue Devils are home this weekend for the annual Keith Lindsey Classic. They’ll host Link Year Prep Friday at 8:15 p.m. immediately following the induction of former KCKCC star Dennis Tinnon and the 1996-97 women’s basketball team into the KCKCC Athletic Hall of Fame. On Saturday, the Blue Devils will entertain Livin’ The Dream at 6 p.m.
A 6-2 guard from Chatham, La., Hartley had four three-pointers in the first half and five more in the second half to highlight a 33-point performance that led all scorers. The nine three-pointers were the fifth most by a Blue Devil in a single game. Maurice Lamar twice had 11 treys in a game and he and Jason Jemison each had 10 in a single game.
Kellen Turner making his first start of the season, added 18 points including a trio of three-pointers and freshman Daniel Kingcannon chipped in with 10 points and Jon Murray with nine.
Jaoaunte Sutton had 25 points, Josh Breathitt 21 and Jalen Olds 18 to lead North Ark, which led 49-39 at the half.
In other men’s action in the Lindsey Classic, Highland will play Livin’ The Dream Friday at 4 p.m. and Link Year Prep Saturday at 2 p.m.
A sunny day with a high near 67 is in today’s forecast, according to the National Weather Service.
The wind will be from the southwest today at 8 to 11 mph.
No hazardous weather is in the forecast for the next few days, according to the weather service. A light freeze is possible early Saturday north of the Missouri River, however.
Tonight, expect clear skies and a low of 44, the weather service said. A southwest wind of 5 to 7 mph will become north northeast after midnight.
On Friday, Veterans Day, there will be sunny skies with a high near 58, according to the weather service. A north northeast wind of 7 to 10 mph is likely.
Friday night, there could be patchy frost after 4 a.m., the weather service said. The low will be around 36 with a northeast wind o f6 mph.
Saturday, expect patchy frost before 7 a.m., then it will become a sunny day with a high near 55, according to the weather service. An east wind of 6 mph will become south in the afternoon.
Saturday night, it will be mostly clear with a low of 39, the weather service said.
Sunday, skies will be mostly sunny with a high near 62, according to the weather service. Sunday night, the low will be around 45.
Monday, expect sunny skies with a high of 64, the weather service said.
Three incumbents who were re-elected Tuesday to the Kansas Legislature offered their opinions on the election.
It was a good election for legislative incumbents in Wyandotte County, as there were three contested races with incumbents winning each one.
State Sen. Pat Pettey, D-6th Dist., said she was thankful to the voters who re-elected her. She won with 71 percent of the vote. “I think they sent an overwhelming message that they support my record of the last four years. I feel very blessed to be able to work with and for the residents and constituents of the 6th District for the next four years,” she said. Sen. Pat Pettey
Sen. Pettey said she believes the look and behavior of the state Senate will be “much more moderate” than it has been recently. She added it was a disappointment to her that the number of Democratic senators increased only by one in Tuesday’s election, as there were quality Democratic candidates, including Bill Hutton, who were running.
Some conservative Republicans were defeated in the primary and most were replaced by moderate Republicans, so there will be more collaboration between moderates when the legislative session begins, she believes. They still will be working with a conservative governor, however.
“We still have a huge deficit in our budget, which means more cuts for services, and because of where we’re at, it’s going to be a very long, tough road to make changes,” Sen. Pettey said. “And those changes that are made, we’re not going to see an improvement in the budget structure in a year. It’s taken five years to get where we’re at, and once that type of legislation is in place, it’s not going to be changed overnight.
“I’m optimistic that we’ll be moving in the right direction, but I’m very cautious about where we’re going to be able to move in the next two years with Brownback still as our governor,” she said.
She added she was encouraged by a large number of people who voted this year. She said she was disappointed that Hillary Clinton did not win the presidency, but she is hopeful that President-elect Trump will work to unify the country, as he stated, because the remarks he made during his campaign had been very divisive, especially for anyone who is different.
“I am hopeful he will become the model that he says he will be. It’s the only way we can move ahead after this election,” she said.
Sen. Steve Fitzgerald, R-5th Dist., noted that his election was very close. He won re-election with 13,100 votes to Hutton’s 12,600. The district includes western Wyandotte County and part of Leavenworth County. Sen. Steve Fitzgerald
“I find that the race for this district is always very close,” Sen. Fitzgerald said. “I think my opponent ran a very strong campaign, well planned and well executed, and I very much appreciate the opportunity to meet with a lot of people and explain my views on the subject, and I’m gratified to have their vote. I look forward to the opportunity to represent all the people in the district.”
Sen. Fitzgerald, of Leavenworth, said the liberals and progressives have gained some seats, but they did that in the primary. “I haven’t seen a big change since the primary,” he said.
He said he expects a “very serious” problem with revenue and spending in the upcoming legislative session.
“There is a gap between the revenue and spending, has been for a little bit of a while,” Sen. Fitzgerald said. “I don’t think there’s as much appetite in the upcoming Legislature to tackle the spending problem, and that’s too bad. I think there is a willingness to spend more. The problem is that’s going to be expensive, and if the economy doesn’t rebound quickly, I don’t know where to get the revenue from. But they made a lot of promises and I’m not sure how they’re going to pay for it.”
There is just one party change from the general election in the Senate, and that is in the Wichita area, where a Democrat won election. There now will be 31 Republicans and nine Democrats in the Kansas Senate.
Sen. Fitzgerald said he would continue to push for The Woodlands reopening, and he hopes new leadership in the House and the leadership in the Senate will not try to obstruct it.
He also said the state needs to do better with the resources for services such as the state hospitals, community mental health centers and programs for the mentally ill.
“Too many people with mental health problems are still being served by the police, courts, jails and prisons, rather than by appropriate programs,” he said. “We have to see that addressed.”
State Rep. Kathy Wolfe Moore, D-36th Dist., was re-elected with 67 percent of the vote.
“I couldn’t be happier that it’s over, and I couldn’t be more honored that the voters of Wyandotte County continue to trust me,” Rep. Wolfe Moore said. Rep. Kathy Wolfe Moore
However, she said she was disappointed at the negative tone of the campaign.
“I’ve never really had a negative campaign, we’ve always managed to keep it on a very cordial nonpartisan level,” Rep. Wolfe Moore said. “This was a different type of election. I don’t think just because the national elections have gotten so ugly, that we need to mirror those in Wyandotte County.”
She said people need to move past the partisan bickering.
Rep. Wolfe Moore said with more moderates in the House and Senate, she is hoping the people in the middle will come together and be willing to apply common-sense solutions to the problems in the Statehouse.
“I think the voters spoke and they want a more moderate Legislature, and that’s what we’ve got,” Rep. Wolfe Moore said. She added it was time to put nonsense aside and do what’s right for the communities.
“I think we’re done with extremism,” Rep. Wolfe Moore said.
Other incumbent state legislators in Wyandotte County were re-elected on Tuesday without opposition. They include State Sen. David Haley, D-4th Dist.; Rep. Louis Ruiz, D- 31st Dist.; Rep. Pam Curtis, D-32nd Dist.; Rep. Tom Burroughs, D-33rd Dist.; Rep. Valdenia Winn, D-34th Dist.; Rep. Broderick Henderson, D-35th Dist.; and Rep. Stan Frownfelter, D-37th Dist.
