Last Thursday, Lana Ross got her 600th softball coaching win. On Saturday, she got arguably her biggest win as head coach at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
Thumped 13-2 at No. 12 ranked Johnson County, Ross’ Blue Devils bounced back with a 5-3 win that kept them right in the thick of the closest Jayhawk Conference in years – if ever.
The split kept JCCC atop the standings at 13-3 while the Blue Devils joined No. 5 Highland, Hesston and Cowley College in a four-team tie for second at 11-5 with Labette another game back at 10-6.
KCKCC (30-14) stays on the road Tuesday at Southwestern Iowa in Creston before resuming conference action Thursday at Labette.
The Blue Devils then close out regular season play next week, as hosts of Crowder College Tuesday and Cowley Thursday at Sophomore Day. All four doubleheaders are scheduled for 2 and 4 p.m.
The Blue Devils got just four hits in the 5-3 win but each one figured in the scoring as they parlayed clutch extra-base hitting by Brittney Beck and Kaylee Arnzen with a standout pitching performance by Mackenzie Pinkerton.
Trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning, the Blue Devils went ahead on a 2-out, 3-run home run by Beck, a sophomore outfielder from Bushton.
Arnzen drew a walk and Alaina Howe singled with two out to set up the homer. KCKCC scored what proved to be the winning runs in the fifth. Hannah Redick led off the inning with a single and Devin Purcell reached second base on a throwing error on a bunt and both runners scored on an Arnzen double to center.
“I told my team it showed your true character after you have a big loss,” Ross said. “It showed tremendous effort and their true character really came through. I am very proud of them.”
Pinkerton (13-7) scattered seven hits in recording her team high 13th win. JCCC took a 1-0 lead on an unearned run in the third inning and then added two runs in the seventh on a leadoff double, strikeout, walk, fly ball and a single before Pinkerton induced a game-ending popup to Britney Smith.
“Pinkerton pitched very well, striking out eight,” Ross said.
The Cavaliers pounded out 14 hits in the 5-inning 13-2 opener. After taking a 2-1 lead in the second, JCCC (17-10) broke the game wide open with a 7-run third inning against Shay Grosstephen (11-5).
The Blue Devils were limited to six hits by Kerrigan Dixon (10-3), who walked one and struck out two. Grosstephen singled and doubled and drove in one run; Redick singled in the other. Britney Smith also had two hits and Purcell one. ,
Commissioner Ann Brandau Murguia has filed for re-election for the 3rd District Commissioner position for the Unified Government of KCK-Wyandotte County. She was last re-elected in 2015.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to represent the people of the 3rd District,” Commissioner Brandau Murguia said in a news release. “I appreciate all the tremendous help and support my constituents have given me over the years. I value the importance of this position to our community, and if re-elected, look forward to working hard to continue our good work and successes.”
Commissioner Murguia was able to secure over 250 3rd District registered voter’s signatures in support of her re-election. She said that a group of 20 campaign volunteers went door to door to get the signatures. Besides the signatures she has been receiving campaign contributions as well.
“I am humbled by the support of the voters in the 3rd District who signed my re-election filing petition. I am very grateful for their help and campaign contributions,” Murguia said.
Commissioner Murguia said her re-election campaign is focused on continuing the surge of economic development that has taken place over her term in office, the emphasis of strong code enforcement on commercial and residential property owners, and the importance of supporting the need for adequate and efficient public safety services — fire and police departments.
She said she is proud of the economic development success and neighborhood revitalization the 3rd District has experienced since she has been in office. Commissioner Murguia mentioned the Rainbow Boulevard corridor in Rosedale with hundreds of millions of dollars in redevelopment, including retail, commercial, residential and partnership with the University of Kansas Hospital and the University of Kansas Medical Center.
“In the 3rd District we have added hundreds of jobs and provided residents with improved retail opportunities and services,” she said. “The Rainbow Boulevard retail-commercial improvements, the Save A Lot grocery and the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market, have been welcomed successes for our district and were long overdue. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Unified Government, local businesses and community involvement, we hope to continue to bring in even more businesses and commercial opportunities.”
Commissioner Murguia highlighted the street and curb improvements that have taken place in the 3rd District. She said again a combination of the Unified Government, local businesses and community involvement were the main reasons for the success of that program. She said that the community appreciates the repairing of the streets and that it has revived neighborhood pride in the community.
“People tend to take better care of their property when they see this kind of investment and improvement to their neighborhoods,” she said. “What also helps is strict and strong code enforcement on those who neglect and create public safety hazards on their property to the detriment of the responsible and hard-working residents who are taking care of their homes and businesses.”
Public safety is also one of Commissioner Murguia’s main priorities. She said that the 3rd District residents have indicated that is one of their most important requests from the Unified Government.
“Timely and efficient police and fire protection are always mentioned at all the neighborhood meetings I attend. I am committed to ensuring the availability and the effectiveness of public safety services to the 3rd District,” she said.
She said she is very grateful and proud of the new public safety facility next to the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market in Argentine that is providing space for the police South Patrol division.
Commissioner Murguia said she is committed to providing quick and timely constituent service. She said it is important for the 3rd District residents to know they have a voice in their local government.
“I first ran so that our community could have a voice in how our Unified Government governed and provided services. I pledge to continue to work hard and try my best for everyone in the 3rd District,” she said.
Commissioner Murguia is the former executive director of the Argentine Neighborhood Development Association. She was also previously employed as the chief operations officer at Community Housing of Wyandotte County. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Ottawa University and a Master of Business Administration from Baker University.
She is presently a member of the Kansas Board of Regents. She is a former recipient of the Humanitarian of the Year award from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for her work with the Latino-Hispanic community. Commissioner Murguia is a graduate of the Leadership Kansas Program and also served on the Wyandotte County Parks Foundation Board, co-chairs the Frontiers Project at KU Medical Center, former member of the Argentine Activities Association and is a member of Our Lady of Unity-St. John the Evangelist church. She also attends, and supports, the local neighborhood associations.
Commissioner Murguia has been a resident of the Argentine neighborhood in Kansas City, Kansas, since 1997. She has three children, Wyatt, Thomas and Isabella.
Two persons have been charged in connection with the murder of Jeff Rogers in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a spokesman for District Attorney Mark Dupree.
Rogers was 25 years old when he died in a violent home invasion on April 9, 2008, near 84th and Tauromee in Kansas City, Kansas.
Charged April 12 with first-degree felony murder in the case was Corey Eugene Mason, 29, Kansas City, Kansas.
Daniel Kidwell, 35, Kansas City, Missouri, was charged last week with second-degree murder in this case.
Mason and Kidwell are being held in the Wyandotte County
Jail. Mason’s bond was set at $500,000 and Kidwell’s is $750,000.
According to past interviews with relatives of Jeff Rogers, Rogers was able to telephone the police and provide a description of his killers before he died. The family said DNA evidence was collected from the scene of the crime. The family worked with Crime Stoppers and also publicized the case nationally in an effort to get leads that would solve the case.
