Kansas Police Chief Resigns Days Before He's Charged with Possessing Child Porn
MARION COUNTY, Kan. (Wichita Eagle) — A Kansas police chief who resigned last week has been charged with 13 counts of possessing child pornography. Joel Justice Womochil was the police chief in Burns, Kansas, until he resigned August 8th. The Wichita Eagle reports he's been charged with 13 felonies. Prosecutors say one of the 13 videos in his possession involved a child under the age of 5. The 38-year-old Womochil, who was arrested this week by El Dorado police, is being held in the Sedgwick County Jail.
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Kansas Schools Grapple with Bus Driver Shortage
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KSHB) — Like other districts, the Blue Valley School District is struggling to find enough bus drivers. Last spring, the district dropped some transportation options for middle and high school students because of the shortage. KSHB TV reports that students who live less than 2.5 miles from school can no longer ride the bus. Last year, the district was short by as many as 18 drivers on many school days. Officials say the district’s transportation company, Durham School Services, has done a good job of hiring and retaining drivers, but has trouble finding enough qualified candidates. The starting pay rate for new drivers is $22 an hour. Durham’s next recruiting event will be held October 13. Classes began Wednesday for Blue Valley students.
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Kansas School District Bans Smartphone App
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A Kansas school district has banned a popular smartphone app, citing privacy concerns. KSNW TV reports that the Buhler school district has banned an app called "Saturn – Time Together." The app has been banned from all devices in the district. Concerns arose after the school district's IT department noticed the app was sharing a lot of information and making it public. The Saturn app does have privacy controls available, but the Buhler district made the decision to not have it used at all in their schools.
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Kansas Governor Still Wants Legalized Medical Marijuana
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KCTV) - This week, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly doubled down on her support for medical marijuana. Kelly wrote in a Tweet that legalizing medical marijuana would boost the economy and provide relief to Kansans suffering with severe illnesses. She also noted that three of the four states surrounding Kansas have some form of legalized marijuana. KCTV reports that lawmakers in the Kansas House passed a medical marijuana bill last session but the proposal failed to get any traction in the Senate. It's unclear whether lawmakers will take up the issue again when they return to the Statehouse in January.
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Lawsuit Could Leave Marion County Taxpayers on the Hook
MARION, Kan. (KNS) —The widely-criticized raid of a small weekly newspaper in Marion County could result in local taxpayers footing the bill for a legal settlement. Legal experts say the search and seizure likely violated the First Amendment rights of the newspaper and its journalists. And they could pursue a federal lawsuit against the city. That could cost the city of Marion - and its residents - hundreds of thousands of dollars, possibly more. Attorneys for the paper say a lawsuit is possible even if police drop the case. First Amendment experts say the search was clearly unconstitutional. Attorney Mark Johnson says the city may promise to make policy changes, but he says a financial legal settlement may be the only way to get the message across. Bernie Rhodes, a lawyer for the newspaper, called the search unconstitutional. He says a federal lawsuit is possible.
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State of Kansas Pays Millions to Wrongfully Convicted Man
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — The state of Kansas will pay an additional $11 million to a Jefferson County man who spent 16 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. The new settlement approved this week brings Floyd Bledsoe’s wrongful conviction compensation close to $20 million. The state had already paid him roughly $1 million. And Jefferson County paid him $7.5 million. Russell Ainsworth, Bledsoe’s attorney, says the new settlement will allow for him to heal and move on with his life. “I think it’s great that the state of Kansas recognizes the enormity of harm that’s caused when someone is wrongly convicted," he said. In 2015, a jury found Bledsoe was wrongfully convicted of a 1999 murder that his brother confessed to committing.
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Kansas and Illinois to Turn Private Hoops Scrimmage into Televised Fundraiser for Maui Wildfire Victims
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas and Illinois will play a televised basketball exhibition October 29 with the proceeds benefitting the Hawaii Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund, the University of Kansas announced Friday.
Wildfires have scorched the island in recent days, killing at least 111, with hundreds more unaccounted for.
“For decades, the Maui Invitation and the city of Lahaina have been very important to college basketball,” KU coach Bill Self said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers go to that entire community as they recover from such a tragic event.”
Self said he and Illinois coach Brad Underwood devised the plan while discussing how they could help those affected by the fires.
The game at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois, will be televised by Big Ten Network.
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Diabetics in Kansas 3rd District Save With Lower Insulin Costs
JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. (KCUR) — Diabetic people in the Kansas 3rd Congressional District saved an average of $620 on insulin in the first year since the federal government approved a new limit. The bill enacted last August caps out-of-pocket insulin costs for Medicare beneficiaries at $35. The top three insulin-making drug companies in the U.S. have pledged to follow suit for those privately insured. Julie Cogley was on the hook for up to $4,200 out of pocket to cover insulin before the law. “I think I actually cried when I found out it had gone through because for six months, I would have had to come up with all that and I definitely couldn't have afforded that," she said. About 17,00 people in the 3rd Congressional District use insulin.
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Prison Bus Crash Causes Multiple Injuries to Topeka Inmates
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Eight inmates and a bus driver were injured in a car accident Thursday while driving back to the prison from an offsite job. Select inmates at the Topeka Correctional Facility are allowed to work for the Russell Stover chocolate company. A bus was taking workers back to the prison from the factory in Iola when the bus crashed into a semi truck. The bus driver was seriously injured and was taken to a Kansas City-area hospital. State officials say eight inmates had bone fractures and are expected to recover. This isn’t the first crash on this route. A bus with inmates also crashed last February. No serious injuries were reported then.
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KDHE: Restaurant in Garnett Probable Site of Bacterial Contamination
GARNETT, Kan. (KSHB) — State health officials are monitoring an outbreak of foodborne illness (campylobacteriosis) likely connected to a restaurant in Anderson County. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is asking anyone who might have visited the Trade Winds Bar and Grill in Garnett from mid-July through August 9 - and who later experienced symptoms of abdominal illness - to contact the state health department. KSHB TV reports that the cause of the infection is usually due to eating raw or undercooked poultry.
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Special Prosecutor Files Formal Complaint Against Douglas County DA
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) — A special prosecutor has filed a formal complaint against Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez. The Lawrence Journal World reports that the complaint alleges Valdez violated multiple rules of professional conduct. The complaint, filed for the Kansas Board for Discipline of Attorneys, claims that Valdez called a judge a liar and a sexist and implied he was racist. The complaint also alleges Valdez sent the judge inappropriate text messages and created an atmosphere in the DA’s office that was so negative and stressful that multiple attorneys in her office resigned. A pre-hearing conference on the complaint is scheduled for September 19 with the formal hearing dates are set for October 12-13. The conference and hearings will be open to the public.
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Purple Pride: Survey Ranks K-State Students Friendliest in the Nation
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KPR) — A survey from The Princeton Review claims Kansas State University students are the friendliest in the nation. According to this year's rankings, K-State is No. 1 in the nation for friendliest students, No. 2 for happiest students and No. 4 for best quality of life. The survey covers various aspects of student life, from academics, amenities, school services, campus culture and extracurricular activities. K-State received 15 Top 10 rankings and two Top 15 rankings in the latest national survey. K-State also ranked high in The Princeton Review's 2023 report of Best Value Colleges. As the main campus home for K-State, Manhattan also received high rankings.
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ACLU: Transgender Kansans Should Be Represented in Hearing over ID Changes
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Transgender Kansans hope to have their interests represented in a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Kris Kobach against the Kansas Department of Revenue. Advocates say their arguments need to be heard before the court issues an official interpretation of the statue. Kobach brought the lawsuit to force the state revenue department to list a person’s “biological sex at birth” on their driver’s license. He says the court should first interpret the statue at issue before considering any constitutional challenges to the law. “We have stated in our briefing and in our oral arguments that we absolutely will be happy to answer their constitutional claims, it's just that procedurally, those should follow the determination of what the statute means," Kobach said.
The ACLU of Kansas represents five transgender Kansans who want to intervene in the case. Sharon Brett, the group's legal director, says Kobach simply doesn’t want the arguments of transgender Kansans to be heard. “Our goal here is to make sure that this piece of litigation, which is going to fundamentally impact the constitutional rights of all transgender Kansans, is not conducted devoid of the voices of the people impacted by it," she said. The ACLU argues the case will affect their constitutional rights and wants their interests to be considered as the lawsuit moves forward. District Court Judge Teresa Watson says she'll release a written decision in the case by the end of the week.
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Common Read Materials Selected for College Freshmen in Kansas
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) — Students starting college at some Kansas universities next week already have their first reading assignment. Common read programs are a tradition for incoming freshmen at several public universities. Kansas State University is encouraging students to read They Called Us Enemy, a graphic memoir by Star Trek actor George Takei about his time in a Japanese internment camp. The University of Kansas has selected Parable of the Sower, by Octavia Butler. And Wichita State students will be reading My Broken Language, a memoir by Puerto Rican playwright Quiara Alegria Hudes. Tara Coleman coordinates the First Book program at K-State. She says the idea is to spark conversation among students and faculty. “Students are successful in college if they have a strong first semester, and that happens in a lot of ways. And one is by having a shared common activity," she said. Universities are planning lectures and other events related to their common books.
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Lawrence Approves CROWN Ordinance to Protect Hairstyles
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) — The Lawrence City Commission has given preliminary approval to a measure that will ban discrimination based on a person’s hairstyle or natural hair texture. The ordinance is based on legislation that has already passed in 23 other states. The commission unanimously approved the measure designed to prohibit race-based discrimination. According to the Lawrence Journal World, the ordinance is based on the Crown Act, or Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. Versions of the act have been passed in nearly half the states but have not gained traction in Kansas. A federal bill was passed in the U.S. House last year but did not make it out of the Senate. Lawrence city commissioners will take a final vote on the measure at a future meeting.
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Kansas City Superfan 'ChiefsAholic' Charged with Stealing Almost $700,000 in Bank Heists
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City Chiefs superfan known as “ChiefsAholic” and familiar for attending games dressed as a wolf in the NFL team's gear has been indicted by a federal grand jury that accuses him of armed robbery and money laundering in a string of bank heists across four states that netted him almost $700,000.
Xaviar Babudar robbed six banks — and tried unsuccessfully three other times — and laundered the proceeds at casinos and sportsbooks, according to the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri. The 19-count indictment handed down Wednesday replaces and supplements a criminal complaint filed against Babudar in May.
Babudar, 29, is scheduled to be arraigned on Friday, said his attorney, Matthew T. Merryman.
“It’s now the fourth quarter of the most important game of Xaviar’s life,” Merryman said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. "And his legal team believes his innocence will ultimately be proven to the public and we are confident that once all of the facts are known that he will be redeemed in the eyes of his supporters, admirers and the Chiefs Kingdom.”
According to the U.S. attorney's office, Babudar robbed banks and credit unions in Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee and Oklahoma and used money to finance his Chiefs fandom. The charges include three counts of armed bank robbery, one count of bank theft, 11 counts of money laundering and four counts of transporting stolen property across state lines.
Babudar was active on social media as “ChiefsAholic” and was well known for attending home and road games dressed in his wolf costume. The indictment says he used some of the robbery loot to bet on the team to win the Super Bowl and for quarterback Patrick Mahomes to win the game’s MVP Award — bets that turned $10,000 into $100,000.
After receiving a check for his winnings, Babudar, who had been charged with robbing a Tulsa credit union and was out on bond, cut his ankle monitor and fled the state, the U.S. attorney said in a news release. He was arrested in California last month and remains in federal custody without bond, the release said.
“The government’s announcement today of its 19-count indictment provides an unfair and unjust portrayal of Xaviar," Merryman said. “The truth is that since 2018 Xaviar Babudar, aka ‘ChiefsAholic’ has entertained, inspired, unified and motivated Kansas Citians, the Chiefs Kingdom and hundreds of millions of football fans around the globe.”
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Kansas Sets Record for Ag Exports in 2022
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has announced record-setting agriculture exports of nearly $5.5 billion. KSNT TV reports that agricultural exports in 2022 reached the highest export total in decades. The top ag export for Kansas was beef, which made up more than $2 billion of the agricultural exports. The second most exported product was cereals and grain, including corn, wheat, and sorghum. Third was oil seed, primarily from soybeans. The governor noted Mexico was the state's largest importer of Kansas goods at $2 billion in 2022. Japan was the second largest importer with more than $780 million and Canada was third with $594 million. Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam met Tuesday with ag officials from Mexico and Canada as part of the annual Tri-National Accord in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
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KU Hopes to Build on Breakthrough Bowl Season Behind Star QB Jalon Daniels
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — There was a point shortly after Kansas had beaten Houston last season, giving the Jayhawks as many wins through three games as they had in any season in more than a decade, when coach Lance Leipold knew that things were going to be different.
There was pride in the program. The Jayhawks were no longer college football's laughingstock.
“Our kids were really proud of wearing a Kansas football shirt around campus and I don't know if they could do that,” Leipold recalled. “That helps your approach each day — self-confidence, and confidence in what you're doing as a program. That's huge.”
They Jayhawks proceeded to win twice more, climbing into the AP Top 25 for the first time since their last winning season in 2008, before an injury to quarterback Jalon Daniels halted their momentum. They lost six late games, but a win over Oklahoma State qualified them for a bowl game, where they lost an entertaining shootout with Arkansas.
Their 6-7 overall record represented perhaps the biggest improvement of any program in the country last season, and such a gargantuan step toward respectability that the previous five head and interim coaches were unable to do it.
The challenge now is to go from respectability to contending in the Big 12.
“Our program is starting to play at a level that it should be at,” said Leipold, the longtime Division III championship-winning coach who is entering his third season at Kansas. “We've made some progress.”
There are plenty of reasons to believe there will be more this season.
Daniels is back and healthy, and his immense value to the program was evident when he was voted the conference's preseason offensive player of the year. Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw return behind him, forming a potent one-two punch at running back, and Wisconsin transfer Logan Brown and California transfer Spencer Lovell should solidify the offensive line.
On defense, safety Kenny Logan anchors a talented secondary, while a slew of veterans and transfers at the first two levels should help the Jayhawks improve on their standing as one of the worst in the Big 12 last season.
“I think we have high expectations of ourselves,” defensive coordinator Brian Borland said. "We are not necessarily satisfied with the results week in and week out over the last couple of years. I think guys are hungry to prove to themselves and hopefully the world that it’s a different year and a different unit. We’ll be able to play up to the level that we need to.”
MORE ABOUT DANIELS
Once buried on the depth chart, Daniels emerged as a star last season, throwing for more than 2,000 yards with 18 touchdowns and four interceptions while running for 419 yards and seven more scores — all despite missing four games to injury.
Daniels also has his top six receivers back from last season, led by potential NFL draft pick Mason Fairchild at tight end.
DEFENSIVE DIFFERENCE-MAKERS
The Jayhawks were respectable against the pass last season but last in the Big 12 against the run, and that led to them being last in points allowed. Devin Phillips has arrived from Colorado State and Gage Keys from Minnesota to shore up defensive tackle, and Utah State transfer Patrick Joyner Jr. and Auburn arrival Dylan Brooks should help on the edge.
SECONDARY STAR
There's a reason that Cobee Bryant was added to the early watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the nation's best defensive back. He was second-team All-Big 12 last season after making 38 tackles, three interceptions, nine pass breakups and a defensive touchdown, all while forcing a fumble and recovering one.
PROGRAM MOMENTUM
The Jayhawks recently revealed new locker rooms and weight rooms as part of a massive investment in the football program. But the biggest change could be a few years down the road. Kansas is working on a project that will completely transform Memorial Stadium, one of the oldest — and most outdated — facilities in major college football.
SCHEDULE STORY
The game against Illinois on Sept. 8 should provide an early measuring stick for the Jayhawks and the conference slate in the new-look Big 12 is a bear. Kansas misses natioinal runner-up TCU, but it has games against No. 11 Texas and No. 20 Oklahoma along with the Sunflower Showdown against No. 16 Kansas State, the defending conference champion. The Jayhawks also face tough newcomers BYU, UCF and Cincinnati this season.
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No. 16 Kansas State Brings Back Plenty of Experience for Its Big 12 Championship Defense
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — High expectations are nothing new to Kansas State coach Chris Klieman, who for five consecutive years was expected to win the FCS national championship at North Dakota State and proceeded to deliver in four of them.
They aren't quite as common for the Wildcats. Just last year, they were picked fifth in what was then a 10-team Big 12, and then stunned just about everyone but themselves by beating College Football Playoff-bound TCU in the conference title game.
So when No. 16 Kansas State was picked to finish second in a league that has expanded to 14 teams with the addition of UCF, Houston, BYU and Cincinnati, it left Klieman recalling his past with the Bison on how to manage those high expectations.
“You don't shy away from it. You talk about it," he said. "Yeah, the target is on our back. There's expectations. But that's why you came to Kansas State, to have high expectations and be the team to beat. That's what we did in the past and it worked. That is what we want to do. We want to keep elevating what we're doing at Kansas State.”
The Wildcats are picked so highly despite losing first-team All-American Deuce Vaughn from the backfield, first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah from the defensive line and two other NFL draft picks from the secondary. And that says a lot about what they have coming back: quarterback Will Howard, their entire offensive line and most of the rest of the defense.
It also says a lot about the guys brought in to fill some of those holes.
Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward could be the No. 1 running back by the season opener Sept. 2 against Southeast Missouri State. Iowa transfer Keagan Johnson could be the top wide receiver. In the secondary, North Dakota State transfer Marques Sigle could join returning Kobe Savage, now recovered from a season-ending injury, to form one of the league's best safety tandems.
“The continuity is huge,” Klieman said, “especially on the offensive side. I think we've barely scratched the surface of what we can do offensively. I saw some innovation and some things in spring ball that they were able to do, and when you have someone like Will that is so smart, I think we can advance some of the things we've done.”
COACHING CONTINUITY
The Wildcats return offensive coordinator Collin Klein and defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman, and the fact that the same voices are calling the plays on both sides of the ball is significant. Klein, who was a Heisman Trophy finalist for the Wildcats as a quarterback, turned down offseason interest from Notre Dame to be its offensive coordinator.
Klanderman scrapped the Wildcats' defensive system before last season, implementing a 3-3-5 scheme that is better designed to stop the proliferation of read-option offenses in the league. The result was the Big 12's third-best scoring defense.
WHERE THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A WAY
Howard had appeared in 14 games over his first two seasons, and that experience paid off when Adrian Martinez was hurt a year ago. He stepped into the starting QB role and never gave it back, guiding the Wildcats to the Big 12 title and the Sugar Bowl.
The senior completed just 59% of his passes, but his 15-to-4 touchdown-to-interception rate over seven games was exceptional.
INJURY OUTLOOK
Right tackle Christian Duffie will miss the start of the year because of an injury sustained over the summer, but the Wildcats have plenty of depth along the offensive line. Carver Willis has taken most of the reps this fall alongside fellow starters Hadley Panzer, KT Leveston, Hayden Gillum and Cooper Beebee, an All-American candidate and potential first-round draft pick.
SECOND CHANCE, FIRST IMPRESSION
There are hopes that Ward and Johnson can produce in the Kansas State offense after both were relegated to part-time use at their previous schools. Ward ran for 628 yards and seven scores for Florida State, despite losing the majority of the carries to Trey Benson, while Johnson's production was hamstrung by a woefully inept Iowa offense.
SCHEDULE SITUATION
The schedule in the new-look Big 12 sets up well for a title defense. The Wildcats miss out on playing No. 20 Oklahoma and newcomers BYU and Cincinnati, which are both stout programs. They have non-conference games against SEMO and Troy to hit their stride, then a trip to former conference rival Missouri on Sept. 16. Big 12 play opens with a long trip to UCF, while games against No. 17 TCU on Oct. 24 and No. 11 Texas on Nov. 4 could decide who plays for the title.
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Chiefs to Play Patrick Mahomes and Other Starters for First Half Against Arizona
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs plan to play Patrick Mahomes and the rest of their starters for the first half of their preseason game in Arizona, where they were last seen walking off the field hoisting their second Lombardi Trophy in four years.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said upon wrapping up training camp at Missouri Western on Thursday that the starters would get the first half and backups would split the second half. That's in line with what Reid has done since the league trimmed the preseason to three games and is designed to help Mahomes and the rest of his guys get ready for the speed of the regular season.
“They have to get ready for the game,” Reid said ahead of Saturday night's game against the Cardinals, “and at the same time, I think it's tough going into the first game — the first regular-season game. It's going to be fast, much faster than you can present in practice. So this is at least another step up from that, another kick up speed-wise to the game.”
Mahomes and the starters played only one series in their preseason opener in New Orleans, putting together a promising drive that ultimately stalled near midfield on a failed fourth-and-short conversion attempt. The second preseason game is closer to a dress rehearsal for their Sept. 7 opener against Detroit, which is why Mahomes will play into the second quarter.
Nevertheless, Reid acknowledged a balancing act between preparing for the season and the risk of injury in a preseason game.
“That's all part of the game," he said.
The Chiefs need look no further than last season's playoffs for proof that injuries can happen suddenly.
Mahomes was twisted to the turf in the divisional round against Jacksonville, sustaining a high ankle sprain that he had to manage the rest of their Super Bowl run; he even aggravated it in the championship win over Philadelphia, limping through most of the second half.
Even if Mahomes doesn't necessarily need the preseason reps, the rest of the Chiefs offense probably does.
They allowed both of their starting offensive tackles to leave in free agency, and Jawaan Taylor and Donovan Smith are still getting comfortable as the replacements. They also lost veteran wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman, which means the Chiefs could lean heavily on two players yet to take a regular-season snap in Rashee Rice and Justyn Ross.
“I thought those guys got better and better (in camp),” Mahomes said of his wide receivers Thursday. “They learned how to finish and keep that mentality throughout practice. They have a lot of talent but you have to learn how to be consistent every day, and I thought they got better and better at that as they went.”
Mahomes also was pleased with the way Taylor and Smith have worked with perhaps the league's best interior offensive line, anchored by Pro Bowl center Creed Humphrey with guards Joe Thuney and Trey Smith on either side of him.
“The offensive line did a great job throughout camp just battling,” Mahomes said.
Mahomes was asked Thursday how he would feel stepping on the field in Arizona, where the Chiefs rallied to beat the Eagles in February. But in typical fashion, Mahomes preferred to talk about what the Chiefs must do to get back to the Super Bowl, rather than look back on winning his second championship ring.
“We have a lot of stuff we have to continue to work on,” Mahomes said. “I said it after the ring ceremony, ‘That’s it.' We're going to go back and try to get another one.”
In other pre-season notes: Reid said the Chiefs have checked on the playing surface in Arizona, which has a history of problems, and were told that “it's gripping well.” Chiefs DB Trent McDuffie and kicker Harrison Butker were hurt playing their regular-season opener on the same field last season. ... Chiefs DT Chris Jones continued his holdout through the entire portion of camp in St. Joseph, Missouri, getting fined $50,000 for each day he has missed. “When he gets in,” Reid said, “he's going to have to get caught up.” ... CB Nic Jones (hand), WR Nikko Remigio (shoulder), CB L'Jarius Sneed (knee), WR Kadarius Toney (knee), DT Turk Wharton (knee) and OL Nick Allegretti (shoulder) did not participate in practice Thursday.
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This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Tom Parkinson and Kaye McIntyre. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays and updated throughout the day. These ad-free headlines are made possible by KPR members. Become one today. You can also follow KPR News on Twitter.