GM Idles KCK Plant; Jeep Maker Submits New Contract Offer as UAW Strike Continues
UNDATED (AP) — Detroit carmakers are announcing more layoffs that they blame on fallout from the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike. General Motors has idled its Fairfax assembly plant in Kansas City, Kansas, with 2,000 workers laid off because of a shortage of auto parts to perform their work. The plant that makes their parts, located near St. Louis in Wentzville, is on strike. Stellantis, the maker of Jeep and Chrysler, says it expects to lay off more than 300 workers in Ohio and Indiana. The layoffs are adding to tensions one day before the UAW is expected to call for expanding its strike.
(Additional reporting...)
Auto Workers Idle in KCK as Jeep Maker Stellantis Makes New Contract Offer to UAW
UNDATED (AP) — Detroit carmakers are announcing more layoffs that they blame on fallout from the United Auto Workers strike. General Motors said Wednesday it idled a plant in Kansas City, Kansas, with more than 2,000 workers because they don't have auto parts to work with. The plant that makes those parts is on strike. And Stellantis, the maker of Jeep and Chrysler, says it expects to lay off more than 300 workers in Ohio and Indiana. The layoffs are adding to tension just two days before the UAW is expected to call for expanding its strike, which right now is limited to three vehicle-assembly plants. Stellantis provided a glimmer of hope for a breakthrough by giving the union a new contract proposal. However, a company spokeswoman said the offer primarily covered non-economic issues.
It was not clear whether the Stellantis offer would satisfy union President Shawn Fain, who vows to announce new strike targets on Friday unless there is "serious progress" toward agreements with GM, Stellantis and Ford. So far, UAW workers are striking at just three factories, one for each company. It's a novel approach for the union, which in the past has focused negotiations on one company and limited a 2019 strike to GM. Fain says his approach will keep the companies guessing about UAW's next move.
The three-plant strike has so far had limited impact on the automakers — probably by design, longtime industry observers say. However, if there is little sign of progress in the talks by Friday, Fain could take a more aggressive tack, "and they are going to strike where it hurts," said Daniel Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities. "For Ford, on the pickups — disrupting (production of) F-150s, and strategically striking GM and Stellantis in a way that could substantially impair 30% to 40% of the industry's production." Strikes that target production of popular models like the F-150 or the Dodge Ram would inflict a lot of pain on the carmakers, but the UAW could pack the same punch if it walks out of key engine and transmission plants.
The layoffs that GM and Stellantis announced Wednesday will be in Kansas, Ohio and Indiana. GM said that the UAW strike at its assembly plant near St. Louis caused it to idle a plant in Kansas City, Kansas, with about 2,000 workers because "there is no work available" — the plant depends on parts stamped in the St. Louis-area facility.
GM said it does not expect to restart the Kansas plant until the strike ends, and it won't provide supplemental pay to the workers. The company said the layoffs demonstrated "that nobody wins in a strike."
Stellantis, which makes Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge vehicles, said it expects to lay off more than 300 workers in Ohio and Indiana because "storage constraints" caused by the UAW strike at its assembly plant in Toledo, Ohio.
There has been recent progress between one automaker and a labor union, but it happened in Canada. Ford and Unifor, which represents Canadian auto workers, announced late Tuesday that they reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract just hours before a strike deadline. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. If ratified, it would cover more than 5,000 workers and provide a model for similar deals at GM and Stellantis operations in Canada.
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KCK Trucker Charged in 2 Cold Case Murders
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KC Star) — A cold case detective unit in Kansas City, Kansas, may soon be able to close two homicide cases from decades ago. Authorities say DNA evidence now connects a local man to the murders of two women in the 1990s. The Kansas City Star reports that 52-year-old Gary Dion Davis is charged with two counts of second-degree murder. He's being held in the Wyandotte County jail on $500,000 bond.
During a news conference Wednesday, KCK Police Chief Karl Oakman and District Attorney Attorney Mark Dupree announced the charges against Davis. He was an over-the-road truck driver at the time of the killings. He's charged with murdering Christina King, a 26-year-old mother who was found beaten to death behind an abandoned building on Christmas Day 1996.
Davis is also charged in the fatal stabbing of Pearl Barnes, who also went by Sameemah Musawwir, who was found a month earlier in a vacant house in northeast KCK. Detectives suspect he may be connected to other violent crimes.
Authorities say they also solved two other cold case homicides: that of an infant found in a dumpster in 1976, though the suspect has died, and the 1997 shooting of a teenager, whose alleged killer reportedly confessed while in hospice care at a Kansas prison.
(Additional reporting...)
Kansas Cold Case Detectives Connect Two 1990s Killings to the Same Suspect
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man has been charged with two counts of murder after detectives in a newly formed cold case unit connected him to the deaths of two women nearly three decades ago.
DNA evidence led to the arrest of 52-year-old Gary Dion Davis, Kansas City Police Chief Karl Oakman and Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree said Wednesday. Davis is jailed on a $500,000 bond for two counts of second-degree murder, the Kansas City Star reported.
Davis was a long-haul truck driver in the 1990s. He is accused of killing 26-year-old Christina King, who was found beaten to death behind an abandoned building on Christmas Day in 1996. He also is charged with fatally stabbing Pearl Barnes, whose body was found in a vacant house a month earlier.
Davis does not yet have a listed attorney. Two phone numbers listed for him were no longer in service, and a third had a full mailbox and wasn't accepting messages on Thursday.
The circumstances behind the deaths are still being investigated, but police said they do not believe that Davis knew either of the women. Detectives are trying to determine if Davis could be responsible for other crimes.
The Kansas City Kansas Police Department's cold case unit began operation in January 2022 and consists of three full-time detectives. Oakman said the department has “a lot of unsolved cases” and already had identified suspects in 11 homicide cases.
"So, it may not be today. It may not be tomorrow. In fact, it may not be this year. But there’s gonna be a time,” Oakman said. “You may be in a drive-thru line. You may be at the grocery store. We’re gonna eventually get you.”
Authorities also announced that two other unrelated cases were recently solved.
A 66-year-old inmate was charged in May after he confessed to killing 16-year-old Dion Estell, who was found shot to death in a creek bed in July 1997. The inmate, who was convicted of a 1998 killing and is now in hospice care, confessed to cold case detectives because he wanted closure for Estell's family.
The oldest case cleared involved the death of an hours-old baby girl found in a dumpster behind an apartment complex in November 1976. DNA evidence led detectives to the mother of the child in 2022.
The woman accused her grandmother of taking the baby away shortly after she gave birth. The grandmother, who has since died, was identified as the primary suspect.
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Former KCK Detective Returns to Federal Court Facing Criminal Charges
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS/KCUR) — Former Kansas City, Kansas, Police Detective Roger Golubski was back in federal court in Topeka Wednesday. A year after he was arrested by the FBI, there’s still no date for his criminal trial. Golubski was arrested on September 15th of last year. He’s accused of violating several women’s civil rights by kidnapping and raping them. Federal prosecutors say that trial may not start until next spring. They say there are a 100,000 documents in evidence and possibly dozens of witnesses involved. Golubski also faces a second federal case that accuses him of helping protect a KCK drug dealer’s sex trafficking ring. Meanwhile, Golubski is out on home arrest under electronic monitoring.
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Weekend Cyberattack in Southeast Kansas Disrupts County Jail
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH/KFDI) — A weekend cyberattack in southeast Kansas disrupted operations in the City of Pittsburg. KWCH TV reports that the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office was affected by the attack. Because the sheriff’s office and Pittsburg police share operational systems, the jail’s inmate roster, which is part of those systems, was knocked offline.
KFDI Radio reports that the attack affected the city’s information systems, resulting in a temporary outage that affected city emails, phones and online payments. The city is working with forensic experts to deal with the effects of the attack, but city operations and services are continuing. Public safety services, including 911 dispatching, remain operational. Pittsburg City Manager Daron Hall said it may take several weeks to assess the full impact of the cyberattack.
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Report: Kansas Graduates Fleeing State for Better-Paying Jobs
TOPEKA, Kan. (KMUW/KNS) — Kansas universities are not on track to fill the state’s workforce demands because college graduates are finding higher-paying jobs in surrounding states. A report presented to the Kansas Board of Regents shows that the state needs to produce 34,000 more degrees over the next decade to meet Kansas workforce demands. Donna Ginther is an economist with the Institute for Policy and Social Research. She says engineers in Kansas earn $15,000 a year less than engineers in Texas, even adjusted for the cost of living. “Kansas pays low wages, right? And, you know, if businesses want the best and brightest, you have to pay for it," she said. The report shows more Kansas graduates moving to Texas, Colorado and Missouri. The report says the number of graduates who stay in Kansas would need to increase by 26% to fill workforce demands through 2030.
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Kansas Education Leaders Plan to Deny Accreditation to Private School
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW/KNS) — Kansas education leaders plan to deny accreditation to a Wichita private school run by an advocate for school choice measures. Pastor Wade Moore founded Urban Preparatory Academy in 2014 and lobbied for a law that gives people tax breaks for donating to private schools. A new report says Urban Prep hasn’t met requirements to be accredited through the state because it hasn’t submitted state test scores or other documents. Schools have to be accredited to receive tax-credit scholarships. Moore says the K-8 school will seek accreditation through the Association of Christian Schools International. “It won’t stop us from educating children," he said. "We’ll find other means, we’ll find other ways.” Last school year, more than 1,300 Kansas students received tax-credit scholarships totaling about $4.2 million.
Moore says the denial of accreditation happened because he lobbies for laws that let families use public money to pay for private school. "My organization and my school was leading the way. So, what we’re doing is, we’re seeking accreditation somewhere else. And we’ve already began this journey," he said. Urban Preparatory Academy serves 130 students — almost all of whom receive scholarships from people or businesses who get tax breaks for their donations.
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This Is What It's Like to Maintain the U.S. Nuclear Arsenal
KANSAS CITY NATIONAL SECURITY CAMPUS, Mo. (AP) — The U.S. will spend more than $750 billion over the next decade to revamp nearly every part of its aging nuclear defenses. Officials say they simply can't wait any longer — some systems and parts are more than 50 years old. For now, it's up to young military troops and government technicians across the U.S. to maintain the existing bombs and related components. The jobs are exacting and often require a deft touch. That's because many of the maintenance tasks must be performed by hand. The Associated Press was granted rare access to nuclear missile bases and weapons production facilities to see how technicians keep the arsenal working while starting the government's biggest nuclear overhaul since the Cold War. This is how they do it and who they are:
SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL
Because the U.S. no longer conducts explosive nuclear tests, scientists are not exactly sure how aging warhead plutonium cores affect detonation. For more common parts, like the plastics and metals and wiring inside each detonator, there are also questions about how the years spent in warheads might affect their integrity. So, workers at the nation's nuclear labs and production sites spend a lot of time stressing and testing parts to make sure they're safe. At the Energy Department's Kansas City National Security Campus, where warheads are maintained and made, technicians put components through endless tests. They heat weapons parts to extreme temperatures, drop them at speeds simulating a plane crash, shoot them at high velocity out of testing guns and rattle and shake them for hours on end. The tests are meant to simulate real world scenarios — from hurtling toward a target to being carted in an Air Force truck over a long, rutty road. Technicians at the Los Alamos National Lab conduct similar evaluations, putting plutonium under extreme stress, heat and pressure to ensure it is stable enough to blow up as intended. Just like the technicians in Kansas City, the ones in Los Alamos closely examine the tested parts and radioactive material to see if they caused any damage.
RELYING ON OLD BLUEPRINTS
The lack of explosive tests — banned since the George H.W. Bush administration by an international treaty — has also meant that the scientists have been forced to rely on warhead designs that were created many decades ago. That's because each of those original designs had been certified, and the best way to certify a weapon works as designed is to blow it up. Changing even one component introduces uncertainty. Further complicating matters — because the weapons are so old — many of those original manufacturers and contractors have gone out of business. That has forced the nation's nuclear labs to reverse engineer old parts, such as a peroxide that was used to treat warhead parts, but is no longer in production. So lab technicians are working to reinvent it. Re-engineering parts is getting easier with advances in computer-aided design and 3D printing. Kansas City technicians are experimenting with 3D printers to create some warhead parts, such as a micro-honeycombed, rubbery layer that will serve as a cushion for a warhead radar systems.
THE WORKERS ARE YOUNGER THAN THE WARHEADS
It's not unusual to see a 50-year-old warhead guarded or maintained by someone just out of high school, and ultimate custody of a nuclear weapon can fall on the shoulders of a service member who's just 23. That is what happened on a recent afternoon in Montana at Malmstrom Air Force Base, where Senior Airman Jacob Deas signed a paper assuming responsibility for an almost 3,000-pound Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile warhead, as it was lifted out of the Bravo-9 silo and escorted back to base for work. A sea swell of government retirements has meant that experience level in the civilian nuclear workforce has shifted dramatically. At the Kansas City campus, for example, just about 6% of the workforce has been there 30 years or more — and over 60% has been at the facility for five years or less. That change has meant more women have joined the workforce, too. In the cavernous hallways between Kansas City's secured warhead workrooms are green and white nursing pods with a greeting: "Welcome mothers." At Los Alamos, workers' uniform allowance now covers sports bras. Why? Because underwire bras were not compatible with the secured facilities' many layers of metal detection and radiation monitoring.
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Kansas Domestic Violence Shelters Seeing More Abused Pregnant Women
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW/KNS) — The state’s domestic violence shelters are filling up at the same time extra pandemic aid from the federal government is ending. Domestic violence incidents have remained relatively consistent in Kansas over the past 30 years, but homicides are now increasing. Domestic violence is now recognized as a leading cause of maternal mortality. In fact, homicide claims more pregnant and postpartum Americans than any single pregnancy complication. The Wichita Family Crisis Center moved into a new building earlier this year and tripled its capacity. But executive director Amanda Meyers says it’s still not enough. “We are full of women who have just had babies. It’s a very dangerous time," she said. "The threat of more serious physical harm seems to be higher when the person is pregnant.” The rising demand comes as shelter directors say they’re facing a fiscal crisis: cuts to regular federal funding, plus the end of pandemic era aid. Advocates for domestic violence survivors say more attention needs to be focused on long-term violence prevention strategies. (Read more.)
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Virtual State Job Fair Highlights Hundreds of Open State Agency Positions
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Kansas jobseekers are encouraged to attend the upcoming state agency virtual job fair next week. This month’s virtual fair, hosted by KANSASWORKS, will feature employment opportunities available across the state’s 98 government agencies. Currently, there are more than 700 vacancies across Kansas. The virtual job fair will be held from 8 am to 5 pm Wednesday, September 27. "These are good-paying jobs with great benefits," said Kansas Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland.
Registration is required to participate in the event, regardless of previous participation. The Virtual Job Fair portal features a jobseeker training video, a list of participating employers, and channels for attendees to register and log in. Jobseekers are encouraged to dress professionally, as employers might request to engage in a video interview.
Candidates can participate through any digital device, but it is highly recommended to use a computer to be most effective during the job fairs. If a jobseeker does not have access to a personal computer, they are available at KANSASWORKS offices as well as local libraries throughout the state. Any individual with a disability may request accommodations by contacting their nearest workforce center at (877) 509-6757 prior to the event.
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Amazon Hiring 2,500 in Kansas for Full, Part-Time and Seasonal Jobs
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Amazon is hiring 2,500 people in Kansas. KSNW TV reports that Amazon is looking to fill full-time, part-time, and seasonal roles at its Kansas facilities. Amazon needs 700 people to work in its fulfillment center in Park City and its delivery station in Wichita. The company says there are a variety of open positions, from packing and picking to sorting, shipping, and delivery.
The company plans to hire an additional 250,000 employees nationwide. Amazon employees get health, vision, and dental insurance starting on their first day. In addition, they offer a matching 401(K) retirement plan.
Jobs will be posted soon at amazon.com/apply.
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Overland Park Gymnast Named to USA National Team
UNDATED (KPR) — USA Gymnastics announced last (WED) night that Leanne Wong of Overland Park has been named to the USA team that will travel to Belgium for the upcoming world championships.
Wong...who currently trains at the University of Florida while attending classes...is part of a five-member team and one alternate who will make the trip. The announcement was made after the conclusion of a two-day selection camp outside Houston, Texas.
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KCK Monarchs Win Championship
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR) — The Kansas City Monarchs clinched the American Association independent league championship with a 7-6 walk-off win over the Chicago Dogs Wednesday night in Kansas City, Kansas. The Monarchs won the best-of-five series, three games to one. The starting pitcher was 27-year old Miller Hogan, a Blue Valley Southwest High School graduate who previously played in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Hogan gave up three runs in six innings but the Dogs tied it in the 8th before the Monarchs rebounded with a run in the 9th to win it. The Monarchs’ title is their second in the last three years and the franchise’s fourth independent league title since its arrival in 2003.
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Big 12 Newcomers Play 1st League Games. BYU Takes 7-Game Win Streak to Kansas
UNDATED (AP) — Big 12 newcomers BYU, Cincinnati and UCF all play their first league games this weekend. BYU takes a seven-game winning streak into its conference opener at Kansas. The Jayhawks have consecutive 3-0 starts for the first time since 1991 and 1992. UCF is also 3-0 going into its game at Kansas State. The Knights lead the nation with nearly 618 total yards and are second at 299 yards rushing per game. Kansas State has allowed only 50 yards rushing a game. Cincinnati is home against 16th-ranked Oklahoma. Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel has completed a national-best 82.5% of his passes and has 11 TD passes.
GAME OF THE WEEK
BYU (3-0) at Kansas (3-0). BYU goes into its first Big 12 game on a seven-game winning streak while the Jayhawks have consecutive 3-0 starts for the first time since 1991-92. It was during that time that the Jayhawks and Cougars had their only previous meeting, in the 1992 Aloha Bowl that Kansas won 23-20. After falling behind 14-0 at Arkansas last Saturday, the Cougars scored 21 in a row, then allowed 17 before scoring 17 more to give the Big 12 its second win in a Southeastern Conference stadium this season (Texas won at Alabama). It was the first time BYU overcame a 14-point deficit to win under coach Kalani Sitake, in his eighth season at his alma mater. The last loss for Kansas was in last season's Liberty Bowl against the Razorbacks, 55-53 in triple OT.
BEST MATCHUP
RJ Harvey, Johnny Richardson and UCF's running game against Kansas State's league-best rushing defense. The Wildcats (2-1) have allowed only 50 yards per game, 1.8 yards per carry and one rushing TD. Even without injured dual-threat quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, the Knights (3-0) have averaged 299.3 yards rushing per game and are tied with a league-best 10 rushing touchdowns. They are the national leader with 617.7 total yards per game, and second in rushing. Harvey and Richardson are both in the Big 12's top eight, running for more than 70 yards per game and 6 yards per carry.
(-Related-)
Jayhawks Sell Out Stadium for BYU Game
LAWRENCE. Kan. (KPR) — The Kansas Jayhawks will play football in front of a full house in Lawrence this Saturday. The game against BYU is sold out. It’s the fourth sellout for the KU football program since Lance Leipold took over as head coach and the first sell-out since October 8, 2022. David Booth Memorial Stadium holds just over 47,000. Kick-off Saturday is set for 2:30 pm.
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Royals Push Back Self-Imposed Deadline for Decision on New Ballpark Location
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals are pushing back their self-imposed deadline of the end of September for deciding on a location for their new ballpark, though they remain confident that their final proposal will be put before voters on an April ballot.
The Royals are trying to decide between a downtown location, called the East Village, that would keep the replacement for aging Kauffman Stadium in Jackson County and a competing location across the Missouri River in neighboring Clay County.
Royals owner John Sherman has said multiple times the club hoped to decide on a location by the end of the month. But it must first reach an agreement with political leaders on a proposed financing package; the current lease with Jackson County includes a portion of a 3/8-cent sales tax that has paid for renovations and upkeep on Kauffman Stadium.
The stadium and accompanying ballpark village are expected to cost about $2 billion, the largest public-private partnership in Kansas City history. Sherman has said Royals ownership would pay for half of that total along with any overages.
“Leaders in both counties know a critical piece of the evaluation process will be negotiated lease terms so that the Royals, our future partner and, most importantly, the voters can know what to expect,” the team said in a statement Wednesday.
“With the framework of our current lease and willing partners on all sides, we are optimistic that the process will result in a win-win for the Royals and our next home,” the statement continued. “Although we will not have a site selected by the end of this month, we are more confident than ever that a world-class ballpark and surrounding district for entertainment, retail and housing will build on our region’s momentum, serve our citizens well, and further establish Kansas City as a top tier destination.”
Sherman has been planning on a replacement for Kauffman Stadium since purchasing the club in 2019, though the process was set back a bit by the pandemic. It has continued to move slowly as the Royals try to reconcile their needs with those of the two counties and the Kansas City Chiefs, who have shared the lease with Jackson County to help pay for Arrowhead Stadium.
Last month, the team unveiled plans for the two dramatically different locations. The downtown plan would consist of a ballpark anchoring a 27-acre development near the already thriving Power & Light District, while the Clay County location would provide a 90-acre tract capable of developing more commercial and residential properties.
Both of the plans, neither of which is finalized, were produced by Kansas City-based sports architecture giant Populous, which has renovated or designed more than 20 stadiums currently in use across Major League Baseball.
“Leaders in both Jackson County and Clay County know that we and the Chiefs need clarity on our stadium plans in time for the public to be fully informed for a vote in April 2024,” the Royals said. “We take our responsibilities very seriously to act in the best interests of both the Royals and our region, and we will continue our work to make sure this project is done right.”
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Chiefs Return Home to Face Reeling Bears, Losers of Their Last 12 Regular-Season Games
UNDATED (AP) — The Chiefs return home Sunday to face the Chicago Bears at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City is coming off a dominant defensive performance in a 17-9 win at Jacksonville. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones will be playing their second games after missing a Week 1 loss to Detroit. The Bears have lost 12 consecutive games after their 27-17 defeat to Tampa Bay last weekend. Bears quarterback Justin Fields was sacked six times in the game. Here's an overview of what to expect, by the numbers, plus notes on the Chiefs and Bears from this week.
CHICAGO (0-2) at KANSAS CITY (1-1)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, FOX
BETTING LINE: Chiefs by 12 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Chicago 0-2; Kansas City 1-1
SERIES RECORD: Bears lead series 7-6.
LAST MEETING: Chiefs beat Bears 26-3 on Dec. 22, 2019, in Chicago.
LAST WEEK: Bears lost to Buccaneers 27-17; Chiefs beat Jaguars 17-9.
BEARS OFFENSE: OVERALL (27), RUSH (22), PASS (25), SCORING (T22)
BEARS DEFENSE: OVERALL (29), RUSH (16), PASS (27), SCORING (31)
CHIEFS OFFENSE: OVERALL (9), RUSH (T20), PASS (6), SCORING (T22)
CHIEFS DEFENSE: OVERALL (13), RUSH (12), PASS (19), SCORING (T3)
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Bears minus-4; Chiefs minus-2
BEARS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Justin Fields is off to a dismal start to the season. He was 16 of 29 for 211 yards with one touchdown pass, two interceptions and a miserable quarterback rating in last week's 27-17 loss to Tampa Bay. He was sacked six times in the game, and he's been sacked 101 times since entering the league in 2021. The Bears are currently last in the NFL in sack percentage.
CHIEFS PLAYER TO WATCH: TE Travis Kelce had a rollercoaster return from a hyperextended knee that kept him out of Week 1 last week in Jacksonville. He had four catches for 26 yards and a touchdown, but he also missed a couple of balls he normally catches and was frustrated throughout the game by the Jaguars, who kept taking shots at him whenever they had an opportunity. With the heat index near triple digits, it was hardly surprising that Kelce's temper was often on the brink of boiling over.
KEY MATCHUP: Chiefs DT Chris Jones against the Bears offensive line, which hasn't protected Fields at all this season. Jones missed Week 1 while holding out but returned last week against Jacksonville. And despite having no offseason or training camp, practicing a few times and only playing a fraction of his normal snaps, Jones still finished with 1 1/2 sacks while putting pressure on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence all game.
KEY INJURIES: The Bears placed LT Braxton Jones (neck) on injured reserve this week, and coach Matt Eberflus would not say if he is finished for the season. S Eddie Jackson (foot), WR Darnell Mooney (knee) and DB Josh Blackwell (hamstring) were banged up. ... Chiefs LBs Nick Bolton (ankle) and Willie Gay Jr. (quad), RB Isiah Pacheco (hamstring) and WRs Kadarius Toney (toe) and Richie James (knee) missed time in practice this week. James could be out for a while but the others could play Sunday.
SERIES NOTES: The teams have only played 13 times since their first game in November 1973, and the closeness of the series has been reflected in the way they have alternated wins and losses over the past nine games. That odd stretch began with Kansas City’s win on Dec. 29, 1990, and the most recent game ended with the Chiefs rolling to a 26-3 win four years ago at Soldier Field.
STATS AND MORE: Chicago has lost 12 consecutive regular-season games. ... The Bears have not won in Kansas City since Week 5 of the 2015 season, when they scored two fourth-quarter TDs for an 18-17 victory. ... QBs are 20 of 23 for 282 yards and three TDs against the Bears on third and fourth down through the first two weeks. ... Bears WR DJ Moore has been a bright spot, catching six passes for 107 yards against Tampa Bay last week. ... Bears LT Braxton Jones has been penalized six times in two games. ... Bears GM Ryan Poles began his career in Kansas City as a player personnel assistant in 2019. He worked his way up to executive director of player personnel before leaving for Chicago. ... Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy was head coach of the Bears from 2018-21. ... Chiefs coach Andy Reid can break a tie with Tom Landry for fourth on the career wins list with his 271st. ... Patrick Mahomes needs 51 yards rushing to pass Alex Smith (1,672) for most among Chiefs quarterbacks. ... Mahomes needs 228 yards passing to eclipse 25,000. He would do it in 83 games Sunday, faster than any player in NFL history. ... Kelce has the second-longest active streak with a reception at 144 games. The Titans' DeAndre Hopkins is at 147. ... Kelce needs four TD catches to pass Tony Gonzalez (76) for second in franchise history. ... Chiefs K Harrison Butker has 23 field goals of at least 50 yards since 2017. He needs one more to break into the top five among NFL kickers in the category.
FANTASY TIP: The Bears have the league's 27th-ranked pass defense and are second to last in scoring defense, so it could be a good week for Kansas City's high-powered offense to finally hit its stride. Mahomes and Kelce are always must-start options, but Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore are all worth taking a flier on as a flex option or third wide receiver. The trick is to guess which one gets the most work given Mahomes' propensity for spreading the ball around.
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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.