The years that I spent at the University of Kansas were some of the best of my life, and I will never forget the experiences that carried me down many roads over the years in a multidimensional career. But I question the outsized role of athletics in so many institutions of higher education, and KU is not an exception. I view the so-called Gateway District project, encompassing a new stadium and surrounding attractions, with great concern. At a time when the average cost of a four-year education (per the admissions...

Dawson Sutton of Lebanon, Tennessee, will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut on May 18 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Sutton, 18, will drive the No. 26 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet in the race. It will also be the truck's debut in the series. “I have been super excited waiting to share this announcement that I’ll be making my NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut,” Sutton said in a press release. “I’m also grateful for my parents. My dad has invested so much into me since I started racing two years ago,...

A man once described as "armed and dangerous" and "willing to enter into high-speed chases and cause accidents" has now been accused of deliberately driving into police and their vehicles in Utah, killing one officer. Just before 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sgt. Bill Hooser of the Santaquin Police Department and a member of the Utah Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop on a semi-truck along northbound I-15 in Santaquin, Utah, about 20 miles south of Provo. Reports indicated that a person had been seen standing on the back of the...

OVERLAND PARK — Leaders of a new politically diverse coalition said Tuesday they were committed to supporting candidates for the Kansas Legislature dedicated to ending the state’s prohibition on recreational cannabis and to expunging criminal records tied to marijuana. Prairie Village City Council member Inga Selders, founder of the Cannabis Justice Coalition, said it was frustrating to observe inertia of elected officials who failed to deliver “fair and equitable” laws and policies recognizing the social, medical and financial benefits of fully legalizing cannabis.

By Alexa St. John, Sean Murphy and Jim Salter | Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY — A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through a small Oklahoma town, one of several twisters that erupted in the central United States amid a series of powerful storms that stretched into Tuesday. At least one death was reported. The tornado ripped through the 1,000-person town of Barnsdall, about a 40-minute drive north of Tulsa, on Monday night. It was the second...

Destructive storms roared through the Plains Monday, unloading at least one deadly tornado, giant hail and hurricane-force wind gusts. As some communities pick up the pieces, new ones must prepare for the threat of strong tornadoes in the Midwest. • One dead, multiple injuries: At least one person is dead and several others are injured after a tornado tore through Oklahoma’s Osage and Washington counties Monday night, Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden said in an on-air interview with CNN affiliate KOKI. Extensive damage occurred to dozens of homes between Barnsdall...

Growing up in land-locked Kansas didn’t prevent a pair of Wichita natives from helping the LSU beach volleyball team pull off the largest upset in NCAA Beach tournament history. Valley Center graduate Ellie Shank and Bishop Carroll graduate Ella Larkin each played a role in helping guide the 11th-seeded Tigers to a Cinderella run to the Final Four, which included two straight upset victories. The win over No. 3 seed Stanford, 3-2, broadcast nationally on ESPN2 this past Saturday clinched the deepest postseason run by a No. 11 seed in...

The best women’s club players in college lacrosse have descended upon Wichita to determine a national champion in their sport this week. Scheels Stryker Sports Complex will host the Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Associates national championship tournament, a USA Lacrosse event that has crowned a champion in Division I and Division II since 2001. A total of 32 club teams from all over the country, 16 separated in each bracket, will play a total of 62 games over the span of four days, beginning Tuesday and ending Friday with championship matches...

A tornado destroyed homes and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through a small Oklahoma town, one of several twisters that erupted in the central United States amid a series of powerful storms that stretched into Tuesday. At least one death was reported. The tornado ripped through the 1,000-person town of Barnsdall, about a 40-minute drive north of Tulsa, on Monday night. At least 30 to 40 homes in the Barnsdall area were damaged, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported, and the state Department of Health reported a nursing...

Right-handed pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn doesn’t consider himself a prospect anymore but the Red Sox still do. Zeferjahn will join Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday. The 26-year-old earned a promotion there after not allowing an earned run in 13 ⅔ innings at Double-A Portland. His fastball has reached 101 mph this season. He has 22 strikeouts and just three walks. Opponents are batting .176 against him. His fast start all began when he spent most of this past offseason training at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers. Zeferjahn lost approximately eight to 10...