Kansas
Chiefs ‘Comfortable’ with Significant Workload for Kareem Hunt
As the Kansas City Chiefs return from their bye week, the running back rotation figures to look similar to Week 5’s win over the New Orleans Saints. Some combination of Kareem Hunt, Samaje Perine and Carson Steele should work to replace the production of Isiah Pacheco as he recovers from a broken fibula. The eventual return of Clyde Edwards-Helaire could complicate things, although it’d be a good problem to have.
Of the aforementioned names, Hunt is the leader of the group. The proof is in the box score, as the 29-year-old has 41 carries in his two games on the active roster this season. That includes a staggering 27 in Week 5, which is a total he’s exceeded just twice in his career.
For someone with over 1,000 rushing attempts in the NFL, that might be a minor cause for concern. When adding in the context of Hunt’s lack of durability over the last year-plus, it becomes an even bigger risk. Despite that, Kansas City seems just fine giving Hunt the keys to the proverbial car.
Speaking to the media this week, head coach Andy Reid gave Hunt a vote of confidence as the Chiefs’ go-to running back.
“I kind of joked with him, Soren (Petro), that he’d spend the bye week in the cold tub after all those carries,” Reid said. “I mentioned before that he came back in pretty good shape other than not having played football, and that’s held true to this point. He’s been able to do a good job in practice when he was on the scout team. Then, he worked through that [and] he was able to get in the game. We started him off relatively slow and then increased it and he was able to handle both of those things. I think – and we’ll just see how the game goes – but I feel comfortable with him carrying the ball. We had Steele backing him up there, he had a few carries that were productive, so we’re in pretty good shape there.”
Going back to Hunt’s 41 carries in two games, it’s a testament to the Chiefs’ recent commitment to running the football on offense. In Pacheco’s career, he’s never met or surpassed that total in a two-game stretch of regular-season play. He has once in the playoffs, however, amassing 42 totes between January’s AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens and February’s Super Bowl LVIII triumph over the San Francisco 49ers. In those games combined, Pacheco had 127 yards and a touchdown. Hunt’s return to Kansas City is seeing him fare even better.
Don’t get it twisted: Hunt won’t always carry the rock that many times. A vast majority of games won’t call for it, and Reid will let Patrick Mahomes air it out before anything else. But in a world where defenses are attempting to take away the vertical passing game and the Chiefs’ top two wide receivers are injured, going to the run isn’t the worst idea. Not only does it help control the clock, but it’s hard to ignore the league’s second-highest rushing success rate.
Even after Edwards-Helaire is back, expect to see plenty of Hunt on offense. That should remain the case until Pacheco is 100% healthy.
Read More: Chiefs Staying Consistent Regarding Philosophy on Potential WR Trade at Deadline
Kansas
Rural Kansas fire department reports record number of calls in 2025
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A rural Kansas fire department says it saw yet another increase in calls in 2025.
On Tuesday, Butler County Fire District #3 posted data about last year on social media.
It responded to 782 alarms in 2025, which is a new record.
The majority of the calls were for rescue and emergency medical services, followed by service calls.
The department’s data show the number of calls has been trending upward over the last 20 years.
From 2006 to 2010, the department handled an an average of 550 calls a year. From 2021 through 2025, that average was 720, a 31% increase.
Officials said continued growth in the community has increased the demand for emergency services.
“These numbers reinforce the importance of ongoing training, staffing, equipment planning, and community support to ensure we can continue to provide timely and effective service,” the department said on Facebook.
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Kansas
Clay County Commissioner says he’s ‘done’ negotiating with Kansas City Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Clay County Commissioner Jason Withington said Wednesday that he still loves baseball, but is “done” negotiating with the Royals on a new stadium for the team in the county.
According to Withington, Thursday, Jan. 8, was the deadline for the Royals to appear on the April 2026 ballot in the county.
Withington said the Royals told the county that they were not ready to meet that deadline.
Withington took to Facebook to explain that “the joy has been drained” out of him over the last few years and expressed his dislike towards the business of baseball.
He called negotiations with the team “a closed chapter” and said that the county is shifting its focus elsewhere.
“It’s time for the Commission to focus fully on priorities we control—either upgrading our existing county jail or building a new one,” Withington wrote.
The Royals’ lease at Kauffman Stadium in the Truman Sports Complex in Jackson County expires in January 2031.
KSHB 41’s political reporter Charlie Keegan reported in May 2025 on efforts by Missouri to keep both the Royals and Chiefs in Missouri.
While the Chiefs announced that they will move to a new stadium site in 2031 in Wyandotte County, the Royals have not announced their next steps to get a new ballpark built.
A stadium site near 119th Street and Nall Avenue in Overland Park has emerged as a possibility for a stadium site for the ball club.
Some residents in that area are not happy about that possibility.
KSHB 41 News reached out to the Royals for comment, but has not heard back.
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Kansas
Arizona-Kansas State free livestream: How to watch Big 12 basketball game, TV, time
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The No. 1 Arizona Wildcats play against the Kansas State Wildcats in a Big 12 basketball game tonight. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. CT on FS1. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can purchase a monthly subscription offered by Fubo TV/Sling.
The Arizona squad has played at a high level this season, as it enters this matchup with a 14-0 record. The team is coming off a 97-78 win against the Utah Utes.
In order to win tonight’s game, Arizona will need to rely on its forward Koa Peat. He leads the team in scoring this season, as he averages more than 14 points per game.
The Kansas State squad enters this matchup with a 9-5 record, but the team is coming off an 83-73 loss against BYU.
In order to bounce back tonight, Kansas State will need a great performance from its guard P.J. Haggerty. He averages 23 points per game, which leads the team.
Fans can watch this Big 12 basketball game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can purchase a monthly subscription offered by Fubo TV/Sling.
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