Kansas

Man pleads guilty in theft of bronze Jackie Robinson statue from Kansas park

Published

8 months ago

May 10, 2024

Man pleads guilty in theft of bronze Jackie Robinson statue from Kansas park

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 45-year-old man has pleaded guilty in the theft of a bronze Jackie Robinson statue that was cut off at the ankles and found days later smoldering in a trash can in a city park in Kansas.

Ricky Alderete entered the plea during his arraignment Thursday. A judge signed off on it Friday.

Authorities arrested him in February, with court records alleging he entered a Wichita home with the intent to kidnap someone as part of an effort to interfere with law enforcement.

He then was charged later that month with felony theft and aggravated criminal damage to property in the statue theft, along with two other counts. Police said there was no evidence it was a hate-motivated crime. Rather, the intent was to sell the metal for scrap, police said.

The bronze statue was cut from its base in January at a park in Wichita, Kansas. Only the statue’s feet were left at McAdams Park, where about 600 children play in a youth baseball league called League 42. It is named after Robinson’ s uniform number with the Brooklyn Dodgers, with whom he broke the major leagues’ color barrier in 1947.

Fire crews found burned remnants of the statue five days later while responding to a trash can fire at another park about 7 miles (11.27 kilometers) away.

Alderete had a criminal record that includes burglary and theft, state correction department records show. His sentencing in the latest case is set for July 1.

Donations poured in after the theft, approaching $300,000, and work is underway to replace it.

Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers, paving the way for generations of Black American ballplayers. He is considered not only a sports legend but also a civil rights icon. Robinson died in 1972.

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Kansas

How To Watch Kansas State-TCU, Lineups, Preview, Stats To Watch

Published

4 hours ago

January 4, 2025

Press Room

How To Watch Kansas State-TCU, Lineups, Preview, Stats To Watch

Betting line: K-State (+3.5)

O/U: 141.5

Money Line: CIN -160, KSU +132

Game time: 4:00 pm, EST

Where: Schollmaier Arena, Fort Worth, TX

TV: CBS (watch here)

VITALS: Kansas State is coming off their first victory after losing three in a row. Dug McDaniel had just his second start of the season, where he scored 17 on 53.8 percent shooting. Coleman Hawkins had his best performance as a Wildcat, logging 20 points, 10 rebounds, and four steals. They face a TCU squad looking for its first Big 12 victory after losing to Arizona Monday.

PROJECTED STARTERS

WILDCATS

G Brendan Hausen: 13.0 PTS, 2.3 REB, 1.3 AST

G Dug McDaniel: 10.3 PTS, 2.6 REB, 4.3 AST

F Max Jones: 8.7 PTS, 3.5 REB, 2.1 AST

F David N’Guessan: 13.6 PTS, 6.8 REB, 1.6 AST

F Coleman Hawkins: 10.1 PTS, 7.0 REB, 4.1 AST

HORNED FROGS

G Noah Reynolds: 10.6 PTS, 2.5 REB, 3.9 AST

G Vasean Allette: 10.7 PTS, 3.3 REB, 2.3 AST

F Trazarien White: 10.2 PTS, 3.3 REB, 1.7 STL

F David Punch: 6.1 PTS, 4.8 REB, 1.0 BLK

F Ernest Udeh Jr.: 9.2 PTS, 8.6 REB, 1.3 AST

QUOTABLE: “It makes us even more versatile,” Dug McDaniel said about Coleman Hawkins’ presence in starting lineup. “When you have a 6’10” guy who can put the ball on the floor and make decisions. Nine times out of 10, their fours and fives are guarding him, and it’s harder for those guys to guard in the perimeter. He’s very versatile, and I feel like if we keep using him the right way, he can go very far.”

Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.

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Kansas

Northeast Kansas school cancels Monday classes due to winter weather

Published

12 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

Northeast Kansas school cancels Monday classes due to winter weather

JUNCTION CITY (KSNT) – A northeast Kansas school district announced it will be closed early next week due to winter weather.

Matthew Hoover with the Geary County Schools USD 475 said in a press release on Jan. 3 the district will be closed on Monday, Jan. 6. Athletic and after-school activities on Monday are canceled.

“We look forward to seeing our students and staff back in our schools on Tuesday, Jan. 7. USD 475 will continue to monitor the weather throughout the upcoming days and will notify parents of any school closings or changes.”
USD 475 press release excerpt

Hoover said classes are expected to resume on Tuesday, Jan. 7. However, school officials will continue to monitor the situation and keep parents informed as the weather changes.

Parents can keep up with urgent alerts from the district through its School Messenger text message service. People can access this by texting ‘Y’ or ‘Yes’ to 67587.

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf

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Kansas

Man and 2 children dead after fire, gunshots inside Kansas City home

Published

23 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

Man and 2 children dead after fire, gunshots inside Kansas City home

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Police are investigating after officers found a man and two juveniles dead inside a Northland house.

Someone called Kansas City police and asked officers to check on the people living inside a house in a neighborhood northwest of Route 152 and US 169 around 9:45 p.m. Thursday.

Officers arrived at the house and smelled smoke. They also noticed a fire burning inside the house.

They called the Kansas City Fire Department and then entered the house to search for anyone inside. They made the decision to evacuate because of the threat of the fire.

ALSO READ: 3rd fatal shooting in just over 2 months reported near Kansas City grocery store

After firefighters extinguished the flames, police reentered the home. Inside they found a man and a girl dead from gunshot injuries.

They also found a boy suffering from gunshot injuries. Emergency crews rushed him to a hospital where he died from his injuries.

Detectives are working to determine what happened leading up to the shootings. They said they are not looking for a suspect, but have not provided any other details about what may have happened.

ALSO READ: $7.5K reward offered for information about fatal shooting of Missouri canines

The names of the people killed have not been publicly released.

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