Wire
Junior joins elite company
MIAMI (AP) -- Ken Griffey Jr. insisted he never dreamed of joining baseball's ultimate group of power hitters when he reached the majors 19 years ago. "My father hit 152 home runs, and that's who I wanted to be like," said Griffey, who hit his 600th career homer Monday night to join Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Sammy Sosa as the only players to do so. Griffey connected off Mark Hendrickson in the first inning of the ...
full story
Lesser prairie chicken sees drop in numbers
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- Lesser prairie chickens have been reduced to just a fraction of their once booming population across a handful of states, prompting a group of Western conservationists to crank up the pressure on the federal government to provide more protection for the rare bird. Monday marked the 10th anniversary of the lesser prairie chicken's designation as a candidate for possible protection under the Endangered Species Act. W...
full story
Guillen's blast paces KC again
NEW YORK (AP) -- Jose Guillen finished off his big series against the New York Yankees in style, hitting a tiebreaking solo home run off Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning Monday to lift the Kansas City Royals to a 3-2 victory. Guillen went deep on an 0-2 pitch from Rivera (2-2), pumping his right arm as he watched the ball sail over the fence while rounding first base. Rivera turned around and shouted several times after the drive -- a rare ...
full story
Mississippi River was shaped with human progress in mind
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) -- In his nostalgic look back at his career as a steamboat pilot in "Life on the Mississippi," Mark Twain described the difficult task of navigating the river in the pre-Civil War era. "Piloting becomes another matter when you apply it to vast streams like the Mississippi and the Missouri, whose alluvial banks cave and change constantly, whose snags are always hunting up new quarters, whose sandbars are never at rest,...
full story
Stores, eateries remove tomatoes
CHICAGO (AP) -- Federal officials hunted for the source of a 17-state salmonella outbreak linked to three types of raw tomatoes, while the list of supermarkets and restaurants yanking those varieties from shelves and menus grew. McDonald's, Wal-Mart, Burger King, Kroger, Outback Steakhouse, Winn-Dixie and Taco Bell were among the companies that voluntarily withdrew red plum, red Roma or round red tomatoes unless they were grown in certain sta...
full story
No. 4 seed Fresno State stuns ASU
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Steve Susdorf's two-run homer Monday night capped Fresno State's six-run seventh inning as the Bulldogs stunned Arizona State 12-9 to advance to the College World Series for the first time since 1991. Fresno State (42-29) became the first No. 4 seed to reach Omaha since the NCAA expanded the tournament field to 64 teams in 1999. The Bulldogs will open Sunday against Rice (47-13). The Sun Devils (49-13), the No. 3 national...
full story
Senate GOP blocks taxes on oil profits
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Republicans blocked a proposal today to tax the windfall profits of the largest oil companies, despite pleas by Democratic leaders to use the measure to address America's anger over $4 a gallon gasoline. The Democratic energy package would have imposed a tax on any "unreasonable" profits of the five largest U.S. oil companies and given the federal government more power to address oil market speculation that the bill'...
full story
No winner in Kansas Cash TOPEKA (AP) -- Here are the winning numbers selected Monday in the Kansas Lottery: SUPER KANSAS CASH: 1-2-9-17-21; the Cashball was 17; there was no winner of the jackpot worth an estimated $980,000; two players matched five of the first set, with each ticket worth $2,000; four players matched four plus the Super Cashball, with each ticket worth $250; 144 players matched four of the first set, with each ticket worth $25; 142 players matched three plus Super Cashball, with each ticket worth $25; the next drawing will be worth an estimated $1,014,000
No winner in Kansas Cash TOPEKA (AP) -- Here are the winning numbers selected Monday in the Kansas Lottery: SUPER KANSAS CASH: 1-2-9-17-21; the Cashball was 17; there was no winner of the jackpot worth an estimated $980,000; two players matched five of the first set, with each ticket worth $2,000; four players matched four plus the Super Cashball, with each ticket worth $250; 144 players matched four of the first set, with each ticket worth...
full story
Spotty rules govern U.S. crane industry
NEW YORK (AP) -- Dan Mooney has no idea what it will take for his construction cranes to pass inspection. The crane company owner recently asked New York City officials for a list of safety hazards that inspectors look for. He was told that information wasn't public. "How am I supposed to know what I need if you won't tell me?" Mooney asked. "It's like not posting the speed limit." In 35 other states, crane companies face a different prob...
full story
Topekans opt to build a circular home
TOPEKA (AP) -- Ruth and Henry Blake III were ready to downsize when they saw a round house on one of the home-improvement shows on television. "We just knew this is what we wanted," Ruth Blake said. So they are trading in their conventional two-story, 2,400-square-foot house at 4300 S.E. Michigan for a one-story 1,600-square-foot circular house. It recently arrived. Most of it, anyway. The house from Deltec Homes is prefabricated. The walls -...
full story
Debt stress tears at your body, too, poll finds
By Jeannine Aversa AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON -- The stress from deepening debt is becoming a major pain in the neck -- and the back and the head and the stomach -- for millions of Americans. When people are dealing with mountains of debt, they're much more likely to report health problems, too, according to an Associated Press-AOL Health poll. And not just little stuff; this means ulcers, severe depression, even heart attacks. Take Edwar...
full story
Kan. City ab r h bi New York ab r h bi DeJesus lf 3 1 1 0 Damon dh 5 2 2 0 Grdzlnek 2b 4 0 1 0 Jeter ss 4 1 1 0 Teahen rf 4 0 0 0 BAbreu rf 4 2 2 3 JGuillen dh 4 1 2 2 ARodrigz 3b 2 0 2 2 AGordon 3b 4 1 1 0 HMatsui lf 2 0 0 0 Olivo c 4 0 0 0 Giambi 1b 4 1 1 1 Gload 1b 4 0 1 0 Betemit 1b 0 0 0 0 Aviles ss 4 0 0 0 Posada c 2 0 0 0 Gathright cf 3 0 0 0 Cano 2b 4 0 1 0 MlCabrera cf 4 0 0 0 Totals 34 3 6 2 Totals 31 6 9 6 Kansas City 012 000 000 -- 3 6 0 New York 200 011 20x -- 6 9 1 E--Giese (1)
Sunday Yankees 6, Royals 3 Kan. City ab r h bi New York ab r h bi DeJesus lf 3 1 1 0 Damon dh 5 2 2 0 Grdzlnek 2b 4 0 1 0 Jeter ss 4 1 1 0 Teahen rf 4 0 0 0 BAbreu rf 4 2 2 3 JGuillen dh 4 1 2 2 ARodrigz 3b 2 0 2 2 AGordon 3b 4 1 1 0 HMatsui lf 2 0 0 0 Olivo c 4 0 0 0 Giambi 1b 4 1 1 1 Gload 1b 4 0 1 0 Betemit 1b 0 0 0 0 Aviles ss 4 0 0 0 Posada c 2 0 0 0 Gathright cf 3 0 0 0 Cano 2b 4 0 1 0 MlCabrera cf 4 0 0 0 ...
full story
Midwest copes with floods DETROIT -- Temperatures rose toward the triple digits along the East Coast today as Midwesterners braced for more rain that could add to days of deadly floods
Midwest copes with floods DETROIT -- Temperatures rose toward the triple digits along the East Coast today as Midwesterners braced for more rain that could add to days of deadly floods. Eight deaths were blamed on stormy weekend weather, most in the Midwest. Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle declared an emergency for 29 counties and President Bush late Sunday declared a major disaster in 29 Indiana counties. Iowa Gov. Chet Culver said nearly a third o...
full story
Miami advances; Wichita State out
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- Yonder Alonso homered and Enrique Garcia pitched six effective innings as Miami defeated Arizona 4-2 on Sunday night to advance to their 23rd College World Series. The three runs in the first inning were all the Hurricanes (52-9) needed to win the final two games of the super regional series. Reliever Carlos Gutierrez pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for his 13th save of the season. Arizona, which won the series open...
full story
National Basketball Association Playoffs By The Associated Press NBA FINALS (Best-of-7) Thursday, June 5 Boston 98, L
National Basketball Association Playoffs By The Associated Press NBA FINALS (Best-of-7) Thursday, June 5 Boston 98, L.A. Lakers 88 Sunday's Game Boston 108, L.A. Lakers 102, Boston leads series 2-0 Tuesday's Game Boston at L.A. Lakers, 8 p.m. Thursday's Game Boston at L.A. Lakers, 8 p.m. Sunday, June 15 Boston at L.A. Lakers, 8 p.m., if necessary Tuesday, June 17 L.A. Lakers at Boston, 8 p.m., if necessary Thurs...
full story
Note foretells stabbings TOKYO -- A man suspected of killing seven people in a knifing rampage foretold the mayhem in a series of messages posted on the Internet, including one just before the attack saying, "It's time," police and media reports said today
Note foretells stabbings TOKYO -- A man suspected of killing seven people in a knifing rampage foretold the mayhem in a series of messages posted on the Internet, including one just before the attack saying, "It's time," police and media reports said today. Tomohiro Kato, the 25-year-old man accused of ramming pedestrians with a truck and then stabbing 17 bystanders in Tokyo's popular Akihabara district on Sunday, posted the messages on an In...
full story
Nadal leaves no doubt
PARIS (AP) -- As Rafael Nadal made his entrance for the French Open final, he could not have looked more at home in Paris had he carried a baguette under his arm instead of a tennis bag. The place brings out the best in Nadal. He was at the top of his game again Sunday, when he won his fourth consecutive Roland Garros title and spoiled Roger Federer's latest bid to complete a career Grand Slam. The victory was widely anticipated, but the scor...
full story
Gas trumps global warming
WASHINGTON -- Congress retreated Friday from the world's biggest environmental concern -- global warming -- in a fresh demonstration of what happens when nature and business collide, especially in an election year. It was no contest. A bill the Senate was debating would put a price on carbon emissions, targeting "greenhouse gases" that contribute to the warming that many scientists say could dramatically change the Earth. Opponents wanted to ...
full story
Police arrest homicide suspect LAWRENCE -- Police say a 16-year-old boy is in custody in the weekend shooting deaths of two young men in Lawrence
Police arrest homicide suspect LAWRENCE -- Police say a 16-year-old boy is in custody in the weekend shooting deaths of two young men in Lawrence. Lawrence Police Sgt. Dan Ward said Sunday night that information developed during an investigation led to the arrest. Authorities say the suspect is from Lawrence. He was booked into the Douglas County Juvenile Detention Center on suspicion of felony murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery ...
full story
"Show me the man who has enjoyed his school days and I will show you a bully and a bore
"Show me the man who has enjoyed his school days and I will show you a bully and a bore." -- Robert Morley, British actor (1908-1992).
full story