<a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Salina&amp;state=KS&amp;site=ICT&amp;lat=38.8158&amp;lon=-97.6178">For a full look at the August 21 - August 24 forecast, click here.</a>

Monitor local weather updates frequently in multiple ways by listening to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/nwr/">NOAA Weather Radio</a>, checking local news and emergency notifications. You can also stay informed by following Saline County and the National Weather Service on social media.

For the latest forecast updates, visit&nbsp;the&nbsp;National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/8/1787277799762.png" alt="Three day weather forecast Salina, August 21 - August 23 - US National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Three day weather forecast Salina, August 21 - August 23 - US National Weather Service</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Salina&amp;state=KS&amp;site=ICT&amp;lat=38.8158&amp;lon=-97.6178">For a full look at the August 21 - August 24 forecast, click here.</a>Monitor local weather updates frequently in multiple ways by listening to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/nwr/">NOAA Weather Radio</a>, checking local news and emergency notifications. You can also stay informed by following Saline County and the National Weather Service on social media.For the latest forecast updates, visit&nbsp;the&nbsp;National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>.

Three day weather forecast Salina, August 21 - August 23

Chiefs Coordinator &amp; Assistant Coach Quotes

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLO

Q:&nbsp;On DB Jaden Hicks’ performance on Saturday.

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Yeah, (DB Jaden Hicks) he had a good game. I think Jaden probably stuck out as probably— played the best in that particular game. He had a really good day here on Monday. Him and I were just talking, he was a little down yesterday and then today he made a big play in the red zone, came up with the interception. But he's kind of been on that trajectory, and he should be and he's been in the system for a while now. And those kind of guys I’ve put a little bit more pressure on because I expect them to know more, not make mistakes that maybe a rookie would make.”

Q: On what he has seen out of CB Mansoor Delane since he has been a full participant in practice.

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Yeah, (CB Mansoor Delane) he's definitely a competitor. We saw that on tape when we evaluated him. But like a lot of these young guys, (LB) Nick (Bolton) and I were just over there talking about it, sometimes you’ve got to knock some practice habits out of them. I think Mansoor is learning that. I think he's embracing it. I think the vets are pushing him toward that. It's unfortunate that he's missed all the time he's missed, but we'll try to get him caught up here. I don't know what will happen with the game. That'll be on (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid, but I'm anxious to get him out there and see what we’ve got.”

Q:&nbsp;What was your impression of your first look at DL Peter Woods’ first game on Saturday?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Yeah, listen, I hope to get (DL) Pete (Woods) some more reps than he had. I like Pete's demeanor. I think he's got a little bit of that alpha dog in him. Now, when you're a rookie, it's hard for that to come out because you're just feeling your way through. But he's got a serious tone about him that I really, really like because all the physical things he's got. So hopefully we can ramp him up, give him some more reps in this game and see what we’ve got.”

Q:&nbsp;Head Coach Andy Reid’s so understated publicly in a lot of ways, but obviously a great competitor. I'm just wondering what maybe you've seen in him in terms of the intensity and messaging since the way last season went and how he's responded to that?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Yeah, pretty much like you would think (Head Coach) Andy (Reid) would. Listen, we're all pretty prideful people. And we got really used to winning here and last year was a little bit different and we’re trying not to go through that again. I think every one of us, Andy included, and from Andy on down, I think everybody's trying to step it up a notch. His model of mindset, I think is really important. And then he has a unique way of filtering that into his leaders, the (QB) Patricks (Mahomes), the (TE) Travises (Kelce), the (DT) Chrises (Jones), the (LB) Nicks (Bolton). And you can kind of see that making its way through the team.”

Q:&nbsp;What have you seen in the development of DE R Mason Thomas and DL Peter Woods?

CULLEN:&nbsp;“Well, they're both talented, but they're really getting better every day. They showed some really good flashes in the game versus the Rams. (DE) R Mason (Thomas) with a couple of really nice pressures. One in the red zone and one at the end of the half where he got the ball and knocked it up in the air, but just continuing to develop and get better. They come to work every day. (DL) Peter (Woods) has a stout physical presence in the middle and has some athletic ability to rush as well. They're grinding, and we're grinding them to get better every day.”

Q:&nbsp;On DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah.

CULLEN:&nbsp;“I'll tell you what, he's explosive. He hasn't missed anything. He's really worked hard. Now, you've got to remember, (DE) Felix (Anudike-Uzomah) wasn't healthy. Last year, he had surgery to repair what was done, and he's really attacked the offseason. He's in better shape, and he's more physical and more explosive. I'm really happy with where he's continuing to get better.”

Q:&nbsp;How much do you need more from DT Chris Jones that’s not just on the field in terms of getting guys to understand what’s asked of them?

CULLEN:&nbsp;“Well, as (DT) Chris (Jones) goes, we go, but you've also got to have help around him. That goes with (DE) George (Karlaftis), goes with (DE) R Mason (Thomas), (DE) Felix (Anudike-Uzomah), all the guys. (NT Khyiris) KT (Tonga), another great addition. I'll tell you, Chris is in great physical shape. This is my fifth camp here, fifth year, and I equate this camp to my first year where he dominated. He's just been dominating every day. He keeps his body in great shape all year round. That helps, but he's developed more (as) a leader. Every year, he's gotten better and better as a leader, and he really is showing great leadership with those guys.”

Q:&nbsp;What do you like most about NT Khyiris Tonga?

CULLEN:&nbsp;“He's another one. He's big, he's physical, mans that nose tackle position. But he's quick and explosive and he's had some battles with (C) Creed (Humphrey), which I haven't seen in my five years here, back and forth every day, not only in the pass rush drills, but the run drills. But I really like his work ethic and he's just a quiet assassin. He just comes to work every day.”

DEFENSIVE BACKS COACH DAVE MERRITT

Q:&nbsp;What do you see in CB Mansoor Delane now that he’s in full health?

MERRITT:&nbsp;“Yeah, seeing some of the things that we saw on tape coming out of LSU. (He’s a) guy who has sticky coverage and getting him back in pads and seeing that you can actually tackle people now. Hopefully, that’s going to show up this weekend.”

Q:&nbsp;With replacing three starters what is your overall feel for how this unit is coming together?

MERRITT:&nbsp;“No, I think you’re right on point because you’re losing the (S Bryan) Cooks and your losing (CB Trent) McDuffie and of course (CB Jaylen) Watson. So, you’re trying to get the chemistry with (S Alohi) Gilman and all these guys that are new back there communicating. We’re still trying to make sure we tie these shoestrings really tight. Right now, to see the ones go out and play a little more together, we’ll get a better assessment as far as where we are. But you’re really not going to know until you hit full stride, and those guys are out there for a game.”

Q:&nbsp;What was your plan with DB Jaden Hicks playing the most snaps for the preseason match versus the Rams?

MERRITT:&nbsp;“No, same thing you just said. (DB) Jaden Hicks needed to play, we were not going to play some of the other guys a lot and he showed up and played well. I think you know, as we all saw, he played fast. He was hitting people from sideline to sideline. So, it was a good thing to see him out there perform. He needs to do it again. You don’t want to be a one hit wonder. That’s probably one of the songs I made 30 years ago, you guys didn’t even hear about it, did you? All right; I was a one hit wonder (laughter). Anyway, no, he did well and so hopefully he’ll continue to ascend and do what we want him to do.”

Q:&nbsp;With DB Nohl Williams and CB Chris Roland-Wallace how did you tell they were ready to play last year?

MERRITT:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think the thing is, last year getting (DB) Nohl Williams baptized into playing, and that allowed him to get his feet wet. Coming into this year throwing him out there, some with the ones and getting them going against really good receivers, that’s good for him. As far as – I call him ‘Crow,’ all right (CB Chris) Roland-Wallace, he has been a player that we would love to play at safety - but then a Swiss army knife that he can move down to play a little bit in the box and help us out at nickel. That’s one of the things that we’ve done well with him, trying to just have that position flex. So, they’ve all done well.”

Q:&nbsp;Thoughts on T Kahlil Benson and his story getting here as a UDFA?

HECK:&nbsp;“I think you’re right. It’s a great story, and our scouts did a great job bringing him in. Right away, you could see in our rookie minicamp that he had dominant physical traits. So, we’re doing our best to train him at a couple of positions, give him an opportunity to grow, learn our system, learn a couple of positions. He’s done a great job; he’s working his tail off.”

Q:&nbsp;What was your messages to the offensive line after the game regarding penalties?

HECK:&nbsp;“Obviously, we’ve got to eliminate those penalties. It’s clear that those are drive killers. I mean we’re going, we’re going, we’re moving the ball–we have a penalty, we go backwards. So, we’ve got to be more disciplined than that. We got to play with our hands inside. We got to make sure we’re sharp on the snap count, and we’re looking for guys who can do that.”

Q:&nbsp;Why was it so important to move T Kahlil Benson to G? With G Trey Smith being out and was it to see his versatility?

HECK:&nbsp;“Absolutely, the number one benefit is for him, as a tackle primarily, probably his best position, he’s a guy that will only add to his value if he can play guard. So, with (G) Trey (Smith) missing some time, that’s a great opportunity to give a guy some training for those days that, hey, I may want to (or) need to plug him in there to find our best combination. So, it only benefits him.”

Q:&nbsp;What have you learned about T Ethan Driskell over the years through his injury hardships?

HECK:&nbsp;“(T) Ethan (Driskell) cares a ton about football. He’s a good competitor. He’s a very tough, hard-nosed player. So, that showed itself last year when he was working through his surgery and coming back, and getting healthy, and he was there every day in our meeting room doing what he could. He’s come out and definitely asserted himself physically in this camp, just cleaning up some technique things (is) primarily we’re focusing on with him.”

WIDE RECEIVERS COACH CHAD O’SHEA

Q:&nbsp;On rookie WR Cyrus Allen.

O’SHEA:&nbsp;“(WR) Cyrus (Allen) has come in and he’s taken the coaching. He’s done a great job of working extremely hard and trying to concentrate on the things we’ve asked him to do. There is so much detail and small things that go into being successful as a receiver in this league. He has certainly tried to do the things we’re asking him to do. It’s been good to get him out there. I believe time on task; he’ll just continue to get better. He certainly has done a lot of things positive because he has worked very hard.”

Q:&nbsp;I know you and Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy have a more vocal way of coaching. Do you feel the guys respond well to that?

O’SHEA:&nbsp;“I just think it is very important to be genuine and be who you are. That’s just my style. Is to just have a lot of energy and to let them know. I think that’s contagious. I do believe energy is contagious and I hope it is with our group. I hope you see the product on the field in those guys and in their play, and the energy they have by the way they play.“

Q:&nbsp;On adjusting route-running techniques to Head Coach Andy Reid’s offense.

O’SHEA:&nbsp;“Yeah, it’s a great question because as much as there are routes that are similar, that are universal throughout the league the way we teach them, there are going to be some things that are very different based off the way that (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid wants them. Coach Reid has been so successful obviously and has done it in a way in which it’s been successful in route running techniques. It’s so important for me to teach it that same way and that’s what I’ve done. You know we have had a singular way we have coached it. Right? I think the players are really taking to that. Just so much respect for Coach Reid and the way he has taught his techniques. You better bet I am going to teach those techniques exactly that way.”

Q:&nbsp;Can you talk about rookie WR Jalen Royals and how he has come along since you first met him this last offseason?

O’SHEA:&nbsp;“Yeah Jalen is another guy—like I said with the other guys I have mentioned, the receiver room has worked extremely hard. He is playing in a multiple position role for us. He has some versatility because he is very smart mentally. So, we have moved him around the formation and that’s been a very positive thing for him because it’s increased the amount of times he’s out there on plays and it obviously increases your value when you can do more for the team. It starts with mentally being able to handle those things.”

RUNNING BACKS COACH DEMARCO MURRAY

Q:&nbsp;What do you see as positives and negatives you learned about RB Emmett Johnson on Saturday against the Rams?

MURRAY:&nbsp;“I would start with the positives with (RB) Emmett (Johnson) as you know, he ran the ball extremely hard, (was) physical behind his pads. I was happy to see him do that. Had some good versatility in the passing game as well, but other than that just you know, we have to clean up some foot work details, some route depth, but again, first time for him to be out there as a rookie, the play-- the way that he played, I felt like he did a really good job. But, again, we talk about having great details in foot work, great details in our route depth and where we need to be for the quarterback. So, those are a couple things that he’ll clean up, but for the most part I was happy with how he played.”

Q:&nbsp;What are some challenges with coaching someone as polished as RB Kenneth Walker coming into camp?

MURRAY:&nbsp;“Yeah, he’s an unbelievable player. A really good leader for us. He does a good job at working hard every single day, so there’s not a lot of times where you have to yell at him about effort, so for me, there’s just a couple things he needs to clean up, with eyes, pad level, but a guy that’s as polished as Ken is, you just want to add a couple more tools to his tool belt. But he’s very receptive of that and that’s the kind of player that he is. He comes out every single day, he wants to get better, he doesn’t mind the hard coaching, but again his biggest critique is himself. That helps you as a coach to find a thing here or there but for the most part man, he’s very eye opening when it comes to being receptive of information and understanding. He’ll text me ‘Hey Coach, you’re right, I saw that after I watched the film,’ but again, he’s been everything, plus, that we’ve wanted.”

Q:&nbsp;On improving Brashard Smith’s pass protection game.

MURRAY:&nbsp;“Yeah, I mean, the whole room has been really good, but he’s one of the guys for me that I’ve been the most proud of for taking that next step, knowing that this is a big responsibility. We have the best quarterback (Patrick Mahomes), we have to keep him clean. I think for him, he wanted to take that next step in his game. You know, he’s good with the ball in his hands, he’s good running routes, but he knew he had to grow in the protection game and understanding football, so, didn’t have a lot of knowledge in that aspect but again, in the spring as well in camp, he’s really hit that head on and I’m proud of him for that. There are still some learning curves for him to continue to do that hand placement, eye placement, leverage and things of that nature, but he’s been a very improved pass protection back and I’m proud of him.”

Q:&nbsp;How’s it been coming back to the NFL to coach these guys?

MURRAY:&nbsp;“It’s been awesome. You know, to be back on this side. I had a great time at Oklahoma and college, but this is what I’m used to. This is where I feel comfortable at, and again, got a great staff around us. It’s been awesome to be here, it’s been awesome to be kind of a fly on the wall and learn from the offensive coaches, as well as the defensive coaches. But overall, man I’m excited. I’m excited about where we are but really excited about where we’re going.”

Chiefs Assistant General Manager Quotes

ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER MIKE BRADWAY

Q:&nbsp;Can you go through where you think the receivers are right now, WR Cyrus Allen and WR Rashee Rice in particular?

BRADWAY:&nbsp;“I think it’s been a little tough not getting everyone on the field at the same time. I like what a lot of those guys have shown. You know, (WR) Cyrus (Allen) and what he has shown so far, and I think (WR) Rashee (Rice) is getting better every day. It’s good to see (WR Xavier) X (Worthy) back out there. Just getting all of those guys healthy on the field. I think we feel good about it and the skill sets we have. It’s just getting everyone together and giving some of those young guys an opportunity to stand out as well.”

Q:&nbsp;On having the second youngest roster in the league.

BRADWAY:&nbsp;“You obviously want to have a blend of veterans that have played and have an innate leadership ability but also a lot of young core that’s coming up. I am excited about the young core whether that’s the rookies or the second-year players. I think we do have a good blend of veteran leadership that can mold those guys. I think our young guys have taken the lead. Whether it’s their practice habits or them in meetings. I think it’s exciting to have that kind of youth. It’s good to have talented youth as well.”

Q:&nbsp;What did you guys see in UDFA T Kahlil Benson?

BRADWAY:&nbsp;“What a unique story. It was one of those where—listen we had our 90-man roster. We had enough tackles and we needed some bodies for rookie minicamp. We had some like for him from the scouts, and he had one of the better athletic profiles after he tested. We made a call and he came to rookie minicamp. Within a couple of days, you realized this guy might be something, so you sign him. Each day I think he has gotten better. He’s a big piece of clay that you can mold. There’s going to be up and downs and we are playing him in a couple of spots. His practice habits—I mean he’s a big dude and strong. He’s got athleticism. You know it’s been a unique and fun story to see.”

Q:&nbsp;On how the conversation goes when making trades during the preseason.

BRADWAY:&nbsp;“Once we get that final preseason game and we have all the information from teams, guys that might be available and what it might take to get them. I think you balance out, is it worth giving up a future pick for a guy. You have to be sure that that guy is going to come in and have a role, so you aren’t just wasting assets. There has got to be buy in from the personnel side and obviously the coaches. Are they going to use them whether it’s offense, defense or special teams? There could be an opportunity for a player for player type of move. We are certainly open for business—open for anything.”

ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER CHRIS SHEA

Q:&nbsp;TE Travis Kelce’s contract is unique as a three-year deal. Is that a legacy deal that you used to retain him or is that something that you will use more frequently?

SHEA:&nbsp;“Well, different teams have different philosophies about how to structure contracts and generally we've been a team that has pretty simple, straightforward deals. In (TE) Travis's (Kelce) case, with him wanting to come back and we're delighted that he did, we used some tools that are in the toolbox that maybe we don't dust off very often to be able to spread his cap hits over multiple years. And (Chairman &amp; CEO) Clark Hunt was allowing us to do that in this special instance with his special legacy and role on the team. Any time that you spread cap hits out into the future years, you're kind of borrowing, using a credit card. So, we don't do a lot of that, but, of course, with Travis, with him wanting to come back, we used some things that we wouldn't normally otherwise think about.”

Q:&nbsp;How do you feel about your cap situation?

SHEA:&nbsp;“Well, we feel good about where we're at. Obviously, the rules change a little bit when the season starts. Certain things come onto the cap that aren't there now. We have a plan to create ample space for us to be able to operate with those charges that come on and create some flexibility. We have lots of avenues to create more flexibility and more cap space. We may take advantage of some or all in the next few weeks, but we certainly have the ability and likely will create some cap space to get us into the regular season.”

Q:&nbsp;How often do you get surprised by the moves of other teams?

SHEA:&nbsp;“Sure, well, having done this for a long time, I think more than you'd think. So, retaining flexibility to be able to entertain the unforeseen is an important aspect of how we try to structure our cap management philosophy. We really want to present (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) and (General Manager) Brett (Veach) with the flexibility to entertain smart roster moves that are independent of cap constraints that we may have. We certainly have some of them, but we don't have a perfect crystal ball, none of us in the front office, and opportunities present themselves that are unforeseen. So, yeah, we plan to be flexible. There are limits to that given that we have a lot of good players under contract, but we try to present Brett and Coach with opportunities through our cap management.”

Q:&nbsp;QB Patrick Mahomes got a restructured deal in the offseason. How do you build out the rest of your roster?

Chiefs Quotes: 8-19-26

<a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Salina&amp;state=KS&amp;site=ICT&amp;lat=38.8158&amp;lon=-97.6178">For a full look at the August 19 - August 22 forecast, click here.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/8/1787086090717.png" alt="Three day weather forecast Salina, August 19 - August 21 - US National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Three day weather forecast Salina, August 19 - August 21 - US National Weather Service</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Salina&amp;state=KS&amp;site=ICT&amp;lat=38.8158&amp;lon=-97.6178">For a full look at the August 19 - August 22 forecast, click here.</a>Monitor local weather updates frequently in multiple ways by listening to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/nwr/">NOAA Weather Radio</a>, checking local news and emergency notifications. You can also stay informed by following Saline County and the National Weather Service on social media.For the latest forecast updates, visit&nbsp;the&nbsp;National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>.

Three day weather forecast Salina, August 19 - August 21

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas Baseball will play a fall exhibition game against Iowa at the iconic Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville, Iowa, on Oct. 10 at 1 p.m. CT. The matchup between Kansas and Iowa will mark the first Division I college baseball game played at the venue.

All tickets are general admission and cost $12 plus taxes and fees. Fans can purchase tickets by clicking <a href="https://fodballpark.ticketspice.com/iowa-vs-kansas">here</a>. A limited number of tickets remain.

With a capacity of approximately 5,350 at the site, fans are advised to arrive early. Gates to the ballpark will open at noon CT. Fans unable to attend will be able to listen to the game on the Jayhawk Sports Network on KUAthletics.com and the Kansas Jayhawks app.

The aura around the Field of Dreams stems from a 1989 film that stars Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones and Amy Madigan. It was nominated for the Academy Award® for Best Picture in 1990 and was selected to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2017. The 1989 film, adapted from W. P. Kinsella's 1982 novel Shoeless Joe, tells the story of Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella, a husband and father who is tending to his cornfield when he hears a mysterious voice intone, "If you build it, he will come."

The field that the game will be played on is approximately 500 feet from the original field constructed for the movie.

Kansas won three championships in 2026, including the Big 12 regular season title, the Big 12 Tournament title and the Lawrence Regional title. The Jayhawks finished the year with a 45-18 overall record to tie the most wins ever in a season. KU qualified for a second consecutive NCAA Tournament for only the second time in program history and hosted the first ever Lawrence Regional and Lawrence Super Regional.

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas Baseball will play a fall exhibition game against Iowa at the iconic Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville, Iowa, on Oct. 10 at 1 p.m. CT. The matchup between Kansas and Iowa will mark the first Division I college baseball game played at the venue.All tickets are general admission and cost $12 plus taxes and fees. Fans can purchase tickets by clicking <a href="https://fodballpark.ticketspice.com/iowa-vs-kansas">here</a>. A limited number of tickets remain.With a capacity of approximately 5,350 at the site, fans are advised to arrive early. Gates to the ballpark will open at noon CT. Fans unable to attend will be able to listen to the game on the Jayhawk Sports Network on KUAthletics.com and the Kansas Jayhawks app.The aura around the Field of Dreams stems from a 1989 film that stars Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones and Amy Madigan. It was nominated for the Academy Award® for Best Picture in 1990 and was selected to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2017. The 1989 film, adapted from W. P. Kinsella's 1982 novel Shoeless Joe, tells the story of Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella, a husband and father who is tending to his cornfield when he hears a mysterious voice intone, "If you build it, he will come."The field that the game will be played on is approximately 500 feet from the original field constructed for the movie.Kansas won three championships in 2026, including the Big 12 regular season title, the Big 12 Tournament title and the Lawrence Regional title. The Jayhawks finished the year with a 45-18 overall record to tie the most wins ever in a season. KU qualified for a second consecutive NCAA Tournament for only the second time in program history and hosted the first ever Lawrence Regional and Lawrence Super Regional.

⚾️ Kansas and Iowa to Play Fall Exhibition at Field of Dreams

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, as far as the injuries go, really today (T Matt) Waletzko hurt his knee out here, not sure how bad it is, we'll just get that checked here. (OL Esa) Pole had some dehydration, (S DeShon) Singleton tweaked his hamstring a little bit, and then (LB Jack) Cochrane's knee, didn't finish practice there. The rest of the people you already know, they're from last week. (CB Mansoor) Delane did practice today, did everything, was in all the drills and looked good, so it's good work for him as he goes through that. As far as the game goes, kind of like what I mentioned after the game, there were some good things, it was great to get the young players in and get them moving around a little bit and see how they do under that pressure of playing in a game. And there's some things we've got to clean up, obviously the five holding calls and the five illegal procedure penalties, you can't have those. I mean it's just that discipline. You've got to be more disciplined than that, so we go back and we keep stressing that. Anyway, both sides of the ball, plenty of stuff to learn from. But there were some really good things that we took out of it from some of the young guys there, and they got plenty of play time, which was good. Time’s yours.”

Q:&nbsp;On what the position coaches such as Running Backs Coach DeMarco Murray and Wide Receivers Coach Chad O’Shea are bringing to the offense.

REID:&nbsp;“I like the detail they're bringing to the group there. They're staying on the guys, and the detail of their work. They've got some young guys that they're dealing with, and new guys at the position, so from another team, so free agents. There's a lot of teaching going on, and they're doing a good job doing the teaching.”

Q:&nbsp;On the right tackle position.

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, listen, (OL Jaylon) Moore has been doing a great job in there for us. But with that, (T Kahlil) Benson doesn't get any reps at it, and we want him to go against the better players and have a chance to continue to grow there. So, we just flopped him over and let Moore get some reps at guard, and then Benson get some reps at the tackle spot. But Benson held his own at the guard spot in the game, but listen, they need to be able to play both as we go through this thing and it's a good experience for them, but it's not one over the other. Like I said, Moore, he’s put together a lot of good days here, and played good the other night, or yesterday, whenever we played here. Saturday. All the days are running together (laughter).”

Q:&nbsp;Do you feel good about where G Trey Smith is at?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, (G) Trey's (Smith) doing good. We'll see. He's getting close, so we'll see where it goes. I don't know if you'll see him this week, but he's getting close.”

Q:&nbsp;What is the process of trying to catch CB Mansoor Delane up with the defense?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, so the doctors have done their studies. He had one done the other day, and looks like he's healing up pretty good, enough to where he can get out here and do some things, and then we'll just monitor and see how he does with the extended play. He hasn't taken that many reps as what he did today, so we'll just see how he does.”

Q:&nbsp;Where do you want to see RB Emmett Johnson go from here?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, he did a nice job. He ran hard. Some of his footwork, (is) getting him going in the right direction early. I'm not saying he went the wrong way, he tried to tie the footwork up at the back with the O-line, and you've got to be able to set those guys up, and there's got to be a certain amount of patience, and your angle becomes important on that, that you take to the line of scrimmage, so he can work on that. But as far as the effort, ability to make people miss, he’s got a pretty good idea of his vision. All those things were positives.”

Q:&nbsp;What has it been like to see RB Kenneth Walker up close and what can he add to this team?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, he comes to work every day. He works hard, so I like that. He catches the ball well, blocks well, runs well, so yeah, I like what we see, for sure.”

Q:&nbsp;Is there something you can add to your practice to get that discipline that you can talk about?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, well, you've got to put yourself in the right position, so you're not doing those things. On the offensive line, we're overshooting things a little bit, and we've got to make sure we cover up bodies on that in the run game, and last game, you've got to let go. There's a time and a place where you've got to let go. It's not an effort thing. It's putting yourself in the right position, discipline in it, and then you do the same thing in practice. You work on that and then it's our responsibility to hold the guys accountable during practice.”

Q:&nbsp;On the depth in the TE room.

REID:&nbsp;“They're all getting better, which leads to great competition there, so I like what we see. (TE) Jake (Briningstool) and (TE) Tre (Watson) are doing a nice job. (TE) Jared's (Wiley) doing a good job, so happy with that spot. We've just got to keep growing. They've got a few things they can correct from this game, which will be good for them, but the energy's right, the willingness to block is right. We've just got to keep growing there.”

Q:&nbsp;On differences between last year and this year regarding injury.

WILEY:&nbsp;“Stiffness. I had a lot of stiffness last year. Still was dealing with some swelling and stuff like that. I would say the main thing though is mentally – just mentally trust yourself. Being able to do OTAs this offseason was a huge help. Just working through a bunch of that stuff and then by the time the season gets here you repeat these things so many times that you don’t even think about it anymore. Where last year, I felt like I was thinking about a lot before I was going in and out of breaks, before I was doing stuff.”

Q:&nbsp;What was it that got you over that hump with your ACL injury to where you felt comfortable?

WILEY:&nbsp;“Honestly, just a lot of stuff in the offseason that I did this year. I was able to actually workout instead of rehab this offseason, so that was big. You know, getting with some of my guys, route running, weightlifting, stuff like that. I was even doing Pilates. Literally whatever I could do to just try to work through some of those growing pains again.”

Q:&nbsp;On Saturday’s game catch.

WILEY:&nbsp;“Yeah that’s one of those for me&nbsp;—&nbsp;those types of catches are what I’ve prided myself on since I was in college. Making those hard grabs. I’m a big guy and the quarterback trusts me to put it up there where nobody else can reach it. Just stuff like that. Being able to be kind of a safety net or safety blanket for my quarterback whenever he is in trouble, however that needs to look.”

Q:&nbsp;Describe last season for you:

SMITH:&nbsp;“Last year, it was a good learning year, coming in, the playbook and having to learn the playbooks, learn how things are ran here. Last year, to learn under guys like (Rams CB) Trent (McDuffie), and guys like (Rams CB Jaylen Watson) JWat, (Bengals S) Bryan Cook. It was just a really big learning year, and trying to soak in everything, be a sponge to them.”

Q: What were some of the biggest things you picked up from guys like (Rams CB) Trent McDuffie, (Bengals S) Bryan Cook and (Rams CB) Jaylen Watson?

SMITH: “Really the way that they carry themselves on and off the field, the way that they practice, the way they move off the field, the way that they study. Things of that nature. Just really being on the sidelines, just watching them play every route almost. I picked up everything from them, honestly.”

Q:&nbsp;How do you feel about Preseason Game 1?

SMITH:&nbsp;“It was good. Good opportunity [to] show what I can do to the coaches, gain trust, and really just to be out there with my teammates, that’s all I can ask for.”

Q:&nbsp;It’s been seven years since you’ve been up here. Can you talk about how different it is?

OGBAH:&nbsp;“You know just coming back, it’s been a long time. I always knew I was going to come back eventually; I just didn’t know when. But it feels good being back. I did not miss the dorms, but you know it feels good being back here.”

Q:&nbsp;What did they tell you about coming back and where you can fit in with the team?

OGBAH:&nbsp;“Just whatever they need me to play. Just attack whenever my name is called, and I’ll be ready to go.”

Q:&nbsp;What do you think of DL Peter Woods and DE R Mason Thomas so far?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesAugust 17, 2026OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, as far as the injuries go, really today (T Matt) Waletzko hurt his knee out here, not sure how bad it is, we'll just get that checked here. (OL Esa) Pole had some dehydration, (S DeShon) Singleton tweaked his hamstring a little bit, and then (LB Jack) Cochrane's knee, didn't finish practice there. The rest of the people you already know, they're from last week. (CB Mansoor) Delane did practice today, did everything, was in all the drills and looked good, so it's good work for him as he goes through that. As far as the game goes, kind of like what I mentioned after the game, there were some good things, it was great to get the young players in and get them moving around a little bit and see how they do under that pressure of playing in a game. And there's some things we've got to clean up, obviously the five holding calls and the five illegal procedure penalties, you can't have those. I mean it's just that discipline. You've got to be more disciplined than that, so we go back and we keep stressing that. Anyway, both sides of the ball, plenty of stuff to learn from. But there were some really good things that we took out of it from some of the young guys there, and they got plenty of play time, which was good. Time’s yours.”Q:&nbsp;On what the position coaches such as Running Backs Coach DeMarco Murray and Wide Receivers Coach Chad O’Shea are bringing to the offense.REID:&nbsp;“I like the detail they're bringing to the group there. They're staying on the guys, and the detail of their work. They've got some young guys that they're dealing with, and new guys at the position, so from another team, so free agents. There's a lot of teaching going on, and they're doing a good job doing the teaching.”Q:&nbsp;On the right tackle position.REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, listen, (OL Jaylon) Moore has been doing a great job in there for us. But with that, (T Kahlil) Benson doesn't get any reps at it, and we want him to go against the better players and have a chance to continue to grow there. So, we just flopped him over and let Moore get some reps at guard, and then Benson get some reps at the tackle spot. But Benson held his own at the guard spot in the game, but listen, they need to be able to play both as we go through this thing and it's a good experience for them, but it's not one over the other. Like I said, Moore, he’s put together a lot of good days here, and played good the other night, or yesterday, whenever we played here. Saturday. All the days are running together (laughter).”Q:&nbsp;Do you feel good about where G Trey Smith is at?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, (G) Trey's (Smith) doing good. We'll see. He's getting close, so we'll see where it goes. I don't know if you'll see him this week, but he's getting close.”Q:&nbsp;What is the process of trying to catch CB Mansoor Delane up with the defense?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, so the doctors have done their studies. He had one done the other day, and looks like he's healing up pretty good, enough to where he can get out here and do some things, and then we'll just monitor and see how he does with the extended play. He hasn't taken that many reps as what he did today, so we'll just see how he does.”Q:&nbsp;Where do you want to see RB Emmett Johnson go from here?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, he did a nice job. He ran hard. Some of his footwork, (is) getting him going in the right direction early. I'm not saying he went the wrong way, he tried to tie the footwork up at the back with the O-line, and you've got to be able to set those guys up, and there's got to be a certain amount of patience, and your angle becomes important on that, that you take to the line of scrimmage, so he can work on that. But as far as the effort, ability to make people miss, he’s got a pretty good idea of his vision. All those things were positives.”Q:&nbsp;What has it been like to see RB Kenneth Walker up close and what can he add to this team?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, he comes to work every day. He works hard, so I like that. He catches the ball well, blocks well, runs well, so yeah, I like what we see, for sure.”Q:&nbsp;Is there something you can add to your practice to get that discipline that you can talk about?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, well, you've got to put yourself in the right position, so you're not doing those things. On the offensive line, we're overshooting things a little bit, and we've got to make sure we cover up bodies on that in the run game, and last game, you've got to let go. There's a time and a place where you've got to let go. It's not an effort thing. It's putting yourself in the right position, discipline in it, and then you do the same thing in practice. You work on that and then it's our responsibility to hold the guys accountable during practice.”Q:&nbsp;On the depth in the TE room.REID:&nbsp;“They're all getting better, which leads to great competition there, so I like what we see. (TE) Jake (Briningstool) and (TE) Tre (Watson) are doing a nice job. (TE) Jared's (Wiley) doing a good job, so happy with that spot. We've just got to keep growing. They've got a few things they can correct from this game, which will be good for them, but the energy's right, the willingness to block is right. We've just got to keep growing there.”Chiefs Players QuotesAugust 17, 2026TE JARED WILEYQ:&nbsp;On differences between last year and this year regarding injury.WILEY:&nbsp;“Stiffness. I had a lot of stiffness last year. Still was dealing with some swelling and stuff like that. I would say the main thing though is mentally – just mentally trust yourself. Being able to do OTAs this offseason was a huge help. Just working through a bunch of that stuff and then by the time the season gets here you repeat these things so many times that you don’t even think about it anymore. Where last year, I felt like I was thinking about a lot before I was going in and out of breaks, before I was doing stuff.”Q:&nbsp;What was it that got you over that hump with your ACL injury to where you felt comfortable?WILEY:&nbsp;“Honestly, just a lot of stuff in the offseason that I did this year. I was able to actually workout instead of rehab this offseason, so that was big. You know, getting with some of my guys, route running, weightlifting, stuff like that. I was even doing Pilates. Literally whatever I could do to just try to work through some of those growing pains again.”Q:&nbsp;On Saturday’s game catch.WILEY:&nbsp;“Yeah that’s one of those for me&nbsp;—&nbsp;those types of catches are what I’ve prided myself on since I was in college. Making those hard grabs. I’m a big guy and the quarterback trusts me to put it up there where nobody else can reach it. Just stuff like that. Being able to be kind of a safety net or safety blanket for my quarterback whenever he is in trouble, however that needs to look.”CB MELVIN SMITHQ:&nbsp;Describe last season for you:SMITH:&nbsp;“Last year, it was a good learning year, coming in, the playbook and having to learn the playbooks, learn how things are ran here. Last year, to learn under guys like (Rams CB) Trent (McDuffie), and guys like (Rams CB Jaylen Watson) JWat, (Bengals S) Bryan Cook. It was just a really big learning year, and trying to soak in everything, be a sponge to them.”Q: What were some of the biggest things you picked up from guys like (Rams CB) Trent McDuffie, (Bengals S) Bryan Cook and (Rams CB) Jaylen Watson?SMITH: “Really the way that they carry themselves on and off the field, the way that they practice, the way they move off the field, the way that they study. Things of that nature. Just really being on the sidelines, just watching them play every route almost. I picked up everything from them, honestly.”Q:&nbsp;How do you feel about Preseason Game 1?SMITH:&nbsp;“It was good. Good opportunity [to] show what I can do to the coaches, gain trust, and really just to be out there with my teammates, that’s all I can ask for.”DE EMMANUEL OGBAHQ:&nbsp;It’s been seven years since you’ve been up here. Can you talk about how different it is?OGBAH:&nbsp;“You know just coming back, it’s been a long time. I always knew I was going to come back eventually; I just didn’t know when. But it feels good being back. I did not miss the dorms, but you know it feels good being back here.”Q:&nbsp;What did they tell you about coming back and where you can fit in with the team?OGBAH:&nbsp;“Just whatever they need me to play. Just attack whenever my name is called, and I’ll be ready to go.”Q:&nbsp;What do you think of DL Peter Woods and DE R Mason Thomas so far?

Chiefs Quotes: 8-17-26

<a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Salina&amp;state=KS&amp;site=ICT&amp;lat=38.8158&amp;lon=-97.6178">For a full look at the August 17 - August 20 forecast, click here.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/8/1786912896254.png" alt="Three day weather forecast Salina, August 17 - August 19 - US National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Three day weather forecast Salina, August 17 - August 19 - US National Weather Service</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Salina&amp;state=KS&amp;site=ICT&amp;lat=38.8158&amp;lon=-97.6178">For a full look at the August 17 - August 20 forecast, click here.</a>Monitor local weather updates frequently in multiple ways by listening to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/nwr/">NOAA Weather Radio</a>, checking local news and emergency notifications. You can also stay informed by following Saline County and the National Weather Service on social media.For the latest forecast updates, visit&nbsp;the&nbsp;National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>.

Three day weather forecast Salina, August 17 - August 19

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Democrats seeking the party's presidential nomination in 2028 will need to prove themselves early on in states where Black and Latino voters and union members are key supporters, under an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-presidential-nominating-calendar-2028-b3d153a33e39bd9e5ebcce3c58e9e84c">election-year calendar</a>&nbsp;approved Saturday.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-national-committee-2028-calendar-aaaa979aaeaf678f1510f06017c69c43">primary lineup</a>&nbsp;pushes Iowa from the traditional top spot and makes South Carolina the leadoff state, voting on Jan. 22, 2028, followed by Nevada on Feb. 1. New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia round out the early states, throughout February, according to the plan endorsed by the Democratic National Committee at its meeting in Texas.

DNC Chairman Ken Martin said that to win the general election, “You have to be battle-tested in a way that you already have campaigned in front of and for the support of various communities throughout the country.” That is why the calendar designed by the party matters, he said in an interview.

Some potential candidates in what is expected to be a large field have visited early-voting states such as South Carolina. Party leaders have said the order give candidates the best shot at winning back the White House after Republican President Donald Trump's second term.

“They have to show that they can go to the South and talk to Black voters and rural voters, as well as out west, talking ranching and mining issues, to a border state, to union members,” said party strategist Karen Finney, who has worked on multiple presidential campaigns. “Whoever survives will be battle-tested.”

Former presidential candidate Howard Dean, a onetime Vermont governor, recalled his tenure as national party chairman, when Democrats solidified Nevada and South Carolina as early states behind Iowa and New Hampshire. The latest change is even better, he said.

“These states look more like the country,” as a whole, he said, “whereas Iowa and New Hampshire don’t.”

Rita Hart, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, said bypassing her state in the early going would sideline important voter voices and give a political edge to Republicans, who are expected to keep Iowa atop their calendar.

As the first-in-the-South primary, South Carolina was more decisive than Iowa and New Hampshire for nominees Barack Obama in 2008, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. All three dominated among South Carolina’s large Black population, which can yield more than half the state’s Democratic primary electorate.

With Nevada and New Mexico following, that will require candidates to court more Latino voters early in the process.

Shifting from Iowa and New Hampshire does not mean little-known candidates cannot catch fire, as Pete Buttigieg did in Iowa and New Hampshire in 2020, when he was a 37-year-old former mayor. They just will not be able to do it with an almost entirely white audience.

“If you can’t go to every part of this country and make your case, you should not be running for president,” Finney said.

The progressive vs. establishment dynamics may shift

There is disagreement over how Democrats’ split between progressives and mainstream liberals may or may not surface in the nominating calendar.

“I think our primary voters up north are probably a little different than primary voters in South Carolina,” said Boyd Brown, a former DNC member from South Carolina. “It’s not the woke ideologies that we just can’t get away from” in other places.

Nina Smith, a former Buttigieg adviser who now works closely with progressive causes, disagreed. Smith said Black South Carolinians, especially, have gravitated to more moderate candidates – twice rejecting Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in favor of Clinton and Biden.

But, she said, “Southern Black voters are more progressive than they’re given credit for” on policy but also “realists” about what is possible.

“Living through Jim Crow and other oppressive structures will force you to be take that approach,” she said.

Smith said that with South Carolina leading off and many Southern states following on Super Tuesday soon after the early lineup concludes, progressives will have to take the time to listen and then tailor their messages.

“A lot of Black voters don’t necessarily see themselves in the ideas and arguments that progressives put forward,” she said.

Unions will get a spotlight in the early-voting states

Nevada has the service industry unions because of Las Vegas; Michigan has the auto industry and associated manufacturing support industries; Virginia is home to more federal workers than any other state.

“Labor is still so important,” Dean said.

Beyond seeking the backing of organized labor, the campaigns and the party will look to unions for help in spreading Democrats' message to voters and getting people to the polls.

More scheduling efficiency for candidates

Campaigns struggle to balance many demands such as meeting voters in person, raising money and the logistics of travel. As a result, places such as Nevada have gotten short shrift in the past because candidates, most from the eastern part of the country, have concluded the investment of time is not worth it.

An expanded calendar offers more clustering opportunities.

A swing to the West could hit two early states — Nevada and New Mexico — and include a fundraising stop in California, full of Democratic donors. A South Carolina trip could mean fundraisers and public appearances in Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh, both in North Carolina. Virginia offers proximity to donors and national TV studios in Washington; the same options are available by adding a New York City stop on the way to New Hampshire.

Bre Maxwell is a DNC member from South Carolina who said the state’s smaller size and lower media costs are a financial equalizer, allowing not only the best-funded candidates to have an impact.

“They can campaign from the top to the bottom in a day,” Maxwell said.

It’s about primaries, with a clear look to November

Of the six early states, all but South Carolina have been competitive in general elections.

That means that even before Super Tuesday, the Democratic candidates will have spent significant time and resources in states worth a combined 43 Electoral College votes. That is not insignificant on the way to the 270 needed to win.

Television ads and news coverage can spill over, as well. Markets targeting parts of South Carolina also reach portions of North Carolina and Georgia.

After all, Brown said, the point is to put a Democrat in the White House.

“This is not a social or a debate club. It is a political party,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/4/1775941602446.png" alt="“I might. I am thinking about it,” Kamala Harris told&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/al-sharpton">Rev. Al Sharpton</a>&nbsp;after he asked directly whether she was going to run for president in 2028.&nbsp;-image from AP video" />
 <figcaption>“I might. I am thinking about it,” Kamala Harris told&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/al-sharpton">Rev. Al Sharpton</a>&nbsp;after he asked directly whether she was going to run for president in 2028.&nbsp;-image from AP video</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Democrats seeking the party's presidential nomination in 2028 will need to prove themselves early on in states where Black and Latino voters and union members are key supporters, under an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-presidential-nominating-calendar-2028-b3d153a33e39bd9e5ebcce3c58e9e84c">election-year calendar</a>&nbsp;approved Saturday.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fdemocrats%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02dh86amQHWPnJW6YuHZ7cA5PRGg28U9SYKaWb3nGAEXHqQHNAX2gVQz2M6sS2kWeLl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="498" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-national-committee-2028-calendar-aaaa979aaeaf678f1510f06017c69c43">primary lineup</a>&nbsp;pushes Iowa from the traditional top spot and makes South Carolina the leadoff state, voting on Jan. 22, 2028, followed by Nevada on Feb. 1. New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia round out the early states, throughout February, according to the plan endorsed by the Democratic National Committee at its meeting in Texas.DNC Chairman Ken Martin said that to win the general election, “You have to be battle-tested in a way that you already have campaigned in front of and for the support of various communities throughout the country.” That is why the calendar designed by the party matters, he said in an interview.Some potential candidates in what is expected to be a large field have visited early-voting states such as South Carolina. Party leaders have said the order give candidates the best shot at winning back the White House after Republican President Donald Trump's second term.“They have to show that they can go to the South and talk to Black voters and rural voters, as well as out west, talking ranching and mining issues, to a border state, to union members,” said party strategist Karen Finney, who has worked on multiple presidential campaigns. “Whoever survives will be battle-tested.”Former presidential candidate Howard Dean, a onetime Vermont governor, recalled his tenure as national party chairman, when Democrats solidified Nevada and South Carolina as early states behind Iowa and New Hampshire. The latest change is even better, he said.“These states look more like the country,” as a whole, he said, “whereas Iowa and New Hampshire don’t.”Rita Hart, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, said bypassing her state in the early going would sideline important voter voices and give a political edge to Republicans, who are expected to keep Iowa atop their calendar.<h2>Nonwhite voters claim top billing</h2>As the first-in-the-South primary, South Carolina was more decisive than Iowa and New Hampshire for nominees Barack Obama in 2008, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. All three dominated among South Carolina’s large Black population, which can yield more than half the state’s Democratic primary electorate.With Nevada and New Mexico following, that will require candidates to court more Latino voters early in the process.Shifting from Iowa and New Hampshire does not mean little-known candidates cannot catch fire, as Pete Buttigieg did in Iowa and New Hampshire in 2020, when he was a 37-year-old former mayor. They just will not be able to do it with an almost entirely white audience.“If you can’t go to every part of this country and make your case, you should not be running for president,” Finney said.<h2>The progressive vs. establishment dynamics may shift</h2>There is disagreement over how Democrats’ split between progressives and mainstream liberals may or may not surface in the nominating calendar.“I think our primary voters up north are probably a little different than primary voters in South Carolina,” said Boyd Brown, a former DNC member from South Carolina. “It’s not the woke ideologies that we just can’t get away from” in other places.Nina Smith, a former Buttigieg adviser who now works closely with progressive causes, disagreed. Smith said Black South Carolinians, especially, have gravitated to more moderate candidates – twice rejecting Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in favor of Clinton and Biden.But, she said, “Southern Black voters are more progressive than they’re given credit for” on policy but also “realists” about what is possible.“Living through Jim Crow and other oppressive structures will force you to be take that approach,” she said.Smith said that with South Carolina leading off and many Southern states following on Super Tuesday soon after the early lineup concludes, progressives will have to take the time to listen and then tailor their messages.“A lot of Black voters don’t necessarily see themselves in the ideas and arguments that progressives put forward,” she said.<h2>Unions will get a spotlight in the early-voting states</h2>Nevada has the service industry unions because of Las Vegas; Michigan has the auto industry and associated manufacturing support industries; Virginia is home to more federal workers than any other state.“Labor is still so important,” Dean said.Beyond seeking the backing of organized labor, the campaigns and the party will look to unions for help in spreading Democrats' message to voters and getting people to the polls.<h2>More scheduling efficiency for candidates</h2>Campaigns struggle to balance many demands such as meeting voters in person, raising money and the logistics of travel. As a result, places such as Nevada have gotten short shrift in the past because candidates, most from the eastern part of the country, have concluded the investment of time is not worth it.An expanded calendar offers more clustering opportunities.A swing to the West could hit two early states — Nevada and New Mexico — and include a fundraising stop in California, full of Democratic donors. A South Carolina trip could mean fundraisers and public appearances in Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh, both in North Carolina. Virginia offers proximity to donors and national TV studios in Washington; the same options are available by adding a New York City stop on the way to New Hampshire.Bre Maxwell is a DNC member from South Carolina who said the state’s smaller size and lower media costs are a financial equalizer, allowing not only the best-funded candidates to have an impact.“They can campaign from the top to the bottom in a day,” Maxwell said.<h2>It’s about primaries, with a clear look to November</h2>Of the six early states, all but South Carolina have been competitive in general elections.That means that even before Super Tuesday, the Democratic candidates will have spent significant time and resources in states worth a combined 43 Electoral College votes. That is not insignificant on the way to the 270 needed to win.Television ads and news coverage can spill over, as well. Markets targeting parts of South Carolina also reach portions of North Carolina and Georgia.After all, Brown said, the point is to put a Democrat in the White House.“This is not a social or a debate club. It is a political party,” he said.___

Democrats approve a 2028 presidential primary calendar

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflecto</a>r

ERIE — A jury Wednesday convicted former Neosho County Attorney Linus Thuston of lying under oath two years ago when he offered an excuse for why he was meeting a woman alone at night in a discreet location after they had exchanged explicit photos.

Thuston could face prison time for the low-level perjury conviction. He retired as county prosecutor in 2024, shortly before he pleaded guilty to&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/09/04/judge-diverts-from-plea-deal-for-rural-kansas-prosecutor-sentences-him-to-jail-time/">a pair of misdemeanor financial crimes</a>.

Kansas Reflector began reporting on&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/10/18/neosho-county-attorney-faces-criminal-investigation-by-state-authorities-scrutiny-by-local-leaders/">concerns about Thuston’s conduct in 2022</a>. He was accused of trading diversions for cash, which he didn’t account for, and a disciplinary panel reprimanded him for blurring the lines between his private practice and public position.

The sheriff also found that Thuston, through Facebook messages, had&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/07/15/kansas-prosecutor-accused-of-soliciting-nude-photos-from-clients-leaking-police-targets/">persuaded about 50 women</a>&nbsp;to send him nude photos in exchange for legal services.

But the Kansas Attorney General’s Office agreed not to pursue charges for more serious crimes in exchange for Thuston’s guilty plea in the misdemeanor case.

Thuston was called to testify during a preliminary hearing in a criminal drug case in 2024. The focus was on a rendezvous he arranged with a woman by the community college softball field. Shortly after the meeting, sensitive information began to circulate among drug users and dealers about houses that were under law enforcement surveillance. They attributed the information to Thuston, who denied being the source.

Thuston admitted he had exchanged explicit photos with the woman, but he said he was meeting with her as an off-the-books confidential informant. When met with skepticism, he rattled off the names of other informal confidential informants. Some of those individuals later told authorities they had never given information to Thuston.

Special prosecutor&nbsp;Branden Bell, an attorney from the Kansas City area, initially charged Thuston with three counts of felony perjury and three counts of misdemeanor intimidation of witnesses. A jury in December 2025&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/19/jurors-cant-reach-verdict-in-kansas-trial-of-former-rural-prosecutor/">failed to reach a verdict</a>.

A retrial began Monday in the Neosho County District Court in the small southeast Kansas town of Erie. This time, Bell pursued just two felony perjury charges and dropped the rest.

“At the first trial, I tried to limit some of the more tawdry evidence in front of the jury,” Bell said after the verdict Wednesday. “I think that was a mistake, because it didn’t give the jury a complete explanation of the evidence. This time, we didn’t shy away from that evidence when it was necessary.”

Bell told the jury in opening arguments that Thuston chose to lie about why he was meeting with the woman by the softball field.

“It never stops at just one falsehood,” Bell said. “What I tell my kids is that one lie begets another lie. Because to justify the first lie, you have to make other lies to make the first lie sound good.”

Robert Myers, an attorney from Columbus who defended Thuston, told the jury that some of the people Thuston had named as confidential informants had admitted they provided him information. The others, he said, deny being an informant because they were afraid of being targeted.

“You don’t have to listen to a witness who says, ‘I’m not a narc. I’m not a rat,’ ” Meyers said.

The 12 jurors who decided the case were selected from a pool that filled the eight doublewide rows of the courtroom. Some of the prospective jurors under consideration had connections to Thuston. One said he was a second cousin. Another played sports with Thuston’s son. A couple said they went to school with Thuston 40 years ago. One of the eventual jurors was the son of a local defense attorney.

Four said they were already familiar with the case, mostly from reading news coverage.

All pledged to be fair and reach a decision based solely on the evidence presented in court.

Half the jury panel knew each other, as friends, neighbors, worshipers and coworkers. In the small town, the only restaurant is closed on Mondays. Two food trucks were available, and senior judge Gunnar Sundby noted that the gas station makes “a mean pizza.”

Thuston at times chatted with his wife, who was seated in the front row, until the jury was selected. The courtroom was nearly void of observers when opening arguments began.

Jurors reached a verdict before lunchtime Wednesday, acquitting him on one charge and convicting him on the other.

Bell, the special prosecutor, said the low-level felony conviction could result in probation. The judge also could impose a prison sentence. With the two prior misdemeanor convictions, the sentence range would be six to eight months in prison, Bell said.

Sheryl Bussell, who has Thuston’s old job as county attorney, assisted Bell with the prosecution.

“In 43 years of practicing law, I have learned that there is a level of difficulty in coming in to a place where you don’t live or work to try a case,” Bussell said. “This was an important case for our community, and it is good to hopefully have it resolved now.”

Thuston’s attorney didn’t respond to an email sent Wednesday afternoon seeking comment for this story.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/8/1786735234505.png" alt=" A jury found former prosecutor Linus Thuston guilty of felony perjury. His trial began Aug. 10, 2026, at the Neosho County Courthouse in Erie. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> A jury found former prosecutor Linus Thuston guilty of felony perjury. His trial began Aug. 10, 2026, at the Neosho County Courthouse in Erie. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflecto</a>rERIE — A jury Wednesday convicted former Neosho County Attorney Linus Thuston of lying under oath two years ago when he offered an excuse for why he was meeting a woman alone at night in a discreet location after they had exchanged explicit photos.Thuston could face prison time for the low-level perjury conviction. He retired as county prosecutor in 2024, shortly before he pleaded guilty to&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/09/04/judge-diverts-from-plea-deal-for-rural-kansas-prosecutor-sentences-him-to-jail-time/">a pair of misdemeanor financial crimes</a>.Kansas Reflector began reporting on&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/10/18/neosho-county-attorney-faces-criminal-investigation-by-state-authorities-scrutiny-by-local-leaders/">concerns about Thuston’s conduct in 2022</a>. He was accused of trading diversions for cash, which he didn’t account for, and a disciplinary panel reprimanded him for blurring the lines between his private practice and public position.The sheriff also found that Thuston, through Facebook messages, had&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/07/15/kansas-prosecutor-accused-of-soliciting-nude-photos-from-clients-leaking-police-targets/">persuaded about 50 women</a>&nbsp;to send him nude photos in exchange for legal services.But the Kansas Attorney General’s Office agreed not to pursue charges for more serious crimes in exchange for Thuston’s guilty plea in the misdemeanor case.Thuston was called to testify during a preliminary hearing in a criminal drug case in 2024. The focus was on a rendezvous he arranged with a woman by the community college softball field. Shortly after the meeting, sensitive information began to circulate among drug users and dealers about houses that were under law enforcement surveillance. They attributed the information to Thuston, who denied being the source.Thuston admitted he had exchanged explicit photos with the woman, but he said he was meeting with her as an off-the-books confidential informant. When met with skepticism, he rattled off the names of other informal confidential informants. Some of those individuals later told authorities they had never given information to Thuston.Special prosecutor&nbsp;Branden Bell, an attorney from the Kansas City area, initially charged Thuston with three counts of felony perjury and three counts of misdemeanor intimidation of witnesses. A jury in December 2025&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/19/jurors-cant-reach-verdict-in-kansas-trial-of-former-rural-prosecutor/">failed to reach a verdict</a>.A retrial began Monday in the Neosho County District Court in the small southeast Kansas town of Erie. This time, Bell pursued just two felony perjury charges and dropped the rest.“At the first trial, I tried to limit some of the more tawdry evidence in front of the jury,” Bell said after the verdict Wednesday. “I think that was a mistake, because it didn’t give the jury a complete explanation of the evidence. This time, we didn’t shy away from that evidence when it was necessary.”Bell told the jury in opening arguments that Thuston chose to lie about why he was meeting with the woman by the softball field.“It never stops at just one falsehood,” Bell said. “What I tell my kids is that one lie begets another lie. Because to justify the first lie, you have to make other lies to make the first lie sound good.”Robert Myers, an attorney from Columbus who defended Thuston, told the jury that some of the people Thuston had named as confidential informants had admitted they provided him information. The others, he said, deny being an informant because they were afraid of being targeted.“You don’t have to listen to a witness who says, ‘I’m not a narc. I’m not a rat,’ ” Meyers said.The 12 jurors who decided the case were selected from a pool that filled the eight doublewide rows of the courtroom. Some of the prospective jurors under consideration had connections to Thuston. One said he was a second cousin. Another played sports with Thuston’s son. A couple said they went to school with Thuston 40 years ago. One of the eventual jurors was the son of a local defense attorney.Four said they were already familiar with the case, mostly from reading news coverage.All pledged to be fair and reach a decision based solely on the evidence presented in court.Half the jury panel knew each other, as friends, neighbors, worshipers and coworkers. In the small town, the only restaurant is closed on Mondays. Two food trucks were available, and senior judge Gunnar Sundby noted that the gas station makes “a mean pizza.”Thuston at times chatted with his wife, who was seated in the front row, until the jury was selected. The courtroom was nearly void of observers when opening arguments began.Jurors reached a verdict before lunchtime Wednesday, acquitting him on one charge and convicting him on the other.Bell, the special prosecutor, said the low-level felony conviction could result in probation. The judge also could impose a prison sentence. With the two prior misdemeanor convictions, the sentence range would be six to eight months in prison, Bell said.Sheryl Bussell, who has Thuston’s old job as county attorney, assisted Bell with the prosecution.“In 43 years of practicing law, I have learned that there is a level of difficulty in coming in to a place where you don’t live or work to try a case,” Bussell said. “This was an important case for our community, and it is good to hopefully have it resolved now.”Thuston’s attorney didn’t respond to an email sent Wednesday afternoon seeking comment for this story.

Kansas jury finds former county prosecutor guilty of perjury

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, the fellas that didn’t practice today were, (DB) Chamarri (Conners), Chamarri banged his knee, and so we gave him a little time there for that thing to calm down. (WR) Jimmy Holiday didn’t practice, and then (G) Trey Smith, (CB) L’Jarius Sneed, and (LB Drue) Tranquill. Everybody else was out there, (CB Chris) Roland - (Wallace), and it was good where it was a 10-10-10 variant, so it was non-contact. Guys that might have been in yellow jerseys weren’t in yellow jerseys today, and (CB) Kader (Kohou) has a little soreness in his ankle, so we kept him out also. Look forward to [the] challenge of playing a team, actually, coming up here with the Rams. So, being able to compete against somebody else and it should be a good, good test for our young guys to get out there and have an opportunity to play. So, the way the rotation will go is (QB Patrick) Pat (Mahomes) won’t start or play, and then it’ll be (QB) Justin (Fields), and then (QB Garrett) Nussmeier, and then (QB) Chris (Oladokun) will take it from there. So, we’ll just see how the reps go as we work through them.”

Q:&nbsp;Are more starters than usual going to sit this preseason game out?

REID:&nbsp;“I wouldn’t necessarily say that. We’ll see where it goes.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you see yourself delegating the challenges to another coach?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, so I’ve got a guy in the box that I talk to. So, I basically delegated it to him to know, we got technology up there that you can use. So, I’ll probably still do it. That’s not a real big deal.“

Q:&nbsp;Is that where the decision comes from when seeing the replays?

REID: “Yeah, I mean I communicate upstairs.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you need to see the starting offensive line considering competition in those positions?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesAugust 13, 2026OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, the fellas that didn’t practice today were, (DB) Chamarri (Conners), Chamarri banged his knee, and so we gave him a little time there for that thing to calm down. (WR) Jimmy Holiday didn’t practice, and then (G) Trey Smith, (CB) L’Jarius Sneed, and (LB Drue) Tranquill. Everybody else was out there, (CB Chris) Roland - (Wallace), and it was good where it was a 10-10-10 variant, so it was non-contact. Guys that might have been in yellow jerseys weren’t in yellow jerseys today, and (CB) Kader (Kohou) has a little soreness in his ankle, so we kept him out also. Look forward to [the] challenge of playing a team, actually, coming up here with the Rams. So, being able to compete against somebody else and it should be a good, good test for our young guys to get out there and have an opportunity to play. So, the way the rotation will go is (QB Patrick) Pat (Mahomes) won’t start or play, and then it’ll be (QB) Justin (Fields), and then (QB Garrett) Nussmeier, and then (QB) Chris (Oladokun) will take it from there. So, we’ll just see how the reps go as we work through them.”Q:&nbsp;Are more starters than usual going to sit this preseason game out?REID:&nbsp;“I wouldn’t necessarily say that. We’ll see where it goes.”Q:&nbsp;Do you see yourself delegating the challenges to another coach?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, so I’ve got a guy in the box that I talk to. So, I basically delegated it to him to know, we got technology up there that you can use. So, I’ll probably still do it. That’s not a real big deal.“Q:&nbsp;Is that where the decision comes from when seeing the replays?REID: “Yeah, I mean I communicate upstairs.”Q:&nbsp;Do you need to see the starting offensive line considering competition in those positions?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I mean, listen, there’s a chance they get in and play. How much I can’t tell you that.”Chiefs Players QuotesAugust 13, 2026DT CHRIS JONESQ:&nbsp;Do you have any tips for the young guys when you’re dealing with the heat?JONES:&nbsp;“We are all dealing with the heat. You have to battle through it you know, mental toughness. That’s where it’s created, out here. Repetition of back-to-back days of practice with pads on. I think it’s more so building mental toughness out here so in the game it won’t be so effective.”Q:&nbsp;On early days of his career to now.JONES:&nbsp;“Ah, memory lane. A lot of adversity at first when I got here and then championships and a little more adversity and hopefully then championships.”Q:&nbsp;On the importance of the days during training camp.