<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 weather 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.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766096198484.png" alt="Three day weather forecast Salina, December 19 - December 21. Courtesy of US National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Three day weather forecast Salina, December 19 - December 21. Courtesy of 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 weather 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.

Three day weather forecast Salina, December 19 - December 21

With the current strong windy weather across central Kansas, Saline County Emergency Management issues warnings and I-70 between Colby and Goodland are reportedly closed.&nbsp;

Saline County Emergency Management statement:

Northwest winds will increase and persist through the afternoon, with sustained speeds of 30 to 40 mph and gusts approaching 60 mph. These conditions will create widespread hazards throughout Saline County.

The combination of strong winds and very dry conditions will result in extreme fire danger. Any grass fire that starts could spread rapidly and be difficult to control. Blowing dust may also reduce visibility, particularly along and west of Salina near I-70.

Kansas Department of Transportation statement:

KDOT has closed both directions of I-70 between Goodland and Colby due to reduced visibility from blowing dust as of 10:22 am on Thursday.

This statement comes after the freeway reopened at around 5:00 am, when it was closed late Wednesday evening.

Motorists are advised to delay non-essential travel until conditions improve.

For the latest updates on road closures and conditions, visit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/http:%2F%2Fwww.kandrive.gov%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/0101019b32451255-66bf87ed-2388-4d16-a916-7ad1cd6cb05e-000000/-WTaKRS3IZhaitvuvGXNomZD2QUr6_IU549OuSP-qyY=436">kandrive.gov</a>, or call 511 in Kansas or 866-511-5368 outside Kansas.

Salina Post will provide updates on the reopening of the freeway.

Stay updated with local weather on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NWSWichita">US National Weather Service Wichita Kansas</a>&nbsp;Facebook page.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766070358855.jpg" alt="Image Courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image Courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>Salina PostWith the current strong windy weather across central Kansas, Saline County Emergency Management issues warnings and I-70 between Colby and Goodland are reportedly closed.&nbsp;<h2>Saline County Emergency Management statement:</h2>Northwest winds will increase and persist through the afternoon, with sustained speeds of 30 to 40 mph and gusts approaching 60 mph. These conditions will create widespread hazards throughout Saline County.The combination of strong winds and very dry conditions will result in extreme fire danger. Any grass fire that starts could spread rapidly and be difficult to control. Blowing dust may also reduce visibility, particularly along and west of Salina near I-70.Weather Timeline and Impacts:Now until 4 PM:<ul>
 <li>Peak impacts expected. Strongest wind gusts, highest fire danger, and greatest risk for blowing dust and sudden visibility reductions, especially near I-70 west of Salina.</li>
 </ul>Late Afternoon to Early Evening:<ul>
 <li>Winds gradually decrease, though fire danger may remain elevated until conditions fully improve.</li>
 </ul>Safety recommendations:<ul>
 <li>Deflate your Christmas decorations and move your trampolines to a safe location!</li><li>Secure loose outdoor items, including trash cans, patio furniture, and holiday decorations.</li><li>Avoid all outdoor burning and activities that could cause sparks.</li><li>Do not park vehicles on dry grass.</li><li>Properly dispose of smoking materials.</li><li>Use caution when driving, particularly in high-profile vehicles.</li><li>If visibility drops due to blowing dust, pull completely off the roadway and wait for conditions to improve.</li>
 </ul><h2>Kansas Department of Transportation statement:</h2>KDOT has closed both directions of I-70 between Goodland and Colby due to reduced visibility from blowing dust as of 10:22 am on Thursday.This statement comes after the freeway reopened at around 5:00 am, when it was closed late Wednesday evening.Motorists are advised to delay non-essential travel until conditions improve.For the latest updates on road closures and conditions, visit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/http:%2F%2Fwww.kandrive.gov%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/0101019b32451255-66bf87ed-2388-4d16-a916-7ad1cd6cb05e-000000/-WTaKRS3IZhaitvuvGXNomZD2QUr6_IU549OuSP-qyY=436">kandrive.gov</a>, or call 511 in Kansas or 866-511-5368 outside Kansas.Salina Post will provide updates on the reopening of the freeway.Stay updated with local weather on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NWSWichita">US National Weather Service Wichita Kansas</a>&nbsp;Facebook page.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 the National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>. To check forecasts frequently, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/">weather.gov</a>.

Windy weather and road closures: Saline Co. Emergency Management issues warning, I-70 between Colby & Goodland closed

Very strong northwest winds and a grassland fire danger are expected to occur Thursday morning most of western and central Kansas.

According to the US National Weather Service, wind gusts in the 50 to 60 mph range will commonly occur throughout the central Kansas region.

Strong winds will combine with dry conditions to elevate the grassland fire danger into the extreme category on Thursday with peak timing from around 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. Any fires that start will be difficult to control.

Moreover, some locations may see visibility reduced which may result in dangerous driving conditions, especially along Interstate 70 west of Salina.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766027970215.png" alt="Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph and grassland fire danger expected Thursday. Courtesy of US National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph and grassland fire danger expected Thursday. Courtesy of US National Weather Service</figcaption>
 </figure>Salina PostVery strong northwest winds and a grassland fire danger are expected to occur Thursday morning most of western and central Kansas.According to the US National Weather Service, wind gusts in the 50 to 60 mph range will commonly occur throughout the central Kansas region.Strong winds will combine with dry conditions to elevate the grassland fire danger into the extreme category on Thursday with peak timing from around 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. Any fires that start will be difficult to control.Moreover, some locations may see visibility reduced which may result in dangerous driving conditions, especially along Interstate 70 west of Salina.Stay updated with local weather on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NWSWichita">US National Weather Service Wichita Kansas</a>&nbsp;Facebook page.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 the National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>. To check forecasts frequently, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/">weather.gov</a>.

Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph and grassland fire danger expected Thursday 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765899219036.png" alt="Three day weather forecast Salina, December 17 - December 19. Courtesy of US National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Three day weather forecast Salina, December 17 - December 19. Courtesy of 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 weather 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 the National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>. To check forecasts frequently, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/">weather.gov</a>.

Three day weather forecast Salina, December 17 - December 19

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“After reviewing the tape, I basically feel the same way I did last night. We’ve got to clean up some things really all three phases. There were some good things from our young guys but not enough. We’ll go back to the drawing board here and work on that. For information, Patrick (Mahomes) is going to go back to Dallas for a second opinion with Dr. (Dan) Cooper, and we’ll just see. We’ll give you updates as we go from there. Then as far as the other injuries go, I really don’t have anything to offer you right now. We’ll talk about that later. With that, time’s yours.”

Q: How do you think Patrick Mahomes will attack rehab and that challenge?

REID:&nbsp;“Just what you said, he’ll (Patrick Mahomes) attack it. Just like he does everything else. There’s been some pretty good quarterbacks that have had this same injury, and they’ve done pretty well after they came back. He’ll get after it, and he has good people here to rehab him, and he’ll get in here and be right on top of all that.”

Q: How much can you use these last three games of the season to evaluate young talent on the team?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, every game you go into can be Yahtzee if you want to win. We’re in America here, that’s what we do. You want to go in to play your best and – if the guys are available, they’re going to play. They know that and they want to do that, so you find out.”

Q: How much have you talked to Patrick Mahomes in the last 18 hours after the injury?

REID:&nbsp;“I’ve had a good visit with him (Patrick Mahomes) a couple of different times. He’s in a good place. He felt like he let people down but then he comes back, and he’s ready for the challenge ahead, which is what’s real right now. He’s just got to get through surgery wherever it might be and then move on from there.”

Q: What are your own thoughts and emotions on Patrick Mahomes injury?

REID:&nbsp;“I know the process of rehab and for sure he’ll get in there and I know he’ll come out on the strong end of this thing. As we go here, we’re finding a lot out about our team. Some of the young guys are having opportunities to play, we’re going to finish this season strong and with effort. Then you get into the offseason, but I’m always optimistic about going forward. (General Manger) Brett Veach does a heck of a job with bringing players in as you can see now by the guys that are in there playing. Then it’s our responsibility to clean things up on the coaching side of it and the players to take responsibility on their end and finish these three games and then whoever is here after to retool it.”

Q: What’s the thought process on potentially not playing younger players in the last three games of the season knowing you won’t be in the playoffs?

REID:&nbsp;“Well, Soren (Petro), most of them are already playing (chuckles). That’s the main thing. I have to see what the injuries are here from this game and then go from there. But most of the young guys are having an opportunity in one phase or another. You only have so many numbers in this thing that you can play with, and the NFL is not quite like college where you have 90 guys that you can just pick and choose from.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you feel like the offense has been out of sync all season?

REID:&nbsp;“When you lose close games, you search for things because you want to fix it. Sometimes it’s a penalty here or sometimes it’s a turnover here. It can be a variety of things. It’s always one little thing that determines close games, normally one or two things, and we’ve had our share of those, and you can’t have those. It could be the wrong play, called the wrong play at the wrong time. We’ve all got a piece of this thing and you have to keep striving to fix it and then do what you have to do in the offseason, but you finish these games here striving to do better and cleaning up some things. I mention one of the positive thing is you get to see a lot of young guys play out of it and see what they’re all about.”

Q: Is Patrick Mahomes getting a second opinion due to the potential of further damage beyond the ACL?

REID:&nbsp;“No, but these guys normally do that on that Sam (McDowell). Those guys get a second opinion (I) probably put it up as much as probably over 90% of the guys do this. That’s just part of it, and that’s what he’s (Patrick Mahomes) doing.”

Q: On the team typically getting better throughout the season and other teams now doing the same.

REID:&nbsp;“You’ve always got to continue to strive to build and add to the roster and then you’ve got to stay ahead of the game as a coach. And that’s every offseason. That’s the challenge. Sometimes when you’re good for the period of time that we’ve been doing well, you’re not picking very high in the draft and you make things work. Nobody is doing it better than (General Manager) Brett (Veach) has of being able to keep everything afloat and then still not spending a ton on – working in the free agency market as much as a lot of people do. He's done an amazing job at juggling all of that.”

Q: Did Patrick Mahomes’ initial diagnosis mention a meniscus or anything or just the ACL?

REID:&nbsp;“It’s just what they (Kansas City Chiefs) put out there. We try not to hide too much from you, right (laughs). It’s not our game. I try to keep it right up front with you, so that’s the information that they had and they put it out for you.”

Q: You haven’t missed the playoffs in a long time, how does that resonate with you?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah Todd (Leabo) obviously I’m not happy about it. Nor is anybody here. We strive for excellence; we try to do that every year. Things happen though in this league, and it’s a ton of parity and sometimes you end up on the short end of it and you’ve got to go back and look at things and that can be healthy and we’ve got good people to do that with and we’ve got a good nucleus of players. So, we’ve got to go back and look at all of that.”

Q: Are these next three games an audition for Gardner Minshew going into the 2026 season?

REID:&nbsp;“I’ve got a ton of confidence in Gardner (Minshew). I’ve watched him play with these other teams. He’s started in the league. Our guys have confidence in him. And then Chris Oladokun behind him will work up there and Chris has been with us for a while too so I think they’re two guys who our guys trust in there and will play hard for.”

Q: Is Patrick Mahomes going to see Dan Cooper down in Dallas?

Q:&nbsp;How does Patrick Mahomes’ injury change your approach to the offseason?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesDecember 15, 2025OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“After reviewing the tape, I basically feel the same way I did last night. We’ve got to clean up some things really all three phases. There were some good things from our young guys but not enough. We’ll go back to the drawing board here and work on that. For information, Patrick (Mahomes) is going to go back to Dallas for a second opinion with Dr. (Dan) Cooper, and we’ll just see. We’ll give you updates as we go from there. Then as far as the other injuries go, I really don’t have anything to offer you right now. We’ll talk about that later. With that, time’s yours.”Q: How do you think Patrick Mahomes will attack rehab and that challenge?REID:&nbsp;“Just what you said, he’ll (Patrick Mahomes) attack it. Just like he does everything else. There’s been some pretty good quarterbacks that have had this same injury, and they’ve done pretty well after they came back. He’ll get after it, and he has good people here to rehab him, and he’ll get in here and be right on top of all that.”Q: How much can you use these last three games of the season to evaluate young talent on the team?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, every game you go into can be Yahtzee if you want to win. We’re in America here, that’s what we do. You want to go in to play your best and – if the guys are available, they’re going to play. They know that and they want to do that, so you find out.”Q: How much have you talked to Patrick Mahomes in the last 18 hours after the injury?REID:&nbsp;“I’ve had a good visit with him (Patrick Mahomes) a couple of different times. He’s in a good place. He felt like he let people down but then he comes back, and he’s ready for the challenge ahead, which is what’s real right now. He’s just got to get through surgery wherever it might be and then move on from there.”Q: What are your own thoughts and emotions on Patrick Mahomes injury?REID:&nbsp;“I know the process of rehab and for sure he’ll get in there and I know he’ll come out on the strong end of this thing. As we go here, we’re finding a lot out about our team. Some of the young guys are having opportunities to play, we’re going to finish this season strong and with effort. Then you get into the offseason, but I’m always optimistic about going forward. (General Manger) Brett Veach does a heck of a job with bringing players in as you can see now by the guys that are in there playing. Then it’s our responsibility to clean things up on the coaching side of it and the players to take responsibility on their end and finish these three games and then whoever is here after to retool it.”Q: What’s the thought process on potentially not playing younger players in the last three games of the season knowing you won’t be in the playoffs?REID:&nbsp;“Well, Soren (Petro), most of them are already playing (chuckles). That’s the main thing. I have to see what the injuries are here from this game and then go from there. But most of the young guys are having an opportunity in one phase or another. You only have so many numbers in this thing that you can play with, and the NFL is not quite like college where you have 90 guys that you can just pick and choose from.”Q:&nbsp;Do you feel like the offense has been out of sync all season?REID:&nbsp;“When you lose close games, you search for things because you want to fix it. Sometimes it’s a penalty here or sometimes it’s a turnover here. It can be a variety of things. It’s always one little thing that determines close games, normally one or two things, and we’ve had our share of those, and you can’t have those. It could be the wrong play, called the wrong play at the wrong time. We’ve all got a piece of this thing and you have to keep striving to fix it and then do what you have to do in the offseason, but you finish these games here striving to do better and cleaning up some things. I mention one of the positive thing is you get to see a lot of young guys play out of it and see what they’re all about.”Q: Is Patrick Mahomes getting a second opinion due to the potential of further damage beyond the ACL?REID:&nbsp;“No, but these guys normally do that on that Sam (McDowell). Those guys get a second opinion (I) probably put it up as much as probably over 90% of the guys do this. That’s just part of it, and that’s what he’s (Patrick Mahomes) doing.”Q: On the team typically getting better throughout the season and other teams now doing the same.REID:&nbsp;“You’ve always got to continue to strive to build and add to the roster and then you’ve got to stay ahead of the game as a coach. And that’s every offseason. That’s the challenge. Sometimes when you’re good for the period of time that we’ve been doing well, you’re not picking very high in the draft and you make things work. Nobody is doing it better than (General Manager) Brett (Veach) has of being able to keep everything afloat and then still not spending a ton on – working in the free agency market as much as a lot of people do. He's done an amazing job at juggling all of that.”Q: Did Patrick Mahomes’ initial diagnosis mention a meniscus or anything or just the ACL?REID:&nbsp;“It’s just what they (Kansas City Chiefs) put out there. We try not to hide too much from you, right (laughs). It’s not our game. I try to keep it right up front with you, so that’s the information that they had and they put it out for you.”Q: You haven’t missed the playoffs in a long time, how does that resonate with you?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah Todd (Leabo) obviously I’m not happy about it. Nor is anybody here. We strive for excellence; we try to do that every year. Things happen though in this league, and it’s a ton of parity and sometimes you end up on the short end of it and you’ve got to go back and look at things and that can be healthy and we’ve got good people to do that with and we’ve got a good nucleus of players. So, we’ve got to go back and look at all of that.”Q: Are these next three games an audition for Gardner Minshew going into the 2026 season?REID:&nbsp;“I’ve got a ton of confidence in Gardner (Minshew). I’ve watched him play with these other teams. He’s started in the league. Our guys have confidence in him. And then Chris Oladokun behind him will work up there and Chris has been with us for a while too so I think they’re two guys who our guys trust in there and will play hard for.”Q: Is Patrick Mahomes going to see Dan Cooper down in Dallas?REID:&nbsp;“Yes, Dan Cooper.”Q:&nbsp;How does Patrick Mahomes’ injury change your approach to the offseason?

Chiefs Quotes: 12-15-25

Board of Regents selects Matthew Baker, a Kansas native and K-State graduate

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">Tim Carpenter</a>

TOPEKA — A 30-year higher education administrator at Northwest Missouri State University will return to Kansas for the opportunity to serve as president of Emporia State University.

Matthew Baker, who grew up in Kansas and earned a psychology degree at Kansas State University, has been vice president of student affairs at NMSU in Maryville, Missouri, for the past 14 years. Baker is expected to begin leadership duties at ESU in March. He holds a master’s degree from University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and a doctorate in educational leadership from University of Missouri in Columbia.

“It is the honor of my career to return to Kansas to serve as the university’s next president,” Baker said. “I will forever be grateful to Northwest for all it has done for me and my family. It is because of the experiences Northwest provided me that I am able to step into this role.”

Blake Benson, chairman of the Kansas Board of Regents, said Baker was a “proven leader with extensive experience developing and implementing initiatives designed to help students succeed in college and after graduation.” The Board of Regents unanimously voted to hire Baker.

Baker replaced Ken Hush, who became ESU president in 2021 and was an unusual appointee due to his lack of a graduate degree. Hush received an undergraduate degree from ESU and had a lengthy career in the private sector, including work with Koch Industries.

Benson, on behalf of the Board of Regents, said Hush “consistently exhibited an unwavering commitment to serving ESU’s students and has worked hard to improve affordability and student success.”

Hush invited controversy by deciding in 2022 to fire about 30 tenured or tenure-track faculty and to eliminate a cluster of academic programs, which exacerbated&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/02/emporia-state-university-continues-enrollment-slide-while-other-kansas-universities-post-gains/">the university’s enrollment decline</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/12/emporia-state-university-president-defends-cuts-firings-in-bid-to-recast-higher-education-culture/">Hush’s unilateral dismissal of</a>&nbsp;personnel prompted a wave of lawsuits, which have yet to be fully resolved.

During Hush’s time at ESU, the Kansas Legislature earmarked tens of millions of dollars in special funding to stabilize the university. In addition, an attorney employed by ESU led an effort to persuade the Legislature to retroactively undermine faculty tenure statewide.

Hush, who plans to retire this month from ESU, said he would donate $1.4 million, or the equivalent of his four years of salary at ESU, to the university. The money would be used over three years for student recruitment, scholarships and campus operations, officials said.

“This gift is in appreciation for the meaningful impact ESU has had on our community and on me, both as a student and in my role as president,” Hush said.

Baker has worked at the public, four-year Northwest Missouri State for more than 30 years. He began in 1993 as the university’s residence hall director. He was off campus from 1996 to 1998 while completing a master’s degree in higher education administration in Arkansas. He returned to Northwest Missouri State and moved through several administrative jobs before being named dean of students in 2008.

Baker said he would conduct a listening tour to better understand the needs of Emporia State. He said ESU would be marked, under his tenure, by “shared governance, enhance(d) communication.”

He said he would rely on data to chart ESU future, because benchmarks on student retention or recruitment would reveal “where our opportunities are, where our successes are, what we celebrate.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765821587566.png" alt=" The Kansas Board of Regents selected Matthew Baker, an administrator at Northwest Missouri State University, to be the 19th president of Emporia State University. Baker earned a bachelor's degree at Kansas State Universities, and graduate degrees in Missouri and Arkansas. This September 2023 image is of ESU's Memorial Union. (Photo by Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> The Kansas Board of Regents selected Matthew Baker, an administrator at Northwest Missouri State University, to be the 19th president of Emporia State University. Baker earned a bachelor's degree at Kansas State Universities, and graduate degrees in Missouri and Arkansas. This September 2023 image is of ESU's Memorial Union. (Photo by Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Board of Regents selects Matthew Baker, a Kansas native and K-State graduate</h2>By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">Tim Carpenter</a>TOPEKA — A 30-year higher education administrator at Northwest Missouri State University will return to Kansas for the opportunity to serve as president of Emporia State University.Matthew Baker, who grew up in Kansas and earned a psychology degree at Kansas State University, has been vice president of student affairs at NMSU in Maryville, Missouri, for the past 14 years. Baker is expected to begin leadership duties at ESU in March. He holds a master’s degree from University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and a doctorate in educational leadership from University of Missouri in Columbia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765821533818.png" alt="Matthew Baker photo Emporia State University" />
 <figcaption>Matthew Baker photo Emporia State University</figcaption>
 </figure>“It is the honor of my career to return to Kansas to serve as the university’s next president,” Baker said. “I will forever be grateful to Northwest for all it has done for me and my family. It is because of the experiences Northwest provided me that I am able to step into this role.”Blake Benson, chairman of the Kansas Board of Regents, said Baker was a “proven leader with extensive experience developing and implementing initiatives designed to help students succeed in college and after graduation.” The Board of Regents unanimously voted to hire Baker.Baker replaced Ken Hush, who became ESU president in 2021 and was an unusual appointee due to his lack of a graduate degree. Hush received an undergraduate degree from ESU and had a lengthy career in the private sector, including work with Koch Industries.Benson, on behalf of the Board of Regents, said Hush “consistently exhibited an unwavering commitment to serving ESU’s students and has worked hard to improve affordability and student success.”Hush invited controversy by deciding in 2022 to fire about 30 tenured or tenure-track faculty and to eliminate a cluster of academic programs, which exacerbated&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/02/emporia-state-university-continues-enrollment-slide-while-other-kansas-universities-post-gains/">the university’s enrollment decline</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/12/emporia-state-university-president-defends-cuts-firings-in-bid-to-recast-higher-education-culture/">Hush’s unilateral dismissal of</a>&nbsp;personnel prompted a wave of lawsuits, which have yet to be fully resolved.During Hush’s time at ESU, the Kansas Legislature earmarked tens of millions of dollars in special funding to stabilize the university. In addition, an attorney employed by ESU led an effort to persuade the Legislature to retroactively undermine faculty tenure statewide.Hush, who plans to retire this month from ESU, said he would donate $1.4 million, or the equivalent of his four years of salary at ESU, to the university. The money would be used over three years for student recruitment, scholarships and campus operations, officials said.“This gift is in appreciation for the meaningful impact ESU has had on our community and on me, both as a student and in my role as president,” Hush said.Baker has worked at the public, four-year Northwest Missouri State for more than 30 years. He began in 1993 as the university’s residence hall director. He was off campus from 1996 to 1998 while completing a master’s degree in higher education administration in Arkansas. He returned to Northwest Missouri State and moved through several administrative jobs before being named dean of students in 2008.Baker said he would conduct a listening tour to better understand the needs of Emporia State. He said ESU would be marked, under his tenure, by “shared governance, enhance(d) communication.”He said he would rely on data to chart ESU future, because benchmarks on student retention or recruitment would reveal “where our opportunities are, where our successes are, what we celebrate.”

Emporia State turns to Mo. higher education administrator to lead university

Two bold women representing the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/304759803960474/">Granny Brigade</a> are actively working to spread awareness and inform Saline County on the dangers and the unfortunate reality of human trafficking.

Linda Adam and Linda Reynolds who are members of the Granny Brigade, are the frontrunners in working to spread awareness on the dangers, signs and information of human trafficking.

"We are trying to create awareness in the community," said Adam. "We want to educate students within the school system here, parents and get others involved in this fight against human trafficking."

Both Adam and Reynolds were first moved to spread awareness, after sitting in on two Granny Brigade meetings that featured speakers talking about the topic of human trafficking.

Those speakers featured&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/06722d12-9dfe-44f4-a9e8-9ded80c8a3b2">Kim Borchers</a>&nbsp;a longtime Topeka activist, and <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/55605632-862a-4130-a5ce-fff6661f0592">JJ Carrell</a>, a retired&nbsp;U.S. Border Deputy Patrol Agent.

After listening to Borchers' views and Carrell's views on how human trafficking is closely tied with human/migrant smuggling, both Adam and Reynolds thought to take action.

Though human/migrant smuggling is legally defined as a person who "voluntarily enters into an agreement with a smuggler to gain illegal entry into a foreign country," there are still cases when people who are smuggled, can be&nbsp;extremely vulnerable to human trafficking, abuse, and other crimes, as they are illegally present in the country of destination and often owe large debts to their smugglers, according to the <a href="https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/272325.pdf">U.S. Department of State</a>.

Moreover, some smuggled persons may be subjected to sex or labor trafficking while in transit or at their destination, and these individuals are indeed trafficking victims.

"We thought to ourselves, we needed to start a task force in Salina," said Reynolds.

Adam and Reynolds established the "Human Trafficking Task Force."&nbsp;

The mission statement of the task force is as follows:

We lead with intent &amp; defined goals to inform our community &amp; create awareness to the rampant rise of human trafficking - a modern day form of abuse &amp; slavery. Do not look away. Human trafficking is present among us. Our task force is a goal oriented team that tackles this challenging issue with teamwork &amp; collaboration. FREEDOM for all is our MISSION - JUSTICE is our DEMAND.&nbsp;

Currently the task force has 14 members, including Adam and Reynolds. The task force distributes informational packets to local organizations in the community. The packets are loaded with information from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/about-us/attorney-general-kris-w-kobach">Attorney General Kris Kobach's office</a>, as the pair have worked closely with Julie Hart, the Human Trafficking Education &amp; Outreach Coordinator Victim Services Division.

Adam and Reynolds have also talked about presenting this material to local school districts.&nbsp;

"We desperately need to present this to our schools," said Reynolds.&nbsp;

The task force strives to inform students and parents within the school system to bring forth awareness on this issue.

According to AG Kobach's office, "sextortion" is defined as form of blackmail where someone threatens to share sexual images of a person unless they do something they don't want to do - such as send more images, engage in sexual activities or pay money.

Victims of sextortion often feel scared and silent due to fears of trouble, shaming their parents or judgment from peers.

Learn more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missingkids.org/home">https://www.missingkids.org/home</a>

I-70 and I-35, contributing highways for human trafficking

Since major highways like I-70 &amp; I-35 which spurs into I-135 intersecting into Salina, it should be no surprise human trafficking occurrences can happen locally.

I-135&nbsp;serves as a key link for central Kansas, intersecting I-70 in Salina to create a vital crossroads for regional and national travel. While I-35 runs north-south from Mexico to Minnesota, connecting major central U.S. cities like Dallas, OKC and Kansas City.

According to the <a href="https://www.rileycountypolice.org/350/Human-Trafficking#:~:text=US%20Department%20of%20Justice%20has,nature%20of%20the%20trafficking%20trades.">Riley County Police Department</a>, the I-70 and I-35 highways contribute to “hotspot” communities for labor and sex trafficking activities.

For the 2024 year in Kansas, the <a href="https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/statistics/kansas">National Human Trafficking Hotline</a> received 198 signals with 68 of them being victims or survivors of human trafficking. There were 126 cases identified, with 230 victims being involved in these cases (note that cases can involve multiple victims).&nbsp;

One of the ways to combat this is through the <a href="https://tatnonprofit.org/">Truckers Against Trafficking</a> course, which is approved by the AG's office. By taking this course, truckers can better understand what human trafficking is and what signs to look for.

Some signs to spot in victims of human trafficking include:

- Seem ill with a lack of malnourishment.

- No type of identification of the individual, nor money.

- Lack of eye contact with a slumped posture.

- Small children working at restaurant and/or some type of business.

- Multiple people with diverse backgrounds living in a household.

These signs above are but a few of many signs to look for, and go <a href="https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/human-trafficking/recognizing-signs">here</a> to learn more.

According to the Department of Justice (DoJ) regarding the <a href="https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/human-trafficking-data-collection-activities-2024">Human Trafficking Data Collection Activities, 2024</a>:

A total of 1,912 persons were referred to U.S. attorneys for human trafficking offenses in fiscal year 2022, a 26% increase from the 1,519 persons referred in 2012.

The number of persons prosecuted for human trafficking more than doubled from 2012 to 2022 (from 805 to 1,656 persons). The number of persons convicted of a human trafficking offense increased from 578 persons in 2012 to 1,118 persons in 2022.&nbsp;

Both Adam and Reynolds will be speak about their mission, during the public comment period at the Saline County Commission meeting on Tuesday,&nbsp;January 6, 2026. Additionally, <a href="https://www.dvack.org/">DVACK</a>&nbsp;will also speak on a proclamation in the fight against human trafficking during the same meeting.

Adam and Reynolds are working to collaborate with DVACK.&nbsp;

A Facebook page for the Human Trafficking Task Force is in the works as well.

If you think or know someone is being trafficked or sexually exploited, please call your local police department or 9-1-1.

To report a tip, get additional information and/or if you have been a victim/survivor of human trafficking, call or text:

The National Human Trafficking Hotline is:&nbsp;1-888-373-7888 or you can text "BeFree" to&nbsp;233733

DVACK is another resource here locally, and to get in contact with them go to:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dvack.org/contact">https://www.dvack.org/contact&nbsp;</a>

You can also report human trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Hotline website by clicking <a href="https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/report-trafficking">here</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765565700001.jpg" alt="Pixabay image" />
 <figcaption>Pixabay image</figcaption>
 </figure>By: NICOLAS FIERROSalina PostTwo bold women representing the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/304759803960474/">Granny Brigade</a> are actively working to spread awareness and inform Saline County on the dangers and the unfortunate reality of human trafficking.Linda Adam and Linda Reynolds who are members of the Granny Brigade, are the frontrunners in working to spread awareness on the dangers, signs and information of human trafficking."We are trying to create awareness in the community," said Adam. "We want to educate students within the school system here, parents and get others involved in this fight against human trafficking."Both Adam and Reynolds were first moved to spread awareness, after sitting in on two Granny Brigade meetings that featured speakers talking about the topic of human trafficking.Those speakers featured&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/06722d12-9dfe-44f4-a9e8-9ded80c8a3b2">Kim Borchers</a>&nbsp;a longtime Topeka activist, and <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/55605632-862a-4130-a5ce-fff6661f0592">JJ Carrell</a>, a retired&nbsp;U.S. Border Deputy Patrol Agent.After listening to Borchers' views and Carrell's views on how human trafficking is closely tied with human/migrant smuggling, both Adam and Reynolds thought to take action.Though human/migrant smuggling is legally defined as a person who "voluntarily enters into an agreement with a smuggler to gain illegal entry into a foreign country," there are still cases when people who are smuggled, can be&nbsp;extremely vulnerable to human trafficking, abuse, and other crimes, as they are illegally present in the country of destination and often owe large debts to their smugglers, according to the <a href="https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/272325.pdf">U.S. Department of State</a>.Moreover, some smuggled persons may be subjected to sex or labor trafficking while in transit or at their destination, and these individuals are indeed trafficking victims."We thought to ourselves, we needed to start a task force in Salina," said Reynolds.Adam and Reynolds established the "Human Trafficking Task Force."&nbsp;<h2>The Human Trafficking Task Force</h2>The mission statement of the task force is as follows:We lead with intent &amp; defined goals to inform our community &amp; create awareness to the rampant rise of human trafficking - a modern day form of abuse &amp; slavery. Do not look away. Human trafficking is present among us. Our task force is a goal oriented team that tackles this challenging issue with teamwork &amp; collaboration. FREEDOM for all is our MISSION - JUSTICE is our DEMAND.&nbsp;Currently the task force has 14 members, including Adam and Reynolds. The task force distributes informational packets to local organizations in the community. The packets are loaded with information from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/about-us/attorney-general-kris-w-kobach">Attorney General Kris Kobach's office</a>, as the pair have worked closely with Julie Hart, the Human Trafficking Education &amp; Outreach Coordinator Victim Services Division.Adam and Reynolds have also talked about presenting this material to local school districts.&nbsp;"We desperately need to present this to our schools," said Reynolds.&nbsp;The task force strives to inform students and parents within the school system to bring forth awareness on this issue.According to AG Kobach's office, "sextortion" is defined as form of blackmail where someone threatens to share sexual images of a person unless they do something they don't want to do - such as send more images, engage in sexual activities or pay money.Victims of sextortion often feel scared and silent due to fears of trouble, shaming their parents or judgment from peers.Learn more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missingkids.org/home">https://www.missingkids.org/home</a><h2>I-70 and I-35, contributing highways for human trafficking</h2>Since major highways like I-70 &amp; I-35 which spurs into I-135 intersecting into Salina, it should be no surprise human trafficking occurrences can happen locally.I-135&nbsp;serves as a key link for central Kansas, intersecting I-70 in Salina to create a vital crossroads for regional and national travel. While I-35 runs north-south from Mexico to Minnesota, connecting major central U.S. cities like Dallas, OKC and Kansas City.According to the <a href="https://www.rileycountypolice.org/350/Human-Trafficking#:~:text=US%20Department%20of%20Justice%20has,nature%20of%20the%20trafficking%20trades.">Riley County Police Department</a>, the I-70 and I-35 highways contribute to “hotspot” communities for labor and sex trafficking activities. For the 2024 year in Kansas, the <a href="https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/statistics/kansas">National Human Trafficking Hotline</a> received 198 signals with 68 of them being victims or survivors of human trafficking. There were 126 cases identified, with 230 victims being involved in these cases (note that cases can involve multiple victims).&nbsp;One of the ways to combat this is through the <a href="https://tatnonprofit.org/">Truckers Against Trafficking</a> course, which is approved by the AG's office. By taking this course, truckers can better understand what human trafficking is and what signs to look for.Some signs to spot in victims of human trafficking include:- Seem ill with a lack of malnourishment.- No type of identification of the individual, nor money.- Seem uncommunicative.- Lack of eye contact with a slumped posture.- Living at place of employment.- Small children working at restaurant and/or some type of business.- Multiple people with diverse backgrounds living in a household.- Submissive/fearful behavior.These signs above are but a few of many signs to look for, and go <a href="https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/human-trafficking/recognizing-signs">here</a> to learn more.According to the Department of Justice (DoJ) regarding the <a href="https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/human-trafficking-data-collection-activities-2024">Human Trafficking Data Collection Activities, 2024</a>:A total of 1,912 persons were referred to U.S. attorneys for human trafficking offenses in fiscal year 2022, a 26% increase from the 1,519 persons referred in 2012.The number of persons prosecuted for human trafficking more than doubled from 2012 to 2022 (from 805 to 1,656 persons). The number of persons convicted of a human trafficking offense increased from 578 persons in 2012 to 1,118 persons in 2022.&nbsp;Both Adam and Reynolds will be speak about their mission, during the public comment period at the Saline County Commission meeting on Tuesday,&nbsp;January 6, 2026. Additionally, <a href="https://www.dvack.org/">DVACK</a>&nbsp;will also speak on a proclamation in the fight against human trafficking during the same meeting.Adam and Reynolds are working to collaborate with DVACK.&nbsp;A Facebook page for the Human Trafficking Task Force is in the works as well.<h2>Helpful resources</h2>If you think or know someone is being trafficked or sexually exploited, please call your local police department or 9-1-1.To report a tip, get additional information and/or if you have been a victim/survivor of human trafficking, call or text:The National Human Trafficking Hotline is:&nbsp;1-888-373-7888 or you can text "BeFree" to&nbsp;233733DVACK is another resource here locally, and to get in contact with them go to:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dvack.org/contact">https://www.dvack.org/contact&nbsp;</a>You can also report human trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Hotline website by clicking <a href="https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/report-trafficking">here</a>.&nbsp;

Two women boldly spreading awareness on the dangers and unfortunate reality of human trafficking within Saline County

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765686415445.png" alt="Three day weather forecast Salina, December 15 - December 17. Courtesy of US National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Three day weather forecast Salina, December 15 - December 17. Courtesy of 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 weather 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 the National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>. To check forecasts frequently, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/">weather.gov</a>.

Three day weather forecast Salina, December 15 - December 17

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765489838408.png" alt="Four day weather forecast Salina, December 12 - December 15. Courtesy of US National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Four day weather forecast Salina, December 12 - December 15. Courtesy of 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 weather 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 the National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>. To check forecasts frequently, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/">weather.gov</a>.

Four day weather forecast Salina, December 12 - December 15

PROVO, Utah (AP) — The Utah man charged with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-suspect-things-to-know-dcde3f792f4d6636d44fb9f4fa53569c">killing Charlie Kirk</a>&nbsp;made his first in-person court appearance Thursday as his attorneys pushed to further limit media access in the high-profile criminal case.

Prosecutors have charged Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">Sept. 10 shooting</a>&nbsp;of the conservative activist on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-valley-university-police-charlie-kirk-d7d464c949ec9d4abad0eb3910d6a96b">Utah Valley University</a>&nbsp;campus in Orem, just a few miles north of the Provo courthouse. They plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-tyler-robinson-court-death-penalty-f541df08a936e06497ee2342296bc398">seek the death penalty</a>.

Robinson, 22, arrived amid heavy security, shackled at the waist, wrists and ankles and wearing a dress shirt, tie and slacks.

He smiled at family members sitting in the front row of the courtroom, where his mother teared up after he entered the court. Next to her were Robinson’s brother and father, who took notes throughout the hearing.

Early in the proceedings, state District Court Judge Tony Graf briefly stopped livestreaming of the hearing via a media pool and required the camera be moved, after Robinson's attorneys said the stream showed the defendant's shackles in violation of a courtroom order.

Graf said he would terminate future broadcasts if there were further violations of the order issued in October, which bars media from showing images of Robinson in restraints or anywhere in the courtroom except sitting at the defense table.

“This court takes this very seriously. While the court believes in openness and transparency, it needs to be balanced with the constitutional rights of all parties in this case,” Graf said.

Graf is weighing the public’s right to know details about Robinson's case against his attorneys’ concerns that the swarm of media attention could interfere with a fair trial.

Robinson’s legal team and the Utah County Sheriff’s Office have asked Judge Tony Graf to ban cameras in the courtroom, but he has not yet ruled on the request.

The defendant had previously appeared before the court via video or audio feed from jail.

A coalition of national and local news organizations, including The Associated Press, is fighting to preserve media access in the case.

Graf held a closed hearing on Oct. 24 in which attorneys discussed Robinson's courtroom attire and security protocols. Under a subsequent ruling by the judge, Robinson is allowed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-tyler-robinson-court-hearing-489ee127c80553ff8e0ed35ef951f11a">wear street clothes</a>&nbsp;during pretrial hearings but must be physically restrained due to security concerns.

Graf also prohibited media from filming or photographing Robinson's restraints after his attorneys argued widespread images of him shackled and in jail clothing could prejudice future jurors.

Several university students who witnessed Kirk’s assassination attended Thursday's hearing.

Zack Reese, a Utah Valley University student and “big Charlie Kirk fan,” said he had skepticism about Robinson’s arrest and came to the hearing seeking answers. Reese has family in southwestern Utah, where the Robinsons are from, and said he believes they're a good family.

Brigham Young University student William Brown, who said he was about 10 feet from Kirk when he was shot, said he felt overwhelmed seeing Robinson walk into the courtroom Thursday.

“I witnessed a huge event, and my brain is still trying to make sense of it,” Brown said. “I feel like being here helps it feel more real than surreal.”

Michael Judd, an attorney for the media coalition, has urged Graf to let the news organizations weigh in on any future requests for closed hearings or other limitations.

The media presence at Utah hearings is already limited, with judges often designating one photographer and one videographer to document a hearing and share their images with other news organizations. Additional journalists can typically attend to listen and take notes, as can members of the public.

Judd wrote in recent filings that an open court “safeguards the integrity of the fact-finding process” while fostering public confidence in judicial proceedings. Criminal cases in the U.S. have long been open to the public, which he argued is proof that trials can be conducted fairly without restricting reporters as they work to keep the public informed.

Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has called for full transparency, saying, “We deserve to have cameras in there.” Her husband was an ally of President Donald Trump who worked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-turning-point-trump-cf2a68e4303c5628299ffe383d09c1e9">steer young voters toward conservatism</a>.

Robinson's legal team says his pretrial publicity reaches as far as the White House, with Trump announcing soon after Robinson’s arrest, “With a high degree of certainty, we have him,” and “I hope he gets the death penalty.”

Defense attorney Kathy Nester has raised concern that digitally altered versions of Robinson's initial court photo have spread widely, creating misinformation about the case. Some altered images show Robinson crying or having an outburst in court, which did not happen.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765490146270.jpeg" alt="Tyler Robinson, accused of the murder of Charlie Kirk, appears during a hearing in Fourth District Court in Provo, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, Pool)" />
 <figcaption>Tyler Robinson, accused of the murder of Charlie Kirk, appears during a hearing in Fourth District Court in Provo, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, Pool)</figcaption>
 </figure>PROVO, Utah (AP) — The Utah man charged with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-suspect-things-to-know-dcde3f792f4d6636d44fb9f4fa53569c">killing Charlie Kirk</a>&nbsp;made his first in-person court appearance Thursday as his attorneys pushed to further limit media access in the high-profile criminal case.Prosecutors have charged Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">Sept. 10 shooting</a>&nbsp;of the conservative activist on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-valley-university-police-charlie-kirk-d7d464c949ec9d4abad0eb3910d6a96b">Utah Valley University</a>&nbsp;campus in Orem, just a few miles north of the Provo courthouse. They plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-tyler-robinson-court-death-penalty-f541df08a936e06497ee2342296bc398">seek the death penalty</a>.Robinson, 22, arrived amid heavy security, shackled at the waist, wrists and ankles and wearing a dress shirt, tie and slacks.He smiled at family members sitting in the front row of the courtroom, where his mother teared up after he entered the court. Next to her were Robinson’s brother and father, who took notes throughout the hearing.Early in the proceedings, state District Court Judge Tony Graf briefly stopped livestreaming of the hearing via a media pool and required the camera be moved, after Robinson's attorneys said the stream showed the defendant's shackles in violation of a courtroom order.Graf said he would terminate future broadcasts if there were further violations of the order issued in October, which bars media from showing images of Robinson in restraints or anywhere in the courtroom except sitting at the defense table.“This court takes this very seriously. While the court believes in openness and transparency, it needs to be balanced with the constitutional rights of all parties in this case,” Graf said.Graf is weighing the public’s right to know details about Robinson's case against his attorneys’ concerns that the swarm of media attention could interfere with a fair trial.Robinson’s legal team and the Utah County Sheriff’s Office have asked Judge Tony Graf to ban cameras in the courtroom, but he has not yet ruled on the request.The defendant had previously appeared before the court via video or audio feed from jail.A coalition of national and local news organizations, including The Associated Press, is fighting to preserve media access in the case.Graf held a closed hearing on Oct. 24 in which attorneys discussed Robinson's courtroom attire and security protocols. Under a subsequent ruling by the judge, Robinson is allowed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-tyler-robinson-court-hearing-489ee127c80553ff8e0ed35ef951f11a">wear street clothes</a>&nbsp;during pretrial hearings but must be physically restrained due to security concerns.Graf also prohibited media from filming or photographing Robinson's restraints after his attorneys argued widespread images of him shackled and in jail clothing could prejudice future jurors.Several university students who witnessed Kirk’s assassination attended Thursday's hearing.Zack Reese, a Utah Valley University student and “big Charlie Kirk fan,” said he had skepticism about Robinson’s arrest and came to the hearing seeking answers. Reese has family in southwestern Utah, where the Robinsons are from, and said he believes they're a good family.Brigham Young University student William Brown, who said he was about 10 feet from Kirk when he was shot, said he felt overwhelmed seeing Robinson walk into the courtroom Thursday.“I witnessed a huge event, and my brain is still trying to make sense of it,” Brown said. “I feel like being here helps it feel more real than surreal.”Michael Judd, an attorney for the media coalition, has urged Graf to let the news organizations weigh in on any future requests for closed hearings or other limitations.The media presence at Utah hearings is already limited, with judges often designating one photographer and one videographer to document a hearing and share their images with other news organizations. Additional journalists can typically attend to listen and take notes, as can members of the public.Judd wrote in recent filings that an open court “safeguards the integrity of the fact-finding process” while fostering public confidence in judicial proceedings. Criminal cases in the U.S. have long been open to the public, which he argued is proof that trials can be conducted fairly without restricting reporters as they work to keep the public informed.Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has called for full transparency, saying, “We deserve to have cameras in there.” Her husband was an ally of President Donald Trump who worked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-turning-point-trump-cf2a68e4303c5628299ffe383d09c1e9">steer young voters toward conservatism</a>.Robinson's legal team says his pretrial publicity reaches as far as the White House, with Trump announcing soon after Robinson’s arrest, “With a high degree of certainty, we have him,” and “I hope he gets the death penalty.”Defense attorney Kathy Nester has raised concern that digitally altered versions of Robinson's initial court photo have spread widely, creating misinformation about the case. Some altered images show Robinson crying or having an outburst in court, which did not happen.

 Man accused of killing Charlie Kirk appears in court for 1st time

The Georgetown Santas are back and ready for action this Christmas season, as they will continue their tradition for the 27th year.

This December 21st - 23rd, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm each night, the Santas and their elves will give out candy and freshly-popped popcorn to passersby&nbsp;on 2312 Georgetown&nbsp;Road&nbsp;in Salina.

This event is open to all in the community and is FREE of charge, as donations are encouraged to help offset operating expenses.

The community continues to show a desire for this annual tradition as they have fueled the operation to allow the Santas to operate entirely off of donations from the community for the last 20+ years. Year after year, the&nbsp;Santas have continued to receive enough in donations to cover the associated costs of supporting the event for the following year, namely the costs associated with procuring all of the candy and popcorn supplies.

The Georgetown Santas greet thousands of visitors each year in the days leading up to Christmas, from neighbors that approach on foot, to travelers coming in from out of state. The Santas distribute hundreds of pounds of candy, several thousand candy canes, and the Elves pop over 350 lbs. of popcorn in their 3 days of operation, annually.

For those wanting to join this beloved tradition, all you need to do is drive to Georgetown Road, stay in your vehicles, receive road directions from the Elves and&nbsp;roll down the windows to get your treats!

Pictures with the Santas are welcome, and there is a request for you to pull your vehicle ahead to park to not hold up traffic, so that the team can continue to serve other guests.

Jack Schmiedeler, Paul McDaniel, Pete Martin, Mel Augustine, Brian Berner, Jay Caldwell, Kevin Bernhardt and Steve Sperling.

Justin Martin, Larry Thompson, John Miller, Zach Schreiber and Joe Becker.

Since 1999,&nbsp;Santa Jack Schmiedeler would stand out at the end of his driveway and wave at the passersby. He then started handing out candy as cars stopped to see Santa. 

The following year, Santa Paul McDaniel joined up with Santa Jack to spread the Christmas cheer. Within the next three years, Santas Pete Martin, Mike Chaput, and Mel Augustine joined in to support the cause. It was about that time that the Santas and their helpers; Justin Martin, Virgil Michaelis, and Larry Thompson; began handing out freshly-popped popcorn in addition to the candy. 

From these humble beginnings has grown a true Christmas tradition on Georgetown Road.

To listen to the Georgetown Santas soundtrack on Spotify, click <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7mSj8w04OMXfCbgQEaw3B7?go=1&amp;sp_cid=c9de47a24f94723d2a089a71adfeb42a&amp;utm_source=embed_player_p&amp;utm_medium=desktop&amp;nd=1&amp;dlsi=5a8e727d650c4d11">here</a>.

For more information, click <a href="http://www.georgetownsantas.com/visit-us">here</a>.

Watch the video below to see how Georgetown Santas prepare for their tradition since 1999.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703716986212.jpeg" alt="Santa Pete Martin hands out candy to a bus full of people during the annual Georgetown Santas community event in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Santa Pete Martin hands out candy to a bus full of people during the annual Georgetown Santas community event in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>Salina PostThe Georgetown Santas are back and ready for action this Christmas season, as they will continue their tradition for the 27th year.This December 21st - 23rd, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm each night, the Santas and their elves will give out candy and freshly-popped popcorn to passersby&nbsp;on 2312 Georgetown&nbsp;Road&nbsp;in Salina.This event is open to all in the community and is FREE of charge, as donations are encouraged to help offset operating expenses.The community continues to show a desire for this annual tradition as they have fueled the operation to allow the Santas to operate entirely off of donations from the community for the last 20+ years. Year after year, the&nbsp;Santas have continued to receive enough in donations to cover the associated costs of supporting the event for the following year, namely the costs associated with procuring all of the candy and popcorn supplies.The Georgetown Santas greet thousands of visitors each year in the days leading up to Christmas, from neighbors that approach on foot, to travelers coming in from out of state. The Santas distribute hundreds of pounds of candy, several thousand candy canes, and the Elves pop over 350 lbs. of popcorn in their 3 days of operation, annually.For those wanting to join this beloved tradition, all you need to do is drive to Georgetown Road, stay in your vehicles, receive road directions from the Elves and&nbsp;roll down the windows to get your treats!Pictures with the Santas are welcome, and there is a request for you to pull your vehicle ahead to park to not hold up traffic, so that the team can continue to serve other guests.The Santas and Elves consist of:Santas:Jack Schmiedeler, Paul McDaniel, Pete Martin, Mel Augustine, Brian Berner, Jay Caldwell, Kevin Bernhardt and Steve Sperling.Elves:Justin Martin, Larry Thompson, John Miller, Zach Schreiber and Joe Becker.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765380064568.jpeg" alt="Image courtesy of Georgetown Santas" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Georgetown Santas</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>History of Georgetown Santas</h2>Since 1999,&nbsp;Santa Jack Schmiedeler would stand out at the end of his driveway and wave at the passersby. He then started handing out candy as cars stopped to see Santa. The following year, Santa Paul McDaniel joined up with Santa Jack to spread the Christmas cheer. Within the next three years, Santas Pete Martin, Mike Chaput, and Mel Augustine joined in to support the cause. It was about that time that the Santas and their helpers; Justin Martin, Virgil Michaelis, and Larry Thompson; began handing out freshly-popped popcorn in addition to the candy. From these humble beginnings has grown a true Christmas tradition on Georgetown Road.To listen to the Georgetown Santas soundtrack on Spotify, click <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7mSj8w04OMXfCbgQEaw3B7?go=1&amp;sp_cid=c9de47a24f94723d2a089a71adfeb42a&amp;utm_source=embed_player_p&amp;utm_medium=desktop&amp;nd=1&amp;dlsi=5a8e727d650c4d11">here</a>.For more information, click <a href="http://www.georgetownsantas.com/visit-us">here</a>.Watch the video below to see how Georgetown Santas prepare for their tradition since 1999.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LxUcA1lYMsc?si=w-YoZWZqRGErVk_P" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

🎥 Georgetown Santas are gearing up and ready to give treats to Salinans for the 27th year 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765323718764.png" alt="Three day weather forecast Salina, December 10 - December 12. Courtesy of US National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Three day weather forecast Salina, December 10 - December 12. Courtesy of 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 weather 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 the National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>. To check forecasts frequently, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/">weather.gov</a>.

Three day weather forecast Salina, December 10 - December 12

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Really don’t have anything injury wise to give you yet. Wanya’s (Morris) did not look good, but we’ll be able to get you that later as we go. Listen, it was a great atmosphere for a football game. The fans were phenomenal. We came up short obviously. I need to make sure I give the guys an opportunity on those fourth downs to make plays. I take full responsibility for that. (I) thought we could have mustered something up there, and I knew points were important. But that’s my responsibility to make sure those work. The obvious is we’ve had too many drops, you’ve got to take care of that. I’m not sure where these came from. We’ve been catching the ball pretty good there the last couple of games, so we have got to go back to that and make sure – these are great players that have had some drops and the quarterback (Patrick Mahomes) I know would have liked a couple of those throws back.&nbsp; We have to start making those kind of plays offensively. Defensively, I thought again the second half of the game, we played really good sound football and made plays. We were able to put the ball back into the offense’s hands and special teams I thought they did a good job too. With that, time’s yours.”

Q: What were your intentions on the 4th-and-one? It looked like you were trying to hit Hollywood Brown.

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, so Jesse (Newell), we thought we had a good play. Some of that going for fourth is you’ve got to feel what you’ve got. We thought we had a good one for him (Hollywood Brown) and you’re seeing that right, there was a throw to Hollywood (Brown).”

Q: How do you feel after the fourth down decision, now that you’ve had time to reflect?

REID:&nbsp;“We’ve been so good in that area. Whether it was run or pass. I felt we were in a good position. I thought we had a good play. Again, I thought it was the right thing to do then – this is terrible to say in a situation like this because we didn’t win and we didn’t get that, but I would probably do that same thing again. I also know when you don’t get them it can be a problem, especially when they’re in that field goal range area. Very aware of that. I thought the risk-reward was right for that time. It slapped me in the face though; it didn’t go that way.”

Q: Based on your experience, how do you keep the team motivated and have faith?

REID:&nbsp;“You hate for it to come down to that Pete (Sweeney), but I have learned over the years that anything is possible. I communicated that to the guys that were down in the dumps after the game. They put their heart and soul into that thing, and we came up short. But at the same time, there’s a way you got to pick yourself up and get yourself going again. Hope is always a good motivator there. I think our guys realize that I mentioned it to them after the game – not that that’s what they wanted to hear at that particular time. They were still very upset about what had just went on. They wanted to win that game, obviously.”

Q: What was the thought process of putting Wanya Morris at the left tackle position and Jaylon Moore at the right tackle position?

REID:&nbsp;“Well, Matt (Derrick), you saw the matchups and all of that, so we always take matchups into mind. But also, where the player is comfortable too. So that’s what we felt was right. I can’t tell you if that will be the case this week. We’ll see how things go in the game plan part of it. With the exception of the pressure on the 4th-and-one there were some pretty good things that I thought we did there. 51 (Texans DE Will Anderson Jr.) got us a little bit on that 4th-and-one to where we wanted to go with the ball. Other than that, I thought they did a respectable job.”

Q: What were your thoughts on the Nohl Williams holding call?

REID:&nbsp;“I think my reaction probably to it said it all. We’ll just leave it at that. You can go back and look at the tape. I’m sure you have Matt (Derrick).”

Q:&nbsp;On going for it on 4th-and-four with 5:31 left.

REID:&nbsp;“There were five minutes, and [31] seconds left on the clock in that area. I really felt like we had a great play there that we could dial up that fit into what they (Houston Texans) were doing defensively. By that time, you have a pretty decent feel on what’s going on. I thought we were within striking distance there to take care of it. It didn’t work out.”

Q: On the decision to not go for it on fourth down after a penalty moved the ball up.

REID:&nbsp;“I think through them all but I’m not going to tell you I don’t go through it. The one we went for I felt real good about and the one we didn’t go for I wasn’t feeling it. Listen we had a productive play there – or a chance for a productive play and we just have to make sure we take care of business there.”

Q: What did you see from Esa Pole?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah Soren (Petro), so after the game I mentioned I was proud of him (Esa Pole) because he had no reps in practice for the most part and then just a couple fill in things. I thought he did a nice job for what he was asked to do. We just picked him back up here and he again had limited reps and jumps in and I mean he’s a rookie. He jumps in and did some pretty good things against what I think is a pretty good football player.”

REID:&nbsp;“It’s not from a lack of effort part. It could be as simple as taking your eyes off the ball to see where you’re going to want to go in these traffic throws. That can be the case or maybe the ball’s a little bit on your back shoulder and you have to squeeze it before you finish it and try and take it up the field so there’s all kinds of things. It could be part is the throw (or) part is just making sure you look at it all the way into the tuck.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you feel like you need to cheer up the coaches and players in the facility?

REID:&nbsp;“It falls on me, first of all. Our guys will be ready; they’ll be ready to go. You go through this and you kind of regather your thoughts and time is a friend here for you in that area because you spend a lot of time on this Todd (Leabo), as you know, getting ready for these games, and there’s a lot of effort that goes into it and you should feel that. If you’ve put everything out there and you’ve come up on the short end, you should feel a sense that listen, we’ve got to do better here and that’s not a great feeling normally. On the other hand, you go back through and you still have an opportunity to go (and) that fires you up. You just need a minute here to catch it. Now, we don’t have the players in today, so they’re going through that. We’re deep into the Chargers right now as we speak, so that’s how it rolls.”

Q: You’ve been in fourth quarter situations before; do you feel the same energy on the sidelines in those moments that are similar from the rest of the season?

REID:&nbsp;“I do feel it. I thought there was great energy, actually going into that. I don’t think it was an energy thing that got us in this game here. I felt like the guys were into it (and) were encouraging each other. It seemed very positive. We just had a couple negative things go wrong, that’s where I’m kicking myself in the tail. On the fourth down, we did have some momentum if you want to call it that. There at least was a positive feel going and tried to build on that, but it didn’t work out. When they don’t work, it’s not a good thing.”

Q: Was there a missed opportunity on the missed play of potential offsides by the Texans?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesDecember 8, 2025OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Really don’t have anything injury wise to give you yet. Wanya’s (Morris) did not look good, but we’ll be able to get you that later as we go. Listen, it was a great atmosphere for a football game. The fans were phenomenal. We came up short obviously. I need to make sure I give the guys an opportunity on those fourth downs to make plays. I take full responsibility for that. (I) thought we could have mustered something up there, and I knew points were important. But that’s my responsibility to make sure those work. The obvious is we’ve had too many drops, you’ve got to take care of that. I’m not sure where these came from. We’ve been catching the ball pretty good there the last couple of games, so we have got to go back to that and make sure – these are great players that have had some drops and the quarterback (Patrick Mahomes) I know would have liked a couple of those throws back.&nbsp; We have to start making those kind of plays offensively. Defensively, I thought again the second half of the game, we played really good sound football and made plays. We were able to put the ball back into the offense’s hands and special teams I thought they did a good job too. With that, time’s yours.”Q: What were your intentions on the 4th-and-one? It looked like you were trying to hit Hollywood Brown.REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, so Jesse (Newell), we thought we had a good play. Some of that going for fourth is you’ve got to feel what you’ve got. We thought we had a good one for him (Hollywood Brown) and you’re seeing that right, there was a throw to Hollywood (Brown).”Q: How do you feel after the fourth down decision, now that you’ve had time to reflect?REID:&nbsp;“We’ve been so good in that area. Whether it was run or pass. I felt we were in a good position. I thought we had a good play. Again, I thought it was the right thing to do then – this is terrible to say in a situation like this because we didn’t win and we didn’t get that, but I would probably do that same thing again. I also know when you don’t get them it can be a problem, especially when they’re in that field goal range area. Very aware of that. I thought the risk-reward was right for that time. It slapped me in the face though; it didn’t go that way.”Q: Based on your experience, how do you keep the team motivated and have faith?REID:&nbsp;“You hate for it to come down to that Pete (Sweeney), but I have learned over the years that anything is possible. I communicated that to the guys that were down in the dumps after the game. They put their heart and soul into that thing, and we came up short. But at the same time, there’s a way you got to pick yourself up and get yourself going again. Hope is always a good motivator there. I think our guys realize that I mentioned it to them after the game – not that that’s what they wanted to hear at that particular time. They were still very upset about what had just went on. They wanted to win that game, obviously.”Q: What was the thought process of putting Wanya Morris at the left tackle position and Jaylon Moore at the right tackle position?REID:&nbsp;“Well, Matt (Derrick), you saw the matchups and all of that, so we always take matchups into mind. But also, where the player is comfortable too. So that’s what we felt was right. I can’t tell you if that will be the case this week. We’ll see how things go in the game plan part of it. With the exception of the pressure on the 4th-and-one there were some pretty good things that I thought we did there. 51 (Texans DE Will Anderson Jr.) got us a little bit on that 4th-and-one to where we wanted to go with the ball. Other than that, I thought they did a respectable job.”Q: What were your thoughts on the Nohl Williams holding call?REID:&nbsp;“I think my reaction probably to it said it all. We’ll just leave it at that. You can go back and look at the tape. I’m sure you have Matt (Derrick).”Q:&nbsp;On going for it on 4th-and-four with 5:31 left.REID:&nbsp;“There were five minutes, and [31] seconds left on the clock in that area. I really felt like we had a great play there that we could dial up that fit into what they (Houston Texans) were doing defensively. By that time, you have a pretty decent feel on what’s going on. I thought we were within striking distance there to take care of it. It didn’t work out.”Q: On the decision to not go for it on fourth down after a penalty moved the ball up.REID:&nbsp;“I think through them all but I’m not going to tell you I don’t go through it. The one we went for I felt real good about and the one we didn’t go for I wasn’t feeling it. Listen we had a productive play there – or a chance for a productive play and we just have to make sure we take care of business there.”Q: What did you see from Esa Pole?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah Soren (Petro), so after the game I mentioned I was proud of him (Esa Pole) because he had no reps in practice for the most part and then just a couple fill in things. I thought he did a nice job for what he was asked to do. We just picked him back up here and he again had limited reps and jumps in and I mean he’s a rookie. He jumps in and did some pretty good things against what I think is a pretty good football player.”Q: Why do you think drops happen?REID:&nbsp;“It’s not from a lack of effort part. It could be as simple as taking your eyes off the ball to see where you’re going to want to go in these traffic throws. That can be the case or maybe the ball’s a little bit on your back shoulder and you have to squeeze it before you finish it and try and take it up the field so there’s all kinds of things. It could be part is the throw (or) part is just making sure you look at it all the way into the tuck.”Q:&nbsp;Do you feel like you need to cheer up the coaches and players in the facility?REID:&nbsp;“It falls on me, first of all. Our guys will be ready; they’ll be ready to go. You go through this and you kind of regather your thoughts and time is a friend here for you in that area because you spend a lot of time on this Todd (Leabo), as you know, getting ready for these games, and there’s a lot of effort that goes into it and you should feel that. If you’ve put everything out there and you’ve come up on the short end, you should feel a sense that listen, we’ve got to do better here and that’s not a great feeling normally. On the other hand, you go back through and you still have an opportunity to go (and) that fires you up. You just need a minute here to catch it. Now, we don’t have the players in today, so they’re going through that. We’re deep into the Chargers right now as we speak, so that’s how it rolls.”Q: You’ve been in fourth quarter situations before; do you feel the same energy on the sidelines in those moments that are similar from the rest of the season?REID:&nbsp;“I do feel it. I thought there was great energy, actually going into that. I don’t think it was an energy thing that got us in this game here. I felt like the guys were into it (and) were encouraging each other. It seemed very positive. We just had a couple negative things go wrong, that’s where I’m kicking myself in the tail. On the fourth down, we did have some momentum if you want to call it that. There at least was a positive feel going and tried to build on that, but it didn’t work out. When they don’t work, it’s not a good thing.”Q: Was there a missed opportunity on the missed play of potential offsides by the Texans?

Chiefs Quotes: 12-8-25

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765080352266.png" alt="Three day weather forecast Salina, December 8 - December 10.&nbsp;Courtesy of US National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Three day weather forecast Salina, December 8 - December 10.&nbsp;Courtesy of 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 weather 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 the National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>. To check forecasts frequently, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/">weather.gov</a>.

Three day weather forecast Salina, December 8 - December 10

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Houston Texans never made their trip to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday night into anything more than their next game.

Didn't matter that the Kansas City Chiefs had been the AFC's bully for the better part of a decade. Or the Chiefs had knocked Houston out of the playoffs last year. Or that the Texans needed to win to keep pace with Jacksonville in the AFC South.

“It was our next game,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We needed to come out and execute. Play good football. And we did.”

C.J Stroud threw for 203 yards and a touchdown, the Texans leaned on the NFL's top-ranked defense to shut down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, and Houston walked out with a 20-10 victory that gave a big boost to their postseason hopes.

Nico Collins contributed four catches for 121 yards, and Dare Ogunbowale added a go-ahead touchdown run in the fourth quarter, as the Texans (8-5) won their fifth straight overall and remained a game back of the Jaguars in a tight division race.

“We did what we came to do,” Ryans said. “It was just about accomplishing your mission. It wasn't anything extra on top for winning this game. We just knew we had to get the win no matter what it took.”

Mahomes, operating behind an ailing offensive line, was 14 of 33 for 160 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. The last of the picks came late in the fourth quarter, when Kansas City was trailing by a touchdown and trying to get the game to overtime.

“I thought our defense did a great job sticking in coverage, and relentlessly rushing," Stroud said. "An amazing job.”

While the win gave a big boost to Houston's playoff chances, whether it be a division title or wild-card spot, it dealt a crippling blow to the defending AFC champs. Kansas City dropped to 6-7, its worst record through 13 games since a 2-11 start to the 2012 season.

“You're getting late in the season. You're not going to get these opportunities back,” Mahomes said. “That's a good football team, but we had chances and we didn't execute at the right time to win it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765164441878.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Houston Texans never made their trip to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday night into anything more than their next game.Didn't matter that the Kansas City Chiefs had been the AFC's bully for the better part of a decade. Or the Chiefs had knocked Houston out of the playoffs last year. Or that the Texans needed to win to keep pace with Jacksonville in the AFC South.“It was our next game,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We needed to come out and execute. Play good football. And we did.”Did enough, anyway.C.J Stroud threw for 203 yards and a touchdown, the Texans leaned on the NFL's top-ranked defense to shut down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, and Houston walked out with a 20-10 victory that gave a big boost to their postseason hopes.Nico Collins contributed four catches for 121 yards, and Dare Ogunbowale added a go-ahead touchdown run in the fourth quarter, as the Texans (8-5) won their fifth straight overall and remained a game back of the Jaguars in a tight division race.“We did what we came to do,” Ryans said. “It was just about accomplishing your mission. It wasn't anything extra on top for winning this game. We just knew we had to get the win no matter what it took.”Mahomes, operating behind an ailing offensive line, was 14 of 33 for 160 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. The last of the picks came late in the fourth quarter, when Kansas City was trailing by a touchdown and trying to get the game to overtime.“I thought our defense did a great job sticking in coverage, and relentlessly rushing," Stroud said. "An amazing job.”While the win gave a big boost to Houston's playoff chances, whether it be a division title or wild-card spot, it dealt a crippling blow to the defending AFC champs. Kansas City dropped to 6-7, its worst record through 13 games since a 2-11 start to the 2012 season.“You're getting late in the season. You're not going to get these opportunities back,” Mahomes said. “That's a good football team, but we had chances and we didn't execute at the right time to win it.”The Chiefs had won five straight against the Texans, including that divisional playoff matchup last January on their way to another Super Bowl appearance. But they were two different teams entirely when they returned for the rematch Sunday night.The streaking Texans were trying to keep their momentum going, and perhaps join a rare club of teams that includes Houston's 2018 version that started 0-3 and made the playoffs. And the once-dominant Chiefs were simply trying to stay in the postseason fight amid a dismal season marked by injuries, underwhelming performances and too many mistakes across the board.The first half turned into a microcosm of all of it.Stroud, who played so well against Indianapolis last week in his return from a concussion, connected with Collins for a 46-yard gain that set up Ka'imi Fairbairn's field goal and a 53-yard catch that led to a short touchdown toss to Woody Marks.Meanwhile, the Chiefs sustained&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-chiefs-injuries-775ebe979ae3135b65a16b1d11c5cfbe">two more significant injuries</a>, this time to left tackle Wanya Morris and cornerback Trent McDuffie, leaving them without their best defensive back and Mahomes working with an offensive line consisting of three backups.“Listen, they battled,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said afterward. “Some of the guys in there hadn't practiced much.”Still, the Chiefs wound up with just 98 first-half yards, and they trailed 10-0 at the break. It was only the fourth time with Mahomes at quarterback and the second time in the regular season that the Chiefs had been shut out in the first half.The Chiefs' defense held its own, though, forcing Stroud into eight consecutive incompletions to start the second half. It allowed Mahomes and the offense to pick away at their deficit, first on Kareem Hunt's TD run and then on Harrison Butker's tying field goal.Ultimately, the game hinged on two fourth-down decisions in the fourth quarter.With the score still 10-10, the Texans had fourth-and-1 at their own 35 and punted. The Chiefs were then held to fourth-and-1 at their own 31, chose to go for it, and watched Mahomes throw incomplete with just over 10 minutes remaining.Six plays later, Ogunbowale plowed into the end zone from 5 yards out to give Houston the lead again.The Chiefs failed on fourth down again moments later, when Rashee Rice dropped a wide-open pass that would have produced a first down. And after Kansas City got the ball back one last time, Mahomes was picked off to end any hope of a comeback.“We've still got an opportunity. Even though it's a slim opportunity, we have an opportunity,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said. “For us, the door is still open. It might be a 10 percent chance. It might be a 5 percent chance. But as long as we have an opportunity and a chance, we can control that, and let the cards fall where they fall.”<h2>Injuries</h2>Texans: RB Nick Chubb (ribs) left in the first half and did not return.Chiefs: RG Trey Smith (ankle) and RT Jawaan Taylor (triceps) were inactive. Morris (knee) and CB McDuffie (knee) got hurt in the first half, leaving Kansas City with a patchwork offensive line and without its best defensive back.<h2>Up next</h2>Houston plays the Cardinals next Sunday.Kansas City plays the Chargers the same day.