Alligator In Rossville

Anti Smoking Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsgni0usHA4&feature=em-subs_digest

Ready For More Flooding??

ROSSVILLE (KSNT) – Racing to recover from flooding last week, Rossville braces for more rain.

The town west of Topeka saw rushing water creep on to Main Street and through backyards when Cross Creek flooded on June 5. Now, six days later, the recovery process is in the beginning stages.

However, a threat of rain in the forecast could stop the effort before it picks up steam.

And that race against the clock is one the town is all too familiar with, according to Rossville Police Chief Jason Connell.

“A good majority of the citizens in our community that have been through this before. We’ve – in my time – we’ve learned from the wise elder folks that have been through this 10 times, 12 times. They gave us guidance,” he said.

That guidance to stay calm, survey which houses would most likely be in the flood zone and how to prepare those residents may be needed again soon.

There is more rain coming to the area. Earlier this week, the National Weather Service and Shawnee County officials were in the town surveying the damage and helping with the clean up.

“Shawnee County came out and we had three big dumpsters full of debris we had to get rid of,” Connell said. And for a town with approximately 1,100 people, that waste adds up.

The weather service helped the town figure out,” how the water moved out (Cross Creek) north of town and how it came into town,” according to Connell.

Even with all the effort, Connell is realistic about the potential for another flood soon, saying people can not stop mother nature.
Video can be seen at:  http://ksnt.com/2015/06/11/rossville-races-against-rain-as-it-recovers-from-flooding/

Rattlers Win Slugfest Wed Night

From the Capital Journal:

ROSSVILLE — The ball was jumping out of Joe Campbell Stadium on Wednesday night as a total of seven home runs were hit in Rossville’s 11-9 Mid-Plains League victory over the Topeka Golden Giants.

The Rattlers (4-3) got homers from Jonathan Valenzuela-Reece, Matt Nerz, Jeff Christen and Colton Kooser.

Both team went hitless in the first three innings, but saw their bats break loose in the middle innings. Topeka (5-6) struck first, scoring three runs in the fourth inning. Lance Barkley drove in Emporia State’s Jonny Hodges with a two-run home run. Barkley’s long ball was followed by a solo shot off the bat of Cam Huber. The three runs were scored off Rossville starter and Hayden product Jake Michalski.

Rossville quickly responded to the early deficit by scoring three runs in the fourth. Leadoff hitter Valenzuela-Reece broke up Jacob Tetuan’s clean slate with a solo home run for Rossville’s first hit.

The Rattlers kept the pressure on Topeka by scoring four runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. The big blow in the fifth was a three-run home run by Christen. Kooser followed that with his own three-run blast in the sixth.

“With the wind blowing out of the south like it did today, the ball just jumps out of here,” Rossville coach Tobi Cowdin said. “Some of those hits were earned and others were helped. Sometimes it’s a lot like playing arcade baseball out here.”

Every batter in the Rossville lineup had at least one hit in the team’s 13-hit attack, and all but one batter crossed home plate in the win.

“Our offense was much better than last night’s,” Cowdin said. “We struck out like 15 times. It was nice to see the guys put the ball in play and find some holes for hits.”

Much like Monday’s series-opening win by the Rattlers, they built a big lead only to have to hold late as the Golden Giants mounted a rally.

Huber hit his second home run of the game, a two-run shot in the eighth inning off reliever Taylor Mah to cut the Rattler lead to five. The Golden Giants then loaded the bases with no outs in the same frame. Hodges advanced all runners, driving in one with a single. Barkley followed that hit with a sacrifice fly to drive in his fourth run of the night, which was followed by a single off the bat of Riley Krane to cap the five-run inning.

Topeka had the game-tying runs on base in the ninth with two outs, but Derrick McGreevy worked around a single and a walk to earn the save. Jake Hosey earned the win in relief.

The Golden Giants left 11 men on base.

Rossville continues play Friday with a doubleheader on the road against the Baldwin City Blues. The Golden Giants travel to Junction City to open a series with the league-leading Brigade.

Golden Giants 000 310 050 —  9 10 1

Rattlers            000 344 00x — 11 13 1

Tetuan, Montgomery (6) and Fehr. Michalski, Johnson (4), Hosey (4), Mah (8) and Nerz. W — Hosey. L — Tetuan. S — McGreevy. 2B — Rattlers: McGreevy, Hodges. HR — Golden Giants: Huber 2, Barkley. Rattlers: Valenzuela-Reece, Nerz, Christen, Kooser.

Records — Golden Giants 5-6, Rattlers 4-3.

Rattlers Get Another Win

    The Rattlers took the rubber game of the three game home series with the Topeka Golden Giants on June 10.  The Giants mounted a five run rally at the top of the eighth,  but it wasn't quite enough to overcome the Rattles lead.
     Eight of the nine starters for the Rattlers got at least one hit, and five got two hits.    Jeff Christen was the most productive  getting three RBIs and  two runs off his two hits.

G Giants     0   1   0   3   1   0   0   5   0      9   11   1
Rattlers       0   0   0   3   4   4   0   0   x     11  13   1

The Rattlers next game will be at Baldwin City on Friday.

Rattlers Game On-Line

Follow tonight's Rattlers game as it happens.
http://data.iscorecentral.com/iscorecast/baseball/scorecast.html?c=515991a301

Grant Affecting Willard Bridge Slashed

http://cjonline.com/news/2015-06-10/us-house-passes-bill-slashing-tiger-grants-shawnee-countys-means-replacing-willard

Rattlers Lose To Giants Tue

From the Capital-Journal:

ROSSVILLE — It started out as a typical slugfest at the cozy confines of Joe Campbell Stadium with both the Topeka Golden Giants and Rossville Rattlers belting a solo home run in the second inning.

Strong pitching from both teams, however, took over and it took some small ball for the Golden Giants to pull out a 3-1 victory in a Mid-Plains League game Tuesday.

The Giants scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning, scoring a runner from third on a fielder’s choice grounder to first then squeezing in another run to knot the three-game series at 1-1 with the rubber game at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

“It was well pitched by both teams,” Giants coach John Tetuan said. “Each team had some good at-bats and got guys on but the pitchers threw well.”

Connor Crimmins put the Giants (4-5) on the board in the top of the second with a homer over the short right-field fence, then the Rattlers (3-3) pulled even in the bottom of the inning on Collin Scribner’s homer to center.

Scribner was the only Rattler to get a good swing off Giants starter Ben Ramberg, who allowed only two hits with nine strikeouts and three walks in five innings.

“We talk to our pitchers about setting the tone of the game and Ben did a good job of that,” Tetuan said.

Rossville starter Drew Scrimsher also went five innings, allowing three hits with one walk and one strikeout.

Rossville had a threat in the seventh, loading the bases with two outs with a single, error and walk. Topeka reliever and winner Ty Geary escaped with a groundout, then the Giants took the lead in the eighth off Rossville reliever Derrick McGreevy.

Casey Sedbrook led off with a double and was sacrificed to third by JB Eary. Blake Nystrom hit a grounder to first base and Sedbrook beat the throw home by Garrett Weber for the go-ahead run. Nystrom scored from third on a squeeze bunt by Riley Krane.

Ryan Ihle pitched the ninth for Topeka to earn a save, stranding Rattlers at first and second with a game-ending strikeout.

“Riley laid a nice squeeze bunt down and the situation worked out good,” Tetuan said. “I told them we had to put ourselves in a situation to come out on top. We had good approaches at the plate, we pitched well and made the most of our opportunities.”

Topeka 010 000 020 — 3 6 1

Rossville 010 000 000 — 1 5 0

Ramberg, Geary (6), Ihle (9) and Tapia. Scrimsher, McGreevy (6), Hosey (8) and Nerz, Valenzuela-Reece. W — Geary. L — McGreevy. Sv — Ihle. 2B — Topeka: Ihle, Sedbrook. HR — Topeka: Crimmins. Rossville: Scribner.

Rattlers Lose Close One

      Solo HR’s by Connor Crimmins (Golden Giants) and Collin Scribner (Rattlers) kept the Tuesday evening game between the Rattlers and Golden Giants tied until the eighth inning in which the Giants picked up two more runs to seal the victory. 

      The three game series is even at 1-1. The rubber match is Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. in Rossville.

      You can watch a nice video of the game  at:  http://ksnt.com/2015/06/09/golden-giants-score-twice-in-8th-beat-rattlers/

Rattlers Top Girants 10-9

From the Capital Journal:

 Catcher Michael Higgins led the Rossville Rattlers hit parade in a 10-9 Mid Plains League win over the Topeka Golden Giants on Monday.

Higgins, a redshirt freshman from Oklahoma State University, drove in five runs and hit his second home run for Rossville.

“Some real big hits from Higgins tonight,” Rattlers coach Toby Cowdin said. “It was real good to see the ‘Big Boy’ getting going behind the dish. He is kind of our power guy and he showed some of that tonight.”

Rossville (3-2) trailed 2-0 in the game as the Golden Giants posted two runs in the first inning against Rattlers starter Jacob Head. 

Riley Krane and Reid Fehr hit back-to-back run-scoring singles in Topeka’s opening frame.

The Rattlers quickly answered by scoring two runs in their half of the first. Higgins hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Jonathan Valenzuela-Reece who led off the inning with a walk. Hayden product Tanner Triggs drove in the second run with an RBI groundout.

Higgins’ home run, a three-run shot, came in a five-run second inning for the Rattlers. Rossville tallied four hits in the five-run inning, including a double from Derrick McGreevy. McGreevy  had two doubles and scored two runs.

Jacob Head earned the win for Rossville. The former Hayden Wildcat threw six innings of four-run ball, striking out five batters in a 94-pitch outing. The Rossville infield turned two double plays behind Head, helping him earn the victory.

Giants 201 001 140 — 9 8 1

Rattlers 250 120 000 — 10 13 1

Roberts, Heath (4), Dalke (6), and Fehr. J. Head, Kooser (7), Mah (8), and Higgins. W — J. Head. L — Roberts. S – Mah. 2B – Rattlers: McGreevy 2, Schaarman. HR – Rattlers: Higgins.

Rossville Still Cleaning Up

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW)-- Rossville residents are cleaning up the mud, muck and smell left behind following Friday's flooding.

Shawnee county commissioners heard a report from Interim Emergency Management Director Dusty Nichols Monday.

Nichols noted that for the first time his office sent out a code red alert, or a reserve 911 call for residents near cross creek.

He says that his team is now in recovery phase and are collecting information as to how much damage was caused to city infrastructure.

Nichols and commissioner Shelly Buhler, who lives in Rossville, said it is important for people to be prepared and to have an emergency kit ready for when disasters strike.

Rattlers and A's Split Sat. Nite

    The Rattlers and Midwest Athletics split their double header on Sat. Night.  The As won the first game 8-3 but the Rattlers came back in the nite-cap with a big 14-4 victory.
     The Rattlers are now 2-2 and in third place in the Mid Plains League.

Rossville Survives Flood

    There is video of the flood and some of the clean-up at:
http://ksnt.com/2015/06/05/local-rivers-expected-to-rise-above-flood-stage/

Photos Needed

If you have photos taken during the flood that can be posted on this web site,  please send to frank.ruff@juno.com.

Also looking for photos of the high school graduation.