COPYRIGHT 2025 BY NEWS 8 NOW/NEWS 8000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED. As featured on The Holmen Vikings girls soccer team hosted the Marshfield Tigers for their season opener. 10
It was a celebratory day in the East Hills on Friday morning. Complaints about water damage and collapsing roofs are starting to turn into renovated homes. Rising Tide Partners has turned some of the abandoned properties into rentals, but on Friday, it cut the ribbon on the first for-sale home with the community. Dr. Patricia […]
It was a celebratory day in the East Hills on Friday morning. Complaints about water damage and collapsing roofs are starting to turn into renovated homes.
Rising Tide Partners has turned some of the abandoned properties into rentals, but on Friday, it cut the ribbon on the first for-sale home with the community.
Dr. Patricia Saunders-Madison, the vice president of the HOA involved, heard the complaints from people in this neighborhood over the years.
“It was a good house in the middle – and two abandoned on each end – so a lot of the water coming through the roof was coming into their homes,” Saunders-Madison said.
In came Rising Tide Partners, and Kendall Pelling, its executive director.
“They needed that real estate capacity. They needed somebody who would come and take risks with them,” he said.
The first of those for-sale homes was revealed Friday. The house includes a renovated kitchen, a bathroom and even a deck.
“I’m happy that we’re here today,” Dr. Saunders-Madison said.
Pelling says 84 of the 167 properties in this HOA are abandoned.
“Now we control them and the community controls their destiny instead of an absentee investor controlling their destiny,” he said.
Rising Tide has turned some of these into rentals. He says they want to get them all to good owners and keep them at a low cost.
“A homebuyer can have a monthly mortgage payment of $650 to $700 a month,” Pelling said.
Part of the next steps include making lot improvements, like to sidewalks and the parking area. Pelling said those projects will be up for bidding this summer.
The hope is for the home that was renovated for sale to be available by the end of the summer as well.
Pelling also said that Rising Tide applied for a low-income housing tax credit from the state for funding to allow for continued renovations and help.
Dr. Saunders-Madison remembers how this place used to be. She also knows that the work is not over, but she and others are pleased with what’s become of it.
“We’re not there yet. We’re not there yet – but it’s coming, it’s coming along,” she said.
Tom Wall’s intuition proved to be right. The Pinkerton Academy softball coach said he anticipated seeing Londonderry again after the Astros’ 6-0 NHIAA Division I regular-season loss to their rival. 1
Tom Wall’s intuition proved to be right.
The Pinkerton Academy softball coach said he anticipated seeing Londonderry again after the Astros’ 6-0 NHIAA Division I regular-season loss to their rival.
Story Links Gatorade Press Release CHICAGO — Utah Valley men’s soccer signee Lewis Knecht was named the Utah Boys Soccer Gatorade Player of the Year, the organization announced in a press release on Thursday. The award, which honors the top high school athletes for their successes on the field, in the classroom, and in the […]
CHICAGO — Utah Valley men’s soccer signee Lewis Knecht was named the Utah Boys Soccer Gatorade Player of the Year, the organization announced in a press release on Thursday.
The award, which honors the top high school athletes for their successes on the field, in the classroom, and in the community, adds to the long list of honors Knecht has received in his high school career. Earlier this week, Knecht was also named the UHSAA Male Athlete of the Year — the top athlete in the state regardless of sport — and Utah’s Mr. Soccer for the second year in a row.
Knecht becomes the sixth Wolverine to be named Utah Gatorade Player of the Year, joining Lucas Cawley, Thomas Loomis, Aidan Dayton, Carter Johnson, and Trevor Walk.
Knecht, a member of the 2025 signing class that will be joining the Wolverines this fall, led American Fork HS to its second straight state championship last month, the team’s fourth in school history.
Knecht built upon a stellar junior campaign — during which he also won the Mr. Soccer award by scoring 20 goals and assisting on 17 more — by scoring 24 goals and adding 12 assists as a senior in 2025.
Knecht and the Wolverines will play the inaugural season at UCCU Stadium this fall.
SHAWNEE, Kan. — The Battle of the Billies highlighted the first day of the Top Gun Invitational, a series of elite youth softball tournaments taking place through Sunday across Johnson County. Former Royals All-Star Billy Butler’s USA Explosion 18U team from Idaho squared off against former Chiefs tight end Billy Baber’s BC Peppers Jeff Wallace […]
SHAWNEE, Kan. — The Battle of the Billies highlighted the first day of the Top Gun Invitational, a series of elite youth softball tournaments taking place through Sunday across Johnson County.
Former Royals All-Star Billy Butler’s USA Explosion 18U team from Idaho squared off against former Chiefs tight end Billy Baber’s BC Peppers Jeff Wallace squad at the Mid-America Sports Complex in the marquee opening-day matchup — at least from a friends-talking-lighthearted-smack perspective.
“There’s definitely a case of Yuengling on this,” Butler said.
“For sure, or two,” Baber added.
During eight seasons with the Royals, Butler slugged 127 home runs, 276 doubles and posted a .295/.359/.449 slash line, while Baber played in 29 games for the Chiefs during the Dick Vermeil era. Both found their way to softball as girl-dads.
“I have three of them — 16, 12, and 9 — just got the bug after I was done playing,” Butler said.
His oldest daughter, Kenley, plays up on the Explosion 18U squad, while Baber, who was picked in the baseball draft coming out of high school, but chose football, also has three daughters. His oldest, Riley, just finished her freshman season at Missouri State.
“That fire is still there,” Jeremy McDowell said.
McDowell owns Top Gun Events, whose invitational has become one of the summer softball circuit’s must-attend events.
“We’ve got 330 teams present from 31 different states,” he said. “About 290 of those 330 teams are hotel teams and probably about 100 of those teams flew into Kansas City, so it’s a very big event. Over 400 college coaches are present.”
The Top Gun Invitational started in 2013 with around 80 teams and has grown into one of the top handful of recruiting showcase tournaments, but McDowell still recognized a fun opportunity to pit Butler’s team against Baber’s bunch.
“I’ve known Billy and Billy for a while and, when this came, they both texted me and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got to play each other,’” McDowell said. “I was like, ‘This is classic,’ so it’s worked out well. They’re really good friends.”
They enjoyed the chance to meet on the field — as coaches, anyway.
Slick-fielding Explosion first baseman Kaci Kiblen admitted that she didn’t know about Butler’s MLB exploits before joining his club.
“I didn’t,” she said, “but I heard from a friend, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is a really cool opportunity.’”
Visits to Kansas City, including trips to Kauffman Stadium for Royals games, reinforced the legend of Billy Butler.
“Oh, yeah, he’s a hometown hero, for sure,” Kiblen said. “It’s fun, because every time we go to the Royals game … they always put them on the big screen. It’s just a really good time.”
Butler and Baber were introduced by a mutual friend, former Chiefs linebacker Shawn Barber. They have remained friends, including an annual fantasy football league rivalry.
Baber said it’s “not even a question” who the better fantasy football player is.
“Oh, he has been of late,” Butler said before stressing “of late.”
“Big time,” Baber shot back. “Butler’s usually around the bottom.”
Apparently, Butler tends to favor Washington Commanders players, which hasn’t been a winning strategy in recent years.
Baber also won bragging rights Thursday as the Peppers prevailed 6-0.
The Top Gun Invitational continues through Sunday at fields across Johnson County.
KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod.
—
Coach Mike Deegan was thrilled so many alums attended the NCAA regional and super regional wins that sent the Big Red to their first Division III College World Series. “This was a program victory,” said Deegan, who has guided the Big Red to seven consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. “This is part of being really good […]
Coach Mike Deegan was thrilled so many alums attended the NCAA regional and super regional wins that sent the Big Red to their first Division III College World Series.
“This was a program victory,” said Deegan, who has guided the Big Red to seven consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. “This is part of being really good for a long time, and a lot of guys got to share in the moment.”
The Big Red, who won one game in the double-elimination World Series, finished the season with a 41-7 record. They broke a school record with 20 consecutive victories.
Deegan lauded the work of a deep pitching staff led by senior Nick Falter, a who went 12-0 with a 2.52 earned run average. Falter was named second-team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association and D3baseball.com.
Junior Erik Sundgren, an ABCA first-team All-American, paced the offense with a team-high 17 home runs and 81 runs batted in. Senior Eric Colaco was an ABCA third teamer and sophomore Sam Larson was a D3baseball.com third-team selection.
BY BRANDON UNVERFERTH CherryRoad Media Writer bunverferth@cherryroad.com Since its enactment in 1972, Title IX has been a cornerstone of gender equality in education, including high… 3
(via barrynobles95/IG)
has always dreamed in Mercurial. Now his initials are on the boots.
The new Kyl…
Former South Carolina center Nick Pringle commits to Arkansas basketball, John Calipari
Deputies investigating incident that caused panic at Pace youth sports complex
Portal Update – Basketball and Gymnastics Take Hits
This is poetry in motion.
Oregon track star wages legal battle against trans athlete policy after medal ceremony protest
'I asked Anderson privately'… UFC legend retells secret sparring session between Jon Jones …
IU basketball recruiting
2025 NCAA Softball Tournament Bracket: Women’s College World Series bracket, schedule set
UFC 316 star storms out of Media Day when asked about bitter feud with Rampage Jackson
Scott Barker named to lead CCS basketball • SSentinel.com
J.W. Craft: Investing in Community Through Sports
NASCAR Penalty Report: Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 2025)
Rockingham Speedway listed for sale after NASCAR return
Greg Sankey: ‘I have people in my room asking, why are we still in the NCAA?’
