By Isabella Ledonne

Click here for updates on this story

    PLEASANT HILL, Missouri (KSHB) — The small, tight-knit community of Pleasant Hill is upgrading its parks and the way it paints its sports fields.

A robot from the company, TinyMobileRobots, can paint the markings of a baseball field in minutes under the blazing July sun.

Waylon is one of Pleasant Hill’s newest employees.

Waldo is operated by Landon Vest, a Parks and Facilities maintenance worker.

“You just set it and let it go do its thing,” Vest said. “Before, you’re dedicated to doing all the work yourself.”

Human workers have to string rope to mark the lines, then carefully go over it by hand with spray paint. It takes Vest and his team nearly three hours to paint Yuille Field.

It took Waylon 11 minutes.

“I can do all of our baseball fields in less than half a day now and still go do something else the rest of the day,” Vest said. “It makes a big difference and a big help.”

TinyMobileRobots uses GPS and Bluetooth to map out the fields. It’s programmed for precision and no curveballs when it comes to straight lines.

“[The robot] is just so much straighter and faster,” TinyMobileRobots Territory Manager Brett Mathews said. “It really enhances the experience for the players as well because the fields are more accurate.”

With Pleasant Hill’s $11.5 million park expansion project well underway, Parks and Facilities Director Jeff Hull explained the robot is a home run for his five-person team.

“It’s about $100 per application, per field, that’s what it normally costs us,” Hull said. “We’re getting it done in minutes.”

Vest has noticed a drastic difference in his productivity in completing a seemingly never-ending to-do list for park maintenance.

“It’s allowed us to be way more productive and have way more time on our hands to do other things,” Vest said. “There’s never a lack of things to do.”

Waylon cost Pleasant Hill about $40,000 plus yearly fees. Hull explained there isn’t enough money in the city budget to cover all the work that needs to be done for summer sports.

“It’s fractions of the overall cost that we would put for personnel to do the same work,” Hull said. “We’re not trying to take away jobs by any means, but at the same time, it enhances the jobs of the guys that we have here on staff. With public money, we don’t have a whole lot of flexibility or additional funding to be able to use.”

Waylon has been hard at work in Pleasant Hill for about two months. With the time and money the robot is expected to save over the next few years, Pleasant Hill plans to add more youth sports programming.

“Robots aren’t taking people’s jobs, they’re enhancing the jobs,” Mathews said.

TinyMobileRobots is currently operating in Lawrence and Shawnee, Kansas, and works with the KC Current.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Photos by Kim North
A bench that was inside the third base dugout at the main field at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Youth Sports Complex in Elm Grove sits behind the backstop after flooding last Thursday heavily damaged the facility. Rocks and dirt also can be seen.

WHEELING — The infrastructure surrounding the main baseball field at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Youth Sports Complex in the Elm Grove neighborhood sustained heavy damage following a severe thunderstorm that rolled through the Ohio Valley last Thursday.

The field, listed as Field 5 on the City of Wheeling Parks and Recreation directory, is used by the Wheeling University baseball team; the Wheeling Central baseball team; and the Wheeling Pioneers of the Ohio Valley Baseball League.

According to Wheeling University head baseball coach Ryan Lewicki and Tom Bechtel, director of the seven-field facility, they are awaiting the Federal Emergency Management Agency to visit the site to see if it qualifies for funding.

“Nobody can play on that field until FEMA officials come in and take a look at the damage,” Bechtel said Tuesday afternoon. “Until then, everything is on hold.”

Lewicki said he was told to start looking for a place to play his fall ball schedule.

“Everything is now in the hands of the city of Wheeling,” Lewicki, the field’s primary caretaker, said. “After they go to FEMA and we receive some funding, then we can start getting some stuff done up there. We don’t have the funding to do it ourselves.”

Lewicki said the process could take some time. “I’m already looking for a different site to play at in the fall.”

Damage was limited to the dugouts and press box area. The field itself suffered no damage.

“The drain in the parking lot behind the press box became clogged,” Lewicki said. “All the water, rocks and dirt ran through the dugouts, especially on the third base side. The rocks weren’t there. I don’t know where they came from. The press box had a foot of water inside the first floor.

“The playing surface isn’t terrible, but the infield grass has been there now for 20 years,” he added. “If we are going to start tearing up some of the ground, we might as well replace it, as well.”

The City of Guthrie announced on Wednesday that the National Park Service, in partnership with the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department, has approved the City’s request for supplemental funding to support the construction of Phase 1A of the Owen Field Youth Sports Complex.

Following formal acceptance of the funding amendment by the city council, the City will now move forward with the selection and hiring of a construction management team and project architect. This milestone represents a major step forward in Guthrie’s long-term goal of expanding youth sports facilities in the community.

The project is made possible by a 50/50 matching grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the City of Guthrie Capital Improvement Project funds. This combined investment reflects the City’s commitment to creating high-quality recreational opportunities for local youth.

Pending the competitive bidding process, planned improvements under Phase 1A include:

• Construction of new baseball and softball fields
• Installation of field lighting systems
• Development of an ADA-compliant concession and restroom facility
• Installation of quick-connect irrigation systems at each field
• Construction of a new entryway from State Highway 33
• Creation of an ADA-compliant parking area to serve all fields

“This project has been years in the making, and we are incredibly excited to take this next step,” said City Manager Eddie Faulkner. “We are deeply grateful to our Mayor and City Council for their steadfast support and investment in this vital community resource.”

DILLON — Back in June of 2023, Troy Andersen returned to his hometown of Dillon and hosted a free youth football camp that drew in a large crowd of kids.

Flash forward to now and the former Dillon Beaver, Montana State Bobcat and current Atlanta Falcons linebacker has turned it into a Beaverhead County summer tradition.

He hosted his third straight camp Tuesday afternoon and spent the afternoon running drills and hanging out with hundreds of third through eighth graders. He was joined by several current and former Beavers and Bobcats.

HEAR FROM TROY ANDERSEN:

Troy Andersen hosts youth football camp, looks toward 4th NFL season

“It’s crazy, it has flown by, so Year 3 and it’s been great,” said Andersen. “It’s just been fun to give back and hang out with familiar faces, family and friends. Get some kids running outside in the summer.”

He said this camp was something he would have participated in when he was a kid.

“When I look back when I was growing up I would have loved to have an opportunity to hang out with the high school kids and some Montana State players,” he said. “And just play sports and be outside and be a kid. So that’s the goal.”

And his goal for himself as he gears up for the final season of his rookie contract with the Falcons is obvious — play at a high level and remain healthy after seeing his past two seasons end early because of injury.

Last season’s conclusion was particularly frustrating as Andersen delivered 17 tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints in Week 4 — earning NFC defensive player of the week honors — but then injured his knee in the fourth quarter and was eventually placed on injured reserve.

Still, he said his upbringing as a ranch kid in Montana gave him a certain level of determination and grit that’s bolstered him through the recovery process.

“I’ve kind of hit a rough patch these last couple of years with injuries,” said Andersen. “And it is tough. But growing up in Montana I think it gives you a leg up. You kind of always have that chip on your shoulder. You’re from a small state and nobody really gets recruited out of here.

“I grew up on a cattle ranch and my parents were out there bailing hay this morning. There’s no days off and I think that helps you push through tough things and instills that work ethic. I think there’s so many benefits to growing up in this state.”

And as he reflected on his journey from Dillon to the NFL, he said it’s sometimes still difficult to wrap his mind around.

“It’s kind of surreal and a little strange, honestly,” said Andersen. “Just a small-town kid from Dillon playing a kids’ game for a living. But it’s really cool seeing the next generation and the kids running around.”

DETROIT – More than 200 young people gathered near Skinner Park and Denby High School in Detroit, demonstrating their community’s resilience just days after a drive-by shooting claimed the lives of two victims.

The event, organized by Sound Body, Sound Mind Foundation on Tuesday (July 2), brought together neighborhood youth for athletic activities and community engagement, refusing to let violence define their community.

“We don’t want that one incident to define us,” said Curtis Blackwell, founder of Sound Body, Sound Mind Foundation. “We want this to be a testament that there’s still a lot of vibrancy in this neighborhood and that this community is a safe place.”

The foundation, established by Blackwell in 2004, focuses on youth development through sports and mentorship.

Tuesday’s event showcased this mission, with participants engaging in workout sessions and sports activities near Denby High School.

“Sports allow us to have the influence that parents sometimes don’t have,” Blackwell said. “Sports keep the kids off the streets.”

Christopher Harris, 13, was among the participants at Tuesday’s event.

“It’s very sad seeing people in our community, young kids in our community, lose their lives,” Harris said. “He brought us out here to be an example to people.”

While the youth participated in athletic drills, the Community Violence Intervention Program conducted outreach in surrounding neighborhoods.

Detroit police and fire officials also attended the event, emphasizing the importance of positive community engagement.

Blackwell, who grew up in the neighborhood, questioned whether providing alternative outlets could prevent future violence.

The foundation’s approach combines physical activity with character development, as participants noted that “they teach you how to build your character.”

Detroit Police Department officials confirmed that two suspects believed to be responsible for Friday’s shooting are in custody.

The department has not released additional details about the investigation.

After four years as Iuka Grade School Superintendent, Sam Alli has resigned effective this week to become Principal at Brownstown High School. Alli says his time at Iuka has been extremely rewarding and is proud of the efforts of the staff.

“You look at your state test score and I think we are doing extremely well, in light of coming out of COVID, and a few years after the fact. That’s a testament to our hard working staff and the kids we have here. They just go get it, take the initiative, and work hard, so I am very proud of that.”

Alli is also proud of building improvements that were made to make the school building more safe and secure. He notes the community is very close knit and supportive of the school.

Alli has been replaced by Derrick Vincent who was named Superintendent effective July 1st. Vincent was already on the school staff and has been working on the transition since his appointment in January.

Alli says moving back to the principal role at the high school level is where he is most comfortable. Alli was Principal at Odin School and a teacher at Salem Community High School before becoming Superintendent at Iuka Grade.