February 11, 2012

Chiefs Stick With Defense On Day Two

The Kansas City Chiefs were expected to take a cornerback with their first pick of the 2006 NFL Draft. But after three rounds on Saturday, they passed on the position. Kansas City didn’t have a fourth round pick, and when round five came around, they finally grabbed a CB. Marcus Maxey of the University of Miami was that pick.

While he played cornerback last season, he has experience at nickel back and free safety. In his first year as a CB, Maxey 37 tackles and intercepted a pass, while breaking up four others. He also made 17 special teams tackles as a freshman and sophomore.

The Chiefs had two picks in the sixth round and utilized those selections by concentrating on offense. They took Ole’ Miss left tackle Tre Stallings with their first pick in theround He started all 13 games for the Rebels last season, as Mississippi ranked first in the SEC in offense.

With the other sixth-round pick, Kansas City selected San Diego St. wide receiver Jeff Webb. He was an All-Mountain West Conference second-team selection and led the Aztecs in receiving in three straight seasons. In 2005 he was eighth in the nation with 7.18 receptions per game. He caught 79 passes for 967 yards and eight touchdowns.

Kansas City finished their draft by taking safety Jarrad Page of UCLA. Page was second on the team with 72 tackles (seven for losses). He also picked off a pass and recorded a sack. Page, who was also a star on the UCLA baseball team, was drafted twice in the MLB draft.

Rams Busy On Day Two

The Rams traded tight end Brandon Manumaleuna to the Chargers in return for San Diego’s slot in the fourth round, which they used to select Indiana University defensive end Vicory Adeyanju. At Indiana Adeyanju was a second-team All-Big 10 selection with 47 tackles (12 for losses) and 6.5 sacks.

Manumaleuna’s ticket out of town seemed punched when St. Louis went with two tight ends, Joel Klopfenstein (Colorado) and Dominique Byrd (USC) in the third round on Saturday.

With their fifth-round selection, the Rams took Virginia quarterback, Marques Hagans. Hagans threw for 2,492 yards and 14 touchdowns, but the Rams want to convert him to wide receiver.

The Rams used the first of three seventh-round picks to select Northwestern University linebacker Tim McGarigle, who had 75 tackles for the Wildcats. He was a second-team All-Big 10 selection. McGarigle had three career games with 20 or more tackles and was one of ten finalists for the Butkus Award.

With their final two picks, the Rams selected two offensive linemen: Tony Palmer of Missouri and Mark Setterstrom of Minnesota. Both played guard in college.

Hearing and Speech Center Coping in Spite of Medicaid Cuts

A non-profit agency that helps the hearing-impaired and speech-impaired is working hard to serve its clientele – despite Medicaid cuts. The St. Louis-based Center for Hearing & Speech, which was founded in 1920, provides audiology services for large mumbers of children and adults. Among its beneficiaries are adults on Medicaid. The Center’s Executive Director Rita Tintera says Medicaid no longer pays for those services. Tintera says the need for help has not stopped simply because of the Medicaid cuts, so her organization has put together its own program that helps Medicaid recipients who are no longer able to access coverage for the hearing aids. The Center, which treats more than 10,000 Missourians every year, depends on United Way money as well as corporate and private donations. Executive Director Rita Tintera says those who can no longer get Medicaid coverage for such things as hearing aids can still get help from the Center.

Related web sites:
Center for Hearing & Speech

DNR Chief Hoping Boonville Bridge Litigation is Over

Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Doyle Childers says he’s pleased a circuit judge has ruled in his favor in the dispute over the Boonville bridge, but isn’t sure whether the litigation is over. A judge has ruled the state has no ownership rights in the bridge and should allow Union Pacific to dismantle it. Childers denies the charge made in the lawsuit that the bridge is vital to extending the Katy Trail. Childers says the state doesn’t want ownership of the birdge, because it would have to assume the liability that comes with ownership. Union Pacific says it wants to tear down the bridge and use it elsewhere. The judge’s ruling will likely be appealed.

Probe Reportedly Launched into Awarding of Fee Offices

A federal investigation into how the Blunt Administration handled private contracts to run fee offices appears to be underway. The Associated Press reports that federal investigators are interviewing former state contractors about how Governor Matt Blunt’s office awarded the contracts to operate vehicle license offices. Blunt shook up the license fee office system in Missouri when he became Governor, privatizing those that the state previously operated. He said it would cut costs and make the offices more efficient. The Governor’s office reports privitization of the license fee offices has saved $7.2 million in General Revenue. The AP reports that a former contract agent for one of the license offices told it that she had been contacted several times by FBI agents and that other former contractors had been contacted, as well. She requested the AP not use her name.