Make it two in a row for the Royals. They beat the Orioles, 4-3 in 11 innings and got something they haven’t had in a long time…solid bullpen pitching. Jamey Wright pitched two scoreless innings to pick up the win as John Buck came through in the 11 th .
Billy Butler got Kansas City on the board with a two run homer in the first, but Brian Bannister who had an ERA of 3.31 in his last seven starts surrendered two runs in the bottom of the first to negate the Royals’ quick lead. Baltimore went on top in the sixth on a couple of singles. Bannister went six innings and allowed the three runs.
Willie Bloomquist led off the eighth with a home run to tie the game. Bloomquist was 3 for 5 and has been hitting .275, one of the bright spots for the Royals this season. In the 11 th , Mark Teahen singled and stole second and later came around to score on Buck’s RBI hit.
The Royals have won three of their last four and are looking for their first three game winning streak since July 4-6. They have a great shot with Zack Greinke making the start Wednesday night.
Buck comes through in the 11th for KC
Swine Flu goes to camp, will stay for school
Outbreaks of the swine flu have been reported in about a half-dozen summer camps in Missouri. The outbreaks do not surprise state health officials.
The H1N1 strain did not make its appearance in Missouri until the end of the regular flu season. Senior Epidemiologist Eddie Hedrick at the state health department says seasonal influenza usually ends in May. But the so-called "swine flu" was not a seasonal flu. "Usually during the summer months the flu goes away. With a brand new virus there are more people susceptible it’s more likely therefore to continue to circulate," he says.,
And Hedrick says camps are logical places for the flu to circulate.
He expects even more cases to develop when the regular flu season begins. But indications are that the cases will generally not be severe. But Hedrick cautions that any flu can be dangerous to certain populations., He says the sickest people so far are asthmatics or people with underlying conditions including diabetes, obesity, and pregnancy. The H1N1 flu might be mild, he says, but it’s not "something you can shake a stick at."
Missouri official looking forward to "higher" speed rail
A top state transportation official says the prospect of high-speed passenger rail service in Missouri is closer than ever, though he cautions it won’t resemble the famous bullet trains, at least not yet.
State Multimodal Operations Director Brian Weiler with the Missouri Department of Transportation says he understands many have visions of the bullet trains that race across Europe and Japan in their minds when talk turns to high-speed passenger rail service. He says what the eight Midwestern states are discussing is a 3,000 mile Midwest rail network with Chicago as the main hub.
"So, I think the public can expect significant, incremental improvements in the service," Weiler tells the Missourinet.
Weiler says the state wants passenger rail service to reduce travel times and improve reliability. States throughout the Midwest have been discussing high-speed rail for ten years. The prospect of federal money has pushed the talks further than ever before. The eight governors have agreed to work together, along with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, to obtain a piece of the $8 billion dedicated to high-speed rail.
Weiler points out applications from all the states have already topped $100 billion.
"But we think within Missouri we’ve got a very good application," says Weiler.
MoDOT has been working closely with Union Pacific, which owns the rails between St. Louis and Kansas City, and with Amtrak, which currently runs passenger service between the two cities. Missouri will submit $50 million in projects that are ready to go now by the August 24th deadline imposed by the federal government. The state has until October 2nd to submit another $100 million in corridor projects. It also will ask for $50 million to buy train equipment.
Weiler emphasizes that the state isn’t asking that the federal government foot the entire $200 million dollar bill. Money is being promised both by MoDOT and by Union Pacific.
Under the plan for a Midwestern rail network, a Chicago to St. Louis route would be in the first tier of projects. St. Louis to Kansas City would be in the second tier.
Even as Missouri dreams of high-speed rail, Weiler says MODOT has worked hard to increase the speed and reliability of the current Amtrak system. He says customer complaints have led to improved service.
"We heard loud and clear that you have to have reliable service," Weiler says.
He says the state is already seeing the benefits of cooperation with Amtrak and Union Pacific. On-time performance has improved greatly. Amtrak trains ran on-time 95% of the time for the first six months of this year. For the last month, on-time performance has nudged close to 100%, unheard of in the past.
"So, what I would ask the public is that if you’ve ridden the train two or three years ago and you had a bad experience, give us another try," says Weiler. "I think you will see that the service is vastly improved."
Governor Nixon’s office says the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the governors and Mayor Daley will coordinate applications to the Federal Railroad Administration for ARRA funding to develop the Midwest corridor. The other states are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Download/listen Brent Martin reports (1:30 MP3)
Download/listen Brent Martin interviews MoDOT’s Brian Weiler (10 min MP3)
Gaming Commission puts off decision on future of President Casino
A meeting of the Missouri Gaming Commission to consider the future of Pinnacle Entertainment’s gaming license for the President Casino in St. Louis ends with no decision having been made.
According to Commission Chairman Jim Mathewson a decision will be made in a "reasonable period of time." Though Mathewson would not venture to suggest how short or long a period of time a "reasonable period of time" might be.
At issue is the historic Admiral, the boat which serves as home to the President. Federal inspectors might force the boat to close in July of next year and Pinnacle wants to be able to replace the Admiral with a new barge. That could be problematic because a legal opinion from Attorney General Chris Koster claims a license is boat specific and site specific, meaning a new license would be required to either replace an existing boat or to change the location of that boat.
Mathewson concedes it is only an opinion – but an important one.
"That Attorney General’s opinion doesn’t hold great weight in a court of law," said Mathewson while talking to reporters after the meeting. "But what it does is points you in a direction where your comfort level sure goes up."
The Commission’s general counsel suggests Pinnacle is not able to deal with the current situation without halting operations for a period of time – costing the state revenue – and he recommends the license be put up for grabs. Mathewson says that while he appreciates the advice, the panel will make the final decision.
"We’ll make the decision," said Mathewson. "And we’ll base it on the best information that we can glean."
While the opinion of the Gaming Commission’s general counsel will be taken into account, so will the fact Pinnacle has been a good corporate citizen.
"From what staff tells me," said Mathewson. "They have been a good group of people to deal with. That’s not even under question." Options for the Commission include allowing interested parties to bid on Pinnacle’s license.
2 charged in death of 11-year-old Joplin boy
Child endangerment charges have been filed in the death of an 11-year old Joplin boy who might have gotten so drunk that he died.
Tyler Fecko was found unconscious yesterday morning at his uncle’s home. He was taken to a Joplin hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Court documents say the uncle, Dale Phillips, challenged the boy to a drinking game in which Phillips’ girlfriend, Linda Petrait, also took part. Both are being held on 50-thousand dollars bond.
The preliminary cause of death is listed as alcohol poisoning. An autopsy and toxicology tests will determine the official cause of death. Officials say the results might not be back for several weeks, however.
