Elton John Spotted at Royals Home Opener 2013

As we were heading into the VIP entrance at The Kansas City Royals home opener on Monday we barely had time to get our camera out as none other that Sir Elton John himself and his entourage of about 15 people were heading to their private box. We were fortunate to catch him at all as he was quickly whisked off from his car service into the K.

Shown here wearing this Royals cap, Elton was ready to watch the Royals take on the Minnesota Twins in a great home opener for 2013 in which the Royals bested the Twins 3-1. It is not known whether or not Elton John stayed for the entire game, although usually when celebrities this large come to events they wait until the crowd dissipates before attempting to get them back into their car service.

It was great to see Elton John in a Kansas City Royals hat, hopefully that will be some kind of a sign of good luck for this season.  If anyone else was able to nab a photo of Elton John coming into or leaving the game, please email them to us. Our photographer had her camera packed away as we hadn't planned on taking any photos until the opening ceremony began, and BAM! - here comes Elton John. So, before we could get our good cameras out, our only resort was to snap a good old iPhone shot which you see here. It was without a doubt Sir Elton, however and security around him was tight.

The Kansas City Royals will face the Twins two more times before ending the week playing The Blue Jays - and Elton John, who just came from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will head to Las Vegas to begin a string of performances at Caesar's Palace that starts on April 20th.

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The Children's Place Gala 2013 - Scott Pioli - Darrell Hammond - The KC All Stars

Looking for the 2014 Angels' Gala?

A star studded night to be sure this Friday at the downtown Marriott when The Children's Place "Angels' Gala" will take place. One of the largest events in Kansas City so far this year, the Children's Place Angels' Gala will feature an appearance by honorary Chairs Scott Pioli and his wife Dallas Pioli, followed by keynote speaker Darrell Hammond from Saturday Night Live who is famous for his impressions of Bill Clinton and Dick Cheney.  Darrell Hammond will talk to The Children's Place 2013 Gala patrons about growing up with an abusive mother. Hammond's performance will be followed by Kansas City's Hottest Dance band The KC All Stars.

Sponsorship levels for The Children's Place Angels' Gala 2013 are as follows:

$150.00 per individual ticket
$2500.00 - $35,000.00 for corporate sponsorship

The Children's Place has been active in the Kansas City charity community since 1978 providing care for young children who have been the victims of abuse, neglect and other trauma related issues. Their continued success relies upon many generous charity organization supporters and their donations. The Children's Place Angels' Charity Event is one such function that supports this wonderful charity organization.

The Children's Place Angels' Gala 2013 charity fundraiser event info by KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Kansas vs. Michigan Sweet 16 Preview

The Kansas Jayhawks overcame some sluggish play in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament to once again make the Sweet 16 – the fifth time in the last six years the program has made it this far. If the top-seeded Jayhawks want to make a second consecutive Final Four, they will first have to get past the fourth-seeded Michigan Wolverines.

Michigan may be young, but the team is loaded with talent. The Wolverines are led by sophomore point guard Trey Burke, who averages nearly 19 points and seven assists per game. Michigan also gets a lot of scoring from Tim Hardaway, Jr., who averages 15 ppg. Michigan relies heavily on shooting threes for their success, with Hardway and Nik Stauskas both shooting over 40% from beyond the arc.

Kansas’ offense has been extremely unpredictable this season, but one consistent the Jayhawks have had is an outstanding defense. Anchored by the nation’s best shot-blocker in Jeff Withey and one of the best perimeter defenders in Travis Releford, KU has one of the top-rated defenses in the nation.

On offense, the Jayhawks will have to find a way to get Ben McLemore going. The redshirt freshman is predicted by most to be the top pick in the 2013 NBA draft and leads Kansas in scoring; however, he has been a no-show in March so far. McLemore went 0-9 from the field against North Carolina and scored only two points. He has eclipsed the 30 point mark several times this season, and may be due for a breakout game against Michigan’s suspect defense.

Tonight’s game will be a true clash of styles, as Michigan has a great offense while Kansas has a great defense. With Withey in the paint, Michigan will likely rely heavily on three point shooting. If the Wolverines aren’t on fire from beyond the arc, and the Jayhawks can counter with some threes of their own, KU could find itself closer to another Final Four.

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Two Charged In Murder Of UMKC Student

Two Kansas City residents have been charged with the murder of Aaron Markarian, a senior baritone student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Conservatory of Music and Dance. Prosecutors have charged Alonzo D. Ruff, 20, and Anthony J. Williams, 21, of Kansas City with 10 felonies. The pair are charged with second-degree murder, robbery, three counts of assault and five counts of armed criminal action.

Markarian performing

Williams and Ruff decided to rob the college students’ home located at 4900 Brookside Boulevard after Williams had visited the home earlier in the evening. Williams and Ruff then visited the home, armed with a machete and gun, barging inside when Markarian opened the door. The UMKC student and his friends had gathered for a birthday celebration.

After forcing all of the students in the house to sit on a couch, Williams and Ruff stole $400, cellphones and marijuana. After the robbery, Ruff turned and opened fire at the students on the couch. Markarian was fatally wounded during the shooting, while three other victims survived after being hit.

Alonzo D. Ruff and Anthony J. Williams

One of the survivors recognized Ruff from high school, and believes he opened fire on the group out of fear of being recognized. Williams wore a ski mask during the robbery, however it appears that Ruff did not attempt to conceal his identity. Both were arrested Tuesday evening.

Markarian had been set to graduate from UMKC in May with a bachelor’s degree of music in vocal performance. Tony Williams was a graduate of Archbishop O’Hara High School in 2009 and was unemployed. He had met Ruff when the two worked together at a bagel restaurant, and Williams’ family had recently allowed Ruff to move into the family’s home with them.

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Luis Mendoza Wins Final Spot In Royals’ Starting Rotation

After a tough battle with Bruce Chen, Luis Mendoza has been named the fifth starter in the Kansas City Royals’ starting rotation. Chen will be moved to the bullpen.

Mendoza had an impressive spring for Kansas City, allowing only one run in 11 innings pitched. Chen struggled in spring ball, giving up 13 runs and 16 hits in 13 and 2/3 innings. Mendoza also had an impressive showing in the World Baseball Classic for his native Mexico. As a result, Mendoza will be joining James Shields, Ervin Santana, Jeremy Guthrie and Wade Davis in the Royals’ starting rotation.

Chen could be a valuable asset to what is already a strong bullpen, and the veteran provides Kansas City with some nice insurance should one of the starters get hurt or struggle. Chen has won 35 games over the past three seasons and has been very reliable for the organization.

The Royals will have to make several other roster decisions in the near future. The team must decide between Brett Hayes and George Kottaras in the battle for the backup catcher position, and between Miguel Tejada and Irving Falu for the utility infielder spot. Kansas City will also have to settle on its bullpen, where pitchers such as J.C. Gutierrez, Francisley Bueno, Louis Coleman, Dan Wheeler and Donnie Joseph are all competing.

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