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Luke Hochevar scattered five hits over seven innings and David DeJesus doubled in two runs, helping the Kansas City Royals defeat the Seattle Mariners 3-1 on Friday night.

Hochevar limited the Mariners to four singles the first six innings, before Adrian Beltre opened the seventh with a double. Beltre went to third on Jeremy Reed's ground out and scored on Miguel Cario's ground out to shortstop Mike Aviles for the only Seattle run.

Hochevar (6-7) left after seven innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out four and walking none -- quite an improvement over his recent outings.

The first overall in the 2006 draft, Hochever had allowed 15 hits and 13 earned runs in 10 innings in losing his previous two starts.

Ramon Ramirez worked a scoreless eighth, and Joakim Soria pitched a flawless ninth to log his 25th save in 27 opportunities. Soria tied a Royals' record of saves before the All-Star break; Jeff Montgomery saved 25 games before the 1993 game.

Kansas basketball player Sherron Collins will not face criminal charges at this time over allegations he sexually assaulted a woman more than a year ago.

Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson announced this afternoon he wouldn't file charges because there was "insufficient evidence at this time to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt."

A 35-year-old Lawrence woman has alleged Collins exposed himself and rubbed up against her against her will on an elevator at Jayhawk Towers on the KU campus in May 2007.

After an investigation by KU's Public Safety Office, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation's forensic lab completed a DNA test in June 2007 that didn't produce results sufficient for evidence. A second, more sensitive test was not performed at the time because of a low probability of success, according to Branson's office.

But after Branson's request in October 2007, the more sensitive test was requested and the results were returned last month. The additional testing didn't provide any additional evidence.

The Kansas City Royals have claimed left-handed reliever Josh Newman off outright waivers from the Colorado Rockies.

Kansas City made room for Newman on its 40-man roster today by recalling right-hander Ryan Braun and placing him on the 60-day disabled list. Braun is recovering from an April 22 elbow surgery.

The 26-year-old Newman split the 2008 season between the Rockies and Triple-A Colorado Springs. He had a 9.35 ERA in eight relief appearances in the majors and was 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 22 innings for the Sky Sox.

Newman also appeared in two games for Colorado in 2007.

He was on option to Colorado Springs and will report to Kansas City's Triple-A affiliate in Omaha.

The man accused of robbing and kidnapping a Viola convenience store clerk last month arrived in Wichita today from Oregon, where he was arrested earlier this week.

A plane carrying Robert Abner landed at Jabara Airport about 5 p.m.

Sedgwick County investigators brought Abner back from Springfield, Ore., where he was arrested after authorities received a tip from a resident Abner called while he was staying at a local motel.

Maj. Jackie Stuart confirmed that Abner will be booked into the Sedgwick County Jail today, but she would not say when for security reasons.

Abner, 39, is accused in an arrest warrant of robbing and abducting 48-year-old Joyce Patterson from the convenience store just north of Viola, about 20 miles southwest of Wichita, on the afternoon of June 23.

BY BRENT D. WISTROM

The Wichita Eagle

Pat Salerno asked the city to pay him back for $2,327 he spent while house-hunting in Wichita, according to new correspondence released to The Eagle today.

He sent his expense report to Interim City Manager Ed Flentje on July 1, giving yet another indication that his decision to back out of his job commitment happened very abruptly.

Just seven days later, Salerno sent Flentje another e-mail, saying "Please be advised that I withdraw my request for reimbursement as reflected in my email to you dated July 1, 2008."

One night is no longer enough for National Night Out.

In an effort to increase visibility and participation, Wichita police have scheduled activities on several days leading up to the block parties that cap the annual event.

National Night Out is designed to encourage residents and police to unite against crime by helping everyone get to know one another.

Activities include a Texas Hold'Em tournament at 5 p.m. July 19 at 900 George Washington Boulevard, with proceeds benefiting the Law Enforcement Memorial of Sedgwick County.

A National Night Out "Kickoff Event" will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. July 31 at All Star Adventures, 1010 N. Webb Road, featuring discount admission prices and displays of police and fire department vehicles.

A 23-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the city's most recent homicide, police said today.

Capt. Brent Allred said the suspect is an acquaintance of Ottaway K. Wright Jr., the 60-year-old man who was found dead Tuesday in his Planeview duplex.

The 21-year-old woman who found Wright at 3471 E. Roseberry told police he appeared to have been stabbed several times. Given the condition of the duplex, Allred said, it was evident that an extended struggle had taken place.

The suspect had a relationship with Wright's wife, Allred said.

He was already in the Sedgwick County Jail after being arrested on an outstanding warrant when he was booked on suspicion of first-degree murder at about 10:30 p.m. Thursday, Allred said.

LaShanda Callaway was disobeying a court order to take psychiatric medications, was using marijuana and was displaying "paranoid" behavior in the weeks before she was stabbed to death in a fight with Cherish McCullough, Callaway's mental health case manager testified today.

McCullough was 19 when she was arrested and charged with stabbing Callaway, 27, at a convenience store at 25th Street North and Hillside on June 23, 2007.

Callaway was under court-mandated supervision by mental health workers at Comcare after spending almost a month in the hospital for treatment of bipolar disorder about 6 months before her death, defense witnesses said.

The prosecution rested earlier today after more than two days of evidence, including graphic video taken by convenience store security cameras that showed the fight between the two women and the stabbing.

Defense attorney Richard Ney is trying to convince jurors that McCullough stabbed Callaway in self-defense, given Callaway's history of mental illness and making death threats.

A man shot several times following an argument in east Wichita Wednesday night has been upgraded to serious condition at a local hospital.

The 21-year-old victim was talking with two brothers shortly after 6:30 p.m. in the 1700 block of East 18th Street, police said. A dispute erupted, and an 18-year-old man is suspected of pulling out a gun and firing several shots at the vehicle the victim was in.

The victim was struck several times in the torso, police said. He was taken to Wesley Medical Center and underwent surgery.

The two brothers, ages 18 and 20, have been arrested.

Check Kansas.com for updates.

Morning showers are possible in the Wichita area as a system that brought rain to the region overnight lingers.

Just .04 of an inch was recorded at the National Weather Service office next to Mid-Continent Airport before dawn, but heavier rain fell elsewhere in the city.

High temperatures should reach the low 90s today, forecasters say, before a cool front brings lower temperatures and another chance of rain on Saturday.

Check Kansas.com for updates.

Eleven recruits will become Sedgwick County Sheriff's deputies today at a graduation ceremony at the Wichita/Sedgwick County Law Enforcement Training Center.

The graduates have completed 23 weeks of basic law enforcement training. They will next undergo eight weeks of field training, which pairs them up with veteran officers to complete their final phase of training.

The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at the training center, 2235 W. 37th Street North.

Apple Inc.'s new iPhone went on sale today in swirls of smoke to eager buyers who had waited in lines around a city block and happily counted down the final 30 seconds before launch. More than 70 people waited in line at the AT&T store in west Wichita. More than 70 people waited in line at the west Wichita store. Only 50 phones were available.

The celebration at Japanese carrier Softbank Corp.'s store in Tokyo included a digital clock display ticking away over the entrance, part of a rollout in 22 nations, including Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

In the United States, where the phone first debuted last year, iPhones were becoming available at 8 a.m. in each time zone, giving Apple aficionados more time before the weekend to see just how the company upgraded the device with faster Internet navigation and dozens of new software programs.

In Tokyo, Taichiro Nakamura, a 28-year-old filmmaker, was all smiles as he showed off his brand new iPhone. The first thing he did was call his girlfriend.

Fort Scott is in the Guinness Book of World Records at least once. Now, residents of the southeast Kansas town are trying to set a second record.

On Thursday night, volunteers and members of the Fort Scott Youth Activities Team put down a mile of pennies in a time of 2:23.01 - just 74 seconds less than the previous record of 2:24.15.

On Friday, hundreds of volunteers from 32 community groups were trying to set a second record by laying the longest chain of pennies. The current record is 34.57 miles; Fort Scott is trying for 40 miles.

The record-setting is part of an effort to raise money for improvements at Fort Scott's Ellis Park.

Legislative leaders are tightening their own belts in effort to shore up state revenues for the current fiscal years.

The Legislative Coordinating Council said Friday it is ordering a 2 percent cut in spending, or about $600,000. The cuts will come from travel, printing and postage and hirings. Leaders also will limit the number of interim committees that will meet before the 2009 session begins in January.

"It is important to be prudent with our plans. All branches of state government need to respond to this financial crunch, and the Legislature will certainly do its part," said Senate President Steve Morris, a Hugoton Republican.

The cuts come after Gov. Kathleen Sebelius asked state agencies last month to trim their spending by up to 2 percent.

Sebelius spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said the governor's office is taking "a careful look" at its budget and is identifying areas where adjustments can be made.

A state prison warden is doing away with a work detail that pays inmates $1.05 per day to pick up blown litter at a county landfill.

Hutchinson Correctional Facility Warden Sam Cline said Thursday there ways inmates could earn more money and better prepare themselves for life after prison. In a June 23 letter, Cline gave the county 30 days' notice to end the 2005 agreement.

Cline said an inmate who's been through prison training and education programs should not be picking up landfill litter for $1.05 a day. He said better-paying prison jobs help inmates pay child support and make victim restitution, and also equip them with skills to use upon release.

Cline also cited the cost of the landfill work - a corrections officer to supervise the four-man detail is paid about $40,000 yearly, and transportation costs about $7,500 annually.

A state legislator who spent a year in Iraq commanding an engineer battalion is getting a new Kansas National Guard assignment.

Col. Lee Tafanelli will assume command Saturday of the 69th Troop Command during a ceremony in Topeka. He previously was commander of the 891st Engineer Combat Battalion based in southeast Kansas, which was deployed to Iraq from 2004 to 2005.

Tafanelli is a Republican from Ozawkie and a member of the Kansas House, representing the 47th District in northeast Kansas.

Col. Vic Braden will relinquish command to Tafanelli.

Abushawriyeh, Ishaq, Charlotte, N.C., and Seyam, Nadia A., Wichita.

Alexander, Philip R. and Hoesch, Hillary B., both of Wichita.

Barnes, Brian S. and McDonald, Sherri D., both of Wichita.

Baumbartner, Paul M. and Johnsen, Minde E., both of Wichita.

Beck, Wesley J. and Beck, Carrie A., both of Wichita.

Tucked inside a small downtown Wichita office is a group of designers who would love another shot at the National Basketball Association.

The eight men and women who make up Intake Studio's creative team in Wichita want a chance to do for Oklahoma City's new NBA team what they helped do for the New Orleans Hornets during the club's last season in Oklahoma.

The company blended its specialties -- location shooting and motion graphics -- into a series of game commercials and ticket promotional spots that aired in 2006-07, the Hornets' second transplanted season in Oklahoma City.

The work grew out of a partnership with Third Degree Advertising, an Oklahoma City firm that landed the Hornets' ad account.

"It was absolutely great for our exposure, based on the recognition of the team," said Heath Balderston, one of three partners who founded Intake four years ago.