By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

You wouldn't think a cell phone and radio could weigh so much.

But for Hays Police Department Deputy Chief Brian Dawson, they carried the weight of being the No. 2 at the department. They carried the weight of responsibility of each call and sacrifice he made in his 25 years on the Hays Police Department.

On Friday, he took his last radio call. He handed in his phone, radio and badge for the final time, retiring from a lifetime of service to his community.

Dawson, 55, came later in life to law enforcement. He joined the police department as a 30-year-old rookie.&nbsp;

As a young man, he dreamed of joining the FBI. At that time, several tracks could lead to a career in the federal agency. He decided he would attempt to join the FBI through the accounting track, so he started as an accounting major at Fort Hays State University.

However, he soon discovered accounting was not for him.

At that time, FHSU did not have a criminal justice major, so he changed his major to broadcast communications with a minor in sociology with an emphasis in criminology.

After graduation, he had the opportunity to spend a summer as a counselor and ski instructor at a boy's summer camp, Camp Caribou in Bangor, Maine.

That gave him some experience working with youth, which would continue to be a theme throughout his career.

He worked in substance abuse prevention in Salina before returning to Hays, where he grew up, to work as a community consultant for the Ellis County Community Partnership, which was housed in the Smoky Hill Foundation.&nbsp;

He worked in drug and alcohol prevention, often working with youth.

He also worked with a state-funded tobacco cessation program and promoted the Red Ribbon Campaign and Great American Smokeout.

"A big part of my job was to get together with community leaders and get some funds and make sure there were alternative things for kids to do other than go have a pasture party or keg party," Dawson said. "And that we had good protective factors in the community."

Dawson, at 30, joined the Hays Police Department as a patrol officer.&nbsp;He described himself as a "late bloomer." When he started, he took a $3 an hour pay cut from his job working for the community partnership.

"That's where everyone starts," he said. ... "Nobody starts out as a detective. Nobody starts off as a captain. You have to start out as an officer and understand the laws and that protect and serve part, and then move up through the ranks through all of the different avenues."

Dawson was promoted after a little more than a year as a patrol officer to a school resource officer, a position he served in for nine and a half years.

Initially, he served all the schools in the school district. Then, a second school resource officer was hired.&nbsp;

Dawson said some officers prefer to work with older youth, but he also liked giving presentations to the elementary-age students.

"I just really liked being in the schools," he said. "I really liked being in the classroom, whether I was doing a presentation on the topic of search and seizure, or I got asked into a married life class. I got asked into the English class when they were reading 'Romeo and Juliet,' so I slipped in what is referred to as the Romeo and Juliet law, which is unlawful voluntary sexual relations."

Unlawful voluntary sexual relations is sex perpetrated by an&nbsp;offender who is 18 years old or younger with a victim who is 14 or 15 years old.

"I told them what their responsibilities were—that at age 10, they could be arrested. At age 14, they could be interviewed without an attorney or parent being present," he said.

He said he tried to help the students see the officer in the uniform is a person too.

"We are here to serve and help them," Dawson said. "They're my boss, and I'm here to help them be successful."

Dawson said he was disappointed when the school resource officer program was disbanded in Hays, but delighted in 2023 when it was resurrected.

He said being an SRO was the best of both worlds.

"I really liked the evening shift," Dawson said. "Otherwise, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon in the middle of July, your boots are melting into asphalt while doing an accident report. All that heavy gear is just not comfortable and not fun.

"I liked night shift. It's a little different clientele and different calls on night shift, even in Hays, compared to doing a stranger danger class with 5-year-olds. I got to bone back up on my DUI skills. I was super fortunate that I got to do all of that."

He became a member of the tactical team. He was first an operator and worked his way up to being a negotiator and assistant team leader.

"It's not like the movies," Dawson said. "You don't hit reset and have a different outfit and a different car next week and a different story. It's real life."

"You feel a sense of pride knowing you were on the team," he said.

Dawson said working on the tactical team involves officers in volatile situations in which people can get hurt or killed.

Being a negotiator takes a totally different mindset, he said. A negotiator is trying to buy time to help things settle down and reach a peaceful conclusion.

"It's extremely challenging and can be extremely frustrating," he said.

Dawson was promoted to patrol lieutenant in 2010 and to assistant chief in 2011.

He said he felt great satisfaction if he could help someone.

"In this job, you see people at their best and at their worst. As a human being, that's tough. You try to serve and do the best you can in those situations. Training helps."

Responding to deaths was one aspect of the job that caught him off guard as a new patrol officer.&nbsp;

"We've done a number of death notifications, and you never walk away from one of those feeling you knocked that out of the park," he said. "You would like to think they get easier, but they don't. To tell someone they lost their kid, those are challenging.

"Even if it is natural causes, we are the ones that go and check and make sure it's natural causes. We are the ones who have to put hands on the body and remove the body with assistance from the people from the mortuary.

"I hadn't seen a lot of death to that point. I had a kind of sheltered life. It's something you don't think about. I thought, 'Boy, I wish they would have mentioned something more about that in the academy and prepared me for that."

He said police officers see things no one else sees and do things that no one else does.

"There's stress. There's a lot of responsibility. At 5:30, it's not over. It's not over on the weekends. It's not over at night. It's not over on holidays,"&nbsp;Dawson said. "I'm looking forward to getting rid of this phone and this radio and carrying the responsibility.

"There's things that you can't share with your family or your spouse," he said. "There's things you don't want to share with your family. You miss some events with the family."

Despite the sacrifices, he said he has been truly blessed to have great co-workers and a great community to work in.

"You can't make up what you see and get to experience," Dawson said. "It can be challenging at times. But I'm so fortunate because it's such a great community."

Dawson's last day with the police department was Friday. He and his wife are planning to move to Florida, where they will be living closer to Dawson's brother. They plan to enjoy the outdoors and go on some cruises.

Lt. Tim Greenwood's promotion to deputy chief was announced Tuesday.&nbsp;

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/183cca50-ee32-45da-ac3d-12bd10551970">SEE RELATED STORY: New Deputy Chief of Police in Hays announced</a>

Hays deputy police chief retires after 25 years on the force

There will be a water outage for the majority of Ellis County Rural water district 1-C due to a leak that will be repaired on the main 6-inch line. 

The water outage is planned between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 2.

Water outage planned for Ellis County rural water district 1-C Wednesday

Free grant writing workshops offered by Heartland Community Foundation

&nbsp;Submit events to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:admin@hayspost.com">admin@hayspost.com</a>. Cover photo courtesy Pixabay

Special thanks to <a href="https://www.visithays.com/183/Events">The Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau</a> and<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/"> Fort Hays State University</a> for their contributions to the community calendar.

Community Calendar

Beginning March 31, 2025, the North side of 33rd St between Willow St and Vine St will be closed to through traffic for road replacement. Eastbound traffic in this area allowed only. It is anticipated that this shut down will be until June 2025 or until further notice. There will be no street parking permitted adjacent to the project during construction. The map provided shows the section of 33rd St. that will be under construction.

Motorists should use caution and allow more time for travel. The City of Hays regrets any inconvenience this may cause to the public. For questions, please contact the Project Contractor, Vogts-Parga Construction LLC, at 316-320-6650 or the Office of Project Management at 785-628-7350.

North side of 33rd St road closure between Willow St and Vine St

Fort Hays State University will host two distinguished scholars of history for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s 2025 Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Lecture, “Territorial Expansion in Nazi Europe and the United States in the 19th and 20th Centuries.”

Between 1939 and 1945, as part of their efforts to eliminate Jews from the European continent, the Nazi dictatorship removed people from the Reich they considered unworthy of being citizens because they did not fit into their vision of the racial “national community.” They forcibly displaced Jews, whom they called “undesirables,” eastward into ghettos where conditions were extremely harsh, simultaneously expanding their borders to create “living space” for “racially pure” Germans.&nbsp; 

In a much different context, the democratic United States expanded its borders westward between the 19th and 20th centuries. To free up land for its growing population, the United States violently removed Indigenous peoples, whom some Americans perceived as incompatible with national and racial ideals.&nbsp; While these two histories are distinct, by discussing them together, we can learn new things about how and why they unfolded.

Join us with two major scholars of these topics in a program designed to illuminate some phenomena common to the persecution histories of those considered “others” in society, as well as what is unique in each of these experiences.

Territorial Expansion in Nazi Europe and the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries

Note: This program is free and open to the public, but registration for the on-campus and live-streamed events is required. To register, go to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.EWtdXdo3nx3t8ZlvSfKX0SCYs1MO-2BJ2YL2Y34Bu5516ha0AibfT0oomM5c-2FSwLJl-2F35tcZhrSxvNkpMeDXj0kA-3D-3DFiSy_1ix3pnygukYWZfKiCJpm8BsHsayWXlw0ucteiDEo46fRc0p9DVWJmv2prlqkbHR6S2dsrJiXPEopagJAn55fgrGOya21Ubchf288oY8AFP4iYaBJwhylwdd5l9F7UOfOVGO9PgXRvFvydDa-2BMPFF2dW6XjndnvwoW16xlQUdK8lftUDhnfQnhEGs4JNPs8evgO3rJY0OC1FQrdS4R3yckZiy5j7tZvp53IuRrZfvTXpiApO-2B5CYooKKsiv-2F-2FaFnLaTbbFk1g3qg5BBbEtlawH-2FJbBm8eewXj679ZEdd0GRKMvOdaqY0PKwepBl6vpdkw7KhmP3YQkReAWkEK0MTXN5ZLcBdBTU2DSxJR815vFsXnvXFVDf98PnvSZwCDQCAR">https://www.ushmm.org/events/meyerhoff-forthays</a>.

Two representatives from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies will also participate in three days of programming, including classroom visits and other university activities on the FHSU Campus. 

Museum Campus Outreach Program Officer Kierra Crago-Schneider, PhD and Laura Brade, PhD, the Museum’s Rosalyn Unger Director of Campus Outreach Programs,&nbsp;will join Boxer and Westermann for a series of additional lectures and discussions on campus and in the Hays community.

 The FHSU Department of History and Philosophy, FHSU’s Forsyth Library, the Hays Public Library, and the FHSU College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences are sponsors of event programming.&nbsp;

About the Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Annual Lecture Series

The Meyerhoff Lecture Series is a Campus Outreach Program of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, part of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The series was endowed by the Meyerhoff family in 1994 to honor excellence in research and foster the dissemination of scholarly work in Holocaust studies. Since 2020, the Meyerhoff Lecture has been held in partnership with a university on its campus as part of the Regional Programming Initiative. 

The mission of the Mandel Center is to ensure the long-term growth and vitality of Holocaust Studies. To do that, it is essential to provide opportunities for new generations of scholars. The vitality and the integrity of Holocaust Studies require openness, independence, and free inquiry so that new ideas are generated and tested through peer review and public debate. 

The opinions of scholars expressed before, during, or after their activities with the Mandel Center do not represent and are not endorsed by the Mandel Center or the Museum.

FHSU Lecture: Territorial expansion efforts in Nazi Europe, U.S. in 19th, 20th centuries

MUNJOR — The Munjor Knights of Columbus will sponsor a fish fry 5-7 p.m. Friday, April 11 at the Munjor school.

For more information, contact Tony Rohr at 785-650-1819

Fish fry April 11 sponsored by Munjor Knights of Columbus

TOPEKA&nbsp;– The Kansas Corporation Commission wants to remind utility customers that there are two important dates coming up that they should be aware of.&nbsp;

 First, the Cold Weather Rule ends on Monday, March 31. The Cold Weather Rule protects residential customers, served by Kansas Corporation Commission regulated utilities, from disconnection when temperatures are forecast to drop below 35 degrees.

In addition, Monday is the deadline to apply for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, known as LIEAP. Applications for the federally funded program must be received by the Kansas Department of Children and Families by 5 p.m. on Monday.&nbsp; Information about the program is available at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.dcf.ks.gov%2Fservices%2Fees%2FPages%2FEnergyAssistance.aspx%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01010195d3102f2b-30f65b62-192b-4182-962e-28f16fadf9ca-000000/moZZnwYAHHByZaQDKjApdWnTF2MTokg_ETYbB8J865I=398">https://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/ees/Pages/EnergyAssistance.aspx</a>

When the Cold Weather Rule is in effect, regulated utilities are required to offer a 12-month payment plan upon request, even if a previous payment plan has been broken. When that protection ends on Monday, failure to make arrangements or failure to adhere to an already established payment plan could result in disconnection. 

Reconnection after March 31 may require past due balances be paid in full, depending on the utility's policy. That is why it is important to call now – while regulated utilities are still required to offer the Cold Weather Rule 12-month payment plan.

The KCC urges all customers facing financial difficulties to act now to stay connected. To find out more about utility assistance programs in your area, please contact your utility or the KCC Consumer Protection Office at 800-662-0027 or 785-271-3140.&nbsp;Utility assistance program information is also posted on the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Flinkprotect.cudasvc.com%2Furl%3Fa=https%253A%252F%252Fkcc.ks.gov%252Fpublic-affairs-and-consumer-protection%252Futility-weatherization-related-assistance-programs%253Futm_medium%253Demail%2526utm_source%253Dgovdelivery%26c=E%252C1%252CvE_twmaS8t9zcDwjcMo2NFeLHwp2aXyg_bmp0zEqR8JTemQklsbpQOjEho3O48NiOKNKDNkQz1HOXJfuWFnwUZnf_w9wqEcRfTsDLC7H0Q%252C%252C%26typo=1%26utm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01010195d3102f2b-30f65b62-192b-4182-962e-28f16fadf9ca-000000/Poigdlp3I5RuBREWjsAPjy1k-lesBx1axE-TTraOQUI=398">KCC’s website.</a>

It is important to note that the KCC does not regulate co-ops or municipal utilities, although many of those utilities also offer a cold weather payment plan. For a complete list of utilities regulated by the KCC visit:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/http:%2F%2Fkcc.ks.gov%2Fabout-us%2Fjurisdiction%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01010195d3102f2b-30f65b62-192b-4182-962e-28f16fadf9ca-000000/3B0Q3JkxB9oj8WfCHvBQ3Rn1FDi_zTa47n1o1rYRW2I=398">http://kcc.ks.gov/about-us/jurisdiction</a>

Cold Weather Rule, LIEAP application period end soon

Miles of Mercy fundraiser to benefit Hays Catholic youth trip

HOLY FAMILY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NOTES WEEK OF March 31 – April 4, 2025

THE SUCCESSES OF TOMORROW BEGIN TODAY, CATHOLIC EDUCATION IS A LIFETIME ADVANTAGE!

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS…. SCHOOLS YOU CAN BELIEVE IN!

--March 31 • Spring Music Concert for grades KP, K, 1st &amp; 2nd at 6:30 p.m. in the TMP-M Fieldhouse. • Tomorrow our Spring Dress Code resumes! Students may start wearing shorts again, or skirts without leggings underneath!&nbsp; • Happy Birthday to Nolan Roths, 2A, and Skip Mondero, 2B.

--April 1 • Spring Dress Code starts today. • We will have a Fire Drill after announcements. • 1A will have a special presentation about China at 10:30. • Happy Birthday to Cyrus Stremel, 1B.

--April 2 • Memorial of St. Francis of Paola, Hermit. Spirit Day. • Para Appreciation Day! We are grateful for all of our paras: Miss Shaylee, Ms. Brenda, Ms. Meg, Ms. Sara, Ms. Clara, Ms. Courtney, Mr. Danny, Mrs. Schulte, Mrs. Schrant, Miss Laken and Ms. Judy Flax! They are the teacher’s sidekicks, helping with duties, supervision, grading, scanning copies, and they help keep the day-to-day running smoothly! Be sure to thank them today!! • Famous Figures Preliminaries for 5th grade 8:45 a.m. in L.T. • There’s an all-school assembly starting at 2:00 in the L.T. about celebrating KS &amp; the Prairies. • &nbsp;Joyful Noise Choir meets at 2:45 p.m.&nbsp; • Happy Birthday to Miles Patterson, KB, Zander Seib, KA, &amp; Owen Kennedy, 5A.

--April 3 • TMP students will visit 4B today. • Sr. Rose Marie will visit 5th grade at 2:30 p.m.

--April 4 • Memorial of St. Isidore, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. • 2nd Grade Pajama Day for a feed the pig prize. • First Friday Prayer Circles this morning – teachers can take their attendance &amp; lunch count now and we’ll come over the intercom when it’s time for the students to head to their spots. • Stations of the Cross at 2:35 p.m. at IHM. • Students, next week is our Lenten Canned Food Drive! Go through your cabinets and pantry at home and see if you can find a few items to bring to school in a sack for the families in need! All items will be donated to the St. Joseph Food Pantry and Diaper Closet! • Greetings to Emery Knight, 3B, and Jude Wilkens, 1B, who will celebrate a birthday this weekend.

Holy Family Elementary School notes, March 31-April 4, 2025

NORTON — A project to resurface a 12-mile portion of I-70 in Thomas County is scheduled to begin on Monday, March 31.

The Kansas Department of Transportation project will involve a mill and overlay on both east and westbound lanes of I-70 starting near Exit 62 at Mingo and ending at the Logan County line. In addition to the mainline pavement, crews will also resurface the shoulders, ramps and crossovers located within the project limits.

Traffic through the work zone will be reduced to one lane with a decreased speed limit. Motorists should plan for minor travel delays and are reminded to stay alert and use caution in the construction area.

KDOT expects project work to be complete by the end of June, conditions permitting.

Venture Corp., of Great Bend, is the primary contractor with a total contract cost of approximately $9 million. For more information, please contact KDOT Area Construction Manager Todd Anderson at 785-953-6011 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:todd.anderson@ks.gov">todd.anderson@ks.gov</a>.

Resurfacing project to begin on I-70 in Thomas County

It was Conference Committee Week, as it was the last week before First Adjournment. During this week the House of Representatives and Senate vote on bills that have passed out of both chambers. Said bills usually have been amended by at least one of the two chambers and so requires negotiation, but not always, through conference committee to reconcile the resulting different versions of the bill. 

Below I have detailed a sample of five bills from the 65 that were considered.

· First is House Bill (HB) 2040. This bill, which I have described before in this newsletter, extends the deadline for the Kansas Corporation Commission to make decisions on applications by electric utilities for line siting from 120 to 180 days. Only one amendment from the Senate was made, to change the date of effect for the law from publication of the Statute Book to publication of the Kansas Register—which is published earlier than the Statute Book.

· Second is HB 2107. This legislation would establish a two-year statute of limitations for wildfire-related claims against electric public utilities, authorize the recovery of certain damages, limit the recovery of punitive damages from said claims at $5 million, require the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) to convene a workshop on wildfire risks and utility mitigation efforts by July 1, 2026, and authorize the KCC to open a general investigation or convene additional workshops to further assess wildfire risk and mitigation in the future. The Senate only made one amendment, extending the statute of limitations for some damages to 10 years.

· Third is HB 2031, which like HB 2040 has already been covered in a previous newsletter. This bill would amend law by making valid driver licenses issued in other states sufficient for acquiring a driving instructor license in Kansas. The Senate only made one amendment to the bill, to change the date of effect from publication of the Statute Book to that of the Kansas Register.

· Fourth is House Bill 2311. This legislation would alter state law regarding the Department for Children and Families in two different ways. First it would prohibit the agency from requiring potential adoptive parents and potential custodians from affirming government policy regarding sexual gender and identity, if it conflicted with sincerely held religious or moral beliefs. Second it would prohibit the selection, licensure, or appointment of individuals based upon their sincerely held religious or moral beliefs regarding sexual gender and identity. The only amendment made by the Senate was to adjust the date of effect, from publication of the Statute Book to publication of the Kansas Register.

· Last is Senate Bill 42. This bill would establish a web-based system for online verification of motor vehicle insurance, which would serve as the only electronic system used for verifying motor vehicle liability insurance in the state. The bill would also task the Commissioner of Insurance with creating this system and coordinating with motor vehicle insurers to maintain the registry of said&nbsp;insurance files, with some exceptions for insurers with less than 1,000 vehicles covered. The House only amended the bill, as you might guess, on its date of effect, from publication of the Statute Book to the Kansas Register.

Each of these listed bills passed their concurrence votes in the House, and I voted yes on each of them.

One of the 65 bills from the first page that I did not mention was Senate Bill (SB) 125. Originally intended as the trailer budget bill for this session it became the sole budget bill after the contents of House Bill 2007 were added to it. Detailed below is an update on some of the budget items from the bill that were negotiated in conference committee a brief overview of its effect on the state’s finances.

First would be the Economic Development Initiatives Fund (EDIF) line items. The House’s version funded the vast majority, 33, of the usual items in EDIF, from the Mainstreet Program to the Summer Sunflower Program, but the Senate’s did not, which only funded five. During the conference committee the House succeeded in persuading the Senate to accept its positions and save these programs, many of which impact the 109th District.

Second was the State Water Plan Fund (SWPF), which allocates funds to state agencies for the purpose of coordinating efforts at conserving and improving water in Kansas. Here the House and Senate were able to compromise and increase funding to the SWPF by $15 million, and by using maturing treasury bills save State General Fund (SGF) dollars.

 Third was $10 million SGF for special education in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, which through maintenance-of-effort requirements will continue indefinitely. Here again the Senate had allocated no funds, but the House was able to persuade the Senate into adding these dollars, thus helping school districts across the state.

Through several rounds of negotiations, the House and Senate were able to produce a state budget to fund the rest of FY 2025, at $10.846 billion SGF, and upcoming FY 2026, at $10.635 billion, while spending $65.5 million SGF less than the Governor’s proposed budget; just as important, the legislature’s budget funds the vital services of the state, from our state hospitals to improving our highways. The budget passed the concurrence vote by 89 in favor to 35 against, with bipartisan support. 

As the carrier of the bill and one of the conferees that drafted it, I voted in favor.

Given this is the last week of session before First Adjournment I figured this is a good time to announce my schedule for coffees during the interim period between now and Veto Session. 

On April 2, a Wednesday, at 9:00 a.m. Senator Tori Arnberger-Blew and I will host a coffee for Ellsworth County at Hattie Jo’s. On April 3, a Thursday, at 10:30 a.m. Senator Elaine Bowers and I will host a coffee at the Cross-Eyed Cricket for Smith County. Later that same day at 2:00 p.m., Senator Bowers and I will host a coffee at the Hideout for Osborne County. 

The week after that on April 8, a Tuesday, at 9 a.m. Senator Bowers and I will host a coffee for Lincoln County at the Feedlot Bar &amp; Grill. The fifth and last coffee will be held later that same day at 11 a.m., again between Senator Bowers and I, at the Southwind Bank for Russell County. I look forward to attending these coffees and answering any questions you may have regarding the 2025 Session.

It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.

Contact My Office Representative Troy L. Waymaster 300 SW 10th&nbsp;Street Topeka,&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;66612 troy.waymaster@house.ks.gov <a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/">www.kslegislature.org</a> www.troywaymaster.com&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

WAYMASTER: From the Dome to Home, April 1, 2025

&nbsp;FHSU University Communications

For the 18th consecutive year, FHSU has been recognized for its investment in programs that improve the lives of veterans and military personnel, earning the 2025-2026 Military Friendly School designation from militaryfriendly.com.

Institutions earning the&nbsp;Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2025-2026 survey with 830 earning special awards for going above the standard.

“Every year, we use this survey to evaluate, improve, and better FHSU and the way we take care of our military-connected students,” said Randy Adkins, military admissions advisor of FHSU online military-connected student services.

The Military Friendly program creates civilian opportunities for veterans and is the standard that measures an organization’s commitment, effort, and success in creating sustainable and meaningful opportunities for the military community.

Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey scores with the assessment of the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer) and loan default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.

The 2025-2026 Military Friendly Schools list will be published in the May and October issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and found at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.7LNxDHQVpzCjONIZ4OYIquXVhZdXo37pUmmwwiyqvJOdiyrzo5Wg63Pjv-2B8H5dpuQASr_1ix3pnygukYWZfKiCJpm8BsHsayWXlw0ucteiDEo46fRc0p9DVWJmv2prlqkbHR6S2dsrJiXPEopagJAn55fgrGOya21Ubchf288oY8AFP4iYaBJwhylwdd5l9F7UOfONeRH7-2BDm5ZL8gQPKvjmrMnk8V84RVwgYhxHqqwMLxfzr-2B7VKX1yD57RU7dDBos98IhfCtNQhCyQofxhh9rwtH4XModDR-2BjY5TNb5HYm7p6k0capmURz-2Fir5aWUi-2BW5FaTtbTmCLayXunMc6jVe2UCFo6YXa32i-2FcjmyD9LM4jhmmGYFpLj7gLvO-2BfZ3y0CmSx9JJtFs8LwZAg2psAE1p0tJeEYy50wnEmYOvU7mivqpZfDJ3244XqyLkoXCUX4-2B3">www.militaryfriendly.com</a>.

Military-connected student benefits at FHSU include tuition assistance, Veteran Affairs benefits, Yellow Ribbon and in-state tuition, and scholarships. Students also have access to a Military Success module, specialized career services, and a dedicated military admissions advisor.

Visit the Military-Connected Student Services page for more information:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.EWtdXdo3nx3t8ZlvSfKX0SxGv-2Fva5lUgbJxYeXX5hgplSB6izMy2MRZAeywXjzC9tERd_1ix3pnygukYWZfKiCJpm8BsHsayWXlw0ucteiDEo46fRc0p9DVWJmv2prlqkbHR6S2dsrJiXPEopagJAn55fgrGOya21Ubchf288oY8AFP4iYaBJwhylwdd5l9F7UOfONeRH7-2BDm5ZL8gQPKvjmrMnk8V84RVwgYhxHqqwMLxfzr-2B7VKX1yD57RU7dDBos98IhfCtNQhCyQofxhh9rwtH6aEFIGqdNNrvXdba1nMkgCZoomq-2F7E-2FVQQiDX-2BBfTp2uZNZZ9dweRKAgrMIsPw3XoChPu01ViIwdH-2BN5dACLBLfNIRnBP6A5rstiCyJfqvRS5htCgSP6tf2hjy3GiEAUP-2BJ0rBZvUNjzwsW-2FX4V5fto88zg0PtZP-2FbhPkeOztRF">https://www.fhsu.edu/military/</a>.

Fort Hays State earns 2025-26 Military Friendly School designation

By MICHELLE BERAN Cottonwood Extension District

If you have called or stopped by our Cottonwood Extension offices in Hays or Great Bend, you have spoken to some of the most valuable members of our team!

The agents across the Cottonwood Extension District are blessed to have incredible staff to support and assist in so many ways.

Brenda and Theresa are our office professionals and they manage a multitude of tasks, well beyond answering the phone and greeting those who step through our doors. They help to keep us organized, manage the district finances and website, and occasionally “mom” us when schedules and tasks get overwhelming. In addition, they manage so many tasks for events such as the fairs, Walk Kansas, and much more. We couldn’t function without them!

Jacy is the district-wide program assistant and provides wonderful support from scheduling social media to assisting with programs to general coordination of supplies for those programs. If you happened to see our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ksrecottonwood">National Ag Week videos</a>, (Rowdy Ringo on 3.18.2025 and&nbsp;Crosby the Farm Dog on 3.21.2025), Jacy took my crazy idea and made it happen to share two books from local authors with 4-H youth reading. Her fun and “can do” attitude make her a joy with whom to work!

We are also fortunate to have a couple of student assistants from time to time in our offices. Kiera is a Barton Community College student and a Midway-Russell 4-H member and brings a willingness to work and help wherever needed. 

This summer we will have a student summer assistant in each office who assist with copies, fair input, answering the phones, and whatever else is needed. One of our goals is always to expose these students to the larger world of Extension work!

Keep learning! Keep showing grace and kindness!

Michelle Beran is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District, Great Bend and Hays. For more information on this article or other 4-H Youth Development resources, email Michelle at mberan@ksu.edu or call Cottonwood Extension District – Barton office at 620-793-1910.

BERAN: It takes a team 

<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

Three-day weather outlook

At the age of 15, Sophia Linenberger of Hays received a diagnosis of Ewings sarcoma cancer. She is 21 years old and has been fighting cancer for the past six years.

She was actively taking chemotherapy to treat the tumor in her head, and she just found out that she has new tumors on her pelvic bone, making this her fourth battle with Ewings sarcoma cancer.&nbsp;

The Linenberger family has been in shock, devastated and completely heartbroken. Sophia’s cancer results were not what they hoped for. They find themselves in a state of feeling completely numb. The thought of Sophia’s cancer attacking in a new place is heartbreaking for the entire family.&nbsp;

Sophia’s sister, Holly, created a GoFundMe to help her family with cancer expenses.&nbsp;Sophia receives her cancer treatment four hours away from her home and her family has been traveling there very frequently for the past six years. With Sophia’s new tumors recently being discovered, her family will be traveling even more due to chemotherapy treatment and radiation appointments, causing extra travel expenses, meal expenses, etc. The ultimate goal would be to receive enough money to purchase a dependable vehicle.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://gofund.me/f2e69622">https://gofund.me/f2e69622</a>&nbsp;You may also donate via Venmo: Jenny-Linenberger

Stan, Jenny, Sophia, and Holly want to sincerely thank the Hays Community for their continued prayers and support.&nbsp;

The Linenberger family would be truly grateful for any donations to help. Each donation helps more than you will ever know.&nbsp;

Community update on Sophia Linenberger

The Ellis County Sheriff has announced that blowing dust has reduced visibility on Old Highway 40 near Ellis.

Blowing dust has reduced visibility on U.S 40 near Ellis

Hays Police Department arrest log: March 23-29, 2025

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

A Hays man was arrested March 26 after allegedly punching a woman in the face.

Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler said 48-year-old Timothy Michael Weatherbie allegedly struck a woman in the alley behind 20O block West Seventh Street.

According to witnesses, the incident happened after a verbal argument between the two subjects.

The woman sustained a laceration to her lip and potential bruising but declined medical treatment. According to Scheibler, the victim did not know Weatherbie.

Weatherbie&nbsp;was arrested on a battery charge.

Hays man arrested for alleged battery on woman

Hays Police Department activity log: March 23-29, 2025

HAYS – The TMP-Marian softball team picked up two more wins Tuesday
in a doubleheader sweep of Ellinwood, improving their record to 4-0 to start
the season.

GAME 1: TMP 12, Ellinwood 1 In the first game of the doubleheader, every Monarchs hitter,
except for one, collected a base hit, and TMP doubled the Eagles' hit total in
a 12-1 run-rule victory.

Brynn Rebel got the action started for the Monarchs. After
she recorded two of her seven strikeouts in the first inning, she led off the
bottom of the first with a solo homerun, the third of her career, putting TMP
up 1-0.

She struck out two more in the top of the second, and then
Ellinwood missed played a long flyball in center field off the bat of Teagan
Gottschalk, who eventually came in to score, extending TMP’s lead to 2-0.

TMP scored off two more Ellinwood errors in the inning, and
Brooke Koenigsman added an RBI double, while Bria Windholz had an RBI single,
as TMP led 6-0 through two innings.

Following a scoreless third, the Monarchs' offense exploded
for six more runs in the fourth inning.

Four straight singles to open the inning led to RBIs for Koenigsman
and Windholz. A Gottschalk single with one out in the inning put TMP up 10-0.

TMP also added a run on a Raegan Allen pop out and a Molly
Helget double for a 12-0 lead heading into the fifth.

Ellinwood was also to record their only run of the game in
the top of the fifth inning, but TMP held on for the 12-1 victory.

Brynn Rebel allowed just one run on seven hits, striking out
seven. 

Brooke Koenigsman finished three-for-three with two runs and
two RBI’s. Bria Windholz was two-for-three with two runs and two RBI’s.

GAME 2: TMP 6, Ellinwood 5 The Monarchs rallied from an early three-run deficit, and
Piper Simson recorded three hits in a 6-5 win over the Eagles in the final game
of the doubleheader.

With the game scoreless through the first two innings,
Ellinwood took advantage of two walks, two TMP errors, and a pair of singles
for a 3-0 Eagles lead.

Brooke Koenigsman pulled the Monarchs within a run in the
bottom of the third inning with a two-run home run. But she suffered an injury
stepping on home plate and was forced to leave the game.

The Monarchs tied the ball game at three with one out in the
bottom of the fourth inning on a Piper Simpson RBI single.

Adi Gottschalk’s sacrifice fly broke the tie and gave the Monarchs
a 4-3.

Brynn Rebel added an RBI triple, putting TMP up 5-3 through
four innings.

Simpson added an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth inning,
giving the team a 6-3 lead.

Ellinwood hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh,
but the Monarchs held on for a 6-5 victory.

Piper Simson finished 3-for-3 with two RBI’s and a run
scored. Brooke Koenigsman added two RBI, and she and Paige Koenigsman each collected
two hits. 

Bria Windholz moved to 2-0 on the season. She allowed five
runs, two earned, on five hits with four walks and nine strikeouts in seven
innings. 

🥎TMP-Marian downs Ellinwood in home doubleheader

HAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs baseball team extended their
win streak to four straight games to open the season, taking two from Ellinwood
on Tuesday in Hays.

GAME 1: TMP 14, Ellinwood 4 The Monarchs scored in all four innings, and all hitters in
the lineup, except one, collected at least one hit in a 14-4 win over the
Eagles in the first game of the doubleheader.

Freshman Grant Nehls gave the Monarchs an early lead,
hitting his second home run of the season —a first-inning grand slam —that gave
TMP a 4-0 lead.

The Monarchs added six more runs in the second inning,
capitalizing on a pair of errors and a walk to start the inning.

A Caden Dinkel sacrifice fly put TMP up 5-0. 

Adler Brown, two hitters later, added a two-run single to
extend the TMP lead to 6-0. Connor Breit followed with a two-run single,
extending TMP's lead to 8-0. Trevor Frabrizius added a two-run double, giving
TMP a 10-0 lead through two innings.

Already leading by double-digits, the Monarchs added three
more runs in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of three walks and a hit
by pitch. Dinkel singled home a run, and TMP added runs on a passed ball and a
Frabrizius walk with the bases loaded, helping the Monarchs to a 13-0 lead
through three innings.

TMP added a single run in the bottom of the fourth, making
it 14-0 on the second RBI single of the game for Dinkel.

The Monarchs went on to claim the 14-4 run-rule victory in
four and a half innings.

Grant Nehls finished 1-for-3 with the grand slam. Caden
Dinkel drove in three runs and finished two-for-two. Trevor Fabrizius also
drove in three runs for TMP.

Dinkel got the win on the mound. He allowed just two hits with
five strikeouts in four shutout innings.

GAME 2: TMP 6, Ellinwood 4 In the final game of the day, the Monarchs scored in all but
one inning and added a pair of runs in the sixth inning on their way to a 6-4
victory over the Eagles.

Ellinwood got the lead early in game two, scoring two runs
in the first inning.

TMP scored a single run in the bottom of the inning. After
the first two hitters of the game reached base for TMP, Ty Schmeidler drove in
a run with a groundout. 

With Ellinwood leading 2-1 heading into the top of the third
inning, the Eagles added another run on an RBI groundout for a 3-1 lead.

In the bottom of the third, the Monarchs loaded the bases
with no one out, and Adler Brown drove in the second TMP run on a groundout, making
it 3-2 Ellinwood.

But TMP left two runners in scoring position. 

After a 1-2-3 top of the fourth inning, the Monarchs came
all the way to tie the game at three on an RBI triple from Ty Schmeidler.

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