By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

Plainville USD 270 voters approved a $5.49 million bond and rejected a second $7.05 million bond in Tuesday’s election.

The proposal appeared as a two-question ballot, with each question addressing a separate group of projects at Plainville Elementary School and Plainville Junior-Senior High School.

Approval of question one will fund facility upgrades, such as HVAC and electrical updates, LED lighting installation, and restroom improvements.

The measure passed with 392 yes votes to 263 no votes.

Question two failed and would have funded classroom and entrance renovations at both schools, along with improvements to the Rock Gym and Cardinal Gym. The measure received 209 yes votes and 443 no votes.

USD 270 Superintendent Chris Rinehart said he is pleased with <a href="https://www.rookscountyks.gov/media/2511">the results despite proposal two not passing</a>.

"I understand that this was just the time our community wasn't ready to take on that much of a tax obligation," Rinehart said. "I am happy that we were able to at least get that proposal one through, and we are able to address those needs. I was hoping we would get both, but I'm still happy."

Each ballot question carried a different estimated impact on the mill levy. With only question one approved, the estimated increase will be one mill.

On a $100,000 home, a one mill increase is $11.50 per year. The median home value in Rooks County is $88,200.

Rinehart said restrooms will be updated to meet ADA standards, and the building will receive interior and exterior upgrades to prevent stormwater intrusion. He said work on some of the projects could begin as early as spring.

Proposal two would have also allowed the district to address safe and secure entrances for both schools. In addition to gym renovations, the Cardinal Gym would have included a new room designed as a storm shelter with a capacity of 550 people.

Rinehart said the district will continue to address safety through crisis committees. Security camera and monitoring system improvements have already been made.

"We're not going to be talking about a reconfiguration or remodeling our entries, but we'll definitely be talking about what we can do, whether it's through the enhancement of some technology or whatever it is we need to do," he said.

Rinehart said the district has a five-year facilities plan, from which several bond projects were drawn, and will review it again before deciding how to proceed with future improvements.

"I am happy that our voters are supporting us with proposal one. We'll definitely do our best to address those needs and be good stewards of the funding we will receive. We'll do what's best for the community and district," Rinehart said.

Plainville USD 270 voters approve $5.49 million bond for school upgrades

TMP-Marian vs Plainville March, 4th, 6 p.m Hays, Kan.

Radio:&nbsp;KHAZ (99.5)&nbsp;<a href="https://99kzcountry.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> <a href="https://mix103fm.com/"></a>Video:&nbsp;Monarchs Sports Network<a href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/broadcast/embed/3781555">&nbsp;CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>

The TMP-Marian Monarchs host the Plainville Cardinals in the sub-state semifinals on Wednesday evening at Al Billinger Fieldhouse in Hays.

Tip-off for the game is set for 6:00 p.m. The Hertz Rent-a-Car Pregame Show begins at 5:40 p.m. on 99.5 KZ Country.

🏀🎥 TMP-Marian Monarchs host sub-state semifinals with Plainville

Hays High vs Topeka West Wednesday, Mar. 4 - 6:00 Hays, Kan.

Radio:&nbsp;KFIX (96.9)&nbsp;<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KFIX">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> <a href="https://mix103fm.com/"></a>Video:&nbsp;Hays High Sports Network &nbsp; WATCH HERE - <a href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/broadcast/embed/3781527">CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE</a> &nbsp;

The Hays High girls enter postseason play as the two seed as they host Topeka West on Wednesday evening.

The Indians are coming off an undefeated Western Athletic Conference championship on Friday. Hays captured the two seed with an 21-1 record. The West Chargers are the fifteen seed at 7-16 record.

Winner of this game faces the winner of (7) Andover Central (13-10) and (10) Hutchinson (11-11) on Saturday.

Tip-off for tonight is set for 6:00. The Hertz Pregame Show will begin at 5:40 on 96.9 KFIX.&nbsp;

🏀📺 Hays High girls begin postseason play with Topeka West

A 22-year-old Russell man was arrested in two separate incidents in Hays within the same week.

Lt. Brandon Hauptman said Lorenzo Odel Phillips inserted himself into a reported domestic disturbance about 4:30 a.m. on Feb. 23 at the Econo Lodge, 3503 Vine St.

Hauptman said officers located 26-year-old Andrew Brian Corley, 29-year-old Sarah Rachel Tomasino and 19-year-old Justice Lee Cole inside a hotel room.&nbsp;

Hauptman said during the investigation, officers learned a child had been in the room with the group and was exposed to methamphetamine. This led to the arrest of the child’s mother, Tomasino.

Hauptman said Tomasino contacted a friend to pick up the child, and the friend arrived at the scene with Phillips. Officers told them not to enter the hotel room, but Phillips allegedly attempted to go inside anyway.

Hauptman said Phillips became upset, was allegedly yelling and allegedly interfered with the investigation. He was arrested for alleged interference with law enforcement, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

All other suspects were arrested for alleged possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and aggravated child endangerment. Corley was also charged with alleged domestic battery.

The child was placed in protective custody with no EMS treatment needed.

On Feb. 28, officers initiated a traffic stop for an improper turn at Seventh and Park streets near the Fort Hays State University campus. Hauptman said Tomasino was driving the vehicle, and Phillips was the passenger.

Hauptman said officers observed an alleged open container of alcohol inside the vehicle. During a search, officers allegedly found a handgun under Phillips’ seat that was allegedly stolen out of Russell County.

Hauptman said Phillips admitted to possessing the gun.

Phillips was arrested for the alleged possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and transporting an open container. Tomasino was not arrested in this incident, Hauptman said.

Russell man arrested twice in one week on alleged drug, firearm charges

Strength training program set for Tuesday in Ellis

A 52-year-old Hays man has been arrested on a charge of allegedly rape of a minor.

Lt. Brandom Hauptman said the alleged offense involving Jason Raymond Breit took place in Hays. Breit was arrested Feb. 24 in Ellis while returning home.

He was arrested on an alleged rape charge of a minor younger than 14 and an alleged aggravated criminal sodomy charge.

No other details were provided, and the investigation is ongoing. Breit was booked into the Ellis County Jail.

Hays man arrested on alleged rape of minor charge

Hays Police Department activity log: Feb. 15-21, 2026

Hays Police Department arrest log: Feb. 22-28, 2026

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If you have questions, please contact Scarlett Deutscher at 785-301-2211.&nbsp;

If you have an issue outside of business hours or your obit has not been published within 24 hours, please email <a href="mailto:hayspost@eaglemedia.com" target="_blank">hayspost@eaglemedia.com</a> or call Cristina Janney, Hays Post editor, at 785-301-2077.&nbsp;

Recent obituaries, how to submit an obituary

The Hays Arts Council proudly presents Fields &amp; Forms, a compelling dual exhibition featuring the work of Amy Warfield and Brittany Gorelick, opening Friday, March 6.

This exhibition brings together two distinct artistic perspectives rooted in personal and regional&nbsp;experience.

&nbsp;Brittany Gorelick’s work reflects her lived experience as a queer and&nbsp;neurodivergent artist. 

Through collage, papermaking, and experimental printmaking, she uses&nbsp;recurring visual symbols—such as scribbled lines, structured grids, and waveform imagery—to&nbsp;explore themes of identity, structure, and emotional intensity. Bold color and layered marks&nbsp;create work that is both reflective and expressive.

In contrast, Amy Warfield turns her attention outward to the western Kansas landscape.&nbsp;

As a representational painter working primarily in watercolor, she captures the subtle atmosphere,&nbsp;texture, and character of the High Plains. Her work invites viewers to slow down and reconsider&nbsp;a landscape that is often overlooked, revealing its quiet complexity and sense of place.

The opening reception will be held on Friday, March 6, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Hays&nbsp;Arts Council Annex, 1010 Main Street, Hays.

&nbsp;The event is free and open to the&nbsp;public.

The exhibition will be open beginning Thursday, March 5, and will remain on view through April&nbsp;11.

&nbsp;Public viewing hours at the Annex Gallery are:

● Thursday and Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

This exhibition also marks an exciting transition period for the Hays Arts Council.&nbsp;

As renovation begins on its primary facility, the organization will continue serving the community through&nbsp;temporary locations.

The Hays Arts Council Gift Shop and Main Office has reopened inside the&nbsp;Hadley Center, located at 205 E. 7th Street, Hays.&nbsp;&nbsp;Visitors may enter through the main Hadley entrance on 7th Street and will find HAC directly inside in a convenient retail storefront just beyond the front doors.

● Tuesday–Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Even during renovation, the Hays Arts Council remains committed to presenting exhibitions, arts&nbsp;education programming, Smoky Hill Art, seasonal art walks, and new community initiatives.&nbsp;The&nbsp;organization looks forward to welcoming the public into its temporary spaces while preparing for&nbsp;an exciting new chapter ahead.

For additional information, email arts@haysartscouncil.org or follow the Hays Arts Council on&nbsp;social media or visit during open hours.

New duel exhibition opens at Hays Arts Council Annex; reception Friday evening

Kansas Department of Transportation

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has begun phase two of the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/d0838bd0-ef96-482e-981e-3d4a18967684">U.S. 83 Advanced Technology Project</a>, which will install advanced highway technology along U.S. 83 from Rexford to Liberal.

This phase will install highway technology in Finney, Scott, Thomas, Haskell, Seward and Logan counties.

Work will take place at 28 sites along this corridor.

 Key improvements include upgrading four signalized intersections with connected vehicle technology and freight signal priority, including Freight Video Detection Systems. The project will also add nine permanent portable dynamic message signs, 14 CCTV cameras, two permanent dynamic message signs, one road weather information system and two wind speed and visibility detector sites. 

These upgrades will provide travelers with real-time updates on roadway conditions, traffic delays and closures through KanDrive and message boards while also supporting improved mobility and efficiency for truck traffic.

Phillips Southern Electric Company Inc., of Wichita, is the contractor for this $2.5 million project. Completion is expected in spring 2027, weather permitting.

For more information, contact Yazmin Moreno, KDOT Southwest Public Information Officer, at 620-765-7080.

The map below shows the approximate location of the project in red.

Phase 2 of advanced highway technology along U.S. 83 begins in western Kansas

PAWNEE ROCK — Heartland Farm and Heartland Center for Spirituality will host the free program, "Tahtonka: Buffalo and the Plains Indians" on from 2 to 4 p.m. March 8&nbsp; at the Great Bend Motherhouse, 3600 Broadway. Dr. Leo Oliva, professor emeritus, Fort Hays State University, will explore the Plains Indians and historical buffalo culture, how technology changed it and how the hide hunters destroyed it.

In 1840, it was estimated there were 40 million buffalo on the Great Plains. Buffalo were the Plains Indians' supermarket, providing food, shelter, clothing, and tools. The robe trade with Euro-Americans provided manufactured items.

The railroads made possible widespread hunting for hides for the leather industry by 1870. Encouraged by the government and the military, who wanted the Indians placed on reservations, the hunters destroyed the buffalo and the Indians' way of life. 

The great slaughter of the buffalo on the Southern Plains in the 1870s and the Northern Plains in the 1880s forced the Indigenous nations to move to the reservations to survive. Warfare killed many who refused to go to the reservations, and many more died on the reservations from diseases, malnutrition, and hunger.

With a&nbsp;screening of the film,&nbsp;Tahtonka, and with context by and discussion and Q&amp;A with Dr. Oliva, attendees will examine how after the great slaughter of the buffalo, the traditional lives and culture of the Indians could not survive. The final conquest, part of the colonization inspired by the Doctrine of Discovery, came quickly when the buffalo were gone.

A freewill offering will be taken but is not required.

Heartland Farm & Heartland Center to host 'Tahtonka: Buffalo and the Plains Indians' on March 8

COLBY — Western Plains Arts Association will have in concert pianist Barron Ryan who will present "Classic Meets Cool" on Sunday, March 8, at 3:00 p.m. in the Cultural Arts Center, Colby.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This project is generously funded by Mid-America Arts Alliance, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the state art agencies of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas,&nbsp;the Dane Hansen Foundation and in part by the state of Kansas through the Kansas Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Admission to this show is with a WPAA season ticket or an individual program ticket which may be purchased at the door.

Barron Ryan’s love for music has always been divided. The son of two musicians, he grew up in a house filled with the sounds of artists ranging from Mozart to Motown. So when it comes to his own work, he’s not content drawing on just one influence. He combines them all into a musical adventure that’s vintage yet fresh, historical yet hip, classic yet cool.

Ryan is following in his favorite composers’ footsteps by publishing his original works in the public domain. He offers his work as a gift to the world, and as a chance to collaborate with artists from around the globe.

What’s next? You’ll have to wait to find out, but rest assured that in all Barron Ryan’s music, classic Meets cool.

Pianist Barron Ryan to perform in Colby concert on March 8

&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

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Osborne County Community Foundation

March 11&nbsp;9:30-11 AM Lakeside High School Gym, Downs, KS Osborne County Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Public is invited to the Trade Show&nbsp;&nbsp;

March 13&nbsp;11:00-5:00 Osborne Public Library, 325 W. Main St., Osborne, KS Join us for Pi(e) Day! Get a piece of delicious pie or a whole one!&nbsp;&nbsp;

March 25 7-10 a.m. Osborne County Spring Health Fair, 115 N. 1st&nbsp;St., Osborne, KS Call 785-346-2412 to schedule an appointment

March 27-28 To Know and Be Known - Soul Infusion Work Shop and Retreat Osborne United Methodist Church, 105 N. 3rd&nbsp;St., Osborne, KS Friday 5:30-8:30 PM Join us in Learning self-defense basics with Stephanie!&nbsp; Saturday 9-3 Brunch Provided. Silvia and Stephanie will share a beautiful message. A soulful day to slow down, reconnect, and rediscover the God who is already with you. Take your faith from something you read to something you live!&nbsp;Call Traci at 785-346-4555 or Robin At 785-476-5396. Register by March 16.

March 27-29, West end of Main St. by the river, Osborne, KS South Fork of the Solomon Valley Muzzleloaders Annual Rendevous BB gun shoot, shotgun shoot, flintlock, rifle, pistol, archery, special shoot for kids 10 and under. Traders welcome, primitive dress encouraged, but not required.&nbsp; Bring the family! Dutch oven contest.

March 28 Osborne Easter Egg Hunt, Noon, Osborne Courthouse and City Park Lawns

March events in Osborne County

Ejoy the Spring Choral Concert, 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 10 at&nbsp;Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center, Fort Hays State University Sheridan Hall.&nbsp;

Hear the FHSU Concert Choir sing their program that was sung at the Kansas Music Educators Association music convention on Feb. 26. Also appearing will be the Smoky Hill Chorale and the Fort Hays Singers. 

Free FHSU Spring Choral Concert with special guests on March 10

The City of Hays Fire Department will began its annual citywide fire hydrant inspection and flow testing program on Monday, March 2. This coordinated effort ensures the reliability of the city’s water and fire protection infrastructure.

Annual maintenance is critical for public safety and water quality.

Inspecting the hydrants ensures that all valves operate properly and identifies any damage or obstructions that could interfere with prompt use during an emergency.

Additionally, firefighters conduct flow testing to check the pressure and volume of water mains in each neighborhood, verifying the system is adequately prepared for firefighting operations.

The process also plays a vital role in maintaining the city's water quality.

The associated flushing of the water mains allows chlorine to be distributed thoroughly throughout the system, which eliminates bio-filming and prevents sediment buildup in the pipes.

"Regular hydrant flushing is a necessary component of our community's fire readiness and public health," said Fire Chief Ryan Hagans. "By flow testing and inspecting these hydrants annually, we can guarantee our crews have the pressure and volume they need when responding to emergencies, while simultaneously maintaining the integrity of our water delivery system."

While the visual of water discharging onto streets may raise conservation concerns, the actual volume used during this maintenance is minimal.

During the short flushing periods, residents may encounter a slight discoloration of their water supply.

This is a normal result of the process and poses no health risk to consumers.

The Hays Fire Department will take all reasonable efforts to minimize inconvenience to the public.

Drivers are asked to avoid driving through water discharging from fire hydrants to maintain safety and prevent property damage.

Specific flushing areas will be updated daily and posted to the City of Hays website and official social media channels. For more information, please contact the Hays Fire Department at 785-628-7330, or visit <a href="https://www.haysusa.com/">HaysUSA.com</a>.

Hays' annual fire hydrant inspection, flow testing started Monday

ELLIS — Ellis Knights of Columbus is having a Fish Fry on Friday, March 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the&nbsp;Knights of Columbus Hall in Ellis.

The manu includes fried and baked fish, scalloped potatoes, noodles, beans, coleslaw and bread. 

Cost is $15 for adults, children 12 to 6 is $8, and ages 6 and under are free.

Fish Fry Friday at Ellis Knights of Columbus 

March events and activities in Hays 

KIOWA COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) arrested a Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office detention officer Monday afternoon for child sex crimes.

On Monday, March 2, at 2:00 p.m., KBI agents arrested Dustin Dean Chartier, 36, of Greensburg, at the Kiowa County Courthouse, according to a media release from the KBI.

 Chartier was arrested on requested charges of rape, aggravated sexual battery, indecent liberties with a child, lewd and lascivious behavior, and two counts of indecent solicitation of a child.

In December 2025, the Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office requested the KBI investigate allegations of sex abuse of a minor by a detention officer in 2021. Chartier was placed on administrative leave during the KBI investigation. While investigating the initial allegation, a second victim disclosed another sex abuse incident, prompting the KBI to open an additional investigation. The Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office was fully cooperative with the investigation.

Following his arrest Chartier was booked into the Reno County Correctional Facility.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at www.kbi.ks.gov/sar.

KBI: Two child victims report sex abuse involving Kan. jail deputy 

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/hannah-fingerhut">HANNAH FINGERHUT</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/konstantin-toropin">KONSTANTIN TOROPIN</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/rebecca-boone">REBECCA BOONE</a>

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The last two names of the six U.S. soldiers killed in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-soldiers-who-died-iran-war-46f54df716fe1c5290363da0a15f99f3">Kuwait attack</a>&nbsp;were released Wednesday by the Pentagon, and they are from California and Iowa.

The soldiers identified Wednesday were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento and Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa.

The Pentagon said Marzan was at the scene when a drone strike hit the command center in Kuwait and is “believed to be the individual who perished at the scene,” according to the statement. A medical examiner will confirm identification, the Pentagon said.

Four soldiers were previously identified by the Pentagon on Tuesday.

They died Sunday when a drone hit a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, just a day after the U.S. and Israel launched its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-march-04-2026-e1c316da4ce809407122590a6872aa85">military campaign against Iran</a>. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones against Israel and several Gulf Arab states that host U.S. armed forces.

O’Brien was promoted to major in August 2024, according to a Facebook post, which shows him alongside two young children.

The signal officer and information systems engineer in the Army Reserve was a manager of defensive cyber operations at an Iowa-based cybersecurity company, according to his LinkedIn. He had a career spanning two decades in information and cybersecurity.

The other four soldiers identified were: Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa,; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; and Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska.

“Sadly, there will likely be more, before it ends. That’s the way it is,” President Donald Trump said of the deaths. Trump will attend the dignified transfers of the soldiers when they arrive in the U.S., the White House said Wednesday. The ritual honors service members killed in action.

Coady had been checking in with his family from Kuwait every hour or two after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-explosion-tehran-c2f11247d8a66e36929266f2c557a54c">U.S. and Israel launched</a>&nbsp;their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">military campaign against Iran</a>, even as Iran launched&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-03-03-2026">retaliatory strikes</a>.

When he didn’t respond to messages Sunday, “most of us started to wonder,” Coady’s father, Andrew, told The Associated Press. “Your gut starts to get a feeling.”

Amor was just days away from returning to her husband and children.

“She was almost home,” her husband, Joey Amor, said Tuesday. “You don’t go to Kuwait thinking something’s going to happen, and for her to be one of the first — it hurts.”

Amor was an avid gardener who enjoyed making salsa from the peppers and tomatoes she grew with her son, a high school senior. She enjoyed rollerblading and bicycling with her fourth-grade daughter.

A week before the drone attack, Amor was moved off-base to a shipping container-style building that had no defenses, her husband said.

“They were in fear that the base they were on was going to get attacked and they felt it was safer in smaller groups in separate places,” he said.

Childhood friend Natalie Caruso wrote on Facebook that she was “absolutely heartbroken” about Amor’s death.

“Nicole was always up for an adventure and she had such a contagious laugh!” Caruso wrote Wednesday.

Coady recently told his father he had been recommended for a promotion from specialist to sergeant, a rank he received posthumously.

He was among the youngest people in his class, trained to troubleshoot military computer systems, but he impressed his instructors, Andrew Coady said Tuesday.

“He trained hard, he worked hard, his physical fitness was important to him. He loved being a soldier,” Coady said. “He was also one of the most kindest people you would ever meet, and he would do anything and everything for anyone.”

Coady, an Eagle Scout, was close to his family and often called, even if for only a few minutes. He was studying cybersecurity at Drake University in Des Moines, and he wanted to become an officer.

“I still don’t fully think it’s real,” his sister Keira Coady said. “I just remember all of our conversations about what he was going to do when he came back.”

Khork was very patriotic and wanted to serve in the military from childhood, his family said in a statement Tuesday.

He enlisted in the Army Reserve and joined Florida Southern College’s ROTC program.

“That commitment helped shape the course of his life and reflected the deep sense of duty that was always at the core of who he was,” his mother, Donna Burhans; father, James Khork; and stepmother, Stacey Khork; said in a statement.

Khork, who loved history, had a degree in political science.

His family described him as “the life of the party, known for his infectious spirit, generous heart, and deep care for those who served alongside him and for everyone blessed to know him.”

Abbas Jaffer posted Monday on Facebook about his friend of 16 years.

“My best friend, best man, and brother gave his life defending our country overseas,” Jaffer said.

Tietjens, who came from a military family, previously served alongside his father in Kuwait. When he returned home in February 2010, he reunited with his overjoyed wife in a local church’s gym.

“I thought he was going to be the last person in, because he hates all this (hoopla),” his wife, Michelle Tietjens, told the Lincoln Journal Star at the time.

Tietjens’ cousin Kaylyn Golike asked for prayers, especially for Tietjens’ 12-year-old son, wife and parents, as they navigate “unimaginable loss.”

“We lost a brave soldier this weekend and many hearts are broken,” Golike wrote on Facebook Tuesday.

Tietjens earned a black belt in Philippine Combatives and Taekwondo and was “an instructor who gave his time, discipline, and leadership to others,” the Philippine Martial Arts Alliance said on Facebook.

Army Staff Sgt. Jeff Coleman said Tietjens was his mentor.

“You could call him day or night,” Coleman told KETV. “He always took the time, you know, he made you feel important.”

Boone contributed from Boise, Idaho, and Toropin from Washington. Associated Press reporters Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Josh Funk and Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; Jeff Martin in Atlanta; and David Fischer in Miami contributed.

Pentagon releases names of 2 more U.S. soldiers killed in Iran conflict

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/sean-murphy">SEAN MURPHY</a> Associated Press

An Arkansas man&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-father-sheriff-candidate-daughter-shooting-9daf9a7b2b1947cfd3de81c4439c8cf0">accused of killing</a>&nbsp;his teenage daughter’s alleged abuser won the Republican nomination for local sheriff while waiting to stand trial for murder in his rural county, where he ran on a message of seeing the failures of law enforcement.

Aaron Spencer defeated Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley in Tuesday’s primary elections, according to unofficial results posted by the Arkansas secretary of state. He would not be able to serve if he is convicted of killing Michael Fosler, 67, who at the time was out on bond after being charged with numerous sexual offenses against Spencer’s then-13-year-old daughter.

Spencer’s attorneys do not deny that he shot and killed Fosler but maintain he acted within the law to protect his child from a predator.

Spencer won more than 53% of the vote with all precincts reporting, according to unofficial results. Staley, whose department arrested Spencer in 2024, conceded the loss.

“Congratulations to Mr. Spencer. Tonight the voters made their decision in the Republican Primary, and I respect the decision,” Staley said in a statement posted on Facebook.

Spencer said in a statement that his message of accountability resonated with voters.

“Tonight, the people of Lonoke County stood up and chose transparency and accountability,” Spencer said. “This wasn’t a campaign about me. It was about every family who called for help and got nothing. That betrayal ends tonight.”

He is now set to face Democrat Brian Mitchell Sr. in the heavily Republican county in November.

Spencer has pleaded not guilty and is out on bond while awaiting trial, which was originally scheduled to start in January. The trial was delayed after the presiding judge was removed from the case. A new date has not been set.

Court documents show that on the night of the October 2024 shooting, Spencer woke up to find his daughter missing from her bedroom and went searching for her in his truck. He found the girl in the passenger seat of a vehicle Fosler was driving. Spencer eventually forced Fosler’s truck off the highway and, after an altercation, called 911 to report he had shot the man, records show.

Prosecutors argue Spencer had planned to kill Fosler even before that night and that he could have called police while pursuing Fosler.

Spencer’s attorney, Erin Cassinelli, wrote in an email to The Associated Press that the election results have no bearing on the facts of the case.

“Aaron Spencer did exactly what the law allows and exactly what any father would do: he protected his daughter and himself from harm,” Cassinelli said. “At some point, those responsible for this prosecution will have to reckon with that.”

Spencer pledged in a Facebook post last month that if elected he would establish a dedicated team to combat sex crimes against children.

Man accused of killing daughter's alleged abuser wins GOP sheriff's nomination

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans voted down an effort Wednesday to halt President Donald Trump’s war against Iran, demonstrating early support for a conflict that has rapidly spread across the Middle East with no clear U.S. exit strategy.

The legislation, known as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-war-powers-trump-iran-constitution-37ec6685d9ded1d467a719f91e537487">war powers resolution</a>, failed on a 47-53 vote tally. Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted against the resolution.

The vote gave lawmakers an opportunity to demand congressional approval before any further attacks are carried out. The vote forced them to take a stand on a war shaping the fate of U.S. military members, countless other lives and the future of the region.

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