Michael A. Todd, age 70, peacefully 
passed away on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, at his home in Scott City, 
Kansas.&nbsp; He was born on October 14, 1952, in Akron, Colorado, the son of 
Harold and Mary Dickinson Todd.&nbsp; Mike grew up in Leoti, Kansas, and moved
 to Scott City, Kansas, in 1993 where he worked for the City of Scott 
City for 19 years before retiring.

He was a member of the Spuds Coffee Group and was an avid hunter.

On April 16, 1985, he married Kay Simons in Tribune, Kansas.&nbsp; She survives.

Survivors include his Wife - Kay Todd of Scott City, Kansas, Three 
Children - Ryan &amp; Shannon Todd of Gainesville, Florida, Chastel 
&amp; Eric Vallerand of Gainesville, Florida, Jeffrey &amp; Rachel 
Gilmore of Terry, Mississippi, Mother In Law - Norma Heiney of Scott 
City, Kansas, Sister In Law - Carlisa Davis of Scott City, Kansas, Five 
Grandchildren - Kambrea Gilmore of Terry, Mississippi, Nathan Vallerand 
of Gainesville, Florida, Lyra Todd of Gainesville, Florida, Callan Todd 
of Gainesville, Florida, Alden Todd of Gainesville, Florida, and Great 
Friends, Numerous Relatives, Maggie, Spike and his Cat Family.

Mike was preceded in death by his Parents and One Son - Brett Todd.

Memorial Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 
February 7, 2023, at the Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center at 212 E. 
5th Street in Scott City, Kansas with Pastor Don Williams presiding.&nbsp;

In Lieu Of Flower, memorials can be written to the Mike Todd Memorial
 Fund in care of Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home, PO Box 553, Scott City, 
Kansas.

Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Monday, February 6,
 2023, at Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home, 410 S. Washington St., Scott 
City, Kansas.

Private Family Inurnment will be held at a later time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675357509791.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Michael A. Todd, age 70, peacefully 
passed away on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, at his home in Scott City, 
Kansas.&nbsp; He was born on October 14, 1952, in Akron, Colorado, the son of 
Harold and Mary Dickinson Todd.&nbsp; Mike grew up in Leoti, Kansas, and moved
 to Scott City, Kansas, in 1993 where he worked for the City of Scott 
City for 19 years before retiring.He was a member of the Spuds Coffee Group and was an avid hunter.On April 16, 1985, he married Kay Simons in Tribune, Kansas.&nbsp; She survives.Survivors include his Wife - Kay Todd of Scott City, Kansas, Three 
Children - Ryan &amp; Shannon Todd of Gainesville, Florida, Chastel 
&amp; Eric Vallerand of Gainesville, Florida, Jeffrey &amp; Rachel 
Gilmore of Terry, Mississippi, Mother In Law - Norma Heiney of Scott 
City, Kansas, Sister In Law - Carlisa Davis of Scott City, Kansas, Five 
Grandchildren - Kambrea Gilmore of Terry, Mississippi, Nathan Vallerand 
of Gainesville, Florida, Lyra Todd of Gainesville, Florida, Callan Todd 
of Gainesville, Florida, Alden Todd of Gainesville, Florida, and Great 
Friends, Numerous Relatives, Maggie, Spike and his Cat Family.Mike was preceded in death by his Parents and One Son - Brett Todd.Memorial Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 
February 7, 2023, at the Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center at 212 E. 
5th Street in Scott City, Kansas with Pastor Don Williams presiding.&nbsp;In Lieu Of Flower, memorials can be written to the Mike Todd Memorial
 Fund in care of Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home, PO Box 553, Scott City, 
Kansas.Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Monday, February 6,
 2023, at Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home, 410 S. Washington St., Scott 
City, Kansas.Private Family Inurnment will be held at a later time.

Michael A. Todd

Annette “Nettie” Norman, age 76, died Saturday, January 28, 2023, at the Azria Health Woodhaven Care Center in Great Bend, Kansas.

She was born October 22, 1946, in Pratt, Kansas. &nbsp;Annette was the&nbsp;fifth&nbsp;of&nbsp;seven&nbsp;children.&nbsp;She lived in various locations before settling in Hays, in her adult years.&nbsp;After 25 years of employment, she retired from Good Samaritan&nbsp;Society of Hays Care Center. &nbsp;

Nettie loved to socialize with family and friends.&nbsp;Her quick wit, humorous stories, and caring nature brightened the lives of those who knew her.&nbsp;She was truly one of a kind, with her own unique slang and a big playful smile.&nbsp;Perhaps she said it best at her retirement party when she commented, "I'm just so ornery."

She is survived by&nbsp;her&nbsp;brother,&nbsp;Bob Bandy and wife,&nbsp;Fran,&nbsp;&nbsp;Aurora, CO; her&nbsp;friend Ray Morris,&nbsp;Russell, KS, her DSNWK family, and countless others in the community whose lives she touched.&nbsp;

She was&nbsp;preceded&nbsp;in death by her mother, Margaret Bandy;&nbsp;her&nbsp;brothers,&nbsp;Carl;&nbsp;Jake;&nbsp;Milton; her&nbsp;sisters,&nbsp;Wanda and Helen;&nbsp;and&nbsp;her&nbsp;two sons.&nbsp;

Funeral Services are at 10:00 A.M. Monday, February 6, 2023, at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd&nbsp;Street, Hays, Kansas 67601 with Rev. Troy Miller. &nbsp;Burial will be in Mount Allen Cemetery Hays, Kansas. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Visitation will be from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. Monday at the mortuary.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Memorials are suggested made payable to DSNWK in care of the mortuary.

Her funeral service will be live streamed at http://evt.live/annette-norman-funeral-service

Condolences can be sent via e-mail to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net">clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net</a>&nbsp;or can be left at guest book at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675297745248.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Annette “Nettie” Norman, age 76, died Saturday, January 28, 2023, at the Azria Health Woodhaven Care Center in Great Bend, Kansas.She was born October 22, 1946, in Pratt, Kansas. &nbsp;Annette was the&nbsp;fifth&nbsp;of&nbsp;seven&nbsp;children.&nbsp;She lived in various locations before settling in Hays, in her adult years.&nbsp;After 25 years of employment, she retired from Good Samaritan&nbsp;Society of Hays Care Center. &nbsp;Nettie loved to socialize with family and friends.&nbsp;Her quick wit, humorous stories, and caring nature brightened the lives of those who knew her.&nbsp;She was truly one of a kind, with her own unique slang and a big playful smile.&nbsp;Perhaps she said it best at her retirement party when she commented, "I'm just so ornery."She is survived by&nbsp;her&nbsp;brother,&nbsp;Bob Bandy and wife,&nbsp;Fran,&nbsp;&nbsp;Aurora, CO; her&nbsp;friend Ray Morris,&nbsp;Russell, KS, her DSNWK family, and countless others in the community whose lives she touched.&nbsp;She was&nbsp;preceded&nbsp;in death by her mother, Margaret Bandy;&nbsp;her&nbsp;brothers,&nbsp;Carl;&nbsp;Jake;&nbsp;Milton; her&nbsp;sisters,&nbsp;Wanda and Helen;&nbsp;and&nbsp;her&nbsp;two sons.&nbsp;Funeral Services are at 10:00 A.M. Monday, February 6, 2023, at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd&nbsp;Street, Hays, Kansas 67601 with Rev. Troy Miller. &nbsp;Burial will be in Mount Allen Cemetery Hays, Kansas. &nbsp; &nbsp;Visitation will be from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. Monday at the mortuary.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Memorials are suggested made payable to DSNWK in care of the mortuary.Her funeral service will be live streamed at http://evt.live/annette-norman-funeral-serviceCondolences can be sent via e-mail to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net">clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net</a>&nbsp;or can be left at guest book at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Annette 'Nettie' Norman

Hanna Elizabeth (Casad) Townley was born June 24, 1982, in Hays, KS. 
She passed away at the age of 40 on Friday, January 27, 2023, in Lincoln 
KS. 

She was the daughter of Cheryl (Iwanski) Casad and Andrew Casad. 

Hanna
 was a graduate of Stockton High School, Stockton KS, class of 2001 and 
furthered her education at Fort Hays State University where she received
 an associate’s degree in office technology. 

Hanna met Chad 
Townley her sophomore year in college, 2002, and they were married March
 18, 2007, at the Monte Carlo Resort in Las Vegas, NV. Hanna and Chad 
have a son, Hunter, who was born on October 18, 2010. Hunter was always 
the apple of her eye. 

She was a resident of Lincoln, where she worked at Lincoln County Courthouse and most recently at the Bank of Tescott.

Hanna
 was a beautiful soul always wearing a smile, quiet but bubbly and spoke
 the sweetest words. She enjoyed watching her son, Hunter, grow up and 
in all of his activities, spending time at the race track, hunting and 
fishing with Chad and Hunter and anyone else they could bring along. 
They were a family that loved just being together. She had a love for 
Boston Terriers and Sadie was her pride and joy, here’s to one last 
“Sadie Come.” 

Hanna was the best mom, wife and friend. She was 
loved by everyone and loved everyone she came in contact with. She 
always wanted everyone to be happy. Always prepared with snacks and 
drinks so no one would go hungry or thirsty. Bottled water was the drink
 of choice. She was always prepared for everything and volunteered to 
clean and even steam clean the carpets. She enjoyed being outside, 
mowing the lawn, taking care of her flowers and had a love-hate 
relationship with her community garden. Hanna loved teasing all she 
loved from her “sch-weetie pie’s” and joking about the gorilla tape 
keeping a shoe together. She always had a one-liner or zinger to keep 
you on your toes.

Hanna was a mother, a wife, a sister, a 
daughter, a friend and one so many loved and cared for. Her smile and 
thoughtfulness could light up a room. Her beauty and love will shine 
forever.

Hanna was preceded in death by her grandparents Kenton and Bea Casad; grandfather Irwin Iwanski; and father-in-law Kent Townley.

Hanna
 is survived by her husband Chad and son Hunter of Lincoln; mother 
Cheryl Casad of Olathe, KS; father Andrew Casad of Lincoln, NE; brother 
Joseph “Joey” Casad (Melissa) of Olathe; mother-in-law Janese Townley of
 Stockton; sisters-in-law, Sandy Townley of Stockton, Shannon Rappoport 
(Kevin) of Parker, CO; brother-in-law Mike Townley of Woodston, KS; 
grandmother Virginia Iwanski of Stockton; nephews Landon and Jameson 
Casad (Joey) of Olathe, and Logan Cone (Shannon) of Parker, CO; and many
 aunts, uncles and cousins.

Public visitation: 1-7 p.m., Friday, 
February 10, 2023, at Hall Chapel, Lincoln, KS. Family will be present 
5-7 p.m. to greet friends.

A private memorial service will be held at Hall Chapel.

In
 lieu of flowers, memorials for Hunter’s education are suggested. Checks
 can be payable to Hunter Townley and sent c/o Hall Chapel, P.O. Box 37,
 Lincoln, KS 67455.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675286818618.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hanna Elizabeth (Casad) Townley was born June 24, 1982, in Hays, KS. 
She passed away at the age of 40 on Friday, January 27, 2023, in Lincoln 
KS. She was the daughter of Cheryl (Iwanski) Casad and Andrew Casad. Hanna
 was a graduate of Stockton High School, Stockton KS, class of 2001 and 
furthered her education at Fort Hays State University where she received
 an associate’s degree in office technology. Hanna met Chad 
Townley her sophomore year in college, 2002, and they were married March
 18, 2007, at the Monte Carlo Resort in Las Vegas, NV. Hanna and Chad 
have a son, Hunter, who was born on October 18, 2010. Hunter was always 
the apple of her eye. She was a resident of Lincoln, where she worked at Lincoln County Courthouse and most recently at the Bank of Tescott.Hanna
 was a beautiful soul always wearing a smile, quiet but bubbly and spoke
 the sweetest words. She enjoyed watching her son, Hunter, grow up and 
in all of his activities, spending time at the race track, hunting and 
fishing with Chad and Hunter and anyone else they could bring along. 
They were a family that loved just being together. She had a love for 
Boston Terriers and Sadie was her pride and joy, here’s to one last 
“Sadie Come.” Hanna was the best mom, wife and friend. She was 
loved by everyone and loved everyone she came in contact with. She 
always wanted everyone to be happy. Always prepared with snacks and 
drinks so no one would go hungry or thirsty. Bottled water was the drink
 of choice. She was always prepared for everything and volunteered to 
clean and even steam clean the carpets. She enjoyed being outside, 
mowing the lawn, taking care of her flowers and had a love-hate 
relationship with her community garden. Hanna loved teasing all she 
loved from her “sch-weetie pie’s” and joking about the gorilla tape 
keeping a shoe together. She always had a one-liner or zinger to keep 
you on your toes.Hanna was a mother, a wife, a sister, a 
daughter, a friend and one so many loved and cared for. Her smile and 
thoughtfulness could light up a room. Her beauty and love will shine 
forever.Hanna was preceded in death by her grandparents Kenton and Bea Casad; grandfather Irwin Iwanski; and father-in-law Kent Townley.Hanna
 is survived by her husband Chad and son Hunter of Lincoln; mother 
Cheryl Casad of Olathe, KS; father Andrew Casad of Lincoln, NE; brother 
Joseph “Joey” Casad (Melissa) of Olathe; mother-in-law Janese Townley of
 Stockton; sisters-in-law, Sandy Townley of Stockton, Shannon Rappoport 
(Kevin) of Parker, CO; brother-in-law Mike Townley of Woodston, KS; 
grandmother Virginia Iwanski of Stockton; nephews Landon and Jameson 
Casad (Joey) of Olathe, and Logan Cone (Shannon) of Parker, CO; and many
 aunts, uncles and cousins.Public visitation: 1-7 p.m., Friday, 
February 10, 2023, at Hall Chapel, Lincoln, KS. Family will be present 
5-7 p.m. to greet friends.A private memorial service will be held at Hall Chapel.In
 lieu of flowers, memorials for Hunter’s education are suggested. Checks
 can be payable to Hunter Townley and sent c/o Hall Chapel, P.O. Box 37,
 Lincoln, KS 67455.&nbsp;

Hanna Elizabeth (Casad) Townley

MANHATTAN —&nbsp;Featuring seven home games – including two with new league members – K-State Athletics and the Big 12 Conference announced Kansas State’s 2023 football schedule on Tuesday.

The 2023 campaign kicks off against Southeast Missouri on September 2, while the Wildcats host Troy – which finished in the top 20 in the final polls – on September 9. The Wildcats and SEMO will meet for the first time on the gridiron, while it will be the second all-time meeting between K-State and Troy after the Wildcats won at home, 41-5, in 2003.

Kansas State closes out non-conference action by traveling to face Missouri on September 16. It will be ninth time in the last 10 years the Wildcats will face an SEC team, including the first on the road since topping Mississippi State, 31-24, in 2019.

The Wildcats open up league play and the defense of their Big 12 title by hosting one of the league’s newest members, UCF, on September 23. The only other meeting between the Wildcats and Knights came in Manhattan in 2010, a 17-10 K-State victory on a touchdown with less than one minute remaining.

K-State then has its bye week before traveling to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to face Oklahoma State on Friday, October 6. It will be the Wildcats’ first regular-season weekday game since opening up the 2016 season on a Friday at Stanford and the first in conference action since hosting Baylor on a Thursday night in 2015.

The Wildcats travel to face Texas Tech on October 14 before back-to-back home games against TCU (October 21) and Houston (October 28). K-State and UH, another new Big 12 member in 2023, will be meeting for the first time ever.

<a>The month of November opens with a trip to Texas on November 4 and a home game against Baylor on November 11. The Dillons Sunflower Showdown will be in Lawrence this season on November 18, while the Wildcats close out the regular season by hosting Iowa State on November 25.</a>

The 2023 Big 12 Championship game will be held on December 1 at AT&amp;T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Game dates are subject to change. Kansas State will announce season-ticket options for the 2023 season later today.

<a>2023 K-STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (Dates Subject to Change)</a>

September 2 Southeast Missouri, Manhattan, Kan.

(Friday)&nbsp;October 6 at Oklahoma State, Stillwater, Okla.

Executive Associate Athletics Director for Communications/PR

Kansas State AthleticsMANHATTAN —&nbsp;Featuring seven home games – including two with new league members – K-State Athletics and the Big 12 Conference announced Kansas State’s 2023 football schedule on Tuesday.The 2023 campaign kicks off against Southeast Missouri on September 2, while the Wildcats host Troy – which finished in the top 20 in the final polls – on September 9. The Wildcats and SEMO will meet for the first time on the gridiron, while it will be the second all-time meeting between K-State and Troy after the Wildcats won at home, 41-5, in 2003.Kansas State closes out non-conference action by traveling to face Missouri on September 16. It will be ninth time in the last 10 years the Wildcats will face an SEC team, including the first on the road since topping Mississippi State, 31-24, in 2019.The Wildcats open up league play and the defense of their Big 12 title by hosting one of the league’s newest members, UCF, on September 23. The only other meeting between the Wildcats and Knights came in Manhattan in 2010, a 17-10 K-State victory on a touchdown with less than one minute remaining.K-State then has its bye week before traveling to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to face Oklahoma State on Friday, October 6. It will be the Wildcats’ first regular-season weekday game since opening up the 2016 season on a Friday at Stanford and the first in conference action since hosting Baylor on a Thursday night in 2015.The Wildcats travel to face Texas Tech on October 14 before back-to-back home games against TCU (October 21) and Houston (October 28). K-State and UH, another new Big 12 member in 2023, will be meeting for the first time ever.<a>The month of November opens with a trip to Texas on November 4 and a home game against Baylor on November 11. The Dillons Sunflower Showdown will be in Lawrence this season on November 18, while the Wildcats close out the regular season by hosting Iowa State on November 25.</a>The 2023 Big 12 Championship game will be held on December 1 at AT&amp;T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.Game dates are subject to change. Kansas State will announce season-ticket options for the 2023 season later today.<a>2023 K-STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (Dates Subject to Change)</a>September 2 Southeast Missouri, Manhattan, Kan.September 9 Troy,&nbsp;Manhattan, Kan.September 16 at Missouri, Columbia, Mo.September 23 UCF, Manhattan, Kan.(Friday)&nbsp;October 6 at Oklahoma State, Stillwater, Okla.October 14 at Texas Tech, Lubbock, TexasOctober 21 TCU, Manhattan, Kan.October 28 Houston, Manhattan, Kan.November 4 at Texas,&nbsp; Austin, TexasNovember 11 Baylor, Manhattan, Kan.November 18 at Kansas, Lawrence, Kan.November 25 Iowa State, Manhattan, Kan.KENNY LANNOUExecutive Associate Athletics Director for Communications/PRK-State Athletics

🏈 K-State, Big 12 announce 2023 football schedule

Jerry Warren Schmutz, age 85, passed away Friday December 30, 2022, in
 Fayetteville, Arkansas. He was born October 3, 1937, in Lawrence, Kansas,&nbsp; to Lawrence Ralph and Ruth Rockey Schmutz. He grew up in Great Bend, 
Kansas, with friends whom he kept in touch with and cherished seeing at 
class reunions.

After graduation from Great Bend High School in Kansas, Jerry and 
twin brother Larry joined the Navy. They served on the USS Hopewell DD 
681 touring the Pacific. After returning home to Kansas, Jerry married 
Sharon and started a family. He became a piping engineer for Fluor 
Daniels. There he designed refineries and reactors domestically and 
internationally. They lived in such places as Holland, Iran and South 
Africa. Jerry and Jane knew each other from high school, connected at a 
class reunion, married, and later retired in Fayetteville.

He is survived by his wife, Jane Ransberger Schmutz; his son Mark L. 
Schmutz and daughters Melanie G. Nugent of Minnesota, Cheryl A. Kennedy 
of Texas, and Natalie W. Olsen of Fayetteville, Arkansas; four 
grandchildren and two great grandchildren.&nbsp;He was preceded in death by 
his parents, twin brother John Lawrence Schmutz, and his first wife 
Sharon Boyle Schmutz.

Cremation has been chosen and there will be a Graveside Memorial 
Service held at 10:00 AM on Friday, February 3, 2023, at the Great Bend 
Cemetery in Great Bend, Kansas with Pastor Joseph Smeragliuolo 
officiating.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1675189067360.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Jerry Warren Schmutz, age 85, passed away Friday December 30, 2022, in
 Fayetteville, Arkansas. He was born October 3, 1937, in Lawrence, Kansas,&nbsp; to Lawrence Ralph and Ruth Rockey Schmutz. He grew up in Great Bend, 
Kansas, with friends whom he kept in touch with and cherished seeing at 
class reunions.After graduation from Great Bend High School in Kansas, Jerry and 
twin brother Larry joined the Navy. They served on the USS Hopewell DD 
681 touring the Pacific. After returning home to Kansas, Jerry married 
Sharon and started a family. He became a piping engineer for Fluor 
Daniels. There he designed refineries and reactors domestically and 
internationally. They lived in such places as Holland, Iran and South 
Africa. Jerry and Jane knew each other from high school, connected at a 
class reunion, married, and later retired in Fayetteville.He is survived by his wife, Jane Ransberger Schmutz; his son Mark L. 
Schmutz and daughters Melanie G. Nugent of Minnesota, Cheryl A. Kennedy 
of Texas, and Natalie W. Olsen of Fayetteville, Arkansas; four 
grandchildren and two great grandchildren.&nbsp;He was preceded in death by 
his parents, twin brother John Lawrence Schmutz, and his first wife 
Sharon Boyle Schmutz.Cremation has been chosen and there will be a Graveside Memorial 
Service held at 10:00 AM on Friday, February 3, 2023, at the Great Bend 
Cemetery in Great Bend, Kansas with Pastor Joseph Smeragliuolo 
officiating.

Jerry Warren Schmutz

BY JUDD WEIL and NICK GOSNELL Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The jury was sworn in and the trial for the State v. Kyle Hardwick officially began in the courtroom of Judge Keith Schroeder on Jan. 25. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The state called upon over 45 witnesses to testify in the case, as well as presented over 110 pieces of evidence. &nbsp;

Kyle Hardwick, represented by Scott Loftis, an attorney from Ponca City, Oklahoma, is pleading not guilty to the charges of Two counts of intentional and premeditated murder in the first degree. &nbsp;&nbsp;

One count of theft of property or services, valued at $1,500 to $25,000.&nbsp; &nbsp;One count of theft of property or services of a firearm with a value less than $25,000.&nbsp; &nbsp;Two counts of solicitation perjury; testify to material fact in felony proceeding.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The charges stem from the murders of Marion “Ed” Bates, 56, Hutchinson, and&nbsp;Phillip Anstine, 58, Hutchinson, in August 2021. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In their opening statement, Loftis presented Hardwick’s defense. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Loftis told the jury that on Aug. 24, 2021, Hardwick had travelled with Phillip Anstine to the “compound.” &nbsp;&nbsp;

Described by the state in their opening statement, the "compound" is a property east of Hutchinson, where Marion Bates and Phillip Anstine would frequent. It had various other additions like buildings built on it, a camper, a dried-up pond, and burn pits. The two men would hang out there, shoot firearms, and overall hone their survival techniques. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Hardwick did not know Marion Bates, but had a prior association with Phillip Anstine through work that included building houses, akin to Habitat for Humanity. Anstine was said to have overseen much of the work, while Hardwick assisted with installation. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Hardwick called Anstine a friend and they were said to have a mutual interest in firearms. They were said to be close enough that they would travel to visit each other from time to time, but not frequently. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Hardwick’s last visit to see Anstine was said to be because of personal problems in his life. He wanted get out of Kansas City for a while. Hardwick was said to have taken a Greyhound bus from Kansas City, Missouri to Hutchinson, Kansas to visit Anstine.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Loftis told the jury that Anstine had dropped off Hardwick at the compound with a set of keys. Hardwick was said to have permission to drive Anstine’s truck and had those keys as well.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Anstine then returned shortly after with Little Caesar’s pizza and Samuel Adams beer. &nbsp;&nbsp;

“After drinking about half a beer and eating piece of pizza, Kyle starts to feel sick,” Loftis said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Hardwick’s symptoms were described as&nbsp;stomach pains, light-headedness, and disorientation. Hardwick was said to have voiced his sudden illness to Anstine, and then went to the camper on the property where he passed out. Hardwick was said to not remember passing out in the camper. &nbsp;&nbsp;

According to Loftis, Hardwick woke up the next day, still disoriented, face down on a bed in the camper with his pants down, and a pain in his anus. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Hardwick is said to surmise he was raped.&nbsp;&nbsp;Upon leaving the camper to search for Anstine out of concern, Hardwick returned to the camper. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Anstine is said to have returned to the compound with a shotgun in his hands. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Hardwick is alleged to have tried to tell Anstine of his situation, but became suspicious when Anstine is said to have been dismissive. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Loftis said, when Hardwick then accused Anstine of raping him, Anstine cocked and aimed his shotgun at Hardwick. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Hardwick is said to have played to Anstine’s paranoia by looking over Anstine’s shoulder, forcing him to turn around. Hardwick was then said to have used this gambit to wrestle the shotgun out of Anstine’s hands. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Anstine was said to have then pulled a .380 semiautomatic pistol and pointed it at Hardwick, causing Hardwick to fatally shoot him with the shotgun. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Still disoriented from the prior drugging and rape, the defense said that Hardwick then made his way to the pump house, north of the camper, for water. &nbsp;&nbsp;Loftis described to the jury what happened next as, “one of the real tragedies of this case.” &nbsp;&nbsp;

Another man, unknown to Hardwick, appeared and shot at Hardwick. Hardwick shot back with the shotgun he had taken from Anstine, striking the second man. &nbsp;&nbsp;

After a while, determining the man is dead, Hardwick approached the body and searched the man and discovered his identity as Marion Bates. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Loftis said, more than likely Bates was not part of Hardwick’s alleged rape, and only came to aid his friend, Anstine. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The state, consisting of District Attorney (DA) Thomas Stanton and Deputy District Attorney Andrew Davidson, called a number of witnesses, including friends of the victims, who corroborated the state’s opening statement that accused Hardwick of killing the pair for different reasons.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Cathy Havel and Marion Bates had been close friends for around 11 years. Havel last spoke to Bates on Aug. 25, 2021, about a COVID-19 test she was going to take. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Bates said he could not talk at that moment, and had something to do at the compound. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Havel never heard back from Bates. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Havel said she texted and called Bates multiple times on Aug. 26, 2021, and that it was unusual for Bates to not answer his phone in a timely manner. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Evidence presented during the trial showed that Havel did try to reach Bates. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Corroborating each other’s&nbsp;testimonies as they took the stand separately, Havel and Dawnita Hartung eventually went to the compound to search for Bates and Anstine. &nbsp;&nbsp;

They noticed a red Ford pickup truck in the driveway. &nbsp;&nbsp;

It was there they met a man, unknown to them,&nbsp;who identified himself as ‘Kyle Birch.’ &nbsp;&nbsp;

Havel and Hartung pointed out Kyle Hardwick as the man who identified himself as ‘Kyle Birch.’ &nbsp;&nbsp;As ‘Birch,’ Hardwick told the two women that Bates and Anstine had gone to town to buy cigarettes about 40 minutes prior.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The women found this suspicious given how close the nearest gas station was.&nbsp;‘Birch’ had told the women his mother had kicked him out. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Hartung during her testimony, said ‘Kyle Birch’ was not someone Bates would hang out with. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Later when the women returned to the compound, they found that the red truck, and Hardwick as ‘Birch,’&nbsp;were gone. &nbsp;Havel and Hartung left notes in the driveway for Bates.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Joined by Jerry Bastion on Aug. 27, Havel and Hartung searched for Bates on the property. &nbsp;&nbsp;Kenneth Bates, the brother of Marion Bates, who was informed his brother was missing, gave Bastion permission to break into Marion Bates’ garage. &nbsp;&nbsp;

There they found Marion Bates unattended vehicle, with his wallet still inside.&nbsp; Shortly after, the authorities were called for a welfare check.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Reno County Sheriff’s Office responded and surveyed the property. Deputies located the body of Marion Bates that day.&nbsp; Bates was discovered in the dried up pond covered by&nbsp;tree limbs. Forensic evidence used to identify him revealed he had not been dead long and that his head was riddled with shotgun pellets. &nbsp;&nbsp;On Aug. 28, at 8 a.m., following the discovery of Bates, a search warrant was obtained for the rest of the property.&nbsp;&nbsp;

According to Reno County Sheriff’s deputy Matthew Mondragon, three feet from where Bates was found, Anstine was discovered in a burn&nbsp;pit. Most of his body had been incinerated by a fire in the pit. Forensic evidence used to identify Anstine showed he had been shot in the head as well. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Mondragon identified other pieces of evidence found on the property, including combustible materials, and items belonging to Hardwick. &nbsp;&nbsp;

These items included two debit cards, one with Hardwick’s name, a social security card, also with Hardwick’s name, and a bus ticket with the name ‘Kyle Hardhack.’&nbsp;&nbsp;

The defense did not cross-examine many witnesses, but they did Mondragon. Mondragon was asked to recall zip-ties found on the property and if they could be used to restrain somebody, which he confirmed. &nbsp;&nbsp;

A drone was deployed by Reno County Sheriff Jeremy VanWey to gather another view of the crime scene.&nbsp;

Some of the evidence collected from the scene included .12 gauge shotgun shells, gas cans, campfire fuel, the barrel of a shotgun from the burn pit Anstine was found in,&nbsp;a pair of gloves, two empty bottles of Kentucky Deluxe bourbon, two&nbsp;empty bottles of vodka, a Dollar General receipt,&nbsp;and soil samples with biomaterial.&nbsp;&nbsp;

During his testimony, Daniel Nowlan, Reno County Death Investigator, noted for Anstine’s body to burn the way it did, the fire would have to been man-maintained for a time. &nbsp;&nbsp;

During cross-examination by the defense, Nowlan did confirm that Phillip Anstine did not die by burning alive, and cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head. The same cause of death determined for Marion Bates. He also said that Hardwick acted in self-defense could not be ruled out. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Following Daniel Nowlan, the jury was dismissed for the first day. &nbsp;

On day two, Sedgwick County Forensic Center DNA analyst Therese Gibler testified that through her analysis, a sample she tested was almost certainly that of a child of Marion Bates' mother, Betty and a separate sample was almost certainly that of a child of Phillip Anstine's father, Duane. This was intended to establish that the victims were Marion Bates and Phillip Anstine.&nbsp;

Sedgwick County Forensic Center's Dr. Scott Kipper performed the autopsies on Bates and Anstine and confirmed that the shotgun wound killed Bates. Anstine's body was significantly burned, but Kipper was still able to determine that a shotgun wound also killed Anstine. Kipper could not rule out the possibility that the shots were in self-defense.&nbsp;

Several law enforcement witnesses were then called, including members of the Reno County Sheriff's Office and Maize Police, to establish the security of the crime scene and the circumstances under which Kyle Hardwick was found and arrested in Maize on Sept. 1.&nbsp;

The prosecution also attempted to establish through law enforcement testimony that electronic devices, including what they believe to be a cell phone, were found in a fire pit on the property. In addition, they went over the circumstances in which Phillip Anstine's truck was found elsewhere in the county in October.&nbsp;

Also, Anstine's friend Paul Jorgenson testified by Zoom from Wyoming to establish that Anstine told him he had both silver and gold on the property at the compound where the murders occurred.&nbsp;

The majority of day three of the State v. Kyle Hardwick, saw testimonies from officials with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). &nbsp;

During the corroborating testimony of the KBI, regarding the inventory and investigation of the items found in the truck, established to belong to Phillip Anstine, day three saw the most evidence admitted by the state. Including:&nbsp;

A Motorola blue cellphone; mesh covering; a beer bottle; two ghillie suits; a red bag containing ammunition; a pellet rifle; a total of six guns between five rifle cases; a camo duffle bag; metal siding that when removed, revealed seven ammunition boxes containing mostly 22 caliber ammunition; .12 gauge ammunition; a metal tool box; a vitamin container labeled ‘char-claw;’ two action cameras; jeep keys; as well as three empty packages of Marlboro Black 100s cigarettes. &nbsp;

The same brand of cigarettes had previously been found in the camper located at the compound and the abandoned grain silo where Hardwick was arrested. &nbsp;

The inventory of the truck was delivered in testimony by Chris Engle-Tjaden with the KBI.&nbsp;

During cross-examination, the defense confirmed the existence of the .380 ammunition. &nbsp;

Under defense examination, Engle-Tjaden said the only correlation to the mesh covering, was that it was found in the truck. &nbsp;

Forensic testing revealed Hardwick’s DNA was found on a lot of the items. Latent prints belonging to Hardwick were found on a food container and soda bottles. A latent print of Hardwick’s palm was also found on the truck. &nbsp;

Day three closed with people known to Hardwick taking the stand, Chase Mattingly and Sherry Reed. &nbsp;

During his testimony, Mattingly, the boyfriend of Sherry Reed’s daughter, said he had overheard part of a phone conversation between Hardwick and Reed on Aug. 31,&nbsp;2021. &nbsp;

He only understood part of the conversation, and said he had heard Hardwick tell Reed he had messed up. &nbsp;

During cross-examination by the defense, Mattingly said he did not know what Hardwick was referring to at the time. &nbsp;

The state then called key witness, Sherry Reed. &nbsp;

Reed said she has known Hardwick since high school. &nbsp;

Reed, of Lawrence, Kansas, said she believed she still has a friendship with Hardwick. Hardwick had previously lived with Reed. &nbsp;

Hardwick’s&nbsp;additional count of solicitation to commit perjury stems from&nbsp;a FaceTime call between the defendant and Reed.&nbsp;

The FaceTime call had been played in court prior when Hardwick was bound over in June 2022, and was played again on Jan. 27. &nbsp;

In the recorded FaceTime conversation, Hardwick repeatedly tells Reed not to show up for the hearing and, if she did testify, to tell the court she was mentally unstable and on drugs. At one time he said, “Please don’t come,” and repeatedly said, “you don’t have to show up.”&nbsp;

Hardwick was also noted as telling Reed to “just tell the truth.” &nbsp;

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/07b4a825-c01a-4caf-9b40-ceac29173d6b" target="_blank">Much like her last reported appearance in court,</a> Reed&nbsp;seemed very confused. &nbsp;

She could not remember much about phone calls she got from Hardwick or her meetings with the Reno County Sheriff’s Office, nor&nbsp;whether she drove him from Lawrence to a bus station in Kansas City.&nbsp;

During her testimony, Reed implied numerous times her confusion with her activities with the Reno County Sheriff’s Office, conversations with Hardwick, and whether she dropped him off at a bus stop were due to her not having her ‘calendar’ or her ‘notes.’ &nbsp;

In effort to help Reed remember, courtesy of the state, she was presented with copies of her prior testimony to aid her in current testimony.&nbsp;

When asked, after taking a moment to review her prior testimony, Reed said she took Hardwick to a bus station in Kansas City in the morning of August 2021. &nbsp;

When asked if she remembered telling the Reno County Sheriff’s Office, she was given $600 out of $1,200 from Hardwick, Reed said she only remembered having $600. &nbsp;

Reed said she remembered giving a lot of evidence to the Reno County Sheriff’s Office, including a Dollar General receipt for a cell phone. &nbsp;

Despite the aid of having a copy of her prior testimony, Reed’s memory issues persisted. &nbsp;

The state and Judge Schroeder suggested Reed retrieve the notes she claimed to have, if they would aid with her testimony. However, Reed said they were in her car. &nbsp;

Reed said she knew Hardwick was coming to Hutchinson via bus when she dropped him off in Kansas City. &nbsp;

When presented with state evidence of an iPhone, Reed said she remembered providing the phone to the Reno County Sheriff’s Office. &nbsp;

The state yielded their time with Reed to cross-examination with the defense. &nbsp;

Reed told the defense, she does get a prescription for anxiety, as well as a prescription for Adderall. &nbsp;

The first witness of day four of the trial, was Scott Anstine, the brother of Phillip Anstine. &nbsp;

Scott Anstine said his brother usually stored his weapons in his house, and never just left them in his truck. He confirmed the firearms found in the truck in prior testimony were his brother’s. &nbsp;

Scott Anstine said Phillip Anstine did not store his ammunition on the compound. &nbsp;

Scott Anstine told the court, he is the heir to his brother’s estate. &nbsp;

According to Scott Anstine, his brother kept his truck clean. &nbsp;

During cross-examination and redirection, Scott Anstine did confirm that Phillip Anstine carried a pistol matching the description in the defense’s opening statement. &nbsp;

The testimony of Det. Matt Franklin with the Reno County Sheriff’s Office, the lead investigator of the murders of Marion Bates and Phillip Anstine, recalled to the court the events of the case. &nbsp;

According to Det. Franklin, no gold or silver had been found on the compound. &nbsp;

Only Phillip Anstine will know where the boxes of silver and gold others say he had are buried on the property.&nbsp;

During his testimony, it was established via state and defense that Kyle Hardwick and Phillip Anstine had a friendly relationship. &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630432406794.png" alt="Hardwock photo Reno Co." />
 <figcaption>Hardwock photo Reno Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BY JUDD WEIL and NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The jury was sworn in and the trial for the State v. Kyle Hardwick officially began in the courtroom of Judge Keith Schroeder on Jan. 25. &nbsp;&nbsp;The state called upon over 45 witnesses to testify in the case, as well as presented over 110 pieces of evidence. &nbsp;Kyle Hardwick, represented by Scott Loftis, an attorney from Ponca City, Oklahoma, is pleading not guilty to the charges of Two counts of intentional and premeditated murder in the first degree. &nbsp;&nbsp;One count of theft of property or services, valued at $1,500 to $25,000.&nbsp; &nbsp;One count of theft of property or services of a firearm with a value less than $25,000.&nbsp; &nbsp;Two counts of solicitation perjury; testify to material fact in felony proceeding.&nbsp;&nbsp;The charges stem from the murders of Marion “Ed” Bates, 56, Hutchinson, and&nbsp;Phillip Anstine, 58, Hutchinson, in August 2021. &nbsp;&nbsp;In their opening statement, Loftis presented Hardwick’s defense. &nbsp;&nbsp;Loftis told the jury that on Aug. 24, 2021, Hardwick had travelled with Phillip Anstine to the “compound.” &nbsp;&nbsp;Described by the state in their opening statement, the "compound" is a property east of Hutchinson, where Marion Bates and Phillip Anstine would frequent. It had various other additions like buildings built on it, a camper, a dried-up pond, and burn pits. The two men would hang out there, shoot firearms, and overall hone their survival techniques. &nbsp;&nbsp;Hardwick did not know Marion Bates, but had a prior association with Phillip Anstine through work that included building houses, akin to Habitat for Humanity. Anstine was said to have overseen much of the work, while Hardwick assisted with installation. &nbsp;&nbsp;Hardwick called Anstine a friend and they were said to have a mutual interest in firearms. They were said to be close enough that they would travel to visit each other from time to time, but not frequently. &nbsp;&nbsp;Hardwick’s last visit to see Anstine was said to be because of personal problems in his life. He wanted get out of Kansas City for a while. Hardwick was said to have taken a Greyhound bus from Kansas City, Missouri to Hutchinson, Kansas to visit Anstine.&nbsp;&nbsp;Loftis told the jury that Anstine had dropped off Hardwick at the compound with a set of keys. Hardwick was said to have permission to drive Anstine’s truck and had those keys as well.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Anstine then returned shortly after with Little Caesar’s pizza and Samuel Adams beer. &nbsp;&nbsp;“After drinking about half a beer and eating piece of pizza, Kyle starts to feel sick,” Loftis said. &nbsp;&nbsp;Hardwick’s symptoms were described as&nbsp;stomach pains, light-headedness, and disorientation. Hardwick was said to have voiced his sudden illness to Anstine, and then went to the camper on the property where he passed out. Hardwick was said to not remember passing out in the camper. &nbsp;&nbsp;According to Loftis, Hardwick woke up the next day, still disoriented, face down on a bed in the camper with his pants down, and a pain in his anus. &nbsp;&nbsp;Hardwick is said to surmise he was raped.&nbsp;&nbsp;Upon leaving the camper to search for Anstine out of concern, Hardwick returned to the camper. &nbsp;&nbsp;Anstine is said to have returned to the compound with a shotgun in his hands. &nbsp;&nbsp;Hardwick is alleged to have tried to tell Anstine of his situation, but became suspicious when Anstine is said to have been dismissive. &nbsp;&nbsp;Loftis said, when Hardwick then accused Anstine of raping him, Anstine cocked and aimed his shotgun at Hardwick. &nbsp;&nbsp;Hardwick is said to have played to Anstine’s paranoia by looking over Anstine’s shoulder, forcing him to turn around. Hardwick was then said to have used this gambit to wrestle the shotgun out of Anstine’s hands. &nbsp;&nbsp;Anstine was said to have then pulled a .380 semiautomatic pistol and pointed it at Hardwick, causing Hardwick to fatally shoot him with the shotgun. &nbsp;&nbsp;Still disoriented from the prior drugging and rape, the defense said that Hardwick then made his way to the pump house, north of the camper, for water. &nbsp;&nbsp;Loftis described to the jury what happened next as, “one of the real tragedies of this case.” &nbsp;&nbsp;Another man, unknown to Hardwick, appeared and shot at Hardwick. Hardwick shot back with the shotgun he had taken from Anstine, striking the second man. &nbsp;&nbsp;After a while, determining the man is dead, Hardwick approached the body and searched the man and discovered his identity as Marion Bates. &nbsp;&nbsp;Loftis said, more than likely Bates was not part of Hardwick’s alleged rape, and only came to aid his friend, Anstine. &nbsp;&nbsp;The state, consisting of District Attorney (DA) Thomas Stanton and Deputy District Attorney Andrew Davidson, called a number of witnesses, including friends of the victims, who corroborated the state’s opening statement that accused Hardwick of killing the pair for different reasons.&nbsp; &nbsp;Cathy Havel and Marion Bates had been close friends for around 11 years. Havel last spoke to Bates on Aug. 25, 2021, about a COVID-19 test she was going to take. &nbsp;&nbsp;Bates said he could not talk at that moment, and had something to do at the compound. &nbsp;&nbsp;Havel never heard back from Bates. &nbsp;&nbsp;Havel said she texted and called Bates multiple times on Aug. 26, 2021, and that it was unusual for Bates to not answer his phone in a timely manner. &nbsp;&nbsp;Evidence presented during the trial showed that Havel did try to reach Bates. &nbsp;&nbsp;Corroborating each other’s&nbsp;testimonies as they took the stand separately, Havel and Dawnita Hartung eventually went to the compound to search for Bates and Anstine. &nbsp;&nbsp;They noticed a red Ford pickup truck in the driveway. &nbsp;&nbsp;It was there they met a man, unknown to them,&nbsp;who identified himself as ‘Kyle Birch.’ &nbsp;&nbsp;Havel and Hartung pointed out Kyle Hardwick as the man who identified himself as ‘Kyle Birch.’ &nbsp;&nbsp;As ‘Birch,’ Hardwick told the two women that Bates and Anstine had gone to town to buy cigarettes about 40 minutes prior.&nbsp;&nbsp;The women found this suspicious given how close the nearest gas station was.&nbsp;‘Birch’ had told the women his mother had kicked him out. &nbsp;&nbsp;Hartung during her testimony, said ‘Kyle Birch’ was not someone Bates would hang out with. &nbsp;&nbsp;Later when the women returned to the compound, they found that the red truck, and Hardwick as ‘Birch,’&nbsp;were gone. &nbsp;Havel and Hartung left notes in the driveway for Bates.&nbsp;&nbsp;Joined by Jerry Bastion on Aug. 27, Havel and Hartung searched for Bates on the property. &nbsp;&nbsp;Kenneth Bates, the brother of Marion Bates, who was informed his brother was missing, gave Bastion permission to break into Marion Bates’ garage. &nbsp;&nbsp;There they found Marion Bates unattended vehicle, with his wallet still inside.&nbsp; Shortly after, the authorities were called for a welfare check.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Reno County Sheriff’s Office responded and surveyed the property. Deputies located the body of Marion Bates that day.&nbsp; Bates was discovered in the dried up pond covered by&nbsp;tree limbs. Forensic evidence used to identify him revealed he had not been dead long and that his head was riddled with shotgun pellets. &nbsp;&nbsp;On Aug. 28, at 8 a.m., following the discovery of Bates, a search warrant was obtained for the rest of the property.&nbsp;&nbsp;According to Reno County Sheriff’s deputy Matthew Mondragon, three feet from where Bates was found, Anstine was discovered in a burn&nbsp;pit. Most of his body had been incinerated by a fire in the pit. Forensic evidence used to identify Anstine showed he had been shot in the head as well. &nbsp;&nbsp;Mondragon identified other pieces of evidence found on the property, including combustible materials, and items belonging to Hardwick. &nbsp;&nbsp;These items included two debit cards, one with Hardwick’s name, a social security card, also with Hardwick’s name, and a bus ticket with the name ‘Kyle Hardhack.’&nbsp;&nbsp;The defense did not cross-examine many witnesses, but they did Mondragon. Mondragon was asked to recall zip-ties found on the property and if they could be used to restrain somebody, which he confirmed. &nbsp;&nbsp;A drone was deployed by Reno County Sheriff Jeremy VanWey to gather another view of the crime scene.&nbsp;Some of the evidence collected from the scene included .12 gauge shotgun shells, gas cans, campfire fuel, the barrel of a shotgun from the burn pit Anstine was found in,&nbsp;a pair of gloves, two empty bottles of Kentucky Deluxe bourbon, two&nbsp;empty bottles of vodka, a Dollar General receipt,&nbsp;and soil samples with biomaterial.&nbsp;&nbsp;During his testimony, Daniel Nowlan, Reno County Death Investigator, noted for Anstine’s body to burn the way it did, the fire would have to been man-maintained for a time. &nbsp;&nbsp;During cross-examination by the defense, Nowlan did confirm that Phillip Anstine did not die by burning alive, and cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head. The same cause of death determined for Marion Bates. He also said that Hardwick acted in self-defense could not be ruled out. &nbsp;&nbsp;Following Daniel Nowlan, the jury was dismissed for the first day. &nbsp;On day two, Sedgwick County Forensic Center DNA analyst Therese Gibler testified that through her analysis, a sample she tested was almost certainly that of a child of Marion Bates' mother, Betty and a separate sample was almost certainly that of a child of Phillip Anstine's father, Duane. This was intended to establish that the victims were Marion Bates and Phillip Anstine.&nbsp;Sedgwick County Forensic Center's Dr. Scott Kipper performed the autopsies on Bates and Anstine and confirmed that the shotgun wound killed Bates. Anstine's body was significantly burned, but Kipper was still able to determine that a shotgun wound also killed Anstine. Kipper could not rule out the possibility that the shots were in self-defense.&nbsp;Several law enforcement witnesses were then called, including members of the Reno County Sheriff's Office and Maize Police, to establish the security of the crime scene and the circumstances under which Kyle Hardwick was found and arrested in Maize on Sept. 1.&nbsp;The prosecution also attempted to establish through law enforcement testimony that electronic devices, including what they believe to be a cell phone, were found in a fire pit on the property. In addition, they went over the circumstances in which Phillip Anstine's truck was found elsewhere in the county in October.&nbsp;Also, Anstine's friend Paul Jorgenson testified by Zoom from Wyoming to establish that Anstine told him he had both silver and gold on the property at the compound where the murders occurred.&nbsp;The majority of day three of the State v. Kyle Hardwick, saw testimonies from officials with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). &nbsp;During the corroborating testimony of the KBI, regarding the inventory and investigation of the items found in the truck, established to belong to Phillip Anstine, day three saw the most evidence admitted by the state. Including:&nbsp;A Motorola blue cellphone; mesh covering; a beer bottle; two ghillie suits; a red bag containing ammunition; a pellet rifle; a total of six guns between five rifle cases; a camo duffle bag; metal siding that when removed, revealed seven ammunition boxes containing mostly 22 caliber ammunition; .12 gauge ammunition; a metal tool box; a vitamin container labeled ‘char-claw;’ two action cameras; jeep keys; as well as three empty packages of Marlboro Black 100s cigarettes. &nbsp;The same brand of cigarettes had previously been found in the camper located at the compound and the abandoned grain silo where Hardwick was arrested. &nbsp;The inventory of the truck was delivered in testimony by Chris Engle-Tjaden with the KBI.&nbsp;During cross-examination, the defense confirmed the existence of the .380 ammunition. &nbsp;Under defense examination, Engle-Tjaden said the only correlation to the mesh covering, was that it was found in the truck. &nbsp;Forensic testing revealed Hardwick’s DNA was found on a lot of the items. Latent prints belonging to Hardwick were found on a food container and soda bottles. A latent print of Hardwick’s palm was also found on the truck. &nbsp;Day three closed with people known to Hardwick taking the stand, Chase Mattingly and Sherry Reed. &nbsp;During his testimony, Mattingly, the boyfriend of Sherry Reed’s daughter, said he had overheard part of a phone conversation between Hardwick and Reed on Aug. 31,&nbsp;2021. &nbsp;He only understood part of the conversation, and said he had heard Hardwick tell Reed he had messed up. &nbsp;During cross-examination by the defense, Mattingly said he did not know what Hardwick was referring to at the time. &nbsp;The state then called key witness, Sherry Reed. &nbsp;Reed said she has known Hardwick since high school. &nbsp;Reed, of Lawrence, Kansas, said she believed she still has a friendship with Hardwick. Hardwick had previously lived with Reed. &nbsp;Hardwick’s&nbsp;additional count of solicitation to commit perjury stems from&nbsp;a FaceTime call between the defendant and Reed.&nbsp;The FaceTime call had been played in court prior when Hardwick was bound over in June 2022, and was played again on Jan. 27. &nbsp;In the recorded FaceTime conversation, Hardwick repeatedly tells Reed not to show up for the hearing and, if she did testify, to tell the court she was mentally unstable and on drugs. At one time he said, “Please don’t come,” and repeatedly said, “you don’t have to show up.”&nbsp;Hardwick was also noted as telling Reed to “just tell the truth.” &nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/07b4a825-c01a-4caf-9b40-ceac29173d6b" target="_blank">Much like her last reported appearance in court,</a> Reed&nbsp;seemed very confused. &nbsp;She could not remember much about phone calls she got from Hardwick or her meetings with the Reno County Sheriff’s Office, nor&nbsp;whether she drove him from Lawrence to a bus station in Kansas City.&nbsp;During her testimony, Reed implied numerous times her confusion with her activities with the Reno County Sheriff’s Office, conversations with Hardwick, and whether she dropped him off at a bus stop were due to her not having her ‘calendar’ or her ‘notes.’ &nbsp;In effort to help Reed remember, courtesy of the state, she was presented with copies of her prior testimony to aid her in current testimony.&nbsp;When asked, after taking a moment to review her prior testimony, Reed said she took Hardwick to a bus station in Kansas City in the morning of August 2021. &nbsp;When asked if she remembered telling the Reno County Sheriff’s Office, she was given $600 out of $1,200 from Hardwick, Reed said she only remembered having $600. &nbsp;Reed said she remembered giving a lot of evidence to the Reno County Sheriff’s Office, including a Dollar General receipt for a cell phone. &nbsp;Despite the aid of having a copy of her prior testimony, Reed’s memory issues persisted. &nbsp;The state and Judge Schroeder suggested Reed retrieve the notes she claimed to have, if they would aid with her testimony. However, Reed said they were in her car. &nbsp;Reed said she knew Hardwick was coming to Hutchinson via bus when she dropped him off in Kansas City. &nbsp;When presented with state evidence of an iPhone, Reed said she remembered providing the phone to the Reno County Sheriff’s Office. &nbsp;The state yielded their time with Reed to cross-examination with the defense. &nbsp;Reed told the defense, she does get a prescription for anxiety, as well as a prescription for Adderall. &nbsp;The first witness of day four of the trial, was Scott Anstine, the brother of Phillip Anstine. &nbsp;Scott Anstine said his brother usually stored his weapons in his house, and never just left them in his truck. He confirmed the firearms found in the truck in prior testimony were his brother’s. &nbsp;Scott Anstine said Phillip Anstine did not store his ammunition on the compound. &nbsp;Scott Anstine told the court, he is the heir to his brother’s estate. &nbsp;According to Scott Anstine, his brother kept his truck clean. &nbsp;During cross-examination and redirection, Scott Anstine did confirm that Phillip Anstine carried a pistol matching the description in the defense’s opening statement. &nbsp;The testimony of Det. Matt Franklin with the Reno County Sheriff’s Office, the lead investigator of the murders of Marion Bates and Phillip Anstine, recalled to the court the events of the case. &nbsp;According to Det. Franklin, no gold or silver had been found on the compound. &nbsp;Only Phillip Anstine will know where the boxes of silver and gold others say he had are buried on the property.&nbsp;During his testimony, it was established via state and defense that Kyle Hardwick and Phillip Anstine had a friendly relationship. &nbsp;Det. Franklin was able to recall that through interviews with Sherry Reed and her submission of case-related items from August 2021 to October 2021, Hardwick was able to be taken into custody. &nbsp;It was also established that it was unclear what started the fire used to burn Anstine’s body. &nbsp;During Sherry Reed’s second testimony during the trial, she told the court she remained in contact with Hardwick post-arrest. &nbsp;Following Det. Franklin's testimony, Reed had a much better memory, and even supplied more intimate details about Hardwick, including his work history.&nbsp;The state rested their case on Jan. 30.&nbsp; The defense will continue presenting its evidence on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

More than 45 witnesses called in Kansas double murder trial

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals and Zach Greinke have agreed to a contract for the coming season, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Monday, making it nine seasons over two stints in Kansas City for the six-time All-Star pitcher.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the 39-year-old Greinke still needed to pass a physical.

The financial terms of the deal, which was first reported by Kansas City sports radio host Bob Fescoe, were not immediately available. Greinke was paid $13 million last season by the Royals, where he spent the first seven season before returning last year and going 3-9 with a 3.68 ERA and striking out 73 over 137 innings for the rebuilding club.

Greinke did spend two stints on the injured list but allowed two runs or fewer in 17 of his 26 starts last season.

Perhaps most importantly, Greinke provided veteran leadership to one of baseball's younger rotations. Brady Singer, at just 26, flourished into the staff ace, while fellow 20-somethings Daniel Lynch and Kris Bubic also made progress.

Greinke, who will turn 40 in October, began his career in Kansas City as a mercurial first-round pick in the 2002 amateur draft. He nearly walked away from the game before making it to the big leagues two years later, beginning a 20-year career that included stints with the Brewers, Angels, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Astros.

The 2009 Cy Young winner is first among active pitchers with 514 career starts and 3,247 innings pitched. Greinke is second to Justin Verlander with 223 wins, third in strikeouts (2,882) and has six Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger awards.

The Royals had been quiet much of the offseason but have been busy in the weeks leading up to spring training.

Just recently, they sent starting outfielder Michael A. Taylor to the Twins and injury-prone shortstop Adalberto Mondesi to the Red Sox, netting three pitching prospects in the deals. They also signed reliever Aroldis Chapman to a $3.75 million deal for 2023 in the hopes the seven-time All-Star can bounce back from a disappointing season with the Yankees.

Earlier in the offseason, the Royals signed pitchers Ryan Yarbrough and Jordan Lyles. Both of them are candidates for the starting rotation, though Yarbrough's value most likely will be found in the bullpen.

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals and Zach Greinke have agreed to a contract for the coming season, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Monday, making it nine seasons over two stints in Kansas City for the six-time All-Star pitcher.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the 39-year-old Greinke still needed to pass a physical.The financial terms of the deal, which was first reported by Kansas City sports radio host Bob Fescoe, were not immediately available. Greinke was paid $13 million last season by the Royals, where he spent the first seven season before returning last year and going 3-9 with a 3.68 ERA and striking out 73 over 137 innings for the rebuilding club.Greinke did spend two stints on the injured list but allowed two runs or fewer in 17 of his 26 starts last season.Perhaps most importantly, Greinke provided veteran leadership to one of baseball's younger rotations. Brady Singer, at just 26, flourished into the staff ace, while fellow 20-somethings Daniel Lynch and Kris Bubic also made progress.Greinke, who will turn 40 in October, began his career in Kansas City as a mercurial first-round pick in the 2002 amateur draft. He nearly walked away from the game before making it to the big leagues two years later, beginning a 20-year career that included stints with the Brewers, Angels, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Astros.The 2009 Cy Young winner is first among active pitchers with 514 career starts and 3,247 innings pitched. Greinke is second to Justin Verlander with 223 wins, third in strikeouts (2,882) and has six Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger awards.The Royals had been quiet much of the offseason but have been busy in the weeks leading up to spring training.Just recently, they sent starting outfielder Michael A. Taylor to the Twins and injury-prone shortstop Adalberto Mondesi to the Red Sox, netting three pitching prospects in the deals. They also signed reliever Aroldis Chapman to a $3.75 million deal for 2023 in the hopes the seven-time All-Star can bounce back from a disappointing season with the Yankees.Earlier in the offseason, the Royals signed pitchers Ryan Yarbrough and Jordan Lyles. Both of them are candidates for the starting rotation, though Yarbrough's value most likely will be found in the bullpen.

⚾ Royals agree with RHP Greinke on deal for 2023

Betty Lucille Deering Franz left this world at the age of ninety-six 
to join her heavenly family on the morning of Thursday, January 26th, 
while surrounded by her children.

Betty was born in Homestead, Kansas on her family’s farm outside of 
Cottonwood Falls, Kansas on October 23rd, 1926. She is predeceased by 
her mother, Margaret “Grace” Clara Deering and her father, Arthur “Pete”
 LaVern Deering (Larned, KS), her sisters, Arlene Mann Yeager (Larned, 
KS) and Lilian Irene Deering Thorne (Garden City, KS), and her brother, 
Alfred “Shorty” Charles Deering (Wichita, KS).

Betty is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Julene Franz Reed 
and Ron Reed (Memphis, TN); son and daughter-in-law, Mark LaVern Franz 
and Alla Chavdarova and her daughter, Sasha (Austin, TX); and daughter 
and son-in-law, Lori Jean Franz and John Coll (Georgetown, TX).

She is also survived by her two granddaughters and their husbands, 
Angela Lynné Reed Tull and Benjamin Tull (Memphis, Tennessee) and Amanda
 Nicole Reed Ferguson and Marvin Ferguson (Chicago, IL). “Little Granny”
 was also dearly loved by her four great-grandchildren—Bailey Grace 
Ferguson (Chicago, IL), Riley Grace Tull (Memphis, TN), Reed Marvin 
Ferguson (Chicago, IL), and Amelia Catherine Tull (Memphis, TN). 
According to the great-grandchildren, no one made homemade noodles, 
caramels, and pies as well as Little Granny, no matter how hard they 
tried.

Betty was an amazing aunt to her nieces and nephews, Janice Mann 
Bogle (and husband Ron), Shela Mann Shank, Bob Thorne (and wife Vera), 
and Bill Thorne. She was a second “mother” to them as well as their 
aunt, and their mutual love for each other was a gift to all. She took 
great joy and pride in all they did.

Betty grew up in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, where her father, “Grandpa
 Pete” to us, was the Chase County sheriff. They lived in the 
courthouse, and she graduated from high school in Cottonwood Falls. She 
later moved to Larned, Kansas and married Virgil Ralph Franz, where she 
was a bank teller at the First National Bank. They raised their three 
children in Larned until the early 1960s. They then lived in Wichita, 
Kansas, Lake Quivira, Kansas (Kansas City), New Orleans, Louisiana, and 
Dallas, Texas. When Betty and Virgil&nbsp; divorced in the late 1970s, she 
moved to Memphis, TN, where she remained the rest of her life. Betty was
 Vice-President of Germantown Trust Savings and Loan in Germantown, TN 
for many years until her retirement when they closed.

Throughout her life, Betty was an avid golfer and duplicate bridge 
player. She also enjoyed traveling to Texas and the Florida beach, 
embarking on cruises, going dancing with her dearest friends, reading 
romance novels, and playing dominoes and card games.

Betty’s greatest&nbsp; joy was watching her children, grandchildren, and 
great-grandchildren grow up, and she loved each of them dearly, as they 
loved her. She was a classy lady who loved&nbsp; dressing “foxy,” even in her
 nineties. When she was not visiting with family in person, she would 
talk to her children twice a day on video with her beloved “Alexa” 
device. It was our lifeline to her…and hers to us. Until just two weeks 
prior to her death, Betty was busy feeding her birds in her backyard, 
talking to her children on video, helping Julene decorate her front door
 with winter decor, and enjoying her life. We are all so blessed to have
 had her love throughout our lives.

Betty loved watching sports—especially the Kansas City Chiefs, as 
well as the Dallas Cowboys, Memphis Grizzlies, University of Memphis 
Tigers football and basketball, and professional golf tournaments. She 
would spend her weekends watching sports and loving every minute of it, 
dressing up for her favorite teams.

Betty (our mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother) had a great 
sense of humor and loved to tell jokes. She was a friend to everyone she
 met, and she was always looking out for others, helping however she 
could.

God has gained an amazing angel in the heavens above. We were all 
blessed to have had the best mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother 
anyone could ever have. While our hearts are broken in a million pieces 
and we miss her so deeply, we are comforted to know that she is now at 
peace and again with her beloved family in heaven.

We love you more, “Momma,” forever and ever. You are and will always 
be in our hearts and souls forever, and I know we are in yours. We will 
miss you every minute of every day until we meet again. Rest in peace, 
sweet mother.

A celebration of life will be held on Wednesday, February 1st, at the
 Larned United Methodist Church in Larned, Kansas. Family visitation 
will begin at 10:15 a.m. followed by a service in the sanctuary at 11:00
 a.m. A brief graveside ceremony will follow at the Larned Cemetery 
where she will be laid to rest with other members of her beloved family.

The family requests that any donations be given to either St. Jude 
Children’s Research Hospital or the American Cancer Society, both in 
care of Beckwith Mortuary, Inc. P.O. Box 477, Larned, KS 67550.&nbsp; 
Personal condolences may be left at <a href="http://www.beckwithmortuary.com">www.beckwithmortuary.com</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1675086335143.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Betty Lucille Deering Franz left this world at the age of ninety-six 
to join her heavenly family on the morning of Thursday, January 26th, 
while surrounded by her children.Betty was born in Homestead, Kansas on her family’s farm outside of 
Cottonwood Falls, Kansas on October 23rd, 1926. She is predeceased by 
her mother, Margaret “Grace” Clara Deering and her father, Arthur “Pete”
 LaVern Deering (Larned, KS), her sisters, Arlene Mann Yeager (Larned, 
KS) and Lilian Irene Deering Thorne (Garden City, KS), and her brother, 
Alfred “Shorty” Charles Deering (Wichita, KS).Betty is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Julene Franz Reed 
and Ron Reed (Memphis, TN); son and daughter-in-law, Mark LaVern Franz 
and Alla Chavdarova and her daughter, Sasha (Austin, TX); and daughter 
and son-in-law, Lori Jean Franz and John Coll (Georgetown, TX).She is also survived by her two granddaughters and their husbands, 
Angela Lynné Reed Tull and Benjamin Tull (Memphis, Tennessee) and Amanda
 Nicole Reed Ferguson and Marvin Ferguson (Chicago, IL). “Little Granny”
 was also dearly loved by her four great-grandchildren—Bailey Grace 
Ferguson (Chicago, IL), Riley Grace Tull (Memphis, TN), Reed Marvin 
Ferguson (Chicago, IL), and Amelia Catherine Tull (Memphis, TN). 
According to the great-grandchildren, no one made homemade noodles, 
caramels, and pies as well as Little Granny, no matter how hard they 
tried.Betty was an amazing aunt to her nieces and nephews, Janice Mann 
Bogle (and husband Ron), Shela Mann Shank, Bob Thorne (and wife Vera), 
and Bill Thorne. She was a second “mother” to them as well as their 
aunt, and their mutual love for each other was a gift to all. She took 
great joy and pride in all they did.Betty grew up in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, where her father, “Grandpa
 Pete” to us, was the Chase County sheriff. They lived in the 
courthouse, and she graduated from high school in Cottonwood Falls. She 
later moved to Larned, Kansas and married Virgil Ralph Franz, where she 
was a bank teller at the First National Bank. They raised their three 
children in Larned until the early 1960s. They then lived in Wichita, 
Kansas, Lake Quivira, Kansas (Kansas City), New Orleans, Louisiana, and 
Dallas, Texas. When Betty and Virgil&nbsp; divorced in the late 1970s, she 
moved to Memphis, TN, where she remained the rest of her life. Betty was
 Vice-President of Germantown Trust Savings and Loan in Germantown, TN 
for many years until her retirement when they closed.Throughout her life, Betty was an avid golfer and duplicate bridge 
player. She also enjoyed traveling to Texas and the Florida beach, 
embarking on cruises, going dancing with her dearest friends, reading 
romance novels, and playing dominoes and card games.Betty’s greatest&nbsp; joy was watching her children, grandchildren, and 
great-grandchildren grow up, and she loved each of them dearly, as they 
loved her. She was a classy lady who loved&nbsp; dressing “foxy,” even in her
 nineties. When she was not visiting with family in person, she would 
talk to her children twice a day on video with her beloved “Alexa” 
device. It was our lifeline to her…and hers to us. Until just two weeks 
prior to her death, Betty was busy feeding her birds in her backyard, 
talking to her children on video, helping Julene decorate her front door
 with winter decor, and enjoying her life. We are all so blessed to have
 had her love throughout our lives.Betty loved watching sports—especially the Kansas City Chiefs, as 
well as the Dallas Cowboys, Memphis Grizzlies, University of Memphis 
Tigers football and basketball, and professional golf tournaments. She 
would spend her weekends watching sports and loving every minute of it, 
dressing up for her favorite teams.Betty (our mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother) had a great 
sense of humor and loved to tell jokes. She was a friend to everyone she
 met, and she was always looking out for others, helping however she 
could.God has gained an amazing angel in the heavens above. We were all 
blessed to have had the best mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother 
anyone could ever have. While our hearts are broken in a million pieces 
and we miss her so deeply, we are comforted to know that she is now at 
peace and again with her beloved family in heaven.We love you more, “Momma,” forever and ever. You are and will always 
be in our hearts and souls forever, and I know we are in yours. We will 
miss you every minute of every day until we meet again. Rest in peace, 
sweet mother.A celebration of life will be held on Wednesday, February 1st, at the
 Larned United Methodist Church in Larned, Kansas. Family visitation 
will begin at 10:15 a.m. followed by a service in the sanctuary at 11:00
 a.m. A brief graveside ceremony will follow at the Larned Cemetery 
where she will be laid to rest with other members of her beloved family.The family requests that any donations be given to either St. Jude 
Children’s Research Hospital or the American Cancer Society, both in 
care of Beckwith Mortuary, Inc. P.O. Box 477, Larned, KS 67550.&nbsp; 
Personal condolences may be left at <a href="http://www.beckwithmortuary.com">www.beckwithmortuary.com</a>

Betty Lucille Franz

By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2023-01-23/how-bad-was-the-2022-drought-for-these-seven-kansas-communities-it-was-the-driest-on-record">Kansas News Service</a>

It might not rain much in Healy. But if it does, it’s Steve Fenster’s job to know about it.

Every
 morning for more than 40 years as a volunteer with the National Weather
 Service, he’s peered out the window of his west-central Kansas home 
scouring his patio for any signs of moisture.

If it’s the least 
bit wet, he inspects whatever water has collected in a nine-inch 
aluminum can with a ruler that measures to the hundredth of an inch.

But Fenster hasn’t been walking out to his rain bucket much this past year.

The Lane County town of 195 people is one of seven western Kansas communities that just experienced its driest year on record.

“That’s not a record you’d like to have,” Fenster said. “But it is what it is.”

Only
 8.75 inches of precipitation fell in Healy all of last year. That edged
 out the town’s previous record of 8.92 inches from the milestone 
drought of 1956. Two other towns that set new records last year — Garden
 City and WaKeeney — broke marks from the Dust Bowl.

Even in a place where extreme droughts come with the territory, 2022 
stands out. And the domino effects — from empty grain bins to stressed 
psyches to strained economies — will take time to fade even if the 
ongoing drought breaks by this spring.

Rain is liquid gold here, a semi-arid region where agriculture drives everything and the ability to counter dry years with <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2023-01-10/this-is-do-or-die-western-kansas-farmers-push-to-save-the-ogallala-aquifer-before-its-too-late" target="_blank">irrigation from underground reserves</a> isn’t what it used to be.

So
 when people in Healy want to know how much the rare sprinkle adds up 
to, they call Fenster. If they can’t catch him on the phone, they stop 
him in town. On the wall at the bank hangs a big white board where he 
writes the daily precipitation totals — or lack thereof — which dominate
 conversations in a year like this.

“This is agriculture country,” Fenster said. “Everybody’s talking about it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674661010889.png" alt="This field of dead wheat plants near Healy, Kansas, illustrates how the record-dry year has ravaged the area's crops. The town is one of seven in western Kansas that set new records for low precipitation totals in 2022. David Condos / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>This field of dead wheat plants near Healy, Kansas, illustrates how the record-dry year has ravaged the area's crops. The town is one of seven in western Kansas that set new records for low precipitation totals in 2022. David Condos / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2023-01-23/how-bad-was-the-2022-drought-for-these-seven-kansas-communities-it-was-the-driest-on-record">Kansas News Service</a>It might not rain much in Healy. But if it does, it’s Steve Fenster’s job to know about it.Every
 morning for more than 40 years as a volunteer with the National Weather
 Service, he’s peered out the window of his west-central Kansas home 
scouring his patio for any signs of moisture.If it’s the least 
bit wet, he inspects whatever water has collected in a nine-inch 
aluminum can with a ruler that measures to the hundredth of an inch.But Fenster hasn’t been walking out to his rain bucket much this past year.The Lane County town of 195 people is one of seven western Kansas communities that just experienced its driest year on record.“That’s not a record you’d like to have,” Fenster said. “But it is what it is.”Only
 8.75 inches of precipitation fell in Healy all of last year. That edged
 out the town’s previous record of 8.92 inches from the milestone 
drought of 1956. Two other towns that set new records last year — Garden
 City and WaKeeney — broke marks from the Dust Bowl.<div><iframe title="How much precipitation did Kansas get in 2022?" aria-label="Map" id="datawrapper-chart-lkAEE" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/lkAEE/4/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border: none;" width="600" height="510" data-external="1"></iframe></div>Even in a place where extreme droughts come with the territory, 2022 
stands out. And the domino effects — from empty grain bins to stressed 
psyches to strained economies — will take time to fade even if the 
ongoing drought breaks by this spring.Rain is liquid gold here, a semi-arid region where agriculture drives everything and the ability to counter dry years with <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2023-01-10/this-is-do-or-die-western-kansas-farmers-push-to-save-the-ogallala-aquifer-before-its-too-late" target="_blank">irrigation from underground reserves</a> isn’t what it used to be.So
 when people in Healy want to know how much the rare sprinkle adds up 
to, they call Fenster. If they can’t catch him on the phone, they stop 
him in town. On the wall at the bank hangs a big white board where he 
writes the daily precipitation totals — or lack thereof — which dominate
 conversations in a year like this.“This is agriculture country,” Fenster said. “Everybody’s talking about it.”<h2>The new American desert</h2>Deserts are commonly defined as places that get <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-06-08/western-kansas-wheat-crops-are-failing-just-when-the-world-needs-them-most" target="_blank">fewer than 10 inches</a> of rain a year. So at least for this past year, much of western Kansas slipped into that desolate category.And Healy has looked the part.Lawns
 are more brown dirt than green grass. Ponds dried up long ago. Fields 
that would normally have wheat plants growing several inches high by 
this time of year are barren and blowing away.Fenster has watched his community take a financial hit, too. Farmers have experienced more <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-06-08/western-kansas-wheat-crops-are-failing-just-when-the-world-needs-them-most" target="_blank">losses from crop failures</a> — he works at a crop insurance agency — this past year than he’s ever seen. Ranchers have had to <a href="https://www.hppr.org/2022-11-25/heres-how-this-years-drought-has-battered-the-midwest-and-what-it-might-mean-for-next-year" target="_blank">sell off cattle</a> as their pasture grass disintegrates into nothing. In town, people aren’t spending money like they normally would.“There’s not much optimism out there,” Fenster said. “We’re all praying for rain.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674661198338.png" alt="Steve Fenster stands next to the white board that he updates with daily rainfall totals at First State Bank of Healy. Especially in a year like this, he said, the board is a big conversation starter. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Steve Fenster stands next to the white board that he updates with daily rainfall totals at First State Bank of Healy. Especially in a year like this, he said, the board is a big conversation starter. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Lindy McMillen works directly with farmers as they bring in harvests 
to sell at the Garden City Co-op’s grain elevator just southeast of 
Healy. And this year, she said, her office’s traffic has been slow and 
quiet.The co-op bought roughly half as much corn last year as it 
normally does because farmers just didn’t have much to sell. For grain 
sorghum, or milo, it was less than half.“A tough year for farmers,” McMillen said, “is tough for everyone.”In
 past droughts, she said, some pocket of the company’s footprint — which
 stretches from Lane County through southwest Kansas — would get enough 
rain to make a decent crop. This year, the rain missed everybody.And the <a href="https://twitter.com/DroughtCenter/status/1616129962133667859" target="_blank">forecast</a> calls for drought to hang on for at least another month.Farmers
 who have small stands of wheat now are concerned that the plants won’t 
make it to harvest. Others whose wheat seeds haven’t sprouted yet worry 
that they never will. If this winter’s wheat fails, that brings up 
another whole set of stressful questions about pulling the plug on it 
and trying a different crop in that same field this spring.Federal
 financial assistance and payouts from crop insurance have helped a lot 
of farmers stay afloat for now. But it’s still devastating, she said, to
 toil all year and then watch your handiwork die.“Every farmer I 
know is resilient and tough, but they’re down,” McMillen said. “There’s a
 lot more somber, concerned feeling heading into this growing season 
than probably in any one that I’ve ever been involved in.”<div><iframe title="How 2022 broke drought records in western Kansas" aria-label="Grouped Column Chart" id="datawrapper-chart-kMh0W" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/kMh0W/10/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border: none;" width="600" height="500" data-external="1"></iframe></div><h2>The record-breakers</h2>Western Kansas 
started 2022 dry, with southwest parts of the state withering under 
extreme drought since January. It only went downhill from there.For
 the seven towns that broke records, assistant state climatologist Matt 
Sittel said, the fall particularly accelerated the drought’s deep 
descent toward parched history.WaKeeney only got 0.01 inches of 
precipitation for all of November. Utica didn’t get any that month. 
Scott City recorded no precipitation whatsoever for the whole month of 
October and just 0.08 total for the last three months of the year 
combined.When the dust settled, some of the new records ended up shattering marks that had stood for decades.“They didn’t just barely break the record, that’s two inches less,” Sittel said. “That’s unprecedented.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I saw a bunch of sad corn fields like this one while I was in Finney County. The months-long drought — paired with recent 100-degree temperatures — has fried a lot of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/westernkansas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#westernkansas</a> corn crop. <a href="https://t.co/ivcXV1xTDG">pic.twitter.com/ivcXV1xTDG</a>&mdash; David Condos (@davidcondos) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidcondos/status/1551992149754904576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>Here are the numbers for each record-breaking town (based on data from <a href="https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/" target="_blank">NOAA</a>, limited to towns whose records began before 1956):1. Garden City, Finney County New record low: 5.03 inches, 2022 Previous record: 8.86 inches, 1937 Records go back to 1893 Historical average: 18.95 inches2. Scott City, Scott County New record low: 8.01 inches, 2022 Previous record: 10.15 inches, 1956 Records go back to 1895 Historical average: 20.18 inches3. Collyer, Trego County New record low: 8.37 inches, 2022 Previous record: 9.32, inches, 1956 Records go back to 1940 Historical average: 20.64 inches4. Healy, Lane County New record low: 8.75 inches, 2022 Previous record: 8.92 inches, 1956 Records go back to 1901 Historical average: 22.38 inches5. Utica, Ness County New record low: 9.78 inches, 2022 Previous record: 12.86 inches, 1916 Records go back to 1916 Historical average: 22.93 inches6. Ransom, Ness County New record low: 9.89 inches, 2022 Previous record: 11.74 inches, 2010 Records go back to 1946 Historical average: 22.08 inches7. WaKeeney, Trego County New record low: 10.52 inches, 2022 Previous record: 12.17 inches, 1937 Records go back to 1892 Historical average: 23.92 inchesOther parts of western Kansas came close to breaking their records, 
too. The station at Cedar Bluff Dam in Trego County saw its 
second-driest year. And for several towns — from Dodge City and Liberal 
in southwest Kansas to Russell Springs and Atwood in northwest Kansas — 
2022 landed among the top five driest years on record.“This was not just a little isolated event,” Sittel said. “Most of western Kansas was all in the same dry boat.”The heat didn’t help. For nearly all of western Kansas, this past summer’s average temperatures ranked among the <a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/climate-at-a-glance/county/mapping/14/tavg/202207/3/value" target="_blank">top 25 warmest</a> on record. Dodge City’s summer, for instance, ranked as its sixth hottest.<div><iframe title="How many days reached 100 degrees?" aria-label="Range Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-nMH7x" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/nMH7x/3/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border: none;" width="600" height="346" data-external="1"></iframe></div>The compound force of drought and heat particularly zeroed in on Healy.In
 addition to experiencing its driest year on record, the town also 
nearly broke its record for the most days with 100-degree temperatures. 
Healy saw a total of 47 days reach 100 degrees in 2022. That’s more than
 three-times its average and one day shy of its record.Across 
western Kansas — in towns from WaKeeney to Dodge City to Oakley — the 
number of 100-degree days in 2022 landed in the top 10 of all years on 
record.Then there’s the wind. In a normal year, western Kansas is already one of the <a href="https://windexchange.energy.gov/maps-data/325" target="_blank">windiest places</a> in the country. But 2022 turned that up a notch.April
 is typically the state’s windiest month. And Goodland in northwest 
Kansas and Salina in north-central Kansas both saw their windiest Aprils
 on record dating back to 1948. Wind speeds in Goodland clocked in at a 
wearying average of 17.7 mph for the entire month. Salina’s wind 
averaged 15.2 mph.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Here’s what the dust storm looked like during my drive back to Hays. This is along K-156 east of Jetmore. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kswx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kswx</a> And that center pivot you can barely see in the field… is spraying water. <a href="https://t.co/YDdOSZByLY">pic.twitter.com/YDdOSZByLY</a>&mdash; David Condos (@davidcondos) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidcondos/status/1584265479434039296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>The average peak wind gust in April across the state’s 79 monitoring 
stations was 55 mph. On April 29 — the same day a tornado tore through 
south-central Kansas — wind gusts in Hays reached 83 mph.When dry
 air blows across the soil, it ramps up evaporation and robs the dirt of
 whatever moisture it has left. That also fueled the towering clouds of 
dust that swept across parts of western Kansas this past year.Changes
 in farm practices, such as less tilling of the soil and using more 
drought-tolerant seeds, have helped keep the region from reliving the 
worst consequences of the Dust Bowl. But the drought of the 1930s also 
lasted a few years, and we don’t yet know when this drought will end.One
 ray of hope comes from the Pacific Ocean. A rare triple dip La Niña 
weather pattern there has helped keep Kansas dry over the past two 
years. The latest <a href="https://iri.columbia.edu/our-expertise/climate/forecasts/enso/current/" target="_blank">ENSO forecast</a>
 predicts that La Niña will finally begin to break this spring. But that
 forecast made similar predictions the past two winters, Sittel said, 
neither of which came true.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674661440647.png" alt="This newspaper page from March of 1957 describes the massive blizzard that brought 18-foot-tall snow drifts to parts of western Kansas... and finally helped the region break free from the historic 1956 drought. Currently, much of the region would need more than 12 inches of rain (or many more inches than that of snow) just to get back to its historical average precipitation total for the past year. Newspaper Archive" />
 <figcaption>This newspaper page from March of 1957 describes the massive blizzard that brought 18-foot-tall snow drifts to parts of western Kansas... and finally helped the region break free from the historic 1956 drought. Currently, much of the region would need more than 12 inches of rain (or many more inches than that of snow) just to get back to its historical average precipitation total for the past year. Newspaper Archive</figcaption>
 </figure>Even if the La Niña pattern ends, Sittel said, it might only mean an 
extra inch or two of moisture for Kansas. Most of western Kansas would 
need <a href="https://mesonet.k-state.edu/precip/daily/#mtIndex=28&amp;tab=chart-tab" target="_blank">more than 10 inches</a> of rain to get back to its historical average for the past year.So it’ll likely be a slow, unsure crawl back to normalcy.And
 the stakes are raised with every month that the drought continues. If 
it lasts into May or June, he said, Kansas will know it’s in trouble.“What if it happens again in 2023?” Sittel said. “It’s going to be catastrophic.”David Condos covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/davidcondos" target="_blank">@davidcondos</a>.