By SUMMER BALLENTINE Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri's Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday over whether an abortion-rights amendment should go before voters this year.

The proposal to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution is expected to widely undo the state’s 2022 near-total abortion ban if passed. The state’s highest court has mere hours Tuesday to issue what will likely be the final say on the measure before a deadline to make changes to the November ballot.

Mary Catherine Martin, a lawyer for a group of GOP lawmakers and abortion opponents suing to remove the amendment, told judges that Missouri’s law requires petition signers “to be fully informed” and argued that the initiative petition “misled voters” by not listing all the laws restricting abortion that it would effectively repeal.

But removing the measure would step on Missouri voters' rights to sidestep the legislature and enact laws and constitutional amendments by the ballot, abortion-rights campaign lawyer Chuck Hatfield argued.

“The court will send a message today,” Hatfield said, “about whether in our little corner of the democracy, the government will honor the will of the people or whether we will have it snatched away.”

Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who opposes abortion, decertified the measure Monday, removing it from the ballot himself following a county circuit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-constitutional-amendment-4f40c97177cdeaea6aec3fca59c2f99e">judge’s ruling Friday</a>. Ashcroft's move appears symbolic, although lawyers for his office argued it made the appeal moot.

The amendment is part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">national push to have voters</a>&nbsp;weigh in on abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Missouri banned almost all abortions immediately after.

At least nine other states will consider constitutional amendments&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-election-2024-roe-ballot-4403190b898e501b0834053c3417d072">enshrining abortion rights</a>, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada and South Dakota. Most would guarantee a right to abortion until fetal viability and allow it later for the health of the pregnant woman, which is what the Missouri proposal would do.

New York also has a ballot measure that proponents say would protect abortion rights, though there’s a dispute about its impact.

Voting on the polarizing issue could draw more people to the polls, potentially impacting results for the presidency in swing states, control of Congress and the outcomes for closely contested state offices. Missouri Democrats, for instance, hope to get a boost from abortion-rights supporters during the November election.

Legal fights have sprung up across the country over whether to allow voters to decide these questions — and over the exact wording used on the ballots and explanatory material. In August, Arkansas’ highest court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-arkansas-supreme-court-48c208d49d82b467fbcc4b9c2724617a">upheld a decision</a>&nbsp;to keep an abortion rights initiative off the state’s November ballot, agreeing with election officials that the group behind the measure did not properly submit documentation regarding the signature gatherers it hired.

Voters in all seven states that have had abortion questions on their ballots since Roe was overturned have sided with abortion-rights supporters.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri's Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday over whether an abortion-rights amendment should go before voters this year.

At issue is a proposal to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, along with the right for individuals to make other reproductive health care decisions. If enacted, the measure is widely expected to undo the state's 2022 near-total abortion ban.

The proposal had been slated for the November ballot. But Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft decertified the measure Monday, removing it from the ballot himself, following a county circuit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-constitutional-amendment-4f40c97177cdeaea6aec3fca59c2f99e">judge’s ruling Friday</a>&nbsp;that sided with abortion opponents and several Republican lawmakers who sought to have the amendment taken off the ballot.

Monday’s move by Ashcroft, who opposes abortion, is largely symbolic. The Supreme Court is expected to have the final say on the measure and faces a 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline to make changes to the November ballot. That gives the court mere hours to issue a ruling after the morning hearing.

Legal fights have sprung up across the country over whether to allow voters to decide these questions — and over the exact wording used on the ballots and explanatory material. In August, Arkansas’ highest court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-arkansas-supreme-court-48c208d49d82b467fbcc4b9c2724617a">upheld a decision</a>&nbsp;to keep an abortion-rights ballot initiative off the state’s November ballot, agreeing with election officials that the group behind the measure did not properly submit documentation regarding the signature gatherers it hired.

The legal challenge to Missouri's proposed amendment hinges on a state law requiring campaigns to inform voters during the petition signature-gathering process about any laws that proposed amendments would overturn.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs wrote in a court brief that Missouri's abortion-rights campaign “defrauded potential signers by failing to disclose any of the many, many provisions” of Missouri law it proposes to repeal, including the state's current ban.

Lawyers for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the abortion-rights campaign, wrote that the case is about “whether the people’s right to engage in direct democracy will be protected.”

“The circuit court’s decision threatens to grind our system of constitutional initiative petition to a halt at the last minute,” the attorneys wrote. “Hundreds of thousands have exercised their power as citizens, and want their fellow Missourians to vote on whether to change the Constitution with regard to abortion rights.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725989236561.png" alt=" Chuck Hatfield, an attorney for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, argues before the Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024 in Jefferson City as the court hears a case questioning whether an amendment to overturn the state’s abortion ban should remain on the November ballot (Pool photo by Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch)." />
 <figcaption> Chuck Hatfield, an attorney for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, argues before the Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024 in Jefferson City as the court hears a case questioning whether an amendment to overturn the state’s abortion ban should remain on the November ballot (Pool photo by Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch).</figcaption>
 </figure>By SUMMER BALLENTINE Associated PressJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri's Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday over whether an abortion-rights amendment should go before voters this year.The proposal to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution is expected to widely undo the state’s 2022 near-total abortion ban if passed. The state’s highest court has mere hours Tuesday to issue what will likely be the final say on the measure before a deadline to make changes to the November ballot.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725707612193.png" alt=" Mary Catherine Martin, an attorney with the Thomas Moore Society, represents a group of Missouri anti-abortion lawmakers and activists Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, during a trial at the Cole County Courthouse photo by Anna Spoerre" />
 <figcaption> Mary Catherine Martin, an attorney with the Thomas Moore Society, represents a group of Missouri anti-abortion lawmakers and activists Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, during a trial at the Cole County Courthouse photo by Anna Spoerre</figcaption>
 </figure>Mary Catherine Martin, a lawyer for a group of GOP lawmakers and abortion opponents suing to remove the amendment, told judges that Missouri’s law requires petition signers “to be fully informed” and argued that the initiative petition “misled voters” by not listing all the laws restricting abortion that it would effectively repeal.But removing the measure would step on Missouri voters' rights to sidestep the legislature and enact laws and constitutional amendments by the ballot, abortion-rights campaign lawyer Chuck Hatfield argued.“The court will send a message today,” Hatfield said, “about whether in our little corner of the democracy, the government will honor the will of the people or whether we will have it snatched away.”Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who opposes abortion, decertified the measure Monday, removing it from the ballot himself following a county circuit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-constitutional-amendment-4f40c97177cdeaea6aec3fca59c2f99e">judge’s ruling Friday</a>. Ashcroft's move appears symbolic, although lawyers for his office argued it made the appeal moot.The amendment is part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">national push to have voters</a>&nbsp;weigh in on abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Missouri banned almost all abortions immediately after.At least nine other states will consider constitutional amendments&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-election-2024-roe-ballot-4403190b898e501b0834053c3417d072">enshrining abortion rights</a>, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada and South Dakota. Most would guarantee a right to abortion until fetal viability and allow it later for the health of the pregnant woman, which is what the Missouri proposal would do.New York also has a ballot measure that proponents say would protect abortion rights, though there’s a dispute about its impact.Voting on the polarizing issue could draw more people to the polls, potentially impacting results for the presidency in swing states, control of Congress and the outcomes for closely contested state offices. Missouri Democrats, for instance, hope to get a boost from abortion-rights supporters during the November election.Legal fights have sprung up across the country over whether to allow voters to decide these questions — and over the exact wording used on the ballots and explanatory material. In August, Arkansas’ highest court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-arkansas-supreme-court-48c208d49d82b467fbcc4b9c2724617a">upheld a decision</a>&nbsp;to keep an abortion rights initiative off the state’s November ballot, agreeing with election officials that the group behind the measure did not properly submit documentation regarding the signature gatherers it hired.Voters in all seven states that have had abortion questions on their ballots since Roe was overturned have sided with abortion-rights supporters.-------------JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri's Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday over whether an abortion-rights amendment should go before voters this year.At issue is a proposal to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, along with the right for individuals to make other reproductive health care decisions. If enacted, the measure is widely expected to undo the state's 2022 near-total abortion ban.The proposal had been slated for the November ballot. But Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft decertified the measure Monday, removing it from the ballot himself, following a county circuit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-constitutional-amendment-4f40c97177cdeaea6aec3fca59c2f99e">judge’s ruling Friday</a>&nbsp;that sided with abortion opponents and several Republican lawmakers who sought to have the amendment taken off the ballot.Monday’s move by Ashcroft, who opposes abortion, is largely symbolic. The Supreme Court is expected to have the final say on the measure and faces a 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline to make changes to the November ballot. That gives the court mere hours to issue a ruling after the morning hearing.The amendment is part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">national push to have voters</a>&nbsp;weigh in on abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Missouri banned almost all abortions immediately after.At least nine other states will consider constitutional amendments&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-election-2024-roe-ballot-4403190b898e501b0834053c3417d072">enshrining abortion rights</a>, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada and South Dakota. Most would guarantee a right to abortion until fetal viability and allow it later for the health of the pregnant woman, which is what the Missouri proposal would do.New York also has a ballot measure that proponents say would protect abortion rights, though there’s a dispute about its impact.Voting on the polarizing issue could draw more people to the polls, potentially impacting results for the presidency in swing states, control of Congress and the outcomes for closely contested state offices. Missouri Democrats, for instance, hope to get a boost from abortion-rights supporters during the November election.Legal fights have sprung up across the country over whether to allow voters to decide these questions — and over the exact wording used on the ballots and explanatory material. In August, Arkansas’ highest court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-arkansas-supreme-court-48c208d49d82b467fbcc4b9c2724617a">upheld a decision</a>&nbsp;to keep an abortion-rights ballot initiative off the state’s November ballot, agreeing with election officials that the group behind the measure did not properly submit documentation regarding the signature gatherers it hired.The legal challenge to Missouri's proposed amendment hinges on a state law requiring campaigns to inform voters during the petition signature-gathering process about any laws that proposed amendments would overturn.Lawyers for the plaintiffs wrote in a court brief that Missouri's abortion-rights campaign “defrauded potential signers by failing to disclose any of the many, many provisions” of Missouri law it proposes to repeal, including the state's current ban.Lawyers for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the abortion-rights campaign, wrote that the case is about “whether the people’s right to engage in direct democracy will be protected.”“The circuit court’s decision threatens to grind our system of constitutional initiative petition to a halt at the last minute,” the attorneys wrote. “Hundreds of thousands have exercised their power as citizens, and want their fellow Missourians to vote on whether to change the Constitution with regard to abortion rights.”Voters in all seven states that have had abortion questions on their ballots since Roe was overturned have sided with abortion-rights supporters.

Missouri Supreme Court hears arguments on abortion-rights amendment 

GOODLAND -&nbsp;
















TMP-Marian’s Brynn Schoepf finished eighth at the Monday's Goodland Invitational
Golf Tournament at the&nbsp;Sugar Hills Golf Club.


Schoepf shot a 102, 20 strokes back of Rawlins County's Amelia Bowles who finished first.

Jenna Brull finishes 14th with a 110 and Ava Schumcher tied for 24th with a 117. 

The Monarchs only took those three and didn’t qualify for the team score.

Goodland won the team title with a 386. Colby finished second with a 413.

Hays PostGOODLAND -&nbsp;
















TMP-Marian’s Brynn Schoepf finished eighth at the Monday's Goodland Invitational
Golf Tournament at the&nbsp;Sugar Hills Golf Club.
Schoepf shot a 102, 20 strokes back of Rawlins County's Amelia Bowles who finished first.Jenna Brull finishes 14th with a 110 and Ava Schumcher tied for 24th with a 117. The Monarchs only took those three and didn’t qualify for the team score.Goodland won the team title with a 386. Colby finished second with a 413.

⛳ TMP-Marian's Schoepf places in top 10 in Goodland

ANDREW COUNTY, Missouri —A police lieutenant with the Savannah, Missouri Police Department has been charged in the death of K9 Horus.&nbsp;

The Missouri Attorney General's office has charged officer Daniel Zeigler with animal abuse following an investigation by the Missouri Highway Patrol on the case.&nbsp;

Reports say that Horus died in mid June from heat exposure after being left in a police vehicle overnight.&nbsp; The car has a safety feature which is designed to roll down the windows and sound the horn if temperatures reach 90 degrees, but the Patrols report shows the system had been turned off.&nbsp; The high temperature that day reached 88 degrees.

A misdemeanor can include up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $2,000, or both.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Residents of a small western Missouri town are saddened and angered after a police dog died in a hot car.

The dog named Horus died June 20 following an overnight shift, Police Chief David Vincent said. In a Facebook posting on Wednesday, Vincent said he couldn't discuss the circumstances of the dog's death while the Missouri State Highway Patrol conducts an investigation.

“Horus was a great asset to our department and the community,” Vincent wrote. “I trusted this K9 around my grandchildren and they adored him. I am upset and angry about what happened to Horus as everyone else is.”

Several residents of the town of 5,000 residents that sits about an hour's drive north of Kansas City posted that the person responsible for the dog's death should face criminal charges.

“The officer should be charged,” one man wrote. “Just as any member of the public would be if they had caused the dog’s death. No excuse at all.”

For now, Horus is buried in an unmarked gravesite. In another post, Vincent said an anonymous donor is buying a headstone. Vincent said city staff will maintain the site that will be “a place of honor.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720202220440.png" alt="Horus photo courtesy Savannah Police" />
 <figcaption>Horus photo courtesy Savannah Police</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph PostANDREW COUNTY, Missouri —A police lieutenant with the Savannah, Missouri Police Department has been charged in the death of K9 Horus.&nbsp;The Missouri Attorney General's office has charged officer Daniel Zeigler with animal abuse following an investigation by the Missouri Highway Patrol on the case.&nbsp;Reports say that Horus died in mid June from heat exposure after being left in a police vehicle overnight.&nbsp; The car has a safety feature which is designed to roll down the windows and sound the horn if temperatures reach 90 degrees, but the Patrols report shows the system had been turned off.&nbsp; The high temperature that day reached 88 degrees.A misdemeanor can include up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $2,000, or both.----------KANSAS CITY (AP) — Residents of a small western Missouri town are saddened and angered after a police dog died in a hot car.The dog named Horus died June 20 following an overnight shift, Police Chief David Vincent said. In a Facebook posting on Wednesday, Vincent said he couldn't discuss the circumstances of the dog's death while the Missouri State Highway Patrol conducts an investigation.“Horus was a great asset to our department and the community,” Vincent wrote. “I trusted this K9 around my grandchildren and they adored him. I am upset and angry about what happened to Horus as everyone else is.”Several residents of the town of 5,000 residents that sits about an hour's drive north of Kansas City posted that the person responsible for the dog's death should face criminal charges.“The officer should be charged,” one man wrote. “Just as any member of the public would be if they had caused the dog’s death. No excuse at all.”For now, Horus is buried in an unmarked gravesite. In another post, Vincent said an anonymous donor is buying a headstone. Vincent said city staff will maintain the site that will be “a place of honor.”

Officer charged after police dog died in a hot car

Dighton- Robert (Bob) L. Scheib, 94, died on Friday, September 6, 2024 at Lane County Hospital, Dighton. He was born on December 23, 1929 at Coldwater, KS the son of Walter and Wilma (Speed) Scheib. He married Aloah J Lampe on August 16, 1956 at Clayton, NM.

Bob served in the United States Army, in Germany, for 2 years as a mechanic and after his discharge he moved to St. John, KS and later to Dighton to start his farming career. He also worked several years as a mechanic at Star Garage in Dighton. He enjoyed farming, hunting, going to auctions and garage sales, attending his children and grandchildren’s activities, loved all his animals on the farm and was an avid Royals fan. He also enjoyed his time serving as a board member for Lane-Scott Electric, was a lifetime member of American Legion Post # 190 and VFW of Dighton and served many years on the American Legion Honor Guard. He just received recognition for being an American Legion member for 70 years.

He is survived by his Daughter- Joyce &amp; Eldon Hall of Dighton, Sons- W Wayne Scheib of Holcomb, Roger &amp; Sheila Scheib of Liberal and Robert and Keva Scheib of Emporia, 9 Grandchildren and 27 Great-Grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his Wife- Aloah J (Lampe) Scheib, Parents- Walter and Wilma (Speed) Scheib, Sister- Genevieve Lutz-Hoskins (Scheib) and Grandson- Daniel Wayne Scheib.

Funeral Service will be at 10:30 AM Thursday at the United Methodist Church with Rev A G Turner officiating. The service will be on Facebook Live on the Garnand Funeral Home facebook page. Burial will be in Dighton Memorial Cemetery with military honors by American Legion Post # 190 Honor Guard and First Infantry Division at Fort Riley Honor Guard. Friends may call from Noon to 8:00 PM Wednesday at Boomhower Funeral Home in Dighton. Memorials are suggested to the Dighton United Methodist Church in care of Boomhower Funeral Home. Condolences may be posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com

Dighton- Robert (Bob) L. Scheib, 94, died on Friday, September 6, 2024 at Lane County Hospital, Dighton. He was born on December 23, 1929 at Coldwater, KS the son of Walter and Wilma (Speed) Scheib. He married Aloah J Lampe on August 16, 1956 at Clayton, NM.Bob served in the United States Army, in Germany, for 2 years as a mechanic and after his discharge he moved to St. John, KS and later to Dighton to start his farming career. He also worked several years as a mechanic at Star Garage in Dighton. He enjoyed farming, hunting, going to auctions and garage sales, attending his children and grandchildren’s activities, loved all his animals on the farm and was an avid Royals fan. He also enjoyed his time serving as a board member for Lane-Scott Electric, was a lifetime member of American Legion Post # 190 and VFW of Dighton and served many years on the American Legion Honor Guard. He just received recognition for being an American Legion member for 70 years.He is survived by his Daughter- Joyce &amp; Eldon Hall of Dighton, Sons- W Wayne Scheib of Holcomb, Roger &amp; Sheila Scheib of Liberal and Robert and Keva Scheib of Emporia, 9 Grandchildren and 27 Great-Grandchildren.He is preceded in death by his Wife- Aloah J (Lampe) Scheib, Parents- Walter and Wilma (Speed) Scheib, Sister- Genevieve Lutz-Hoskins (Scheib) and Grandson- Daniel Wayne Scheib.Funeral Service will be at 10:30 AM Thursday at the United Methodist Church with Rev A G Turner officiating. The service will be on Facebook Live on the Garnand Funeral Home facebook page. Burial will be in Dighton Memorial Cemetery with military honors by American Legion Post # 190 Honor Guard and First Infantry Division at Fort Riley Honor Guard. Friends may call from Noon to 8:00 PM Wednesday at Boomhower Funeral Home in Dighton. Memorials are suggested to the Dighton United Methodist Church in care of Boomhower Funeral Home. Condolences may be posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com

Robert (Bob) L. Scheib

Donald Duane Davidson “Jr.” or “Triple D” or “Dollars Davidson” as many affectionately called him, passed away Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at Hays Medical Center.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Don was born on August 14, 1946, in Hamilton, Montana to Hugh Duane and Helen Margaret (Miller) Davidson.&nbsp; He spent his early childhood in Montana until the family moved to Idaho where he graduated from Leadore High School.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He then joined the US Air Force where he was a mechanic serving in Okinawa Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.&nbsp; Upon returning to the states he was stationed in Wichita, Kansas at McConnell Air Force Base.&nbsp; There he met and married Mary Jane (Knoll) and had two children.&nbsp; Mary Jane preceded him in death on December 28, 2018.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Don will be remembered by all who knew him as a kind, generous, funny, and of course, stubborn man.&nbsp; The latter being passed down in staggering amounts (as his grandmother once told him, “You can always tell a Davidson, you just can’t tell them very much!).&nbsp; He was a jack of all trades, and master of many.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;He was an over the road truck driver for many years, (creating a larger than life impression on two little kids who loved riding in the truck).&nbsp; He then opened Davidson’s Road Service in Hays Kansas providing a wide range of automotive services, (and a lot of beer drinking and shop talk sessions).&nbsp; But he wasn’t done there, the US Postal Service was his next occupation.&nbsp; Neither rain, nor sleet, nor a herd of deer in the middle of the road could stop him from delivering the mail, (even hit one deer twice he claimed!).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To many, Don wasn’t a one in a million kind of man, he was a once in a lifetime genuine man among men.&nbsp; There was no end to his helpful and caring nature and would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need.&nbsp; It was nothing for him to be at his shop late into the night making sure a customer’s vehicle would be ready for them the next day, (to the point of falling asleep in his spaghetti!). We never let him live that one down!. He lived, he loved, and was loved by many.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Donald is survived by his son, William Davidson and wife, Kim, Wichita, KS; his &nbsp;daughter, Cheryl Chambers and Jim Pfaff, Gorham, KS; his half-brother, Steve Bauman and wife, Lisa, Corvallis, MT;&nbsp; his half-sisters, Connie Gartner and husband, Terry, Filer, ID; Sue Vukasin and husband, Steve, Great Falls, MT; Barbara Hitchcock and husband, Ron, Stockton, CA; his sister-in-law, Shirley Loyd and Charlie Feik, Logan, KS;

his grandchildren, Brandon Davidson; Casey Howell; Cydney Huxman and husband, Noah; Logan Chambers; and several nieces and nephews.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He was preceded in death by his parents, Hugh and Helen Davidson; his wife, Mary Jane Davidson; and his half-brother, John Bauman.&nbsp; We will miss him dearly.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1:00 P.M. Friday, September 20, 2024, with Rev. Troy Miller officiating.&nbsp; Military Honors will be conducted by the Hays V.F.W. Post No. 9076.&nbsp; The Family will receive friends from 11:30 to 1:00 P.M. Friday, at Clines-Keithley Mortuary of Hays.&nbsp; A private family inurnment will be held at a later date in Montana.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The family suggests memorials made payable to: Hays ARC Park in care of Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd&nbsp;Street, Hays, Kansas 67601. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725898581356.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Donald Duane Davidson “Jr.” or “Triple D” or “Dollars Davidson” as many affectionately called him, passed away Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at Hays Medical Center.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Don was born on August 14, 1946, in Hamilton, Montana to Hugh Duane and Helen Margaret (Miller) Davidson.&nbsp; He spent his early childhood in Montana until the family moved to Idaho where he graduated from Leadore High School.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He then joined the US Air Force where he was a mechanic serving in Okinawa Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.&nbsp; Upon returning to the states he was stationed in Wichita, Kansas at McConnell Air Force Base.&nbsp; There he met and married Mary Jane (Knoll) and had two children.&nbsp; Mary Jane preceded him in death on December 28, 2018.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Don will be remembered by all who knew him as a kind, generous, funny, and of course, stubborn man.&nbsp; The latter being passed down in staggering amounts (as his grandmother once told him, “You can always tell a Davidson, you just can’t tell them very much!).&nbsp; He was a jack of all trades, and master of many.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;He was an over the road truck driver for many years, (creating a larger than life impression on two little kids who loved riding in the truck).&nbsp; He then opened Davidson’s Road Service in Hays Kansas providing a wide range of automotive services, (and a lot of beer drinking and shop talk sessions).&nbsp; But he wasn’t done there, the US Postal Service was his next occupation.&nbsp; Neither rain, nor sleet, nor a herd of deer in the middle of the road could stop him from delivering the mail, (even hit one deer twice he claimed!).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To many, Don wasn’t a one in a million kind of man, he was a once in a lifetime genuine man among men.&nbsp; There was no end to his helpful and caring nature and would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need.&nbsp; It was nothing for him to be at his shop late into the night making sure a customer’s vehicle would be ready for them the next day, (to the point of falling asleep in his spaghetti!). We never let him live that one down!. He lived, he loved, and was loved by many.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Donald is survived by his son, William Davidson and wife, Kim, Wichita, KS; his &nbsp;daughter, Cheryl Chambers and Jim Pfaff, Gorham, KS; his half-brother, Steve Bauman and wife, Lisa, Corvallis, MT;&nbsp; his half-sisters, Connie Gartner and husband, Terry, Filer, ID; Sue Vukasin and husband, Steve, Great Falls, MT; Barbara Hitchcock and husband, Ron, Stockton, CA; his sister-in-law, Shirley Loyd and Charlie Feik, Logan, KS;his grandchildren, Brandon Davidson; Casey Howell; Cydney Huxman and husband, Noah; Logan Chambers; and several nieces and nephews.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He was preceded in death by his parents, Hugh and Helen Davidson; his wife, Mary Jane Davidson; and his half-brother, John Bauman.&nbsp; We will miss him dearly.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1:00 P.M. Friday, September 20, 2024, with Rev. Troy Miller officiating.&nbsp; Military Honors will be conducted by the Hays V.F.W. Post No. 9076.&nbsp; The Family will receive friends from 11:30 to 1:00 P.M. Friday, at Clines-Keithley Mortuary of Hays.&nbsp; A private family inurnment will be held at a later date in Montana.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The family suggests memorials made payable to: Hays ARC Park in care of Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd&nbsp;Street, Hays, Kansas 67601. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Donald Duane Davidson

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Hays Police Department arrest log, Aug. 25-31, 2024

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Ellis County Jail bookings, Sept. 2-9, 2024

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

Bikers are taking to the streets in Hays to combat bullying and teach children the importance of living in a society built on mutual respect.

Bikers Against Bullies USA, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Flash Van de Perre in Montana, has chapters nationwide, including Kansas.

Liaison Josh Seirer is passionate about riding motorcycles and educating children, founding the Bikers Against Bullies USA-Great Plains Chapter after connecting with Van de Perre earlier this year.

"My ultimate dream is that we have a bunch of motorcycles roll up to a school because kids love motorcycles and have a conversation with kids," Seirer said.

With a background in cybersecurity, Seier aims to educate children about in-person bullying and cyberbullying, as kids spend a significant amount of time on digital platforms.

Bikers Against Bullies&nbsp;USA's website provides&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bikersagainstbulliesusa.com/copy-of-liason" target="_blank">resources</a>&nbsp;such as steps to follow if you're being bullied, safety guides for children and parents, and contact information for emergencies and immediate assistance.

Seirer said many people are unaware of what bullying looks like, what signs to watch for in children or which apps they use.

"I don't think parents, adults or even educators fully understand what cyberbullying is because it's something that snuck up on us," he said.

The&nbsp;Bikers Against Bullies chapter was established in June, and the Fort Hays State University cybersecurity club is working with them to make worksheets for parents.

While&nbsp;Bikers Against Bullies USA provides resources for preventing online bullying, Seier is going a step further to help Hays better understand technology.

"If you're not mildly tech-savvy, you're not gonna know how to [recognize apps and use phones]," he said. "I'm working to fill that gap on the parents' side because it's not just about kids but educating parents too."

The new chapter has connected with various school districts, from Hays to Russell, to offer presentations to students while Seier works to recruit new members to join him on rides.

The organization is not a motorcycle club and welcomes anyone to join the fight against bullying and raising awareness in the local area.

Seirer spoke with counselors, psychiatrists, therapists and resource officers for insights into what bullying looks like today.

"I'm doing my best to come up with good material based on research done by experts," Seier said. "But at the same time, I want it to be relevant to our community and solve specific problems."

The&nbsp;Bikers Against Bullies Great Plains chapter will have a booth at Oktoberfest on Oct. 4 and 5 to talk with kids about bullying and raise awareness about its initiatives.

You can join&nbsp;Bikers Against Bullies by contacting Seirer at&nbsp;roebuck45bab@gmail.com or 785-656-2834.

You can also follow Bikers Against Bullies USA-Great Plains Chapter on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560821265149">Facebook</a> and visit the Bikers Against Bullies USA <a href="https://www.bikersagainstbulliesusa.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFH_T9leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHfItUCK9p7MgBQPx6rsI35FhSAq7TWoSmzG4WtU0FQQ7KOeSa0XcpmJTTg_aem_fV_3qOHNzY6F_0Acj-yUIQ">website</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725640396470.jpeg" alt="Motorcycle at the Miles for Mason Memorial Ride 2024. Courtesy Photo&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Motorcycle at the Miles for Mason Memorial Ride 2024. Courtesy Photo&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostBikers are taking to the streets in Hays to combat bullying and teach children the importance of living in a society built on mutual respect.Bikers Against Bullies USA, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Flash Van de Perre in Montana, has chapters nationwide, including Kansas.Liaison Josh Seirer is passionate about riding motorcycles and educating children, founding the Bikers Against Bullies USA-Great Plains Chapter after connecting with Van de Perre earlier this year."My ultimate dream is that we have a bunch of motorcycles roll up to a school because kids love motorcycles and have a conversation with kids," Seirer said.With a background in cybersecurity, Seier aims to educate children about in-person bullying and cyberbullying, as kids spend a significant amount of time on digital platforms.Bikers Against Bullies&nbsp;USA's website provides&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bikersagainstbulliesusa.com/copy-of-liason" target="_blank">resources</a>&nbsp;such as steps to follow if you're being bullied, safety guides for children and parents, and contact information for emergencies and immediate assistance.Seirer said many people are unaware of what bullying looks like, what signs to watch for in children or which apps they use."I don't think parents, adults or even educators fully understand what cyberbullying is because it's something that snuck up on us," he said.The&nbsp;Bikers Against Bullies chapter was established in June, and the Fort Hays State University cybersecurity club is working with them to make worksheets for parents.While&nbsp;Bikers Against Bullies USA provides resources for preventing online bullying, Seier is going a step further to help Hays better understand technology."If you're not mildly tech-savvy, you're not gonna know how to [recognize apps and use phones]," he said. "I'm working to fill that gap on the parents' side because it's not just about kids but educating parents too."The new chapter has connected with various school districts, from Hays to Russell, to offer presentations to students while Seier works to recruit new members to join him on rides.The organization is not a motorcycle club and welcomes anyone to join the fight against bullying and raising awareness in the local area.Seirer spoke with counselors, psychiatrists, therapists and resource officers for insights into what bullying looks like today."I'm doing my best to come up with good material based on research done by experts," Seier said. "But at the same time, I want it to be relevant to our community and solve specific problems."The&nbsp;Bikers Against Bullies Great Plains chapter will have a booth at Oktoberfest on Oct. 4 and 5 to talk with kids about bullying and raise awareness about its initiatives.You can join&nbsp;Bikers Against Bullies by contacting Seirer at&nbsp;roebuck45bab@gmail.com or 785-656-2834.You can also follow Bikers Against Bullies USA-Great Plains Chapter on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560821265149">Facebook</a> and visit the Bikers Against Bullies USA <a href="https://www.bikersagainstbulliesusa.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFH_T9leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHfItUCK9p7MgBQPx6rsI35FhSAq7TWoSmzG4WtU0FQQ7KOeSa0XcpmJTTg_aem_fV_3qOHNzY6F_0Acj-yUIQ">website</a>.

Bikers Against Bullies USA arrives in Hays, seeks new members

RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement across Kansas continue to see more drivers traveling well above the posted speed limit, despite a statewide campaign to crack down on excessive speeding.

&nbsp;On Saturday night, a trooper working the State Fair checked the speed of a Camaro on Kansas 96 in Reno County at 151 mph, according to a social media report from Trooper Chad Crittenden.

&nbsp; A pursuit ensued and the driver was eventually taken into custody. Some of the requested charges included DUI, a felony warrant and a list of other traffic violations.&nbsp; The KHP did not release the name of the driver.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725844889539.png" alt="Photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>Photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement across Kansas continue to see more drivers traveling well above the posted speed limit, despite a statewide campaign to crack down on excessive speeding.&nbsp;On Saturday night, a trooper working the State Fair checked the speed of a Camaro on Kansas 96 in Reno County at 151 mph, according to a social media report from Trooper Chad Crittenden.&nbsp; A pursuit ensued and the driver was eventually taken into custody. Some of the requested charges included DUI, a felony warrant and a list of other traffic violations.&nbsp; The KHP did not release the name of the driver.

Driver accused  of traveling 151 mph on Kansas highway

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The Hays USD 489 school board will consider the budget for bond work at O'Loughlin Elementary School at its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Rockwell Administration Center.

The maximum price for the work is proposed at $14.493 million.

<a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/ks/usd489/Board.nsf/files/D8UMHL5B55A6/$file/O'Loughlin_Bond%20Scope.pdf">SEE RELATED STORY: Hays BOE sees design for O'Loughlin Elementary addition/renovation</a>

The O'Loughlin Elementary project is part of a slate of $148 million in bond projects, which also includes the construction of a new high school, renovation of the current high school into a middle school, renovation of the current middle school into an elementary school and expansion of Roosevelt Elementary School.

The O'Loughlin project will include two additions on the southwest and northeast sides of the school, totaling 12,000 additional square feet. The current building is about 46,000 square feet.

O'Loughlin will remain a three-section school. That means it will have three classrooms for every grade, kindergarten through fifth. The square footage of the kindergarten rooms will be expanded.

The southwest addition will include a new cafeteria, commercial kitchen, art room and secure entrance.

The administrative offices will be moved to the southwest portion of the school to the new entrance, and those spaces will be expanded.

The parking and traffic circulation will be reconfigured as part of the bond project.&nbsp;

A new road will run from the school to 12th Street. This will allow parents to drop off children via the current circle drive off of Hall Street and through the new parking area off 12th Street.

The east addition will include three new classrooms, one of which will be a collaborative classroom. The entire east addition will serve as a storm shelter and will be able to accommodate the full student body and staff. The windows will be bullet- and high-wind-rated.

The stage in the gym will be enclosed to create a music room, which will be wheelchair accessible by a new concrete ramp. The current music room will be turned into a STEM lab.

All the classrooms will have new flooring, paint and ceilings where needed.

The board will also have a hearing on closing Lincoln Elementary School. This year, the school is celebrating its 100th year and is the oldest operating school in the district.

The district plans to close the school at the end of this school year.

Students from Lincoln will move to Roosevelt, O'Loughlin or Wilson.

Wilson is also set to close as an elementary school. However, the bond projects include the renovation of the current middle school into a new elementary school.

Nabholz Construction will also give bond updates during the meeting on the Roosevelt and Hays High projects, which are under construction.

The board also will conduct its annual budget and revenue-neutral rate hearings and hear an update on the school resource officer program.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe Hays USD 489 school board will consider the budget for bond work at O'Loughlin Elementary School at its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Rockwell Administration Center.The maximum price for the work is proposed at $14.493 million.<a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/ks/usd489/Board.nsf/files/D8UMHL5B55A6/$file/O'Loughlin_Bond%20Scope.pdf">SEE RELATED STORY: Hays BOE sees design for O'Loughlin Elementary addition/renovation</a>The O'Loughlin Elementary project is part of a slate of $148 million in bond projects, which also includes the construction of a new high school, renovation of the current high school into a middle school, renovation of the current middle school into an elementary school and expansion of Roosevelt Elementary School.The O'Loughlin project will include two additions on the southwest and northeast sides of the school, totaling 12,000 additional square feet. The current building is about 46,000 square feet.O'Loughlin will remain a three-section school. That means it will have three classrooms for every grade, kindergarten through fifth. The square footage of the kindergarten rooms will be expanded.The southwest addition will include a new cafeteria, commercial kitchen, art room and secure entrance.The administrative offices will be moved to the southwest portion of the school to the new entrance, and those spaces will be expanded.The parking and traffic circulation will be reconfigured as part of the bond project.&nbsp;A new road will run from the school to 12th Street. This will allow parents to drop off children via the current circle drive off of Hall Street and through the new parking area off 12th Street.The east addition will include three new classrooms, one of which will be a collaborative classroom. The entire east addition will serve as a storm shelter and will be able to accommodate the full student body and staff. The windows will be bullet- and high-wind-rated.The stage in the gym will be enclosed to create a music room, which will be wheelchair accessible by a new concrete ramp. The current music room will be turned into a STEM lab.All the classrooms will have new flooring, paint and ceilings where needed.<h2>Lincoln Elementary School closing</h2>The board will also have a hearing on closing Lincoln Elementary School. This year, the school is celebrating its 100th year and is the oldest operating school in the district.The district plans to close the school at the end of this school year.Students from Lincoln will move to Roosevelt, O'Loughlin or Wilson.Wilson is also set to close as an elementary school. However, the bond projects include the renovation of the current middle school into a new elementary school.Nabholz Construction will also give bond updates during the meeting on the Roosevelt and Hays High projects, which are under construction.<h2>Other business</h2>The board also will conduct its annual budget and revenue-neutral rate hearings and hear an update on the school resource officer program.

Hays BOE to consider O'Loughlin budget, Lincoln closure

According to Postal Regulatory Commission data, roughly 83% of first-class mail arrived on time in Kansas and Missouri in the first three months of 2024. That rate was the sixth worst of the 50 postal districts in the country.

By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/kavahn-mansouri">Kavahn Mansouri</a> St. Louis Public Radio |&nbsp;

For days, Amy Gholson tracked a shipment of baby turkeys she ordered from an Ohio hatchery. She kept tabs online as the birds began the more than 500-mile trip to her home near St. Charles, Missouri, via the U.S. Postal Service.

The 10 birds needed to arrive in two days to ensure they’d survive the trip. It was late March and temperatures were still low, making the speed of the delivery more crucial than usual. But the baby turkeys, or poults, hadn’t even left Ohio when progress halted.

“I was going to be able to watch these babies digitally, basically, and they went to the Cleveland distribution warehouse, and they stayed there and stayed there,” Gholson said.

Postal Service delays have become more persistent in the years following the pandemic and a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/usps-mail-slowdown-postmaster-louis-dejoy/" target="_blank">10-year plan was put in place by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy</a>&nbsp;aimed at ending losses in the billions of dollars a year. Slowing delivery is integral to the plan.

For days, the poults Gholson ordered remained at the Cleveland warehouse. By the time the shipment arrived, three days overdue, she knew what to expect inside the package marked “live birds.”

“I had already assumed they were dead. Our beloved mail lady just set a box of dead birds outside of our garage,” Gholson said. “I got home. I mean, you know what the situation was. A silent box is a dead box.”

Gholson said that inside the package, the fledgling turkeys were as “stiff as rocks.”

This wasn’t the first time that Gholson and her family received a Postal Service shipment of dead or dying birds. Once, after a delivery arrived during a cold spell, they warmed towels in the microwave, bundling the chicks inside the heated towels in hopes of saving them. Only four of the 10 in that shipment survived, and the chicks now roam the Gholsons’ backyard farm.

The Gholsons are a 4-H family, having participating in agricultural programs for years. They have a tradition of showing animals at the St. Charles County Fair, where Evie, now 18, planned to show the turkeys in that doomed March delivery. In the 4-H community, families talk about receiving shipments with dead birds all the time, said&nbsp;Amy Gholson.

In 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-20/thousands-of-baby-chicks-die-in-mail-in-latest-postal-imbroglio" target="_blank">more than 4,800 chicks died in a single Postal Service shipment to a Maine customer.</a>&nbsp;And the problem has persisted far past the height of the pandemic as concerns mounted about the future of the Postal Service and its performance since DeJoy’s plan kicked off in 2021.

The Midwest Newsroom interviewed four hatchery owners and four backyard farmers in different parts of the U.S. who all say they’ve seen a marked increase in deaths while baby birds are in transit with the Postal Service over the past year.

One hatchery owner described 2024 as “hell” for shipping birds and said customer complaints over shipments arriving with more dead birds than usual are on the rise.

It is hard to know just how many Postal Service shipments of birds arrive at their destinations too late for survival.

In response to a records request from the Midwest Newsroom, the Postal Service said that after a “diligent search,” it could not locate any documents referring to the total number of animals that die while in transit with the Postal Service. The response stated the agency does not compile or track that sort of information.

Delivering birds through the mail is a longstanding practice in the U.S., and hatchers who spoke to the Midwest Newsroom said it’s an effective way for hatcheries to make money, with customers ranging from large-scale operations to backyard farmers.

A hatchery can make anywhere from a few hundred dollars to more than $1,000 per shipment, depending on the breed and number of birds.

In an email to the Midwest Newsroom, communications specialist Mark Inglett said the Postal Service has worked for more than 100 years with hatcheries to “safely transport mail-order chicks seamlessly.”

“The U.S. Postal Service is one of just a few carriers that ship live animals, and we have established procedures for the safe handling of live animals,” the email read. “When properly packaged and labeled, these live parcels are given special handling outside of our normal automated process.”

The hatcheries and buyers interviewed by the Midwest Newsroom said that special handling hasn’t saved their animals.

The Postal Service declined a request for an interview.

Kelly Warren owns and operates Cocktown Funky Orpingtons in Lillington, North Carolina. She breeds Orpington chickens, which are popular as show birds. The small business relies heavily on shipping birds.

Warren estimates she’s lost at least a third of the birds she’s shipped this year to delays and other problems. A recent shipment saw her lose 80 chicks worth about $800. When birds die in transit, Warren has to refund her customers’ money.

“One box last week arrived three days late,” Warren said. “The whole box was dead. All I could do was get my shipping costs back. I lost the rest of it out of pocket.”

Warren said the Postal Service shipping delays greatly impact her business, which relies mainly on customers far from her rural North Carolina location.

“Some breeders are lucky enough to have enough (local customers) to get by. I don't,” Warren said. “All of mine are everywhere: California, Maine, New York, Nevada, Wisconsin, Washington. You name it, I ship there. So it kind of kills me.”

Not all bird deaths happen during transit, Warren said. One shipment arrived in time at a customer's local post office. But, she said, the customer reported the box of chicks had been left out on a loading dock during a thunderstorm. By the time the customer arrived to pick up the shipment, the chicks were dead.

“The babies were drenched,” she said, while sharing photos with a Midwest Newsroom reporter. “They were dead. The box was soaked. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

A statement from the Postal Service said its guidelines require delivery of poultry within 72 hours of hatching. All birds must be shipped using Priority Mail Express or Priority Mail services, which are designed to meet specific timing standards.

Tracy Brown Kelly owns a small hatchery near Warren's called Satin and Silk Ranch. She said she’s completely stopped shipping her chicks because of Postal Service problems. Now she relies only on local buyers to sustain her hatchery.

“We've been shipping for a very long time, and we rarely have any death or loss when we ship chicks,” she said. “But this year has been a nightmare, and it's not just me and Kelly; it's everybody.”

Hatcheries that rely on shipping chicks, poults and other live baby birds to customers have no choice but to use the Postal Service. Neither FedEx or UPS offers the service. However, FedEx planes are used to transport live birds across the country when needed as part of an agreement between the Postal Service and FedEx.

Blaze Baxter, who operates Bad Baxter Farms in Pottawatomie County, Okla., stopped ordering animals through the mail in 2017 after boxes full of ducks showed up at her farm looking like they were “used as pinatas.”

Of the 200 birds in the box, only 20 survived the journey. She remembers her mail carrier crying as she delivered the package.

Baxter decided she and her family would hatch and raise their own chickens to avoid more birds dying while in Postal Service transit. But in early August, roughly eight years after the failed shipment, she took a chance, placing an order for 10 ducks from a hatchery in August. She said she’s still beating herself up about it.

“I made the mistake and decided to try and trust the Postal Service one more time and completely regretted it,” Baxter said.

On the second day of tracking her shipment, she saw the package had made its way to California and stalled. From there, she knew what she would find when her shipment arrived. Only two of the eight ducks survived the trip.

“I told my post office lady last week that that would be the last time she’ll see me picking up birds from her,” she said.

Baxter isn’t the only person raising ethical concerns about the shipment of baby birds. Animal safety advocacy group&nbsp;<a href="https://www.upc-online.org/" target="_blank">United Poultry Concerns</a>&nbsp;and other organizations have called for the end of the long-standing tradition, calling it a cruelty to the animals.

In a 2020 post on its website, United Poultry Concerns said newborn chicks&nbsp;<a href="https://www.upc-online.org/pp/winter2020/urge_usps_to_stop_shipping_baby_chicks_and_other_animals.html" target="_blank">“quietly” die while in transit with the Postal Service.&nbsp;</a>

“Recent postal service changes have caused many thousands more baby chicks to suffer and die in transit,” a post by the group read. “Shipment of live birds and other animals through the Postal Service is one of the many hidden cruelties inflicted on chickens and other animals.

In July, the Postal Service inspector general’s office conducted an audit in the Kansas City region. The audit concluded that mail delays have been caused by a lack of management oversight and staffing shortages.

The audit also found that employees were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article290342734.html" target="_blank">skipping important steps in the processing and transportation</a>&nbsp;of mail and that management allowed such practices to persist.

Further mail delays may be ahead for rural communities as a new Postal Service plan announced in late August aims to shave even more costs from its operations.

<a href="https://about.usps.com/newsroom/usps-operational-improvements-08-21-2024.pdf" target="_blank">Part of that plan includes overhauling logistics,</a>&nbsp;a move DeJoy said could increase slowdowns in mail deliveries, especially in rural areas where delivery could take an additional 12 to 24 hours.

It’s a decision that’s drawn the ire of customers and lawmakers.

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri said complaints about the mail are a top concern for his constituents in the northern third of the state, which is largely rural. He told the Midwest Newsroom that mail delays and delivery problems are among the most common complaints his office receives, especially from rural communities and farmers.

“Other members of Congress all over the country are getting the same sort of complaint,” Graves said. ”It is something that the government should do, and should do well. And right now, it's not being done well at all.”

Graves blamed management at all levels of the Postal Service, noting that local mail carriers are caught in a system that’s working against them.

“It's just a huge management problem,” Graves said. “(Postal Service management) is not doing the job when it comes to doing what it is that they do, and that is getting the mail out to the post offices so it could be delivered on time.”

Graves, U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, also of Missouri,&nbsp;<a href="https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-cleaver-graves-alford-introduce-pony-act-hold-usps-accountable" target="_blank">introduced the Pony Up Act to Congress to offer consumers protection from mail delays</a>. If passed, the act would require the Postal Service to pay late fees incurred due to delayed delivery service.

The Gholsons’ story didn’t end with a package of dead turkeys. The Ohio-based breeder they ordered from sent a new package that arrived on time and with all 10 birds alive and well.

Evie Gholson can’t forget the dead turkeys that arrived in March.

“It’s not fun,” she said. “You have to sort through the box and see which ones are stiff and which ones are floppy, essentially. There’s only so much you can do.”

Evie Gholson showed one of the replacement turkeys at the St. Charles County Fair in July.

“It makes me very happy,” she said of her nameless bird. “She’s not too big. She’s just the right age. She can walk around well and I can pick her up. It’s perfect.”

Isa Luzarraga contributed to this report.

This story comes from the Midwest Newsroom, an investigative journalism collaboration that includes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iowapublicradio.org/" target="_blank">Iowa Public Radio</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/" target="_blank">KCUR</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/" target="_blank">Nebraska Public Media</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://news.stlpublicradio.org/" target="_blank">St. Louis Public Radio</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/" target="_blank">NPR</a>.

<h2>According to Postal Regulatory Commission data, roughly 83% of first-class mail arrived on time in Kansas and Missouri in the first three months of 2024. That rate was the sixth worst of the 50 postal districts in the country.</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725638081548.png" alt="Evie Gholson, 18, speaks about her Broad Breasted White turkey while showing the bird to judge Mark Cunningham on July 24 at the St. Charles County Fair in Wentzville. The turkey was a replacement bird after the one ordered died in transit while in the hands of the U.S. Postal Service.&nbsp;Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio" />
 <figcaption>Evie Gholson, 18, speaks about her Broad Breasted White turkey while showing the bird to judge Mark Cunningham on July 24 at the St. Charles County Fair in Wentzville. The turkey was a replacement bird after the one ordered died in transit while in the hands of the U.S. Postal Service.&nbsp;Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/kavahn-mansouri">Kavahn Mansouri</a> St. Louis Public Radio |&nbsp; For days, Amy Gholson tracked a shipment of baby turkeys she ordered from an Ohio hatchery. She kept tabs online as the birds began the more than 500-mile trip to her home near St. Charles, Missouri, via the U.S. Postal Service.The 10 birds needed to arrive in two days to ensure they’d survive the trip. It was late March and temperatures were still low, making the speed of the delivery more crucial than usual. But the baby turkeys, or poults, hadn’t even left Ohio when progress halted.“I was going to be able to watch these babies digitally, basically, and they went to the Cleveland distribution warehouse, and they stayed there and stayed there,” Gholson said.Postal Service delays have become more persistent in the years following the pandemic and a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/usps-mail-slowdown-postmaster-louis-dejoy/" target="_blank">10-year plan was put in place by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy</a>&nbsp;aimed at ending losses in the billions of dollars a year. Slowing delivery is integral to the plan.For days, the poults Gholson ordered remained at the Cleveland warehouse. By the time the shipment arrived, three days overdue, she knew what to expect inside the package marked “live birds.”“I had already assumed they were dead. Our beloved mail lady just set a box of dead birds outside of our garage,” Gholson said. “I got home. I mean, you know what the situation was. A silent box is a dead box.”Gholson said that inside the package, the fledgling turkeys were as “stiff as rocks.”This wasn’t the first time that Gholson and her family received a Postal Service shipment of dead or dying birds. Once, after a delivery arrived during a cold spell, they warmed towels in the microwave, bundling the chicks inside the heated towels in hopes of saving them. Only four of the 10 in that shipment survived, and the chicks now roam the Gholsons’ backyard farm.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725638174393.png" alt="A market chicken is displayed ahead of being judged in July at the St. Charles County Fair in Wentzville.&nbsp;Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio" />
 <figcaption>A market chicken is displayed ahead of being judged in July at the St. Charles County Fair in Wentzville.&nbsp;Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>'Hell' for bird shipments</h2>The Gholsons are a 4-H family, having participating in agricultural programs for years. They have a tradition of showing animals at the St. Charles County Fair, where Evie, now 18, planned to show the turkeys in that doomed March delivery. In the 4-H community, families talk about receiving shipments with dead birds all the time, said&nbsp;Amy Gholson.In 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-20/thousands-of-baby-chicks-die-in-mail-in-latest-postal-imbroglio" target="_blank">more than 4,800 chicks died in a single Postal Service shipment to a Maine customer.</a>&nbsp;And the problem has persisted far past the height of the pandemic as concerns mounted about the future of the Postal Service and its performance since DeJoy’s plan kicked off in 2021.The Midwest Newsroom interviewed four hatchery owners and four backyard farmers in different parts of the U.S. who all say they’ve seen a marked increase in deaths while baby birds are in transit with the Postal Service over the past year.One hatchery owner described 2024 as “hell” for shipping birds and said customer complaints over shipments arriving with more dead birds than usual are on the rise.It is hard to know just how many Postal Service shipments of birds arrive at their destinations too late for survival.In response to a records request from the Midwest Newsroom, the Postal Service said that after a “diligent search,” it could not locate any documents referring to the total number of animals that die while in transit with the Postal Service. The response stated the agency does not compile or track that sort of information.Delivering birds through the mail is a longstanding practice in the U.S., and hatchers who spoke to the Midwest Newsroom said it’s an effective way for hatcheries to make money, with customers ranging from large-scale operations to backyard farmers.A hatchery can make anywhere from a few hundred dollars to more than $1,000 per shipment, depending on the breed and number of birds.In an email to the Midwest Newsroom, communications specialist Mark Inglett said the Postal Service has worked for more than 100 years with hatcheries to “safely transport mail-order chicks seamlessly.”“The U.S. Postal Service is one of just a few carriers that ship live animals, and we have established procedures for the safe handling of live animals,” the email read. “When properly packaged and labeled, these live parcels are given special handling outside of our normal automated process.”The hatcheries and buyers interviewed by the Midwest Newsroom said that special handling hasn’t saved their animals.The Postal Service declined a request for an interview.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725638240710.png" alt="Evie Gholson, 18, listens to instructions ahead of showing a series of birds in July at the St. Charles County Fair in Wentzville.&nbsp;Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio" />
 <figcaption>Evie Gholson, 18, listens to instructions ahead of showing a series of birds in July at the St. Charles County Fair in Wentzville.&nbsp;Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Left on a loading dock</h2>Kelly Warren owns and operates Cocktown Funky Orpingtons in Lillington, North Carolina. She breeds Orpington chickens, which are popular as show birds. The small business relies heavily on shipping birds.Warren estimates she’s lost at least a third of the birds she’s shipped this year to delays and other problems. A recent shipment saw her lose 80 chicks worth about $800. When birds die in transit, Warren has to refund her customers’ money.“One box last week arrived three days late,” Warren said. “The whole box was dead. All I could do was get my shipping costs back. I lost the rest of it out of pocket.”Warren said the Postal Service shipping delays greatly impact her business, which relies mainly on customers far from her rural North Carolina location.“Some breeders are lucky enough to have enough (local customers) to get by. I don't,” Warren said. “All of mine are everywhere: California, Maine, New York, Nevada, Wisconsin, Washington. You name it, I ship there. So it kind of kills me.”Not all bird deaths happen during transit, Warren said. One shipment arrived in time at a customer's local post office. But, she said, the customer reported the box of chicks had been left out on a loading dock during a thunderstorm. By the time the customer arrived to pick up the shipment, the chicks were dead.“The babies were drenched,” she said, while sharing photos with a Midwest Newsroom reporter. “They were dead. The box was soaked. There’s nothing you can do about it.”A statement from the Postal Service said its guidelines require delivery of poultry within 72 hours of hatching. All birds must be shipped using Priority Mail Express or Priority Mail services, which are designed to meet specific timing standards.Tracy Brown Kelly owns a small hatchery near Warren's called Satin and Silk Ranch. She said she’s completely stopped shipping her chicks because of Postal Service problems. Now she relies only on local buyers to sustain her hatchery.“We've been shipping for a very long time, and we rarely have any death or loss when we ship chicks,” she said. “But this year has been a nightmare, and it's not just me and Kelly; it's everybody.”Hatcheries that rely on shipping chicks, poults and other live baby birds to customers have no choice but to use the Postal Service. Neither FedEx or UPS offers the service. However, FedEx planes are used to transport live birds across the country when needed as part of an agreement between the Postal Service and FedEx.Blaze Baxter, who operates Bad Baxter Farms in Pottawatomie County, Okla., stopped ordering animals through the mail in 2017 after boxes full of ducks showed up at her farm looking like they were “used as pinatas.”Of the 200 birds in the box, only 20 survived the journey. She remembers her mail carrier crying as she delivered the package.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725638310582.png" alt="Evie Gholson, 18, holds her 3-year-old rooster Napoleon III ahead of showing the bird in July at the St. Charles County Fair in Wentzville.&nbsp;Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio" />
 <figcaption>Evie Gholson, 18, holds her 3-year-old rooster Napoleon III ahead of showing the bird in July at the St. Charles County Fair in Wentzville.&nbsp;Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio</figcaption>
 </figure>Baxter decided she and her family would hatch and raise their own chickens to avoid more birds dying while in Postal Service transit. But in early August, roughly eight years after the failed shipment, she took a chance, placing an order for 10 ducks from a hatchery in August. She said she’s still beating herself up about it.“I made the mistake and decided to try and trust the Postal Service one more time and completely regretted it,” Baxter said.On the second day of tracking her shipment, she saw the package had made its way to California and stalled. From there, she knew what she would find when her shipment arrived. Only two of the eight ducks survived the trip.“I told my post office lady last week that that would be the last time she’ll see me picking up birds from her,” she said.Baxter isn’t the only person raising ethical concerns about the shipment of baby birds. Animal safety advocacy group&nbsp;<a href="https://www.upc-online.org/" target="_blank">United Poultry Concerns</a>&nbsp;and other organizations have called for the end of the long-standing tradition, calling it a cruelty to the animals.In a 2020 post on its website, United Poultry Concerns said newborn chicks&nbsp;<a href="https://www.upc-online.org/pp/winter2020/urge_usps_to_stop_shipping_baby_chicks_and_other_animals.html" target="_blank">“quietly” die while in transit with the Postal Service.&nbsp;</a>“Recent postal service changes have caused many thousands more baby chicks to suffer and die in transit,” a post by the group read. “Shipment of live birds and other animals through the Postal Service is one of the many hidden cruelties inflicted on chickens and other animals.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725638364261.png" alt="A young Broad Breasted White turkey sits in its cage in July at the St. Charles County Fair.&nbsp;Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio" />
 <figcaption>A young Broad Breasted White turkey sits in its cage in July at the St. Charles County Fair.&nbsp;Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725638422462.png" alt="Evie Gholson, 18, adjusts her first-place ribbon after showing her Broad Breasted White turkey in July at the St. Charles County Fair in Wentzville.&nbsp;Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio" />
 <figcaption>Evie Gholson, 18, adjusts her first-place ribbon after showing her Broad Breasted White turkey in July at the St. Charles County Fair in Wentzville.&nbsp;Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘A huge problem’</h2>In July, the Postal Service inspector general’s office conducted an audit in the Kansas City region. The audit concluded that mail delays have been caused by a lack of management oversight and staffing shortages.The audit also found that employees were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article290342734.html" target="_blank">skipping important steps in the processing and transportation</a>&nbsp;of mail and that management allowed such practices to persist.According to Postal Regulatory Commission data, roughly 83% of first-class mail arrived on time in Kansas and Missouri in the first three months of 2024. That rate was the sixth worst of the 50 postal districts in the country.Further mail delays may be ahead for rural communities as a new Postal Service plan announced in late August aims to shave even more costs from its operations.<a href="https://about.usps.com/newsroom/usps-operational-improvements-08-21-2024.pdf" target="_blank">Part of that plan includes overhauling logistics,</a>&nbsp;a move DeJoy said could increase slowdowns in mail deliveries, especially in rural areas where delivery could take an additional 12 to 24 hours.It’s a decision that’s drawn the ire of customers and lawmakers.U.S. Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri said complaints about the mail are a top concern for his constituents in the northern third of the state, which is largely rural. He told the Midwest Newsroom that mail delays and delivery problems are among the most common complaints his office receives, especially from rural communities and farmers.“Other members of Congress all over the country are getting the same sort of complaint,” Graves said. ”It is something that the government should do, and should do well. And right now, it's not being done well at all.”Graves blamed management at all levels of the Postal Service, noting that local mail carriers are caught in a system that’s working against them.“It's just a huge management problem,” Graves said. “(Postal Service management) is not doing the job when it comes to doing what it is that they do, and that is getting the mail out to the post offices so it could be delivered on time.”Graves, U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, also of Missouri,&nbsp;<a href="https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-cleaver-graves-alford-introduce-pony-act-hold-usps-accountable" target="_blank">introduced the Pony Up Act to Congress to offer consumers protection from mail delays</a>. If passed, the act would require the Postal Service to pay late fees incurred due to delayed delivery service.<h2>Blue-ribbon bird</h2>The Gholsons’ story didn’t end with a package of dead turkeys. The Ohio-based breeder they ordered from sent a new package that arrived on time and with all 10 birds alive and well.Evie Gholson can’t forget the dead turkeys that arrived in March.“It’s not fun,” she said. “You have to sort through the box and see which ones are stiff and which ones are floppy, essentially. There’s only so much you can do.”Evie Gholson showed one of the replacement turkeys at the St. Charles County Fair in July.“It makes me very happy,” she said of her nameless bird. “She’s not too big. She’s just the right age. She can walk around well and I can pick her up. It’s perfect.”The turkey earned a blue ribbon.Isa Luzarraga contributed to this report.This story comes from the Midwest Newsroom, an investigative journalism collaboration that includes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iowapublicradio.org/" target="_blank">Iowa Public Radio</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/" target="_blank">KCUR</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/" target="_blank">Nebraska Public Media</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://news.stlpublicradio.org/" target="_blank">St. Louis Public Radio</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/" target="_blank">NPR</a>.

U.S. Postal Service slowdowns are so bad, baby birds are dying in transit

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann was in Hutchinson on Saturday at the Kansas State Fair, and he talked to Hutch Post about the work that still needs to be done before the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept. 30.

"We go back for votes in D.C. this week," Mann said. "The House is in session the next three weeks here in September. It looks like there is momentum to do some kind of an extension. We'll know a lot more once we get to Washington D.C. this week and talk about what the plan is and what we do to fund the government moving forward."

Also up at the end of the fiscal year is the extension to the five-year farm bill that has now gone through a sixth, will it see a seventh? Quite possibly, according to Mann.

"I've been frustrated at how slow this farm bill process has been," Mann said. "I've been to the floor 33 times imploring members of Congress to get serious about getting a five-year farm bill done. It looks like, potentially, there'll be an extension. The House passed a really good version out of the House Ag Committee, that still needs to go to the floor and we need to conference with the Senate. Unfortunately, there's still a long way to go on the farm bill."

The political question is will the House Ag Committee continue under Republican control of the gavel? In other words, will Republicans still be in the House majority come January 2025?

"We're going to find out in November," Mann said. "Elections have consequences. It sure seems like Republicans are going to continue to have the majority in the House. I'm optimistic they will in the Senate as well, and win the White House, but we'll have to see what happens in November."

The most likely scenario at this point for all of this pending work is that it gets extended until at least the next Congress is seated, so that those who have tough elections on both sides of the aisle can come home and campaign.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725719231298.jpeg" alt="The sun rises on the Kansas State Fairgrounds on Saturday, September 7, 2024. Photo by Nick Gosnell." />
 <figcaption>The sun rises on the Kansas State Fairgrounds on Saturday, September 7, 2024. Photo by Nick Gosnell.</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann was in Hutchinson on Saturday at the Kansas State Fair, and he talked to Hutch Post about the work that still needs to be done before the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept. 30."We go back for votes in D.C. this week," Mann said. "The House is in session the next three weeks here in September. It looks like there is momentum to do some kind of an extension. We'll know a lot more once we get to Washington D.C. this week and talk about what the plan is and what we do to fund the government moving forward."Also up at the end of the fiscal year is the extension to the five-year farm bill that has now gone through a sixth, will it see a seventh? Quite possibly, according to Mann."I've been frustrated at how slow this farm bill process has been," Mann said. "I've been to the floor 33 times imploring members of Congress to get serious about getting a five-year farm bill done. It looks like, potentially, there'll be an extension. The House passed a really good version out of the House Ag Committee, that still needs to go to the floor and we need to conference with the Senate. Unfortunately, there's still a long way to go on the farm bill."The political question is will the House Ag Committee continue under Republican control of the gavel? In other words, will Republicans still be in the House majority come January 2025?"We're going to find out in November," Mann said. "Elections have consequences. It sure seems like Republicans are going to continue to have the majority in the House. I'm optimistic they will in the Senate as well, and win the White House, but we'll have to see what happens in November."The most likely scenario at this point for all of this pending work is that it gets extended until at least the next Congress is seated, so that those who have tough elections on both sides of the aisle can come home and campaign.

Rep. Mann discusses farm bill issues at the Kansas State Fair

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State moved to 2-0 on the season and 1-0 to start MIAA play with a 30-16 win over Missouri Western on Saturday night in front of 6.572 at Lewis Field. The Tigers outscored the Griffons 20-3 in the second half after trailing by three at halftime. FHSU, ranked No. 24 in the latest D2Football.com Top 25 Poll, is off to a 2-0 start for the first time since the 2017 season.

The Tigers quickly took the lead on the first possession of the game. The Tigers needed only 1:38 to go 63 yards in four plays for a touchdown, capped on a 16-yard pass from Jack Dawson to Jabari Lewis. The Tigers had a long look at a field goal on their next drive, but could not connect and then the Griffons responded with a 5-play, 69-yard touchdown drive to tie the game at 7-7. The Tigers drove the ball deep in Griffon territory toward the end of the first quarter, but had to settle for a 19-yard field goal from Carson Arndt&nbsp;to lead 10-7 after the first frame.

The Tigers squandered a chance for more points in the second quarter after gaining a turnover deep in Griffon territory, but they gave the ball right back. Later in the second quarter, the Griffons took their only lead of the game on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Branden Berwald to Michael Haggerty.

Good fortune broke the Tigers' way right at the start of the second half when the Griffons fumbled the kick return and the Tigers fell on the ball at the MWSU 20. That led to a 30-yard field goal by Carson Arndt&nbsp;to tie the game at 13-13. The Tigers would pick up another field goal to take the lead back on their next drive, this time Arndt connecting from 35 yards to put the Tigers up 16-13. Then on their final drive of the third quarter, Shane Watts&nbsp;broke free for a 42-yard touchdown run as time expired. FHSU led 23-13 going to the fourth quarter.

A Cody Watson 48-yard field goal into a decent breeze brought the Griffons back within seven points on the first Griffon drive of the fourth quarter, but the Tiger defense would not surrender any more points the rest of the way, stopping three more Missouri Western drives. FHSU cashed in more points on its third drive of the fourth quarter, marching 54 yards on seven plays and capped on a one-yard touchdown run by Caleb Heavner.

Shane Watts had a big game for the Tigers with 195 all-purpose yards. He rushed the ball a career-high 24 times and came up just a yard short of his career best in rushing yardage, finishing the game at 161 yards on the ground. He added 34 receiving yards, with a 29-yard dash setting up the Heavner score in the fourth quarter. Dawson&nbsp;threw for 158 yards on 13-of-26 passing, while Cale Cormaney&nbsp;led the Tigers in receiving yards with 47. Jabari Lewis&nbsp;finished with 125 all-purpose yards, 96 on kick returns and 29 on receptions. Arndt finished 3-of-4 on field goal attempts in the game.

On defense, Mason Perez&nbsp;led the Tigers with eight tackles, followed by John Johnson&nbsp;with seven. Myles Menges&nbsp;recorded the only sack of the night for the Tigers, which was a strip sack to give the Tigers a turnover. It helped set up the scoring drive with Arndt's field goal that put the Tigers up 16-13 in the third quarter.

Both teams did the majority of their offensive damage on the ground, 208 rushing yards for the Griffons compared to 179 for the Tigers. The Griffons finished with 382 total yards, while the Tigers finished with 337.Quarterback Branden Berwald led the Griffons in passing with 120 yards and rushing with 88. Jake Berrey led the Griffons in receiving yards with 53. Kienen Gaskin led MWSU in tackles with 10, while Jaden Brown recorded two of five sacks for MWSU.

Saturday's win marked the first time the Tigers have come back from a halftime deficit and won since rallying from 21-down to beat #12 Nebraska-Kearney on 42-35 on October 2, 2021.

The Tigers play their first road game of the season next Saturday evening at Northwest Missouri State. The Bearcats started the season ranked No. 22 in the AFCA Top 25 Poll, but now sit at 0-2 overall and 0-1 in the MIAA after a loss at Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday night.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725772302717.png" alt="Fort Hays State recovers a fumble in the third quarter of their game vs. Missouri Western State on Saturday, September 7, 2024. (FHSU Athletics photo/Corbyn Hahn)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State recovers a fumble in the third quarter of their game vs. Missouri Western State on Saturday, September 7, 2024. (FHSU Athletics photo/Corbyn Hahn)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State moved to 2-0 on the season and 1-0 to start MIAA play with a 30-16 win over Missouri Western on Saturday night in front of 6.572 at Lewis Field. The Tigers outscored the Griffons 20-3 in the second half after trailing by three at halftime. FHSU, ranked No. 24 in the latest D2Football.com Top 25 Poll, is off to a 2-0 start for the first time since the 2017 season.The Tigers quickly took the lead on the first possession of the game. The Tigers needed only 1:38 to go 63 yards in four plays for a touchdown, capped on a 16-yard pass from Jack Dawson to Jabari Lewis. The Tigers had a long look at a field goal on their next drive, but could not connect and then the Griffons responded with a 5-play, 69-yard touchdown drive to tie the game at 7-7. The Tigers drove the ball deep in Griffon territory toward the end of the first quarter, but had to settle for a 19-yard field goal from Carson Arndt&nbsp;to lead 10-7 after the first frame.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725772492410.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Jabari Lewis (8) makes a touchdown catch in the first quarter against Missouri Western State on Saturday, September 7, 2024. (Hays Post photo/Jeff Leiker)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Jabari Lewis (8) makes a touchdown catch in the first quarter against Missouri Western State on Saturday, September 7, 2024. (Hays Post photo/Jeff Leiker)</figcaption>
 </figure>The Tigers squandered a chance for more points in the second quarter after gaining a turnover deep in Griffon territory, but they gave the ball right back. Later in the second quarter, the Griffons took their only lead of the game on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Branden Berwald to Michael Haggerty.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1912443539&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/fhsu-chris-brown-postgame-v-missouri-western" title="Chris Brown Postgame vs. Missouri Western (September 7, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Chris Brown Postgame vs. Missouri Western (September 7, 2024)</a></div></div>Good fortune broke the Tigers' way right at the start of the second half when the Griffons fumbled the kick return and the Tigers fell on the ball at the MWSU 20. That led to a 30-yard field goal by Carson Arndt&nbsp;to tie the game at 13-13. The Tigers would pick up another field goal to take the lead back on their next drive, this time Arndt connecting from 35 yards to put the Tigers up 16-13. Then on their final drive of the third quarter, Shane Watts&nbsp;broke free for a 42-yard touchdown run as time expired. FHSU led 23-13 going to the fourth quarter.A Cody Watson 48-yard field goal into a decent breeze brought the Griffons back within seven points on the first Griffon drive of the fourth quarter, but the Tiger defense would not surrender any more points the rest of the way, stopping three more Missouri Western drives. FHSU cashed in more points on its third drive of the fourth quarter, marching 54 yards on seven plays and capped on a one-yard touchdown run by Caleb Heavner.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1912443884&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/fhsu-shane-watts-postgame-v-missouri-western" title="Shane Watts Postgame vs. Missouri Western (September 7, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Shane Watts Postgame vs. Missouri Western (September 7, 2024)</a></div></div>Shane Watts had a big game for the Tigers with 195 all-purpose yards. He rushed the ball a career-high 24 times and came up just a yard short of his career best in rushing yardage, finishing the game at 161 yards on the ground. He added 34 receiving yards, with a 29-yard dash setting up the Heavner score in the fourth quarter. Dawson&nbsp;threw for 158 yards on 13-of-26 passing, while Cale Cormaney&nbsp;led the Tigers in receiving yards with 47. Jabari Lewis&nbsp;finished with 125 all-purpose yards, 96 on kick returns and 29 on receptions. Arndt finished 3-of-4 on field goal attempts in the game.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1912443722&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/fhsu-mason-perez-postgame-v-missouri-western" title="Mason Perez Postgame vs. Missouri Western (September 7, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Mason Perez Postgame vs. Missouri Western (September 7, 2024)</a></div></div>On defense, Mason Perez&nbsp;led the Tigers with eight tackles, followed by John Johnson&nbsp;with seven. Myles Menges&nbsp;recorded the only sack of the night for the Tigers, which was a strip sack to give the Tigers a turnover. It helped set up the scoring drive with Arndt's field goal that put the Tigers up 16-13 in the third quarter.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1912443980&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/fhsu-fb-highlights-v-missouri-western-sept-7-2024" title="FHSU FB Highlights vs. Missouri Western (September 7, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">FHSU FB Highlights vs. Missouri Western (September 7, 2024)</a></div></div>Both teams did the majority of their offensive damage on the ground, 208 rushing yards for the Griffons compared to 179 for the Tigers. The Griffons finished with 382 total yards, while the Tigers finished with 337.Quarterback Branden Berwald led the Griffons in passing with 120 yards and rushing with 88. Jake Berrey led the Griffons in receiving yards with 53. Kienen Gaskin led MWSU in tackles with 10, while Jaden Brown recorded two of five sacks for MWSU.SECOND HALF COMEBACKSaturday's win marked the first time the Tigers have come back from a halftime deficit and won since rallying from 21-down to beat #12 Nebraska-Kearney on 42-35 on October 2, 2021.UP NEXTThe Tigers play their first road game of the season next Saturday evening at Northwest Missouri State. The Bearcats started the season ranked No. 22 in the AFCA Top 25 Poll, but now sit at 0-2 overall and 0-1 in the MIAA after a loss at Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday night.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 Tigers get past Griffons to move to 2-0

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team wrapped up its trip to the 2024 Mountain Lion Classic with a four-set victory over Cameron University on Saturday, 25-19, 25-11, 20-25, 25-14. The Tigers move to 2-1 on the season, while the Aggies wrap up the opening weekend 0-4.

Fort Hays State took control early, never trailing in the first set. The Tigers turned a 7-7 tie into a 15-8 lead thanks to an 8-1 run.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/gracie-rains/7948">Gracie Rains</a>&nbsp;fueled the run with three kills and an assisted block. The Tigers led by at least four the rest of the way, eventually taking the frame 25-19.The Tigers only trailed once in the second set at 2-1. Another big run midway through the frame gave the Tigers a nine-point advantage when FHSU scored seven-straight points to go up 16-7. A kill from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/grace-schmedding/8180">Grace Schmedding</a>&nbsp;helped the Tigers reach set point before an Aggie miscue gave FHSU a 2-0 lead in the match.

After posting an attack percentage of .046 over the first two sets, Cameron bounced back with a swing rate of .447 in the third set. The score was tied 10 times in the frame before the Aggies pulled away to win, 25-20.The teams traded punches early in the fourth set before a 9-2 Tiger run turned an 11-10 score into a 20-12 FHSU advantage. Schmedding finished things off with her eighth kill of the contest to seal the victory.Rains led the team with 10 kills. Eleven different Tigers recorded at least one kill, including nine with multiple kills and five with five or more.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/caiya-stucky/7954">Caiya Stucky</a>&nbsp;distributed 23 assists, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/abrey-galt/7955">Abrey Galt</a>&nbsp;added 19 assists and eight digs.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/tallon-rentschler/7951">Tallon Rentschler</a>&nbsp;led the team with 14 digs, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/kirsten-evans/7943">Kirsten Evans</a>&nbsp;adding 13 digs and two service aces.

Rains was picked to the all-tournament team after totaling 38 kills across the three matches, averaging 2.92 kills per set. She added five blocks, one service ace and posted an attack percentage of .242.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725771611736.png" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsCOLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team wrapped up its trip to the 2024 Mountain Lion Classic with a four-set victory over Cameron University on Saturday, 25-19, 25-11, 20-25, 25-14. The Tigers move to 2-1 on the season, while the Aggies wrap up the opening weekend 0-4.Fort Hays State took control early, never trailing in the first set. The Tigers turned a 7-7 tie into a 15-8 lead thanks to an 8-1 run.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/gracie-rains/7948">Gracie Rains</a>&nbsp;fueled the run with three kills and an assisted block. The Tigers led by at least four the rest of the way, eventually taking the frame 25-19.The Tigers only trailed once in the second set at 2-1. Another big run midway through the frame gave the Tigers a nine-point advantage when FHSU scored seven-straight points to go up 16-7. A kill from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/grace-schmedding/8180">Grace Schmedding</a>&nbsp;helped the Tigers reach set point before an Aggie miscue gave FHSU a 2-0 lead in the match.After posting an attack percentage of .046 over the first two sets, Cameron bounced back with a swing rate of .447 in the third set. The score was tied 10 times in the frame before the Aggies pulled away to win, 25-20.The teams traded punches early in the fourth set before a 9-2 Tiger run turned an 11-10 score into a 20-12 FHSU advantage. Schmedding finished things off with her eighth kill of the contest to seal the victory.Rains led the team with 10 kills. Eleven different Tigers recorded at least one kill, including nine with multiple kills and five with five or more.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/caiya-stucky/7954">Caiya Stucky</a>&nbsp;distributed 23 assists, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/abrey-galt/7955">Abrey Galt</a>&nbsp;added 19 assists and eight digs.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/tallon-rentschler/7951">Tallon Rentschler</a>&nbsp;led the team with 14 digs, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/kirsten-evans/7943">Kirsten Evans</a>&nbsp;adding 13 digs and two service aces.Rains was picked to the all-tournament team after totaling 38 kills across the three matches, averaging 2.92 kills per set. She added five blocks, one service ace and posted an attack percentage of .242.UP NEXTFort Hays State will return home to host the 2024 Tiger Classic next weekend (Sept. 13-14). The Tigers will take on UC-Colorado Springs in a rematch of yesterday's contest on Friday at 6 p.m. before FHSU battles Truman State (noon) and Northwestern Oklahoma State (6 p.m.) on Saturday.&nbsp;&nbsp;