See part two of the series Monday on Hays Post.

By DAVID CONDOS, XCARET NUNEZ and ELIZABETH REMBERT <a href="https://www.hppr.org/2022-11-25/heres-how-this-years-drought-has-battered-the-midwest-and-what-it-might-mean-for-next-year">Kansas News Service</a>&nbsp;&amp; Harvest Public Media

LA CROSSE — On G.W. Johnston’s ranch in west-central Kansas, the grass never got green this summer.

So he's had to buy hay to keep his cattle alive — in the middle of a widespread drought that's pushed those <a href="https://www.kgou.org/business-and-economy/2022-11-23/hay-shortage-means-high-costs-for-oklahoma-ranchers-as-winter-arrives" target="_blank">hay prices</a> way up.

He
 could sell all his cattle, at the cost of leaving behind the work 
that's defined his life. Watching his calves arrive in the spring, he 
said, is what counts as his therapy during a stressful year like this.

So he came here to the La Crosse Livestock Market to auction off 52 of his calves.

“You
 always think it’s gonna get better,” Johnston said. “Out of 60 years 
since I’ve been in the business, I’ve never run into it this bad.”

Johnston’s
 story marks just one example of the countless ways this historically 
dry, hot, windy year is wreaking havoc from coast to coast.

Drought now covers more than half of the continental U.S., and its 
ripple effects touch everything from the food we eat to the air we 
breathe to the water we drink. In one of the hardest hit regions, the 
Great Plains, there’s not much relief in sight.

In <a href="https://www.kmbc.com/article/drought-cold-weather-could-cause-problems-for-home-foundations-kansas-city/41696222#" target="_blank">Missouri</a>, the drought is cracking home foundations. In <a href="https://twitter.com/droughtdenise/status/1592932265004523520?s=43&amp;t=7dYaOKoht_gxnYcVioVBcQ" target="_blank">Minnesota</a>, it’s killing Christmas trees. Low water levels have shut down a hydroelectric plant in <a href="https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/iowa-news/low-river-levels-shut-down-iowa-hydroelectric-dam/" target="_blank">Iowa</a> and stranded barges on the <a href="https://grist.org/extreme-weather/as-drought-chokes-mississippi-river-barges-carrying-grain-shipments-have-nowhere-to-go/" target="_blank">Mississippi River</a>.

Frank
 Seidel, who owns the La Crosse cattle auction, has seen his share of 
bad droughts in this semi-arid part of the world. But never like this.

“Not to this severity,” Seidel said. “You look at them pastures, and they’re just grubbed down to nothing.”

Kansas cattle would normally be grazing on a buffet of prairie grass over the past few months. But in one of the <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSDodgeCity/status/1565355495870894081" target="_blank">driest, hottest summers</a> on record in western Kansas, oppressive drought scorched pastures across the region.

That
 left ranchers with a tough choice this fall: bring in expensive feed to
 get your livestock through the winter or sell however many cattle you 
must to keep your livelihood afloat.

“It’s everybody. There’s no 
one excluded from it,” Seidel said. “The conversation is always, ‘I 
ain’t got enough feed. I don’t have enough feed. So, I can’t keep them 
all.’ ”

This livestock market has auctioned off 12,000 more cattle this year than it did by this point last year, Seidel said, an increase of nearly 20%.

So
 many ranchers were calling Seidel clamoring to thin their herds in the 
late summer that he had to double the number of auctions from every 
other week to every week.

In the hallways outside the La Crosse auction ring, the historic gravity of this year’s drought comes into focus.

Max Prose’s ranch in Lane County got less than half of its paltry 
average rainfall this year. In the 71 years he’s farmed, this is the 
first that his land has no moisture left in its soil. He had to sell off
 his calves in August.

“There’s places in my pasture that didn’t get any rain at all,” Prose said. “The cactus have died.”

Gene
 Tilton, who farms and raises cattle near Quinter in northwest Kansas, 
said the only thing that could turn this drought around is a blizzard 
like the one that helped claw the region out of a similar drought <a href="https://www.weather.gov/ddc/1957Blizzard" target="_blank">65 years ago</a>.

“It’s dry. … Dry as it’s been since 1955,” Tilton said. “I was here.”

With roughly <a href="https://twitter.com/DroughtDenise/status/1595475164061265921" target="_blank">three-quarters</a> of U.S. cattle currently in drought-stricken areas, ranchers from <a href="https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/business/agricultural/2022/11/13/low-cattle-supply-may-drive-record-high-prices-next-year/69637966007/" target="_blank">Texas</a> to <a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/montana/montana-ranchers-have-culled-back-significantly-because-of-drought-high-hay-prices/article_ce0f202e-f662-11ec-b15a-0b364b7321f5.html" target="_blank">Montana</a> face these same hard choices. And the impacts of those choices touch plenty of folks who’ve never seen an auction ring.

Because
 so many ranchers have to sell their animals months or even years ahead 
of schedule, there’ll be a shortage of cattle going to market next year. That will mean <a href="https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/beef-prices-to-rise-in-2023-poultry-costs-will-fall/632402/" target="_blank">higher beef prices</a> at the grocery store.

“That hamburger won’t be in the industry for the next two years,” Seidel said. “It’s gone.”

As climate 
change fuels more frequent, more intense droughts nationwide, it’s hard 
to count all the ways this parched year is transforming people’s lives.

Just
 ask the person whose job it is to keep track of the drought’s impacts: 
the National Drought Mitigation Center’s Denise Gutzmer.

“I’m just swamped,” Gutzmer said. “I can work nonstop and still not be done.”

Deadly wildfires. Choking dust storms. Decimated crop harvests.

The
 amount of the country covered in drought and abnormal dryness this 
fall, Gutzmer said, is the most in the history of the Drought Monitor. 
More than half of the continental U.S. is <a href="https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Maps/MapArchive.aspx" target="_blank">now covered</a> by some level of drought.

The impacts this year stretch even farther across the map, Gutzmer 
said, than the last major drought in 2012 — from fanning wildfires in <a href="https://www.khon2.com/top-stories/trade-winds-and-dry-air-has-fire-departments-busy/" target="_blank">Hawaii</a> to drying up <a href="https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2022/10/21/water-coalinga-california" target="_blank">water supplies</a> in California to rotting the wood pilings that support buildings in <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/09/03/science/we-need-rain-drought-threatens-very-foundation-some-boston-buildings/" target="_blank">Boston</a>.

“It just all snowballs so quickly,” Gutzmer said. “It’s just been horrifying.”

In
 the grasslands of Kansas, the extreme heat has threatened another 
creature that shares the state’s pastures with cattle: birds.

Iconic
 prairie songbirds like meadowlarks and grasshopper sparrows build their
 nests down in the grass. Robert Penner, bird conservation manager with 
The Nature Conservancy, said that as ground temperatures climb north of 
100 degrees, it can roast the eggs where they lie.

“The eggs were just basically cooked,” Penner said. “The adults just gave up on them because the temperatures were too high.”

A lack of rainfall has also dried up the <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-11-04/up-to-1-million-birds-count-on-kansas-wetlands-during-migration-drought-has-left-them-high-and-dry" target="_blank">Kansas wetlands</a> that hundreds of thousands of birds use as vital stopover points during their long flights south for the winter.

In the 26 years Penner has worked in central Kansas, he said, it’s 
hard to think of another time when the area’s wetlands were this dry, 
especially this late in the year.

With no water in the Cheyenne 
Bottoms wetlands, for instance, he’s spotted migrating ducks and geese 
paddling around the sewage lagoons of a nearby town. He’s seen smaller 
birds gathering at livestock water tanks.

For shorebirds — some of
 which migrate thousands of miles and weigh only a few ounces — not 
being able to rest and refuel at wetlands that meet their specific food 
and habitat needs could push them beyond their limits.

“If they can’t stop and feed somewhere, they’re in trouble,” Penner said. “They’re not going to make it.”

Nearby, parts of southeastern Kansas and Oklahoma saw flash droughts 
rapidly develop over the summer as record-low precipitation totals 
paired with sweltering heat.

When a reservoir that provides 
drinking water for more than 1 million people in Oklahoma City dropped 
several feet below its normal level this summer, the city had to <a href="https://www.kosu.org/energy-environment/2022-10-19/oklahoma-city-requests-water-from-canton-lake-for-the-second-time-this-year" target="_blank">bring in billions of gallons</a> from another lake 100 miles away. It’s the first time that’s happened in a decade.

“We
 hoped that one water draw would be enough, and that we’d get a lot of 
rain after that,” utility department spokesperson Michelann Ooten said. 
“But that didn’t happen.”

So the city drew another <a href="https://www.okc.gov/Home/Components/News/News/4256/18?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank">4 billion gallons</a> from that reservoir, Canton Lake, this fall.

For the people who live in rural western Oklahoma near Canton Lake, 
watching that much water flow away in the middle of a drought was hard 
to swallow.

Curtis Hoskins, president of the Canton Lake 
Association, said it’s a critical blow to the area’s recreational 
tourism economy. The last time Oklahoma City drew away billions of 
gallons a decade ago, low lake levels forced businesses to close.

“Everybody
 was pretty upset, you know, because they’ve seen it happen before,” 
Hoskins said. “Everybody’s gun-shy that they don’t have control of the 
water.”

And cities aren’t the only ones scrambling for more water.

As the lack of rainfall pushes farmers to pump more water from underground aquifers to irrigate crops, parts of <a href="https://www.agriculture.ks.gov/divisions-programs/dwr/managing-kansas-water-resources/local-enhanced-management-areas/gmd1-four-county-lema" target="_blank">Kansas</a> and <a href="https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/irrigation-systems-couldnt-keep-up-2022-drought-dealt-supply-problems-for-water-managers/" target="_blank">Nebraska</a> are considering new pumping limits.

Nate Jenkins, assistant manager of the Upper Republican Natural 
Resource District in southwest Nebraska, said the proposed limits in his
 area aren’t a direct response to this particularly dry year. But in a 
region where so much of the economy bends to the whims of the weather, 
the reality of life without water is easy to envision.

“It creates some worry,” Jenkins said. “Everybody knows farmers or is a farmer, so they know what they're struggling with.”

The depletion of the Ogallala aquifer in the High Plains isn’t a new problem — roughly a <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/110/37/E3477" target="_blank">third</a>
 of the water under Kansas has already disappeared since European 
settlement, largely thanks to the development of irrigated farming. And 
some of the districts in charge of managing that underground water have 
already put plans in place to <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2021-05-05/farmers-trying-to-save-the-ogallala-aquifer-face-tension-from-peers-but-their-profits-are-improving" target="_blank">slow down</a> the aquifer’s decline.

But
 the reason the underground water is so vital is that there isn’t much 
surface water on the High Plains to begin with. So a drought like this —
 parts of Kansas and Nebraska are experiencing their driest year on 
record — highlights the need to conserve.

“When it gets this hot 
and dry and windy,” Jenkins said, “people kind of shake their head and 
say, ‘Geez, it’s getting kind of ridiculous, isn’t it? When’s it gonna 
stop?’ ”

On his family farm
 in Gray County, Kansas, Alex Millershaski crouches next to a line of 
wheat seedlings no taller than the grass on a ballfield.

He digs his hand down into the soil between rows of small, green plants and scoops up a fistful.

“We have about three or four inches of just basically loose, dry sand,” Millershaski said. “There's no moisture whatsoever.”

Across the Great Plains, months of drought made soil moisture <a href="https://twitter.com/droughtdenise/status/1587464853479772161?s=43&amp;t=WnvOqLdNizi5xRdK13G_JA" target="_blank">virtually nonexistent</a>. Millershaski’s county just experienced its <a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/us-maps/1/202210?products[]=countypcpnrank" target="_blank">driest October</a> on record, dating back to the late 1800s.

The western Kansas plains are no stranger to howling gusts. But much of this year has brought winds that are <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/2022/05/03/why-kansas-so-windy-2022-meteorologist-explains-high-wind-warning-record/9611982002/" target="_blank">even stronger</a> than normal.

As Millershaski steps across his rows of wheat, he braces himself 
against the wall of roaring air. He can barely stand to hear it in his 
ears day after windblown day.

With no moisture to hold the soil in
 place, the wind easily sweeps it up and batters the seedlings with the 
fine grains of sand that collect into small dunes. For these young wheat
 plants, he said, it might as well be cutting them with glass.

“Just
 imagine yourself as a wheat plant planted in the ground getting hit in 
the face all day by that sand,” Millershaski said. “It’s just so dry.”

He said the last time this field got a good rain was May — of last year.

Even
 after years of adopting farming techniques that conserve soil and 
moisture, he said, his farm’s last wheat harvest was the worst in at 
least five decades. And the prospects for this new crop look 
discouraging.

Nationwide, winter wheat is in the <a href="https://twitter.com/kannbwx/status/1587179941682200579" target="_blank">poorest condition</a>
 it’s ever been on record. In Kansas, the country’s top wheat producer, 
less than a quarter of the crop is in good shape. Nebraska and 
Oklahoma’s wheat looks even worse.

This comes on the heels of a poor harvest <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-06-08/western-kansas-wheat-crops-are-failing-just-when-the-world-needs-them-most" target="_blank">this past summer</a>
 when the early stages of the drought dried plants to a crisp across 
western Kansas. And worldwide, the war in Ukraine and extreme weather 
continue to fuel <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-drought-and-war-are-really-affecting-the-global-food-supply/" target="_blank">global food shortages</a>.

Unfortunately for the drought-parched Great Plains, the outlook for the coming months doesn’t offer much relief.

A<a href="https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdf" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdf" target="_blank">rare triple dip</a> La Niña weather pattern is set to deliver the region a drier than average winter, which means<a href="https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/us-winter-outlook-warmer-drier-south-with-ongoing-la-nina" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/us-winter-outlook-warmer-drier-south-with-ongoing-la-nina" target="_blank">below-average precipitation</a> is likely to continue for at least a while longer.

Beyond that, drought conditions generally don’t improve much in the winter anyway. It takes an average of <a href="https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/winter/faq/" target="_blank">13 inches of snow</a> to equal the impact of one inch of rainfall.

So,
 the region’s hopes rest on the chance of a wet spring. But at this 
point, it would take a lot of moisture to get the region out of this 
hole. Gray County, for instance, is roughly <a href="https://mesonet.k-state.edu/precip/daily/#mtIndex=29&amp;tab=chart-tab" target="_blank">one foot of rain</a> below its historical average this year.

“An
 average year out here is extreme, but you can always find a way to 
manage around it,” Millershaski said. “(This year) we’re struggling to 
find answers.”

Next year, Millershaski said, his family is considering switching 
some of their acres to crops that might be even more drought-tolerant, 
such as cotton or sunflowers. But for these rows of wheat already in the
 ground, there’s not much else he can do.

He picks up one of the seedlings and shields it from the wind. A short scraggly root dangles below.

These baby plants are holding on for now. Barely.

But if his farm doesn’t get some relief from the dry, windy conditions, they’re not gonna make it.

“That's
 what makes it frustrating,” Millershaski said. “You can do everything 
right, and the weather is just so extreme right now. It's just tough.”

David Condos covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter<a href="http://twitter.com/davidcondos" target="_blank"> @davidcondos</a>.&nbsp;Xcaret
 Nuñez and Elizabeth Rembert contributed this report, a collaboration 
between Harvest Public Media and the Kansas News Service.

Here's how drought has battered the Midwest — and what it might mean for next year

By ARIANA FIGUEROA <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/11/29/albertsons-kroger-mega-deal-raises-questions-from-lawmakers-about-higher-food-prices/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — Members of a U.S. Senate
 Judiciary Committee panel raised concerns during a hearing this week that
 a proposed merger between two of the largest U.S. supermarket chains 
could mean a monopoly on groceries and lead to higher food prices for 
Americans.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?524439-1/hearing-merger-kroger-albertsons-grocery-store-chains&amp;live">Click here to watch</a> a replay of the hearing

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat who chairs the Subcommittee
 on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, along with the 
top Republican on the panel, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, grilled the CEOs of 
the Kroger Co., based in Cincinnati, and Albertsons Companies Inc., based in Boise, Idaho. The two companies are attempting to merge.&nbsp;

“Over the last decade, the grocery 
industry has become increasingly consolidated, with the top four chains 
now making up more than two-thirds of all grocery sales,” Klobuchar 
said. “A lack of competition in the industry means higher prices and 
lower quality.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

After Kroger announced a $24.6 
billion proposed purchase of its rival Albertsons last month, Klobuchar 
and Lee announced they planned to convene a hearing on the merger, 
citing concerns about already high food prices due to inflation, and 
their worry that a potential merger could worsen the problem.

Another concern senators expressed 
was layoffs and store closures that could follow the merger. Sen. Josh 
Hawley, a Missouri Republican, pressed Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen on how
 many workers would be laid off if the two companies merged.&nbsp;

McMullen said Kroger had no plans to 
lay off workers or close stories and pointed to a previous acquisition 
of Harris Teeter in 2014 where there were no layoffs or store closures.

“We’ve ended up not laying off anybody because what we found is that merged companies do things better than we do,” he said.

Congress would not be able to stop 
the merger, as those dealings are reviewed by the Federal Trade 
Commission and the Justice Department. It would likely take until 2024 
to complete the merger. If deemed necessary, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/merger-review">the FTC can take legal proceedings</a> to stop mergers, either in federal courts or before an FTC administrative law judge.

Kroger leaders have argued that the 
deal will help them compete with top grocery retailers like Walmart and 
online behemoths like Amazon. Walmart controls about 21% of the grocery 
market share, followed by Kroger at 10% and Costco at 7%, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/profile-of-amazons-new-retail-ceo-doug-herrington-2022-7">according to Business Insider</a>. Albertsons controls about 5.8% of the grocery market share.&nbsp;

Albertsons is the second-largest 
supermarket company, owning 2,300 stores and employing 290,000 people. 
Kroger is the largest supermarket operator in the U.S., with more than 
2,700 stores and 450,000 employees and owns other supermarket chains 
like Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer and Ralphs.

Labor unions have also raised 
concerns. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, 
which represents more than 1 million grocery workers, said in a 
statement following the hearing that Kroger and Albertsons have not been
 transparent about wages, jobs and benefits for workers.&nbsp;

“Now, more than ever, Kroger and 
Albertsons executives must provide the answers and information needed to
 address the serious concerns our members and the American people have 
about this proposed merger,” according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ufcw.org/press-releases/ufcw-international-union-statement-on-senate-judiciary-subcommittee-hearing-on-proposed-kroger-albertsons-merger/">statement</a>.&nbsp;

Klobuchar and Lee wrote a<a target="_blank" href="https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/2/b/2b61dbcf-3bb9-49d2-a8e9-3622b1c1f9a9/7A05803C37BA9F78A1B037066B860D13.quill---letter-l7137---letter-to-ftc-chair-khan-re-albertsons-kroger-merger-002-.pdf"> joint letter </a>to
 Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, asking for her assurance that
 the commission will thoroughly investigate the merger.&nbsp;

They asked the agency to include 
findings from its investigation last fall “into grocery prices and the 
availability of food products, sending data requests to a number of 
companies, including Kroger,” in its proposed analysis of the new 
merger.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/summary-findings/">According to the Consumer Price Index</a>,
 food-at-home, such as grocery store or supermarket food purchases, 
increased 0.5% from September to October and was 12.4% higher than 
October of last year.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Klobuchar and Sen. Alex Padilla, a 
California Democrat, grilled McMullen on how he expected Kroger to keep 
its grocery prices low if the company took out its biggest competitor, 
Albertsons, arguing that Kroger would not have an incentive to keep 
prices low without competition.&nbsp;

“I just don’t see less competition 
going forward,” McMullen said, adding that his company would still 
compete with Costco, Walmart and Amazon.

Sumit Sharma, a senior researcher of technology competition at Consumer Reports, disagreed with that assessment.&nbsp;

“The most likely outcome is increased
 prices, fewer choices for consumers, and reduced supermarket access for
 some consumers,” he said.

Padilla said that in California alone
 there are several areas where Albertsons and Kroger are the only 
supermarkets and if this merger goes through, his constituents will only
 have one option to do their food shopping.

“That’s the concern,” he said. “With less competition, prices go up.”&nbsp;

Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas 
Republican, did not ask questions about the implications of the merger 
for food prices and instead took issue with the uniform that Kroger 
employees wear, which is an apron.&nbsp;

He cited a religious discrimination <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2022/10/31/kroger-rainbow-patch-case-settlement-announced/69605961007/">lawsuit</a>
 that Kroger recently settled in late October, in which the store paid 
$180,000 to employees who were fired months after they were given new 
apron uniforms displaying a heart patch with rainbow colors.&nbsp;

The former employees interpreted the 
aprons as supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, and said the aprons 
violated their religious beliefs.&nbsp;

“If this merger goes through, who’s going to be making decisions about uniforms?” Cotton asked.&nbsp;

McMullen said that uniforms are put together by an associate resource group that designs them.&nbsp;

“The heart is a symbol of our 
fundamental purpose … to be in community spirit,” McMullen said about 
the patch. “And part of being the human spirit is the heart and that 
heart is our fundamental strategy to support our purpose. The colors 
were not tied to any specific thing.”

Klobuchar and Lee said they were 
skeptical the merger would not increase food prices, following what 
happened in a 2015 merger between Albertsons and Safeway.

In 2015, as part of that merger, Albertsons had to participate in a divestiture and was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2015/01/ftc-requires-albertsons-safeway-sell-168-stores-condition-merger">required to sell 168</a> stores before it was allowed to merge with Safeway, per an order by the FTC.

Haggen bought most of the Albertsons stores, but in less than a year, the company filed for bankruptcy and Albertsons <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2015/09/ftc-approves-application-modification-divestiture-agreement-between-albertsons-haggen-holdings-llc">ended up buying back most of the stores.</a>&nbsp;

“I think this weighs heavily on the 
minds of a lot of people who have concerns about this agreement, just 
looking at the immediate past and what happened,” Klobuchar said.

Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson <a target="_blank" href="https://agportal-s3bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/uploadedfiles/Another/News/Press_Releases/Complaint_FINAL.pdf">filed a lawsuit </a>earlier
 this month to block Albertsons from giving its shareholders a $4 
billion dividend payout before the proposed merger with Kroger until the
 merger can be reviewed by state and federal antitrust officials.&nbsp;

Ferguson argued that the $4 billion 
dividend payments exceeded what Albertsons had on hand, which according 
to SEC filings was $2.5 billion. Albertsons was prepared to borrow the 
rest for the dividend payments.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

By reducing Albertsons’ cash on hand,
 Ferguson argued, it would make it difficult for Albertsons to keep up 
with inventory orders, “forcing customers to go to other grocery stores 
when shelves are not stocked with the products they seek,” and that less
 “inventory to stock could also impact employee hours.”

“Paying out $4 billion before 
regulators can do their job and review the proposed merger will weaken 
Albertsons’ ability to continue business operations and compete,” 
Ferguson said in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-files-lawsuit-block-albertsons-paying-4-billion-shareholders-merger">statement</a>.
 “Free enterprise is built on companies competing, and that competition 
benefits consumers. Corporations proposing a merger cannot sabotage 
their ability to compete while that merger is under review.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

A King County Superior Court commissioner <a target="_blank" href="https://agportal-s3bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/uploadedfiles/Another/News/Press_Releases/TRO%20granted.pdf">granted</a> Ferguson’s motion on Nov. 3.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669817140647.png" alt="U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, at a U.S. Senate hearing on the proposed merger of grocery chains Kroger and Albertsons. Nov. 29, 2022. (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, at a U.S. Senate hearing on the proposed merger of grocery chains Kroger and Albertsons. Nov. 29, 2022. (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ARIANA FIGUEROA <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/11/29/albertsons-kroger-mega-deal-raises-questions-from-lawmakers-about-higher-food-prices/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — Members of a U.S. Senate
 Judiciary Committee panel raised concerns during a hearing this week that
 a proposed merger between two of the largest U.S. supermarket chains 
could mean a monopoly on groceries and lead to higher food prices for 
Americans.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?524439-1/hearing-merger-kroger-albertsons-grocery-store-chains&amp;live">Click here to watch</a> a replay of the hearingU.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat who chairs the Subcommittee
 on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, along with the 
top Republican on the panel, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, grilled the CEOs of 
the Kroger Co., based in Cincinnati, and Albertsons Companies Inc., based in Boise, Idaho. The two companies are attempting to merge.&nbsp;“Over the last decade, the grocery 
industry has become increasingly consolidated, with the top four chains 
now making up more than two-thirds of all grocery sales,” Klobuchar 
said. “A lack of competition in the industry means higher prices and 
lower quality.”&nbsp;&nbsp;After Kroger announced a $24.6 
billion proposed purchase of its rival Albertsons last month, Klobuchar 
and Lee announced they planned to convene a hearing on the merger, 
citing concerns about already high food prices due to inflation, and 
their worry that a potential merger could worsen the problem.Another concern senators expressed 
was layoffs and store closures that could follow the merger. Sen. Josh 
Hawley, a Missouri Republican, pressed Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen on how
 many workers would be laid off if the two companies merged.&nbsp;McMullen said Kroger had no plans to 
lay off workers or close stories and pointed to a previous acquisition 
of Harris Teeter in 2014 where there were no layoffs or store closures.“We’ve ended up not laying off anybody because what we found is that merged companies do things better than we do,” he said.Congress would not be able to stop 
the merger, as those dealings are reviewed by the Federal Trade 
Commission and the Justice Department. It would likely take until 2024 
to complete the merger. If deemed necessary, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/merger-review">the FTC can take legal proceedings</a> to stop mergers, either in federal courts or before an FTC administrative law judge.<h2>Competing with Walmart</h2>Kroger leaders have argued that the 
deal will help them compete with top grocery retailers like Walmart and 
online behemoths like Amazon. Walmart controls about 21% of the grocery 
market share, followed by Kroger at 10% and Costco at 7%, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/profile-of-amazons-new-retail-ceo-doug-herrington-2022-7">according to Business Insider</a>. Albertsons controls about 5.8% of the grocery market share.&nbsp;Albertsons is the second-largest 
supermarket company, owning 2,300 stores and employing 290,000 people. 
Kroger is the largest supermarket operator in the U.S., with more than 
2,700 stores and 450,000 employees and owns other supermarket chains 
like Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer and Ralphs.Labor unions have also raised 
concerns. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, 
which represents more than 1 million grocery workers, said in a 
statement following the hearing that Kroger and Albertsons have not been
 transparent about wages, jobs and benefits for workers.&nbsp;“Now, more than ever, Kroger and 
Albertsons executives must provide the answers and information needed to
 address the serious concerns our members and the American people have 
about this proposed merger,” according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ufcw.org/press-releases/ufcw-international-union-statement-on-senate-judiciary-subcommittee-hearing-on-proposed-kroger-albertsons-merger/">statement</a>.&nbsp;Klobuchar and Lee wrote a<a target="_blank" href="https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/2/b/2b61dbcf-3bb9-49d2-a8e9-3622b1c1f9a9/7A05803C37BA9F78A1B037066B860D13.quill---letter-l7137---letter-to-ftc-chair-khan-re-albertsons-kroger-merger-002-.pdf"> joint letter </a>to
 Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, asking for her assurance that
 the commission will thoroughly investigate the merger.&nbsp;They asked the agency to include 
findings from its investigation last fall “into grocery prices and the 
availability of food products, sending data requests to a number of 
companies, including Kroger,” in its proposed analysis of the new 
merger.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/summary-findings/">According to the Consumer Price Index</a>,
 food-at-home, such as grocery store or supermarket food purchases, 
increased 0.5% from September to October and was 12.4% higher than 
October of last year.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Keeping prices low</h2>Klobuchar and Sen. Alex Padilla, a 
California Democrat, grilled McMullen on how he expected Kroger to keep 
its grocery prices low if the company took out its biggest competitor, 
Albertsons, arguing that Kroger would not have an incentive to keep 
prices low without competition.&nbsp;“I just don’t see less competition 
going forward,” McMullen said, adding that his company would still 
compete with Costco, Walmart and Amazon.Sumit Sharma, a senior researcher of technology competition at Consumer Reports, disagreed with that assessment.&nbsp;“The most likely outcome is increased
 prices, fewer choices for consumers, and reduced supermarket access for
 some consumers,” he said.Padilla said that in California alone
 there are several areas where Albertsons and Kroger are the only 
supermarkets and if this merger goes through, his constituents will only
 have one option to do their food shopping.“That’s the concern,” he said. “With less competition, prices go up.”&nbsp;<h2>Cotton questions Kroger uniforms</h2>Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas 
Republican, did not ask questions about the implications of the merger 
for food prices and instead took issue with the uniform that Kroger 
employees wear, which is an apron.&nbsp;He cited a religious discrimination <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2022/10/31/kroger-rainbow-patch-case-settlement-announced/69605961007/">lawsuit</a>
 that Kroger recently settled in late October, in which the store paid 
$180,000 to employees who were fired months after they were given new 
apron uniforms displaying a heart patch with rainbow colors.&nbsp;The former employees interpreted the 
aprons as supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, and said the aprons 
violated their religious beliefs.&nbsp;“If this merger goes through, who’s going to be making decisions about uniforms?” Cotton asked.&nbsp;McMullen said that uniforms are put together by an associate resource group that designs them.&nbsp;“The heart is a symbol of our 
fundamental purpose … to be in community spirit,” McMullen said about 
the patch. “And part of being the human spirit is the heart and that 
heart is our fundamental strategy to support our purpose. The colors 
were not tied to any specific thing.”<h2>2015 Merger</h2>Klobuchar and Lee said they were 
skeptical the merger would not increase food prices, following what 
happened in a 2015 merger between Albertsons and Safeway.In 2015, as part of that merger, Albertsons had to participate in a divestiture and was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2015/01/ftc-requires-albertsons-safeway-sell-168-stores-condition-merger">required to sell 168</a> stores before it was allowed to merge with Safeway, per an order by the FTC.Haggen bought most of the Albertsons stores, but in less than a year, the company filed for bankruptcy and Albertsons <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2015/09/ftc-approves-application-modification-divestiture-agreement-between-albertsons-haggen-holdings-llc">ended up buying back most of the stores.</a>&nbsp;“I think this weighs heavily on the 
minds of a lot of people who have concerns about this agreement, just 
looking at the immediate past and what happened,” Klobuchar said.<h2>Blocked dividend payout</h2>Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson <a target="_blank" href="https://agportal-s3bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/uploadedfiles/Another/News/Press_Releases/Complaint_FINAL.pdf">filed a lawsuit </a>earlier
 this month to block Albertsons from giving its shareholders a $4 
billion dividend payout before the proposed merger with Kroger until the
 merger can be reviewed by state and federal antitrust officials.&nbsp;Ferguson argued that the $4 billion 
dividend payments exceeded what Albertsons had on hand, which according 
to SEC filings was $2.5 billion. Albertsons was prepared to borrow the 
rest for the dividend payments.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;By reducing Albertsons’ cash on hand,
 Ferguson argued, it would make it difficult for Albertsons to keep up 
with inventory orders, “forcing customers to go to other grocery stores 
when shelves are not stocked with the products they seek,” and that less
 “inventory to stock could also impact employee hours.”“Paying out $4 billion before 
regulators can do their job and review the proposed merger will weaken 
Albertsons’ ability to continue business operations and compete,” 
Ferguson said in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-files-lawsuit-block-albertsons-paying-4-billion-shareholders-merger">statement</a>.
 “Free enterprise is built on companies competing, and that competition 
benefits consumers. Corporations proposing a merger cannot sabotage 
their ability to compete while that merger is under review.”&nbsp;&nbsp;A King County Superior Court commissioner <a target="_blank" href="https://agportal-s3bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/uploadedfiles/Another/News/Press_Releases/TRO%20granted.pdf">granted</a> Ferguson’s motion on Nov. 3.

🎥 Albertsons-Kroger merger raises questions about higher food prices

Aaron G. Maresch, age 75 years, coming from Rush Center at a young 
age, he became a legendary lifelong Great Bend, Kansas, resident, and 
passed away on Tuesday evening, November 29, 2022, at Hays Medical Center
 in Hays, Kansas. &nbsp;

Aaron was born on November 15, 1947, in Great Bend, 
Kansas, to Glenn E. and Marilyn L. (Bortz) Maresch. &nbsp;He was united in 
marriage to Barbara Ann Essmiller in October of 1968 in Great Bend and 
they later divorced. &nbsp;Aaron served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS 
Norfolk. He was an engineer and owned and operated Aaron’s Repair &amp; 
Supply Inc. which he started in 1978. &nbsp;Aaron’s business and legacy will 
proceed to operate under Tom Malone and Devon Nelson. Aaron was&nbsp;a 
dedicated Barton&nbsp;County Fair Association Board Member since 1980. Aaron 
loved his family and friends fiercely. &nbsp;He had a passion for making a 
difference in the lives of so many, especially through 4-H. He loved to 
fish, enjoy a good western, entertain friends and family, play with his 
border collie Dot, and enjoy life to its fullest. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Survivors include two daughters: &nbsp;Kimberly (&amp; Rick) Roberts of 
Junction City, Kansas and TeCoa (&amp; Bob) Stroda of Chapman, Kansas; 
seven grandchildren: &nbsp;Devon (&amp; MacKenzie) Nelson, Megan Nelson 
(&amp; fiancé Logan Payne), James Ryan Roberts, Ashley (&amp; Jachob) 
&nbsp;Strecker, Ty “Skeeter” Seibert, Teagan Seibert, and &nbsp;Tucker Stroda, his
 former wife Barbara Ann Maresch of Chapman, Kansas; three brothers: 
&nbsp;Myron Maresch of Texas, Edward (&amp; Jane) Maresch of Salina, Kansas,&nbsp; and Eldred (&amp; Becky) Maresch of Hoisington, Kansas; one sister 
Sharlyn Mulniex of Great Bend, Kansas; nieces and nephews along with 
many special friends whom were more like family. Aaron was preceded in 
death by his parents.

According to his wishes, cremation has been chosen and a Celebration 
of Life Service will be held at a later date. Memorials may be directed
 to the family for later designation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1669992859400.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Aaron G. Maresch, age 75 years, coming from Rush Center at a young 
age, he became a legendary lifelong Great Bend, Kansas, resident, and 
passed away on Tuesday evening, November 29, 2022, at Hays Medical Center
 in Hays, Kansas. &nbsp;Aaron was born on November 15, 1947, in Great Bend, 
Kansas, to Glenn E. and Marilyn L. (Bortz) Maresch. &nbsp;He was united in 
marriage to Barbara Ann Essmiller in October of 1968 in Great Bend and 
they later divorced. &nbsp;Aaron served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS 
Norfolk. He was an engineer and owned and operated Aaron’s Repair &amp; 
Supply Inc. which he started in 1978. &nbsp;Aaron’s business and legacy will 
proceed to operate under Tom Malone and Devon Nelson. Aaron was&nbsp;a 
dedicated Barton&nbsp;County Fair Association Board Member since 1980. Aaron 
loved his family and friends fiercely. &nbsp;He had a passion for making a 
difference in the lives of so many, especially through 4-H. He loved to 
fish, enjoy a good western, entertain friends and family, play with his 
border collie Dot, and enjoy life to its fullest. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Survivors include two daughters: &nbsp;Kimberly (&amp; Rick) Roberts of 
Junction City, Kansas and TeCoa (&amp; Bob) Stroda of Chapman, Kansas; 
seven grandchildren: &nbsp;Devon (&amp; MacKenzie) Nelson, Megan Nelson 
(&amp; fiancé Logan Payne), James Ryan Roberts, Ashley (&amp; Jachob) 
&nbsp;Strecker, Ty “Skeeter” Seibert, Teagan Seibert, and &nbsp;Tucker Stroda, his
 former wife Barbara Ann Maresch of Chapman, Kansas; three brothers: 
&nbsp;Myron Maresch of Texas, Edward (&amp; Jane) Maresch of Salina, Kansas,&nbsp; and Eldred (&amp; Becky) Maresch of Hoisington, Kansas; one sister 
Sharlyn Mulniex of Great Bend, Kansas; nieces and nephews along with 
many special friends whom were more like family. Aaron was preceded in 
death by his parents.According to his wishes, cremation has been chosen and a Celebration 
of Life Service will be held at a later date. Memorials may be directed
 to the family for later designation.

Aaron G. Maresch

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Three Lawrence police officers who shot and killed a man in October will not face charges because their actions were legally justified, Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez announced Thursday

The officers shot Michael Scott Blanck, 43, at his father's home on Oct. 2 after he pointed a gun at them, according to a Kansas Bureau of Investigation report.

Officers responded to Blanck's father's home after receiving a call that Blanck was inside after breaking a window. broken window. At the time, Blanck was under bond restrictions from two pending criminal cases to stay away from his family, according to Valdez's report.

Valdez said officers had been called to the home several times in the days before the shooting by family members worried about Blanck's mental health.

When Blanck came outside, he pointed a handgun at the officers, who opened fire, striking him several times, according to Kansas Bureau of Investigation report.

Blanck was awaiting sentencing on Oct. 28 for a previous conviction of aggravated battery and felony obstruction, according to court records. He also faced a charge of violating a protection order.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1664819476892.png" alt="0Blanck had previous convictions for theft, DUI, obstruction and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>0Blanck had previous convictions for theft, DUI, obstruction and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Three Lawrence police officers who shot and killed a man in October will not face charges because their actions were legally justified, Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez announced ThursdayThe officers shot Michael Scott Blanck, 43, at his father's home on Oct. 2 after he pointed a gun at them, according to a Kansas Bureau of Investigation report.Officers responded to Blanck's father's home after receiving a call that Blanck was inside after breaking a window. broken window. At the time, Blanck was under bond restrictions from two pending criminal cases to stay away from his family, according to Valdez's report.Valdez said officers had been called to the home several times in the days before the shooting by family members worried about Blanck's mental health.When Blanck came outside, he pointed a handgun at the officers, who opened fire, striking him several times, according to Kansas Bureau of Investigation report.Blanck was awaiting sentencing on Oct. 28 for a previous conviction of aggravated battery and felony obstruction, according to court records. He also faced a charge of violating a protection order.

Prosecutor: Fatal shooting by 3 Kan. officers was justified

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

After a case lasting almost four years, the former owner of the Plainville Livestock Commission was sentenced Wednesday in federal court in Kansas City&nbsp; on a multimillion check kiting scheme.

Tyler Gillum, former owner of the Plainville Livestock Commission, per a sentencing agreement, was sentenced by Judge Daniel Crabtree to 60 months in prison and more than $7.2 million in restitution. 

Gillum's sentences on all counts will run concurrently. He will be required to serve three years of post-release supervision.

The restitution included $6.8 million to Landmark National Bank of Manhattan, Kan., $250,000 to Federal Insurance Company and $208,000 to TBK Bank of Dallas.

Gillum will owe an additional $3,300 in fines.

As a part of his sentencing agreement, he has agreed not to appeal his conviction or sentencing.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/85498496-95af-4704-8e67-6ed8943abcf9">Gillum was convicted on 33 federal counts, including 31
 counts of bank fraud, one count of making a false statement in 
connection with a Small Business Administration guaranteed loan, and one
 count of making a false statement in a loan or credit card application. </a>

In the aftermath of Gillum's crimes, payments to ranchers for the sale of their cattle were delayed almost a year, banks were defrauded of millions of dollars and a rural bank closed.

Gillum owned and operated Plainville Livestock Commission Inc. from 2006 until 2019. 

Between January 2015 and August 2017, Gillum wrote checks and made 
wire transfers between various accounts under his control at various 
banks in a scheme commonly known as check kiting, according to the U.S. 
Attorney's Office.

This is when checks are continually written
 back and forth to fraudulently inflate account balances, tricking banks 
into honoring checks written with insufficient funds. Gillum’s scheme 
resulted in losses of more than $10 million to the banking system, 
according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

Bank officials 
stepped in in February 2019. Almena Bank froze Gillum's accounts, 
including a custodial account, which was supposed to hold money due to 
ranchers who sold cattle at Gillum's livestock auctions.

<a href="https://archive.hayspost.com/2019/06/12/ranchers-express-frustration-as-plainville-livestock-funds-remain-in-courts-hands/">Checks
 from the Plainville Livestock Commission for two sales — one at the end
 of January 2019 and the other on Feb. 5, 2019 — bounced.</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5de67bc1897d147ad4bb1dfd">Ranchers who were due more than $900,000 in auction proceeds had to 
wait more than 10 months to receive payment for their cattle.</a>

<a href="https://archive.hayspost.com/2019/06/11/auction-set-for-bankrupt-plainville-livestock-commission-14m-owed/">Plainville Livestock Commission declared bankruptcy on March 1, 2019</a>

In October 2020, Almena Bank failed. "The $69 million-asset bank was closed by its state regulator, then sold by the FDIC  to Equity Bank in Andover," according to a story in the American Banker on March 26, 2021.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e0ef87c4-7036-4352-a580-28d25241adc0">The delayed payment to ranchers and Plainville Livestock Commission bankruptcy had lasting effects on the Plainville and area ag communities.</a>

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostAfter a case lasting almost four years, the former owner of the Plainville Livestock Commission was sentenced Wednesday in federal court in Kansas City&nbsp; on a multimillion check kiting scheme.Tyler Gillum, former owner of the Plainville Livestock Commission, per a sentencing agreement, was sentenced by Judge Daniel Crabtree to 60 months in prison and more than $7.2 million in restitution. Gillum's sentences on all counts will run concurrently. He will be required to serve three years of post-release supervision.The restitution included $6.8 million to Landmark National Bank of Manhattan, Kan., $250,000 to Federal Insurance Company and $208,000 to TBK Bank of Dallas.Gillum will owe an additional $3,300 in fines.As a part of his sentencing agreement, he has agreed not to appeal his conviction or sentencing. <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/85498496-95af-4704-8e67-6ed8943abcf9">Gillum was convicted on 33 federal counts, including 31
 counts of bank fraud, one count of making a false statement in 
connection with a Small Business Administration guaranteed loan, and one
 count of making a false statement in a loan or credit card application. </a> In the aftermath of Gillum's crimes, payments to ranchers for the sale of their cattle were delayed almost a year, banks were defrauded of millions of dollars and a rural bank closed. Gillum owned and operated Plainville Livestock Commission Inc. from 2006 until 2019. Between January 2015 and August 2017, Gillum wrote checks and made 
wire transfers between various accounts under his control at various 
banks in a scheme commonly known as check kiting, according to the U.S. 
Attorney's Office. This is when checks are continually written
 back and forth to fraudulently inflate account balances, tricking banks 
into honoring checks written with insufficient funds. Gillum’s scheme 
resulted in losses of more than $10 million to the banking system, 
according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Bank officials 
stepped in in February 2019. Almena Bank froze Gillum's accounts, 
including a custodial account, which was supposed to hold money due to 
ranchers who sold cattle at Gillum's livestock auctions.<a href="https://archive.hayspost.com/2019/06/12/ranchers-express-frustration-as-plainville-livestock-funds-remain-in-courts-hands/">Checks
 from the Plainville Livestock Commission for two sales — one at the end
 of January 2019 and the other on Feb. 5, 2019 — bounced.</a><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5de67bc1897d147ad4bb1dfd">Ranchers who were due more than $900,000 in auction proceeds had to 
wait more than 10 months to receive payment for their cattle.</a><a href="https://archive.hayspost.com/2019/06/11/auction-set-for-bankrupt-plainville-livestock-commission-14m-owed/">Plainville Livestock Commission declared bankruptcy on March 1, 2019</a>In October 2020, Almena Bank failed. "The $69 million-asset bank was closed by its state regulator, then sold by the FDIC to Equity Bank in Andover," according to a story in the American Banker on March 26, 2021.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e0ef87c4-7036-4352-a580-28d25241adc0">The delayed payment to ranchers and Plainville Livestock Commission bankruptcy had lasting effects on the Plainville and area ag communities.</a>

Former Plainville Livestock Commission owner sentenced to prison, millions in restitution

Thursday, October 16th, 1930-Saturday, November 26th, 2022

An obituary is pending with Baalmann Mortuary.

Click <a href="https://memorials.baalmannmortuary.com/florence-howard/5081739/index.php">HERE</a> for service details.

Thursday, October 16th, 1930-Saturday, November 26th, 2022An obituary is pending with Baalmann Mortuary.Click <a href="https://memorials.baalmannmortuary.com/florence-howard/5081739/index.php">HERE</a> for service details.

Florence M. Howard

Wednesday, October 31st, 1934-Wednesday, November 30th, 2022

An obituary and services are pending with Baalmann Mortuary.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670079360855.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Wednesday, October 31st, 1934-Wednesday, November 30th, 2022An obituary and services are pending with Baalmann Mortuary.

Richard Lane Kvasnicka

KANSAS CITY —A&nbsp; judge Monday sentenced a Kansas City-area man to 12 years in prison after he was convicted of multiple&nbsp; burglaries and thefts, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

In October, Isaiah J.J. Brown, 31, pleaded guilty to Burglary 2nd Degree, Stealing, two counts of Tampering with a Motor Vehicle, Property Damage 1st Degree and two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.

The judge sentenced Brown to six years on each of five counts, with those six-year sentences running concurrently. In addition, the judge ordered six-year sentences on the two Unlawful Possession of a Firearm convictions, setting them to run concurrently. The judge then set those two six-year sentences to run consecutively. That set a total sentence of 12 years.

According to court records, on Nov. 8, 2020, Kansas City police responded to a residence on West Gregory Blvd and the homeowner reported that valuable electronic items were stolen from the residence while she was in the front yard doing yard work. 

A police DNA-trained officer processed the scene for DNA of the suspect. A cigarette butt was also recovered from the vehicle at the residence. The DNA from the cigarette later was matched to the defendant, who was also seen on surveillance video parking his vehicle and entering the residence. Police connected the defendant to or the defendant admitted to other vehicle thefts in Kansas City. When taken into custody two firearms were found.

The victim of the home burglary made a statement Monday to the court for both he and his wife. He thanked the officers, detectives and crime lab staff that helped investigate the crime, as well as the prosecutor's office. But he said he and his family's losses have left a significant and devastating toll on the family, taking not only thousands of dollars in electronic equipment but also damaging their sense of security as well as their emotional and mental well being. &nbsp;"The impact of Isaiah Brown's callous and indifferent criminal actions on our family since has been dramatic," the victim's wife stated. &nbsp;"Isaiah Brown non only ransacked our house, he ransacked our life."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669673039124.png" alt="Brown-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Brown-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A&nbsp; judge Monday sentenced a Kansas City-area man to 12 years in prison after he was convicted of multiple&nbsp; burglaries and thefts, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.In October, Isaiah J.J. Brown, 31, pleaded guilty to Burglary 2nd Degree, Stealing, two counts of Tampering with a Motor Vehicle, Property Damage 1st Degree and two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.The judge sentenced Brown to six years on each of five counts, with those six-year sentences running concurrently. In addition, the judge ordered six-year sentences on the two Unlawful Possession of a Firearm convictions, setting them to run concurrently. The judge then set those two six-year sentences to run consecutively. That set a total sentence of 12 years.According to court records, on Nov. 8, 2020, Kansas City police responded to a residence on West Gregory Blvd and the homeowner reported that valuable electronic items were stolen from the residence while she was in the front yard doing yard work. A police DNA-trained officer processed the scene for DNA of the suspect. A cigarette butt was also recovered from the vehicle at the residence. The DNA from the cigarette later was matched to the defendant, who was also seen on surveillance video parking his vehicle and entering the residence. Police connected the defendant to or the defendant admitted to other vehicle thefts in Kansas City. When taken into custody two firearms were found.The victim of the home burglary made a statement Monday to the court for both he and his wife. He thanked the officers, detectives and crime lab staff that helped investigate the crime, as well as the prosecutor's office. But he said he and his family's losses have left a significant and devastating toll on the family, taking not only thousands of dollars in electronic equipment but also damaging their sense of security as well as their emotional and mental well being. &nbsp;"The impact of Isaiah Brown's callous and indifferent criminal actions on our family since has been dramatic," the victim's wife stated. &nbsp;"Isaiah Brown non only ransacked our house, he ransacked our life."

Victim: Kansas City man ransacked our home, our life

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/economic-instability-pushing-kpers-investment-returns-into-negative-territory/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Volatility in the stock 
market will push annual return on investment to the Kansas Public 
Employees Retirement System into negative territory at close of the 
year, the pension system’s executive director said Tuesday.

The assumed investment return for KPERS was adjusted downward in May 
from 7.75% to 7%. To strengthen the bottom line, the Kansas Legislature 
agreed to pump an extra $1.1 billion into the system.

The snapshot on investment return will be calculated based on 
financial position of the portfolio Dec. 31, said Alan Conroy, executive
 director of KPERS.

“If you have the strength to watch the markets these days, the 
volatility — October was a great month, but some of the months have not 
been so good,” Conroy told House and Senate members at the Capitol. 
“We’ll see where we end up at the end of December. But, I think, where 
we stand right now, the return will probably be negative for calendar 
year 2022.”

Conroy didn’t offer a projection as to how far under water the $24.8 
billion portfolio would be at close of this year’s business.

Advocates of KPERS’ 300,000 members with careers in schools, the 
judiciary, law enforcement, firefighting and other government entities 
have pressured the Legislature for years to approve a cost of living 
increase, with many of those proposals ranging from 1% to 5%.

In Kansas, the last cost of living adjustment was issued in 1998 and 
the last one-time cash bonus to retirees was made in 2008. The 
Legislature authorized 16 cost-of-living adjustments from 1971 to 1997.

Sen. Rick Billinger, a Goodland Republican and chairman of the Senate
 Ways and Means Committee, said he wasn’t convinced the state should 
grant a COLA because it would inflate the system’s long term unfunded 
liability above the current $9.8 billion. KPERS is a prefunded system 
that invests employee and employer contributions to pay benefits years 
into the future. A COLA, which can be viewed as an unfunded benefit 
change, would exacerbate the unfunded liability.

“The stock market is down today,” Billinger told Conroy during a 
meeting of an interim House-Senate committee. “And, you’re going to 
probably be negative or this year. We’re not going to short anybody what
 we have been paying them all along. They’re going to continue to get 
that check, even though the market is down.”

The senator said a COLA would repeat mistakes of the past when the 
Legislature made a series of insufficient contributions to KPERS.

“That’s the problem with our whole system now,” Billinger said. “We 
didn’t make the required contributions when we were supposed to.”

Rep. Brandon Woodard, D-Lenexa, said only 10% of current KPERS 
retires were around in 1998 when the last COLA was approved. He said 
various legislative committees with ties to KPERS ought to seriously 
consider making the first adjustment in a quarter century.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669762731523.png" alt="Alan Conroy, executive director of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System, said the pension system’s return on investment would be in the negative for 2022. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption>Alan Conroy, executive director of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System, said the pension system’s return on investment would be in the negative for 2022. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/economic-instability-pushing-kpers-investment-returns-into-negative-territory/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Volatility in the stock 
market will push annual return on investment to the Kansas Public 
Employees Retirement System into negative territory at close of the 
year, the pension system’s executive director said Tuesday.The assumed investment return for KPERS was adjusted downward in May 
from 7.75% to 7%. To strengthen the bottom line, the Kansas Legislature 
agreed to pump an extra $1.1 billion into the system.The snapshot on investment return will be calculated based on 
financial position of the portfolio Dec. 31, said Alan Conroy, executive
 director of KPERS.“If you have the strength to watch the markets these days, the 
volatility — October was a great month, but some of the months have not 
been so good,” Conroy told House and Senate members at the Capitol. 
“We’ll see where we end up at the end of December. But, I think, where 
we stand right now, the return will probably be negative for calendar 
year 2022.”Conroy didn’t offer a projection as to how far under water the $24.8 
billion portfolio would be at close of this year’s business.Advocates of KPERS’ 300,000 members with careers in schools, the 
judiciary, law enforcement, firefighting and other government entities 
have pressured the Legislature for years to approve a cost of living 
increase, with many of those proposals ranging from 1% to 5%.In Kansas, the last cost of living adjustment was issued in 1998 and 
the last one-time cash bonus to retirees was made in 2008. The 
Legislature authorized 16 cost-of-living adjustments from 1971 to 1997.Sen. Rick Billinger, a Goodland Republican and chairman of the Senate
 Ways and Means Committee, said he wasn’t convinced the state should 
grant a COLA because it would inflate the system’s long term unfunded 
liability above the current $9.8 billion. KPERS is a prefunded system 
that invests employee and employer contributions to pay benefits years 
into the future. A COLA, which can be viewed as an unfunded benefit 
change, would exacerbate the unfunded liability.“The stock market is down today,” Billinger told Conroy during a 
meeting of an interim House-Senate committee. “And, you’re going to 
probably be negative or this year. We’re not going to short anybody what
 we have been paying them all along. They’re going to continue to get 
that check, even though the market is down.”The senator said a COLA would repeat mistakes of the past when the 
Legislature made a series of insufficient contributions to KPERS.“That’s the problem with our whole system now,” Billinger said. “We 
didn’t make the required contributions when we were supposed to.”Rep. Brandon Woodard, D-Lenexa, said only 10% of current KPERS 
retires were around in 1998 when the last COLA was approved. He said 
various legislative committees with ties to KPERS ought to seriously 
consider making the first adjustment in a quarter century.

Economy pushing KPERS returns into negative territory

LAWRENCE, Kan. - John Hadl, a homegrown football legend at the University of Kansas who went on to become a professional football star, passed away on Wednesday morning. He was 82 years old.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hadl made a name for himself at Lawrence High School as an all-state halfback for the football team and as a centerfielder for the baseball team. To the delight of Lawrence residents, Hadl chose to play for KU.

His ability as an all-around athlete served him well as he transitioned into the college game. As a sophomore in 1959, in his first season of collegiate eligibility, Hadl led the NCAA in punting (45.6 yards per punt) and set KU records for the longest punt (94 yards, which still stands) and the longest interception return (98 yards, which stood until 2007).&nbsp;

But it was his junior and senior campaigns that etched his name into the history books. Hadl’s versatility propelled him to excel both as a halfback and quarterback. With Hadl running the offense, the Jayhawks were ranked in the top-20 his junior and senior years and finished the two-season span 14-5-2. He wrapped up his Kansas career leading his team to the program’s first-ever bowl victory, a 33-7 decision over Rice in the 1961 Bluebonnet Bowl.

Statement from Director of Athletics Travis Goff

“John Hadl had a generational impact on Kansas Football, the University of Kansas and the Lawrence community. He was a once-in-a-lifetime Jayhawk student-athlete, a coach and mentor, a prolific fundraiser who developed profound relationships with countless, and the ultimate ambassador for KU. In short, our University and athletic program has been transformed by John and his legacy will forever be cemented. Our deepest thoughts and prayers are with Diana and the Hadl family. We will deeply miss John and his contagious smile but will proudly honor him and his unrivaled legacy as we move forward.”

Statement from Head Football Coach Lance Leipold

“Upon my arrival, I heard instantly from people across the state about John’s impact to this department, not just as a student-athlete and coach, but as someone who dedicated nearly 40 years of his life to the University of Kansas. His desire to enhance KU and make it as special as possible truly resonated with me. To be the head coach of this program and see his statue every day outside Anderson Family Football Complex, is a firm reminder of the passion and love that John had for this program. Kelly and I send our condolences to the Hadl family and his loved ones.”

An inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame (1994), Hadl was the first Kansas player to be picked twice for All-America honors (1960 and 1961). He was also named the Most Valuable Player of both the East-West Shrine game and the College All-Star game after the 1961 season.

Hadl then enjoyed a successful 16-year career as a professional quarterback, most notably with the San Diego Chargers. A six-time Pro Bowler, he played in three American Football League Championship games and was named National Football Conference Player of the Year in 1973.&nbsp; He was named the 1971 National Football League Man of the Year and is a member of the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame. Hadl was selected with the 10th&nbsp;overall pick in the 1962 NFL Draft.

After retiring from professional football in 1977, Hadl returned to his hometown and to his true love, the University of Kansas, as an assistant football coach. As assistant head coach and offensive coordinator in 1981 he helped lead the Jayhawks to the Hall of Fame Bowl. His players loved him, having come to understand his passion for and knowledge of the game. In the mid-1980’s he coached in the NFL and the USFL.

In 1988 Hadl returned to KU to join the Williams Education Fund.&nbsp; For 30 years he was at the forefront of fundraising for the construction and renovation of KU’s athletics facilities. Hadl retired from his position in the Kansas Athletics’ Williams Education Fund in October of 2018.&nbsp;

A Jayhawk at heart, John Hadl will forever be honored as a member of the Kansas football Ring of Honor and the Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame. His No. 21 is one of three Kansas football numbers to be retired (Gale Sayers No. 48 and Ray Evans No. 42).

Hadl’s legacy was celebrated during the 2020 season with a&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/watch-live-unveiling-of-john-hadl-and-gale-sayers-statues/">statue unveiling</a>&nbsp;outside of Anderson Family Football Complex. He is one of two Jayhawks to be commemorated.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669837038597.png" alt="Kansas Athletics photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Athletics photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas AthleticsLAWRENCE, Kan. - John Hadl, a homegrown football legend at the University of Kansas who went on to become a professional football star, passed away on Wednesday morning. He was 82 years old.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hadl made a name for himself at Lawrence High School as an all-state halfback for the football team and as a centerfielder for the baseball team. To the delight of Lawrence residents, Hadl chose to play for KU.His ability as an all-around athlete served him well as he transitioned into the college game. As a sophomore in 1959, in his first season of collegiate eligibility, Hadl led the NCAA in punting (45.6 yards per punt) and set KU records for the longest punt (94 yards, which still stands) and the longest interception return (98 yards, which stood until 2007).&nbsp;But it was his junior and senior campaigns that etched his name into the history books. Hadl’s versatility propelled him to excel both as a halfback and quarterback. With Hadl running the offense, the Jayhawks were ranked in the top-20 his junior and senior years and finished the two-season span 14-5-2. He wrapped up his Kansas career leading his team to the program’s first-ever bowl victory, a 33-7 decision over Rice in the 1961 Bluebonnet Bowl.Statement from Director of Athletics Travis Goff“John Hadl had a generational impact on Kansas Football, the University of Kansas and the Lawrence community. He was a once-in-a-lifetime Jayhawk student-athlete, a coach and mentor, a prolific fundraiser who developed profound relationships with countless, and the ultimate ambassador for KU. In short, our University and athletic program has been transformed by John and his legacy will forever be cemented. Our deepest thoughts and prayers are with Diana and the Hadl family. We will deeply miss John and his contagious smile but will proudly honor him and his unrivaled legacy as we move forward.”Statement from Head Football Coach Lance Leipold“Upon my arrival, I heard instantly from people across the state about John’s impact to this department, not just as a student-athlete and coach, but as someone who dedicated nearly 40 years of his life to the University of Kansas. His desire to enhance KU and make it as special as possible truly resonated with me. To be the head coach of this program and see his statue every day outside Anderson Family Football Complex, is a firm reminder of the passion and love that John had for this program. Kelly and I send our condolences to the Hadl family and his loved ones.”An inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame (1994), Hadl was the first Kansas player to be picked twice for All-America honors (1960 and 1961). He was also named the Most Valuable Player of both the East-West Shrine game and the College All-Star game after the 1961 season.Hadl then enjoyed a successful 16-year career as a professional quarterback, most notably with the San Diego Chargers. A six-time Pro Bowler, he played in three American Football League Championship games and was named National Football Conference Player of the Year in 1973.&nbsp; He was named the 1971 National Football League Man of the Year and is a member of the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame. Hadl was selected with the 10th&nbsp;overall pick in the 1962 NFL Draft.After retiring from professional football in 1977, Hadl returned to his hometown and to his true love, the University of Kansas, as an assistant football coach. As assistant head coach and offensive coordinator in 1981 he helped lead the Jayhawks to the Hall of Fame Bowl. His players loved him, having come to understand his passion for and knowledge of the game. In the mid-1980’s he coached in the NFL and the USFL.In 1988 Hadl returned to KU to join the Williams Education Fund.&nbsp; For 30 years he was at the forefront of fundraising for the construction and renovation of KU’s athletics facilities. Hadl retired from his position in the Kansas Athletics’ Williams Education Fund in October of 2018.&nbsp;A Jayhawk at heart, John Hadl will forever be honored as a member of the Kansas football Ring of Honor and the Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame. His No. 21 is one of three Kansas football numbers to be retired (Gale Sayers No. 48 and Ray Evans No. 42).Hadl’s legacy was celebrated during the 2020 season with a&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/watch-live-unveiling-of-john-hadl-and-gale-sayers-statues/">statue unveiling</a>&nbsp;outside of Anderson Family Football Complex. He is one of two Jayhawks to be commemorated.

🏈 KU legend John Hadl passes away at 82

BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — An inmate convicted of ambushing and killing a Missouri police officer he blamed in the death of his younger brother was executed Tuesday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661445268889.png" alt="Johnson photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Johnson photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — An inmate convicted of ambushing and killing a Missouri police officer he blamed in the death of his younger brother was executed Tuesday night.Kevin Johnson, 37, died after an injection of pentobarbital at the state prison in Bonne Terre. It was the state’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-executions-st-louis-sentencing-missouri-30fa4991720e49efc6690f4c99244061">second execution this year</a>&nbsp;and the 17th nationally. Two more executions are scheduled in Missouri for the first few weeks of 2023.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669773468306.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Johnson’s attorneys didn’t deny that he killed Officer William McEntee in 2005, but contended he was sentenced to death in part because he is Black. But courts,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-executions-missouri-3c5c00c2e09cc3d4639b827e374e45a1">including the U.S. Supreme Court</a>, and Republican Gov. Mike Parson declined to stop the execution.Johnson declined to make a final statement before the lethal drug was administered.In a first for modern executions in Missouri, Johnson was not in the execution room alone. His spiritual advisor, the Rev. Darryl Gray, sat at his side. The men spoke softly until the drug was administered. Gray appeared to be reading from the Bible as Johnson shut his eyes. Within seconds, all movement ceased. Gray, a leading St. Louis racial injustice activist, continued reading from the Bible or praying while patting Johnson’s shoulder.“We read scripture and had a word of prayer,” Gray said. “He apologized again. He apologized to the victim’s family. He apologized to his family. He said he was looking forward to seeing his baby brother. And he said he was ready.”McEntee, 43, was a 20-year veteran of the police department in Kirkwood, a St. Louis suburb. A husband and father of three, he was among the officers sent to Johnson’s home on July 5, 2005, to serve a warrant for his arrest. Johnson was on probation for assaulting his girlfriend, and police believed he had violated probation.Johnson saw officers arrive and awoke his 12-year-old brother, Joseph “Bam Bam” Long, who ran to a house next door. Once there, the boy, who suffered from a congenital heart defect, collapsed and began having a seizure.Johnson testified at trial that McEntee kept his mother from entering the house to aid his brother, who died a short time later at a hospital.That evening, McEntee returned to the neighborhood to check on unrelated reports of fireworks being shot off. A court filing from the Missouri attorney general’s office said McEntee was in his car questioning three children when Johnson shot him through the open passenger-side window, striking the officer’s leg, head and torso. A teenager was struck but survived. Johnson then got into the car and took McEntee’s gun.The court filing said Johnson walked down the street and told his mother that McEntee “let my brother die” and “needs to see what it feels like to die.” Though she told him, “That’s not true,” Johnson returned to the shooting scene and found McEntee alive, on his knees near the patrol car. Johnson shot McEntee in the back and in the head, killing him.Johnson’s lawyers previously asked the courts to intervene for other reasons, including a history of mental illness and his age — 19 — at the time of the crime. Courts have increasingly moved away from sentencing teen offenders to death since the Supreme Court in 2005&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/explore/locked-up-for-life/Roper-v-Simmons">banned the execution</a>&nbsp;of offenders who were younger than 18 at the time of their crime.But a broader focus of appeals alleged racial bias. In October, St. Louis Circuit Judge Mary Elizabeth Ott appointed a special prosecutor to review the case. The special prosecutor, E.E. Keenan, filed a motion earlier this month to vacate the death sentence, stating that race played a “decisive factor” in the death sentence.Ott declined to halt the execution, and appeals to the Missouri Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court were turned aside.Keenan’s court filing said former St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch’s office handled five cases involving the deaths of police officers during his 28 years in office. McCulloch sought the death penalty in the four cases involving Black defendants, but did not seek death in the one case where the defendant was white, the file said.McCulloch’s father was a police officer killed in the line of duty. McCulloch does not have a listed phone number and could not be reached for comment.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/executions-kansas-city-missouri-american-civil-liberties-union-fb286220ab2c127df3b9f56db67c6d45">Johnson’s 19-year-old daughter</a>, Khorry Ramey, had sought to witness the execution, but a state law prohibits anyone under 21 from observing the process. Courts declined to step in on Ramey’s behalf.The U.S. saw 98 executions in 1999 but the number has dropped dramatically in recent years. Missouri already has two scheduled for early 2023. Convicted killer Scott McLaughlin is scheduled to die on Jan. 3, and convicted killer Leonard Taylor’s execution is set for Feb. 7.___