By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

During a stop in Hays last week, Gov. Kelly visited the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/52b97519-b934-46eb-bdf3-8bd246bf2675">Bob&nbsp;and Pat Schmidt Community Center</a> construction site.

The $6 million, 14,000-square-foot community center near 27th and Canterbury is scheduled to be completed in July.

It will house a child care center, Hays Senior Center and community rooms for public use.

James Robben,&nbsp;director of business development and special projects, said the seniors want to attract a square dancing competition to Hays. They would use the community room for this purpose.

Mayor Sandy Jacobs said the community needs more meeting space.

"There is so much about this that is for the whole community," she said. "It just makes you smile when you tell the story. It was the right thing to do at the right time."

The facility is being billed as an opportunity for intergenerational interaction between seniors and children in the child care center.

The center includes a storm shelter that can be used by senior center, child care and surrounding Grove housing development residents.

Doug Williams, executive director of Grow Hays, which has spearheaded the development, said the shelter added to the center's price tag. Still, the development group felt it was a priority for the project.

The senior center will have a patio and a three-season room off the playground so seniors can watch the children play.

The child care center, which Bright Minds Academy will run, will open in August. It will have a capacity for 77 children.&nbsp;

Bright Minds is now taking names for a waiting list for the facility.

Melissa Rooker, executive director of the Kansas Children's Cabinet, said the Children's Cabinet has been able to add more than 3,600 child care slots. Once all the slots in the works are added, including those at the community center in Hays, the cabinet will have helped add about 6,300 child care slots in Kansas.

Kansas Children's Cabinet and Trust Fund granted the project $3.5 million. The center was also supported through private funding, including a Robert and Patricia Schmidt Foundation donation.

The state funds came from a tobacco settlement to the states and were designated for early childhood education by the Kansas Legislature in 1999.

Kelly said child care is needed for businesses to attract and retain employees.

Kelly said the center was a good example of a public-private partnership.

The community center is part of a larger housing project, The Grove, which is being marketed toward seniors.

Work has begun on infrastructure for The Grove housing addition. Most recently, work was being done to lay a sewer for the addition.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/a9010c42-afe6-43c7-8310-fa044f54b847">SEE RELATED STORY: Grow Hays year in review: Housing still key to growth</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741120949851.jpeg" alt="James Robben, director of business development and special projects for Grow Hays, far left, speaks with&nbsp;Melissa Rooker, executive director of the Kansas Children's Cabinet, middle, and Gov. Laura Kelly, right, as they tour the&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/52b97519-b934-46eb-bdf3-8bd246bf2675">Bob&nbsp;and Pat Schmidt Community Center</a>&nbsp;in Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>James Robben, director of business development and special projects for Grow Hays, far left, speaks with&nbsp;Melissa Rooker, executive director of the Kansas Children's Cabinet, middle, and Gov. Laura Kelly, right, as they tour the&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/52b97519-b934-46eb-bdf3-8bd246bf2675">Bob&nbsp;and Pat Schmidt Community Center</a>&nbsp;in Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostDuring a stop in Hays last week, Gov. Kelly visited the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/52b97519-b934-46eb-bdf3-8bd246bf2675">Bob&nbsp;and Pat Schmidt Community Center</a> construction site.The $6 million, 14,000-square-foot community center near 27th and Canterbury is scheduled to be completed in July.It will house a child care center, Hays Senior Center and community rooms for public use.James Robben,&nbsp;director of business development and special projects, said the seniors want to attract a square dancing competition to Hays. They would use the community room for this purpose.Mayor Sandy Jacobs said the community needs more meeting space."There is so much about this that is for the whole community," she said. "It just makes you smile when you tell the story. It was the right thing to do at the right time."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741121073079.jpeg" alt="A community room in the new&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/52b97519-b934-46eb-bdf3-8bd246bf2675">Bob&nbsp;and Pat Schmidt Community Center</a>&nbsp;in The Grove housing addition. The Hays Senior Center's new space is to the left. The building is set to be completed in July.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A community room in the new&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/52b97519-b934-46eb-bdf3-8bd246bf2675">Bob&nbsp;and Pat Schmidt Community Center</a>&nbsp;in The Grove housing addition. The Hays Senior Center's new space is to the left. The building is set to be completed in July.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741121010236.jpeg" alt="The child care wing in the&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/52b97519-b934-46eb-bdf3-8bd246bf2675">Bob&nbsp;and Pat Schmidt Community Center</a>. The center will have space for 77 children. The secure entrance can be seen at the far left. The office is in the center. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The child care wing in the&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/52b97519-b934-46eb-bdf3-8bd246bf2675">Bob&nbsp;and Pat Schmidt Community Center</a>. The center will have space for 77 children. The secure entrance can be seen at the far left. The office is in the center. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>The facility is being billed as an opportunity for intergenerational interaction between seniors and children in the child care center.The center includes a storm shelter that can be used by senior center, child care and surrounding Grove housing development residents.Doug Williams, executive director of Grow Hays, which has spearheaded the development, said the shelter added to the center's price tag. Still, the development group felt it was a priority for the project.The senior center will have a patio and a three-season room off the playground so seniors can watch the children play.The child care center, which Bright Minds Academy will run, will open in August. It will have a capacity for 77 children.&nbsp;Bright Minds is now taking names for a waiting list for the facility.Melissa Rooker, executive director of the Kansas Children's Cabinet, said the Children's Cabinet has been able to add more than 3,600 child care slots. Once all the slots in the works are added, including those at the community center in Hays, the cabinet will have helped add about 6,300 child care slots in Kansas.Kansas Children's Cabinet and Trust Fund granted the project $3.5 million. The center was also supported through private funding, including a Robert and Patricia Schmidt Foundation donation.The state funds came from a tobacco settlement to the states and were designated for early childhood education by the Kansas Legislature in 1999.Kelly said child care is needed for businesses to attract and retain employees.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741121109384.jpeg" alt="The exterior of the $6 million, 14,000-square-foot community center, which is near 27th and Canterbury.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The exterior of the $6 million, 14,000-square-foot community center, which is near 27th and Canterbury.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741121039561.jpeg" alt="Excavators were working last week on the infrastructure for The Grove housing addition. The addition, which is adjacent to HaysMed, will be geared toward seniors.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Excavators were working last week on the infrastructure for The Grove housing addition. The addition, which is adjacent to HaysMed, will be geared toward seniors.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Kelly said the center was a good example of a public-private partnership.The community center is part of a larger housing project, The Grove, which is being marketed toward seniors. Work has begun on infrastructure for The Grove housing addition. Most recently, work was being done to lay a sewer for the addition.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/a9010c42-afe6-43c7-8310-fa044f54b847">SEE RELATED STORY: Grow Hays year in review: Housing still key to growth</a>

Gov. visits Hays community center; building set for completion in July

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LAURA%20UNGAR%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LAURA UNGAR AP Science Writer</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-vaccines-who-840dbec753bef775aa043da3948b1f45">Measles</a>&nbsp;is not often seen in the United States, but Americans are growing more concerned about the preventable virus as cases continue to rise in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">rural West Texas</a>.

Last week, an unvaccinated child died in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-vaccinations-mennonites-4880035d6fd53cc029b531f5adda95ad">outbreak</a>, which involves more than 150 cases.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the last confirmed measles death in the United States was in 2015. The agency on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CDCgov/status/1896952684626006021">posted a message</a>&nbsp;on X saying that “CDC is on the ground in TX,” indicating that the state had requested federal assistance in investigating and controlling the outbreak.

Here’s what to know about the measles and how to protect yourself.

Where have measles cases been reported in the U.S.?

Besides Texas, which has had the most measles cases of any U.S. state this year, there are also nine cases in New Mexico. The state health department there has said there is no direct connection to the outbreak in Texas.

Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more related cases. Three measles clusters have qualified as outbreaks in 2025, the agency said. In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates.

It's a respiratory disease caused by one of the world’s most contagious viruses. The virus is airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It most commonly affects kids.

“On average, one infected person may infect about 15 other people,” said Scott Weaver, a center of excellence director for the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. “There’s only a few viruses that even come close to that.”

Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.

The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.

There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.

People who have had measles once can’t get it again, health officials say.

It usually doesn’t kill people, but it can.

Common complications include ear infections and diarrhea. But about 1 in 5 unvaccinated Americans who get measles are hospitalized, the CDC said. Pregnant women who haven’t gotten the vaccine may give birth prematurely or have a low-birthweight baby.

Among children with measles, about 1 in every 20 develops pneumonia, the CDC said, and about one in every 1,000 suffers swelling of the brain called encephalitis — which can lead to convulsions, deafness or intellectual disability.

It’s deadly “in a little less than 1% of cases, mainly in children,” said Weaver, who works at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. “Children develop the most severe illness. The cause of death in these kinds of cases is usually pneumonia and complications from pneumonia.”

The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.

“Before a vaccine was developed in the 1960s, everybody got” measles, Weaver said. "But then when the vaccine came along, that was a complete game-changer and one of the most successful vaccines in the history of medicine.”

There is “great data” on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, he said, because it's been around for decades.

“Any of these outbreaks we’re seeing can easily be prevented by increasing the rate of vaccination in the community,” he said. “If we can maintain 95% of people vaccinated, we’re not going to see this happening in the future. And we’ve slipped well below that level in many parts of the country.”

Vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic, and most states are below the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccinations-kindergarten-exemptions-cdc-1c0f9a196a70491fccf48b9125090de0">95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners</a>&nbsp;— the level needed to protect communities against measles outbreaks.

Do you need a booster if you got the MMR vaccine a while ago?

Health care professionals are sometimes tested for antibodies to measles and given boosters if necessary, Weaver said — even if they’ve already had the standard two doses as a child.

He said people at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may also want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.

“But I don’t think everyone needs to go and run out to their doctor right now if they did receive two doses as a child,” he said. "If people would just get the standard vaccination, none of this would be happening.”

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740583865667.png" alt="A sign is seen outside a clinic with the South Plains Public Health District Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, in Brownfield, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)" />
 <figcaption>A sign is seen outside a clinic with the South Plains Public Health District Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, in Brownfield, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LAURA%20UNGAR%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LAURA UNGAR AP Science Writer</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-vaccines-who-840dbec753bef775aa043da3948b1f45">Measles</a>&nbsp;is not often seen in the United States, but Americans are growing more concerned about the preventable virus as cases continue to rise in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">rural West Texas</a>.Last week, an unvaccinated child died in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-vaccinations-mennonites-4880035d6fd53cc029b531f5adda95ad">outbreak</a>, which involves more than 150 cases.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the last confirmed measles death in the United States was in 2015. The agency on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CDCgov/status/1896952684626006021">posted a message</a>&nbsp;on X saying that “CDC is on the ground in TX,” indicating that the state had requested federal assistance in investigating and controlling the outbreak.Here’s what to know about the measles and how to protect yourself.<h2>Where have measles cases been reported in the U.S.?</h2>Besides Texas, which has had the most measles cases of any U.S. state this year, there are also nine cases in New Mexico. The state health department there has said there is no direct connection to the outbreak in Texas.Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more related cases. Three measles clusters have qualified as outbreaks in 2025, the agency said. In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates.<h2>What is measles?</h2>It's a respiratory disease caused by one of the world’s most contagious viruses. The virus is airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It most commonly affects kids.“On average, one infected person may infect about 15 other people,” said Scott Weaver, a center of excellence director for the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. “There’s only a few viruses that even come close to that.”Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.People who have had measles once can’t get it again, health officials say.<h2>Can measles be fatal?</h2>It usually doesn’t kill people, but it can.Common complications include ear infections and diarrhea. But about 1 in 5 unvaccinated Americans who get measles are hospitalized, the CDC said. Pregnant women who haven’t gotten the vaccine may give birth prematurely or have a low-birthweight baby.Among children with measles, about 1 in every 20 develops pneumonia, the CDC said, and about one in every 1,000 suffers swelling of the brain called encephalitis — which can lead to convulsions, deafness or intellectual disability.It’s deadly “in a little less than 1% of cases, mainly in children,” said Weaver, who works at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. “Children develop the most severe illness. The cause of death in these kinds of cases is usually pneumonia and complications from pneumonia.”<h2>How can you prevent measles?</h2>The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.“Before a vaccine was developed in the 1960s, everybody got” measles, Weaver said. "But then when the vaccine came along, that was a complete game-changer and one of the most successful vaccines in the history of medicine.”There is “great data” on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, he said, because it's been around for decades.“Any of these outbreaks we’re seeing can easily be prevented by increasing the rate of vaccination in the community,” he said. “If we can maintain 95% of people vaccinated, we’re not going to see this happening in the future. And we’ve slipped well below that level in many parts of the country.”Vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic, and most states are below the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccinations-kindergarten-exemptions-cdc-1c0f9a196a70491fccf48b9125090de0">95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners</a>&nbsp;— the level needed to protect communities against measles outbreaks.<h2>Do you need a booster if you got the MMR vaccine a while ago?</h2>Health care professionals are sometimes tested for antibodies to measles and given boosters if necessary, Weaver said — even if they’ve already had the standard two doses as a child.He said people at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may also want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.“But I don’t think everyone needs to go and run out to their doctor right now if they did receive two doses as a child,” he said. "If people would just get the standard vaccination, none of this would be happening.”___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

9 states report measles cases as outbreaks grow

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mayasmith/">MAYA SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

LAWRENCE — University of Kansas students are grappling with the decision to end gender-inclusive housing assignments at a campus scholarship hall.

Grace Pearson residents and other KU students protested last week outside of Strong Hall with signs that read “We’re All Jayhawks” and “Keep Inclusivity Affordable.” The group also launched a petition against the change in policy, and decorated windows with Post-its and signs that the university&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansan.com/news/grace-pearson-residents-ordered-to-take-down-decorations-supporting-gender-inclusion/article_bcb6088c-f57f-11ef-b35d-7327303c6ace.html" target="_blank">requested they remove.</a>&nbsp;

KU notified residents of Grace Pearson Hall on Feb. 5 that floors will be segregated by gender in the next school year. That means transgender and nonbinary students who want a gender-inclusive assignment, or GIA, will need to relocate.

“There’s stuff going on on campus like this. Usually you can go home and feel better about it or distract yourself. But with this, it’s like we’re living in this space where it’s happening. There is no escape,” said five-year resident Rhoswyn Hicks. “Seeing a community that really had trans joy within student housing falling apart has been really difficult.”

On Monday, students spoke at the Higher Learning Commission accreditation during an open forum for students to voice their concerns.&nbsp;

“The university has a responsibility to respect and care for students regardless of their gender identity,” Hicks said. “We would be happy to see the other students in this room take up arms with us and help us in our cause.”

In the initial email sent to residents, KU Housing said communal bathrooms would become gender-segregated and that gender-inclusive housing assignments would no longer be available. Residents were given two options: either stay and select living on a male or female floor, or request GIA housing elsewhere. Other options include living in the Rainbow Community, which offers suites that are significantly more expensive than scholarship halls. K.K. Amani Hall would have “some” GIA rooms available, according to KU Housing.

Residents were given five days to make the decision.&nbsp;

“It feels like there’s no space for me,” said resident Simon Davis. “It feels as though they don’t care that I’m here because I am nonbinary. I don’t like being assigned or shoved into a category, which is kind of what I have to deal with. I don’t like being categorized as a woman, but I care a lot about GP’s community, so I will stay. It sucks though.”

On Feb. 13, KU Housing sent a follow-up email to residents to clarify reasons for the changes. According to the email sent by Sarah Waters, executive director of Housing and Residence Life, multi-stalled bathrooms in residential dormitory buildings are required by&nbsp;<a href="https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IBC2018/chapter-29-plumbing-systems" target="_blank">International Building Code</a>&nbsp;to have separate facilities based on sex.

“We understand the impact this change has on the community,” Waters said in the email. “We will continue to support our residents in navigating this change to meet their housing needs.”

The email goes on to say that residents who observe other residents using the incorrect bathroom or housing assignment should report the issue. Residents were recommended to apply for GIA housing at K.K. Amani Hall, which costs $518 more per academic year.

Directors at Grace Pearson and Amani halls did not respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;

Resident assistant Anthony Alvarez has lived in Grace Pearson for three years and been an RA for two. He became an RA to be a friend to those throughout the hall. He said he intended not to enforce the changes with his residents to the best of his ability.&nbsp;

“If you were a staff member, you would be looking to enforce that and we don’t know what that looks like,” said Alvarez. “The most they told us would be an incident report and policy. If you get a certain amount of incident reports, you could get kicked out. However, your job as an RA ties you to the building, your housing and your job. If they fire you, you don’t have a place to live.”

Residents of Grace Pearson plan to continue spreading awareness to fellow students.&nbsp;

“It looks like outreach getting more people to know about what’s going on,” Hicks said. “I guess if housing continues to not respond, likely more protests where we feel we will reach the best audience, or larger audience for this issue.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741134701079.png" alt="Residents of the Grace Pearson scholarship hall and other students protest Feb. 26, 2025, outside of Strong Hall in support of gender-inclusive housing. (Maya Smith for Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Residents of the Grace Pearson scholarship hall and other students protest Feb. 26, 2025, outside of Strong Hall in support of gender-inclusive housing. (Maya Smith for Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mayasmith/">MAYA SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a> LAWRENCE — University of Kansas students are grappling with the decision to end gender-inclusive housing assignments at a campus scholarship hall.Grace Pearson residents and other KU students protested last week outside of Strong Hall with signs that read “We’re All Jayhawks” and “Keep Inclusivity Affordable.” The group also launched a petition against the change in policy, and decorated windows with Post-its and signs that the university&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansan.com/news/grace-pearson-residents-ordered-to-take-down-decorations-supporting-gender-inclusion/article_bcb6088c-f57f-11ef-b35d-7327303c6ace.html" target="_blank">requested they remove.</a>&nbsp;KU notified residents of Grace Pearson Hall on Feb. 5 that floors will be segregated by gender in the next school year. That means transgender and nonbinary students who want a gender-inclusive assignment, or GIA, will need to relocate.“There’s stuff going on on campus like this. Usually you can go home and feel better about it or distract yourself. But with this, it’s like we’re living in this space where it’s happening. There is no escape,” said five-year resident Rhoswyn Hicks. “Seeing a community that really had trans joy within student housing falling apart has been really difficult.”On Monday, students spoke at the Higher Learning Commission accreditation during an open forum for students to voice their concerns.&nbsp;“The university has a responsibility to respect and care for students regardless of their gender identity,” Hicks said. “We would be happy to see the other students in this room take up arms with us and help us in our cause.”In the initial email sent to residents, KU Housing said communal bathrooms would become gender-segregated and that gender-inclusive housing assignments would no longer be available. Residents were given two options: either stay and select living on a male or female floor, or request GIA housing elsewhere. Other options include living in the Rainbow Community, which offers suites that are significantly more expensive than scholarship halls. K.K. Amani Hall would have “some” GIA rooms available, according to KU Housing.Residents were given five days to make the decision.&nbsp;“It feels like there’s no space for me,” said resident Simon Davis. “It feels as though they don’t care that I’m here because I am nonbinary. I don’t like being assigned or shoved into a category, which is kind of what I have to deal with. I don’t like being categorized as a woman, but I care a lot about GP’s community, so I will stay. It sucks though.”On Feb. 13, KU Housing sent a follow-up email to residents to clarify reasons for the changes. According to the email sent by Sarah Waters, executive director of Housing and Residence Life, multi-stalled bathrooms in residential dormitory buildings are required by&nbsp;<a href="https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IBC2018/chapter-29-plumbing-systems" target="_blank">International Building Code</a>&nbsp;to have separate facilities based on sex.“We understand the impact this change has on the community,” Waters said in the email. “We will continue to support our residents in navigating this change to meet their housing needs.”The email goes on to say that residents who observe other residents using the incorrect bathroom or housing assignment should report the issue. Residents were recommended to apply for GIA housing at K.K. Amani Hall, which costs $518 more per academic year.Directors at Grace Pearson and Amani halls did not respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;Resident assistant Anthony Alvarez has lived in Grace Pearson for three years and been an RA for two. He became an RA to be a friend to those throughout the hall. He said he intended not to enforce the changes with his residents to the best of his ability.&nbsp;“If you were a staff member, you would be looking to enforce that and we don’t know what that looks like,” said Alvarez. “The most they told us would be an incident report and policy. If you get a certain amount of incident reports, you could get kicked out. However, your job as an RA ties you to the building, your housing and your job. If they fire you, you don’t have a place to live.”Residents of Grace Pearson plan to continue spreading awareness to fellow students.&nbsp;“It looks like outreach getting more people to know about what’s going on,” Hicks said. “I guess if housing continues to not respond, likely more protests where we feel we will reach the best audience, or larger audience for this issue.”

University of Kansas students protest decision to end gender-inclusive housing in scholarship hall

INDIANAPOLIS - The Fort Hays State track and field teams will send three student-athletes to compete in four events at the 2025 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships, announced Tuesday by the NCAA office. This year's indoor meet is being held March 13-15 in Indianapolis, Ind. at the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion. A total of 540 participants, 270 men and 270 women, will compete in the championships with 16 events.

Two members of the men's team will take on the pole vault, long jump and heptathlon, while one member of the women's team will aim for national success in the pole vault.

Senior&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/jacob-clark/8482">Jacob Clark</a>&nbsp;is no stranger to the national stage, making his return to the NCAA Championships in the pole vault. Clark enters the competition with a season-best clearance of 17-2.75, ranking sixth nationally. Clark is a five-time All-American, including three trophies indoors and will look to add another All-American performance to his impressive resume.

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/annabeth-baalmann/8389">Annabeth Baalmann</a>, a junior pole vaulter, will look for her second All-American honor after finishing eighth indoors last season. She broke her own school record multiple times this year, with a top clearance of 14-0.5, the fourth-best mark in the country. Baalmann also became the first woman in school history to surpass the four-meter mark, indoors or outdoors, further cementing her place in program history.

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/nolan-churchman/8479">Nolan Churchman</a>&nbsp;will compete in both the heptathlon and the long jump. Churchman is a six-time All-American, including three-straight All-American finishes in the indoor heptathlon. The senior ranks fifth in the country this season in the heptathlon with a season-best total of 5,324 points. Churchman also tallied a school record this past weekend in the long jump, clearing 24-4.25 to rank 17th in the country.

The Tigers have delivered an impressive indoor season, highlighted by six school records and 48 NCAA provisional marks. The Tiger men rank 32nd in the latest USTFCCCA MIAA rankings posted today while the women rank seventh in the MIAA. Both squads placed seventh at the MIAA Championships this past weekend.

2025 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships Thursday-Saturday, March 13-15 • Indianapolis, Ind. Schedule of Events - FHSU Competitors Thursday, March 13 Heptathlon Day 1 - 10 a.m. (11 a.m. ET) - Nolan Churchman <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/nolan-churchman/8479"></a>Women's Pole Vault - 2 p.m. (3 p.m. ET) - Annabeth Baalmann

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/annabeth-baalmann/8389"></a>Friday, March 14 Heptathlon Day Two - 10:20 a.m. (11:20 a.m. ET) - Nolan Churchman Men's Long Jump - 11 a.m. (Noon ET) - Nolan Churchman Saturday, March 15 Men's Pole Vault - 1:35 p.m. (2:35 p.m. ET) - Jacob Clark

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741173647838.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsINDIANAPOLIS - The Fort Hays State track and field teams will send three student-athletes to compete in four events at the 2025 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships, announced Tuesday by the NCAA office. This year's indoor meet is being held March 13-15 in Indianapolis, Ind. at the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion. A total of 540 participants, 270 men and 270 women, will compete in the championships with 16 events.Two members of the men's team will take on the pole vault, long jump and heptathlon, while one member of the women's team will aim for national success in the pole vault.Senior&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/jacob-clark/8482">Jacob Clark</a>&nbsp;is no stranger to the national stage, making his return to the NCAA Championships in the pole vault. Clark enters the competition with a season-best clearance of 17-2.75, ranking sixth nationally. Clark is a five-time All-American, including three trophies indoors and will look to add another All-American performance to his impressive resume.<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/annabeth-baalmann/8389">Annabeth Baalmann</a>, a junior pole vaulter, will look for her second All-American honor after finishing eighth indoors last season. She broke her own school record multiple times this year, with a top clearance of 14-0.5, the fourth-best mark in the country. Baalmann also became the first woman in school history to surpass the four-meter mark, indoors or outdoors, further cementing her place in program history.<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/nolan-churchman/8479">Nolan Churchman</a>&nbsp;will compete in both the heptathlon and the long jump. Churchman is a six-time All-American, including three-straight All-American finishes in the indoor heptathlon. The senior ranks fifth in the country this season in the heptathlon with a season-best total of 5,324 points. Churchman also tallied a school record this past weekend in the long jump, clearing 24-4.25 to rank 17th in the country.The Tigers have delivered an impressive indoor season, highlighted by six school records and 48 NCAA provisional marks. The Tiger men rank 32nd in the latest USTFCCCA MIAA rankings posted today while the women rank seventh in the MIAA. Both squads placed seventh at the MIAA Championships this past weekend.2025 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships Thursday-Saturday, March 13-15 • Indianapolis, Ind. Schedule of Events - FHSU Competitors Thursday, March 13 Heptathlon Day 1 - 10 a.m. (11 a.m. ET) - Nolan Churchman <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/nolan-churchman/8479"></a>Women's Pole Vault - 2 p.m. (3 p.m. ET) - Annabeth Baalmann<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/annabeth-baalmann/8389"></a>Friday, March 14 Heptathlon Day Two - 10:20 a.m. (11:20 a.m. ET) - Nolan Churchman Men's Long Jump - 11 a.m. (Noon ET) - Nolan Churchman Saturday, March 15 Men's Pole Vault - 1:35 p.m. (2:35 p.m. ET) - Jacob Clark

🏃‍♂️ Tigers qualify three for NCAA Indoor Championships

The Hays High girls sub-state game with the Great Bend Panthers, scheduled for Tuesday, has been postponed.

The makeup date is set for Thursday at 7 p.m.

Check with Hays Post and Eagle Radio for a new date and time.

The Hays High girls sub-state game with the Great Bend Panthers, scheduled for Tuesday, has been postponed.The makeup date is set for Thursday at 7 p.m.Check with Hays Post and Eagle Radio for a new date and time.

🏀HHS girls matchup with Great Bend postponed

NEW YORK (AP) —Stocks racked up more losses on Wall Street Tuesday as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-643086a6dc7ff716d876b3c83e3255b0">trade war</a>&nbsp;between the U.S. and its key trading partners escalated, wiping out all the gains since Election Day for the S&amp;P 500.

The Trump administration imposed tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico starting Tuesday and doubled tariffs against imports from China. All three countries announced retaliatory actions, sparking worries about a slowdown in the global economy.

The S&amp;P 500 fell 1.2%, with more than 80% of the stocks in the benchmark index closing lower. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 1.6%.

The Nasdaq composite slipped 0.4%. The tech-heavy index briefly reached a 10% decline from its most recent closing high, which is what the market considers a correction, but gains for Nvidia, Microsoft and other tech heavyweights helped pare those losses.

Financial stocks were among the heaviest weights on the S&amp;P 500 index. JPMorgan Chase fell 4% and Bank of America lost 6.3%.

Markets in Europe fell sharply, with Germany's DAX falling 3.5% as automakers saw sharp losses. Stocks in Asia saw more modest declines.

“The markets are having a tough time even setting expectations for what this trade war could look like,” said Ross Mayfield, investment strategy analyst at Baird. “This is clearly a level step higher than anything we saw during (Trump's) first term.”

The recent decline in U.S. stocks has wiped out all of the markets’ gains since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;election in November. That rally had been built largely on hopes for policies that would strengthen the U.S. economy and businesses. Worries about tariffs raising consumer prices and reigniting inflation have been weighing on both the economy and Wall Street.

The tariffs are prompting warnings from retailers, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/target-inflation-tariffs-economy-minnesota-345efc8c9edc03994f13dd6d624c719b">Target</a>&nbsp;and Best Buy, as they report their latest financial results. Target fell 3% despite beating Wall Street’s earnings forecasts, saying there will be “meaningful pressure” on its profits to start the year because of tariffs and other costs.

Best Buy plunged 13.3% for the biggest drop among S&amp;P 500 stocks after giving investors a weaker-than-expected earnings forecast and warning about tariff impacts.

“International trade is critically important to our business and industry,” said Best Buy CEO Corie Barry.

Barry said China and Mexico are the top two sources for products that Best Buy sells, and it also expects vendors to pass along tariff costs, which would make price increases for American consumers likely.

Imports from Canada and Mexico are now to be taxed at 25%, with Canadian energy products subject to 10% import duties. The 10% tariff that Trump placed on Chinese imports in February was doubled to 20%.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-tariffs-farm-soy-trump-7442b02ac829347f0d4fc6ad0955d368">China</a>&nbsp;responded to new U.S. tariffs by announcing it will impose additional tariffs of up to 15% on imports of key U.S. farm products, including chicken, pork, soy and beef, and expanded controls on doing business with key U.S. companies. Canada plans on slapping tariffs on more than $100 billion of American goods over the course of 21 days.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trade-war-mexico-trump-9cefdded035a0b35e700a7ba0bfc34b4">Mexico</a>&nbsp;also plans tariffs on goods imported from the U.S.

Companies in the S&amp;P 500 are wrapping up the latest round of quarterly financial reports. They've posted broad earnings growth of 18% for the fourth quarter. But Wall Street has already trimmed expectations for the current quarter to about 7% growth from just over forecasts of 11% at the beginning of the year.

“The hit to growth is more of the commentary that we’ll be looking for from companies,” said Kevin Gordon, senior investment strategist at Charles Schwab.

Concerns about profits follow a series of economic reports with worrisome signals that include U.S. households becoming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-consumer-trump-tariffs-inflation-b8eacbe9b948af91a4efc97dd3f85cfa">more pessimistic</a>&nbsp;about inflation and pulling back on spending. Consumer spending has essentially driven U.S. economic growth in the face of high interest rates.

Wall Street has been hoping that the Federal Reserve would continue lowering interest rates in 2025. The central bank has signaled more caution, though, partly because of uncertainty surrounding the economic impact of tariffs. The Fed is expected to hold rates steady at its upcoming meeting later in March.

The Fed raised interest rates to their highest level in two decades in order to tame inflation. It started cutting its benchmark rate in 2024 as the rate of inflation moved closer to its target of 2%. But inflation remains stubbornly just above that target and tariffs threaten price increases that could fuel inflation.

In the bond market, Treasury yields were mixed. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.20% from 4.16% late Monday. It’s still down sharply from last month, when it was approaching 4.80%, as worries have grown about where the strength of the U.S. economy.

“Because tariffs are in effect, and there’s no guarantee that they’re likely to be temporary, that’s filtering its way to the bond market and we’re seeing the threat of higher inflation eroding the value of the 10-year note,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA.

The yield on the 2-year Treasury held steady at 3.94%.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 71.57 points to 5,778.15. The Dow dropped 670 points to 42,520.99, and the Nasdaq shed 65.03 points to 18,285.16.

NEW YORK (AP) —Stocks racked up more losses on Wall Street Tuesday as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-643086a6dc7ff716d876b3c83e3255b0">trade war</a>&nbsp;between the U.S. and its key trading partners escalated, wiping out all the gains since Election Day for the S&amp;P 500.The Trump administration imposed tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico starting Tuesday and doubled tariffs against imports from China. All three countries announced retaliatory actions, sparking worries about a slowdown in the global economy.The S&amp;P 500 fell 1.2%, with more than 80% of the stocks in the benchmark index closing lower. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 1.6%.The Nasdaq composite slipped 0.4%. The tech-heavy index briefly reached a 10% decline from its most recent closing high, which is what the market considers a correction, but gains for Nvidia, Microsoft and other tech heavyweights helped pare those losses.Financial stocks were among the heaviest weights on the S&amp;P 500 index. JPMorgan Chase fell 4% and Bank of America lost 6.3%.Markets in Europe fell sharply, with Germany's DAX falling 3.5% as automakers saw sharp losses. Stocks in Asia saw more modest declines.“The markets are having a tough time even setting expectations for what this trade war could look like,” said Ross Mayfield, investment strategy analyst at Baird. “This is clearly a level step higher than anything we saw during (Trump's) first term.”The recent decline in U.S. stocks has wiped out all of the markets’ gains since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;election in November. That rally had been built largely on hopes for policies that would strengthen the U.S. economy and businesses. Worries about tariffs raising consumer prices and reigniting inflation have been weighing on both the economy and Wall Street.The tariffs are prompting warnings from retailers, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/target-inflation-tariffs-economy-minnesota-345efc8c9edc03994f13dd6d624c719b">Target</a>&nbsp;and Best Buy, as they report their latest financial results. Target fell 3% despite beating Wall Street’s earnings forecasts, saying there will be “meaningful pressure” on its profits to start the year because of tariffs and other costs.Best Buy plunged 13.3% for the biggest drop among S&amp;P 500 stocks after giving investors a weaker-than-expected earnings forecast and warning about tariff impacts.“International trade is critically important to our business and industry,” said Best Buy CEO Corie Barry.Barry said China and Mexico are the top two sources for products that Best Buy sells, and it also expects vendors to pass along tariff costs, which would make price increases for American consumers likely.Imports from Canada and Mexico are now to be taxed at 25%, with Canadian energy products subject to 10% import duties. The 10% tariff that Trump placed on Chinese imports in February was doubled to 20%.Retaliations were swift.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-tariffs-farm-soy-trump-7442b02ac829347f0d4fc6ad0955d368">China</a>&nbsp;responded to new U.S. tariffs by announcing it will impose additional tariffs of up to 15% on imports of key U.S. farm products, including chicken, pork, soy and beef, and expanded controls on doing business with key U.S. companies. Canada plans on slapping tariffs on more than $100 billion of American goods over the course of 21 days.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trade-war-mexico-trump-9cefdded035a0b35e700a7ba0bfc34b4">Mexico</a>&nbsp;also plans tariffs on goods imported from the U.S.Companies in the S&amp;P 500 are wrapping up the latest round of quarterly financial reports. They've posted broad earnings growth of 18% for the fourth quarter. But Wall Street has already trimmed expectations for the current quarter to about 7% growth from just over forecasts of 11% at the beginning of the year.“The hit to growth is more of the commentary that we’ll be looking for from companies,” said Kevin Gordon, senior investment strategist at Charles Schwab.Concerns about profits follow a series of economic reports with worrisome signals that include U.S. households becoming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-consumer-trump-tariffs-inflation-b8eacbe9b948af91a4efc97dd3f85cfa">more pessimistic</a>&nbsp;about inflation and pulling back on spending. Consumer spending has essentially driven U.S. economic growth in the face of high interest rates.Wall Street has been hoping that the Federal Reserve would continue lowering interest rates in 2025. The central bank has signaled more caution, though, partly because of uncertainty surrounding the economic impact of tariffs. The Fed is expected to hold rates steady at its upcoming meeting later in March.The Fed raised interest rates to their highest level in two decades in order to tame inflation. It started cutting its benchmark rate in 2024 as the rate of inflation moved closer to its target of 2%. But inflation remains stubbornly just above that target and tariffs threaten price increases that could fuel inflation.In the bond market, Treasury yields were mixed. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.20% from 4.16% late Monday. It’s still down sharply from last month, when it was approaching 4.80%, as worries have grown about where the strength of the U.S. economy.“Because tariffs are in effect, and there’s no guarantee that they’re likely to be temporary, that’s filtering its way to the bond market and we’re seeing the threat of higher inflation eroding the value of the 10-year note,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA.The yield on the 2-year Treasury held steady at 3.94%.All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 71.57 points to 5,778.15. The Dow dropped 670 points to 42,520.99, and the Nasdaq shed 65.03 points to 18,285.16.___

Wall Street falls again: Losses wipe out all post-election gains for S&P 500

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;is encouraging Republican lawmakers to skip town halls that have been filled with protesters decrying the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-address-congress-updates">Trump administration's</a>&nbsp;slashing of federal government, echoing the president's claims that the demonstration's are fueled by professional protesters.

The speaker's advice Tuesday comes as GOP lawmakers often find themselves at a loss to explain the cuts, led by billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-doge-emails-a3e7e9ab82f45bb15ef22bddab01f25e">Elon Musk's</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">Department of Government Efficiency</a>, that are leaving federal workers suddenly out of jobs in communities from coast to coast. Democrats are jumping in to shine a bright light on what is happening.

“We’ve seen this movie before,” Johnson said at a news conference.

“They’re professional protesters,” Johnson added. “So why would we give them a forum to do that right now?”

Johnson was repeating President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;claim posted on social media on Monday that “Paid ‘troublemakers’” are filling the GOP town halls to which the House Democratic Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hakeem-jeffries">Hakeem Jeffries</a>&nbsp;responded: "We don’t need paid protestors. The American people are with us."

The Republicans are finding themselves in an unusual spot — defending the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/johnson-trump-republicans-budget-vote-tax-cuts-4cb74ca15f6a74a7344355e4507ab9fe">deep budget cuts they have campaigned on</a>&nbsp;for years, but have rarely been able to accomplish because the reductions cut into federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-work-requirements-congress-republicans-90ec1119f1d95de067c76f79eec7fa87">programs and services</a>&nbsp;Americans in their districts rely on.

Trump and Musk's DOGE have fired tens of thousands of federal workers as they tear through the federal government in search of what they call waste, fraud and abuse. It's spiraling at a pace the Republicans in Congress could only imagine when the party swept control of the White House, House and Senate.

Republicans are feeling the heat back home.

Republican Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardons-rioters-congress-republicans-police-15f121efe72c0ecea62eceeda0ebe89b">Roger Marshall</a>&nbsp;of Kansas was confronted over the week by spirited residents questioning him about the firings of veterans from the federal workforce.

Marshall, too, echoed claims of paid protesters. “Can confirm,” Marshall posted alongside Trump's comment.

The scenes at the town halls are reminiscent of past moments — from the Obama-era health care battles, when tea party Republicans fought against the Affordable Care Act, and also the George W. Bush era, when Democrats and others protested his proposed changes to Social Security.

But more immediately the town hall outbursts resemble the Trump-era protests of 2017 and 2018 when Republicans tried and failed to repeal Obamacare, and then approved sweeping GOP tax cuts — and Democrats campaign against them, sweeping the midterm elections and reclaiming control of the U.S. House.

The speaker protecting his thin-as-ever majority advised his lawmakers to choose other forums — smaller community gatherings or telephone town halls — to discuss the issues with voters.

“They’re running away from the people because they know how badly people have been hurt by what they’re doing,” said Senate Democratic Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/schumer-democrats-election-trump-7ee99496ac9f2a73493f1aa89a02a33d">Chuck Schumer</a>.

Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, and the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus said, “I think many House Republicans have to make a choice about whether they want to fulfill their job title as representative, where they can have a town hall and actually speak honestly to their constituents, or whether they want to change their job title to Elon Musk employee.”

As Trump and Musk bulldoze through the federal government, Republican leaders are looking to cut even further, enshrining the reductions and other changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-budget-republicans-health-care-4a13fc3528d7bf20ea52db4a5551c8bf">Medicaid</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-cuts-candy-soda-food-stamps-b6351b86a17b281b67480fe2d24b54f4">food stamps</a>&nbsp;and other programs into law as part of the budget process. They are hoping to reach some $2 trillion in cuts to help finance some $4.5 trillion tax breaks.

Outside groups, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-musk-trump-protests-congress-ccb64f2889d31aad8c25d37686f62d7a">Indivisible</a>, which led powerful demonstrations during the first Trump turn, are organizing in communities nationwide as voters opposed to the president's agenda seeks ways to show their discontent.

It has all left rank-and-file Republicans struggling to keep pace with the onslaught.

Asked in recent days what they have to say to fired federal workers, the GOP lawmakers have not always had a ready response.

“No pain, no gain,” Marshall told the Associated Press last week.

Marshall the senator from Kansas said voters understand that the U.S. government is running a nearly $2 trillion deficit, piling onto the debt load and that changes need to be made.

“I think a lot of people understand that there’s going to be some short term pain for the opportunity for long term gain," he said. "I think people overall very happy to see the cut, in the federal spending.”

Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming said she's supportive of Musk and his team, “but I still feel sorry for people who are losing their jobs.”

Her message to those fired federal workers was to think about the other Americans who are also struggling to get by. “You’ve got to think about the people who are paying for all this government," she said. “We have too much government.”

Republican Sen. Rick Scott said, “That’s what President Trump got elected to do.”

Asked about his message to those who’ve been fired and are out of work, Scott said that “I'll do everything I can to be helpful to them.”

Rep. Steve Womack of Arkansas said he supports DOGE, “as a concept." But he said, "I think you got to be careful as to how you do it.”

His advice to fired federal workers? "Just be patient.”

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said while government funding remains important in particular areas, for cancer research and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-nih-medical-research-funding-cut-indirect-costs-a75b8d7d56a29f1e880859d79ef744e4">National Institutes of Health</a>, “I think Elon Musk’s leadership and Doge has been terrific."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1740918399359.png" alt="Senator Marshall at a town hall in Oakley on Saturday-Image from the video by Colin McRoberts went viral" />
 <figcaption>Senator Marshall at a town hall in Oakley on Saturday-Image from the video by Colin McRoberts went viral</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;is encouraging Republican lawmakers to skip town halls that have been filled with protesters decrying the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-address-congress-updates">Trump administration's</a>&nbsp;slashing of federal government, echoing the president's claims that the demonstration's are fueled by professional protesters.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Must watch video: <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RogerMarshallMD</a> stands up and leaves his own town hall meeting today after being asked why Republicans think it’s acceptable for DOGE to be firing Veterans. <a href="https://t.co/ErNJbYPy1Z">pic.twitter.com/ErNJbYPy1Z</a>&mdash; Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattmfm/status/1895904839437316595?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The speaker's advice Tuesday comes as GOP lawmakers often find themselves at a loss to explain the cuts, led by billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-doge-emails-a3e7e9ab82f45bb15ef22bddab01f25e">Elon Musk's</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">Department of Government Efficiency</a>, that are leaving federal workers suddenly out of jobs in communities from coast to coast. Democrats are jumping in to shine a bright light on what is happening.“We’ve seen this movie before,” Johnson said at a news conference.“They’re professional protesters,” Johnson added. “So why would we give them a forum to do that right now?”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Can confirm. <a href="https://t.co/Ru9qbspeOY">pic.twitter.com/Ru9qbspeOY</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1896583775557243254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Johnson was repeating President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;claim posted on social media on Monday that “Paid ‘troublemakers’” are filling the GOP town halls to which the House Democratic Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hakeem-jeffries">Hakeem Jeffries</a>&nbsp;responded: "We don’t need paid protestors. The American people are with us."The Republicans are finding themselves in an unusual spot — defending the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/johnson-trump-republicans-budget-vote-tax-cuts-4cb74ca15f6a74a7344355e4507ab9fe">deep budget cuts they have campaigned on</a>&nbsp;for years, but have rarely been able to accomplish because the reductions cut into federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-work-requirements-congress-republicans-90ec1119f1d95de067c76f79eec7fa87">programs and services</a>&nbsp;Americans in their districts rely on.Trump and Musk's DOGE have fired tens of thousands of federal workers as they tear through the federal government in search of what they call waste, fraud and abuse. It's spiraling at a pace the Republicans in Congress could only imagine when the party swept control of the White House, House and Senate.Republicans are feeling the heat back home.Republican Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardons-rioters-congress-republicans-police-15f121efe72c0ecea62eceeda0ebe89b">Roger Marshall</a>&nbsp;of Kansas was confronted over the week by spirited residents questioning him about the firings of veterans from the federal workforce.Marshall, too, echoed claims of paid protesters. “Can confirm,” Marshall posted alongside Trump's comment.The scenes at the town halls are reminiscent of past moments — from the Obama-era health care battles, when tea party Republicans fought against the Affordable Care Act, and also the George W. Bush era, when Democrats and others protested his proposed changes to Social Security.But more immediately the town hall outbursts resemble the Trump-era protests of 2017 and 2018 when Republicans tried and failed to repeal Obamacare, and then approved sweeping GOP tax cuts — and Democrats campaign against them, sweeping the midterm elections and reclaiming control of the U.S. House.The speaker protecting his thin-as-ever majority advised his lawmakers to choose other forums — smaller community gatherings or telephone town halls — to discuss the issues with voters.“They’re running away from the people because they know how badly people have been hurt by what they’re doing,” said Senate Democratic Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/schumer-democrats-election-trump-7ee99496ac9f2a73493f1aa89a02a33d">Chuck Schumer</a>.Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, and the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus said, “I think many House Republicans have to make a choice about whether they want to fulfill their job title as representative, where they can have a town hall and actually speak honestly to their constituents, or whether they want to change their job title to Elon Musk employee.”As Trump and Musk bulldoze through the federal government, Republican leaders are looking to cut even further, enshrining the reductions and other changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-budget-republicans-health-care-4a13fc3528d7bf20ea52db4a5551c8bf">Medicaid</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-cuts-candy-soda-food-stamps-b6351b86a17b281b67480fe2d24b54f4">food stamps</a>&nbsp;and other programs into law as part of the budget process. They are hoping to reach some $2 trillion in cuts to help finance some $4.5 trillion tax breaks.Outside groups, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-musk-trump-protests-congress-ccb64f2889d31aad8c25d37686f62d7a">Indivisible</a>, which led powerful demonstrations during the first Trump turn, are organizing in communities nationwide as voters opposed to the president's agenda seeks ways to show their discontent.It has all left rank-and-file Republicans struggling to keep pace with the onslaught.Asked in recent days what they have to say to fired federal workers, the GOP lawmakers have not always had a ready response.“No pain, no gain,” Marshall told the Associated Press last week.Marshall the senator from Kansas said voters understand that the U.S. government is running a nearly $2 trillion deficit, piling onto the debt load and that changes need to be made.“I think a lot of people understand that there’s going to be some short term pain for the opportunity for long term gain," he said. "I think people overall very happy to see the cut, in the federal spending.”Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming said she's supportive of Musk and his team, “but I still feel sorry for people who are losing their jobs.”Her message to those fired federal workers was to think about the other Americans who are also struggling to get by. “You’ve got to think about the people who are paying for all this government," she said. “We have too much government.”Republican Sen. Rick Scott said, “That’s what President Trump got elected to do.”Asked about his message to those who’ve been fired and are out of work, Scott said that “I'll do everything I can to be helpful to them.”Rep. Steve Womack of Arkansas said he supports DOGE, “as a concept." But he said, "I think you got to be careful as to how you do it.”His advice to fired federal workers? "Just be patient.”Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said while government funding remains important in particular areas, for cancer research and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-nih-medical-research-funding-cut-indirect-costs-a75b8d7d56a29f1e880859d79ef744e4">National Institutes of Health</a>, “I think Elon Musk’s leadership and Doge has been terrific."

Speaker Johnson tells GOP lawmakers to skip town halls after onslaught of protests

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

A new Ellis County Health Director was formally appointed during Tuesday's Ellis County Commission meeting.

Ellis County Health Director Melissa Miller was selected after a search process that involved reviewing multiple applicants. She began working with the health department on Feb. 24.

Miller is a Tribune native who launched her public health career as the office manager at the Greeley County Health Department.&nbsp;

“It’s been an easy transition, and I look forward to working with you in the future,” she said.

Kerry McCue has been serving as the part-time health director and assisting Miller. He will continue to provide support until March 13.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/8ac8d4d8-13de-4a17-bef9-88ee88a9f076">SEE RELATED STORY: Ellis County Health Department welcomes new director</a>

The county commission approved road repairs and improvements for 48th Street, Vineyard Road and Commerce Parkway.

The 48th Street repairs include milling down existing asphalt and applying new asphalt lifts. Vineyard Road and Commerce Parkway will also receive asphalt lifts.

The total cost of both projects is $907,532. The city of Hays will contribute $377,000, approved at the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/edce592b-596e-4a0f-9d48-22bb7b6130cc">Feb. 27 City Commission meeting</a>.

Additional enhancements include installing culverts, reshaping ditches and applying a prime seal.

Northwest Homeland Security project update

Ellis County is receiving funding from the Northwest Home Security Council for multiple emergency response improvements.

Lyle Pantle, Ellis County emergency manager, discussed with commissioners the purchase of a pickup truck for a mobile water supply trailer and the replacement of an aging UTV for EMS operations.

In 2020, Ellis County acquired a mobile water supply trailer for wildfire response. Homeland Security funding was recently secured for a pickup truck to transport the trailer.

The pickup will have a radio, lights, siren, PA system, pull-out bed tray and a topper. The vehicle is expected to be delivered in 2026.

The Ellis County Road and Bridge Division requested approval to purchase a used 2021 Caterpillar, which is expected to be more effective than the county's current 2005 CAT excavator.

Commissioner Nathan Leiker said local contractors use older equipment, and the Road and Bridge Division should be able to do the same.

“If they can make that equipment run, we should be able to make it run as well,” Leiker said.

The commissioners agreed to monitor their budget and explore alternatives, as the cost of the used 2021 Caterpillar amounts to $218,000.

The commission approved a bid from APAC Kansas Inc. to produce cold mix asphalt for the 2025 asphalt maintenance plan. The material will be used for road overlays and patching to maintain county roadways.

The commission also approved a 3.7-acre lot split request for land in Hays from Platinum Group owner Adam Pray.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684183971486.png" alt="Ellis County" />
 <figcaption>Ellis County</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostA new Ellis County Health Director was formally appointed during Tuesday's Ellis County Commission meeting.Ellis County Health Director Melissa Miller was selected after a search process that involved reviewing multiple applicants. She began working with the health department on Feb. 24.Miller is a Tribune native who launched her public health career as the office manager at the Greeley County Health Department.&nbsp;“It’s been an easy transition, and I look forward to working with you in the future,” she said.Kerry McCue has been serving as the part-time health director and assisting Miller. He will continue to provide support until March 13.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/8ac8d4d8-13de-4a17-bef9-88ee88a9f076">SEE RELATED STORY: Ellis County Health Department welcomes new director</a><h2>Road repairs</h2>The county commission approved road repairs and improvements for 48th Street, Vineyard Road and Commerce Parkway.The 48th Street repairs include milling down existing asphalt and applying new asphalt lifts. Vineyard Road and Commerce Parkway will also receive asphalt lifts.The total cost of both projects is $907,532. The city of Hays will contribute $377,000, approved at the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/edce592b-596e-4a0f-9d48-22bb7b6130cc">Feb. 27 City Commission meeting</a>.Additional enhancements include installing culverts, reshaping ditches and applying a prime seal.<h2>Northwest Homeland Security project update</h2>Ellis County is receiving funding from the Northwest Home Security Council for multiple emergency response improvements.Lyle Pantle, Ellis County emergency manager, discussed with commissioners the purchase of a pickup truck for a mobile water supply trailer and the replacement of an aging UTV for EMS operations.In 2020, Ellis County acquired a mobile water supply trailer for wildfire response. Homeland Security funding was recently secured for a pickup truck to transport the trailer.The pickup will have a radio, lights, siren, PA system, pull-out bed tray and a topper. The vehicle is expected to be delivered in 2026.<h2>Used excavator request</h2>The Ellis County Road and Bridge Division requested approval to purchase a used 2021 Caterpillar, which is expected to be more effective than the county's current 2005 CAT excavator.Commissioner Nathan Leiker said local contractors use older equipment, and the Road and Bridge Division should be able to do the same.“If they can make that equipment run, we should be able to make it run as well,” Leiker said.The commissioners agreed to monitor their budget and explore alternatives, as the cost of the used 2021 Caterpillar amounts to $218,000.<h2>Other business</h2>The commission approved a bid from APAC Kansas Inc. to produce cold mix asphalt for the 2025 asphalt maintenance plan. The material will be used for road overlays and patching to maintain county roadways.The commission also approved a 3.7-acre lot split request for land in Hays from Platinum Group owner Adam Pray.

Ellis County Commission appoints new health director

Robert Eugene May of Hays, Kansas, passed away peacefully at the age of 90 on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at his home surrounded by family.

Known as Bob to everyone, he was born to Harry C. and Maude (Fink) May in Broughton (Clay County), Kansas on July 6, 1934. In high school he was “Bobby” to his classmates in Luray, Kansas. He was an accomplished high school athlete, playing tailback behind his fullback brother Charles. He graduated from Luray High School in 1952 and shortly thereafter married the love of his life Nina Faye Kirkendall on December 4, 1953. Nina preceded Bob in death on December 14, 1997.

Father to three sons, Tony, Terry “TR”, and Tim, he was a role model to each of his sons in many facets of life, from being a father and husband, to supporting his family in all avenues of life interests, and one to instill his love of sports and the outdoors in his family. Bob and Nina were always present in their sons’ church, cultural, and athletic events. After his retirement, he continued his avid support of everything in which his grandchildren were involved. He would travel to theater performances in Texas, countless sporting events around western Kansas, and be seen wearing a Kansas University Softball sweatshirt only in support of his granddaughter’s play. Called “grandpa” by his granddaughter’s high school softball teammates for being at every game, he was awarded Fan of the Year at the Hays High Athletic Banquet in 2002. He was supportive of his great-grandchildren’s events as well, often being a cheering fixture in the stands and along the sidelines. Bob was always a Fort Hays State fan first and then a Kansas State fan, letting the common FHSU fandom bring together a house sometimes competitively divided.

Bob’s employment included short stints at newspapers in Natoma and Manhattan Kansas, and then the remainder of his career was spent as a printer at Fort Hays State University. The University honored him at his retirement on June 13, 1998, after 38 years of service.

As an FHSU season ticket holder, he bought two tickets every year for football and basketball and would generously share the second ticket with his sons, grandchildren, and friends. He was a member of the Fort Hays Tiger Club and will be dearly missed by his close friends at the Daylight Donut Coffee Club and his golf partners at Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course.

Bob was a long-time member of and Deacon and Elder at First Presbyterian Church in Hays.

His hobbies included hunting, fishing, and camping. His hunting included deer, turkey, pheasant, quail, duck, and goose, and he loved to trout fish a Colorado stream or mountain lake. He spent several weeks each year camping in the mountains with his family. He truly enjoyed twice a fishing trip with his sons in Manitoba Canada, fishing for walleye, small mouth bass and northern pike. The remote access to the fishing was via a 40-minute flight and a lake-landing in a vintage World War II era float plane. He enjoyed occupying the co-pilot seat for the flight. Trophy fishing, snapping turtles, black bear were part of the Canada experience. It was an adventure shared with his sons he cherished. Bob loved camping his entire life. With his sons he enjoyed many a Boy Scout camping trips not shying away from a sleeping bag on the ground, under the stars, and cooking meals on an open fire. His love for camping evolved over the decades with yearly Colorado vacations that started first in tents and then later in RVs.

Bob became active in the local chapter of the American Cancer Society following the death of Nina. Bob contributed his time and effort to the founding committee of the annual Hays Relay For Life Golf Tournament held in June with unwavering dedication. In his activism, Bob was joined by his three sons as they all teamed together to play in the tournament. Tournaments that followed shortly thereafter saw his grandchildren come and join in the golf play. A ritual with spouses and great-grandchildren then began as they attended the post-round festivities. A backyard picnic barbecue he hosted for family and friends ended the tournament day, making the annual event truly a time spent in reunion with family and reason to celebrate the life of Nina.

Bob was the youngest of a family of nine siblings, and is preceded in death by his parents and all brothers and sisters: Baby Girl May, Elizabeth May, Carl Wait, Mildred “Millie” May (Sjolander), Walter Wait, Dorothy May (Languein), Harry C. May Jr. (“Harry D”), Jean May (Lamar, Piland), Leroy “Roy” May, Dean May, and Charles May.

He is survived by his sons Tony (Kris), Terry “TR” (Sue) and Tim (Debi); his grandchildren Tiffany May (Jeremy) of Brooklyn New York, Hamilton Tyler May (Tammy) of Richardson,Texas, Danielle May (Lisa) of Kansas City, Kansas, Trevor May (Kristie) of Hays Kansas, and Tara May of Hays Kansas; his great-grandchildren Toby May and Eli May (Trevor/Kristie), Lincoln May and Eleanor May (Tyler/Tammy), and Dez May (Trevor/Kristie).

Funeral services will be at 10:00 am on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at First Presbyterian Church with Rev. Christine Wagner officiating. Burial alongside his wife Nina will follow in Mt. Allen Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6:00 pm until 8:00 on Friday at Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home and from 9:00 am until service time on Saturday at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Bob’s name to the HaysMed Hospice or to the First Presbyterian Church. Condolences and memories of Bob may be shared with his family at <a href="http://www.haysmemorial.com">www.haysmemorial.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741106300829.jpeg" alt="Robert Eugene May" />
 <figcaption>Robert Eugene May</figcaption>
 </figure>Robert Eugene May of Hays, Kansas, passed away peacefully at the age of 90 on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at his home surrounded by family.Known as Bob to everyone, he was born to Harry C. and Maude (Fink) May in Broughton (Clay County), Kansas on July 6, 1934. In high school he was “Bobby” to his classmates in Luray, Kansas. He was an accomplished high school athlete, playing tailback behind his fullback brother Charles. He graduated from Luray High School in 1952 and shortly thereafter married the love of his life Nina Faye Kirkendall on December 4, 1953. Nina preceded Bob in death on December 14, 1997.Father to three sons, Tony, Terry “TR”, and Tim, he was a role model to each of his sons in many facets of life, from being a father and husband, to supporting his family in all avenues of life interests, and one to instill his love of sports and the outdoors in his family. Bob and Nina were always present in their sons’ church, cultural, and athletic events. After his retirement, he continued his avid support of everything in which his grandchildren were involved. He would travel to theater performances in Texas, countless sporting events around western Kansas, and be seen wearing a Kansas University Softball sweatshirt only in support of his granddaughter’s play. Called “grandpa” by his granddaughter’s high school softball teammates for being at every game, he was awarded Fan of the Year at the Hays High Athletic Banquet in 2002. He was supportive of his great-grandchildren’s events as well, often being a cheering fixture in the stands and along the sidelines. Bob was always a Fort Hays State fan first and then a Kansas State fan, letting the common FHSU fandom bring together a house sometimes competitively divided.Bob’s employment included short stints at newspapers in Natoma and Manhattan Kansas, and then the remainder of his career was spent as a printer at Fort Hays State University. The University honored him at his retirement on June 13, 1998, after 38 years of service.As an FHSU season ticket holder, he bought two tickets every year for football and basketball and would generously share the second ticket with his sons, grandchildren, and friends. He was a member of the Fort Hays Tiger Club and will be dearly missed by his close friends at the Daylight Donut Coffee Club and his golf partners at Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course.Bob was a long-time member of and Deacon and Elder at First Presbyterian Church in Hays.His hobbies included hunting, fishing, and camping. His hunting included deer, turkey, pheasant, quail, duck, and goose, and he loved to trout fish a Colorado stream or mountain lake. He spent several weeks each year camping in the mountains with his family. He truly enjoyed twice a fishing trip with his sons in Manitoba Canada, fishing for walleye, small mouth bass and northern pike. The remote access to the fishing was via a 40-minute flight and a lake-landing in a vintage World War II era float plane. He enjoyed occupying the co-pilot seat for the flight. Trophy fishing, snapping turtles, black bear were part of the Canada experience. It was an adventure shared with his sons he cherished. Bob loved camping his entire life. With his sons he enjoyed many a Boy Scout camping trips not shying away from a sleeping bag on the ground, under the stars, and cooking meals on an open fire. His love for camping evolved over the decades with yearly Colorado vacations that started first in tents and then later in RVs.Bob became active in the local chapter of the American Cancer Society following the death of Nina. Bob contributed his time and effort to the founding committee of the annual Hays Relay For Life Golf Tournament held in June with unwavering dedication. In his activism, Bob was joined by his three sons as they all teamed together to play in the tournament. Tournaments that followed shortly thereafter saw his grandchildren come and join in the golf play. A ritual with spouses and great-grandchildren then began as they attended the post-round festivities. A backyard picnic barbecue he hosted for family and friends ended the tournament day, making the annual event truly a time spent in reunion with family and reason to celebrate the life of Nina.Bob was the youngest of a family of nine siblings, and is preceded in death by his parents and all brothers and sisters: Baby Girl May, Elizabeth May, Carl Wait, Mildred “Millie” May (Sjolander), Walter Wait, Dorothy May (Languein), Harry C. May Jr. (“Harry D”), Jean May (Lamar, Piland), Leroy “Roy” May, Dean May, and Charles May.He is survived by his sons Tony (Kris), Terry “TR” (Sue) and Tim (Debi); his grandchildren Tiffany May (Jeremy) of Brooklyn New York, Hamilton Tyler May (Tammy) of Richardson,Texas, Danielle May (Lisa) of Kansas City, Kansas, Trevor May (Kristie) of Hays Kansas, and Tara May of Hays Kansas; his great-grandchildren Toby May and Eli May (Trevor/Kristie), Lincoln May and Eleanor May (Tyler/Tammy), and Dez May (Trevor/Kristie).Funeral services will be at 10:00 am on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at First Presbyterian Church with Rev. Christine Wagner officiating. Burial alongside his wife Nina will follow in Mt. Allen Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6:00 pm until 8:00 on Friday at Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home and from 9:00 am until service time on Saturday at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Bob’s name to the HaysMed Hospice or to the First Presbyterian Church. Condolences and memories of Bob may be shared with his family at <a href="http://www.haysmemorial.com">www.haysmemorial.com</a>.

Robert Eugene May

Victor Leroy Dumler, 99, of Salina, Kansas and former Milberger, Kansas, resident, died on Friday, February 28, 2025, at the Brookdale Assisted Living Center in Salina, Kansas.

Victor was born on June 23, 1925, in Russell County, Kansas, the son of George and Emma (Wegele) Dumler. He grew up in the Milberger and Russell County, Kansas area and attended country schools. He served his country and joined the United States Army during World War II from 1944 to 1946 serving as a Tech sergeant in the Philippines and Japan. After returning home from the military, he was united in marriage to Viola Rosetta Niedens on December 08, 1946, in Milberger, Kansas. From this union Victor and Viola were blessed with 3 children Darrell, Donna and Wanda. They raised their children on the Dumler family farm where Victor enjoyed taking care of his fields and cattle. He was a lifetime member of the United Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Milberger. He was also a member of the men’s church club, ASCS and V.F.W. Post #6240. He enjoyed World War II history, fishing, tending to his fields and cattle, traveling with his wife Viola and enjoyed his work for the ASCS (FSA) office, mapping the county. Most of all he enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren.

Surviving family include his daughters Donna Bitter and husband Jerry of Garden City, Kansas and Wanda Radke and husband Dennis of Salina, Kansas; five grandchildren, Tracy, Darren, Jason, Ryan and Gregg; and 11 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Viola on April 17, 2020, son Darrell Dumler; his brothers Paul, Ben, Solomon and Alvin Dumler and sisters Bertha Krug and Agnes Radke.

A service of Victor’s life will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Thursday, March 06, 2025, at the Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell, Kansas. Burial will follow at the Milberger Cemetery in Milberger, Kansas. Military rites will be presented by the Ft. Riley Honor Guard. The family will greet guests on the day of the service at the mortuary. Memorials may be given to the D.A.V. (Disabled American Veterans) and sent in care of the mortuary. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas, is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741106006547.png" alt="Victor Leroy Dumler" />
 <figcaption>Victor Leroy Dumler</figcaption>
 </figure>Victor Leroy Dumler, 99, of Salina, Kansas and former Milberger, Kansas, resident, died on Friday, February 28, 2025, at the Brookdale Assisted Living Center in Salina, Kansas.Victor was born on June 23, 1925, in Russell County, Kansas, the son of George and Emma (Wegele) Dumler. He grew up in the Milberger and Russell County, Kansas area and attended country schools. He served his country and joined the United States Army during World War II from 1944 to 1946 serving as a Tech sergeant in the Philippines and Japan. After returning home from the military, he was united in marriage to Viola Rosetta Niedens on December 08, 1946, in Milberger, Kansas. From this union Victor and Viola were blessed with 3 children Darrell, Donna and Wanda. They raised their children on the Dumler family farm where Victor enjoyed taking care of his fields and cattle. He was a lifetime member of the United Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Milberger. He was also a member of the men’s church club, ASCS and V.F.W. Post #6240. He enjoyed World War II history, fishing, tending to his fields and cattle, traveling with his wife Viola and enjoyed his work for the ASCS (FSA) office, mapping the county. Most of all he enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren.Surviving family include his daughters Donna Bitter and husband Jerry of Garden City, Kansas and Wanda Radke and husband Dennis of Salina, Kansas; five grandchildren, Tracy, Darren, Jason, Ryan and Gregg; and 11 great-grandchildren.He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Viola on April 17, 2020, son Darrell Dumler; his brothers Paul, Ben, Solomon and Alvin Dumler and sisters Bertha Krug and Agnes Radke.A service of Victor’s life will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Thursday, March 06, 2025, at the Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell, Kansas. Burial will follow at the Milberger Cemetery in Milberger, Kansas. Military rites will be presented by the Ft. Riley Honor Guard. The family will greet guests on the day of the service at the mortuary. Memorials may be given to the D.A.V. (Disabled American Veterans) and sent in care of the mortuary. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas, is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.

Victor Leroy Dumler

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Katie DeGarmo&nbsp;has been named MIAA Women's Basketball Player of the Year for a second-consecutive season while fellow Tiger Olivia Hollenbeck&nbsp;has earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2024-25, headlining Fort Hays State's haul in Tuesday's release of the MIAA postseason awards and All-MIAA teams.

Fort Hays State led the league with five All-MIAA performers, tied for the most in a single season in team history. DeGarmo and Hollenbeck were both first team selections, giving the Tigers a pair of first teamers for the sixth time in team history and the first time since 2020-21.

Kate Dilsaver, Brooke Loewe&nbsp;and Talexa Weeter&nbsp;all received honorable mention recognition, while Dilsaver and Hollenbeck were both on the All-Defensive Team. It is the second time FHSU has had multiple representatives on the All-Defensive Team and the first since 2014-15.

DeGarmo is the fifth player since 1980 to earn the conference's top honor in consecutive seasons and the first to do so since Washburn's Crystal Walker in 2001-02 and 2002-03. She is the third player in school history to earn first team honors three times, joining Annette Wiles and Kate Lehman. It is her fourth All-MIAA honor overall after also picking up second team status in 2021-22.

The Maize, Kan. native led the team with 16.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, ranking third in the league in each category. She was also third in assist/turnover ratio in the league (1.9) and ranked 12th in the conference with 1.6 steals per game. She is the program record holder with 1,199 career rebounds while ranking second with 2,198 points. DeGarmo is also fourth all-time in assists, fifth in steals and second in field goals at FHSU.

Hollenbeck is the first five-time all-conference performer in school history. This is her initial first team honor after garnering third team recognition each of the last two years and honorable mention status in her first two seasons at FHSU. She is the first Tiger to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors since Kate Lehman did it in three-straight seasons between 2013 and 2015.The Lincoln, Neb. native ranked second in the conference with 2.3 steals per night while ranking third with 1.7 steals per game. She also ranked fifth in the league in scoring with 16.5 points per contest while posting the second-best field goal percentage in the league at 62.1 percent. Hollenbeck ranks fourth in school history with 1,864 points, second with 217 blocks and eighth with 200 steals in her career. She also ranks third in field goals and needs 30 rebounds to crack the top 10 list in that category at FHSU.

Dilsaver earned her first All-MIAA recognition after averaging 2.0 steals per game, third-most in the league. She ranked fourth on the team with an average of 9.1 points per game while pouring in 24 3-pointers, second-most on the squad. The senior rounded out her stat line with 4.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, making her the only player on the team to average two or more in four of the five major stat categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks).

Loewe collected her first All-MIAA honor after leading the league with 192 assists this season, averaging 7.1 assists per game. The junior point guard ranks second in Division II in total assists while slotting third in average. She also ranked ninth in the league and third on the team with 1.7 steals per game while ranking fifth on the team with 7.2 points per contest. She broke the single season school record with her 192 assists and already ranks ninth in program history with 347 assists in just three seasons.

Weeter picked up her first All-MIAA award after averaging 13.1 points per game off the bench. She ranked 17th in the league in scoring, making her the only player to rank in the top 25 in the league in scoring that is not a starter for their team. She scored in double figures 20 times this year, including five games with 20 or more points. The sophomore also ranks second on the team with 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per night.

The Tigers will open the postseason on Thursday (March 6, 8:15 p.m.) when they play either Central Missouri or Emporia State in the quarterfinal round of the MIAA Basketball Championship presented by Southern Bank.

2024-25 MIAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS &amp; ALL-MIAA TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR:&nbsp;Katie DeGarmo, Fort Hays State DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Olivia Hollenbeck, Fort Hays State CO-NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR:&nbsp;Reese Schaaf, Central Missouri CO-NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR:&nbsp;Payton Sterk, Washburn FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:&nbsp;Anna Trusty, Arkansas-Fort Smith COACH OF THE YEAR:&nbsp;Amanda Davied, Pittsburg State&nbsp;

MIAA ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM Alyssa Bonilla – Missouri Western, Sr. Kate Dilsaver&nbsp;– Fort Hays State, Sr. Karenna Gerber – Pittsburg State, Sr. Olivia Hollenbeck&nbsp;– Fort Hays State, Gr. Yiibari Nwidadah – Washburn, Jr.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741106050098.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. - Katie DeGarmo&nbsp;has been named MIAA Women's Basketball Player of the Year for a second-consecutive season while fellow Tiger Olivia Hollenbeck&nbsp;has earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2024-25, headlining Fort Hays State's haul in Tuesday's release of the MIAA postseason awards and All-MIAA teams.Fort Hays State led the league with five All-MIAA performers, tied for the most in a single season in team history. DeGarmo and Hollenbeck were both first team selections, giving the Tigers a pair of first teamers for the sixth time in team history and the first time since 2020-21.Kate Dilsaver, Brooke Loewe&nbsp;and Talexa Weeter&nbsp;all received honorable mention recognition, while Dilsaver and Hollenbeck were both on the All-Defensive Team. It is the second time FHSU has had multiple representatives on the All-Defensive Team and the first since 2014-15.DeGarmo is the fifth player since 1980 to earn the conference's top honor in consecutive seasons and the first to do so since Washburn's Crystal Walker in 2001-02 and 2002-03. She is the third player in school history to earn first team honors three times, joining Annette Wiles and Kate Lehman. It is her fourth All-MIAA honor overall after also picking up second team status in 2021-22.The Maize, Kan. native led the team with 16.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, ranking third in the league in each category. She was also third in assist/turnover ratio in the league (1.9) and ranked 12th in the conference with 1.6 steals per game. She is the program record holder with 1,199 career rebounds while ranking second with 2,198 points. DeGarmo is also fourth all-time in assists, fifth in steals and second in field goals at FHSU.Hollenbeck is the first five-time all-conference performer in school history. This is her initial first team honor after garnering third team recognition each of the last two years and honorable mention status in her first two seasons at FHSU. She is the first Tiger to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors since Kate Lehman did it in three-straight seasons between 2013 and 2015.The Lincoln, Neb. native ranked second in the conference with 2.3 steals per night while ranking third with 1.7 steals per game. She also ranked fifth in the league in scoring with 16.5 points per contest while posting the second-best field goal percentage in the league at 62.1 percent. Hollenbeck ranks fourth in school history with 1,864 points, second with 217 blocks and eighth with 200 steals in her career. She also ranks third in field goals and needs 30 rebounds to crack the top 10 list in that category at FHSU.Dilsaver earned her first All-MIAA recognition after averaging 2.0 steals per game, third-most in the league. She ranked fourth on the team with an average of 9.1 points per game while pouring in 24 3-pointers, second-most on the squad. The senior rounded out her stat line with 4.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, making her the only player on the team to average two or more in four of the five major stat categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks).Loewe collected her first All-MIAA honor after leading the league with 192 assists this season, averaging 7.1 assists per game. The junior point guard ranks second in Division II in total assists while slotting third in average. She also ranked ninth in the league and third on the team with 1.7 steals per game while ranking fifth on the team with 7.2 points per contest. She broke the single season school record with her 192 assists and already ranks ninth in program history with 347 assists in just three seasons.Weeter picked up her first All-MIAA award after averaging 13.1 points per game off the bench. She ranked 17th in the league in scoring, making her the only player to rank in the top 25 in the league in scoring that is not a starter for their team. She scored in double figures 20 times this year, including five games with 20 or more points. The sophomore also ranks second on the team with 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per night.The Tigers will open the postseason on Thursday (March 6, 8:15 p.m.) when they play either Central Missouri or Emporia State in the quarterfinal round of the MIAA Basketball Championship presented by Southern Bank.2024-25 MIAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS &amp; ALL-MIAA TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR:&nbsp;Katie DeGarmo, Fort Hays State DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Olivia Hollenbeck, Fort Hays State CO-NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR:&nbsp;Reese Schaaf, Central Missouri CO-NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR:&nbsp;Payton Sterk, Washburn FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:&nbsp;Anna Trusty, Arkansas-Fort Smith COACH OF THE YEAR:&nbsp;Amanda Davied, Pittsburg State&nbsp;MIAA ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM Alyssa Bonilla – Missouri Western, Sr. Kate Dilsaver&nbsp;– Fort Hays State, Sr. Karenna Gerber – Pittsburg State, Sr. Olivia Hollenbeck&nbsp;– Fort Hays State, Gr. Yiibari Nwidadah – Washburn, Jr.ALL-MIAA FIRST TEAM Alyssa Bonilla – Missouri Western, Sr. Katie DeGarmo – Fort Hays State, Gr. Karenna Gerber – Pittsburg State, Sr. Olivia Hollenbeck&nbsp;– Fort Hays State, Gr. Grace Pyle – Pittsburg State, Sr.ALL-MIAA SECOND TEAM Jillian Aschoff – Nebraska Kearney, R-Jr. Caely Kesten – Northwest Missouri, Sr. Yiibari Nwidadah – Washburn, Jr. Reese Schaaf – Central Missouri, Jr. Payton Sterk – Washburn, Jr.ALL-MIAA THIRD TEAM Ryan Franklin – Missouri Southern, So.&nbsp; Molly Hartnett – Northwest Missouri, Sr. Macie Mays – Pittsburg State, So. Anna Trusty – Arkansas-Fort Smith, Fr. Kia Wilson – Nebraska Kearney, R-Jr.ALL-MIAA HONORABLE MENTION Arkansas-Fort Smith - Morgan Browning Central Missouri - Taylor Weishaar Emporia State - Gracie Gilpin, Katie Horyna Fort Hays State - Kate Dilsaver, Brooke Loewe, Talexa Weeter Missouri Southern - Kaitlin Hunnicutt Missouri Western - Marie Sepp Nebraska Kearney - Samantha Moore Pittsburg State - Harper Schreiner&nbsp;&nbsp;