LOGAN COUNTY—Many voters across the country are confused, some are angry and are showing up at town hall events to ask what President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are doing.&nbsp;

Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall hosted a town hall to visit with voters on Saturday morning at the Logan County Hospital,&nbsp;211 Cherry Avenue in Oakley.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Senator answered questions on budget cuts, layoffs and funding freezes from a somewhat hostile crowd and according to a video taken by Colin McRoberts, Marshall left the event before it was finished.

Marshall, who posts more on social media than most members of the United States Senate, has been quiet on the app since Friday.&nbsp; He didn't use social media to promote the town hall in Oakley and asked a staffer to offer a response to those who suggested he left early.

The Senator's web site does not show where Marshall will hold future town hall events.&nbsp; The Senate is adjourned until 3:00pm on Monday when they will hold a confirmation vote on Linda&nbsp; McMahon for Education Secretary.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1740919102880.png" alt="Image from the video by Colin McRoberts went viral" />
 <figcaption>Image from the video by Colin McRoberts went viral</figcaption>
 </figure>LOGAN COUNTY—Many voters across the country are confused, some are angry and are showing up at town hall events to ask what President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are doing.&nbsp;Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall hosted a town hall to visit with voters on Saturday morning at the Logan County Hospital,&nbsp;211 Cherry Avenue in Oakley.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Senator answered questions on budget cuts, layoffs and funding freezes from a somewhat hostile crowd and according to a video taken by Colin McRoberts, Marshall left the event before it was finished.<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>Marshall, who posts more on social media than most members of the United States Senate, has been quiet on the app since Friday.&nbsp; He didn't use social media to promote the town hall in Oakley and asked a staffer to offer a response to those who suggested he left early.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Brent Robertson, Chief of Staff to Senator Roger Marshall, released the following statement in response to the town hall hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RogerMarshallMD</a> in Oakley, KS today: <a href="https://t.co/JPQfDLh54N">pic.twitter.com/JPQfDLh54N</a>&mdash; Emily Flower (@_emily_flower) <a href="https://twitter.com/_emily_flower/status/1896043930598412594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Senator's web site does not show where Marshall will hold future town hall events.&nbsp; The Senate is adjourned until 3:00pm on Monday when they will hold a confirmation vote on Linda&nbsp; McMahon for Education Secretary.

🎥Kan. U.S. Senator's staff responds after town hall video goes viral

The Senator's web site does not show where Marshall will hold future town hall events.  The Senate is adjourned until 3:00pm on Monday when they will hold a confirmation vote on  Linda  McMahon for Education Secretary.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1740919102880.png" alt="Image from the video by Colin McRoberts went viral" />
 <figcaption>Image from the video by Colin McRoberts went viral</figcaption>
 </figure>LOGAN COUNTY—Many voters across the country are confused, some are angry and are showing up at town hall events to ask what President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are doing.&nbsp;Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall hosted a town hall to visit with voters on Saturday morning at the Logan County Hospital,&nbsp;211 Cherry Avenue in Oakley.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Senator answered questions on budget cuts, layoffs and funding freezes from a somewhat hostile crowd and according to a video taken by Colin McRoberts, Marshall left the event before it was finished.<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>Marshall, who posts more on social media than most members of the United States Senate, has been quiet on the app since Friday.&nbsp; He didn't use social media to promote the town hall in Oakley and asked a staffer to offer a response to those who suggested he left early.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Brent Robertson, Chief of Staff to Senator Roger Marshall, released the following statement in response to the town hall hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RogerMarshallMD</a> in Oakley, KS today: <a href="https://t.co/JPQfDLh54N">pic.twitter.com/JPQfDLh54N</a>&mdash; Emily Flower (@_emily_flower) <a href="https://twitter.com/_emily_flower/status/1896043930598412594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Senator's web site does not show where Marshall will hold future town hall events. The Senate is adjourned until 3:00pm on Monday when they will hold a confirmation vote on Linda McMahon for Education Secretary.

Reporter Cristina Janney speaks with Doug Williams of Grow Hays about the structure and mission of Grow Hays on this episode of the Hays Post Podcast.

<div><iframe title="Post Podcast: Grow Hays" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:300px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?from=embed&i=jtjiy-1820f56-pb&square=1&share=1&download=1&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=300" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>Reporter Cristina Janney speaks with Doug Williams of Grow Hays about the structure and mission of Grow Hays on this episode of the Hays Post Podcast.

🎙 Post Podcast: Doug Williams: What is Grow Hays?

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The most extensive database on Vietnam War causalities was the passion of a man from Hays.

The late Richard Coffelt, a longtime Hays attorney, spent years and his own money researching and amassing the <a href="https://www.coffeltdatabase.org/">Coffelt Database</a>, which is now available for free through the National Archives.

Although others contributed to the database and Coffelt wanted the record source named something more accessible, the database was named in honor of him.

Jo Ann Jennings, Coffelt's wife, recounted information about the database during a lecture at the Hays VFW on Feb. 16.

Coffelt was a U.S. Army veteran who served during the Korean War. He had no connection with the Vietnam War.

However, in 1980, he became acquainted with the mother of&nbsp;Gary Lee Binder of Hays. Gary Binder, who served with the Navy, was killed in action in 1967 in Vietnam, and Coffelt wanted to learn more about the circumstances of Binder's death.

Jennings explained this was before the rise of personal computing and Google, which meant hours spent at libraries, especially the&nbsp;Presidential Library of Lyndon Baines Johnson in Austin, Texas. She said she spent many vacations accompanying Richard on research trips, sometimes at his side in study rooms.

Johnson sent a letter of condolence to every family of a service member killed in Vietnam during his administration. Those letters included the unit numbers of the service members, which made them valuable in Coffelt's research.

Jennings said Richard spent countless hours taking notes on yellow legal pads.

Coffelt saw the need to connect soldiers with other soldiers. The men who served wanted to know what had happened to their buddies.

Jennings said Coffelt was interested in working on the research because the federal government didn't keep track of the units the men who were killed in action were from.

He said having a unit designation was the most important thing to know if you wanted to know what happened to your friend.

“I felt that if I just looked long enough, hard enough, I would hit the mother lode,” Coffelt was quoted as saying in a story published in the February 2012 edition of the VVA Veteran magazine. 

“I still felt that there had to be some government source that would have all this information. It became kind of a game to try and locate the information in some government repository somewhere.”

In 1993-94, after PCs had become commonplace, Tom Holloway (Emory University, Atlanta) changed the landscape by obtaining the Department of Defense's casualty database and the Army Adjutant General's database in digital form, according to the database's website.

"Using the university's mainframe computers to read the reel-to-reel computer tapes,&nbsp;Holloway integrated the two databases and converted the information into a commonly used small-computer format. The "Holloway Database" effectively became the public's sole source of information regarding all American Vietnam dead," the database website said.

The database website said that in the late 1990s, others joined Coffelt's effort, contributing information and collating the collected material into digital form using the Holloway database as a baseline, the database said.

"The additional resources allowed the project's scope to expand to include units of assignment information for all service branches," according to the database's website. "In 2002, an early version of the Coffelt Database was deeded to the National Archives, which made it available online as a searchable database," the database said.

Jennings said Coffelt amassed a library that filled a room floor to ceiling with more than 300 books on Vietnam. She said her husband had read every book.

She said her husband had an almost photographic memory of the information. She recalled a person from Australia writing Coffelt, asking him if he might know what happened to his uncle.&nbsp;

Without the need to look at any source, Coffelt was able to write him a page of the entire account of the battle in which the man's uncle was killed and what happened in that battle.

"He had super-detailed information just from his remembrance," Jennings said.

A Vietnam veteran who worked on the database with Coffelt spoke at his funeral and said, "Richard knew more about what happened in Vietnam than any soldier that was there, and he wasn't there."

Today, the database contains more than 60,000 names and more than 1 million pieces of information. Gary L. Noller, Co. B, 1/46th Infantry, Vietnam 1970-71, called the database a gift to and for Vietnam veterans and their families.

He said in a letter on the database, often, the child or grandchild of a Vietnam casualty wishes to contact a veteran who served with their deceased family member.

Prior to the Coffelt Database, a search of this kind was often overwhelming. The official record listed casualties by unit at the division or brigade level,&nbsp;Noller said in his letter.

Coffelt's research expanded the casualty database to list the company and battalion-level casualties, Noller said.

"This effectively reduced the search for a veteran from a magnitude of 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 100. It can be said that the Coffelt Database made the search at least 100 times easier to conduct,"&nbsp;Noller said.

Vietnam veteran Dick Arnold worked on the database with Coffelt.&nbsp;

In a 2011 letter published on the database's website, he said, "I consider my participation in the creation and continued improvement of The Coffelt Database to be one of the proudest parts of my life. I also consider it a singular honor to have known and worked with Richard these last few years. All of us Vietnam veterans owe him a huge debt ..."

Although Coffelt and the others who contributed to the database were offered money to privatize the data, Coffelt and his fellow researchers insisted the database remain a free, open-source of information, Jennings said.

By 2009, Coffelt developed Lewy body dementia. He died on Jan. 25, 2012.

Hays VVA Chapter 939&nbsp;dedicated a plaque at the Hays Regional Airport to honor Coffelt's work in creating the database.

Not only is the Coffelt database still available and in use today. But a story on the database sparked an unlikely friendship between Jennings and a WWII veteran who read a story on the database in a veterans magazine.

Frank Malizia, who was 92 at the time, read that story and recognized Hays as a familiar place. He had been stationed in Great Bend during the war and was familiar with Hays and Ellis County. This led him to contact Jennings.

Read more on Malizia and Jennings' long friendship and correspondents at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/74f5a4c8-b37b-458a-b1a8-ddb7a744b869">NWester: WWII soldier laid to rest next to 'love of his life' in Antonino</a>.

You can access the Coffelt Database online for free. <a href="https://www.coffeltdatabase.org/">Click here for a link</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740519011452.png" alt="Richard Coffelt. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Richard Coffelt. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post The most extensive database on Vietnam War causalities was the passion of a man from Hays.The late Richard Coffelt, a longtime Hays attorney, spent years and his own money researching and amassing the <a href="https://www.coffeltdatabase.org/">Coffelt Database</a>, which is now available for free through the National Archives.Although others contributed to the database and Coffelt wanted the record source named something more accessible, the database was named in honor of him.Jo Ann Jennings, Coffelt's wife, recounted information about the database during a lecture at the Hays VFW on Feb. 16.Coffelt was a U.S. Army veteran who served during the Korean War. He had no connection with the Vietnam War.However, in 1980, he became acquainted with the mother of&nbsp;Gary Lee Binder of Hays. Gary Binder, who served with the Navy, was killed in action in 1967 in Vietnam, and Coffelt wanted to learn more about the circumstances of Binder's death.Jennings explained this was before the rise of personal computing and Google, which meant hours spent at libraries, especially the&nbsp;Presidential Library of Lyndon Baines Johnson in Austin, Texas. She said she spent many vacations accompanying Richard on research trips, sometimes at his side in study rooms.Johnson sent a letter of condolence to every family of a service member killed in Vietnam during his administration. Those letters included the unit numbers of the service members, which made them valuable in Coffelt's research.Jennings said Richard spent countless hours taking notes on yellow legal pads.Coffelt saw the need to connect soldiers with other soldiers. The men who served wanted to know what had happened to their buddies.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740519068072.png" alt="Richard Coffelt when he was in the service. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Richard Coffelt when he was in the service. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Jennings said Coffelt was interested in working on the research because the federal government didn't keep track of the units the men who were killed in action were from.He said having a unit designation was the most important thing to know if you wanted to know what happened to your friend.“I felt that if I just looked long enough, hard enough, I would hit the mother lode,” Coffelt was quoted as saying in a story published in the February 2012 edition of the VVA Veteran magazine. “I still felt that there had to be some government source that would have all this information. It became kind of a game to try and locate the information in some government repository somewhere.”In 1993-94, after PCs had become commonplace, Tom Holloway (Emory University, Atlanta) changed the landscape by obtaining the Department of Defense's casualty database and the Army Adjutant General's database in digital form, according to the database's website."Using the university's mainframe computers to read the reel-to-reel computer tapes,&nbsp;Holloway integrated the two databases and converted the information into a commonly used small-computer format. The "Holloway Database" effectively became the public's sole source of information regarding all American Vietnam dead," the database website said.The database website said that in the late 1990s, others joined Coffelt's effort, contributing information and collating the collected material into digital form using the Holloway database as a baseline, the database said."The additional resources allowed the project's scope to expand to include units of assignment information for all service branches," according to the database's website. "In 2002, an early version of the Coffelt Database was deeded to the National Archives, which made it available online as a searchable database," the database said.Jennings said Coffelt amassed a library that filled a room floor to ceiling with more than 300 books on Vietnam. She said her husband had read every book.She said her husband had an almost photographic memory of the information. She recalled a person from Australia writing Coffelt, asking him if he might know what happened to his uncle.&nbsp;Without the need to look at any source, Coffelt was able to write him a page of the entire account of the battle in which the man's uncle was killed and what happened in that battle."He had super-detailed information just from his remembrance," Jennings said.A Vietnam veteran who worked on the database with Coffelt spoke at his funeral and said, "Richard knew more about what happened in Vietnam than any soldier that was there, and he wasn't there."Today, the database contains more than 60,000 names and more than 1 million pieces of information. Gary L. Noller, Co. B, 1/46th Infantry, Vietnam 1970-71, called the database a gift to and for Vietnam veterans and their families.He said in a letter on the database, often, the child or grandchild of a Vietnam casualty wishes to contact a veteran who served with their deceased family member.Prior to the Coffelt Database, a search of this kind was often overwhelming. The official record listed casualties by unit at the division or brigade level,&nbsp;Noller said in his letter.Coffelt's research expanded the casualty database to list the company and battalion-level casualties, Noller said."This effectively reduced the search for a veteran from a magnitude of 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 100. It can be said that the Coffelt Database made the search at least 100 times easier to conduct,"&nbsp;Noller said.Vietnam veteran Dick Arnold worked on the database with Coffelt.&nbsp;In a 2011 letter published on the database's website, he said, "I consider my participation in the creation and continued improvement of The Coffelt Database to be one of the proudest parts of my life. I also consider it a singular honor to have known and worked with Richard these last few years. All of us Vietnam veterans owe him a huge debt ..."Although Coffelt and the others who contributed to the database were offered money to privatize the data, Coffelt and his fellow researchers insisted the database remain a free, open-source of information, Jennings said.By 2009, Coffelt developed Lewy body dementia. He died on Jan. 25, 2012.Hays VVA Chapter 939&nbsp;dedicated a plaque at the Hays Regional Airport to honor Coffelt's work in creating the database.Not only is the Coffelt database still available and in use today. But a story on the database sparked an unlikely friendship between Jennings and a WWII veteran who read a story on the database in a veterans magazine.Frank Malizia, who was 92 at the time, read that story and recognized Hays as a familiar place. He had been stationed in Great Bend during the war and was familiar with Hays and Ellis County. This led him to contact Jennings.Read more on Malizia and Jennings' long friendship and correspondents at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/74f5a4c8-b37b-458a-b1a8-ddb7a744b869">NWester: WWII soldier laid to rest next to 'love of his life' in Antonino</a>.You can access the Coffelt Database online for free. <a href="https://www.coffeltdatabase.org/">Click here for a link</a>.

Coffelt Database on Americans killed in Vietnam was passion of Hays attorney

HOLY FAMILY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NOTES WEEK OF March 3 – 7, 2025

THE SUCCESSES OF TOMORROW BEGIN TODAY, CATHOLIC EDUCATION IS A LIFETIME ADVANTAGE!

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS…. SCHOOLS YOU CAN BELIEVE IN!

--March 3 • Memorial of St. Katharine Drexel. Today is Ed Specialist Appreciation Day! We appreciate the specialists who work with our students every day to help them learn and grow! School counselor, Mrs. Kat Hadley, school psychologist, Mrs. Devann Fischer, Title I Reading Teacher, Mrs. Amy Woydziak, Speech Teachers: Mrs. Jordan Patterson, Ms. Angie Meagher and Mrs. Amy Sterling. We thank them for the knowledge and expertise that they share each day to help our students! • KA will have Ag in the Classroom visitors at 12:15 p.m. • Happy Birthday to Mrs. Amy Lucio (Ms. Lu), 1A Teacher.

--March 4 • Memorial of St. Casimir. • It’s Shrove Tuesday, and this afternoon we have our pancake races at 2:30 p.m. on the playground blacktop. 4th graders will be racing, but all are invited to come watch! Students could all wear an apron today to celebrate Shrove Tuesday! Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. We hope you take the time to think about how you can grow closer to God during the Lenten season, through prayer, almsgiving and fasting!

--March 5 • Ash Wednesday – Mass was this morning at IHM. • Today, and on Fridays during Lent, there will be no cookies sold at lunch; we also won’t have guests on Fridays so that we can observe “Silent Fridays” during Lent; that means we will have to remain quiet during lunch time! These are just a few small sacrifices that we can make as a school! • This week is National Severe Weather Awareness Week, and the Kansas State-Wide Tornado Drill is happening today at lunch -- but here at Holy Family, we are going to do our tornado drill following announcements soon! • Sr. Rose Marie will visit 4th grade at 2:00 p.m. • Joyful Noise for 5th grade will be at 2:45 p.m. • Happy Birthday to Archer Haskett, PK3, &amp; Mrs. Jill Windholz, SPED Teacher.

--March 6 • TMP students will visit class 1A today. • There will also be Saint Presentations for K-5th in the classrooms between 8:45-9:15am • Sr. Rose Marie will visit 5th grade at 2:30 p.m.

--March 7 • Memorial of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, Martyrs. • End of Qtr. 3. • First Friday Prayer Circles are this morning; we will come over the intercom in a little bit to get those started. • Golden Belt Bank will visit 5th grade in STREAM class today from 10:30-11:30. &nbsp;• Stations of the Cross at IHM this afternoon – classes can start walking over at 2:35 p.m. • Greetings to Carson Rome, 1B, Kambree Werner, 5B, Lawson Scheutz, 1A, Mrs. Delaney Ziegelmeier, 2A Teacher, and Fr. Damian, who will celebrate a birthday this weekend.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737555085782.png" alt="Holy Family Elementary School, Hays. File photo/Hays Post&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Holy Family Elementary School, Hays. File photo/Hays Post&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>HFEHOLY FAMILY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NOTES WEEK OF March 3 – 7, 2025THE SUCCESSES OF TOMORROW BEGIN TODAY, CATHOLIC EDUCATION IS A LIFETIME ADVANTAGE!CATHOLIC SCHOOLS…. SCHOOLS YOU CAN BELIEVE IN!MONDAY--March 3 • Memorial of St. Katharine Drexel. Today is Ed Specialist Appreciation Day! We appreciate the specialists who work with our students every day to help them learn and grow! School counselor, Mrs. Kat Hadley, school psychologist, Mrs. Devann Fischer, Title I Reading Teacher, Mrs. Amy Woydziak, Speech Teachers: Mrs. Jordan Patterson, Ms. Angie Meagher and Mrs. Amy Sterling. We thank them for the knowledge and expertise that they share each day to help our students! • KA will have Ag in the Classroom visitors at 12:15 p.m. • Happy Birthday to Mrs. Amy Lucio (Ms. Lu), 1A Teacher.TUESDAY--March 4 • Memorial of St. Casimir. • It’s Shrove Tuesday, and this afternoon we have our pancake races at 2:30 p.m. on the playground blacktop. 4th graders will be racing, but all are invited to come watch! Students could all wear an apron today to celebrate Shrove Tuesday! Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. We hope you take the time to think about how you can grow closer to God during the Lenten season, through prayer, almsgiving and fasting!WEDNESDAY--March 5 • Ash Wednesday – Mass was this morning at IHM. • Today, and on Fridays during Lent, there will be no cookies sold at lunch; we also won’t have guests on Fridays so that we can observe “Silent Fridays” during Lent; that means we will have to remain quiet during lunch time! These are just a few small sacrifices that we can make as a school! • This week is National Severe Weather Awareness Week, and the Kansas State-Wide Tornado Drill is happening today at lunch -- but here at Holy Family, we are going to do our tornado drill following announcements soon! • Sr. Rose Marie will visit 4th grade at 2:00 p.m. • Joyful Noise for 5th grade will be at 2:45 p.m. • Happy Birthday to Archer Haskett, PK3, &amp; Mrs. Jill Windholz, SPED Teacher.THURSDAY--March 6 • TMP students will visit class 1A today. • There will also be Saint Presentations for K-5th in the classrooms between 8:45-9:15am • Sr. Rose Marie will visit 5th grade at 2:30 p.m.FRIDAY--March 7 • Memorial of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, Martyrs. • End of Qtr. 3. • First Friday Prayer Circles are this morning; we will come over the intercom in a little bit to get those started. • Golden Belt Bank will visit 5th grade in STREAM class today from 10:30-11:30. &nbsp;• Stations of the Cross at IHM this afternoon – classes can start walking over at 2:35 p.m. • Greetings to Carson Rome, 1B, Kambree Werner, 5B, Lawson Scheutz, 1A, Mrs. Delaney Ziegelmeier, 2A Teacher, and Fr. Damian, who will celebrate a birthday this weekend.

Holy Family Elementary School notes, March 3-7

HAYS – The Hoxie
Indians claimed their fifth straight team championship at the 3-2-1A state tournament
in Hays Saturday at Gross Memorial Coliseum.

The Norton girls also claimed their first title in program
history in the first year that 3-2-1A was separated from the largest
classifications. 

The Indians had eight medal winners and four individual
champions while racking up 192 team points. Norton was second (146 points)
followed by Phillipsburg (106), Atchinson County (91) and Russell (82).

Norton and Southeast of Saline each finished with two individual
champions, and Russell, Oakley, Beloit, Phillipsburg, West Franklin, and
Douglass each had one champion.

You can find the complete results below.

The Norton Lady Jays finished with three champions and six
medal winners. 

Douglass and Oakley each had two champions, and Smith
Center, Whitewater-Remington, Oskaloosa, Hoxie, Stockton, Russell and Hoisington
each finished with one title winner. 

3-2-1A boys final results 106 Guaranteed Places

🤼 Hoxie boys claims 5th straight state title; Norton girls 1st

PARK CITY, Kan. - The Hays High girls wrestling team had five placers and the boys three at the 5A state championships which concluded Saturday at the Park City Arena. 

The Indian girls finished sixth in the team standings. with 94.5 points. Kapaun Mt. Carmel won the girls state title, Basehor-Linwood finished runner-up and Shawnee Heights was third.

The HHS girls team went 8-1 in the first round with all eight victories via pin. Timber Lovewell (31-8) led the way with a third-place finish at 145. Lexi Barnett (17-3) placed fourth at 155, Tionna Napue (20-7) earned her third state medal with a fifth place finish at 135.&nbsp;Ava Ruiz (26-9) also placed fifth at 140 and&nbsp;Eleanor Stoffel (26-9) placed 5th at 190.

Dalton Meyers and Johnny Rigler led the Hays boys with third place finishes. Meyers (30-6) at 175 and Rigler (32-10)&nbsp; at 190. Cyler Luck&nbsp;(29-13) was fifth at 106.&nbsp;

Emersyn Copper (26-16) place is unknown and scored 7.0 team points.

Kenlee Vehige (23-13) place is unknown and scored 4.0 team points.

Reese Vehige (16-11) place is unknown and scored 4.0 team points.

Addison Nueberger (15-19) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

Tionna Napue (20-7) placed 5th and scored 15.0 team points.

Ava Ruiz (26-9) placed 5th and scored 16.5 team points.

Timber Lovewell (31-8) placed 3rd and scored 19.0 team points.

Lexi Barnett (17-3) placed 4th and scored 16.0 team points.

Eleanor Stoffel (26-9) placed 5th and scored 13.0 team points.

Jenessa (Inj.) Carillo (6-16) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

Cyler Luck (29-13) placed 5th and scored 15.5 team points.

Grady Lind (21-14) place is unknown and scored 2.0 team points.

Roberto Macias (24-14) place is unknown and scored 5.0 team points.

Dalton Meyers (30-6) placed 3rd and scored 20.0 team points.

Jonathan Rigler (32-10) placed 3rd and scored 16.5 team points.

Jaxson Chartier (12-8) place is unknown and scored 5.0 team points.

Tanner Geist (25-10) place is unknown and scored 7.0 team points.

Hays PostPARK CITY, Kan. - The Hays High girls wrestling team had five placers and the boys three at the 5A state championships which concluded Saturday at the Park City Arena. The Indian girls finished sixth in the team standings. with 94.5 points. Kapaun Mt. Carmel won the girls state title, Basehor-Linwood finished runner-up and Shawnee Heights was third.The HHS girls team went 8-1 in the first round with all eight victories via pin. Timber Lovewell (31-8) led the way with a third-place finish at 145. Lexi Barnett (17-3) placed fourth at 155, Tionna Napue (20-7) earned her third state medal with a fifth place finish at 135.&nbsp;Ava Ruiz (26-9) also placed fifth at 140 and&nbsp;Eleanor Stoffel (26-9) placed 5th at 190.Dalton Meyers and Johnny Rigler led the Hays boys with third place finishes. Meyers (30-6) at 175 and Rigler (32-10)&nbsp; at 190. Cyler Luck&nbsp;(29-13) was fifth at 106.&nbsp;<h2>100</h2>Emersyn Copper (26-16) place is unknown and scored 7.0 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Emersyn Copper (Hays Hs) 26-16 won by fall over Savanna Bruce (Kansas City - Piper HS) 15-20 (Fall 0:38)</li><li>Quarterfinal - Krislynn Martinez (Maize South Hs) 36-0 won by fall over Emersyn Copper (Hays Hs) 26-16 (Fall 0:19)</li><li>Cons. Round 2 - Emersyn Copper (Hays Hs) 26-16 won by fall over Averi Cochran (Spring Hill HS) 13-27 (Fall 0:21)</li><li>Cons. Round 3 - Aaida Brown (Hutchinson Hs) 17-21 won by fall over Emersyn Copper (Hays Hs) 26-16 (Fall 1:44)</li>
 </ul><h2>120</h2>Kenlee Vehige (23-13) place is unknown and scored 4.0 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Kenlee Vehige (Hays Hs) 23-13 won by fall over Crystal Lopez (Bonner Springs HS) 9-8 (Fall 1:30)</li><li>Quarterfinal - Taylie Heston (Topeka-Seaman Hs) 32-7 won by fall over Kenlee Vehige (Hays Hs) 23-13 (Fall 3:42)</li><li>Cons. Round 2 - Laila Rattler (Kansas City - Sumner Academy HS) 19-16 won by fall over Kenlee Vehige (Hays Hs) 23-13 (Fall 2:42)</li>
 </ul><h2>125</h2>Reese Vehige (16-11) place is unknown and scored 4.0 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Reese Vehige (Hays Hs) 16-11 won by fall over Brooklynn McCormick (Bonner Springs HS) 29-15 (Fall 1:13)</li><li>Quarterfinal - Brynn Lowe (Overland Park - Blue Valley Southwest HS) 32-9 won by fall over Reese Vehige (Hays Hs) 16-11 (Fall 1:34)</li><li>Cons. Round 2 - Valerie VanZant (Salina-Central Hs) 21-13 won by fall over Reese Vehige (Hays Hs) 16-11 (Fall 1:35)</li>
 </ul><h2>130</h2>Addison Nueberger (15-19) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Reddi Johnson (Kansas City - Washington HS) 38-3 won by fall over Addison Nueberger (Hays Hs) 15-19 (Fall 1:04)</li><li>Cons. Round 1 - Breann Bradley (Goddard Hs) 18-20 won by fall over Addison Nueberger (Hays Hs) 15-19 (Fall 2:20)</li>
 </ul><h2>135</h2>Tionna Napue (20-7) placed 5th and scored 15.0 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Tionna Napue (Hays Hs) 20-7 won by fall over Kiana Berryman (Pittsburg HS) 27-17 (Fall 1:58)</li><li>Quarterfinal - Tionna Napue (Hays Hs) 20-7 won by fall over Madalynn Fritschle (Wichita-Bishop Carroll Hs) 23-16 (Fall 1:45)</li><li>Semifinal - Maia Dolinar (Kansas City - Piper HS) 37-1 won by fall over Tionna Napue (Hays Hs) 20-7 (Fall 4:31)</li><li>Cons. Semi - Grace Hare (Wichita-Kapaun Mt.Carmel Hs) 36-13 won by decision over Tionna Napue (Hays Hs) 20-7 (Dec 6-4)</li><li>5th Place Match - Tionna Napue (Hays Hs) 20-7 won by fall over Madalynn Fritschle (Wichita-Bishop Carroll Hs) 23-16 (Fall 0:56)</li>
 </ul><h2>140</h2>Ava Ruiz (26-9) placed 5th and scored 16.5 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Ava Ruiz (Hays Hs) 26-9 won by fall over Madison LaVine (Lansing HS) 15-23 (Fall 2:17)</li><li>Quarterfinal - Alexis Means (Wichita-Bishop Carroll Hs) 36-0 won by tech fall over Ava Ruiz (Hays Hs) 26-9 (TF-1.5 2:25 (18-3))</li><li>Cons. Round 2 - Ava Ruiz (Hays Hs) 26-9 won by tech fall over Olivia Schneider (Kansas City - Piper HS) 10-21 (TF-1.5 3:45 (19-2))</li><li>Cons. Round 3 - Ava Ruiz (Hays Hs) 26-9 won by fall over Dajah Jenkins (Salina-South Hs) 28-12 (Fall 2:12)</li><li>Cons. Semi - Madison Freeland (Tecumseh - Shawnee Heights HS ) 32-7 won by fall over Ava Ruiz (Hays Hs) 26-9 (Fall 3:55)</li><li>5th Place Match - Ava Ruiz (Hays Hs) 26-9 won by fall over Nevaeh Brown (Bonner Springs HS) 31-10 (Fall 2:01)</li>
 </ul><h2>145</h2>Timber Lovewell (31-8) placed 3rd and scored 19.0 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Timber Lovewell (Hays Hs) 31-8 won by fall over SaVaiya Lyons (Kansas City - Schlagle HS) 8-11 (Fall 0:58)</li><li>Quarterfinal - Timber Lovewell (Hays Hs) 31-8 won by major decision over Jeslyn Swanson (Arkansas City Hs) 26-13 (MD 13-3)</li><li>Semifinal - Campbell Mermis (Spring Hill HS) 41-3 won by fall over Timber Lovewell (Hays Hs) 31-8 (Fall 2:14)</li><li>Cons. Semi - Timber Lovewell (Hays Hs) 31-8 won by fall over Ninel Garcia (Salina-South Hs) 24-13 (Fall 0:38)</li><li>3rd Place Match - Timber Lovewell (Hays Hs) 31-8 won by decision over Olivia Stevens (Tecumseh - Shawnee Heights HS ) 35-10 (Dec 7-0)</li>
 </ul><h2>155</h2>Lexi Barnett (17-3) placed 4th and scored 16.0 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Lexi Barnett (Hays Hs) 17-3 won by fall over Ava Babich (Leavenworth HS) 21-18 (Fall 2:25)</li><li>Quarterfinal - Lexi Barnett (Hays Hs) 17-3 won by fall over Ayva Besco (Wichita-Kapaun Mt.Carmel Hs) 26-17 (Fall 3:20)</li><li>Semifinal - Addison Vogel (Bonner Springs HS) 33-3 won by decision over Lexi Barnett (Hays Hs) 17-3 (Dec 7-3)</li><li>Cons. Semi - Lexi Barnett (Hays Hs) 17-3 won by decision over Emily Velasquez (Kansas City - Schlagle HS) 16-7 (Dec 5-2)</li><li>3rd Place Match - Cianna Graves (Tecumseh - Shawnee Heights HS ) 39-3 won by fall over Lexi Barnett (Hays Hs) 17-3 (Fall 2:18)</li>
 </ul><h2>190</h2>Eleanor Stoffel (26-9) placed 5th and scored 13.0 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Eleanor Stoffel (Hays Hs) 26-9 won by fall over Breanna Robles (Kansas City - Washington HS) 11-20 (Fall 1:22)</li><li>Quarterfinal - Eleanor Stoffel (Hays Hs) 26-9 won by decision over Amelia Patterson (Bonner Springs HS) 28-11 (Dec 4-2)</li><li>Semifinal - Makayla Cadet (Topeka - Highland Park HS) 22-4 won by fall over Eleanor Stoffel (Hays Hs) 26-9 (Fall 4:39)</li><li>Cons. Semi - Jaycee Crumet (Kansas City - Turner HS) 25-10 won by fall over Eleanor Stoffel (Hays Hs) 26-9 (Fall 4:07)</li><li>5th Place Match - Eleanor Stoffel (Hays Hs) 26-9 won by fall over Clair Harder (Newton Hs) 11-12 (Fall 0:18)</li>
 </ul><h2>235</h2>Jenessa (Inj.) Carillo (6-16) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Saryja Nelson (Leavenworth HS) 29-5 won by injury default over Jenessa (Inj.) Carillo (Hays Hs) 6-16 (Inj. 0:00)</li><li>Cons. Round 1 - Nia Patterson (Kansas City - Piper HS) 12-23 won by injury default over Jenessa (Inj.) Carillo (Hays Hs) 6-16 (Inj. 0:00)</li>
 </ul> BOYS<h2>106</h2>Cyler Luck (29-13) placed 5th and scored 15.5 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Cyler Luck (Hays) 29-13 won by fall over John Legatt (DeSoto HS) 17-14 (Fall 3:48)</li><li>Quarterfinal - Vince Maturo (Overland Park - Blue Valley Southwest HS) 36-9 won by decision over Cyler Luck (Hays) 29-13 (Dec 8-1)</li><li>Cons. Round 2 - Cyler Luck (Hays) 29-13 won by major decision over Canon Husen (Maize South) 21-19 (MD 9-0)</li><li>Cons. Round 3 - Cyler Luck (Hays) 29-13 won by tech fall over Xander Lazenby (Spring Hill HS) 17-15 (TF-1.5 1:57 (18-0))</li><li>Cons. Semi - Grant Taylor (Basehor-Linwood HS) 30-12 won by decision over Cyler Luck (Hays) 29-13 (Dec 9-3)</li><li>5th Place Match - Cyler Luck (Hays) 29-13 won by injury default over Noah (Med. For) Vela (Newton) 27-20 (Inj. 0:00)</li>
 </ul><h2>132</h2>Grady Lind (21-14) place is unknown and scored 2.0 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Kyle Grewal (Overland Park - St. Thomas Aquinas HS) 20-9 won by fall over Grady Lind (Hays) 21-14 (Fall 2:36)</li><li>Cons. Round 1 - Grady Lind (Hays) 21-14 won by major decision over Taylor Rickard (Newton) 24-20 (MD 10-2)</li><li>Cons. Round 2 - Jackson Goodman (Emporia) 23-16 won by decision over Grady Lind (Hays) 21-14 (Dec 6-5)</li>
 </ul><h2>150</h2>Roberto Macias (24-14) place is unknown and scored 5.0 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Emerson Tjaden (DeSoto HS) 40-2 won by fall over Roberto Macias (Hays) 24-14 (Fall 1:48)</li><li>Cons. Round 1 - Roberto Macias (Hays) 24-14 won by major decision over Emiliano Martinez (Kansas City - Piper HS) 26-20 (MD 15-5)</li><li>Cons. Round 2 - Roberto Macias (Hays) 24-14 won by fall over Hank Kolich (Overland Park - St. Thomas Aquinas HS) 27-11 (Fall 1:00)</li><li>Cons. Round 3 - Jase Adam (Salina-Central) 29-12 won by fall over Roberto Macias (Hays) 24-14 (Fall 4:24)</li>
 </ul><h2>175</h2>Dalton Meyers (30-6) placed 3rd and scored 20.0 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Dalton Meyers (Hays) 30-6 won by fall over Brennan Jones (Lenexa - St. James Academy HS) 24-23 (Fall 0:32)</li><li>Quarterfinal - Dalton Meyers (Hays) 30-6 won by fall over Owen McAnulty (Arkansas City) 25-13 (Fall 3:33)</li><li>Semifinal - Tad Forsyth (Overland Park - Blue Valley Southwest HS) 32-2 won by decision over Dalton Meyers (Hays) 30-6 (Dec 5-3)</li><li>Cons. Semi - Dalton Meyers (Hays) 30-6 won by decision over Logan Warkentine (Andover) 47-9 (Dec 5-2)</li><li>3rd Place Match - Dalton Meyers (Hays) 30-6 won by fall over Samson Tootle (Topeka-Seaman) 34-16 (Fall 2:18)</li>
 </ul><h2>190</h2>Jonathan Rigler (32-10) placed 3rd and scored 16.5 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Jonathan Rigler (Hays) 32-10 won by major decision over Dylan Roy (DeSoto HS) 30-19 (MD 14-6)</li><li>Quarterfinal - Steel Schomaker (Valley Center) 30-11 won by tech fall over Jonathan Rigler (Hays) 32-10 (TF-1.5 5:19 (16-1))</li><li>Cons. Round 2 - Jonathan Rigler (Hays) 32-10 won by decision over Giulio Traglia (Wichita-Kapaun Mt. Carmel) 34-18 (Dec 5-0)</li><li>Cons. Round 3 - Jonathan Rigler (Hays) 32-10 won by tech fall over Cayson Hart (Overland Park - St. Thomas Aquinas HS) 16-9 (TF-1.5 4:06 (21-3))</li><li>Cons. Semi - Jonathan Rigler (Hays) 32-10 won by decision over Jaelyn Sides (Overland Park - Blue Valley Southwest HS) 33-13 (Dec 7-0)</li><li>3rd Place Match - Jonathan Rigler (Hays) 32-10 won by decision over Steel Schomaker (Valley Center) 30-11 (Dec 8-1)</li>
 </ul><h2>215</h2>Jaxson Chartier (12-8) place is unknown and scored 5.0 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Jaxson Chartier (Hays) 12-8 won by decision over James Cannon-Laster (DeSoto HS) 22-18 (Dec 8-1)</li><li>Quarterfinal - Preston Hagel (Goddard) 42-2 won by fall over Jaxson Chartier (Hays) 12-8 (Fall 0:23)</li><li>Cons. Round 2 - Jaxson Chartier (Hays) 12-8 won by fall over Logan Alexander (Spring Hill HS) 32-22 (Fall 1:44)</li><li>Cons. Round 3 - K`lyn Curtis (Overland Park - St. Thomas Aquinas HS) 32-9 won by decision over Jaxson Chartier (Hays) 12-8 (Dec 7-3)</li>
 </ul><h2>285</h2>Tanner Geist (25-10) place is unknown and scored 7.0 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Tanner Geist (Hays) 25-10 won by injury default over Jacob Sullivan (Kansas City - JC Harmon HS) 20-11 (Inj. 3:02)</li><li>Quarterfinal - Dawson Rodd (Andover Central) 18-2 won by fall over Tanner Geist (Hays) 25-10 (Fall 3:19)</li><li>Cons. Round 2 - Tanner Geist (Hays) 25-10 won by injury default over Alonzo (Inj.) Guillen (Salina-Central) 22-16 (Inj. 0:00)</li><li>Cons. Round 3 - Kimbal Sweeney (DeSoto HS) 38-10 won by decision over Tanner Geist (Hays) 25-10 (Dec 8-2)</li>
 </ul>

🤼‍♂️ Hays High girls place five and boys three at state tournament

WASHINGTON (AP)—President Donald Trump says he plans to issue “a complete PARDON of Pete Rose," baseball’s late career hits leader who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-8fb1c12e1498a0c3ffacef4beaa4e642">banned from MLB and the Hall of Fame</a>&nbsp;for sports betting.

Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday night to say Rose, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-rose-obituary-reds-e0f3dfa057fc46629447e04b6540e4c8">died in September</a>&nbsp;at 83, “shouldn’t have been gambling on baseball, but only bet on HIS TEAM WINNING.”

Trump did not specifically mention Rose’s tax evasion case in which Rose pleaded guilty in 1990 and served a five-month prison sentence.

The president said he would sign a pardon for Rose “over the next few weeks.”

MLB handed Rose a lifetime ban in 1989 after an investigation determined he had bet on baseball games, including some involving his own Cincinnati Reds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727739054688.jpeg" alt="FILE - In this July 31, 1978 file photo, Cincinnati Reds third baseman Pete Rose tips his cap to the crowd after hitting in his 44th straight game in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - In this July 31, 1978 file photo, Cincinnati Reds third baseman Pete Rose tips his cap to the crowd after hitting in his 44th straight game in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP)—President Donald Trump says he plans to issue “a complete PARDON of Pete Rose," baseball’s late career hits leader who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-8fb1c12e1498a0c3ffacef4beaa4e642">banned from MLB and the Hall of Fame</a>&nbsp;for sports betting.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1740850610190.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday night to say Rose, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-rose-obituary-reds-e0f3dfa057fc46629447e04b6540e4c8">died in September</a>&nbsp;at 83, “shouldn’t have been gambling on baseball, but only bet on HIS TEAM WINNING.”Trump did not specifically mention Rose’s tax evasion case in which Rose pleaded guilty in 1990 and served a five-month prison sentence.The president said he would sign a pardon for Rose “over the next few weeks.”MLB handed Rose a lifetime ban in 1989 after an investigation determined he had bet on baseball games, including some involving his own Cincinnati Reds.

Trump says in social media post he plans to pardon the late Pete Rose

Jeff Leiker with Eagle Radio chats with Adam Conkey from Historic Fort Hays about The Buffalo Soldier and Nicodemus.

<div><iframe title="Post Podcast: Fort Hays Historic Site - The Buffalo Soldier and Nicodemus" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:300px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?from=embed&i=mb45n-1816c45-pb&square=1&share=1&download=1&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=300" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>Jeff Leiker with Eagle Radio chats with Adam Conkey from Historic Fort Hays about The Buffalo Soldier and Nicodemus.

🎙 Post Podcast: The Buffalo Soldiers, Nicodemus

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Jessica Normandin, a Hays native, wasn't sure she was going to make it as a child care provider as she was starting out.

"The first four months, I questioned myself," she said.

"I was a mom. I was a parent. When you add a whole bunch of other kids, it's different. You have to figure it out,"&nbsp;Normandin said.

However, the in-home provider has been in the business for more than 20 years.

Normandin, 44, was nominated for the February Child Care Champion Award by Dana Stanton, member of the Child Care Task Force of Ellis County.

Normandin and her husband knew they wanted to have four children. Knowing what child care costs, opening her own child care was a way to stay home with her kids, be her own boss and make child care for her children affordable.

Her children have long since outgrown child care. They are 16 through 26. Her youngest is a Hays High School student.

"We were able to spend plenty of time with them," Normandin said. "They were able to play and make new friends. We had lots of fun stuff to do because of the day care."

She said she continued as a child care provider after her children entered school because she said she enjoyed being home, being her own boss and working with small children.

Normandin usually does not take babies. Most of her children are 3 to 5. During the summer, she takes some school-age children.

 She is not a licensed preschool but follows a pre-K curriculum.

The walls of her child care, which is in a remodeled addition to her home, are covered with brightly colored cutouts and posters depicting numbers, letters, colors, shapes and days of the month.

Normandin said she thinks children greatly benefit from building skills like numbers and shapes before kindergarten.

"I think the more repetition they get going with the kids, the more they know and the more they retain once they get to kindergarten," she said. "It makes their job a little easier if they have a good baseline."

Normandin also has toys that help the children develop fine motor skills and playground equipment that helps them develop gross motor skills.

"We really enjoy going outside. I really encourage them to get creative on their own," she said. "All the fine motor stuff, I leave them open-ended so they can create what they want."

She said she appreciates having a section of her home dedicated to child care and separate from her family's living space.&nbsp;

The child care rooms are child-proofed and made for the children, Normandin said.

This helps her concentrate on the aspects she loves about being a child care provider.

"I love getting to watch how much they learn and how much they grow in the time that they come," Normandin said. "I make each of my kids a scrapbook. Typically, I have them for a two-year span. It's neat to see where they started with me and how much they grew and learned within that two years."

Normandin said her greatest challenge recently has been filing her openings. Last year, there was a shift in the local child care industry as new centers opened.

She said it's difficult for in-home child care providers to adjust to those changes when they depend on staying full to pay their bills.

However, Normandin said her child care is full at this time.

Her advice to new providers is not to give up.

"Kids can be challenging at times, but there's always better times coming. Once you get in the routine of how you are going to keep everything going, it's better," she said.

Someone needs a diaper change. Someone needs a drink. Someone needs a toy. The children are pulling you in all different directions, she said.

"Once you get a clear routine established, they know what to expect,"&nbsp;Normandin said. "They know what they can and they can't do. It just seems the day goes better when everyone knows the expectations, routine and what's going to happen next."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740695956869.jpeg" alt="Jessica Normandin, February's Child Care Champion, with one of her child care group's. Courtey photo" />
 <figcaption>Jessica Normandin, February's Child Care Champion, with one of her child care group's. Courtey photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostJessica Normandin, a Hays native, wasn't sure she was going to make it as a child care provider as she was starting out."The first four months, I questioned myself," she said."I was a mom. I was a parent. When you add a whole bunch of other kids, it's different. You have to figure it out,"&nbsp;Normandin said.However, the in-home provider has been in the business for more than 20 years.Normandin, 44, was nominated for the February Child Care Champion Award by Dana Stanton, member of the Child Care Task Force of Ellis County.Normandin and her husband knew they wanted to have four children. Knowing what child care costs, opening her own child care was a way to stay home with her kids, be her own boss and make child care for her children affordable.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740696038700.jpeg" alt="Jessica Normandin, February's Child Care Champion, with one of her child care groups. Courtey photo" />
 <figcaption>Jessica Normandin, February's Child Care Champion, with one of her child care groups. Courtey photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Her children have long since outgrown child care. They are 16 through 26. Her youngest is a Hays High School student."We were able to spend plenty of time with them," Normandin said. "They were able to play and make new friends. We had lots of fun stuff to do because of the day care."She said she continued as a child care provider after her children entered school because she said she enjoyed being home, being her own boss and working with small children.Normandin usually does not take babies. Most of her children are 3 to 5. During the summer, she takes some school-age children. She is not a licensed preschool but follows a pre-K curriculum.The walls of her child care, which is in a remodeled addition to her home, are covered with brightly colored cutouts and posters depicting numbers, letters, colors, shapes and days of the month.Normandin said she thinks children greatly benefit from building skills like numbers and shapes before kindergarten."I think the more repetition they get going with the kids, the more they know and the more they retain once they get to kindergarten," she said. "It makes their job a little easier if they have a good baseline."Normandin also has toys that help the children develop fine motor skills and playground equipment that helps them develop gross motor skills."We really enjoy going outside. I really encourage them to get creative on their own," she said. "All the fine motor stuff, I leave them open-ended so they can create what they want."She said she appreciates having a section of her home dedicated to child care and separate from her family's living space.&nbsp;The child care rooms are child-proofed and made for the children, Normandin said.This helps her concentrate on the aspects she loves about being a child care provider."I love getting to watch how much they learn and how much they grow in the time that they come," Normandin said. "I make each of my kids a scrapbook. Typically, I have them for a two-year span. It's neat to see where they started with me and how much they grew and learned within that two years."Normandin said her greatest challenge recently has been filing her openings. Last year, there was a shift in the local child care industry as new centers opened.She said it's difficult for in-home child care providers to adjust to those changes when they depend on staying full to pay their bills.However, Normandin said her child care is full at this time.Her advice to new providers is not to give up."Kids can be challenging at times, but there's always better times coming. Once you get in the routine of how you are going to keep everything going, it's better," she said.Someone needs a diaper change. Someone needs a drink. Someone needs a toy. The children are pulling you in all different directions, she said."Once you get a clear routine established, they know what to expect,"&nbsp;Normandin said. "They know what they can and they can't do. It just seems the day goes better when everyone knows the expectations, routine and what's going to happen next."

Child Care Champion celebrates 20 years in the industry

Hays finished off the regular season by hosting Great Bend. The games were the final scheduled games at the current high school with plans to be in the new high school for next season.

Girls #4 Hays 67, Great Bend 23

Three big first half runs pushed Hays to a 67-23 over Great Bend allowing the Indians to capture their first ever perfect regular season.

The Panthers scored the first two points of the game. The Indians scored the next 16 and never looked back. Hays led 16-2 and that lead never dipped under double digits rest of the night.

Great Bend did score back-to-back field goals to make the difference 16-6, but never drew any closer. The Indians added to their lead at the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second quarter with a 13-0 run for a 22-6 lead.

Another run, this time 12-2, put Hays ahead 41-10 at halftime.

The best Great Bend run in the game came in the third quarter when they scored seven in a row to bring the score to 46-17. Hays ended that quarter with a 13-2 run for a forty point lead heading to the fourth.

The fourth was played with a running clock and ended with a 44 point difference at 67-23. It is the tenth opponent to score 29 or less points and eleventh to make nine or less field goals.

All five seniors scored for the Indians on Senior Night. Hays(20-0, 8-0) has won back-to-back undefeated conference titles and 19 straight conference games. Great Bend(6-14, 2-6) turned the ball over 31 times.

Hays will be the #1 seed in 5A West for postseason. They will host Great Bend once again on Tuesday.

Jenna Schmeidler 14; Annie Humphrey 2; Katie Linenberger 16; Molly Martin 11; Kenlee Winter 2; Morgan Armbruster 0; Jaysa Roa 6; Kinslee Newell 3; Riley Dreher 1; Lysni Kanak 0; Molly Buckles 6; Zoe Winter 3; Liz Cunningham 0; Rylen Harrington 3.

Great Bend scored the first 15 points of the game while it took Hays six minutes to get on the board in the Panthers 66-32 victory.&nbsp;

Hays scored five straight to get within ten at 15-5. It would be the closest the Indians would get all night.&nbsp; The Panthers shot lights out the entire evening. They made 15 of 23 shots in the first half for a 34-18 advantage.

Great Bend hit their first six shots of the second half, including two three pointers. The Panthers pushed their lead as high as thirty points in the third quarter at 53-23.&nbsp;

Most of the fourth quarter was played with a continuous clock ending with a 66-32 Great Bend victory.

Great Bend(18-2, 8-0) shot 69% from the floor and made seven of eight three pointers. Hays(12-8, 6-2) matched a season low in points.

Sub-state pairings will be made official on Saturday morning. Hays will host Hutchinson in the first round of sub-state on Wednesday.

Carter Lang 0; Johnny Cano 4; Trace Jacobs 0; Cooper Linenmeyer 3; Trey Oakley 9; Tiger Johnson 3; Izaac Fox 5; Dawson Ruder 8.

Hays finished off the regular season by hosting Great Bend. The games were the final scheduled games at the current high school with plans to be in the new high school for next season.Girls #4 Hays 67, Great Bend 23Three big first half runs pushed Hays to a 67-23 over Great Bend allowing the Indians to capture their first ever perfect regular season.The Panthers scored the first two points of the game. The Indians scored the next 16 and never looked back. Hays led 16-2 and that lead never dipped under double digits rest of the night.Great Bend did score back-to-back field goals to make the difference 16-6, but never drew any closer. The Indians added to their lead at the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second quarter with a 13-0 run for a 22-6 lead.Another run, this time 12-2, put Hays ahead 41-10 at halftime.Highlights<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/2044511472&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/hhs-wbkb-highlights-v-great" title="HHS WBKB Highlights v Great Bend Feb 28, 2025" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS WBKB Highlights v Great Bend Feb 28, 2025</a></div></div>The best Great Bend run in the game came in the third quarter when they scored seven in a row to bring the score to 46-17. Hays ended that quarter with a 13-2 run for a forty point lead heading to the fourth.The fourth was played with a running clock and ended with a 44 point difference at 67-23. It is the tenth opponent to score 29 or less points and eleventh to make nine or less field goals.Coach Len Melvin<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/2044526716&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/hhs-wbkb-coach-post-v-great" title="HHS WBKB Coach Post v Great Bend Feb 28, 2025" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS WBKB Coach Post v Great Bend Feb 28, 2025</a></div></div>All five seniors scored for the Indians on Senior Night. Hays(20-0, 8-0) has won back-to-back undefeated conference titles and 19 straight conference games. Great Bend(6-14, 2-6) turned the ball over 31 times.Hays will be the #1 seed in 5A West for postseason. They will host Great Bend once again on Tuesday.Jenna Schmeidler 14; Annie Humphrey 2; Katie Linenberger 16; Molly Martin 11; Kenlee Winter 2; Morgan Armbruster 0; Jaysa Roa 6; Kinslee Newell 3; Riley Dreher 1; Lysni Kanak 0; Molly Buckles 6; Zoe Winter 3; Liz Cunningham 0; Rylen Harrington 3.Boys #4 Great Bend 66, Hays 32Great Bend scored the first 15 points of the game while it took Hays six minutes to get on the board in the Panthers 66-32 victory.&nbsp;Hays scored five straight to get within ten at 15-5. It would be the closest the Indians would get all night.&nbsp; The Panthers shot lights out the entire evening. They made 15 of 23 shots in the first half for a 34-18 advantage.Highlights<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/2044544448&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/hhs-mbkb-highlights-v-great" title="HHS MBKB Highlights v Great Bend Feb 28, 2025" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS MBKB Highlights v Great Bend Feb 28, 2025</a></div></div>Great Bend hit their first six shots of the second half, including two three pointers. The Panthers pushed their lead as high as thirty points in the third quarter at 53-23.&nbsp;Most of the fourth quarter was played with a continuous clock ending with a 66-32 Great Bend victory.Coach Sean Dreiling<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/2044542332&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/hhs-mbkb-coach-post-v-great" title="HHS MBKB Coach Post v Great Bend Feb 28, 2025" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS MBKB Coach Post v Great Bend Feb 28, 2025</a></div></div>Great Bend(18-2, 8-0) shot 69% from the floor and made seven of eight three pointers. Hays(12-8, 6-2) matched a season low in points.Sub-state pairings will be made official on Saturday morning. Hays will host Hutchinson in the first round of sub-state on Wednesday.Carter Lang 0; Johnny Cano 4; Trace Jacobs 0; Cooper Linenmeyer 3; Trey Oakley 9; Tiger Johnson 3; Izaac Fox 5; Dawson Ruder 8.

🏀 Hays girls complete perfect regular season; boys fall to Great Bend

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

On Thursday, Kansas Highway Patrol posted a photo taken by Trooper Ely on patrol on Interstate 70 in Saline County.

The patrol did not report whether the trooper gave the driver a warning or a ticket with a significant fine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740777188831.png" alt="-Photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>-Photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement across Kansas continue to see more drivers traveling well above the posted speed limit, despite a statewide campaign to crack down on excessive speeding.On Thursday, Kansas Highway Patrol posted a photo taken by Trooper Ely on patrol on Interstate 70 in Saline County.The patrol did not report whether the trooper gave the driver a warning or a ticket with a significant fine.

Driver caught traveling 111mph on Interstate 70

DALLAS (AP) — The number of people with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">measles</a>&nbsp;in Texas increased to 146 in an outbreak that led this week to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">death of an unvaccinated school-aged child</a>, health officials said Friday.

The number of cases — Texas’ largest in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-mmr-vaccine-homeschooling-b29d08d53cf26704968e8c00dfa712ba">nearly 30 years</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">increased by 22</a>&nbsp;since Tuesday. The Texas Department of State Health Services said cases span over nine counties in Texas, including almost 100 in Gaines County, and 20 patients have been hospitalized.

The child who died Tuesday night in the outbreak is the first U.S. death from the highly contagious but preventable respiratory disease since 2015, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The child was treated at Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, though the facility said the patient didn’t live in Lubbock County.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s top health official and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-vaccine-trump-science-autism-9b99621b01f11b7f0bdc81e5a0b82d2b">a vaccine critic,</a>&nbsp;said this week that the U.S. Department of the Health and Human Services was watching cases but dismissed the outbreak as “not unusual.”

The virus has largely spread through rural, oil rig-dotted West Texas, with cases concentrated in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-vaccinations-mennonites-4880035d6fd53cc029b531f5adda95ad">“close-knit, undervaccinated” Mennonite community</a>, state health department spokesperson Lara Anton has said.

Gaines County has a strong homeschooling and private school community. It is also home to one of the highest rates of school-aged children in Texas who have opted out of at least one required vaccine, with nearly 14% skipping a required dose last school year.

Texas law allows children to get an exemption from school vaccines for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs. Anton has said the number of unvaccinated kids in Gaines County is likely significantly higher because homeschooled children's data would not be reported.

The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and highly effective at preventing infection and severe cases. The first shot is recommended for children ages 12 to 15 months, and the second for ages 4 to 6 years. Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.

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.

The U.S. had considered measles, a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours, eliminated in 2000, which meant there had been a halt in continuous spread of the disease for at least a year. Measles cases rose in 2024, including a Chicago outbreak that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-chicago-migrant-shelter-cdc-e58517c830f73e42266d45d45983c12b">sickened more than 60</a>.

Eastern New Mexico has nine cases of measles currently, but the state health department said there is no connection to the outbreak in West Texas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740774393942.png" alt="Image Texas Dept. of Health" />
 <figcaption>Image Texas Dept. of Health</figcaption>
 </figure>DALLAS (AP) — The number of people with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">measles</a>&nbsp;in Texas increased to 146 in an outbreak that led this week to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">death of an unvaccinated school-aged child</a>, health officials said Friday.The number of cases — Texas’ largest in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-mmr-vaccine-homeschooling-b29d08d53cf26704968e8c00dfa712ba">nearly 30 years</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">increased by 22</a>&nbsp;since Tuesday. The Texas Department of State Health Services said cases span over nine counties in Texas, including almost 100 in Gaines County, and 20 patients have been hospitalized.The child who died Tuesday night in the outbreak is the first U.S. death from the highly contagious but preventable respiratory disease since 2015, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The child was treated at Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, though the facility said the patient didn’t live in Lubbock County.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740584009532.png" alt="A sign warning of measles is posted on a glass door as a patient checks in for an appointment in the family medicine wing of at the Texas Tech Physicians of the Permian Basin Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, in Odessa, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)" />
 <figcaption>A sign warning of measles is posted on a glass door as a patient checks in for an appointment in the family medicine wing of at the Texas Tech Physicians of the Permian Basin Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, in Odessa, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)</figcaption>
 </figure>Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s top health official and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-vaccine-trump-science-autism-9b99621b01f11b7f0bdc81e5a0b82d2b">a vaccine critic,</a>&nbsp;said this week that the U.S. Department of the Health and Human Services was watching cases but dismissed the outbreak as “not unusual.”The virus has largely spread through rural, oil rig-dotted West Texas, with cases concentrated in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-vaccinations-mennonites-4880035d6fd53cc029b531f5adda95ad">“close-knit, undervaccinated” Mennonite community</a>, state health department spokesperson Lara Anton has said.Gaines County has a strong homeschooling and private school community. It is also home to one of the highest rates of school-aged children in Texas who have opted out of at least one required vaccine, with nearly 14% skipping a required dose last school year.Texas law allows children to get an exemption from school vaccines for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs. Anton has said the number of unvaccinated kids in Gaines County is likely significantly higher because homeschooled children's data would not be reported.The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and highly effective at preventing infection and severe cases. The first shot is recommended for children ages 12 to 15 months, and the second for ages 4 to 6 years. Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.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.The U.S. had considered measles, a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours, eliminated in 2000, which meant there had been a halt in continuous spread of the disease for at least a year. Measles cases rose in 2024, including a Chicago outbreak that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-chicago-migrant-shelter-cdc-e58517c830f73e42266d45d45983c12b">sickened more than 60</a>.Eastern New Mexico has nine cases of measles currently, but the state health department said there is no connection to the outbreak in West Texas.

Number of Texas measles cases grows in outbreak that led to a child's death

WASHINGTON (AP) —President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-security-guarantees-trump-meeting-washington-eebdf97b663c2cdc9e51fa346b09591d">cut short talks</a>&nbsp;with Ukrainian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;after he and and Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">JD Vance</a>&nbsp;berated the Ukraine’s leader in the Oval Office on Friday.

The breakdown of negotiations come at a pivotal and precarious moment for Ukraine as Zelenskyy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-security-guarantees-trump-meeting-washington-eebdf97b663c2cdc9e51fa346b09591d">sought security guarantees</a>&nbsp;from the U.S. and Trump’s administration seeks to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.

President Trump and Vice President Vance berated Zelenskyy as Ukraine’s leader sought security guarantees as the U.S. tries to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. 

Trump told Zelenskyy he was being disrespectful as Zelenskky was pushing for U.S. security commitments to keep his country safe from further Russian aggression.

Zelenskyy told Trump that promises of peace from Vladimir Putin can’t be trusted, noting the Russian leader’s history of broken promises. Trump said Putin hasn’t broken agreements with him.

“You’ve got to be more thankful,” Trump told Zelenskyy. He said the Ukrainian leader is “gambling with World War III.”

Trump chided Zelenskyy after Vice President JD Vance, one of the administration’s most skeptical voices on Ukraine, said Zelenskyy was being disrespectful for debating Trump in the Oval Office in front of the American media.

“Have you said ‘thank you’ once?” Vance asked Zelenskyy.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump repeated that Zelenskyy was “disrespectful.”

“I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations,” Trump wrote. “I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE.”

“He can come back when he is ready for Peace,” he added.

Zelenskyy had been scheduled to have lunch with Trump and both leaders were going to sign a minerals deal during a joint news conference. Instead, Zelenskyy’s armored SUV abruptly pulled up to the door of the West Wing moments after Trump’s post.

Zelenskyy walked briskly to his armored vehicle and quickly climbed in, escorted by a protocol officer who saw him off.

A planned news conference and ceremony to sign a U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal were canceled.

Meanwhile, the White House says it mistakenly let a reporter from the Russian news agency Tass into the Oval Office as Trump was meeting with Zelenskyy.

TASS was not on the approved media list, according to the White House, and when the press office learned the reporter was in the Oval Office, he was escorted out by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Regional officials in Ukraine express support for Zelenskyy

Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv region which borders Russia, praised President Zelenskyy after his tense exchange with Trump and Vance in the Oval Office.

“Our leader, despite the pressure, stands firm in defending the interests of Ukraine and Ukrainians,” Syniehubov said.

From the Donetsk region, which has seen the most intense fighting, regional head Vadym Filashkin said victory for Ukraine was “victory for all democracies and the entire civilized world.”

And regional head Oleksandr Prokudin from the the southern Kherson region, which was mostly occupied in 2022 and then partially liberated by Ukrainian forces, acknowledged the support from other European nations, adding that three years of war had hardened Ukrainians.

“We know what pressure is—on the front lines, in politics, in daily struggle,” Prokudin said. “It has made us stronger. It has made the President stronger. Determination is the force that drives us forward. And I am confident that we will endure this time as well.”

Italy’s premier proposes ‘immediate summit’ between the US and Europe

Giorgia Meloni says he wants leaders to be able “to speak frankly about how we intend to face today’s great challenges, starting with Ukraine.”

In a statement following the open clash between Trump and Zelenskyy, Meloni urged the West to stay united.

“Every division of the West makes us all weaker and favors those who would like to see the decline of our civilization,” she said. “A division would not benefit anyone.”

Zelenskyy says ‘thank you’ to European leaders on X

European leaders across the continent echoed their loyalty to Ukraine in posts on X, prompting Zelenskyy to reply “thank you for your support” to each — likely a dig at the Trump administration.

During the extraordinary meeting Friday in Washington, Trump chided Zelenskyy after Vance, one of the administration’s most skeptical voices on Ukraine, said Zelenskyy was being disrespectful for debating Trump in the Oval Office in front of the American media.