By BECKY KISER Hays Post

Overnight rain Thursday brought 0.76 of an inch of welcome moisture to Hays, as measured at the K-State Agricultural Research Center south of town.

Three-quarters of an inch also fell at the Eagle Media Center, 23oo Hall.

Hays is now ahead in total moisture for the month of August and for the year-to-date.

Hays' 157-year-old record average for the month of August is 3.01 inches and 17.70 inches for the year by the end of August.

As of August 23, Hays has received 4.25 inches of rain and 18.15 inches for the year.

The <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/ff7142f6-9bfe-4880-95ed-a5a26c0063a3">three-day weather forecast</a> calls for a chance of thunderstorms Friday and Sunday and temperatures past the century mark this weekend.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685461454737.jpeg" alt="Photo by Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostOvernight rain Thursday brought 0.76 of an inch of welcome moisture to Hays, as measured at the K-State Agricultural Research Center south of town.Three-quarters of an inch also fell at the Eagle Media Center, 23oo Hall.Hays is now ahead in total moisture for the month of August and for the year-to-date.Hays' 157-year-old record average for the month of August is 3.01 inches and 17.70 inches for the year by the end of August.As of August 23, Hays has received 4.25 inches of rain and 18.15 inches for the year.The <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/ff7142f6-9bfe-4880-95ed-a5a26c0063a3">three-day weather forecast</a> calls for a chance of thunderstorms Friday and Sunday and temperatures past the century mark this weekend.&nbsp;

Overnight rain in Hays yields 3/4 inch; moisture total ahead for the month

This story has been updated with a statement from the Hutchinson Clinic.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Clinic and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas are still at an impasse when it comes to 2025 rates for customers that have BCBS coverage through an employer.&nbsp;

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/f9db6853-fae1-46d6-95c8-d7c3a92fb811">In a letter sent to local companies obtained by Hutch Post earlier this summer</a>, the Hutchinson Clinic announced then it will not be doing business with Blue Cross Blue Shield in-network next year. This decision, if it stands, will effect a little over 26,000 Hutch Clinic patients.

Spokesperson Kristi Zears for Blue Cross Blue Shield emailed Hutch Post Thursday with an update. That statement is below.

"As a long-standing partner with Hutchinson Clinic, we are disappointed with their decision to terminate the contract. This decision, which was shared prior to the release of the 2025 reimbursement rates, limits provider choice for members in the Hutchinson area. We have had continued conversations with Hutchinson Clinic and have provided them an opportunity to reconsider their decision until September 3. We hope they will do what is in the best interest of the community.

"As always, with nearly 100 percent of providers and hospitals in our network, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is committed to serving our members and helping them through their health journeys."

Hutch Clinic was also contacted and sent this response on Friday.

"The Hutchinson Clinic has been working diligently to analyze the complex Fee Schedule received from BCBSKS on July 31. The Clinic has requested a meeting with BCBSKS for the week of Aug. 26 to clarify some outstanding questions. Regardless of the outcome of this meeting, the Hutchinson Clinic will always prioritize patient care. Should we ultimately end up out of network with BCBSKS, the Hutchinson Clinic will provide affordable out-of-network options so our patients can continue seeking treatment with their physicians at our Clinic."

BCBS is still in network for employer-provided coverage through the remainder of 2024. This decision is not connected with Medicare Advantage coverage, as that is under a separate arrangement.

Hutch Clinic was also contacted and had not responded as of the publication of this piece on Friday morning.

This story has been updated with a statement from the Hutchinson Clinic.NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Clinic and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas are still at an impasse when it comes to 2025 rates for customers that have BCBS coverage through an employer.&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/f9db6853-fae1-46d6-95c8-d7c3a92fb811">In a letter sent to local companies obtained by Hutch Post earlier this summer</a>, the Hutchinson Clinic announced then it will not be doing business with Blue Cross Blue Shield in-network next year. This decision, if it stands, will effect a little over 26,000 Hutch Clinic patients.Spokesperson Kristi Zears for Blue Cross Blue Shield emailed Hutch Post Thursday with an update. That statement is below."As a long-standing partner with Hutchinson Clinic, we are disappointed with their decision to terminate the contract. This decision, which was shared prior to the release of the 2025 reimbursement rates, limits provider choice for members in the Hutchinson area. We have had continued conversations with Hutchinson Clinic and have provided them an opportunity to reconsider their decision until September 3. We hope they will do what is in the best interest of the community."As always, with nearly 100 percent of providers and hospitals in our network, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is committed to serving our members and helping them through their health journeys."Hutch Clinic was also contacted and sent this response on Friday."The Hutchinson Clinic has been working diligently to analyze the complex Fee Schedule received from BCBSKS on July 31. The Clinic has requested a meeting with BCBSKS for the week of Aug. 26 to clarify some outstanding questions. Regardless of the outcome of this meeting, the Hutchinson Clinic will always prioritize patient care. Should we ultimately end up out of network with BCBSKS, the Hutchinson Clinic will provide affordable out-of-network options so our patients can continue seeking treatment with their physicians at our Clinic."BCBS is still in network for employer-provided coverage through the remainder of 2024. This decision is not connected with Medicare Advantage coverage, as that is under a separate arrangement.-----HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Clinic and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas are still at an impasse when it comes to 2025 rates for customers that have BCBS coverage through an employer.&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/f9db6853-fae1-46d6-95c8-d7c3a92fb811">In a letter sent to local companies obtained by Hutch Post earlier this summer</a>, the Hutchinson Clinic announced then it will not be doing business with Blue Cross Blue Shield in-network next year. This decision, if it stands, will effect a little over 26,000 Hutch Clinic patients.Spokesperson Kristi Zears for Blue Cross Blue Shield emailed Hutch Post Thursday with an update. That statement is below."As a long-standing partner with Hutchinson Clinic, we are disappointed with their decision to terminate the contract. This decision, which was shared prior to the release of the 2025 reimbursement rates, limits provider choice for members in the Hutchinson area. We have had continued conversations with Hutchinson Clinic and have provided them an opportunity to reconsider their decision until September 3. We hope they will do what is in the best interest of the community."As always, with nearly 100 percent of providers and hospitals in our network, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is committed to serving our members and helping them through their health journeys."Hutch Clinic was also contacted and had not responded as of the publication of this piece on Friday morning.BCBS is still in network for employer-provided coverage through the remainder of 2024. This decision is not connected with Medicare Advantage coverage, as that is under a separate arrangement.

BCBS Kansas and Hutchinson Clinic still at an impasse 

Savannah Downing, rural Trego County, has been hired as the new Trego County Development Director for the <a href="https://heartlandcommunityfoundation.org/">Heartland Community Foundation</a>.&nbsp;

Downing has spent the past 12 years as an English teacher in Hays USD 489 and most recently in Ellis USD 388.&nbsp;

During that time, she cultivated a strong interest in grant writing.&nbsp;

Downing learned about the grant process from Sarah Meitner, executive director of the Heartland Community Foundation, which serves Ellis, Rooks and Trego counties.&nbsp;

"I reached out to Sarah to learn the grant writing process and then I taught my students how to write grants," Downing said.

There were a number of people involved in Trego County non-profit groups who wanted to apply to HCF for various project grants but had no idea how to get started.

Downing got her newly-trained senior students involved.&nbsp;

"I had my students work with community partners that wanted a grant written but didn't know how to do it, or how to use the online portal. We paired them up with students to help them do that and walked them through the process."

The first year Downing's students helped with seven grant applications and five were funded. 

"I remember talking with the director at the Ellis Nutrition Site and he said he would not have applied without the teens doing the tech side of it and writing it," Meitner said.&nbsp; &nbsp;

A grant application during the just-completed spring cycle, which was much more competitive, Meitner said, funded instruments for a new guitar program at Ellis High School.&nbsp;

As Downing worked with her students, classroom conversations turned towards community engagement and development planning by younger residents.

Then, the Trego County position opened up with Heartland and "it was a perfect fit," Downing said.

She plans to find people to help with community projects and planning throughout Trego County.

"My hope is that through philanthropy, strategic planning and community engagement, future generations will find ample opportunities within their local communities," Downing said. "My goal is to ensure that everything they want and need is available right here."&nbsp;

Meitner said Downing will be focusing on cultivating donor relationships, supporting grantees, leading community discussions and working collaboratively with stakeholders to identify and address local needs.&nbsp;

"We're thrilled to welcome Savannah to our team," said Meitner.&nbsp;

"Her background in education and community projects, combined with her passion for rural development, makes her a perfect fit for this role."

Downing and her husband Marc have five children.&nbsp;

The community foundation plans to open a WaKeeney office soon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724254298177.png" alt="Heartland Community Foundation" />
 <figcaption>Heartland Community Foundation</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="🎤Heartland Community Foundation welcomes new Trego County Development Director" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=tq2ku-16ad3ae-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=315" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>By BECKY KISER Hays PostSavannah Downing, rural Trego County, has been hired as the new Trego County Development Director for the <a href="https://heartlandcommunityfoundation.org/">Heartland Community Foundation</a>.&nbsp;Downing has spent the past 12 years as an English teacher in Hays USD 489 and most recently in Ellis USD 388.&nbsp;During that time, she cultivated a strong interest in grant writing.&nbsp;Downing learned about the grant process from Sarah Meitner, executive director of the Heartland Community Foundation, which serves Ellis, Rooks and Trego counties.&nbsp;"I reached out to Sarah to learn the grant writing process and then I taught my students how to write grants," Downing said.There were a number of people involved in Trego County non-profit groups who wanted to apply to HCF for various project grants but had no idea how to get started.Downing got her newly-trained senior students involved.&nbsp;"I had my students work with community partners that wanted a grant written but didn't know how to do it, or how to use the online portal. We paired them up with students to help them do that and walked them through the process."The first year Downing's students helped with seven grant applications and five were funded. "I remember talking with the director at the Ellis Nutrition Site and he said he would not have applied without the teens doing the tech side of it and writing it," Meitner said.&nbsp; &nbsp;A grant application during the just-completed spring cycle, which was much more competitive, Meitner said, funded instruments for a new guitar program at Ellis High School.&nbsp;As Downing worked with her students, classroom conversations turned towards community engagement and development planning by younger residents.Then, the Trego County position opened up with Heartland and "it was a perfect fit," Downing said.She plans to find people to help with community projects and planning throughout Trego County."My hope is that through philanthropy, strategic planning and community engagement, future generations will find ample opportunities within their local communities," Downing said. "My goal is to ensure that everything they want and need is available right here."&nbsp;Meitner said Downing will be focusing on cultivating donor relationships, supporting grantees, leading community discussions and working collaboratively with stakeholders to identify and address local needs.&nbsp;"We're thrilled to welcome Savannah to our team," said Meitner.&nbsp;"Her background in education and community projects, combined with her passion for rural development, makes her a perfect fit for this role."Downing and her husband Marc have five children.&nbsp;The community foundation plans to open a WaKeeney office soon.

🎤Heartland Community Foundation welcomes new Trego County Development Director 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man accused of using online obituary postings to plan residential burglaries was convicted of all counts by a jury on Monday.

Gary Garrett, 50 of Wichita, was charged in three separate cases totaling 27 counts, including three residential burglaries, one attempted residential burglary, one business burglary and multiple counts of theft, forgery and identity theft,&nbsp;according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Victims reported losing financial documents, guns and electronics in the residential burglaries, some of which occurred while the families were at the funeral services for their deceased family members. 

Investigators from the Wichita Police Department and Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office worked together on the case, and more than 40 witnesses testified during the trial. At the time of Garrett’s arrest in November of last year in the parking lot of an East Wichita Walmart store, Garrett was found to be in possession of a driver’s license belonging to one of the deceased victims. A Wichita Police burglary detective testified at trial that a download of Garrett’s phone showed online searches of obituaries that corresponded to the burglary locations across the city from July to November of 2023.

Garrett also was convicted of using fake IDs to rent and purchase several vehicles during the same timeframe. One of the vehicles rented by Garrett had a GPS location device that placed the vehicle at the scene of several of the burglaries, according to testimony in the trial.

&nbsp;Sentencing is set for October 24, before Judge Bruce Brown, according to the district attorney's office

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724257794246.png" alt="Garrett photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Garrett photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man accused of using online obituary postings to plan residential burglaries was convicted of all counts by a jury on Monday.Gary Garrett, 50 of Wichita, was charged in three separate cases totaling 27 counts, including three residential burglaries, one attempted residential burglary, one business burglary and multiple counts of theft, forgery and identity theft,&nbsp;according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Victims reported losing financial documents, guns and electronics in the residential burglaries, some of which occurred while the families were at the funeral services for their deceased family members. Investigators from the Wichita Police Department and Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office worked together on the case, and more than 40 witnesses testified during the trial. At the time of Garrett’s arrest in November of last year in the parking lot of an East Wichita Walmart store, Garrett was found to be in possession of a driver’s license belonging to one of the deceased victims. A Wichita Police burglary detective testified at trial that a download of Garrett’s phone showed online searches of obituaries that corresponded to the burglary locations across the city from July to November of 2023.Garrett also was convicted of using fake IDs to rent and purchase several vehicles during the same timeframe. One of the vehicles rented by Garrett had a GPS location device that placed the vehicle at the scene of several of the burglaries, according to testimony in the trial.&nbsp;Sentencing is set for October 24, before Judge Bruce Brown, according to the district attorney's office

Kan. man planned residential burglaries after reading obituaries

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court has blocked an agreement that would have spared the life of death row inmate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-innocence-missouri-death-row-dcc03c8f998648783f4755818aaec6fd">Marcellus Williams</a>&nbsp;and instead ordered a hearing to proceed on Williams' innocence claim, with just a little over a month to go before his scheduled execution.

The ruling late Wednesday came hours after St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hinton approved a plan allowing Williams to enter a new no-contest plea to first-degree murder in the 1998 death of Lisha Gayle. Though Williams' lawyers said he still maintained he was innocent, the plea acknowledged evidence was sufficient for a conviction.

Williams would have been sentenced to life in prison without parole on Thursday. Instead, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">Sept. 24 execution</a>&nbsp;date is still on, pending a hearing before Hinton on Williams' innocence claim.

That hearing had originally been scheduled to begin Wednesday. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell had asked the judge to vacate Williams’ murder conviction based on DNA testing that found other DNA — but not that of Williams — on the knife used to kill Gayle.

But a new DNA test report released this week showed that handling of the murder weapon decades ago by a former assistant prosecutor and a former investigator contaminated the evidence so much that it was of no value to Williams’ case. That finding prompted prosecutors to reach the agreement with Williams that Hilton signed off on.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey immediately appealed, arguing that a circuit court lacked authority to override a capital murder sentence.

The Missouri Supreme Court agreed, ordering that Hilton “set aside said consent order and judgment and file notice with this Court that you will take action ... including holding the evidentiary hearing previously scheduled and anticipated.”

Hilton on Thursday scheduled the new evidentiary hearing for Aug. 28.

Bailey, in a statement on Thursday, said people too often “forget about all of the evidence that was used to convict the defendant — the evidence the jury relied on — and the victims. It is in the interest of every Missourian that the rule of law is fought for and upheld.”

Messages were left with the St. Louis County prosecutor’s office and attorneys for Williams.

The courtroom Wednesday was packed with people who included several others who have been exonerated of crimes. For hours, lawyers met behind closed doors. Finally, Matthew Jacober, a special prosecutor for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, announced that the contaminated evidence made it impossible to show that someone else may have been the killer.

“The murder weapon was handled without proper procedures in place,” Jacober said. The improper handling occurred several years before Bell took office.

That finding prompted the St. Louis County prosecutors to reach an consent judgment allowing Williams to enter an Alford plea. He also agreed not to appeal.

“Marcellus Williams is an innocent man, and nothing about today’s plea agreement changes that fact,” Williams’ attorney, Tricia Bushnell, said in a statement after the hearing. She noted that Gayle’s family supported setting aside the death penalty, and the plea “brings a measure of finality” to the family.

Bailey said in a statement Wednesday that “the defense created a false narrative of innocence in order to get a convicted murderer off of death row and fulfill their political ends.”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-congress-election-bush-bell-f507703334e182528489ca078bc5ce70">Bell defeated incumbent Cori Bush</a>&nbsp;in Missouri's 1st Congressional District Democratic primary on Aug. 6 and will be heavily favored in the November general election.

Williams, who is Black, was convicted and sentenced to death by a jury consisting of 11 white people and one Black person. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2fea0cfd4d73446c8475ccae31b1ea67">hours away from execution in August 2017</a>&nbsp;when then-Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican, granted a stay after DNA testing unavailable at the time of the killing showed that DNA on the knife matched someone else, not Williams.

That evidence prompted Bell to reexamine the case.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">A 2021 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;allows prosecuting attorneys to file a motion seeking to vacate a conviction they believe was unjust. Three other men —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-case-conviction-overturned-christopher-dunn-f128653d7b67aa4099faa91d0fcba31c">Christopher Dunn</a>&nbsp;last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">Kevin Strickland</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wrongful-conviction-vacated-3eb7e5fbe6210dbc38b11995902b9947">Lamar Johnson</a>&nbsp;— have been freed after decades in prison after prosecutors successfully challenged their convictions.

Prosecutors at Williams’ original trial said he broke into Gayle’s suburban St. Louis home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard water running in the shower, and found a large butcher knife. When Gayle came downstairs, she was stabbed 43 times. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen. Gayle, who was white, was a social worker who previously worked as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Authorities said Williams stole a jacket to conceal blood on his shirt. Williams’ girlfriend asked him why he would wear a jacket on a hot day. The girlfriend said she later saw the laptop in the car and that Williams sold it a day or two later.

Prosecutors also cited testimony from Henry Cole, who shared a St. Louis cell with Williams in 1999 while Williams was jailed on unrelated charges. Cole told prosecutors Williams confessed to the killing and offered details about it.

Williams’ attorneys responded that the girlfriend and Cole were both convicted felons out for a $10,000 reward.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Missouri death row inmate on Wednesday dropped his innocence claim and entered a new no-contest plea in an agreement that calls for a new sentence of life in prison without parole.

But the Missouri Attorney General's Office opposes the new consent judgment and will appeal in an effort to move ahead with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">scheduled Sept. 24 execution</a>&nbsp;of Marcellus Williams.

The complicated turn of events happened on the day that St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hinton was supposed to oversee a hearing requested by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inmate-dna-evidence-0a179b0aafb1a0c0a3e144f7e3592a62">Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell</a>&nbsp;aimed at vacating Williams' first-degree murder conviction in the 1998 stabbing death of Lisha Gayle. Bell had cited DNA testing unavailable at the time of the crime that found someone else's DNA — but not that of Williams — on the murder weapon.

After a lengthy delay with lawyers meeting behind closed doors, Matthew Jacober, a lawyer for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, announced that even newer DNA testing released on Monday found contamination due to handling of the weapon by a former assistant prosecutor and investigator. The contaminated evidence made it impossible to show that someone else may have been the killer.

Williams agreed to an Alford plea, which is not an admission of guilt but acknowledges that evidence is sufficient to convict him. Under an agreement reached with St. Louis County prosecutors, Williams entered that plea on Wednesday. He'll be sentenced Thursday — the agreement calls for life in prison without parole. Williams also agreed not to appeal.

“Marcellus Williams is an innocent man, and nothing about today’s plea agreement changes that fact," Williams' attorney, Tricia Bushnell, said in a statement. She noted that Gayle's family supports setting aside the death penalty, and the plea “brings a measure of finality” to the family."

But the plea doesn't guarantee Williams won't be executed. Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey is appealing to the Missouri Supreme Court as he seeks to move ahead with the execution, arguing that a circuit court doesn't have authority to overrule the state Supreme Court that set the execution date.

“Throughout all the legal games, the defense created a false narrative of innocence in order to get a convicted murderer off of death row and fulfill their political ends," Bailey said in a statement. “Because of the defense’s failure to do their due diligence by testing the evidence that supposedly proved their point, the victims have been forced to relive their horrific loss for the last six years.”

Williams, 55, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2fea0cfd4d73446c8475ccae31b1ea67">hours away from execution in August 2017</a>&nbsp;when then-Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican, granted a stay after DNA testing unavailable at the time of the killing showed that DNA on the knife matched someone else, not Williams.

“This never-before-considered evidence, when paired with the relative paucity of other, credible evidence supporting guilt, as well as additional considerations of ineffective assistance of counsel and racial discrimination in jury selection, casts inexorable doubt on Mr. Williams’s conviction and sentence,” Bell's motion stated.

Williams, who is Black, was convicted and sentenced to death by a jury consisting of 11 white people and one Black person.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">A 2021 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;allows prosecuting attorneys to file a motion seeking to vacate a conviction they believe was unjust. The law has resulted in exonerations of three men who spent decades in prison, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-case-conviction-overturned-christopher-dunn-f128653d7b67aa4099faa91d0fcba31c">Christopher Dunn</a>&nbsp;last month.

The Missouri Supreme Court set the September execution date on June 4, hours after it ruled that Parson, a Republican, was within his rights when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-penalty-murder-newspaper-dna-governor-innocence-5b068258172e1cd938498e9e8361f01b">dissolved a board of inquiry</a>&nbsp;convened by Greitens after he stopped the 2017 execution.

The inquiry board, consisting of five retired judges, never issued a ruling or reached a conclusion on whether the new DNA evidence exonerated Williams. Parson dissolved the board in June 2023, saying it was time to “move forward.”

In addition to Dunn, who spent 34 years behind bars for the death of a 15-year-old St. Louis boy, the Missouri law allowing prosecutors to challenge convictions led to freedom for two other men —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">Kevin Strickland</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wrongful-conviction-vacated-3eb7e5fbe6210dbc38b11995902b9947">Lamar Johnson</a>. Bailey was not attorney general when Strickland's case went to a hearing, but his office opposed vacating the convictions of Dunn and Johnson.

Bailey also opposed efforts to overturn the conviction of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sandra-hemme-conviction-overturned-56831edcb2aa99b0430c0dbf0408dc5d">Sandra Hemme</a>, who spent 43 years in prison for murder, though that case was adjudicated through appeals, not a prosecutor’s motion. A judge ruled in June that Hemme should be freed. Bailey filed multiple appeals to try and keep her behind bars, but Hemme was released in July.

Strickland was freed in 2021 after serving more than 40 years for three killings in Kansas City after a judge ruled he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">had been wrongfully convicted in 1979</a>. In 2023, a St. Louis judge overturned Johnson's conviction. He served nearly 28 years for a killing he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-st-louis-missouri-state-government-89e58b911e0dff1eaa79b0c48372abc2">always said he didn’t commit</a>.

Williams was the first death row inmate whose innocence claim went before a judge since passage of the 2021 law. Several other people who have been exonerated of crimes were in the courtroom to support him, including another former death row inmate.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-hearing-marcellus-williams-ceb2b400859cd053ce8c9717dfdf07b5">Joseph Amrine spent 17 years on death row</a>&nbsp;before he was freed in 2003 after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that no credible evidence linked him to the killing of another inmate.

Prosecutors at Williams' trial said he broke into Gayle’s suburban St. Louis home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard water running in the shower, and found a large butcher knife. When Gayle came downstairs, she was stabbed 43 times. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen. Gayle, who was white, was a social worker who previously worked as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688086205294.png" alt="Williams photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Williams photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court has blocked an agreement that would have spared the life of death row inmate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-innocence-missouri-death-row-dcc03c8f998648783f4755818aaec6fd">Marcellus Williams</a>&nbsp;and instead ordered a hearing to proceed on Williams' innocence claim, with just a little over a month to go before his scheduled execution.The ruling late Wednesday came hours after St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hinton approved a plan allowing Williams to enter a new no-contest plea to first-degree murder in the 1998 death of Lisha Gayle. Though Williams' lawyers said he still maintained he was innocent, the plea acknowledged evidence was sufficient for a conviction.Williams would have been sentenced to life in prison without parole on Thursday. Instead, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">Sept. 24 execution</a>&nbsp;date is still on, pending a hearing before Hinton on Williams' innocence claim.That hearing had originally been scheduled to begin Wednesday. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell had asked the judge to vacate Williams’ murder conviction based on DNA testing that found other DNA — but not that of Williams — on the knife used to kill Gayle.But a new DNA test report released this week showed that handling of the murder weapon decades ago by a former assistant prosecutor and a former investigator contaminated the evidence so much that it was of no value to Williams’ case. That finding prompted prosecutors to reach the agreement with Williams that Hilton signed off on.Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey immediately appealed, arguing that a circuit court lacked authority to override a capital murder sentence.The Missouri Supreme Court agreed, ordering that Hilton “set aside said consent order and judgment and file notice with this Court that you will take action ... including holding the evidentiary hearing previously scheduled and anticipated.”Hilton on Thursday scheduled the new evidentiary hearing for Aug. 28.Bailey, in a statement on Thursday, said people too often “forget about all of the evidence that was used to convict the defendant — the evidence the jury relied on — and the victims. It is in the interest of every Missourian that the rule of law is fought for and upheld.”Messages were left with the St. Louis County prosecutor’s office and attorneys for Williams.The courtroom Wednesday was packed with people who included several others who have been exonerated of crimes. For hours, lawyers met behind closed doors. Finally, Matthew Jacober, a special prosecutor for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, announced that the contaminated evidence made it impossible to show that someone else may have been the killer.“The murder weapon was handled without proper procedures in place,” Jacober said. The improper handling occurred several years before Bell took office.That finding prompted the St. Louis County prosecutors to reach an consent judgment allowing Williams to enter an Alford plea. He also agreed not to appeal.“Marcellus Williams is an innocent man, and nothing about today’s plea agreement changes that fact,” Williams’ attorney, Tricia Bushnell, said in a statement after the hearing. She noted that Gayle’s family supported setting aside the death penalty, and the plea “brings a measure of finality” to the family.Bailey said in a statement Wednesday that “the defense created a false narrative of innocence in order to get a convicted murderer off of death row and fulfill their political ends.”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-congress-election-bush-bell-f507703334e182528489ca078bc5ce70">Bell defeated incumbent Cori Bush</a>&nbsp;in Missouri's 1st Congressional District Democratic primary on Aug. 6 and will be heavily favored in the November general election.Williams, who is Black, was convicted and sentenced to death by a jury consisting of 11 white people and one Black person. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2fea0cfd4d73446c8475ccae31b1ea67">hours away from execution in August 2017</a>&nbsp;when then-Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican, granted a stay after DNA testing unavailable at the time of the killing showed that DNA on the knife matched someone else, not Williams.That evidence prompted Bell to reexamine the case.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">A 2021 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;allows prosecuting attorneys to file a motion seeking to vacate a conviction they believe was unjust. Three other men —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-case-conviction-overturned-christopher-dunn-f128653d7b67aa4099faa91d0fcba31c">Christopher Dunn</a>&nbsp;last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">Kevin Strickland</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wrongful-conviction-vacated-3eb7e5fbe6210dbc38b11995902b9947">Lamar Johnson</a>&nbsp;— have been freed after decades in prison after prosecutors successfully challenged their convictions.Prosecutors at Williams’ original trial said he broke into Gayle’s suburban St. Louis home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard water running in the shower, and found a large butcher knife. When Gayle came downstairs, she was stabbed 43 times. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen. Gayle, who was white, was a social worker who previously worked as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.Authorities said Williams stole a jacket to conceal blood on his shirt. Williams’ girlfriend asked him why he would wear a jacket on a hot day. The girlfriend said she later saw the laptop in the car and that Williams sold it a day or two later.Prosecutors also cited testimony from Henry Cole, who shared a St. Louis cell with Williams in 1999 while Williams was jailed on unrelated charges. Cole told prosecutors Williams confessed to the killing and offered details about it.Williams’ attorneys responded that the girlfriend and Cole were both convicted felons out for a $10,000 reward.-------------KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Missouri death row inmate on Wednesday dropped his innocence claim and entered a new no-contest plea in an agreement that calls for a new sentence of life in prison without parole.But the Missouri Attorney General's Office opposes the new consent judgment and will appeal in an effort to move ahead with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">scheduled Sept. 24 execution</a>&nbsp;of Marcellus Williams.The complicated turn of events happened on the day that St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hinton was supposed to oversee a hearing requested by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inmate-dna-evidence-0a179b0aafb1a0c0a3e144f7e3592a62">Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell</a>&nbsp;aimed at vacating Williams' first-degree murder conviction in the 1998 stabbing death of Lisha Gayle. Bell had cited DNA testing unavailable at the time of the crime that found someone else's DNA — but not that of Williams — on the murder weapon.After a lengthy delay with lawyers meeting behind closed doors, Matthew Jacober, a lawyer for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, announced that even newer DNA testing released on Monday found contamination due to handling of the weapon by a former assistant prosecutor and investigator. The contaminated evidence made it impossible to show that someone else may have been the killer.“The murder weapon was handled without proper procedures in place,” Jacober said. The improper handling occurred several years before Bell took office.Williams agreed to an Alford plea, which is not an admission of guilt but acknowledges that evidence is sufficient to convict him. Under an agreement reached with St. Louis County prosecutors, Williams entered that plea on Wednesday. He'll be sentenced Thursday — the agreement calls for life in prison without parole. Williams also agreed not to appeal.“Marcellus Williams is an innocent man, and nothing about today’s plea agreement changes that fact," Williams' attorney, Tricia Bushnell, said in a statement. She noted that Gayle's family supports setting aside the death penalty, and the plea “brings a measure of finality” to the family."But the plea doesn't guarantee Williams won't be executed. Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey is appealing to the Missouri Supreme Court as he seeks to move ahead with the execution, arguing that a circuit court doesn't have authority to overrule the state Supreme Court that set the execution date.“Throughout all the legal games, the defense created a false narrative of innocence in order to get a convicted murderer off of death row and fulfill their political ends," Bailey said in a statement. “Because of the defense’s failure to do their due diligence by testing the evidence that supposedly proved their point, the victims have been forced to relive their horrific loss for the last six years.”Williams, 55, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2fea0cfd4d73446c8475ccae31b1ea67">hours away from execution in August 2017</a>&nbsp;when then-Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican, granted a stay after DNA testing unavailable at the time of the killing showed that DNA on the knife matched someone else, not Williams.That evidence prompted Bell to reexamine the case.“This never-before-considered evidence, when paired with the relative paucity of other, credible evidence supporting guilt, as well as additional considerations of ineffective assistance of counsel and racial discrimination in jury selection, casts inexorable doubt on Mr. Williams’s conviction and sentence,” Bell's motion stated.Williams, who is Black, was convicted and sentenced to death by a jury consisting of 11 white people and one Black person.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">A 2021 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;allows prosecuting attorneys to file a motion seeking to vacate a conviction they believe was unjust. The law has resulted in exonerations of three men who spent decades in prison, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-case-conviction-overturned-christopher-dunn-f128653d7b67aa4099faa91d0fcba31c">Christopher Dunn</a>&nbsp;last month.The Missouri Supreme Court set the September execution date on June 4, hours after it ruled that Parson, a Republican, was within his rights when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-penalty-murder-newspaper-dna-governor-innocence-5b068258172e1cd938498e9e8361f01b">dissolved a board of inquiry</a>&nbsp;convened by Greitens after he stopped the 2017 execution.The inquiry board, consisting of five retired judges, never issued a ruling or reached a conclusion on whether the new DNA evidence exonerated Williams. Parson dissolved the board in June 2023, saying it was time to “move forward.”In addition to Dunn, who spent 34 years behind bars for the death of a 15-year-old St. Louis boy, the Missouri law allowing prosecutors to challenge convictions led to freedom for two other men —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">Kevin Strickland</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wrongful-conviction-vacated-3eb7e5fbe6210dbc38b11995902b9947">Lamar Johnson</a>. Bailey was not attorney general when Strickland's case went to a hearing, but his office opposed vacating the convictions of Dunn and Johnson.Bailey also opposed efforts to overturn the conviction of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sandra-hemme-conviction-overturned-56831edcb2aa99b0430c0dbf0408dc5d">Sandra Hemme</a>, who spent 43 years in prison for murder, though that case was adjudicated through appeals, not a prosecutor’s motion. A judge ruled in June that Hemme should be freed. Bailey filed multiple appeals to try and keep her behind bars, but Hemme was released in July.Strickland was freed in 2021 after serving more than 40 years for three killings in Kansas City after a judge ruled he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">had been wrongfully convicted in 1979</a>. In 2023, a St. Louis judge overturned Johnson's conviction. He served nearly 28 years for a killing he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-st-louis-missouri-state-government-89e58b911e0dff1eaa79b0c48372abc2">always said he didn’t commit</a>.Williams was the first death row inmate whose innocence claim went before a judge since passage of the 2021 law. Several other people who have been exonerated of crimes were in the courtroom to support him, including another former death row inmate.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-hearing-marcellus-williams-ceb2b400859cd053ce8c9717dfdf07b5">Joseph Amrine spent 17 years on death row</a>&nbsp;before he was freed in 2003 after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that no credible evidence linked him to the killing of another inmate.Prosecutors at Williams' trial said he broke into Gayle’s suburban St. Louis home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard water running in the shower, and found a large butcher knife. When Gayle came downstairs, she was stabbed 43 times. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen. Gayle, who was white, was a social worker who previously worked as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.Authorities said Williams stole a jacket to conceal blood on his shirt. Williams’ girlfriend asked him why he would wear a jacket on a hot day. The girlfriend said she later saw the laptop in the car and that Williams sold it a day or two later.Prosecutors also cited testimony from Henry Cole, who shared a St. Louis cell with Williams in 1999 while Williams was jailed on unrelated charges. Cole told prosecutors Williams confessed to the killing and offered details about it.Williams’ attorneys responded that the girlfriend and Cole were both convicted felons out for a $10,000 reward.

Court blocks agreement that would have halted convicted killer's execution

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Hays Police Department arrest log, Aug. 11-16, 2024

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

Discover the creative realm of nature-inspired art at this year's Fall Art Walk featuring two artists, spanning multiple locations throughout downtown Hays.

Brenda Meder, director of the Hays Arts Council, said she is excited for Friday's annual art walk that starts at the Art Center, located at 112 E. 11th St.

"There are a lot of wonderful events and features that are part of this. We have a great lineup," she said.

The art center will showcase works by Glen Ediger from Wichita and Eric Stearns from Nebraska in this fall's exhibition that runs through October 11.

Ediger's innovative "Environmental Exposure" genre involves placing sheets of steel, copper, aluminum, or wood outdoors with materials on top, allowing them to weather for extended periods. This technique produces abstract landscapes through rust, dust and patina.

Stearns’ Raku fired ceramics draws on his interest in mathematics to create patterns that aim to evoke emotional responses. Each piece reflects his identity as both a person and an artist.

Titled "Element," the exhibit serves as the anchor of the art walk which Meder said is perfect for the works of Ediger and Stearns.

"I derive that name from its meaning, which is 'wild and powerful,' like the forces of nature," she said. "Both of our artists represent that."

Ediger is a retired Director of Design at<a href="https://www.vornado.com/"> Vornado Air LLC</a>, where he was involved in the design, engineering and development of Vornado products since 1985.

Stearns is the chairman of the art department at Doane University and also earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Fort Hays State University.

The opening reception for "Elemental" is from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Hays Art Center and the exhibit will be on display until October 11.

You can learn more about <a href="https://stearnsceramics.com/">Eric Stearns</a> and <a href="https://www.glenedigerart.com/">Glen Ediger</a> on their websites.

The Fall Art Walk includes various downtown locations and the FHSU campus, featuring exhibitions at the Moss-Thorns Gallery of Art and the Taylor Gallery.

The two campus exhibits showcase "Hypertopia" by graphic designer Sean Engler and "Base of Reasoning" sculptures by Dan Schluckbier, open from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

"One thing to remember is there's no order you have to follow things. We start campus a little early to give you a chance to catch that and make the evening even longer," Meder said.

The Hays Public Library, 1205 Main St., features "Sorting out Race," a Kansas Humanities touring exhibition with live music by Forrest McCurren.

Other locations you can explore on Friday include:

Victory Highway, now Highway 40, was constructed after World War I to connect the nation and honor returning veterans.

"It grew literally across the country," Meder said. "It's a touring exhibition that has been going around the state and region for quite some time. It's fascinating."

You can find a complete list of locations and information about displays <a href="https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/916bb38b-09bf-4c28-bf9f-4da5a0b67707/downloads/Fall%20Walk%2024%20inside%208-19.pdf?ver=1724080593886">here</a>.

The Hays Art Center is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

You can find more information on the Hays Art Council's&nbsp;<a href="https://haysartscouncil.org/">website&nbsp;</a>and follow them on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063746254684">Facebook</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724259676348.jpeg" alt="Small wood framed wall pieces by artist Eric Stearns. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Small wood framed wall pieces by artist Eric Stearns. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostDiscover the creative realm of nature-inspired art at this year's Fall Art Walk featuring two artists, spanning multiple locations throughout downtown Hays.Brenda Meder, director of the Hays Arts Council, said she is excited for Friday's annual art walk that starts at the Art Center, located at 112 E. 11th St."There are a lot of wonderful events and features that are part of this. We have a great lineup," she said.The art center will showcase works by Glen Ediger from Wichita and Eric Stearns from Nebraska in this fall's exhibition that runs through October 11.Ediger's innovative "Environmental Exposure" genre involves placing sheets of steel, copper, aluminum, or wood outdoors with materials on top, allowing them to weather for extended periods. This technique produces abstract landscapes through rust, dust and patina.Stearns’ Raku fired ceramics draws on his interest in mathematics to create patterns that aim to evoke emotional responses. Each piece reflects his identity as both a person and an artist.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724259728522.jpeg" alt="Small vessels by artist&nbsp;Eric Stearns. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Small vessels by artist&nbsp;Eric Stearns. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724259766433.jpeg" alt="Fractured Triptych by artist&nbsp;Glen Ediger. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Fractured Triptych by artist&nbsp;Glen Ediger. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724259808985.jpeg" alt="A small vessel by Eric Stearns. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A small vessel by Eric Stearns. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Titled "Element," the exhibit serves as the anchor of the art walk which Meder said is perfect for the works of Ediger and Stearns."I derive that name from its meaning, which is 'wild and powerful,' like the forces of nature," she said. "Both of our artists represent that."Ediger is a retired Director of Design at<a href="https://www.vornado.com/"> Vornado Air LLC</a>, where he was involved in the design, engineering and development of Vornado products since 1985.Stearns is the chairman of the art department at Doane University and also earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Fort Hays State University.The opening reception for "Elemental" is from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Hays Art Center and the exhibit will be on display until October 11.You can learn more about <a href="https://stearnsceramics.com/">Eric Stearns</a> and <a href="https://www.glenedigerart.com/">Glen Ediger</a> on their websites.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724259902255.jpeg" alt="A small vessel by&nbsp;Eric Stearns. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A small vessel by&nbsp;Eric Stearns. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724259916781.jpeg" alt="A flared bowl by&nbsp;Eric Stearns. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A flared bowl by&nbsp;Eric Stearns. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724259931072.jpeg" alt="The High Plains by artist Glen Ediger. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The High Plains by artist Glen Ediger. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>The Fall Art Walk includes various downtown locations and the FHSU campus, featuring exhibitions at the Moss-Thorns Gallery of Art and the Taylor Gallery.The two campus exhibits showcase "Hypertopia" by graphic designer Sean Engler and "Base of Reasoning" sculptures by Dan Schluckbier, open from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m."One thing to remember is there's no order you have to follow things. We start campus a little early to give you a chance to catch that and make the evening even longer," Meder said.The Hays Public Library, 1205 Main St., features "Sorting out Race," a Kansas Humanities touring exhibition with live music by Forrest McCurren.Other locations you can explore on Friday include:<ol>
 <li>Ceena's Massage and Retail, 106 W. 12th St. for Crystal and Gemstone Jewelry and Suncatchers by Jessica Hughes</li><li>Catholic Charities Offices, 122 E. 12th St. for&nbsp;Painting and Collage Quilt&nbsp;by Emily Schoeppner</li><li>Custom Creations, 1107 Main St. for&nbsp;“I Want to go to Brookfield Zoo”&nbsp;creations by Lucas Albers </li><li>Paisley Pear Wine Bar &amp; Bistro, 1100 Main St. for Ink &amp; Colored Pencil Dimensional Art&nbsp;by Kari Haas with live music by Wade Richards from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.</li><li>Madd Matter Frame Shop &amp; Gallery, 112 E. 11th St. for&nbsp;“Beyond the Frame:&nbsp;Picture the Possibilities”</li><li>Fusion by Manuel, 700 Main St. for "Work by Jacob"</li><li>Ellis County Historical Society, 100 W. 7th St. for&nbsp;“Hitting the Road: 100 Years on&nbsp;the Victory Highway” touring exhibition</li>
 </ol>Victory Highway, now Highway 40, was constructed after World War I to connect the nation and honor returning veterans."It grew literally across the country," Meder said. "It's a touring exhibition that has been going around the state and region for quite some time. It's fascinating."You can find a complete list of locations and information about displays <a href="https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/916bb38b-09bf-4c28-bf9f-4da5a0b67707/downloads/Fall%20Walk%2024%20inside%208-19.pdf?ver=1724080593886">here</a>.The Hays Art Center is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.You can find more information on the Hays Art Council's&nbsp;<a href="https://haysartscouncil.org/">website&nbsp;</a>and follow them on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063746254684">Facebook</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hays Art Council presents the 2024 Fall Art Walk on Friday 

The Hays school district's five-year capital outlay plan was reviewed by USD 489 board members during their meeting Monday.

"This is a working document," said Ron Wilson, superintendent, who presented the plan.

Large expenses for this academic year include adding four more tennis courts to the new high school and the addition of bathrooms and concessions on the field of what will be come the new middle school.&nbsp;

"It shows we're taking care of our property now and being good stewards of our buildings," said Meagan Zampieri-Lillpopp, board member.

The board also approved a recommended bid from Network Computer Solutions, Manhattan, for $67,629 for additional computer equipment for the Roosevelt Elementary School addition and the new Hays High School.

An E-rate funding commitment from Universal Service Administration Company to assist with network and hardware infrastructure needed for the project will cover 70% of the cost.&nbsp;

Personnel transactions were approved, following an update on custodial staffing restructuring.

The school district is contracting with Clean-Rite of Hays for its evening housekeeping positions.

"We've had an extremely difficult time keeping night staff," said Chris Hipp,&nbsp;assistant superintendent of business services.

Once the two bond projects are completed for the new high school and renovation of Roosevelt Elementary, there will be fewer managerial positions and more contracted people working housekeeping, primarily in classrooms.

Wilson said construction of the two projects is on schedule.&nbsp;

The 2024-25 student handbooks were unanimously adopted as presented.

Board member appointments to 2024-25 standing committees were also announced.&nbsp;Ken Brooks, Allen Park and Zampieri-Lillpopp will serve on the negotiations team.

An initial discussion about <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/a8daf6b6-7bf6-4ce8-b9a8-f367aeb9494c">cell phone usage by students</a> and the district's policies was held. Board member Ruth Ruder asked for input from students and staff. The discussion will resume late this fall after the district receives recommended guidelines from the Kansas Association of School Boards task force.&nbsp;

The public hearing for the 2024-25 draft budget is Sept. 9.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724188737253.png" alt="Hays USD 489 Aug. 19 board meeting. Image courtesy Hays High School Tribe Broadcasting&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Hays USD 489 Aug. 19 board meeting. Image courtesy Hays High School Tribe Broadcasting&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostThe Hays school district's five-year capital outlay plan was reviewed by USD 489 board members during their meeting Monday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724183898816.png" alt="Hays USD 489 capital outlay plan for 2024-2025. USD 489" />
 <figcaption>Hays USD 489 capital outlay plan for 2024-2025. USD 489</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724183441006.png" alt="Hays USD 489 capital outlay planned projects for 2024-25 through 2028-29. USD 489" />
 <figcaption>Hays USD 489 capital outlay planned projects for 2024-25 through 2028-29. USD 489</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724184233264.png" alt="USD 489 projected cash balances. USD 489" />
 <figcaption>USD 489 projected cash balances. USD 489</figcaption>
 </figure>"This is a working document," said Ron Wilson, superintendent, who presented the plan.Large expenses for this academic year include adding four more tennis courts to the new high school and the addition of bathrooms and concessions on the field of what will be come the new middle school.&nbsp;"It shows we're taking care of our property now and being good stewards of our buildings," said Meagan Zampieri-Lillpopp, board member.The board also approved a recommended bid from Network Computer Solutions, Manhattan, for $67,629 for additional computer equipment for the Roosevelt Elementary School addition and the new Hays High School.An E-rate funding commitment from Universal Service Administration Company to assist with network and hardware infrastructure needed for the project will cover 70% of the cost.&nbsp;Personnel transactions were approved, following an update on custodial staffing restructuring.The school district is contracting with Clean-Rite of Hays for its evening housekeeping positions."We've had an extremely difficult time keeping night staff," said Chris Hipp,&nbsp;assistant superintendent of business services.Once the two bond projects are completed for the new high school and renovation of Roosevelt Elementary, there will be fewer managerial positions and more contracted people working housekeeping, primarily in classrooms.Wilson said construction of the two projects is on schedule.&nbsp;The 2024-25 student handbooks were unanimously adopted as presented.Board member appointments to 2024-25 standing committees were also announced.&nbsp;Ken Brooks, Allen Park and Zampieri-Lillpopp will serve on the negotiations team.An initial discussion about <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/a8daf6b6-7bf6-4ce8-b9a8-f367aeb9494c">cell phone usage by students</a> and the district's policies was held. Board member Ruth Ruder asked for input from students and staff. The discussion will resume late this fall after the district receives recommended guidelines from the Kansas Association of School Boards task force.&nbsp;The public hearing for the 2024-25 draft budget is Sept. 9.

Hays USD 489 reviews five-year capital outlay plan

ELLSWORTH COUNTY —Drivers continue traveling far above the posted speed limits across Kansas. Since August 19, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported on social media five instances of driver stopped and cited for speeds well over 100mph

On Wednesday KHP Lieutenant Davis stopped a driver traveling 104 mph in a 75 mph zone in Dickinson County. 

Excessive speed endangers everyone. Please slow down and drive safely.&nbsp;Report aggressive drivers on the highways to *47.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724271796346.png" alt="photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>ELLSWORTH COUNTY —Drivers continue traveling far above the posted speed limits across Kansas. Since August 19, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported on social media five instances of driver stopped and cited for speeds well over 100mphOn Wednesday KHP Lieutenant Davis stopped a driver traveling 104 mph in a 75 mph zone in Dickinson County. Excessive speed endangers everyone. Please slow down and drive safely.&nbsp;Report aggressive drivers on the highways to *47.

KHP reports driver traveling 104mhp in a 75mph zone

LONDON (AP) — Two weeks after organizers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/austria-extremism-arrests-security-taylor-swift-7ece0b264f6e4152b8214c9fba8c425b">scrubbed Taylor Swift's concerts in Vienna</a>&nbsp;amid a foiled terror plot, the singer issued her first statement on the cancellation.

“Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating,” she wrote in a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”

She thanked authorities — “thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,” she wrote — and said she waited to speak until the European leg of her Eras Tour concluded to prioritize safety.

“Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows,” she wrote.

In the wake of the cancellations, Swift's representatives did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press and other news organizations and her social media pages had gone dormant.

“In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it's right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it's with great relief that I can say we did that,” she added.

<a href="https://apnews.com/video/austria-taylor-swift-austria-government-vienna-concerts-3a0085b75ae740abb08d158ee7519cac">Concert organizer Barracuda Music</a>&nbsp;had said it canceled the three-night Vienna run that would have begun Aug. 8 because the arrests made in connection to the conspiracy were too close to showtime. Authorities said a 19-year-old suspect had planned to target spectators outside the Ernst Happel Stadium with knives or homemade explosives, hoping to “kill as many people as possible.”

That suspect and another 17-year-old were taken into custody on Aug. 6, the day before the shows were announced as canceled. A third suspect, 18, was arrested Aug. 8.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706236308205.png" alt="FILE - (AP Photo/Ed Zurga, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - (AP Photo/Ed Zurga, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — Two weeks after organizers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/austria-extremism-arrests-security-taylor-swift-7ece0b264f6e4152b8214c9fba8c425b">scrubbed Taylor Swift's concerts in Vienna</a>&nbsp;amid a foiled terror plot, the singer issued her first statement on the cancellation.“Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating,” she wrote in a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”She thanked authorities — “thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,” she wrote — and said she waited to speak until the European leg of her Eras Tour concluded to prioritize safety.“Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows,” she wrote.In the wake of the cancellations, Swift's representatives did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press and other news organizations and her social media pages had gone dormant.“In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it's right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it's with great relief that I can say we did that,” she added.<a href="https://apnews.com/video/austria-taylor-swift-austria-government-vienna-concerts-3a0085b75ae740abb08d158ee7519cac">Concert organizer Barracuda Music</a>&nbsp;had said it canceled the three-night Vienna run that would have begun Aug. 8 because the arrests made in connection to the conspiracy were too close to showtime. Authorities said a 19-year-old suspect had planned to target spectators outside the Ernst Happel Stadium with knives or homemade explosives, hoping to “kill as many people as possible.”That suspect and another 17-year-old were taken into custody on Aug. 6, the day before the shows were announced as canceled. A third suspect, 18, was arrested Aug. 8.

Taylor Swift breaks silence on cancellation of Vienna shows 

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

On May 8, the Department of Energy (DOE) released a preliminary list of 10 potential National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETCs). Three months later, the topic has gained steam as landowners who may be impacted begin to question officials about the corridor. 

Last Thursday, several hundred people attended an information meeting in Larned. 

Tuesday night, more than 200 people attended a similar meeting at the Great Bend Events Center. 

Katie Sawyer, state director for Kansas U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, said it's important to know the difference between the existing Grain Belt Express project and the proposed corridor.

"I do want to differentiate real quick between the Grain Belt Express, which is moving through this area," she said. "It is a project that is actively happening and will happen regardless of what happens with the corridor designation moving forward."

Sawyer said the Kansas Corporation Commission's (KCC's) planning and permitting for the Grain Belt Express began more than a decade ago and construction on the project could begin next year. If landowners have not already been contacted by Invenergy, the company behind the Express, then they are not included in its direct path.

"The Department of Energy sees a need to move energy that is being generated to areas that need more energy," she said. "In our case, there is energy being generated in southwest Kansas; specifically wind, but some solar as well. They need to move that out of the state and up to the metropolitan areas of Chicago and further east."

The designation of an NIETC would give the federal government increased authority to override state regulators and lead to federal funding for private companies to build within the corridor. 

The proposed Midwest-Plains corridor is a 5-mile wide swath of land that stretches 780 miles from Dodge City to Indiana, cutting through Pawnee, Barton, and Russell counties. Sawyer said Sen. Marshall and others believe the Grain Belt Express would satisfy the needs of the DOE and no plans to construct another transmission line have been submitted.

"Any project that would come to Kansas in addition to the Grain Belt would have to go through the regular permitting process through KCC, first and foremost," Sawyer said. "So KCC will retain the first right of permitting. They have to cite and permit the line like they did with the Grain Belt. What would change is the federal government wants to come in and say if KCC denies it or if they sit on the application for more than a year, then the federal government can approve it over their heads."

Several residents expressed frustration about the exact route of the corridor or Grain Belt project, as well as frustrations about the lack of information regarding potential health or environmental hazards. 

Sawyer said the Grain Belt Express would allow current ranchers and farmers to continue their operations around easements that were sold to Invenergy, sometimes in the form of a 40x40-foot base where a tower to carry the transmission lines would be constructed.

"I know there are homeowners here who are being adversely affected by it, and it is taking out homes or buildings or some kind of structure," she said. "I can't speak to any of that. That was decided outside of this context. They purchased easements and the landowners are compensated for those easements. Those are contractual obligations between the company and the landowner."

Residents also expressed frustration that a public comment phase of the corridor project came and went in June with little to no heads-up from officials. Sawyer said the next stop for Sen. Marshall will be limiting the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) ability to approve transmission projects. She said the next stop for the public should be participating in a second public comment period later this fall though no exact dates are known at this time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724267772747.jpeg" alt="A large crowd gathered at the Great Bend Events Center Tuesday evening for an informational meeting about a proposed energy transmission corridor that would cut through Pawnee, Barton, and Russell counties.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>A large crowd gathered at the Great Bend Events Center Tuesday evening for an informational meeting about a proposed energy transmission corridor that would cut through Pawnee, Barton, and Russell counties.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostOn May 8, the Department of Energy (DOE) released a preliminary list of 10 potential National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETCs). Three months later, the topic has gained steam as landowners who may be impacted begin to question officials about the corridor. Last Thursday, several hundred people attended an information meeting in Larned. Tuesday night, more than 200 people attended a similar meeting at the Great Bend Events Center. Katie Sawyer, state director for Kansas U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, said it's important to know the difference between the existing Grain Belt Express project and the proposed corridor.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724268080065.jpeg" alt="Katie Sawyer, state director for Kansas U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall" />
 <figcaption>Katie Sawyer, state director for Kansas U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall</figcaption>
 </figure>"I do want to differentiate real quick between the Grain Belt Express, which is moving through this area," she said. "It is a project that is actively happening and will happen regardless of what happens with the corridor designation moving forward."Sawyer said the Kansas Corporation Commission's (KCC's) planning and permitting for the Grain Belt Express began more than a decade ago and construction on the project could begin next year. If landowners have not already been contacted by Invenergy, the company behind the Express, then they are not included in its direct path."The Department of Energy sees a need to move energy that is being generated to areas that need more energy," she said. "In our case, there is energy being generated in southwest Kansas; specifically wind, but some solar as well. They need to move that out of the state and up to the metropolitan areas of Chicago and further east."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724268139749.jpeg" alt="KSN filmed Tuesday's meeting." />
 <figcaption>KSN filmed Tuesday's meeting.</figcaption>
 </figure>The designation of an NIETC would give the federal government increased authority to override state regulators and lead to federal funding for private companies to build within the corridor. The proposed Midwest-Plains corridor is a 5-mile wide swath of land that stretches 780 miles from Dodge City to Indiana, cutting through Pawnee, Barton, and Russell counties. Sawyer said Sen. Marshall and others believe the Grain Belt Express would satisfy the needs of the DOE and no plans to construct another transmission line have been submitted."Any project that would come to Kansas in addition to the Grain Belt would have to go through the regular permitting process through KCC, first and foremost," Sawyer said. "So KCC will retain the first right of permitting. They have to cite and permit the line like they did with the Grain Belt. What would change is the federal government wants to come in and say if KCC denies it or if they sit on the application for more than a year, then the federal government can approve it over their heads."Several residents expressed frustration about the exact route of the corridor or Grain Belt project, as well as frustrations about the lack of information regarding potential health or environmental hazards. Sawyer said the Grain Belt Express would allow current ranchers and farmers to continue their operations around easements that were sold to Invenergy, sometimes in the form of a 40x40-foot base where a tower to carry the transmission lines would be constructed."I know there are homeowners here who are being adversely affected by it, and it is taking out homes or buildings or some kind of structure," she said. "I can't speak to any of that. That was decided outside of this context. They purchased easements and the landowners are compensated for those easements. Those are contractual obligations between the company and the landowner."Residents also expressed frustration that a public comment phase of the corridor project came and went in June with little to no heads-up from officials. Sawyer said the next stop for Sen. Marshall will be limiting the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) ability to approve transmission projects. She said the next stop for the public should be participating in a second public comment period later this fall though no exact dates are known at this time.

Barton Co. residents voice concern over transmission corridor in public meeting

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has been active on his social accounts as Democrats gather for their convention in Chicago, but some of his posts don’t have much to do with reality.

Ahead of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-national-convention-harris-biden-obama-ffb55cee591f8f162ad77b5d6b91152b">Democratic National Convention</a>, he posted a fake image of someone who looks like Vice President Kamala Harris addressing what appears to be a communist rally in Chicago with a depiction of a red banner with a communist symbol. That followed his repost of a phony video of himself dancing next to billionaire Elon Musk, one of his most vocal supporters.

Just before the convention kicked off, he reposted an image of Taylor Swift in an Uncle Sam outfit and accepted her endorsement for his campaign, which she had never given.

They’re the latest examples of how Trump is promoting images produced by artificial intelligence tools to attack his opponents or create illusions of support around his own campaign. It’s in keeping with a long-standing strategy in which Trump amplifies messages – from QAnon adherents to those who deny the results of fair elections -- to score political points and satisfy his base by promoting alternate realities.

Some of the images and videos Trump has shared are cartoonish or obviously fake. Yet the rise in AI-generated content across political social media concerns experts who say it can be used to push more insidious and believable disinformation. As fake images, videos and audio clips created by generative AI models begin to saturate social media, they also risk eroding people’s trust in what they see and hear.

“The AI-generated deepfakes of Taylor Swift are yet another example of AI’s power to create misinformation that deceives and defrauds voters,” said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, a progressive consumer rights advocacy group that has pushed for legislation to regulate AI. “The potential harms to our society that could result from such misinformation, including abuses of our elections, are wide-reaching and immensely damaging.”

One AI-generated image in Trump’s Truth Social post, shared on Sunday, showed women in “Swifties for Trump” shirts, a reference to the artist’s devout fans. The fake image showing Swift dressed as Uncle Sam included text saying, “Taylor wants YOU to VOTE for DONALD TRUMP.” In his repost of the image, Trump added, “I accept!”

One of the images Trump shared included a small satire label, though he didn’t clarify whether he meant his post was in jest.

Swift, who remains on her world tour and has a show scheduled Tuesday night in London, has made no endorsement in this year’s U.S. presidential race. Her spokesperson did not return multiple messages seeking comment.

To Republicans outside Trump's orbit, the focus on someone like Swift — one of the most talked about artists in the world — is all about garnering attention for Trump at a time when much of the focus is on Harris and Democrats.

“This is how he and the campaign can wrest back news cycles,” said Doug Heye, a longtime Republican spokesperson and operative. "I hesitate to say to their credit, but I think we all know, if you want to be talked about, Taylor Swift is a great way to do it.”

A Harris spokesperson did not respond to questions about Trump's use of images generated by artificial intelligence.

Trump supporters frequently create social media posts and memes using AI-generated images, some of which get shared by the former president.

Before Trump shared the phony Swift images, his supporters had been creating and posting their own AI-generated videos and images of the pop star appearing to support Trump. They also shared numerous images of Harris dressed as a communist leader or addressing a Soviet crowd.

Political operatives have long been concerned about what the rise in artificial intelligence could mean for elections.

Some members of Congress have pushed for legislation to regulate the use of AI-generated images in politics, but no legislation to do so has gotten close to passing. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fcc.gov/">Federal Communications Commission</a>&nbsp;has proposed requiring political advertisers to disclose their use of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/artificial-intelligence">artificial intelligence</a>&nbsp;in television and radio ads, but such a rule would not affect the social media platforms.

While several social media companies have rules for labeling AI-generated content, they aren’t always followed. Across platforms, misleading and lifelike images of both Trump and Harris amass millions of views, with some users not recognizing what they are seeing is fake.

Given her influence and millions of fans, Swift has often become a trending political topic during election years.

In 2020, she&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/taylorswift13/status/1313938080290803715?s=20">supported President Joe Biden</a>, writing a month before the election that she was going to be cheering for then-vice presidential nominee Harris, this year’s Democratic nominee, in her debate against then-Vice President Mike Pence. She also was openly critical of Trump ahead of the 2020 election, saying he had stoked “the fires of white supremacy and racism.”

While she has remained on the sidelines so far this year, she has not escaped notice from prominent conservatives who worry about a Swift endorsement of the Democratic presidential ticket.

Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro earlier this year&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Intellect_Vids/status/1752110738745720856">warned</a>&nbsp;Swift not to “get involved in politics.” Fox News’ Sean Hannity&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/media/4439327-hannity-taylor-swift-biden-endorsement/">urged</a>&nbsp;her to “think twice” about backing Biden when he was running for reelection. And Vivek Ramaswamy, a former GOP presidential candidate and vocal Trump supporter,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/VivekGRamaswamy/status/1751944730114498838">called</a>&nbsp;Swift and her NFL star boyfriend Travis Kelce “an artificially culturally propped-up couple” who may make “a major presidential endorsement” this fall.

Some of her supporters have responded to Trump’s posts by taking to social media and declaring their intentions to vote for the former president. Trump’s campaign is seizing on that support.

Steven Cheung, Trump’s spokesman, did not address the use of fake images in response to questions, but called “Swifties for Trump" a "massive movement that grows bigger every single day.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724246052211.png" alt="From Donald Trumps Truth Social account" />
 <figcaption>From Donald Trumps Truth Social account</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has been active on his social accounts as Democrats gather for their convention in Chicago, but some of his posts don’t have much to do with reality.Ahead of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-national-convention-harris-biden-obama-ffb55cee591f8f162ad77b5d6b91152b">Democratic National Convention</a>, he posted a fake image of someone who looks like Vice President Kamala Harris addressing what appears to be a communist rally in Chicago with a depiction of a red banner with a communist symbol. That followed his repost of a phony video of himself dancing next to billionaire Elon Musk, one of his most vocal supporters.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721141680828.png" alt="File photo Donald Trump at the Republic National Convention courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo Donald Trump at the Republic National Convention courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before the convention kicked off, he reposted an image of Taylor Swift in an Uncle Sam outfit and accepted her endorsement for his campaign, which she had never given.They’re the latest examples of how Trump is promoting images produced by artificial intelligence tools to attack his opponents or create illusions of support around his own campaign. It’s in keeping with a long-standing strategy in which Trump amplifies messages – from QAnon adherents to those who deny the results of fair elections -- to score political points and satisfy his base by promoting alternate realities.Some of the images and videos Trump has shared are cartoonish or obviously fake. Yet the rise in AI-generated content across political social media concerns experts who say it can be used to push more insidious and believable disinformation. As fake images, videos and audio clips created by generative AI models begin to saturate social media, they also risk eroding people’s trust in what they see and hear.“The AI-generated deepfakes of Taylor Swift are yet another example of AI’s power to create misinformation that deceives and defrauds voters,” said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, a progressive consumer rights advocacy group that has pushed for legislation to regulate AI. “The potential harms to our society that could result from such misinformation, including abuses of our elections, are wide-reaching and immensely damaging.”One AI-generated image in Trump’s Truth Social post, shared on Sunday, showed women in “Swifties for Trump” shirts, a reference to the artist’s devout fans. The fake image showing Swift dressed as Uncle Sam included text saying, “Taylor wants YOU to VOTE for DONALD TRUMP.” In his repost of the image, Trump added, “I accept!”One of the images Trump shared included a small satire label, though he didn’t clarify whether he meant his post was in jest.Swift, who remains on her world tour and has a show scheduled Tuesday night in London, has made no endorsement in this year’s U.S. presidential race. Her spokesperson did not return multiple messages seeking comment.To Republicans outside Trump's orbit, the focus on someone like Swift — one of the most talked about artists in the world — is all about garnering attention for Trump at a time when much of the focus is on Harris and Democrats.“This is how he and the campaign can wrest back news cycles,” said Doug Heye, a longtime Republican spokesperson and operative. "I hesitate to say to their credit, but I think we all know, if you want to be talked about, Taylor Swift is a great way to do it.”A Harris spokesperson did not respond to questions about Trump's use of images generated by artificial intelligence.Trump supporters frequently create social media posts and memes using AI-generated images, some of which get shared by the former president.Before Trump shared the phony Swift images, his supporters had been creating and posting their own AI-generated videos and images of the pop star appearing to support Trump. They also shared numerous images of Harris dressed as a communist leader or addressing a Soviet crowd.Political operatives have long been concerned about what the rise in artificial intelligence could mean for elections.Some members of Congress have pushed for legislation to regulate the use of AI-generated images in politics, but no legislation to do so has gotten close to passing. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fcc.gov/">Federal Communications Commission</a>&nbsp;has proposed requiring political advertisers to disclose their use of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/artificial-intelligence">artificial intelligence</a>&nbsp;in television and radio ads, but such a rule would not affect the social media platforms.While several social media companies have rules for labeling AI-generated content, they aren’t always followed. Across platforms, misleading and lifelike images of both Trump and Harris amass millions of views, with some users not recognizing what they are seeing is fake.Given her influence and millions of fans, Swift has often become a trending political topic during election years.In 2020, she&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/taylorswift13/status/1313938080290803715?s=20">supported President Joe Biden</a>, writing a month before the election that she was going to be cheering for then-vice presidential nominee Harris, this year’s Democratic nominee, in her debate against then-Vice President Mike Pence. She also was openly critical of Trump ahead of the 2020 election, saying he had stoked “the fires of white supremacy and racism.”While she has remained on the sidelines so far this year, she has not escaped notice from prominent conservatives who worry about a Swift endorsement of the Democratic presidential ticket.Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro earlier this year&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Intellect_Vids/status/1752110738745720856">warned</a>&nbsp;Swift not to “get involved in politics.” Fox News’ Sean Hannity&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/media/4439327-hannity-taylor-swift-biden-endorsement/">urged</a>&nbsp;her to “think twice” about backing Biden when he was running for reelection. And Vivek Ramaswamy, a former GOP presidential candidate and vocal Trump supporter,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/VivekGRamaswamy/status/1751944730114498838">called</a>&nbsp;Swift and her NFL star boyfriend Travis Kelce “an artificially culturally propped-up couple” who may make “a major presidential endorsement” this fall.Some of her supporters have responded to Trump’s posts by taking to social media and declaring their intentions to vote for the former president. Trump’s campaign is seizing on that support.Steven Cheung, Trump’s spokesman, did not address the use of fake images in response to questions, but called “Swifties for Trump" a "massive movement that grows bigger every single day.”

Trump’s fake Taylor Swift endorsement is latest embrace of AI-generated images

Hays USD 489 board members have asked for a review and analysis of the school district's cell phone policy for students.

"What's the impact of cell phone usage inside the classrooms?" asked board member Ruth Ruder, who requested the discussion during Monday evening's school board meeting.

Cell phones must be kept in lockers at the middle school. There are no restrictions at the high school level except for what teachers may specify in their classrooms.

"What are the distractions? What about mental health and bullying issues because of cell phone usage?" Ruder asked.&nbsp;

She's talked to several students at the high school level who said they find phones in the classroom and even at lunch distracting.&nbsp;

"I just think it's something we need to look at as a district to protect the kids from every aspect we can," Ruder said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724169940021.jpeg" alt="Photo by Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostHays USD 489 board members have asked for a review and analysis of the school district's cell phone policy for students."What's the impact of cell phone usage inside the classrooms?" asked board member Ruth Ruder, who requested the discussion during Monday evening's school board meeting.Cell phones must be kept in lockers at the middle school. There are no restrictions at the high school level except for what teachers may specify in their classrooms."What are the distractions? What about mental health and bullying issues because of cell phone usage?" Ruder asked.&nbsp;She's talked to several students at the high school level who said they find phones in the classroom and even at lunch distracting.&nbsp;"I just think it's something we need to look at as a district to protect the kids from every aspect we can," Ruder said.She asked for input to be gathered from teachers, principals, counselors and students.Board vice-president Jayme Goetz taught mathematics at Hays High School and required her students' phones to be put in cubby holders during class. But, she said, some students would find a way around that by handing over a fake phone or saying they were grounded and didn't have their phone with them.Then, there are the parents who text and phone their kids in class. "That's a huge part of it," Goetz said.She noted that phones can be used as tools in the classroom for educational purposes. "There are benefits [but] young people often don't distinguish between professional and personal use."Curt Vajnar, board chairman and another former Hays High teacher, said he required his students to leave their phones with him when they went to the restroom. Cyberbullying often occurs in school bathrooms, according to multiple studies.Derek Yarmer, board member, said he had talked to a Great Bend USD 428 school board member, where a <a href="https://greatbendpost.com/posts/60633e6d-1e8a-4c74-89e6-f76a6f1bded5">no phones in the classrooms policy was implemented in 2023</a>.&nbsp;"They had some pushback implementing it but since [then] people have become accustomed to it," Yarmer said. "<a href="https://greatbendpost.com/posts/a7909e47-226d-4318-95be-a381eb966bbd">It's been a good thing</a>.""It's a complex issue," said Hays High Principal Shawn Henderson, "and the home needs to be part of the conversation. .... This is challenging and we need to do it together."&nbsp;The high school uses red and green designations for areas where cell phones are allowed or not.&nbsp;"Any place, any class in our school, at any time can be red or green," Henderson said.The Kansas Association of School Boards has put together a task force to determine cell phone use guidelines for recommendation to school boards this fall."I suggest we wait until November to review those KASB guidelines," Superintendent Ron Wilson said, "and then we can have a good conversation about this."