WASHINGTON (AP) — A measure of prices that is closely tracked by the Federal Reserve rose 5.8% last year, the sharpest increase since 1982, as brisk consumer spending collided with snarled supply chains to raise the costs of food, furniture, appliances and other goods.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2022-01/pi1221.pdf" target="_blank">report Friday from the Commerce Department</a>&nbsp;also said that consumer spending fell 0.6% in December, with purchases of cars, electronics, and clothes declining. Higher prices might have discouraged some shoppers, along with a wave of omicron cases that kept many Americans from traveling, eating out or visiting entertainment venues.

At the same time, incomes rose 0.3% last month, providing fuel for future spending.

Stubbornly high inflation has hammered household budgets, wiped out last year’s healthy wage gains and posed a severe political challenge to President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress. It also led the Federal Reserve to signal Wednesday that it plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-interest-rates-inflation-1dd9283e46162b3c0d29a2c55a2934d1">raise interest rates multiple times</a>&nbsp;this year beginning in March to try to get accelerating prices under control.

Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, so-called core prices rose 4.9% last year, the biggest increase since 1983. That was up from a 4.7% year-over-year rise in core prices in November.

From November to December, prices rose 0.4%, down from a 0.6% increase from October to November. Core prices rose 0.5% for a second straight month.

The economy is expanding at its fastest pace in decades, and job creation reached a five-decade high last year. But the rebound occurred so quickly after the pandemic shutdowns that it left many companies flat-footed, with fewer workers and supplies than they needed.

Besides raising interest rates, Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the Fed will move to shrink its huge $8.9 trillion of bond holdings this year, another step that will likely tighten credit, slow spending and potentially weaken the economy.

Speaking at a news conference, Powell acknowledged that inflation has gotten “slightly worse” in the past month. He cautioned that higher prices “have now spread to a broader range of goods and services,” after initially affecting sectors of the economy, like factory-made products for homes, that were most disrupted by the pandemic.

Powell also said the Fed is increasingly focused on the question of whether rising wages are acting as a primary driver of inflation, by forcing companies to charge more to cover their higher labor costs. Such a “wage-price spiral,” which the United States hasn’t experienced since the 1970s, can make inflation difficult to cool.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/eci.pdf" target="_blank">separate report Friday</a>&nbsp;said that workers’ salaries and benefits jumped 4% last year. It was the biggest increase in 20 years. Powell has said that a sharp rise in pay and benefits, reported in November, was a key reason why the Fed began shifting its policy toward higher interest rates. While rising wages are good for employees, they can also elevate inflation if they aren’t offset by efficiency gains.

The inflation figure that the government reported Friday is its personal consumption expenditures index. Though the consumer price index is a better-known barometer, the Fed tends to track the PCE in setting its interest rate policies. The PCE index tracks actual purchases consumers make each month, while the CPI follows a fixed market basket of goods.

Earlier this month, the government said the CPI&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-prices-inflation-c1bfd93ed1719cf0135420f4fd0270f9">jumped 7% last year</a>, also the fastest pace in nearly four decades.

Prices have jumped in the past year as Americans have spent freely, helped by large stimulus checks in the spring and higher pay. Spending on autos, electronics and other goods jumped 12% in 2021, the government reported Wednesday, the biggest increase since 1946.

At the same time, bottlenecked supply chains and shortages of components, notably semiconductors, have left many retailers and auto dealers with fewer cars and other goods to sell. Powell has blamed mainly ongoing “supply and demand imbalances” for driving inflation.

On Thursday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-earnings-368ae566f355df5bf5b150a4145fea3b">McDonald’s said that while sales last year grew</a>&nbsp;at a healthy pace, higher costs for food and paper products and the need to raise pay to attract and keep workers eroded profits even after it had raised prices 6% last year.

Likewise, Procter &amp; Gamble said last week that it plans to raise prices for detergents like Tide, Gain, and Downy and for personal care products. The company anticipates price increases for chemicals and other commodities this year.

Higher prices may be weighing on some Americans’ willingness to spend. Still, last month’s drop in consumer spending is likely to be temporary. Americans are already showing signs of heading back out to restaurants and movie theaters as the huge jump in omicron infections has started to decline.

JPMorgan Chase says spending on its credit cards for hotels, travel, and entertainment venues has rebounded this month, after falling in December. Spending has risen more in states where COVID-19 cases have come down the most.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623947660841.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A measure of prices that is closely tracked by the Federal Reserve rose 5.8% last year, the sharpest increase since 1982, as brisk consumer spending collided with snarled supply chains to raise the costs of food, furniture, appliances and other goods.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2022-01/pi1221.pdf" target="_blank">report Friday from the Commerce Department</a>&nbsp;also said that consumer spending fell 0.6% in December, with purchases of cars, electronics, and clothes declining. Higher prices might have discouraged some shoppers, along with a wave of omicron cases that kept many Americans from traveling, eating out or visiting entertainment venues.At the same time, incomes rose 0.3% last month, providing fuel for future spending.Stubbornly high inflation has hammered household budgets, wiped out last year’s healthy wage gains and posed a severe political challenge to President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress. It also led the Federal Reserve to signal Wednesday that it plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-interest-rates-inflation-1dd9283e46162b3c0d29a2c55a2934d1">raise interest rates multiple times</a>&nbsp;this year beginning in March to try to get accelerating prices under control.Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, so-called core prices rose 4.9% last year, the biggest increase since 1983. That was up from a 4.7% year-over-year rise in core prices in November.From November to December, prices rose 0.4%, down from a 0.6% increase from October to November. Core prices rose 0.5% for a second straight month.The economy is expanding at its fastest pace in decades, and job creation reached a five-decade high last year. But the rebound occurred so quickly after the pandemic shutdowns that it left many companies flat-footed, with fewer workers and supplies than they needed.Besides raising interest rates, Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the Fed will move to shrink its huge $8.9 trillion of bond holdings this year, another step that will likely tighten credit, slow spending and potentially weaken the economy.Speaking at a news conference, Powell acknowledged that inflation has gotten “slightly worse” in the past month. He cautioned that higher prices “have now spread to a broader range of goods and services,” after initially affecting sectors of the economy, like factory-made products for homes, that were most disrupted by the pandemic.Powell also said the Fed is increasingly focused on the question of whether rising wages are acting as a primary driver of inflation, by forcing companies to charge more to cover their higher labor costs. Such a “wage-price spiral,” which the United States hasn’t experienced since the 1970s, can make inflation difficult to cool.A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/eci.pdf" target="_blank">separate report Friday</a>&nbsp;said that workers’ salaries and benefits jumped 4% last year. It was the biggest increase in 20 years. Powell has said that a sharp rise in pay and benefits, reported in November, was a key reason why the Fed began shifting its policy toward higher interest rates. While rising wages are good for employees, they can also elevate inflation if they aren’t offset by efficiency gains.The inflation figure that the government reported Friday is its personal consumption expenditures index. Though the consumer price index is a better-known barometer, the Fed tends to track the PCE in setting its interest rate policies. The PCE index tracks actual purchases consumers make each month, while the CPI follows a fixed market basket of goods.Earlier this month, the government said the CPI&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-prices-inflation-c1bfd93ed1719cf0135420f4fd0270f9">jumped 7% last year</a>, also the fastest pace in nearly four decades.Prices have jumped in the past year as Americans have spent freely, helped by large stimulus checks in the spring and higher pay. Spending on autos, electronics and other goods jumped 12% in 2021, the government reported Wednesday, the biggest increase since 1946.At the same time, bottlenecked supply chains and shortages of components, notably semiconductors, have left many retailers and auto dealers with fewer cars and other goods to sell. Powell has blamed mainly ongoing “supply and demand imbalances” for driving inflation.On Thursday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-earnings-368ae566f355df5bf5b150a4145fea3b">McDonald’s said that while sales last year grew</a>&nbsp;at a healthy pace, higher costs for food and paper products and the need to raise pay to attract and keep workers eroded profits even after it had raised prices 6% last year.Likewise, Procter &amp; Gamble said last week that it plans to raise prices for detergents like Tide, Gain, and Downy and for personal care products. The company anticipates price increases for chemicals and other commodities this year.Higher prices may be weighing on some Americans’ willingness to spend. Still, last month’s drop in consumer spending is likely to be temporary. Americans are already showing signs of heading back out to restaurants and movie theaters as the huge jump in omicron infections has started to decline.JPMorgan Chase says spending on its credit cards for hotels, travel, and entertainment venues has rebounded this month, after falling in December. Spending has risen more in states where COVID-19 cases have come down the most.

A key inflation gauge rose 5.8% in 2021, most in 39 years

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A state legislator has been charged with two traffic violations over his late November arrest on Interstate 70 in northeast&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;but not with driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, the potential crime initially listed by the Highway Patrol.

Democratic state Rep. Aaron Coleman, of Kansas City, also still faces a misdemeanor domestic battery charge in a separate criminal case in the Kansas City area over an Oct. 30 fight with his younger brother. Coleman pled not guilty, and a scheduling hearing in that case is set for Wednesday in Johnson County District Court.

In neighboring Douglas County, home to Lawrence and the main University of Kansas campus, Coleman faces charges of speeding and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle as required by law over a Nov. 27 stop. A complaint filed Jan. 21 by an assistant district attorney says Coleman was driving 92 mph when the post speed limit was 75 mph Together, the charges could result in several hundred dollars in fines.

Coleman is scheduled to have the charges formally read to him and enter a plea on April 15, during a break in the Kansas Legislature's annual session. His attorney did not respond to a telephone message and the lawmaker did not reply to a text seeking comment.

Coleman has been embroiled in controversy since he ran for the House in 2020, when he acknowledged past abuses against girls and young women. A legislative committee reprimanded Coleman in writing in February 2020 over those abuses. After his two arrests within a month, six female Democrats in the House filed a complaint against him with the House designed to lead to his ouster.

The Kansas Highway Patrol initially said he had been arrested in Douglas County on suspicion of DUI, but a decision on charges waited on the report to the district attorney's office from the patrol on the substances in Coleman's body at the time of the stop. Coleman has said he wasn't under the influence.

Jill Jess, a spokesperson for the Douglas County district attorney's office, said the charges were “based on evidence presented,” without elaborating. The Associated Press has requested a copy of the patrol's report.

“Mr. Coleman faces no further charges in Douglas County at this time,” she wrote.

Coleman is free on bond in both criminal cases. At the Statehouse, he's been pursuing a liberal agenda and earlier this month introduced a bill to reduce criminal penalties for possessing or distributing psychedelic mushrooms. But Democratic leaders have refused to give him any committee assignments.

The complaint filed against him by six fellow Democrats revived the committee of three Republicans and three Democrats that admonished him in writing last year. But its chairman has said it doesn't plan to meet again until Coleman's criminal cases are resolved.

In the Johnson County case, Coleman was ordered to undergo a mental health exam. Court documents said Coleman, who is Jewish, had a fight with his younger brother over the brother's plans for a Christian baptism.

A police sergeant wrote in an affidavit that Coleman was uncooperative and “extremely erratic,” and that he reported not sleeping for three days. Coleman tweeted Nov. 25 — two days before his arrest in Douglas County — that he's suffered from chronic insomnia “my whole adult life.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1635804497310.png" alt="Coleman as shown in his October booking photo in Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Coleman as shown in his October booking photo in Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A state legislator has been charged with two traffic violations over his late November arrest on Interstate 70 in northeast&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;but not with driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, the potential crime initially listed by the Highway Patrol.Democratic state Rep. Aaron Coleman, of Kansas City, also still faces a misdemeanor domestic battery charge in a separate criminal case in the Kansas City area over an Oct. 30 fight with his younger brother. Coleman pled not guilty, and a scheduling hearing in that case is set for Wednesday in Johnson County District Court.In neighboring Douglas County, home to Lawrence and the main University of Kansas campus, Coleman faces charges of speeding and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle as required by law over a Nov. 27 stop. A complaint filed Jan. 21 by an assistant district attorney says Coleman was driving 92 mph when the post speed limit was 75 mph Together, the charges could result in several hundred dollars in fines.Coleman is scheduled to have the charges formally read to him and enter a plea on April 15, during a break in the Kansas Legislature's annual session. His attorney did not respond to a telephone message and the lawmaker did not reply to a text seeking comment.Coleman has been embroiled in controversy since he ran for the House in 2020, when he acknowledged past abuses against girls and young women. A legislative committee reprimanded Coleman in writing in February 2020 over those abuses. After his two arrests within a month, six female Democrats in the House filed a complaint against him with the House designed to lead to his ouster.The Kansas Highway Patrol initially said he had been arrested in Douglas County on suspicion of DUI, but a decision on charges waited on the report to the district attorney's office from the patrol on the substances in Coleman's body at the time of the stop. Coleman has said he wasn't under the influence.Jill Jess, a spokesperson for the Douglas County district attorney's office, said the charges were “based on evidence presented,” without elaborating. The Associated Press has requested a copy of the patrol's report.“Mr. Coleman faces no further charges in Douglas County at this time,” she wrote.Coleman is free on bond in both criminal cases. At the Statehouse, he's been pursuing a liberal agenda and earlier this month introduced a bill to reduce criminal penalties for possessing or distributing psychedelic mushrooms. But Democratic leaders have refused to give him any committee assignments.The complaint filed against him by six fellow Democrats revived the committee of three Republicans and three Democrats that admonished him in writing last year. But its chairman has said it doesn't plan to meet again until Coleman's criminal cases are resolved.In the Johnson County case, Coleman was ordered to undergo a mental health exam. Court documents said Coleman, who is Jewish, had a fight with his younger brother over the brother's plans for a Christian baptism.A police sergeant wrote in an affidavit that Coleman was uncooperative and “extremely erratic,” and that he reported not sleeping for three days. Coleman tweeted Nov. 25 — two days before his arrest in Douglas County — that he's suffered from chronic insomnia “my whole adult life.”

Kansas lawmaker charged with traffic violations but not DUI

Lucine Harris, age 95, passed away on Wednesday January 26, 2022, at the 
Smith Center Health &amp; Rehab Center in Smith Center, KS. She was 
born the daughter of August &amp; Emma (Bierman) Carstens on October 30,
 1926, in Agra, KS.
 She is survived by her sister Lorraine Bridges of Frisco, TX; a nephew Sam (Linda) Rice of Rural Athol, KS.

Arrangements are pending with Rentschler Family Mortuaries.

Lucine Harris, age 95, passed away on Wednesday January 26, 2022, at the 
Smith Center Health &amp; Rehab Center in Smith Center, KS. She was 
born the daughter of August &amp; Emma (Bierman) Carstens on October 30,
 1926, in Agra, KS.
 She is survived by her sister Lorraine Bridges of Frisco, TX; a nephew Sam (Linda) Rice of Rural Athol, KS.Arrangements are pending with Rentschler Family Mortuaries.

Lucine Harris

Robert “Bob” J. Dellinger, 74, died Wednesday, January 26, 2022, at Western Plains Medical Complex, Dodge City.

He was born October 31, 1947, at Plainview, Minnesota, the son of 
Clarence “Otis” and Lorraine (Graff) Dellinger.&nbsp; He was a longtime Dodge
 City resident and a 1965 graduate of Dodge City High School.&nbsp; He 
received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Ft. Hays State 
University.&nbsp; On August 2, 1969, he married Connie Rooney at Sacred Heart 
Cathedral in Dodge City.

He worked for Landmark National Bank in Dodge City for 40 years, 
starting as a Loan Officer and retired as an Assistant Vice President.&nbsp; 
He was a member of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a 3rd
 Degree member of Knights of Columbus Council 2955 both in Dodge City.&nbsp; 
He enjoyed fishing, camping, and traveling to Texas as well as working 
on anything mechanical.&nbsp; He also enjoyed playing cards with family and 
friends and having shed parties.&nbsp; Bob and Connie had a love of music and
 attended many Bluegrass festivals together.&nbsp;

Survivors include:&nbsp; his wife of 52 years, Connie; 2 daughters, Amy 
Woydziak and husband Matt, Hays, and Wendy Dellinger, Dodge City; 2 
grandchildren, Wade Woydziak and wife Emily Sue, Hays, and Emily Anne 
Woydziak, Overland Park, Kansas; a great granddaughter, Addison 
Woydziak; 2 brothers, Hal David Dellinger and wife Ramona, Wichita, and 
William “Bill” Dellinger, Salina; and 2 sisters, Dinah Goolsby, Wichita,&nbsp; and Mary Gall and husband Brad, Rye, Colorado.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Donna Trent and a brother, Dickie Dellinger.

Rosary will be at 10:00 am Monday, January 31, 2022, at the Cathedral 
of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dodge City.&nbsp; Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 am 
Monday at the church with Fr. Rudin Din presiding.&nbsp; Burial will follow 
in Maple Grove Cemetery, Dodge City.&nbsp; Visitation will be Sunday from 
1:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Ziegler Funeral Chapel, Dodge City.&nbsp; The casket 
will remain closed.

The family suggests memorials to the Sacred Heart School Endowment in care of Ziegler Funeral Chapel, 1901 N. 14th Ave., Dodge City, Kansas 67801.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643382022608.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Robert “Bob” J. Dellinger, 74, died Wednesday, January 26, 2022, at Western Plains Medical Complex, Dodge City.He was born October 31, 1947, at Plainview, Minnesota, the son of 
Clarence “Otis” and Lorraine (Graff) Dellinger.&nbsp; He was a longtime Dodge
 City resident and a 1965 graduate of Dodge City High School.&nbsp; He 
received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Ft. Hays State 
University.&nbsp; On August 2, 1969, he married Connie Rooney at Sacred Heart 
Cathedral in Dodge City.He worked for Landmark National Bank in Dodge City for 40 years, 
starting as a Loan Officer and retired as an Assistant Vice President.&nbsp; 
He was a member of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a 3rd
 Degree member of Knights of Columbus Council 2955 both in Dodge City.&nbsp; 
He enjoyed fishing, camping, and traveling to Texas as well as working 
on anything mechanical.&nbsp; He also enjoyed playing cards with family and 
friends and having shed parties.&nbsp; Bob and Connie had a love of music and
 attended many Bluegrass festivals together.&nbsp;Survivors include:&nbsp; his wife of 52 years, Connie; 2 daughters, Amy 
Woydziak and husband Matt, Hays, and Wendy Dellinger, Dodge City; 2 
grandchildren, Wade Woydziak and wife Emily Sue, Hays, and Emily Anne 
Woydziak, Overland Park, Kansas; a great granddaughter, Addison 
Woydziak; 2 brothers, Hal David Dellinger and wife Ramona, Wichita, and 
William “Bill” Dellinger, Salina; and 2 sisters, Dinah Goolsby, Wichita,&nbsp; and Mary Gall and husband Brad, Rye, Colorado.He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Donna Trent and a brother, Dickie Dellinger.Rosary will be at 10:00 am Monday, January 31, 2022, at the Cathedral 
of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dodge City.&nbsp; Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 am 
Monday at the church with Fr. Rudin Din presiding.&nbsp; Burial will follow 
in Maple Grove Cemetery, Dodge City.&nbsp; Visitation will be Sunday from 
1:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Ziegler Funeral Chapel, Dodge City.&nbsp; The casket 
will remain closed.The family suggests memorials to the Sacred Heart School Endowment in care of Ziegler Funeral Chapel, 1901 N. 14th Ave., Dodge City, Kansas 67801.&nbsp;

Robert 'Bob' J. Dellinger

Michelle Critchfield was born August 29, 1963, to Joyce McDowell Ober. 
She was the youngest of three, following Sandra (1946) and Micheal 
(1951-1983). Joyce married Charles T. Graham, a civil engineer and this 
new little family began to travel the world, calling Abqaiq, Saudi 
Arabia, Yuso, South Korea, Pazanan and Tehran, Iran, Bramenhaven, 
Germany and Cardon, Venezuela their home. Due to the extensive travel 
from job site to job site, Michelle was sent to Saint Catherine’s 
Boarding School in Bramley, United Kingdom from 1976-1980. She was the 
only American in the all girls Church of England School built in 1885. 
She completed Cambridge board O level exams. 
 From 1980 to 1985, she attended FHSU in Hays, Kansas, and received 
her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. She met Wade Critchfield at 
the stable, where they both kept their horses in the spring of 1983. 
They were married October 15, 1983. The loves of her life were her two 
children Hylan Koby, born December 14, 1988, and Bryce Kannen, born 
March 19, 1993. 
 Michelle stayed busy with many jobs: inventory clerk, stable hand, 
vet tech, sales assistant, housekeeper, residential painter, dispatch 
for Superior Mobile Homes, florist, wife, mother, grandmother, and 
caregiver. 
 On April 17, 2011, Michelle was baptized as one of Jehovah's 
Witnesses and wondered why she wasted so much time before dedicating her
 life to Jehovah God, as he had blessed her with so much peace and 
happiness. She felt blessed to have a wonderful daughter-in-law when 
Hylan married Samantha Cano in 2009. Further blessings came with the 
birth of Kael and Kaden, who she loved dearly. Michelle was blessed with
 the help and moral support of Bryce. She had a beautiful smile on her 
face while holding her newest grandson Kasyn, born December of 2021, the
 son of Bryce Critchfield and Kaci Davignon. She loved Jehovah, His 
organization, creation, her husband, family, friends, traveling, 
learning new things, horses, and organizing events. Everyone knew who to
 ask for the best party ideas. She succumbed to the wretched illness of 
cancer on January 24, 2022. With joy, she looked with eyes of faith to 
the time when she is resurrected back here on paradise earth. May she 
rest in peace.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643216555934.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Michelle Critchfield was born August 29, 1963, to Joyce McDowell Ober. 
She was the youngest of three, following Sandra (1946) and Micheal 
(1951-1983). Joyce married Charles T. Graham, a civil engineer and this 
new little family began to travel the world, calling Abqaiq, Saudi 
Arabia, Yuso, South Korea, Pazanan and Tehran, Iran, Bramenhaven, 
Germany and Cardon, Venezuela their home. Due to the extensive travel 
from job site to job site, Michelle was sent to Saint Catherine’s 
Boarding School in Bramley, United Kingdom from 1976-1980. She was the 
only American in the all girls Church of England School built in 1885. 
She completed Cambridge board O level exams. 
 From 1980 to 1985, she attended FHSU in Hays, Kansas, and received 
her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. She met Wade Critchfield at 
the stable, where they both kept their horses in the spring of 1983. 
They were married October 15, 1983. The loves of her life were her two 
children Hylan Koby, born December 14, 1988, and Bryce Kannen, born 
March 19, 1993. 
 Michelle stayed busy with many jobs: inventory clerk, stable hand, 
vet tech, sales assistant, housekeeper, residential painter, dispatch 
for Superior Mobile Homes, florist, wife, mother, grandmother, and 
caregiver. 
 On April 17, 2011, Michelle was baptized as one of Jehovah's 
Witnesses and wondered why she wasted so much time before dedicating her
 life to Jehovah God, as he had blessed her with so much peace and 
happiness. She felt blessed to have a wonderful daughter-in-law when 
Hylan married Samantha Cano in 2009. Further blessings came with the 
birth of Kael and Kaden, who she loved dearly. Michelle was blessed with
 the help and moral support of Bryce. She had a beautiful smile on her 
face while holding her newest grandson Kasyn, born December of 2021, the
 son of Bryce Critchfield and Kaci Davignon. She loved Jehovah, His 
organization, creation, her husband, family, friends, traveling, 
learning new things, horses, and organizing events. Everyone knew who to
 ask for the best party ideas. She succumbed to the wretched illness of 
cancer on January 24, 2022. With joy, she looked with eyes of faith to 
the time when she is resurrected back here on paradise earth. May she 
rest in peace.

Michelle Critchfield

Robert A. Rein, age 81, passed away on Thursday, December 16, 2021, 
in Scott City, Kansas.&nbsp; He was born on July 13, 1940, in Sugar City, 
Colorado, the son of Henry and Marie Herman Rein Jr.&nbsp; A resident of 
Scott City, Kansas since 1975 moving from Sugar City, Colorado, he was 
an advertising salesman for the Hi-Plains Journal and B&amp;B 
Advertising.

He was a member of the Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Scott City, Kansas.

On September 11, 1964, he married Shirley J. Hasty in Roswell, New 
Mexico.&nbsp; She passed away on October 7, 2013, in Scott City, Kansas.

Survivors include his Two Daughters - Charlene Murphy of Paola, 
Kansas, Teresa &amp; Scott Noll of Scott City, Kansas, One Brother - 
Alvin Rein of Fowler, Colorado, One Sister - Janice Rogers of Fowler 
Colorado, and Five Grandchildren - Legacy Murphy of Paola, Kansas, 
Amelia Noll, Alivia Noll, Avery Noll and Addison Noll of Scott City, 
Kansas.

He was preceded in death by his Parents, Wife, One Son - Bryan Rein, One Brother - Ronnie Rein, and One Sister Eleanor Schiro.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 am&nbsp;on Saturday, January 29, 
2022, at Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home in Scott City, Kansas with Steve 
Payne presiding.

Memorials can be written to the Holy Cross Lutheran Church in care of
 Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home, PO Box 553, Scott City, Kansas, 67871.

Inurnment will be in the Scott County Cemetery in Scott City, Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643119298406.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Robert A. Rein, age 81, passed away on Thursday, December 16, 2021, 
in Scott City, Kansas.&nbsp; He was born on July 13, 1940, in Sugar City, 
Colorado, the son of Henry and Marie Herman Rein Jr.&nbsp; A resident of 
Scott City, Kansas since 1975 moving from Sugar City, Colorado, he was 
an advertising salesman for the Hi-Plains Journal and B&amp;B 
Advertising.He was a member of the Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Scott City, Kansas.On September 11, 1964, he married Shirley J. Hasty in Roswell, New 
Mexico.&nbsp; She passed away on October 7, 2013, in Scott City, Kansas.Survivors include his Two Daughters - Charlene Murphy of Paola, 
Kansas, Teresa &amp; Scott Noll of Scott City, Kansas, One Brother - 
Alvin Rein of Fowler, Colorado, One Sister - Janice Rogers of Fowler 
Colorado, and Five Grandchildren - Legacy Murphy of Paola, Kansas, 
Amelia Noll, Alivia Noll, Avery Noll and Addison Noll of Scott City, 
Kansas.He was preceded in death by his Parents, Wife, One Son - Bryan Rein, One Brother - Ronnie Rein, and One Sister Eleanor Schiro.Funeral services will be held at 10:30 am&nbsp;on Saturday, January 29, 
2022, at Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home in Scott City, Kansas with Steve 
Payne presiding.Memorials can be written to the Holy Cross Lutheran Church in care of
 Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home, PO Box 553, Scott City, Kansas, 67871.Inurnment will be in the Scott County Cemetery in Scott City, Kansas.There will be no calling times.

Robert A. Rein

WASHINGTON (AP) —The conservative-dominated Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a challenge to the consideration of race in college admissions, adding another blockbuster case to a term with abortion, guns, religion and COVID-19 already on the agenda.

The court said it will take up lawsuits claiming that Harvard, a private institution, and the University of North Carolina, a state school, discriminate against Asian American applicants. A decision against the schools could mean the end of affirmative action in college admissions.

Arguments are expected to take place in the fall.

Lower courts rejected the challenges, citing more than 40 years of high court rulings that allow colleges and universities to consider race in admissions decisions. But the colleges and universities must do so in a narrowly tailored way to promote diversity.

The court’s most recent pronouncement was in 2016, in a 4-3 decision upholding the admissions program at the University of Texas against a challenge brought by a white woman. But the composition of the court has changed since then, with the addition of three conservative justices who were appointed by then-President Donald Trump.

Two members of that four-justice majority are gone from the court: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in 2020, and Justice Anthony Kennedy retired in 2018.

The three dissenters in the case, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, remain on the court. Roberts, a moderating influence on some issues, has been a steadfast vote to limit the use of race in public programs, once writing, “It is a sordid business, this divvying us up by race.”

The court already has heard arguments in cases that could expand gun and religious rights and also roll back abortion rights in a direct challenge to the Roe v. Wade ruling from 1973.

On Thursday, the justice’s weighed in for the first time on President Joe Biden’s vaccine policies, halting a rule requiring a vaccine or testing at large businesses while allowing a vaccine mandate for most of the nation’s health care workers.

The affirmative action case probably will be argued in the spring. Both suits were filed by Students for Fair Admissions, a Virginia-based group run by Edward Blum. He has worked for years to rid college admissions of racial considerations, and the court’s new lineup breathed new life into his project.

The group is calling on the court to overturn its 2003 ruling in Grutter v. Bollinger, which upheld the University of Michigan’s law school admissions program.

The Biden administration had urged the justices to stay away from the issue, writing in the Harvard case that the challenges “cannot justify that extraordinary step” of overruling the 2003 decision.

The Supreme Court has weighed in on college admissions several times over more than 40 years. The current dispute harks back to its first big affirmative action case in 1978, when Justice Lewis Powell set out the rationale for taking account of race even as the court barred the use of racial quotas in admissions.

In the Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, Powell approvingly cited Harvard as “an illuminating example” of a college that takes “race into account in achieving the educational diversity valued by the First Amendment.”

Twenty-five years later, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor likewise invoked the Harvard plan in her opinion in the Michigan law school case.

Now the Harvard program is under fire from opponents of race-based affirmative action.

Students for Fair Admissions claims that Harvard imposes a “racial penalty” on Asian American applicants by systematically scoring them lower in some categories than other applicants and awarding “massive preferences” to Black and Hispanic applicants.

Harvard flatly denies that it discriminates against Asian American applicants and says its consideration of race is limited, pointing out that lower courts agreed with the university.

In 2020, the federal appeals court in Boston ruled that Harvard looked at race in a limited way in line with Supreme Court precedents.

Harvard’s freshman class is roughly one-quarter Asian American, 16% Black and 13% Hispanic, Harvard says on its website. “If Harvard were to abandon race-conscious admissions, African-American and Hispanic representation would decline by nearly half,” the school told the court in urging it to stay out of the case.

The Trump administration had backed Blum’s case against Harvard and also filed its own lawsuit alleging discrimination against Asian Americans and whites at Yale. The Biden administration dropped the Yale suit.

North Carolina’s flagship public university prevailed in a federal district court in October. U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs ruled that the school’s program was intended to produce a diverse student body and had shown the benefits of doing so.

The court accepted the North Carolina case for review even though it has not been heard by a federal appeals court. Blum filed a Supreme Court appeal with the hope that it would be bundled with the Harvard case so that the justices could rule on public and private colleges at the same time.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The conservative-dominated Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a challenge to the consideration of race in college admissions, adding another blockbuster case to a term with abortion, guns, religion and COVID-19 already on the agenda.The court said it will take up lawsuits claiming that Harvard, a private institution, and the University of North Carolina, a state school, discriminate against Asian American applicants. A decision against the schools could mean the end of affirmative action in college admissions.Arguments are expected to take place in the fall.Lower courts rejected the challenges, citing more than 40 years of high court rulings that allow colleges and universities to consider race in admissions decisions. But the colleges and universities must do so in a narrowly tailored way to promote diversity.The court’s most recent pronouncement was in 2016, in a 4-3 decision upholding the admissions program at the University of Texas against a challenge brought by a white woman. But the composition of the court has changed since then, with the addition of three conservative justices who were appointed by then-President Donald Trump.Two members of that four-justice majority are gone from the court: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in 2020, and Justice Anthony Kennedy retired in 2018.The three dissenters in the case, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, remain on the court. Roberts, a moderating influence on some issues, has been a steadfast vote to limit the use of race in public programs, once writing, “It is a sordid business, this divvying us up by race.”The court already has heard arguments in cases that could expand gun and religious rights and also roll back abortion rights in a direct challenge to the Roe v. Wade ruling from 1973.On Thursday, the justice’s weighed in for the first time on President Joe Biden’s vaccine policies, halting a rule requiring a vaccine or testing at large businesses while allowing a vaccine mandate for most of the nation’s health care workers.The affirmative action case probably will be argued in the spring. Both suits were filed by Students for Fair Admissions, a Virginia-based group run by Edward Blum. He has worked for years to rid college admissions of racial considerations, and the court’s new lineup breathed new life into his project.The group is calling on the court to overturn its 2003 ruling in Grutter v. Bollinger, which upheld the University of Michigan’s law school admissions program.The Biden administration had urged the justices to stay away from the issue, writing in the Harvard case that the challenges “cannot justify that extraordinary step” of overruling the 2003 decision.The Supreme Court has weighed in on college admissions several times over more than 40 years. The current dispute harks back to its first big affirmative action case in 1978, when Justice Lewis Powell set out the rationale for taking account of race even as the court barred the use of racial quotas in admissions.In the Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, Powell approvingly cited Harvard as “an illuminating example” of a college that takes “race into account in achieving the educational diversity valued by the First Amendment.”Twenty-five years later, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor likewise invoked the Harvard plan in her opinion in the Michigan law school case.Now the Harvard program is under fire from opponents of race-based affirmative action.Students for Fair Admissions claims that Harvard imposes a “racial penalty” on Asian American applicants by systematically scoring them lower in some categories than other applicants and awarding “massive preferences” to Black and Hispanic applicants.Harvard flatly denies that it discriminates against Asian American applicants and says its consideration of race is limited, pointing out that lower courts agreed with the university.In 2020, the federal appeals court in Boston ruled that Harvard looked at race in a limited way in line with Supreme Court precedents.Harvard’s freshman class is roughly one-quarter Asian American, 16% Black and 13% Hispanic, Harvard says on its website. “If Harvard were to abandon race-conscious admissions, African-American and Hispanic representation would decline by nearly half,” the school told the court in urging it to stay out of the case.The Trump administration had backed Blum’s case against Harvard and also filed its own lawsuit alleging discrimination against Asian Americans and whites at Yale. The Biden administration dropped the Yale suit.North Carolina’s flagship public university prevailed in a federal district court in October. U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs ruled that the school’s program was intended to produce a diverse student body and had shown the benefits of doing so.The court accepted the North Carolina case for review even though it has not been heard by a federal appeals court. Blum filed a Supreme Court appeal with the hope that it would be bundled with the Harvard case so that the justices could rule on public and private colleges at the same time.

Supreme Court to hear challenge to race in college admissions

Juanita was born on September 21, 1934, in Hays, Kansas, to Leo and 
Pauline (Arnhold) Bieker. She never met her mother due to complications 
following birth from which Pauline died. She was raised in the loving 
family of John and Mary (Bieker) Arnhold of Victoria, Kansas... always 
known as Mom and Dad. She was the youngest of nine children in her 
Arnhold family: Leona (Felix Werth), William (Anna), Alfred (Regina), 
Florence (Richard Gerstner), Helen (Bernard Pfeifer), Norine (Edmund 
Kuhn), Albert, and John (Frances). She was the youngest of five children
 in the Bieker family: Generose (Jim Bergman), Lenore (Mike Billinger), 
MaryAnn (Gilbert Leiker), and LeRoy, all of whom proceeded her in death.

She married a handsome young man, one year her elder, whom she met at
 their hometown high school in Victoria, Kansas. Five months after she 
graduated, they married. Edwin L. Hoffman became her life partner on 
October 11,1952 at Saint Fidelis Catholic Church in Victoria a.k.a. 
Cathedral of the Plains.&nbsp; They had five children, whom she will be 
lovingly remembered by: Kerri Waldner, (Dennis) of Lakewood, CO, Eddie 
Hoffman, (Judy), Russ Hoffman, (Nancy), John Hoffman and Lisa Tausan, 
(Brian) all of Westminster, CO.

Juanita's young life was full of taking care of her family and home, 
and a faithful member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church. She was a 
tremendous cook, seamstress, and housekeeper, and a tireless mother.

After her children flew the nest, she loved spending time with her 
beloved husband at the family cabin. They spent 50 blessed years 
together, until the loss of Ed, in 2002. She filled the enormous gap by 
continuing to volunteer at church and the hospital. She enjoyed 
shopping, trips to Black Hawk, movies, meeting with friends at Bible 
study and most of all being with her family and close friends.

Others who will miss her dearly include 18 grandchildren, 13 great 
grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, her loved neighbors and many 
other close friends who knew her sweet smile and great hugs.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Alzheimer’s Association Colorado Chapter, Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado, 455 Sherman Street, Suite 500, Denver, CO 80203.

Online:<a href="https://www.alz.org/co/donate" target="_blank"> https://www.alz.org/co/donate</a>

Click <a href="https://cfcscolorado.org/obituaries/">HERE</a> for service details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643033003868.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Juanita was born on September 21, 1934, in Hays, Kansas, to Leo and 
Pauline (Arnhold) Bieker. She never met her mother due to complications 
following birth from which Pauline died. She was raised in the loving 
family of John and Mary (Bieker) Arnhold of Victoria, Kansas... always 
known as Mom and Dad. She was the youngest of nine children in her 
Arnhold family: Leona (Felix Werth), William (Anna), Alfred (Regina), 
Florence (Richard Gerstner), Helen (Bernard Pfeifer), Norine (Edmund 
Kuhn), Albert, and John (Frances). She was the youngest of five children
 in the Bieker family: Generose (Jim Bergman), Lenore (Mike Billinger), 
MaryAnn (Gilbert Leiker), and LeRoy, all of whom proceeded her in death.She married a handsome young man, one year her elder, whom she met at
 their hometown high school in Victoria, Kansas. Five months after she 
graduated, they married. Edwin L. Hoffman became her life partner on 
October 11,1952 at Saint Fidelis Catholic Church in Victoria a.k.a. 
Cathedral of the Plains.&nbsp; They had five children, whom she will be 
lovingly remembered by: Kerri Waldner, (Dennis) of Lakewood, CO, Eddie 
Hoffman, (Judy), Russ Hoffman, (Nancy), John Hoffman and Lisa Tausan, 
(Brian) all of Westminster, CO.Juanita's young life was full of taking care of her family and home, 
and a faithful member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church. She was a 
tremendous cook, seamstress, and housekeeper, and a tireless mother.After her children flew the nest, she loved spending time with her 
beloved husband at the family cabin. They spent 50 blessed years 
together, until the loss of Ed, in 2002. She filled the enormous gap by 
continuing to volunteer at church and the hospital. She enjoyed 
shopping, trips to Black Hawk, movies, meeting with friends at Bible 
study and most of all being with her family and close friends.Others who will miss her dearly include 18 grandchildren, 13 great 
grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, her loved neighbors and many 
other close friends who knew her sweet smile and great hugs.In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Alzheimer’s Association Colorado Chapter, Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado, 455 Sherman Street, Suite 500, Denver, CO 80203.Online:<a href="https://www.alz.org/co/donate" target="_blank"> https://www.alz.org/co/donate</a>Click <a href="https://cfcscolorado.org/obituaries/">HERE</a> for service details.

Juanita M. Hoffman

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes found Travis Kelce in the corner of the end zone from 8 yards early in overtime, and the Kansas City Chiefs rallied to beat the Buffalo Bills 42-36 on Sunday night in a sizzling finish to a wild divisional-round weekend.

The lead changed hands three times in the final two minutes of regulation before Harrison Butker, who earlier missed a field goal and extra point, drilled a 49-yarder for Kansas City as time expired to force overtime.

The Chiefs won the coin toss, marched swiftly downfield against the NFL's top-ranked but exhausted defense, and right into their fourth straight AFC title game. They'll play the Bengals next Sunday night for a spot in the Super Bowl.

Mahomes finished with 378 yards passing and three touchdowns, including a 64-yarder to Tyreek Hill during the thrilling final minutes of regulation. The Chiefs ended the Bills' season inside Arrowhead Stadium for the second straight year.

Josh Allen did everything in his power to prevent it. He threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Gabriel Davis with 1:54 left in the regulation, then another to Davis — his playoff-record fourth TD catch — with 13 seconds remaining.

Allen finished with 329 yards passing, and Davis with eight catches for 201 yards, as the Bills — who had beaten the Chiefs soundly in October — lost their ninth straight road playoff game dating to their last victory in the 1992 season's AFC championship.

In a playoff game for the history books Sunday night, the Bills and Chiefs played 58 minutes that few will remember. And about two minutes and an overtime that few will forget.

The Chiefs were leading 26-21 when Allen, who had been nearly perfect all night, connected with Davis for the third time in the game — a fourth-and-13 dart that gave the Bills the lead.

Not to be outdone, the Chiefs answered when Mahomes found Hill over the middle. The fleet-footed wide receiver ran away from cornerback Levi Wallace for a 64-yard touchdown that gave Kansas City the lead back.

Then it was the Bills’ turn. Allen threw a 28-yard pass to Davis, hit him again for 12 yards, then found Emmanuel Sanders to give coach Sean McDermott’s team a chance with 17 seconds on the clock.

Allen hit Davis right between the numbers, their 19-yard strike giving him the postseason-record, but not the victory.

Mahomes wasn’t done conjuring up playoff magic. He found Hill for 19 yards, then hit Kelce for 25 more. That gave Butker a chance to try a 49-yarder into a slight, chilly breeze as time expired.

A fitting way to end a divisional-round weekend filled with last-second heroics.

Bills: CB Micah Hyde left with an undisclosed injury he sustained on the final play of regulation.

Chiefs: Tyrann Mathieu left on the opening drive with a concussion after the Pro Bowl safety was hit by teammate Jarran Reed’s knee. ... CB Charvarius Ward was hurt trying to tackle Allen with 5 1/2 minutes left in the game.

The Chiefs get a visit from Cincinnati next Sunday, becoming the first franchise in NFL history to host four consecutive conference championship games. The 49ers play the Rams for the NFC title in the nightcap.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes found Travis Kelce in the corner of the end zone from 8 yards early in overtime, and the Kansas City Chiefs rallied to beat the Buffalo Bills 42-36 on Sunday night in a sizzling finish to a wild divisional-round weekend.The lead changed hands three times in the final two minutes of regulation before Harrison Butker, who earlier missed a field goal and extra point, drilled a 49-yarder for Kansas City as time expired to force overtime.The Chiefs won the coin toss, marched swiftly downfield against the NFL's top-ranked but exhausted defense, and right into their fourth straight AFC title game. They'll play the Bengals next Sunday night for a spot in the Super Bowl.Mahomes finished with 378 yards passing and three touchdowns, including a 64-yarder to Tyreek Hill during the thrilling final minutes of regulation. The Chiefs ended the Bills' season inside Arrowhead Stadium for the second straight year.Josh Allen did everything in his power to prevent it. He threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Gabriel Davis with 1:54 left in the regulation, then another to Davis — his playoff-record fourth TD catch — with 13 seconds remaining.Allen finished with 329 yards passing, and Davis with eight catches for 201 yards, as the Bills — who had beaten the Chiefs soundly in October — lost their ninth straight road playoff game dating to their last victory in the 1992 season's AFC championship.In a playoff game for the history books Sunday night, the Bills and Chiefs played 58 minutes that few will remember. And about two minutes and an overtime that few will forget.The Chiefs were leading 26-21 when Allen, who had been nearly perfect all night, connected with Davis for the third time in the game — a fourth-and-13 dart that gave the Bills the lead.Not to be outdone, the Chiefs answered when Mahomes found Hill over the middle. The fleet-footed wide receiver ran away from cornerback Levi Wallace for a 64-yard touchdown that gave Kansas City the lead back.Then it was the Bills’ turn. Allen threw a 28-yard pass to Davis, hit him again for 12 yards, then found Emmanuel Sanders to give coach Sean McDermott’s team a chance with 17 seconds on the clock.Allen hit Davis right between the numbers, their 19-yard strike giving him the postseason-record, but not the victory.Mahomes wasn’t done conjuring up playoff magic. He found Hill for 19 yards, then hit Kelce for 25 more. That gave Butker a chance to try a 49-yarder into a slight, chilly breeze as time expired.Naturally, it split the uprights.Overtime.A fitting way to end a divisional-round weekend filled with last-second heroics.INJURIESBills: CB Micah Hyde left with an undisclosed injury he sustained on the final play of regulation.Chiefs: Tyrann Mathieu left on the opening drive with a concussion after the Pro Bowl safety was hit by teammate Jarran Reed’s knee. ... CB Charvarius Ward was hurt trying to tackle Allen with 5 1/2 minutes left in the game.UP NEXTThe Chiefs get a visit from Cincinnati next Sunday, becoming the first franchise in NFL history to host four consecutive conference championship games. The 49ers play the Rams for the NFC title in the nightcap.

🏈 Chiefs rally past Buffalo in OT in wild playoff game

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 2017 killing of an 18-year-old Topeka woman. 

Twenty-year-old Javon Amond Smith was sentenced Thursday for second-degree murder and other crimes linked to the death of Kianna Cherise Hodges.

Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay said Topeka police were called on March 4, 2017, after a man on foot shot into two separate vehicles, killing Hodges and wounding four other people. New information emerged during a cold case review in 2020, leading to Smith's arrest. Smith pleaded guilty in October to second-degree murder and criminal discharge of a weapon into an occupied vehicle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1601575530743.png" alt="Javon Smith photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Javon Smith photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 2017 killing of an 18-year-old Topeka woman. Twenty-year-old Javon Amond Smith was sentenced Thursday for second-degree murder and other crimes linked to the death of Kianna Cherise Hodges.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1601570234524.png" alt="Kianna Hodge photo Penwell Gable Funeral Home" />
 <figcaption>Kianna Hodge photo Penwell Gable Funeral Home</figcaption>
 </figure>Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay said Topeka police were called on March 4, 2017, after a man on foot shot into two separate vehicles, killing Hodges and wounding four other people. New information emerged during a cold case review in 2020, leading to Smith's arrest. Smith pleaded guilty in October to second-degree murder and criminal discharge of a weapon into an occupied vehicle.

Man sentenced in cold-case killing of 18-year-old Kan. woman

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve on&nbsp; released a highly anticipated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/money-and-payments-discussion-paper.htm" target="_blank">report on central bank digital currencies</a>&nbsp;that suggested it is leaning toward having banks and other financial firms, rather than the Fed itself, manage digital accounts for customers.

A central bank digital currency would differ in some key ways from the online and digital payments that millions of Americans already conduct. Those transactions are funneled through banks, which wouldn’t be necessary with a digital dollar.

The Fed’s paper stressed that no final decisions about a digital currency have been reached. But it suggested that a digital currency that “would best serve the needs” of the nation would follow an “intermediated model” under which banks or payment firms would create accounts or digital wallets.

The Fed characterized the potential introduction of a digital currency as a step that could have far-reaching consequences for banks and other financial firms as well as for the central bank itself.

“The introduction of a (central bank digital currency) would represent a highly significant innovation in American money,” the study said. The Fed said it “could fundamentally change the structure of the U.S. financial system, altering the roles and responsibilities of the private sector and the central bank.”

The report comes at a time when digital money is proliferating in a variety of forms. Millions of people own cryptocurrencies, though they are often used more as investments than as forms of payment. But so-called stablecoins, which are often pegged to the dollar, have also soared in use in the past year, mostly for cryptocurrency transactions.

And most central banks around the world are studying government-backed digital currencies. China’s central bank has already tested a digital version of the yuan. The European Central Bank began exploring a digital euro in October and said its “investigation period” would last two years. Some Caribbean nations have already issued digital currencies.

China’s action and the explosion of stablecoins, which can be used in place of dollars in international transactions, have raised pressure on the Fed to consider a digital currency. Last March, Chair Jerome Powell said that while the Fed needed to keep pace with financial innovations, it would proceed cautiously.

“As the world’s principal reserve currency...we have an obligation to be on the cutting edge of understanding the technological challenges,” Powell said then. “But...we don’t need to rush this project. We don’t need to be first to market.”

The Fed is likely years away from actually issuing a digital currency, if it decides to do so. The paper released Thursday kicks off a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/forms/cbdc" target="_blank">120-day comment period</a>, during which the Fed will seek input from the public. The Fed also said it would proceed only with support from Congress, “ideally in the form of a specific authorizing law.”

And officials at the central bank aren’t all in agreement about whether a central bank digital currency is needed. Lael Brainard, who serves on the Fed’s Board of Governors and has been nominated by President Joe Biden to be vice chair, has, for example, expressed support for the concept, while Christopher Waller, another board member, has been skeptical.

A digital dollar could bring a host of benefits as well as risks. It would be a safer form of digital payment, because the Fed, unlike a bank or the companies issuing stablecoins, can’t go bankrupt. It could be easier and less expensive to access for people without bank accounts.

At the same time, a digital currency could pose privacy risks because it would be issued by the government. The Fed’s paper suggests, though, that banks and other third-party firms would shield consumer data from the Fed while also implementing existing rules against money-laundering and other illicit activity.

Such a government-issued digital dollar could also have major consequences for commercial banks because many Americans might prefer to hold such currency in a “wallet” issued by a payment provider like PayPal or Venmo, potentially cutting into bank deposits.

The Fed could even seek to influence the economy through a digital currency, as it now does by controlling interest rates. It could pay interest on a digital dollar, for example, or even have it decline in value, as a form of a negative interest rate. An interest payment could make a digital dollar more attractive than money in a bank.

“This substitution effect could reduce the aggregate amount of deposits in the banking system,” the Fed report said.

That hasn’t gone unnoticed by banks. The Bank Policy Institute, a lobbying group, asserted in a&nbsp;<a href="https://bpi.com/legal-authority-to-issue-a-u-s-central-bank-digital-currency/" target="_blank">blog post last June</a>&nbsp;that the Fed doesn’t have legal authority to pay interest on a digital dollar.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve on&nbsp; released a highly anticipated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/money-and-payments-discussion-paper.htm" target="_blank">report on central bank digital currencies</a>&nbsp;that suggested it is leaning toward having banks and other financial firms, rather than the Fed itself, manage digital accounts for customers.A central bank digital currency would differ in some key ways from the online and digital payments that millions of Americans already conduct. Those transactions are funneled through banks, which wouldn’t be necessary with a digital dollar.The Fed’s paper stressed that no final decisions about a digital currency have been reached. But it suggested that a digital currency that “would best serve the needs” of the nation would follow an “intermediated model” under which banks or payment firms would create accounts or digital wallets.The Fed characterized the potential introduction of a digital currency as a step that could have far-reaching consequences for banks and other financial firms as well as for the central bank itself.“The introduction of a (central bank digital currency) would represent a highly significant innovation in American money,” the study said. The Fed said it “could fundamentally change the structure of the U.S. financial system, altering the roles and responsibilities of the private sector and the central bank.”The report comes at a time when digital money is proliferating in a variety of forms. Millions of people own cryptocurrencies, though they are often used more as investments than as forms of payment. But so-called stablecoins, which are often pegged to the dollar, have also soared in use in the past year, mostly for cryptocurrency transactions.And most central banks around the world are studying government-backed digital currencies. China’s central bank has already tested a digital version of the yuan. The European Central Bank began exploring a digital euro in October and said its “investigation period” would last two years. Some Caribbean nations have already issued digital currencies.China’s action and the explosion of stablecoins, which can be used in place of dollars in international transactions, have raised pressure on the Fed to consider a digital currency. Last March, Chair Jerome Powell said that while the Fed needed to keep pace with financial innovations, it would proceed cautiously.“As the world’s principal reserve currency...we have an obligation to be on the cutting edge of understanding the technological challenges,” Powell said then. “But...we don’t need to rush this project. We don’t need to be first to market.”The Fed is likely years away from actually issuing a digital currency, if it decides to do so. The paper released Thursday kicks off a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/forms/cbdc" target="_blank">120-day comment period</a>, during which the Fed will seek input from the public. The Fed also said it would proceed only with support from Congress, “ideally in the form of a specific authorizing law.”And officials at the central bank aren’t all in agreement about whether a central bank digital currency is needed. Lael Brainard, who serves on the Fed’s Board of Governors and has been nominated by President Joe Biden to be vice chair, has, for example, expressed support for the concept, while Christopher Waller, another board member, has been skeptical.A digital dollar could bring a host of benefits as well as risks. It would be a safer form of digital payment, because the Fed, unlike a bank or the companies issuing stablecoins, can’t go bankrupt. It could be easier and less expensive to access for people without bank accounts.At the same time, a digital currency could pose privacy risks because it would be issued by the government. The Fed’s paper suggests, though, that banks and other third-party firms would shield consumer data from the Fed while also implementing existing rules against money-laundering and other illicit activity.Such a government-issued digital dollar could also have major consequences for commercial banks because many Americans might prefer to hold such currency in a “wallet” issued by a payment provider like PayPal or Venmo, potentially cutting into bank deposits.The Fed could even seek to influence the economy through a digital currency, as it now does by controlling interest rates. It could pay interest on a digital dollar, for example, or even have it decline in value, as a form of a negative interest rate. An interest payment could make a digital dollar more attractive than money in a bank.“This substitution effect could reduce the aggregate amount of deposits in the banking system,” the Fed report said.That hasn’t gone unnoticed by banks. The Bank Policy Institute, a lobbying group, asserted in a&nbsp;<a href="https://bpi.com/legal-authority-to-issue-a-u-s-central-bank-digital-currency/" target="_blank">blog post last June</a>&nbsp;that the Fed doesn’t have legal authority to pay interest on a digital dollar.

The Federal Reserve wants your input on US digital currency

By DAN MARGOLIES <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-01-19/an-armored-car-company-busted-for-hauling-legal-weed-money-across-kansas-is-now-suing-the-feds">Kansas News Service</a>

An armored car company used by licensed marijuana dispensaries in 
Missouri and other states is suing the federal government, claiming law 
enforcement agents have illegally seized dispensary cash the company was
 transporting.

The federal lawsuit, filed in California last week 
by Empyreal Logistics, comes after a sheriff’s deputy in Dickinson 
County, Kansas, stopped one of Empyreal’s vehicles last year on 
Interstate 70 for an unspecified traffic violation and <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-26/feds-seized-a-van-carrying-166-000-from-legal-marijuana-sales-in-kansas-city-and-no-one-knows-why" target="_blank">seized nearly $166,000 in cash</a> it was transporting from marijuana dispensaries in Kansas City, Missouri, to a credit union in Colorado.

The
 U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas subsequently filed a civil forfeiture 
action against Empyreal, arguing the seized cash was traceable to sales 
that violated the federal Controlled Substances Act. (Cannabis is 
classified as a Schedule I drug under the act.) That case is pending.

In
 October, KCUR sought records related to the stop from the Dickinson 
County Sheriff’s Office under the Kansas Open Records Act. Doug 
Thompson, the Dickinson County counselor, responded by saying that the 
records were in the hands of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

KCUR
 then sought the records from the DEA in November under the federal 
Freedom of Information Act. The DEA has yet to respond to KCUR’s 
request.

Empyreal's lawsuit, however, alleges that Dickinson 
County Sheriff’s Deputy Kalen Robinson pulled over Empyreal’s vehicle, a
 Ford Transit van, as it was heading east on I-70 because the Colorado 
license plate tag was slightly covered by the license plate holder. 
Robinson stopped the vehicle a second time the next day as it was 
heading west toward Colorado and seized the cash.

Empyreal’s 
lawsuit accuses Robinson as well as sheriff’s deputies in California of 
acting in concert with the DEA to conduct "pretextual stops" of 
Empyreal’s vehicles, “searching them, and seizing the cash contents — 
covering up their surveillance cameras and sometimes damaging Empyreal’s
 vehicles to access the cash in their secured vaults — and are then 
turning the seized cash over to federal law-enforcement for forfeiture 
proceedings under the federal equitable sharing program.”

Under 
the federal equitable sharing program, the federal government shares 
assets seized in civil forfeitures with state and local law enforcement 
agencies.

Empyreal says that not a single traffic citation was 
issued to an Empyreal driver during any of the five traffic stops 
mentioned in its complaint.

It says federal and state law 
enforcement agencies are targeting its armored cars “because it is very 
profitable for those law enforcement agencies to seize the cash proceeds
 that Empyreal is transporting and keep that money using civil 
forfeiture.”

Dan Alban, an attorney with the Institute of Justice,
 which represents Empyreal, said Empyreal had initially viewed the 
Dickinson County stop as a one-off event. But since then, its vehicles 
have been stopped four more times in California, three of them in the 
last two months alone. The vehicles were transporting cash from 
state-licensed cannabis businesses in California.

“I think they 
began to become very concerned that this was an ongoing pattern of 
activity and that they were being targeted. And so they wanted not just 
to have to defend against these forfeiture actions after the fact” but 
to seek legal relief preventing future seizures, Alban said.

In 
addition to alleging violations of the Fourth Amendment and due process,
 the lawsuit seeks to block future stops, searches and seizures of 
Empyreal’s vehicles “based solely on the actual or suspected presence of
 cash earned by state-legal cannabis dispensaries without reasonable 
suspicion or probable cause.”

“Empyreal
 could see the writing on the wall,” Alban said. “They could tell they 
were being targeted — all of these stops and searches — five in total so
 far. And so in order to continue operating their armored car business, 
they needed not to be targeted by the feds or local sheriffs for these 
continued stops, searches and seizures.”

Empyreal is still seeking
 to recover the money that was seized in Kansas in the pending civil 
forfeiture proceeding. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has declined to 
comment on the case.

The forfeiture action is being prosecuted by 
Colin D. Wood, a retired KBI senior special agent who now serves as a 
federal contractor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the title of 
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney. He did not respond to a request for 
comment.

The traffic stop in Dickinson County took place last May.
 The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed the civil forfeiture action three 
months later.

Attorneys not involved in the case have questioned 
why it was brought, given that it doesn’t involve the seizure of 
marijuana but rather proceeds from its sale and given that the 
dispensaries whose money was seized are licensed under Missouri’s 
medical cannabis program.

During the Obama administration, the 
Department of Justice issued a memorandum stating that federal 
prosecutors would not enforce the federal prohibition against marijuana 
in states that had legalized it. And federal legislation enacted in 2014
 prohibits the Justice Department from spending funds to interfere with 
the implementation of state medical cannabis laws.

The 
legislation, known as the Rohrbacher-Farr amendment, must be renewed 
every year. It was renewed last year and remains effective through Feb. 
18.

In its lawsuit, Empyreal says it has been forced to suspend 
its operations in San Bernardino, County, California, has stopped 
transporting cash through Kansas, has lost customers and has been unable
 to roll out new services in multiple states because of concerns about 
the stops and seizures.

“If these incidents continue to occur — 
and there is every indication they will — it will threaten Empyreal’s 
business model and its ability to continue providing financial 
infrastructure for the state-legal medical cannabis industry by safely 
moving cash from business premises into the legal banking system for 
greater transparency,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit names as 
defendants the U.S. Department of Justice; Attorney General Merrick 
Garland; the FBI; FBI Director Christopher Wray; an assistant FBI 
director overseeing the bureau’s Los Angeles field office; the DEA; DEA 
Administrator Anne Milgram; and San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon D.
 Dicus.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642629586838.png" alt="A complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas seeks the forfeiture of $165,620 found in a van that was transporting the money to a credit union in Colorado. Carlos Moreno / KCUR " />
 <figcaption>A complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas seeks the forfeiture of $165,620 found in a van that was transporting the money to a credit union in Colorado. Carlos Moreno / KCUR </figcaption>
 </figure>By DAN MARGOLIES <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-01-19/an-armored-car-company-busted-for-hauling-legal-weed-money-across-kansas-is-now-suing-the-feds">Kansas News Service</a>An armored car company used by licensed marijuana dispensaries in 
Missouri and other states is suing the federal government, claiming law 
enforcement agents have illegally seized dispensary cash the company was
 transporting.The federal lawsuit, filed in California last week 
by Empyreal Logistics, comes after a sheriff’s deputy in Dickinson 
County, Kansas, stopped one of Empyreal’s vehicles last year on 
Interstate 70 for an unspecified traffic violation and <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-26/feds-seized-a-van-carrying-166-000-from-legal-marijuana-sales-in-kansas-city-and-no-one-knows-why" target="_blank">seized nearly $166,000 in cash</a> it was transporting from marijuana dispensaries in Kansas City, Missouri, to a credit union in Colorado.The
 U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas subsequently filed a civil forfeiture 
action against Empyreal, arguing the seized cash was traceable to sales 
that violated the federal Controlled Substances Act. (Cannabis is 
classified as a Schedule I drug under the act.) That case is pending.In
 October, KCUR sought records related to the stop from the Dickinson 
County Sheriff’s Office under the Kansas Open Records Act. Doug 
Thompson, the Dickinson County counselor, responded by saying that the 
records were in the hands of the Drug Enforcement Administration.KCUR
 then sought the records from the DEA in November under the federal 
Freedom of Information Act. The DEA has yet to respond to KCUR’s 
request.Empyreal's lawsuit, however, alleges that Dickinson 
County Sheriff’s Deputy Kalen Robinson pulled over Empyreal’s vehicle, a
 Ford Transit van, as it was heading east on I-70 because the Colorado 
license plate tag was slightly covered by the license plate holder. 
Robinson stopped the vehicle a second time the next day as it was 
heading west toward Colorado and seized the cash.Empyreal’s 
lawsuit accuses Robinson as well as sheriff’s deputies in California of 
acting in concert with the DEA to conduct "pretextual stops" of 
Empyreal’s vehicles, “searching them, and seizing the cash contents — 
covering up their surveillance cameras and sometimes damaging Empyreal’s
 vehicles to access the cash in their secured vaults — and are then 
turning the seized cash over to federal law-enforcement for forfeiture 
proceedings under the federal equitable sharing program.”Under 
the federal equitable sharing program, the federal government shares 
assets seized in civil forfeitures with state and local law enforcement 
agencies.Empyreal says that not a single traffic citation was 
issued to an Empyreal driver during any of the five traffic stops 
mentioned in its complaint.It says federal and state law 
enforcement agencies are targeting its armored cars “because it is very 
profitable for those law enforcement agencies to seize the cash proceeds
 that Empyreal is transporting and keep that money using civil 
forfeiture.”Dan Alban, an attorney with the Institute of Justice,
 which represents Empyreal, said Empyreal had initially viewed the 
Dickinson County stop as a one-off event. But since then, its vehicles 
have been stopped four more times in California, three of them in the 
last two months alone. The vehicles were transporting cash from 
state-licensed cannabis businesses in California.“I think they 
began to become very concerned that this was an ongoing pattern of 
activity and that they were being targeted. And so they wanted not just 
to have to defend against these forfeiture actions after the fact” but 
to seek legal relief preventing future seizures, Alban said.In 
addition to alleging violations of the Fourth Amendment and due process,
 the lawsuit seeks to block future stops, searches and seizures of 
Empyreal’s vehicles “based solely on the actual or suspected presence of
 cash earned by state-legal cannabis dispensaries without reasonable 
suspicion or probable cause.”<h2>'Writing on the wall' </h2>“Empyreal
 could see the writing on the wall,” Alban said. “They could tell they 
were being targeted — all of these stops and searches — five in total so
 far. And so in order to continue operating their armored car business, 
they needed not to be targeted by the feds or local sheriffs for these 
continued stops, searches and seizures.”Empyreal is still seeking
 to recover the money that was seized in Kansas in the pending civil 
forfeiture proceeding. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has declined to 
comment on the case.The forfeiture action is being prosecuted by 
Colin D. Wood, a retired KBI senior special agent who now serves as a 
federal contractor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the title of 
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney. He did not respond to a request for 
comment.The traffic stop in Dickinson County took place last May.
 The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed the civil forfeiture action three 
months later.Attorneys not involved in the case have questioned 
why it was brought, given that it doesn’t involve the seizure of 
marijuana but rather proceeds from its sale and given that the 
dispensaries whose money was seized are licensed under Missouri’s 
medical cannabis program.During the Obama administration, the 
Department of Justice issued a memorandum stating that federal 
prosecutors would not enforce the federal prohibition against marijuana 
in states that had legalized it. And federal legislation enacted in 2014
 prohibits the Justice Department from spending funds to interfere with 
the implementation of state medical cannabis laws.The 
legislation, known as the Rohrbacher-Farr amendment, must be renewed 
every year. It was renewed last year and remains effective through Feb. 
18.In its lawsuit, Empyreal says it has been forced to suspend 
its operations in San Bernardino, County, California, has stopped 
transporting cash through Kansas, has lost customers and has been unable
 to roll out new services in multiple states because of concerns about 
the stops and seizures.“If these incidents continue to occur — 
and there is every indication they will — it will threaten Empyreal’s 
business model and its ability to continue providing financial 
infrastructure for the state-legal medical cannabis industry by safely 
moving cash from business premises into the legal banking system for 
greater transparency,” the lawsuit states.The lawsuit names as 
defendants the U.S. Department of Justice; Attorney General Merrick 
Garland; the FBI; FBI Director Christopher Wray; an assistant FBI 
director overseeing the bureau’s Los Angeles field office; the DEA; DEA 
Administrator Anne Milgram; and San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon D.
 Dicus.

Armored car company, busted for hauling legal weed money across Kan., is suing feds 

Stephanie JoLynn Kaiser, 35, passed away on January 19, 2022, at The 
University of Kansas Med Center, Kansas City, Kansas. She was born on 
April 20, 1986, at Great Bend, Kansas, to Steve &amp; Lynn (Larson) 
Kaiser. Stephanie was married to Brandyn Kilgore on October 17, 2019, in
 Wichita, Kansas.

Stephanie, a lifetime resident of Great Bend, was a 2005 graduate of 
Great Bend High School, where she excelled in volleyball, later 
attending Barton Community College, earning her RN degree. She enjoyed 
playing rec league softball for many years, where she first met Brandyn 
and he would later ask her out at the ballfield.&nbsp; Her compassionate 
nature and nursing skills were exhibited through her employment at Great
 Bend Regional Hospital, Larned Correctional Facility, and currently 
UKHS-Great Bend Campus.&nbsp; Stephanie enjoyed the Fourth of July, 
Halloween, crocheting, shooting her Glock pistol, cats (often taking in 
strays), reading, gardening, and the solitude of country living.&nbsp; 
According to Max, she was known to bake the world’s best sugar cookies.&nbsp;
 Above all, she cherished her time with family, taking pride in never 
missing any of Max’s sports or activities.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Survivors include her husband Brandyn and son Max Stephan Trujillo 
both of the home; her parents; two brothers, Cory (Erica) Kaiser of 
Castle Rock, Colorado, and Kelly (Sarah) Kaiser of Andale, Kansas; 
godparents, JoLetta Woolwine of Westwood Hills, Kansas, and Stan Kaiser 
of Great Bend, Kansas; nieces and nephews, Crawford, Kellan, Kerrington,
 Bo, Cruz, Hayes, and Nash Kaiser; and her son’s father, Tom Trujillo. 
She is preceded in death by her grandparents, Melvin and Frankie Kaiser,
 and Bob and Dorothy Larson.

In honoring Stephanie’s wishes, there will be no viewing as cremation
 has taken place and no service. Friends are welcome to sign her 
register book from 9:00 to 5:00 Monday, January 24, and Tuesday, January
 25, 2022, as well as on Wednesday, January 26, 2022, from 9:00 to 8:00 
with the family greeting guests from 5:00 to 7:00, all at Bryant Funeral
 Home. A private family interment will take place at Great Bend 
Cemetery. 

Memorials can be made to the Max Trujillo Education Fund, in 
care of Bryant Funeral Home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642803697155.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Stephanie JoLynn Kaiser, 35, passed away on January 19, 2022, at The 
University of Kansas Med Center, Kansas City, Kansas. She was born on 
April 20, 1986, at Great Bend, Kansas, to Steve &amp; Lynn (Larson) 
Kaiser. Stephanie was married to Brandyn Kilgore on October 17, 2019, in
 Wichita, Kansas.Stephanie, a lifetime resident of Great Bend, was a 2005 graduate of 
Great Bend High School, where she excelled in volleyball, later 
attending Barton Community College, earning her RN degree. She enjoyed 
playing rec league softball for many years, where she first met Brandyn 
and he would later ask her out at the ballfield.&nbsp; Her compassionate 
nature and nursing skills were exhibited through her employment at Great
 Bend Regional Hospital, Larned Correctional Facility, and currently 
UKHS-Great Bend Campus.&nbsp; Stephanie enjoyed the Fourth of July, 
Halloween, crocheting, shooting her Glock pistol, cats (often taking in 
strays), reading, gardening, and the solitude of country living.&nbsp; 
According to Max, she was known to bake the world’s best sugar cookies.&nbsp;
 Above all, she cherished her time with family, taking pride in never 
missing any of Max’s sports or activities.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Survivors include her husband Brandyn and son Max Stephan Trujillo 
both of the home; her parents; two brothers, Cory (Erica) Kaiser of 
Castle Rock, Colorado, and Kelly (Sarah) Kaiser of Andale, Kansas; 
godparents, JoLetta Woolwine of Westwood Hills, Kansas, and Stan Kaiser 
of Great Bend, Kansas; nieces and nephews, Crawford, Kellan, Kerrington,
 Bo, Cruz, Hayes, and Nash Kaiser; and her son’s father, Tom Trujillo. 
She is preceded in death by her grandparents, Melvin and Frankie Kaiser,
 and Bob and Dorothy Larson.In honoring Stephanie’s wishes, there will be no viewing as cremation
 has taken place and no service. Friends are welcome to sign her 
register book from 9:00 to 5:00 Monday, January 24, and Tuesday, January
 25, 2022, as well as on Wednesday, January 26, 2022, from 9:00 to 8:00 
with the family greeting guests from 5:00 to 7:00, all at Bryant Funeral
 Home. A private family interment will take place at Great Bend 
Cemetery. Memorials can be made to the Max Trujillo Education Fund, in 
care of Bryant Funeral Home.

Stephanie JoLynn Kaiser

On this episode of the Post Podcast Downtown Hays Development Corporation executive director Sara Bloom and director of events and operations Allie Glidewell shares updates from downtown Hays.

The Downtown Hays Development Corporation is getting ready for a busy spring season. Executive Director Sarah bloom and director of events and operations, Allie Glidewell stops by to talk to us about that on this episode of the post podcast.

What are you talking about? First? We got a whole list?

Well, yeah, I thought it was kind of a slower time a year. But then I'm here. I know you guys actually are getting prepared for a lot of things going on. I think we got to do this chronologically. Right Valentine's Day. That's the first thing coming up.

Sure. Well, it's kind of something new and different that we're trying to do just a promotional thing for businesses. But know that a lot of people spend money downtown, spend gifts, spend money for guessing their loved ones. So what we've done is we put together three baskets. And when you spend money in downtown, you can bring your receipts into us, whether that's paper or you know, I know a lot of square receipts go virtual. But bring that to us will stamp it and you can enter to win a basket will draw it on Valentine's Day. And there's all sorts of I mean, almost every single store is represented in those baskets. We

had so much fun shopping, we picked, what Tuesday when it was 60 degrees outside, we walked all over downtown. And we're talking from like reds all the way down to Indigo and breathe and all the things in between.

Yeah, super awesome. So we spent a little bit of money in every store to put together different baskets. We got stuff from even like the baskets themselves, or from the ark. We went everywhere. There. I mean, there's great things we put together a little men's basket that's got Gosh, soaps and goodies and all sorts of Thai

and mugs and coffee and trees and all sorts of stuff. Yeah, that's and that's just that. That's just the men's baskets, toothbrush and a really nice electric toothbrush for my smile. Yeah, yeah. So if you give love to our downtown businesses, you could have the opportunity to get the so we'll be posting pictures of those baskets later today along with that promotion. But essentially, starting next week, if you shop downtown, bring in a receipt, and it doesn't matter if it's for a $3 coffee from breeze or a $3,000 couch from furniture, luck. Bring your receipts in and you can enter to win one of these baskets and we'll draw Valentine's.

Yeah. Because we love you. Yes, amazing. Well, it's fun.

So you can the interim all the way up until Valentine's Day, so that Friday before Friday before okay.

Or like bringing in your receipts from the weekend on that Monday. Valentine's is on a Monday and we could draw

That means you have all weekend to spoil your love. That's what that means. I suppose that's true. Yeah, yeah, yeah, maybe we do Monday at the end of the day. That way you can bring in your seats. Have coffee yet.

It is still pretty early in the morning. It's especially talking about like Valentine's Day and all the craziness that comes along with that.

And it's not that far away. We are at the end of January already.

It's sneaking up on us only 22 It's it's firmly here.

Well, it's pretty cool Valentine's I would watch our Facebook page and other downtown business Facebook pages because I know there are a lot of Valentine dinners and events being planned right now and you have to make reservations right now specifically the strand and the Paisley pair are already booking very quickly for their Valentine

audience always has really great deals around this time too. And they book out so

far. The new Brickhouse Spa has some ones going on. So be watching. We'll try and share as much as we can, of course, but just be aware that there's some really wonderful stuff happening in downtown makes it easy. And Halo it is a partnership going on. All sorts of stuff.

Awesome. Yeah, you support your loved ones. Or shows love to your loved ones, I guess and support downtown Hayes at the same time. Exactly. I love that. Very cool.

Yeah. Also happening this weekend is the winter sidewalk sale. We did not go chronologically, but there are several businesses that have their winter sidewalk sale going on. Specifically couture has like 75% off simply refine, are all participating so check that out.

And I think we're gonna have decent weather this weekend. So it'd be a nice day to walk around and I think I'm gonna check a hole 35 today. Yeah, not nice today. Today is nothing better than the last two days it is currently eight degree by the way. Yeah, no, it looks like Saturday. Well, not not great, but mid 40s so decent weather is gonna be nice and sunny anyway

there's no wind that's what a beautiful day that's walkable.

actually buildings will block anyone that might be Oh

yeah, you always get that that nice buffer down there. But you know I already do this Saturday morning. You guys know this, but pretty much I take my kids in this what we do we walk down to On Hayes, we go when we hit different shops, they've got their little favorite hit spots they like to hit and we get some lunch at one of the restaurants down there. And it's a great time. And you see so many people down there even when there's no events going on. There's always people walking around and it's it's it's just a fun, energetic time to do it. And a third, some sidewalk sales on top of that, and it's just over the moon over the moon. That's what we're

saying. Believe it or not, I did not know that you walk downtown every Saturday though. I'm not down there every I usually at a basketball tournament or a baseball tournament.

So to be fair, we're walking around downtown all the time.

Their weekend is his community theaters. It's showtime. It's a fun new thing that they're putting on that'll air on Friday and on Saturday, but the community theater has all sorts of Valentine's things coming up too. So if you want to support a really, really fun cause, go give them a show. They're always exciting.

Yeah. Yeah, we had the director for this one. Cheryl Glassman come in earlier this week, I think. Yeah. Sounds like a really fun show. And I last time I talked to him. I don't know for sure. But they still had some tickets available. So if you're interested, well, it's Friday. I guess you probably need to get him today anyway, but but don't wait because they might sell out. So get them if you're interested.

That's rodeo. She's a former country, right? Yeah, rodeo. Yeah, I don't know what I saw. It's, uh, yeah. It's really good. But it's kind of a little bit genre bending, I

think, Oh, 20? Is that what you're saying? Yeah, yeah, you

<div><iframe title="DHDC kicks off year with upcoming downtown events" allowtransparency="true" height="450" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=2qyp3-11863ed-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=ffffff&btn-skin=3267a3&size=450" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>On this episode of the Post Podcast Downtown Hays Development Corporation executive director Sara Bloom and director of events and operations Allie Glidewell shares updates from downtown Hays.<h2>Transcript</h2>James Bell&nbsp;The Downtown Hays Development Corporation is getting ready for a busy spring season. Executive Director Sarah bloom and director of events and operations, Allie Glidewell stops by to talk to us about that on this episode of the post podcast.Sara Bloom&nbsp;What are you talking about? First? We got a whole list?James Bell&nbsp;Well, yeah, I thought it was kind of a slower time a year. But then I'm here. I know you guys actually are getting prepared for a lot of things going on. I think we got to do this chronologically. Right Valentine's Day. That's the first thing coming up.Allie Glidewell&nbsp;Yeah, sure is.James Bell&nbsp;What are you guys going on for that?Allie Glidewell&nbsp;Sure. Well, it's kind of something new and different that we're trying to do just a promotional thing for businesses. But know that a lot of people spend money downtown, spend gifts, spend money for guessing their loved ones. So what we've done is we put together three baskets. And when you spend money in downtown, you can bring your receipts into us, whether that's paper or you know, I know a lot of square receipts go virtual. But bring that to us will stamp it and you can enter to win a basket will draw it on Valentine's Day. And there's all sorts of I mean, almost every single store is represented in those baskets. WeSara Bloom&nbsp;had so much fun shopping, we picked, what Tuesday when it was 60 degrees outside, we walked all over downtown. And we're talking from like reds all the way down to Indigo and breathe and all the things in between.Allie Glidewell&nbsp;Yeah, super awesome. So we spent a little bit of money in every store to put together different baskets. We got stuff from even like the baskets themselves, or from the ark. We went everywhere. There. I mean, there's great things we put together a little men's basket that's got Gosh, soaps and goodies and all sorts of ThaiSara Bloom&nbsp;and mugs and coffee and trees and all sorts of stuff. Yeah, that's and that's just that. That's just the men's baskets, toothbrush and a really nice electric toothbrush for my smile. Yeah, yeah. So if you give love to our downtown businesses, you could have the opportunity to get the so we'll be posting pictures of those baskets later today along with that promotion. But essentially, starting next week, if you shop downtown, bring in a receipt, and it doesn't matter if it's for a $3 coffee from breeze or a $3,000 couch from furniture, luck. Bring your receipts in and you can enter to win one of these baskets and we'll draw Valentine's.Allie Glidewell&nbsp;Yeah. Because we love you. Yes, amazing. Well, it's fun.James Bell&nbsp;So you can the interim all the way up until Valentine's Day, so that Friday before Friday before okay.Sara Bloom&nbsp;Or like bringing in your receipts from the weekend on that Monday. Valentine's is on a Monday and we could drawJames Bell&nbsp;on a Monday this year. It isAllie Glidewell&nbsp;okay that Monday, we love Monday.Sara Bloom&nbsp;That means you have all weekend to spoil your love. That's what that means. I suppose that's true. Yeah, yeah, yeah, maybe we do Monday at the end of the day. That way you can bring in your seats. Have coffee yet.James Bell&nbsp;It is still pretty early in the morning. It's especially talking about like Valentine's Day and all the craziness that comes along with that.Sara Bloom&nbsp;And it's not that far away. We are at the end of January already.James Bell&nbsp;It's sneaking up on us only 22 It's it's firmly here.Sara Bloom&nbsp;Well, it's pretty cool Valentine's I would watch our Facebook page and other downtown business Facebook pages because I know there are a lot of Valentine dinners and events being planned right now and you have to make reservations right now specifically the strand and the Paisley pair are already booking very quickly for their ValentineAllie Glidewell&nbsp;audience always has really great deals around this time too. And they book out soSara Bloom&nbsp;far. The new Brickhouse Spa has some ones going on. So be watching. We'll try and share as much as we can, of course, but just be aware that there's some really wonderful stuff happening in downtown makes it easy. And Halo it is a partnership going on. All sorts of stuff.James Bell&nbsp;Awesome. Yeah, you support your loved ones. Or shows love to your loved ones, I guess and support downtown Hayes at the same time. Exactly. I love that. Very cool.Sara Bloom&nbsp;Yeah. Also happening this weekend is the winter sidewalk sale. We did not go chronologically, but there are several businesses that have their winter sidewalk sale going on. Specifically couture has like 75% off simply refine, are all participating so check that out.James Bell&nbsp;And I think we're gonna have decent weather this weekend. So it'd be a nice day to walk around and I think I'm gonna check a hole 35 today. Yeah, not nice today. Today is nothing better than the last two days it is currently eight degree by the way. Yeah, no, it looks like Saturday. Well, not not great, but mid 40s so decent weather is gonna be nice and sunny anywaySara Bloom&nbsp;there's no wind that's what a beautiful day that's walkable.James Bell&nbsp;five mile an hour winds. That's doable.Allie Glidewell&nbsp;It's great down there.James Bell&nbsp;You know andSara Bloom&nbsp;actually buildings will block anyone that might be OhJames Bell&nbsp;yeah, you always get that that nice buffer down there. But you know I already do this Saturday morning. You guys know this, but pretty much I take my kids in this what we do we walk down to On Hayes, we go when we hit different shops, they've got their little favorite hit spots they like to hit and we get some lunch at one of the restaurants down there. And it's a great time. And you see so many people down there even when there's no events going on. There's always people walking around and it's it's it's just a fun, energetic time to do it. And a third, some sidewalk sales on top of that, and it's just over the moon over the moon. That's what we'reSara Bloom&nbsp;saying. Believe it or not, I did not know that you walk downtown every Saturday though. I'm not down there every I usually at a basketball tournament or a baseball tournament.Allie Glidewell&nbsp;So to be fair, we're walking around downtown all the time.Sara Bloom&nbsp;It's true. Time down Saturday morning.Allie Glidewell&nbsp;Their weekend is his community theaters. It's showtime. It's a fun new thing that they're putting on that'll air on Friday and on Saturday, but the community theater has all sorts of Valentine's things coming up too. So if you want to support a really, really fun cause, go give them a show. They're always exciting.Sara Bloom&nbsp;ks.com Yeah. For tickets.James Bell&nbsp;Yeah. Yeah, we had the director for this one. Cheryl Glassman come in earlier this week, I think. Yeah. Sounds like a really fun show. And I last time I talked to him. I don't know for sure. But they still had some tickets available. So if you're interested, well, it's Friday. I guess you probably need to get him today anyway, but but don't wait because they might sell out. So get them if you're interested.Sara Bloom&nbsp;Yeah. And Kylie Frey at the fox.Allie Glidewell&nbsp;Kylie Frey at the fox. Yeah.James Bell&nbsp;That's rodeo. She's a former country, right? Yeah, rodeo. Yeah, I don't know what I saw. It's, uh, yeah. It's really good. But it's kind of a little bit genre bending, ISara Bloom&nbsp;think, Oh, 20? Is that what you're saying? Yeah, yeah, youAllie Glidewell&nbsp;might say that genre bending sounds way cooler. And I just came up with it. I like that. That's why you're good at the job, James.Sara Bloom&nbsp;What else is on your list? What else do we want to talk about?James Bell&nbsp;Easter, you got to do some Easter stuff, too. I mean, that's a little bit down the road. ButSara Bloom&nbsp;like your face, you can't see your face. But we're very excited forAllie Glidewell&nbsp;Easter. Easter is going to be very fun. We're hoping to incorporate a lot of different stores and just put something on for the kids. We don't have all the details yet, which includes, you know, the full format or a date. But we had a great brainstorming session yesterday. So look out for marketing on that something was eggs and something with candy. Yes, candy and children come downtown. It's gonna be a good time.James Bell&nbsp;Really, you get those two things together, and you're gonna have a good time no matter what.Sara Bloom&nbsp;Maybe even cupcakes, I don't know, there's a lot of brainstorming happening. But something will be happening in downtown for Easter. So be watching our Facebook page for that. And then Allie had a great another great brainstorming session last night with our downtown Hayes market vendor. Yeah, we hadAllie Glidewell&nbsp;our little end of year meeting to talk about everything that went really great or things that need tweaking, and we want to kind of vision board in 2022. We're really excited, they're all very passionate about what they do. All of our market vendors are very excited to come back already. They were working their calendars for day one and figuring out you know, different promotions, especially for some of the bigger days like National honeybee day or what to do during Oktoberfest weekend. So it was really, really great. The markets gonna kick off October 28. And then go every single Saturday, maybe? Yep, May 28. So sorry. I was thinking October 20.James Bell&nbsp;Of course, October.Sara Bloom&nbsp;Definitely the last Saturday of MayAllie Glidewell&nbsp;springtime. Yes. And it'll still run 730 to 11. Every day. We're gonna have all sorts of fun things going on all the time. But stay tuned to our Facebook page for that as well.James Bell&nbsp;Very cool. Yeah. And you mentioned a couple times now. But absolutely. If you want to stay tuned into what's going on to downtown Hayes, you guys do a really fantastic job of keeping that Facebook page updated. It's an easy and efficient way to do it on the website as well. You guys have the calendar. And it's all right there in handy. And yeah,Sara Bloom&nbsp;yeah. And we kind of mentioned it too. Even if it's not an event organized by the DHDC. Office, we would love to promote it for you. Let us know anything happening in downtown. If it's if it's a benefit to downtown, it's bringing foot traffic and attention to downtown. Let us know we'll try and get it on our Facebook page. We'll get it in our weekly newsletter, we'll get it on the website, at least the events calendar, let us know how we can help promote what's happening in downtown Hayes, whether it's out of our office or not, because I support the community. But that's kind of it. We're working on a lot of things, but those are the most pressing.Allie Glidewell&nbsp;It is a slow time of year, but it just leads a lot of room for game planning.James Bell&nbsp;Yes, and that's you know, that's what I love about this time of year. It's all the ideas it's the energy it's thinking about, you know, all the stuff that is going to be going on and you know, as we as we warm up in the spring, and I love it because just the planning bit and then the excitement starts to build and you get to talk about things like the Farmers Market, which is going to beSara Bloom&nbsp;a next month we'll be telling you in brews tickets go on sale.Allie Glidewell&nbsp;There's all sorts there's all sorts of things all the time.Sara Bloom&nbsp;But yeah, always check the Facebook page. Always check downtown, he's calm. We've got a great Instagram. Lots of new businesses are opening it downtown. We just celebrated the fort opening. We're going to be celebrating the bloomin barber lounge opening soon. Lots of changes, and it's all very exciting. Yeah.James Bell&nbsp;Absolutely. And, you know, and this is part of what we were talking about before we went on air downtown. It's it's full. I mean, it's not you know, if you remember if you're if you're listening, I can't imagine a lot of people that are listening haven't been in downtown Hays in the last couple years. But if you haven't, like come and check it out, because it is the the the energy is just so incredible. And there's this this attitude of just building and fixing and, and driving business and I love it. I don't know what else to say.Sara Bloom&nbsp;Thanks for getting excited about it. We're excited. It's great.James Bell&nbsp;Truly. Alrighty, guys. Well, any last thoughts when we go?Allie Glidewell&nbsp;Downtown hayes.com Thanks for supportingSara Bloom&nbsp;local shop downtown. Downtown. Downtown.Allie Glidewell&nbsp;Love downtown. Stay on the lookout for the Valentine. Yes.Sara Bloom&nbsp;Yeah, we're very excited. We're like, well, maybe we can change our names on.Allie Glidewell&nbsp;Yeah, maybe we can when we will give ourselves basket but they're really great and we want them to. We want to win. We picked out everything. They're very curated.