WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday defended&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/McConnell,%20R-Ky.,%20was%20initially%20cool%20to%20a%20Walker%20candidacy.%20But%20by%20endorsing%20him%20now,%20McConnell%20can%20sidestep%20what%20could%20have%20been%20a%20messy%20intraparty%20fight%20with%20Trump%20that%20might%20have%20complicated%20the%20quest%20to%20retake%20a%20Senate%20majority." target="_blank">a memo aimed at combating threats against school officials nationwide</a>&nbsp;while Republicans insisted he rescind the directive. He signaled he had no plans to do so despite their criticism.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/ag/page/file/1438986/download" target="_blank">The memo</a>&nbsp;took center stage as Garland appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee – his second congressional appearance in a week – and said it was meant to respond to violence and threats of violence directed against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-education-school-boards-940da42fac771366929fc2150c8acf4d">local school board officials</a>.

<a href="https://nsba.org/-/media/NSBA/File/nsba-letter-to-president-biden-concerning-threats-to-public-schools-and-school-board-members-92921.pdf">CLICK HERE </a>to read the full letter originally sent to the President by the National School Boards Assn.

The memo came out Oct. 4, less than a week after the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nsba.org/-/media/NSBA/File/nsba-federal-assistance-letter-9292021.pdf?la=en&amp;hash=430A3833A52FB1D2B8DF25160BCD8EFFBDE93CC2" target="_blank">National School Board Association</a>&nbsp;wrote the Biden administration about the threats to school officials and asked for help. Some school board meetings have devolved into shouting contests over issues such as how racial issues are taught, masks in schools, and COVID-19 vaccines and testing requirements.

Republicans say Garland went too far in instructing Justice Department divisions to coordinate with local law enforcement. In his memo Garland said there had been “a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff who participate in the vital work of running our nation’s public schools.”

An&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-addresses-violent-threats-against-school-officials-and-teachers" target="_blank">accompanying news release</a>&nbsp;mentioned the FBI, the department’s criminal division, national security division, civil rights division and other parts.

“The obligation of the Justice Department is to protect the American people against violence and threats of violence and that particularly includes public officials,” Garland said.

Republicans on the Senate committee also seized on a memo from Leif Johnson, the acting U.S. attorney in Montana, to the state attorney general, county attorneys, sheriffs and school officials in the state. The memo spells out federal crimes that could be used in prosecutions for violence, harassment or intimidation of school board officials.

The Montana memo, obtained by The Associated Press, cites about a dozen federal statues from conspiracy to deprive someone of civil rights to stalking and “anonymous telephone harassment.” It instructs the recipients to contact the FBI “if you believe that a person has violated one of these statutes.”

Garland told senators he was never sent the U.S. attorney’s memo and did not know specifics about it. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in Montana did not immediately respond to questions about whether Johnson had consulted senior Justice Department officials before issuing the memo.

“I’ve never seen that memo,” Garland said. “No one has sent me that memo, so I haven’t seen it.”

The National School Board Association has since said “we regret and apologize” for its letter, which asked for federal assistance to combat harassment and violence against school officials and said some of the acts could be “domestic terrorism.”

The original letter asked for the federal government to investigate cases where threats or violence could be handled as violations of federal laws protecting civil rights. The association asked for the Justice Department, FBI, Homeland Security and Secret Service to help monitor threat levels and assess risks to students, educators, board members and school buildings.

The letter documented more than 20 instances of threats, harassment, disruption, and acts of intimidation in California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio and other states. It cited the September arrest of an Illinois man for aggravated battery and disorderly conduct for allegedly striking a school official at a meeting. In Michigan, a meeting was disrupted when a man performed a Nazi salute to protest masking.

Garland has said parents have the right to express their concerns to school boards but his primary concern is if that devolves into violence or when threats emerge. During questioning Wednesday, Garland said that making a Nazi salute would be protected under the First Amendment. He also acknowledged that he did not have an accounting of the number of incidents.

At least two Republican senators – Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Josh Hawley of Missouri – called for Garland to resign over his handling of the memo.

“This is shameful,” Cotton exclaimed. “You should resign in disgrace.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635370077745.png" alt="Attorney General Merrick Garland during Wednesday's Senate hearing-image courtesy CSPAN." />
 <figcaption>Attorney General Merrick Garland during Wednesday's Senate hearing-image courtesy CSPAN.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday defended&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/McConnell,%20R-Ky.,%20was%20initially%20cool%20to%20a%20Walker%20candidacy.%20But%20by%20endorsing%20him%20now,%20McConnell%20can%20sidestep%20what%20could%20have%20been%20a%20messy%20intraparty%20fight%20with%20Trump%20that%20might%20have%20complicated%20the%20quest%20to%20retake%20a%20Senate%20majority." target="_blank">a memo aimed at combating threats against school officials nationwide</a>&nbsp;while Republicans insisted he rescind the directive. He signaled he had no plans to do so despite their criticism.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">AG Derek Schmidt to Biden administration: Withdraw directive for federal monitoring of local school board meetings <a href="https://t.co/ZzcNfWLnpq">https://t.co/ZzcNfWLnpq</a>&mdash; Kansas AG&#39;s Office (@KSAGOffice) <a href="https://twitter.com/KSAGOffice/status/1453470308392849410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://www.justice.gov/ag/page/file/1438986/download" target="_blank">The memo</a>&nbsp;took center stage as Garland appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee – his second congressional appearance in a week – and said it was meant to respond to violence and threats of violence directed against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-education-school-boards-940da42fac771366929fc2150c8acf4d">local school board officials</a>.<a href="https://nsba.org/-/media/NSBA/File/nsba-letter-to-president-biden-concerning-threats-to-public-schools-and-school-board-members-92921.pdf">CLICK HERE </a>to read the full letter originally sent to the President by the National School Boards Assn.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633090424533.png" alt="The first of the of the six page letter to President Biden from the National School Board Assn." />
 <figcaption>The first of the of the six page letter to President Biden from the National School Board Assn.</figcaption>
 </figure>The memo came out Oct. 4, less than a week after the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nsba.org/-/media/NSBA/File/nsba-federal-assistance-letter-9292021.pdf?la=en&amp;hash=430A3833A52FB1D2B8DF25160BCD8EFFBDE93CC2" target="_blank">National School Board Association</a>&nbsp;wrote the Biden administration about the threats to school officials and asked for help. Some school board meetings have devolved into shouting contests over issues such as how racial issues are taught, masks in schools, and COVID-19 vaccines and testing requirements.Republicans say Garland went too far in instructing Justice Department divisions to coordinate with local law enforcement. In his memo Garland said there had been “a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff who participate in the vital work of running our nation’s public schools.”An&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-addresses-violent-threats-against-school-officials-and-teachers" target="_blank">accompanying news release</a>&nbsp;mentioned the FBI, the department’s criminal division, national security division, civil rights division and other parts.“The obligation of the Justice Department is to protect the American people against violence and threats of violence and that particularly includes public officials,” Garland said.Republicans on the Senate committee also seized on a memo from Leif Johnson, the acting U.S. attorney in Montana, to the state attorney general, county attorneys, sheriffs and school officials in the state. The memo spells out federal crimes that could be used in prosecutions for violence, harassment or intimidation of school board officials.The Montana memo, obtained by The Associated Press, cites about a dozen federal statues from conspiracy to deprive someone of civil rights to stalking and “anonymous telephone harassment.” It instructs the recipients to contact the FBI “if you believe that a person has violated one of these statutes.”Garland told senators he was never sent the U.S. attorney’s memo and did not know specifics about it. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in Montana did not immediately respond to questions about whether Johnson had consulted senior Justice Department officials before issuing the memo.“I’ve never seen that memo,” Garland said. “No one has sent me that memo, so I haven’t seen it.”The National School Board Association has since said “we regret and apologize” for its letter, which asked for federal assistance to combat harassment and violence against school officials and said some of the acts could be “domestic terrorism.”The original letter asked for the federal government to investigate cases where threats or violence could be handled as violations of federal laws protecting civil rights. The association asked for the Justice Department, FBI, Homeland Security and Secret Service to help monitor threat levels and assess risks to students, educators, board members and school buildings.The letter documented more than 20 instances of threats, harassment, disruption, and acts of intimidation in California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio and other states. It cited the September arrest of an Illinois man for aggravated battery and disorderly conduct for allegedly striking a school official at a meeting. In Michigan, a meeting was disrupted when a man performed a Nazi salute to protest masking.Garland has said parents have the right to express their concerns to school boards but his primary concern is if that devolves into violence or when threats emerge. During questioning Wednesday, Garland said that making a Nazi salute would be protected under the First Amendment. He also acknowledged that he did not have an accounting of the number of incidents.At least two Republican senators – Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Josh Hawley of Missouri – called for Garland to resign over his handling of the memo.“This is shameful,” Cotton exclaimed. “You should resign in disgrace.”

Kan. AG to Biden: Withdraw directive on monitoring of local school board meetings

February 3, 1942
 -
 October 24, 2021

An obituary is pending with Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home.

Click <a href="https://www.mickeyleopoldfuneral.com/obituaries/Vernon-Joseph-Rietcheck?obId=22787302#/celebrationWall">HERE</a> for service details.

February 3, 1942
 -
 October 24, 2021An obituary is pending with Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home.Click <a href="https://www.mickeyleopoldfuneral.com/obituaries/Vernon-Joseph-Rietcheck?obId=22787302#/celebrationWall">HERE</a> for service details.

Vernon Joseph Rietcheck

Henrietta Haselhorst, 90, Hays, died Wednesday, October 27, 2021, at Via Christi Village.

She was born January 14, 1931, in 
Liebenthal, the daughter of Isidore and Albertina (Legleiter) Herrman.&nbsp; 
On June 12, 1950, she was united in marriage to Harold F. Haselhorst at 
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Liebenthal.&nbsp; They were married for almost 
64 years before he preceded her in death on April 28, 2014.&nbsp; She began 
her career as an office worker at St. Anthony Hospital and was the first
 secretary at St. Nicholas of Myra Catholic Church.&nbsp; Harold and 
Henrietta were charter members of St. Nicholas of Myra Catholic Church, 
she belonged to the St. Nicholas Ladies Guild, and was actively involved
 with the church.&nbsp; She loved playing Pinochle, Pitch, and Poker, and 
always had a little container of coins should she need them for Poker.&nbsp; 
She was an avid Scrabble player and a fierce competitor that challenged 
her opponents.&nbsp; Henrietta was an excellent cook and loved providing 
wonderful meals for her family.&nbsp; As a mother of ten children, she also 
canned much of the garden produce.&nbsp; Her pickles were always a hit at 
family meals.&nbsp; She enjoyed trying new recipes from Capper’s Weekly and 
Taste of Home magazines.&nbsp; All were welcome at her table to enjoy her 
creations.

Survivors include three sons: Glenn 
Haselhorst and wife Sonya of Hays, Gary Haselhorst and wife Sandy of 
Hays, and Kenneth Haselhorst and wife Becky of Olathe, five daughters: 
Lila Montgomery and husband Bill of Hays, Sheila Thompson and husband 
Mike of McKinney, TX, Diane Haselhorst of Shawnee, Nadine McGrath of 
Kansas City, and Stacey Haselhorst of Lee’s Summit, MO, a son-in-law: 
Frank Muñoz of South Sioux City, NE, a daughter-in-law: Beth Haselhorst 
of Hays, a brother: William “Bill” Herrman and wife Lucy of La Crosse, 
two sisters: Mary Catherine Dreher of Plainville and Georgiana Herrman 
of Austin, TX, a sister-in-law: Alice Herrman of Kingman, 23 
grandchildren: Rebecca Eckhoff and husband Mark, Ricky Muñoz and wife 
Christine, Michelle Muñoz, Anthony Muñoz, Troy Haselhorst, Kyle 
Haselhorst, Andrea Legleiter and husband Brent, Amy Haselhorst, Renee 
Pfeifer and husband Jason, Terra Dudenhoeffer and husband Doug, Todd 
Haselhorst, Dan Montgomery, David Montgomery and wife Angie, Darren 
Montgomery, Chelsea Powell and husband Tommy, Travis Baird and wife 
Samantha, Ashley Baird, Matthew Karlin and wife DaLaena, Craig Schmidt 
and wife Kelly, Jennifer Jacques, Kayla Jacques, Kiya Shavers, and Iana 
Shavers, 28 great grandchildren, two great-great grandsons, and numerous
 step grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her 
parents, husband Harold, a son: Daryl Haselhorst, a daughter: Belinda 
Muñoz, two sons-in-law: John Jacques and Richard McGrath, a brother: 
Mike Herrman, two sisters: Viola Depperschmidt and Lillian Leiker, and a
 granddaughter: Lindsey Jacques.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 
10:00 am on Tuesday, November 2, 2021 at St. Nicholas of Myra Catholic 
Church with Fr. Damian Richards and Fr. Dan Scheetz officiating.&nbsp; Burial
 will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery.&nbsp; Visitation will be from 5:00 pm 
until 8:00 on Monday and from 9:00 am until 10:00 on Tuesday, all at the
 church.&nbsp; A vigil service and rosary will be at 6:30 pm on Monday at the
 church.&nbsp; 

Memorials are suggested to St. Nicholas of Myra Catholic 
Church, Hospice of HaysMed, or to St. John’s Chapel at Via Christi 
Village, in care of Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.&nbsp; Condolences and 
memories of Henrietta may be shared with the family at 
www.haysmemorial.com &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635427093783.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Henrietta Haselhorst, 90, Hays, died Wednesday, October 27, 2021, at Via Christi Village.She was born January 14, 1931, in 
Liebenthal, the daughter of Isidore and Albertina (Legleiter) Herrman.&nbsp; 
On June 12, 1950, she was united in marriage to Harold F. Haselhorst at 
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Liebenthal.&nbsp; They were married for almost 
64 years before he preceded her in death on April 28, 2014.&nbsp; She began 
her career as an office worker at St. Anthony Hospital and was the first
 secretary at St. Nicholas of Myra Catholic Church.&nbsp; Harold and 
Henrietta were charter members of St. Nicholas of Myra Catholic Church, 
she belonged to the St. Nicholas Ladies Guild, and was actively involved
 with the church.&nbsp; She loved playing Pinochle, Pitch, and Poker, and 
always had a little container of coins should she need them for Poker.&nbsp; 
She was an avid Scrabble player and a fierce competitor that challenged 
her opponents.&nbsp; Henrietta was an excellent cook and loved providing 
wonderful meals for her family.&nbsp; As a mother of ten children, she also 
canned much of the garden produce.&nbsp; Her pickles were always a hit at 
family meals.&nbsp; She enjoyed trying new recipes from Capper’s Weekly and 
Taste of Home magazines.&nbsp; All were welcome at her table to enjoy her 
creations.Survivors include three sons: Glenn 
Haselhorst and wife Sonya of Hays, Gary Haselhorst and wife Sandy of 
Hays, and Kenneth Haselhorst and wife Becky of Olathe, five daughters: 
Lila Montgomery and husband Bill of Hays, Sheila Thompson and husband 
Mike of McKinney, TX, Diane Haselhorst of Shawnee, Nadine McGrath of 
Kansas City, and Stacey Haselhorst of Lee’s Summit, MO, a son-in-law: 
Frank Muñoz of South Sioux City, NE, a daughter-in-law: Beth Haselhorst 
of Hays, a brother: William “Bill” Herrman and wife Lucy of La Crosse, 
two sisters: Mary Catherine Dreher of Plainville and Georgiana Herrman 
of Austin, TX, a sister-in-law: Alice Herrman of Kingman, 23 
grandchildren: Rebecca Eckhoff and husband Mark, Ricky Muñoz and wife 
Christine, Michelle Muñoz, Anthony Muñoz, Troy Haselhorst, Kyle 
Haselhorst, Andrea Legleiter and husband Brent, Amy Haselhorst, Renee 
Pfeifer and husband Jason, Terra Dudenhoeffer and husband Doug, Todd 
Haselhorst, Dan Montgomery, David Montgomery and wife Angie, Darren 
Montgomery, Chelsea Powell and husband Tommy, Travis Baird and wife 
Samantha, Ashley Baird, Matthew Karlin and wife DaLaena, Craig Schmidt 
and wife Kelly, Jennifer Jacques, Kayla Jacques, Kiya Shavers, and Iana 
Shavers, 28 great grandchildren, two great-great grandsons, and numerous
 step grandchildren.She was preceded in death by her 
parents, husband Harold, a son: Daryl Haselhorst, a daughter: Belinda 
Muñoz, two sons-in-law: John Jacques and Richard McGrath, a brother: 
Mike Herrman, two sisters: Viola Depperschmidt and Lillian Leiker, and a
 granddaughter: Lindsey Jacques.Mass of Christian Burial will be at 
10:00 am on Tuesday, November 2, 2021 at St. Nicholas of Myra Catholic 
Church with Fr. Damian Richards and Fr. Dan Scheetz officiating.&nbsp; Burial
 will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery.&nbsp; Visitation will be from 5:00 pm 
until 8:00 on Monday and from 9:00 am until 10:00 on Tuesday, all at the
 church.&nbsp; A vigil service and rosary will be at 6:30 pm on Monday at the
 church.&nbsp; Memorials are suggested to St. Nicholas of Myra Catholic 
Church, Hospice of HaysMed, or to St. John’s Chapel at Via Christi 
Village, in care of Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.&nbsp; Condolences and 
memories of Henrietta may be shared with the family at 
www.haysmemorial.com &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Henrietta Haselhorst

During last year's first iteration of the Cajetan Cash fundraiser at Holy Family Elementary, organizers nearly doubled their expected donation total.

This year, almost as a testament to its namesake, St. Cajetan, the fundraiser raised over $80,000 for the school after replacing the well-known Red Wheel fundraiser.

"Last year, our home and school was looking for a little bit more of a supplemental income," said&nbsp;Cajetan Cash fundraiser chair Olivia Becker. "Because, with COVID, we weren't able to have our family fun nights, like at the restaurants in town. So we're trying to think you know, what can we do? And a raffle idea came up."

That simple idea would become the fundraiser, but not after searching for a unique and fitting name.

"Last year, when we first initially did the fundraiser, and we started looking at saints, what kind of saints would pertain to this and we found St. Cajetan," Becker said. "He is the saint of good fortune. That's fitting for a raffle. And so that's we came up with Cajetan Cash."

During this year's fundraiser, $10 tickets were sold, the same as last year, but with the expanded effort, more prizes were added.

"This year, we thought we needed to do some more," Becker said. "So we did four drawings, one for $1,000, one for $2,500 and $5,000 and $10,000 this year."

But it wasn't just a select group of ticket holders who won during the effort — the children also were rewarded with prizes and prize drawings.

"We made
it a challenge for the students to sell so many tickets," Becker said. "We made it fun
for the students, so they turned in sale sheets of tickets that they sold the
week prior."

From those totals, she said they had special rewards to continue incentivizing sales.

"They got like an ice cream cone day, they had a lollipop day, things
like that," Becker said. "And then every student who sold 40 tickets or more gets to
have a Taco Shop lunch at school one day."

She said 79 lunch winners were recognized during the fundraiser.

"So that was really
great," Becker said. "And then every highest seller in every classroom received $25 cash."

"So
and then we did a student drawing as well. We had four drawings for the
students that they could win. For every 10 tickets they sold, they got an entry
into those drawings. And we gave away gift cards that they could choose from
local vendors here like Taco Shop, McDonald's, Walmart, whatever. And then we
gave away an electric scooter as well."

And while the effort is rewarding for the students, fundraisers like these help generate funds to operate the school.

"I mean,
it's critical as part of their budgets,"&nbsp;Becker said. "It's not just an extra, you know, we
just want some extra money just to do some things for the school. It's for
the electricity bills. It's for the supplies for the schools.
It's for everything."

By the end of the fundraiser, she said the results speak to the generosity of the community.

"We
ended up selling at 8,800 tickets," Becker said. "And...we had great
sponsors that helped us with our payouts, too. So overall, we're looking at
$80,000 or a little over."

With the excellent response, Becker said the&nbsp;Cajetan Cash fundraiser is likely to return next year.

"As far as I know, every year now," she said. "We'll sell tickets always
through the month of September and have the drawings in the beginning of
October."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613660020276.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Holy Family Elementary raises over $80,000 during Cajetan Cash fundraiser" 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=zieb4-110d003-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&btn-skin=3267a3&size=450" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>By JAMES BELL Hays PostDuring last year's first iteration of the Cajetan Cash fundraiser at Holy Family Elementary, organizers nearly doubled their expected donation total.This year, almost as a testament to its namesake, St. Cajetan, the fundraiser raised over $80,000 for the school after replacing the well-known Red Wheel fundraiser."Last year, our home and school was looking for a little bit more of a supplemental income," said&nbsp;Cajetan Cash fundraiser chair Olivia Becker. "Because, with COVID, we weren't able to have our family fun nights, like at the restaurants in town. So we're trying to think you know, what can we do? And a raffle idea came up."That simple idea would become the fundraiser, but not after searching for a unique and fitting name."Last year, when we first initially did the fundraiser, and we started looking at saints, what kind of saints would pertain to this and we found St. Cajetan," Becker said. "He is the saint of good fortune. That's fitting for a raffle. And so that's we came up with Cajetan Cash."During this year's fundraiser, $10 tickets were sold, the same as last year, but with the expanded effort, more prizes were added."This year, we thought we needed to do some more," Becker said. "So we did four drawings, one for $1,000, one for $2,500 and $5,000 and $10,000 this year."But it wasn't just a select group of ticket holders who won during the effort — the children also were rewarded with prizes and prize drawings."We made
it a challenge for the students to sell so many tickets," Becker said. "We made it fun
for the students, so they turned in sale sheets of tickets that they sold the
week prior."From those totals, she said they had special rewards to continue incentivizing sales."They got like an ice cream cone day, they had a lollipop day, things
like that," Becker said. "And then every student who sold 40 tickets or more gets to
have a Taco Shop lunch at school one day."She said 79 lunch winners were recognized during the fundraiser."So that was really
great," Becker said. "And then every highest seller in every classroom received $25 cash.""So
and then we did a student drawing as well. We had four drawings for the
students that they could win. For every 10 tickets they sold, they got an entry
into those drawings. And we gave away gift cards that they could choose from
local vendors here like Taco Shop, McDonald's, Walmart, whatever. And then we
gave away an electric scooter as well."And while the effort is rewarding for the students, fundraisers like these help generate funds to operate the school."I mean,
it's critical as part of their budgets,"&nbsp;Becker said. "It's not just an extra, you know, we
just want some extra money just to do some things for the school. It's for
the electricity bills. It's for the supplies for the schools.
It's for everything."By the end of the fundraiser, she said the results speak to the generosity of the community."We
ended up selling at 8,800 tickets," Becker said. "And...we had great
sponsors that helped us with our payouts, too. So overall, we're looking at
$80,000 or a little over."With the excellent response, Becker said the&nbsp;Cajetan Cash fundraiser is likely to return next year."As far as I know, every year now," she said. "We'll sell tickets always
through the month of September and have the drawings in the beginning of
October."

🎙 Holy Family finds good fortune during Cajetan Cash fundraiser

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Federal prosecutors allege eight people connected to a&nbsp;Kansas-based organization conspired to provide unpaid child labor to businesses across the country and physically abused them for years.

The organization, formerly known as the United Nation of Islam and the Value Creators, was labeled a cult by a federal judge in the District of Kansas in 2018.

In an indictment unsealed Tuesday, prosecutors alleged the Kansas City group beat children, imposed severe dietary restrictions and forced children, some as young as 8, to work without pay.

Royall Jenkins had been a member of the Nation of Islam until 1978, when he founded the separate United Nation of Islam. He persuaded his followers that he was shown the proper way to rule the Earth after being “taken through the galaxy by aliens on a spaceship,” according to the indictment. At one point, the group had hundreds of followers.

Eight leaders of the organization, including three of Jenkins’ “many wives,” were named in the indictment after they were arrested in cities across the U.S. They are Randolph Hadley, Jacelyn Greenwell, Etinia Kinnard, Dana Peach, Daniel Jenkins, James Staton, Yunus Rassoul and Kaaba Majeed.

They are accused of conspiracy to commit forced labor and forced labor. None of the defendants had an attorney listed in federal court records.

Prosecutors allege that beginning in October 2000, the organization ran businesses such as gas stations, bakeries and restaurants in several states using unpaid labor from group members and their children, some as young as 8.

Parents were encouraged to send their children to an unlicensed school in Kansas City, Kansas, called the University of Arts and Logistics of Civilization, which did not provide appropriate instruction in most subjects.

The indictment said those who didn't attend the school were forced to work instead.

Some of the child victims worked in businesses in Kansas City, while others were trafficked to businesses in other states, including&nbsp;New Jersey,&nbsp;New York,&nbsp;Ohio,&nbsp;Maryland,&nbsp;Georgia&nbsp;and&nbsp;North Carolina, the indictment alleges.

Prosecutors said the victims also lived in “overcrowded dormitories, barracks, or households of adult members who were not related,” and many were forced to work up to 16 hours per day. Their diet consisted of bean soup, salad, and occasionally fruit, and frequent cleanses were ordered that included only consuming lemon juice for days.

Physical abuse mentioned in the indictment included routine “Fruit of Islam Beatdowns” organized by three of the defendants to punish male members for violating its code by such offenses as stealing food.

The indictment names 10 children who were forced to work for the organization between October 2000 and November 2012. Some worked for 12 years without pay, the indictment says.

In May 2018, U.S. Judge Daniel Crabtree called the group a cult and ordered it to pay $8 million to Kendra Ross, who said she spent 10 years performing unpaid labor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635365692259.png" alt="Royall Jenkins-image from the organization's Youtube page" />
 <figcaption>Royall Jenkins-image from the organization's Youtube page</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Federal prosecutors allege eight people connected to a&nbsp;Kansas-based organization conspired to provide unpaid child labor to businesses across the country and physically abused them for years.The organization, formerly known as the United Nation of Islam and the Value Creators, was labeled a cult by a federal judge in the District of Kansas in 2018.In an indictment unsealed Tuesday, prosecutors alleged the Kansas City group beat children, imposed severe dietary restrictions and forced children, some as young as 8, to work without pay.Royall Jenkins had been a member of the Nation of Islam until 1978, when he founded the separate United Nation of Islam. He persuaded his followers that he was shown the proper way to rule the Earth after being “taken through the galaxy by aliens on a spaceship,” according to the indictment. At one point, the group had hundreds of followers.Eight leaders of the organization, including three of Jenkins’ “many wives,” were named in the indictment after they were arrested in cities across the U.S. They are Randolph Hadley, Jacelyn Greenwell, Etinia Kinnard, Dana Peach, Daniel Jenkins, James Staton, Yunus Rassoul and Kaaba Majeed.They are accused of conspiracy to commit forced labor and forced labor. None of the defendants had an attorney listed in federal court records.Prosecutors allege that beginning in October 2000, the organization ran businesses such as gas stations, bakeries and restaurants in several states using unpaid labor from group members and their children, some as young as 8.Parents were encouraged to send their children to an unlicensed school in Kansas City, Kansas, called the University of Arts and Logistics of Civilization, which did not provide appropriate instruction in most subjects.The indictment said those who didn't attend the school were forced to work instead.Some of the child victims worked in businesses in Kansas City, while others were trafficked to businesses in other states, including&nbsp;New Jersey,&nbsp;New York,&nbsp;Ohio,&nbsp;Maryland,&nbsp;Georgia&nbsp;and&nbsp;North Carolina, the indictment alleges.Prosecutors said the victims also lived in “overcrowded dormitories, barracks, or households of adult members who were not related,” and many were forced to work up to 16 hours per day. Their diet consisted of bean soup, salad, and occasionally fruit, and frequent cleanses were ordered that included only consuming lemon juice for days.Physical abuse mentioned in the indictment included routine “Fruit of Islam Beatdowns” organized by three of the defendants to punish male members for violating its code by such offenses as stealing food.The indictment names 10 children who were forced to work for the organization between October 2000 and November 2012. Some worked for 12 years without pay, the indictment says.In May 2018, U.S. Judge Daniel Crabtree called the group a cult and ordered it to pay $8 million to Kendra Ross, who said she spent 10 years performing unpaid labor.

8 members of religious group tied to Kan. charged with child abuse

By Scott Edger&nbsp; Little Apple Post&nbsp;

Pottawatomie County’s&nbsp;October 1&nbsp;revelation&nbsp;that it had paid&nbsp;tens of thousands of dollars in&nbsp;ransom to&nbsp;digital&nbsp;hackers who had infiltrated the county’s computer system&nbsp;was&nbsp;rather&nbsp;ironic,&nbsp;as that day&nbsp;marked the start&nbsp;of Cybersecurity Awareness Month.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ransomware&nbsp;attacks were escalating exponentially even prior to COVID-19 infecting the world. Once the quarantines and shutdown orders began, cybercrime events proliferated with epidemic fervor.&nbsp;

Businesses and municipalities across the United States have lost millions in revenue to hackers. The financial cost is just the start, as cybercriminals will often permanently damage or destroy critical data and controls, regardless if the ransom is paid or not.&nbsp;

Pottawatomie County’s unfortunate&nbsp;situation is&nbsp;a&nbsp;perfect illustration&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;urgent need&nbsp;for&nbsp;vastly&nbsp;improved cybersecurity, for public entities as well as private citizens.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dr. Eugene Vasserman,&nbsp;associate&nbsp;professor&nbsp;of computer science at Kansas State University and director of the&nbsp;Center for Information and Security Assurance,&nbsp;said that while he had no details regarding the Pottawatomie County incident, attacks like this are almost never&nbsp;targeted.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The hackers likely did not seek out Pottawatomie County or any other individual person or group, but rather cast an enormous digital net.&nbsp;

Targeted attacks are more vicious, shutting down a specific company’s website or operational capability. The targeted attacks are typically meant as reprisals, punishment for a company’s perceived wrongdoings.&nbsp;

Once inside, the malware gets inside and creates a unique key that locks the victim’s data. What hackers are able to do depends on the number and types of checks installed in the network to thwart unfettered access to entire systems. Vasserman said that if the checks and stopgaps are not adequate, cybercriminals could theoretically take control of entire infrastructures.&nbsp;

Often, the issue comes down to money. A good on-site backup infrastructure can be quite costly, according to Vasserman, and may still not offer rock-solid protection.&nbsp;A virus that’s designed to move especially slowly through a system may not be detected until even the backups had been compromised.&nbsp;

Digital security has for years relied on the “hard shell, gooey middle” philosophy: build a strong, high wall, line it with barbed wire and security lights, but once someone gets past those measures&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;open season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“If you get past the hard shell, the rest is easy,” Vasserman said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The system was set up that way simply to be more user-friendly. “Actually more ‘administrator-friendly', Vasserman explained.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A moat and strong outer wall&nbsp;is&nbsp;the standard protection system for castles. There are, however, other designs that use complex interior architecture to slow attackers after they have breached the outer defenses.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Those interior defenses, in a digital castle, are difficult to design and require tedious management. That’s why the strong outer shell model has been prevalent for so long.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Administrator time is very valuable,” Vasserman said. “It was simply easier to design and administer this way.”&nbsp;

The problem with much public cybersecurity infrastructure is that civic budget limitations can mean that uber-sophisticated infrastructure is clunking along, trying, or failing, to run&nbsp;on outdated hardware.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

New security software may not function on older hardware.&nbsp;“You would be surprised how much critical infrastructure still runs on Windows XP.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cybercrime is&nbsp;a nuanced problem There is never a simple solution to keeping hackers out. As security measures improve,&nbsp;the cybercrooks’ tactics and methods evolve aggressively.&nbsp;

They look for vulnerable machines, usually automatically and just happened upon the county. The software immediately encodes and&nbsp;encrypts the system’s files, often sending a&nbsp;fully-automated ransom message&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It’s a challenge and I doubt the prevalence of really thorough backup setups.&nbsp;

Every internet-connected device is an entry point for a cybercriminal.&nbsp;Institutions and individuals are vulnerable in many ways. Attacks via email with infected documents or attachments, or systems without updated patches are hijacked every day.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Victims can find themselves in a quandary; paying the ransom is a financial hit and the FBI discourages paying ransoms because it encourages and funds further attacks, but refusal means losing critical data forever, which, for the individual victim, can be more expensive in the long run.&nbsp;

Ideally, groups are able to thumb their noses at the digital hijackers and simply restore their system by means of a regularly scheduled, comprehensive backup.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Businesses and municipalities are, understandably, reticent to discuss their cyber security measures but Corey Meyer, interim director and network administrator for Riley County IT/GIS, said that the County reviews security systems and protocols regularly and makes adjustments as needed. The County’s systems check for updates on a daily basis.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We do have multiple security professionals that we work with,” Meyer said, “to ensure what we have in place is at or above industry standards.”&nbsp;

The programming and coding involved in a ransomware attack is wildly sophisticated, but that does not necessarily mean that the&nbsp;digital kidnappers are equally sophisticated.&nbsp;Often in these attacks, the digital hijacker may personally have little computer or coding&nbsp;knowledge.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hijacking&nbsp;vulnerable&nbsp;systems&nbsp;is so ubiquitous and&nbsp;profitable that&nbsp;popping up all over the web are&nbsp;ransomware&nbsp;services&nbsp;that&nbsp;actually&nbsp;lease their malicious software out.&nbsp;Ransomware as a service (RaaS, as it is commonly&nbsp;tagged&nbsp;online) allows cybercrooks&nbsp;to&nbsp;simply deploy&nbsp;a service’s&nbsp;convenient malware package&nbsp;for&nbsp;the designated lease period&nbsp;and pay the service a&nbsp;significant&nbsp;portion of the&nbsp;ransoms&nbsp;they&nbsp;collect.&nbsp;&nbsp;

While ransomware has been around for decades, these organized service operations started up just a couple years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It’s like a turnkey operation now,” Vasserman said. These&nbsp;underground&nbsp;services, typically found in the seedier neighborhoods of the Dark Web,&nbsp;represent&nbsp;themselves as legitimate&nbsp;software providers&nbsp;good customer support, good user-interfaces, professionally written software.&nbsp;They have a definite level of professionalism and business acumen they set up contracts customer support systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Literally&nbsp;any backup is better than none. If you have minimal&nbsp;backup&nbsp;you might lose a day’s worth of data&nbsp;

The services are very customer-oriented.&nbsp;For the value-conscious cybercrook, a&nbsp;typical rent-a-hack comes with multiple tools available to&nbsp;overcome or&nbsp;bypass&nbsp;myriad&nbsp;security&nbsp;systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;

They deal in scale, not all ransomware seizures result in fat payouts like the one from&nbsp;Pottawatomie&nbsp;County. Hackers deal in scale, snatching up small funds from as many&nbsp;unsuspecting victims as possible.&nbsp;

Hackers spread a broad net, sweeping the web&nbsp;and&nbsp;blindly casting into the&nbsp;digital&nbsp;ocean for fish with systems that make them bite.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Even the best digital security is akin to home security. You can put in strong doors and deadbolt locks, install alarm systems and cameras, and a good thief will still find his way in.&nbsp;&nbsp;

According to Vasserman, the fact that even well-defended systems are regularly breached illustrates that the best defense is extensive backups.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Vasserman said simply keeping systems up to date keeping accounts with strong passwords, changing passwords regularly, not sharing accounts between people.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Businesses and private individuals can also take much simpler steps to more successfully deter attacks, Vasserman said. Simply keeping operating systems up-to-date is the most painless, and can be done by simply checking the automatic updates box on your operating system. Maintaining stringent password requirements and changing passwords regularly is recommended. Public and private entities should set up a proper VPN and firewall, and do not sharing accounts between people.&nbsp;

With adequate backup in place, if a cybercriminal hijacks an entity’s system, the entity can go back and restore everything to pre-hack conditions.&nbsp;

“All of these things are less costly than a really thorough backup system,” Vasserman said, “and they could start today.”

By Scott Edger&nbsp; Little Apple Post&nbsp;Pottawatomie County’s&nbsp;October 1&nbsp;revelation&nbsp;that it had paid&nbsp;tens of thousands of dollars in&nbsp;ransom to&nbsp;digital&nbsp;hackers who had infiltrated the county’s computer system&nbsp;was&nbsp;rather&nbsp;ironic,&nbsp;as that day&nbsp;marked the start&nbsp;of Cybersecurity Awareness Month.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ransomware&nbsp;attacks were escalating exponentially even prior to COVID-19 infecting the world. Once the quarantines and shutdown orders began, cybercrime events proliferated with epidemic fervor.&nbsp;Businesses and municipalities across the United States have lost millions in revenue to hackers. The financial cost is just the start, as cybercriminals will often permanently damage or destroy critical data and controls, regardless if the ransom is paid or not.&nbsp;Pottawatomie County’s unfortunate&nbsp;situation is&nbsp;a&nbsp;perfect illustration&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;urgent need&nbsp;for&nbsp;vastly&nbsp;improved cybersecurity, for public entities as well as private citizens.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dr. Eugene Vasserman,&nbsp;associate&nbsp;professor&nbsp;of computer science at Kansas State University and director of the&nbsp;Center for Information and Security Assurance,&nbsp;said that while he had no details regarding the Pottawatomie County incident, attacks like this are almost never&nbsp;targeted.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635421598701-thumbnail.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The hackers likely did not seek out Pottawatomie County or any other individual person or group, but rather cast an enormous digital net.&nbsp;Targeted attacks are more vicious, shutting down a specific company’s website or operational capability. The targeted attacks are typically meant as reprisals, punishment for a company’s perceived wrongdoings.&nbsp;Once inside, the malware gets inside and creates a unique key that locks the victim’s data. What hackers are able to do depends on the number and types of checks installed in the network to thwart unfettered access to entire systems. Vasserman said that if the checks and stopgaps are not adequate, cybercriminals could theoretically take control of entire infrastructures.&nbsp;FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS&nbsp;Often, the issue comes down to money. A good on-site backup infrastructure can be quite costly, according to Vasserman, and may still not offer rock-solid protection.&nbsp;A virus that’s designed to move especially slowly through a system may not be detected until even the backups had been compromised.&nbsp;Digital security has for years relied on the “hard shell, gooey middle” philosophy: build a strong, high wall, line it with barbed wire and security lights, but once someone gets past those measures&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;open season.&nbsp;&nbsp;“If you get past the hard shell, the rest is easy,” Vasserman said.&nbsp;&nbsp;The system was set up that way simply to be more user-friendly. “Actually more ‘administrator-friendly', Vasserman explained.&nbsp;&nbsp;A moat and strong outer wall&nbsp;is&nbsp;the standard protection system for castles. There are, however, other designs that use complex interior architecture to slow attackers after they have breached the outer defenses.&nbsp;&nbsp;Those interior defenses, in a digital castle, are difficult to design and require tedious management. That’s why the strong outer shell model has been prevalent for so long.&nbsp;&nbsp;Administrator time is very valuable,” Vasserman said. “It was simply easier to design and administer this way.”&nbsp;The problem with much public cybersecurity infrastructure is that civic budget limitations can mean that uber-sophisticated infrastructure is clunking along, trying, or failing, to run&nbsp;on outdated hardware.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;New security software may not function on older hardware.&nbsp;“You would be surprised how much critical infrastructure still runs on Windows XP.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Cybercrime is&nbsp;a nuanced problem There is never a simple solution to keeping hackers out. As security measures improve,&nbsp;the cybercrooks’ tactics and methods evolve aggressively.&nbsp;They look for vulnerable machines, usually automatically and just happened upon the county. The software immediately encodes and&nbsp;encrypts the system’s files, often sending a&nbsp;fully-automated ransom message&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“It’s a challenge and I doubt the prevalence of really thorough backup setups.&nbsp;Every internet-connected device is an entry point for a cybercriminal.&nbsp;Institutions and individuals are vulnerable in many ways. Attacks via email with infected documents or attachments, or systems without updated patches are hijacked every day.&nbsp;&nbsp;Victims can find themselves in a quandary; paying the ransom is a financial hit and the FBI discourages paying ransoms because it encourages and funds further attacks, but refusal means losing critical data forever, which, for the individual victim, can be more expensive in the long run.&nbsp;Ideally, groups are able to thumb their noses at the digital hijackers and simply restore their system by means of a regularly scheduled, comprehensive backup.&nbsp;&nbsp;Businesses and municipalities are, understandably, reticent to discuss their cyber security measures but Corey Meyer, interim director and network administrator for Riley County IT/GIS, said that the County reviews security systems and protocols regularly and makes adjustments as needed. The County’s systems check for updates on a daily basis.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We do have multiple security professionals that we work with,” Meyer said, “to ensure what we have in place is at or above industry standards.”&nbsp;RANSOMWARE AS AN INDUSTRY&nbsp;The programming and coding involved in a ransomware attack is wildly sophisticated, but that does not necessarily mean that the&nbsp;digital kidnappers are equally sophisticated.&nbsp;Often in these attacks, the digital hijacker may personally have little computer or coding&nbsp;knowledge.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hijacking&nbsp;vulnerable&nbsp;systems&nbsp;is so ubiquitous and&nbsp;profitable that&nbsp;popping up all over the web are&nbsp;ransomware&nbsp;services&nbsp;that&nbsp;actually&nbsp;lease their malicious software out.&nbsp;Ransomware as a service (RaaS, as it is commonly&nbsp;tagged&nbsp;online) allows cybercrooks&nbsp;to&nbsp;simply deploy&nbsp;a service’s&nbsp;convenient malware package&nbsp;for&nbsp;the designated lease period&nbsp;and pay the service a&nbsp;significant&nbsp;portion of the&nbsp;ransoms&nbsp;they&nbsp;collect.&nbsp;&nbsp;While ransomware has been around for decades, these organized service operations started up just a couple years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;“It’s like a turnkey operation now,” Vasserman said. These&nbsp;underground&nbsp;services, typically found in the seedier neighborhoods of the Dark Web,&nbsp;represent&nbsp;themselves as legitimate&nbsp;software providers&nbsp;good customer support, good user-interfaces, professionally written software.&nbsp;They have a definite level of professionalism and business acumen they set up contracts customer support systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Literally&nbsp;any backup is better than none. If you have minimal&nbsp;backup&nbsp;you might lose a day’s worth of data&nbsp;The services are very customer-oriented.&nbsp;For the value-conscious cybercrook, a&nbsp;typical rent-a-hack comes with multiple tools available to&nbsp;overcome or&nbsp;bypass&nbsp;myriad&nbsp;security&nbsp;systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;They deal in scale, not all ransomware seizures result in fat payouts like the one from&nbsp;Pottawatomie&nbsp;County. Hackers deal in scale, snatching up small funds from as many&nbsp;unsuspecting victims as possible.&nbsp;Hackers spread a broad net, sweeping the web&nbsp;and&nbsp;blindly casting into the&nbsp;digital&nbsp;ocean for fish with systems that make them bite.&nbsp;&nbsp;HOW TO AVOID&nbsp;Even the best digital security is akin to home security. You can put in strong doors and deadbolt locks, install alarm systems and cameras, and a good thief will still find his way in.&nbsp;&nbsp;According to Vasserman, the fact that even well-defended systems are regularly breached illustrates that the best defense is extensive backups.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vasserman said simply keeping systems up to date keeping accounts with strong passwords, changing passwords regularly, not sharing accounts between people.&nbsp;&nbsp;Businesses and private individuals can also take much simpler steps to more successfully deter attacks, Vasserman said. Simply keeping operating systems up-to-date is the most painless, and can be done by simply checking the automatic updates box on your operating system. Maintaining stringent password requirements and changing passwords regularly is recommended. Public and private entities should set up a proper VPN and firewall, and do not sharing accounts between people.&nbsp;With adequate backup in place, if a cybercriminal hijacks an entity’s system, the entity can go back and restore everything to pre-hack conditions.&nbsp;“All of these things are less costly than a really thorough backup system,” Vasserman said, “and they could start today.”

Cybersecurity Awareness month came a bit too late this year

INDIANAPOLIS – Fort Hays State Men's Soccer is No. 9 in the first set of NCAA Super Region rankings, released on Wednesday. The Tigers are the only team from the GAC/MIAA within the top 12 of the Super Region 3 rankings. University of Indianapolis tops the first set of Super Region 3 rankings, also as the No. 1 ranked team in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll. The Greyhounds defeated FHSU in the opening round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament, which is the last time the NCAA held a soccer championship tournament for men's soccer. Fort Hays State is looking to make a ninth-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and the Tigers own the longest active streak for consecutive years in the NCAA Division II National Tournament (8). The Tigers played tough competition outside of GAC/MIAA play, which is helping boost their strength of schedule formula for the super region rankings. FHSU played to a tie with Maryville, which checks in at No. 2 in the first set of rankings. FHSU defeated Colorado Mesa, which ranks No. 3 in Super Region 4. FHSU fell to No. 11 ranked CSU-Pueblo of Super Region 4 earlier this season. Ten teams will make the super region field, however the four conference tournament champions within the super region will receive automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament field. Below are the Super Region 3 rankings for October 27, 2021. 1Univ. of Indianapolis12-0-112-0-12Maryville (Mo.)11-2-112-2-13Illinois-Springfield10-2-110-3-14Wisconsin-Parkside10-3-210-3-25Ohio Dominican8-3-38-3-36Cedarville10-2-110-2-17Lake Erie10-3-110-3-18Lewis9-3-39-3-39Fort Hays State8-3-28-4-210Davenport8-68-611Saginaw Valley7-4-37-4-312Upper Iowa8-5-18-5-1&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635451703581.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>INDIANAPOLIS – Fort Hays State Men's Soccer is No. 9 in the first set of NCAA Super Region rankings, released on Wednesday. The Tigers are the only team from the GAC/MIAA within the top 12 of the Super Region 3 rankings. University of Indianapolis tops the first set of Super Region 3 rankings, also as the No. 1 ranked team in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll. The Greyhounds defeated FHSU in the opening round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament, which is the last time the NCAA held a soccer championship tournament for men's soccer. Fort Hays State is looking to make a ninth-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and the Tigers own the longest active streak for consecutive years in the NCAA Division II National Tournament (8). The Tigers played tough competition outside of GAC/MIAA play, which is helping boost their strength of schedule formula for the super region rankings. FHSU played to a tie with Maryville, which checks in at No. 2 in the first set of rankings. FHSU defeated Colorado Mesa, which ranks No. 3 in Super Region 4. FHSU fell to No. 11 ranked CSU-Pueblo of Super Region 4 earlier this season. Ten teams will make the super region field, however the four conference tournament champions within the super region will receive automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament field. Below are the Super Region 3 rankings for October 27, 2021. 1Univ. of Indianapolis12-0-112-0-12Maryville (Mo.)11-2-112-2-13Illinois-Springfield10-2-110-3-14Wisconsin-Parkside10-3-210-3-25Ohio Dominican8-3-38-3-36Cedarville10-2-110-2-17Lake Erie10-3-110-3-18Lewis9-3-39-3-39Fort Hays State8-3-28-4-210Davenport8-68-611Saginaw Valley7-4-37-4-312Upper Iowa8-5-18-5-1&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚽ Tiger men ninth in first Super Region Three rankings

Brandon Allen Deutscher passed away suddenly at his home in Plainville, 
Kansas on October 25, 2021, at the age of 42. He was born to Stan and 
Linda (Kreutzer) Deutscher on October 13, 1979, in Plainville, Kansas.
 Brandon, lovingly known as “Uncle Bam Bam”, attended Plainville 
schools and graduated from Plainville High School with the class of 
1997. He went to work as a welder after high school until his health 
prohibited him from working. He was shy and introverted until he got to 
know you, and then he was a prankster and loved to make you laugh. 
Brandon was very family-oriented and loved his brother, Brian and his 
nieces. He enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, fishing, and was a sports 
enthusiast enjoying football and baseball. Later in his life he enjoyed 
bowling with his friends.
 He is survived by his parents, Stan and Linda Deutscher of 
Plainville; grandmother, Marlene Deuthscher of Ellis, KS; brother, Brian
 Deutscher of Plainville; and nieces, Elizabeth, Madison, and Isabella 
Deutscher.
 A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, October 29, 2021,
 at 10:30 AM at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Plainville. 
Visitation will be on Thursday at the funeral home from 2PM until 8PM 
with a Vigil Service and Rosary starting at 7PM.
 Memorials are suggested to the Sacred Heart Catholic School Kitchen 
and may be sent in care of Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 320 SW 2nd 
St., Plainville, KS 67663.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635344173261.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Brandon Allen Deutscher passed away suddenly at his home in Plainville, 
Kansas on October 25, 2021, at the age of 42. He was born to Stan and 
Linda (Kreutzer) Deutscher on October 13, 1979, in Plainville, Kansas.
 Brandon, lovingly known as “Uncle Bam Bam”, attended Plainville 
schools and graduated from Plainville High School with the class of 
1997. He went to work as a welder after high school until his health 
prohibited him from working. He was shy and introverted until he got to 
know you, and then he was a prankster and loved to make you laugh. 
Brandon was very family-oriented and loved his brother, Brian and his 
nieces. He enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, fishing, and was a sports 
enthusiast enjoying football and baseball. Later in his life he enjoyed 
bowling with his friends.
 He is survived by his parents, Stan and Linda Deutscher of 
Plainville; grandmother, Marlene Deuthscher of Ellis, KS; brother, Brian
 Deutscher of Plainville; and nieces, Elizabeth, Madison, and Isabella 
Deutscher.
 A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, October 29, 2021,
 at 10:30 AM at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Plainville. 
Visitation will be on Thursday at the funeral home from 2PM until 8PM 
with a Vigil Service and Rosary starting at 7PM.
 Memorials are suggested to the Sacred Heart Catholic School Kitchen 
and may be sent in care of Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 320 SW 2nd 
St., Plainville, KS 67663.

Brandon Allen Deutscher

Anna Mae “Binkie” Miller was born January 17, 1941, in Philadelphia, PA. 
She was the daughter of George M. and Anna May (Beck) Gastiger. She was
 a longtime Abilene and Solomon area resident. She passed away Monday, 
October 25, 2021, at the Salina Regional Health Center in Salina at the 
age of 80. 
On February 14, 1959, Binkie was united in marriage to James “Jim” Mack 
Miller. Anna Mae was a homemaker and a member of the First Southern 
Baptist Church in Abilene. She enjoyed embroidering and volunteered at 
the Abilene Food Bank. She loved spending time with her grandchildren 
and great grandchildren. Her greatest love was her faithful companion 
Grassy (her dog). 
What made her the most proud was seeing her children, grandchildren, and
 great grandchildren grow up. Spending every minute with them made her 
life worthwhile. She treasured her friends and her church family. She 
enjoyed sitting on the front porch reading and embroidering. She loved 
her country life. Her door was always open to friends and family. 
Anna Mae is survived by her children Kathy Anne (Michael) McCulley of 
Mesa, Arizona, Tammy Anne Billinger of Hays, Glenn Michael (Tanna) 
Miller of Lyons, Mary Anne Miller resides overseas, 11 grandchildren
 and 22 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her 
loving husband Jim on August 12, 1997, her son James “Jason” Miller in 
1992, and her parents. 
A celebration of life service for Binkie will be 10:30 am, Monday, 
November 1, 2021, at the First Southern Baptist Church in Abilene with 
Pastor Kirby Benisch officiating.

 Memorial contributions may be made to
 the Humane Society, Disabled Veterans, or to St. Jude and may be sent 
in care of the Martin-Becker-Carlson Funeral Home, 414 NW 3rd, Abilene, 
Kansas 67410.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635356778005.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Anna Mae “Binkie” Miller was born January 17, 1941, in Philadelphia, PA. 
She was the daughter of George M. and Anna May (Beck) Gastiger. She was
 a longtime Abilene and Solomon area resident. She passed away Monday, 
October 25, 2021, at the Salina Regional Health Center in Salina at the 
age of 80. 
On February 14, 1959, Binkie was united in marriage to James “Jim” Mack 
Miller. Anna Mae was a homemaker and a member of the First Southern 
Baptist Church in Abilene. She enjoyed embroidering and volunteered at 
the Abilene Food Bank. She loved spending time with her grandchildren 
and great grandchildren. Her greatest love was her faithful companion 
Grassy (her dog). 
What made her the most proud was seeing her children, grandchildren, and
 great grandchildren grow up. Spending every minute with them made her 
life worthwhile. She treasured her friends and her church family. She 
enjoyed sitting on the front porch reading and embroidering. She loved 
her country life. Her door was always open to friends and family. 
Anna Mae is survived by her children Kathy Anne (Michael) McCulley of 
Mesa, Arizona, Tammy Anne Billinger of Hays, Glenn Michael (Tanna) 
Miller of Lyons, Mary Anne Miller resides overseas, 11 grandchildren
 and 22 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her 
loving husband Jim on August 12, 1997, her son James “Jason” Miller in 
1992, and her parents. 
A celebration of life service for Binkie will be 10:30 am, Monday, 
November 1, 2021, at the First Southern Baptist Church in Abilene with 
Pastor Kirby Benisch officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to
 the Humane Society, Disabled Veterans, or to St. Jude and may be sent 
in care of the Martin-Becker-Carlson Funeral Home, 414 NW 3rd, Abilene, 
Kansas 67410.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Anna Mae 'Binkie' Miller

Doris "Ricky" Garey, 94, passed away October 26, 2021. 

Domoney Funeral Home, PO Box 127, 817 Morgan Ave., Downs, KS 67437 is in charge of arrangements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635356441341.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Doris "Ricky" Garey, 94, passed away October 26, 2021. Domoney Funeral Home, PO Box 127, 817 Morgan Ave., Downs, KS 67437 is in charge of arrangements.

Doris 'Ricky' Garey

Pammie Rose Shank, 58, passed away October 18, 2021, at her home in Larned.

She was born February 7, 1963, in Aransas Pass, TX, the daughter of 
Clinton Harold and Iona “Betty” Bethine Norris Lauber. A longtime area 
resident, she was the Assistant Cashier for 32 years at the Fusion Bank 
(First State Bank) in Larned.

She was a member of the Larned Area Chamber Ambassadors and a past 
member of the Jaycees Club.&nbsp; She enjoyed fishing, hunting and loved to 
travel.

On May 1, 1989, she married Jan Arlyn Shank in Las Vegas, N.V. He survives.

Other survivors include: brother, David (Martha) Lauber, Cheney, WA; 
sister, Tammie (Jimmy) McClaren, Kinsley; two nieces, Kaitlyn (Joby) 
Reisenauer and their children, Quintin and Tobin, Mackenzie (Cory) 
Dilport and their daughter, Ember and a nephew, Cole (Kristin) McClaren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Robert and Terry Lauber and a sister, Sandra Davis.

Memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 6, 2021,&nbsp; at Beckwith Mortuary, Larned, with Pastor Ryan Webster presiding.&nbsp; 
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, November 5, 2021, at the
 mortuary.

Memorials may be given to the Pawnee County Humane Society in care of Beckwith Mortuary, Box 477, Larned, KS 67550.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635356355702.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Pammie Rose Shank, 58, passed away October 18, 2021, at her home in Larned.She was born February 7, 1963, in Aransas Pass, TX, the daughter of 
Clinton Harold and Iona “Betty” Bethine Norris Lauber. A longtime area 
resident, she was the Assistant Cashier for 32 years at the Fusion Bank 
(First State Bank) in Larned.She was a member of the Larned Area Chamber Ambassadors and a past 
member of the Jaycees Club.&nbsp; She enjoyed fishing, hunting and loved to 
travel.On May 1, 1989, she married Jan Arlyn Shank in Las Vegas, N.V. He survives.Other survivors include: brother, David (Martha) Lauber, Cheney, WA; 
sister, Tammie (Jimmy) McClaren, Kinsley; two nieces, Kaitlyn (Joby) 
Reisenauer and their children, Quintin and Tobin, Mackenzie (Cory) 
Dilport and their daughter, Ember and a nephew, Cole (Kristin) McClaren.She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Robert and Terry Lauber and a sister, Sandra Davis.Memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 6, 2021,&nbsp; at Beckwith Mortuary, Larned, with Pastor Ryan Webster presiding.&nbsp; 
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, November 5, 2021, at the
 mortuary.Memorials may be given to the Pawnee County Humane Society in care of Beckwith Mortuary, Box 477, Larned, KS 67550.&nbsp;

Pammie Rose Shank

Michael Ray Pavlu, 63, passed away as a result of an auto accident on
 October 24, 2021.&nbsp; Mike was born on March 8, 1958, in Albuquerque, NM.&nbsp; 
The son of Anthony J (Tony) and MaryAnn Pavlu.&nbsp; He attended grade school
 at Sacred Heart School and graduated high school from Ness City High 
School in 1976.

Mike was raised on the family farm near Brownell where he found the 
love for livestock and farming. During the early years after high school
 Mike was employed by Rickel Inc. in Ness City and was a Driller for 
Dunne-Gardner Drilling Co.

His love for agriculture led him into a partnership of forage 
harvesting with his brother, Marty, and Daryl Barricklow. After Marty’s 
death, he formed Pavlu Harvesting where he employed several locals and 
South Africans over the years.

He later relocated to Norman, OK where he was Ranch Manager for Travis Ranch.

Mike is survived by daughter Tanya Pierce (Ernest) and great 
granddaughter Katelyn Warren.&nbsp; Three sons – Aiden, Austin, and Anthony 
of Norman, OK.&nbsp; His mother, MaryAnn Pavlu of Ness City.&nbsp; Two brothers, 
Ken Pavlu (Susan) of Overland Park and Ashley Pavlu (Tanya) of Blue 
Springs, MO. Four sisters, Tonetta Stieben (Nick) of Bazine, Diana 
Kuhlman (Russel) of Dighton, Gina Harris (Greg) of Smithville, MO and 
Vickie Hennes (Kevin) of Topeka. Numerous nieces and nephews and great 
nieces and great nephew, along with his two fur buddies – Sugar and 
Travis, whom never left his side.

Mike was preceded in death by his father Tony, brother Marty, sister 
Deborah and grandparents Martin and Anna Stoecklein and Anthony and 
Elizabeth Pavlu.

Words cannot express our grief and sadness at Mike’s passing.&nbsp; He 
will be missed in so many ways by his family and all those who knew and 
loved him.

Mike – your infectious giggle and orneriness will be in our hearts forever.

Memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 30, 2021, at the Sacred Heart Church, at 10:30 a.m. followed by inurnment at the Sacred Heart Cemetery.

Memorial contributions are requested to be given to Sacred Heart School or Sacred Heart Cemetery, Ness City in lieu of flowers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635356271293.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Michael Ray Pavlu, 63, passed away as a result of an auto accident on
 October 24, 2021.&nbsp; Mike was born on March 8, 1958, in Albuquerque, NM.&nbsp; 
The son of Anthony J (Tony) and MaryAnn Pavlu.&nbsp; He attended grade school
 at Sacred Heart School and graduated high school from Ness City High 
School in 1976.Mike was raised on the family farm near Brownell where he found the 
love for livestock and farming. During the early years after high school
 Mike was employed by Rickel Inc. in Ness City and was a Driller for 
Dunne-Gardner Drilling Co.His love for agriculture led him into a partnership of forage 
harvesting with his brother, Marty, and Daryl Barricklow. After Marty’s 
death, he formed Pavlu Harvesting where he employed several locals and 
South Africans over the years.He later relocated to Norman, OK where he was Ranch Manager for Travis Ranch.Mike is survived by daughter Tanya Pierce (Ernest) and great 
granddaughter Katelyn Warren.&nbsp; Three sons – Aiden, Austin, and Anthony 
of Norman, OK.&nbsp; His mother, MaryAnn Pavlu of Ness City.&nbsp; Two brothers, 
Ken Pavlu (Susan) of Overland Park and Ashley Pavlu (Tanya) of Blue 
Springs, MO. Four sisters, Tonetta Stieben (Nick) of Bazine, Diana 
Kuhlman (Russel) of Dighton, Gina Harris (Greg) of Smithville, MO and 
Vickie Hennes (Kevin) of Topeka. Numerous nieces and nephews and great 
nieces and great nephew, along with his two fur buddies – Sugar and 
Travis, whom never left his side.Mike was preceded in death by his father Tony, brother Marty, sister 
Deborah and grandparents Martin and Anna Stoecklein and Anthony and 
Elizabeth Pavlu.Words cannot express our grief and sadness at Mike’s passing.&nbsp; He 
will be missed in so many ways by his family and all those who knew and 
loved him.Mike – your infectious giggle and orneriness will be in our hearts forever.Memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 30, 2021, at the Sacred Heart Church, at 10:30 a.m. followed by inurnment at the Sacred Heart Cemetery.Memorial contributions are requested to be given to Sacred Heart School or Sacred Heart Cemetery, Ness City in lieu of flowers.

Michael Ray Pavlu

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 2,437 to a total of 432,730, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

The state reported 103 new COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6,345.

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.

As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;

Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 2,437 to a total of 432,730, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;The state reported 103 new COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6,345.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635354091287.png" alt="Wednesday October 27, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday October 27, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

KDHE: 2,400 new cases, 103 more COVID deaths

Melba Jean (Coons) Winter passed away on Sunday, October 24, 2021, at her home near Kanorado, Kansas.&nbsp; Melba was born in Colorado and raised in western Kansas. She attended grade school in Ruleton, Kansas, and graduated from Sherman County High School with the class of 1952. &nbsp;

Melba was the second of four daughters born to Melvine and Loda (Price) Coons.&nbsp; She married Jerry Winter in Goodland on July 14, 1953, and the couple raised three sons: Gary (Deb) of Kanorado, Larry (Janet) of Fairbury, Nebraska, Terry of Parker, Colorado.&nbsp;

Melba was a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church and a former 4-H leader.&nbsp; Melba graduated with the first cosmetology class from the Northwest Kansas Technical School in 1969.&nbsp; She operated her own beauty salon for many years. &nbsp;

Melba is survived by her husband, Jerry, of the home, their three sons and the following grandchildren.&nbsp; Grandchildren and great grandchildren are:&nbsp; Sean and Shawndra (Colorado Springs, CO) Landri and Camden; Blake and Molly (Wheat Ridge, CO) Paisley and Case; Jonathan and Emily (Fairbury, NE) Delilah, Mae, Pippa; Aubrea and Beto (Goodland); Lane and Britney (Parker, CO) Cole and Austin; Shane and Carley (Fairbury, NE) Presley and Lawson. &nbsp;

Melba is also survived by her sisters Carol (Phil) Merz (Parker, CO) and Cheryl Coons (Castle Rock, CO) and several nieces and nephews.&nbsp;

She was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Donna (Laverne) Boll (St. Francis, KS). &nbsp;

Funeral services will be held on Friday, October 29, 2021, at 10:30 AM MT at Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland with Father Norbert Dlabal officiating.&nbsp; Burial will follow in the Goodland Cemetery in Goodland.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 28, 2021, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM MT at the Funeral Home with a Parish Rosary to be recited at 7:00 PM.

Memorial contributions may be designated to the Kanorado Senior Citizen’s Center and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland, KS 67735.

Online condolences for the family may be left at <a href="http://www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com">www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com</a>.

Services have been entrusted to Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635348856886.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Melba Jean (Coons) Winter passed away on Sunday, October 24, 2021, at her home near Kanorado, Kansas.&nbsp; Melba was born in Colorado and raised in western Kansas. She attended grade school in Ruleton, Kansas, and graduated from Sherman County High School with the class of 1952. &nbsp;Melba was the second of four daughters born to Melvine and Loda (Price) Coons.&nbsp; She married Jerry Winter in Goodland on July 14, 1953, and the couple raised three sons: Gary (Deb) of Kanorado, Larry (Janet) of Fairbury, Nebraska, Terry of Parker, Colorado.&nbsp;Melba was a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church and a former 4-H leader.&nbsp; Melba graduated with the first cosmetology class from the Northwest Kansas Technical School in 1969.&nbsp; She operated her own beauty salon for many years. &nbsp;Melba is survived by her husband, Jerry, of the home, their three sons and the following grandchildren.&nbsp; Grandchildren and great grandchildren are:&nbsp; Sean and Shawndra (Colorado Springs, CO) Landri and Camden; Blake and Molly (Wheat Ridge, CO) Paisley and Case; Jonathan and Emily (Fairbury, NE) Delilah, Mae, Pippa; Aubrea and Beto (Goodland); Lane and Britney (Parker, CO) Cole and Austin; Shane and Carley (Fairbury, NE) Presley and Lawson. &nbsp;Melba is also survived by her sisters Carol (Phil) Merz (Parker, CO) and Cheryl Coons (Castle Rock, CO) and several nieces and nephews.&nbsp;She was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Donna (Laverne) Boll (St. Francis, KS). &nbsp;Funeral services will be held on Friday, October 29, 2021, at 10:30 AM MT at Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland with Father Norbert Dlabal officiating.&nbsp; Burial will follow in the Goodland Cemetery in Goodland.Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 28, 2021, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM MT at the Funeral Home with a Parish Rosary to be recited at 7:00 PM.Memorial contributions may be designated to the Kanorado Senior Citizen’s Center and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland, KS 67735.Online condolences for the family may be left at <a href="http://www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com">www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com</a>.Services have been entrusted to Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.

Melba Jean (Coons) Winter

Daniel L. Harsch, 72, passed away October 24, 2021, at Diversicare of Larned.

He was born November 20, 1948, at Bernalillo, New Mexico, the son of 
Thomas B. and Geraldine M. Driscoll Harsch Jr. Moving from Colorado to 
Larned in 1971, he was a longtime area resident and was a former Police 
Officer, EMT, and retired from the Larned State Hospital in 2010.

He was of the Catholic religion and was a member of the V.F.W., 
American Legion, American Legion Riders, Patriot Guard, all of Larned 
and served in the United States Marine Corp during Vietnam.

Survivors include: Longtime companion, Jeannie Beer, Larned; 
step-daughter, Stephanie A. Yahne, Lakeside, CA; two sisters, Patricia 
(Terri Coomer) Harsch, Fort Collins, CO, Kimberly (Russ) Bird, San 
Diego, CA; one brother, Herbie Pirrung, Austin, TX; grandson, Wyatt 
Tatloc, Lakeside, CA; nieces and nephews, BJ (Alisha), Jamie (Dani), 
Bennett (Nikki), Kolby, Slater.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Francis Pirrung, Michael Harsch&nbsp; and his stepmother, Gretchen Harsch.

Cremation has taken place and a memorial graveside service will be 
held at 11am, Wednesday, November 3, 2021, at the Wilson Cemetery, 
Wilson, KS with Pastor Jeff Owen presiding and military Honors.

Memorials may be given to Protect the Game in care of Beckwith Mortuary, Box 477 Larned, KS 67550.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635346417936.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Daniel L. Harsch, 72, passed away October 24, 2021, at Diversicare of Larned.He was born November 20, 1948, at Bernalillo, New Mexico, the son of 
Thomas B. and Geraldine M. Driscoll Harsch Jr. Moving from Colorado to 
Larned in 1971, he was a longtime area resident and was a former Police 
Officer, EMT, and retired from the Larned State Hospital in 2010.He was of the Catholic religion and was a member of the V.F.W., 
American Legion, American Legion Riders, Patriot Guard, all of Larned 
and served in the United States Marine Corp during Vietnam.Survivors include: Longtime companion, Jeannie Beer, Larned; 
step-daughter, Stephanie A. Yahne, Lakeside, CA; two sisters, Patricia 
(Terri Coomer) Harsch, Fort Collins, CO, Kimberly (Russ) Bird, San 
Diego, CA; one brother, Herbie Pirrung, Austin, TX; grandson, Wyatt 
Tatloc, Lakeside, CA; nieces and nephews, BJ (Alisha), Jamie (Dani), 
Bennett (Nikki), Kolby, Slater.He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Francis Pirrung, Michael Harsch&nbsp; and his stepmother, Gretchen Harsch.Cremation has taken place and a memorial graveside service will be 
held at 11am, Wednesday, November 3, 2021, at the Wilson Cemetery, 
Wilson, KS with Pastor Jeff Owen presiding and military Honors.Memorials may be given to Protect the Game in care of Beckwith Mortuary, Box 477 Larned, KS 67550.&nbsp;

Daniel L. Harsch

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal crash with a pickup truck and a train have identified the Kansas woman who died as 36-year-0ld Ana Guerrero Dominguez of Maize, according to the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department Accident Bulletin.

She was driving a Chevy Silverado northbound on 135th Street West at 53rd Street just after 3p.m. Tuesday, according to Lt. Benjamin Blick.&nbsp;

EMS transported two female, juvenile passengers identified as Pamela Antiveros-Guerrero and Hiray Antiveros-Guerrero to Wesley Medical Center in critical condition, according to the report. There were no injuries to those on the eastbound Kansas and Oklahoma train.

The accident remains under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635284597488.png" alt="First responders at the scene of the fatal crash-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene of the fatal crash-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal crash with a pickup truck and a train have identified the Kansas woman who died as 36-year-0ld Ana Guerrero Dominguez of Maize, according to the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department Accident Bulletin.She was driving a Chevy Silverado northbound on 135th Street West at 53rd Street just after 3p.m. Tuesday, according to Lt. Benjamin Blick.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WFD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WFD</a> Rescue and HazMat companies assisting <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SedgwickCounty?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SedgwickCounty</a> FD1 with a vehicle vs train accident near 53rd St N and 135th St W. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/icttraffic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#icttraffic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ictfire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ictfire</a>&mdash; WichitaFireDept (@WichitaFireDept) <a href="https://twitter.com/WichitaFireDept/status/1453097720642777100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>EMS transported two female, juvenile passengers identified as Pamela Antiveros-Guerrero and Hiray Antiveros-Guerrero to Wesley Medical Center in critical condition, according to the report. There were no injuries to those on the eastbound Kansas and Oklahoma train.The accident remains under investigation.

Update: Sheriff IDs Kan. woman who died, girls injured in crash with train

Ralph T. Waldschmidt, age 90, of Ellis, Kansas passed away Sunday, October 24, 2021, at Hays Medical Center. He was born May 26, 1931, in Ellis, Kansas, to Herman and Pauline (Boos) Waldschmidt.&nbsp;He graduated from Ellis High School in 1949.

Ralph was a US Army veteran proudly serving his country in Korea in 1952-1953.&nbsp; On January 25, 1955, he married Dorothy (Helget) at St. Mary’s Church in Ellis.

Ralph had worked for Nicholson Brothers Lumber, Travenol and retired from Ellis County Road and Bridge Department. He was a member of St. Mary’s Church, Ellis VFW, and a 3rd&nbsp;degree Ellis Knights of Columbus member. He enjoyed drawing, carving, collecting coins and rocks, Notre Dame football, attending Ellis High School sporting events and especially those his grandchildren participated in.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years Dorothy of the home in Ellis; three daughters, Denise Jeffus and husband Michael of Hays, Andrea Wolf and husband Jack of Ellis and Wendy Honas and husband Randy of Ellis; a brother, Leo Waldschmidt of Wichita, a sister, Marilyn Walters of Walla Walla, Washington; six grandchildren, Andy Jeffus, Aaron Jeffus, Haley Wolf, Taylor Honas, Samuel Honas and Toby Honas; a brother-in-law, Dick Rodriguez of Rolla, Kansas and a sister-in-law, June Waldschmidt of Derby, Kansas.

Ralph was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Jack Waldschmidt; a sister, Catherine Rodriguez; a brother-in-law, Dick Walters and a sister-in-law, Joyce Waldschmidt.

Due to Covid concerns the Funeral Mass at St. Mary’s Church and Burial at the Kansas State Veterans’ Cemetery in WaKeeney will be private family only.&nbsp;

The Funeral Mass may be viewed on Facebook Live on Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 10:30 AM. To view online please go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>&nbsp;and select the Facebook Live tab at the top of the page. Once the service starts the video will come on live.

Memorial contributions are suggested to HaysMed Hospice or St. Mary’s Church in Ellis, Kansas. Donations made payable to the organization may be sent in care of Keithley Funeral Homes PO Box 86 Hays, KS 67601.

Condolences may be left by guest book at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>&nbsp;or by email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com">keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com</a>

Arrangements in care of Keithley Funeral Chapel of Ellis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635253473855.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Ralph T. Waldschmidt, age 90, of Ellis, Kansas passed away Sunday, October 24, 2021, at Hays Medical Center. He was born May 26, 1931, in Ellis, Kansas, to Herman and Pauline (Boos) Waldschmidt.&nbsp;He graduated from Ellis High School in 1949.Ralph was a US Army veteran proudly serving his country in Korea in 1952-1953.&nbsp; On January 25, 1955, he married Dorothy (Helget) at St. Mary’s Church in Ellis.Ralph had worked for Nicholson Brothers Lumber, Travenol and retired from Ellis County Road and Bridge Department. He was a member of St. Mary’s Church, Ellis VFW, and a 3rd&nbsp;degree Ellis Knights of Columbus member. He enjoyed drawing, carving, collecting coins and rocks, Notre Dame football, attending Ellis High School sporting events and especially those his grandchildren participated in.He is survived by his wife of 66 years Dorothy of the home in Ellis; three daughters, Denise Jeffus and husband Michael of Hays, Andrea Wolf and husband Jack of Ellis and Wendy Honas and husband Randy of Ellis; a brother, Leo Waldschmidt of Wichita, a sister, Marilyn Walters of Walla Walla, Washington; six grandchildren, Andy Jeffus, Aaron Jeffus, Haley Wolf, Taylor Honas, Samuel Honas and Toby Honas; a brother-in-law, Dick Rodriguez of Rolla, Kansas and a sister-in-law, June Waldschmidt of Derby, Kansas.Ralph was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Jack Waldschmidt; a sister, Catherine Rodriguez; a brother-in-law, Dick Walters and a sister-in-law, Joyce Waldschmidt.Due to Covid concerns the Funeral Mass at St. Mary’s Church and Burial at the Kansas State Veterans’ Cemetery in WaKeeney will be private family only.&nbsp;The Funeral Mass may be viewed on Facebook Live on Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 10:30 AM. To view online please go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>&nbsp;and select the Facebook Live tab at the top of the page. Once the service starts the video will come on live.Memorial contributions are suggested to HaysMed Hospice or St. Mary’s Church in Ellis, Kansas. Donations made payable to the organization may be sent in care of Keithley Funeral Homes PO Box 86 Hays, KS 67601.Condolences may be left by guest book at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>&nbsp;or by email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com">keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com</a>Arrangements in care of Keithley Funeral Chapel of Ellis.

Ralph T. Waldschmidt

Linda Fern (Croft) Maser, widow of Virgil Maser, left this world to 
be with Jesus on Tuesday, October 26, 2021. She was born Linda Fern 
Croft in Larned, Kansas on November 17, 1933, daughter of Royal (R.O.) 
and Blanch (Wheeler) Croft of Hodgeman County. She was the youngest of 
four children.

She must have liked Virgil because she eloped May 16, 1952 and 
married him again 50 years later at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Great 
Bend, KS, surrounded by her children, friends and family. They lived a 
short time in Hodgeman County then Hutchinson, Kansas but spent the 
better part of their life together in Great Bend, Kansas. They were 
married for 62 years and raised eight children.

Linda was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great 
grandmother. She “could get lost in a book” and her love for reading 
lasted a lifetime. She was second in her eighth grade graduating class 
and the Bazine High School Class of ’51 Salutatorian. She was active in 
4-H where she learned to sew. And if she got it wrong, her mom would rip
 it out and make her do it again! She was most proud of her blue ribbons
 for sheep, sewing and cooking. She continued the 4-H legacy with her 
own children. She attended Fort Hays State University for one year.

Linda was a restaurant owner—the original “Granny” from Granny’s 
Kitchen—seamstress, painter/artist, quilter, and a thrifty entrepreneur.
 Over the years, she made and sold care bears, her paintings, denim 
quilts and offered the community a traveling baked goods shop where 
everything was delicious and fresh! She had a love for music from 
stepping out on the dance floor and kicking up some dust to her 
beautiful soprano vocals at church.

She knew that life would never be handed to her—she’d have to go out 
and get it. Her advice was to “turn things that trouble you over to God 
and if he thinks they need fixed he’ll go the last mile.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635340838769.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Linda Fern (Croft) Maser, widow of Virgil Maser, left this world to 
be with Jesus on Tuesday, October 26, 2021. She was born Linda Fern 
Croft in Larned, Kansas on November 17, 1933, daughter of Royal (R.O.) 
and Blanch (Wheeler) Croft of Hodgeman County. She was the youngest of 
four children.She must have liked Virgil because she eloped May 16, 1952 and 
married him again 50 years later at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Great 
Bend, KS, surrounded by her children, friends and family. They lived a 
short time in Hodgeman County then Hutchinson, Kansas but spent the 
better part of their life together in Great Bend, Kansas. They were 
married for 62 years and raised eight children.Linda was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great 
grandmother. She “could get lost in a book” and her love for reading 
lasted a lifetime. She was second in her eighth grade graduating class 
and the Bazine High School Class of ’51 Salutatorian. She was active in 
4-H where she learned to sew. And if she got it wrong, her mom would rip
 it out and make her do it again! She was most proud of her blue ribbons
 for sheep, sewing and cooking. She continued the 4-H legacy with her 
own children. She attended Fort Hays State University for one year.Linda was a restaurant owner—the original “Granny” from Granny’s 
Kitchen—seamstress, painter/artist, quilter, and a thrifty entrepreneur.
 Over the years, she made and sold care bears, her paintings, denim 
quilts and offered the community a traveling baked goods shop where 
everything was delicious and fresh! She had a love for music from 
stepping out on the dance floor and kicking up some dust to her 
beautiful soprano vocals at church.She knew that life would never be handed to her—she’d have to go out 
and get it. Her advice was to “turn things that trouble you over to God 
and if he thinks they need fixed he’ll go the last mile.”After her mother passed away, Linda cared for her father for nine 
years in her Great Bend home. Once their children were living life, she 
and Virgil would travel for Shaklee conventions and bowling trips. They 
visited New York City, Washington D.C., the Caribbean and Hawaii amongst
 many other cities and sites throughout the U.S.After Virgil passed in 2013, Linda lived with her daughter and son-in-law near Pawnee Rock, Kansas. She enjoyed the farm life.Survivors include, her children, Michael Maser (Mary), El Paso, TX, 
Daniel Maser (Carol), Great Bend, Cindy Rogers, Rush Center, Benjamin 
Maser (Marisa), Hutchinson, Laura Straub (Travis), Pawnee Rock, Sandra 
Geschwentner (Brent), Belle Plaine, DeAnna Maser (Santo), Palm Harbor, 
FL, and daughter-in-law Shirley Maser, Seward; seventeen grandchildren: 
Brian and Michelle; Shannon, Dal, Christopher and Brandon; Joseph and 
Jeanna; Amanda, Matthew and Dakota; Brandon, Allyson and Grant; Joshua, 
Jordan and Jacob; and more than a dozen great grandchildren. She was 
preceded in death by twin daughters, Jeannie and Janet; her parents; her
 husband, Virgil Maser; a son, Kim Ivan Maser; and siblings Nina, Loren 
and Maxine.Linda lived many years with dementia—but it did not define her. She 
could often be found smiling, singing “Clementine,” or playing a unique 
combo of “Chop Sticks” and “How Great Thou Art.” She is loved and will 
be missed.Visitation will be held from 1:00 to 8:00 p.m., Sunday, October 31, 
2021 at Bryant Funeral Home, with family to receive friends from 5:00 to
 7:00 p.m. Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, November 
1, 2021, at First United Methodist Church in Great Bend, with Reverend 
Tim Bever and Pastor Tim Singleton presiding. Interment will be in 
Burdett Cemetery, Burdett. Memorials have been designated to RSVP, in 
care of Bryant Funeral Home.