TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-710d3acdef86d1c3935b94f58f763d72">glove containing DNA</a>&nbsp;found a couple of miles from the Arizona home of “Today” show host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie</a>&nbsp;’s missing mother appears to match those worn by a masked person outside her house the night she disappeared, the FBI said Sunday.

The development comes as law enforcement gathers more potential evidence in the search for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-nancy-guthrie-mom-missing-88e8731270d05e6e667730d2ed8633d3">Nancy Guthrie</a>, 84, which heads into its third week.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her Tucson home on Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Authorities say her blood was found on the front porch. Purported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-ransom-deadline-arizona-3977f842fd3d1fd66952d1d763944b9d">ransom notes</a>&nbsp;were sent to news outlets, but two deadlines for paying have passed.

Authorities have expressed concern about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs vital daily medicine. She is said to have a pacemaker and have dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.

Here’s what to know about her disappearance and the search to find her:

Video of masked man and discovery of a glove

The FBI on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-arizona-b765fed6b9669441383b75860263ac99">released surveillance videos</a>&nbsp;of a person wearing a handgun holster outside Guthrie’s front door the night she vanished. A porch camera&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-nest-camera-footage-kidnapper-bd5f1d886543e23f2d105535031c9445">recorded video</a>&nbsp;of the person with a backpack who was wearing a ski mask, long pants, jacket and gloves.

On Thursday, the FBI called the person a suspect. It described him as a man about 5 feet, 9 inches (1.75 meters) tall with a medium build. The agency said he was carrying a 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack.

On Sunday, the FBI said in a statement that a glove, found in a field near the side of a road about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the home, had been sent off for DNA testing. The agency said that it received preliminary results Saturday and was awaiting official confirmation.

Late Friday, law enforcement agents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-kidnapping-investigation-64736b14fa5dbd8961325ea6147e78e7">sealed off a road</a>&nbsp;about two miles (3.2 kilometers) from Guthrie’s home as part of their investigation. A series of sheriff’s and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock.

Investigators also tagged and towed a Range Rover SUV from a nearby restaurant parking lot. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the activity was part of the Guthrie investigation.

Investigators collected DNA from Guthrie’s property which doesn’t belong to Guthrie or those in close contact with her, the sheriff’s department said. Investigators are working to identify who it belongs to.

Evidence requiring forensic analysis is being sent to the same out-of-state lab that has been used since the beginning of the case, the department said.

The FBI has said approximately 16 gloves were found in various spots near the house, most of which were searchers’ gloves that had been discarded.

The Pima County sheriff and the FBI announced&nbsp;<a href="https://pimasheriff.org/" target="_blank">phone numbers</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/home" target="_blank">website</a>&nbsp;to offer tips. Several hundred detectives and agents have been assigned to the case, the sheriff’s department said.

The FBI said it has collected more than 13,000 tips since Feb. 1. The sheriff’s department, meanwhile, said it has taken at least 18,000 calls.

The sheriff’s department has not said whether any tips have advanced the investigation.

On Tuesday, sheriff deputies detained a person for questioning during a traffic stop south of Tucson. Authorities didn’t say what led them to stop the man but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-arizona-6f1016e390e2c59d82604731f795a8ba">confirmed he was released</a>.

The same day, deputies and FBI agents conducted a court-authorized search in Rio Rico, about an hour’s drive south of the city.

Savannah Guthrie, her sister and her brother have gone on social media and shared&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-instagram-videos-timeline-37d24fdea0bbc787900d8c02ea34b390">multiple video messages</a>&nbsp;to their mother’s purported captor.

The family’s Instagram videos have shifted in tone from impassioned pleas to whoever may have their mom, saying they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-nancy-guthrie-mom-missing-88e8731270d05e6e667730d2ed8633d3">want to talk</a>&nbsp;and are even willing to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-92dff046a91f2c5c0093f17cd3b7ad42">pay a ransom</a>, to bleaker and more desperate requests for the public’s help. A video on Thursday was simply a home video of their mother and a promise to “never give up on her.”

And on Sunday night, Savannah Guthrie posted an Instagram video in which she issued an appeal to whoever abducted her mother or anyone who knows where she is being kept. “It is never too late to do the right thing,” Guthrie said. “And we are here. And we believe in the essential goodness of every human being, that it’s never too late.”

Nancy Guthrie lived alone in the upscale Catalina Foothills neighborhood, where houses are spaced far apart and set back from the street by long driveways, gates and dense desert vegetation.

Savannah Guthrie grew up in Tucson, graduated from the University of Arizona and once worked at a television station in the city, where her parents settled in the 1970s. She joined “Today” in 2011.

In a video, she described her mother as a “loving woman of goodness and light.”

<p>TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-710d3acdef86d1c3935b94f58f763d72">glove containing DNA</a>&nbsp;found a couple of miles from the Arizona home of “Today” show host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie</a>&nbsp;’s missing mother appears to match those worn by a masked person outside her house the night she disappeared, the FBI said Sunday.</p><div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUzJ-_1AWWF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUzJ-_1AWWF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUzJ-_1AWWF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Savannah Guthrie (@savannahguthrie)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div><p>The development comes as law enforcement gathers more potential evidence in the search for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-nancy-guthrie-mom-missing-88e8731270d05e6e667730d2ed8633d3">Nancy Guthrie</a>, 84, which heads into its third week.</p><p>Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her Tucson home on Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Authorities say her blood was found on the front porch. Purported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-ransom-deadline-arizona-3977f842fd3d1fd66952d1d763944b9d">ransom notes</a>&nbsp;were sent to news outlets, but two deadlines for paying have passed.</p><p>Authorities have expressed concern about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs vital daily medicine. She is said to have a pacemaker and have dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.</p><p>Here’s what to know about her disappearance and the search to find her:</p><h2>Video of masked man and discovery of a glove</h2><p>The FBI on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-arizona-b765fed6b9669441383b75860263ac99">released surveillance videos</a>&nbsp;of a person wearing a handgun holster outside Guthrie’s front door the night she vanished. A porch camera&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-nest-camera-footage-kidnapper-bd5f1d886543e23f2d105535031c9445">recorded video</a>&nbsp;of the person with a backpack who was wearing a ski mask, long pants, jacket and gloves.</p><p>On Thursday, the FBI called the person a suspect. It described him as a man about 5 feet, 9 inches (1.75 meters) tall with a medium build. The agency said he was carrying a 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack.</p><p>On Sunday, the FBI said in a statement that a glove, found in a field near the side of a road about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the home, had been sent off for DNA testing. The agency said that it received preliminary results Saturday and was awaiting official confirmation.</p><p>Late Friday, law enforcement agents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-kidnapping-investigation-64736b14fa5dbd8961325ea6147e78e7">sealed off a road</a>&nbsp;about two miles (3.2 kilometers) from Guthrie’s home as part of their investigation. A series of sheriff’s and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock.</p><p>Investigators also tagged and towed a Range Rover SUV from a nearby restaurant parking lot. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the activity was part of the Guthrie investigation.</p><h2>Studying DNA</h2><p>Investigators collected DNA from Guthrie’s property which doesn’t belong to Guthrie or those in close contact with her, the sheriff’s department said. Investigators are working to identify who it belongs to.</p><p>Evidence requiring forensic analysis is being sent to the same out-of-state lab that has been used since the beginning of the case, the department said.</p><p>The FBI has said approximately 16 gloves were found in various spots near the house, most of which were searchers’ gloves that had been discarded.</p><h2>Sorting through tips</h2><p>The Pima County sheriff and the FBI announced&nbsp;<a href="https://pimasheriff.org/" target="_blank">phone numbers</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/home" target="_blank">website</a>&nbsp;to offer tips. Several hundred detectives and agents have been assigned to the case, the sheriff’s department said.</p><p>The FBI said it has collected more than 13,000 tips since Feb. 1. The sheriff’s department, meanwhile, said it has taken at least 18,000 calls.</p><p>The sheriff’s department has not said whether any tips have advanced the investigation.</p><p>On Tuesday, sheriff deputies detained a person for questioning during a traffic stop south of Tucson. Authorities didn’t say what led them to stop the man but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-arizona-6f1016e390e2c59d82604731f795a8ba">confirmed he was released</a>.</p><p>The same day, deputies and FBI agents conducted a court-authorized search in Rio Rico, about an hour’s drive south of the city.</p><h2>Family pleas</h2><p>Savannah Guthrie, her sister and her brother have gone on social media and shared&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-instagram-videos-timeline-37d24fdea0bbc787900d8c02ea34b390">multiple video messages</a>&nbsp;to their mother’s purported captor.</p><p>The family’s Instagram videos have shifted in tone from impassioned pleas to whoever may have their mom, saying they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-nancy-guthrie-mom-missing-88e8731270d05e6e667730d2ed8633d3">want to talk</a>&nbsp;and are even willing to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-92dff046a91f2c5c0093f17cd3b7ad42">pay a ransom</a>, to bleaker and more desperate requests for the public’s help. A video on Thursday was simply a home video of their mother and a promise to “never give up on her.”</p><p>And on Sunday night, Savannah Guthrie posted an Instagram video in which she issued an appeal to whoever abducted her mother or anyone who knows where she is being kept. “It is never too late to do the right thing,” Guthrie said. “And we are here. And we believe in the essential goodness of every human being, that it’s never too late.”</p><h2>A quiet neighborhood</h2><p>Nancy Guthrie lived alone in the upscale Catalina Foothills neighborhood, where houses are spaced far apart and set back from the street by long driveways, gates and dense desert vegetation.</p><p>Savannah Guthrie grew up in Tucson, graduated from the University of Arizona and once worked at a television station in the city, where her parents settled in the 1970s. She joined “Today” in 2011.</p><p>In a video, she described her mother as a “loving woman of goodness and light.”</p>

'Today' show host posts new video 2 weeks after mother's abduction

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. military forces boarded another sanctioned tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking the vessel from the Caribbean Sea in an effort to target illicit oil connected to Venezuela, the Pentagon said Sunday.

Venezuela had faced U.S. sanctions on its oil for several years, relying on a shadow fleet of falsely flagged tankers to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-oil-trump-sanctions-maduro-a2ef5b45b48365861e0a724d8c27dce3">smuggle crude into global supply chains</a>. President Donald Trump ordered a quarantine of sanctioned tankers in December to pressure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-maduro-what-to-know-a57528ff315a7f70ed51a1721f5e0bc2">then-President Nicolás Maduro</a>&nbsp;before Maduro was apprehended in January during an American military operation.

Several tankers fled the Venezuelan coast in the wake of the raid, including the ship that was boarded in the Indian Ocean overnight. The Defense Department said in a post on X that U.S. forces boarded the Veronica III, conducting “a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding.”

“The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s quarantine — hoping to slip away,” the Pentagon said. “We tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down.”

Video posted by the Pentagon shows U.S. troops boarding the tanker.

The Veronica III is a Panamanian-flagged vessel under U.S. sanctions related to Iran, according to the website of the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. The Panama Maritime Authority said Sunday in a brief statement that the ship was no longer registered there and had been canceled in December 2024.

The Veronica III left Venezuela on Jan. 3, the same day as Maduro’s capture, with nearly 2 million barrels of crude and fuel oil, TankerTrackers.com posted Sunday on X.

“Since 2023, she’s been involved with Russian, Iranian and Venezuelan oil,” the organization said.

Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, told The Associated Press in January that his organization used satellite imagery and surface-level photos to document that at least 16 tankers left the Venezuelan coast in contravention of the quarantine.

The Trump administration has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-oil-tanker-us-military-trump-086d42db3d56f0e952014f97fa30faaf">been seizing tankers</a>&nbsp;as part of its broader efforts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-venezuela-oil-tanker-77f2c1441dda8217b37f9e38c3ae9131">to take control</a>&nbsp;of the Venezuela’s oil. The Pentagon did not say in the post whether the Veronica III was formally seized and placed under U.S. control, and later told the AP in an email that it had no additional information to provide beyond that post.

Last week, the U.S. military&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-oil-tanker-boarded-sanctions-trump-4f414338f38aad774ce732ddd1ac7796">boarded a different tanker</a>&nbsp;in the Indian Ocean, the Aquila II. The ship was being held while its ultimate fate was decided by the United States, according to a defense official who spoke last week on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing decision-making.

Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin in Washington and Alma Solís in Panama City contributed to this report.

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. military forces boarded another sanctioned tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking the vessel from the Caribbean Sea in an effort to target illicit oil connected to Venezuela, the Pentagon said Sunday.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/asox5ONqtb">pic.twitter.com/asox5ONqtb</a></p>&mdash; Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofWar/status/2022998012591808827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Venezuela had faced U.S. sanctions on its oil for several years, relying on a shadow fleet of falsely flagged tankers to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-oil-trump-sanctions-maduro-a2ef5b45b48365861e0a724d8c27dce3">smuggle crude into global supply chains</a>. President Donald Trump ordered a quarantine of sanctioned tankers in December to pressure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-maduro-what-to-know-a57528ff315a7f70ed51a1721f5e0bc2">then-President Nicolás Maduro</a>&nbsp;before Maduro was apprehended in January during an American military operation.</p><p>Several tankers fled the Venezuelan coast in the wake of the raid, including the ship that was boarded in the Indian Ocean overnight. The Defense Department said in a post on X that U.S. forces boarded the Veronica III, conducting “a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding.”</p><p>“The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s quarantine — hoping to slip away,” the Pentagon said. “We tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down.”</p><p>Video posted by the Pentagon shows U.S. troops boarding the tanker.</p><p>The Veronica III is a Panamanian-flagged vessel under U.S. sanctions related to Iran, according to the website of the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. The Panama Maritime Authority said Sunday in a brief statement that the ship was no longer registered there and had been canceled in December 2024.</p><p>The Veronica III left Venezuela on Jan. 3, the same day as Maduro’s capture, with nearly 2 million barrels of crude and fuel oil, TankerTrackers.com posted Sunday on X.</p><p>“Since 2023, she’s been involved with Russian, Iranian and Venezuelan oil,” the organization said.</p><p>Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, told The Associated Press in January that his organization used satellite imagery and surface-level photos to document that at least 16 tankers left the Venezuelan coast in contravention of the quarantine.</p><p>The Trump administration has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-oil-tanker-us-military-trump-086d42db3d56f0e952014f97fa30faaf">been seizing tankers</a>&nbsp;as part of its broader efforts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-venezuela-oil-tanker-77f2c1441dda8217b37f9e38c3ae9131">to take control</a>&nbsp;of the Venezuela’s oil. The Pentagon did not say in the post whether the Veronica III was formally seized and placed under U.S. control, and later told the AP in an email that it had no additional information to provide beyond that post.</p><p>Last week, the U.S. military&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-oil-tanker-boarded-sanctions-trump-4f414338f38aad774ce732ddd1ac7796">boarded a different tanker</a>&nbsp;in the Indian Ocean, the Aquila II. The ship was being held while its ultimate fate was decided by the United States, according to a defense official who spoke last week on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing decision-making.</p><p>—-</p><p>Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin in Washington and Alma Solís in Panama City contributed to this report.</p>

🎥US military boards another oil tanker in Indian Ocean

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Amazon’s smart doorbell maker Ring has terminated a partnership with police surveillance tech company Flock Safety.

The announcement follows a backlash that erupted after a 30-second Ring ad that aired during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-ads-ai-telehealth-glp1-9ccfc8c730981fd91f44a5bec24e2242">Super Bowl</a>&nbsp;featuring a lost dog that is found through a network of cameras, sparking fears of a dystopian surveillance society.

But that feature, called Search Party, was not related to Flock. And Ring’s announcement doesn’t cite the ad as a reason for the “joint decision” for the cancellation.

Ring and Flock said last year they were planning on working together to give Ring camera owners the option to share their video footage in response to law enforcement requests made through a Ring feature known as Community Requests.

“Following a comprehensive review, we determined the planned Flock Safety integration would require significantly more time and resources than anticipated,” Ring’s statement said.

“The integration never launched, so no Ring customer videos were ever sent to Flock Safety.”

Flock reiterated that it never received Ring customer videos — and that ending the planned integration was a mutual decision that allows both companies to “best serve their respective customers.” In a statement, Flock added that it “remains dedicated to supporting law enforcement agencies with tools that are fully configurable to local laws and policies.”

Flock is one of the nation’s biggest operators of automated license-plate reading systems. Its cameras are mounted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-abortion-license-plates-cameras-cc5f29df94a29ee2c6c2feb2151c8f5e">in thousands of communities</a>&nbsp;across the U.S., capturing billions of photos of license plates each month. The company has faced public outcry amid the Trump administration’s aggressive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-patrol-surveillance-drivers-ice-trump-9f5d05469ce8c629d6fecf32d32098cd">immigration enforcement</a>&nbsp;crackdown. But Flock maintains that it does not partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or contract out with any subagency of the Department of Homeland Security for direct access to its cameras. The company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-abortion-license-plates-cameras-cc5f29df94a29ee2c6c2feb2151c8f5e">paused pilot programs</a>&nbsp;with Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations last year.

Still, Flock says it doesn’t own the data captured by its cameras, its customers do. So if a police department, for example, chooses to collaborate with a federal agency like ICE, “Flock has no ability to override that decision,” the company notes on its website.

Beyond the Flock partnership, Amazon has faced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ces-worst-show-ai-0ce7fbc5aff68e8ff6d7b8e6fb7b007d">other surveillance concerns</a>&nbsp;over its Ring doorbell cameras.

In the Super Bowl ad, a lost dog is found with Ring’s Search Party feature, which the company says can “reunite lost dogs with their families and track wildfires threatening your community.” The clip depicts the dog being tracked by cameras throughout a neighborhood using artificial intelligence.

Viewers took to social media to criticize it for being sinister, leaving many wondering if it would be used to track humans and saying they would turn the feature off.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that focus on civil liberties related to digital technology, said this week that Americans should feel unsettled over the potential loss of privacy.

“Amazon Ring already integrates biometric identification, like face recognition, into its products via features like ‘Familiar Faces’ which depends on scanning the faces of those in sight of the camera and matching it against a list of pre-saved, pre-approved faces,” the Foundation wrote Tuesday. “It doesn’t take much to imagine Ring eventually combining these two features: face recognition and neighborhood searches.”

Democratic Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts also urged Amazon to discontinue its “Familiar Faces” technology.

In a published letter addressed to Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy, Markey wrote that the backlash to the Super Bowl commercial “confirmed public opposition to Ring’s constant monitoring and invasive image recognition algorithms.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672512292412.png" alt="Post photo" />
                        <figcaption>Post photo</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY (AP) —Amazon’s smart doorbell maker Ring has terminated a partnership with police surveillance tech company Flock Safety.</p><p>The announcement follows a backlash that erupted after a 30-second Ring ad that aired during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-ads-ai-telehealth-glp1-9ccfc8c730981fd91f44a5bec24e2242">Super Bowl</a>&nbsp;featuring a lost dog that is found through a network of cameras, sparking fears of a dystopian surveillance society.</p><p>But that feature, called Search Party, was not related to Flock. And Ring’s announcement doesn’t cite the ad as a reason for the “joint decision” for the cancellation.</p><p>Ring and Flock said last year they were planning on working together to give Ring camera owners the option to share their video footage in response to law enforcement requests made through a Ring feature known as Community Requests.</p><p>“Following a comprehensive review, we determined the planned Flock Safety integration would require significantly more time and resources than anticipated,” Ring’s statement said.</p><p>“The integration never launched, so no Ring customer videos were ever sent to Flock Safety.”</p><p>Flock reiterated that it never received Ring customer videos — and that ending the planned integration was a mutual decision that allows both companies to “best serve their respective customers.” In a statement, Flock added that it “remains dedicated to supporting law enforcement agencies with tools that are fully configurable to local laws and policies.”</p><p>Flock is one of the nation’s biggest operators of automated license-plate reading systems. Its cameras are mounted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-abortion-license-plates-cameras-cc5f29df94a29ee2c6c2feb2151c8f5e">in thousands of communities</a>&nbsp;across the U.S., capturing billions of photos of license plates each month. The company has faced public outcry amid the Trump administration’s aggressive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-patrol-surveillance-drivers-ice-trump-9f5d05469ce8c629d6fecf32d32098cd">immigration enforcement</a>&nbsp;crackdown. But Flock maintains that it does not partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or contract out with any subagency of the Department of Homeland Security for direct access to its cameras. The company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-abortion-license-plates-cameras-cc5f29df94a29ee2c6c2feb2151c8f5e">paused pilot programs</a>&nbsp;with Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations last year.</p><p>Still, Flock says it doesn’t own the data captured by its cameras, its customers do. So if a police department, for example, chooses to collaborate with a federal agency like ICE, “Flock has no ability to override that decision,” the company notes on its website.</p><p>Beyond the Flock partnership, Amazon has faced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ces-worst-show-ai-0ce7fbc5aff68e8ff6d7b8e6fb7b007d">other surveillance concerns</a>&nbsp;over its Ring doorbell cameras.</p><p>In the Super Bowl ad, a lost dog is found with Ring’s Search Party feature, which the company says can “reunite lost dogs with their families and track wildfires threatening your community.” The clip depicts the dog being tracked by cameras throughout a neighborhood using artificial intelligence.</p><p>Viewers took to social media to criticize it for being sinister, leaving many wondering if it would be used to track humans and saying they would turn the feature off.</p><p>The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that focus on civil liberties related to digital technology, said this week that Americans should feel unsettled over the potential loss of privacy.</p><p>“Amazon Ring already integrates biometric identification, like face recognition, into its products via features like ‘Familiar Faces’ which depends on scanning the faces of those in sight of the camera and matching it against a list of pre-saved, pre-approved faces,” the Foundation wrote Tuesday. “It doesn’t take much to imagine Ring eventually combining these two features: face recognition and neighborhood searches.”</p><p>Democratic Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts also urged Amazon to discontinue its “Familiar Faces” technology.</p><p>In a published letter addressed to Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy, Markey wrote that the backlash to the Super Bowl commercial “confirmed public opposition to Ring’s constant monitoring and invasive image recognition algorithms.”</p>

Amazon scraps partnership with surveillance company after Super Bowl ad backlash

RENO COUNTY —The cause a house fire in rural Reno County is under investigation.

On Saturday evening, the Hutchinson Fire Department responded to report of a fire in the 400 block of East 7th, according to a media release.

 First arriving crews found black smoke coming from the eaves of a 2 and one half story ballon frame home. First arriving crew entered the structure for search as dispatch advised that the occupant was still inside trying to retrieve pets. Additional crews arrived and began aggressive interior attack on the fire.  Fire was found on the first floor, second floor, and attic.  There was a partial floor collapse of a second-floor bedroom.  No injuries were reported.&nbsp; Authorities did not release a damage estimate.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771125821165.jpeg" alt="Photo by Marc Jacobs-Hutch Post" />
                        <figcaption>Photo by Marc Jacobs-Hutch Post</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>RENO COUNTY —The cause a house fire in rural Reno County is under investigation.</p><p>On Saturday evening, the Hutchinson Fire Department responded to report of a fire in the 400 block of East 7th, according to a media release.</p><p> First arriving crews found black smoke coming from the eaves of a 2 and one half story ballon frame home. First arriving crew entered the structure for search as dispatch advised that the occupant was still inside trying to retrieve pets. Additional crews arrived and began aggressive interior attack on the fire.  Fire was found on the first floor, second floor, and attic.  There was a partial floor collapse of a second-floor bedroom.  No injuries were reported.&nbsp; Authorities did not release a damage estimate.</p>

Resident rescued pets as crews battled Kansas house fire

<i>Reporter Cristina Janney speaks with Doug Williams of Grow Hays about the economic benefits of tourism to Hays.</i>

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1650389030295.jpeg" alt="" />
                        <figcaption></figcaption>
                    </figure><div><iframe title="Post Podcast - Grow Hays: Economic Impact of Tourism in Hays" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:300px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?from=embed&i=cquu9-1a4571e-pb&square=1&share=1&download=1&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=300%22 loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
Podbean Player
 </div><p><i>Reporter Cristina Janney speaks with Doug Williams of Grow Hays about the economic benefits of tourism to Hays.</i></p>

🎙 Post Podcast: Grow Hays: Economic impact of tourism on Hays

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">Anna Kaminski</a><br><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly plans to attend a business meeting at the White House this week, which comes after President Donald Trump flip-flopped on invitations and Democrats promised to boycott.

Kelly’s office said she will attend a bipartisan working meeting on Feb. 20, but she will not partake in the White House’s black-tie dinner that is expected to follow. She has not attended the White House dinner since 2019 and does not plan to this year, said spokesperson Grace Hoge.

“She recognizes the utility of meeting with the president, Cabinet secretaries and other federal officials, alongside her colleagues, to discuss ways states and the federal government can partner on behalf of all Americans,” Hoge said. “She decided to attend the meeting once the White House invitation included all governors, regardless of party.”

The plans leading up to next week’s events in Washington, D.C., have fluctuated. Trump at first refused to invite Democrats to the White House. Then he backtracked after Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced the National Governors Association, of which he is the chair, would no longer facilitate the meeting.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/02/09/repub/trump-shuts-out-democratic-governors-from-traditional-white-house-gatherings/">White House confirmed Trump’s decision</a>&nbsp;to exclude some Democratic governors from the dinner.

“Many Democrats were invited to dinner at the White House, and others were not. These are White House events and the President reserves the right to invite whomever he wants,” a White House official told States Newsroom, Kansas Reflector’s parent organization.

Members of the Democratic Governors Association, including Kelly, said Tuesday they wouldn’t attend the White House dinner, and accused Trump of creating chaos and division.

“If the reports are true that not all governors are invited to these events, which have historically been productive and bipartisan opportunities for collaboration, we will not be attending the White House dinner this year,” the Democratic governors’ statement said.

Trump wrote in a Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116054089500353661" target="_blank">post to Truth Social</a>&nbsp;that he only declined to invite two Democratic governors to the dinner — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, the vice chair of the national association and the country’s only Black governor.

Kelly, who is in her last term, is a former chair of the Democratic Governors Association. Kansas is not a member of the National Governors Association, so she also does not plan to attend the three-day national conference, her office said.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590011287498.png" alt="Kansas Governor Laura Kelly met with Trump during his first term-image courtesy CSPAN" />
                        <figcaption>Kansas Governor Laura Kelly met with Trump during his first term-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">Anna Kaminski</a><br><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a></p><p>TOPEKA — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly plans to attend a business meeting at the White House this week, which comes after President Donald Trump flip-flopped on invitations and Democrats promised to boycott.</p><p>Kelly’s office said she will attend a bipartisan working meeting on Feb. 20, but she will not partake in the White House’s black-tie dinner that is expected to follow. She has not attended the White House dinner since 2019 and does not plan to this year, said spokesperson Grace Hoge.</p><p>“She recognizes the utility of meeting with the president, Cabinet secretaries and other federal officials, alongside her colleagues, to discuss ways states and the federal government can partner on behalf of all Americans,” Hoge said. “She decided to attend the meeting once the White House invitation included all governors, regardless of party.”</p><p>The plans leading up to next week’s events in Washington, D.C., have fluctuated. Trump at first refused to invite Democrats to the White House. Then he backtracked after Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced the National Governors Association, of which he is the chair, would no longer facilitate the meeting.</p><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/02/09/repub/trump-shuts-out-democratic-governors-from-traditional-white-house-gatherings/">White House confirmed Trump’s decision</a>&nbsp;to exclude some Democratic governors from the dinner.</p><p>“Many Democrats were invited to dinner at the White House, and others were not. These are White House events and the President reserves the right to invite whomever he wants,” a White House official told States Newsroom, Kansas Reflector’s parent organization.</p><p>Members of the Democratic Governors Association, including Kelly, said Tuesday they wouldn’t attend the White House dinner, and accused Trump of creating chaos and division.</p><p>“If the reports are true that not all governors are invited to these events, which have historically been productive and bipartisan opportunities for collaboration, we will not be attending the White House dinner this year,” the Democratic governors’ statement said.</p><p>Trump wrote in a Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116054089500353661" target="_blank">post to Truth Social</a>&nbsp;that he only declined to invite two Democratic governors to the dinner — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, the vice chair of the national association and the country’s only Black governor.</p><p>Kelly, who is in her last term, is a former chair of the Democratic Governors Association. Kansas is not a member of the National Governors Association, so she also does not plan to attend the three-day national conference, her office said.</p>

Kansas governor plans to attend White House meeting

<b>By TONY GUERRERO<br></b><i>Hays Post</i>

For one night, the spotlight belonged to the kings and queens of Night to Shine on Friday.

The 10th annual Night to Shine celebrates individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with an evening designed to make every guest feel like royalty.

Guests who need attire receive a tuxedo or dress fitting and can have their hair styled at a local salon. They then make a red-carpet entrance before meeting their volunteer buddies, who spend the evening by their side.

The evening included a catered meal, dancing and a variety of activities. It concluded with every guest being crowned king or queen.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Chi8vQVhjYo?si=nnTe2Z6ss5x5h-bk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><p><i>Music Courtesy of Pixabay</i></p><p><b>By TONY GUERRERO<br></b><i>Hays Post</i></p><p>For one night, the spotlight belonged to the kings and queens of Night to Shine on Friday.</p><p>The 10th annual Night to Shine celebrates individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with an evening designed to make every guest feel like royalty.</p><p>Guests who need attire receive a tuxedo or dress fitting and can have their hair styled at a local salon. They then make a red-carpet entrance before meeting their volunteer buddies, who spend the evening by their side.</p><p>The evening included a catered meal, dancing and a variety of activities. It concluded with every guest being crowned king or queen.</p>

🎥 Night to Shine in Hays 2026

NEWTON - Hays High girls wrestling qualified 12 of their 13 wrestlers who at the Newton 5A Super Regional for the 5A State Tournament.&nbsp;

Number-two ranked Kapaun Mt. Carmel won the regional crown with 209 points. Hays scored 168.5, Newton was third at 155.5 and Emporia fourth 152.5.

Hays High collected the most pins on the day at 28, seven more than Emporia and eight more than Kapaun. The Indians went into the day ranked seventh in the 5A team ranks. They finished ahead of Bi. 4 Newton, No. 5 Emporia and No. 6 Salina Central.

First-year head coach Josh Pfannenstiel was name Regional Coach of the Year.

Audrey Yarmer and Eleanor Stoffel both wrestled for a regional championship with Stoffel taking the title at 190, pinning her way through .the tournament with only one match lasting into the second period. Stoffel recorded her pins in 47 seconds, 1:01, and 2:59.

Yarmer finished runner-up at 100 pounds to the number one ranked wrestler at the weight class from Maize South. Yarmer opened her day with a pair of first round falls and a 16-1 technical fall to reach the finals. She entered the day as the seven seed and knocked off both the second and third seeded wrestlers who were ranked third and fourth in 5A.

Chloe Robben at 110 and Chassidy Carlisle at 115 each won three matches by fall and lost two matches to finish seventh.

At 120 Kenlee Vehige collected four victories, three by fall, to place fifth.

Addison Nueberger qualified at 125 with three victories and a sixth place finish.

Reese Vehige made her way to the semifinals before losing a 10-4 decision. She qualified for state at 130 by finishing fourth. She won three matches on the day, two by pin. One of her pins was the eighth fastest on the day at 31 seconds.&nbsp;

Crystal Walters will compete at state at 140. Walters went 3-2 on the day with all three victories occurring via fall.

At 145 Timber Lovewell also made the semifinals before suffering her only loss on the day. Finishing third she will compete at state.

Lexi Barnett medically forfeited her last two matches but still placed eighth for a qualifying spot at 155.

Audrey Martinez won her seventh place match by sudden victory for her third win on the day at 170.

Emily Casas qualified in eight place at 235.

<p><i>Hays Post Sports</i></p><p>NEWTON - Hays High girls wrestling qualified 12 of their 13 wrestlers who at the Newton 5A Super Regional for the 5A State Tournament.&nbsp;</p><p>Number-two ranked Kapaun Mt. Carmel won the regional crown with 209 points. Hays scored 168.5, Newton was third at 155.5 and Emporia fourth 152.5.</p><p>Hays High collected the most pins on the day at 28, seven more than Emporia and eight more than Kapaun. The Indians went into the day ranked seventh in the 5A team ranks. They finished ahead of Bi. 4 Newton, No. 5 Emporia and No. 6 Salina Central.</p><p>First-year head coach Josh Pfannenstiel was name Regional Coach of the Year.</p><p>Audrey Yarmer and Eleanor Stoffel both wrestled for a regional championship with Stoffel taking the title at 190, pinning her way through .the tournament with only one match lasting into the second period. Stoffel recorded her pins in 47 seconds, 1:01, and 2:59.</p><p>Yarmer finished runner-up at 100 pounds to the number one ranked wrestler at the weight class from Maize South. Yarmer opened her day with a pair of first round falls and a 16-1 technical fall to reach the finals. She entered the day as the seven seed and knocked off both the second and third seeded wrestlers who were ranked third and fourth in 5A.</p><p>Chloe Robben at 110 and Chassidy Carlisle at 115 each won three matches by fall and lost two matches to finish seventh.</p><p>At 120 Kenlee Vehige collected four victories, three by fall, to place fifth.</p><p>Addison Nueberger qualified at 125 with three victories and a sixth place finish.</p><p>Reese Vehige made her way to the semifinals before losing a 10-4 decision. She qualified for state at 130 by finishing fourth. She won three matches on the day, two by pin. One of her pins was the eighth fastest on the day at 31 seconds.&nbsp;</p><p>Crystal Walters will compete at state at 140. Walters went 3-2 on the day with all three victories occurring via fall.</p><p>At 145 Timber Lovewell also made the semifinals before suffering her only loss on the day. Finishing third she will compete at state.</p><p>Lexi Barnett medically forfeited her last two matches but still placed eighth for a qualifying spot at 155.</p><p>Audrey Martinez won her seventh place match by sudden victory for her third win on the day at 170.</p><p>Emily Casas qualified in eight place at 235.</p>

🤼 Hays girls qualify 12 for state; regional runner-up

HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped a pair of games Saturday against Colorado School of Mines, losing 21-7 in the opener before falling 11-8 in the nightcap. The Tigers are now 2-7 overall, while the Orediggers improve to 2-8 on the year.

Cooper Howell, Antonio Avila and Garretson Cook all recorded a pair of multi-hit games on the day, while Erick Ordonez hit home runs in each matchup.

The teams will wrap up the series Sunday beginning at noon at Larks Park.

<b>Game 1: Colorado School of Mines 21, Fort Hays State 7<br></b>The Orediggers never trailed in the opening game of the series, scoring three runs on two hits in the first. Mines went on to score in six more frames, including putting up 10 runs in the top of the ninth.

The Tigers slowly chipped away, scoring in six different innings. However, the home team managed to score more than one run in just one frame, while the visitors did so four times.

Tiger outfielders combined for four outfield assists in the game, including three Orediggers gunned down at the plate.

Avila was 4-for-5 at the plate with two runs and two doubles, while Cook, Howell and Ordonez all posted two-hit games. Brandon Chavez (1-1) took the loss after allowing eight runs (six earned) on 12 hits over 3.2 innings of work. Luke Berry came on to strike out six batters over 4.2 innings of work, giving up five runs on six hits. Jaxon Schleper retired both batters he faced in his first appearance inside Larks Park, striking out one.

<b>Game 2: Colorado School of Mines 11, Fort Hays State 8<br></b>Mines struck first again in game two, pushing across two runs in the top of the second. But Tiger starter Brett Jacobs settled in after that, retiring nine straight batters during the second time through the order to give the offense a chance to respond.

It did just that in the third when Howell, Avila and Cook all reached via bunt singles. Bret Deegan kept things moving with a sacrifice fly before Avila scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. Ordonez followed with his second home run of the day, giving FHSU its first lead at 4-2.

Back-to-back RBI doubles from Howell and Avila made it 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth before a Cook RBI double stretched the lead to five in the home half of the sixth.

After Jacobs worked around lone baserunners in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, Sean Amarante led off the bottom of the seventh with a double into the left-field corner. Tony Moore followed with an RBI single back up the middle, pushing the Tiger lead to 8-2.

Things unraveled in the eighth when Mines scored nine runs on seven hits, three walks and two errors, taking an 11-8 lead. The Tigers had runners in scoring position in each of the next two innings, including getting the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but the Orediggers induced one final pop up to end the game.

Howell led the way with three hits, with Avila, Cook, Amarante and Moore all contributing two hits each. Jacobs struck out four in seven-plus innings of work, giving up six runs (four earned) on eight hits and just one walk. Burke Sharpsteen took the loss after allowing three runs in 0.1 inning of work, while Deegan switched from designated hitter to pitcher for the final 1.2 innings of relief, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out a pair.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771130443733.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo" />
                        <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo</figcaption>
                    </figure><p><i>FHSU Athletics</i></p><p>HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped a pair of games Saturday against Colorado School of Mines, losing 21-7 in the opener before falling 11-8 in the nightcap. The Tigers are now 2-7 overall, while the Orediggers improve to 2-8 on the year.</p><p>Cooper Howell, Antonio Avila and Garretson Cook all recorded a pair of multi-hit games on the day, while Erick Ordonez hit home runs in each matchup.</p><p>The teams will wrap up the series Sunday beginning at noon at Larks Park.</p><p><b>Game 1: Colorado School of Mines 21, Fort Hays State 7<br></b>The Orediggers never trailed in the opening game of the series, scoring three runs on two hits in the first. Mines went on to score in six more frames, including putting up 10 runs in the top of the ninth.</p><p>The Tigers slowly chipped away, scoring in six different innings. However, the home team managed to score more than one run in just one frame, while the visitors did so four times.</p><p>Tiger outfielders combined for four outfield assists in the game, including three Orediggers gunned down at the plate.</p><p>Avila was 4-for-5 at the plate with two runs and two doubles, while Cook, Howell and Ordonez all posted two-hit games. Brandon Chavez (1-1) took the loss after allowing eight runs (six earned) on 12 hits over 3.2 innings of work. Luke Berry came on to strike out six batters over 4.2 innings of work, giving up five runs on six hits. Jaxon Schleper retired both batters he faced in his first appearance inside Larks Park, striking out one.</p><p><b>Game 2: Colorado School of Mines 11, Fort Hays State 8<br></b>Mines struck first again in game two, pushing across two runs in the top of the second. But Tiger starter Brett Jacobs settled in after that, retiring nine straight batters during the second time through the order to give the offense a chance to respond.</p><p>It did just that in the third when Howell, Avila and Cook all reached via bunt singles. Bret Deegan kept things moving with a sacrifice fly before Avila scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. Ordonez followed with his second home run of the day, giving FHSU its first lead at 4-2.</p><p>Back-to-back RBI doubles from Howell and Avila made it 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth before a Cook RBI double stretched the lead to five in the home half of the sixth.</p><p>After Jacobs worked around lone baserunners in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, Sean Amarante led off the bottom of the seventh with a double into the left-field corner. Tony Moore followed with an RBI single back up the middle, pushing the Tiger lead to 8-2.</p><p>Things unraveled in the eighth when Mines scored nine runs on seven hits, three walks and two errors, taking an 11-8 lead. The Tigers had runners in scoring position in each of the next two innings, including getting the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but the Orediggers induced one final pop up to end the game.</p><p>Howell led the way with three hits, with Avila, Cook, Amarante and Moore all contributing two hits each. Jacobs struck out four in seven-plus innings of work, giving up six runs (four earned) on eight hits and just one walk. Burke Sharpsteen took the loss after allowing three runs in 0.1 inning of work, while Deegan switched from designated hitter to pitcher for the final 1.2 innings of relief, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out a pair.</p>

⚾ Tigers fall twice to Orediggers in home opener

PITTSBURG, Kan. - The Fort Hays State men's and women's track and field teams combined to break one school record and post five national qualifying marks Saturday&nbsp; on day two of the 11th Annual Russ Jewett Indoor Gorilla Classic.

Emily Diercks McCullough beat all 54 other competitors in the 3,000m run, breaking her own school record with a national-qualifying time of 9:48.10. That time ranks 32nd in Division II this season. Emma Weiner ran a personal-best 10:18.47 in the same race to place 14th, ranking 10th on the FHSU DII era performance list.

A pair of student-athletes from the women's squad placed second in the vertical jumps, including Katie Linenberger in the high jump with a top clearance of 5-8.5 and Annabeth Baalmann in the pole vault with a top performance of 13-6.5. Both marks surpass the national qualifying threshold and would rank inside the top dozen in Division II, however the freshman and senior each rank inside the top four in the country with performances from earlier in the season.

Two men's pole vaulters also cleared the national qualifying benchmark. Josiah Ball cleared a personal-best 16-10 to finish second, moving to fifth on the FHSU DII era list, 12th in Division II this season and third in the MIAA this year. Hunter Angove finished in fourth place after matching his season-best performance of 16-6 which ranks 24th in DII.

Reba Mader finished 10th in the 400m dash, crossing the line in 56.61, just 11-hundredths of a second shy of the national qualifying mark. Amelia Foster ran the 400m in a personal-best 58.56, placing 29th and ranking eighth on the FHSU DII era performance chart.

Taylor Hoskinson placed 10th out of 59 runners in the mile run, improving her personal-best time to 5:04.42 which ranks sixth at FHSU during the DII era.

Avrey Albright placed 17th out of 51 runners in the 400m dash, crossing the line in 48.77. Nakari Morrical-Palmer was close behind in 18th with a personal-best time of 48.89, moving him up to fifth on the DII era list.

The men's 4x400m relay team of Albright, Jayden Michaelis, Drew Tolar and Morrical-Palmer finished in ninth place with a combined time of 3:16.25, good for sixth on the FHSU DII era performance list and less than one second off the national qualifying pace.

Dean Clark reached the finals in the triple jump, placing ninth with a top leap of 46-4.

The Tigers will wrap up the regular season at a pair of meets next Friday (Feb. 20), with some traveling to Kearney, Neb. for the Loper Tune-Up and others headed to Manhattan, Kan. for the Steve Miller Invitational.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771129540969.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics image" />
                        <figcaption>FHSU Athletics image</figcaption>
                    </figure><p><i>FHSU Athletics</i></p><p>PITTSBURG, Kan. - The Fort Hays State men's and women's track and field teams combined to break one school record and post five national qualifying marks Saturday&nbsp; on day two of the 11th Annual Russ Jewett Indoor Gorilla Classic.</p><p>Emily Diercks McCullough beat all 54 other competitors in the 3,000m run, breaking her own school record with a national-qualifying time of 9:48.10. That time ranks 32nd in Division II this season. Emma Weiner ran a personal-best 10:18.47 in the same race to place 14th, ranking 10th on the FHSU DII era performance list.</p><p>A pair of student-athletes from the women's squad placed second in the vertical jumps, including Katie Linenberger in the high jump with a top clearance of 5-8.5 and Annabeth Baalmann in the pole vault with a top performance of 13-6.5. Both marks surpass the national qualifying threshold and would rank inside the top dozen in Division II, however the freshman and senior each rank inside the top four in the country with performances from earlier in the season.</p><p>Two men's pole vaulters also cleared the national qualifying benchmark. Josiah Ball cleared a personal-best 16-10 to finish second, moving to fifth on the FHSU DII era list, 12th in Division II this season and third in the MIAA this year. Hunter Angove finished in fourth place after matching his season-best performance of 16-6 which ranks 24th in DII.</p><p>Reba Mader finished 10th in the 400m dash, crossing the line in 56.61, just 11-hundredths of a second shy of the national qualifying mark. Amelia Foster ran the 400m in a personal-best 58.56, placing 29th and ranking eighth on the FHSU DII era performance chart.</p><p>Taylor Hoskinson placed 10th out of 59 runners in the mile run, improving her personal-best time to 5:04.42 which ranks sixth at FHSU during the DII era.</p><p>Avrey Albright placed 17th out of 51 runners in the 400m dash, crossing the line in 48.77. Nakari Morrical-Palmer was close behind in 18th with a personal-best time of 48.89, moving him up to fifth on the DII era list.</p><p>The men's 4x400m relay team of Albright, Jayden Michaelis, Drew Tolar and Morrical-Palmer finished in ninth place with a combined time of 3:16.25, good for sixth on the FHSU DII era performance list and less than one second off the national qualifying pace.</p><p>Dean Clark reached the finals in the triple jump, placing ninth with a top leap of 46-4.</p><p>The Tigers will wrap up the regular season at a pair of meets next Friday (Feb. 20), with some traveling to Kearney, Neb. for the Loper Tune-Up and others headed to Manhattan, Kan. for the Steve Miller Invitational.</p>

👟 FHSU tallies one record, five national qualifying marks at Pitt

HAYS, Kan. - The seventh-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team took care of business against Newman Saturday on Senior Day, throttling the Jets 99-57. The Tigers (23-2, 14-2 MIAA) scored 58 points after halftime, a school record for points in a half in an MIAA game and a new high-water mark during the Talia Kahrs era.

FHSU matched a program record with 36 points in the third quarter, tying the conference record for points in a third frame.

The lead changed hands twice over the first four minutes before FHSU took the lead for good, eventually leading 20-11 at the end of the frame thanks to 10 early points from Talexa Weeter.

FHSU padded its lead as high as 19 in the second quarter before taking a 15-point advantage into the locker room, 41-26. Weeter (17 points) and Olivia Mortensen (10 points) both scored in double figures over the first 20 minutes of action.

After shooting a respectable 42.4 percent (14-of-33) in the first half, the Tigers took things up a notch in the third quarter when they knocked down an astounding 12-of-14 from the floor. The Tigers buried 6-of-7 from behind the arc over the frame, outscoring the Jets (7-18, 1-15 MIAA) by 25, 36-11.

Neither Weeter nor Mortensen missed a shot in the frame, combining to hit 10-of-10 from the floor, 5-of-5 from deep and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line for a total of 31 points (Weeter 16, Mortensen 15).

The Tigers kept things in cruise control in the fourth, knocking down 61.5 percent (8-of-13) to push the lead to a season-high 52 points. The 52-point lead is also a new program record in an MIAA contest.

Weeter totaled 33 points in less than 32 minutes of action, hitting 9-of-15 from the floor, 5-of-7 from behind the arc and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line.

Mortensen added 25 points and a season-high 10 rebounds to post her first career double-double. Ellie Stearns added 13 points thanks to a trio of 3-pointers, while Brooke Loewe added 10 assists, seven rebounds and two blocks.

Kaitlin Schumann (eight points), Avery Lowe (six points) and Mikayla Pilley (six points) all contributed multiple baskets off the bench, with Lowe adding seven points to rank second on the squad.

The Tigers drained 13 triples in the win, the most by the team since December 2023 when they also hit 13 at Central Oklahoma.

FHSU finished the game shooting 56.7 percent from the floor (34-of-60), their best shooting effort in a conference game this season. The Tigers were nearly as good from behind the arc, pouring in 54.2 percent from deep (13-of-24).

Still one-half game clear of Central Missouri in the league standings (19-5, 13-2 MIAA), the Tigers will prep for a huge road trip next week where they will take on the third- and fourth-ranked teams in the league in Pittsburg State (18-4, 11-4 MIAA) and Missouri Southern (17-7, 11-4 MIAA). The final road trip of the season begins Thursday against the Lions in Joplin, Mo. beginning at 5:30 p.m.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771128770670.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State freshman guard Olivia Mortensen attempts a three-pointer over Newman's Amaya Perez (14) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Saturday, February 14, 2026 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Gillian Lynch)" />
                        <figcaption>Fort Hays State freshman guard Olivia Mortensen attempts a three-pointer over Newman's Amaya Perez (14) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Saturday, February 14, 2026 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Gillian Lynch)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p><i>FHSU Athletics</i></p><p>HAYS, Kan. - The seventh-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team took care of business against Newman Saturday on Senior Day, throttling the Jets 99-57. The Tigers (23-2, 14-2 MIAA) scored 58 points after halftime, a school record for points in a half in an MIAA game and a new high-water mark during the Talia Kahrs era.</p><div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2266726583&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/kahrs-post-int-v-newman-feb-14" title="Talia Kahrs Postgame vs. Newman (Feb. 14, 2026)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Talia Kahrs Postgame vs. Newman (Feb. 14, 2026)</a></div></div><p>FHSU matched a program record with 36 points in the third quarter, tying the conference record for points in a third frame.</p><p>The lead changed hands twice over the first four minutes before FHSU took the lead for good, eventually leading 20-11 at the end of the frame thanks to 10 early points from Talexa Weeter.</p><p>FHSU padded its lead as high as 19 in the second quarter before taking a 15-point advantage into the locker room, 41-26. Weeter (17 points) and Olivia Mortensen (10 points) both scored in double figures over the first 20 minutes of action.</p><p>After shooting a respectable 42.4 percent (14-of-33) in the first half, the Tigers took things up a notch in the third quarter when they knocked down an astounding 12-of-14 from the floor. The Tigers buried 6-of-7 from behind the arc over the frame, outscoring the Jets (7-18, 1-15 MIAA) by 25, 36-11.</p><div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2266726739&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/mortensen-post-int-v-newman" title="Olivia Mortensen Postgame vs. Newman (Feb. 14, 2026)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Olivia Mortensen Postgame vs. Newman (Feb. 14, 2026)</a></div></div><p>Neither Weeter nor Mortensen missed a shot in the frame, combining to hit 10-of-10 from the floor, 5-of-5 from deep and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line for a total of 31 points (Weeter 16, Mortensen 15).</p><p>The Tigers kept things in cruise control in the fourth, knocking down 61.5 percent (8-of-13) to push the lead to a season-high 52 points. The 52-point lead is also a new program record in an MIAA contest.</p><p>Weeter totaled 33 points in less than 32 minutes of action, hitting 9-of-15 from the floor, 5-of-7 from behind the arc and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line.</p><p>Mortensen added 25 points and a season-high 10 rebounds to post her first career double-double. Ellie Stearns added 13 points thanks to a trio of 3-pointers, while Brooke Loewe added 10 assists, seven rebounds and two blocks.</p><div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2266726154&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/fhsu-wbkb-highlights-v-newman" title="#7 Fort Hays State WBB vs. Newman (Feb. 14, 2026)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">#7 Fort Hays State WBB vs. Newman (Feb. 14, 2026)</a></div></div><p>Kaitlin Schumann (eight points), Avery Lowe (six points) and Mikayla Pilley (six points) all contributed multiple baskets off the bench, with Lowe adding seven points to rank second on the squad.</p><p>The Tigers drained 13 triples in the win, the most by the team since December 2023 when they also hit 13 at Central Oklahoma.</p><p>FHSU finished the game shooting 56.7 percent from the floor (34-of-60), their best shooting effort in a conference game this season. The Tigers were nearly as good from behind the arc, pouring in 54.2 percent from deep (13-of-24).</p><p>Still one-half game clear of Central Missouri in the league standings (19-5, 13-2 MIAA), the Tigers will prep for a huge road trip next week where they will take on the third- and fourth-ranked teams in the league in Pittsburg State (18-4, 11-4 MIAA) and Missouri Southern (17-7, 11-4 MIAA). The final road trip of the season begins Thursday against the Lions in Joplin, Mo. beginning at 5:30 p.m.</p>

🏀 Hot-shooting Tiger women pummel Jets on Senior Day

<i>Reporter Cristina Janney speaks with Scott Summers, Hays USD 489 technology director, about school technology and cyber safety on this episode of the Hays Post Podcast.</i>

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1650389030295.jpeg" alt="" />
                        <figcaption></figcaption>
                    </figure><div><iframe title="Post Podcast: USD 489 - School Tech and Cyber Security" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:300px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?from=embed&i=nvjtt-1a43d70-pb&square=1&share=1&download=1&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=300%22 loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p><i>Reporter Cristina Janney speaks with Scott Summers, Hays USD 489 technology director, about school technology and cyber safety on this episode of the Hays Post Podcast.</i></p>

🎙 Post Podcast: USD 489 technology director on school tech, cyber safety

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just after 2:30p.m. Friday in Kansas City, Missouri.

A white Nissan Murano was southbound on Virginia in Kansas City at a high rate of speed, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. The Nissan failed to stop for the posted stop sign at Rockhurst and Virginia. 

The Nissan continued southbound and struck a gold Jeep wrangler that was unoccupied and parked on Rockhurst. After striking the Jeep, the Nissan continued over the curb and up the grassy hill where it began to roll. The struck the Rockhurst College’s “Corcoran Building” before coming to rest. 

The driver and sole occupant of the Nissan was transported to a local hospital with Life-threatening injuries. The driver was pronounced deceased by hospital staff. This is fatality #7 compared to #5 at this time last year in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Becchina.

<p>KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just after 2:30p.m. Friday in Kansas City, Missouri.</p><p>A white Nissan Murano was southbound on Virginia in Kansas City at a high rate of speed, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. The Nissan failed to stop for the posted stop sign at Rockhurst and Virginia. </p><p>The Nissan continued southbound and struck a gold Jeep wrangler that was unoccupied and parked on Rockhurst. After striking the Jeep, the Nissan continued over the curb and up the grassy hill where it began to roll. The struck the Rockhurst College’s “Corcoran Building” before coming to rest. </p><p>The driver and sole occupant of the Nissan was transported to a local hospital with Life-threatening injuries. The driver was pronounced deceased by hospital staff. This is fatality #7 compared to #5 at this time last year in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Becchina.</p>

Driver dead after crash into building on college campus in Kansas City

<b>By BECKY KISER</b><br><i>Hays Post</i>

Hays city commissioners approved the 2026 street maintenance plan during a short meeting on Thursday.<br>

The total amount of recommended bids and other in-house projects was $953,479, paid from the special highway fund in cash.

The total was almost $136,000 under budget. The remaining funds will be used for additional curb and brick repairs and pavement markings.

The largest project will be replacing several concrete panels on Fort Street between 22nd and 27th streets.&nbsp;

The other significant rehabilitation project scheduled this year is the reconstruction of the 500 block of Oak Street.

During commissioner comments at the end of the meeting, David Vilaysing asked city staff to research potential changes to the city's pet licensing requirements to reduce costs and time spent.

The city brings in about $14,000 a year in pet license fees.

"But most pet owners already go out and buy their own pet tags, which have owner contact information," Vilaysing said. "Many pets are now microchipped with pet and owner identification."&nbsp;

Vilaysing suggested revising the city ordinance to require that pet owners have their animals microchipped or provide identifying owner information.&nbsp;

"It would not only save the city money and staff time in the city clerk's office, but also for police officers and dispatch."

Staff will investigate options and bring the issue forward during a future work session.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770995096486.jpeg" alt="The Hays City Commission hears a report on the 2026 street maintenance plan at its meeting on Thursday. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
                        <figcaption>The Hays City Commission hears a report on the 2026 street maintenance plan at its meeting on Thursday. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
                    </figure><div><iframe title="Post Podcast: Hays city commission wrap" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:300px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?from=embed&i=2xnyy-1a456bc-pb&square=1&share=1&download=1&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=300" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p><b>By BECKY KISER</b><br><i>Hays Post</i></p><p>Hays city commissioners approved the 2026 street maintenance plan during a short meeting on Thursday.<br></p><p>The total amount of recommended bids and other in-house projects was $953,479, paid from the special highway fund in cash.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770909817642.png" alt="City of Hays" />
                        <figcaption>City of Hays</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>The total was almost $136,000 under budget. The remaining funds will be used for additional curb and brick repairs and pavement markings.</p><p>The largest project will be replacing several concrete panels on Fort Street between 22nd and 27th streets.&nbsp;</p><p>The other significant rehabilitation project scheduled this year is the reconstruction of the 500 block of Oak Street.</p><p>During commissioner comments at the end of the meeting, David Vilaysing asked city staff to research potential changes to the city's pet licensing requirements to reduce costs and time spent.</p><p>The city brings in about $14,000 a year in pet license fees.</p><p>"But most pet owners already go out and buy their own pet tags, which have owner contact information," Vilaysing said. "Many pets are now microchipped with pet and owner identification."&nbsp;</p><p>Vilaysing suggested revising the city ordinance to require that pet owners have their animals microchipped or provide identifying owner information.&nbsp;</p><p>"It would not only save the city money and staff time in the city clerk's office, but also for police officers and dispatch."</p><p>Staff will investigate options and bring the issue forward during a future work session.</p>

🎙 Hays city commissioners approve almost $1M in 2026 street improvements

<b>By CRISTINA JANNEY<br></b><i>Hays Post</i>

As of the beginning of the year, the Norton County Sheriff's Department has encrypted its radio traffic, so the public can no longer hear it on a police scanner.

The dispatch and radio system is under the Norton County Sheriff's Department. The dispatch center handles radio traffic for both the Sheriff's Department and Norton Police Department.

Norton County Undersheriff Adam Wahlmeier&nbsp;said the change was made to protect private information, including medical information and victims' names.

He gave the example of information that might be on a driver's license, including date of birth and home address.

He said the encryption is required for departments to continue to use the criminal justice information system.

Although deputies have computer terminals in their vehicles, he said they do not have access to the information system through those terminals. They must go through dispatch while on the road.

Sheriff Troy Thomson shared a statement about the change in January.

"This change is not about secrecy. It's about protecting private information and meeting federal requirements," he said in the letter.

He said the change will not reduce transparency or accountability. Police reports, public records requests and court proceedings will remain open.

"You may ask, 'Why not just encrypt the sensitive part?' On fast-moving radio traffic, that's not practical. Fully encrypting the channel prevents private information from being accidentally broadcast and allows officers to focus on safety rather than technology."

"This change protects victims' privacy, officer safety and personal information without changing public access to records and accountability," Thomson said in the letter

Wahlmeier said the sheriff's department purchased six new portable radios for about $5,000 to upgrade its system. Car radios were also upgraded, he said.

The Norton Police Department is sharing activity on its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NPD67654">Facebook page</a>, but&nbsp;Wahlmeier said he was not aware of any plan for the Sheriff's Office to do so.

In cases of natural disasters or area-wide emergencies, the county and city use reverse 911 systems. You can sign up for the system on the <a href="https://www.cityofnorton.com/">city of Norton's homepage</a>.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/b120940f-5e46-45fc-8224-024090aec8b7">Ellis County encrypted its first responder radio traffic in 2024.</a>

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770240077411.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
                        <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
                    </figure><p><b>By CRISTINA JANNEY<br></b><i>Hays Post</i></p><p>As of the beginning of the year, the Norton County Sheriff's Department has encrypted its radio traffic, so the public can no longer hear it on a police scanner.</p><p>The dispatch and radio system is under the Norton County Sheriff's Department. The dispatch center handles radio traffic for both the Sheriff's Department and Norton Police Department.</p><p>Norton County Undersheriff Adam Wahlmeier&nbsp;said the change was made to protect private information, including medical information and victims' names.</p><p>He gave the example of information that might be on a driver's license, including date of birth and home address.</p><p>He said the encryption is required for departments to continue to use the criminal justice information system.</p><p>Although deputies have computer terminals in their vehicles, he said they do not have access to the information system through those terminals. They must go through dispatch while on the road.</p><p>Sheriff Troy Thomson shared a statement about the change in January.</p><p>"This change is not about secrecy. It's about protecting private information and meeting federal requirements," he said in the letter.</p><p>He said the change will not reduce transparency or accountability. Police reports, public records requests and court proceedings will remain open.</p><p>"You may ask, 'Why not just encrypt the sensitive part?' On fast-moving radio traffic, that's not practical. Fully encrypting the channel prevents private information from being accidentally broadcast and allows officers to focus on safety rather than technology."</p><p>He said the change was not made lightly.</p><p>"This change protects victims' privacy, officer safety and personal information without changing public access to records and accountability," Thomson said in the letter</p><p>(See Thomson's complete letter below.)</p><p>Wahlmeier said the sheriff's department purchased six new portable radios for about $5,000 to upgrade its system. Car radios were also upgraded, he said.</p><p>The Norton Police Department is sharing activity on its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NPD67654">Facebook page</a>, but&nbsp;Wahlmeier said he was not aware of any plan for the Sheriff's Office to do so.</p><p>In cases of natural disasters or area-wide emergencies, the county and city use reverse 911 systems. You can sign up for the system on the <a href="https://www.cityofnorton.com/">city of Norton's homepage</a>.</p><p><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/b120940f-5e46-45fc-8224-024090aec8b7">Ellis County encrypted its first responder radio traffic in 2024.</a></p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770239210718.jpeg" alt="" />
                        <figcaption></figcaption>
                    </figure>

Norton law enforcement radio traffic now encrypted

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT<br>Hays Post Sports

HAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs celebrated Senior Night in a
big way Friday night with a doubleheader sweep in their final home games of the
regular season.

<b>GIRLS: TMP 44, Phillipsburg 34<br></b>The TMP-Marian Lady Monarchs (13-6, 7-1 MCL) held
Phillipsburg to just 12 second-half points as they recorded their fifth
straight win, 44-34.

Phillipsburg opened the game on a 7-2 run, over the first
three plus minutes of the game, but a pair of free throws from both Brynn Rebel
and Raegan Allen sparked an 8-3 run, closing out the first quarter with a Brynn
Schoepf runner, tying the game at 10 through the first quarter.

The Panthers built their lead in the second quarter, and
with four minutes and 20 seconds left, they led 19-16.

That’s when Rebel collected a steal and a layup, pulling TMP
within one. Then, on the following possession, TMP’s Claire Schippers converted
on a floater in the lane, giving the Monarchs a 20-19 lead. A lead they never
relinquished the rest of the night.

TMP built a 26-22 halftime lead and then outscored
Phillipsburg 13-5 in the third quarter, taking a 39-27 lead heading into the
final quarter, and a 44-34 victory.

Claire Schippers finished with 13 points on Senior Night to
lead the way for the Monarchs. 

<b>BOYS: TMP 62, Phillipsburg 36<br></b>The TMP boys used a 32-10 run covering the second and third quarters,
as they extended their season-high win streak to seven games with a 62-36
victory.

The opening quarter featured five lead changes and one tie before
the Monarchs (15-5 &amp; 8-0 MCL) took control with a 12-4 run to end the opening frame.

Down 7-4, a Grant Nehls two-handed slam dunk ignited the run
for TMP, with Will Eck and Jacob Seib added three pointers to close out the
quarter with TMP leading 16-11.

Phillipsburg closed within one, at 16-15, with six and a
half minutes left in the first half. But TMP would slowly begin to pull away.

They outscored Phillipsburg 14-5 over the final four plus minutes
of the first half and led 30-19 at halftime.

Phillipsburg scored the first field goal of the second half.
TMP then held them scoreless for the next three minutes and built a 17-point
lead.

<p>By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT<br>Hays Post Sports</p><p>HAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs celebrated Senior Night in a
big way Friday night with a doubleheader sweep in their final home games of the
regular season.</p><p><b>GIRLS: TMP 44, Phillipsburg 34<br></b>The TMP-Marian Lady Monarchs (13-6, 7-1 MCL) held
Phillipsburg to just 12 second-half points as they recorded their fifth
straight win, 44-34.</p><p>Phillipsburg opened the game on a 7-2 run, over the first
three plus minutes of the game, but a pair of free throws from both Brynn Rebel
and Raegan Allen sparked an 8-3 run, closing out the first quarter with a Brynn
Schoepf runner, tying the game at 10 through the first quarter.</p><p>The Panthers built their lead in the second quarter, and
with four minutes and 20 seconds left, they led 19-16.</p><p>That’s when Rebel collected a steal and a layup, pulling TMP
within one. Then, on the following possession, TMP’s Claire Schippers converted
on a floater in the lane, giving the Monarchs a 20-19 lead. A lead they never
relinquished the rest of the night.</p><p>TMP built a 26-22 halftime lead and then outscored
Phillipsburg 13-5 in the third quarter, taking a 39-27 lead heading into the
final quarter, and a 44-34 victory.</p><div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2266330661&color=%2337669a&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/2-13-26-tmp-vs-phillipsburg-2" title="2-13-26 TMP vs Phillipsburg Girls Basketball Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">2-13-26 TMP vs Phillipsburg Girls Basketball Highlights</a></div>
</div><p>Claire Schippers finished with 13 points on Senior Night to
lead the way for the Monarchs. </p><p><b>BOYS: TMP 62, Phillipsburg 36<br></b>The TMP boys used a 32-10 run covering the second and third quarters,
as they extended their season-high win streak to seven games with a 62-36
victory.</p><div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2266330412&color=%2337669a&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/2-13-26-tmp-vs-phillipsburg" title="2-13-26 TMP vs Phillipsburg Boys BKB Coach Bill Meagher Interview" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">2-13-26 TMP vs Phillipsburg Boys BKB Coach Bill Meagher Interview</a></div></div><p>The opening quarter featured five lead changes and one tie before
the Monarchs (15-5 &amp; 8-0 MCL) took control with a 12-4 run to end the opening frame.</p><p>Down 7-4, a Grant Nehls two-handed slam dunk ignited the run
for TMP, with Will Eck and Jacob Seib added three pointers to close out the
quarter with TMP leading 16-11.</p><p>Phillipsburg closed within one, at 16-15, with six and a
half minutes left in the first half. But TMP would slowly begin to pull away.</p><p>They outscored Phillipsburg 14-5 over the final four plus minutes
of the first half and led 30-19 at halftime.</p><p>Phillipsburg scored the first field goal of the second half.
TMP then held them scoreless for the next three minutes and built a 17-point
lead.</p><p>When all was said and done, TMP outscored Phillipsburg 32-10
over the 14 and a half minutes that made up all of the third quarter and what
was left of the second. TMP was up 48-25 through three quarters.</p><p>The Monarchs reached a 30-point lead in the fourth quarter,
and with the running clock, they went on to a 62-36 win.</p><div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2266330547&color=%2337669a&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/2-13-26-tmp-vs-phillipsburg-1" title="2-13-26 TMP vs Phillipsburg Boys Basketball Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">2-13-26 TMP vs Phillipsburg Boys Basketball Highlights</a></div></div><p>Grant Nehl led TMP with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Jacob
Seib added 14 points, five rebounds and seven assists.</p><p>The Monarchs have two games left in the regular season; they
will travel to Oakley on Tuesday and Norton on Friday. </p>