KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating the death of a child at a home in the Kansas City area

Just after 8p.m. Wednesday, emergency personnel were called to the area of 32nd and Crysler Avenue, according to a social media report from police.

The investigation involved the death of 7-year-old that occurred sometime in the evening hours on Wednesday.&nbsp; 

Police have released no additional details.&nbsp; Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730424613910.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating the death of a child at a home in the Kansas City areaJust after 8p.m. Wednesday, emergency personnel were called to the area of 32nd and Crysler Avenue, according to a social media report from police.The investigation involved the death of 7-year-old that occurred sometime in the evening hours on Wednesday.&nbsp; Police have released no additional details.&nbsp; Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

Police investigate death of 7-year-old at KC area home

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

Fort Hays State University's Pi Sigma Alpha organized a political showdown featuring two student-led political groups.

The fifth-annual debate between the FHSU College Republicans and FHSU Young Democrats on Tuesday at the Memorial Union addressed foreign policy,&nbsp;abortion, immigration, gun control and climate change.

Each team had one minute to respond to the same pre-written question. Teams were allowed one 30-second rebuttal per question.

Isaac Hargett, Genesis Wilson, Sarah Braun, and Lily Nash represented the FHSU Young Democrats, and Jackson Sinsel, Mickey Mason, and Hazel Frans represented the FHSU College Republicans.

The College Republicans introduced themselves and said their commitment is upholding the Constitution while promoting economic freedom through conservative principles.

The Young Democrats introduced themselves and said their commitment is to equal opportunities for all individuals while recognizing the progress achieved during President Joe Biden's administration.

The Young Democrats' position on foreign policy and what they called rising authoritarianism is that it is essential to support allies, particularly against Russia and China. Hargett said Trump has fallen short in this regard.

"America needs to push back on that," Hargett said. "What we need to do is impose our own strong diplomacy with the support of their enemies."

Sinsel agreed to support allies abroad, such as Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel but said there is a need for transparency regarding aid.

"If we're going to support those countries, we'd like to know where that aid is going and how it's being used," he said.

Wilson said the America first movement does not aid diplomacy abroad or combat the spread of authoritarianism, saying there is transparency in using aid.

"We give older weapons to them that America is no longer using. This also helps us see how our weapons of war are working," she said.

Mason said that although supplying older weapons is a point of discussion, issuing "blank checks" requires transparency.

Frans of the College Republicans said restricting insurance coverage for abortion services based on personal beliefs is protected by the First Amendment rights.

"What comes to mind is a Catholic institution if they are hiring and supporting these individuals. It is against Catholic morals to support abortion," she said.

Nash of the Young Democrats said employers' women are still going to seek abortions even if there are restrictions on health care access or if abortions are illegal.

"Catholic people are not the only people who are employing others. It is incredibly important to make abortion safe and readily available," Nash said.

Nash mentioned the case of Amber Nicole Thurman, who passed away after taking abortion pills in Georgia, where laws prohibit the procedure after roughly six weeks.

Frans of the College Republicans said Thurman's tragic case resulted from taking two pills as well as not receiving a procedure to remove tissue from her uterus.

"This is due to abortion laws being very vague. If there are going to be abortion laws, they need to be simple enough for everyone to understand them and so that doctors do not hesitate to provide care in terms of the life of the mother," Frans said.

Wilson of the Young Democrats added that millions of Americans depend on job-related health care, and being denied an abortion based on personal views could also result in the denial of other essential medical care.

The Young Democrats said utilizing military resources for border and immigration is necessary during times of crisis. However, it should not be used for mass deportations and must be implemented humanely.

"Having the military at the border at times is super helpful for our country and helps us not become a failing country," Wilson of the Young Democrats said. "We should not use it to cage people, separate people from their families and children from their mothers."

Mason of the College Republicans said the border should be well-structured, and the military is commonly used to combat cartels.

"Anytime that there are military weapons used by the other side, our people need to be able to act effectively against that," he said.

Wilson of the Young Democrats agreed military use is appropriate in that situation but said Republicans, including Donald Trump, seek to use the military for mass deportations.

"We agree with [College Republicans], but the plan actual Republicans in Congress have do not align with that," she said.

Sinsel of the College Republicans said although deportation may cost millions of dollars, the primary focus should be on securing the border and dismantling cartels and trafficking rings.

Sinsel said the College Republicans' position on mental health relating to guns varies, but they do support common-sense gun restrictions.

Frans of the College Republicans said removing firearms from individuals with mental health issues would not stop them from inflicting harm.

"If they want to hurt somebody, they will use whatever they can. Gun violence is awful, but taking guns away will not stop all violence," she said.

Braun said the Young Democrats all agree guns should not be confiscated, but there should be laws in place to prevent more significant harm.

"People with mental health issues who want to hurt others will continue to hurt people, but they can hurt a lot fewer people with a knife than they can with a very large gun," Braun said.

Wilson said Democrats support the Affordable Care Act, while Trump and other Republicans advocate for its repeal, emphasizing that it helps Americans access mental health resources.

Braun of the Young Democrats said the government should start enacting legislation to reduce carbon emissions, warning that we are five years away from a point of no return.

"A way we can do this that won't harm citizens or impact their lives is the Inflation Reduction Act," she said. "Biden had a part in it that allowed for tax credits that would reduce the amount of money people owed if they invested in renewable energy."

Frans of the College Republicans said she does not necessarily support government regulations and would prefer to see governments invest in their own clean, renewable resources.

"This can be something that the government takes charge of as an example rather than being hypocritical and using their own nonrenewable energy," Frans said.

Hargett of the Young Democrats said the lack of regulation in energy sectors can become harmful, as the low costs of oil and gas for companies negatively impact the economy.

"It's not the state doing it. It's the companies causing that change in the climate we're seeing," he said.

Frans of the College Republicans said the government funds most scientific research and can develop methods to reduce costs and enhance the efficiency of renewable energy, which can be shared with American companies and businesses.

Audience members also had the opportunity to ask both teams questions.

The College Republicans said they favor reducing the Department of Education's involvement instead of abolishing it, as Trump has advocated. They also said they support school choice and believe states should determine how to manage their education systems.

The Young Democrats said they opposed abolishing the Department of Education, arguing it could eliminate essential programs like FAFSA. They also stated that school choice leads to the defunding of already struggling public schools.

The Young Democrats said inflation is stabilizing and not at the same level as last year, with wages outpacing it. They attribute rising wages and grocery costs to corporate greed and say Vice President Kamala Harris has a plan to prevent companies from engaging in price gouging.

The College Republicans said gas and grocery prices are high. They questioned why Harris had not implemented a plan to address inflation, considering her position and close relationship with the Biden administration.

The College Republicans said they support legalizing marijuana for taxation purposes to fund roads and education but have skepticism, noting that Colorado had similar intentions. Yet, the results do not reflect that success.

The Young Democrats said they advocate for the decriminalization of marijuana to support marginalized communities rather than legalization, as they are also skeptical about the effectiveness of tax revenue and its allocation for infrastructure.

The Young Democrats said extremism exists in both parties, highlighting that far-right extremism is a danger to society. They cite groups like the Proud Boys and the KKK, which they say emerge in local communities due to a lack of political dialogue.

The College Republicans said both parties exhibit tendencies toward extremism but say that such extremism is more prevalent in national politics rather than at the local level while still condemning it regardless.

Both student organizations said voting is a powerful means for change and an opportunity for students to influence their futures and the policies that impact their lives.

The attendance in the Cody Commons room at the Memorial Union was roughly half of its maximum capacity.

You can follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/college.republicans.fhsu/?utm_medium=copy_link">FHSU College Republicans</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fhsu.youngdems/">Young Democrats</a> on Instagram.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730316677685.jpeg" alt="(From left to right) Young Democrats Lily Nash, Genesis Wilson, Issac Hargett, Sarah Braun and College Republicans Hazel Frans, Mickey Mason and Jackson Sinsel at the fifth-annual political debate at Fort Hays State University. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>(From left to right) Young Democrats Lily Nash, Genesis Wilson, Issac Hargett, Sarah Braun and College Republicans Hazel Frans, Mickey Mason and Jackson Sinsel at the fifth-annual political debate at Fort Hays State University. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostFort Hays State University's Pi Sigma Alpha organized a political showdown featuring two student-led political groups.The fifth-annual debate between the FHSU College Republicans and FHSU Young Democrats on Tuesday at the Memorial Union addressed foreign policy,&nbsp;abortion, immigration, gun control and climate change.Each team had one minute to respond to the same pre-written question. Teams were allowed one 30-second rebuttal per question.Isaac Hargett, Genesis Wilson, Sarah Braun, and Lily Nash represented the FHSU Young Democrats, and Jackson Sinsel, Mickey Mason, and Hazel Frans represented the FHSU College Republicans.The College Republicans introduced themselves and said their commitment is upholding the Constitution while promoting economic freedom through conservative principles.The Young Democrats introduced themselves and said their commitment is to equal opportunities for all individuals while recognizing the progress achieved during President Joe Biden's administration.<h2>Foreign Policy</h2>The Young Democrats' position on foreign policy and what they called rising authoritarianism is that it is essential to support allies, particularly against Russia and China. Hargett said Trump has fallen short in this regard."America needs to push back on that," Hargett said. "What we need to do is impose our own strong diplomacy with the support of their enemies."Sinsel agreed to support allies abroad, such as Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel but said there is a need for transparency regarding aid."If we're going to support those countries, we'd like to know where that aid is going and how it's being used," he said.Wilson said the America first movement does not aid diplomacy abroad or combat the spread of authoritarianism, saying there is transparency in using aid."We give older weapons to them that America is no longer using. This also helps us see how our weapons of war are working," she said.Mason said that although supplying older weapons is a point of discussion, issuing "blank checks" requires transparency.<h2>Abortion</h2>Frans of the College Republicans said restricting insurance coverage for abortion services based on personal beliefs is protected by the First Amendment rights."What comes to mind is a Catholic institution if they are hiring and supporting these individuals. It is against Catholic morals to support abortion," she said.Nash of the Young Democrats said employers' women are still going to seek abortions even if there are restrictions on health care access or if abortions are illegal."Catholic people are not the only people who are employing others. It is incredibly important to make abortion safe and readily available," Nash said.Nash mentioned the case of Amber Nicole Thurman, who passed away after taking abortion pills in Georgia, where laws prohibit the procedure after roughly six weeks.Frans of the College Republicans said Thurman's tragic case resulted from taking two pills as well as not receiving a procedure to remove tissue from her uterus."This is due to abortion laws being very vague. If there are going to be abortion laws, they need to be simple enough for everyone to understand them and so that doctors do not hesitate to provide care in terms of the life of the mother," Frans said.Wilson of the Young Democrats added that millions of Americans depend on job-related health care, and being denied an abortion based on personal views could also result in the denial of other essential medical care.<h2>Immigration</h2>The Young Democrats said utilizing military resources for border and immigration is necessary during times of crisis. However, it should not be used for mass deportations and must be implemented humanely."Having the military at the border at times is super helpful for our country and helps us not become a failing country," Wilson of the Young Democrats said. "We should not use it to cage people, separate people from their families and children from their mothers."Mason of the College Republicans said the border should be well-structured, and the military is commonly used to combat cartels."Anytime that there are military weapons used by the other side, our people need to be able to act effectively against that," he said.Wilson of the Young Democrats agreed military use is appropriate in that situation but said Republicans, including Donald Trump, seek to use the military for mass deportations."We agree with [College Republicans], but the plan actual Republicans in Congress have do not align with that," she said.Sinsel of the College Republicans said although deportation may cost millions of dollars, the primary focus should be on securing the border and dismantling cartels and trafficking rings.<h2>Guns</h2>Sinsel said the College Republicans' position on mental health relating to guns varies, but they do support common-sense gun restrictions.Frans of the College Republicans said removing firearms from individuals with mental health issues would not stop them from inflicting harm."If they want to hurt somebody, they will use whatever they can. Gun violence is awful, but taking guns away will not stop all violence," she said.Braun said the Young Democrats all agree guns should not be confiscated, but there should be laws in place to prevent more significant harm."People with mental health issues who want to hurt others will continue to hurt people, but they can hurt a lot fewer people with a knife than they can with a very large gun," Braun said.Wilson said Democrats support the Affordable Care Act, while Trump and other Republicans advocate for its repeal, emphasizing that it helps Americans access mental health resources.<h2>Climate Change</h2>Braun of the Young Democrats said the government should start enacting legislation to reduce carbon emissions, warning that we are five years away from a point of no return."A way we can do this that won't harm citizens or impact their lives is the Inflation Reduction Act," she said. "Biden had a part in it that allowed for tax credits that would reduce the amount of money people owed if they invested in renewable energy."Frans of the College Republicans said she does not necessarily support government regulations and would prefer to see governments invest in their own clean, renewable resources."This can be something that the government takes charge of as an example rather than being hypocritical and using their own nonrenewable energy," Frans said.Hargett of the Young Democrats said the lack of regulation in energy sectors can become harmful, as the low costs of oil and gas for companies negatively impact the economy."It's not the state doing it. It's the companies causing that change in the climate we're seeing," he said.Frans of the College Republicans said the government funds most scientific research and can develop methods to reduce costs and enhance the efficiency of renewable energy, which can be shared with American companies and businesses.Audience members also had the opportunity to ask both teams questions.<h2>Department of Education</h2>The College Republicans said they favor reducing the Department of Education's involvement instead of abolishing it, as Trump has advocated. They also said they support school choice and believe states should determine how to manage their education systems.The Young Democrats said they opposed abolishing the Department of Education, arguing it could eliminate essential programs like FAFSA. They also stated that school choice leads to the defunding of already struggling public schools.<h2>Inflation</h2>The Young Democrats said inflation is stabilizing and not at the same level as last year, with wages outpacing it. They attribute rising wages and grocery costs to corporate greed and say Vice President Kamala Harris has a plan to prevent companies from engaging in price gouging.The College Republicans said gas and grocery prices are high. They questioned why Harris had not implemented a plan to address inflation, considering her position and close relationship with the Biden administration.<h2>Legalizing marijuana</h2>The College Republicans said they support legalizing marijuana for taxation purposes to fund roads and education but have skepticism, noting that Colorado had similar intentions. Yet, the results do not reflect that success.The Young Democrats said they advocate for the decriminalization of marijuana to support marginalized communities rather than legalization, as they are also skeptical about the effectiveness of tax revenue and its allocation for infrastructure.<h2>Extremism</h2>The Young Democrats said extremism exists in both parties, highlighting that far-right extremism is a danger to society. They cite groups like the Proud Boys and the KKK, which they say emerge in local communities due to a lack of political dialogue.The College Republicans said both parties exhibit tendencies toward extremism but say that such extremism is more prevalent in national politics rather than at the local level while still condemning it regardless.Both student organizations said voting is a powerful means for change and an opportunity for students to influence their futures and the policies that impact their lives.The attendance in the Cody Commons room at the Memorial Union was roughly half of its maximum capacity.You can follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/college.republicans.fhsu/?utm_medium=copy_link">FHSU College Republicans</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fhsu.youngdems/">Young Democrats</a> on Instagram.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730316996057.jpeg" alt="(From left to right) Young Democrats Lily Nash, Sarah Braun, Genesis Wilson, Issac Hargett and College Republicans Hazel Frans, Mickey Mason and Jackson Sinsel at the fifth-annual political debate at Fort Hays State University. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>(From left to right) Young Democrats Lily Nash, Sarah Braun, Genesis Wilson, Issac Hargett and College Republicans Hazel Frans, Mickey Mason and Jackson Sinsel at the fifth-annual political debate at Fort Hays State University. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>

FHSU hosts debate between College Republicans, Young Democrats

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press officials altered the official transcript of a call in which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;appeared to take a swipe at supporters of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, drawing objections from the federal workers who document such remarks for posterity, according to two U.S. government officials and an internal email obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-election-2024-c7d5aadbe44e51012f6fcfde374fdcc5">Biden created an uproar</a>&nbsp;earlier this week with his remarks to Latino activists responding to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-madison-square-garden-new-york-election-fcfe75be7f8281fde7bffa3adb3bba5d">racist comments at a Trump rally</a>&nbsp;made by the comedian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-things-to-know-25e303873fac6fde3afdab80d941230d">Tony Hinchcliffe,</a>&nbsp;who referred to the U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”

Biden, according to a transcript prepared by the official White House stenographers, told the Latino group on a Tuesday evening video call, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”

The transcript released by the White House press office, however, rendered the quote with an apostrophe, reading “supporter's" rather than “supporters,” which aides said pointed to Biden criticizing Hinchcliffe, not the millions of Americans who are supporting Trump for president.

The change was made after the press office “conferred with the president,” according to an internal email from the head of the stenographers' office that was obtained by The AP. The authenticity of the email was confirmed by two government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.

The supervisor, in the email, called the press office's handling of the matter “a breach of protocol and spoliation of transcript integrity between the Stenography and Press Offices.”

“If there is a difference in interpretation, the Press Office may choose to withhold the transcript but cannot edit it independently,” the supervisor wrote, adding, “Our Stenography Office transcript — released to our distro, which includes the National Archives — is now different than the version edited and released to the public by Press Office staff."

The edit of the transcript came as the White House scrambled to respond to a wave of queries from reporters about Biden’s comments. The president's remarks clashed with Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris'</a>&nbsp;near-simultaneous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-closing-argument-ellipse-washington-139a7b390dc30ceab85d9ac56fcc521d">speech outside the White House</a>&nbsp;in which she called for treating Americans of differing ideologies with respect.

The Trump campaign quickly moved to fundraise off the quote, and the next day, Trump himself held a photo op&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-garbage-truck-wisconsin-1b9b2882b59639ba0dc898b0b45e395b">inside a garbage truck</a>&nbsp;to try to capitalize on Biden's criticism.

Harris on Wednesday distanced herself from Biden’s comments — making the clearest break from the president since she took over for him at the top of the Democratic ticket just over three months ago. “Let me be clear,” she told reporters, “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”

According to the email, the press office had asked the stenographers to quickly produce a transcript of the call amid the firestorm. Biden himself took to social media to say that he he was not calling all Trump supporters garbage and that he was referring specifically to the “hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally.”

The stenographers office is charged with preparing accurate transcripts of public and private remarks of the president for preservation by the National Archives and distribution to the public.

The two-person stenography team on duty that evening — a “typer” and “proofer” — said any edit to the transcript would have to be approved by their supervisor, the head of stenographers’ office.

The supervisor was not immediately available to review the audio, but the press office went ahead and published the altered transcript on the White House website and distributed it to press and on social media in an effort to tamp down the story.

White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates that evening also posted on X the edited version of the quote and wrote that Biden was referring ”to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”

The supervisor, a career employee of the White House, raised the concerns about the press office action — but did not weigh in on the accuracy of the edit — in an email to White House communications director Ben LaBolt, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and other press and communications officials.

“Regardless of urgency, it is essential to our transcripts’ authenticity and legitimacy that we adhere to consistent protocol for requesting edits, approval, and release,” the supervisor wrote.

The supervisor declined to comment to The AP and referred questions about the matter to the White House press office.

Asked to comment, Bates did not address the alteration of the transcript and said: “The President confirmed in his tweet on Tuesday evening that he was addressing the hateful rhetoric from the comedian at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally. That was reflected in the transcript.”

House Republicans, meanwhile, were debating launching an investigation into the matter. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., on Wednesday accused White House staff of “releasing a false transcript” of Biden's remarks.

In a letter to White House counsel Ed Siskel on Wednesday, they&nbsp;<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/stefanik-comer-investigate-white-houses-revision-of-bidens-garbage-remarks/">called on the administration to retain documents</a>&nbsp;and internal communications related to Biden's remarks and the release of the transcript.

“White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message," the lawmakers wrote to Siskel.

Stefanik and Comer said the action could be in violation of the Presidential Records Act of 1978.

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press officials altered the official transcript of a call in which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;appeared to take a swipe at supporters of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, drawing objections from the federal workers who document such remarks for posterity, according to two U.S. government officials and an internal email obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-election-2024-c7d5aadbe44e51012f6fcfde374fdcc5">Biden created an uproar</a>&nbsp;earlier this week with his remarks to Latino activists responding to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-madison-square-garden-new-york-election-fcfe75be7f8281fde7bffa3adb3bba5d">racist comments at a Trump rally</a>&nbsp;made by the comedian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-things-to-know-25e303873fac6fde3afdab80d941230d">Tony Hinchcliffe,</a>&nbsp;who referred to the U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730427906351.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Biden, according to a transcript prepared by the official White House stenographers, told the Latino group on a Tuesday evening video call, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”The transcript released by the White House press office, however, rendered the quote with an apostrophe, reading “supporter's" rather than “supporters,” which aides said pointed to Biden criticizing Hinchcliffe, not the millions of Americans who are supporting Trump for president.The change was made after the press office “conferred with the president,” according to an internal email from the head of the stenographers' office that was obtained by The AP. The authenticity of the email was confirmed by two government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.The supervisor, in the email, called the press office's handling of the matter “a breach of protocol and spoliation of transcript integrity between the Stenography and Press Offices.”“If there is a difference in interpretation, the Press Office may choose to withhold the transcript but cannot edit it independently,” the supervisor wrote, adding, “Our Stenography Office transcript — released to our distro, which includes the National Archives — is now different than the version edited and released to the public by Press Office staff."The edit of the transcript came as the White House scrambled to respond to a wave of queries from reporters about Biden’s comments. The president's remarks clashed with Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris'</a>&nbsp;near-simultaneous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-closing-argument-ellipse-washington-139a7b390dc30ceab85d9ac56fcc521d">speech outside the White House</a>&nbsp;in which she called for treating Americans of differing ideologies with respect.The Trump campaign quickly moved to fundraise off the quote, and the next day, Trump himself held a photo op&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-garbage-truck-wisconsin-1b9b2882b59639ba0dc898b0b45e395b">inside a garbage truck</a>&nbsp;to try to capitalize on Biden's criticism.Harris on Wednesday distanced herself from Biden’s comments — making the clearest break from the president since she took over for him at the top of the Democratic ticket just over three months ago. “Let me be clear,” she told reporters, “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”According to the email, the press office had asked the stenographers to quickly produce a transcript of the call amid the firestorm. Biden himself took to social media to say that he he was not calling all Trump supporters garbage and that he was referring specifically to the “hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally.”The stenographers office is charged with preparing accurate transcripts of public and private remarks of the president for preservation by the National Archives and distribution to the public.The two-person stenography team on duty that evening — a “typer” and “proofer” — said any edit to the transcript would have to be approved by their supervisor, the head of stenographers’ office.The supervisor was not immediately available to review the audio, but the press office went ahead and published the altered transcript on the White House website and distributed it to press and on social media in an effort to tamp down the story.White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates that evening also posted on X the edited version of the quote and wrote that Biden was referring ”to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”The supervisor, a career employee of the White House, raised the concerns about the press office action — but did not weigh in on the accuracy of the edit — in an email to White House communications director Ben LaBolt, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and other press and communications officials.“Regardless of urgency, it is essential to our transcripts’ authenticity and legitimacy that we adhere to consistent protocol for requesting edits, approval, and release,” the supervisor wrote.The supervisor declined to comment to The AP and referred questions about the matter to the White House press office.Asked to comment, Bates did not address the alteration of the transcript and said: “The President confirmed in his tweet on Tuesday evening that he was addressing the hateful rhetoric from the comedian at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally. That was reflected in the transcript.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨BREAKING: Biden-Harris White House may have violated the law by altering President Biden’s “garbage” remarks in official transcript. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (<a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepStefanik</a>) and Oversight Chairman James Comer (<a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJamesComer</a>) are raising concerns… <a href="https://t.co/52z6J7EO7q">pic.twitter.com/52z6J7EO7q</a>&mdash; Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight/status/1851727058251948288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>House Republicans, meanwhile, were debating launching an investigation into the matter. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., on Wednesday accused White House staff of “releasing a false transcript” of Biden's remarks.In a letter to White House counsel Ed Siskel on Wednesday, they&nbsp;<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/stefanik-comer-investigate-white-houses-revision-of-bidens-garbage-remarks/">called on the administration to retain documents</a>&nbsp;and internal communications related to Biden's remarks and the release of the transcript.“White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message," the lawmakers wrote to Siskel.Stefanik and Comer said the action could be in violation of the Presidential Records Act of 1978.

White House altered transcript of President Biden's "garbage" remarks

By CLAY WIRESTONE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/31/a-stupefying-poll-shows-harris-breathing-down-trumps-neck-in-kansas-heres-what-that-means/">Kansas Reflector</a>

You want to talk about that new poll showing Kansas as a potential swing state? OK, let’s talk about that new poll showing Kansas as a potential swing state.

The annual&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks/2024-kansas-speaks-report-final.10.28.24.v3-corrected-final-bullet-in-exec-sum-to-now-compare-2024-and-2023-results2.pdf" target="_blank">Kansas Speaks survey</a>&nbsp;from the Docking Institute at Fort Hays State University showed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris a mere&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/28/survey-reveals-potential-tapering-of-kansas-gap-between-gop-democratic-presidential-candidates/">five points behind</a>&nbsp;Republican candidate Donald Trump. Given that the survey covers traditionally conservative Kansas, political pundits pounced.

“BREAKING: Trump only winning by 5 In KANSAS,” wrote&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/TristanSnell/status/1851120567262298528" target="_blank">legal commentator Tristan Snell</a>.

“If Harris is only down 5 to Trump in&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;– election night is going to be very good for Democrats,” added Obama campaign and administration&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/TimFullerton/status/1850981599556616491" target="_blank">alumnus Tim Fullerton</a>.

“…holy sh*t?” exclaimed&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SethAbramson/status/1851092122004300089" target="_blank">journalist and lawyer Seth Abramson</a>.

Let’s step back from excited progressive reactions for a moment and actually talk about the poll, what it means and whether Harris has a shot in Kansas. (Spoiler alert, she&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/17/electoral-college-will-incinerate-a-half-million-kansas-votes-for-kamala-thats-a-problem/">almost certainly does not</a>). We found a great person to help us break things down:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/sociology/faculty/zollinger/" target="_blank">Brett Zollinger</a>, director of the Docking Institute itself. He sat down with Kansas Reflector staff on Tuesday afternoon to give background on those surprising results.

First off, we should understand that the data presented comes from a survey, not a poll. Kansas Speaks primarily tracks public opinion on issues rather than candidates. It gathers a representative panel of Kansans and collects information from them via a carefully designed survey online.

“The presidential election is a very minor focus for us in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks/" target="_blank">Kansas Speaks</a>,” he said. “We are far more focused on policies, issues that are going to be relevant to Kansans, likely to come up in the legislative session, that sort of thing. But every four years, we get this unique opportunity to see what our survey methodology bears out in terms of some actual voter decisions in the state in the presidential election. So in 2020, we were within 0.2% actually, in the spread between Trump and Biden with our survey panel methodology.”

<a href="https://sos.ks.gov/elections/20elec/2020_General_Official_Vote_Totals.pdf" target="_blank">For reference</a>, in 2020 Trump finished at 56.2% in Kansas, while President Joe Biden reached 41.6%, a 14.6 percentage point gap.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks/2020-kansas-speaks-report-v7.pdf" target="_blank">The 2020 Kansas Speaks survey</a>&nbsp;found 52% support for Trump and 37.6% for Biden, a 14.4 percentage point gap.

That earlier accuracy was much remarked upon by online commentors. But Zollinger wanted Kansas Reflector readers to understand that the modeling and weighting decisions made for the Kansas Speaks survey are not necessarily the same ones made by political polling firms. They’re playing different games.

“If we were actually trying to measure, with a lot of predictive ability, the presidential vote turnout, we would probably engage in a fuller methodology common to the survey industry, especially the presidential polling industry,” Zollinger said. “We don’t. But we do winnow it down to registered voters who say that they plan to vote, which is not a bad methodology necessarily for doing that. And the survey panel is what it is. These are folks who have opted in to be surveyed. It’s not uncommon to use these today. Pew Research has its own big one. Gallup has one.”

Researchers looked at various demographic factors, he said, “and we did pretty much a simple proportionate weighting.” (You can dig into the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks/2024-kansas-speaks-report-final.10.28.24.v3-corrected-final-bullet-in-exec-sum-to-now-compare-2024-and-2023-results2.pdf" target="_blank">crosstabs on page 96</a>.) They did the same with their 2020 results.

“We took the proportion in the sample who fit a certain age profile, and we adjusted it to the state’s age profile of adults, same with gender, same with education. … We believe it is the most reasonable approach to trying to make up for some underrepresentation by some age groups in the panel and some underrepresentation by certain education levels,” Zollinger said.

Which brings us all down to the basic question: Do we believe the survey results?

Kansas has changed. In the eight years&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/08/23/want-to-make-kansas-a-better-place-for-new-opinion-editor-that-means-raising-our-voices-for-change/">since I returned</a>&nbsp;to the state, I’ve watched as a motley mix of Republicans, Democrats and independents have rejected Trump and extreme ideologies. I’ve watched a constitutional amendment that would have allowed the Legislature to ban abortion fail by an&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/02/kansas-voters-defeat-abortion-amendment-in-unexpected-landslide-1/">18-point margin</a>. I’ve watched voters twice elect Democrat Laura Kelly as governor. I’ve also heard, over and and over, and read, in repeated email messages, that Kansans don’t like the current political atmosphere.

Now, that doesn’t turn us into an immediate swing state. It doesn’t guarantee a Democratic Legislature anytime soon. But it does, at least from my perspective, suggest that Republicans can’t count on a blank check from Kansas voters.

Trump will almost certainly win Kansas. But that margin will matter.

Alex Middlewood, a political scientist at Wichita State, weighed in on the survey results&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/alexmiddlewood/status/1851403069684072824" target="_blank">via a Tweet thread</a>. She said the results showed that Trump has been losing ground in Kansas over the past eight years.

“His vote share in 2020 was lower than it was in 2016, and 2024 is very likely going to be even lower. Make no mistake, Trump is going to win Kansas,” she wrote. “However, any shift in the margins, like we’re seeing from these results, will likely have major impact on the state legislature races. Ds are working hard (and spending lots of money) to break the R supermajority. These results should give them hope.”

I’ve been keeping track of interesting presidential endorsements in Kansas news outlets over the past couple of weeks. You might not be able to read an endorsement from the Washington Post, but these plucky Kansans have a lot to say.

“<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/eadd4e4e-bed9-4d2c-81d5-f67355e1840f" target="_blank">Rep. Steven Howe reflects on voting for Trump after earlier criticism</a>,” by Steven Howe, Salina Post, Oct. 26.

“<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest-commentary/article294546054.html" target="_blank">My fellow conservatives, we have to split the ticket to save the US Constitution</a>,” by David Mastio, Kansas City Star, Oct. 29.

“<a href="https://kaninfo.com/opinion/oops-i-voted-for-hitler-again/" target="_blank">Oops, I voted for Hitler…again</a>,” by Dane Hicks, Kansas Informer, Oct. 30.

“<a href="https://www.iolaregister.com/opinion/columnists/being-a-republican-is-not-a-loyalty-test" target="_blank">Kamala Harris has what it takes</a>,” by Susan Lynn, The Iola Register, Oct. 25.

Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/submit-opinion/">here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582312931775.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By CLAY WIRESTONE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/31/a-stupefying-poll-shows-harris-breathing-down-trumps-neck-in-kansas-heres-what-that-means/">Kansas Reflector</a>You want to talk about that new poll showing Kansas as a potential swing state? OK, let’s talk about that new poll showing Kansas as a potential swing state.The annual&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks/2024-kansas-speaks-report-final.10.28.24.v3-corrected-final-bullet-in-exec-sum-to-now-compare-2024-and-2023-results2.pdf" target="_blank">Kansas Speaks survey</a>&nbsp;from the Docking Institute at Fort Hays State University showed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris a mere&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/28/survey-reveals-potential-tapering-of-kansas-gap-between-gop-democratic-presidential-candidates/">five points behind</a>&nbsp;Republican candidate Donald Trump. Given that the survey covers traditionally conservative Kansas, political pundits pounced.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730413570584.jpeg" alt=" Brett Zollinger, director of the Docking Institute, talks to reporters about the Kansas Speaks survey during an Oct. 29, 2024, interview at the Kansas Reflector office. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Brett Zollinger, director of the Docking Institute, talks to reporters about the Kansas Speaks survey during an Oct. 29, 2024, interview at the Kansas Reflector office. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>“BREAKING: Trump only winning by 5 In KANSAS,” wrote&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/TristanSnell/status/1851120567262298528" target="_blank">legal commentator Tristan Snell</a>.“If Harris is only down 5 to Trump in&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;– election night is going to be very good for Democrats,” added Obama campaign and administration&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/TimFullerton/status/1850981599556616491" target="_blank">alumnus Tim Fullerton</a>.“…holy sh*t?” exclaimed&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SethAbramson/status/1851092122004300089" target="_blank">journalist and lawyer Seth Abramson</a>.Let’s step back from excited progressive reactions for a moment and actually talk about the poll, what it means and whether Harris has a shot in Kansas. (Spoiler alert, she&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/17/electoral-college-will-incinerate-a-half-million-kansas-votes-for-kamala-thats-a-problem/">almost certainly does not</a>). We found a great person to help us break things down:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/sociology/faculty/zollinger/" target="_blank">Brett Zollinger</a>, director of the Docking Institute itself. He sat down with Kansas Reflector staff on Tuesday afternoon to give background on those surprising results.First off, we should understand that the data presented comes from a survey, not a poll. Kansas Speaks primarily tracks public opinion on issues rather than candidates. It gathers a representative panel of Kansans and collects information from them via a carefully designed survey online.“The presidential election is a very minor focus for us in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks/" target="_blank">Kansas Speaks</a>,” he said. “We are far more focused on policies, issues that are going to be relevant to Kansans, likely to come up in the legislative session, that sort of thing. But every four years, we get this unique opportunity to see what our survey methodology bears out in terms of some actual voter decisions in the state in the presidential election. So in 2020, we were within 0.2% actually, in the spread between Trump and Biden with our survey panel methodology.”<a href="https://sos.ks.gov/elections/20elec/2020_General_Official_Vote_Totals.pdf" target="_blank">For reference</a>, in 2020 Trump finished at 56.2% in Kansas, while President Joe Biden reached 41.6%, a 14.6 percentage point gap.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks/2020-kansas-speaks-report-v7.pdf" target="_blank">The 2020 Kansas Speaks survey</a>&nbsp;found 52% support for Trump and 37.6% for Biden, a 14.4 percentage point gap.That earlier accuracy was much remarked upon by online commentors. But Zollinger wanted Kansas Reflector readers to understand that the modeling and weighting decisions made for the Kansas Speaks survey are not necessarily the same ones made by political polling firms. They’re playing different games.“If we were actually trying to measure, with a lot of predictive ability, the presidential vote turnout, we would probably engage in a fuller methodology common to the survey industry, especially the presidential polling industry,” Zollinger said. “We don’t. But we do winnow it down to registered voters who say that they plan to vote, which is not a bad methodology necessarily for doing that. And the survey panel is what it is. These are folks who have opted in to be surveyed. It’s not uncommon to use these today. Pew Research has its own big one. Gallup has one.”Researchers looked at various demographic factors, he said, “and we did pretty much a simple proportionate weighting.” (You can dig into the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks/2024-kansas-speaks-report-final.10.28.24.v3-corrected-final-bullet-in-exec-sum-to-now-compare-2024-and-2023-results2.pdf" target="_blank">crosstabs on page 96</a>.) They did the same with their 2020 results.“We took the proportion in the sample who fit a certain age profile, and we adjusted it to the state’s age profile of adults, same with gender, same with education. … We believe it is the most reasonable approach to trying to make up for some underrepresentation by some age groups in the panel and some underrepresentation by certain education levels,” Zollinger said.Which brings us all down to the basic question: Do we believe the survey results?I do, with caveats.Kansas has changed. In the eight years&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/08/23/want-to-make-kansas-a-better-place-for-new-opinion-editor-that-means-raising-our-voices-for-change/">since I returned</a>&nbsp;to the state, I’ve watched as a motley mix of Republicans, Democrats and independents have rejected Trump and extreme ideologies. I’ve watched a constitutional amendment that would have allowed the Legislature to ban abortion fail by an&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/02/kansas-voters-defeat-abortion-amendment-in-unexpected-landslide-1/">18-point margin</a>. I’ve watched voters twice elect Democrat Laura Kelly as governor. I’ve also heard, over and and over, and read, in repeated email messages, that Kansans don’t like the current political atmosphere.Now, that doesn’t turn us into an immediate swing state. It doesn’t guarantee a Democratic Legislature anytime soon. But it does, at least from my perspective, suggest that Republicans can’t count on a blank check from Kansas voters.Trump will almost certainly win Kansas. But that margin will matter.Alex Middlewood, a political scientist at Wichita State, weighed in on the survey results&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/alexmiddlewood/status/1851403069684072824" target="_blank">via a Tweet thread</a>. She said the results showed that Trump has been losing ground in Kansas over the past eight years.“His vote share in 2020 was lower than it was in 2016, and 2024 is very likely going to be even lower. Make no mistake, Trump is going to win Kansas,” she wrote. “However, any shift in the margins, like we’re seeing from these results, will likely have major impact on the state legislature races. Ds are working hard (and spending lots of money) to break the R supermajority. These results should give them hope.”<h2>More Kansans speak</h2>I’ve been keeping track of interesting presidential endorsements in Kansas news outlets over the past couple of weeks. You might not be able to read an endorsement from the Washington Post, but these plucky Kansans have a lot to say.“<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/eadd4e4e-bed9-4d2c-81d5-f67355e1840f" target="_blank">Rep. Steven Howe reflects on voting for Trump after earlier criticism</a>,” by Steven Howe, Salina Post, Oct. 26.“<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest-commentary/article294546054.html" target="_blank">My fellow conservatives, we have to split the ticket to save the US Constitution</a>,” by David Mastio, Kansas City Star, Oct. 29.“<a href="https://kaninfo.com/opinion/oops-i-voted-for-hitler-again/" target="_blank">Oops, I voted for Hitler…again</a>,” by Dane Hicks, Kansas Informer, Oct. 30.“<a href="https://www.iolaregister.com/opinion/columnists/being-a-republican-is-not-a-loyalty-test" target="_blank">Kamala Harris has what it takes</a>,” by Susan Lynn, The Iola Register, Oct. 25.Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/submit-opinion/">here</a>.

OPINION: A stupefying poll shows Harris breathing down Trump’s neck in Kansas. Here’s what that means.

PHOENIX (AP) — Kamala Harris said Thursday that Donald Trump’s comment that he would protect women whether they “like it or not” shows that the Republican presidential nominee does not understand women’s rights “to make decisions about their own lives, including their own bodies."

“I think it’s offensive to everybody, by the way," Harris said before she set out to spend the day campaigning in the Western battleground states of Arizona and Nevada.

She followed up those remarks at her rally in Phoenix: “He simply does not respect the freedom of women or the intelligence of women to know what’s in their own best interests and make decisions accordingly. But we trust women."

The comments by Trump come as he has struggled to connect with women voters and as Harris courts women in both parties with a message centered on freedom. She's making the pitch that women should be free to make their own decisions about their bodies and that if Trump is elected, more restrictions will follow.

Trump appointed three of the justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who formed the conservative majority that overturned federal abortion rights.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-dobbs-anniversary-abortion-states-cadff0d905d1c4d7b9825c8406aadffb#:~:text=in%20the%20US-,The%20Supreme%20Court%20overturned%20Roe%20v.,rights%20now%20in%20the%20US&amp;text=Email-,Judges%2C%20state%20lawmakers%20and%20voters%20are%20deciding%20the%20future%20of,ruling%20that%20overturned%20Roe%20v.">As the fallout from the 2022 decision spreads</a>, he has taken to claiming at public events and in social media posts that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-women-protector-abortion-election-697ce355f7386bfd192b99bb00322705">he would “protect women”</a>&nbsp;and ensure they wouldn’t be “thinking about abortion.”

At a rally Wednesday evening near Green Bay, Wisconsin, Trump told his supporters that aides had urged him to stop using the phrase because it was “inappropriate.”

Then he added a new bit to the protector line. He said he told his aides: “Well, I’m going to do it whether the women like it or not. I am going to protect them.”

Harris said the remark was part of a pattern of troubling statements by Trump.

“This is just the latest on a long series of reveals by the former president of how he thinks about women and their agency," she said.

Harris tied Trump’s comments to his approach to reproductive rights, but Trump generally speaks more of protecting women from criminals, terrorists and foreign adversaries, in keeping with the bleak picture he paints of a country in decline.

“I’m going to protect them from migrants coming in. I’m going to protect them from foreign countries that want to hit us with missiles and lots of other things,” Trump said during a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

He seemed to tie in abortion when he first used the “protector” language in a Truth Social post and at a rally in Indiana, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 20. He assured the women who would be “protected” that they "will no longer be thinking about abortion.”

The dispute showed signs Thursday of further entrenching each candidate's supporters.

It was not only women who described Trump's remarks as offensive. At the Harris rally in Phoenix, Edison Kinlicheenie, 50, said he sees Trump more as a threat than a protector, noting that the former president has a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rape-carroll-trial-fe68259a4b98bb3947d42af9ec83d7db">track record of preying on women</a>.

“I have a wife and a daughter, so I wouldn’t let no predator like that come around" them, Kinlicheenie said.

At a Trump rally in Albuquerque, Sarah Pyle, 41, cited the opposition to allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's events to portray Trump as someone who helps women.

“I don’t want my girls to grow up in a world like this,” the Albuquerque mother said, referring to the controversy. “We fought for women’s rights for so long, and now we’re giving them back to men. It makes no sense.”

More broadly, Trump and Republicans have struggled with how to talk about abortion rights, particularly as women around the nation are grappling with obtaining proper medical care because of abortion restrictions that have had implications far beyond the ability to end an unwanted pregnancy.

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-abortion-election-2024-ivf-contraception-d91f0959087e803db390be11eb60975b">has given contradictory answers</a>&nbsp;about his position on abortion, at some points saying that women should be punished for having abortions and showcasing the justices he appointed. During his successful 2016 campaign, he told voters that if he were elected, he would appoint justices to the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and said he was “pro-life.”

But in recent weeks he's promised to veto a national abortion ban, after repeatedly refusing to make such a pledge. He's said the states should regulate care and said some laws were “too tough.”

Since 2022, the patchwork of state laws on abortion has created uneven medical care.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-georgia-mifepristone-misoprostol-kamala-harris-fd3c817f42ccc74b04d12450efb92f4a">Some women have died</a>. Others have bled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pregnancy-emergency-care-abortion-supreme-court-roe-9ce6c87c8fc653c840654de1ae5f7a1c">in emergency room parking lots</a>&nbsp;or became critically ill from sepsis as doctors in states with strict abortion bans send pregnant women away until they are sick enough to warrant medical care. That includes women who never intended to end pregnancies. Both infant and maternal mortality has risen.

Harris’ campaign has highlighted Trump’s statements around women. In one campaign ad, a woman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-abortion-rights-democrats-texas-trump-f5b4a28874f6abcf2a9d5eeeeb0d6d37">who became gravely ill with sepsis after a pregnancy complication</a>&nbsp;stands in front of a mirror looking at a large scar on her abdomen, as audio plays of Trump’s comments about protecting women.

Harris hopes abortion will be a strong motivator for women at the ballot box.

In early voting so far, 1.2 million more women than men have voted across the seven battleground states, according to data from analytics firm TargetSmart.

That doesn’t necessarily translate into Democratic gains. But in the 2020 presidential election, there was a 9 percentage point difference between men and women in support for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/votecast-race-class-divide-elections-27cfbd82c14d6649097bd706f4158e4e">AP VoteCast</a>, a survey of more than 110,000 voters.

The Democratic ticket was supported by 55% of women and 46% of men. That was essentially unchanged from the 2018 midterms, when VoteCast found a 10-point gender gap, with 58% of women and 48% of men backing Democrats in congressional races.

PHOENIX (AP) — Kamala Harris said Thursday that Donald Trump’s comment that he would protect women whether they “like it or not” shows that the Republican presidential nominee does not understand women’s rights “to make decisions about their own lives, including their own bodies."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">VP Harris responds to former President Trump&#39;s comments that he&#39;ll be the protector of women &#39;whether the women like or not&#39;: &quot;It actually is I think very offensive to women...He is not going to be fighting for women&#39;s reproductive rights.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/o7pcbZcqNu">pic.twitter.com/o7pcbZcqNu</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1852009136701214894?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I think it’s offensive to everybody, by the way," Harris said before she set out to spend the day campaigning in the Western battleground states of Arizona and Nevada.She followed up those remarks at her rally in Phoenix: “He simply does not respect the freedom of women or the intelligence of women to know what’s in their own best interests and make decisions accordingly. But we trust women."The comments by Trump come as he has struggled to connect with women voters and as Harris courts women in both parties with a message centered on freedom. She's making the pitch that women should be free to make their own decisions about their bodies and that if Trump is elected, more restrictions will follow.Trump appointed three of the justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who formed the conservative majority that overturned federal abortion rights.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-dobbs-anniversary-abortion-states-cadff0d905d1c4d7b9825c8406aadffb#:~:text=in%20the%20US-,The%20Supreme%20Court%20overturned%20Roe%20v.,rights%20now%20in%20the%20US&amp;text=Email-,Judges%2C%20state%20lawmakers%20and%20voters%20are%20deciding%20the%20future%20of,ruling%20that%20overturned%20Roe%20v.">As the fallout from the 2022 decision spreads</a>, he has taken to claiming at public events and in social media posts that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-women-protector-abortion-election-697ce355f7386bfd192b99bb00322705">he would “protect women”</a>&nbsp;and ensure they wouldn’t be “thinking about abortion.”At a rally Wednesday evening near Green Bay, Wisconsin, Trump told his supporters that aides had urged him to stop using the phrase because it was “inappropriate.”Then he added a new bit to the protector line. He said he told his aides: “Well, I’m going to do it whether the women like it or not. I am going to protect them.”Harris said the remark was part of a pattern of troubling statements by Trump.“This is just the latest on a long series of reveals by the former president of how he thinks about women and their agency," she said.Harris tied Trump’s comments to his approach to reproductive rights, but Trump generally speaks more of protecting women from criminals, terrorists and foreign adversaries, in keeping with the bleak picture he paints of a country in decline.“I’m going to protect them from migrants coming in. I’m going to protect them from foreign countries that want to hit us with missiles and lots of other things,” Trump said during a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin.He seemed to tie in abortion when he first used the “protector” language in a Truth Social post and at a rally in Indiana, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 20. He assured the women who would be “protected” that they "will no longer be thinking about abortion.”The dispute showed signs Thursday of further entrenching each candidate's supporters.It was not only women who described Trump's remarks as offensive. At the Harris rally in Phoenix, Edison Kinlicheenie, 50, said he sees Trump more as a threat than a protector, noting that the former president has a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rape-carroll-trial-fe68259a4b98bb3947d42af9ec83d7db">track record of preying on women</a>.“I have a wife and a daughter, so I wouldn’t let no predator like that come around" them, Kinlicheenie said.At a Trump rally in Albuquerque, Sarah Pyle, 41, cited the opposition to allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's events to portray Trump as someone who helps women.“I don’t want my girls to grow up in a world like this,” the Albuquerque mother said, referring to the controversy. “We fought for women’s rights for so long, and now we’re giving them back to men. It makes no sense.”More broadly, Trump and Republicans have struggled with how to talk about abortion rights, particularly as women around the nation are grappling with obtaining proper medical care because of abortion restrictions that have had implications far beyond the ability to end an unwanted pregnancy.Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-abortion-election-2024-ivf-contraception-d91f0959087e803db390be11eb60975b">has given contradictory answers</a>&nbsp;about his position on abortion, at some points saying that women should be punished for having abortions and showcasing the justices he appointed. During his successful 2016 campaign, he told voters that if he were elected, he would appoint justices to the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and said he was “pro-life.”But in recent weeks he's promised to veto a national abortion ban, after repeatedly refusing to make such a pledge. He's said the states should regulate care and said some laws were “too tough.”Since 2022, the patchwork of state laws on abortion has created uneven medical care.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-georgia-mifepristone-misoprostol-kamala-harris-fd3c817f42ccc74b04d12450efb92f4a">Some women have died</a>. Others have bled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pregnancy-emergency-care-abortion-supreme-court-roe-9ce6c87c8fc653c840654de1ae5f7a1c">in emergency room parking lots</a>&nbsp;or became critically ill from sepsis as doctors in states with strict abortion bans send pregnant women away until they are sick enough to warrant medical care. That includes women who never intended to end pregnancies. Both infant and maternal mortality has risen.Harris’ campaign has highlighted Trump’s statements around women. In one campaign ad, a woman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-abortion-rights-democrats-texas-trump-f5b4a28874f6abcf2a9d5eeeeb0d6d37">who became gravely ill with sepsis after a pregnancy complication</a>&nbsp;stands in front of a mirror looking at a large scar on her abdomen, as audio plays of Trump’s comments about protecting women.Harris hopes abortion will be a strong motivator for women at the ballot box.In early voting so far, 1.2 million more women than men have voted across the seven battleground states, according to data from analytics firm TargetSmart.That doesn’t necessarily translate into Democratic gains. But in the 2020 presidential election, there was a 9 percentage point difference between men and women in support for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/votecast-race-class-divide-elections-27cfbd82c14d6649097bd706f4158e4e">AP VoteCast</a>, a survey of more than 110,000 voters.The Democratic ticket was supported by 55% of women and 46% of men. That was essentially unchanged from the 2018 midterms, when VoteCast found a 10-point gender gap, with 58% of women and 48% of men backing Democrats in congressional races.

🎥Harris hits Trump over his ‘protector’ of women comment

LIBERAL - One week after a runner-up finish, the Hays High Unified Bowling team took the top spot in Liberal Thursday. The team of Ethan Kohlman, Ben Bergman, Keaton Brown and Lucas Miller rolled an 830 for the victory on Thursday.

They finished ahead of a Great Bend team in second at 805 and a Garden City team at 803.&nbsp;

The 830 mark for the foursome was 54 pins better than the prior week. There were 16 teams in the Liberal Invite.

Hays High will host their own invitational on Thursday, November 7th. They will compete in the regional tournament hosted by Eisenhower High School one week later on the 14th in Cheney.

Hays PostLIBERAL - One week after a runner-up finish, the Hays High Unified Bowling team took the top spot in Liberal Thursday. The team of Ethan Kohlman, Ben Bergman, Keaton Brown and Lucas Miller rolled an 830 for the victory on Thursday.They finished ahead of a Great Bend team in second at 805 and a Garden City team at 803.&nbsp;The 830 mark for the foursome was 54 pins better than the prior week. There were 16 teams in the Liberal Invite.UP NEXTHays High will host their own invitational on Thursday, November 7th. They will compete in the regional tournament hosted by Eisenhower High School one week later on the 14th in Cheney.

🎳 Hays Hays Unified Bowling first in Liberal

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Kansas Fire Marshal inspection reports released Wednesday indicate significant structural damage to the Rodeway Inn, 3404 Vine, Hays.

The reports, which were released after the Hays Post filed a Kansas Open Records Request, said inspectors found structural instability in the second-floor walkways of the motel.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/a971b850-cbe9-40c3-8d20-21f4611006c1">SEE RELATED STORY: Kansas Fire Marshal orders Rodeway Inn in Hays closed</a>

The Hays Fire Department placed a wooden support structure under one of the walkways as a temporary measure. It issued a complaint to the state fire marshall's office on July 25.

That temporary support was still in place during the last inspection of the facility in October and a Hays Post visit to the building on Monday.

The fire marshal's office delivered a cease-and-desist order to the business on Aug. 12 after multiple safety issues were found in August.

The fire marshal's office said in an order that a structural engineer needed to access the structure and provide repair recommendations.

Other issues included problems with the electrical system, non-working smoke detectors, and a stairway that had at least one step completely broken through.

The state inspected the facility again on Oct. 4 and found 10 rooms were still occupied despite the cease and desist order. Some of those rooms were on the second floor. According to a lodging report, the owner told an inspector employees of the closed motel were still trying to find places to live.

The Hays Post was unable to confirm if anyone was still living at the motel as of this post.

The motel's lodging license was listed as expired in May, according to a lodging inspection.

HKHR Hospitality, the motel's owner, also owes $43,580 for unpaid 2023 property taxes, according to the Ellis County Treasurer's Office. Property owners have three years to pay delinquent taxes before the property is auctioned at a tax sale.

The motel, built in 1974, is actively listed on a real estate broker's website, Hotel Broker One, for sale for $1.2 million.

The Hays Post has not been able to identify or contact the owners of the motel. A clerk at the Ellis County Register of Deed's Office said the signature on the motel's deed was unreadable.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730230931407.jpeg" alt="Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostKansas Fire Marshal inspection reports released Wednesday indicate significant structural damage to the Rodeway Inn, 3404 Vine, Hays.The reports, which were released after the Hays Post filed a Kansas Open Records Request, said inspectors found structural instability in the second-floor walkways of the motel.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/a971b850-cbe9-40c3-8d20-21f4611006c1">SEE RELATED STORY: Kansas Fire Marshal orders Rodeway Inn in Hays closed</a>The Hays Fire Department placed a wooden support structure under one of the walkways as a temporary measure. It issued a complaint to the state fire marshall's office on July 25.That temporary support was still in place during the last inspection of the facility in October and a Hays Post visit to the building on Monday.The fire marshal's office delivered a cease-and-desist order to the business on Aug. 12 after multiple safety issues were found in August.The fire marshal's office said in an order that a structural engineer needed to access the structure and provide repair recommendations.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730316575527.png" alt="Issues with smoke detectors and outlets that Hays Deputy Hays Fire Chief Shane Preston documented in May at the Rodeway Inn, 3404 Vine." />
 <figcaption>Issues with smoke detectors and outlets that Hays Deputy Hays Fire Chief Shane Preston documented in May at the Rodeway Inn, 3404 Vine.</figcaption>
 </figure>Other issues included problems with the electrical system, non-working smoke detectors, and a stairway that had at least one step completely broken through.The state inspected the facility again on Oct. 4 and found 10 rooms were still occupied despite the cease and desist order. Some of those rooms were on the second floor. According to a lodging report, the owner told an inspector employees of the closed motel were still trying to find places to live.The Hays Post was unable to confirm if anyone was still living at the motel as of this post.The motel's lodging license was listed as expired in May, according to a lodging inspection.HKHR Hospitality, the motel's owner, also owes $43,580 for unpaid 2023 property taxes, according to the Ellis County Treasurer's Office. Property owners have three years to pay delinquent taxes before the property is auctioned at a tax sale.The motel, built in 1974, is actively listed on a real estate broker's website, Hotel Broker One, for sale for $1.2 million.The Hays Post has not been able to identify or contact the owners of the motel. A clerk at the Ellis County Register of Deed's Office said the signature on the motel's deed was unreadable.

Reports show structural damage at Rodeway Inn; delinquent taxes owed

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

RUSSELL — Residents of Russell will vote during the Nov. 5 general election on whether to approve <a href="https://www.russellcity.org/319/Water-Sales-Tax">a 3/4 cent sales tax</a>.

The tax will be dedicated to building its water reserve fund and developing water sources and infrastructure at the R9 Ranch in Edwards County, which it co-owns with the city of Hays.&nbsp;

Russell has been operating under a water warning since April 2022.

Russell owns 18% of the R9 Ranch, which was first purchased by Hays in 1995 as a long-term water supply resource. Russell bought in a year later, in 1996.

The estimated total cost of the project is now $140 million.

A public forum about the proposed tax and the R9 was conducted Tuesday night at the Dream Theatre, with information provided by interim City Manager Kayla Schneider and Randy Baker, water utility director.&nbsp;

Also attending were Mayor Jim Cross, City Attorney Ken Cole, and several city council members and city staff who helped answer audience questions.

"Our Plant B failed about three years ago, and we had to spend $1.3 million of the water reserve fund to get it back up and running so we would have adequate water production capabilities," Cross said. "We really depleted that fund at that time. We started seeing the need [to build it back up]. Costs of the R9 project have just escalated."&nbsp;

Current water sources for Russell are Big Creek, eight miles south of town, and the Pfeifer Wellfield, 23 miles to the southwest.

 The Big Creek surface water is "susceptible to contamination and unreliable during drought," Schneider said.

Groundwater from the Smoky Hill River alluvium flows into the Pfeifer Wellfield.&nbsp;

"The Smoky Hill River has an intermittent flow and is greatly influenced by drought," she said. 

"Water conservation has become a way of life for us."

• No filling/refilling of residential swimming pools • Outdoor watering for residential customers is limited to one day a week between 7 p.m. and 10 a.m. • No outdoor watering for commercial or industrial customers • No washing of vehicles, boats or trailers • No washing of building/structure exteriors • Industrial customers must reduce consumption by 15-25% of the average previous five-year period

Russell also offers free low-flow shower heads to its residential customers and rebates for the installation of low-flow toilets.

In 2015, Hays and Russell applied to change the water rights at the ranch from irrigation to municipal use and submitted a water transfer application to the state in 2016.

In February 2024, the cities received a <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/8d8e87f6-e3c9-4950-bcea-9cac40e269bd">favorable ruling for the transfer</a>.

Along the way, the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/a356c3c3-47d3-49eb-98d5-fe030ffd2b8e">Water Protection Association of Central Kansas</a>&nbsp;(WaterPACK) has filed numerous objections to the project.&nbsp;

Regulatory delays have continued, and in early October, <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/c7dd78a9-6785-4137-8502-4046eab09f91">Russell and Hays filed a lawsuit against the Edwards County Commission</a>, the Edwards County Planning Commission and several other parties, claiming illegal zoning practices designed to block the project southwest of Kinsley.

If the 3/4 cent sales tax is passed, it is estimated to generate at least $400,000 annually. It would go into effect on April 1, 2025, for 10 years.

Russell's total local sales tax is currently 8.5%.

If voters do not approve the tax, it's on to Plan B and Plan C,&nbsp; Cross said.&nbsp;

"We've talked about water rates having to go up 30 to 50%," Baker said. "There could also be a water surcharge. We don't want to have to do that."

Russell and Hays have jointly pursued state and federal grants and low-interest loans to fund the project. A meeting with FEMA concerning a grant opportunity is scheduled for today.

"Having a tax is never a good thing. ... The sales tax is the most fair tax," Cross said. "It would also be paid by visitors to Russell, and we get a lot coming off of I-70. .... If somebody buys off Amazon, Russell gets a share of that sales tax.

"Local property taxes are not in play in this proposal," he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730297026882.jpeg" alt="Russell city officials present information Tuesday night about the proposed 3/4 cent sales tax to build a water reserve fund. Russell and the city of Hays jointly own the R9 Ranch in Edwards County as a long-term water supply project. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Russell city officials present information Tuesday night about the proposed 3/4 cent sales tax to build a water reserve fund. Russell and the city of Hays jointly own the R9 Ranch in Edwards County as a long-term water supply project. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostRUSSELL — Residents of Russell will vote during the Nov. 5 general election on whether to approve <a href="https://www.russellcity.org/319/Water-Sales-Tax">a 3/4 cent sales tax</a>.The tax will be dedicated to building its water reserve fund and developing water sources and infrastructure at the R9 Ranch in Edwards County, which it co-owns with the city of Hays.&nbsp;Russell has been operating under a water warning since April 2022.Russell owns 18% of the R9 Ranch, which was first purchased by Hays in 1995 as a long-term water supply resource. Russell bought in a year later, in 1996.The estimated total cost of the project is now $140 million.A public forum about the proposed tax and the R9 was conducted Tuesday night at the Dream Theatre, with information provided by interim City Manager Kayla Schneider and Randy Baker, water utility director.&nbsp;Also attending were Mayor Jim Cross, City Attorney Ken Cole, and several city council members and city staff who helped answer audience questions."Our Plant B failed about three years ago, and we had to spend $1.3 million of the water reserve fund to get it back up and running so we would have adequate water production capabilities," Cross said. "We really depleted that fund at that time. We started seeing the need [to build it back up]. Costs of the R9 project have just escalated."&nbsp;<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FT4VicSdvTs" title="Jim Cross Russell water tax" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Current water sources for Russell are Big Creek, eight miles south of town, and the Pfeifer Wellfield, 23 miles to the southwest. The Big Creek surface water is "susceptible to contamination and unreliable during drought," Schneider said.Groundwater from the Smoky Hill River alluvium flows into the Pfeifer Wellfield.&nbsp;"The Smoky Hill River has an intermittent flow and is greatly influenced by drought," she said. "Water conservation has become a way of life for us."Mandatory restrictions are• No filling/refilling of residential swimming pools • Outdoor watering for residential customers is limited to one day a week between 7 p.m. and 10 a.m. • No outdoor watering for commercial or industrial customers • No washing of vehicles, boats or trailers • No washing of building/structure exteriors • Industrial customers must reduce consumption by 15-25% of the average previous five-year periodRussell also offers free low-flow shower heads to its residential customers and rebates for the installation of low-flow toilets.In 2015, Hays and Russell applied to change the water rights at the ranch from irrigation to municipal use and submitted a water transfer application to the state in 2016.In February 2024, the cities received a <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/8d8e87f6-e3c9-4950-bcea-9cac40e269bd">favorable ruling for the transfer</a>.Along the way, the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/a356c3c3-47d3-49eb-98d5-fe030ffd2b8e">Water Protection Association of Central Kansas</a>&nbsp;(WaterPACK) has filed numerous objections to the project.&nbsp;Regulatory delays have continued, and in early October, <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/c7dd78a9-6785-4137-8502-4046eab09f91">Russell and Hays filed a lawsuit against the Edwards County Commission</a>, the Edwards County Planning Commission and several other parties, claiming illegal zoning practices designed to block the project southwest of Kinsley.If the 3/4 cent sales tax is passed, it is estimated to generate at least $400,000 annually. It would go into effect on April 1, 2025, for 10 years.Russell's total local sales tax is currently 8.5%.If voters do not approve the tax, it's on to Plan B and Plan C,&nbsp; Cross said.&nbsp;"We've talked about water rates having to go up 30 to 50%," Baker said. "There could also be a water surcharge. We don't want to have to do that."Russell and Hays have jointly pursued state and federal grants and low-interest loans to fund the project. A meeting with FEMA concerning a grant opportunity is scheduled for today."Having a tax is never a good thing. ... The sales tax is the most fair tax," Cross said. "It would also be paid by visitors to Russell, and we get a lot coming off of I-70. .... If somebody buys off Amazon, Russell gets a share of that sales tax."Local property taxes are not in play in this proposal," he said.

🎥 Russell sales tax for water reserve fund, R9 Ranch on Tuesday ballot  

Michael
Raye Scheuerman, age 75, former Hays, Kansas resident passed away on Friday,
October 25, 2024, at the Ussery-Roan Texas State Veterans Nursing Home in
Amarillo, Texas.

He was born June 26, 1949, in LaCrosse, Kansas to Alvin and Clarinetta E.
(Scheuerman) Scheuerman.&nbsp; He married Deborah (Roach) on January 31, 2016.&nbsp;

Michael grew up on a farm outside of Bison, Kansas.&nbsp; He attended Otis
Grade School&nbsp;and
was a 1967 graduate of Otis High School.&nbsp; After graduation he enlisted in
the U S Marine Corps and did his basic training in San Diego and his advanced
infantry at Camp Pendleton.&nbsp; He served three years in active duty and
served three years in reserves.&nbsp; One of his tour of duty he spent 12
months in Vietnam where he received a Purple Heart for wounds received in
combat.&nbsp; 

After his time in the military he worked for the Hermann’s then attended Salina
Area Technical College getting his degree in Diesel Mechanic.&nbsp; Following
his training he opened Mike’s Repair in Otis, and later worked for Tupper’s
Custom Harvesters, George’s Repair, and I-70 Trucking where he retired from.&nbsp; 

Michael lived in Hays for many years and moved to Amarillo in 2016.&nbsp; While
in Hays he was a member of the Messiah Lutheran Church, a Lifetime member of
the Hays V.F.W Post #9076, and Edwin A. Schumacher Marine Corps League.&nbsp;
He enjoyed fishing, cooking, playing cards and golfing.

Michael is survived by his wife, Deboarh, of the home; his children, Marci;
Micah; and Marc, Scheuerman; and his two grandsons, all of Kansas City; his
brothers, Dennis Scheuerman and wife, VirJean, Smithville, MO; Paul Scheuerman
and wife, Doreen, Angola, KS; his nephew, Tate Scheuerman; his nieces, Treva
DeLeon, and Anna Scheuerman.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730144525003.jpeg" alt="Michael Raye Scheuerman" />
 <figcaption>Michael Raye Scheuerman</figcaption>
 </figure>Michael
Raye Scheuerman, age 75, former Hays, Kansas resident passed away on Friday,
October 25, 2024, at the Ussery-Roan Texas State Veterans Nursing Home in
Amarillo, Texas.He was born June 26, 1949, in LaCrosse, Kansas to Alvin and Clarinetta E.
(Scheuerman) Scheuerman.&nbsp; He married Deborah (Roach) on January 31, 2016.&nbsp;Michael grew up on a farm outside of Bison, Kansas.&nbsp; He attended Otis
Grade School&nbsp;and
was a 1967 graduate of Otis High School.&nbsp; After graduation he enlisted in
the U S Marine Corps and did his basic training in San Diego and his advanced
infantry at Camp Pendleton.&nbsp; He served three years in active duty and
served three years in reserves.&nbsp; One of his tour of duty he spent 12
months in Vietnam where he received a Purple Heart for wounds received in
combat.&nbsp; After his time in the military he worked for the Hermann’s then attended Salina
Area Technical College getting his degree in Diesel Mechanic.&nbsp; Following
his training he opened Mike’s Repair in Otis, and later worked for Tupper’s
Custom Harvesters, George’s Repair, and I-70 Trucking where he retired from.&nbsp; Michael lived in Hays for many years and moved to Amarillo in 2016.&nbsp; While
in Hays he was a member of the Messiah Lutheran Church, a Lifetime member of
the Hays V.F.W Post #9076, and Edwin A. Schumacher Marine Corps League.&nbsp;
He enjoyed fishing, cooking, playing cards and golfing.Michael is survived by his wife, Deboarh, of the home; his children, Marci;
Micah; and Marc, Scheuerman; and his two grandsons, all of Kansas City; his
brothers, Dennis Scheuerman and wife, VirJean, Smithville, MO; Paul Scheuerman
and wife, Doreen, Angola, KS; his nephew, Tate Scheuerman; his nieces, Treva
DeLeon, and Anna Scheuerman. Funeral Services will be at 11:00 A.M. Friday, November 1, 2024, at
Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays with Reverend Kenton Rohrberg
Officiating.&nbsp; A burial will be at 2:00 P.M. Friday, in the Kansas Veterans
Cemetery at WaKeeney, with Military Honors by the Hays V.F.W. Post 9076 and the
Edwin A. Schumacher Marine Corps League. Visitation&nbsp; will be from 9:00 to 11:00 A.M. Friday, at Cline’s-Keithley
Mortuary of Hays.In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials made payable to: Hays V.F.W.
Post 9076 or Edwin A. Schumacher Marine Corps League in care of
Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays,
Kansas 67601.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Condolences can be sent via e-mail to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:clineschapels@gmail.com" target="_blank">clineschapels@gmail.com</a>&nbsp;or can be
left at guestbook at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/" target="_blank">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>