The much-anticipated annual United Way Golf Tournament is set to tee off for another memorable day of swinging for a cause. Scheduled for Friday, June 7 at Smoky Hill Country Club, this event promises to bring together golf enthusiasts and philanthropists alike for a day of sport and solidarity.

United Way of Ellis County is dedicated to advancing the common good and supporting our local community. The tournament serves as a vital fundraising initiative, with all proceeds directly benefitting United Way's impactful programs and initiatives within the community.

The tournament welcomes players of all skill levels, from seasoned pros to enthusiastic beginners, to join in the camaraderie and competition. Participants can expect a day filled with exciting challenges, networking opportunities, and chances to win fantastic prizes, all while contributing to a noble cause.

"We're thrilled to host our annual golf tournament, bringing together individuals and businesses who share our commitment to making a positive impact in our community," said Erica Berges, Executive Director at United Way. "By supporting this event, participants are not only enjoying a day on the green but also making a tangible difference in the lives of those who need it most."

The tournament format will include 4- person teams ensuring an engaging and enjoyable experience for all attendees. Lunch will be provided during the tournament. Additionally, participants can look forward to a post-tournament awards ceremony where achievements will be celebrated, and the spirit of giving will continue. Raffle tickets will also be available to purchase during the day for a chance to win some exciting prizes.

Corporate sponsorships and individual registrations are now open, offering businesses and individuals the opportunity to align their brands with a worthy cause and showcase their commitment to community engagement.

For those unable to attend the tournament but still wishing to contribute, donations are warmly welcomed and can be made directly through the United Way website, <a href="http://www.liveunited.us">www.liveunited.us</a>.

Join United Way and fellow community members for a day of golf, giving, and goodwill at the annual United Way Golf Tournament. Together, let's drive change and make a lasting difference in the lives of our neighbors.

For more information, sponsorship opportunities, or to register, please visit <a href="http://www.liveunited.us/golf">www.liveunited.us/golf</a> or contact the United Way office at 785-628-8281.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709746084653.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedThe much-anticipated annual United Way Golf Tournament is set to tee off for another memorable day of swinging for a cause. Scheduled for Friday, June 7 at Smoky Hill Country Club, this event promises to bring together golf enthusiasts and philanthropists alike for a day of sport and solidarity.United Way of Ellis County is dedicated to advancing the common good and supporting our local community. The tournament serves as a vital fundraising initiative, with all proceeds directly benefitting United Way's impactful programs and initiatives within the community.The tournament welcomes players of all skill levels, from seasoned pros to enthusiastic beginners, to join in the camaraderie and competition. Participants can expect a day filled with exciting challenges, networking opportunities, and chances to win fantastic prizes, all while contributing to a noble cause."We're thrilled to host our annual golf tournament, bringing together individuals and businesses who share our commitment to making a positive impact in our community," said Erica Berges, Executive Director at United Way. "By supporting this event, participants are not only enjoying a day on the green but also making a tangible difference in the lives of those who need it most."The tournament format will include 4- person teams ensuring an engaging and enjoyable experience for all attendees. Lunch will be provided during the tournament. Additionally, participants can look forward to a post-tournament awards ceremony where achievements will be celebrated, and the spirit of giving will continue. Raffle tickets will also be available to purchase during the day for a chance to win some exciting prizes.Corporate sponsorships and individual registrations are now open, offering businesses and individuals the opportunity to align their brands with a worthy cause and showcase their commitment to community engagement.For those unable to attend the tournament but still wishing to contribute, donations are warmly welcomed and can be made directly through the United Way website, <a href="http://www.liveunited.us">www.liveunited.us</a>.Join United Way and fellow community members for a day of golf, giving, and goodwill at the annual United Way Golf Tournament. Together, let's drive change and make a lasting difference in the lives of our neighbors.For more information, sponsorship opportunities, or to register, please visit <a href="http://www.liveunited.us/golf">www.liveunited.us/golf</a> or contact the United Way office at 785-628-8281.

United Way Golf Tournament swings into action to support local partner agencies

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has passed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-israel-gaza-taiwan-c0645ad3f47f9d919c8988a98593e887">$95 billion in war aid</a>&nbsp;to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.

The bill passed the Senate on an overwhelming 79-18 vote late Tuesday after the House had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-israel-tiktok-congress-a8910452e623413bf1da1e491d1d94ba">approved the package</a>&nbsp;Saturday. Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran voted with the majority. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall and Missouri Senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt voted against the bill.

Biden, who worked with congressional leaders to win support, is expected to quickly sign the legislation and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-weapons-russia-congress-aid-a28f463da6df2f144e3bbdbf47254ece">start the process of sending weapons to Ukraine</a>, which has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-us-aid-package-5b2cfac8351bff94d8c1ead8704110a3">struggling to hold its front lines</a>&nbsp;against Russia. The legislation would also send $26 billion in wartime assistance to Israel and humanitarian relief to citizens of Gaza, and $8 billion to counter Chinese threats in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific.

U.S. officials said about $1 billion of the aid could be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-pentagon-weapons-congress-54045b0755b1711d0e22beaedf137cab">on its way shortly</a>, with the bulk following in coming weeks.

In an interview with The Associated Press shortly before the vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that if Congress hadn’t passed the aid, “America would have paid a price economically, politically, militarily."

“Very few things we have done have risen to this level of historic importance,” he said.

On the Senate floor, Schumer said the Senate was sending a message to U.S. allies: “We will stand with you.”

Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made passage of the legislation a top priority, agreeing to tie the Ukraine and Israel aid to help ensure passage and arguing there could be dire consequences for the United States and many of its global allies if Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggression is left unchecked. They worked with House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, to overcome seemingly intractable Republican opposition to the Ukraine aid, in particular — eventually winning large majorities in both chambers.

McConnell said in a separate interview before the vote that it "is one of the biggest days in the time that I’ve been here.”

“At least on this episode, I think we turned the tables on the isolationists," McConnell said.

The House&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-israel-tiktok-congress-a8910452e623413bf1da1e491d1d94ba">approved the package</a>&nbsp;in a series of four votes on Saturday, with the Ukraine portion passing 311-112.

The $61 billion for Ukraine comes as the war-torn country desperately needs new firepower and as Russian President Vladimir Putin has stepped up his attacks. Ukrainian soldiers have struggled as Russia has seized the momentum on the battlefield and gained significant territory.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Biden</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-national-security-aid-russia-b172cb344d5c7867ed1370246c863794">told</a>&nbsp;Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday the U.S. will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-weapons-russia-congress-aid-a28f463da6df2f144e3bbdbf47254ece">send</a>&nbsp;badly needed air defense weaponry as soon as the legislation is passed.

“The President has assured me that the package will be approved quickly and that it will be powerful, strengthening our air defense as well as long-range and artillery capabilities,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X on Monday.

In an effort to gain more votes, Republicans in the House majority also added a bill to the foreign aid package that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-us-ban-sale-china-congress-de12b4d22aa8095e62cb0982a6e62235">could ban the social media app TikTok</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. if its Chinese owners do not sell their stake within a year. That legislation had wide bipartisan support in both chambers.

The TikTok bill was one of several tweaks Johnson to the package the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-congress-senate-5fdcf8cb1964681dcce0f4fe7b9a0f86">Senate passed in February</a>&nbsp;as he tried to move the bill through the House despite significant opposition within his conference. Other additions include a stipulation that $9 billion of the economic assistance to Ukraine is in the form of “forgivable loans"; provisions that allow the U.S. to seize frozen Russian central bank assets to rebuild Ukraine; and bills to impose sanctions on Iran, Russia, China and criminal organizations that traffic fentanyl.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a longtime hawk who voted against the foreign aid package in February because it wasn’t paired with legislation to stem migration at the border, was one of the Republicans who switched their votes. “If we don't help Ukraine now, this war will spread, and Americans who are not involved will be involved,” Graham said.

The package has had broad congressional support since Biden first requested the money last summer. But congressional leaders had to navigate strong opposition from a growing number of conservatives who question U.S. involvement in foreign wars and argue that Congress should be focused instead on the surge of migration at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, a Republican who is a close ally to Donald Trump, said that despite the strong showing of support for funding Ukraine’s defense, opposition is growing among Republicans.

“The United States is spread too thin," Vance said, "And that that argument I think, is winning the American people and it’s slowly winning the Senate, but it’s not going to happen overnight.”

The growing fault line in the GOP between those conservatives who are skeptical of the aid and the more traditional, “Reagan Republicans" who strongly support it may prove to be career-defining for the two top Republican leaders.

McConnell,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-ukraine-republicans-senate-c5217d686c85837d2b9708aa197843f9">who has made the Ukraine aid a top priority</a>, said last month that he would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mitch-mcconnell-senate-republican-leader-stepping-down-ba478d570a4561aa7baf91a204d7e366">step down from leadership</a>&nbsp;after becoming increasingly distanced from many in his conference on the Ukraine aid and other issues. Johnson, who said he put the bills on the floor after praying for guidance,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-ukraine-aid-speaker-ouster-c525efc953d532242d6d441c55724992">faces threats of an ouster</a>&nbsp;after a majority of Republicans voted against the aid to Ukraine.

Johnson said after House passage that “we did our work here, and I think history will judge it well."

Opponents in the Senate, like the House, included some left-wing senators who are opposed to aiding Israel as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has bombarded Gaza and killed thousands of civilians. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, voted against the package.

“We must end our complicity in this terrible war,” Sanders said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713922038193.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (center right) on the Senate floor during the vote count Tuesday night-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (center right) on the Senate floor during the vote count Tuesday night-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has passed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-israel-gaza-taiwan-c0645ad3f47f9d919c8988a98593e887">$95 billion in war aid</a>&nbsp;to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.The bill passed the Senate on an overwhelming 79-18 vote late Tuesday after the House had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-israel-tiktok-congress-a8910452e623413bf1da1e491d1d94ba">approved the package</a>&nbsp;Saturday. Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran voted with the majority. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall and Missouri Senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt voted against the bill.Biden, who worked with congressional leaders to win support, is expected to quickly sign the legislation and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-weapons-russia-congress-aid-a28f463da6df2f144e3bbdbf47254ece">start the process of sending weapons to Ukraine</a>, which has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-us-aid-package-5b2cfac8351bff94d8c1ead8704110a3">struggling to hold its front lines</a>&nbsp;against Russia. The legislation would also send $26 billion in wartime assistance to Israel and humanitarian relief to citizens of Gaza, and $8 billion to counter Chinese threats in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713922352534.png" alt="During a weekend meeting in Ukraine, Massachusetts Congressman Will Keating showing President Zelenskyy the members of the House who approved the $60 Billion in funding.-courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>During a weekend meeting in Ukraine, Massachusetts Congressman Will Keating showing President Zelenskyy the members of the House who approved the $60 Billion in funding.-courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Tonight I will vote against sending an additional $60 billion to Ukraine. No more blank checks. <a href="https://t.co/TaDkwDhJPi">pic.twitter.com/TaDkwDhJPi</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1782929534968308141?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>U.S. officials said about $1 billion of the aid could be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-pentagon-weapons-congress-54045b0755b1711d0e22beaedf137cab">on its way shortly</a>, with the bulk following in coming weeks.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The challenges we face will not resolve themselves &amp; the preservation of freedom requires enormous effort. Today we have an opportunity to deliver on that effort – to live up to our responsibilities as Americans; to be a steadfast and reliable partner.&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1782901299861733670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In an interview with The Associated Press shortly before the vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that if Congress hadn’t passed the aid, “America would have paid a price economically, politically, militarily."“Very few things we have done have risen to this level of historic importance,” he said.On the Senate floor, Schumer said the Senate was sending a message to U.S. allies: “We will stand with you.”Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made passage of the legislation a top priority, agreeing to tie the Ukraine and Israel aid to help ensure passage and arguing there could be dire consequences for the United States and many of its global allies if Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggression is left unchecked. They worked with House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, to overcome seemingly intractable Republican opposition to the Ukraine aid, in particular — eventually winning large majorities in both chambers.McConnell said in a separate interview before the vote that it "is one of the biggest days in the time that I’ve been here.”“At least on this episode, I think we turned the tables on the isolationists," McConnell said.The House&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-israel-tiktok-congress-a8910452e623413bf1da1e491d1d94ba">approved the package</a>&nbsp;in a series of four votes on Saturday, with the Ukraine portion passing 311-112.The $61 billion for Ukraine comes as the war-torn country desperately needs new firepower and as Russian President Vladimir Putin has stepped up his attacks. Ukrainian soldiers have struggled as Russia has seized the momentum on the battlefield and gained significant territory.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Biden</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-national-security-aid-russia-b172cb344d5c7867ed1370246c863794">told</a>&nbsp;Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday the U.S. will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-weapons-russia-congress-aid-a28f463da6df2f144e3bbdbf47254ece">send</a>&nbsp;badly needed air defense weaponry as soon as the legislation is passed.“The President has assured me that the package will be approved quickly and that it will be powerful, strengthening our air defense as well as long-range and artillery capabilities,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X on Monday.In an effort to gain more votes, Republicans in the House majority also added a bill to the foreign aid package that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-us-ban-sale-china-congress-de12b4d22aa8095e62cb0982a6e62235">could ban the social media app TikTok</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. if its Chinese owners do not sell their stake within a year. That legislation had wide bipartisan support in both chambers.The TikTok bill was one of several tweaks Johnson to the package the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-congress-senate-5fdcf8cb1964681dcce0f4fe7b9a0f86">Senate passed in February</a>&nbsp;as he tried to move the bill through the House despite significant opposition within his conference. Other additions include a stipulation that $9 billion of the economic assistance to Ukraine is in the form of “forgivable loans"; provisions that allow the U.S. to seize frozen Russian central bank assets to rebuild Ukraine; and bills to impose sanctions on Iran, Russia, China and criminal organizations that traffic fentanyl.South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a longtime hawk who voted against the foreign aid package in February because it wasn’t paired with legislation to stem migration at the border, was one of the Republicans who switched their votes. “If we don't help Ukraine now, this war will spread, and Americans who are not involved will be involved,” Graham said.The package has had broad congressional support since Biden first requested the money last summer. But congressional leaders had to navigate strong opposition from a growing number of conservatives who question U.S. involvement in foreign wars and argue that Congress should be focused instead on the surge of migration at the U.S.-Mexico border.Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, a Republican who is a close ally to Donald Trump, said that despite the strong showing of support for funding Ukraine’s defense, opposition is growing among Republicans.“The United States is spread too thin," Vance said, "And that that argument I think, is winning the American people and it’s slowly winning the Senate, but it’s not going to happen overnight.”The growing fault line in the GOP between those conservatives who are skeptical of the aid and the more traditional, “Reagan Republicans" who strongly support it may prove to be career-defining for the two top Republican leaders.McConnell,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-ukraine-republicans-senate-c5217d686c85837d2b9708aa197843f9">who has made the Ukraine aid a top priority</a>, said last month that he would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mitch-mcconnell-senate-republican-leader-stepping-down-ba478d570a4561aa7baf91a204d7e366">step down from leadership</a>&nbsp;after becoming increasingly distanced from many in his conference on the Ukraine aid and other issues. Johnson, who said he put the bills on the floor after praying for guidance,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-ukraine-aid-speaker-ouster-c525efc953d532242d6d441c55724992">faces threats of an ouster</a>&nbsp;after a majority of Republicans voted against the aid to Ukraine.Johnson said after House passage that “we did our work here, and I think history will judge it well."Opponents in the Senate, like the House, included some left-wing senators who are opposed to aiding Israel as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has bombarded Gaza and killed thousands of civilians. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, voted against the package.“We must end our complicity in this terrible war,” Sanders said.

Moran yes, Marshall no: Senate Oks $95B aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

NEW YORK (AP) — A veteran tabloid publisher testified Tuesday that he pledged to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;'s “eyes and ears" during his 2016 presidential campaign, recounting how he promised the then-candidate that he would help suppress harmful stories and even arranged to purchase the silence of a doorman.

<a href="https://pdfs.nycourts.gov/PeopleVs.DTrump-71543/transcripts/P.v%20Trump%20Transcript%20042244.pdf">Click here to read the </a>transcript of Day 1 in the historic Trump trial

The testimony from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/david-pecker">David Pecker</a>&nbsp;was designed to bolster the prosecution's premise of a decades-long friendship between Trump and the former publisher of the National Enquirer that culminated in an agreement to give the candidate's lawyer a heads-up on negative tips and stories so they could be quashed.

The effort to suppress unflattering information was designed to illegally influence the election, prosecutors have alleged in striving to elevate the gravity of the first trial of a former American president and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">first of four criminal cases</a>&nbsp;against Trump to reach a jury.

Pecker is the first witness against Trump, who faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with hush money payments meant to prevent harmful stories from surfacing in the final days of the 2016 campaign.

With Trump sitting just feet away in the courtroom, Pecker detailed his intimate, behind-the-scenes involvement in Trump's rise from political novice to the Republican nomination and the White House. He explained how he and the National Enquirer parlayed rumor-mongering into splashy tabloid stories that smeared Trump's opponents and, just as crucially, leveraged his connections to suppress seamy stories about Trump, including a porn actor's claim of an extramarital sexual encounter a decade earlier.

Pecker traced the origins of their relationship to a 1980s meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and said the friendship bloomed alongside the success of the real estate developer's TV show “The Apprentice" and the program's subsequent celebrity version.

Their ties were solidified during a pivotal August 2015 meeting at Trump Tower involving Trump, his lawyer and personal fixer Michael Cohen, and another aide, Hope Hicks, in which Pecker was asked what he and the publications he led could do for the campaign.

Pecker said he volunteered to publish positive stories about Trump and negative stories about his opponents. But that wasn't all, he said, telling jurors how he told Trump: “I will be your eyes and ears.”

“I said that anything I hear in the marketplace, if I hear anything negative about yourself, or if I hear about women selling stories, I would notify Michael Cohen," so that the rights could be purchased and the stories could be killed.

“So they would not get published?” asked prosecutor Joshua Steinglass.

“So they would not get published,” Pecker replied.

To illustrate their point, prosecutors displayed a screenshot of various flattering headlines the National Enquirer published about Trump, including “Donald Dominates!’ and “World Exclusive: The Donald Trump Nobody Knows.” The jury was also shown disparaging and outlandish stories about Trump's opponents, including surgeon Ben Carson and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.

Pecker painted Cohen as a shadow editor of the National Enquirer’s pro-Trump coverage, directing the tabloid to go after whichever Republican candidate was gaining momentum.

“I would receive a call from Michael Cohen, and he would direct me and direct Dylan Howard which candidate and which direction we should go,” Pecker said, referring to the tabloid's then-editor.

Pecker said he underscored to Howard that the agreement with the Trump operation was “highly, highly confidential.” He said he wanted the tabloid’s bureau chiefs to be on the lookout for any stories involving Trump and said he wanted them to verify the stories before alerting Cohen.

“I did not want anyone else to know this agreement I had and what I wanted to do,” the ex-publisher added.

Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal charges related to his role in the hush money payments. He was once a confidant of Trump's, but their relationship deteriorated in spectacular fashion. Cohen is expected to be a star government witness, and he routinely posts profane broadsides against Trump on social media.

Trump's lawyers are expected to make attacks on Cohen's credibility a foundation of their defense, but in opening with Pecker, prosecutors hoped to focus attention on a witness with a less volatile backstory. Besides maintaining that Trump is innocent, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told jurors that Cohen cannot be trusted and has “an obsession with getting Trump.”

Pecker's testimony Tuesday followed a hearing earlier in the day in which prosecutors urged Judge Juan M. Merchan to hold Trump in contempt and fine him $1,000 for each of 10 social media posts that they say violated an earlier gag order barring attacks on witnesses, jurors and others involved in the case.

Merchan did not immediately rule, but he seemed skeptical of defense arguments that Trump was merely responding in his posts to others' attacks and had been trying to comply with the order.

Prosecutors allege that Trump sought to illegally influence the 2016 race through a practice known in the tabloid industry as “catch-and-kill” — catching a potentially damaging story by buying the rights to it and then killing it through agreements that prevent the paid person from telling the story to anyone else.

In this case, that included a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to silence her claims of an extramarital sexual encounter that Trump denies. Prosecutors also described other arrangements, including one that paid a former Playboy model $150,000 to suppress claims of a nearly yearlong affair with the married Trump, which Trump also denies.

In another instance, Pecker recounted a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-government-f37ecfc4710b468db6a103a245146172">$30,000</a>&nbsp;payment from the National Enquirer to a Trump Tower doorman for the rights to a rumor that Trump had fathered a child with an employee at Trump World Tower. The tabloid concluded the story was not true, and the woman and Trump have denied the allegations.

As Pecker described receiving the tip in court, Trump shook his head.

Pecker said upon hearing the rumor, he immediately called Cohen, who said it was “absolutely not true” but that he would look into whether the people involved had indeed worked for Trump’s company.

“I made the decision to purchase the story because of the potential embarrassment it had to the campaign and to Mr. Trump,” Pecker said.

In response to the prosecutor’s question about who he understood the boss to be, Pecker replied: “Donald Trump.”

Explaining why he decided to have the National Enquirer foot the bill, Pecker testified: “This was going to be a very big story. I believe it was important that this story be removed from the marketplace.”

If he published the story, Pecker said it would be “probably the biggest sale of the National Enquirer since the death of Elvis Presley.”

Jurors viewed an internal Enquirer email and invoice describing the payments to the doorman to kill his story. One document describes the funds coming from the publication’s “corporate” account. An invoice references an “immediate” $30,000 bank transfer payment for “‘Trump’ non-published story.”

Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">34 felony counts</a>&nbsp;arise from reimbursements that prosecutors say Trump's company made to Cohen for hush money payments and that were falsely recorded as legal expenses.

The charges are punishable by up to four years in prison, though it’s unclear whether Merchan would seek to put him behind bars. A conviction would not preclude Trump from becoming president again, but because it is a state case, he would not be able to pardon himself if found guilty. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Tucker reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713921168558.png" alt="AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, Pool)" />
 <figcaption>AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, Pool)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — A veteran tabloid publisher testified Tuesday that he pledged to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;'s “eyes and ears" during his 2016 presidential campaign, recounting how he promised the then-candidate that he would help suppress harmful stories and even arranged to purchase the silence of a doorman.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713916840023.png" alt="-The court system is taking the&nbsp;novel step of posting the daily transcripts of the trial proceedings. The transcript for each day is available before the end of the following business day." />
 <figcaption>-The court system is taking the&nbsp;novel step of posting the daily transcripts of the trial proceedings. The transcript for each day is available before the end of the following business day.</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://pdfs.nycourts.gov/PeopleVs.DTrump-71543/transcripts/P.v%20Trump%20Transcript%20042244.pdf">Click here to read the </a>transcript of Day 1 in the historic Trump trialThe testimony from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/david-pecker">David Pecker</a>&nbsp;was designed to bolster the prosecution's premise of a decades-long friendship between Trump and the former publisher of the National Enquirer that culminated in an agreement to give the candidate's lawyer a heads-up on negative tips and stories so they could be quashed.The effort to suppress unflattering information was designed to illegally influence the election, prosecutors have alleged in striving to elevate the gravity of the first trial of a former American president and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">first of four criminal cases</a>&nbsp;against Trump to reach a jury.Pecker is the first witness against Trump, who faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with hush money payments meant to prevent harmful stories from surfacing in the final days of the 2016 campaign.With Trump sitting just feet away in the courtroom, Pecker detailed his intimate, behind-the-scenes involvement in Trump's rise from political novice to the Republican nomination and the White House. He explained how he and the National Enquirer parlayed rumor-mongering into splashy tabloid stories that smeared Trump's opponents and, just as crucially, leveraged his connections to suppress seamy stories about Trump, including a porn actor's claim of an extramarital sexual encounter a decade earlier.Pecker traced the origins of their relationship to a 1980s meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and said the friendship bloomed alongside the success of the real estate developer's TV show “The Apprentice" and the program's subsequent celebrity version.Their ties were solidified during a pivotal August 2015 meeting at Trump Tower involving Trump, his lawyer and personal fixer Michael Cohen, and another aide, Hope Hicks, in which Pecker was asked what he and the publications he led could do for the campaign.Pecker said he volunteered to publish positive stories about Trump and negative stories about his opponents. But that wasn't all, he said, telling jurors how he told Trump: “I will be your eyes and ears.”“I said that anything I hear in the marketplace, if I hear anything negative about yourself, or if I hear about women selling stories, I would notify Michael Cohen," so that the rights could be purchased and the stories could be killed.“So they would not get published?” asked prosecutor Joshua Steinglass.“So they would not get published,” Pecker replied.To illustrate their point, prosecutors displayed a screenshot of various flattering headlines the National Enquirer published about Trump, including “Donald Dominates!’ and “World Exclusive: The Donald Trump Nobody Knows.” The jury was also shown disparaging and outlandish stories about Trump's opponents, including surgeon Ben Carson and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.Pecker painted Cohen as a shadow editor of the National Enquirer’s pro-Trump coverage, directing the tabloid to go after whichever Republican candidate was gaining momentum.“I would receive a call from Michael Cohen, and he would direct me and direct Dylan Howard which candidate and which direction we should go,” Pecker said, referring to the tabloid's then-editor.Pecker said he underscored to Howard that the agreement with the Trump operation was “highly, highly confidential.” He said he wanted the tabloid’s bureau chiefs to be on the lookout for any stories involving Trump and said he wanted them to verify the stories before alerting Cohen.“I did not want anyone else to know this agreement I had and what I wanted to do,” the ex-publisher added.Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal charges related to his role in the hush money payments. He was once a confidant of Trump's, but their relationship deteriorated in spectacular fashion. Cohen is expected to be a star government witness, and he routinely posts profane broadsides against Trump on social media.Trump's lawyers are expected to make attacks on Cohen's credibility a foundation of their defense, but in opening with Pecker, prosecutors hoped to focus attention on a witness with a less volatile backstory. Besides maintaining that Trump is innocent, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told jurors that Cohen cannot be trusted and has “an obsession with getting Trump.”Pecker's testimony Tuesday followed a hearing earlier in the day in which prosecutors urged Judge Juan M. Merchan to hold Trump in contempt and fine him $1,000 for each of 10 social media posts that they say violated an earlier gag order barring attacks on witnesses, jurors and others involved in the case.Merchan did not immediately rule, but he seemed skeptical of defense arguments that Trump was merely responding in his posts to others' attacks and had been trying to comply with the order.Prosecutors allege that Trump sought to illegally influence the 2016 race through a practice known in the tabloid industry as “catch-and-kill” — catching a potentially damaging story by buying the rights to it and then killing it through agreements that prevent the paid person from telling the story to anyone else.In this case, that included a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to silence her claims of an extramarital sexual encounter that Trump denies. Prosecutors also described other arrangements, including one that paid a former Playboy model $150,000 to suppress claims of a nearly yearlong affair with the married Trump, which Trump also denies.In another instance, Pecker recounted a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-government-f37ecfc4710b468db6a103a245146172">$30,000</a>&nbsp;payment from the National Enquirer to a Trump Tower doorman for the rights to a rumor that Trump had fathered a child with an employee at Trump World Tower. The tabloid concluded the story was not true, and the woman and Trump have denied the allegations.As Pecker described receiving the tip in court, Trump shook his head.Pecker said upon hearing the rumor, he immediately called Cohen, who said it was “absolutely not true” but that he would look into whether the people involved had indeed worked for Trump’s company.“I made the decision to purchase the story because of the potential embarrassment it had to the campaign and to Mr. Trump,” Pecker said.In response to the prosecutor’s question about who he understood the boss to be, Pecker replied: “Donald Trump.”Explaining why he decided to have the National Enquirer foot the bill, Pecker testified: “This was going to be a very big story. I believe it was important that this story be removed from the marketplace.”If he published the story, Pecker said it would be “probably the biggest sale of the National Enquirer since the death of Elvis Presley.”Jurors viewed an internal Enquirer email and invoice describing the payments to the doorman to kill his story. One document describes the funds coming from the publication’s “corporate” account. An invoice references an “immediate” $30,000 bank transfer payment for “‘Trump’ non-published story.”Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">34 felony counts</a>&nbsp;arise from reimbursements that prosecutors say Trump's company made to Cohen for hush money payments and that were falsely recorded as legal expenses.The charges are punishable by up to four years in prison, though it’s unclear whether Merchan would seek to put him behind bars. A conviction would not preclude Trump from becoming president again, but because it is a state case, he would not be able to pardon himself if found guilty. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.___Tucker reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.___

Read transcript: Day 1 of historic Trump civil trial

The Fort Hays State Rodeo was April 11-13 in Hays.

The Fort Hays State Rodeo was April 11-13 in Hays.Photos by Jeff Leiker/Hays Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713903593113.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713903711178.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713903771578.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713903803309.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713903863688.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713903932598.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713904018996.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

📷 Photo gallery: 2024 FHSU rodeo

It is with great sadness and much love that we say goodbye to our beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother Dolores Jacqueline “Peachie” Schmidt who passed away December 21, 2023, in Hays, KS, at the age of 99 years.

Peachie was born to William and Gladys (Hanyan) Kasner on July 27, 1924, in Panora, Iowa. She went on to graduate from Panora High School in 1940 and then moved to Omaha to attend Telegraphy school. While working for the railroad, she met her husband, Willis “Bill” Schmidt. Peachie and Bill were married in Dorrance on January 23, 1946. After a brief move to California while Bill served in the Navy during WWII, they returned to Dorrance in 1947 to raise their three children.

Peachie leaves behind her children, Timmie Teppe, John (Gale) Schmidt, Debra (Greg) Augustine; 4 grandchildren Scott Teppe, Jennifer (Mark) Bongartz, Crystal Hamel, and Laura (Ryan) Gregoire; and 9 great-grandchildren Tyler, Adam, Gracelynn, Adalynn, Taelynn, Quinlynn, Theodore, Cora-Leigh, and Reinhardt.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and siblings, Hanyan Kasner, Marijon Wall, and Elizabeth Warner.

In her free time, Peachie enjoyed square dancing, sewing, and cooking. She was also an active member of the Dorrance community and First Lutheran Church. Peachie took pride in being a Charter Member of the American Legion Auxiliary #334 in Dorrance and taking part in Auxiliary activities. The greatest joys of Peachie's life were surrounding herself with the people she loved and spending time with Bill.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at 10:30AM at the First Lutheran Church in Dorrance, KS.

Memorials are suggested to the American Legion Post #334 or First Lutheran Church and may be sent to Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, PO Box 533, Wilson, KS 67490. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.plumeroverlease.com

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713902367288.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>It is with great sadness and much love that we say goodbye to our beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother Dolores Jacqueline “Peachie” Schmidt who passed away December 21, 2023, in Hays, KS, at the age of 99 years.Peachie was born to William and Gladys (Hanyan) Kasner on July 27, 1924, in Panora, Iowa. She went on to graduate from Panora High School in 1940 and then moved to Omaha to attend Telegraphy school. While working for the railroad, she met her husband, Willis “Bill” Schmidt. Peachie and Bill were married in Dorrance on January 23, 1946. After a brief move to California while Bill served in the Navy during WWII, they returned to Dorrance in 1947 to raise their three children.Peachie leaves behind her children, Timmie Teppe, John (Gale) Schmidt, Debra (Greg) Augustine; 4 grandchildren Scott Teppe, Jennifer (Mark) Bongartz, Crystal Hamel, and Laura (Ryan) Gregoire; and 9 great-grandchildren Tyler, Adam, Gracelynn, Adalynn, Taelynn, Quinlynn, Theodore, Cora-Leigh, and Reinhardt.She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and siblings, Hanyan Kasner, Marijon Wall, and Elizabeth Warner.In her free time, Peachie enjoyed square dancing, sewing, and cooking. She was also an active member of the Dorrance community and First Lutheran Church. Peachie took pride in being a Charter Member of the American Legion Auxiliary #334 in Dorrance and taking part in Auxiliary activities. The greatest joys of Peachie's life were surrounding herself with the people she loved and spending time with Bill.A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at 10:30AM at the First Lutheran Church in Dorrance, KS.Memorials are suggested to the American Legion Post #334 or First Lutheran Church and may be sent to Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, PO Box 533, Wilson, KS 67490. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.plumeroverlease.com

Dolores Jacqueline “Peachie” Schmidt

Minnetonka, Minnesota (AP) —UnitedHealth says files with personal information that could cover a “substantial portion of people in America” may have been taken in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/change-cyberattack-hospitals-pharmacy-alphv-unitedhealthcare-521347eb9e8490dad695a7824ed11c41">the cyberattack</a>&nbsp;earlier this year on its Change Healthcare business.

The company said Monday after markets closed that it sees no signs that doctor charts or full medical histories were released after the attack. But it may take several months of analysis before UnitedHealth can identify and notify people who were affected.

UnitedHealth did say that some screen shots containing protected health information or personally identifiable information were posted for about a week online on the dark web, which standard browsers can’t access.

The company is still monitoring the internet and dark web and said there has been no addition file publication. It has started&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/ns/health-data-breach.html">a website</a>&nbsp;to answer questions and a call center. But the company said it won’t be able to offer specifics on the impact to individual data.

The company also is offering free credit monitoring and identity theft protection for people affected by the attack.

UnitedHealth bought Change Healthcare in a roughly $8 billion deal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-health-business-minnesota-us-department-of-justice-55f01b05097e6e57716d6263275a5e3d">that closed in 2022</a>&nbsp;after surviving a challenge from federal regulators. The U.S. Department of Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-health-us-department-of-justice-18499bf074c30f1d89fe0c26ca2e7b13">had sued earlier that year</a>&nbsp;to block the deal, arguing that it would hurt competition by putting too much information about health care claims in the hands of one company.

UnitedHealth said in February that a ransomware group had gained access to some of the systems of its Change Healthcare business, which provides technology used to submit and process insurance claims.

The attack disrupted payment and claims processing around the country, stressing doctor’s offices and health care systems.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/change-healthcare-cyberattack-federal-government-hhs-88ac99fc0c62e69dc60fc5c39682e859">Federal civil rights investigators</a>&nbsp;are already looking into whether protected health information was exposed in the attack.

UnitedHealth said Monday that it was still restoring services disrupted by the attack. It has been focused first on restoring those that affect patient access to care or medication.

The company said both pharmacy services and medical claims were back to near normal levels. It said payment process was back to about 86% of pre-attack levels.

UnitedHealth said last week when it reported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealth-change-cyberattack-first-quarter-076a2bcbf0db3b5e6c4ffa27589c3692">first-quarter results</a>&nbsp;that the company has provided more than $6 billion in advance funding and interest-free loans to health care providers affected by the attack.

UnitedHealth took an $872 million hit from from the cyberattack in the first quarter, and company officials said that could grow beyond $1.5 billion for the year.

Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group Inc. runs one of the nation’s largest health insurers. It also runs one of the nation’s largest pharmacy benefits management businesses, provides care and offers technology services.

Minnetonka, Minnesota (AP) —UnitedHealth says files with personal information that could cover a “substantial portion of people in America” may have been taken in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/change-cyberattack-hospitals-pharmacy-alphv-unitedhealthcare-521347eb9e8490dad695a7824ed11c41">the cyberattack</a>&nbsp;earlier this year on its Change Healthcare business.The company said Monday after markets closed that it sees no signs that doctor charts or full medical histories were released after the attack. But it may take several months of analysis before UnitedHealth can identify and notify people who were affected.UnitedHealth did say that some screen shots containing protected health information or personally identifiable information were posted for about a week online on the dark web, which standard browsers can’t access.The company is still monitoring the internet and dark web and said there has been no addition file publication. It has started&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/ns/health-data-breach.html">a website</a>&nbsp;to answer questions and a call center. But the company said it won’t be able to offer specifics on the impact to individual data.The company also is offering free credit monitoring and identity theft protection for people affected by the attack.UnitedHealth bought Change Healthcare in a roughly $8 billion deal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-health-business-minnesota-us-department-of-justice-55f01b05097e6e57716d6263275a5e3d">that closed in 2022</a>&nbsp;after surviving a challenge from federal regulators. The U.S. Department of Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-health-us-department-of-justice-18499bf074c30f1d89fe0c26ca2e7b13">had sued earlier that year</a>&nbsp;to block the deal, arguing that it would hurt competition by putting too much information about health care claims in the hands of one company.UnitedHealth said in February that a ransomware group had gained access to some of the systems of its Change Healthcare business, which provides technology used to submit and process insurance claims.The attack disrupted payment and claims processing around the country, stressing doctor’s offices and health care systems.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/change-healthcare-cyberattack-federal-government-hhs-88ac99fc0c62e69dc60fc5c39682e859">Federal civil rights investigators</a>&nbsp;are already looking into whether protected health information was exposed in the attack.UnitedHealth said Monday that it was still restoring services disrupted by the attack. It has been focused first on restoring those that affect patient access to care or medication.The company said both pharmacy services and medical claims were back to near normal levels. It said payment process was back to about 86% of pre-attack levels.UnitedHealth said last week when it reported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealth-change-cyberattack-first-quarter-076a2bcbf0db3b5e6c4ffa27589c3692">first-quarter results</a>&nbsp;that the company has provided more than $6 billion in advance funding and interest-free loans to health care providers affected by the attack.UnitedHealth took an $872 million hit from from the cyberattack in the first quarter, and company officials said that could grow beyond $1.5 billion for the year.Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group Inc. runs one of the nation’s largest health insurers. It also runs one of the nation’s largest pharmacy benefits management businesses, provides care and offers technology services.

UnitedHealth paid ransom to bad actors; patient data compromised

BARTON COUNTY —With zero to low visibility, a&nbsp;Russell USD 407  activity bus was involved in an accident Tuesday morning, according to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

 The bus was transporting the Russell/Victoria baseball team to Liberal for a doubleheader.

The accident occurred on Northwest 30 Avenue, north Northwest 50 Road, in Barton County. Law enforcement blocked off Northwest 30 Avenue from Northwest 50 Road and north. No injuries have been reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713889135840.jpeg" alt="Photo by Mike Courson, Great Bend Post" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Mike Courson, Great Bend Post</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —With zero to low visibility, a&nbsp;Russell USD 407 activity bus was involved in an accident Tuesday morning, according to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir. The bus was transporting the Russell/Victoria baseball team to Liberal for a doubleheader.The accident occurred on Northwest 30 Avenue, north Northwest 50 Road, in Barton County. Law enforcement blocked off Northwest 30 Avenue from Northwest 50 Road and north. No injuries have been reported.

Russell school bus with baseball team involved in crash

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The Hays USD 489 school board voted Monday night to change the Hays Middle School mascot to the Indians.

The Indians have long been the mascot for Hays High School.

The district is undergoing a $143 million bond issue. A new high school is being built, and the current high school, which is on the same campus, will be renovated to serve as the new middle school.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/b03de214-a1e1-44df-8ea5-f597e5e62646">In 2022, the district formed a committee to evaluate the mascot for the new high school. The school board voted to keep Hays High's mascot as the Indians. They also voted to change the middle school colors to gold and maroon to match the high school colors.</a>

In 2022, a majority of community members said in a survey they supported the Indian mascot and the HMS and HHS mascots being the same.

Although uniting the mascots was discussed at that time, the change did not pass.

A survey issued to HMS staff last week also indicated a majority—41 out of 57 staff members—supported the HMS and HHS mascots being unified as the Indians.

Two weeks ago, board member Jayme Goetz asked the board to reconsider the question of the HMS mascot.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/2094db0e-7cc3-4a04-bcfa-33b1348bce18">SEE RELATED STORY: Hays USD 489 BOE discusses changing middle school mascot to Indians</a>

"I think based on these survey results and based on the overwhelming support I have received, I would be in favor of proceeding as one entity as one mascot, one unity," Goetz said.

After a brief discussion on Monday, the board voted 5-2 to change the middle school mascot to the Indians. Board members Meagan Zampieri-Lillpopp and Ken Brooks voted against the motion.

Board member Ruth Ruder said the logo is no longer an Indian headdress but an arrowhead with an H.

"I say we move forward now so coaches and teachers can move forward with where our district is heading, and we move away from this moving forward. One unit, one unity, one campus," Ruder said.

The HMS athletic director told the board members at their last meeting he was under a deadline to order uniforms for the next school year.

Zampieri-Lillpopp said the surveys indicated a number of people supported having the same mascot at both schools, but not necessarily the Indian mascot.

"As we are moving into trauma-informed models in a number of our schools, understanding historical and generation trauma imposed on people who were here before we were is very important," Zampieri-Lillpopp said.

She also said she thought it was inappropriate to bring the mascot issue to the board again when the board had previously voted on it. She said no new information was presented to warrant a reconsideration.

Board member Curt Vajanr said the issue failed last year in a tie 3-3 vote because a board member was absent. All seven board members were present last night.

Two members of the public spoke against the mascot change during the public comment session at the beginning of the meeting.

Anna Towns of Hays spoke against having the Indians as a district mascot for the second meeting in a row.

Towns read from a University of Kansas blog that quoted research by Stephanie Fryberg, PhD, about the negative effects of Native American mascots on young Native Americans.

According to the research, Native American mascots lowered self-esteem,  academic goals, and sense of community worth and increased suicidal ideation and depression among Native American youth.

The research also showed exposure to Native American mascots resulted in increases in white college students discriminating against all people of color.&nbsp;

"Americans need to ask themselves why they want to hold onto something, especially if science tells us that it's harmful to that group," Towns said.

Cheryl Duffy of Hays also spoke against the use of the Indian mascot.

Duffy said the Kansas Board of Education recommended in November 2022 that all schools in the state abandon native American mascots in the next five years.

The American Psychological Association recommended against the use of Native American mascots in 2005. The National Congress of American Indians, which represents hundreds of tribes and millions of individuals, has also denounced the use of Native American mascots.

"Either we care about them, or we don't," Duffy said of Native American young people.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689953330396.jpeg" alt="Hays High and Hays Middle schools' new logo." />
 <figcaption>Hays High and Hays Middle schools' new logo.</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe Hays USD 489 school board voted Monday night to change the Hays Middle School mascot to the Indians.The Indians have long been the mascot for Hays High School.The district is undergoing a $143 million bond issue. A new high school is being built, and the current high school, which is on the same campus, will be renovated to serve as the new middle school.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/b03de214-a1e1-44df-8ea5-f597e5e62646">In 2022, the district formed a committee to evaluate the mascot for the new high school. The school board voted to keep Hays High's mascot as the Indians. They also voted to change the middle school colors to gold and maroon to match the high school colors.</a>In 2022, a majority of community members said in a survey they supported the Indian mascot and the HMS and HHS mascots being the same.Although uniting the mascots was discussed at that time, the change did not pass.A survey issued to HMS staff last week also indicated a majority—41 out of 57 staff members—supported the HMS and HHS mascots being unified as the Indians.Two weeks ago, board member Jayme Goetz asked the board to reconsider the question of the HMS mascot.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/2094db0e-7cc3-4a04-bcfa-33b1348bce18">SEE RELATED STORY: Hays USD 489 BOE discusses changing middle school mascot to Indians</a>"I think based on these survey results and based on the overwhelming support I have received, I would be in favor of proceeding as one entity as one mascot, one unity," Goetz said.After a brief discussion on Monday, the board voted 5-2 to change the middle school mascot to the Indians. Board members Meagan Zampieri-Lillpopp and Ken Brooks voted against the motion.Board member Ruth Ruder said the logo is no longer an Indian headdress but an arrowhead with an H."I say we move forward now so coaches and teachers can move forward with where our district is heading, and we move away from this moving forward. One unit, one unity, one campus," Ruder said.The HMS athletic director told the board members at their last meeting he was under a deadline to order uniforms for the next school year.Zampieri-Lillpopp said the surveys indicated a number of people supported having the same mascot at both schools, but not necessarily the Indian mascot."As we are moving into trauma-informed models in a number of our schools, understanding historical and generation trauma imposed on people who were here before we were is very important," Zampieri-Lillpopp said.She also said she thought it was inappropriate to bring the mascot issue to the board again when the board had previously voted on it. She said no new information was presented to warrant a reconsideration.Board member Curt Vajanr said the issue failed last year in a tie 3-3 vote because a board member was absent. All seven board members were present last night.Two members of the public spoke against the mascot change during the public comment session at the beginning of the meeting.Anna Towns of Hays spoke against having the Indians as a district mascot for the second meeting in a row.Towns read from a University of Kansas blog that quoted research by Stephanie Fryberg, PhD, about the negative effects of Native American mascots on young Native Americans.According to the research, Native American mascots lowered self-esteem, academic goals, and sense of community worth and increased suicidal ideation and depression among Native American youth.The research also showed exposure to Native American mascots resulted in increases in white college students discriminating against all people of color.&nbsp;"Americans need to ask themselves why they want to hold onto something, especially if science tells us that it's harmful to that group," Towns said.Cheryl Duffy of Hays also spoke against the use of the Indian mascot.Duffy said the Kansas Board of Education recommended in November 2022 that all schools in the state abandon native American mascots in the next five years.The American Psychological Association recommended against the use of Native American mascots in 2005. The National Congress of American Indians, which represents hundreds of tribes and millions of individuals, has also denounced the use of Native American mascots."Either we care about them, or we don't," Duffy said of Native American young people.

Hays USD 489 BOE votes to change Hays Middle School mascot to Indians

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

There's a new fire station in northwest Hays, but you may not notice it.

And that's just fine with Fire Chief Ryan Hagans.

The exterior of the single-story building located at&nbsp;1732 W. 41st&nbsp;St. was intentionally designed to blend in with the new houses in the nearby neighborhood.

"Great work by PWC, our general contractor, and all the local vendors. Those guys just did an outstanding job of putting this place together," Hagans said Monday afternoon following a 'hose uncoupling' ceremony hosted by The Chamber in Hays.

Instead of a ribbon cutting, Hagans and Mayor Shaun Musil jointly uncoupled a bright red fire hose to signal the official opening of the new fire station.

"You guys deserve this. Our community deserves this," said Musil.

The project cost was slightly less than $6 million.

"This wouldn't have been possible for us without the Ellis County Commission when the sales tax passed for the emergency management center," he said.&nbsp;

"The city was able to use its share of that money to build this."

Also joining the ceremony were Vice-Mayor Sandy Jacobs and Commissioner Mason Ruder, City Manager Toby Dougherty and Deputy City Manager Collin Bielser.&nbsp;

"Our architect HFG out of Wichita designed a fabulous building," Hagans said. "They listened to us rather well on what we wanted, took our input and mixed their expertise, and created this lovely facility."

Tours were offered by Hagans and other firefighters.

Living quarters for the three on-duty firefighters are home-like. They'll spend a lot of time in the 12,000 sq. ft. facility during their shifts which are 24 hours on, 48 hours off.&nbsp;

There's a large well-equipped kitchen, workout room, administrative staff offices, and even an outdoor patio.

Sleeping quarters and shower/restroom facilities are more private, and there are lots of windows.

The third fire station was established to ensure short response times to emergencies as the city continues to develop to the northwest. 

"For the last 20 years, the city has grown north and northwest. ... Look at the number of houses just across 41st Street that have been developed in the last 20 years," Hagans said.

"This gives us access to north of I-70 quicker. We've got the bypass to get on. We can actually get to the airport quicker from here than downtown. We can get to Hays High and the hospital in about the same time.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"We can take arterial streets instead of neighborhood streets from here to get to where we need to go."

Fire department staff will be split between the new location and the&nbsp; downtown fire station at 1507 Main.&nbsp;

Renovations and updates at station number one are underway, including accommodations for female personnel.

The new station is now headquarters for the fire department and also houses the city's IT servers.

Fire station No. 2 is located at the Hays Regional Airport and is staffed according to the commercial flight schedule.

Tours of the new fire station will be offered throughout the spring.

For information, call the Hays Fire Department at 785-628-7330.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713825414923.jpeg" alt="Hays Fire Chief Ryan Hagans and Mayor Shaun Musil perform the official fire hose uncoupling to celebrate Monday's opening of the city's third fire station. Photos and video by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Hays Fire Chief Ryan Hagans and Mayor Shaun Musil perform the official fire hose uncoupling to celebrate Monday's opening of the city's third fire station. Photos and video by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostThere's a new fire station in northwest Hays, but you may not notice it.And that's just fine with Fire Chief Ryan Hagans.The exterior of the single-story building located at&nbsp;1732 W. 41st&nbsp;St. was intentionally designed to blend in with the new houses in the nearby neighborhood."Great work by PWC, our general contractor, and all the local vendors. Those guys just did an outstanding job of putting this place together," Hagans said Monday afternoon following a 'hose uncoupling' ceremony hosted by The Chamber in Hays.<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zATwkDBOF6w" title="New Hays fire station" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Instead of a ribbon cutting, Hagans and Mayor Shaun Musil jointly uncoupled a bright red fire hose to signal the official opening of the new fire station."You guys deserve this. Our community deserves this," said Musil.The project cost was slightly less than $6 million."This wouldn't have been possible for us without the Ellis County Commission when the sales tax passed for the emergency management center," he said.&nbsp; "The city was able to use its share of that money to build this."Also joining the ceremony were Vice-Mayor Sandy Jacobs and Commissioner Mason Ruder, City Manager Toby Dougherty and Deputy City Manager Collin Bielser.&nbsp;"Our architect HFG out of Wichita designed a fabulous building," Hagans said. "They listened to us rather well on what we wanted, took our input and mixed their expertise, and created this lovely facility."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713826670808.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713826771100.jpeg" alt="Fire Station No. 3 kitchen. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Fire Station No. 3 kitchen. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713826976176.jpeg" alt="Recliners in the living area. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Recliners in the living area. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713827116797.jpeg" alt="Bay area of Hays Fire Station No. 3. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Bay area of Hays Fire Station No. 3. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713827538543.jpeg" alt="Bunker gear. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Bunker gear. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713827675808.jpeg" alt="Operations area of Fire Station No. 3. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Operations area of Fire Station No. 3. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Tours were offered by Hagans and other firefighters.Living quarters for the three on-duty firefighters are home-like. They'll spend a lot of time in the 12,000 sq. ft. facility during their shifts which are 24 hours on, 48 hours off.&nbsp;There's a large well-equipped kitchen, workout room, administrative staff offices, and even an outdoor patio.Sleeping quarters and shower/restroom facilities are more private, and there are lots of windows.The third fire station was established to ensure short response times to emergencies as the city continues to develop to the northwest. "For the last 20 years, the city has grown north and northwest. ... Look at the number of houses just across 41st Street that have been developed in the last 20 years," Hagans said."This gives us access to north of I-70 quicker. We've got the bypass to get on. We can actually get to the airport quicker from here than downtown. We can get to Hays High and the hospital in about the same time.&nbsp;&nbsp;"We can take arterial streets instead of neighborhood streets from here to get to where we need to go."Fire department staff will be split between the new location and the&nbsp; downtown fire station at 1507 Main.&nbsp;Renovations and updates at station number one are underway, including accommodations for female personnel.The new station is now headquarters for the fire department and also houses the city's IT servers.Fire station No. 2 is located at the Hays Regional Airport and is staffed according to the commercial flight schedule.Tours of the new fire station will be offered throughout the spring.For information, call the Hays Fire Department at 785-628-7330.

🎥New fire station opens in fastest growing area of Hays

Having a polling place on campus, an area of town with a high population concentration, will be convenient for voters in that precinct, and encourage civic participation from the campus community. That is exactly the point that LOCAL voters have been trying to communicate for at least the last six years. It is also the point that the recent Hays Post article <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/3a3f06a1-6b07-45c6-bf3c-8b76f4d564d7">“ACLU presents Ellis Co. Clerk petition”</a> and the county clerk herself are missing.

In this most recent effort, the students Madison Albers and Grace McCord, working with the American Democracy Project, have presented County Clerk Bobbi Dreiling and the Ellis County Commission with information about other Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) schools that support this claim.

The most recent example, Wichita State University, saw a nearly 20% increase in voter turnout after they put a polling place on their campus. Dreiling complained about comparisons to the University of Kansas in Lawrence. However, their on-campus students-to-total-population ratio is 24%, while FHSU’s is 17%.

That’s only a 6% [sic] difference and is not an unreasonable comparison. Yes, KU is a much larger school, but Lawrence is also a much larger town. The increase in voter participation at other KBOR universities with a polling place on campus means it is realistic to expect that adding a polling place to the FHSU campus would empower students to get registered locally and take a more active role in civic engagement, subsequently increasing voter turnout in that precinct.

Last year, Albers and McCord went above and beyond to find a place on campus that would meet all of Dreiling’s ever-changing requirements, secure the support of University Police (to address traffic concerns), garner bipartisan support from campus Democratic and Republican clubs, and have the Student Government on board to provide poll workers for the campus polling place.

When Dreiling further pushed back against the Memorial Union as a polling place (due to the distance to the polling location from the front entrance—even though she is legally required to provide curbside voting for those with limited mobility), these students worked to get commitments from Gross Memorial Coliseum/Cuningham Hall, including consideration of sporting event schedules and special elections, and met every demand Dreiling had made.

Despite all this, and in the middle of these discussions, Dreiling chose to move the polling place from 601 Main St. to a location 16 blocks away in the middle of other voting precincts.

It would have made more sense to move that polling place to somewhere within that precinct—such as the FHSU campus. Dreiling closed two polling places, 601 Main St. and 2900 Canal Blvd. That means she could have opened two new polling places while incurring the same cost, using the same machinery, poll workers, etc.

There was no reason to choose to only open the Messiah Lutheran Church location and discontinue talks with the American Democracy Project about a polling location on campus.

The fact that Dreiling is more willing to consider reopening the 601 Main St. location than to open a polling place on campus is difficult to comprehend.

The county clerk’s continued insistence on falling back on the failures of prior clerks to bring a polling place to campus for “good reason, [because] the feasibility is not there” proves that she has not taken seriously the work of these students, who have met her every obstacle with a solution, proving that the feasibility is there.

Ellis County deserves to have a clerk who wants as many citizens as possible to engage with this community and as many voters as possible to participate in elections.

 This petition, along with our continued willingness to encourage County Clerk Dreiling to do the right thing, shows that there is support for this polling location.

This continued response of putting barriers in place and not meeting the voters where they are is a significant failure of leadership on Dreiling’s part. When Dreiling asserts that she has not heard from any other Ellis County citizens aside from us, that is simply not true.

She, in fact, received dozens of emails from locals last year in support of our efforts. She responded to those emails and made public claims of being personally attacked [read, held accountable for her actions], so she has previously acknowledged interactions with other Ellis County voters—we are not sure why she would deny them now.

Furthermore, letters of support from various campus entities such as Student Government, Faculty Senate, Campus Community Collaborative (3C), and Staff Senate were forwarded to Dreiling. President Tisa Mason has also publicly voiced her support of Albers’ and McCord’s efforts.

If Dreiling has reached out to FHSU students about a voter registration drive on campus, she has not contacted Albers or McCord to coordinate.

 We have an opportunity to educate young voters about the importance of civic engagement and to encourage voter registration and commitment to this community. 

Students living in Hays can register to vote in Ellis County during their time in Hays. At every turn, people in Ellis County ask why we can’t get young people to stay here and start their lives.

When Dreiling herself makes statements like “whether it be students or ACTUAL residents of Ellis County,” she is telling those students that they are not part of this community, that their voices don’t matter, and that she couldn’t care less if they got involved. Why would they ever choose to stay? 

— Anna Towns and Anniston Weber, both of Hays

Having a polling place on campus, an area of town with a high population concentration, will be convenient for voters in that precinct, and encourage civic participation from the campus community. That is exactly the point that LOCAL voters have been trying to communicate for at least the last six years. It is also the point that the recent Hays Post article <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/3a3f06a1-6b07-45c6-bf3c-8b76f4d564d7">“ACLU presents Ellis Co. Clerk petition”</a> and the county clerk herself are missing.In this most recent effort, the students Madison Albers and Grace McCord, working with the American Democracy Project, have presented County Clerk Bobbi Dreiling and the Ellis County Commission with information about other Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) schools that support this claim.The most recent example, Wichita State University, saw a nearly 20% increase in voter turnout after they put a polling place on their campus. Dreiling complained about comparisons to the University of Kansas in Lawrence. However, their on-campus students-to-total-population ratio is 24%, while FHSU’s is 17%.That’s only a 6% [sic] difference and is not an unreasonable comparison. Yes, KU is a much larger school, but Lawrence is also a much larger town. The increase in voter participation at other KBOR universities with a polling place on campus means it is realistic to expect that adding a polling place to the FHSU campus would empower students to get registered locally and take a more active role in civic engagement, subsequently increasing voter turnout in that precinct.Last year, Albers and McCord went above and beyond to find a place on campus that would meet all of Dreiling’s ever-changing requirements, secure the support of University Police (to address traffic concerns), garner bipartisan support from campus Democratic and Republican clubs, and have the Student Government on board to provide poll workers for the campus polling place.When Dreiling further pushed back against the Memorial Union as a polling place (due to the distance to the polling location from the front entrance—even though she is legally required to provide curbside voting for those with limited mobility), these students worked to get commitments from Gross Memorial Coliseum/Cuningham Hall, including consideration of sporting event schedules and special elections, and met every demand Dreiling had made.Despite all this, and in the middle of these discussions, Dreiling chose to move the polling place from 601 Main St. to a location 16 blocks away in the middle of other voting precincts.It would have made more sense to move that polling place to somewhere within that precinct—such as the FHSU campus. Dreiling closed two polling places, 601 Main St. and 2900 Canal Blvd. That means she could have opened two new polling places while incurring the same cost, using the same machinery, poll workers, etc.There was no reason to choose to only open the Messiah Lutheran Church location and discontinue talks with the American Democracy Project about a polling location on campus.The fact that Dreiling is more willing to consider reopening the 601 Main St. location than to open a polling place on campus is difficult to comprehend.The county clerk’s continued insistence on falling back on the failures of prior clerks to bring a polling place to campus for “good reason, [because] the feasibility is not there” proves that she has not taken seriously the work of these students, who have met her every obstacle with a solution, proving that the feasibility is there.Ellis County deserves to have a clerk who wants as many citizens as possible to engage with this community and as many voters as possible to participate in elections. This petition, along with our continued willingness to encourage County Clerk Dreiling to do the right thing, shows that there is support for this polling location.This continued response of putting barriers in place and not meeting the voters where they are is a significant failure of leadership on Dreiling’s part. When Dreiling asserts that she has not heard from any other Ellis County citizens aside from us, that is simply not true.She, in fact, received dozens of emails from locals last year in support of our efforts. She responded to those emails and made public claims of being personally attacked [read, held accountable for her actions], so she has previously acknowledged interactions with other Ellis County voters—we are not sure why she would deny them now.Furthermore, letters of support from various campus entities such as Student Government, Faculty Senate, Campus Community Collaborative (3C), and Staff Senate were forwarded to Dreiling. President Tisa Mason has also publicly voiced her support of Albers’ and McCord’s efforts.If Dreiling has reached out to FHSU students about a voter registration drive on campus, she has not contacted Albers or McCord to coordinate. We have an opportunity to educate young voters about the importance of civic engagement and to encourage voter registration and commitment to this community. Students living in Hays can register to vote in Ellis County during their time in Hays. At every turn, people in Ellis County ask why we can’t get young people to stay here and start their lives.When Dreiling herself makes statements like “whether it be students or ACTUAL residents of Ellis County,” she is telling those students that they are not part of this community, that their voices don’t matter, and that she couldn’t care less if they got involved. Why would they ever choose to stay? — Anna Towns and Anniston Weber, both of Hays

Letter: FHSU Polling Place: Possibility, Promise, Opportunity

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

Growing up, Ellis senior Logan Russell had always dreamed of playing college football.

It wasn't until his sophomore season that dream started to look like a reality, when, just by chance, he became the Railroaders' starting punter and kicker and one of the best specialists in the state.

A little more than two years later, Russell officially
signed his letter of intent to play football at Fort Hays State University, earlier
this month. 

For Russell, the chance to play at Fort Hays State is a dream
come true.

“Just being 15 minutes away from a place where I get to play
college football and going to watch since I was a little kid, it just has
always been my dream,” Russell said. 

“Three of the older Fort Hays football
players were like brothers to me. They were Connor Shedeed, Doyin Jibowu and Nathan
Shepherd. Those three were like my older brothers, and they just helped me get
through a lot.”

Russell said his parents had always told him he had a strong
leg, but it wasn’t until his sophomore year, while having fun in practice, that
the coaches noticed. 

“My parents always told me that I had a really strong arm
and a strong leg, and I never really took that for granted,” Russell said. 

“Once
that junior year hit, I got MCL and first-team all-state in 1A football (honors). That really proved to me that I could do something with the ability that God has given me. My parents have always pushed me to do that.”

He took over the punting duties early in his sophomore
season and averaged almost 38 yards per punt in his three years serving as the
varsity punter with 14 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

He finished as a three-time all-Mid-Continent League punter
and a two-time all-state selection.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713804331802.jpeg" alt="Logan Russell. Photo courtesy of Aaron Bencze" />
 <figcaption>Logan Russell. Photo courtesy of Aaron Bencze</figcaption>
 </figure>By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays PostGrowing up, Ellis senior Logan Russell had always dreamed of playing college football.It wasn't until his sophomore season that dream started to look like a reality, when, just by chance, he became the Railroaders' starting punter and kicker and one of the best specialists in the state.A little more than two years later, Russell officially
signed his letter of intent to play football at Fort Hays State University, earlier
this month. For Russell, the chance to play at Fort Hays State is a dream
come true.“Just being 15 minutes away from a place where I get to play
college football and going to watch since I was a little kid, it just has
always been my dream,” Russell said. “Three of the older Fort Hays football
players were like brothers to me. They were Connor Shedeed, Doyin Jibowu and Nathan
Shepherd. Those three were like my older brothers, and they just helped me get
through a lot.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713804355202.jpeg" alt="Logan Russell - Photo courtesy of Aaron Bencze" />
 <figcaption>Logan Russell - Photo courtesy of Aaron Bencze</figcaption>
 </figure>Russell said his parents had always told him he had a strong
leg, but it wasn’t until his sophomore year, while having fun in practice, that
the coaches noticed. “My parents always told me that I had a really strong arm
and a strong leg, and I never really took that for granted,” Russell said. “Once
that junior year hit, I got MCL and first-team all-state in 1A football (honors). That really proved to me that I could do something with the ability that God has given me. My parents have always pushed me to do that.”He took over the punting duties early in his sophomore
season and averaged almost 38 yards per punt in his three years serving as the
varsity punter with 14 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713804276416.jpeg" alt="Logan Russell - Photo courtesy of Aaron Bencze" />
 <figcaption>Logan Russell - Photo courtesy of Aaron Bencze</figcaption>
 </figure>He finished as a three-time all-Mid-Continent League punter
and a two-time all-state selection.Russell said Fort Hays State coach Layton Hickel reached out
first, expressing the Tigers' interest in signing him. He said he was excited to get that phone call."I was sitting in our truck and automatically turned off
the phone and just prayed. I was like, 'Thank you, Lord, for giving me this
opportunity. I know I've been asking so much recently, but I said thank you,
Lord, for giving me this opportunity, and I won't let you down," Russell said.He also said he left his visit with the coaching staff feeling
like he had an opportunity to contribute."After talking with the coaches, they were like, Hey, we have a great opportunity for you to come here. We need some young guys to come in
and fill some roles. And I was like, I can be that guy. So I'm really excited,"
Russell said. Russell said he also wants to help others and be a part of a
support system he experienced with the older Fort Hays State players growing up."Whenever I go to Hays, I want to be like that for
other people if I can," Russell said. "Also, knowing that I have friends, we're
also going to play sports in Hays, so I'm not alone. I can always ask for
help from anyone around here."Russell plans on majoring in pre-physical therapy at Fort
Hays State. "I really like math and science. Those are my two favorite
subjects, and physical therapy has always intrigued me," Russell said. I've always wanted to help people with a passion, and physical therapy is the opportunity for me to do
that."