The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/forthaysstate/?__cft__[0]=AZW3MI56jn96288IiCuqOAlNYXhK3PQDJUdyrNbAPwPhgbShW-tIa_SVVDsvzJt6Wbg-O5LaZqy4RAaenDFP4NtmSY81-PZ_KCRikMClfPp4WXDw_EDDUWfdvzAf5SBlx2apJ9BG4cZVz7v-qn7I_3gbMUIbMBcwbH54JOViD-JYse6NdixG7AKKoVZSOjkXDiC7xUJMVrp98MWTxLT3d9Dc2vG0Cru5pgi2uW4oFLZGtQ&amp;__tn__=kK*F">Fort Hays State University</a>&nbsp;football team takes on Central Oklahoma this Saturday, October 16, 7:00 p.m. at Lewis Field Stadium in Hays.

There will be a fireworks show approximately 10 minutes after the conclusion of the game! 

Brought to you by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/j.dayfireworks/?__cft__[0]=AZW3MI56jn96288IiCuqOAlNYXhK3PQDJUdyrNbAPwPhgbShW-tIa_SVVDsvzJt6Wbg-O5LaZqy4RAaenDFP4NtmSY81-PZ_KCRikMClfPp4WXDw_EDDUWfdvzAf5SBlx2apJ9BG4cZVz7v-qn7I_3gbMUIbMBcwbH54JOViD-JYse6NdixG7AKKoVZSOjkXDiC7xUJMVrp98MWTxLT3d9Dc2vG0Cru5pgi2uW4oFLZGtQ&amp;__tn__=kK*F">J.Day Fireworks LLC</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/horizonappliance/?__cft__[0]=AZW3MI56jn96288IiCuqOAlNYXhK3PQDJUdyrNbAPwPhgbShW-tIa_SVVDsvzJt6Wbg-O5LaZqy4RAaenDFP4NtmSY81-PZ_KCRikMClfPp4WXDw_EDDUWfdvzAf5SBlx2apJ9BG4cZVz7v-qn7I_3gbMUIbMBcwbH54JOViD-JYse6NdixG7AKKoVZSOjkXDiC7xUJMVrp98MWTxLT3d9Dc2vG0Cru5pgi2uW4oFLZGtQ&amp;__tn__=kK*F">Horizon Appliance &amp; Electronics</a>, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/HaysCVB/?__cft__[0]=AZW3MI56jn96288IiCuqOAlNYXhK3PQDJUdyrNbAPwPhgbShW-tIa_SVVDsvzJt6Wbg-O5LaZqy4RAaenDFP4NtmSY81-PZ_KCRikMClfPp4WXDw_EDDUWfdvzAf5SBlx2apJ9BG4cZVz7v-qn7I_3gbMUIbMBcwbH54JOViD-JYse6NdixG7AKKoVZSOjkXDiC7xUJMVrp98MWTxLT3d9Dc2vG0Cru5pgi2uW4oFLZGtQ&amp;__tn__=kK*F">Hays Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau</a>.

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/roartigers?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZW3MI56jn96288IiCuqOAlNYXhK3PQDJUdyrNbAPwPhgbShW-tIa_SVVDsvzJt6Wbg-O5LaZqy4RAaenDFP4NtmSY81-PZ_KCRikMClfPp4WXDw_EDDUWfdvzAf5SBlx2apJ9BG4cZVz7v-qn7I_3gbMUIbMBcwbH54JOViD-JYse6NdixG7AKKoVZSOjkXDiC7xUJMVrp98MWTxLT3d9Dc2vG0Cru5pgi2uW4oFLZGtQ&amp;__tn__=*NK*F">#roartigers</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/defendthefort?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZW3MI56jn96288IiCuqOAlNYXhK3PQDJUdyrNbAPwPhgbShW-tIa_SVVDsvzJt6Wbg-O5LaZqy4RAaenDFP4NtmSY81-PZ_KCRikMClfPp4WXDw_EDDUWfdvzAf5SBlx2apJ9BG4cZVz7v-qn7I_3gbMUIbMBcwbH54JOViD-JYse6NdixG7AKKoVZSOjkXDiC7xUJMVrp98MWTxLT3d9Dc2vG0Cru5pgi2uW4oFLZGtQ&amp;__tn__=*NK*F">#defendthefort</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625170279133.jpeg" alt="(Photo by Unsplash)" />
 <figcaption>(Photo by Unsplash)</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays CVB The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/forthaysstate/?__cft__[0]=AZW3MI56jn96288IiCuqOAlNYXhK3PQDJUdyrNbAPwPhgbShW-tIa_SVVDsvzJt6Wbg-O5LaZqy4RAaenDFP4NtmSY81-PZ_KCRikMClfPp4WXDw_EDDUWfdvzAf5SBlx2apJ9BG4cZVz7v-qn7I_3gbMUIbMBcwbH54JOViD-JYse6NdixG7AKKoVZSOjkXDiC7xUJMVrp98MWTxLT3d9Dc2vG0Cru5pgi2uW4oFLZGtQ&amp;__tn__=kK*F">Fort Hays State University</a>&nbsp;football team takes on Central Oklahoma this Saturday, October 16, 7:00 p.m. at Lewis Field Stadium in Hays. There will be a fireworks show approximately 10 minutes after the conclusion of the game! Brought to you by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/j.dayfireworks/?__cft__[0]=AZW3MI56jn96288IiCuqOAlNYXhK3PQDJUdyrNbAPwPhgbShW-tIa_SVVDsvzJt6Wbg-O5LaZqy4RAaenDFP4NtmSY81-PZ_KCRikMClfPp4WXDw_EDDUWfdvzAf5SBlx2apJ9BG4cZVz7v-qn7I_3gbMUIbMBcwbH54JOViD-JYse6NdixG7AKKoVZSOjkXDiC7xUJMVrp98MWTxLT3d9Dc2vG0Cru5pgi2uW4oFLZGtQ&amp;__tn__=kK*F">J.Day Fireworks LLC</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/horizonappliance/?__cft__[0]=AZW3MI56jn96288IiCuqOAlNYXhK3PQDJUdyrNbAPwPhgbShW-tIa_SVVDsvzJt6Wbg-O5LaZqy4RAaenDFP4NtmSY81-PZ_KCRikMClfPp4WXDw_EDDUWfdvzAf5SBlx2apJ9BG4cZVz7v-qn7I_3gbMUIbMBcwbH54JOViD-JYse6NdixG7AKKoVZSOjkXDiC7xUJMVrp98MWTxLT3d9Dc2vG0Cru5pgi2uW4oFLZGtQ&amp;__tn__=kK*F">Horizon Appliance &amp; Electronics</a>, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/HaysCVB/?__cft__[0]=AZW3MI56jn96288IiCuqOAlNYXhK3PQDJUdyrNbAPwPhgbShW-tIa_SVVDsvzJt6Wbg-O5LaZqy4RAaenDFP4NtmSY81-PZ_KCRikMClfPp4WXDw_EDDUWfdvzAf5SBlx2apJ9BG4cZVz7v-qn7I_3gbMUIbMBcwbH54JOViD-JYse6NdixG7AKKoVZSOjkXDiC7xUJMVrp98MWTxLT3d9Dc2vG0Cru5pgi2uW4oFLZGtQ&amp;__tn__=kK*F">Hays Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau</a>.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/roartigers?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZW3MI56jn96288IiCuqOAlNYXhK3PQDJUdyrNbAPwPhgbShW-tIa_SVVDsvzJt6Wbg-O5LaZqy4RAaenDFP4NtmSY81-PZ_KCRikMClfPp4WXDw_EDDUWfdvzAf5SBlx2apJ9BG4cZVz7v-qn7I_3gbMUIbMBcwbH54JOViD-JYse6NdixG7AKKoVZSOjkXDiC7xUJMVrp98MWTxLT3d9Dc2vG0Cru5pgi2uW4oFLZGtQ&amp;__tn__=*NK*F">#roartigers</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/defendthefort?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZW3MI56jn96288IiCuqOAlNYXhK3PQDJUdyrNbAPwPhgbShW-tIa_SVVDsvzJt6Wbg-O5LaZqy4RAaenDFP4NtmSY81-PZ_KCRikMClfPp4WXDw_EDDUWfdvzAf5SBlx2apJ9BG4cZVz7v-qn7I_3gbMUIbMBcwbH54JOViD-JYse6NdixG7AKKoVZSOjkXDiC7xUJMVrp98MWTxLT3d9Dc2vG0Cru5pgi2uW4oFLZGtQ&amp;__tn__=*NK*F">#defendthefort</a>

FHSU football and fireworks Saturday at Lewis Field Stadium

WASHINGTON (AP) –Thousands of public servants who were rejected from a student loan forgiveness program will get their cases reviewed by the Education Department as part of a settlement in a lawsuit brought by one of the nation’s largest teachers unions.

The settlement announced Wednesday aims to resolve a 2019 suit accusing the department of mismanaging its Public Service Loan Forgiveness program — a troubled initiative that the agency is separately working to fix through an overhaul&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-congress-student-loans-education-cecef88ebeebe2f524022f603f22a83b">announced last week</a>.

The suit was brought by the American Federation of Teachers on behalf of eight members who said they were wrongly denied debt cancellation through the program.

Created in 2007, the program promises that college graduates who take jobs in public service can have their federal student debt forgiven after making 10 years of monthly payments. But the vast majority of applicants have been rejected, often for failing to meet complicated eligibility rules.

According to the lawsuit, the Education Department routinely made errors while processing applications yet offered no appeals process. It argued that borrowers were illegally being denied their right to due process. The suit targeted the department and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

As part of the settlement, the department said it will automatically review applications for all borrowers who were rejected prior to Nov. 1, 2020, as long as they had made 10 years of payments. If the department finds that a rejection was justified, it will email borrowers to explain the decision and how they can become eligible.

It goes a step further than a temporary expansion announced last week, which allows some previously ineligible borrowers to get loan forgiveness if they submit an application by the end of October 2022.

A new appeals process also will be created by April 30, 2022, for anyone whose application is denied. All eight plaintiffs in the suit will also get their loan balances erased, estimated at nearly $400,000.

Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT, called it a “game-changing victory” for educators, nurses and other public workers who were wrongly rejected.

“We just ensured that a promise made is a promise kept,” Weingarten said in a call with reporters. “The settlement unravels the Gordian knot of PSLF’s botched implementation.”

Kelly Leon, a department spokesperson, said the Biden administration is committed to improving the program, which she said has failed to live up to its promise.

“We are pleased to settle this litigation and look forward to working with organizations including AFT to further improve the PSLF Program,” she said in a statement.

Among the plaintiffs is Debbie Baker, an Oklahoma teacher who made 10 years of payments before learning she had a type of loan that isn’t eligible under the program’s rules. She will now get more than $80,000 in student debt erased.

“This is just lifechanging — to be able to go to school and teach every day, and not have to deal with the anxiety and the anguish and the guilt and the feeling of just being trapped by debt,” she told reporters. “This is truly, truly lifechanging.”

Some other plaintiffs said their student loan servicers incorrectly told them they were eligible for the program, only to find out later that they had an ineligible loan or repayment plan. They also will see their loans cleared.

The department also agreed to email borrowers who may be eligible for loan forgiveness and explain how to submit the right paperwork.

The program has been a subject of debate for years amid criticism that it failed to deliver its promise to public servants. It was created to steer more college graduates into jobs that serve the public good but often have modest pay. It’s open to government workers at all levels and employees of nonprofit groups.

After finding that most applications were being rejected, Congress added $700 million to the program and temporarily expanded its rules in 2018. But even after that change, just 1% of applications were approved, according to a federal report a year later.

Thousands of applicants have been denied because they had loans through a now-defunct program that gave federally backed student loans through banks. Those loans are ineligible under the program’s original rules, as are some repayment plans.

Last week, the Education Department announced it will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-student-loans-education-e7ddbd51e67e7e0ffb0f833f3ef02c42">temporarily lift some rules</a>&nbsp;to expand eligibility while it works on permanent improvements.

Under the change, past payments can be counted toward the required 10 years of payments even if they were made on loans or through payment plans that were previously ineligible. Borrowers have until Oct. 30, 2022, to get those payments counted.

The department is lifting the rules by invoking the HEROES Act of 2003, a federal law that allows the agency to waive certain rules during a national emergency. The move was applauded by Democrats and student advocates but blasted by Republicans, who say any changes should be made by Congress.

The Biden administration vowed to make permanent improvements through a federal rulemaking process. Hearings for that process started last week.

WASHINGTON (AP) –Thousands of public servants who were rejected from a student loan forgiveness program will get their cases reviewed by the Education Department as part of a settlement in a lawsuit brought by one of the nation’s largest teachers unions.The settlement announced Wednesday aims to resolve a 2019 suit accusing the department of mismanaging its Public Service Loan Forgiveness program — a troubled initiative that the agency is separately working to fix through an overhaul&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-congress-student-loans-education-cecef88ebeebe2f524022f603f22a83b">announced last week</a>.The suit was brought by the American Federation of Teachers on behalf of eight members who said they were wrongly denied debt cancellation through the program.Created in 2007, the program promises that college graduates who take jobs in public service can have their federal student debt forgiven after making 10 years of monthly payments. But the vast majority of applicants have been rejected, often for failing to meet complicated eligibility rules.According to the lawsuit, the Education Department routinely made errors while processing applications yet offered no appeals process. It argued that borrowers were illegally being denied their right to due process. The suit targeted the department and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.As part of the settlement, the department said it will automatically review applications for all borrowers who were rejected prior to Nov. 1, 2020, as long as they had made 10 years of payments. If the department finds that a rejection was justified, it will email borrowers to explain the decision and how they can become eligible.It goes a step further than a temporary expansion announced last week, which allows some previously ineligible borrowers to get loan forgiveness if they submit an application by the end of October 2022.A new appeals process also will be created by April 30, 2022, for anyone whose application is denied. All eight plaintiffs in the suit will also get their loan balances erased, estimated at nearly $400,000.Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT, called it a “game-changing victory” for educators, nurses and other public workers who were wrongly rejected.“We just ensured that a promise made is a promise kept,” Weingarten said in a call with reporters. “The settlement unravels the Gordian knot of PSLF’s botched implementation.”Kelly Leon, a department spokesperson, said the Biden administration is committed to improving the program, which she said has failed to live up to its promise.“We are pleased to settle this litigation and look forward to working with organizations including AFT to further improve the PSLF Program,” she said in a statement.Among the plaintiffs is Debbie Baker, an Oklahoma teacher who made 10 years of payments before learning she had a type of loan that isn’t eligible under the program’s rules. She will now get more than $80,000 in student debt erased.“This is just lifechanging — to be able to go to school and teach every day, and not have to deal with the anxiety and the anguish and the guilt and the feeling of just being trapped by debt,” she told reporters. “This is truly, truly lifechanging.”Some other plaintiffs said their student loan servicers incorrectly told them they were eligible for the program, only to find out later that they had an ineligible loan or repayment plan. They also will see their loans cleared.The department also agreed to email borrowers who may be eligible for loan forgiveness and explain how to submit the right paperwork.The program has been a subject of debate for years amid criticism that it failed to deliver its promise to public servants. It was created to steer more college graduates into jobs that serve the public good but often have modest pay. It’s open to government workers at all levels and employees of nonprofit groups.After finding that most applications were being rejected, Congress added $700 million to the program and temporarily expanded its rules in 2018. But even after that change, just 1% of applications were approved, according to a federal report a year later.Thousands of applicants have been denied because they had loans through a now-defunct program that gave federally backed student loans through banks. Those loans are ineligible under the program’s original rules, as are some repayment plans.Last week, the Education Department announced it will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-student-loans-education-e7ddbd51e67e7e0ffb0f833f3ef02c42">temporarily lift some rules</a>&nbsp;to expand eligibility while it works on permanent improvements.Under the change, past payments can be counted toward the required 10 years of payments even if they were made on loans or through payment plans that were previously ineligible. Borrowers have until Oct. 30, 2022, to get those payments counted.The department is lifting the rules by invoking the HEROES Act of 2003, a federal law that allows the agency to waive certain rules during a national emergency. The move was applauded by Democrats and student advocates but blasted by Republicans, who say any changes should be made by Congress.The Biden administration vowed to make permanent improvements through a federal rulemaking process. Hearings for that process started last week.

Borrowers denied student loan relief will get a 2nd look

TOPEKA - The Kansas Volleyball Association is pleased to announce the 2021 Week 6 Volleyball Rankings. Records listed reflect information that was submitted by Monday, October 11.

Locally, TMP-Marian (23-8) fell two spots to No. 10 in 3A. Victoria (23-3) slipped two spots to No. 3 in 1A Division I. Both the Knights losses last week were to ranked teams Ellinwood (No. 4 in 2A) and Central Plains (No. 4 in 1A Division II). Smith Center stays at No. 1 in 2A and Wheatland-Grinnell; is seventh in 1A Division II.

Rank – School – Record – Last Week’s Rank

Class 6A 1. Washburn Rural 27-0 (1) 2. Blue Valley North 24-2 (2) 3. Blue Valley West 23-7 (3) 4. Shawnee Mission Northwest 27-7 (4) 5. Wichita Northwest 35-1 (5) 6. Olathe Northwest 17-8 (6) 7. Lawrence-Free State 19-8 (7) 8. Hutchinson 28-4 (8) 9. Blue Valley Northwest 16-10 (9) 10. Derby 22-11 (10)

Class 5A 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 31-3 (1) 2. Lansing 27-1 (2) 3. St. James Academy 19-9 (3) 4. Mill Valley 27-6 (4) 5. Maize South 21-6 (5) 6. Seaman 18-8 (6) 7. Spring Hill 21-6 (7) 8. Goddard-Eisenhower 20-7 (10) 9. Basehor-Linwood 21-8 (8) 10. Bishop Carroll 20-10 (9)

Class 4A 1. Andale 26-1 (1) 2. McPherson 27-6 (2) 3. Circle 23-5 (4) 4. Baldwin 23-3 (3) 5. Clay Center 21-5 (5) 6. Augusta 22-4 (6) 7. Louisburg 18-10 (8) 8. Bishop Miege 9-19 (7) 9. Ottawa 15-16 (10) 10. Labette County 27-3 (NR)

Class 3A 1. Cheney 26-1 (3) 2. Smoky Valley 25-3 (1) 3. Heritage Christian 26-2 (2) 4. Nemaha Central 26-3 (4) 5. Hiawatha 26-3 (5) 6. Goodland 26-3 (9) 7. Riverton 27-3 (6) 8. Eureka 28-1 (7) 9. Silver Lake 23-8 (NR) 10. Thomas More Prep-Marian 23-8 (8)

Class 2A 1. Smith Center 28-2 (1) 2. Sedgwick 27-3 (3) 3. Garden Plain 20-6 (2) 4. Ellinwood 24-4 (5) 5. Hillsboro 21-7 (4) 6. Sterling 25-7 (7) 7. Wabaunsee 26-5 (6) 8. Meade/Fowler 28-1 (8) 9. Inman 24-8 (10) 10. Jefferson County North 23-5 (9)

Class 1A – Division 1 1. Centralia 28-3 (3) 2. Little River 25-3 (2) 3. Victoria 21-3 (1) 4. Pretty Prairie 26-4 (4) 5. Kiowa County 25-5 (5) 6. Spearville 25-6 (8) 7. St. Paul 27-4 (7) 8. Burlingame 17-6 (6) 9. Doniphan West 20-9 (NR) 10. St. John-Hudson 15-9 (NR)

Class 1A – Division 2 1. Hanover 24-5 (1) 2. Lebo 24-4 (2) 3. Attica 24-2 (3) 4. Central Plains 19-7 (5) 5. Linn 20-8 (6) 6. Golden Plains 24-4 (4) 7. Wheatland-Grinnell 19-8 (7) 8. Central Christian 17-7 (9) 9. Dighton 18-6 (10) 10. Argonia 17-5 (8)

TOPEKA - The Kansas Volleyball Association is pleased to announce the 2021 Week 6 Volleyball Rankings. Records listed reflect information that was submitted by Monday, October 11.Locally, TMP-Marian (23-8) fell two spots to No. 10 in 3A. Victoria (23-3) slipped two spots to No. 3 in 1A Division I. Both the Knights losses last week were to ranked teams Ellinwood (No. 4 in 2A) and Central Plains (No. 4 in 1A Division II). Smith Center stays at No. 1 in 2A and Wheatland-Grinnell; is seventh in 1A Division II.Rank – School – Record – Last Week’s RankClass 6A 1. Washburn Rural 27-0 (1) 2. Blue Valley North 24-2 (2) 3. Blue Valley West 23-7 (3) 4. Shawnee Mission Northwest 27-7 (4) 5. Wichita Northwest 35-1 (5) 6. Olathe Northwest 17-8 (6) 7. Lawrence-Free State 19-8 (7) 8. Hutchinson 28-4 (8) 9. Blue Valley Northwest 16-10 (9) 10. Derby 22-11 (10)Class 5A 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 31-3 (1) 2. Lansing 27-1 (2) 3. St. James Academy 19-9 (3) 4. Mill Valley 27-6 (4) 5. Maize South 21-6 (5) 6. Seaman 18-8 (6) 7. Spring Hill 21-6 (7) 8. Goddard-Eisenhower 20-7 (10) 9. Basehor-Linwood 21-8 (8) 10. Bishop Carroll 20-10 (9)Class 4A 1. Andale 26-1 (1) 2. McPherson 27-6 (2) 3. Circle 23-5 (4) 4. Baldwin 23-3 (3) 5. Clay Center 21-5 (5) 6. Augusta 22-4 (6) 7. Louisburg 18-10 (8) 8. Bishop Miege 9-19 (7) 9. Ottawa 15-16 (10) 10. Labette County 27-3 (NR)Class 3A 1. Cheney 26-1 (3) 2. Smoky Valley 25-3 (1) 3. Heritage Christian 26-2 (2) 4. Nemaha Central 26-3 (4) 5. Hiawatha 26-3 (5) 6. Goodland 26-3 (9) 7. Riverton 27-3 (6) 8. Eureka 28-1 (7) 9. Silver Lake 23-8 (NR) 10. Thomas More Prep-Marian 23-8 (8)Class 2A 1. Smith Center 28-2 (1) 2. Sedgwick 27-3 (3) 3. Garden Plain 20-6 (2) 4. Ellinwood 24-4 (5) 5. Hillsboro 21-7 (4) 6. Sterling 25-7 (7) 7. Wabaunsee 26-5 (6) 8. Meade/Fowler 28-1 (8) 9. Inman 24-8 (10) 10. Jefferson County North 23-5 (9)Class 1A – Division 1 1. Centralia 28-3 (3) 2. Little River 25-3 (2) 3. Victoria 21-3 (1) 4. Pretty Prairie 26-4 (4) 5. Kiowa County 25-5 (5) 6. Spearville 25-6 (8) 7. St. Paul 27-4 (7) 8. Burlingame 17-6 (6) 9. Doniphan West 20-9 (NR) 10. St. John-Hudson 15-9 (NR)Class 1A – Division 2 1. Hanover 24-5 (1) 2. Lebo 24-4 (2) 3. Attica 24-2 (3) 4. Central Plains 19-7 (5) 5. Linn 20-8 (6) 6. Golden Plains 24-4 (4) 7. Wheatland-Grinnell 19-8 (7) 8. Central Christian 17-7 (9) 9. Dighton 18-6 (10) 10. Argonia 17-5 (8)

🏐 Latest KVA rankings

The October 14 Hays City Commission meeting has been canceled.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584721067731.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>City of HaysThe October 14 Hays City Commission meeting has been canceled.

City commission meeting canceled this week

Robert W. “Bob” Cassity, 78, died October 12, 2021, at Clara Barton Hospital, Hoisington. He was born April 16, 1943, in Garnett, the son of Wilmer R. “Buck” and Esther D. (Burlingham) Cassity.&nbsp; Bob graduated from Garnett High School in 1961 and attended Fort Hays State College.&nbsp;

On Dec. 13, 1967, he married Margie Bennett in Miami, Okla.

Bob and Margie moved from Garnett to Hoisington in 1975, where they owned and operated Central Kansas Cheese Plant for many years. A jack of all trades, Bob also worked in plumbing, heating and air for A&amp;F Enterprises Inc. Most recently he was known for the Cassity Bait Shop and was a local favorite on the trade radio known as Catfish Bob.

He served for six years in the Army National Guard and was a member of the American Legion Post #48 of Garnett. He was president of the Hoisington Little League where he also coached his boy’s teams for several years.

Bob was an animal lover, who never turned an animal away, and will be missed by his many fur babies. He was an avid gardener, fisherman, and outdoorsman. Most especially he loved his grandchildren and loved spending time with them, taking them fishing and camping, gathering nightcrawlers and telling them stories.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 54 years, Margie Cassity of the home; three sons, Kevin Cassity of Hoisington, Craig Cassity and wife Julie, and Brandon Cassity, all of Wichita; sisters, Vera Storer of Hays, and Helen Miller of Garnett; and his forever cherished grandchildren who called him “Papa," Tyler, Tanner and wife Allie, Hannah, Cailyn and Katie.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Herman “Bud” Cassity, sisters, Jeanne Lankard and Marjorie “Tootie” Akers, and an infant sister, Nina Ruth Cassity.

Friends may sign the book now until service. There will be no viewing as cremation has taken place.&nbsp;

Family will greet friends from 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 21 at the funeral home.

Memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22 at Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home Chapel, with Ron Bailey and Pastor Don Fisher presiding.

Burial will be at a later date in Glenloch Cemetery, Garnett.

Memorials may be made to Hoisington Stray Animal Fund or Kans for Kids, in care of Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, PO Box 146, Hoisington, KS 67544.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634159018400.jpeg" alt="Robert W. “Bob” Cassity " />
 <figcaption>Robert W. “Bob” Cassity </figcaption>
 </figure>Robert W. “Bob” Cassity, 78, died October 12, 2021, at Clara Barton Hospital, Hoisington. He was born April 16, 1943, in Garnett, the son of Wilmer R. “Buck” and Esther D. (Burlingham) Cassity.&nbsp; Bob graduated from Garnett High School in 1961 and attended Fort Hays State College.&nbsp;On Dec. 13, 1967, he married Margie Bennett in Miami, Okla.Bob and Margie moved from Garnett to Hoisington in 1975, where they owned and operated Central Kansas Cheese Plant for many years. A jack of all trades, Bob also worked in plumbing, heating and air for A&amp;F Enterprises Inc. Most recently he was known for the Cassity Bait Shop and was a local favorite on the trade radio known as Catfish Bob.He served for six years in the Army National Guard and was a member of the American Legion Post #48 of Garnett. He was president of the Hoisington Little League where he also coached his boy’s teams for several years.Bob was an animal lover, who never turned an animal away, and will be missed by his many fur babies. He was an avid gardener, fisherman, and outdoorsman. Most especially he loved his grandchildren and loved spending time with them, taking them fishing and camping, gathering nightcrawlers and telling them stories.He is survived by his wife of nearly 54 years, Margie Cassity of the home; three sons, Kevin Cassity of Hoisington, Craig Cassity and wife Julie, and Brandon Cassity, all of Wichita; sisters, Vera Storer of Hays, and Helen Miller of Garnett; and his forever cherished grandchildren who called him “Papa," Tyler, Tanner and wife Allie, Hannah, Cailyn and Katie.He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Herman “Bud” Cassity, sisters, Jeanne Lankard and Marjorie “Tootie” Akers, and an infant sister, Nina Ruth Cassity.Friends may sign the book now until service. There will be no viewing as cremation has taken place.&nbsp;Family will greet friends from 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 21 at the funeral home.Memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22 at Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home Chapel, with Ron Bailey and Pastor Don Fisher presiding.Burial will be at a later date in Glenloch Cemetery, Garnett.Memorials may be made to Hoisington Stray Animal Fund or Kans for Kids, in care of Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, PO Box 146, Hoisington, KS 67544.

Robert W. “Bob” Cassity

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Hays received .79 inches of rain overnight.

Winds reached 39 mph at 10 meters, according to the K-State Ag Research Center.

The storm brings Hays' rainfall total to 1.10 inches for the month. The area's average for the month is 1.47 inches.

Hays has received 26.10 inches of moisture year to date, compared to an average of 21.42 inches by the end of October.

Today's forecast calls for sunny skies with a high of 66. There is a 20 percent chance for rain Thursday night and before 8 a.m. Friday morning. 

Lows are forecast in the mid-30s on Friday and Saturday night with a warm up to 72 on Sunday.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostHays received .79 inches of rain overnight.Winds reached 39 mph at 10 meters, according to the K-State Ag Research Center.The storm brings Hays' rainfall total to 1.10 inches for the month. The area's average for the month is 1.47 inches.Hays has received 26.10 inches of moisture year to date, compared to an average of 21.42 inches by the end of October. Today's forecast calls for sunny skies with a high of 66. There is a 20 percent chance for rain Thursday night and before 8 a.m. Friday morning. Lows are forecast in the mid-30s on Friday and Saturday night with a warm up to 72 on Sunday.

Hays receives .79 inches of rain during overnight storm

FORD COUNTY —A line of strong to severe thunderstorms rolled across&nbsp; Kansas Tuesday night and early Wednesday producing high winds, heavy rain and tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service.

Tornadoes were reported in rural areas of Wallace, Haskell and Ford counties.&nbsp; There are no injuries reported.

&nbsp;Pioneer Electric and Victory Electric are working to restore service in areas of southwest Kansas due to the storms.&nbsp;

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634149009998.png" alt="Storm damage at the Wallace County community of Sharon Springs" />
 <figcaption>Storm damage at the Wallace County community of Sharon Springs</figcaption>
 </figure>FORD COUNTY —A line of strong to severe thunderstorms rolled across&nbsp; Kansas Tuesday night and early Wednesday producing high winds, heavy rain and tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service.Tornadoes were reported in rural areas of Wallace, Haskell and Ford counties.&nbsp; There are no injuries reported.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3D6244194935653110%26id%3D1063782470361075&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="187" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>&nbsp;Pioneer Electric and Victory Electric are working to restore service in areas of southwest Kansas due to the storms.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Due to high winds and a semi being blown over, I-70 eastbound is shutdown between exit 70 to exit 76. Traffic is being routed to US 83 south to US 40, then back to I-70 eastbound at the 76 milepost for an unknown amount of time. Be mindful of the weather if you&#39;re traveling. <a href="https://t.co/I7s1Lds4rK">pic.twitter.com/I7s1Lds4rK</a>&mdash; Trooper Tod (@TrooperTodKHP) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrooperTodKHP/status/1448123269895307264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

Storm rolls across Kansas producing heavy rain, tornadoes

COWLEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with three burglaries that occurred while the occupants were at church.

On October 8, police responded to 416 N. Sixth Street in Arkansas City for a report of a burglary in progress, according to a media release. They arrived and spoke to the homeowner, who reported that he had a security camera inside his home.

While attending a local church service, the victim, a 35-year-old Arkansas City man, observed someone entering his home on the camera and notified police.

Officers cleared the residence and determined the suspect had left before they arrived. Police identified 18-year-old Cristian Alexis Vega-Alvarez as the suspect based on the home security video footage.

The victim said his home had been burglarized a week ago, also while he was attending church, and so he installed the security camera in case the residence was ever burglarized again.

Police later learned another member of the same church, a 29-year-old Arkansas City man, also had his home at 503 N. Eighth St. broken into while he was attending a church service on Sept. 20.

Officers determined Vega-Alvarez previously was a member of the same church as the victims, but recently had quit attending services. They later located him and took him to the police department for questioning, during which officers learned Vega-Alvarez allegedly had committed all three burglaries.

He was taken into custody without incident and booked him into the Cowley County jail on requested charges that include three felony counts of burglary of a dwelling, three misdemeanor counts of theft of property totaling less than $1,500 in value, and one misdemeanor count of criminal damage to property.&nbsp; He remains in custody.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634077577564.png" alt="Vega-Alvarez-photo Cowley Co." />
 <figcaption>Vega-Alvarez-photo Cowley Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with three burglaries that occurred while the occupants were at church.On October 8, police responded to 416 N. Sixth Street in Arkansas City for a report of a burglary in progress, according to a media release. They arrived and spoke to the homeowner, who reported that he had a security camera inside his home.While attending a local church service, the victim, a 35-year-old Arkansas City man, observed someone entering his home on the camera and notified police.Officers cleared the residence and determined the suspect had left before they arrived. Police identified 18-year-old Cristian Alexis Vega-Alvarez as the suspect based on the home security video footage.The victim said his home had been burglarized a week ago, also while he was attending church, and so he installed the security camera in case the residence was ever burglarized again.Police later learned another member of the same church, a 29-year-old Arkansas City man, also had his home at 503 N. Eighth St. broken into while he was attending a church service on Sept. 20.Officers determined Vega-Alvarez previously was a member of the same church as the victims, but recently had quit attending services. They later located him and took him to the police department for questioning, during which officers learned Vega-Alvarez allegedly had committed all three burglaries.He was taken into custody without incident and booked him into the Cowley County jail on requested charges that include three felony counts of burglary of a dwelling, three misdemeanor counts of theft of property totaling less than $1,500 in value, and one misdemeanor count of criminal damage to property.&nbsp; He remains in custody.

Kan. teen burglarized homes while victims were at church

KANSAS CITY, Kansas —First Lady Dr. Jill Biden stopped in Kansas Tuesday. She met with Hispanic representatives during a visit to El Centro Academy, 1330 South 30th Street in Kansas City, Kansas. It is a dual-language early childhood education program, according to the<a href="https://www.elcentroinc.com/education-2/academy-kansas-city-dual-language-school/"> school's website.</a>

Kansas 3rd District Rep. Sharice Davids accompanied the First Lady on her trip to the school.&nbsp;

Biden's trip includes additional stops in Chicago and Allentown, Pennsylvania to take part in conversations and listen to concerns of Hispanic Americans, according to her office.

In May, Biden visited a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City. The college offered free class and other incentives for students to get vaccinated.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634078755169.png" alt="Photo courtesy Janet Murguia, President and CEO of UnidosUS" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Janet Murguia, President and CEO of UnidosUS</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kansas —First Lady Dr. Jill Biden stopped in Kansas Tuesday. She met with Hispanic representatives during a visit to El Centro Academy, 1330 South 30th Street in Kansas City, Kansas. It is a dual-language early childhood education program, according to the<a href="https://www.elcentroinc.com/education-2/academy-kansas-city-dual-language-school/"> school's website.</a>Kansas 3rd District Rep. Sharice Davids accompanied the First Lady on her trip to the school.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Ready for <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/SBAIsabel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SBAIsabel</a>! I brought along a few souvenirs - proud to share our community college connection and belief that a good education uplifts more than just the individual student. (Plus, my mom made the bag!) <a href="https://t.co/PeSgHRQ2He">pic.twitter.com/PeSgHRQ2He</a>&mdash; Rep. Sharice Davids (@RepDavids) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDavids/status/1447985868900343813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden's trip includes additional stops in Chicago and Allentown, Pennsylvania to take part in conversations and listen to concerns of Hispanic Americans, according to her office.-------<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1622153299060.png" alt="Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver greet a patient waiting to get vaccinated in May -Photo courtesy Metropolitan Community College" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver greet a patient waiting to get vaccinated in May -Photo courtesy Metropolitan Community College</figcaption>
 </figure>In May, Biden visited a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City. The college offered free class and other incentives for students to get vaccinated.----------

First Lady Jill Biden visits a preschool in Kansas

Belinda Kay Munoz, 69, of South Sioux City, passed away on Thursday, July 1.  A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16 at at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Hays, followed by a burial at St. Joseph Cemetery.

Belinda was born on Oct. 13, 1951 in Hays to Harold and Henrietta (Herrman) Haselhorst. On Nov. 16, 1972, she married Francisco Munoz in Garden City. Belinda grew up and completed school in Kansas, and from there she and Francisco lived all across the Midwest before settling in South Sioux City in 1988.

She was a material maintenance manager with Tyson Foods for 33 years before retiring in October 2020.

In her spare time, Belinda enjoyed playing various games, especially Scrabbles and Spades, and she really loved to win.

Left to cherish her memory include her husband, Francisco Munoz of South Sioux City; children: Rebecca Eckhoff (Mark) of Shawnee; Ricky Munoz (Christine) of Azle, Texas; Michelle Munoz of Omaha, Neb.; and Anthony Munoz of South Sioux City; grandchildren: Michael Hardy (Brooke); Nicole and Braden Peter; Cassidy and Colby Eckhoff; Justin, Hailey, Jayce, and Kamden Munoz; and Emma King; great grandchildren: Chayton and Mager Hardy; mother, Henrietta Haselhorst of Hays; brothers: Glenn Haselhorst (Sonya) of Hays; Gary Haselhorst (Sandy) of Hays; and Kenny Haselhorst (Becky) of Overland Park; sisters: Lila Montgomery (Bill) of Hays; Shelia Thompson (Mike) of McKinney Diane Haselhorst of Shawnee; Nadine McGrath of Kansas City, Kan.; Stacey Haselhorst of Lee’s Summit, Mo.; sister in law: Beth Haselhorst of Hays, and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father, Harold Haselhorst; a brother, Daryl Haselhorst; two brothers-in-law: John Jacques and Rick McGrath; and a niece, Lindsey Jacques.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634075549308.jpeg" alt="Belinda Kay Munoz" />
 <figcaption>Belinda Kay Munoz</figcaption>
 </figure>Belinda Kay Munoz, 69, of South Sioux City, passed away on Thursday, July 1. A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16 at at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Hays, followed by a burial at St. Joseph Cemetery.Belinda was born on Oct. 13, 1951 in Hays to Harold and Henrietta (Herrman) Haselhorst. On Nov. 16, 1972, she married Francisco Munoz in Garden City. Belinda grew up and completed school in Kansas, and from there she and Francisco lived all across the Midwest before settling in South Sioux City in 1988.She was a material maintenance manager with Tyson Foods for 33 years before retiring in October 2020.In her spare time, Belinda enjoyed playing various games, especially Scrabbles and Spades, and she really loved to win.Left to cherish her memory include her husband, Francisco Munoz of South Sioux City; children: Rebecca Eckhoff (Mark) of Shawnee; Ricky Munoz (Christine) of Azle, Texas; Michelle Munoz of Omaha, Neb.; and Anthony Munoz of South Sioux City; grandchildren: Michael Hardy (Brooke); Nicole and Braden Peter; Cassidy and Colby Eckhoff; Justin, Hailey, Jayce, and Kamden Munoz; and Emma King; great grandchildren: Chayton and Mager Hardy; mother, Henrietta Haselhorst of Hays; brothers: Glenn Haselhorst (Sonya) of Hays; Gary Haselhorst (Sandy) of Hays; and Kenny Haselhorst (Becky) of Overland Park; sisters: Lila Montgomery (Bill) of Hays; Shelia Thompson (Mike) of McKinney Diane Haselhorst of Shawnee; Nadine McGrath of Kansas City, Kan.; Stacey Haselhorst of Lee’s Summit, Mo.; sister in law: Beth Haselhorst of Hays, and many nieces and nephews.She was preceded in death by her father, Harold Haselhorst; a brother, Daryl Haselhorst; two brothers-in-law: John Jacques and Rick McGrath; and a niece, Lindsey Jacques.

Belinda Kay Munoz

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

Two public hearings will be held at 8:15 Wednesday morning by the Hays Area Board of Zoning Appeals.

 Wes Rathbun of Rathbun Enterprises, LLC is requesting a variance&nbsp;to increase the allowed area of painted wall signage, including a mural,&nbsp; from 32 sq. ft. to 75 sq. ft.&nbsp;on the building at 109 W. 7th.&nbsp;

Under new ownership, a new business, "The Fort," is going in at the location which formerly housed "Wild Rose."

The large building was constructed in 1953 as a grocery store and then later split into two spaces for a restaurant and bar according to information submitted to the board by Curtis Deines, PIE superintendent.

Although it's in downtown Hays, the property is&nbsp; not listed in the Chestnut Historical District.

A second public hearing will be conducted for&nbsp;Thomas and Christine Wasinger requesting a seven-foot variance&nbsp;

Thomas &amp; Christine Wasinger for a variance to reduce the side yard building setback from the required seven feet to zero feet at their property,&nbsp;302 E. 24th Street.

The October 13 agenda is available <a href="https://www.haysusa.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_10132021-1299">here</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634061014227.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostTwo public hearings will be held at 8:15 Wednesday morning by the Hays Area Board of Zoning Appeals. Wes Rathbun of Rathbun Enterprises, LLC is requesting a variance&nbsp;to increase the allowed area of painted wall signage, including a mural,&nbsp; from 32 sq. ft. to 75 sq. ft.&nbsp;on the building at 109 W. 7th.&nbsp;Under new ownership, a new business, "The Fort," is going in at the location which formerly housed "Wild Rose."The large building was constructed in 1953 as a grocery store and then later split into two spaces for a restaurant and bar according to information submitted to the board by Curtis Deines, PIE superintendent.Although it's in downtown Hays, the property is&nbsp; not listed in the Chestnut Historical District.A second public hearing will be conducted for&nbsp;Thomas and Christine Wasinger requesting a seven-foot variance&nbsp;Thomas &amp; Christine Wasinger for a variance to reduce the side yard building setback from the required seven feet to zero feet at their property,&nbsp;302 E. 24th Street.The October 13 agenda is available <a href="https://www.haysusa.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_10132021-1299">here</a>.&nbsp;

Two public hearings Wednesday at Hays Area Board of Zoning Appeals

The Hays Symphony will be presenting&nbsp;Creepy Classics: A Children’s Halloween Concert, featuring loud noises, creepy sounds and the scary stories music can tell, on Sunday October 31, 2021, 2:30 p.m. in the FHSU Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center. The ensemble is under the direction of Dr. Brian Buckstead, Assistant Professor of Violin and Viola at FHSU.

The program features&nbsp;Danse Macabre&nbsp;by Camille Saint-Saens,&nbsp;Night on Bald Mountain, by Modest Mussorgsky,&nbsp;In the Hall of the Mountain King from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, by Edward Grieg,&nbsp;Suite from Psycho, by Bernard Herrmann,&nbsp;March to the Scaffold from Symphonie Fantastique, by Hector Berlioz, andHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Suite, by John Williams.

In addition, a host of music and Halloween themed pre-concert activities will be offered starting at 1:30pm. “We think it’s important for kids to get their hands on instruments and to make connections between the music they’re hearing and how it’s created,” said Buckstead.

Symphony musicians and members of the FHSU Chapter of the National Association for Music Education will assist with pre-concert activities which include:

· &nbsp;Spooky Music Tour—costumed statues come to life playing clips of the scariest sounds and music kids will hear in the concert;

· &nbsp;Drumming Circle—bongos, tam-tams, and other rhythm devices for making lots of loud noise;

· &nbsp;String Instrument Petting Zoo—hands-on guided experimenting with violins, violas and cellos;

· &nbsp;In the Hall of the Mountain King—tiptoe past the troll….run for your life in this retelling of the Mountain King story full of music, story and action;

· &nbsp;Meet the Family: Winds &amp; Brass—flutes, trumpets, tubas, clarinets and more. FHSU students demonstrate their instruments from the wind and brass families;

· &nbsp;Creepy Arts and Crafts—create a variety of Halloween characters and props with a treasure box of arts supplies;

· &nbsp;Halloween Costume Parade—follow the brass leaders as costumed children parade around Beach-Schmidt and into the auditorium for the start of the concert.

· &nbsp;Free Trick-or-Treat Bags to the first 250 kids

The concert and treats are sponsored by a generous donation from Werth Wealth Management.

All Hays Symphony concerts are free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to reserve tickets in advance on the symphony’s web site. Tickets may also be picked up in advance at the Hays Convention Visitors Bureau and the Downtown Hays Development Corporation, or at the symphony table in the lobby 30 minutes before the performance

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633364673862.png" alt="Dr. Brian Buckstead" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Brian Buckstead</figcaption>
 </figure>News releaseThe Hays Symphony will be presenting&nbsp;Creepy Classics: A Children’s Halloween Concert, featuring loud noises, creepy sounds and the scary stories music can tell, on Sunday October 31, 2021, 2:30 p.m. in the FHSU Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center. The ensemble is under the direction of Dr. Brian Buckstead, Assistant Professor of Violin and Viola at FHSU.The program features&nbsp;Danse Macabre&nbsp;by Camille Saint-Saens,&nbsp;Night on Bald Mountain, by Modest Mussorgsky,&nbsp;In the Hall of the Mountain King from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, by Edward Grieg,&nbsp;Suite from Psycho, by Bernard Herrmann,&nbsp;March to the Scaffold from Symphonie Fantastique, by Hector Berlioz, andHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Suite, by John Williams.In addition, a host of music and Halloween themed pre-concert activities will be offered starting at 1:30pm. “We think it’s important for kids to get their hands on instruments and to make connections between the music they’re hearing and how it’s created,” said Buckstead.Symphony musicians and members of the FHSU Chapter of the National Association for Music Education will assist with pre-concert activities which include:· &nbsp;Spooky Music Tour—costumed statues come to life playing clips of the scariest sounds and music kids will hear in the concert;· &nbsp;Drumming Circle—bongos, tam-tams, and other rhythm devices for making lots of loud noise;· &nbsp;String Instrument Petting Zoo—hands-on guided experimenting with violins, violas and cellos;· &nbsp;In the Hall of the Mountain King—tiptoe past the troll….run for your life in this retelling of the Mountain King story full of music, story and action;· &nbsp;Meet the Family: Winds &amp; Brass—flutes, trumpets, tubas, clarinets and more. FHSU students demonstrate their instruments from the wind and brass families;· &nbsp;Creepy Arts and Crafts—create a variety of Halloween characters and props with a treasure box of arts supplies;· &nbsp;Halloween Costume Parade—follow the brass leaders as costumed children parade around Beach-Schmidt and into the auditorium for the start of the concert.· &nbsp;Free Trick-or-Treat Bags to the first 250 kidsThe concert and treats are sponsored by a generous donation from Werth Wealth Management.All Hays Symphony concerts are free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to reserve tickets in advance on the symphony’s web site. Tickets may also be picked up in advance at the Hays Convention Visitors Bureau and the Downtown Hays Development Corporation, or at the symphony table in the lobby 30 minutes before the performance

Hays Symphony Creepy Classics: A Halloween concert 

<a href="https://www.stockhamfamily.com/obituaries/Lee-Phillip-Kern/">Lee Phillip Kern Obituary - Visitation &amp; Funeral Information (stockhamfamily.com)</a>

Lee Phillip (Phil) Kern, 72, passed away at his home in Hoisington, 
Kansas June 29, 2021.&nbsp; He was born July 9, 1948, in Great Bend, Kansas, to
 Kenneth and Ellen (Carter) Kern.&nbsp; A Great Bend High School and Fort 
Hays State University alum, Phil was a keen businessman and 
entrepreneur, working in the oil industry and as a general contractor.&nbsp; 
He made his home in Salina, Kansas; Tucson, Arizona; Springdale, 
Arkansas; and Overland Park, Kansas until returning to the Great Bend 
area. He was of Catholic faith.

Phil could almost always be found engineering a project, fine tuning 
it down to the smallest detail, leaving no stone unturned.&nbsp; He enjoyed 
traveling, watching golf, spoiling his black Lab Shady, and sharing good
 stories and cold beer.&nbsp;

He is survived by his son Clark Kern; daughters Kimberly Kern and 
Katherine Shelton; 10 grandchildren; sister Mary (Kenny) Bath; and 
several nieces and nephews.&nbsp; 

He was preceded in death by his parents; 
brothers Wade Patrick and Kenneth Michael Kern; and an infant 
granddaughter.

Service is at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, October 16, 2021, at Stockham Family Funeral Home. Inurnment will follow at McPherson Cemetery.

To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Lee Phillip Kern please visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stockhamfamily.com/store/Category.aspx?CategoryId=319&amp;icn=desktop_memorial_obituary_link#chooser">Sympathy Store</a>.

<h2>Lee Phillip Kern, Hoisington</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633993404221.jpeg" alt="Lee Phillip Kern" />
 <figcaption>Lee Phillip Kern</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.stockhamfamily.com/obituaries/Lee-Phillip-Kern/">Lee Phillip Kern Obituary - Visitation &amp; Funeral Information (stockhamfamily.com)</a>July 9, 1948 - June 29, 2021Lee Phillip (Phil) Kern, 72, passed away at his home in Hoisington, 
Kansas June 29, 2021.&nbsp; He was born July 9, 1948, in Great Bend, Kansas, to
 Kenneth and Ellen (Carter) Kern.&nbsp; A Great Bend High School and Fort 
Hays State University alum, Phil was a keen businessman and 
entrepreneur, working in the oil industry and as a general contractor.&nbsp; 
He made his home in Salina, Kansas; Tucson, Arizona; Springdale, 
Arkansas; and Overland Park, Kansas until returning to the Great Bend 
area. He was of Catholic faith.Phil could almost always be found engineering a project, fine tuning 
it down to the smallest detail, leaving no stone unturned.&nbsp; He enjoyed 
traveling, watching golf, spoiling his black Lab Shady, and sharing good
 stories and cold beer.&nbsp;He is survived by his son Clark Kern; daughters Kimberly Kern and 
Katherine Shelton; 10 grandchildren; sister Mary (Kenny) Bath; and 
several nieces and nephews.&nbsp; He was preceded in death by his parents; 
brothers Wade Patrick and Kenneth Michael Kern; and an infant 
granddaughter.Service is at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, October 16, 2021, at Stockham Family Funeral Home. Inurnment will follow at McPherson Cemetery.To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Lee Phillip Kern please visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stockhamfamily.com/store/Category.aspx?CategoryId=319&amp;icn=desktop_memorial_obituary_link#chooser">Sympathy Store</a>.

 Lee Phillip Kern

DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines canceled several hundred more flights Monday following a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-business-travel-8abd4e0541a0a2d6d58f99cc62209a37">weekend of major disruptions</a>&nbsp;that it blamed on bad weather and air traffic control issues. The company and the pilots union said the cancellations were not in response to the airline’s decision to mandate vaccinations.

Southwest canceled more than 360 flights — 10% of its schedule for the day — on Monday, and more than 1,000 others were delayed, according to the FlightAware tracking service.

Shares of Southwest Airlines Co. briefly fell more than 4% before a partial recovery; they were down 3% by afternoon.

The third straight day of large-scale cancellations left thousands of passengers stranded and upset.

“My concern is we had no explanation really that was, I feel, very legitimate or believable,” said Brian Gesch of Cedar Grove, Wisconsin, who was traveling through Reagan Washington National Airport with his wife. He doubted that weather and air traffic controllers were the real issue. “So we are frustrated and missing a day of work.”

Some were less concerned about the cause than just getting home.

“I’m not sure what’s going on,” said Sean Merrell of Frisco, Texas, “but as long as I can get back to Dallas, it’s all that matters to me.”

The widespread disruptions began shortly after the union for Southwest’s 9,000 pilots asked a federal court on Friday to block the airline’s order that all employees get vaccinated against COVID-19. The union said it doesn’t oppose vaccination, but it argued in its filing that Southwest must negotiate before taking such a step.

Pilots are not conducting a sickout or slowdown to protest the vaccine mandate, according to the union, which said it “has not authorized, and will not condone, any job action.”

The pilots association offered another explanation: It said Southwest’s operation “has become brittle and subject to massive failures under the slightest pressure” because of a lack of support from the company. The union complained about the “already strained relationship” between it and the company.

Airlines persuaded thousands of workers to take leaves of absence during the pandemic. Unions at Southwest and American have argued that management was too slow to bring pilots back, leaving them short-handed.

Alan Kasher, Southwest’s executive vice president of daily operations, said the airline was staffed for the weekend but got tripped up by air-traffic control issues and bad weather in Florida and couldn’t recover quickly. Because of cutbacks during the pandemic, he noted the airline has fewer flights to accommodate stranded passengers.

“The weekend challenges were not a result of Southwest employee demonstrations,” said airline spokesman Chris Mainz.

The White House has pushed airlines to adopt vaccine mandates because they are federal contractors — they get paid by the Defense Department to operate flights, including those that carried Afghanistan refugees to the U.S. this summer.

United Airlines was the first major U.S. carrier to announce a vaccination requirement. Southwest had remained silent even after President Joe Biden announced his order for federal contractors and large employers. Finally last week, Southwest told employees they must be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8 to keep their jobs. Workers can ask to skip the shots for medical or religious reasons.

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration acknowledged delays in part of Florida on Friday but pushed back against Southwest’s air-traffic control explanation. The FAA said Sunday that “some airlines” were experiencing problems because of planes and crews being out of position. Southwest was the only airline to report such a large percentage of canceled and delayed flights over the weekend.

Savanthi Syth, an airlines analyst for Raymond James, said the weekend problems will increase Southwest’ costs and worsen the company’s strained relations with unions.

Southwest has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-9fd5b2b67c316107f9345f3366554335">struggled all summer</a>&nbsp;with high numbers of delayed and canceled flights. In August, it announced it was trimming its September schedule by 27 flights a day, or less than 1%, and 162 flights a day, or 4.5% of the schedule, from early October through Nov. 5.

NEW YORK (AP) —Southwest Airlines canceled hundreds more flights Monday following a weekend of major service disruptions. According to Flightaware, the carrier has cancelled 348 flights Monday and delayed another 271 flights.  

The airline canceled more than 1,000 flights in total, or 29% of its schedule, as of 7 p.m. ET Sunday, according to flight tracker FlightAware. That was the highest rate by far of the major U.S. airlines. Next in line was Allegiant, which canceled 6% of its flights. American Airlines canceled 5% of its flights, while Spirit canceled 4% on Sunday, according to the flight tracker. On Saturday, Southwest Airlines canceled more than 800 flights.

Southwest Airlines said in an emailed statement that it had experienced weather challenges in its Florida airports at the beginning of the weekend, which were compounded by unexpected air traffic control issues in the same region. Those issues triggered delays and prompted significant cancellations for the airlines beginning Friday evening.

“We’ve continued diligent work throughout the weekend to reset our operation with a focus on getting aircraft and crews repositioned to take care of our customers,” said Southwest Airlines. “With fewer frequencies between cities in our current schedule, recovering during operational challenges is more difficult and prolonged.”

The company said that it’s allowing customers to explore self-service rebooking options on Southwest.com, where they can get updates on the status of their travel.

However, Henry H. Harteveldt, president and travel industry analyst at The Atmosphere Research Group, based in San Francisco, points to other causes for the cancellations.

First, he says Southwest has scheduled more flights than it can handle, a problem that started in June. He also noted that Southwest operates what’s known as a point-to-point route network, and when a delay occurs, it “cascades” along the remaining flight segments. That’s because, for example, a Southwest flight departing Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for the airline’s home base of Dallas may make multiple stops along the way.

But Harteveldt says the most troubling reason is the likelihood that some pilots who oppose Southwest’s decision to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations are participating in an illegal job action where they call in sick or are engaging in a “work slowdown.”

In a statement Saturday, the airline’s pilot union, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, said that’s not the case.

“SWAPA is aware of operational difficulties affecting Southwest Airlines today due to a number of issues, but we can say with confidence that our pilots are not participating in any official or unofficial job actions,” it said.

Harteveldt noted Southwest’s woes could linger and affect its fourth quarter financial performance.

“All of this is happening as people are in the midst of booking their Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year holiday travel,” he said. “It’s very possible that some people who might normally book on Southwest may see this news and choose to fly other airlines.”

DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines canceled several hundred more flights Monday following a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-business-travel-8abd4e0541a0a2d6d58f99cc62209a37">weekend of major disruptions</a>&nbsp;that it blamed on bad weather and air traffic control issues. The company and the pilots union said the cancellations were not in response to the airline’s decision to mandate vaccinations.Southwest canceled more than 360 flights — 10% of its schedule for the day — on Monday, and more than 1,000 others were delayed, according to the FlightAware tracking service.Shares of Southwest Airlines Co. briefly fell more than 4% before a partial recovery; they were down 3% by afternoon.The third straight day of large-scale cancellations left thousands of passengers stranded and upset.“My concern is we had no explanation really that was, I feel, very legitimate or believable,” said Brian Gesch of Cedar Grove, Wisconsin, who was traveling through Reagan Washington National Airport with his wife. He doubted that weather and air traffic controllers were the real issue. “So we are frustrated and missing a day of work.”Some were less concerned about the cause than just getting home.“I’m not sure what’s going on,” said Sean Merrell of Frisco, Texas, “but as long as I can get back to Dallas, it’s all that matters to me.”The widespread disruptions began shortly after the union for Southwest’s 9,000 pilots asked a federal court on Friday to block the airline’s order that all employees get vaccinated against COVID-19. The union said it doesn’t oppose vaccination, but it argued in its filing that Southwest must negotiate before taking such a step.Pilots are not conducting a sickout or slowdown to protest the vaccine mandate, according to the union, which said it “has not authorized, and will not condone, any job action.”The pilots association offered another explanation: It said Southwest’s operation “has become brittle and subject to massive failures under the slightest pressure” because of a lack of support from the company. The union complained about the “already strained relationship” between it and the company.Airlines persuaded thousands of workers to take leaves of absence during the pandemic. Unions at Southwest and American have argued that management was too slow to bring pilots back, leaving them short-handed.Alan Kasher, Southwest’s executive vice president of daily operations, said the airline was staffed for the weekend but got tripped up by air-traffic control issues and bad weather in Florida and couldn’t recover quickly. Because of cutbacks during the pandemic, he noted the airline has fewer flights to accommodate stranded passengers.“The weekend challenges were not a result of Southwest employee demonstrations,” said airline spokesman Chris Mainz.The White House has pushed airlines to adopt vaccine mandates because they are federal contractors — they get paid by the Defense Department to operate flights, including those that carried Afghanistan refugees to the U.S. this summer.United Airlines was the first major U.S. carrier to announce a vaccination requirement. Southwest had remained silent even after President Joe Biden announced his order for federal contractors and large employers. Finally last week, Southwest told employees they must be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8 to keep their jobs. Workers can ask to skip the shots for medical or religious reasons.Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration acknowledged delays in part of Florida on Friday but pushed back against Southwest’s air-traffic control explanation. The FAA said Sunday that “some airlines” were experiencing problems because of planes and crews being out of position. Southwest was the only airline to report such a large percentage of canceled and delayed flights over the weekend.Savanthi Syth, an airlines analyst for Raymond James, said the weekend problems will increase Southwest’ costs and worsen the company’s strained relations with unions.Southwest has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-9fd5b2b67c316107f9345f3366554335">struggled all summer</a>&nbsp;with high numbers of delayed and canceled flights. In August, it announced it was trimming its September schedule by 27 flights a day, or less than 1%, and 162 flights a day, or 4.5% of the schedule, from early October through Nov. 5.___NEW YORK (AP) —Southwest Airlines canceled hundreds more flights Monday following a weekend of major service disruptions. According to Flightaware, the carrier has cancelled 348 flights Monday and delayed another 271 flights. The airline canceled more than 1,000 flights in total, or 29% of its schedule, as of 7 p.m. ET Sunday, according to flight tracker FlightAware. That was the highest rate by far of the major U.S. airlines. Next in line was Allegiant, which canceled 6% of its flights. American Airlines canceled 5% of its flights, while Spirit canceled 4% on Sunday, according to the flight tracker. On Saturday, Southwest Airlines canceled more than 800 flights.Southwest Airlines said in an emailed statement that it had experienced weather challenges in its Florida airports at the beginning of the weekend, which were compounded by unexpected air traffic control issues in the same region. Those issues triggered delays and prompted significant cancellations for the airlines beginning Friday evening.“We’ve continued diligent work throughout the weekend to reset our operation with a focus on getting aircraft and crews repositioned to take care of our customers,” said Southwest Airlines. “With fewer frequencies between cities in our current schedule, recovering during operational challenges is more difficult and prolonged.”The company said that it’s allowing customers to explore self-service rebooking options on Southwest.com, where they can get updates on the status of their travel.However, Henry H. Harteveldt, president and travel industry analyst at The Atmosphere Research Group, based in San Francisco, points to other causes for the cancellations.First, he says Southwest has scheduled more flights than it can handle, a problem that started in June. He also noted that Southwest operates what’s known as a point-to-point route network, and when a delay occurs, it “cascades” along the remaining flight segments. That’s because, for example, a Southwest flight departing Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for the airline’s home base of Dallas may make multiple stops along the way.But Harteveldt says the most troubling reason is the likelihood that some pilots who oppose Southwest’s decision to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations are participating in an illegal job action where they call in sick or are engaging in a “work slowdown.”In a statement Saturday, the airline’s pilot union, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, said that’s not the case.“SWAPA is aware of operational difficulties affecting Southwest Airlines today due to a number of issues, but we can say with confidence that our pilots are not participating in any official or unofficial job actions,” it said.Harteveldt noted Southwest’s woes could linger and affect its fourth quarter financial performance.“All of this is happening as people are in the midst of booking their Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year holiday travel,” he said. “It’s very possible that some people who might normally book on Southwest may see this news and choose to fly other airlines.”

Thousands stranded as Southwest cancels more flights amid vaccine mandate

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A pedestrian from Kansas is dead after being struck by two hit-and-run drivers near Arrowhead Stadium as the man was leaving the Kansas City Chiefs game.

Police are searching for the drivers who fled the scene Sunday night. The victim was 66-year-old Steven Hickle of Wichita, Kansas. The accident happened shortly after 10 p.m. near East 43rd Street and Blue Ridge Cutoff as the Chiefs were playing Buffalo in a game won by the Bills 38-20.

Police say Hickle and another person left the game early, so traffic crews were not yet on the scene to assist with exiting. The second person was not struck.

A news release from police said Hickle was struck by a vehicle and while lying in the roadway was run over by a second vehicle. He died at a hospital.

Police are searching for the drivers who fled the scene Sunday night. The victim was a 66-year-old man from Wichita, Kansas. The accident happened shortly after 10 p.m. near East 43rd Street and Blue Ridge Cutoff as the Chiefs were playing Buffalo in a game won by the Bills 38-20.

Police say the man and another person left the game early, so traffic crews were not yet on the scene to assist with exiting. The second person was not struck.

A news release from police said the victim was struck by a vehicle and while lying in the roadway was run over by a second vehicle. The man died at a hospital.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A pedestrian from Kansas is dead after being struck by two hit-and-run drivers near Arrowhead Stadium as the man was leaving the Kansas City Chiefs game.Police are searching for the drivers who fled the scene Sunday night. The victim was 66-year-old Steven Hickle of Wichita, Kansas. The accident happened shortly after 10 p.m. near East 43rd Street and Blue Ridge Cutoff as the Chiefs were playing Buffalo in a game won by the Bills 38-20.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I extend my deepest sympathies to the family of the Wichita man killed after being hit by two separate hit-and-run drivers near Arrowhead Stadium last night. We will find the assailants, but I also hope all remember to look out for others and be responsible when leaving games.&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1447601237852098564?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Police say Hickle and another person left the game early, so traffic crews were not yet on the scene to assist with exiting. The second person was not struck.A news release from police said Hickle was struck by a vehicle and while lying in the roadway was run over by a second vehicle. He died at a hospital.----------KANSAS CITY (AP) — A pedestrian from Kansas is dead after being struck by two hit-and-run drivers near Arrowhead Stadium as the man was leaving the Kansas City Chiefs game.Police are searching for the drivers who fled the scene Sunday night. The victim was a 66-year-old man from Wichita, Kansas. The accident happened shortly after 10 p.m. near East 43rd Street and Blue Ridge Cutoff as the Chiefs were playing Buffalo in a game won by the Bills 38-20.Police say the man and another person left the game early, so traffic crews were not yet on the scene to assist with exiting. The second person was not struck.A news release from police said the victim was struck by a vehicle and while lying in the roadway was run over by a second vehicle. The man died at a hospital.

Police ID Kan. man who died after hit-and-run near Arrowhead Stadium 

By JOHN P. TRETBAR The rally in crude prices continues. Light sweet crude on the Nymex settled on Friday at $79.35 per barrel, a five percent weekly gain. In midday trading Monday the benchmark contract in New York was up more than 2 percent, gaining nearly two dollars at $81.09 per barrel. London Brent was up $1.50 at $83.89. The Wall Street Journal reports benchmark prices have increased 120 percent in the last 12 months. Kansas crude prices rose $1 on Friday to their highest levels since October 2014. Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson fetches $69.50 per barrel. That's up more than $3 from the beginning of the month, and more than $30 a barrel higher than at the beginning of the year. Goldman Sachs Group suggests shortages of natural gas are playing a big role in crude price spikes. Power generation could add an extra 650,000 barrels a day to oil demand this winter due to high natural gas prices. Oil prices above $80 a barrel are prompting a revival of shale drilling in America’s biggest oil field. Production in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico is expected to return to pre-pandemic highs soon. It's being driven this time by private operators, rather than the publicly traded companies that fueled previous booms. Analysts at Rystad Energy forecast production from the Permian will reach its pre-pandemic record high of 4.9 million barrels per day as soon as this month. They predict output will continue climbing steadily next year. Meanwhile the public companies have ratcheted back growth. Many are paying off debts, buying back stock and paying dividends rather than reinvesting in new wells. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 15 active drilling rigs in eastern Kansas, up one from last week, and 22 west of Wichita, which is down three. There are a total of 37 active rigs statewide, compared to just nine a year ago. IOGSI says the number of active operators searching for oil and gas in Kansas this year now totals 200, compared with 143 last year at this time. Baker Hughes reports 533 active drilling rigs nationwide, an increase of five oil rigs. The count in Texas was up four rigs. Kansas regulators okayed 35 new drilling permits last week, 819 so far this year. There are 16 new drilling locations in eastern Kansas and 19 west of Wichita, including one each in Ellis and Russell counties. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 23 newly-completed wells across Kansas, 12 of them east of Wichita and 11 in the western half of the state. That's 671 new completions year-to-date. One of every five completed wells in Kansas this year, including nearly three out of every four wildcat wells, have been dry holes. The Energy Information Administration reports stockpiles increased last week by 2.3 million barrels. At nearly 421 million barrels, the government says crude-oil inventories remain about seven percent below the five year seasonal average. Gasoline inventories increased by more than 3 million barrels last week and are about 1 percent below the five-year seasonal average. EIA says U.S. crude imports were up nearly half-a-million barrels per day to 7 million barrels per day. The four-week average is 22 percent higher than the same four-week period last year. &nbsp; The government reported U.S. production over 11.3 million barrels per day during the week through October 1, as more offshore production returned to the supply chain. That's an increase of more than 200,000 barrels per day over the week before, and nearly 400,000 barrels per day over the same week a year ago. The Biden Administration announced an offshore oil-and-gas lease sale for the Gulf of Mexico, the first government offering since a judge blocked a moratorium on new leasing. The sale will be streamed live from New Orleans on Nov. 17. Only mail-in bids will be accepted. A government report says U.S. refiners are exporting a lot of gasoline. EIA reported exports in May, June and July set records for each month, contributing to a record-breaking summer. EIA says gasoline inventories actually increased by more than 3 million barrels last week. But pump prices continue to spike, blamed largely on high crude prices. The auto club Triple-A reports the national average Thursday (10/7) was $3.24 a gallon, the highest since October 2014. The average across Kansas Thursday was just over $2.96 a gallon. It's more than a dime cheaper than that in Great Bend. But it's about a nickel more expensive in Hays. The Association of American Railroads reports weekly oil-by-rail shipments were down. Shippers moved 9,827 tanker cars during the week through Oct. 2, down 617 carloads from the week before, and a 5.8 percent drop from last year. Canadian oil-by-rail shipments were up nearly 15 precent from the same week last year. Total railroad traffic in the U.S. was down nearly 2 percent last month, but third-quarter totals are up 9 percent compared to a year ago. AAR says 15 of the 20 commodity categories they track saw carload increases in September. But Petroleum and Petroleum Products carload counts were down 3.1 percent compared to a year ago. The Kansas Oil &amp; Gas Museum Foundation will open its doors for public tours, and open its honor roll to 10 new honorees. The museum's 2021 Hall of Fame Induction is Saturday, Oct. 23 at the Great Bend Events Center. Your $50 ticket will include a social hour, dinner, and a speech from Kansas Congressman Dr. Roger Marshall.

By JOHN P. TRETBAR The rally in crude prices continues. Light sweet crude on the Nymex settled on Friday at $79.35 per barrel, a five percent weekly gain. In midday trading Monday the benchmark contract in New York was up more than 2 percent, gaining nearly two dollars at $81.09 per barrel. London Brent was up $1.50 at $83.89. The Wall Street Journal reports benchmark prices have increased 120 percent in the last 12 months. Kansas crude prices rose $1 on Friday to their highest levels since October 2014. Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson fetches $69.50 per barrel. That's up more than $3 from the beginning of the month, and more than $30 a barrel higher than at the beginning of the year. Goldman Sachs Group suggests shortages of natural gas are playing a big role in crude price spikes. Power generation could add an extra 650,000 barrels a day to oil demand this winter due to high natural gas prices. Oil prices above $80 a barrel are prompting a revival of shale drilling in America’s biggest oil field. Production in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico is expected to return to pre-pandemic highs soon. It's being driven this time by private operators, rather than the publicly traded companies that fueled previous booms. Analysts at Rystad Energy forecast production from the Permian will reach its pre-pandemic record high of 4.9 million barrels per day as soon as this month. They predict output will continue climbing steadily next year. Meanwhile the public companies have ratcheted back growth. Many are paying off debts, buying back stock and paying dividends rather than reinvesting in new wells. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 15 active drilling rigs in eastern Kansas, up one from last week, and 22 west of Wichita, which is down three. There are a total of 37 active rigs statewide, compared to just nine a year ago. IOGSI says the number of active operators searching for oil and gas in Kansas this year now totals 200, compared with 143 last year at this time. Baker Hughes reports 533 active drilling rigs nationwide, an increase of five oil rigs. The count in Texas was up four rigs. Kansas regulators okayed 35 new drilling permits last week, 819 so far this year. There are 16 new drilling locations in eastern Kansas and 19 west of Wichita, including one each in Ellis and Russell counties. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 23 newly-completed wells across Kansas, 12 of them east of Wichita and 11 in the western half of the state. That's 671 new completions year-to-date. One of every five completed wells in Kansas this year, including nearly three out of every four wildcat wells, have been dry holes. The Energy Information Administration reports stockpiles increased last week by 2.3 million barrels. At nearly 421 million barrels, the government says crude-oil inventories remain about seven percent below the five year seasonal average. Gasoline inventories increased by more than 3 million barrels last week and are about 1 percent below the five-year seasonal average. EIA says U.S. crude imports were up nearly half-a-million barrels per day to 7 million barrels per day. The four-week average is 22 percent higher than the same four-week period last year. &nbsp; The government reported U.S. production over 11.3 million barrels per day during the week through October 1, as more offshore production returned to the supply chain. That's an increase of more than 200,000 barrels per day over the week before, and nearly 400,000 barrels per day over the same week a year ago. The Biden Administration announced an offshore oil-and-gas lease sale for the Gulf of Mexico, the first government offering since a judge blocked a moratorium on new leasing. The sale will be streamed live from New Orleans on Nov. 17. Only mail-in bids will be accepted. A government report says U.S. refiners are exporting a lot of gasoline. EIA reported exports in May, June and July set records for each month, contributing to a record-breaking summer. EIA says gasoline inventories actually increased by more than 3 million barrels last week. But pump prices continue to spike, blamed largely on high crude prices. The auto club Triple-A reports the national average Thursday (10/7) was $3.24 a gallon, the highest since October 2014. The average across Kansas Thursday was just over $2.96 a gallon. It's more than a dime cheaper than that in Great Bend. But it's about a nickel more expensive in Hays. The Association of American Railroads reports weekly oil-by-rail shipments were down. Shippers moved 9,827 tanker cars during the week through Oct. 2, down 617 carloads from the week before, and a 5.8 percent drop from last year. Canadian oil-by-rail shipments were up nearly 15 precent from the same week last year. Total railroad traffic in the U.S. was down nearly 2 percent last month, but third-quarter totals are up 9 percent compared to a year ago. AAR says 15 of the 20 commodity categories they track saw carload increases in September. But Petroleum and Petroleum Products carload counts were down 3.1 percent compared to a year ago. The Kansas Oil &amp; Gas Museum Foundation will open its doors for public tours, and open its honor roll to 10 new honorees. The museum's 2021 Hall of Fame Induction is Saturday, Oct. 23 at the Great Bend Events Center. Your $50 ticket will include a social hour, dinner, and a speech from Kansas Congressman Dr. Roger Marshall.

News From the Oil Patch: Oil prices up 5% on week, 120% year over year

WASHINGTON (AP) — Drugmaker Merck asked U.S. regulators Monday to authorize its pill against COVID-19 in what would add an entirely new and easy-to-use weapon to the world’s arsenal against the pandemic.

If cleared by the Food and Drug Administration — a decision that could come in a matter of weeks — it would be the first pill shown to treat COVID-19. All other FDA-backed treatments against the disease require an IV or injection.

An antiviral pill that people could take at home to reduce their symptoms and speed recovery could prove groundbreaking, easing the crushing caseload on U.S. hospitals and helping to curb outbreaks in poorer countries with weak health care systems. It would also bolster the two-pronged approach to the pandemic: treatment, by way of medication, and prevention, primarily through vaccinations.

The FDA will scrutinize company data on the safety and effectiveness of the drug, molnupiravir, before rendering a decision.

Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutic said they specifically asked the agency to grant emergency use for adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at risk for severe disease or hospitalization. That is roughly the way COVID-19 infusion drugs are used.

“The value here is that it’s a pill so you don’t have to deal with the infusion centers and all the factors around that,” said Dr. Nicholas Kartsonis, a senior vice president with Merck’s infectious disease unit. “I think it’s a very powerful tool to add to the toolbox.”

The company reported earlier this month that the pill cut hospitalizations and deaths by half among patients with early symptoms of COVID-19. The results were so strong that independent medical experts monitoring the trial recommended stopping it early.

Side effects were similar between patients who got the drug and those in a testing group who received a dummy pill. But Merck has not publicly detailed the types of problems reported, which will be a key part of the FDA’s review.

Top U.S. health officials continue to push vaccinations as the best way to protect against COVID-19.

“It’s much, much better to prevent yourself from getting infected than to have to treat an infection,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said while discussing Merck’s drug last week.

Still, some 68 million eligible Americans remain unvaccinated, underscoring the need for effective drugs to control future waves of infection.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, health experts have stressed the need for a convenient pill. The goal is for something similar to Tamiflu, the 20-year-old flu medication that shortens the illness by a day or two and blunts the severity of symptoms like fever, cough and stuffy nose.

Three FDA-authorized antibody drugs have proved highly effective at reducing COVID-19 deaths, but they are expensive, hard to produce and require specialty equipment and health professionals to deliver.

Assuming FDA authorization, the U.S. government has agreed to buy enough of the pills to treat 1.7 million people, at a price of roughly $700 for each course of treatment. That’s less than half the price of the antibody drugs purchased by the U.S. government — over $2,000 per infusion — but still more expensive than many antiviral pills for other conditions.

Merck’s Kartsonis said in an interview that the $700 figure does not represent the final price for the medication.

“We set that price before we had any data, so that’s just one contract,” Kartsonis said. “Obviously we’re going to be responsible about this and make this drug as accessible to as many people around the world as we can.”

Kenilworth, New Jersey-based Merck has said it is in purchase talks with governments around the world and will use a sliding price scale based on each country’s economic means. Also, the company has signed licensing deals with several Indian generic drugmakers to produce low-cost versions of the drug for lower-income countries.

Several other companies, including Pfizer and Roche, are studying similar drugs and are expected to report results in the coming weeks and months. AstraZeneca is also seeking FDA authorization for a long-acting antibody drug intended to provide months of protection for patients who have immune-system disorders and do not adequately respond to vaccination.

Eventually some experts predict various COVID-19 therapies will be prescribed in combination to better protect against the worst effects of the virus.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633958564035.png" alt="Photo courtesy Merck" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Merck</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Drugmaker Merck asked U.S. regulators Monday to authorize its pill against COVID-19 in what would add an entirely new and easy-to-use weapon to the world’s arsenal against the pandemic.If cleared by the Food and Drug Administration — a decision that could come in a matter of weeks — it would be the first pill shown to treat COVID-19. All other FDA-backed treatments against the disease require an IV or injection.An antiviral pill that people could take at home to reduce their symptoms and speed recovery could prove groundbreaking, easing the crushing caseload on U.S. hospitals and helping to curb outbreaks in poorer countries with weak health care systems. It would also bolster the two-pronged approach to the pandemic: treatment, by way of medication, and prevention, primarily through vaccinations.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, we submitted an Emergency Use Authorization application to the U.S. FDA for our investigational <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/antiviral?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#antiviral</a> treatment. Read about today’s milestone: <a href="https://t.co/BHPzfkSw4K">https://t.co/BHPzfkSw4K</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24MRK&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$MRK</a> <a href="https://t.co/y5WdTQnyHL">pic.twitter.com/y5WdTQnyHL</a>&mdash; Merck (@Merck) <a href="https://twitter.com/Merck/status/1447502809679679489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The FDA will scrutinize company data on the safety and effectiveness of the drug, molnupiravir, before rendering a decision.Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutic said they specifically asked the agency to grant emergency use for adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at risk for severe disease or hospitalization. That is roughly the way COVID-19 infusion drugs are used.“The value here is that it’s a pill so you don’t have to deal with the infusion centers and all the factors around that,” said Dr. Nicholas Kartsonis, a senior vice president with Merck’s infectious disease unit. “I think it’s a very powerful tool to add to the toolbox.”The company reported earlier this month that the pill cut hospitalizations and deaths by half among patients with early symptoms of COVID-19. The results were so strong that independent medical experts monitoring the trial recommended stopping it early.Side effects were similar between patients who got the drug and those in a testing group who received a dummy pill. But Merck has not publicly detailed the types of problems reported, which will be a key part of the FDA’s review.Top U.S. health officials continue to push vaccinations as the best way to protect against COVID-19.“It’s much, much better to prevent yourself from getting infected than to have to treat an infection,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said while discussing Merck’s drug last week.Still, some 68 million eligible Americans remain unvaccinated, underscoring the need for effective drugs to control future waves of infection.Since the beginning of the pandemic, health experts have stressed the need for a convenient pill. The goal is for something similar to Tamiflu, the 20-year-old flu medication that shortens the illness by a day or two and blunts the severity of symptoms like fever, cough and stuffy nose.Three FDA-authorized antibody drugs have proved highly effective at reducing COVID-19 deaths, but they are expensive, hard to produce and require specialty equipment and health professionals to deliver.Assuming FDA authorization, the U.S. government has agreed to buy enough of the pills to treat 1.7 million people, at a price of roughly $700 for each course of treatment. That’s less than half the price of the antibody drugs purchased by the U.S. government — over $2,000 per infusion — but still more expensive than many antiviral pills for other conditions.Merck’s Kartsonis said in an interview that the $700 figure does not represent the final price for the medication.“We set that price before we had any data, so that’s just one contract,” Kartsonis said. “Obviously we’re going to be responsible about this and make this drug as accessible to as many people around the world as we can.”Kenilworth, New Jersey-based Merck has said it is in purchase talks with governments around the world and will use a sliding price scale based on each country’s economic means. Also, the company has signed licensing deals with several Indian generic drugmakers to produce low-cost versions of the drug for lower-income countries.Several other companies, including Pfizer and Roche, are studying similar drugs and are expected to report results in the coming weeks and months. AstraZeneca is also seeking FDA authorization for a long-acting antibody drug intended to provide months of protection for patients who have immune-system disorders and do not adequately respond to vaccination.Eventually some experts predict various COVID-19 therapies will be prescribed in combination to better protect against the worst effects of the virus.___

FDA asked to authorize first pill shown to treat COVID-19

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an aggravated robbery and have made an arrest.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633724668494.png" alt="Burk photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Burk photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an aggravated robbery and have made an arrest.Just before 6 p.m., October 5, a suspect , later identified as Tyrelle D. Burk, 36, of Topeka, took items by force from a teenage girl who was walking in the area of SW 6th Avenue and SW Clay Street in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Jerry Monasmith. Burk displayed a knife during the robbery The teenage girl was not injured.On Thursday, police with assistance from community members, identified and located Burk near SW 4th Street and SW Harrison Street in Topeka.As a result, police arrested Burkand booked him into the Shawnee County Department on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery, Possession of Methamphetamine and&nbsp;&nbsp;Possession of Drug Paraphernalia