By BECKY KISER Hays Post

VICTORIA —&nbsp;What started as a one-day retail business sidewalk sale 41 years ago has grown into a two-day family-oriented community festival in Victoria, honoring its German heritage.

The annual Herzogfest set for Friday and Saturday on Victoria's Main Street, is one of the largest free celebrations in western Kansas.&nbsp;

In keeping with the German theme, the Herzogfest will include a polka Mass at 4 p.m. Saturday, followed by a polka dance with traditional polka music and German songs.

"We try to have that for our older generations and keep it going for our younger folks," said Brenton Hoffman, Herzogfest president. "We have some really good singers."

There'll also be plenty of German food to enjoy at the Heritage Marketplace, which opens at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

Other food varieties will be offered by vendors, food trucks, and non-profit groups.&nbsp;

A special beer brewed at Defiance Brewing Co. in Hays will available for purchase. "The Zog," a German pilsner, made its first appearance last year in honor of the festival's 40th year.&nbsp;

Friday afternoon's Zog Olympics features beer-involved games of skills with two-person teams.

Horseshoes competition opens up the evening events at 6 p.m.

Concerts will be performed at 7 p.m. Friday by Texas artist Parker Ryan, followed by rock group Gannon Fremin &amp; CCREV at 9 p.m.

Saturday morning kicks off bright and early with a 5K run/walk kicks off at 8 a.m.

The Herzog Hot Rods, Car, Truck &amp; Tractor show starts at 10 a.m.&nbsp;

Other Saturday activities include children's music performer Jammin' Randy, pictures with Clifford the Big Red Dog, 3 on 3 basketball at the Victoria Elementary School, valve cover races, cornhole tournament, bingo at the Victoria VFW, and free swimming at the city pool from 1 to 4 p.m.

Stein hoist contests will be held for kids and adults, with water glasses for the kids and beer steins for the grownups. "No spilling allowed," Hoffman said.

The regional favorite Wes Cossman Band takes the stage at 7 p.m. and then the country/rock Huser Brother Band at 9 p.m.

Fifty/fifty cash raffles will precede the late concerts both nights.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722961962025.png" alt="2024 Victoria Herzog schedule of events" />
 <figcaption>2024 Victoria Herzog schedule of events</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="41st-annual Herzogfest opens Friday in Victoria" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=fkrwd-1694633-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=315" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>By BECKY KISER Hays Post VICTORIA —&nbsp;What started as a one-day retail business sidewalk sale 41 years ago has grown into a two-day family-oriented community festival in Victoria, honoring its German heritage.The annual Herzogfest set for Friday and Saturday on Victoria's Main Street, is one of the largest free celebrations in western Kansas.&nbsp;In keeping with the German theme, the Herzogfest will include a polka Mass at 4 p.m. Saturday, followed by a polka dance with traditional polka music and German songs. "We try to have that for our older generations and keep it going for our younger folks," said Brenton Hoffman, Herzogfest president. "We have some really good singers."There'll also be plenty of German food to enjoy at the Heritage Marketplace, which opens at 9 a.m. on Saturday.Other food varieties will be offered by vendors, food trucks, and non-profit groups.&nbsp;A special beer brewed at Defiance Brewing Co. in Hays will available for purchase. "The Zog," a German pilsner, made its first appearance last year in honor of the festival's 40th year.&nbsp;Friday afternoon's Zog Olympics features beer-involved games of skills with two-person teams.Horseshoes competition opens up the evening events at 6 p.m.Concerts will be performed at 7 p.m. Friday by Texas artist Parker Ryan, followed by rock group Gannon Fremin &amp; CCREV at 9 p.m.Saturday morning kicks off bright and early with a 5K run/walk kicks off at 8 a.m.The Herzog Hot Rods, Car, Truck &amp; Tractor show starts at 10 a.m.&nbsp;Other Saturday activities include children's music performer Jammin' Randy, pictures with Clifford the Big Red Dog, 3 on 3 basketball at the Victoria Elementary School, valve cover races, cornhole tournament, bingo at the Victoria VFW, and free swimming at the city pool from 1 to 4 p.m.Stein hoist contests will be held for kids and adults, with water glasses for the kids and beer steins for the grownups. "No spilling allowed," Hoffman said.The regional favorite Wes Cossman Band takes the stage at 7 p.m. and then the country/rock Huser Brother Band at 9 p.m.Fifty/fifty cash raffles will precede the late concerts both nights.

🎙 41st-annual Herzogfest opens Friday in Victoria      

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

A short agenda is on tap for Thursday's Hays City Commission meeting.

The two items involve expansion by Lewis Auto Group north of Interstate 70.

JTL Leasing (Lewis Auto Group) has purchased two tracts near the intersection of East 41st Street and Sherman Avenue.&nbsp;

Lewis plans to use the existing building at 655 E. 41st St., formerly Vernie’s Toys 4 Trux, as a mechanic/service shop and build a structure in the vacant lot across the street to the west.&nbsp;

The properties are just outside the current city limits.&nbsp;

JTL has requested rezoning of the two tracts from general commercial to light industrial and annexation into the city.&nbsp;

Both items have been previously approved by the Hays Area Planning Commission.

The complete Aug. 8 agenda is available <a href="https://ks-hays.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08082024-1495">here</a>. The meeting begins at 4 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584721067731.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostA short agenda is on tap for Thursday's Hays City Commission meeting.The two items involve expansion by Lewis Auto Group north of Interstate 70.JTL Leasing (Lewis Auto Group) has purchased two tracts near the intersection of East 41st Street and Sherman Avenue.&nbsp;Lewis plans to use the existing building at 655 E. 41st St., formerly Vernie’s Toys 4 Trux, as a mechanic/service shop and build a structure in the vacant lot across the street to the west.&nbsp;The properties are just outside the current city limits.&nbsp;JTL has requested rezoning of the two tracts from general commercial to light industrial and annexation into the city.&nbsp;Both items have been previously approved by the Hays Area Planning Commission.The complete Aug. 8 agenda is available <a href="https://ks-hays.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08082024-1495">here</a>. The meeting begins at 4 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.&nbsp;

Hays City Commission to vote on annex, rezone of land for expansion of Hays auto dealer

On this episode of the Post Podcast, Hays Post Reporter Cristina Janney speaks with Grow Hays Executive Director Doug Williams about development north of I-70, near Home Depot.

<div><iframe title="Grow Hays director discusses latest development north of I-70" allowtransparency="true" height="600" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:600px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=hgvcc-1694610-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=600" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>On this episode of the Post Podcast, Hays Post Reporter Cristina Janney speaks with Grow Hays Executive Director Doug Williams about development north of I-70, near Home Depot.

🎙 Post Podcast: Grow Hays director discusses latest development north of I-70

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - As Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker worked on the field during Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph, behind the scenes he was busy negotiating a new deal.

That culminated Wednesday as the Chiefs officially announced Butker had signed a four-year extension with the team which makes him the highest-paid kicker in the league.

"I think offense is definitely the strength of the NFL right now, there's a lot of points being scored and kickers are part of that, games are closer than ever," Butker tells reporters after practice. "(Justin) Tucker signed his contract two years ago and then Jake Elliot just signed and tied his, so I'm grateful to be able to move it up a little bit."

Butker's new deal will net him $6.4 million annually, while Justin Tucker and Jake Elliot are making just $6 million.

Most notably, Butker negotiated the new deal himself. Butker says it was a lot of fun.

"My personality I'm an introvert, I don't really like the attention, so even being an NFL kicker is kind of an odd thing for me, I don't like the loud noises, the attention that comes my way," Butker explains. "But when I'm in the moment and I'm executing the kick, I'm so grateful for that opportunity and I kind of negotiated this contract the same way."

"It would have been easy for me to have an agent handle the contract, but I kind of attacked this fear and I wanted to go out and have faith in myself to represent myself, and do something that not a lot of players do and it wasn't to difficult."

Butker says he actually used his background as an industrial engineer at Georgia Tech during the negotiations.

"I can handle the spreadsheets and making sure I'm doing the right job with the counter offers and such and getting to a good deal," Butker says. "But, it was a challenge that I took on and I felt like going on year eight I kind of understand the NFL well enough, I understand contracts well enough from being involved with the NFLPA, and obviously I have a great relationship with the front office here."

"And so, I was able to negotiate my own contract over 8 to 10 weeks and I'm really excited about it and I think it's empowering for players to know that no one's going to represent you better than you."

Chiefs prepared to show off new dynamic receivers in preseason game

The Chiefs wrapped up their final practice of the week in St. Joseph today and now turn their attention to the first preseason game on Saturday in Jacksonville.&nbsp;

One of the more exciting aspects of the first preseason game is seeing all the Chiefs new offensive weapons, like Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy, in action.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes says he's extremely excited to see these new weapons in game action.&nbsp;

"Obviously for me to go out there and play these guys and showcase what we have the ability to do, but to learn from our mistakes too," Mahomes tells reporters from the podium post-practice. "You're going to go out there and play for real and play against someone else, I'm tired of going against Spags (Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) and every defense known to man, and so I think just going out there, letting the guys play, make decisions under fire, and have them make those right decisions and learn from mistakes after."&nbsp;

Mahomes says with his new speedy receivers they'll obviously be able to hit guys over the top.&nbsp;

"But I think the biggest thing is you want to be able to do both, I think that's something we've worked on all camp is you're going to be able to hit the guys over the top and then when the defense plays deep you have to be able to hit the medium type things, and we have to be able to run the football," Mahomes explains. &nbsp;

"And that's what makes great offenses great, is having the ability to do all of that, and so as much as I want to throw it deep every single play, I think just being able to do everything is going to be the biggest part of our offense."&nbsp;

Head Coach Andy Reid says that during Saturday's game the ones will play the first quarter, two's the second and so on.&nbsp;

Kickoff from Jacksonville is at 6pm, the game can be heard on 96.9, KFIX beginning at 5 p.m.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722105936347.jpeg" alt="Kicker Harrison Butker (7) attempts a kick as new punter Matt Araiza (49) holds/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Kicker Harrison Butker (7) attempts a kick as new punter Matt Araiza (49) holds/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph PostST. JOSEPH, Mo. - As Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker worked on the field during Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph, behind the scenes he was busy negotiating a new deal.That culminated Wednesday as the Chiefs officially announced Butker had signed a four-year extension with the team which makes him the highest-paid kicker in the league."I think offense is definitely the strength of the NFL right now, there's a lot of points being scored and kickers are part of that, games are closer than ever," Butker tells reporters after practice. "(Justin) Tucker signed his contract two years ago and then Jake Elliot just signed and tied his, so I'm grateful to be able to move it up a little bit."Butker's new deal will net him $6.4 million annually, while Justin Tucker and Jake Elliot are making just $6 million.Most notably, Butker negotiated the new deal himself. Butker says it was a lot of fun."My personality I'm an introvert, I don't really like the attention, so even being an NFL kicker is kind of an odd thing for me, I don't like the loud noises, the attention that comes my way," Butker explains. "But when I'm in the moment and I'm executing the kick, I'm so grateful for that opportunity and I kind of negotiated this contract the same way.""It would have been easy for me to have an agent handle the contract, but I kind of attacked this fear and I wanted to go out and have faith in myself to represent myself, and do something that not a lot of players do and it wasn't to difficult."Butker says he actually used his background as an industrial engineer at Georgia Tech during the negotiations.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723056872013.png" alt="Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker waves to fans as he comes down the field to practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker waves to fans as he comes down the field to practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>"I can handle the spreadsheets and making sure I'm doing the right job with the counter offers and such and getting to a good deal," Butker says. "But, it was a challenge that I took on and I felt like going on year eight I kind of understand the NFL well enough, I understand contracts well enough from being involved with the NFLPA, and obviously I have a great relationship with the front office here.""And so, I was able to negotiate my own contract over 8 to 10 weeks and I'm really excited about it and I think it's empowering for players to know that no one's going to represent you better than you."Chiefs prepared to show off new dynamic receivers in preseason gameThe Chiefs wrapped up their final practice of the week in St. Joseph today and now turn their attention to the first preseason game on Saturday in Jacksonville.&nbsp;One of the more exciting aspects of the first preseason game is seeing all the Chiefs new offensive weapons, like Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy, in action.Quarterback Patrick Mahomes says he's extremely excited to see these new weapons in game action.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723056916638.jpeg" alt="Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws a pass during Chiefs practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws a pass during Chiefs practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>"Obviously for me to go out there and play these guys and showcase what we have the ability to do, but to learn from our mistakes too," Mahomes tells reporters from the podium post-practice. "You're going to go out there and play for real and play against someone else, I'm tired of going against Spags (Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) and every defense known to man, and so I think just going out there, letting the guys play, make decisions under fire, and have them make those right decisions and learn from mistakes after."&nbsp;Mahomes says with his new speedy receivers they'll obviously be able to hit guys over the top.&nbsp;"But I think the biggest thing is you want to be able to do both, I think that's something we've worked on all camp is you're going to be able to hit the guys over the top and then when the defense plays deep you have to be able to hit the medium type things, and we have to be able to run the football," Mahomes explains. &nbsp;"And that's what makes great offenses great, is having the ability to do all of that, and so as much as I want to throw it deep every single play, I think just being able to do everything is going to be the biggest part of our offense."&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723057106176.jpeg" alt="Patrick Mahomes (15) points out things to receivers Mecole Hardman (17) and Skyy More (24)/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Patrick Mahomes (15) points out things to receivers Mecole Hardman (17) and Skyy More (24)/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Head Coach Andy Reid says that during Saturday's game the ones will play the first quarter, two's the second and so on.&nbsp;Kickoff from Jacksonville is at 6pm, the game can be heard on 96.9, KFIX beginning at 5 p.m.&nbsp;

🏈 With contract complete, Butker ready to focus on first preseason game

Transition necessary following resignation of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly will transition to chair of the Democratic Governors Association to complete the term of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who complied with the organization’s rules by resigning after chosen to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 presidential election.

Kelly, who served as vice chair since December 2022, assumed the chair’s position of the partisan organization dedicated to electing and reelecting Democratic candidates for governor.

“With reproductive freedom, democracy and voting rights on the line, the stakes couldn’t be higher, and it’s never been more important to elect Democratic governors,” Kelly said.

Walz stepped down Tuesday from the DGA post in accordance with bylaws that prohibit candidates for federal office to lead the organization.

In addition to the presidential election in November, 11 states conduct simultaneous gubernatorial elections.

“I know what it means to win tough races in a red state,” Kelly said. “The DGA was by my side for two tough fights in 2018 and 2022, and I’m glad to be by theirs as we sprint to the finish line to elect Democratic governors in key states across the country and build on the DGA’s record of success this fall.”

In 2022, Kelly won reelection against then-Attorney General Derek Schmidt. Four years prior, she beat then-Secretary of State Kris Kobach to move from the Kansas Senate to the governor’s office. Republican Donald Trump, who endorsed Schmidt and Kobach in those gubernatorial races, carried Kansas in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.

Kelly credited Walz with the DGA’s fundraising success from January to June. Reports showed the organization raised $61 million in the period.

Meghan Meehan-Draper, executive director of the association, said the DGA’s objective during the final three months of the 2024 election cycle was to bring attention to issues of greatest concern to voters.

“By focusing on the issues that matter most to Kansans, Governor Kelly has shown what effective leadership looks like, and has been a huge asset to the DGA in her role as vice chair these last two years. Governor Kelly knows what it takes to win tough races in some of the most challenging environments.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722967941078.png" alt="Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly became chair of the Democratic Governors Association following resignation of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who stepped down a chair of the DGA after accepting an offer to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate. Kelly has served as DGA’s vice chair for nearly two years. (Democratic Governors Association)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly became chair of the Democratic Governors Association following resignation of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who stepped down a chair of the DGA after accepting an offer to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate. Kelly has served as DGA’s vice chair for nearly two years. (Democratic Governors Association)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Transition necessary following resignation of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly will transition to chair of the Democratic Governors Association to complete the term of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who complied with the organization’s rules by resigning after chosen to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 presidential election.Kelly, who served as vice chair since December 2022, assumed the chair’s position of the partisan organization dedicated to electing and reelecting Democratic candidates for governor.“With reproductive freedom, democracy and voting rights on the line, the stakes couldn’t be higher, and it’s never been more important to elect Democratic governors,” Kelly said.Walz stepped down Tuesday from the DGA post in accordance with bylaws that prohibit candidates for federal office to lead the organization.In addition to the presidential election in November, 11 states conduct simultaneous gubernatorial elections.“I know what it means to win tough races in a red state,” Kelly said. “The DGA was by my side for two tough fights in 2018 and 2022, and I’m glad to be by theirs as we sprint to the finish line to elect Democratic governors in key states across the country and build on the DGA’s record of success this fall.”In 2022, Kelly won reelection against then-Attorney General Derek Schmidt. Four years prior, she beat then-Secretary of State Kris Kobach to move from the Kansas Senate to the governor’s office. Republican Donald Trump, who endorsed Schmidt and Kobach in those gubernatorial races, carried Kansas in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.Kelly credited Walz with the DGA’s fundraising success from January to June. Reports showed the organization raised $61 million in the period.Meghan Meehan-Draper, executive director of the association, said the DGA’s objective during the final three months of the 2024 election cycle was to bring attention to issues of greatest concern to voters.“By focusing on the issues that matter most to Kansans, Governor Kelly has shown what effective leadership looks like, and has been a huge asset to the DGA in her role as vice chair these last two years. Governor Kelly knows what it takes to win tough races in some of the most challenging environments.”

Kansas Governor assumes leadership of Democratic Governors Association

VIENNA (AP) — Organizers of three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna this week called them off on Wednesday after officials announced arrests over an apparent plot to launch an attack on an event in the Vienna area such as the concerts.

Swift was scheduled to play at the Austrian capital’s Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as part of her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/germany-taylor-swift-signs-gelsenkirchen-swiftkirchen-01a68a8c505bf649a0d3f0f149be158e">Eras Tour</a>.

Event organizer Barracuda Music said in a post on its Instagram channel late Wednesday that “we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety.” It cited government officials' “confirmation” of a planned attack at the stadium.

Earlier Wednesday, authorities said they had arrested two suspected extremists, one of whom appeared to be planning an attack on an event in the Vienna area such as the upcoming concerts.

The 19-year-old main suspect was arrested in Ternitz, south of Vienna, and the second person in the Austrian capital.

Franz Ruf, the public security director at Austria’s interior ministry, said authorities were aware of “preparatory actions” for a possible attack “and also that there is a focus by the 19-year-old perpetrator on the Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna,” the Austria Press Agency reported.

Ruf said the 19-year-old had pledged an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State group.

The Austrian citizen is believed to have become radicalized on the internet. Ruf said that chemical substances were secured and were being evaluated. He didn't give more details.

The cancelation came hours after authorities said security measures for the Swift concerts would be stepped up. Ruf said that there would be a special focus among other things on entry checks and concertgoers should plan a bit more time.

Vienna police chief Gerhard Pürstl said at the same time that, while any concrete danger had been minimized, an abstract risk justified raising security.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said in a post on social network X that “the cancelation of the Taylor Swift concerts by the organizers is a bitter disappointment for all fans in Austria.”

“The situation surrounding the apparently planned terror attack in Vienna was very serious,” he wrote. But he added that, thanks to intensive cooperation between police, Austrian and foreign intelligence, “the threat could be recognized early on, tackled and a tragedy prevented.”

Barracuda Music said that “all tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 business days.” The same wording was posted under the Vienna dates on Swift's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.taylorswift.com/tour/">official website</a>.

The Vienna stadium had been sold out for the planned concerts, APA reported, with an estimated 170,000 fans expected for the concerts in Austria.

Swift fans took to social media to express their devastation at missing out on one of the superstar’s shows. Some who posted on X lamented months of now-wasted efforts to make friendship bracelets and pick out fashionable outfits for the performance.

Annmarie Timmins, a journalist who traveled from the U.S. for Thursday’s show, said she and her husband were waiting for the subway after dinner when they heard the news.

“I can’t even believe it,” she said. “There was a girl with her mom who looked so sad - even more than me. I gave her one of my bracelets. I wanted to hug her.”

In 2017, an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9d813da59c6342b09c7ea57f62a5d9a8">attack at an Ariana Grande concert</a>&nbsp;in Manchester, England killed 22 people. Suicide bomber Salman Abedi set up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/manchester-ariana-grande-concert-bombing-lawsuit-f2e8298cb045501eff5245392522d29c">a knapsack bomb</a>&nbsp;in Manchester Arena at the end of Grande’s concert as thousands of young fans were leaving. More than 100 people were injured. Abedi died in the explosion.

An official&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mi5-manchester-arena-concert-bombing-inquiry-uk-3563d529056ae51e201ae8d379f930b5">inquiry reported last year</a>&nbsp;that Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, MI5, didn’t act swiftly enough on key information and missed a significant opportunity to prevent the bombing, the deadliest extremist attack in the U.K. in recent years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693768918136.png" alt="File photo-Taylor Swift performs during The Eras Tour at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>File photo-Taylor Swift performs during The Eras Tour at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>VIENNA (AP) — Organizers of three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna this week called them off on Wednesday after officials announced arrests over an apparent plot to launch an attack on an event in the Vienna area such as the concerts.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I CANT BELIEVE THIS 😭 <a href="https://t.co/gW3uJPq5z3">pic.twitter.com/gW3uJPq5z3</a>&mdash; The Eras Tour (@TSTheErasTour) <a href="https://twitter.com/TSTheErasTour/status/1821271661272035634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Swift was scheduled to play at the Austrian capital’s Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as part of her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/germany-taylor-swift-signs-gelsenkirchen-swiftkirchen-01a68a8c505bf649a0d3f0f149be158e">Eras Tour</a>.Event organizer Barracuda Music said in a post on its Instagram channel late Wednesday that “we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety.” It cited government officials' “confirmation” of a planned attack at the stadium.Earlier Wednesday, authorities said they had arrested two suspected extremists, one of whom appeared to be planning an attack on an event in the Vienna area such as the upcoming concerts.The 19-year-old main suspect was arrested in Ternitz, south of Vienna, and the second person in the Austrian capital.Franz Ruf, the public security director at Austria’s interior ministry, said authorities were aware of “preparatory actions” for a possible attack “and also that there is a focus by the 19-year-old perpetrator on the Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna,” the Austria Press Agency reported.Ruf said the 19-year-old had pledged an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State group.The Austrian citizen is believed to have become radicalized on the internet. Ruf said that chemical substances were secured and were being evaluated. He didn't give more details.The cancelation came hours after authorities said security measures for the Swift concerts would be stepped up. Ruf said that there would be a special focus among other things on entry checks and concertgoers should plan a bit more time.Vienna police chief Gerhard Pürstl said at the same time that, while any concrete danger had been minimized, an abstract risk justified raising security.Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said in a post on social network X that “the cancelation of the Taylor Swift concerts by the organizers is a bitter disappointment for all fans in Austria.”“The situation surrounding the apparently planned terror attack in Vienna was very serious,” he wrote. But he added that, thanks to intensive cooperation between police, Austrian and foreign intelligence, “the threat could be recognized early on, tackled and a tragedy prevented.”Barracuda Music said that “all tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 business days.” The same wording was posted under the Vienna dates on Swift's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.taylorswift.com/tour/">official website</a>.The Vienna stadium had been sold out for the planned concerts, APA reported, with an estimated 170,000 fans expected for the concerts in Austria.Swift fans took to social media to express their devastation at missing out on one of the superstar’s shows. Some who posted on X lamented months of now-wasted efforts to make friendship bracelets and pick out fashionable outfits for the performance.Annmarie Timmins, a journalist who traveled from the U.S. for Thursday’s show, said she and her husband were waiting for the subway after dinner when they heard the news.“I can’t even believe it,” she said. “There was a girl with her mom who looked so sad - even more than me. I gave her one of my bracelets. I wanted to hug her.”In 2017, an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9d813da59c6342b09c7ea57f62a5d9a8">attack at an Ariana Grande concert</a>&nbsp;in Manchester, England killed 22 people. Suicide bomber Salman Abedi set up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/manchester-ariana-grande-concert-bombing-lawsuit-f2e8298cb045501eff5245392522d29c">a knapsack bomb</a>&nbsp;in Manchester Arena at the end of Grande’s concert as thousands of young fans were leaving. More than 100 people were injured. Abedi died in the explosion.An official&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mi5-manchester-arena-concert-bombing-inquiry-uk-3563d529056ae51e201ae8d379f930b5">inquiry reported last year</a>&nbsp;that Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, MI5, didn’t act swiftly enough on key information and missed a significant opportunity to prevent the bombing, the deadliest extremist attack in the U.K. in recent years.

Taylor Swift concerts canceled after terrorist plot foiled by police

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

Republican Jason Krug won against Todd Schneider with 184 votes to 140 for Russell County Commissioner District 2. Democrat Brad Zweifel ran unopposed in the primary.

Incumbent Republican Duke Strobel defeated Teresa Brandenburg with 138 votes to 82 for Russell County Commissioner District 3. Democrat Charmarose Craven ran unopposed.

Republican Dean Haselhorst defeated candidate John Fletcher, who passed away in June, with 184 votes to 71 for County Commissioner District 4. Democrat Neil Unrein ran unopposed.

Republican Alan Kuntzsch is ahead by a single vote with 87 votes, while Anthony Mahoney received 86 votes for County Commissioner District 5. The election will be official after the Russell County canvas.

 Kevin Mravinec received 64 votes, Mitch Driscoll had 60 votes, and Jamie Gage had 24 votes. Democrat Tom Mahoney ran unopposed.

Candidate Gage has a history of misdemeanors and said her promotional materials, including yard signs and large banners, have allegedly been stolen or defaced in the lead-up to the election.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/061a2677-c500-4e51-98af-24f2af21d3e9">SEE RELATED STORY: Russell County commissioner history of misdemeanors</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/6d760c7d-1b24-41bf-a1bc-14bc4ac9c970">SEE RELATED STORY: Russell County commissioner campaign signs stolen; candidate alleges death threats</a>

You can find the full unofficial results for the Kansas primary election <a href="https://russellcountykansas.com/DocumentCenter/View/2130/UNOFFICIAL-RESULTS-AUGUST-6-2024-PRIMARY-ELECTION?bidId=">here</a>.

By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostRepublican Jason Krug won against Todd Schneider with 184 votes to 140 for Russell County Commissioner District 2. Democrat Brad Zweifel ran unopposed in the primary.Incumbent Republican Duke Strobel defeated Teresa Brandenburg with 138 votes to 82 for Russell County Commissioner District 3. Democrat Charmarose Craven ran unopposed.Republican Dean Haselhorst defeated candidate John Fletcher, who passed away in June, with 184 votes to 71 for County Commissioner District 4. Democrat Neil Unrein ran unopposed.Republican Alan Kuntzsch is ahead by a single vote with 87 votes, while Anthony Mahoney received 86 votes for County Commissioner District 5. The election will be official after the Russell County canvas. Kevin Mravinec received 64 votes, Mitch Driscoll had 60 votes, and Jamie Gage had 24 votes. Democrat Tom Mahoney ran unopposed.Candidate Gage has a history of misdemeanors and said her promotional materials, including yard signs and large banners, have allegedly been stolen or defaced in the lead-up to the election.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/061a2677-c500-4e51-98af-24f2af21d3e9">SEE RELATED STORY: Russell County commissioner history of misdemeanors</a><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/6d760c7d-1b24-41bf-a1bc-14bc4ac9c970">SEE RELATED STORY: Russell County commissioner campaign signs stolen; candidate alleges death threats</a>You can find the full unofficial results for the Kansas primary election <a href="https://russellcountykansas.com/DocumentCenter/View/2130/UNOFFICIAL-RESULTS-AUGUST-6-2024-PRIMARY-ELECTION?bidId=">here</a>.

Russell County 2024 primary election unofficial results

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State is receiving votes in the 2024 United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 25 Poll, released on August 6. The Tigers appeared in the receiving votes section of the poll three times last year and last ranked among the Top 25 during October of the 2022 season.

Fort Hays State has eight returners on this year's squad, but four of those returners earned all-conference honors in 2023. Three of the four all-conference selections were all-region honorees. The Tigers will see an influx of 28 newcomers this year as head coach Alex Nichols&nbsp;enters his first year guiding the program.

Fellow GAC/MIAA conference member Southern Nazarene starts the year inside the Top 25 at No. 23. FHSU will also face a pair of preseason ranked teams in non-conference play, which includes No. 8 Midwestern State and No. 12 Maryville.

Below is the United Soccer Coaches Men's Soccer Preseason Top 25. Rank - School - Prev W-L-T 1 - Franklin Pierce - 1 - 21-0-2 2 - Colorado State University-Pueblo - 2 - 18-5-3 3 - Florida Tech - 3 - 13-3-5 4 - Lewis - 4 - 13-4-6 5 - California State University-Los Angeles - 5 - 18-1-3 6 - Limestone - 6 - 14-3-2 7 - Gannon - 7 - 18-2-2 8 - Midwestern State - 8 - 20-1-1 9 - University of Charleston - 9 - 19-2-0 10 - Cal Poly Pomona - 10 - 14-2-5 11 - Barry - 11 - 13-4-1 12 - Maryville&nbsp; - 12 - 12-4-6 13 - West Florida - 13 - 12-1-6 14 - Post 14 - 13-2-6 15 - Indianapolis - 15 - 12-2-7 16 - Clayton State - 16 - 15-3-3 17 - Illinois-Springfield - 17 - 13-1-7 18 - California State-Chico - 18 - 11-2-7 19 - Lynn - 19 - 10-3-6 20 - Wingate - 20 - 12-5-2 21 - Fort Lewis College - 21 - 12-5-4 22 - Tiffin - 22 - 14-3-3 23 - Southern Nazarene - 23 - 14-5-2 24 - McKendree - 24 - 12-2-7 25 - Millersville 25 - 14-3-3&nbsp;

Also receiving votes: Point Loma Nazarene, California State Monterey Bay, Lincoln Memorial, West Chester, Mississippi College, Lake Erie College,&nbsp;Fort Hays State, Rogers State, Colorado Mesa&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723043096558.png" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State is receiving votes in the 2024 United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 25 Poll, released on August 6. The Tigers appeared in the receiving votes section of the poll three times last year and last ranked among the Top 25 during October of the 2022 season.Fort Hays State has eight returners on this year's squad, but four of those returners earned all-conference honors in 2023. Three of the four all-conference selections were all-region honorees. The Tigers will see an influx of 28 newcomers this year as head coach Alex Nichols&nbsp;enters his first year guiding the program.Fellow GAC/MIAA conference member Southern Nazarene starts the year inside the Top 25 at No. 23. FHSU will also face a pair of preseason ranked teams in non-conference play, which includes No. 8 Midwestern State and No. 12 Maryville.Below is the United Soccer Coaches Men's Soccer Preseason Top 25. Rank - School - Prev W-L-T 1 - Franklin Pierce - 1 - 21-0-2 2 - Colorado State University-Pueblo - 2 - 18-5-3 3 - Florida Tech - 3 - 13-3-5 4 - Lewis - 4 - 13-4-6 5 - California State University-Los Angeles - 5 - 18-1-3 6 - Limestone - 6 - 14-3-2 7 - Gannon - 7 - 18-2-2 8 - Midwestern State - 8 - 20-1-1 9 - University of Charleston - 9 - 19-2-0 10 - Cal Poly Pomona - 10 - 14-2-5 11 - Barry - 11 - 13-4-1 12 - Maryville&nbsp; - 12 - 12-4-6 13 - West Florida - 13 - 12-1-6 14 - Post 14 - 13-2-6 15 - Indianapolis - 15 - 12-2-7 16 - Clayton State - 16 - 15-3-3 17 - Illinois-Springfield - 17 - 13-1-7 18 - California State-Chico - 18 - 11-2-7 19 - Lynn - 19 - 10-3-6 20 - Wingate - 20 - 12-5-2 21 - Fort Lewis College - 21 - 12-5-4 22 - Tiffin - 22 - 14-3-3 23 - Southern Nazarene - 23 - 14-5-2 24 - McKendree - 24 - 12-2-7 25 - Millersville 25 - 14-3-3&nbsp;Also receiving votes: Point Loma Nazarene, California State Monterey Bay, Lincoln Memorial, West Chester, Mississippi College, Lake Erie College,&nbsp;Fort Hays State, Rogers State, Colorado Mesa&nbsp;

⚽ FHSU men receives votes in United Soccer Coaches preseason poll

By TERRI MILLER Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

Military families move regularly, sometimes every two to three years. So you may find yourself checking out new digs as you plan a move to another duty station. That’s when you could run into a rental scam, which can be hard to spot, but here are some clues.

Rental listing scams can unfold in a few ways. Scammers can steal legitimate rental listings for real places and pretend to be the landlord. Sometimes scammers use social media groups to post made-up listings for places that aren’t actually available to rent — and sometimes for place that don’t even exist.&nbsp;In either case, the scammer will rush you into paying an application fee, deposit, and/or first month’s rent,&nbsp;and promise to get you the keys right away — but instead, they’ll disappear.&nbsp;You’ll be left without your money and with no place to move into.

Take these steps to avoid losing time and money to a rental listing scam.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722458239356.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By TERRI MILLER Consumer Education Specialist, FTCMilitary families move regularly, sometimes every two to three years. So you may find yourself checking out new digs as you plan a move to another duty station. That’s when you could run into a rental scam, which can be hard to spot, but here are some clues.Rental listing scams can unfold in a few ways. Scammers can steal legitimate rental listings for real places and pretend to be the landlord. Sometimes scammers use social media groups to post made-up listings for places that aren’t actually available to rent — and sometimes for place that don’t even exist.&nbsp;In either case, the scammer will rush you into paying an application fee, deposit, and/or first month’s rent,&nbsp;and promise to get you the keys right away — but instead, they’ll disappear.&nbsp;You’ll be left without your money and with no place to move into.Take these steps to avoid losing time and money to a rental listing scam.<ul>
 <li>Search online for the rental’s address, plus the name of the property owner or rental company listed. Do other ads come up for the same address? Maybe with a different owner or rental company name? Those are signs of a scam.</li><li>Look up the rental company’s website&nbsp;and check to see if the property is listed there, too. If it isn’t, the listing is likely a scam.</li><li>Pay by credit card, which gives you the best protections. Scammers want you to pay in ways that make it hard to get your money back — like&nbsp;with&nbsp;<a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/avoiding-and-reporting-gift-card-scams">gift cards</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/you-wire-money">wire transfers</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/mobile-payment-apps-how-avoid-scam-when-you-use-one">payment apps</a>&nbsp;like Apple Pay, CashApp, PayPal and Zelle, or&nbsp;<a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-cryptocurrency-and-scams">cryptocurrency</a>. &nbsp;</li><li>Don’t pay for a property you’ve never seen.&nbsp;And never pay someone you’ve never met in person. If you can’t see the apartment or sign a lease before you pay, see if a friend can see it for you, or keep looking.</li>
 </ul>Image

Avoiding rental listing scams

A Hays man was arrested on July 29 on several charges related to child pornography through social media.

According to court records, suspect 21-year-old Josiah Curtis Grizzle of Hays was arrested on charges including alleged aggravated internet trading in child pornography, sexual exploitation of a child, possession of media involving a child younger than 18 years old, and sexual extortion.

According to the court records, the alleged victim was born in 2007 and would be 16 or 17 years old.

The child pornography counts allegedly occurred in February and March on Snapchat and Facebook (Meta). According to court records, the sexual extortion offense allegedly occurred on July 29.

In 2021, Grizzle was arrested for aggravated endangerment of a child younger than 18 years old, interference with law enforcement for fleeing or attempting to elude through reckless driving, possession of THC and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He pleaded no contest to charges of aggravated endangerment of a child and interference with law enforcement. He pleaded guilty of a second count of aggravated endangerment of a child and interference with law enforcement.

The charges for possession of THC and possession of drug paraphernalia were dismissed.

Grizzle was placed in community corrections in January 2022 and released a year later.

The Hays Police Department was contacted but did not release a statement.

All parties are innocent until proven guilty.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723039786674.png" alt="Grizzle photo Ellis Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Grizzle photo Ellis Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostA Hays man was arrested on July 29 on several charges related to child pornography through social media.According to court records, suspect 21-year-old Josiah Curtis Grizzle of Hays was arrested on charges including alleged aggravated internet trading in child pornography, sexual exploitation of a child, possession of media involving a child younger than 18 years old, and sexual extortion.According to the court records, the alleged victim was born in 2007 and would be 16 or 17 years old.The child pornography counts allegedly occurred in February and March on Snapchat and Facebook (Meta). According to court records, the sexual extortion offense allegedly occurred on July 29.Grizzle's bond is set at $250,000.In 2021, Grizzle was arrested for aggravated endangerment of a child younger than 18 years old, interference with law enforcement for fleeing or attempting to elude through reckless driving, possession of THC and possession of drug paraphernalia.He pleaded no contest to charges of aggravated endangerment of a child and interference with law enforcement. He pleaded guilty of a second count of aggravated endangerment of a child and interference with law enforcement.The charges for possession of THC and possession of drug paraphernalia were dismissed.Grizzle was placed in community corrections in January 2022 and released a year later.The Hays Police Department was contacted but did not release a statement.All parties are innocent until proven guilty.

21-year-old Hays man arrested for alleged child pornography

PHILADELPHIA (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;introduced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to the nation at a raucous rally Tuesday in battleground Pennsylvania that was aimed at building momentum for the newly minted Democratic presidential ticket in the sprint toward Election Day.

“He’s the kind of person who makes people feel like they belong and then inspires them to dream big. ... That’s the kind of vice president America deserves,” Harris said while standing with Walz in Philadelphia.

Taking the microphone after Harris, Walz revved up the crowd for the rigorous campaign to come. “We’ve got 91 days. My God, that’s easy. We’ll sleep when we’re dead," he said.

The remarks reflected the urgency of the moment, with Harris tapping Walz for the ticket during one of the most turbulent periods in modern American politics. Republicans have rallied around former President Donald Trump after he was targeted in an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-13-2024">attempted assassination</a>&nbsp;in July. Just days later, President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">ended his reelection campaign</a>, forcing Harris to scramble to unify Democrats and decide on a running mate over a breakneck two-week stretch.

In choosing the 60-year-old Walz, Harris is elevating a Midwestern governor, military veteran and union supporter who helped enact an ambitious Democratic agenda for his state, including sweeping protections for abortion rights and generous aid to families.

It was her biggest decision yet as the Democratic nominee and she went with a broadly palatable choice — someone who says politics should have more joy and who deflects dark and foreboding rhetoric from Republicans with a lighter touch, a strategy that the campaign has been increasingly turning to since Harris took over the top spot.

Harris hopes Walz will help her shore up her campaign’s standing across the upper Midwest, a critical region in presidential politics that often serves as a buffer for Democrats seeking the White House. The party remains haunted by Trump’s wins in Michigan and Wisconsin in 2016. Trump lost those states in 2020 but has zeroed in on them as he aims to return to the presidency this year and is expanding his focus to Minnesota.

Since Walz was announced, the team raised more than $20 million from grassroots donations, the campaign said.

Walz is far from a household name.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/most-democrats-are-very-enthusiastic-about-kamala-harris-democratic-nominee">An ABC News/Ipsos survey</a>&nbsp;conducted before he was selected but after vetting began showed that nearly 9 in 10 U.S. adults did not know enough to have an opinion about him.

Harris devoted much of her speech to telling the audience about Walz's life and work, which included stints as a social studies teacher and a football coach.

“To those who know him best, Tim is more than a governor,” she said.

“We both believe in lifting people up, not knocking them down,” she said. “We both know that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us. And we see in our fellow Americans neighbors, never enemies.”

Harris, the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to lead a major party ticket, initially considered nearly a dozen candidates before zeroing in on a handful of serious contenders.

Trump has focused much of his campaign on appealing to men, emphasizing a need for strength in national leadership and even featuring the wrestler Hulk Hogan on the final night of the Republican National Convention. Harris' finalists — all white men — marked an acknowledgement of the Democrat's need to at least try to win over some of that demographic.

She personally interviewed three finalists: Pennsylvania Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/josh-shapiro">Josh Shapiro</a>, Arizona Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mark-kelly">Mark Kelly</a>&nbsp;and Walz. Harris wanted someone with executive experience who could be a governing partner, and Walz also offered appeal to the widest swath of the diverse coalition.

His selection drew praise from lawmakers as ideologically diverse as progressive leader Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and independent Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a moderate who left the Democratic Party earlier this year.

A team of lawyers and political operatives led by former Attorney General Eric Holder pored over documents and conducted interviews with potential selections. Harris mulled the decision over on Monday with top aides and finalized it Tuesday morning, according to three people familiar with Harris' decision who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private deliberations.

Shapiro, an ambitious politician in his own right, struggled with the idea of being No. 2 at the White House and said he felt he had more to do in Pennsylvania, according to one of the people familiar with Harris' decision. There was also public pushback to Shapiro for his stance on Israel from Arab American groups and younger voters angry over the administration’s response to the Israel-Hamas war.

The other contenders threw their support behind the ticket Tuesday, and Shapiro was one of the speakers at Tuesday's Philadelphia rally. Biden described the Harris and Walz ticket as “a powerful voice for working people and America’s great middle class.”

Walz coined one of Democrats' buzziest campaign bits to date, calling Trump and his running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance “just weird,” a label that the Democratic Governors Association — of which Walz is chairman —&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DemGovs/status/1816201967862948032">amplified in a post on X</a>&nbsp;and Democrats more broadly have echoed.

On Tuesday, Walz said: “Just an observation of mind, I just have to say it. These guys are creepy and, yes, just weird as hell.”

Harris, second gentleman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doug-emhoff-harris-presidential-bid-4c1c1ae1929aac4b5dc9b4cf6c5ddeb7">Doug Emhoff</a>&nbsp;and Walz will spend the next five days touring critical battleground states, visiting Wisconsin and Michigan on Wednesday and Arizona and Nevada later in the week.

Vance, for his part, planned stops in some of the same areas. He said Tuesday that he called Walz earlier in the day and left a voice message.

The Trump campaign on Tuesday immediately tried to tag Walz as a far-left liberal.

“It’s no surprise that San Francisco Liberal Kamala Harris wants West Coast wannabe Tim Walz as her running-mate – Walz has spent his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State,” said Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s campaign press secretary.

Trump, who often weighs in on the news on his social media network, posted simply, “THANK YOU!” after the news of Walz’s selection was public. He followed up with another post a few hours later, proclaiming “This is the most Radical Left duo in American history” and suggested Biden “feels that he made a historically tragic mistake” and would try to get back in the race again.

Walz, who grew up in the small town of West Point, Nebraska, was a teacher, coach and union member at Mankato West High School in Minnesota before entering politics.

He won the first of six terms in Congress in 2006 from a mostly rural southern Minnesota district and used the office to champion veterans issues. Walz served 24 years in the Army National Guard, rising to command sergeant major, one of the highest enlisted ranks in the military, although he didn’t complete all the training before he retired so his rank for benefits purposes was set at master sergeant.

He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/gubernatorial-elections-d76b1f843e65411a94c63a611db351b3">ran for governor in 2018</a>&nbsp;on the theme of “One Minnesota” and won by more than 11 points.

David Ivory, a 46-year-old St. Paul resident, rode over to Walz's residence on his bike with his kids shortly after the announcement to deliver their congratulations.

“He’s just down to earth. He gets it. He can talk to anybody,” Ivory said. “He doesn’t seem like he’s above anybody.”

As governor, Walz had to find ways to work in his first term with a legislature split between a Democratic-controlled House and a Republican-led Senate. Minnesota has a history of divided government, though, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d8ca9192ade847a5b2ee22eeb9b9c7b5">arrangement was surprisingly productive</a>&nbsp;in his first year.

Walz easily&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-governor-race-2022-midterm-elections-a2899b6482fa84a6cfd94d5e80b3fa3e">won reelection in 2022</a>, and Democrats flipped the Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-legislature-state-governments-government-and-politics-01bbb59df71c6a95379af08adb37b13a">to win full control</a>&nbsp;of both chambers and the governor’s office for the first time in eight years. A big reason was the Dobbs decision from the conservative-majority Supreme Court that overturned a federal right to an abortion.

Walz currently serves as co-chair of the bipartisan Council of Governors, advising the president and the Cabinet on homeland security and national defense issues. He was first appointed to the position by Trump, then later reappointed by Biden.

Miller, Long and Kim reported from Washington. Karnowski reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo and Michelle L. Price in New York and Michael Goldberg in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722986353841.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>PHILADELPHIA (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;introduced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to the nation at a raucous rally Tuesday in battleground Pennsylvania that was aimed at building momentum for the newly minted Democratic presidential ticket in the sprint toward Election Day.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KamalaHarris</a> and Minnesota Gov. <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tim_Walz</a> take the stage in Philadelphia at their first joint campaign event. <a href="https://t.co/lHFVCz4hD3">pic.twitter.com/lHFVCz4hD3</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1820946101005869308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KamalaHarris</a>: &quot;In 91 days, the nation will know Coach Walz by another name: vice president of the United States.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/PrIys1Z8mc">pic.twitter.com/PrIys1Z8mc</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1820953123218702475?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“He’s the kind of person who makes people feel like they belong and then inspires them to dream big. ... That’s the kind of vice president America deserves,” Harris said while standing with Walz in Philadelphia.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tim_Walz</a> (D-MN): &quot;It was my students. They encouraged me to run for office. They saw in me what I was hoping to instill in them: a commitment of common good, a belief that one person can make a difference.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/N4u1OaVKNS">pic.twitter.com/N4u1OaVKNS</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1820962940226322853?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Taking the microphone after Harris, Walz revved up the crowd for the rigorous campaign to come. “We’ve got 91 days. My God, that’s easy. We’ll sleep when we’re dead," he said.The remarks reflected the urgency of the moment, with Harris tapping Walz for the ticket during one of the most turbulent periods in modern American politics. Republicans have rallied around former President Donald Trump after he was targeted in an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-13-2024">attempted assassination</a>&nbsp;in July. Just days later, President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">ended his reelection campaign</a>, forcing Harris to scramble to unify Democrats and decide on a running mate over a breakneck two-week stretch.In choosing the 60-year-old Walz, Harris is elevating a Midwestern governor, military veteran and union supporter who helped enact an ambitious Democratic agenda for his state, including sweeping protections for abortion rights and generous aid to families.It was her biggest decision yet as the Democratic nominee and she went with a broadly palatable choice — someone who says politics should have more joy and who deflects dark and foreboding rhetoric from Republicans with a lighter touch, a strategy that the campaign has been increasingly turning to since Harris took over the top spot.Harris hopes Walz will help her shore up her campaign’s standing across the upper Midwest, a critical region in presidential politics that often serves as a buffer for Democrats seeking the White House. The party remains haunted by Trump’s wins in Michigan and Wisconsin in 2016. Trump lost those states in 2020 but has zeroed in on them as he aims to return to the presidency this year and is expanding his focus to Minnesota.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tim_Walz</a> (D-MN) on <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a> (R-OH): &quot;I got to tell you, I can&#39;t wait to debate the guy. That is, if he&#39;s willing to get off the couch and show up.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/32jSFYSSXz">pic.twitter.com/32jSFYSSXz</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1820970092265377960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Since Walz was announced, the team raised more than $20 million from grassroots donations, the campaign said.Walz is far from a household name.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/most-democrats-are-very-enthusiastic-about-kamala-harris-democratic-nominee">An ABC News/Ipsos survey</a>&nbsp;conducted before he was selected but after vetting began showed that nearly 9 in 10 U.S. adults did not know enough to have an opinion about him.Harris devoted much of her speech to telling the audience about Walz's life and work, which included stints as a social studies teacher and a football coach.“To those who know him best, Tim is more than a governor,” she said.“We both believe in lifting people up, not knocking them down,” she said. “We both know that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us. And we see in our fellow Americans neighbors, never enemies.”Harris, the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to lead a major party ticket, initially considered nearly a dozen candidates before zeroing in on a handful of serious contenders.Trump has focused much of his campaign on appealing to men, emphasizing a need for strength in national leadership and even featuring the wrestler Hulk Hogan on the final night of the Republican National Convention. Harris' finalists — all white men — marked an acknowledgement of the Democrat's need to at least try to win over some of that demographic.She personally interviewed three finalists: Pennsylvania Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/josh-shapiro">Josh Shapiro</a>, Arizona Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mark-kelly">Mark Kelly</a>&nbsp;and Walz. Harris wanted someone with executive experience who could be a governing partner, and Walz also offered appeal to the widest swath of the diverse coalition.His selection drew praise from lawmakers as ideologically diverse as progressive leader Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and independent Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a moderate who left the Democratic Party earlier this year.A team of lawyers and political operatives led by former Attorney General Eric Holder pored over documents and conducted interviews with potential selections. Harris mulled the decision over on Monday with top aides and finalized it Tuesday morning, according to three people familiar with Harris' decision who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private deliberations.Shapiro, an ambitious politician in his own right, struggled with the idea of being No. 2 at the White House and said he felt he had more to do in Pennsylvania, according to one of the people familiar with Harris' decision. There was also public pushback to Shapiro for his stance on Israel from Arab American groups and younger voters angry over the administration’s response to the Israel-Hamas war.The other contenders threw their support behind the ticket Tuesday, and Shapiro was one of the speakers at Tuesday's Philadelphia rally. Biden described the Harris and Walz ticket as “a powerful voice for working people and America’s great middle class.”Walz coined one of Democrats' buzziest campaign bits to date, calling Trump and his running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance “just weird,” a label that the Democratic Governors Association — of which Walz is chairman —&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DemGovs/status/1816201967862948032">amplified in a post on X</a>&nbsp;and Democrats more broadly have echoed.On Tuesday, Walz said: “Just an observation of mind, I just have to say it. These guys are creepy and, yes, just weird as hell.”Harris, second gentleman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doug-emhoff-harris-presidential-bid-4c1c1ae1929aac4b5dc9b4cf6c5ddeb7">Doug Emhoff</a>&nbsp;and Walz will spend the next five days touring critical battleground states, visiting Wisconsin and Michigan on Wednesday and Arizona and Nevada later in the week.Vance, for his part, planned stops in some of the same areas. He said Tuesday that he called Walz earlier in the day and left a voice message.The Trump campaign on Tuesday immediately tried to tag Walz as a far-left liberal.“It’s no surprise that San Francisco Liberal Kamala Harris wants West Coast wannabe Tim Walz as her running-mate – Walz has spent his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State,” said Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s campaign press secretary.Trump, who often weighs in on the news on his social media network, posted simply, “THANK YOU!” after the news of Walz’s selection was public. He followed up with another post a few hours later, proclaiming “This is the most Radical Left duo in American history” and suggested Biden “feels that he made a historically tragic mistake” and would try to get back in the race again.Walz, who grew up in the small town of West Point, Nebraska, was a teacher, coach and union member at Mankato West High School in Minnesota before entering politics.He won the first of six terms in Congress in 2006 from a mostly rural southern Minnesota district and used the office to champion veterans issues. Walz served 24 years in the Army National Guard, rising to command sergeant major, one of the highest enlisted ranks in the military, although he didn’t complete all the training before he retired so his rank for benefits purposes was set at master sergeant.He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/gubernatorial-elections-d76b1f843e65411a94c63a611db351b3">ran for governor in 2018</a>&nbsp;on the theme of “One Minnesota” and won by more than 11 points.David Ivory, a 46-year-old St. Paul resident, rode over to Walz's residence on his bike with his kids shortly after the announcement to deliver their congratulations.“He’s just down to earth. He gets it. He can talk to anybody,” Ivory said. “He doesn’t seem like he’s above anybody.”As governor, Walz had to find ways to work in his first term with a legislature split between a Democratic-controlled House and a Republican-led Senate. Minnesota has a history of divided government, though, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d8ca9192ade847a5b2ee22eeb9b9c7b5">arrangement was surprisingly productive</a>&nbsp;in his first year.Walz easily&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-governor-race-2022-midterm-elections-a2899b6482fa84a6cfd94d5e80b3fa3e">won reelection in 2022</a>, and Democrats flipped the Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-legislature-state-governments-government-and-politics-01bbb59df71c6a95379af08adb37b13a">to win full control</a>&nbsp;of both chambers and the governor’s office for the first time in eight years. A big reason was the Dobbs decision from the conservative-majority Supreme Court that overturned a federal right to an abortion.Walz currently serves as co-chair of the bipartisan Council of Governors, advising the president and the Cabinet on homeland security and national defense issues. He was first appointed to the position by Trump, then later reappointed by Biden.___Miller, Long and Kim reported from Washington. Karnowski reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo and Michelle L. Price in New York and Michael Goldberg in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

🎥 Tim Walz addresses the nation for the first time as VP candidate 

The Downtown Hays Market has an extra reason to celebrate this week's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/983462749631404/?__cft__[0]=AZVCrxOWYZGqUs8Vv79lPMkZc8mZQStmvX12LMdivYw8N22CA31F0KSpB6Vpvu56d45Fv_R_3cvkiZDCNvOc7GqbTWsujBR6wZ3qQlJ85snK1q19zs_fHSxOxTX-gGMdvdo2DUIBig8MSik1bmbVD3n2SBHcrSY3ozm04Hoh-S9PywRtC4LjIsEa-jhPNmQ7llhtF9sCE2N9TpljC7zpaCN2xSgQxzGLz8tLNHiuMX7zzRNMlNFEyJAa3O8iYrHbVHc&amp;__tn__=-UK*F">2024 National Farmers Market Week.</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

Market manager Ben Dome learned Monday that the local market has been voted the No. 1 market in Kansas for the second consecutive year through America's Farmers Market Celebration-<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanFarmland?__cft__[0]=AZVCrxOWYZGqUs8Vv79lPMkZc8mZQStmvX12LMdivYw8N22CA31F0KSpB6Vpvu56d45Fv_R_3cvkiZDCNvOc7GqbTWsujBR6wZ3qQlJ85snK1q19zs_fHSxOxTX-gGMdvdo2DUIBig8MSik1bmbVD3n2SBHcrSY3ozm04Hoh-S9PywRtC4LjIsEa-jhPNmQ7llhtF9sCE2N9TpljC7zpaCN2xSgQxzGLz8tLNHiuMX7zzRNMlNFEyJAa3O8iYrHbVHc&amp;__tn__=-]K*F">American Farmland Trust</a>/<a href="https://www.facebook.com/fmc.org?__cft__[0]=AZVCrxOWYZGqUs8Vv79lPMkZc8mZQStmvX12LMdivYw8N22CA31F0KSpB6Vpvu56d45Fv_R_3cvkiZDCNvOc7GqbTWsujBR6wZ3qQlJ85snK1q19zs_fHSxOxTX-gGMdvdo2DUIBig8MSik1bmbVD3n2SBHcrSY3ozm04Hoh-S9PywRtC4LjIsEa-jhPNmQ7llhtF9sCE2N9TpljC7zpaCN2xSgQxzGLz8tLNHiuMX7zzRNMlNFEyJAa3O8iYrHbVHc&amp;__tn__=-]K*F">Farmers Market Coalition</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"We just want to say a big thanks to our vendors and our Saturday morning shoppers," said Julie Rider, Downtown Hays Development Corporation executive director.

Dome is making special social media posts this week to celebrate the market's recognition, and there will be market merchandise giveaways this Saturday.

Mayor Shaun Musil will sign a proclamation Thursday afternoon observing Farmers Market Week.

The&nbsp; Downtown Hays Market&nbsp;is open 7:30 to 11 Saturday mornings through Oct. 19 in the downtown pavilion.&nbsp;

Be sure to follow the market page this week as they celebrate and promote the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/DowntownHaysMarket?__cft__[0]=AZVCrxOWYZGqUs8Vv79lPMkZc8mZQStmvX12LMdivYw8N22CA31F0KSpB6Vpvu56d45Fv_R_3cvkiZDCNvOc7GqbTWsujBR6wZ3qQlJ85snK1q19zs_fHSxOxTX-gGMdvdo2DUIBig8MSik1bmbVD3n2SBHcrSY3ozm04Hoh-S9PywRtC4LjIsEa-jhPNmQ7llhtF9sCE2N9TpljC7zpaCN2xSgQxzGLz8tLNHiuMX7zzRNMlNFEyJAa3O8iYrHbVHc&amp;__tn__=-]K*F">Downtown Hays Market</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722958100656.png" alt="Photo courtesy of Downtown Hays Development Corporation" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Downtown Hays Development Corporation</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Downtown Hays Farmers Market voted No. 1 in Kansas for 2nd year" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=d7vyk-16929ee-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=315" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>By BECKY KISER Hays PostThe Downtown Hays Market has an extra reason to celebrate this week's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/983462749631404/?__cft__[0]=AZVCrxOWYZGqUs8Vv79lPMkZc8mZQStmvX12LMdivYw8N22CA31F0KSpB6Vpvu56d45Fv_R_3cvkiZDCNvOc7GqbTWsujBR6wZ3qQlJ85snK1q19zs_fHSxOxTX-gGMdvdo2DUIBig8MSik1bmbVD3n2SBHcrSY3ozm04Hoh-S9PywRtC4LjIsEa-jhPNmQ7llhtF9sCE2N9TpljC7zpaCN2xSgQxzGLz8tLNHiuMX7zzRNMlNFEyJAa3O8iYrHbVHc&amp;__tn__=-UK*F">2024 National Farmers Market Week.</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;Market manager Ben Dome learned Monday that the local market has been voted the No. 1 market in Kansas for the second consecutive year through America's Farmers Market Celebration-<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanFarmland?__cft__[0]=AZVCrxOWYZGqUs8Vv79lPMkZc8mZQStmvX12LMdivYw8N22CA31F0KSpB6Vpvu56d45Fv_R_3cvkiZDCNvOc7GqbTWsujBR6wZ3qQlJ85snK1q19zs_fHSxOxTX-gGMdvdo2DUIBig8MSik1bmbVD3n2SBHcrSY3ozm04Hoh-S9PywRtC4LjIsEa-jhPNmQ7llhtF9sCE2N9TpljC7zpaCN2xSgQxzGLz8tLNHiuMX7zzRNMlNFEyJAa3O8iYrHbVHc&amp;__tn__=-]K*F">American Farmland Trust</a>/<a href="https://www.facebook.com/fmc.org?__cft__[0]=AZVCrxOWYZGqUs8Vv79lPMkZc8mZQStmvX12LMdivYw8N22CA31F0KSpB6Vpvu56d45Fv_R_3cvkiZDCNvOc7GqbTWsujBR6wZ3qQlJ85snK1q19zs_fHSxOxTX-gGMdvdo2DUIBig8MSik1bmbVD3n2SBHcrSY3ozm04Hoh-S9PywRtC4LjIsEa-jhPNmQ7llhtF9sCE2N9TpljC7zpaCN2xSgQxzGLz8tLNHiuMX7zzRNMlNFEyJAa3O8iYrHbVHc&amp;__tn__=-]K*F">Farmers Market Coalition</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;"We just want to say a big thanks to our vendors and our Saturday morning shoppers," said Julie Rider, Downtown Hays Development Corporation executive director.Dome is making special social media posts this week to celebrate the market's recognition, and there will be market merchandise giveaways this Saturday.Mayor Shaun Musil will sign a proclamation Thursday afternoon observing Farmers Market Week.The&nbsp; Downtown Hays Market&nbsp;is open 7:30 to 11 Saturday mornings through Oct. 19 in the downtown pavilion.&nbsp;Be sure to follow the market page this week as they celebrate and promote the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/DowntownHaysMarket?__cft__[0]=AZVCrxOWYZGqUs8Vv79lPMkZc8mZQStmvX12LMdivYw8N22CA31F0KSpB6Vpvu56d45Fv_R_3cvkiZDCNvOc7GqbTWsujBR6wZ3qQlJ85snK1q19zs_fHSxOxTX-gGMdvdo2DUIBig8MSik1bmbVD3n2SBHcrSY3ozm04Hoh-S9PywRtC4LjIsEa-jhPNmQ7llhtF9sCE2N9TpljC7zpaCN2xSgQxzGLz8tLNHiuMX7zzRNMlNFEyJAa3O8iYrHbVHc&amp;__tn__=-]K*F">Downtown Hays Market</a>.

🎙 Downtown Hays Farmers Market voted No. 1 in Kansas for 2nd year  

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

Even though the overall voter turnover was lower than in
past years, voters in rural Ellis County and the city of Victoria overwhelmingly
approved the creation of a county public library during Tuesday’s general
election.

According to the unofficial vote totals the question of, “Shall
Ellis County, Kansas establish and maintain a county library?” was approved by
a vote of 474 in favor to 173 opposed.

Only voters who live in Victoria or outside the city limits
of Hays and Ellis were able to vote on the library question.

The overall voter turnover was less than nine percent in
Ellis County. The lack of contested races for both Republicans and Democrats
was expected to put a damper on the number of voters who cast their ballot in Tuesday’s
primary.

You can find the complete results from Tuesday <a href="https://ellisco.net/DocumentCenter/View/5532/unofficial-results">HERE</a>.

Ellis County Commissioner Michael Berges said Tuesday after
the results were announced that he expected a low turnout and the large
number of voters who supported the question showed the voters support for the issue.

“I think it does give us some confidence that the voters did
understand it,” Berges said. “They want to see a different direction and how
their library services tax dollars are being used and would like it to stay
closer to home.” 

Berges said the next step in the process, after the election
is certified in two weeks, is to begin the process of putting together the
five-member county public library board.

“Our task now is to put together a board, so (the commission
will) put out a call for those that want to volunteer and be a part of this
county library board,” Berges said.

The commission will also work to create a taxing district
that will collect the ¼ mill in taxes over the next two years. He said they
will work with their attorney to complete that step.

The newly created county public library board will then be
allowed to partner with existing public libraries to provide services to the
city of Victoria and rural Ellis County.

Property taxes currently collected from residents living in
those areas for library services fund the Central Kansas Library System (CKLS).

According to the CKLS, the taxes collected from Ellis County
in 2023 was more than $292,000. That funding was then distributed to member
libraries across the 17-county area that is served by the CKLS.

The funding the Hays and Ellis public libraries and the
three public school libraries receives from the CKLS has continued to decline
in recent years and according to County Administrator Darin Myers, by 2027 less
than 25% of the taxes paid from Ellis County will be returned to Ellis County. 

Now that the voters have approved the library question a petition
to withdraw the taxing district from the regional library system may be
submitted to the State Library of Kansas Board. If approved the taxes would no
longer by assessed for the CKLS.

Berges did issue a word of caution, that even though it was
approved by the voters, the state of Kansas could still step in over the next
two years and block Ellis County’s efforts. 

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays PostEven though the overall voter turnover was lower than in
past years, voters in rural Ellis County and the city of Victoria overwhelmingly
approved the creation of a county public library during Tuesday’s general
election.According to the unofficial vote totals the question of, “Shall
Ellis County, Kansas establish and maintain a county library?” was approved by
a vote of 474 in favor to 173 opposed.Only voters who live in Victoria or outside the city limits
of Hays and Ellis were able to vote on the library question.The overall voter turnover was less than nine percent in
Ellis County. The lack of contested races for both Republicans and Democrats
was expected to put a damper on the number of voters who cast their ballot in Tuesday’s
primary.You can find the complete results from Tuesday <a href="https://ellisco.net/DocumentCenter/View/5532/unofficial-results">HERE</a>.Ellis County Commissioner Michael Berges said Tuesday after
the results were announced that he expected a low turnout and the large
number of voters who supported the question showed the voters support for the issue.“I think it does give us some confidence that the voters did
understand it,” Berges said. “They want to see a different direction and how
their library services tax dollars are being used and would like it to stay
closer to home.” Berges said the next step in the process, after the election
is certified in two weeks, is to begin the process of putting together the
five-member county public library board.“Our task now is to put together a board, so (the commission
will) put out a call for those that want to volunteer and be a part of this
county library board,” Berges said.The commission will also work to create a taxing district
that will collect the ¼ mill in taxes over the next two years. He said they
will work with their attorney to complete that step.The newly created county public library board will then be
allowed to partner with existing public libraries to provide services to the
city of Victoria and rural Ellis County.Property taxes currently collected from residents living in
those areas for library services fund the Central Kansas Library System (CKLS).According to the CKLS, the taxes collected from Ellis County
in 2023 was more than $292,000. That funding was then distributed to member
libraries across the 17-county area that is served by the CKLS.The funding the Hays and Ellis public libraries and the
three public school libraries receives from the CKLS has continued to decline
in recent years and according to County Administrator Darin Myers, by 2027 less
than 25% of the taxes paid from Ellis County will be returned to Ellis County. Now that the voters have approved the library question a petition
to withdraw the taxing district from the regional library system may be
submitted to the State Library of Kansas Board. If approved the taxes would no
longer by assessed for the CKLS.Berges did issue a word of caution, that even though it was
approved by the voters, the state of Kansas could still step in over the next
two years and block Ellis County’s efforts.

Ellis County voters overwhelmingly approve creation of county public library

CHARLOTTESVILLE&nbsp; – A Winchester, Virginia man, who made online threats against the Vice President and&nbsp;thousands of posts and replies in online forums targeting the President of the United States, FBI Director, and other public officials, was arrested on federal charges, according to the United State's Attorney

<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vawd.132230/gov.uscourts.vawd.132230.1.1.pdf">Click here to read </a>the criminal complaint

Frank Lucio Carillo, 66, made his initial court appearance this morning in U.S. District Court in Roanoke, Virginia after being arrested last week at his home in Winchester. Carillo is charged in a federal criminal complaint with one count of making threats against the Vice President of the United States.

“Open political discourse is a cornerstone of our American experience. We can disagree. We can argue and we can debate. However, when those disagreements cross the line to threats of violence, &nbsp;law enforcement must step in,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia said today.

“The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people. We take all threats of violence seriously, and we will investigate them to the fullest and hold those responsible accountable,” Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Division said today.

According to court documents, on July 27, 2024, the Maricopa County, Arizona, Recorder’s Office notified the FBI’s Phoenix Office of potential threats being made on the social media platform GETTR. The threats were being made by a user with the name “joemadarats1.”

FBI searched the “joemadarats1” user account and discovered approximately 4,359 posts and replies made by the user targeting various public officials including, but not limited to, President Joseph Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Vice President Harris was mentioned 19 times by “joemadarats1,” including numerous threats of violence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722966189254.png" alt="Carillo-photo Roanoke City Jail" />
 <figcaption>Carillo-photo Roanoke City Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>CHARLOTTESVILLE&nbsp; – A Winchester, Virginia man, who made online threats against the Vice President and&nbsp;thousands of posts and replies in online forums targeting the President of the United States, FBI Director, and other public officials, was arrested on federal charges, according to the United State's Attorney<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vawd.132230/gov.uscourts.vawd.132230.1.1.pdf">Click here to read </a>the criminal complaintFrank Lucio Carillo, 66, made his initial court appearance this morning in U.S. District Court in Roanoke, Virginia after being arrested last week at his home in Winchester. Carillo is charged in a federal criminal complaint with one count of making threats against the Vice President of the United States.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722966333633.png" alt="A portion of the criminal complaint -Western District of Virginia&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>A portion of the criminal complaint -Western District of Virginia&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>“Open political discourse is a cornerstone of our American experience. We can disagree. We can argue and we can debate. However, when those disagreements cross the line to threats of violence, &nbsp;law enforcement must step in,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia said today.“The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people. We take all threats of violence seriously, and we will investigate them to the fullest and hold those responsible accountable,” Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Division said today.According to court documents, on July 27, 2024, the Maricopa County, Arizona, Recorder’s Office notified the FBI’s Phoenix Office of potential threats being made on the social media platform GETTR. The threats were being made by a user with the name “joemadarats1.”FBI searched the “joemadarats1” user account and discovered approximately 4,359 posts and replies made by the user targeting various public officials including, but not limited to, President Joseph Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and FBI Director Christopher Wray.Vice President Harris was mentioned 19 times by “joemadarats1,” including numerous threats of violence.In a February 2024 post, “joemadarats1” said he had his “AR-15 LOCKED AND LOADED.”Authorities used GETTR subscriber information and other investigative methods to match the &nbsp;“joemadarats1” username with Carillo and to locate his physical location in Winchester, Virginia.On August 2, 2024, authorities at the FBI Richmond executed a search warrant at Carillo’s home and seized a 9 mm pistol, an AR-15 rifle and thousands of rounds of ammunition.The FBI in both Richmond, Virginia and Phoenix, Arizona, and the United States Secret Service are investigating the case.Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Welsh is prosecuting the case.