<b>By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER</b><br><i>Hays Post Sports</i>

HAYS - Six Hays High student-athletes signed their National Letter of Intent to play sports at the collegiate level. Holden Lind would have had his signing day as well but was sick. Fort Hays State football earlier in the day released that Lind had signed with the Tigers.

Two of those athletes are school record holders and chose to stay in town at Fort Hays State University.

<b>Rylen Harrington - Fort Hays State - Track and Field</b><br>Rylen Harrington didn't initially want to be a javelin thrower. She however quickly realized in track sometimes the event chooses the kid. Harrington has finished runner-up twice at the 5A State Track and Field Meet and also owns the school record.&nbsp;<br><br>

<b>Kamryn McCall - Fort Hays State - Track and Field</b><br>Kamryn McCall will go down as one of the best sprinters and long jumpers in Hays High history. Her name is in the record books already and she also claimed the 5A State long jump title in 2024.&nbsp;<br><br>

<b>Jarek Purdy - Coffeyville Community College - Football</b><br>Jarek Purdy had the same dream that most every little kids have from the moment they put on a football helmet. Tuesday he made that dream a reality. Purdy saw time on the varsity field for three years playing wide receiver, defensive back, punt and kick returner.<br>&nbsp;

<b><br>Zane Viegra - Dodge City Community College - Football</b><br>Competition and injury kept Zane Viegra from starting until his senior year. Thanks to an active off-season schedule, social media and a successful return from a broken leg, he will be realizing a dream of playing college football.<br><br>

<b><br>Cassidy Smith - Barton County Community College - Volleyball</b><br>The backrow of a volleyball rotation is a tough place to make a living. Cassidy Smith has spent the last two years literally diving into the role at the varsity level.&nbsp;<br><br>

<b>Lanie Becker - Cloud County Community College - Softball</b><br>The classes in front of Lanie Becker were littered with college softball talent. So much so that it made it tough for her to get on the field at her preferred position. Becker made the most of it though by finding her way on the field at any position the team asked to be in.&nbsp;<br><br>

<p><b>By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER</b><br><i>Hays Post Sports</i></p><p>HAYS - Six Hays High student-athletes signed their National Letter of Intent to play sports at the collegiate level. Holden Lind would have had his signing day as well but was sick. Fort Hays State football earlier in the day released that Lind had signed with the Tigers.</p><p>Two of those athletes are school record holders and chose to stay in town at Fort Hays State University.</p><p><b>Rylen Harrington - Fort Hays State - Track and Field</b><br>Rylen Harrington didn't initially want to be a javelin thrower. She however quickly realized in track sometimes the event chooses the kid. Harrington has finished runner-up twice at the 5A State Track and Field Meet and also owns the school record.&nbsp;<br><br></p><div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2260204094&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/rylen-harrington" title="Rylen Harrington" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Rylen Harrington</a></div></div><p><b>Kamryn McCall - Fort Hays State - Track and Field</b><br>Kamryn McCall will go down as one of the best sprinters and long jumpers in Hays High history. Her name is in the record books already and she also claimed the 5A State long jump title in 2024.&nbsp;<br><br></p><div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2260204094&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/rylen-harrington" title="Rylen Harrington" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Rylen Harrington</a></div></div><p><b>Jarek Purdy - Coffeyville Community College - Football</b><br>Jarek Purdy had the same dream that most every little kids have from the moment they put on a football helmet. Tuesday he made that dream a reality. Purdy saw time on the varsity field for three years playing wide receiver, defensive back, punt and kick returner.<br>&nbsp;</p><div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2260203920&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/jarek-purdy" title="Jarek Purdy" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Jarek Purdy</a></div></div><div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2260204895&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/tony-crough-on-jarek-purdy" title="Tony Crough on Jarek Purdy" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Tony Crough on Jarek Purdy</a></div></div><p><b><br>Zane Viegra - Dodge City Community College - Football</b><br>Competition and injury kept Zane Viegra from starting until his senior year. Thanks to an active off-season schedule, social media and a successful return from a broken leg, he will be realizing a dream of playing college football.<br><br></p><div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2260203719&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/zane-viegra" title="Zane Viegra" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Zane Viegra</a></div></div><div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2260205039&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/tony-crough-on-zane-viegra" title="Tony Crough on Zane Viegra" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Tony Crough on Zane Viegra</a></div></div><p><b><br>Cassidy Smith - Barton County Community College - Volleyball</b><br>The backrow of a volleyball rotation is a tough place to make a living. Cassidy Smith has spent the last two years literally diving into the role at the varsity level.&nbsp;<br><br></p><div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2260204466&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/cassidy-smith" title="Cassidy Smith" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Cassidy Smith</a></div></div><p><b>Lanie Becker - Cloud County Community College - Softball</b><br>The classes in front of Lanie Becker were littered with college softball talent. So much so that it made it tough for her to get on the field at her preferred position. Becker made the most of it though by finding her way on the field at any position the team asked to be in.&nbsp;<br><br></p><div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2260204598&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/lanie-becker" title="Lanie Becker" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Lanie Becker</a></div></div><div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2260204724&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/abby-gillan-on-lanie-becker" title="Abby Gillan on Lanie Becker" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Abby Gillan on Lanie Becker</a></div></div>

📝 Six Hays High athletes sign for collegiate athletics

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">Morgan Chilson</a><br><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a>

TOPEKA — An ongoing battle between the attorney general and Kansas governor about releasing Kansans’ personal data to the federal government made its way to a Tuesday committee hearing on a bill intended to force the governor’s hand.

<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb428/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 428</a>&nbsp;requires the secretary of the Department for Children and Families to respond to federal data requests from the U.S. Department of Agriculture of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and release the data within 90 days.&nbsp;

The bill results from the Department for Children and Family’s&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/22/kansas-governors-office-disputes-accuracy-of-kobachs-claims-about-snap-funding/">refusal to share private data&nbsp;</a>of food program applicants and recipients with the USDA, Attorney General Kris Kobach told the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency, or COGE.

“They don’t want the USDA to share the names of (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients with other federal agencies,” Kobach said. “Now, why would they not want that? I’m almost certain they don’t want it to be shared with the Justice Department so that a SNAP recipient who is fraudulently getting this money could be prosecuted.”

Kobach also said the governor didn’t want the data shared because the Department of Homeland Security could use it to identify people in the country illegally who receive food assistance.&nbsp;

People who are legal permanent residents can qualify for SNAP.

Gov. Laura Kelly’s spokeswoman, Olivia Taylor-Puckett, said DCF has concerns about whether USDA’s stated intent on using the data is legal.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“The Governor’s administration has been repeatedly raising concerns about the legality of the USDA’s data request as it pertains to the ‘Routine Use 8′ provision, which includes sharing Kansans’ personal private data, including full Social Security numbers, with foreign entities,” she said in an emailed statement. “It is both disappointing and disturbing that the Attorney General still doesn’t know the basic issues with the USDA’s request.”

Taylor-Puckett’s statement referred to a USDA notice published in the Federal Register that detailed how the data would be used. One section allowed the information to be shared with foreign entities.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas is one of 21 states, all of which are participants in a Massachusetts lawsuit, that question whether the USDA’s intended use of the data is allowed in their data sharing contract. The case is still being decided.&nbsp;

Kobach told the committee the state will lose $20.8 million as part of its SNAP program because DCF did not release the data. DCF appealed the penalty so no money has been withheld from state SNAP administrative funds.&nbsp;

A hearing on the state’s appeal will be held Feb. 17, a governor’s office spokesperson said.&nbsp;

Travis Couture-Lovelady, a lobbyist with FGA Action, testified in favor of the bill, citing concerns with the integrity of the SNAP program.&nbsp;

“The goal is simple — reserve benefits for truly needy families and hold the fraudsters accountable,” he said.

Couture-Lovelady said the food assistance program has been “plagued” with improper payments, eligibility errors and fraud, as well as large-scale losses to benefit card theft and hacking schemes.&nbsp;

“In 2024, as the attorney general said, that’s the most recent data we have, Kansas’ SNAP error rate was nearly 10%, meaning roughly one out of every $10 in benefits was issued improperly, and that level of error is completely unacceptable,” he said.&nbsp;

The state’s SNAP error rate is not tied to fraud but instead tracks data entry errors, incomplete or inaccurate applicant information and other problems,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/08/26/kansas-official-defends-refusal-to-turn-over-private-food-program-data-in-face-of-political-attacks/">according to DCF secretary Laura Howard</a>. Fraud cases are handled through a separate department and aren’t included in the SNAP error rate.&nbsp;

DCF is working to&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/01/22/kansas-agency-working-to-improve-accuracy-of-snap-payments-to-avoid-costly-federal-sanction/">drop the error rate</a>, which was under the 6% federally set threshold in August, at 5.5%.&nbsp;

Haley Kottler, an anti-hunger campaign director with Kansas Appleseed, submitted written testimony opposing the bill.&nbsp;

“This most recent conflict between 21 states and the federal government illustrates the extreme risk Kansas would be taking by enacting SB 428,” she said. “The provisions of this bill would not allow DCF and KDHE to contest federal data requests, despite the potential for serious concerns regarding privacy protection, the burden imposed on state resources and administrators, the misuse of data, liability, and compliance with eventual court decisions.”

She also raised concerns that threats to privacy would deter eligible households from seeking food assistance.&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761944916334.png" alt="File Post photo" />
                        <figcaption>File Post photo</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">Morgan Chilson</a><br><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a></p><p>TOPEKA — An ongoing battle between the attorney general and Kansas governor about releasing Kansans’ personal data to the federal government made its way to a Tuesday committee hearing on a bill intended to force the governor’s hand.</p><p><a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb428/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 428</a>&nbsp;requires the secretary of the Department for Children and Families to respond to federal data requests from the U.S. Department of Agriculture of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and release the data within 90 days.&nbsp;</p><p>The bill results from the Department for Children and Family’s&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/22/kansas-governors-office-disputes-accuracy-of-kobachs-claims-about-snap-funding/">refusal to share private data&nbsp;</a>of food program applicants and recipients with the USDA, Attorney General Kris Kobach told the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency, or COGE.</p><p>“They don’t want the USDA to share the names of (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients with other federal agencies,” Kobach said. “Now, why would they not want that? I’m almost certain they don’t want it to be shared with the Justice Department so that a SNAP recipient who is fraudulently getting this money could be prosecuted.”</p><p>Kobach also said the governor didn’t want the data shared because the Department of Homeland Security could use it to identify people in the country illegally who receive food assistance.&nbsp;</p><p>People who are legal permanent residents can qualify for SNAP.</p><p>Gov. Laura Kelly’s spokeswoman, Olivia Taylor-Puckett, said DCF has concerns about whether USDA’s stated intent on using the data is legal.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“The Governor’s administration has been repeatedly raising concerns about the legality of the USDA’s data request as it pertains to the ‘Routine Use 8′ provision, which includes sharing Kansans’ personal private data, including full Social Security numbers, with foreign entities,” she said in an emailed statement. “It is both disappointing and disturbing that the Attorney General still doesn’t know the basic issues with the USDA’s request.”</p><p>Taylor-Puckett’s statement referred to a USDA notice published in the Federal Register that detailed how the data would be used. One section allowed the information to be shared with foreign entities.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Kansas is one of 21 states, all of which are participants in a Massachusetts lawsuit, that question whether the USDA’s intended use of the data is allowed in their data sharing contract. The case is still being decided.&nbsp;</p><p>Kobach told the committee the state will lose $20.8 million as part of its SNAP program because DCF did not release the data. DCF appealed the penalty so no money has been withheld from state SNAP administrative funds.&nbsp;</p><p>A hearing on the state’s appeal will be held Feb. 17, a governor’s office spokesperson said.&nbsp;</p><p>Travis Couture-Lovelady, a lobbyist with FGA Action, testified in favor of the bill, citing concerns with the integrity of the SNAP program.&nbsp;</p><p>“The goal is simple — reserve benefits for truly needy families and hold the fraudsters accountable,” he said.</p><p>Couture-Lovelady said the food assistance program has been “plagued” with improper payments, eligibility errors and fraud, as well as large-scale losses to benefit card theft and hacking schemes.&nbsp;</p><p>“In 2024, as the attorney general said, that’s the most recent data we have, Kansas’ SNAP error rate was nearly 10%, meaning roughly one out of every $10 in benefits was issued improperly, and that level of error is completely unacceptable,” he said.&nbsp;</p><p>The state’s SNAP error rate is not tied to fraud but instead tracks data entry errors, incomplete or inaccurate applicant information and other problems,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/08/26/kansas-official-defends-refusal-to-turn-over-private-food-program-data-in-face-of-political-attacks/">according to DCF secretary Laura Howard</a>. Fraud cases are handled through a separate department and aren’t included in the SNAP error rate.&nbsp;</p><p>DCF is working to&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/01/22/kansas-agency-working-to-improve-accuracy-of-snap-payments-to-avoid-costly-federal-sanction/">drop the error rate</a>, which was under the 6% federally set threshold in August, at 5.5%.&nbsp;</p><p>Haley Kottler, an anti-hunger campaign director with Kansas Appleseed, submitted written testimony opposing the bill.&nbsp;</p><p>“This most recent conflict between 21 states and the federal government illustrates the extreme risk Kansas would be taking by enacting SB 428,” she said. “The provisions of this bill would not allow DCF and KDHE to contest federal data requests, despite the potential for serious concerns regarding privacy protection, the burden imposed on state resources and administrators, the misuse of data, liability, and compliance with eventual court decisions.”</p><p>She also raised concerns that threats to privacy would deter eligible households from seeking food assistance.&nbsp;</p>

Proposed bill would require Kansas gov. to submit personal food assistance data to feds

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The search for “Today” show host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie’s</a>&nbsp;mother still had no suspect or person of interest Wednesday, authorities said, four days after she disappeared with signs of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-74d845b070fefe2d94cb92d655308e91">forced entry</a>&nbsp;at her home in southern Arizona.

Investigators believe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">Nancy Guthrie</a>&nbsp;was taken against her will over the weekend and Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said they don’t have credible information indicating Guthrie’s disappearance was targeted. Guthrie has limited mobility, and officials do not believe she left on her own. Nanos said she is of sound mind.

“Detectives continue to speak with anyone who may have had contact with Mrs. Guthrie,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement on social media Wednesday. “Detectives are working closely with the Guthrie family.”

Multiple media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes Tuesday that they handed over to investigators. The sheriff’s department has said it’s taking the notes and other tips seriously but declined to comment further.

The Pima County sheriff and the Tucson FBI chief urged the public to offer tips during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-0d6b55fd24f54b2526fd5f8894a52ff2">news conference Tuesday</a>. Nanos has said Guthrie needs daily medication and could die without it. Asked whether officials were looking for her alive, he said, “We hope we are.”

Authorities say Nancy Guthrie was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-0d6b55fd24f54b2526fd5f8894a52ff2">last seen around 9:30 p.m. Saturday</a>&nbsp;at her home in the Tucson area, where she lived alone, and she was reported missing midday Sunday. Someone at her church called a family member to say she was not there, leading family to search her home and then call 911.

DNA samples have been gathered and submitted for analysis as part of the investigation. “We’ve gotten some back, but nothing to indicate any suspects,” Nanos said.

There were signs of forced entry at Guthrie’s home, evidence of a nighttime kidnapping, and several personal items were still there, including Guthrie’s cellphone, wallet and car, according to a person familiar with the investigation, who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the case and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of an anonymity. Investigators were reviewing surveillance video from nearby homes and information from area license plate cameras and analyzing local cellphone towers data.

Guthrie’s upscale Catalina Foothills neighborhood is quiet and mostly dark at night, lit mainly by car headlights and homes spaced far apart. Long driveways, front gates and desert plants provide a buffer from the winding streets. Saguaro cacti tower above her home’s roofline, and wispy trees partially block the view of the front door. Decorative streetlamps and prickly pear cacti dot the grassy front yard.

Jim Mason, longtime commander of a search and rescue posse for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, said desert terrain can make looking for missing people difficult. Sometimes it’s hard to peer into areas that are dense with mesquite trees, cholla cactus and other brush, he said. His group is based 175 miles (280 kilometers) north of Tucson, and is not involved in the search for Guthrie.

On the other side of the country, Victory Church in Albany, New York, said it’s offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to finding Nancy Guthrie.

“Me and my wife, we watch Savannah every single morning. We’ve heard of her faith. We’ve heard of her mom’s faith. And she’s got such a sweet spirit,” Pastor Charlie Muller said.

For a third day Wednesday, “Today” opened with Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, but Savannah Guthrie was not at the anchor’s desk. NBC Sports said Tuesday that Guthrie will not be covering the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics “as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time.”

The “Today” host grew up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tucson">in Tucson</a>, graduated from the University of Arizona and previously worked as a reporter and anchor at Tucson television station KVOA. Her parents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">settled in Tucson</a>&nbsp;in the 1970s when she was a young child. The youngest of three siblings, she credits her mom with holding their family together after her father died of a heart attack at 49, when Savannah was just 16.

Billeaud reported from Phoenix and Balsamo from Washington. Associated Press writer Michael Hill in Albany, New York, contributed.

Authorities are looking for the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie</a>&nbsp;after they say she was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-nancy-guthrie-mom-missing-88e8731270d05e6e667730d2ed8633d3">taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona,</a>&nbsp;against her will over the weekend.

It’s imperative that Nancy Guthrie, who was last seen Saturday night, is found soon because she could die without her medication, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.

The sheriff held a news conference Tuesday and urged the public to offer tips, but revealed few new details about the investigation. Officials have finished combing through Nancy Guthrie's home and turned it back over to the family, Nanos said.

He declined to say whether Guthrie’s disappearance was thought to be random or targeted or to describe the evidence found at her home. Investigators still do not have a suspect or person of interest, the sheriff's department said in a statement Wednesday morning.

There were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-74d845b070fefe2d94cb92d655308e91">signs of forced entry</a>&nbsp;at Nancy Guthrie’s home, according to a person familiar with the investigation, who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the case and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of an anonymity. Investigators also found specific evidence in the home showing there was a nighttime kidnapping, the person said.

Nancy Guthrie reported missing after she didn't go to church

Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday night at the affluent Catalina Foothills area home where she lived alone. She was reported missing Sunday. Someone at a church called a family member to say Guthrie wasn’t there, leading family to search her home and then call 911, Nanos said.

Initially, searchers used drones and dogs and were supported by volunteers and Border Patrol, Nanos said. But by Monday morning, he said search crews were pulled back.

“We don’t see this as a search mission so much as it is a crime scene,” the sheriff said.

There were signs of forced entry at the home and several personal items, including Guthrie's cellphone, wallet and car, were all still at the home, the person familiar with the investigation said. Investigators were reviewing surveillance video from nearby homes and information from area license plate cameras and analyzing local cellphone towers data, according to the person.

The motive remains a mystery. Investigators do not believe the abduction was part of a robbery, home invasion or kidnapping-for-ransom plot, the person said early Tuesday.

Later Tuesday, multiple media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes that they handed over to investigators. The sheriff’s department said it’s taking the notes and other tips seriously but declined to comment further.

Asked Tuesday whether officials were looking for her alive, Nanos said “we hope we are.”

DNA samples have been gathered and submitted for analysis as part of the investigation. “We’ve gotten some back, but nothing to indicate any suspects,” the sheriff said.

Savannah Guthrie asks for prayers to help bring her mom home

This week, Savannah Guthrie has been in Arizona and hasn't appeared at the anchor’s desk. In a social media post late Monday, she asked supporters to “raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment. Bring her home.”

Savannah Guthrie grew up in Tucson, the youngest of three siblings and her father died of a heart attack when she was just 16. She graduated from the University of Arizona and previously worked as a reporter and anchor at KVOA-TV in Tucson. She joined “Today” in 2011 and became co-anchor the following year.

Nancy Guthrie held her family together after husband's death

Before the woman's disappearance, viewers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">got to know Nancy Guthrie</a>&nbsp;through her daughter’s show. Savannah Guthrie credited her mom with holding their family together after her father’s death.

“When my dad died, our family just hung onto each other for dear life because it was such a shock. We were just trying to figure out how to become a family of four when we’d always been a family of five,” she said on “Today” in 2017.

During an appearance in a story Savannah Guthrie did about her hometown late last year, she was asked what made the family want to plant roots in Tucson in the 1970s.

“It’s so wonderful. Just the air, the quality of life,” Nancy Guthrie said. “It’s laid back and gentle.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770128229294.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The search for “Today” show host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie’s</a>&nbsp;mother still had no suspect or person of interest Wednesday, authorities said, four days after she disappeared with signs of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-74d845b070fefe2d94cb92d655308e91">forced entry</a>&nbsp;at her home in southern Arizona.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Statement on the Nancy Guthrie investigation - <a href="https://t.co/81w1qPXPNx">pic.twitter.com/81w1qPXPNx</a></p>&mdash; Pima County Sheriff&#39;s Department (@PimaSheriff) <a href="https://twitter.com/PimaSheriff/status/2019065207457489020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Investigators believe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">Nancy Guthrie</a>&nbsp;was taken against her will over the weekend and Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said they don’t have credible information indicating Guthrie’s disappearance was targeted. Guthrie has limited mobility, and officials do not believe she left on her own. Nanos said she is of sound mind.</p><p>“Detectives continue to speak with anyone who may have had contact with Mrs. Guthrie,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement on social media Wednesday. “Detectives are working closely with the Guthrie family.”</p><p>Multiple media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes Tuesday that they handed over to investigators. The sheriff’s department has said it’s taking the notes and other tips seriously but declined to comment further.</p><p>The Pima County sheriff and the Tucson FBI chief urged the public to offer tips during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-0d6b55fd24f54b2526fd5f8894a52ff2">news conference Tuesday</a>. Nanos has said Guthrie needs daily medication and could die without it. Asked whether officials were looking for her alive, he said, “We hope we are.”</p><p>Authorities say Nancy Guthrie was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-0d6b55fd24f54b2526fd5f8894a52ff2">last seen around 9:30 p.m. Saturday</a>&nbsp;at her home in the Tucson area, where she lived alone, and she was reported missing midday Sunday. Someone at her church called a family member to say she was not there, leading family to search her home and then call 911.</p><p>DNA samples have been gathered and submitted for analysis as part of the investigation. “We’ve gotten some back, but nothing to indicate any suspects,” Nanos said.</p><p>There were signs of forced entry at Guthrie’s home, evidence of a nighttime kidnapping, and several personal items were still there, including Guthrie’s cellphone, wallet and car, according to a person familiar with the investigation, who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the case and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of an anonymity. Investigators were reviewing surveillance video from nearby homes and information from area license plate cameras and analyzing local cellphone towers data.</p><p>Guthrie’s upscale Catalina Foothills neighborhood is quiet and mostly dark at night, lit mainly by car headlights and homes spaced far apart. Long driveways, front gates and desert plants provide a buffer from the winding streets. Saguaro cacti tower above her home’s roofline, and wispy trees partially block the view of the front door. Decorative streetlamps and prickly pear cacti dot the grassy front yard.</p><p>Jim Mason, longtime commander of a search and rescue posse for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, said desert terrain can make looking for missing people difficult. Sometimes it’s hard to peer into areas that are dense with mesquite trees, cholla cactus and other brush, he said. His group is based 175 miles (280 kilometers) north of Tucson, and is not involved in the search for Guthrie.</p><p>On the other side of the country, Victory Church in Albany, New York, said it’s offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to finding Nancy Guthrie.</p><p>“Me and my wife, we watch Savannah every single morning. We’ve heard of her faith. We’ve heard of her mom’s faith. And she’s got such a sweet spirit,” Pastor Charlie Muller said.</p><p>For a third day Wednesday, “Today” opened with Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, but Savannah Guthrie was not at the anchor’s desk. NBC Sports said Tuesday that Guthrie will not be covering the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics “as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time.”</p><p>The “Today” host grew up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tucson">in Tucson</a>, graduated from the University of Arizona and previously worked as a reporter and anchor at Tucson television station KVOA. Her parents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">settled in Tucson</a>&nbsp;in the 1970s when she was a young child. The youngest of three siblings, she credits her mom with holding their family together after her father died of a heart attack at 49, when Savannah was just 16.</p><p>___</p><p>Billeaud reported from Phoenix and Balsamo from Washington. Associated Press writer Michael Hill in Albany, New York, contributed.</p><p>---------------</p><p>By SARAH BRUMFIELD <br>Associated Press</p><p>Authorities are looking for the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie</a>&nbsp;after they say she was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-nancy-guthrie-mom-missing-88e8731270d05e6e667730d2ed8633d3">taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona,</a>&nbsp;against her will over the weekend.</p><p>It’s imperative that Nancy Guthrie, who was last seen Saturday night, is found soon because she could die without her medication, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.</p><p>The sheriff held a news conference Tuesday and urged the public to offer tips, but revealed few new details about the investigation. Officials have finished combing through Nancy Guthrie's home and turned it back over to the family, Nanos said.</p><p>He declined to say whether Guthrie’s disappearance was thought to be random or targeted or to describe the evidence found at her home. Investigators still do not have a suspect or person of interest, the sheriff's department said in a statement Wednesday morning.</p><p>There were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-74d845b070fefe2d94cb92d655308e91">signs of forced entry</a>&nbsp;at Nancy Guthrie’s home, according to a person familiar with the investigation, who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the case and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of an anonymity. Investigators also found specific evidence in the home showing there was a nighttime kidnapping, the person said.</p><p>Here’s what to know about the case:</p><h2>Nancy Guthrie reported missing after she didn't go to church</h2><p>Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday night at the affluent Catalina Foothills area home where she lived alone. She was reported missing Sunday. Someone at a church called a family member to say Guthrie wasn’t there, leading family to search her home and then call 911, Nanos said.</p><p>Initially, searchers used drones and dogs and were supported by volunteers and Border Patrol, Nanos said. But by Monday morning, he said search crews were pulled back.</p><p>“We don’t see this as a search mission so much as it is a crime scene,” the sheriff said.</p><p>There were signs of forced entry at the home and several personal items, including Guthrie's cellphone, wallet and car, were all still at the home, the person familiar with the investigation said. Investigators were reviewing surveillance video from nearby homes and information from area license plate cameras and analyzing local cellphone towers data, according to the person.</p><p>The motive remains a mystery. Investigators do not believe the abduction was part of a robbery, home invasion or kidnapping-for-ransom plot, the person said early Tuesday.</p><p>Later Tuesday, multiple media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes that they handed over to investigators. The sheriff’s department said it’s taking the notes and other tips seriously but declined to comment further.</p><p>Asked Tuesday whether officials were looking for her alive, Nanos said “we hope we are.”</p><p>DNA samples have been gathered and submitted for analysis as part of the investigation. “We’ve gotten some back, but nothing to indicate any suspects,” the sheriff said.</p><h2>Savannah Guthrie asks for prayers to help bring her mom home</h2><p>This week, Savannah Guthrie has been in Arizona and hasn't appeared at the anchor’s desk. In a social media post late Monday, she asked supporters to “raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment. Bring her home.”</p><p>Savannah Guthrie grew up in Tucson, the youngest of three siblings and her father died of a heart attack when she was just 16. She graduated from the University of Arizona and previously worked as a reporter and anchor at KVOA-TV in Tucson. She joined “Today” in 2011 and became co-anchor the following year.</p><h2>Nancy Guthrie held her family together after husband's death</h2><p>Before the woman's disappearance, viewers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">got to know Nancy Guthrie</a>&nbsp;through her daughter’s show. Savannah Guthrie credited her mom with holding their family together after her father’s death.</p><p>“When my dad died, our family just hung onto each other for dear life because it was such a shock. We were just trying to figure out how to become a family of four when we’d always been a family of five,” she said on “Today” in 2017.</p><p>During an appearance in a story Savannah Guthrie did about her hometown late last year, she was asked what made the family want to plant roots in Tucson in the 1970s.</p><p>“It’s so wonderful. Just the air, the quality of life,” Nancy Guthrie said. “It’s laid back and gentle.”</p>

Sheriff issues new statement on search for mother of 'Today Show' host

SEDGWICK COUNTY— The Wichita Police Department is aware of potential confusion around information released about the SWAT activation on Monday.

WPD’s responsibility is to provide the public with verified facts. All information released by WPD is based on the stage of the invesitgation at the time, officer observations, video evidence, and post-incident reviews.

One photo below shows SWAT operators as they are opening the apartment door, making entry. The use of technology to create time and distance is a standard tactic intended to achieve a safe resolution, which occurred in this incident.

Officers and negotiators made repeated attempts over hours to establish communication. The suspect did not comply or surrender until after SWAT made entry and deployed technology. 

The victim left the apartment before officers arrived. 

During the initial on-scene media briefing, police stated the victim may have been inside which was the information they had at that time. During the investigation, police were able to determine the victim left the apartment prior to officer arrival.

The photo released by police shows the suspect, identified as 50-year-old Amos Small, armed with a loaded AR-15-style rifle. This information was known to officers and directly informed tactical decisions to protect the public and responding personnel.

Scanner traffic is incomplete, fragmented, and often inaccurate as incidents unfold. It is not a reliable or final source of information, and Wichita Police does not base public messaging on scanner audio.

Wichita police remains committed to transparency by releasing verified information.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770158180647.png" alt="Amos Small photo Sedgwick County Jail" />
                        <figcaption>Amos Small photo Sedgwick County Jail</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY— The Wichita Police Department is aware of potential confusion around information released about the SWAT activation on Monday.</p><p>WPD’s responsibility is to provide the public with verified facts. All information released by WPD is based on the stage of the invesitgation at the time, officer observations, video evidence, and post-incident reviews.</p><p>Clarifications:</p><p>SWAT entry and surrender</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770158287931.png" alt="Photo Wichita Police" />
                        <figcaption>Photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>One photo below shows SWAT operators as they are opening the apartment door, making entry. The use of technology to create time and distance is a standard tactic intended to achieve a safe resolution, which occurred in this incident.</p><p>Suspect cooperation</p><p>Officers and negotiators made repeated attempts over hours to establish communication. The suspect did not comply or surrender until after SWAT made entry and deployed technology. </p><p>Victim status</p><p>The victim left the apartment before officers arrived. </p><p>During the initial on-scene media briefing, police stated the victim may have been inside which was the information they had at that time. During the investigation, police were able to determine the victim left the apartment prior to officer arrival.</p><p>Weapon involved</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770158435897.png" alt="Photo Wichita police" />
                        <figcaption>Photo Wichita police</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>The photo released by police shows the suspect, identified as 50-year-old Amos Small, armed with a loaded AR-15-style rifle. This information was known to officers and directly informed tactical decisions to protect the public and responding personnel.</p><p>Scanner traffic is incomplete, fragmented, and often inaccurate as incidents unfold. It is not a reliable or final source of information, and Wichita Police does not base public messaging on scanner audio.</p><p>Wichita police remains committed to transparency by releasing verified information.</p>

Police clarify details on Kansas standoff and arrest

FHSU base for officer&nbsp;de-escalation training

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

Fort Hays State University hosted law enforcement officers on Friday to recertify as trainers in de-escalation techniques.

The FHSU Criminal Justice program is home to the&nbsp;Central Regional Training Center of the National De-Escalation Training Center.

The center staff has trained more than 5,000 law enforcement officers across the United States.

As a result of the training, almost 60% of officers were better able to identify and respond to escalated situations, according to the center.&nbsp;

Following de-escalation training, 95% of the officers involved demonstrated high skill in applying de-escalation techniques (compared with 30% before training), the center reported.

Participants in the class shared their thoughts on the importance of the training and how it helps them in their work.

"The why, simply put, is to give better tools to first responders across the country so they can be more effective in de-escalation. We just want to make everyone safer—law enforcement, civilians, everybody," said David Vilaysing, former Hays Police officer and owner of DXI Training Solutions.

Steven Herold, Transylvania University police chief and former Racine, Wisconsin, officer, said the training allows officers to learn in days what could take years to learn on the streets.

Vilaysing&nbsp;said, "I think that's one of the reasons the instructors in here love this course, because they all have that light bulb moment they can think back on their career—the things they had learned the hard way."

Ryan Rogers, an Oklahoma State trooper, said the training helped him think about how he approached situations and regulate his own responses.

"If I can control myself, it helps a lot," he said.

Vilaysing&nbsp;said, "We preach in every class that the most important factor in de-escalation is an officer's self-control. It's easier said than done.

"We give tools and resources to the students so they actually understand themselves and why they tend to communicate in certain ways. ... Only when we understand ourselves can we begin to understand others. That is the foundation of emotional intelligence," he said.

Vilaysing&nbsp;said people's natural tendency is to treat others as they are treated. The training helps officers adapt their responses, even when faced with disrespect from others.

Herold said that when he entered law enforcement in the 1990s, he was taught to engage suspects at one level higher than they were.&nbsp;

Herold said that while he was working in Wisconsin, he had a citizen complaint lodged against him. He said he didn't violate the law, but he could have heard the person out.

"Had I taken a few more minutes to listen to him on the scene, I probably would have avoided that complaint altogether," he said.

Vilaysing&nbsp;said before he left the Hays Police Department, he was on a call during which the Kansas Highway Patrol chased a man going 130 mph into Hays. The chase ended with the suspect up on a roof.&nbsp;

"It was me and two other officers on the roof that were able to de-escalate that situation, talk to that individual, and get him to come down the ladder of his own accord," he said. "As opposed to getting into a physical confrontation with him on a rooftop or worst case scenario, him jumping off the roof as he had threatened, as soon as we stepped on the roof.

"We prevented a potentially serious injury from happening to that individual because I recognized what was going on and, thanks to this training, what approach needed to be taken,"&nbsp;Vilaysing said.

Rogers, a former Marine, said using force was not a problem for him. He said force can always be an option, and there are situations you won't be able to talk your way out of.

However, de-escalation gives you other techniques and options.

"Here are some things that I can do to keep this from going higher," Rogers said. "It means less paperwork for me, less stress on my job, less stress on people around me."

Rogers gave the example of a driver stopping in the middle of the road during a traffic stop. This is likely to heighten his response, as the driver has put him at risk of being struck by another vehicle during the stop.

"This training has helped me process things a little bit differently," Rogers said. "Normally, I would have probably yelled at them for stopping in the middle of the road. ... Now, I'm giving her a reason why I'm a human and why I lost my cool. Here's why you can't do what you just did."

Vilaysing&nbsp;said all departments and officers, including ICE officers, could benefit from the de-escalation training.

"There are still agencies out there that aren't doing any de-escalation training," he said. "We will get sent to agencies and be told this is the first de-escalation training I've had in a decade. Some of them don't even remember if they had it at the academy. It is very much needed across the country."

However,&nbsp;Vilaysing said nothing works 100% of the time.&nbsp;

"The situation is going to dictate," he said. "When things are that extreme and that out of control, we always say force must be an available option. At the end of the day, police officers are going to go home.&nbsp;

"At no point do we tell a police officer or a first responder to jeopardize their safety or the safety of another person so they can de-escalate," he said.

Rogers, who said he has been through riots as an officer, said the situation in Minneapolis is so heightened that it may be difficult to de-escalate through talk.

Rogers said, "If you are at a level of heightened aggression, if I try to talk to you and reason with you and work some of these avenues that we teach, it's still not going to reach out to you.

"If I'm talking to a person who is of a clear mind, it might work, but most of them are so agitated, they are not listening to rational thought anyway."

Rogers said it helps if both sides can give grace.

"We don't get it right 100% of the time, but we're going through training and offering training so other officers can better themselves," he said.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770140642467.jpg" alt="Photo courtesy of Pixabay" />
                        <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>FHSU base for officer&nbsp;de-escalation training</h2><p><b>By CRISTINA JANNEY<br></b><i>Hays Post</i></p><p>Fort Hays State University hosted law enforcement officers on Friday to recertify as trainers in de-escalation techniques.</p><p>The FHSU Criminal Justice program is home to the&nbsp;Central Regional Training Center of the National De-Escalation Training Center.</p><p>The center staff has trained more than 5,000 law enforcement officers across the United States.</p><p>As a result of the training, almost 60% of officers were better able to identify and respond to escalated situations, according to the center.&nbsp;</p><p>Following de-escalation training, 95% of the officers involved demonstrated high skill in applying de-escalation techniques (compared with 30% before training), the center reported.</p><p>Participants in the class shared their thoughts on the importance of the training and how it helps them in their work.</p><p>"The why, simply put, is to give better tools to first responders across the country so they can be more effective in de-escalation. We just want to make everyone safer—law enforcement, civilians, everybody," said David Vilaysing, former Hays Police officer and owner of DXI Training Solutions.</p><p>Steven Herold, Transylvania University police chief and former Racine, Wisconsin, officer, said the training allows officers to learn in days what could take years to learn on the streets.</p><p>Vilaysing&nbsp;said, "I think that's one of the reasons the instructors in here love this course, because they all have that light bulb moment they can think back on their career—the things they had learned the hard way."</p><p>Ryan Rogers, an Oklahoma State trooper, said the training helped him think about how he approached situations and regulate his own responses.</p><p>"If I can control myself, it helps a lot," he said.</p><p>Vilaysing&nbsp;said, "We preach in every class that the most important factor in de-escalation is an officer's self-control. It's easier said than done.</p><p>"We give tools and resources to the students so they actually understand themselves and why they tend to communicate in certain ways. ... Only when we understand ourselves can we begin to understand others. That is the foundation of emotional intelligence," he said.</p><p>Vilaysing&nbsp;said people's natural tendency is to treat others as they are treated. The training helps officers adapt their responses, even when faced with disrespect from others.</p><p>Herold said that when he entered law enforcement in the 1990s, he was taught to engage suspects at one level higher than they were.&nbsp;</p><p>Herold said that while he was working in Wisconsin, he had a citizen complaint lodged against him. He said he didn't violate the law, but he could have heard the person out.</p><p>"Had I taken a few more minutes to listen to him on the scene, I probably would have avoided that complaint altogether," he said.</p><p>Vilaysing&nbsp;said before he left the Hays Police Department, he was on a call during which the Kansas Highway Patrol chased a man going 130 mph into Hays. The chase ended with the suspect up on a roof.&nbsp;</p><p>"It was me and two other officers on the roof that were able to de-escalate that situation, talk to that individual, and get him to come down the ladder of his own accord," he said. "As opposed to getting into a physical confrontation with him on a rooftop or worst case scenario, him jumping off the roof as he had threatened, as soon as we stepped on the roof.</p><p>"We prevented a potentially serious injury from happening to that individual because I recognized what was going on and, thanks to this training, what approach needed to be taken,"&nbsp;Vilaysing said.</p><p>Rogers, a former Marine, said using force was not a problem for him. He said force can always be an option, and there are situations you won't be able to talk your way out of.</p><p>However, de-escalation gives you other techniques and options.</p><p>"Here are some things that I can do to keep this from going higher," Rogers said. "It means less paperwork for me, less stress on my job, less stress on people around me."</p><p>Rogers gave the example of a driver stopping in the middle of the road during a traffic stop. This is likely to heighten his response, as the driver has put him at risk of being struck by another vehicle during the stop.</p><p>"This training has helped me process things a little bit differently," Rogers said. "Normally, I would have probably yelled at them for stopping in the middle of the road. ... Now, I'm giving her a reason why I'm a human and why I lost my cool. Here's why you can't do what you just did."</p><p><b>De-escalation trainers on ICE</b></p><p>Vilaysing&nbsp;said all departments and officers, including ICE officers, could benefit from the de-escalation training.</p><p>"There are still agencies out there that aren't doing any de-escalation training," he said. "We will get sent to agencies and be told this is the first de-escalation training I've had in a decade. Some of them don't even remember if they had it at the academy. It is very much needed across the country."</p><p>However,&nbsp;Vilaysing said nothing works 100% of the time.&nbsp;</p><p>"The situation is going to dictate," he said. "When things are that extreme and that out of control, we always say force must be an available option. At the end of the day, police officers are going to go home.&nbsp;</p><p>"At no point do we tell a police officer or a first responder to jeopardize their safety or the safety of another person so they can de-escalate," he said.</p><p>Rogers, who said he has been through riots as an officer, said the situation in Minneapolis is so heightened that it may be difficult to de-escalate through talk.</p><p>Rogers said, "If you are at a level of heightened aggression, if I try to talk to you and reason with you and work some of these avenues that we teach, it's still not going to reach out to you.</p><p>"If I'm talking to a person who is of a clear mind, it might work, but most of them are so agitated, they are not listening to rational thought anyway."</p><p>Rogers said it helps if both sides can give grace.</p><p>"We don't get it right 100% of the time, but we're going through training and offering training so other officers can better themselves," he said.</p>

Officer on de-escalation training: 'We just want to make everyone safer'

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Investigators found signs of forced entry at the Arizona home of “Today” show host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie's</a>&nbsp;mother, a person familiar with the investigation said Tuesday, as the host asked for prayers to help bring back the 84-year-old, who is believed to have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-6c7b78d17d7b647c64f71f64ecaecf8b">taken against her will</a>.

The host described her mother,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">Nancy Guthrie</a>, as “a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant” in a social media post late Monday. She asked supporters to "raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment. Bring her home.”

The Pima County sheriff and the Tucson FBI chief held a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-0d6b55fd24f54b2526fd5f8894a52ff2">news conference Tuesday</a>&nbsp;and urged the public to offer tips, but they revealed few new details about the investigation. The sheriff said they don't have credible information indicating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-0d6b55fd24f54b2526fd5f8894a52ff2">Guthrie's disappearance</a>&nbsp;was targeted.

Sheriff Chris Nanos has said Guthrie needs daily medication and could die without it. Asked whether officials were looking for her alive, he said, “We hope we are.”

The person who spoke to The Associated Press said investigators found specific evidence in the home showing there was a nighttime kidnapping. Several of Guthrie’s personal items, including her cellphone, wallet and car, were still there after she disappeared.

Investigators are reviewing surveillance video from nearby homes and working to analyze data from cellphone towers. Police are also reviewing information from license plate cameras in the area, according to the person, who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the case and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

The motive remains a mystery. Investigators do not believe at this point that the abduction was part of a robbery, home invasion or kidnapping-for-ransom plot, the person said.

TMZ reported Tuesday that it received a purported ransom note demanding payment in cryptocurrency for Guthrie's release. Separately, a journalist with Tucson television station KOLD said in an X post that the station received what appears to be a ransom note. Both outlets said they turned over the notes to investigators.

The sheriff’s department said it’s taking the possible ransom notes and other tips seriously but declined to comment further.

President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday afternoon, said he planned to call Savannah Guthrie “later on” and called the situation “terrible.”

“I always got along very good with Savannah,” Trump said.

For a second day, “Today” opened Tuesday with Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, but Savannah Guthrie was not at the anchor’s desk. NBC Sports said Guthrie will not be covering the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics “as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time.”

The “Today” host grew up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tucson">in Tucson</a>, graduated from the University of Arizona and previously worked as a reporter and anchor at Tucson television station KVOA.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday night at her home in the Tucson area, where she lived alone and was reported missing Sunday. Someone at her church called a family member to say she was not there, leading family to search her home and then call 911, Nanos said.

Guthrie has limited mobility, and officials do not believe she left on her own. Nanos said she is of sound mind.

In the hours after she disappeared, searchers used drones and dogs and were supported by volunteers and Border Patrol. The homicide team was also involved, Nanos said.

Guthrie’s home is in the affluent Catalina Foothills area on the northern edge of Tucson. Her brick home has a gravel driveway and a yard covered in prickly pear and saguaro cactus.

Savannah Guthrie’s parents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">settled in Tucson</a>&nbsp;in the 1970s when she was a young child. The youngest of three siblings, she credits her mom with holding their family together after her father died of a heart attack at 49, when Savannah was just 16.

Nancy Guthrie raised them on her own. The host often brought her mother on “Today” as a guest.

“She has met unthinkable challenges in her life with grit, without self-pity, with determination and always, always with unshakeable faith,” Savannah Guthrie said on the show in 2022 on her mother's 80th birthday.

“She loves us, her family, fiercely, and her selflessness and sacrifice for us, her steadfastness and her unmovable confidence, is the reason any of us grew up to do anything.”

Billeaud reported from Phoenix and Balsamo from Washington.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770128229294.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Investigators found signs of forced entry at the Arizona home of “Today” show host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie's</a>&nbsp;mother, a person familiar with the investigation said Tuesday, as the host asked for prayers to help bring back the 84-year-old, who is believed to have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-6c7b78d17d7b647c64f71f64ecaecf8b">taken against her will</a>.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">LATEST: NANCY GUTHRIE <a href="https://t.co/bnwTx5VoPM">https://t.co/bnwTx5VoPM</a> <a href="https://t.co/q3pJBoNz2B">pic.twitter.com/q3pJBoNz2B</a></p>&mdash; Pima County Sheriff&#39;s Department (@PimaSheriff) <a href="https://twitter.com/PimaSheriff/status/2018789092096381233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The host described her mother,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">Nancy Guthrie</a>, as “a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant” in a social media post late Monday. She asked supporters to "raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment. Bring her home.”</p><p>The Pima County sheriff and the Tucson FBI chief held a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-0d6b55fd24f54b2526fd5f8894a52ff2">news conference Tuesday</a>&nbsp;and urged the public to offer tips, but they revealed few new details about the investigation. The sheriff said they don't have credible information indicating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-0d6b55fd24f54b2526fd5f8894a52ff2">Guthrie's disappearance</a>&nbsp;was targeted.</p><p>Sheriff Chris Nanos has said Guthrie needs daily medication and could die without it. Asked whether officials were looking for her alive, he said, “We hope we are.”</p><p>DNA samples have been gathered and submitted for analysis as part of the investigation. “We’ve gotten some back, but nothing to indicate any suspects,” Nanos said.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s Mother: &quot;I think it&#39;s terrible... I&#39;m going to call her later on. I think it&#39;s a terrible thing. I always got along very good with Savannah. Very unusual situation but we&#39;re going to find out.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/gQXBwbndtA">pic.twitter.com/gQXBwbndtA</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2018806062946844848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h2>Motive still a mystery</h2><p>The person who spoke to The Associated Press said investigators found specific evidence in the home showing there was a nighttime kidnapping. Several of Guthrie’s personal items, including her cellphone, wallet and car, were still there after she disappeared.</p><p>Investigators are reviewing surveillance video from nearby homes and working to analyze data from cellphone towers. Police are also reviewing information from license plate cameras in the area, according to the person, who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the case and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.</p><p>The motive remains a mystery. Investigators do not believe at this point that the abduction was part of a robbery, home invasion or kidnapping-for-ransom plot, the person said.</p><p>TMZ reported Tuesday that it received a purported ransom note demanding payment in cryptocurrency for Guthrie's release. Separately, a journalist with Tucson television station KOLD said in an X post that the station received what appears to be a ransom note. Both outlets said they turned over the notes to investigators.</p><p>The sheriff’s department said it’s taking the possible ransom notes and other tips seriously but declined to comment further.</p><p>President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday afternoon, said he planned to call Savannah Guthrie “later on” and called the situation “terrible.”</p><p>“I always got along very good with Savannah,” Trump said.</p><h2>‘Today’ host has deep Tucson roots</h2><p>For a second day, “Today” opened Tuesday with Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, but Savannah Guthrie was not at the anchor’s desk. NBC Sports said Guthrie will not be covering the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics “as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time.”</p><p>The “Today” host grew up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tucson">in Tucson</a>, graduated from the University of Arizona and previously worked as a reporter and anchor at Tucson television station KVOA.</p><p>Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday night at her home in the Tucson area, where she lived alone and was reported missing Sunday. Someone at her church called a family member to say she was not there, leading family to search her home and then call 911, Nanos said.</p><p>Guthrie has limited mobility, and officials do not believe she left on her own. Nanos said she is of sound mind.</p><p>In the hours after she disappeared, searchers used drones and dogs and were supported by volunteers and Border Patrol. The homicide team was also involved, Nanos said.</p><p>Guthrie’s home is in the affluent Catalina Foothills area on the northern edge of Tucson. Her brick home has a gravel driveway and a yard covered in prickly pear and saguaro cactus.</p><p>Savannah Guthrie’s parents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">settled in Tucson</a>&nbsp;in the 1970s when she was a young child. The youngest of three siblings, she credits her mom with holding their family together after her father died of a heart attack at 49, when Savannah was just 16.</p><p>“When my dad died, our family just hung onto each other for dear life because it was such a shock. We were just trying to figure out how to become a family of four when we’d always been a family of five,” she said on “Today” in 2017.</p><p>Nancy Guthrie raised them on her own. The host often brought her mother on “Today” as a guest.</p><p>“She has met unthinkable challenges in her life with grit, without self-pity, with determination and always, always with unshakeable faith,” Savannah Guthrie said on the show in 2022 on her mother's 80th birthday.</p><p>“She loves us, her family, fiercely, and her selflessness and sacrifice for us, her steadfastness and her unmovable confidence, is the reason any of us grew up to do anything.”</p><p>___</p><p>Billeaud reported from Phoenix and Balsamo from Washington.</p>

Ransom note: 'Today' show co-host's mother is still missing

HAYS - The Hays High Indians opened the month of February by hosting Sunrise Christian Academy on Tuesday evening.

<b>Girls:&nbsp;#4 Hays 59, Sunrise Christian 45<br></b>Hays High scored the first 13 points of the game then hold a strong second half run by Sunrise Christian in a 59-45 victory.

Jenna Schmeidler and Zoe Winter combined to score the first 13 points of the game and force a Sunrise Christian (16-3) timeout. The Buffaloes cut it down to a single digit game on three occasions before Annie Humphrey's pair of free throws made it 20-10 after one quarter.

The first four minutes of the second quarter started slow for both teams. Hays (15-1) scored the only four points in that stretch. A Morgan Armbruster contested layup sparked a 10-3 run to close out the first half for a 36-16 lead.

Schmeidler and Molly Buckles scored the first four points of the second game to give Hays a game high 24 point lead at 40-16. That's when Sunrise started to hit shots. The Buffaloes made 7 of 12 field goal attempts, including the only two three pointers they attempted in that time, to close the gap down to 47-34 after the third quarter.&nbsp;

A 6-2 start to the fourth quarter for Sunrise got the Buffaloes within a nine point game at 49-40. That was the closest Hays would let the game get. Schmeidler and Winter scored the next seven points for Hays and then freshman Ramiyah Turner completed a 10-0 run with a three pointer.

Sunrise scored five points over the final two minutes leaving Hays with a 59-45 victory.

Schmeidler tied a career high 32 points to lead the Indians. Winter recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Schmeidler 32, Humphrey 2, LaBarge 2, Cunningham 0, Armbruster 4, Turner 3, Newell 0, Harrington 0, Buckles 2, Winter 14.

<b>Boys:&nbsp;#6 Hays 60, Sunrise Christian 58<br></b>Hays High both led and trailed by double figures in the second half before securing a 60-58 victory over Sunrise Christian.

Hays (13-3) trailed just once in the first half. The Indians grabbed a hand full of small leads in the first five minutes. Back-to-back field goals for Sunrise gave the Buffaloes their only first half lead at 10-9. That advantage lasted for just thirty seconds before consecutive Dawson Ruder field goals gave the Indians a 13-10 lead after the first quarter.

Izaac Fox and Trey Oakley scored the first four points of the second quarter to give Hays the first of three lead at seven points before halftime. The third seven point edge came right before halftime when Dalton Schmidtberger knocked down a three to beat the halftime buzzer at 30-23.

Hays quickly pushed the lead out to a game high eleven points in the first minute of the second half 34-23. The remainder of the quarter belonged to Sunrise. A 21-4 Buffaloes' took the lead away from Hays. The first eleven points from Sunrise came without response from the Indians to tie the game at 34 midway through the quarter. Oakley and Ruder restored order to the game for a short period with two points each and a 38-34 Hays lead.

Sunrise went scored the next ten points to grab a 44-38 edge right before Oakley beat the third quarter buzzer at 44-40.

The outcome looked bleak less than two minutes into the fourth quarter as Sunrise surged ahead 53-43. The Buffaloes still led by nine with 5:04 remaining as Hays mounted their comeback.&nbsp;

Ruder scored 12 of his career high 35 points in the final 4:52. Fox added the other two points the Indians scored in that stretch. Those two points tied the game at 58 with less than a minute remaining. Ruder found the basket for two of his 18 fourth quarter points for a 60-58 Hays lead with 30 second remaining.&nbsp;

Sunrise missed a pair of threes on the same possession followed by two missed free throws by the Indians. The Buffaloes had one last chance but missed a floater from the mid-lane.

Hays made 18 of 27 free throws, 10 of 13 in the fourth quarter. Hays resumes Western Athletic Conference play in Dodge City on Friday.

Pfeifer 1, Burkholder 0, Homeier 0, Oakley 10, Harmoney 0, Schmidtberger 3, Fox 11, Smalley 0, Day 0, Ruder 35, Loving 0.

<p><b>By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER</b><br><i>Hays Post Sports</i></p><p>HAYS - The Hays High Indians opened the month of February by hosting Sunrise Christian Academy on Tuesday evening.</p><p><b>Girls:&nbsp;#4 Hays 59, Sunrise Christian 45<br></b>Hays High scored the first 13 points of the game then hold a strong second half run by Sunrise Christian in a 59-45 victory.</p><p>Jenna Schmeidler and Zoe Winter combined to score the first 13 points of the game and force a Sunrise Christian (16-3) timeout. The Buffaloes cut it down to a single digit game on three occasions before Annie Humphrey's pair of free throws made it 20-10 after one quarter.</p><p>The first four minutes of the second quarter started slow for both teams. Hays (15-1) scored the only four points in that stretch. A Morgan Armbruster contested layup sparked a 10-3 run to close out the first half for a 36-16 lead.</p><p><b>Highlights</b></p><div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2259808655&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/hhs-wbkb-vs-sunrise-christian" title="HHS WBKB vs Sunrise Christian Highlights 02-03-2026" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS WBKB vs Sunrise Christian Highlights 02-03-2026</a></div></div><p>Schmeidler and Molly Buckles scored the first four points of the second game to give Hays a game high 24 point lead at 40-16. That's when Sunrise started to hit shots. The Buffaloes made 7 of 12 field goal attempts, including the only two three pointers they attempted in that time, to close the gap down to 47-34 after the third quarter.&nbsp;</p><p>A 6-2 start to the fourth quarter for Sunrise got the Buffaloes within a nine point game at 49-40. That was the closest Hays would let the game get. Schmeidler and Winter scored the next seven points for Hays and then freshman Ramiyah Turner completed a 10-0 run with a three pointer.</p><p>Sunrise scored five points over the final two minutes leaving Hays with a 59-45 victory.</p><p><b>Coach Len Melvin</b></p><div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2259808703&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/hhs-vs-sunrise-christian-coach" title="HHS vs Sunrise Christian Coach Len Melvin Postgame 02-03-2026" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS vs Sunrise Christian Coach Len Melvin Postgame 02-03-2026</a></div></div><p>Schmeidler tied a career high 32 points to lead the Indians. Winter recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds.</p><p>Schmeidler 32, Humphrey 2, LaBarge 2, Cunningham 0, Armbruster 4, Turner 3, Newell 0, Harrington 0, Buckles 2, Winter 14.</p><p><b>Boys:&nbsp;#6 Hays 60, Sunrise Christian 58<br></b>Hays High both led and trailed by double figures in the second half before securing a 60-58 victory over Sunrise Christian.</p><p>Hays (13-3) trailed just once in the first half. The Indians grabbed a hand full of small leads in the first five minutes. Back-to-back field goals for Sunrise gave the Buffaloes their only first half lead at 10-9. That advantage lasted for just thirty seconds before consecutive Dawson Ruder field goals gave the Indians a 13-10 lead after the first quarter.</p><p>Izaac Fox and Trey Oakley scored the first four points of the second quarter to give Hays the first of three lead at seven points before halftime. The third seven point edge came right before halftime when Dalton Schmidtberger knocked down a three to beat the halftime buzzer at 30-23.</p><p><b>Highlights</b></p><div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2259808643&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/hhs-mbkb-vs-sunrise-christian" title="HHS MBKB vs Sunrise Christian Highlights 02-03-2026" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS MBKB vs Sunrise Christian Highlights 02-03-2026</a></div></div><p>Hays quickly pushed the lead out to a game high eleven points in the first minute of the second half 34-23. The remainder of the quarter belonged to Sunrise. A 21-4 Buffaloes' took the lead away from Hays. The first eleven points from Sunrise came without response from the Indians to tie the game at 34 midway through the quarter. Oakley and Ruder restored order to the game for a short period with two points each and a 38-34 Hays lead.</p><p>Sunrise went scored the next ten points to grab a 44-38 edge right before Oakley beat the third quarter buzzer at 44-40.</p><p>The outcome looked bleak less than two minutes into the fourth quarter as Sunrise surged ahead 53-43. The Buffaloes still led by nine with 5:04 remaining as Hays mounted their comeback.&nbsp;</p><p>Ruder scored 12 of his career high 35 points in the final 4:52. Fox added the other two points the Indians scored in that stretch. Those two points tied the game at 58 with less than a minute remaining. Ruder found the basket for two of his 18 fourth quarter points for a 60-58 Hays lead with 30 second remaining.&nbsp;</p><p>Sunrise missed a pair of threes on the same possession followed by two missed free throws by the Indians. The Buffaloes had one last chance but missed a floater from the mid-lane.</p><p><b>Coach Sean Dreiling</b></p><div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2259808739&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/hhs-vs-sunrise-christian-1" title="HHS vs Sunrise Christian Coach Sean Dreiling Postgame 02-03-2026" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS vs Sunrise Christian Coach Sean Dreiling Postgame 02-03-2026</a></div></div><p>Hays made 18 of 27 free throws, 10 of 13 in the fourth quarter. Hays resumes Western Athletic Conference play in Dodge City on Friday.</p><p>Pfeifer 1, Burkholder 0, Homeier 0, Oakley 10, Harmoney 0, Schmidtberger 3, Fox 11, Smalley 0, Day 0, Ruder 35, Loving 0.</p>

🏀 Hays High holds on in victories over Sunrise Christian

<b>By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT</b><br><i>Hays Post Sports</i>

The TMP-Marian Monarchs girls' and boys’ basketball teams returned to Mid-Continent play Tuesday
night on the road in WaKeeney, and they picked up a pair of wins.

<b>GIRLS: TMP 61, Trego 45<br></b>The Lady Monarchs (9-6 and 4-1 MCL) used a 15-5 first
quarter run to go up double-digits.&nbsp; opened the game of her career-high 16 points to open the
game with TMP leading 5-0.

Hannah Rose followed that with five straight, and a second
Schippers three-pointer put the Monarchs up double-figures, 15-5.

TMP scored 20 points in the first and second quarters as
they built a 40-17 lead at halftime.

The Monarchs closed the first half and opened the second, outscoring
the Golden Eagles on a 10- 0 run for a 44-17 team lead. 

Trego began to chip away at the Monarchs' lead, pulling
within 15 in the third quarter before the Monarchs held onto a 52-34 lead at
the end of the third quarter.

Trego also outscored the Monarchs in the fourth quarter, but
TMP’s first-half lead was too much for the Golden Eagles to overcome as TMP secured
the 61-45 victory.

Hannah Rose knocked down six three-pointers and finished
with a career-high 28 points and seven rebounds. Claire Schippers added a career-high
16 points of her own and Emily Hipp also scored a career-high eight points.

<b>BOYS: TMP 72, Trego 50<br></b>TMP’s Ty Schmeidler scored 14 of his game-high 27 points in
the first quarter as the Monarchs took over sole possession of first place in
the Mid-Continent League race with a 72-50 victory.

Will Eck opened the Monarchs (11-5 &amp; 5-0 MCL) scoring
with the three-pointer, sparking a 13-2 run to open the contest.

Trego through, had an answer of their own, an 11-5 run, making it 22-17 through one quarter.

It was more of the same TMP in the second quarter, scoring the
first seven points of the quarter to lead 29-17.

Trego cut the deficit to 10 points, TMP closed out the final
minute of the first half and opened the second on a 12-0 run for a 48-26 lead.

With the double-digit lead, the Monarchs outscored the Golden
Eagles 32-24 in the second half on their way to the 72-50 win.

Ty Schmeidler led all scorers with 27 points, and Grant Nehls
added 16 points and 15 rebounds.

<p><b>By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT</b><br><i>Hays Post Sports</i></p><p>The TMP-Marian Monarchs girls' and boys’ basketball teams returned to Mid-Continent play Tuesday
night on the road in WaKeeney, and they picked up a pair of wins.</p><p><b>GIRLS: TMP 61, Trego 45<br></b>The Lady Monarchs (9-6 and 4-1 MCL) used a 15-5 first
quarter run to go up double-digits.&nbsp; opened the game of her career-high 16 points to open the
game with TMP leading 5-0.</p><div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2259796700&color=%23294b71&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/2-3-2026-tmp-girls-coach-john" title="2-3-2026 TMP Girls Coach John Linn Postgame Interview" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">2-3-2026 TMP Girls Coach John Linn Postgame Interview</a></div></div><p>Hannah Rose followed that with five straight, and a second
Schippers three-pointer put the Monarchs up double-figures, 15-5.</p><p>TMP scored 20 points in the first and second quarters as
they built a 40-17 lead at halftime.</p><p>The Monarchs closed the first half and opened the second, outscoring
the Golden Eagles on a 10- 0 run for a 44-17 team lead. </p><p>Trego began to chip away at the Monarchs' lead, pulling
within 15 in the third quarter before the Monarchs held onto a 52-34 lead at
the end of the third quarter.</p><p>Trego also outscored the Monarchs in the fourth quarter, but
TMP’s first-half lead was too much for the Golden Eagles to overcome as TMP secured
the 61-45 victory.</p><div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2259796304&color=%23294b71&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/2-3-26-tmp-girls-bkb" title="2-3-26 TMP Girls bkb HIGHLIGHTS" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">2-3-26 TMP Girls bkb HIGHLIGHTS</a></div></div><p>Hannah Rose knocked down six three-pointers and finished
with a career-high 28 points and seven rebounds. Claire Schippers added a career-high
16 points of her own and Emily Hipp also scored a career-high eight points.</p><p><b>BOYS: TMP 72, Trego 50<br></b>TMP’s Ty Schmeidler scored 14 of his game-high 27 points in
the first quarter as the Monarchs took over sole possession of first place in
the Mid-Continent League race with a 72-50 victory.</p><div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2259796820&color=%23294b71&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/2-3-2026-tmp-boys-basketball" title="2-3-2026 TMP Boys Basketball Coach Bill Meager Postgame Interview" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">2-3-2026 TMP Boys Basketball Coach Bill Meager Postgame Interview</a></div></div><p>Will Eck opened the Monarchs (11-5 &amp; 5-0 MCL) scoring
with the three-pointer, sparking a 13-2 run to open the contest.</p><p>Trego through, had an answer of their own, an 11-5 run, making it 22-17 through one quarter.</p><p>It was more of the same TMP in the second quarter, scoring the
first seven points of the quarter to lead 29-17.</p><p>Trego cut the deficit to 10 points, TMP closed out the final
minute of the first half and opened the second on a 12-0 run for a 48-26 lead.</p><p>With the double-digit lead, the Monarchs outscored the Golden
Eagles 32-24 in the second half on their way to the 72-50 win.</p><div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2259796499&color=%23294b71&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/2-3-2026-tmp-boys-bkb" title="2-3-2026 TMP Boys bkb HIGHLIGHTS" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">2-3-2026 TMP Boys bkb HIGHLIGHTS</a></div></div><p>Ty Schmeidler led all scorers with 27 points, and Grant Nehls
added 16 points and 15 rebounds.</p>

🏀 Offense lifts Monarchs past Golden Eagles

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — The first husband of former first lady Jill Biden has been charged with killing his wife at their Delaware home in late December, authorities announced in a news release Tuesday.

William Stevenson, 77, of Wilmington was married to Jill Biden from 1970 to 1975.

Caroline Harrison, the Delaware Attorney General’s spokesperson, confirmed in a phone call that Stevenson is the former husband of Jill Biden.

Jill Biden declined to comment, according to an emailed response from a spokesperson at the former president and first lady’s office.

Stevenson remains in jail after failing to post $500,000 bail after his arrest Monday on first-degree murder charges. He is charged with killing Linda Stevenson, 64, on Dec. 28.

Police were called to the home for a reported domestic dispute after 11 p.m. and found a woman unresponsive in the living room, according to a prior news release. Life-saving measures were unsuccessful.

She ran a bookkeeping business and was described as a family-oriented mother and grandmother and a Philadelphia Eagles fan, according to her obituary, which does not mention her husband.

Stevenson was charged in a grand jury indictment after a weekslong investigation by detectives in the Delaware Department of Justice.

It was not immediately clear if Stevenson has a lawyer. He founded a popular music venue in Newark called the Stone Balloon in the early 1970s.

In an interview with the conservative news outlet Newsmax in 2024, Stevenson criticized Jill Biden and he described their divorce as contentious, calling her “bitter” and “nasty.”

Jill Biden married U.S. Sen. Joe Biden in 1977. He served as U.S. president from January 2021 to January 2025.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770174750129.png" alt="Stevenson-photo New Castle County Police" />
                        <figcaption>Stevenson-photo New Castle County Police</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — The first husband of former first lady Jill Biden has been charged with killing his wife at their Delaware home in late December, authorities announced in a news release Tuesday.</p><p>William Stevenson, 77, of Wilmington was married to Jill Biden from 1970 to 1975.</p><p>Caroline Harrison, the Delaware Attorney General’s spokesperson, confirmed in a phone call that Stevenson is the former husband of Jill Biden.</p><p>Jill Biden declined to comment, according to an emailed response from a spokesperson at the former president and first lady’s office.</p><p>Stevenson remains in jail after failing to post $500,000 bail after his arrest Monday on first-degree murder charges. He is charged with killing Linda Stevenson, 64, on Dec. 28.</p><p>Police were called to the home for a reported domestic dispute after 11 p.m. and found a woman unresponsive in the living room, according to a prior news release. Life-saving measures were unsuccessful.</p><p>She ran a bookkeeping business and was described as a family-oriented mother and grandmother and a Philadelphia Eagles fan, according to her obituary, which does not mention her husband.</p><p>Stevenson was charged in a grand jury indictment after a weekslong investigation by detectives in the Delaware Department of Justice.</p><p>It was not immediately clear if Stevenson has a lawyer. He founded a popular music venue in Newark called the Stone Balloon in the early 1970s.</p><p>In an interview with the conservative news outlet Newsmax in 2024, Stevenson criticized Jill Biden and he described their divorce as contentious, calling her “bitter” and “nasty.”</p><p>Jill Biden married U.S. Sen. Joe Biden in 1977. He served as U.S. president from January 2021 to January 2025.</p>

Jill Biden's ex-husband charged with murdering his wife

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed a roughly $1.2 trillion government funding bill Tuesday that ends the partial federal shutdown that began over the weekend and sets the stage for an intense debate in Congress over Homeland Security funding.

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed a roughly $1.2 trillion government funding bill Tuesday that ends the partial federal shutdown that began over the weekend and sets the stage for an intense debate in Congress over Homeland Security funding.</p><p>The president moved quickly to sign the bill after the House approved it with a 217-214 vote.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;This bill is a great victory for the American people. Instead of a bloated and wasteful omnibus monstrosity full of special interest handouts, we&#39;ve succeeded in passing a fiscally responsible package that actually cuts wasteful federal spending, while supporting… <a href="https://t.co/e8SaId9wSh">https://t.co/e8SaId9wSh</a> <a href="https://t.co/rteuybrPSv">pic.twitter.com/rteuybrPSv</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2018800271019671602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>“This bill is a great victory for the American people,” Trump said.</p><p>The vote Tuesday wrapped up congressional work on 11 annual appropriations bills that fund government agencies and programs through Sept. 30. Trump has said he will sign the bill when it reaches his desk, ending the partial government shutdown that began Saturday.</p><p>Passage of the legislation marked the end point for one funding fight, but the start of another. That's because the package only funds the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks, through Feb 13, at the behest of Democrats who are demanding more restrictions on immigration enforcement after the shooting deaths of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">Alex Pretti</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">Renee Good</a>&nbsp;by federal officers in Minneapolis.</p><h2>Leaders are digging in for a fight</h2><p>Difficult negotiations are ahead, particularly for the agency that enforces the nation’s immigration laws —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-trump-arrests-workplace-agents-chicago-los-angeles-ba352692f27fa6d2846a9410496e4359">U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement</a>, or ICE.</p><p>House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries quickly warned Democrats would not support any further temporary funding for Homeland Security without substantial changes to its immigration operations., raising the potential of another shutdown for the department and its agencies.</p><p>“We need dramatic change in order to make sure that ICE and other agencies within the department of Homeland Security are conducting themselves like every other law enforcement organization in the country,” Jeffries said.</p><p>Speaker Mike Johnson said he expects the two sides will be able to reach an agreement by the deadline.</p><p>“This is no time to play games with that funding. We hope that they will operate in good faith over the next 10 days as we negotiate this,” said Johnson. “The president, again, has reached out.”</p><p>But Johnson’s counterpart across the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., sounded less optimistic of a deal. “There’s always miracles, right?” Thune told reporters.</p><h2>Voting with no margin for error</h2><p>The funding bill that cleared Congress Tuesday had provisions that appealed to both parties.</p><p>Republicans avoided a massive, catchall funding bill known as an omnibus as part of this year’s appropriations process. Such bills, often taken up before the holiday season with lawmakers anxious to return home, have contributed to greater federal spending, they say.</p><p>Democrats were able to fend off some of Trump's most draconian proposed cuts while adding language that helps ensure funds are spent as stipulated by Congress.</p><p>Still, Johnson needed near-unanimous support from his Republican conference to proceed to a final vote on the bill. He narrowly got it during a roll call that was held open for nearly an hour as leaders worked to gain support from a handful of GOP lawmakers who were trying to advance other priorities unrelated to the funding measure.</p><p>The final vote wasn't much easier for GOP leaders. In the end, 21 Republicans sided with the vast majority of Democrats in voting against the funding bill, while that exact same number of Democrats sided with the vast majority of Republicans in voting yes.</p><p>Trump had weighed in Monday in a social media post, calling on Republicans to stay united and telling holdouts, “There can be NO CHANGES at this time.”</p><h2>Key differences from the last shutdown</h2><p>The current partial shutdown that is coming to a close differed in many ways from the fall impasse, which affected more agencies and lasted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-reopen-update-house-returns-5771f2befb15f4ab45e327369f2e98d9">a record 43 days</a>.</p><p>Then, the debate was over extending temporary coronavirus pandemic-era subsidies for those who get health coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Democrats were unsuccessful in getting those subsidies included as part of a package to end the shutdown.</p><p>Congress made important progress since then. Some of the six appropriations bills it passed prior to Tuesday ensured the current shutdown had less sting. For example, important programs such as nutrition assistance and fully operating national parks and historic sites were already funded through Sept. 30.</p><p>The remaining bills passed Tuesday mean that the vast majority of the federal government has been funded.</p><p>“You might say that now that 96% of the government is funded, it’s just 4% what’s out there?" Johnson said. "But it’s a very important 4%”</p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press video journalist Nathan Ellgren and writers Lisa Mascaro, Joey Cappelletti and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.</p>