By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Winds in Hays topped out at 66 mph Monday night, toppling trees and breaking tree limbs.

Hays received 1.75 inches of rain, according to the K-State Ag Research Center.&nbsp;

That brings Hays to 2.14 inches of rain for July and 13.14 inches of precipitation for the year. Hays averages 14.67 inches of rain by the end of July.

Despite the heat on Monday, Hays did not set a record. The high at the ag center was measured as 107. The record high of 110 was recorded in 1913.

The forecast calls for a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1 a.m. tonight.

Highs are forecast to remain in the 80s through Saturday with a chance of storms again Friday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721159419827.jpeg" alt="Workers behind Rockwell Administration Center in Hays clean up a tree that snapped in half overnight after a storm brought 66 mph winds to Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Workers behind Rockwell Administration Center in Hays clean up a tree that snapped in half overnight after a storm brought 66 mph winds to Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostWinds in Hays topped out at 66 mph Monday night, toppling trees and breaking tree limbs.Hays received 1.75 inches of rain, according to the K-State Ag Research Center.&nbsp;That brings Hays to 2.14 inches of rain for July and 13.14 inches of precipitation for the year. Hays averages 14.67 inches of rain by the end of July.Despite the heat on Monday, Hays did not set a record. The high at the ag center was measured as 107. The record high of 110 was recorded in 1913.The forecast calls for a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1 a.m. tonight.Highs are forecast to remain in the 80s through Saturday with a chance of storms again Friday night.

High winds topple trees in Hays overnight

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-menendez">U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez was convicted</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday of all the counts he faced at his corruption trial, including accepting bribes of gold and cash from three New Jersey businessmen and acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government.

The jury’s verdict followed a nine-week trial in which prosecutors said the Democrat abused the power of his office to protect allies from criminal investigations and enrich associates, including his wife, through acts that included meeting with Egyptian intelligence officials and helping that country access millions of dollars in U.S. military aid.

As the verdict was read in court, Menendez, 70, looked toward the jury at times as he appeared to mark a document in front of him. Afterward, he sat resting his chin against his closed hands, elbows on the table.

Menendez did not testify at the trial, but insisted publicly he was only doing his job as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He said the gold bars found in his New Jersey home by the FBI belonged to his wife, Nadine Menendez. She too was charged but her trial was postponed so she could recover from breast cancer surgery. She has pleaded not guilty.

The verdict, delivered at a federal courthouse in Manhattan, comes four months before Election Day and potentially dooms Menendez’s chances of campaigning for reelection as an independent candidate.

Immediately after the verdict, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in statement called on Menendez to resign.

“In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,” Schumer said.

Menendez faces the possibility of a lengthy prison term when he is sentenced on Oct. 29. Of the 16 counts on which he was convicted, the most serious carry a potential prison sentence of 20 years.

Rep. Andy Kim, the Democratic nominee for the seat currently held by Menendez also called for his resignation, posting on social media that “the people of New Jersey deserve better.”

Menendez went on trial in mid-May along with two New Jersey businessmen who were accused of paying bribes: Wael Hana and Fred Daibes. All three had pleaded not guilty. A third businessman, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty prior to trial and testified against the others. Hana and Daibes were convicted of the charges they faced as well. They walked out the rear courthouse entry with their lawyers and declined to comment.

The trial was the second time that the New Jersey Democrat has faced corruption allegations. An earlier prosecution on unrelated charges in 2017 ended with a deadlocked jury.

The jury’s decision is a culmination of a lengthy investigation that included a June 2022 FBI raid on the couple’s home in Englewood Cliffs, a wealthy community just across the Hudson River from New York City. In the home, FBI agents found gold bars worth nearly $150,000 and cash, mostly in stacks of $100 bills, totaling over $480,000. In the garage was a Mercedes-Benz convertible.

A supervising agent testified that he ordered the valuables seized because he suspected they might be the proceeds of a crime. Stacks of cash, he said, were found stuffed in boots, shoeboxes and jackets belonging to the senator.

At trial, prosecutors argued that the gold bars, cash and car were bribes. Defense lawyers disputed that, arguing that the gold belonged to his wife and she had kept him in the dark about financial troubles so grim that she nearly lost the home to foreclosure. They said the cash stemmed from the senator’s habitual hoarding of cash at home after hearing how his parents escaped Cuba in 1951 with only the cash they had hidden in a grandfather clock.

More shocking than the cash or gold, though, were allegations that Menendez had earned some of it by using his powerful perch on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to take actions that benefited Egypt, an important U.S. ally but one that is also often subject to American criticism over alleged human rights abuses.

Prosecutors said Nadine Menendez held herself out as a conduit to her powerful husband, exchanging texts with an Egyptian general and helping to arrange a Washington visit by the chief of Egypt’s intelligence service. To one general she texted, “Anytime you need anything you have my number and we will make everything happen.”

Sen. Menendez, prosecutors said, took actions to ingratiate himself with Egyptian officials, including providing them with information about the staff at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and ghostwriting a letter to fellow senators encouraging them to lift a hold on $300 million in military aid to Egypt. The senator also told his wife to let her Egyptian contacts know that he planned to sign off on $99 million in tank ammunition.

Charges, originally announced last September, were expanded over time, eventually including bribery, extortion, fraud, obstruction of justice, conspiracy and, for Menendez, acting as a foreign agent of Egypt.

Prosecutors said serial numbers on the gold bars and fingerprints on tape that bound together the stacks of cash were traced to Hana and Daibes. Some fingerprints on tape, they said, belonged to Menendez.

In return for bribes, prosecutors said, Menendez took numerous actions to benefit the businessmen.

Those included protecting Egypt’s decision to award Hana a lucrative monopoly to certify that meat sent to Egypt met Islamic dietary requirements. Menendez asked a U.S. agriculture official to drop his opposition to the monopoly deal, which he had questioned over fears it would drive up prices.

Uribe testified at the trial that he paid for Nadine Menendez to get a Mercedes-Benz convertible in exchange for the senator’s help assuring that his insurance business would not be affected by New Jersey criminal probes of a trucking company belonging to his friend.

Prosecutors also said Sen. Menendez attempted to interfere in a federal criminal prosecution of Daibes, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bob-menendez-fred-daibes-new-jersey-indictment-b533417693a82f83865ce9df26253708">politically influential real estate developer</a>&nbsp;accused of bank fraud. The U.S. attorney for New Jersey, Philip Sellinger, testified at the trial that Menendez questioned him about the Daibes prosecution and said he believed he was “being treated unfairly.”

Prosecutors also presented evidence that Menendez took actions favorable to Qatar’s government to help Daibes secure a multimillion-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund.

Menendez’s political career began in 1974 when, only two years out of high school, he was elected to the education board in Union City, New Jersey. He later served in the state legislature, then was elected to the U.S. House in 1992. He became a U.S. senator in 2006.

Menendez had the dubious distinction of being the only U.S. senator indicted twice.

In 2015, he was charged with letting a wealthy Florida eye doctor buy his influence through luxury vacations and campaign contributions. After a jury couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict in 2017, New Jersey federal prosecutors dropped the case rather than put him on trial again.

Voters accepted the mistrial as an exoneration and returned Menendez to the Senate.

After his second indictment last summer, Menendez claimed he was being persecuted, saying some people “cannot accept that a first-generation Latino American from humble beginnings could rise to be a U.S. Senator.”

While the trial was underway, he announced he would run for reelection as an independent.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721150824503.png" alt="One of the gold bars found at Menendez's house during a law enforcement search-photo. US District Court Southern District of New York" />
 <figcaption>One of the gold bars found at Menendez's house during a law enforcement search-photo. US District Court Southern District of New York</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-menendez">U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez was convicted</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday of all the counts he faced at his corruption trial, including accepting bribes of gold and cash from three New Jersey businessmen and acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government.The jury’s verdict followed a nine-week trial in which prosecutors said the Democrat abused the power of his office to protect allies from criminal investigations and enrich associates, including his wife, through acts that included meeting with Egyptian intelligence officials and helping that country access millions of dollars in U.S. military aid.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) following a guilty verdict on all 16 counts in his federal bribery and corruption trial &quot;I have never violated my public oath. I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country. I have never ever been a foreign agent.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/GW0RK5g2cc">pic.twitter.com/GW0RK5g2cc</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1813297050013859883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>As the verdict was read in court, Menendez, 70, looked toward the jury at times as he appeared to mark a document in front of him. Afterward, he sat resting his chin against his closed hands, elbows on the table.Menendez did not testify at the trial, but insisted publicly he was only doing his job as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He said the gold bars found in his New Jersey home by the FBI belonged to his wife, Nadine Menendez. She too was charged but her trial was postponed so she could recover from breast cancer surgery. She has pleaded not guilty.The verdict, delivered at a federal courthouse in Manhattan, comes four months before Election Day and potentially dooms Menendez’s chances of campaigning for reelection as an independent candidate.Immediately after the verdict, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in statement called on Menendez to resign.“In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,” Schumer said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today&#39;s verdict finding Senator Bob Menendez guilty on 16 counts demonstrates that the Senator broke the law, violated the trust of his constituents, and betrayed his oath of office. In America, everyone – no matter how powerful – is accountable to our laws. <a href="https://t.co/ljJrQFB2eu">pic.twitter.com/ljJrQFB2eu</a>&mdash; Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovMurphy/status/1813264740581249273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Menendez faces the possibility of a lengthy prison term when he is sentenced on Oct. 29. Of the 16 counts on which he was convicted, the most serious carry a potential prison sentence of 20 years.Rep. Andy Kim, the Democratic nominee for the seat currently held by Menendez also called for his resignation, posting on social media that “the people of New Jersey deserve better.”Menendez went on trial in mid-May along with two New Jersey businessmen who were accused of paying bribes: Wael Hana and Fred Daibes. All three had pleaded not guilty. A third businessman, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty prior to trial and testified against the others. Hana and Daibes were convicted of the charges they faced as well. They walked out the rear courthouse entry with their lawyers and declined to comment.The trial was the second time that the New Jersey Democrat has faced corruption allegations. An earlier prosecution on unrelated charges in 2017 ended with a deadlocked jury.The jury’s decision is a culmination of a lengthy investigation that included a June 2022 FBI raid on the couple’s home in Englewood Cliffs, a wealthy community just across the Hudson River from New York City. In the home, FBI agents found gold bars worth nearly $150,000 and cash, mostly in stacks of $100 bills, totaling over $480,000. In the garage was a Mercedes-Benz convertible.A supervising agent testified that he ordered the valuables seized because he suspected they might be the proceeds of a crime. Stacks of cash, he said, were found stuffed in boots, shoeboxes and jackets belonging to the senator.At trial, prosecutors argued that the gold bars, cash and car were bribes. Defense lawyers disputed that, arguing that the gold belonged to his wife and she had kept him in the dark about financial troubles so grim that she nearly lost the home to foreclosure. They said the cash stemmed from the senator’s habitual hoarding of cash at home after hearing how his parents escaped Cuba in 1951 with only the cash they had hidden in a grandfather clock.More shocking than the cash or gold, though, were allegations that Menendez had earned some of it by using his powerful perch on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to take actions that benefited Egypt, an important U.S. ally but one that is also often subject to American criticism over alleged human rights abuses.Prosecutors said Nadine Menendez held herself out as a conduit to her powerful husband, exchanging texts with an Egyptian general and helping to arrange a Washington visit by the chief of Egypt’s intelligence service. To one general she texted, “Anytime you need anything you have my number and we will make everything happen.”Sen. Menendez, prosecutors said, took actions to ingratiate himself with Egyptian officials, including providing them with information about the staff at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and ghostwriting a letter to fellow senators encouraging them to lift a hold on $300 million in military aid to Egypt. The senator also told his wife to let her Egyptian contacts know that he planned to sign off on $99 million in tank ammunition.Charges, originally announced last September, were expanded over time, eventually including bribery, extortion, fraud, obstruction of justice, conspiracy and, for Menendez, acting as a foreign agent of Egypt.Prosecutors said serial numbers on the gold bars and fingerprints on tape that bound together the stacks of cash were traced to Hana and Daibes. Some fingerprints on tape, they said, belonged to Menendez.In return for bribes, prosecutors said, Menendez took numerous actions to benefit the businessmen.Those included protecting Egypt’s decision to award Hana a lucrative monopoly to certify that meat sent to Egypt met Islamic dietary requirements. Menendez asked a U.S. agriculture official to drop his opposition to the monopoly deal, which he had questioned over fears it would drive up prices.Uribe testified at the trial that he paid for Nadine Menendez to get a Mercedes-Benz convertible in exchange for the senator’s help assuring that his insurance business would not be affected by New Jersey criminal probes of a trucking company belonging to his friend.Prosecutors also said Sen. Menendez attempted to interfere in a federal criminal prosecution of Daibes, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bob-menendez-fred-daibes-new-jersey-indictment-b533417693a82f83865ce9df26253708">politically influential real estate developer</a>&nbsp;accused of bank fraud. The U.S. attorney for New Jersey, Philip Sellinger, testified at the trial that Menendez questioned him about the Daibes prosecution and said he believed he was “being treated unfairly.”Prosecutors also presented evidence that Menendez took actions favorable to Qatar’s government to help Daibes secure a multimillion-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund.Menendez’s political career began in 1974 when, only two years out of high school, he was elected to the education board in Union City, New Jersey. He later served in the state legislature, then was elected to the U.S. House in 1992. He became a U.S. senator in 2006.Menendez had the dubious distinction of being the only U.S. senator indicted twice.In 2015, he was charged with letting a wealthy Florida eye doctor buy his influence through luxury vacations and campaign contributions. After a jury couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict in 2017, New Jersey federal prosecutors dropped the case rather than put him on trial again.Voters accepted the mistrial as an exoneration and returned Menendez to the Senate.After his second indictment last summer, Menendez claimed he was being persecuted, saying some people “cannot accept that a first-generation Latino American from humble beginnings could rise to be a U.S. Senator.”While the trial was underway, he announced he would run for reelection as an independent.

U.S. Senator guilty in trial that featured tales of bribes paid in gold

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is ready to propose a 5% cap on annual rent increases for tenants of major landlords as he tries to show he’s doing something about the high cost of housing, according to a person familiar with the plan.

The proposal, to be announced while the president visits Nevada on Tuesday, is being championed by Biden in the middle of a tense presidential campaign and a time when housing costs have been a major driver of overall inflation.

But the plan would require solid Democratic control of Congress to become law. Additionally, most policymakers have said the best way to limit housing costs would be through more construction and changes to land use regulations.

The person familiar with the plan spoke on the condition of anonymity because the proposal has not yet been formally announced.

Biden himself previewed the announcement at his NATO news conference Thursday, folding it into comments that blamed inflation on companies trying to maximize their profits in the aftermath of the pandemic.

“It’s time things get back in order a little bit,” Biden said. “If I’m reelected, we’re going to make sure that rents are kept at 5% increase.”

The Washington Post first reported Monday the details of the plan, which would only apply to landlords who own 50 or more units. The price cap would not apply to units that have yet to be built.

White House officials declined to comment.

The median national rent was $1,411 a month in June, up from roughly $1,150 in early 2021 when Biden became president, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartmentlist.com/research/national-rent-data" target="_blank">Apartment List</a>.

Asking prices for rentals jumped in the aftermath of the pandemic and have since cooled, but the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/americas-rental-housing-2024" target="_blank">Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies</a>&nbsp;found in its most recent report that half of renters were “cost burdened” because they spend more than 30% of their income on housing and utilities.

In recent months, housing has been a primary contributor to keeping the consumer price index elevated at 3% annually. Inflation has been a fundamental obstacle for Biden politically as he competes against Donald Trump, the former president and Republican nominee.

The president has proposed policies designed to increase home construction, but industry representatives were quick to criticize the rent cap as ineffective for addressing the overall shortage and possibly leading to fewer habitable units than the country would otherwise have.

“This is not going to create a single unit of housing — which is what is needed to create more housing opportunities for Americans,” said Sharon Wilson Géno, CEO of the National Multifamily Housing Council. “This is really a campaign-driven piece of rhetoric.”

Géno noted that landlords need to be able to keep up with costs such as maintenance, insurance and state and local taxes. If those costs exceed what they can charge for rent, the risk is that landlords will do less to maintain their properties and tenants could be worse off.

“What does that mean — the quality of the housing suffers,” she said.

But affordable housing advocates said that if Biden’s proposal had already been in effect, it would have likely reduced evictions and homelessness.

“The recent unprecedented increases in homelessness in communities across the country are the result of those equally unprecedented — and unjustified — rent hikes of a couple years ago,” said Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. “Had such protections against rent gouging been in place then, many families could have avoided homelessness and stayed stably housed.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is ready to propose a 5% cap on annual rent increases for tenants of major landlords as he tries to show he’s doing something about the high cost of housing, according to a person familiar with the plan.The proposal, to be announced while the president visits Nevada on Tuesday, is being championed by Biden in the middle of a tense presidential campaign and a time when housing costs have been a major driver of overall inflation.But the plan would require solid Democratic control of Congress to become law. Additionally, most policymakers have said the best way to limit housing costs would be through more construction and changes to land use regulations.The person familiar with the plan spoke on the condition of anonymity because the proposal has not yet been formally announced.Biden himself previewed the announcement at his NATO news conference Thursday, folding it into comments that blamed inflation on companies trying to maximize their profits in the aftermath of the pandemic.“It’s time things get back in order a little bit,” Biden said. “If I’m reelected, we’re going to make sure that rents are kept at 5% increase.”The Washington Post first reported Monday the details of the plan, which would only apply to landlords who own 50 or more units. The price cap would not apply to units that have yet to be built.White House officials declined to comment.The median national rent was $1,411 a month in June, up from roughly $1,150 in early 2021 when Biden became president, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartmentlist.com/research/national-rent-data" target="_blank">Apartment List</a>.Asking prices for rentals jumped in the aftermath of the pandemic and have since cooled, but the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/americas-rental-housing-2024" target="_blank">Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies</a>&nbsp;found in its most recent report that half of renters were “cost burdened” because they spend more than 30% of their income on housing and utilities.In recent months, housing has been a primary contributor to keeping the consumer price index elevated at 3% annually. Inflation has been a fundamental obstacle for Biden politically as he competes against Donald Trump, the former president and Republican nominee.The president has proposed policies designed to increase home construction, but industry representatives were quick to criticize the rent cap as ineffective for addressing the overall shortage and possibly leading to fewer habitable units than the country would otherwise have.“This is not going to create a single unit of housing — which is what is needed to create more housing opportunities for Americans,” said Sharon Wilson Géno, CEO of the National Multifamily Housing Council. “This is really a campaign-driven piece of rhetoric.”Géno noted that landlords need to be able to keep up with costs such as maintenance, insurance and state and local taxes. If those costs exceed what they can charge for rent, the risk is that landlords will do less to maintain their properties and tenants could be worse off.“What does that mean — the quality of the housing suffers,” she said.But affordable housing advocates said that if Biden’s proposal had already been in effect, it would have likely reduced evictions and homelessness.“The recent unprecedented increases in homelessness in communities across the country are the result of those equally unprecedented — and unjustified — rent hikes of a couple years ago,” said Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. “Had such protections against rent gouging been in place then, many families could have avoided homelessness and stayed stably housed.”

Biden to call for 5% cap on annual rent increases

The Hays USD 489 superintendent updated the school board on district construction projects at the board's meeting on Monday.

Work is progressing on the bond projects at Roosevelt Elementary School and Hays High School, Superintendent Ron Wilson said.

The board members will tour the construction sites at their August retreat.&nbsp;

The Wilson Elementary School parking lot was reconstructed this summer. Morgan Brothers did that project, along with reconstructing the street in front of the school. The city paid for the street.

HVAC work is still being completed at O'Loughlin Elementary School. Asbestos remediation work was also completed at the school this summer.

A new freezer was purchased for Hays Middle School. The old freezer was removed from inside the building, and the new freezer was installed outside, freeing up more space in the HMS kitchen.

Crews also have been working on floors and asbestos abatement at HMS.

The district has been notified it received a Safe and Secure Schools grant. It will use those funds to renew its subscription to the&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/36eec539-38f6-48f3-9633-b9b096ac1ebd">Raptor notification system</a>, which helps reunite students with their guardians in an emergency.

The school board elected a new president and vice president at its meeting on Monday as part of its annual reorganization.

Curt Vajnar was elected president, and Jayme Goetz was elected vice president.

The board approved policy changes recommended by the Kansas Association of School Boards. One policy aligns the district with a state law that will allow virtual students to participate in extracurricular activities. They will no longer be required to be enrolled in a class in the district.

The district had first a reading on student handbooks for the upcoming school year. Wilson said one of the most significant changes is that guardians will need to notify the school each day a child will be absent.

Hays High School is also creating a 10-minute passing period to allow more time for second breakfast.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721090475069.png" alt="Hays High School construction" />
 <figcaption>Hays High School construction</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe Hays USD 489 superintendent updated the school board on district construction projects at the board's meeting on Monday.Work is progressing on the bond projects at Roosevelt Elementary School and Hays High School, Superintendent Ron Wilson said.The board members will tour the construction sites at their August retreat.&nbsp;The Wilson Elementary School parking lot was reconstructed this summer. Morgan Brothers did that project, along with reconstructing the street in front of the school. The city paid for the street.HVAC work is still being completed at O'Loughlin Elementary School. Asbestos remediation work was also completed at the school this summer.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721091741892.png" alt="Hays High School" />
 <figcaption>Hays High School</figcaption>
 </figure>A new freezer was purchased for Hays Middle School. The old freezer was removed from inside the building, and the new freezer was installed outside, freeing up more space in the HMS kitchen.Crews also have been working on floors and asbestos abatement at HMS.The district has been notified it received a Safe and Secure Schools grant. It will use those funds to renew its subscription to the&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/36eec539-38f6-48f3-9633-b9b096ac1ebd">Raptor notification system</a>, which helps reunite students with their guardians in an emergency.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721091806574.png" alt="Roosevelt Elementary School" />
 <figcaption>Roosevelt Elementary School</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>School board leadership</h2>The school board elected a new president and vice president at its meeting on Monday as part of its annual reorganization.Curt Vajnar was elected president, and Jayme Goetz was elected vice president.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721092337052.jpeg" alt="Curt Vajnar, far left, was elected the new president of the Hays USD 489 school board. Jayme Goetz, far right, was elected vice president at the board's meeting Monday night." />
 <figcaption>Curt Vajnar, far left, was elected the new president of the Hays USD 489 school board. Jayme Goetz, far right, was elected vice president at the board's meeting Monday night.</figcaption>
 </figure>The board approved policy changes recommended by the Kansas Association of School Boards. One policy aligns the district with a state law that will allow virtual students to participate in extracurricular activities. They will no longer be required to be enrolled in a class in the district.The district had first a reading on student handbooks for the upcoming school year. Wilson said one of the most significant changes is that guardians will need to notify the school each day a child will be absent.Hays High School is also creating a 10-minute passing period to allow more time for second breakfast.

Hays USD 489 BOE hears summer construction update

MILWAUKEE (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;named&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">Sen. JD Vance</a>&nbsp;of Ohio as his running mate on Monday, choosing a onetime critic who became a loyal ally and is now the first millennial to join a major-party ticket at a time of deep concern about the advanced age of America’s political leaders.

“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network.

The 39-year-old Vance rose to national fame with the 2016 publication of his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” He was elected to the Senate in 2022 and has become one of the staunchest champions of the former president’s “Make America Great Again” agenda, particularly on trade, foreign policy and immigration.

But he is largely untested in national politics and is joining the Trump ticket at an extraordinary moment. An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-thomas-matthew-crooks-shooter-881581c46c07025898027143fc9132e5">attempted assassination</a>&nbsp;of Trump at a rally Saturday has shaken the campaign, bringing new attention to the nation’s coarse political rhetoric and reinforcing the importance of those who are one heartbeat away from the presidency.

Vance himself faced criticism in the wake of the shooting for a post on X that suggested President Joe Biden was to blame for the violence.

“The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/people/donald-trump/">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,” Vance wrote. “That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”

Law enforcement has not yet specified a motivation for the shooting. Still, the pick is sure to energize Trump’s loyal base. Vance has become a fixture on the conservative media circuit and frequently spars with reporters on Capitol Hill, helping establish him as the kind of leader who could carry Trump’s mantle into the future, beginning with the next presidential election in 2028.

But the pick also means that two white men will now lead the Republican ticket at a time when Trump has sought to make inroads with Black and Latino voters.

In “Hillbilly Elegy,” Vance detailed life in Appalachian communities that drifted from a Democratic Party many residents found disconnected from their daily travails. While the book was a bestseller, it was also criticized for sometimes oversimplifying rural life and ignoring the role of racism in modern politics.

Vance’s fame grew in tandem with Trump’s unlikely rise from a reality television star to Republican presidential nominee and eventually president. During the early stages of Trump’s political career, Vance cast him as “a total fraud,” “a moral disaster” and “America’s Hitler.”

But like many Republicans who sought relevance in the Trump era, Vance eventually shifted his tone. He said he was proved wrong by Trump’s performance in office and evolved into one of his most steadfast defenders.

“I didn’t think he was going to be a good president,” Vance recently told Fox News Channel. “He was a great president. And it’s one of the reasons why I’m working so hard to make sure he gets a second term.”

Vance was rewarded for his turnaround during his bid for an open Senate seat in 2022, during which he landed Trump’s coveted endorsement and rode it to victory in a crowded Republican primary and a general election hard fought by Democrats. He is close to Trump’s son Donald Jr.

Vance is now a Trump loyalist who has challenged the legitimacy of criminal prosecutions and civil verdicts against him and questions the results of the 2020 election.

He told ABC News in February that, if he had been vice president on Jan. 6, 2021, he would have told states where Trump disputed Biden wins “that we needed to have multiple slates of electors, and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there.”

“That is the legitimate way to deal with an election that a lot of folks, including me, think had a lot of problems in 2020,” he said.

Many states adopted emergency measures four years ago to allow people to vote safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. But judges, election officials in both parties and Trump’s own attorney general have concluded there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.

The relationship between Vance and Trump has been symbiotic.

Vance’s book — subtitled “A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” — was embraced for its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-arts-and-ohio-8c7a70bad96c48df9544049a38584cb8">insights into Trump’s appeal in middle America</a>, where manufacturing job losses and the opioid crisis had driven many families like his into poverty, abuse and addiction.

The tale of Vance’s hardscrabble childhood in Middletown, Ohio, where he was born, and his familial eastern Kentucky hills region also captivated Hollywood. Ron Howard made it into a 2020 movie starring Amy Adams as Vance’s mother and Glenn Close as his beloved “Mamaw.”

With his grandmother’s encouragement, Vance went on to serve in the Marine Corps, including in Iraq, and to graduate from Ohio State University and Yale Law School. From there, he joined a Silicon Valley investment firm before returning to Ohio to launch a nonprofit that he said would aim to develop opioid addiction treatments that might be “scaled nationally.”

Ultimately, Our Ohio Renewal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-entertainment-health-175153d8a80d93b2c9c6654a6a730de9">failed at that mission</a>&nbsp;and was shuttered. During the 2022 campaign, then-U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, his Democratic rival, charged that the charity was little more than a front for Vance’s political ambitions. Ryan pointed to reports that the organization made payments to a Vance political adviser and conducted public opinion polling, even as its actual efforts to address addiction largely floundered. Vance denied the characterization.

As a senator, Vance has shown some willingness to work across the aisle. He and Ohio’s senior senator, Democrat Sherrod Brown, have teamed up on a number of issues important to the state, including fighting for funding for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-lifestyle-games-video-games-cb3e3a36f48416a25b5d00baa405f91a">$20 billion chip facility Intel is building</a>&nbsp;in central Ohio and introducing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-senate-legislation-brown-vance-82c55dc95aca9524d6ae8e6d01336dbe">rail safety legislation</a>&nbsp;in response to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-evacuations-fires-5d399dc745f51ef746e22828083d8591">fiery derailment in East Palestine, Ohio</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721071246145.png" alt="File photo Senator JD Vance -courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo Senator JD Vance -courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>MILWAUKEE (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;named&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">Sen. JD Vance</a>&nbsp;of Ohio as his running mate on Monday, choosing a onetime critic who became a loyal ally and is now the first millennial to join a major-party ticket at a time of deep concern about the advanced age of America’s political leaders.“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721072505896.png" alt="Photo courtesy Trump campaign" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Trump campaign</figcaption>
 </figure>The 39-year-old Vance rose to national fame with the 2016 publication of his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” He was elected to the Senate in 2022 and has become one of the staunchest champions of the former president’s “Make America Great Again” agenda, particularly on trade, foreign policy and immigration.But he is largely untested in national politics and is joining the Trump ticket at an extraordinary moment. An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-thomas-matthew-crooks-shooter-881581c46c07025898027143fc9132e5">attempted assassination</a>&nbsp;of Trump at a rally Saturday has shaken the campaign, bringing new attention to the nation’s coarse political rhetoric and reinforcing the importance of those who are one heartbeat away from the presidency.Vance himself faced criticism in the wake of the shooting for a post on X that suggested President Joe Biden was to blame for the violence.“The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/people/donald-trump/">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,” Vance wrote. “That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”Law enforcement has not yet specified a motivation for the shooting. Still, the pick is sure to energize Trump’s loyal base. Vance has become a fixture on the conservative media circuit and frequently spars with reporters on Capitol Hill, helping establish him as the kind of leader who could carry Trump’s mantle into the future, beginning with the next presidential election in 2028.But the pick also means that two white men will now lead the Republican ticket at a time when Trump has sought to make inroads with Black and Latino voters.In “Hillbilly Elegy,” Vance detailed life in Appalachian communities that drifted from a Democratic Party many residents found disconnected from their daily travails. While the book was a bestseller, it was also criticized for sometimes oversimplifying rural life and ignoring the role of racism in modern politics.Vance’s fame grew in tandem with Trump’s unlikely rise from a reality television star to Republican presidential nominee and eventually president. During the early stages of Trump’s political career, Vance cast him as “a total fraud,” “a moral disaster” and “America’s Hitler.”But like many Republicans who sought relevance in the Trump era, Vance eventually shifted his tone. He said he was proved wrong by Trump’s performance in office and evolved into one of his most steadfast defenders.“I didn’t think he was going to be a good president,” Vance recently told Fox News Channel. “He was a great president. And it’s one of the reasons why I’m working so hard to make sure he gets a second term.”Vance was rewarded for his turnaround during his bid for an open Senate seat in 2022, during which he landed Trump’s coveted endorsement and rode it to victory in a crowded Republican primary and a general election hard fought by Democrats. He is close to Trump’s son Donald Jr.Vance is now a Trump loyalist who has challenged the legitimacy of criminal prosecutions and civil verdicts against him and questions the results of the 2020 election.He told ABC News in February that, if he had been vice president on Jan. 6, 2021, he would have told states where Trump disputed Biden wins “that we needed to have multiple slates of electors, and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there.”“That is the legitimate way to deal with an election that a lot of folks, including me, think had a lot of problems in 2020,” he said.Many states adopted emergency measures four years ago to allow people to vote safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. But judges, election officials in both parties and Trump’s own attorney general have concluded there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.The relationship between Vance and Trump has been symbiotic.Vance’s book — subtitled “A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” — was embraced for its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-arts-and-ohio-8c7a70bad96c48df9544049a38584cb8">insights into Trump’s appeal in middle America</a>, where manufacturing job losses and the opioid crisis had driven many families like his into poverty, abuse and addiction.The tale of Vance’s hardscrabble childhood in Middletown, Ohio, where he was born, and his familial eastern Kentucky hills region also captivated Hollywood. Ron Howard made it into a 2020 movie starring Amy Adams as Vance’s mother and Glenn Close as his beloved “Mamaw.”With his grandmother’s encouragement, Vance went on to serve in the Marine Corps, including in Iraq, and to graduate from Ohio State University and Yale Law School. From there, he joined a Silicon Valley investment firm before returning to Ohio to launch a nonprofit that he said would aim to develop opioid addiction treatments that might be “scaled nationally.”Ultimately, Our Ohio Renewal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-entertainment-health-175153d8a80d93b2c9c6654a6a730de9">failed at that mission</a>&nbsp;and was shuttered. During the 2022 campaign, then-U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, his Democratic rival, charged that the charity was little more than a front for Vance’s political ambitions. Ryan pointed to reports that the organization made payments to a Vance political adviser and conducted public opinion polling, even as its actual efforts to address addiction largely floundered. Vance denied the characterization.As a senator, Vance has shown some willingness to work across the aisle. He and Ohio’s senior senator, Democrat Sherrod Brown, have teamed up on a number of issues important to the state, including fighting for funding for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-lifestyle-games-video-games-cb3e3a36f48416a25b5d00baa405f91a">$20 billion chip facility Intel is building</a>&nbsp;in central Ohio and introducing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-senate-legislation-brown-vance-82c55dc95aca9524d6ae8e6d01336dbe">rail safety legislation</a>&nbsp;in response to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-evacuations-fires-5d399dc745f51ef746e22828083d8591">fiery derailment in East Palestine, Ohio</a>.

Trump picks Senator JD Vance of Ohio as his GOP running mate

Melody Witt, age 65, of Hugoton, Kansas, died Thursday, July 11, 2024, at Stevens County Hospital in Hugoton. She was born December 13, 1958, in Houston, Texas, the daughter of Charles Richard and Virginia Ann (Runnels) Engram.

Melody grew up in Houston and graduated from M. B. Smiley High School. She furthered her education at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, and received her Master’s Degree in School Administration from Stephen F. Austin State University. Melody married Jay Witt on December 21, 1979, in Searcy, Arkansas. She was the principal at Townley Elementary School in Everman, Texas, prior to becoming the principal at Hugoton High School for the last eight years. Melody loved spending time with her family. Her grandchildren were her ultimate joy and reading with them was a very special time for all of them. Her hobbies included quilting, knitting, sewing, cooking, reading, growing plants, and doing for others. Melody was a member of the National Principals Association, Kansas Principals Association and the Texas High School Coaches Wives Association.

Melody is survived by her husband, Jay, of their home; children, Sara Rheagan Witt of Ft. Worth, Texas, Rachel Madeline Witt of Hugoton, and John Rowdy Witt of Miami, Florida; mother, Virginia Engram of Grapeland, Texas; brother, Barry Engram and wife Rebecca of Lorena, Texas; sister, Lee Ann Engram of Temple, Texas; two grandchildren, R’Bree Madeline Witt and Ren Jackson Witt, and various nieces and nephews.

Melody is preceded in death by her father, Charles; and grandparents, TJ and Ruby Engram, and Leonard and Edna Louise Runnels.

Visitation will be Monday, July 22, 2024, from 2:00 PM until 8:00 PM with family present, at Garnand Funeral Home in Hugoton. Funeral service will be at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, at First Christian Church in Hugoton with Pastor Bergan Morris officiating. Cremation will follow the service. Memorial contributions may be given to the Blue Haven Christian Camp or Pheasant Heaven Charities in care of Garnand Funeral Home, 920 E. 11th St. Hugoton, KS 67951. Condolences may be posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com.

Melody Witt, age 65, of Hugoton, Kansas, died Thursday, July 11, 2024, at Stevens County Hospital in Hugoton. She was born December 13, 1958, in Houston, Texas, the daughter of Charles Richard and Virginia Ann (Runnels) Engram.Melody grew up in Houston and graduated from M. B. Smiley High School. She furthered her education at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, and received her Master’s Degree in School Administration from Stephen F. Austin State University. Melody married Jay Witt on December 21, 1979, in Searcy, Arkansas. She was the principal at Townley Elementary School in Everman, Texas, prior to becoming the principal at Hugoton High School for the last eight years. Melody loved spending time with her family. Her grandchildren were her ultimate joy and reading with them was a very special time for all of them. Her hobbies included quilting, knitting, sewing, cooking, reading, growing plants, and doing for others. Melody was a member of the National Principals Association, Kansas Principals Association and the Texas High School Coaches Wives Association.Melody is survived by her husband, Jay, of their home; children, Sara Rheagan Witt of Ft. Worth, Texas, Rachel Madeline Witt of Hugoton, and John Rowdy Witt of Miami, Florida; mother, Virginia Engram of Grapeland, Texas; brother, Barry Engram and wife Rebecca of Lorena, Texas; sister, Lee Ann Engram of Temple, Texas; two grandchildren, R’Bree Madeline Witt and Ren Jackson Witt, and various nieces and nephews.Melody is preceded in death by her father, Charles; and grandparents, TJ and Ruby Engram, and Leonard and Edna Louise Runnels.Visitation will be Monday, July 22, 2024, from 2:00 PM until 8:00 PM with family present, at Garnand Funeral Home in Hugoton. Funeral service will be at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, at First Christian Church in Hugoton with Pastor Bergan Morris officiating. Cremation will follow the service. Memorial contributions may be given to the Blue Haven Christian Camp or Pheasant Heaven Charities in care of Garnand Funeral Home, 920 E. 11th St. Hugoton, KS 67951. Condolences may be posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com.

Melody Witt

Larry G. Snodgrass, age 86, died on Friday, July 12, 2024, at Rhode Island Suites, Ransom, Kansas. He was born on October 17, 1937, in Ransom, Kansas, the son of Earl and Ruby (Charles) Snodgrass. He was raised in Ransom and graduated from Ransom High School in 1955.

On August 4, 1956, he married Melba Sekavec. This marriage ended in 1959. Larry served in the United States Army, in South Korea, from December 1956 to December 1958. He later married Carol Younger in September 1961. She preceded him in death. In December 1992, he re-married Melba. She survives.

Larry is survived by his sons, Steven and Larry Alan; daughters, Sharon and Lynne, his brother, Kay; and stepdaughter, Shannon.

Honoring his wishes, cremation has taken place. There will be no services at this time.

Memorial contributions may be given to the North Ness County EMS or Ransom VFW Post 7972.

Larry G. Snodgrass, age 86, died on Friday, July 12, 2024, at Rhode Island Suites, Ransom, Kansas. He was born on October 17, 1937, in Ransom, Kansas, the son of Earl and Ruby (Charles) Snodgrass. He was raised in Ransom and graduated from Ransom High School in 1955.On August 4, 1956, he married Melba Sekavec. This marriage ended in 1959. Larry served in the United States Army, in South Korea, from December 1956 to December 1958. He later married Carol Younger in September 1961. She preceded him in death. In December 1992, he re-married Melba. She survives.Larry is survived by his sons, Steven and Larry Alan; daughters, Sharon and Lynne, his brother, Kay; and stepdaughter, Shannon.Honoring his wishes, cremation has taken place. There will be no services at this time.Memorial contributions may be given to the North Ness County EMS or Ransom VFW Post 7972.

Larry G. Snodgrass

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

It's the height of the summer with lots of outdoor -&nbsp; and indoor -&nbsp; events to enjoy in Hays.

Brittney Squire, Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau marketing manager, talks about some of the fun activities during July.

For the most up-to-date list of activities in Hays, check the Hays CVB website events calendar at <a href="https://www.visithays.com/calendar.aspx">www.visithays.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673100607004.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostIt's the height of the summer with lots of outdoor -&nbsp; and indoor -&nbsp; events to enjoy in Hays.Brittney Squire, Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau marketing manager, talks about some of the fun activities during July.<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UuOs1yvnEcM" title="Hays CVB activities/events in July" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>For the most up-to-date list of activities in Hays, check the Hays CVB website events calendar at <a href="https://www.visithays.com/calendar.aspx">www.visithays.com</a>.

🎥 CVB: July events in Hays 

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

Former Hays High and Tennessee Volunteer standout Dylan Dreiling
was selected in the second round of the MLB Draft Sunday by the Texas Rangers.

Dreiling was the 65th overall pick, the final
pick of the second round.

Dreiling spent much of the first day of the MLB draft with
his family and friends, watching the first round and almost the entire second
round go by before his name was called just before 10 p.m. central time.

But when his name was called, he was excited.

"It means a lot. I'm excited to go to the Rangers," Dreiling
said. "Obviously, it's a good program, and (they) won a World Series last year,
so that's pretty big. I'm excited to get down there and get to work."

Dreiling said he had been talking with representatives from the Rangers organization quite a bit over the last couple of days leading up to the
draft.

"Not really anything baseball-wise, just about the person I
am," Dreiling said. "I didn't know that they were going to pick me or that I
was even in their draft considerations, but it was cool to experience that."

This is not the first go-around for Dreiling in the draft
process. Going into his senior season at Hays High, Dreiling was among a number
of high school standouts who found themselves with a chance to be drafted
straight out of high school. 

However, Dreiling suffered a hamstring injury early in the season. Despite the injury, he was named the Kansas 5A player of the year. However, he did not hear his name called in the 2022 MLB draft, and he headed to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

After splitting time as a freshman for the Volunteers, Dreiling
cemented his role in the starting lineup this past season in Knoxville, finishing
with a .341 average with 23 homeruns and a team-best 75 RBIs while being named
to the first-team All-SEC.

But it was what Dreiling did on the way to the Volunteers
winning the College World Series title in Omaha that earned him the title of “Mr.
Clutch.”

In the six CWS games, Dreiling batted .541 with 11 RBIs and
three homeruns. All three of those homeruns came in the CWS finals against
Texas A&amp;M. He is the first player to ever accomplish that feat. He was
named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2024 College World Series.

Dreiling said his ascent to stardom after the injury and his freshman season showed his drive to win.

"It shows that I'm a hard worker and that I'm willing to do
whatever to get better," Dreiling said. "I'm a winner. I want to win as bad as
anybody."

For Dreiling, the last few weeks have been “crazy.”

After helping to lead the Volunteers to the program's first CWS
Championship in Omaha, he returned to Hays and said he had been overwhelmed by
the community's support.

"The support from the community was unreal since I've been
home, and it's just been really cool to see," Dreiling said.

Dreiling was honored Saturday at Larks Park during the team's matchup with the Fort Collins Foxes. A proclamation from the Hays mayor declared Sunday, July 14, Dylan Dreiling Day in the city.

Dreiling was one of four Tennessee Volunteers taken in the first
two rounds of the MLB, a new program record.

“It’s the best place to develop in college baseball, hands
down,” Dreiling said. “We just have so many coaches that help developmentally
and just keep you on the right path.”

Dylan added, “I looked at it, the draft, as a high schooler, and going to Tennessee was the best decision I ever made.”

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">With the 65th pick of the 2024 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MLBDraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MLBDraft</a>, the Texas Rangers select OF Dylan Dreiling from <a href="https://twitter.com/Vol_Baseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Vol_Baseball</a>. <a href="https://t.co/FpFtLygNUA">pic.twitter.com/FpFtLygNUA</a>&mdash; Texas Rangers (@Rangers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rangers/status/1812681946511601833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721047584346.jpeg" alt="Dylan Dreiling and his brothers before the Wild West Festival in Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney" />
 <figcaption>Dylan Dreiling and his brothers before the Wild West Festival in Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney</figcaption>
 </figure>By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays PostFormer Hays High and Tennessee Volunteer standout Dylan Dreiling
was selected in the second round of the MLB Draft Sunday by the Texas Rangers.Dreiling was the 65th overall pick, the final
pick of the second round.Dreiling spent much of the first day of the MLB draft with
his family and friends, watching the first round and almost the entire second
round go by before his name was called just before 10 p.m. central time.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721047515278.jpeg" alt="Dreiling and his brothers at the Wild West Festival parade. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Dreiling and his brothers at the Wild West Festival parade. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>But when his name was called, he was excited."It means a lot. I'm excited to go to the Rangers," Dreiling
said. "Obviously, it's a good program, and (they) won a World Series last year,
so that's pretty big. I'm excited to get down there and get to work."Dreiling said he had been talking with representatives from the Rangers organization quite a bit over the last couple of days leading up to the
draft."Not really anything baseball-wise, just about the person I
am," Dreiling said. "I didn't know that they were going to pick me or that I
was even in their draft considerations, but it was cool to experience that."This is not the first go-around for Dreiling in the draft
process. Going into his senior season at Hays High, Dreiling was among a number
of high school standouts who found themselves with a chance to be drafted
straight out of high school. However, Dreiling suffered a hamstring injury early in the season. Despite the injury, he was named the Kansas 5A player of the year. However, he did not hear his name called in the 2022 MLB draft, and he headed to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.After splitting time as a freshman for the Volunteers, Dreiling
cemented his role in the starting lineup this past season in Knoxville, finishing
with a .341 average with 23 homeruns and a team-best 75 RBIs while being named
to the first-team All-SEC.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Mr. Clutch knows a thing or two about winning titles. Should fit right in with the reigning World Series Champs!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GBO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GBO</a> // <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MLBDraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MLBDraft</a> <a href="https://t.co/fwHb3qQCcu">pic.twitter.com/fwHb3qQCcu</a>&mdash; Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/Vol_Baseball/status/1812683778520658407?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But it was what Dreiling did on the way to the Volunteers
winning the College World Series title in Omaha that earned him the title of “Mr.
Clutch.”In the six CWS games, Dreiling batted .541 with 11 RBIs and
three homeruns. All three of those homeruns came in the CWS finals against
Texas A&amp;M. He is the first player to ever accomplish that feat. He was
named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2024 College World Series.Dreiling said his ascent to stardom after the injury and his freshman season showed his drive to win."It shows that I'm a hard worker and that I'm willing to do
whatever to get better," Dreiling said. "I'm a winner. I want to win as bad as
anybody."For Dreiling, the last few weeks have been “crazy.”After helping to lead the Volunteers to the program's first CWS
Championship in Omaha, he returned to Hays and said he had been overwhelmed by
the community's support."The support from the community was unreal since I've been
home, and it's just been really cool to see," Dreiling said.Dreiling was honored Saturday at Larks Park during the team's matchup with the Fort Collins Foxes. A proclamation from the Hays mayor declared Sunday, July 14, Dylan Dreiling Day in the city.Dreiling was one of four Tennessee Volunteers taken in the first
two rounds of the MLB, a new program record.“It’s the best place to develop in college baseball, hands
down,” Dreiling said. “We just have so many coaches that help developmentally
and just keep you on the right path.”Dylan added, “I looked at it, the draft, as a high schooler, and going to Tennessee was the best decision I ever made.”

⚾ Rangers pick former Hays High standout Dreiling in MLB draft

BOSTON (AP) — Rafael Devers hit a two-run homer that broke a seat deep in right field at Fenway Park, Dominic Smith also had a two-run shot and the Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Sunday to take the series.

The Red Sox won their second straight after losing the opener. Boston improved to a major league-best 9-3 in July and is 20-8 since June 12.

All-Star Devers sent a first-inning slider from Brady Singer (5-6) with an estimated exit velocity of 114.7 mph a projected 439 feet, crashing into the top of a seat and loosening up the top support. The Red Sox posted a “&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RedSox/status/1812556309239369974">Fenway Facilities Incident Report</a>&nbsp;” that had a picture of the broken red seat on their social media sites.

Adam Frazier opened the game with a homer into the Royals’ bullpen and All-Star Salvador Perez, who was selected for his ninth Midsummer Classic, added a solo shot into the Green Monster seats for Kansas City.

First-time All-Star Jarren Duran had four hits for the Red Sox, who improved to a majors’ best 15-1 on Sundays. Boston enters the All-Star break surprisingly 4 ½ games out of first in the AL East after finishing in the basement three of the last four years.

Brayan Bello (10-5) overcame his struggles at home, going 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and seven hits. He had posted a 6.55 ERA in his seven starts in Fenway.

Kenley Jansen got the final six outs, striking out three, for his 19th save, the 439th of his career. He gave up a run in the ninth but got Nick Loftin to ground out with a runner on second to end it.

Smith’s shot went an estimated 431 feet, traveling over Boston’s bullpen to make it 4-1 in the second. He added a key RBI single that made it 5-3 in the seventh.

Singer had allowed just one run in each of his previous four starts but was tagged for four runs and eight hits in 2 2/3 innings.

The Royals go into the break with 52 victories, three off the most before the All-Star Game in team history behind the 1973 club.

Royals: OF MJ Melendez limped out of the game with a sprained left ankle after beating out a fielder’s choice grounder that drove in a run in the fourth. … C Perez was the DH for the second straight game after leaving Friday’s early due to cramping.

Red Sox: OF Tyler O’Neill was back in the lineup after getting Saturday off.

Royals: Begin a nine-game homestand following the All-Star break, starting with the Chicago White Sox on Friday.

Red Sox: Open a six-game road trip after the break, with the first of three at the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

BOSTON (AP) — Rafael Devers hit a two-run homer that broke a seat deep in right field at Fenway Park, Dominic Smith also had a two-run shot and the Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Sunday to take the series.The Red Sox won their second straight after losing the opener. Boston improved to a major league-best 9-3 in July and is 20-8 since June 12.All-Star Devers sent a first-inning slider from Brady Singer (5-6) with an estimated exit velocity of 114.7 mph a projected 439 feet, crashing into the top of a seat and loosening up the top support. The Red Sox posted a “&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RedSox/status/1812556309239369974">Fenway Facilities Incident Report</a>&nbsp;” that had a picture of the broken red seat on their social media sites.Adam Frazier opened the game with a homer into the Royals’ bullpen and All-Star Salvador Perez, who was selected for his ninth Midsummer Classic, added a solo shot into the Green Monster seats for Kansas City.First-time All-Star Jarren Duran had four hits for the Red Sox, who improved to a majors’ best 15-1 on Sundays. Boston enters the All-Star break surprisingly 4 ½ games out of first in the AL East after finishing in the basement three of the last four years.Brayan Bello (10-5) overcame his struggles at home, going 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and seven hits. He had posted a 6.55 ERA in his seven starts in Fenway.Kenley Jansen got the final six outs, striking out three, for his 19th save, the 439th of his career. He gave up a run in the ninth but got Nick Loftin to ground out with a runner on second to end it.Smith’s shot went an estimated 431 feet, traveling over Boston’s bullpen to make it 4-1 in the second. He added a key RBI single that made it 5-3 in the seventh.Singer had allowed just one run in each of his previous four starts but was tagged for four runs and eight hits in 2 2/3 innings.The Royals go into the break with 52 victories, three off the most before the All-Star Game in team history behind the 1973 club.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: OF MJ Melendez limped out of the game with a sprained left ankle after beating out a fielder’s choice grounder that drove in a run in the fourth. … C Perez was the DH for the second straight game after leaving Friday’s early due to cramping.Red Sox: OF Tyler O’Neill was back in the lineup after getting Saturday off.UP NEXTRoyals: Begin a nine-game homestand following the All-Star break, starting with the Chicago White Sox on Friday.Red Sox: Open a six-game road trip after the break, with the first of three at the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

⚾ Red Sox take the series with Sunday win over Royals

WASHINGTON (AP) — The 20-year-old man&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">who tried to assassinate</a>&nbsp;former President Donald Trump first came to law enforcement’s attention at Saturday's rally when spectators noticed him acting strangely outside the campaign event. The tip sparked a frantic search but officers were unable to find him before he managed to get on a roof, where he opened fire.

In the wake of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-13-2024">the shooting</a>&nbsp;that killed one spectator, investigators were hunting for any clues about what may have drove Thomas Matthew Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, to carry out the shocking attack. The FBI said they were investigating it as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-assassination-attempt-db24c5bfbbe7d09fa2437c3c836bb434">potential act of domestic terrorism</a>, but the absence of a clear ideological motive by the man shot dead by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/secret-service-trump-rally-4e3415b1461f5acefbc8e1fadad0375b">Secret Service</a>&nbsp;led conspiracy theories to flourish.

“I urge everyone — everyone, please, don’t make assumptions about his motives or his affiliations," President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-shooting-election-2024-704592d02c3421a767112f0bf6d25eb9">said in remarks Sunday from the White House</a>. “Let the FBI do their job, and their partner agencies do their job. I’ve instructed that this investigation be thorough and swift.”

The FBI said it believes Crooks, who had bomb-making materials in the car he drove to the rally, acted alone. Investigators have found no threatening comments on social media accounts or ideological positions that could help explain what led him to target Trump before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/pennsylvania-butler-national-national-decb43c08e0f497bb4ce70c2fbd625b5">Secret Service rushed</a>&nbsp;the presumptive Republican presidential nominee off the stage, his face smeared with blood.

Trump said on social media the upper part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting, but advisers said he was “great spirits" ahead of his arrival Sunday in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention. Two spectators were critically injured, while a former fire chief from the area, Corey Comperatore was killed. Pennsylvania's governor said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-victim-fire-chief-11e1aa65e6e45584f49577686d38766e">Comperatore, 50, died a hero</a>&nbsp;by diving onto his family to protect them.

Relatives of Crooks didn’t respond to numerous messages from The Associated Press. His father, Matthew Crooks,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/14/us/trump-shooting-thomas-matthew-crooks-intl-hnk/index.html">told CNN late Saturday</a>&nbsp;that he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but wouldn’t speak about his son until after he talked to law enforcement. An FBI official told reporters that Crooks' family is cooperating with investigators.

Several rallygoers reported to local officers that Crooks was acting suspiciously and pacing near the magnetometers, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation. Officers were then told Crooks was climbing a ladder, the official said. Officers searched for him but were unable to find him before he made it to the roof, the official added.

Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe told the AP that a local officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who saw the officer and turned toward him just before the officer dropped down to safety. Slupe said the officer couldn’t have wielded his own gun under the circumstances. The officer retreated down the ladder, and Crooks quickly took a shot toward Trump, and that’s when Secret Service snipers shot him, according to two officials who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

FBI officials said Sunday that they were combing Crooks' background and social media activities while working to get access to his phone. The chatting app Discord, a social media platform popular with people playing online games, said Crooks appears to have had an account but used it rarely and not in the last several months. There's no evidence he used his account to promote violence or discuss his political views, a Discord spokesperson said.

Crooks’ political leanings were not immediately clear. Records show Crooks was registered as a Republican voter in Pennsylvania, but federal campaign finance reports also show he gave $15 to a progressive political action committee on Jan. 20, 2021, the day Biden was sworn into office.

Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. In a video of the school’s graduation ceremony posted online, Crooks can be seen crossing the stage to receive his diploma, appearing slight of build and wearing glasses. The school district said it will cooperate fully with investigators. His senior year, Crooks was among several students given an award for math and science, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://triblive.com/local/awards-and-recognition-program-honors-bethel-park-graduates/">Tribune-Review</a>&nbsp;story at the time.

Crooks tried out for the school's rifle team but was turned away because he was a bad shooter, said Frederick Mach, a current captain of the team who was a few years behind Crooks at the school.

Jason Kohler, who said he attended the same high school but did not share any classes with Crooks, said Crooks was bullied at school and sat alone at lunch time. Other students mocked him for the clothes he wore, which included hunting outfits, Kohler said.

“He was bullied almost every day,” Kohler told reporters. “He was just a outcast, and you know how kids are nowadays.”

Crooks worked at a nursing home as a dietary aide, a job that generally involves food preparation. Marcie Grimm, the administrator of Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, said in a statement she was “shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement.” Grimm added that Crooks had a clean background check when he was hired.

A blockade had been set up Sunday preventing traffic near Crooks’ house, which is in an enclave of modest brick houses in the hills outside Pittsburgh and about an hour's drive from the site of the Trump rally. Police cars were stationed at an intersection near the house and officers were seen walking through the neighborhood.

Crooks used an AR-style rifle, which authorities said they believe was purchased by his father. Kevin Rojek, FBI special agent in charge in Pittsburgh, said that investigators do not yet know if he took the gun without his father's permission.

A video posted to social media and geolocated by AP shows Crooks wearing a gray t-shirt with a black American flag on the right arm lying motionless on the roof of a manufacturing plant just north of the Butler Farm Show grounds where Trump’s rally was held.

The roof where Crooks lay was less than 150 meters (164 yards) from where Trump was speaking, a distance from which a decent marksman could reasonably hit a human-sized target. That is a distance at which U.S. Army recruits must hit a scaled human-sized silhouette to qualify with the M-16 rifle.

Images of Crooks’ body reviewed by AP show he appears to have been wearing a T-shirt from Demolition Ranch,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DemolitionRanch/videos">a popular YouTube channel</a>&nbsp;that regularly posts videos of its creator firing off handguns and assault rifles at targets that include human mannequins.

Matt Carriker, the Texas-based creator of Demolition Ranch, did not respond to a phone message or email on Sunday, but posted a photo of Crooks' bloody corpse wearing his brand's T-shirt on social media with the comment “What the hell.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720972888448.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The 20-year-old man&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">who tried to assassinate</a>&nbsp;former President Donald Trump first came to law enforcement’s attention at Saturday's rally when spectators noticed him acting strangely outside the campaign event. The tip sparked a frantic search but officers were unable to find him before he managed to get on a roof, where he opened fire.In the wake of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-13-2024">the shooting</a>&nbsp;that killed one spectator, investigators were hunting for any clues about what may have drove Thomas Matthew Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, to carry out the shocking attack. The FBI said they were investigating it as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-assassination-attempt-db24c5bfbbe7d09fa2437c3c836bb434">potential act of domestic terrorism</a>, but the absence of a clear ideological motive by the man shot dead by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/secret-service-trump-rally-4e3415b1461f5acefbc8e1fadad0375b">Secret Service</a>&nbsp;led conspiracy theories to flourish.“I urge everyone — everyone, please, don’t make assumptions about his motives or his affiliations," President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-shooting-election-2024-704592d02c3421a767112f0bf6d25eb9">said in remarks Sunday from the White House</a>. “Let the FBI do their job, and their partner agencies do their job. I’ve instructed that this investigation be thorough and swift.”The FBI said it believes Crooks, who had bomb-making materials in the car he drove to the rally, acted alone. Investigators have found no threatening comments on social media accounts or ideological positions that could help explain what led him to target Trump before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/pennsylvania-butler-national-national-decb43c08e0f497bb4ce70c2fbd625b5">Secret Service rushed</a>&nbsp;the presumptive Republican presidential nominee off the stage, his face smeared with blood.Trump said on social media the upper part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting, but advisers said he was “great spirits" ahead of his arrival Sunday in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention. Two spectators were critically injured, while a former fire chief from the area, Corey Comperatore was killed. Pennsylvania's governor said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-victim-fire-chief-11e1aa65e6e45584f49577686d38766e">Comperatore, 50, died a hero</a>&nbsp;by diving onto his family to protect them.Relatives of Crooks didn’t respond to numerous messages from The Associated Press. His father, Matthew Crooks,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/14/us/trump-shooting-thomas-matthew-crooks-intl-hnk/index.html">told CNN late Saturday</a>&nbsp;that he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but wouldn’t speak about his son until after he talked to law enforcement. An FBI official told reporters that Crooks' family is cooperating with investigators.Several rallygoers reported to local officers that Crooks was acting suspiciously and pacing near the magnetometers, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation. Officers were then told Crooks was climbing a ladder, the official said. Officers searched for him but were unable to find him before he made it to the roof, the official added.Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe told the AP that a local officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who saw the officer and turned toward him just before the officer dropped down to safety. Slupe said the officer couldn’t have wielded his own gun under the circumstances. The officer retreated down the ladder, and Crooks quickly took a shot toward Trump, and that’s when Secret Service snipers shot him, according to two officials who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.FBI officials said Sunday that they were combing Crooks' background and social media activities while working to get access to his phone. The chatting app Discord, a social media platform popular with people playing online games, said Crooks appears to have had an account but used it rarely and not in the last several months. There's no evidence he used his account to promote violence or discuss his political views, a Discord spokesperson said.Crooks’ political leanings were not immediately clear. Records show Crooks was registered as a Republican voter in Pennsylvania, but federal campaign finance reports also show he gave $15 to a progressive political action committee on Jan. 20, 2021, the day Biden was sworn into office.Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. In a video of the school’s graduation ceremony posted online, Crooks can be seen crossing the stage to receive his diploma, appearing slight of build and wearing glasses. The school district said it will cooperate fully with investigators. His senior year, Crooks was among several students given an award for math and science, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://triblive.com/local/awards-and-recognition-program-honors-bethel-park-graduates/">Tribune-Review</a>&nbsp;story at the time.Crooks tried out for the school's rifle team but was turned away because he was a bad shooter, said Frederick Mach, a current captain of the team who was a few years behind Crooks at the school.Jason Kohler, who said he attended the same high school but did not share any classes with Crooks, said Crooks was bullied at school and sat alone at lunch time. Other students mocked him for the clothes he wore, which included hunting outfits, Kohler said.“He was bullied almost every day,” Kohler told reporters. “He was just a outcast, and you know how kids are nowadays.”Crooks worked at a nursing home as a dietary aide, a job that generally involves food preparation. Marcie Grimm, the administrator of Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, said in a statement she was “shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement.” Grimm added that Crooks had a clean background check when he was hired.A blockade had been set up Sunday preventing traffic near Crooks’ house, which is in an enclave of modest brick houses in the hills outside Pittsburgh and about an hour's drive from the site of the Trump rally. Police cars were stationed at an intersection near the house and officers were seen walking through the neighborhood.Crooks used an AR-style rifle, which authorities said they believe was purchased by his father. Kevin Rojek, FBI special agent in charge in Pittsburgh, said that investigators do not yet know if he took the gun without his father's permission.A video posted to social media and geolocated by AP shows Crooks wearing a gray t-shirt with a black American flag on the right arm lying motionless on the roof of a manufacturing plant just north of the Butler Farm Show grounds where Trump’s rally was held.The roof where Crooks lay was less than 150 meters (164 yards) from where Trump was speaking, a distance from which a decent marksman could reasonably hit a human-sized target. That is a distance at which U.S. Army recruits must hit a scaled human-sized silhouette to qualify with the M-16 rifle.Images of Crooks’ body reviewed by AP show he appears to have been wearing a T-shirt from Demolition Ranch,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DemolitionRanch/videos">a popular YouTube channel</a>&nbsp;that regularly posts videos of its creator firing off handguns and assault rifles at targets that include human mannequins.Matt Carriker, the Texas-based creator of Demolition Ranch, did not respond to a phone message or email on Sunday, but posted a photo of Crooks' bloody corpse wearing his brand's T-shirt on social media with the comment “What the hell.”

What police know about man who tried to assassinate Donald Trump

A Fort Hays State University student has received a grant from the Heartland Community to paint a mural depicting native grasses, wildflowers and insects in downtown Hays.

The mural will be on the east side of the Andre Tax and Accounting building, 117 E. 10th St. Once it is complete, you should be able to view it from the downtown pavilion.

PJ Stauffer, 23, is a graduate student in art at FHSU, studying drawing.

Stauffer was a member of the Creative Arts Society at FHSU during his undergraduate studies. The group had the idea for a mural of native grasses, but the project never got off the ground because of the pandemic.

Stauffer is from a rural area of Glen Elder. He grew up on a farm and is familiar with native prairie scapes.

"I have always liked bugs and creatures and stuff, and flowers are easy for me to do because I find them beautiful," Stauffer said.

Stauffer painted three murals at his high school in Beloit. Two were landscapes, and one was an abstract painting with a musical theme.

The mural will be interactive. Visitors will be able to scan a QR code to see a list of insects, flowers and grasses depicted in it.

The mural will depict native grasses such as windmill grass, bluestem, Indian grass, switchgrass and side oats.

Some of the flowers will include bundle flower, coreopsis, Maximilian sunflower and cornflower.

Some insects will include silk moths, velvet ants, blacktail field cricket, mantis, bumblebees, rolly pollies,  parasitic wasps, tiger beetles and orb weavers.&nbsp;

"A lot of people say Kansas is just a lot of dead grass," Stauffer said. "It's not dead. There's a lot of colors out there, actually."

"It really bothers me that people say Kansas is ugly," he said.

He said he wanted to magnify the plants and insects so people would feel they were the same size as the landscape and insects.

"It's stuff that's very small, and we tend to overlook it, but when it's the same size as you, I think that's cool," Stauffer said.

He worked with the FHSU biology department to identify the wildlife, flora and fauna to be included in the mural.

"I came forward with a list of everything I wanted to put in it, and some are domestic. I learned the difference between things that grow here now very well because we brought them here versus stuff that has been here since before we got here," Stauffer said.

The Werth College of Science, Technology and Mathematics at FHSU and the building owner also contributed funds to the project.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720644215037.jpeg" alt="Conceptual drawing of a new native prairie mural set to be painted on the building at 117 E. 1oth in downtown Hays. Courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Conceptual drawing of a new native prairie mural set to be painted on the building at 117 E. 1oth in downtown Hays. Courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostA Fort Hays State University student has received a grant from the Heartland Community to paint a mural depicting native grasses, wildflowers and insects in downtown Hays.The mural will be on the east side of the Andre Tax and Accounting building, 117 E. 10th St. Once it is complete, you should be able to view it from the downtown pavilion.PJ Stauffer, 23, is a graduate student in art at FHSU, studying drawing.Stauffer was a member of the Creative Arts Society at FHSU during his undergraduate studies. The group had the idea for a mural of native grasses, but the project never got off the ground because of the pandemic.Stauffer is from a rural area of Glen Elder. He grew up on a farm and is familiar with native prairie scapes."I have always liked bugs and creatures and stuff, and flowers are easy for me to do because I find them beautiful," Stauffer said.Stauffer painted three murals at his high school in Beloit. Two were landscapes, and one was an abstract painting with a musical theme.The mural will be interactive. Visitors will be able to scan a QR code to see a list of insects, flowers and grasses depicted in it.The mural will depict native grasses such as windmill grass, bluestem, Indian grass, switchgrass and side oats.Some of the flowers will include bundle flower, coreopsis, Maximilian sunflower and cornflower.Some insects will include silk moths, velvet ants, blacktail field cricket, mantis, bumblebees, rolly pollies, parasitic wasps, tiger beetles and orb weavers.&nbsp;"A lot of people say Kansas is just a lot of dead grass," Stauffer said. "It's not dead. There's a lot of colors out there, actually.""It really bothers me that people say Kansas is ugly," he said.He said he wanted to magnify the plants and insects so people would feel they were the same size as the landscape and insects."It's stuff that's very small, and we tend to overlook it, but when it's the same size as you, I think that's cool," Stauffer said.He worked with the FHSU biology department to identify the wildlife, flora and fauna to be included in the mural."I came forward with a list of everything I wanted to put in it, and some are domestic. I learned the difference between things that grow here now very well because we brought them here versus stuff that has been here since before we got here," Stauffer said.The Werth College of Science, Technology and Mathematics at FHSU and the building owner also contributed funds to the project.Stauffer said he hopes to start on the mural as soon as possible and complete the painting by mid-August.Stauffer will continue to work on his graduate degree at FHSU in the fall. In addition to continuing to create art, he hopes to teach when he finishes graduate school.