SEDGWICK COUNTY —One person is dead following a helicopter crash on Friday in a rural area of northwest Sedgwick County.

Just after 8 a.m. first responders were dispatched to the crash in the 5700 block of North 255th Street West, according to a supervisor with Sedgwick County Sheriff's office 911.&nbsp; EMS did not transport anyone else for treatment, according to the supervisor.

The FAA and NTSB will be in charge of the investigation.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720198452791.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KAKE" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KAKE</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —One person is dead following a helicopter crash on Friday in a rural area of northwest Sedgwick County.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720189143245.png" alt="Location of the crash near the community of Andale- Google map" />
 <figcaption>Location of the crash near the community of Andale- Google map</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 8 a.m. first responders were dispatched to the crash in the 5700 block of North 255th Street West, according to a supervisor with Sedgwick County Sheriff's office 911.&nbsp; EMS did not transport anyone else for treatment, according to the supervisor.The FAA and NTSB will be in charge of the investigation.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

One dead in rural Kansas helicopter crash

TOPEKA –&nbsp;The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) have issued a public health advisory due to&nbsp;blue-green algae.

A harmful algal bloom (HAB) may look like foam, scum or paint floating on the water and be colored&nbsp;blue, bright green, brown or red. Blooms can develop rapidly; if the water appears suspicious or there is decaying algae on the shore, avoid contact and keep pets away. These toxins can be absorbed by ingestion, inhalation of aerosols and even skin contact. Symptoms vary depending upon the type of exposure (e.g. direct contact, ingestion, inhalation) but can include rash, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, sore throat, and headache. If you, or your pets, come into contact with algae rinse the area with clean, fresh water. Suspected HAB-related health incidents, whether human or animal, regardless of season, should be reported at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.Sd1qhyODPBDTfbpoeA78zXOAXA2lXW5qRQ3oJV5_-uQ/s/1305913623/br/245236026887-l">kdhe.ks.gov/1163</a>.

A&nbsp;Hazard status&nbsp;indicates that a harmful algal bloom is present, and extreme conditions exist.&nbsp;

When a hazard is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:

A&nbsp;Warning status&nbsp;indicates that conditions are unsafe for human and pet exposure.&nbsp; Contact with the waterbody should be avoided.

When a warning is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:

A&nbsp;Watch status&nbsp;means that&nbsp;blue-green algae have been detected and a harmful algal bloom is present or likely to develop. People are encouraged to avoid areas of algae accumulation and keep pets and livestock away from the water.

&nbsp;When a watch is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:

Advisories are&nbsp;Lifted&nbsp;when cell densities and toxin concentrations dissipate to levels below the Watch thresholds.

KDHE investigates publicly accessible bodies of water for&nbsp;blue-green algae when the agency receives reports of potential algae blooms in Kansas lakes. Based on credible field observation and sampling results, KDHE reports on potentially harmful conditions.&nbsp;

If you observe a scum or paint-like surface on the water, small floating&nbsp;blue-green clumps or filaments in the water, or if the water is an opaque green, avoid contact and keep pets away. These are indications that a harmful bloom may be present. Pet owners should be aware that animals that swim in or drink water affected by a harmful algal bloom or eat dried algae along the shore may become seriously ill or die.

For information on&nbsp;blue-green algae and reporting potential harmful algal blooms, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.wUW3e2y0q3LAZ2sMgPXyN3pXAH3TL5-DTkVc5zqpjdk/s/1305913623/br/245236026887-l">kdhe.ks.gov/HAB</a>&nbsp;and check out our&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vZ2NjMDIuc2FmZWxpbmtzLnByb3RlY3Rpb24ub3V0bG9vay5jb20vP2RhdGE9MDUlN0MwMiU3Q01pdGNoZWxsLk9zdGVybHVuZCU0MGtzLmdvdiU3QzFjZDNhOTM2NTM2YjRlNTllOWUxMDhkYzU0ZTc5ZjVmJTdDZGNhZTgxMDFjOTJkNDgwY2JjNDNjNjc2MWNjY2NjNWElN0MwJTdDMCU3QzYzODQ3ODYwMDk4NjkxMzI0NCU3Q1Vua25vd24lN0NUV0ZwYkdac2IzZDhleUpXSWpvaU1DNHdMakF3TURBaUxDSlFJam9pVjJsdU16SWlMQ0pCVGlJNklrMWhhV3dpTENKWFZDSTZNbjAlM0QlN0MwJTdDJTdDJTdDJnJlc2VydmVkPTAmc2RhdGE9dG10QVNJRzEzMVVabHpwbkRrdUk1ZWs5NWdBMmxWNmhQQmMwanZJUHBJUSUzRCZ1cmw9aHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZzdG9yeW1hcHMuYXJjZ2lzLmNvbSUyRnN0b3JpZXMlMkZjMDcwYzgwNTkyOTM0NzMwODM0YzE5NDI4MDMwMGVjYiUzRnV0bV9tZWRpdW0lM0RlbWFpbCUyNnV0bV9zb3VyY2UlM0Rnb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnkiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjQwNzAzLjk3MTUxNDcxIn0.kuy8zmniJTyAsaA8-A2115W7pK1QyyadugxTeZDjq3s/s/1305913623/br/245236026887-l">interactive story</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.cz_hofSoU9Isy9Ole81xKTmONh-xjdGuHGqgPShuy88/s/1305913623/br/245236026887-l">informative video</a>.

TOPEKA –&nbsp;The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) have issued a public health advisory due to&nbsp;blue-green algae.A harmful algal bloom (HAB) may look like foam, scum or paint floating on the water and be colored&nbsp;blue, bright green, brown or red. Blooms can develop rapidly; if the water appears suspicious or there is decaying algae on the shore, avoid contact and keep pets away. These toxins can be absorbed by ingestion, inhalation of aerosols and even skin contact. Symptoms vary depending upon the type of exposure (e.g. direct contact, ingestion, inhalation) but can include rash, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, sore throat, and headache. If you, or your pets, come into contact with algae rinse the area with clean, fresh water. Suspected HAB-related health incidents, whether human or animal, regardless of season, should be reported at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.Sd1qhyODPBDTfbpoeA78zXOAXA2lXW5qRQ3oJV5_-uQ/s/1305913623/br/245236026887-l">kdhe.ks.gov/1163</a>.Active Advisories<h2>Warning&nbsp;</h2><ul>
 <li>King Lake, Lyon County</li><li>Rooks Co. SFL, Rooks County</li><li>Webster Lake, Rooks County</li>
 </ul><h2>Watch&nbsp;</h2><ul>
 <li>Eagle Lake (Bel Aire), Sedgwick County</li><li>Gathering Pond, Geary County (Added July 3)</li><li>Harvey County East Lake, Harvey County</li><li>Lovewell Lake, Jewell County</li><li>Marion Lake (Reservoir), Marion County</li><li>Woodland Park Pond (Mount Hope), Sedgwick County&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><h2>Lifted&nbsp;</h2><ul>
 <li>Lake Shawnee, Shawnee County</li>
 </ul>A&nbsp;Hazard status&nbsp;indicates that a harmful algal bloom is present, and extreme conditions exist.&nbsp;When a hazard is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:<ul>
 <li>Signage should be posted at all public access locations.</li><li>It is recommended that either a portion of the lake or the entire lake or zone, be closed to the public.</li><li>In some cases, the adjacent land should be closed as well. Actual setback distances will be determined on a site-specific basis, if necessary.</li><li>When partial closures (i.e., beach or cove) are issued, the remaining lake or zone area will carry a warning status.</li>
 </ul>A&nbsp;Warning status&nbsp;indicates that conditions are unsafe for human and pet exposure.&nbsp; Contact with the waterbody should be avoided.When a warning is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:<ul>
 <li>Signage should be posted at all public access locations.</li><li>Inhalation of spray or aerosols may be harmful.</li><li>Lake water is not safe to drink for pets or livestock.&nbsp;</li><li>Lake water, regardless of&nbsp;blue-green algae status, should never be consumed by humans.&nbsp;</li><li>Water contact should be avoided.&nbsp;</li><li>Fish may be eaten if they are rinsed with clean water and only the fillet portion is consumed, while all other parts are discarded.&nbsp;</li><li>Do not allow pets to eat dried algae.&nbsp;</li><li>If lake water contacts skin, wash with clean water as soon as possible.&nbsp;</li><li>Avoid areas of visible algae accumulation.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>A&nbsp;Watch status&nbsp;means that&nbsp;blue-green algae have been detected and a harmful algal bloom is present or likely to develop. People are encouraged to avoid areas of algae accumulation and keep pets and livestock away from the water.&nbsp;When a watch is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:<ul>
 <li>Signage should be posted at all public access locations.</li><li>Water may be unsafe for humans/animals.</li><li>Avoid areas of algae accumulation and do not let people/pets eat dried algae or drink contaminated water.</li><li>Swimming, wading, skiing and jet skiing are discouraged near visible blooms.</li><li>Boating and fishing are safe. However, inhalation of the spray may affect some individuals. Avoid direct contact with water, and wash with clean water after any contact.</li><li>Clean fish thoroughly with potable water and eat fillet portion only.</li>
 </ul>Advisories are&nbsp;Lifted&nbsp;when cell densities and toxin concentrations dissipate to levels below the Watch thresholds.KDHE investigates publicly accessible bodies of water for&nbsp;blue-green algae when the agency receives reports of potential algae blooms in Kansas lakes. Based on credible field observation and sampling results, KDHE reports on potentially harmful conditions.&nbsp;If you observe a scum or paint-like surface on the water, small floating&nbsp;blue-green clumps or filaments in the water, or if the water is an opaque green, avoid contact and keep pets away. These are indications that a harmful bloom may be present. Pet owners should be aware that animals that swim in or drink water affected by a harmful algal bloom or eat dried algae along the shore may become seriously ill or die.For information on&nbsp;blue-green algae and reporting potential harmful algal blooms, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.wUW3e2y0q3LAZ2sMgPXyN3pXAH3TL5-DTkVc5zqpjdk/s/1305913623/br/245236026887-l">kdhe.ks.gov/HAB</a>&nbsp;and check out our&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.kuy8zmniJTyAsaA8-A2115W7pK1QyyadugxTeZDjq3s/s/1305913623/br/245236026887-l">interactive story</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.cz_hofSoU9Isy9Ole81xKTmONh-xjdGuHGqgPShuy88/s/1305913623/br/245236026887-l">informative video</a>.

Public health advisories for Kansas lakes due to blue-green algae

WASHINGTON (AP) — A defiant&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;vowed Wednesday to keep running for reelection, rejecting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-debate-democrats-congress-election-aa619e71e1e09868abe22d19fc48e351">growing pressure from Democrats</a>&nbsp;to withdraw after a disastrous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-debate-age-democrats-b93d7ffaad75fd423ea3953fe16287f0">debate performance</a>&nbsp;raised questions about his readiness to keep campaigning, much less win in November.

But increasingly ominous signs were mounting for the president. Two Democratic lawmakers have called on Biden to exit the race while a leading ally publicly suggested how the party might&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-replacement-democratic-ballot-dnc-rules-7aa836b0ae642a68eec86cc0bebd3772">choose someone else</a>. And senior aides said they believed he might only have a matter of days to show he was up to the challenge before anxiety in the party boils over.

“Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running … no one’s pushing me out," Biden said on a call with staffers from his reelection campaign. "I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.”

In his private conversations, Biden was focused on efforts to course correct from his rocky debate and on the threat that, in his view, former President Donald Trump poses to the country, as he scoured for feedback on what went wrong last Thursday in Atlanta and took responsibility for his performance.

“We had a direct, open, clear-eyed conversation about the debate, his thoughts on what happened and why it wasn't his best evening or best debate,” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who spoke with Biden on Tuesday, said in an interview with the Associated Press. “He wanted advice. He was asking earnestly for input and comment on what he should do to restore confidence and support, and what's the best path forward.”

Coons, the president's closest ally on Capitol Hill, said Biden clearly understood the urgency, the difficulty and the importance of the election, as the senator advised that the president do more unscripted, open-ended events to restore confidence in his candidacy. The two also spoke about Biden's schedule and its impact on his political efforts, particularly as he balances that task with critical governing tasks such as the NATO summit in Washington next week.

Biden's efforts to pull multiple levers to salvage his faltering reelection include his impromptu appearance with campaign aides, private conversations with senior lawmakers, a weekend blitz of travel and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-abc-televisiion-debate-1d33bf51fe706e2fd1adea7a83bbf617">network television interview</a>. But he was confronting serious indications that support for him was rapidly eroding on Capitol Hill and among other allies.

Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., told The New York Times that though he backs Biden as long as he is a candidate, this “is an opportunity to look elsewhere” and what Biden "needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.”

Senior advisers say they believe the 81-year-old Biden may have mere days to mount a convincing display of his fitness for office before his party’s panic over his debate performance and anger about his response boils over, according to two people with knowledge who insisted on anonymity to more freely discuss strategy. The president accepts the urgency of the task — having reviewed the polling and mountains of media coverage — but he is convinced he can do that in the coming days and insistent that he will not step out of the race, they said.

Biden met for more than hour at the White House on Wednesday night, in person and virtually, with more than 20 Democratic governors including Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. Afterward, the governors described the conversation as “candid” but said they were standing behind Biden despite being concerned about a Trump victory in November.

“The president is our nominee. The president is our party leader,” said Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland. He added that, in the meeting, Biden “was very clear that he’s in this to win."

Despite such reassuring sentiments, a major Democratic donor, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, also called on the president to exit the race, saying, “Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous.” The statement was first reported by The New York Times.

And all that followed Rep. Jim Clyburn, a longtime Biden friend and confidant, saying he'd back a “mini-primary” in the run-up to the Democratic National Convention next month if Biden were to leave the race. The South Carolina Democrat floated an idea that appeared to be laying the groundwork for alternative choices by delegates during the Democrats’ planned virtual roll call that is scheduled before the more formal party convention set to begin Aug. 19 in Chicago.

On CNN, Clyburn said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-biden-fundraising-election-campaign-donations-5709f07420b4f138caa884361653368e">Vice President Kamala Harris</a>, governors and others could join the competition: “It would be fair to everybody.”

Clyburn, a senior lawmaker who is a former member of his party's House leadership team, said he has not personally seen the president act as he did on the debate stage last week and called it “concerning.”

And even as other Democratic allies have remained quiet since Thursday’s debate, there is a growing private frustration about the Biden campaign’s response to his disastrous debate performance at a crucial moment in the campaign — particularly in Biden waiting several days to do direct damage control with senior members of his own party.

One Democratic aide said the lacking response has been worse than the debate performance itself, saying lawmakers who support Biden want to see him directly combatting the concerns about his stamina in front of reporters and voters. The aide was granted anonymity to candidly discuss interparty dynamics.

Most Democratic lawmakers are taking a wait-and-see approach with Biden, though, holding out for a better idea of how the situation plays out through new polling and Biden’s scheduled ABC News interview, according to Democratic lawmakers who requested anonymity to speak bluntly about the president.

When Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett, who called on Biden to leave the race this week, shopped around his move for support from other Democratic lawmakers, he had no takers and eventually issued a statement on his own, according to a person familiar with the effort granted anonymity to discuss it.

But there was also a sense that the waiting period will soon expire if Biden does not step up his outreach to Capitol Hill or prove otherwise that he’s up to the job.

Some suggested Harris was emerging as the favorite to replace Biden if he were to withdraw, although those involved in private discussions acknowledge that Govs.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gavin-newsom">Gavin Newsom</a>&nbsp;of California and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gretchen-whitmer">Gretchen Whitmer</a>&nbsp;of Michigan remain viable alternatives. But for some insiders, Harris is viewed as the best prospect to quickly unify the party and avoid a messy and divisive convention fight.

Even as pressure around Biden mounted, he and Harris made a surprise appearance on an all-staff reelection campaign call and offered a pep talk. They stressed how important it was to beat Trump, the presumptive nominee, in November and returned to Biden’s previous post-debate vow that when he gets knocked down, he gets up again.

“Just as we beat Donald Trump in 2020, we’re going to beat him again in 2024,” said Biden, who told participants that he would not be dragged out of the race. Harris added: “We will not back down. We will follow our president’s lead. We will fight, and we will win.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked during her briefing with reporters whether Biden would consider stepping down. “Absolutely not,” she said.

“I cannot lay out something that would change the president’s mind," Jean-Pierre said about Biden continuing to seek a second term.

Still, Democrats are unsatisfied with the explanations of Biden’s debate performance, from both White House staff and the president himself. And there is a deeper frustration among some in the party who feel that Biden should have handled questions about his stumbling debate performance much sooner and that he has put them in a difficult position by staying in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the race</a>.

The Leadership Now Project, a group of business executives, academics and thought leaders, said in a letter that the “threat of a second Trump term” is great enough that Biden should “pass the torch of this year’s presidential nomination to the next generation of highly capable Democrats.”

Trump’s campaign issued a statement noting that “every Democrat” now calling on the president “to quit was once a supporter of Biden.”

Trump had a slight lead over Biden in two polls of voters conducted after last week's debate. One poll,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/02/politics/cnn-poll-post-debate/index.html">conducted by SSRS for CNN</a>, found that three-quarters of voters — including more than half of Democratic voters — said the party has a better chance of winning the presidency in November with a candidate other than Biden.

About 7 in 10 voters, and 45% of Democrats, said Biden’s physical and mental ability is a reason to vote against him, according to the CNN/SSRS poll.

And about 6 in 10 voters, including about one-quarter of Democrats, said reelecting Biden would be a risky choice for the country rather than a safe one, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/03/us/politics/poll-debate-biden-trump.html">a New York Times/Siena College poll</a>. That poll found that Democrats were split on whether Biden should remain the nominee.

Biden campaign pollster Molly Murphy said "today’s polling doesn’t fundamentally change the course of the race."

In a further effort to boost morale, Biden chief of staff Jeff Zients urged White House aides during an all-staff meeting to tune out the “noise” and focus on the task of governing.

Biden himself began making personal outreach on his own,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-debate-democrats-congress-election-aa619e71e1e09868abe22d19fc48e351">speaking privately with senior Democratic lawmakers</a>&nbsp;such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Coons and Clyburn.

Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Zeke Miller, Colleen Long, Josh Boak and Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux in Washington and Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717102691651.png" alt="File photo -Biden met for more than hour at the White House on Wednesday night, in person and virtually, with more than 20 Democratic governors including Kansas Governor Laura Kelly- File photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo -Biden met for more than hour at the White House on Wednesday night, in person and virtually, with more than 20 Democratic governors including Kansas Governor Laura Kelly- File photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A defiant&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;vowed Wednesday to keep running for reelection, rejecting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-debate-democrats-congress-election-aa619e71e1e09868abe22d19fc48e351">growing pressure from Democrats</a>&nbsp;to withdraw after a disastrous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-debate-age-democrats-b93d7ffaad75fd423ea3953fe16287f0">debate performance</a>&nbsp;raised questions about his readiness to keep campaigning, much less win in November.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Happy Independence Day from the White House! <a href="https://t.co/fsIoKgJMVo">pic.twitter.com/fsIoKgJMVo</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1809078460691710171?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But increasingly ominous signs were mounting for the president. Two Democratic lawmakers have called on Biden to exit the race while a leading ally publicly suggested how the party might&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-replacement-democratic-ballot-dnc-rules-7aa836b0ae642a68eec86cc0bebd3772">choose someone else</a>. And senior aides said they believed he might only have a matter of days to show he was up to the challenge before anxiety in the party boils over.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">When Kansas City has needed millions for better buses, infrastructure, and healthcare support for all, <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoeBiden</a> has been there for us. That’s the same story in cities and towns across America. That’s why I’m proud to stand with Joe this 4th of July and every day. <a href="https://t.co/zqhRuHAHSy">pic.twitter.com/zqhRuHAHSy</a>&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1808927369463206068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running … no one’s pushing me out," Biden said on a call with staffers from his reelection campaign. "I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.”In his private conversations, Biden was focused on efforts to course correct from his rocky debate and on the threat that, in his view, former President Donald Trump poses to the country, as he scoured for feedback on what went wrong last Thursday in Atlanta and took responsibility for his performance.“We had a direct, open, clear-eyed conversation about the debate, his thoughts on what happened and why it wasn't his best evening or best debate,” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who spoke with Biden on Tuesday, said in an interview with the Associated Press. “He wanted advice. He was asking earnestly for input and comment on what he should do to restore confidence and support, and what's the best path forward.”Coons, the president's closest ally on Capitol Hill, said Biden clearly understood the urgency, the difficulty and the importance of the election, as the senator advised that the president do more unscripted, open-ended events to restore confidence in his candidacy. The two also spoke about Biden's schedule and its impact on his political efforts, particularly as he balances that task with critical governing tasks such as the NATO summit in Washington next week.Biden's efforts to pull multiple levers to salvage his faltering reelection include his impromptu appearance with campaign aides, private conversations with senior lawmakers, a weekend blitz of travel and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-abc-televisiion-debate-1d33bf51fe706e2fd1adea7a83bbf617">network television interview</a>. But he was confronting serious indications that support for him was rapidly eroding on Capitol Hill and among other allies.Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., told The New York Times that though he backs Biden as long as he is a candidate, this “is an opportunity to look elsewhere” and what Biden "needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.”Senior advisers say they believe the 81-year-old Biden may have mere days to mount a convincing display of his fitness for office before his party’s panic over his debate performance and anger about his response boils over, according to two people with knowledge who insisted on anonymity to more freely discuss strategy. The president accepts the urgency of the task — having reviewed the polling and mountains of media coverage — but he is convinced he can do that in the coming days and insistent that he will not step out of the race, they said.Biden met for more than hour at the White House on Wednesday night, in person and virtually, with more than 20 Democratic governors including Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. Afterward, the governors described the conversation as “candid” but said they were standing behind Biden despite being concerned about a Trump victory in November.“The president is our nominee. The president is our party leader,” said Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland. He added that, in the meeting, Biden “was very clear that he’s in this to win."Despite such reassuring sentiments, a major Democratic donor, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, also called on the president to exit the race, saying, “Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous.” The statement was first reported by The New York Times.And all that followed Rep. Jim Clyburn, a longtime Biden friend and confidant, saying he'd back a “mini-primary” in the run-up to the Democratic National Convention next month if Biden were to leave the race. The South Carolina Democrat floated an idea that appeared to be laying the groundwork for alternative choices by delegates during the Democrats’ planned virtual roll call that is scheduled before the more formal party convention set to begin Aug. 19 in Chicago.On CNN, Clyburn said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-biden-fundraising-election-campaign-donations-5709f07420b4f138caa884361653368e">Vice President Kamala Harris</a>, governors and others could join the competition: “It would be fair to everybody.”Clyburn, a senior lawmaker who is a former member of his party's House leadership team, said he has not personally seen the president act as he did on the debate stage last week and called it “concerning.”And even as other Democratic allies have remained quiet since Thursday’s debate, there is a growing private frustration about the Biden campaign’s response to his disastrous debate performance at a crucial moment in the campaign — particularly in Biden waiting several days to do direct damage control with senior members of his own party.One Democratic aide said the lacking response has been worse than the debate performance itself, saying lawmakers who support Biden want to see him directly combatting the concerns about his stamina in front of reporters and voters. The aide was granted anonymity to candidly discuss interparty dynamics.Most Democratic lawmakers are taking a wait-and-see approach with Biden, though, holding out for a better idea of how the situation plays out through new polling and Biden’s scheduled ABC News interview, according to Democratic lawmakers who requested anonymity to speak bluntly about the president.When Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett, who called on Biden to leave the race this week, shopped around his move for support from other Democratic lawmakers, he had no takers and eventually issued a statement on his own, according to a person familiar with the effort granted anonymity to discuss it.But there was also a sense that the waiting period will soon expire if Biden does not step up his outreach to Capitol Hill or prove otherwise that he’s up to the job.Some suggested Harris was emerging as the favorite to replace Biden if he were to withdraw, although those involved in private discussions acknowledge that Govs.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gavin-newsom">Gavin Newsom</a>&nbsp;of California and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gretchen-whitmer">Gretchen Whitmer</a>&nbsp;of Michigan remain viable alternatives. But for some insiders, Harris is viewed as the best prospect to quickly unify the party and avoid a messy and divisive convention fight.Even as pressure around Biden mounted, he and Harris made a surprise appearance on an all-staff reelection campaign call and offered a pep talk. They stressed how important it was to beat Trump, the presumptive nominee, in November and returned to Biden’s previous post-debate vow that when he gets knocked down, he gets up again.“Just as we beat Donald Trump in 2020, we’re going to beat him again in 2024,” said Biden, who told participants that he would not be dragged out of the race. Harris added: “We will not back down. We will follow our president’s lead. We will fight, and we will win.”White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked during her briefing with reporters whether Biden would consider stepping down. “Absolutely not,” she said.“I cannot lay out something that would change the president’s mind," Jean-Pierre said about Biden continuing to seek a second term.Still, Democrats are unsatisfied with the explanations of Biden’s debate performance, from both White House staff and the president himself. And there is a deeper frustration among some in the party who feel that Biden should have handled questions about his stumbling debate performance much sooner and that he has put them in a difficult position by staying in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the race</a>.The Leadership Now Project, a group of business executives, academics and thought leaders, said in a letter that the “threat of a second Trump term” is great enough that Biden should “pass the torch of this year’s presidential nomination to the next generation of highly capable Democrats.”Trump’s campaign issued a statement noting that “every Democrat” now calling on the president “to quit was once a supporter of Biden.”Trump had a slight lead over Biden in two polls of voters conducted after last week's debate. One poll,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/02/politics/cnn-poll-post-debate/index.html">conducted by SSRS for CNN</a>, found that three-quarters of voters — including more than half of Democratic voters — said the party has a better chance of winning the presidency in November with a candidate other than Biden.About 7 in 10 voters, and 45% of Democrats, said Biden’s physical and mental ability is a reason to vote against him, according to the CNN/SSRS poll.And about 6 in 10 voters, including about one-quarter of Democrats, said reelecting Biden would be a risky choice for the country rather than a safe one, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/03/us/politics/poll-debate-biden-trump.html">a New York Times/Siena College poll</a>. That poll found that Democrats were split on whether Biden should remain the nominee.Biden campaign pollster Molly Murphy said "today’s polling doesn’t fundamentally change the course of the race."In a further effort to boost morale, Biden chief of staff Jeff Zients urged White House aides during an all-staff meeting to tune out the “noise” and focus on the task of governing.Biden himself began making personal outreach on his own,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-debate-democrats-congress-election-aa619e71e1e09868abe22d19fc48e351">speaking privately with senior Democratic lawmakers</a>&nbsp;such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Coons and Clyburn.___Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Zeke Miller, Colleen Long, Josh Boak and Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux in Washington and Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this report.

Democrat governors say they are standing behind President Biden

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

For the 15th consecutive year, the mill levy for the city of Hays will remain at 25 mills, the same as it has been since 2010.

City commissioners got their first glance at the 2025 draft budget Tuesday with highlights presented by Collin Bielser, deputy city manager.

"The budget is balanced, and reserves are funded. ... Total assessed valuation is up 4.2%,"&nbsp;Bielser said.

"Unfortunately, sales tax receipts are down this year to date," Bielser said. "So, we do project revenues at the end of 2024 to be down about 2.6% below what we originally budgeted."

Sales tax revenues are the primary funding source for the city's general fund. For 2025, a 2% increase over 2024 projections is estimated.

Although general fund spending will be about $178,000 below 2024 levels, operating expenditures will increase by $625,000, mostly due to a 2% step and 3% cost-of-living increases for all city employees.

The number of city employees will also increase by seven, including four more police officers.&nbsp; A new public relations position for the city manager's office has been added.&nbsp;The city will have 183 full-time employees, still below the high of 186 employees in 2023.

Capital improvement projects for 2025 include $8 million that has been set aside for renovation and expansion of the existing Astra Bank building in downtown Hays for the future police station and municipal court.

Another $5 million is included for extending infrastructure to the city's property northeast of the Interstate 70 Exit 161 interchange. 

As the R9 Ranch water transfer project progresses, $6 million will be used for land acquisition costs for the 68-mile pipeline from Edwards County to just south of Hays.

The reconstruction of 32nd/33rd Streets from Willow to Vine is planned to cost $1.8 million.

Reconstruction of the crosswind runway and the Taxiway M intersection at the Hays Regional Airport, which will cost $337,000, is also to be completed. The FAA will pay for 95% of the project.

Commissioner Mason Ruder was pleased with the budget numbers.

"My initial glance through it, projecting revenues down and expenditures up, instead of coming to us in a panic, you put pencil to paper and made it work," Ruder said.

Although revenue is down, the general fund will transfer about $2.15 million to the Commission Capital Reserve account.

Of that transfer amount, about $1.2 million comes from the city's share of the Ellis County 1/4 cent sales tax approved by voters in 2020.&nbsp;

"Times are a little tighter than they have been," said Mayor Shaun Musil, "but we're still moving forward."

Commissioners will have several opportunities to review the budget again in detail prior to the Sept. 12 public hearing.

"If the public has any questions or concerns about this budget, please contact any of the commissioners," said Sandy Jacobs, vice mayor.&nbsp;

The draft budget is available on the city's website at <a href="https://www.haysusa.com/DocumentCenter/View/6549/2025-BUDGET-WORKBOOK-DRAFT">www.haysusa.com</a>.

In other business, Jeff Boyle, director of parks, reviewed the renewal of the lease agreement with Fort Hays State University for Larks Park. With a few minor adjustments, the city's cost for the lease should go down slightly. 

Boyle also reviewed facility agreements with the Hays Recreation Commission for&nbsp;Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex, swimming pool services, and recreation facilities. Hays Rec has agreed to increase the city's stop-loss commitment for the municipal pools from $26,000 to $40,000. &nbsp;

Water Resources Director Jeff Crispin presented a recommended bid award for sewer point repairs in 73 locations for&nbsp;$299,697 from CC Steel, LLC, Maple Plain, Minnesota.

The three items will be voted on at the next city commission meeting.

Commissioner Alaina Cunningham was absent from the meeting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720041605970.jpeg" alt="Collin Bielser, deputy city manager, presented the proposed 2025 budget to Hays city commissioners Tuesday. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Collin Bielser, deputy city manager, presented the proposed 2025 budget to Hays city commissioners Tuesday. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostFor the 15th consecutive year, the mill levy for the city of Hays will remain at 25 mills, the same as it has been since 2010.City commissioners got their first glance at the 2025 draft budget Tuesday with highlights presented by Collin Bielser, deputy city manager."The budget is balanced, and reserves are funded. ... Total assessed valuation is up 4.2%,"&nbsp;Bielser said."Unfortunately, sales tax receipts are down this year to date," Bielser said. "So, we do project revenues at the end of 2024 to be down about 2.6% below what we originally budgeted."Sales tax revenues are the primary funding source for the city's general fund. For 2025, a 2% increase over 2024 projections is estimated.Although general fund spending will be about $178,000 below 2024 levels, operating expenditures will increase by $625,000, mostly due to a 2% step and 3% cost-of-living increases for all city employees.The number of city employees will also increase by seven, including four more police officers.&nbsp; A new public relations position for the city manager's office has been added.&nbsp;The city will have 183 full-time employees, still below the high of 186 employees in 2023.Capital improvement projects for 2025 include $8 million that has been set aside for renovation and expansion of the existing Astra Bank building in downtown Hays for the future police station and municipal court.Another $5 million is included for extending infrastructure to the city's property northeast of the Interstate 70 Exit 161 interchange. As the R9 Ranch water transfer project progresses, $6 million will be used for land acquisition costs for the 68-mile pipeline from Edwards County to just south of Hays.The reconstruction of 32nd/33rd Streets from Willow to Vine is planned to cost $1.8 million.Reconstruction of the crosswind runway and the Taxiway M intersection at the Hays Regional Airport, which will cost $337,000, is also to be completed. The FAA will pay for 95% of the project.Commissioner Mason Ruder was pleased with the budget numbers."My initial glance through it, projecting revenues down and expenditures up, instead of coming to us in a panic, you put pencil to paper and made it work," Ruder said.Although revenue is down, the general fund will transfer about $2.15 million to the Commission Capital Reserve account.Of that transfer amount, about $1.2 million comes from the city's share of the Ellis County 1/4 cent sales tax approved by voters in 2020.&nbsp;"Times are a little tighter than they have been," said Mayor Shaun Musil, "but we're still moving forward."Commissioners will have several opportunities to review the budget again in detail prior to the Sept. 12 public hearing."If the public has any questions or concerns about this budget, please contact any of the commissioners," said Sandy Jacobs, vice mayor.&nbsp;The draft budget is available on the city's website at <a href="https://www.haysusa.com/DocumentCenter/View/6549/2025-BUDGET-WORKBOOK-DRAFT">www.haysusa.com</a>.In other business, Jeff Boyle, director of parks, reviewed the renewal of the lease agreement with Fort Hays State University for Larks Park. With a few minor adjustments, the city's cost for the lease should go down slightly. Boyle also reviewed facility agreements with the Hays Recreation Commission for&nbsp;Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex, swimming pool services, and recreation facilities. Hays Rec has agreed to increase the city's stop-loss commitment for the municipal pools from $26,000 to $40,000. &nbsp;Water Resources Director Jeff Crispin presented a recommended bid award for sewer point repairs in 73 locations for&nbsp;$299,697 from CC Steel, LLC, Maple Plain, Minnesota.The three items will be voted on at the next city commission meeting.Commissioner Alaina Cunningham was absent from the meeting.

Hays' 2025 draft budget is at 25 mills for 15th year   

Leea Smarsh, a soon-to-be Fort Hays State University graduate, may appear as an ordinary college student, balancing classes and a part-time job and facing the uncertainties of post-grad life. Yet, her story is a testament to the extraordinary power of resilience, determination, and a profound passion for making a difference, serving as an inspiration to all.

Leea's story is about more than just academic success. A cancer survivor at the age of 15, she faced a rare and aggressive form of thyroid cancer with courage and grace. After surgeries and radiation treatments, she was declared cancer-free in February 2020, only to be met with the challenges of a global pandemic just a month later. Despite the obstacles, Leea persevered, finishing her high school senior year online.

Originally from Wichita, Leea’s decision to attend FHSU was driven by affordability.

“To be completely honest, moving to a small town for college was not on my radar,” Leea said. “Once I stepped on FHSU’s campus, I fell in love with the campus and the faculty I met on my visit.” She was not sure what she wanted to major in, but she was reassured by the FHSU admissions team that not knowing her major right away was okay. “This made me see FHSU in a new light, which ultimately persuaded me to choose FHSU – and I am so grateful I did,” Leea said.

Leea's college journey began as an exploratory major. Her advisor guided her through various majors and career paths through major and personality inventories, and to her surprise, Leadership Studies emerged as a top match. Initially unfamiliar with the concept, she took a leap of faith and chose this major, a decision she's immensely grateful she made.

“I truly feel I have found my calling. Being a leadership major, you are taught different ways to interact with groups and teams, as well as teaching followers effective ways to interact with people from different cultures, backgrounds, and other factors that differ from yours,” Leea said. “I am so excited to take the skills I have learned from the leadership program and put them into practice!”

As a student worker in the Department of Social Work, Leea was not only an invaluable member of the administrative team, she was also a driving force in planning the department’s signature event, the 49th Annual National Institute on Social Work and Human Services in Rural Areas. This year’s conference, “On the Road to Thriving Rural Communities," underscored the significance of diversity in rural areas and provided the participants with crucial professional development opportunities and resources.

Leea’s contributions earned accolades from mentors and colleagues alike. Her efforts in carefully planning this prestigious event are a testament to her leadership, organizational skills, and plain hard work. From coordinating hotel reservations, managing communications with vendors and presenters, and overseeing the event schedule, her work earned high praise from presenters who were eager to meet Leea.

In fact, I first learned about Leea through a glowing letter from a social worker who has attended the conference for years. Impressed by her dedication, he penned a two-page letter, prompting me to delve deeper into her story.

For Leea, the conference is the pinnacle of her academic journey, symbolizing a chance to make a meaningful impact on the social work and human services professional communities. She has collaborated tirelessly with faculty and stakeholders while balancing a full summer schedule with online classes and working a part-time job. Leea’s future may include working in human resources or event planning.

Grateful for the support and mentorship from the social work faculty at FHSU, Leea acknowledges their significant role in shaping her journey, boosting her confidence, and instilling in her a drive to make a global impact. As she readies herself to embark on a new chapter post-graduation, Leea is well-equipped with the skills and experiences necessary for a bright and impactful future.

Her cancer journey has fueled her zest for life and her relentless pursuit of her passions. In her downtime, Leea loves spending time with her friends and family and has recently taken up pickleball.

Leea’s journey epitomizes resilience, dedication, and the pursuit of one’s passions. She embodies the spirit of Fort Hays State University and serves as a shining example of what can be achieved through hard work and determination. Her story is about surviving, thriving, overcoming obstacles, and achieving greatness. Leea Smarsh is an inspiration and a testament to what dedication and hard work can accomplish.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575302025343.png" alt="Tisa Mason" />
 <figcaption>Tisa Mason</figcaption>
 </figure>Leea Smarsh, a soon-to-be Fort Hays State University graduate, may appear as an ordinary college student, balancing classes and a part-time job and facing the uncertainties of post-grad life. Yet, her story is a testament to the extraordinary power of resilience, determination, and a profound passion for making a difference, serving as an inspiration to all.Leea's story is about more than just academic success. A cancer survivor at the age of 15, she faced a rare and aggressive form of thyroid cancer with courage and grace. After surgeries and radiation treatments, she was declared cancer-free in February 2020, only to be met with the challenges of a global pandemic just a month later. Despite the obstacles, Leea persevered, finishing her high school senior year online.Originally from Wichita, Leea’s decision to attend FHSU was driven by affordability.“To be completely honest, moving to a small town for college was not on my radar,” Leea said. “Once I stepped on FHSU’s campus, I fell in love with the campus and the faculty I met on my visit.” She was not sure what she wanted to major in, but she was reassured by the FHSU admissions team that not knowing her major right away was okay. “This made me see FHSU in a new light, which ultimately persuaded me to choose FHSU – and I am so grateful I did,” Leea said.Leea's college journey began as an exploratory major. Her advisor guided her through various majors and career paths through major and personality inventories, and to her surprise, Leadership Studies emerged as a top match. Initially unfamiliar with the concept, she took a leap of faith and chose this major, a decision she's immensely grateful she made.“I truly feel I have found my calling. Being a leadership major, you are taught different ways to interact with groups and teams, as well as teaching followers effective ways to interact with people from different cultures, backgrounds, and other factors that differ from yours,” Leea said. “I am so excited to take the skills I have learned from the leadership program and put them into practice!”As a student worker in the Department of Social Work, Leea was not only an invaluable member of the administrative team, she was also a driving force in planning the department’s signature event, the 49th Annual National Institute on Social Work and Human Services in Rural Areas. This year’s conference, “On the Road to Thriving Rural Communities," underscored the significance of diversity in rural areas and provided the participants with crucial professional development opportunities and resources.Leea’s contributions earned accolades from mentors and colleagues alike. Her efforts in carefully planning this prestigious event are a testament to her leadership, organizational skills, and plain hard work. From coordinating hotel reservations, managing communications with vendors and presenters, and overseeing the event schedule, her work earned high praise from presenters who were eager to meet Leea.In fact, I first learned about Leea through a glowing letter from a social worker who has attended the conference for years. Impressed by her dedication, he penned a two-page letter, prompting me to delve deeper into her story.For Leea, the conference is the pinnacle of her academic journey, symbolizing a chance to make a meaningful impact on the social work and human services professional communities. She has collaborated tirelessly with faculty and stakeholders while balancing a full summer schedule with online classes and working a part-time job. Leea’s future may include working in human resources or event planning.Grateful for the support and mentorship from the social work faculty at FHSU, Leea acknowledges their significant role in shaping her journey, boosting her confidence, and instilling in her a drive to make a global impact. As she readies herself to embark on a new chapter post-graduation, Leea is well-equipped with the skills and experiences necessary for a bright and impactful future.Her cancer journey has fueled her zest for life and her relentless pursuit of her passions. In her downtime, Leea loves spending time with her friends and family and has recently taken up pickleball.Leea’s journey epitomizes resilience, dedication, and the pursuit of one’s passions. She embodies the spirit of Fort Hays State University and serves as a shining example of what can be achieved through hard work and determination. Her story is about surviving, thriving, overcoming obstacles, and achieving greatness. Leea Smarsh is an inspiration and a testament to what dedication and hard work can accomplish.

Heart of a Tiger: Meet Leea Smarsh, a survivor who has learned to thrive at FHSU

HAYS – Garrett Greull had three hits, Houston Russell and CJ
Reid both homered and the Hays Larks held off a late rally and beat the Junction
City Brigade 10-9 in a non-league game Thursday night at Larks Park. The Larks
(19-4) scored four runs in the bottom of the first then three in the second and
third to build a 10-2 lead. The Brigade answered with a run in the fourth four
in the fifth and two in the eighth.

Garrett Gruell got the scoring started with a two-run single
in the first then later scored when Thomas Lyssy was hit by a pitch with the
bases loaded. Houston Russell scored the final run of the inning on a passed
ball.

Greull drove in his third run with a two-out single in the
second. Russell followed with a two-run homer to push the lead to 7-2. CJ Reid
hit a three-run homer in the third to give the Larks a 10-2 lead.

Keevyn Goss (1-0) pitched the
first two innings and was credited with the win. Adrian Najar struck out three
over the final 1 2/3 innings and picked up the save.

Houston Russell and CJ Reid both
homered. It was the first time the Larks have homered since they played in
Junction City on June 26 (7 games).

Hays PostHAYS – Garrett Greull had three hits, Houston Russell and CJ
Reid both homered and the Hays Larks held off a late rally and beat the Junction
City Brigade 10-9 in a non-league game Thursday night at Larks Park. The Larks
(19-4) scored four runs in the bottom of the first then three in the second and
third to build a 10-2 lead. The Brigade answered with a run in the fourth four
in the fifth and two in the eighth.Garrett Gruell got the scoring started with a two-run single
in the first then later scored when Thomas Lyssy was hit by a pitch with the
bases loaded. Houston Russell scored the final run of the inning on a passed
ball.Greull drove in his third run with a two-out single in the
second. Russell followed with a two-run homer to push the lead to 7-2. CJ Reid
hit a three-run homer in the third to give the Larks a 10-2 lead.Gruell had three hits and three RBIs. Keevyn Goss (1-0) pitched the
first two innings and was credited with the win. Adrian Najar struck out three
over the final 1 2/3 innings and picked up the save.LONG BALLHouston Russell and CJ Reid both
homered. It was the first time the Larks have homered since they played in
Junction City on June 26 (7 games).UP NEXT

⚾ Larks hold off late rally to beat Brigade

Mary Lou (Weaver) Frederick, daughter of Paul and Mildred (Kindel) Weaver, was born March 3, 1952 in Concordia, Kansas, and passed away June 28, 2024, at the Graham County Hospital in Hill City, Kansas, at the age of 72.

Mary Lou grew up in Salina and graduated from Salina Central High School. During her childhood, her parents divorced. Her mother later remarried Lee Pearce. She was blessed to have two fathers in her life who loved her very much. Sadly, her father, Paul, passed away the day after her 16th birthday. On January 1, 1970, Mary Lou married Robert Frederick and to this union two children were born: Angela Kay and Robby William. The family moved to Colorado where she worked as a personal assistant for Harry and Lucielle Trueblood for over 30 years.

While living in Colorado, Mary Lou and Robert welcomed Robert's youngest brother, Tommy, into their home. Growing up Mary Lou loved spending her summers with her Uncle Billy and Aunt Bernadine in Aurora, Kansas, the place she called home. Mary Lou was very involved with the VFW in Thornton, Colorado. She was also very active in the American Legion in Firestone, Colorado, and served as a Past President of the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary Post 1278. Her husband, Robert, served in the United States Air Force during Vietnam. She was a proud supporter of all our military men and woman. In her leisure time Mary Lou enjoyed camping and fishing in the Colorado mountains. After retirement, Robert and Mary Lou moved to Penokee, Kansas where they lived for several years. Her declining health required a move to Dawson Place in Hill City, residing there until her death.

Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents; one son, Robby; one grandson, Aaron; parents-in-law, John and Lois Frederick; sister-in-law, Pat; one nephew, Kevin; one uncle, Billy; and one aunt, Bernadine. Survivors include: her husband, Robert, Logan; one daughter, Angela, and her significant other, John, Eckley, Colorado; three grandchildren: Nathalia, and her husband, Coy Leggett, Logan; Lilhiana Cruz, Charleston, South Carolina; and Nathaniel Cruz, Logan; three sisters: Charlene, and her husband, Erwin Panzer, Florida; Tammy Weaver and Janice Truman both of Arizona; one brother, Randy Weaver of Arizona; four brothers-in-law: Ronny Frederick, Salina, Donny Frederick, Hill City, Jim, and wife, Laura Frederick, Sylvan Grove, and Tommy Frederick, of Frederick, Co.; three great-grandchildren: Jayme, Slade, and Grayson; and several other relatives and friends.

A Memorial Service will be held Tuesday, July 9, 2024, 11:00 A.M., at Stinemetz Funeral Home, Hill City, Kansas. Memorials are suggested to “Cat Rescue Out In the Sticks”, and may sent in care of Stinemetz Funeral Home, 522 N. Pomeroy, Hill City, KS 67642.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720130102932.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Mary Lou (Weaver) Frederick, daughter of Paul and Mildred (Kindel) Weaver, was born March 3, 1952 in Concordia, Kansas, and passed away June 28, 2024, at the Graham County Hospital in Hill City, Kansas, at the age of 72.Mary Lou grew up in Salina and graduated from Salina Central High School. During her childhood, her parents divorced. Her mother later remarried Lee Pearce. She was blessed to have two fathers in her life who loved her very much. Sadly, her father, Paul, passed away the day after her 16th birthday. On January 1, 1970, Mary Lou married Robert Frederick and to this union two children were born: Angela Kay and Robby William. The family moved to Colorado where she worked as a personal assistant for Harry and Lucielle Trueblood for over 30 years.While living in Colorado, Mary Lou and Robert welcomed Robert's youngest brother, Tommy, into their home. Growing up Mary Lou loved spending her summers with her Uncle Billy and Aunt Bernadine in Aurora, Kansas, the place she called home. Mary Lou was very involved with the VFW in Thornton, Colorado. She was also very active in the American Legion in Firestone, Colorado, and served as a Past President of the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary Post 1278. Her husband, Robert, served in the United States Air Force during Vietnam. She was a proud supporter of all our military men and woman. In her leisure time Mary Lou enjoyed camping and fishing in the Colorado mountains. After retirement, Robert and Mary Lou moved to Penokee, Kansas where they lived for several years. Her declining health required a move to Dawson Place in Hill City, residing there until her death.Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents; one son, Robby; one grandson, Aaron; parents-in-law, John and Lois Frederick; sister-in-law, Pat; one nephew, Kevin; one uncle, Billy; and one aunt, Bernadine. Survivors include: her husband, Robert, Logan; one daughter, Angela, and her significant other, John, Eckley, Colorado; three grandchildren: Nathalia, and her husband, Coy Leggett, Logan; Lilhiana Cruz, Charleston, South Carolina; and Nathaniel Cruz, Logan; three sisters: Charlene, and her husband, Erwin Panzer, Florida; Tammy Weaver and Janice Truman both of Arizona; one brother, Randy Weaver of Arizona; four brothers-in-law: Ronny Frederick, Salina, Donny Frederick, Hill City, Jim, and wife, Laura Frederick, Sylvan Grove, and Tommy Frederick, of Frederick, Co.; three great-grandchildren: Jayme, Slade, and Grayson; and several other relatives and friends.A Memorial Service will be held Tuesday, July 9, 2024, 11:00 A.M., at Stinemetz Funeral Home, Hill City, Kansas. Memorials are suggested to “Cat Rescue Out In the Sticks”, and may sent in care of Stinemetz Funeral Home, 522 N. Pomeroy, Hill City, KS 67642.

Mary Lou (Weaver) Frederick

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/nadahassanein/">NADA HASSANEIN</a>

Dairy workers are in rural areas, often with little access to transportation and no sick leave

Public health officials are concerned about bird flu, which so far has been detected in three dairy farmworkers — two in Michigan and one in Texas — as well as in cattle in a dozen states.

The farmworkers’ symptoms were mild, and researchers have not found that the H5N1 virus, also known as bird flu, can spread from person to person. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there is little risk to the general public. However, flu viruses evolve, and H5N1 could mutate and gain the ability to infect people more easily.

“The reason public health authorities are and should be on high alert is because this is a potential high-consequence pathogen,” said Meghan Davis, an epidemiologist and microbiologist at Johns Hopkins University.

That’s why state officials are so focused on testing and surveillance of dairy workers. But they are encountering significant challenges.

H5N1 is deadly to domestic poultry and can wipe out entire flocks in a matter of days, the U.S. Department of Agriculture&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock" target="_blank">says</a>. As a result, the poultry industry has responded vigorously to the threat, culling entire flocks when they detect even one infected bird. But H5N1 is milder in cows, and the response on dairy farms has been less aggressive.

The CDC and USDA have advised dairy farms to monitor for the virus in cattle and humans, but testing remains voluntary, except for herds moving across state lines.

In addition, dairy farms are often in remote rural areas, and workers have little access to transportation and no sick leave. As a result, it’s difficult for them to travel to health care providers for testing and treatment. Many dairy workers, who are mostly immigrants, speak Indigenous languages like Nahuatl or K’iche, according to the National Center for Farmworker Health, a nonprofit that offers support and training for centers that focus on the health of farmworkers.

Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician and scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, emphasized that the current bird flu strain isn’t a pandemic threat to humans. That’s why, he said, this is the perfect time to get the right testing and surveillance measures in place.

“If you can’t get it right with something that’s as forgiving as this virus has been, in terms of its inefficiency in infecting humans, it really doesn’t bode well for when the stakes are higher,” Adalja said.

So far, cases of the virus have been documented among domestic livestock in Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock" target="_blank">according to the USDA</a>. Last week, federal officials&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2024/06/27/usda-begin-accepting-applications-expanded-emergency-livestock" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;grants to farms to offset the cost of milk loss from sick cows. Four states — Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas — are&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/25/four-states-to-begin-voluntary-testing-for-bird-flu-in-dairy-farm-milk-tanks/" target="_blank">launching</a>&nbsp;voluntary pilot programs to test for the virus in dairy farms’ bulk milk tanks.

In Michigan, where the virus has been detected in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-health/avian-influenza/avian-influenza-virus-type-h5n1-us-dairy-cattle#:~:text=Avian%20influenza%20virus%20type%20A%20(H5N1)%20has%20been%20confirmed%20in,Carolina%2C%20Ohio%2C%20and%20Wyoming." target="_blank">25 herds</a>, Tim Boring, director of the state Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said efforts are focused on trying to help farmers recoup losses and agree to testing. Last month, the agency announced it would use a combination of federal and state money to give as much as $28,000 to up to 20 affected farms.

The state also launched a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/spotlights/h5n1-response-06282024.html#:~:text=CDC%20Update,animals%20in%20the%20United%20States." target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;to find out if there are antibodies in people exposed to sick cows, aiming to determine if there have been any asymptomatic infections.

Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical executive, said the state is working with community health clinics and local health departments to reach farmworkers.

“They not only know the farms in their counties, but they also know many of the farmworker organizations,” she said.

Dairy farmworkers, who are often immigrants, can’t afford to miss a day of work, and can be reluctant to reach out to request testing or say they feel sick, advocates say.

“This is a population of people that is just vastly underserviced when it comes to both outreach and trust established with state and federal agencies,” said Elizabeth Strater, strategic campaigns director at United Farm Workers, a labor union. “This is a group of workers that are some of the poorest workers in the United States.”

Immigrants make up 51% of daily labor at dairy farms, and farms that employ immigrants produce 79% of the nation’s milk supply, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nmpf.org/issues/labor-rural-policy/labor-and-immigration-reform-efforts/#:~:text=Immigrant%20labor%20accounts%20for%2051,of%20the%20U.S.%20milk%20supply." target="_blank">National Milk Producers Federation.</a>

Amy Liebman of the Migrant Clinicians Network, an education and outreach group of experts in migrant health, said testing should be administered on the farms rather than in clinics.

“Dairies are in rural areas, very isolated geographically. You’re not going to get all these workers in one place to be able to do any kind of surveying or testing. It is a matter of really trying to go to where the workers are,” she said.

But it hasn’t been easy getting farm owners to agree to that. The Texas state health department told Stateline it has offered on-site testing to farmers, but as of mid-June, it had tested only about 20 symptomatic dairy workers who volunteered for testing. It also has given personal protective equipment to “interested dairies” and posted a notice online offering to deliver the equipment.

Coordination among state or local agricultural and health departments is key to tracking viral spread. A lack of coordination and monitoring can be contributing to underreporting cases.

“I think it is definitely more widespread than is currently reported,” said Shira Doron, chief infection control officer at Tufts Medicine. “The barriers between the agencies are really hampering our efforts right now.”

The CDC has offered a $75&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/bird-flu-cow-test-farmers-incentive-us-government-rcna151645" target="_blank">payment</a>&nbsp;to any farmworker who agrees to be tested and provide blood and nasal swab samples to the agency. But Doris Garcia-Ruiz, who directs farmworker outreach at Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, said that won’t make up for days of lost income.

“If they take the time off to go to their doctor’s office, they don’t have sick leave, so they’re not going to get paid,” she said.

The CDC’s latest figures show that at least 53&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/h5-monitoring/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fflu%2Favianflu%2Fh5-monitoring.html" target="_blank">people</a>&nbsp;have been tested in the cattle outbreak, with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2024/06/03/michigan-cow-herds-infected-bird-flu/73955332007/" target="_blank">majority</a>&nbsp;of those in Michigan. Strater says that’s not enough.

“That’s abysmal,” she said. “Our method of testing is so passive. They’re relying on workers reporting to medical clinics; these are workers that are not going to be taking themselves for medical treatment unless they’re experiencing something life-threatening.”

Getting workers to use personal protective equipment also is a challenge. The CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/prevention/worker-protection-ppe.html" target="_blank">recommends</a>&nbsp;that workers wear respirators, waterproof aprons and coveralls, unvented safety goggles or a face shield, and rubber boots with sealed seams that can be sanitized. It also advises that workers follow a specific sequence of steps to remove the PPE at the end of a shift to avoid contamination.

“Dairy work is very wet, very hands-on,” said Christine Sauvé, who leads community engagement at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. “While some industries are very familiar with PPE … the full recommendation from CDC is new and different. And so that really needs the full promotion from the employer, and then also from the state agencies.”

Sauvé worries that Michigan is prioritizing farmers’ losses, rather than farmworkers’ health, in its response. While the risk to the public is low, she and other experts say the population of farmworkers shouldn’t be forgotten.

Bethany Alcauter of the National Center for Farmworker Health described bird flu threat as “kind of a ticking time bomb.”

“Maybe it hasn’t fully gone off yet. But if we don’t manage it well, it could,” Alcauter said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720094399287.png" alt=" Farmworkers milk dairy cows at the Welcome Stock Farms in January 2022 in Schuylerville, N.Y. Public health officials are concerned about bird flu, which so far has been detected in three farmworkers as well as in cattle in a dozen states. (Hans Pennink/The Associated Press)" />
 <figcaption> Farmworkers milk dairy cows at the Welcome Stock Farms in January 2022 in Schuylerville, N.Y. Public health officials are concerned about bird flu, which so far has been detected in three farmworkers as well as in cattle in a dozen states. (Hans Pennink/The Associated Press)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/nadahassanein/">NADA HASSANEIN</a><h2>Dairy workers are in rural areas, often with little access to transportation and no sick leave</h2>Public health officials are concerned about bird flu, which so far has been detected in three dairy farmworkers — two in Michigan and one in Texas — as well as in cattle in a dozen states.The farmworkers’ symptoms were mild, and researchers have not found that the H5N1 virus, also known as bird flu, can spread from person to person. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there is little risk to the general public. However, flu viruses evolve, and H5N1 could mutate and gain the ability to infect people more easily.“The reason public health authorities are and should be on high alert is because this is a potential high-consequence pathogen,” said Meghan Davis, an epidemiologist and microbiologist at Johns Hopkins University.That’s why state officials are so focused on testing and surveillance of dairy workers. But they are encountering significant challenges.H5N1 is deadly to domestic poultry and can wipe out entire flocks in a matter of days, the U.S. Department of Agriculture&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock" target="_blank">says</a>. As a result, the poultry industry has responded vigorously to the threat, culling entire flocks when they detect even one infected bird. But H5N1 is milder in cows, and the response on dairy farms has been less aggressive.The CDC and USDA have advised dairy farms to monitor for the virus in cattle and humans, but testing remains voluntary, except for herds moving across state lines.In addition, dairy farms are often in remote rural areas, and workers have little access to transportation and no sick leave. As a result, it’s difficult for them to travel to health care providers for testing and treatment. Many dairy workers, who are mostly immigrants, speak Indigenous languages like Nahuatl or K’iche, according to the National Center for Farmworker Health, a nonprofit that offers support and training for centers that focus on the health of farmworkers.Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician and scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, emphasized that the current bird flu strain isn’t a pandemic threat to humans. That’s why, he said, this is the perfect time to get the right testing and surveillance measures in place.“If you can’t get it right with something that’s as forgiving as this virus has been, in terms of its inefficiency in infecting humans, it really doesn’t bode well for when the stakes are higher,” Adalja said.So far, cases of the virus have been documented among domestic livestock in Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock" target="_blank">according to the USDA</a>. Last week, federal officials&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2024/06/27/usda-begin-accepting-applications-expanded-emergency-livestock" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;grants to farms to offset the cost of milk loss from sick cows. Four states — Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas — are&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/25/four-states-to-begin-voluntary-testing-for-bird-flu-in-dairy-farm-milk-tanks/" target="_blank">launching</a>&nbsp;voluntary pilot programs to test for the virus in dairy farms’ bulk milk tanks.In Michigan, where the virus has been detected in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-health/avian-influenza/avian-influenza-virus-type-h5n1-us-dairy-cattle#:~:text=Avian%20influenza%20virus%20type%20A%20(H5N1)%20has%20been%20confirmed%20in,Carolina%2C%20Ohio%2C%20and%20Wyoming." target="_blank">25 herds</a>, Tim Boring, director of the state Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said efforts are focused on trying to help farmers recoup losses and agree to testing. Last month, the agency announced it would use a combination of federal and state money to give as much as $28,000 to up to 20 affected farms.The state also launched a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/spotlights/h5n1-response-06282024.html#:~:text=CDC%20Update,animals%20in%20the%20United%20States." target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;to find out if there are antibodies in people exposed to sick cows, aiming to determine if there have been any asymptomatic infections.Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical executive, said the state is working with community health clinics and local health departments to reach farmworkers.“They not only know the farms in their counties, but they also know many of the farmworker organizations,” she said.Dairy farmworkers, who are often immigrants, can’t afford to miss a day of work, and can be reluctant to reach out to request testing or say they feel sick, advocates say.“This is a population of people that is just vastly underserviced when it comes to both outreach and trust established with state and federal agencies,” said Elizabeth Strater, strategic campaigns director at United Farm Workers, a labor union. “This is a group of workers that are some of the poorest workers in the United States.”Immigrants make up 51% of daily labor at dairy farms, and farms that employ immigrants produce 79% of the nation’s milk supply, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nmpf.org/issues/labor-rural-policy/labor-and-immigration-reform-efforts/#:~:text=Immigrant%20labor%20accounts%20for%2051,of%20the%20U.S.%20milk%20supply." target="_blank">National Milk Producers Federation.</a>Amy Liebman of the Migrant Clinicians Network, an education and outreach group of experts in migrant health, said testing should be administered on the farms rather than in clinics.“Dairies are in rural areas, very isolated geographically. You’re not going to get all these workers in one place to be able to do any kind of surveying or testing. It is a matter of really trying to go to where the workers are,” she said.But it hasn’t been easy getting farm owners to agree to that. The Texas state health department told Stateline it has offered on-site testing to farmers, but as of mid-June, it had tested only about 20 symptomatic dairy workers who volunteered for testing. It also has given personal protective equipment to “interested dairies” and posted a notice online offering to deliver the equipment.Coordination among state or local agricultural and health departments is key to tracking viral spread. A lack of coordination and monitoring can be contributing to underreporting cases.“I think it is definitely more widespread than is currently reported,” said Shira Doron, chief infection control officer at Tufts Medicine. “The barriers between the agencies are really hampering our efforts right now.”The CDC has offered a $75&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/bird-flu-cow-test-farmers-incentive-us-government-rcna151645" target="_blank">payment</a>&nbsp;to any farmworker who agrees to be tested and provide blood and nasal swab samples to the agency. But Doris Garcia-Ruiz, who directs farmworker outreach at Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, said that won’t make up for days of lost income.“If they take the time off to go to their doctor’s office, they don’t have sick leave, so they’re not going to get paid,” she said.The CDC’s latest figures show that at least 53&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/h5-monitoring/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fflu%2Favianflu%2Fh5-monitoring.html" target="_blank">people</a>&nbsp;have been tested in the cattle outbreak, with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2024/06/03/michigan-cow-herds-infected-bird-flu/73955332007/" target="_blank">majority</a>&nbsp;of those in Michigan. Strater says that’s not enough.“That’s abysmal,” she said. “Our method of testing is so passive. They’re relying on workers reporting to medical clinics; these are workers that are not going to be taking themselves for medical treatment unless they’re experiencing something life-threatening.”Getting workers to use personal protective equipment also is a challenge. The CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/prevention/worker-protection-ppe.html" target="_blank">recommends</a>&nbsp;that workers wear respirators, waterproof aprons and coveralls, unvented safety goggles or a face shield, and rubber boots with sealed seams that can be sanitized. It also advises that workers follow a specific sequence of steps to remove the PPE at the end of a shift to avoid contamination.“Dairy work is very wet, very hands-on,” said Christine Sauvé, who leads community engagement at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. “While some industries are very familiar with PPE … the full recommendation from CDC is new and different. And so that really needs the full promotion from the employer, and then also from the state agencies.”Sauvé worries that Michigan is prioritizing farmers’ losses, rather than farmworkers’ health, in its response. While the risk to the public is low, she and other experts say the population of farmworkers shouldn’t be forgotten.Bethany Alcauter of the National Center for Farmworker Health described bird flu threat as “kind of a ticking time bomb.”“Maybe it hasn’t fully gone off yet. But if we don’t manage it well, it could,” Alcauter said.

As bird flu spreads on dairy farms, an ‘abysmal’ few workers are tested

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's disastrous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-debate-age-democrats-b93d7ffaad75fd423ea3953fe16287f0">debate performance</a>&nbsp;has reverberated across the Democratic Party, forcing lawmakers to grapple with a crisis that could upend the presidential election and change the course of American history.

The Democratic president has signaled he has no intention of dropping out of the race against Donald Trump despite the halting and uneven debate delivery that threw a spotlight on questions about Biden's age and capacity to be president. But as Democrats make the case that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-debate-capitol-riot-2024-election-1aff225eb804a22ea88a7ed2c691cf1c">stakes of the election are momentous</a>&nbsp;— challenging no less than the foundations of American democracy itself — they are wrestling with how to approach the 81-year-old who is supposed to be leading the charge for their party.

Here's how Democrats are handling the aftermath of the debate:

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat from Texas, on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-doggett-2024-election-98c3bd8c4138245e7ef8f79d621268e8">became the first sitting Democrat</a>&nbsp;in Congress to call for Biden to withdraw from the race. In a statement, he praised Biden but said he “has the opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders from whom a nominee can be chosen to unite our country through an open, democratic process.”

“Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so,” Doggett said.

A number of other congressional Democrats have tip-toed in recent days toward outspoken concern not just over Biden’s performance during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debate-trump-biden-presidential-campaign-44e71c900a1c4af2bed93041fdfe923d">90-minute debate on Thursday night</a>, but also the level of transparency that Biden’s team has offered about his mental fitness.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., told a local CBS-affiliated television station this week that he was “horrified” by both Biden’s performance and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-election-debate-trump-biden-577507522762aa10f6ee5be3a0ced2bb">Trump’s falsehoods during the debate</a>.

“People want to make sure that this is a campaign that’s ready to go and win,” Whitehouse said. “That the president and his team are being candid with us about his condition — that this was a real anomaly.”

Rep. Jamie Raskin, a prominent Democrat from Maryland, said on MSNBC, “There are very honest and serious and rigorous conversations taking place at every level of our party."

Raskin said Democrats needed Biden at the “very center” of their campaign to make the argument that the Republican Party is slipping towards authoritarianism under Trump, but also raised the possibility that Biden would not continue as the presidential candidate.

Some are concerned that Biden’s weaknesses could tamp down potential voters’ enthusiasm, creating a ripple effect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-democrats-house-senate-f259564ef804410100c1a6b09587aec3">that hurts Democrats</a>&nbsp;as they try to hold on to a narrow Senate majority and take back control of the House. Down-ballot Democrats are already confident they can outperform Biden in swing races, but if large numbers of voters reject Biden, it could also impact them.

Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., told CNN on Tuesday that he wanted Biden to recognize “how much this impacts not just his race but all the other races coming in November.”

With&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-debate-democrats-clyburn-warnock-2024-nominee-01bd3586a2f2da9217a04d031ddd7934">Biden’s family urging him to stay</a>&nbsp;in the race, attention has turned to senior Democratic lawmakers who could potentially convince the president to withdraw his nomination. So far, top Democratic leaders have mostly stood behind Biden in public statements.

“There have not been discussions among senior leadership about anything other than making sure we continue to articulate a compelling vision for the future to the American people related to the issues of importance around the economy,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters at a Monday event at the Pittsburgh International Airport.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, after the debate last week that it showed voters there was a choice between “four more years of progress, or four more years of attacks on our fundamental rights and our democracy.”

Biden planned to speak with congressional leaders this week, the White House said Tuesday. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday they respected the opinions and thoughts of concerned party members, adding, “that’s what makes this party different than the other side.”

Many of Biden's allies have chided the news media for being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-times-debate-brzezinski-4702733ebaa1b9926ef8fb479f245008">fixated on Biden's mental capacities</a>, arguing that instead the focus should be put on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-debate-capitol-riot-2024-election-1aff225eb804a22ea88a7ed2c691cf1c">Trump's record of refusing to accept</a>&nbsp;the results of the 2020 election and repeatedly making false statements.

Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Texas Democrat who is part of Biden's campaign committee, conceded that the debate was not what she hoped for, but added, "I think there needs to be a real conversation about the things that Donald Trump said. It is beyond vile.“

Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., who was among Biden’s surrogates at the debate, dismissed concerns.

“We are 100% behind Joe Biden," he said Friday. "Crystal clear, end of story. He’s our nominee. So anything else outside of that is just political chatter.”

The debate infused a new dynamic into an election contest that had been marked by few surprises. Voters were familiar with both Biden and Trump and had previously decided between the two in 2020.

Still, many House Democrats were caught in a state of uncertainty as they faced a barrage of questions on the Friday morning after the debate. Some chalked it up as little more than a bad night for Biden, but others are watching closely to see how voters react and whether Biden can execute a quick political recovery.

Rep. James Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat who helped Biden win the Democratic nomination in 2020, urged his party last week to “stay the course” and “chill out.”

By Tuesday, Clyburn was still supporting Biden for president, but also told MSNBC that “Biden may decide otherwise.” Clyburn added that he would support Vice President Kamala Harris if Biden withdrew.

Clyburn and others like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., are recommending that Biden prove to the American people that he is ready for another four years in office by going out and taking tough interviews — something he has rarely done in recent years. Biden will sit for an interview with ABC, his first since the debate, later in the week.

Both Clyburn and Pelosi told MSNBC at midday Tuesday that they had not spoken directly with Biden since the debate. But Pelosi still emphasized that the president is on “top of his game, in terms of knowing the issues and what is at stake.”

She called on both Biden and Trump to face tests for their health and mental acuity.

“I think it is a legitimate question to say is this an episode or is this a condition. So when people ask that question, it’s legitimate — of both candidates,” Pelosi said.

Meanwhile, rank-and-file lawmakers are watching to see how voter polls register the impact and whether it spills into down-ballot races. For months, vulnerable House Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-swing-districts-biden-trump-661f2d694b0ce5c74daa6527e3c0ed8e">have been distancing themselves</a>&nbsp;from some of Biden’s policies. That phenomenon could become more pronounced after the debate.

Rep. Jared Golden, a moderate Democrat from Maine, was already looking for ways to convince potential Trump voters to support him.

“While I don’t plan to vote for him, Donald Trump is going to win,” Golden said in a Bangor Daily News op-ed. "And I’m OK with that.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720002104093.png" alt="President Joe Biden enters the Cross Hall of the White House on Monday before an address to the nation- image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden enters the Cross Hall of the White House on Monday before an address to the nation- image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's disastrous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-debate-age-democrats-b93d7ffaad75fd423ea3953fe16287f0">debate performance</a>&nbsp;has reverberated across the Democratic Party, forcing lawmakers to grapple with a crisis that could upend the presidential election and change the course of American history.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: “Does he have an afternoon nap every day?&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> Karine Jean-Pierre:: &quot;Let me be very clear about this; this is a president that wakes up every morning and puts the American first...I am not going to speak to...unnamed sources out there.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/XS8Drjapbu">pic.twitter.com/XS8Drjapbu</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1808563968010592389?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;Is President Biden considering stepping down?&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> Karine Jean-Pierre: &quot;Absolutely not.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/KbpKWXhRSV">pic.twitter.com/KbpKWXhRSV</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1808562345515323577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;Last night...the president blamed jetlag for his debate performance, but he was back stateside well over a week. So, does he really need more than a week-and-a-half to recover from traveling in Europe?&quot; Watch clip for <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> Karine Jean-Pierre&#39;s answer. <a href="https://t.co/WzLmqZfkuO">pic.twitter.com/WzLmqZfkuO</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1808562554991526364?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Reporter asks about the President Biden saying in the debate that he&#39;s the only president this century that doesn&#39;t have a any troops dying anywhere in the world: &quot;How could the president get that so wrong?&quot; Watch clip for <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> answer. <a href="https://t.co/eajHkVaBdR">pic.twitter.com/eajHkVaBdR</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1808575836800348661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Democratic president has signaled he has no intention of dropping out of the race against Donald Trump despite the halting and uneven debate delivery that threw a spotlight on questions about Biden's age and capacity to be president. But as Democrats make the case that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-debate-capitol-riot-2024-election-1aff225eb804a22ea88a7ed2c691cf1c">stakes of the election are momentous</a>&nbsp;— challenging no less than the foundations of American democracy itself — they are wrestling with how to approach the 81-year-old who is supposed to be leading the charge for their party.Here's how Democrats are handling the aftermath of the debate:<h2>Raising alarm</h2>Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat from Texas, on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-doggett-2024-election-98c3bd8c4138245e7ef8f79d621268e8">became the first sitting Democrat</a>&nbsp;in Congress to call for Biden to withdraw from the race. In a statement, he praised Biden but said he “has the opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders from whom a nominee can be chosen to unite our country through an open, democratic process.”“Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so,” Doggett said.A number of other congressional Democrats have tip-toed in recent days toward outspoken concern not just over Biden’s performance during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debate-trump-biden-presidential-campaign-44e71c900a1c4af2bed93041fdfe923d">90-minute debate on Thursday night</a>, but also the level of transparency that Biden’s team has offered about his mental fitness.Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., told a local CBS-affiliated television station this week that he was “horrified” by both Biden’s performance and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-election-debate-trump-biden-577507522762aa10f6ee5be3a0ced2bb">Trump’s falsehoods during the debate</a>.“People want to make sure that this is a campaign that’s ready to go and win,” Whitehouse said. “That the president and his team are being candid with us about his condition — that this was a real anomaly.”Rep. Jamie Raskin, a prominent Democrat from Maryland, said on MSNBC, “There are very honest and serious and rigorous conversations taking place at every level of our party."Raskin said Democrats needed Biden at the “very center” of their campaign to make the argument that the Republican Party is slipping towards authoritarianism under Trump, but also raised the possibility that Biden would not continue as the presidential candidate.Some are concerned that Biden’s weaknesses could tamp down potential voters’ enthusiasm, creating a ripple effect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-democrats-house-senate-f259564ef804410100c1a6b09587aec3">that hurts Democrats</a>&nbsp;as they try to hold on to a narrow Senate majority and take back control of the House. Down-ballot Democrats are already confident they can outperform Biden in swing races, but if large numbers of voters reject Biden, it could also impact them.Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., told CNN on Tuesday that he wanted Biden to recognize “how much this impacts not just his race but all the other races coming in November.”<h2>Backing Biden</h2>With&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-debate-democrats-clyburn-warnock-2024-nominee-01bd3586a2f2da9217a04d031ddd7934">Biden’s family urging him to stay</a>&nbsp;in the race, attention has turned to senior Democratic lawmakers who could potentially convince the president to withdraw his nomination. So far, top Democratic leaders have mostly stood behind Biden in public statements.“There have not been discussions among senior leadership about anything other than making sure we continue to articulate a compelling vision for the future to the American people related to the issues of importance around the economy,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters at a Monday event at the Pittsburgh International Airport.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, after the debate last week that it showed voters there was a choice between “four more years of progress, or four more years of attacks on our fundamental rights and our democracy.”Biden planned to speak with congressional leaders this week, the White House said Tuesday. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday they respected the opinions and thoughts of concerned party members, adding, “that’s what makes this party different than the other side.”Many of Biden's allies have chided the news media for being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-times-debate-brzezinski-4702733ebaa1b9926ef8fb479f245008">fixated on Biden's mental capacities</a>, arguing that instead the focus should be put on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-debate-capitol-riot-2024-election-1aff225eb804a22ea88a7ed2c691cf1c">Trump's record of refusing to accept</a>&nbsp;the results of the 2020 election and repeatedly making false statements.Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Texas Democrat who is part of Biden's campaign committee, conceded that the debate was not what she hoped for, but added, "I think there needs to be a real conversation about the things that Donald Trump said. It is beyond vile.“Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., who was among Biden’s surrogates at the debate, dismissed concerns.“We are 100% behind Joe Biden," he said Friday. "Crystal clear, end of story. He’s our nominee. So anything else outside of that is just political chatter.”<h2>Feeling it out</h2>The debate infused a new dynamic into an election contest that had been marked by few surprises. Voters were familiar with both Biden and Trump and had previously decided between the two in 2020.Still, many House Democrats were caught in a state of uncertainty as they faced a barrage of questions on the Friday morning after the debate. Some chalked it up as little more than a bad night for Biden, but others are watching closely to see how voters react and whether Biden can execute a quick political recovery.Rep. James Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat who helped Biden win the Democratic nomination in 2020, urged his party last week to “stay the course” and “chill out.”By Tuesday, Clyburn was still supporting Biden for president, but also told MSNBC that “Biden may decide otherwise.” Clyburn added that he would support Vice President Kamala Harris if Biden withdrew.Clyburn and others like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., are recommending that Biden prove to the American people that he is ready for another four years in office by going out and taking tough interviews — something he has rarely done in recent years. Biden will sit for an interview with ABC, his first since the debate, later in the week.Both Clyburn and Pelosi told MSNBC at midday Tuesday that they had not spoken directly with Biden since the debate. But Pelosi still emphasized that the president is on “top of his game, in terms of knowing the issues and what is at stake.”She called on both Biden and Trump to face tests for their health and mental acuity.“I think it is a legitimate question to say is this an episode or is this a condition. So when people ask that question, it’s legitimate — of both candidates,” Pelosi said.Meanwhile, rank-and-file lawmakers are watching to see how voter polls register the impact and whether it spills into down-ballot races. For months, vulnerable House Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-swing-districts-biden-trump-661f2d694b0ce5c74daa6527e3c0ed8e">have been distancing themselves</a>&nbsp;from some of Biden’s policies. That phenomenon could become more pronounced after the debate.Rep. Jared Golden, a moderate Democrat from Maine, was already looking for ways to convince potential Trump voters to support him.“While I don’t plan to vote for him, Donald Trump is going to win,” Golden said in a Bangor Daily News op-ed. "And I’m OK with that.”___

🎥From nap time to jet lag, White House answers questions about Biden

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Wild West Festival Day 1: Nate Smith

TOPEKA - It’s a sign of the season – political campaigning and the posting of campaign signs. The Kansas Department of Transportation reminds the public that all political campaign signs or billboards are prohibited from being placed on state highway right of way.

By law, all right of way on state highways is exclusively for public highway purposes. Only regulatory, guide signs and warning signs placed by KDOT are allowed on the 9,500-mile state highway system. KDOT has jurisdiction over all interstate, Kansas and U.S. routes.

When KDOT maintenance crews find political signs on state highway right of way, the signs will be removed immediately and without notice. All such signs will then be taken to the closest KDOT Subarea office. Political campaign signs not retrieved from the Subarea offices will be disposed of after the election.

Political campaign advertising is allowed on private property bordering state right of way. However, people placing or erecting signs on private property must first obtain permission from the property owner.

A state law passed in 2015 related to placement of campaign signs on city- or county-owned right of way does not apply to state highway right of way. Persons placing signs on city street or county road right of way should consult the local jurisdiction on any rules.

SubmittedTOPEKA - It’s a sign of the season – political campaigning and the posting of campaign signs. The Kansas Department of Transportation reminds the public that all political campaign signs or billboards are prohibited from being placed on state highway right of way.By law, all right of way on state highways is exclusively for public highway purposes. Only regulatory, guide signs and warning signs placed by KDOT are allowed on the 9,500-mile state highway system. KDOT has jurisdiction over all interstate, Kansas and U.S. routes.When KDOT maintenance crews find political signs on state highway right of way, the signs will be removed immediately and without notice. All such signs will then be taken to the closest KDOT Subarea office. Political campaign signs not retrieved from the Subarea offices will be disposed of after the election.Political campaign advertising is allowed on private property bordering state right of way. However, people placing or erecting signs on private property must first obtain permission from the property owner.A state law passed in 2015 related to placement of campaign signs on city- or county-owned right of way does not apply to state highway right of way. Persons placing signs on city street or county road right of way should consult the local jurisdiction on any rules.

Political signs not allowed on highway right of way

Donald “Don” Victor Peterka, of Wilson, KS, passed away on July 1, 2024, at Hays Medical Center in Hays, KS, at the age of 83. He was born at his childhood home on September 3, 1940, to Victor and Theresa (Farney) Peterka in Lincoln County, KS. He married Alice Schmidtberger on June 4, 1966, at St. Fidelis Catholic Church in Victoria, KS.

Don grew up in Wilson and attended the Margaret one room schoolhouse through elementary school. He graduated from Wilson High School in 1958. He then served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1962. Don worked as a welder for the Ellsworth Highway Department, farmer, and in the oil field for a few years.

Don was an American Legion Commander for 7 years and led the rosary at the nursing home monthly for 14 years for St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church. He enjoyed track and field, KU Jayhawks, and helping with Wilson Boy Scouts for many years.

Don is survived by his wife, Alice of the home in Wilson; son, Joe (Ann) Peterka of Mansfield, TX; siblings, JoAnn Steinle of Wilson, Loyola Anschutz of Wilson, and Kathleen Merkel of Russell, KS; two grandchildren, Allison and Kate; and one great-grandson, Beau.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Victor and Theresa; and siblings, Elaine Shaw and Eugene Peterka.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, July 6, 2024, at 10AM at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Wilson. Burial will follow at the St. Wenceslaus Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Friday, 6-8PM with a Vigil and Rosary Service at 7PM at the funeral home in Wilson.

Memorials are suggested to St. Wenceslaus Church – Heating &amp; Air or Masses and American Legion Post 262 and may be sent to Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, PO Box 533, Wilson, KS 67490.

Donald “Don” Victor Peterka, of Wilson, KS, passed away on July 1, 2024, at Hays Medical Center in Hays, KS, at the age of 83. He was born at his childhood home on September 3, 1940, to Victor and Theresa (Farney) Peterka in Lincoln County, KS. He married Alice Schmidtberger on June 4, 1966, at St. Fidelis Catholic Church in Victoria, KS.Don grew up in Wilson and attended the Margaret one room schoolhouse through elementary school. He graduated from Wilson High School in 1958. He then served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1962. Don worked as a welder for the Ellsworth Highway Department, farmer, and in the oil field for a few years.Don was an American Legion Commander for 7 years and led the rosary at the nursing home monthly for 14 years for St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church. He enjoyed track and field, KU Jayhawks, and helping with Wilson Boy Scouts for many years.Don is survived by his wife, Alice of the home in Wilson; son, Joe (Ann) Peterka of Mansfield, TX; siblings, JoAnn Steinle of Wilson, Loyola Anschutz of Wilson, and Kathleen Merkel of Russell, KS; two grandchildren, Allison and Kate; and one great-grandson, Beau.He is preceded in death by his parents, Victor and Theresa; and siblings, Elaine Shaw and Eugene Peterka.A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, July 6, 2024, at 10AM at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Wilson. Burial will follow at the St. Wenceslaus Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Friday, 6-8PM with a Vigil and Rosary Service at 7PM at the funeral home in Wilson.Memorials are suggested to St. Wenceslaus Church – Heating &amp; Air or Masses and American Legion Post 262 and may be sent to Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, PO Box 533, Wilson, KS 67490.

Donald “Don” Victor Peterka

Kellye Russell Hart, age 96, born May 1, 1928, at Rush Springs, OK, was the eleventh of twelve children born to John William and Christina (Sperling) Hart. He died on July 1, 2024, at Bob Wilson Memorial Hospital in Ulysses, KS.

Kellye Russell Hart, age 96, born May 1, 1928, at Rush Springs, OK, was the eleventh of twelve children born to John William and Christina (Sperling) Hart. He died on July 1, 2024, at Bob Wilson Memorial Hospital in Ulysses, KS.He attended public schools in Comanche County, OK, graduating in 1946 from Geronimo High School. After high school, he served in the US Army and upon discharge, attended Cameron College in Lawton, OK and Central State College in Edmond OK, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in business education. He worked in finance at Fort Sill, OK, for two and half years before accepting a teaching position in McCracken, KS, in 1953. While teaching at McCracken, Kellye earned his master’s degree in school administration at Fort Hays State University. He served as high school principal at Lorraine and Kanopolis, and as superintendent at Ellsworth, Lakin, and Ell-Saline, KS school districts.Kellye retired in 1992 and he and his wife, Diana, moved to Ulysses to be near their grandchildren. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Ulysses, Ulysses Masonic Lodge No. 435, the Kansas Ornithological Society, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and was a life member of the National Education Association and American Legion Post No. 79. After his retirement, he refinished furniture, coordinated the local American Red Cross blood drives for 15 years, helped with Ulysses wildflower tours and was a birder and compiler for the Ulysses Christmas Bird Counts.Kellye and Diana Walker were married June 14, 1958, in La Crosse, KS. He is survived by his wife, Diana; son, Gary and wife Barb of Ulysses; daughter, Sherri of Hutchinson; granddaughter, Leslie Lorlovick and husband Derek of Oklahoma City; grandson, Charles of Ulysses and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, five sisters and six brothers.Funeral Service will be Friday, July 5, 2024, at 10:00 AM at Garnand Funeral Home Chapel, Ulysses, Kansas. Graveside service will be at 3:00 PM at the La Crosse Cemetery in La Crosse, Kansas with Pastor Willy Banza officiating. Memorials may be given to the Ulysses Masonic Lodge #435 or the Ulysses First United Methodist Church in care of Garnand Funeral Home, 405 W. Grant Ave., Ulysses, Kansas 67880.