BOSTON, Mass. (AP) — Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy who raised their 11 children after he was assassinated and remained dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy for decades thereafter, died on Thursday, her family said. She was 96.

Kennedy had been hospitalized after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ethel-kennedy-stroke-robert-f-kennedy-camelot-d54fb65f161bee60e32d27049778f761">suffering a stroke</a>&nbsp;in her sleep on Oct. 3, her family said.

“It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our amazing grandmother,” Joe Kennedy III posted on X. “She died this morning from complications related to a stroke suffered last week.”

“Along with a lifetime’s work in social justice and human rights, our mother leaves behind nine children, 34 grandchildren and 24 great-great grandchildren along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly,” the family statement said.

The Kennedy matriarch, whose children were Kathleen, Joseph II, Robert Jr., David, Courtney, Michael, Kerry, Christopher, Max, Douglas and Rory, was one of the last remaining members of a generation that included President John F. Kennedy. Her family said she had recently enjoyed seeing many of her relatives, before falling ill.

A millionaire’s daughter who married the future senator and attorney general in 1950, Ethel Kennedy had endured more death by the age of 40, for the whole world to see, than most would in a lifetime.

She was by Robert F. Kennedy’s side when he was fatally shot in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968, just after winning the Democratic presidential primary in California. Her brother-in-law, President John F. Kennedy, had been assassinated in Dallas less than five years earlier.

Her parents were killed in a plane crash in 1955, and her brother died in a 1966 crash. Her son David Kennedy later died of a drug overdose, son Michael Kennedy in a skiing accident and nephew John F. Kennedy Jr. in a plane crash. Another nephew, Michael Skakel, was found guilty of murder in 2002, although a judge in 2013 ordered a new trial and the Connecticut Supreme Court vacated his conviction in 2018.

In 2019, she was grieving again after granddaughter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0112adae889247ba897319279a696ae9">Saoirse Kennedy Hill died</a>&nbsp;of an apparent drug overdose.

“One wonders how much this family must be expected to absorb,” family friend Philip Johnson, founder of the Robert F. Kennedy Foundation, told the Boston Herald after Michael Kennedy’s death.

Ethel Kennedy sustained herself through her faith and devotion to family.

“She was a devout Catholic and a daily communicant, and we are comforted in knowing she is reunited with the love of her life, our father, Robert. F. Kennedy; her children David and Michael; her daughter-in-law Mary; her grandchildren Maeve and Saorise and her great-grandchildren Gideon and Josie. Please keep our mother in your hearts and prayers,” the family statement said.

Ethel's mother-in-law, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, initially worried about how she would handle so much tragedy.

“I knew how difficult it was going to be for her to raise that big family without the guiding role and influence that Bobby would have provided,” Rose recalled in her memoir, “Times to Remember.” “And, of course, she realized this too, fully and keenly. Yet she did not give way.”

She founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights soon after husband’s death and advocated for causes including gun control and human rights. She rarely spoke about her husband’s assassination. When her filmmaker daughter, Rory, brought it up in the 2012 HBO documentary, “Ethel,” she couldn't share her grief.

“When we lost Daddy ...” she began, then teared up and asked that her youngest daughter “talk about something else.”

In 2008, she joined brother-in-law Ted Kennedy and niece Caroline Kennedy in endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for president, likening him to her late husband. She made several trips to the White House during the Obama years, receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014 and meeting Pope Francis in 2015.

Many of her progeny became well known. Daughter Kathleen became lieutenant governor of Maryland; Joseph represented Massachusetts in Congress; Courtney married Paul Hill, who had been wrongfully convicted of an IRA bombing; Kerry became a human rights activist and president of the RFK center; Christopher ran for governor of Illinois; Max served as a prosecutor in Philadelphia and Douglas reported for Fox News Channel.

Her Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also became a national figure, although not as a liberal in the family tradition. First known as an environmental lawyer, he evolved into a conspiracy theorist who spread false theories about vaccines. He ran for president as an independent after briefly challenging President Joe Biden, and his name remained on ballots in multiple states after he suspended his campaign and endorsed Donald Trump.

Ethel Kennedy did not comment publicly on her son's actions, although several other family members denounced him.

Decades earlier, she seemed to thrive on her in-laws’ rising power. She was an enthusiastic backer of JFK’s 1960 run and during the Kennedy administration hosted some of the era’s most well-attended parties at their Hickory Hill estate in McLean, Virginia, including one where historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. was pushed fully clothed into the swimming pool. In the Kennedy spirit, she also was known as an avid and highly competitive tennis player and a compulsive planner.

“Petite and peppy Ethel, who doesn’t look one bit the outdoorsy type, considers outdoor activity so important for the children that she has arranged her busy Cabinet-wife schedule so she can personally take them on two daily outings,” The Washington Post reported in 1962.

In February of that year, she accompanied her husband on a round-the-world goodwill tour, stopping in Japan, Hong Kong, Italy and other countries. She said it was important for Americans to meet ordinary people overseas.

“People have a distinct liking for Americans,” she told the Post. “But the Communists have been so vocal, it was a surprise for some Asians to hear America’s point of view. It is good for Americans to travel and get our viewpoint across.”

Kennedy was born Ethel Skakel on April 11, 1928, in Chicago, the sixth of seven children of coal magnate George Skakel and Ann Brannack Skakel, a devout Roman Catholic. She grew up in a 31-room English country manor house in Greenwich, Connecticut, and attended Greenwich Academy before graduating from the Convent of the Sacred Heart in the Bronx in 1945.

She met Robert Kennedy through his sister Jean, her roommate at Manhattanville College in New York. They moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, where he finished his last year of law school at the University of Virginia, and then in 1957, they bought Hickory Hill from by John and Jacqueline Kennedy, who had bought it in 1953.

Robert Kennedy became chief counsel to the Senate Select Committee in 1957. He later was appointed attorney general by his brother, the newly elected President Kennedy.

She had supported her husband in his successful 1964 campaign for the U.S. Senate in New York and his subsequent presidential bid. Pregnant with their 11th child when he was gunned down by Sirhan Sirhan, her look of shock and horror was captured by photographers in images that remained indelible decades later.

The assassination traumatized the family, especially son David Kennedy, who watched the news in a hotel room. He was just days before his 13th birthday and never recovered, struggling with addiction problems for years and overdosing in 1984.

In 2021, she said Sirhan Sirhan should not be released from prison, a view not shared&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-d5e12df9cc3c0241ab108bfc124dda1b">by some others in her family.</a>&nbsp;Two years later, a California panel denied him parole.

Although Ethel Kennedy was linked to several men after her husband’s death, most notably singer Andy Williams, she never remarried.

In April 2008, Ethel Kennedy visited Indianapolis on the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. A monument there commemorated King’s death and the speech her husband had given that night in 1968, which was credited with averting rioting in the city.

“Of all the Kennedy women, she was the one I would end up admiring the most,” Harry Belafonte would write of her. “She wasn’t playacting. She looked at you and immediately got what you were about. Often in the coming years, when Bobby was balking at something we wanted him to do for the movement, I’d take my case to Ethel. ‘We have to talk to him,’ she’d say, and she would.”

Ethel Kennedy joined President Obama and former President Bill Clinton — each held one of her hands — as they climbed stairs to lay a wreath at President Kennedy’s gravesite during a November 2013 observance of the 50th anniversary of JFK’s death.

The nonprofit center she founded remains dedicated to advancing human rights through litigation, advocacy, education and inspiration, giving annual awards to journalists, authors and others who have made significant contributions to human rights.

She also was active in the Coalition of Gun Control, Special Olympics, and the Earth Conservation Corps. And she showed up in person, participating in a 2016 demonstration in support of higher pay for farmworkers in Florida and a 2018 hunger strike against the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

Hickory Hill was sold in 2009 for $8.25 million, and Ethel Kennedy divided her time between homes in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, and Palm Beach, Florida.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728495330718.png" alt="FILE - Ethel Kennedy, widow of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, watches a video about her late husband during the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights awards ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 5, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Ethel Kennedy, widow of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, watches a video about her late husband during the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights awards ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 5, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>BOSTON, Mass. (AP) — Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy who raised their 11 children after he was assassinated and remained dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy for decades thereafter, died on Thursday, her family said. She was 96.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FRFKHumanRights%2Fvideos%2F1216503226075492%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=1" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Kennedy had been hospitalized after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ethel-kennedy-stroke-robert-f-kennedy-camelot-d54fb65f161bee60e32d27049778f761">suffering a stroke</a>&nbsp;in her sleep on Oct. 3, her family said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our mother, Ethel Kennedy. Please keep our mother in your hearts and prayers. <a href="https://t.co/bdIQFsC0CS">pic.twitter.com/bdIQFsC0CS</a>&mdash; Kerry Kennedy (@KerryKennedyRFK) <a href="https://twitter.com/KerryKennedyRFK/status/1844397785065664700?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our amazing grandmother,” Joe Kennedy III posted on X. “She died this morning from complications related to a stroke suffered last week.”“Along with a lifetime’s work in social justice and human rights, our mother leaves behind nine children, 34 grandchildren and 24 great-great grandchildren along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly,” the family statement said.The Kennedy matriarch, whose children were Kathleen, Joseph II, Robert Jr., David, Courtney, Michael, Kerry, Christopher, Max, Douglas and Rory, was one of the last remaining members of a generation that included President John F. Kennedy. Her family said she had recently enjoyed seeing many of her relatives, before falling ill.A millionaire’s daughter who married the future senator and attorney general in 1950, Ethel Kennedy had endured more death by the age of 40, for the whole world to see, than most would in a lifetime.She was by Robert F. Kennedy’s side when he was fatally shot in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968, just after winning the Democratic presidential primary in California. Her brother-in-law, President John F. Kennedy, had been assassinated in Dallas less than five years earlier.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Ethel Kennedy was a dear friend with a passion for justice, an irrepressible spirit, and a great sense of humor. She touched the lives of countless people around the world with her generosity and grace, and was an emblem of enduring faith and hope, even in the face of… <a href="https://t.co/lTukrEl9hI">pic.twitter.com/lTukrEl9hI</a>&mdash; Barack Obama (@BarackObama) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1844421243644039471?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Her parents were killed in a plane crash in 1955, and her brother died in a 1966 crash. Her son David Kennedy later died of a drug overdose, son Michael Kennedy in a skiing accident and nephew John F. Kennedy Jr. in a plane crash. Another nephew, Michael Skakel, was found guilty of murder in 2002, although a judge in 2013 ordered a new trial and the Connecticut Supreme Court vacated his conviction in 2018.In 2019, she was grieving again after granddaughter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0112adae889247ba897319279a696ae9">Saoirse Kennedy Hill died</a>&nbsp;of an apparent drug overdose.“One wonders how much this family must be expected to absorb,” family friend Philip Johnson, founder of the Robert F. Kennedy Foundation, told the Boston Herald after Michael Kennedy’s death.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">From 2014, Ethel Kennedy receives Presidential Medal of Freedom: &quot;She&#39;s an emblem of enduring faith and enduring hope, even in the face of unimaginable loss and unimaginable grief...she has touched the lives of countless people around the world with her generosity and her grace.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/GiStGMP18Y">pic.twitter.com/GiStGMP18Y</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1844431442702631079?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Ethel Kennedy sustained herself through her faith and devotion to family.“She was a devout Catholic and a daily communicant, and we are comforted in knowing she is reunited with the love of her life, our father, Robert. F. Kennedy; her children David and Michael; her daughter-in-law Mary; her grandchildren Maeve and Saorise and her great-grandchildren Gideon and Josie. Please keep our mother in your hearts and prayers,” the family statement said.Ethel's mother-in-law, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, initially worried about how she would handle so much tragedy.“I knew how difficult it was going to be for her to raise that big family without the guiding role and influence that Bobby would have provided,” Rose recalled in her memoir, “Times to Remember.” “And, of course, she realized this too, fully and keenly. Yet she did not give way.”She founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights soon after husband’s death and advocated for causes including gun control and human rights. She rarely spoke about her husband’s assassination. When her filmmaker daughter, Rory, brought it up in the 2012 HBO documentary, “Ethel,” she couldn't share her grief.“When we lost Daddy ...” she began, then teared up and asked that her youngest daughter “talk about something else.”In 2008, she joined brother-in-law Ted Kennedy and niece Caroline Kennedy in endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for president, likening him to her late husband. She made several trips to the White House during the Obama years, receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014 and meeting Pope Francis in 2015.Many of her progeny became well known. Daughter Kathleen became lieutenant governor of Maryland; Joseph represented Massachusetts in Congress; Courtney married Paul Hill, who had been wrongfully convicted of an IRA bombing; Kerry became a human rights activist and president of the RFK center; Christopher ran for governor of Illinois; Max served as a prosecutor in Philadelphia and Douglas reported for Fox News Channel.Her Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also became a national figure, although not as a liberal in the family tradition. First known as an environmental lawyer, he evolved into a conspiracy theorist who spread false theories about vaccines. He ran for president as an independent after briefly challenging President Joe Biden, and his name remained on ballots in multiple states after he suspended his campaign and endorsed Donald Trump.Ethel Kennedy did not comment publicly on her son's actions, although several other family members denounced him.Decades earlier, she seemed to thrive on her in-laws’ rising power. She was an enthusiastic backer of JFK’s 1960 run and during the Kennedy administration hosted some of the era’s most well-attended parties at their Hickory Hill estate in McLean, Virginia, including one where historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. was pushed fully clothed into the swimming pool. In the Kennedy spirit, she also was known as an avid and highly competitive tennis player and a compulsive planner.“Petite and peppy Ethel, who doesn’t look one bit the outdoorsy type, considers outdoor activity so important for the children that she has arranged her busy Cabinet-wife schedule so she can personally take them on two daily outings,” The Washington Post reported in 1962.In February of that year, she accompanied her husband on a round-the-world goodwill tour, stopping in Japan, Hong Kong, Italy and other countries. She said it was important for Americans to meet ordinary people overseas.“People have a distinct liking for Americans,” she told the Post. “But the Communists have been so vocal, it was a surprise for some Asians to hear America’s point of view. It is good for Americans to travel and get our viewpoint across.”Kennedy was born Ethel Skakel on April 11, 1928, in Chicago, the sixth of seven children of coal magnate George Skakel and Ann Brannack Skakel, a devout Roman Catholic. She grew up in a 31-room English country manor house in Greenwich, Connecticut, and attended Greenwich Academy before graduating from the Convent of the Sacred Heart in the Bronx in 1945.She met Robert Kennedy through his sister Jean, her roommate at Manhattanville College in New York. They moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, where he finished his last year of law school at the University of Virginia, and then in 1957, they bought Hickory Hill from by John and Jacqueline Kennedy, who had bought it in 1953.Robert Kennedy became chief counsel to the Senate Select Committee in 1957. He later was appointed attorney general by his brother, the newly elected President Kennedy.She had supported her husband in his successful 1964 campaign for the U.S. Senate in New York and his subsequent presidential bid. Pregnant with their 11th child when he was gunned down by Sirhan Sirhan, her look of shock and horror was captured by photographers in images that remained indelible decades later.The assassination traumatized the family, especially son David Kennedy, who watched the news in a hotel room. He was just days before his 13th birthday and never recovered, struggling with addiction problems for years and overdosing in 1984.In 2021, she said Sirhan Sirhan should not be released from prison, a view not shared&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-d5e12df9cc3c0241ab108bfc124dda1b">by some others in her family.</a>&nbsp;Two years later, a California panel denied him parole.Although Ethel Kennedy was linked to several men after her husband’s death, most notably singer Andy Williams, she never remarried.In April 2008, Ethel Kennedy visited Indianapolis on the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. A monument there commemorated King’s death and the speech her husband had given that night in 1968, which was credited with averting rioting in the city.“Of all the Kennedy women, she was the one I would end up admiring the most,” Harry Belafonte would write of her. “She wasn’t playacting. She looked at you and immediately got what you were about. Often in the coming years, when Bobby was balking at something we wanted him to do for the movement, I’d take my case to Ethel. ‘We have to talk to him,’ she’d say, and she would.”Ethel Kennedy joined President Obama and former President Bill Clinton — each held one of her hands — as they climbed stairs to lay a wreath at President Kennedy’s gravesite during a November 2013 observance of the 50th anniversary of JFK’s death.The nonprofit center she founded remains dedicated to advancing human rights through litigation, advocacy, education and inspiration, giving annual awards to journalists, authors and others who have made significant contributions to human rights.She also was active in the Coalition of Gun Control, Special Olympics, and the Earth Conservation Corps. And she showed up in person, participating in a 2016 demonstration in support of higher pay for farmworkers in Florida and a 2018 hunger strike against the Trump administration’s immigration policies.Hickory Hill was sold in 2009 for $8.25 million, and Ethel Kennedy divided her time between homes in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, and Palm Beach, Florida.

Robert F. Kennedy widow Ethel Kennedy has died

Thursday, October 10
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals BSB vs. New York Yankees, 6:30pm

Friday, October 11
 KKQY: Ness City FB at Trego, 6:15pm *
 KFIX: Hays High FB vs. Dodge City, 6:30pm
 KHAZ: TMP-Marian FB at Oakley, 6:30pm

Saturday, October 12
 KJLS: Fort Hays State FB vs. Washburn, 6:00pm
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals BSB vs. New York Yankees (If necessary), 6:30pm

Thursday, October 10
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals BSB vs. New York Yankees, 6:30pmFriday, October 11
 KKQY: Ness City FB at Trego, 6:15pm *
 KFIX: Hays High FB vs. Dodge City, 6:30pm
 KHAZ: TMP-Marian FB at Oakley, 6:30pmSaturday, October 12
 KJLS: Fort Hays State FB vs. Washburn, 6:00pm
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals BSB vs. New York Yankees (If necessary), 6:30pmSunday, October 13

 none

🎧 Eagle Radio, Hull sports broadcast schedule

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The <a href="https://womenwholead.org/">Women Who Lead</a> nonprofit has assembled a group of women attacking hunger in Ellis County on multiple fronts.

They call their committee the Women Who Feed.

The effort resulted from a meeting of community resource leaders led by the Heartland Community Foundation about food insecurity in Ellis County.

Women Who Feed cochairwoman Mary Ann Shorman said the group learned from that meeting Early Childhood Connections was no longer receiving food backpacks for its children.

When Early Childhood Connections was part of a K-12 school, their students qualified for a food program through the Kansas Food Bank. However, that ended when it moved to the program's new location on 13th Street.

Shorman said Early Childhood Connections initially identified 15 children who would benefit from having backpacks filled with simple meals and snacks to take home over the weekend.

This included mac and cheese, applesauce, Vienna sausages or granola bars.

Women Who Lead funded the food program for the spring 2024 semester and all of the 2024-25 school year.

"We are just thrilled to have it back," said Donna Hudson-Hamilton, Early Childhood Connections director. "It's operating so smoothly with the help of the Westside students, and we're just glad we can provide that for those children who are food insecure over the weekend."

Shorman said she thought about her grandchildren when she learned about the food needs in Hays.

"When I think about a kid being hungry, it really kind of breaks my heart," she said. "I think about my grandkids and they can go to my snack drawer anytime and eat something.

"I think about kids from families who don't have that luxury. It makes me feel good to be able to know that we're helping. We're not solving it. It's not going to go away. We're helping alleviate some of that stress."

The Women Who Lead has also partnered with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2047485065448690">Feeding Hays</a> through St. <a href="https://www.stmichaelshays.org">Michael's Episcopal Church</a>, 2900 Canal Blvd.

The program offers free dinners from 6:30 to 7 p.m. every Thursday through a drive-through service based at the church. There are no income requirements for the meals. You can pre-order meals at&nbsp;785-259-1964, but pre-orders aren't necessary.

Volunteers prepare and serve the meals, and much of the food is donated. Those who wish can donate cash to the project when they pick up meals. Those funds go toward paying off student lunch debt at Hays USD 489.

Most of the meals are spaghetti dinners with a vegetable and cookies. However, it varies on occasion.

Women Who Lead has already provided one meal in cooperation with Feeding Hays. The charity paid for all the ingredients for a loaded baked potato meal, and volunteers prepared, served and worked cleanup that Thursday night.

The group served 200 meals that night. They cooked 57 pounds of hamburger the night they sponsored the meal.

The Options domestic violence shelter, residents from the Schwaller Center and firefighters picks up meals on Thursday nights from Feeding Hays.

Any leftover meals go to First Call for Help, another Hays nonprofit, to be picked up on a first-come-first-serve basis.

"I'm just amazed. It's for everybody. I really feel that way," Joslyn Brungardt, Women Who Feed cochairperson, said. "We feed all kinds. We feed the elderly. We feed families that are in need. We feed mothers that are behind and are trying to get to ball games and get their kids. We feed dads that had the kids that week."

She said she was handing out meals one night, and an older gentleman just wanted someone to talk to. He said he hadn't seen anyone in three months.

"I grabbed his hand and said, 'Would you like a couple of extra meals to put in your fridge so you have something to warm up?' He said, "I haven't heard from my kids or anything in three months, and I was just kind of lonely.' He grabbed my hand and just wanted to know that someone saw him and cared about him."

Some busy moms are trying to pick up kids from sports and activities and they just need help with dinner one night a week, she said.

"You know what is amazing. Those people who probably have nothing, give Ben (Houchen) a $5 bill or a $2 bill," Brungardt said.

"There are people who take advantage of the system, but there are a lot of people who don't, and they just need a little bit of help," she said.

The Women Who Feed committee plans to support a Feeding Hays meal once a quarter. This fall they are planning sloppy joes. Chicken and noodles is planned for this winter, Brungardt said.

Brungardt said being involved in Women Who Feed and Feeding Hays was a way to become more involved in the community.&nbsp;

"Food insecurity is a problem," she said. "But it's just being kind to someone who needs a helping hand."

The committee has also created meal kits that are being distributed through <a href="https://www.firstcallelliscounty.com/">First Call for Help</a>.

"The cost of groceries has gone up so much," Macey Pfeifer, First Call for Help executive director, said. "That's hitting everyone, not just low-income families."

Pfeifer, a Women Who Lead member, said First Call for Help is looking for ways to keep its pantries stocked.

The kit includes everything needed to cook a hot meal, including a disposable baking pan and the recipe.&nbsp;

Some meals include spaghetti, pizza, chicken enchiladas, tuna and noodles, taco soup, chicken alfredo, and ham and beans.

The committee plans to donate 20 meal kits per month.

"The meal kits will be really nice because with the food boxes, we give out food, but there are not a lot of nice meals you can make out of that. Here's a box of macaroni. If you want, you can mix some tuna in that. It's random and sporadic. We don't always have everything."

In addition, the committee has donated birthday boxes for both boys and girls.

These kits include everything needed to bake a birthday cake, a happy birthday banner, candles, balloons, a birthday card and a small toy.

These kits were inspired by a mother who had forgotten her child's birthday and didn't have the resources to buy or make a cake.

First Call for Help maintains a year-round food pantry at 607 E. 13th Street and sponsors an annual Battle of the Businesses community food drive.

First Call for Help does not require food recipients to provide proof of income for food. However, they do need to show a valid government-issued ID or driver's license.

The amount of food in a food box is based on the number of people in a household.

People can come in for food, hygiene items and diapers once a month.

This summer, Women Who Lead members surpassed the number of food items that were collectively donated through all of the businesses last year with&nbsp;2,481 items.

"We were getting by, but I think with their contributions to us have really helped out. It'll really make a difference in people's lives that need it," Pfeifer said.

Since the inception of the Women Who Lead, formerly the Wonder Women League, the group has donated numerous times to the school food pantries.

The group also participated in the Delta Zeta food drive for the Fort Hays State University food pantry in August. It is collecting food items for the Ellis food pantry in October.

Women Who Lead also paid for an additional warming bag for the First Call for Help Meals on Wheels program.&nbsp;

This allowed the program to add a route to serve 16 more people.

Women Who Lead has also provided volunteers every quarter to deliver food for a week.

Pfeifer said First Call for Help is always looking for volunteers to deliver Meals on Wheels. You can call 785-623-2800&nbsp;for more information. Individuals or groups can sign up. Hours of delivery are 10:30 a.m. to noon. Pfeifer said she likes people to sign up for a week at a time or for a group to share a week of shifts.

"We don't see this as just one big project," Shorman said. "Food insecurity is not just going to go away. Honestly, there is more food insecurity than I was ever aware of."

Brungradt wanted to ensure she acknowledged all the Women Who Lead members who make the projects the committee sponsors successful.&nbsp;

Today, there are more than 160 women in Women Who Lead. You can learn more about the nonprofit on its <a href="https://womenwholead.org/">website</a> or follow the group on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/womenwholead.org">Facebook.</a>

Editor's note: Cristina Janney is a member of Women Who Lead.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727819199598.jpeg" alt="Members of Women Who Lead volunteer for Feeding Hays program at St. Michael's Episcopal Church. The program is providing about 200 free meals every Thursday night in Hays.&nbsp;Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Members of Women Who Lead volunteer for Feeding Hays program at St. Michael's Episcopal Church. The program is providing about 200 free meals every Thursday night in Hays.&nbsp;Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe <a href="https://womenwholead.org/">Women Who Lead</a> nonprofit has assembled a group of women attacking hunger in Ellis County on multiple fronts.They call their committee the Women Who Feed.The effort resulted from a meeting of community resource leaders led by the Heartland Community Foundation about food insecurity in Ellis County.Women Who Feed cochairwoman Mary Ann Shorman said the group learned from that meeting Early Childhood Connections was no longer receiving food backpacks for its children.When Early Childhood Connections was part of a K-12 school, their students qualified for a food program through the Kansas Food Bank. However, that ended when it moved to the program's new location on 13th Street.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727819417529.jpeg" alt="Members of Women Who Lead Cathy Van Doren and Mary Shorman present a check for $5,000 to the Hays USD 489 school district to provide weekend backpacks full of food for the children served by the Early Childhood Connections program. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Members of Women Who Lead Cathy Van Doren and Mary Shorman present a check for $5,000 to the Hays USD 489 school district to provide weekend backpacks full of food for the children served by the Early Childhood Connections program. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Shorman said Early Childhood Connections initially identified 15 children who would benefit from having backpacks filled with simple meals and snacks to take home over the weekend.This included mac and cheese, applesauce, Vienna sausages or granola bars.Women Who Lead funded the food program for the spring 2024 semester and all of the 2024-25 school year.Westside students pack all the meals."We are just thrilled to have it back," said Donna Hudson-Hamilton, Early Childhood Connections director. "It's operating so smoothly with the help of the Westside students, and we're just glad we can provide that for those children who are food insecure over the weekend."Shorman said she thought about her grandchildren when she learned about the food needs in Hays."When I think about a kid being hungry, it really kind of breaks my heart," she said. "I think about my grandkids and they can go to my snack drawer anytime and eat something."I think about kids from families who don't have that luxury. It makes me feel good to be able to know that we're helping. We're not solving it. It's not going to go away. We're helping alleviate some of that stress."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727819494244.jpeg" alt="Members of Women Who Lead prepare cookies for the Feeding Hays program at St. Michael's Episcopal Church. The program is providing about 200 free meals every Thursday night in Hays. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Members of Women Who Lead prepare cookies for the Feeding Hays program at St. Michael's Episcopal Church. The program is providing about 200 free meals every Thursday night in Hays. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Feeding Hays</h2>The Women Who Lead has also partnered with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2047485065448690">Feeding Hays</a> through St. <a href="https://www.stmichaelshays.org">Michael's Episcopal Church</a>, 2900 Canal Blvd.The program offers free dinners from 6:30 to 7 p.m. every Thursday through a drive-through service based at the church. There are no income requirements for the meals. You can pre-order meals at&nbsp;785-259-1964, but pre-orders aren't necessary.Volunteers prepare and serve the meals, and much of the food is donated. Those who wish can donate cash to the project when they pick up meals. Those funds go toward paying off student lunch debt at Hays USD 489.Most of the meals are spaghetti dinners with a vegetable and cookies. However, it varies on occasion.Women Who Lead has already provided one meal in cooperation with Feeding Hays. The charity paid for all the ingredients for a loaded baked potato meal, and volunteers prepared, served and worked cleanup that Thursday night.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727819553599.jpeg" alt="The Women Who Lead Women Who Feed Committee prepared free taco potato dinners for the Feeding Hays program earlier this year. Courtesy image." />
 <figcaption>The Women Who Lead Women Who Feed Committee prepared free taco potato dinners for the Feeding Hays program earlier this year. Courtesy image.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727819841954.jpeg" alt="Members of Women Who Lead volunteer for the Feeding Hays program at St. Michael's Episcopal Church. The meals are free, and guests do not need to meet income requirements to pick them up on Thursday nights. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Members of Women Who Lead volunteer for the Feeding Hays program at St. Michael's Episcopal Church. The meals are free, and guests do not need to meet income requirements to pick them up on Thursday nights. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The group served 200 meals that night. They cooked 57 pounds of hamburger the night they sponsored the meal.The Options domestic violence shelter, residents from the Schwaller Center and firefighters picks up meals on Thursday nights from Feeding Hays.Any leftover meals go to First Call for Help, another Hays nonprofit, to be picked up on a first-come-first-serve basis."I'm just amazed. It's for everybody. I really feel that way," Joslyn Brungardt, Women Who Feed cochairperson, said. "We feed all kinds. We feed the elderly. We feed families that are in need. We feed mothers that are behind and are trying to get to ball games and get their kids. We feed dads that had the kids that week."She said she was handing out meals one night, and an older gentleman just wanted someone to talk to. He said he hadn't seen anyone in three months."I grabbed his hand and said, 'Would you like a couple of extra meals to put in your fridge so you have something to warm up?' He said, "I haven't heard from my kids or anything in three months, and I was just kind of lonely.' He grabbed my hand and just wanted to know that someone saw him and cared about him."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727819889151.jpeg" alt="Women Who Lead members volunteer to collect food for Feeding Hays and the First Call for Help food pantry this summer. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Women Who Lead members volunteer to collect food for Feeding Hays and the First Call for Help food pantry this summer. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Some busy moms are trying to pick up kids from sports and activities and they just need help with dinner one night a week, she said."You know what is amazing. Those people who probably have nothing, give Ben (Houchen) a $5 bill or a $2 bill," Brungardt said."There are people who take advantage of the system, but there are a lot of people who don't, and they just need a little bit of help," she said.The Women Who Feed committee plans to support a Feeding Hays meal once a quarter. This fall they are planning sloppy joes. Chicken and noodles is planned for this winter, Brungardt said.Brungardt said being involved in Women Who Feed and Feeding Hays was a way to become more involved in the community.&nbsp;"Food insecurity is a problem," she said. "But it's just being kind to someone who needs a helping hand."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727819589510.jpeg" alt="Meal kits that the Women Who Feed Committee of Women Who Lead has provided to the First Call for Help food pantry." />
 <figcaption>Meal kits that the Women Who Feed Committee of Women Who Lead has provided to the First Call for Help food pantry.</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Meal kits</h2>The committee has also created meal kits that are being distributed through <a href="https://www.firstcallelliscounty.com/">First Call for Help</a>."The cost of groceries has gone up so much," Macey Pfeifer, First Call for Help executive director, said. "That's hitting everyone, not just low-income families."Pfeifer, a Women Who Lead member, said First Call for Help is looking for ways to keep its pantries stocked.The kit includes everything needed to cook a hot meal, including a disposable baking pan and the recipe.&nbsp;Some meals include spaghetti, pizza, chicken enchiladas, tuna and noodles, taco soup, chicken alfredo, and ham and beans.The committee plans to donate 20 meal kits per month."The meal kits will be really nice because with the food boxes, we give out food, but there are not a lot of nice meals you can make out of that. Here's a box of macaroni. If you want, you can mix some tuna in that. It's random and sporadic. We don't always have everything."In addition, the committee has donated birthday boxes for both boys and girls.These kits include everything needed to bake a birthday cake, a happy birthday banner, candles, balloons, a birthday card and a small toy.These kits were inspired by a mother who had forgotten her child's birthday and didn't have the resources to buy or make a cake.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727819644597.jpeg" alt="Members of Women Who Lead accept the First Call for Help Battle of Businesses trophy for donating the most food to the community food drive. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Members of Women Who Lead accept the First Call for Help Battle of Businesses trophy for donating the most food to the community food drive. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727819757570.jpeg" alt="The First Call for Help food pantry after the Battle of the Businesses food drive. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>The First Call for Help food pantry after the Battle of the Businesses food drive. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Battle of the Businesses</h2>First Call for Help maintains a year-round food pantry at 607 E. 13th Street and sponsors an annual Battle of the Businesses community food drive.First Call for Help does not require food recipients to provide proof of income for food. However, they do need to show a valid government-issued ID or driver's license.The amount of food in a food box is based on the number of people in a household.People can come in for food, hygiene items and diapers once a month.This summer, Women Who Lead members surpassed the number of food items that were collectively donated through all of the businesses last year with&nbsp;2,481 items.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727819673811.jpeg" alt="Members of Women Who Lead after with food collected for the First Call for Help food pantry. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Members of Women Who Lead after with food collected for the First Call for Help food pantry. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>"We were getting by, but I think with their contributions to us have really helped out. It'll really make a difference in people's lives that need it," Pfeifer said.Since the inception of the Women Who Lead, formerly the Wonder Women League, the group has donated numerous times to the school food pantries.The group also participated in the Delta Zeta food drive for the Fort Hays State University food pantry in August. It is collecting food items for the Ellis food pantry in October.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727819707731.jpeg" alt="The meal warming bag that Women Who Lead purchased to add a route to the First Call for Help Meals on Wheels program. Courtesy image." />
 <figcaption>The meal warming bag that Women Who Lead purchased to add a route to the First Call for Help Meals on Wheels program. Courtesy image.</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Expanding Meals on Wheels</h2>Women Who Lead also paid for an additional warming bag for the First Call for Help Meals on Wheels program.&nbsp;This allowed the program to add a route to serve 16 more people.Women Who Lead has also provided volunteers every quarter to deliver food for a week.Pfeifer said First Call for Help is always looking for volunteers to deliver Meals on Wheels. You can call 785-623-2800&nbsp;for more information. Individuals or groups can sign up. Hours of delivery are 10:30 a.m. to noon. Pfeifer said she likes people to sign up for a week at a time or for a group to share a week of shifts."We don't see this as just one big project," Shorman said. "Food insecurity is not just going to go away. Honestly, there is more food insecurity than I was ever aware of."Brungradt wanted to ensure she acknowledged all the Women Who Lead members who make the projects the committee sponsors successful.&nbsp;Today, there are more than 160 women in Women Who Lead. You can learn more about the nonprofit on its <a href="https://womenwholead.org/">website</a> or follow the group on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/womenwholead.org">Facebook.</a>Editor's note: Cristina Janney is a member of Women Who Lead.

Women Who Feed battle hunger in Ellis County

The Chamber in Hays, Kansas, is
excited to present the "Enhancing Your Customer Service" seminar led
by national speaker and customer service expert Mike Henke. 

The seminar, aimed at local
businesses and professionals, will be hosted on October 24, at the Rose Garden
Banquet Hall &amp; Catering, located at 2350 E. 8th St., from 2 to 5 p.m.

Sponsored by Heartland Credit
Union, the event will combine a social networking opportunity from 2 p.m. to 4
p.m. with the informative seminar from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The session will address the
growing expectations of customers, and offer practical strategies for
delivering top-tier customer service that enhances satisfaction and loyalty.

Seminar
Focus: Rising Customer Expectations and Empowering Employees

During the seminar, Henke will
highlight key trends in customer service, including how customer expectations
have significantly risen in recent years.

He will explore how businesses
can tailor their services to meet the unique needs of individual customers and
ensure that employees are motivated to deliver exceptional experiences.

"This seminar will help our
local businesses understand the importance of meeting and exceeding customer
expectations in today’s competitive market,” said Sarah Wasinger, President and
CEO of The Chamber in Hays, Kansas. “We are thrilled to welcome Mike Henke to
Hays. His expertise and dynamic approach will provide invaluable insights on
how to enhance customer satisfaction while empowering employees to act
independently.”

Henke’s presentation will focus
on best practices in communication, conflict resolution, and strategies for
delivering customer-first experiences. 

Attendees will leave with
actionable insights they can implement immediately to improve service quality
and customer retention.

The Chamber is offering early
bird registration for members at a discounted price of $40 per person if
registered by October 10. 

Members of the Hays Young
Professionals (HYP) and Chamber Ambassadors can attend for a special rate of
$35. Non-members are welcome to attend for $60 per person.

Registration is now open and can
be completed through the Chamber's website or by contacting the Chamber staff
directly. 

Due to high demand, attendees are
encouraged to register early to secure their spots. 

However, please note that
cancellations made within 48 hours of the event will incur a charge to cover
the costs associated with pre-submitted RSVPs.

The "Enhancing Your Customer
Service" seminar will equip businesses with tools to navigate the evolving
landscape of customer service. 

Wasinger noted that customer
service is more than just meeting basic needs — it’s about creating memorable
experiences that differentiate businesses from competitors.

“Customer service is one of the
most crucial elements for business success,” Wasinger said. “Providing
exceptional service not only keeps customers coming back, but also turns them
into advocates for your brand. This seminar is designed to give our businesses
the tools they need to stay competitive and deliver unforgettable customer
experiences.”

For more information about the
event or to register, visit <a href="https://hayschamber.com">hayschamber.com</a> or contact The Chamber office at (785)
628-8201.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634743366242.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedThe Chamber in Hays, Kansas, is
excited to present the "Enhancing Your Customer Service" seminar led
by national speaker and customer service expert Mike Henke. The seminar, aimed at local
businesses and professionals, will be hosted on October 24, at the Rose Garden
Banquet Hall &amp; Catering, located at 2350 E. 8th St., from 2 to 5 p.m.Sponsored by Heartland Credit
Union, the event will combine a social networking opportunity from 2 p.m. to 4
p.m. with the informative seminar from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.The session will address the
growing expectations of customers, and offer practical strategies for
delivering top-tier customer service that enhances satisfaction and loyalty.Seminar
Focus: Rising Customer Expectations and Empowering EmployeesDuring the seminar, Henke will
highlight key trends in customer service, including how customer expectations
have significantly risen in recent years.He will explore how businesses
can tailor their services to meet the unique needs of individual customers and
ensure that employees are motivated to deliver exceptional experiences."This seminar will help our
local businesses understand the importance of meeting and exceeding customer
expectations in today’s competitive market,” said Sarah Wasinger, President and
CEO of The Chamber in Hays, Kansas. “We are thrilled to welcome Mike Henke to
Hays. His expertise and dynamic approach will provide invaluable insights on
how to enhance customer satisfaction while empowering employees to act
independently.”Henke’s presentation will focus
on best practices in communication, conflict resolution, and strategies for
delivering customer-first experiences. Attendees will leave with
actionable insights they can implement immediately to improve service quality
and customer retention.Registration
and PricingThe Chamber is offering early
bird registration for members at a discounted price of $40 per person if
registered by October 10. Members of the Hays Young
Professionals (HYP) and Chamber Ambassadors can attend for a special rate of
$35. Non-members are welcome to attend for $60 per person.Registration is now open and can
be completed through the Chamber's website or by contacting the Chamber staff
directly. Due to high demand, attendees are
encouraged to register early to secure their spots. However, please note that
cancellations made within 48 hours of the event will incur a charge to cover
the costs associated with pre-submitted RSVPs.Why Attend?The "Enhancing Your Customer
Service" seminar will equip businesses with tools to navigate the evolving
landscape of customer service. Participants will learn how to:<ul>
 <li>Recognize and respond to the rising
 expectations of today’s customers.</li><li>Customize services to accommodate the
 diverse needs of customers.</li><li>Empower employees with the motivation
 and independence to deliver top-tier service.</li><li>Improve communication skills and resolve
 conflicts effectively.</li><li>Create a customer-first culture that
 drives loyalty and repeat business.</li>
 </ul>Wasinger noted that customer
service is more than just meeting basic needs — it’s about creating memorable
experiences that differentiate businesses from competitors.“Customer service is one of the
most crucial elements for business success,” Wasinger said. “Providing
exceptional service not only keeps customers coming back, but also turns them
into advocates for your brand. This seminar is designed to give our businesses
the tools they need to stay competitive and deliver unforgettable customer
experiences.”Event
Details:<ul>
 <li>What: "Enhancing Your Customer Service" Seminar,
 featuring Mike Henke</li><li>When: Thursday, October 24, 2024</li><li>Time: 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Social from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.;
 Seminar from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)</li><li>Where: Rose Garden Banquet Hall &amp; Catering, 2350 E. 8th St.,
 Hays, Kansas</li><li>Cost: $40 for Chamber members (early bird by October 10); $35 for
 HYP and Chamber Ambassadors; $60 for non-members</li><li>Registration: Open now at <a href="https://hayschamber.com">hayschamber.com</a> or by
 contacting Chamber staff.</li>
 </ul>For more information about the
event or to register, visit <a href="https://hayschamber.com">hayschamber.com</a> or contact The Chamber office at (785)
628-8201.

The Chamber to host ‘Enhancing your Customer Service’ seminar with Mike Henke

WASHINGTON (AP) —President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday blasted his predecessor for spreading an “onslaught of lies” about how the federal government is handling the damage from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-helene">Hurricane Helene</a>&nbsp;as another hurricane,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-milton-tampa-florida-08bde4b9c29460f471d43c6512821c93">Milton</a>, was on the verge of making landfall in Florida.

“Quite frankly, these lies are un-American,” Biden said from the White House. “Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;has led this onslaught of lies.”

Biden said that Donald Trump and his allies have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-helene-trump-musk-conspiracy-theories-misinformation-fe81869765d778ac2ff3dc5f9ac18e10">misrepresented the response and resources</a>&nbsp;of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The president singled out Republican Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/marjorie-taylor-greene">Marjorie Taylor Greene</a>&nbsp;of Georgia who claimed the federal government could control the weather.

Asked why he believed his Republican opponents were not talking accurately about the government’s response, Biden said, “I don’t know. I simply don’t know. ... I use a phrase more than I did in my whole career, un-American. It’s un-American. It’s not who in the hell we are.”

The president talked about the potential damage from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/hurricane-milton-florida-tracker-updates">Hurricane Milton</a>&nbsp;and encouraged people near its path to seek shelter. Biden said the government had staged 20 million meals and 40 million liters of water in anticipation of the storm and that military units were ready with search and rescue teams to help victims of it.

“We’ve got your back,” Biden said, then referring to Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced him in July at the top of the presidential ticket: “Kamala and I will be there for as long as it takes to rescue, recover and rebuild.”

Bristling at misinformation is something Biden and Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-hurricane-helene-misinformation-552e413dfb6c1b3e37eca0d2114668ea">have done</a>&nbsp;a lot of lately, including earlier Wednesday during a virtual briefing at the White House on federal preparations for Milton. The president had even harsher words for Greene then, saying her comments on the weather were “beyond ridiculous.”

“It’s gotta stop,” Biden said, adding that such assertions were “off the wall” and “like out of a comic book.”

Still, most of his criticism has been directed at Trump. At rallies for November’s presidential election, the former president has sought to energize his voters by criticizing how Biden and Harris have handled the response to the severe weather.

At a recent rally in Wisconsin, Trump said it was worse than the government’s response in 2005 to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-katrina">Hurricane Katrina</a>, which resulted in 1,392 fatalities. By contrast, Hurricane Helene has resulted in roughly 230 deaths.

“This is the worst response to a storm or a catastrophe or a hurricane that we’ve ever seen, ever,” Trump said. “Probably worse than Katrina, and that’s hard to beat, right?”

WASHINGTON (AP) —President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday blasted his predecessor for spreading an “onslaught of lies” about how the federal government is handling the damage from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-helene">Hurricane Helene</a>&nbsp;as another hurricane,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-milton-tampa-florida-08bde4b9c29460f471d43c6512821c93">Milton</a>, was on the verge of making landfall in Florida.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;At this point, evacuation is probably difficult, so I encourage people to look for safer shelter. Sometimes moving just a few miles can mean the difference between life and death.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/SFNsukLnAl">pic.twitter.com/SFNsukLnAl</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1844152480541598154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Quite frankly, these lies are un-American,” Biden said from the White House. “Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;has led this onslaught of lies.”Biden said that Donald Trump and his allies have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-helene-trump-musk-conspiracy-theories-misinformation-fe81869765d778ac2ff3dc5f9ac18e10">misrepresented the response and resources</a>&nbsp;of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The president singled out Republican Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/marjorie-taylor-greene">Marjorie Taylor Greene</a>&nbsp;of Georgia who claimed the federal government could control the weather.Asked why he believed his Republican opponents were not talking accurately about the government’s response, Biden said, “I don’t know. I simply don’t know. ... I use a phrase more than I did in my whole career, un-American. It’s un-American. It’s not who in the hell we are.”The president talked about the potential damage from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/hurricane-milton-florida-tracker-updates">Hurricane Milton</a>&nbsp;and encouraged people near its path to seek shelter. Biden said the government had staged 20 million meals and 40 million liters of water in anticipation of the storm and that military units were ready with search and rescue teams to help victims of it.“We’ve got your back,” Biden said, then referring to Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced him in July at the top of the presidential ticket: “Kamala and I will be there for as long as it takes to rescue, recover and rebuild.”Bristling at misinformation is something Biden and Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-hurricane-helene-misinformation-552e413dfb6c1b3e37eca0d2114668ea">have done</a>&nbsp;a lot of lately, including earlier Wednesday during a virtual briefing at the White House on federal preparations for Milton. The president had even harsher words for Greene then, saying her comments on the weather were “beyond ridiculous.”“It’s gotta stop,” Biden said, adding that such assertions were “off the wall” and “like out of a comic book.”Still, most of his criticism has been directed at Trump. At rallies for November’s presidential election, the former president has sought to energize his voters by criticizing how Biden and Harris have handled the response to the severe weather.At a recent rally in Wisconsin, Trump said it was worse than the government’s response in 2005 to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-katrina">Hurricane Katrina</a>, which resulted in 1,392 fatalities. By contrast, Hurricane Helene has resulted in roughly 230 deaths.“This is the worst response to a storm or a catastrophe or a hurricane that we’ve ever seen, ever,” Trump said. “Probably worse than Katrina, and that’s hard to beat, right?”

🎥Biden condemns ‘un-American’ ‘lies’ about federal storm response 

LARNED—The grounds of the Santa Fe Trail Center Museum will soon be filled with the rumbling of the sounds of antique and vintage farm equipment.

Prepare for a carnival-like atmosphere, and join the crowd as everyone enjoys the weekend of farming, food and fun on October 12 and 13 for the 24th Annual Tired Iron Show.

This year’s event will highlight John Deere.

Upon arrival, visitors will enter through the Peddlers Market gateway to see the booths of various arts, crafts and collectibles. There will be several food concession trucks as well.

One of the many returning activities at this year’s event includes the ever-popular Anvil Shoot.

The Kansas Anvil Shooters will shoot the anvil three times each day.

On both Saturday and Sunday, there will be scheduled demonstrations of wheat threshing, corn shelling, and blacksmithing.There will also be a working miniature farm equipment display.The tractor pull will begin Sunday at 10:00 a.m.

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/santafetrailcenter/">A full schedule can be found on Facebook.</a>

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/santafetrailcenter/"></a>Those interested in either a booth for the Peddlers Market or for exhibiting an antique tractor, gas engine, antique or classic vehicle may call (620) 285-2054 for more information.

The Santa Fe Trail Center is located 2 miles west of Larned on K-156.To reduce traffic, the main entrance is reserved for general admission, and all oversized vehicles are asked to use the new west entrance.



<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696962033604.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LARNED—The grounds of the Santa Fe Trail Center Museum will soon be filled with the rumbling of the sounds of antique and vintage farm equipment.Prepare for a carnival-like atmosphere, and join the crowd as everyone enjoys the weekend of farming, food and fun on October 12 and 13 for the 24th Annual Tired Iron Show.This year’s event will highlight John Deere.Upon arrival, visitors will enter through the Peddlers Market gateway to see the booths of various arts, crafts and collectibles. There will be several food concession trucks as well.One of the many returning activities at this year’s event includes the ever-popular Anvil Shoot.The Kansas Anvil Shooters will shoot the anvil three times each day.On both Saturday and Sunday, there will be scheduled demonstrations of wheat threshing, corn shelling, and blacksmithing.There will also be a working miniature farm equipment display.The tractor pull will begin Sunday at 10:00 a.m.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/santafetrailcenter/">A full schedule can be found on Facebook.</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/santafetrailcenter/"></a>Those interested in either a booth for the Peddlers Market or for exhibiting an antique tractor, gas engine, antique or classic vehicle may call (620) 285-2054 for more information.The Santa Fe Trail Center is located 2 miles west of Larned on K-156.To reduce traffic, the main entrance is reserved for general admission, and all oversized vehicles are asked to use the new west entrance.

KU lecturer on leave after ‘inappropriate reference to violence’ during class

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Athletics will welcome seven new members into the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 26, 2024. The inductees going into the Hall of Fame this year include Gary Grubb (Track and Field, 1974-75), Randy Hill (Wrestling, 1975-79), Don Carter (Track &amp; Field, 1985-87), Chris Capettini (Football, 1988-91), Darcie Schmitz (Riordan) (Track and Field, 2009-11), Dominique Jones (Men's Basketball, 2009-11), and Kate Lehman (Bremerman) (Women's Basketball, 2011-2015).

The induction ceremony will take place the morning of Saturday, October 26 inside the Memorial Union on the campus of Fort Hays State University. Registration for the invitation only event begins at 8 AM and the ceremony begins at 9 AM. The new Hall of Fame class will then be recognized publicly at halftime of the Fort Hays State vs. Missouri Southern football game, which begins at 1 p.m.

Gary Grubb - Track and Field (1974-75) (Posthumous) Gary Grubb, native of Tribune, Kansas, was the NAIA national champion in the pole vault for the outdoor season as a junior in 1974. He cleared a height of 15 feet, 6 inches to win the championship. He was the national runner-up the same year at the NAIA Indoor Championships. Grubb was the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champion during the 1974 outdoor season. He qualified for the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in 1975 as well, placing eighth at the outdoor championships.

Randy Hill - Wrestling (1975-79) Randy Hill, native of Wamego, Kansas, wrestled for three years at Fort Hays State between 1975-1979. He was an All-America performer in 1979 as a senior, finishing as the national runner-up at 167 pounds with a 13-2-1 record overall. His effort helped the team to a 7th-place finish nationally that season, which tied the program's highest team finish at nationals at that point. During his junior year of 1976-77, Hill became the first FHSU wrestler in history to complete an undefeated regular season, going 21-0 before competing at the national championship site where he went 3-2 to finish 24-2 overall. Both of his losses at nationals that year were to two-time national champions. Hill was a four-time national qualifier overall, once at Pratt Community College in the junior college ranks before qualifying three times at FHSU. He finished with an overall record of 44-11-2 (.789) at FHSU. At the end of his career in 1979, Hill owned the FHSU career records for points, near falls, and escapes.

Don Carter - Track &amp; Field (1985-87) Don Carter, native of Emporia, Kansas, was a five-time NAIA All-America performer for the Tigers and set six school records in jumping events, competing from 1985 to 1987. As a sophomore in 1985, he placed second nationally in both the outdoor triple jump and high jump. He set the school triple jump record that year at 51-feet, 0.75-inches and also the high jump record at 7-feet, 0.5-inches. His triple jump record still stands today as no Tiger during the NCAA Division II era has ever gone past 50 feet. During the 1986 indoor season, Carter was District 10 champion in both the triple jump and high jump and went on to claim All-America honors at the NAIA national meet, finishing fourth in the triple jump and fifth in the high jump. Carter nabbed his final All-America honor during the indoor season of 1987 with a fourth-place finish in the high jump. Carter still owns three school records at FHSU, standing for nearly for 40 years now, which includes outdoor triple jump (51'0.75" - 1985), indoor high jump (7'1" - 1985), and indoor triple jump (49'9.5" - 1986). He and Steve Broxterman (Tiger Sports Hall of Fame member) are the only Tigers to eclipse the 7-foot high jump barrier in the program's NAIA history, and it was only eclipsed once outdoors in the NCAA Division II era by Matt Bixenman. At the end of his career, Carter owned all six FHSU records for both indoor and outdoor triple jump (I - 49'9.5" O - 51'0.75"), long jump (I - 23'9", O - 24'6.75"), and high jump (I - 7'1", O - 7'1"). Carter and John Mason still own the most individual FHSU records among athletes that competed in the program's NAIA era, both with three, as Carter still holds the standard for indoor triple jump and high jump, and outdoor triple jump.

Chris Capettini - Football (1988-91) Chris Capettini, native of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, played football at Fort Hays State from 1988-91. Capettini was a two-time NAIA All-America selection at tight end, used often as a key blocker in the running game for FHSU his last two seasons. Capetinni was a defensive tackle the first two years of his career at FHSU before transitioning to tight end under new head coach Bob Cortese in 1990. Capetinni helped the Tigers to their only NAIA playoff appearance in 1990 when they fell to Central State (Ohio) in the first round. He was a part of a team that went from 3-6-1 his freshman year and 3-7 his sophomore year, to 8-4 his junior year and 8-3 his senior year. The 1990 and 1991 teams tied the school record for wins in a season. In 1991, he helped block for a team that set a school record for rushing yards in a season with 2,996, a record that stood for 24 years. After recording 21 tackles as a freshman and 15 tackles as a sophomore on the defensive side of the ball, Capettini produced 8 receptions for 95 yards and 2 touchdowns in 1990 and 9 receptions for 106 yards and one touchdown in 1991 to go with his strong blocking ability.

Darcie Schmitz - Track and Field (2009-2011) Darcie Schmitz, native of Baileyville, Kansas, was a seven-time All-America (4 outdoor, 3 indoor) performer in track and field in just two years of eligibility at Fort Hays State. She competed outdoors in 2009 and 2011, while competing indoors in 2010 and 2011. She was the 2010 NCAA Division II Indoor National Champion in the long jump and was national runner-up in the triple jump that same season. Schmitz owns both the indoor and outdoor records in long jump and triple jump at FHSU. Her indoor long jump record of 19 feet, 9.5 inches won her the indoor national title in 2010. Her best outdoor long jump mark was 19 feet, 11 inches set at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships when she finished 4th. She set the FHSU triple jump record for both outdoor and indoor at 41 feet, 1 inch and the outdoor record set a new MIAA Outdoor Championship meet record in 2011. She was the MIAA Outdoor Champion in both the long jump and triple jump in 2011 and was a 7-time All-MIAA performer overall (top-3 finisher). Schmitz was also a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team selection, earning the honors in 2010 and 2011. She transferred to FHSU from Cloud County Community College, where she was an NJCAA All-America performer and junior college Academic All-America selection.

Dominique Jones - Men's Basketball (2009-11) Dominique Jones, native of Harlem, N.Y., played two seasons at Fort Hays State from 2009-2011, serving at the team's point guard. Jones was a State Farm/NABC All-America First Team and Division II Bulletin All-America selection in 2011, leading a nationally ranked Tiger team at 17.9 points and 6.3 assists per game. That season, he scored 592 points and dished out 207 assists, helping the Tigers to a record of 26-7 overall, while also earning All-MIAA First Team honors and the MIAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Award when he helped the Tigers to an MIAA Tournament Championship. Jones helped the Tigers to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in both 2010 and 2011 as the Tigers posted an overall record of 49-14 over the two years. A two-time All-MIAA First Team selection, Jones nearly scored 1,000 points in his two years at FHSU with 983, leading the Tigers in scoring each year. His 5.1 assists per game average ranks fifth in program history and his 324 assists overall ranks seventh in program history. Following his time at Fort Hays State, Jones eventually became a superstar professionally on the FIBA 3-on-3 World Tour for several years and in 2019 was named the FIBA 3x3 World Tour MVP. For a good length of time Jones was the No. 1 ranked 3x3 World Tour player in the United States. Jones also enjoyed a brief stint with the Harlem Globetrotters in the summer of 2015. As one of the top 3x3 players in the United States, Jones earned his way to being a member of Team USA and helped lead the United States to a gold medal in the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Jones was also a member of the U.S. Olympic Qualifying Team in 2020.

Kate Lehman - Women's Basketball (2011-15) Kate Lehman, native of Newton, Kansas, played four seasons at Fort Hays State from 2011-2015. Lehman was the MIAA Player of the Year in her senior year of 2014-15, while also earning BennettRank.com National Player of the Year honors. She was an All-America selection in both 2014 and 2015, earning the distinction both years from the WBCA and Division II Bulletin, while also earning the honor once from Dakronics and BennettRank.com. Lehman was a four-time All-MIAA selection, earning first-team honors each of her last three seasons, and was twice an MIAA All-Tournament Team selection (2013, 2015). She was a Daktronics All-Central Region selection in each of her final three seasons at FHSU (2013, 2014, 2015). Lehman was named to the MIAA All-Defensive Team all four years as a Tiger and was the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Lehman was also tremendous in the classroom as she earned CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team honors in 2015. Lehman put together the most decorated career by a Tiger in the program's NCAA Division II history as far as awards are concerned. She is FHSU's all-time leading rebounder at 1,109 for her career, and ranks second on the career scoring list with 1,917 points. She is the only player in program history to reach the 1,000 mark in both points and rebounds. Lehman shattered the program's all-time blocked shots record with 515, which is 349 more than the next player on the list. She also owns the school record for free-throws made (523). Lehman's blocked shot average of 5.3 per game in 2013-14 stands as an NCAA Division II record for players in their junior year, while it also set an MIAA single-season record. Lehman's 515 career blocked shots ranks second-most in NCAA Division II history, bested only by LaKisha Phifer of St. Paul's, and her 4.3 blocks per game career average ranks fourth-best in NCAA Division II history. Her 55 career double-doubles ranks 17th in NCAA Division II history and her three triple-doubles ranks fourth in NCAA Division II history. She led NCAA Division II in blocked shots per game as both a sophomore at 4.2 per game and as a junior at 5.3 per game.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728528721041.png" alt="Untitled.png" />
 <figcaption>Untitled.png</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Athletics will welcome seven new members into the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 26, 2024. The inductees going into the Hall of Fame this year include Gary Grubb (Track and Field, 1974-75), Randy Hill (Wrestling, 1975-79), Don Carter (Track &amp; Field, 1985-87), Chris Capettini (Football, 1988-91), Darcie Schmitz (Riordan) (Track and Field, 2009-11), Dominique Jones (Men's Basketball, 2009-11), and Kate Lehman (Bremerman) (Women's Basketball, 2011-2015).The induction ceremony will take place the morning of Saturday, October 26 inside the Memorial Union on the campus of Fort Hays State University. Registration for the invitation only event begins at 8 AM and the ceremony begins at 9 AM. The new Hall of Fame class will then be recognized publicly at halftime of the Fort Hays State vs. Missouri Southern football game, which begins at 1 p.m.Gary Grubb - Track and Field (1974-75) (Posthumous) Gary Grubb, native of Tribune, Kansas, was the NAIA national champion in the pole vault for the outdoor season as a junior in 1974. He cleared a height of 15 feet, 6 inches to win the championship. He was the national runner-up the same year at the NAIA Indoor Championships. Grubb was the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champion during the 1974 outdoor season. He qualified for the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in 1975 as well, placing eighth at the outdoor championships.Randy Hill - Wrestling (1975-79) Randy Hill, native of Wamego, Kansas, wrestled for three years at Fort Hays State between 1975-1979. He was an All-America performer in 1979 as a senior, finishing as the national runner-up at 167 pounds with a 13-2-1 record overall. His effort helped the team to a 7th-place finish nationally that season, which tied the program's highest team finish at nationals at that point. During his junior year of 1976-77, Hill became the first FHSU wrestler in history to complete an undefeated regular season, going 21-0 before competing at the national championship site where he went 3-2 to finish 24-2 overall. Both of his losses at nationals that year were to two-time national champions. Hill was a four-time national qualifier overall, once at Pratt Community College in the junior college ranks before qualifying three times at FHSU. He finished with an overall record of 44-11-2 (.789) at FHSU. At the end of his career in 1979, Hill owned the FHSU career records for points, near falls, and escapes.Don Carter - Track &amp; Field (1985-87) Don Carter, native of Emporia, Kansas, was a five-time NAIA All-America performer for the Tigers and set six school records in jumping events, competing from 1985 to 1987. As a sophomore in 1985, he placed second nationally in both the outdoor triple jump and high jump. He set the school triple jump record that year at 51-feet, 0.75-inches and also the high jump record at 7-feet, 0.5-inches. His triple jump record still stands today as no Tiger during the NCAA Division II era has ever gone past 50 feet. During the 1986 indoor season, Carter was District 10 champion in both the triple jump and high jump and went on to claim All-America honors at the NAIA national meet, finishing fourth in the triple jump and fifth in the high jump. Carter nabbed his final All-America honor during the indoor season of 1987 with a fourth-place finish in the high jump. Carter still owns three school records at FHSU, standing for nearly for 40 years now, which includes outdoor triple jump (51'0.75" - 1985), indoor high jump (7'1" - 1985), and indoor triple jump (49'9.5" - 1986). He and Steve Broxterman (Tiger Sports Hall of Fame member) are the only Tigers to eclipse the 7-foot high jump barrier in the program's NAIA history, and it was only eclipsed once outdoors in the NCAA Division II era by Matt Bixenman. At the end of his career, Carter owned all six FHSU records for both indoor and outdoor triple jump (I - 49'9.5" O - 51'0.75"), long jump (I - 23'9", O - 24'6.75"), and high jump (I - 7'1", O - 7'1"). Carter and John Mason still own the most individual FHSU records among athletes that competed in the program's NAIA era, both with three, as Carter still holds the standard for indoor triple jump and high jump, and outdoor triple jump.Chris Capettini - Football (1988-91) Chris Capettini, native of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, played football at Fort Hays State from 1988-91. Capettini was a two-time NAIA All-America selection at tight end, used often as a key blocker in the running game for FHSU his last two seasons. Capetinni was a defensive tackle the first two years of his career at FHSU before transitioning to tight end under new head coach Bob Cortese in 1990. Capetinni helped the Tigers to their only NAIA playoff appearance in 1990 when they fell to Central State (Ohio) in the first round. He was a part of a team that went from 3-6-1 his freshman year and 3-7 his sophomore year, to 8-4 his junior year and 8-3 his senior year. The 1990 and 1991 teams tied the school record for wins in a season. In 1991, he helped block for a team that set a school record for rushing yards in a season with 2,996, a record that stood for 24 years. After recording 21 tackles as a freshman and 15 tackles as a sophomore on the defensive side of the ball, Capettini produced 8 receptions for 95 yards and 2 touchdowns in 1990 and 9 receptions for 106 yards and one touchdown in 1991 to go with his strong blocking ability.Darcie Schmitz - Track and Field (2009-2011) Darcie Schmitz, native of Baileyville, Kansas, was a seven-time All-America (4 outdoor, 3 indoor) performer in track and field in just two years of eligibility at Fort Hays State. She competed outdoors in 2009 and 2011, while competing indoors in 2010 and 2011. She was the 2010 NCAA Division II Indoor National Champion in the long jump and was national runner-up in the triple jump that same season. Schmitz owns both the indoor and outdoor records in long jump and triple jump at FHSU. Her indoor long jump record of 19 feet, 9.5 inches won her the indoor national title in 2010. Her best outdoor long jump mark was 19 feet, 11 inches set at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships when she finished 4th. She set the FHSU triple jump record for both outdoor and indoor at 41 feet, 1 inch and the outdoor record set a new MIAA Outdoor Championship meet record in 2011. She was the MIAA Outdoor Champion in both the long jump and triple jump in 2011 and was a 7-time All-MIAA performer overall (top-3 finisher). Schmitz was also a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team selection, earning the honors in 2010 and 2011. She transferred to FHSU from Cloud County Community College, where she was an NJCAA All-America performer and junior college Academic All-America selection.Dominique Jones - Men's Basketball (2009-11) Dominique Jones, native of Harlem, N.Y., played two seasons at Fort Hays State from 2009-2011, serving at the team's point guard. Jones was a State Farm/NABC All-America First Team and Division II Bulletin All-America selection in 2011, leading a nationally ranked Tiger team at 17.9 points and 6.3 assists per game. That season, he scored 592 points and dished out 207 assists, helping the Tigers to a record of 26-7 overall, while also earning All-MIAA First Team honors and the MIAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Award when he helped the Tigers to an MIAA Tournament Championship. Jones helped the Tigers to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in both 2010 and 2011 as the Tigers posted an overall record of 49-14 over the two years. A two-time All-MIAA First Team selection, Jones nearly scored 1,000 points in his two years at FHSU with 983, leading the Tigers in scoring each year. His 5.1 assists per game average ranks fifth in program history and his 324 assists overall ranks seventh in program history. Following his time at Fort Hays State, Jones eventually became a superstar professionally on the FIBA 3-on-3 World Tour for several years and in 2019 was named the FIBA 3x3 World Tour MVP. For a good length of time Jones was the No. 1 ranked 3x3 World Tour player in the United States. Jones also enjoyed a brief stint with the Harlem Globetrotters in the summer of 2015. As one of the top 3x3 players in the United States, Jones earned his way to being a member of Team USA and helped lead the United States to a gold medal in the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Jones was also a member of the U.S. Olympic Qualifying Team in 2020.Kate Lehman - Women's Basketball (2011-15) Kate Lehman, native of Newton, Kansas, played four seasons at Fort Hays State from 2011-2015. Lehman was the MIAA Player of the Year in her senior year of 2014-15, while also earning BennettRank.com National Player of the Year honors. She was an All-America selection in both 2014 and 2015, earning the distinction both years from the WBCA and Division II Bulletin, while also earning the honor once from Dakronics and BennettRank.com. Lehman was a four-time All-MIAA selection, earning first-team honors each of her last three seasons, and was twice an MIAA All-Tournament Team selection (2013, 2015). She was a Daktronics All-Central Region selection in each of her final three seasons at FHSU (2013, 2014, 2015). Lehman was named to the MIAA All-Defensive Team all four years as a Tiger and was the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Lehman was also tremendous in the classroom as she earned CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team honors in 2015. Lehman put together the most decorated career by a Tiger in the program's NCAA Division II history as far as awards are concerned. She is FHSU's all-time leading rebounder at 1,109 for her career, and ranks second on the career scoring list with 1,917 points. She is the only player in program history to reach the 1,000 mark in both points and rebounds. Lehman shattered the program's all-time blocked shots record with 515, which is 349 more than the next player on the list. She also owns the school record for free-throws made (523). Lehman's blocked shot average of 5.3 per game in 2013-14 stands as an NCAA Division II record for players in their junior year, while it also set an MIAA single-season record. Lehman's 515 career blocked shots ranks second-most in NCAA Division II history, bested only by LaKisha Phifer of St. Paul's, and her 4.3 blocks per game career average ranks fourth-best in NCAA Division II history. Her 55 career double-doubles ranks 17th in NCAA Division II history and her three triple-doubles ranks fourth in NCAA Division II history. She led NCAA Division II in blocked shots per game as both a sophomore at 4.2 per game and as a junior at 5.3 per game.&nbsp;&nbsp;

FHSU Athletics announces 2024 Hall of Fame class

Zane Asher Page, age 16, of Hays, Kansas passed away Saturday,
October 5, 2024 in rural Ellis County as the result of an automobile accident.
Zane was born on November 4, 2007, in Hays, Kansas to David Hilton Jr. and
Heather Page.

Zane was a bright and spirited student currently in the 11th grade
at Hays High School. Known for his infectious laughter and his unique sense of
humor—often delivering jokes at the most unexpected moments. He was a cherished
friend to many. Zane's passions included wrestling, fishing, and spending time
outdoors around campfires and barbecues.

&nbsp;He is survived by his parents, Heather Page of Hays, David
Hilton Jr. of Houston, Texas, Bryan and Erika Noone of Hays; Zane is also
mourned by his siblings: Garrett Page, Kelsi Page, Zoe Martin, Morgan Noone,
Myles Hilton, Hannah Page, Brandon Glaze, Aries Glaze, Kian Noone, and Logan
Noone; his grandparents, Lynnette Purvis, Dale and Shelly Haselhorst, and Tom
and Normadine Noone, all of Hays. Aunts and uncles, Brad and Jami Noone,
Courtney and Jeff Leggett, Sharon and Chris Gianacopolos, Jennifer and Chris
Sida, Meaghan and Tommy Lee, Tessa and Eric Schwartz, Stephanie and Kellie
Koerner, and Ty and Rebecca Barnes as well as his nieces and nephews, Mia,
Jace, and Kia.&nbsp;

Zane was preceded in death by a brother, Benjamin Page and a
grandmother, Jackie Chamoff.

A celebration of Zane's life will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday,
October 12, 2024, with a memorial visitation starting at 9:00 AM all at North
Oak Community Church, located at 3000 Oak Street in Hays.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made according
to the wishes of the family, payable to Keithley Funeral Homes.&nbsp;

Friends and family are encouraged to share their memories and
words of comfort on Zane’s tribute page at <a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>.

Services are in care of Keithley Funeral Homes and Crematory, 2509
Vine, Hays, KS 67601.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728500131868.jpeg" alt="Zane Asher Page" />
 <figcaption>Zane Asher Page</figcaption>
 </figure>Zane Asher Page, age 16, of Hays, Kansas passed away Saturday,
October 5, 2024 in rural Ellis County as the result of an automobile accident.
Zane was born on November 4, 2007, in Hays, Kansas to David Hilton Jr. and
Heather Page.Zane was a bright and spirited student currently in the 11th grade
at Hays High School. Known for his infectious laughter and his unique sense of
humor—often delivering jokes at the most unexpected moments. He was a cherished
friend to many. Zane's passions included wrestling, fishing, and spending time
outdoors around campfires and barbecues.&nbsp;He is survived by his parents, Heather Page of Hays, David
Hilton Jr. of Houston, Texas, Bryan and Erika Noone of Hays; Zane is also
mourned by his siblings: Garrett Page, Kelsi Page, Zoe Martin, Morgan Noone,
Myles Hilton, Hannah Page, Brandon Glaze, Aries Glaze, Kian Noone, and Logan
Noone; his grandparents, Lynnette Purvis, Dale and Shelly Haselhorst, and Tom
and Normadine Noone, all of Hays. Aunts and uncles, Brad and Jami Noone,
Courtney and Jeff Leggett, Sharon and Chris Gianacopolos, Jennifer and Chris
Sida, Meaghan and Tommy Lee, Tessa and Eric Schwartz, Stephanie and Kellie
Koerner, and Ty and Rebecca Barnes as well as his nieces and nephews, Mia,
Jace, and Kia.&nbsp;Zane was preceded in death by a brother, Benjamin Page and a
grandmother, Jackie Chamoff.A celebration of Zane's life will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday,
October 12, 2024, with a memorial visitation starting at 9:00 AM all at North
Oak Community Church, located at 3000 Oak Street in Hays.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made according
to the wishes of the family, payable to Keithley Funeral Homes.&nbsp;Friends and family are encouraged to share their memories and
words of comfort on Zane’s tribute page at <a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>.Services are in care of Keithley Funeral Homes and Crematory, 2509
Vine, Hays, KS 67601.

Zane Asher Page

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a> <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>

Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled a plan Tuesday that would strengthen Medicare coverage to include long-term care for seniors in their homes, tackling one of the biggest challenges in U.S. health care.

The Democratic presidential nominee revealed the proposal while on “The View” — one of several high-profile media appearances this week as she and the GOP presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, sprint to the November finish line.

“There are so many people in our country who are right in the middle: They’re taking care of their kids and they’re taking care of their aging parents, and it’s just almost impossible to do it all, especially if they work,” Harris said during the live interview. “We’re finding that so many are then having to leave their job, which means losing a source of income, not to mention the emotional stress.”

Harris is focusing on the “sandwich generation,” which refers to Americans who are caring for their children while also caring for aging parents.

Under&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25196234-harrismedicareathomeplan" target="_blank">the plan</a>, Medicare — the nation’s health insurance program for people 65 and older and some under 65 with certain disabilities or conditions — would cover an at-home health benefit for those enrolled in the program, as well as hearing and vision benefits, according to her campaign in a Tuesday fact sheet.

Medicare for the most part now does not cover long-term care services like home health aides.

The benefits would be funded by “expanding Medicare drug price negotiations, increasing the discounts drug manufacturers cover for certain brand-name drugs in Medicare, and addressing Medicare fraud,” per her campaign.

Harris also plans to “crack down on pharmaceutical benefit managers (PBMs) to increase transparency, disclose more information on costs, and regulate other practices that raise prices,” according to her campaign, which said she will also “implement international tax reform.”

The campaign did not cite a price tag but noted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/a-home-care-benefit-for-medicare/" target="_blank">similar plans</a>&nbsp;have been estimated to cost $40 billion annually, “before considering ​​savings from avoiding hospitalizations and more expensive institutional care, or the additional revenues that would generate from more unpaid family caregivers going back to work if they need to.”

The proposal comes along with the nominee’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/harris-pitches-opportunity-economy-debut-one-one-tv-interview" target="_blank">sweeping economic plan</a>, part of which involves cutting taxes for more than 100 million Americans, including $6,000 in tax relief for new parents in the first year of their child’s life.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623708723138.jpeg" alt="-&nbsp;The Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, on Tuesday announced a proposal on long-term care under Medicare focused on the “sandwich generation,” which refers to Americans who are caring for their children while also caring for aging parents.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>-&nbsp;The Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, on Tuesday announced a proposal on long-term care under Medicare focused on the “sandwich generation,” which refers to Americans who are caring for their children while also caring for aging parents.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a> <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled a plan Tuesday that would strengthen Medicare coverage to include long-term care for seniors in their homes, tackling one of the biggest challenges in U.S. health care.The Democratic presidential nominee revealed the proposal while on “The View” — one of several high-profile media appearances this week as she and the GOP presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, sprint to the November finish line.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">I took care of my mother when she was sick with cancer—I know that caregiving is about dignity. My plan will allow Medicare to cover in-home health care, which will lower costs and reduce the financial and emotional stress for families across the country. <a href="https://t.co/NR5ROKCzfl">pic.twitter.com/NR5ROKCzfl</a>&mdash; Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1843716356069327005?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“There are so many people in our country who are right in the middle: They’re taking care of their kids and they’re taking care of their aging parents, and it’s just almost impossible to do it all, especially if they work,” Harris said during the live interview. “We’re finding that so many are then having to leave their job, which means losing a source of income, not to mention the emotional stress.”Harris is focusing on the “sandwich generation,” which refers to Americans who are caring for their children while also caring for aging parents.Under&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25196234-harrismedicareathomeplan" target="_blank">the plan</a>, Medicare — the nation’s health insurance program for people 65 and older and some under 65 with certain disabilities or conditions — would cover an at-home health benefit for those enrolled in the program, as well as hearing and vision benefits, according to her campaign in a Tuesday fact sheet.Medicare for the most part now does not cover long-term care services like home health aides.The benefits would be funded by “expanding Medicare drug price negotiations, increasing the discounts drug manufacturers cover for certain brand-name drugs in Medicare, and addressing Medicare fraud,” per her campaign.Harris also plans to “crack down on pharmaceutical benefit managers (PBMs) to increase transparency, disclose more information on costs, and regulate other practices that raise prices,” according to her campaign, which said she will also “implement international tax reform.”The campaign did not cite a price tag but noted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/a-home-care-benefit-for-medicare/" target="_blank">similar plans</a>&nbsp;have been estimated to cost $40 billion annually, “before considering ​​savings from avoiding hospitalizations and more expensive institutional care, or the additional revenues that would generate from more unpaid family caregivers going back to work if they need to.”The proposal comes along with the nominee’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/harris-pitches-opportunity-economy-debut-one-one-tv-interview" target="_blank">sweeping economic plan</a>, part of which involves cutting taxes for more than 100 million Americans, including $6,000 in tax relief for new parents in the first year of their child’s life.<h2>Trump responds</h2>In response to the proposal, the Trump campaign said the former president “will always fight for America’s senior citizens — who have been left behind by Kamala Harris,” per a Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/news/3da13bf5-4a2d-47e9-bfaf-69cc77f14bbc" target="_blank">news release</a>.The campaign also cited Medicare Advantage&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trump-administration-announces-changes-medicare-advantage-and-part-d-provide-better-coverage-and" target="_blank">policies</a>&nbsp;extended by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in Trump’s first term.The campaign reiterated the&nbsp;<a href="https://cdn.nucleusfiles.com/be/beb1a388-1d88-4389-a67d-c1e2d7f8bedf/2024-gop-platform-july-7-final.pdf?_nlid=m5eUxFGPUe&amp;_nhids=RmedtdnxlK" target="_blank">2024 GOP platform</a>’s chapter on protecting seniors, saying Trump will “prioritize home care benefits by shifting resources back to at-home senior care, overturning disincentives that lead to care worker shortages, and supporting unpaid family caregivers through tax credits and reduced red tape.”<h2>Harris and Howard Stern</h2>While appearing live on “The Howard Stern Show” on Tuesday shortly after “The View,” Harris dubbed Trump an “unserious man,” saying the consequences of him serving another term are “brutally serious.”She also again criticized Trump for nominating three of the five members to the U.S. Supreme Court who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022 — a reversal that ended nearly half a century of the constitutional right to abortion.“And it’s not about abortion, you have basically now a system that says you as an individual do not have the right to make a decision about your own body. The government has the right to make that decision for you,” she said.Harris, who said she would appoint a Republican to her Cabinet if elected, was asked whether she would choose former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney.Cheney was the vice chair of the U.S. House Jan. 6 committee tasked with investigating the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.Harris did not disclose a preference, but said Cheney is “smart,” “remarkable” and a “dedicated public servant.”Cheney is among some prominent Republicans to endorse Harris. She&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/democrats-flaunt-republican-endorsements-harris-presidential-bid" target="_blank">campaigned with the veep in Ripon, Wisconsin</a>&nbsp;— the birthplace of the Republican Party — just last week.<h2>Trump talks with Ben Shapiro</h2>Meanwhile, Trump said Harris is “grossly incompetent” during an interview that aired Tuesday on “The Ben Shapiro Show.”“Biden was incompetent, she is equally incompetent and in a certain way, she’s more incompetent,” Trump told Shapiro, a conservative political commentator and co-founder of The Daily Wire, referring to President Joe Biden.Trump also criticized Harris’ Monday interview on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/harris-60-minutes-says-congress-would-work-her-president-if-shes-elected" target="_blank">CBS News’ “60 Minutes,”</a>&nbsp;saying the veep “answers questions like a child.”“She’s answering questions in the most basic way and getting killed over it,” Trump added.<h2>Look ahead for Harris, Trump campaigns</h2>Harris was also set to also appear on CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Tuesday night. She will also appear at a Univision town hall in Las Vegas, Nevada, that airs Thursday.Trump was slated to participate in a roundtable with Latino leaders and a Univision town hall on Tuesday in Miami, but both events were postponed due to Hurricane Milton.Trump is set to give remarks Wednesday in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Later that day, he will continue campaigning in the Keystone State with a rally in Reading.