By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

A long-vacant Plainville property is set to become The Yard, a vision designed to bring new life to East Mill Street.

The project will turn the empty lot, once the site of Plainville’s historic lumberyard, into a multi-use community space for events, activities and celebrations.

Justin Casey, president of Downtown Plainville Inc., and Ashley Comeau, a Downtown Plainville board member, said the project will include a stage, designated food-truck parking, connecting sidewalks, shade structures and a play area for children.

"Our group wanted to see something downtown that brought a little bit more livelihood to it," Casey said.&nbsp;

Comeau said the old lumberyard had become a safety concern as its condition deteriorated, which ultimately drew the board’s attention to the site.

"It became one of those things where everyone said, 'somebody should do something,' and we finally decided that Downtown Plainville Inc. should be that somebody," Comeau said.

The 2025 Cookie Crawl this Saturday will help raise funds for phase one of the project. Participants can stop at downtown businesses to collect cookies to take home for the holidays. Totes and maps cost $25, with a limited number available.

You can learn more about the Cookie Crawl <a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Fb1A5Cb7R/">here</a>.

Phase one will focus on building the stage, with work to be completed by local contractors. The nonprofit has raised $60,000 toward the estimated $140,000 needed for this phase, with the board aiming to complete it by the end of 2026, Comeau said.

Downtown Plainville has applied for several phase one grants, and those could free up locally raised funds to move directly into phase two. Downtown Plainville plans to pursue additional grants to match community contributions and support long-term development.

Comeau said much of the fundraising momentum has come from local donations and business support. A capital campaign planned for 2026 will offer naming-rights opportunities to individuals and businesses.

"The city council has been an outstanding partner on the project," Comeau said. "The city backing us has made all the difference in bringing the project to life."

Comeau said Downtown Plainville has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the city of Plainville. The nonprofit will handle project improvements, while the city will own and maintain the property.

Future phases will add shaded picnic areas, landscaping and a small play area. Comeau said the project will also support local agriculture and foster entrepreneurship while creating a space that can be used year-round.

"We're going to hopefully have music concerts, outdoor movies and any type of small gatherings," Casey said. "It's going ot be a nice space to bring people downtown and just get them out and about."

Comeau said the play area is intentionally designed as a nature-based space rather than a traditional playground, allowing it to blend naturally into the venue.

"For example, if somebody wants to get married or have a private event in this area, there's no distraction of a typical school playground off to the side. It will blend in naturally and look really beautiful as part of the space," she said.

A shipping-container concession stand with built-in storage, planned near the stage, is one of the board’s wishlist features that might be added if the organization raises enough funds for what it considers bonus items.

Kelli Hansen, a Downtown Plainville board member, said the project demonstrates what a group with a shared vision and purpose can accomplish for its community.

"It isn't just about downtown physical improvements, it's about creating a place we can all be proud of, where everyone feels welcome to come together and connect as a community," Hansen said.

You can follow Downtown Plainville Inc. on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DowntownPlainville">Facebook</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765294514615.png" alt="A rendering of the front entrance of The Yard in downtown Plainville. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>A rendering of the front entrance of The Yard in downtown Plainville. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765382889010.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostA long-vacant Plainville property is set to become The Yard, a vision designed to bring new life to East Mill Street.The project will turn the empty lot, once the site of Plainville’s historic lumberyard, into a multi-use community space for events, activities and celebrations.Justin Casey, president of Downtown Plainville Inc., and Ashley Comeau, a Downtown Plainville board member, said the project will include a stage, designated food-truck parking, connecting sidewalks, shade structures and a play area for children."Our group wanted to see something downtown that brought a little bit more livelihood to it," Casey said.&nbsp;Comeau said the old lumberyard had become a safety concern as its condition deteriorated, which ultimately drew the board’s attention to the site."It became one of those things where everyone said, 'somebody should do something,' and we finally decided that Downtown Plainville Inc. should be that somebody," Comeau said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765294583083.jpeg" alt="A rendering of The Yard in downtown Plainville. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>A rendering of The Yard in downtown Plainville. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765294637179.jpeg" alt="A rendering of The Yard in downtown Plainville. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>A rendering of The Yard in downtown Plainville. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765294653343.jpeg" alt="A rendering of The Yard in downtown Plainville. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>A rendering of The Yard in downtown Plainville. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765294728642.jpeg" alt="A rendering of the stage at The Yard in downtown Plainville. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>A rendering of the stage at The Yard in downtown Plainville. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The 2025 Cookie Crawl this Saturday will help raise funds for phase one of the project. Participants can stop at downtown businesses to collect cookies to take home for the holidays. Totes and maps cost $25, with a limited number available.You can learn more about the Cookie Crawl <a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Fb1A5Cb7R/">here</a>.Phase one will focus on building the stage, with work to be completed by local contractors. The nonprofit has raised $60,000 toward the estimated $140,000 needed for this phase, with the board aiming to complete it by the end of 2026, Comeau said.Downtown Plainville has applied for several phase one grants, and those could free up locally raised funds to move directly into phase two. Downtown Plainville plans to pursue additional grants to match community contributions and support long-term development.Comeau said much of the fundraising momentum has come from local donations and business support. A capital campaign planned for 2026 will offer naming-rights opportunities to individuals and businesses."The city council has been an outstanding partner on the project," Comeau said. "The city backing us has made all the difference in bringing the project to life."Comeau said Downtown Plainville has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the city of Plainville. The nonprofit will handle project improvements, while the city will own and maintain the property.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765294691421.jpeg" alt="Seating areas near food truck stalls at The Yard in downtown Plainville. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Seating areas near food truck stalls at The Yard in downtown Plainville. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765294617189.jpeg" alt="Shaded picnic areas of The Yard in downtown Plainville. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Shaded picnic areas of The Yard in downtown Plainville. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Future phases will add shaded picnic areas, landscaping and a small play area. Comeau said the project will also support local agriculture and foster entrepreneurship while creating a space that can be used year-round."We're going to hopefully have music concerts, outdoor movies and any type of small gatherings," Casey said. "It's going ot be a nice space to bring people downtown and just get them out and about."Comeau said the play area is intentionally designed as a nature-based space rather than a traditional playground, allowing it to blend naturally into the venue."For example, if somebody wants to get married or have a private event in this area, there's no distraction of a typical school playground off to the side. It will blend in naturally and look really beautiful as part of the space," she said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765294783611.jpeg" alt="The play area of The Yard in downtown Plainville. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>The play area of The Yard in downtown Plainville. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>A shipping-container concession stand with built-in storage, planned near the stage, is one of the board’s wishlist features that might be added if the organization raises enough funds for what it considers bonus items.Kelli Hansen, a Downtown Plainville board member, said the project demonstrates what a group with a shared vision and purpose can accomplish for its community."It isn't just about downtown physical improvements, it's about creating a place we can all be proud of, where everyone feels welcome to come together and connect as a community," Hansen said. You can follow Downtown Plainville Inc. on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DowntownPlainville">Facebook</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765294462917.png" alt="Proposed shipping container concession stand. Courtesy photo " />
 <figcaption>Proposed shipping container concession stand. Courtesy photo </figcaption>
 </figure>

Nwester: Downtown Plainville plans revival with new gathering space

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

In 2016, a child sent a letter to Santa Claus, not asking for expensive toys but asking for food.

The child says in the shaky letters of small hands just learning to write, "My mom needs food. My mom needs food because we are running out of food."

Megan Ball of Hays said this simple, earnest plea broke hearts. She and others launched a program to help children and families in the Hays USD 489 school system.&nbsp;

The loosely bound group has expanded its efforts from $2,625 to support basic needs for five families in 2019 to 50 donors giving $6,120 in 2024.

More and more needs are being identified, so Megan and her group of big-hearted donors this year have partnered with Women Who Lead to expand the program's fundraising opportunities and to anchor the giving circle with a permanent, year-round nonprofit partner.

"There are definitely, definitely a lot of unmet needs," Ball said.

Women Who Lead has launched the initiative as Supporting Our Students.

In partnership with Breathe Coffee House of Hays, which is offering free coffee to educators, Ball and other volunteers are visiting schools throughout USD 489 to inform teachers about resources available through Supporting Our Students.

In the past, the group has tried to support the very specific needs of children or families. Ball said it could be a pair of shoes, a winter coat, a mattress, grocery gift cards or assistance with school lunch fees.

The Hays Academy of Hair Design has been a partner for multiple years, providing both cash and gift cards for haircuts for families in need.

The program is not intended to replace existing community programs but to address gaps in supporting families.

Although giving used to happen around the holidays, Supporting Our Students has expanded to a year-long effort.

Educators can contact their school counselors or submit a request directly to the committee at&nbsp;<a href="http://womenwholead.org/sos" target="_blank">womenwholead.org/sos</a>. Supporting Our Students committee members process requests and personally shop for the needed item, for example, a pair of shoes.

Request details will remain confidential. Items costing more than $250 might be delayed because they must be approved by the Women Who Lead organization.

All USD 489 schools are now eligible, including Early Childhood Connections and the Hays Virtual School.

Ball said the Supporting Our Children project is even more important for her now that she has her own children.

"I don't think I know anybody who would hear of a child who is in need of food or clothing or those essentials who wouldn't step up to help," Ball said. "So I don't know that I am different than anybody else.

Ball said she came from a giving family.&nbsp;

When her teacher asked for school supplies, Ball's mother always sent extra boxes of crayons or tissue paper because she knew other families would struggle to provide them.

"I think one of the things my parents instilled in us is doing more than is asked," she said. ...

"If I were in that position, I would want someone to help me."

The&nbsp;Supporting Our Students committee is in the second week of a two-week fundraising drive. Ball said the committee wishes to expand its efforts to the Victoria, Ellis and Hays Catholic schools.

As of Tuesday, about $11,000 of the $20,000 in seed money the committee hoped to raise for the expansion had been raised. The campaign will culminate with a fundraiser all day Saturday at Breathe.

However, donations will be accepted year-round.

All donated funds go directly to benefit children and families. Women Who Lead takes no administrative fees. All of the committee work is volunteer.

"Every dollar we raise will go back to  buying a coat or shoes or glasses or a mattress or whatever it is," Ball said.

"Hearing the responses from the teachers about how the parents react is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time," she said.

The committee is requesting monetary donations only because it has no space to store physical donations, and the needs are ever-changing and unique.

If a local business would like to offer in-kind donations or be a partner for future needs, please contact Ball at meganrachelleball@gmail.com.

You can donate online by visiting womenwholead.org and clicking <a href="https://womenwholead.org/3732-2/">Directed Donations</a> under the "Sponsors" tab. Select "Supporting our Schools/​Youth."

You can also donate through Venmo&nbsp;@​womenwholead or mail checks payable to Women Who Lead to PO Box 453, Hays, KS 67601. Please note Supporting Our Youth in the subject line.

Women Who Lead is a Hays-based nonprofit founded in 2017. Its mission is to inspire and empower women to effect change in their community.

To learn more about the organization, its projects, donations or membership, visit <a href="https://womenwholead.org/">womenwholead.org</a> or follow the nonprofit 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/2025/12/1765402448062.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostIn 2016, a child sent a letter to Santa Claus, not asking for expensive toys but asking for food.The child says in the shaky letters of small hands just learning to write, "My mom needs food. My mom needs food because we are running out of food."Megan Ball of Hays said this simple, earnest plea broke hearts. She and others launched a program to help children and families in the Hays USD 489 school system.&nbsp;The loosely bound group has expanded its efforts from $2,625 to support basic needs for five families in 2019 to 50 donors giving $6,120 in 2024.More and more needs are being identified, so Megan and her group of big-hearted donors this year have partnered with Women Who Lead to expand the program's fundraising opportunities and to anchor the giving circle with a permanent, year-round nonprofit partner."There are definitely, definitely a lot of unmet needs," Ball said.Women Who Lead has launched the initiative as Supporting Our Students.In partnership with Breathe Coffee House of Hays, which is offering free coffee to educators, Ball and other volunteers are visiting schools throughout USD 489 to inform teachers about resources available through Supporting Our Students.In the past, the group has tried to support the very specific needs of children or families. Ball said it could be a pair of shoes, a winter coat, a mattress, grocery gift cards or assistance with school lunch fees.The Hays Academy of Hair Design has been a partner for multiple years, providing both cash and gift cards for haircuts for families in need.The program is not intended to replace existing community programs but to address gaps in supporting families.Although giving used to happen around the holidays, Supporting Our Students has expanded to a year-long effort.Educators can contact their school counselors or submit a request directly to the committee at&nbsp;<a href="http://womenwholead.org/sos" target="_blank">womenwholead.org/sos</a>. Supporting Our Students committee members process requests and personally shop for the needed item, for example, a pair of shoes.Request details will remain confidential. Items costing more than $250 might be delayed because they must be approved by the Women Who Lead organization.All USD 489 schools are now eligible, including Early Childhood Connections and the Hays Virtual School.Ball said the Supporting Our Children project is even more important for her now that she has her own children."I don't think I know anybody who would hear of a child who is in need of food or clothing or those essentials who wouldn't step up to help," Ball said. "So I don't know that I am different than anybody else.Ball said she came from a giving family.&nbsp;When her teacher asked for school supplies, Ball's mother always sent extra boxes of crayons or tissue paper because she knew other families would struggle to provide them."I think one of the things my parents instilled in us is doing more than is asked," she said. ..."If I were in that position, I would want someone to help me."The&nbsp;Supporting Our Students committee is in the second week of a two-week fundraising drive. Ball said the committee wishes to expand its efforts to the Victoria, Ellis and Hays Catholic schools.As of Tuesday, about $11,000 of the $20,000 in seed money the committee hoped to raise for the expansion had been raised. The campaign will culminate with a fundraiser all day Saturday at Breathe.However, donations will be accepted year-round.All donated funds go directly to benefit children and families. Women Who Lead takes no administrative fees. All of the committee work is volunteer."Every dollar we raise will go back to buying a coat or shoes or glasses or a mattress or whatever it is," Ball said."Hearing the responses from the teachers about how the parents react is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time," she said.The committee is requesting monetary donations only because it has no space to store physical donations, and the needs are ever-changing and unique.If a local business would like to offer in-kind donations or be a partner for future needs, please contact Ball at meganrachelleball@gmail.com.You can donate online by visiting womenwholead.org and clicking <a href="https://womenwholead.org/3732-2/">Directed Donations</a> under the "Sponsors" tab. Select "Supporting our Schools/​Youth."You can also donate through Venmo&nbsp;@​womenwholead or mail checks payable to Women Who Lead to PO Box 453, Hays, KS 67601. Please note Supporting Our Youth in the subject line.Women Who Lead is a Hays-based nonprofit founded in 2017. Its mission is to inspire and empower women to effect change in their community.To learn more about the organization, its projects, donations or membership, visit <a href="https://womenwholead.org/">womenwholead.org</a> or follow the nonprofit on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/womenwholead.org">Facebook</a>.Editor's note: Cristina Janney is a member of Women Who Lead.

Heart-breaking Santa letter sparks group to meet needs of Ellis County children

RENO COUNTY — A former Reno County substitute teacher accused of multiple sex crimes involving students has pleaded guilty to reduced charges&nbsp;in Reno County District Court.&nbsp;.&nbsp;

Whitney Shull, 39, a former substitute teacher for Nickerson-South Hutchinson USD 309, had initially been charged with unlawful sexual relations,&nbsp;attempted&nbsp;unlawful sexual relations, aggravated sexual battery, and two counts of hosting minors consuming alcohol.&nbsp;

According to court&nbsp;documents&nbsp;the&nbsp;allegations stem from incidents that occurred in Reno County between Jan. 31 and Feb. 1&nbsp;of&nbsp;this year&nbsp;involving three teens. Prosecutors alleged Shull engaged in sexual acts with two minors,&nbsp;one consensual and one non-consensual when the alleged victim was&nbsp;unconscious and&nbsp;attempted&nbsp;to force a third teen into a sex act.&nbsp;

Sedgwick County District Attorney spokesperson Lyndsee Stover,&nbsp;confirmed that&nbsp;Shull entered a plea&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;afternoon to five amended misdemeanor charges:&nbsp;

Judge&nbsp;Daniel Gilligan&nbsp;imposed a&nbsp;six-month jail term for each count, with the sentences for counts one, two and three which were ordered to run consecutively, resulting in a controlling sentence of&nbsp;18 months. Shull was granted&nbsp;at least two years of probation, contingent upon her successful completion of treatment at Prairie View.&nbsp;

Under Kansas law, Shull must&nbsp;register as a sex offender for 15 years&nbsp;as a result of&nbsp;the convictions.&nbsp;

Stover noted that the plea agreement included an acknowledgment that under Kansas sentencing guidelines,&nbsp;three adult convictions of class A person misdemeanors count as one adult conviction for criminal-history purposes, per K.S.A. 21-6811(a).&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748894528719.jpeg" alt="Whitney Shull - Reno County Sheriff's Office " />
 <figcaption>Whitney Shull - Reno County Sheriff's Office </figcaption>
 </figure>MARC JACOBS Hutch Post&nbsp;RENO COUNTY — A former Reno County substitute teacher accused of multiple sex crimes involving students has pleaded guilty to reduced charges&nbsp;in Reno County District Court.&nbsp;.&nbsp;Whitney Shull, 39, a former substitute teacher for Nickerson-South Hutchinson USD 309, had initially been charged with unlawful sexual relations,&nbsp;attempted&nbsp;unlawful sexual relations, aggravated sexual battery, and two counts of hosting minors consuming alcohol.&nbsp;According to court&nbsp;documents&nbsp;the&nbsp;allegations stem from incidents that occurred in Reno County between Jan. 31 and Feb. 1&nbsp;of&nbsp;this year&nbsp;involving three teens. Prosecutors alleged Shull engaged in sexual acts with two minors,&nbsp;one consensual and one non-consensual when the alleged victim was&nbsp;unconscious and&nbsp;attempted&nbsp;to force a third teen into a sex act.&nbsp;Sedgwick County District Attorney spokesperson Lyndsee Stover,&nbsp;confirmed that&nbsp;Shull entered a plea&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;afternoon to five amended misdemeanor charges:&nbsp;<ol>
 <li>Count 1: Sexual Battery of A.P., a class A person misdemeanor</li><li>Count 2: Sexual Battery of Z.R., a class A person misdemeanor</li><li>Count 3: Sexual Battery of K.M.J., a class A person misdemeanor</li><li>Count 4: Unlawful Social Hosting of Minors Consuming Alcohol</li><li>Count 5: Unlawful Social Hosting of Minors Consuming Alcohol&nbsp;</li>
 </ol>Judge&nbsp;Daniel Gilligan&nbsp;imposed a&nbsp;six-month jail term for each count, with the sentences for counts one, two and three which were ordered to run consecutively, resulting in a controlling sentence of&nbsp;18 months. Shull was granted&nbsp;at least two years of probation, contingent upon her successful completion of treatment at Prairie View.&nbsp;Under Kansas law, Shull must&nbsp;register as a sex offender for 15 years&nbsp;as a result of&nbsp;the convictions.&nbsp;Stover noted that the plea agreement included an acknowledgment that under Kansas sentencing guidelines,&nbsp;three adult convictions of class A person misdemeanors count as one adult conviction for criminal-history purposes, per K.S.A. 21-6811(a).&nbsp;

Plea deal: Former Kan. teacher must register as a sex offender

Two people have been charged in the death of a 17-year-old Plainville teen on Jan. 12.

Walter V. Lowry II, 40, of Stockton, has been charged with felony aggravated endangerment of a child and interference with a law enforcement officer, according to court records.

According to court documents, Lowry allegedly left the teen, who was allegedly intoxicated, on a county road in the middle of the night. The documents said the temperatures were between 32 and 24 degrees, and the child was wearing minimal clothing.

The child died as a result of hypothermia, according to court records.

The court documents said&nbsp;Lowry also allegedly gave false information to Rooks County Deputy Salvador Ramirez during his investigation of the case.

An arrest warrant was issued for Lowry on Nov. 19.

Lowry is being held on $20,000 bond. He made his first appearance in court on Nov. 25 and was assigned a court-appointed attorney.

A status conference has yet to be set in Lowry's case, according to court records.

Serena Marie Barnhill, 41, Natoma, is being charged with one count of&nbsp;felony aggravated endangerment of a child. She also allegedly was involved in the incident in which the Painville teen was left on a county road in the middle of the night in freezing temperatures.

She was arrested on Nov. 25 and posted a $20,000 bond,&nbsp;according to court records.

Barnhill is set to make a bond appearance before Judge Curtis Brown at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 14.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765486128475.png" alt="Lowry photo Rooks Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Lowry photo Rooks Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostTwo people have been charged in the death of a 17-year-old Plainville teen on Jan. 12.Walter V. Lowry II, 40, of Stockton, has been charged with felony aggravated endangerment of a child and interference with a law enforcement officer, according to court records.According to court documents, Lowry allegedly left the teen, who was allegedly intoxicated, on a county road in the middle of the night. The documents said the temperatures were between 32 and 24 degrees, and the child was wearing minimal clothing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765486019061.png" alt="Barnhill photo Rooks Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Barnhill photo Rooks Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>The child died as a result of hypothermia, according to court records.The court documents said&nbsp;Lowry also allegedly gave false information to Rooks County Deputy Salvador Ramirez during his investigation of the case.An arrest warrant was issued for Lowry on Nov. 19.Lowry is being held on $20,000 bond. He made his first appearance in court on Nov. 25 and was assigned a court-appointed attorney.A status conference has yet to be set in Lowry's case, according to court records.Serena Marie Barnhill, 41, Natoma, is being charged with one count of&nbsp;felony aggravated endangerment of a child. She also allegedly was involved in the incident in which the Painville teen was left on a county road in the middle of the night in freezing temperatures.She was arrested on Nov. 25 and posted a $20,000 bond,&nbsp;according to court records.Barnhill is set to make a bond appearance before Judge Curtis Brown at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 14.

2 arrested in hypothermia death of Plainville teen

A new fund launched by the Heartland Community Foundation will help with food insecurity in Ellis, Rooks and Trego counties.&nbsp;

Becky Kiser, news reporter, talks with Sarah Meitner,&nbsp;Heartland Community Foundation executive director, about the Neighbors Feeding Neighbors Fund on the Hays Post Podcast.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1650389030295.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Post Podcast: New fund at Heartland Community Foundation helps with food insecurity" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:300px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?from=embed&i=rbkyu-19e6dd5-pb&square=1&share=1&download=1&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=300" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>A new fund launched by the Heartland Community Foundation will help with food insecurity in Ellis, Rooks and Trego counties.&nbsp;Becky Kiser, news reporter, talks with Sarah Meitner,&nbsp;Heartland Community Foundation executive director, about the Neighbors Feeding Neighbors Fund on the Hays Post Podcast.&nbsp;

🎤 Post Podcast: New fund at Heartland Community Foundation helps with food insecurity

NEW YORK (AP) — The “Architects of AI” were named Time magazine's person of the year for 2025 on Thursday.

The magazine cited 2025 as the year when the potential of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/artificial-intelligence">artificial intelligence</a>&nbsp;“roared into view" with no turning back.

“For delivering the age of thinking machines, for wowing and worrying humanity, for transforming the present and transcending the possible, the Architects of AI are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year,” Time said in a social media post.

The magazine was deliberate in selecting people — the “individuals who imagined, designed, and built AI” — rather than the technology itself, though there would have been some precedent for that.

“We’ve named not just individuals but also groups, more women than our founders could have imagined (though still not enough), and, on rare occasions, a concept: the endangered earth, in 1988, or the personal computer, in 1982,” wrote Sam Jacobs, the editor-in-chief, in an explanation of the choice. “The drama surrounding the selection of the PC over Apple’s Steve Jobs later became the stuff of books and a movie.”

It made sense for Time to anoint AI because 2025 was the year that it shifted from “a novel technology explored by early adopters to one where a critical mass of consumers see it as part of their mainstream lives,” Thomas Husson, principal analyst at research firm Forrester, said by email.

AI was a leading contender for the top slot, according to prediction markets, along with tech CEOs Jensen Huang of Nvidia and Sam Altman of OpenAI. Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope whose election this year followed the death of Pope Francis, was also considered a contender, with President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani topping lists as well.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-stock-exchange-time-nyse-bell-ringing-91a59ff0f4ce77c0c6f87e55a38c6c75">Trump was named the 2024</a>&nbsp;person of the year by the magazine after his winning his second bid for the White House, succeeding Taylor Swift, who was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-time-person-of-year-2023-6c8ce1275db4cc326fe6ac94ea20bace">2023 person of the year</a>.

The magazine's selection dates from 1927, when its editors have picked the person they say most shaped headlines over the previous 12 months.

NEW YORK (AP) — The “Architects of AI” were named Time magazine's person of the year for 2025 on Thursday.The magazine cited 2025 as the year when the potential of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/artificial-intelligence">artificial intelligence</a>&nbsp;“roared into view" with no turning back.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">2025 was the year when artificial intelligence’s full potential roared into view, and when it became clear that there will be no turning back. For delivering the age of thinking machines, for wowing and worrying humanity, for transforming the present and transcending the… <a href="https://t.co/mEIKRiZfLo">pic.twitter.com/mEIKRiZfLo</a>&mdash; TIME (@TIME) <a href="https://twitter.com/TIME/status/1999097617633189955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“For delivering the age of thinking machines, for wowing and worrying humanity, for transforming the present and transcending the possible, the Architects of AI are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year,” Time said in a social media post.The magazine was deliberate in selecting people — the “individuals who imagined, designed, and built AI” — rather than the technology itself, though there would have been some precedent for that.“We’ve named not just individuals but also groups, more women than our founders could have imagined (though still not enough), and, on rare occasions, a concept: the endangered earth, in 1988, or the personal computer, in 1982,” wrote Sam Jacobs, the editor-in-chief, in an explanation of the choice. “The drama surrounding the selection of the PC over Apple’s Steve Jobs later became the stuff of books and a movie.”It made sense for Time to anoint AI because 2025 was the year that it shifted from “a novel technology explored by early adopters to one where a critical mass of consumers see it as part of their mainstream lives,” Thomas Husson, principal analyst at research firm Forrester, said by email.AI was a leading contender for the top slot, according to prediction markets, along with tech CEOs Jensen Huang of Nvidia and Sam Altman of OpenAI. Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope whose election this year followed the death of Pope Francis, was also considered a contender, with President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani topping lists as well.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-stock-exchange-time-nyse-bell-ringing-91a59ff0f4ce77c0c6f87e55a38c6c75">Trump was named the 2024</a>&nbsp;person of the year by the magazine after his winning his second bid for the White House, succeeding Taylor Swift, who was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-time-person-of-year-2023-6c8ce1275db4cc326fe6ac94ea20bace">2023 person of the year</a>.The magazine's selection dates from 1927, when its editors have picked the person they say most shaped headlines over the previous 12 months.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765461116980.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>

Time magazine reveals unusual person of the year for 2025

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

What happens when a holiday show becomes the only hope to keep a theater alive? Hays Community Theatre explores that high-stakes tale in its newest production.

Cheryl Glassman, writer and director,&nbsp; said the original play is a “show within a show” that follows a cast working under pressure to keep their theater from closing.

"It follows the pursuits of the Gretchen, the director, and the entire cast," Glassman said. "Characters provide comedy, sentimental structure and share candid life moments."

Tickets are available <a href="https://www.hctks.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawOevpJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFpak8xaTZLY0gyMTZ0Wm1Vc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHhDb6VAT-kkc2DPaKeaKpGbF1n09Z8C4zmF3QZ47Fu313ueYsrgsjo_dNALX_aem_vBiwfKo3bijOfbf1sLi9Aw">online</a>&nbsp;and at the door for $10, with attendees asked to bring a nonperishable food item to support local food banks through the Ellis County Ministerial Alliance. Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 2 p.m. Saturday at 121 E. Eighth St.

A bake sale at the theater will also raise funds for the family of Hays Police Sgt. Scott Heinmann, who was recently killed in the line of duty, and to the Lohrmeyer family, who recently lost their home in a fire.

Glassman said the production includes 26 performers,  including 13 children, some of whom are first-time actors. 

Glassman said she drew inspiration from her own theater experience and the many personalities she has worked with behind the scenes while creating productions.

"There's an interesting woman named Marvel, portrayed by Wendy Richmeier, and no one likes her at all. She thinks she's better than the rest of the cast," Glassman said. "I have dealt with people like that in real life before."

The cast includes Claire Nickerson as Gretchen, Gene Stramel as Miles, Kelsey Robben as Mary, Adam Conkey as Marty and Jeremy McGuire as Joe.

Glassman said the stage will feature 3D backdrop elements, including a built-in couch and Christmas tree. While props will be limited to keep attention on the actors, audiences can expect festive costumes throughout the show.

Glassman said she hopes audiences leave with a reminder to look beyond difficult times.&nbsp;

"It's OK to be frustrated, but being frustrated doesn't mean you have to stay there. You never really know what's going on around you until you open up and look at the big picture... seeing past yourself and knowing that there is a lot more to life than meets the eye," she said.

Glassman said the production will also feature some original songs she wrote and seven dancers from Spotlight Studios dance school in Hays. Auditions began in October with rehearsals starting after Halloween.&nbsp;

You can follow Hays Community Theatre on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hayscommunitytheatre">Facebook</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764948966807.jpeg" alt="Jeremy McGuire as Joe, the janitor, watches as best friends Brandon (Mattias Miller) and Morgan (Jenson Miller) sing during the “show.” Courtesy of Hays Community Theatre" />
 <figcaption>Jeremy McGuire as Joe, the janitor, watches as best friends Brandon (Mattias Miller) and Morgan (Jenson Miller) sing during the “show.” Courtesy of Hays Community Theatre</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Post Podcast: Hays Community Theatre presents 'A Down Home Christmas' Dec. 11-13" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:300px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?from=embed&i=m4a59-19de24e-pb&square=1&share=1&download=1&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=300" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostWhat happens when a holiday show becomes the only hope to keep a theater alive? Hays Community Theatre explores that high-stakes tale in its newest production.Cheryl Glassman, writer and director,&nbsp; said the original play is a “show within a show” that follows a cast working under pressure to keep their theater from closing."It follows the pursuits of the Gretchen, the director, and the entire cast," Glassman said. "Characters provide comedy, sentimental structure and share candid life moments."Tickets are available <a href="https://www.hctks.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawOevpJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFpak8xaTZLY0gyMTZ0Wm1Vc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHhDb6VAT-kkc2DPaKeaKpGbF1n09Z8C4zmF3QZ47Fu313ueYsrgsjo_dNALX_aem_vBiwfKo3bijOfbf1sLi9Aw">online</a>&nbsp;and at the door for $10, with attendees asked to bring a nonperishable food item to support local food banks through the Ellis County Ministerial Alliance. Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 2 p.m. Saturday at 121 E. Eighth St.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764949010508.jpeg" alt="Claire Nickerson as Gretchen, the “show’s” director, shares a dance with Jeremy McGuire as Joe, the janitor, during rehearsals for “A Down Home Christmas.” Courtesy of Hays Community Theatre" />
 <figcaption>Claire Nickerson as Gretchen, the “show’s” director, shares a dance with Jeremy McGuire as Joe, the janitor, during rehearsals for “A Down Home Christmas.” Courtesy of Hays Community Theatre</figcaption>
 </figure>A bake sale at the theater will also raise funds for the family of Hays Police Sgt. Scott Heinmann, who was recently killed in the line of duty, and to the Lohrmeyer family, who recently lost their home in a fire.Glassman said the production includes 26 performers, including 13 children, some of whom are first-time actors. Glassman said she drew inspiration from her own theater experience and the many personalities she has worked with behind the scenes while creating productions."There's an interesting woman named Marvel, portrayed by Wendy Richmeier, and no one likes her at all. She thinks she's better than the rest of the cast," Glassman said. "I have dealt with people like that in real life before."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764949312947.jpeg" alt="Jerrett Leiker, as Justice, an actor in the "show," attempts to show Jenni Wittkorn, as Selena, an actor in the "show," ways to calm her nerves on stage. Courtesy Hays Community Theatre" />
 <figcaption>Jerrett Leiker, as Justice, an actor in the "show," attempts to show Jenni Wittkorn, as Selena, an actor in the "show," ways to calm her nerves on stage. Courtesy Hays Community Theatre</figcaption>
 </figure>The cast includes Claire Nickerson as Gretchen, Gene Stramel as Miles, Kelsey Robben as Mary, Adam Conkey as Marty and Jeremy McGuire as Joe.Glassman said the stage will feature 3D backdrop elements, including a built-in couch and Christmas tree. While props will be limited to keep attention on the actors, audiences can expect festive costumes throughout the show.Glassman said she hopes audiences leave with a reminder to look beyond difficult times.&nbsp;"It's OK to be frustrated, but being frustrated doesn't mean you have to stay there. You never really know what's going on around you until you open up and look at the big picture... seeing past yourself and knowing that there is a lot more to life than meets the eye," she said.Glassman said the production will also feature some original songs she wrote and seven dancers from Spotlight Studios dance school in Hays. Auditions began in October with rehearsals starting after Halloween.&nbsp;You can follow Hays Community Theatre on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hayscommunitytheatre">Facebook</a>.

Hays Community Theatre presents 'A Down Home Christmas' tonight through Saturday

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Wednesday that the United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">tensions mount</a>&nbsp;with the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

Using U.S. forces to take control of a merchant ship is incredibly unusual and marks the Trump administration’s latest push to increase pressure on Maduro, who has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-indictments-armed-forces-united-states-miami-d82797206561db03851e47df125c243f">charged with narcoterrorism</a>&nbsp;in the United States. The U.S. has built up the largest military presence in the region in decades and launched a series of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hegseth-pentagon-drug-boats-pacific-35a60ce3bc018e5f66c18b2d18b49c35">deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats</a>&nbsp;in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. The campaign is facing growing scrutiny from Congress.

“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized, actually,” Trump told reporters at the White House, later adding that "it was seized for a very good reason.”

Trump did not offer additional details. When asked what would happen to the oil aboard the tanker, Trump said, “Well, we keep it, I guess.”

The seizure was led by the U.S. Coast Guard and supported by the Navy, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The official added that it was conducted under U.S. law enforcement authority.

The Coast Guard members were taken to the oil tanker by helicopter from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the official said. The Ford is in the Caribbean Sea after arriving last month in a major show of force, joining a fleet of other warships.

<a href="https://x.com/agpambondi/status/1998875795151024337?s=46">Video posted to social media</a>&nbsp;by Attorney General Pam Bondi shows people fast-roping from one of the helicopters involved in the operation as it hovers just feet from the deck.

The Coast Guard members can be seen later in the video moving throughout the superstructure of the ship with their weapons drawn.

Bondi wrote that “for multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.”

Half of ship's oil is tied to Cuban importer

The U.S. official identified the seized tanker as the Skipper.

The ship departed Venezuela around Dec. 2 with about 2 million barrels of heavy crude, roughly half of it belonging to a Cuban state-run oil importer, according to documents from the state-owned company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., commonly known as PDVSA, that were provided on the condition of anonymity because the person did not have permission to share them.

The Skipper was previously known as the M/T Adisa, according to ship tracking data. The Adisa was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022 over accusations of belonging to a sophisticated network of shadow tankers that smuggled crude oil on behalf of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group.

The network was reportedly run by a Switzerland-based Ukrainian oil trader, the U.S. Treasury Departmeny said at the time.

Hitting Venezuela's sanctioned oil business

Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves and produces about 1 million barrels a day.

PDVSA is the backbone of the country’s economy. Its reliance on intermediaries increased in 2020, when the first Trump administration expanded its maximum-pressure campaign on Venezuela with sanctions that threaten to lock out of the U.S. economy any individual or company that does business with Maduro’s government. Longtime allies Russia and Iran, both also sanctioned, have helped Venezuela skirt restrictions.

The transactions usually involve a complex network of shadowy intermediaries. Many are shell companies, registered in jurisdictions known for secrecy. The buyers deploy so-called ghost tankers that hide their location and hand off their valuable cargoes in the middle of the ocean before they reach their final destination.

Maduro did not address the seizure during a speech before a ruling-party organized demonstration in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital. But he told supporters that the country is “prepared to break the teeth of the North American empire if necessary.”

Maduro, flanked by senior officials, said only the ruling party can “guarantee peace, stability, and the harmonious development of Venezuela, South America and the Caribbean.”

Maduro has insisted the real purpose of the U.S. military operations is to force him from office.

Democrat says the move is about ‘regime change’

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the U.S. seizing the oil tanker cast doubt on the administration’s stated reasons for the military buildup and boat strikes.

“This shows that their whole cover story — that this is about interdicting drugs — is a big lie,” the senator said. “This is just one more piece of evidence that this is really about regime change — by force.”

The seizure comes a day after the U.S. military&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-military-trump-fa18-fighter-jets-06fd7cdc5ac26e7a46165431b95508b0">flew a pair of fighter jets</a>&nbsp;over the Gulf of Venezuela in what appeared to be the closest that warplanes had come to the South American country’s airspace. Trump has said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-maduro-colombia-petro-boats-559a73dbfcbdc9245494f441be1aad39">land attacks are coming soon</a>&nbsp;but has not offered more details.

The Trump administration is facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-pete-hegseth-venezuela-9f46a5f074b5b3c979ee41082949b196">increasing scrutiny from lawmakers</a>&nbsp;over the boat strike campaign, which has killed at least 87 people in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-petro-colombia-drugs-us-aid-c3955b2ce351737119920741178e0567">22 known strikes</a>&nbsp;since early September, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-strike-video-footage-boat-caribbean-3cf2ca9cbe4523978e935b99c2979caa">a follow-up strike that killed two survivors</a>&nbsp;clinging to the wreckage of a boat after the first hit.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642">Some legal experts and Democrats say</a>&nbsp;that action may have violated the laws governing the use of deadly military force.

Lawmakers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/defense-bill-ndaa-boat-strikes-video-152bef4ad429ae2c62937daeea2235a4">demanding to get unedited video</a>&nbsp;from the strikes, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told congressional leaders at a classified briefing Tuesday that he was still weighing whether to release it.

The Coast Guard referred a request for comment about the tanker seizure to the White House.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765413532331.png" alt="Image from the AG's video" />
 <figcaption>Image from the AG's video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Wednesday that the United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">tensions mount</a>&nbsp;with the government of President Nicolás Maduro.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. For multiple… <a href="https://t.co/dNr0oAGl5x">pic.twitter.com/dNr0oAGl5x</a>&mdash; Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/1998875795151024337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Using U.S. forces to take control of a merchant ship is incredibly unusual and marks the Trump administration’s latest push to increase pressure on Maduro, who has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-indictments-armed-forces-united-states-miami-d82797206561db03851e47df125c243f">charged with narcoterrorism</a>&nbsp;in the United States. The U.S. has built up the largest military presence in the region in decades and launched a series of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hegseth-pentagon-drug-boats-pacific-35a60ce3bc018e5f66c18b2d18b49c35">deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats</a>&nbsp;in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. The campaign is facing growing scrutiny from Congress.“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized, actually,” Trump told reporters at the White House, later adding that "it was seized for a very good reason.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump: “As you probably know, we just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela — a large tanker, very large.” <a href="https://t.co/I51NenxoIP">pic.twitter.com/I51NenxoIP</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1998852863817064906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">🚨 Q: What happens to the oil on the tanker you seized near Venezuela? PRESIDENT TRUMP: We keep the oil, I guess! 🤣 Q: Where does it go? TRUMP: You&#39;re a good news man. Just get a helicopter and go follow the tanker! He is the best 😭😭 <a href="https://t.co/Dp9duwUxT7">pic.twitter.com/Dp9duwUxT7</a>&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1998860261915242721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump did not offer additional details. When asked what would happen to the oil aboard the tanker, Trump said, “Well, we keep it, I guess.”The seizure was led by the U.S. Coast Guard and supported by the Navy, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The official added that it was conducted under U.S. law enforcement authority.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765413070566.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Storming the oil tanker</h2>The Coast Guard members were taken to the oil tanker by helicopter from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the official said. The Ford is in the Caribbean Sea after arriving last month in a major show of force, joining a fleet of other warships.<a href="https://x.com/agpambondi/status/1998875795151024337?s=46">Video posted to social media</a>&nbsp;by Attorney General Pam Bondi shows people fast-roping from one of the helicopters involved in the operation as it hovers just feet from the deck.The Coast Guard members can be seen later in the video moving throughout the superstructure of the ship with their weapons drawn.Bondi wrote that “for multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.”<h2>Half of ship's oil is tied to Cuban importer</h2>The U.S. official identified the seized tanker as the Skipper.The ship departed Venezuela around Dec. 2 with about 2 million barrels of heavy crude, roughly half of it belonging to a Cuban state-run oil importer, according to documents from the state-owned company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., commonly known as PDVSA, that were provided on the condition of anonymity because the person did not have permission to share them.The Skipper was previously known as the M/T Adisa, according to ship tracking data. The Adisa was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022 over accusations of belonging to a sophisticated network of shadow tankers that smuggled crude oil on behalf of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group.The network was reportedly run by a Switzerland-based Ukrainian oil trader, the U.S. Treasury Departmeny said at the time.<h2>Hitting Venezuela's sanctioned oil business</h2>Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves and produces about 1 million barrels a day.PDVSA is the backbone of the country’s economy. Its reliance on intermediaries increased in 2020, when the first Trump administration expanded its maximum-pressure campaign on Venezuela with sanctions that threaten to lock out of the U.S. economy any individual or company that does business with Maduro’s government. Longtime allies Russia and Iran, both also sanctioned, have helped Venezuela skirt restrictions.The transactions usually involve a complex network of shadowy intermediaries. Many are shell companies, registered in jurisdictions known for secrecy. The buyers deploy so-called ghost tankers that hide their location and hand off their valuable cargoes in the middle of the ocean before they reach their final destination.Maduro did not address the seizure during a speech before a ruling-party organized demonstration in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital. But he told supporters that the country is “prepared to break the teeth of the North American empire if necessary.”Maduro, flanked by senior officials, said only the ruling party can “guarantee peace, stability, and the harmonious development of Venezuela, South America and the Caribbean.”Maduro has insisted the real purpose of the U.S. military operations is to force him from office.<h2>Democrat says the move is about ‘regime change’</h2>Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the U.S. seizing the oil tanker cast doubt on the administration’s stated reasons for the military buildup and boat strikes.“This shows that their whole cover story — that this is about interdicting drugs — is a big lie,” the senator said. “This is just one more piece of evidence that this is really about regime change — by force.”The seizure comes a day after the U.S. military&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-military-trump-fa18-fighter-jets-06fd7cdc5ac26e7a46165431b95508b0">flew a pair of fighter jets</a>&nbsp;over the Gulf of Venezuela in what appeared to be the closest that warplanes had come to the South American country’s airspace. Trump has said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-maduro-colombia-petro-boats-559a73dbfcbdc9245494f441be1aad39">land attacks are coming soon</a>&nbsp;but has not offered more details.The Trump administration is facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-pete-hegseth-venezuela-9f46a5f074b5b3c979ee41082949b196">increasing scrutiny from lawmakers</a>&nbsp;over the boat strike campaign, which has killed at least 87 people in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-petro-colombia-drugs-us-aid-c3955b2ce351737119920741178e0567">22 known strikes</a>&nbsp;since early September, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-strike-video-footage-boat-caribbean-3cf2ca9cbe4523978e935b99c2979caa">a follow-up strike that killed two survivors</a>&nbsp;clinging to the wreckage of a boat after the first hit.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642">Some legal experts and Democrats say</a>&nbsp;that action may have violated the laws governing the use of deadly military force.Lawmakers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/defense-bill-ndaa-boat-strikes-video-152bef4ad429ae2c62937daeea2235a4">demanding to get unedited video</a>&nbsp;from the strikes, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told congressional leaders at a classified briefing Tuesday that he was still weighing whether to release it.The Coast Guard referred a request for comment about the tanker seizure to the White House.

🎥Video shows US commandos storm oil tanker off Venezuela coast

The Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association released its first regular-season boys wrestling rankings Tuesday and Hays High is ranked ninth in Class 5A and has four individual ranked. Gaven Deneault is third at 106, Jonathan Rigler is third at 190, Jaxson Chartier is sixth at 215 and Tanner Geist is sixth at 285.

The Hays girls are ranked seventh in Class 5A and also has four individual ranked. Timber Lovewell is second at 145, Lexi Barnett is fourth at 155, Reese Vehige is fifth at 130 and Eleanor Stoffel is sixth at 190.

The Norton boys are ranked No. 1 in 3-2-1A, Hoxie is third, Smith Center sixth and Russell seventh. Individually, Trego senior Aaron Samson is ranked No. 1 at 150.

The Russell girls are No. 1 with Norton second, Plainville third, Oakley fourth, Trego seventh and Stockton 10th. Russell has five ranked No. 1 in their respective weight classes.

Below is a list of all of the area individual wrestlers ranked in Class 3-2-1A.

BOYS 106 1. Xzander Donner-10-Russell

113 1. Kaleb Keiswetter-11-Norton 3. Bradyn Wilson-10-Hoxie 4. Jethro Chrisler-9-Oakley

132 1. Ian Giancola-12-Hoxie 2. Derek Clydesdale-12-Norton

138 2. Ayston Kats-12-Norton 6. Aaron Samuelson-10-Oakley

144 4. Chase Meyer-11-Hoxie 5. Jatin Weigel-12-Norton

157 1. Blake Buresh-12-Phillipsburg 2. Tate Balthazor-12-Hill City

165 3. Parker Hutchinson-12-Smith Center 5. Jaxson Smith-10-Hill City

190 5. Kolten Jones-11-Russell 6. Rylan Hamel-10-Plainville

215 2. Dominick Kattenberg-11-Smith Center 6. Mathew Bretz-11-Hoxie

285 2. Kharson Montgomery-12-Smith Center

GIRLS 100 3. Carolina Northrup-12-Stockton 5. Kaeleigh Klien-12-Plainville

105 1. Keleigh Ochoa-10-Smith Center 4. Kia Mader-12-Ellis

110 5. Saj Snyder-12-Stockton 6. Aeleyah Becker-11-Plainville

120 1. Arianna Weigel-9-Russell 2. Josie Bell-11-Hoxie

125 1. Kaison Miller-10-Norton 5. Karsyn Hamlin-9-Russell

130 1. Averie Counts-10-Russell 3. Annika Deitz-11-Trego

135 1. Mya Trevino-12-Russell 2. Abbygayl Jackson-12-Oakley 3. Hayden Staab-9-Plainville 5. Layla Magana-11-Trego 6. Lorelei Granderry-12-Norton

140 1. Halle Pfannenstiel-10-Norton 5. Chaysie Bachman-11-Russell 6. Kynley Griffin-9-Phillipsburg

145 1. Cambrea Solze-12-Russell 5. Lyla Richards-10-Ellis

155 1. Aaliyah Trevino-9-Russell 2. Cali Wagoner-12-Oakley 6. Dali Braun-11-Norton

170 2. Lillian Garcia-11-Plainville 6. Sophia Kane-10-Norton

190 1. Cadence Greeson-12-Norton 2. Caydence Carter-12-Plainville 6. Kaitlyn McCreery-10-Phillipsburg

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1604497727867.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Hays Post SportsThe Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association released its first regular-season boys wrestling rankings Tuesday and Hays High is ranked ninth in Class 5A and has four individual ranked. Gaven Deneault is third at 106, Jonathan Rigler is third at 190, Jaxson Chartier is sixth at 215 and Tanner Geist is sixth at 285.The Hays girls are ranked seventh in Class 5A and also has four individual ranked. Timber Lovewell is second at 145, Lexi Barnett is fourth at 155, Reese Vehige is fifth at 130 and Eleanor Stoffel is sixth at 190.The Norton boys are ranked No. 1 in 3-2-1A, Hoxie is third, Smith Center sixth and Russell seventh. Individually, Trego senior Aaron Samson is ranked No. 1 at 150.The Russell girls are No. 1 with Norton second, Plainville third, Oakley fourth, Trego seventh and Stockton 10th. Russell has five ranked No. 1 in their respective weight classes.Below is a list of all of the area individual wrestlers ranked in Class 3-2-1A.BOYS 106 1. Xzander Donner-10-Russell113 1. Kaleb Keiswetter-11-Norton 3. Bradyn Wilson-10-Hoxie 4. Jethro Chrisler-9-Oakley 120 2. Xzephren Donner-12-Russel126 4. Tyler Meyer-9-Hoxie 132 1. Ian Giancola-12-Hoxie 2. Derek Clydesdale-12-Norton138 2. Ayston Kats-12-Norton 6. Aaron Samuelson-10-Oakley144 4. Chase Meyer-11-Hoxie 5. Jatin Weigel-12-Norton150 1. Aaron Samson-12-Trego157 1. Blake Buresh-12-Phillipsburg 2. Tate Balthazor-12-Hill City165 3. Parker Hutchinson-12-Smith Center 5. Jaxson Smith-10-Hill City175 4. Cass Smith-12-Trego190 5. Kolten Jones-11-Russell 6. Rylan Hamel-10-Plainville215 2. Dominick Kattenberg-11-Smith Center 6. Mathew Bretz-11-Hoxie285 2. Kharson Montgomery-12-Smith Center GIRLS 100 3. Carolina Northrup-12-Stockton 5. Kaeleigh Klien-12-Plainville105 1. Keleigh Ochoa-10-Smith Center 4. Kia Mader-12-Ellis110 5. Saj Snyder-12-Stockton 6. Aeleyah Becker-11-Plainville115 3. Kallan Rothchild-12-Trego120 1. Arianna Weigel-9-Russell 2. Josie Bell-11-Hoxie125 1. Kaison Miller-10-Norton 5. Karsyn Hamlin-9-Russell130 1. Averie Counts-10-Russell 3. Annika Deitz-11-Trego135 1. Mya Trevino-12-Russell 2. Abbygayl Jackson-12-Oakley 3. Hayden Staab-9-Plainville 5. Layla Magana-11-Trego 6. Lorelei Granderry-12-Norton140 1. Halle Pfannenstiel-10-Norton 5. Chaysie Bachman-11-Russell 6. Kynley Griffin-9-Phillipsburg145 1. Cambrea Solze-12-Russell 5. Lyla Richards-10-Ellis155 1. Aaliyah Trevino-9-Russell 2. Cali Wagoner-12-Oakley 6. Dali Braun-11-Norton170 2. Lillian Garcia-11-Plainville 6. Sophia Kane-10-Norton190 1. Cadence Greeson-12-Norton 2. Caydence Carter-12-Plainville 6. Kaitlyn McCreery-10-Phillipsburg235 4. Adriana Winters-11-Norton

🤼‍♂️ Hays, area wrestlers in first KWCA rankings of the season

A Missouri woman was arrested on Dec. 1 after allegedly pushing a hotel employee because breakfast was not ready in the morning.

Hays Police Lt. Brandon Wright said officers arrested 54-year-old Bridget Mahoney Farmer of Kansas City, Missouri, after she allegedly caused a disturbance at the Hilton Garden Inn, 221 W. 43rd St.

Wright said the disturbance happened between 4 and 5:30 a.m. and that Farmer was reported as allegedly intoxicated, yelling and cussing at staff.

Wright said after the employee was allegedly shoved, the hotel staff called the police, and Farmer returned to her hotel room. She then reportedly refused to open the door for about an hour despite officers' orders.

Wright said officers tried to use a tool to release the secondary latch on her hotel room door, but Farmer allegedly grabbed the tool and broke it. Officers then forced the door open as Farmer continued to refuse commands.

She was handcuffed and forcibly removed from the property, Wright said.

Farmer was charged with alleged simple battery, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, criminal damage and interference with law enforcement. No injuries were reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765462491195.png" alt="Farmer photo Ellis County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Farmer photo Ellis County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostA Missouri woman was arrested on Dec. 1 after allegedly pushing a hotel employee because breakfast was not ready in the morning.Hays Police Lt. Brandon Wright said officers arrested 54-year-old Bridget Mahoney Farmer of Kansas City, Missouri, after she allegedly caused a disturbance at the Hilton Garden Inn, 221 W. 43rd St.Wright said the disturbance happened between 4 and 5:30 a.m. and that Farmer was reported as allegedly intoxicated, yelling and cussing at staff.Wright said after the employee was allegedly shoved, the hotel staff called the police, and Farmer returned to her hotel room. She then reportedly refused to open the door for about an hour despite officers' orders.Wright said officers tried to use a tool to release the secondary latch on her hotel room door, but Farmer allegedly grabbed the tool and broke it. Officers then forced the door open as Farmer continued to refuse commands.She was handcuffed and forcibly removed from the property, Wright said.Farmer was charged with alleged simple battery, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, criminal damage and interference with law enforcement. No injuries were reported.

Missouri woman arrested for alleged battery, dispute over hotel breakfast in Hays

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

The Hays City Commission will vote on two ordinances to issue industrial revenue bonds for business expansions on Thursday.

Agiliti, a medical equipment manufacturer on South Commerce Parkway, plans to buy, renovate, and expand its campus buildings. The company will add a total of 140 new jobs in phases to the current 91 positions.

The utilization of industrial revenue bonds, which have no taxpayer commitment, allows a property tax abatement for up to 10 years for the $6.55-million project.

The new location of Vernie's Trux-N-Equip is on six acres northwest of the&nbsp;intersection of 48th Street and General Hays Road, the site of the former Hays Livestock sales barn.

The developer is asking for the issuance of industrial revenue bonds for the $2.2-million project. No property tax abatement is requested. A&nbsp;community improvement district is also being sought.

Construction engineering services contract

The commission will also vote on a bid from  Driggs Design Group for the Interstate 70, Exit 161, infrastructure project. Driggs had the low bid of $38,632. The project will be funded from general obligation bonds.

The initial new infrastructure would serve about 11 buildable lots, ranging in size from 2 to 8 acres, for commercial and residential development on the city-owned 90-acre property.

Commissioners approved a contract on Nov. 25 with Smoky Hill, LLC, Salina, to build the infrastructure, which includes&nbsp;extending water and sewer mains to the property as well as the construction of internal roads, water/sewer service lines, stormwater infrastructure, and intersection and roadway improvements to 27th Street and Commerce Parkway.

Following a review of its 2025 pool season operation, the Hays Recreation Commission requested a 50% reimbursement for its operating loss, as outlined in the pool services agreement with the city. City commissioners will vote on paying $25,501 to the recreation commission from the 2025 General Fund Pool Budget.

Commissioners will consider re-appointment of Hays resident Hali Bielser to the CARE Council for a second two-year term.

Approval of the 2026 cereal malt beverage city licenses for several businesses will be voted on.&nbsp;

The Dec. 11 agenda is available <a href="https://ks-hays.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12112025-1585">here</a>. The meeting begins at 4 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584473406560.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostThe Hays City Commission will vote on two ordinances to issue industrial revenue bonds for business expansions on Thursday.Agiliti, a medical equipment manufacturer on South Commerce Parkway, plans to buy, renovate, and expand its campus buildings. The company will add a total of 140 new jobs in phases to the current 91 positions.The utilization of industrial revenue bonds, which have no taxpayer commitment, allows a property tax abatement for up to 10 years for the $6.55-million project.The new location of Vernie's Trux-N-Equip is on six acres northwest of the&nbsp;intersection of 48th Street and General Hays Road, the site of the former Hays Livestock sales barn.The developer is asking for the issuance of industrial revenue bonds for the $2.2-million project. No property tax abatement is requested. A&nbsp;community improvement district is also being sought.Construction engineering services contractThe commission will also vote on a bid from Driggs Design Group for the Interstate 70, Exit 161, infrastructure project. Driggs had the low bid of $38,632. The project will be funded from general obligation bonds.The initial new infrastructure would serve about 11 buildable lots, ranging in size from 2 to 8 acres, for commercial and residential development on the city-owned 90-acre property.Commissioners approved a contract on Nov. 25 with Smoky Hill, LLC, Salina, to build the infrastructure, which includes&nbsp;extending water and sewer mains to the property as well as the construction of internal roads, water/sewer service lines, stormwater infrastructure, and intersection and roadway improvements to 27th Street and Commerce Parkway.Pool reimbursement requestFollowing a review of its 2025 pool season operation, the Hays Recreation Commission requested a 50% reimbursement for its operating loss, as outlined in the pool services agreement with the city. City commissioners will vote on paying $25,501 to the recreation commission from the 2025 General Fund Pool Budget.CARE CouncilCommissioners will consider re-appointment of Hays resident Hali Bielser to the CARE Council for a second two-year term.Cereal malt beverage licensesApproval of the 2026 cereal malt beverage city licenses for several businesses will be voted on.&nbsp;The Dec. 11 agenda is available <a href="https://ks-hays.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12112025-1585">here</a>. The meeting begins at 4 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.&nbsp;

Hays City Commission to vote on industrial revenue bonds for 2 business expansion projects

LONDON (AP) — Writer Sophie Kinsella, whose effervescent rom-com “Confessions of a Shopaholic” sparked a millions-selling series, died Wednesday, her family said. She was 55 and had been diagnosed with brain cancer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765382765518.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — Writer Sophie Kinsella, whose effervescent rom-com “Confessions of a Shopaholic” sparked a millions-selling series, died Wednesday, her family said. She was 55 and had been diagnosed with brain cancer.The family said in a statement on Kinsella's Instagram account that "she died peacefully, with her final days filled with her true loves: family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy.“We can’t imagine what life will be like without her radiance and love of life,” the family said.<div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DSFUBmeDKW7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DSFUBmeDKW7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DSFUBmeDKW7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Sophie Kinsella (@sophiekinsellawriter)</a></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>Kinsella, who also published under her real name, Madeleine Wickham, announced in April 2024 that she had been diagnosed more than a year earlier with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.“I did not share this before because I wanted to make sure that my children were able to hear and process the news in privacy and adapt to our ’new normal,'" she said at the time.Kinsella published 10 “Shopaholic” novels starting in 2000 with “The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic,” titled “Confessions of a Shopaholic” in the United States, as well as other fiction. Her books have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide and have been translated into dozens of languages.<h2>From journalism to fiction</h2>Kinsella did not grow up intending to be a writer. One of three girls born to teachers in London, she played piano and violin as a child and also composed music.She told author-publisher Zibby Owens on her podcast, “Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books,” that the idea of writing never crossed her mind. “It wasn’t my childhood ambition. I wasn’t the child walking around saying, ‘I’m going to write a novel one day.’”Kinsella enrolled at Oxford University to study music but switched to the politics, philosophy and economics program after one year.While at college, she met musician Henry Wickham and fell in love. The couple had four sons and a daughter.After graduating, Kinsella began working as a financial journalist and spent her commute reading. The idea to write fiction herself began to take shape on the train, and she worked on her first novel during her lunch hours.She published her first novel, ”The Tennis Party,” in 1995, as Madeleine Wickham. Soon after, she left her journalism job to focus on writing. Six other books, including “The Gatecrasher” and “Sleeping Arrangements,” followed.<h2>‘Shopaholic’ success</h2>An otherwise normal shopping excursion sparked the idea for writing her first “Shopaholic” novel“I remember looking around me and thinking... “We all shop... We talk about it. We do it. We rejoice in it. We make bad decisions. Why hasn’t anybody written about this?” Kinsella said in 2019 on “The Sunday Salon with Alice-Azania Jarvis” podcast.Kinsella created a story about Becky Bloomwood, a 20-something financial journalist in debt from a shopping habit she can’t (or won’t) kick. The novel contained hilarious back-and-forth correspondence with bill collectors and banks, where she would make excuses for late payments. Kinsella said those letters were one of the most fun bits to write.There was also a love story with a handsome businessman whom Becky met while on assignment. She went on to marry and have a mini-shopaholic daughter in future books.The humorous tone of “Confessions of a Shopaholic” was a change from her earlier books, so she decided to submit it to her publishers under a pen name. Her middle name was Sophie and Kinsella was her mother’s maiden name.The publishers said yes, and “Shopaholic” was published in 2000 under her pseudonym. The novel, blending humor with a cautionary tale about getting in over your head with debt, was an immediate success.Kinsella said Becky was a modern everywoman whose behavior was "what you wouldn’t do yourself, but maybe you would if you were in absolute extreme circumstances. And that’s what she finds herself in all the time.”Bloomwood's further adventures followed in books including “Shopaholic Takes Manhattan,” “Shopaholic Ties the Knot” and “Shopaholic &amp; Sister.”Along with “Bridget Jones” author Helen Fielding and others, Kinsella’s work was often branded “chick lit” by the media. She told the AP in 2004 she didn’t mind the label, interpreting it as signaling a book that is "fun, entertaining and might just have a happy ending.”“Just because you are interested in frivolous things doesn’t mean that you can’t be bright and have great ideas and the rest of it," she said.The first two “Shopaholic” books were adapted into the 2009 film “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy.Kinsella also wrote “The Undomestic Goddess”, “Remember Me?” and “Twenties Girl.” A young adult novel, “Finding Audrey,” was released in 2015, followed by the children’s book series “My Mummy Fairy and Me.”Her novel “Can You Keep a Secret?” was adapted into a 2019 film starring Alexandra Daddario and Tyler Hoechlin. Her last novel was “The Burnout,” released in 2023.<h2>Illness and hope</h2>In November 2022, after experiencing symptoms including memory loss, headaches and balance troubles, Kinsella was diagnosed with glioblastoma, for which there is no cure. She kept the news private until April 2024. In an interview with TV personality Robin Roberts aired a few months later, Kinsella said she was focused on living in the moment.“I’ve already lasted more than the average. That’s how we get through. We hope,” she said.After her diagnosis, she wrote a novella, “What Does It Feel Like,” about a woman with five children who has brain cancer.“I thought people might be curious to know what it’s like to go through this,” Kinsella told Roberts. “I hope it’s full of optimism and love most of all.”Araminta Whitley and Marina de Pass, Kinsella’s agents at The Soho Agency, said the writer “had a rare gift for creating emotionally resonant protagonists and stories that spoke to, and entertained, readers wherever they were in the world and whatever challenges they faced.”Bill Scott-Kerr, her publisher at Transworld, said Kinsella leaves behind “a unique voice, an unquenchable spirit, a goodness of intent and a body of work that will continue to inspire us to reach higher and be better, just like so many of her characters.”