By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

The Hays Fire Department came within two points of earning the top Insurance Services Office class rating in its most recent evaluation.

Hays Deputy Fire Chief Shane Preston said the department kept its class 2 rating but raised its score to 88 out of 100, just short of the class 1 rating.

"If you want to think of it like percentages in grade school, if you get a 90, it's an A, if you're in the 80s, you get a B. That's where we're sitting at," Preston said.

Preston credited the improved ISO rating to better training documentation, properly equipped fire trucks, a more efficient dispatch center and a slight improvement in water supply systems.

Preston said the department barely qualified for a class 2 rating in the last evaluation, conducted in the fall. He said the average ISO rating in Kansas is around a four when considering rural departments.

Preston said the higher score reflects the department’s efforts as it influences insurance rates for residents and businesses.

"The general public should be very proud of the fire department, and everything that we've done to help lower their insurance premiums in that case," Preston said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696621093343.jpeg" alt="Courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Post Podcast: Hays Fire Department nears top ISO rating" 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=hzf8w-18bf832-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 PostThe Hays Fire Department came within two points of earning the top Insurance Services Office class rating in its most recent evaluation.Hays Deputy Fire Chief Shane Preston said the department kept its class 2 rating but raised its score to 88 out of 100, just short of the class 1 rating."If you want to think of it like percentages in grade school, if you get a 90, it's an A, if you're in the 80s, you get a B. That's where we're sitting at," Preston said.Preston credited the improved ISO rating to better training documentation, properly equipped fire trucks, a more efficient dispatch center and a slight improvement in water supply systems.Preston said the department barely qualified for a class 2 rating in the last evaluation, conducted in the fall. He said the average ISO rating in Kansas is around a four when considering rural departments.Preston said the higher score reflects the department’s efforts as it influences insurance rates for residents and businesses."The general public should be very proud of the fire department, and everything that we've done to help lower their insurance premiums in that case," Preston said.

Hays Fire Department nears top ISO rating

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A man with a makeshift flamethrower yelled “Free Palestine” and hurled an incendiary device into a group that had assembled to raise attention for Israeli hostages in Gaza, law enforcement officials said Sunday. Eight people were injured, some with burns.

The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was booked into the Boulder County jail north of Denver and expected to face charges in connection with the attack the FBI was investigating as a terrorist act. Online records did not immediately show when he would make a court appearance.

The burst of violence at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder, unfolded against the backdrop of a war between Israel and Hamas that continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. The attack happened on the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which is marked with the reading of the Torah and barely a week after a man who also yelled “Free Palestine” was charged with fatally shooting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-embassy-jewish-museum-shooting-10307b3b1a2a337e76730736b12ebbcb">two Israeli embassy staffers outside of a Jewish museum in Washington</a>.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement Monday saying he, his wife and the entire nation of Israel were praying for the full recovery of the people wounded in the “vicious terror attack” in Colorado.

“This attack was aimed against peaceful people who wished to express their solidarity with the hostages held by Hamas, simply because they were Jews,” Netanyahu said.

Across the U.S., the New York Police Department said it has upped its presence at religious sites throughout the city for Shavuot.

“Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country,” said Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver field office, which encompasses Boulder. “This is an example of how perpetrators of violence continue to threaten communities across the nation.”

The eight victims who were wounded range in age from 52 to 88 and the injuries spanned from serious to minor, officials said.

The attack occurred as people with a volunteer group called Run For Their Lives was concluding their weekly demonstration to raise visibility for the hostages who remain in Gaza. Video from the scene shows a witness shouting, “He’s right there. He’s throwing Molotov cocktails,” as a police officer with his gun drawn advances on a bare-chested suspect who is holding containers in each hand.

Alex Osante of San Diego said he was having lunch on a restaurant patio across the pedestrian mall when he heard the crash of a bottle breaking on the ground, a “boom” sound followed by people yelling and screaming.

In video of the scene captured by Osante, people could be seen pouring water on a woman lying on the ground who Osante said had caught on fire during the attack. A man, who later identified himself as an Israeli visiting Boulder who decided to join the group that day, ran up to Osante on the video asking for some water to help.

After the initial attack, Osante said the suspect went behind some bushes and then re-emerged and threw a Molotov cocktail but apparently accidentally caught himself on fire as he threw it. The man then took off his shirt and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest before the police arrived. The man dropped to the ground and was arrested without any apparent resistance in the video that Osante filmed.

As people tried to help the woman on the ground, another woman who appeared to be a participant in the event yelled to others out of the camera’s view, defending their cause, saying they don’t talk about the government but just talk about the hostages.

Lynn Segal, 72, was among about 20 people who gathered Sunday. They had finished their march in front of the courthouse when a “rope of fire” shot in front of her and then "two big flares.”

She said the scene quickly turned chaotic as people worked to find water to put out flames and find help.

Segal, who said she is Jewish on her father’s side and has supported Palestine for more than 40 years, was concerned that she might be accused of helping the suspect because she was wearing a pro-Palestine shirt.

“There were people who were burning, I wanted to help,” she said. “But I didn’t want to be associated with the perpetrator.”

Authorities did not disclose details about Soliman but said they believe that he acted alone and that no other suspect was being sought. No criminal charges were immediately announced but officials said they would move to hold Soliman accountable. He was also injured and was taken to the hospital to be treated, but authorities didn’t elaborate on the nature of his injuries.

FBI leaders immediately declared the attack an act of terrorism and the Justice Department denounced it as a "needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans."

“This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it,” FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a post on X.

<a href="https://apnews.com/today-in-history/october-7">Israel's war in Gaza</a>&nbsp;began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 others. They are still holding 58 hostages, around a third believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

Israel’s military campaign has killed over 54,000 people in Hamas-run Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The offensive has destroyed vast areas, displaced around 90% of the population and left people almost completely reliant on international aid.

The violence comes four years after a shooting rampage at a grocery store in Boulder, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Denver, that killed 10 people. The gunman was sentenced to life in prison for murder after a jury rejected his attempt to avoid prison time by pleading&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-grocery-store-shooting-verdict-insanity-defense-5165e084ef220a9d65432a2e748979c9">not guilty by reason of insanity.</a>

Multiple blocks of the pedestrian mall area were evacuated by police. The scene shortly after the attack was tense, as law enforcement agents with a police dog walked through the streets looking for threats and instructed the public to stay clear of the mall.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A man with a makeshift flamethrower yelled “Free Palestine” and threw an incendiary device into a group that had assembled to raise attention for Israeli hostages in Gaza, law enforcement officials said Sunday. Six people were injured, some with burns.

The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was expected to face charges in connection with the attack the FBI was investigating as a terrorist act.

The burst of violence at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder, unfolded against the backdrop of a war between Israel and Hamas that continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. It occurred barely a week after a man who also yelled “Free Palestine” was charged with fatally shooting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-embassy-jewish-museum-shooting-10307b3b1a2a337e76730736b12ebbcb">two Israeli embassy staffers outside of a Jewish museum in Washington</a>.

The six victims who were wounded range in age from 67 to 88 and the injuries spanned from serious to minor, officials said.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Several people were injured and some may have been set on fire at an outdoor mall in Boulder, Colorado, police said. Police said a man was taken into custody in the attack that the FBI immediately described as a “targeted terror attack."

Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn told reporters Sunday evening that it was too early to discuss a motive but that witnesses were being interviewed.

“It would be irresponsible for me to speculate on motive this early on,” he said.

The Boulder attack took place at a popular pedestrian mall known for attracting tourists and college students. On Sunday, demonstrators with a volunteer group called Run For Their Lives had gathered to call for the release of hostages who remain in Gaza. The group has multiple chapters across the world that regularly meet to walk to advocate for hostage releases.

Sunday's attack also occurred as law enforcement authorities in the U.S. grapple with a spike in antisemitic violence. And last week, a man was arrested on charges in the fatal shooting of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/capital-jewish-museum-reopens-after-shooting-that-left-two-dead-447ee0c93db14d20aac5c1461afd9ce8#:~:text=Capital%20Jewish%20Museum%20reopens%20after%20shooting%20that%20left%20two%20dead%20%7C%20AP%20News&amp;text=Capital%20Jewish%20Museum%20in%20Washington,couple%20about%20to%20be%20engaged.">two Israeli embassy staffers</a>&nbsp;and shouted “Free Palestine” as he was being led away by police.

Boulder police said there were “several victims” in the attack. The injuries authorities found were consistent with reports of individuals being set on fire, Redfearn said, adding that injuries ranged from serious to minor.

Multiple blocks of the pedestrian mall area were evacuated by police. The scene shortly after the attack was tense, as law enforcement agents with a police dog walked through the streets looking for threats and instructed the public to stay clear of the pedestrian mall.

“Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available,” FBI Director Kash Patel posted on social media.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that he was “closely monitoring” the situation, adding that “hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748821549436.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A man with a makeshift flamethrower yelled “Free Palestine” and hurled an incendiary device into a group that had assembled to raise attention for Israeli hostages in Gaza, law enforcement officials said Sunday. Eight people were injured, some with burns.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748859119661.png" alt="Boulder Police" />
 <figcaption>Boulder Police</figcaption>
 </figure>The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was booked into the Boulder County jail north of Denver and expected to face charges in connection with the attack the FBI was investigating as a terrorist act. Online records did not immediately show when he would make a court appearance.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We are aware of and fully investigating a targeted terror attack in Boulder, Colorado. Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available. <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a>&mdash; FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1929287827130372291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The burst of violence at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder, unfolded against the backdrop of a war between Israel and Hamas that continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. The attack happened on the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which is marked with the reading of the Torah and barely a week after a man who also yelled “Free Palestine” was charged with fatally shooting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-embassy-jewish-museum-shooting-10307b3b1a2a337e76730736b12ebbcb">two Israeli embassy staffers outside of a Jewish museum in Washington</a>.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement Monday saying he, his wife and the entire nation of Israel were praying for the full recovery of the people wounded in the “vicious terror attack” in Colorado.“This attack was aimed against peaceful people who wished to express their solidarity with the hostages held by Hamas, simply because they were Jews,” Netanyahu said.Across the U.S., the New York Police Department said it has upped its presence at religious sites throughout the city for Shavuot.“Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country,” said Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver field office, which encompasses Boulder. “This is an example of how perpetrators of violence continue to threaten communities across the nation.”The eight victims who were wounded range in age from 52 to 88 and the injuries spanned from serious to minor, officials said.The attack occurred as people with a volunteer group called Run For Their Lives was concluding their weekly demonstration to raise visibility for the hostages who remain in Gaza. Video from the scene shows a witness shouting, “He’s right there. He’s throwing Molotov cocktails,” as a police officer with his gun drawn advances on a bare-chested suspect who is holding containers in each hand.Alex Osante of San Diego said he was having lunch on a restaurant patio across the pedestrian mall when he heard the crash of a bottle breaking on the ground, a “boom” sound followed by people yelling and screaming.In video of the scene captured by Osante, people could be seen pouring water on a woman lying on the ground who Osante said had caught on fire during the attack. A man, who later identified himself as an Israeli visiting Boulder who decided to join the group that day, ran up to Osante on the video asking for some water to help.After the initial attack, Osante said the suspect went behind some bushes and then re-emerged and threw a Molotov cocktail but apparently accidentally caught himself on fire as he threw it. The man then took off his shirt and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest before the police arrived. The man dropped to the ground and was arrested without any apparent resistance in the video that Osante filmed.As people tried to help the woman on the ground, another woman who appeared to be a participant in the event yelled to others out of the camera’s view, defending their cause, saying they don’t talk about the government but just talk about the hostages.Lynn Segal, 72, was among about 20 people who gathered Sunday. They had finished their march in front of the courthouse when a “rope of fire” shot in front of her and then "two big flares.”She said the scene quickly turned chaotic as people worked to find water to put out flames and find help.Segal, who said she is Jewish on her father’s side and has supported Palestine for more than 40 years, was concerned that she might be accused of helping the suspect because she was wearing a pro-Palestine shirt.“There were people who were burning, I wanted to help,” she said. “But I didn’t want to be associated with the perpetrator.”Authorities did not disclose details about Soliman but said they believe that he acted alone and that no other suspect was being sought. No criminal charges were immediately announced but officials said they would move to hold Soliman accountable. He was also injured and was taken to the hospital to be treated, but authorities didn’t elaborate on the nature of his injuries.FBI leaders immediately declared the attack an act of terrorism and the Justice Department denounced it as a "needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans."“This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it,” FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a post on X.<a href="https://apnews.com/today-in-history/october-7">Israel's war in Gaza</a>&nbsp;began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 others. They are still holding 58 hostages, around a third believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.Israel’s military campaign has killed over 54,000 people in Hamas-run Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The offensive has destroyed vast areas, displaced around 90% of the population and left people almost completely reliant on international aid.The violence comes four years after a shooting rampage at a grocery store in Boulder, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Denver, that killed 10 people. The gunman was sentenced to life in prison for murder after a jury rejected his attempt to avoid prison time by pleading&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-grocery-store-shooting-verdict-insanity-defense-5165e084ef220a9d65432a2e748979c9">not guilty by reason of insanity.</a>Multiple blocks of the pedestrian mall area were evacuated by police. The scene shortly after the attack was tense, as law enforcement agents with a police dog walked through the streets looking for threats and instructed the public to stay clear of the mall.___BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A man with a makeshift flamethrower yelled “Free Palestine” and threw an incendiary device into a group that had assembled to raise attention for Israeli hostages in Gaza, law enforcement officials said Sunday. Six people were injured, some with burns.The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was expected to face charges in connection with the attack the FBI was investigating as a terrorist act.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We are aware of and fully investigating a targeted terror attack in Boulder, Colorado. Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available. <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a>&mdash; FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1929287827130372291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The burst of violence at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder, unfolded against the backdrop of a war between Israel and Hamas that continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. It occurred barely a week after a man who also yelled “Free Palestine” was charged with fatally shooting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-embassy-jewish-museum-shooting-10307b3b1a2a337e76730736b12ebbcb">two Israeli embassy staffers outside of a Jewish museum in Washington</a>.“Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country,” said Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver field office, which encompasses Boulder. “This is an example of how perpetrators of violence continue to threaten communities across the nation.”The six victims who were wounded range in age from 67 to 88 and the injuries spanned from serious to minor, officials said.The attack occurred as people with a volunteer group called Run For Their Lives was concluding their weekly demonstration to raise visibility for the hostages who remain in Gaza. Video from the scene shows a witness shouting, “He’s right there. He’s throwing Molotov cocktails,” as a police officer with his gun drawn advances on a bare-chested suspect who is holding containers in each hand.Lynn Segal, 72, was among about 20 people who gathered Sunday. They had finished their march in front of the courthouse when a “rope of fire” shot in front of her and then "two big flares.”She said the scene quickly turned chaotic as people worked to find water to put out flames and find help.Segal, who said she is Jewish on her father’s side and has supported Palestine for more than 40 years, was concerned that she might be accused of helping the suspect because she was wearing a pro-Palestine shirt.“There were people who were burning, I wanted to help,” she said. “But I didn’t want to be associated with the perpetrator.”Authorities did not disclose details about Soliman but said they believe that he acted alone and that no other suspect was being sought. No criminal charges were immediately announced but officials said they would move to hold Soliman accountable. He was also injured and was taken to the hospital to be treated, but authorities didn’t elaborate on the nature of his injuries.FBI leaders immediately declared the attack an act of terrorism and the Justice Department denounced it as a "needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans."“This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it,” FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a post on X.<a href="https://apnews.com/today-in-history/october-7">Israel's war in Gaza</a>&nbsp;began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 others. They are still holding 58 hostages, around a third believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.Israel’s military campaign has killed over 54,000 people in Hamas-run Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The offensive has destroyed vast areas, displaced around 90% of the population and left people almost completely reliant on international aid.The violence comes four years after a shooting rampage at a grocery store in Boulder, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Denver, that killed 10 people. The gunman was sentenced to life in prison for murder after a jury rejected his attempt to avoid prison time by pleading&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-grocery-store-shooting-verdict-insanity-defense-5165e084ef220a9d65432a2e748979c9">not guilty by reason of insanity.</a>Multiple blocks of the pedestrian mall area were evacuated by police. The scene shortly after the attack was tense, as law enforcement agents with a police dog walked through the streets looking for threats and instructed the public to stay clear of the mall.-----------BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Several people were injured and some may have been set on fire at an outdoor mall in Boulder, Colorado, police said. Police said a man was taken into custody in the attack that the FBI immediately described as a “targeted terror attack."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We are aware of and fully investigating a targeted terror attack in Boulder, Colorado. Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available. <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a>&mdash; FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1929287827130372291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn told reporters Sunday evening that it was too early to discuss a motive but that witnesses were being interviewed.“It would be irresponsible for me to speculate on motive this early on,” he said.The Boulder attack took place at a popular pedestrian mall known for attracting tourists and college students. On Sunday, demonstrators with a volunteer group called Run For Their Lives had gathered to call for the release of hostages who remain in Gaza. The group has multiple chapters across the world that regularly meet to walk to advocate for hostage releases.Sunday's attack also occurred as law enforcement authorities in the U.S. grapple with a spike in antisemitic violence. And last week, a man was arrested on charges in the fatal shooting of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/capital-jewish-museum-reopens-after-shooting-that-left-two-dead-447ee0c93db14d20aac5c1461afd9ce8#:~:text=Capital%20Jewish%20Museum%20reopens%20after%20shooting%20that%20left%20two%20dead%20%7C%20AP%20News&amp;text=Capital%20Jewish%20Museum%20in%20Washington,couple%20about%20to%20be%20engaged.">two Israeli embassy staffers</a>&nbsp;and shouted “Free Palestine” as he was being led away by police.Boulder police said there were “several victims” in the attack. The injuries authorities found were consistent with reports of individuals being set on fire, Redfearn said, adding that injuries ranged from serious to minor.Multiple blocks of the pedestrian mall area were evacuated by police. The scene shortly after the attack was tense, as law enforcement agents with a police dog walked through the streets looking for threats and instructed the public to stay clear of the pedestrian mall.“Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available,” FBI Director Kash Patel posted on social media.Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that he was “closely monitoring” the situation, adding that “hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable.”

Police ID suspect in Colorado 'terror attack' who yelled 'Free Palestine'

Reporter Cristina Janney asks Doug Williams of Grow Hays questions from our listeners on this episode of the Hays Post Podcast.

Please submit your questions to hayspost@eaglemedia.com.

<div><iframe title="Post Podcast: Answering Listener Questions with Grow Hays" 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=97g37-18c2c84-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>Reporter Cristina Janney asks Doug Williams of Grow Hays questions from our listeners on this episode of the Hays Post Podcast.Please submit your questions to hayspost@eaglemedia.com.

🎙 Post Podcast: Doug Williams of Grow Hays answers questions about Microfactory

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22YONAT%20SHIMRON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By YONAT SHIMRON </a><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22YONAT%20SHIMRON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">Religion News Service</a>

This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story.

Last month, Marc Wyatt, director of Welcome House Raleigh, received a call from the North Carolina field office of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants asking if he could help furnish the apartments for the refugees, among the 59 Afrikaners who arrived in the U.S. last week from South Africa, he told RNS. It was a common request for the ministry that partners with refugee resettlement agencies to provide temporary housing and furniture for people in need.

And at the same time, the request was extremely challenging. After thinking about it, consulting with the Welcome House network director and asking for feedback from ministry volunteers, Wyatt said yes.

“Our position is that however morally and ethically charged it is, our mandate is to help welcome and love people,” said Wyatt, a retired Cooperative Baptist Fellowship missionary who now works for CBF North Carolina. “Our holy book says God loves people. We don’t get to discriminate.”

He recognized that Afrikaners are part of a white ethnic minority that created and led South Africa’s brutal segregationist policies known as apartheid for nearly 50 years. That policy, which included denying the country’s Black majority rights to voting, housing, education and land, ended in 1994, when the country elected Nelson Mandela in its first free presidential election.

Like Wyatt and Welcome House, many faith-based groups are now considering whether to help the government resettle Afrikaners after the Trump administration shut down refugee resettlement for all others.

Last week, the Episcopal Church chose to end its refugee resettlement partnership with the U.S. government rather than resettle Afrikaners. Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe said his church’s commitment to racial justice and reconciliation, and its long relationship with the late Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu made it impossible for the church to work with the government on resettling Afrikaners.

In January, in one of his first executive orders, President Donald Trump shuttered the decades-old refugee program, which brings people to the U.S. who are displaced by war, natural disasters or persecution. The decision left thousands of refugees, many living in camps for years and having undergone a rigorous vetting process, stranded.

But then Trump directed the government to fast-track the group of Afrikaners for resettlement, saying these white farmers in South Africa are being killed in a genocide, a baseless claim. The order left many refugee advocates who have worked for years to resettle vulnerable people enraged.

“Refugees sit in camps for 10, 20 years, but if you’re a white South African Afrikaner, then suddenly you can make it through in three months?” asked the Rev. Randy Carter, director of the Welcome Network and a pastor of a CBF church. “There’s a lot of words I’d like to attach to that, but I don’t want any of those printed.”

Carter said he respects and honors the Episcopal Church’s decision not to work with the government on resettling the Afrikaners, even if his network has taken a different approach.

“The call to welcome is not always easy,” Carter said. “Sometimes it’s hard.”

At the same time, he said, it’s important resettlement volunteers keep in mind that the ministry opposes apartheid and racism, both in the U.S. and abroad, and is committed to repentance and repair.

The North Carolina field office for the USCRI resettlement group also recognized how fraught this particular resettlement is for its faith-based partners.

“In our communication with them, we said, ‘Look, we know this is not a normal issue. You or your constituencies may have reservations, and we understand that. That should not affect our partnership,’” said Omer Omer, the North Carolina field office director for USCRI. “If you want to participate, welcome. If not, we understand.”

Wyatt got nearly two dozen comments on his Facebook post in which he announced his decision to work with the refugee agency in resettling the Afrikaners. Nearly all wrote in support of his decision. “I’m up sleepless pondering this,” acknowledged one person. “Complicated, but the right call,” wrote another.

USCRI did not release the names of the three Afrikaners who chose to settle in Raleigh, a couple and a single individual. Other Afrikaners chose to be resettled in Idaho, Iowa, New York and Texas.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested last week that more Afrikaners are on the way. The Trump administration argues white South Africans are being discriminated against by the country’s government, pointing to a law potentially allowing the government to seize privately held land under certain conditions. Since the end of apartheid, the South African government has made efforts to level the economic imbalance and redistribute land to Black South Africans that had been seized by the former colonial and apartheid governments.

Wyatt, who has been running the Welcome House Raleigh ministry for 10 years, providing temporary housing and a furniture bank for refugees, and now asylum seekers, said he has settled the matter in his mind.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22YONAT%20SHIMRON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By YONAT SHIMRON </a><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22YONAT%20SHIMRON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">Religion News Service</a>___This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story.___Last month, Marc Wyatt, director of Welcome House Raleigh, received a call from the North Carolina field office of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants asking if he could help furnish the apartments for the refugees, among the 59 Afrikaners who arrived in the U.S. last week from South Africa, he told RNS. It was a common request for the ministry that partners with refugee resettlement agencies to provide temporary housing and furniture for people in need.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">U.S. officials greet white South Africans to whom the Trump administration has granted refugee status for being deemed victims of racial discrimination in their home country. <a href="https://t.co/JwaVyziofT">pic.twitter.com/JwaVyziofT</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1922007640294519257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>And at the same time, the request was extremely challenging. After thinking about it, consulting with the Welcome House network director and asking for feedback from ministry volunteers, Wyatt said yes.“Our position is that however morally and ethically charged it is, our mandate is to help welcome and love people,” said Wyatt, a retired Cooperative Baptist Fellowship missionary who now works for CBF North Carolina. “Our holy book says God loves people. We don’t get to discriminate.”He recognized that Afrikaners are part of a white ethnic minority that created and led South Africa’s brutal segregationist policies known as apartheid for nearly 50 years. That policy, which included denying the country’s Black majority rights to voting, housing, education and land, ended in 1994, when the country elected Nelson Mandela in its first free presidential election.Like Wyatt and Welcome House, many faith-based groups are now considering whether to help the government resettle Afrikaners after the Trump administration shut down refugee resettlement for all others.Last week, the Episcopal Church chose to end its refugee resettlement partnership with the U.S. government rather than resettle Afrikaners. Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe said his church’s commitment to racial justice and reconciliation, and its long relationship with the late Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu made it impossible for the church to work with the government on resettling Afrikaners.In January, in one of his first executive orders, President Donald Trump shuttered the decades-old refugee program, which brings people to the U.S. who are displaced by war, natural disasters or persecution. The decision left thousands of refugees, many living in camps for years and having undergone a rigorous vetting process, stranded.But then Trump directed the government to fast-track the group of Afrikaners for resettlement, saying these white farmers in South Africa are being killed in a genocide, a baseless claim. The order left many refugee advocates who have worked for years to resettle vulnerable people enraged.“Refugees sit in camps for 10, 20 years, but if you’re a white South African Afrikaner, then suddenly you can make it through in three months?” asked the Rev. Randy Carter, director of the Welcome Network and a pastor of a CBF church. “There’s a lot of words I’d like to attach to that, but I don’t want any of those printed.”Carter said he respects and honors the Episcopal Church’s decision not to work with the government on resettling the Afrikaners, even if his network has taken a different approach.“The call to welcome is not always easy,” Carter said. “Sometimes it’s hard.”At the same time, he said, it’s important resettlement volunteers keep in mind that the ministry opposes apartheid and racism, both in the U.S. and abroad, and is committed to repentance and repair.The North Carolina field office for the USCRI resettlement group also recognized how fraught this particular resettlement is for its faith-based partners.“In our communication with them, we said, ‘Look, we know this is not a normal issue. You or your constituencies may have reservations, and we understand that. That should not affect our partnership,’” said Omer Omer, the North Carolina field office director for USCRI. “If you want to participate, welcome. If not, we understand.”Wyatt got nearly two dozen comments on his Facebook post in which he announced his decision to work with the refugee agency in resettling the Afrikaners. Nearly all wrote in support of his decision. “I’m up sleepless pondering this,” acknowledged one person. “Complicated, but the right call,” wrote another.USCRI did not release the names of the three Afrikaners who chose to settle in Raleigh, a couple and a single individual. Other Afrikaners chose to be resettled in Idaho, Iowa, New York and Texas.Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested last week that more Afrikaners are on the way. The Trump administration argues white South Africans are being discriminated against by the country’s government, pointing to a law potentially allowing the government to seize privately held land under certain conditions. Since the end of apartheid, the South African government has made efforts to level the economic imbalance and redistribute land to Black South Africans that had been seized by the former colonial and apartheid governments.Wyatt, who has been running the Welcome House Raleigh ministry for 10 years, providing temporary housing and a furniture bank for refugees, and now asylum seekers, said he has settled the matter in his mind.

‘We don’t get to discriminate’: How a ministry decided to help resettle Afrikaners

Hays High seniors Riley Dreher and Avery Solida have been named to the first team of the All-Western Athletic Conference softball team released over the weekend. Dreher as an infielder and Solida at catcher. Fellow senior Alyse Zimmerman was named second team outfielder and junior Jaylee Summers a second team pitcher.

Western Athletic Conference 2025 Team Standings 1. Great Bend, 12-0 2. Garden City, 8-4 3. Hays, 7-5 4. Liberal, 3-9 5. Dodge City, 0-12

ALL CONFERENCE SOFTBALL – 2025 FIRST TEAM NAME - CLASS - POS - SCHOOL Chayla Prendergast - 10 - P - Great Bend Kyleigh Whitehurst - 12 - P - Garden City Alyssa McCauley - 11 - INF - Great Bend Riley Dreher - 12 - INF - Hays Kya Behr - 10 - INF - Great Bend Piper Harris - 12 - INF - Garden City DeShawnna Bryant - 12 - OF - Great Bend Yasmin Angeles - 10 - OF - Garden City Avery Solida - 12 - C - Hays

Player of the Year: Chayla Prendergast Coach of the Year: Carrie Minton

SECOND TEAM NAME - CLASS - POS - SCHOOL Alyse Zimmerman - 12 - OF - Hays Katherine Mazouch - 11 - INF - Great Bend Haiden Lyon - 9 - C - Liberal Tatum Steiner - 12 - C - Dodge City Taylor Harding - 12 - INF - Liberal Jaylee Summers - 11 - P - Hays Camdyn Post - 10 - OF - Great Bend Marisol Angeles - 9 - INF - Garden City Kamryn Koelsch - 11 - C - Great Bend

Hays Post SportsHays High seniors Riley Dreher and Avery Solida have been named to the first team of the All-Western Athletic Conference softball team released over the weekend. Dreher as an infielder and Solida at catcher. Fellow senior Alyse Zimmerman was named second team outfielder and junior Jaylee Summers a second team pitcher.Western Athletic Conference 2025 Team Standings 1. Great Bend, 12-0 2. Garden City, 8-4 3. Hays, 7-5 4. Liberal, 3-9 5. Dodge City, 0-12ALL CONFERENCE SOFTBALL – 2025 FIRST TEAM NAME - CLASS - POS - SCHOOL Chayla Prendergast - 10 - P - Great Bend Kyleigh Whitehurst - 12 - P - Garden City Alyssa McCauley - 11 - INF - Great Bend Riley Dreher - 12 - INF - Hays Kya Behr - 10 - INF - Great Bend Piper Harris - 12 - INF - Garden City DeShawnna Bryant - 12 - OF - Great Bend Yasmin Angeles - 10 - OF - Garden City Avery Solida - 12 - C - HaysPlayer of the Year: Chayla Prendergast Coach of the Year: Carrie Minton SECOND TEAM NAME - CLASS - POS - SCHOOL Alyse Zimmerman - 12 - OF - Hays Katherine Mazouch - 11 - INF - Great Bend Haiden Lyon - 9 - C - Liberal Tatum Steiner - 12 - C - Dodge City Taylor Harding - 12 - INF - Liberal Jaylee Summers - 11 - P - Hays Camdyn Post - 10 - OF - Great Bend Marisol Angeles - 9 - INF - Garden City Kamryn Koelsch - 11 - C - Great Bend

🥎 HHS Dreher, Solida named first team All-WAC

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The word armor might evoke a picture of a knight clad in metal, but creatures from the tiniest insects to ancient fish, giant alligators and dinosaurs have been using armor as protection for millions of years.

The Sternberg Museum of Natural History opened a new exhibit, "Animal Armor," by Gaston Designs of Grand Junction, Colorado, this week.

"Instead of focusing on one animal group, we are taking an idea, armor, and having a chance to look at how that's used across all animal groups,"&nbsp; Reese Barrick, museum director, said. ... "It gives you a diversity of things to look at."

He said visitors also have the chance to see how armor has evolved across Earth's history.

As you enter the museum, a couple of the more stunning armored creatures greet you. One is a prehistoric crocodile-like creature, Sarcosuchus, that lived in North Africa, and the other is a prehistoric alligator-like creature, Deinosuchus, found in North America.

Deinosuchus lived between&nbsp;83.5 million and 70.6 million years ago. The animals could grow up to 11,000 pounds and reach lengths of 45 feet. Their teeth could grow as large as six inches.

"It's interesting to see that even the big carnivores have lots of armor," Barrick said. "There are always big crocodiles that will eat smaller ones. Everyone needs animal armor, even if you are a super predator."

Both creatures, like modern-day alligators and crocodiles, possess dermal armor, characterized by bony plates embedded in their skin.

Sarcosuchus, with its narrower snout, was probably  a fish-eater, Barrick said. However,&nbsp;Deinosuchus, which had a more rounded snout, probably could snatch dinosaurs off banks, he said.

A Jurassic crocodilian is also featured, which predated the&nbsp;Sarcosuchus and&nbsp;Deinosuchus, but was much smaller and also had armor on its belly.

Once you crest the stairs in the exhibit hall, you go forward in time to modern-day insects and sea creatures.

You can see an array of beetles, along with snails (gastropods) and crabs (arthropods), including the shell of a giant clam, which still lives in our oceans today.

The Eurypterids,&nbsp;ancient arthropods  also commonly referred to as sea scorpions, were heavily armored. Most examples average only about 5 to 9 inches in length, but some Eurypterids could grow as large as 8 feet long.

They had to be considering what they swam with and ate in the shallow seas about 420 million years ago.&nbsp;

The fish in those seas also had armor, multiple examples of which can be seen in the exhibit at the Sternberg. These armored fish lived until about 320 million years ago, when fish closer to our modern fish began to appear, Barrick said.

"Something is always trying to eat you, so armor has always been a mainstay of protection," Barrick said.

Akainacephalus is one of the armored dinosaurs that had a clubbed tail.

These creatures ate plants, but had large spikes on their backs and used their clubbed tail in defense.&nbsp;

"If you are big and you can't hide, and you're slow and you can't run, you develop armor as a way to protect yourself," Barrick said. ... "These particular guys aren't very smart, either. They have very small brains. If you're big, slow and stupid, it's good to have armor."

During the Ice Age, you would have seen creatures that more closely resembled modern animals, but much larger.&nbsp;

The exhibit has an example of a&nbsp;Glyptodon. It looks like a giant armadillo and would have been found in South America between 12,000 and 100,000 years ago.

The exhibit concludes with examples of modern mammals that use armor, including&nbsp;armadillos, hedgehogs, porcupines and the endangered pangolins of Africa.

Not to be excluded are humans. Although humans have used metal for centuries in armor, the exhibit also features a replica of a suit of armor crafted from crocodilian skin, as well as replicas of helmets adorned with antlers and crab pincers.

"What I think is interesting is that you think of armored animals, you might think of armored dinosaurs or armadillos," Barrick said, "but what I want people to know is that armor has been important throughout the whole evolutionary history of the planet, from fish to snails to all sorts of invertebrates to insects.&nbsp;

"Insects have some of the most dynamic armor on the planet. Every key animal group you can think of has developed armor because it is one of the key things to avoid being eaten," he said. "If you want to survive to reproduce, you have to survive and not be eaten by something else. There's always something that's trying to eat you."

Animals have utilized armor in various ways.

"But there's always the battle between how do you eat something and how do you keep from being eaten," Barrick said. "If you have armor, you're trying to keep from being eaten, but someone is trying to defeat that armor to survive also."

The exhibit will be on display through Sept. 15. Admission to the exhibit is available with museum general admission or free to members.

The museum is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays&nbsp; and 1 to 6 p.m. Sundays&nbsp;through the summer.&nbsp;

Admission Adults (age 13-59) $10 Youths (age 4-12) $7&nbsp; Senior citizens (60+) $9 FHSU students (w/valid ID) $6

You can learn more about the museum or get help planning your trip at the <a href="https://sternberg.fhsu.edu/">museum's website</a> or by following the museum on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sternberg.museum/">Facebook</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748535574830.jpeg" alt="A cast of a&nbsp;Deinosuchus, which lived&nbsp;83.5 million years ago in the United States and was similar to modern alligators. They could grow as long as 45 feet. The Deinosuchus is part of a current exhibit at the Sternberg Museum,&nbsp;"Animal Armor." Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A cast of a&nbsp;Deinosuchus, which lived&nbsp;83.5 million years ago in the United States and was similar to modern alligators. They could grow as long as 45 feet. The Deinosuchus is part of a current exhibit at the Sternberg Museum,&nbsp;"Animal Armor." Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe word armor might evoke a picture of a knight clad in metal, but creatures from the tiniest insects to ancient fish, giant alligators and dinosaurs have been using armor as protection for millions of years.The Sternberg Museum of Natural History opened a new exhibit, "Animal Armor," by Gaston Designs of Grand Junction, Colorado, this week."Instead of focusing on one animal group, we are taking an idea, armor, and having a chance to look at how that's used across all animal groups,"&nbsp; Reese Barrick, museum director, said. ... "It gives you a diversity of things to look at."He said visitors also have the chance to see how armor has evolved across Earth's history.As you enter the museum, a couple of the more stunning armored creatures greet you. One is a prehistoric crocodile-like creature, Sarcosuchus, that lived in North Africa, and the other is a prehistoric alligator-like creature, Deinosuchus, found in North America.Deinosuchus lived between&nbsp;83.5 million and 70.6 million years ago. The animals could grow up to 11,000 pounds and reach lengths of 45 feet. Their teeth could grow as large as six inches."It's interesting to see that even the big carnivores have lots of armor," Barrick said. "There are always big crocodiles that will eat smaller ones. Everyone needs animal armor, even if you are a super predator."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748536251816.jpeg" alt="A cast and depiction of&nbsp;Sarcosuchus. Crocodilians have armor plates in their skin on their backs, as can be seen on these prehistoric giants from North Africa. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A cast and depiction of&nbsp;Sarcosuchus. Crocodilians have armor plates in their skin on their backs, as can be seen on these prehistoric giants from North Africa. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Both creatures, like modern-day alligators and crocodiles, possess dermal armor, characterized by bony plates embedded in their skin.Sarcosuchus, with its narrower snout, was probably a fish-eater, Barrick said. However,&nbsp;Deinosuchus, which had a more rounded snout, probably could snatch dinosaurs off banks, he said.A Jurassic crocodilian is also featured, which predated the&nbsp;Sarcosuchus and&nbsp;Deinosuchus, but was much smaller and also had armor on its belly.Once you crest the stairs in the exhibit hall, you go forward in time to modern-day insects and sea creatures.You can see an array of beetles, along with snails (gastropods) and crabs (arthropods), including the shell of a giant clam, which still lives in our oceans today.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748536610811.jpeg" alt="A model of an&nbsp;Eurypterid, commonly called a sea scorpion.&nbsp;Eurypterids patrolled the seas about 420 million years ago. It fed on armored fish and sported its own armor. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A model of an&nbsp;Eurypterid, commonly called a sea scorpion.&nbsp;Eurypterids patrolled the seas about 420 million years ago. It fed on armored fish and sported its own armor. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748536918887.jpeg" alt="A cast of a Dunkleosteus, which lived about 382 to 358 million years ago. These fish, which were armored with sharp tooth plates, were believed to have the most powerful bite of any known fish. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A cast of a Dunkleosteus, which lived about 382 to 358 million years ago. These fish, which were armored with sharp tooth plates, were believed to have the most powerful bite of any known fish. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>The Eurypterids,&nbsp;ancient arthropods also commonly referred to as sea scorpions, were heavily armored. Most examples average only about 5 to 9 inches in length, but some Eurypterids could grow as large as 8 feet long.They had to be considering what they swam with and ate in the shallow seas about 420 million years ago.&nbsp;The fish in those seas also had armor, multiple examples of which can be seen in the exhibit at the Sternberg. These armored fish lived until about 320 million years ago, when fish closer to our modern fish began to appear, Barrick said."Something is always trying to eat you, so armor has always been a mainstay of protection," Barrick said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748537309852.jpeg" alt="Akainacephalus was a 2-ton armored dinosaur that lived about 75 million years ago. This specimen was found in southern Utah. Not only did this creature have armor, but it also had a clubbed tail that it could use to fight off tyrannosaurids. Those stubby legs gave it a low center of gravity, making it difficult for predators to flip over. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Akainacephalus was a 2-ton armored dinosaur that lived about 75 million years ago. This specimen was found in southern Utah. Not only did this creature have armor, but it also had a clubbed tail that it could use to fight off tyrannosaurids. Those stubby legs gave it a low center of gravity, making it difficult for predators to flip over. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748538811440.jpeg" alt="Another example of a clubbed tail. This example comes from a Doedicurus, which lived about 150,000 to 12,000 years ago. This specimen was found in South America. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Another example of a clubbed tail. This example comes from a Doedicurus, which lived about 150,000 to 12,000 years ago. This specimen was found in South America. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Akainacephalus is one of the armored dinosaurs that had a clubbed tail.These creatures ate plants, but had large spikes on their backs and used their clubbed tail in defense.&nbsp;"If you are big and you can't hide, and you're slow and you can't run, you develop armor as a way to protect yourself," Barrick said. ... "These particular guys aren't very smart, either. They have very small brains. If you're big, slow and stupid, it's good to have armor."During the Ice Age, you would have seen creatures that more closely resembled modern animals, but much larger.&nbsp;The exhibit has an example of a&nbsp;Glyptodon. It looks like a giant armadillo and would have been found in South America between 12,000 and 100,000 years ago.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748538412434.jpeg" alt="Glyptodonts weighed over a ton and were protected from Ice Age predators by massive shells. Above is a cast of a saber-toothed cat. The Glyptodonts, which were similar to modern armadillos, developed robust limbs and pelvises to support the extra weight. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Glyptodonts weighed over a ton and were protected from Ice Age predators by massive shells. Above is a cast of a saber-toothed cat. The Glyptodonts, which were similar to modern armadillos, developed robust limbs and pelvises to support the extra weight. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>The exhibit concludes with examples of modern mammals that use armor, including&nbsp;armadillos, hedgehogs, porcupines and the endangered pangolins of Africa.Not to be excluded are humans. Although humans have used metal for centuries in armor, the exhibit also features a replica of a suit of armor crafted from crocodilian skin, as well as replicas of helmets adorned with antlers and crab pincers."What I think is interesting is that you think of armored animals, you might think of armored dinosaurs or armadillos," Barrick said, "but what I want people to know is that armor has been important throughout the whole evolutionary history of the planet, from fish to snails to all sorts of invertebrates to insects.&nbsp;"Insects have some of the most dynamic armor on the planet. Every key animal group you can think of has developed armor because it is one of the key things to avoid being eaten," he said. "If you want to survive to reproduce, you have to survive and not be eaten by something else. There's always something that's trying to eat you."Animals have utilized armor in various ways."But there's always the battle between how do you eat something and how do you keep from being eaten," Barrick said. "If you have armor, you're trying to keep from being eaten, but someone is trying to defeat that armor to survive also."The exhibit will be on display through Sept. 15. Admission to the exhibit is available with museum general admission or free to members.The museum is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays&nbsp; and 1 to 6 p.m. Sundays&nbsp;through the summer.&nbsp;Admission Adults (age 13-59) $10 Youths (age 4-12) $7&nbsp; Senior citizens (60+) $9 FHSU students (w/valid ID) $6 You can learn more about the museum or get help planning your trip at the <a href="https://sternberg.fhsu.edu/">museum's website</a> or by following the museum on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sternberg.museum/">Facebook</a>.

From titans to tiny, Sternberg Museum welcomes 'Armored Animals' exhibit

By MICHAEL A. SMITH Insight Kansas

Are Republicans the new infrequent voters?&nbsp; In a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://catalist.us/whathappened2024/">new Catalist study,</a>&nbsp;researchers say yes. Big shifts may be coming in both political campaigning, and election laws.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Unlike&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mpsanet.org/election-2024-political-science-first-takes/">mis-reported “horse race” polls</a>&nbsp;during election season, the Catalist study is public opinion polling done right. Catalist collects comprehensive data from a sample featuring a broad cross-section of Americans.&nbsp; This includes panel data, in which the same people are repeatedly interviewed over time to see how their opinions change. Political campaigns and academics both consider the for-profit firm to be a gold standard for well-collected data.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Catalist study found that in 2024, Democratic support increased markedly among frequent voters, that is, voters who regularly participate in elections. Support for Trump surged among infrequent voters, including a growing coalition–particularly of men–that was far more diverse than Trump’s traditional base of older, white voters.

Frequent voters could also be called “self sufficient” voters. They do not need much help from campaigns or get out the vote (GOTV) drives, and are less likely to be influenced by either.&nbsp; Frequent voters are more likely to make up their minds on their own, without reference to advertising or candidate appearances and well in advance of the election. They are more likely to be abreast of any changes in election laws, to keep their voter registrations up to date, to go to the right polling place, and to have the right documentation (such as state-issued Photo ID), without needing prompts or reminders.

In recent decades, Democrats have invested heavily in GOTV efforts, otherwise known as the “ground game,” particularly in battleground states and districts.&nbsp; These target infrequent voters.&nbsp; In 2024, the Trump campaign countered with more investment of their own in GOTV, and it paid off handsomely.&nbsp; If the Democrats’ base is now made up mostly of self-sufficient, unpersuadable voters, both parties’ strategies will shift.&nbsp; Democrats will have to target infrequent voters more carefully, in order to avoid accidentally mobilizing more Republicans.

Meanwhile, Republicans will increase their investment in the ground game more generally. They face major challenges.&nbsp; This spring, I attended the post-election symposium at the Dole Institute of Politics at KU, where panelists speculated that some voters in battleground states such as Arizona and Wisconsin simply voted for Trump and then left the rest of their ballots blank, enabling Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate to win. This behavior is consistent with infrequent voting, and the election results from these states suggest that the Dole panelists were at least partially correct in both.

What about election laws? For decades, Republicans have backed new laws that may lower turnout among infrequent voters, including Photo ID and proof of citizenship laws, the latter enthusiastically championed by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach. Since 2020, Republicans have added crackdowns on dropbox and mail in voting, such as the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kwch.com/2025/03/25/kansas-lawmakers-end-three-day-grace-period-mail-in-ballots-override-governors-veto/">new Kansas law</a>&nbsp;eliminating the grace period for mail-in ballots.&nbsp; &nbsp;

What if the voters disenfranchised by these crackdowns are now mostly Republicans?&nbsp; Well before 2024, and despite Democrats’ objections, political science research has consistently shown that Photo ID laws have little impact on election results.&nbsp; Photo ID requirements may lower voter turnout by an average of about 2%, but those numbers include roughly equal numbers of Democratic and Republican voters. It is well-documented that these laws are unnecessary– there is no widespread election fraud.

With these recent changes, restrictive laws may hurt&nbsp;Republican&nbsp;vote share.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/28/voting-rights-advocates-pan-kansas-republicans-invite-only-stage-for-election-conspiracies/">Conspiracy theories notwithstanding</a>, GOP legislators may want to do some serious soul-searching before passing any more voting restrictions.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745349371713.jpeg" alt="Michael A. Smith" />
 <figcaption>Michael A. Smith</figcaption>
 </figure>By MICHAEL A. SMITH Insight KansasAre Republicans the new infrequent voters?&nbsp; In a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://catalist.us/whathappened2024/">new Catalist study,</a>&nbsp;researchers say yes. Big shifts may be coming in both political campaigning, and election laws.&nbsp;&nbsp;Unlike&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mpsanet.org/election-2024-political-science-first-takes/">mis-reported “horse race” polls</a>&nbsp;during election season, the Catalist study is public opinion polling done right. Catalist collects comprehensive data from a sample featuring a broad cross-section of Americans.&nbsp; This includes panel data, in which the same people are repeatedly interviewed over time to see how their opinions change. Political campaigns and academics both consider the for-profit firm to be a gold standard for well-collected data.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Catalist study found that in 2024, Democratic support increased markedly among frequent voters, that is, voters who regularly participate in elections. Support for Trump surged among infrequent voters, including a growing coalition–particularly of men–that was far more diverse than Trump’s traditional base of older, white voters.Frequent voters could also be called “self sufficient” voters. They do not need much help from campaigns or get out the vote (GOTV) drives, and are less likely to be influenced by either.&nbsp; Frequent voters are more likely to make up their minds on their own, without reference to advertising or candidate appearances and well in advance of the election. They are more likely to be abreast of any changes in election laws, to keep their voter registrations up to date, to go to the right polling place, and to have the right documentation (such as state-issued Photo ID), without needing prompts or reminders.In recent decades, Democrats have invested heavily in GOTV efforts, otherwise known as the “ground game,” particularly in battleground states and districts.&nbsp; These target infrequent voters.&nbsp; In 2024, the Trump campaign countered with more investment of their own in GOTV, and it paid off handsomely.&nbsp; If the Democrats’ base is now made up mostly of self-sufficient, unpersuadable voters, both parties’ strategies will shift.&nbsp; Democrats will have to target infrequent voters more carefully, in order to avoid accidentally mobilizing more Republicans.Meanwhile, Republicans will increase their investment in the ground game more generally. They face major challenges.&nbsp; This spring, I attended the post-election symposium at the Dole Institute of Politics at KU, where panelists speculated that some voters in battleground states such as Arizona and Wisconsin simply voted for Trump and then left the rest of their ballots blank, enabling Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate to win. This behavior is consistent with infrequent voting, and the election results from these states suggest that the Dole panelists were at least partially correct in both.What about election laws? For decades, Republicans have backed new laws that may lower turnout among infrequent voters, including Photo ID and proof of citizenship laws, the latter enthusiastically championed by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach. Since 2020, Republicans have added crackdowns on dropbox and mail in voting, such as the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kwch.com/2025/03/25/kansas-lawmakers-end-three-day-grace-period-mail-in-ballots-override-governors-veto/">new Kansas law</a>&nbsp;eliminating the grace period for mail-in ballots.&nbsp; &nbsp;What if the voters disenfranchised by these crackdowns are now mostly Republicans?&nbsp; Well before 2024, and despite Democrats’ objections, political science research has consistently shown that Photo ID laws have little impact on election results.&nbsp; Photo ID requirements may lower voter turnout by an average of about 2%, but those numbers include roughly equal numbers of Democratic and Republican voters. It is well-documented that these laws are unnecessary– there is no widespread election fraud.With these recent changes, restrictive laws may hurt&nbsp;Republican&nbsp;vote share.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/28/voting-rights-advocates-pan-kansas-republicans-invite-only-stage-for-election-conspiracies/">Conspiracy theories notwithstanding</a>, GOP legislators may want to do some serious soul-searching before passing any more voting restrictions.&nbsp;&nbsp;

INSIGHT KANSAS: Are Republicans suppressing their own voters?

WICHITA – The Ellis girls brought home eight individual medals, including
four first-place finishes.

Avery Boydston earned a pair of first-place finishes and a third-place
finish.

Boydston earned gold in the 1A 1600 meter and 3200 meter
runs. She also finished third in the 800 meter.

Natalee North also earned a pair of first-place finishes.

Isabella Eck finished fourth in the high jump.

You can find a complete list of the finals results for
both the girls and boys below.

Aron Bencze placed eight in both the boys discus and shot
put.

Hays Post SportsWICHITA – The Ellis girls brought home eight individual medals, including
four first-place finishes.Avery Boydston earned a pair of first-place finishes and a third-place
finish.Boydston earned gold in the 1A 1600 meter and 3200 meter
runs. She also finished third in the 800 meter.Natalee North also earned a pair of first-place finishes.She won both the discus and shot put.Isabella Eck finished fourth in the high jump.You can find a complete list of the finals results for
both the girls and boys below.Aron Bencze placed eight in both the boys discus and shot
put.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748844029128.png" alt="Ellis finals results" />
 <figcaption>Ellis finals results</figcaption>
 </figure>

👟 Ellis girls win 1A state track and field team title

WICHITA – TMP’s Paige Schlyer earned gold in the 2A girls discus this past
weekend with a throw of 129 feet and 10 inches, or her final attempt, helping the
Monarchs to an eighth-place finish at the KSHSAA Track and Field Championship
in Wichita. 

Schlyer also earned a third-place finish in the 2A shot put.

In all, the Lady Monarchs earned six top-eight finishes.

Piper Simpson earned a second-place finish in the pole
vault. She matched the school record, clearing 10 feet six inches. That marked
tied the best in 2A, but the first-place finisher cleared that height on her
first attempt, giving her the first-place finish.

For the TMP boys, Jackson Gillespie was the only Monarchs to
earn a top-eight finish.

He finished eighth in the 2A boys 100 meter dash.

Hays Post SportsWICHITA – TMP’s Paige Schlyer earned gold in the 2A girls discus this past
weekend with a throw of 129 feet and 10 inches, or her final attempt, helping the
Monarchs to an eighth-place finish at the KSHSAA Track and Field Championship
in Wichita. Schlyer also earned a third-place finish in the 2A shot put.In all, the Lady Monarchs earned six top-eight finishes.Piper Simpson earned a second-place finish in the pole
vault. She matched the school record, clearing 10 feet six inches. That marked
tied the best in 2A, but the first-place finisher cleared that height on her
first attempt, giving her the first-place finish.You can find a complete list of the finals results for
both the girls and boys below.For the TMP boys, Jackson Gillespie was the only Monarchs to
earn a top-eight finish.He finished eighth in the 2A boys 100 meter dash.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748841041170.png" alt="TMP finals results" />
 <figcaption>TMP finals results</figcaption>
 </figure>

👟 TMP’s Schlyer wins discus title; TMP girls finish 8th at state track and field championship

WICHITA – The Hays High girls had 11 medal winners and the
boys seven this weekend at the KSHSAA State Track and Field Championships in
Wichita.

The Lady Indians accumulated 42.67 team points and finished
in fourth place.

Rylen Harrington earned a runner-up finish in the 5A girls
javelin and was the highest finisher for the Indians.

The girls 4x100 meter relay team brought home a third-place
finish. The team was made up of; Moriah Hallam, Lyndi Zimmerman, Lynsi Kanak
and Kamryn McCall.

Zimmerman earned two more medals, finishing third in the 100
meter hurdles and fourth in the 100 meter dash.

McCall earned three more top-eight finishes. She was fourth
in the long jump, sixth in the 200 meter dash and seventh in the 100 meter
dash. 

Kanak also finished third in the long jump.

You can find a complete list of the finals results for both
the girls and boys below.

Dalton Myers was the highest finisher for the Hays High boys.
He finished fourth in the javelin. 

Parker McGuire was fifth in the discus and the boys 4x400
relay team finished fifth. 

The 4x400 meter relay team was made up of; Bryce Steffa, Chase
Zadina, Taevian Maupin-Dabney and Kamani Jones.

Hays Post SportsWICHITA – The Hays High girls had 11 medal winners and the
boys seven this weekend at the KSHSAA State Track and Field Championships in
Wichita.The Lady Indians accumulated 42.67 team points and finished
in fourth place.Rylen Harrington earned a runner-up finish in the 5A girls
javelin and was the highest finisher for the Indians.The girls 4x100 meter relay team brought home a third-place
finish. The team was made up of; Moriah Hallam, Lyndi Zimmerman, Lynsi Kanak
and Kamryn McCall.Zimmerman earned two more medals, finishing third in the 100
meter hurdles and fourth in the 100 meter dash.McCall earned three more top-eight finishes. She was fourth
in the long jump, sixth in the 200 meter dash and seventh in the 100 meter
dash. Kanak also finished third in the long jump.You can find a complete list of the finals results for both
the girls and boys below.Dalton Myers was the highest finisher for the Hays High boys.
He finished fourth in the javelin. Parker McGuire was fifth in the discus and the boys 4x400
relay team finished fifth. The 4x400 meter relay team was made up of; Bryce Steffa, Chase
Zadina, Taevian Maupin-Dabney and Kamani Jones.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748839689755.png" alt="HHS girls finals results" />
 <figcaption>HHS girls finals results</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748839736103.png" alt="HHS boys finals results" />
 <figcaption>HHS boys finals results</figcaption>
 </figure>

👟 Hays High girls 4th; Boys 13th at state track and field championship

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/former-connecticut-governor-john-rowland-pardoned-trump-3f64b89567cb5f688808eb1b1ddd581f">A governor who resigned amid a corruption scandal</a>&nbsp;and served two stints in federal prison. A New York Republican who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardon-michael-grimm-new-york-fraud-30dd91417b29015aa0f78503efefc81d">resigned from Congress after a tax fraud conviction</a>&nbsp;and who made headlines for threatening to throw a reporter off a Capitol balcony over a question he didn't like.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/television-personalities-sentenced-years-federal-prison-fraud-and-tax-evasion">Reality TV stars convicted of cheating banks</a>&nbsp;and evading taxes.

All were unlikely beneficiaries this week of pardons, with President Donald Trump flexing his executive power to bestow clemency on political allies, prominent public figures and others convicted of defrauding the public. The moves not only take aim at criminal cases once touted as just by the Justice Department but also come amid a continuing Trump administration erosion of public integrity guardrails, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-mel-gibson-congress-667a79b368b215bb0cd7b0333f372fc7">firing of the department's pardon attorney</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-public-corruption-unit-cuts-4123347b1ffe4a0f3c681e49a15ab4ca">near-dismantling of a prosecution unit</a>&nbsp;established to hold public officials accountable for abusing the public trust.

"He is using pardons to essentially override the verdicts of juries, to set aside the sentences that have been imposed by judges and to accomplish political objectives,” said Liz Oyer, who was fired in March as the pardon attorney after she says she refused to endorse a recommendation to restore the gun rights of actor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-mel-gibson-congress-667a79b368b215bb0cd7b0333f372fc7">Mel Gibson</a>, a Trump supporter. “That is very damaging and destructive to our system of justice.”

To be sure, other presidents have courted controversy with their clemency decisions.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/today-in-history/september-8">President Gerald Ford famously pardoned his predecessor, Richard Nixon,</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-43a8f6e91f4f4783b6836c98dbf6f87d">Bill Clinton pardoned fugitive financier Marc Rich just hours before the Democratic president left office</a>. More recently,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-son-hunter-charges-pardon-pledge-24f3007c2d2f467fa48e21bbc7262525">President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter,</a>&nbsp;sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family.

But the pardons announced Wednesday are part of a pattern of clemency grants that began in Trump's first term and has continued in the current one in which bold-face names, prominent supporters and defendants whose causes are championed by friends time and again have an edge on ordinary citizens who lack connections to the White House.

In 2020, for instance,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-elections-campaigns-baghdad-a6741e5cf9032ce004c8f6751b3cc968">he pardoned allies convicted in the Russia election interference investigation</a>&nbsp;that shadowed his first term as well as his son-in-law's father,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charles-kushner-france-ambassador-trump-pardon-3a65cfec3b2393d6d9eafec7333b2625">Charles Kushner, who was later named ambassador to France</a>.

On his first day back in office,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-jan-6-pardons-trump-justice-department-8ce8b2a8f8cb602d5eaf85ac7b969606">he pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases</a>&nbsp;of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot</a>, using his clemency powers to undo the massive prosecution of the unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy.

Twice indicted by the Justice Department, and entangled in criminal investigations in the White House and in his post-presidency life, Trump has long conveyed public suspicion about prosecutorial power and found common cause with politicians — including on the other side of the aisle — he sees as having been mistreated like he believes he was.

In February, for instance, the Republican president pardoned former Democratic Illinois Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardons-rod-blagojevich-ea52b9bd10ee8120934c434e5c75e406">Rod Blagojevich</a>&nbsp;after having earlier commuted his 14-year sentence on political corruption charges. Blagojevich, he said, “was set up by a lot of bad people, some of the same people I had to deal with.”

The most recent pardon beneficiaries include former GOP New York Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardon-michael-grimm-new-york-fraud-30dd91417b29015aa0f78503efefc81d">Michael Grimm</a>, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to underreporting wages and revenue at a restaurant he ran in Manhattan. The former Marine and FBI agent resigned from Congress the following year and served eight months in prison. Grimm tried to reenter politics in 2018 but lost a primary for his old district.

Others include former Republican Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, whose once-promising political career was cut short by an investigation into gifts and favors from state contractors. Rowland was convicted and imprisoned a second time for conspiring to hide his work on political campaigns and was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-e159cc86fc7a42e592b8e5817cc49e78">sentenced to 30 months</a>&nbsp;in federal prison.

The White House also announced pardons for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-youngboy-pardon-trump-weapons-charges-4e0129e9587c61a317acb4153b2e6f9c">rap artist NBA YoungBoy on gun-related charges</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/julie-todd-chrisley-fraud-tax-evasion-sentence-ea5d65c638f06cce3bd82fcfc2c5647c">TV stars</a>&nbsp;Todd and Julie Chrisley, famous for “Chrisley Knows Best,” a reality show that followed their family and extravagant lifestyle that prosecutors said was boosted by bank fraud and hiding earnings from tax authorities. The couple was convicted in 2022 of conspiring to defraud banks out of more than $30 million in loans by submitting false documents.

The latest pardons unfold as Trump has departed from the norms and protocols of the clemency process and as the Justice Department has signaled a tweaked approach to public corruption and white-collar fraud.

The department, for instance, has long had a pardon attorney tasked with sifting through applications from defendants and recommending clemency to the White House for those seen as having served their debt to society and accepted responsibility for their crimes, including drug offenders serving long sentences and not generally known to the public or connected to the powerful.

In place of Oyer, the fired pardon attorney,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-pardons-ed-martin-de43fc3e38ac1e21461c0f30d93b4186">the administration installed Ed Martin</a>, a Trump loyalist who briefly served as interim U.S. attorney in Washington. He has already pledged to scrutinize pardons that Biden issued on his way out of the White House and has said he&nbsp;<a href="https://at%20two%20men%20who%20are%20serving%20long%20prison%20terms%20for%20leading%20a%20conspiracy%20to%20kidnap%20michigan%20gov.%20gretchen%20whitmer./">would take a “hard look" at two men</a>&nbsp;who are serving long prison terms for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gretchen-whitmer-politics-michigan-legal-proceedings-067bdf0f233865a9070918f98b6d4c3a">leading a conspiracy</a>&nbsp;to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Meanwhile, the department's vaunted public integrity section, created in the post-Watergate era to investigate and prosecute public officials for abusing their powers, has been dramatically slashed, whittled down to just a handful of lawyers.

The section endured an exodus of prosecutors after Justice Department leaders demanded the dismissal of a corruption case against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-city-attorney-adams-trump-6627665d0dd41e766d6e94598fba11ff">New York Mayor Eric Adams</a>&nbsp;so he could assist in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

The pardons, said Princeton University presidential historian Julian Zelizer, fit “within the fold of his presidency, where he uses a lot of his power either for retribution or reward rather than for just kind of pure policy-making. We have to understand the pardons in that framework.”

Louisiana rap artist NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden and whose stage moniker stands for “Never Broke Again,” also received a Trump pardon.

In 2024, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentrell-gaulden-nba-youngboy-sentence-09ab0405e071156c64063eb464b3c313">was sentenced</a>&nbsp;to just under two years in prison on gun-related charges after he acknowledged having possessed weapons despite being a convicted felon. Gaulden also pleaded guilty to his role in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abc4.com/news/wasatch-front/rapper-nba-youngboy-booked-into-cache-county-jail-for-pattern-of-unlawful-activity/" target="_blank">a prescription drug fraud ring</a>&nbsp;in Utah.

Gaulden’s and the other pardons were confirmed Wednesday evening by two White House officials who spoke only on condition of anonymity to detail actions that had not yet been made public.

In a statement posted online, Gaulden said, “I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building — as a man, as a father, and as an artist.”

He said this “opens the door to a future I’ve worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this,” and thanked Johnson.

Trump has spent the week issuing high-profile pardons. Video released by a White House aide showed Johnson in the Oval Office on Tuesday, as Trump called the daughter of Todd and Julie Chrisley of the reality show “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/julie-todd-chrisley-fraud-tax-evasion-appeal-983ca240f0a631e075ef5dd911ebfe26">Chrisley Knows Best</a>&nbsp;" to say he was pardoning them.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669079805529.png" alt="Todd Chrisley, left, and his wife, Julie Chrisley, pose for photos at the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 2, 2017, i(Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)" />
 <figcaption>Todd Chrisley, left, and his wife, Julie Chrisley, pose for photos at the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 2, 2017, i(Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/former-connecticut-governor-john-rowland-pardoned-trump-3f64b89567cb5f688808eb1b1ddd581f">A governor who resigned amid a corruption scandal</a>&nbsp;and served two stints in federal prison. A New York Republican who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardon-michael-grimm-new-york-fraud-30dd91417b29015aa0f78503efefc81d">resigned from Congress after a tax fraud conviction</a>&nbsp;and who made headlines for threatening to throw a reporter off a Capitol balcony over a question he didn't like.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/television-personalities-sentenced-years-federal-prison-fraud-and-tax-evasion">Reality TV stars convicted of cheating banks</a>&nbsp;and evading taxes.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">No MAGA left behind.&mdash; Ed Martin (@EagleEdMartin) <a href="https://twitter.com/EagleEdMartin/status/1927092000848855360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>All were unlikely beneficiaries this week of pardons, with President Donald Trump flexing his executive power to bestow clemency on political allies, prominent public figures and others convicted of defrauding the public. The moves not only take aim at criminal cases once touted as just by the Justice Department but also come amid a continuing Trump administration erosion of public integrity guardrails, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-mel-gibson-congress-667a79b368b215bb0cd7b0333f372fc7">firing of the department's pardon attorney</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-public-corruption-unit-cuts-4123347b1ffe4a0f3c681e49a15ab4ca">near-dismantling of a prosecution unit</a>&nbsp;established to hold public officials accountable for abusing the public trust."He is using pardons to essentially override the verdicts of juries, to set aside the sentences that have been imposed by judges and to accomplish political objectives,” said Liz Oyer, who was fired in March as the pardon attorney after she says she refused to endorse a recommendation to restore the gun rights of actor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-mel-gibson-congress-667a79b368b215bb0cd7b0333f372fc7">Mel Gibson</a>, a Trump supporter. “That is very damaging and destructive to our system of justice.”To be sure, other presidents have courted controversy with their clemency decisions.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/today-in-history/september-8">President Gerald Ford famously pardoned his predecessor, Richard Nixon,</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-43a8f6e91f4f4783b6836c98dbf6f87d">Bill Clinton pardoned fugitive financier Marc Rich just hours before the Democratic president left office</a>. More recently,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-son-hunter-charges-pardon-pledge-24f3007c2d2f467fa48e21bbc7262525">President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter,</a>&nbsp;sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family.But the pardons announced Wednesday are part of a pattern of clemency grants that began in Trump's first term and has continued in the current one in which bold-face names, prominent supporters and defendants whose causes are championed by friends time and again have an edge on ordinary citizens who lack connections to the White House.In 2020, for instance,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-elections-campaigns-baghdad-a6741e5cf9032ce004c8f6751b3cc968">he pardoned allies convicted in the Russia election interference investigation</a>&nbsp;that shadowed his first term as well as his son-in-law's father,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charles-kushner-france-ambassador-trump-pardon-3a65cfec3b2393d6d9eafec7333b2625">Charles Kushner, who was later named ambassador to France</a>.On his first day back in office,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-jan-6-pardons-trump-justice-department-8ce8b2a8f8cb602d5eaf85ac7b969606">he pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases</a>&nbsp;of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot</a>, using his clemency powers to undo the massive prosecution of the unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy.Twice indicted by the Justice Department, and entangled in criminal investigations in the White House and in his post-presidency life, Trump has long conveyed public suspicion about prosecutorial power and found common cause with politicians — including on the other side of the aisle — he sees as having been mistreated like he believes he was.In February, for instance, the Republican president pardoned former Democratic Illinois Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardons-rod-blagojevich-ea52b9bd10ee8120934c434e5c75e406">Rod Blagojevich</a>&nbsp;after having earlier commuted his 14-year sentence on political corruption charges. Blagojevich, he said, “was set up by a lot of bad people, some of the same people I had to deal with.”The most recent pardon beneficiaries include former GOP New York Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardon-michael-grimm-new-york-fraud-30dd91417b29015aa0f78503efefc81d">Michael Grimm</a>, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to underreporting wages and revenue at a restaurant he ran in Manhattan. The former Marine and FBI agent resigned from Congress the following year and served eight months in prison. Grimm tried to reenter politics in 2018 but lost a primary for his old district.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">BREAKING! President Trump calls <a href="https://twitter.com/_ItsSavannah_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_ItsSavannah_</a> to inform her that he will be granting full pardons to her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley! Trump Knows Best! <a href="https://t.co/j5WPMOOQ7L">pic.twitter.com/j5WPMOOQ7L</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1927470034688839944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Others include former Republican Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, whose once-promising political career was cut short by an investigation into gifts and favors from state contractors. Rowland was convicted and imprisoned a second time for conspiring to hide his work on political campaigns and was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-e159cc86fc7a42e592b8e5817cc49e78">sentenced to 30 months</a>&nbsp;in federal prison.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748524734972.png" alt="NBA Youngboy" />
 <figcaption>NBA Youngboy</figcaption>
 </figure>The White House also announced pardons for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-youngboy-pardon-trump-weapons-charges-4e0129e9587c61a317acb4153b2e6f9c">rap artist NBA YoungBoy on gun-related charges</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/julie-todd-chrisley-fraud-tax-evasion-sentence-ea5d65c638f06cce3bd82fcfc2c5647c">TV stars</a>&nbsp;Todd and Julie Chrisley, famous for “Chrisley Knows Best,” a reality show that followed their family and extravagant lifestyle that prosecutors said was boosted by bank fraud and hiding earnings from tax authorities. The couple was convicted in 2022 of conspiring to defraud banks out of more than $30 million in loans by submitting false documents.The latest pardons unfold as Trump has departed from the norms and protocols of the clemency process and as the Justice Department has signaled a tweaked approach to public corruption and white-collar fraud.The department, for instance, has long had a pardon attorney tasked with sifting through applications from defendants and recommending clemency to the White House for those seen as having served their debt to society and accepted responsibility for their crimes, including drug offenders serving long sentences and not generally known to the public or connected to the powerful.In place of Oyer, the fired pardon attorney,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-pardons-ed-martin-de43fc3e38ac1e21461c0f30d93b4186">the administration installed Ed Martin</a>, a Trump loyalist who briefly served as interim U.S. attorney in Washington. He has already pledged to scrutinize pardons that Biden issued on his way out of the White House and has said he&nbsp;<a href="https://at%20two%20men%20who%20are%20serving%20long%20prison%20terms%20for%20leading%20a%20conspiracy%20to%20kidnap%20michigan%20gov.%20gretchen%20whitmer./">would take a “hard look" at two men</a>&nbsp;who are serving long prison terms for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gretchen-whitmer-politics-michigan-legal-proceedings-067bdf0f233865a9070918f98b6d4c3a">leading a conspiracy</a>&nbsp;to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.Meanwhile, the department's vaunted public integrity section, created in the post-Watergate era to investigate and prosecute public officials for abusing their powers, has been dramatically slashed, whittled down to just a handful of lawyers.The section endured an exodus of prosecutors after Justice Department leaders demanded the dismissal of a corruption case against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-city-attorney-adams-trump-6627665d0dd41e766d6e94598fba11ff">New York Mayor Eric Adams</a>&nbsp;so he could assist in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.The pardons, said Princeton University presidential historian Julian Zelizer, fit “within the fold of his presidency, where he uses a lot of his power either for retribution or reward rather than for just kind of pure policy-making. We have to understand the pardons in that framework.”Louisiana rap artist NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden and whose stage moniker stands for “Never Broke Again,” also received a Trump pardon.In 2024, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentrell-gaulden-nba-youngboy-sentence-09ab0405e071156c64063eb464b3c313">was sentenced</a>&nbsp;to just under two years in prison on gun-related charges after he acknowledged having possessed weapons despite being a convicted felon. Gaulden also pleaded guilty to his role in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abc4.com/news/wasatch-front/rapper-nba-youngboy-booked-into-cache-county-jail-for-pattern-of-unlawful-activity/" target="_blank">a prescription drug fraud ring</a>&nbsp;in Utah.Gaulden’s and the other pardons were confirmed Wednesday evening by two White House officials who spoke only on condition of anonymity to detail actions that had not yet been made public.In a statement posted online, Gaulden said, “I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building — as a man, as a father, and as an artist.”He said this “opens the door to a future I’ve worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this,” and thanked Johnson.Trump has spent the week issuing high-profile pardons. Video released by a White House aide showed Johnson in the Oval Office on Tuesday, as Trump called the daughter of Todd and Julie Chrisley of the reality show “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/julie-todd-chrisley-fraud-tax-evasion-appeal-983ca240f0a631e075ef5dd911ebfe26">Chrisley Knows Best</a>&nbsp;" to say he was pardoning them.

Who else did President Trump pardon this week?

The <a href="https://www.echshays.org/">Ellis County Historical Society</a> received a $35,000 grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce on Thursday for the renovation of a portion of St. John's Place in Victoria.

The historical society is renovating space in the former nursing home as a satellite campus.

Amanda Rupp, historical society executive director, said the second floor of the society's space is complete and is already being used to store collection items. More items from the collection will be moved to that space this summer.

The lower floor has been gutted, the roof repaired and gas lines installed. Asbestos has also been removed from the building.

The society plans to use the grant funds to install a new HVAC system, install new floor coverings and restrooms. Rupp said she hopes the society can have at least this much of the renovations complete by next summer, when Ellis County will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Volga Germans first settling in the area.

One of the rooms in the Victoria location will be dedicated to the Volga German settlement of Ellis County. 

Rupp, a descendant of those Volga Germans, said, "I look forward to telling that story to people who don't know and to people walking into the front entrance and realizing that America was this great place to come to."

Plaques commemorating the first settlers of Ellis County are being reserved by donation, with the proceeds supporting the renovations at the St. John's location.

Eleven large plaques, which will be installed in the new space, have already been sold. Twenty smaller plaques are in the works, some of which are still available for a donation of $5,000 each. If you are interested in reserving a plaque for your family, contact Cynthia Stone at 785-893-1431.

Each plaque will list the first generation of settlers in Ellis County, along with family history submitted by the families. The society has the last say on the content of the plaques to reduce replication, Rupp said.

The satellite location will also include: • Children's discovery center • Space for traveling exhibits • Gift shop featuring Kansas-made products &nbsp;• Room dedicated to the county's military history, including Walker Army Airfield • Room dedicated to the oil and agriculture industries in Ellis County. This will include a section dedicated to the introduction of Angus cattle in the U.S. by Ellis County settler George Grant in 1873. The Grant homestead, which is in Ellis County, is a&nbsp;National Historic Site.

Rupp said a garden outside of the building will highlight life in the Volga region of Russia. Then, when visitors enter the building, they will learn about the Volga Germans' life and settlement in America.

The Volga German exhibit will highlight the various cities in the area founded by Volga Germans, as well as the beautiful churches they built.

The society is also in talks with the county library board to establish a branch library at the location. Victoria does not have a public library at this time.

Timing for completion of the rest of the renovations depends on fundraising, Rupp said.

Rupp said the society is accepting donations and is applying for grants.

The Victoria Community Coalition owns the property. The Ellis County Historical Society pays no rent as long as it pays its utilities and maintains insurance and upkeep on its portion of the building.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748631263784.jpeg" alt="The Ellis County Historical Society received a grant Thursday from the Kansas Department of Commerce for work on its Victoria satellite campus. The group is standing in a room dedicated to the history of Ellis County's Volga German settlers. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The Ellis County Historical Society received a grant Thursday from the Kansas Department of Commerce for work on its Victoria satellite campus. The group is standing in a room dedicated to the history of Ellis County's Volga German settlers. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe <a href="https://www.echshays.org/">Ellis County Historical Society</a> received a $35,000 grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce on Thursday for the renovation of a portion of St. John's Place in Victoria.The historical society is renovating space in the former nursing home as a satellite campus.Amanda Rupp, historical society executive director, said the second floor of the society's space is complete and is already being used to store collection items. More items from the collection will be moved to that space this summer.The lower floor has been gutted, the roof repaired and gas lines installed. Asbestos has also been removed from the building.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748631065024.jpeg" alt="The Ellis County Historical Society entrance to the St. John's Place satellite campus in Victoria. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The Ellis County Historical Society entrance to the St. John's Place satellite campus in Victoria. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>The society plans to use the grant funds to install a new HVAC system, install new floor coverings and restrooms. Rupp said she hopes the society can have at least this much of the renovations complete by next summer, when Ellis County will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Volga Germans first settling in the area.One of the rooms in the Victoria location will be dedicated to the Volga German settlement of Ellis County. Rupp, a descendant of those Volga Germans, said, "I look forward to telling that story to people who don't know and to people walking into the front entrance and realizing that America was this great place to come to."Plaques commemorating the first settlers of Ellis County are being reserved by donation, with the proceeds supporting the renovations at the St. John's location.Eleven large plaques, which will be installed in the new space, have already been sold. Twenty smaller plaques are in the works, some of which are still available for a donation of $5,000 each. If you are interested in reserving a plaque for your family, contact Cynthia Stone at 785-893-1431.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748632320642.jpeg" alt="A mock-up of what one of the Volga German family plaques for the new museum satellite location will look like. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A mock-up of what one of the Volga German family plaques for the new museum satellite location will look like. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Each plaque will list the first generation of settlers in Ellis County, along with family history submitted by the families. The society has the last say on the content of the plaques to reduce replication, Rupp said.The satellite location will also include: • Children's discovery center • Space for traveling exhibits • Gift shop featuring Kansas-made products &nbsp;• Room dedicated to the county's military history, including Walker Army Airfield • Room dedicated to the oil and agriculture industries in Ellis County. This will include a section dedicated to the introduction of Angus cattle in the U.S. by Ellis County settler George Grant in 1873. The Grant homestead, which is in Ellis County, is a&nbsp;National Historic Site.Rupp said a garden outside of the building will highlight life in the Volga region of Russia. Then, when visitors enter the building, they will learn about the Volga Germans' life and settlement in America.The Volga German exhibit will highlight the various cities in the area founded by Volga Germans, as well as the beautiful churches they built.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748632613751.jpeg" alt="Ellis County Historical Society collection items stored on the second floor of the St. John's Place building in Victoria. More items are scheduled to be moved to the space this summer.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Ellis County Historical Society collection items stored on the second floor of the St. John's Place building in Victoria. More items are scheduled to be moved to the space this summer.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748632715795.jpeg" alt="Ellis County Historical Society collection items stored on the second floor of the St. John's Place building in Victoria. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Ellis County Historical Society collection items stored on the second floor of the St. John's Place building in Victoria. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>The society is also in talks with the county library board to establish a branch library at the location. Victoria does not have a public library at this time.Timing for completion of the rest of the renovations depends on fundraising, Rupp said.Rupp said the society is accepting donations and is applying for grants.The Victoria Community Coalition owns the property. The Ellis County Historical Society pays no rent as long as it pays its utilities and maintains insurance and upkeep on its portion of the building.You can also follow the society of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ECHSHays">Facebook</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748632871121.jpeg" alt="The Ellis County Historical Society is planning a children's discovery center on the left side of this room in the St. John's Place building in Victoria. The society is in discussions with the Ellis County Library Board to house a satellite library in the rear right-hand corner. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The Ellis County Historical Society is planning a children's discovery center on the left side of this room in the St. John's Place building in Victoria. The society is in discussions with the Ellis County Library Board to house a satellite library in the rear right-hand corner. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>The coalition has just finished moderate-income apartments for seniors on the other side of the building. See more on that project in the Hays Post next week.&nbsp;The coalition has plans to also renovate part of the former nursing home for use as a child care and a community center.