Terry Alfred Claycamp age 78, of
Hays, Kansas, passed away on Tuesday, October &nbsp;29, 2024, at Hays Medical
Center.&nbsp;

 He was born March 24, 1946, in Hays, Kansas to Alfred Louis and Claria Nadine
(Burbach) Claycamp.&nbsp; Terry was a realtor and developer in Hays for many
years.&nbsp; 

A Celebration of Life Greeting Service will be held at the Hays V.F.W. on Monday, November 25, 2024, from 10:00 to 11:30 A.M. with a luncheon from
11:30 to 1:30 P.M.

&nbsp;A&nbsp; full obituary will follow by Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919
East 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601. 

Condolences can be sent via e-mail to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:clineschapels@gmail.com" target="_blank">clineschapels@gmail.com</a>&nbsp;or
can be left at guestbook at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/" target="_blank">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730920735265.jpeg" alt="Terry Alfred Claycamp" />
 <figcaption>Terry Alfred Claycamp</figcaption>
 </figure>Terry Alfred Claycamp age 78, of
Hays, Kansas, passed away on Tuesday, October &nbsp;29, 2024, at Hays Medical
Center.&nbsp; He was born March 24, 1946, in Hays, Kansas to Alfred Louis and Claria Nadine
(Burbach) Claycamp.&nbsp; Terry was a realtor and developer in Hays for many
years.&nbsp; A Celebration of Life Greeting Service will be held at the Hays V.F.W. on Monday, November 25, 2024, from 10:00 to 11:30 A.M. with a luncheon from
11:30 to 1:30 P.M.&nbsp;A&nbsp; full obituary will follow by Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919
East 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601. Condolences can be sent via e-mail to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:clineschapels@gmail.com" target="_blank">clineschapels@gmail.com</a>&nbsp;or
can be left at guestbook at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/" target="_blank">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>

Terry Alfred Claycamp

WASHINGTON (AP) —Vice President Kamala Harris called President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him on his election victory, a senior Harris aide said.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the call.

The aide said Harris discussed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power with Trump ahead of her planned concession speech Wednesday afternoon.

Harris will deliver a concession speech Wednesday at 4 p.m. (EST), her office announced.

Harris will speak at Howard University, her alma mater in Washington, where her supporters watched returns Tuesday night before being sent home after midnight as President-elect Donald Trump pulled ahead in battleground state results

President Joe Biden has called President-elect Trump to congratulate him on his election victory and to invite him to the White House to discuss the transition.

The White House said staff would coordinate a date “in the near future.” Biden plans to address the nation on the election results, which will have sharp implications for his legacy on Thursday. Biden also spoke with Vice President Harris to congratulate her on her campaign.

Trump completes ‘Blue Wall’ sweep, just as he did in 2016

With Donald Trump’s victory in Michigan, he completes a sweep of the Great Lakes “Blue Wall” states that Kamala Harris had considered her smoothest path to victory.

Trump managed the same sweep of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania in 2016, when he defeated Hillary Clinton. President Joe Biden outpaced Trump in those states in 2020.

Unlike Clinton’s campaign in 2016, Harris campaigned heavily across the region through September and October. The vice president spent all day Sunday in Michigan, but she was unable to match Biden’s level of support, most notably in Wayne County, where Detroit offers a trove of Democratic votes.

Trump was active in the region, as well, and he improved on his 2020 margins across the three key states.

US stock market and bitcoin surge on Trump’s return to office

Investors are betting on what Trump’s return to the White House will mean for the economy and the world.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-rates-china-93421462d761eb1402d813cb381fe6e9">The Dow jumped 1,200 points, or 2.8% early Wednesday</a>&nbsp;and major stocks including Elon Musk’s Tesla and bitcoin soared.

Trump Media &amp; Technology Group, the company behind the Truth Social platform, also surged.

Nikki Haley calls Trump’s win ‘a great moment for democracy’

Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, who became one of Trump’s more vocal challengers in the 2024 Republican primary before eventually endorsing him, said on her radio show Wednesday that he “defied gravity” with his win.

“He got through two assassination attempts. He got through two impeachments, he got through numerous indictments, and America still elected him because, at the end of the day, they knew what they were getting with Donald Trump. And that’s what they wanted to see,” she said.

Haley called it “a great moment for democracy.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730919280862.png" alt="Vice President elect JD Vance and President elect Donald Trump at their victory celebration Tuesday night-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Vice President elect JD Vance and President elect Donald Trump at their victory celebration Tuesday night-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Vice President Kamala Harris called President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him on his election victory, a senior Harris aide said.The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the call.The aide said Harris discussed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power with Trump ahead of her planned concession speech Wednesday afternoon.Harris will deliver a concession speech Wednesday at 4 p.m. (EST), her office announced.Harris will speak at Howard University, her alma mater in Washington, where her supporters watched returns Tuesday night before being sent home after midnight as President-elect Donald Trump pulled ahead in battleground state results<h2>Biden calls to congratulate Trump</h2>President Joe Biden has called President-elect Trump to congratulate him on his election victory and to invite him to the White House to discuss the transition.The White House said staff would coordinate a date “in the near future.” Biden plans to address the nation on the election results, which will have sharp implications for his legacy on Thursday. Biden also spoke with Vice President Harris to congratulate her on her campaign.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730922517952.png" alt="Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Trump completes ‘Blue Wall’ sweep, just as he did in 2016</h2>With Donald Trump’s victory in Michigan, he completes a sweep of the Great Lakes “Blue Wall” states that Kamala Harris had considered her smoothest path to victory.Trump managed the same sweep of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania in 2016, when he defeated Hillary Clinton. President Joe Biden outpaced Trump in those states in 2020.Unlike Clinton’s campaign in 2016, Harris campaigned heavily across the region through September and October. The vice president spent all day Sunday in Michigan, but she was unable to match Biden’s level of support, most notably in Wayne County, where Detroit offers a trove of Democratic votes.Trump was active in the region, as well, and he improved on his 2020 margins across the three key states.<h2>US stock market and bitcoin surge on Trump’s return to office</h2>Investors are betting on what Trump’s return to the White House will mean for the economy and the world.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-rates-china-93421462d761eb1402d813cb381fe6e9">The Dow jumped 1,200 points, or 2.8% early Wednesday</a>&nbsp;and major stocks including Elon Musk’s Tesla and bitcoin soared.Trump Media &amp; Technology Group, the company behind the Truth Social platform, also surged.<h2>Nikki Haley calls Trump’s win ‘a great moment for democracy’</h2>Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, who became one of Trump’s more vocal challengers in the 2024 Republican primary before eventually endorsing him, said on her radio show Wednesday that he “defied gravity” with his win.“He got through two assassination attempts. He got through two impeachments, he got through numerous indictments, and America still elected him because, at the end of the day, they knew what they were getting with Donald Trump. And that’s what they wanted to see,” she said.Haley called it “a great moment for democracy.”

Biden, Harris call President-elect Trump to congratulate him on win

Janell Shorman was born October 29, 1960 in Oberlin, KS, and passed on her 64th birthday at KU Medical Center.

Janell was raised in Oberlin and was a 1978 graduate of Oberlin High School. She earned a degree in nursing at Marymount College in Salina and worked as a nurse for many years. She loved what she did, especially her work with children and the elderly.

Janell leaves behind a lasting legacy through her two beloved children Michael and Matt, whom she adored and cherished. Her dedication to her family was inspiring and her love for them was unmeasurable. She left behind her two best friends Dina Heier and Jana Donnelly, and a special friend Steve Woodring.

She found solace and joy in the beauty of nature, spending countless hours in her garden surrounded by blooming flowers and vibrant plants. The tranquility of the outdoors brought her peace and contentment.

Her faith was a cornerstone of her life, and she found strength and comfort in her church community. She was known for her kind heart, compassionate spirit, and willingness to help others in need.

Janell was an avid K-State and Chiefs fan, always eager to watch with her sons and parents. She loved swimming and being in the water. She was always excited to go on new adventures and travel.

She is survived by her two sons Michael (Kansas City) and Matt (of Hays). Two brothers Dave (of Park City) and Bob (of Hays) and many other family members.

She is preceded in death by her parents Elmo and Margaret Lund.

Though she may be gone, her memory will live on through the lives she touched and the love she shared. May she rest in peace knowing she was cherished by all.

Services in care of Keithley Funeral Homes and Crematory - Brock’s Chapel, 2509 Vine Street Hays,Kansas 67601.

Memories and words of comfort may be shared on Janell's tribute page at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>&nbsp;(<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/</a>)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730728562231.jpeg" alt="JANELL SHORMAN" />
 <figcaption>JANELL SHORMAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Janell Shorman was born October 29, 1960 in Oberlin, KS, and passed on her 64th birthday at KU Medical Center.Janell was raised in Oberlin and was a 1978 graduate of Oberlin High School. She earned a degree in nursing at Marymount College in Salina and worked as a nurse for many years. She loved what she did, especially her work with children and the elderly.Janell leaves behind a lasting legacy through her two beloved children Michael and Matt, whom she adored and cherished. Her dedication to her family was inspiring and her love for them was unmeasurable. She left behind her two best friends Dina Heier and Jana Donnelly, and a special friend Steve Woodring.She found solace and joy in the beauty of nature, spending countless hours in her garden surrounded by blooming flowers and vibrant plants. The tranquility of the outdoors brought her peace and contentment.Her faith was a cornerstone of her life, and she found strength and comfort in her church community. She was known for her kind heart, compassionate spirit, and willingness to help others in need.Janell was an avid K-State and Chiefs fan, always eager to watch with her sons and parents. She loved swimming and being in the water. She was always excited to go on new adventures and travel.She is survived by her two sons Michael (Kansas City) and Matt (of Hays). Two brothers Dave (of Park City) and Bob (of Hays) and many other family members.She is preceded in death by her parents Elmo and Margaret Lund.Though she may be gone, her memory will live on through the lives she touched and the love she shared. May she rest in peace knowing she was cherished by all.Services in care of Keithley Funeral Homes and Crematory - Brock’s Chapel, 2509 Vine Street Hays,Kansas 67601.Memories and words of comfort may be shared on Janell's tribute page at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>&nbsp;(<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/</a>)

Janell Shorman

KANSAS CITY —The Traffic Officer who was critically injured in a crash almost three weeks ago left the hospital Monday, according to Kansas City Police.

 He has a long road of recovery ahead and will rehab at an out-of-state hospital.

His fellow Traffic Officers and command staff escorted him and his family to the downtown airport in a show of support. "Please join us in wishing the officer strength, resilience, and a full recovery."

The crash occurred just after 9:30a.m. October 17, at the intersection of 72nd&nbsp;and Troost. Investigators determined the motorcycle officer was northbound when a southbound SUV turned left (east) in front of the officer causing a collision.

Responding officers and EMS administered aid and transported the officer to the hospital with what was reported to be Critical, life threatening injuries.&nbsp;

The other involved driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.

KCPD was initially alerted to this crash thanks to some quick thinking by some nearby bystanders who rushed to the officer’s aid after hearing the crash. One person pushed the emergency button on the officer’s police radio while another person provided medical aid and CPR. Because of those citizen’s quick thinking first responders were alerted to the emergency, and able to locate the officer quickly, thanks to GPS on the police radio.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730756589616.png" alt="Photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —The Traffic Officer who was critically injured in a crash almost three weeks ago left the hospital Monday, according to Kansas City Police.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730756623275.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> He has a long road of recovery ahead and will rehab at an out-of-state hospital.His fellow Traffic Officers and command staff escorted him and his family to the downtown airport in a show of support. "Please join us in wishing the officer strength, resilience, and a full recovery."The crash occurred just after 9:30a.m. October 17, at the intersection of 72nd&nbsp;and Troost. Investigators determined the motorcycle officer was northbound when a southbound SUV turned left (east) in front of the officer causing a collision.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729105015166.png" alt="View of the crash scene -image courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>View of the crash scene -image courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Responding officers and EMS administered aid and transported the officer to the hospital with what was reported to be Critical, life threatening injuries.&nbsp;The other involved driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.KCPD was initially alerted to this crash thanks to some quick thinking by some nearby bystanders who rushed to the officer’s aid after hearing the crash. One person pushed the emergency button on the officer’s police radio while another person provided medical aid and CPR. Because of those citizen’s quick thinking first responders were alerted to the emergency, and able to locate the officer quickly, thanks to GPS on the police radio.

KC Officer injured in crash released from hospital

Members of Fort Hays State University's Criminal Justice Club traveled to Garden City Community College in October to compete in the Region 3 Conference. 

Academic poster presentations, Ryan Deitering, Hays, first place upper division and Dominic Graves, Tescott, second place lower division

Written exams:&nbsp;Criminal Law, Mackenzie Zimmerman, Hays, third place lower division

ACJA Knowledge, Kylie Huelsmann, Oakley, third place lower division, Mariah Carrillo, second place upper division

Corrections, Matthias Pearce, Wallace, third place lower division, Mackenzie Zimmerman, second place lower division, Tamara Lynn, professor of criminal justice, third place professional division

Juvenile Justice, Matthias Pearce, third place lower division, Mackenzie Zimmerman, second place lower division, Tamara Lynn, third place professional division &nbsp;

Police administration, Matthias Pearce, second place lower division, Mariah Carrillo, Garden City, second place upper division, Dr. Tamara Lynn, third place professional division

Physical agility, Male 25 and under, Dominic Graves, Tescott

Crime scene investigation, Kylie Huelsmann, Dominic Graves, and Xitlaly Marino, Garden City, 3rd place upper division, Ryan Deitering, Mackenzie Zimmerman, and Matthias Pearce, first place upper division

Firearms individual, Caleb Purvis, Westmoreland, second place upper division

Firearms teams, Mariah Carrillo, Caleb Purvis, and Dominic Graves, second place upper division, Tamara Lynn, Xitlaly Marino, and Madelyn Underwood, Lawrence, third place professional division.

“Criminal Justice Club members always do well at both regional and national conferences,” Dr. Lynn said.&nbsp; “More importantly than winning, students develop lifelong friendships during these conferences, as they support one another.”

The club competed with three teams from Kansas, one from Nebraska, and one from Missouri. 

The club members will begin preparing for the spring 2025 national conference of the American Criminal Justice Association, which will be hosted by Long Beach College in Long Beach, Calif.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730382585171.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State University Criminal Justice Club. Photo courtesy FHSU" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State University Criminal Justice Club. Photo courtesy FHSU</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU University RelationsMembers of Fort Hays State University's Criminal Justice Club traveled to Garden City Community College in October to compete in the Region 3 Conference. The group won several awards:Academic poster presentations, Ryan Deitering, Hays, first place upper division and Dominic Graves, Tescott, second place lower divisionWritten exams:&nbsp;Criminal Law, Mackenzie Zimmerman, Hays, third place lower divisionACJA Knowledge, Kylie Huelsmann, Oakley, third place lower division, Mariah Carrillo, second place upper divisionCorrections, Matthias Pearce, Wallace, third place lower division, Mackenzie Zimmerman, second place lower division, Tamara Lynn, professor of criminal justice, third place professional divisionJuvenile Justice, Matthias Pearce, third place lower division, Mackenzie Zimmerman, second place lower division, Tamara Lynn, third place professional division &nbsp;Police administration, Matthias Pearce, second place lower division, Mariah Carrillo, Garden City, second place upper division, Dr. Tamara Lynn, third place professional divisionPhysical agility, Male 25 and under, Dominic Graves, TescottCrime scene investigation, Kylie Huelsmann, Dominic Graves, and Xitlaly Marino, Garden City, 3rd place upper division, Ryan Deitering, Mackenzie Zimmerman, and Matthias Pearce, first place upper divisionFirearms individual, Caleb Purvis, Westmoreland, second place upper divisionFirearms teams, Mariah Carrillo, Caleb Purvis, and Dominic Graves, second place upper division, Tamara Lynn, Xitlaly Marino, and Madelyn Underwood, Lawrence, third place professional division.“Criminal Justice Club members always do well at both regional and national conferences,” Dr. Lynn said.&nbsp; “More importantly than winning, students develop lifelong friendships during these conferences, as they support one another.”The club competed with three teams from Kansas, one from Nebraska, and one from Missouri. The club members will begin preparing for the spring 2025 national conference of the American Criminal Justice Association, which will be hosted by Long Beach College in Long Beach, Calif.

FHSU Criminal Justice Club members bring home trophies from Region 3 conference

By JOHN P. TRETBAR Eagle Media

New York crude prices rose two dollars a barrel on Monday, wiping out two dollar weekly losses last week. Prices were up nearly three percent in lunchtime trading Tuesday. Near-month NYMEX crude was over $71 a barrel and London Brent was rising toward $75. Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week at $59.75 per barrel after gaining a quarter a barrel on Friday.

US crude-oil production in August is up 1.5% over July, averaging 13.4 million barrels a day. That's the highest monthly average in history. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports production totaled 415 million barrels nationwide, up 2.7% year-over-year. Kansas output rose 1.4%, for a total of 2,387,000 barrels or 77,000 barrels a day. We now drop to number 13 in the state rankings, lagging behind Montana and Louisiana. Texas produced nearly half of the national total at 180 million barrels, or 5.8 million barrels a day. That's more than all the other states combined.

Domestic crude-oil production topped 13.5 million barrels a day for a third week in a row last week, setting another all-time weekly record at 13,535,000 barrels per day. The Energy Information Administration reports cumulative production so far this year is also at an all-time high over 13.2 million daily barrels.

The Rotary Rig Count from Baker Hughes was up one gas rig but down one oil rig for a total of 585 active drilling rigs. Texas was down two. Oklahoma was down one. North Dakota, Utah and Pennsylvania were each up one rig.

The Kansas Rig Count is up nearly 31% to 34 active drilling rigs, with 15 in eastern Kansas, up five, and 19 west of Wichita, which is up three for the week. The statewide tally is up 21% over a month ago but down nearly six percent from last year at this time. Operators were drilling or about to start on four leases in Barton County, one in Ellis County and one in Stafford County on Friday. Independent Oil and Gas also reports drilling activity on leases in Finney and Haskell counties.

Independent Oil and Gas Service reports nine new well-completions last week, with five in eastern Kansas and four west of Wichita. That's 1,091 so far this year, down from 1,399 by the end of October last year. Kansas regulators report 43 new drilling locations with permits statewide, with 13 in Western Kansas including one in Ellis County and one in Stafford County. The state reports 961 new drilling permits so far this year, compared to 1,115 through October of 2023.

Crude-oil imports last week outpaced crude exports by 1.7 million barrels a day. Petroleum product exports dwarf imports by nearly five million barrels a day. Crude imports for the week through October 25th were down nearly half a million barrels a day from the week before at six million barrels per day. The four week average is down more than two percent from a year ago. Crude exports averaged 4.3 million barrels a day. The four-week average is down more than seven percent from a year ago at just over four million barrels a day.

US commercial crude stockpiles dropped half a million barrels to 425.5 million as of October 25th. Stockpiles are about four percent below the five year average for this time of year.

The government added 1.2 million barrels to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, raising the total to more than 385 million barrels. DOE has added more than 21 million barrels since resuming refill operations last April. &nbsp;The government announced what could be last call for SPR refills for the near future.&nbsp; An announcement from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Project Management Office seeks three million barrels of US sour crude for delivery in April and May at a price no higher than $79.99 per barrel. The purchase would leave the government with little money to buy more until lawmakers replenish the purchase funding. The Biden administration, or the next one, will need to work with Congress to fill up the SPR purchasing fund. It is unclear exactly how much money is left in that fund. DOE told Reuters on last week that if the prices are right, they will continue to buy crude with available emergency revenues.&nbsp; The Energy Department has now bought back more than 55 million barrels at an average price of about $76 per barrel, nearly $20 lower than the $95 a barrel price it sold the oil for in 2022.

Supplies are down and demand is up, but the national average for regular gasoline Thursday was down nearly 35 cents per gallon from a year ago, at $3.13 per gallon. Kansas was one of 20 states with average pump prices below $3 a gallon. The statewide average for regular was $2.78 a gallon, according to the auto club AAA. Diesel prices were also lower despite relatively low supplies and increasing demand. The national average for diesel is down a dollar and a dime from last year at $3.55 per gallon. In Kansas the average of $3.25 down $1.34 per gallon year-over-year.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670507085360.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN P. TRETBAR Eagle MediaNew York crude prices rose two dollars a barrel on Monday, wiping out two dollar weekly losses last week. Prices were up nearly three percent in lunchtime trading Tuesday. Near-month NYMEX crude was over $71 a barrel and London Brent was rising toward $75. Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week at $59.75 per barrel after gaining a quarter a barrel on Friday.US crude-oil production in August is up 1.5% over July, averaging 13.4 million barrels a day. That's the highest monthly average in history. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports production totaled 415 million barrels nationwide, up 2.7% year-over-year. Kansas output rose 1.4%, for a total of 2,387,000 barrels or 77,000 barrels a day. We now drop to number 13 in the state rankings, lagging behind Montana and Louisiana. Texas produced nearly half of the national total at 180 million barrels, or 5.8 million barrels a day. That's more than all the other states combined.Domestic crude-oil production topped 13.5 million barrels a day for a third week in a row last week, setting another all-time weekly record at 13,535,000 barrels per day. The Energy Information Administration reports cumulative production so far this year is also at an all-time high over 13.2 million daily barrels.The Rotary Rig Count from Baker Hughes was up one gas rig but down one oil rig for a total of 585 active drilling rigs. Texas was down two. Oklahoma was down one. North Dakota, Utah and Pennsylvania were each up one rig.The Kansas Rig Count is up nearly 31% to 34 active drilling rigs, with 15 in eastern Kansas, up five, and 19 west of Wichita, which is up three for the week. The statewide tally is up 21% over a month ago but down nearly six percent from last year at this time. Operators were drilling or about to start on four leases in Barton County, one in Ellis County and one in Stafford County on Friday. Independent Oil and Gas also reports drilling activity on leases in Finney and Haskell counties.Independent Oil and Gas Service reports nine new well-completions last week, with five in eastern Kansas and four west of Wichita. That's 1,091 so far this year, down from 1,399 by the end of October last year. Kansas regulators report 43 new drilling locations with permits statewide, with 13 in Western Kansas including one in Ellis County and one in Stafford County. The state reports 961 new drilling permits so far this year, compared to 1,115 through October of 2023.Crude-oil imports last week outpaced crude exports by 1.7 million barrels a day. Petroleum product exports dwarf imports by nearly five million barrels a day. Crude imports for the week through October 25th were down nearly half a million barrels a day from the week before at six million barrels per day. The four week average is down more than two percent from a year ago. Crude exports averaged 4.3 million barrels a day. The four-week average is down more than seven percent from a year ago at just over four million barrels a day.US commercial crude stockpiles dropped half a million barrels to 425.5 million as of October 25th. Stockpiles are about four percent below the five year average for this time of year.The government added 1.2 million barrels to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, raising the total to more than 385 million barrels. DOE has added more than 21 million barrels since resuming refill operations last April. &nbsp;The government announced what could be last call for SPR refills for the near future.&nbsp; An announcement from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Project Management Office seeks three million barrels of US sour crude for delivery in April and May at a price no higher than $79.99 per barrel. The purchase would leave the government with little money to buy more until lawmakers replenish the purchase funding. The Biden administration, or the next one, will need to work with Congress to fill up the SPR purchasing fund. It is unclear exactly how much money is left in that fund. DOE told Reuters on last week that if the prices are right, they will continue to buy crude with available emergency revenues.&nbsp; The Energy Department has now bought back more than 55 million barrels at an average price of about $76 per barrel, nearly $20 lower than the $95 a barrel price it sold the oil for in 2022.Supplies are down and demand is up, but the national average for regular gasoline Thursday was down nearly 35 cents per gallon from a year ago, at $3.13 per gallon. Kansas was one of 20 states with average pump prices below $3 a gallon. The statewide average for regular was $2.78 a gallon, according to the auto club AAA. Diesel prices were also lower despite relatively low supplies and increasing demand. The national average for diesel is down a dollar and a dime from last year at $3.55 per gallon. In Kansas the average of $3.25 down $1.34 per gallon year-over-year.&nbsp;&nbsp;

News from the Oil Patch: More US production records topple

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>

WASHINGTON — Voters are determining whether the next president enters office with a friendly Congress or a hostile one set on blocking their policies and nominees — and as the election roars into its last moments it’s still very unclear what the makeup of the House and Senate might be.

Most House races are not competitive. But House leaders are closely watching about two dozen toss-up contests to see whether Democrats or Republicans end up with the magic 218 lawmakers needed to control the speaker’s gavel, the agenda and the floor schedule.

The GOP’s razor-thin majority during the last two years created significant obstacles for leadership’s legislative goals and ended Kevin McCarthy’s speakership.

Neither political party is expected to gain a large House majority during the next Congress, set to begin in January. There’s even a possibility the majority party has less wiggle room than the 220-212 split that currently exists, along with three vacancies. Experts warn it may not be known on election night or for some time who’s won the House.

Senate leaders have been equally focused on hard-fought and close campaigns in Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Any one of them could deliver control of the upper chamber.

Republicans are favored to turn over the West Virginia seat occupied by Joe Manchin III, potentially pushing them past the 50-member benchmark if they hold onto seats occupied by incumbents Ted Cruz in Texas, Deb Fischer in Nebraska and Rick Scott in Florida.

If Democrats keep 50 seats, that would mean whichever party holds the vice presidency controls the Senate, making even just one pickup in either direction a priority for both political parties.

The outcome in both the House and Senate will have sweeping implications for the country’s future, including whether the GOP overhauls Obamacare, how lawmakers address core aspects of Republicans’ 2017 tax law set to expire in the coming months and whether the country defaults on its debts for the first time in history.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings" target="_blank">rates</a>&nbsp;four Senate races as toss-ups, meaning there’s a relatively even chance for Democrats or Republicans to win.

While the campaigns have shifted around a bit during the last few months, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are all considered neck and neck heading into Election Day.

Arizona and Nevada are categorized as leaning toward Democrats and Montana is expected to lean toward a Republican pickup, potentially giving the GOP its 51st seat and a narrow majority.

It’s also possible there could be upsets in Republican-held states traditionally considered safer, like Florida, Nebraska and Texas.That could alter the math for both Democrats and Republicans, depending on how things shake out after all the votes are counted, recounts finalized and lawsuits settled in the days and weeks following Nov. 5.

Jessica Taylor, editor for U.S. Senate and Governors at the Cook Political Report, said in a statement released Friday the “battle for the Senate fundamentally ends where the cycle began — with an overwhelmingly favorable map that very likely portends a GOP majority.”

Her projections show the GOP picking up two to five seats, giving the party a majority between 51 and 54 members.

A narrower majority, Taylor said, would allow “moderates like Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Maine Sen. Susan Collins to wield outsized influence in the next Congress.”

Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said during an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?539651-1/sen-gary-peters-discusses-senate-races" target="_blank">interview</a>&nbsp;with Washington Post Live in late October that he expects voters in Montana and Ohio will split their tickets.

He acknowledged getting voters to support Democratic Sens. Jon Tester in Montana and Sherrod Brown in Ohio, while also voting for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, will be much more challenging than in the past.

“Certainly, it’s not easy if there’s a lot of political gravity,” Peters said. “I’m not going to sugarcoat that in any way.”

But, he said, both Tester and Brown have been consistently polling within the margin of error against their GOP challengers.

“It’s about who’s going to get their voters out and do the kind of ground campaign necessary to win,” Peters said. “We’re doing that in Montana. We’re doing that in Ohio as well.”

The Senate is more important to the next president than the House, since the upper chamber is responsible for vetting and confirming the next commander-in-chief’s selections for their Cabinet as well as judicial nominees.

A GOP Senate would be a gift for Trump but likely tough for Vice President Kamala Harris.

The opposite could also be true — a Democratic majority in the Senate could put the brakes on many of Trump’s plans for a second term, while it would aid Harris in setting up her administration and potentially confirming a Supreme Court justice or two.

The Senate is the more bipartisan of the two chambers, thanks to the legislative filibuster — the rule requiring at least 60 senators agree to advance legislation toward final passage.

Without bipartisan support, bills and some nominees will be stuck in limbo, regardless of which party runs the Senate or controls the White House.

Philip Wallach, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank, said a Harris administration and a Republican Senate would need to work out an agreement quickly “or risk going into some kind of protracted standoff over executive branch nominations.”

Both Trump and President Joe Biden had the luxury of same-party Senate control during their full terms and former President Barack Obama had a Democratic Senate during his first six years in office. Harris possibly having to work with the opposing party to establish her Cabinet would be especially challenging, Wallach said in an interview.

“I would expect Republicans to try to come up with some pretty concrete asks as a conference: To say, ‘If we’re going to put any of your nominees up for a vote, here’s what we want in return, and here’s what kind of nominees we will accept.’ And, you know, I expect that would play out as a fairly heated public confrontation,” he said.

Trump and a Republican Senate would likely agree on some nominees and policy goals, though there would be significant differences over issues like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-vows-levy-horrible-tariffs-imports-rejecting-fears-inflation-spike" target="_blank">tariffs</a>.

“I think there are a lot of Republican senators who want to see some real limits to that, who still think of themselves as basically in favor of free trade and making sure that American businesses don’t find themselves on the wrong end of a trade war,” Wallach said. “Especially in the Senate, I just don’t think they’re that eager to just march to Trump’s tune.”

A Trump administration, he said, could also disagree with GOP lawmakers on the specific details of how to address tax policy.

“I think it’s a very live possibility that there could be a much more confrontational kind of dynamic this time around, in part, because Trump and some of the people right around him have this idea that playing nicely in 2017 was a big mistake,” Wallach said.

Control of the 435-member House is more uncertain than the Senate, with 22 races&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings" target="_blank">rated as toss-ups</a>&nbsp;by the Cook Political Report.

Twelve of those are held by Republicans, while 10 are occupied by Democratic lawmakers. At the moment, 205 House seats are at least leaning toward a Democratic win, with 208 districts at least leaning toward Republicans.

The Cook Political Report’s final projections range from Republicans adding five seats to their majority to Democrats picking up 10 seats and taking over the majority again.

“The race for control of the U.S. House remains as close as it’s ever been,”

Erin Covey, editor for the House at CPR, said in a written statement.

“The battleground is confined to a few dozen seats, with neither party having a clear advantage in a majority of seats,” Covey added. “And with several competitive races in West Coast states that take longer to count their ballots, it’s highly possible we won’t know which party has control on election night.”

The House is essential to turning bills into law, though it doesn’t have any role in confirming presidential nominees. And unlike the Senate, there’s no legislative filibuster, which means the majority party can approve any bills it wants without buy-in from the minority party, as long as the leaders in the majority have the votes from their own members.

Republican control of at least one chamber of Congress and a Harris victory would force significant bipartisan compromise on must-pass legislation, like the dozen annual government funding bills and the defense policy bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act.

It could also lead to the types of bipartisan legislation that Biden made a hallmark of his term in office, including the bipartisan infrastructure law.

That type of divided government is unlikely to produce the sweeping changes to home ownership, prescription drug prices, price gouging and reproductive rights that Harris has highlighted throughout her campaign.

But it could lead Republicans and Democrats to resurrect&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/bipartisan-border-bill-loses-support-fails-procedural-vote-us-senate" target="_blank">the bipartisan immigration and border security bill</a>&nbsp;that Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Arizona independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema agreed to earlier this year.

Trump in the White House and Democrats holding onto at least one chamber in Congress could also force bipartisan compromise, though likely with a far different tone and approach than under a Harris-Republican Congress scenario.

Trump regaining the presidency along with GOP control of Congress would give the party at least two chances to use the complex budget reconciliation process to pass certain legislation.

The party would likely use one of those opportunities to address provisions in the 2017 Republican tax law that have expired or are about to.

The budget reconciliation process, which has considerable rules and restrictions, is how Republicans passed the tax bill during Trump’s first term in office.

It doesn’t require at least 60 senators to advance the bill. But it does include something known as a vote-a-rama, where the Senate holds dozens of votes on amendments to the bill. The process typically lasts throughout the night and gives the party not in power a chance to force their colleagues across the aisle to vote on tough issues.

Budget reconciliation is the process Republicans used to try to repeal and replace the 2010 health care law that’s often referred to as the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, during Trump’s first term in office.

Speaker Mike Jonson, R-La., said in late October on Fox Business that some of his<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/speaker-johnson-criticizes-obamacare-promises-massive-reform-trump-win-rcna177853" target="_blank">&nbsp;prior comments</a>&nbsp;about overhauling the ACA were taken out of context and that he wants to make changes to the program, but not entirely end it.

“I said the ACA, unfortunately, is deeply ingrained in our health care system now,” he said. “Do we need further improvements? Absolutely. We need to expand quality of care, access to care and obviously lower the cost of health care.”

Johnson said during the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRGW9IVOaP4" target="_blank">interview</a>&nbsp;that he was “convinced” Republicans would gain unified control of government following the election and that he had compiled a “two-hour slide show presentation” detailing what the GOP would do with that power.

“We will secure the border on day one with a President Trump executive order and then legislation to follow, and we will turn immediately to the economy,” Johnson said. “Energy policy will be the center of that as well.”

Deeply conservative House bills might not garner the support needed to overcome the Senate’s legislative filibuster.

Unified Republican control of Congress and the White House would challenge the GOP to address the nation’s debt limit mostly on its own during the first half of next year after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-sends-biden-debt-limit-legislation-ahead-monday-default-deadline" target="_blank">the current law</a>&nbsp;expires.

A default on the nation’s debt is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-hit-debt-limit-much-sooner-expected-thrusting-congress-showdown" target="_blank">vastly different from a partial government shutdown</a>, which takes place when Congress doesn’t pass an appropriations package on time.

Failing to either raise or suspend the nation’s debt limit, before what’s known as extraordinary measures runs out, would likely cause a global financial crisis.

The GOP has been extremely vocal about cutting government spending, but that is separate from addressing the nation’s debt limit, which gives the Treasury Department the borrowing authority to ensure all of the country’s bills are paid in full and on time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720316487639.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>WASHINGTON — Voters are determining whether the next president enters office with a friendly Congress or a hostile one set on blocking their policies and nominees — and as the election roars into its last moments it’s still very unclear what the makeup of the House and Senate might be.Most House races are not competitive. But House leaders are closely watching about two dozen toss-up contests to see whether Democrats or Republicans end up with the magic 218 lawmakers needed to control the speaker’s gavel, the agenda and the floor schedule.The GOP’s razor-thin majority during the last two years created significant obstacles for leadership’s legislative goals and ended Kevin McCarthy’s speakership.Neither political party is expected to gain a large House majority during the next Congress, set to begin in January. There’s even a possibility the majority party has less wiggle room than the 220-212 split that currently exists, along with three vacancies. Experts warn it may not be known on election night or for some time who’s won the House.Senate leaders have been equally focused on hard-fought and close campaigns in Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Any one of them could deliver control of the upper chamber.Republicans are favored to turn over the West Virginia seat occupied by Joe Manchin III, potentially pushing them past the 50-member benchmark if they hold onto seats occupied by incumbents Ted Cruz in Texas, Deb Fischer in Nebraska and Rick Scott in Florida.If Democrats keep 50 seats, that would mean whichever party holds the vice presidency controls the Senate, making even just one pickup in either direction a priority for both political parties.The outcome in both the House and Senate will have sweeping implications for the country’s future, including whether the GOP overhauls Obamacare, how lawmakers address core aspects of Republicans’ 2017 tax law set to expire in the coming months and whether the country defaults on its debts for the first time in history.<h2>Four tense toss-ups in the Senate</h2>The nonpartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings" target="_blank">rates</a>&nbsp;four Senate races as toss-ups, meaning there’s a relatively even chance for Democrats or Republicans to win.While the campaigns have shifted around a bit during the last few months, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are all considered neck and neck heading into Election Day.Arizona and Nevada are categorized as leaning toward Democrats and Montana is expected to lean toward a Republican pickup, potentially giving the GOP its 51st seat and a narrow majority.It’s also possible there could be upsets in Republican-held states traditionally considered safer, like Florida, Nebraska and Texas.That could alter the math for both Democrats and Republicans, depending on how things shake out after all the votes are counted, recounts finalized and lawsuits settled in the days and weeks following Nov. 5.Jessica Taylor, editor for U.S. Senate and Governors at the Cook Political Report, said in a statement released Friday the “battle for the Senate fundamentally ends where the cycle began — with an overwhelmingly favorable map that very likely portends a GOP majority.”Her projections show the GOP picking up two to five seats, giving the party a majority between 51 and 54 members.A narrower majority, Taylor said, would allow “moderates like Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Maine Sen. Susan Collins to wield outsized influence in the next Congress.”<h2>Will some voters split their tickets?</h2>Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said during an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?539651-1/sen-gary-peters-discusses-senate-races" target="_blank">interview</a>&nbsp;with Washington Post Live in late October that he expects voters in Montana and Ohio will split their tickets.He acknowledged getting voters to support Democratic Sens. Jon Tester in Montana and Sherrod Brown in Ohio, while also voting for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, will be much more challenging than in the past.“Certainly, it’s not easy if there’s a lot of political gravity,” Peters said. “I’m not going to sugarcoat that in any way.”But, he said, both Tester and Brown have been consistently polling within the margin of error against their GOP challengers.“It’s about who’s going to get their voters out and do the kind of ground campaign necessary to win,” Peters said. “We’re doing that in Montana. We’re doing that in Ohio as well.”The Senate is more important to the next president than the House, since the upper chamber is responsible for vetting and confirming the next commander-in-chief’s selections for their Cabinet as well as judicial nominees.A GOP Senate would be a gift for Trump but likely tough for Vice President Kamala Harris.The opposite could also be true — a Democratic majority in the Senate could put the brakes on many of Trump’s plans for a second term, while it would aid Harris in setting up her administration and potentially confirming a Supreme Court justice or two.The Senate is the more bipartisan of the two chambers, thanks to the legislative filibuster — the rule requiring at least 60 senators agree to advance legislation toward final passage.Without bipartisan support, bills and some nominees will be stuck in limbo, regardless of which party runs the Senate or controls the White House.<h2>Possible standoff</h2>Philip Wallach, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank, said a Harris administration and a Republican Senate would need to work out an agreement quickly “or risk going into some kind of protracted standoff over executive branch nominations.”Both Trump and President Joe Biden had the luxury of same-party Senate control during their full terms and former President Barack Obama had a Democratic Senate during his first six years in office. Harris possibly having to work with the opposing party to establish her Cabinet would be especially challenging, Wallach said in an interview.“I would expect Republicans to try to come up with some pretty concrete asks as a conference: To say, ‘If we’re going to put any of your nominees up for a vote, here’s what we want in return, and here’s what kind of nominees we will accept.’ And, you know, I expect that would play out as a fairly heated public confrontation,” he said.Trump and a Republican Senate would likely agree on some nominees and policy goals, though there would be significant differences over issues like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-vows-levy-horrible-tariffs-imports-rejecting-fears-inflation-spike" target="_blank">tariffs</a>.“I think there are a lot of Republican senators who want to see some real limits to that, who still think of themselves as basically in favor of free trade and making sure that American businesses don’t find themselves on the wrong end of a trade war,” Wallach said. “Especially in the Senate, I just don’t think they’re that eager to just march to Trump’s tune.”A Trump administration, he said, could also disagree with GOP lawmakers on the specific details of how to address tax policy.“I think it’s a very live possibility that there could be a much more confrontational kind of dynamic this time around, in part, because Trump and some of the people right around him have this idea that playing nicely in 2017 was a big mistake,” Wallach said.<h2>House ‘as close as it’s ever been’</h2>Control of the 435-member House is more uncertain than the Senate, with 22 races&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings" target="_blank">rated as toss-ups</a>&nbsp;by the Cook Political Report.Twelve of those are held by Republicans, while 10 are occupied by Democratic lawmakers. At the moment, 205 House seats are at least leaning toward a Democratic win, with 208 districts at least leaning toward Republicans.The Cook Political Report’s final projections range from Republicans adding five seats to their majority to Democrats picking up 10 seats and taking over the majority again.“The race for control of the U.S. House remains as close as it’s ever been,”Erin Covey, editor for the House at CPR, said in a written statement.“The battleground is confined to a few dozen seats, with neither party having a clear advantage in a majority of seats,” Covey added. “And with several competitive races in West Coast states that take longer to count their ballots, it’s highly possible we won’t know which party has control on election night.”The House is essential to turning bills into law, though it doesn’t have any role in confirming presidential nominees. And unlike the Senate, there’s no legislative filibuster, which means the majority party can approve any bills it wants without buy-in from the minority party, as long as the leaders in the majority have the votes from their own members.Republican control of at least one chamber of Congress and a Harris victory would force significant bipartisan compromise on must-pass legislation, like the dozen annual government funding bills and the defense policy bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act.It could also lead to the types of bipartisan legislation that Biden made a hallmark of his term in office, including the bipartisan infrastructure law.That type of divided government is unlikely to produce the sweeping changes to home ownership, prescription drug prices, price gouging and reproductive rights that Harris has highlighted throughout her campaign.But it could lead Republicans and Democrats to resurrect&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/bipartisan-border-bill-loses-support-fails-procedural-vote-us-senate" target="_blank">the bipartisan immigration and border security bill</a>&nbsp;that Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Arizona independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema agreed to earlier this year.Trump in the White House and Democrats holding onto at least one chamber in Congress could also force bipartisan compromise, though likely with a far different tone and approach than under a Harris-Republican Congress scenario.<h2>GOP trifecta?</h2>Trump regaining the presidency along with GOP control of Congress would give the party at least two chances to use the complex budget reconciliation process to pass certain legislation.The party would likely use one of those opportunities to address provisions in the 2017 Republican tax law that have expired or are about to.The budget reconciliation process, which has considerable rules and restrictions, is how Republicans passed the tax bill during Trump’s first term in office.It doesn’t require at least 60 senators to advance the bill. But it does include something known as a vote-a-rama, where the Senate holds dozens of votes on amendments to the bill. The process typically lasts throughout the night and gives the party not in power a chance to force their colleagues across the aisle to vote on tough issues.Budget reconciliation is the process Republicans used to try to repeal and replace the 2010 health care law that’s often referred to as the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, during Trump’s first term in office.Speaker Mike Jonson, R-La., said in late October on Fox Business that some of his<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/speaker-johnson-criticizes-obamacare-promises-massive-reform-trump-win-rcna177853" target="_blank">&nbsp;prior comments</a>&nbsp;about overhauling the ACA were taken out of context and that he wants to make changes to the program, but not entirely end it.“I said the ACA, unfortunately, is deeply ingrained in our health care system now,” he said. “Do we need further improvements? Absolutely. We need to expand quality of care, access to care and obviously lower the cost of health care.”Johnson said during the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRGW9IVOaP4" target="_blank">interview</a>&nbsp;that he was “convinced” Republicans would gain unified control of government following the election and that he had compiled a “two-hour slide show presentation” detailing what the GOP would do with that power.“We will secure the border on day one with a President Trump executive order and then legislation to follow, and we will turn immediately to the economy,” Johnson said. “Energy policy will be the center of that as well.”Deeply conservative House bills might not garner the support needed to overcome the Senate’s legislative filibuster.Unified Republican control of Congress and the White House would challenge the GOP to address the nation’s debt limit mostly on its own during the first half of next year after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-sends-biden-debt-limit-legislation-ahead-monday-default-deadline" target="_blank">the current law</a>&nbsp;expires.A default on the nation’s debt is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-hit-debt-limit-much-sooner-expected-thrusting-congress-showdown" target="_blank">vastly different from a partial government shutdown</a>, which takes place when Congress doesn’t pass an appropriations package on time.Failing to either raise or suspend the nation’s debt limit, before what’s known as extraordinary measures runs out, would likely cause a global financial crisis.The GOP has been extremely vocal about cutting government spending, but that is separate from addressing the nation’s debt limit, which gives the Treasury Department the borrowing authority to ensure all of the country’s bills are paid in full and on time.

Will control of Congress shift? The results hinge on a handful of states and races

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Nick and Andrea Felder knew they were headed for a big life change when the couple found out they were pregnant again nine months after the birth of their twins.

The couple was living in Topeka and working for Blue Cross Blue Shield. Nick has a degree in structural engineering, and Andrea worked in accounting.

With a third child younger than 3 soon to come into their household, the couple wanted to move back to western Kansas, where they were raised.&nbsp;

When they started inquiring about child care, Nick said people laughed at them. Child care slots were extremely difficult to find in Hays at that time, and it was almost impossible to find three open slots for siblings younger than 2.

"That's when we realized what need there was for something," Nick said. "That's when we combined the need for us to combine career paths with the obvious need for child care and just the love for our kids and our family's kids, nieces and nephews."

The Felders decided to take a leap of faith. They set out to open a child care center, Bright Minds Academy.

As the couple worked through the red tape of buying land and rezoning property on Wheatland Drive, Nick was also studying to receive his child care center director certification.

The couple also sold their house and moved into a small townhome to have the capital to invest in the center.

"We just knew we wanted to get back here," Andrea said.

Well, we all know what happened next— the pandemic hit.

The Felders were able to remain open during the pandemic. They had door drop-off and special precautions that included temperature checks. The Ellis County Health Department also allowed the center to maintain a room for COVID-positive children.&nbsp;

Andrea said another significant challenge has been staffing. State regulations require a minimum number of adults in each classroom. If someone is sick, they must scramble to find someone to substitute or be forced to send children home.

Nick and Andrea substitute, but they have also hired a full-time staff member who can alternate between classes as needed.

"It's a stressor every single day," Andrea said.

The center's mission is to provide the next generation with the best quality of care and education.&nbsp;

Nick said centers have an advantage in that children can socialize and learn with their peers. The center also doesn't have to close. In-home providers might have to close if someone is sick.

The center serves children from birth through 5 and provides age-appropriate education. Under Kansas' newly revised regulations, the Wheatland center is licensed for 63 children.

"We know that 0 to 5, they learn primarily through play-based learning," Nick said.

Andrea said they modeled their center after a similar facility their twins attended when they were younger.

The center offered extracurricular activities, so the parents had opportunities to get to know each other. She said it felt like a family, and that's what the Felders wanted for Bright Minds.

The Felders said they have reaped the rewards of working with children and families.

"It's definitely more stressful than our previous jobs," Andrea said, "but the payback is 10 fold. I feel like our quality of life is a lot better. It is a lot more fulfilling. 

"Just this last year, we had preschoolers graduate who started with us in the infant room. Just seeing them from here to there, some tears were shed."

"The kids walking through the door and their faces lighting up to see you and see their teachers and be happy to be here, it's hard to describe the feeling you get from that versus working in insurance," he said.

The Felders now have four children. The twins are 7, and all four of the children have attended Bright Minds. The youngest of the four started coming to the center when he was 2 weeks old.

"It was a motivating factor," Nick said. "We get to work with kids, but we also get to see our kids anytime down the hall if we wanted to."

Parent James Robben nominated the Felders for the October Child Care Champion Award.

"Bright Minds Academy not only provides child care, but they provide a warm and educational learning environment for the children," Robben said. "I'm so glad we decided to send our children to Bright Minds. Nick, Andrea, and all of the staff at BMA do an amazing job. It really feels like an in-home family day care, but with the education qualities we were looking for."

One year ago, HaysMed opened a child care center on its campus. The hospital contracts with the Felders to operate that facility, which is licensed for 84 children.

The Grove Community Center will open next year, and the Felders will also contract to operate it.

Bright Minds is taking deposits to hold spots at The Grove. Under the new regulations, The Grove will be able to accommodate up to 83 children.

Because The Grove community center will also be the new home to the Hays Senior Center, the Felders also hope to incorporate an intergenerational aspect to that center.

Nick said the child care capacity in Hays has increased substantially since the couple opened Bright Minds.

"We want the people who were in our shoes six years ago and got chuckled at on the phone to be able to call and actually find care and be able to move here,"&nbsp; he said.

Both of the facilities they manage now are almost full.

The couple said Hays should be close to meeting its child care needs once The Grove is completed. They would like to expand and open child care homes in more rural areas of the region.

Andrea, 38, attended school in Victoria, and Nick, 37, attended school through middle school in Ransom.

"We don't want to see those types of communities fizzle out because of a problem like child care," Nick said.

Nick said Bright Minds could not be possible without its staff.

"We just manage the chaos," he said. "It's really our teachers and our staff who do the Lord's work in here. We couldn't do anything without the good people we have here."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730404434835.jpeg" alt="Nick and Andrea Felder, Bright Minds Academy owners, were named the October Child Care Champions. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Nick and Andrea Felder, Bright Minds Academy owners, were named the October Child Care Champions. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostNick and Andrea Felder knew they were headed for a big life change when the couple found out they were pregnant again nine months after the birth of their twins.The couple was living in Topeka and working for Blue Cross Blue Shield. Nick has a degree in structural engineering, and Andrea worked in accounting.With a third child younger than 3 soon to come into their household, the couple wanted to move back to western Kansas, where they were raised.&nbsp;When they started inquiring about child care, Nick said people laughed at them. Child care slots were extremely difficult to find in Hays at that time, and it was almost impossible to find three open slots for siblings younger than 2."That's when we realized what need there was for something," Nick said. "That's when we combined the need for us to combine career paths with the obvious need for child care and just the love for our kids and our family's kids, nieces and nephews."The Felders decided to take a leap of faith. They set out to open a child care center, Bright Minds Academy.As the couple worked through the red tape of buying land and rezoning property on Wheatland Drive, Nick was also studying to receive his child care center director certification.The couple also sold their house and moved into a small townhome to have the capital to invest in the center."We just knew we wanted to get back here," Andrea said.The center opened in January 2020.Well, we all know what happened next— the pandemic hit.The Felders were able to remain open during the pandemic. They had door drop-off and special precautions that included temperature checks. The Ellis County Health Department also allowed the center to maintain a room for COVID-positive children.&nbsp;Andrea said another significant challenge has been staffing. State regulations require a minimum number of adults in each classroom. If someone is sick, they must scramble to find someone to substitute or be forced to send children home.Nick and Andrea substitute, but they have also hired a full-time staff member who can alternate between classes as needed."It's a stressor every single day," Andrea said.The center's mission is to provide the next generation with the best quality of care and education.&nbsp;Nick said centers have an advantage in that children can socialize and learn with their peers. The center also doesn't have to close. In-home providers might have to close if someone is sick.The center serves children from birth through 5 and provides age-appropriate education. Under Kansas' newly revised regulations, the Wheatland center is licensed for 63 children."We know that 0 to 5, they learn primarily through play-based learning," Nick said.Andrea said they modeled their center after a similar facility their twins attended when they were younger.The center offered extracurricular activities, so the parents had opportunities to get to know each other. She said it felt like a family, and that's what the Felders wanted for Bright Minds.The Felders said they have reaped the rewards of working with children and families."It's definitely more stressful than our previous jobs," Andrea said, "but the payback is 10 fold. I feel like our quality of life is a lot better. It is a lot more fulfilling. "Just this last year, we had preschoolers graduate who started with us in the infant room. Just seeing them from here to there, some tears were shed."Nick also shared his memories."The kids walking through the door and their faces lighting up to see you and see their teachers and be happy to be here, it's hard to describe the feeling you get from that versus working in insurance," he said.The Felders now have four children. The twins are 7, and all four of the children have attended Bright Minds. The youngest of the four started coming to the center when he was 2 weeks old."It was a motivating factor," Nick said. "We get to work with kids, but we also get to see our kids anytime down the hall if we wanted to."Parent James Robben nominated the Felders for the October Child Care Champion Award."Bright Minds Academy not only provides child care, but they provide a warm and educational learning environment for the children," Robben said. "I'm so glad we decided to send our children to Bright Minds. Nick, Andrea, and all of the staff at BMA do an amazing job. It really feels like an in-home family day care, but with the education qualities we were looking for."One year ago, HaysMed opened a child care center on its campus. The hospital contracts with the Felders to operate that facility, which is licensed for 84 children.The Grove Community Center will open next year, and the Felders will also contract to operate it.Bright Minds is taking deposits to hold spots at The Grove. Under the new regulations, The Grove will be able to accommodate up to 83 children.Because The Grove community center will also be the new home to the Hays Senior Center, the Felders also hope to incorporate an intergenerational aspect to that center.Nick said the child care capacity in Hays has increased substantially since the couple opened Bright Minds."We want the people who were in our shoes six years ago and got chuckled at on the phone to be able to call and actually find care and be able to move here,"&nbsp; he said.Both of the facilities they manage now are almost full.The couple said Hays should be close to meeting its child care needs once The Grove is completed. They would like to expand and open child care homes in more rural areas of the region.Andrea, 38, attended school in Victoria, and Nick, 37, attended school through middle school in Ransom."We don't want to see those types of communities fizzle out because of a problem like child care," Nick said.Nick said Bright Minds could not be possible without its staff."We just manage the chaos," he said. "It's really our teachers and our staff who do the Lord's work in here. We couldn't do anything without the good people we have here."

Child Care Champions take leap of faith to start new careers in child care

WASHINGTON (AP) — For the millions of Americans on the radar of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;campaigns and those of their allies, the apocalypse is only a text message away.

The very future of the republic is at stake, some of the texts say and many others imply. But you — yes, YOU, Sally, Jose or insert-your-first-name here — can save it. For as little as $7.

Texting is a cheap and easy way to reach potential voters and donors, without all the rules meant to keep traditional paid broadcast advertising a bit honest. Both sides are working the texting pipeline aggressively. In the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">last days of the campaign</a>, the pinging of phones can be relentless.

“All day, every day,” Robyn Beyah said of the torrent as she stood in line to get into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-obama-springsteen-perry-mix-master-atlanta-1ef1c592180db8fcbe0d0480248f9fe6">Kamala Harris rally</a>&nbsp;outside Atlanta last week. “They have my number. We’re practically besties.”

Beyah is cool with that. She considers the text bombing “harmless” because it’s for a candidate she believes in. She even invites the Harris campaign to “harass me with text messages.” Not all voters are so charitable.

“To be honest with you, at this point, I’ve tuned it out of my brain," said Ebenezer Eyasu of Stone Mountain, Georgia, standing in the same Harris rally line. He said the dozen or so texts he gets each day have become “background noise."

Sarah Wiggins, a 26-year-old graphic designer from Kennesaw, Georgia, who supports Harris, prefers face to face persuasion. “I feel like it’s all about people around you," she said. "Word of mouth is underrated.” As for the texts, “I just delete, to be honest. I don’t want to read it.”

Many Trump supporters also get pestered. Several at his rally in Tempe, Arizona, last week professed low-grade aggravation about that.

“They’re more of an annoyance than anything else,” said Morse Lawrence, 57, a physician assistant from Mesa, Arizona. "I get bombarded by text messages outside of political things as well. People wanting to buy my house, people wanting to sell me insurance, it’s all of it.”

He figures it's an effective marketing strategy for campaigns even if the great majority of recipients don't bite. “You go fishing and you catch two fish, you’ve got a meal for the day.”

Jennifer Warnke, 57, of St. John's, Arizona, also at the Trump rally, expressed mixed feelings about what's happening on her phone.

“They’re at least reaching out, because for years nobody ever called me,” she said. “I've been a registered Republican all my life and nobody ever called.”

She added: “It’s annoying, but it’s almost over.”

Trump's campaign, although uniquely fixated on selling hats via text, shares certain traits with the Democrats.

Both sides traffic in dire warnings should the other side win. Both cook up phony deadlines to get you to hurry up with your money. Both play on the fantasy that luminaries — whether Harris, Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/george-clooney">George Clooney</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nancy-pelosi">Nancy Pelosi</a>&nbsp;or Donald Trump Jr. — are texting you personally, instead of the machinery that really is.

Texts under the name of Trump Jr. come with a twist, if a transparent one: “Please don’t give $5 to help dad before his critical deadline. I’m serious. Don’t. ... Let me explain."

The explanation is a link to a page asking for lots more than $5. You can choose $20.24 if you are a basic Trump supporter in 2024 or $47 if you think the 45th president was the greatest ever and want to make him the 47th.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730390125982.png" alt="Campaign text sent October 19 from the Trump campaign" />
 <figcaption>Campaign text sent October 19 from the Trump campaign</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — For the millions of Americans on the radar of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;campaigns and those of their allies, the apocalypse is only a text message away.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730389833422.png" alt="Campaign text sent October 25th from the Harris Campaign" />
 <figcaption>Campaign text sent October 25th from the Harris Campaign</figcaption>
 </figure>The very future of the republic is at stake, some of the texts say and many others imply. But you — yes, YOU, Sally, Jose or insert-your-first-name here — can save it. For as little as $7.Texting is a cheap and easy way to reach potential voters and donors, without all the rules meant to keep traditional paid broadcast advertising a bit honest. Both sides are working the texting pipeline aggressively. In the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">last days of the campaign</a>, the pinging of phones can be relentless.“All day, every day,” Robyn Beyah said of the torrent as she stood in line to get into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-obama-springsteen-perry-mix-master-atlanta-1ef1c592180db8fcbe0d0480248f9fe6">Kamala Harris rally</a>&nbsp;outside Atlanta last week. “They have my number. We’re practically besties.”Beyah is cool with that. She considers the text bombing “harmless” because it’s for a candidate she believes in. She even invites the Harris campaign to “harass me with text messages.” Not all voters are so charitable.“To be honest with you, at this point, I’ve tuned it out of my brain," said Ebenezer Eyasu of Stone Mountain, Georgia, standing in the same Harris rally line. He said the dozen or so texts he gets each day have become “background noise."Sarah Wiggins, a 26-year-old graphic designer from Kennesaw, Georgia, who supports Harris, prefers face to face persuasion. “I feel like it’s all about people around you," she said. "Word of mouth is underrated.” As for the texts, “I just delete, to be honest. I don’t want to read it.”Many Trump supporters also get pestered. Several at his rally in Tempe, Arizona, last week professed low-grade aggravation about that.“They’re more of an annoyance than anything else,” said Morse Lawrence, 57, a physician assistant from Mesa, Arizona. "I get bombarded by text messages outside of political things as well. People wanting to buy my house, people wanting to sell me insurance, it’s all of it.”He figures it's an effective marketing strategy for campaigns even if the great majority of recipients don't bite. “You go fishing and you catch two fish, you’ve got a meal for the day.”Jennifer Warnke, 57, of St. John's, Arizona, also at the Trump rally, expressed mixed feelings about what's happening on her phone.“They’re at least reaching out, because for years nobody ever called me,” she said. “I've been a registered Republican all my life and nobody ever called.”She added: “It’s annoying, but it’s almost over.”<h2>The campaigns spin a fantasy</h2>Trump's campaign, although uniquely fixated on selling hats via text, shares certain traits with the Democrats.Both sides traffic in dire warnings should the other side win. Both cook up phony deadlines to get you to hurry up with your money. Both play on the fantasy that luminaries — whether Harris, Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/george-clooney">George Clooney</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nancy-pelosi">Nancy Pelosi</a>&nbsp;or Donald Trump Jr. — are texting you personally, instead of the machinery that really is.Texts under the name of Trump Jr. come with a twist, if a transparent one: “Please don’t give $5 to help dad before his critical deadline. I’m serious. Don’t. ... Let me explain."The explanation is a link to a page asking for lots more than $5. You can choose $20.24 if you are a basic Trump supporter in 2024 or $47 if you think the 45th president was the greatest ever and want to make him the 47th.Trump himself seems to be heavily into merch. “I'm shipping you a Gold MAGA Hat!” say texts in his name. “Should I sign it?”Tap through and you see the MAGA hat with gold lettering will cost you $50. But there's more.“Here's my offer to you," the digital Trump says. "If you place your order before the midnight deadline, I may add my signature and a quick personal note right on the brim!” May — or may not.Thirteen days from Election Day, as she prepared to take the stage for a CNN town hall, Harris took a moment to confide in a Virginian she doesn’t know at all. At least that's the scene sketched by a text in her name.“Hi Chris, it’s Kamala Harris,” says the message. “It would mean the world to me if you added another donation to our campaign before my town hall on CNN tonight. Donald Trump and his allies are currently outspending us across the battleground states.”A donation of $40 is suggested. No hat is offered. Despite the message's angst over cash, Harris' campaign and affiliated Democratic groups have raised&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-third-quarter-fundraising-september-donald-trump-f8a21ae87b7a1c7127e8a3b6420dac7d">over $1 billion</a>&nbsp;in mere months and kept a large financial advantage over Trump in the campaign's last leg.<h2>The pings keep coming</h2>Ping: “It’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elizabeth-warren">Elizabeth Warren.</a>&nbsp;”Ping: “From Trump: I JUST LEFT MCDONALD’S."Ping: “We’ve asked NINE TIMES if you support&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;… but you never completed the poll.”Ping: “I just got off the debate stage.” — signed by Harris running mate, Minnesota Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tim-walz">Tim Walz</a>.Ping: “This is a BIG F#@%ING DEAL.” — in the name of Democratic strategist James Carville.Ping: "It's Nancy Pelosi. I need you to see this."Ping: “But you haven’t stepped up to defend our Senate majority!?! Rush $7 now.”Ping: “I have a McGift for you! It's President Trump. Want to take a look?”<h2>Are they legit?</h2>Despite the sucker-born-every-minute undertone of some of the presidential campaign texts, experts say you can be reasonably confident that donations to the official candidate campaigns or the main party organizations will be used for your intended purpose.But many more groups are pitching for your election-season cash, not all of them are legit and sorting that out takes work. Some voter-mobilization groups that claim to be funded by the left, for example, may be mischief-makers from the right, or just out to collect personal information on you.This month, the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin wrote to the U.S. and state attorneys general to report that thousands of fraudulent text messages from an anonymous source were sent to young people threatening $10,000 fines or prison time if they vote in a state where they are not eligible to cast ballots.The scam was meant to intimidate students from out of state who are legally entitled to vote in Wisconsin if they are attending college there, or to vote back at home instead, the letter said.Last weekend, thousands of Pennsylvania voters received a text message that falsely claimed they had already voted in the election, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Monday. It was from AllVote, which election officials have repeatedly flagged as a scam, the paper said. The group said the false claim was the result of a typo.Experts say to read the fine print at the bottom of any fundraising link you open. It must outline the name of the group and where the money will go.From there, people can go to sites such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending">OpenSecrets</a>&nbsp;or the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/browse-data/?tab=spending">Federal Election Commission</a>&nbsp;to see breakdowns of revenue and spending by groups that are registered political action committees. High overhead and low or no spending on ads or canvassing are red flags.For all those traps, Beverly Payne of Cumming, Georgia, who has already voted for Harris and volunteers for her, welcomes the pings.“I get texts every 30 minutes and I answer every single one of them,” Payne said. One favorite was about an ice cream flavor rolled out for Harris by Ben &amp; Jerry’s, Kamala’s Coconut Jubilee layered with caramel and topped with red, white and blue star sprinkles. “I had to donate to that,” she said.“It’s our culture now, we’re all addicted,” Payne said of texts and Harris' use of them. “Maybe that’s why she has a billion dollars."___