WASHINGTON (AP) — Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners, U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday in announcing the outlines of the biggest breakthrough in months in the two-year-old war.

“This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace,” Trump wrote on social media. “All Parties will be treated fairly!”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on social media, “With God’s help we will bring them all home.” Hamas said separately that the deal would ensure the withdrawal of Israeli troops as well as allow for the entry of aid and exchange of hostages and prisoners.

Hamas plans to release all 20 living hostages this weekend, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press, while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza.

It was not immediately clear whether the parties had made any progress on thornier questions about the future of the conflict, including whether Hamas will demilitarize, as Trump has demanded, and eventual governance of the war-torn territory. But the agreement nonetheless marked the most momentous development since a deal in January and February that involved the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

The deal was solidified in Egypt after days of negotiations centered on a Trump-backed peace plan that he hopes will ultimately result in a permanent end to the war and bring about a sustainable peace in the region.

The war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people, many of them civilians, and took 251 hostage. Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead, devastated Gaza and upended global politics.

Trump expressed optimism earlier in the day by saying that he was considering a trip to the Middle East within a matter of days.

Yet another hint of a deal came later in that event when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rubio-note-middle-east-peace-f570658c65daefab6d0af9b29e851dd7">passed Trump a note</a>&nbsp;on White House stationery that read, “You need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first.” Truth Social is the president’s preferred social media platform.

The note prompted Trump to proclaim, “We’re very close to a deal in the Middle East.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;was holding a roundtable event with conservative influencers about antifa Wednesday when Secretary of State Marco Rubio, standing in the back corner of the White House’s Blue Room, caught his eye.

He had news for Trump, he said, but it would have to wait until after the media left. Then Rubio passed the president a note.

News photographers covering the event zoomed in on the handwriting on White House stationery that read, “You need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first.”

“I was just given a note by the secretary of state saying that we’re very close to a deal on the Middle East, and they’re gonna need me pretty quickly,” Trump said. “So we’ll take a couple of more questions.”

The influencer event had already been going on for more than an hour when Rubio first approached. The president invited him to come in, and Rubio whispered something to Trump before handing him the note.

The note’s urgent tone came as Trump’s top Middle East adviser, Steve Witkoff, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and other senior officials joined a third day of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">peace talks</a>&nbsp;between Israel and Hamas at an Egyptian resort Wednesday — a sign that negotiators aim to dive deeply into the toughest issues of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-palestinians-hamas-war-explainer-d5c5057d2fe9e2e255215850b454f601">an American plan</a>&nbsp;to end the war in Gaza.

Trump had kicked off the influencer event by telling assembled journalists that he planned to travel to the Middle East “toward the end of the week” and could even “make the rounds” in the region to Egypt and possibly the Gaza Strip as U.S. negotiators closed in on a deal.

Still, even after Rubio passed Trump the note, Trump continued to talk to the influencers and take questions from the media as the secretary of state became visibly anxious.

Nearly 10 minutes after his initial comments about leaving, Trump said: “I have to go now to try and solve some problems in the Middle East — although I’m very well represented by our secretary of state. He could probably do an even better job than me, but who knows.”

“We don’t want to take any chances. So we’re going to go and do that,” Trump added.

He then suggested Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stay and take questions in his absence. However, Trump continued to take questions before the event finally broke up without Cabinet members remaining behind.

“We’re gonna get peace in the Middle East,” Trump wrapped by saying. “That’s what we want to do.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners, U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday in announcing the outlines of the biggest breakthrough in months in the two-year-old war.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨🚨🚨 <a href="https://t.co/14iLLYKxVY">pic.twitter.com/14iLLYKxVY</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1976058170251399241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace,” Trump wrote on social media. “All Parties will be treated fairly!”Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on social media, “With God’s help we will bring them all home.” Hamas said separately that the deal would ensure the withdrawal of Israeli troops as well as allow for the entry of aid and exchange of hostages and prisoners.Hamas plans to release all 20 living hostages this weekend, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press, while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza.It was not immediately clear whether the parties had made any progress on thornier questions about the future of the conflict, including whether Hamas will demilitarize, as Trump has demanded, and eventual governance of the war-torn territory. But the agreement nonetheless marked the most momentous development since a deal in January and February that involved the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.The deal was solidified in Egypt after days of negotiations centered on a Trump-backed peace plan that he hopes will ultimately result in a permanent end to the war and bring about a sustainable peace in the region.The war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people, many of them civilians, and took 251 hostage. Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead, devastated Gaza and upended global politics.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;I was just given a note by the Secretary of State saying that we&#39;re very close to a deal in the Middle East.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/EGn45SgLfm">pic.twitter.com/EGn45SgLfm</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1976031749022142872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Iconic <a href="https://t.co/4VutKfZJWT">https://t.co/4VutKfZJWT</a> <a href="https://t.co/m6AFDXKyT0">pic.twitter.com/m6AFDXKyT0</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1976032423633953106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump expressed optimism earlier in the day by saying that he was considering a trip to the Middle East within a matter of days.Yet another hint of a deal came later in that event when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rubio-note-middle-east-peace-f570658c65daefab6d0af9b29e851dd7">passed Trump a note</a>&nbsp;on White House stationery that read, “You need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first.” Truth Social is the president’s preferred social media platform.The note prompted Trump to proclaim, “We’re very close to a deal in the Middle East.”--------------WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;was holding a roundtable event with conservative influencers about antifa Wednesday when Secretary of State Marco Rubio, standing in the back corner of the White House’s Blue Room, caught his eye.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;I was just dealing with people from the Middle East... on the potential peace deal... it&#39;s something I think that will happen — got a good chance of happening. I may go there sometime toward the end of the week, maybe on Sunday, actually.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/szAzxxBZNC">pic.twitter.com/szAzxxBZNC</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1976009390642823648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>He had news for Trump, he said, but it would have to wait until after the media left. Then Rubio passed the president a note.News photographers covering the event zoomed in on the handwriting on White House stationery that read, “You need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first.”“I was just given a note by the secretary of state saying that we’re very close to a deal on the Middle East, and they’re gonna need me pretty quickly,” Trump said. “So we’ll take a couple of more questions.”The influencer event had already been going on for more than an hour when Rubio first approached. The president invited him to come in, and Rubio whispered something to Trump before handing him the note.The note’s urgent tone came as Trump’s top Middle East adviser, Steve Witkoff, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and other senior officials joined a third day of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">peace talks</a>&nbsp;between Israel and Hamas at an Egyptian resort Wednesday — a sign that negotiators aim to dive deeply into the toughest issues of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-palestinians-hamas-war-explainer-d5c5057d2fe9e2e255215850b454f601">an American plan</a>&nbsp;to end the war in Gaza.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;I was just given a note by the Secretary of State saying that we&#39;re very close to a deal in the Middle East.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/EGn45SgLfm">pic.twitter.com/EGn45SgLfm</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1976031749022142872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Iconic <a href="https://t.co/4VutKfZJWT">https://t.co/4VutKfZJWT</a> <a href="https://t.co/m6AFDXKyT0">pic.twitter.com/m6AFDXKyT0</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1976032423633953106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump had kicked off the influencer event by telling assembled journalists that he planned to travel to the Middle East “toward the end of the week” and could even “make the rounds” in the region to Egypt and possibly the Gaza Strip as U.S. negotiators closed in on a deal.Still, even after Rubio passed Trump the note, Trump continued to talk to the influencers and take questions from the media as the secretary of state became visibly anxious.Nearly 10 minutes after his initial comments about leaving, Trump said: “I have to go now to try and solve some problems in the Middle East — although I’m very well represented by our secretary of state. He could probably do an even better job than me, but who knows.”“We don’t want to take any chances. So we’re going to go and do that,” Trump added.He then suggested Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stay and take questions in his absence. However, Trump continued to take questions before the event finally broke up without Cabinet members remaining behind.“We’re gonna get peace in the Middle East,” Trump wrapped by saying. “That’s what we want to do.”

🎥Trump has good news on Middle East peace, hostage release

Victoria moves up a spot and Quinter remains steady in the latest Kansas Volleyball Association rankings.

Victoria, who is 21-2, moved up to No. 5 in 1A Division 2. Quinter, who is 128-6, remained at No. 9 in 1A Division 1.

There is one school out of the Mid-Continent League that is ranked. Oakley (27-0) and remained fourth in 2A.

This week’s rankings reflect the new 2025-26 KSHSAA classifications as well as information that was submitted on Monday, October 6.

Class 6A 1. Blue Valley West 21-2 (1) 2. Mill Valley 20-4 (2) 3. Olathe West 17-5 (3) 4. Olathe Northwest 20-5 (5) 5. Blue Valley North 17-8 (4) 6. Washburn Rural 16-4 (6) 7. Manhattan 19-7 (7) 8. Lawrence Free State 13-8 (8)| 9. Shawnee Mission Northwest 19-7 (NR) 10. Garden City 17-3 (10)

Class 5A 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 20-3 (1) 2. Blue Valley Southwest 25-2 (2) 3. Maize South 28-3 (3) 4. Bishop Carroll 24-1 (4) 5. St. James Academy 20-8 (5) 6. Lansing 24-7 (6) 7. Andover Central 20-10 (7) 8. De Soto 18-8 (9) 9. Goddard-Eisenhower 16-9 (8) 10. Hutchinson 17-8 (NR)

Class 4A 1. Clay Center 25-2 (1) 2. Andale 23-1 (2) 3. Hayden 19-7 (3) 4. Bishop Miege 5-19 (4) 5. Rock Creek 23-4 (5) 6. Chanute 26-1 (6) 7. McPherson 22-4 (7) 8. Eudora 19-9 (9) 9. Paola 17-7 (8) 10. Wellington 16-7 (10)

Class 3A 1. Silver Lake 32-1 (1) 2. Holton 19-7 (5) 3. Halstead 20-5 (3) 4. Hoisington 25-4 (4) 5. Beloit 22-7 (2) 6. Holcomb 24-4 (8) 7. Trinity Academy 15-4 (6) 8. Maranatha Christian Academy 26-4 (9) 9. Hesston 16-8 (10) 10. Riverton 23-3 (NR)

Class 2A 1. Ellinwood 27-0 (1) 2. Hillsboro 20-6 (2) 3. Moundridge 28-2 (3) 4. Oakley 27-0 (4) 5. Medicine Lodge 29-2 (6) 6. Rossville 19-10 (5) 7. Valley Heights 20-6 (7) 8. Jefferson County North 27-2 (9) 9. Sedgwick 22-10 (8) 10. Berean Academy 21-7 (10)

Class 1A – Division 1 1. Little River 26-2 (1) 2. Centralia 24-5 (2) 3. Wabaunsee 20-5 (6) 4. South Gray 22-2 (5) 5. Spearville 21-4 (3) 6. Rock Hills 26-1 (4) 7. Goessel 18-9 (7) 8. Greeley County 17-7 (8) 9. Quinter 18-6 (9) 10. Onaga 15-7 (10)

Class 1A – Division 2 1. Hanover 23-4 (3) 2. Ingalls 21-4 (1) 3. Marais des Cygnes Valley 27-2 (2) 4. Argonia 29-1 (4) 5. Victoria 21-2 (6) 6. Linn 20-5 (5) 7. Cheylin 20-8 (8) 8. Waverly 17-9 (9) 9. Dighton 14-10 (7) 10. Axtell 19-11 (NR)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694203728754.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Hays Post SportsVictoria moves up a spot and Quinter remains steady in the latest Kansas Volleyball Association rankings.Victoria, who is 21-2, moved up to No. 5 in 1A Division 2. Quinter, who is 128-6, remained at No. 9 in 1A Division 1.There is one school out of the Mid-Continent League that is ranked. Oakley (27-0) and remained fourth in 2A.This week’s rankings reflect the new 2025-26 KSHSAA classifications as well as information that was submitted on Monday, October 6.Class 6A 1. Blue Valley West 21-2 (1) 2. Mill Valley 20-4 (2) 3. Olathe West 17-5 (3) 4. Olathe Northwest 20-5 (5) 5. Blue Valley North 17-8 (4) 6. Washburn Rural 16-4 (6) 7. Manhattan 19-7 (7) 8. Lawrence Free State 13-8 (8)| 9. Shawnee Mission Northwest 19-7 (NR) 10. Garden City 17-3 (10)Class 5A 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 20-3 (1) 2. Blue Valley Southwest 25-2 (2) 3. Maize South 28-3 (3) 4. Bishop Carroll 24-1 (4) 5. St. James Academy 20-8 (5) 6. Lansing 24-7 (6) 7. Andover Central 20-10 (7) 8. De Soto 18-8 (9) 9. Goddard-Eisenhower 16-9 (8) 10. Hutchinson 17-8 (NR)Class 4A 1. Clay Center 25-2 (1) 2. Andale 23-1 (2) 3. Hayden 19-7 (3) 4. Bishop Miege 5-19 (4) 5. Rock Creek 23-4 (5) 6. Chanute 26-1 (6) 7. McPherson 22-4 (7) 8. Eudora 19-9 (9) 9. Paola 17-7 (8) 10. Wellington 16-7 (10)Class 3A 1. Silver Lake 32-1 (1) 2. Holton 19-7 (5) 3. Halstead 20-5 (3) 4. Hoisington 25-4 (4) 5. Beloit 22-7 (2) 6. Holcomb 24-4 (8) 7. Trinity Academy 15-4 (6) 8. Maranatha Christian Academy 26-4 (9) 9. Hesston 16-8 (10) 10. Riverton 23-3 (NR)Class 2A 1. Ellinwood 27-0 (1) 2. Hillsboro 20-6 (2) 3. Moundridge 28-2 (3) 4. Oakley 27-0 (4) 5. Medicine Lodge 29-2 (6) 6. Rossville 19-10 (5) 7. Valley Heights 20-6 (7) 8. Jefferson County North 27-2 (9) 9. Sedgwick 22-10 (8) 10. Berean Academy 21-7 (10)Class 1A – Division 1 1. Little River 26-2 (1) 2. Centralia 24-5 (2) 3. Wabaunsee 20-5 (6) 4. South Gray 22-2 (5) 5. Spearville 21-4 (3) 6. Rock Hills 26-1 (4) 7. Goessel 18-9 (7) 8. Greeley County 17-7 (8) 9. Quinter 18-6 (9) 10. Onaga 15-7 (10)Class 1A – Division 2 1. Hanover 23-4 (3) 2. Ingalls 21-4 (1) 3. Marais des Cygnes Valley 27-2 (2) 4. Argonia 29-1 (4) 5. Victoria 21-2 (6) 6. Linn 20-5 (5) 7. Cheylin 20-8 (8) 8. Waverly 17-9 (9) 9. Dighton 14-10 (7) 10. Axtell 19-11 (NR)

🏐 Victoria moves up, Quinter holds steady in in latest KVA rankings

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/dolly-parton">Dolly Parton</a>&nbsp;“ain't dead yet,” the country superstar said on social media Wednesday following public speculation about her health.

“There are just a lot of rumors flying around. But I figured if you heard it from me, you’d know that I was okay,” the 79-year-old singer said in a new two-minute video&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dollyparton/reel/DPjkor7kfeb/">posted on Instagram.</a>&nbsp;“I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me. And I ain’t done working.”

Her post, which appeared on numerous of Parton's social media accounts and her website, was captioned, “I ain't dead yet.”

Late last month Parton&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dolly-parton-las-vegas-residency-health-scare-210a75da9b16a3ec7cca3a5b12c52ef5">postponed her first Las Vegas residency</a>&nbsp;in 32 years, citing “health challenges.”

She was scheduled to perform six shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace for “Dolly: Live in Las Vegas” between Dec. 4 and Dec. 13, overlapping with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-finals-rodeo-nfr-las-vegas-4df317c307fb23e2e02f602c74083bb3">the National Finals Rodeo.</a>&nbsp;Her dates have been moved to next year — Sept. 2026.

She did not provide specific details at the time, writing, “As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures. As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”

In the new video clip shared Wednesday, Parton is seen sitting on a set speaking directly to camera, telling her audience that she's about to record a few commercials for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elmo-sesame-street-grand-ole-opry-1e6475ca83df447c0f541596d8ef1bdc">the Grand Ole Opry,</a>&nbsp;which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

“Everyone thinks that I am sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you? I'm working hard here! Anyway, I wanted to put everybody's mind at ease, those of you who seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate," she continued. “And I appreciate your prayers because I'm a person of faith. I can always use the prayers for anything and everything.”

On Tuesday, a Facebook posted shared by her sister Freida Parton escalated concerns around Parton's health when she wrote that she had been “up all night praying for my sister, Dolly.” Hours later, Freida Parton followed up with another post.

“I want to clear something up. I didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious when asking for prayers for Dolly," she wrote. “She’s been a little under the weather, and I simply asked for prayers because I believe so strongly in the power of prayer."

Parton offered her own clarification in the video, referencing her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dolly-parton-husband-carl-dean-dies-2b17ba0e44bcb864a3800bc17afdedeb">late husband of nearly 60 years Carl Dean,</a>&nbsp;who died earlier this year at age 82.

“I want you to know that I'm OK. I've got some problems as I've mentioned. Back when my husband Carl was very sick, that was for a long time, and then when he passed, I didn't take care of myself. So I let a lot of things go that I should've been taking care of,” she said. “So anyway, when I got around to it, the doctor said ‘We need to take care of this. We need to take care of that.’ Nothing major but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home, closer to Vanderbilt, where I'm kind of having a few treatments here and there.”

And in true Parton fashion, she ended with a joke. "But I wanted you to know that I'm not dying. Did you see that AI picture of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/reba-mcentire">Reba (McEntire)</a>&nbsp;and me, oh Lordy! I mean, they had Reba at my death bed, and we both look like we need to be buried," she laughed.

“If I was really dying, I don't think Reba would be the one at my death bed. She might come visit me earlier.

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/dolly-parton">Dolly Parton</a>&nbsp;“ain't dead yet,” the country superstar said on social media Wednesday following public speculation about her health.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I ain’t dead yet! <a href="https://t.co/Mp553laadI">pic.twitter.com/Mp553laadI</a>&mdash; Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) <a href="https://twitter.com/DollyParton/status/1975970769407705160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“There are just a lot of rumors flying around. But I figured if you heard it from me, you’d know that I was okay,” the 79-year-old singer said in a new two-minute video&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dollyparton/reel/DPjkor7kfeb/">posted on Instagram.</a>&nbsp;“I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me. And I ain’t done working.”Her post, which appeared on numerous of Parton's social media accounts and her website, was captioned, “I ain't dead yet.”Late last month Parton&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dolly-parton-las-vegas-residency-health-scare-210a75da9b16a3ec7cca3a5b12c52ef5">postponed her first Las Vegas residency</a>&nbsp;in 32 years, citing “health challenges.”She was scheduled to perform six shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace for “Dolly: Live in Las Vegas” between Dec. 4 and Dec. 13, overlapping with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-finals-rodeo-nfr-las-vegas-4df317c307fb23e2e02f602c74083bb3">the National Finals Rodeo.</a>&nbsp;Her dates have been moved to next year — Sept. 2026.She did not provide specific details at the time, writing, “As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures. As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”In the new video clip shared Wednesday, Parton is seen sitting on a set speaking directly to camera, telling her audience that she's about to record a few commercials for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elmo-sesame-street-grand-ole-opry-1e6475ca83df447c0f541596d8ef1bdc">the Grand Ole Opry,</a>&nbsp;which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.“Everyone thinks that I am sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you? I'm working hard here! Anyway, I wanted to put everybody's mind at ease, those of you who seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate," she continued. “And I appreciate your prayers because I'm a person of faith. I can always use the prayers for anything and everything.”On Tuesday, a Facebook posted shared by her sister Freida Parton escalated concerns around Parton's health when she wrote that she had been “up all night praying for my sister, Dolly.” Hours later, Freida Parton followed up with another post.“I want to clear something up. I didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious when asking for prayers for Dolly," she wrote. “She’s been a little under the weather, and I simply asked for prayers because I believe so strongly in the power of prayer."Parton offered her own clarification in the video, referencing her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dolly-parton-husband-carl-dean-dies-2b17ba0e44bcb864a3800bc17afdedeb">late husband of nearly 60 years Carl Dean,</a>&nbsp;who died earlier this year at age 82.“I want you to know that I'm OK. I've got some problems as I've mentioned. Back when my husband Carl was very sick, that was for a long time, and then when he passed, I didn't take care of myself. So I let a lot of things go that I should've been taking care of,” she said. “So anyway, when I got around to it, the doctor said ‘We need to take care of this. We need to take care of that.’ Nothing major but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home, closer to Vanderbilt, where I'm kind of having a few treatments here and there.”And in true Parton fashion, she ended with a joke. "But I wanted you to know that I'm not dying. Did you see that AI picture of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/reba-mcentire">Reba (McEntire)</a>&nbsp;and me, oh Lordy! I mean, they had Reba at my death bed, and we both look like we need to be buried," she laughed.“If I was really dying, I don't think Reba would be the one at my death bed. She might come visit me earlier.

🎥Dolly Parton responds to concerns about her health

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/james-comey">James Comey</a>&nbsp;pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in a criminal case that has highlighted the Justice Department's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-weaponizing-government-second-term-54ab244ccb2328d116a498bbaeb680ef">efforts to target adversaries</a>&nbsp;of President Donald Trump, with lawyers for the former FBI director saying that they plan to argue the prosecution is politically motivated and should be dismissed.

The arraignment lasted less than half an hour. But it was nonetheless loaded with historical significance given that the case has amplified concerns&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pam-bondi-justice-department-congress-8674e9110d0d99b884ae9df530aa18bc">the Justice Department is being weaponized</a>&nbsp;in pursuit of Trump's political enemies and is operating at the behest of a White House determined to seek retribution for perceived wrongs against the Republican president.

Comey's not guilty plea to allegations that he lied to Congress five years ago kick-starts a process of legal wrangling at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington. Defense lawyers said they intend to ask that the case be thrown out before trial on the grounds that it amounts to a vindictive prosecution and to challenge the appointment of the prosecutor who brought it after being hastily named to the post days earlier by Trump.

“It’s the honor of my life to represent Mr. Comey in this matter,” one of Comey's lawyers, Patrick Fitzgerald, a longtime friend who served with him in President George W. Bush's Justice Department, said in court on Wednesday.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-comey-charged-lying-congress-a2c72e1a5bb73d588f3af7fdb56caa82">The indictment</a>&nbsp;two weeks ago followed an extraordinary chain of events that saw Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-retribution-bondi-investigations-97207519e02dea460d6c68cc8b585c33">publicly implore</a>&nbsp;Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against Comey and other perceived adversaries. The president also replaced the veteran attorney who had been overseeing the investigation with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/letitia-james-eastern-district-of-virginia-trump-8c84bd8603a4b932f9cb2e451ef057a3">Lindsey Halligan</a>, a White House aide who had never previously served as a federal prosecutor but had been one of Trump's personal lawyers. Halligan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-james-comey-indictment-bondi-doj-cf18d2b6d411cd323d9a501c49f5b8a4">rushed to file charges</a>&nbsp;before a legal deadline lapsed despite warnings from other lawyers in the office that the evidence was insufficient for an indictment.

Halligan sat at the prosecution table but did not address&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/judge-michael-nachmanoff-james-comey-trump-b59d47e4fe18252c6afaf27af81b85bb">the judge</a>. The two prosecutors who have signed on to handle the case are both based in North Carolina.

The two-count indictment alleges that Comey made a false statement to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-donald-trump-confirmation-hearings-elections-judiciary-5fe42a7cbcc135c7e8f01bff3809e472">the Senate Judiciary Committee</a>&nbsp;on Sept. 30, 2020, by denying he had authorized an associate to serve as an anonymous source to the news media and that he obstructed a congressional proceeding. Comey has denied any wrongdoing and has said he's looking forward to a trial, which the judge set for Jan. 5, though that date will be subject to change. The indictment does not identify the associate or say what information may have been discussed with the media, making it challenging to assess the strength of the evidence or to even fully parse the allegations.

Though an indictment is typically just the start of a protracted court process, the Justice Department has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-comey-justice-department-james-schiff-309c573c2d9d16839afabb3af56ef2f8">trumpeted the development</a>&nbsp;itself as something of a win, regardless of the outcome. Trump administration officials are likely to point to any conviction as proof the case was well-justified, but an acquittal or even dismissal may also be held up as further support for their long-running contention the criminal justice system is stacked against them.

The judge randomly assigned to the case,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/judge-michael-nachmanoff-james-comey-trump-b59d47e4fe18252c6afaf27af81b85bb">Michael Nachmanoff</a>, was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden's Democratic administration and is a former chief federal defender. Known for methodical preparation and a cool temperament, the judge and his background have already drawn Trump's attention, with the president deriding him as a “Crooked Joe Biden appointed Judge."

Besides Comey, the Justice Department is also investigating other foes of the president, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff of California. Lawyers for James and Schiff, both Democrats, call the investigations meritless.

Several Comey family members arrived in court Wednesday morning ahead of his arraignment, including his daughter Maurene, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-maurene-comey-trump-23fb32ac0e4402873862d3ca6d31d18e">fired by the Justice Department</a>&nbsp;earlier this year from her position as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan, as well as Troy Edwards Jr., a son-in-law of Comey's who minutes after Comey was indicted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/comey-son-law-resign-doj-4051b95b5f532c914cfff14aacdc49e8">resigned his job</a>&nbsp;as a prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia — the office that filed the charges.

The indictment was the latest chapter in a long-broken relationship between Trump and Comey.

Trump arrived in office in January 2017 as Comey, appointed to the FBI director job by President Barack Obama four years earlier, was overseeing an investigation into ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

The dynamic was fraught from the start, with Comey&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-united-states-congress-general-news-3517e85629dd4a05891badc536713aa3">briefing Trump weeks before he took office</a>&nbsp;on the existence of uncorroborated and sexually salacious gossip in a dossier of opposition research compiled by a former British spy.

In their first several private interactions, Comey would later reveal, Trump asked his FBI director to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-congress-6ad1d266ad894766af68f6ff9e883d2c">pledge his loyalty</a>&nbsp;to him and to drop an FBI investigation into his administration’s first national security adviser,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-pardon-michael-flynn-russia-aeef585b08ba6f2c763c8c37bfd678ed">Michael Flynn</a>. Comey said Trump also asked him to announce that Trump himself was not under investigation as part of the broader inquiry into Russian election interference, something Comey did not do.

Comey was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-4ff1ecb621884a728b25e62661257ef0">abruptly fired</a>&nbsp;in May 2017 while at an event in Los Angeles, with Trump later saying he was thinking about “this Russia thing” when he decided to terminate him. The firing was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">investigated by Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller</a>&nbsp;as an act of potential obstruction of justice.

Comey in 2018 published a memoir, “A Higher Loyalty,” that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3e123c8153d6497c9e07ec77bdd24171">painted Trump in deeply unflattering ways</a>, likening him to a mafia don and characterizing him as unethical and “untethered to truth.”

Trump, for his part, continued to angrily vent at Comey as the Russia investigation led by Mueller dominated headlines for the next two years and shadowed his first administration. On social media, he repeatedly claimed Comey should face charges for “treason” — an accusation Comey dismissed as “dumb lies” — and called him an “untruthful slime ball.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759946542778.png" alt="Protesters demonstrated outside the Eastern District of Virginia federal courthouse in Alexandria ahead of the arraignment of former FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)" />
 <figcaption>Protesters demonstrated outside the Eastern District of Virginia federal courthouse in Alexandria ahead of the arraignment of former FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
 </figure>ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/james-comey">James Comey</a>&nbsp;pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in a criminal case that has highlighted the Justice Department's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-weaponizing-government-second-term-54ab244ccb2328d116a498bbaeb680ef">efforts to target adversaries</a>&nbsp;of President Donald Trump, with lawyers for the former FBI director saying that they plan to argue the prosecution is politically motivated and should be dismissed.<div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPC1sFFD2iF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPC1sFFD2iF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; 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<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>The arraignment lasted less than half an hour. But it was nonetheless loaded with historical significance given that the case has amplified concerns&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pam-bondi-justice-department-congress-8674e9110d0d99b884ae9df530aa18bc">the Justice Department is being weaponized</a>&nbsp;in pursuit of Trump's political enemies and is operating at the behest of a White House determined to seek retribution for perceived wrongs against the Republican president.Comey's not guilty plea to allegations that he lied to Congress five years ago kick-starts a process of legal wrangling at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington. Defense lawyers said they intend to ask that the case be thrown out before trial on the grounds that it amounts to a vindictive prosecution and to challenge the appointment of the prosecutor who brought it after being hastily named to the post days earlier by Trump.“It’s the honor of my life to represent Mr. Comey in this matter,” one of Comey's lawyers, Patrick Fitzgerald, a longtime friend who served with him in President George W. Bush's Justice Department, said in court on Wednesday.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-comey-charged-lying-congress-a2c72e1a5bb73d588f3af7fdb56caa82">The indictment</a>&nbsp;two weeks ago followed an extraordinary chain of events that saw Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-retribution-bondi-investigations-97207519e02dea460d6c68cc8b585c33">publicly implore</a>&nbsp;Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against Comey and other perceived adversaries. The president also replaced the veteran attorney who had been overseeing the investigation with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/letitia-james-eastern-district-of-virginia-trump-8c84bd8603a4b932f9cb2e451ef057a3">Lindsey Halligan</a>, a White House aide who had never previously served as a federal prosecutor but had been one of Trump's personal lawyers. Halligan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-james-comey-indictment-bondi-doj-cf18d2b6d411cd323d9a501c49f5b8a4">rushed to file charges</a>&nbsp;before a legal deadline lapsed despite warnings from other lawyers in the office that the evidence was insufficient for an indictment.Halligan sat at the prosecution table but did not address&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/judge-michael-nachmanoff-james-comey-trump-b59d47e4fe18252c6afaf27af81b85bb">the judge</a>. The two prosecutors who have signed on to handle the case are both based in North Carolina.<h2>What the indictment says</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758884974711.png" alt=" " />
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 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">No one is above the law. Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.&mdash; Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/1971345371583611099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The two-count indictment alleges that Comey made a false statement to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-donald-trump-confirmation-hearings-elections-judiciary-5fe42a7cbcc135c7e8f01bff3809e472">the Senate Judiciary Committee</a>&nbsp;on Sept. 30, 2020, by denying he had authorized an associate to serve as an anonymous source to the news media and that he obstructed a congressional proceeding. Comey has denied any wrongdoing and has said he's looking forward to a trial, which the judge set for Jan. 5, though that date will be subject to change. The indictment does not identify the associate or say what information may have been discussed with the media, making it challenging to assess the strength of the evidence or to even fully parse the allegations.Though an indictment is typically just the start of a protracted court process, the Justice Department has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-comey-justice-department-james-schiff-309c573c2d9d16839afabb3af56ef2f8">trumpeted the development</a>&nbsp;itself as something of a win, regardless of the outcome. Trump administration officials are likely to point to any conviction as proof the case was well-justified, but an acquittal or even dismissal may also be held up as further support for their long-running contention the criminal justice system is stacked against them.<h2>The judge was nominated by Biden</h2>The judge randomly assigned to the case,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/judge-michael-nachmanoff-james-comey-trump-b59d47e4fe18252c6afaf27af81b85bb">Michael Nachmanoff</a>, was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden's Democratic administration and is a former chief federal defender. Known for methodical preparation and a cool temperament, the judge and his background have already drawn Trump's attention, with the president deriding him as a “Crooked Joe Biden appointed Judge."Besides Comey, the Justice Department is also investigating other foes of the president, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff of California. Lawyers for James and Schiff, both Democrats, call the investigations meritless.Several Comey family members arrived in court Wednesday morning ahead of his arraignment, including his daughter Maurene, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-maurene-comey-trump-23fb32ac0e4402873862d3ca6d31d18e">fired by the Justice Department</a>&nbsp;earlier this year from her position as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan, as well as Troy Edwards Jr., a son-in-law of Comey's who minutes after Comey was indicted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/comey-son-law-resign-doj-4051b95b5f532c914cfff14aacdc49e8">resigned his job</a>&nbsp;as a prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia — the office that filed the charges.<h2>Trump and Comey's fraught relationship</h2>The indictment was the latest chapter in a long-broken relationship between Trump and Comey.Trump arrived in office in January 2017 as Comey, appointed to the FBI director job by President Barack Obama four years earlier, was overseeing an investigation into ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.The dynamic was fraught from the start, with Comey&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-united-states-congress-general-news-3517e85629dd4a05891badc536713aa3">briefing Trump weeks before he took office</a>&nbsp;on the existence of uncorroborated and sexually salacious gossip in a dossier of opposition research compiled by a former British spy.In their first several private interactions, Comey would later reveal, Trump asked his FBI director to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-congress-6ad1d266ad894766af68f6ff9e883d2c">pledge his loyalty</a>&nbsp;to him and to drop an FBI investigation into his administration’s first national security adviser,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-pardon-michael-flynn-russia-aeef585b08ba6f2c763c8c37bfd678ed">Michael Flynn</a>. Comey said Trump also asked him to announce that Trump himself was not under investigation as part of the broader inquiry into Russian election interference, something Comey did not do.Comey was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-4ff1ecb621884a728b25e62661257ef0">abruptly fired</a>&nbsp;in May 2017 while at an event in Los Angeles, with Trump later saying he was thinking about “this Russia thing” when he decided to terminate him. The firing was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">investigated by Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller</a>&nbsp;as an act of potential obstruction of justice.Comey in 2018 published a memoir, “A Higher Loyalty,” that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3e123c8153d6497c9e07ec77bdd24171">painted Trump in deeply unflattering ways</a>, likening him to a mafia don and characterizing him as unethical and “untethered to truth.”Trump, for his part, continued to angrily vent at Comey as the Russia investigation led by Mueller dominated headlines for the next two years and shadowed his first administration. On social media, he repeatedly claimed Comey should face charges for “treason” — an accusation Comey dismissed as “dumb lies” — and called him an “untruthful slime ball.”___

Former FBI director faces a judge on federal charges of lying to Congress

SUMNER COUNTY—Two people died in an accident just after 10a.m. Tuesday in Sumner County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Ford F150 driven by John Karlin&nbsp;Stoddard, 56, Belle Plaine, was eastbound in the 1100 Block of U.S. 160. The pickup traveled left of center and struck a westbound 2016 Peterbilt box-truck driven by Michael Anthony&nbsp;Windahl, 29, Harper.&nbsp;

After impact, both&nbsp;vehicles came to rest in the south ditch and caught on fire.

Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to Cornejo Funeral Home. The KHP did not have seat belt usage details.

SUMNER COUNTY—The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash and fire that occurred just before 10a.m. Tuesday in Sumner County.

The Patrol reported an eastbound vehicle in the 1100 Block U.S. 160 traveled left of center and struck a westbound vehicle.&nbsp; After impact the vehicles traveled into a ditch and caught on fire.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759920113656.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SUMNER COUNTY—Two people died in an accident just after 10a.m. Tuesday in Sumner County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Ford F150 driven by John Karlin&nbsp;Stoddard, 56, Belle Plaine, was eastbound in the 1100 Block of U.S. 160. The pickup traveled left of center and struck a westbound 2016 Peterbilt box-truck driven by Michael Anthony&nbsp;Windahl, 29, Harper.&nbsp;After impact, both&nbsp;vehicles came to rest in the south ditch and caught on fire.Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to Cornejo Funeral Home. The KHP did not have seat belt usage details.------------SUMNER COUNTY—The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash and fire that occurred just before 10a.m. Tuesday in Sumner County.The Patrol reported an eastbound vehicle in the 1100 Block U.S. 160 traveled left of center and struck a westbound vehicle.&nbsp; After impact the vehicles traveled into a ditch and caught on fire.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

KHP IDs victims in fatal 2-vehicle crash and fire

BOSTON (AP) — Joan B. Kennedy, the former wife of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy who endured a troubled marriage marked by family tragedies, her husband’s infidelities and her own decades-long struggles with alcoholism and mental health, died on Wednesday. She was 89.

The former Joan Bennett, one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-7a9e69a087baf9e69eff0ad345bf47e7">last remaining members of a family generation</a>&nbsp;that included President John F. Kennedy, was a model and classically-trained pianist when she married Ted Kennedy in 1958.

Their lives would change unimaginably&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/e418fe3d9b9044feb395cb3cbbced7a6">over the next decade</a>&nbsp;and a half. Brother-in-law John F. Kennedy was elected president in 1960 and assassinated three years later. Brother-in-law Robert F. Kennedy served as attorney general under JFK, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1964 and assassinated while seeking the presidency.

Her husband was elected to the U.S. Senate and became among the country’s most respected legislators despite initial misgivings that he was capitalizing on his family connections. But Ted Kennedy also lived through scandals of his own making. In 1969, the car he was driving plunged off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, killing his young female passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne.

Kennedy, who swam to safety and waited hours before alerting police, later pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident. Chappaquiddick shadowed him for the rest of his life, weighing against his own chances for the presidency.

Joan Kennedy had three children with her husband, but also had miscarriages, including one shortly after the Chappaquiddick accident. She stood by her husband through the scandal, but their estrangement was nearly impossible to hide by the time of his unsuccessful effort to defeat President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 Democratic primaries. They had been separated by then, and would later divorce. One bumper sticker from the campaign read “Vote for Jimmy Carter, Free Joan Kennedy.”

Her death comes about a year after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ethel-kennedy-dies-00eb88951db24e0cada9bd48b66ad8ea">Ethel Kennedy,</a>&nbsp;the wife of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, died at the age of 96, having raised their 11 children after he was assassinated, and remaining dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy for decades thereafter.

Virginia Joan Bennett was born into a prominent Bronxville, N.Y., family and as a teen she worked as a model in TV ads. She was a classmate of Jean Kennedy, the future senator’s sister, at Manhattanville College, where her exceptional beauty caught Ted Kennedy’s eye when he visited the campus for a building dedication in 1957.

They married a year later, but Joan Kennedy struggled from the start to fit in to the high-powered family.

“Joan was shy and a really reserved person, and the Kennedys aren’t,” Adam Clymer, author of “Edward M. Kennedy: A Biography” said in an 2005 interview with the AP.

Her love of piano would be a trademark for much of her life. She was known for opening her husband's campaign rallies with a piano serenade and, after they divorced, touring with orchestras around the world. Her family said she would combine her masterful playing with a message about the transformational potential of the arts and the need for equitable arts education.

In a 1992 Associated Press interview, she recalled playing piano for brother-in-law Bobby when he ran for president in 1968. “He took me with him and encouraged me,” she said. “He had a theme, ‘This Land Is Your Land,’ the Woody Guthrie song. I’d play that on the piano and everybody would come in, feeling really great about everything.”

“It seems like a long time ago, but it’s part of my memories,” she said, while promoting a book she wrote, which was a guide to appreciating classical music.

She also talked in the interview about how music helped her get through some difficult times, including the deaths of Jack and Bobby Kennedy, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-ddcdb608829b468685eaa722a4a24361">her son Ted Jr.</a>&nbsp;lost his leg to cancer and her separation and divorce from Ted Kennedy.

“I do advise listening to music when you're in grief,” she said. “Music has give me a lot of courage to carry on.”

In a statement, former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-mental-health-spokane-patrick-kennedy-c3192a14ea12469c9e106f20c53b5be4">Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island</a>&nbsp;praised his mother for her courage and talent.

“Besides being a loving mother, talented musician, and instrumental partner to my father as he launched his successful political career, Mom was a power of example to millions of people with mental health conditions,” his statement said. “She will be missed not just by the entire Kennedy Family, but by the arts community in the City of Boston and the many people whose lives that she touched.”

She also became one of the first women to publicly acknowledge her struggles with alcoholism and depression.

“I will always admire my mother for the way that she faced up to her challenges with grace, courage, humility, and honesty,” Ted Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. “She taught me how to be more truthful with myself and how careful listening is a more powerful communication skill than public speaking.”

After Chappaquiddick, her drinking worsened. A series of drunken driving arrests led to stays in alcohol treatment programs. Then in 2005, a passerby found her passed out on a Boston sidewalk in the rain, and she was hospitalized with a concussion and broken shoulder. Her children intervened, with Ted Jr. obtaining a court-ordered guardianship for his mother’s care.

Maria Shriver praised her cousins for doing “a great job caring for her, respecting her privacy, and loving her.”

“She courageously shared what it was like to lose a child, get divorced from a famous man, and carry on. Her life was challenging, but she persevered,” the daughter of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver posted in a eulogy for her aunt. “As a young girl, I marveled at her grace, her beauty, her elegance. As a woman, I respected her grit, her resilience, her perseverance.”

Joan Kennedy is survived by her two sons, nine grandchildren, a great-grandchild and nearly 30 nieces and nephews. Her daughter, Kara, died in 2011.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759933811580.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>BOSTON (AP) — Joan B. Kennedy, the former wife of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy who endured a troubled marriage marked by family tragedies, her husband’s infidelities and her own decades-long struggles with alcoholism and mental health, died on Wednesday. She was 89.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My beloved aunt Joan Bennett Kennedy, former wife of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), classical pianist, music teacher, and advocate for mental health and addiction services, passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in Boston, Massachusetts yesterday at the age… <a href="https://t.co/a7B145a3Ay">pic.twitter.com/a7B145a3Ay</a>&mdash; Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1975982333166555553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The former Joan Bennett, one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-7a9e69a087baf9e69eff0ad345bf47e7">last remaining members of a family generation</a>&nbsp;that included President John F. Kennedy, was a model and classically-trained pianist when she married Ted Kennedy in 1958.Their lives would change unimaginably&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/e418fe3d9b9044feb395cb3cbbced7a6">over the next decade</a>&nbsp;and a half. Brother-in-law John F. Kennedy was elected president in 1960 and assassinated three years later. Brother-in-law Robert F. Kennedy served as attorney general under JFK, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1964 and assassinated while seeking the presidency.Her husband was elected to the U.S. Senate and became among the country’s most respected legislators despite initial misgivings that he was capitalizing on his family connections. But Ted Kennedy also lived through scandals of his own making. In 1969, the car he was driving plunged off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, killing his young female passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne.Kennedy, who swam to safety and waited hours before alerting police, later pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident. Chappaquiddick shadowed him for the rest of his life, weighing against his own chances for the presidency.Joan Kennedy had three children with her husband, but also had miscarriages, including one shortly after the Chappaquiddick accident. She stood by her husband through the scandal, but their estrangement was nearly impossible to hide by the time of his unsuccessful effort to defeat President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 Democratic primaries. They had been separated by then, and would later divorce. One bumper sticker from the campaign read “Vote for Jimmy Carter, Free Joan Kennedy.”Her death comes about a year after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ethel-kennedy-dies-00eb88951db24e0cada9bd48b66ad8ea">Ethel Kennedy,</a>&nbsp;the wife of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, died at the age of 96, having raised their 11 children after he was assassinated, and remaining dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy for decades thereafter.Virginia Joan Bennett was born into a prominent Bronxville, N.Y., family and as a teen she worked as a model in TV ads. She was a classmate of Jean Kennedy, the future senator’s sister, at Manhattanville College, where her exceptional beauty caught Ted Kennedy’s eye when he visited the campus for a building dedication in 1957.They married a year later, but Joan Kennedy struggled from the start to fit in to the high-powered family.“Joan was shy and a really reserved person, and the Kennedys aren’t,” Adam Clymer, author of “Edward M. Kennedy: A Biography” said in an 2005 interview with the AP.Her love of piano would be a trademark for much of her life. She was known for opening her husband's campaign rallies with a piano serenade and, after they divorced, touring with orchestras around the world. Her family said she would combine her masterful playing with a message about the transformational potential of the arts and the need for equitable arts education.In a 1992 Associated Press interview, she recalled playing piano for brother-in-law Bobby when he ran for president in 1968. “He took me with him and encouraged me,” she said. “He had a theme, ‘This Land Is Your Land,’ the Woody Guthrie song. I’d play that on the piano and everybody would come in, feeling really great about everything.”“It seems like a long time ago, but it’s part of my memories,” she said, while promoting a book she wrote, which was a guide to appreciating classical music.She also talked in the interview about how music helped her get through some difficult times, including the deaths of Jack and Bobby Kennedy, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-ddcdb608829b468685eaa722a4a24361">her son Ted Jr.</a>&nbsp;lost his leg to cancer and her separation and divorce from Ted Kennedy.“I do advise listening to music when you're in grief,” she said. “Music has give me a lot of courage to carry on.”In a statement, former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-mental-health-spokane-patrick-kennedy-c3192a14ea12469c9e106f20c53b5be4">Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island</a>&nbsp;praised his mother for her courage and talent.“Besides being a loving mother, talented musician, and instrumental partner to my father as he launched his successful political career, Mom was a power of example to millions of people with mental health conditions,” his statement said. “She will be missed not just by the entire Kennedy Family, but by the arts community in the City of Boston and the many people whose lives that she touched.”She also became one of the first women to publicly acknowledge her struggles with alcoholism and depression.“I will always admire my mother for the way that she faced up to her challenges with grace, courage, humility, and honesty,” Ted Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. “She taught me how to be more truthful with myself and how careful listening is a more powerful communication skill than public speaking.”After Chappaquiddick, her drinking worsened. A series of drunken driving arrests led to stays in alcohol treatment programs. Then in 2005, a passerby found her passed out on a Boston sidewalk in the rain, and she was hospitalized with a concussion and broken shoulder. Her children intervened, with Ted Jr. obtaining a court-ordered guardianship for his mother’s care.Maria Shriver praised her cousins for doing “a great job caring for her, respecting her privacy, and loving her.”“She courageously shared what it was like to lose a child, get divorced from a famous man, and carry on. Her life was challenging, but she persevered,” the daughter of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver posted in a eulogy for her aunt. “As a young girl, I marveled at her grace, her beauty, her elegance. As a woman, I respected her grit, her resilience, her perseverance.”Joan Kennedy is survived by her two sons, nine grandchildren, a great-grandchild and nearly 30 nieces and nephews. Her daughter, Kara, died in 2011.

Joan Kennedy, first wife of Sen. Edward Kennedy, has died

KANSAS CITY — The Missouri State Highway Patrol released additional details on a crash that injured a State Trooper just after 11:30a.m. Tuesday in Clay County.

According to the Patrol, the crash occurred as a 2023 Dodge Charge driven by the 30-year-old Trooper from Lees Summit was eastbound on MO 21- just east of Route EE. The vehicle crossed the center line and struck the trailer of a westbound 2024 Kenworth semi driven by a 61-year-old Marissa, Illinois man.&nbsp;&nbsp;

EMS transported the Trooper to North Kansas City Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The semi driver was not injured.&nbsp; The Patrol released no additional details.

KANSAS CITY —A Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper was injured in an accident that occurred just after 11:30a.m. Tuesday in Clay County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported the Trooper was eastbound on MO 210 near Stillhouse Road. The&nbsp; Trooper's vehicle crossed the center line and collided with the trailer of a westbound semi.&nbsp;

EMS transported the Trooper to an area hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The semi driver was not injured.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Major Crash Investigation Unit is investigating in charge of the investigation.&nbsp; Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759886123534.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY — The Missouri State Highway Patrol released additional details on a crash that injured a State Trooper just after 11:30a.m. Tuesday in Clay County.According to the Patrol, the crash occurred as a 2023 Dodge Charge driven by the 30-year-old Trooper from Lees Summit was eastbound on MO 21- just east of Route EE. The vehicle crossed the center line and struck the trailer of a westbound 2024 Kenworth semi driven by a 61-year-old Marissa, Illinois man.&nbsp;&nbsp;EMS transported the Trooper to North Kansas City Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The semi driver was not injured.&nbsp; The Patrol released no additional details.------------------------&nbsp;KANSAS CITY —A Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper was injured in an accident that occurred just after 11:30a.m. Tuesday in Clay County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported the Trooper was eastbound on MO 210 near Stillhouse Road. The&nbsp; Trooper's vehicle crossed the center line and collided with the trailer of a westbound semi.&nbsp;EMS transported the Trooper to an area hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The semi driver was not injured.The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Major Crash Investigation Unit is investigating in charge of the investigation.&nbsp; Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

State Trooper injured in crash with a semi near Kansas City

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

Five candidates, including the three incumbents, participated in Monday night's Hays City Commission Forum at the Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center on the Fort Hays State University campus.

Reese Barrick, Sandy Jacobs, David Koshiol, Shaun Musil and David Vilaysing answered questions ranging from the budget and the R9 long-term water project, to low-income housing and economic development needs.

Candidates Samuel Allen, Justin Choitz and Candace Hathaway were not present for the forum. Kelly Ancar will be on the ballot for both a city and school board seat, but she has said she is only pursuing a school board seat.

Each of the three incumbents, Barrick, Jacobs and Musil, said they were running again in part to see the R9 water line, long-delayed by the judicial system, go online.&nbsp;

"I believe it's going to happen," said Musil, a Nex-Tech sales representative. "Our community and region is going to continue to grow. We're not taking away from Kinsley. We bought the water. ... We have by far the lowest water usage rate per person in the state, and we will continue to do that."&nbsp;

"We're getting extremely close to bringing sustainable water to Hays for the next 75 years," Sternberg Museum of Natural History Executive Director Barrick said. "In the recent past, we've had discussions with the governor's office, which has made water a priority for her administration. ... I think we need to have more discussions with the people of Edwards County and let them know we are being good neighbors."&nbsp;

"We've done everything by the book from day one," retired banker Jacobs said. "We're using water sustainably. ... The legal system is failing us. ... We've won everything substantive that Edwards County sues for."

"If I were elected," answered Vilaysing, "the first thing I would do is sit down and meet with all the parties involved to figure out where we're at and develop the game plan to push forward. ..."not just 10 years down the road but within the next four years."

 Vilaysing, a retired Hays Police officer, owns a private company that trains first responders across the country in effective communications.

Koshiol, a plumber for Auman Company, said he had changed his original stance on the situation, feeling that Hays was taking water from someone else. 

After looking at other possibilities, Koshiol said he doesn't see any other viable options.

"I think, at this point, we should leave it at litigation until it is settled. I think we've spent enough on this project," Koshiol said.

There was mostly consensus among the candidates that the city budget is streamlined, with no unnecessary spending.

Barrick said "priorities may shift," while Jacobs said "efficiencies can always be found." Vilaysing wanted to "get more out of the resources the city already has."

Koshiol specifically mentioned the bike lanes, saying he hears a lot of negative comments about the street markings.

"I know they're spoken about highly in public, but behind the scenes, I don't know many people who appreciate them.

"We can stop maintaining them," Koshiol said, "and it's just a little more money we can utilize for something that the bulk of the community will use."&nbsp;

Musil turned his focus to parks, noting that the ARC Park is the most utilized.

"I think we need to reprioritize on what we're putting in the parks, and it is something we're going to be talking about very soon," Musil said. "...&nbsp;I think we need to look at what we're maintaining and what we're sticking in the parks."

The lone audience applause of the night came when Vilaysing said he thought city commissioners should do their job without payment.&nbsp;

In January 2024, commissioners began receiving a <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/504ead11-c223-4107-8986-c7caca66fa41">$10,000 annual pay increase</a>. Their vote for the increase was unanimous.&nbsp;

"We did it in an effort to attract younger people, who are probably working, to run for the commission," Jacobs said.

Koshiol said he didn't think the pay was necessary, but understood the "carrot and stick approach" to young people.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR YOUNG FAMILIES

Although there are some projects that have moved forward in the affordable housing area, including the former Washington Grade School, Barrick said, "we do have some issues."

He said, "just getting started building houses will allow us to build more affordable housing in the future."&nbsp;

Jacobs thinks the city is already causing affordable housing to be built "as it can," but "we need to first really understand what affordable housing means. Asking a developer to build affordable housing in today's market with the cost of goods is just impossible. ... What we're doing today is causing housing to be built, which is freeing up (other) housing in our community."&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Koshiol said there are a number of options for the city. He suggested working with a land bank, flipping foreclosed homes, or purchasing vacant lots to invest in the community.

"We're trying to grow, but we're forgetting the bulk of our community,"&nbsp;Koshiol said. "The working class, the elderly, and our young adults are having a hard time finding a place that's affordable here."

Several development groups have come before the city asking for a letter of support in applying for federal or state funds to build affordable housing, but the developers have been turned down by those agencies, Musil said.&nbsp;

"Our goal is to build more houses and hopefully that opens up housing that is more affordable," he said. ... "City staff is working on (affordable housing planning) now, but it's a lot harder than it seems."

The most recent housing built in Hays is priced for the top 25 percent of income earners, Vilaysing said.&nbsp;

"The RHIDs (Reinvestment Housing Incentive District) leave it open to the developer to build whatever they want. I would suggest putting in a stipulation that you get the RHID if you build 'x' number of houses, and then you build one more house which meets the income qualifications of the medium to low-income people of the city of Hays," Vilaysing said.

He also suggested bringing modular homes into the city.

Each of the commissioners agreed the city should continue funding support for local nonprofits.

Musil said he'd like the total to be more, but that would "probably require a mill levy increase."

The&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/7d615ae1-9b48-4ebd-9200-7c593c85db69">Hays mill levy has remained at 25 mills</a> or less for 17 years.&nbsp;

The forum was live-streamed by the FHSU Tiger Media Network and presented by the American Democracy Project, FHSU Student Government Association, FHSU Docking Institute of Public Affairs, Tiger Media Network and the Chamber in Hays.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759860756085.jpeg" alt="Reese Barrick, Sandy Jacobs, David Koshiol, Shaun Musil and David Vilaysing participated in Monday's Hays City Commission Forum. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Reese Barrick, Sandy Jacobs, David Koshiol, Shaun Musil and David Vilaysing participated in Monday's Hays City Commission Forum. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostFive candidates, including the three incumbents, participated in Monday night's Hays City Commission Forum at the Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center on the Fort Hays State University campus.Reese Barrick, Sandy Jacobs, David Koshiol, Shaun Musil and David Vilaysing answered questions ranging from the budget and the R9 long-term water project, to low-income housing and economic development needs.Candidates Samuel Allen, Justin Choitz and Candace Hathaway were not present for the forum. Kelly Ancar will be on the ballot for both a city and school board seat, but she has said she is only pursuing a school board seat.R9 WATER PROJECT DELAYSEach of the three incumbents, Barrick, Jacobs and Musil, said they were running again in part to see the R9 water line, long-delayed by the judicial system, go online.&nbsp;"I believe it's going to happen," said Musil, a Nex-Tech sales representative. "Our community and region is going to continue to grow. We're not taking away from Kinsley. We bought the water. ... We have by far the lowest water usage rate per person in the state, and we will continue to do that."&nbsp;"We're getting extremely close to bringing sustainable water to Hays for the next 75 years," Sternberg Museum of Natural History Executive Director Barrick said. "In the recent past, we've had discussions with the governor's office, which has made water a priority for her administration. ... I think we need to have more discussions with the people of Edwards County and let them know we are being good neighbors."&nbsp;"We've done everything by the book from day one," retired banker Jacobs said. "We're using water sustainably. ... The legal system is failing us. ... We've won everything substantive that Edwards County sues for.""If I were elected," answered Vilaysing, "the first thing I would do is sit down and meet with all the parties involved to figure out where we're at and develop the game plan to push forward. ..."not just 10 years down the road but within the next four years." Vilaysing, a retired Hays Police officer, owns a private company that trains first responders across the country in effective communications.Koshiol, a plumber for Auman Company, said he had changed his original stance on the situation, feeling that Hays was taking water from someone else. After looking at other possibilities, Koshiol said he doesn't see any other viable options."I think, at this point, we should leave it at litigation until it is settled. I think we've spent enough on this project," Koshiol said.CITY BUDGETThere was mostly consensus among the candidates that the city budget is streamlined, with no unnecessary spending.Barrick said "priorities may shift," while Jacobs said "efficiencies can always be found." Vilaysing wanted to "get more out of the resources the city already has." Koshiol specifically mentioned the bike lanes, saying he hears a lot of negative comments about the street markings."I know they're spoken about highly in public, but behind the scenes, I don't know many people who appreciate them."We can stop maintaining them," Koshiol said, "and it's just a little more money we can utilize for something that the bulk of the community will use."&nbsp;Musil turned his focus to parks, noting that the ARC Park is the most utilized."I think we need to reprioritize on what we're putting in the parks, and it is something we're going to be talking about very soon," Musil said. "...&nbsp;I think we need to look at what we're maintaining and what we're sticking in the parks."CITY COMMISSION PAY INCREASEThe lone audience applause of the night came when Vilaysing said he thought city commissioners should do their job without payment.&nbsp;In January 2024, commissioners began receiving a <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/504ead11-c223-4107-8986-c7caca66fa41">$10,000 annual pay increase</a>. Their vote for the increase was unanimous.&nbsp;"We did it in an effort to attract younger people, who are probably working, to run for the commission," Jacobs said.Koshiol said he didn't think the pay was necessary, but understood the "carrot and stick approach" to young people.AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR YOUNG FAMILIESAlthough there are some projects that have moved forward in the affordable housing area, including the former Washington Grade School, Barrick said, "we do have some issues."He said, "just getting started building houses will allow us to build more affordable housing in the future."&nbsp;Jacobs thinks the city is already causing affordable housing to be built "as it can," but "we need to first really understand what affordable housing means. Asking a developer to build affordable housing in today's market with the cost of goods is just impossible. ... What we're doing today is causing housing to be built, which is freeing up (other) housing in our community."&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Koshiol said there are a number of options for the city. He suggested working with a land bank, flipping foreclosed homes, or purchasing vacant lots to invest in the community."We're trying to grow, but we're forgetting the bulk of our community,"&nbsp;Koshiol said. "The working class, the elderly, and our young adults are having a hard time finding a place that's affordable here."Several development groups have come before the city asking for a letter of support in applying for federal or state funds to build affordable housing, but the developers have been turned down by those agencies, Musil said.&nbsp;"Our goal is to build more houses and hopefully that opens up housing that is more affordable," he said. ... "City staff is working on (affordable housing planning) now, but it's a lot harder than it seems."The most recent housing built in Hays is priced for the top 25 percent of income earners, Vilaysing said.&nbsp;"The RHIDs (Reinvestment Housing Incentive District) leave it open to the developer to build whatever they want. I would suggest putting in a stipulation that you get the RHID if you build 'x' number of houses, and then you build one more house which meets the income qualifications of the medium to low-income people of the city of Hays," Vilaysing said.He also suggested bringing modular homes into the city.FUNDING LOCAL NONPROFITSEach of the commissioners agreed the city should continue funding support for local nonprofits.Musil said he'd like the total to be more, but that would "probably require a mill levy increase."The&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/7d615ae1-9b48-4ebd-9200-7c593c85db69">Hays mill levy has remained at 25 mills</a> or less for 17 years.&nbsp;The forum was live-streamed by the FHSU Tiger Media Network and presented by the American Democracy Project, FHSU Student Government Association, FHSU Docking Institute of Public Affairs, Tiger Media Network and the Chamber in Hays.

City commission candidates talk housing, budget, R9 water project

Fort Hays State Tiger football coach Chris Brown, line backer Jack Hileman and running back Josh Clark spoke to the media Tuesday before the Tigers host Central Oklahoma on Saturday.

Hays Post SportsFort Hays State Tiger football coach Chris Brown, line backer Jack Hileman and running back Josh Clark spoke to the media Tuesday before the Tigers host Central Oklahoma on Saturday.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J1Y-ELoLl0k?si=pZTrJxMoQ5Q396DO" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

🏈📹 Chris Brown: "We just haven’t played really, really good football, yet." | Tiger Press Conference 10-07-25

HAYS - The Hays High volleyball team sent their seniors out on a winning note. The Indians picked up a pair of sweeps in their final regular season matches at their new gym Tuesday with wins over&nbsp;Garden City and Phillipsburg.

HHS def. Garden City 29-27, 25-23 HHS def. Phillipsburg 25-21, 25-22

Hays improved to 20-9 overall. They travel to Junction City for a triangular on Thursday, October 16 then will be in Great Bend for the Western Athletic Conference Tournament on Saturday, October 18.

Hays Post SportsHAYS - The Hays High volleyball team sent their seniors out on a winning note. The Indians picked up a pair of sweeps in their final regular season matches at their new gym Tuesday with wins over&nbsp;Garden City and Phillipsburg.HHS def. Garden City 29-27, 25-23 HHS def. Phillipsburg 25-21, 25-22Hays improved to 20-9 overall. They travel to Junction City for a triangular on Thursday, October 16 then will be in Great Bend for the Western Athletic Conference Tournament on Saturday, October 18.

🏐 HHS picks up a pair of wins on Senior Night

HAYS - The High High girls' golf team finished second at Tuesday's Great Bend Invitational held at the Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course.

The Indians shot a 409, 69 strokes back of first place Garden City.

HHS was led by Ave Erbert who shot a 97 and finished in fifth place. Kinley Pfannenstiel placed sixth with a 99 and Brooklyn Koerner was seventh with a 102.

Garden City's Ailynn Anderson was the top medalist with a 78.

The Indians close out the regular season at Garden City on Thursday.

Hays High Results 5. Ava Erbert - 97 6. Kinley Pfannenstiel -99 7. Brooklynn Koerner - 102 14. Giana Schumacher - 111 16.&nbsp;Elsa Brungardt - 117

Team Results Place:		School:		Score: 1.			Garden City		340 2.			Hays High		409 3.			Dodge City		444 4.			Great Bend		476 5.			Liberal		491

Top 10 Medalists Place:		Name:				School:		Score: 1.			Ailynn Anderson			Garden City		78 2.			Brooke Savolt			Garden City		83 3.			Breckyn Lucas			Garden City		84 4.			Megan Burr				Garden City		95 5.			Ava Erbert				Hays 97 6.			Kinley Pfannenstiel		Hays 99 7.			Brooklynn Koerner		Hays 102 8.			Kylee Miessler			Great Bend		102 9.			Breckyn Putnam			Dodge City		102 10.			Adimaris Lopez			Liberal		107

Hays Post SportsHAYS - The High High girls' golf team finished second at Tuesday's Great Bend Invitational held at the Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course.The Indians shot a 409, 69 strokes back of first place Garden City.HHS was led by Ave Erbert who shot a 97 and finished in fifth place. Kinley Pfannenstiel placed sixth with a 99 and Brooklyn Koerner was seventh with a 102.Garden City's Ailynn Anderson was the top medalist with a 78.Up nextThe Indians close out the regular season at Garden City on Thursday.Hays High Results 5. Ava Erbert - 97 6. Kinley Pfannenstiel -99 7. Brooklynn Koerner - 102 14. Giana Schumacher - 111 16.&nbsp;Elsa Brungardt - 117Team Results Place:		School:		Score: 1.			Garden City		340 2.			Hays High		409 3.			Dodge City		444 4.			Great Bend		476 5.			Liberal		491		Top 10 Medalists Place:		Name:				School:		Score: 1.			Ailynn Anderson			Garden City		78 2.			Brooke Savolt			Garden City		83 3.			Breckyn Lucas			Garden City		84 4.			Megan Burr				Garden City		95 5.			Ava Erbert				Hays 97 6.			Kinley Pfannenstiel		Hays 99 7.			Brooklynn Koerner		Hays 102 8.			Kylee Miessler			Great Bend		102 9.			Breckyn Putnam			Dodge City		102 10.			Adimaris Lopez			Liberal		107

⛳ HHS girls runner-up at Great Bend Invite

EDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State Men's Golf placed 12th at the Skip Wagnon Invitational, hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma October 6-7. Cooper Scheck led the Tigers tying for 11th place individually at 3-under par overall.

Three Tigers produced under par rounds during the tournament. Scheck's 4-under par 66 in the opening round was the best for the tournament by a Tiger, while Chutithep Rungpajchim and Jordan McCaslin each had 1-under par rounds of 69 as their best rounds.

Scheck posted rounds of 66, 71, and 70 to finish at 3-under overall. He had 10 birdies throughout the tournament, including five in the first round. Rungpajchim shot 69 to open the tournament and then back-to-back rounds of 74. He posted eight birdies throughout the tournament and finished at 7-over par overall and a tie for 50th individually.

Jordan McCaslin tied for 64th individually after rounds of 72, 69, and 78, carding seven birdies throughout the tournament. He had five during his 1-under par second round and finished at 9-over par for the tournament. Colby Hays tied for 79th with rounds of 74, 71, and 77. He had five birdies and an eagle on a par four, shooting 12-over par overall. Grant McAtee shot rounds of 76, 73, and 75 and had four birdies in the tournament, finishing at 14-over par and a tie for 87th.

The Tigers shot 21-over par as a team overall. The Tigers opened with a 1-over par 281, followed by 284 and then 296.

St. Mary's (Texas) and Central Oklahoma ran away from the field. The Rattlers finished at 34-under par as a team to win the tournament, shooting -11, -16, and -7, while UCO finished at 30-under par with rounds of -10, -12, and -8. St. Mary's had the top two finishers, both in double digits under par. Kongpop Kaikaew won the tournament at 13-under par overall, while Guillaume Paquette shot 11-under par. Both shot 7-under par in the second round.

Fort Hays State heads to the MSSU Invitational at Shangri-La Golf Club and Resort in Monkey Island, Okla. for its next tournament, October 20-21.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759918918553.png" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Seth Kincaid" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Seth Kincaid</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsEDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State Men's Golf placed 12th at the Skip Wagnon Invitational, hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma October 6-7. Cooper Scheck led the Tigers tying for 11th place individually at 3-under par overall.Three Tigers produced under par rounds during the tournament. Scheck's 4-under par 66 in the opening round was the best for the tournament by a Tiger, while Chutithep Rungpajchim and Jordan McCaslin each had 1-under par rounds of 69 as their best rounds.Scheck posted rounds of 66, 71, and 70 to finish at 3-under overall. He had 10 birdies throughout the tournament, including five in the first round. Rungpajchim shot 69 to open the tournament and then back-to-back rounds of 74. He posted eight birdies throughout the tournament and finished at 7-over par overall and a tie for 50th individually.Jordan McCaslin tied for 64th individually after rounds of 72, 69, and 78, carding seven birdies throughout the tournament. He had five during his 1-under par second round and finished at 9-over par for the tournament. Colby Hays tied for 79th with rounds of 74, 71, and 77. He had five birdies and an eagle on a par four, shooting 12-over par overall. Grant McAtee shot rounds of 76, 73, and 75 and had four birdies in the tournament, finishing at 14-over par and a tie for 87th.The Tigers shot 21-over par as a team overall. The Tigers opened with a 1-over par 281, followed by 284 and then 296.St. Mary's (Texas) and Central Oklahoma ran away from the field. The Rattlers finished at 34-under par as a team to win the tournament, shooting -11, -16, and -7, while UCO finished at 30-under par with rounds of -10, -12, and -8. St. Mary's had the top two finishers, both in double digits under par. Kongpop Kaikaew won the tournament at 13-under par overall, while Guillaume Paquette shot 11-under par. Both shot 7-under par in the second round.Fort Hays State heads to the MSSU Invitational at Shangri-La Golf Club and Resort in Monkey Island, Okla. for its next tournament, October 20-21.

⛳ Tiger men finish 12th at Skip Wagnon Invitational

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State moved up six spots in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll on Tuesday. The Tigers are ranked No. 7 in the nation, their highest ranking in the national poll since 2022 when they held the same ranking in the preseason poll. It is the sixth season in the program's highly successful 15-year history the Tigers have been in the top 10 of the national poll. The Tigers are 7-0-2 overall for the season and 3-0 in GAC play so far.

The top eight teams in the latest national poll are still unbeaten for the season. In fact, 14 of the teams listed in the top 25 have yet to take a loss this season.

Fort Hays State is now the highest ranked team from the Great American Conference after wins over Rogers State and Southern Nazarene last week. Rogers State (7-1-2) held the No. 8 ranking last week, but slipped to No. 15 after FHSU handed the Hillcats their first loss of the season last week. Newman and Southern Nazarene continue to receive votes in the poll.

Fort Hays State plays host to Harding and Ouachita Baptist this week in Hays on Thursday and Saturday (Oct. 9 &amp; 11).

United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll (October 7, 2025) Rank	School	Prev	W-L-T 1	Lynn University	1	7-0-1 2	Southern New Hampshire University	3	7-0-2 3	California State University Stanislaus	2	7-0-1 4	University of Charleston	5	7-0-3 5	Young Harris College	9	8-0-1 6	Anderson University (S.C.)	4	5-0-3 7	Fort Hays State University	13	7-0-2 8	Palm Beach Atlantic University	19	7-0-1 9	Fort Lewis College	15	4-1-3 10	Cedarville University	10	6-0-3 11	Colorado State University-Pueblo	7	4-0-6 12	Seattle Pacific University	17	6-1-2 13	Post University	14	4-0-4 14	Florida Tech	22	4-0-4 15	Rogers State University	8	7-1-2 16	Cal Poly Pomona	11	5-1-3 17	Saginaw Valley State University	20	5-0-3 18	University of Tampa	6	5-1-3 19	Bloomsburg University	RV	4-0-3 20	Lincoln University (Mo.)	12	6-0-2 21	University of West Florida	NR	6-1-2 22	Midwestern State University	18	5-2-3 22	University of North Georgia	RV	4-3-4 23	Wilmington University	NR	5-1-3 24	California State University-San Bernardino	NR	5-1-3 25	Nova Southeastern University	16	4-1-1

Receiving Votes: University of North Georgia, Concord University, University of Indianapolis, Lander University, Point Loma Nazarene University, Newman University, California State University-Los Angeles, Metropolitan State University of Denver, California State University-Dominguez Hills, Southern Nazarene University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759918527256.png" alt="FHSU Athletics image" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics image</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State moved up six spots in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll on Tuesday. The Tigers are ranked No. 7 in the nation, their highest ranking in the national poll since 2022 when they held the same ranking in the preseason poll. It is the sixth season in the program's highly successful 15-year history the Tigers have been in the top 10 of the national poll. The Tigers are 7-0-2 overall for the season and 3-0 in GAC play so far.The top eight teams in the latest national poll are still unbeaten for the season. In fact, 14 of the teams listed in the top 25 have yet to take a loss this season.Fort Hays State is now the highest ranked team from the Great American Conference after wins over Rogers State and Southern Nazarene last week. Rogers State (7-1-2) held the No. 8 ranking last week, but slipped to No. 15 after FHSU handed the Hillcats their first loss of the season last week. Newman and Southern Nazarene continue to receive votes in the poll.Fort Hays State plays host to Harding and Ouachita Baptist this week in Hays on Thursday and Saturday (Oct. 9 &amp; 11).United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll (October 7, 2025) Rank	School	Prev	W-L-T 1	Lynn University	1	7-0-1 2	Southern New Hampshire University	3	7-0-2 3	California State University Stanislaus	2	7-0-1 4	University of Charleston	5	7-0-3 5	Young Harris College	9	8-0-1 6	Anderson University (S.C.)	4	5-0-3 7	Fort Hays State University	13	7-0-2 8	Palm Beach Atlantic University	19	7-0-1 9	Fort Lewis College	15	4-1-3 10	Cedarville University	10	6-0-3 11	Colorado State University-Pueblo	7	4-0-6 12	Seattle Pacific University	17	6-1-2 13	Post University	14	4-0-4 14	Florida Tech	22	4-0-4 15	Rogers State University	8	7-1-2 16	Cal Poly Pomona	11	5-1-3 17	Saginaw Valley State University	20	5-0-3 18	University of Tampa	6	5-1-3 19	Bloomsburg University	RV	4-0-3 20	Lincoln University (Mo.)	12	6-0-2 21	University of West Florida	NR	6-1-2 22	Midwestern State University	18	5-2-3 22	University of North Georgia	RV	4-3-4 23	Wilmington University	NR	5-1-3 24	California State University-San Bernardino	NR	5-1-3 25	Nova Southeastern University	16	4-1-1Receiving Votes: University of North Georgia, Concord University, University of Indianapolis, Lander University, Point Loma Nazarene University, Newman University, California State University-Los Angeles, Metropolitan State University of Denver, California State University-Dominguez Hills, Southern Nazarene University.

⚽ FHSU men jumps to No. 7 in United Soccer Coaches top 25 poll

RENO COUNTY— Authorities have identified the two who died as a result of the head-on collision on Monday in Reno County. According to the Reno County Sheriff, 31-year-old Nicholas Brilhart of Sterling and 66-year-old Sharon Davis of Weston, West Virginia died in the crash that occurred just after 10.m. in the 8200 block of N K14 Hwy. Two of the other three individuals involved are still being treated at Wichita area hospitals. The third was treated and released.&nbsp;

According to the Reno County Sheriff a northbound silver Subaru SUV crossed the center line in the 8200 block of North K-14/96 and veered into the southbound lane. A southbound Ford F-150 attempted to avoid the crash by pulling onto the right shoulder, but the Subaru also moved onto the same shoulder, and the two vehicles collided head-on.

The Subaru carried four occupants. Two of them,&nbsp;31-year-old Nicholas Brilhart of Sterling and 66-year-old Sharon Davis of Weston, West Virginia were pronounced dead at the scene. An infant and another passenger were taken to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center and later transferred to a Wichita hospital. The driver of the Ford pickup, the sole occupant, was transported by private vehicle to Lyons Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

First responders arriving on the scene found citizens already performing lifesaving efforts, which were continued by emergency crews.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759787040428.jpeg" alt="Photo by Marc Jacobs Hutch Post" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Marc Jacobs Hutch Post</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY— Authorities have identified the two who died as a result of the head-on collision on Monday in Reno County. According to the Reno County Sheriff, 31-year-old Nicholas Brilhart of Sterling and 66-year-old Sharon Davis of Weston, West Virginia died in the crash that occurred just after 10.m. in the 8200 block of N K14 Hwy. Two of the other three individuals involved are still being treated at Wichita area hospitals. The third was treated and released.&nbsp;According to the Reno County Sheriff a northbound silver Subaru SUV crossed the center line in the 8200 block of North K-14/96 and veered into the southbound lane. A southbound Ford F-150 attempted to avoid the crash by pulling onto the right shoulder, but the Subaru also moved onto the same shoulder, and the two vehicles collided head-on.The Subaru carried four occupants. Two of them,&nbsp;31-year-old Nicholas Brilhart of Sterling and 66-year-old Sharon Davis of Weston, West Virginia were pronounced dead at the scene. An infant and another passenger were taken to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center and later transferred to a Wichita hospital. The driver of the Ford pickup, the sole occupant, was transported by private vehicle to Lyons Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.First responders arriving on the scene found citizens already performing lifesaving efforts, which were continued by emergency crews.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sheriff IDs man and woman who died in Kansas head-on crash

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

The Ellis County Commission approved insurance contract renewals for employees during its Tuesday meeting. The premium changes cover health, dental and vision.

Health insurance rates for Ellis County employees will increase by less than anticipated.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684183971486.png" alt="Ellis County" />
 <figcaption>Ellis County</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostThe Ellis County Commission approved insurance contract renewals for employees during its Tuesday meeting. The premium changes cover health, dental and vision.Health insurance rates for Ellis County employees will increase by less than anticipated.Blue Cross Blue Shield premiums will increase by 3.6% over 2025 rates, which is below the 7% increase budgeted and will create about $42,500 in general fund savings for 2026.Darin Myers, county administrator, said the county pays for 86% of employee health and dental premiums, with employees covering the reamaining 14%. Vision insurance rates will remain unchanged and are fully covered by the employee.Myers said the employee health benefit fund currently sits at about $1.1 million, due to lower-than-expected renewal rates.Commissioner Michael Berges asked whether the $42,500 in savings would be rolled into 2027, as the 2026 budget has already been approved. Myers said the funds will be placed in reserves, where they can be used during 2026 or carried over into 2027 if not needed.Employees enrolled in the county’s health plan will see premium increases, including $2.80 per month for single coverage, $6.30 for employee and spouse, $5.60 for employee and children, and $8.40 for family plans.Commissioners also renewed contracts with Freedom Claims Management and will continue providing Medical Access &amp; Service Advantage Air and Ground Transport coverage to employees.<h2>ACCESS Transportation</h2>The commission signed letters of support for ACCESS Transportation, which uses the county’s annual subsidy as matching funds for state transportation grants.In Ellis County’s 2026 General Fund budget, the commission approved a $50,000 allocation to ACCESS. Jerry Michaud, DSNWK executive director, invited the commission, the city of Hays and KDOT to discuss long-term funding solutions for rural public transportation at a meeting set for Nov. 5.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/dc146924-9a33-439f-bb6a-180129cff07a">SEE RELATED STORY: ACCESS Public Transportation still faces 2026 budget shortfall</a>Berges said he is interested in attending the meeting.Michaud said there are also plans to work with Kansas legislators, such as Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, and Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays. He added the program is also considering goals outside of its effort to keep riders on the bus for the shortest time possible."We're looking at multi-loading, which puts a pinch on how long people will actually ride, but it may be a way that we gain some efficiencies," Michaud said.&nbsp;<h2>Grant amendment</h2>The commission approved and signed an amendment to the Build 2019 Grant for the Northwest Business Corridor Truck Route Improvements Project.Brendan Mackay, Ellis County public works director, said the project was completed about two and a half years ago. The amendment finalizes project completion dates and accounting details.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/ee13dc26-a8f1-4c06-bcdd-fbfafc63c292">SEE RELATED STORY: Local officials advocate for 183 Bypass, I-70 bridge reconstruction</a><h2>Other business</h2>Northwest Kansas Planning &amp; Development Commission provided an update on what the organization is doing in the area and Deb Minkler, the new director, introduced herself to the commission.The Chamber in Hays provided an update on the efforts of the Ellis County Workforce Committee and the Child Care Taskforce.The commission approved an updated job description for the IT Director position. Approval would allow HR to begin advertising the position on Nov. 1.The commission also approved a list of surplus vehicles and equipment to be sold through an auction, including a fire engine from Victoria.The consideration for an agreement granting AMP Rentals temporary access to a county-owned water well,&nbsp;allowing for the well's use until a rural water meter is obtained from the Trego County Rural Water District, was delayed until next week.Berges also led a moment of silence in response to the death of Hays Police Sgt. Scott Heimann, who was killed in the line of duty.