WASHINGTON (AP) —Opponents of President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;rallied across the U.S. on Saturday to protest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-campaign-promise-tracker/">the administration's actions</a>&nbsp;on government downsizing, the economy, human rights and other issues.

More than 1,200 “Hands Off!” demonstrations were planned by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists. The protest sites included the National Mall in Washington, D.C., state capitols and other locations in all 50 states.

Protesters assailed the Trump administration's moves to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-doge-veterans-64722f96984f1b730fea88278f6bc93f">fire thousands of federal workers</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-offices-closures-doge-trump-b2b1a5b2ba4fb968abc3379bf90715ff">close Social Security Administration field offices</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-federal-judge-trump-administration-bdc919a5d98eda5ab72a32fdfe2f147d">effectively shutter entire agencies</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-deportations-el-salvador-justice-contempt-6085e64a04b5d6455f368175af83e724">deport immigrants</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-visibility-trump-orders-2f949cdab2673e3becdfc3d213158aa9">scale back protections for transgender people</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-covid-federal-money-lawsuit-restraining-order-hhs-4d534b9f04389161f71e3bc541e87d7a">cut federal funding for health programs</a>.

Musk, a Trump adviser who owns Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X, has played a key role in government downsizing as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. He says he is saving taxpayers billions of dollars.

Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign advocacy group, spoke at the Washington protest, criticizing the Trump administration's treatment of the LBGTQ+ community.

“The attacks that we’re seeing, they’re not just political. They are personal, y’all,” she said. “They’re trying to ban our books, they’re slashing HIV prevention funding, they’re criminalizing our doctors, our teachers, our families and our lives. This is Donald Trump’s America and I don’t want it y’all. We don’t want this America, y’all. We want the America we deserve, where dignity, safety and freedom belong not to some of us, but to all of us.”

Thousands of people marched in New York City's midtown Manhattan. In Massachusetts thousands more gathered on Boston Common holding signs including “Hands off our democracy,” “Hands off our Social Security” and “Diversity equity inclusion makes America strong. Hands off!”

In Ohio, hundreds rallied in the rain at the Statehouse in Columbus.

Roger Broom, 66, a retiree from Delaware County, Ohio, said at the Columbus rally that he used to be a Reagan Republican but has been turned off by Trump.

“He’s tearing this country apart,” Broom said. “It’s just an administration of grievances.”

Hundreds of people also demonstrated in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, a few miles from Trump's golf course in Jupiter, where he spent the morning at the club's Senior Club Championship. People lined both sides of PGA Drive, encouraging cars to honk and chanting slogans against Trump.

Archer Moran from Port St. Lucie, Florida, said, “They need to keep their hands off of our Social Security."

“The list of what they need to keep their hands off of is too long,” Moran said. “And it's amazing how soon these protests are happening since he’s taken office.”

The president plans to go golfing again Sunday, according to the White House.

Asked about the protests, the White House said in a statement that “President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.”

Activists have staged&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/50501-protests-project-2025-trump-state-capitols-ddd341171a54ba9b498cbfe7530e18ab">nationwide demonstrations</a>&nbsp;against Trump or Musk multiple times since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-scene-rotunda-republicans-second-term-618e452b9e8fe294095937b27816d21a">Trump returned to office.</a>&nbsp;But the opposition movement has yet to produce a mass mobilization like the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/de267a3227574cb182b953cb60e69ae2">Women's March in 2017</a>, which brought thousands of women to Washington, D.C., after Trump's first inauguration, or the Black Lives Matter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mo-state-wire-in-state-wire-mi-state-wire-minneapolis-virus-outbreak-55933b8695e36337a6bfe96728b3e7f3">demonstrations that erupted in multiple cities</a>&nbsp;after George Floyd's killing in 2020.

In Charlotte, North Carolina, protesters said they were supporting a variety of causes, from Social Security and education to immigration and women's reproductive rights.

“Regardless of your party, regardless of who you voted for, what’s going on today, what’s happening today is abhorrent,” said Britt Castillo, 35, of Charlotte. "It’s disgusting and as broken as our current system might be, the way that the current administration is going about trying to fix things — it is not the way to do it. They’re not listening to the people."

“All they’re doing is making sure that they have a parachute for them and their rich friends, and everybody else here that lives here — that makes the gears turn for this country — are just screwed at the end of the day,” she said.

Associated Press writers Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, and Fatima Hussein in West Palm Beach, Florida, and video journalist Guillermo Gonzalez in Charlotte, North Carolina, contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743876858648.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Opponents of President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;rallied across the U.S. on Saturday to protest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-campaign-promise-tracker/">the administration's actions</a>&nbsp;on government downsizing, the economy, human rights and other issues.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743886007749.jpeg" alt="Protesters in Hays, Kansas on Saturday-&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Protesters in Hays, Kansas on Saturday-&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>More than 1,200 “Hands Off!” demonstrations were planned by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists. The protest sites included the National Mall in Washington, D.C., state capitols and other locations in all 50 states.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743885445533.jpeg" alt="Protesters in Hays, Kansas on Saturday-&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Protesters in Hays, Kansas on Saturday-&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Protesters assailed the Trump administration's moves to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-doge-veterans-64722f96984f1b730fea88278f6bc93f">fire thousands of federal workers</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-offices-closures-doge-trump-b2b1a5b2ba4fb968abc3379bf90715ff">close Social Security Administration field offices</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-federal-judge-trump-administration-bdc919a5d98eda5ab72a32fdfe2f147d">effectively shutter entire agencies</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-deportations-el-salvador-justice-contempt-6085e64a04b5d6455f368175af83e724">deport immigrants</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-visibility-trump-orders-2f949cdab2673e3becdfc3d213158aa9">scale back protections for transgender people</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-covid-federal-money-lawsuit-restraining-order-hhs-4d534b9f04389161f71e3bc541e87d7a">cut federal funding for health programs</a>.Musk, a Trump adviser who owns Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X, has played a key role in government downsizing as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. He says he is saving taxpayers billions of dollars.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743885930456.png" alt="Image from HandsOff2025 video" />
 <figcaption>Image from HandsOff2025 video</figcaption>
 </figure>Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign advocacy group, spoke at the Washington protest, criticizing the Trump administration's treatment of the LBGTQ+ community.“The attacks that we’re seeing, they’re not just political. They are personal, y’all,” she said. “They’re trying to ban our books, they’re slashing HIV prevention funding, they’re criminalizing our doctors, our teachers, our families and our lives. This is Donald Trump’s America and I don’t want it y’all. We don’t want this America, y’all. We want the America we deserve, where dignity, safety and freedom belong not to some of us, but to all of us.”Thousands of people marched in New York City's midtown Manhattan. In Massachusetts thousands more gathered on Boston Common holding signs including “Hands off our democracy,” “Hands off our Social Security” and “Diversity equity inclusion makes America strong. Hands off!”In Ohio, hundreds rallied in the rain at the Statehouse in Columbus.Roger Broom, 66, a retiree from Delaware County, Ohio, said at the Columbus rally that he used to be a Reagan Republican but has been turned off by Trump.“He’s tearing this country apart,” Broom said. “It’s just an administration of grievances.”Hundreds of people also demonstrated in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, a few miles from Trump's golf course in Jupiter, where he spent the morning at the club's Senior Club Championship. People lined both sides of PGA Drive, encouraging cars to honk and chanting slogans against Trump.Archer Moran from Port St. Lucie, Florida, said, “They need to keep their hands off of our Social Security."“The list of what they need to keep their hands off of is too long,” Moran said. “And it's amazing how soon these protests are happening since he’s taken office.”The president plans to go golfing again Sunday, according to the White House.Asked about the protests, the White House said in a statement that “President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.”Activists have staged&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/50501-protests-project-2025-trump-state-capitols-ddd341171a54ba9b498cbfe7530e18ab">nationwide demonstrations</a>&nbsp;against Trump or Musk multiple times since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-scene-rotunda-republicans-second-term-618e452b9e8fe294095937b27816d21a">Trump returned to office.</a>&nbsp;But the opposition movement has yet to produce a mass mobilization like the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/de267a3227574cb182b953cb60e69ae2">Women's March in 2017</a>, which brought thousands of women to Washington, D.C., after Trump's first inauguration, or the Black Lives Matter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mo-state-wire-in-state-wire-mi-state-wire-minneapolis-virus-outbreak-55933b8695e36337a6bfe96728b3e7f3">demonstrations that erupted in multiple cities</a>&nbsp;after George Floyd's killing in 2020.In Charlotte, North Carolina, protesters said they were supporting a variety of causes, from Social Security and education to immigration and women's reproductive rights.“Regardless of your party, regardless of who you voted for, what’s going on today, what’s happening today is abhorrent,” said Britt Castillo, 35, of Charlotte. "It’s disgusting and as broken as our current system might be, the way that the current administration is going about trying to fix things — it is not the way to do it. They’re not listening to the people."“All they’re doing is making sure that they have a parachute for them and their rich friends, and everybody else here that lives here — that makes the gears turn for this country — are just screwed at the end of the day,” she said.___Associated Press writers Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, and Fatima Hussein in West Palm Beach, Florida, and video journalist Guillermo Gonzalez in Charlotte, North Carolina, contributed to this report.

Protesters tee off against Trump and Musk across the U.S.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities including Kansas State University, the University of Kansas and Wichita State University, is requesting a meeting with the State Department, alarmed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">the Trump administration’s widening crackdown</a>&nbsp;will persuade sought-after foreign students to stay away from the United States.

College officials say the new, harsher tactics and vague justifications being used to push some students out of the country will have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-international-student-enrollment-trump-fd8b6b8f298629bbcc7339568b1c76f3">much broader consequences</a>.

America’s universities have long been seen as a top destination for the world’s brightest minds — and they’ve brought important tuition revenue and research breakthroughs to U.S. colleges. But international students also have other options, said Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, an association of international educators.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A crackdown on foreign students is alarming colleges, who say the Trump administration is using new tactics and vague justifications to push some students out of the country.

College officials worry the new approach will keep foreigners from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-international-student-enrollment-trump-fd8b6b8f298629bbcc7339568b1c76f3">wanting to study</a>&nbsp;in the U.S.

Students stripped of their entry visas are receiving orders from the Department of Homeland Security to leave the country immediately — a break from past practice that often permitted them to stay and complete their studies.

Some students have been targeted over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-foreign-students-campus-gaza-protests-deportation-9e2d4abc1c158454da1f68c01062c9ef">pro-Palestinian activism</a>&nbsp;or criminal infractions — or even traffic violations. Others have been left wondering how they ran afoul of the government.

At Minnesota State University in Mankato, President Edward Inch told the campus Wednesday that visas had been revoked for five international students for unclear reasons.

He said school officials learned about the revocations when they ran a status check in a database of international students after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/university-of-minnesota-graduate-student-detained-ice-f71f517521a2567c795343092ef4e0b2">detention of a Turkish student</a>&nbsp;at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. The State Department said the detention was related to a drunken driving conviction.

“These are troubling times, and this situation is unlike any we have navigated before,” Inch wrote in a letter to campus.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;campaigned on a promise to deport foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, and federal agents started by detaining Columbia graduate student&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/columbia-university-protester-mahmoud-khalil-immigration-arrest-5ae6eeb3ac95f190a505abebc4ee0944">Mahmoud Khalil</a>, a green-card-holder and Palestinian activist who was prominent in protests at Columbia last year. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week students are being targeted for involvement in protests along with others tied to “potential criminal activity.”

In the past two weeks, the government apparently has widened its crackdown. Officials from colleges around the country have discovered international students have had their entry visas revoked and, in many cases, their legal residency status terminated by authorities without notice — including students at Arizona State, Cornell, North Carolina State, the University of Oregon, the University of Texas and the University of Colorado.

Some of the students are working to leave the country on their own, but students at Tufts and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/campus-protests-immigration-alireza-doroudi-alabama-ae498838deb04b22864ef485a71bac27">University of Alabama</a>&nbsp;have been detained by immigration authorities — in the Tufts case, even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rumeysa-ozturk-deportation-tufts-massachusetts-student-1dd330bef8fb44b05f9818c0020728a0">before the university knew</a>&nbsp;the student’s legal status had changed.

Feds bypass colleges to move against students

In this new wave of enforcement, school officials say the federal government is quietly deleting foreigners’ student records instead of going through colleges, as was done in the past.

Students are being ordered to leave the country with a suddenness that universities have rarely seen, said Miriam Feldblum, president and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.

In the past, when international students have had entry visas revoked, they generally have been allowed to keep legal residency status. They could stay in the country to study, but would need to renew their visa if they left the U.S. and wanted to return. Now, increasing numbers of students are having their legal status terminated, exposing them to the risk of being arrested.

“None of this is regular practice,” Feldblum said.

At North Carolina State University, two students from Saudi Arabia left the U.S. after learning their legal status as students was terminated, the university said. N.C. State said it will work with the students to complete their semester from outside the country.

Philip Vasto, who lived with one of the students, said his roommate, in graduate school for engineering management, was apolitical and did not attend protests against the war in Gaza. When the government told his roommate his student status had been terminated, it did not give a reason, Vasto said.

Since returning to Saudi Arabia, Vasto said his former roommate’s top concern is getting into another university.

“He’s made his peace with it,” he said. “He doesn’t want to allow it to steal his peace any further.”

Database checks turn up students in jeopardy

At the University of Texas at Austin, staff checking a federal database discovered two people on student visas had their permission to be in the U.S. terminated, a person familiar with the situation said. The person declined to be identified for fear of retaliation.

One of the people, from India, had their legal status terminated April 3. The federal system indicated the person had been identified in a criminal records check “and/or has had their visa revoked.” The other person, from Lebanon, had their legal status terminated March 28 due to a criminal records check, according to the federal database.

Both people were graduates remaining in the U.S. on student visas, using an option allowing people to gain professional experience after completing coursework. Both were employed full time and apparently had not violated requirements for pursuing work experience, the person familiar with the situation said.

Some students have had visas revoked by the State Department under an obscure law barring noncitizens whose presence could have “serious adverse foreign policy consequences.” Trump invoked the law in a January order demanding action against campus antisemitism.

But some students targeted in recent weeks have had no clear link to political activism. Some have been ordered to leave over misdemeanor crimes or traffic infractions, Feldblum said. In some cases, students were targeted for infractions that had been previously reported to the government.

Some of the alleged infractions would not have drawn scrutiny in the past and will likely be a test of students’ First Amendment rights as cases work their way through court, said Michelle Mittelstadt, director of public affairs at the Migration Policy Institute.

“In some ways, what the administration is doing is really retroactive,” she said. “Rather than saying, ‘This is going to be the standard that we’re applying going forward,’ they’re going back and vetting students based on past expressions or past behavior.”

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities is requesting a meeting with the State Department over the issue. It’s unclear whether more visas are being revoked than usual, but officials fear a chilling effect on international exchange.

Many of the association’s members have recently seen at least one student have their visas revoked, said Bernie Burrola, a vice president at the group. With little information from the government, colleges have been interviewing students or searching social media for a connection to political activism.

“The universities can’t seem to find anything that seems to be related to Gaza or social media posts or protests,” Burrola said. “Some of these are sponsored students by foreign governments, where they specifically are very hesitant to get involved in protests.”

There’s no clear thread indicating which students are being targeted, but some have been from the Middle East and China, he said.

“We should not take for granted that that’s just the way things are and will always be,” she said.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities including Kansas State University, the University of Kansas and Wichita State University, is requesting a meeting with the State Department, alarmed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">the Trump administration’s widening crackdown</a>&nbsp;will persuade sought-after foreign students to stay away from the United States.College officials say the new, harsher tactics and vague justifications being used to push some students out of the country will have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-international-student-enrollment-trump-fd8b6b8f298629bbcc7339568b1c76f3">much broader consequences</a>.America’s universities have long been seen as a top destination for the world’s brightest minds — and they’ve brought important tuition revenue and research breakthroughs to U.S. colleges. But international students also have other options, said Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, an association of international educators.-------------------WASHINGTON (AP) — A crackdown on foreign students is alarming colleges, who say the Trump administration is using new tactics and vague justifications to push some students out of the country.College officials worry the new approach will keep foreigners from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-international-student-enrollment-trump-fd8b6b8f298629bbcc7339568b1c76f3">wanting to study</a>&nbsp;in the U.S.Students stripped of their entry visas are receiving orders from the Department of Homeland Security to leave the country immediately — a break from past practice that often permitted them to stay and complete their studies.Some students have been targeted over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-foreign-students-campus-gaza-protests-deportation-9e2d4abc1c158454da1f68c01062c9ef">pro-Palestinian activism</a>&nbsp;or criminal infractions — or even traffic violations. Others have been left wondering how they ran afoul of the government.At Minnesota State University in Mankato, President Edward Inch told the campus Wednesday that visas had been revoked for five international students for unclear reasons.He said school officials learned about the revocations when they ran a status check in a database of international students after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/university-of-minnesota-graduate-student-detained-ice-f71f517521a2567c795343092ef4e0b2">detention of a Turkish student</a>&nbsp;at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. The State Department said the detention was related to a drunken driving conviction.“These are troubling times, and this situation is unlike any we have navigated before,” Inch wrote in a letter to campus.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;campaigned on a promise to deport foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, and federal agents started by detaining Columbia graduate student&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/columbia-university-protester-mahmoud-khalil-immigration-arrest-5ae6eeb3ac95f190a505abebc4ee0944">Mahmoud Khalil</a>, a green-card-holder and Palestinian activist who was prominent in protests at Columbia last year. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week students are being targeted for involvement in protests along with others tied to “potential criminal activity.”In the past two weeks, the government apparently has widened its crackdown. Officials from colleges around the country have discovered international students have had their entry visas revoked and, in many cases, their legal residency status terminated by authorities without notice — including students at Arizona State, Cornell, North Carolina State, the University of Oregon, the University of Texas and the University of Colorado.Some of the students are working to leave the country on their own, but students at Tufts and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/campus-protests-immigration-alireza-doroudi-alabama-ae498838deb04b22864ef485a71bac27">University of Alabama</a>&nbsp;have been detained by immigration authorities — in the Tufts case, even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rumeysa-ozturk-deportation-tufts-massachusetts-student-1dd330bef8fb44b05f9818c0020728a0">before the university knew</a>&nbsp;the student’s legal status had changed.<h2>Feds bypass colleges to move against students</h2>In this new wave of enforcement, school officials say the federal government is quietly deleting foreigners’ student records instead of going through colleges, as was done in the past.Students are being ordered to leave the country with a suddenness that universities have rarely seen, said Miriam Feldblum, president and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.In the past, when international students have had entry visas revoked, they generally have been allowed to keep legal residency status. They could stay in the country to study, but would need to renew their visa if they left the U.S. and wanted to return. Now, increasing numbers of students are having their legal status terminated, exposing them to the risk of being arrested.“None of this is regular practice,” Feldblum said.At North Carolina State University, two students from Saudi Arabia left the U.S. after learning their legal status as students was terminated, the university said. N.C. State said it will work with the students to complete their semester from outside the country.Philip Vasto, who lived with one of the students, said his roommate, in graduate school for engineering management, was apolitical and did not attend protests against the war in Gaza. When the government told his roommate his student status had been terminated, it did not give a reason, Vasto said.Since returning to Saudi Arabia, Vasto said his former roommate’s top concern is getting into another university.“He’s made his peace with it,” he said. “He doesn’t want to allow it to steal his peace any further.”<h2>Database checks turn up students in jeopardy</h2>At the University of Texas at Austin, staff checking a federal database discovered two people on student visas had their permission to be in the U.S. terminated, a person familiar with the situation said. The person declined to be identified for fear of retaliation.One of the people, from India, had their legal status terminated April 3. The federal system indicated the person had been identified in a criminal records check “and/or has had their visa revoked.” The other person, from Lebanon, had their legal status terminated March 28 due to a criminal records check, according to the federal database.Both people were graduates remaining in the U.S. on student visas, using an option allowing people to gain professional experience after completing coursework. Both were employed full time and apparently had not violated requirements for pursuing work experience, the person familiar with the situation said.Some students have had visas revoked by the State Department under an obscure law barring noncitizens whose presence could have “serious adverse foreign policy consequences.” Trump invoked the law in a January order demanding action against campus antisemitism.But some students targeted in recent weeks have had no clear link to political activism. Some have been ordered to leave over misdemeanor crimes or traffic infractions, Feldblum said. In some cases, students were targeted for infractions that had been previously reported to the government.Some of the alleged infractions would not have drawn scrutiny in the past and will likely be a test of students’ First Amendment rights as cases work their way through court, said Michelle Mittelstadt, director of public affairs at the Migration Policy Institute.“In some ways, what the administration is doing is really retroactive,” she said. “Rather than saying, ‘This is going to be the standard that we’re applying going forward,’ they’re going back and vetting students based on past expressions or past behavior.”The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities is requesting a meeting with the State Department over the issue. It’s unclear whether more visas are being revoked than usual, but officials fear a chilling effect on international exchange.Many of the association’s members have recently seen at least one student have their visas revoked, said Bernie Burrola, a vice president at the group. With little information from the government, colleges have been interviewing students or searching social media for a connection to political activism.“The universities can’t seem to find anything that seems to be related to Gaza or social media posts or protests,” Burrola said. “Some of these are sponsored students by foreign governments, where they specifically are very hesitant to get involved in protests.”There’s no clear thread indicating which students are being targeted, but some have been from the Middle East and China, he said.America’s universities have long been seen as a top destination for the world’s brightest minds — and they’ve brought important tuition revenue and research breakthroughs to U.S. colleges. But international students also have other options, said Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, an association of international educators.“We should not take for granted that that’s just the way things are and will always be,” she said.<h2>___</h2>

College officials worry crackdown tactics will turn foreign students away

Children’s Mercy Kansas City&nbsp; announce a comprehensive $152 million expansion plan for Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas (CMHK) aimed at enhancing patient care and improving access to existing services and new clinical programs, according to a media release from the hospital.&nbsp;

“As the only freestanding pediatric hospital in the state of Kansas, this expansion will allow for even more families to have access to world-class care closer to home,” said Alejandro Quiroga, MD, MBA, CEO &amp; President, Children’s Mercy. "We're really excited about this project because it shows how dedicated we are to giving the best care possible to our community. By bringing all our outpatient services together, improving our hospital facilities, and creating a modern, connected campus, we're making sure we can meet the growing needs of patients and families in the region.”&nbsp;

The first phase of the project, already underway, is the expansion of surgical services which includes the renovation of the Sterile Processing Department and the addition of new pre-op, post-op, and procedural spaces. Construction is set to be complete by summer 2026.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We have teams of nationally recognized surgeons and proceduralists. The addition of new procedures rooms and expanded facilities will allow CMHK to meet the growing demand for procedural services in specialties such as ENT, Orthopedics and Gastroenterology,” said Shawn St. Peter, MD, Senior Vice President, Surgeon-in-Chief, Children’s Mercy.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The expansion project also includes:&nbsp;

“We listened to the needs of physicians and families in this community and the expansion of our Kansas hospital strengthens our capacity to serve the growing pediatric population,” said Amy Fallon, MPH, PhD, President of Regional Operations, Children’s Mercy. “This is more than just adding rooms or advancing technology; it’s about deepening our commitment and reaffirming our dedication to delivering top-quality, accessible health care to every child that needs it.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The community is invited to be part of this initiative. Philanthropic gifts will advance this renovation to improve the health of all children and families, bringing expert care closer to home.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743709952900.png" alt="Children's Mercy Renderings provided by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hdrinc?__cft__[0]=AZVJPlaGVfpaostW4hN6qAczNWPuzGNM2jVgwWD60UXwLJl4tvu9vXBZOkQwXTeSa0ZN3s5hZr0ohJJah4PlpBSK-ZJg03kDA2FWOAzxXSUcnOfVrlReujZMmp3KpCJniHdmsGugzpEo-8O7_f3FktNgSvkGoFQ3NXAKXEH3yyfrcHRn12UovzBnYjOq9eX-N54&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">HDR</a>" />
 <figcaption>Children's Mercy Renderings provided by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hdrinc?__cft__[0]=AZVJPlaGVfpaostW4hN6qAczNWPuzGNM2jVgwWD60UXwLJl4tvu9vXBZOkQwXTeSa0ZN3s5hZr0ohJJah4PlpBSK-ZJg03kDA2FWOAzxXSUcnOfVrlReujZMmp3KpCJniHdmsGugzpEo-8O7_f3FktNgSvkGoFQ3NXAKXEH3yyfrcHRn12UovzBnYjOq9eX-N54&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">HDR</a></figcaption>
 </figure>Children’s Mercy Kansas City&nbsp; announce a comprehensive $152 million expansion plan for Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas (CMHK) aimed at enhancing patient care and improving access to existing services and new clinical programs, according to a media release from the hospital.&nbsp;“As the only freestanding pediatric hospital in the state of Kansas, this expansion will allow for even more families to have access to world-class care closer to home,” said Alejandro Quiroga, MD, MBA, CEO &amp; President, Children’s Mercy. "We're really excited about this project because it shows how dedicated we are to giving the best care possible to our community. By bringing all our outpatient services together, improving our hospital facilities, and creating a modern, connected campus, we're making sure we can meet the growing needs of patients and families in the region.”&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743710012719.png" alt="Children's Mercy Renderings provided by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hdrinc?__cft__[0]=AZVJPlaGVfpaostW4hN6qAczNWPuzGNM2jVgwWD60UXwLJl4tvu9vXBZOkQwXTeSa0ZN3s5hZr0ohJJah4PlpBSK-ZJg03kDA2FWOAzxXSUcnOfVrlReujZMmp3KpCJniHdmsGugzpEo-8O7_f3FktNgSvkGoFQ3NXAKXEH3yyfrcHRn12UovzBnYjOq9eX-N54&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">HDR</a>&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Children's Mercy Renderings provided by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hdrinc?__cft__[0]=AZVJPlaGVfpaostW4hN6qAczNWPuzGNM2jVgwWD60UXwLJl4tvu9vXBZOkQwXTeSa0ZN3s5hZr0ohJJah4PlpBSK-ZJg03kDA2FWOAzxXSUcnOfVrlReujZMmp3KpCJniHdmsGugzpEo-8O7_f3FktNgSvkGoFQ3NXAKXEH3yyfrcHRn12UovzBnYjOq9eX-N54&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">HDR</a>&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>The first phase of the project, already underway, is the expansion of surgical services which includes the renovation of the Sterile Processing Department and the addition of new pre-op, post-op, and procedural spaces. Construction is set to be complete by summer 2026.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We have teams of nationally recognized surgeons and proceduralists. The addition of new procedures rooms and expanded facilities will allow CMHK to meet the growing demand for procedural services in specialties such as ENT, Orthopedics and Gastroenterology,” said Shawn St. Peter, MD, Senior Vice President, Surgeon-in-Chief, Children’s Mercy.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743710105263.png" alt="Children's Mercy Renderings provided by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hdrinc?__cft__[0]=AZVJPlaGVfpaostW4hN6qAczNWPuzGNM2jVgwWD60UXwLJl4tvu9vXBZOkQwXTeSa0ZN3s5hZr0ohJJah4PlpBSK-ZJg03kDA2FWOAzxXSUcnOfVrlReujZMmp3KpCJniHdmsGugzpEo-8O7_f3FktNgSvkGoFQ3NXAKXEH3yyfrcHRn12UovzBnYjOq9eX-N54&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">HDR</a>" />
 <figcaption>Children's Mercy Renderings provided by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hdrinc?__cft__[0]=AZVJPlaGVfpaostW4hN6qAczNWPuzGNM2jVgwWD60UXwLJl4tvu9vXBZOkQwXTeSa0ZN3s5hZr0ohJJah4PlpBSK-ZJg03kDA2FWOAzxXSUcnOfVrlReujZMmp3KpCJniHdmsGugzpEo-8O7_f3FktNgSvkGoFQ3NXAKXEH3yyfrcHRn12UovzBnYjOq9eX-N54&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">HDR</a></figcaption>
 </figure>The expansion project also includes:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>New Medical Office Building (MOB):&nbsp;A state-of-the-art facility to consolidate outpatient services currently spread across multiple locations, providing a seamless and connected experience for patients and families. The MOB is scheduled to open in the Summer of 2027.&nbsp;</li><li>Hospital Renovations:&nbsp;Upgrades to the hospital space vacated by the consolidation of outpatient services, enhancing the overall patient and staff experience. These renovations are expected to be completed by the Summer of 2029.&nbsp;</li><li>New Service Offerings: Introduction of new programs such as Inpatient Rehab, Intensive Outpatient Programs, an expanded GI Motility program and a Neuroscience Center of Excellence.&nbsp;</li><li>Parking and Exterior Updates:&nbsp;Modern parking structures, new entrances, and exterior improvements to facilitate better wayfinding and accessibility. (Parking and Emergency services will still be accessible throughout construction.)&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>“We listened to the needs of physicians and families in this community and the expansion of our Kansas hospital strengthens our capacity to serve the growing pediatric population,” said Amy Fallon, MPH, PhD, President of Regional Operations, Children’s Mercy. “This is more than just adding rooms or advancing technology; it’s about deepening our commitment and reaffirming our dedication to delivering top-quality, accessible health care to every child that needs it.”&nbsp;&nbsp;The community is invited to be part of this initiative. Philanthropic gifts will advance this renovation to improve the health of all children and families, bringing expert care closer to home.&nbsp;

Children’s Mercy Kansas announces multi-million dollar expansion

On this episode of the Post Podcast, news reporter Becky Kiser talks with Julie Ryder, executive director of The Bricks in Downtown Hays, about the organization's new name and spring events on the bricks.

<div><iframe title="Post Podcast: The Bricks in Downtown Hays" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:300px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?from=embed&i=4jpm6-186b153-pb&square=1&share=1&download=1&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=300" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>On this episode of the Post Podcast, news reporter Becky Kiser talks with Julie Ryder, executive director of The Bricks in Downtown Hays, about the organization's new name and spring events on the bricks.

🎙 Post Podcast: The Bricks in Downtown Hays

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Jessica Luck comes from a long line of educators.

Luck's grandfather was a classroom teacher and a principal in Oberlin, where she grew up. Her two uncles taught school in western Kansas. A great-aunt taught in Atwood. Her dad was an art teacher, and some of her cousins are also teachers.

Fourteen years ago, when her family moved to Hays, she decided to switch gears from being an elementary school teacher to an in-home child care provider.

Luck, 48, earned her bachelor's degree at Fort Hays State University and taught second grade in Goddard before her family moved back to Hays in 2008 to be closer to their parents so their son, who was then 2, could get to know his grandparents.

Luck was going to go back to teaching elementary school, but she learned she was pregnant with twins. She and her husband didn't think it was financially prudent to try to have three children in child care.

After two years of staying home with her own children, the couple had a friend who needed child care. Luck and her husband decided to fully certify as an in-home child care provider.

Luck was nominated as the March Child Care Champion by mother Jessica Roe.

"We have had Jessica as our day care provider for nine years. She gives so much love to all the children in her care," Roe said. "Jessica does fun activities with the kids on a daily basis. 

"My older children still love going to see Jessica even though they are out of day care. Jessica will always give extra snuggles when my little one is having a rough day."

Although her oldest son is now 19, the twins are almost 16 and her youngest is 12, Luck has continued to operate her in-home child care.

She said all four children are baby whisperers and are great help when the child care children are in the house.

She said she always went to great lengths to give her children their own space. Her four had their own rooms and their own toys, separate from the child care.

Luck said she continues to love working with small children.

"Everything is brand new and exciting," she said. "Every stage that I see in a home day care before they go to school is fun and exciting. It's not the same thing every day.&nbsp;

"We have our routine, but just their little outlooks on life and how they perceive things are constantly changing."

Luck said she missed the classroom at first and struggled with taking on new roles, but she doesn't regret it.

"Being home was the best thing for the kids and our family at that time," she said.&nbsp;

She said she would not trade that time she had with her children for anything.&nbsp;

"I think if we had stayed in Wichita and I would still have taught, I don't think I would have stayed home with them. I don't think I would have realized the impact and how important that was to stay home with your own kids.

"That was my feeling. It's completely fine if parents work and don't stay home with their kids, but for me, I loved it, because I had that education background. I worked a lot with my kids, and it carried over to my day care."

Luck does not follow a preschool curriculum but uses resources from her classroom days. She has a structured day for the children with opportunities to play outside or exercise indoors when the weather is bad.

She allows the children to create open-ended art and craft projects that allow them to express their creativity.&nbsp;

Her kitchen table shows the wear from all of that creative time. The finish is completely worn off from all the years of art, play and scrubbing.

Luck said keeping up with the ever-changing child care regulations can be difficult.

"Your yearly inspections are a little nerve-racking," she said, "because it's like showing your home. You have to keep it, you think, neat and tidy, not like little people are in your home all of the time."

Luck advised new providers to give the job a year or two. She said it takes time to adjust to working within the state regulations and with parents to meet their expectations.

She said she has been thankful for her job as a child care provider because it has allowed her to meet more families in the community.

"When your kids are certain ages, those are the groups of parents and kids you know," she said. "Home day care allows you the opportunity to keep meeting families."

She said her child care families have become an extended part of her own family.

"You are a second parent almost to them. ... It's rewarding all down through the years like teaching. My oldest ones are eighth-graders this year, and they're going into high school. It's such a blessing to see from day one up into growing up, how they change, where the world takes them and the opportunities they have.

"I still look at them and see their little selves."

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/0f64ddb1-ba92-40fa-a22f-94a557aaf629">Click here to nominate a Child Care Champion.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743784988759.jpeg" alt="Child Care provider Jessica Luck, her husband and four children. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Child Care provider Jessica Luck, her husband and four children. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostJessica Luck comes from a long line of educators.Luck's grandfather was a classroom teacher and a principal in Oberlin, where she grew up. Her two uncles taught school in western Kansas. A great-aunt taught in Atwood. Her dad was an art teacher, and some of her cousins are also teachers.Fourteen years ago, when her family moved to Hays, she decided to switch gears from being an elementary school teacher to an in-home child care provider.Luck, 48, earned her bachelor's degree at Fort Hays State University and taught second grade in Goddard before her family moved back to Hays in 2008 to be closer to their parents so their son, who was then 2, could get to know his grandparents.Luck was going to go back to teaching elementary school, but she learned she was pregnant with twins. She and her husband didn't think it was financially prudent to try to have three children in child care.After two years of staying home with her own children, the couple had a friend who needed child care. Luck and her husband decided to fully certify as an in-home child care provider.Luck was nominated as the March Child Care Champion by mother Jessica Roe."We have had Jessica as our day care provider for nine years. She gives so much love to all the children in her care," Roe said. "Jessica does fun activities with the kids on a daily basis. "My older children still love going to see Jessica even though they are out of day care. Jessica will always give extra snuggles when my little one is having a rough day."Although her oldest son is now 19, the twins are almost 16 and her youngest is 12, Luck has continued to operate her in-home child care.She said all four children are baby whisperers and are great help when the child care children are in the house.She said she always went to great lengths to give her children their own space. Her four had their own rooms and their own toys, separate from the child care.Luck said she continues to love working with small children."Everything is brand new and exciting," she said. "Every stage that I see in a home day care before they go to school is fun and exciting. It's not the same thing every day.&nbsp;"We have our routine, but just their little outlooks on life and how they perceive things are constantly changing."Luck said she missed the classroom at first and struggled with taking on new roles, but she doesn't regret it."Being home was the best thing for the kids and our family at that time," she said.&nbsp;She said she would not trade that time she had with her children for anything.&nbsp;"I think if we had stayed in Wichita and I would still have taught, I don't think I would have stayed home with them. I don't think I would have realized the impact and how important that was to stay home with your own kids."That was my feeling. It's completely fine if parents work and don't stay home with their kids, but for me, I loved it, because I had that education background. I worked a lot with my kids, and it carried over to my day care."Luck does not follow a preschool curriculum but uses resources from her classroom days. She has a structured day for the children with opportunities to play outside or exercise indoors when the weather is bad.She allows the children to create open-ended art and craft projects that allow them to express their creativity.&nbsp;Her kitchen table shows the wear from all of that creative time. The finish is completely worn off from all the years of art, play and scrubbing.Luck said keeping up with the ever-changing child care regulations can be difficult."Your yearly inspections are a little nerve-racking," she said, "because it's like showing your home. You have to keep it, you think, neat and tidy, not like little people are in your home all of the time."Luck advised new providers to give the job a year or two. She said it takes time to adjust to working within the state regulations and with parents to meet their expectations.She said she has been thankful for her job as a child care provider because it has allowed her to meet more families in the community."When your kids are certain ages, those are the groups of parents and kids you know," she said. "Home day care allows you the opportunity to keep meeting families."She said her child care families have become an extended part of her own family."You are a second parent almost to them. ... It's rewarding all down through the years like teaching. My oldest ones are eighth-graders this year, and they're going into high school. It's such a blessing to see from day one up into growing up, how they change, where the world takes them and the opportunities they have."I still look at them and see their little selves."<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/0f64ddb1-ba92-40fa-a22f-94a557aaf629">Click here to nominate a Child Care Champion.</a>

Child Care Champion: Twins lead to new job, life she might have missed

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

Dogs will get a head start on Easter this year with a fun-filled egg hunt packed with treats just for them.

The Hays Recreation Commission is hosting the Doggie Day Egg Hunt at 1 p.m. April 13 at the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex. Registration closes on April 9 and is $1.

Gail Wickham, youth and senior program director, said the sixth-annual event was inspired by her love of dogs and a desire to create something fun for fellow pet owners in the community.

"This is their day. We zero in on the dogs and let them have their day and fun of an Easter egg hunt," Wickham said.

You can register <a href="https://haysrecweb.org/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/iteminfo.html?Module=AR&amp;FMID=19496086&amp;InterfaceParameter=WebTrac_1">online</a>&nbsp;or at the Hays Recreation Center,&nbsp;1105 Canterbury Drive.

The event was designed as a springtime social outing for dogs of all breeds and their owners. Dogs sniff out eggs filled with treats, and each participant receives a treat bag and a photo opportunity.

Although registration is encouraged to help with planning, walk-ins are welcome. However, dogs must be vaccinated, and leashes are recommended unless the dog can be reliably controlled off-leash.

Wickham highlighted several benefits of the egg hunt, including the chance for dogs and their owners to bond and connect with fellow participants.

"Just enjoy being with your animal and doing something fun with them, rather than leaving them at home in the backyard, but actually participating and doing something fun with your pet," she said.

You can follow the Hays Recreation Commission on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/haysrec/">Facebook</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743603261772.jpg" alt="Courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostDogs will get a head start on Easter this year with a fun-filled egg hunt packed with treats just for them.The Hays Recreation Commission is hosting the Doggie Day Egg Hunt at 1 p.m. April 13 at the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex. Registration closes on April 9 and is $1.Gail Wickham, youth and senior program director, said the sixth-annual event was inspired by her love of dogs and a desire to create something fun for fellow pet owners in the community."This is their day. We zero in on the dogs and let them have their day and fun of an Easter egg hunt," Wickham said.You can register <a href="https://haysrecweb.org/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/iteminfo.html?Module=AR&amp;FMID=19496086&amp;InterfaceParameter=WebTrac_1">online</a>&nbsp;or at the Hays Recreation Center,&nbsp;1105 Canterbury Drive.The event was designed as a springtime social outing for dogs of all breeds and their owners. Dogs sniff out eggs filled with treats, and each participant receives a treat bag and a photo opportunity.Although registration is encouraged to help with planning, walk-ins are welcome. However, dogs must be vaccinated, and leashes are recommended unless the dog can be reliably controlled off-leash.Wickham highlighted several benefits of the egg hunt, including the chance for dogs and their owners to bond and connect with fellow participants."Just enjoy being with your animal and doing something fun with them, rather than leaving them at home in the backyard, but actually participating and doing something fun with your pet," she said.You can follow the Hays Recreation Commission on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/haysrec/">Facebook</a>.

6th-annual Doggie Day Egg Hunt set for April 13 in Hays

EMPORIA, Kan. - The Fort Hays State track and field teams delivered several standout performances this Friday at the Midwest Classic in Emporia, Kan.&nbsp;The Tigers were highlighted by multiple event wins, personal bests, and a national-level mark from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/annabeth-baalmann/8389">Annabeth Baalmann</a>.

The women's team turned in a dominant showing on the track and in the field, earning five event victories.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/reba-mader/8402">Reba Mader</a>&nbsp;was a highlight of the meet, sprinting her way to a first-place finish in the 400m with a time of 56.10, a personal best that now ranks third all-time in the FHSU NCAA Division II record book. She also took sixth in the 200m with a time of 25.58.In the mid-distance events,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/eden-bathurst/8441">Eden Bathurst</a>&nbsp;captured a title in the 800m with a time of 2:20.26, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/emily-diercks/8393">Emily Diercks</a>&nbsp;ran to a third-place finish in the 1500m, clocking in at 4:41.53.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/emma-weiner/8448">Emma Weiner</a>&nbsp;earned a 1st-place finish in the 5000m and added a top-10 time in the 1500m as well.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/makenzie-premer/8447">Makenzie Premer</a>&nbsp;continued her strong season, winning the 3000m in 11:43.13, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/abbye-hudson/8399">Abbye Hudson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/arely-maldonado/8445">Arely Maldonado</a>&nbsp;followed Weiner in the 5000m with second and fourth place finishes.

In the field,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/annabeth-baalmann/8389">Annabeth Baalmann</a>&nbsp;posted a huge performance in the pole vault, winning with a height of 13-2.50, a provisional mark that adds her name to the national qualifying list. In throws,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/liberty-booker/8390">Liberty Booker</a>&nbsp;launched a new personal best in the hammer throw at 170-06, placing 7th overall and moving to fourth in the DII program record book.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/jessica-saunders/8407">Jessica Saunders</a>&nbsp;was able to earn a top-five finish in the discus at 138-01.

On the men's side,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/drew-tolar/8535">Drew Tolar</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/toby-wahlmeier/8507">Toby Wahlmeier</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/hayden-albright/8477">Hayden Albright</a>&nbsp;packed the podium in the 100m dash, finishing second, third and fourth. Wahlmeier returned to the track for the 200m, grabbing second, just ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/nakari-morrical-palmer/8496">Nakari Morrical-Palmer</a>&nbsp;in third. In the 400m,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/avrey-albright/8476">Avrey Albright</a>&nbsp;and Morrical-Palmer each earned top-five finishes, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/mayan-paz/8498">Mayan Paz</a>&nbsp;crossed sixth in the 400m hurdles with a time of 56.91.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/christian-darrah/8512">Christian Darrah</a>&nbsp;had a strong meet as well, finishing third in the 1500m. The Tigers also placed four runners in the top six of the 5000m, led by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/carsyn-turpin/8505">Carsyn Turpin</a>&nbsp;in third place.

The pole vault crew stole the show, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/josiah-ball/8526">Josiah Ball</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/brady-deges/8485">Brady Deges</a>&nbsp;each clearing 15-8.25 to tie the first&nbsp;place mark, showcasing the Tigers' elite talent in the pole vault.

The Tigers will now split their squad between two meets this next week. Some athletes will compete at the Jo Meaker Classic &amp; Multis in Canyon, Texas, while others will head to the K.T. Woodman Classic in Wichita, Kan.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743875340753.png" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsEMPORIA, Kan. - The Fort Hays State track and field teams delivered several standout performances this Friday at the Midwest Classic in Emporia, Kan.&nbsp;The Tigers were highlighted by multiple event wins, personal bests, and a national-level mark from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/annabeth-baalmann/8389">Annabeth Baalmann</a>.The women's team turned in a dominant showing on the track and in the field, earning five event victories.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/reba-mader/8402">Reba Mader</a>&nbsp;was a highlight of the meet, sprinting her way to a first-place finish in the 400m with a time of 56.10, a personal best that now ranks third all-time in the FHSU NCAA Division II record book. She also took sixth in the 200m with a time of 25.58.In the mid-distance events,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/eden-bathurst/8441">Eden Bathurst</a>&nbsp;captured a title in the 800m with a time of 2:20.26, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/emily-diercks/8393">Emily Diercks</a>&nbsp;ran to a third-place finish in the 1500m, clocking in at 4:41.53.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/emma-weiner/8448">Emma Weiner</a>&nbsp;earned a 1st-place finish in the 5000m and added a top-10 time in the 1500m as well.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/makenzie-premer/8447">Makenzie Premer</a>&nbsp;continued her strong season, winning the 3000m in 11:43.13, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/abbye-hudson/8399">Abbye Hudson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/arely-maldonado/8445">Arely Maldonado</a>&nbsp;followed Weiner in the 5000m with second and fourth place finishes.In the field,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/annabeth-baalmann/8389">Annabeth Baalmann</a>&nbsp;posted a huge performance in the pole vault, winning with a height of 13-2.50, a provisional mark that adds her name to the national qualifying list. In throws,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/liberty-booker/8390">Liberty Booker</a>&nbsp;launched a new personal best in the hammer throw at 170-06, placing 7th overall and moving to fourth in the DII program record book.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/jessica-saunders/8407">Jessica Saunders</a>&nbsp;was able to earn a top-five finish in the discus at 138-01.On the men's side,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/drew-tolar/8535">Drew Tolar</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/toby-wahlmeier/8507">Toby Wahlmeier</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/hayden-albright/8477">Hayden Albright</a>&nbsp;packed the podium in the 100m dash, finishing second, third and fourth. Wahlmeier returned to the track for the 200m, grabbing second, just ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/nakari-morrical-palmer/8496">Nakari Morrical-Palmer</a>&nbsp;in third. In the 400m,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/avrey-albright/8476">Avrey Albright</a>&nbsp;and Morrical-Palmer each earned top-five finishes, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/mayan-paz/8498">Mayan Paz</a>&nbsp;crossed sixth in the 400m hurdles with a time of 56.91.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/christian-darrah/8512">Christian Darrah</a>&nbsp;had a strong meet as well, finishing third in the 1500m. The Tigers also placed four runners in the top six of the 5000m, led by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/carsyn-turpin/8505">Carsyn Turpin</a>&nbsp;in third place.The pole vault crew stole the show, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/josiah-ball/8526">Josiah Ball</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/brady-deges/8485">Brady Deges</a>&nbsp;each clearing 15-8.25 to tie the first&nbsp;place mark, showcasing the Tigers' elite talent in the pole vault.The Tigers will now split their squad between two meets this next week. Some athletes will compete at the Jo Meaker Classic &amp; Multis in Canyon, Texas, while others will head to the K.T. Woodman Classic in Wichita, Kan.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏃‍♀️ Tigers have good showing at Midwest Classic in Emporia

On Friday, the Kansas State High School Activities
Association released the postseason host sites for the upcoming baseball season,
and TMP-Marian is a host site for 2-1A.

The Monarchs will be joined by area teams Ellis and
Plainville.

Here is a complete list of the eight-team regional: Belleville-Republic County HS Bennington HS Brookville-Ell-Saline HS Ellinwood HS Ellis HS Hays-Thomas More Prep-Marian HS Oberlin-Decatur Community HS Plainville HS Salina-Sacred Heart HS

In class 3A, Russell/Victoria is part of the Colby regional.

Seeding for 3A and 2-1A is May 10. The quarterfinal round
will take place from May 14 to 16. The semifinals and finals will be held
between May 19 and 22.

Hays Post SportsOn Friday, the Kansas State High School Activities
Association released the postseason host sites for the upcoming baseball season,
and TMP-Marian is a host site for 2-1A.The Monarchs will be joined by area teams Ellis and
Plainville.Here is a complete list of the eight-team regional: Belleville-Republic County HS Bennington HS Brookville-Ell-Saline HS Ellinwood HS Ellis HS Hays-Thomas More Prep-Marian HS Oberlin-Decatur Community HS Plainville HS Salina-Sacred Heart HSIn class 3A, Russell/Victoria is part of the Colby regional.Seeding for 3A and 2-1A is May 10. The quarterfinal round
will take place from May 14 to 16. The semifinals and finals will be held
between May 19 and 22.

⚾ TMP set to host 2-1A regional

SENECA, Kan. (AP) — An Oklahoma man has been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting a Catholic priest at a church rectory in northeast Kansas, authorities said Friday.

Officers called to the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca on Thursday afternoon found Arul Carasala with gunshot wounds outside the rectory, the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NemahaSO/#">a Facebook post</a>. The 57-year-old priest was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he died.

Sheriff’s deputies and officers with the Seneca Police Department later arrested Gary Hermesch of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hermesch, 66, was charged Friday and held in the Nemaha County Jail in lieu of $1 million bond, County Attorney Brad Lippert said Friday in a written statement.

The charging complaint says that Hermesch “intentionally and with premeditation” killed Carasala, Lippert said. Lippert did not return phone and email messages Friday seeking more information.

Authorities have not released a possible motive for the shooting or said whether the suspect and the priest knew each other.

Kris Anderson, the parish’s director of religious education, told the AP on Thursday through tears that she knew few details.

“From what we know, an older man walked up to him (Carasala) and shot him three times,” she said.

The priest's death left people in shock in Seneca, a city of about 2,100 where Carasala had been the pastor at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church since 2011,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.saintspeterandpaul-seneca.com/meet-our-pastor/">according to his profile</a>&nbsp;on the parish website.

Carasala was ordained as a priest in 1994 for the Diocese of Cuddapah, located on the southeast coast of his native India. He had served in Kansas since 2004, including as pastor of five Kansas parishes, after he was invited to visit by Archbishop James P. Keleher. Carasala became a U.S. citizen in 2011, while retaining his status as an overseas citizen of India.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/archkck">said in a Facebook post</a>&nbsp;that there was no ongoing threat to the community, but that he recognized the “pain and shock” the priest’s death had brought to the community.

“This senseless act of violence has left us grieving the loss of a beloved priest, leader, and friend,” he wrote.

Seneca is about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of Topeka, about 90 miles&nbsp; northwest of Kansas City and about 300 miles north of Tulsa.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743787979111.png" alt="Outside the church in Seneca-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Outside the church in Seneca-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SENECA, Kan. (AP) — An Oklahoma man has been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting a Catholic priest at a church rectory in northeast Kansas, authorities said Friday.Officers called to the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca on Thursday afternoon found Arul Carasala with gunshot wounds outside the rectory, the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NemahaSO/#">a Facebook post</a>. The 57-year-old priest was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he died.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743796540386.png" alt="Hermesch photo Nemaha Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Hermesch photo Nemaha Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Sheriff’s deputies and officers with the Seneca Police Department later arrested Gary Hermesch of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hermesch, 66, was charged Friday and held in the Nemaha County Jail in lieu of $1 million bond, County Attorney Brad Lippert said Friday in a written statement.The charging complaint says that Hermesch “intentionally and with premeditation” killed Carasala, Lippert said. Lippert did not return phone and email messages Friday seeking more information.Authorities have not released a possible motive for the shooting or said whether the suspect and the priest knew each other.Kris Anderson, the parish’s director of religious education, told the AP on Thursday through tears that she knew few details.“From what we know, an older man walked up to him (Carasala) and shot him three times,” she said.The priest's death left people in shock in Seneca, a city of about 2,100 where Carasala had been the pastor at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church since 2011,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.saintspeterandpaul-seneca.com/meet-our-pastor/">according to his profile</a>&nbsp;on the parish website.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743721682115.png" alt="-Father Arul Carasala-photo courtesy Saints Peter &amp; Paul Parish" />
 <figcaption>-Father Arul Carasala-photo courtesy Saints Peter &amp; Paul Parish</figcaption>
 </figure>Carasala was ordained as a priest in 1994 for the Diocese of Cuddapah, located on the southeast coast of his native India. He had served in Kansas since 2004, including as pastor of five Kansas parishes, after he was invited to visit by Archbishop James P. Keleher. Carasala became a U.S. citizen in 2011, while retaining his status as an overseas citizen of India.Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/archkck">said in a Facebook post</a>&nbsp;that there was no ongoing threat to the community, but that he recognized the “pain and shock” the priest’s death had brought to the community.“This senseless act of violence has left us grieving the loss of a beloved priest, leader, and friend,” he wrote.Seneca is about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of Topeka, about 90 miles&nbsp; northwest of Kansas City and about 300 miles north of Tulsa.

Suspect charged with murder in shooting of a beloved Kansas priest

DODGE CITY – The Hays High baseball team raced out to an
early lead and beat Dodge City 10-0 Saturday. The Indians are now 3-1 overall
and 2-0 in Western Athletic Conference play.

The Indians wasted no time getting on the board. Cooper Johnson
singled with one out and scored on a Carter Graham sacrifice fly in the top of
the first. They would add three more runs in the second. Ian McGuire walked,
stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch then stole home to push the lead
to 2-0. Graham tripled which scored Jonathan Cano. Brett Rhoades added a double
which scored Graham. Trace Jacobs followed with a single which scored Rhoades
which pushed the lead to 5-0.

Johnson added an RBI single in the fourth and Jalen Smith an
RBI double in the fifth to push the lead to 7-0.

HHS added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh.
Landon Hardman drove in the first run on a fielder’s choice. The last two runs
scored on bases loaded walks to Graham and Rhoades.

Hays Post SportsDODGE CITY – The Hays High baseball team raced out to an
early lead and beat Dodge City 10-0 Saturday. The Indians are now 3-1 overall
and 2-0 in Western Athletic Conference play.The Indians wasted no time getting on the board. Cooper Johnson
singled with one out and scored on a Carter Graham sacrifice fly in the top of
the first. They would add three more runs in the second. Ian McGuire walked,
stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch then stole home to push the lead
to 2-0. Graham tripled which scored Jonathan Cano. Brett Rhoades added a double
which scored Graham. Trace Jacobs followed with a single which scored Rhoades
which pushed the lead to 5-0.Johnson added an RBI single in the fourth and Jalen Smith an
RBI double in the fifth to push the lead to 7-0.HHS added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh.
Landon Hardman drove in the first run on a fielder’s choice. The last two runs
scored on bases loaded walks to Graham and Rhoades.

⚾ Indians cruise past Dodge City

The Kansas State High School Activities Association released
the postseason host sites for the upcoming softball season this week. 

In class 2- 1A, the TMP-Marian Monarchs will take part in
the Spearville Regional, May 19-22, in Spearville.

The Monarchs will join Ellis and Ness City/Hodgeman County
from the area in Spearville.

Here is a complete list of the teams: Elkhart HS Ellis HS Hays-Thomas More Prep-Marian HS Johnson-Stanton County HS Medicine Lodge HS Ness City/Hodgeman County Pratt-Skyline HS Spearville HS

Russell/Victoria and Plainville/Stockton will take part in
the 3A Minneapolis Regional.

Seedings for both classifications will take place on May 14.

Hays Post SportsThe Kansas State High School Activities Association released
the postseason host sites for the upcoming softball season this week. In class 2- 1A, the TMP-Marian Monarchs will take part in
the Spearville Regional, May 19-22, in Spearville.The Monarchs will join Ellis and Ness City/Hodgeman County
from the area in Spearville.Here is a complete list of the teams: Elkhart HS Ellis HS Hays-Thomas More Prep-Marian HS Johnson-Stanton County HS Medicine Lodge HS Ness City/Hodgeman County Pratt-Skyline HS Spearville HSRussell/Victoria and Plainville/Stockton will take part in
the 3A Minneapolis Regional.Seedings for both classifications will take place on May 14.

🥎 KSHSAA announces postseason sites

McPHERSON – The Hays high girls’ soccer team lost 2-1 to
Newton in the fifth-place match of the 19th McPherson Soccer Invitational
Friday.

Kinslee Newell scored the lone goal for the Indians who went
1-2 and finished sixth in the tournament. They are now 3-2 on the season.

Annie Humphrey was named to the all-tournament team. &nbsp;

Hays Post SportsMcPHERSON – The Hays high girls’ soccer team lost 2-1 to
Newton in the fifth-place match of the 19th McPherson Soccer Invitational
Friday.Kinslee Newell scored the lone goal for the Indians who went
1-2 and finished sixth in the tournament. They are now 3-2 on the season.Annie Humphrey was named to the all-tournament team. &nbsp;

⚽ HHS girls fall in final game in McPherson Invitational

The <a href="https://hayschamber.com/child-care-task-force-of-ellis-county">Child Care Task Force of Ellis County</a>&nbsp;is asking Ellis County residents to complete a survey on child care by April 15.

A link can be found on <a href="https://hayschamber.com/">the Chamber in Hays website</a> or the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChildCareTaskForceOfEllisCounty">Ellis County Child Care Task Force's Facebook page</a>.

During a strategic planning session in January, the task force decided to try to better understand the county's child care needs as new centers have opened.

"We really wanted to become internally focused on what we do to support providers," Sarah Wasinger, task force facilitator, said.&nbsp; "The word professional kept coming up and helping you guys and gals be elevated and seen as professionals."

The task force sees child care providers as important in cultivating the community's next generation of workforce, Wasinger said.

The introductory question will take you to different subsections of the survey. The task force is looking for responses from • Parents, guardians or caregivers • Child care providers • Businesses/employers • Residents interested in supporting child care initiatives

Parents and guardians will be asked about their child care needs.

Wasinger said the survey is also self-serving because the task force is seeking how to better serve child care providers in the community.

"We need to know what you all need," Wasinger said at a recent task force meeting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737585359699.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe <a href="https://hayschamber.com/child-care-task-force-of-ellis-county">Child Care Task Force of Ellis County</a>&nbsp;is asking Ellis County residents to complete a survey on child care by April 15.A link can be found on <a href="https://hayschamber.com/">the Chamber in Hays website</a> or the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChildCareTaskForceOfEllisCounty">Ellis County Child Care Task Force's Facebook page</a>.During a strategic planning session in January, the task force decided to try to better understand the county's child care needs as new centers have opened."We really wanted to become internally focused on what we do to support providers," Sarah Wasinger, task force facilitator, said.&nbsp; "The word professional kept coming up and helping you guys and gals be elevated and seen as professionals."The task force sees child care providers as important in cultivating the community's next generation of workforce, Wasinger said.The introductory question will take you to different subsections of the survey. The task force is looking for responses from • Parents, guardians or caregivers • Child care providers • Businesses/employers • Residents interested in supporting child care initiativesParents and guardians will be asked about their child care needs.Wasinger said the survey is also self-serving because the task force is seeking how to better serve child care providers in the community."We need to know what you all need," Wasinger said at a recent task force meeting.

Ellis County Child Care Task Force conducting survey

A Fort Hays State University student was arrested March 27 for allegedly pointing and fired a pellet gun at students inside a residence hall.

FHSU Chief of Police Terrance Pierce said campus police responded at 11:21 p.m. to a report of someone allegedly brandishing a firearm in the lounge on the third floor of Victor E. Village.

The suspect was identified as 20-year-old Jay Alan Johnson, who had left the scene before officers arrived, according to Pierce.

In the lounge, officers spoke with witnesses who said the suspect allegedly appeared to be intoxicated and had what looked like a semi-automatic handgun in his waistband.

Witnesses reported the suspect allegedly pulled what appeared to be a handgun from his waistband and aimed it at the students before pulling the trigger. According to Pierce, they described hearing a clicking sound as what the students thought was a handgun's action cycled.

Several witnesses said Johnson's actions frightened them. No one was injured.

When Johnson returned, the officer interviewed him and asked about the firearm. He denied possessing a firearm and refused to give consent to search his room. A FHSU residential life assistant director provided security camera footage.

Pierce said the footage appeared to show the suspect with what looked like a silver semi-automatic pistol. University officers arrested the suspect at about 11:55 p.m. and transported him to the Ellis County Jail.

According to Pierce, a search warrant was obtained and carried out. A pellet gun, which looked like the device in the security video, was found in the suspect's room inside a backpack and was seized.

The suspect was released on bond. FHSU has removed the individual from University Housing and banned him from all FHSU property until the outcome of the criminal case, Pierce said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716320706146.jpeg" alt="Courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostA Fort Hays State University student was arrested March 27 for allegedly pointing and fired a pellet gun at students inside a residence hall.FHSU Chief of Police Terrance Pierce said campus police responded at 11:21 p.m. to a report of someone allegedly brandishing a firearm in the lounge on the third floor of Victor E. Village.The suspect was identified as 20-year-old Jay Alan Johnson, who had left the scene before officers arrived, according to Pierce.In the lounge, officers spoke with witnesses who said the suspect allegedly appeared to be intoxicated and had what looked like a semi-automatic handgun in his waistband.Witnesses reported the suspect allegedly pulled what appeared to be a handgun from his waistband and aimed it at the students before pulling the trigger. According to Pierce, they described hearing a clicking sound as what the students thought was a handgun's action cycled.Several witnesses said Johnson's actions frightened them. No one was injured.When Johnson returned, the officer interviewed him and asked about the firearm. He denied possessing a firearm and refused to give consent to search his room. A FHSU residential life assistant director provided security camera footage.Pierce said the footage appeared to show the suspect with what looked like a silver semi-automatic pistol. University officers arrested the suspect at about 11:55 p.m. and transported him to the Ellis County Jail.According to Pierce, a search warrant was obtained and carried out. A pellet gun, which looked like the device in the security video, was found in the suspect's room inside a backpack and was seized.The suspect was released on bond. FHSU has removed the individual from University Housing and banned him from all FHSU property until the outcome of the criminal case, Pierce said.

FHSU student allegedly threatens students with pellet gun in student housing

&nbsp;The U.S. now has more than double the number of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">measles cases</a>&nbsp;it saw in all of 2024, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">Texas</a>&nbsp;reporting another large jump in cases and hospitalizations on Friday.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">Other states with active outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— defined as three or more cases — include New Mexico,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Ohio and Oklahoma. The virus has been spreading in undervaccinated communities, and since February, two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.

The multi-state outbreak confirms health experts' fears that the virus will take hold in other U.S. communities with low vaccination rates and that the spread&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">could stretch on for a year</a>. The World Health Organization said last week that cases in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON561">Mexico</a>&nbsp;are linked to the Texas outbreak.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.

Here's what else you&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">need to know about measles in the U.S.</a>

How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico?

Texas' outbreak began more than two months ago. State health officials said Friday there were 59 new cases of measles since Tuesday, bringing the total to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">481 across 19 counties</a>&nbsp;— most of them in West Texas. The state also logged 14 new hospitalizations, for a total of 56 throughout the outbreak.

More than 65% of Texas' cases are in Gaines County, population 22,892, where the virus stated spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county now has logged 315 cases since late January — just over 1% of the county's residents.

New Mexico announced six new cases Friday, bringing the state’s total to 54. New Mexico health officials say the cases are linked to Texas' outbreak based on genetic testing. Most are in Lea County, where two people have been hospitalized, and two are in Eddy County.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">school-age child died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;in late February, and New Mexico reported its first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related death in an adult</a>&nbsp;on March 6.

Kansas has 24 cases in six counties in the southwest part of the state as of Wednesday. Kiowa and Stevens counties have six cases each, while Grant, Morton, Haskell and Gray counties have five or fewer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740584009532.png" alt="A sign warning of measles is posted on a glass door as a patient checks in for an appointment in the family medicine wing of at the Texas Tech Physicians of the Permian Basin Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, in Odessa, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)" />
 <figcaption>A sign warning of measles is posted on a glass door as a patient checks in for an appointment in the family medicine wing of at the Texas Tech Physicians of the Permian Basin Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, in Odessa, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DEVI SHASTRI AP Health Writer&nbsp;The U.S. now has more than double the number of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">measles cases</a>&nbsp;it saw in all of 2024, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">Texas</a>&nbsp;reporting another large jump in cases and hospitalizations on Friday.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">Other states with active outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— defined as three or more cases — include New Mexico,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Ohio and Oklahoma. The virus has been spreading in undervaccinated communities, and since February, two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.The multi-state outbreak confirms health experts' fears that the virus will take hold in other U.S. communities with low vaccination rates and that the spread&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">could stretch on for a year</a>. The World Health Organization said last week that cases in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON561">Mexico</a>&nbsp;are linked to the Texas outbreak.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.Here's what else you&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">need to know about measles in the U.S.</a><h2>How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico?</h2>Texas' outbreak began more than two months ago. State health officials said Friday there were 59 new cases of measles since Tuesday, bringing the total to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">481 across 19 counties</a>&nbsp;— most of them in West Texas. The state also logged 14 new hospitalizations, for a total of 56 throughout the outbreak.More than 65% of Texas' cases are in Gaines County, population 22,892, where the virus stated spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county now has logged 315 cases since late January — just over 1% of the county's residents.New Mexico announced six new cases Friday, bringing the state’s total to 54. New Mexico health officials say the cases are linked to Texas' outbreak based on genetic testing. Most are in Lea County, where two people have been hospitalized, and two are in Eddy County.A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">school-age child died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;in late February, and New Mexico reported its first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related death in an adult</a>&nbsp;on March 6.<h2>How many cases are there in Kansas?</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743609889238.png" alt="Image Kansas Department of Health" />
 <figcaption>Image Kansas Department of Health</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas has 24 cases in six counties in the southwest part of the state as of Wednesday. Kiowa and Stevens counties have six cases each, while Grant, Morton, Haskell and Gray counties have five or fewer.The state's first reported case, identified in Stevens County on March 13, is linked to the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks based on genetic testing, a state health department spokesperson said. But health officials have not determined how the person was exposed.<h2>How many cases are there in Oklahoma?</h2>Cases in Oklahoma remained steady Friday: eight confirmed and two probable cases. The first two probable cases were “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks, the state health department said.A state health department spokesperson said measles exposures were confirmed in Tulsa and Rogers counties, but wouldn't say which counties had cases.<h2>How many cases are there in Ohio?</h2>Ohio reported one new measles case Thursday in west-central Allen County. Last week, there were 10 in Ashtabula County in the northeast corner of the state. The first case was in an unvaccinated adult who had interacted with someone who had traveled internationally.In central Ohio, Knox County officials reported two new measles cases in international visitors, for three cases in international visitors total. Those cases are not included in the state's official count because they are not in Ohio residents. A measles outbreak in central Ohio sickened 85 in 2022.<h2>Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?</h2>Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more related cases. The agency counted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/">six clusters</a>&nbsp;that qualified as outbreaks in 2025 as of Friday.In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles. So far in 2025, the CDC's count is 607.<h2>Do you need an MMR booster?</h2>The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.Adults with “presumptive evidence of immunity” generally don’t need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don't always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says.People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who don’t know which type they got.<h2>What are the symptoms of measles?</h2>Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.<h2>How can you treat measles?</h2>There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.<h2>Why do vaccination rates matter?</h2>In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.The U.S. saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-cdc-outbreak-chicago-mmr-vaccine-7ecdfef41e6dbd659c7ac8b80d5de38f">a rise in measles cases in 2024</a>, including an outbreak in Chicago that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-chicago-migrant-shelter-cdc-e58517c830f73e42266d45d45983c12b">sickened more than 60.</a>___AP Science Writer Laura Ungar contributed to this report.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.