TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Four service members were aboard a U.S. Army MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that crashed near Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, the Army said in a release Thursday. The Army did not release their conditions.

The helicopter was on a routine training mission when it crashed at about 9 p.m. Wednesday, an Army official said in a statement. The soldiers were part of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Airborne, officials said. The cause of the crash was under investigation, the Army said.

“This remains an active, ongoing situation,” the release said.

The crash sparked a small wildfire that had grown to 1 acre (0.4 hectares) by Thursday morning, the Washington Department of Natural Resources said.

This is “currently a search mission” involving the “most professional and skilled addressing the situation,” Army spokesperson Ruth Castro told The Associated Press in an email. They were fully cooperating with law enforcement, she said. No details were released about the helicopter.

The base is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Tacoma under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Joint Base Headquarters.

The Thurston County sheriff’s office, based in Olympia, posted online late Wednesday that deputies were dispatched to reports of a possible helicopter crash in the Summit Lake area, west of Olympia.

<a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7Tv2j59PwNEyqGCi1y" target="_blank">▶ Stay up to date with the latest U.S. news by signing up to our WhatsApp channel.</a>

“We have been advised that the military lost contact with a helicopter in the area,” the department said. It said it was working with the base and that no further details were available.

Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said on Facebook that deputies located the crash site, “but have been unable to continue rescue efforts as the scene is on fire.”

The King County Guardian 1 helicopter and special operation rescue units responded to the crash site, the sheriff said.

Staff with the state natural resources were working with multiple agencies, including the military and the local fire protection district, to battle the fire started by the crash, said Thomas Kyle-Milward, DNR wildfire communications manager.

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Four service members were aboard a U.S. Army MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that crashed near Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, the Army said in a release Thursday. The Army did not release their conditions.The helicopter was on a routine training mission when it crashed at about 9 p.m. Wednesday, an Army official said in a statement. The soldiers were part of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Airborne, officials said. The cause of the crash was under investigation, the Army said.“This remains an active, ongoing situation,” the release said.The crash sparked a small wildfire that had grown to 1 acre (0.4 hectares) by Thursday morning, the Washington Department of Natural Resources said.This is “currently a search mission” involving the “most professional and skilled addressing the situation,” Army spokesperson Ruth Castro told The Associated Press in an email. They were fully cooperating with law enforcement, she said. No details were released about the helicopter.The base is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Tacoma under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Joint Base Headquarters.The Thurston County sheriff’s office, based in Olympia, posted online late Wednesday that deputies were dispatched to reports of a possible helicopter crash in the Summit Lake area, west of Olympia.<a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7Tv2j59PwNEyqGCi1y" target="_blank">▶ Stay up to date with the latest U.S. news by signing up to our WhatsApp channel.</a>“We have been advised that the military lost contact with a helicopter in the area,” the department said. It said it was working with the base and that no further details were available.Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said on Facebook that deputies located the crash site, “but have been unable to continue rescue efforts as the scene is on fire.”The King County Guardian 1 helicopter and special operation rescue units responded to the crash site, the sheriff said.Staff with the state natural resources were working with multiple agencies, including the military and the local fire protection district, to battle the fire started by the crash, said Thomas Kyle-Milward, DNR wildfire communications manager.

4 service members were aboard Army helicopter that crashed in Washington state

HAYS - The Hays High boys and girls cross country teams both had two medalists at their own Hays High Invitational Thursday morning.

Avrie Branaman led the girls with a fifth place finish after a career best time of 21:10.&nbsp;Alexa Cooley also ran a career best 21:55 and placed ninth. 

The Indian girls also had season best performances from&nbsp;Aralen Maupin (22:46),&nbsp;Ava Biggs (22:55), Kiana Sun (22:32),&nbsp;Madelyn Wilkins (23:25),&nbsp;Kynli Koenigsman (24:39.0),&nbsp;Karlee Crispin (25:16.0) and&nbsp;Serena Wilson (23:37.0).

The boys were paced by&nbsp;Malachi Chance who finished 12th with a career best time of 18:07. Bladyn Werth posted a season-best time of 18:15 and placed 14th.

Jackson Huwa had a career best time of 18:39.&nbsp;Logan Leiker a season-best 19:00.&nbsp;Emmitt Dreiling ran a career best 19:14,&nbsp;Aiden Hardman a season best 19:40 and&nbsp;Brayden Staley ran a season best 21:24.

Garden City won the boys race with 21 points, easily outdistancing second place Dodge City. 

Dodge City was the girls champ with 43 points, three ahead of Norton.

Hays Post SportsHAYS - The Hays High boys and girls cross country teams both had two medalists at their own Hays High Invitational Thursday morning.Avrie Branaman led the girls with a fifth place finish after a career best time of 21:10.&nbsp;Alexa Cooley also ran a career best 21:55 and placed ninth. The Indian girls also had season best performances from&nbsp;Aralen Maupin (22:46),&nbsp;Ava Biggs (22:55), Kiana Sun (22:32),&nbsp;Madelyn Wilkins (23:25),&nbsp;Kynli Koenigsman (24:39.0),&nbsp;Karlee Crispin (25:16.0) and&nbsp;Serena Wilson (23:37.0).The boys were paced by&nbsp;Malachi Chance who finished 12th with a career best time of 18:07. Bladyn Werth posted a season-best time of 18:15 and placed 14th.Jackson Huwa had a career best time of 18:39.&nbsp;Logan Leiker a season-best 19:00.&nbsp;Emmitt Dreiling ran a career best 19:14,&nbsp;Aiden Hardman a season best 19:40 and&nbsp;Brayden Staley ran a season best 21:24.Garden City won the boys race with 21 points, easily outdistancing second place Dodge City. Dodge City was the girls champ with 43 points, three ahead of Norton.

👟 Good day for HHS at own cross country meet

Reporter Cristina Janney speaks with Nancy Jeter of Women Who Lead about the Out of Darkness suicide prevention walk and other projects on this episode of the Hays Post Podcast.

<div><iframe title="Post Podcast - Women Who Lead" 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=gx5f6-1968f53-pb&square=1&share=1&d… loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697043311841.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Reporter Cristina Janney speaks with Nancy Jeter of Women Who Lead about the Out of Darkness suicide prevention walk and other projects on this episode of the Hays Post Podcast.

🎙 Post Podcast: Women Who Lead, Out of Darkness walk

The legal group says low-income people are disproportionately affected by the cost of bail and calls for using no-cash bail for nonviolent crimes. But President Donald Trump argues it's leading to a rise in crime.

By DYLAN LYSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2025-09-16/kansas-aclu-says-cash-bail-is-hurting-low-income-residents-but-trump-wants-to-require-it">KCUR</a>

In a recent study, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas asks people to imagine a Wichita-area husband and wife raising a daughter who are living paycheck to paycheck.

In this scenario, the family has a household income of $5,600 a month. Rent is $1,000 a month, which is the average cost in that area. The family also needs to pay fluctuating costs for utilities, groceries, phone bills and other expenses.

But the father of this family is arrested for felony possession of marijuana. He is held in the Sedgwick County Jail and given a $2,500 bond for release.

The ACLU of Kansas argues that the family can’t afford the cost of that bail. So the father could remain in jail on suspicion of a nonviolent crime for months, which also takes away nearly half of the family's household income. With now only $3,000 of income a month, it is virtually impossible for the family to pay for the father’s release.

Meanwhile, a wealthy person accused of the same crime may be able to afford that bail price and be released from jail the same day they are arrested.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclukansas.org/publications/price-freedom-bail-sedgwick-county/" target="_blank">ACLU of Kansas study</a>&nbsp;found that low-income residents in Sedgwick County are disproportionately affected by cash bail. Micah Kubic, executive director for the group, said that creates an unfair justice system that brings additional punishment for low-income offenders.

“There's something really unfair about a two-tiered system of justice,” Kubic said, “where folks get treated differently, have different outcomes based on whether they have money or whether they don't.”

Standard bail requires a person in custody to pay the entire cost up front as collateral for their release from jail. The money is refunded when their case is resolved and they appear at all their required court dates.

They may also use a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.attorneytmorton.com/frequently-asked-criminal-defense-questions/how-do-jail-bail-bonds-work-for-kansas-crimes" target="_blank">standard bond</a>, which is a private agreement with a bondsman to cover the up front cost. A bondsman will often charge a non-refundable 10% fee to pay for the bail with an agreement that the person in custody will pay the full amount if they fail to appear at their court dates.

ACLU of Kansas is calling for expanding the use of no-cash bail. That’s when a suspected offender is released from jail without paying a bail amount, but promises a judge overseeing their case that they will show up for their court dates, or else face a fine and additional charges.

Enacting bail reform to make cashless bail standard for nonviolent crimes in Kansas will likely be an uphill battle because the conversation among conservative political leaders is trending the other direction.

President Donald Trump is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-signs-orders-aimed-ending-cashless-bail-policies-2025-08-25/" target="_blank">calling for the elimination of cashless bail nationwide</a>. He argues that cashless bail lets criminals back out onto the streets and that’s leading to more crime.

But criminal justice reform advocates dispute those claims and suggest cashless bail actually decreases crime without unfairly punishing low-income people.

The ACLU of Kansas study, which looked at arrest and crime data of Sedgwick County in 2023 and 2024, showed the vast majority of arrests in the county were for nonviolent crimes.

The study also found that the most common bail cost is $1,000 and the average is $1,500. The average monthly income of Sedgwick County residents is roughly $3,000. So an arrest for a single drug offense would come with an upfront cost that is one-third of their monthly income.

Kubic said inmates forced to post bail are being punished before they are ever convicted of a crime. They either must pay such a relatively high bail cost or remain in jail until their case is resolved. That could also be a form of punishment because staying in jail means they may lose jobs, be evicted for failing to pay rent or leave their children without supervision.

“That harms all of us,” Kubic said. “It doesn’t improve outcomes and it makes communities weaker.”

An ACLU of Kansas study found that low-income people are disproportionately affected by cash bail because they can't afford the upfront cost and can end up in jail for months.

The study specifically recommends the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office enact a policy to request own-recognizance bonds for non-person misdemeanor and felony cases, which are nonviolent crimes.

But Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said it’s not as simple as the study makes it seem.

He told the Kansas News Service in an email that bail is set by a judge, not the District Attorney’s office. He said a prosecutor can provide information to the judge about the defendant and request certain bail terms, but a judge ultimately decides.

Sedgwick County also has a bail schedule that lists a standard cost for certain low-level crimes, like disorderly conduct. Bennett said a majority of the crimes in that list uses cashless bail, so the accused offender is released without paying anything.

Bennett also noted that bail is determined by many factors, such as whether the suspect has a criminal history. He said someone with prior convictions would be facing a higher sentence if they are convicted again. He said nearly 70% of people charged with a new crime have a prior felony conviction.

“These prior convictions constitute the person’s criminal history and will obviously impact the amount of bond the Judge requires,” he said.

While the ACLU of Kansas study specifically looked at Sedgwick County, Kubic said these income-disparity issues are likely happening across the state. He said district attorneys across Kansas could request a judge to use cashless bail for nonviolent crimes more often to help address income disparity in justice.

Representatives for the Kansas County and District Attorneys Association declined to comment on the study and the ACLU of Kansas recommendation for cashless bail.

Meanwhile, the days of cashless bail in other parts of the country may be numbered.

As part of the federal take over of law enforcement in Washington, D.C., Trump signed an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/taking-steps-to-end-cashless-bail-to-protect-americans/" target="_blank">executive order</a>&nbsp;ending cashless bail there. He also wants Congress to pass legislation banning it throughout the country.

However, it’s unclear if Congress can enact a nationwide ban on cashless bail. R Street Institute, a conservative think tank focused on limited government,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/why-federal-repeal-of-no-cash-bail-laws-would-be-unconstitutional-and-bad-policy/" target="_blank">suggests that such a ban is unconstitutional</a>.

Kubic argues bail policy is better left to states.

“It is disrespectful to state and local officials — regardless of party, regardless of ideology — and their ability to do what is best for their constituents,” Kubic said.

Still, Trump argues cashless bail lets criminals out of jail without consequences and leads to increased crime rates. He also claimed, without citing specific instances, jurisdictions with cashless bail like Chicago are letting accused murderers out of jail.

“Somebody murders somebody and they are out on no-cash bail before the day is out,” Trump said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/vcS3wkDf4MU?si=X0z1fy0V8YvqV3C7&amp;t=705" target="_blank">during an August press conference</a>. "We’re going to end that.”

The Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, Trump’s alma mater, called that claim misleading. In a post on its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2025/08/trumps-distortions-on-cashless-bail/" target="_blank">fact checking website</a>, the center noted that some states that have enacted cashless bail have exceptions for violent felonies and murder. It also said it’s “exceedingly rare” that a judge has let a murder suspect out of jail before trial without cash bail.

The Bail Project, a criminal justice reform group that supports cashless bail nationwide, directly disputes Trump’s assertion that bail reform leads to rising crime. The group notes&nbsp;<a href="https://bailproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/How-Real-Bail-Reform-Creates-a-Safer-America.pdf" target="_blank">crime rates</a>&nbsp;fell in New Jersey and Illinois after both states enacted cashless bail systems.

The group also points to a 2024 study by the Brennan Center for Justices showing crime is not increasing because of cashless bail.

That study looked at crime rates from 33 jurisdictions across the country that have enacted bail reform. The study concluded that there is no evidence connecting increased or decreased crime rates to cashless bail.

A Brennan Center for Justice study found jurisdictions that enacted bail reform, like cashless bail, did not see a rise in crime.

Ames Grawert, who co-authored the study, told the Kansas News Services that crime rates rise and fall for many different reasons, but cashless bail is not statistically proven to be related.

“It would be surprising,” Grawert said, “if there was a single policy lever that elected officials or judges could pull to change crime rates at the drop of a hat.”

Additionally, crime rates continue to fall nationally after spiking during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FBI data shows violent crime rates continued to fall this year after rising by 30% during the pandemic,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-crime-statistics-report-e785a5a970597f2ebf78ea093baeaa28" target="_blank">according to the Associated Press</a>. The crime rates also fell to near pre-pandemic levels in 2022.

Grawert said communities that want to lower crime rates should consider boosting social support programs, like increased access to mental health services.

However, he said cash bail still poses the issue of unequal justice.

“A lot of people agree, even across party lines,” Grawert said, “that wealth shouldn't be what decides whether someone walks free or spends the time that they have before trial in detention.”

Dylan Lysen reports on social services and criminal justice for the Kansas News Service. You can email him at dlysen@kcur.org.

The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758138622530.png" alt="Standard bail requires a person in custody to pay the entire cost up front as collateral for their release from jail, like the Douglas County Jail seen here. ACLU of Kansas is calling for expanding the use of no-cash bail for nonviolent crimes. Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Standard bail requires a person in custody to pay the entire cost up front as collateral for their release from jail, like the Douglas County Jail seen here. ACLU of Kansas is calling for expanding the use of no-cash bail for nonviolent crimes. Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The legal group says low-income people are disproportionately affected by the cost of bail and calls for using no-cash bail for nonviolent crimes. But President Donald Trump argues it's leading to a rise in crime.</h2>By DYLAN LYSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2025-09-16/kansas-aclu-says-cash-bail-is-hurting-low-income-residents-but-trump-wants-to-require-it">KCUR</a>In a recent study, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas asks people to imagine a Wichita-area husband and wife raising a daughter who are living paycheck to paycheck.In this scenario, the family has a household income of $5,600 a month. Rent is $1,000 a month, which is the average cost in that area. The family also needs to pay fluctuating costs for utilities, groceries, phone bills and other expenses.But the father of this family is arrested for felony possession of marijuana. He is held in the Sedgwick County Jail and given a $2,500 bond for release.The ACLU of Kansas argues that the family can’t afford the cost of that bail. So the father could remain in jail on suspicion of a nonviolent crime for months, which also takes away nearly half of the family's household income. With now only $3,000 of income a month, it is virtually impossible for the family to pay for the father’s release.Meanwhile, a wealthy person accused of the same crime may be able to afford that bail price and be released from jail the same day they are arrested.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclukansas.org/publications/price-freedom-bail-sedgwick-county/" target="_blank">ACLU of Kansas study</a>&nbsp;found that low-income residents in Sedgwick County are disproportionately affected by cash bail. Micah Kubic, executive director for the group, said that creates an unfair justice system that brings additional punishment for low-income offenders.“There's something really unfair about a two-tiered system of justice,” Kubic said, “where folks get treated differently, have different outcomes based on whether they have money or whether they don't.”Standard bail requires a person in custody to pay the entire cost up front as collateral for their release from jail. The money is refunded when their case is resolved and they appear at all their required court dates.They may also use a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.attorneytmorton.com/frequently-asked-criminal-defense-questions/how-do-jail-bail-bonds-work-for-kansas-crimes" target="_blank">standard bond</a>, which is a private agreement with a bondsman to cover the up front cost. A bondsman will often charge a non-refundable 10% fee to pay for the bail with an agreement that the person in custody will pay the full amount if they fail to appear at their court dates.ACLU of Kansas is calling for expanding the use of no-cash bail. That’s when a suspected offender is released from jail without paying a bail amount, but promises a judge overseeing their case that they will show up for their court dates, or else face a fine and additional charges.Enacting bail reform to make cashless bail standard for nonviolent crimes in Kansas will likely be an uphill battle because the conversation among conservative political leaders is trending the other direction.President Donald Trump is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-signs-orders-aimed-ending-cashless-bail-policies-2025-08-25/" target="_blank">calling for the elimination of cashless bail nationwide</a>. He argues that cashless bail lets criminals back out onto the streets and that’s leading to more crime.But criminal justice reform advocates dispute those claims and suggest cashless bail actually decreases crime without unfairly punishing low-income people.<h2>Effect on Kansas</h2>The ACLU of Kansas study, which looked at arrest and crime data of Sedgwick County in 2023 and 2024, showed the vast majority of arrests in the county were for nonviolent crimes.The study also found that the most common bail cost is $1,000 and the average is $1,500. The average monthly income of Sedgwick County residents is roughly $3,000. So an arrest for a single drug offense would come with an upfront cost that is one-third of their monthly income.Kubic said inmates forced to post bail are being punished before they are ever convicted of a crime. They either must pay such a relatively high bail cost or remain in jail until their case is resolved. That could also be a form of punishment because staying in jail means they may lose jobs, be evicted for failing to pay rent or leave their children without supervision.“That harms all of us,” Kubic said. “It doesn’t improve outcomes and it makes communities weaker.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758138774422.png" alt="Kylie Cameron / KMUW" />
 <figcaption>Kylie Cameron / KMUW</figcaption>
 </figure>An ACLU of Kansas study found that low-income people are disproportionately affected by cash bail because they can't afford the upfront cost and can end up in jail for months.The study specifically recommends the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office enact a policy to request own-recognizance bonds for non-person misdemeanor and felony cases, which are nonviolent crimes.But Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said it’s not as simple as the study makes it seem.He told the Kansas News Service in an email that bail is set by a judge, not the District Attorney’s office. He said a prosecutor can provide information to the judge about the defendant and request certain bail terms, but a judge ultimately decides.Sedgwick County also has a bail schedule that lists a standard cost for certain low-level crimes, like disorderly conduct. Bennett said a majority of the crimes in that list uses cashless bail, so the accused offender is released without paying anything.Bennett also noted that bail is determined by many factors, such as whether the suspect has a criminal history. He said someone with prior convictions would be facing a higher sentence if they are convicted again. He said nearly 70% of people charged with a new crime have a prior felony conviction.“These prior convictions constitute the person’s criminal history and will obviously impact the amount of bond the Judge requires,” he said.While the ACLU of Kansas study specifically looked at Sedgwick County, Kubic said these income-disparity issues are likely happening across the state. He said district attorneys across Kansas could request a judge to use cashless bail for nonviolent crimes more often to help address income disparity in justice.Representatives for the Kansas County and District Attorneys Association declined to comment on the study and the ACLU of Kansas recommendation for cashless bail.<h2>National ban</h2>Meanwhile, the days of cashless bail in other parts of the country may be numbered.As part of the federal take over of law enforcement in Washington, D.C., Trump signed an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/taking-steps-to-end-cashless-bail-to-protect-americans/" target="_blank">executive order</a>&nbsp;ending cashless bail there. He also wants Congress to pass legislation banning it throughout the country.However, it’s unclear if Congress can enact a nationwide ban on cashless bail. R Street Institute, a conservative think tank focused on limited government,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/why-federal-repeal-of-no-cash-bail-laws-would-be-unconstitutional-and-bad-policy/" target="_blank">suggests that such a ban is unconstitutional</a>.Kubic argues bail policy is better left to states.“It is disrespectful to state and local officials — regardless of party, regardless of ideology — and their ability to do what is best for their constituents,” Kubic said.Still, Trump argues cashless bail lets criminals out of jail without consequences and leads to increased crime rates. He also claimed, without citing specific instances, jurisdictions with cashless bail like Chicago are letting accused murderers out of jail.“Somebody murders somebody and they are out on no-cash bail before the day is out,” Trump said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/vcS3wkDf4MU?si=X0z1fy0V8YvqV3C7&amp;t=705" target="_blank">during an August press conference</a>. "We’re going to end that.”The Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, Trump’s alma mater, called that claim misleading. In a post on its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2025/08/trumps-distortions-on-cashless-bail/" target="_blank">fact checking website</a>, the center noted that some states that have enacted cashless bail have exceptions for violent felonies and murder. It also said it’s “exceedingly rare” that a judge has let a murder suspect out of jail before trial without cash bail.<h2>Crime rates</h2>The Bail Project, a criminal justice reform group that supports cashless bail nationwide, directly disputes Trump’s assertion that bail reform leads to rising crime. The group notes&nbsp;<a href="https://bailproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/How-Real-Bail-Reform-Creates-a-Safer-America.pdf" target="_blank">crime rates</a>&nbsp;fell in New Jersey and Illinois after both states enacted cashless bail systems.The group also points to a 2024 study by the Brennan Center for Justices showing crime is not increasing because of cashless bail.That study looked at crime rates from 33 jurisdictions across the country that have enacted bail reform. The study concluded that there is no evidence connecting increased or decreased crime rates to cashless bail.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758138914202.png" alt="Nomin Ujiyediin /&nbsp;Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Nomin Ujiyediin /&nbsp;Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>A Brennan Center for Justice study found jurisdictions that enacted bail reform, like cashless bail, did not see a rise in crime.Ames Grawert, who co-authored the study, told the Kansas News Services that crime rates rise and fall for many different reasons, but cashless bail is not statistically proven to be related.“It would be surprising,” Grawert said, “if there was a single policy lever that elected officials or judges could pull to change crime rates at the drop of a hat.”Additionally, crime rates continue to fall nationally after spiking during the COVID-19 pandemic.FBI data shows violent crime rates continued to fall this year after rising by 30% during the pandemic,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-crime-statistics-report-e785a5a970597f2ebf78ea093baeaa28" target="_blank">according to the Associated Press</a>. The crime rates also fell to near pre-pandemic levels in 2022.Grawert said communities that want to lower crime rates should consider boosting social support programs, like increased access to mental health services.However, he said cash bail still poses the issue of unequal justice.“A lot of people agree, even across party lines,” Grawert said, “that wealth shouldn't be what decides whether someone walks free or spends the time that they have before trial in detention.”Dylan Lysen reports on social services and criminal justice for the Kansas News Service. You can email him at dlysen@kcur.org.The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy.

Kansas ACLU says cash bail is hurting low-income residents; Trump wants to require it

By KAREN MADORIN Hays Post

My Grandma marveled at changes she experienced starting with her birth in 1909. She lived through WW I and II, Korea, and Viet Nam. During childhood, she saw her home electrified and plumbed. When her family got a wall phone, they marveled. She talked about their first motorized vehicle and the joy of riding in airconditioned comfort decades later. Refrigeration changed cooking practices as did the advent of gas and electric stoves. She didn’t have a TV til the 60s, but she appreciated watching Walter Cronkite deliver news. Saturday night was not complete til she enjoyed Lawrence Welk before she studied the next day’s Sunday school lesson. Colorization improved Lawrence. She loved his co-stars’ bright dresses and suits.

I relished her childhood stories. From her dad driving a steam engine through Colorado mountains to tales of horse drawn carriages and wagons, they fascinated me. She described her mom’s delicious meals cooked on a wood stove, bathing in stove-heated water in a tin tub, and scrubbing laundry in it as well. She had one of her family’s kerosene lanterns, and I could imagine her lighting it as darkness descended. While she made it sound cozy, she let me know she appreciated modern improvements like electricity, air conditioners and forced air furnaces, hot and cold running water, washing machines and dryers, and her programmable oven that began baking before she came home for lunch.

What she saw as miracles, I take for granted. However, she didn’t live long enough for smart phones to not only connect her to the world but also deliver information at a touch and track appointments or provide weather warnings. On the other hand, she didn’t have to figure out what to do when it, her computer, or her Smart TV didn’t work.

Those issues aggravate us as we age. As digital immigrants who used computers for work, both of us feel like travelers in foreign territory when they don’t perform. While we appreciate advantages technology offers, we find ourselves in stress city when it doesn’t work.

Recently, we faced repeated challenges starting when our Fire Stick quit. We discovered we&nbsp;

didn’t have a business in town to call for onsite help after we failed to properly install that device Thank goodness, a savvy neighbor walked us through the step we’d missed and reconnected us to favorite programs.

Not long after we got the TV operating, our 4-year-old phone decided to go geriatric and prevent us from hearing incoming callers. Off to a treasured phone company employee to update phones. That went fine until a glitch in the I Phone program prevented us from getting texts and emails. Who knew how dependent we’d become on instant communication. It took our patient and tenacious tech 3 days to connect all the dots so our new phones performed properly. She had 10 years of trouble shooting under her belt that allowed her to solve the problem. We couldn’t begin to figure out what to do.

In addition to recruiting electricians, plumbers, carpenters, carpet layers, and car mechanics, communities need to encourage local tech wizards to stay in town. For a while yet, a generation of digital immigrants with limited vocabulary wander a foreign land needing professional guidance.

We haven’t seen the change my grandma did, but we’ve experienced enough we need expert direction with current technology. Tech Wizards, open a consulting business in your hometown. Customers await!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758135894941.jpeg" alt="Rufus Wilson, Aunt Millie's husband, selling Baker's patent Medicine. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Rufus Wilson, Aunt Millie's husband, selling Baker's patent Medicine. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By KAREN MADORIN Hays PostMy Grandma marveled at changes she experienced starting with her birth in 1909. She lived through WW I and II, Korea, and Viet Nam. During childhood, she saw her home electrified and plumbed. When her family got a wall phone, they marveled. She talked about their first motorized vehicle and the joy of riding in airconditioned comfort decades later. Refrigeration changed cooking practices as did the advent of gas and electric stoves. She didn’t have a TV til the 60s, but she appreciated watching Walter Cronkite deliver news. Saturday night was not complete til she enjoyed Lawrence Welk before she studied the next day’s Sunday school lesson. Colorization improved Lawrence. She loved his co-stars’ bright dresses and suits.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658158626307.png" alt="Karen Madorin" />
 <figcaption>Karen Madorin</figcaption>
 </figure>I relished her childhood stories. From her dad driving a steam engine through Colorado mountains to tales of horse drawn carriages and wagons, they fascinated me. She described her mom’s delicious meals cooked on a wood stove, bathing in stove-heated water in a tin tub, and scrubbing laundry in it as well. She had one of her family’s kerosene lanterns, and I could imagine her lighting it as darkness descended. While she made it sound cozy, she let me know she appreciated modern improvements like electricity, air conditioners and forced air furnaces, hot and cold running water, washing machines and dryers, and her programmable oven that began baking before she came home for lunch.What she saw as miracles, I take for granted. However, she didn’t live long enough for smart phones to not only connect her to the world but also deliver information at a touch and track appointments or provide weather warnings. On the other hand, she didn’t have to figure out what to do when it, her computer, or her Smart TV didn’t work.Those issues aggravate us as we age. As digital immigrants who used computers for work, both of us feel like travelers in foreign territory when they don’t perform. While we appreciate advantages technology offers, we find ourselves in stress city when it doesn’t work.Recently, we faced repeated challenges starting when our Fire Stick quit. We discovered we&nbsp;didn’t have a business in town to call for onsite help after we failed to properly install that device Thank goodness, a savvy neighbor walked us through the step we’d missed and reconnected us to favorite programs.Not long after we got the TV operating, our 4-year-old phone decided to go geriatric and prevent us from hearing incoming callers. Off to a treasured phone company employee to update phones. That went fine until a glitch in the I Phone program prevented us from getting texts and emails. Who knew how dependent we’d become on instant communication. It took our patient and tenacious tech 3 days to connect all the dots so our new phones performed properly. She had 10 years of trouble shooting under her belt that allowed her to solve the problem. We couldn’t begin to figure out what to do.In addition to recruiting electricians, plumbers, carpenters, carpet layers, and car mechanics, communities need to encourage local tech wizards to stay in town. For a while yet, a generation of digital immigrants with limited vocabulary wander a foreign land needing professional guidance.We haven’t seen the change my grandma did, but we’ve experienced enough we need expert direction with current technology. Tech Wizards, open a consulting business in your hometown. Customers await!

MADORIN: The times—they are a’changing

WINDSOR, England (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;relished the glow of a British royal spectacle as he opened a two-day state visit Wednesday, calling the hours of pageantry with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/king-charles-iii">King Charles III</a>&nbsp;“one of the highest honors of my life” while also making time for a quiet tribute at Queen Elizabeth II’s tomb.

The grandeur-loving president soaked up all the revelry, from the largest guard of honor in living memory — with 120 horses and 1,300 troops — to carriage rides, an air show and a Windsor Castle state dinner.

After the pomp comes the real work Thursday, when Trump and British&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/keir-starmer">Prime Minister</a>&nbsp;Keir Starmer meet to talk trade, technology and geopolitical issues.

No U.S. president, or any other world leader, has had the honor of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/king-charles-trump-state-visit-67c610327fca8e99818c7f5980a9cfb3">second U.K. state visit;</a>&nbsp;Trump’s first was in 2019, during his previous term. The display of regal splendor was meant to bolster ties with Trump at a time when his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-imperialism-canada-panama-greenland-b4b53445dee97398b498b79eab54d49b">America First policies are putting pressure on trade</a>&nbsp;and security arrangements around the globe.

“This was the second state visit, and that’s the first, and maybe that’s going to be the last time, I hope it is actually,” Trump joked during the evening banquet.

The visit began with Prince William and his wife, Kate, meeting the presidential helicopter in the private Walled Garden on the vast Windsor estate, then walking Trump and first lady Melania Trump over to be greeted by Charles and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/queen-camilla">Queen Camilla</a>. A gigantic royal standard, the flag used for official celebration days, flew from the Royal Tower.

The guests traveled to the castle in a procession of horse-drawn carriages, past ranks of soldiers, sailors and aviators. The king and the Republican president chatted in the Irish State Coach during the short journey to the castle quadrangle, where both inspected an honor guard of soldiers in red tunics and bearskin hats.

They continued to chat and joke as the day progressed, with the king occasionally putting his hand on Trump’s back. The president stepped in front of Charles during a review of troops after the king gestured for him to do so. The king’s invitation avoided a violation of protocol, which was not the case in 2019, when Trump stepped in front of Queen Elizabeth.

Part of the day was spent at St. George’s Chapel on the castle grounds, where Trump placed a wreath in honor of Elizabeth, who died in 2022.

The president and Charles toured the Royal Collection Display in an ornate room where officials laid out five tables of artifacts on U.S.-British relations.

Among the items were 18th-century watercolors and documents on the United States seeking independence from King George III. There were materials from the first trans-Atlantic cable, including messages between Queen Victoria and President James Buchanan, as well as a 1930s hot dog picnic that a young Elizabeth wrote about, and a large glass vessel that President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave the queen during a 1957 state visit.

The president later walked a red carpet on the castle’s East Lawn to watch the Beating Retreat, a military parade ceremony that featured 200-plus musicians, dates to the 1600s and was once used to call patrolling soldiers back to their castle at day’s end.

A scheduled flyover by F-35 jets from the U.K. and U.S. militaries was scrapped because of poor weather conditions. But the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force’s aerobatics display team, thundered overhead, leaving streaks of red, white and blue smoke in their wake.

Charles and Camilla presented the president and first lady with a handbound leather volume celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the Union flag that flew above Buckingham Palace on the day of Trump’s inauguration in January. The royals also gave first lady Melania Trump a silver and enamel bowl and a personalized handbag by British designer Anya Hindmarch.

Trump gave Charles a replica of an Eisenhower sword, and Camilla received a vintage Tiffany &amp; Co. gold, diamond and ruby brooch.

The history, tradition and celebrity of the royal family give it a cachet that means presidents and prime ministers covet joining them. In his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-trump-state-visit-starmer-334930dc7a467118b5551c6e4ec3d1db">talks with Trump,</a>&nbsp;Starmer will promote a new U.K.-U.S. technology agreement. The British government hopes the deal, and billions in investment from U.S. tech companies, will help show that the trans-Atlantic bond remains strong despite differences over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-starmer-palestinian-state-israel-gaza-recognition-bf50123e56404382ca0f7cfbd4161d14">Middle East</a>&nbsp;and the future of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nato">NATO</a>.

Ahead of the banquet, Trump and Charles walked together, leading a procession. Trump wore white tie, while his wife was in a yellow gown. Charles was in white tie with a blue sash, and Camilla in a blue gown with a tiara.

Beefeaters in traditional red uniforms and ruff collars lined the entrance to the castle’s St. George’s Hall for the dinner, which featured 100 staff members attending to 160 guests. The grand Waterloo table was set with 1,462 pieces of silver sparkling in the light from 139 candles and elaborate floral arrangements handpicked from the castle grounds.

The guests included Apple’s Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Open AI’s Sam Altman and golfer Nick Faldo. Also appearing was publishing mogul Rupert Murdoch, whom Trump recently sued for $10 billion over The Wall Street Journal’s report on a sexually suggestive letter purportedly written by Trump for disgraced financier&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein</a>.

The menu featured Hampshire watercress panna cotta with Parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad, along with Norfolk chicken ballotine. Dessert was vanilla ice cream bombe with a raspberry sherbet interior and lightly poached Victorian plums.

Trump avoids alcohol, but the bar offerings included a cocktail known as a trans-Atlantic whiskey sour infused with marmalade, Warre’s 1945 Vintage Port — Trump is the 45th and 47th American president — and Hennessy 1912 cognac Grande Champagne. That was the year Trump’s mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born in Scotland.

The musical playlist included the theme from the James Bond movies and pop and rock staples, as well as top show tunes, often featured at Trump’s campaign rallies.

In his toast, Charles saluted Trump’s British roots and his recent visits to the U.K. In a nod to the president’s favorite sport, he said, “I understand that British soil makes for rather splendid golf courses.”

Trump mostly stuck to his prepared remarks and was on his best behavior, declaring, “This is truly one of the highest honors of my life” and sneaking in only one dig about his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden, by saying the U.S. was “sick” a year ago. He also touched on Britain’s contributions to literature, history and the arts and said “special” does not begin to do justice to his country’s relationship with the U.K.

“Together we’ve done more good for humanity than any two countries in all of history,” Trump said.

Trump being in Windsor doesn’t stop protests

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-britain-uk-state-visit-king-charles-11e2c897c9047f12614cfa70e0c17753">Thousands of demonstrators marched through central London</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday to protest Trump’s visit. Some held banners that said “No to the racism, no to Trump.” Though the activities were smaller than during Trump’s visit in June 2019, they included mini versions of the giant Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-government-8f5de6a976af473788bf74389df782dc">baby blimp</a>, an orange-tinted caricature of the president in a diaper that made a big impression during those demonstrations six years ago.

In Windsor, protesters projected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/images-of-trump-and-epstein-projected-on-windsor-castle-as-us-president-visits-uk-6b004c3ab53247078795780c5c4bf7b1">an image of Trump and Epstein</a>&nbsp;on a tower at the castle, a reminder of the president’s relationship with the late American financier. Police said they arrested four people.

Lawless and Price reported from London and Weissert from Washington.

WINDSOR, England (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;relished the glow of a British royal spectacle as he opened a two-day state visit Wednesday, calling the hours of pageantry with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/king-charles-iii">King Charles III</a>&nbsp;“one of the highest honors of my life” while also making time for a quiet tribute at Queen Elizabeth II’s tomb.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WATCH IN FULL: President Donald J. Trump and the First Lady receive a marvelous welcome to Windsor Castle earlier today, kicking off the President&#39;s unprecedented second state visit to the United Kingdom. <a href="https://t.co/3IOBmn8cVo">pic.twitter.com/3IOBmn8cVo</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968393607976456671?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/UpX0M1yM5c">pic.twitter.com/UpX0M1yM5c</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968412389054775622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Welcome President Trump 🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/Xpm5Nq2XRA">pic.twitter.com/Xpm5Nq2XRA</a>&mdash; The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1968305875686449290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🇺🇸 🇬🇧 This afternoon, a Beating Retreat ceremony was held at Windsor Castle to mark President Trump’s State Visit. The ceremony has its origins in the early years of organised warfare when the beating of drums and the parading of Post Guards heralded the closing of camp gates… <a href="https://t.co/UnFCeOYL29">pic.twitter.com/UnFCeOYL29</a>&mdash; The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1968387149734330404?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">WOW! A joint U.S.-U.K. flyover of F-35s and Red Arrows atop <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a>, and Their Majesties at Windsor Castle! 🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/CvMEtO3o3a">pic.twitter.com/CvMEtO3o3a</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968343366929907847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> and the First Lady listen to the Chapel Choristers inside St. George’s Chapel 🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/Qzw0FVowkJ">pic.twitter.com/Qzw0FVowkJ</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1968337163357188250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> inspecting the Guard of Honor with King Charles 🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/OtFaUxKMyp">pic.twitter.com/OtFaUxKMyp</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1968294714886734156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> arrive at Windsor Castle with King Charles and Queen Camilla 🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/p0RMi3zKA8">pic.twitter.com/p0RMi3zKA8</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1968293874230767665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🇬🇧 🇺🇸 The King and Queen inspect the banquet table in St George’s Hall ahead of this evening’s State Banquet <a href="https://t.co/T5OJm7MY3C">pic.twitter.com/T5OJm7MY3C</a>&mdash; The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1968356830087889211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a>, together with Their Majesties, arrive for a state banquet at Windsor Castle. 🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/tyO8lTW4xv">pic.twitter.com/tyO8lTW4xv</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968403182070960249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;We&#39;re joined by history and fate, by love and language, and by transcendent ties of culture, tradition, ancestry, and destiny... The bond of kinship and identity between America and the United Kingdom is priceless and eternal — it&#39;s irreplaceable and unbreakable.&quot; 🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/RhFIaLNcAp">pic.twitter.com/RhFIaLNcAp</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968410080077832446?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;On behalf of all Americans, I offer a toast to one of the great friendships, two great countries, and to His Majesty, King Charlies III — a very, very special man and also a very, very special Queen.&quot; 🥂🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/kzLKVhUFgA">pic.twitter.com/kzLKVhUFgA</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968409465629053016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> delivers remarks at the State Banquet at Windsor Castle: &quot;This is truly one of the highest honors of my life... for many decades, His Majesty The King has epitomized the fortitude, nobility, and the spirit of the British Monarchy, and the British people.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/NhePpGOpJH">pic.twitter.com/NhePpGOpJH</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968408158696567144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">King Charles III: &quot;Allow me to propose a toast to President Trump and the First Lady — and to the health, prosperity, and happiness of the people of the United States of America.&quot; 🥂🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/KOjIIpHdwo">pic.twitter.com/KOjIIpHdwo</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968407680457887907?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The grandeur-loving president soaked up all the revelry, from the largest guard of honor in living memory — with 120 horses and 1,300 troops — to carriage rides, an air show and a Windsor Castle state dinner.After the pomp comes the real work Thursday, when Trump and British&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/keir-starmer">Prime Minister</a>&nbsp;Keir Starmer meet to talk trade, technology and geopolitical issues.No U.S. president, or any other world leader, has had the honor of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/king-charles-trump-state-visit-67c610327fca8e99818c7f5980a9cfb3">second U.K. state visit;</a>&nbsp;Trump’s first was in 2019, during his previous term. The display of regal splendor was meant to bolster ties with Trump at a time when his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-imperialism-canada-panama-greenland-b4b53445dee97398b498b79eab54d49b">America First policies are putting pressure on trade</a>&nbsp;and security arrangements around the globe.“This was the second state visit, and that’s the first, and maybe that’s going to be the last time, I hope it is actually,” Trump joked during the evening banquet.The visit began with Prince William and his wife, Kate, meeting the presidential helicopter in the private Walled Garden on the vast Windsor estate, then walking Trump and first lady Melania Trump over to be greeted by Charles and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/queen-camilla">Queen Camilla</a>. A gigantic royal standard, the flag used for official celebration days, flew from the Royal Tower.The guests traveled to the castle in a procession of horse-drawn carriages, past ranks of soldiers, sailors and aviators. The king and the Republican president chatted in the Irish State Coach during the short journey to the castle quadrangle, where both inspected an honor guard of soldiers in red tunics and bearskin hats.They continued to chat and joke as the day progressed, with the king occasionally putting his hand on Trump’s back. The president stepped in front of Charles during a review of troops after the king gestured for him to do so. The king’s invitation avoided a violation of protocol, which was not the case in 2019, when Trump stepped in front of Queen Elizabeth.Part of the day was spent at St. George’s Chapel on the castle grounds, where Trump placed a wreath in honor of Elizabeth, who died in 2022.<h2>A full day of pomp and circumstance</h2>The president and Charles toured the Royal Collection Display in an ornate room where officials laid out five tables of artifacts on U.S.-British relations.Among the items were 18th-century watercolors and documents on the United States seeking independence from King George III. There were materials from the first trans-Atlantic cable, including messages between Queen Victoria and President James Buchanan, as well as a 1930s hot dog picnic that a young Elizabeth wrote about, and a large glass vessel that President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave the queen during a 1957 state visit.The president later walked a red carpet on the castle’s East Lawn to watch the Beating Retreat, a military parade ceremony that featured 200-plus musicians, dates to the 1600s and was once used to call patrolling soldiers back to their castle at day’s end.A scheduled flyover by F-35 jets from the U.K. and U.S. militaries was scrapped because of poor weather conditions. But the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force’s aerobatics display team, thundered overhead, leaving streaks of red, white and blue smoke in their wake.Charles and Camilla presented the president and first lady with a handbound leather volume celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the Union flag that flew above Buckingham Palace on the day of Trump’s inauguration in January. The royals also gave first lady Melania Trump a silver and enamel bowl and a personalized handbag by British designer Anya Hindmarch.Trump gave Charles a replica of an Eisenhower sword, and Camilla received a vintage Tiffany &amp; Co. gold, diamond and ruby brooch.<h2>Serious talks coming</h2>The history, tradition and celebrity of the royal family give it a cachet that means presidents and prime ministers covet joining them. In his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-trump-state-visit-starmer-334930dc7a467118b5551c6e4ec3d1db">talks with Trump,</a>&nbsp;Starmer will promote a new U.K.-U.S. technology agreement. The British government hopes the deal, and billions in investment from U.S. tech companies, will help show that the trans-Atlantic bond remains strong despite differences over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-starmer-palestinian-state-israel-gaza-recognition-bf50123e56404382ca0f7cfbd4161d14">Middle East</a>&nbsp;and the future of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nato">NATO</a>.Ahead of the banquet, Trump and Charles walked together, leading a procession. Trump wore white tie, while his wife was in a yellow gown. Charles was in white tie with a blue sash, and Camilla in a blue gown with a tiara.Beefeaters in traditional red uniforms and ruff collars lined the entrance to the castle’s St. George’s Hall for the dinner, which featured 100 staff members attending to 160 guests. The grand Waterloo table was set with 1,462 pieces of silver sparkling in the light from 139 candles and elaborate floral arrangements handpicked from the castle grounds.The guests included Apple’s Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Open AI’s Sam Altman and golfer Nick Faldo. Also appearing was publishing mogul Rupert Murdoch, whom Trump recently sued for $10 billion over The Wall Street Journal’s report on a sexually suggestive letter purportedly written by Trump for disgraced financier&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein</a>.The menu featured Hampshire watercress panna cotta with Parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad, along with Norfolk chicken ballotine. Dessert was vanilla ice cream bombe with a raspberry sherbet interior and lightly poached Victorian plums.Trump avoids alcohol, but the bar offerings included a cocktail known as a trans-Atlantic whiskey sour infused with marmalade, Warre’s 1945 Vintage Port — Trump is the 45th and 47th American president — and Hennessy 1912 cognac Grande Champagne. That was the year Trump’s mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born in Scotland.The musical playlist included the theme from the James Bond movies and pop and rock staples, as well as top show tunes, often featured at Trump’s campaign rallies.In his toast, Charles saluted Trump’s British roots and his recent visits to the U.K. In a nod to the president’s favorite sport, he said, “I understand that British soil makes for rather splendid golf courses.”Trump mostly stuck to his prepared remarks and was on his best behavior, declaring, “This is truly one of the highest honors of my life” and sneaking in only one dig about his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden, by saying the U.S. was “sick” a year ago. He also touched on Britain’s contributions to literature, history and the arts and said “special” does not begin to do justice to his country’s relationship with the U.K.“Together we’ve done more good for humanity than any two countries in all of history,” Trump said.<h2>Trump being in Windsor doesn’t stop protests</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-britain-uk-state-visit-king-charles-11e2c897c9047f12614cfa70e0c17753">Thousands of demonstrators marched through central London</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday to protest Trump’s visit. Some held banners that said “No to the racism, no to Trump.” Though the activities were smaller than during Trump’s visit in June 2019, they included mini versions of the giant Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-government-8f5de6a976af473788bf74389df782dc">baby blimp</a>, an orange-tinted caricature of the president in a diaper that made a big impression during those demonstrations six years ago.In Windsor, protesters projected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/images-of-trump-and-epstein-projected-on-windsor-castle-as-us-president-visits-uk-6b004c3ab53247078795780c5c4bf7b1">an image of Trump and Epstein</a>&nbsp;on a tower at the castle, a reminder of the president’s relationship with the late American financier. Police said they arrested four people.___Lawless and Price reported from London and Weissert from Washington.

🎥 Highlights of the President's big day with the Royal family

GREAT BEND -&nbsp;The Hays High boys soccer team continued their impressive start to the season with a 3-0 win over Great Bend&nbsp; in their Western Athletic Conference opener Tuesday.

The Indians, who finished third at the Salina South Invitational, improved to 3-1 on the season. They will host Dodge City in their first match at the new Hays High School.

Hays Post SportsGREAT BEND -&nbsp;The Hays High boys soccer team continued their impressive start to the season with a 3-0 win over Great Bend&nbsp; in their Western Athletic Conference opener Tuesday.The Indians, who finished third at the Salina South Invitational, improved to 3-1 on the season. They will host Dodge City in their first match at the new Hays High School.

⚽ HHS blanks Great Bend in WAC opener

NEW YORK (AP) — ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely beginning Wednesday after comments that he made about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-suspect-things-to-know-dcde3f792f4d6636d44fb9f4fa53569c">Charlie Kirk's killing</a>&nbsp;led a group of ABC-affiliated stations to say it would not air the show.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jimmy-kimmel">Kimmel, the veteran late-night comic</a>, made several comments about the reaction to Kirk's assassination on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Monday and Tuesday nights, including that “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.”

ABC, which has aired Kimmel's late-night show since 2003, moved swiftly after Nexstar Communications Group said it would pull the show starting Wednesday. Kimmel's comments about Kirk's death “are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse,” said Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar's broadcasting division. Nexstar operates 23 ABC affiliates.

There was no immediate comment from Kimmel, whose contract is up in May 2026. ABC's statement did not cite a reason for why his show was preempted.

President Donald Trump celebrated ABC's move on the social media site Truth Social, writing: “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”

He also targeted two other late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, and said they should be canceled too, calling them “two total losers.” In July,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">after CBS canceled “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,”</a>&nbsp;Trump wrote on his social media platform: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!” Like Colbert, Kimmel has been consistently been critical of Trump and many of his policies.

In his monologue on Monday, Kimmel said that “we hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

Authorities say Tyler Robinson, 22, who is charged with killing Kirk, grew up in a conservative household in southern Utah but was enmeshed in “leftist ideology.” His parents told investigators he had turned politically left and pro-LGBTQ rights in the last year.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/charlie-kirk-shooting-news#00000199-3e68-d49f-a99f-3fef75fe0000">Utah records</a>&nbsp;show he was registered as a voter, but not affiliated with either political party. His voter status is inactive, meaning&nbsp;<a href="https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter2/20A-2-S505.html?v=C20A-2-S505_2025050720250507">he did not vote</a>&nbsp;in two regular general elections. He told his transgender partner that he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred.”

Kimmel's show pulled as audience waited for taping

An audience was lined up outside the theater where “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” tapes when they were told Wednesday’s show was canceled.

“We were just about to walk in — interestingly enough, they waited to pull the plug on this right as the studio audience was about to walk in,” Tommy Williams, a would-be audience member from Jacksonville, Florida, told The Associated Press outside the theater. “They didn’t tell us what had happened. They just said that the show was canceled.”

Williams said he was worried someone had been injured — until he saw that ABC had announced nearly at the same time online that the preemption was indefinite. Williams hadn’t been aware of Kimmel’s comments on Kirk, but sought them out after the announcement.

“They didn’t really seem to justify the means. It seemed to be a bit extreme. And it wasn’t like insulting to, it really had nothing to do with Charlie Kirk at all. He didn’t even mention anything ill about Charlie Kirk — it was about the shooter,” Williams said.

What Kimmel said on his show and reaction to it

Kimmel said that Trump's response to Kirk's death “is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish, OK?” He also said that FBI chief Kash Patel has handled the investigation into the killing “like a kid who didn't read the book, BSing his way through an oral report.”

He returned to the topic on Tuesday night, mocking Vice President JD Vance's performance as guest host for Kirk's podcast.

He said Trump was “fanning the flames” by attacking people on the left. “Which is it, are they a bunch of sissy pickleball players because they're too scared to be hit by tennis balls, or a well-organized deadly team of commandos, because they can't be both of those things.”

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, called Kimmel’s comments on Kirk some of the “sickest conduct possible” in an interview Wednesday morning with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson.

“There are calls for Kimmel to be fired. I think you could certainly see a path forward for suspension over this,” Carr said.

Carr said it appeared to be an “intentional effort” to mislead the public that Charlie Kirk’s assassin was a right-wing Trump supporter.

The conservative group interest group Center for American Rights cited Carr’s comments in lodging a complaint Wednesday against ABC in addition to a prior complaint from early September accusing ABC of political bias. They wrote in the complaint that Kimmel showed a “reckless indifference or willful defiance of facts” and asked the commission to take ABC off air, if ABC did not take Kimmel off air first.

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez criticized the administration for “using the weight of government power to suppress lawful expression” in a post on X.

The move comes as the president, his administration and political party have stepped up their effort to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kirk-trump-cancel-culture-assassination-4d69649e382ea46d8dcf794150a1d3c9">police speech about Kirk’s death.</a>&nbsp;Vance earlier this week urged Americans to turn in fellow citizens who mocked the assassination. It is also the latest effort by the administration to use its power to lean on the media. Carr has launched investigations of outlets that have angered Trump and the president has sued numerous media organizations for negative coverage.

CBS said this past summer that it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">canceling Colbert’s show</a>&nbsp;at the end of this season for financial reasons, although some critics have wondered if his stance on Trump played a role. Soon after the cancellation, the FCC approved CBS parent company Paramount's long-pending deal with Skydance. ABC parent company Disney is currently awaiting regulatory approval for ESPN's acquisition of the NFL Network.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758149830141.png" alt="Image ABC" />
 <figcaption>Image ABC</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely beginning Wednesday after comments that he made about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-suspect-things-to-know-dcde3f792f4d6636d44fb9f4fa53569c">Charlie Kirk's killing</a>&nbsp;led a group of ABC-affiliated stations to say it would not air the show.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jimmy-kimmel">Kimmel, the veteran late-night comic</a>, made several comments about the reaction to Kirk's assassination on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Monday and Tuesday nights, including that “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.”ABC, which has aired Kimmel's late-night show since 2003, moved swiftly after Nexstar Communications Group said it would pull the show starting Wednesday. Kimmel's comments about Kirk's death “are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse,” said Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar's broadcasting division. Nexstar operates 23 ABC affiliates.There was no immediate comment from Kimmel, whose contract is up in May 2026. ABC's statement did not cite a reason for why his show was preempted.President Donald Trump celebrated ABC's move on the social media site Truth Social, writing: “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”He also targeted two other late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, and said they should be canceled too, calling them “two total losers.” In July,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">after CBS canceled “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,”</a>&nbsp;Trump wrote on his social media platform: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!” Like Colbert, Kimmel has been consistently been critical of Trump and many of his policies.In his monologue on Monday, Kimmel said that “we hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”Authorities say Tyler Robinson, 22, who is charged with killing Kirk, grew up in a conservative household in southern Utah but was enmeshed in “leftist ideology.” His parents told investigators he had turned politically left and pro-LGBTQ rights in the last year.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/charlie-kirk-shooting-news#00000199-3e68-d49f-a99f-3fef75fe0000">Utah records</a>&nbsp;show he was registered as a voter, but not affiliated with either political party. His voter status is inactive, meaning&nbsp;<a href="https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter2/20A-2-S505.html?v=C20A-2-S505_2025050720250507">he did not vote</a>&nbsp;in two regular general elections. He told his transgender partner that he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred.”<h2>Kimmel's show pulled as audience waited for taping</h2>An audience was lined up outside the theater where “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” tapes when they were told Wednesday’s show was canceled.“We were just about to walk in — interestingly enough, they waited to pull the plug on this right as the studio audience was about to walk in,” Tommy Williams, a would-be audience member from Jacksonville, Florida, told The Associated Press outside the theater. “They didn’t tell us what had happened. They just said that the show was canceled.”Williams said he was worried someone had been injured — until he saw that ABC had announced nearly at the same time online that the preemption was indefinite. Williams hadn’t been aware of Kimmel’s comments on Kirk, but sought them out after the announcement.“They didn’t really seem to justify the means. It seemed to be a bit extreme. And it wasn’t like insulting to, it really had nothing to do with Charlie Kirk at all. He didn’t even mention anything ill about Charlie Kirk — it was about the shooter,” Williams said.<h2>What Kimmel said on his show and reaction to it</h2>Kimmel said that Trump's response to Kirk's death “is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish, OK?” He also said that FBI chief Kash Patel has handled the investigation into the killing “like a kid who didn't read the book, BSing his way through an oral report.”He returned to the topic on Tuesday night, mocking Vice President JD Vance's performance as guest host for Kirk's podcast.He said Trump was “fanning the flames” by attacking people on the left. “Which is it, are they a bunch of sissy pickleball players because they're too scared to be hit by tennis balls, or a well-organized deadly team of commandos, because they can't be both of those things.”FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, called Kimmel’s comments on Kirk some of the “sickest conduct possible” in an interview Wednesday morning with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson.“There are calls for Kimmel to be fired. I think you could certainly see a path forward for suspension over this,” Carr said.Carr said it appeared to be an “intentional effort” to mislead the public that Charlie Kirk’s assassin was a right-wing Trump supporter.The conservative group interest group Center for American Rights cited Carr’s comments in lodging a complaint Wednesday against ABC in addition to a prior complaint from early September accusing ABC of political bias. They wrote in the complaint that Kimmel showed a “reckless indifference or willful defiance of facts” and asked the commission to take ABC off air, if ABC did not take Kimmel off air first.FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez criticized the administration for “using the weight of government power to suppress lawful expression” in a post on X.The move comes as the president, his administration and political party have stepped up their effort to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kirk-trump-cancel-culture-assassination-4d69649e382ea46d8dcf794150a1d3c9">police speech about Kirk’s death.</a>&nbsp;Vance earlier this week urged Americans to turn in fellow citizens who mocked the assassination. It is also the latest effort by the administration to use its power to lean on the media. Carr has launched investigations of outlets that have angered Trump and the president has sued numerous media organizations for negative coverage.CBS said this past summer that it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">canceling Colbert’s show</a>&nbsp;at the end of this season for financial reasons, although some critics have wondered if his stance on Trump played a role. Soon after the cancellation, the FCC approved CBS parent company Paramount's long-pending deal with Skydance. ABC parent company Disney is currently awaiting regulatory approval for ESPN's acquisition of the NFL Network.

ABC suspends Kimmel's late-night show over remarks about Charlie Kirk’s death

GARDEN CITY, Kan. - The Fort Hays State women's golf team opened the 2025-26 season with a second place finish at the Broncbuster Invitational this week (Sept. 16-17) at Buffalo Dunes Golf Course, a par-72, 5,841-yard layout. Fort Hays State turned in scores of 328 and 337, finishing the week at 89-over as a squad.

The Tigers had six competitors place in the top 10, including a pair that finished in a tie for fourth through two rounds of competition. Chico State transfer Alexis Elliott made her Tiger debut with a round of 80 on day one, the low round of the week for the Tigers. She followed that up with an 83 in round two to finish the week 19-over, good for fourth place and just six shots shy of first place. She carded one birdie in each round.

Hayden York fired an 82 in the opening round to sit in seventh place before climbing three spots to tie for fourth at 19-over for the week. The junior posted a round of 81 on day two, tied for the third best round on the day. She finished the week with one birdie which came in round two.

Abbie Norris placed seventh at 23-over after rounds of 81 and 86, while Jaycee Oakley finished in eighth place after carding an 85 in the opening round and an 87 on day two. Brynn Ray was one spot behind Oakley, finishing ninth after scores of 87 and 93 to round out the Tiger lineup.

Kiley Maier and Ashlyn Koenke competed as individuals, with Maier placing 10th (91-96) and Koenke placing 12th (91-101).

Host Garden City CC took home the team title at 66-over following rounds of 314 and 328. GCCC's Fernanda Rodriguez secured the individual championship at 13-over thanks to rounds of 77 and 80.

The Tigers will return to competition in two weeks when they travel to Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, Kan. for the Newman Invitational September 29-30.

2nd - Fort Hays State - 328 - 337 -- 665 +89 T4th - Hayden York - 82 - 81 -- 163 +19 T4th - Alexis Elliott - 80 - 83 -- 163 +19 7th - Abbie Norris - 81 - 86 -- 167 +23 8th - Jaycee Oakley - 85 - 87 -- 172 +28 9th - Brynn Ray - 87 - 93 -- 180 +36 10th - Kiley Maier (ind.) - 91 - 96 -- 187 +43 12th - Ashlyn Koenke (ind.) - 91 - 101 -- 192 +48

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758190703666.png" alt="FHSU Athletics photo" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsGARDEN CITY, Kan. - The Fort Hays State women's golf team opened the 2025-26 season with a second place finish at the Broncbuster Invitational this week (Sept. 16-17) at Buffalo Dunes Golf Course, a par-72, 5,841-yard layout. Fort Hays State turned in scores of 328 and 337, finishing the week at 89-over as a squad.The Tigers had six competitors place in the top 10, including a pair that finished in a tie for fourth through two rounds of competition. Chico State transfer Alexis Elliott made her Tiger debut with a round of 80 on day one, the low round of the week for the Tigers. She followed that up with an 83 in round two to finish the week 19-over, good for fourth place and just six shots shy of first place. She carded one birdie in each round.Hayden York fired an 82 in the opening round to sit in seventh place before climbing three spots to tie for fourth at 19-over for the week. The junior posted a round of 81 on day two, tied for the third best round on the day. She finished the week with one birdie which came in round two.Abbie Norris placed seventh at 23-over after rounds of 81 and 86, while Jaycee Oakley finished in eighth place after carding an 85 in the opening round and an 87 on day two. Brynn Ray was one spot behind Oakley, finishing ninth after scores of 87 and 93 to round out the Tiger lineup.Kiley Maier and Ashlyn Koenke competed as individuals, with Maier placing 10th (91-96) and Koenke placing 12th (91-101).Host Garden City CC took home the team title at 66-over following rounds of 314 and 328. GCCC's Fernanda Rodriguez secured the individual championship at 13-over thanks to rounds of 77 and 80.The Tigers will return to competition in two weeks when they travel to Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, Kan. for the Newman Invitational September 29-30.2nd - Fort Hays State - 328 - 337 -- 665 +89 T4th - Hayden York - 82 - 81 -- 163 +19 T4th - Alexis Elliott - 80 - 83 -- 163 +19 7th - Abbie Norris - 81 - 86 -- 167 +23 8th - Jaycee Oakley - 85 - 87 -- 172 +28 9th - Brynn Ray - 87 - 93 -- 180 +36 10th - Kiley Maier (ind.) - 91 - 96 -- 187 +43 12th - Ashlyn Koenke (ind.) - 91 - 101 -- 192 +48

⛳ FHSU women second at season-opening event

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

The two items for Thursday's Hays City Commission work session involve city parks.

The Arc of Central Plains is requesting approval to proceed with Phase 3 improvements at ARC Park, 3300 Hillcrest.

Those improvements would include new shelter houses, a gazebo and permanent cornhole courts. 

The Arc of Central Plains would pay the estimated $500,000 costs. If the commission approves moving forward with Phase 3, Parks Director Jeff Boyle would monitor the construction phase.

Another ask is coming to the commission from the Heartland Community Foundation Youth Action Council.

The group wants permission to install painted fiberglass bison statues in the city, including some public spaces.&nbsp;

This is a countywide initiative involving the four high schools and funded entirely by donations.

Local and student artists would paint up to 25 life-size statues to reflect the community’s heritage and history.

The bison are intended for high-visibility public and private locations that draw attention and encourage visitors to explore nearby businesses and attractions. Maps, walking tours and social media campaigns would guide visitors, generating foot traffic and economic activity, according to the proposal.

The complete Sept. 18 agenda is available <a href="https://haysusa.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09182025-1570">here</a>.&nbsp;

The work session begins at 4 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758128549500.png" alt="3300 Hillcrest, Hays. Courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>3300 Hillcrest, Hays. Courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostThe two items for Thursday's Hays City Commission work session involve city parks.The Arc of Central Plains is requesting approval to proceed with Phase 3 improvements at ARC Park, 3300 Hillcrest.Those improvements would include new shelter houses, a gazebo and permanent cornhole courts. The Arc of Central Plains would pay the estimated $500,000 costs. If the commission approves moving forward with Phase 3, Parks Director Jeff Boyle would monitor the construction phase.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758129999809.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Another ask is coming to the commission from the Heartland Community Foundation Youth Action Council.The group wants permission to install painted fiberglass bison statues in the city, including some public spaces.&nbsp;This is a countywide initiative involving the four high schools and funded entirely by donations.Local and student artists would paint up to 25 life-size statues to reflect the community’s heritage and history.The bison are intended for high-visibility public and private locations that draw attention and encourage visitors to explore nearby businesses and attractions. Maps, walking tours and social media campaigns would guide visitors, generating foot traffic and economic activity, according to the proposal.The complete Sept. 18 agenda is available <a href="https://haysusa.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09182025-1570">here</a>.&nbsp;The work session begins at 4 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.

ARC Park upgrades, bison sculpture plans to come before Hays City Commission

By JULIE TOLLESON KU News Service

LAWRENCE—The Kansas Geological Survey has released a new full-color geologic map of Jewell County, where an ancient inland sea left rocks rich in fossils, time and erosion created a striking landscape, and excavations reveal evidence of prehistoric people.

Authors of the map are William C. Johnson, professor emeritus, Department of Geography &amp; Atmospheric Science, and Terri Lee Woodburn, director of the Environmental Assessment Professional Science master’s program and associate teaching professor, University of Kansas. KGS cartographers John Dunham and Emily Bunse contributed map layout and database design.

Jewell County lies in the Smoky Hills physiographic region of the state along the Nebraska border. The new map shows the type and age of rock layers found at or near the surface in the north-central Kansas county and identifies deposits of rocks and other materials of economic importance for construction and roads.

The county’s surface and near surface sedimentary bedrock formed during the Cretaceous geologic period 100 to 80 million years ago when the Western Interior Seaway covered the present-day Great Plains.&nbsp;

The rocks found in the county today are rich in marine fossils, including Inoceramus and Ostrea shells, turtles, rays and mosasaurs. A sandstone within the Dakota Formation known as the “shark-tooth conglomerate” contains teeth from several species of shark. In 1874, Benjamin Mudge, the first director of the Kansas Geological Survey, discovered a plesiosaur — a large, swimming reptile — in the Fort Hays Limestone Member in Jewell County.

Excavations at Lovewell Reservoir uncovered the bones of several mammoths associated with the Last Glacial Maximum, the last time glaciers reached their maximum extent, 20,000-26,000 years ago during the Pleistocene. A collection of other Pleistocene fossils discovered in the area, called the Lovewell Local Fauna, include camels, dire wolves, horses, llamas, sloths, and small mammals, toads, snakes, fish and birds.

“Archaeological excavations have indicated that prehistoric peoples occupied Jewell County, with the most extensive cultural activity apparently adjacent to Lovewell Reservoir and the rest of White Rock Creek valley,” Johnson said.&nbsp;

“The most prominent geological feature in Jewell County is the Niobrara Escarpment, which becomes apparent as you travel northwest from the plains in the southeastern part of the county toward the town of Mankato,” Woodburn said. “Erosion beneath the Fort Hays Limestone Member of the Niobrara Chalk reveals the distinctive Blue Hill Shale Member of the Carlile Shale, with its bluish-black coloring. This exposure creates a striking and unexpected landscape.”

Where the Blue Hill Shale Member is visible, large septarian nodules often can be found. These unusual rocks are concretions composed of brown calcite and cemented sediment.&nbsp;

The Jewell County map identifies sources of rocks and other materials used in construction and road development.

“Historically, the geologic resources of Jewell County have included sand and gravel, limestone, the post-rock building stone, chalk, ceramic clays, volcanic ash and lignite (a type of coal),” Johnson said. In the late 1800s and first half of the 1900s, residents mined lignite from the Dakota Formation for heating and cooking, fence-post limestone from the top of the Greenhorn Limestone for fencing and building construction, and volcanic ash for use in abrasives, ceramics, concrete and paint, among others.

Today, the main resources found in Jewell County are limestone from the Fort Hays Limestone Member, exposed along the Niobrara Escarpment, and the Greenhorn Limestone; sand and gravel from river deposits; and sandstone and shale from the Dakota Formation along Buffalo Creek.

The 62-inch by 49.5-inch “Surficial Geology of Jewell County, Kansas” contains the map; a report on the geography, geology, water and mineral resources, and paleontology of the county; a cross section; and an illustrated stratigraphic column. Shaded relief provides a three-dimensional quality that accentuates the hills and valleys. The cross section depicts a vertical slice of subsurface rock layers along a line running west to east across the county. The stratigraphic column shows the order in which rock units were deposited over time and a description of each unit. 

Towns, roads (from highways to unimproved roadways), elevation contours at 25-foot intervals, and township and range boundaries also appear on the map. 

The scale is 1:50,000, so that one inch on the map equals about three-quarters of a mile of actual distance.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kgs.ku.edu/General/Geology/County/ghj/jewell.html">The map can be accessed online</a>.

Geographic information systems (GIS) data for the map will be available for download from the&nbsp;<a href="https://hub.kansasgis.org/">Kansas Data Access and Support Center</a>&nbsp;(DASC), housed at the KGS, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/ngm-bin/ngm_compsearch.pl">U.S. Geological Survey National Geologic Map Database catalog</a>. GIS data helps geologists visualize, analyze and interpret the geology of a mapped area.

Paper copies of “Surficial Geology of Jewell County, Kansas” may be purchased by contacting the&nbsp;<a href="https://kgs.ku.edu/kgs-publications-sales">KGS publication sales office</a>&nbsp;at 1930 Constant Ave., Lawrence, KS 66047-3724 (phone 785-864-3965 or email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:kgs-publications@ku.edu">kgs-publications@ku.edu</a>) or the KGS’s&nbsp;<a href="https://kgs.ku.edu/kgsr">Kansas Geologic Sample Repository</a>&nbsp;at 4150 W. Monroe St., Wichita, KS 67209-2640 (phone 316-943-2343 ext. 200 or email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:kgsr@ku.edu">kgsr@ku.edu</a>). The cost is $20 plus shipping and handling and, for Kansas residents, sales tax.

More information about county geologic maps and other KGS products is available on the&nbsp;<a href="https://kgs.ku.edu/">KGS website</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757698224350.jpeg" alt="Surficial geology of Jewell County, Kansas. Kansas Geological Survey" />
 <figcaption>Surficial geology of Jewell County, Kansas. Kansas Geological Survey</figcaption>
 </figure>By JULIE TOLLESON KU News ServiceLAWRENCE—The Kansas Geological Survey has released a new full-color geologic map of Jewell County, where an ancient inland sea left rocks rich in fossils, time and erosion created a striking landscape, and excavations reveal evidence of prehistoric people.Authors of the map are William C. Johnson, professor emeritus, Department of Geography &amp; Atmospheric Science, and Terri Lee Woodburn, director of the Environmental Assessment Professional Science master’s program and associate teaching professor, University of Kansas. KGS cartographers John Dunham and Emily Bunse contributed map layout and database design.Jewell County lies in the Smoky Hills physiographic region of the state along the Nebraska border. The new map shows the type and age of rock layers found at or near the surface in the north-central Kansas county and identifies deposits of rocks and other materials of economic importance for construction and roads.The county’s surface and near surface sedimentary bedrock formed during the Cretaceous geologic period 100 to 80 million years ago when the Western Interior Seaway covered the present-day Great Plains.&nbsp;The rocks found in the county today are rich in marine fossils, including Inoceramus and Ostrea shells, turtles, rays and mosasaurs. A sandstone within the Dakota Formation known as the “shark-tooth conglomerate” contains teeth from several species of shark. In 1874, Benjamin Mudge, the first director of the Kansas Geological Survey, discovered a plesiosaur — a large, swimming reptile — in the Fort Hays Limestone Member in Jewell County.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757698311175.jpeg" alt="Inoceramus shell fossil. Photo by William C. Johnson" />
 <figcaption>Inoceramus shell fossil. Photo by William C. Johnson</figcaption>
 </figure>Excavations at Lovewell Reservoir uncovered the bones of several mammoths associated with the Last Glacial Maximum, the last time glaciers reached their maximum extent, 20,000-26,000 years ago during the Pleistocene. A collection of other Pleistocene fossils discovered in the area, called the Lovewell Local Fauna, include camels, dire wolves, horses, llamas, sloths, and small mammals, toads, snakes, fish and birds.“Archaeological excavations have indicated that prehistoric peoples occupied Jewell County, with the most extensive cultural activity apparently adjacent to Lovewell Reservoir and the rest of White Rock Creek valley,” Johnson said.&nbsp;<h2>Unique geology</h2>“The most prominent geological feature in Jewell County is the Niobrara Escarpment, which becomes apparent as you travel northwest from the plains in the southeastern part of the county toward the town of Mankato,” Woodburn said. “Erosion beneath the Fort Hays Limestone Member of the Niobrara Chalk reveals the distinctive Blue Hill Shale Member of the Carlile Shale, with its bluish-black coloring. This exposure creates a striking and unexpected landscape.”Where the Blue Hill Shale Member is visible, large septarian nodules often can be found. These unusual rocks are concretions composed of brown calcite and cemented sediment.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757698383918.jpeg" alt="Septarian nodules. Photo by William C. Johnson" />
 <figcaption>Septarian nodules. Photo by William C. Johnson</figcaption>
 </figure>The Jewell County map identifies sources of rocks and other materials used in construction and road development.“Historically, the geologic resources of Jewell County have included sand and gravel, limestone, the post-rock building stone, chalk, ceramic clays, volcanic ash and lignite (a type of coal),” Johnson said. In the late 1800s and first half of the 1900s, residents mined lignite from the Dakota Formation for heating and cooking, fence-post limestone from the top of the Greenhorn Limestone for fencing and building construction, and volcanic ash for use in abrasives, ceramics, concrete and paint, among others.Today, the main resources found in Jewell County are limestone from the Fort Hays Limestone Member, exposed along the Niobrara Escarpment, and the Greenhorn Limestone; sand and gravel from river deposits; and sandstone and shale from the Dakota Formation along Buffalo Creek.<h2>About the map</h2>The 62-inch by 49.5-inch “Surficial Geology of Jewell County, Kansas” contains the map; a report on the geography, geology, water and mineral resources, and paleontology of the county; a cross section; and an illustrated stratigraphic column. Shaded relief provides a three-dimensional quality that accentuates the hills and valleys. The cross section depicts a vertical slice of subsurface rock layers along a line running west to east across the county. The stratigraphic column shows the order in which rock units were deposited over time and a description of each unit. Towns, roads (from highways to unimproved roadways), elevation contours at 25-foot intervals, and township and range boundaries also appear on the map. The scale is 1:50,000, so that one inch on the map equals about three-quarters of a mile of actual distance.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kgs.ku.edu/General/Geology/County/ghj/jewell.html">The map can be accessed online</a>.Geographic information systems (GIS) data for the map will be available for download from the&nbsp;<a href="https://hub.kansasgis.org/">Kansas Data Access and Support Center</a>&nbsp;(DASC), housed at the KGS, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/ngm-bin/ngm_compsearch.pl">U.S. Geological Survey National Geologic Map Database catalog</a>. GIS data helps geologists visualize, analyze and interpret the geology of a mapped area.Paper copies of “Surficial Geology of Jewell County, Kansas” may be purchased by contacting the&nbsp;<a href="https://kgs.ku.edu/kgs-publications-sales">KGS publication sales office</a>&nbsp;at 1930 Constant Ave., Lawrence, KS 66047-3724 (phone 785-864-3965 or email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:kgs-publications@ku.edu">kgs-publications@ku.edu</a>) or the KGS’s&nbsp;<a href="https://kgs.ku.edu/kgsr">Kansas Geologic Sample Repository</a>&nbsp;at 4150 W. Monroe St., Wichita, KS 67209-2640 (phone 316-943-2343 ext. 200 or email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:kgsr@ku.edu">kgsr@ku.edu</a>). The cost is $20 plus shipping and handling and, for Kansas residents, sales tax. More information about county geologic maps and other KGS products is available on the&nbsp;<a href="https://kgs.ku.edu/">KGS website</a>.

Geologic map for Jewell County now available; rocks rich in marine fossils

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mike-stobbe">MIKE STOBBE</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new vaccine advisory committee meets this week, with votes expected on whether to change recommendations on shots against COVID-19, hepatitis B and chickenpox.

The exact questions to be voted on Thursday and Friday in Atlanta are unclear. Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to questions seeking details to a newly posted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/acip/downloads/agendas/draft-posted-2025-09-12-508.pdf" target="_blank">agenda</a>, although the department announced five additional appointments to the committee Monday.

Some public health experts are worried that the votes will — at a minimum — raise unwarranted new questions about vaccines in the minds of parents.

Perhaps even more consequential would be a vote that restricts a government program from paying for vaccines for low-income families.

“I’m tightening my seat belt,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccines expert.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756320895304.png" alt="Photo courtesy Pfizer" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Pfizer</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mike-stobbe">MIKE STOBBE</a>NEW YORK (AP) — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new vaccine advisory committee meets this week, with votes expected on whether to change recommendations on shots against COVID-19, hepatitis B and chickenpox.The exact questions to be voted on Thursday and Friday in Atlanta are unclear. Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to questions seeking details to a newly posted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/acip/downloads/agendas/draft-posted-2025-09-12-508.pdf" target="_blank">agenda</a>, although the department announced five additional appointments to the committee Monday.Some public health experts are worried that the votes will — at a minimum — raise unwarranted new questions about vaccines in the minds of parents.Perhaps even more consequential would be a vote that restricts a government program from paying for vaccines for low-income families.“I’m tightening my seat belt,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccines expert.The panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, makes recommendations to the director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-director-susan-monarez-50dfbec849b53b4593755d2e6e616687">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>&nbsp;on how already-approved vaccines should be used. CDC directors have almost always accepted those recommendations, which are widely heeded by doctors and guide vaccination programs.Kennedy, a leading antivaccine activist before becoming the nation’s top health official,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-cdc-acip-vaccines-3790c89f45b6314c5c7b686db0e3a8f9">fired</a>&nbsp;the entire 17-member panel earlier this year and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-acip-vaccine-committee-9f58e1f004075b081718ff078de88d76">replaced it</a>&nbsp;with a group that includes several anti-vaccine voices.Here’s a look at the three vaccines being discussed:<h2>COVID-19</h2>Before Kennedy was health secretary, ACIP would typically vote in June to reaffirm recommendations for shots against respiratory viruses that sicken millions of Americans each fall and winter.This past June, Kennedy’s ACIP voted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-acip-flu-vaccine-thimerosal-c5696bbc19f345323153d5336cb5e798">recommend flu shots</a>&nbsp;for Americans but was silent on COVID-19 shots.Before that meeting, Kennedy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-pregnant-women-children-70c358cad726e57d680234c3ecdec926">announced</a>&nbsp;he was removing COVID-19 shots from the CDC’s recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women. The move was heavily criticized by doctors’ groups and public health organizations, and prompted a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawsuit-vaccines-kennedy-95a1aa23c3f015f7a35a570f5ef8da36">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other groups.Days after Kennedy’s announcement,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccines-cdc-kennedy-fd6ab0c7303a4a1698b319885a02ef54">CDC officials said</a>&nbsp;families could still get the 2024-2025 version of COVID-19 shots for their kids in consultation with their doctors. That clarification meant shots would still be covered by the federal government’s Vaccines For Children program, which pays for shots for families who lack money or adequate health insurance coverage. It’s now responsible for roughly half of childhood vaccinations in the U.S. each year.As with flu shots, however, there are new COVID-19 formulations each fall, to account for changes in which strains are circulating. The committee has not yet voted on whether to recommend this season’s COVID-19 shots or whether those shots should be covered by the VFC program.Further complicating the picture: When the FDA last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccines-covid-shots-fda-kennedy-pfizer-children-9ce19908ae7afb354732aa162fd28532">licensed</a>&nbsp;this fall’s COVID-19 shots, the agency took the unusual step of narrowing their use for healthy younger adults and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-kids-what-to-know-5ddb5e3e92b12a6f5044dc229e19590d">children</a>.If the ACIP simply follows that, and if there is no additional clarifying language from the CDC, then “that would take away access for roughly half of America’s kids,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary of the American Academy of Pediatrics.The pediatricians group urges that vaccinations continue for all children ages 6 months to 2 years.<h2>Hepatitis B</h2>Hepatitis B can cause serious liver infections. In adults, the virus is spread through sex or through sharing needles during use injection-drug use.But the virus also can be passed to a baby from an infected mother, and as many as 90% of infected infants go on to have chronic infections.A hepatitis B vaccine was first licensed in the U.S. in 1981. In 2005, the ACIP recommended a dose within 24 hours of birth for all medically stable infants who weigh at least 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms).Infant vaccinations are stressed for women who have hepatitis B or, crucially, who have not been tested for it. The infant shots are 85% to 95% effective in preventing chronic hepatitis B infections, studies have shown.Newborn hepatitis B vaccinations are considered a success, and no recent peer-reviewed research shows any safety problem with giving kids the shots on their first day of life, Schaffner said.But Kennedy’s ACIP members suggested in June they wanted to revisit the guidance.Schaffner noted that health officials used to rely on screening mothers before birth but that many cases were missed.“There were lots of failures,” he said. “And so there were continuing transmissions from mother to child.”<h2>MMRV</h2>Chickenpox was once a common childhood annoyance, causing an itchy skin rash and fever.But the highly contagious virus can also lead to complications such as skin infections, swelling of the brain and pneumonia. Severe cases are more common among teens and adults who get it for the first time. The virus — called varicella — also can reactivate later in life and cause the painful illness called shingles.The government first recommended that all children get a chickenpox vaccine in 1995, leading to a dramatic drop in cases and deaths.In 2005, a combination MMRV shot — measles, mumps, rubella and varicella — was licensed. The CDC initially recommended that doctors and parents use the combo shot over separate MMR and varicella injections.But within a few years, studies showed children who got the combo shot more often developed a rash, fever and — in rare instances — seizures after vaccination compared with children who got separate shots.In 2009, the ACIP&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5903a1.htm" target="_blank">changed its recommendation</a>, removing the preferential language and saying either the combination shot or separate shots were acceptable for the first dose.Today, most pediatricians suggest separate doses for the first shot, but give the combined shot for the second dose, pediatrics experts say.Again, there’s no new evidence about harms from MMRV shots, said O’Leary, of AAP.Why revisit it now?“This version of the ACIP is an orchestrated effort to sow distrust in vaccines,” O’Leary said.<h2>HHS announces new committee members</h2>Meanwhile, HHS officials on Monday announced five new committee members — bringing the roster to 12.The new members are:— Hillary Blackburn, a pharmacist and podcaster who HHS officials said is director of medication access and affordability for AscensionRx.— Dr. Evelyn Griffin, an obstetrician and gynecologist based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.— Dr. Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist who with his wife operates a medical missionary organization called For Hearts and Souls. He appeared at a 2024 congressional&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-p0kFdcVkA" target="_blank">hearing</a>&nbsp;at which he said an increase in cardiovascular disease in older teens and young adults should be attributed to vaccines.— Dr. Raymond Pollak, a transplant specialist based in Skokie, Illinois.— Catherine Stein, a Case Western Reserve University disease researcher. During the COVID-19 pandemic,&nbsp;<a href="https://embed.documentcloud.org/documents/20484834-stein-hb-624-testimony" target="_blank">she worked with</a>&nbsp;an Ohio anti-vaccine group and argued that case counts were inaccurate and that the coronavirus was not as dangerous as health officials portrayed.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.