WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday postponed 25% tariffs on many imports from Mexico and some imports from Canada for a month amid widespread fears of the economic fallout from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-643086a6dc7ff716d876b3c83e3255b0">broader trade war</a>.

The White House insists its tariffs are about stopping the smuggling of fentanyl, but the taxes proposed by Trump have caused a gaping wound in the decades-old North American trade partnership, and Canada has felt compelled to quickly take aggressive countermeasures. Trump's tariff plans have also caused the stock market to sink and alarmed U.S. consumers.

In addition to his claims about fentanyl, Trump has insisted that the tariffs could be resolved by fixing the trade deficit and he emphasized while speaking in the Oval Office that he still plans to impose “reciprocal” tariffs starting on April 2.

“Most of the tariffs go on April the second,” Trump said before signing the orders. “And then we have some temporary ones and small ones, relatively small, although it’s a lot of money having to do with Mexico and Canada.”

Trump said he was not looking to extend the exemption on the 25% tariff for autos for another month.

Imports from Mexico that comply with the 2020 USMCA trade pact would be excluded from the 25% tariffs for a month, according to the orders signed by Trump. Canada's autos that comply with the trade deal would also avoid the 25% tariffs for a month, while the potash that U.S. farmers import from Canada would be tariffed at 10%.

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum has planned to announce any retaliatory measures on Sunday, but Trump credited her with making progress on illegal immigration and drug smuggling as a reason for again pausing tariffs that were initially supposed to go into full effect in February.

“I did this as an accommodation, and out of respect for, President Sheinbaum," Trump said on Truth Social. "Our relationship has been a very good one, and we are working hard, together, on the Border.”

Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs threats have roiled financial markets,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-consumer-trump-tariffs-inflation-b8eacbe9b948af91a4efc97dd3f85cfa">lowered consumer confidence</a>, and enveloped many businesses in an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-business-uncertainty-canada-mexico-china-2b01e586faf99bae3438d289f48a1add">uncertain atmosphere</a>&nbsp;that could delay hiring and investment.

Major U.S. stock markets briefly bounced off lows after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick previewed the month-long pauses on CNBC on Thursday. Significant declines already seen this week resumed within an hour. The S&amp;P 500 stock index has fallen below where it was before Trump was elected.

Sheinbaum said she and Trump “had an excellent and respectful call in which we agreed that our work and collaboration have yielded unprecedented results,” on a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Mexico has cracked down on cartels, sent troops to the U.S. border and delivered 29 top cartel bosses long chased by American authorities to the Trump administration in a span of weeks.

At a press conference, Sheinbaum elaborated on her call with Trump Thursday, saying that she told the president that Mexico was making great strides in fulfilling his security demands.

“I told him we’re getting results,” Sheinbaum said. But the U.S. imposed the tariffs, so she asked Trump “how are we going to continue cooperating, collaborating with something that hurts the people of Mexico?”

She added that “practically all of the trade” between the U.S. and Mexico will be exempt from tariffs until April 2.

She said the two countries will continue to work together on migration and security, and to cut back on fentanyl trafficking to the U.S.

From January to February, the amount of fentanyl seized at the border dropped more than 41%, according to Sheinbaum, citing data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. She cited the dip as meeting a commitment made to Trump.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the leader of Canada’s most populous province, said that starting Monday the province will charge 25% more for electricity shipped to 1.5 million Americans in response to Trump’s tariff plan. Ontario provides electricity to Minnesota, New York and Michigan.

“This whole thing with President Trump is a mess,” Ford said Thursday. “This reprieve, we’ve went down this road before. He still threatens the tariffs on April 2.”

Ford’s office said that the tariff would remain in place even if there’s a one month reprieve from the Americans. Ford has said that so long as the threat of tariffs continue, Ontario’s position will not change.

Lutnick said that he will be watching fentanyl overdose deaths in the U.S. as a key “metric” he will focus on when evaluating Canada and Mexico's efforts to combat the synthetic opioid.

In his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-address-congress-updates#00000195-6452-d6eb-a59d-647ac2530000">speech to a joint session</a>&nbsp;of Congress Tuesday night, Trump portrayed tariffs — which he has has also levied on China at 20% due to their role in fentanyl production — as a source of increasing wealth and power for the United States.

Yet most economists expect the import duties to send prices higher, slow the economy, and potentially cost jobs.

The Yale University Budget Lab has estimated that the tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico would increase inflation by a full percentage point, cut growth by half a percentage point and cost the average household about $1,600 in disposable income.

Trump appeared to acknowledge Tuesday night that there could be some pain: “There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that. It won’t be much.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he has postponed 25% tariffs on most goods from Mexico for a month amid widespread fears of the impact of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-643086a6dc7ff716d876b3c83e3255b0">broader trade war</a>.

Trump's announcement comes after his Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, said earlier Thursday that tariffs on both Canada and Mexico would “likely" be delayed. No change was announced regarding the new tariffs imposed on Canada.

This is the second time Trump has postponed tariffs for a month since he first unveiled the import taxes in early February. The reprieve would apply to goods from Mexico that are compliant with the trade agreement Trump negotiated with Canada and Mexico in his first term.

“After speaking with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, I have agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement," Trump said on Truth Social. “I did this as an accommodation, and out of respect for, President Sheinbaum. Our relationship has been a very good one, and we are working hard, together, on the Border.”

No details were released Thursday about what led to the temporary lifting of tariffs on Mexico.

Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs threats have roiled financial markets,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-consumer-trump-tariffs-inflation-b8eacbe9b948af91a4efc97dd3f85cfa">lowered consumer confidence</a>, and enveloped many businesses in an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-business-uncertainty-canada-mexico-china-2b01e586faf99bae3438d289f48a1add">uncertain atmosphere</a>&nbsp;that could delay hiring and investment. Lutnick emphasized that reciprocal tariffs, in which the United States applies import taxes on countries that tariff U.S. exports, will still be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-farms-farmers-mexico-canada-china-prices-3a460f004633c10a6da6c4f97627dd13">implemented April 2</a>.

Major U.S. stock markets bounced off lows after Lutnick spoke, but only briefly. Significant declines already seen this week resumed within an hour. The stock market has fallen steadily this week in response to Trump's tariff policies and the S&amp;P 500 stock index is now below where it was before Trump was elected.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday indicated that he expects his country will be in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trudeau-trump-tariffs-trade-war-58eaa333ef96d4f17965bb7004e6bee7">trade war with the United States</a>&nbsp;for the foreseeable future.

Trudeau said the broader month-long pause “aligns with some of the conversations that we have been having with administration officials.”

The Canadian leader said the move by the Trump administration was a “promising sign,” but it also “means that the tariffs remain in place and therefore our response will remain in place.”

Lutnick said both Canada and Mexico “have done a good job offering us ever more work” on stopping fentanyl at the border, a key demand that Trump has made in return for permanently lifting the tariffs. Trump has also offered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-justifications-50f0b4416234e63c7136eaa5c5f96759">many other reasons</a>&nbsp;for his tariffs, including raising revenue for the federal government, returning manufacturing to the United States, and reducing the trade surpluses both countries have with the U.S.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741280449187.png" alt="Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo -courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo -courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday postponed 25% tariffs on many imports from Mexico and some imports from Canada for a month amid widespread fears of the economic fallout from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-643086a6dc7ff716d876b3c83e3255b0">broader trade war</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741280153589.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The White House insists its tariffs are about stopping the smuggling of fentanyl, but the taxes proposed by Trump have caused a gaping wound in the decades-old North American trade partnership, and Canada has felt compelled to quickly take aggressive countermeasures. Trump's tariff plans have also caused the stock market to sink and alarmed U.S. consumers.In addition to his claims about fentanyl, Trump has insisted that the tariffs could be resolved by fixing the trade deficit and he emphasized while speaking in the Oval Office that he still plans to impose “reciprocal” tariffs starting on April 2.“Most of the tariffs go on April the second,” Trump said before signing the orders. “And then we have some temporary ones and small ones, relatively small, although it’s a lot of money having to do with Mexico and Canada.”Trump said he was not looking to extend the exemption on the 25% tariff for autos for another month.Imports from Mexico that comply with the 2020 USMCA trade pact would be excluded from the 25% tariffs for a month, according to the orders signed by Trump. Canada's autos that comply with the trade deal would also avoid the 25% tariffs for a month, while the potash that U.S. farmers import from Canada would be tariffed at 10%.Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum has planned to announce any retaliatory measures on Sunday, but Trump credited her with making progress on illegal immigration and drug smuggling as a reason for again pausing tariffs that were initially supposed to go into full effect in February.“I did this as an accommodation, and out of respect for, President Sheinbaum," Trump said on Truth Social. "Our relationship has been a very good one, and we are working hard, together, on the Border.”Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs threats have roiled financial markets,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-consumer-trump-tariffs-inflation-b8eacbe9b948af91a4efc97dd3f85cfa">lowered consumer confidence</a>, and enveloped many businesses in an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-business-uncertainty-canada-mexico-china-2b01e586faf99bae3438d289f48a1add">uncertain atmosphere</a>&nbsp;that could delay hiring and investment.Major U.S. stock markets briefly bounced off lows after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick previewed the month-long pauses on CNBC on Thursday. Significant declines already seen this week resumed within an hour. The S&amp;P 500 stock index has fallen below where it was before Trump was elected.Sheinbaum said she and Trump “had an excellent and respectful call in which we agreed that our work and collaboration have yielded unprecedented results,” on a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.Mexico has cracked down on cartels, sent troops to the U.S. border and delivered 29 top cartel bosses long chased by American authorities to the Trump administration in a span of weeks.At a press conference, Sheinbaum elaborated on her call with Trump Thursday, saying that she told the president that Mexico was making great strides in fulfilling his security demands.“I told him we’re getting results,” Sheinbaum said. But the U.S. imposed the tariffs, so she asked Trump “how are we going to continue cooperating, collaborating with something that hurts the people of Mexico?”She added that “practically all of the trade” between the U.S. and Mexico will be exempt from tariffs until April 2.She said the two countries will continue to work together on migration and security, and to cut back on fentanyl trafficking to the U.S.From January to February, the amount of fentanyl seized at the border dropped more than 41%, according to Sheinbaum, citing data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. She cited the dip as meeting a commitment made to Trump.Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the leader of Canada’s most populous province, said that starting Monday the province will charge 25% more for electricity shipped to 1.5 million Americans in response to Trump’s tariff plan. Ontario provides electricity to Minnesota, New York and Michigan.“This whole thing with President Trump is a mess,” Ford said Thursday. “This reprieve, we’ve went down this road before. He still threatens the tariffs on April 2.”Ford’s office said that the tariff would remain in place even if there’s a one month reprieve from the Americans. Ford has said that so long as the threat of tariffs continue, Ontario’s position will not change.Lutnick said that he will be watching fentanyl overdose deaths in the U.S. as a key “metric” he will focus on when evaluating Canada and Mexico's efforts to combat the synthetic opioid.In his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-address-congress-updates#00000195-6452-d6eb-a59d-647ac2530000">speech to a joint session</a>&nbsp;of Congress Tuesday night, Trump portrayed tariffs — which he has has also levied on China at 20% due to their role in fentanyl production — as a source of increasing wealth and power for the United States.Yet most economists expect the import duties to send prices higher, slow the economy, and potentially cost jobs.The Yale University Budget Lab has estimated that the tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico would increase inflation by a full percentage point, cut growth by half a percentage point and cost the average household about $1,600 in disposable income.Trump appeared to acknowledge Tuesday night that there could be some pain: “There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that. It won’t be much.”--------------WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he has postponed 25% tariffs on most goods from Mexico for a month amid widespread fears of the impact of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-643086a6dc7ff716d876b3c83e3255b0">broader trade war</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741280153589.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Trump's announcement comes after his Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, said earlier Thursday that tariffs on both Canada and Mexico would “likely" be delayed. No change was announced regarding the new tariffs imposed on Canada.This is the second time Trump has postponed tariffs for a month since he first unveiled the import taxes in early February. The reprieve would apply to goods from Mexico that are compliant with the trade agreement Trump negotiated with Canada and Mexico in his first term.“After speaking with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, I have agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement," Trump said on Truth Social. “I did this as an accommodation, and out of respect for, President Sheinbaum. Our relationship has been a very good one, and we are working hard, together, on the Border.”No details were released Thursday about what led to the temporary lifting of tariffs on Mexico.Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs threats have roiled financial markets,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-consumer-trump-tariffs-inflation-b8eacbe9b948af91a4efc97dd3f85cfa">lowered consumer confidence</a>, and enveloped many businesses in an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-business-uncertainty-canada-mexico-china-2b01e586faf99bae3438d289f48a1add">uncertain atmosphere</a>&nbsp;that could delay hiring and investment. Lutnick emphasized that reciprocal tariffs, in which the United States applies import taxes on countries that tariff U.S. exports, will still be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-farms-farmers-mexico-canada-china-prices-3a460f004633c10a6da6c4f97627dd13">implemented April 2</a>.Major U.S. stock markets bounced off lows after Lutnick spoke, but only briefly. Significant declines already seen this week resumed within an hour. The stock market has fallen steadily this week in response to Trump's tariff policies and the S&amp;P 500 stock index is now below where it was before Trump was elected.Sheinbaum said she and Trump “had an excellent and respectful call in which we agreed that our work and collaboration have yielded unprecedented results,” on a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.Mexico has cracked down on cartels, sent troops to the U.S. border and delivered 29 top cartel bosses long chased by American authorities to the Trump administration in a span of weeks.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday indicated that he expects his country will be in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trudeau-trump-tariffs-trade-war-58eaa333ef96d4f17965bb7004e6bee7">trade war with the United States</a>&nbsp;for the foreseeable future.Trudeau said the broader month-long pause “aligns with some of the conversations that we have been having with administration officials.”The Canadian leader said the move by the Trump administration was a “promising sign,” but it also “means that the tariffs remain in place and therefore our response will remain in place.”Lutnick said both Canada and Mexico “have done a good job offering us ever more work” on stopping fentanyl at the border, a key demand that Trump has made in return for permanently lifting the tariffs. Trump has also offered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-justifications-50f0b4416234e63c7136eaa5c5f96759">many other reasons</a>&nbsp;for his tariffs, including raising revenue for the federal government, returning manufacturing to the United States, and reducing the trade surpluses both countries have with the U.S.

Trump changes course: Delays some tariffs on Mexico and now Canada

No. 2 seed #9 Fort Hays State (25-3) vs. No. 7 seed Central Missouri (17-14) MIAA Tournament Quarterfinals Thursday, March 6, 2025 • 8:15 p.m. Kansas City, Mo. • Municipal Auditorium

Radio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;MIAA Network:&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>

The ninth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team opens postseason play Thursday evening in the quarterfinal round of the 2025 MIAA Women's Basketball Championship, presented by Southern Bank. The second-seeded Tigers (25-3) will take on&nbsp; No. 7 Central Missouri who at 8:15 p.m. inside historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Mo. The Jennies defeated No. 10 Emporia State 70-59 in Wednesday's opening round.&nbsp;

Fort Hays State has made it a tradition of playing into the weekend during the MIAA Championship, with the Tigers reaching the semifinals in each of the last seven seasons and 11 of the last 12 years. FHSU's active streak of seven-straight semifinals is the longest active streak in the league, while the Tigers' 11 trips to semifinal Saturday over the last 13 years are four more than any other program during that span.

This is Fort Hays State's 16th trip to the MIAA Championship since joining the conference 19 years ago in 2006-07. The Tigers are 22-13 all-time in the tournament, including an 11-4 record in the quarterfinals, a 3-0 record as the No. 2 seed and a 17-12 record inside Municipal Auditorium. Should the Tigers draw UCM in the quarterfinals, FHSU is 3-5 against the Jennies and 1-0 against the No. 7 seed. However if Emporia State wins on Wednesday the Tigers are 2-3 against the Lady Hornets in the tournament and have never played a No. 10 seed in the event.

The Tigers led the conference with five All-MIAA selections, including Player of the Year&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/katie-wagner-degarmo/8334">Katie Wagner DeGarmo</a>&nbsp;and Defensive Player of the Year&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/olivia-hollenbeck/8329">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>. The graduate student duo were both first team picks, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/kate-dilsaver/8327">Kate Dilsaver</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/brooke-loewe/8331">Brooke Loewe</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/talexa-weeter/8335">Talexa Weeter</a>&nbsp;were all honorable mention recipients. Hollenbeck and Dilsaver were also listed on the MIAA All-Defensive Team.

DeGarmo is the fifth player since 1980 to earn the conference's top honor in consecutive seasons and the first to do so since Washburn's Crystal Walker in 2001-02 and 2002-03. She is the third player in school history to earn first team honors three times, joining Annette Wiles and Kate Lehman. It is her fourth All-MIAA honor overall after also picking up second team status in 2021-22.

The Maize, Kan. native led the team with 16.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, ranking third in the league in each category. She was also third in assist/turnover ratio in the league (1.9) and ranked 12th in the conference with 1.6 steals per game. She is the program record holder with 1,199 career rebounds while ranking second with 2,198 points. DeGarmo is also fourth all-time in assists, fifth in steals and second in field goals at FHSU.

Hollenbeck is the first five-time all-conference performer in school history. This is her initial first team honor after garnering third team recognition each of the last two years and honorable mention status in her first two seasons at FHSU. She is the first Tiger to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors since Kate Lehman did it in three-straight seasons between 2013 and 2015.The Lincoln, Neb. native ranked second in the conference with 2.3 steals per night while ranking third with 1.7 steals per game. She also ranked fifth in the league in scoring with 16.5 points per contest while posting the second-best field goal percentage in the league at 62.1 percent. Hollenbeck ranks fourth in school history with 1,864 points, second with 217 blocks and eighth with 200 steals in her career. She also ranks third in field goals and needs 30 rebounds to crack the top 10 list in that category at FHSU.

Dilsaver earned her first All-MIAA recognition after averaging 2.0 steals per game, third-most in the league. She ranked fourth on the team with an average of 9.1 points per game while pouring in 24 3-pointers, second-most on the squad. The senior rounded out her stat line with 4.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, making her the only player on the team to average two or more in four of the five major stat categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks).Loewe collected her first All-MIAA honor after leading the league with 192 assists this season, averaging 7.1 assists per game. The junior point guard ranks second in Division II in total assists while slotting third in average. She also ranked ninth in the league and third on the team with 1.7 steals per game while ranking fifth on the team with 7.2 points per contest. She broke the single season school record with her 192 assists and already ranks ninth in program history with 347 assists in just three seasons.

Weeter picked up her first All-MIAA award after averaging 13.1 points per game off the bench. She ranked 17th in the league in scoring, making her the only player to rank in the top 25 in the league in scoring that is not a starter for their team. She scored in double figures 20 times this year, including five games with 20 or more points. The sophomore also ranks second on the team with 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per night.

DeGarmo has totaled 168 points and 93 rebounds in 11 games in the MIAA Tournament, ranking fifth all-time in points and third in rebounds. She needs 45 points and 13 rebounds to tie the career record in each category. The graduate student averages 15.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in league tournament contests, scoring in double figures eight times and scoring at least 20 points four times.

Should the Tigers win on Thursday, they would move on to play in the semifinal on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. while the women's title game is scheduled for Sunday at 3:30 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741230271519.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsNo. 2 seed #9 Fort Hays State (25-3) vs. No. 7 seed Central Missouri (17-14) MIAA Tournament Quarterfinals Thursday, March 6, 2025 • 8:15 p.m. Kansas City, Mo. • Municipal AuditoriumRadio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;MIAA Network:&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>The ninth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team opens postseason play Thursday evening in the quarterfinal round of the 2025 MIAA Women's Basketball Championship, presented by Southern Bank. The second-seeded Tigers (25-3) will take on&nbsp; No. 7 Central Missouri who at 8:15 p.m. inside historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Mo. The Jennies defeated No. 10 Emporia State 70-59 in Wednesday's opening round.&nbsp;Fort Hays State has made it a tradition of playing into the weekend during the MIAA Championship, with the Tigers reaching the semifinals in each of the last seven seasons and 11 of the last 12 years. FHSU's active streak of seven-straight semifinals is the longest active streak in the league, while the Tigers' 11 trips to semifinal Saturday over the last 13 years are four more than any other program during that span.This is Fort Hays State's 16th trip to the MIAA Championship since joining the conference 19 years ago in 2006-07. The Tigers are 22-13 all-time in the tournament, including an 11-4 record in the quarterfinals, a 3-0 record as the No. 2 seed and a 17-12 record inside Municipal Auditorium. Should the Tigers draw UCM in the quarterfinals, FHSU is 3-5 against the Jennies and 1-0 against the No. 7 seed. However if Emporia State wins on Wednesday the Tigers are 2-3 against the Lady Hornets in the tournament and have never played a No. 10 seed in the event.The Tigers led the conference with five All-MIAA selections, including Player of the Year&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/katie-wagner-degarmo/8334">Katie Wagner DeGarmo</a>&nbsp;and Defensive Player of the Year&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/olivia-hollenbeck/8329">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>. The graduate student duo were both first team picks, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/kate-dilsaver/8327">Kate Dilsaver</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/brooke-loewe/8331">Brooke Loewe</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/talexa-weeter/8335">Talexa Weeter</a>&nbsp;were all honorable mention recipients. Hollenbeck and Dilsaver were also listed on the MIAA All-Defensive Team.DeGarmo is the fifth player since 1980 to earn the conference's top honor in consecutive seasons and the first to do so since Washburn's Crystal Walker in 2001-02 and 2002-03. She is the third player in school history to earn first team honors three times, joining Annette Wiles and Kate Lehman. It is her fourth All-MIAA honor overall after also picking up second team status in 2021-22.The Maize, Kan. native led the team with 16.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, ranking third in the league in each category. She was also third in assist/turnover ratio in the league (1.9) and ranked 12th in the conference with 1.6 steals per game. She is the program record holder with 1,199 career rebounds while ranking second with 2,198 points. DeGarmo is also fourth all-time in assists, fifth in steals and second in field goals at FHSU.Hollenbeck is the first five-time all-conference performer in school history. This is her initial first team honor after garnering third team recognition each of the last two years and honorable mention status in her first two seasons at FHSU. She is the first Tiger to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors since Kate Lehman did it in three-straight seasons between 2013 and 2015.The Lincoln, Neb. native ranked second in the conference with 2.3 steals per night while ranking third with 1.7 steals per game. She also ranked fifth in the league in scoring with 16.5 points per contest while posting the second-best field goal percentage in the league at 62.1 percent. Hollenbeck ranks fourth in school history with 1,864 points, second with 217 blocks and eighth with 200 steals in her career. She also ranks third in field goals and needs 30 rebounds to crack the top 10 list in that category at FHSU.Dilsaver earned her first All-MIAA recognition after averaging 2.0 steals per game, third-most in the league. She ranked fourth on the team with an average of 9.1 points per game while pouring in 24 3-pointers, second-most on the squad. The senior rounded out her stat line with 4.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, making her the only player on the team to average two or more in four of the five major stat categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks).Loewe collected her first All-MIAA honor after leading the league with 192 assists this season, averaging 7.1 assists per game. The junior point guard ranks second in Division II in total assists while slotting third in average. She also ranked ninth in the league and third on the team with 1.7 steals per game while ranking fifth on the team with 7.2 points per contest. She broke the single season school record with her 192 assists and already ranks ninth in program history with 347 assists in just three seasons.Weeter picked up her first All-MIAA award after averaging 13.1 points per game off the bench. She ranked 17th in the league in scoring, making her the only player to rank in the top 25 in the league in scoring that is not a starter for their team. She scored in double figures 20 times this year, including five games with 20 or more points. The sophomore also ranks second on the team with 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per night.DeGarmo has totaled 168 points and 93 rebounds in 11 games in the MIAA Tournament, ranking fifth all-time in points and third in rebounds. She needs 45 points and 13 rebounds to tie the career record in each category. The graduate student averages 15.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in league tournament contests, scoring in double figures eight times and scoring at least 20 points four times.Should the Tigers win on Thursday, they would move on to play in the semifinal on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. while the women's title game is scheduled for Sunday at 3:30 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀🎧 LISTEN: #9 FHSU women face  in MIAA Tournament quarterfinals

NEW YORK (AP) — Roy Ayers, a legendary jazz vibraphonist, keyboardist, composer and vocalist known for his spacy, funky 1976 hit “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” that has been sampled by such R&amp;B and rap heavyweights as Mary J. Blige, N.W.A., Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Mos Def and Ice Cube, has died. He was 84.

The Ayers family said in a Facebook post that he died Tuesday in New York City after suffering from a long illness. “He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed,” it said.

Ayers had 12 albums land in the Billboard 200 album charts, the highest being “You Send Me” in 1978 at No. 48. His “The Best of Roy Ayers” spend 50 weeks on the Contemporary Jazz Album chart.

His music never went out of style, appearing in the 2019 “Queen &amp; Slim: The Soundtrack.” His song “Running Away” propelled A Tribe Called Quest’s 1989 opus “Description of a Fool,” and the song was sampled by Big Daddy Kane and Common. Ayers was heard on Tyler, the Creator’s album “Cherry Bomb” and Erykah Badu's “Mama’s Gun.”

“Well, I have more sampled hits than anybody," he said in a 2004 interview with Wax Poetics magazine. "I might not have more samples than James Brown, but I’ve had more sampled hits. Oh, man, and there’s a few I don’t know about.”

One of Ayers' most popular albums was "Lifeline," which peaked at No. 9 on what has become the Top R&amp;B/Hip-hop chart in 1977 and contained the hit “Running Away,” which peaked at No. 19 on the R&amp;B chart and became a massive club hit.

During a visit to Johannesburg in 2017, Ayers offered some rhythmic advice for youth in the city's Soweto area: Get serious, be inspired, rap on, keep on and “eventually you’ll get it.”

“You guys, you have to pick your plateau. Get serious about everything,” said Ayers. He also named a few musicians who have inspired him: Nigerian Fela Kuti (“he was really like a genius”), Herbie Mann (“he taught me the business”) and Miles Davis (“He was the coolest. He was the grandmaster. He was out of sight”).

After debuting on record with hard bop tenor saxophonist Curtis Amy’s group in 1962, he teamed with jazz flutist Mann to record three albums for Atlantic Records — “Virgo Vibes,” “Stoned Soul Picnic” and “Daddy Bug” — and wrote and produced the soundtrack for the blaxploitation film “Coffy” starring Pam Grier. He also moved on to work with David “Fathead” Newman, the tenor mainstay of Ray Charles’ great ’60s orchestra.

In 2017, he appeared alongside such acts as Tom Petty, the Shins, Alabama Shakes, Charles Bradley and William Bell at the eclectic Arroyo Seco Festival in Los Angeles.

Ayers is survived by his wife Argerie, and their children Mtume and Ayana Ayers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741280892502.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Roy Ayers, a legendary jazz vibraphonist, keyboardist, composer and vocalist known for his spacy, funky 1976 hit “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” that has been sampled by such R&amp;B and rap heavyweights as Mary J. Blige, N.W.A., Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Mos Def and Ice Cube, has died. He was 84.The Ayers family said in a Facebook post that he died Tuesday in New York City after suffering from a long illness. “He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed,” it said.Ayers had 12 albums land in the Billboard 200 album charts, the highest being “You Send Me” in 1978 at No. 48. His “The Best of Roy Ayers” spend 50 weeks on the Contemporary Jazz Album chart.His music never went out of style, appearing in the 2019 “Queen &amp; Slim: The Soundtrack.” His song “Running Away” propelled A Tribe Called Quest’s 1989 opus “Description of a Fool,” and the song was sampled by Big Daddy Kane and Common. Ayers was heard on Tyler, the Creator’s album “Cherry Bomb” and Erykah Badu's “Mama’s Gun.”“Well, I have more sampled hits than anybody," he said in a 2004 interview with Wax Poetics magazine. "I might not have more samples than James Brown, but I’ve had more sampled hits. Oh, man, and there’s a few I don’t know about.”One of Ayers' most popular albums was "Lifeline," which peaked at No. 9 on what has become the Top R&amp;B/Hip-hop chart in 1977 and contained the hit “Running Away,” which peaked at No. 19 on the R&amp;B chart and became a massive club hit.During a visit to Johannesburg in 2017, Ayers offered some rhythmic advice for youth in the city's Soweto area: Get serious, be inspired, rap on, keep on and “eventually you’ll get it.”“You guys, you have to pick your plateau. Get serious about everything,” said Ayers. He also named a few musicians who have inspired him: Nigerian Fela Kuti (“he was really like a genius”), Herbie Mann (“he taught me the business”) and Miles Davis (“He was the coolest. He was the grandmaster. He was out of sight”).After debuting on record with hard bop tenor saxophonist Curtis Amy’s group in 1962, he teamed with jazz flutist Mann to record three albums for Atlantic Records — “Virgo Vibes,” “Stoned Soul Picnic” and “Daddy Bug” — and wrote and produced the soundtrack for the blaxploitation film “Coffy” starring Pam Grier. He also moved on to work with David “Fathead” Newman, the tenor mainstay of Ray Charles’ great ’60s orchestra.In 2017, he appeared alongside such acts as Tom Petty, the Shins, Alabama Shakes, Charles Bradley and William Bell at the eclectic Arroyo Seco Festival in Los Angeles.Ayers is survived by his wife Argerie, and their children Mtume and Ayana Ayers.

Roy Ayers, jazz legend who influenced hip-hop and R&B musicians, dies at 84

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

A discussion on the future of Hays Saturday kicked off with an eye on the budget.&nbsp;

"We don't have a lot of fluff, and we take care of what we have,"&nbsp;Toby Dougherty, Hays city manager, said during Saturday's annual city commission retreat at Fort Hays State University.

The seven-hour meeting touched on broad discussions of where the city is now and where it wants to be in 15 years or so.

"The city is living in the gap between its revenues and total operating expenses, minus the Ellis County sales tax (of which the city gets a portion)," said Collin Bielser, deputy city manager.

Three years are remaining in the 10-year county sales tax that voters approved.&nbsp;

Bielser noted while city sales tax revenues were up 1% in 2024, inflation rose 2%.

The city's local sales tax primarily funds the Hays general fund.

The difference between revenues and expenditures goes into the Commission Capital Reserve fund. In 2024, $3.9 million was transferred. In 2025, a projected $1.2 million will be moved into the fund. The funds are used to pay cash for projects, including streets.

After the quick financial update, the discussion moved on to future capital improvements, keeping up with park amenities, possible STAR bond projects, the long-term R9 Ranch water project, and a proposed starting wage of $20 an hour for all city employees.&nbsp;

Reese Barrick, commissioner, had previously encouraged local businesses to pay all their employees a living wage of at least $20 an hour and said the city should do the same for its staff.

Information provided by Erin Giebler, director of human resources, shows 20 of Hays' 183 full-time employees are making less than $20 an hour, with their wages ranging from $17.52 to $19.89 an hour.&nbsp;

Considerable discussion ensued, with Mayor Sandy Jacobs taking a stand against the idea, which was tabled.

Jacobs repeatedly brought up quality-of-life benefits in Hays.

"We cannot let quality-of-life slide," she said in a discussion about park maintenance. 

Commissioner Shaun Musil said access to parks leads to good physical and mental health.

The 2000 parks master plan calls for all neighborhood parks to have the same basic amenities. However, even with the help of nonprofit service group sponsors, routinely replacing playground equipment is becoming a budget buster.

"Not every park needs the same swing," said Alaina Cunningham, commissioner. "We need to think outside the box on how to redesign our parks for specific groups." 

Suggestions included parks for families with small children, parks for walkers, and parks that focus on natural elements such as flowers, bird watching and water.

Based on population growth and new housing trends, Bielser said another fire station on the east side of town will probably be needed within five to ten years.

"That will mean more capital, equipment and six more firefighters," Dougherty said. 

No potential location for a fourth fire station was mentioned. Fire stations are located downtown at 1507 Main, in northwest Hays at  1732 W. 41st, and at the Hays Regional Airport, which the FAA supports.

Tipping fees at the Ellis County landfill continue to rise, and the city's refuse collection trucks will have to be replaced at some point. All the trucks were purchased at the same time, but Dougherty said it's unlikely they would need simultaneous replacement.

He suggested that all cart collection points could be moved to curbside, alleviating some of the trucks' wear and tear incurred from alley pick up. 

"That might help us avoid a rate increase to replace trucks," Dougherty said.

The Hays Regional Airport's mill levy is 1.5 mills, which will keep the facility operating in the black until 2028.

"We're looking at adding another mill to their operating budget, which would give us wiggle room until 2034," Dougherty said. 

"It costs to fly people out. This increase is coming,"&nbsp;he told commissioners." More passengers mean more expenses, and that's a good problem to have."&nbsp;

"People tell me they only fly out of Wichita or Kansas City if they can't get a flight out of Hays," said Vice-Mayor Mason Ruder in a comment on the airport's passenger growth.

"There would be real consequences to our large employers if the airport were to close," Jacobs said.

Dougherty's update on the R9 long-term water supply project for Hays and Russell concluded with the possibility of a small customer rate increase.

"We don't know yet what the operational costs will be, but we won't lose our conservation mindset," Dougherty said.

Possible ideas for state Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bonds were discussed. 

STAR bonds are bond financing for Kansas municipalities to develop major commercial, entertainment and tourism destinations. The bonds are paid off through the sales tax revenue generated by the development.

The potential of partnering with the Sternberg Museum of Natural History and the Hays Recreation Commission was mentioned.

Commissioners also reviewed various housing and business development projects underway. 

Ruder said he'd like to see the Neighborhood Revitalization Program be expanded to consider the age of facilities and not by certain property boundaries as they are now. The suggestion will be further examined at a future city commission work session.

 Commissioners looked at the economic impact on the city from out-of-town visitors to popular events.&nbsp;

"When I think of where we were 15 years ago, I'm really proud," Musil said. "Hays has real draw power."

"We were productive today, with engaged staff and commissioners," said Jacobs  at the conclusion of the retreat.&nbsp;

"We're keeping our eye on the budget and spending it wisely as we look to our future five and 15 years from now."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741198695300.jpeg" alt="Hays city commissioners and key city staff at Saturday's annual commission retreat. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Hays city commissioners and key city staff at Saturday's annual commission retreat. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostA discussion on the future of Hays Saturday kicked off with an eye on the budget.&nbsp;"We don't have a lot of fluff, and we take care of what we have,"&nbsp;Toby Dougherty, Hays city manager, said during Saturday's annual city commission retreat at Fort Hays State University.The seven-hour meeting touched on broad discussions of where the city is now and where it wants to be in 15 years or so.<h2>The budget</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741191874897.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>"The city is living in the gap between its revenues and total operating expenses, minus the Ellis County sales tax (of which the city gets a portion)," said Collin Bielser, deputy city manager.Three years are remaining in the 10-year county sales tax that voters approved.&nbsp;Bielser noted while city sales tax revenues were up 1% in 2024, inflation rose 2%.The city's local sales tax primarily funds the Hays general fund.The difference between revenues and expenditures goes into the Commission Capital Reserve fund. In 2024, $3.9 million was transferred. In 2025, a projected $1.2 million will be moved into the fund. The funds are used to pay cash for projects, including streets.After the quick financial update, the discussion moved on to future capital improvements, keeping up with park amenities, possible STAR bond projects, the long-term R9 Ranch water project, and a proposed starting wage of $20 an hour for all city employees.&nbsp;<h2>$20/hour minimum city wage</h2>Reese Barrick, commissioner, had previously encouraged local businesses to pay all their employees a living wage of at least $20 an hour and said the city should do the same for its staff.Information provided by Erin Giebler, director of human resources, shows 20 of Hays' 183 full-time employees are making less than $20 an hour, with their wages ranging from $17.52 to $19.89 an hour.&nbsp;Considerable discussion ensued, with Mayor Sandy Jacobs taking a stand against the idea, which was tabled.<h2>Park maintenance</h2>Jacobs repeatedly brought up quality-of-life benefits in Hays."We cannot let quality-of-life slide," she said in a discussion about park maintenance. Commissioner Shaun Musil said access to parks leads to good physical and mental health.The 2000 parks master plan calls for all neighborhood parks to have the same basic amenities. However, even with the help of nonprofit service group sponsors, routinely replacing playground equipment is becoming a budget buster."Not every park needs the same swing," said Alaina Cunningham, commissioner. "We need to think outside the box on how to redesign our parks for specific groups." Suggestions included parks for families with small children, parks for walkers, and parks that focus on natural elements such as flowers, bird watching and water. <h2>Eastside fire station</h2>Based on population growth and new housing trends, Bielser said another fire station on the east side of town will probably be needed within five to ten years."That will mean more capital, equipment and six more firefighters," Dougherty said. No potential location for a fourth fire station was mentioned. Fire stations are located downtown at 1507 Main, in northwest Hays at 1732 W. 41st, and at the Hays Regional Airport, which the FAA supports.<h2>Refuse collection costs</h2>Tipping fees at the Ellis County landfill continue to rise, and the city's refuse collection trucks will have to be replaced at some point. All the trucks were purchased at the same time, but Dougherty said it's unlikely they would need simultaneous replacement.He suggested that all cart collection points could be moved to curbside, alleviating some of the trucks' wear and tear incurred from alley pick up. "That might help us avoid a rate increase to replace trucks," Dougherty said.<h2>Airport use, operating expenses up</h2>The Hays Regional Airport's mill levy is 1.5 mills, which will keep the facility operating in the black until 2028. "We're looking at adding another mill to their operating budget, which would give us wiggle room until 2034," Dougherty said. "It costs to fly people out. This increase is coming,"&nbsp;he told commissioners." More passengers mean more expenses, and that's a good problem to have."&nbsp;"People tell me they only fly out of Wichita or Kansas City if they can't get a flight out of Hays," said Vice-Mayor Mason Ruder in a comment on the airport's passenger growth."There would be real consequences to our large employers if the airport were to close," Jacobs said.<h2>R9 Ranch water project</h2>Dougherty's update on the R9 long-term water supply project for Hays and Russell concluded with the possibility of a small customer rate increase."We don't know yet what the operational costs will be, but we won't lose our conservation mindset," Dougherty said.<h2>STAR bonds</h2>Possible ideas for state Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bonds were discussed. STAR bonds are bond financing for Kansas municipalities to develop major commercial, entertainment and tourism destinations. The bonds are paid off through the sales tax revenue generated by the development.The potential of partnering with the Sternberg Museum of Natural History and the Hays Recreation Commission was mentioned.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741198786725.jpeg" alt="Hays Mayor Sandy Jacobs gestures to the planned Tallgrass Phase 4 housing development in east Hays. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Hays Mayor Sandy Jacobs gestures to the planned Tallgrass Phase 4 housing development in east Hays. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Commissioners also reviewed various housing and business development projects underway. Ruder said he'd like to see the Neighborhood Revitalization Program be expanded to consider the age of facilities and not by certain property boundaries as they are now. The suggestion will be further examined at a future city commission work session. Commissioners looked at the economic impact on the city from out-of-town visitors to popular events.&nbsp;"When I think of where we were 15 years ago, I'm really proud," Musil said. "Hays has real draw power." "We were productive today, with engaged staff and commissioners," said Jacobs at the conclusion of the retreat.&nbsp;"We're keeping our eye on the budget and spending it wisely as we look to our future five and 15 years from now."

Hays city commissioners keep eyes on the budget during retreat

LEOTI – TMP-Marian held Wichita County to a season-low 37 points, and Gracyn Schippers scored a career-high 17 points as the Lady Monarchs knocked
off the top-seeded Indians 55-37 on Wednesday to advance to the Sublette
sub-state championship game on Saturday.

Wichita County connected on back-to-back three-pointers after an early 2-2 tie and 4-2 TMP lead, building an 8-4 lead with 4:45 to
play in the first half. 

But the Monarchs’ Claire Schippers answered with a
three-pointer of her own less than a minute later, sparking a 23-3 run over the
next 9 minutes and 45 seconds. Covering the remainder of the first quarter and
all be two minutes of the second quarter.

During the run, TMP’s Gracyn Schippers and Brooke Koenigsman
combined to score 16 of the 23 points.

The Monarchs led by 15 points at halftime 30-15.

TMP’s defense continued to clamp down on the Indians'
offense in the second half as they extended their lead to as many as 22 in the
fourth quarter on their way to the 55-37 victory.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Gracyn Schippers scored a career-high 17 points to lead all
scorers. She added five rebounds and four blocked shots. Brooke Koenigsman
finished with 13 points and four rebounds.

Claire Schippers led all rebounders with nine, a new
season-high.

The Monarchs had been eliminated in the sub-state semifinals
in the last three years and advanced to the sub-state championship game for the
first time since the 2020-21 season.

They will take on the Hoxie Indians after they defeated
Oakley 63-57. The game will be played in Sublette, and the time is still to be
determined.

LEOTI – TMP-Marian held Wichita County to a season-low 37 points, and Gracyn Schippers scored a career-high 17 points as the Lady Monarchs knocked
off the top-seeded Indians 55-37 on Wednesday to advance to the Sublette
sub-state championship game on Saturday.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/2047660804&color=%23294b71&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/03-05-25-tmp-girls-coach-john" title="03-05-25 TMP Girls Coach John Linn Post Game Interview" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">03-05-25 TMP Girls Coach John Linn Post Game Interview</a></div></div>Wichita County connected on back-to-back three-pointers after an early 2-2 tie and 4-2 TMP lead, building an 8-4 lead with 4:45 to
play in the first half. But the Monarchs’ Claire Schippers answered with a
three-pointer of her own less than a minute later, sparking a 23-3 run over the
next 9 minutes and 45 seconds. Covering the remainder of the first quarter and
all be two minutes of the second quarter.During the run, TMP’s Gracyn Schippers and Brooke Koenigsman
combined to score 16 of the 23 points.The Monarchs led by 15 points at halftime 30-15.TMP’s defense continued to clamp down on the Indians'
offense in the second half as they extended their lead to as many as 22 in the
fourth quarter on their way to the 55-37 victory.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/2047660992&color=%23294b71&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/03-05-25-tmp-wbkb-vs-wichita" title="03-05-25 TMP WBKB vs Wichita Co Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">03-05-25 TMP WBKB vs Wichita Co Highlights</a></div></div>Gracyn Schippers scored a career-high 17 points to lead all
scorers. She added five rebounds and four blocked shots. Brooke Koenigsman
finished with 13 points and four rebounds.Claire Schippers led all rebounders with nine, a new
season-high.The Monarchs had been eliminated in the sub-state semifinals
in the last three years and advanced to the sub-state championship game for the
first time since the 2020-21 season.They will take on the Hoxie Indians after they defeated
Oakley 63-57. The game will be played in Sublette, and the time is still to be
determined.

🏀TMP knocks off top-seed Wichita Co., will play for sub-state title

Hays High hosted Hutchinson the first round of postseason play on Wednesday evening in Hays. The Indians defense proved to pivotal in the second half for a 48-43 victory.

Hays took an early 5-2 lead on a three pointer. The Indians didn't score for the next six minutes. Hutchinson used the time to go on a 7-0 run and grab the lead at 9-5. The Salthawks led for the remainder of the first half including 9-7 after one quarter.&nbsp;

Hutchinson took a seven point lead on two occasions in the second quarter. The last at 21-14 with 1:15 left before halftime. The Indians scored five straight to make the score 21-19 before Hutchinson beat the clock with a three pointer for a 24-19 halftime lead.

Hays scored the first five points out of the locker room to tie the game up and ignite the gymnasium. Hutchinson grabbed control of the game again with a 6-0 spurt for a 35-29 advantage.

That's when the Indian defense locked down allowing just three points over the next 11:37. During that stretch Hays scored 16 points for a 45-38 advantage.

The final four points for Hays in the 16-3 run came from the free throw line as Hutchinson started fouling. Hays made 8 of 12 fourth quarter free throws for a 48-43 victory.

Hays(13-8) advances to Saturday's sub-state championship game. Hutchinson ends their season at 10-11.

Carter Lang 0; Johnny Cano 13; Trace Jacobs 0; Cooper Lindenmeyer 2; Trey Oakley 6; Tiger Johnson 9; Izaac Fox 5; Dawson Ruder 13.

Hays High hosted Hutchinson the first round of postseason play on Wednesday evening in Hays. The Indians defense proved to pivotal in the second half for a 48-43 victory.Hays took an early 5-2 lead on a three pointer. The Indians didn't score for the next six minutes. Hutchinson used the time to go on a 7-0 run and grab the lead at 9-5. The Salthawks led for the remainder of the first half including 9-7 after one quarter.&nbsp;Hutchinson took a seven point lead on two occasions in the second quarter. The last at 21-14 with 1:15 left before halftime. The Indians scored five straight to make the score 21-19 before Hutchinson beat the clock with a three pointer for a 24-19 halftime lead.Highlights<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/2047646972&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/hhs-mbkb-highlights-v-1" title="HHS MBKB Highlights v Hutchinson Mar 5, 2025" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS MBKB Highlights v Hutchinson Mar 5, 2025</a></div></div>Hays scored the first five points out of the locker room to tie the game up and ignite the gymnasium. Hutchinson grabbed control of the game again with a 6-0 spurt for a 35-29 advantage.That's when the Indian defense locked down allowing just three points over the next 11:37. During that stretch Hays scored 16 points for a 45-38 advantage.The final four points for Hays in the 16-3 run came from the free throw line as Hutchinson started fouling. Hays made 8 of 12 fourth quarter free throws for a 48-43 victory.Coach Sean Dreiling<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/2047647956&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/sean-dreiling-post-v" title="Sean Dreiling Post v Hutchinson Mar 5, 2025" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Sean Dreiling Post v Hutchinson Mar 5, 2025</a></div></div>Hays(13-8) advances to Saturday's sub-state championship game. Hutchinson ends their season at 10-11.Carter Lang 0; Johnny Cano 13; Trace Jacobs 0; Cooper Lindenmeyer 2; Trey Oakley 6; Tiger Johnson 9; Izaac Fox 5; Dawson Ruder 13.

🏀 Hays High boys advance with win over Hutchinson

By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN Special to Hays Post

Fort Hays State University men’s basketball fans were excited when the annual MIAA Championships seedings were released Sunday.

The Tigers, who earned the No. 2 seed, are set to play their first game of the tournament at 2:15 p.m. Thursday at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri.

No one might have been more pleased with that seeding than Lena Grill, the mother of Tiger sophomore Kyle Grill from Maize.

That time slot fit perfectly into a basketball-packed schedule for Lena, who has two other sons playing (and a husband coaching) games this week.

Starting Tuesday, Lena’s Google calendar shows her scheduled for five games in five days in three different states. And if things go as planned, it will be six days in a row if FHSU advances to Sunday’s MIAA championship game.

Lena’s husband, Chris Grill, is head coach for the Maize High School boys’ basketball team. They are parents to Caleb (a graduate student at the University of Missouri), Kyle (a sophomore at FHSU) and Alec (a senior at Maize High).

While both parents make it a point to attend as many college games as possible, Lena sometimes travels alone or with friends because of her husband’s high school schedule. Chris is a math teacher at Maize High, and Lena works for the Wichita School District and saves all her vacation days for basketball season.

Taking to the road to play and watch basketball games has been a way of life for a lot of years for Chris and Lena, former college basketball players who met while playing at Butler County Community College in El Dorado.

All three of their sons have been involved in sports their entire lives.

However, this is the first season that both older brothers are playing college ball in the same year. Kyle redshirted his first year at FHSU in 2022-23, and Caleb missed last season due to an injury.

Knowing this would be a busy year on the road, the Grills bought a used vehicle to use specifically for traveling to basketball games.

Lena flew to a game just once this season, so she has become quite familiar with their 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport.&nbsp;

Before this week, the Grills had logged more than 18,000 miles to the Hyundai’s odometer. And they will add about 1,500 more this week.

After playing a reserve role for FHSU as a redshirt freshman last year, Kyle worked his way into the starting lineup along with four seniors this season.

Following a standout career at Maize High, where he helped the Eagles reach the state championship game in his junior and senior years, Kyle chose FHSU over other schools.

“Fort Hays showed the most interest in me, and I built a better relationship with their three coaches than any others,” he said. “Then I watched a game where Fort Hays played at Newman, and they played so hard defensively. That’s something I really love, playing that hard, so Fort Hays fit my play style.”

Once here, he says he wouldn’t trade the atmosphere for anywhere else. FHSU is consistently ranked at or near the top of NCAA Division II schools for game attendance.

“We have the best fans in the country. We consistently have 2,500 to 3,000 fans in the stands,” he said. “And I think that makes a huge difference. It gives us energy and makes it a lot more fun.”

FHSU fans also are known to travel well and support their teams on the road, as they will at this weekend’s MIAA Tournament.

The Grill brothers also follow each other well, watching their games online.

And they all have apparel from each other’s schools.

This year made it interesting for the Grills with Caleb’s and Kyle’s mascots both being Tigers.

While they own some shirts with an MU Tiger and and FHSU’s Victor E. Tiger, they also have some gear with just Tigers across the front. And some accessories can be used for both since both school colors are black and gold.

With Caleb and Alec in their final years at their respective schools, Lena prioritizes those games if there are scheduling conflicts.

However, when she looked back at this season’s schedule, she saw her attendance was fairly even among the three.

Considering their location in the Wichita area, the Grills are actually able to attend more FHSU road games than those at home.

However, the Grills always enjoy coming to Hays for games and also catch a lot of Kyle’s games on TV on the MIAA Network.

The family was treated to a fun three days in late February when they were in Columbia to watch Caleb score 25 points and grab 10 rebounds in a 110-98 upset of No. 4-ranked Alabama on Wednesday, Feb. 19.

The following night, they tuned in on their TV to watch Kyle score 20 points and grab nine rebounds in a 79-52 home win over Missouri Southern.

And just one night later, Alec, Maize High’s point guard, helped lead the Eagles to a 79-52 victory over Haysville-Campus.

Maize High started this week on a winning note Tuesday night with an exciting 64-62 overtime victory over Garden City in first-round action of the Class 6A sub-state on the Eagles’ home floor.&nbsp;

Dad and Mom Grill are headed to Norman, Oklahoma, today to watch Caleb and his Missouri Tigers play the Oklahoma Sooners in an SEC game tonight.

Following Kyle’s MIAA tournament game Thursday in Kansas City, Alec and his coach will take on Wichita Northwest in the sub-state finals on Friday night in Maize for a shot at making next week’s 6A state tournament.

The next day, Mom, Dad and Alec will be in Columbia, Mo., for Caleb’s Senior Day game with Kentucky.

March madness will continue for the Grills next week when Missouri travels to Nashville for the SEC Tournament.

MU also is on track to make the 2025 NCAA D-I Tournament. And there’s still the possibility for more post-season action for both Kyle and Alec, who also has plans to play college ball like his brothers after high school.

But for now, Lena isn’t looking too far ahead – except to Sunday.

The Grills will miss FHSU’s potential semifinal game on Saturday in Kansas City because of Caleb’s Senior Day activities in Columbia. But they would like nothing better than to stop in KC on their way home to watch the Tigers in Sunday’s MIAA championship game.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741194135975.jpeg" alt="Lena and Chris Grill, far right, put in a lot of windshield time, traveling to watch their three sons play basketball. Fort Hays State University’s Kyle Grill, middle, is joined by his parents and older brother Caleb and younger brother Alec at last year’s NCAA Division II playoffs. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Lena and Chris Grill, far right, put in a lot of windshield time, traveling to watch their three sons play basketball. Fort Hays State University’s Kyle Grill, middle, is joined by his parents and older brother Caleb and younger brother Alec at last year’s NCAA Division II playoffs. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN Special to Hays PostFort Hays State University men’s basketball fans were excited when the annual MIAA Championships seedings were released Sunday.The Tigers, who earned the No. 2 seed, are set to play their first game of the tournament at 2:15 p.m. Thursday at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri.No one might have been more pleased with that seeding than Lena Grill, the mother of Tiger sophomore Kyle Grill from Maize.That time slot fit perfectly into a basketball-packed schedule for Lena, who has two other sons playing (and a husband coaching) games this week.Starting Tuesday, Lena’s Google calendar shows her scheduled for five games in five days in three different states. And if things go as planned, it will be six days in a row if FHSU advances to Sunday’s MIAA championship game.Lena’s husband, Chris Grill, is head coach for the Maize High School boys’ basketball team. They are parents to Caleb (a graduate student at the University of Missouri), Kyle (a sophomore at FHSU) and Alec (a senior at Maize High).While both parents make it a point to attend as many college games as possible, Lena sometimes travels alone or with friends because of her husband’s high school schedule. Chris is a math teacher at Maize High, and Lena works for the Wichita School District and saves all her vacation days for basketball season.Taking to the road to play and watch basketball games has been a way of life for a lot of years for Chris and Lena, former college basketball players who met while playing at Butler County Community College in El Dorado.All three of their sons have been involved in sports their entire lives.However, this is the first season that both older brothers are playing college ball in the same year. Kyle redshirted his first year at FHSU in 2022-23, and Caleb missed last season due to an injury.Knowing this would be a busy year on the road, the Grills bought a used vehicle to use specifically for traveling to basketball games.Lena flew to a game just once this season, so she has become quite familiar with their 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport.&nbsp;Before this week, the Grills had logged more than 18,000 miles to the Hyundai’s odometer. And they will add about 1,500 more this week.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741194191940.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State University’s Kyle Grill, left, with his brothers Caleb and Alec after one of Caleb’s games at the University of Missouri. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State University’s Kyle Grill, left, with his brothers Caleb and Alec after one of Caleb’s games at the University of Missouri. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Kyle sold on FHSU</h2>After playing a reserve role for FHSU as a redshirt freshman last year, Kyle worked his way into the starting lineup along with four seniors this season.Following a standout career at Maize High, where he helped the Eagles reach the state championship game in his junior and senior years, Kyle chose FHSU over other schools.“Fort Hays showed the most interest in me, and I built a better relationship with their three coaches than any others,” he said. “Then I watched a game where Fort Hays played at Newman, and they played so hard defensively. That’s something I really love, playing that hard, so Fort Hays fit my play style.”Once here, he says he wouldn’t trade the atmosphere for anywhere else. FHSU is consistently ranked at or near the top of NCAA Division II schools for game attendance.“We have the best fans in the country. We consistently have 2,500 to 3,000 fans in the stands,” he said. “And I think that makes a huge difference. It gives us energy and makes it a lot more fun.”FHSU fans also are known to travel well and support their teams on the road, as they will at this weekend’s MIAA Tournament.The Grill brothers also follow each other well, watching their games online.And they all have apparel from each other’s schools.This year made it interesting for the Grills with Caleb’s and Kyle’s mascots both being Tigers.While they own some shirts with an MU Tiger and and FHSU’s Victor E. Tiger, they also have some gear with just Tigers across the front. And some accessories can be used for both since both school colors are black and gold.With Caleb and Alec in their final years at their respective schools, Lena prioritizes those games if there are scheduling conflicts.However, when she looked back at this season’s schedule, she saw her attendance was fairly even among the three.Considering their location in the Wichita area, the Grills are actually able to attend more FHSU road games than those at home.However, the Grills always enjoy coming to Hays for games and also catch a lot of Kyle’s games on TV on the MIAA Network.The family was treated to a fun three days in late February when they were in Columbia to watch Caleb score 25 points and grab 10 rebounds in a 110-98 upset of No. 4-ranked Alabama on Wednesday, Feb. 19.The following night, they tuned in on their TV to watch Kyle score 20 points and grab nine rebounds in a 79-52 home win over Missouri Southern.And just one night later, Alec, Maize High’s point guard, helped lead the Eagles to a 79-52 victory over Haysville-Campus.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741194220138.jpeg" alt="Lena Grill, mother of FHSU’s Kyle Grill, is a frequent fan at Tiger games. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Lena Grill, mother of FHSU’s Kyle Grill, is a frequent fan at Tiger games. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>This week’s schedule</h2>Maize High started this week on a winning note Tuesday night with an exciting 64-62 overtime victory over Garden City in first-round action of the Class 6A sub-state on the Eagles’ home floor.&nbsp;Dad and Mom Grill are headed to Norman, Oklahoma, today to watch Caleb and his Missouri Tigers play the Oklahoma Sooners in an SEC game tonight.Following Kyle’s MIAA tournament game Thursday in Kansas City, Alec and his coach will take on Wichita Northwest in the sub-state finals on Friday night in Maize for a shot at making next week’s 6A state tournament.The next day, Mom, Dad and Alec will be in Columbia, Mo., for Caleb’s Senior Day game with Kentucky.March madness will continue for the Grills next week when Missouri travels to Nashville for the SEC Tournament.MU also is on track to make the 2025 NCAA D-I Tournament. And there’s still the possibility for more post-season action for both Kyle and Alec, who also has plans to play college ball like his brothers after high school.But for now, Lena isn’t looking too far ahead – except to Sunday.The Grills will miss FHSU’s potential semifinal game on Saturday in Kansas City because of Caleb’s Senior Day activities in Columbia. But they would like nothing better than to stop in KC on their way home to watch the Tigers in Sunday’s MIAA championship game.

FHSU basketball parents logging massive mileage following 3 sons

In the past several years the legislature has focused on adding additional funding to our water agencies. 

Over 270 communities applied for the 2024 funding period, requesting a total of $237 million. Thirty-nine technical assistance grants and 24 water projects grants were awarded to 70 communities and special districts related to water. A total of $26,287,103 was awarded for Technical Assistance Grant Funds, Water Project Grant Funds and Loan Assistance. 

The communities awarded funding in the 40th Senate District and western Kansas in this round of grants are:&nbsp; • Technical Assistance Grants: Wallace, Ellis, Bunker Hill, Norcatur, Quinter • Loan Assistance Grants: Liebenthal, Gorham, Hill City, Gove, Plainville, Ellis County • Water Projects: Palco, Collyer.

Additional bills passed by the Senate which have been sent to the House include:

Greeley County contacted the Kansas Attorney General after local voters passed a bond proposal for specified improvements for Tribune school district USD200. The county did not meet compliance verification, and the Attorney General refused to approve the funds. SB2 will remedy the situation and will allow Greeley County to proceed with their improvements.

SB64 would amend Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) statutes. The bill would extend the timeline for a KPERS member to request an administrative hearing to appeal a decision made by the KPERS Board of Trustees without a hearing. The bill would also update KPERS statues to align with federal Internal Revenue Code regulations relating to the applicable age for required minimum distribution of pension benefits, recalculation of life expectancy for determining benefits distributions from a defined contribution or deferred contribution plan, and the addition of a SIMPLE IRA that meets specific rollover requirements to the list of eligible retirement plans. Last year KPERS return on investments returned $1.6B.

SB126 would enact the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact. The compacts would facilitate the interstate practice of physician assistants (PAs) with the goal of improving public access to medical services and achieve several objectives that reduce administrative burden while increasing availability of licensed PAs as well as cooperation among member state licensing bodies.

I am honored and grateful to represent the 40th Senate District in Kansas. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email: rick.billinger@senate.ks.gov or call me with your questions or concerns. My office number is 785-296-7399 or my cell number is 785 899-4700. If you are in Topeka, stop by my office at 545-S.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644852447177.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, 40th Dist. File photo/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, 40th Dist. File photo/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA March 4, 2025In the past several years the legislature has focused on adding additional funding to our water agencies. Over 270 communities applied for the 2024 funding period, requesting a total of $237 million. Thirty-nine technical assistance grants and 24 water projects grants were awarded to 70 communities and special districts related to water. A total of $26,287,103 was awarded for Technical Assistance Grant Funds, Water Project Grant Funds and Loan Assistance. The communities awarded funding in the 40th Senate District and western Kansas in this round of grants are:&nbsp; • Technical Assistance Grants: Wallace, Ellis, Bunker Hill, Norcatur, Quinter • Loan Assistance Grants: Liebenthal, Gorham, Hill City, Gove, Plainville, Ellis County • Water Projects: Palco, Collyer.Additional bills passed by the Senate which have been sent to the House include: Greeley County contacted the Kansas Attorney General after local voters passed a bond proposal for specified improvements for Tribune school district USD200. The county did not meet compliance verification, and the Attorney General refused to approve the funds. SB2 will remedy the situation and will allow Greeley County to proceed with their improvements.SB64 would amend Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) statutes. The bill would extend the timeline for a KPERS member to request an administrative hearing to appeal a decision made by the KPERS Board of Trustees without a hearing. The bill would also update KPERS statues to align with federal Internal Revenue Code regulations relating to the applicable age for required minimum distribution of pension benefits, recalculation of life expectancy for determining benefits distributions from a defined contribution or deferred contribution plan, and the addition of a SIMPLE IRA that meets specific rollover requirements to the list of eligible retirement plans. Last year KPERS return on investments returned $1.6B.SB126 would enact the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact. The compacts would facilitate the interstate practice of physician assistants (PAs) with the goal of improving public access to medical services and achieve several objectives that reduce administrative burden while increasing availability of licensed PAs as well as cooperation among member state licensing bodies.I am honored and grateful to represent the 40th Senate District in Kansas. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email: rick.billinger@senate.ks.gov or call me with your questions or concerns. My office number is 785-296-7399 or my cell number is 785 899-4700. If you are in Topeka, stop by my office at 545-S.

BILLINGER: Senate Update March 4, 2025

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

During a stop in Hays last week, Gov. Kelly visited the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/52b97519-b934-46eb-bdf3-8bd246bf2675">Bob&nbsp;and Pat Schmidt Community Center</a> construction site.

The $6 million, 14,000-square-foot community center near 27th and Canterbury is scheduled to be completed in July.

It will house a child care center, Hays Senior Center and community rooms for public use.

James Robben,&nbsp;director of business development and special projects, said the seniors want to attract a square dancing competition to Hays. They would use the community room for this purpose.

Mayor Sandy Jacobs said the community needs more meeting space.

"There is so much about this that is for the whole community," she said. "It just makes you smile when you tell the story. It was the right thing to do at the right time."

The facility is being billed as an opportunity for intergenerational interaction between seniors and children in the child care center.

The center includes a storm shelter that can be used by senior center, child care and surrounding Grove housing development residents.

Doug Williams, executive director of Grow Hays, which has spearheaded the development, said the shelter added to the center's price tag. Still, the development group felt it was a priority for the project.

The senior center will have a patio and a three-season room off the playground so seniors can watch the children play.

The child care center, which Bright Minds Academy will run, will open in August. It will have a capacity for 77 children.&nbsp;

Bright Minds is now taking names for a waiting list for the facility.

Melissa Rooker, executive director of the Kansas Children's Cabinet, said the Children's Cabinet has been able to add more than 3,600 child care slots. Once all the slots in the works are added, including those at the community center in Hays, the cabinet will have helped add about 6,300 child care slots in Kansas.

Kansas Children's Cabinet and Trust Fund granted the project $3.5 million. The center was also supported through private funding, including a Robert and Patricia Schmidt Foundation donation.

The state funds came from a tobacco settlement to the states and were designated for early childhood education by the Kansas Legislature in 1999.

Kelly said child care is needed for businesses to attract and retain employees.

Kelly said the center was a good example of a public-private partnership.

The community center is part of a larger housing project, The Grove, which is being marketed toward seniors.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741120949851.jpeg" alt="James Robben, director of business development and special projects for Grow Hays, far left, speaks with&nbsp;Melissa Rooker, executive director of the Kansas Children's Cabinet, middle, and Gov. Laura Kelly, right, as they tour the&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/52b97519-b934-46eb-bdf3-8bd246bf2675">Bob&nbsp;and Pat Schmidt Community Center</a>&nbsp;in Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>James Robben, director of business development and special projects for Grow Hays, far left, speaks with&nbsp;Melissa Rooker, executive director of the Kansas Children's Cabinet, middle, and Gov. Laura Kelly, right, as they tour the&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/52b97519-b934-46eb-bdf3-8bd246bf2675">Bob&nbsp;and Pat Schmidt Community Center</a>&nbsp;in Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostDuring a stop in Hays last week, Gov. Kelly visited the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/52b97519-b934-46eb-bdf3-8bd246bf2675">Bob&nbsp;and Pat Schmidt Community Center</a> construction site.The $6 million, 14,000-square-foot community center near 27th and Canterbury is scheduled to be completed in July.It will house a child care center, Hays Senior Center and community rooms for public use.James Robben,&nbsp;director of business development and special projects, said the seniors want to attract a square dancing competition to Hays. They would use the community room for this purpose.Mayor Sandy Jacobs said the community needs more meeting space."There is so much about this that is for the whole community," she said. "It just makes you smile when you tell the story. It was the right thing to do at the right time."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741121073079.jpeg" alt="A community room in the new&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/52b97519-b934-46eb-bdf3-8bd246bf2675">Bob&nbsp;and Pat Schmidt Community Center</a>&nbsp;in The Grove housing addition. The Hays Senior Center's new space is to the left. The building is set to be completed in July.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A community room in the new&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/52b97519-b934-46eb-bdf3-8bd246bf2675">Bob&nbsp;and Pat Schmidt Community Center</a>&nbsp;in The Grove housing addition. The Hays Senior Center's new space is to the left. The building is set to be completed in July.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741121010236.jpeg" alt="The child care wing in the&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/52b97519-b934-46eb-bdf3-8bd246bf2675">Bob&nbsp;and Pat Schmidt Community Center</a>. The center will have space for 77 children. The secure entrance can be seen at the far left. The office is in the center. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The child care wing in the&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/52b97519-b934-46eb-bdf3-8bd246bf2675">Bob&nbsp;and Pat Schmidt Community Center</a>. The center will have space for 77 children. The secure entrance can be seen at the far left. The office is in the center. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>The facility is being billed as an opportunity for intergenerational interaction between seniors and children in the child care center.The center includes a storm shelter that can be used by senior center, child care and surrounding Grove housing development residents.Doug Williams, executive director of Grow Hays, which has spearheaded the development, said the shelter added to the center's price tag. Still, the development group felt it was a priority for the project.The senior center will have a patio and a three-season room off the playground so seniors can watch the children play.The child care center, which Bright Minds Academy will run, will open in August. It will have a capacity for 77 children.&nbsp;Bright Minds is now taking names for a waiting list for the facility.Melissa Rooker, executive director of the Kansas Children's Cabinet, said the Children's Cabinet has been able to add more than 3,600 child care slots. Once all the slots in the works are added, including those at the community center in Hays, the cabinet will have helped add about 6,300 child care slots in Kansas.Kansas Children's Cabinet and Trust Fund granted the project $3.5 million. The center was also supported through private funding, including a Robert and Patricia Schmidt Foundation donation.The state funds came from a tobacco settlement to the states and were designated for early childhood education by the Kansas Legislature in 1999.Kelly said child care is needed for businesses to attract and retain employees.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741121109384.jpeg" alt="The exterior of the $6 million, 14,000-square-foot community center, which is near 27th and Canterbury.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The exterior of the $6 million, 14,000-square-foot community center, which is near 27th and Canterbury.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741121039561.jpeg" alt="Excavators were working last week on the infrastructure for The Grove housing addition. The addition, which is adjacent to HaysMed, will be geared toward seniors.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Excavators were working last week on the infrastructure for The Grove housing addition. The addition, which is adjacent to HaysMed, will be geared toward seniors.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Kelly said the center was a good example of a public-private partnership.The community center is part of a larger housing project, The Grove, which is being marketed toward seniors. Work has begun on infrastructure for The Grove housing addition. Most recently, work was being done to lay a sewer for the addition.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/a9010c42-afe6-43c7-8310-fa044f54b847">SEE RELATED STORY: Grow Hays year in review: Housing still key to growth</a>