At 4p.m. Saturday Hutchinson Fire Chief Steve Beer provided an update.

Shortly before 9:30 Saturday, fire crews were called to Steffens
Auto Parts, near Avenue E and Main Street,  on the report of a natural gas odor. Officials say that the initial units
to the scene witnessed the building exploding. 

Crews say that the occupants in the structure were out of
the building. 

The fire was being fed by a 10-inch natural gas line. Officials
say that the body of the fire is under control, but the street caught fire due to the gas leak.&nbsp; 

Hutchinson Fire Department crews were forced to take a
defensive stance and used unmanned water streams to fight the fire.&nbsp; 

Mayor Stacy Goss said that all the City of Hutchinson fire
crews are deployed along with crews from Reno County Fire District Number 3,
Buhler and South Hutchinson fire departments. 

The area between Avenue A and Frank Hart Crossing and Popular
Street and Adams Street are currently under an evacuation.&nbsp; 

There has been an evacuation and warming center set up at
the Salvation which is located at 700 North Walnut. 

Kansas Gas and Evergy have crews on the scene monitoring the
evacuated buildings. Kansas Gas released a statement to Hutch Post:

“Our crews have responded to 428 S. Main in Hutchinson,
Kansas and are working with the Hutchison Fire Department and local emergency
responders. More information will be released once officials have completed
their investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The primary concern of Kansas Gas Service is safety. As a
precautionary measure, the area around the location is being isolated and
secured.&nbsp;

Officials told member of the community, if you smell natural gas, leave the area immediately then
call 911 and our Emergency Line 888-482-4950. Do not use any electrical
equipment such as phones, garage doors, or light switches until you are a safe
distance away from the odor.”

Check the Post for additional information as it becomes available. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740255614106.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Hutchinson Fire Department " />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Hutchinson Fire Department </figcaption>
 </figure>At 4p.m. Saturday Hutchinson Fire Chief Steve Beer provided an update.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FHutchinsonFireDept%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0V9fN3uxRBABUbmwp4EuBNz4m369n4epbxmGBdcdyK3Lz85oheuEMzTfuRseBejMZl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="997" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Shortly before 9:30 Saturday, fire crews were called to Steffens
Auto Parts, near Avenue E and Main Street, on the report of a natural gas odor. Officials say that the initial units
to the scene witnessed the building exploding. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740258355524.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Crews say that the occupants in the structure were out of
the building. The fire was being fed by a 10-inch natural gas line. Officials
say that the body of the fire is under control, but the street caught fire due to the gas leak.&nbsp; Hutchinson Fire Department crews were forced to take a
defensive stance and used unmanned water streams to fight the fire.&nbsp; Mayor Stacy Goss said that all the City of Hutchinson fire
crews are deployed along with crews from Reno County Fire District Number 3,
Buhler and South Hutchinson fire departments. <div><iframe title="Mayor Fire Presser" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=s9ejx-1811a48-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>The area between Avenue A and Frank Hart Crossing and Popular
Street and Adams Street are currently under an evacuation.&nbsp; There has been an evacuation and warming center set up at
the Salvation which is located at 700 North Walnut. Kansas Gas and Evergy have crews on the scene monitoring the
evacuated buildings. Kansas Gas released a statement to Hutch Post:“Our crews have responded to 428 S. Main in Hutchinson,
Kansas and are working with the Hutchison Fire Department and local emergency
responders. More information will be released once officials have completed
their investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;The primary concern of Kansas Gas Service is safety. As a
precautionary measure, the area around the location is being isolated and
secured.&nbsp;Officials told member of the community, if you smell natural gas, leave the area immediately then
call 911 and our Emergency Line 888-482-4950. Do not use any electrical
equipment such as phones, garage doors, or light switches until you are a safe
distance away from the odor.”Check the Post for additional information as it becomes available.

Fire evacuation order in Hutchinson after gas leak, building explosion

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — President Donald Trump says Elon Musk will be looking at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-domestic-news-domestic-news-d0e1efce41bb42ba9cdf1f34dc3f7e5c">Fort Knox</a>, the legendary depository in Kentucky for American gold reserves, to make sure the gold is still there.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says there is an audit every year and that “all the gold is present and accounted for.”

The United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox has stored precious metal bullion reserves for the United States since 1937 and has become synonymous for secure and well protected. Along with protecting gold reserves, Fort Knox is currently also used as the Army's human resources command center, and it hosts the Army's largest annual training event each summer.

The Army post is about 35 miles south of Louisville and encompasses 109,000 acres in three Kentucky counties — Bullitt, Hardin, and Mead.

Camp Knox was established during World War I and became an artillery training center, according to the Army post's website. It was made a permanent installation in 1932 and has been known since then as Fort Knox. The first gold arrived at Fort Knox in 1937 with the 1st Cavalry Regiment called on to guard the shipment.

With the outbreak of World War II in Europe, the Army created the Armored Force at Fort Knox, and thousands of soldiers were ordered there and introduced to the tank. For nearly 80 years, the post was known as the “Home of Cavalry and Armor.”

In 2005, the Army decided to move the Armor Center and School to Fort Benning, Georgia, and the Human Resource Command Center of Excellence was established at Fort Knox. In 2013, ROTC Cadet Summer Training was consolidated at Fort Knox. The post hosts the Army's largest annual training event each summer.

According to the U.S. Mint, current gold holdings at the US Bullion Depository at Fort Knox are 147.3 million ounces. About half of the Treasury’s stored gold is kept at Fort Knox.

Has the gold ever been removed? The Mint says only very small quantities have been removed to test the purity of the gold during regularly scheduled audits. Except for these samples, no gold has been transferred to or from the depository for many years. The gold's book value is $42.22 per ounce.

The depository is very secure. The actual structure and content of the facility is known by only a few, and no one person knows all the procedures to open the vault.

What is known publicly is that the facility was built in 1936 using 16,000 cubic feet of granite, 4,200 cubic yards of concrete, 750 tons of reinforcing steel and 670 tons of structural steel. The facility is heavily guarded and has broken its strict policy of not allowing visitors only three times.

Has anyone been allowed to see the gold reserves?

In 1974, the US Mint opened the vaults to a group of journalists and a congressional delegation so they could see the gold reserves. The Treasury secretary allowed the visit after persistent rumors that the gold had been removed. Until then, the only person other than authorized personnel to access the vaults was President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Since then, the vaults have been opened one other time: In 2017, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin visited with Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin and congressional representatives. Current Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said he would happily arrange an inspection for any senator who is interested in seeing the vaults.

The gold depository at Fort Knox has a reputation for being impenetrable, which has gained it a place in popular culture. As early as 1952, a Looney Tunes cartoon featured Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam digging for gold Fort Knox. Fort Knox has also been featured in the plot of movies such as the 1964 James Bond spy thriller “Goldfinger” and the 1981 comedy “Stripes,” which was partially filmed at the post.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740087191250.png" alt="President Trump on Air Force One: "We're going to go to Fort Knox, the fabled Fort Knox, to make sure the gold is there. If there gold isn't there, we're going to be very upset."" />
 <figcaption>President Trump on Air Force One: "We're going to go to Fort Knox, the fabled Fort Knox, to make sure the gold is there. If there gold isn't there, we're going to be very upset."</figcaption>
 </figure>LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — President Donald Trump says Elon Musk will be looking at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-domestic-news-domestic-news-d0e1efce41bb42ba9cdf1f34dc3f7e5c">Fort Knox</a>, the legendary depository in Kentucky for American gold reserves, to make sure the gold is still there.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Trump on Air Force One: &quot;We&#39;re going to go to Fort Knox, the fabled Fort Knox, to make sure the gold is there. If there gold isn&#39;t there, we&#39;re going to be very upset.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/sujfQRLLDY">pic.twitter.com/sujfQRLLDY</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1892426998221279378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says there is an audit every year and that “all the gold is present and accounted for.”The United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox has stored precious metal bullion reserves for the United States since 1937 and has become synonymous for secure and well protected. Along with protecting gold reserves, Fort Knox is currently also used as the Army's human resources command center, and it hosts the Army's largest annual training event each summer.<h2>Fort Knox history and location</h2>The Army post is about 35 miles south of Louisville and encompasses 109,000 acres in three Kentucky counties — Bullitt, Hardin, and Mead.Camp Knox was established during World War I and became an artillery training center, according to the Army post's website. It was made a permanent installation in 1932 and has been known since then as Fort Knox. The first gold arrived at Fort Knox in 1937 with the 1st Cavalry Regiment called on to guard the shipment.With the outbreak of World War II in Europe, the Army created the Armored Force at Fort Knox, and thousands of soldiers were ordered there and introduced to the tank. For nearly 80 years, the post was known as the “Home of Cavalry and Armor.”In 2005, the Army decided to move the Armor Center and School to Fort Benning, Georgia, and the Human Resource Command Center of Excellence was established at Fort Knox. In 2013, ROTC Cadet Summer Training was consolidated at Fort Knox. The post hosts the Army's largest annual training event each summer.<h2>How much gold is stored at Fort Knox</h2>According to the U.S. Mint, current gold holdings at the US Bullion Depository at Fort Knox are 147.3 million ounces. About half of the Treasury’s stored gold is kept at Fort Knox.Has the gold ever been removed? The Mint says only very small quantities have been removed to test the purity of the gold during regularly scheduled audits. Except for these samples, no gold has been transferred to or from the depository for many years. The gold's book value is $42.22 per ounce.<h2>Just how secure is Fort Knox</h2>The depository is very secure. The actual structure and content of the facility is known by only a few, and no one person knows all the procedures to open the vault.What is known publicly is that the facility was built in 1936 using 16,000 cubic feet of granite, 4,200 cubic yards of concrete, 750 tons of reinforcing steel and 670 tons of structural steel. The facility is heavily guarded and has broken its strict policy of not allowing visitors only three times.<h2>Has anyone been allowed to see the gold reserves?</h2>In 1974, the US Mint opened the vaults to a group of journalists and a congressional delegation so they could see the gold reserves. The Treasury secretary allowed the visit after persistent rumors that the gold had been removed. Until then, the only person other than authorized personnel to access the vaults was President Franklin D. Roosevelt.Since then, the vaults have been opened one other time: In 2017, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin visited with Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin and congressional representatives. Current Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said he would happily arrange an inspection for any senator who is interested in seeing the vaults.<h2>Fort Knox in popular lexicon</h2>The gold depository at Fort Knox has a reputation for being impenetrable, which has gained it a place in popular culture. As early as 1952, a Looney Tunes cartoon featured Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam digging for gold Fort Knox. Fort Knox has also been featured in the plot of movies such as the 1964 James Bond spy thriller “Goldfinger” and the 1981 comedy “Stripes,” which was partially filmed at the post.

🎥Trump: We're going to check the Fort Knox gold depository

On this episode of the Hays Post Podcast, new reporter Becky Kiser talks about artificial sweeteners, chemically produced and all-natural, with Jessica Phelan, assistant professor in the Fort Hays State University Department of Health and Human Performance.

<div><iframe title="POST PODCAST: Artificial sweeteners: Are they harmful?" 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=as8mm-180e55f-pb&square=1&share=1&download=1&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=300" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>On this episode of the Hays Post Podcast, new reporter Becky Kiser talks about artificial sweeteners, chemically produced and all-natural, with Jessica Phelan, assistant professor in the Fort Hays State University Department of Health and Human Performance.

🎙 POST PODCAST: Artificial sweeteners: Are they harmful?

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

The Ellis County Health Department is introducing a new director with a strong background in public health.

Melissa Miller, a Tribune native, spent about 10 years in Denver before returning to rural Kansas. She launched her public health career as the office manager at the Greeley County Health Department.

"I was looking for a full-time job... I really thought it would be scheduling appointments and answering the phone. I had no idea that it would turn into a passion for public health," Miller said.&nbsp;

Starting Monday, Miller will bring her experience and dedication to the health department, focusing first on understanding Ellis County.

"My first priority is just to listen and to learn," Miller said.

Although Miller has some familiarity with Ellis County, she acknowledges that stepping into her new role comes with a learning curve, especially in identifying health challenges affecting residents.

Miller plans to build on existing initiatives and assess opportunities for improvement or expansion rather than making immediate changes.

One of Miller's long-term goals is to enhance public awareness of public health's impact on prevention, screenings, maternal health and community support programs.

"I really feel like living a well-rounded life takes a village. And so people helping people is very important to me," Miller said.&nbsp;

By evaluating community needs and strengthening partnerships with local organizations, she aims to introduce effective health strategies to Ellis County.

"Accessibility starts with awareness. If people don't know what services are available to them, they can't take advantage of them," she said.

Growing up on a farm in Tribune, Miller developed a deep appreciation for the vital role public health plays in small communities.

She recalls classic public health campaigns from her childhood, like "Don't be a Litterbug" and "Smokey Bear," which have remained influential across generations, including her children.

"Public health isn't just for a certain demographic of people. It's not limited to people of certain ages or different income levels or backgrounds. It really just benefits society as a whole," Miller said.&nbsp;

Ellis County announced her hiring in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1021870673316086&amp;set=a.244642154372279">Facebook post</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739914426334.jpeg" alt="Melissa Miller" />
 <figcaption>Melissa Miller</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostThe Ellis County Health Department is introducing a new director with a strong background in public health.Melissa Miller, a Tribune native, spent about 10 years in Denver before returning to rural Kansas. She launched her public health career as the office manager at the Greeley County Health Department. "I was looking for a full-time job... I really thought it would be scheduling appointments and answering the phone. I had no idea that it would turn into a passion for public health," Miller said.&nbsp;Starting Monday, Miller will bring her experience and dedication to the health department, focusing first on understanding Ellis County."My first priority is just to listen and to learn," Miller said.Although Miller has some familiarity with Ellis County, she acknowledges that stepping into her new role comes with a learning curve, especially in identifying health challenges affecting residents.Miller plans to build on existing initiatives and assess opportunities for improvement or expansion rather than making immediate changes.One of Miller's long-term goals is to enhance public awareness of public health's impact on prevention, screenings, maternal health and community support programs."I really feel like living a well-rounded life takes a village. And so people helping people is very important to me," Miller said.&nbsp;By evaluating community needs and strengthening partnerships with local organizations, she aims to introduce effective health strategies to Ellis County."Accessibility starts with awareness. If people don't know what services are available to them, they can't take advantage of them," she said.Growing up on a farm in Tribune, Miller developed a deep appreciation for the vital role public health plays in small communities.She recalls classic public health campaigns from her childhood, like "Don't be a Litterbug" and "Smokey Bear," which have remained influential across generations, including her children."Public health isn't just for a certain demographic of people. It's not limited to people of certain ages or different income levels or backgrounds. It really just benefits society as a whole," Miller said.&nbsp;Ellis County announced her hiring in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1021870673316086&amp;set=a.244642154372279">Facebook post</a>.

Ellis County Health Department welcomes new director

**KSHSAA has updated the week’s schedule after this story was
initially published.

The TMP-Marian girls and boys teams will now play a doubleheader
on Thursday, Feb. 27. The girls' game will start at 6 p.m. with the boys to follow at Al Billinger
Fieldhouse in Hays.

The TMP-Marian Lady Monarchs earned the No. 8 seed in the 2A
Sublette sub-state #1 next week and will host Medicine Lodge in the first
round.

TMP finished the regular season 12-9 and will host the 10-10
Indians on Friday, Feb. 28 at Al Billinger Fieldhouse.

The winner will get the top-seed Wichita County (19-1) or
the 16-seed Sublette in the semifinals.

The bottom side of the bracket has the No. 4 seed Hoxie hosting
13-seed Sterling and the No. 5 Oakley Plainsmen taking on No. 12 Trego.

The winners will play each other, at the higher seed on
March 5th and the two sub-state championship games will be March 8.

Ellinwood is the No. 2 seed and will host 15-seed Hill City
in the first round Friday. 

Syracuse, the No. seven-seed takes on the 10-seed Stanton
County, and the will fill has the higher.

Phillipsburg is the No. 3 seed and will host No. 14 points.

Hays Post Sports**KSHSAA has updated the week’s schedule after this story was
initially published. The TMP-Marian girls and boys teams will now play a doubleheader
on Thursday, Feb. 27. The girls' game will start at 6 p.m. with the boys to follow at Al Billinger
Fieldhouse in Hays. The TMP-Marian Lady Monarchs earned the No. 8 seed in the 2A
Sublette sub-state #1 next week and will host Medicine Lodge in the first
round.TMP finished the regular season 12-9 and will host the 10-10
Indians on Friday, Feb. 28 at Al Billinger Fieldhouse.The winner will get the top-seed Wichita County (19-1) or
the 16-seed Sublette in the semifinals.The bottom side of the bracket has the No. 4 seed Hoxie hosting
13-seed Sterling and the No. 5 Oakley Plainsmen taking on No. 12 Trego.The winners will play each other, at the higher seed on
March 5th and the two sub-state championship games will be March 8.Ellinwood is the No. 2 seed and will host 15-seed Hill City
in the first round Friday. Syracuse, the No. seven-seed takes on the 10-seed Stanton
County, and the will fill has the higher.Phillipsburg is the No. 3 seed and will host No. 14 points.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740214664710.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>

🏀 TMP girls get sub-state against Medicine Lodge

With their win on Friday night over Norton, the TMP-Marian
boys basketball teams earned a first-round home game in next week’s opening
round of the 2A Sublette Sub-state.

The Monarchs boys finished the regular season 12-9 and
earned the No. 8 seed in the sub-state.

They will host Medicine Lodge (11-9), who is the No. 9 seed,
at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27, at Al Billinger Fieldhouse.

The Indians defeated the Monarchs in the third-place game of
the 2023 2A state tournament in Manhattan. They also defeated TMP in the 2-1A
state baseball tournament semifinals last May.

The winner will get either the top-seed Sterling or the No.
16 seed Phillipsburg.

In sub-state No. 2, Syracuse is the second seed, taking on
15-seed Hill City. 

The winner will take on either the seven-seed Ellinwood or
the 10-seed Trego. 

Plainville is the No. 3 seed. They will host 14-seed Smith
Center, and the winner will receive the winner of six-seed Hoxie and 11-seed
Oakley.

The high seed hosts the first two rounds, and the sub-state
championship games are played on Friday, March 7, in Sublette.

Hays Post Sports**KSHSAA has updated the week’s schedule after this story was
initially published. The TMP-Marian girls and boys teams will now play a doubleheader
on Thursday, Feb. 27. The girls' game will start at 6 p.m. with the boys to follow at Al Billinger
Fieldhouse in Hays. With their win on Friday night over Norton, the TMP-Marian
boys basketball teams earned a first-round home game in next week’s opening
round of the 2A Sublette Sub-state.The Monarchs boys finished the regular season 12-9 and
earned the No. 8 seed in the sub-state.They will host Medicine Lodge (11-9), who is the No. 9 seed,
at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27, at Al Billinger Fieldhouse.The Indians defeated the Monarchs in the third-place game of
the 2023 2A state tournament in Manhattan. They also defeated TMP in the 2-1A
state baseball tournament semifinals last May.The winner will get either the top-seed Sterling or the No.
16 seed Phillipsburg.In sub-state No. 2, Syracuse is the second seed, taking on
15-seed Hill City. The winner will take on either the seven-seed Ellinwood or
the 10-seed Trego. Plainville is the No. 3 seed. They will host 14-seed Smith
Center, and the winner will receive the winner of six-seed Hoxie and 11-seed
Oakley.The high seed hosts the first two rounds, and the sub-state
championship games are played on Friday, March 7, in Sublette.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740213635087.png" alt="2a boys sublette.png" />
 <figcaption>2a boys sublette.png</figcaption>
 </figure>

🏀 TMP boys earns first-round sub-state games

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump abruptly fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, sidelining a history-making fighter pilot and respected officer as part of a campaign led by his defense secretary to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-trump-diversity-pentagon-list-602477b6e80641b53f4f9b640a14f4ce">rid the military of leaders who support diversity</a>&nbsp;and equity in the ranks.

The ouster of Brown, only the second Black general to serve as chairman, is sure to send shock waves through the Pentagon. His 16 months in the job had been consumed with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and the expanded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">conflict in the Middle East</a>.

“I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family,” Trump posted on social media.

Brown’s public support of Black Lives Matter after the police killing of George Floyd had made him fodder for the administration's wars against “wokeism” in the military. His ouster is the latest upheaval at the Pentagon, which plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-job-cuts-trump-doge-31e3ed62f5f35a5e5a4a07fd8708232f">cut 5,400 civilian probationary workers</a>&nbsp;starting next week and identify $50 billion in programs that could be cut next year to redirect those savings to fund Trump’s priorities.

Trump said he's nominating retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to be the next chairman. Caine is a career F-16 pilot who served on active duty and in the National Guard, and was most recently the associate director for military affairs at the CIA, according to his military biography.

Caine’s military service includes combat roles in Iraq, special operations postings and positions inside some of the Pentagon’s most classified special access programs.

However, he has not had key assignments identified in law as prerequisites for the job, including serving as either the vice chairman, a combatant commander or a service chief. That requirement could be waived if the “president determines such action is necessary in the national interest.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a statement praising both Caine and Brown, announced the firings of two additional senior officers: Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Jim Slife.

Franchetti becomes the second top female military officer to be fired by the Trump administration. Trump fired&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-alejandro-mayorkas-us-coast-guard-government-and-politics-8b589577fa03f04f3ce096e2bbf98928">Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan</a>&nbsp;just a day after he was sworn in.

A surface warfare officer, Franchetti has commanded at all levels, heading U.S. 6th Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces Korea. She was the second woman ever to be promoted to four-star admiral, and she did multiple deployments, including as commander of a naval destroyer and two stints as aircraft carrier strike group commander.

Slife led Air Force Special Operations Command prior to becoming the service's vice chief of staff and had deployed to the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Trump has asserted his executive authority in a much stronger way in his second term, removing most officials from the Biden administration even though many of those positions are meant to carry over from one administration to the next.

The chairman role was established in 1949 as an adviser to the president and secretary of defense, as a way to filter all of the views of the service chiefs and more readily provide that information to the White House without the president having to reach out to each individual military branch, according to an Atlantic Council briefing written by retired Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro. The role has no actual command authority.

Trump acted despite support for Brown among key members of Congress and a seemingly friendly meeting with him in mid-December, when the two were seated next to each other for a time at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-army-navy-football-penny-hegseth-desantis-85da138b3ac130b211afc414bf43514a">Army-Navy football game</a>.

The firing follows days of speculation after a list of officers, including Brown, to be fired was circulated on Capitol Hill — but notably was not sent via any formal notification to either of the Republican chairmen of the House or Senate armed services committees.

Sen. Roger Wicker, GOP chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, didn't mention Caine's name in a statement Friday.

“I thank Chairman Brown for his decades of honorable service to our nation,” Wicker said. “I am confident Secretary Hegseth and President Trump will select a qualified and capable successor for the critical position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”

Congressional Democratic leaders called out the firings as a direct attempt to politicize the military.

“A professional, apolitical military that is subordinate to the civilian government and supportive of the Constitution rather than a political party is essential to the survival of our democracy," Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement late Friday. “For the sake of our troops and the well-being of every American, elected leaders — especially Senate Republicans — must defend that enduring principle against corrosive attempts to remake the military into a partisan force.”

Brown’s future was called into question during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-hearing-senate-defense-pentagon-trump-37d0961eb63d824cae8d4478cb12e412">confirmation hearing for Hegseth</a>&nbsp;last month. Asked if he would fire Brown, Hegseth responded, “Every single senior officer will be reviewed based on meritocracy, standards, lethality and commitment to lawful orders they will be given.”

Hegseth had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-hegseth-background-defense-secretary-confirmation-hearing-e160e10c86385a8beff110d9190fb34e">previously taken aim at Brown</a>. “First of all, you gotta fire, you know, you gotta fire the chairman of Joint Chiefs,” he said flatly in a podcast in November. And in one of his books, he questioned whether Brown got the job because he was Black.

“Was it because of his skin color? Or his skill? We’ll never know, but always doubt — which on its face seems unfair to CQ. But since he has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards, it doesn’t really much matter,” Hegseth wrote.

As he walked into the Pentagon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-hegseth-priorities-border-budget-3227111b703be8a90ad93da289784932">on his first day as defense chief</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 27, Hegseth was asked directly if he planned to fire Brown.

“I’m standing with him right now,” said Hegseth, patting Brown on the back. “Look forward to working with him.”

Brown, who spent Friday visiting troops at the U.S.-Mexico border, drew attention to himself for speaking out about the death of George Floyd in 2020. While he knew it was risky, he said, discussions with his wife and sons about the killing convinced him he needed to say something.

As protests roiled the nation, Brown posted a video message to the Air Force titled, “Here’s What I’m Thinking About.” He described the pressures that came with being one of the few Black men in his unit. He recalled pushing himself “to perform error-free” as a pilot and officer his whole life, but still facing bias. He said he’d been questioned about his credentials, even when he wore the same flight suit and wings as every other pilot.

Brown’s path to the chairmanship was troubled — he was among the more than 260 senior military officers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-military-promotion-tuberville-alabama-8269bbc6a8a7bbb0eabbbba6f1a27787">whose nominations were stalled for months</a>&nbsp;by Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. But when the Senate vote was finally taken in September 2023, Brown easily was confirmed by a vote of 89-8.

It had been 30 years since Colin Powell became the first Black chairman, serving from 1989 to 1993. But while African Americans made up 17.2% of the 1.3 million active-duty service members, only 9% of officers were Black, according to a 2021 Defense Department report.

Brown’s service as chairman made history in that this was the first time that both the defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, and the Joint Chiefs chairman were Black.

However, he has not had key assignments identified in law as prerequisites for the job, including serving as either the vice chairman, as a combatant commander or a service chief. That requirement could be waived if the “president determines such action is necessary in the national interest.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738070098080.png" alt="File photo-Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. joined Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on his first day of work at the Pentagon.-courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo-Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. joined Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on his first day of work at the Pentagon.-courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump abruptly fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, sidelining a history-making fighter pilot and respected officer as part of a campaign led by his defense secretary to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-trump-diversity-pentagon-list-602477b6e80641b53f4f9b640a14f4ce">rid the military of leaders who support diversity</a>&nbsp;and equity in the ranks.The ouster of Brown, only the second Black general to serve as chairman, is sure to send shock waves through the Pentagon. His 16 months in the job had been consumed with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and the expanded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">conflict in the Middle East</a>.“I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family,” Trump posted on social media.Brown’s public support of Black Lives Matter after the police killing of George Floyd had made him fodder for the administration's wars against “wokeism” in the military. His ouster is the latest upheaval at the Pentagon, which plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-job-cuts-trump-doge-31e3ed62f5f35a5e5a4a07fd8708232f">cut 5,400 civilian probationary workers</a>&nbsp;starting next week and identify $50 billion in programs that could be cut next year to redirect those savings to fund Trump’s priorities.Trump said he's nominating retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to be the next chairman. Caine is a career F-16 pilot who served on active duty and in the National Guard, and was most recently the associate director for military affairs at the CIA, according to his military biography.Caine’s military service includes combat roles in Iraq, special operations postings and positions inside some of the Pentagon’s most classified special access programs.However, he has not had key assignments identified in law as prerequisites for the job, including serving as either the vice chairman, a combatant commander or a service chief. That requirement could be waived if the “president determines such action is necessary in the national interest.”<h2>More Pentagon firings</h2>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a statement praising both Caine and Brown, announced the firings of two additional senior officers: Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Jim Slife.Franchetti becomes the second top female military officer to be fired by the Trump administration. Trump fired&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-alejandro-mayorkas-us-coast-guard-government-and-politics-8b589577fa03f04f3ce096e2bbf98928">Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan</a>&nbsp;just a day after he was sworn in.A surface warfare officer, Franchetti has commanded at all levels, heading U.S. 6th Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces Korea. She was the second woman ever to be promoted to four-star admiral, and she did multiple deployments, including as commander of a naval destroyer and two stints as aircraft carrier strike group commander.Slife led Air Force Special Operations Command prior to becoming the service's vice chief of staff and had deployed to the Middle East and Afghanistan.Trump has asserted his executive authority in a much stronger way in his second term, removing most officials from the Biden administration even though many of those positions are meant to carry over from one administration to the next.The chairman role was established in 1949 as an adviser to the president and secretary of defense, as a way to filter all of the views of the service chiefs and more readily provide that information to the White House without the president having to reach out to each individual military branch, according to an Atlantic Council briefing written by retired Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro. The role has no actual command authority.Trump acted despite support for Brown among key members of Congress and a seemingly friendly meeting with him in mid-December, when the two were seated next to each other for a time at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-army-navy-football-penny-hegseth-desantis-85da138b3ac130b211afc414bf43514a">Army-Navy football game</a>.The firing follows days of speculation after a list of officers, including Brown, to be fired was circulated on Capitol Hill — but notably was not sent via any formal notification to either of the Republican chairmen of the House or Senate armed services committees.Sen. Roger Wicker, GOP chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, didn't mention Caine's name in a statement Friday.“I thank Chairman Brown for his decades of honorable service to our nation,” Wicker said. “I am confident Secretary Hegseth and President Trump will select a qualified and capable successor for the critical position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”Congressional Democratic leaders called out the firings as a direct attempt to politicize the military.“A professional, apolitical military that is subordinate to the civilian government and supportive of the Constitution rather than a political party is essential to the survival of our democracy," Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement late Friday. “For the sake of our troops and the well-being of every American, elected leaders — especially Senate Republicans — must defend that enduring principle against corrosive attempts to remake the military into a partisan force.”<h2>Brown risked discussing race</h2>Brown’s future was called into question during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-hearing-senate-defense-pentagon-trump-37d0961eb63d824cae8d4478cb12e412">confirmation hearing for Hegseth</a>&nbsp;last month. Asked if he would fire Brown, Hegseth responded, “Every single senior officer will be reviewed based on meritocracy, standards, lethality and commitment to lawful orders they will be given.”Hegseth had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-hegseth-background-defense-secretary-confirmation-hearing-e160e10c86385a8beff110d9190fb34e">previously taken aim at Brown</a>. “First of all, you gotta fire, you know, you gotta fire the chairman of Joint Chiefs,” he said flatly in a podcast in November. And in one of his books, he questioned whether Brown got the job because he was Black.“Was it because of his skin color? Or his skill? We’ll never know, but always doubt — which on its face seems unfair to CQ. But since he has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards, it doesn’t really much matter,” Hegseth wrote.As he walked into the Pentagon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-hegseth-priorities-border-budget-3227111b703be8a90ad93da289784932">on his first day as defense chief</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 27, Hegseth was asked directly if he planned to fire Brown.“I’m standing with him right now,” said Hegseth, patting Brown on the back. “Look forward to working with him.”Brown, who spent Friday visiting troops at the U.S.-Mexico border, drew attention to himself for speaking out about the death of George Floyd in 2020. While he knew it was risky, he said, discussions with his wife and sons about the killing convinced him he needed to say something.As protests roiled the nation, Brown posted a video message to the Air Force titled, “Here’s What I’m Thinking About.” He described the pressures that came with being one of the few Black men in his unit. He recalled pushing himself “to perform error-free” as a pilot and officer his whole life, but still facing bias. He said he’d been questioned about his credentials, even when he wore the same flight suit and wings as every other pilot.Brown’s path to the chairmanship was troubled — he was among the more than 260 senior military officers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-military-promotion-tuberville-alabama-8269bbc6a8a7bbb0eabbbba6f1a27787">whose nominations were stalled for months</a>&nbsp;by Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. But when the Senate vote was finally taken in September 2023, Brown easily was confirmed by a vote of 89-8.It had been 30 years since Colin Powell became the first Black chairman, serving from 1989 to 1993. But while African Americans made up 17.2% of the 1.3 million active-duty service members, only 9% of officers were Black, according to a 2021 Defense Department report.Brown’s service as chairman made history in that this was the first time that both the defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, and the Joint Chiefs chairman were Black.--------------WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump abruptly fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, sidelining a history-making fighter pilot and respected officer as part of a campaign led by his defense secretary to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-trump-diversity-pentagon-list-602477b6e80641b53f4f9b640a14f4ce">rid the military of leaders who support diversity</a>&nbsp;and equity in the ranks.The ouster of Brown, only the second Black general to serve as chairman, is sure to send shock waves through the Pentagon. His 16 months in the job had been consumed with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and the expanded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">conflict in the Middle East</a>.“I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family,” Trump posted on social media.Brown’s public support of Black Lives Matter after the police killing of George Floyd had made him fodder for the administration's wars against “wokeism” in the military. His ouster is the latest upheaval at the Pentagon, which plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-job-cuts-trump-doge-31e3ed62f5f35a5e5a4a07fd8708232f">cut 5,400 civilian probationary workers</a>&nbsp;starting next week and identify $50 billion in programs that could be cut next year to redirect those savings to fund Trump’s priorities.Trump said he's nominating retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to be the next chairman. Caine is a career F-16 pilot who served on active duty and in the National Guard, and was most recently the associate director for military affairs at the CIA, according to his military biography.Caine’s military service includes combat roles in Iraq, special operations postings and positions inside some of the Pentagon’s most classified special access programs.However, he has not had key assignments identified in law as prerequisites for the job, including serving as either the vice chairman, as a combatant commander or a service chief. That requirement could be waived if the “president determines such action is necessary in the national interest.”Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a statement praising both Caine and Brown, announced the firings of two additional senior officers: Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Jim Slife.Franchetti becomes the second top female military officer to be fired by the Trump administration. Trump fired&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-alejandro-mayorkas-us-coast-guard-government-and-politics-8b589577fa03f04f3ce096e2bbf98928">Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan</a>&nbsp;just a day after he was sworn in.A surface warfare officer, Franchetti has commanded at all levels, heading U.S. 6th Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces Korea. She was the second woman ever to be promoted to four-star admiral, and she did multiple deployments, including as commander of a naval destroyer and two stints as aircraft carrier strike group commander.Slife led Air Force Special Operations Command prior to becoming the service's vice chief of staff and had deployed to the Middle East and Afghanistan.Trump has asserted his executive authority in a much stronger way in his second term, removing most officials from the Biden administration even though many of those positions are meant to carry over from one administration to the next.The chairman role was established in 1949 as an adviser to the president and secretary of defense, as a way to filter all of the views of the service chiefs and more readily provide that information to the White House without the president having to reach out to each individual military branch, according to an Atlantic Council briefing written by retired Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro. The role has no actual command authority.Trump acted despite support for Brown among key members of Congress and a seemingly friendly meeting with him in mid-December, when the two were seated next to each other for a time at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-army-navy-football-penny-hegseth-desantis-85da138b3ac130b211afc414bf43514a">Army-Navy football game</a>.Sen. Roger Wicker, GOP chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, didn't mention Caine's name in a statement Friday.“I thank Chairman Brown for his decades of honorable service to our nation,” Wicker said. “I am confident Secretary Hegseth and President Trump will select a qualified and capable successor for the critical position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”Brown’s future was called into question during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-hearing-senate-defense-pentagon-trump-37d0961eb63d824cae8d4478cb12e412">confirmation hearing for Hegseth</a>&nbsp;last month. Asked if he would fire Brown, Hegseth responded, “Every single senior officer will be reviewed based on meritocracy, standards, lethality and commitment to lawful orders they will be given.”Hegseth had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-hegseth-background-defense-secretary-confirmation-hearing-e160e10c86385a8beff110d9190fb34e">previously taken aim at Brown</a>. “First of all, you gotta fire, you know, you gotta fire the chairman of Joint Chiefs,” he said flatly in a podcast in November. And in one of his books, he questioned whether Brown got the job because he was Black.“Was it because of his skin color? Or his skill? We’ll never know, but always doubt — which on its face seems unfair to CQ. But since he has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards, it doesn’t really much matter,” Hegseth wrote.As he walked into the Pentagon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-hegseth-priorities-border-budget-3227111b703be8a90ad93da289784932">on his first day as defense chief</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 27, Hegseth was asked directly if he planned to fire Brown.“I’m standing with him right now,” said Hegseth, patting Brown on the back. “Look forward to working with him.”Brown, who spent Friday visiting troops at the U.S.-Mexico border, drew attention to himself for speaking out about the death of George Floyd in 2020. While he knew it was risky, he said, discussions with his wife and sons about the killing convinced him he needed to say something.As protests roiled the nation, Brown posted a video message to the Air Force titled, “Here’s What I’m Thinking About.” He described the pressures that came with being one of the few Black men in his unit. He recalled pushing himself “to perform error-free” as a pilot and officer his whole life, but still facing bias. He said he’d been questioned about his credentials, even when he wore the same flight suit and wings as every other pilot.Brown’s path to the chairmanship was troubled — he was among the more than 260 senior military officers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-military-promotion-tuberville-alabama-8269bbc6a8a7bbb0eabbbba6f1a27787">whose nominations were stalled for months</a>&nbsp;by Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. But when the Senate vote was finally taken in September 2023, Brown easily was confirmed by a vote of 89-8.It had been 30 years since Colin Powell became the first Black chairman, serving from 1989 to 1993. But while African Americans made up 17.2% of the 1.3 million active-duty service members, only 9% of officers were Black, according to a 2021 Defense Department report.Brown’s service as chairman made history in that this was the first time that both the defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, and the Joint Chiefs chairman were Black.

Trump fires chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and two other military officers

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post Sports

HAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs closed the regular season with a
doubleheader sweep of the Norton Bluejays on senior night at Al Billinger
Fieldhouse.

GIRLS: TMP 49, Norton 33 On a night when the TMP-Marian Monarchs girls basketball
honored six team members, they used a 14-3 run to close out the first half and
open the second half on their way to a 48-33 win over the Norton Bluejays on
senior night. The win also clinches a first-round home game for the Monarchs
(12-9, 6-4 MCL) in next week’s 2A Sublette sub-state.

The two teams were evenly matched in the game's first
minutes, with three ties and six lead changes.

TMP’s Brooke Koenigsman scored the final first quarter,
making it 13-12 TMP.

Koenigsman and Claire Schippers hit back-to-back
three-pointers to open the second quarter, and the Monarchs built a 19-13 lead.
But Norton eventually erased the deficit and tied the game at 19 with less than
two minutes and thirty seconds left in the first half. 

After the 19-19 tie, the Monarchs put together the 14-3 run
over nearly six and a half minutes that closed out the first half and opened
the third quarter, making it 33-22 with four minutes left in the third quarter.

Norton (9-12 &amp; 6-4 MCL) closed the game within nine at
the end of the third quarter, at 36-27, but TMP outscored the Lady Jays 12-6 in
the final quarter to win 49-33.

Brooke Koenigsman scored a game-high for the Monarchs, and
Claire Schippers added 13 points, matching her season-high.

BOYS: TMP 56, Norton 46 The TMP-Marian Monarchs (12-9 &amp; 7-3) outscored Norton
25-10 to close out the first half and opened the second half as they handed the
Bluejays their only loss of the MCL regular season Friday 56-46.

TMP built an early lead thanks to the three-point shot. Ty
Schmeidler connected on two of his game-high six, and Caden Dinkel added his
first of three in the first quarter as the Monarchs built a 15-13 first-quarter
lead.

Norton (15-5 &amp; 9-1 MCL) outscored TMP by five to open
the second quarter and led 22-19 before the Monarchs answered with a 25-10 run to
lead by 12 at 44-32.

Schmeidler connected on three more three-pointers during the
run and then added a fifth for the game, putting TMP up 46-36 heading into the
final quarter. 

In the final frame, Norton closed within six before Will Eck
knocked down the 10th three-pointer of the night for TMP, and
Schmeidler converted on four of four free throws, securing the 56-46 TMP
victory.

Schmeidler led all scorers with 26 points.

TMP will begin play in the 2A Sublette regional next week.
Brackets will be released on Saturday. 

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post SportsHAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs closed the regular season with a
doubleheader sweep of the Norton Bluejays on senior night at Al Billinger
Fieldhouse.GIRLS: TMP 49, Norton 33 On a night when the TMP-Marian Monarchs girls basketball
honored six team members, they used a 14-3 run to close out the first half and
open the second half on their way to a 48-33 win over the Norton Bluejays on
senior night. The win also clinches a first-round home game for the Monarchs
(12-9, 6-4 MCL) in next week’s 2A Sublette sub-state.<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/2039793368&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/john-linn-postgame-interview-5" title="John Linn Postgame Interview vs Norton (Feb 21st 25)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">John Linn Postgame Interview vs Norton (Feb 21st 25)</a></div></div>The two teams were evenly matched in the game's first
minutes, with three ties and six lead changes.TMP’s Brooke Koenigsman scored the final first quarter,
making it 13-12 TMP.Koenigsman and Claire Schippers hit back-to-back
three-pointers to open the second quarter, and the Monarchs built a 19-13 lead.
But Norton eventually erased the deficit and tied the game at 19 with less than
two minutes and thirty seconds left in the first half. After the 19-19 tie, the Monarchs put together the 14-3 run
over nearly six and a half minutes that closed out the first half and opened
the third quarter, making it 33-22 with four minutes left in the third quarter.Norton (9-12 &amp; 6-4 MCL) closed the game within nine at
the end of the third quarter, at 36-27, but TMP outscored the Lady Jays 12-6 in
the final quarter to win 49-33.<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/2039792664&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/tmp-wbkb-highlights-vs-norton" title="TMP WBKB Highlights vs Norton (Feb 21st 25)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">TMP WBKB Highlights vs Norton (Feb 21st 25)</a></div></div>Brooke Koenigsman scored a game-high for the Monarchs, and
Claire Schippers added 13 points, matching her season-high.BOYS: TMP 56, Norton 46 The TMP-Marian Monarchs (12-9 &amp; 7-3) outscored Norton
25-10 to close out the first half and opened the second half as they handed the
Bluejays their only loss of the MCL regular season Friday 56-46.<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/2039793264&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/bill-meagher-postgame-7" title="Bill Meagher Postgame Interview vs Norton (Feb 21st 25)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Bill Meagher Postgame Interview vs Norton (Feb 21st 25)</a></div></div>TMP built an early lead thanks to the three-point shot. Ty
Schmeidler connected on two of his game-high six, and Caden Dinkel added his
first of three in the first quarter as the Monarchs built a 15-13 first-quarter
lead.Norton (15-5 &amp; 9-1 MCL) outscored TMP by five to open
the second quarter and led 22-19 before the Monarchs answered with a 25-10 run to
lead by 12 at 44-32.Schmeidler connected on three more three-pointers during the
run and then added a fifth for the game, putting TMP up 46-36 heading into the
final quarter. In the final frame, Norton closed within six before Will Eck
knocked down the 10th three-pointer of the night for TMP, and
Schmeidler converted on four of four free throws, securing the 56-46 TMP
victory.<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/2039792524&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/tmp-mbkb-highlights-vs-norton" title="TMP MBKB Highlights vs Norton (Feb 21st 25" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">TMP MBKB Highlights vs Norton (Feb 21st 25</a></div></div>Schmeidler led all scorers with 26 points.TMP will begin play in the 2A Sublette regional next week.
Brackets will be released on Saturday.

🏀 TMP sweeps Norton to close out the regular season

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER Hays Post

HAYS - Hays High capped a five game homestand by hosting Garden City on Friday night. The Indians got the sweep. The state-ranked HHS girls' won 63-29 and the boys cruised to a 57-33 victory.

GIRLS:&nbsp;#4 Hays 63, Garden City 29 There wasn't much that went wrong for Hays High on Friday night. The Indians used a 10-0 first quarter run and a season high nine three point field goals to win 63-29 over Garden City.

The Indians and Buffaloes each hit a pair of free throws in the first ninety seconds for the only tie in the game. Hays scored the next ten points of the game, six from the free throw line, to lead 12-2. Garden City was only within single digits twice more, the last at 16-8 with 1:15 left in the first quarter.

Hays led 18-8 after one quarter. The Indians pushed their advantage to twenty two different times in the second frame. A 7-2 run and 9-0 run in put Hays up 20 for the first time at 34-14. Hays led 36-19 heading into halftime.

Hays was never threatened in the second half. Garden City went to a zone defense in the third quarter. The Indians responded by making five of a season high nine threes against that defense.&nbsp;

Hays took a 55-28 lead into the fourth quarter. A three pointer ten seconds into the quarter started the continuous clock fourth quarter at 58-28. The Indians' final points came two minutes later. It was a momentous three points.

Molly Martin hit a left wing three to hit 1,000 career points on the nose. It was a fitting moment on her 131st career made three, a category she also is at the top of the career mark.

Jenna Schmeidler led the was with 21, her third straight games scoring more than 20. The Indians hit all twelve of their free throws.

The victory guarantees Hays(18-0, 6-0) a minimum share of the Western Athletic Conference title. It is the first time since 2002 and 2003 the Indians have won back-to-back crowns. Garden City(11-8, 4-3) falls out of contention for the WAC crown.

Jenna Schmeidler 21; Annie Humphrey 0; Katie Linenberger 10; Molly Martin 16; Kenlee Winter 5; Morgan Armbruster 3; Jaysa Roa 0; Kinslee Newell 0; Riley Dreher 2; Molly Buckles 2; Zoe Winter 4; Liz Cunningham 0; Rylen Harrington 0; Haley LaBarge 0.

BOYS:&nbsp;Hays 57, Garden City 33 Hays used two first half runs to build a double-digit first half lead on their way to a 57-33 victory over Garden City.

The Indians scored the first seven points of the game and never trailed. Hays was up 11-2 and had chances to take a their first double-digit lead but didn't convert. Garden City scored the game's next seven points to pull within two at 11-9. It was the closest the Buffaloes got all night.

Hays hit a three late in the first quarter for 14-9 lead heading to the second. It was a six point ball game at 20-14 when the Indians went on their best run of the game. A 15-0 run fueled by Garden City turnovers ballooned the Hays lead to 35-14. The Buffaloes went 4:40 without any points and finally found the net at 35-16 with forty seconds left before halftime.

Neither team could get into a groove in the second half. Hays outscored Garden City 11-8 in the third and 11-9 in the fourth for the 57-33 victory. The Indians did lead at one point in the fourth quarter by 30 points at 57-27.

Hays(11-7, 5-1) shot over 50% in the game and for the fifth time this season. Garden City(4-15, 2-5) could not pickup back-to-back victories for the first time this season.

Hays keeps pace, one game back of Great Bend in the Western Athletic Conference. They also remain in the hunt for a top eight seed in 5A West postseason.

Hays travels to Dodge City on Tuesday for their final road game of the regular season.

Carter Lang 0; Johnny Cano 11; Trace Jacobs 2; Cooper Lindenmeyer 2; Brogan Albers 0; Trey Oakley 7; Tiger Johnson 11; Brody Harmoney 5; Izzac Fox 13; Noah Smalley 0; Brecken Otte 0; Dawson Ruder 6; Alex Loving 0; Dalton Schmidtberger 0.

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER Hays PostHAYS - Hays High capped a five game homestand by hosting Garden City on Friday night. The Indians got the sweep. The state-ranked HHS girls' won 63-29 and the boys cruised to a 57-33 victory.GIRLS:&nbsp;#4 Hays 63, Garden City 29 There wasn't much that went wrong for Hays High on Friday night. The Indians used a 10-0 first quarter run and a season high nine three point field goals to win 63-29 over Garden City.The Indians and Buffaloes each hit a pair of free throws in the first ninety seconds for the only tie in the game. Hays scored the next ten points of the game, six from the free throw line, to lead 12-2. Garden City was only within single digits twice more, the last at 16-8 with 1:15 left in the first quarter.Hays led 18-8 after one quarter. The Indians pushed their advantage to twenty two different times in the second frame. A 7-2 run and 9-0 run in put Hays up 20 for the first time at 34-14. Hays led 36-19 heading into halftime.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/2039781528&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-wbkb-highlights-v-garden" title="HHS WBKB Highlights v Garden City Feb 21, 2025" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS WBKB Highlights v Garden City Feb 21, 2025</a></div></div>Hays was never threatened in the second half. Garden City went to a zone defense in the third quarter. The Indians responded by making five of a season high nine threes against that defense.&nbsp;Hays took a 55-28 lead into the fourth quarter. A three pointer ten seconds into the quarter started the continuous clock fourth quarter at 58-28. The Indians' final points came two minutes later. It was a momentous three points.Molly Martin hit a left wing three to hit 1,000 career points on the nose. It was a fitting moment on her 131st career made three, a category she also is at the top of the career mark.Jenna Schmeidler led the was with 21, her third straight games scoring more than 20. The Indians hit all twelve of their free throws.Coach Len Melvin<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/2039781644&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-wbkb-coach-post-v-garden" title="HHS WBKB Coach Post v Garden City Feb 21, 2025" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS WBKB Coach Post v Garden City Feb 21, 2025</a></div></div>The victory guarantees Hays(18-0, 6-0) a minimum share of the Western Athletic Conference title. It is the first time since 2002 and 2003 the Indians have won back-to-back crowns. Garden City(11-8, 4-3) falls out of contention for the WAC crown.Jenna Schmeidler 21; Annie Humphrey 0; Katie Linenberger 10; Molly Martin 16; Kenlee Winter 5; Morgan Armbruster 3; Jaysa Roa 0; Kinslee Newell 0; Riley Dreher 2; Molly Buckles 2; Zoe Winter 4; Liz Cunningham 0; Rylen Harrington 0; Haley LaBarge 0.BOYS:&nbsp;Hays 57, Garden City 33 Hays used two first half runs to build a double-digit first half lead on their way to a 57-33 victory over Garden City.The Indians scored the first seven points of the game and never trailed. Hays was up 11-2 and had chances to take a their first double-digit lead but didn't convert. Garden City scored the game's next seven points to pull within two at 11-9. It was the closest the Buffaloes got all night.Hays hit a three late in the first quarter for 14-9 lead heading to the second. It was a six point ball game at 20-14 when the Indians went on their best run of the game. A 15-0 run fueled by Garden City turnovers ballooned the Hays lead to 35-14. The Buffaloes went 4:40 without any points and finally found the net at 35-16 with forty seconds left before halftime.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/2039781765&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-garden" title="HHS MBKB Highlights v Garden City Feb 21, 2025" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS MBKB Highlights v Garden City Feb 21, 2025</a></div></div>Neither team could get into a groove in the second half. Hays outscored Garden City 11-8 in the third and 11-9 in the fourth for the 57-33 victory. The Indians did lead at one point in the fourth quarter by 30 points at 57-27.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/2039781852&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-coach-post-v-garden" title="HHS MBKB Coach Post v Garden City Feb 21, 2025" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS MBKB Coach Post v Garden City Feb 21, 2025</a></div></div>Hays(11-7, 5-1) shot over 50% in the game and for the fifth time this season. Garden City(4-15, 2-5) could not pickup back-to-back victories for the first time this season.Hays keeps pace, one game back of Great Bend in the Western Athletic Conference. They also remain in the hunt for a top eight seed in 5A West postseason.Hays travels to Dodge City on Tuesday for their final road game of the regular season.Carter Lang 0; Johnny Cano 11; Trace Jacobs 2; Cooper Lindenmeyer 2; Brogan Albers 0; Trey Oakley 7; Tiger Johnson 11; Brody Harmoney 5; Izzac Fox 13; Noah Smalley 0; Brecken Otte 0; Dawson Ruder 6; Alex Loving 0; Dalton Schmidtberger 0.

🏀 Hays takes care of Garden City; girls claims share of WAC title

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

Commissioners from the city of Hays and Ellis County are working together on a couple of long-anticipated road improvement projects.

Toby Dougherty, city manager, presented the plans to city commissioners during their Thursday work session.

The projects were discussed earlier by the governing bodies during a <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/2584b551-eb90-4e5b-abbf-fd3ef6cab0bc">joint meeting in August</a>.

The county will oversee the projects, Dougherty said, which include mill and overlay of 48th Street between Hall Street and Roth Avenue.&nbsp;

"Ellis County will maintain ownership of the road for two to three years after the improvements to determine their effectiveness," he said.&nbsp;

According to the bid from Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction, Stratton, Colorado, the total project cost is $415,151. The city's share would be $200,000.

Hays will also pay for the city's portion of Vineyard Road and 270th Avenue improvements. It's an unpaved road that is among the most highly traveled in the county.

Again, the county will oversee the overlay project, and the city will take over the maintenance of its right-of-way upon completion.&nbsp;

The city's share of the $856,633 project by Bettis would be $177,000.&nbsp;

The total $377,000 for both projects would come from the commission's capital reserve. Commissioners agreed to move the recommendations forward to a future meeting.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/1679b428-ab2c-47b1-a36c-e34ed6170655">Ellis County Commission</a>&nbsp;is expected to take action on the proposals at its next meeting with a signed letter of consent from the city.&nbsp;Construction would begin in August.

"I appreciate the county finding solutions for 48th and Vineyard Road paving," said Alaina Cunningham, city commissioner, "and that the city can contribute to it."

"Really exciting. Great solutions," said Sandy Jacobs, mayor.&nbsp;

In other business, Public Works Director Jesse Rohr presented the recommended bid awards for the 2025 street maintenance program.&nbsp;

The projects include seal coat, polypatch, curb and brick repair, major rehab (street and concrete alley), asphalt mill and overlay, and pavement markings from six contractors.

 The biggest project for this year is mill and overlay of East 17th Street.

No bid for the pavement marking project was received. Rohr will advertise it again and bring it back for city commission approval at a later date.&nbsp;

Commissioners are expected to approve the recommendations at their Feb. 27 meeting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698160100766.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostCommissioners from the city of Hays and Ellis County are working together on a couple of long-anticipated road improvement projects.Toby Dougherty, city manager, presented the plans to city commissioners during their Thursday work session.The projects were discussed earlier by the governing bodies during a <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/2584b551-eb90-4e5b-abbf-fd3ef6cab0bc">joint meeting in August</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740095738881.jpeg" alt="48th Street, Hall Street to Roth Avenue. Ellis County" />
 <figcaption>48th Street, Hall Street to Roth Avenue. Ellis County</figcaption>
 </figure>The county will oversee the projects, Dougherty said, which include mill and overlay of 48th Street between Hall Street and Roth Avenue.&nbsp;"Ellis County will maintain ownership of the road for two to three years after the improvements to determine their effectiveness," he said.&nbsp;According to the bid from Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction, Stratton, Colorado, the total project cost is $415,151. The city's share would be $200,000.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740095919618.jpeg" alt="270th Ave. and Vineyard Road. Ellis County&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>270th Ave. and Vineyard Road. Ellis County&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays will also pay for the city's portion of Vineyard Road and 270th Avenue improvements. It's an unpaved road that is among the most highly traveled in the county.Again, the county will oversee the overlay project, and the city will take over the maintenance of its right-of-way upon completion.&nbsp;The city's share of the $856,633 project by Bettis would be $177,000.&nbsp;The total $377,000 for both projects would come from the commission's capital reserve. Commissioners agreed to move the recommendations forward to a future meeting.The&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/1679b428-ab2c-47b1-a36c-e34ed6170655">Ellis County Commission</a>&nbsp;is expected to take action on the proposals at its next meeting with a signed letter of consent from the city.&nbsp;Construction would begin in August."I appreciate the county finding solutions for 48th and Vineyard Road paving," said Alaina Cunningham, city commissioner, "and that the city can contribute to it.""Really exciting. Great solutions," said Sandy Jacobs, mayor.&nbsp;In other business, Public Works Director Jesse Rohr presented the recommended bid awards for the 2025 street maintenance program.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740095089597.png" alt="Proposed 2025 street maintenance for the city of Hays. City of Hays" />
 <figcaption>Proposed 2025 street maintenance for the city of Hays. City of Hays</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740095291225.png" alt="Areas of proposed 2025 street maintenance. City of Hays" />
 <figcaption>Areas of proposed 2025 street maintenance. City of Hays</figcaption>
 </figure>The projects include seal coat, polypatch, curb and brick repair, major rehab (street and concrete alley), asphalt mill and overlay, and pavement markings from six contractors. The biggest project for this year is mill and overlay of East 17th Street.No bid for the pavement marking project was received. Rohr will advertise it again and bring it back for city commission approval at a later date.&nbsp;Commissioners are expected to approve the recommendations at their Feb. 27 meeting.

Hays hears county proposal for joint road paving projects 

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Hays hit a new record low overnight with a low of -11, according to the K-State Ag Research Center.

Hays is forecast to see a dramatic warming trend starting Saturday into next week.

The forecast for today is partly sunny with a slight chance of snow between noon and 1 p.m. The high is forecast to be 26 with the windchill as low as -9.

The overnight low is forecast to be 7, with windchills as low -1.

On Saturday, the warmth returns with a high forecast to be 51. The high for Sunday is forecast to be 66, 70 on Monday and 66 on Tuesday, with sunny skies through mid-week.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostHays hit a new record low overnight with a low of -11, according to the K-State Ag Research Center.The high for Thursday was 10.Hays is forecast to see a dramatic warming trend starting Saturday into next week.The forecast for today is partly sunny with a slight chance of snow between noon and 1 p.m. The high is forecast to be 26 with the windchill as low as -9.The overnight low is forecast to be 7, with windchills as low -1.On Saturday, the warmth returns with a high forecast to be 51. The high for Sunday is forecast to be 66, 70 on Monday and 66 on Tuesday, with sunny skies through mid-week.

Hays set record low overnight, but dramatic warm-up coming Saturday on

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican senators pushed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-budget-trump-republicans-tax-cuts-programs-096be7e3ed20e3dfb4640192b1018479">$340 billion budget framework</a>&nbsp;to passage early Friday, chugging through an all-night session and Democratic opposition in a step toward unleashing money the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-presidency-updates-2-20-2025#00000195-2386-d271-ad97-a3e774a50000">Trump administration</a>&nbsp;says it needs for&nbsp;<a href="http://apnews.com/article/costa-rica-panama-mass-deportations-trump-migration-detention-85e70a0e4e053ea01b77b0e4d55c8fea">mass deportations and border security</a>&nbsp;that top their agenda.

The hours-long “vote-a-rama” rambled along in a dreaded but crucial part of the budget process, as senators considered one amendment after another,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-trump-elon-musk-doge-protest-91281e059b7e0d807a3dbb07ff638ebb">largely from Democrats</a>&nbsp;trying to halt it. But Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-cuts-republicans-congress-spending-immigration-e4aebdcc9955f5d663208aec08778442">used their majority power</a>&nbsp;to muscle the package to approval on a largely party-line vote, 52-48, with all Democrats and one GOP senator opposing it. Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted with the majority.

“What we're doing today is jumpstarting a process that will allow the Republican Party to meet President Trump's immigration agenda,” Senate Budget Committee chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said while opening the debate.

Graham said President Donald Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-homan-ice-border-czar-7dea915b5ea43896390b8020d254f887">top immigration czar</a>, Tom Homan, told senators that the administration's deportation operations are “out of money” and need more funding from Congress to detain and deport immigrants.

With little power in the minority to stop the onslaught, Democrats instead used the all-night debate to force GOP senators into potentially embarrassing votes — including the first one, on blocking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tax-cuts-jobs-act-trump-treasury-agenda-f4031196e0d69d0a1630e3b06b6d3cd7">tax breaks to billionaires</a>. It was turned back on procedural grounds. So were many others.

“This is going to be a long, drawn-out fight,” Senate Democratic Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/schumer-democrats-election-trump-7ee99496ac9f2a73493f1aa89a02a33d">Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;of New York warned. Hours later, Schumer said it “was only the beginning” of what could become a months-long debate.

The package is what Republicans view as a down payment on Trump’s agenda, part of a broader effort that will eventually include legislation to extend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-republicans-budget-blueprint-trump-tax-cuts-ff2bddf31f4e7cb0928139072392a091">some $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and other priorities</a>. That's being assembled by House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;in a separate budget package that also seeks up to $2 trillion in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-work-requirements-congress-republicans-90ec1119f1d95de067c76f79eec7fa87">reductions to health care</a>&nbsp;and other programs.

Trump has preferred what he calls one&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-congress-tax-cuts-border-reconciliation-budget-24a43b92aafac265592525acddaf5fc5">“big, beautiful bill,”</a>&nbsp;but the White House is open to the Senate’s strategy of working on the border package first, then turning to tax cuts later this year.

As voting began, the president signaled his go-ahead, posting a thank you to Senate Majority Leader John Thune “and the Republican Senate, for working so hard on funding the Trump Border Agenda.”

Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky cast the lone GOP vote against the framework.

The Republican Senate package would allow up to $175 billion to be spent on border security, including money for mass deportation operations and building the U.S.-Mexico border wall, in addition to a $150 billion boost to the Pentagon and about $20 billion for the Coast Guard.

But there won't be any money flowing just yet, as the process has several steps ahead. The budget resolution is simply a framework that sends instructions to the various Senate committees — Homeland Security, Armed Services, Judiciary — to hammer out the details. Everything will eventually be assembled in another package, with another vote-a-rama down the road.

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the No. 2-ranking Senate Republican, said GOP lawmakers are acting quickly to get the administration the resources they have requested and need to curb illegal border crossings.

“The budget will allow us to finish the wall. It also takes the steps we need toward more border agents,” Barrasso said. “It means more detention beds. ... It means more deportation flights.”

Republicans insist the whole thing will be paid for, rather than piled onto debt, with potential spending cuts and new revenues.

The committees are expected to consider rolling back the Biden administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/methane-fee-epa-climate-biden-oil-gas-5020fdf48c51918d42176e0a4f6093dd">methane emissions fee</a>, which was approved by Democrats as part of climate change strategies in the Inflation Reduction Act, and hoping to draw new revenue from energy leases as they aim to spur domestic energy production.

One amendment that was accepted after several hours of debate was actually a Republican effort to fend off criticism that the package would be paid for by cutting safety net programs. The amendment from Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said Medicaid and Medicare would be strengthened during the budget process.

First up from Democrats was a vote to prevent tax breaks for billionaires — an amendment that was repeated in various forms throughout the night.

Democrats argue that the GOP tax cuts approved in 2017 flowed to the wealthiest Americans, and extending them as Trump wants Congress to do later this year would prolong the giveaway. Even though the billionaire amendments failed, they picked up some Republican support. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine voted for several of them, and Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri voted for another.

Schumer launched a strategy earlier this week to use the budget debate to focus on both the implications of the tax policy and the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, which is slashing across the federal government.

It's a better approach for Democrats than arguing against tougher border security and deportations, which divides the party.

All told, senators processed almost three dozen amendments on reversing DOGE cuts, protecting federal workers from being fired, ensuring U.S. support for Ukraine as it battles Russia and others.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the single biggest driver of the national debt since 2001 has been a series of Republican-led tax cuts.

“And you’ll never guess what our Republican colleagues on the other side of the aisle are focused on right now, nothing to lower the cost of eggs, it’s actually more Republican tax cuts,” Murray said.

She called the budget plan a “roadmap for painful cuts to programs families count on each and every day, all so they can give billionaires more tax cuts.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740135974641.png" alt="Counting votes in the U.S. Senate at 3:30a.m. CST Friday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Counting votes in the U.S. Senate at 3:30a.m. CST Friday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican senators pushed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-budget-trump-republicans-tax-cuts-programs-096be7e3ed20e3dfb4640192b1018479">$340 billion budget framework</a>&nbsp;to passage early Friday, chugging through an all-night session and Democratic opposition in a step toward unleashing money the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-presidency-updates-2-20-2025#00000195-2386-d271-ad97-a3e774a50000">Trump administration</a>&nbsp;says it needs for&nbsp;<a href="http://apnews.com/article/costa-rica-panama-mass-deportations-trump-migration-detention-85e70a0e4e053ea01b77b0e4d55c8fea">mass deportations and border security</a>&nbsp;that top their agenda.The hours-long “vote-a-rama” rambled along in a dreaded but crucial part of the budget process, as senators considered one amendment after another,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-trump-elon-musk-doge-protest-91281e059b7e0d807a3dbb07ff638ebb">largely from Democrats</a>&nbsp;trying to halt it. But Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-cuts-republicans-congress-spending-immigration-e4aebdcc9955f5d663208aec08778442">used their majority power</a>&nbsp;to muscle the package to approval on a largely party-line vote, 52-48, with all Democrats and one GOP senator opposing it. Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted with the majority.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Glad to report my <a href="https://twitter.com/SenateGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenateGOP</a> colleagues and I passed a budget resolution to secure $175 billion and deliver on President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>’s promise to secure our border. This resolution gives us the tools to: ➡️ Build the wall ➡️ Hire more ICE agents ➡️ Equip ICE with…&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1892965496640692499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“What we're doing today is jumpstarting a process that will allow the Republican Party to meet President Trump's immigration agenda,” Senate Budget Committee chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said while opening the debate.Graham said President Donald Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-homan-ice-border-czar-7dea915b5ea43896390b8020d254f887">top immigration czar</a>, Tom Homan, told senators that the administration's deportation operations are “out of money” and need more funding from Congress to detain and deport immigrants.With little power in the minority to stop the onslaught, Democrats instead used the all-night debate to force GOP senators into potentially embarrassing votes — including the first one, on blocking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tax-cuts-jobs-act-trump-treasury-agenda-f4031196e0d69d0a1630e3b06b6d3cd7">tax breaks to billionaires</a>. It was turned back on procedural grounds. So were many others.“This is going to be a long, drawn-out fight,” Senate Democratic Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/schumer-democrats-election-trump-7ee99496ac9f2a73493f1aa89a02a33d">Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;of New York warned. Hours later, Schumer said it “was only the beginning” of what could become a months-long debate.The package is what Republicans view as a down payment on Trump’s agenda, part of a broader effort that will eventually include legislation to extend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-republicans-budget-blueprint-trump-tax-cuts-ff2bddf31f4e7cb0928139072392a091">some $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and other priorities</a>. That's being assembled by House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;in a separate budget package that also seeks up to $2 trillion in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-work-requirements-congress-republicans-90ec1119f1d95de067c76f79eec7fa87">reductions to health care</a>&nbsp;and other programs.Trump has preferred what he calls one&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-congress-tax-cuts-border-reconciliation-budget-24a43b92aafac265592525acddaf5fc5">“big, beautiful bill,”</a>&nbsp;but the White House is open to the Senate’s strategy of working on the border package first, then turning to tax cuts later this year.As voting began, the president signaled his go-ahead, posting a thank you to Senate Majority Leader John Thune “and the Republican Senate, for working so hard on funding the Trump Border Agenda.”Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky cast the lone GOP vote against the framework.<h2>What’s in the Senate GOP package</h2>The Republican Senate package would allow up to $175 billion to be spent on border security, including money for mass deportation operations and building the U.S.-Mexico border wall, in addition to a $150 billion boost to the Pentagon and about $20 billion for the Coast Guard.But there won't be any money flowing just yet, as the process has several steps ahead. The budget resolution is simply a framework that sends instructions to the various Senate committees — Homeland Security, Armed Services, Judiciary — to hammer out the details. Everything will eventually be assembled in another package, with another vote-a-rama down the road.Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the No. 2-ranking Senate Republican, said GOP lawmakers are acting quickly to get the administration the resources they have requested and need to curb illegal border crossings.“The budget will allow us to finish the wall. It also takes the steps we need toward more border agents,” Barrasso said. “It means more detention beds. ... It means more deportation flights.”Republicans insist the whole thing will be paid for, rather than piled onto debt, with potential spending cuts and new revenues.The committees are expected to consider rolling back the Biden administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/methane-fee-epa-climate-biden-oil-gas-5020fdf48c51918d42176e0a4f6093dd">methane emissions fee</a>, which was approved by Democrats as part of climate change strategies in the Inflation Reduction Act, and hoping to draw new revenue from energy leases as they aim to spur domestic energy production.One amendment that was accepted after several hours of debate was actually a Republican effort to fend off criticism that the package would be paid for by cutting safety net programs. The amendment from Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said Medicaid and Medicare would be strengthened during the budget process.<h2>Democrats brought a slew of amendments</h2>First up from Democrats was a vote to prevent tax breaks for billionaires — an amendment that was repeated in various forms throughout the night.Democrats argue that the GOP tax cuts approved in 2017 flowed to the wealthiest Americans, and extending them as Trump wants Congress to do later this year would prolong the giveaway. Even though the billionaire amendments failed, they picked up some Republican support. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine voted for several of them, and Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri voted for another.Schumer launched a strategy earlier this week to use the budget debate to focus on both the implications of the tax policy and the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, which is slashing across the federal government.It's a better approach for Democrats than arguing against tougher border security and deportations, which divides the party.All told, senators processed almost three dozen amendments on reversing DOGE cuts, protecting federal workers from being fired, ensuring U.S. support for Ukraine as it battles Russia and others.Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the single biggest driver of the national debt since 2001 has been a series of Republican-led tax cuts.“And you’ll never guess what our Republican colleagues on the other side of the aisle are focused on right now, nothing to lower the cost of eggs, it’s actually more Republican tax cuts,” Murray said.She called the budget plan a “roadmap for painful cuts to programs families count on each and every day, all so they can give billionaires more tax cuts.”<h2>Congress is racing itself</h2>The budget resolution is setting up what's called the reconciliation process, which used to be rare, but is now the tool often used to pass big bills on party-line votes when one party has control of the White House and Congress, as Republicans do now.But Republicans are arguing with themselves over how to proceed. The House is marching ahead on its “big, beautiful bill,” believing they have one chance to get it right. The Senate views its two-bill strategy as more practical, delivering on border security first, then turning to taxes later.Budget rules allow for passage by a simple majority vote, which is key in the Senate, where it typically takes 60 votes to break a filibuster on big items. During Trump’s first term, Republicans used the reconciliation process to pass GOP tax cuts in 2017. Democrats used reconciliation during Joe Biden's presidency to approve COVID-19 relief and the Inflation Reduction Act.Trump appears to be stirring the fight, pitting Republicans in the House and Senate against each other to see which one delivers fastest.___