By JACOB KLAUDT K-State Research and Extension news service

Kansas State University has just released the 2025 Chemical Weed Control for Field Crops, Pastures, Rangeland, and Noncropland guide, an annual publication that weed specialist Sarah Lancaster says “has a variety of information related to herbicides.”

While this year’s guide does not include many new active ingredients, readers can find information about latest products, such as IronGate, which is labeled for use in wheat.

“The active ingredients in Irongate are flucarbazone and pyroxsulam,” Lancaster said. “I've looked at it for control of downy brome and it did a nice job; some of the key weeds that this product will control are weedy bromes, mustards and Italian ryegrass.”

Beyond IronGate, Surtain stands as one of the more novel herbicides found in the 2025 guide, according to Lancaster, noting that it has performed well in research trials against other products like Resicore and Acuron.

“It's a BASF product that is a premix of pyroxasulfone (Zidua and Anthem) along with saflufenacil (Sharpen),” she said. “The thing that is different about Surtain is that the saflufenacil is encapsulated, and so, even though we typically think about Sharpen as having quite a bit of burndown activity, and with the encapsulation, it doesn't.”

Additionally, producers growing glufosinate tolerant soybeans might consider using the newly added herbicide Zalo – an AMVAC product that is a premix of glufosinate and quazolifop.

“Quazolifop is the active ingredient in Assure,” Lancaster said. “This soybean product is used for grass control. The glufosinate helps control broadleaf weeds as well.”

Liberty Ultra also remains on the list of just-released herbicides Lancaster has been paying attention to. In this case, Liberty Ultra holds the title of the first herbicide label to be compliant with the Endangered Species Act requirements.

“It is a purified version of Liberty 280 SL,” she said. “Use patterns are going to be really similar to Liberty 280 but the rates are bumped down just a little bit to account for the higher concentration of the active form of the glufosinate molecule.”

Other present-day products listed in the 2025 Chemical Weed Control for Field Crops, Pastures, Rangeland, and Noncropland guide include:

· Inversa, Corteva’s encapsulated acetochlor product. Acetochlor is a Group 15 herbicide that growers use both pre- and post-emergence.

· Resicore REV. Lancaster said the key difference between Resicore REV and Resicore XL is that inert ingredients of Resicore REV has been modified to improve handling

The 2025 Chemical Weed Control for Field Crops, Pastures, Rangeland, and Noncropland guide is accessible online at <a href="https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/item/2025-chemical-weed-control-for-field-crops-pastures-rangeland-and-noncropland_SRP1190">https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/</a>.

Hard copies are also available in local extension offices in Kansas.

Brand names appearing in this article are for identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement or disapproval by Kansas State University of any particular product.

Submitted by Stacy Campbell Cottonwood Extension District, Hays

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738086548192.jpeg" alt="Kansas Research and Extension" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Research and Extension</figcaption>
 </figure>By JACOB KLAUDT K-State Research and Extension news serviceKansas State University has just released the 2025 Chemical Weed Control for Field Crops, Pastures, Rangeland, and Noncropland guide, an annual publication that weed specialist Sarah Lancaster says “has a variety of information related to herbicides.”While this year’s guide does not include many new active ingredients, readers can find information about latest products, such as IronGate, which is labeled for use in wheat.“The active ingredients in Irongate are flucarbazone and pyroxsulam,” Lancaster said. “I've looked at it for control of downy brome and it did a nice job; some of the key weeds that this product will control are weedy bromes, mustards and Italian ryegrass.”Beyond IronGate, Surtain stands as one of the more novel herbicides found in the 2025 guide, according to Lancaster, noting that it has performed well in research trials against other products like Resicore and Acuron.“It's a BASF product that is a premix of pyroxasulfone (Zidua and Anthem) along with saflufenacil (Sharpen),” she said. “The thing that is different about Surtain is that the saflufenacil is encapsulated, and so, even though we typically think about Sharpen as having quite a bit of burndown activity, and with the encapsulation, it doesn't.”Additionally, producers growing glufosinate tolerant soybeans might consider using the newly added herbicide Zalo – an AMVAC product that is a premix of glufosinate and quazolifop.“Quazolifop is the active ingredient in Assure,” Lancaster said. “This soybean product is used for grass control. The glufosinate helps control broadleaf weeds as well.”Liberty Ultra also remains on the list of just-released herbicides Lancaster has been paying attention to. In this case, Liberty Ultra holds the title of the first herbicide label to be compliant with the Endangered Species Act requirements.“It is a purified version of Liberty 280 SL,” she said. “Use patterns are going to be really similar to Liberty 280 but the rates are bumped down just a little bit to account for the higher concentration of the active form of the glufosinate molecule.”Other present-day products listed in the 2025 Chemical Weed Control for Field Crops, Pastures, Rangeland, and Noncropland guide include:· Inversa, Corteva’s encapsulated acetochlor product. Acetochlor is a Group 15 herbicide that growers use both pre- and post-emergence.· Resicore REV. Lancaster said the key difference between Resicore REV and Resicore XL is that inert ingredients of Resicore REV has been modified to improve handlingThe 2025 Chemical Weed Control for Field Crops, Pastures, Rangeland, and Noncropland guide is accessible online at <a href="https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/item/2025-chemical-weed-control-for-field-crops-pastures-rangeland-and-noncropland_SRP1190">https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/</a>.Hard copies are also available in local extension offices in Kansas.Brand names appearing in this article are for identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement or disapproval by Kansas State University of any particular product.Submitted by Stacy Campbell Cottonwood Extension District, Hays

CAMPBELL: K-State weed specialist outlines products making first-time appearances

By LAAH TUCKER American Legion Auxiliary Unit 109

NATOMA — In the small rural community of Natoma, American Legion Post 109 Commander William Workman and Terry Tucker, Sons of the American Legion, received a $4,000 grant from the McFadden Family Charitable Trust. 

The McFadden’s generosity enables the American Legion to complete a major project for a safe parking area on level ground. In addition, a gazebo will be constructed for celebrations. 

The Post 109 Hall was formerly a WWII Army Air Corps barrack moved to the current location from Walker Air Base in Ellis County following the war. 

The building is the hub for the Legion and Auxiliary in organizing a myriad of annual projects and community events. 

January 29 began the first of many annual projects with the auxiliary co-hosting a Kansas Day event for Natoma-Paradise-Waldo USD 399 elementary students. A Kansas Historical Museum’s trunk of antiquities with history and crafts will be shared by members and teachers. 

For God and Country, the American Legion Post 109 and the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 109 continue serving veterans, their families, children, youth, and community. 

For information contact: American Legion and Sons of the American Legion, Commander William Workman, 785-224-7993. For American Legion Auxiliary, Jenjer Murphy, Unit 109 president, 785-885-8079.

Photograph (R-L): American Legion Commander William Workman. Natoma Post 109, and Terry Tucker, Sons of the American Legion, received $4,000 from the McFadden Family Charitable Trust for completing a major project in Natoma.

Laah Tucker, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 109

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738080317946.jpeg" alt="American Legion Commander William Workman, Natoma Post 109, and Terry Tucker, Sons of the American Legion, received $4,000 from the McFadden Family Charitable Trust for completing a major project in Natoma. Photo by&nbsp;Laah Tucker/&nbsp;American Legion Auxiliary Unit 109" />
 <figcaption>American Legion Commander William Workman, Natoma Post 109, and Terry Tucker, Sons of the American Legion, received $4,000 from the McFadden Family Charitable Trust for completing a major project in Natoma. Photo by&nbsp;Laah Tucker/&nbsp;American Legion Auxiliary Unit 109</figcaption>
 </figure>By LAAH TUCKER American Legion Auxiliary Unit 109NATOMA — In the small rural community of Natoma, American Legion Post 109 Commander William Workman and Terry Tucker, Sons of the American Legion, received a $4,000 grant from the McFadden Family Charitable Trust. The McFadden’s generosity enables the American Legion to complete a major project for a safe parking area on level ground. In addition, a gazebo will be constructed for celebrations. The Post 109 Hall was formerly a WWII Army Air Corps barrack moved to the current location from Walker Air Base in Ellis County following the war. The building is the hub for the Legion and Auxiliary in organizing a myriad of annual projects and community events. January 29 began the first of many annual projects with the auxiliary co-hosting a Kansas Day event for Natoma-Paradise-Waldo USD 399 elementary students. A Kansas Historical Museum’s trunk of antiquities with history and crafts will be shared by members and teachers. For God and Country, the American Legion Post 109 and the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 109 continue serving veterans, their families, children, youth, and community. For information contact: American Legion and Sons of the American Legion, Commander William Workman, 785-224-7993. For American Legion Auxiliary, Jenjer Murphy, Unit 109 president, 785-885-8079.Photograph (R-L): American Legion Commander William Workman. Natoma Post 109, and Terry Tucker, Sons of the American Legion, received $4,000 from the McFadden Family Charitable Trust for completing a major project in Natoma.Story line and Photograph byLaah Tucker, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 109

Natoma American Legion gets grant for new parking lot, gazebo

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER Hays Post

GREAT BEND - Hays High capped eight straight road games that started with the final game of 2024 as they traveled to Great Bend Friday.

GIRLS:&nbsp;#2 Hays 65, Great Bend 39 The Hays girls moved up six spots in the coaches' poll to #2 ahead of their game with the Panthers. A 34-1 first half run provided more than enough cushion for Hays to pull out a 65-39 victory.

It was a slow start for Hays. Great Bend hit four of their first five shots and led 9-2 midway through the first quarter. The Indians started getting to the free throw line and closing the gap. Hays closed the first quarter with a 16-0 run and then scored the first six points of the second quarter.

The 22-0 run put Hays up 24-9 two minutes into the second quarter. Great Bend hit one of two free throws before the Indians scored 12 straight to lead 36-10 three minutes later.

Hays led 42-15 at halftime and were never threatened in the second half.

Hays started the third quarter slow as well but Great Bend could only take four points off the Indian lead. Hays pushed their advantage to 30 by the end of the third quarter at 58-28.&nbsp;

The Indians grabbed a 65-39 victory after a continuous clock fourth quarter.

Hays(12-0, 3-0) has won fourteen consecutive WAC games. Great Bend(4-10) falls to 0-3 in league games. The 65 points and 34 rebounds for Hays was right at their season average.

Hays returns home on Tuesday. It is their first home game since December 13, 2024.

Jenna Schmeidler 15; Annie Humphrey 0; Katie Linenberger 10; Molly Martin 11; Kenlee Winter 7; Morgan Armbruster 3; Jaysa Roa 0; Kinslee Newell 0; Riley Dreher 6; Lynsi Kanak 5; Molly Buckles 6; Zoe Winter 2; Liz Cunningham 0; Rylen Harrington 0.

BOYS:&nbsp;#4 Great Bend 64, Hays 52 An 11-0 run by Great Bend to open the second gave the Panthers a lead they would never give up as they beat the Indians 64-52.

The game featured eight lead changes and four ties. Seven of those lead changes and three ties all happened in the first half. The two teams traded blows through the first quarter. The Indians knocked down a trio of three pointers to boost themselves to a 12-8 lead through eight minutes.

Great Bend started the second quarter with a 8-2 run that gave the Panthers a 19-14 lead. Hays again started knocking down threes and made three more to lead 27-24 at halftime.

The big 11-0 run for Great Bend opened the third quarter. The Panthers led 35-27 before Hays scored their first points of the half with 4:11 remaining in the third. Hays never got any closer that five points rest of the way. The Indians trailed 43-37 with under a minute remaining in the quarter when Great Bend scored four quick points to increase their lead to ten points going the fourth.

The Panthers led by as many as 16 points at 56-40 before Hays tried to mount a comeback. The Indians got lead down to ten at 56-46 on a pair of technical free throws and had the ball but turned it over.

Hays got the lead down to nine inside of two minutes and eight inside a minute but couldn't get shots to drop to draw closer, falling 64-52.

Hays(7-6, 2-1) has four losses to state ranked teams this season. Great Bend(13-1, 3-0) takes over the WAC lead. The Panthers have won ten straight.

Carter Lang 0; Johnny Cano 10; Trace Jacobs 0; Cooper Lindenmeyer 2; Trey Oakley 5; Tiger Johnson 17; Izaac Fox 1; Dawson Ruder 17.

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER Hays PostGREAT BEND - Hays High capped eight straight road games that started with the final game of 2024 as they traveled to Great Bend Friday.GIRLS:&nbsp;#2 Hays 65, Great Bend 39 The Hays girls moved up six spots in the coaches' poll to #2 ahead of their game with the Panthers. A 34-1 first half run provided more than enough cushion for Hays to pull out a 65-39 victory.It was a slow start for Hays. Great Bend hit four of their first five shots and led 9-2 midway through the first quarter. The Indians started getting to the free throw line and closing the gap. Hays closed the first quarter with a 16-0 run and then scored the first six points of the second quarter.The 22-0 run put Hays up 24-9 two minutes into the second quarter. Great Bend hit one of two free throws before the Indians scored 12 straight to lead 36-10 three minutes later.Hays led 42-15 at halftime and were never threatened in the second half.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/2023198228&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/hays-high-wbkb-highlights-v-4" title="Hays High WBKB Highlights v Great Bend Jan 31 2025" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Hays High WBKB Highlights v Great Bend Jan 31 2025</a></div></div>Hays started the third quarter slow as well but Great Bend could only take four points off the Indian lead. Hays pushed their advantage to 30 by the end of the third quarter at 58-28.&nbsp;The Indians grabbed a 65-39 victory after a continuous clock fourth quarter.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/2023197956&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/hays-high-wbkb-coach-post-v-1" title="Hays High WBKB Coach Post v Great Bend Jan 31 2025" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Hays High WBKB Coach Post v Great Bend Jan 31 2025</a></div></div>Hays(12-0, 3-0) has won fourteen consecutive WAC games. Great Bend(4-10) falls to 0-3 in league games. The 65 points and 34 rebounds for Hays was right at their season average.Hays returns home on Tuesday. It is their first home game since December 13, 2024.Jenna Schmeidler 15; Annie Humphrey 0; Katie Linenberger 10; Molly Martin 11; Kenlee Winter 7; Morgan Armbruster 3; Jaysa Roa 0; Kinslee Newell 0; Riley Dreher 6; Lynsi Kanak 5; Molly Buckles 6; Zoe Winter 2; Liz Cunningham 0; Rylen Harrington 0.BOYS:&nbsp;#4 Great Bend 64, Hays 52 An 11-0 run by Great Bend to open the second gave the Panthers a lead they would never give up as they beat the Indians 64-52.The game featured eight lead changes and four ties. Seven of those lead changes and three ties all happened in the first half. The two teams traded blows through the first quarter. The Indians knocked down a trio of three pointers to boost themselves to a 12-8 lead through eight minutes.Great Bend started the second quarter with a 8-2 run that gave the Panthers a 19-14 lead. Hays again started knocking down threes and made three more to lead 27-24 at 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/2023198420&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/hays-high-mbkb-highlights-v-5" title="Hays High MBKB Highlights v Great Bend Jan 31 2025" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Hays High MBKB Highlights v Great Bend Jan 31 2025</a></div></div>The big 11-0 run for Great Bend opened the third quarter. The Panthers led 35-27 before Hays scored their first points of the half with 4:11 remaining in the third. Hays never got any closer that five points rest of the way. The Indians trailed 43-37 with under a minute remaining in the quarter when Great Bend scored four quick points to increase their lead to ten points going the fourth.The Panthers led by as many as 16 points at 56-40 before Hays tried to mount a comeback. The Indians got lead down to ten at 56-46 on a pair of technical free throws and had the ball but turned it over.Hays got the lead down to nine inside of two minutes and eight inside a minute but couldn't get shots to drop to draw closer, falling 64-52.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/2023198328&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/hays-high-mbkb-coach-post-v-1" title="Hays High MBKB Coach Post v Great Bend Jan 31 2025" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Hays High MBKB Coach Post v Great Bend Jan 31 2025</a></div></div>Hays(7-6, 2-1) has four losses to state ranked teams this season. Great Bend(13-1, 3-0) takes over the WAC lead. The Panthers have won ten straight.Carter Lang 0; Johnny Cano 10; Trace Jacobs 0; Cooper Lindenmeyer 2; Trey Oakley 5; Tiger Johnson 17; Izaac Fox 1; Dawson Ruder 17.

🏀 Hays girls remain unblemished; boys fall to Great Bend

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

HAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs renewed an old MSAA rivalry Friday
night inside Al Billinger Fieldhouse when they split a doubleheader with the Larned
Indians. It was the TMP boys and the Indian girls picking up victories. 

GIRLS: Larned 40, TMP 37 The Larned Indians outscored the TMP girls by eight to open
the third quarter on their way to a 40-37 win over the Monarchs Friday night.

The two teams played to an early pair of ties before Larned took
a 7-6 lead into the first quarter break.

Larned (7-5) outscored the Monarchs 8-4 in the second quarter
and led 15-10 at halftime.

Larned built its largest lead in the third quarter, at
20-13, but the Monarchs (7-6) eventually tied the game at 23 on a Gracyn
Schippers three-point play to close out the third quarter.

The Indians led by as many as six in the fourth quarter on their
way to a 40-37 victory.

Schippers tied her career-high with 13 points, and Brooke
Koenigsman added 11 points for the Monarchs. 

BOYS: TMP 46, Larned 33 The TMP boys led by as many as 10 in the first half and 17
in the second half on their way to a 46-33 victory.

There were a pair of ties and lead changes early, and after
leading 9-8 at the end of the first quarter, TMP (6-7) outscored Larned (5-7)
14-9 in the second quarter for a 23-15 lead at halftime. A lead they never
surrendered. 

The Monarchs opened the third quarter scoring eight straight
points on three-pointers from Will Eck and Ty Schmeidler and a layup by Jacob
Seib that gave TMP the 31-17 a little more than a minute gone in the third
quarter. 

The Indians would never go away, though, trailing by double figures.
They outscore the Monarchs 14-2 over the next six minutes of gameplay to close
out the third quarter and open the fourth quarter. 

They had closed within four at 33-244 with five minutes left
in the game.

The Monarchs Ty Schmeidler knocked down a three-pointer, scoring
a 13-0 TMP run for a 46-29 lead. In the final minutes, four scored four points,
making it 46-33 TMP. 

Schmeidler finished with 13 points, and Seib scored 11.

TMP will host Trego Community on Tuesday. 

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays PostHAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs renewed an old MSAA rivalry Friday
night inside Al Billinger Fieldhouse when they split a doubleheader with the Larned
Indians. It was the TMP boys and the Indian girls picking up victories. GIRLS: Larned 40, TMP 37 The Larned Indians outscored the TMP girls by eight to open
the third quarter on their way to a 40-37 win over the Monarchs Friday night.<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/2023201664&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-vs-larned-jan-31st-25" title="John Linn Postgame Interview Vs Larned (Jan 31st 25)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">John Linn Postgame Interview Vs Larned (Jan 31st 25)</a></div></div>The two teams played to an early pair of ties before Larned took
a 7-6 lead into the first quarter break.Larned (7-5) outscored the Monarchs 8-4 in the second quarter
and led 15-10 at halftime.Larned built its largest lead in the third quarter, at
20-13, but the Monarchs (7-6) eventually tied the game at 23 on a Gracyn
Schippers three-point play to close out the third quarter.The Indians led by as many as six in the fourth quarter on their
way to a 40-37 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/2023201136&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-larned-jan-31st-25" title="TMP WBKB Highlights Vs Larned (Jan 31st 25)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">TMP WBKB Highlights Vs Larned (Jan 31st 25)</a></div></div>Schippers tied her career-high with 13 points, and Brooke
Koenigsman added 11 points for the Monarchs. BOYS: TMP 46, Larned 33 The TMP boys led by as many as 10 in the first half and 17
in the second half on their way to a 46-33 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/2023201520&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-interview-vs-larned-jan-31st-25" title="Bill Meagher Postgame Interview Vs Larned (Jan 31st 25)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Bill Meagher Postgame Interview Vs Larned (Jan 31st 25)</a></div></div>There were a pair of ties and lead changes early, and after
leading 9-8 at the end of the first quarter, TMP (6-7) outscored Larned (5-7)
14-9 in the second quarter for a 23-15 lead at halftime. A lead they never
surrendered. The Monarchs opened the third quarter scoring eight straight
points on three-pointers from Will Eck and Ty Schmeidler and a layup by Jacob
Seib that gave TMP the 31-17 a little more than a minute gone in the third
quarter. <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/2023198420&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/hays-high-mbkb-highlights-v-5" title="Hays High MBKB Highlights v Great Bend Jan 31 2025" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Hays High MBKB Highlights v Great Bend Jan 31 2025</a></div></div>The Indians would never go away, though, trailing by double figures.
They outscore the Monarchs 14-2 over the next six minutes of gameplay to close
out the third quarter and open the fourth quarter. They had closed within four at 33-244 with five minutes left
in the game.The Monarchs Ty Schmeidler knocked down a three-pointer, scoring
a 13-0 TMP run for a 46-29 lead. In the final minutes, four scored four points,
making it 46-33 TMP. Schmeidler finished with 13 points, and Seib scored 11.TMP will host Trego Community on Tuesday.

🏀 Monarchs split non-league matchup with Larned

GOVE COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred Friday morning in Grainfield, Kansas.

At around 7:45 a.m., the Gove County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to disturbance call at 517 W. 3rd&nbsp;Street in Grainfield, according to a media release. When the deputy arrived, he entered the residence to find two men in a heated argument.

The deputy determined that Ty Kaiser, 30, had hit his 63-year-old male relative in the face. The deputy gave commands for Kaiser to get down. He initially complied, but then stood back up and attempted to leave the scene, ignoring the deputy. The deputy deployed a Taser, which was ineffective, and angered Kaiser further. Kaiser then charged toward the deputy, hitting him in the head, face, and body. The deputy pulled out his firearm, and fired one round striking Kaiser.

The deputy attempted life-saving measures until EMS arrived and transported Kaiser to Gove County Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased. 

The deputy and relative were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The deputy was released from the hospital Friday afternoon, after evaluation and is recovering from his injuries. The 63-year-old was transferred to the hospital in Hays for further treatment.

This independent investigation aims to discover all events leading up to the officer-involved shooting. In police use of force cases, the KBI releases details to the public as soon as possible. This information is preliminary in nature, and is based on evidence collected and early statements of the parties involved, witnesses, medical personnel and others. It does not represent final or thorough findings which take several weeks to complete.

When this investigation concludes, case findings will be presented to the Gove County Attorney.&nbsp; Ty Kaiser has three previous drug convictions in Wallace County and a conviction for&nbsp;Arranging sale/purchase using communication facility in Russell County in 2016, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

GOVE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting in Gove County.

The incident, that also sent a Gove County sheriff's deputy to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, occurred just before 8a.m. in Grainfield, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

GOVE COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred Friday morning in Grainfield, Kansas.At around 7:45 a.m., the Gove County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to disturbance call at 517 W. 3rd&nbsp;Street in Grainfield, according to a media release. When the deputy arrived, he entered the residence to find two men in a heated argument.The deputy determined that Ty Kaiser, 30, had hit his 63-year-old male relative in the face. The deputy gave commands for Kaiser to get down. He initially complied, but then stood back up and attempted to leave the scene, ignoring the deputy. The deputy deployed a Taser, which was ineffective, and angered Kaiser further. Kaiser then charged toward the deputy, hitting him in the head, face, and body. The deputy pulled out his firearm, and fired one round striking Kaiser.The deputy attempted life-saving measures until EMS arrived and transported Kaiser to Gove County Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased. The deputy and relative were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The deputy was released from the hospital Friday afternoon, after evaluation and is recovering from his injuries. The 63-year-old was transferred to the hospital in Hays for further treatment.This independent investigation aims to discover all events leading up to the officer-involved shooting. In police use of force cases, the KBI releases details to the public as soon as possible. This information is preliminary in nature, and is based on evidence collected and early statements of the parties involved, witnesses, medical personnel and others. It does not represent final or thorough findings which take several weeks to complete.When this investigation concludes, case findings will be presented to the Gove County Attorney.&nbsp; Ty Kaiser has three previous drug convictions in Wallace County and a conviction for&nbsp;Arranging sale/purchase using communication facility in Russell County in 2016, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.-------------GOVE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting in Gove County.The incident, that also sent a Gove County sheriff's deputy to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, occurred just before 8a.m. in Grainfield, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

Police ID man who died in NW Kansas officer-involved shooting 

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22STAN%20CHOE%20and%20DAMIAN%20J.%20TROISE%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By STAN CHOE and DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writers</a>

Stocks on Wall Street surrendered early gains and closed broadly lower Friday after the White House said President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-china-canada-mexico-fentanyl-e526616cdcb7fc596ed999cb89ee2265">would impose promised tariffs</a>&nbsp;on key U.S. trading partners.

The S&amp;P 500 fell 0.5% and the Nasdaq composite dropped 0.3%. The indexes, which had posted solid gains in morning trading, posted their first weekly loss in three weeks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.8%.

Trump will put in place 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10% tariffs on goods from China effective Saturday. The White House provided no word on whether there would be any exemptions to the measures that could result in swift price increases to U.S. consumers.

The selling was broad, with about 75% of the stocks in the S&amp;P 500 closing lower. Technology and energy companies accounted for a large share of the decline.

“If Trump says it’s something that could happen by tomorrow that doesn’t leave a lot of room to move,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA. “There’s just so much uncertainty associated with elevating tariffs on our three major trading partners.”

The earlier gains on Wall Street had helped shave losses from the start of the week over worries that the artificial-intelligence boom may not require as much investment as thought.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-iphone-quarter-sales-artificial-intelligence-fdfeb6b12bdd69504672ef3b60a300f5">Apple</a>&nbsp;reversed course from market leading gains to a loss of 0.7%. The company had reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Wall Street’s most valuable company, and thus the most influential on the S&amp;P 500 and other indexes, said sales of iPhones dipped. But revenue for its services businesses, such as AppleCare and its app store, rose to a record.

KLA, a supplier to the electronics industry initially rose after reporting profit and revenue that topped analysts’ expectations, but then closed down 0.6%. The company, which credited its results on expanding artificial-intelligence and high-performance computing investments, fell 6.3% on Monday. That’s when tech stocks around the world tumbled, after a Chinese upstart,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deepseek-ai-china-f4908eaca221d601e31e7e3368778030">DeepSeek</a>, said it developed a large language model capable of competing with the world’s best, without having to use top-flight chips.

The disruption raised questions about whether all the investment expected for AI chips,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deepseek-ai-china-climate-fossil-fuels-00c594310b22afbf150559d08b43d3a5">data centers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/power-electricity-amazon-microsoft-power-plants-data-centers-grid-f4763f73bc112425e18f30618dff0039">electricity</a>&nbsp;is really needed.

Shares of Nvidia, considered the poster child for the AI frenzy, fell 3.7%. They dropped 15.8% for the week. Its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deepseek-nvidia-trump-ai-6554b843e94f2e86c2ea7ba7c180f8bf">CEO, Jensen Huang, was expected to meet with Trump</a>&nbsp;Friday in Washington.

Worries that tariffs could end up driving inflation higher helped push long-term bond yields higher, including the 10-year Treasury, which rose to 4.54% from 4.52% late Thursday.

“It’s not the safe haven that it normally is because these tariffs might result in higher inflation and the need for the Fed to remain on pause for longer or to reverse course and raise rates,” Stovall said.

Shorter-term U.S. government bond yields mostly fell.

Yields have been generally climbing since September as the U.S. economy has remained much more solid than economists expected. More recently, worries about tariffs and other possible Trump administration policies that could add upward pressure on inflation and the U.S. government’s debt have also sent yields higher.

The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged as it closed out its most recent meeting Wednesday. The central bank is signaling a more cautious approach as it waits to see how policies under Trump will impact inflation and the broader economy. Higher tariffs and tax cuts could push inflation higher, while deregulation could possibly reduce it.

“Markets are on edge watching President Trump’s plans to raise tariffs and tighten immigration policies, since both are pressuring the Fed to keep interest rates elevated," said Bill Adams, chief economist for Comerica Bank.

On Wall Street, Walgreens Boots Alliance dropped 10.3% after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walgreens-suspends-dividend-stock-plunge-c1d2d0c151864821ddf04dec954039e7">suspending its dividend</a>&nbsp;and breaking a streak of quarterly payouts to its shareholders that stretches back more than 90 years.

Exxon Mobil ticked down 2.5% even though the energy giant&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/exxon-mobil-oil-opec-5659d4e6cd00594e6ba1d7c335b33e6b">posted a stronger fourth quarter profit</a>&nbsp;than Wall Street had forecast. Exxon credited increased production in the U.S. Permian basin and in Guyana for the strong results, but its revenue came in lower than expected.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 30.64 points to 6,040.53. The Dow dropped 337.47 points to 44,544.66. The Nasdaq lost 54.31 points to close at 19,627.44.

In stock markets abroad, indexes ended mixed in Europe after also finishing mixed in Asia.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index added 0.1% after a report showed that the country’s core inflation rate topped the central bank’s 2% target, paving the way for further hikes to interest rates.

The Kospi in South Korea fell 0.8% after trading resumed there following holidays. Markets remained closed in Hong Kong and Shanghai for the Lunar New Year.

AP Business Writer Alex Veiga contributed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722962507580.png" alt="The floor of the New York Stock Exchange.(AP Photo/Richard Drew)" />
 <figcaption>The floor of the New York Stock Exchange.(AP Photo/Richard Drew)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22STAN%20CHOE%20and%20DAMIAN%20J.%20TROISE%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By STAN CHOE and DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writers</a>Stocks on Wall Street surrendered early gains and closed broadly lower Friday after the White House said President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-china-canada-mexico-fentanyl-e526616cdcb7fc596ed999cb89ee2265">would impose promised tariffs</a>&nbsp;on key U.S. trading partners.The S&amp;P 500 fell 0.5% and the Nasdaq composite dropped 0.3%. The indexes, which had posted solid gains in morning trading, posted their first weekly loss in three weeks.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.8%.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a>: &quot;The president will be implementing tomorrow a 25% tariffs on Mexico, 25% tariffs on Canada and a 10% tariff on China for the illegal fentanyl that they have sourced and allowed to distribute into our country which has killed tens of millions of Americans.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/lSoLuL9Lk5">pic.twitter.com/lSoLuL9Lk5</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1885394123126984728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump will put in place 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10% tariffs on goods from China effective Saturday. The White House provided no word on whether there would be any exemptions to the measures that could result in swift price increases to U.S. consumers.The selling was broad, with about 75% of the stocks in the S&amp;P 500 closing lower. Technology and energy companies accounted for a large share of the decline.“If Trump says it’s something that could happen by tomorrow that doesn’t leave a lot of room to move,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA. “There’s just so much uncertainty associated with elevating tariffs on our three major trading partners.”The earlier gains on Wall Street had helped shave losses from the start of the week over worries that the artificial-intelligence boom may not require as much investment as thought.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-iphone-quarter-sales-artificial-intelligence-fdfeb6b12bdd69504672ef3b60a300f5">Apple</a>&nbsp;reversed course from market leading gains to a loss of 0.7%. The company had reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Wall Street’s most valuable company, and thus the most influential on the S&amp;P 500 and other indexes, said sales of iPhones dipped. But revenue for its services businesses, such as AppleCare and its app store, rose to a record.KLA, a supplier to the electronics industry initially rose after reporting profit and revenue that topped analysts’ expectations, but then closed down 0.6%. The company, which credited its results on expanding artificial-intelligence and high-performance computing investments, fell 6.3% on Monday. That’s when tech stocks around the world tumbled, after a Chinese upstart,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deepseek-ai-china-f4908eaca221d601e31e7e3368778030">DeepSeek</a>, said it developed a large language model capable of competing with the world’s best, without having to use top-flight chips.The disruption raised questions about whether all the investment expected for AI chips,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deepseek-ai-china-climate-fossil-fuels-00c594310b22afbf150559d08b43d3a5">data centers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/power-electricity-amazon-microsoft-power-plants-data-centers-grid-f4763f73bc112425e18f30618dff0039">electricity</a>&nbsp;is really needed.Shares of Nvidia, considered the poster child for the AI frenzy, fell 3.7%. They dropped 15.8% for the week. Its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deepseek-nvidia-trump-ai-6554b843e94f2e86c2ea7ba7c180f8bf">CEO, Jensen Huang, was expected to meet with Trump</a>&nbsp;Friday in Washington.Worries that tariffs could end up driving inflation higher helped push long-term bond yields higher, including the 10-year Treasury, which rose to 4.54% from 4.52% late Thursday.“It’s not the safe haven that it normally is because these tariffs might result in higher inflation and the need for the Fed to remain on pause for longer or to reverse course and raise rates,” Stovall said.Shorter-term U.S. government bond yields mostly fell.Yields have been generally climbing since September as the U.S. economy has remained much more solid than economists expected. More recently, worries about tariffs and other possible Trump administration policies that could add upward pressure on inflation and the U.S. government’s debt have also sent yields higher.The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged as it closed out its most recent meeting Wednesday. The central bank is signaling a more cautious approach as it waits to see how policies under Trump will impact inflation and the broader economy. Higher tariffs and tax cuts could push inflation higher, while deregulation could possibly reduce it.“Markets are on edge watching President Trump’s plans to raise tariffs and tighten immigration policies, since both are pressuring the Fed to keep interest rates elevated," said Bill Adams, chief economist for Comerica Bank.On Wall Street, Walgreens Boots Alliance dropped 10.3% after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walgreens-suspends-dividend-stock-plunge-c1d2d0c151864821ddf04dec954039e7">suspending its dividend</a>&nbsp;and breaking a streak of quarterly payouts to its shareholders that stretches back more than 90 years.Exxon Mobil ticked down 2.5% even though the energy giant&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/exxon-mobil-oil-opec-5659d4e6cd00594e6ba1d7c335b33e6b">posted a stronger fourth quarter profit</a>&nbsp;than Wall Street had forecast. Exxon credited increased production in the U.S. Permian basin and in Guyana for the strong results, but its revenue came in lower than expected.All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 30.64 points to 6,040.53. The Dow dropped 337.47 points to 44,544.66. The Nasdaq lost 54.31 points to close at 19,627.44.In stock markets abroad, indexes ended mixed in Europe after also finishing mixed in Asia.Japan’s Nikkei 225 index added 0.1% after a report showed that the country’s core inflation rate topped the central bank’s 2% target, paving the way for further hikes to interest rates.The Kospi in South Korea fell 0.8% after trading resumed there following holidays. Markets remained closed in Hong Kong and Shanghai for the Lunar New Year.____AP Business Writer Alex Veiga contributed.

Wall Street sinks after White House confirms Trump tariff move

A petition has been filed to recall Jeff Underhill from office as a Junction City Commissioner. Geary County Clerk Courtney Gilbert said that the blank petition states the grounds for recall and is being provided to the County Attorney, Krista Blaisdell to determine if the grounds are valid and align with legal statute. The grounds alleged on the petition include misconduct while in office and revoking of insurance license due to fraud and deception.&nbsp;The County Attorney has five business days to make that determination.

If the grounds are deemed appropriate, the Recall Committee can then start to circulate the petition to gather signatures. The Recall Committee includes Stephen Capizzi, Samuel Arias and Tom Remily.

The committee needs 390 valid signatures of registered voters who reside within Junction City limits. They have 90 days to return the petition to the Election Office. That Office then has 30 days to validate the signatures.&nbsp;

If the petition is valid, a special election would be held with one question on the ballot. "Do you want to recall Jeff Underhill from the office of Junction City Commissioner" select yes or no.

Underhill was recently elected by his fellow commissioners to serve as the mayor of Junction City for the coming year. He has not yet&nbsp; commented on the recall petition development.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738347058008.png" alt="Jeff Underhill courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Jeff Underhill courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By Dewey Terrill JC PostA petition has been filed to recall Jeff Underhill from office as a Junction City Commissioner. Geary County Clerk Courtney Gilbert said that the blank petition states the grounds for recall and is being provided to the County Attorney, Krista Blaisdell to determine if the grounds are valid and align with legal statute. The grounds alleged on the petition include misconduct while in office and revoking of insurance license due to fraud and deception.&nbsp;The County Attorney has five business days to make that determination.If the grounds are deemed appropriate, the Recall Committee can then start to circulate the petition to gather signatures. The Recall Committee includes Stephen Capizzi, Samuel Arias and Tom Remily.The committee needs 390 valid signatures of registered voters who reside within Junction City limits. They have 90 days to return the petition to the Election Office. That Office then has 30 days to validate the signatures.&nbsp;If the petition is valid, a special election would be held with one question on the ballot. "Do you want to recall Jeff Underhill from the office of Junction City Commissioner" select yes or no.Underhill was recently elected by his fellow commissioners to serve as the mayor of Junction City for the coming year. He has not yet&nbsp; commented on the recall petition development.

Recall petition filed against mayor of Junction City

Jeff Leiker discusses Kansas history in honor of Kansas Day with Adam Conkey of Historic Fort Hays on this episode of the Hays Post Podcast.

<div><iframe title="Post Podcast: State of Kansas History 164 Years" 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=9dsdm-17d8679-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>Jeff Leiker discusses Kansas history in honor of Kansas Day with Adam Conkey of Historic Fort Hays on this episode of the Hays Post Podcast.

Podcast: Kansas history in celebration on Kansas Day

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Independent pharmacies across Kansas will close on Wednesday, Feb.5, for a day of advocacy to raise awareness of what they call unfair business practices by pharmacy benefit managers.

Sloane Freeman, president of the Kansas Pharmacists Association, said the "Close for a Cause" event is meant to show customers what life would be like without independent pharmacies in Kansas.

Pharmacists and their employees will also gather in Topeka that day to lobby for legislation the association is introducing to level the playing field for independent pharmacies.

As of Wednesday, Jan. 26, 96 pharmacies in 55 counties have pledged to participate in "Close for a Cause."

Freeman is an owner of a group of pharmacies in Kansas, one of which is in Hill City.

The benefit pharmacy manager system arose in the 1990s to control insurance companies' costs.

However, since then, the benefit pharmacy managers have become part of vertical integration that also includes the ownership of insurance companies and pharmacies.

Three pharmacy benefit managers control about 85% of the market and rank in the top 20 companies in the U.S. They include Cigna, United Healthcare and CVS/Caremark.

"They are charging your insurance plan one cost, reimbursing the pharmacy another cost and then they're keeping everything in the middle," Freeman said.

Freeman said these companies require insured people to use the benefits manager's pharmacies or offer significant discounts as incentives.

Fred Schertz, pharmacist with Midwest Family Health of Russell, will be participating in lobbying efforts in Topeka on Feb. 5. Midwest Family Health will be closed Wednesday.

"[Mail-order pharmacies] not only drive revenue out of the state of Kansas and out of our local economy," he said, "but also it is a patient care thing. Patients are forced to fill out of state."

He said he sees patients who must fill prescriptions out of town or by mail.

"The patients that it really hurts are the ones who don't have the modes of transportation where they can make it to Hays every day to pick up medication,"&nbsp;Schertz said.

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2020/20_0317.htm">Many scholarly articles have been written on the importance of community pharmacies in local health outcomes, including a&nbsp;July 23, 2020, article shared by the Centers for Disease Control that discusses the role of local pharmacies in dealing with COVID-19.</a>&nbsp;It also touched on chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease.

The pharmacy benefit managers reimburse their pharmacies at a much higher rate than independent pharmacies, Freeman said.

She said independent pharmacies might be reimbursed 1 cent for the drug and $1 for filling the prescription, but the National Community Pharmacy of Association estimates it costs about $13.85 per prescription for an independent pharmacy to fill a prescription and break even.

That includes overhead costs like the container, label, lights and employees, but that doesn't include the cost of the drug.

"When we're not being paid for the drug or any of our employees, we're operating in the red," Freeman said.

Ten Kansas pharmacies closed within the last year, and Freeman said more will close if reforms are not implemented soon.

Two pharmacies in Russell recently merged to stay open.

"In certain pharmacies, up to one in every three prescriptions, they're getting paid below cost,"&nbsp;Schertz said. "That's not taking into account overhead to run it."

There is an appeal system for reimbursements, but appeals are always denied, Freeman said.

"The [pharmacy benefits managers] don't have to play by any rules because there are no rules," Freeman said.

Freeman said the most important aspect of this debate is patient access to medications in a timely manner.

Independent pharmacies deliver to people who can't leave their homes. Pharmacists are available to answer questions in person and provide other special services, such as bubble packs.&nbsp;

Freeman said her pharmacies have even gone to people's homes to give flu shots.

"You won't find that in a mail-order pharmacy or in a chain pharmacy that is 60 to 75 miles away," she said.

Mail-order and chain pharmacies won't be able to handle the volume if more independent pharmacies close, Freeman said.

An independent pharmacy in Garden City closed, and the remaining pharmacies are swamped. Freeman said people are waiting up to five days to get prescriptions filled.

Mail service in rural Kansas is a barrier for patients who are being required to use mail-order pharmacies.&nbsp;Schertz said patients are seeing delays in receiving their medications.

"If something gets hung up half a state away with critical medications, it's not just a package from Amazon. It's lifesaving medication that can be held up," he said.

Climate control is also a concern. Temperature differences can harm medication efficacy, so pharmacies must maintain their medications at consistent temperatures.&nbsp;

Medication that comes through the mail may be sitting in a mail van or on a dock for hours to days in more than 100-degree temperatures or temperatures well below freezing, Freeman said.

The&nbsp;Kansas Pharmacists Association's bill would set a floor for the reimbursement rate to all pharamcies, Freeman said.

Paul Schiferl, pharmacist in Colby, said he did not think the bill would increase prices for consumers.

"We think that the pharmacies should be trued up," he said. ... "What we believe is that it will put everyone to the middle on a fair playing field."

He added, "You can't make a pharmacy run on a $2 dispensing fee."

The bill also encourages transparency. Employers and the state could see where their money goes for drug costs.

It would also reform the audit system. Freeman said the pharmacy benefit managers perform what she called "predatory audits" of independent pharmacies.

"It's common sense things," Freeman said. "We just want to level the playing field a little bit more instead of the three [pharmacy benefits managers] running us over and trying to close us."

Freeman said she and the other pharmacists did not want to close even for one day, but they need Kansans to understand the importance of this issue.

"Patients need to understand they may not have a pharmacy," she said. "Until people understand and feel the issue on themselves, they aren't going to fully understand what the impact could be.

"I can sit here and say until I'm blue in the face, 'If you don't have a pharmacy, you're not going to be able to get your medications.' But until you actually live in that world for a day, it's hard to comprehend."

Schiferl said he also did not want to close. He wants to serve his patients.

"We also want to have this visual representation. We believe our patients want us in their communities," he said, "and we're hoping that when they can see what this would be like if we were closed all of the time, they will want to support this and reach out to their legislators as well and [tell them] how important it is to have a community pharmacy in their town."

The pharmacies encourage their patients to contact local legislators to support the legislation. The independent pharmacies are also organizing letter-writing campaigns and will be taking letters written by patients to Topeka on Feb. 5

"Having the patient voice is what we really hope to have to help the legislators understand more," Freeman said.

Counties that will have pharmacies closed for "Closing for a Cause" on Feb. 5. Anderson Barber Chase Chautauqua Clay Coffey Decatur Dickinson Doniphan Edwards Elk Ellsworth Gove Graham Grant Gray Greenwood Harper Hodgeman Jewell Kingman Kiowa Lane Pawnee Lincoln Logan Marion Meade Mitchell Montgomery Morris Nemaha Ness Norton Osage Ottawa Pawnee Phillips Pottawatomie Rawlins Republic Rice Rooks Rush Russell Sheridan Smith Stafford Stanton Trego Washington Wichita Woodson

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738267698272.jpg" alt="Photo courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostIndependent pharmacies across Kansas will close on Wednesday, Feb.5, for a day of advocacy to raise awareness of what they call unfair business practices by pharmacy benefit managers.Sloane Freeman, president of the Kansas Pharmacists Association, said the "Close for a Cause" event is meant to show customers what life would be like without independent pharmacies in Kansas.Pharmacists and their employees will also gather in Topeka that day to lobby for legislation the association is introducing to level the playing field for independent pharmacies.As of Wednesday, Jan. 26, 96 pharmacies in 55 counties have pledged to participate in "Close for a Cause."Freeman is an owner of a group of pharmacies in Kansas, one of which is in Hill City.The benefit pharmacy manager system arose in the 1990s to control insurance companies' costs.However, since then, the benefit pharmacy managers have become part of vertical integration that also includes the ownership of insurance companies and pharmacies.Three pharmacy benefit managers control about 85% of the market and rank in the top 20 companies in the U.S. They include Cigna, United Healthcare and CVS/Caremark."They are charging your insurance plan one cost, reimbursing the pharmacy another cost and then they're keeping everything in the middle," Freeman said.Freeman said these companies require insured people to use the benefits manager's pharmacies or offer significant discounts as incentives.Fred Schertz, pharmacist with Midwest Family Health of Russell, will be participating in lobbying efforts in Topeka on Feb. 5. Midwest Family Health will be closed Wednesday."[Mail-order pharmacies] not only drive revenue out of the state of Kansas and out of our local economy," he said, "but also it is a patient care thing. Patients are forced to fill out of state."He said he sees patients who must fill prescriptions out of town or by mail."The patients that it really hurts are the ones who don't have the modes of transportation where they can make it to Hays every day to pick up medication,"&nbsp;Schertz said.<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2020/20_0317.htm">Many scholarly articles have been written on the importance of community pharmacies in local health outcomes, including a&nbsp;July 23, 2020, article shared by the Centers for Disease Control that discusses the role of local pharmacies in dealing with COVID-19.</a>&nbsp;It also touched on chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease.The pharmacy benefit managers reimburse their pharmacies at a much higher rate than independent pharmacies, Freeman said.She said independent pharmacies might be reimbursed 1 cent for the drug and $1 for filling the prescription, but the National Community Pharmacy of Association estimates it costs about $13.85 per prescription for an independent pharmacy to fill a prescription and break even.That includes overhead costs like the container, label, lights and employees, but that doesn't include the cost of the drug."When we're not being paid for the drug or any of our employees, we're operating in the red," Freeman said.Ten Kansas pharmacies closed within the last year, and Freeman said more will close if reforms are not implemented soon.Two pharmacies in Russell recently merged to stay open."In certain pharmacies, up to one in every three prescriptions, they're getting paid below cost,"&nbsp;Schertz said. "That's not taking into account overhead to run it."There is an appeal system for reimbursements, but appeals are always denied, Freeman said."The [pharmacy benefits managers] don't have to play by any rules because there are no rules," Freeman said.Freeman said the most important aspect of this debate is patient access to medications in a timely manner.Independent pharmacies deliver to people who can't leave their homes. Pharmacists are available to answer questions in person and provide other special services, such as bubble packs.&nbsp;Freeman said her pharmacies have even gone to people's homes to give flu shots."You won't find that in a mail-order pharmacy or in a chain pharmacy that is 60 to 75 miles away," she said.Mail-order and chain pharmacies won't be able to handle the volume if more independent pharmacies close, Freeman said.An independent pharmacy in Garden City closed, and the remaining pharmacies are swamped. Freeman said people are waiting up to five days to get prescriptions filled.Mail service in rural Kansas is a barrier for patients who are being required to use mail-order pharmacies.&nbsp;Schertz said patients are seeing delays in receiving their medications."If something gets hung up half a state away with critical medications, it's not just a package from Amazon. It's lifesaving medication that can be held up," he said.Climate control is also a concern. Temperature differences can harm medication efficacy, so pharmacies must maintain their medications at consistent temperatures.&nbsp;Medication that comes through the mail may be sitting in a mail van or on a dock for hours to days in more than 100-degree temperatures or temperatures well below freezing, Freeman said.<h2>The bill</h2>The&nbsp;Kansas Pharmacists Association's bill would set a floor for the reimbursement rate to all pharamcies, Freeman said.Paul Schiferl, pharmacist in Colby, said he did not think the bill would increase prices for consumers."We think that the pharmacies should be trued up," he said. ... "What we believe is that it will put everyone to the middle on a fair playing field."He added, "You can't make a pharmacy run on a $2 dispensing fee."The bill also encourages transparency. Employers and the state could see where their money goes for drug costs.It would also reform the audit system. Freeman said the pharmacy benefit managers perform what she called "predatory audits" of independent pharmacies."It's common sense things," Freeman said. "We just want to level the playing field a little bit more instead of the three [pharmacy benefits managers] running us over and trying to close us."Freeman said she and the other pharmacists did not want to close even for one day, but they need Kansans to understand the importance of this issue."Patients need to understand they may not have a pharmacy," she said. "Until people understand and feel the issue on themselves, they aren't going to fully understand what the impact could be."I can sit here and say until I'm blue in the face, 'If you don't have a pharmacy, you're not going to be able to get your medications.' But until you actually live in that world for a day, it's hard to comprehend."Schiferl said he also did not want to close. He wants to serve his patients."We also want to have this visual representation. We believe our patients want us in their communities," he said, "and we're hoping that when they can see what this would be like if we were closed all of the time, they will want to support this and reach out to their legislators as well and [tell them] how important it is to have a community pharmacy in their town."The pharmacies encourage their patients to contact local legislators to support the legislation. The independent pharmacies are also organizing letter-writing campaigns and will be taking letters written by patients to Topeka on Feb. 5"Having the patient voice is what we really hope to have to help the legislators understand more," Freeman said.Counties that will have pharmacies closed for "Closing for a Cause" on Feb. 5. Anderson Barber Chase Chautauqua Clay Coffey Decatur Dickinson Doniphan Edwards Elk Ellsworth Gove Graham Grant Gray Greenwood Harper Hodgeman Jewell Kingman Kiowa Lane Pawnee Lincoln Logan Marion Meade Mitchell Montgomery Morris Nemaha Ness Norton Osage Ottawa Pawnee Phillips Pottawatomie Rawlins Republic Rice Rooks Rush Russell Sheridan Smith Stafford Stanton Trego Washington Wichita Woodson

Local pharmacies closings across state for advocacy day; learn why, see where

By MARC JACOBS Hutch Post

On Wednesday evening Dr. David Gleason, the president of Hutchinson Clinic on a Facebook post accused Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas of blocking information from the clinic.

You can find the video on their Facebook Page. Below is the transcript of the video.&nbsp;

"Hi. I'm David Gleason, president of the Hutchinson clinic. We would first like to express our sincere gratitude to all the businesses, organizations and individual patients who have made the commitment to ensure the Hutchinson clinic remains your in network provider for our Blue Cross Blue Shield patients, we want to reassure you that we are fully dedicated to the high quality care that you've come to expect from the Hutchinson clinic."

"However, we do need to inform you of a recent development Blue Cross Blue Shield has currently blocking information from the Hutchinson clinic, making it difficult for us to provide the necessary medical authorizations as well as the accurate financial estimates we have promised to provide to you for your next appointment."

"We find it deeply concerning that an insurance company would prevent you as a patient from knowing how much your care will cost from the provider or physician of your choice, we remain committed to working with you through this process as we ask for your patience as we navigate these challenges. In the meantime, please continue to reach out to our patient advocacy center. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact or if you need assistance, thank you for your understanding and continued support."

Hutch Post reached out to Blue Cross Blue Shield for their comment.&nbsp; Kristi Zears, manager of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas sent us the below statement.&nbsp;

"Hutchinson Clinic chose to terminate their contract with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, effective Jan. 1, 2025. They are now considered out-of-network providers."

"Being out-of-network means there are certain things they no longer have access to, such as our members’ private health information. &nbsp;This is, and has been our policy, which safeguards and preserves the confidentiality of our members."

"This policy has been communicated to the Hutchinson Clinic administration over the last&nbsp;two years, beginning in September 2023. &nbsp;It has also been shared in our FAQs and related documents available on bcbsks.com/hutch-clinic. We have shared this information with members and the public through direct communication and marketing channels over the last several months."

"We encourage our members to contact us directly with any questions. Our Kansas-based customer service team stands ready to provide assistance."

By MARC JACOBS Hutch Post On Wednesday evening Dr. David Gleason, the president of Hutchinson Clinic on a Facebook post accused Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas of blocking information from the clinic.You can find the video on their Facebook Page. Below is the transcript of the video.&nbsp;"Hi. I'm David Gleason, president of the Hutchinson clinic. We would first like to express our sincere gratitude to all the businesses, organizations and individual patients who have made the commitment to ensure the Hutchinson clinic remains your in network provider for our Blue Cross Blue Shield patients, we want to reassure you that we are fully dedicated to the high quality care that you've come to expect from the Hutchinson clinic.""However, we do need to inform you of a recent development Blue Cross Blue Shield has currently blocking information from the Hutchinson clinic, making it difficult for us to provide the necessary medical authorizations as well as the accurate financial estimates we have promised to provide to you for your next appointment.""We find it deeply concerning that an insurance company would prevent you as a patient from knowing how much your care will cost from the provider or physician of your choice, we remain committed to working with you through this process as we ask for your patience as we navigate these challenges. In the meantime, please continue to reach out to our patient advocacy center. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact or if you need assistance, thank you for your understanding and continued support."Hutch Post reached out to Blue Cross Blue Shield for their comment.&nbsp; Kristi Zears, manager of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas sent us the below statement.&nbsp;"Hutchinson Clinic chose to terminate their contract with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, effective Jan. 1, 2025. They are now considered out-of-network providers.""Being out-of-network means there are certain things they no longer have access to, such as our members’ private health information. &nbsp;This is, and has been our policy, which safeguards and preserves the confidentiality of our members.""This policy has been communicated to the Hutchinson Clinic administration over the last&nbsp;two years, beginning in September 2023. &nbsp;It has also been shared in our FAQs and related documents available on bcbsks.com/hutch-clinic. We have shared this information with members and the public through direct communication and marketing channels over the last several months.""We encourage our members to contact us directly with any questions. Our Kansas-based customer service team stands ready to provide assistance."

Hutch Clinic says BCBS Kansas is withholding information

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOHN%20HANNA,%20MICHAEL%20CASEY%20and%20ADAM%20GELLER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOHN HANNA, MICHAEL CASEY and ADAM GELLER Associated Press</a>

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The victims of a crash between an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/dc-plane-crash-reagan-updates">American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter</a>&nbsp;included teen figure skaters returning from a national meet with their mothers and coaches, an Ohio college student coming from her grandfather's funeral, two Chinese nationals and a group of hunters headed back from a guided trip in Kansas.

They were among 60 travelers and four crew members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-air-collision-video-footage-b444f2c4015fee7266e8a38716ec4ef6">on board the commercial flight</a>&nbsp;late Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">when it collided</a>&nbsp;with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-collision-black-hawk-bombardier-potomac-2b151f42ba09602bade7b82abe8b995f">Black Hawk helicopter</a>&nbsp;that was carrying three soldiers. Officials say there are no survivors.

As the search for remains continued Thursday, communities grieved. Faith leaders held a vigil Thursday in the city council chambers.

“The only way we will get through this is together,” said the Rev. Pamela Hughes Mason of Wichita’s St. Paul AME Church.

American Airlines set up a hotline as well as centers in Washington and Wichita for people searching for information about family members who may have been aboard the downed flight. The hotline can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="tel:18006798215">1-800 679 8215</a>.

Here’s what we know about some of the people killed in Wednesday night’s crash:

Cedarville University in Ohio said one of the passengers on the plane was Grace Maxwell, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering.

Maxwell's father, Dean Maxwell, said she was returning to campus from her home in Wichita, Kansas, after attending her grandfather's funeral,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/kansas/article299449829.html">the Kansas City Star reported.</a>

Grace Maxwell had been working on project this semester to create a hand-stabilizing device to help a boy in the area feed himself instead of rely on others, the university said in a statement.

“Grace was a quiet person with a keen interest in helping others through engineering,” said Tim Norman, who served as her secondary advisor.

Three other students from schools in Fairfax County, Virginia, and six parents from the district were also on board the plane, superintendent Michelle Reid said in a letter to families. She did not identify them, but she said the students were from different schools and that two of the parents were current or former district staffers.

The Chinese embassy in the U.S. said two Chinese nationals were also among the victims of the crash. It did not offer further details.

Seven people returning from a guided hunting trip in Kansas were killed, according to a Facebook post by Fowl Plains, the guide service.

The Fowl Plains team said they had grown close to the hunters on board the flight over the years and considered them to be family members. The post doesn't identify the hunters by name, but it says they had spent the past week on a guided hunt, “laughing, talking about our families and sharing memories.”

“Heartbroken is an understatement,” the company said.

Those killed also included four steamfitters, all members of a United Association union local in suburban Maryland, union leaders said in a social media post Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738291455804.png" alt="Boats work the scene in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)" />
 <figcaption>Boats work the scene in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOHN%20HANNA,%20MICHAEL%20CASEY%20and%20ADAM%20GELLER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOHN HANNA, MICHAEL CASEY and ADAM GELLER Associated Press</a>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The victims of a crash between an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/dc-plane-crash-reagan-updates">American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter</a>&nbsp;included teen figure skaters returning from a national meet with their mothers and coaches, an Ohio college student coming from her grandfather's funeral, two Chinese nationals and a group of hunters headed back from a guided trip in Kansas.They were among 60 travelers and four crew members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-air-collision-video-footage-b444f2c4015fee7266e8a38716ec4ef6">on board the commercial flight</a>&nbsp;late Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">when it collided</a>&nbsp;with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-collision-black-hawk-bombardier-potomac-2b151f42ba09602bade7b82abe8b995f">Black Hawk helicopter</a>&nbsp;that was carrying three soldiers. Officials say there are no survivors.As the search for remains continued Thursday, communities grieved. Faith leaders held a vigil Thursday in the city council chambers.“The only way we will get through this is together,” said the Rev. Pamela Hughes Mason of Wichita’s St. Paul AME Church.American Airlines set up a hotline as well as centers in Washington and Wichita for people searching for information about family members who may have been aboard the downed flight. The hotline can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="tel:18006798215">1-800 679 8215</a>.Here’s what we know about some of the people killed in Wednesday night’s crash:<h2>Student victims and others</h2>Cedarville University in Ohio said one of the passengers on the plane was Grace Maxwell, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering.Maxwell's father, Dean Maxwell, said she was returning to campus from her home in Wichita, Kansas, after attending her grandfather's funeral,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/kansas/article299449829.html">the Kansas City Star reported.</a>Grace Maxwell had been working on project this semester to create a hand-stabilizing device to help a boy in the area feed himself instead of rely on others, the university said in a statement.“Grace was a quiet person with a keen interest in helping others through engineering,” said Tim Norman, who served as her secondary advisor.Three other students from schools in Fairfax County, Virginia, and six parents from the district were also on board the plane, superintendent Michelle Reid said in a letter to families. She did not identify them, but she said the students were from different schools and that two of the parents were current or former district staffers.The Chinese embassy in the U.S. said two Chinese nationals were also among the victims of the crash. It did not offer further details.<h2>Hunters who were headed home from a trip</h2>Seven people returning from a guided hunting trip in Kansas were killed, according to a Facebook post by Fowl Plains, the guide service.The Fowl Plains team said they had grown close to the hunters on board the flight over the years and considered them to be family members. The post doesn't identify the hunters by name, but it says they had spent the past week on a guided hunt, “laughing, talking about our families and sharing memories.”“Heartbroken is an understatement,” the company said.<h2>Members of a Maryland union</h2>Those killed also included four steamfitters, all members of a United Association union local in suburban Maryland, union leaders said in a social media post Thursday.“Our focus now is on providing support and care to the families of our Brothers as we continue to gather more information in the coming days,” said the post by UA General President Mark McManus and Chris Madello, the business manager of Local 602.<h2>From the Skating Club of Boston</h2>Skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane were among those killed, according to Doug Zeghibe, CEO of the Skating Club of Boston. Their mothers, Jin Han and Christine Lane, as well as their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vadim-naumov-evgenia-shishkova-dc-jet-crash-c4788cb6f3e123f0caff83e57347a00d">coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov</a>&nbsp;were also killed.Han and Lane, who was about 16, were returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.“We watched Jinna just grow up here from just a tiny little tyke into this amazingly mature 13-year-old,” he said. “A great performer, a great competitor, and off the ice, a great kid.”Spencer Lane, who was from Barrington, Rhode Island, took part in his first professional show in December with Elin Schran's company, Joy Skate Productions.“He started to discover this connection with the audience and that joy that he was giving to other people through his gift," Schran said.In a statement, the Lane family recalled Christine Lane for both her singular talents and her dedication to parenting."Christine exuded creativity throughout her life, using her formal graphic design training as a jumping-off point for seemingly endless creative pursuits across areas such as photography, quilting, knitting, and more. She brought even greater passion to her role as a mother to Spencer and his brother Milo,” the family said.Their coaches, Shishkova and Naumov, won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships in Chiba, Japan. The Russia-born pair also competed twice in the Olympics.<h2>More young athletes and coaches</h2>Skating organizations in Philadelphia and the Washington area also said some of their young athletes had been aboard the plane.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-391a4c7bd0e617a08d9532a8faab206b">Several athletes on the flight</a>&nbsp;had attended a development camp held after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships ended Sunday in Wichita, Kansas.Wichita Skating Center manager Sean O’Reilly said the championships brought a “groundswell of positivity,” drawing enthusiastic parents and young athletes from across the U.S. He was “gutted” to learn some of those skaters had been killed.In Virginia's Loudoun County, a coach at a skating club was also identified as among the passengers, Virginia Rep. Suhas Subramanyam confirmed. The club, Ashburn Ice House, said that its “figure skating community has been directly affected,” but did not give further details.<h2>From the military</h2>The victims also include three soldiers who were aboard the helicopter.Officials said their remains will be at Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. That office coordinates the dignified transfer of fallen service members.The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet announced. No identities of the crew have been released.But the wife of one of the helicopter pilots said on Facebook that her husband, Andrew Eaves of Noxubee County Mississippi, was killed. In a phone call, Carrie Eaves confirmed the post was hers.“We ask that you pray for our family and friends and for all the other families that are suffering today. We ask for peace while we grieve,” her post read.The three soldiers were doing an annual night proficiency training flight, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, adding they were a “fairly experienced crew.” Officials were notifying relatives, he said.___