HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Given the Supreme Court's holding in West Virginia v. EPA, a conservative policy advocate's call to be sure that advocates for energy don't pile on to already tough issues by increasing taxes seems like an idea worth further scrutiny.

They just cannot conceive of an energy plan, that, whatever else it contains, and it may have a lot of meritorious things, has some nod to climate change in it. For whatever reason, they've decided the least bad thing would be a tax, according to&nbsp; Free market policy expert Phil Kerpen with American Commitment.

The American Petroleum Institute’s climate committee approved a surcharge on gasoline and other fossil fuels to discourage greenhouse-gas emissions. Given that the Supreme Court just held that the EPA can't do greenhouse gas regulation on its own, this is an issue that's likely to come before Congress. Reuters also reported last week that France's Emanuel Macron told President Biden that the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are almost at the capacity of what they can do.

"We should be producing two or three more million barrels a day than we are," Kerpen said. "We have most of the world's swing capacity. The whole rest of the world is like, what the heck is going on? They're like going crazy that we have such insane policies that the entire world is suffering economically as a consequence of."

There is an idea floating around to tax only imported oil, but right now the American energy industry has a confidence problem.

"Even if they came out tomorrow and said, we're calling off the dogs at the EPA and Interior and the SEC and Treasury and we're going to call a truce on all this global warming stuff, how do you get these companies and the markets to believe you enough to invest billions of dollars into assets that need to have a 40 year life, when they kind of know that your real plan is to shut them down in the medium term after they survive politically?"

The economy is likely to be a primary issue in the midterm Congressional races this fall.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581346070421.png" alt="Kerpen" />
 <figcaption>Kerpen</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Given the Supreme Court's holding in West Virginia v. EPA, a conservative policy advocate's call to be sure that advocates for energy don't pile on to already tough issues by increasing taxes seems like an idea worth further scrutiny.They just cannot conceive of an energy plan, that, whatever else it contains, and it may have a lot of meritorious things, has some nod to climate change in it. For whatever reason, they've decided the least bad thing would be a tax, according to&nbsp; Free market policy expert Phil Kerpen with American Commitment.The American Petroleum Institute’s climate committee approved a surcharge on gasoline and other fossil fuels to discourage greenhouse-gas emissions. Given that the Supreme Court just held that the EPA can't do greenhouse gas regulation on its own, this is an issue that's likely to come before Congress. Reuters also reported last week that France's Emanuel Macron told President Biden that the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are almost at the capacity of what they can do."We should be producing two or three more million barrels a day than we are," Kerpen said. "We have most of the world's swing capacity. The whole rest of the world is like, what the heck is going on? They're like going crazy that we have such insane policies that the entire world is suffering economically as a consequence of."There is an idea floating around to tax only imported oil, but right now the American energy industry has a confidence problem."Even if they came out tomorrow and said, we're calling off the dogs at the EPA and Interior and the SEC and Treasury and we're going to call a truce on all this global warming stuff, how do you get these companies and the markets to believe you enough to invest billions of dollars into assets that need to have a 40 year life, when they kind of know that your real plan is to shut them down in the medium term after they survive politically?"The economy is likely to be a primary issue in the midterm Congressional races this fall.

Kerpen: Energy policy needs to be midterm issue

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The potential for any level of abortion restrictions is on the table if the legislature's power is clarified through a positive vote for the amendment that is on the ballot August 2, according to a constitutional law professor from the University of Kansas.

"If people approve the amendment, the Kansas Constitution would place no limits on the regulation of abortion unless the particular form of the regulation violated some other right," said Richard E. Levy, J.B. Smith Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Kansas. "For example, if the law said women of one race could get an abortion, but women of another race could not, that would violate equal protection. But, if we're just looking at the content of abortion regulation generally, there would be no protection under the Kansas constitution."

The Dobbs ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade generally left the abortion regulation question to the states, but even then, there is a standard that will be looked at on the federal level.

"Under the U.S. Constitution, abortion laws would have to pass the rational basis test," Levy said. "They would have to serve a legitimate governmental interest and be reasonably related to that legitimate governmental interest. Sometimes laws can be so arbitrary and irrational, or could be based on impermissible political motives in a way that would make them invalid under the rational basis test. That's very rare, but it can happen."

The rational basis test is generally considered the least stringent test of judicial review. In other words, if the amendment passes, the legislature's actions, whatever they are, would most likely be upheld. Right now, the Kansas Supreme Court's holding in Hodes &amp; Nauser v. Schmidt is controlling and that decision infers a right to abortion in the Kansas Constitution.

"The Hodes case said that Section 1 of the Kansas Constitution's Bill of Rights, which expressly recognizes natural rights that individuals posess, includes a right to bodily integrity and self-determination and that right of bodily integrity and self-determination meant that women had the right to decide whether to carry a child to term or have an abortion."

The concerns of some that leaving the Hodes ruling in place could make Kansas a destination for women traveling to terminate their pregnancy would appear to be founded, if the <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2021/10/26-states-are-certain-or-likely-ban-abortion-without-roe-heres-which-ones-and-why">Guttmacher Institute's analysis of the issue proves to be correct</a>. According to the Institute, all neighboring states to Kansas except for Colorado would be either certain or likely to ban abortion.

Both Republican candidate and current Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and current Kansas Governor Laura Kelly chose not to send direct statements to Hutch Post when contacted for this story, but spokespeople for both sides did send statements.

“The choice in the governor's race on this issue is clear. AG Schmidt supports the Value Them Both amendment and the right of Kansans, through their elected representatives, to regulate the abortion industry. Laura Kelly opposes all abortion restrictions at any stage of a pregnancy. She’s opposed painful late-term abortion bans, requirements that parents be notified of a minor child seeking an abortion, and basic health and safety requirements at abortion clinics. Kansas is and will become an even greater destination for abortions on-demand if Laura Kelly and the pro-abortion groups spending millions on her behalf have their way.”

Communications Director for Gov. Kelly, Brianna Johnson:

“Governor Kelly believes a woman’s reproductive health care decisions should be between her and her physician. She will always review the legality and constitutionality of bills as she receives them, but as she’s said many times, she will oppose all regressive legislation that interferes with individual freedoms or threatens the strides we’ve made in recent years making Kansas a constructive place to do business.”

All <a href="https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView">properly registered Kansas voters</a> can weigh in on the issue, regardless of party affiliation or the lack of it. The registration deadline for the primary is July 12.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656521824596.jpeg" alt="Richard E. Levy, J.B. Smith Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Richard E. Levy, J.B. Smith Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The potential for any level of abortion restrictions is on the table if the legislature's power is clarified through a positive vote for the amendment that is on the ballot August 2, according to a constitutional law professor from the University of Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656082391177.png" alt="Kansas voters will decide whether to remove the last barrier to abortion rights in the state constitution during the Aug. 2 primary election. Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Kansas voters will decide whether to remove the last barrier to abortion rights in the state constitution during the Aug. 2 primary election. Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>"If people approve the amendment, the Kansas Constitution would place no limits on the regulation of abortion unless the particular form of the regulation violated some other right," said Richard E. Levy, J.B. Smith Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Kansas. "For example, if the law said women of one race could get an abortion, but women of another race could not, that would violate equal protection. But, if we're just looking at the content of abortion regulation generally, there would be no protection under the Kansas constitution."The Dobbs ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade generally left the abortion regulation question to the states, but even then, there is a standard that will be looked at on the federal level."Under the U.S. Constitution, abortion laws would have to pass the rational basis test," Levy said. "They would have to serve a legitimate governmental interest and be reasonably related to that legitimate governmental interest. Sometimes laws can be so arbitrary and irrational, or could be based on impermissible political motives in a way that would make them invalid under the rational basis test. That's very rare, but it can happen."The rational basis test is generally considered the least stringent test of judicial review. In other words, if the amendment passes, the legislature's actions, whatever they are, would most likely be upheld. Right now, the Kansas Supreme Court's holding in Hodes &amp; Nauser v. Schmidt is controlling and that decision infers a right to abortion in the Kansas Constitution."The Hodes case said that Section 1 of the Kansas Constitution's Bill of Rights, which expressly recognizes natural rights that individuals posess, includes a right to bodily integrity and self-determination and that right of bodily integrity and self-determination meant that women had the right to decide whether to carry a child to term or have an abortion."The concerns of some that leaving the Hodes ruling in place could make Kansas a destination for women traveling to terminate their pregnancy would appear to be founded, if the <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2021/10/26-states-are-certain-or-likely-ban-abortion-without-roe-heres-which-ones-and-why">Guttmacher Institute's analysis of the issue proves to be correct</a>. According to the Institute, all neighboring states to Kansas except for Colorado would be either certain or likely to ban abortion.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656187730652.png" alt="Abortion protesters in Kansas City last week -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Abortion protesters in Kansas City last week -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Both Republican candidate and current Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and current Kansas Governor Laura Kelly chose not to send direct statements to Hutch Post when contacted for this story, but spokespeople for both sides did send statements.Schmidt campaign manager CJ Grover:“The choice in the governor's race on this issue is clear. AG Schmidt supports the Value Them Both amendment and the right of Kansans, through their elected representatives, to regulate the abortion industry. Laura Kelly opposes all abortion restrictions at any stage of a pregnancy. She’s opposed painful late-term abortion bans, requirements that parents be notified of a minor child seeking an abortion, and basic health and safety requirements at abortion clinics. Kansas is and will become an even greater destination for abortions on-demand if Laura Kelly and the pro-abortion groups spending millions on her behalf have their way.”Communications Director for Gov. Kelly, Brianna Johnson:“Governor Kelly believes a woman’s reproductive health care decisions should be between her and her physician. She will always review the legality and constitutionality of bills as she receives them, but as she’s said many times, she will oppose all regressive legislation that interferes with individual freedoms or threatens the strides we’ve made in recent years making Kansas a constructive place to do business.”All <a href="https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView">properly registered Kansas voters</a> can weigh in on the issue, regardless of party affiliation or the lack of it. The registration deadline for the primary is July 12.

KU Prof: 'no limits on abortion regulation' if amendment passes

PRATT —

The Pratt Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors has announced 
Ashley Fitzsimmons Smith as its new president and chief executive 
officer, effective July 5.

Smith comes to PACC from IMI 
Global, where she has worked as a Sales Coordinator &amp; Customer 
Verification Specialist. She previously held positions with Cinch 
Outlet/Miller International, Performance Livestock Analysts, and High 
Call Outfitters.

Smith grew up on a farm in eastern Pratt County.
 With the desire to be closer to family, she and her husband made the 
decision to move back to Pratt in order to make it their home to live 
and raise their own family.&nbsp;

Smith holds a B.S. in Organizational 
Leadership from Fort Hays State University and a B.S. in Agricultural 
Communications and Journalism from Kansas State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655817682152.jpeg" alt="Ashley Fitzsimmons Smith" />
 <figcaption>Ashley Fitzsimmons Smith</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy Hutch PostPRATT —

The Pratt Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors has announced 
Ashley Fitzsimmons Smith as its new president and chief executive 
officer, effective July 5.Smith comes to PACC from IMI 
Global, where she has worked as a Sales Coordinator &amp; Customer 
Verification Specialist. She previously held positions with Cinch 
Outlet/Miller International, Performance Livestock Analysts, and High 
Call Outfitters.Smith grew up on a farm in eastern Pratt County.
 With the desire to be closer to family, she and her husband made the 
decision to move back to Pratt in order to make it their home to live 
and raise their own family.&nbsp;Smith holds a B.S. in Organizational 
Leadership from Fort Hays State University and a B.S. in Agricultural 
Communications and Journalism from Kansas State University.

Fort Hays State alum named president of Pratt chamber

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Republican State Senator Mark Steffen of Hutchinson called in to the KWBW Phone Forum program on Wednesday and made several pointed comments about the FDA and CDC approval of COVID-19 vaccines for children six months to five years of age.

"It's predatory on these kids," Steffen said. "These kids have a survival rate of 99.995% from the COVID virus, which is higher than most elective surgeries."

He considers the policy decision of the Reno County Health Department to stock the Moderna vaccine for young children and offer it to the public to be incorrect.

"Our Reno County Health Department has decided they are going to take the lead in the state of Kansas of promoting these shots for these six-month olds," Steffen said. "It's deplorable. It's wrong. They tell everybody they follow the CDC and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. According to Kansas Statute, they answer to County Commissioners. What they are doing is wrong. As of today, I'm calling for the dismissal of Karla Nichols and Karen Hammersmith. They need to be out of that county health department."

Director Karla Nichols had no comment when contacted by Hutch Post.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642187798087.png" alt="Republican Sen. Mark Steffen, a Hutchinson area physician-photo by (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Republican Sen. Mark Steffen, a Hutchinson area physician-photo by (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Republican State Senator Mark Steffen of Hutchinson called in to the KWBW Phone Forum program on Wednesday and made several pointed comments about the FDA and CDC approval of COVID-19 vaccines for children six months to five years of age."It's predatory on these kids," Steffen said. "These kids have a survival rate of 99.995% from the COVID virus, which is higher than most elective surgeries."He considers the policy decision of the Reno County Health Department to stock the Moderna vaccine for young children and offer it to the public to be incorrect."Our Reno County Health Department has decided they are going to take the lead in the state of Kansas of promoting these shots for these six-month olds," Steffen said. "It's deplorable. It's wrong. They tell everybody they follow the CDC and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. According to Kansas Statute, they answer to County Commissioners. What they are doing is wrong. As of today, I'm calling for the dismissal of Karla Nichols and Karen Hammersmith. They need to be out of that county health department."Director Karla Nichols had no comment when contacted by Hutch Post.

State Rep. calls for health dept. leaders 'dismissal' over COVID vaccine

HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;Four Hutchinson firefighters along with Brush 71 are at the Black Hills Fire in southern Colorado. They arrived Sunday.&nbsp;

The Black Hills Fire was estimated at 2,000 acres over the weekend.

In 2021, Twelve Hutchinson Fire Fighters along with 1 Kansas Forest Employee worked&nbsp; 72 days of that wildfire season.

All
 use of Hutchinson firefighters and equipment is reimbursed by the 
federal government and that money is put into equipment upgrades to 
fight wildfires here in Kansas.

The four currently deployed are Matt Young, Brent Fisher, Justin Williams and Michael Sooter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655735560908.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hutch PostHUTCHINSON —&nbsp;Four Hutchinson firefighters along with Brush 71 are at the Black Hills Fire in southern Colorado. They arrived Sunday.&nbsp;The Black Hills Fire was estimated at 2,000 acres over the weekend.In 2021, Twelve Hutchinson Fire Fighters along with 1 Kansas Forest Employee worked&nbsp; 72 days of that wildfire season.All
 use of Hutchinson firefighters and equipment is reimbursed by the 
federal government and that money is put into equipment upgrades to 
fight wildfires here in Kansas.The four currently deployed are Matt Young, Brent Fisher, Justin Williams and Michael Sooter.

Kansas firefighters sent to fight Colorado wildfire

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — One of the many cast members to grace 2022 Smallville Con this weekend at the Kansas State Fairgrounds is Jack O' Halloran. He played Non, the menacing but mute member of the trio of Kryptonian supervillains in the first two Superman movies.

"It's like an immortal deal," O'Halloran said. "I knew that, when we did the film, that it was going to be there forever."

O'Halloran spoke glowingly of the brilliance of director Richard Donner. He believes the so-called Donner Cut of Superman II is more true to the intent of the story.

"Richard Donner is a tremendous director," O'Halloran said. "He had already shot 86% of Superman II. When they brought on Richard Lester, in order for him to be a named director on the film, he had to have shot better than 50% of the film, so he went back and reshot stuff and added a lot more comedy and stuff than Donner did. The Donner Cut is actually a much better version of Superman II."

One of the differences in the older Superman movies from current comic book fare is that it isn't nearly as dark.

"There was enough action in the film to make the story work extremely well," O'Halloran said. "You didn't need to go overboard. Today, the films get darker and darker and darker. Hopefully, that changes in the future."

Jack O’Halloran will have Q&amp;A on Saturday in the Sunflower North Building.&nbsp;<a href="https://smallvillecomiccon.com/sites/all/libraries/pdfjs/web/2022SmallvilleProgramSchedule.pdf">Here is the full schedule</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655495294065.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — One of the many cast members to grace 2022 Smallville Con this weekend at the Kansas State Fairgrounds is Jack O' Halloran. He played Non, the menacing but mute member of the trio of Kryptonian supervillains in the first two Superman movies."It's like an immortal deal," O'Halloran said. "I knew that, when we did the film, that it was going to be there forever."O'Halloran spoke glowingly of the brilliance of director Richard Donner. He believes the so-called Donner Cut of Superman II is more true to the intent of the story."Richard Donner is a tremendous director," O'Halloran said. "He had already shot 86% of Superman II. When they brought on Richard Lester, in order for him to be a named director on the film, he had to have shot better than 50% of the film, so he went back and reshot stuff and added a lot more comedy and stuff than Donner did. The Donner Cut is actually a much better version of Superman II."One of the differences in the older Superman movies from current comic book fare is that it isn't nearly as dark."There was enough action in the film to make the story work extremely well," O'Halloran said. "You didn't need to go overboard. Today, the films get darker and darker and darker. Hopefully, that changes in the future."Jack O’Halloran will have Q&amp;A on Saturday in the Sunflower North Building.&nbsp;<a href="https://smallvillecomiccon.com/sites/all/libraries/pdfjs/web/2022SmallvilleProgramSchedule.pdf">Here is the full schedule</a>.

Smallville Con brings movie actors to Hutchinson

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt is looking to increase funding for priorities Democrats and Republicans can agree on when it comes to public safety and mental health.

"There are already provisions on the books for the civil commitment of individuals who are adjudicated as being a danger to themselves or others," Schmidt said. "They, of course, can be restrained until the threat abates and while they are restrained, they obviously can't have a firearm. That's been current law in Kansas for a very long time. I think the real key in some of these discussions is, for example, making sure that due process attaches anytime the government tries to infringe a Constitutional right. That's true in speech, that's true in religion, that's true in search and seizure. That's true in the Second Amendment."

Schmidt wants to talk about treating the people, not taking the guns.

"I really think the fruitful focus is on dealing with mental health issues, on dealing with behavioral issues on trying to nip the misbehavior in the bud, before it becomes a threat to anybody."

However, Schmidt does want to make sure those who are prohibited from owning guns serve time for using them, if they commit another crime.

"I proposed legislation this year," Schmidt said. "It got a hearing and a warm reception in the legislature, but didn't actually make it through the process, but we should try again next year. It is aimed very specifically at felons. People who have already committed and been convicted of felonies. Because of that, under current law, they are not allowed to lawfully possess firearms. In many cases, they do anyway. Then they use those firearms they are not even supposed to have, to commit new violent crimes. We want to make sure that the gun crime they have committed gets its own separate punishment."

The bill would tack the gun crime sentence on to the end of whatever the violent crime sentence is. That is part of a <a href="https://schmidtforkansas.com/ag-derek-schmidt-announces-public-safety-plan-to-improve-school-security-and-reduce-armed-violence-in-kansas-communities/">larger safety framework Schmidt publicized June 7.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583409290272.jpeg" alt="Kansas AG Derek Schmidt" />
 <figcaption>Kansas AG Derek Schmidt</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt is looking to increase funding for priorities Democrats and Republicans can agree on when it comes to public safety and mental health."There are already provisions on the books for the civil commitment of individuals who are adjudicated as being a danger to themselves or others," Schmidt said. "They, of course, can be restrained until the threat abates and while they are restrained, they obviously can't have a firearm. That's been current law in Kansas for a very long time. I think the real key in some of these discussions is, for example, making sure that due process attaches anytime the government tries to infringe a Constitutional right. That's true in speech, that's true in religion, that's true in search and seizure. That's true in the Second Amendment."Schmidt wants to talk about treating the people, not taking the guns."I really think the fruitful focus is on dealing with mental health issues, on dealing with behavioral issues on trying to nip the misbehavior in the bud, before it becomes a threat to anybody."However, Schmidt does want to make sure those who are prohibited from owning guns serve time for using them, if they commit another crime."I proposed legislation this year," Schmidt said. "It got a hearing and a warm reception in the legislature, but didn't actually make it through the process, but we should try again next year. It is aimed very specifically at felons. People who have already committed and been convicted of felonies. Because of that, under current law, they are not allowed to lawfully possess firearms. In many cases, they do anyway. Then they use those firearms they are not even supposed to have, to commit new violent crimes. We want to make sure that the gun crime they have committed gets its own separate punishment."The bill would tack the gun crime sentence on to the end of whatever the violent crime sentence is. That is part of a <a href="https://schmidtforkansas.com/ag-derek-schmidt-announces-public-safety-plan-to-improve-school-security-and-reduce-armed-violence-in-kansas-communities/">larger safety framework Schmidt publicized June 7.</a>

Schmidt: Due process and mental health treatment key to limiting threats

By NICK GOSNELL Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON — The newly crowned Miss Kansas, Ayanna Hensley, is still running on adrenaline and shock after being crowned in Pratt on Saturday.

"I don't think it will set in until a couple weeks down the road," Hensley said. "It's still just so surreal to me. When it was time for crowning, the feeling, you can't describe. The best way I can describe it is static. When you're holding hands with the first runner up or the current Miss Kansas, you just never really know, but at that moment, you know, you're both so qualified and you're both so ready for this moment. If you look back at my crowning moment with my awesome first runner up, Jetta Smith, she was actually speaking over me, she was speaking over the legacy that I'll leave as Miss Kansas and as Ayanna, myself. I'm getting really emotional in that moment. From that moment on, it's been a whirlwind."

Hensley's platform of ACEs Low: Overcoming Adverse Childhood Experiences is personally important to her.

"It entails going through your past and being able to work through the things that haunt you at night," Hensley said. "It's obviously geared towards children, because they are able to digest it a little bit faster. It's really fresh for them and obviously that catapults them into a brighter future."

For Hensley, her faith has helped her to become the person she is today and overcome her own childhood trauma.

"My parents were really young when they had me," Hensley said. "I was the result of a teen pregnancy. Obviously, there was a lot of growing on both ends that was involved. My parents struggled with addiction in and out of my life. That was just a form of inconsistency. The biggest thing I struggled with is a very inconsistent childhood and even early adulthood."

That's why she wants to spread the message to kids and to Kansas that you can recover and become whatever you dream to be, even a Miss Kansas winner. The date for the Miss America pageant has not yet been announced.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655145007906.jpeg" alt="2022 Miss Kansas Crowning-Photo by Bill Rea" />
 <figcaption>2022 Miss Kansas Crowning-Photo by Bill Rea</figcaption>
 </figure>By NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON — The newly crowned Miss Kansas, Ayanna Hensley, is still running on adrenaline and shock after being crowned in Pratt on Saturday."I don't think it will set in until a couple weeks down the road," Hensley said. "It's still just so surreal to me. When it was time for crowning, the feeling, you can't describe. The best way I can describe it is static. When you're holding hands with the first runner up or the current Miss Kansas, you just never really know, but at that moment, you know, you're both so qualified and you're both so ready for this moment. If you look back at my crowning moment with my awesome first runner up, Jetta Smith, she was actually speaking over me, she was speaking over the legacy that I'll leave as Miss Kansas and as Ayanna, myself. I'm getting really emotional in that moment. From that moment on, it's been a whirlwind."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655145107993.jpeg" alt="Ayanna Hensley is a recent graduate of Fort Hays State-Photo by Josh Rosener Photography" />
 <figcaption>Ayanna Hensley is a recent graduate of Fort Hays State-Photo by Josh Rosener Photography</figcaption>
 </figure>Hensley's platform of ACEs Low: Overcoming Adverse Childhood Experiences is personally important to her."It entails going through your past and being able to work through the things that haunt you at night," Hensley said. "It's obviously geared towards children, because they are able to digest it a little bit faster. It's really fresh for them and obviously that catapults them into a brighter future."For Hensley, her faith has helped her to become the person she is today and overcome her own childhood trauma."My parents were really young when they had me," Hensley said. "I was the result of a teen pregnancy. Obviously, there was a lot of growing on both ends that was involved. My parents struggled with addiction in and out of my life. That was just a form of inconsistency. The biggest thing I struggled with is a very inconsistent childhood and even early adulthood."That's why she wants to spread the message to kids and to Kansas that you can recover and become whatever you dream to be, even a Miss Kansas winner. The date for the Miss America pageant has not yet been announced.

Fort Hays State grad crowned Miss Kansas 2022 

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — The specifics of the Senate deal on gun control legislation that is being reported are not yet in legislative language, but Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann voted against a bill earlier this month and will be watching what changes there are closely.

"We cannot go and take people's Second Amendment rights away for law abiding citizens who have done nothing wrong," Mann said. "I voted no to the package last week. A handful of negotiators are on the Senate side saying they have come up with a framework. Until you see the text and really know what's in it, it's really hard to comment."

The proposal is said to include initiatives to support state crisis intervention orders along with a national expansion of mental health services for children and families, also expanding mental health programs in schools, creating an enhanced review process for gun buyers under the age of 21 increasing penalties for straw purchases and providing additional funding for school resource officers. 

"The Senate will have to work it," Mann said. "It often takes them longer, just how their rules and floor time is set up. We'll see what they do with that this week. If that gets turned into a bill and is considered, then we'll see if it gets kicked back to the House side of the legislature here next week, or sometime later this summer."

The details and how much restriction it does or does not put on those who have not committed a crime will be key in whether anything can gain bipartisan support.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627660813904.png" alt="Kansas First District Rep. Tracey Mann" />
 <figcaption>Kansas First District Rep. Tracey Mann</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON,
Kan. — The specifics of the Senate deal on gun control legislation that is being reported are not yet in legislative language, but Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann voted against a bill earlier this month and will be watching what changes there are closely."We cannot go and take people's Second Amendment rights away for law abiding citizens who have done nothing wrong," Mann said. "I voted no to the package last week. A handful of negotiators are on the Senate side saying they have come up with a framework. Until you see the text and really know what's in it, it's really hard to comment."The proposal is said to include initiatives to support state crisis intervention orders along with a national expansion of mental health services for children and families, also expanding mental health programs in schools, creating an enhanced review process for gun buyers under the age of 21 increasing penalties for straw purchases and providing additional funding for school resource officers. "The Senate will have to work it," Mann said. "It often takes them longer, just how their rules and floor time is set up. We'll see what they do with that this week. If that gets turned into a bill and is considered, then we'll see if it gets kicked back to the House side of the legislature here next week, or sometime later this summer."The details and how much restriction it does or does not put on those who have not committed a crime will be key in whether anything can gain bipartisan support.

Mann: House waiting for specifics on Senate gun control deal

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — It's now been over three months since the Cottonwood Complex fire and Reno County VOAD is continuing to come alongside those who are recovering from the damage to their lives.

"Myself and Megan at the Salvation Army, the two of us are visiting with people every day," said Amy Bretz with the United Way of Reno County. "They are calling, asking questions, the biggest thing that we are doing right now is helping people with getting their water hooked back up if they are moving back out there, getting electric lines back in. There are foundations that still need to come out. Since March, there have been many people involved in this process."

The VOAD couldn't have helped nearly as fast as they have without numerous local volunteers and organizations like Mennonite Disaster Services and Interfaith Housing and the overall support of Hutchinson and the surrounding community.

Bretz said that for most people, the property they have is still home, even though they need to rebuild.

"Some have moved out of that area, they were insured and were able to purchase another home and go somewhere else," Bretz said. "For the most part, most of the people who live there who have lost everything, they want to be back on their properties. They have some beautiful spaces out there. It's private. There are beautiful trees. They are out in the country and that's where they want to be, so we want to be sensitive to what their needs are and what their desires are, and help them move in that direction."

There's also the emotional toll that the memory of that day's events continues to take. Bretz has to use her training in social work to help people to cope.

"This is a really traumatic thing that happened," Bretz said. "Those who were present that day, in that fire, trying to grab a pet, grab a loved one, get out of there, race through the smoke. The stories that we've heard, of course, are things that I have never dealt with. I don't know what that felt like, and to listen to them...I want people to talk about that. You need to tell that story. Some of my clients are very willing to talk about that. We discuss it and I ask questions about, you know, you wonder, how do you sleep at night when you wonder, could a fire come and get me again? That's real."

Over 40 properties were damaged in some way, but Bretz notes that the people out there are both resilient and giving, even as they pick up their own pieces.

"I have to give a shout out to the Cottonwood Fire survivors," Bretz said. "The kindness from these people has been amazing. The gratitude that they have shown all of us who are working with them has really been pretty awesome. They have consistently said, help my neighbor, help my neighbor. I'm going to be okay. Please make sure my neighbor is okay."

If you want to give and help, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unitedwayofrenocounty.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&amp;id=11">United Way is still taking donations</a>&nbsp;and 100% of the money will go to help victims. They are not taking any administrative overhead on this project.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654951436825.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — It's now been over three months since the Cottonwood Complex fire and Reno County VOAD is continuing to come alongside those who are recovering from the damage to their lives."Myself and Megan at the Salvation Army, the two of us are visiting with people every day," said Amy Bretz with the United Way of Reno County. "They are calling, asking questions, the biggest thing that we are doing right now is helping people with getting their water hooked back up if they are moving back out there, getting electric lines back in. There are foundations that still need to come out. Since March, there have been many people involved in this process."The VOAD couldn't have helped nearly as fast as they have without numerous local volunteers and organizations like Mennonite Disaster Services and Interfaith Housing and the overall support of Hutchinson and the surrounding community.Bretz said that for most people, the property they have is still home, even though they need to rebuild."Some have moved out of that area, they were insured and were able to purchase another home and go somewhere else," Bretz said. "For the most part, most of the people who live there who have lost everything, they want to be back on their properties. They have some beautiful spaces out there. It's private. There are beautiful trees. They are out in the country and that's where they want to be, so we want to be sensitive to what their needs are and what their desires are, and help them move in that direction."There's also the emotional toll that the memory of that day's events continues to take. Bretz has to use her training in social work to help people to cope."This is a really traumatic thing that happened," Bretz said. "Those who were present that day, in that fire, trying to grab a pet, grab a loved one, get out of there, race through the smoke. The stories that we've heard, of course, are things that I have never dealt with. I don't know what that felt like, and to listen to them...I want people to talk about that. You need to tell that story. Some of my clients are very willing to talk about that. We discuss it and I ask questions about, you know, you wonder, how do you sleep at night when you wonder, could a fire come and get me again? That's real."Over 40 properties were damaged in some way, but Bretz notes that the people out there are both resilient and giving, even as they pick up their own pieces."I have to give a shout out to the Cottonwood Fire survivors," Bretz said. "The kindness from these people has been amazing. The gratitude that they have shown all of us who are working with them has really been pretty awesome. They have consistently said, help my neighbor, help my neighbor. I'm going to be okay. Please make sure my neighbor is okay."If you want to give and help, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unitedwayofrenocounty.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&amp;id=11">United Way is still taking donations</a>&nbsp;and 100% of the money will go to help victims. They are not taking any administrative overhead on this project.

Reno County fire recover effort continues

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The defendant in a double homicide has been bound over for trial following more than six hours of testimony during his preliminary hearing in Reno County District Court.

Kyle Hardwick was bound over on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 58-year-old Phillip Anstine and 56-year-old Marion “Ed” Bates in August of 2021. He is also charged with theft and had a fourth count of solicitation of perjury for trying to convince a friend, Sherry Reed, to lie on the witness stand or not show for the hearing at all.&nbsp;

Testimony Thursday morning came from friends of Bates and Anstine. Both Cathy Havell and Dawnita Joe Hartung testified they tried to get a hold of Bates over a period of two days. They testified that they drove out to a place called the "compound" east of Hutchinson where they met a man who ended up being Hardwick. He told the two women that the pair of victims had gone to town to buy cigarettes.

The two men were eventually found, Bates in a ditch covered in tree limbs and Anstine in a pit used for burning trash, his body consumed by a fire in the pit. Forensic evidence showed that Bates had been shot twice in the face while Anstine had been shot at least once in the back. The barrel of a shotgun was also found in the burn pit.

Detectives and deputies of the Reno County Sheriff’s Department also took the stand testifying about the amount of evidence they collected. DNA samples taken from items found in a camper were connected to Hardwick. DNA testing was also done on the two victims to identify them. Evidence collected from the scene included 12-gauge shotgun shells, two where Bates was allegedly shot and one more about 75 feet away near the burn pit where Anstine was found. Also found were a debit card, a receipt, a bus ticket and social security card, all belonging to the defendant.&nbsp;

The additional count of solicitation to commit perjury was added after a phone call between the defendant and Reed was played in court. Reed had just finished testifying but could not remember much about phone calls she got from Hardwick or much of anything else other than she drove him to a bus station in Kansas City. In the recorded FaceTime conversation, Hardwick repeatedly tells Reed not to show up for the hearing and, if she did testify, to tell the court she was mentally unstable and on drugs. At one time he said, “Please don’t come,” and repeatedly said, “you don’t have to show up.”

There was also testimony about a red Ford truck that was taken from the crime scene. That truck, which belonged to Anstine, was found at Pretty Prairie Road and Victory Road in October. Fingerprints tested from the truck belonged to Hardwick, although Detective Matthew Franklin with the Reno County Sheriff's Department could not say that the prints were put there during the murder and could have been placed there at any time. The defense for Hardwick asked few questions during the hearing, but did say during the testimony from Reed that Hardwick had said he was drugged and raped by the two victims. He is also quoted as saying that “Bates was a friend and he dropped like a martyr.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hardwick was arrested in Maize Sept. 1 near a Dollar General store where he had allegedly made purchases. The clerk at the store told detectives that Hardwick said to her that his truck had broken down near Hutchinson and that he walked to Maize. Detectives were able to locate Hardwick from a ping on a cell phone. He was found in an abandoned grain elevator.

Hardwick will be arraigned July 5 before Judge Keith Schroeder.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630432406794.png" alt="Hardwick-photo Reno Co." />
 <figcaption>Hardwick-photo Reno Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>By ROD ZOOK Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The defendant in a double homicide has been bound over for trial following more than six hours of testimony during his preliminary hearing in Reno County District Court.Kyle Hardwick was bound over on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 58-year-old Phillip Anstine and 56-year-old Marion “Ed” Bates in August of 2021. He is also charged with theft and had a fourth count of solicitation of perjury for trying to convince a friend, Sherry Reed, to lie on the witness stand or not show for the hearing at all.&nbsp;Testimony Thursday morning came from friends of Bates and Anstine. Both Cathy Havell and Dawnita Joe Hartung testified they tried to get a hold of Bates over a period of two days. They testified that they drove out to a place called the "compound" east of Hutchinson where they met a man who ended up being Hardwick. He told the two women that the pair of victims had gone to town to buy cigarettes.The two men were eventually found, Bates in a ditch covered in tree limbs and Anstine in a pit used for burning trash, his body consumed by a fire in the pit. Forensic evidence showed that Bates had been shot twice in the face while Anstine had been shot at least once in the back. The barrel of a shotgun was also found in the burn pit.Detectives and deputies of the Reno County Sheriff’s Department also took the stand testifying about the amount of evidence they collected. DNA samples taken from items found in a camper were connected to Hardwick. DNA testing was also done on the two victims to identify them. Evidence collected from the scene included 12-gauge shotgun shells, two where Bates was allegedly shot and one more about 75 feet away near the burn pit where Anstine was found. Also found were a debit card, a receipt, a bus ticket and social security card, all belonging to the defendant.&nbsp;The additional count of solicitation to commit perjury was added after a phone call between the defendant and Reed was played in court. Reed had just finished testifying but could not remember much about phone calls she got from Hardwick or much of anything else other than she drove him to a bus station in Kansas City. In the recorded FaceTime conversation, Hardwick repeatedly tells Reed not to show up for the hearing and, if she did testify, to tell the court she was mentally unstable and on drugs. At one time he said, “Please don’t come,” and repeatedly said, “you don’t have to show up.”There was also testimony about a red Ford truck that was taken from the crime scene. That truck, which belonged to Anstine, was found at Pretty Prairie Road and Victory Road in October. Fingerprints tested from the truck belonged to Hardwick, although Detective Matthew Franklin with the Reno County Sheriff's Department could not say that the prints were put there during the murder and could have been placed there at any time. The defense for Hardwick asked few questions during the hearing, but did say during the testimony from Reed that Hardwick had said he was drugged and raped by the two victims. He is also quoted as saying that “Bates was a friend and he dropped like a martyr.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Hardwick was arrested in Maize Sept. 1 near a Dollar General store where he had allegedly made purchases. The clerk at the store told detectives that Hardwick said to her that his truck had broken down near Hutchinson and that he walked to Maize. Detectives were able to locate Hardwick from a ping on a cell phone. He was found in an abandoned grain elevator.Hardwick will be arraigned July 5 before Judge Keith Schroeder.

Suspect bound over for trial in Kansas double-murder case

<a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>


HUTCHINSON — 
Even though the Kansas Legislature passed the so-called APEX bill and it
 was signed by Governor Laura Kelly in February, we still don't know if 
the state will get the super secret project.

"I don't know if 
we've lost out completely, or if they are still in the courting 
process," said Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson. "The way these economic, especially 
these big economic development deals can sometimes work is, they've got 
two or three suitors on the line and they're trying to see who gives 
them the sweetest deal or the biggest dowry. It seems that's what the 
case is here. They came to Kansas, they got us to put a lot of money on 
the table. Then, from everything I've read, they've gone down to 
Oklahoma to see if they could get a sweeter deal down there."

Neither
 Oklahoma or Kansas is authorized to say who the project is for, but 
speculation is that it would be for a Panasonic battery plant for 
electric vehicles. Panasonic is a supplier for Tesla. Whichever state 
wins the plant would likely see it start producing as soon as fiscal 
2024. 

Panasonic already jointly operates a battery plant with Tesla in Nevada. 

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/47f0a274-a3f1-4766-84ba-bbe812b017e2">Hutchinson
 Chamber CEO Debra Teufel joined several economic development 
professionals from across Kansas in urging the legislature to pass the 
APEX bill back in February.</a>

All APEX offers are subject to the approval of the State Finance Council. 

<a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Automobiles/Panasonic-weighs-building-new-U.S.-battery-plant-for-Tesla">Panasonic
 told Nikkei Asia earlier this month the decision on whether or not to 
build the plant at all will be based on the profitability of the new 
lithium-ion batteries that Panasonic will produce at its plant in 
Japan's Wakayama Prefecture starting in fiscal year 2023</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1654012074347.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>
HUTCHINSON — 
Even though the Kansas Legislature passed the so-called APEX bill and it
 was signed by Governor Laura Kelly in February, we still don't know if 
the state will get the super secret project."I don't know if 
we've lost out completely, or if they are still in the courting 
process," said Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson. "The way these economic, especially 
these big economic development deals can sometimes work is, they've got 
two or three suitors on the line and they're trying to see who gives 
them the sweetest deal or the biggest dowry. It seems that's what the 
case is here. They came to Kansas, they got us to put a lot of money on 
the table. Then, from everything I've read, they've gone down to 
Oklahoma to see if they could get a sweeter deal down there."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600960659626.jpeg" alt="Probst" />
 <figcaption>Probst</figcaption>
 </figure>Neither
 Oklahoma or Kansas is authorized to say who the project is for, but 
speculation is that it would be for a Panasonic battery plant for 
electric vehicles. Panasonic is a supplier for Tesla. Whichever state 
wins the plant would likely see it start producing as soon as fiscal 
2024. Panasonic already jointly operates a battery plant with Tesla in Nevada. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/47f0a274-a3f1-4766-84ba-bbe812b017e2">Hutchinson
 Chamber CEO Debra Teufel joined several economic development 
professionals from across Kansas in urging the legislature to pass the 
APEX bill back in February.</a>All APEX offers are subject to the approval of the State Finance Council. <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Automobiles/Panasonic-weighs-building-new-U.S.-battery-plant-for-Tesla">Panasonic
 told Nikkei Asia earlier this month the decision on whether or not to 
build the plant at all will be based on the profitability of the new 
lithium-ion batteries that Panasonic will produce at its plant in 
Japan's Wakayama Prefecture starting in fiscal year 2023</a>.

Hutch rep: APEX bill results still unknown

HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;"Being in Kansas is a good thing in terms of gas prices," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. 

"It doesn't seem like it when you're filling up, but $4.12 a gallon as a state average, where we are today, is actually the second cheapest in the country, behind only Oklahoma. If you are traveling in the region this weekend, Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska and even Colorado are all in the top 10 cheapest gas prices."

Even though the summer travel season often sees more pain at the pump, Steward says that's not necessarily a done deal.

"Once you get to a certain point, there are going to be people who scale back their driving just for budget reasons," Steward said. "We refer to that as demand erosion. Earlier this week, we saw some numbers where demand had actually gone down. We're expecting higher demand for the holiday weekend, as people go on their road trips. We'll take a look at it next week to see if that demand happens to drop again. I think that may be some indication that demand erosion might be kicking in."

Memorial Day is still a mostly driving holiday, though, so what happens at the pump this weekend could be different than the non-holiday times this summer.

NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON —&nbsp;"Being in Kansas is a good thing in terms of gas prices," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "It doesn't seem like it when you're filling up, but $4.12 a gallon as a state average, where we are today, is actually the second cheapest in the country, behind only Oklahoma. If you are traveling in the region this weekend, Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska and even Colorado are all in the top 10 cheapest gas prices."Even though the summer travel season often sees more pain at the pump, Steward says that's not necessarily a done deal."Once you get to a certain point, there are going to be people who scale back their driving just for budget reasons," Steward said. "We refer to that as demand erosion. Earlier this week, we saw some numbers where demand had actually gone down. We're expecting higher demand for the holiday weekend, as people go on their road trips. We'll take a look at it next week to see if that demand happens to drop again. I think that may be some indication that demand erosion might be kicking in."Memorial Day is still a mostly driving holiday, though, so what happens at the pump this weekend could be different than the non-holiday times this summer.

AAA: Gas prices in Kansas among the lowest in the nation

<a href="https://hutchpost.com">Via Hutch Post</a>

MCPHERSON — As part of the city of McPherson's 150th anniversary celebration, they 
are having a time capsule unveiling event from both the city centennial 
and the nation's bicentennial time capsules. 

However, officials have found some damage to one of the capsules. According to 
the McPherson Fire Department, they located all the time capsules in 
water and immediately began extricating the capsules. 

Only the 
Centennial Time Capsule contained water, so staff began draining water 
and removing the contents. Members worked through the late evening 
trying to save what could be saved. Those items that were saved have 
serious water damage.

The time capsule reveal event is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at the McPherson Fire Station. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653663232159.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hutchpost.com">Via Hutch Post</a>MCPHERSON — As part of the city of McPherson's 150th anniversary celebration, they 
are having a time capsule unveiling event from both the city centennial 
and the nation's bicentennial time capsules. However, officials have found some damage to one of the capsules. According to 
the McPherson Fire Department, they located all the time capsules in 
water and immediately began extricating the capsules. Only the 
Centennial Time Capsule contained water, so staff began draining water 
and removing the contents. Members worked through the late evening 
trying to save what could be saved. Those items that were saved have 
serious water damage.The time capsule reveal event is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at the McPherson Fire Station.

Kan. town's time capsule found damaged prior to unveiling


HUTCHINSON — Mace Krol will be the next head coach of Hutch High baseball.&nbsp;

Krol
 is a Nickerson native and played college baseball at Hutchinson 
Community College and at Nicholls State before finishing at Fort Hays 
State.&nbsp;

Krol is the son of&nbsp;longtime Nickerson baseball coach Rich Krol.

Krol
 is a PE teacher at Hutchinson High School and was the long-time 
assistant to Jim Preston, who stepped down after this season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575997243028.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>
HUTCHINSON — Mace Krol will be the next head coach of Hutch High baseball.&nbsp;Krol
 is a Nickerson native and played college baseball at Hutchinson 
Community College and at Nicholls State before finishing at Fort Hays 
State.&nbsp;Krol is the son of&nbsp;longtime Nickerson baseball coach Rich Krol.Krol
 is a PE teacher at Hutchinson High School and was the long-time 
assistant to Jim Preston, who stepped down after this season.

Fort Hays State alum take reins of Hutch High baseball program

HUTCHINSON— Amtrak’s Southwest Chief will return to full service Monday. The train service was reduced to five days per week due to staffing shortages caused by the pandemic.&nbsp;

“We still have a lot of hiring to do but we’re able to have enough hiring and enough cars back in service, post pandemic, to restore service on the Southwest Chief,” Amtrak Spokesperson Marc Magilari said. “We’re very glad to be back doing that across central Kansas and the full route of the Southwest Chief.”

Despite hiring more than 1500 people this spring, Magilari says the staff shortages continue. The shortages are across the board from maintenance crews to conductors and locomotive engineers.

“We need several thousand more nationally,” Magilari said. “Whether they’re conductors or engineers or the people who work to maintain our trains from the mechanical department, we need to get some more people on board.”

While the Chief is back to seven days per week, the staffing issues are still limiting service elsewhere.

“We’re still not back to 100% service elsewhere in the country,” Magilari said. “In New Orleans we’re not running daily trains that are normally daily…we’re still not restoring all of our service even here in the Chicago area.”

Amtrak is also working to get their fleet of cars and locomotives up and running again but staffing shortages are slowing that process. Because of that the Chief will be running with fewer coaches.

“I would expect our train will remain undersized throughout the summer,” Magilari said. “Because when the pandemic was at its worst, we were directed not to fill every job that opened, and we didn’t and now we’re trying to catch up.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Chief runs from Chicago to Los Angeles and serves Lawrence, Topeka, Newton, Dodge City and Garden City in Kansas. In a non-pandemic environment, Amtrak serves about 6,000 passengers each year in Hutchinson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609263248923.png" alt="The Chief runs from Chicago to Los Angeles and serves Lawrence, Topeka, Newton, Dodge City and Garden City in Kansas." />
 <figcaption>The Chief runs from Chicago to Los Angeles and serves Lawrence, Topeka, Newton, Dodge City and Garden City in Kansas.</figcaption>
 </figure>By ROD ZOOK Hutch PostHUTCHINSON— Amtrak’s Southwest Chief will return to full service Monday. The train service was reduced to five days per week due to staffing shortages caused by the pandemic.&nbsp;“We still have a lot of hiring to do but we’re able to have enough hiring and enough cars back in service, post pandemic, to restore service on the Southwest Chief,” Amtrak Spokesperson Marc Magilari said. “We’re very glad to be back doing that across central Kansas and the full route of the Southwest Chief.”Despite hiring more than 1500 people this spring, Magilari says the staff shortages continue. The shortages are across the board from maintenance crews to conductors and locomotive engineers.“We need several thousand more nationally,” Magilari said. “Whether they’re conductors or engineers or the people who work to maintain our trains from the mechanical department, we need to get some more people on board.”While the Chief is back to seven days per week, the staffing issues are still limiting service elsewhere.“We’re still not back to 100% service elsewhere in the country,” Magilari said. “In New Orleans we’re not running daily trains that are normally daily…we’re still not restoring all of our service even here in the Chicago area.”Amtrak is also working to get their fleet of cars and locomotives up and running again but staffing shortages are slowing that process. Because of that the Chief will be running with fewer coaches.“I would expect our train will remain undersized throughout the summer,” Magilari said. “Because when the pandemic was at its worst, we were directed not to fill every job that opened, and we didn’t and now we’re trying to catch up.”&nbsp;&nbsp;The Chief runs from Chicago to Los Angeles and serves Lawrence, Topeka, Newton, Dodge City and Garden City in Kansas. In a non-pandemic environment, Amtrak serves about 6,000 passengers each year in Hutchinson.

Southwest Chief returns to full service across Kansas

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas State Fair General Manager Bryan Schulz is ready to talk about the project to renovate the Bison Arena, now that the governor has signed the bill for the state's half.

"With House Bill 2510 going through, that allocated about $14.6 million towards the fair," Schulz said. "$10 million of that was earmarked for the Bison Arena. The remainder, the $2.5 million was going to go towards asphalt repairs on the grounds, a million that would go towards a PA system, $500,000 towards air conditioning in the Oz Gallery and Centennial Hall and then about $460,000 to finish the upgrades down at Expocenter."

The state's money is allocated in FY 2023, which starts July 1. The total cost is estimated around $20 million.

"We're going to need to hire an architect," Schulz said. "We do have our contract with Schaefer Johnson Cox Frey. With a bid this big, I think it has to go out on state bid. We'll see what happens with that. Once we have an architect in place, then we'll probably look at structural, making sure that is what we need to do and then start moving forward to actually get a better cost of what the building is going to be."

The concern is that any estimate given even months ago is likely not accurate. The fair has seen this problem with the Capper project as its price tag went up and completion date went back due to supply chain issues, particularly with steel, so Schulz really wants to be sure fairgoers are patient with the process.

"It's going to take at least a year to get everything into place," Schulz said. "That would be a rough timeline. Starting a year, to get everything into place how we want it, getting everything going. Then, it's probably going to be another year or so after that. I'm thinking it's going to be two plus years before it would be open, for sure."

The goal is to make sure all of the timeline is firm before getting specific bids as the project progresses, so that costs can be controlled as much as possible.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653060590462.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas State Fair General Manager Bryan Schulz is ready to talk about the project to renovate the Bison Arena, now that the governor has signed the bill for the state's half."With House Bill 2510 going through, that allocated about $14.6 million towards the fair," Schulz said. "$10 million of that was earmarked for the Bison Arena. The remainder, the $2.5 million was going to go towards asphalt repairs on the grounds, a million that would go towards a PA system, $500,000 towards air conditioning in the Oz Gallery and Centennial Hall and then about $460,000 to finish the upgrades down at Expocenter."The state's money is allocated in FY 2023, which starts July 1. The total cost is estimated around $20 million."We're going to need to hire an architect," Schulz said. "We do have our contract with Schaefer Johnson Cox Frey. With a bid this big, I think it has to go out on state bid. We'll see what happens with that. Once we have an architect in place, then we'll probably look at structural, making sure that is what we need to do and then start moving forward to actually get a better cost of what the building is going to be."The concern is that any estimate given even months ago is likely not accurate. The fair has seen this problem with the Capper project as its price tag went up and completion date went back due to supply chain issues, particularly with steel, so Schulz really wants to be sure fairgoers are patient with the process."It's going to take at least a year to get everything into place," Schulz said. "That would be a rough timeline. Starting a year, to get everything into place how we want it, getting everything going. Then, it's probably going to be another year or so after that. I'm thinking it's going to be two plus years before it would be open, for sure."The goal is to make sure all of the timeline is firm before getting specific bids as the project progresses, so that costs can be controlled as much as possible.

$10M for renovation of Bison Arena at Kan. State Fairgrounds

HUTCHINSON — The Kansas State Fair Board is going to allow much more roaming with alcohol this year, thanks to the passage of Senate Bill 2 signed by Gov. Kelly last month.&nbsp; The board made their decision Tuesday.

"The board approved us moving forward for the 2022 Kansas State Fair and the 2022 Fair Food and Tunes," Schulz said. "The parameters for both events are going to be all inside the gate areas of the Kansas State Fair."

There will be some limited building exceptions where no beverages of any kind are allowed.

"We know for sure, centennial hall 4H and then there will be a few other buildings that will be excluded," Schulz said. "There will be proper signage at the doors and the building managers will have that understanding that they do not allow any beverages inside. Like our Domestic Arts and all that kind of stuff. We try keeping food, beverages, everything out of those buildings just because of the sheer issues we would have if somebody would spill on any of that stuff."

The fair will also be addressing security concerns.

"We're going to have a little more presence," Schulz said. "We're working with the Highway Patrol to make sure that they are aware of all the stuff that is going to happen. We're actually going to have to do some additional training with our gate people to make sure that they understand, you know, that no beverages are taken out."

Everyone will be carded everywhere alcohol is sold and it will only be poured into clear plastic cups for carrying throughout the grounds and every buyer who wants to carry around will have to have a wristband and the wristbands will be different every day of the fair. The first event with the new rules is Fair Food and Tunes next month.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652292095210.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON — The Kansas State Fair Board is going to allow much more roaming with alcohol this year, thanks to the passage of Senate Bill 2 signed by Gov. Kelly last month.&nbsp; The board made their decision Tuesday."The board approved us moving forward for the 2022 Kansas State Fair and the 2022 Fair Food and Tunes," Schulz said. "The parameters for both events are going to be all inside the gate areas of the Kansas State Fair."There will be some limited building exceptions where no beverages of any kind are allowed."We know for sure, centennial hall 4H and then there will be a few other buildings that will be excluded," Schulz said. "There will be proper signage at the doors and the building managers will have that understanding that they do not allow any beverages inside. Like our Domestic Arts and all that kind of stuff. We try keeping food, beverages, everything out of those buildings just because of the sheer issues we would have if somebody would spill on any of that stuff."The fair will also be addressing security concerns."We're going to have a little more presence," Schulz said. "We're working with the Highway Patrol to make sure that they are aware of all the stuff that is going to happen. We're actually going to have to do some additional training with our gate people to make sure that they understand, you know, that no beverages are taken out."Everyone will be carded everywhere alcohol is sold and it will only be poured into clear plastic cups for carrying throughout the grounds and every buyer who wants to carry around will have to have a wristband and the wristbands will be different every day of the fair. The first event with the new rules is Fair Food and Tunes next month.

Board sets boundaries for drinking at Kansas State Fair

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Even as the nation sets a record high for gas prices, it's not that way in Kansas or Reno County.&nbsp;Kansas is at $3.96. That's up 17 cents in the past week, up 28 cents from a month ago."

Kansas is the fourth least expensive state for gas.

"Prices just continue to rise," Steward said. "This is due to high crude oil prices, volatility on the global market and gas demand has stayed strong and has been on the rise of late. With summer travel season coming up, we don't anticipate demand for gas falling anytime soon. We anticipate it to be a very busy travel season, despite the high gas prices."

Though AAA's official forecast for Memorial Day won't come out until later, Steward anticipates it to be much closer to pre-pandemic than the last couple of years.

"They're just ready to travel," Steward said. "People love to travel in general. Many people have limited or strongly curtailed their travel over the past couple of years, or didn't travel at all, because of the pandemic or for whatever reason. They just didn't feel comfortable doing so."

It doesn't appear as if the mitigating measures tried by the Biden administration have been effective in keeping gas prices down to this point.

NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Even as the nation sets a record high for gas prices, it's not that way in Kansas or Reno County.&nbsp;Kansas is at $3.96. That's up 17 cents in the past week, up 28 cents from a month ago."Kansas is the fourth least expensive state for gas."Prices just continue to rise," Steward said. "This is due to high crude oil prices, volatility on the global market and gas demand has stayed strong and has been on the rise of late. With summer travel season coming up, we don't anticipate demand for gas falling anytime soon. We anticipate it to be a very busy travel season, despite the high gas prices."Though AAA's official forecast for Memorial Day won't come out until later, Steward anticipates it to be much closer to pre-pandemic than the last couple of years."They're just ready to travel," Steward said. "People love to travel in general. Many people have limited or strongly curtailed their travel over the past couple of years, or didn't travel at all, because of the pandemic or for whatever reason. They just didn't feel comfortable doing so."It doesn't appear as if the mitigating measures tried by the Biden administration have been effective in keeping gas prices down to this point.

Gas prices remain lower in Kansas than the rest of the nation

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Economist Michael Austin believes there may be some future issues found in what on the surface seems like a positive sales tax report for the state.

"Even though we saw tax day had a better than expected gain, Kansas consumption, I saw, decelerated massively, suggesting that massive inflation might have blunted consumer confidence here in the free state."

Austin agrees with other conservative economists that the Fed raising rates is the right thing to do, but it may be too much and too late.

"The Federal Reserve needs to, of course, raise rates in a way that it discourages bad investments, but maintains productivity within consumers and businesses," Austin said. "Historically, that has been very hard to do. It is likely that we'll see another recession within the next one to two years."

The point of Austin's question is that Kansans are not buying like they used to even a few months ago.

"Year over year growth for Kansas purchases of sales taxable items was 18.4%," Austin said. "That included a roughly 8.5% inflation hike. Now, in this April report, sales are down to 4.8% growth. Not only is that a quarter of March's growth, but it's even smaller than March inflation. It means Kansans can't keep up with rising prices and now they're pulling back."

That also could mean times for tax policy in coming months and years won't be as flush as we have seen recently.

NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Economist Michael Austin believes there may be some future issues found in what on the surface seems like a positive sales tax report for the state."Even though we saw tax day had a better than expected gain, Kansas consumption, I saw, decelerated massively, suggesting that massive inflation might have blunted consumer confidence here in the free state."Austin agrees with other conservative economists that the Fed raising rates is the right thing to do, but it may be too much and too late."The Federal Reserve needs to, of course, raise rates in a way that it discourages bad investments, but maintains productivity within consumers and businesses," Austin said. "Historically, that has been very hard to do. It is likely that we'll see another recession within the next one to two years."The point of Austin's question is that Kansans are not buying like they used to even a few months ago."Year over year growth for Kansas purchases of sales taxable items was 18.4%," Austin said. "That included a roughly 8.5% inflation hike. Now, in this April report, sales are down to 4.8% growth. Not only is that a quarter of March's growth, but it's even smaller than March inflation. It means Kansans can't keep up with rising prices and now they're pulling back."That also could mean times for tax policy in coming months and years won't be as flush as we have seen recently.

Economist: Kansans buying less, recession could be coming

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Gas prices are still relatively high, but at least they aren't that much different than last week.

"Things have seemed to settle down a bit," said Shawn Steward with AAA of Kansas. "We are seeing some tight gasoline supplies now, which are preventing prices from falling at the pumps.".

"There could be some pretty high demand for gas as people take off on summer vacations, despite the higher gas prices than we've seen in recent years," Steward said.

Steward notes that people may modify other choices like how nice a hotel to book in an effort to have the additional money to spend on gas.

"There's nothing new here," Steward said. "It's just the fluctuating crude oil prices, with global uncertainty and volatility going on. That's impacting what we're seeing for gas prices."

The national average continues to be considerably above Kansas at $4.19 a gallon Monday

NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Gas prices are still relatively high, but at least they aren't that much different than last week."Things have seemed to settle down a bit," said Shawn Steward with AAA of Kansas. "We are seeing some tight gasoline supplies now, which are preventing prices from falling at the pumps."."There could be some pretty high demand for gas as people take off on summer vacations, despite the higher gas prices than we've seen in recent years," Steward said.Steward notes that people may modify other choices like how nice a hotel to book in an effort to have the additional money to spend on gas."There's nothing new here," Steward said. "It's just the fluctuating crude oil prices, with global uncertainty and volatility going on. That's impacting what we're seeing for gas prices."The national average continues to be considerably above Kansas at $4.19 a gallon Monday

AAA Kansas: Gas prices still relatively high, but more stable

By ERIC THOMAS <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/04/29/be-an-environmental-activist-through-your-backyard-gardening-choices/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>

I like to consider myself an advocate
 for the environment: someone who believes that climate change is a 
dangerous and advancing threat. I fret that our government doesn’t do 
more to encourage sustainability and alternative energy.

But I am striking some weak stances there with “believe” and “fret.” What about some action on my part?

The best I muster is minimizing the 
damage that I regularly do to the environment. I choose a car that gets 
good gas mileage. I run our laundry at night to avoid peak power hours. I
 scold my son and daughter about not recycling.

Those changes allow me to stay in my 
comfy place of privileged consumption. Those tiny actions minimize my 
outsized first-world environmental impact.

Two Kansas podcasts this week provide
 similar ways to begin healing our environment, rather than limiting the
 daily damage we impart.

Together, the podcasts offer dual 
serendipities. First, their timing is extraordinary. Both episodes — 
posted on consecutive days on different podcasting channels — overlap by
 considering how backyard gardens with native plants can foster monarch 
butterflies.

The second serendipity is considering
 the strikingly beautiful monarch butterfly. Its marathon migratory 
pattern from Canada to Mexico over the course of generations of 
reproduction is a natural miracle. Add to that the precision of their 
migration (the butterflies take their cues from the angle of the sun in 
the sky).

Here are the two podcasts that 
magically overlapped in discussing how our backyard gardens can be more 
than a place to dump annual bags of red mulch:&nbsp;

The connection to Kansas for the monarch butterfly comes from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.monarchwatch.org/tagmig/">its migratory path through our state</a>, and also from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.monarchwatch.org/index.html">the Kansas-based nonprofit organization</a> that for 30 years has been working toward their preservation.

Chip Taylor, the founder and director
 of Monarch Watch, connects the butterfly with today’s largest 
environmental issues on Uncovering Kansas.

“Monarchs are important because they 
are symbolic of how we are managing the planet and the effect that we 
are having on the planet,” Taylor says. “The fact that the monarch 
population is going down is troubling because this is one of the most 
fantastic natural phenomena on the planet. We’ve got to be paying 
attention.

“And the monarchs are telling us that we aren’t paying attention.”&nbsp;

In eight countries, Monarch Watch has created more that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/">38,000 waystations</a>: locations where monarchs can find their coveted milkweed plant.

Taylor explains that selecting a 
native milkweed plant is vital. Blindly buying any old milkweed might 
mean inadvertently harming monarchs with pesticides.&nbsp;

“People who buy milkweed — tropical 
milkweed in particular — from big-box stores,” Taylor said. “And they 
take those plants home to raise a few monarch caterpillars on them. Two 
or three bites of that foliage, if it’s been treated with these 
neonicotinoid pesticides, those butterflies are curled up and writhing 
at the bottom of the pot.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1651241310989.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By ERIC THOMAS <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/04/29/be-an-environmental-activist-through-your-backyard-gardening-choices/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>I like to consider myself an advocate
 for the environment: someone who believes that climate change is a 
dangerous and advancing threat. I fret that our government doesn’t do 
more to encourage sustainability and alternative energy.But I am striking some weak stances there with “believe” and “fret.” What about some action on my part?The best I muster is minimizing the 
damage that I regularly do to the environment. I choose a car that gets 
good gas mileage. I run our laundry at night to avoid peak power hours. I
 scold my son and daughter about not recycling.Those changes allow me to stay in my 
comfy place of privileged consumption. Those tiny actions minimize my 
outsized first-world environmental impact.Two Kansas podcasts this week provide
 similar ways to begin healing our environment, rather than limiting the
 daily damage we impart.Together, the podcasts offer dual 
serendipities. First, their timing is extraordinary. Both episodes — 
posted on consecutive days on different podcasting channels — overlap by
 considering how backyard gardens with native plants can foster monarch 
butterflies.The second serendipity is considering
 the strikingly beautiful monarch butterfly. Its marathon migratory 
pattern from Canada to Mexico over the course of generations of 
reproduction is a natural miracle. Add to that the precision of their 
migration (the butterflies take their cues from the angle of the sun in 
the sky).Here are the two podcasts that 
magically overlapped in discussing how our backyard gardens can be more 
than a place to dump annual bags of red mulch:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li><a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6QpDX5buJsrlJQVcAjb03M?si=3279393f95eb4761">Wildflowers and Native Plants from the Flatlander Podcast, April 22</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4b7ipKx8DOkoQDc9ObvQ6M?si=e855b77cd9644482">Monarch Watch from the Uncovering Kansas podcast, April 23</a></li>
 </ul>The connection to Kansas for the monarch butterfly comes from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.monarchwatch.org/tagmig/">its migratory path through our state</a>, and also from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.monarchwatch.org/index.html">the Kansas-based nonprofit organization</a> that for 30 years has been working toward their preservation.Chip Taylor, the founder and director
 of Monarch Watch, connects the butterfly with today’s largest 
environmental issues on Uncovering Kansas.“Monarchs are important because they 
are symbolic of how we are managing the planet and the effect that we 
are having on the planet,” Taylor says. “The fact that the monarch 
population is going down is troubling because this is one of the most 
fantastic natural phenomena on the planet. We’ve got to be paying 
attention.“And the monarchs are telling us that we aren’t paying attention.”&nbsp;In eight countries, Monarch Watch has created more that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/">38,000 waystations</a>: locations where monarchs can find their coveted milkweed plant.Taylor explains that selecting a 
native milkweed plant is vital. Blindly buying any old milkweed might 
mean inadvertently harming monarchs with pesticides.&nbsp;“People who buy milkweed — tropical 
milkweed in particular — from big-box stores,” Taylor said. “And they 
take those plants home to raise a few monarch caterpillars on them. Two 
or three bites of that foliage, if it’s been treated with these 
neonicotinoid pesticides, those butterflies are curled up and writhing 
at the bottom of the pot.”The guest on this week’s Flatlander 
Podcast also asks listeners to be mindful of what they plant. Brad Guhr,
 an educator at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains in Hesston, explains why we
 should choose native plants.Guhr says native plants should give 
back to the environment in which they are planted as much as they take. 
(This sounds like a grand ambition for us all.) He agrees with Taylor 
that it’s often difficult to find such plants at national hardware and 
retail chains.&nbsp;However, finding the right plant can create a thriving natural environment.&nbsp;“The more diversity that you get at 
that plant level, the more diversity you are going to get at that animal
 level, more high up,” Guhr says. “And I think that is where another 
level of enjoyment comes in. Wanting to see the wildlife that gets 
attracted to a landscape.”Of course, this kind of 
thoughtfulness about what plants we select flies in the face of the 
weekend warrior mentality of maintaining the stereotypical suburban 
backyard. It’s so tempting to race through the Home Depot nursery and 
choose a plant that might survive in an empty plant bed back home. We 
want to spend just a few hours to simply make our yard “look cute.” Both
 guests make the case for being more mindful.Eventually, even Guhr’s interview turns to the monarch.&nbsp;“You bet I am going to talk about the
 monarch butterfly and all of the lessons that it brings along,” Guhr 
says. “Especially as it becomes more imperiled and we see these trends 
of its reduction in our environment, it’s easy to sound the alarms and 
try to highlight all of the different reasons that the monarch provides 
for us.”Taylor sees the monarch’s symbolic value in prodding environmental curiosity and action.“It’s a platform that we’ve got,” 
Taylor says. “The monarch butterfly is iconic. It’s cherished by a lot 
of people. And it gives us an opportunity to talk about a change that’s 
occurring.”<a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1KmdXfI8qcGXppor5sLlng?si=dddf95eecd2940d7">Savvy, lazy or crazy, Putin will soon lose power</a>When Experts Attack, April 21, 2022In his interview with host Jon 
Niccum, Valery Dzutsati, a visiting assistant professor at the 
University of Kansas, draws a parallel between the Russian invasion of 
Ukraine in 2022 to the Russian-Japanese war in 1904. Detailed 
connections like these deliver what the title of the podcasts promises: 
experts attacking. Dzutsaki says that the 1904 war resulted in the first
 Russian revolution against the contemporary rulers of Russia. Will that
 happen again? Dzutsati predicts the end of Putin’s power in the next 
five years.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/12tj6bl6PbfkfUZXBo64Re?si=e90de5ea028940e4">Chris Courtwright</a>That Guy in Hutch, April 21, 2022Chris Courtwright delivers a 
behind-the-scenes tick-tock of how the Kansas Legislative Research 
Department makes financial projections. While this sounds dry, 
Courtwright’s voice rings with the righteous conviction of a dedicated 
numbers guy. The wonky breakdown of economics and taxes will help 
listeners understand:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>The history of the grocery tax (he seems mystified that a cut hasn’t passed).</li><li>The diversification of tax revenue in Kansas (it protects against tax revenue slumping during downturns.</li><li>The
 cash in our state’s coffers (“I am telling you that there’s more money 
in the Kansas state coffers than there’s ever been.”).</li>
 </ul>