David F.L. Graner, age 53, passed away on October 7, 2022, at Hamburg, New York.

David was born on February 28, 1969, at Montgomery, Alabama, the son of Father James and Anne LoBianco Graner.

David graduated from Larned High School in 1987, attended Kansas 
State University for two years, then enlisting in the U.S. Army, later 
at the rank of Corporal. David called himself an “Army brat” since his 
father, and 3 uncles served in the army as well.

After his army service, David attended culinary school at Baltimore 
Culinary College, completing the 2-year course. He and a friend opened a
 restaurant in Outer Banks, North Carolina before being offered a 
position at a prestigious golf club in Southampton, Long Island, New 
York, where he worked for 8 years.&nbsp; From there, David then worked his 
way up through different chef assignments to a Sous Chef position, first
 on Fishers Island, and finally, completing his career at the Wanaka 
Country Club in Buffalo, New York.

David was of the Christian faith and belonged to Saints Mary and 
Martha of Bethany Episcopal Church in Larned, Kansas. His hobbies were 
many. David was an avid fan of the Kansas City Chiefs and enjoyed the 
game of golf. &nbsp;

David is survived by his mother, Anne Graner, of Larned. He was 
preceded in death by his father, Fr. James Graner. &nbsp;Other survivors are 
his many cousins, Elise, South Carolina, Barbara, New York, Joselle, 
Denver, Blanche, St. Louis, Roberta, Connecticut, Gail, Independence, 
Lee, Florida, Loretta, Cincinnati, and Dennis, Kevin, Edward, Paul, and 
Frank, Florida, and of course, his many friends. He was very loved and 
will be greatly missed.

Cremation has taken place. A memorial service with Military Honors 
will be held on Friday, November 18, at 10:30 a.m. at Sts. Mary and 
Martha of Bethany Episcopal Church, Larned with Bishop Mark Cowell 
presiding. &nbsp;Visitation will be from 9 am to 8 pm on Thursday, November 
17, with family present from 6-8 pm. at Beckwith Mortuary.

Memorials may be given to Sts. Mary and Martha of Bethany Episcopal 
Church, Larned or the Pawnee County Humane Society, both in care of 
Beckwith Mortuary, PO Box 477, Larned, Kansas 67550.&nbsp; Personal 
condolences may be left at www.beckwithmortuary.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668034253028.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>David F.L. Graner, age 53, passed away on October 7, 2022, at Hamburg, New York.David was born on February 28, 1969, at Montgomery, Alabama, the son of Father James and Anne LoBianco Graner.David graduated from Larned High School in 1987, attended Kansas 
State University for two years, then enlisting in the U.S. Army, later 
at the rank of Corporal. David called himself an “Army brat” since his 
father, and 3 uncles served in the army as well.After his army service, David attended culinary school at Baltimore 
Culinary College, completing the 2-year course. He and a friend opened a
 restaurant in Outer Banks, North Carolina before being offered a 
position at a prestigious golf club in Southampton, Long Island, New 
York, where he worked for 8 years.&nbsp; From there, David then worked his 
way up through different chef assignments to a Sous Chef position, first
 on Fishers Island, and finally, completing his career at the Wanaka 
Country Club in Buffalo, New York.David was of the Christian faith and belonged to Saints Mary and 
Martha of Bethany Episcopal Church in Larned, Kansas. His hobbies were 
many. David was an avid fan of the Kansas City Chiefs and enjoyed the 
game of golf. &nbsp;David is survived by his mother, Anne Graner, of Larned. He was 
preceded in death by his father, Fr. James Graner. &nbsp;Other survivors are 
his many cousins, Elise, South Carolina, Barbara, New York, Joselle, 
Denver, Blanche, St. Louis, Roberta, Connecticut, Gail, Independence, 
Lee, Florida, Loretta, Cincinnati, and Dennis, Kevin, Edward, Paul, and 
Frank, Florida, and of course, his many friends. He was very loved and 
will be greatly missed.Cremation has taken place. A memorial service with Military Honors 
will be held on Friday, November 18, at 10:30 a.m. at Sts. Mary and 
Martha of Bethany Episcopal Church, Larned with Bishop Mark Cowell 
presiding. &nbsp;Visitation will be from 9 am to 8 pm on Thursday, November 
17, with family present from 6-8 pm. at Beckwith Mortuary.Memorials may be given to Sts. Mary and Martha of Bethany Episcopal 
Church, Larned or the Pawnee County Humane Society, both in care of 
Beckwith Mortuary, PO Box 477, Larned, Kansas 67550.&nbsp; Personal 
condolences may be left at www.beckwithmortuary.com.

David F.L. Graner

Alan C. Hagerman, 70, Larned, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, November 
8, 2022, at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital in Larned, Kansas.

Alan was born on October 4, 1952, in Larned, Kansas. He was the son 
of Elmer and Hilda (Hemken) Hagerman. He was a lifelong resident of 
Pawnee County, Kansas.

A 1970 graduate of Pawnee Heights High School, Rozel, Kansas, he 
graduated from Kansas State University in 1974. Described as a big guy 
with a big heart, he made lifelong friends as a member of the Beta Sigma
 Psi fraternity at K-State where he majored in Ag Economics. Better than
 the friends he made, he met the love of his life and on August 16, 
1974, he married Sindra Davis in Red Oak, Iowa. She survives.

Al was a farmer/rancher and he shared his love of farming, hunting, 
and outdoors with his wife and twin boys. He lived on the family 
farmstead near Rozel, Kansas, until his retirement. He and Sindy moved 
into Larned, Kansas, in November of 2017.

Al spent his retirement from farming being the unofficial parts 
fetcher or the midday taxi service. He always had a knack for stopping 
by to check on how harvest was going just as the evening meal showed up 
at the field. He loved driving out and checking his cattle on pasture.

Family and friends meant everything to Al. He enjoyed watching his 
grandkids play sports, at their shooting competitions, and dance 
recitals. He was always telling stories and accomplishments of his sons 
and their families. He and Sindy would often be found proudly cheering 
in the stands, reading in the bleachers at grandparent’s day at school, 
or losing an intense game of go-fish. He hardly knew a stranger, and was
 never in too big of a hurry to stop for a conversation.

He was a member of Hope Lutheran Church in Rush Center, Kansas. Al 
was active in his community. He served on the Mid-State Coop board as 
well as the Pawnee Heights School Board. He served as secretary for the 
church council. Al spent 25 years as a coordinator and instructor for 
the Pawnee County Shooting Sports program. He also spent time as an 
instructor of Hunter’s Safety courses in Rozel, Kansas.

Other survivors include his sons Brian, Larned, Kansas, and Kent, 
Timken, Kansas; 5 grandchildren Kale, Kole, Mason, Gabe, and Maddy; two 
sisters, Carol (Larry) Bartlett and Becky (Steve) Wondra; and 8 nieces 
and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and an older brother, Robert.

Memorial service will be Saturday, November 12, 2022, at 11:00 A.M. 
at Hope Lutheran Church, Rush Center, Kansas, with family present 
starting at 10:00 A.M.

Church visitation will be Saturday, November 12, 2022, from 10:00 
A.M. to 11:00 A.M. at Hope Lutheran Church, Rush Center, Kansas. A private family inurnment will be at a later date in Hope Lutheran Cemetery, Rush Center, Kansas.

In lieu of flowers or plants, the family requests memorials be given 
to Hope Lutheran Church, Rush Center, Kansas, or Pawnee County Shooting 
Sports

Condolences or remembrances may be left for the family at www.janousekfuneralhome.com.

Arrangements were by Janousek Funeral Home, 719 Pine Street, P O Box 550, La Crosse, Kansas 67548, 785/222-2517.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668034056320.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Alan C. Hagerman, 70, Larned, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, November 
8, 2022, at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital in Larned, Kansas.Alan was born on October 4, 1952, in Larned, Kansas. He was the son 
of Elmer and Hilda (Hemken) Hagerman. He was a lifelong resident of 
Pawnee County, Kansas.A 1970 graduate of Pawnee Heights High School, Rozel, Kansas, he 
graduated from Kansas State University in 1974. Described as a big guy 
with a big heart, he made lifelong friends as a member of the Beta Sigma
 Psi fraternity at K-State where he majored in Ag Economics. Better than
 the friends he made, he met the love of his life and on August 16, 
1974, he married Sindra Davis in Red Oak, Iowa. She survives.Al was a farmer/rancher and he shared his love of farming, hunting, 
and outdoors with his wife and twin boys. He lived on the family 
farmstead near Rozel, Kansas, until his retirement. He and Sindy moved 
into Larned, Kansas, in November of 2017.Al spent his retirement from farming being the unofficial parts 
fetcher or the midday taxi service. He always had a knack for stopping 
by to check on how harvest was going just as the evening meal showed up 
at the field. He loved driving out and checking his cattle on pasture.Family and friends meant everything to Al. He enjoyed watching his 
grandkids play sports, at their shooting competitions, and dance 
recitals. He was always telling stories and accomplishments of his sons 
and their families. He and Sindy would often be found proudly cheering 
in the stands, reading in the bleachers at grandparent’s day at school, 
or losing an intense game of go-fish. He hardly knew a stranger, and was
 never in too big of a hurry to stop for a conversation.He was a member of Hope Lutheran Church in Rush Center, Kansas. Al 
was active in his community. He served on the Mid-State Coop board as 
well as the Pawnee Heights School Board. He served as secretary for the 
church council. Al spent 25 years as a coordinator and instructor for 
the Pawnee County Shooting Sports program. He also spent time as an 
instructor of Hunter’s Safety courses in Rozel, Kansas.Other survivors include his sons Brian, Larned, Kansas, and Kent, 
Timken, Kansas; 5 grandchildren Kale, Kole, Mason, Gabe, and Maddy; two 
sisters, Carol (Larry) Bartlett and Becky (Steve) Wondra; and 8 nieces 
and nephews.He was preceded in death by his parents and an older brother, Robert.Memorial service will be Saturday, November 12, 2022, at 11:00 A.M. 
at Hope Lutheran Church, Rush Center, Kansas, with family present 
starting at 10:00 A.M.Church visitation will be Saturday, November 12, 2022, from 10:00 
A.M. to 11:00 A.M. at Hope Lutheran Church, Rush Center, Kansas. A private family inurnment will be at a later date in Hope Lutheran Cemetery, Rush Center, Kansas.In lieu of flowers or plants, the family requests memorials be given 
to Hope Lutheran Church, Rush Center, Kansas, or Pawnee County Shooting 
SportsCondolences or remembrances may be left for the family at www.janousekfuneralhome.com.Arrangements were by Janousek Funeral Home, 719 Pine Street, P O Box 550, La Crosse, Kansas 67548, 785/222-2517.

Alan C. Hagerman

TOPEKA, Kan., (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly won reelection in GOP-leaning Kansas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">overcoming Republican efforts</a>&nbsp;to tie her to President Joe Biden and high inflation and likely benefitting from moderate GOP and independent voters’ frustrations with a failed summer attempt to tighten abortion laws.

Kelly defeated Republican Derek Schmidt, the state’s three-term attorney general, after highlighting Kansas’ improved finances and greater spending on public schools on her watch, as well as successes in luring businesses. Kelly’s support for abortion rights also likely played an important role, though she didn’t emphasize that issue in her fall campaign.

“The people of Kansas sent a very clear message at the polls yesterday. Kansans said we will keep moving forward as a state, full steam ahead – there will be no turning backward,” Kelly said Wednesday in a statement declaring victory. “Perhaps above all, I believe Kansans voted today for civility, for cooperation, for listening to one another, and for a spirit of bi-partisan problem-solving, that’s become all too rare in our politics today.”

Her victory was a bitter defeat for Republicans. They had high hopes of ousting the only Democratic governor seeking reelection this year in a a state that ex-President Donald Trump won easily in 2020.

David Toland, the state’s commerce secretary, was elected lieutenant governor on Kelly’s ticket. He is likely to remain commerce secretary as lieutenant governor.

Advance voting before Tuesday suggested that the turnout would exceed the unusually high number of ballots cast for the August election on the abortion question.

Democrats were energized in August by a statewide vote&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">decisively rejecting</a>&nbsp;a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution that would have cleared the way for tighter restrictions on abortion or a ban of the procedure. Schmidt supported the measure while Kelly opposed it, but it wasn’t clear how much staying power the issue had as Kelly emphasized other issues.

Anne Melia, a 59-year-old Democrat who spent weeks in the summer going door to door in the Kansas City area to campaign against the abortion measure, said she knocked on more than 1,000 doors in the fall and found it harder to get out the vote for Kelly and other Democratic candidates.

“There just wasn't that same intensity,” she said Tuesday. “It's this partisan thing where people don't necessarily see the through line about their rights.”

Independent and moderate Republicans were key, having swung to Kelly in 2018 in her race against then-Kansas Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-voting-rights-presidential-immigration-3ec99db94c0d772465d3a7ccf015ccc6">Kris Kobach,</a>&nbsp;a nationally known hardline provocateur on immigration and voter ID issues who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-immigration-kansas-topeka-339a45795e1e479b7754e2fc7a8127ed">was elected to be the state's new attorney general</a>. Schmidt hoped to win them back, but his effort was complicated by a challenge from his right from an independent candidate,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-cabinet-kansas-topeka-derek-schmidt-aa0ee94c6c9264978e7b5be370564db2">state Sen. Dennis Pyle,</a>&nbsp;one of the Legislature's most conservative members.

Kelly's fundraising for her reelection campaign approached $8 million, while Schmidt raised about $4 million in cash contributions, though in late October the Kansas GOP was paying for mailings for him. Spending on television ads by the candidates and outside groups exceeded $40 million.

Schmidt echoed Republican candidates across the U.S. in trying to tie the Democratic incumbent to Biden. In their second and final debate, Kelly refused to answer when he asked whether she thought Kansans were better off than they were two years ago, adding, “I have stayed focused like a laser on Kansas, not on the federal government.”

Kelly also touted her efforts to lure new jobs to Kansas, suggesting that work helped the state weather national economic problems. Less than a week before Tuesday's election, she participated in a groundbreaking ceremony in the Kansas City area for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-legislature-oklahoma-kansas-topeka-a6a50dea941774e9a1f3bdba6c49df06">a multibillion-dollar mega-factory for electronics giant Panasonic Corp.</a>&nbsp;to build electric-vehicle batteries, attracted by taxpayer-funded incentives worth $829 million over 10 years, the largest package the state had ever offered a private business.

Kelly ran as the self-described “education governor,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-health-education-covid-kansas-1e5156ab2661470de4cbf77ab969e821">touting higher spending</a>&nbsp;on public schools, the state’s improved finances and efforts to lure businesses to the state. Democrats tried to link Schmidt to former GOP Gov. Sam Brownback, who launched a nationally notorious experiment in cutting income taxes in 2012 and 2013 that was followed by huge, persistent budget shortfalls.

Schmidt chided Kelly for what he called her “unhealthy obsession” with Brownback. He also sought to turn the issue of education against her by highlighting her March 2020 pandemic-related decision to close K-12 school buildings until the fall.

Mel Adams, an 80-year-old Republican from Topeka, said the economy was the key issue, adding that people are fed up with Democrats. He dismissed Kelly's attempts to link Schmidt to Brownback and didn't think much of her portraying herself as politically in the middle of the road.

“That's where roadkill happens,” he said.

Schmidt also painted Kelly as anti-police for calling systemic racism a problem following the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. And Republicans highlighted Kelly's vetoes of two proposals to ban transgender girls and women from girls' and women's school, club and college sports teams.

Republicans won three other statewide races. State Rep. Steven Johnson unseated Democratic State Treasurer Lynn Rogers, and Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt were reelected.

Kansans voted yes to keeping six justices on the state Supreme Court for another six years, even though five were targeted for removal by the state's most influential anti-abortion group. The court ruled in 2019 that access to abortion is protected by the Kansas Constitution.

Finally, voters approved a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution making it harder to remove county sheriffs from office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668015946531.png" alt="Photo by Ralph Hipp courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Ralph Hipp courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan., (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly won reelection in GOP-leaning Kansas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">overcoming Republican efforts</a>&nbsp;to tie her to President Joe Biden and high inflation and likely benefitting from moderate GOP and independent voters’ frustrations with a failed summer attempt to tighten abortion laws.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I thank the people of Kansas for the honor to continue serving the state we love. These first 4 years were about getting our state back on track. These next 4 years are about making sure Kansas lives up to its potential as the best place to raise a family. The future is bright.&mdash; Laura Kelly (@LauraKellyKS) <a href="https://twitter.com/LauraKellyKS/status/1590388380399198208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kelly defeated Republican Derek Schmidt, the state’s three-term attorney general, after highlighting Kansas’ improved finances and greater spending on public schools on her watch, as well as successes in luring businesses. Kelly’s support for abortion rights also likely played an important role, though she didn’t emphasize that issue in her fall campaign.“The people of Kansas sent a very clear message at the polls yesterday. Kansans said we will keep moving forward as a state, full steam ahead – there will be no turning backward,” Kelly said Wednesday in a statement declaring victory. “Perhaps above all, I believe Kansans voted today for civility, for cooperation, for listening to one another, and for a spirit of bi-partisan problem-solving, that’s become all too rare in our politics today.”Her victory was a bitter defeat for Republicans. They had high hopes of ousting the only Democratic governor seeking reelection this year in a a state that ex-President Donald Trump won easily in 2020.David Toland, the state’s commerce secretary, was elected lieutenant governor on Kelly’s ticket. He is likely to remain commerce secretary as lieutenant governor.Advance voting before Tuesday suggested that the turnout would exceed the unusually high number of ballots cast for the August election on the abortion question.Democrats were energized in August by a statewide vote&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">decisively rejecting</a>&nbsp;a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution that would have cleared the way for tighter restrictions on abortion or a ban of the procedure. Schmidt supported the measure while Kelly opposed it, but it wasn’t clear how much staying power the issue had as Kelly emphasized other issues.Anne Melia, a 59-year-old Democrat who spent weeks in the summer going door to door in the Kansas City area to campaign against the abortion measure, said she knocked on more than 1,000 doors in the fall and found it harder to get out the vote for Kelly and other Democratic candidates.“There just wasn't that same intensity,” she said Tuesday. “It's this partisan thing where people don't necessarily see the through line about their rights.”Independent and moderate Republicans were key, having swung to Kelly in 2018 in her race against then-Kansas Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-voting-rights-presidential-immigration-3ec99db94c0d772465d3a7ccf015ccc6">Kris Kobach,</a>&nbsp;a nationally known hardline provocateur on immigration and voter ID issues who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-immigration-kansas-topeka-339a45795e1e479b7754e2fc7a8127ed">was elected to be the state's new attorney general</a>. Schmidt hoped to win them back, but his effort was complicated by a challenge from his right from an independent candidate,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-cabinet-kansas-topeka-derek-schmidt-aa0ee94c6c9264978e7b5be370564db2">state Sen. Dennis Pyle,</a>&nbsp;one of the Legislature's most conservative members.Kelly's fundraising for her reelection campaign approached $8 million, while Schmidt raised about $4 million in cash contributions, though in late October the Kansas GOP was paying for mailings for him. Spending on television ads by the candidates and outside groups exceeded $40 million.Schmidt echoed Republican candidates across the U.S. in trying to tie the Democratic incumbent to Biden. In their second and final debate, Kelly refused to answer when he asked whether she thought Kansans were better off than they were two years ago, adding, “I have stayed focused like a laser on Kansas, not on the federal government.”Kelly also touted her efforts to lure new jobs to Kansas, suggesting that work helped the state weather national economic problems. Less than a week before Tuesday's election, she participated in a groundbreaking ceremony in the Kansas City area for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-legislature-oklahoma-kansas-topeka-a6a50dea941774e9a1f3bdba6c49df06">a multibillion-dollar mega-factory for electronics giant Panasonic Corp.</a>&nbsp;to build electric-vehicle batteries, attracted by taxpayer-funded incentives worth $829 million over 10 years, the largest package the state had ever offered a private business.Kelly ran as the self-described “education governor,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-health-education-covid-kansas-1e5156ab2661470de4cbf77ab969e821">touting higher spending</a>&nbsp;on public schools, the state’s improved finances and efforts to lure businesses to the state. Democrats tried to link Schmidt to former GOP Gov. Sam Brownback, who launched a nationally notorious experiment in cutting income taxes in 2012 and 2013 that was followed by huge, persistent budget shortfalls.Schmidt chided Kelly for what he called her “unhealthy obsession” with Brownback. He also sought to turn the issue of education against her by highlighting her March 2020 pandemic-related decision to close K-12 school buildings until the fall.Mel Adams, an 80-year-old Republican from Topeka, said the economy was the key issue, adding that people are fed up with Democrats. He dismissed Kelly's attempts to link Schmidt to Brownback and didn't think much of her portraying herself as politically in the middle of the road.“That's where roadkill happens,” he said.Schmidt also painted Kelly as anti-police for calling systemic racism a problem following the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. And Republicans highlighted Kelly's vetoes of two proposals to ban transgender girls and women from girls' and women's school, club and college sports teams.Republicans won three other statewide races. State Rep. Steven Johnson unseated Democratic State Treasurer Lynn Rogers, and Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt were reelected.Kansans voted yes to keeping six justices on the state Supreme Court for another six years, even though five were targeted for removal by the state's most influential anti-abortion group. The court ruled in 2019 that access to abortion is protected by the Kansas Constitution.Finally, voters approved a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution making it harder to remove county sheriffs from office.

Laura Kelly wins reelection for governor in Kansas

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Kris Kobach revived his political career by winning the Kansas attorney general’s race after two big losses tied to his national reputation as an immigration and election law provocateur.

Kobach, a former two-term Kansas secretary of state and co-chairman of former President Donald Trump’s controversial voter fraud commission,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">defeated Democrat Chris Mann</a>, a former police officer and local prosecutor making his first run for elective office.

Kobach was coming off losses in the Kansas governor’s race in 2018 and a U.S. Senate primary in 2020 that Republicans chalked up to lackluster campaigns and political baggage that turned off independent and moderate GOP voters. But Republicans have long had a voter registration advantage in Kansas and have won 80% of the state’s down-ballot contests over the previous 50 years.

Kobach was coming off losses in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/32816d964acc49e188c9de18b9acb3b9">Kansas governor's race in 2018</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-ap-top-news-religion-kansas-politics-6646c990bce8bd3d93e2722015de87f0">U.S. Senate primary in 2020</a>&nbsp;that Republicans chalked up to lackluster campaigns and political baggage that turned off independent and moderate GOP voters.

Many Republicans said that this year, they saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-voting-rights-presidential-immigration-3ec99db94c0d772465d3a7ccf015ccc6">a Kobach</a>&nbsp;who stayed more on message, had a better-organized campaign and came off as calmer and steadier than in the past. He talked less about illegal immigration and didn't use the signature prop of his 2018 run for governor, a Jeep painted in a flag design&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/618684029df54c9f8705a6b8ea08cbc5">with a replica machine gun</a>&nbsp;mounted on it.

But Kobach maintained a focus on tightening voting procedures in the absence of documented problems with fraud. In a mid-October debate, he said Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-rights-kris-kobach-topeka-kansas-a34504e587cc5efcf7f01219b89f03e1">needed to rid itself of ballot drop boxes</a>&nbsp;and that people who questioned whether there is voter fraud are “ignoring reality.”

His position put him at odds with current Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican who said the state's elections are secure and drop boxes safe.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-wisconsin-c61fa93a12a1a51d6d9f4e0a21fa3b75">An Associated Press survey</a>&nbsp;of state elections officials found no cases in 2020 of fraud, vandalism or theft involving drop boxes that could have affected the results.

Kobach built a national profile and created lasting political enemies before his election as Kansas secretary of state in 2010 by becoming the go-to adviser for state and local officials wanting to crack down on illegal immigration.

He also pushed the idea that lots of people could be voting illegally and championed a tough prove-your-citizenship rule for new Kansas voters, only to see the federal courts strike it down. An early Kansas supporter of Donald Trump’s presidential bid in 2016, he was co-chairman of Trump’s short-lived presidential advisory commission on voter fraud.

Kobach told Republicans during his successful primary race this year that he would consider each morning over breakfast how as attorney general he could sue President Joe Biden's administration. But during his fall campaign, he tempered that rhetoric, saying that he'd challenge Biden actions that appeared to violate federal law or the U.S. Constitution.

Mann suggested that Kobach still would be involving Kansas in frivolous and expensive lawsuits and promised to focus on the office's “everyday” work such as public safety and consumer protection.

Mann became a police officer in the late 1990s in the northeastern Kansas city of Lawrence, but an on-duty accident involving a drunken driver ended his career in uniform after only a few years. He then went to law school and worked as a prosecutor in Kansas City, Kansas, and as a state securities regulator before starting a private practice. He also served on the national board of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668007762497.png" alt=" AG candidate Kris Kobach declared victory at midnight on Election Day. His opponent said there’s still room for doubt. photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption> AG candidate Kris Kobach declared victory at midnight on Election Day. His opponent said there’s still room for doubt. photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Kris Kobach revived his political career by winning the Kansas attorney general’s race after two big losses tied to his national reputation as an immigration and election law provocateur.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thank you to my supporters, the voters of Kansas, and my team for all the hard work on this campaign. Now that the race has been called, it&#39;s time to get to work tackling the fentanyl crisis and pushing back against the Biden Administration&#39;s illegal mandates. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ksleg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ksleg</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ksag?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ksag</a> <a href="https://t.co/QZL2LQQ9wc">pic.twitter.com/QZL2LQQ9wc</a>&mdash; Kris W. Kobach (@KrisKobach1787) <a href="https://twitter.com/KrisKobach1787/status/1590350694988787713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kobach, a former two-term Kansas secretary of state and co-chairman of former President Donald Trump’s controversial voter fraud commission,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">defeated Democrat Chris Mann</a>, a former police officer and local prosecutor making his first run for elective office.Kobach was coming off losses in the Kansas governor’s race in 2018 and a U.S. Senate primary in 2020 that Republicans chalked up to lackluster campaigns and political baggage that turned off independent and moderate GOP voters. But Republicans have long had a voter registration advantage in Kansas and have won 80% of the state’s down-ballot contests over the previous 50 years.Kobach was coming off losses in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/32816d964acc49e188c9de18b9acb3b9">Kansas governor's race in 2018</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-ap-top-news-religion-kansas-politics-6646c990bce8bd3d93e2722015de87f0">U.S. Senate primary in 2020</a>&nbsp;that Republicans chalked up to lackluster campaigns and political baggage that turned off independent and moderate GOP voters.Many Republicans said that this year, they saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-voting-rights-presidential-immigration-3ec99db94c0d772465d3a7ccf015ccc6">a Kobach</a>&nbsp;who stayed more on message, had a better-organized campaign and came off as calmer and steadier than in the past. He talked less about illegal immigration and didn't use the signature prop of his 2018 run for governor, a Jeep painted in a flag design&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/618684029df54c9f8705a6b8ea08cbc5">with a replica machine gun</a>&nbsp;mounted on it.But Kobach maintained a focus on tightening voting procedures in the absence of documented problems with fraud. In a mid-October debate, he said Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-rights-kris-kobach-topeka-kansas-a34504e587cc5efcf7f01219b89f03e1">needed to rid itself of ballot drop boxes</a>&nbsp;and that people who questioned whether there is voter fraud are “ignoring reality.”His position put him at odds with current Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican who said the state's elections are secure and drop boxes safe.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-wisconsin-c61fa93a12a1a51d6d9f4e0a21fa3b75">An Associated Press survey</a>&nbsp;of state elections officials found no cases in 2020 of fraud, vandalism or theft involving drop boxes that could have affected the results.Kobach built a national profile and created lasting political enemies before his election as Kansas secretary of state in 2010 by becoming the go-to adviser for state and local officials wanting to crack down on illegal immigration.He also pushed the idea that lots of people could be voting illegally and championed a tough prove-your-citizenship rule for new Kansas voters, only to see the federal courts strike it down. An early Kansas supporter of Donald Trump’s presidential bid in 2016, he was co-chairman of Trump’s short-lived presidential advisory commission on voter fraud.Kobach told Republicans during his successful primary race this year that he would consider each morning over breakfast how as attorney general he could sue President Joe Biden's administration. But during his fall campaign, he tempered that rhetoric, saying that he'd challenge Biden actions that appeared to violate federal law or the U.S. Constitution.Mann suggested that Kobach still would be involving Kansas in frivolous and expensive lawsuits and promised to focus on the office's “everyday” work such as public safety and consumer protection.Mann became a police officer in the late 1990s in the northeastern Kansas city of Lawrence, but an on-duty accident involving a drunken driver ended his career in uniform after only a few years. He then went to law school and worked as a prosecutor in Kansas City, Kansas, and as a state securities regulator before starting a private practice. He also served on the national board of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Kobach wins Kansas AG’s race, revives political career

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

An incident 
that occurred in September was again a topic for public comments at 
Monday's USD 431 Hoisington Board of Education meeting. Wayne Stout 
reported to the board in October that his granddaughter was the victim 
of a breach of privacy inside the Hoisington Middle School locker room. 
Monday he again expressed concerns about the enforcement of policy in 
the district.

"I have to brag about one of your coaches," Stout 
said. "They stepped up and made it clear: you bring a cell into our 
locker room, you're dismissed from activities. You're done, pack 'em up.
 That's enforcement. Those kids know they will not take a cellphone in a
 locker room."

According to Stout, photos were taken of the 
student in the locker room on Sept. 13, and posted online on Sept. 16.  
Stout told the board the student who took the photo received two days of
 in-school suspension, was not suspended from activities, and continued 
to play volleyball.

Stout expressed further concern about the 
matter not being reported to the police. Hoisington Middle School 
Principal Bob Brungardt said the matter had been reported to the police.

"Why
 is there a report of a crime to the Hoisington Police Department and 
the person the crime was committed against, my granddaughter, how come 
there was no investigation?" Stout asked. "How come we weren't notified?
 Did they do the investigation?"

Superintendent Patrick Crowdis 
answered that the school district could only report the crime. Board 
President Becky Mooney thanked Stout for his comments, and said the 
district's top priority is always the safety of students.

"And 
please know, that of the board, we are taking this seriously, and we are
 working on the steps we hope will continue to be a better environment 
for our students," she said. "They're our first priority, and their 
safety and security is a top priority, so we will continue to do our due
 diligence."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668019020517.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostAn incident 
that occurred in September was again a topic for public comments at 
Monday's USD 431 Hoisington Board of Education meeting. Wayne Stout 
reported to the board in October that his granddaughter was the victim 
of a breach of privacy inside the Hoisington Middle School locker room. 
Monday he again expressed concerns about the enforcement of policy in 
the district."I have to brag about one of your coaches," Stout 
said. "They stepped up and made it clear: you bring a cell into our 
locker room, you're dismissed from activities. You're done, pack 'em up.
 That's enforcement. Those kids know they will not take a cellphone in a
 locker room."According to Stout, photos were taken of the 
student in the locker room on Sept. 13, and posted online on Sept. 16. 
Stout told the board the student who took the photo received two days of
 in-school suspension, was not suspended from activities, and continued 
to play volleyball.Stout expressed further concern about the 
matter not being reported to the police. Hoisington Middle School 
Principal Bob Brungardt said the matter had been reported to the police."Why
 is there a report of a crime to the Hoisington Police Department and 
the person the crime was committed against, my granddaughter, how come 
there was no investigation?" Stout asked. "How come we weren't notified?
 Did they do the investigation?"Superintendent Patrick Crowdis 
answered that the school district could only report the crime. Board 
President Becky Mooney thanked Stout for his comments, and said the 
district's top priority is always the safety of students."And 
please know, that of the board, we are taking this seriously, and we are
 working on the steps we hope will continue to be a better environment 
for our students," she said. "They're our first priority, and their 
safety and security is a top priority, so we will continue to do our due
 diligence."

Cellphones, privacy: Grandfather voices continued concern to Hoisington school

BUNKER HILL —&nbsp; When PBS first went on the air “it was born out of the idea that Americans deserved a non-commercial television service whose sole mission is to educate and&nbsp;inspire.” Smoky Hills PBS has been making that mission a reality for 40 years now.&nbsp; On Nov. 10 Smoky Hills PBS will celebrate its 40th anniversary of bringing trusted educational programs and services to all ages of viewers in Central and Western Kansas.&nbsp;

Betsy Schwien, General Manager of SHPBS, shares the station’s plans for the year ahead, including the launch of the station’s signature 40th anniversary logo.&nbsp; 

“We want to celebrate not only this week, but all year. Our theme,&nbsp;40 Years: In Your Neighborhood, embodies exactly what has happened over the 40 years here at Smoky Hills PBS. The media landscape has dramatically changed since the grand opening ceremonies 40 years ago. Back then, you could only receive us over the air and on some cable networks," she said. "Now, 40 years later, you can access SHPBS at your fingertips with a click of a button or a tap on your mobile device.&nbsp; Our mission is to be in the communities we serve — whether it’s on your television screen, tablet, or mobile device, at an event, or in classrooms.&nbsp; We provide free services to educate and inspire all ages of people in Central and Western Kansas in a variety of different ways.&nbsp; That mission is as important today as it was 40 years ago.”

This yearlong celebration kicks off with special testimonials featuring memories and moments about Smoky Hills PBS from past volunteers, employees, board members, program guests, and more.&nbsp; The SHPBS Membership Department will also begin a “40 for 40” campaign, an invitation to&nbsp;viewers and PBS fans to give a donation of $40 in honor of the station’s&nbsp;forty years.&nbsp; To support the campaign, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smokyhillspbs.org/" target="_blank">SmokyHillsPBS.org</a>.&nbsp; To wrap up the celebration of this historic milestone, SHPBS plans to have a 40th anniversary celebration with a dinner and movie event in October 2023.&nbsp; More details on this event will follow next year.

Details on additional initiatives relating to the 40th&nbsp;anniversary can be found<a href="https://www.smokyhillspbs.org/40th-anniversary/" target="_blank">&nbsp;here</a>.&nbsp; You can also find it on social platforms using #SHPBS40.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667918197677.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Smoky Hills PBSBUNKER HILL —&nbsp; When PBS first went on the air “it was born out of the idea that Americans deserved a non-commercial television service whose sole mission is to educate and&nbsp;inspire.” Smoky Hills PBS has been making that mission a reality for 40 years now.&nbsp; On Nov. 10 Smoky Hills PBS will celebrate its 40th anniversary of bringing trusted educational programs and services to all ages of viewers in Central and Western Kansas.&nbsp;Betsy Schwien, General Manager of SHPBS, shares the station’s plans for the year ahead, including the launch of the station’s signature 40th anniversary logo.&nbsp; “We want to celebrate not only this week, but all year. Our theme,&nbsp;40 Years: In Your Neighborhood, embodies exactly what has happened over the 40 years here at Smoky Hills PBS. The media landscape has dramatically changed since the grand opening ceremonies 40 years ago. Back then, you could only receive us over the air and on some cable networks," she said. "Now, 40 years later, you can access SHPBS at your fingertips with a click of a button or a tap on your mobile device.&nbsp; Our mission is to be in the communities we serve — whether it’s on your television screen, tablet, or mobile device, at an event, or in classrooms.&nbsp; We provide free services to educate and inspire all ages of people in Central and Western Kansas in a variety of different ways.&nbsp; That mission is as important today as it was 40 years ago.”This yearlong celebration kicks off with special testimonials featuring memories and moments about Smoky Hills PBS from past volunteers, employees, board members, program guests, and more.&nbsp; The SHPBS Membership Department will also begin a “40 for 40” campaign, an invitation to&nbsp;viewers and PBS fans to give a donation of $40 in honor of the station’s&nbsp;forty years.&nbsp; To support the campaign, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smokyhillspbs.org/" target="_blank">SmokyHillsPBS.org</a>.&nbsp; To wrap up the celebration of this historic milestone, SHPBS plans to have a 40th anniversary celebration with a dinner and movie event in October 2023.&nbsp; More details on this event will follow next year.Details on additional initiatives relating to the 40th&nbsp;anniversary can be found<a href="https://www.smokyhillspbs.org/40th-anniversary/" target="_blank">&nbsp;here</a>.&nbsp; You can also find it on social platforms using #SHPBS40.

Smoky Hills PBS kicks off 40th anniversary

TOPEKA, Kan., (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly hoped to win a second term in Republican-leaning Kansas, with her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">close race</a>&nbsp;turning on how many independent and moderate GOP voters stayed with her after lifting her to victory four years ago.

Kelly was the only Democratic governor running for reelection this year in a state carried by former President Donald Trump in 2020. Republican challenger Derek Schmidt, the state's three-term attorney general, tied Kelly to President Joe Biden and blamed the two Democrats for high inflation.

Kelly held a narrow lead after 5 a.m. Wednesday, with votes still being counted.

During a speech to supporters in Topeka, she stopped short of declaring victory but said she was optimistic as she sent her backers home.

“We feel really good,” Kelly said. “There are just a few more votes that need to be counted.”

“Unfortunately, we'll have to wait a bit longer to get the final verdict,” Schmidt told a GOP gathering in Topeka.

Independent and moderate Republicans were key, having swung to Kelly in 2018 in her race against then-Kansas Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-voting-rights-presidential-immigration-3ec99db94c0d772465d3a7ccf015ccc6">Kris Kobach,</a>&nbsp;a nationally known hardline provocateur on immigration and voter ID issues. Schmidt hoped to win them back, but his effort was complicated by a challenge from his right from an independent candidate,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-cabinet-kansas-topeka-derek-schmidt-aa0ee94c6c9264978e7b5be370564db2">state Sen. Dennis Pyle,</a>&nbsp;one of the Legislature's most conservative members.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667964826864.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan., (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly hoped to win a second term in Republican-leaning Kansas, with her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">close race</a>&nbsp;turning on how many independent and moderate GOP voters stayed with her after lifting her to victory four years ago.Kelly was the only Democratic governor running for reelection this year in a state carried by former President Donald Trump in 2020. Republican challenger Derek Schmidt, the state's three-term attorney general, tied Kelly to President Joe Biden and blamed the two Democrats for high inflation.Kelly held a narrow lead after 5 a.m. Wednesday, with votes still being counted.During a speech to supporters in Topeka, she stopped short of declaring victory but said she was optimistic as she sent her backers home.“We feel really good,” Kelly said. “There are just a few more votes that need to be counted.”Schmidt also sent his supporters home.“Unfortunately, we'll have to wait a bit longer to get the final verdict,” Schmidt told a GOP gathering in Topeka.Advance voting before Tuesday suggested that the turnout would exceed the unusually high number of ballots cast for the August election on the abortion question.Democrats were energized in August by a statewide vote&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">decisively rejecting</a>&nbsp;a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution that would have cleared the way for tighter restrictions on abortion or a ban of the procedure. Schmidt supported the measure while Kelly opposed it, but it wasn’t clear how much staying power the issue had as Kelly emphasized other issues.Anne Melia, a 59-year-old Democrat who spent weeks in the summer going door to door in the Kansas City area to campaign against the abortion measure, said she knocked on more than 1,000 doors in the fall and found it harder to get out the vote for Kelly and other Democratic candidates.“There just wasn't that same intensity,” she said Tuesday. “It's this partisan thing where people don't necessarily see the through line about their rights.”Independent and moderate Republicans were key, having swung to Kelly in 2018 in her race against then-Kansas Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-voting-rights-presidential-immigration-3ec99db94c0d772465d3a7ccf015ccc6">Kris Kobach,</a>&nbsp;a nationally known hardline provocateur on immigration and voter ID issues. Schmidt hoped to win them back, but his effort was complicated by a challenge from his right from an independent candidate,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-cabinet-kansas-topeka-derek-schmidt-aa0ee94c6c9264978e7b5be370564db2">state Sen. Dennis Pyle,</a>&nbsp;one of the Legislature's most conservative members.Kelly's fundraising for her reelection campaign approached $8 million, while Schmidt raised about $4 million in cash contributions, though in late October the Kansas GOP was paying for mailings for him. Spending on television ads by the candidates and outside groups exceeded $40 million.Schmidt echoed Republican candidates across the U.S. in trying to tie the Democratic incumbent to Biden. In their second and final debate, Kelly refused to answer when he asked whether she thought Kansans were better off than they were two years ago, adding, “I have stayed focused like a laser on Kansas, not on the federal government.”Kelly also touted her efforts to lure new jobs to Kansas, suggesting that work helped the state weather national economic problems. Less than a week before Tuesday's election, she participated in a groundbreaking ceremony in the Kansas City area for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-legislature-oklahoma-kansas-topeka-a6a50dea941774e9a1f3bdba6c49df06">a multibillion-dollar mega-factory for electronics giant Panasonic Corp.</a>&nbsp;to build electric-vehicle batteries, attracted by taxpayer-funded incentives worth $829 million over 10 years, the largest package the state had ever offered a private business.Kelly ran as the self-described “education governor,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-health-education-covid-kansas-1e5156ab2661470de4cbf77ab969e821">touting higher spending</a>&nbsp;on public schools, the state’s improved finances and efforts to lure businesses to the state. Democrats tried to link Schmidt to former GOP Gov. Sam Brownback, who launched a nationally notorious experiment in cutting income taxes in 2012 and 2013 that was followed by huge, persistent budget shortfalls.Schmidt chided Kelly for what he called her “unhealthy obsession” with Brownback. He also sought to turn the issue of education against her by highlighting her March 2020 pandemic-related decision to close K-12 school buildings until the fall.Mel Adams, an 80-year-old Republican from Topeka, said the economy was the key issue, adding that people are fed up with Democrats. He dismissed Kelly's attempts to link Schmidt to Brownback and didn't think much of her portraying herself as politically in the middle of the road.“That's where roadkill happens,” he said.Schmidt also painted Kelly as anti-police for calling systemic racism a problem following the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. And Republicans highlighted Kelly's vetoes of two proposals to ban transgender girls and women from girls' and women's school, club and college sports teams.Republicans won three other statewide races. State Rep. Steven Johnson unseated Democratic State Treasurer Lynn Rogers, and Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt were reelected.Kansans voted yes to keeping six justices on the state Supreme Court for another six years, even though five were targeted for removal by the state's most influential anti-abortion group. The court ruled in 2019 that access to abortion is protected by the Kansas Constitution.Finally, voters approved a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution making it harder to remove county sheriffs from office.

Kelly has narrow lead over Schmidt in race for Kan. Governor 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Kris Kobach sought to win a comeback bid for Kansas attorney general after two big losses raised the question of whether he was electable in his home state.

With&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">votes still being counted</a>&nbsp;Wednesday, Kobach, a former two-term Kansas secretary of state, had a small lead over Democrat Chris Mann, a former police officer and local prosecutor making his first run for elective office. Kobach said his team was confident of victory, telling supporters in Topeka, “You've got to love a comeback story.”

Mann’s spokesperson, Kelli Kee, said his campaign’s top priority is to make sure every vote is counted.

“We live in a democracy and in a democracy your vote is your voice, and we want to make sure that every Kansan has an opportunity to speak on this election," Kee said. "This is an unprecedented election, and we need to make sure we are protecting the democratic process.”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Kris Kobach sought to win a comeback bid for Kansas attorney general after two big losses raised the question of whether he was electable in his home state.With&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">votes still being counted</a>&nbsp;Wednesday, Kobach, a former two-term Kansas secretary of state, had a small lead over Democrat Chris Mann, a former police officer and local prosecutor making his first run for elective office. Kobach said his team was confident of victory, telling supporters in Topeka, “You've got to love a comeback story.”Mann’s spokesperson, Kelli Kee, said his campaign’s top priority is to make sure every vote is counted.“We live in a democracy and in a democracy your vote is your voice, and we want to make sure that every Kansan has an opportunity to speak on this election," Kee said. "This is an unprecedented election, and we need to make sure we are protecting the democratic process.”Kobach was coming off losses in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/32816d964acc49e188c9de18b9acb3b9">Kansas governor's race in 2018</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-ap-top-news-religion-kansas-politics-6646c990bce8bd3d93e2722015de87f0">U.S. Senate primary in 2020</a>&nbsp;that Republicans chalked up to lackluster campaigns and political baggage that turned off independent and moderate GOP voters.Many Republicans said that this year, they saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-voting-rights-presidential-immigration-3ec99db94c0d772465d3a7ccf015ccc6">a Kobach</a>&nbsp;who stayed more on message, had a better-organized campaign and came off as calmer and steadier than in the past. He talked less about illegal immigration and didn't use the signature prop of his 2018 run for governor, a Jeep painted in a flag design&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/618684029df54c9f8705a6b8ea08cbc5">with a replica machine gun</a>&nbsp;mounted on it.But Kobach maintained a focus on tightening voting procedures in the absence of documented problems with fraud. In a mid-October debate, he said Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-rights-kris-kobach-topeka-kansas-a34504e587cc5efcf7f01219b89f03e1">needed to rid itself of ballot drop boxes</a>&nbsp;and that people who questioned whether there is voter fraud are “ignoring reality.”His position put him at odds with current Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican who said the state's elections are secure and drop boxes safe.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-wisconsin-c61fa93a12a1a51d6d9f4e0a21fa3b75">An Associated Press survey</a>&nbsp;of state elections officials found no cases in 2020 of fraud, vandalism or theft involving drop boxes that could have affected the results.Kobach built a national profile and created lasting political enemies before his election as Kansas secretary of state in 2010 by becoming the go-to adviser for state and local officials wanting to crack down on illegal immigration.He also pushed the idea that lots of people could be voting illegally and championed a tough prove-your-citizenship rule for new Kansas voters, only to see the federal courts strike it down. An early Kansas supporter of Donald Trump’s presidential bid in 2016, he was co-chairman of Trump’s short-lived presidential advisory commission on voter fraud.Kobach told Republicans during his successful primary race this year that he would consider each morning over breakfast how as attorney general he could sue President Joe Biden's administration. But during his fall campaign, he tempered that rhetoric, saying that he'd challenge Biden actions that appeared to violate federal law or the U.S. Constitution.Mann suggested that Kobach still would be involving Kansas in frivolous and expensive lawsuits and promised to focus on the office's “everyday” work such as public safety and consumer protection.Mann became a police officer in the late 1990s in the northeastern Kansas city of Lawrence, but an on-duty accident involving a drunken driver ended his career in uniform after only a few years. He then went to law school and worked as a prosecutor in Kansas City, Kansas, and as a state securities regulator before starting a private practice. He also served on the national board of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Kobach has small lead over Mann in race for Kansas AG

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis won reelection to a second term Tuesday in a victory over Democrat Charlie Crist, bolstering his rise as a prominent GOP star with potential White House ambitions.

Kansas junior Senator Roger Marshall was among the first to send his congratulations.&nbsp;

DeSantis’ win continues a rightward shift for what was once the nation’s largest swing state, as voters embraced a governor who reveled in culture war politics and framed his candidacy as a battle against the “woke agenda” of liberals.

In the lead-up to the election, DeSantis harnessed the power of incumbency to assemble media, often on short notice and far outside major markets, for news conferences where he would spend significant time honing critiques of Democratic President Joe Biden, liberal policies and the mainstream media, delivered before cheering crowds.

He gained significant national attention during the start of the coronavirus pandemic through his outspoken opposition to continued lockdowns and to mask and vaccine mandates, and eventually displayed an eagerness to wade into nearly any cultural divide, including immigration, gender, education and more.

His ceaseless combative posture, and ability to leverage the power of state government to his will, endeared DeSantis to major GOP donors and built him into a natural heir to former President Donald Trump in the minds of some Republican voters.

Weeks before the election, DeSantis directed the state to fly groups of migrants from Texas to the upscale liberal enclave of Martha’s Vineyard, as a protest over the federal government’s immigration policies at the southern border. DeSantis said the move was a way to make immigration a “front-burner issue” before the midterms, with his critics questioning the legality of the flights as they accused officials of lying to the passengers.

Election Day came as Florida continued to recover from the Category 4 Hurricane Ian, which slammed into the state in late September and killed more than 100 people and caused widespread damage.

Politically, the storm provided DeSantis a platform to project a unifying tone in the final stretch of the campaign, displaying his ability to set aside the culture warrior role and shift into a competent crisis manager. The response brought DeSantis and Biden together in southwest Florida as the pair surveyed damage, met with locals and briefed reporters, with DeSantis at one point saying “we appreciate the team effort.”

The victory is certain to further speculation of a potential DeSantis presidential run. DeSantis has so far dodged questions on his possible Washington aspirations, skirting the subject repeatedly during his only gubernatorial debate with Crist in late October. Trump, who credits himself for propelling DeSantis to a first term in the governor’s office, has grown frustrated with DeSantis’ refusal to rule out a 2024 run, according to people familiar with Trump’s thinking.

The governor was able to raise substantially more money than Crist, a 66-year-old Democrat who had previously served as a Republican governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011. Crist aimed his candidacy at moderate voters in Florida, criticizing DeSantis as a bully, as he sought to reverse a losing streak for Democrats in the state. Crist resigned a congressional seat to run for governor this year.

Democrats, the minority party in the state government, faced considerable challenges in a state recently considered to be a perennial political battleground but that has drifted rightward. Trump won the state twice and Republicans have been aggressive in organizing at the local level and made a sustained push on voter registration.

Last year, in a significant milestone, the GOP notched more registered voters in the state than Democrats for the first time in modern history, and then continued to widen the gap into November.

Some Democrats have admitted previous organizing and registration efforts in Florida had mostly centered around presidential races, and there were concerns that big donors and the national wing of the party might cede the state after recent losses and DeSantis’ growing popularity.

The Democratic Governors Association has bristled at that characterization and said it considers Florida a competitive battleground. The organization has spent $685,000 to help elect Crist, a spokesperson said.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis won reelection to a second term Tuesday in a victory over Democrat Charlie Crist, bolstering his rise as a prominent GOP star with potential White House ambitions.Kansas junior Senator Roger Marshall was among the first to send his congratulations.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congrats <a href="https://twitter.com/RonDeSantisFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RonDeSantisFL</a> on a decisive victory!&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1590154267129958400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>DeSantis’ win continues a rightward shift for what was once the nation’s largest swing state, as voters embraced a governor who reveled in culture war politics and framed his candidacy as a battle against the “woke agenda” of liberals.In the lead-up to the election, DeSantis harnessed the power of incumbency to assemble media, often on short notice and far outside major markets, for news conferences where he would spend significant time honing critiques of Democratic President Joe Biden, liberal policies and the mainstream media, delivered before cheering crowds.He gained significant national attention during the start of the coronavirus pandemic through his outspoken opposition to continued lockdowns and to mask and vaccine mandates, and eventually displayed an eagerness to wade into nearly any cultural divide, including immigration, gender, education and more.His ceaseless combative posture, and ability to leverage the power of state government to his will, endeared DeSantis to major GOP donors and built him into a natural heir to former President Donald Trump in the minds of some Republican voters.Weeks before the election, DeSantis directed the state to fly groups of migrants from Texas to the upscale liberal enclave of Martha’s Vineyard, as a protest over the federal government’s immigration policies at the southern border. DeSantis said the move was a way to make immigration a “front-burner issue” before the midterms, with his critics questioning the legality of the flights as they accused officials of lying to the passengers.Election Day came as Florida continued to recover from the Category 4 Hurricane Ian, which slammed into the state in late September and killed more than 100 people and caused widespread damage.Politically, the storm provided DeSantis a platform to project a unifying tone in the final stretch of the campaign, displaying his ability to set aside the culture warrior role and shift into a competent crisis manager. The response brought DeSantis and Biden together in southwest Florida as the pair surveyed damage, met with locals and briefed reporters, with DeSantis at one point saying “we appreciate the team effort.”The victory is certain to further speculation of a potential DeSantis presidential run. DeSantis has so far dodged questions on his possible Washington aspirations, skirting the subject repeatedly during his only gubernatorial debate with Crist in late October. Trump, who credits himself for propelling DeSantis to a first term in the governor’s office, has grown frustrated with DeSantis’ refusal to rule out a 2024 run, according to people familiar with Trump’s thinking.The governor was able to raise substantially more money than Crist, a 66-year-old Democrat who had previously served as a Republican governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011. Crist aimed his candidacy at moderate voters in Florida, criticizing DeSantis as a bully, as he sought to reverse a losing streak for Democrats in the state. Crist resigned a congressional seat to run for governor this year.Democrats, the minority party in the state government, faced considerable challenges in a state recently considered to be a perennial political battleground but that has drifted rightward. Trump won the state twice and Republicans have been aggressive in organizing at the local level and made a sustained push on voter registration.Last year, in a significant milestone, the GOP notched more registered voters in the state than Democrats for the first time in modern history, and then continued to widen the gap into November.Some Democrats have admitted previous organizing and registration efforts in Florida had mostly centered around presidential races, and there were concerns that big donors and the national wing of the party might cede the state after recent losses and DeSantis’ growing popularity.The Democratic Governors Association has bristled at that characterization and said it considers Florida a competitive battleground. The organization has spent $685,000 to help elect Crist, a spokesperson said.

Marshall congratulates DeSantis for winning 2nd term as Fla. governor

Diona “Dion” L. Bose, 67 of Salina, passed away Wednesday. October 
19, 2022.&nbsp; She was born March 5, 1955, in Phillipsburg, Kansas.

Dion’s passion was “to be the voice for kids.”

Dion was preceded in death by her beloved children; Linda L. Urbanek,
 2006, and Scott D. Smith, 2014, and her brother; Duane Bose, and her 
father Floyd Bose, 2021.

Survivors include mother, Bernetta J. Bose and a sister; Vicki 
Mersman both of Garnett, and four grandchildren, Mikal, Jessalyn, 
Tristan and Damien.

Dion has chosen cremation and per her wishes, there will be no services.&nbsp; Inurnment will be private.

Memorials may be made to Salina Senior Center in care of Roselawn Mortuary, PO Box 2322, Salina, 67402.

For online condolences, go to www.roselawnsalina.com

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667932647577.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Diona “Dion” L. Bose, 67 of Salina, passed away Wednesday. October 
19, 2022.&nbsp; She was born March 5, 1955, in Phillipsburg, Kansas.Dion’s passion was “to be the voice for kids.”Dion was preceded in death by her beloved children; Linda L. Urbanek,
 2006, and Scott D. Smith, 2014, and her brother; Duane Bose, and her 
father Floyd Bose, 2021.Survivors include mother, Bernetta J. Bose and a sister; Vicki 
Mersman both of Garnett, and four grandchildren, Mikal, Jessalyn, 
Tristan and Damien.Dion has chosen cremation and per her wishes, there will be no services.&nbsp; Inurnment will be private.Memorials may be made to Salina Senior Center in care of Roselawn Mortuary, PO Box 2322, Salina, 67402.For online condolences, go to www.roselawnsalina.com

Diona 'Dion' L. Bose

Since June, prices for regular gasoline have dropped more than a $1.30 per gallon, but diesel prices remain at or above $5 a gallon, as they have for more than 22 weeks. The government last week said diesel inventories are near historic lows, 19% below the five-year seasonal average. Stockpiles of regular gasoline are about six percent below the five-year seasonal average. The auto club AAA says the national average pump price for regular gasoline is $3.80 per gallon, more than four cents higher than a week ago, but nine cents lower than a month ago, and well below the record highs we paid in June. At $5.33 per gallon, national diesel prices are three cents higher than a week ago, 42 cents higher than last month at this time, and $1.69 higher than a year ago. In Kansas, diesel is down a seven cents from a week ago, but up more than 34 cents over a month ago, and a $1.60 higher than a year ago.&nbsp; Friday's settlement for Nymex near-month light sweet crude was up more than four dollars to $92.61 per barrel. That's nearly five dollars higher than a week ago. On Monday, prices continued to rise, up another half dollar, with WTI trading over $93 per barrel, and London Brent approaching $99. Kansas Common crude starts the week at $82.75 per barrel, after jumping nearly four dollars on Friday. Prices at CHS in McPherson last month averaged a fraction of a cent below $77 a barrel, from a low of $69.75 to a high of $83 per barrel. The government reported a big drop in U.S. crude-oil inventories last week, down 3.1 million barrels from the week before. At 436.8 million barrels, stockpiles are about three percent below the five-year average for this time of year. The Energy Information Administration said U.S. crude production dropped to 11.946 million barrels per day, down 85,000 barrels per day. Output is still about half a million barrels per day higher than last year at this time.&nbsp; EIA reported domestic crude imports of 6.2 million barrels per day for the week through October 28th, an increase of 25,000 barrels per day. U.S. operators pumped over 371 million barrels of crude oil in August, the latest numbers released by the Energy Information Administration. That's an average of 11.975 million barrels per day. Kansas output in August reached 2.5 million barrels for the second month in a row. That's about 81,000 barrels per day, an uptick of a tenth of a percent over the month before, and a five percent bump over August of last year. Oil-by-rail traffic in the U.S. rose by 140 tanker carloads last week, up six percent year-over-year. Petroleum products are one of five U.S. commodity groups posting rail-traffic increases in the week through October 29th, according to the Association of American Railroads. Canadian oil-by-rail was up 364 carloads for the week, a three percent increase over the same week a year ago. The weekly Rotary Rig Count from Baker Hughes shows 770 active drilling rigs across the U.S., &nbsp;an increase of three oil rigs and one fewer gas rig. North Dakota was up two rigs. The counts in Oklahoma and Texas were each up one. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reported a drop in the Kansas Rig Count of 11 rigs based solely on the elimination of "inactive rigs" that are no longer in business. There are 17 active rigs in eastern Kansas and 33 west of Wichita. Drilling was underway Friday on one lease in Barton County and two in Ellis County. Operators were about to start or resume drilling on two leases in Ellis County and one in Russell County. Kansas regulators reports 115 new intent-to-drill notices across the state last month, including three in Barton County, five in Ellis County and one in Stafford County. The Kansas Corporation Commission reports 1,457 intents across the state so far this year, an increase of 430 compared to last year at this time. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 27 newly-completed wells for the week across Kansas. There are 11 east of Wichita and 16 in Western Kansas, including one well in Ellis County.&nbsp; Operators have completed 1,358 wells so far this year, compared to 753 at this time last year. The Kansas Geological Society's Nomenclature committee approved and named ten new oil fields in Kansas at its meeting last week. New fields were named in Graham, Gove, Hodgeman, Ness and Sheridan counties. That's 29 new fields so far this year compared to 46 at this time last year. Kansas regulators okayed 57 new drilling locations in the week through November 3rd, with 36 in eastern Kansas and 21 west of Wichita, including one new permit in Barton County. That's 1,400 new permits so far this year, compared to 966 at this time last year.

By JOHN P. TRETBARSince June, prices for regular gasoline have dropped more than a $1.30 per gallon, but diesel prices remain at or above $5 a gallon, as they have for more than 22 weeks. The government last week said diesel inventories are near historic lows, 19% below the five-year seasonal average. Stockpiles of regular gasoline are about six percent below the five-year seasonal average. The auto club AAA says the national average pump price for regular gasoline is $3.80 per gallon, more than four cents higher than a week ago, but nine cents lower than a month ago, and well below the record highs we paid in June. At $5.33 per gallon, national diesel prices are three cents higher than a week ago, 42 cents higher than last month at this time, and $1.69 higher than a year ago. In Kansas, diesel is down a seven cents from a week ago, but up more than 34 cents over a month ago, and a $1.60 higher than a year ago.&nbsp; Friday's settlement for Nymex near-month light sweet crude was up more than four dollars to $92.61 per barrel. That's nearly five dollars higher than a week ago. On Monday, prices continued to rise, up another half dollar, with WTI trading over $93 per barrel, and London Brent approaching $99. Kansas Common crude starts the week at $82.75 per barrel, after jumping nearly four dollars on Friday. Prices at CHS in McPherson last month averaged a fraction of a cent below $77 a barrel, from a low of $69.75 to a high of $83 per barrel. The government reported a big drop in U.S. crude-oil inventories last week, down 3.1 million barrels from the week before. At 436.8 million barrels, stockpiles are about three percent below the five-year average for this time of year. The Energy Information Administration said U.S. crude production dropped to 11.946 million barrels per day, down 85,000 barrels per day. Output is still about half a million barrels per day higher than last year at this time.&nbsp; EIA reported domestic crude imports of 6.2 million barrels per day for the week through October 28th, an increase of 25,000 barrels per day. U.S. operators pumped over 371 million barrels of crude oil in August, the latest numbers released by the Energy Information Administration. That's an average of 11.975 million barrels per day. Kansas output in August reached 2.5 million barrels for the second month in a row. That's about 81,000 barrels per day, an uptick of a tenth of a percent over the month before, and a five percent bump over August of last year. Oil-by-rail traffic in the U.S. rose by 140 tanker carloads last week, up six percent year-over-year. Petroleum products are one of five U.S. commodity groups posting rail-traffic increases in the week through October 29th, according to the Association of American Railroads. Canadian oil-by-rail was up 364 carloads for the week, a three percent increase over the same week a year ago. The weekly Rotary Rig Count from Baker Hughes shows 770 active drilling rigs across the U.S., &nbsp;an increase of three oil rigs and one fewer gas rig. North Dakota was up two rigs. The counts in Oklahoma and Texas were each up one. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reported a drop in the Kansas Rig Count of 11 rigs based solely on the elimination of "inactive rigs" that are no longer in business. There are 17 active rigs in eastern Kansas and 33 west of Wichita. Drilling was underway Friday on one lease in Barton County and two in Ellis County. Operators were about to start or resume drilling on two leases in Ellis County and one in Russell County. Kansas regulators reports 115 new intent-to-drill notices across the state last month, including three in Barton County, five in Ellis County and one in Stafford County. The Kansas Corporation Commission reports 1,457 intents across the state so far this year, an increase of 430 compared to last year at this time. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 27 newly-completed wells for the week across Kansas. There are 11 east of Wichita and 16 in Western Kansas, including one well in Ellis County.&nbsp; Operators have completed 1,358 wells so far this year, compared to 753 at this time last year. The Kansas Geological Society's Nomenclature committee approved and named ten new oil fields in Kansas at its meeting last week. New fields were named in Graham, Gove, Hodgeman, Ness and Sheridan counties. That's 29 new fields so far this year compared to 46 at this time last year. Kansas regulators okayed 57 new drilling locations in the week through November 3rd, with 36 in eastern Kansas and 21 west of Wichita, including one new permit in Barton County. That's 1,400 new permits so far this year, compared to 966 at this time last year.

News From the Oil Patch: Dire diesel stockpiles prompt near-record prices

Bennie J. Smith, 95, passed away Saturday, November 5, 2022, at SunPorch of Smith County, Smith Center, KS.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Bennie was born on December 10, 1926, in Athol, KS, the son of Edward G. and Neva M. (Beach) Smith.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On March 4, 1962, he married Lois L. Matteson in Phillipsburg, KS.&nbsp;&nbsp;Bennie was a U. S. Army WWII Veteran serving from May 26, 1945, to October 9, 1946, when he was honorably discharged.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Lois on November 5, 2005, brother, Arthur Smith and a sister, Ilene (Wagenblast) Voorhees.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Bennie is survived by his two children, Stacey Smith of Concordia and Kevin (Charlene) Smith of Athol; a sister-in-law, Betty Smith of Smith Center; two grandchildren, Derek (Staci) Foreman and Dakota (Latham) Foreman and three&nbsp;great grandchildren Tate and Mack Foreman and Eitte Foreman. &nbsp;&nbsp;

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, November 14, 2022, at All Faiths Funeral Chapel, 113 S. Madison St., Smith Center, KS.&nbsp;&nbsp;There will not be a public visitation as cremation was chosen.&nbsp;&nbsp;Inurnment with military honors will take place at Pleasant View Cemetery, Athol, KS.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Memorials may be given to Smith Center Senior Center and/or Bennie J. Smith Memorial Fund and can be sent in care of the funeral chapel.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.allfaithsfuneralchapel.com/">www.allfaithsfuneralchapel.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667862812514.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Bennie J. Smith, 95, passed away Saturday, November 5, 2022, at SunPorch of Smith County, Smith Center, KS.&nbsp;&nbsp;Bennie was born on December 10, 1926, in Athol, KS, the son of Edward G. and Neva M. (Beach) Smith.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On March 4, 1962, he married Lois L. Matteson in Phillipsburg, KS.&nbsp;&nbsp;Bennie was a U. S. Army WWII Veteran serving from May 26, 1945, to October 9, 1946, when he was honorably discharged.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Lois on November 5, 2005, brother, Arthur Smith and a sister, Ilene (Wagenblast) Voorhees.&nbsp;&nbsp;Bennie is survived by his two children, Stacey Smith of Concordia and Kevin (Charlene) Smith of Athol; a sister-in-law, Betty Smith of Smith Center; two grandchildren, Derek (Staci) Foreman and Dakota (Latham) Foreman and three&nbsp;great grandchildren Tate and Mack Foreman and Eitte Foreman. &nbsp;&nbsp;A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, November 14, 2022, at All Faiths Funeral Chapel, 113 S. Madison St., Smith Center, KS.&nbsp;&nbsp;There will not be a public visitation as cremation was chosen.&nbsp;&nbsp;Inurnment with military honors will take place at Pleasant View Cemetery, Athol, KS.&nbsp;&nbsp;Memorials may be given to Smith Center Senior Center and/or Bennie J. Smith Memorial Fund and can be sent in care of the funeral chapel.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.allfaithsfuneralchapel.com/">www.allfaithsfuneralchapel.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Bennie J. Smith

The Kansas Geological Survey reported an earthquake Monday afternoon in Ellis County.

The 2.6-magnitude quake was detected in northeast Ellis County, just south of the Rooks County line, at 1:46 p.m. Tuesday.

It is the fifth earthquake detected in the Hays area since the beginning of October.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667854618530.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Geological Survey reported an earthquake Monday afternoon in Ellis County.The 2.6-magnitude quake was detected in northeast Ellis County, just south of the Rooks County line, at 1:46 p.m. Tuesday.It is the fifth earthquake detected in the Hays area since the beginning of October.

Earthquake recorded Monday afternoon in Ellis County

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — When Planned Parenthood decided four years ago to open a new clinic in a medically underserved working-class neighborhood here, it envisioned a place that would save women living nearby from having to take hourslong bus rides to obtain birth control, testing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">or an abortion</a>.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s June&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">decision overturning Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;— four days before the clinic opened — changed all that. Because Kansas is one of the few states in the region where abortion remains legal, the clinic soon found itself inundated with calls not just from panicked patients in Kansas and nearby Missouri, but also in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas — even as far away as Louisiana.

This clinic and other Planned Parenthood centers in Kansas have been doing their best to help by lengthening hours, hiring staff and flying in physicians. Still, they have only been able to take about 10% to 15% of the patients seeking abortions.

"The ecosystem, it’s not even fragile. It’s broken,” said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. “I think there’s a perception that if you are seeking care, you can find it somewhere. And that’s not true.”

Haley Ruark, of Platte City, Missouri, was able to get an appointment on a recent Wednesday after a two-week wait — longer than she wanted but better than driving hundreds of miles west to Colorado.

Ruark had panicked after a series of birth control mishaps. First a condom broke and then, despite using the morning-after pill, a pregnancy test came back positive. Missouri bans abortion in all cases but medical emergencies.

“It was just idiotic for a law to be put in place that you can’t do what you feel is necessary for your body and not even your body, but your mental health also,” Ruark said.

She already balances working 12-hour shifts as a patient care technician at a hospital with caring for her 2- and 6-year-olds.

“The two kids, like they’re good, you know, ends are met,” she said. “Bringing a baby into that, I just don’t think that that would be a good idea right now.”

Ruark walked past shouting protesters to get inside the new clinic. It took her almost two hours to get the abortion pill after meeting with Dr. Elizabeth Brett Daily. By law, Daily only needed to wait 30 minutes after Ruark's arrival to dispense the medication, but the clinic was busy.

Thousands of patients likely aren't getting appointments at all, according to a national tracking effort called #WeCount, which is led by the Society of Family Planning, a nonprofit organization that promotes research on abortion and contraception.

The society's report, released in October, found 6% fewer abortions were administered nationwide in August — when many of the more-restrictive bans on abortion had taken effect — compared with the number of abortions administered nationwide in April, before Roe was overturned.

Some of the states with bans saw the number of abortions drop from as many as 2,770 in April to below 10 in August, while bordering states that still permit the procedure saw their abortion numbers ramp up, the survey found. In Kansas, Colorado, Montana, Nebraska and North Carolina, the number of abortions administered in August was at least 30% higher than the number administered in April. In Illinois, 28% more abortions were administered in August than in April.

The study had some limitations, including that only 79% of all identified abortion providers — including clinics, private medical offices and hospitals — provided data. The society says the figures represent an estimated 82% of all abortions provided nationwide.

Few outside Kansas anticipated the state would take on this larger role providing abortions, said Elizabeth Nash, principal policy associate for state issues for the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.

“It’s a pretty conservative place. You know, it’s not like Colorado or Illinois where people have been thinking these will definitely be access points," Nash said.

Abortion opponents have been influential in Kansas politics since the 1991&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/66396619da3f451dabe4e996406bb4bd">Summer of Mercy</a>&nbsp;protests in Wichita, when thousands of anti-abortion activists gathered in Wichita, sparking protests that led to nearly 2,700 arrests.

The picture may be changing. Voters continue to elect large anti-abortion majorities to the Legislature, but in August&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">they overwhelmingly rejected</a>&nbsp;a constitutional amendment that would have cleared the way for tougher abortion restrictions or a ban.

Abortion demand in Kansas promises only to grow. While the procedure remains legal in neighboring Iowa and Nebraska, both are conservative and Nash described the states as “bans in waiting.”

Routinely, staff are turning away patients seeking appointments at the new clinic and the two other abortion clinics Planned Parenthood operates in Kansas, telling them they don’t keep a waiting list, and if they can get an appointment in Colorado or New Mexico to take it.

But there are no guarantees in those two states either, said Dr. Kristina Tocce, medical director for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.

“I hypothesize that for every patient that can get to us and that we can see there are many patients who are not able to access care," Tocce said, adding that the number of out-of-state patients has soared.

Getting an appointment in Kansas City is luck of the draw. Local patients aren’t prioritized, but have an advantage because it is easier for them to make it to mid-week consultations. Planned Parenthood leaders said adding a fourth clinic is among the options under consideration to increase access, but they haven't released details.

Daily, of the new Kansas clinic, said she was drawn to the work after a stint with the Peace Corps in the West African nation of Togo. She saw sexual assault victims and “many, many" women and their babies die during childbirth.

The doctor sees horrific stories here, too. A recent abortion patient was 13, her face so bruised from the assault she endured that she could barely open one of her eyes in the waiting room.

Daily likens getting an appointment for an abortion these days to winning the lottery.

“Think about our current health care system and how hard it is just to get like a primary care visit," she said. “Times that by a thousand because that’s how hard it is for abortion care nowadays."

Among the patients Daily saw recently was a 29-year-old mother of two who asked that her name not be used because she didn't want her family and acquaintances to know. The woman said she initially had planned to carry her pregnancy to term. But then her 3-year-old daughter had a terrifying 40-minute seizure, which temporarily paralyzed her. It was her 13th major seizure in the past year.

Doctors intubated the little girl, and the woman hastily arranged for her 9-month-old son to be with his father. The couple had separated, so she sat by her daughter's bedside alone.

“I thought to myself, ‘It’s not fair, you know, to not be able to give another child my full attention."

She knows some people won’t understand her decision.

“People are just quick to judge," she said. “A lot of people have religious beliefs. ‘Oh, no. You can’t do that.' But for me, I just don’t think people take the time to get to know somebody and realize what their situation really is."

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — When Planned Parenthood decided four years ago to open a new clinic in a medically underserved working-class neighborhood here, it envisioned a place that would save women living nearby from having to take hourslong bus rides to obtain birth control, testing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">or an abortion</a>.The U.S. Supreme Court’s June&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">decision overturning Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;— four days before the clinic opened — changed all that. Because Kansas is one of the few states in the region where abortion remains legal, the clinic soon found itself inundated with calls not just from panicked patients in Kansas and nearby Missouri, but also in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas — even as far away as Louisiana.This clinic and other Planned Parenthood centers in Kansas have been doing their best to help by lengthening hours, hiring staff and flying in physicians. Still, they have only been able to take about 10% to 15% of the patients seeking abortions."The ecosystem, it’s not even fragile. It’s broken,” said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. “I think there’s a perception that if you are seeking care, you can find it somewhere. And that’s not true.”Haley Ruark, of Platte City, Missouri, was able to get an appointment on a recent Wednesday after a two-week wait — longer than she wanted but better than driving hundreds of miles west to Colorado.Ruark had panicked after a series of birth control mishaps. First a condom broke and then, despite using the morning-after pill, a pregnancy test came back positive. Missouri bans abortion in all cases but medical emergencies.“It was just idiotic for a law to be put in place that you can’t do what you feel is necessary for your body and not even your body, but your mental health also,” Ruark said.She already balances working 12-hour shifts as a patient care technician at a hospital with caring for her 2- and 6-year-olds.“The two kids, like they’re good, you know, ends are met,” she said. “Bringing a baby into that, I just don’t think that that would be a good idea right now.”Ruark walked past shouting protesters to get inside the new clinic. It took her almost two hours to get the abortion pill after meeting with Dr. Elizabeth Brett Daily. By law, Daily only needed to wait 30 minutes after Ruark's arrival to dispense the medication, but the clinic was busy.Thousands of patients likely aren't getting appointments at all, according to a national tracking effort called #WeCount, which is led by the Society of Family Planning, a nonprofit organization that promotes research on abortion and contraception.The society's report, released in October, found 6% fewer abortions were administered nationwide in August — when many of the more-restrictive bans on abortion had taken effect — compared with the number of abortions administered nationwide in April, before Roe was overturned.Some of the states with bans saw the number of abortions drop from as many as 2,770 in April to below 10 in August, while bordering states that still permit the procedure saw their abortion numbers ramp up, the survey found. In Kansas, Colorado, Montana, Nebraska and North Carolina, the number of abortions administered in August was at least 30% higher than the number administered in April. In Illinois, 28% more abortions were administered in August than in April.The study had some limitations, including that only 79% of all identified abortion providers — including clinics, private medical offices and hospitals — provided data. The society says the figures represent an estimated 82% of all abortions provided nationwide.Few outside Kansas anticipated the state would take on this larger role providing abortions, said Elizabeth Nash, principal policy associate for state issues for the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.“It’s a pretty conservative place. You know, it’s not like Colorado or Illinois where people have been thinking these will definitely be access points," Nash said.Abortion opponents have been influential in Kansas politics since the 1991&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/66396619da3f451dabe4e996406bb4bd">Summer of Mercy</a>&nbsp;protests in Wichita, when thousands of anti-abortion activists gathered in Wichita, sparking protests that led to nearly 2,700 arrests.The picture may be changing. Voters continue to elect large anti-abortion majorities to the Legislature, but in August&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">they overwhelmingly rejected</a>&nbsp;a constitutional amendment that would have cleared the way for tougher abortion restrictions or a ban.Abortion demand in Kansas promises only to grow. While the procedure remains legal in neighboring Iowa and Nebraska, both are conservative and Nash described the states as “bans in waiting.”Routinely, staff are turning away patients seeking appointments at the new clinic and the two other abortion clinics Planned Parenthood operates in Kansas, telling them they don’t keep a waiting list, and if they can get an appointment in Colorado or New Mexico to take it.But there are no guarantees in those two states either, said Dr. Kristina Tocce, medical director for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.“I hypothesize that for every patient that can get to us and that we can see there are many patients who are not able to access care," Tocce said, adding that the number of out-of-state patients has soared.Getting an appointment in Kansas City is luck of the draw. Local patients aren’t prioritized, but have an advantage because it is easier for them to make it to mid-week consultations. Planned Parenthood leaders said adding a fourth clinic is among the options under consideration to increase access, but they haven't released details.Daily, of the new Kansas clinic, said she was drawn to the work after a stint with the Peace Corps in the West African nation of Togo. She saw sexual assault victims and “many, many" women and their babies die during childbirth.The doctor sees horrific stories here, too. A recent abortion patient was 13, her face so bruised from the assault she endured that she could barely open one of her eyes in the waiting room.Daily likens getting an appointment for an abortion these days to winning the lottery.“Think about our current health care system and how hard it is just to get like a primary care visit," she said. “Times that by a thousand because that’s how hard it is for abortion care nowadays."Among the patients Daily saw recently was a 29-year-old mother of two who asked that her name not be used because she didn't want her family and acquaintances to know. The woman said she initially had planned to carry her pregnancy to term. But then her 3-year-old daughter had a terrifying 40-minute seizure, which temporarily paralyzed her. It was her 13th major seizure in the past year.Doctors intubated the little girl, and the woman hastily arranged for her 9-month-old son to be with his father. The couple had separated, so she sat by her daughter's bedside alone.“I thought to myself, ‘It’s not fair, you know, to not be able to give another child my full attention."She knows some people won’t understand her decision.“People are just quick to judge," she said. “A lot of people have religious beliefs. ‘Oh, no. You can’t do that.' But for me, I just don’t think people take the time to get to know somebody and realize what their situation really is."

Kan. abortion clinic that opened days after Roe fell is inundated

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced&nbsp; the Honorable Mitchell S. Goldberg of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania entered a default judgment against Timothy Warren of Wichita, Kansas and his company, Titan Medical Compliance, LLC (“Titan”), in the amount of $15,270,066, for violations of the False Claims Act (“FCA”), according to the United State's Attorney.

This judgment is the latest action in the national investigation into the scheme of improper billing involving P-Stim electro-acupuncture devices. 

P-Stim is also branded as, among other things, ANSiStim, Stivax, NeuroStim, and NSS-2 Bridge. Federal healthcare programs do not reimburse for P-Stim devices, whether they are characterized as an electro-acupuncture device or as an implantable neuro-stimulator. The Eastern District of Pennsylvania has led the national Department of Justice effort to pursue and resolve various FCA cases against P-Stim providers, marketers, distributors, and coders, recovering tens of millions in the last two years.

As alleged in the Complaint, Timothy Warren, a chiropractor in Wichita, Kansas, along with his company, Titan, falsely promoted auricular electro-acupuncture devices as reimbursable by Medicare and other federal insurers, and as approved by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). Warren promoted himself to providers as a medical reimbursement consultant, and his company, Titan, as a compliance consulting firm. As a result, various marketers and distributors of P-Stim devices paid Warren a monthly fee to provide coding recommendations to customers. Certain providers also paid Warren directly for coding guidance.

Beginning in 2014, Warren promoted P-Stim devices as reimbursable by Medicare and other federal healthcare programs and provided instructions on what codes to bill. Those codes, generating a high amount of reimbursement, however, were meant for legitimate, surgically implanted neurostimulators to manage chronic pain. P-Stim, on the other hand, could be applied in a few minutes in an office setting without anesthesia and by someone with minimal training. During this time, Warren and Titan had knowledge that the P-Stim devices were not reimbursable by federal healthcare programs, but continued to promote the non-surgical devices anyway.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania filed a Complaint against Warren and Titan on October 14, 2021, and has litigated the case since then, including defeating a motion by Warren and Titan to transfer the case to the District of Kansas. The United States moved for a default judgment after Warren’s and Titan’s counsel withdrew and the defendants then failed to respond. Judge Goldberg granted the motion and entered a default judgment, finding, among other things, that the United States “has stated cognizable claims under the False Claims Act against Defendants, and Defendants have failed to present any litigable defense.”

Warren and Titan are now responsible for statutory penalties totaling $15,270,066, for causing approximately 1,200 claims to be falsely submitted to the federal healthcare programs in violation of the FCA. Given inability-to-pay concerns and the default nature of the judgment, Judge Goldberg recognized this “appropriate” approach to damages in that the United States sought only minimum statutory penalties, rather than actual damages under the FCA, which were far more significant.

“This office has led the national charge to hold individuals and entities responsible for P-Stim fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “With Warren’s judgment, our office has held accountable those responsible for the tainted claims paid by federal healthcare programs. Even those who never applied P-Stim themselves can be held accountable for causing others to submit false claims through marketing and disseminating fraudulent coding advice.” She continued with a warning to other providers and medical device marketers: “If a scheme seems too good to be true, it probably is—and you should be wary.”

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced&nbsp; the Honorable Mitchell S. Goldberg of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania entered a default judgment against Timothy Warren of Wichita, Kansas and his company, Titan Medical Compliance, LLC (“Titan”), in the amount of $15,270,066, for violations of the False Claims Act (“FCA”), according to the United State's Attorney.This judgment is the latest action in the national investigation into the scheme of improper billing involving P-Stim electro-acupuncture devices. P-Stim is also branded as, among other things, ANSiStim, Stivax, NeuroStim, and NSS-2 Bridge. Federal healthcare programs do not reimburse for P-Stim devices, whether they are characterized as an electro-acupuncture device or as an implantable neuro-stimulator. The Eastern District of Pennsylvania has led the national Department of Justice effort to pursue and resolve various FCA cases against P-Stim providers, marketers, distributors, and coders, recovering tens of millions in the last two years.As alleged in the Complaint, Timothy Warren, a chiropractor in Wichita, Kansas, along with his company, Titan, falsely promoted auricular electro-acupuncture devices as reimbursable by Medicare and other federal insurers, and as approved by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). Warren promoted himself to providers as a medical reimbursement consultant, and his company, Titan, as a compliance consulting firm. As a result, various marketers and distributors of P-Stim devices paid Warren a monthly fee to provide coding recommendations to customers. Certain providers also paid Warren directly for coding guidance.Beginning in 2014, Warren promoted P-Stim devices as reimbursable by Medicare and other federal healthcare programs and provided instructions on what codes to bill. Those codes, generating a high amount of reimbursement, however, were meant for legitimate, surgically implanted neurostimulators to manage chronic pain. P-Stim, on the other hand, could be applied in a few minutes in an office setting without anesthesia and by someone with minimal training. During this time, Warren and Titan had knowledge that the P-Stim devices were not reimbursable by federal healthcare programs, but continued to promote the non-surgical devices anyway.The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania filed a Complaint against Warren and Titan on October 14, 2021, and has litigated the case since then, including defeating a motion by Warren and Titan to transfer the case to the District of Kansas. The United States moved for a default judgment after Warren’s and Titan’s counsel withdrew and the defendants then failed to respond. Judge Goldberg granted the motion and entered a default judgment, finding, among other things, that the United States “has stated cognizable claims under the False Claims Act against Defendants, and Defendants have failed to present any litigable defense.”Warren and Titan are now responsible for statutory penalties totaling $15,270,066, for causing approximately 1,200 claims to be falsely submitted to the federal healthcare programs in violation of the FCA. Given inability-to-pay concerns and the default nature of the judgment, Judge Goldberg recognized this “appropriate” approach to damages in that the United States sought only minimum statutory penalties, rather than actual damages under the FCA, which were far more significant.“This office has led the national charge to hold individuals and entities responsible for P-Stim fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “With Warren’s judgment, our office has held accountable those responsible for the tainted claims paid by federal healthcare programs. Even those who never applied P-Stim themselves can be held accountable for causing others to submit false claims through marketing and disseminating fraudulent coding advice.” She continued with a warning to other providers and medical device marketers: “If a scheme seems too good to be true, it probably is—and you should be wary.”

Kansas man to pay $15M for national insurance fraud scheme

Steven Clark Hayes passed away on November 3rd, 2022, at the age of 
68. He is survived by his wife of 34 years Peggy, sons William (Ashley) 
and Shawn (Ashley), daughter Avery (Schultz McLean), 3 grandchildren: 
Madelynn, Hunter, Haylee Hayes, and brothers Dan (Marcia), Doug (Tadhi),
 Greg (Brynda), Mark (Debbie), and sister Kathy (Jerry Francisco).

Steven
 was born in WaKeeney, KS on January 17th, 1954, and grew up farming with
 his parents. In college he was heavily involved with rodeoing. After 
earning his Associates Degree in feedlot management from Colby Community
 College, he continued to farm and enjoyed showing horses. He met and 
married Peggy in 1988. After the farm was sold, Steve began work with 
Farmland Industries Crude Transportation in March 1990. William and 
Shawn were born, and after moving to Stafford in 1993, Avery followed. 
He worked as a truck driver in the oilfield industry until his 
retirement in 2021.

After retirement,
 he enjoyed target practice at the local gun range, square dancing with 
Peggy, and helping Shawn with odd jobs for his business. He walked his 
daughter Avery down the aisle at her wedding on October 8th.

Steven
 devoted his life to his family. He was hardworking, honest, quiet, and 
an extraordinary husband and father. He believed strongly in his 
salvation through Christ, and is now in Heaven. His family will miss his
 puns, one-liners, advice, and stunning bits of timely wisdom. His 
impact and goodness of heart will be felt by those he has left behind 
indefinitely.

There will be a 
visitation at Berean Assembly at 1215 W Carey Ln #2723, Wichita, KS 
67217 on Tuesday, November 8th, from 6-8 p.m. The funeral will be held at
 the same location on November 9th, at 10 a.m., followed by the burial at
 Morlan Township Cemetery in Graham County, Kansas, at 4 p.m.

Steven Clark Hayes passed away on November 3rd, 2022, at the age of 
68. He is survived by his wife of 34 years Peggy, sons William (Ashley) 
and Shawn (Ashley), daughter Avery (Schultz McLean), 3 grandchildren: 
Madelynn, Hunter, Haylee Hayes, and brothers Dan (Marcia), Doug (Tadhi),
 Greg (Brynda), Mark (Debbie), and sister Kathy (Jerry Francisco).Steven
 was born in WaKeeney, KS on January 17th, 1954, and grew up farming with
 his parents. In college he was heavily involved with rodeoing. After 
earning his Associates Degree in feedlot management from Colby Community
 College, he continued to farm and enjoyed showing horses. He met and 
married Peggy in 1988. After the farm was sold, Steve began work with 
Farmland Industries Crude Transportation in March 1990. William and 
Shawn were born, and after moving to Stafford in 1993, Avery followed. 
He worked as a truck driver in the oilfield industry until his 
retirement in 2021.After retirement,
 he enjoyed target practice at the local gun range, square dancing with 
Peggy, and helping Shawn with odd jobs for his business. He walked his 
daughter Avery down the aisle at her wedding on October 8th.Steven
 devoted his life to his family. He was hardworking, honest, quiet, and 
an extraordinary husband and father. He believed strongly in his 
salvation through Christ, and is now in Heaven. His family will miss his
 puns, one-liners, advice, and stunning bits of timely wisdom. His 
impact and goodness of heart will be felt by those he has left behind 
indefinitely.There will be a 
visitation at Berean Assembly at 1215 W Carey Ln #2723, Wichita, KS 
67217 on Tuesday, November 8th, from 6-8 p.m. The funeral will be held at
 the same location on November 9th, at 10 a.m., followed by the burial at
 Morlan Township Cemetery in Graham County, Kansas, at 4 p.m.

Steven Clark Hayes

Hilary Luft, 82, Bison, Kansas, passed away Thursday, November 3, 
2022, at Rush County Memorial Hospital Intermediate Swing Bed, La 
Crosse, Kansas.

Hilary was born June 16, 1940, in Salina, Kansas, the son of Richard 
and Alta (Brack) Luft. Most of his life was spent as a resident of Rush 
County, Kansas. A 1959 graduate of Otis High School, Otis, Kansas, he 
was a farmer and rancher.

He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Otis, Kansas.

On October 31, 1961, he married Donna Schneider at Larned, Kansas.

Survivors include: his wife, Donna Luft, Bison, Kansas; one son, 
Richard T. Luft, (Laura), La Crosse, Kansas; one daughter, Lori Richter 
(Michael), Goddard, Kansas; and three grandchildren, Cody Richter, 
Cameron Richter, and Taylor Richter.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and one sister, Linda Herbel.

Memorial service will be Wednesday, November 9, 2022, at 11:00 A.M. 
at the First Lutheran Church, La Crosse, Kansas, with Pastor Phyllis 
Burdge officiating.

In lieu of flowers or plants, memorials are suggested to the Rush County Memorial Hospital Intermediate Swing Bed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667835353440.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hilary Luft, 82, Bison, Kansas, passed away Thursday, November 3, 
2022, at Rush County Memorial Hospital Intermediate Swing Bed, La 
Crosse, Kansas.Hilary was born June 16, 1940, in Salina, Kansas, the son of Richard 
and Alta (Brack) Luft. Most of his life was spent as a resident of Rush 
County, Kansas. A 1959 graduate of Otis High School, Otis, Kansas, he 
was a farmer and rancher.He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Otis, Kansas.On October 31, 1961, he married Donna Schneider at Larned, Kansas.Survivors include: his wife, Donna Luft, Bison, Kansas; one son, 
Richard T. Luft, (Laura), La Crosse, Kansas; one daughter, Lori Richter 
(Michael), Goddard, Kansas; and three grandchildren, Cody Richter, 
Cameron Richter, and Taylor Richter.He was preceded in death by his parents; and one sister, Linda Herbel.The family has chosen cremation.Memorial service will be Wednesday, November 9, 2022, at 11:00 A.M. 
at the First Lutheran Church, La Crosse, Kansas, with Pastor Phyllis 
Burdge officiating.In lieu of flowers or plants, memorials are suggested to the Rush County Memorial Hospital Intermediate Swing Bed.Condolences or remembrances may be left for the family at www.janousekfuneralhome.com.Arrangements were by Janousek Funeral Home, 719 Pine Street, P O Box 550, La Crosse, Kansas 67548, 785/222-2517.

Hilary Luft

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

Hays drivers might think they've been winding their way through the south Vine Street construction for a really long time. 

The work has been going on longer than expected. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667592344390.jpeg" alt="The south Vine Street reconstruction project, which was scheduled to be completed by the end of October, is now expected to be finished by mid-December. It has been slowed by a shortage of workers. (Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post)" />
 <figcaption>The south Vine Street reconstruction project, which was scheduled to be completed by the end of October, is now expected to be finished by mid-December. It has been slowed by a shortage of workers. (Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post)</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostHays drivers might think they've been winding their way through the south Vine Street construction for a really long time. The work has been going on longer than expected. Reconstruction of Vine Street between 13th Street and south to the city limits — the Old Highway 40 bypass intersection — was supposed to be completed the last week of October.&nbsp;Work on the Kansas Department of Transportation project is behind schedule, confirmed John Braun, project manager for the city of Hays.<div><div style="position:relative; overflow:hidden; padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/ngCBfKcl-P46diVCW.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="South Vine Street Delays" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div>"The contractor is currently in what they call 'liquidated damages' — sort of like a penalty phase," Braun said Tuesday. "So each day, they are being charged a penalty until they get the project complete."The construction schedule now projects a completion date of mid-December.Lack of available workers, a nationwide problem, is attributed to the delay.&nbsp;"It's manpower shortages, their inability to hire labor," Braun explained.&nbsp;Access to all businesses has remained open, but sometimes with restrictions as temporary entrances are constructed.The project contractor is Smoky Hill Construction of Salina, the same contractor that completed the north Vine Street roundabout project, work that took two years to complete.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651682939363.jpeg" alt="(City of Hays)" />
 <figcaption>(City of Hays)</figcaption>
 </figure>The south Vine project includes replacement of the concrete pavement, select areas of curb and gutter, sidewalk ramps, new pedestrian crossings at Eighth Street, storm sewer inlet tops, and pavement markings.The&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5438fd88-c2ce-4d44-8688-4587563236b4">$3.9 million project got underway May 9</a>.&nbsp;In 2019, the city was awarded a $1 million grant from the KDOT City Connecting Link Improvement Program to help fund the cost. Hays will pay the remaining $2.9 million using cash from the city's capital reserve fund.&nbsp;