By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Behind the badge of one of Hays' finest is a champion skeet shooter and a woman who dreams of someday being an Olympian.

Erin Escritt, 25, moved to Hays to join the police department in May 2021.

Originally from Minnesota, Escritt has been shooting since she was 12 and shooting skeet since she was 17.

Escritt first came to skeet shooting through 4-H. She shot trap on her high school team. During her senior year, Minnesota introduced skeet competitions.

She was a member of the shooting team for Concordia University in Seward, Neb. She shot all four years as an undergrad and was a graduate assistant coach while she completed her master's degree. Shooting sports did not become a varsity sport at Concordia until her senior year.

She continued with her competitive shooting after graduation, including competing internationally in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 

During her latest competition Oct. 3 to 6 at the World Skeet Championships in San Antonio, she shot 149 of 150 targets, tying for second place. She placed third after she lost a shoot-off.

In her class, she placed fourth in .410 and placed fourth in the HOA, which is a combination of the four events based on gun gauges — 12 gauge, 20 gauge, 28 gauge and .410. She shot 438 out of 450 targets.

Skeet was a competition that originated from hunting birds. The early competitions actually used live quail, Escritt said. Live fowl have been replaced with clay targets. 

In U.S. competitions, shooters have their guns premounted at their shoulders when the clay target is released.

However, Escritt dreams of eventually qualifying for the Olympics. In international competitions, shooters start with their guns at their belly button and mount them to their shoulders after the target is released. 

The clay targets are fired at a faster velocity — about 10 to 20 mph faster than a standard target. 

In order to qualify for the Olympic team, you have to earn points by shooting at both the national and international levels. 

"I think it would be tight to do 2024," she said of qualifying for the Olympics. "I don't have enough points to do it. 2028 is where I am hoping. ... I think that is a route I can manageably do."

Ammunition and travel are both expensive. Most of the competitors at the international level are sponsored and are basically competing as professionals. 

The local sportsmen's club doesn't offer the setup Escritt needs to practice for international competitions, so she and her husband, who is a trap shooter, drive to Grand Island, Neb., to practice.

At her height, Escritt was shooting three or four times and week, but based on finances and her work schedule she's down to once or twice a week. She usually shoots four or five boxes of shells at a time (100 to 125 shots). A box of shells costs about $10.

Escritt came to be a transplant to Hays through her husband.

Her husband, Cody, was on the Fort Hays State University shooting team and now is a volunteer coach for the team. The couple decided to settle in Hays after they both graduated from college.

Erin's father is in law enforcement. She studied biology, chemistry and forensic science in college. Her master's degree is in business administration. However, she decided she would much rather work with people than in a lab.

She applied and received a job with the Hays Police Department.

"I've always wanted to be a police officer," she said. "My dad is currently still a police officer in Minnesota. I fell in love with it."

She said being an officer has been one of the best jobs she has ever had. She said she enjoys the connections she makes in the community.

"I get to deal with everyone. Sadly enough I get to deal with them on their worst days," Escritt said, "but I can still bring joy to some people and talk to them like human beings and have a connection with them.

"Everything is different. I have never gone into the same situation in the exact same way. Everyone always reacts differently and has different conservations. I love it."

However, it's not an easy profession, she said.

"You go on the worst days of people's lives, and you get to see that stress in people. You try to make the best of the situation."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667595106400.jpeg" alt="Erin Escritt, 25, of Hays competes nationally and internationally as a skeet shooter. She has worked for the Hays Police Department since May 2021. Courtesy photo " />
 <figcaption>Erin Escritt, 25, of Hays competes nationally and internationally as a skeet shooter. She has worked for the Hays Police Department since May 2021. Courtesy photo </figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostBehind the badge of one of Hays' finest is a champion skeet shooter and a woman who dreams of someday being an Olympian. Erin Escritt, 25, moved to Hays to join the police department in May 2021. Originally from Minnesota, Escritt has been shooting since she was 12 and shooting skeet since she was 17. Escritt first came to skeet shooting through 4-H. She shot trap on her high school team. During her senior year, Minnesota introduced skeet competitions. She was a member of the shooting team for Concordia University in Seward, Neb. She shot all four years as an undergrad and was a graduate assistant coach while she completed her master's degree. Shooting sports did not become a varsity sport at Concordia until her senior year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667595194679.jpeg" alt="Erin Escritt of Hays, right, placed third at the World Skeet Championships in October in San Antonio. She shot 149 of 150 clays. Courtesy photo " />
 <figcaption>Erin Escritt of Hays, right, placed third at the World Skeet Championships in October in San Antonio. She shot 149 of 150 clays. Courtesy photo </figcaption>
 </figure>She continued with her competitive shooting after graduation, including competing internationally in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. During her latest competition Oct. 3 to 6 at the World Skeet Championships in San Antonio, she shot 149 of 150 targets, tying for second place. She placed third after she lost a shoot-off.In her class, she placed fourth in .410 and placed fourth in the HOA, which is a combination of the four events based on gun gauges — 12 gauge, 20 gauge, 28 gauge and .410. She shot 438 out of 450 targets.Skeet was a competition that originated from hunting birds. The early competitions actually used live quail, Escritt said. Live fowl have been replaced with clay targets. In U.S. competitions, shooters have their guns premounted at their shoulders when the clay target is released.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667595236136.jpeg" alt="Escritt still shoots once or twice a week, practicing for competitions. She said her employer, the Hays Police Department, has supported her pursuit of the sport. Courtesy photo. " />
 <figcaption>Escritt still shoots once or twice a week, practicing for competitions. She said her employer, the Hays Police Department, has supported her pursuit of the sport. Courtesy photo. </figcaption>
 </figure>However, Escritt dreams of eventually qualifying for the Olympics. In international competitions, shooters start with their guns at their belly button and mount them to their shoulders after the target is released. The clay targets are fired at a faster velocity — about 10 to 20 mph faster than a standard target. In order to qualify for the Olympic team, you have to earn points by shooting at both the national and international levels. "I think it would be tight to do 2024," she said of qualifying for the Olympics. "I don't have enough points to do it. 2028 is where I am hoping. ... I think that is a route I can manageably do." Ammunition and travel are both expensive. Most of the competitors at the international level are sponsored and are basically competing as professionals. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667595281741.jpeg" alt="Escritt dreams of making the Olympic shooting team by the 2028 games, which will be in Los Angeles. Courtesy photo " />
 <figcaption>Escritt dreams of making the Olympic shooting team by the 2028 games, which will be in Los Angeles. Courtesy photo </figcaption>
 </figure>The local sportsmen's club doesn't offer the setup Escritt needs to practice for international competitions, so she and her husband, who is a trap shooter, drive to Grand Island, Neb., to practice. At her height, Escritt was shooting three or four times and week, but based on finances and her work schedule she's down to once or twice a week. She usually shoots four or five boxes of shells at a time (100 to 125 shots). A box of shells costs about $10.Escritt came to be a transplant to Hays through her husband. Her husband, Cody, was on the Fort Hays State University shooting team and now is a volunteer coach for the team. The couple decided to settle in Hays after they both graduated from college.Erin's father is in law enforcement. She studied biology, chemistry and forensic science in college. Her master's degree is in business administration. However, she decided she would much rather work with people than in a lab.She applied and received a job with the Hays Police Department. "I've always wanted to be a police officer," she said. "My dad is currently still a police officer in Minnesota. I fell in love with it."She said being an officer has been one of the best jobs she has ever had. She said she enjoys the connections she makes in the community."I get to deal with everyone. Sadly enough I get to deal with them on their worst days," Escritt said, "but I can still bring joy to some people and talk to them like human beings and have a connection with them."Everything is different. I have never gone into the same situation in the exact same way. Everyone always reacts differently and has different conservations. I love it."However, it's not an easy profession, she said. "You go on the worst days of people's lives, and you get to see that stress in people. You try to make the best of the situation."

Hays police officer, champion skeet shooter dreams of Olympics

By LAAH TUCKER Lions Club

Natoma Lions Club continues to join the annual Lions International Peace Poster Contest for youth.

The art contest for students, ages 11, 12, and 13, encourage their creativity in expressing a "vision for peace" through yearly themes.

The 2022 theme, "Lead with Compassion," gave Natoma USD 399 students inspiration for their art.

Each year their teachers and Lion members encourage the fifth- and sixth-grade students to participate in the artistic competition.

The Natoma club judged posters on originality, artistic merit and expression of the theme in October.

Winning posters advance through several judging levels: local, district, multiple districts and international.

Millions of children from almost 100 countries have participated in the contest for more than 25 years.

The Natoma Lions Club continues to provide great opportunities for youth through the Peace Poster contest; high school Kansas Highway Patrol Law Enforcement Academy and Kansas Boys State, graduating senior scholarships to college of choice; Diabetes Awareness; eyeglasses for elementary and secondary students.

For information on the Lions Club in Natoma, contact Terry Tucker, president, at 785-885-8075. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667337973647.jpeg" alt="The International Lions Club Peace Poster Contest provided Natoma USD 399 students inspiration to create their vision of the Lions International theme, "Compassion." Natoma Lion members joined in the judging with winners to be announced in a school assembly: (L-R) Lion member Beverly Hachmeister, Corrinne Masters, David Kertz, Terry Tucker and Margorie Kertz. Photo by Laah Tucker" />
 <figcaption>The International Lions Club Peace Poster Contest provided Natoma USD 399 students inspiration to create their vision of the Lions International theme, "Compassion." Natoma Lion members joined in the judging with winners to be announced in a school assembly: (L-R) Lion member Beverly Hachmeister, Corrinne Masters, David Kertz, Terry Tucker and Margorie Kertz. Photo by Laah Tucker</figcaption>
 </figure>By LAAH TUCKER Lions Club Natoma Lions Club continues to join the annual Lions International Peace Poster Contest for youth.The art contest for students, ages 11, 12, and 13, encourage their creativity in expressing a "vision for peace" through yearly themes.The 2022 theme, "Lead with Compassion," gave Natoma USD 399 students inspiration for their art.Each year their teachers and Lion members encourage the fifth- and sixth-grade students to participate in the artistic competition.The Natoma club judged posters on originality, artistic merit and expression of the theme in October.Winning posters advance through several judging levels: local, district, multiple districts and international.Millions of children from almost 100 countries have participated in the contest for more than 25 years.The Natoma Lions Club continues to provide great opportunities for youth through the Peace Poster contest; high school Kansas Highway Patrol Law Enforcement Academy and Kansas Boys State, graduating senior scholarships to college of choice; Diabetes Awareness; eyeglasses for elementary and secondary students.For information on the Lions Club in Natoma, contact Terry Tucker, president, at 785-885-8075.

Natoma Lions Club sponsors Peace Poster Contest

By AMY LIEBERMAN <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-at-stake-this-election-day-7-essential-reads-193699">The Conversation</a>

As Election Day closes in, uncertainty and concern about potential 
chaos – from violence at polling sites to candidates refusing to accept 
defeat – <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63494618">continue to rise</a>.

Problems that have historically plagued the U.S. electoral and 
political system – like voter intimidation – are cropping up ahead of 
the midterms. But so, too, are less familiar issues, like how previously
 run-of-the-mill state election positions are becoming opportunities for
 political activism.

Here are seven key issues that affect the midterm elections, drawn from stories in The Conversation’s archive.

Voter participation during midterm elections is typically low – though <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/11/01/turnout-in-u-s-has-soared-in-recent-elections-but-by-some-measures-still-trails-that-of-many-other-countries/">some experts say</a>
 that there could be heavy turnout this year. But the question of who 
actually heads to the polls will also be critical, as races in key <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2022-election-forecast/">swing states tighten</a>.

Young voters are much less likely to vote during midterms than older 
people, as opposed to their higher turnouts during presidential 
elections, American University government scholar <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=1XMWY78AAAAJ&amp;hl=en">Jan Leighley</a> wrote. Young voters are also more likely to identify as Democrats.

“So if younger voters are underrepresented in the November 2022 
elections, more Republicans may be elected, as well as candidates less 
likely to reflect younger citizens’ views on key issues,” <a href="https://theconversation.com/young-voters-are-more-likely-to-skip-midterm-elections-than-presidential-races-192314">Leighley wrote.</a>

Read more:
 <a href="https://theconversation.com/young-voters-are-more-likely-to-skip-midterm-elections-than-presidential-races-192314">Young voters are more likely to skip midterm elections than presidential races</a>

This year, meanwhile, record numbers of Latinos are also expected to 
turn out to vote. In 2020, most Latinos voted for President Joe Biden – 
but increasing numbers of Latino voters are also supporting GOP 
candidates, including former president Donald Trump, <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-gop-made-gains-among-latino-voters-in-2020-but-democrats-remain-the-party-of-choice-for-upcoming-midterms-192679">wrote University of Tennessee social work</a> scholar <a href="https://experts.utk.edu/experts/mary-lehman-held/">Mary Lehman Held.</a>

One reason is that Latino voters have different backgrounds, values 
and priorities. And not all would be turned off by Republican 
candidates’ restrictive immigration politics. 

“Immigration policies only affect a subset of Latinos, most notably 
Mexicans, followed by Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Hondurans,” Lehman 
Held explained.

Read more:
 <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-gop-made-gains-among-latino-voters-in-2020-but-democrats-remain-the-party-of-choice-for-upcoming-midterms-192679">The GOP made gains among Latino voters in 2020 but Democrats remain the party of choice for upcoming midterms</a>

It’s the economy, stupid, <a href="https://politicaldictionary.com/words/its-the-economy-stupid/">as the famous</a> 1992 political adage about voters’ top concern goes.

Soaring inflation <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-inflation-will-likely-stay-sky-high-regardless-of-which-party-wins-the-midterms-193416">rates top voters’</a>
 concerns this year, even though neither political party has been found 
particularly more effective at tackling the issue and bringing down 
inflation, as Texas State University finance scholar <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=eP0xZ1kAAAAJ&amp;hl=en">William Chittenden wrote.</a>

Read more:
 <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-inflation-will-likely-stay-sky-high-regardless-of-which-party-wins-the-midterms-193416">Why inflation will likely stay sky-high regardless of which party wins the midterms</a>

There was a flurry of political activism around the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn <a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1971/70-18">Roe v. Wade</a>
 in June 2022, undoing the federal right to an abortion. But just four 
months later, men and women both say that abortion politics are not 
bringing them to the polls, according to Harvard Kennedy School and 
Northwestern University social science scholars <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=vUKLlG4AAAAJ&amp;hl=en">Matthew A. Baum</a>, <a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/alaunasafarpour/home">Alauna Safarpour</a>, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=P_3neYQAAAAJ&amp;hl=en">Jonathan Schulman</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=0JH3YoUAAAAJ&amp;hl=en">Kristin Lunz Trujillo</a>.

“The Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision may have initially 
mobilized some voters in June and July, particularly women, but its 
effects appear to have diminished when we asked Americans about their 
intentions to vote again in August and October,” <a href="https://theconversation.com/abortion-is-not-influencing-most-voters-as-the-midterms-approach-economic-issues-are-predominating-in-new-survey-191836">they wrote.</a>

Read more:
 <a href="https://theconversation.com/abortion-is-not-influencing-most-voters-as-the-midterms-approach-economic-issues-are-predominating-in-new-survey-191836">Abortion is not influencing most voters as the midterms approach – economic issues are predominating in new survey</a>

3. Elections aren’t what they used to be

Gone are the days when election administrators were considered low 
profile, conducting essential – but not flashy – work, like organizing 
voter lists, staffing polling places and counting election results. 

Overall mistrust in elections is high in the U.S. following the 2020 
elections – and former President Trump’s refusal to accept his defeat. 
It’s a new era in politics, where it is not necessarily a given that 
“elections happen, votes are counted, the winners are declared and 
democracy moves on,” wrote Arizona State University’s <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=FdltMX4AAAAJ&amp;hl=en">Thom Reilly</a>, a public governance scholar and former state election official.

One complicating factor is that the U.S. is the only democracy that 
elects many of its election officials, and high-ranking members of the 
Republican or Democratic parties usually oversee elections at the state 
level. 

“That partisan system largely worked until now because, in essence, 
each party checked the other party’s ability to influence election 
outcomes. As long as states were politically diverse, members of the two
 major parties acted in good faith, and this model functioned – albeit 
imperfectly,” <a href="https://theconversation.com/good-faith-and-the-honor-of-partisan-election-officials-used-to-be-enough-to-ensure-trust-in-voting-results-but-not-anymore-189510">wrote Reilly</a>.

But there’s already evidence that newly minted and highly partisan 
poll workers and election observers plan to disrupt the elections, 
potentially diminishing public faith in this essential democratic 
institution and weakening democracy itself. And a high number of 
candidates running for state election administration roles are election 
deniers. If they win, wrote Reilly, that will further erode public 
confidence in election integrity. 

Read more:
 <a href="https://theconversation.com/good-faith-and-the-honor-of-partisan-election-officials-used-to-be-enough-to-ensure-trust-in-voting-results-but-not-anymore-189510">Good faith and the honor of partisan election officials used to be enough to ensure trust in voting results – but not anymore</a>

4. Black voters face possible intimidation

Amid warnings from the Department of Homeland Security about 
political violence on Election Day – which University of Maryland, 
Baltimore County security researcher <a href="https://cybersecurity.umbc.edu/richard-forno/">Richard Forno</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/political-violence-in-america-isnt-going-away-anytime-soon-193597">recently explored</a> – there’s an increased risk that polling sites will become yet another place for political violence.

Read more:
 <a href="https://theconversation.com/political-violence-in-america-isnt-going-away-anytime-soon-193597">Political violence in America isn't going away anytime soon</a>

The threat brings to mind <a href="https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/elections/right-to-vote/voting-rights-for-african-americans/">long-standing efforts</a> by white supremacists to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/10/27/voter-intimidation-surging-2020-protect-minority-voters-column/6043955002/">intimidate and</a> threaten Black voters.

Georgia is one place with a long history of voter intimidation that 
is rolling out election reform laws, making it actually harder for 
voters – especially people of color – to vote. One part of this new law,
 called SB 202, removes some voting drop boxes, which people of color 
predominantly use. This comes as Black voters gain number and power in 
Georgia – and the tightened voting rules are reminiscent of the 1940s 
and other times when white conservatives cracked down on voting rights 
in response to rising Black political strength.

“The almost immediate passage of new election laws at a time of 
growing Black political strength suggests the persistence of a white 
backlash in Georgia,” <a href="https://theconversation.com/georgias-gop-overhauled-the-states-election-laws-in-2021-and-critics-argue-the-target-was-black-voter-turnout-not-election-fraud-192000">wrote</a> Emory University <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Richard-Doner-2">political science scholar Richard Doner</a>.

Read more:
 <a href="https://theconversation.com/georgias-gop-overhauled-the-states-election-laws-in-2021-and-critics-argue-the-target-was-black-voter-turnout-not-election-fraud-192000">Georgia's GOP overhauled the state's election laws in 2021 – and critics argue the target was Black voter turnout, not election fraud</a>

Amy Lieberman is Politics + Society Editor at the The Conversation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667396556650.png" alt="Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption>Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure>By AMY LIEBERMAN <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-at-stake-this-election-day-7-essential-reads-193699">The Conversation</a>As Election Day closes in, uncertainty and concern about potential 
chaos – from violence at polling sites to candidates refusing to accept 
defeat – <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63494618">continue to rise</a>. Problems that have historically plagued the U.S. electoral and 
political system – like voter intimidation – are cropping up ahead of 
the midterms. But so, too, are less familiar issues, like how previously
 run-of-the-mill state election positions are becoming opportunities for
 political activism.Here are seven key issues that affect the midterm elections, drawn from stories in The Conversation’s archive.<h2>1. Who is voting</h2>Voter participation during midterm elections is typically low – though <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/11/01/turnout-in-u-s-has-soared-in-recent-elections-but-by-some-measures-still-trails-that-of-many-other-countries/">some experts say</a>
 that there could be heavy turnout this year. But the question of who 
actually heads to the polls will also be critical, as races in key <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2022-election-forecast/">swing states tighten</a>. Young voters are much less likely to vote during midterms than older 
people, as opposed to their higher turnouts during presidential 
elections, American University government scholar <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=1XMWY78AAAAJ&amp;hl=en">Jan Leighley</a> wrote. Young voters are also more likely to identify as Democrats. “So if younger voters are underrepresented in the November 2022 
elections, more Republicans may be elected, as well as candidates less 
likely to reflect younger citizens’ views on key issues,” <a href="https://theconversation.com/young-voters-are-more-likely-to-skip-midterm-elections-than-presidential-races-192314">Leighley wrote.</a> 
 
 
 Read more:
 <a href="https://theconversation.com/young-voters-are-more-likely-to-skip-midterm-elections-than-presidential-races-192314">Young voters are more likely to skip midterm elections than presidential races</a>
 
 
This year, meanwhile, record numbers of Latinos are also expected to 
turn out to vote. In 2020, most Latinos voted for President Joe Biden – 
but increasing numbers of Latino voters are also supporting GOP 
candidates, including former president Donald Trump, <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-gop-made-gains-among-latino-voters-in-2020-but-democrats-remain-the-party-of-choice-for-upcoming-midterms-192679">wrote University of Tennessee social work</a> scholar <a href="https://experts.utk.edu/experts/mary-lehman-held/">Mary Lehman Held.</a>One reason is that Latino voters have different backgrounds, values 
and priorities. And not all would be turned off by Republican 
candidates’ restrictive immigration politics. “Immigration policies only affect a subset of Latinos, most notably 
Mexicans, followed by Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Hondurans,” Lehman 
Held explained.
 
 
 Read more:
 <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-gop-made-gains-among-latino-voters-in-2020-but-democrats-remain-the-party-of-choice-for-upcoming-midterms-192679">The GOP made gains among Latino voters in 2020 but Democrats remain the party of choice for upcoming midterms</a>
 
 
<h2>2. What voters want</h2>It’s the economy, stupid, <a href="https://politicaldictionary.com/words/its-the-economy-stupid/">as the famous</a> 1992 political adage about voters’ top concern goes. Soaring inflation <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-inflation-will-likely-stay-sky-high-regardless-of-which-party-wins-the-midterms-193416">rates top voters’</a>
 concerns this year, even though neither political party has been found 
particularly more effective at tackling the issue and bringing down 
inflation, as Texas State University finance scholar <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=eP0xZ1kAAAAJ&amp;hl=en">William Chittenden wrote.</a>
 
 
 Read more:
 <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-inflation-will-likely-stay-sky-high-regardless-of-which-party-wins-the-midterms-193416">Why inflation will likely stay sky-high regardless of which party wins the midterms</a>
 
 
There was a flurry of political activism around the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn <a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1971/70-18">Roe v. Wade</a>
 in June 2022, undoing the federal right to an abortion. But just four 
months later, men and women both say that abortion politics are not 
bringing them to the polls, according to Harvard Kennedy School and 
Northwestern University social science scholars <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=vUKLlG4AAAAJ&amp;hl=en">Matthew A. Baum</a>, <a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/alaunasafarpour/home">Alauna Safarpour</a>, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=P_3neYQAAAAJ&amp;hl=en">Jonathan Schulman</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=0JH3YoUAAAAJ&amp;hl=en">Kristin Lunz Trujillo</a>. “The Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision may have initially 
mobilized some voters in June and July, particularly women, but its 
effects appear to have diminished when we asked Americans about their 
intentions to vote again in August and October,” <a href="https://theconversation.com/abortion-is-not-influencing-most-voters-as-the-midterms-approach-economic-issues-are-predominating-in-new-survey-191836">they wrote.</a>
 
 
 Read more:
 <a href="https://theconversation.com/abortion-is-not-influencing-most-voters-as-the-midterms-approach-economic-issues-are-predominating-in-new-survey-191836">Abortion is not influencing most voters as the midterms approach – economic issues are predominating in new survey</a>
 
 
<h2>3. Elections aren’t what they used to be</h2>Gone are the days when election administrators were considered low 
profile, conducting essential – but not flashy – work, like organizing 
voter lists, staffing polling places and counting election results. Overall mistrust in elections is high in the U.S. following the 2020 
elections – and former President Trump’s refusal to accept his defeat. 
It’s a new era in politics, where it is not necessarily a given that 
“elections happen, votes are counted, the winners are declared and 
democracy moves on,” wrote Arizona State University’s <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=FdltMX4AAAAJ&amp;hl=en">Thom Reilly</a>, a public governance scholar and former state election official. One complicating factor is that the U.S. is the only democracy that 
elects many of its election officials, and high-ranking members of the 
Republican or Democratic parties usually oversee elections at the state 
level. “That partisan system largely worked until now because, in essence, 
each party checked the other party’s ability to influence election 
outcomes. As long as states were politically diverse, members of the two
 major parties acted in good faith, and this model functioned – albeit 
imperfectly,” <a href="https://theconversation.com/good-faith-and-the-honor-of-partisan-election-officials-used-to-be-enough-to-ensure-trust-in-voting-results-but-not-anymore-189510">wrote Reilly</a>. But there’s already evidence that newly minted and highly partisan 
poll workers and election observers plan to disrupt the elections, 
potentially diminishing public faith in this essential democratic 
institution and weakening democracy itself. And a high number of 
candidates running for state election administration roles are election 
deniers. If they win, wrote Reilly, that will further erode public 
confidence in election integrity. 
 
 
 Read more:
 <a href="https://theconversation.com/good-faith-and-the-honor-of-partisan-election-officials-used-to-be-enough-to-ensure-trust-in-voting-results-but-not-anymore-189510">Good faith and the honor of partisan election officials used to be enough to ensure trust in voting results – but not anymore</a>
 
 
<h2>4. Black voters face possible intimidation</h2>Amid warnings from the Department of Homeland Security about 
political violence on Election Day – which University of Maryland, 
Baltimore County security researcher <a href="https://cybersecurity.umbc.edu/richard-forno/">Richard Forno</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/political-violence-in-america-isnt-going-away-anytime-soon-193597">recently explored</a> – there’s an increased risk that polling sites will become yet another place for political violence. 
 
 
 Read more:
 <a href="https://theconversation.com/political-violence-in-america-isnt-going-away-anytime-soon-193597">Political violence in America isn't going away anytime soon</a>
 
 
The threat brings to mind <a href="https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/elections/right-to-vote/voting-rights-for-african-americans/">long-standing efforts</a> by white supremacists to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/10/27/voter-intimidation-surging-2020-protect-minority-voters-column/6043955002/">intimidate and</a> threaten Black voters. Georgia is one place with a long history of voter intimidation that 
is rolling out election reform laws, making it actually harder for 
voters – especially people of color – to vote. One part of this new law,
 called SB 202, removes some voting drop boxes, which people of color 
predominantly use. This comes as Black voters gain number and power in 
Georgia – and the tightened voting rules are reminiscent of the 1940s 
and other times when white conservatives cracked down on voting rights 
in response to rising Black political strength.“The almost immediate passage of new election laws at a time of 
growing Black political strength suggests the persistence of a white 
backlash in Georgia,” <a href="https://theconversation.com/georgias-gop-overhauled-the-states-election-laws-in-2021-and-critics-argue-the-target-was-black-voter-turnout-not-election-fraud-192000">wrote</a> Emory University <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Richard-Doner-2">political science scholar Richard Doner</a>. 
 
 
 Read more:
 <a href="https://theconversation.com/georgias-gop-overhauled-the-states-election-laws-in-2021-and-critics-argue-the-target-was-black-voter-turnout-not-election-fraud-192000">Georgia's GOP overhauled the state's election laws in 2021 – and critics argue the target was Black voter turnout, not election fraud</a>
 
 
Amy Lieberman is Politics + Society Editor at the The Conversation.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193699/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>

7 essential reads: What’s at stake this Election Day

TOPEKA – The Kansas Volleyball Association is pleased to announce the 2022 State All Tournament Teams selected during the Kansas State High School Activities Association’s State Championship held on October 28 and 29. A State All Tournament Team was selected for each classification and each is comprised of 12 players.

CLASS 6A Brooklyn DeLeye *** 6’2” OH JR Washburn Rural Ella Florez 5’11” S/OPP FR Mill Valley Victoria Gelles 5’9” S SR Blue Valley Janelle Green * 5’9” S JR Blue Valley North Connelly Kilgore 5’11” OH SR Blue Valley Julia Kinney 6’0” OH SR Blue Valley Jada Ingram 6’0” MB JR Washburn Rural Ryan McAleer 5’6” L JR Blue Valley Logan Parks * 6’0” OH/S SO Blue Valley North Taylor Russell 6’1” OPP SR Washburn Rural Sawyer Thompson 6’2” MB SR Lawrence-Free State Lily Wedman 5’8” S SO Blue Valley West

FIRST Washburn Rural SECOND Blue Valley THIRD Blue Valley North FOURTH Mill Valley * indicates selected in previous year(s)

CLASS 5A Mya Bolton 5’3” L JR St. James Academy Betsy Goodenow * 6’0” RS/OH SR St. Thomas Aquinas Alea Goolsby 5’11” OH SO St. Thomas Aquinas Brooklyn Gormley * 6’1” MB JR Topeka-Seaman Tatum Grimes 6’2” MB JR St. Thomas Aquinas Maliyah Johnson * 5’11” OH SR Hutchinson Anna Laincz 5’9” OH JR Lansing Reese Messer * 6’0” S SO St. James Academy Maegan Mills 6’0” OH SO Topeka-Seaman Gracie Morrow 6’0” OH JR Maize South Allie Paulsen 6’2” MB SR Andover Central Ava Spachek ** 5’10” OH JR St. James Academy

FIRST St. Thomas Aquinas SECOND St. James Academy THIRD Hutchinson FOURTH Topeka-Seaman * indicates selected in previous year(s)

CLASS 4A Gabby Anderson 5’7” L JR Bishop Miege Kasia Baldock 5’11” S JR Tonganoxie Jacqueline Corcoran * 5’9” OH JR Circle McKenzie Fairchild ** 5’10” OH SR Andale Allie Kennedy 6’0” MB SR Louisburg Ayla Klingenberg 5’10" MB SO Rock Creek Lauren Lopez * 5’10” OH SO Bishop Miege Ava Martin * 5’9” S JR Bishop Miege Ali Olson 6’1” MB SR Bishop Miege Grace Rowland 5’6” OPP JR Andale Maddie Schrandt ** 5’10” OH SR Andale Reagan Smith 5’2” S JR Circle

FIRST Bishop Miege SECOND Andale THIRD Circle FOURTH Louisburg * indicates selected in previous year(s)

CLASS 3A Elina Bartlett 5’8” S SR Cheney Addison Budke * 6’0” OH SO Beloit Cy Rae Campbell ** 5’11” MB JR Heritage Christian Campbell Hague 6’2” MB/OH SR Cheney Maci Hazel 5’9” S SR Heritage Christian Addy Holthaus * 5’10” OH SR Nemaha Central Cali Honeyman 5’10” MB SO Nemaha Central Lauren Jacobs 5’6” L JR Heritage Christian Ella Larkin 5’9” OH SR Nemaha Central Olivia Lehman ** 6’0” S SR Goodland Jacy Thomasson 5’11” MB SR Riverton Rachel Van Gorp ** 5’9” OH JR Heritage Christian

FIRST Heritage Christian SECOND Nemaha Central THIRD Cheney FOURTH Riverton * indicates selected in previous year(s)

CLASS 2A Kori Arnold * 5’4” L SR Hillsboro Audrey Bell 5’8” OH/S SR Jefferson Co. North Suttyn Harris 5’11” MB FR Inman Maile Hrabe 5’10” OH SR Smith Center Camryn Hutchinson * 5’5” S JR Smith Center Gracie Kirchhoff 5’7” OH JR Smith Center Savannah Shahan 5’10” OH/MB JR Hillsboro Ella Suderman 5’5” S SR Hillsboro Macy Thompson 6’0” MB SR Jefferson Co. North Lauren Torrance 6’2” MB SR St. Mary’s Colgan Zaylee Werth 6’0” OH/MB JR Hillsboro Kambrey Woods 5’8” S JR Inman

FIRST Hillsboro SECOND Smith Center THIRD Jefferson County North FOURTH Inman * indicates selected in previous year(s)

CLASS 1A Division 1 Mea DeBaere 5’5” L SR Little River Alaina Eck 5’5” OH JR Little River Karly Girty 5’11” S/OH SR Flinthills Jesslynn Houtman 5’8” OH SR St. Francis Kyra Johnson 5’9” S SR Doniphan West Trinity Kruse 5’6” OH SR Pretty Prairie Cameron Offerle ** 5’10” OH SR Spearville Aubrey Olander 6’1” MB JR Little River Harlee Randall 6’0” MB SO Flinthills Ashley Stephenson 5’7” OPP JR Little River Avery Weathersbee 5’7” OH SR Doniphan West Bailey Young * 5’11” MB SR Pretty Prairie

FIRST Little River SECOND Rosalia-Flinthills THIRD Highland-Doniphan West FOURTH Pretty Prairie * indicates selected in previous year(s)

CLASS 1A Division 2 Ceegan Atkins ** 5’9” OH SR Hanover Saige Hadley * 5’7” OH SO Lebo Massey Holle 5’11” MB SR Hanover Abigail Jones 5’5” S SO Lebo Brooklyn Jones ** 5’7” OH SR Lebo Audrey Peek * 5’6” MB JR Lebo Karoline Schroeder 5’7” OH JR Wheatland-Grinnell Taeban Stallbaumer 5’5” S SR Hanover Olivia Stein 5’11” OH FR Ingalls Sidney Swingle 5’10” MB SR Attica Chloe Traffas 5’3” L SO Attica Ella Wiles 5’9” MB SR St. John’s/Tipton

FIRST Lebo SECOND Hanover THIRD Attica FOURTH Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton * indicates selected in previous year(s

KVA ReleaseTOPEKA – The Kansas Volleyball Association is pleased to announce the 2022 State All Tournament Teams selected during the Kansas State High School Activities Association’s State Championship held on October 28 and 29. A State All Tournament Team was selected for each classification and each is comprised of 12 players.CLASS 6A Brooklyn DeLeye *** 6’2” OH JR Washburn Rural Ella Florez 5’11” S/OPP FR Mill Valley Victoria Gelles 5’9” S SR Blue Valley Janelle Green * 5’9” S JR Blue Valley North Connelly Kilgore 5’11” OH SR Blue Valley Julia Kinney 6’0” OH SR Blue Valley Jada Ingram 6’0” MB JR Washburn Rural Ryan McAleer 5’6” L JR Blue Valley Logan Parks * 6’0” OH/S SO Blue Valley North Taylor Russell 6’1” OPP SR Washburn Rural Sawyer Thompson 6’2” MB SR Lawrence-Free State Lily Wedman 5’8” S SO Blue Valley WestFIRST Washburn Rural SECOND Blue Valley THIRD Blue Valley North FOURTH Mill Valley * indicates selected in previous year(s)CLASS 5A Mya Bolton 5’3” L JR St. James Academy Betsy Goodenow * 6’0” RS/OH SR St. Thomas Aquinas Alea Goolsby 5’11” OH SO St. Thomas Aquinas Brooklyn Gormley * 6’1” MB JR Topeka-Seaman Tatum Grimes 6’2” MB JR St. Thomas Aquinas Maliyah Johnson * 5’11” OH SR Hutchinson Anna Laincz 5’9” OH JR Lansing Reese Messer * 6’0” S SO St. James Academy Maegan Mills 6’0” OH SO Topeka-Seaman Gracie Morrow 6’0” OH JR Maize South Allie Paulsen 6’2” MB SR Andover Central Ava Spachek ** 5’10” OH JR St. James AcademyFIRST St. Thomas Aquinas SECOND St. James Academy THIRD Hutchinson FOURTH Topeka-Seaman * indicates selected in previous year(s)CLASS 4A Gabby Anderson 5’7” L JR Bishop Miege Kasia Baldock 5’11” S JR Tonganoxie Jacqueline Corcoran * 5’9” OH JR Circle McKenzie Fairchild ** 5’10” OH SR Andale Allie Kennedy 6’0” MB SR Louisburg Ayla Klingenberg 5’10" MB SO Rock Creek Lauren Lopez * 5’10” OH SO Bishop Miege Ava Martin * 5’9” S JR Bishop Miege Ali Olson 6’1” MB SR Bishop Miege Grace Rowland 5’6” OPP JR Andale Maddie Schrandt ** 5’10” OH SR Andale Reagan Smith 5’2” S JR CircleFIRST Bishop Miege SECOND Andale THIRD Circle FOURTH Louisburg * indicates selected in previous year(s)CLASS 3A Elina Bartlett 5’8” S SR Cheney Addison Budke * 6’0” OH SO Beloit Cy Rae Campbell ** 5’11” MB JR Heritage Christian Campbell Hague 6’2” MB/OH SR Cheney Maci Hazel 5’9” S SR Heritage Christian Addy Holthaus * 5’10” OH SR Nemaha Central Cali Honeyman 5’10” MB SO Nemaha Central Lauren Jacobs 5’6” L JR Heritage Christian Ella Larkin 5’9” OH SR Nemaha Central Olivia Lehman ** 6’0” S SR Goodland Jacy Thomasson 5’11” MB SR Riverton Rachel Van Gorp ** 5’9” OH JR Heritage ChristianFIRST Heritage Christian SECOND Nemaha Central THIRD Cheney FOURTH Riverton * indicates selected in previous year(s)CLASS 2A Kori Arnold * 5’4” L SR Hillsboro Audrey Bell 5’8” OH/S SR Jefferson Co. North Suttyn Harris 5’11” MB FR Inman Maile Hrabe 5’10” OH SR Smith Center Camryn Hutchinson * 5’5” S JR Smith Center Gracie Kirchhoff 5’7” OH JR Smith Center Savannah Shahan 5’10” OH/MB JR Hillsboro Ella Suderman 5’5” S SR Hillsboro Macy Thompson 6’0” MB SR Jefferson Co. North Lauren Torrance 6’2” MB SR St. Mary’s Colgan Zaylee Werth 6’0” OH/MB JR Hillsboro Kambrey Woods 5’8” S JR InmanFIRST Hillsboro SECOND Smith Center THIRD Jefferson County North FOURTH Inman * indicates selected in previous year(s)CLASS 1A Division 1 Mea DeBaere 5’5” L SR Little River Alaina Eck 5’5” OH JR Little River Karly Girty 5’11” S/OH SR Flinthills Jesslynn Houtman 5’8” OH SR St. Francis Kyra Johnson 5’9” S SR Doniphan West Trinity Kruse 5’6” OH SR Pretty Prairie Cameron Offerle ** 5’10” OH SR Spearville Aubrey Olander 6’1” MB JR Little River Harlee Randall 6’0” MB SO Flinthills Ashley Stephenson 5’7” OPP JR Little River Avery Weathersbee 5’7” OH SR Doniphan West Bailey Young * 5’11” MB SR Pretty PrairieFIRST Little River SECOND Rosalia-Flinthills THIRD Highland-Doniphan West FOURTH Pretty Prairie * indicates selected in previous year(s)CLASS 1A Division 2 Ceegan Atkins ** 5’9” OH SR Hanover Saige Hadley * 5’7” OH SO Lebo Massey Holle 5’11” MB SR Hanover Abigail Jones 5’5” S SO Lebo Brooklyn Jones ** 5’7” OH SR Lebo Audrey Peek * 5’6” MB JR Lebo Karoline Schroeder 5’7” OH JR Wheatland-Grinnell Taeban Stallbaumer 5’5” S SR Hanover Olivia Stein 5’11” OH FR Ingalls Sidney Swingle 5’10” MB SR Attica Chloe Traffas 5’3” L SO Attica Ella Wiles 5’9” MB SR St. John’s/TiptonFIRST Lebo SECOND Hanover THIRD Attica FOURTH Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton * indicates selected in previous year(s

🏐 KVA announces state all-tournament teams

Carrie Louise Stranathan was born April 5, 1963, in Hays, KS to 
Samuel E. and Helen E. (Schupbach) Stranathan.  She went to the Lord on 
October 20, 2022, after an eight month long battle with liver cancer. 

She
 is survived by her parents, a son Jeremy, in Las Vegas, NV; brothers 
Matthew (Pam) of  Gardner, KS and Thane (Rachel) of Montrose, CO;  She 
is further survived by four nephews, 3 nieces and one great nephew.  

Her elder brother, Todd preceded her in death in 1996.

Carrie’s
 early years were spent in Ft. Scott, KS where she was active in 4-H 
with sewing, cooking, and sheep projects.  Music was important to her, 
and she played piano, handbells, cello and baritone.  The family moved 
to Meeker, CO in 1977.  She graduated from Meeker HS in 1981.  Her HS 
class reunion this past summer was a very special time for her and much 
enjoyed.

Carrie was awarded her Associate Degree in Dental Hygiene
 in 1989.  She worked in Cortez, Co, Denver, CO and Denton, TX 
supporting herself and son Jeremy.  In the 1990’s she changed careers 
and moved into healthcare, working for Express scripts and Aerogas in 
Pueblo, CO.  She married Stephen L. Fessler in 2001, they divorced in 
2020.  A promotion at Aerogas prompted a move to Montrose, CO.  She was 
currently employed at Montrose Memorial Hospital at the Admissions Desk,
 a job she enjoyed very much.

Carrie was an exceptional seamstress and enjoyed counted x-stitch, making many beautiful items including angels for the family.

When
 she lived in Pueblo, she found a small church and a new friend.  
Together they sang and played pianos and helped with the choir.

Carrie’s
 path to the Lord was very difficult but sustained by her deep faith in 
Jesus.  She particularly responded to her many friends, classmates, and 
strong believers in her Lord.  Each and every one of you that held her 
hand, shared your time, your thoughts, and your voices with her were 
deeply appreciated.

Carrie will be remembered for her smile, her willingness to help and her abundant joy for life.

The family suggests gifts be make in Carrie’s name to the Meeker United Methodist Church, Box 26, Meeker, Colorado 81641.

Memorial Services will be held at 10:00 a m., Thursday, November 3, 2022 at The United Methodist Church of Meeker.  

Carrie Louise Stranathan was born April 5, 1963, in Hays, KS to 
Samuel E. and Helen E. (Schupbach) Stranathan. She went to the Lord on 
October 20, 2022, after an eight month long battle with liver cancer. She
 is survived by her parents, a son Jeremy, in Las Vegas, NV; brothers 
Matthew (Pam) of Gardner, KS and Thane (Rachel) of Montrose, CO; She 
is further survived by four nephews, 3 nieces and one great nephew. Her elder brother, Todd preceded her in death in 1996.Carrie’s
 early years were spent in Ft. Scott, KS where she was active in 4-H 
with sewing, cooking, and sheep projects. Music was important to her, 
and she played piano, handbells, cello and baritone. The family moved 
to Meeker, CO in 1977. She graduated from Meeker HS in 1981. Her HS 
class reunion this past summer was a very special time for her and much 
enjoyed.Carrie was awarded her Associate Degree in Dental Hygiene
 in 1989. She worked in Cortez, Co, Denver, CO and Denton, TX 
supporting herself and son Jeremy. In the 1990’s she changed careers 
and moved into healthcare, working for Express scripts and Aerogas in 
Pueblo, CO. She married Stephen L. Fessler in 2001, they divorced in 
2020. A promotion at Aerogas prompted a move to Montrose, CO. She was 
currently employed at Montrose Memorial Hospital at the Admissions Desk,
 a job she enjoyed very much.Carrie was an exceptional seamstress and enjoyed counted x-stitch, making many beautiful items including angels for the family.When
 she lived in Pueblo, she found a small church and a new friend. 
Together they sang and played pianos and helped with the choir.Carrie’s
 path to the Lord was very difficult but sustained by her deep faith in 
Jesus. She particularly responded to her many friends, classmates, and 
strong believers in her Lord. Each and every one of you that held her 
hand, shared your time, your thoughts, and your voices with her were 
deeply appreciated.Carrie will be remembered for her smile, her willingness to help and her abundant joy for life.The family suggests gifts be make in Carrie’s name to the Meeker United Methodist Church, Box 26, Meeker, Colorado 81641.Memorial Services will be held at 10:00 a m., Thursday, November 3, 2022 at The United Methodist Church of Meeker.

Carrie Louise Stranathan

By LAAH TUCKER Special to Hays Post

NATOMA — American Legion Auxiliary national, state and Kansas district 6 officers and members gathered for a fall conference of the American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion on Oct. 22 in Natoma.

Post 109 and Unit 109 hosted the event in the newly restored WWII Army Air Corps barrack.

Post 109 Commander William Workman and Unit 109 President Laah Tucker welcomed members and guests.

The morning joint session provided Kansas Legion Commander Jeremy Ehart, Topeka, to present the national campaign, “Be the One," emphasizing the need to combat veterans’ PTSD and suicides.

Alton Unit President Peggy Anschutz presented a solemn remembrance for POWs.

Following a full morning of presentations, updates, and planning, Natoma Auxiliary members served a full course noon dinner to guests.

The auxiliary’s afternoon session included updates by President Marsha Cottrell, Kansas president; Nancy Evans, district president; Jeanne Haas, national poppy chair; Cindy Ward, fundraising; Bonnie Axtell, district 6 secretary, and others.

Since 1919, auxiliary members have worked tirelessly by volunteering thousands of hours annually to uplift active military, veterans, their families, children, youth, and community.

Natoma American Legion Auxiliary will host the 13th-annual Veterans Salute with Natoma USD 399 students, from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 10. Veterans and members of the community are invited to attend “Every Hero Has a Story” exhibit, veteran-student panel discussion, patriotic musical production with American Legion color guard, bagpiper, and special guests.

Veterans are invited to a noon dinner with students by calling Shawna Dunlap at 785-885-4478.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667316112979.jpeg" alt="American Legion Auxiliary national, state, and Kansas District 6 officers and members gathered for a fall conference of the American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary, and Sons of the American Legion, Saturday, Oct. 22 in Natoma. Auxiliary Unit 109 co-hosted the event with the Post 109 members in the newly restored American Legion Hall, a former WWII Army Air Corps barrack moved to the current sight in October 1947. Photo by Laah Tucker " />
 <figcaption>American Legion Auxiliary national, state, and Kansas District 6 officers and members gathered for a fall conference of the American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary, and Sons of the American Legion, Saturday, Oct. 22 in Natoma. Auxiliary Unit 109 co-hosted the event with the Post 109 members in the newly restored American Legion Hall, a former WWII Army Air Corps barrack moved to the current sight in October 1947. Photo by Laah Tucker </figcaption>
 </figure>By LAAH TUCKER Special to Hays Post NATOMA — American Legion Auxiliary national, state and Kansas district 6 officers and members gathered for a fall conference of the American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion on Oct. 22 in Natoma.Post 109 and Unit 109 hosted the event in the newly restored WWII Army Air Corps barrack.Post 109 Commander William Workman and Unit 109 President Laah Tucker welcomed members and guests.The morning joint session provided Kansas Legion Commander Jeremy Ehart, Topeka, to present the national campaign, “Be the One," emphasizing the need to combat veterans’ PTSD and suicides.Alton Unit President Peggy Anschutz presented a solemn remembrance for POWs.Following a full morning of presentations, updates, and planning, Natoma Auxiliary members served a full course noon dinner to guests.The auxiliary’s afternoon session included updates by President Marsha Cottrell, Kansas president; Nancy Evans, district president; Jeanne Haas, national poppy chair; Cindy Ward, fundraising; Bonnie Axtell, district 6 secretary, and others.Since 1919, auxiliary members have worked tirelessly by volunteering thousands of hours annually to uplift active military, veterans, their families, children, youth, and community.Natoma American Legion Auxiliary will host the 13th-annual Veterans Salute with Natoma USD 399 students, from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 10. Veterans and members of the community are invited to attend “Every Hero Has a Story” exhibit, veteran-student panel discussion, patriotic musical production with American Legion color guard, bagpiper, and special guests.Veterans are invited to a noon dinner with students by calling Shawna Dunlap at 785-885-4478.

American Legion Auxiliary members gather for fall conference in Natoma

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said her husband, Paul Pelosi, was released from the hospital Thursday after his treatment for injuries from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-pelosi-assaulted-156ece77186eb11b97260af3c5122f67">violent assault last week</a>&nbsp;in which he was attacked with a hammer.

Pelosi said, “Paul remains under doctors’ care as he continues to progress on a long recovery process and convalescence. He is now home."

Law enforcement officers who responded to the break-in early last Friday witnessed Paul Pelosi being struck in the head with the hammer at least once, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twitter-inc-san-francisco-conspiracy-theories-nancy-pelosi-congress-e2d8fc90553c24b5e5162e02e6378321">court documents.</a>&nbsp;Officials said the assault was captured on the officers’ body cameras.

Pelosi was taken to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Speaker Pelosi said her husband was grateful to the 911 operator who directed police to the family residence, emergency responders and the entire hospital staff for “their excellent and compassionate life-saving treatment."

“The Pelosi family is thankful for the beautiful outpouring of love, support and prayers from around the world," she said.

Paul Pelosi's release from the hospital comes as a federal official says the Canadian man accused of breaking into their home and attacking him should have been flagged by immigration officials and blocked from getting back into the U.S. after overstaying his authorized entry more than two decades ago.

David DePape, 42, legally entered the United States in 2000 and later left the country and returned a few times, including entering in March 2008 at San Diego’s San Ysidro border crossing, said a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.

Most Canadians are not required to obtain a visa to enter the U.S. as tourists and can stay for up to six months. The official said it was unclear why U.S. authorities admitted DePape after he overstayed his entry in 2000.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to questions about DePape’s entry to the United States after he violated immigration law. It acknowledged in a statement that DePape was allowed into San Diego from Tijuana on March 8, 2008, but didn’t address any other entries.

San Francisco police said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-san-francisco-nancy-pelosi-government-and-politics-paul-985a574966438975ec9ccdc39061d83c">DePape confronted Paul Pelosi</a>&nbsp;in the family’s Pacific Heights home Oct. 28 and demanded to know where the House Speaker was. DePape pleaded not guilty to state charges on Tuesday and was ordered held without bail. His public defender, Adam Lipson, said he looks forward to providing him with a “vigorous legal defense.”

DePape faces state charges of attempted murder, burglary and elder abuse. He also faces federal charges including attempted kidnapping of a U.S. official. His state case will continue Friday, though the defendant will not appear in the courtroom. An arraignment on federal charges has not been scheduled.

In the state court filing, prosecutors detailed the attack in stark terms, saying Paul Pelosi, 82, was knocked unconscious by the hammer attack and woke up in a pool of his own blood.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-donald-trump-san-francisco-47c103cfe696df9faf0e57e1c7dd4f10">DePape grew up in Powell River,</a>&nbsp;British Columbia, but relocated to California to be with a girlfriend, stepfather Gene DePape told The Associated Press last week. He has three children with two women, he said. Gene DePape said the suspect had lived with him in Canada until he was 14 and had been a quiet boy.

DePape’s ex-girlfriend, Bay Area nudist activist Oxane “Gypsy” Taub, told the San Francisco Chronicle she met DePape in Hawaii in 2000. The pair lived in Berkeley and had two children during their 15-year relationship.

U.S. officials have long struggled to quantify — let alone track down — people who enter the country legally and overstay visas, believed to be about 40% of the population who are in the country illegally.

There were 684,499 visa overstays from October 2019 through September 2020 among visitors who arrived by plane or ship — more than the population of Vermont or Wyoming – according to the Department of Homeland Security’s latest annual report. The total number of overstays is much larger but has not been quantified because it doesn’t include how many people arrive by land, the primary way for Canadians and Mexicans to enter the United States.

The cost and technological hurdles to develop a checkout system at congested land crossings with Canada and Mexico are enormous. In the 12-month period through September 2020, more than 52,000 Canadians who came to the U.S. by air or sea had overstayed their legally authorized entry.

Despite the challenges, the U.S. official said DePape’s overstay should have been noted in immigration records, which, in theory, should have prevented authorities from admitting him.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666975658521.jpeg" alt="FILE -Police investigators work outside the home of Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Paul Pelosi, was attacked and severely beaten by an assailant with a hammer who broke into their San Francisco home early Friday, according to people familiar with the investigation. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)" />
 <figcaption>FILE -Police investigators work outside the home of Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Paul Pelosi, was attacked and severely beaten by an assailant with a hammer who broke into their San Francisco home early Friday, according to people familiar with the investigation. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)</figcaption>
 </figure>SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said her husband, Paul Pelosi, was released from the hospital Thursday after his treatment for injuries from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-pelosi-assaulted-156ece77186eb11b97260af3c5122f67">violent assault last week</a>&nbsp;in which he was attacked with a hammer.Pelosi said, “Paul remains under doctors’ care as he continues to progress on a long recovery process and convalescence. He is now home."Law enforcement officers who responded to the break-in early last Friday witnessed Paul Pelosi being struck in the head with the hammer at least once, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twitter-inc-san-francisco-conspiracy-theories-nancy-pelosi-congress-e2d8fc90553c24b5e5162e02e6378321">court documents.</a>&nbsp;Officials said the assault was captured on the officers’ body cameras.Pelosi was taken to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Speaker Pelosi said her husband was grateful to the 911 operator who directed police to the family residence, emergency responders and the entire hospital staff for “their excellent and compassionate life-saving treatment."“The Pelosi family is thankful for the beautiful outpouring of love, support and prayers from around the world," she said.Paul Pelosi's release from the hospital comes as a federal official says the Canadian man accused of breaking into their home and attacking him should have been flagged by immigration officials and blocked from getting back into the U.S. after overstaying his authorized entry more than two decades ago.David DePape, 42, legally entered the United States in 2000 and later left the country and returned a few times, including entering in March 2008 at San Diego’s San Ysidro border crossing, said a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.Most Canadians are not required to obtain a visa to enter the U.S. as tourists and can stay for up to six months. The official said it was unclear why U.S. authorities admitted DePape after he overstayed his entry in 2000.The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to questions about DePape’s entry to the United States after he violated immigration law. It acknowledged in a statement that DePape was allowed into San Diego from Tijuana on March 8, 2008, but didn’t address any other entries.San Francisco police said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-san-francisco-nancy-pelosi-government-and-politics-paul-985a574966438975ec9ccdc39061d83c">DePape confronted Paul Pelosi</a>&nbsp;in the family’s Pacific Heights home Oct. 28 and demanded to know where the House Speaker was. DePape pleaded not guilty to state charges on Tuesday and was ordered held without bail. His public defender, Adam Lipson, said he looks forward to providing him with a “vigorous legal defense.”DePape faces state charges of attempted murder, burglary and elder abuse. He also faces federal charges including attempted kidnapping of a U.S. official. His state case will continue Friday, though the defendant will not appear in the courtroom. An arraignment on federal charges has not been scheduled.In the state court filing, prosecutors detailed the attack in stark terms, saying Paul Pelosi, 82, was knocked unconscious by the hammer attack and woke up in a pool of his own blood.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-donald-trump-san-francisco-47c103cfe696df9faf0e57e1c7dd4f10">DePape grew up in Powell River,</a>&nbsp;British Columbia, but relocated to California to be with a girlfriend, stepfather Gene DePape told The Associated Press last week. He has three children with two women, he said. Gene DePape said the suspect had lived with him in Canada until he was 14 and had been a quiet boy.DePape’s ex-girlfriend, Bay Area nudist activist Oxane “Gypsy” Taub, told the San Francisco Chronicle she met DePape in Hawaii in 2000. The pair lived in Berkeley and had two children during their 15-year relationship.U.S. officials have long struggled to quantify — let alone track down — people who enter the country legally and overstay visas, believed to be about 40% of the population who are in the country illegally.There were 684,499 visa overstays from October 2019 through September 2020 among visitors who arrived by plane or ship — more than the population of Vermont or Wyoming – according to the Department of Homeland Security’s latest annual report. The total number of overstays is much larger but has not been quantified because it doesn’t include how many people arrive by land, the primary way for Canadians and Mexicans to enter the United States.The cost and technological hurdles to develop a checkout system at congested land crossings with Canada and Mexico are enormous. In the 12-month period through September 2020, more than 52,000 Canadians who came to the U.S. by air or sea had overstayed their legally authorized entry.Despite the challenges, the U.S. official said DePape’s overstay should have been noted in immigration records, which, in theory, should have prevented authorities from admitting him.

Speaker Pelosi issues statement as husband  released from hospital 

Marvin Franklin Cloe, 76, of Colby, Kansas passed away on Saturday, 
October 29, 2022, at the Hays Medical Center after a courageous battle 
with cancer. 
He was born October 19, 1946, in Colby to the late Claude H. Cloe and 
Veta (Graham) Cloe. He graduated from Atwood High School in 1964 and 
later from Colby Community College with a degree in Criminal Justice. 
Marvin enlisted in the United States Army in 1965 and was sent to 
Vietnam. Upon returning he served in the Army National Guard where he 
was also sent to serve his country in Desert Storm. Marvin served a 
total of 37 years in the army and reserves. He served his community as a
 police officer in Colby for 11 years. He then worked for Williams 
Natural Gas and Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline where he retired. 
Marvin was a member of the United Methodist Church and volunteered for 
the Visitor’s Center in Colby. He was a special man, who was greatly 
loved and admired by his friends, family, and community. His 
friendliness and charm will be greatly missed. He loved his family, 
cats, community, and garden, which brought endless fruits and vegetables
 to everyone he knew. 
He is survived by his children, Tina (Kevin) Alford, Bradley “Scott” 
Cloe, Chase (fiancé Maggie) Cloe and Randi (Jarrod) Glissmann; five 
grandchildren, Justin (Taylor), Brandon (Ashley), Mason, Breahna and 
Sophie and 4 great-grandchildren, Ryder, Brayden, Vivienne, and Sutton. 
He was preceded in death by his parents, his son, Christopher, and his brother, Charles. 
Visitation will be 5-7:00 p.m. Friday, November 4, 2022, at Baalmann 
Mortuary, Colby. Funeral services will be at 10:30 am Saturday, November
 5, 2022, at the mortuary, with burial in Beulah Cemetery, Colby.


Memorials may be made to the NWKS Foundation for Hope or the Colby 
American Legion and sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO box 391, 
Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences visit 
www.baalmannmortuary.com&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Marvin Franklin Cloe, 76, of Colby, Kansas passed away on Saturday, 
October 29, 2022, at the Hays Medical Center after a courageous battle 
with cancer. 
He was born October 19, 1946, in Colby to the late Claude H. Cloe and 
Veta (Graham) Cloe. He graduated from Atwood High School in 1964 and 
later from Colby Community College with a degree in Criminal Justice. 
Marvin enlisted in the United States Army in 1965 and was sent to 
Vietnam. Upon returning he served in the Army National Guard where he 
was also sent to serve his country in Desert Storm. Marvin served a 
total of 37 years in the army and reserves. He served his community as a
 police officer in Colby for 11 years. He then worked for Williams 
Natural Gas and Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline where he retired. 
Marvin was a member of the United Methodist Church and volunteered for 
the Visitor’s Center in Colby. He was a special man, who was greatly 
loved and admired by his friends, family, and community. His 
friendliness and charm will be greatly missed. He loved his family, 
cats, community, and garden, which brought endless fruits and vegetables
 to everyone he knew. 
He is survived by his children, Tina (Kevin) Alford, Bradley “Scott” 
Cloe, Chase (fiancé Maggie) Cloe and Randi (Jarrod) Glissmann; five 
grandchildren, Justin (Taylor), Brandon (Ashley), Mason, Breahna and 
Sophie and 4 great-grandchildren, Ryder, Brayden, Vivienne, and Sutton. 
He was preceded in death by his parents, his son, Christopher, and his brother, Charles. 
Visitation will be 5-7:00 p.m. Friday, November 4, 2022, at Baalmann 
Mortuary, Colby. Funeral services will be at 10:30 am Saturday, November
 5, 2022, at the mortuary, with burial in Beulah Cemetery, Colby. 
Memorials may be made to the NWKS Foundation for Hope or the Colby 
American Legion and sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO box 391, 
Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences visit 
www.baalmannmortuary.com&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Marvin Franklin Cloe

Robert Alan Dollison, 53, of Russell, Kansas, and formerly of Bullard,
 Texas, passed away Saturday, October 22, 2022, at the Russell Regional 
Hospital after a courageous battle with cancer.

Robert was born July 1, 1969, in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of 
Charles L. and Marcia Ann (Mueller) Dollison.&nbsp; Grew up and graduated 
from Osborne High School in the Class of 1988.

Robert served his country in the U.S. Air Force as Security Police.&nbsp; After his tour of duty, he returned to Osborne.

Robert was in Law Enforcement for over 20 years working in Osborne, 
Lincoln, Kansas, and Ector County, Texas.&nbsp; The obtained his computer 
degree and work in the IT office of Judicial Systems Inc. in Texas.

Surviving family include his father, Charles Dollison (Thalia) of 
Tyler, Texas; brother, Bill Dollison (Amy) of Russell, Kansas; niece 
Bailey Dollison and nephew Cody Dollison (Ali).&nbsp; He was preceded in 
death by his mother.

A private burial of ashes will take place at a later date at American
 Heritage Cemetery, a Veterans Cemetery in Texas.&nbsp; Condolences may be 
sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, who is in charge of these 
arrangements.

Robert Alan Dollison, 53, of Russell, Kansas, and formerly of Bullard,
 Texas, passed away Saturday, October 22, 2022, at the Russell Regional 
Hospital after a courageous battle with cancer.Robert was born July 1, 1969, in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of 
Charles L. and Marcia Ann (Mueller) Dollison.&nbsp; Grew up and graduated 
from Osborne High School in the Class of 1988.Robert served his country in the U.S. Air Force as Security Police.&nbsp; After his tour of duty, he returned to Osborne.Robert was in Law Enforcement for over 20 years working in Osborne, 
Lincoln, Kansas, and Ector County, Texas.&nbsp; The obtained his computer 
degree and work in the IT office of Judicial Systems Inc. in Texas.Surviving family include his father, Charles Dollison (Thalia) of 
Tyler, Texas; brother, Bill Dollison (Amy) of Russell, Kansas; niece 
Bailey Dollison and nephew Cody Dollison (Ali).&nbsp; He was preceded in 
death by his mother.A private burial of ashes will take place at a later date at American
 Heritage Cemetery, a Veterans Cemetery in Texas.&nbsp; Condolences may be 
sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, who is in charge of these 
arrangements.

Robert Alan Dollison

By&nbsp;<a href="https://khn.org/news/author/harris-meyer/">Harris Meyer</a>, Kaiser Health News

In late October, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services opened an investigation at Freeman Hospital West in Joplin, Missouri, under the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, department spokesperson Lisa Cox told KHN. It was authorized by the federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services, which contracts with state agencies to conduct EMTALA surveys.

The case involves a woman whose water broke early in her pregnancy, but the hospital refused to let doctors perform an abortion. She eventually sought medical help outside the state.

The Biden administration in July had&nbsp;<a href="https://khn.org/news/article/emtala-abortion-care-gray-zone-trigger-laws/">reminded hospitals and physicians</a>&nbsp;in the 13 states that have outlawed most abortions that federal law requires them to provide life- or health-saving medical services — including abortion, if necessary — to patients experiencing emergency pregnancy complications.

The Missouri investigation is significant because EMTALA is one of the government’s strongest tools to ensure that patients with pregnancy complications receive needed abortions following the Supreme Court’s June ruling erasing the constitutional right to abortion.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20160326/MAGAZINE/303289881/why-patients-still-need-emtala">The 1986 EMTALA law</a>&nbsp;requires hospitals and physicians to provide screening and stabilizing treatment in emergency situations.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/emergency-medical-care-letter-to-health-care-providers.pdf">July policy guidance</a>&nbsp;from the Department of Health and Human Services stressed that EMTALA supersedes any state law barring abortion, and that hospitals and physicians who don’t comply with the federal mandate could face civil fines and termination from the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

HHS cited several emergency pregnancy situations in which abortion might be required to prevent permanent injury or death, such as ectopic pregnancies, severe blood pressure spikes known as preeclampsia, and premature rupture of the membrane causing a woman’s water to break before her pregnancy is viable, which can lead to serious infections and threaten her life.

Other EMTALA investigations of hospitals and physicians alleged to have denied medically necessary emergency abortions have been opened in Texas but haven’t been publicly reported, said Greer Donley, an associate law professor at the University of Pittsburgh, who studies abortion issues.

CMS does not disclose EMTALA investigations before they have been completed and findings and penalties have been finalized, and states generally don’t publicize them either. But patients or hospital staff members might talk, particularly on issues like abortion if they strongly object to the alleged denial of services.

The Missouri investigation involves the case of Mylissa Farmer, 41, who went to Freeman Hospital on Aug. 2, after her water broke nearly 18 weeks into her pregnancy, followed by bleeding and cramping. Physicians there reportedly recommended terminating the pregnancy because it was not viable, Farmer had lost amniotic fluid, and she faced a risk of serious infection. Her case is described in detail in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2022/10/19/missouri-laws-abortion-ban-left-her-with-a-baby-dying-inside-pprom/10366865002/">Oct. 19 article in the Springfield News-Leader</a>, which Farmer, in a brief interview with KHN, said was accurate. Farmer confirmed she was contacted and questioned in October for the EMTALA investigation.

According to the newspaper article, Farmer’s physicians, after consulting with Freeman Hospital’s legal team, told her they could not offer her the standard procedure to terminate the pregnancy — dilation and evacuation — due to Missouri’s law banning all abortions, which took effect June 24.

That position was different from what Farmer said the physicians told her. “My doctors said it was an emergency, and I felt it was an emergency,” she told KHN.

Even though&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=188.017#:~:text=%E2%80%94%201.,in%20cases%20of%20medical%20emergency.">the law includes an exception</a>&nbsp;for “medical emergency,” the doctors and hospital lawyers allegedly determined that her case did not qualify for that exception. Providers found to violate the law can be prosecuted for a class B felony, as well as have their license to practice revoked. The burden of proof is on the providers to show that the abortion was performed because of a medical emergency.

<a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/08/american-abortion-laws-do-not-require-delaying-treatment-for-a-mothers-life-threatening-condition/">Abortion opponents argue</a>&nbsp;that most state anti-abortion laws include adequate exceptions for the health and life of the pregnant woman. But physicians and hospital lawyers say the exceptions are vaguely worded, and what really matters is how prosecutors in these conservative states interpret them.

Physicians say they need flexibility in deciding when there is an emergency that requires a pregnancy to be terminated and that it’s dangerous to have politicians and lawyers looking over their shoulders. “This is medicine, not law, and it’s very complicated,” said Dr. Kim Puterbaugh, a Cleveland OB-GYN who is a past president of the Society of OB/GYN Hospitalists. Setting arbitrary limits on blood pressure or bleeding when determining if a pregnancy is “in distress, that’s ridiculous. There are too many variables.”

Democratic lawmakers in Missouri have pushed the governor, the attorney general, and state health officials for a clearer definition of the exception for medical emergencies.

Farmer and her boyfriend, who both wanted a child, called multiple hospitals in Kansas and Illinois to see whether she could deliver safely but were repeatedly told that the pregnancy wasn’t viable and that her health was at risk. She eventually got an appointment at the Hope Clinic for Women, across the state border in Granite City, Illinois, where she went into labor and received a procedure to end the pregnancy Aug. 6.

Freeman Hospital officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

“The Missouri statute puts doctors and providers between a rock and a hard place,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://reproductiverights.org/profile/genevieve-scott/">Genevieve Scott</a>, senior counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights in New York. “It creates an extreme deterrent to providing care in medical emergencies, given the risk of providers facing prosecution and losing their livelihood. That clearly threatens the health and lives of every pregnant person in the state.”

The Missouri investigation could provoke a new legal showdown between the Biden administration and Republican state elected officials who favor strict abortion bans. The administration already is locked in litigation in Texas and Idaho over the July guidance on EMTALA.

A Texas federal judge issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/24/politics/federal-judge-texas-abortion-services">temporary restraining order</a>&nbsp;in August saying the guidance was “unauthorized” and went beyond EMTALA in requiring abortions in emergency situations. Federal officials have appealed. But an Idaho federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/idaho-abortion-law-emergency-medical-care-judge-injunction/">sided with the administration’s position</a>, and Idaho officials have asked him to reconsider his ruling.

Experts doubt whether such litigation will block EMTALA enforcement in abortion-related situations like the Missouri case. The investigation of the actions of Freeman Hospital and its physicians will solely examine whether they complied with the requirements of federal law, not state law, said&nbsp;<a href="https://chir.georgetown.edu/faculty_katie_keith/">Katie Keith</a>, an associate research professor at the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute. Still, she added, the hospital could cite the Missouri anti-abortion law as a defense, setting up a court fight down the line.

Farmer’s case also is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/10/28/democrat-alleges-missouri-investigating-hospital-in-retaliation-for-ad-critical-of-eric-schmitt/">playing a role</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. Senate race in Missouri between Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Democratic nominee Trudy Busch Valentine, a nurse. Farmer appeared in a TV ad for Busch Valentine criticizing Schmitt for issuing a proclamation on June 24 that put Missouri’s anti-abortion trigger law into effect. “My Missouri doctors weren’t allowed to give me the care I needed, all because of the mandate Eric Schmitt put into place,” Farmer said in the ad. “Eric Schmitt doesn’t care about women like me.”

Schmitt’s campaign lawyers sent letters to the TV stations carrying the ad demanding that it be taken off the air, according to local news reports. They claimed it was inaccurate in stating that women could go to prison for having an abortion and failing to mention that it includes an exception to protect the health of the patient.

Cases similar to Farmer’s likely are happening every day in states that have banned abortions, and more EMTALA investigations will be launched, warned&nbsp;<a href="https://publichealth.gwu.edu/departments/health-policy-and-management/sara-rosenbaum">Sara Rosenbaum</a>, a professor of health law and policy at George Washington University. This places hospitals and physicians in an excruciating spot, she added. CMS has said it will initiate investigations based on credible information including news reports.

An EMTALA investigation “is one of the worst things that can happen to you,” she said, speaking about providers, “because it puts a label on you that you denied what the woman needed to survive when it was clear that the baby was lost.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Missouri's health department is investigating whether a hospital violated federal health care rules in denying a woman an emergency abortion, an agency spokeswoman confirmed Monday.

Missouri Health and Senior Services spokeswoman Lisa Cox in a statement said the agency launched an investigation into southern Missouri's Freeman Health System's treatment of Mylissa Farmer.

Farmer, who is from Joplin, told The Associated Press that she went to the system's local emergency room when her water broke months early on Aug. 2. She said tests showed that she had lost all of her amniotic fluid because of a pregnancy complication and doctors told her the fetus was not expected to survive.

Doctors also told Farmer that “awaiting a medical emergency may put her at further risk for maternal mortality” or the removal of her uterus, medical records show.

But because her fetus still had a heartbeat and her condition wasn’t considered a life-threatening medical emergency at that moment, they couldn’t terminate the pregnancy in Missouri, they told her. She eventually got an abortion in Illinois.

Records from that visit say doctors told Farmer that the law supersedes their medical judgment and “contrary to the most appropriate management based (on) my medical opinion, due to the legal language of MO law, we are unable to offer induction of labor at this time.”

“They were telling me to basically get out of the state to get the care that I needed,” the 41-year-old told AP.

Farmer criticized Missouri's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7bb5798bae32c3f15abad3a10941dfb5">abortion ban</a>&nbsp;in a campaign ad for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Trudy Busch Valentine, who is running against Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt.

Missouri's abortion ban includes exceptions for medical emergencies, although&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-missouri-columbia-fef01a409b24991a4e56cc70c874f0bd">doctors and hospitals have said they're unsure exactly what that covers</a>.

Hospital spokeswoman Liz Syer said it’s their practice not to comment on patient care. She did not immediately return a request for comment Monday regarding the investigation.

Missouri's health department investigation centers on a federal law requiring medical facilities to determine whether a person seeking treatment may be in labor or whether they face an emergency health situation — or one that could develop into an emergency — and to provide treatment.

In July, soon after the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">struck down Roe v. Wade</a>, U.S. Health and Human Services&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-government-and-politics-4221f9306a596904b9af2e0d1fad23b9">Secretary Xavier Becerra wrote in an email to health care providers</a>&nbsp;that the federal EMTALA statute “protects your clinical judgment and the action that you take to provide stabilizing medical treatment to your pregnant patients, regardless of the restrictions in the state where you practice.”

Becerra wrote that a hospital violating any provision of EMTALA “may be subject to termination of its Medicare provider agreement and/or the imposition of civil monetary penalties. Civil monetary penalties may also be imposed against individual physicians for EMTALA violations. Additionally, physicians may also be subject to exclusion from the Medicare and State health care programs.”

By&nbsp;<a href="https://khn.org/news/author/harris-meyer/">Harris Meyer</a>, Kaiser Health NewsIn late October, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services opened an investigation at Freeman Hospital West in Joplin, Missouri, under the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, department spokesperson Lisa Cox told KHN. It was authorized by the federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services, which contracts with state agencies to conduct EMTALA surveys.The case involves a woman whose water broke early in her pregnancy, but the hospital refused to let doctors perform an abortion. She eventually sought medical help outside the state.The Biden administration in July had&nbsp;<a href="https://khn.org/news/article/emtala-abortion-care-gray-zone-trigger-laws/">reminded hospitals and physicians</a>&nbsp;in the 13 states that have outlawed most abortions that federal law requires them to provide life- or health-saving medical services — including abortion, if necessary — to patients experiencing emergency pregnancy complications.The Missouri investigation is significant because EMTALA is one of the government’s strongest tools to ensure that patients with pregnancy complications receive needed abortions following the Supreme Court’s June ruling erasing the constitutional right to abortion.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20160326/MAGAZINE/303289881/why-patients-still-need-emtala">The 1986 EMTALA law</a>&nbsp;requires hospitals and physicians to provide screening and stabilizing treatment in emergency situations.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/emergency-medical-care-letter-to-health-care-providers.pdf">July policy guidance</a>&nbsp;from the Department of Health and Human Services stressed that EMTALA supersedes any state law barring abortion, and that hospitals and physicians who don’t comply with the federal mandate could face civil fines and termination from the Medicare and Medicaid programs.HHS cited several emergency pregnancy situations in which abortion might be required to prevent permanent injury or death, such as ectopic pregnancies, severe blood pressure spikes known as preeclampsia, and premature rupture of the membrane causing a woman’s water to break before her pregnancy is viable, which can lead to serious infections and threaten her life.Other EMTALA investigations of hospitals and physicians alleged to have denied medically necessary emergency abortions have been opened in Texas but haven’t been publicly reported, said Greer Donley, an associate law professor at the University of Pittsburgh, who studies abortion issues.CMS does not disclose EMTALA investigations before they have been completed and findings and penalties have been finalized, and states generally don’t publicize them either. But patients or hospital staff members might talk, particularly on issues like abortion if they strongly object to the alleged denial of services.The Missouri investigation involves the case of Mylissa Farmer, 41, who went to Freeman Hospital on Aug. 2, after her water broke nearly 18 weeks into her pregnancy, followed by bleeding and cramping. Physicians there reportedly recommended terminating the pregnancy because it was not viable, Farmer had lost amniotic fluid, and she faced a risk of serious infection. Her case is described in detail in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2022/10/19/missouri-laws-abortion-ban-left-her-with-a-baby-dying-inside-pprom/10366865002/">Oct. 19 article in the Springfield News-Leader</a>, which Farmer, in a brief interview with KHN, said was accurate. Farmer confirmed she was contacted and questioned in October for the EMTALA investigation.According to the newspaper article, Farmer’s physicians, after consulting with Freeman Hospital’s legal team, told her they could not offer her the standard procedure to terminate the pregnancy — dilation and evacuation — due to Missouri’s law banning all abortions, which took effect June 24.That position was different from what Farmer said the physicians told her. “My doctors said it was an emergency, and I felt it was an emergency,” she told KHN.Even though&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=188.017#:~:text=%E2%80%94%201.,in%20cases%20of%20medical%20emergency.">the law includes an exception</a>&nbsp;for “medical emergency,” the doctors and hospital lawyers allegedly determined that her case did not qualify for that exception. Providers found to violate the law can be prosecuted for a class B felony, as well as have their license to practice revoked. The burden of proof is on the providers to show that the abortion was performed because of a medical emergency.<a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/08/american-abortion-laws-do-not-require-delaying-treatment-for-a-mothers-life-threatening-condition/">Abortion opponents argue</a>&nbsp;that most state anti-abortion laws include adequate exceptions for the health and life of the pregnant woman. But physicians and hospital lawyers say the exceptions are vaguely worded, and what really matters is how prosecutors in these conservative states interpret them.Physicians say they need flexibility in deciding when there is an emergency that requires a pregnancy to be terminated and that it’s dangerous to have politicians and lawyers looking over their shoulders. “This is medicine, not law, and it’s very complicated,” said Dr. Kim Puterbaugh, a Cleveland OB-GYN who is a past president of the Society of OB/GYN Hospitalists. Setting arbitrary limits on blood pressure or bleeding when determining if a pregnancy is “in distress, that’s ridiculous. There are too many variables.”Democratic lawmakers in Missouri have pushed the governor, the attorney general, and state health officials for a clearer definition of the exception for medical emergencies.Farmer and her boyfriend, who both wanted a child, called multiple hospitals in Kansas and Illinois to see whether she could deliver safely but were repeatedly told that the pregnancy wasn’t viable and that her health was at risk. She eventually got an appointment at the Hope Clinic for Women, across the state border in Granite City, Illinois, where she went into labor and received a procedure to end the pregnancy Aug. 6.Freeman Hospital officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment.“The Missouri statute puts doctors and providers between a rock and a hard place,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://reproductiverights.org/profile/genevieve-scott/">Genevieve Scott</a>, senior counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights in New York. “It creates an extreme deterrent to providing care in medical emergencies, given the risk of providers facing prosecution and losing their livelihood. That clearly threatens the health and lives of every pregnant person in the state.”The Missouri investigation could provoke a new legal showdown between the Biden administration and Republican state elected officials who favor strict abortion bans. The administration already is locked in litigation in Texas and Idaho over the July guidance on EMTALA.A Texas federal judge issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/24/politics/federal-judge-texas-abortion-services">temporary restraining order</a>&nbsp;in August saying the guidance was “unauthorized” and went beyond EMTALA in requiring abortions in emergency situations. Federal officials have appealed. But an Idaho federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/idaho-abortion-law-emergency-medical-care-judge-injunction/">sided with the administration’s position</a>, and Idaho officials have asked him to reconsider his ruling.Experts doubt whether such litigation will block EMTALA enforcement in abortion-related situations like the Missouri case. The investigation of the actions of Freeman Hospital and its physicians will solely examine whether they complied with the requirements of federal law, not state law, said&nbsp;<a href="https://chir.georgetown.edu/faculty_katie_keith/">Katie Keith</a>, an associate research professor at the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute. Still, she added, the hospital could cite the Missouri anti-abortion law as a defense, setting up a court fight down the line.Farmer’s case also is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/10/28/democrat-alleges-missouri-investigating-hospital-in-retaliation-for-ad-critical-of-eric-schmitt/">playing a role</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. Senate race in Missouri between Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Democratic nominee Trudy Busch Valentine, a nurse. Farmer appeared in a TV ad for Busch Valentine criticizing Schmitt for issuing a proclamation on June 24 that put Missouri’s anti-abortion trigger law into effect. “My Missouri doctors weren’t allowed to give me the care I needed, all because of the mandate Eric Schmitt put into place,” Farmer said in the ad. “Eric Schmitt doesn’t care about women like me.”Schmitt’s campaign lawyers sent letters to the TV stations carrying the ad demanding that it be taken off the air, according to local news reports. They claimed it was inaccurate in stating that women could go to prison for having an abortion and failing to mention that it includes an exception to protect the health of the patient.Cases similar to Farmer’s likely are happening every day in states that have banned abortions, and more EMTALA investigations will be launched, warned&nbsp;<a href="https://publichealth.gwu.edu/departments/health-policy-and-management/sara-rosenbaum">Sara Rosenbaum</a>, a professor of health law and policy at George Washington University. This places hospitals and physicians in an excruciating spot, she added. CMS has said it will initiate investigations based on credible information including news reports.An EMTALA investigation “is one of the worst things that can happen to you,” she said, speaking about providers, “because it puts a label on you that you denied what the woman needed to survive when it was clear that the baby was lost.”------KANSAS CITY (AP) — Missouri's health department is investigating whether a hospital violated federal health care rules in denying a woman an emergency abortion, an agency spokeswoman confirmed Monday.Missouri Health and Senior Services spokeswoman Lisa Cox in a statement said the agency launched an investigation into southern Missouri's Freeman Health System's treatment of Mylissa Farmer.Farmer, who is from Joplin, told The Associated Press that she went to the system's local emergency room when her water broke months early on Aug. 2. She said tests showed that she had lost all of her amniotic fluid because of a pregnancy complication and doctors told her the fetus was not expected to survive.Doctors also told Farmer that “awaiting a medical emergency may put her at further risk for maternal mortality” or the removal of her uterus, medical records show.But because her fetus still had a heartbeat and her condition wasn’t considered a life-threatening medical emergency at that moment, they couldn’t terminate the pregnancy in Missouri, they told her. She eventually got an abortion in Illinois.Records from that visit say doctors told Farmer that the law supersedes their medical judgment and “contrary to the most appropriate management based (on) my medical opinion, due to the legal language of MO law, we are unable to offer induction of labor at this time.”“They were telling me to basically get out of the state to get the care that I needed,” the 41-year-old told AP.Farmer criticized Missouri's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7bb5798bae32c3f15abad3a10941dfb5">abortion ban</a>&nbsp;in a campaign ad for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Trudy Busch Valentine, who is running against Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt.Missouri's abortion ban includes exceptions for medical emergencies, although&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-missouri-columbia-fef01a409b24991a4e56cc70c874f0bd">doctors and hospitals have said they're unsure exactly what that covers</a>.Hospital spokeswoman Liz Syer said it’s their practice not to comment on patient care. She did not immediately return a request for comment Monday regarding the investigation.Missouri's health department investigation centers on a federal law requiring medical facilities to determine whether a person seeking treatment may be in labor or whether they face an emergency health situation — or one that could develop into an emergency — and to provide treatment.In July, soon after the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">struck down Roe v. Wade</a>, U.S. Health and Human Services&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-government-and-politics-4221f9306a596904b9af2e0d1fad23b9">Secretary Xavier Becerra wrote in an email to health care providers</a>&nbsp;that the federal EMTALA statute “protects your clinical judgment and the action that you take to provide stabilizing medical treatment to your pregnant patients, regardless of the restrictions in the state where you practice.”Becerra wrote that a hospital violating any provision of EMTALA “may be subject to termination of its Medicare provider agreement and/or the imposition of civil monetary penalties. Civil monetary penalties may also be imposed against individual physicians for EMTALA violations. Additionally, physicians may also be subject to exclusion from the Medicare and State health care programs.”

Hospital investigated for allegedly denying an emergency abortion

On Sunday, October 23rd, 2022, William "Bill" Getty passed away at the age of 89. He was born on March 18th, 1933, in Downs, Kansas, to William and Hazel (McStay) Getty. Bill graduated from Downs High School. He was a Marine and served in the Korean War.

On June 10, 1956, he married Audrey Bedient and together they raised one daughter, Lynne. Growing up, Bill played a variety of sports, from baseball with Osborne American Legion to being a member of the 1950 undefeated Downs High School basketball team. He even went on to be the assistant coach for the 1971 Logan High School state champions in basketball. Bill also loved to golf and spent many hours on the various golf courses in the area. He won many golf awards over the years. In his later years, Bill could be found with a never ending supply of Brach’s jelly beans and a steady rotation of true crime novels. Bill was preceded in death by his father William, his mother Hazel, his sisters Jeanne, Helen, Liz, and Elaine, as well as his wife Audrey. He is survived by his daughter Lynne Getty of Hendersonville NC, his sister Pat Steen of Ulysses KS, his brother Steven Getty of Ottawa KS, several nieces and nephews, and many dear friends. No services are being held, as Bill would not have wanted any additional attention. His daughter would like to thank the staff at SunPorch of Smith County for caring for Bill with such dignity and respect. Memorials may be given to SunPorch of Smith County or the Smith Center Municipal Golf Course in care of Lynne Getty, 34 Old White St, Hendersonville, NC. 28791. Domoney Funeral Home, PO Box 127, Downs, KS. 67437 in charge of arrangements.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667492980877.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>On Sunday, October 23rd, 2022, William "Bill" Getty passed away at the age of 89. He was born on March 18th, 1933, in Downs, Kansas, to William and Hazel (McStay) Getty. Bill graduated from Downs High School. He was a Marine and served in the Korean War. On June 10, 1956, he married Audrey Bedient and together they raised one daughter, Lynne. Growing up, Bill played a variety of sports, from baseball with Osborne American Legion to being a member of the 1950 undefeated Downs High School basketball team. He even went on to be the assistant coach for the 1971 Logan High School state champions in basketball. Bill also loved to golf and spent many hours on the various golf courses in the area. He won many golf awards over the years. In his later years, Bill could be found with a never ending supply of Brach’s jelly beans and a steady rotation of true crime novels. Bill was preceded in death by his father William, his mother Hazel, his sisters Jeanne, Helen, Liz, and Elaine, as well as his wife Audrey. He is survived by his daughter Lynne Getty of Hendersonville NC, his sister Pat Steen of Ulysses KS, his brother Steven Getty of Ottawa KS, several nieces and nephews, and many dear friends. No services are being held, as Bill would not have wanted any additional attention. His daughter would like to thank the staff at SunPorch of Smith County for caring for Bill with such dignity and respect. Memorials may be given to SunPorch of Smith County or the Smith Center Municipal Golf Course in care of Lynne Getty, 34 Old White St, Hendersonville, NC. 28791. Domoney Funeral Home, PO Box 127, Downs, KS. 67437 in charge of arrangements.&nbsp;

William ‘Bill’ Getty

Bonnie Lou Schartz, 90, passed away November 2, 2022, at Thorne Care 
Center-Wesley Towers, Hutchinson, KS.&nbsp; She was born June 3, 1932, in 
Russell, KS, the youngest child of eleven, to James Harbaugh and Bertha 
(Ringeisen) Harbaugh.

Bonnie was a 1950 graduate of Great Bend High School, Great Bend, KS.

On October 16, 1951, she married Aubrey Linus Schartz, in Ellinwood, 
KS.&nbsp; They shared over 62 years of marriage, prior to his death on 
September 14, 2014.

Bonnie is survived by:&nbsp; her children, Dennis (Berniece) Schartz of 
Enid, OK, Conan Schartz of Hutchinson, KS, Po Ellen (Larry) Anderson of 
Great Bend, KS, Jo Schartz of Hutchinson, KS, Glen (Debbie) Schartz of 
Hutchinson, KS, and Zeta (Stan) Boese of Hutchinson, KS; nine 
grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667486978178.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Bonnie Lou Schartz, 90, passed away November 2, 2022, at Thorne Care 
Center-Wesley Towers, Hutchinson, KS.&nbsp; She was born June 3, 1932, in 
Russell, KS, the youngest child of eleven, to James Harbaugh and Bertha 
(Ringeisen) Harbaugh.Bonnie was a 1950 graduate of Great Bend High School, Great Bend, KS.On October 16, 1951, she married Aubrey Linus Schartz, in Ellinwood, 
KS.&nbsp; They shared over 62 years of marriage, prior to his death on 
September 14, 2014.Bonnie is survived by:&nbsp; her children, Dennis (Berniece) Schartz of 
Enid, OK, Conan Schartz of Hutchinson, KS, Po Ellen (Larry) Anderson of 
Great Bend, KS, Jo Schartz of Hutchinson, KS, Glen (Debbie) Schartz of 
Hutchinson, KS, and Zeta (Stan) Boese of Hutchinson, KS; nine 
grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren.She was preceded in death by:&nbsp; her parents; husband; and all ten siblings.Cremation has taken place and no services are planned at this time.In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Wesley Towers 
Foundation, in care of Elliott Mortuary and Crematory, 1219 N. Main, 
Hutchinson, KS 67501.