By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

Former Gov. Jeff Colyer returned to his hometown of Hays Tuesday to reflect on his career and outline his plan for Kansas' future.

"I'm thrilled and honored to be home. I'm a fifth-generation Hays person. Fort Hays educated my parents, my grandparents, and it was part of my education as well," he said.

Colyer, the only Kansas governor from Hays, served as the state’s 47th governor from January 2018 to January 2019. In May, he announced his 2026 gubernatorial campaign in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZZgu8UQVjg">YouTube video</a>.

Speaking at an event hosted by the FHSU College Republicans and a returning Turning Point USA chapter, he highlighted his record of steering the state budget from crisis to surplus.

"When I left office, instead of handing over a $500 million deficit and $800 in the checking account of the state of Kansas, I handed Laura Kelly an $800 million surplus, and we didn't raise taxes to do that," he said.

Colyer also touted cutting about 5,500 state jobs he deemed unnecessary. He criticized wokeism and DEI in education, urging instead a focus on reading, STEM, coding and artificial intelligence skills.

"Only one out of three third graders can read at the third-grade level in Kansas," Colyer said.

Colyer said the curriculum at the state and local school board levels needs to be reviewed and revised, noting ACT scores have fallen over the past seven years.

Toward the end of the evening, an attendee asked Colyer to define what he meant by wokeism in relation to his criticism of education.

"My definition is that it is something that gets rid of any sort of merit that is a politically inspired outcome," Colyer said.

Colyer said he resolved long-running K-12 finance lawsuits, noting that for 50 years before his tenure, every Kansas governor, regardless of party, had been sued and lost over inadequate school funding.

He said the funding did not come from new taxes but from cost savings that freed up about $1 billion annually, which was directed to education.

"What we did is privatized the Medicaid program a couple of years ago so that every person who was on Medicaid can have their choice of three different insurance policies," Colyer said. "That's how we were able to make government more efficient and allowed us to take care of K-12 education."

Another priority Colyer outlined, if elected governor again, is ensuring that the next generation can build a future in Kansas, with access to higher-value jobs and safer communities.

Colyer said local property taxes are going "crazy" and Kansas is one of the highest-tax states in the region.&nbsp;

"The reason I'm running for governor is because of people like you," Colyer said to the audience full of students and community members. "I want our kids to see their future in this state, and that their best future is in this state. Not in Texas, Arizona, Tennessee, it's here in Kansas."

Colyer discussed working with President Donald Trump during his first term and how Trump appointed him in February 2020 to chair the National Advisory Commission on Rural Health.

He said rural hospitals were a key focus, noting they had struggled to stay afloat for decades.

"Over the matter of weeks, we distributed billions of dollars. They all stayed open and were able to serve people. We did a lot in rural health to start improving, but we got a lot more to do both on the federal level and on the state level," he said.

He also pointed to water challenges in rural Kansas, noting their impact on energy, agriculture, data centers and population in the southwest region of the state.

Colyer also answered student questions on pursuing truth at universities and on protecting the unborn, pointing to his record as governor, where he said he signed 20 pro-life laws.

Colyer opened the event with his background in Hays, such as how attending Thomas More Prep-Marian influenced his life to become a surgeon, inspired by his mother's battle with breast cancer.

Former Gov. Jeff Colyer shares vision for Kansas at FHSU

TOPEKA –&nbsp;The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has rescinded a boil water advisory for the Ellis Co RWD 1C public water supply system located in Ellis County. The advisory was issued because of loss of a pressure due to maintenance in the distribution system.

Public water suppliers in Kansas take all measures necessary to notify customers quickly after a system failure or shutdown. Regardless of whether it’s the supplier or KDHE that announces a boil water advisory, KDHE will issue the rescind notice following testing at a certified laboratory.

Laboratory testing of drinking water samples collected from the Ellis Co RWD 1C, indicate no evidence of bacteriological contamination and all other conditions that placed the system at risk of contamination are deemed by KDHE officials to be resolved. &nbsp;

For consumer questions, please contact the water system at: 785-628-2186 or you may call KDHE at 785-296-5514. For consumer information please visit our webpage:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.kdhe.ks.gov%2F468%2FDisruption-in-Water-Service%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01000199aff40888-4adfae95-bbad-4d17-862c-42a4e6aa8859-000000/AhcqCkK9CGn_xqvRI8kP-hsezFT_d1XotX2eUmyWxHE=425">https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/468/Disruption-in-Water-Service</a>.

Boil Water Advisory Rescinded for Ellis Co RWD 1C, Ellis County

I used this column once a few years ago, but as fall closes in on us, and I can almost smell the comforting scent of woodsmoke in the air, I think it’s a good fit for this week’s column. 

Ages ago when I wore a much younger man's clothes, I heated my home with wood. Cutting firewood is hard on the back but was always enjoyable to me, and I’ve had some interesting experiences whilst collecting my winter’s fuel, to include smashing the rear windshield out of my dad’s pickup with an errantly tossed chunk of hard hedge wood.

When I was still in my late twenties, my dad and I got permission to cut dead trees from a patch of Ohio woods that sat well off the road at the end of a long, hilly, winding tractor path. 

We spent a day cutting and dragging several trees into the alfalfa field that bordered the woods. The following Saturday we again wound our way up the rutted tractor path, looking forward to a rewarding day of simply cutting-up and hauling the now easily-accessible wood. All that greeted us as we entered the field were dozens of neat little rows of sawdust, the only evidence left after someone had cut up and made-off with all our firewood.

A few years later, I found a good-sized uprooted tree in the small woodlot I owned. The hole left in the ground beneath the roots was the size of a Volkswagen and three feet deep. 

With the tree already flat on the ground, I cut all the limbs and dragged them out of my way, then with the main trunk ready to chunk up, I started cutting at the upper end and worked my way toward the giant root ball.

 I hadn’t made it very far when something happened to the saw, requiring a tool that was still at the house. I started to set the saw in the crater beneath the roots, but for some reason changed my mind and placed it on the ground a few feet away. When I returned with the tool, I thought I had stepped through a worm-hole into another dimension or something, 'cause the downed tree and the saw were both gone. I wandered around in circles and finally stumbled onto the saw on the ground, but where was the uprooted tree?

 It took me awhile to realize that removing all the limbs and cutting off the upper part of the tree had allowed the weight of the root ball to stand the remaining trunk of the tree back upright into the crater. Good thing I decided against putting my saw there; even better that I hadn’t sat down in there for a nap!

The granddaddy of all firewood mishaps took place on a dreary fall Saturday while cutting down a huge dead wild cherry tree that stood just across the driveway from our house. My firewood cutting skills were the stuff of legends….once I got a tree on the ground, but putting it there without catastrophe often eluded me. 

I clambered as high into the behemoth as I could get and encircled the trunk with a log chain, then attached an old hay rope salvaged from the barn and ran it yards out into the open field where dad sat waiting on the trusty Farmall H.

 Cutting was a slow process with a chainsaw barely half the length of the tree’s diameter, but a notch was soon cut toward the open field. As I cut on the other side, I motioned for dad to put tension on the rope and chain. 

The tree began to list slightly, so I cut a bit further then stepped back, figuring to watch our prize topple into the open field. However, the sound of cracking wood was drowned out by the sound of snapping rope fibers as the old hay rope gave up the ghost. 

Half a year’s firewood teetered and wobbled for a few seconds before crashing the opposite direction across the drive and onto the power lines, putting the whole neighborhood out of power, during an Ohio State football game no less, which was akin to losing power at the nursing home during Wheel of Fortune. The neighbors' anger was matched only by the power company guys who had to come out on a Saturday. 

It seems our firewood heated the entire neighborhood that day…

Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Explore Kansas Outdoors: Firewood Follies

Dive into a digital treasure trove of savings with the Eagle Radio Online Auction!

<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/eagle-radio-auction-descriptions-of-items">Click here&nbsp;to get registered, view items and bid.</a>

1207 Cedar Hays, KS 67601 785-625-4176 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.westernsupply.com/Hays-KS-v2.HTML">https://www.westernsupply.com/Hays-KS-v2.HTML</a><a href="mailto:showroom@westernsupply.com">showroom@westernsupply.com</a>

<a href="https://www.rabezauction.com/gocart/search.cfm?mid=65&amp;search=all">WATER SOFTENER</a>

Whether you have hard municipal water or extremely hard well water, Impression Series water softeners deliver the clean, soft water you want and need. It’s easy-to-read LED screen and user-friendly console allows you to monitor all operating functions. It’s true – nothing will last longer than your first Impression! System features include solid-state microprocessor control, meter monitors and self-adjusts regeneration cycles based on household trend of water use, easily programmed for optimum performance, extended lithium battery backup, flexible “adjustable cycle sequence” programming to save salt and water, and advanced history and diagnostic screens. Soft water reduces hardness, softens household water using minimal salt and water, and prevents mineral buildup and keeps your appliances running smoothly. This item must be picked up at Western Supply Company, 1207 Cedar Street, Hays, KS 67601, by no later than December 30th, 2025. For more information on this product, go to https://www.westernsupply.com/ or call Western Supply Company at 785-625-4176.

Current Bid: $286.00 Retail Price: $1,800.00

1300 Main Hays, KS 67601 785-259-4039

<a href="https://www.rabezauction.com/gocart/search.cfm?mid=65&amp;search=all">MINI-SPLIT A/C and HEAT PUMP</a>

Bid on this Confortotal 12,000 BTU Mini Split Air Conditioner and Heat Pump 110V Ductless, 1 ton, with WIFI Compatible with Alexa from All Seasons Plumbing, Heating, and A/C in Hays.&nbsp; This unit can heat or cool up to 550 square feet.&nbsp; Perfect for a garage, she-shed or man-cave, or a part of your home that needs some extra cooling or heating.&nbsp; This item includes installation in Ellis County.&nbsp; If you live outside of Ellis County, there will be a mileage fee added.&nbsp; Call Tommy Coker if you have any questions at 785-259-4039.&nbsp; This item must be installed by no later than January 30th, 2026.

Current Bid: $1,391.00 Retail Price: $3,000.00

127 N. Lincoln Russell, KS 67665 785-483-7811

<a href="https://www.rabezauction.com/gocart/search.cfm?mid=65&amp;search=all">$100 CERTIFICATE</a>

This $100 gift certificate is to AccuSpray, your #1 choice for lawn and tree spraying. They are locally owned. Services include: - Lawn &amp; Tree Fertilization, - Insect, Disease, and Weed Control, - Tree Injections &amp; Root Feeding, - Bare Ground Sterilization. ONLY one gift certificate per spraying please. Find and book them on Facebook at Accuspray– or call Jeremy Zorn at 785-639-8733.

Current Bid: $10.00 Retail Price: $100.00

The Eagle Radio online auction — where saving money is just a click away!

Premier Tillage in Quinter purchased by Unverferth Manufacturing Co., Inc. 

RUSSELL — Housing Opportunities, Inc. (HOI) is excited to share that construction at Flintwood, our new senior housing community in Russell, is moving steadily forward. The development is taking shape beautifully, and we are on track to welcome residents soon.

We are also pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for those interested in making Flintwood their home. This modern, affordable housing community is designed specifically for seniors and will provide safe, comfortable living with the support of HOI’s ongoing commitment to quality housing.

If you or someone you know would like to apply, please contact Housing Opportunities, Inc. at 620-792-3299 to learn more and start the application process.

Construction continues at Flintwood senior housing in Russell; applications accepted

By RUSSELL ARBEN FOX Insight Kansas

On September 21, the day before the autumn equinox, about 20 people gathered in Memorial Park in Winfield, to mark the conclusion of a local celebration of “Sun Day.” It was a hot Sunday afternoon, and downtown Winfield was pretty quiet. But that didn’t defeat the spirit that was felt by the participants, and the pride they had in doing their part for the cause.

<a href="https://www.sunday.earth/">Sun Day</a> was the brainchild of Bill McKibben, an environmental journalist and activist who has educated millions over the decades with his writings on climate change, renewable energy, local food production, and the conservation of natural spaces. Given the many failures which environmentalism has faced when confronted by the consumptive habits of modern America, McKibben’s work has often been rather dour.

Yet of late McKibben has been enthusiastic, even downright giddy—because amazing innovations in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-panels-are-1000-times-more-powerful-with-new-tech-breakthrough/">photovoltaic cells</a>, <a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/grid-batteries-defy-trump-crackdown-on-renewables/">solar grid batteries</a> and more over the past decade have changed the game: renewable means of generating electricity are now, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/wind-and-solar-energy-are-cheaper-than-electricity-from-fossil-fuel-plants/">even without government subsidies</a>, cheaper than doing so by burning fossil fuels.

This, McKibben felt, is news to be celebrated. 

Hence, Sun Day—a national day of action, with close of <a href="https://www.sunday.earth/events">500 events</a> scheduled across the United States and around the world, involving art and music, workshops and worship, all focused on helping people to appreciate the momentousness of this technological and environmental moment, and hopefully. thereby encouraging them to take advantage of and build upon these new opportunities to get power directly from the sun.

Such encouragement is still very much needed. Just because the technology exists doesn’t mean that the transition to it will be simple. The upfront costs are significant, the needed infrastructure is difficult to install, and the financial realities of solar power (from negotiating with China, where most of the advances in the technology are taking place, to negotiating with local energy companies, who want to maintain the profitability of their grids) are complicated to say the least. 

On top of that, falsehoods about renewable energy—some of which can be <a href="https://energyandpolicy.org/charles-koch-distorts-the-facts-prevents-clean-energy-businesses-from-succeeding/">traced back to Kansas’s own Koch Industries</a>--flow far too easily from both the <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-called-climate-change-a-con-job-at-the-united-nations-here-are-the-facts-and-context">White House</a> and <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest-commentary/article259977165.html">Topeka</a>, leading too often to <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2023-11-08/communities-skeptical-of-solar-kansas">county-level resistance</a> to increasingly affordable solar panel installations.

Nonetheless, personal experiences—and business savings—with renewables are combining with political education to build momentum. 

Despite cuts in support for alternative energy sources in the Big Beautiful Bill, <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/03/evergy-says-federal-changes-wont-affect-planned-solar-projects-in-kansas-and-missouri/">Evergy still plans to move ahead</a> with its plans for solar projects in Kansas and Missouri (though it’s hedging its bets with new natural gas projects as well), and <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/massive-kansas-solar-farm-sparks-165122426.html?guccounter=1">NextEra Energy in Jackson County</a> isn’t far behind. The growing demand by Kansans for rooftop or deck solar panels are <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/02/14/kansas-homeowners-urge-lawmakers-to-ban-punitive-rooftop-solar-restrictions/">leading to fights with homeowner associations</a>, all while more <a href="https://www.agriculture.com/solar-energy-is-powering-irrigation-11711496">farmers</a>, <a href="https://www.kumc.edu/about/news/news-archive/kumc-solar-panels.html">hospitals</a>, and <a href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/local/2025/07/14/solarize-columbia-campaign-can-make-solar-panels-cheaper/84532449007/">homeowners</a> are seeing the light (literally).

A personal confession of interest here: we installed solar panels on our Wichita home over three years ago, and aside from one breakdown with our connection to the grid early on—which was, I admit, an expensive pain—our electric bills have been a tiny fraction of what they once were ever since.

 Looking around Kansas’s largest city, I see solar start-ups and increased interest&nbsp;everywhere. A full transition to renewables is still years, if not decades, away. But on Sun Day, in downtown Winfield, this more environmentally sustainable and financially affordable future seemed closer to me, and my fellow renewable energy advocates, than it ever has been before.

Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita.

Insight Kansas: A sunny day, and a better day, in Kansas

<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

Three-day weather outlook

💰 Cash Grab begins Monday!

October 12,&nbsp;9:30 AM Alton UMC Harvest Praise Service 408 Mill St., Alton 67623 Join us at 9:30 AM!

October 12, 11:30 AM-3:00 PM Fall Family Fun Day Roadside Park, Hwy. 24, Downs

Bring your lawn chairs, sit and chat, enjoy music and fun! Yard games, Kids games, Golf Cart Poker Run, and more! Enjoy the park amenities together as a community!

October 12, 5:00-7:00 PM Free Square Dancing Lessons Front Porch Event Center and Bakery, 602 Mill St., Alton, KS Sept. 28, Oct. 12, October 26, November 9, November 23, December 28 Graduation Party

&nbsp;These are free lessons with the hope of stress-free learning, entertainment, and fellowship. You are asked to bring a finger food each time for all to enjoy. For more information call Peg Anschutz at 785-483-0660.

October 18, 1:00-4:00 PM Annual Pumpkin Party Downs Community Garden, 1312 Kansas St. Downs, KS

Bring the whole family and enjoy an afternoon of games, crafts, and fun!

October 25,&nbsp;5:00-9:00 PM Tangled Web Trick or Treat in the Park Lyman T. Earl Park, Alton, KS

There will be crafts, games and prizes!&nbsp;Any questions, call Robbin at 785-346-2128 Ext. 3

October 31,&nbsp;3:30-5:00 PM

Join us downtown Osborne as the chamber businesses pass out Halloween treats!

October events in Osborne County

The items are arriving fast and furious for the Eagle On-Line Auction at Hays Post.

Because of this, the auction has started early, and is going on right NOW!&nbsp; If you would like to get in on the action of this year’s online auction, click on the link below.&nbsp;

<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/eagle-radio-auction-descriptions-of-items">Click here&nbsp;to get registered, view items and bid.</a>

Bid now on an expansive collection ranging from home essentials to tantalizing restaurant gift cards, and valuable services from esteemed local companies and save.

 Whether you're seeking something specific or just browsing for unexpected finds, our vast selection promises both variety and value. 

Eagle Radio Auction live now!

Western Plains Arts Association

COLBY — Oakley High School auditorium will be the&nbsp;Western Plains Arts Association (WPAA) next program with "The Sons of the Pioneers" returning to entertain on Sunday, October 12.

The program will start at 3 p.m. Tickets will be available to purchase at the door or by WPAA season ticket which can also be purchased that day at the door.

We thank Dane G. Hansen and Logan County Community Foundation for their grants for this program along with area sponsors.

"The Sons of the Pioneers", the most influential and revered of all western music groups, celebrate an unparalleled 91 continuous years of performance, thrilling audiences with enchanting harmonies and picturesque images of the majestic American West. 

In 2025, the legendary group extends its remarkable run through nine decades, carrying the legacy of the outfit’s landmark, Grammy-honored music to new ears. Originals like “Cool Water,” “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” and “The Timber Trail” have come to define western music itself and are also deeply rooted in American culture. 

When Roy Rogers (then Leonard Slye) and gifted songwriters Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer founded the group in late 1933 and developed their trademark “Pioneer sound,” little did they realize they were launching a juggernaut that would become the longest-lived popular music group in American music history, creating a vast catalog of treasured music along the way.

Through the years, more than 40 gifted singers and instrumentalists have rotated into the group to build the Pioneers’ historic musical legacy. The Pioneers are the most decorated group in the history of western music, earning membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Western Music Association Hall of Fame, the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Texas Swing Hall of Fame, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, to name a few. 

The group’s music has been honored by the Grammy Hall of Fame, and the Smithsonian Institution named the group one of America’s “National Treasures.” 

They enjoy meeting those who attend and would gladly take pictures after the program.

'The Sons of the Pioneers' to perform in Oakley Oct. 12

&nbsp;Submit events to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:admin@hayspost.com">admin@hayspost.com</a>. Cover photo courtesy Pixabay

Special thanks to <a href="https://www.visithays.com/183/Events">The Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau</a> and<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/"> Fort Hays State University</a> for their contributions to the community calendar.

Community Calendar

Thanks to the Hays VFW Post #9076  Honor Guards for adding the POW flag to the American flag  that they donated for the flag pole at the location of the Bob &amp; Pat Schmidt Community Center on Friday, Sept. 26.

The POW flag was a welcomed addition to complete the pole near the Hays Senior Center new location.



Hays VFW Post #9076 donates POW flag to Community Center, Hays Senior Center flag pole 

KIRWIN — The&nbsp;94th annual Kirwin Lions Club Old Settlers Day is Saturday, Oct. 4

Start the day with a 5K Run/Walk or bike ride around Kirwin Lake.

Games on the Kirwin Square start at 10:30 a.m. Play bingo, try your hand at virtual golf, participate in cornhole, eat some delicious food and check out the vendors.

One of the area's largest Demolition Derbys begins at 7 p.m. with a $6,000 total purse.

94th annual Old Settler's Day is Saturday in Kirwin

On Friday, October 3, the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office will be closed. 

All other services for Ellis&nbsp;County will remain open as scheduled. Emergency response will continue as normal operations.

This closure is to provide Sheriff’s Office staff the opportunity to attend Hays Police Department’s Sgt.&nbsp;Scott Heimann funeral services.

The Sheriff’s Office will resume regular hours on Monday, October 6.

Ellis County Sheriff's Office closed Friday; other county departments remain open

UPDATE: The annual Tootsie Roll Drive has been postponed to next weekend, Oct. 10-12.&nbsp;

It's time for the 55th annual drive for helping people with intellectual disabilities sponsored by the Knights of Columbus in Hays, Munjor, Catherine and Schoenchen.

On Friday through Sunday, Oct. 10-12, local Knights of Columbus members will hand out Tootsie Rolls in front of many Hays businesses.

Donations received during Tootsie Roll weekend will benefit the intellectually disabled as well as our citizens and our community.

Of the money collected, 80% stays in Hays and is given to local organizations that work with these special citizens. The balance of the money goes to our state "Commitment to Humanity" fund which helps finance projects like the Special Olympics.

Last year the Knights of Columbus underwrote the Kansas Knights of Columbus Special Olympics Basketball Tournament at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays with an amount of approximately $26,000.

Plan to attend the Special Olympics Basketball Tournament to be held March 20 and 21, 2026 in Hays. Last year there were more than 1,000 participants. The opening ceremonies are most impressive.&nbsp;

Knights of Columbus Tootsie Roll Drive moved to Oct. 10-12 in Hays

Kansas Department of Health and Environment

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued a boil water advisory for the Ellis Co. RWD 1C public water supply system located in Ellis County.

This does not affect those customers who receive their water from the City of Hays.

Customers should observe the following precautions until further notice:

The advisory took effect on October 1, 2025 and will remain in effect until the conditions that placed the system at risk of bacterial contamination are resolved. 

KDHE officials issued the advisory because of a loss of pressure due to maintenance in the distribution system. Failure to maintain adequate pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination.&nbsp;

For consumer questions, please contact the water system at 785-628-2186, or KDHE at 785-296-5514. For consumer information please visit KDHE’s PWS Consumer Information webpage:

<a target="_blank" href="https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.kdhe.ks.gov%2F468%2FDisruption-in-Water-Service%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01000199a022ea63-1bd80ec1-c03d-4601-b957-f390024f89f4-000000/ToAKe-X5727ojZ7HWDa_7wESy4L4a9Mg7Zmd9085wHY=425">https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/468/Disruption-in-Water-Service</a>

Restaurants and other food establishments that have questions about the impact of the boil water advisory on their business can contact the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s food safety &amp; lodging program at&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="mailto:kda.fsl@ks.gov">kda.fsl@ks.gov</a>&nbsp;or call 785-564-6767.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Regardless of whether the public water supplier or Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced a boil water advisory, only KDHE can issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.

Boil Water Advisory issued for Ellis Co. Rural Water District 1C by KDHE

KANSAS CITY— A Kansas City&nbsp; man was sentenced in federal court this week for illegally possessing eight firearms, according to the United State's Attorney.

David Michael Gager, also known as David Kash, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 71 months in federal prison without parole for being a felon in possession of firearms.

On Mar. 7, 2025, Gager pleaded guilty to five counts of knowingly being a felon in possession of firearms between Apr. 19, 2024, and May 16, 2024.&nbsp; During this period, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives utilized a confidential informant and an undercover agent to conduct four separate controlled purchases of firearms from Gager.&nbsp; During these transactions, Gager mentioned that he could get machineguns and methamphetamine for future transactions.&nbsp; 

During one transaction, Gager indicated that he acquires firearms in Kansas City and transports them to Chicago where he sells them for a profit.&nbsp;On May 9, 2024, Kansas City, Mo. Police Department officers executed a warrant for Gager’s arrest.&nbsp; The arrest occurred at a convenience store located on Prospect Avenue.&nbsp; Officers discovered a 9mm handgun that Gager had thrown in a trashcan near the front of the convenience store when he noticed officers approaching.

KC felon sold firearms to undercover ATF agent 

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces felony charges for a gunfight at a business in Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2736/Cushon-REDACT-COMP">Unique A. Cushon</a>, 35,&nbsp;faces 1st Degree Assault, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon.&nbsp;

On September 28,&nbsp;Kansas City police were dispatched to a business in south Kansas City on Sept. 28 and located a victim who was shot in the chest. He was transported to the hospital in critical condition, ,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2737/Cushon-REDACT-PC">According to court records</a>,

While on scene, Raytown police advised they located a shooting victim, later identified as Cushon, who was shot in the head and back and was transported to the hospital.&nbsp;

Based on multiple witness reports, Cushon left the business and tried to come back in. The shooting victim, who was working security, told him that if he came back in, he would have to pay. Cushon started arguing with the victim. Another man went and retrieved a firearm from a vehicle and handed it to Cushon who fired a shot into the air and then pointed the firearm at the victim and everyone else inside the business.&nbsp;

The victim, in self-defense of himself and others, pulled his firearm and fired one round at the Cushon. The victim realized he was shot and ran inside for help.&nbsp;

Surveillance footage captured the argument between the victim and Cushon and an unknown man taking a firearm from his waistband and handing it to someone. Shortly afterward, the crowd started ducking and the victim returned fire.

Man injured in gunfight with security guard at KC business

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;did not let the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;interfere with a stop in Norfolk, Virginia, on Sunday to salute the Navy as it celebrates its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.navy.mil/Navy-250/">250th anniversary</a>&nbsp;— using his speech to praise both the Navy and himself.

Trump delivered remarks that by his own recognition bordered on making it more like a campaign event, generating some applause from the crowd before closing out with a recording of his theme song, “YMCA” by Village People.

“Let’s face it, this is a rally,” Trump told the crowd that the Navy estimated to be 10,000 people.

The president criticized his political opponents and attacked Democratic lawmakers as the shutdown entered its fifth day, causing military personnel to work without pay until the government reopens.

“I want you to know that despite the current Democrat induced shutdown, we will get our service members every last penny. Don’t worry about it," Trump said to cheers from the crowd.

The government shutdown that began Wednesday has sparked partisan blame games as several thousand federal employees are furloughed and key infrastructure and energy projects in Democratic-run areas such as New York and Chicago have been put on hold. It lurked in the background of the event as Trump praised a Navy that he said has “never failed to hunt, kill and win.”

Senate Democrats rejected efforts to preserve a continuation of government operations when the new budget year started on Wednesday. They cited the lapse in subsidies that could cause health insurance costs to climb rapidly for people who get coverage through the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Democratic lawmakers also have sought to reverse cuts to Medicaid that Trump signed into law.

Democrats oppose Trump's move to have his administration decline to spend congressionally approved funds, saying it undermines the budgeting process, among other concerns. Meanwhile, Trump has explored laying off federal workers at what he called “Democrat Agencies.”

Among those joining Trump for the festivities were first lady Melania Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Navy Secretary John Phelan, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, a former Navy rear admiral who was a White House doctor during Trump's first term.

After his arrival in Norfolk, Trump went to the USS George H.W. Bush and spoke to the sailors and handed out challenge coins.

The Trumps then watched a military demonstration while standing on the deck of the aircraft carrier. Navy destroyers launched missiles and fired shells into the Atlantic Ocean, Navy SEALs descended from helicopters and fighter jets catapulted off.

The president has increasingly sought to leverage support from within the military as he has escalated its role in American society, asking troops to patrol the streets of U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago, Memphis, Baltimore and Portland, Oregon. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Trump was seeking to send his state's National Guard to Portland after the administration's previous moves to deploy troops in the Oregon National Guard were blocked in court.

Trump on Tuesday addressed a gathering of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-hegseth-meeting-military-commanders-4ceb8026bff7c652b08c08e8afb1df99">military leaders</a>&nbsp;abruptly summoned from across the globe to Virginia by Hegseth. The Republican president proposed using U.S. cities as training grounds for the armed forces and he spoke of needing military might to combat what he called the “invasion from within.”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-combat-women-race-hegseth-d406029d0e0dfd52443ef8d7fcb765cb">Hegseth declared</a>&nbsp;an end to “woke” culture and announced new directives for troops that include “gender-neutral” or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-pentagon-defense-combat-women-trump-b423fd49730d9ab97151a2d2a4fdf6a7">“male-level” standards</a>&nbsp;for physical fitness.

The administration is seeking to reshape Pentagon culture and use military resources for the president’s priorities, including quelling domestic unrest and violent crime.

Trump has also engaged the military in an armed conflict with drug cartels, leading to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hegseth-venezuela-drug-cartels-unlawful-combatants-1848b02febe08acacb82979d7da47dfb">four strikes</a>&nbsp;on boats in the Caribbean that Washington says were involved in trafficking.

🎥 President, First Lady celebrate Navy's 250th birthday 

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/rio-yamat">RIO YAMAT</a>,&nbsp; AP Airlines&nbsp;and&nbsp;Travel Writer

If a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-chuck-schumer-20e54a0f5e4fee909d0f9ea2c07c15e1">U.S. government shutdown</a>&nbsp;goes on long enough, it could throw a wrench in travel plans, potentially leading to longer airport wait times, flight delays and even cancellations.

Local

Region

Sports

Announcements