By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

A newly renovated space in the heart of Hays is preparing the next generation of chefs in a state-of-the-art kitchen.

Leigh Purdy, vice president of the Chamber in Hays, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday at Lb. Event Center &amp; Catering at 121 E. 11th St. Eric Burks, president of Fort Hays Tech North Central, said the renovation was supported through grants and local developer Adam Pray.

"We've had a culinary arts program for quite some time, so we're celebrating 10 years of our program," he said.

Burks said the new industrial kitchen will give students the knowledge and skills they need to step into any real-world kitchen.

The program was originally based in Beloit. Burks said moving it to Hays created internship opportunities and helped student chefs achieve their dreams.

Culinary instructor Wilma Power and several of her students spoke during the celebration, sharing their goals to open a catering business, restaurant and bakery.

Power said students have already been cooking three times a week, preparing several treats for attendees, and highlighted that they made 865 bierocks for this year's Oktoberfest.

"What you have to realize is that sometimes the students have never really cooked. That's quite a feat," Power said.

Power said her classes typically have six or seven students. Burks said he hopes to increase that to support the local economy and workforce.

"Our goal is to grow that so that we can have more with that space. ... There's a large demand for these students and their skills out there. We want to be able to serve that," Burks said.

Burks said the program has moved from its former home in Beloit to the Hadley Center to even a church basement, and now sits next to Gella’s Diner and LB Brewing.

The venue was created from a vacant building next to the diner, which also includes a bar and a projector for various occasions. The room can accommodate up to 126 people with seating for 92.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e8d5e8f9-4d69-412d-8bbd-59b022a33db9">SEE RELATED STORY: New event center in downtown Hays open for booking</a>

You can follow Lb. Event Center &amp; Catering on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Lb-Event-Center-Catering/61579855865619/">Facebook</a>.

Nwester: Fort Hays Tech | North Central celebrates new culinary space in Hays

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577238933201&amp;__cft__[0]=AZVVAKxKBl-5HriIqI7BXwL_lkD7qfx5w_V7RW04lwKydr_mxGEyMVy_B5_X00WXkuzs0dwBLsj5OhhIlXEDWPdcN7muiNmkX2D6pNhWnw8o6tEfQFLpdBtwdv4wWD_Ce9g6hhUrYcbdmi2uiQPK7EAy&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Hays Middle School</a>&nbsp;Student Council&nbsp;hosted a dodgeball tournament on Oct. 24, and all proceeds raised were donated to First Call for Help.

The agency will be using these funds to help stock its pantry.

The students also collected nonperishable goods on the day of the event, and they were also donated to the agency.

"What a great group of kids out making a difference in the community! The total donation amount was $950! Way to go!" First Call for Help said on its Facebook page.

The&nbsp;Fort Hays State University Leadership 310 team raised $3,088 (its most successful fundraiser yet) for First Call for Help this semester during its carnival night.

"A big thank you to our FHSU Leadership 310 team for all their hard work on the project! We appreciate you voting for us on project presentations and choosing to work with us!" First Call said on its Facebook page.

"Another thank you goes out to all of our wonderful volunteers, the night of the event, we couldn’t have done it without you!! The BIGGEST thank you to all of our sponsors, this event truly couldn’t have happened without you!" the post said.

With the delay in SNAP benefits due to the government shutdown, food pantries, including First Call for Help, have seen significant increases in demand for food assistance.

Celebration Community Church also recently dropped off nonperishable food items from a food drive at the church.

Chestnut Street Floral food, hygiene drive this week

Chestnut Street Floral will be a drop-off site for food and hygiene items for First Call for Help this week through Saturday.

The agency's wish list changes weekly, but their current needs can be seen on the flyer below.

"Please consider bringing in even one item as you venture Downtown this week. Every little bit helps," Chestnut Street Floral said in a Facebook post.

First Call for Help thanks community for fundraising; Chestnut Floral sets food drive

A Hays man and woman were arrested Nov. 2 after allegedly having a physical altercation with customers at Chuck’s, 507 W. Seventh St. in Hays.

Hays Deputy Police Chief Tim Greenwood said officers arrested 25-year-old Patience Raelynn Dickerman and 23-year-old Nicholas&nbsp;James  Dreiling, both of Hays, at the bar following an argument.

Greenwood said bar staff were trying to remove the pair at about 1:30 a.m. During the ejection, Dreiling allegedly pushed a bouncer and was then shoved through a metal barricade by other staff outside the bar.

Dickerman allegedly kicked a bouncer as well, Greenwood said. An officer on patrol witnessed the incident unfold. Both individuals were arrested for alleged simple battery without incident, and no injuries were reported.

Hays man, woman arrested for alleged battery at local bar

94.3 FM / 1400 AM KAYS invites you to listen to Reindeer Radio and win! Each day Monday through Thursday we will give out a code word. Enter that word right here for your chance to win. The code word changes daily.

This week's feature sponsor is The Arc of the Central Plains and the prize is $250 in Chamber Cheque from the Hays Chamber!

The Arc of Central Plains is committed to bringing enrichment and purpose to the lives of all people with intellectual and developmental disabilitiesthrough participation in activities, education and lifelong inclusionin every aspect of community life.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🦌 WIN WITH REINDEER RADIO!

FHSU daily crime log: Nov. 14-20, 2025

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/category/obituaries">HERE</a>&nbsp;to view the most recent obituaries and service times from our funeral home partners.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/corrections-about-us">Click HERE for the Hays Post obituary policy.&nbsp;</a>

How to submit an obituary to the Hays Post

Please email obituaries to haysobits@eaglemedia.com.

Please allow up to 24 hours from the submission of the obituary for it to be posted on the Hays Post.&nbsp;

If you have questions, please contact Scarlett Deutscher at 785-301-2211.&nbsp;

If you have an issue outside of business hours or your obit has not been published within 24 hours, please email <a href="mailto:hayspost@eaglemedia.com" target="_blank">hayspost@eaglemedia.com</a> or call Cristina Janney, Hays Post editor, at 785-301-2077.&nbsp;

Recent obituaries, how to submit an obituary

A fallen Phillips County Sheriff’s Deputy was honored as Sheriff's Deputy of the Year during the&nbsp;Kansas Sheriffs' Association fall conference on Nov. 6 in Mulvane.

Deputy Brandon Gaede was called to a report of the use of illegal explosives on June 27.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/864c86dc-8386-4c4f-8080-802f3b27bcd2">Gaede tried to arrest&nbsp;Kolton Griffith. According to law enforcement reports,&nbsp;Griffith turned on Gaede and&nbsp;drew a concealed revolver from his waistband. He fired five rounds, critically wounding Deputy Gaede. Despite his injuries, Deputy Gaede returned fire, discharging eight rounds and killing Griffith.</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/6b9609e0-20ef-43ed-b1eb-244806766af9">Gaede has also been honored by Point 27</a>, and <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/30e8ecb7-22db-4547-806d-d3c2e01f2307">a memorial scholarship has been established in his name at Colby Community College</a>.

The award was presented to Karlye, Gaede's wife, and their children during their awards banquet.

Fallen Phillips County Sheriff's officer honored as Deputy Sheriff of the Year

Ellis County Sheriff Scott Braun explained an agreement he signed with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during an interview with the Hays Post on Wednesday.

The agreement, which was signed in May, continues the longstanding practice of detention holds on detainees who are in the country illegally.

The agreement allows an Ellis County Sheriff's staff member to serve as a warrant service officer.

When a person is arrested and booked into the Ellis County Jail, their fingerprints are taken.

If ICE identifies a person as being in the country illegally through that fingerprinting process, it can request a 48-hour hold on that person after they have served their sentence for the crime they committed in Ellis County.

Braun said if a person is serving a sentence, for example, DUI, and ICE requests a detention hold, ICE agents have 48 hours from the end of that person's sentence to take that person into custody.

If they do not take that person into custody in that time frame, the person would be released, Braun said.

"ICE has been really good with us in letting us know if they are going to pick them up within 48 [hours] or to let them go," Braun said.

He added, "It has to be within that 48-hour window. We will not hold them one minute longer than that."

Ellis County Sheriff's officers do not have the authority to detain anyone solely based on their immigration status.

The holds only pertain to someone who is already incarcerated on local charges.

The KBI entered a 287(g) agreement – which refers to Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act – with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in February. Under the terms of the agreement, a limited number of KBI agents received ICE training, authorizing the agents to serve and execute warrants for some immigration violations and to issue immigration detainers.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/86b2b5da-6760-491a-8edd-6b30a7e46986">The KBI used this agreement to detain 10 immigrants who were in the country illegally on Monday.&nbsp;</a>

Braun said the Sheriff's office does not have that same&nbsp;287(g) agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

"We are not trained in that, and we have enough things to do," Braun said. "We are not going to go out and stop people in the street and involve them in an investigation. 

"These people are people being arrested for crimes committed, and then we get notification that they are here illegally."

Ellis County Sheriff explains agreement with ICE

NEW HAVEN, CT —&nbsp; Brian Baker, 48, of Scott City, Kansas, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for trafficking firearms into Connecticut, according to the United State's Attorney's office.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2023, members of the FBI Waterbury Safe Streets Task Force conducted three controlled purchases of a total of nine firearms, and one controlled purchase of cocaine, from Luis Perez in Waterbury.&nbsp; An expanded investigation revealed that Perez was acquiring numerous firearms, most of which were purchased, at Baker’s direction, by individuals from licensed gun dealers in Kansas and then shipped through the U.S. Mail to a stash location maintained by Perez’s associate, Algelly Diaz, in Hartford.&nbsp; Perez then sold the firearms, which included assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to others throughout Connecticut.

Perez coordinated the purchase of the firearms through Baker in Kansas and Fernando Soto, Jr. in California.&nbsp; Baker, a convicted felon with a lengthy criminal history, used straw purchasers to purchase the firearms and then shipped them to Connecticut, or to Soto, who then shipped them to Connecticut and elsewhere.

Between August 2020 and May 2023, one of Baker’s straw purchasers, Ramon Pichardo, purchased at least 73 firearms from a licensed gun dealer in Deerfield, Kansas.

Baker and others involved in the conspiracy were arrested on May 19, 2023.&nbsp; On that date, investigators executed search warrants at locations in Connecticut, Kansas, and California.&nbsp; A search of Perez’s residence and vehicle revealed nine firearms; more than 200 rounds of ammunition; distribution quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl/heroin; items used to process and package narcotics for street sale; and more than $7,000 in cash.&nbsp; In addition, a search of Diaz’s residence revealed approximately 90 rounds of ammunition, and a search of a package that was shipped to Diaz and seized from the mail stream revealed an additional three firearms.

To date, approximately 34 of the trafficked firearms have been recovered by law enforcement in Connecticut and elsewhere, including one that recovered on August 27, 2022, in San Bernardino, California, at the scene of the homicide of a juvenile.

Baker has been detained since his arrest.&nbsp; On March 26, 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of firearms trafficking conspiracy, two counts of firearms trafficking, and two counts of mailing nonmailable firearms.

On March 19, 2025, Perez pleaded guilty to one count of firearms trafficking conspiracy, three counts of firearms trafficking, two counts of mailing nonmailable firearms, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.&nbsp; On April 4, 2025,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/waterbury-man-guilty-firearm-offense-related-gun-trafficking-operation">a jury found him guilty</a>&nbsp;of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.&nbsp; He awaits sentencing.

Diaz pleaded guilty and, on February 4, 2025,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/hartford-man-sentenced-4-years-federal-prison-role-gun-trafficking-ring">was sentenced</a>&nbsp;to 48 months of imprisonment.

Soto and Pichardo have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Connecticut State Police; and the Waterbury, Meriden, Hartford, Manchester, East Hartford, West Hartford, and Chino (Calif.) Police Departments.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Christopher J. Lembo through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this case.

Prison for Kansas man for role in nationwide gun trafficking ring

Grow Hays, in partnership with&nbsp;Network Kansas,&nbsp;Fort Hays State University’s Entrepreneurial Department,&nbsp;Midwest Energy,&nbsp;Sunflower Electric,&nbsp;Nex-Tech,&nbsp;Thomas More Prep-Marian, and&nbsp;Hays High School&nbsp;USD 489, proudly hosted the&nbsp;2025 Ellis County Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC)&nbsp;on the campus of Fort Hays State University.

The annual event showcases the next generation of Ellis County business owners, giving students the opportunity to develop and present business ideas through written business plans, professional presentations, and a trade show exhibit. This year’s competition highlighted outstanding creativity and a strong entrepreneurial spirit.

Grow Hays extends sincere thanks to all participating students, educators, volunteers, and sponsors who made the 2025 competition possible. Events like the YEC continue to strengthen the entrepreneurial pipeline in Ellis County, encouraging youth to develop real-world business skills and pursue innovative ideas.

For more information about youth entrepreneurship programs or opportunities to get involved, contact Grow Hays at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:James@growhays.com">James@growhays.com</a>&nbsp;or visit<a target="_blank" href="http://www.growhays.com/">&nbsp;www.growhays.com</a>.

🎙 TMP, Hays High students compete in Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge

During a fishing trip on La Sal Mountain when I was 8, I caught my first mud puppy. Apparently, someone fished this pond using these oddly named amphibians as bait and lost enough that survivors reproduced. We found several that day. At 8, I considered them miniature dinosaurs and tucked that memory into my childhood Awesome Event folder. After that experience, I saw these only in bait shops.

My next sort-of-mud puppy experience occurred in 1993 when Big Creek threatened to burst its banks. Like many folks living in the flood plain, stacks of empty sand bags and giant piles of wet sand filled our driveway. While we stuffed seemingly endless containers, our daughter screamed bloody murder while pointing at an equally frightened tiger salamander with tail in the air to make itself look bigger. We calmed sis with the explanation that this was Kansas’ state amphibian, and we’d disturbed its home. Her dad shared stories of finding them when he was a kid. During that conversation he mentioned salamanders begin life as mud puppies with funny looking gills. Ah, memory retrieval time for mom.

As we tied stuffed sand bags designed to protect ours and the neighbors’ house from rising water, I envisioned 8-year-old snaggle-toothed me playing with goofy-looking amphibians on that Utah mountain. How interesting to learn the dark brown and yellow spotted critter with a tail that initiated our child’s screams was once a mud puppy.

Over years, we’ve spied more salamanders, but they’re shy. I’ve seen more in museum collections than in the wild. That is until recently.

My husband walks our little terrier morning and evening to work out her extra energy and help her digestive system function at peak performance. She came home one morning prancing and dancing more than usual. Clearly, they’d had an adventure.

Sure enough, she discovered treasure--a salamander outside our shed door. By the time I investigated her find, it had vanished. However, I noticed a little burrow in soft flower bed soil, which I attributed to a wolf spider winter den.

A couple weeks following this incident, the pooch and gramps returned from a dusk sojourn with treasure in hand. Gramps had picked up a salamander smaller than the previous visitor to show gramma. He also thought to snag a clothes pin for a photo reference.

We set the little guy next to the clothes pin in a small bowl and told it to pose. It definitely understood, letting me snap photos to send grandkids.

Once we released it, I googled salamanders to learn that this time of year local species migrate into spring breeding territories (Seems early, right?). Considering we don’t have a pond or creek in our yard, the water source where it will lay eggs next spring is nearby. Despite lack of an on-site water hole, we do have loose soil filled with roly polies and worms suitable for winter room and board. I guessed wrong about wolf spider holes--a salamander claims that winter home.

I’m guessing when I see morning sun reflecting off that pond to the east, it will be full of frolicking mud puppies. How many salamander spots will we count next fall?

Karen Madorin is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and sixth-generation Kansan.

MADORIN: Mud puppies all grown up

Hays High Orchestra, food drive set for tonight at Las Hefas

Ellis County EMS Soup Cookoff set for today

Ken Pfeifer Salvage, Hays, will be closed on Monday, Nov. 24 for a family funeral.

They will re-open on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 8 a.m.

Ken Pfeifer Salvage closed on Monday

&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

The Hays Optimists will not sell Christmas trees this year.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/ec7c6f93-727f-4b96-a51e-72192ad36e4f">The group disbanded as of this year and gave its remaining funds to the Heartland Community Foundation.</a>

The former group members urge you to continue to support other service orgnaizations in the community.

Hays Optimists will not have Christmas trees this year

COLBY — Coming to Hoxie High School auditorium Sunday, Nov. 23 at 3 p.m., the next Western Plains Arts Association (WPAA) program will feature Carl Acuff Jr. with the music of Glen Campbell.

&nbsp;You are also invited to a short Question and Answer session after the show ends for all those who would like to participate.

Admission to the show can be purchased at the door or by WPAA season tickets.&nbsp;

 We would like to thank all the area sponsors. This project is generously funded by Mid-America Arts Alliance, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the state arts agencies of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. Also the Sheridan County Community Foundation along with Dane G. Hansen Foundation are helping fund this project. And sponsored in part by the state of Kansas through the Kansas Arts&nbsp; Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Glen Campbell spent five decades entertaining audiences all over the world.&nbsp; He was an American treasure whose songs and dazzling showmanship shot him to superstardom in the 1960s.

Glen's hits included songs like: "Gentle On My Mind", "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", "The Wichita Lineman", "Dreams of an Everyday Housewife", "Galveston", "Rhinestone Cowboy", and "Southern Nights." During his 50 years in the music business, Campbell released more than 70 albums.&nbsp;&nbsp;

After Glen's death in August of 2017 fellow musician and entertainer in his own right, Carl Acuff Jr. along with a notable group of musicians decided to put together a tribute show to this entertainment legend featuring his wonderful catalog of music.&nbsp; With Glen's original arrangements and charts provided to the group by Mr. TJ Kuenster they are as close as you can come to the real deal. Therefore, The Wichita Lineman show was born.&nbsp;

For your information, Highway 23 south of Hoxie is now open.

WPAA concert features Carl Acuff Jr. with music of Glen Campbell

Cookies with Santa presented by Hays Lions Club on Dec. 3

DODGE CITY — United Wireless Arena, managed by&nbsp;VenuWorks, is excited to announce that&nbsp;Lee Brice with special guest Jackson&nbsp;Wendell is coming to Dodge City on&nbsp;Friday, February 13, for a live acoustic&nbsp;experience. 

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the concert will&nbsp;start at 7:30 p.m.

The pre-sale for Lee Brice Acoustic begins Thursday, November 20 at 10:00 a.m., ending&nbsp;at 10:00 p.m., while the public on-sale starts Friday, November 21 at 10:00 a.m.

When Curb Records recording artist, Lee Brice, isn't selling out arenas, writing and recording&nbsp;songs, or building new brands like Dulce Vida Tequila and Loud Lemon, you'll find the family&nbsp;man with his wife, Sara, two young boys, and daughter. 

Meanwhile, with over 10 billion career&nbsp;streams, Brice continues to enjoy massive success at country radio, digital streaming services,&nbsp;and on the road. He has reached the #1 spot at Country Radio with Platinum-selling “Memory I&nbsp;Don’t Mess With,” which consecutively follows three prior #1s: ASCAP’s 2021 Country Song&nbsp;of the Year and 3x Platinum track “One of Them Girls,” “I Hope You’re Happy Now” with&nbsp;Carly Pearce, and the 4x Platinum hit “Rumor,” which was nominated in the category Single of&nbsp;The Year at the 55th Annual Awards. One of the most played country artists of all time on&nbsp;Pandora, he was the second country artist behind Keith Urban to receive the Pandora Billionaire&nbsp;plaque.

&nbsp;Lee is also a GRAMMY nominee, a CMA and ACM award winner, and he's taken nine&nbsp;radio singles to Number One: "A Woman Like You," "Hard to Love," "I Drive Your Truck," "I&nbsp;Don’t Dance," "Drinking Class," “Rumor," “I Hope You’re Happy Now," “One of Them Girls,”&nbsp;and “Memory I Don’t Mess With.” Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, and others&nbsp;have recorded his songs, and he's performed on numerous TV shows, including NBC's Today,&nbsp;ABC's The Bachelor, NBC's The Voice, and FOX's Miss USA 2018. Lee performed as part of&nbsp;the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song honoring Garth Brooks, which aired&nbsp;on PBS in March of 2020. 

At the 54th Annual CMA Awards, Lee took home the prize for&nbsp;Musical Event of the Year for his song with Carly Pearce, "I Hope You're Happy Now." At the&nbsp;56th ACM Awards, “I Hope You’re Happy Now” won Single of the Year and Music Event of&nbsp;the Year, and Lee and Carly Pearce performed the song live. Lee’s album, Hey World, has been&nbsp;certified as Platinum and features several multi-Platinum-selling 

hits. Lee kicked off 2024 with&nbsp;an intimate acoustic tour, the Me &amp; My Guitar Tour, and this Spring he released his latest radio&nbsp;single, "Drinkin’ Buddies" with Nate Smith and Hailey Whitters. The single was followed by&nbsp;the nostalgic summertime track, "Summer of Us.” 

In 2025, Brice announced the return of his&nbsp;acoustic tour, the You, Me &amp; My Guitar Tour, and released his latest single, “Cry,” available&nbsp;now.

Since his appearance in last year’s Good For Country Concert Series, Jackson has continued to&nbsp;gain momentum releasing original music and performing in dance halls and venues throughout&nbsp;the south, sharing stages with some of the biggest names in country music along the way. 

It’s&nbsp;obvious that Jackson has been playing guitar and writing songs since his early teenage years because when you listen to his lyrics, you would imagine you were hearing the stories of a&nbsp;much older songwriter, as each song takes you right to the middle of a familiar feeling. Jackson&nbsp;IS the future of country music, and his show is one you don’t want to miss.

Tickets to see Lee Brice with special guest Jackson Wendell will go on sale Friday,&nbsp;November 21 at 10:00 a.m. CST. Tickets can be purchased at the United Wireless Arena box&nbsp;office or online through Ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices start at $61 for reserved seating,&nbsp;depending on location, plus applicable fees and taxes.

 United Wireless Arena is an exclusive&nbsp;Ticketmaster facility and cannot guarantee tickets purchased as resale or through a third-party&nbsp;vendor. 

Doors will open one hour before showtime.

Handicapped accessible seating must be arranged directly through the United Wireless Arena&nbsp;Ticket Office. 

United Wireless Arena has a clear bag policy in place. Please check our website&nbsp;for more details

Lee Brice brings acoustic solo concert to United Wireless Arena with special guest Jackson Wendell

The Ellis County Historical Society (ECHS) is bringing back a beloved favorite just in time for the holidays — Spitzbuben, the delicate, jam-filled sandwich cookie that has become a sweet symbol of our Volga German heritage.

Following a complete sellout during Oktoberfest, ECHS is excited to announce that Spitzbuben will now be available for holiday purchase, freshly baked and boxed by the dozen. 

New this season, the Society is partnering with Hays High School’s Culinary Classes, taught by Nicole Linenberger, to help with the baking.

“This partnership gives us a wonderful opportunity to share a treasured Volga German baking tradition with our youth,” said Amanda Rupp, executive director of ECHS. “By involving the students, we’re not only continuing the tradition — we’re passing it on.”

Each batch of Spitzbuben features the signature buttery shortbread dusted with powdered sugar and filled with a variety of fruit jam. ECHS uses homemade jams from Gwen Urban of Oma’s Farmhouse Baked Goods, Grainfield. Customers can choose from MIX boxes (four Blueberry, four Peach, four Strawberry) or single-flavor boxes of twelve Strawberry Rhubarb cookies. These cookies freeze well for weeks and weeks and can be taken out as needed (or wanted!).

Spitzbuben will be available by the dozen for $20 (cash or check only) and can be purchased in person at the ECHS office at 7th &amp; Main Street in Hays.

Pickup times are 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the following dates:

If any remain, ECHS will offer the boxes at their booth during the Downtown Hays Christmas Tree Lighting on November 29.

“These ‘naughty boys,’ as the name translates, always sell out fast,” Rupp added. “We encourage everyone to grab a box early, enjoy a taste of tradition, and support our mission to keep Ellis County’s heritage alive.”

Ellis County Historical Society offers traditional Spitzbuben for the holidays

GREAT BEND — The Shafer Art Gallery, Barton Community College, Great Bend, will celebrated the unveiling of its “Museum Exchange” exhibition with a free reception on Nov. 14 featuring music, light refreshments, and a gallery discussion.&nbsp;

The collaborative exhibition unites 11 art institutions and four community partners in a shared celebration of creativity, cooperation, and community spirit. The show will run through Dec. 13.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Shafer Art Gallery Director Alyssa Bliven said the idea for the exhibition was inspired by preparations for co-hosting the Kansas Museums Association Conference, which will be held this November.&nbsp;

“As we began planning for the conference, I realized that the best way to honor this community was through partnership,” she said. “Having lived in other parts of the country, I can confidently say this area of Kansas is unique in the number of art institutions it sustains. Together, they’ve built a vibrant artistic community that continues to inspire and surprise.”&nbsp;

Participating institutions include the Shafer Art Gallery, Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery, Moss-Thorns Gallery of Art, Salina Art Center, Carriage Factory Gallery, Grassroots Art Center, Barton Arts Council, Great Bend Public Library, Lincoln Art Center, Red Barn Studio Museum, and Vernon Filley Art Museum.&nbsp;

Each institution contributed works that represent their artistic communities, creating a diverse and dynamic exhibition that showcases the region’s shared commitment to creativity and collaboration.&nbsp;

Bliven said the exhibit is being presented in partnership with the Kansas Museums Association Conference, co-hosted by the Shafer Art Gallery and the City of Great Bend. The exhibition and conference together encourage visitors, artists, museum professionals, and community members to explore how art and collaboration strengthen cultural life across Kansas.&nbsp;

“Museum Exchange celebrates the strength that grows through connection,” she said. “We’re excited to welcome visitors to experience this gathering of regional talent and to join us in recognizing the power of partnership.”&nbsp;

The Shafer Gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is always free. For more information, contact Bliven at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:shafergallery@bartonccc.edu">shafergallery@bartonccc.edu</a>&nbsp;or (620) 792-9342.|&nbsp;

Hays, Lucas museums part of 'Museum Exchange' exhibition in Great Bend

FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement in southwest Kansas are investigating a suspect for an alleged violent threat.

Just before 3a.m. Wednesday, police responded to the 600 block of Labrador in Garden City, according to a media release.

A suspect was reported to have threatened a victim with a knife. The investigation revealed 43-year-old&nbsp; Soliman Mosa was allegedly intoxicated and had been asked by roommates to leave the apartment.

 After briefly leaving, Mosa returned, retrieved a kitchen knife, and entered the victim’s bedroom, stating his intent to kill.&nbsp; Another roommate intervened, restrained Mosa, and contacted police. 

Officers quickly arrived, located Mosa, and after a brief struggle, took him into custody. During the arrest, Mosa become combative with police and assaulted Officers. 

Mosa is being held in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of Attempted First-Degree Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Battery of a Law Enforcement Officer.&nbsp;

SW Kansas man accused of threatening roommate with a knife

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/meg-kinnard">MEG KINNARD</a> Associated Press

President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Thursday accused half a dozen Democratic lawmakers of sedition “punishable by DEATH” after the lawmakers — all veterans of the armed services and intelligence community — called on U.S. military members to uphold the Constitution and defy “illegal orders.”

(click below to watch the controversial video)

The 90-second video was first posted early Tuesday from Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/slotkin-democratic-response-text-trump-congress-6ba1012264201e715c290da1b8f45bc4">Elissa Slotkin’s</a>&nbsp;X account. In it, the six lawmakers — Slotkin, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, and Reps. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan — speak directly to U.S. service members, whom Slotkin acknowledges are “under enormous stress and pressure right now.”

“The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution,” Slotkin wrote in the X post.

Trump on Thursday reposted messages from others about the video, amplifying it with his own words. It marked another flashpoint in the political rhetoric that at times has been thematic in his administrations, as well as among some in his MAGA base. Some Democrats accused him of acting like a king and trying to distract from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein-justice-department-4872c23a3ed03bf3d4c526581d3aed59">soon-to-be-released files</a>&nbsp;about disgraced financier and sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein.

With pieces of dialogue spliced together from different members, the lawmakers introduce themselves and their background. They go on to say the Trump administration “is pitting our uniformed military against American citizens. They call for service members to “refuse illegal orders” and “stand up for our laws.”

The lawmakers conclude the video by encouraging service members, “Don’t give up the ship,” a War of 1812-era phrase attributed to a U.S. Navy captain’s dying command to his crew.

Although the lawmakers didn’t mention specific circumstances in the video, its release comes as the Trump administration continues attempts at deployment of National Guard troops into U.S. cities for various roles, although some have been pulled back, and others held up in court.

Are U.S. troops allowed to disobey orders?

Troops, especially uniformed commanders, have a specific obligation to reject an order that’s unlawful, if they make that determination.

However, while commanders have military lawyers on their staffs to consult with in helping make such a determination, rank-and-file troops who are tasked with carrying out those orders are rarely in a similar position.

Broad legal precedence holds that just following orders, colloquially known as the “Nuremberg defense” as it was used unsuccessfully by senior Nazi officials to justify their actions under Adolf Hitler, doesn’t absolve troops.

However, the U.S. military legal code, known as the Uniform Code of Military Justice or UCMJ, will punish troops for failing to follow an order should it turn out to be lawful. Troops can be criminally charged with Article 90 of the UCMJ, willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer, and Article 92, failure to obey an order.

On Thursday, Trump reposted to social media an article about the video, adding his own commentary that it was “really bad, and Dangerous to our Country.”

“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!!” Trump went on. “LOCK THEM UP???” He called for the lawmakers’ arrest and trial, adding in a separate post that it was “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH.”

Trump also reposted more than a dozen comments from other accounts criticizing Democrats, including one that stated “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!”

Asked during a White House briefing on Thursday about the intent of Trump’s messages, press secretary Karoline Leavitt instead honed in on the Democrats’ message, which she posited “perhaps is punishable by law.” Leavitt went on to say that any incitement to “defy the chain of command, not to follow lawful orders” is “a very dangerous thing for sitting members of Congress to do, and they should be held accountable, and that’s what the president wants to see.”

Democrats were swift to react to Trump’s words, with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer warning in a floor speech that the president was “lighting a match in a country soaked with political gasoline.”

Speaker Mike Johnson said he did not believe Trump was calling for violence in the social media posts, saying Trump was merely “defining a crime,” and calling the Democrats’ video “wildly inappropriate.”

“Think of the threat that is to our national security and what it means for our institution,” Johnson added.

Trump’s allies balked at the video. On Wednesday on Fox News, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller called the messaging “insurrection — plainly, directly, without question” and said it represented “a general call for rebellion from the CIA and the armed services of the United States, by Democrat lawmakers.”

On X, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth commented on the video Tuesday as “Stage 4 TDS,” referring to “Trump Derangement Syndrome” — a term used by Trump to describe voters so angry and opposed to him that they are incapable of seeing any good in what he does.

The Steady State, which describes itself as “a network of 300+ national and homeland security experts standing for strong and principled policy, rule of law, and democracy,” wrote in a Substack post on Thursday that the lawmakers’ call was “only a restatement of what every officer and enlisted servicemember already knows: illegal orders can and should be refused. This is not a political opinion. It is doctrine.”

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell challenged the theory that illegal orders were being issued.

“Our military follows orders, and our civilians give legal orders,” Parnell told The Associated Press on Thursday. “We love the Constitution. These politicians are out of their minds.”

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Stephen Groves and Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.

🎥 See the video that made Trump accuse Dems of ‘sedition, punishable by death'

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement in Kansas City, Missouri are investigating a deadly Tuesday night shooting have identified the victim as 18-year-old&nbsp;Ke’Ron D. Brown, according to&nbsp;KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Just before 11p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a shooting the 8200 block of President Court, according to Becchina.

Several 911 callers heard the sound of gunfire and believed someone had been shot at the apartment complex.

First responders located Brown unresponsive in the parking lot there. Officers called for EMS, who responded and transported him to the hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries. 

Local

Region

Sports

Announcements