By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

VICTORIA- Victoria will double in size as Herzogfest draws crowds with the scent of bierocks and the spirit of German culture.

Brenton Hoffman, president of Herzogfest, said the two-day celebration, which will be Aug. 8-9, features traditional food, children’s activities, a car show and live music.

"It's our hometown's annual festival that represents our German heritage," he said.

The festival takes place Friday and Saturday on Main Street, offering more than a dozen activities and free entertainment:

Friday Food vendors open at 11 a.m. ZOG Olympics at 2 p.m. Drift Trikes at 3 p.m. Horsehsoes at 6 p.m. Matfield Green, music entertainment, at 7 p.m. 50/50 raffle at 8:45 p.m. Blaine Younger Band, music entertainment, at 9 p.m.

Saturday 5k run and walk at 8:30 a.m. Heritage Market at 9 a.m. Herzog Car Show, Jammin Randy, three-on-three basketball tournament, valve cover races and drift trikes at 10 a.m. Bingo at the VFW, 204 E. Main St., and a cornhole tournament at 11 a.m. Kids Steinhoist Competition and free swimming at noon Polka Mass at 4 p.m. Polka Dance at 5 p.m. Steinhoist Competition at 6 p.m. Wes Cossman Band at 7 p.m. 50/50 raffle at 8:45 p.m. Dylan Wheeler at 9 p.m.

"People from all of Ellis County come to our festival. ... It really helps. It keeps us thriving in Victoria,"&nbsp;Hoffman said. 

Herzogfest is free to attend, but some events require entry fees, including the 5K Run/Walk at $25 and the cornhole tournament at $40 per team.

You can find all registration information and forms <a href="https://theherzogfest.com/applications/">here</a>,&nbsp;with same-day registration also offered at the event.

Hoffman highlighted German dishes such as green bean dumpling soup, blackberry dumplings and bierocks.

He gives thanks to the sponsors, donors and committee members who make Herzogfest possible. You can follow the Herzogfest on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/theherzogfest/events">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and visit its website <a href="https://theherzogfest.com/">here</a>.

Herzogfest set for Aug. 8-9 in Victoria

Become an instant finalist in the Miller Lite UTV Giveaway from A&amp;A Coors-Miller and Briney Motorsports of Hays.

Sign up from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday at Ol' 40 Express, 2020 E. Eighth St., Hays

Register for a 4-seat CF-Moto U-Force 1000 valued at $20,000.&nbsp;

Ol 40 will have free ice cream sandwiches, limit one per customer while supplies last. Stop by for breakfast or homemade lunch.

Additional thanks to Advantage Glass Plus and Commercial Sign of Hays.

Keep listening to Eagle Radio and reading the Hays Post all summer long for your chance to become a finalist.

The UTV will be given away at a Fort Hays State University football game on Saturday, Sept. 13.

Become Miller Lite UTV giveaway finalist Monday at Ol' 40 Express in Hays!

I remember several years ago clamoring up over the dike of one pond in the McPherson Valley Wetlands to be greeted by what looked like something from an exotic Chinese water garden. I’ve always called them water lilies, but the public lands manager for the Kansas Dept of Wildlife and Parks who manages the McPherson Valley Wetlands system tells me their proper name is American Lotus, and says they are in fact native to Kansas.

 That reminded me of PePe Le Pew the skunk from cartoons of my generation. PePe fancied himself a ladies’ man, and his famous pickup line was “Ah, my little lotus flower.”

The year I first discovered them was a wet year, and they filled the shallow waters in the corners of the pond like a mat of immense green leaves dotted with bold, pale, yellowish-white flowers the size of cereal bowls. Most of the time these plants are shown with their enormous leaves floating on the water, but here where the water was shallow, they actually rise above the water’s surface. 

Most of the leaves on these plants were about a foot wide, give or take, and the flowers that were fully opened measured 6 inches across. Leaves on older American Lotus plants can reach 24 inches in diameter. An interesting phenomenon is that American Lotus leaves never get wet; water forms a droplet on them and just runs off.

Each flower has a bright, yellow, round center resembling a little double-layer cake. When the flower dies, that center swells into a seed pod 3 or 4 inches wide resembling a wasp nest with several individual seed compartments that each contain a single marble-sized seed. As it further dries the seed pod droops toward the water and the seeds eventually spill out and lay on the bottom of the pond. The seeds can lay dormant in the mud for several years before germinating, which occurs when the hard outer shell softens. 

The plants grow from tuberous roots called rhizomes which can become up to 50 feet long and can have dozens of plants growing from them. American Lotus plants will grow in the still water of any pond, lake or stream that is shallower than 3 feet.

Waterfowl and other wildlife will eat the seeds and tubers if they can get to them. Native Americans peeled and cooked the tubers to eat as vegetables or dried and stored them for winter food. They ate the seeds in soups and other dishes or roasted them like chestnuts. 

Many Great Plains tribes attributed mystic powers to the American Lotus plants. A poultice made from the pulp of the root was thought to relieve the pain of inflammatory ailments such as arthritis, and a mash made from the blossoms and leaves was said to have anti-fungal properties. Although little sound research exists concerning the medicinal properties of the American Lotus, a close cousin, the Indian or Sacred Lotus which is native to Asia and Australia, has been used medicinally for generations. It is known to relieve asthma, inflammation, headache and fatigue, and is said to promote good digestion.

When I first visited Kansas over 30 years ago, I either bought or was given a decorative seed pod of some sort that was brown and hard with numerous round compartments in it, each containing a round hard seed of some sort. I was told they were called “lake nuts.” That decorative object has long since disappeared, but at the time I remember no one seemed to know what the heck it really was. Guess what; after writing this column I now know it was an American Lotus seed pod! I never cease to be amazed at the wildlife and plants which flourish here in Kansas that common sense tells me shouldn’t be&nbsp;here in our prairie state at all.

Of the American Lotus someone has said, “Whenever you doubt your self-worth, remember the lotus flower. Even though it plunges to life beneath the mud, it does not allow the dirt that surrounds it to affect its growth or beauty.” Boy howdy, can we use a heapin’ portion of that today!

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

Explore Kansas Outdoors: Ah, my little lotus flower!

Congregate care facilities house foster children in settings ranging from drop-in day programs to inpatient mental health care. Advocates say these buildings need more oversight to curb suspected abuse of children.

By&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/author/blaise-mesa/">BLAISE MESA</a> <a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/05/22/new-child-care-law-in-kansas-has-mixed-reviews/">The Beacon</a>

The license for Carla’s Youth Residential Center in Wichita was suspended in 2018 after suspected cases of sexual and physical abuse of foster kids.

There were other concerns about poor supervision, “prohibited punishments” and unqualified staff. State and federal officials concluded that children at the home were “at risk of ongoing physical and emotional harm,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/local/crime/article205636544.html" target="_blank">The Wichita Eagle reported at the time</a>.

Jump forward to 2025 and issues at group homes still exist today. They are bad enough that Kerrie Lonard, head of the state foster care oversight agency the Office of the Child Advocate, is calling for additional inspections of congregate care facilities.

A congregate care facility is a building that houses children. Some serve as inpatient mental health facilities where children stay for weeks. The facilities can also offer a drop-in day program that takes children when they are between foster homes.

Congregate care buildings are typically inspected around once a year, and that inspection is usually announced and planned ahead of time.

These facilities have drug use, violence between kids, excessive force among staff and property damage, Lonard said. There’s also lax oversight that makes it easier for children to run away.

Brenna Visocsky, Just Campaign director with Kansas Appleseed, said she’s heard about issues at these group settings, but added that children don’t feel listened to when they complain. Additional inspection can catch more problems, especially unannounced visits.

Visocsky said announcing when an inspection is planned could allow facilities to temporarily fix problems, then slide back into old habits once an auditor leaves.

“I worry that when there’s a little bit of preemption, there’s like an awareness someone’s coming,” she said. “Everybody’s ready to be on their best behavior.”

It isn’t clear how many individual issues happen at the placements each year.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://oig.hhs.gov/reports/all/2020/kansas-did-not-ensure-that-group-homes-for-children-in-foster-care-complied-with-all-state-health-and-safety-requirements/#:~:text=We%20conducted%20site%20visits%20at,with%20children%20in%20foster%20care." target="_blank">2020 investigation</a>&nbsp;by the federal Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General found that a vast majority of Kansas sites surveyed weren’t following the law. That audit only looked at the 31 facilities that hold between five and 24 foster children.

The report found facilities with rodent droppings, exposed wires and mold.

Twenty-four of the 31 group homes didn’t comply with state environmental requirements, and 29 of the 31 homes didn’t have background checks or fingerprinting of employees. One home even housed men and women together despite only being licensed to house women.

Lonard’s agency investigated 49 complaints about child safety in 2024. It isn’t clear how many of those were about congregate care facilities specifically.

Requiring regular inspections isn’t supposed to be the end-all solution, Lonard said. But it is a first step toward better understanding of what is happening behind closed doors.

Rep. Cyndi Howerton, a Wichita Republican, said by email that she’d rather not change state law to require more inspections. She hopes the agencies will amend their rules to require additional inspections without the legislature needing to step in.

“However, if necessary, I am open to further discussion when the committee reconvenes in January, and I will continue to advocate for thoughtful, common-sense solutions,” said Howerton, chair of the House Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care. “Ensuring the safety and well-being of children in these settings must remain a top priority.”

Kansas inspector wants more scrutiny of foster care group homes amid complaints

Aug. 9-10 Shady Bend 2-Day Golf Tournament;&nbsp;Shady Bend Golf Course, Osborne;&nbsp;9:00 a.m. 4-Man Scramble. To enter call or text Eric Mans at 785-346-4654

Aug. 12 Mommy &amp; Me Tea;&nbsp;Second Street Café, 715 N. 2nd St, Natoma; 6:00 p.m.; Come on in for an elegant, fun and fanciful tea party; Call 785-346-4772

Aug. 16 See You at the Library;&nbsp;Osborne Public Library, 325 W. Main St., Osborne; BRAVE Books See You at the Library Story Hour 11:00 a.m.

Families will gather in libraries across the country for this nationwide event to celebrate faith, freedom, and the power of storytelling. Together, we’ll rediscover what libraries are meant to be: places that spark imagination, shape character, and speak truth to the next generation. We’ll read books that inspire faith and conviction Spark meaningful conversations And build community with families who care about what really matters Bring your kids. Invite your friends. Let’s fill the library with stories and values that matter.

Aug. 20 Dinner Club at the Second Street Café;&nbsp;Second Street Café, 715 N. 2nd St., Natoma;&nbsp;Enjoy a 7-course meal every third Wednesday at 7:00 at the Second Street Cafe Dinner Club; For more information call 785-346-4772

A super fun day for the whole family in Alton. Starting at 7:00 a.m. at the Front Porch Event Center for coffee and rolls followed by a full day – car and bike shows, cake and pie contests, parade, free watermelon, money dig, food stands, Bull City Olympics, water balloon volleyball, bouncy houses, jam sessions, drawings, Jamie Campbell, comedian, Bull City Newlywed Game, cornhole tournament…it all ends with a free street dance featuring Kill Creek Rising! For more information, check out the Alton Jubilee Facebook page.

Aug. 24 Community Church Service in the Park;&nbsp;10:30 a.m. at the Alton City Park; Sponsored by Mt. Ayr Friends Church and Alton United Methodist Church

Aug. 24 2-Person Golf Tournament;&nbsp;Downs Golf Course, KS-181, Downs;&nbsp;9:00 a.m.; Hosted by Knights of Columbus; Contact Brady Cline at 785-545-6183

Aug. 30 Natoma City Wide Garage Sale, Natoma

August events for Osborne County

BY&nbsp;RUSSELL ARBEN FOX&nbsp; Insight Kansas

When Vicki Schmidt, Kansas’s Insurance Commissioner, announced her run for the Republican nomination for governor with a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utFmRLrdtes">folksy campaign video</a>, some folks giggled at its earnestness.

For my part, I liked it, mostly because, with its emphasis on non-ideological practicality, it reminded me of another competent, accomplished, moderate Republican woman in Kansas politics—Jean Schodorf, whose path Schmidt hasn’t followed, but should probably keep in mind, nonetheless.

Many Kansans may miss that comparison; Schodorf—who served for 12 years in the Kansas Senate, became Majority Whip of the Republican caucus, and later ran unsuccessfully for Kansas Secretary of State as a Democrat—never moved beyond her Wichita base to state-wide office, and hasn’t been in the public eye for nearly a decade. 

But besides parallels both generational (Schodorf was born in 1950, Schmidt in 1955) and professional (both had careers in health care-adjacent fields, Schmidt as a pharmacist, Schodorf as a speech pathologist), there is a political one—both were targeted for defeat by their own party leadership, with very different consequences.

In 2012, when Governor Brownback was riding high on his tax-cut ideology (and years before his governorship’s deeply unpopular and embarrassing end was mostly memory-holed by his own party), he aimed to purge moderate Republicans from the Kansas GOP, and orchestrated large donations from Koch Industries and the Kansas Chamber to recruit conservative candidates to challenge multiple leading Republican members of the legislature in primary contests.

Most of those targeted couldn’t compete with the money and partisan momentum against them, Schodorf included. Schmidt, however, was one of the very few that survived that challenge, though only barely (in a primary election with over 11,000 votes cast, she won by 160).

Why were Schodorf and Schmidt both on Brownback’s hit list? Because they were Republicans who weren’t particularly fired up by his fiscally unsustainable ideological crusade, nor by his personality cult as an anti-government crusader. 

They were both, in the now mostly-forgotten sense, Bob Dole Republicans—Republicans who, as Schodorf once put it, “<a target="_blank" href="https://inmedias.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-kansas-gop-has-thought-itself-out.html">think in terms of moderation</a>,” or as Schmidt puts it repeatedly in her announcement video, “use common sense.”

In&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/podcasts/vicki-schmidt-on-seeking-the-gop-nomination-for-governor/">a podcast with the&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/podcasts/vicki-schmidt-on-seeking-the-gop-nomination-for-governor/">Kansas Reflector</a>, Schmidt’s reputation was put on the spot, with such hot-button topics as abortion, vaccines, and Donald Trump’s cuts to state programs thrown at her. Without ever using the word “moderation”—a word that is, at least among some members of the Kansas GOP primary electorate, an insult—Schmidt stood her ground, insisting that in Kansas abortion is a “non-issue,” that vaccines “save lives,” that practical alternatives to Medicaid expansion have been needlessly undermined by “political games,” and more.

Fifteen years ago, Schodorf, then one of Schmidt’s colleagues in the Senate, was saying similar things, wanting to see the state align itself with the Affordable Care Act, preserve education funding, and more.

After the 2012 election, Schodorf felt the best way to continue to say the things she believed Kansans needed to hear was to run as a Democrat, a path that didn’t work out for her. 

Schmidt, for her part, left the Senate after one more term (she expresses regret to the&nbsp;Reflector&nbsp;over some of her Brownback-era votes there) and ran for Insurance Commissioner, where her unshowy, results-oriented approach has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansas.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/dion-lefler/article299105565.html">saved Kansans tens of millions of dollars</a>.

Patient, practical political work used to be the hallmark of a certain sort of Kansas conservative. Whether there remains an electoral path to the leadership of the state GOP for a Schodorfian-style, common sense Republican woman&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/07/25/an-early-report-on-the-kansas-governors-race-heavyweight-republicans-and-low-key-democrats/">is unlikely</a>—but Schmidt may provide a solid test.

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

Insight Kansas: Schmidt, Schodorf, fate of moderate Republican Kansas woman

<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

Family Worship: A Family Focused on Its Future - Hebrews 11:17-22

2025 Alton Jubilee set for Aug. 23-24

COLBY — The Colby Community College men's basketball team will host their 27th annual Golf Tournament and Sponsor Appreciation event on Friday, August 29 at Meadow Lake Golf Course. All proceeds will be used to support the program.

Registration for the four-person scramble begins at 8 a.m., with a tee time of 9 a.m. Participants are asked to make their own cart arrangements. The entry fee is $300 per team and includes a sack lunch on the course. After golfing, participants and season sponsors will have dinner and an opportunity to meet the 2025-26 men's basketball team.

For more information on being a season sponsor or to register for the golf tournament, scan the QR code or contact Coach Jerrod Stanford at 620-385-0273.

Colby Community College men's basketball team hosts golf tourney Aug. 29

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

WILSON — Kansas Originals, after 37 years of selling arts, crafts, books, and Kansas-made food products, is facing the demolition of its building and supporters thought it might be the end of the store and its mission.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/925f00e0-e00a-49cb-98b3-acfc1aeb3dd3">Although the building at exit 206 of Interstate 70 is still slated for demolition to make way for a new truck stop</a>, Kansas Originals has found a new home.

The store will close its off-interstate location on Sept. 30 and open on Oct. 1 at 2519 Ave. E in downtown Wilson.

Marge Lawson, Kansas Orginals CEO, said the new location will have a smaller showroom, but the nonprofit will have off-site storage to make up some of the difference.

The new location will have the same events as the former, including tastings of Kansas wines and events to meet local artisans.

"We're going to make it even better," Lawson said.

The nonprofit that operates the store owns its building, but not the land on which it sits. The building is set to be demolished on Nov. 30, Lawson said.

The Kansas Originals board is also pursuing satellite shops. The nonprofit is exploring a partnership with travel centers along the interstate. The organization had a satellite shop in the Topeka travel center until the pandemic hit in 2020.

Consumers can order some products from the store's website,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansasoriginals.com/.">www.kansasoriginals.com.</a>&nbsp;Lawson said the board is considering revamping its website and using it to promote more of the products available through the store.

However, she said because many of the crafts are handmade, inventory is limited.

The store will also likely add new signage to direct people from the interstate to the new store in Wilson.

Lawson, who was a co-founder of the Kansas Orginals, said she is thrilled the mission of the shop will continue.

She explained that mission in a letter to the Hays Post in May, "Our mission is to provide marketplaces for the work of Kansas artists, craftsmen and food producers, especially those who are 62 or over, low-income, disabled, minorities or women in business."

According to&nbsp;Post Rock Opportunities Foundation, which is the nonprofit that supports Kansas Originals,  more than 1,000 corporations, businesses, and individuals have supported the nonprofit through grants, sponsorships and monetary donations since its founding.

The Smoky Hill Foundation, Merrill Foundation, Kansas Arts Commission and Dane G. Hansen Foundation are among the Kansas Originals' supporters, as well as the local artisans and craftspeople who donate their work to fundraisers.

Kansas Originals will join other tourist stops in Wilson, and Lawson said she hopes the store will draw more visitors to the community of about 800.

Wilson proudly promotes its Czech heritage, with the <a href="https://www.travelks.com/listing/worlds-largest-czech-egg/41977/">world's largest Czech egg</a> and an annual <a href="https://wilsonczechfest.com/">After Harvest Czech Festival</a> that was celebrated last weekend.

It is also the home of the historic <a href="https://www.midlandrailroadhotel.com/">Midland Railroad Hotel</a>, and t<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/faccd0a7-80dc-4f2f-99f8-e084f88cb981">he community has rallied to create an outdoor entertainment venue from its former historic opera house, which burned in 2009.</a>

That new venue will open later this month.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/67bee6b6-2d7a-42ac-b543-dad1b4c610e3">Wilson was also the location of filming of several scenes from the classic "Paper Moon," which draws film buffs to the area to see the locations where Tatum and Ryan O'Neal shot the movie.</a>

When the nonprofit was first notified of the developers' plans, Lawson said she was afraid Kansas Originals might be forced to close. Now, she's looking toward the future.

"Yes. I am happy," she said. "It's going to be challenging, but it gives us exciting new opportunities."

Kansas Originals has an active GoFundMe account to help with the transition.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/KansasOriginals" target="_blank">Click</a><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/KansasOriginals">&nbsp;here to donate</a>.

You can still visit the Kansas Originals location 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays at 233 Highway 232, Wilson, KS, 67490 until the store moves at the end of September.

For more information, email info@kansasoriginals.com or call 785-658-2602.

<a href="http://Facebook.">You can also follow Kansas Originals on Facebook.</a>

Kansas Originals finds new home

&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

 3rd-annual women's self-defense workshop set in Hays

The Kansas Wetlands Education Center (KWEC) invites the public to join its staff for a free, family-friendly meteor shower watch party on Tuesday, Aug. 12, from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.

This annual event celebrates the end of summer as the Earth passes through the dust and debris of the Swift-Tuttle comet, creating a spectacular display of meteors or “shooting stars” in the night sky. This year, our event will coincide with peak viewing dates, and stargazers may be able to spot 60-100 meteors per hour.

Located northeast of Great Bend on K-156 Highway, the KWEC offers an ideal location for comfortable sky-watching. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets to relax on the KWEC lawn while enjoying the celestial show.

In addition to meteor watching, the evening will feature s’mores making and eating, and several space-themed learning stations inside the KWEC. Activities include a magnetic meteor hunt, spectroscope building, a space lander challenge, an asteroid belt art project, and using a blender bike to make galaxy smoothies. Planetarium shows will be offered in the inflatable planetarium, and we will have real meteorites on loan from the Sternberg Museum of Natural History.

The event will proceed rain or shine, but clear skies are necessary for optimal meteor shower viewing.

The Kansas Wetlands Education Center, affiliated with FHSU’s Werth College of Science, Technology and Mathematics, is located 10 miles northeast of Great Bend along Kansas Highway 156 at Cheyenne Bottoms, 592 NE K-156 Hwy., Great Bend.

For more information, visit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.7LNxDHQVpzCjONIZ4OYIqiohrCVEzT-2Bu22yVklcaqOvmZGt05-2BeOL3r-2Flc3NH2OV__SK_1ix3pnygukYWZfKiCJpm8BsHsayWXlw0ucteiDEo46fRc0p9DVWJmv2prlqkbHR6S2dsrJiXPEopagJAn55fgrGOya21Ubchf288oY8AFP4iYaBJwhylwdd5l9F7UOfO9ovZePPueXoOYjqeKnABTqUprH1DWoHlNK6oTYNLIL3frrCD5Zg5SitaprItwmilgdkg5kTH2cnJHgTyIuGyaV55gXhnyd-2FCFT3UrSdSD-2FcMxcM2kdsRqnH-2BkYbAmtZFiEJ6vonVmM14WEb2q9YBjTV4-2F7BYHmfKaFspyhE1VKi04Pm3qE62wIGxnR71QrpNrNgwI0flpx9OW6CuX7sLAbSEkWvVzUzZLE1VJ8uFAGyAGE-2FgTubSuTlgLxMGVnTr">wetlandscenter.fhsu.edu</a>&nbsp;or call 1-877-243-9268.

Kansas Wetlands Education Center hosts Perseid meteor shower watch party

Kansas Interscholastic Cycling League mountain bike racing team forming in Hays

Become an instant finalist in the Miller Lite UTV Giveaway from A&amp;A Coors-Miller and Briney Motorsports of Hays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at Discount Smokes,&nbsp;2504 Vine St., Hays.

Register for a 4-seat CF-Moto U-Force 1000 valued at $20,000.&nbsp;

Keep listening and reading the Hays Post all summer long for your chance to become a finalist.

Become Miller Lite UTV giveaway finalist today at Discount Smokes in Hays!

WILSON&nbsp;STATE PARK — Lovegrass Music Festival FAQ and festival information. Please read!

Every motorized vehicle that enters Wilson State Park needs a daily vehicle permit ($5 per day). That can be obtained at the Park office, at the entrance of the park. The office closes at 6:00 p.m. -&nbsp; if you arrive later, please purchase a day pass at the self-pay station. You can pick up the pass in advance at any state park, or online.&nbsp;

Parking is extremely limited near the festival grounds so please carpool, walk, or bike to the festival area!&nbsp; Parking areas will be marked and staff will assist you to Day Parking. It is essential you do not obstruct the flow of traffic and be COMPLETELY pulled off of the pavement if you do park.&nbsp; Parking is permitted on any areas of grass that have been mowed.&nbsp; Please plan to walk a distance, as there is no parking directly on the festival grounds, except handicapped parking.&nbsp; Please have your handicap placard displayed for parking attendants to recognize and direct you accordingly.

Day Parking will not be allowed in the Buffalograss or Big Bluestem areas, as these are reserved for those who are camping in these areas.&nbsp; You will not be allowed in these areas without a Campground Vehicle Permit.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Everyone must enter and exit through the designated gate.&nbsp; Please stay out of areas fenced off in orange.&nbsp; We will have an increased presence of staff and security placed throughout the festival grounds, in CREW shirts to assist if you have questions or concerns.&nbsp;&nbsp;

If you are planning on bringing a new canopy, grill, or other apparatus, please leave the box at home or pack it back in the box to return home. The park dumpsters fill quickly, so please try to keep litter to a minimum.&nbsp; Kans for Kids, a fundraiser for childhood cancer, will have aluminum can recycling containers around the festival grounds.&nbsp; Please no glass or breakable containers in the festival grounds or near the water.&nbsp; Let’s all do our part to keep the park beautiful.&nbsp;

You may bring food and beverages into the festival area.&nbsp; Please no large coolers, as space is limited. We ask that you refrain from single-use plastic water bottles to minimize trash and promote sustainability.&nbsp; A filtered water station will be available to refill water bottles near the activity tent.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Food vendors will be available on the festival grounds on Friday and Saturday.&nbsp; The nearby marina offers snacks, beverages, and grocery items as does Knothead’s Baitshop, located just outside the park.&nbsp; Dining and grocery options can also be found in the nearby towns of Lucas, Wilson, and Dorrance.

Limited Lovegrass Festival merchandise will be available on-site for sale each evening from 5-11 p.m. (We accept Cash, Venmo and PayPal.&nbsp; We can also accept GooglePay, ApplePay, and Credit Cards ONLY if you have a smartphone to scan a QR code for checkout). &nbsp; We will also be hosting a 50/50 raffle which is CASH ONLY, so please plan accordingly, and GOOD LUCK!

Pets are NOT allowed in the festival area.&nbsp; Unless your animal meets the ADA definition of a SERVICE ANIMAL, do not bring them onto the festival grounds.&nbsp; Under Title II and Title III of the ADA, a service animal means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pets are allowed in the other areas of Wilson State Park, but must be restrained by a camper, kennel, hand-held leash, or tether, no more than 10 feet in length.&nbsp;

Thank you in advance for reviewing all of the Wilson State Park and Lovegrass Music Festival Association rules and regulations on our website at <a target="_blank" href="https://lovegrassmusicfestival.com/so/4ePXDgVK7/c?w=PCAGl9XBnKQfWUr97REj0YeND1_GTkZ_uSq9LguzdvE.eyJ1IjoiaHR0cDovL3d3dy5sb3ZlZ3Jhc3NtdXNpY2Zlc3RpdmFsLmNvbSIsInIiOiIxMzM2N2I4NS0yNTQ2LTRkOTAtODM2NS05OWEyMzEzMWY5ODMiLCJtIjoibWFpbCIsImMiOiIwYjg3MTdiNC1kNWZlLTQzZjQtOWI4Ni1hODQzMDBiNDNlNGUifQ">www.lovegrassmusicfestival.com</a>/experience before attending. Be sure and follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lovegrassmusicfestival">Facebook</a> for updates as the festival nears.

<a href="https://www.lovegrassmusicfestival.com/register?utm_campaign=ed61931f-08e9-4fd0-8ff4-79d4c445824e&amp;utm_source=so&amp;utm_medium=mail&amp;cid=0b8717b4-d5fe-43f4-9b86-a84300b43e4e">Register here for tickets</a>.&nbsp;

Information for Lovegrass Music Festival Aug. 7-9 at Wilson State Park

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BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Problems linger in a Kansas federal prison holding immigrant detainees, even after altering some practices that a coalition of lawyers, civil rights groups and advocates revealed were harmful to those inside.

The Federal Correction Institution at Leavenworth is one of two places in Kansas where Immigration and Customs Enforcement can detain people long term, and the coalition wrote to the prison warden in June about&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/06/06/immigrants-detained-in-leavenworth-federal-prison-live-in-squalor-without-sunlight-letters-claim/">unsanitary, inequitable and unhealthy conditions</a>.&nbsp;

Warden Crystal Carter wrote in a June 20 response letter that the prison had eliminated medical fees, added law library resources that ICE failed to provide, implemented new recreation hours and expanded Spanish-language communications.

But concerns about lockdowns and adequate phone call time remain, said Kyle Virgien, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project.

“We see a lot of problems across ICE’s detention network,” Virgien said. “Detention is difficult. It rips people from their communities. It isolates them from their families. This is a constant.”

Virgien began speaking with people inside Leavenworth in April and continues to monitor conditions.

The coalition wrote in a pair of letters in May that detained immigrants faced unsanitary and crowded living quarters, extended lockdowns, delayed and costly medical treatment, restricted contact with their families, and no access to religious services.

Some had attempted suicide, the letter said.

Carter, the warden, said things have changed.

After reviewing its procedures, the prison eliminated a $2 fee that people in ICE custody were charged for certain health visits. Staff were told to stop those charges and reverse all previous ones. To boost access for medical services, the prison created request slips written in Spanish for ICE detainees, Carter said. However, it is unclear how quickly officials respond to Spanish medical requests.&nbsp;

Carter said capacity concerns did not exist at the time of writing, and, according to the coalition, people inside have said what once were crowded cells have become less so.&nbsp;

According to July data from ICE, estimating average daily populations from the past year, about 35 people are held daily in Leavenworth for immigration reasons. Most pose little to no threat, according to ICE threat level classifications. On average, around 21 people were associated with criminal cases, and 12 were not. All are male and stay an average of 25 days.

During those 25 days, people in ICE custody now are afforded at least one hour of outdoor recreation time daily and a maximum of 300 minutes of phone calls per month, with no call lasting longer than 15 minutes.

People in ICE custody at Leavenworth are subject to the rules and policies of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which oversees operations. Some of the rules and policies are a departure from typical conditions in ICE detention facilities, Virgien said.

He has heard stories of mistreatment from guards and retaliatory lockdowns that punish many for the actions of few, he said. Lockdowns mean people are in cells for 23 hours a day and must “pack all of their life tasks into that one hour outside the cell,” Virgien said, which can include recreation, showers, legal research, religious practices and phone calls.

Carter said one instance of a lockdown has occurred in Leavenworth’s ICE detention unit for 72 hours, and another more than eight hours.

“Except for the limited and infrequent instances, all ICE detainees have time outside of their cell each day and have access to exercise, the electronic law library and phone systems,” Carter said.

The people ICE detains in Leavenworth are imprisoned alongside people awaiting criminal trials or serving criminal sentences.

Benjamin O’Cone, a spokesman for the bureau, said in an emailed statement that it’s the mission of the bureau and Leavenworth to “operate facilities that are safe, secure and humane.”

“We take seriously our duty to protect the individuals entrusted in our custody, as well as maintaining the safety of our employees and the community,” O’Cone said. “Humane treatment of the men and women in our custody is a top priority.”

ICE did not respond to a request for comment. ICE also has not responded to the coalition’s letter, according to ACLU of Kansas spokeswoman Esmie Tseng.

Virgien said the coalition is glad the prison addressed some of the issues they raised, but concerns remain.

“Many of the people at the facility have already won their immigration cases, and ICE is still detaining them,” Virgien said.

The coalition believes ICE should release people as soon as their immigration cases are won.

In at least one case, an immigration judge determined a man could not return to his country of origin without risking torture. Others include people who have spoken out against authoritarian governments in their countries of origin or fled persecution. Some have young children. Many have come from Chicago, and a small number from Kentucky, Virgien said.

When asked about the possibility of pursuing legal action, Virgien said, “all options are on the table.”

Now, with major Congressional budget increases for ICE, Virgien fears problems will only multiply.

Congress approved more than $175 billion for ICE in its most recent budget bill, making it what the Brennan Center for Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/budget-bill-massively-increases-funding-immigration-detention" target="_blank">classified</a>&nbsp;as the largest federal law enforcement agency. The funds expand ICE’s ability to bring people into custody while capping the number of immigration judges in the country.

Also in Leavenworth, private prison company CoreCivic is battling the city government to reopen a shuttered prison to use as its Midwest Regional Reception Center, which would detain as many as 1,000 people. A judge<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/07/17/judge-again-blocks-corecivic-from-opening-leavenworth-prison-as-court-skirmishes-continue/">&nbsp;temporarily blocked</a>&nbsp;the company in July from housing people at its facility until the matter is worked out in court.

Federal Leavenworth prison modifies conditions for migrants after letters reveal squalor

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 49-year-old Robert Benedict.

Just after 4:30p.m. Friday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 800 block of Benton on a reported shooting, according to Officer Phil DiMartino.

As officers arrived they were directed to the intersection of 8th and Benton, just to the east. There they located Benedict suffering from gunshot wounds.&nbsp; KCFD personnel responded and medics pronounced him deceased on scene. This is being investigated as a homicide, and a subject of interest was taken into custody pending further investigation.&nbsp;

 Preliminary information revealed there was an altercation between multiple people that led to shots being fired and the victim being struck.&nbsp; Police did not release the name of the suspect.

Police ID victim in KC shooting, suspect taken into custody

By JOSH FUNK AP Transportation Writer

Over three days of sometimes contentious hearings this week, the National Transportation Safety Board interrogated Federal Aviation Administration and Army officials about a list of things that went wrong and contributed to a Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet colliding over Washington, D.C.,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b">killing 67 people</a>.

The biggest revelations: The helicopter's altimeter gauge was broken, and controllers warned the FAA years earlier about the dangers that helicopters presented.

At one point NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy scolded the FAA for not addressing safety concerns.

“Are you kidding me? Sixty-seven people are dead! How do you explain that? Our bureaucratic process?” she said. “Fix it. Do better.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fatal-washington-flight-passengers-ca062f03b729c130058d4f74393dfa31">Victims of the January crash</a>&nbsp;included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-plane-collision-victims-ee829891574aa35a30d8262b7e07e638">a group of elite young figure skaters</a>, their parents and coaches and four union steamfitters from the Washington area.

Here is a look at the major takeaways from the hearings about the collision, which alarmed travelers before a string of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/toronto-delta-crash-9c37b48b9719cffdbeba920d46e116b9">other crashes</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-plane-collision-chicago-midway-faa-e0abb86c91ea54a751cc917ae97d2d11">close calls</a>&nbsp;this year added to their worries about flying:

The helicopter was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-national-airport-aircraft-crash-ntsb-3dec2686beb43ada10ce392c857751cc">flying at 278 feet</a>&nbsp;(85 meters) — well above the 200-foot (61-meter) ceiling on that route — when it collided with the airliner. But investigators said the pilots might not have realized that because the barometric altimeter they were relying on was reading 80 to 100 feet (24 to 30 meters) lower than the altitude registered by the flight data recorder.

The NTSB subsequently found similar discrepancies in the altimeters of three other helicopters from the same unit.

An expert with Sikorsky, which makes the Black Hawks, said the one that crashed was an older model that lacked the air data computers that make for more accurate altitude readings in newer versions.

Army Chief Warrant Officer Kylene Lewis told the board that an 80- to 100-foot (24- to 30-meter) discrepancy between the different altimeters on a helicopter would not be alarming, because at lower altitudes she would be relying more on the radar altimeter than the barometric altimeter. Plus Army pilots strive to stay within 100 feet (30 meters) of target altitude on flights, so they could still do that even with their altimeters that far off.

But Rick Dressler of medevac operator Metro Aviation told the NTSB that imprecision would not fly with his helicopters. When a helicopter route like the one the Black Hawk was flying that night includes an altitude limit, Dressler said, his pilots consider that a hard ceiling.

Both tried to deflect responsibility for the crash, but the testimony highlighted plenty of things that might have been done differently. The NTSB’s final report will be done next year, but there likely will not be one single cause identified for the crash.

“I think it was a week of reckoning for the FAA and the U.S. Army in this accident,” aviation safety consultant and former crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti said.

Army officials said the greater concern is that the FAA approved routes around Ronald Reagan International Airport with separation distances as small as 75 feet (23 meters) between helicopters and planes when planes are landing on a certain runway at Reagan.

“The fact that we have less than 500-foot separation is a concern for me,” said Scott Rosengren, chief engineer in the office that manages the Army’s utility helicopters.

Army Chief Warrant Officer David Van Vechten said he was surprised the air traffic controller let the helicopter proceed while the airliner was circling to land at Reagan’s secondary runway, which is used when traffic for the main runway stacks up and accounts for about 5% of flights.

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