By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

An Ellis County dispatcher received her second Stork Award after helping a caller deliver a baby over the phone.

On April 5, dispatcher Rachel Barnes answered a 911 call reporting a woman in labor in rural Ellis County. Barnes quickly instructed the caller to gather towels before giving further directions.

"You don't typically get calls as a dispatcher that are positive. Having done it once before, getting that call and realizing that I'm going to do something that has a good outcome gets me really excited." Barnes said.

About one minute into the call, a baby was delivered before responders arrived. Barnes then instructed the caller on how to make sure the newborn was breathing and properly wrapped.

"It's always important to make sure you have something to keep that baby warm because they're so small, and they're not going to be able to regulate their heat," she said.

She instructed the caller to check whether the placenta had been delivered and to wait until the umbilical cord had changed color before tying it off. The call lasted about 16 minutes.

Barnes said the most challenging part of the phone call was waiting for responders. The family was about 15 miles away from HaysMed.

"With every call, it's really just the waiting, because there's only so much you can do as a voice on the end of the phone," she said.

Barnes said the call involved her, a grandfather and a grandmother who helped deliver their grandson’s baby girl.

For providing calm guidance and instructions, Ellis County Communications Director Jeff Ridgway presented Barnes with a certificate recognizing dispatchers who assist in successful pre-hospital childbirths.

"Dispatcher Barnes utilized her professionalism and personal experience to keep the caller and the mother calm," Ridgway said.&nbsp;

Barnes was also recognized with the Stork Award in 2023 for guiding another childbirth over a 911 call. She received it alongside a coworker for answering a similar call.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/7ff46850-a578-446d-b364-7f99e5b2d3bb">SEE RELATED STORY: 911 dispatchers win Hays 'Stork Award' after newborns win race against responders</a>

"People don't get Stork Awards super often. There's only been three total since our center was established, and all of them have been within the last three years," she said.

NWester: Ellis County Dispatcher delivers baby over 911 call

By BRYNLEE WALTER Buckeye Jr. Farmers 4-H Club Reporter

The 2024-2025 4-H year is coming to a close and the 44 members of the Buckeye Jr. Farmers 4-H Club have enjoyed a busy and rewarding year filled with community service, learning opportunities, and plenty of fun. Members of the club worked hard, celebrated together, and earned top honors for their efforts.

One highlight of the year was the club’s “Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat” service project.

 Members collected food donations to help families in need, showing their dedication to giving back to the community. The club also spread cheer by playing Bingo and visiting with nursing home residents, bringing smiles and conversation to local seniors.

The Buckeye Jr. Farmers celebrated the holiday season with a lively Christmas party filled with snacks, games, and laughter—a perfect way to enjoy friendship and teamwork outside of regular meetings.

Club members also showcased their talents through Club Days competitions. 

At Ellis County Club Days, the Buckeye Jr. Farmers earned purple ribbons on both their club skit and model meeting.

 Their success continued at Regional 4-H Days, where they brought home a purple ribbon on their skit and a blue ribbon on their model meeting, reflecting their strong communication skills and creative teamwork.

The year wouldn’t be complete without the excitement of the county fair, where members enjoyed showing projects, making memories, and earning lots of ribbons and valuable experience.

The Buckeye Jr. Farmers 4-H Club continues to live out the 4-H pledge— “Head, Heart, Hands, and Health”—through service, learning, and fun. Their hard work and dedication prove that 4-H is more than projects and ribbons; it’s about building friendships, strengthening communities, and growing future leaders.

The new 4-H year will start October 1 and the Buckeye Jr. Farmers would welcome any and all new members. 

For more information please contact the Ellis County Extension office at 785-628-9430.

Buckeye Jr. Farmers 4-H Club shines in year of service, fun, achievement

Reporter Cristina Janney speaks with Doug Williams of Grow Hays about&nbsp; the Network Kansas ECommunity Loan program on this episode of the Hays Post Podcast.

Please submit your questions for Doug for future interviews to&nbsp;hayspost@eaglemedia.com.

🎙 Post Podcast: Doug Williams of Grow Hays  on ECommunity loan program

By STEVE GILLILAND My annual day spent helping at the Kansas Fur Harvesters booth at the Kansas State Fair, showed me once again that there are great life lessons to be learned at the fair.

For example, knee-high socks of any color, but especially black, DO NOT go with shorts. If you’re not ready to purchase the last mop, set of cookware or garden-hose nozzle you’ll ever need, DO NOT go through the vender’s buildings, and if your hair doesn’t need fixing or your tennis shoes or glasses need cleaning, avoid the afore mentioned buildings also.

And where else but the state fair can you find racing pigs, campers costing more than my house, a guy selling Ecuadorian pan flutes, a chain saw sculpture, hot tubs, mattresses and water softeners all within a stone’s throw of each other. 

Beneath the grandstand, you’ll find sewing machines sold next to a Chinese massager parlor, and more yard art than you can imagine, including metal sunflowers, tornados fashioned from barbed-wire, dogs made from railroad spikes, frogs made from rebar and bugs built from assorted nuts and bolts with toilet tank floats for abdomens. 

Then on to the dark and forbidden midway, aptly named because its “midway” between you and your wallet, where shadowy hucksters await behind every tent flap. Here you can throw balls or bat balls, throw darts or throw rings, shoot rifles or shoot baskets, to win anything from framed pictures of Dale Earnhardt and Sponge Bob, to a three-foot stuffed Garfield or a huge inflatable dolphin. 

And of course, there is the absolute plethora of fair food, where you can find anything imaginable deep fried and/or put on a stick.

A great piece of advice from Jeff Foxworthy is “If you’re going somewhere alone, don’t wear a T-shirt that says “I’m Here with Stupid.” I love reading T-shirts people are wearing and boy-howdy, there’s no better place to do that than at a state fair. 

Here, in no particular order, are my favorite T shirt captions seen at this year’s state fair:

The Only Thing that Should Come Between a Hunter and His Meat is Bread 9 out of 10 Bears Surveyed Prefer Campers over S’mores I Believe Every Form of Wildlife has its Place; Right Next to the Mashed Potatoes and Gravy You’ve Read My T-Shirt; That’s Enough Social Interaction for Today I Love My Country, it’s My Government that Scares Me Your Political Correctness Offends Me (This appeared with a picture of a Harley chopper motorcycle ridden by a skeleton and is possibly my favorite.) Sons of Arthritis, Ibuprofen Chapter WORN BY ADULTS WHO PROBABLY ALWAYS SAY WHAT THE REST OF US ARE THINKING: “Your IQ test came back negative” “I have multiple personalities and none of them like you” JUST FLAT-OUT FUNNY ONES: “I don’t suffer from stress, I’m a carrier” “My take home pay doesn’t take me home” “I have the right to remain silent; I just don’t have the ability” “I’m not a complete idiot; Some parts are missing” (Written below the picture of a fish skeleton)- “Proud member of the Fillet-and-Release Club” (written below a picture of a running whitetail buck) – “Eat more fast food"

As you’re reading this another Kansas State fair has come and gone, and along with it the smells, both good and bad, the horrendous traffic and the sea of humanity that floods Hutchinson this time each year. 

Yup, there’s no better entertainment for this country boy than the state fair — fond memories, life lessons learned, fine dining and new fashion statements. 

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

Explore Kansas Outdoors: A Fair Assumption

ELLIS — Grab a lawn chair, bring a neighbor or friends to the Ellis Community Block Party on Saturday, Sept. 27, from 4–7 p.m. at Creekside Park.

The celebration marks the completion of the new picnic pavilion at Creekside Park. 

The 25 ’x 50 ’metal shelter provides ample space for gatherings with eight picnic tables—two of which are ADA accessible. The pavilion also includes four electrical outlets, a 40 ’x 60 ’concrete pad, a conversational firepit area, and two handicap-accessible parking spaces. Designed with comfort and accessibility in mind, the new space offers a welcoming place for the whole community to enjoy.

The Community Block Party, sponsored by the Community Foundation of Ellis, will feature area non-profit booths sharing information about their organizations. Citizens can learn more about the great work happening in our community. 

Starting at 4:30 p.m. take part in the ribbon cutting with generous donor recognitions followed by enjoying a free meal of pulled pork, hot dogs, and chips. At 6 p.m., the crowd is invited to gather around the new firepit to roast marshmallow and make their own s’mores. The CFOE table will display many donated gifts which visitors can register for with the raffle drawing taken place around 6:45 p.m.

Games and activities for all ages will also be available, including cornhole, horseshoes, giant Connect 4, ladder ball, face painting, soda ring-toss, Touch A Truck, the Disaster Truck and the STEM Maker Van from FHSU.

The Community Foundation of Ellis extends its gratitude to the generous donors who made this project possible, helping create a space where neighbors can gather, relax, and celebrate together. Even if Sept. 27 is a busy day for you and your family, try to schedule some time to stop by the Block Party.

Community invited to celebrate new picnic pavilion at Ellis Block Party

By LINN ANN HUNTINGTON Ellis County Ministerial Alliance

The distinctive smell of liver and onions will once again permeate the area around 11th&nbsp;and Fort Streets on Thursday, Oct. 2. Hays First Baptist Church will be having its free “4th&nbsp;Annual Liver &amp; Onions Drive Thru” from 5 to 7 p.m.—or until the food runs on.

Once again the menu will consist of beef liver, grilled onions, mashed potatoes, gravy, and a homemade roll—all prepared by the members of the Men’s Ministry at the church.

Pastor G. Chris Prater said, “We will cook 60 pounds of liver. Those 60 pounds will make 120 meals.” He said the church does not place a limit on how many meals a vehicle may receive.

There are no income requirements to receive the free meal.

“We hold this event to simply love on our community, to remind them that, ‘Hey, we are still here, and we care,’” Prater said. “As the pastor of this church, I love the fact that this is an ‘outside of the box’ event.”

Hays church offers free liver, onions drive-through meal on Oct. 2

By MICHAEL A. SMITH Insight Kansas

When Kansas Congresswoman Sharice Davids took office in 2019, her Missouri counterpart Emanuel Cleaver II offered to show her around.&nbsp; 

Apparently wanting to check any potential condescension by the older Cleaver, Davids–a former MMA fighter–responded by offering to show Cleaver how to break someone’s legs. The two Kansas City-area representatives have been friends ever since. Today, it is not legs, but districts being broken.

Following the lead of Texas–and the White House–the Missouri General Assembly just passed a map eliminating the Kansas City-area Fifth District represented by Cleaver, dissolving Kansas City into three, predominantly rural districts, all majority Republican. Voters may still get to have their say on the map, and numerous lawsuits have already been filed.

Two Republican candidates for governor–Jeff Colyer and Ty Masterson–have already come forward in favor of mid-decade redistricting here. The target would be Davids, the only Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation. She represents all of Johnson County, the southern half of Wyandotte County, and all of Miami, Anderson, and Franklin Counties. 

The addition of those three rural counties and removal of northern Wyandotte in 2022 appears to have been an attempt to make Davids’ Third District more Republican, but it did not work.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Davids’ base is in Johnson County.&nbsp; Once a Republican stronghold, JoCo has shifted blue, much like other suburban counties across the nation. Today, not only is JoCo one of the state’s only Democratic-leaning counties, it also avoided the national “red shift” from 2020 to 2024. Kamala Harris’ winning margin there was even higher than Joe Biden’s was, four years earlier.

Any successful redistricting to produce a 4-0 Republican map must break up Johnson County, where it will meet fierce resistance. The Overland Park Chamber of Commerce has already come out against it. 

The map would have to be egregiously gerrymandered, not unlike the new Missouri map, which splits Kansas City along Troost Avenue, the city’s notorious, racial dividing line. In JoCo, the Democrats’ base lies mostly in the older, closer-in suburbs along the borders with Missouri and with Wyandotte County - the interior of the current district.

 A mid-decade gerrymander would have to reach deep into the heart of the county, moving those precincts to a district which wraps around other districts and extends for many miles into Republican-voting, rural parts of the state.

Kansas does not have the same provisions for citizen referenda as Missouri, so putting the law on the ballot for voters to reject is not an option here. However, court challenges would be filed immediately.

The Missouri Fifth is (or was) a minority influence district, where African-Americans do not constitute a majority, but they do have certain legal protections under the Voting Rights Act, upheld by key court rulings.&nbsp; Likewise, Kansas’ Third District is its most diverse. Breaking it up may face scrutiny. 

Critics in Missouri also argue that the state constitution does not even&nbsp;allow&nbsp;mid-decade redistricting, and the same argument could be made here – in court, of course.&nbsp; 

Finally, many rural constituents may not&nbsp;want&nbsp;to share districts with their urban counterparts, fearing a dilution of rural influence in Congress.

Given all the drama that continues to unfold along the state line, Kansans may end up deciding that after all is said and done, mid-decade redistricting just isn’t worth the trouble.&nbsp;

Michael Smith is a professor of political science at Emporia State University.

Insight Kansas: What would mid-decade redistricting look like 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

Become one of two finalists in the Yuengling Flight Golf Cart Giveaway this Sunday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Toby Jugs, 104 E. 7th, Hays. Toby's is hosting a Kansas City Chiefs tailgate before the game against the New York Giants Sunday evening.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Enjoy a grill plate and dessert for just $10 and Toby's drink specials.

Part of the proceeds will benefit homeless pets at the Humane Society of the High Plains. There's also a 50/50 fundraiser for the Hays Humane Society.

Family Worship: Looking into the Future II - Mathew 24:13-20

ELLIS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Ellis County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Chevy Captiva driven by a 17-year from Ellis was eastbound in the 1200 block of Old U.S. 40 Highway. The SUV rear-ended a bicycle ridden by Kohno&nbsp;Satomi, 52, Hays, who was traveling on the highway shoulder.

EMS transported to Satomi to Hays Medical Center. The 17-year-old was properly restrained and not injured. Satomi was wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

Bicyclist from Hays hospitalized after rear-ended by SUV

COLBY — Western Plains Arts Association (WPAA) opens our 2025-2026 season at the Cultural Arts Center in Colby on Sunday, September 21 at 3:00 p.m. with DIVA 3, an ensemble of superb singers. 

Three female singers with powerhouse voices sing the biggest hits of the greatest divas in music history. This vibrant show spans four decades covering the 1960's through the 1990's with hits by Aretha Franklin, Carole King, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Cher, Dolly Parton, Donna Summer, ABBA, and many more!

Individual members of the group have all starred in shows on the Las Vegas strip. Since its inception in 2013, the group has gone on to perform not only at several hotels and casinos throughout their hometown of Las Vegas, but also performing arts centers across the United States, as well as international waters as a headlining guest entertainer act aboard luxury cruise ships.

Admission can be purchased at the door or by WPAA season tickets. You can buy season tickets at the door if you haven’t gotten yours already.

This program is made possible through the generous funds from The Dane G. Hansen Foundation and many area businesses and individuals that sponsor WPAA.

Western Plains Arts Association season opens Sept. 21 with DIVA 3 in Colby

&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 Arts Council is pleased to announce a community&nbsp;Meet &amp; Greet&nbsp;with new Executive Director Chandler Reich, on&nbsp;Thursday, Sept. 25 9-11 a.m. at the Hays Arts Center, 112 E 11th. The come-and-go event will feature coffee and donuts and provide an opportunity for the public to meet Reich, learn more about her vision for the organization, and extend a warm welcome.

Reich began her full-time role as executive director in September and has already hit the ground running in leading programs and community initiatives. The council board&nbsp;invites all community members to stop by, say hello, and join in celebrating this new chapter for the region’s oldest arts council.

Public invited to meet and greet for Hays Arts Council executive director

FHSU Student Engagement and Belonging

The 2025 Fort Hays State University Homecoming parade will take place on Saturday, September 27. The parade will take place on The Bricks in downtown Hays, America, at 11:00 a.m. 

Parade entries are still being accepted through September 22. Use the following form to sign up:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tigerlink.fhsu.edu/submitter/form/start/691056">FHSU Homecoming Parade Entry</a>

For more information, please contact the Student Engagement and Belonging office at 785-628-4020 or via email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:engage@fhsu.edu">engage@fhsu.edu</a>.

Entries open for FHSU Homecoming parade on Sept. 27

Tasty fundraiser for Hays Area Children's Center; order by Sept. 24

GRAINFIELD — A craft fair will be held Saturday, Sept. 20 at the historic Grainfield Opera House, 296 Main Street, Grainfield, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

There will be many vendors with a variety of crafts and lunch is available.

Craft fair Saturday at historic Grainfield Opera House

Heartland Community Foundation

The Heartland Community Foundation, dedicated to supporting Ellis, Rooks, and Trego counties, is excited to announce the opening of its fall grant cycle. Applications can be submitted online until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, November 15, 2025. A total of over $150,000 in funding is available.

This grant cycle aims to support local initiatives that fulfill one or more of the following goals:

• Directly benefiting communities in Ellis, Rooks, or Trego counties. • Enhancing the quality of life for individuals and expanding the capacity or outreach of applying organizations through programs, projects, or capital improvements. • Providing seed funding to kickstart new projects, programs, or organizations that will serve the community

Funding this cycle is made possible by the Legacy Funds of Ellis, Rooks, and Trego counties, along with contributions from the Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund, the Heartland Healthy Living Fund, and the Heartland Area Action Fund. 

Two new funds will also be making their first grant distributions this fall: the Hays Optimist Friends of Youth Fund will support projects that benefit youth or are youth-led, while the Trego County Enhancement Fund will support projects that promote economic development in Trego County.

Eligible projects must be based in Ellis, Rooks, or Trego counties and will undergo a competitive evaluation process. Nonprofit organizations, government entities, educational institutions, and churches are all encouraged to apply. All applications must be submitted online by the deadline&nbsp;of 11:59 p.m. on November 15. Detailed funding criteria and the application form can be found at <a href="https://heartlandcommunityfoundation.org/grants/">https://heartlandcommunityfoundation.org/grants/</a>

For further inquiries, please reach out to Sarah Meitner, executive director, at 785-621-4090, Savannah Downing, Trego Development Director, at 785-743-3270, or Deanna Hammerschmidt, Rooks Development Director, at 785-688-5098.

You can easily make a charitable gift by clicking the GIVE ONLINE button.

To learn more about the Heartland Community Foundation, make a donation to one of our managed funds, or apply for a grant, please visit <a href="https://heartlandcommunityfoundation.org/">www.heartlandcommunityfoundation.org</a>.&nbsp;

Stay updated on our latest news, grantee stories, and featured funds by following us on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandCF">https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandCF</a>.

Heartland Community Foundation accepting grant applications through Nov. 15

Smith Center's Old Settlers' Day is Sept. 27

PRATT COUNTY—A Pratt man is in custody after a standoff Friday evening in which police said he barricaded himself inside a home and resisted arrest.

Just before 5p.m. September 19, officers responded&nbsp; to a reported disturbance in the 700 block of Champa Street, according to&nbsp;According to the Pratt Police Department. A woman caller identified Jacob Davis, 36, of Pratt, as the suspect and reported there was an active protection-from-abuse order against him.

Police said Davis left the scene in a tan Chevrolet Suburban. A short time later, officers received another report that a vehicle matching that description nearly struck another driver near Champa and Green Street.

By 6 p.m., the reporting party told officers that Davis had driven past her residence honking his horn, and minutes later alleged that he returned and threw mortar-style fireworks toward children in the area. No injuries were reported.

At 6:48 p.m., officers located Davis at his residence at 1002 Champa. Police said he refused commands, retreated into the house and barricaded himself inside after officers used pepper spray to deter two aggressive dogs.

The Pratt County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team was called to assist. After deploying chemical agents and clearing the home’s main floor and attic, officers discovered a crawl space with two tunnels. Davis was ultimately found there and taken into custody after resisting arrest, police said.

He was booked into the Pratt County Jail on requested charges of violating a protection order, assault, assault of a law enforcement officer, interference with law enforcement and stalking.

No officers or citizens were injured during the incident.

Assault suspect found hiding in crawl space of Kansas home

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man accused of child sex crimes in Wichita made his first court appearance in the case Friday. Gonzalo Ramirez was charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated indecent solicitation of a child, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just before 6a.m. on Sept. 15, police were dispatched to a report of a sexual assault of a minor that occurred in the 1500 block of South Kansas in Wichita, according to a media release.

The investigation revealed that a minor was waiting for the school bus when they were approached by a 31-year-old male suspect, not known to her.&nbsp; The suspect, identified according to Sedgwick County booking records as Gonzalo Ramirez, lured the minor into a vehicle and committed the assault.

Officers quickly located Ramirez who was taken into custody and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp; He remains in custody on a $500,000.00 bond, according to online jail records.

The Wichita Police Department reminds parents and guardians to:

Suspect in Kan. school bus stop sex assault faced a judge

KANSAS CITY —A child was injured in an accident that occurred just after 1p.m. Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri.

A black SUV was northbound on N. Jackson approaching East Windsor Street, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. At the same time a boy&nbsp; under the age of 10 was riding a scooter on East Windsor. The child failed to stop at the stop sign causing a collision. 

EMS transported the child to an area hospital for treatment of critical injuries, according to Becchina.&nbsp; The driver of the SUV remained at the scene and is cooperating with officers. The accident remains under investigation.

Child hospitalized in Kansas City after SUV, scooter crash 

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. Treasure is proposing regulations for President Trump's ' no tax on tips.'&nbsp; The regulations proposed by the U.S. Treasury on Friday detail the occupations covered, who will qualify and what counts as a qualified tip:

1. The tip must be voluntarily given, so mandatory tips or auto-gratuities would not qualify for the “no tax on tips” benefit.

2. Tip pools and similar arrangements qualify, so long as they are reported to the IRS and voluntary.

3. The benefit is not available to married individuals who file their taxes separately.

4. The tip must be given in cash, check, debit card, gift card or any item exchangeable for a fixed amount of cash, unlike digital assets.

5. Any amount received for illegal activity, prostitution services, or pornographic activity does not qualify as a tip

A provision in the Republicans’ massive tax and spending law allows certain workers to deduct up to $25,000 in “qualified tips” from their federal income taxes each year from 2025 through 2028. The deduction phases out for taxpayers with a modified adjusted gross income over $150,000.

Treasury proposes regulations for the ‘no tax on tips’ law

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and prominent members of his “Make America Great Again” movement will pay tribute Sunday to conservative activist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">Charlie Kirk</a>, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">slaying</a>&nbsp;has marked a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-killing-america-divided-violence-politics-9b75c05301668fa033f9b4cc98b046c9">signal moment</a>&nbsp;in America’s fraught political atmosphere.

Or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/event/white-house-event/pres-trump-others-attend-memorial-service-for-late-charlie-kirk/436577">Click here to watch 1p.m. CDT</a>

The memorial service for Kirk, whom Trump credits with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 election victory, is expected to draw tens of thousands of mourners, including Vice President JD Vance, senior White House officials and young conservatives shaped by the 31-year-old firebrand.

Kirk’s assassination at a Sept. 10 appearance on a Utah college campus has set off a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-political-violence-shootings-utah-7b4e9b662932943a77635a0f8e839270">fierce debate about violence</a>, decency and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-workplace-speech-firing-29717a8612ccedebabc7cba29e7ef627">free speech</a>&nbsp;in an era of deep political division. The shooting also has stirred fear among some Americans that Trump is trying to harness outrage over the killing as justification to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kirk-trump-cancel-culture-assassination-4d69649e382ea46d8dcf794150a1d3c9">suppress the voices</a>&nbsp;of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-revenge-bolton-military-deployments-aa2b977621bce563770b60dade581f79">critics and political opponents</a>.

The service will take place at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-memorial-state-farm-stadium-ff4815a8ec8f4eb6f4855360a98a04fa">State Farm Stadium</a>, the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals west of Phoenix, where Kirk's Turning Point organization is based. Security is expected to be tight, with a similar level of federal law enforcement presence as for the Super Bowl or other high-profile event.

Comments about Kirk have become a Trump administration target

Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-charlie-kirk-radical-left-political-opposition-3875efd0674ed2a22a719dfb42ace6ab">blamed the “radical left”</a>&nbsp;for Kirk’s death and threatened to go after liberal organizations and donors or others whom he feels are maligning or celebrating Kirk's death.

He criticized House Democrats who voted against a House&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-congress-democrats-d081cf80ff514310f307590ff1d75f04">resolution that praised</a>&nbsp;“the life and legacy” of Kirk, which passed the Republican-controlled House on Friday.

“Who could vote against that? All (Republicans) were saying was ‘Please condemn the assassination of a human being,’” Trump told reporters. “And (Democrats) said, ’No, no, we’re not going to do that.’”

Dozens of people, from journalists to teachers, already have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-speech-republicans-firings-government-vance-e65a4939b80e4f4822db188e978d8812">lost their jobs</a>&nbsp;as prominent conservative activists and administration officials target comments about Kirk that they deem offensive or celebratory. The retaliation has in turn ignited a debate over the First Amendment as the Trump administration promises retribution against those who air what are seen as disparaging remarks in the wake of Kirk’s death.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-2c79d56fa53779014f2bb2ed9e47da1f">ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show</a>&nbsp;off the air indefinitely following backlash from affiliated broadcasters and the Trump-appointed head of the Federal Communications Commission over the comedian’s remarks about Kirk.

The State Department also has warned it would revoke the visas of any foreigners who celebrated Kirk’s assassination.

A 22-year-old Utah man,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-suspect-things-to-know-dcde3f792f4d6636d44fb9f4fa53569c">Tyler Robinson</a>, has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-tyler-robinson-court-death-penalty-f541df08a936e06497ee2342296bc398">charged with killing Kirk</a>&nbsp;and faces the death penalty if convicted of the most serious charges. Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but prosecutors say Robinson wrote in a text to his partner following the shooting that he “had enough” of Kirk's hatred.

Kirk's legacy of conservative political influence

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/turning-point-charlie-kirk-erika-kirk-trump-ff9141ca3fd5b8f1a103e7eb03f7535b">Turning Point, the group Kirk founded</a>&nbsp;to mobilize young Christian conservatives, became a multimillion-dollar operation under his leadership with enormous reach.

The tens of thousands expected to fill the stadium in Glendale for Kirk’s memorial is a testament to the massive influence he accumulated in conservative America.

Kirk was a provocateur who at times made statements that some called racist, misogynistic, anti-immigrant and transphobic. That has drawn&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vance-kirk-host-show-husband-father-65cf1d42c2c2f4e85988402b5224da2a">backlash from conservatives</a>&nbsp;who view the criticism as cherry-picking a few select moments to insult the legacy they see of an inspirational conservative leader.

Kirk was a MAGA celebrity with a loyal following that turned out to support or argue with him as he traveled the country for the events like the one at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-valley-university-charlie-kirk-fd5ca9b3b7338993970dd0a34dafb64b">Utah Valley University,</a>&nbsp;where he was fatally shot. Kirk grew the organization, in large part, through the force of his personality and debating chops.

Arizona is the adopted home state of Kirk, who grew up outside Chicago and founded Turning Point there before moving the organization to Phoenix. Vance, who has said Kirk's advocacy was a big reason Trump picked him to serve as vice president, transported Kirk’s casket from Utah to Arizona&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-jd-vance-turning-point-assassination-49501e2fdcb268c74c7dd929049abcd6">aboard Air Force Two</a>&nbsp;the day after his death, and he later served as a guest host of Kirk’s podcast.

Scheduled speakers at the service include Trump, Vance, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Donald Trump Jr., right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson and White House aides Stephen Miller and Sergio Gor also are slated to speak.

Longtime worship leader Chris Tomlin will provide music, along with other big names in contemporary Christian music, including Brandon Lake, Phil Wickham, and husband-and-wife duo Kari Jobe Carnes and Cody Carnes.

Kirk’s widow, who has been named Turning Point’s new leader, also will speak. Erika Kirk pledged in an emotional speech days after his death that “the movement my husband built will not die.”

🎥President Trump, others honor Charlie Kirk at memorial service

Drugstores are ready to deliver updated COVID-19 vaccines this fall and insurers plan to pay for them, even though the shots no longer come recommended by an important government committee.

On Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-advisers-vaccines-hepatitis-b-covid19-a1fb61ef7e29d93d2828618d890cceb3">vaccine advisers</a>&nbsp;picked by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declined to specifically recommend the shots but said people could make individual decisions on whether to get them.

The recommendations from the advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention require sign-off by the agency's director, but they are almost always adopted.

Those recommendations normally trigger several layers of insurance coverage and allow drugstores in many states to deliver the shots. But insurers and government officials have said coverage will continue, and several states have allowed for vaccine access through pharmacies, the most common place to get shots.

Many people start seeking vaccinations in the late summer or early fall to get protection against any winter surges in cases.

Many are expected to do so, but you still may want to check with yours.

The Department of Health and Human Services said Friday that the committee vote “provides for immunization coverage through all payment mechanisms.” An HHS spokesperson said that includes Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, commercial coverage sold through health insurance marketplaces and the federal Vaccines for Children program, which pays for roughly half of childhood vaccinations in the U.S. each year.

The VFC program normally automatically covers any vaccines recommended by the CDC committee.

The trade group America's Health Insurance Plans said earlier this week that its members will continue to cover the shots at no cost to patients through 2026.

That group includes every major insurer except UnitedHealthcare. And that insurer has said it will continue covering the vaccine at no cost for its standard commercial coverage, which includes plans offered for individuals and through small businesses.

One caveat: Large employers that offer coverage will make their own decisions on the vaccines.

They may be motivated to continue coverage: The vaccines can help ward off expensive hospital bills from people who develop a bad case of COVID-19.

About two-thirds of adults get COVID-19 shots at pharmacies, and around 30% receive them at doctors’ offices, according to CDC data.

Access to the shots has grown after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-access-limitations-645d64cee13664840fc9a39ff2d309c0">a clunky start</a>&nbsp;to vaccine season that saw some people travel to nearby states when they couldn't make appointments at pharmacies closer to home.

Drugstore chains like CVS say their locations are stocked with the latest vaccines, and they now are able to deliver vaccinations in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Prescriptions are required in D.C. and a handful of states, including Florida and Georgia, CVS Health spokeswoman Amy Thibault said.

Walgreens also requires prescriptions in a few states, a company spokesperson said.

Until now, the U.S. has recommended yearly COVID-19 shots for everyone age 6 months and older.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccines-covid-shots-fda-kennedy-pfizer-children-9ce19908ae7afb354732aa162fd28532">recently approved</a>&nbsp;the shots for all people age 65 and older, and for younger adults and children with conditions that put them at high risk for catching a bad case of COVID-19.

The CDC maintains&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/covid/risk-factors/index.html">a long list</a>&nbsp;of conditions that would put someone at high risk, including asthma, cancer, heart or lung problems, obesity, depression and a history of smoking. It also includes those who are physically inactive, and the agency notes that this list is not conclusive.

Patients can consult with their doctor or care provider to decide whether they are high risk if they don't have a condition on that list.

Both CVS and Walgreens representatives say their companies will ask patients under age 65 if they have any of these factors. They won't require proof.

“In simplest terms, if a patient says they’re eligible, they will get the vaccine,” said Thibault, the CVS Health spokeswoman.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

How to get a COVID-19 shot and ensure it's covered by your insurance

ROME (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pope-leo-xiv">Pope Leo XIV</a>&nbsp;said in his first interview as history's first American pope that he has no intention of getting involved in U.S. politics but will raise his voice on issues of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-trump-migration-09a89091f8e7dc3270099f0947d04e90">concern to the Catholic Church, including on immigration</a>.

Leo spoke on a range of topics — from the Trump administration to the clergy sexual abuse crisis, welcoming LGBTQ+ Catholics and Vatican-China relations — in the interview, published Thursday. It was conducted by Vatican correspondent Elise Ann Allen of the news site Crux for a biography of Leo that was published Thursday in Peru, where Leo was bishop for many years.

Leo embraced Pope Francis’ message for LGBTQ+ Catholics that “todos, todos, todos” are welcome in the Catholic Church but said that he found “it highly unlikely” the church’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-comments-about-lgbtq-people-e34d133b77ee692141a22626c4e18eec">core doctrine about sexuality</a>&nbsp;would change anytime soon.

The Catholic Church teaches that homosexual people must be treated with dignity and respect, but that homosexual activity is “intrinsically disordered.” It opposes gay marriage, saying marriage is a union between a man and woman.

“Everyone’s invited in, but I don’t invite a person in because they are or are not of any specific identity. I invite a person in because they are a son or daughter of God,” he said.

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