Starting March 7 the Stutzmans gardening show will be back live on 910 AM/107.5 FM KINA.

Every Saturday starting March 7 from 7:30 am - 8:00 am, this 30 minute live show will provide each listener with essential information and tips on gardening throughout the season.&nbsp;

"This has been a wonderful program for us and you can look at this show as a information highway for gardening," said Ben Miller, owner of Stutzmans. "You are dealing with the number one hobby in the world."

Furthermore, the Stutzmans gardening store in Salina is set to open at the Central Mall this upcoming April.

Tune in this Saturday, March 7 on 910 AM/107.5 FM KINA,

<a href="https://910kina.com/">Click here to listen live on your digital device.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601409421605.jpeg" alt="Stutzmans gardening flowers plants&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Stutzmans gardening flowers plants&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Salina PostStarting March 7 the Stutzmans gardening show will be back live on 910 AM/107.5 FM KINA.Every Saturday starting March 7 from 7:30 am - 8:00 am, this 30 minute live show will provide each listener with essential information and tips on gardening throughout the season.&nbsp;"This has been a wonderful program for us and you can look at this show as a information highway for gardening," said Ben Miller, owner of Stutzmans. "You are dealing with the number one hobby in the world."Furthermore, the Stutzmans gardening store in Salina is set to open at the Central Mall this upcoming April.Tune in this Saturday, March 7 on 910 AM/107.5 FM KINA, <a href="https://910kina.com/">Click here to listen live on your digital device.</a>

Stutzmans live gardening show back on KINA providing essential info and tips throughout the season

MANHATTAN, Kansas&nbsp;–&nbsp;A big second quarter scoring run sparked K-State into a halftime lead, but Iowa State used a 56-point second half to down the Wildcats, 93-79, on Sunday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum.

K-State (15-16, 8-10 Big 12) was paced by freshmen Jordan Speiser and Gina Garcia. Speiser, a product of Warrenton, Missouri, carded a team-high 17 points, including a 4-of-8 effort from 3-point range, and three steals. Garcia, a guard from Barcelona, Spain, registered her first career double-double by tying her career-high in points with 14 and dished out a career-high 10 assists. She also pocketed two steals.

Garcia is the third K-State freshman since 2009-10 to card a points-assists double-double and first since Serena Sundell registered 16 points and 10 assists at South Dakota State on Dec. 11, 2021.

Joining the freshmen tandem in double figures were senior Tess Heal with 16 points, four steals and three assists while junior Taryn Sides added 11 points, three steals, three rebounds and two assists.

Iowa State (22-8, 10-8) was led by Audi Crooks with 41 points on 16-of-19 shooting and 13 rebounds, while Jada Williams tallied 23 points and nine assists.

- K-State used a 15-3 run in the first five minutes of the second quarter to build a 37-31 advantage with 4:42 to play.

- Heal opened the scoring run with a 3-pointer and was followed by a fast break layup from Gina Garcia. After two Heal free throws, Speiser converted an old-fashioned three-point play with 7:52 remaining. Claessens added two free throws before Aniya Foy buried a 3-pointer in transition.

- The Cyclones closed to within one, 38-37, with 2:09 left but the Wildcats ended the quarter with the last five points and held a 43-37 lead at halftime.

- K-State outscored the Cyclones 21-11 in the second quarter. This marked the seventh time this season and the third time in Big 12 play this season in which K-State scored 20 or more points in the second quarter. The last time K-State notched 20 or more points in a second quarter in Big 12 action was Feb. 7 against BYU.

- A 28-point third quarter by Iowa State, gave the Cyclones a 65-62 advantage entering the fourth quarter. K-State held a 62-60 lead with 2:15 remaining, but went scoreless for the final 2:14 of the stanza.

- K-State closed to within one, 71-70, as Taryn Sides knocked down a 3-pointer with 7:45 remaining in the fourth quarter. Iowa State used a 7-0 run to go in front, 78-70, to force a Wildcat timeout with 5:34 left.

- The Cyclones would push their advantage to 13, 87-74, with 3:02 left. K-State would only be able to cut the margin to 10 on two occasions.

- The 56 second half points by Iowa State were the most K-State has allowed in a half this season.

- K-State shot 37.1 percent (26-of-70), including 34.3 percent (12-of-35) from the 3-point line.

- K-State leads the series, 55-52. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 9-22 in his career against Iowa State. The Wildcats are 29-20 in games played in Manhattan.

- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 687-394 (.636), including a mark of 233-159 (.594).

- In its 30th&nbsp;season of play in the Big 12, K-State owns a record of 253-257 (.496) in Big 12 action.

- K-State is 420-165 (.718) in its 38th-season inside Bramlage Coliseum, including a 150-57 (.725) record under Mittie.

- The Wildcats are 144-110 (.567) in games played in the month of March. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 27-26 (.509) in games during the third month.

- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Gina Garcia, Brandie Harrod, Tess Heal, and Taryn Sides and forward Nastja Claessens. This was the eighth time this lineup has started together this season. This is the second-most used starting lineup for K-State this season. This was the 30th&nbsp;career start for Sides. This was the 29th&nbsp;career start for Garcia. Heal made her 18th&nbsp;start this season and her 92nd&nbsp;career start. Claessens made her 27th&nbsp;career start. This was Harrod’s 27th&nbsp;career start.

- Since the start of the quarter-system in women’s college basketball in the 2015-16 season, K-State is 173-75 (.698) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter in a game, including a 13-10 mark this season. The Wildcats have 41 quarters this season with 20 or more points scored.

- With its 12 made three-pointers on Sunday, K-State has made 10 or more 3-pointers in eight games this season (5-3). Since the 2014-15 season, K-State has made 10 or more 3-pointers in a game 59 times (50-9).

- K-State pocketed 15 steals on Sunday. This was the 18th&nbsp;time this season K-State has carded 10 or more steals, including the third game with 15 or more steals. For the season, the Wildcats have recorded 301 steals, which is the second straight season K-State has tallied 300 or more steals in a season and the fourth time under head coach Jeff Mittie.

- Speiser carded her 16th&nbsp;game this season with double digits in points.

- Speiser made four 3-pointers on Sunday. This was her 16th&nbsp;game this season with two or more connections from long distance, including four games with four connections.

- Speiser pocketed three steals. This was her eighth game this season with two or more steals.

- Garcia tallied 14 points. This was her eighth game this season with 10 or more points.

- Garcia knocked down two 3-pointers on Sunday. This was a career-high and her first career game with two or more connections from long range.

- Garcia handed out a career-high 10 assists. She moved into fourth in program history for assists in a freshman season with 151. She is the fourth freshman in program history with 150 or more assists in a season and first since Serena Sundell in 2021-22. Garcia set the school record for assists in a season by an international player. This was her 16th&nbsp;game this season with five or more assists.

- Heal reached double figures for the 91st&nbsp;time in her career, including her 17th&nbsp;time this season. Heal’s collegiate career point total now stands at 1,777 points.

- Heal tallied two connections from long range. This was her 31st&nbsp;career game with two or more 3-point field goals made including seven this season.

- Sides tallied 10 or more points for the 35th&nbsp;time in her career and 17th&nbsp;time this season.

- With her lone made 3-point field goal, Sides moved into sole possession of 10th&nbsp;on the K-State career 3-point field goals list with 177 in her career.

- With her two assists, Sides moved into sole possession of 16th&nbsp;on the K-State career assists list with 308.

- Claessens pulled in five or more rebounds for the 11th&nbsp;time this season.

- Foy made two 3-pointers on Sunday. This was her third game this season with two or more connections from long distance.

On Iowa State pulling away in the second half…

“It's probably my fault. We're small balling there so we weren't able to get enough ball pressure. We weren't able to get enough chaos. [Audi Crooks] had great position down there. They were disciplined enough to get it down there. And those short rebounds are going to be a problem because of those. The long rebounds we can chase down. We didn't get enough chaos in the second half.”

On Jordan Speiser’s play while guarding Audi Crooks…

“[Jordan Speiser’s] a competitor. She competes and I thought she did everything she could. It's not a fair match up to her. We've obviously got to get more size in there, and we will. We've got a lot of young ones. But I thought Jordan battled like crazy. I didn't think it affected her offensively either. Most of the time you put in that much energy down there on that kind of player. So I thought she played well at both ends.”

On the challenge of guarding Audi Crooks…

“Brandie [Harrod] picks up two fouls. We're wanting her to use her athleticism and front her, and so we tried to mix up coverages. [Ivona Scekic] got two fouls right away. We had no answer for her, our only answer was [to have] enough guard pressure, where we created some turnovers, but if they got settled in the half court, we didn't have an answer.”

On Gina Garcia’s play while Taryn Sides was in foul trouble early…

“Her numbers are pretty good. They were giving her some opportunities, but she did some good things. I thought she played well. I thought our team played well when [Taryn Sides] was in foul trouble. We obviously went into the half with the lead. So our team did some good things in that stretch.”

On how the freshmen have handled their first year in Big 12 play…

“It’s hard for freshmen to understand, as they sit here today, how much growth they've had. Hard for any player, because you want the result, and we're all in this results world that you want the result, the result says growth, right? And it's just not the way it is. I’ve seen every one of them grow a lot. I’ve seen their game grow. The problem is that, in many cases, to them, it's hard for them to see. They're frustrated, they're tired, they're battling. They didn't get the result they wanted. So I've seen all of them. You look at a player like [Aniya Foy], if you go back on film and watch her compete from day one to here, it's night and day different. It's not even the same player that you're watching. So she's able to play through stretches, and she did some good things today. [Jordan] Speiser’s a great example of being able to do different things. Gina [Garcia] is continuing to do a lot of really good things. Brandie [Harrod], we've watched her battle an All-American like Audi Crooks, struggle with that, but we've watched her go up against others and play great. So it's just hard to see sometimes, when you're in the fight.”

On how he feels on playing five games in five days heading into the Big 12 Tournament…

“Well, I'd rather have the bye. We were in position to get that. So, no, I don't think it's good. It is what it is, right? We didn't earn the bye. We had a chance, and now our opportunity is to play right away. So we've got to make the most of that. I think most of the league is playing today. Not everybody. There were some games yesterday, but for us, it'll get here quickly. So it looks like [we will be seeded] 12 or 11, I think, right? So we'll get that answer here later, but we need to be ready to play quickly.”

Iowa State Head Coach Bill Fennelly

“First of all, I really want to commend the K State crowd. It was a great crowd, great Sunday afternoon crowd, great for TV. They do it right here, so I really hope that they understand how important that is. We know what it's like in Hilton, so that's a great thing. A huge game for our team. Obviously, a huge road win impacts a lot of things, but offensively, we were as good as we could be, except for the turnovers. But we rebound the ball and we made free throws, and that's been something we struggled with basically all year. So very, very fortunate to come out of here the way we did. And a great way to start March. And I'm looking forward to going to Kansas City.”

On making changes in the last half of the game…

“Well, the first thing we did was we told our guys that we wanted to play more inside out. They were spreading us out a lot, and it's hard to go rebound. You know, we don't rebound out of our own area of the floor very well, so we want to keep as many bodies close, which means we're going to give up a couple threes, there were some people we were going to make them prove they could shoot the three. And then defensive rebounding wise, when we did that. And, you know, Audi Crooks was really good, but Addy Brown makes such a big difference. She's our best defensive rebounder. So between the two of them, they had 19 defensive rebounds. And I think that is part of it. So I think we want to play more inside out, and when they miss, go get it.”&nbsp;

On Jordan Speiser's freshman year…&nbsp;

“She's had a tremendous freshman year. I got to see her a lot. She played for the Iowa Attack, so we saw her a lot up in Ames. I mean, the kid shoots it, and it's so easy. And I think the thing about her is that when you coach against her, and you watch her play, everyone thought, ‘She can catch and shoot threes.’ She’s a lot more physical. I mean, you know, they asked her to guard Audi. Sometimes they asked her to guard perimeter players. But she's really skilled, and she's putting the ball on the deck. Obviously, she's been coached very well here, and she's learning more. She shoots the three so deep you got to chase her off of it, then she puts her head down and goes by you, but she's going to be a tremendous player. She's one of the best freshmen in our league, and it's without question.”&nbsp;

On Jada Williams scoring early on…&nbsp;

“Yeah, you know, I think a lot of people have taken a stance. They want to cap Jada a little bit. Hit some mid-range jumpers. We've asked Jada to kind of get downhill a little bit, and our courts opened up a little with Addy, so Jada can get to the free throw line. But yeah, when she makes a couple shots early, it changes a lot of things for us. And you know, she had some unforced errors, we made some really loose decisions with the ball. When she doesn’t, she can give us a threat. And now, in a ball screen situation, do you help? Do you not? How do you rotate? And then Audi can maybe do some work. So no question they go together.”

On what Iowa State did in the second half that led to their offensive success…

“They got it to [Audi Crooks], and she finished at the rim really well. She's a great player. She's hard to stop. She was too big for us.”

On moving focus to the Big 12 Tournament…

“I mean, basketball is like life. You got to move on quickly. Things happen, and you just have to get on your bike and think about the next thing. So we have a game on Wednesday. That's our focus. I don't know who we're playing. I don't know if that's set. I think other games depend, but yeah, whoever we play on Wednesday, our focus will be on them, and then get a win there and play on Thursday, and we'll focus on that one, and just take it day by day.”

On the season after playing her final game at Bramlage Coliseum…

“I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity from the coaching staff and K-State in general, just to let me wear this jersey. It's been an absolute roller coaster, but I'm grateful for every moment of it. It’s an honor to play here and to wear the K-State purple. I'm really grateful for all of it.”

On Jordan Speiser’s play against Audi Crooks…

“Jordan's a really unique player. She's such a good perimeter shooter, and she likes to play on the perimeter, but she'll battle down low with the post, and she's incredibly strong. Watching her in the weight room all summer, she outlifts a lot of people. She's very strong. She's very versatile, and it's been awesome to see her growth and her ability to guard big inside, and then play on the perimeter as well.”

“She's a great player. The whole world knows that. It's obviously tough. It's a mismatch, no matter what even if anyone's guarding her on our team, but she's a great player. I tried to do what I could do, but definitely didn't get the job done. But, I can't say anything. She's a great player.”

“My defense carries over to my offense, so just being aggressive on defense just helped me get to my offense, and even my teammates got the ball to me whenever I was open or available.”

On her mindset coming off of the bench…

“I feel like my mindset is to always stay ready, no matter when you go in, how long you stay in, you have to be there for your team. I just felt like we needed energy. They were sort of getting on us in the first quarter, and I wanted to be that for my team, so I tried my best, and I feel like in the first quarter, I helped my team a little bit with energy.”

On what she has seen in her growth…

“You have to grow your game every day. But I knew coming to college, I couldn't just be a shooter. It's going to be easier to guard, everyone's at the same level now. I'm still trying to keep growing my game, but just trying to listen to the coaches helping me expand defensively and offensively. So, just working every day to do that.”

K-State will now prep for the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament in T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The Wildcats will begin action on Wednesday with a game time yet to be determined.

MANHATTAN, Kansas&nbsp;–&nbsp;A big second quarter scoring run sparked K-State into a halftime lead, but Iowa State used a 56-point second half to down the Wildcats, 93-79, on Sunday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum.K-State (15-16, 8-10 Big 12) was paced by freshmen Jordan Speiser and Gina Garcia. Speiser, a product of Warrenton, Missouri, carded a team-high 17 points, including a 4-of-8 effort from 3-point range, and three steals. Garcia, a guard from Barcelona, Spain, registered her first career double-double by tying her career-high in points with 14 and dished out a career-high 10 assists. She also pocketed two steals.Garcia is the third K-State freshman since 2009-10 to card a points-assists double-double and first since Serena Sundell registered 16 points and 10 assists at South Dakota State on Dec. 11, 2021.Joining the freshmen tandem in double figures were senior Tess Heal with 16 points, four steals and three assists while junior Taryn Sides added 11 points, three steals, three rebounds and two assists.Iowa State (22-8, 10-8) was led by Audi Crooks with 41 points on 16-of-19 shooting and 13 rebounds, while Jada Williams tallied 23 points and nine assists.HOW IT HAPPENED- K-State used a 15-3 run in the first five minutes of the second quarter to build a 37-31 advantage with 4:42 to play.- Heal opened the scoring run with a 3-pointer and was followed by a fast break layup from Gina Garcia. After two Heal free throws, Speiser converted an old-fashioned three-point play with 7:52 remaining. Claessens added two free throws before Aniya Foy buried a 3-pointer in transition.- The Cyclones closed to within one, 38-37, with 2:09 left but the Wildcats ended the quarter with the last five points and held a 43-37 lead at halftime.- K-State outscored the Cyclones 21-11 in the second quarter. This marked the seventh time this season and the third time in Big 12 play this season in which K-State scored 20 or more points in the second quarter. The last time K-State notched 20 or more points in a second quarter in Big 12 action was Feb. 7 against BYU.- A 28-point third quarter by Iowa State, gave the Cyclones a 65-62 advantage entering the fourth quarter. K-State held a 62-60 lead with 2:15 remaining, but went scoreless for the final 2:14 of the stanza.- K-State closed to within one, 71-70, as Taryn Sides knocked down a 3-pointer with 7:45 remaining in the fourth quarter. Iowa State used a 7-0 run to go in front, 78-70, to force a Wildcat timeout with 5:34 left.- The Cyclones would push their advantage to 13, 87-74, with 3:02 left. K-State would only be able to cut the margin to 10 on two occasions.- The 56 second half points by Iowa State were the most K-State has allowed in a half this season.- K-State shot 37.1 percent (26-of-70), including 34.3 percent (12-of-35) from the 3-point line.QUICK FACTS- K-State leads the series, 55-52. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 9-22 in his career against Iowa State. The Wildcats are 29-20 in games played in Manhattan.- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 687-394 (.636), including a mark of 233-159 (.594).- In its 30th&nbsp;season of play in the Big 12, K-State owns a record of 253-257 (.496) in Big 12 action.- K-State is 420-165 (.718) in its 38th-season inside Bramlage Coliseum, including a 150-57 (.725) record under Mittie.- The Wildcats are 144-110 (.567) in games played in the month of March. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 27-26 (.509) in games during the third month.TEAM NOTES- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Gina Garcia, Brandie Harrod, Tess Heal, and Taryn Sides and forward Nastja Claessens. This was the eighth time this lineup has started together this season. This is the second-most used starting lineup for K-State this season. This was the 30th&nbsp;career start for Sides. This was the 29th&nbsp;career start for Garcia. Heal made her 18th&nbsp;start this season and her 92nd&nbsp;career start. Claessens made her 27th&nbsp;career start. This was Harrod’s 27th&nbsp;career start.- Since the start of the quarter-system in women’s college basketball in the 2015-16 season, K-State is 173-75 (.698) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter in a game, including a 13-10 mark this season. The Wildcats have 41 quarters this season with 20 or more points scored.- With its 12 made three-pointers on Sunday, K-State has made 10 or more 3-pointers in eight games this season (5-3). Since the 2014-15 season, K-State has made 10 or more 3-pointers in a game 59 times (50-9).- K-State pocketed 15 steals on Sunday. This was the 18th&nbsp;time this season K-State has carded 10 or more steals, including the third game with 15 or more steals. For the season, the Wildcats have recorded 301 steals, which is the second straight season K-State has tallied 300 or more steals in a season and the fourth time under head coach Jeff Mittie.PLAYER NOTES- Speiser carded her 16th&nbsp;game this season with double digits in points.- Speiser made four 3-pointers on Sunday. This was her 16th&nbsp;game this season with two or more connections from long distance, including four games with four connections.- Speiser pocketed three steals. This was her eighth game this season with two or more steals.- Garcia tallied 14 points. This was her eighth game this season with 10 or more points.- Garcia knocked down two 3-pointers on Sunday. This was a career-high and her first career game with two or more connections from long range.- Garcia handed out a career-high 10 assists. She moved into fourth in program history for assists in a freshman season with 151. She is the fourth freshman in program history with 150 or more assists in a season and first since Serena Sundell in 2021-22. Garcia set the school record for assists in a season by an international player. This was her 16th&nbsp;game this season with five or more assists.- Heal reached double figures for the 91st&nbsp;time in her career, including her 17th&nbsp;time this season. Heal’s collegiate career point total now stands at 1,777 points.- Heal tallied two connections from long range. This was her 31st&nbsp;career game with two or more 3-point field goals made including seven this season.- Sides tallied 10 or more points for the 35th&nbsp;time in her career and 17th&nbsp;time this season.- With her lone made 3-point field goal, Sides moved into sole possession of 10th&nbsp;on the K-State career 3-point field goals list with 177 in her career.- With her two assists, Sides moved into sole possession of 16th&nbsp;on the K-State career assists list with 308.- Claessens pulled in five or more rebounds for the 11th&nbsp;time this season.- Foy made two 3-pointers on Sunday. This was her third game this season with two or more connections from long distance.FROM THE HEAD COACHK-State Head Coach Jeff MittieOn Iowa State pulling away in the second half…“It's probably my fault. We're small balling there so we weren't able to get enough ball pressure. We weren't able to get enough chaos. [Audi Crooks] had great position down there. They were disciplined enough to get it down there. And those short rebounds are going to be a problem because of those. The long rebounds we can chase down. We didn't get enough chaos in the second half.”On Jordan Speiser’s play while guarding Audi Crooks…“[Jordan Speiser’s] a competitor. She competes and I thought she did everything she could. It's not a fair match up to her. We've obviously got to get more size in there, and we will. We've got a lot of young ones. But I thought Jordan battled like crazy. I didn't think it affected her offensively either. Most of the time you put in that much energy down there on that kind of player. So I thought she played well at both ends.”On the challenge of guarding Audi Crooks…“Brandie [Harrod] picks up two fouls. We're wanting her to use her athleticism and front her, and so we tried to mix up coverages. [Ivona Scekic] got two fouls right away. We had no answer for her, our only answer was [to have] enough guard pressure, where we created some turnovers, but if they got settled in the half court, we didn't have an answer.”On Gina Garcia’s play while Taryn Sides was in foul trouble early…“Her numbers are pretty good. They were giving her some opportunities, but she did some good things. I thought she played well. I thought our team played well when [Taryn Sides] was in foul trouble. We obviously went into the half with the lead. So our team did some good things in that stretch.”On how the freshmen have handled their first year in Big 12 play…“It’s hard for freshmen to understand, as they sit here today, how much growth they've had. Hard for any player, because you want the result, and we're all in this results world that you want the result, the result says growth, right? And it's just not the way it is. I’ve seen every one of them grow a lot. I’ve seen their game grow. The problem is that, in many cases, to them, it's hard for them to see. They're frustrated, they're tired, they're battling. They didn't get the result they wanted. So I've seen all of them. You look at a player like [Aniya Foy], if you go back on film and watch her compete from day one to here, it's night and day different. It's not even the same player that you're watching. So she's able to play through stretches, and she did some good things today. [Jordan] Speiser’s a great example of being able to do different things. Gina [Garcia] is continuing to do a lot of really good things. Brandie [Harrod], we've watched her battle an All-American like Audi Crooks, struggle with that, but we've watched her go up against others and play great. So it's just hard to see sometimes, when you're in the fight.”On how he feels on playing five games in five days heading into the Big 12 Tournament…“Well, I'd rather have the bye. We were in position to get that. So, no, I don't think it's good. It is what it is, right? We didn't earn the bye. We had a chance, and now our opportunity is to play right away. So we've got to make the most of that. I think most of the league is playing today. Not everybody. There were some games yesterday, but for us, it'll get here quickly. So it looks like [we will be seeded] 12 or 11, I think, right? So we'll get that answer here later, but we need to be ready to play quickly.”Iowa State Head Coach Bill FennellyOpening Statement…&nbsp;“First of all, I really want to commend the K State crowd. It was a great crowd, great Sunday afternoon crowd, great for TV. They do it right here, so I really hope that they understand how important that is. We know what it's like in Hilton, so that's a great thing. A huge game for our team. Obviously, a huge road win impacts a lot of things, but offensively, we were as good as we could be, except for the turnovers. But we rebound the ball and we made free throws, and that's been something we struggled with basically all year. So very, very fortunate to come out of here the way we did. And a great way to start March. And I'm looking forward to going to Kansas City.”On making changes in the last half of the game…“Well, the first thing we did was we told our guys that we wanted to play more inside out. They were spreading us out a lot, and it's hard to go rebound. You know, we don't rebound out of our own area of the floor very well, so we want to keep as many bodies close, which means we're going to give up a couple threes, there were some people we were going to make them prove they could shoot the three. And then defensive rebounding wise, when we did that. And, you know, Audi Crooks was really good, but Addy Brown makes such a big difference. She's our best defensive rebounder. So between the two of them, they had 19 defensive rebounds. And I think that is part of it. So I think we want to play more inside out, and when they miss, go get it.”&nbsp;On Jordan Speiser's freshman year…&nbsp;“She's had a tremendous freshman year. I got to see her a lot. She played for the Iowa Attack, so we saw her a lot up in Ames. I mean, the kid shoots it, and it's so easy. And I think the thing about her is that when you coach against her, and you watch her play, everyone thought, ‘She can catch and shoot threes.’ She’s a lot more physical. I mean, you know, they asked her to guard Audi. Sometimes they asked her to guard perimeter players. But she's really skilled, and she's putting the ball on the deck. Obviously, she's been coached very well here, and she's learning more. She shoots the three so deep you got to chase her off of it, then she puts her head down and goes by you, but she's going to be a tremendous player. She's one of the best freshmen in our league, and it's without question.”&nbsp;On Jada Williams scoring early on…&nbsp;“Yeah, you know, I think a lot of people have taken a stance. They want to cap Jada a little bit. Hit some mid-range jumpers. We've asked Jada to kind of get downhill a little bit, and our courts opened up a little with Addy, so Jada can get to the free throw line. But yeah, when she makes a couple shots early, it changes a lot of things for us. And you know, she had some unforced errors, we made some really loose decisions with the ball. When she doesn’t, she can give us a threat. And now, in a ball screen situation, do you help? Do you not? How do you rotate? And then Audi can maybe do some work. So no question they go together.”FROM THE FLOORK-State Senior Tess HealOn what Iowa State did in the second half that led to their offensive success…“They got it to [Audi Crooks], and she finished at the rim really well. She's a great player. She's hard to stop. She was too big for us.”On moving focus to the Big 12 Tournament…“I mean, basketball is like life. You got to move on quickly. Things happen, and you just have to get on your bike and think about the next thing. So we have a game on Wednesday. That's our focus. I don't know who we're playing. I don't know if that's set. I think other games depend, but yeah, whoever we play on Wednesday, our focus will be on them, and then get a win there and play on Thursday, and we'll focus on that one, and just take it day by day.”On the season after playing her final game at Bramlage Coliseum…“I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity from the coaching staff and K-State in general, just to let me wear this jersey. It's been an absolute roller coaster, but I'm grateful for every moment of it. It’s an honor to play here and to wear the K-State purple. I'm really grateful for all of it.”On Jordan Speiser’s play against Audi Crooks…“Jordan's a really unique player. She's such a good perimeter shooter, and she likes to play on the perimeter, but she'll battle down low with the post, and she's incredibly strong. Watching her in the weight room all summer, she outlifts a lot of people. She's very strong. She's very versatile, and it's been awesome to see her growth and her ability to guard big inside, and then play on the perimeter as well.”K-State Freshman Jordan SpeiserOn guarding Audi Crooks…&nbsp;“She's a great player. The whole world knows that. It's obviously tough. It's a mismatch, no matter what even if anyone's guarding her on our team, but she's a great player. I tried to do what I could do, but definitely didn't get the job done. But, I can't say anything. She's a great player.”On what led to her points…“My defense carries over to my offense, so just being aggressive on defense just helped me get to my offense, and even my teammates got the ball to me whenever I was open or available.”On her mindset coming off of the bench…“I feel like my mindset is to always stay ready, no matter when you go in, how long you stay in, you have to be there for your team. I just felt like we needed energy. They were sort of getting on us in the first quarter, and I wanted to be that for my team, so I tried my best, and I feel like in the first quarter, I helped my team a little bit with energy.”On what she has seen in her growth…“You have to grow your game every day. But I knew coming to college, I couldn't just be a shooter. It's going to be easier to guard, everyone's at the same level now. I'm still trying to keep growing my game, but just trying to listen to the coaches helping me expand defensively and offensively. So, just working every day to do that.”UP NEXTK-State will now prep for the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament in T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The Wildcats will begin action on Wednesday with a game time yet to be determined.

🏀 K-State WBB Undone by Big Second Half from Iowa State

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday spoke to widening concerns that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-03-02-2026-cb42936de1d8c261be8f30f11c6665fa">the U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran</a>&nbsp;could spiral into a protracted regional conflict by declaring, “This is not Iraq. This is not endless.”

Hegseth, along with Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held the Trump administration's first news briefing since Saturday's strikes. President Donald Trump, while he’s conducted a few phone interviews with individual reporters, has not taken questions on camera and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-trump-address-f662a4f3378535d81197be699fb35a3e">only released two videos</a>&nbsp;since the operation began.

Hegseth said the operation had a “clear, devastating, decisive mission” to “destroy the missile threat” from Iran, destroy its navy and “no nukes.”

“No stupid rules of engagement, no nation building quagmire, no democracy building exercise, no politically correct wars. We fight to win, and we don’t waste time or lives,” Hegseth said.

He also suggested the U.S. was not seeking to change the Iraninan regime with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead-5b13b69b708c4ed38e8f95f5fb41a597">killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</a>,

“This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change and the world is better off for it,” Hegseth said.

The briefing comes as the conflict has intensified into a wider war in the region. Iran and its allied armed groups have launched missiles at Israel, Arab states and U.S. military targets in the Middle East.

Four American troops have been killed in action. Trump on Sunday predicted there would be more U.S. casualties.

Caine on Monday said the U.S. expected to have additional losses.

“We grieve with you, and we will never forget you," he said of the family members of those killed.

The latest sign of the escalating upheaval came when U.S. ally Kuwait “mistakenly shot down”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-jets-downed-kuwait-friendly-fire-iran-f15-1151e092db4597e93e83c04f3b44bddc">three American fighter jets</a>&nbsp;during a combat mission as Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones were attacking. U.S. Central Command said all six pilots ejected safely from the American F-15E Strike Eagles and were in stable condition.

U.S. officials have not offered any exit plan or offered signs that the conflict would end anytime soon, and the Khamenei cast doubt on the future of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">the Islamic Republic</a>&nbsp;and hurtled the region into broader instability.

In laying out a case for the strikes, Hegseth pointed to the Iranian regime as having started the conflict from its inception, declaring that for 47 years it has "waged a savage, one-sided war against America.”

“Their war on Americans has become our retribution against their Ayatolloah and his death cult,” he said.

He did not point to any threat of an imminent nuclear threat from Iran, and he said again that last summer’s strikes by the U.S. and Israel “obliterated their nuclear program to rubble.”

Instead, Hegseth pointed to threats from other weaponry such as ballistic missiles and drones that justified the operation.

“Iran was building powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions,” Hegseth said.

He said that during negotiations with U.S. officials leading up to the attack, Iranian officials were “stalling."

“The former regime had every chance to make a peaceful and sensible deal. But Tehran was not negotiating," Hegseth said.

Trump, in an interview Sunday with The New York Times, said the assault could last “four to five weeks.”

Hegseth dismissed questions about the time frame and said, “President Trump has all the latitude in the world to talk about how long it may or may not take. Four weeks, two weeks, six weeks. It could move up. It could move back.”

The Republican president said the U.S. and Israel had struck hundreds of targets already. That included Israel and the U.S. bombing Iranian missile sites and targeted its navy, claiming to have destroyed its headquarters and multiple warships.

Caine said that, as with the operation that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-trump-bomber-news-06-22-2025-c2baca52babe915e033ae175ce8b2687">dropped massive bunker-buster bombs</a>&nbsp;on Iranian nuclear facilities last year, Epic Fury also utilized B-2 stealth bombers, which the chairman said made a 37-hour round trip.

Caine several times referenced the use of cyber technologies in the strikes, which he said had “effectively disrupted communications and sensor networks,” leaving “the adversary without the ability to coordinate or respond effectively.”

Without giving specifics, Caine said the U.S. military “delivered synchronized and layered effects designed to disrupt, degrade, deny and destroy Iran’s ability to conduct and sustained combat operations on the U.S. side.”

The Iranian Red Crescent Society said at least 555 people have been killed in Iran so far by the U.S.-Israeli campaign. Eleven people have been killed in Israel and 31 in Lebanon, according to authorities there.

Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard in Charleston, S.C., David Klepper and Ben Finley in Washington and Farnoush Amiri in New York contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday spoke to widening concerns that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-03-02-2026-cb42936de1d8c261be8f30f11c6665fa">the U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran</a>&nbsp;could spiral into a protracted regional conflict by declaring, “This is not Iraq. This is not endless.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Chairman Caine provided an update on Operation Epic Fury. <a href="https://t.co/JmhJ25tAp1">pic.twitter.com/JmhJ25tAp1</a>&mdash; DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DOWResponse/status/2028465469514997881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Hegseth, along with Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held the Trump administration's first news briefing since Saturday's strikes. President Donald Trump, while he’s conducted a few phone interviews with individual reporters, has not taken questions on camera and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-trump-address-f662a4f3378535d81197be699fb35a3e">only released two videos</a>&nbsp;since the operation began.Hegseth said the operation had a “clear, devastating, decisive mission” to “destroy the missile threat” from Iran, destroy its navy and “no nukes.”“No stupid rules of engagement, no nation building quagmire, no democracy building exercise, no politically correct wars. We fight to win, and we don’t waste time or lives,” Hegseth said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Secretary Hegseth: &quot;We&#39;re hitting them surgically, overwhelmingly and unapologetically.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/MGw83AJ0ZX">pic.twitter.com/MGw83AJ0ZX</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2028459543940788629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Secretary Pete Hegseth: &quot;We didn&#39;t start this war, but under President Trump we are finishing it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Xbc0NsWMIZ">pic.twitter.com/Xbc0NsWMIZ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2028458036373725595?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>He also suggested the U.S. was not seeking to change the Iraninan regime with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead-5b13b69b708c4ed38e8f95f5fb41a597">killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</a>,“This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change and the world is better off for it,” Hegseth said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SECWAR</a> Direct Message to the Joint Force: “This is your moment. This is the generational turning point America has waited for since 1979 — and since the rudderless wars of hubris my generation endured. Don’t listen to the noise; just stay focused. Our commander-in-chief is… <a href="https://t.co/0cyw3Hjtx2">pic.twitter.com/0cyw3Hjtx2</a>&mdash; DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DOWResponse/status/2028464733276279028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine: &quot;This is not a single, overnight operation...we expect to take additional losses...this is major combat operations...on February 28th the full strength of America&#39;s armed forces came together in a unified purpose against a capable and… <a href="https://t.co/ytRsEFAVwy">pic.twitter.com/ytRsEFAVwy</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2028462455098065025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The briefing comes as the conflict has intensified into a wider war in the region. Iran and its allied armed groups have launched missiles at Israel, Arab states and U.S. military targets in the Middle East.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SECWAR</a> “We are not going into the exercise of what we will and will not do… President Trump ensures that our enemies understand we’ll go as far as we need to go to advance American interests, but we are not dumb about it! You don’t have to roll two hundred thousand people in… <a href="https://t.co/gZx9IWFrar">pic.twitter.com/gZx9IWFrar</a>&mdash; DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DOWResponse/status/2028469636522500550?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SECWAR</a> “The President has been willing to make a deal… Radical Islamists can’t have a nuclear bomb that they wield against the world. He gave them every single opportunity.” <a href="https://t.co/gDNjWl828B">pic.twitter.com/gDNjWl828B</a>&mdash; DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DOWResponse/status/2028467652193128934?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SECWAR</a> “As the President warned, an effort of this scope will include casualties. War is hell, and always will be. A grateful nation honors the four Americans we have lost thus far – and those injured. The absolute best of America. May we prosecute the remainder of this… <a href="https://t.co/kmhuEmT4hP">pic.twitter.com/kmhuEmT4hP</a>&mdash; DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DOWResponse/status/2028463102455333234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Four American troops have been killed in action. Trump on Sunday predicted there would be more U.S. casualties.Caine on Monday said the U.S. expected to have additional losses.“We grieve with you, and we will never forget you," he said of the family members of those killed.The latest sign of the escalating upheaval came when U.S. ally Kuwait “mistakenly shot down”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-jets-downed-kuwait-friendly-fire-iran-f15-1151e092db4597e93e83c04f3b44bddc">three American fighter jets</a>&nbsp;during a combat mission as Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones were attacking. U.S. Central Command said all six pilots ejected safely from the American F-15E Strike Eagles and were in stable condition.U.S. officials have not offered any exit plan or offered signs that the conflict would end anytime soon, and the Khamenei cast doubt on the future of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">the Islamic Republic</a>&nbsp;and hurtled the region into broader instability.In laying out a case for the strikes, Hegseth pointed to the Iranian regime as having started the conflict from its inception, declaring that for 47 years it has "waged a savage, one-sided war against America.”“Their war on Americans has become our retribution against their Ayatolloah and his death cult,” he said.He did not point to any threat of an imminent nuclear threat from Iran, and he said again that last summer’s strikes by the U.S. and Israel “obliterated their nuclear program to rubble.”Instead, Hegseth pointed to threats from other weaponry such as ballistic missiles and drones that justified the operation.“Iran was building powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions,” Hegseth said.He said that during negotiations with U.S. officials leading up to the attack, Iranian officials were “stalling."“The former regime had every chance to make a peaceful and sensible deal. But Tehran was not negotiating," Hegseth said.Trump, in an interview Sunday with The New York Times, said the assault could last “four to five weeks.”Hegseth dismissed questions about the time frame and said, “President Trump has all the latitude in the world to talk about how long it may or may not take. Four weeks, two weeks, six weeks. It could move up. It could move back.”The Republican president said the U.S. and Israel had struck hundreds of targets already. That included Israel and the U.S. bombing Iranian missile sites and targeted its navy, claiming to have destroyed its headquarters and multiple warships.Caine said that, as with the operation that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-trump-bomber-news-06-22-2025-c2baca52babe915e033ae175ce8b2687">dropped massive bunker-buster bombs</a>&nbsp;on Iranian nuclear facilities last year, Epic Fury also utilized B-2 stealth bombers, which the chairman said made a 37-hour round trip.Caine several times referenced the use of cyber technologies in the strikes, which he said had “effectively disrupted communications and sensor networks,” leaving “the adversary without the ability to coordinate or respond effectively.”Without giving specifics, Caine said the U.S. military “delivered synchronized and layered effects designed to disrupt, degrade, deny and destroy Iran’s ability to conduct and sustained combat operations on the U.S. side.”The Iranian Red Crescent Society said at least 555 people have been killed in Iran so far by the U.S.-Israeli campaign. Eleven people have been killed in Israel and 31 in Lebanon, according to authorities there.___Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard in Charleston, S.C., David Klepper and Ben Finley in Washington and Farnoush Amiri in New York contributed to this report.

🎥Pentagon officials answer questions on Iran strikes

<a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Salina&amp;state=KS&amp;site=ICT&amp;lat=38.8158&amp;lon=-97.6178">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

Monitor local weather updates frequently in multiple ways by listening to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/nwr/">NOAA Weather Radio</a>, checking local news and emergency notifications. You can also stay informed by following Saline County and the National Weather Service on social media.

For the latest forecast updates, visit the National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>. To check forecasts frequently, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/">weather.gov</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772414658406.png" alt="Three day weather forecast Salina, March 2 - March 4. Courtesy of US National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Three day weather forecast Salina, March 2 - March 4. Courtesy of US National Weather Service</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Salina&amp;state=KS&amp;site=ICT&amp;lat=38.8158&amp;lon=-97.6178">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>Monitor local weather updates frequently in multiple ways by listening to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/nwr/">NOAA Weather Radio</a>, checking local news and emergency notifications. You can also stay informed by following Saline County and the National Weather Service on social media.For the latest forecast updates, visit the National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>. To check forecasts frequently, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/">weather.gov</a>.

Three day weather forecast Salina, March 2 - March 4

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1772147359235.png" alt="Three day weather forecast Salina, February 27 - March 1. Courtesy of US National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Three day weather forecast Salina, February 27 - March 1. Courtesy of US National Weather Service</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Salina&amp;state=KS&amp;site=ICT&amp;lat=38.8158&amp;lon=-97.6178">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>Monitor local weather updates frequently in multiple ways by listening to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/nwr/">NOAA Weather Radio</a>, checking local news and emergency notifications. You can also stay informed by following Saline County and the National Weather Service on social media.For the latest forecast updates, visit the National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>. To check forecasts frequently, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/">weather.gov</a>.

Three day weather forecast Salina, February 27 - March 1

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771972761732.png" alt="Three day weather forecast Salina, February 25 - February 27. Courtesy of US National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Three day weather forecast Salina, February 25 - February 27. Courtesy of US National Weather Service</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Salina&amp;state=KS&amp;site=ICT&amp;lat=38.8158&amp;lon=-97.6178">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>Monitor local weather updates frequently in multiple ways by listening to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/nwr/">NOAA Weather Radio</a>, checking local news and emergency notifications. You can also stay informed by following Saline County and the National Weather Service on social media.For the latest forecast updates, visit the National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>. To check forecasts frequently, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/">weather.gov</a>.

Three day weather forecast Salina, February 25 - February 27

Duane Eddy, 55, of Salina, KS, passed away on February 18th, 2026 surrounded by his loving family.

Duane was born in Salina, KS to Dale Eddy and Sharon Kay Jenkins. Duane attended Central High School in Salina, and then obtained his welder’s license from Salina Area Vocational Technical School in 1991. He welcomed his daughter, Taylor Eddy, in 1996. During his life, Duane loved to work on cars, specifically his Chevrolet Laguna and Geo Storm, spend time with friends and family, play disc golf, play video games, watch the Denver Broncos play, and listen to his favorite bands. Towards the end of his life, Duane was known to volunteer at food banks and other charities.

Duane will be fondly remembered for his fun-loving and kind spirit, and being able to make friends wherever he went. To know him was to love him.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Dale Eddy and Sharon Kay Jenkins. He is survived by his daughter, Taylor Eddy (Dylan Lee); siblings, Belinda Montijo, Mike Montijo, Tito Montijo, Darcie (Henry) Eddy Malmgren and Darren Eddy; many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and his beloved dog, Tank.

Please join us from 3 to 5 on Friday, March 27th at The Courtyard by Marriott (3020 Riffel Dr, Salina KS) to gather and share favorite memories and light refreshments.

To honor Duane’s memory, please consider a donation to Salina Animal Shelter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771945331013.jpeg" alt="Duane Eddy" />
 <figcaption>Duane Eddy</figcaption>
 </figure>Duane Eddy, 55, of Salina, KS, passed away on February 18th, 2026 surrounded by his loving family.Duane was born in Salina, KS to Dale Eddy and Sharon Kay Jenkins. Duane attended Central High School in Salina, and then obtained his welder’s license from Salina Area Vocational Technical School in 1991. He welcomed his daughter, Taylor Eddy, in 1996. During his life, Duane loved to work on cars, specifically his Chevrolet Laguna and Geo Storm, spend time with friends and family, play disc golf, play video games, watch the Denver Broncos play, and listen to his favorite bands. Towards the end of his life, Duane was known to volunteer at food banks and other charities.Duane will be fondly remembered for his fun-loving and kind spirit, and being able to make friends wherever he went. To know him was to love him.He was preceded in death by his parents, Dale Eddy and Sharon Kay Jenkins. He is survived by his daughter, Taylor Eddy (Dylan Lee); siblings, Belinda Montijo, Mike Montijo, Tito Montijo, Darcie (Henry) Eddy Malmgren and Darren Eddy; many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and his beloved dog, Tank.Please join us from 3 to 5 on Friday, March 27th at The Courtyard by Marriott (3020 Riffel Dr, Salina KS) to gather and share favorite memories and light refreshments.To honor Duane’s memory, please consider a donation to Salina Animal Shelter.

Duane Eddy

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;will stand before Congress on Tuesday to deliver&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-state-of-union-affordability-9dd2fe1f3ba81bddd4ad115356131b41">the annual State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;to a suddenly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiQt_5Q07iI" target="_blank">transformed nation</a>.

One year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-trump-approval-economy-immigration-foreign-policy-0cf4ce30aa2bead033122b6d287e0c7f">back in office</a>, Trump has emerged as a president defying conventional expectations. He has executed a head-spinning agenda, upending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigrant-detention-warehouses-ice-trump-52244cad6413704d4bacfcb0cb06b6bb">priorities at home</a>, shattering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-europe-us-trump-leadership-ukraine-security-92ebda5a785423a9ef72d96dc1117ca6">alliances abroad</a>&nbsp;and challenging the nation’s foundational system of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-executive-order-lawsuit-tracker/">checks and balances</a>. Two Americans were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-renee-good-alex-pretti-memorial-114fc6189d63adb8cc06d275929652eb">killed by federal agents</a>&nbsp;while protesting the Trump administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigrant-detention-warehouses-ice-trump-52244cad6413704d4bacfcb0cb06b6bb">immigration raids and mass deportations</a>.

As the lawmakers sit in the House chamber listening to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-whats-next-b8b6d5d44ebb3640a88f7202754cb361">Trump’s agenda</a>&nbsp;for the year ahead, the moment is an existential one for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/congress">the Congress</a>, which has essentially become sidelined by his expansive reach, the Republican president bypassing his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-republicans-troubles-midterms-trump-7a4a88479807ea15a8050129dbe19c0d">slim GOP majority</a>&nbsp;to amass enormous power for himself.

“It’s crazy,” said Nancy Henderson Korpi, a retiree in northern Minnesota who joined an Indivisible protest group and plans to watch the speech from home. “But what is disturbing more to me is that Congress has essentially just handed over their power.”

She said, “We could make some sound decisions and changes if Congress would do their job.”

The country is at a crossroads, celebrating its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/america-250-congress-spending-history-trump-9163856922b428f53a8e1a7c30a06a04">250th anniversary</a>&nbsp;while experiencing some of the most significant changes to its politics, policies and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-gallup-optimism-future-republicans-democrats-4dc287cdbbaefb077895746613fea4e4">general mood</a>&nbsp;in many Americans’ lifetimes.

The president muscled his agenda through Congress when he needed to — often pressuring lawmakers with a phone call during cliffhanger votes — but more often avoided the messy give-and-take of the legislative process to power past his own party and the often&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-speaker-johnson-228dde6760bbd2cf98be8f2e676bf175">unified Democratic opposition</a>.

Trump’s signature legislative accomplishment so far is the GOP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-gop-taxes-ced365c347de9320eef2ccb8df16dda2">big tax cuts bill</a>, with its new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-accounts-kids-michael-dell-1831095c23ead75b67edc65ead5309fd">savings accounts</a>&nbsp;for babies,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-treasury-tax-tips-income-employment-b1f5a296b3926dd2a448769ca69b6f4c">no taxes on tips</a>&nbsp;and other specialty deductions, and steep&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-medicaid-cuts-snap-ed0d2c7c20b43c54265dbc9cb215b647">cuts to Medicaid</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-tax-cuts-medicaid-416f8f60ba7b541622f1d5d149555752">SNAP food aid</a>. It also fueled more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-immigration-ice-deportation-budget-be983b14f60a5cdfc17af7cf0307f1c9">$170 billion to Homeland Security</a>&nbsp;for his immigration deportations.

But the GOP-led Congress has largely stood by as Trump dramatically seized power through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/executive-orders">hundreds of executive actions</a>, many being challenged in court, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to impose his agenda.

“Retrieving a lost power is no easy business in our constitutional order,” wrote Justice Neil Gorsuch in the Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tariffs-trump-0485fcda30a7310501123e4931dba3f9">landmark rebuke</a>&nbsp;of Trump’s tariffs policy on Friday.

Gorsuch said that without the court stepping in on major questions, “Our system of separated powers and checks-and-balances threatens to give way to the continual and permanent accretion of power in the hands of one man.”

Trump goes it alone, with or without Congress

From slashing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">the federal workforce</a>&nbsp;to upending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/childhood-vaccine-schedule-trump-rfk-hhs-9b8df9e2767c1261aaac4e2331e77fa3">the childhood vaccine</a>&nbsp;schedule to attacking Venezuela and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-venezuela-presidential-palace-blowtorches-7969152ae48510003fe9cbde92f3c102">capturing that country’s president</a>, Trump’s reach appeared to know no bounds.

His administration launched investigations of would-be political foes, imposed his name on historic buildings, including the storied John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and perhaps most visibly has been rounding up people and converting warehouses into detention holding centers for deportations.

At almost every step of the way, there were moments when Congress could have intervened but did not.

Democrats, in the minority, often tried to push back, including by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-dhs-government-shutdown-2-17-2026">halting routine Homeland Security funds</a>&nbsp;unless there are restraints on the immigration actions.

But Republicans believe the country elected the president and gave their party control of Congress to align with his agenda, according to one senior GOP leadership aide who insisted on anonymity to discuss the dynamic.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;of Louisiana has said Trump will be the “most consequential” president of the modern era.

Democrats plan to either boycott the speech or sit in stony silence.

“The state of the union is falling apart,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.

There have been times when Congress held its own against the White House, but they have been rare — as in the high-profile bipartisan push from Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Ca., to force the release of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">the Jeffrey Epstein files</a>, over the objections of Johnson and GOP leadership.

The flex of congressional power has more often come from a few renegade Republicans joining with most Democrats to put a check on the president, as when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-tariffs-trump-canada-db591b69fbc3d867a82c7ae22d7e308b">the House voted</a>&nbsp;to block Trump’s tariffs on Canada. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-war-powers-venezuela-trump-maduro-greenland-e1c5c8390eb2331779504b710fe85025">Senate advanced a war powers resolution</a>&nbsp;to prevent military action in Venezuela without congressional approval, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-senate-war-powers-2350b162d116090759a7428c4b915eea">backed off</a>&nbsp;after Trump intervened.

Those have been mostly symbolic votes, because Congress would not have the numbers to overcome any expected Trump veto.

More often, the Congress has accommodated Trump, by rolling back already approved bipartisan funding for USAID foreign aid or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-broadcasting-pbs-npr-b68f441c227ec7e076c038821b4a5931">public broadcasting</a>&nbsp;or failing to stop the U.S. military strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats that killed two survivors in the Caribbean. When Trump issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-jan-6-pardons-trump-justice-department-8ce8b2a8f8cb602d5eaf85ac7b969606">Day One pardon</a>&nbsp;of some 1,500 people charged in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">the Jan. 6, 2021 attack</a>&nbsp;on the Capitol, the Republicans in Congress did not object.

And as Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency with billionaire Elon Musk started firing federal workers, GOP lawmakers signaled approval by forming their own DOGE caucus on Capitol Hill.

“The central question for us is does the public understand what’s at stake” said Max Stier, CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit organization focused on government management and democracy. “We are in the midst of the most significant transformation of our government and our public servants in our history as a country.”

He said some 300,000 federal employees were fired or moved on, while 100,000 new hires or rehires have largely gone to Homeland Security.

In courtrooms across the country, cases are being filed against the administration at record levels, as Congress was “asleep at the wheel,” said Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, which has filed more than 150 cases against the administration, part of the largest legal effort against an executive branch in U.S. history.

But the judicial system has been under strain, and the White House has not always abided by court rulings. GOP lawmakers have joined Trump’s criticism of the courts, displaying outside their offices posters of judges they want to impeach.

A next big test will be over a proof-of-citizenship voting bill that Trump wants ahead of the midterm elections.

The House has passed the SAVE America Act, which would require birth certificates or passports to register to vote in federal elections and a photo ID at the polls. Supporters say it’s needed to crack down on fraud, while critics argue it will shut millions of Americans out of voting because they don’t have citizenship documents readily available.

The Senate has a majority to pass the measure but not the necessary 60 votes to overcome an expected Democratic-led filibuster.

Trump has vowed executive actions if Congress fails to approve legislation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741357145287.png" alt="President Trump during his address to a joint session of Congress last year-image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>President Trump during his address to a joint session of Congress last year-image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;will stand before Congress on Tuesday to deliver&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-state-of-union-affordability-9dd2fe1f3ba81bddd4ad115356131b41">the annual State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;to a suddenly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiQt_5Q07iI" target="_blank">transformed nation</a>.One year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-trump-approval-economy-immigration-foreign-policy-0cf4ce30aa2bead033122b6d287e0c7f">back in office</a>, Trump has emerged as a president defying conventional expectations. He has executed a head-spinning agenda, upending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigrant-detention-warehouses-ice-trump-52244cad6413704d4bacfcb0cb06b6bb">priorities at home</a>, shattering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-europe-us-trump-leadership-ukraine-security-92ebda5a785423a9ef72d96dc1117ca6">alliances abroad</a>&nbsp;and challenging the nation’s foundational system of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-executive-order-lawsuit-tracker/">checks and balances</a>. Two Americans were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-renee-good-alex-pretti-memorial-114fc6189d63adb8cc06d275929652eb">killed by federal agents</a>&nbsp;while protesting the Trump administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigrant-detention-warehouses-ice-trump-52244cad6413704d4bacfcb0cb06b6bb">immigration raids and mass deportations</a>.As the lawmakers sit in the House chamber listening to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-whats-next-b8b6d5d44ebb3640a88f7202754cb361">Trump’s agenda</a>&nbsp;for the year ahead, the moment is an existential one for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/congress">the Congress</a>, which has essentially become sidelined by his expansive reach, the Republican president bypassing his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-republicans-troubles-midterms-trump-7a4a88479807ea15a8050129dbe19c0d">slim GOP majority</a>&nbsp;to amass enormous power for himself.“It’s crazy,” said Nancy Henderson Korpi, a retiree in northern Minnesota who joined an Indivisible protest group and plans to watch the speech from home. “But what is disturbing more to me is that Congress has essentially just handed over their power.”She said, “We could make some sound decisions and changes if Congress would do their job.”<h2>The state of the union is upheaval</h2>The country is at a crossroads, celebrating its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/america-250-congress-spending-history-trump-9163856922b428f53a8e1a7c30a06a04">250th anniversary</a>&nbsp;while experiencing some of the most significant changes to its politics, policies and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-gallup-optimism-future-republicans-democrats-4dc287cdbbaefb077895746613fea4e4">general mood</a>&nbsp;in many Americans’ lifetimes.The president muscled his agenda through Congress when he needed to — often pressuring lawmakers with a phone call during cliffhanger votes — but more often avoided the messy give-and-take of the legislative process to power past his own party and the often&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-speaker-johnson-228dde6760bbd2cf98be8f2e676bf175">unified Democratic opposition</a>.Trump’s signature legislative accomplishment so far is the GOP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-gop-taxes-ced365c347de9320eef2ccb8df16dda2">big tax cuts bill</a>, with its new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-accounts-kids-michael-dell-1831095c23ead75b67edc65ead5309fd">savings accounts</a>&nbsp;for babies,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-treasury-tax-tips-income-employment-b1f5a296b3926dd2a448769ca69b6f4c">no taxes on tips</a>&nbsp;and other specialty deductions, and steep&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-medicaid-cuts-snap-ed0d2c7c20b43c54265dbc9cb215b647">cuts to Medicaid</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-tax-cuts-medicaid-416f8f60ba7b541622f1d5d149555752">SNAP food aid</a>. It also fueled more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-immigration-ice-deportation-budget-be983b14f60a5cdfc17af7cf0307f1c9">$170 billion to Homeland Security</a>&nbsp;for his immigration deportations.But the GOP-led Congress has largely stood by as Trump dramatically seized power through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/executive-orders">hundreds of executive actions</a>, many being challenged in court, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to impose his agenda.“Retrieving a lost power is no easy business in our constitutional order,” wrote Justice Neil Gorsuch in the Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tariffs-trump-0485fcda30a7310501123e4931dba3f9">landmark rebuke</a>&nbsp;of Trump’s tariffs policy on Friday.Gorsuch said that without the court stepping in on major questions, “Our system of separated powers and checks-and-balances threatens to give way to the continual and permanent accretion of power in the hands of one man.”<h2>Trump goes it alone, with or without Congress</h2>From slashing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">the federal workforce</a>&nbsp;to upending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/childhood-vaccine-schedule-trump-rfk-hhs-9b8df9e2767c1261aaac4e2331e77fa3">the childhood vaccine</a>&nbsp;schedule to attacking Venezuela and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-venezuela-presidential-palace-blowtorches-7969152ae48510003fe9cbde92f3c102">capturing that country’s president</a>, Trump’s reach appeared to know no bounds.His administration launched investigations of would-be political foes, imposed his name on historic buildings, including the storied John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and perhaps most visibly has been rounding up people and converting warehouses into detention holding centers for deportations.At almost every step of the way, there were moments when Congress could have intervened but did not.Democrats, in the minority, often tried to push back, including by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-dhs-government-shutdown-2-17-2026">halting routine Homeland Security funds</a>&nbsp;unless there are restraints on the immigration actions.But Republicans believe the country elected the president and gave their party control of Congress to align with his agenda, according to one senior GOP leadership aide who insisted on anonymity to discuss the dynamic.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;of Louisiana has said Trump will be the “most consequential” president of the modern era.Democrats plan to either boycott the speech or sit in stony silence.“The state of the union is falling apart,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.<h2>Congress asserts itself, at times</h2>There have been times when Congress held its own against the White House, but they have been rare — as in the high-profile bipartisan push from Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Ca., to force the release of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">the Jeffrey Epstein files</a>, over the objections of Johnson and GOP leadership.The flex of congressional power has more often come from a few renegade Republicans joining with most Democrats to put a check on the president, as when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-tariffs-trump-canada-db591b69fbc3d867a82c7ae22d7e308b">the House voted</a>&nbsp;to block Trump’s tariffs on Canada. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-war-powers-venezuela-trump-maduro-greenland-e1c5c8390eb2331779504b710fe85025">Senate advanced a war powers resolution</a>&nbsp;to prevent military action in Venezuela without congressional approval, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-senate-war-powers-2350b162d116090759a7428c4b915eea">backed off</a>&nbsp;after Trump intervened.Those have been mostly symbolic votes, because Congress would not have the numbers to overcome any expected Trump veto.More often, the Congress has accommodated Trump, by rolling back already approved bipartisan funding for USAID foreign aid or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-broadcasting-pbs-npr-b68f441c227ec7e076c038821b4a5931">public broadcasting</a>&nbsp;or failing to stop the U.S. military strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats that killed two survivors in the Caribbean. When Trump issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-jan-6-pardons-trump-justice-department-8ce8b2a8f8cb602d5eaf85ac7b969606">Day One pardon</a>&nbsp;of some 1,500 people charged in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">the Jan. 6, 2021 attack</a>&nbsp;on the Capitol, the Republicans in Congress did not object.And as Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency with billionaire Elon Musk started firing federal workers, GOP lawmakers signaled approval by forming their own DOGE caucus on Capitol Hill.“The central question for us is does the public understand what’s at stake” said Max Stier, CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit organization focused on government management and democracy. “We are in the midst of the most significant transformation of our government and our public servants in our history as a country.”He said some 300,000 federal employees were fired or moved on, while 100,000 new hires or rehires have largely gone to Homeland Security.<h2>Checks and balances are being challenged</h2>In courtrooms across the country, cases are being filed against the administration at record levels, as Congress was “asleep at the wheel,” said Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, which has filed more than 150 cases against the administration, part of the largest legal effort against an executive branch in U.S. history.But the judicial system has been under strain, and the White House has not always abided by court rulings. GOP lawmakers have joined Trump’s criticism of the courts, displaying outside their offices posters of judges they want to impeach.A next big test will be over a proof-of-citizenship voting bill that Trump wants ahead of the midterm elections.The House has passed the SAVE America Act, which would require birth certificates or passports to register to vote in federal elections and a photo ID at the polls. Supporters say it’s needed to crack down on fraud, while critics argue it will shut millions of Americans out of voting because they don’t have citizenship documents readily available.The Senate has a majority to pass the measure but not the necessary 60 votes to overcome an expected Democratic-led filibuster.Trump has vowed executive actions if Congress fails to approve legislation.___

State of the Union: President's big speech will be delivered to a changed nation

DOWNS - The 32nd Annual Kansas Storytelling Festival is coming quickly this spring. The Festival will be held on Friday and Saturday, April 24 and 25, 2026 in Downs, Kansas.

Known as the “Storytelling Capital of Kansas”, the small northcentral town of Downs welcomes you to a weekend of stories and unforgettable hospitality.

This celebration of the art of storytelling promises to be an event filled with laughter, wonder, and the timeless magic of storytelling. Nationally known festival favorites are invited, along with new voices for stories from all genres for all ages. Headlining storytellers are Kevin Kling, Geraldine Buckley, Rev. Robert B. Jones Sr., Ingrid Nixon, and Greg Victors (Wichita War Dancer).

Kevin Kling hails from Minneapolis, MN and has performed his stories in libraries, school gymnasiums, The Kennedy Center, Off-Broadway, regional theaters and storytelling festivals around the US. Kevin has been a frequent featured teller at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborogh, TN. Kevin’s international tours have included Australia, Europe and Thailand.

Geraldine Buckley is a British-born, internationally known, award-winning storyteller, speaker, and educator. She is known for her natural warmth and delightful sense of humor, as well as her wise, witty personal stories that make people laugh and think. She teaches workshops and tells stories in conferences, colleges, corporations, prisons, schools, house concerts, and festivals throughout America, and as far away as New Zealand. She has been featured several times at the National Storytelling Festival.

Rev. Robert B. Jones, Sr. is a renaissance man. He has been a professional musician for more than forty years and the National Blues Foundation recognized his work as a leading blues educator in 2007. He has been a Pastor for more than 20 years, and a nationally recognized storyteller for more than fifteen years. At the heart of his message is the belief that our cultural diversity tells a story that should celebrate, not just tolerate.

Ingrid Nixon is a professional storyteller and retired National Park Service ranger, who has worked in expedition tourism for over three decades, sharing stories of exploration, folklore, culture, and natural history while leading groups to all seven continents. Ingrid performs historical stories, myths, tall tales, folktales and more at events and festivals throughout the United States, including the National Storytelling Festival.

Greg Victors, is the World Champion Wichita War Dancer and is of the Tohono O'Odham and Ponca Nations. He has been a Native performer since childhood. He has a passion for not only performing but educating people about his culture and its beautiful history. He feels a deep responsibility to share and preserve the native culture through dancing, singing and storytelling. Stories, folklore and traditional teachings all play a significant role in learning about the first peoples of the Americas.

The professional storytellers will perform several times throughout the weekend. Listeners will also enjoy the Tall Tales Contest (Friday night), the local “Legends” Storytellers including Native American stories and the Master Storytellers (previous winners of 3 tall tales contests). Bring your own stories to tell during the Swappin’ Grounds session on Saturday afternoon. 

More information can be found <a href="https://www.kansasstorytellingfestival.com/">https://www.kansasstorytellingfestival.com/</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasStorytellingFestival/">Kansas Storytelling on Facebook. </a>

There's something for everyone to enjoy at the 2026 Kansas Storytelling Festival on April 24 – 25, 2026.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743606770706.png" alt="The 32nd Annual Kansas Storytelling Festival is coming quickly this spring. The Festival will be held on&nbsp;Friday and Saturday, April 24 and 25, 2026 in Downs, Kansas." />
 <figcaption>The 32nd Annual Kansas Storytelling Festival is coming quickly this spring. The Festival will be held on&nbsp;Friday and Saturday, April 24 and 25, 2026 in Downs, Kansas.</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas Storytelling FestivalDOWNS - The 32nd Annual Kansas Storytelling Festival is coming quickly this spring. The Festival will be held on Friday and Saturday, April 24 and 25, 2026 in Downs, Kansas. Known as the “Storytelling Capital of Kansas”, the small northcentral town of Downs welcomes you to a weekend of stories and unforgettable hospitality.This celebration of the art of storytelling promises to be an event filled with laughter, wonder, and the timeless magic of storytelling. Nationally known festival favorites are invited, along with new voices for stories from all genres for all ages. Headlining storytellers are Kevin Kling, Geraldine Buckley, Rev. Robert B. Jones Sr., Ingrid Nixon, and Greg Victors (Wichita War Dancer).<h2>Kevin Kling</h2>Kevin Kling hails from Minneapolis, MN and has performed his stories in libraries, school gymnasiums, The Kennedy Center, Off-Broadway, regional theaters and storytelling festivals around the US. Kevin has been a frequent featured teller at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborogh, TN. Kevin’s international tours have included Australia, Europe and Thailand.<h2>Geraldine Buckley</h2>Geraldine Buckley is a British-born, internationally known, award-winning storyteller, speaker, and educator. She is known for her natural warmth and delightful sense of humor, as well as her wise, witty personal stories that make people laugh and think. She teaches workshops and tells stories in conferences, colleges, corporations, prisons, schools, house concerts, and festivals throughout America, and as far away as New Zealand. She has been featured several times at the National Storytelling Festival.<h2>Rev. Robert B. Jones, Sr.</h2>Rev. Robert B. Jones, Sr. is a renaissance man. He has been a professional musician for more than forty years and the National Blues Foundation recognized his work as a leading blues educator in 2007. He has been a Pastor for more than 20 years, and a nationally recognized storyteller for more than fifteen years. At the heart of his message is the belief that our cultural diversity tells a story that should celebrate, not just tolerate.<h2>Ingrid Nixon</h2>Ingrid Nixon is a professional storyteller and retired National Park Service ranger, who has worked in expedition tourism for over three decades, sharing stories of exploration, folklore, culture, and natural history while leading groups to all seven continents. Ingrid performs historical stories, myths, tall tales, folktales and more at events and festivals throughout the United States, including the National Storytelling Festival.<h2>Greg Victors</h2>Greg Victors, is the World Champion Wichita War Dancer and is of the Tohono O'Odham and Ponca Nations. He has been a Native performer since childhood. He has a passion for not only performing but educating people about his culture and its beautiful history. He feels a deep responsibility to share and preserve the native culture through dancing, singing and storytelling. Stories, folklore and traditional teachings all play a significant role in learning about the first peoples of the Americas.The professional storytellers will perform several times throughout the weekend. Listeners will also enjoy the Tall Tales Contest (Friday night), the local “Legends” Storytellers including Native American stories and the Master Storytellers (previous winners of 3 tall tales contests). Bring your own stories to tell during the Swappin’ Grounds session on Saturday afternoon. More information can be found <a href="https://www.kansasstorytellingfestival.com/">https://www.kansasstorytellingfestival.com/</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasStorytellingFestival/">Kansas Storytelling on Facebook. </a>There's something for everyone to enjoy at the 2026 Kansas Storytelling Festival on April 24 – 25, 2026.

Annual storytelling festival held in Downs features multiple participants 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771857785054.png" alt="Three day weather forecast Salina, February 23 - February 25. Courtesy of US National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Three day weather forecast Salina, February 23 - February 25. Courtesy of US National Weather Service</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Salina&amp;state=KS&amp;site=ICT&amp;lat=38.8158&amp;lon=-97.6178">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>Monitor local weather updates frequently in multiple ways by listening to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/nwr/">NOAA Weather Radio</a>, checking local news and emergency notifications. You can also stay informed by following Saline County and the National Weather Service on social media.For the latest forecast updates, visit the National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>. To check forecasts frequently, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/">weather.gov</a>.

Three day weather forecast Salina, February 23 - February 25

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/kevinhardy/">Kevin Hardy</a>

Outrage erupted last month when Oklahoma City residents learned of plans to convert a vacant warehouse into an immigration processing facility.

Making&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/2026/01/27/oklahomans-denounce-potential-ice-processing-center-at-okc-city-council-meeting/" target="_blank">matters worse</a>&nbsp;was the secrecy of the federal government: City leaders received no communication from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement aside from a mandated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.okc.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/city-manager/ltr-from-dhs-to-okc-about-okc-detention-center.pdf" target="_blank">disclosure</a>&nbsp;related to historic preservation.

Planning a major development without city input is antithetical to the in-depth, sometimes arcane permitting, planning and zoning process in Oklahoma City. Mayor David Holt, a former Republican state senator, said those land use decisions are among the most crucial of any municipal government.

“For any entity to be able to open a detention center in our communities, potentially next to neighborhoods or schools, regardless of your views on immigration policy or enforcement, is very challenging, because that’s a very high-impact use, and that’s the kind of thing that we would expect to talk about,” he told Stateline.

Communities across the country are facing similar prospects as ICE undertakes a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/01/21/nx-s1-5674887/ice-budget-funding-congress-trump" target="_blank">massive expansion</a>&nbsp;fueled in large part by the record $45 billion approved for increased immigration detention by Congress last summer.

During President Donald Trump’s second term, ICE is holding a record number of detainees —&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2026/02/05/immigration-detention-passed-70000-in-january/" target="_blank">more than 70,000</a>&nbsp;as of January — across its own facilities as well as in contracted local jails and private prisons. ICE<a href="https://www.governor.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt971/files/inline-documents/merrimack-detention-reengineering-initiative.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;documents</a>&nbsp;from last week show plans for acquiring and renovating 16 processing sites that hold up to 1,500 people each and eight detention centers that hold up to 10,000 each, for a total capacity of 92,600 beds. The agency also has plans for some 150 new leases and office expansions across the country,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ice-expansion-across-us-at-heres-where-its-going-next/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us" target="_blank">Wired reported</a>.

But ICE’s plans to convert industrial buildings — often warehouses — into new detention facilities have recently faced fierce opposition over humanitarian and economic concerns. From Utah to Texas to Georgia, local governments have sought to block these massive facilities. But with limited legal authority, city and state officials have turned to the court of public opinion to deter private developers and the federal government.

Holt, who is the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a nonpartisan organization representing the more than 1,400 leaders of cities with populations of 30,000 or more, said cities have little legal recourse over the ICE facilities.

“We all have a clear, unified position that really crosses party lines,” he said, “and then we also have a clear understanding of how limited our options are.”

Local leaders often cite the U.S. Constitution’s&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artVI-C2-1/ALDE_00013395/" target="_blank">supremacy clause</a>, which says federal laws supersede conflicting state laws. That leaves cities with limited influence over projects that could take industrial space off tax rolls, cause new strains on city services and raise serious humanitarian concerns given the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement, including the high-profile killings of two Americans in Minnesota.

Facing bipartisan opposition, the out-of-state owner of the Oklahoma City warehouse ultimately decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/briefs/proposed-oklahoma-city-ice-facility-is-off-the-table/" target="_blank">end talks</a>&nbsp;of selling or leasing its warehouse to the federal government.

Similar public pressure has proved effective in reversing plans in several other cities: In late January, a Canadian firm said it would not proceed with a planned sale of a Virginia warehouse after it faced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/us/politics/ice-warehouse-detention-canada.html" target="_blank">calls for a boycott</a>&nbsp;from Canadian politicians and businesses. In Mississippi, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker announced the federal government would&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SenatorWicker/status/2019820750900002820" target="_blank">“look elsewhere”</a>&nbsp;after he spoke with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees ICE. Wicker, a Republican who said he supports immigration enforcement, echoed local&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2026/2/wicker-proposed-ice-facility-threatens-byhalia-mississippi-economy-and-infrastructure" target="_blank">economic concerns</a>&nbsp;of a project planned in Byhalia.

Some officials have welcomed the new facilities: Missouri Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Alford has&nbsp;<a href="https://alford.house.gov/uploadedfiles/1.16.2026_ice_facility_letter.pdf" target="_blank">lobbied</a>&nbsp;to land a detention and processing center in his district. And last week, a Maryland county approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wbaltv.com/article/washington-county-dhs-ice-resolution-hagerstown-detention-center/70300009" target="_blank">resolution</a>&nbsp;expressing its “full support” for ICE, which is considering purchasing a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washco-md.net/news/washington-county-statement-on-u-s-department-of-homeland-security-notice-concerning-proposed-ice-facility/" target="_blank">warehouse</a>&nbsp;there, despite local protests. But most communities have fought them.

Neither DHS nor ICE responded to Stateline’s questions.

Holt said the discussion resembles other local development concerns where NIMBY — short for Not in My Backyard — is a common description of opponents.

“There are plenty of people who are very law-and-order and supporters of law enforcement who don’t want a jail next to their house,” he said. “That’s why it’s got such broad opposition: NIMBYism is the most powerful force sometimes in American politics and nobody wants a detention center next to their home, their business or their school.”

After learning that ICE planned to take over a vacant warehouse within its city limits, the Kansas City Council in January swiftly approved a five-year ban on nonmunicipal detention facilities.

Kansas City Council member Andrea Bough, who is also a private development attorney, said the move was both political and legal: The city wanted to send a clear signal opposing ICE facilities, but it also wants to exert its local authority over planning and zoning.

She acknowledged the legal hurdle posed by the supremacy clause, but said there was enough ambiguity over the city’s ability to regulate land use that it may take the issue to the courts.

“Some would say local building codes and zoning regulations do not apply to the federal government,” she said. “That’s something I think we would probably in this situation be willing to fight until we had clear guidance on that.”

Following weeks of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/david-hudnall/article314486671.html" target="_blank">pressure</a>, the Kansas City firm that owns the 920,000-square-foot warehouse announced Thursday it was no longer “actively engaged with the U.S. Government or any other prospective purchaser,” the Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article314676617.html#storylink=cpy" target="_blank">reported</a>.

Jackson County, which includes portions of Kansas City and the potential detention facility, is considering a similar ban. And across the state line, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, is considering a similar&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/wyandotte-county/article314647328.html" target="_blank">two-year moratorium</a>.

But there are clear limitations on cities’ ability to stop federal projects, said Nestor Davidson, a professor who teaches land use and local government law at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771730316728.png" alt=" A vacant warehouse in Kansas City, Mo., was among a growing number of properties across the country planned for conversion into a federal immigration detention center. After weeks of public pressure, the private developer that owns the property announced last week it would not transfer the property to the federal government. (Photo by Kevin Hardy/Stateline)" />
 <figcaption> A vacant warehouse in Kansas City, Mo., was among a growing number of properties across the country planned for conversion into a federal immigration detention center. After weeks of public pressure, the private developer that owns the property announced last week it would not transfer the property to the federal government. (Photo by Kevin Hardy/Stateline)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/kevinhardy/">Kevin Hardy</a>Outrage erupted last month when Oklahoma City residents learned of plans to convert a vacant warehouse into an immigration processing facility.Making&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/2026/01/27/oklahomans-denounce-potential-ice-processing-center-at-okc-city-council-meeting/" target="_blank">matters worse</a>&nbsp;was the secrecy of the federal government: City leaders received no communication from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement aside from a mandated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.okc.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/city-manager/ltr-from-dhs-to-okc-about-okc-detention-center.pdf" target="_blank">disclosure</a>&nbsp;related to historic preservation.Planning a major development without city input is antithetical to the in-depth, sometimes arcane permitting, planning and zoning process in Oklahoma City. Mayor David Holt, a former Republican state senator, said those land use decisions are among the most crucial of any municipal government.“For any entity to be able to open a detention center in our communities, potentially next to neighborhoods or schools, regardless of your views on immigration policy or enforcement, is very challenging, because that’s a very high-impact use, and that’s the kind of thing that we would expect to talk about,” he told Stateline.Communities across the country are facing similar prospects as ICE undertakes a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/01/21/nx-s1-5674887/ice-budget-funding-congress-trump" target="_blank">massive expansion</a>&nbsp;fueled in large part by the record $45 billion approved for increased immigration detention by Congress last summer.During President Donald Trump’s second term, ICE is holding a record number of detainees —&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2026/02/05/immigration-detention-passed-70000-in-january/" target="_blank">more than 70,000</a>&nbsp;as of January — across its own facilities as well as in contracted local jails and private prisons. ICE<a href="https://www.governor.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt971/files/inline-documents/merrimack-detention-reengineering-initiative.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;documents</a>&nbsp;from last week show plans for acquiring and renovating 16 processing sites that hold up to 1,500 people each and eight detention centers that hold up to 10,000 each, for a total capacity of 92,600 beds. The agency also has plans for some 150 new leases and office expansions across the country,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ice-expansion-across-us-at-heres-where-its-going-next/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us" target="_blank">Wired reported</a>.But ICE’s plans to convert industrial buildings — often warehouses — into new detention facilities have recently faced fierce opposition over humanitarian and economic concerns. From Utah to Texas to Georgia, local governments have sought to block these massive facilities. But with limited legal authority, city and state officials have turned to the court of public opinion to deter private developers and the federal government.Holt, who is the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a nonpartisan organization representing the more than 1,400 leaders of cities with populations of 30,000 or more, said cities have little legal recourse over the ICE facilities.“We all have a clear, unified position that really crosses party lines,” he said, “and then we also have a clear understanding of how limited our options are.”Local leaders often cite the U.S. Constitution’s&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artVI-C2-1/ALDE_00013395/" target="_blank">supremacy clause</a>, which says federal laws supersede conflicting state laws. That leaves cities with limited influence over projects that could take industrial space off tax rolls, cause new strains on city services and raise serious humanitarian concerns given the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement, including the high-profile killings of two Americans in Minnesota.Facing bipartisan opposition, the out-of-state owner of the Oklahoma City warehouse ultimately decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/briefs/proposed-oklahoma-city-ice-facility-is-off-the-table/" target="_blank">end talks</a>&nbsp;of selling or leasing its warehouse to the federal government.Similar public pressure has proved effective in reversing plans in several other cities: In late January, a Canadian firm said it would not proceed with a planned sale of a Virginia warehouse after it faced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/us/politics/ice-warehouse-detention-canada.html" target="_blank">calls for a boycott</a>&nbsp;from Canadian politicians and businesses. In Mississippi, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker announced the federal government would&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SenatorWicker/status/2019820750900002820" target="_blank">“look elsewhere”</a>&nbsp;after he spoke with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees ICE. Wicker, a Republican who said he supports immigration enforcement, echoed local&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2026/2/wicker-proposed-ice-facility-threatens-byhalia-mississippi-economy-and-infrastructure" target="_blank">economic concerns</a>&nbsp;of a project planned in Byhalia.Some officials have welcomed the new facilities: Missouri Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Alford has&nbsp;<a href="https://alford.house.gov/uploadedfiles/1.16.2026_ice_facility_letter.pdf" target="_blank">lobbied</a>&nbsp;to land a detention and processing center in his district. And last week, a Maryland county approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wbaltv.com/article/washington-county-dhs-ice-resolution-hagerstown-detention-center/70300009" target="_blank">resolution</a>&nbsp;expressing its “full support” for ICE, which is considering purchasing a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washco-md.net/news/washington-county-statement-on-u-s-department-of-homeland-security-notice-concerning-proposed-ice-facility/" target="_blank">warehouse</a>&nbsp;there, despite local protests. But most communities have fought them.Neither DHS nor ICE responded to Stateline’s questions.Holt said the discussion resembles other local development concerns where NIMBY — short for Not in My Backyard — is a common description of opponents.“There are plenty of people who are very law-and-order and supporters of law enforcement who don’t want a jail next to their house,” he said. “That’s why it’s got such broad opposition: NIMBYism is the most powerful force sometimes in American politics and nobody wants a detention center next to their home, their business or their school.”<h2>A political and legal fight</h2>After learning that ICE planned to take over a vacant warehouse within its city limits, the Kansas City Council in January swiftly approved a five-year ban on nonmunicipal detention facilities.Kansas City Council member Andrea Bough, who is also a private development attorney, said the move was both political and legal: The city wanted to send a clear signal opposing ICE facilities, but it also wants to exert its local authority over planning and zoning.She acknowledged the legal hurdle posed by the supremacy clause, but said there was enough ambiguity over the city’s ability to regulate land use that it may take the issue to the courts.“Some would say local building codes and zoning regulations do not apply to the federal government,” she said. “That’s something I think we would probably in this situation be willing to fight until we had clear guidance on that.”Following weeks of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/david-hudnall/article314486671.html" target="_blank">pressure</a>, the Kansas City firm that owns the 920,000-square-foot warehouse announced Thursday it was no longer “actively engaged with the U.S. Government or any other prospective purchaser,” the Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article314676617.html#storylink=cpy" target="_blank">reported</a>.Jackson County, which includes portions of Kansas City and the potential detention facility, is considering a similar ban. And across the state line, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, is considering a similar&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/wyandotte-county/article314647328.html" target="_blank">two-year moratorium</a>.But there are clear limitations on cities’ ability to stop federal projects, said Nestor Davidson, a professor who teaches land use and local government law at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.“The federal government can assert immunity from certain state and local laws, including zoning, but it’s complicated, and there are nuances,” he said.Still, Davidson said some case law has shown cities may have stronger legal footing for zoning rules that are broad and not directly targeted at specific federal government projects.“I expect to see litigation,” he said. “I think you’re going to see these conversations play out as land use fights often do: both in a legal venue and in a political venue.”<h2>Governments pressured to act</h2>Kansas City’s moratorium has sparked interest among local activists who have pressured elected officials in other cities across the country to act. But many local officials are adamant that federal law ties their hands.In a legal opinion provided to the Orlando City Council in Florida, City Attorney Mayanne Downs rejected “suggestions of actions we can supposedly take,” including moratoriums or using zoning ordinances to block ICE detention centers.“However well motivated these suggestions are, the law is very clear: ICE, as an agency of our federal government, ICE is immune from any local regulation that interferes in any way with its federal mandate,” Downs wrote to the mayor and city commissioners.ICE is reportedly&nbsp;<a href="https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/02/06/u-s-reps-maxwell-frost-darren-soto-tell-kristi-noem-not-to-open-ice-facility-in-central-florida/" target="_blank">considering</a>&nbsp;a new $100 million processing center in southeast Orlando.The county commission in Orange County, which includes Orlando, discussed the issue last week after receiving similar legal advice. County Commissioner Nicole Wilson said the board is even more constrained because of a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/180" target="_blank">Florida law&nbsp;</a>limiting certain local governments’ ability to regulate development through 2027.After being advised against passing a moratorium, the board agreed with Wilson’s follow-up suggestion to draft a resolution expressing its opposition. That will be considered at a future meeting.“It doesn’t sound like it has the teeth that a moratorium would have, but it essentially gives an awareness that we’ve established a position in opposition to this type of facility in Orange County,” Wilson told Stateline.An attorney by trade, Wilson said the case law regarding federal projects largely centers on disputes about post offices, which she said is not an appropriate comparison to the massive detention centers currently contemplated.“A post office has the same water consumption and sewage as probably a lot of other uses,” she said. “If you take a warehouse that was designed for 25,000 widgets and put 15,000 humans in it, you’ve got a very different set of local needs and services that are being used and being taxed and being burdened.”<h2>Working with the feds</h2>Communities have often opposed various other federal projects, such as federal courthouses. But the federal government generally takes the time to listen to local concerns and communicate building plans with communities, said Jason Klumb, a former regional administrator with the U.S. General Services Administration, which manages the federal government’s real estate.“Generally, GSA has had kind of a good neighbor approach, understanding that they have requirements for federal facilities, and some of those facilities may not always be popular,” said Klumb, an Obama appointee.But the federal government has not been shy about exerting its constitutional authority.For example, late last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/jan/31/federal-government-reconfirms-vine-street/" target="_blank">GSA announced</a>&nbsp;it would build a new $239 million federal courthouse in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, despite&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/jan/31/federal-government-reconfirms-vine-street/" target="_blank">bipartisan lobbying</a>&nbsp;from city and federal officials for a different site.“The feds get what the feds want, ultimately,” Klumb said.In a statement, a GSA spokesperson declined to clarify the agency’s current role in acquiring ICE detention facilities. The statement said the agency was “following all lease procurement procedures in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.”Communities have largely been left out of the administration’s immigration decision-making process.“Most of the information we have received on this facility has been through news leaks and the government has not reached out to us yet,” said Paul Micali, the town manager of Merrimack, New Hampshire.Through an open records request, the ACLU of New Hampshire&nbsp;<a href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2026/02/03/new-documents-confirm-federal-government-plans-to-put-an-ice-facility-in-merrimack/" target="_blank">confirmed</a>&nbsp;that ICE was planning to convert a 43-acre warehouse property in the town of about 28,200.The federal plans were obtained from the state’s historic preservation office, which came under fire for not informing Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte of ICE’s proposal. That agency’s top official&nbsp;<a href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2026/02/09/embattled-cultural-resources-commissioner-resigns-amid-merrimack-ice-facility-fallout/" target="_blank">resigned last week</a>&nbsp;after pressure from Ayotte.Ayotte’s office did not respond to a request for comment. On Thursday, her office released documents detailing how the federal government’s&nbsp;<a href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2026/02/13/ayotte-releases-dhs-documents-about-planned-ice-detention-center-in-merrimack/" target="_blank">$158 million plan</a>&nbsp;to retrofit the property would create hundreds of long-term jobs for the region.<a href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2026/02/12/ice-director-dhs-has-worked-with-gov-ayotte-on-merrimack-immigrant-detention-center/" target="_blank">Testifying before Congress</a>&nbsp;Thursday, an ICE official said the feds will not cancel the project over local concerns.Micali said the vacant warehouse currently provides about $529,000 in annual property taxes — a substantial sum given the town’s property tax base of about $20 million.In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.merrimacknh.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif3456/f/news/260123_town_council_letter_to_dhs_re_ice_processing_center_-_signed.pdf" target="_blank">letter to Noem</a>, the Town Council said converting the property to a tax-free federal facility would result in higher local taxes for residents. Merrimack is also concerned about potential demands for water, fire and other city services, Micali said, but can’t even begin to assess needs without more details from the feds.He’s speaking with lawyers about what options, if any, the town may have to assert local zoning power.“We’re looking at every possibility,” he said.Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:khardy@stateline.org">khardy@stateline.org</a>.&nbsp;This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2026/02/17/communities-fight-ice-detention-centers-but-have-few-tools-to-stop-them/" target="_blank">Stateline</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Kansas Reflector, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.