JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yet another civil lawsuit filed Wednesday against a Missouri Christian boarding school by a former student accuses staffers of forced child labor, physical abuse and tactics aimed at hiding mistreatment from authorities.

The lawsuit, filed in Missouri’s Western U.S. District Court, alleges fraud and negligence by five former employees of the now-closed Agape Boarding School.

More than a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boarding-school-missouri-abuse-lawsuits-settlement-e004668160605c5fbd2239e191292296">dozen</a>&nbsp;other former students have settled lawsuits alleging they were abused at the southwest Missouri school.

When it shut down in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-stockton-missouri-education-6d4bc69348f4349249e49b3ec7c29172">2023</a>, it was the fourth and last unlicensed Christian boarding school to close in Cedar County since September 2020. The school’s former director, Bryan Clemensen, said the school, whose enrollment had tumbled, closed because it did not have the funding to continue.

Several people affiliated with those schools are facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/christian-boarding-school-arrests-missouri-3a2d40a39b5c04e38df7064f763b3272">criminal charges</a>.

Advocates for victims of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-education-af080895d108aa6dc0db533c60be2ebc">abuse at Missouri boarding schools</a>&nbsp;in May and again on Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-boarding-schools-advocacy-group-23fb495871041047659b0311f26d47e6">urged</a>&nbsp;the state’s attorney general to launch an investigation, work with local prosecutors and take other steps aimed at stemming the tide of abuse.

An attorney general spokesperson did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment Wednesday. But previously, Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s spokesperson, Madeline Sieren, has said that the attorney general’s office does not have jurisdiction to prosecute criminal cases, except when appointed as special prosecutor by the governor or a court.

The latest lawsuit claims that Agape “ran a ‘school’ akin to a concentration camp or torture colony cloaked in the guise of religion.”

Lawyers for three of the named defendants did not immediately return AP requests for comment. Attorneys were not immediately listed in online court records for the remaining two defendants.

The former student who is suing is now 20 years old and is identified in court filings only as John Doe.

Punishments given by staffers at Agape included forcing children to work out until they vomited and stay still in painful positions for hours at a time, the lawsuit states.

“There was a restraint room below the cafeteria. Students were often taken there and restrained; they could be heard screaming,” according to the lawsuit. “This went on for hours.”

Doe claims in his lawsuit that the staffers limited students' phone use and their letters to home in an attempt to conceal conditions at the school from their parents and “actively concealed from the Children’s Division abuses that were occurring.”

Doe, who first went to Agape at age 15, said staff also “brainwashed” him and others to make it easier to commit abuse.

The lawsuit claimed workers “prevented the children from receiving letters or care packages sent to them by their parents causing the children to believe they had been abandoned thereby emotionally coercing them into silence in order to conceal their abuses.”

Doe asked the judge for a jury trial and money from the defendants.

Other former Agape students came forward with abuse allegations in 2020. One former student said he was raped at Agape and called “seizure boy” because of his epilepsy. Others said they suffered permanent injuries from being disciplined or forced to work long hours of manual labor.

In 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-missouri-springfield-89eb20fc1edcba8cf5963abdc69e48c8">Agape’s longtime doctor, David Smock</a>, was charged with child sex crimes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-child-abuse-kansas-missouri-a97fcf244d041a1468945b10af5f5f76">five employees were charged</a>&nbsp;with low-level abuse counts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632608030678.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yet another civil lawsuit filed Wednesday against a Missouri Christian boarding school by a former student accuses staffers of forced child labor, physical abuse and tactics aimed at hiding mistreatment from authorities.The lawsuit, filed in Missouri’s Western U.S. District Court, alleges fraud and negligence by five former employees of the now-closed Agape Boarding School.More than a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boarding-school-missouri-abuse-lawsuits-settlement-e004668160605c5fbd2239e191292296">dozen</a>&nbsp;other former students have settled lawsuits alleging they were abused at the southwest Missouri school.When it shut down in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-stockton-missouri-education-6d4bc69348f4349249e49b3ec7c29172">2023</a>, it was the fourth and last unlicensed Christian boarding school to close in Cedar County since September 2020. The school’s former director, Bryan Clemensen, said the school, whose enrollment had tumbled, closed because it did not have the funding to continue.Several people affiliated with those schools are facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/christian-boarding-school-arrests-missouri-3a2d40a39b5c04e38df7064f763b3272">criminal charges</a>.Advocates for victims of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-education-af080895d108aa6dc0db533c60be2ebc">abuse at Missouri boarding schools</a>&nbsp;in May and again on Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-boarding-schools-advocacy-group-23fb495871041047659b0311f26d47e6">urged</a>&nbsp;the state’s attorney general to launch an investigation, work with local prosecutors and take other steps aimed at stemming the tide of abuse.An attorney general spokesperson did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment Wednesday. But previously, Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s spokesperson, Madeline Sieren, has said that the attorney general’s office does not have jurisdiction to prosecute criminal cases, except when appointed as special prosecutor by the governor or a court.The latest lawsuit claims that Agape “ran a ‘school’ akin to a concentration camp or torture colony cloaked in the guise of religion.”Lawyers for three of the named defendants did not immediately return AP requests for comment. Attorneys were not immediately listed in online court records for the remaining two defendants.The former student who is suing is now 20 years old and is identified in court filings only as John Doe.Punishments given by staffers at Agape included forcing children to work out until they vomited and stay still in painful positions for hours at a time, the lawsuit states.“There was a restraint room below the cafeteria. Students were often taken there and restrained; they could be heard screaming,” according to the lawsuit. “This went on for hours.”Doe claims in his lawsuit that the staffers limited students' phone use and their letters to home in an attempt to conceal conditions at the school from their parents and “actively concealed from the Children’s Division abuses that were occurring.”Doe, who first went to Agape at age 15, said staff also “brainwashed” him and others to make it easier to commit abuse.The lawsuit claimed workers “prevented the children from receiving letters or care packages sent to them by their parents causing the children to believe they had been abandoned thereby emotionally coercing them into silence in order to conceal their abuses.”Doe asked the judge for a jury trial and money from the defendants.Other former Agape students came forward with abuse allegations in 2020. One former student said he was raped at Agape and called “seizure boy” because of his epilepsy. Others said they suffered permanent injuries from being disciplined or forced to work long hours of manual labor.In 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-missouri-springfield-89eb20fc1edcba8cf5963abdc69e48c8">Agape’s longtime doctor, David Smock</a>, was charged with child sex crimes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-child-abuse-kansas-missouri-a97fcf244d041a1468945b10af5f5f76">five employees were charged</a>&nbsp;with low-level abuse counts.

Former staffers at Christian boarding school face civil lawsuit alleging abuse

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;appears poised to allow emergency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortions</a>&nbsp;in Idaho when a pregnant patient’s health is at serious risk, according to a copy of the opinion briefly posted on the court's website Wednesday and obtained by Bloomberg News.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/rJo5436tVr08/v0">document</a>&nbsp;suggests the court will find that it should not have gotten involved in the case over Idaho's strict abortion ban so quickly. By a 6-3 vote it would reinstate a lower court order that had allowed hospitals in the state to perform emergency abortions to protect a pregnant patient’s health, Bloomberg said.

Such an outcome would leave the issues at the heart of the case unresolved. It would also mean key questions remain unanswered, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in a concurrence.

“Today’s decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. It is delay,” she wrote.

The Supreme Court acknowledged that its publications unit inadvertently posted Wednesday. An opinion in the Idaho case would be issued "in due course,” court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe said in a statement.

Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch are listed as dissenting from the decision.

The finding may not be the court's final ruling because the justices' decision has not been officially released. The decision would mean the case would continue at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court, and could end up back before the justices.

The Supreme Court may be reluctant to make an abortion-related decision on the merits – rather than procedural grounds – in an election year, said Greer Donley, a reproductive law scholar and professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults favor protecting access to abortions for patients who are experiencing miscarriages or other pregnancy-related emergencies.

The decision would reverse the Supreme Court's earlier order that allowed an Idaho abortion ban to temporarily go into effect, even in medical emergencies. Several women have since needed medical airlifts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-emtala-hospitals-emergency-room-2fdc3943ffc9278f885263f722cc262f">out of state</a>&nbsp;in cases in which abortion is routine treatment to avoid infection, hemorrhage and other dire health risks, Idaho doctors have said.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said that it hoped the court "listened to the scientific evidence and medical experts and will ultimately affirm the availability of emergency abortion care for people in every state,” said general counsel Molly Meegan.

The case started when the Biden administration sued Idaho, arguing that its abortion ban conflicted with federal healthcare law because doctors wouldn't be allowed to provide abortions to stabilize pregnant patients in rare emergency cases when their health is at serious risk.

Idaho argued its ban does allow abortions to save a pregnant patient’s life and that federal law does not require the exceptions to expand. The state attorney general’s office declined to comment Wednesday.

Katie Daniel, the state policy director of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said an Idaho state court had ruled that women’s lives don’t need to be in immediate danger to act.

Most Republican-controlled states began enforcing restrictions after the justices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;two years ago, and Idaho is among 14 states that outlaw abortion at all stages of pregnancy with very limited exceptions.

The case is likely to return to the Supreme Court again, said Rachel Rebouche, dean of the Temple University Beasley School of Law and a reproductive law scholar. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-life-of-mother-texas-appeal-83770a43f44c908d81b5fa0dfc0d87e4">ruled in a similar case</a>&nbsp;that the federal law does not take precedence over an abortion ban in Texas.

So while the Supreme Court’s ruling would allow abortion in medical emergencies in Idaho, at least for now, Rebouche said, “Nearly 38 million people live in the 5th Circuit. That’s a lot of people whose lives aren’t changed at all by this.”

Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said that a decision without explicit guarantees that patients could get abortions in medical emergencies would be "catastrophic.”

Reports of pregnant women being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pregnancy-emergency-care-abortion-supreme-court-roe-9ce6c87c8fc653c840654de1ae5f7a1c">turned away from U.S. emergency rooms</a>&nbsp;spiked after the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling overturning the constitutional right to abortion, according to federal documents obtained by The Associated Press.

If the high court were to rule in Idaho’s favor, it would create a “world in which women would have to lose their reproductive organs,” said Sara Rosenbaum, a George Washington University health law and policy professor who is an expert on the federal EMTALA law.

The Justice Department’s lawsuit came under a federal law that requires hospitals accepting Medicare to provide stabilizing care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. The law is the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA.

Nearly all hospitals accept Medicare, so emergency room doctors in Idaho and other states with bans would have to provide abortions if needed to stabilize a pregnant patient and avoid serious health risks such as the loss of reproductive organs, the Justice Department argued.

Idaho argued that its exception for a patient’s life covers dire health circumstances and that the Biden administration misread the law to circumvent the state ban and expand abortion access.

Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee, said his group was glad the Justice Department says its arguments apply to rare cases.

Doctors have said Idaho’s law has made them fearful to perform abortions, even when a pregnancy is putting a patient’s health severely at risk. The law requires anyone who is convicted of performing an abortion to be imprisoned for at least two years.

A federal judge initially sided with the Democratic administration and ruled that abortions were legal in medical emergencies. After the state appealed, the Supreme Court allowed the law to go fully into effect in January.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;appears poised to allow emergency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortions</a>&nbsp;in Idaho when a pregnant patient’s health is at serious risk, according to a copy of the opinion briefly posted on the court's website Wednesday and obtained by Bloomberg News.The&nbsp;<a href="https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/rJo5436tVr08/v0">document</a>&nbsp;suggests the court will find that it should not have gotten involved in the case over Idaho's strict abortion ban so quickly. By a 6-3 vote it would reinstate a lower court order that had allowed hospitals in the state to perform emergency abortions to protect a pregnant patient’s health, Bloomberg said.Such an outcome would leave the issues at the heart of the case unresolved. It would also mean key questions remain unanswered, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in a concurrence.“Today’s decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. It is delay,” she wrote.The Supreme Court acknowledged that its publications unit inadvertently posted Wednesday. An opinion in the Idaho case would be issued "in due course,” court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe said in a statement.Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch are listed as dissenting from the decision.The finding may not be the court's final ruling because the justices' decision has not been officially released. The decision would mean the case would continue at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court, and could end up back before the justices.The Supreme Court may be reluctant to make an abortion-related decision on the merits – rather than procedural grounds – in an election year, said Greer Donley, a reproductive law scholar and professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults favor protecting access to abortions for patients who are experiencing miscarriages or other pregnancy-related emergencies.The decision would reverse the Supreme Court's earlier order that allowed an Idaho abortion ban to temporarily go into effect, even in medical emergencies. Several women have since needed medical airlifts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-emtala-hospitals-emergency-room-2fdc3943ffc9278f885263f722cc262f">out of state</a>&nbsp;in cases in which abortion is routine treatment to avoid infection, hemorrhage and other dire health risks, Idaho doctors have said.The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said that it hoped the court "listened to the scientific evidence and medical experts and will ultimately affirm the availability of emergency abortion care for people in every state,” said general counsel Molly Meegan.The case started when the Biden administration sued Idaho, arguing that its abortion ban conflicted with federal healthcare law because doctors wouldn't be allowed to provide abortions to stabilize pregnant patients in rare emergency cases when their health is at serious risk.Idaho argued its ban does allow abortions to save a pregnant patient’s life and that federal law does not require the exceptions to expand. The state attorney general’s office declined to comment Wednesday.Katie Daniel, the state policy director of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said an Idaho state court had ruled that women’s lives don’t need to be in immediate danger to act.Most Republican-controlled states began enforcing restrictions after the justices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;two years ago, and Idaho is among 14 states that outlaw abortion at all stages of pregnancy with very limited exceptions.The case is likely to return to the Supreme Court again, said Rachel Rebouche, dean of the Temple University Beasley School of Law and a reproductive law scholar. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-life-of-mother-texas-appeal-83770a43f44c908d81b5fa0dfc0d87e4">ruled in a similar case</a>&nbsp;that the federal law does not take precedence over an abortion ban in Texas.So while the Supreme Court’s ruling would allow abortion in medical emergencies in Idaho, at least for now, Rebouche said, “Nearly 38 million people live in the 5th Circuit. That’s a lot of people whose lives aren’t changed at all by this.”Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said that a decision without explicit guarantees that patients could get abortions in medical emergencies would be "catastrophic.”Reports of pregnant women being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pregnancy-emergency-care-abortion-supreme-court-roe-9ce6c87c8fc653c840654de1ae5f7a1c">turned away from U.S. emergency rooms</a>&nbsp;spiked after the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling overturning the constitutional right to abortion, according to federal documents obtained by The Associated Press.If the high court were to rule in Idaho’s favor, it would create a “world in which women would have to lose their reproductive organs,” said Sara Rosenbaum, a George Washington University health law and policy professor who is an expert on the federal EMTALA law.The Justice Department’s lawsuit came under a federal law that requires hospitals accepting Medicare to provide stabilizing care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. The law is the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA.Nearly all hospitals accept Medicare, so emergency room doctors in Idaho and other states with bans would have to provide abortions if needed to stabilize a pregnant patient and avoid serious health risks such as the loss of reproductive organs, the Justice Department argued.Idaho argued that its exception for a patient’s life covers dire health circumstances and that the Biden administration misread the law to circumvent the state ban and expand abortion access.Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee, said his group was glad the Justice Department says its arguments apply to rare cases.Doctors have said Idaho’s law has made them fearful to perform abortions, even when a pregnancy is putting a patient’s health severely at risk. The law requires anyone who is convicted of performing an abortion to be imprisoned for at least two years.A federal judge initially sided with the Democratic administration and ruled that abortions were legal in medical emergencies. After the state appealed, the Supreme Court allowed the law to go fully into effect in January.___

Supreme mistake: New abortion ruling accidentally posted to website

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Car dealerships in Kansas, Missouri and across North America are still wrestling with major disruptions that started last week with cyberattacks on a company whose software is used widely in the auto retail sales sector.

CDK Global, a company that provides software for thousands of auto dealers in the U.S. and Canada, was hit by back-to-back cyberattacks Wednesday. That led to an outage that has continued to impact operations.

For prospective car buyers, that's meant delays at dealerships or vehicle orders written up by hand. There's no immediate end in sight, but CDK says it expects the restoration process to take “several days” to complete.

On Monday, Group 1 Automotive Inc., a $4 billion automotive retailer, said it is using “alternative processes” to sell cars to its customers. Lithia Motors and AutoNation, two other dealership chains, also disclosed that they implemented workarounds to keep their operations going.

CDK Global is a major player in the auto sales industry. The company, based just outside of Chicago in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, provides software technology to dealers that helps with day-to-day operations — like facilitating vehicle sales, financing, insurance and repairs.

CDK serves more than 15,000 retail locations across North America, according to the company.

CDK experienced back-to-back cyberattacks on Wednesday. The company shut down all of its systems after the first attack out of an abundance of caution, according to spokesperson Lisa Finney, and then shut down most systems again following the second.

“We have begun the restoration process," Finney said in an update over the weekend — noting that the company had launched an investigation into the “cyber incident” with third-party experts and notified law enforcement.

“Based on the information we have at this time, we anticipate that the process will take several days to complete, and in the interim we are continuing to actively engage with our customers and provide them with alternate ways to conduct business,” she added.

In messages to its customers, the company has also warned of “bad actors” posing as members or affiliates of CDK to try to obtain system access by contacting customers. It urged them to be cautious of any attempted phishing.

The incident bore all the hallmarks of a ransomware attack, in which targets are asked to pay a ransom to access encrypted files. But CDK declined to comment directly — neither confirming or denying if it had received a ransom demand.

“When you see an attack of this kind, it almost always ends up being a ransomware attack,” Cliff Steinhauer, director of information security and engagement at the National Cybersecurity Alliance. “We see it time and time again unfortunately, (particularly in) the last couple of years. No industry and no organization or software company is immune.”

Are impacted dealerships still selling cars?

Several major auto companies — including Stellantis, Ford and BMW — confirmed to The Associated Press last week that the CDK outage had impacted some of their dealers, but that sales operations continue.

In light of the ongoing situation, a spokesperson for Stellantis said Friday that many dealerships had switched to manual processes to serve customers. That includes writing up orders by hand.

A Ford spokesperson added that the outage may cause “some delays and inconveniences at some dealers and for some customers.” However, many Ford and Lincoln customers are still getting sales and service support through alternative routes being used at dealerships.

“The people who've been around longer — you know, guys who have maybe a little salt in their hair like me — we remember how to do it before the computers,” said John Crane of Hawk Auto Group, a Westmont, Illinois-based dealership operator that uses CDK. “It’s just a few more steps and a little bit more time.”

Although impacted Hawk Auto dealerships are still able to serve customers by “going back to the basics," Crane added that those working in administration are still “pulling out our hair." He notes that there are now stacks of paper awaiting processing — in place of orders that went through automatically on a computer overnight.

Group 1 Automotive Inc. said Monday that the incident has disrupted its business applications and processes in its U.S. operations that rely on CDK’s dealers’ systems. The company said that it took measures to protect and isolate its systems from CDK’s platform.

In regulatory filings, Lithia Motors and AutoNation disclosed that last week's incident at CDK had disrupted their operations as well.

Lithia said it activated cyber incident response procedures, which included “severing business service connections between the company’s systems and CDK’s." AutoNation said it also took steps to protect its systems and data, adding that all of its locations remain open “albeit with lower productivity," as many are served manually or through alternative processes.

With many details of the cyberattacks still unclear, customer privacy is also at top of mind — especially with little known about what information may have been compromised this week.

If you've bought a car from a dealership that's used CDK software, cybersecurity security experts stress that it's important to assume your data may have been breached. That could potentially include “pretty sensitive information,” Steinhauer noted, like your social security number, employment history, income and current or former addresses.

Those impacted should monitor their credit — or even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/buyline-personal-finance/article/how-to-freeze-your-credit">freeze their credit</a>&nbsp;as an added layer of defense — and consider signing up for identify theft monitor insurance. You'll also want to be wary of any phishing attempts. It's best to make sure you have reliable contact information for a company by visiting their official website, for example, as scammers sometimes try to take advantage of news about data breaches to gain your trust through look-alike emails or phone calls.

Those are some best practices to keep in mind whether you're a victim of CDK's data breach or not, Steinhauer said. "Unfortunately, in this day and age, our data is a valuable target — and you have to make sure that you’re taking steps to protect it,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719358383200.png" alt="Pop up on the Olathe Dodge web site" />
 <figcaption>Pop up on the Olathe Dodge web site</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Car dealerships in Kansas, Missouri and across North America are still wrestling with major disruptions that started last week with cyberattacks on a company whose software is used widely in the auto retail sales sector.CDK Global, a company that provides software for thousands of auto dealers in the U.S. and Canada, was hit by back-to-back cyberattacks Wednesday. That led to an outage that has continued to impact operations.For prospective car buyers, that's meant delays at dealerships or vehicle orders written up by hand. There's no immediate end in sight, but CDK says it expects the restoration process to take “several days” to complete.On Monday, Group 1 Automotive Inc., a $4 billion automotive retailer, said it is using “alternative processes” to sell cars to its customers. Lithia Motors and AutoNation, two other dealership chains, also disclosed that they implemented workarounds to keep their operations going.Here is what you need to know.<h2>What is CDK Global?</h2>CDK Global is a major player in the auto sales industry. The company, based just outside of Chicago in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, provides software technology to dealers that helps with day-to-day operations — like facilitating vehicle sales, financing, insurance and repairs.CDK serves more than 15,000 retail locations across North America, according to the company.<h2>What happened last week?</h2>CDK experienced back-to-back cyberattacks on Wednesday. The company shut down all of its systems after the first attack out of an abundance of caution, according to spokesperson Lisa Finney, and then shut down most systems again following the second.“We have begun the restoration process," Finney said in an update over the weekend — noting that the company had launched an investigation into the “cyber incident” with third-party experts and notified law enforcement.“Based on the information we have at this time, we anticipate that the process will take several days to complete, and in the interim we are continuing to actively engage with our customers and provide them with alternate ways to conduct business,” she added.In messages to its customers, the company has also warned of “bad actors” posing as members or affiliates of CDK to try to obtain system access by contacting customers. It urged them to be cautious of any attempted phishing.The incident bore all the hallmarks of a ransomware attack, in which targets are asked to pay a ransom to access encrypted files. But CDK declined to comment directly — neither confirming or denying if it had received a ransom demand.“When you see an attack of this kind, it almost always ends up being a ransomware attack,” Cliff Steinhauer, director of information security and engagement at the National Cybersecurity Alliance. “We see it time and time again unfortunately, (particularly in) the last couple of years. No industry and no organization or software company is immune.”<h2>Are impacted dealerships still selling cars?</h2>Several major auto companies — including Stellantis, Ford and BMW — confirmed to The Associated Press last week that the CDK outage had impacted some of their dealers, but that sales operations continue.In light of the ongoing situation, a spokesperson for Stellantis said Friday that many dealerships had switched to manual processes to serve customers. That includes writing up orders by hand.A Ford spokesperson added that the outage may cause “some delays and inconveniences at some dealers and for some customers.” However, many Ford and Lincoln customers are still getting sales and service support through alternative routes being used at dealerships.“The people who've been around longer — you know, guys who have maybe a little salt in their hair like me — we remember how to do it before the computers,” said John Crane of Hawk Auto Group, a Westmont, Illinois-based dealership operator that uses CDK. “It’s just a few more steps and a little bit more time.”Although impacted Hawk Auto dealerships are still able to serve customers by “going back to the basics," Crane added that those working in administration are still “pulling out our hair." He notes that there are now stacks of paper awaiting processing — in place of orders that went through automatically on a computer overnight.Group 1 Automotive Inc. said Monday that the incident has disrupted its business applications and processes in its U.S. operations that rely on CDK’s dealers’ systems. The company said that it took measures to protect and isolate its systems from CDK’s platform.In regulatory filings, Lithia Motors and AutoNation disclosed that last week's incident at CDK had disrupted their operations as well.Lithia said it activated cyber incident response procedures, which included “severing business service connections between the company’s systems and CDK’s." AutoNation said it also took steps to protect its systems and data, adding that all of its locations remain open “albeit with lower productivity," as many are served manually or through alternative processes.<h2>HOW CAN I PROTECT MYSELF?</h2>With many details of the cyberattacks still unclear, customer privacy is also at top of mind — especially with little known about what information may have been compromised this week.If you've bought a car from a dealership that's used CDK software, cybersecurity security experts stress that it's important to assume your data may have been breached. That could potentially include “pretty sensitive information,” Steinhauer noted, like your social security number, employment history, income and current or former addresses.Those impacted should monitor their credit — or even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/buyline-personal-finance/article/how-to-freeze-your-credit">freeze their credit</a>&nbsp;as an added layer of defense — and consider signing up for identify theft monitor insurance. You'll also want to be wary of any phishing attempts. It's best to make sure you have reliable contact information for a company by visiting their official website, for example, as scammers sometimes try to take advantage of news about data breaches to gain your trust through look-alike emails or phone calls.Those are some best practices to keep in mind whether you're a victim of CDK's data breach or not, Steinhauer said. "Unfortunately, in this day and age, our data is a valuable target — and you have to make sure that you’re taking steps to protect it,” he said.

Car dealerships in Kansas, nationwide battling cyberattack

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp;- State's Newsroom

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu — a move that’s aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus.

Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters.

“This list of participating states is just the beginning,” said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA.

“We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well,” Deeble said. “But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence.”

The launch of the pilot program, he said, is “an important step forward” for efforts to reduce the spread of bird flu, also known as H5N1, as well as for expanding understanding of the virus.

Farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks.

“Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples,” Deeble said.

The announcement is part of the federal government’s<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/bird-flus-spread-poultry-cattle-humans-provokes-worry-among-feds-states" target="_blank">&nbsp;ongoing response</a>&nbsp;to the months-long outbreak within dairy cattle and years-long challenges faced by the country’s poultry industry.

The USDA has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/hpai-confirmed-cases-livestock" target="_blank">confirmed</a>&nbsp;126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states as of June 21, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming.

Idaho has the most dairy herds affected, with a total of 27. That’s followed by Michigan with 25 herds and Texas with 21 herds. Colorado has reported 18 affected herds, while each of the other states has fewer than 10 herds testing positive for bird flu, according to the USDA data.

Three dairy farmworkers have contracted avian flu this year, though all cases were mild.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforced during the call Tuesday that the risk to the general public remains low, though there is an increased risk of contracting the virus for workers, both on dairy farms and poultry farms.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced Tuesday it’s broadening its testing for H5N1 to include about 155 additional samples of dairy products, including aged raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter and ice cream.

The FDA has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk from store shelves in the months since the first dairy cattle herd tested positive for H5N1 and has continuously emphasized the nation’s milk supply remains safe.

“This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that FDA conducted between April and May of this year,” said Don Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA.

It will likely take several weeks before those results are completed and made public, he said.

That second round of expanded food safety testing will not include raw milk, since it is not approved for interstate commerce, he said.

But the FDA has sent a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/179194/download" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;to its local, state and tribal partners, cautioning those that do allow the sale of raw milk to talk with consumers about the additional risks, given that H5N1 is spreading through dairy herds in several parts of the country.

Prater, speaking on the call Tuesday, noted the FDA continues to strongly advise against drinking raw milk.

“We also recommend that the industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with the avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719397041671.png" alt=" Holstein milking cows at an Idaho dairy on July 20, 2012 (Kirsten Strough/USDA)" />
 <figcaption> Holstein milking cows at an Idaho dairy on July 20, 2012 (Kirsten Strough/USDA)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp;- State's NewsroomWASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu — a move that’s aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus.Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters.“This list of participating states is just the beginning,” said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA.“We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well,” Deeble said. “But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence.”The launch of the pilot program, he said, is “an important step forward” for efforts to reduce the spread of bird flu, also known as H5N1, as well as for expanding understanding of the virus.Farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks.“Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples,” Deeble said.<h2>126 cases of bird flu confirmed</h2>The announcement is part of the federal government’s<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/bird-flus-spread-poultry-cattle-humans-provokes-worry-among-feds-states" target="_blank">&nbsp;ongoing response</a>&nbsp;to the months-long outbreak within dairy cattle and years-long challenges faced by the country’s poultry industry.The USDA has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/hpai-confirmed-cases-livestock" target="_blank">confirmed</a>&nbsp;126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states as of June 21, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming.Idaho has the most dairy herds affected, with a total of 27. That’s followed by Michigan with 25 herds and Texas with 21 herds. Colorado has reported 18 affected herds, while each of the other states has fewer than 10 herds testing positive for bird flu, according to the USDA data.Three dairy farmworkers have contracted avian flu this year, though all cases were mild.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforced during the call Tuesday that the risk to the general public remains low, though there is an increased risk of contracting the virus for workers, both on dairy farms and poultry farms.<h2>FDA to do more testing</h2>The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced Tuesday it’s broadening its testing for H5N1 to include about 155 additional samples of dairy products, including aged raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter and ice cream.The FDA has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk from store shelves in the months since the first dairy cattle herd tested positive for H5N1 and has continuously emphasized the nation’s milk supply remains safe.“This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that FDA conducted between April and May of this year,” said Don Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA.It will likely take several weeks before those results are completed and made public, he said.That second round of expanded food safety testing will not include raw milk, since it is not approved for interstate commerce, he said.But the FDA has sent a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/179194/download" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;to its local, state and tribal partners, cautioning those that do allow the sale of raw milk to talk with consumers about the additional risks, given that H5N1 is spreading through dairy herds in several parts of the country.Prater, speaking on the call Tuesday, noted the FDA continues to strongly advise against drinking raw milk.“We also recommend that the industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with the avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses.”

Kansas to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Miami Marlins scored two seventh-inning runs to overcome Seth Lugo’s strong start in a 2-1 win over the Kansas City Royals. After collecting two singles against Lugo in six innings, the Marlins rallied for a pair of two-out runs against relievers Carlos Hernández. Nick Gordon’s infield hit tied the game and he scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error. A.J. Puk recorded four outs for the win and Tanner Scott earned his 10th save.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The game between the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday night was postponed due to inclement weather and a day-night doubleheader was scheduled. The first game will begin at 12:45 p.m. and the second game will begin as originally scheduled at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA Division I Council voted Tuesday to remove cannabis products from the banned drug substance list and end limits on how many football staffers can work with players on field. The council said cannabis products don't provide a competitive advantage and its focus in on the health well-being of student athletes rather than punishment for using cannabis. The additional coaches on field mean teams are no longer limited to just the head coach and 10 assistants working with players at practices and games.

HOUSTON (AP) — The University of Houston has started the search for a new athletics director after parting ways with Chris Pezman. Pezman was let go last week after leading the school’s athletic department since 2017 and helping Houston transition into its move to the Big 12 Conference last year. Raymond S. Bartlett, who is Houston’s senior vice president for administration and finance, will be the interim athletics director until a replacement is found.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas has parted ways with baseball coach David Pierce after eight seasons in which the Longhorns won the Big 12 three times but made only three appearances in the College World Series. The Longhorns’ best season under Pierce was in 2021, when they finished third at the CWS. Pierce was 295-162 with the Longhorns and 494-271 overall at Texas, Tulane and Sam Houston State. He has two years left on a contract that paid him $1.2 million annually. Texas leaves the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference on July 1. The SEC is college baseball’s powerhouse conference.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas A&amp;M baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle is leaving the Aggies for rival Texas. The move Tuesday comes after Schlossnagle led the Aggies to a runner-up finish at the College World Series. The Aggies lost a best-of-three series with Tennessee for the championship. Schlossnagle replaces David Pierce who was fired after eight seasons at Texas. The move is sure to further enflame an Aggies-Longhorns rivalry that will be renewed on a regular basis when Texas joins A&amp;M in the Southeastern Conference next season. Schlossnagle led Texas A&amp;M to the CWS twice in three seasons.

NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Sarr was born in France and spent last season playing in Australia. Zaccharie Risacher was born in Spain and is coming off a breakout season in France. The next step in their global basketball journey is the NBA, with one of them potentially heading to Atlanta on Wednesday night as the No. 1 pick in the draft. France could have the No. 1 selection for a second straight season after Victor Wembanyama went to San Antonio last year amid enormous expectations and lived up to the hype in a Rookie of the Year season.

UNDATED (AP) — UConn combo guard Stephon Castle, Tennessee's Dalton Knecht and a backcourt duo from Kentucky are the headliners on the list of top guards in the upcoming NBA draft. Castle was a touted freshman who helped the Huskies win a second straight NCAA title with his size and defensive potential. Knecht scored in bunches as a veteran transfer. The Wildcats have a final crop of one-and-done players from former coach John Calipari's tenure in Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham. Serbian teenage point guard Nikola Topic is another top prospect at the position.

NEW YORK (AP) — Two people with knowledge of the details say that Mikal Bridges is being traded by the Brooklyn Nets to the New York Knicks, where he will join Jalen Brunson and his other former Villanova teammates. The first trade between the New York rivals since 1983 will put Bridges in the lineup alongside Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, players who helped the Wildcats win two NCAA championships. The Knicks will pay big to get him, with ESPN reporting Tuesday that they are sending the Nets Bojan Bogdanovic, four unprotected first-round picks and one protected pick. The deal was confirmed to The Associated Press under condition of anonymity because it is not yet official.

Atlanta at St. Louis 1:45 p.m. (Postponed)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, June 26th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, June 26th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Miami Marlins scored two seventh-inning runs to overcome Seth Lugo’s strong start in a 2-1 win over the Kansas City Royals. After collecting two singles against Lugo in six innings, the Marlins rallied for a pair of two-out runs against relievers Carlos Hernández. Nick Gordon’s infield hit tied the game and he scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error. A.J. Puk recorded four outs for the win and Tanner Scott earned his 10th save.ST. LOUIS (AP) — The game between the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday night was postponed due to inclement weather and a day-night doubleheader was scheduled. The first game will begin at 12:45 p.m. and the second game will begin as originally scheduled at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA Division I Council voted Tuesday to remove cannabis products from the banned drug substance list and end limits on how many football staffers can work with players on field. The council said cannabis products don't provide a competitive advantage and its focus in on the health well-being of student athletes rather than punishment for using cannabis. The additional coaches on field mean teams are no longer limited to just the head coach and 10 assistants working with players at practices and games.HOUSTON (AP) — The University of Houston has started the search for a new athletics director after parting ways with Chris Pezman. Pezman was let go last week after leading the school’s athletic department since 2017 and helping Houston transition into its move to the Big 12 Conference last year. Raymond S. Bartlett, who is Houston’s senior vice president for administration and finance, will be the interim athletics director until a replacement is found.AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas has parted ways with baseball coach David Pierce after eight seasons in which the Longhorns won the Big 12 three times but made only three appearances in the College World Series. The Longhorns’ best season under Pierce was in 2021, when they finished third at the CWS. Pierce was 295-162 with the Longhorns and 494-271 overall at Texas, Tulane and Sam Houston State. He has two years left on a contract that paid him $1.2 million annually. Texas leaves the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference on July 1. The SEC is college baseball’s powerhouse conference.AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas A&amp;M baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle is leaving the Aggies for rival Texas. The move Tuesday comes after Schlossnagle led the Aggies to a runner-up finish at the College World Series. The Aggies lost a best-of-three series with Tennessee for the championship. Schlossnagle replaces David Pierce who was fired after eight seasons at Texas. The move is sure to further enflame an Aggies-Longhorns rivalry that will be renewed on a regular basis when Texas joins A&amp;M in the Southeastern Conference next season. Schlossnagle led Texas A&amp;M to the CWS twice in three seasons.NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Sarr was born in France and spent last season playing in Australia. Zaccharie Risacher was born in Spain and is coming off a breakout season in France. The next step in their global basketball journey is the NBA, with one of them potentially heading to Atlanta on Wednesday night as the No. 1 pick in the draft. France could have the No. 1 selection for a second straight season after Victor Wembanyama went to San Antonio last year amid enormous expectations and lived up to the hype in a Rookie of the Year season.UNDATED (AP) — UConn combo guard Stephon Castle, Tennessee's Dalton Knecht and a backcourt duo from Kentucky are the headliners on the list of top guards in the upcoming NBA draft. Castle was a touted freshman who helped the Huskies win a second straight NCAA title with his size and defensive potential. Knecht scored in bunches as a veteran transfer. The Wildcats have a final crop of one-and-done players from former coach John Calipari's tenure in Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham. Serbian teenage point guard Nikola Topic is another top prospect at the position.NEW YORK (AP) — Two people with knowledge of the details say that Mikal Bridges is being traded by the Brooklyn Nets to the New York Knicks, where he will join Jalen Brunson and his other former Villanova teammates. The first trade between the New York rivals since 1983 will put Bridges in the lineup alongside Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, players who helped the Wildcats win two NCAA championships. The Knicks will pay big to get him, with ESPN reporting Tuesday that they are sending the Nets Bojan Bogdanovic, four unprotected first-round picks and one protected pick. The deal was confirmed to The Associated Press under condition of anonymity because it is not yet official.TUESDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal Detroit 4 Philadelphia 1Final N.Y. Mets 9 N.Y. Yankees 7Final Milwaukee 3 Texas 1Final Miami 2 Kansas City 1Final Houston 5 Colorado 2Final L.A. Dodgers 4 Chicago White Sox 3Final Arizona 5 Minnesota 4AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal Cleveland 10 Baltimore 8Final Tampa Bay 11 Seattle 3Final Toronto 9 Boston 4Final L.A. Angels 7 Oakland 5NATIONAL LEAGUEAtlanta at St. Louis 1:45 p.m. (Postponed)Final Pittsburgh 9 Cincinnati 5

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Wednesday

<a href="https://corporate.hallmark.com/news-article/hallmark-media-nfl-skydance-sports-the-world-champion-kansas-city-chiefs-team-up-for-new-christmas-movie-holiday-touchdown-a-chiefs-love-story/">Via Hallmark</a>

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Are you ready for some football? &nbsp;It’s game time on Hallmark Channel this holiday season when two renowned Kansas City institutions – the Kansas City Chiefs and Hallmark – team up with the NFL and Skydance Sports for a holiday movie and partnership that will have audiences everywhere cheering – TOUCHDOWN! &nbsp;Tyler Hynes&nbsp;(Shifting Gears, Three Wise Men and a Baby),&nbsp;Hunter King&nbsp;(Two Scoops Of Italy, The Santa Summit)&nbsp;and Ed Begley Jr.&nbsp;(Young Sheldon,&nbsp;Better Call&nbsp;Saul)&nbsp;star in the new, original movie,&nbsp;Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.&nbsp;&nbsp;The movie begins production next month and will film entirely in Kansas City, Missouri locations, including the iconic GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, marking the first time the loudest stadium in the world has been used as a filming location in a Hallmark movie.

“With Hallmark and the Kansas City Chiefs both homegrown, rooted in values, tradition and community, there is a special alchemy between these two iconic organizations,” said Darren Abbott, Chief Brand Officer, Hallmark. “By blending the warmth of Hallmark storytelling with the excitement of professional football, we are thrilled to give audiences a front-row seat to this community’s spirit, rich traditions and passionate fans that define Kansas City, all wrapped up in the comforting and uplifting Hallmark way.”

“We are honored to partner with Hallmark on a project as unique as this,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. “As a club, we pride ourselves on exploring new ways to grow our brand, as well as connect with new audiences. This partnership unites two passionate fanbases and gives us an opportunity to show Chiefs Kingdom’s energy and tradition on one of the most-watched channels during the holiday season.”

In&nbsp;Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, Alana Higman (King) is sure that her family’s lifelong history as Kansas City Chiefs superfans makes them a frontrunner to win the team’s “Fan of the Year” contest.&nbsp; Derrick (Hynes), Director of Fan Engagement, is tasked with evaluating how Alana&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; and her family stack up against the other two finalists.&nbsp; As the pair spends time together, it’s clear there’s a spark between them but when her grandfathers (Begley Jr.) vintage Chiefs, good luck winter hat goes missing, Alana begins to doubt everything she believed about fate, destiny and even questions her future with Derrick – unless, that is, a little Christmas magic can throw a Hail Mary.

This film marks the ultimate celebration of a longstanding collaboration between the two pioneering KC-based brands, officially uniting the Hallmarkies and Chiefs Kingdom like never before. With planning underway for game-day activations, unique co-branded merchandise, and on-air, social, and digital promotion, the multifaceted partnership will engage widespread audiences both on and off the field, with more details to be announced later this year. What’s more, this film will fuel the proven track record of viewership crossover between Countdown to Christmas enthusiasts and sports fans. In fact, over 50% of Hallmark Channel viewers also watched sports while the Countdown to Christmas was on air in 2023, making this film the perfect holiday occasion.*

Skydance Sports serves as the Executive Producer of&nbsp;Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. A newly formed venture between Skydance Media and the NFL, Skydance Sports is designed to create a top-end sports content studio and expand multi-platform sports programming across a broad range of formats.

To celebrate the uniquely local partnership between the two organizations, Kansas City’s downtown skyline will be lit purple and red tonight beginning at sunset.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719398947587.jpeg" alt="Hallmark and Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Hallmark and Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://corporate.hallmark.com/news-article/hallmark-media-nfl-skydance-sports-the-world-champion-kansas-city-chiefs-team-up-for-new-christmas-movie-holiday-touchdown-a-chiefs-love-story/">Via Hallmark</a>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Are you ready for some football? &nbsp;It’s game time on Hallmark Channel this holiday season when two renowned Kansas City institutions – the Kansas City Chiefs and Hallmark – team up with the NFL and Skydance Sports for a holiday movie and partnership that will have audiences everywhere cheering – TOUCHDOWN! &nbsp;Tyler Hynes&nbsp;(Shifting Gears, Three Wise Men and a Baby),&nbsp;Hunter King&nbsp;(Two Scoops Of Italy, The Santa Summit)&nbsp;and Ed Begley Jr.&nbsp;(Young Sheldon,&nbsp;Better Call&nbsp;Saul)&nbsp;star in the new, original movie,&nbsp;Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.&nbsp;&nbsp;The movie begins production next month and will film entirely in Kansas City, Missouri locations, including the iconic GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, marking the first time the loudest stadium in the world has been used as a filming location in a Hallmark movie.“With Hallmark and the Kansas City Chiefs both homegrown, rooted in values, tradition and community, there is a special alchemy between these two iconic organizations,” said Darren Abbott, Chief Brand Officer, Hallmark. “By blending the warmth of Hallmark storytelling with the excitement of professional football, we are thrilled to give audiences a front-row seat to this community’s spirit, rich traditions and passionate fans that define Kansas City, all wrapped up in the comforting and uplifting Hallmark way.”“We are honored to partner with Hallmark on a project as unique as this,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. “As a club, we pride ourselves on exploring new ways to grow our brand, as well as connect with new audiences. This partnership unites two passionate fanbases and gives us an opportunity to show Chiefs Kingdom’s energy and tradition on one of the most-watched channels during the holiday season.”In&nbsp;Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, Alana Higman (King) is sure that her family’s lifelong history as Kansas City Chiefs superfans makes them a frontrunner to win the team’s “Fan of the Year” contest.&nbsp; Derrick (Hynes), Director of Fan Engagement, is tasked with evaluating how Alana&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; and her family stack up against the other two finalists.&nbsp; As the pair spends time together, it’s clear there’s a spark between them but when her grandfathers (Begley Jr.) vintage Chiefs, good luck winter hat goes missing, Alana begins to doubt everything she believed about fate, destiny and even questions her future with Derrick – unless, that is, a little Christmas magic can throw a Hail Mary.This film marks the ultimate celebration of a longstanding collaboration between the two pioneering KC-based brands, officially uniting the Hallmarkies and Chiefs Kingdom like never before. With planning underway for game-day activations, unique co-branded merchandise, and on-air, social, and digital promotion, the multifaceted partnership will engage widespread audiences both on and off the field, with more details to be announced later this year. What’s more, this film will fuel the proven track record of viewership crossover between Countdown to Christmas enthusiasts and sports fans. In fact, over 50% of Hallmark Channel viewers also watched sports while the Countdown to Christmas was on air in 2023, making this film the perfect holiday occasion.*Skydance Sports serves as the Executive Producer of&nbsp;Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. A newly formed venture between Skydance Media and the NFL, Skydance Sports is designed to create a top-end sports content studio and expand multi-platform sports programming across a broad range of formats.To celebrate the uniquely local partnership between the two organizations, Kansas City’s downtown skyline will be lit purple and red tonight beginning at sunset.

🏈 Hallmark and Chiefs to collaborate on movie

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday stopped what would have been the first publicly funded religious charter school in the U.S., turning back conservatives and the state’s GOP governor who have welcomed religious groups into public education.

The high court determined the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religious-charter-school-oklahoma-be6e51ffcdaeb393c4be34a6f27feba4">3-2 vote last year</a>&nbsp;to approve an application by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma for the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School violates the Establishment Clause, which prohibits government from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion.” The ruling also says both the Oklahoma and U.S. constitutions, as well as state law, were violated.

The case is being closely watched because supporters of the school believe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-decision-religious-schools-aid-85645580702ed5ff125cf9760024ae89">recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions</a>&nbsp;have indicated the court is more open to public funds going to religious entities.

Conservative-led states have targeted public schools: Louisiana required them to post the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-ten-commandments-displayed-classrooms-571a2447906f7bbd5a166d53db005a62">Ten Commandments in classrooms</a>, while others are under pressure to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-lifewise-public-school-religion-d7cf2b67b2ae3b7919e0a21f89ce80c0">teach the Bible</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">ban books</a>&nbsp;and lessons about race, sexual orientation and gender identity.

“Under Oklahoma law, a charter school is a public school,” Justice James Winchester, an appointee of former Republican Gov. Frank Keating, wrote in the court’s majority opinion. “As such, a charter school must be nonsectarian.

“However, St. Isidore will evangelize the Catholic school curriculum while sponsored by the state.”

The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and Diocese of Tulsa said in a statement they will “consider all legal options” in response to the court’s ruling.

The court’s decision was 7-1, with one member concurring in part and one member, Chief Justice John Kane IV, recusing himself. Justice Dana Kuehn dissented.

Five of Oklahoma’s nine Supreme Court justices were appointed by Republicans, four by Democrats.

In her dissent, Kuehn wrote that excluding St. Isidore from operating a charter school based solely on its religious affiliation would violate the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Oklahoma Constitution does not bar Oklahoma from contracting with religious schools as long as state-funded, nonreligious options are available, Kuehn wrote.

Oklahoma’s Republican Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who urged the board not to approve the contract, had asked the state’s high court to intervene and rule on the case. He praised the court’s decision.

“The framers of the U.S. Constitution and those who drafted Oklahoma’s Constitution clearly understood how best to protect religious freedom: by preventing the state from sponsoring any religion at all,” Drummond said in a statement.

The K-12 online public charter school was set to start classes for its first 200 enrollees in the fall, with part of its mission to evangelize its students in the Catholic faith. The archdiocese is seeking guidance from attorneys on whether to open, said Brett Farley, the executive director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma.

A group of Oklahoma parents, faith leaders and a public education nonprofit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-public-religious-charter-school-oklahoma-94650cece8e589ab8814ef87d93c23e9">sued to stop the establishment</a>&nbsp;of the school.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who supported the board’s decision, said he was disappointed Drummond challenged it and remained hopeful the U.S. Supreme Court would consider the case.

“I’m concerned we’ve sent a troubling message that religious groups are second-class participants in our education system,” Stitt said in a statement. “Charter schools are incredibly popular in Oklahoma – and all we’re saying is: we can’t choose who gets state dollars based on a private entity’s religious status.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719341743761.png" alt="The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and Diocese of Tulsa said in a statement they will “consider all legal options” in response to the court’s ruling." />
 <figcaption>The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and Diocese of Tulsa said in a statement they will “consider all legal options” in response to the court’s ruling.</figcaption>
 </figure>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday stopped what would have been the first publicly funded religious charter school in the U.S., turning back conservatives and the state’s GOP governor who have welcomed religious groups into public education.The high court determined the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religious-charter-school-oklahoma-be6e51ffcdaeb393c4be34a6f27feba4">3-2 vote last year</a>&nbsp;to approve an application by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma for the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School violates the Establishment Clause, which prohibits government from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion.” The ruling also says both the Oklahoma and U.S. constitutions, as well as state law, were violated.The case is being closely watched because supporters of the school believe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-decision-religious-schools-aid-85645580702ed5ff125cf9760024ae89">recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions</a>&nbsp;have indicated the court is more open to public funds going to religious entities.Conservative-led states have targeted public schools: Louisiana required them to post the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-ten-commandments-displayed-classrooms-571a2447906f7bbd5a166d53db005a62">Ten Commandments in classrooms</a>, while others are under pressure to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-lifewise-public-school-religion-d7cf2b67b2ae3b7919e0a21f89ce80c0">teach the Bible</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">ban books</a>&nbsp;and lessons about race, sexual orientation and gender identity.“Under Oklahoma law, a charter school is a public school,” Justice James Winchester, an appointee of former Republican Gov. Frank Keating, wrote in the court’s majority opinion. “As such, a charter school must be nonsectarian.“However, St. Isidore will evangelize the Catholic school curriculum while sponsored by the state.”The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and Diocese of Tulsa said in a statement they will “consider all legal options” in response to the court’s ruling.The court’s decision was 7-1, with one member concurring in part and one member, Chief Justice John Kane IV, recusing himself. Justice Dana Kuehn dissented.Five of Oklahoma’s nine Supreme Court justices were appointed by Republicans, four by Democrats.In her dissent, Kuehn wrote that excluding St. Isidore from operating a charter school based solely on its religious affiliation would violate the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Oklahoma Constitution does not bar Oklahoma from contracting with religious schools as long as state-funded, nonreligious options are available, Kuehn wrote.Oklahoma’s Republican Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who urged the board not to approve the contract, had asked the state’s high court to intervene and rule on the case. He praised the court’s decision.“The framers of the U.S. Constitution and those who drafted Oklahoma’s Constitution clearly understood how best to protect religious freedom: by preventing the state from sponsoring any religion at all,” Drummond said in a statement.The K-12 online public charter school was set to start classes for its first 200 enrollees in the fall, with part of its mission to evangelize its students in the Catholic faith. The archdiocese is seeking guidance from attorneys on whether to open, said Brett Farley, the executive director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma.A group of Oklahoma parents, faith leaders and a public education nonprofit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-public-religious-charter-school-oklahoma-94650cece8e589ab8814ef87d93c23e9">sued to stop the establishment</a>&nbsp;of the school.Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who supported the board’s decision, said he was disappointed Drummond challenged it and remained hopeful the U.S. Supreme Court would consider the case.“I’m concerned we’ve sent a troubling message that religious groups are second-class participants in our education system,” Stitt said in a statement. “Charter schools are incredibly popular in Oklahoma – and all we’re saying is: we can’t choose who gets state dollars based on a private entity’s religious status.”

First publicly funded religious charter school in US ruled unconstitutional

Gregory Giles Tompkins, 77, of Newton, passed away peacefully at home on June 24, 2024.

Greg was born to Dr Carl and Mrs. Violet (VanBrocklin) Tompkins on November 7, 1946. He attended Newton schools and graduated from Newton High School in 1964. He married his high school sweetheart, Susan Sheets September 25, 1966, she survives of the home.&nbsp;

He graduated from Wichita State University with a degree in Music Education in 1969. He taught instrumental music for several years at Valley Center schools for 5 years before working at Dickey-Davidson Music in Newton with local students and teachers. He returned to teaching for Remington School District in Whitewater and Potwin where he taught for 28 years before he retired in 2008. Not one to stay retired long or away from music education, he went to work for Senseney Music, going out and calling on school band directors just as he had done for Davidson music. Being a music educator and helping a student develop their talents or just gain a greater appreciation for music was what he enjoyed the most. Greg taught and inspired so many students over the years not only with his love of music, but also inspired them to always continue learning more to expand their knowledge and get better at what they do.&nbsp;

In retirement Greg had more time for building a greenhouse and growing orchids with his wife Susan. He also had more time for his woodworking, and began perfecting his interest in wood turning, specifically segmented wood designs. He created many bowls, vases and urns for family and friends and several special awards for Orchid shows. Some of his projects took hundreds of hours and are comprised of thousands of small pieces of different colored unique woods. He was a member and past president of the South Central Kansas Wood Turners and also member and past president of Kansas Orchid Society. He also enjoyed gardening, and caring for their many horses, his dog and cats over the years. He was talented and creative but humble.

Greg is survived by his wife Susan Tompkins; daughter Francesca (Robert) Hoch of Newton; sisters Carolyn Hunter (Jim) of Scott City, Christa Taylor of Topeka; sister-in-law Barbara Ready of Osawatomie; granddaughters Sarah Gronau (Becky Prouty) and Becky (Everett) Sauerwein all of Newton. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers-in-law Morris Taylor and Mark Ready.&nbsp;

A private family graveside service will be held at a future date in Sedgwick Highland Cemetery.&nbsp;

Memorial contributions may be made to Hope in the Valley Equine Rescue &amp; Sanctuary, Valley Center, KS

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719367022629.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Gregory Giles Tompkins, 77, of Newton, passed away peacefully at home on June 24, 2024.Greg was born to Dr Carl and Mrs. Violet (VanBrocklin) Tompkins on November 7, 1946. He attended Newton schools and graduated from Newton High School in 1964. He married his high school sweetheart, Susan Sheets September 25, 1966, she survives of the home.&nbsp;He graduated from Wichita State University with a degree in Music Education in 1969. He taught instrumental music for several years at Valley Center schools for 5 years before working at Dickey-Davidson Music in Newton with local students and teachers. He returned to teaching for Remington School District in Whitewater and Potwin where he taught for 28 years before he retired in 2008. Not one to stay retired long or away from music education, he went to work for Senseney Music, going out and calling on school band directors just as he had done for Davidson music. Being a music educator and helping a student develop their talents or just gain a greater appreciation for music was what he enjoyed the most. Greg taught and inspired so many students over the years not only with his love of music, but also inspired them to always continue learning more to expand their knowledge and get better at what they do.&nbsp;In retirement Greg had more time for building a greenhouse and growing orchids with his wife Susan. He also had more time for his woodworking, and began perfecting his interest in wood turning, specifically segmented wood designs. He created many bowls, vases and urns for family and friends and several special awards for Orchid shows. Some of his projects took hundreds of hours and are comprised of thousands of small pieces of different colored unique woods. He was a member and past president of the South Central Kansas Wood Turners and also member and past president of Kansas Orchid Society. He also enjoyed gardening, and caring for their many horses, his dog and cats over the years. He was talented and creative but humble.Greg is survived by his wife Susan Tompkins; daughter Francesca (Robert) Hoch of Newton; sisters Carolyn Hunter (Jim) of Scott City, Christa Taylor of Topeka; sister-in-law Barbara Ready of Osawatomie; granddaughters Sarah Gronau (Becky Prouty) and Becky (Everett) Sauerwein all of Newton. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers-in-law Morris Taylor and Mark Ready.&nbsp;A private family graveside service will be held at a future date in Sedgwick Highland Cemetery.&nbsp;Memorial contributions may be made to Hope in the Valley Equine Rescue &amp; Sanctuary, Valley Center, KS

Gregory Giles Tompkins |1946-2024|

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The USD 308 Hutchinson Public Schools Board of Education held their regularly scheduled meeting Monday, June 24th, at the USD 308 Administrative Center, 1520 N. Plum.

During the Superintendent remarks, Superintendent Dr. Johnson mentioned that the next meeting is the Organization Meeting during which the Board will elect President and Vice President. Current board president, Laura Corey has served in the role since Feb 2024.

There were three Board Action Items. The first item,&nbsp;2024-2025 District Handbooks- FIRST LOOK. The District has worked to streamline handbooks over the past few years. The handbooks, when approved will allow for combined district policies and procedures to replace building level policies and procedures where available and reduce the number of future approvals required. The recommendation for approval will come during the Organization Meeting held in July.

The Board of Education has approved a motion to approve $862,285 from the Reno County Childcare Taskforce, a combination of Accelerator grant and ARPA funds, to expand the USD 308 Child Care program for children aged 0-3. This was the second agenda item and listed as&nbsp;Child Care Expansion.

Hutchinson Public Schools has a long-standing commitment to early childhood education, proudly being the first district in Reno County to establish a child care center. The USD 308 Child Care Center has been serving Hutchinson Public Schools and the community for nearly 25 years, since 1999. With decades of experience, families have entrusted our dedicated staff with the care and education of their young children, building a reputation of trust and excellence.

These grants, funded by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Kansas Office of Recovery, will substantially boost local child care capabilities.&nbsp;All projects are required to meet project readiness standards and at least a 25% matching funds for their respective projects. This is a crucial step toward reducing the child care deficit in Reno County, with around 1500 families wait-listed for childcare. The Task Force remains committed to advocating for high-quality, accessible, and affordable child care in the region. During the Board’s consideration of the grant, Heather Faulkner, Director of Abundant Life Childcare, and Consultant to the Reno County Childcare Taskforce, addressed the Board, “We are hopeful that you all are wanting to expand childcare. There is a current need of about 1500 slots for ages zero to three. The big need is for zero to three.”

The third action item,&nbsp;June 2024 Board Policy Updates.&nbsp;There were two policy updates being considered. The first document outlines recommended actions on various Board policies and is titled on the agenda documents as June 2024 Red Lined All in One. This was tabled. The second policy, JBC and JBCC was approved 6-0. JBC is the Enrollment (revised). This policy was revised to remove the language regarding nonresident students due to changes in state law. Provisions regarding nonresident students are now in Policy JBCC.

JBCC Reads: Prior to adopting this policy, the board of education shall call and hold a hearing on the proposed policy. The board of education shall provide notice of such hearing, which shall include the time, date and place of the public hearing to be held on the proposed policy. Such notice shall be published at least once each week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the school district and shall also be posted on the school district's website. This policy was created to outline the requirements for the enrollment of nonresident students, including required actions such as determining capacity, accepting applications, and admitting nonresident students. This change was necessitated by the passage of S Sub for HB 2567 and H Sub for SB 113. This law requires the board to adopt a policy.

Board Discussions- Lance Patterson mentioned that during contract negotiations today, enrollment fees were discussed. He questioned their necessity and benefit. The Board provided guidance to Dr. Johnson that they would like to reassess the District’s enrollment fees. The topic will be presented at a future Board meeting.

The&nbsp;Superintendent’s Consent Agenda&nbsp;was passed 6-0. Items within the Consent Agenda were: Treasurer’s Report – May 2024, Annual TMA License Renewal, Revised Copier Lease Agreement, C5 and C6 2021-2024 Final Head Start Grant Reports, Annual Milk Bid 2024-2025, Essdack Erate Services, Worker’s Compensation Renewal Proposal 2024-2025, Annual End-of-Year Fundraiser Report, End-of-Year Closeout and Transfers Authorization, Surplus Items, Grants, Gifts to Schools.

The Board went into Executive Session to discuss non-elected personnel matters, and negotiations. The personnel report was approved unanimously.

The full agenda can be found here: <a href="http://www.usd308.com/boe">www.usd308.com/boe</a>.&nbsp; The next regularly scheduled meeting will be July 8th, 6:00 p.m., at the USD 308 Administrative Center, 1520 N. Plum.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655147159618.jpeg" alt="USD 308 Admin Building-Photo by Daren Dunn" />
 <figcaption>USD 308 Admin Building-Photo by Daren Dunn</figcaption>
 </figure>USD 308HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The USD 308 Hutchinson Public Schools Board of Education held their regularly scheduled meeting Monday, June 24th, at the USD 308 Administrative Center, 1520 N. Plum.During the Superintendent remarks, Superintendent Dr. Johnson mentioned that the next meeting is the Organization Meeting during which the Board will elect President and Vice President. Current board president, Laura Corey has served in the role since Feb 2024.There were three Board Action Items. The first item,&nbsp;2024-2025 District Handbooks- FIRST LOOK. The District has worked to streamline handbooks over the past few years. The handbooks, when approved will allow for combined district policies and procedures to replace building level policies and procedures where available and reduce the number of future approvals required. The recommendation for approval will come during the Organization Meeting held in July.The Board of Education has approved a motion to approve $862,285 from the Reno County Childcare Taskforce, a combination of Accelerator grant and ARPA funds, to expand the USD 308 Child Care program for children aged 0-3. This was the second agenda item and listed as&nbsp;Child Care Expansion.Hutchinson Public Schools has a long-standing commitment to early childhood education, proudly being the first district in Reno County to establish a child care center. The USD 308 Child Care Center has been serving Hutchinson Public Schools and the community for nearly 25 years, since 1999. With decades of experience, families have entrusted our dedicated staff with the care and education of their young children, building a reputation of trust and excellence.These grants, funded by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Kansas Office of Recovery, will substantially boost local child care capabilities.&nbsp;All projects are required to meet project readiness standards and at least a 25% matching funds for their respective projects. This is a crucial step toward reducing the child care deficit in Reno County, with around 1500 families wait-listed for childcare. The Task Force remains committed to advocating for high-quality, accessible, and affordable child care in the region. During the Board’s consideration of the grant, Heather Faulkner, Director of Abundant Life Childcare, and Consultant to the Reno County Childcare Taskforce, addressed the Board, “We are hopeful that you all are wanting to expand childcare. There is a current need of about 1500 slots for ages zero to three. The big need is for zero to three.”The third action item,&nbsp;June 2024 Board Policy Updates.&nbsp;There were two policy updates being considered. The first document outlines recommended actions on various Board policies and is titled on the agenda documents as June 2024 Red Lined All in One. This was tabled. The second policy, JBC and JBCC was approved 6-0. JBC is the Enrollment (revised). This policy was revised to remove the language regarding nonresident students due to changes in state law. Provisions regarding nonresident students are now in Policy JBCC.JBCC Reads: Prior to adopting this policy, the board of education shall call and hold a hearing on the proposed policy. The board of education shall provide notice of such hearing, which shall include the time, date and place of the public hearing to be held on the proposed policy. Such notice shall be published at least once each week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the school district and shall also be posted on the school district's website. This policy was created to outline the requirements for the enrollment of nonresident students, including required actions such as determining capacity, accepting applications, and admitting nonresident students. This change was necessitated by the passage of S Sub for HB 2567 and H Sub for SB 113. This law requires the board to adopt a policy.Board Discussions- Lance Patterson mentioned that during contract negotiations today, enrollment fees were discussed. He questioned their necessity and benefit. The Board provided guidance to Dr. Johnson that they would like to reassess the District’s enrollment fees. The topic will be presented at a future Board meeting.The&nbsp;Superintendent’s Consent Agenda&nbsp;was passed 6-0. Items within the Consent Agenda were: Treasurer’s Report – May 2024, Annual TMA License Renewal, Revised Copier Lease Agreement, C5 and C6 2021-2024 Final Head Start Grant Reports, Annual Milk Bid 2024-2025, Essdack Erate Services, Worker’s Compensation Renewal Proposal 2024-2025, Annual End-of-Year Fundraiser Report, End-of-Year Closeout and Transfers Authorization, Surplus Items, Grants, Gifts to Schools.The Board went into Executive Session to discuss non-elected personnel matters, and negotiations. The personnel report was approved unanimously.The full agenda can be found here: <a href="http://www.usd308.com/boe">www.usd308.com/boe</a>.&nbsp; The next regularly scheduled meeting will be July 8th, 6:00 p.m., at the USD 308 Administrative Center, 1520 N. Plum.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

USD 308 meeting notes

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/planned-parenthood">Planned Parenthood</a>&nbsp;will spend $40 million ahead of November's elections to bolster President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and leading congressional Democrats, betting that voters angry at Republican-led efforts to further restrict access to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion</a>&nbsp;can be the difference in key races around the country.

The political and advocacy arms of the nation's leading reproductive health-care provider and abortion rights advocacy organization shared the announcement with The Associated Press before its wider release Monday.

The group will initially target eight states: Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where Biden is seeking to defend 2020 victories, as well as North Carolina, which the Democratic president's campaign hopes to flip after Republican Donald Trump won it four years ago, and Montana, New Hampshire and New York, which have races that could help determine control of the Senate and House.

The push will try to reach voters with volunteer and paid canvassing programs, phone banking and digital, TV, and mail advertising.

“Abortion will be the message of this election, and it will be how we energize voters," said Jenny Lawson, executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes. “It will be what enables us to win.”

The spending plan is not an election cycle record for the group. It spent $45 million ahead of Biden defeating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;in 2020 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-2022-midterm-elections-health-congress-71871318f3c725a7df0bbe183e6c84be">$50 million</a>&nbsp;before the 2022 midterms.

Planned Parenthood's advocacy arms focused on pouring money into contests where access to abortion was on the ballot after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade</a>, the landmark 1973 case that created a constitutional right to have an abortion, a decision handed down two years ago Monday.

“We continue to see the devastation that comes when anti-abortion politicians have power,” Lawson said of the years since. “It’s just gotten worse.”

Abortion continues to be one of the nation’s most important political issues, but dynamics around it have changed since the Supreme Court ruling. After the ruling,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-amendment-ban-protection-states-2024-052ff9846f8416efb725240af22b92ec">most Republican-controlled states imposed new abortion restrictions</a>, including some bans at every stage of pregnancy.

Meanwhile, voters in seven states — California, Michigan and Vermont, as well as usually reliably Republican Kansas, Kentucky, Montana and Ohio — sided with abortion-rights supporters on ballot measures.

In November, voters in several other states, including battleground Arizona and Nevada, will have abortion referendums on the ballot, as will Florida, a onetime presidential bellwether that has gotten increasingly Republican in recent cycles but where Biden’s campaign is hoping turnout for the abortion ballot initiative can make things closer.

SBA Pro-Life America, one of the country’s most prominent groups opposed to abortion rights, announced in February that it plans to spend $92 million targeting voters in eight battleground states: Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Montana and Georgia.

In addition to national efforts, local Planned Parenthood advocacy and political organizations in California, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio are planning advocacy campaigns ahead of November.

Planned Parenthood advocacy efforts also will focus on some down-ballot rates, like aiding Democrats seeking a supermajority in the Nevada statehouse, or opposing two state supreme court justices up for reelection in Arizona after they voted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-abortion-restrictions-1864-9c68866d69dca38c728dd27b80592e8f#:~:text=Arizona%20can%20enforce%20an%201864%20law%20criminalizing%20nearly%20all%20abortions%2C%20court%20says&amp;text=An%20Arizona%20Supreme%20Court%20decision,in%20a%20critical%202024%20battleground.">allow officials to enforce an 1864 law</a>&nbsp;criminalizing nearly all abortions, which the state legislature has since voted to repeal.

“We can’t just vote for ballot initiatives," said Lindsey Harmon, executive director for Nevada Advocates for Planned Parenthood Affiliates PAC. “We also have to support the infrastructure that makes abortion access possible.”

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/planned-parenthood">Planned Parenthood</a>&nbsp;will spend $40 million ahead of November's elections to bolster President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and leading congressional Democrats, betting that voters angry at Republican-led efforts to further restrict access to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion</a>&nbsp;can be the difference in key races around the country.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">2 years ago, Trump’s Supreme Court overturned our federal right to abortion. Today Planned Parenthood Votes announced that PP political &amp; advocacy orgs will spend $40 M during the 2024 election to defend abortion access and get out the vote. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeDecide?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeDecide</a> <a href="https://t.co/jaDxaudt9o">pic.twitter.com/jaDxaudt9o</a>&mdash; Planned Parenthood Action (@PPact) <a href="https://twitter.com/PPact/status/1805247280812900683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The political and advocacy arms of the nation's leading reproductive health-care provider and abortion rights advocacy organization shared the announcement with The Associated Press before its wider release Monday.The group will initially target eight states: Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where Biden is seeking to defend 2020 victories, as well as North Carolina, which the Democratic president's campaign hopes to flip after Republican Donald Trump won it four years ago, and Montana, New Hampshire and New York, which have races that could help determine control of the Senate and House.The push will try to reach voters with volunteer and paid canvassing programs, phone banking and digital, TV, and mail advertising.“Abortion will be the message of this election, and it will be how we energize voters," said Jenny Lawson, executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes. “It will be what enables us to win.”The spending plan is not an election cycle record for the group. It spent $45 million ahead of Biden defeating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;in 2020 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-2022-midterm-elections-health-congress-71871318f3c725a7df0bbe183e6c84be">$50 million</a>&nbsp;before the 2022 midterms.Planned Parenthood's advocacy arms focused on pouring money into contests where access to abortion was on the ballot after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade</a>, the landmark 1973 case that created a constitutional right to have an abortion, a decision handed down two years ago Monday.“We continue to see the devastation that comes when anti-abortion politicians have power,” Lawson said of the years since. “It’s just gotten worse.”Abortion continues to be one of the nation’s most important political issues, but dynamics around it have changed since the Supreme Court ruling. After the ruling,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-amendment-ban-protection-states-2024-052ff9846f8416efb725240af22b92ec">most Republican-controlled states imposed new abortion restrictions</a>, including some bans at every stage of pregnancy.Meanwhile, voters in seven states — California, Michigan and Vermont, as well as usually reliably Republican Kansas, Kentucky, Montana and Ohio — sided with abortion-rights supporters on ballot measures.In November, voters in several other states, including battleground Arizona and Nevada, will have abortion referendums on the ballot, as will Florida, a onetime presidential bellwether that has gotten increasingly Republican in recent cycles but where Biden’s campaign is hoping turnout for the abortion ballot initiative can make things closer.SBA Pro-Life America, one of the country’s most prominent groups opposed to abortion rights, announced in February that it plans to spend $92 million targeting voters in eight battleground states: Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Montana and Georgia.In addition to national efforts, local Planned Parenthood advocacy and political organizations in California, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio are planning advocacy campaigns ahead of November.Planned Parenthood advocacy efforts also will focus on some down-ballot rates, like aiding Democrats seeking a supermajority in the Nevada statehouse, or opposing two state supreme court justices up for reelection in Arizona after they voted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-abortion-restrictions-1864-9c68866d69dca38c728dd27b80592e8f#:~:text=Arizona%20can%20enforce%20an%201864%20law%20criminalizing%20nearly%20all%20abortions%2C%20court%20says&amp;text=An%20Arizona%20Supreme%20Court%20decision,in%20a%20critical%202024%20battleground.">allow officials to enforce an 1864 law</a>&nbsp;criminalizing nearly all abortions, which the state legislature has since voted to repeal.“We can’t just vote for ballot initiatives," said Lindsey Harmon, executive director for Nevada Advocates for Planned Parenthood Affiliates PAC. “We also have to support the infrastructure that makes abortion access possible.”

Planned Parenthood will spend millions on abortion rights ahead of election

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A play penned by an area director is taking the stage Thursday and Friday at the Flag Theater.&nbsp;

"I landed on this idea about a few years ago, and finally it's come to fruition," said Nicholas Amezola, the director of Concrete Garden. "I always call it semi-autobiographical, because I've dramatized a lot of it, but a lot of the experiences of it, I've actually experienced myself."

The story is going to be dramatically read.

"There's not a full choreography or set and costumes. It'll just be 13 people, just having music stands in front of them, with the script in front of them, and we're just acting and singing at each other," It'll still be an acted-out experience, rather than just monotone reading, but there won't be a whole song and dance, literally."

The story is about the main character's spiritual journey.

"He starts off as just not believing in anything because of an experience he had with his father, who passed away," Amezola said. "As he progresses through the story, he learns to grow more in his faith. He loses it when COVID comes around, and at the end of the story, it's kind of ambiguous whether he's going to go back to it or not. Yeah, it's just kind of outlining what a religious journey can look like."

Concrete Garden is this Thursday and Friday, June 27 and 28 at the Flag Theater. It will start at 7 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the door. They're just $5.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719325981436.jpeg" alt="Concrete Garden" />
 <figcaption>Concrete Garden</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — A play penned by an area director is taking the stage Thursday and Friday at the Flag Theater.&nbsp;"I landed on this idea about a few years ago, and finally it's come to fruition," said Nicholas Amezola, the director of Concrete Garden. "I always call it semi-autobiographical, because I've dramatized a lot of it, but a lot of the experiences of it, I've actually experienced myself."The story is going to be dramatically read."There's not a full choreography or set and costumes. It'll just be 13 people, just having music stands in front of them, with the script in front of them, and we're just acting and singing at each other," It'll still be an acted-out experience, rather than just monotone reading, but there won't be a whole song and dance, literally."The story is about the main character's spiritual journey."He starts off as just not believing in anything because of an experience he had with his father, who passed away," Amezola said. "As he progresses through the story, he learns to grow more in his faith. He loses it when COVID comes around, and at the end of the story, it's kind of ambiguous whether he's going to go back to it or not. Yeah, it's just kind of outlining what a religious journey can look like."Concrete Garden is this Thursday and Friday, June 27 and 28 at the Flag Theater. It will start at 7 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the door. They're just $5.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Concrete Garden takes Flag Theatre stage Thursday, Friday

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Federal judges in Kansas and Missouri on Monday together blocked much of a Biden administration student loan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-miguel-cardona-business-73dcbf54ddb3b53c9c3c5468cfdec3b9">repayment plan</a>&nbsp;that provides a faster path to cancellation and lower monthly payments for millions of borrowers.

The judges’ rulings prevent the U.S. Department of Education from helping many of the intended borrowers ease their loan repayment burdens going forward under a rule set to go into effect July 1. The decisions do not cancel assistance already provided to borrowers.

In Kansas, U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree ruled in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-cancellation-debt-lawsuit-republicans-biden-b60d13539b2f2aef2869d56e63f33a3b">a lawsuit filed by the state’s attorney general,</a>&nbsp;Kris Kobach, on behalf of his state and 10 others. In his ruling, Crabtree allowed parts of the program that allow students who borrowed $12,000 or less to have the rest of their loans forgiven if they make 10 years’ worth of payments, instead of the standard 25.

But Crabtree said that the Department of Education won’t be allowed to implement parts of the program meant to help students who had larger loans and could have their monthly payments lowered and their required payment period reduced from 25 years to 20 years.

In Missouri, U.S. District Judge John Ross’ order applies to different parts of the program than Crabtree’s. His order says that the U.S. Department of Education cannot forgive loan balances going forward. He said the department still could lower monthly payments.

Ross issued a ruling in a lawsuit filed by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey on behalf of his state and six others.

Together, the two rulings, each by a judge appointed by former President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appeared to greatly limit the scope of the Biden administration’s efforts to help borrowers after the U.S. Supreme Court last year rejected the Democratic president’s first attempt at a forgiveness plan. Both judges said Education Secretary Miguel Cardona exceeded the authority granted by Congress in laws dealing with students loans.

Bailey and Kobach each hailed the decision from their state's judge as a major legal victory against the Biden administration and argue, as many Republicans do, that forgiving some students' loans shifts the cost of repaying them to taxpayers.

“Only Congress has the power of the purse, not the President,” Bailey said in a statement. "Today’s ruling was a huge win for the rule of law, and for every American who Joe Biden was about to force to pay off someone else’s debt.”

The White House said it strongly disagrees with the judges’ rulings and would continue to defend the program, and use every available tool to give relief to students and borrowers.

In a statement, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Biden administration “will never stop fighting for students and borrowers — no matter how many roadblocks Republican elected officials and special interests put in our way.”

In a statement posted on the social media platform X, leaders of the Student Borrower Protection Center, which advocates for eliminating student debt, called the decisions “partisan lawfare” and “a recipe for chaos across the student loan system.”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Federal judges in Kansas and Missouri on Monday together blocked much of a Biden administration student loan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-miguel-cardona-business-73dcbf54ddb3b53c9c3c5468cfdec3b9">repayment plan</a>&nbsp;that provides a faster path to cancellation and lower monthly payments for millions of borrowers.The judges’ rulings prevent the U.S. Department of Education from helping many of the intended borrowers ease their loan repayment burdens going forward under a rule set to go into effect July 1. The decisions do not cancel assistance already provided to borrowers.In Kansas, U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree ruled in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-cancellation-debt-lawsuit-republicans-biden-b60d13539b2f2aef2869d56e63f33a3b">a lawsuit filed by the state’s attorney general,</a>&nbsp;Kris Kobach, on behalf of his state and 10 others. In his ruling, Crabtree allowed parts of the program that allow students who borrowed $12,000 or less to have the rest of their loans forgiven if they make 10 years’ worth of payments, instead of the standard 25.But Crabtree said that the Department of Education won’t be allowed to implement parts of the program meant to help students who had larger loans and could have their monthly payments lowered and their required payment period reduced from 25 years to 20 years.In Missouri, U.S. District Judge John Ross’ order applies to different parts of the program than Crabtree’s. His order says that the U.S. Department of Education cannot forgive loan balances going forward. He said the department still could lower monthly payments.Ross issued a ruling in a lawsuit filed by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey on behalf of his state and six others.Together, the two rulings, each by a judge appointed by former President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appeared to greatly limit the scope of the Biden administration’s efforts to help borrowers after the U.S. Supreme Court last year rejected the Democratic president’s first attempt at a forgiveness plan. Both judges said Education Secretary Miguel Cardona exceeded the authority granted by Congress in laws dealing with students loans.Bailey and Kobach each hailed the decision from their state's judge as a major legal victory against the Biden administration and argue, as many Republicans do, that forgiving some students' loans shifts the cost of repaying them to taxpayers.“Only Congress has the power of the purse, not the President,” Bailey said in a statement. "Today’s ruling was a huge win for the rule of law, and for every American who Joe Biden was about to force to pay off someone else’s debt.”The White House said it strongly disagrees with the judges’ rulings and would continue to defend the program, and use every available tool to give relief to students and borrowers.In a statement, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Biden administration “will never stop fighting for students and borrowers — no matter how many roadblocks Republican elected officials and special interests put in our way.”In a statement posted on the social media platform X, leaders of the Student Borrower Protection Center, which advocates for eliminating student debt, called the decisions “partisan lawfare” and “a recipe for chaos across the student loan system.”“Millions of borrowers are now in limbo as they struggle to make sense of their rights under the law and the information being provided by the government and their student loan companies,” said the group’s executive director, Mike Pierce.In both lawsuits, the suing states sought to invalidate the entire program, which the Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-debt-college-cancellation-forgiveness-34152bb5000128a413efd2287887a37a">first made available</a>&nbsp;to borrowers in July 2023, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-student-loan-forgiveness-2024-california-cc23ba93a733b583f3ee8963cdd02566">at least 150,000</a>&nbsp;have had their loans canceled. But the judges noted that the lawsuits weren't filed until late March in Kansas and early April in Missouri.“So the court doesn’t see how plaintiffs can complain of irreparable harm from them,” Crabtree wrote in his opinion.Both orders are preliminary, meaning the injunctions imposed by the judges would remain in effect through a trial of the separate lawsuits. However, to issue a temporary order each judge had to conclude that the states were likely to prevail in a trial.Kobach framed the Biden plan as “unconstitutional” and an affront to “blue collar Kansas workers who didn’t go to college."There was some irony in Crabtree's decision: Kansas is no longer a party to the lawsuit Kobach filed. Earlier this month, Crabtree ruled that Kansas and seven other states in the lawsuit — Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Lousiana, Montana, Nebraska and Utah — couldn't show that they'd been harmed by the new program and dismissed them as plaintiffs.That left Alaska, South Carolina and Texas, and Crabtree said they could sue because each has a state agency that services student loans.But Crabtree said that lowering monthly payments and shortening the period of required payments to earn loan forgiveness “overreach any generosity Congress has authorized before.”In the Missouri ruling, Ross said repayment schedules and “are well within the wheelhouse” of the department but the “plain text” of U.S. law doesn’t give it authority to forgive loans before 25 years of payments.