<a href="https://nbcbaseball.com/tickets/">TICKETS</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;|&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://nbcbaseball.com/fan-hub/">FAN HUB&nbsp;</a> &nbsp;|&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://nbcbaseball.com/tournament-central-2025/">TOURNAMENT CENTRAL</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753114906517.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy NBC World Series" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy NBC World Series</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://nbcbaseball.com/tickets/">TICKETS</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;|&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://nbcbaseball.com/fan-hub/">FAN HUB&nbsp;</a> &nbsp;|&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://nbcbaseball.com/tournament-central-2025/">TOURNAMENT CENTRAL</a><div>NBC World Series
&nbsp;
Wichita, Kansas - The 2025 NBC World Series, powered by Evergy, kicks off at Eck Stadium on Thursday Night, with 16 teams from across the country competing for a National Championship. The tournament runs from July 24-August 1st at Eck Stadium at Wichita State University, with Championship Night returning to historic downtown Wichita at Equity Bank Park on Saturday, August 2nd.
This year&rsquo;s NBC World Series will have a summer travels &amp; summer camp theme, as the tournament celebrates the thousands of people who travel from across Kansas, and across the country, to be a part of the NBC every summer. Fans will have opportunities to make arts &amp; crafts, grill in the outfield at Eck Stadium, and participate in games and giveaways throughout the 10 days.
&nbsp;
<h2>Featured Teams</h2>
Sixteen teams have secured their spots in this year's tournament, representing some of the nation's premier summer collegiate and amateur baseball leagues:
<ul>
<li>Alaska Goldpanners - Independent</li>
<li>BTL Hornets - KC Collegiate Baseball League</li>
<li>Derby Twins - Jayhawk League</li>
<li>Dodge City A&rsquo;s - Rocky Mountain Baseball League</li>
<li>GPS Legends - CenTex Collegiate Baseball League</li>
<li>Hays Larks - Rocky Mountain Baseball League</li>
<li>Hutchinson Monarchs - Jayhawk League</li>
<li>Junction City Brigade - Jayhawk League</li>
<li>Lonestar Baseball Club - CenTex League</li>
<li>Lonestar Kraken - Five Tool Baseball</li>
<li>Oklahoma MVP - AABC Oklahoma Champions</li>
<li>San Diego Stars - Western Baseball Association</li>
<li>Santa Barbara Foresters - California Collegiate League</li>
<li>Seattle Blackfins - Pacific International League</li>
<li>Seattle Cheney Studs - Pacific International League</li>
<li>TPA Texas - AABC Texas Champions</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h2>Special Promotions and Events</h2>
The NBC World Series is known for its exciting promotional nights and fan experiences throughout the tournament. This year's lineup includes:
<ul>
<li>Opening Night (July 24th)</li>
<li class="x_indent-1">Presented by HANK FM and FOX TV</li>
<li>Military Appreciation Day (July 25th) with free admission for active and retired military members.</li>
<li class="x_indent-1">Presented by Davis Moore Auto Group, Professional Engineering Consultants, KFDI, and KWCH</li>
<li>Baseball &lsquo;Round the Clock - the ultimate baseball marathon (July 26-27th) featuring 11 continuous games in 33 hours</li>
<li class="x_indent-1">Presented by Scheels, Midwest Ford Dealers, KRBB, KSN, and KFXJ 104.5,</li>
<li>The NBC World Series has also announced that buyout nights have returned offering complimentary tickets at select locations:</li>
<li class="x_indent-1">Pizza Hut &amp; Taco Bell (July 28th)</li>
<li class="x_indent-2">Presented by Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KEYN, and KSN</li>
<li class="x_indent-1">Sonic (July 29th)</li>
<li class="x_indent-2">Presented by Sonic, T-95, and KWCH</li>
<li class="x_indent-1">Midwest Ford Dealers (July 30th)</li>
<li class="x_indent-2">Presented by Midwest Ford Dealers, LA RAZA, and FOX TV</li>
<li>Heartland Heroes Day (July 31st), honoring first responders, educators, and medical professionals with free admission when they show their work ID or badge.</li>
<li class="x_indent-1">Presented by KZSN and KWCH</li>
<li>Alumni Weekend (August 1st and 2nd)</li>
<li>Aviation Night celebrating Wichita's aviation heritage (August 1st)</li>
<li class="x_indent-1">Presented by Kansas Aviation Museum, NIAR, Yingling Aviation, KFH, and FOX TV</li>
<li>Championship Night featuring Little League Night and post-game fireworks (August 2nd)</li>
<li class="x_indent-1">Presented by Black Hills Energy, Victory Pyrotechnics, and IdeaTek</li>
</ul>
The complete schedule of special events and themed nights can be found at<a title="https://cx9rgluab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LDsVGs3BOQDfUNVn0yRzQybbhGl5YVvVhrRcexmmXf4oYF6-IvrPlxCPwxFqzbamyu0QNyggTiGYidhksCiBL9qt2MX1xYsd2zn65PPfVSY7cksluZwRvO0su0Vjj3JNczuRDS0dnn_Yg1obrtYMbKvfH-TqqvFZ4Zu2Lc5kuxU=&amp;c=FUGl0PhkRABirQED3pp4_mVufc3YzT3L4VmgJrxQZ5rkJIzFljY2bw==&amp;ch=4lBPhtHLVbp4RZ02gVuDXlLEsqC1IA3meVu7lfghAIc8lCgLeCOj9w==" href="https://cx9rgluab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LDsVGs3BOQDfUNVn0yRzQybbhGl5YVvVhrRcexmmXf4oYF6-IvrPlxCPwxFqzbamyu0QNyggTiGYidhksCiBL9qt2MX1xYsd2zn65PPfVSY7cksluZwRvO0su0Vjj3JNczuRDS0dnn_Yg1obrtYMbKvfH-TqqvFZ4Zu2Lc5kuxU=&amp;c=FUGl0PhkRABirQED3pp4_mVufc3YzT3L4VmgJrxQZ5rkJIzFljY2bw==&amp;ch=4lBPhtHLVbp4RZ02gVuDXlLEsqC1IA3meVu7lfghAIc8lCgLeCOj9w==" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">&nbsp;</a><a title="https://cx9rgluab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LDsVGs3BOQDfUNVn0yRzQybbhGl5YVvVhrRcexmmXf4oYF6-IvrPlxCPwxFqzbamyu0QNyggTiGYidhksCiBL9qt2MX1xYsd2zn65PPfVSY7cksluZwRvO0su0Vjj3JNczuRDS0dnn_Yg1obrtYMbJPUIDzcSBVFUhrQKXlfJ1o=&amp;c=FUGl0PhkRABirQED3pp4_mVufc3YzT3L4VmgJrxQZ5rkJIzFljY2bw==&amp;ch=4lBPhtHLVbp4RZ02gVuDXlLEsqC1IA3meVu7lfghAIc8lCgLeCOj9w==" href="https://cx9rgluab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LDsVGs3BOQDfUNVn0yRzQybbhGl5YVvVhrRcexmmXf4oYF6-IvrPlxCPwxFqzbamyu0QNyggTiGYidhksCiBL9qt2MX1xYsd2zn65PPfVSY7cksluZwRvO0su0Vjj3JNczuRDS0dnn_Yg1obrtYMbJPUIDzcSBVFUhrQKXlfJ1o=&amp;c=FUGl0PhkRABirQED3pp4_mVufc3YzT3L4VmgJrxQZ5rkJIzFljY2bw==&amp;ch=4lBPhtHLVbp4RZ02gVuDXlLEsqC1IA3meVu7lfghAIc8lCgLeCOj9w==" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2">nbcbaseball.com/promos/</a>.
&nbsp;
<h2>Tournament &amp; Coverage Information</h2>
The NBC World Series has been held in Wichita every year since 1935, making it one of the longest continuously running sporting events in the nation. Known for its unique promotions and high-quality baseball, the National Baseball Congress has had more than 900 former players go on to play Major League Baseball, including Roger Clemens, Satchel Paige, Ozzie Smith, Barry Bonds, and modern stars such as the Texas Rangers' Josh Jung and the St. Louis Cardinals' Ryan Helsley.
&nbsp;
Tickets to the 91st NBC World Series are on sale now. For tickets and general tournament information, visit<a title="https://cx9rgluab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LDsVGs3BOQDfUNVn0yRzQybbhGl5YVvVhrRcexmmXf4oYF6-IvrPl1Oub8HMVfOEbFhsryLR2w7qPTEUXwMKz1jjMmN9HP9mf5Dl4G5fzLcYiT3zanGLs05aeK0o-J-lWY_6NI5C3umz5F83ylJVZFOGV5yKL2Pq&amp;c=FUGl0PhkRABirQED3pp4_mVufc3YzT3L4VmgJrxQZ5rkJIzFljY2bw==&amp;ch=4lBPhtHLVbp4RZ02gVuDXlLEsqC1IA3meVu7lfghAIc8lCgLeCOj9w==" href="https://cx9rgluab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LDsVGs3BOQDfUNVn0yRzQybbhGl5YVvVhrRcexmmXf4oYF6-IvrPl1Oub8HMVfOEbFhsryLR2w7qPTEUXwMKz1jjMmN9HP9mf5Dl4G5fzLcYiT3zanGLs05aeK0o-J-lWY_6NI5C3umz5F83ylJVZFOGV5yKL2Pq&amp;c=FUGl0PhkRABirQED3pp4_mVufc3YzT3L4VmgJrxQZ5rkJIzFljY2bw==&amp;ch=4lBPhtHLVbp4RZ02gVuDXlLEsqC1IA3meVu7lfghAIc8lCgLeCOj9w==" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3">&nbsp;</a><a title="https://cx9rgluab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LDsVGs3BOQDfUNVn0yRzQybbhGl5YVvVhrRcexmmXf4oYF6-IvrPl1Oub8HMVfOEbFhsryLR2w7qPTEUXwMKz1jjMmN9HP9mf5Dl4G5fzLcYiT3zanGLs05aeK0o-J-lWY_6NI5C3uknTv3zI607ZHPb-YQMfqcR&amp;c=FUGl0PhkRABirQED3pp4_mVufc3YzT3L4VmgJrxQZ5rkJIzFljY2bw==&amp;ch=4lBPhtHLVbp4RZ02gVuDXlLEsqC1IA3meVu7lfghAIc8lCgLeCOj9w==" href="https://cx9rgluab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LDsVGs3BOQDfUNVn0yRzQybbhGl5YVvVhrRcexmmXf4oYF6-IvrPl1Oub8HMVfOEbFhsryLR2w7qPTEUXwMKz1jjMmN9HP9mf5Dl4G5fzLcYiT3zanGLs05aeK0o-J-lWY_6NI5C3uknTv3zI607ZHPb-YQMfqcR&amp;c=FUGl0PhkRABirQED3pp4_mVufc3YzT3L4VmgJrxQZ5rkJIzFljY2bw==&amp;ch=4lBPhtHLVbp4RZ02gVuDXlLEsqC1IA3meVu7lfghAIc8lCgLeCOj9w==" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4">nbcbaseball.com</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
For detailed team information, statistics, pool play schedules, bracket play, and box scores, visit<a title="https://cx9rgluab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LDsVGs3BOQDfUNVn0yRzQybbhGl5YVvVhrRcexmmXf4oYF6-IvrPl0OkDcYAlbgu6MjdoLGi-UWYVHNmsMXCQntoacA9B_F_EgnBS-rb6inkIGPSv73_vFrTT-jabBroVrmcGeX4Ld4jMOfgE6G3lj4pcdYHnRRrsrBTvrlNBmM_4Znyhoe2f8zBwOT6o-qB&amp;c=FUGl0PhkRABirQED3pp4_mVufc3YzT3L4VmgJrxQZ5rkJIzFljY2bw==&amp;ch=4lBPhtHLVbp4RZ02gVuDXlLEsqC1IA3meVu7lfghAIc8lCgLeCOj9w==" href="https://cx9rgluab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LDsVGs3BOQDfUNVn0yRzQybbhGl5YVvVhrRcexmmXf4oYF6-IvrPl0OkDcYAlbgu6MjdoLGi-UWYVHNmsMXCQntoacA9B_F_EgnBS-rb6inkIGPSv73_vFrTT-jabBroVrmcGeX4Ld4jMOfgE6G3lj4pcdYHnRRrsrBTvrlNBmM_4Znyhoe2f8zBwOT6o-qB&amp;c=FUGl0PhkRABirQED3pp4_mVufc3YzT3L4VmgJrxQZ5rkJIzFljY2bw==&amp;ch=4lBPhtHLVbp4RZ02gVuDXlLEsqC1IA3meVu7lfghAIc8lCgLeCOj9w==" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="5">&nbsp;</a><a title="https://cx9rgluab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LDsVGs3BOQDfUNVn0yRzQybbhGl5YVvVhrRcexmmXf4oYF6-IvrPl0OkDcYAlbgu6MjdoLGi-UWYVHNmsMXCQntoacA9B_F_EgnBS-rb6inkIGPSv73_vFrTT-jabBroVrmcGeX4Ld4jMOfgE6G3lj4pcdYHnRRrsrBTvrlNBmMrRlTw1RUgw-a64cJ7bOCB&amp;c=FUGl0PhkRABirQED3pp4_mVufc3YzT3L4VmgJrxQZ5rkJIzFljY2bw==&amp;ch=4lBPhtHLVbp4RZ02gVuDXlLEsqC1IA3meVu7lfghAIc8lCgLeCOj9w==" href="https://cx9rgluab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LDsVGs3BOQDfUNVn0yRzQybbhGl5YVvVhrRcexmmXf4oYF6-IvrPl0OkDcYAlbgu6MjdoLGi-UWYVHNmsMXCQntoacA9B_F_EgnBS-rb6inkIGPSv73_vFrTT-jabBroVrmcGeX4Ld4jMOfgE6G3lj4pcdYHnRRrsrBTvrlNBmMrRlTw1RUgw-a64cJ7bOCB&amp;c=FUGl0PhkRABirQED3pp4_mVufc3YzT3L4VmgJrxQZ5rkJIzFljY2bw==&amp;ch=4lBPhtHLVbp4RZ02gVuDXlLEsqC1IA3meVu7lfghAIc8lCgLeCOj9w==" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="6">nbcbaseball.com/tournament-central-2025/</a>.
&nbsp;
Follow the tournament on social media at @NBCBaseball for the latest updates and highlights.
&nbsp;
Don&rsquo;t miss a game!&nbsp;Catch all the baseball action and watch live on YouTube @nbcws.
&nbsp;
The NBC World Series is operated by the NBC Baseball Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization supporting amateur baseball and connecting communities across the country.
The National Baseball Congress has been part of the fabric of America's Pastime since the NBC World Series began in 1935. The NBC's goal is to drive innovation, expand opportunities for young athletes, and keep the spirit of grassroots baseball alive, through both youth programming and historical preservation in addition to the NBC World Series. (EIN 46-3773723)</div>

⚾ NBC World Series opens Thursday in Wichita

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751382227741.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita State Athletics
&nbsp;
WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;- Wichita State Athletics is accepting public nominations for the 2026 Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame induction, Associate AD for Strategic Communications&nbsp;<a href="http://goshockers.com/staff.aspx?staff=28">Tami Cutler</a>&nbsp;announced today. Former student-athletes are not eligible for induction until nine years after their initial enrollment at Wichita State University. This year's class must have an initial enrollment of Fall, 2017, or before. Submit nominations, along with support materials to&nbsp;<a href="http://goshockers.com/staff.aspx?staff=28">Tami Cutler</a>, Associate AD/Strategic Communications, Charles Koch Arena, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, Kansas, 67260-0018 or email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:tcutler@goshockers.com">tcutler@goshockers.com</a>.</div>

Nominations open for WSU Shocker Hall of Fame

WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;On November 20, the Kansas Board of Regents approved a request from Wichita State to enhance the name of the on-campus baseball stadium to Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field at Gene Stephenson Park.

There will be an official dedication ceremony on Saturday, May 3 to unveil the signage on the stadium. The ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. and will be held outside the stadium on the southwest corner. A social will also be held after the ceremony in the All-American Club.

The stadium name was enhanced to honor Hall of Fame coach Gene Stephenson who was the head coach at Wichita State from 1978-2013.

When he came to WSU in 1977 from the University of Oklahoma, the Shocker baseball program was just being started again. He was instrumental in building the program and the stadium from the ground up.

Stephenson was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, the Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame in 2019 and is a three-time NCAA Coach of the Year and 11-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year. In 1989, he led the Shockers to the College World Series championship.

He led WSU to seven College World Series appearances, 27 NCAA Regional appearances, two NCAA Super Regional appearances, 20 Valley regular-season titles, and 17 Valley tournament championships. He directed Wichita State to more wins than any NCAA Division I program in the country eight times and coached 33 players at Wichita State who played in the Major Leagues.

He coached three players named NCAA Player of the Year and one named NCAA Pitcher of the Year. He also coached two players named NCAA Academic Player of the Year and 20 players who earned Academic All-America honors a total of 27 times.

He coached 54 All-Americans, 33 Freshman All-Americans, 15 conference Players of the Year, 12 conference Pitchers of the Year and 13 MLB first-round draft picks. He is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Team and won 60 or more games five times and 50 or more games 19 times.

His number 10 is the only Shocker baseball number to be retired.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745266794828.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Wichita State AthleticsWICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;On November 20, the Kansas Board of Regents approved a request from Wichita State to enhance the name of the on-campus baseball stadium to Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field at Gene Stephenson Park.There will be an official dedication ceremony on Saturday, May 3 to unveil the signage on the stadium. The ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. and will be held outside the stadium on the southwest corner. A social will also be held after the ceremony in the All-American Club.The stadium name was enhanced to honor Hall of Fame coach Gene Stephenson who was the head coach at Wichita State from 1978-2013.When he came to WSU in 1977 from the University of Oklahoma, the Shocker baseball program was just being started again. He was instrumental in building the program and the stadium from the ground up.Stephenson was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, the Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame in 2019 and is a three-time NCAA Coach of the Year and 11-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year. In 1989, he led the Shockers to the College World Series championship.He led WSU to seven College World Series appearances, 27 NCAA Regional appearances, two NCAA Super Regional appearances, 20 Valley regular-season titles, and 17 Valley tournament championships. He directed Wichita State to more wins than any NCAA Division I program in the country eight times and coached 33 players at Wichita State who played in the Major Leagues.He coached three players named NCAA Player of the Year and one named NCAA Pitcher of the Year. He also coached two players named NCAA Academic Player of the Year and 20 players who earned Academic All-America honors a total of 27 times.He coached 54 All-Americans, 33 Freshman All-Americans, 15 conference Players of the Year, 12 conference Pitchers of the Year and 13 MLB first-round draft picks. He is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Team and won 60 or more games five times and 50 or more games 19 times.His number 10 is the only Shocker baseball number to be retired.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ WSU to hold dedication ceremony May 3 for Gene Stephenson Park

Elizabeth Brammer is the February 2025 Allen Samuels Teacher of the Month.  Brammer is a Functional Teacher at Plum Creek Elementary School in the Buhler School District.  

A Functional Teacher is a teacher that works with students that have moderate to severe cognitive and social impairments.  Brammer has eight students in her classroom, and they are from all over Reno County except for Hutchinson USD 308 which has their own program.  Brammer is part of the Reno County Education Cooperative (RCEC).   

Brammer has always wanted to be a teacher.  She graduated from Emporia State in the winter of 1998. She said that there aren’t many teaching positions in the winter, so she did a lot of substitute teaching.  She eventually ended up as a long-term substitute in a Special Education class and that is when she realized that this is what she wanted to do. 

Brammer was nominated by Don Glaspie. Here's what he wrote on his nomination:&nbsp;“My son Tucker is in her class and has made a complete 180 this year after transferring to Plum Creek. He is speaking more, actively wanting to assist with chores, and is all around a whole new child. I appreciate all that Ms. Brammer and her Paras, Julia, Gill, and Kenzey, have done for Tucker.”&nbsp;

She has been teaching for 25 years, all with special education students, the last eight with the RCEC.  

She said the most gratifying thing is when she has when working with a student that finally figures it out. She said the glee on their face makes her day.  She says her students are genuine and share so much love.   

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740755886829.jpeg" alt="Elizabeth Brammer is the February 2025 Allen Samuels Teacher of the Month&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Elizabeth Brammer is the February 2025 Allen Samuels Teacher of the Month&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Elizabeth Brammer is the February 2025 Allen Samuels Teacher of the Month. Brammer is a Functional Teacher at Plum Creek Elementary School in the Buhler School District. A Functional Teacher is a teacher that works with students that have moderate to severe cognitive and social impairments. Brammer has eight students in her classroom, and they are from all over Reno County except for Hutchinson USD 308 which has their own program. Brammer is part of the Reno County Education Cooperative (RCEC). <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740609073025.jpeg" alt="Elizabeth Brammer with her Para's&nbsp; From left Kenzie, Julia, Gill, Don Glaspie of Allen Samuels CDJR, Brammer, and Ashley Weve of Eagle Media.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Elizabeth Brammer with her Para's&nbsp; From left Kenzie, Julia, Gill, Don Glaspie of Allen Samuels CDJR, Brammer, and Ashley Weve of Eagle Media.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Brammer has always wanted to be a teacher. She graduated from Emporia State in the winter of 1998. She said that there aren’t many teaching positions in the winter, so she did a lot of substitute teaching. She eventually ended up as a long-term substitute in a Special Education class and that is when she realized that this is what she wanted to do. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740609256045.jpeg" alt="Ms. Brammer's class and their helper fifth-grade class enjoy Pizza from Pizza Hut and Ice Cream from Braum's" />
 <figcaption>Ms. Brammer's class and their helper fifth-grade class enjoy Pizza from Pizza Hut and Ice Cream from Braum's</figcaption>
 </figure>Brammer was nominated by Don Glaspie. Here's what he wrote on his nomination:&nbsp;“My son Tucker is in her class and has made a complete 180 this year after transferring to Plum Creek. He is speaking more, actively wanting to assist with chores, and is all around a whole new child. I appreciate all that Ms. Brammer and her Paras, Julia, Gill, and Kenzey, have done for Tucker.”&nbsp;She has been teaching for 25 years, all with special education students, the last eight with the RCEC. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740609102564.jpeg" alt="Elizabeth Brammer is the Allen Samuels Teacher of the Month for February 2025" />
 <figcaption>Elizabeth Brammer is the Allen Samuels Teacher of the Month for February 2025</figcaption>
 </figure>She said the most gratifying thing is when she has when working with a student that finally figures it out. She said the glee on their face makes her day. She says her students are genuine and share so much love.

Elizabeth Brammer is the Teacher of the Month 

SILVERTON, Colo. (AP) — A snowboarder was killed in an avalanche in the mountains of southwestern Colorado on Thursday, the fourth person to die in an avalanche in the U.S. West this week after a string of winter storms.

The snowboarder was caught in the debris of the avalanche in the backcountry near Silverton but a man who was skiing with the snowboarder escaped the snow slide, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said. Staff from a nearby backcountry hut noticed the avalanche, alerted rescuers and helped the skier dig the victim out of the debris, it said.

Three people died in avalanches Monday — one person near Lake Tahoe in California and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/avalanche-bend-oregon-cascades-snowmobile-backcountry-skiers-1ac75611c4efd8e68d50d2551d129fb2">two backcountry skiers</a>&nbsp;in Oregon's Cascade Mountains.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740194627568.png" alt="Photo DeAnne Gallegos/Silverton Medical Rescue" />
 <figcaption>Photo DeAnne Gallegos/Silverton Medical Rescue</figcaption>
 </figure>SILVERTON, Colo. (AP) — A snowboarder was killed in an avalanche in the mountains of southwestern Colorado on Thursday, the fourth person to die in an avalanche in the U.S. West this week after a string of winter storms.The snowboarder was caught in the debris of the avalanche in the backcountry near Silverton but a man who was skiing with the snowboarder escaped the snow slide, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said. Staff from a nearby backcountry hut noticed the avalanche, alerted rescuers and helped the skier dig the victim out of the debris, it said.Three people died in avalanches Monday — one person near Lake Tahoe in California and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/avalanche-bend-oregon-cascades-snowmobile-backcountry-skiers-1ac75611c4efd8e68d50d2551d129fb2">two backcountry skiers</a>&nbsp;in Oregon's Cascade Mountains.

Snowboarder killed in Co. avalanche in 4th slide death in West this week

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOHN%20HANNA%20and%20HEATHER%20HOLLINGSWORTH%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOHN HANNA and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH &nbsp;Associated Press</a>

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — When American Eagle Flight 5342 took off from Wichita, the Midwest city with a proud aviation history was glowing from a big moment.

It had just hosted the next generation of Olympic hopefuls at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the kind of major sporting event that leaders of the largest city in Kansas had envisioned when they opened a 15,000-seat arena in 2010. For Wichita, which once built many of the nation’s aircraft, the skating showcase was another way of putting the community in America's heartland on a larger stage.

Then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">came the horror</a>&nbsp;of learning the flight never made it.

“We were so proud to see these high-level athletes, their families, their friends, fans, coming to our community and sharing their skills and talents so that the whole world could see,” Mayor Lily Wu said. “To end it with this type of tragedy just truly breaks my heart.”

The midair collision Wednesday night between the plane and an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C., has left Wichita grieving. The worst U.S. air disaster in a generation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-325edc6c0c2439dd6c1e73a81e382c0e">killed 67 people</a>, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-391a4c7bd0e617a08d9532a8faab206b">young figure skaters</a>&nbsp;who had attended a national development camp in Wichita following the championships. No one survived.

The city of nearly 400,000 residents has deep connections to America's aviation history and is a regional hub for oil companies, engineers and drillers, riding&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wichita.gov/273/Energy">the industry's</a>&nbsp;boom-and-bust cycles.

It was unclear how many of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fatal-washington-flight-passengers-ca062f03b729c130058d4f74393dfa31">the victims</a>&nbsp;may have been Wichita residents. Authorities have not released a list of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-plane-collision-victims-ee829891574aa35a30d8262b7e07e638">the passengers,</a>&nbsp;who included hunting buddies, an attorney on a business trip and a college student returning from her grandfather's funeral.

Following the collision, city and religious leaders held a prayer vigil that turned out hundreds of people who prayed for victims' families and pledged to provide comfort.

“This unity cannot just stay in sadness. It has to elicit something greater, something brighter, something that can shine forth,” said Rabbi Shmulik Greenberg of Chabad, a Hasidic synagogue and community center in Wichita.

Wichita started as a trading post after the American Civil War, had a short life as a cattle drive town and boomed in the 1940s and 1950s, with military and civilian aircraft production.

Passengers moving through security at Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, named for the president who grew up in Abilene, first walk past a display describing Wichita as the “Air Capital of the World.”

The industry has a history of more than a century in the area, with storied founders such as Clyde Cessna and Walter and Olive Ann Beech, who gave their names to aircraft companies. During World War II, Boeing made more than 1,700 bombers in Wichita, said Logan Daugherty, curator of the Kansas Aviation Museum.

The industry employs tens of thousands of area residents, who work for major manufactures such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-acquisition-spirit-aerosystems-c6956d6f22355c95aa39a79eb384ff41">Spirit AeroSystems</a>, as well as a network of more than 350 suppliers, according to an economic development agency called the Greater Wichita Partnership.

The community has had its share of other strivers: The first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2023-03-22/white-castle-hamburger-wichita-kansas-sliders-fast-food-history-mcdonalds">White Castle</a>&nbsp;restaurant opened here in 1921, beginning one of the first fast-food hamburger chains. Two Wichita State University students opened&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wichita.edu/museums/pizzahutmuseum/history.php">the first Pizza Hut</a>&nbsp;in 1958. Koch Industries — the energy, agriculture and manufacturing conglomerate with 121,000-plus employees — has its leafy headquarters grounds in the north part of the city.

The city recently celebrated the first anniversary of the start of the single daily commercial American Airlines flight from Wichita to Washington.

The manufacturer of the passenger airline that went down, Bombardier, has its U.S. headquarters in Wichita. Jim Howell, who serves on the local county commission, said the plane had been certified in the city.

“There’s a lot of connections to this plane. There’s a lot of connections to Bombardier as a company,” said Howell, who spent two decades working in flight testing, including a stint with Bombardier in the early 1990s. “We have a lot of employees who work for Bombardier who are still involved in testing and maintaining those types of planes here in Wichita.”

Wichita's population more than doubled between 1940 and 1960 and has since grown steadily and more diverse. The public school system — the largest in the state, educating roughly 11% of all Kansas students — says it has families from more than 100 nations, speaking more than 110 languages and dialects other than English.

It's also a politically diverse city. Although President Donald Trump has carried Sedgwick County, which includes Wichita, three times, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has won it twice.

The city has mourned other aviation tragedies, including in 1970, when a plane carrying players, coaches and fans of Wichita State University's football team crashed in Colorado, killing 31 of the 37 people on board.

Following the tragedy in Washington, the city’s nonprofit Wichita Community Foundation almost immediately set up a fund to collect donations for victims’ families, to cover burial expenses and provide mental health or other services. Shelly Prichard, the foundation’s president and CEO, said on the night of the crash they “started having people reach out to us about how they could help.”

Kristin Anneler, who attended the vigil in Wichita following the collision, said she was impressed that people of different faiths and views came together to mourn the victims.

“It’s just a tiny little bite — right? Of the cross section of humanity that we often forget about because we run in our own circles and we think our own thoughts,” she said.

___ Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738448053486.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOHN%20HANNA%20and%20HEATHER%20HOLLINGSWORTH%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOHN HANNA and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH &nbsp;Associated Press</a>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — When American Eagle Flight 5342 took off from Wichita, the Midwest city with a proud aviation history was glowing from a big moment.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Mayor Wu and the City Council extend their deepest condolences to all those impacted by the devastating tragedy that occurred on Flight 5342. ￼This is a horrible loss that is felt by everyone in our community. The Wichita Community Foundation has set up a resource for those… <a href="https://t.co/1u2ukjoBHD">pic.twitter.com/1u2ukjoBHD</a>&mdash; City of Wichita (@CityofWichita) <a href="https://twitter.com/CityofWichita/status/1885129832008237113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It had just hosted the next generation of Olympic hopefuls at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the kind of major sporting event that leaders of the largest city in Kansas had envisioned when they opened a 15,000-seat arena in 2010. For Wichita, which once built many of the nation’s aircraft, the skating showcase was another way of putting the community in America's heartland on a larger stage.Then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">came the horror</a>&nbsp;of learning the flight never made it.“We were so proud to see these high-level athletes, their families, their friends, fans, coming to our community and sharing their skills and talents so that the whole world could see,” Mayor Lily Wu said. “To end it with this type of tragedy just truly breaks my heart.”The midair collision Wednesday night between the plane and an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C., has left Wichita grieving. The worst U.S. air disaster in a generation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-325edc6c0c2439dd6c1e73a81e382c0e">killed 67 people</a>, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-391a4c7bd0e617a08d9532a8faab206b">young figure skaters</a>&nbsp;who had attended a national development camp in Wichita following the championships. No one survived.The city of nearly 400,000 residents has deep connections to America's aviation history and is a regional hub for oil companies, engineers and drillers, riding&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wichita.gov/273/Energy">the industry's</a>&nbsp;boom-and-bust cycles.It was unclear how many of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fatal-washington-flight-passengers-ca062f03b729c130058d4f74393dfa31">the victims</a>&nbsp;may have been Wichita residents. Authorities have not released a list of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-plane-collision-victims-ee829891574aa35a30d8262b7e07e638">the passengers,</a>&nbsp;who included hunting buddies, an attorney on a business trip and a college student returning from her grandfather's funeral.Following the collision, city and religious leaders held a prayer vigil that turned out hundreds of people who prayed for victims' families and pledged to provide comfort.“This unity cannot just stay in sadness. It has to elicit something greater, something brighter, something that can shine forth,” said Rabbi Shmulik Greenberg of Chabad, a Hasidic synagogue and community center in Wichita.<h2>An aircraft hub in the Midwest</h2>Wichita started as a trading post after the American Civil War, had a short life as a cattle drive town and boomed in the 1940s and 1950s, with military and civilian aircraft production.Passengers moving through security at Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, named for the president who grew up in Abilene, first walk past a display describing Wichita as the “Air Capital of the World.”The industry has a history of more than a century in the area, with storied founders such as Clyde Cessna and Walter and Olive Ann Beech, who gave their names to aircraft companies. During World War II, Boeing made more than 1,700 bombers in Wichita, said Logan Daugherty, curator of the Kansas Aviation Museum.The industry employs tens of thousands of area residents, who work for major manufactures such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-acquisition-spirit-aerosystems-c6956d6f22355c95aa39a79eb384ff41">Spirit AeroSystems</a>, as well as a network of more than 350 suppliers, according to an economic development agency called the Greater Wichita Partnership.The community has had its share of other strivers: The first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2023-03-22/white-castle-hamburger-wichita-kansas-sliders-fast-food-history-mcdonalds">White Castle</a>&nbsp;restaurant opened here in 1921, beginning one of the first fast-food hamburger chains. Two Wichita State University students opened&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wichita.edu/museums/pizzahutmuseum/history.php">the first Pizza Hut</a>&nbsp;in 1958. Koch Industries — the energy, agriculture and manufacturing conglomerate with 121,000-plus employees — has its leafy headquarters grounds in the north part of the city.The city recently celebrated the first anniversary of the start of the single daily commercial American Airlines flight from Wichita to Washington.The manufacturer of the passenger airline that went down, Bombardier, has its U.S. headquarters in Wichita. Jim Howell, who serves on the local county commission, said the plane had been certified in the city.“There’s a lot of connections to this plane. There’s a lot of connections to Bombardier as a company,” said Howell, who spent two decades working in flight testing, including a stint with Bombardier in the early 1990s. “We have a lot of employees who work for Bombardier who are still involved in testing and maintaining those types of planes here in Wichita.”<h2>A growing city</h2>Wichita's population more than doubled between 1940 and 1960 and has since grown steadily and more diverse. The public school system — the largest in the state, educating roughly 11% of all Kansas students — says it has families from more than 100 nations, speaking more than 110 languages and dialects other than English.It's also a politically diverse city. Although President Donald Trump has carried Sedgwick County, which includes Wichita, three times, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has won it twice.<h2>Rushing to help</h2>The city has mourned other aviation tragedies, including in 1970, when a plane carrying players, coaches and fans of Wichita State University's football team crashed in Colorado, killing 31 of the 37 people on board.Following the tragedy in Washington, the city’s nonprofit Wichita Community Foundation almost immediately set up a fund to collect donations for victims’ families, to cover burial expenses and provide mental health or other services. Shelly Prichard, the foundation’s president and CEO, said on the night of the crash they “started having people reach out to us about how they could help.”Kristin Anneler, who attended the vigil in Wichita following the collision, said she was impressed that people of different faiths and views came together to mourn the victims.“It’s just a tiny little bite — right? Of the cross section of humanity that we often forget about because we run in our own circles and we think our own thoughts,” she said.___ Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas.

Deadly flight out of Wichita has one of America's most historic aviation cities reeling

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Maria Newboles is the Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month for January.&nbsp; She teaches religion and social studies to fifth and sixth graders at Holy Cross Catholic School in Hutchinson.

Newboles comes from a family of teachers.&nbsp; She didn't plan to become a teacher, but as a Hispanic immigrant from Venezuela, she had to learn English when she moved to the United States.&nbsp;

Newboles said one day she was thinking about her future, and being bilingual becoming a teacher was a natural for her. Newboles has taught at all grade levels, from second grade to the current fifth and sixth grade level.&nbsp;

Her religion is important to her. Especially teaching about her faith and Jesus. She added the best part of her day is when you know and see that you have reached your students.&nbsp;

Said Belen Dryden who nominated Newboles, "“Maria has had my daughter as a student. The impact she made on her is so comforting. and unconditional that now she moved on to junior high she still asks to go see Maria and say she misses her so much Maria's heart is so big for all her students she is the kindest person ever she now has my son in her class and he loves her.”

Newboles' class received Pizza Hut pizza and ice cream from Braums to commemorate her honor.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738027110043.jpeg" alt="Maria Newboles is the Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month" />
 <figcaption>Maria Newboles is the Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month</figcaption>
 </figure>MARC JACOBS Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Maria Newboles is the Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month for January.&nbsp; She teaches religion and social studies to fifth and sixth graders at Holy Cross Catholic School in Hutchinson.Newboles comes from a family of teachers.&nbsp; She didn't plan to become a teacher, but as a Hispanic immigrant from Venezuela, she had to learn English when she moved to the United States.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738027080153.jpeg" alt="Maria Newboles is the January Alan Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month for January 2025." />
 <figcaption>Maria Newboles is the January Alan Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month for January 2025.</figcaption>
 </figure>Newboles said one day she was thinking about her future, and being bilingual becoming a teacher was a natural for her. Newboles has taught at all grade levels, from second grade to the current fifth and sixth grade level.&nbsp;Her religion is important to her. Especially teaching about her faith and Jesus. She added the best part of her day is when you know and see that you have reached your students.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738027128396.jpeg" alt="Students in Maria Newboles class received Pizza Hut Pizza and Ice Cream from Braums courtesy of Alan Samuels CDJR." />
 <figcaption>Students in Maria Newboles class received Pizza Hut Pizza and Ice Cream from Braums courtesy of Alan Samuels CDJR.</figcaption>
 </figure>Said Belen Dryden who nominated Newboles, "“Maria has had my daughter as a student. The impact she made on her is so comforting. and unconditional that now she moved on to junior high she still asks to go see Maria and say she misses her so much Maria's heart is so big for all her students she is the kindest person ever she now has my son in her class and he loves her.”Newboles' class received Pizza Hut pizza and ice cream from Braums to commemorate her honor.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Maria Newboles is Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Brian Brillhart is the Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month for December. He teaches English at Hutchinson Middle School-7.

"A strong 7th grade writer, I think, is somebody who has all the tools that they want to express themselves well," Brillhart said. "I mean, if that means a good vocabulary, so they're not limited by, you know, just pulling from a certain catalog of words, if they have grammar that allows them to express themselves clearly. I guess the goal would be just that they can say what they're thinking, what they're feeling, in exactly the way that they want to, in a way that can be understood by people so that they don't feel like they're ever misunderstood."

Brillhart notes that it isn't easy for some students to express themselves.

"We've made the basics of writing a starting point for each of the last few years, because we've seen the need for a focus on that, because students are so limited in their expression, especially in writing," Brillhart said. "That's kind of a first things first, and I think, you know, that that's probably not unique, even at the elementary level, but yeah, I would say that whether they're conscious of it or not, we see limitations, certainly, in the way that they're able to express themselves and would like for them to feel more freedom."

It's also important to know that meaning is shared and it changes over time.&nbsp;

"I've been around just long enough to know which way the wind blows, but I've told students several times this year, I wish I'd kept a dictionary of sorts, cataloging some of these, these terms in their vocabulary that seem to be so fleeting," Brillhart said. "They come and go, and words that they have, you know, they have their own nuanced, personalized meaning for, but then you ask somebody seated next to them, they might say something completely different. They have a well for communication with their peers or for other purposes on social media, whatever, but in terms of academics and being able to express themselves in a wide, a wide variety of settings, there's room for that."

Brillhart's class received Pizza Hut pizza and ice cream from Braum's to commemorate his award.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734656164293.jpeg" alt="Brian Brillhart is the December 2024 Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month." />
 <figcaption>Brian Brillhart is the December 2024 Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month.</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Brian Brillhart is the Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month for December. He teaches English at Hutchinson Middle School-7."A strong 7th grade writer, I think, is somebody who has all the tools that they want to express themselves well," Brillhart said. "I mean, if that means a good vocabulary, so they're not limited by, you know, just pulling from a certain catalog of words, if they have grammar that allows them to express themselves clearly. I guess the goal would be just that they can say what they're thinking, what they're feeling, in exactly the way that they want to, in a way that can be understood by people so that they don't feel like they're ever misunderstood."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734703450291.jpeg" alt="Brian Brillhart is the December 2024 Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month." />
 <figcaption>Brian Brillhart is the December 2024 Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month.</figcaption>
 </figure>Brillhart notes that it isn't easy for some students to express themselves."We've made the basics of writing a starting point for each of the last few years, because we've seen the need for a focus on that, because students are so limited in their expression, especially in writing," Brillhart said. "That's kind of a first things first, and I think, you know, that that's probably not unique, even at the elementary level, but yeah, I would say that whether they're conscious of it or not, we see limitations, certainly, in the way that they're able to express themselves and would like for them to feel more freedom."It's also important to know that meaning is shared and it changes over time.&nbsp;"I've been around just long enough to know which way the wind blows, but I've told students several times this year, I wish I'd kept a dictionary of sorts, cataloging some of these, these terms in their vocabulary that seem to be so fleeting," Brillhart said. "They come and go, and words that they have, you know, they have their own nuanced, personalized meaning for, but then you ask somebody seated next to them, they might say something completely different. They have a well for communication with their peers or for other purposes on social media, whatever, but in terms of academics and being able to express themselves in a wide, a wide variety of settings, there's room for that."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734703525186.jpeg" alt="Students in Brian Brillhart's class receive ice cream from Braums with the help of Allen Samuels CDJR." />
 <figcaption>Students in Brian Brillhart's class receive ice cream from Braums with the help of Allen Samuels CDJR.</figcaption>
 </figure>Brillhart's class received Pizza Hut pizza and ice cream from Braum's to commemorate his award.

Brillhart is Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month Misty McCurdy is a math teacher at Reno Valley Middle School in Nickerson-South Hutchinson USD 309.&nbsp;

"I love that I get super close with my students," McCurdy said. "My class sizes are usually smaller than the regular class sizes so we just kind of make a little family. I do it different for both grades because I teach both 7th and 8th grade. Eighth grade I pre-teach whatever the 8th grade teacher is getting ready to teach so that my kids that I have are more confident once the 8th grade teacher starts that topic or that standard. They've seen it and then when she starts it they are kind of like light bulb moment like, oh I already know this, you know, I'm kind of ahead of the game. Seventh grade a little bit more just tutoring and working on like maybe skills from a year or two ago that they're still struggling on."

There are still some skill gaps from the COVID-19 years that McCurdy is helping fill in.&nbsp;

"Kids seem to struggle a lot with fractions," McCurdy said. "They just don't seem to like them and I think it's just because they don't understand the concept of a fraction early. It's hard to visualize, so that's usually the first thing that we start with is what's a fraction and what can you do with it and what's it look like and how do you add it and we just kind of go from there."

It's rewarding for McCurdy to hear from former students how they are using what they have learned.

"Just two weeks ago I was at a wedding from a retired teacher, and there was a bunch of previous students there and one of them hollered at me and said, 'Hey, Mrs. McCurdy, you're never going to believe this, I just used the pythagorean theorem recently,' I think this kid's about 25 now and I'm like 'What? Tell me all about it.' All the kids at the table looked at him and kind of started giggling and he was doing roof trusses and their number wasn't working."

McCurdy's class received Pizza from Pizza Hut and ice cream from Braum's to commemorate her award.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732274685615.jpeg" alt="Misty McCurdy is the November 2024 Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month." />
 <figcaption>Misty McCurdy is the November 2024 Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month.</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month Misty McCurdy is a math teacher at Reno Valley Middle School in Nickerson-South Hutchinson USD 309.&nbsp;"I love that I get super close with my students," McCurdy said. "My class sizes are usually smaller than the regular class sizes so we just kind of make a little family. I do it different for both grades because I teach both 7th and 8th grade. Eighth grade I pre-teach whatever the 8th grade teacher is getting ready to teach so that my kids that I have are more confident once the 8th grade teacher starts that topic or that standard. They've seen it and then when she starts it they are kind of like light bulb moment like, oh I already know this, you know, I'm kind of ahead of the game. Seventh grade a little bit more just tutoring and working on like maybe skills from a year or two ago that they're still struggling on."There are still some skill gaps from the COVID-19 years that McCurdy is helping fill in.&nbsp;"Kids seem to struggle a lot with fractions," McCurdy said. "They just don't seem to like them and I think it's just because they don't understand the concept of a fraction early. It's hard to visualize, so that's usually the first thing that we start with is what's a fraction and what can you do with it and what's it look like and how do you add it and we just kind of go from there."It's rewarding for McCurdy to hear from former students how they are using what they have learned."Just two weeks ago I was at a wedding from a retired teacher, and there was a bunch of previous students there and one of them hollered at me and said, 'Hey, Mrs. McCurdy, you're never going to believe this, I just used the pythagorean theorem recently,' I think this kid's about 25 now and I'm like 'What? Tell me all about it.' All the kids at the table looked at him and kind of started giggling and he was doing roof trusses and their number wasn't working."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732274816229.jpeg" alt="Students in Misty McCurdy's math class enjoy ice cream from Braums and Pizza from Pizza Hut as part of her being the Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month." />
 <figcaption>Students in Misty McCurdy's math class enjoy ice cream from Braums and Pizza from Pizza Hut as part of her being the Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month.</figcaption>
 </figure>McCurdy's class received Pizza from Pizza Hut and ice cream from Braum's to commemorate her award.

Teacher of Month: Math is not something you have to hate

WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;On November 20, the Kansas Board of Regents approved a request from Wichita State to enhance the name of the on-campus baseball stadium to Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field at Gene Stephenson Park.The stadium name was enhanced to honor Hall of Fame coach Gene Stephenson who was the head coach at Wichita State from 1978-2013.

"We are grateful to the Kansas Board of Regents for their support of this important honor," said Wichita State Director of Athletics Kevin Saal. "Gene Stephenson developed Wichita State into a national baseball power, advanced one of the top facilities in the country and even today, continues his loyal support of this beloved program.&nbsp; We are proud to enhance the naming of this incredible facility in Coach Stephenson's honor." &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732198285930.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Wichita State AthleticsWICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;On November 20, the Kansas Board of Regents approved a request from Wichita State to enhance the name of the on-campus baseball stadium to Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field at Gene Stephenson Park.The stadium name was enhanced to honor Hall of Fame coach Gene Stephenson who was the head coach at Wichita State from 1978-2013."We are grateful to the Kansas Board of Regents for their support of this important honor," said Wichita State Director of Athletics Kevin Saal. "Gene Stephenson developed Wichita State into a national baseball power, advanced one of the top facilities in the country and even today, continues his loyal support of this beloved program.&nbsp; We are proud to enhance the naming of this incredible facility in Coach Stephenson's honor." &nbsp;When he came to WSU in 1977 from the University of Oklahoma, the Shocker baseball program was just being started again. He was instrumental in building the program and the stadium from the ground up.Stephenson was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, the Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame in 2019 and is a three-time NCAA Coach of the Year and 11-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year. In 1989, he led the Shockers to the College World Series championship.He led WSU to seven College World Series appearances, 27 NCAA Regional appearances, two NCAA Super Regional appearances, 20 Valley regular-season titles, and 17 Valley tournament championships. He directed Wichita State to more wins than any NCAA Division I program in the country eight times and coached 33 players at Wichita State who played in the Major Leagues.He coached three players named NCAA Player of the Year and one named NCAA Pitcher of the Year. He also coached two players named NCAA Academic Player of the Year and 20 players who earned Academic All-America honors a total of 27 times.He coached 54 All-Americans, 33 Freshman All-Americans, 15 conference Players of the Year, 12 conference Pitchers of the Year and 13 MLB first-round draft picks. He is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Team and won 60 or more games five times and 50 or more games 19 times.His number 10 is the only Shocker baseball number to be retired.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ Gene Stephenson honored through naming enhancement at Eck Stadium

LOS ANGELES (AP) — McDonald’s announced Sunday that Quarter Pounders will again be on its menu at hundreds of its restaurants after testing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-e-coli-outbreak-quarter-pounder-a1ec3dc14636f5e713b15b32aedcd524">ruled out beef patties</a>&nbsp;as the source of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-e-coli-outbreak-sick-onions-d4a37726f2669016decedcf9f928a9d9">outbreak of E. coli poisoning</a>&nbsp;tied to the popular burgers that killed one person and sickened at least 75 others across 13 states.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to believe that slivered onions from a single supplier are the likely source of contamination, McDonald's said in a statement. It said it will resume selling the Quarter Pounder at affected restaurants —- without slivered onions — in the coming week.

As of Friday, the outbreak had expanded to at least 75 people sick in 13 states, federal health officials said. A total of 22 people had been hospitalized, and two developed a dangerous kidney disease complication, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. One person has died in Colorado.

Early information analyzed by the FDA showed that uncooked slivered onions used on the burgers “are a likely source of contamination,” the agency said.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-outbreak-e-coli-onions-2bc3fc2d4198d9a5bad52c0028316165">McDonald’s has confirmed</a>&nbsp;that Taylor Farms, a California-based produce company, was the supplier of the fresh onions used in the restaurants involved in the outbreak, and that they had come from a facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

McDonald’s pulled the Quarter Pounder burger from menus in several states — mostly in the Midwest and Mountain states — when the outbreak was announced Tuesday. McDonald’s said Friday that slivered onions from the Colorado Springs facility were distributed to approximately 900 of its restaurants, including some in transportation hubs like airports.

The company said it removed slivered onions sourced from that facility from its supply chain on Tuesday. McDonald's said it has decided to stop sourcing onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility “indefinitely.”

The 900 McDonald's restaurants that normally received slivered onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility will resume sales of Quarter Pounders without slivered onions, McDonald's said.

Testing by the Colorado Department of Agriculture ruled out beef patties as the source of the outbreak, McDonald's said.

The department of agriculture received multiple lots of fresh and frozen beef patties collected from various Colorado McDonald’s locations associated with the E. coli investigation. All samples were found to be negative for E. coli, the department said.

Taylor Farms said Friday that it had preemptively recalled yellow onions sent to its customers from its Colorado facility and continues to work with the CDC and the FDA as they investigate.

While it remains unclear if the recalled onions were the source of the outbreak, several other fast-food restaurants — including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King — pulled onions from some menus in certain areas this week.

Colorado had the most illnesses reported as of Friday, with 26 cases. At least 13 people were sickened in Montana, 11 in Nebraska, 5 each in New Mexico and Utah, 4 each in Missouri and Wyoming, two in Michigan and one each in Iowa, Kansas, Oregon, Wisconsin and Washington, the CDC reported.

McDonald’s said Friday it didn’t pull the Quarter Pounder from any additional restaurants and noted that some cases in states outside the original region were tied to travel.

The CDC said some people who got sick reported traveling to other states before their symptoms started. At least three people said they ate at McDonald’s during their travel. Illnesses were reported between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11.

The outbreak involves infections&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/e-coli-mcdonalds-outbreak-bacteria-quarter-pounder-080847096a6b7062b4fb17037393fc99">with E. coli 0157:H7, a type of bacteria</a>&nbsp;that produces a dangerous toxin. It causes about 74,000 infections in the U.S. annually, leading to more than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths each year, according to CDC.

Symptoms of E. coli poisoning can occur quickly, within a day or two of eating contaminated food. They typically include fever, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea and signs of dehydration — little or no peeing, increased thirst and dizziness. The infection is especially dangerous for children younger than 5, people who are elderly, pregnant or who have weakened immune systems.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729872051879.png" alt="CDC image" />
 <figcaption>CDC image</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — McDonald’s announced Sunday that Quarter Pounders will again be on its menu at hundreds of its restaurants after testing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-e-coli-outbreak-quarter-pounder-a1ec3dc14636f5e713b15b32aedcd524">ruled out beef patties</a>&nbsp;as the source of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-e-coli-outbreak-sick-onions-d4a37726f2669016decedcf9f928a9d9">outbreak of E. coli poisoning</a>&nbsp;tied to the popular burgers that killed one person and sickened at least 75 others across 13 states.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to believe that slivered onions from a single supplier are the likely source of contamination, McDonald's said in a statement. It said it will resume selling the Quarter Pounder at affected restaurants —- without slivered onions — in the coming week.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729882011911.png" alt="CDC image" />
 <figcaption>CDC image</figcaption>
 </figure>As of Friday, the outbreak had expanded to at least 75 people sick in 13 states, federal health officials said. A total of 22 people had been hospitalized, and two developed a dangerous kidney disease complication, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. One person has died in Colorado.Early information analyzed by the FDA showed that uncooked slivered onions used on the burgers “are a likely source of contamination,” the agency said.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-outbreak-e-coli-onions-2bc3fc2d4198d9a5bad52c0028316165">McDonald’s has confirmed</a>&nbsp;that Taylor Farms, a California-based produce company, was the supplier of the fresh onions used in the restaurants involved in the outbreak, and that they had come from a facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado.McDonald’s pulled the Quarter Pounder burger from menus in several states — mostly in the Midwest and Mountain states — when the outbreak was announced Tuesday. McDonald’s said Friday that slivered onions from the Colorado Springs facility were distributed to approximately 900 of its restaurants, including some in transportation hubs like airports.The company said it removed slivered onions sourced from that facility from its supply chain on Tuesday. McDonald's said it has decided to stop sourcing onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility “indefinitely.”The 900 McDonald's restaurants that normally received slivered onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility will resume sales of Quarter Pounders without slivered onions, McDonald's said.Testing by the Colorado Department of Agriculture ruled out beef patties as the source of the outbreak, McDonald's said.The department of agriculture received multiple lots of fresh and frozen beef patties collected from various Colorado McDonald’s locations associated with the E. coli investigation. All samples were found to be negative for E. coli, the department said.Taylor Farms said Friday that it had preemptively recalled yellow onions sent to its customers from its Colorado facility and continues to work with the CDC and the FDA as they investigate.While it remains unclear if the recalled onions were the source of the outbreak, several other fast-food restaurants — including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King — pulled onions from some menus in certain areas this week.Colorado had the most illnesses reported as of Friday, with 26 cases. At least 13 people were sickened in Montana, 11 in Nebraska, 5 each in New Mexico and Utah, 4 each in Missouri and Wyoming, two in Michigan and one each in Iowa, Kansas, Oregon, Wisconsin and Washington, the CDC reported.McDonald’s said Friday it didn’t pull the Quarter Pounder from any additional restaurants and noted that some cases in states outside the original region were tied to travel.The CDC said some people who got sick reported traveling to other states before their symptoms started. At least three people said they ate at McDonald’s during their travel. Illnesses were reported between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11.The outbreak involves infections&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/e-coli-mcdonalds-outbreak-bacteria-quarter-pounder-080847096a6b7062b4fb17037393fc99">with E. coli 0157:H7, a type of bacteria</a>&nbsp;that produces a dangerous toxin. It causes about 74,000 infections in the U.S. annually, leading to more than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths each year, according to CDC.Symptoms of E. coli poisoning can occur quickly, within a day or two of eating contaminated food. They typically include fever, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea and signs of dehydration — little or no peeing, increased thirst and dizziness. The infection is especially dangerous for children younger than 5, people who are elderly, pregnant or who have weakened immune systems.—-

McDonald's: Testing rules out beef patties as the source of E. coli outbreak

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month for October, Angela Ediger, teaches four-year-olds at South Hutchinson Elementary. She told Hutch Post that social skills are the foundation of getting these kids ready to learn.

"The biggest thing is teaching them the social skills," Ediger said. "That's the biggest part of it. Otherwise, you're not going to get anywhere with anything else. All we work on in the first nine weeks is social skills. So they're learning how to navigate their world and navigate 19 other students, learning how to follow directions and resolving conflict in a positive way. They're also learning how to just learn how to be independent within the boundaries of a school environment."

Letting the kids get to know each other in smaller groups also helps, especially for some kids whose families may not speak English as the primary language at home.

"We create our centers all around movement between different groups of kiddos," Ediger said. "They'll be with the same group for one week and then move into a different group for the next week during centers. And that's all about different language opportunities, different developmental levels, and the movement forward in each of those, so those kiddos that have English as a second language are presented a multitude of opportunities to learn from their peers, as well from the different teachers, because I have two paras in my room, so those opportunities are constantly rotating, which provides differentiation for each of those kiddos."

Ediger has been in this area of education for 25 years, and she still has positive memories when she looks at the progress these kids make each year.

"I love watching them come in and kind of being the baby and having mom and dad do things for them, having them look at mom and dad if a question is asked of them or if they're asked to do something, they automatically look at mom and dad. Then in May, they know how to do exactly what they need to do, and if a question is asked, they automatically they know how to think through it and answer. If they're asked to do something, they know how to process that and figure it out on their own, and they have that confidence. They don't feel like they have to look at mom and dad. They can figure it out on their own because they know they can do it."

Ediger's class received a treat thanks to Pizza Hut and Braums to commemorate her award.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729904805724.jpeg" alt="Angela Ediger from South Hutch Elementary is the October 2024 Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month." />
 <figcaption>Angela Ediger from South Hutch Elementary is the October 2024 Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month.</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month for October, Angela Ediger, teaches four-year-olds at South Hutchinson Elementary. She told Hutch Post that social skills are the foundation of getting these kids ready to learn."The biggest thing is teaching them the social skills," Ediger said. "That's the biggest part of it. Otherwise, you're not going to get anywhere with anything else. All we work on in the first nine weeks is social skills. So they're learning how to navigate their world and navigate 19 other students, learning how to follow directions and resolving conflict in a positive way. They're also learning how to just learn how to be independent within the boundaries of a school environment."Letting the kids get to know each other in smaller groups also helps, especially for some kids whose families may not speak English as the primary language at home.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729904888843.jpeg" alt="Mrs. Ediger's class at South Hutchinson Elementary." />
 <figcaption>Mrs. Ediger's class at South Hutchinson Elementary.</figcaption>
 </figure>"We create our centers all around movement between different groups of kiddos," Ediger said. "They'll be with the same group for one week and then move into a different group for the next week during centers. And that's all about different language opportunities, different developmental levels, and the movement forward in each of those, so those kiddos that have English as a second language are presented a multitude of opportunities to learn from their peers, as well from the different teachers, because I have two paras in my room, so those opportunities are constantly rotating, which provides differentiation for each of those kiddos."Ediger has been in this area of education for 25 years, and she still has positive memories when she looks at the progress these kids make each year."I love watching them come in and kind of being the baby and having mom and dad do things for them, having them look at mom and dad if a question is asked of them or if they're asked to do something, they automatically look at mom and dad. Then in May, they know how to do exactly what they need to do, and if a question is asked, they automatically they know how to think through it and answer. If they're asked to do something, they know how to process that and figure it out on their own, and they have that confidence. They don't feel like they have to look at mom and dad. They can figure it out on their own because they know they can do it."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729905072501.jpeg" alt="Ediger's class received ice cream from Braums as part of her award for Teacher of the Month." />
 <figcaption>Ediger's class received ice cream from Braums as part of her award for Teacher of the Month.</figcaption>
 </figure>Ediger's class received a treat thanks to Pizza Hut and Braums to commemorate her award.

Ediger is Teacher of the Month

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JONEL%20ALECCIA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JONEL ALECCIA AP Health Writer</a>

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-e-coli-outbreak-sick-onions-d4a37726f2669016decedcf9f928a9d9">deadly outbreak of E. coli poisoning</a>&nbsp;tied to McDonald's Quarter Pounders has expanded, with at least 75 people sick in 13 states, federal health officials said Friday.

A total of 22 people have now been hospitalized, and two have developed a dangerous kidney disease complication, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. One person has died in Colorado.

No definitive source of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-boars-head-ecoli-listeria-food-safety-1256564e2ec8baf6a96b27c7102e833e">the outbreak</a>&nbsp;has been identified, officials with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. Early information analyzed by the FDA showed that uncooked slivered onions used on the burgers “are a likely source of contamination,” the agency said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-outbreak-e-coli-onions-2bc3fc2d4198d9a5bad52c0028316165">McDonald’s has confirmed</a>&nbsp;that Taylor Farms, a California-based produce company, was the supplier of the fresh onions used in the restaurants involved in the outbreak, and that they had come from a facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

“We have made the decision to stop sourcing onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility indefinitely,” McDonald's said in a statement released late Friday.

Taylor Farms said Friday it had preemptively recalled yellow onions sent to its customers from its Colorado facility and continues to work with the CDC and the FDA as they investigate.

“It saddens us to see the illnesses and affected individuals and families,” from the outbreak, the family-owned company said.

McDonald's pulled the Quarter Pounder burger from menus in several states — mostly in the Midwest and Mountain states — when the outbreak was announced Tuesday. McDonald's said Friday that slivered onions from the Colorado Springs facility were distributed to approximately 900 of its restaurants, including some in transportation hubs like airports.

The new cases reported Friday were a sharp increase from the original tally of 49 in 10 states. Most illnesses were reported in Colorado, with 26 cases. At least 13 people were sickened in Montana, 11 in Nebraska, 5 each in New Mexico and Utah, 4 each in Missouri and Wyoming, two in Michigan and one each in Iowa, Kansas, Oregon, Wisconsin and Washington, the CDC reported.

McDonald's said Friday it didn't pull the Quarter Pounder from any additional restaurants due to the increase in the CDC's illness count. The company noted that some cases in states outside the original region were tied to travel.

The CDC said some people who got sick reported traveling to other states before their symptoms started. At least three people said they ate at McDonald's during their travel. Illnesses were reported between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11.

Taylor Farms notified its customers directly about the onion recall but did not tell the public about it, an FDA official said. Companies often issue press releases and the FDA sends public notifications for recalls, but they are not required.

Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King, said that 5% of its restaurants use whole onions distributed by Taylor Farms’ Colorado facility. They are washed, peeled and sliced by employees.

Even though it wasn’t contacted by health officials and it had no indications of illness, Restaurant Brands said it asked the restaurants that received onions from the Colorado facility to get rid of them.

People sickened in the outbreak have already moved to sue McDonald's, according to court records. According to her lawsuit, Clarissa DeBock ate food from a local McDonald's in Nebraska on Sept. 18, fell ill on Sept. 23 and sought emergency care two days later before she was diagnosed with an E. coli infection.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729872051879.png" alt="CDC image" />
 <figcaption>CDC image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JONEL%20ALECCIA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JONEL ALECCIA AP Health Writer</a>A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-e-coli-outbreak-sick-onions-d4a37726f2669016decedcf9f928a9d9">deadly outbreak of E. coli poisoning</a>&nbsp;tied to McDonald's Quarter Pounders has expanded, with at least 75 people sick in 13 states, federal health officials said Friday.A total of 22 people have now been hospitalized, and two have developed a dangerous kidney disease complication, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. One person has died in Colorado.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729882011911.png" alt="CDC map" />
 <figcaption>CDC map</figcaption>
 </figure>No definitive source of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-boars-head-ecoli-listeria-food-safety-1256564e2ec8baf6a96b27c7102e833e">the outbreak</a>&nbsp;has been identified, officials with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. Early information analyzed by the FDA showed that uncooked slivered onions used on the burgers “are a likely source of contamination,” the agency said.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-outbreak-e-coli-onions-2bc3fc2d4198d9a5bad52c0028316165">McDonald’s has confirmed</a>&nbsp;that Taylor Farms, a California-based produce company, was the supplier of the fresh onions used in the restaurants involved in the outbreak, and that they had come from a facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado.“We have made the decision to stop sourcing onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility indefinitely,” McDonald's said in a statement released late Friday.Taylor Farms said Friday it had preemptively recalled yellow onions sent to its customers from its Colorado facility and continues to work with the CDC and the FDA as they investigate.“It saddens us to see the illnesses and affected individuals and families,” from the outbreak, the family-owned company said.McDonald's pulled the Quarter Pounder burger from menus in several states — mostly in the Midwest and Mountain states — when the outbreak was announced Tuesday. McDonald's said Friday that slivered onions from the Colorado Springs facility were distributed to approximately 900 of its restaurants, including some in transportation hubs like airports.The new cases reported Friday were a sharp increase from the original tally of 49 in 10 states. Most illnesses were reported in Colorado, with 26 cases. At least 13 people were sickened in Montana, 11 in Nebraska, 5 each in New Mexico and Utah, 4 each in Missouri and Wyoming, two in Michigan and one each in Iowa, Kansas, Oregon, Wisconsin and Washington, the CDC reported.McDonald's said Friday it didn't pull the Quarter Pounder from any additional restaurants due to the increase in the CDC's illness count. The company noted that some cases in states outside the original region were tied to travel.The CDC said some people who got sick reported traveling to other states before their symptoms started. At least three people said they ate at McDonald's during their travel. Illnesses were reported between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11.Taylor Farms notified its customers directly about the onion recall but did not tell the public about it, an FDA official said. Companies often issue press releases and the FDA sends public notifications for recalls, but they are not required.While it remains unclear if the recalled onions were the source of the outbreak, several other fast-food restaurants — including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King — pulled onions from some menus in certain areas this week.Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King, said that 5% of its restaurants use whole onions distributed by Taylor Farms’ Colorado facility. They are washed, peeled and sliced by employees.Even though it wasn’t contacted by health officials and it had no indications of illness, Restaurant Brands said it asked the restaurants that received onions from the Colorado facility to get rid of them.The outbreak involves infections&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/e-coli-mcdonalds-outbreak-bacteria-quarter-pounder-080847096a6b7062b4fb17037393fc99">with E. coli 0157:H7, a type of bacteria</a>&nbsp;that produces a dangerous toxin. It causes about 74,000 infections in the U.S. annually, leading to more than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths each year, according to CDC.People sickened in the outbreak have already moved to sue McDonald's, according to court records. According to her lawsuit, Clarissa DeBock ate food from a local McDonald's in Nebraska on Sept. 18, fell ill on Sept. 23 and sought emergency care two days later before she was diagnosed with an E. coli infection.Symptoms of E. coli poisoning can occur quickly, within a day or two of eating contaminated food. They typically include fever, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea and signs of dehydration — little or no peeing, increased thirst and dizziness. The infection is especially dangerous for children younger than 5, people who are elderly, pregnant or who have weakened immune systems.___

Sharp increase in hospitalizations from McDonald's E. coli outbreak

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JONEL%20ALECCIA%20and%20DEE-ANN%20DURBIN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JONEL ALECCIA and DEE-ANN DURBIN Associated Press</a>

A California-based produce company was the source of fresh onions linked to a deadly E. coli&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-e-coli-outbreak-422c4687cc9218efda03cae73b01f473">food poisoning outbreak</a>&nbsp;at McDonald’s, officials with the restaurant chain said Thursday. Meanwhile, other fast-food restaurants — including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King — pulled onions from some menus.

McDonald’s officials said that Taylor Farms, of Salinas, California, sent onions to one distribution facility, which led the fast-food chain to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-e-coli-outbreak-sick-onions-d4a37726f2669016decedcf9f928a9d9">remove Quarter Pounder hamburgers</a>&nbsp;from restaurants in several states. McDonald’s didn’t say which facility it was.

An outbreak tied to the burgers has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states, including a person who died, federal health officials have said. Investigators said they were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/investigation-update-e-coli-o157-2024.html">focused on slivered onions</a>&nbsp;as a potential source of the infections.

U.S. Foods, a major wholesaler to restaurants across the country, said Thursday that Taylor Farms had issued a recall this week for peeled whole and diced yellow onions for potential E. coli contamination. The recalled onions came from a Taylor Farms facility in Colorado, a U.S. Foods spokesperson said. But the wholesaler also noted that it wasn’t a McDonald’s supplier and that its recall didn’t include any products sold at the fast-food chain’s restaurants.

Taylor Farms did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Officials with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not confirm that the agency is investigating Taylor Farms. A spokesperson said Thursday that the agency is “looking at all sources” of the outbreak.

In the meantime, other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-chipotle-taco-bell-norovirus-e-coli-83f1077981d738b91dbf0c76f7db2883">national restaurant chains</a>&nbsp;temporarily stopped using fresh onions.

“As we continue to monitor the recently reported E. coli outbreak, and out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively removed fresh onions from select Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants,” Yum Brands said in a statement.

Louisville, Kentucky-based Yum Brands wouldn’t say where onions were removed or whether the company uses the same supplier as McDonald’s. Yum Brands said it will continue to follow guidance from regulators and its suppliers.

Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King, said Thursday that 5% of its restaurants use onions distributed by Taylor Farms’ Colorado facility. Burger King restaurants get deliveries of whole, fresh onions and its employees wash, peel and slice them.

Even though it wasn’t contacted by health officials and it had no indications of illness, Restaurant Brands said it asked the restaurants that received onions from the Colorado facility to dispose of them two days ago. The company said it’s restocking with onions from other suppliers.

Chipotle said Thursday it doesn’t source onions from Taylor Farms or us any other ingredients from the Colorado facility.

Onions have been implicated in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-boars-head-ecoli-listeria-food-safety-1256564e2ec8baf6a96b27c7102e833e">previous outbreaks</a>. In 2015, Taylor Farms recalled a celery and onion mix used in Costco chicken salads after 19 people were sickened with E. coli. Last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-onions-october-2023#:~:text=Additional%20Images-,Product,CDC)%20declares%20the%20outbreak%20over">80 people were sickened and one died</a>&nbsp;in an outbreak of salmonella poisoning tied to bagged diced onions from Gills Onions of Oxnard, California. At least 10 people have been hospitalized in the McDonald’s outbreak, including a child who suffered a severe kidney disease complication as a result of the infection. Illnesses were confirmed between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Victims were infected with E. coli 0157:H7, a type of bacteria that produces a dangerous toxin. It causes about 74,000 infections in the U.S. annually, leading to more than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths each year, according to CDC.

A Greeley, Colorado, man is suing McDonald’s after contracting an E. coli infection. In a lawsuit filed this week, Eric Stelly said he ate food from local McDonald’s on Oct. 4 and fell ill two days later. After he sought emergency care, health officials confirmed his infection was part of the outbreak.

Symptoms occur of E. coli poisoning can occur quickly, within a day or two of eating contaminated food. They typically include fever, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea and signs of dehydration — little or no peeing, increased thirst and dizziness. The infection is especially dangerous for children younger than 5, people who are elderly, pregnant or who have weakened immune systems.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JONEL%20ALECCIA%20and%20DEE-ANN%20DURBIN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JONEL ALECCIA and DEE-ANN DURBIN Associated Press</a>A California-based produce company was the source of fresh onions linked to a deadly E. coli&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-e-coli-outbreak-422c4687cc9218efda03cae73b01f473">food poisoning outbreak</a>&nbsp;at McDonald’s, officials with the restaurant chain said Thursday. Meanwhile, other fast-food restaurants — including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King — pulled onions from some menus.McDonald’s officials said that Taylor Farms, of Salinas, California, sent onions to one distribution facility, which led the fast-food chain to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-e-coli-outbreak-sick-onions-d4a37726f2669016decedcf9f928a9d9">remove Quarter Pounder hamburgers</a>&nbsp;from restaurants in several states. McDonald’s didn’t say which facility it was.An outbreak tied to the burgers has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states, including a person who died, federal health officials have said. Investigators said they were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/investigation-update-e-coli-o157-2024.html">focused on slivered onions</a>&nbsp;as a potential source of the infections.U.S. Foods, a major wholesaler to restaurants across the country, said Thursday that Taylor Farms had issued a recall this week for peeled whole and diced yellow onions for potential E. coli contamination. The recalled onions came from a Taylor Farms facility in Colorado, a U.S. Foods spokesperson said. But the wholesaler also noted that it wasn’t a McDonald’s supplier and that its recall didn’t include any products sold at the fast-food chain’s restaurants.Taylor Farms did not respond to multiple requests for comment.Officials with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not confirm that the agency is investigating Taylor Farms. A spokesperson said Thursday that the agency is “looking at all sources” of the outbreak.In the meantime, other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-chipotle-taco-bell-norovirus-e-coli-83f1077981d738b91dbf0c76f7db2883">national restaurant chains</a>&nbsp;temporarily stopped using fresh onions.“As we continue to monitor the recently reported E. coli outbreak, and out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively removed fresh onions from select Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants,” Yum Brands said in a statement.Louisville, Kentucky-based Yum Brands wouldn’t say where onions were removed or whether the company uses the same supplier as McDonald’s. Yum Brands said it will continue to follow guidance from regulators and its suppliers.Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King, said Thursday that 5% of its restaurants use onions distributed by Taylor Farms’ Colorado facility. Burger King restaurants get deliveries of whole, fresh onions and its employees wash, peel and slice them.Even though it wasn’t contacted by health officials and it had no indications of illness, Restaurant Brands said it asked the restaurants that received onions from the Colorado facility to dispose of them two days ago. The company said it’s restocking with onions from other suppliers.Chipotle said Thursday it doesn’t source onions from Taylor Farms or us any other ingredients from the Colorado facility.Onions have been implicated in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-boars-head-ecoli-listeria-food-safety-1256564e2ec8baf6a96b27c7102e833e">previous outbreaks</a>. In 2015, Taylor Farms recalled a celery and onion mix used in Costco chicken salads after 19 people were sickened with E. coli. Last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-onions-october-2023#:~:text=Additional%20Images-,Product,CDC)%20declares%20the%20outbreak%20over">80 people were sickened and one died</a>&nbsp;in an outbreak of salmonella poisoning tied to bagged diced onions from Gills Onions of Oxnard, California. At least 10 people have been hospitalized in the McDonald’s outbreak, including a child who suffered a severe kidney disease complication as a result of the infection. Illnesses were confirmed between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Victims were infected with E. coli 0157:H7, a type of bacteria that produces a dangerous toxin. It causes about 74,000 infections in the U.S. annually, leading to more than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths each year, according to CDC.A Greeley, Colorado, man is suing McDonald’s after contracting an E. coli infection. In a lawsuit filed this week, Eric Stelly said he ate food from local McDonald’s on Oct. 4 and fell ill two days later. After he sought emergency care, health officials confirmed his infection was part of the outbreak.Symptoms occur of E. coli poisoning can occur quickly, within a day or two of eating contaminated food. They typically include fever, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea and signs of dehydration — little or no peeing, increased thirst and dizziness. The infection is especially dangerous for children younger than 5, people who are elderly, pregnant or who have weakened immune systems.___

More restaurants make changes after E. coli linked to Quarter Pounder

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729112843658.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita State Athletics
&nbsp;
WICHITA, Kan. &ndash;&nbsp;Kellyn Johnson Taylor (Women's Cross Country/Track and Field), Jim Schaus (Athletic Director), Karma Wagner Mason (Women's Bowling) and Mackenzie Wright (Softball) have been selected as the 2025 Class of the Wichita State Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame. &nbsp; A dinner is set for 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 17 at the Aetna Multipurpose Center at Charles Koch Arena, while the induction ceremony is scheduled for halftime of Wichita State's Jan. 18 (6 p.m.) men's basketball game against ECU. &nbsp; Cost for the dinner is $50 per person, and paid reservations can be made online at goshockers.com or by calling the Shocker Ticket Office at 316/978-FANS or in person at the WSU Ticket Office located on the south side of Charles Koch Arena. &nbsp; The addition of this year's class brings the total of former coaches and student-athletes in the Hall of Fame to 163, while there are 14 at-large selections. &nbsp; Here's a look at each 2025 inductee's success at Wichita State: &nbsp; Kellyn Johnson Taylor, Women's Cross Country/Track and Field (2007-09) &nbsp; Distance runner for the Wichita State cross country and track and field programs from 2007-09&hellip;Was an All-American in the 2009 indoor mile when she finished third at the NCAA Championships&hellip;Was an All-American in the 2009 outdoor 5,000m when she finished 10th&nbsp;at the NCAA Championships&hellip;In 2009, was the MVC champion in the indoor mile, indoor 5,000m, indoor 3000m, outdoor 1500m, outdoor 5,000m and 3,000m steeplechase&hellip;In 2008, was the MVC champion in the indoor 5,000m&hellip;In 2007, was the MVC champion in the outdoor 1500m and outdoor 5,000m&hellip;In 2008, finished 59th&nbsp;at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and in 2007 won the MVC individual championship&hellip;Named to the all-Midwest Region team in 2007 by finishing 10th&nbsp;and in 2008 by finishing fifth&hellip;Member of team that won 2007 and 2008 MVC cross country championships and 2007 MVC indoor championship and 2007 outdoor championship&hellip;Earned all-conference honors in indoor in 2008 and 2009 and in outdoor in 2007 and 2009 and in cross country in 2007 and 2008&hellip;Finished her Wichita State career first in the indoor mile, indoor 5,000m, outdoor 800m, and outdoor 1500m, second in the indoor 3,000m and outdoor 5,000m and third in the 3K steeplechase&hellip;Has competed in four Olympic Trials including 2012, 2016, 2020/21 and 2024 in multiple events including 5K, 10K, and marathon with her highest finish being fourth in the 2016 10K. &nbsp; Jim Schaus, Athletic Director (1999-2008) &nbsp; Athletic Director at Wichita State from 1999-2008&hellip;Played a significant role in upgrading the athletic department and ranks among the most influential figures in the department's history&hellip;Schaus, working with President Don Beggs, put the University in position for an unprecedented run of success for 20-plus years in a variety of sports&hellip;Revived a struggling men's basketball program by hiring Mark Turgeon and later Gregg Marshall&hellip;The men's basketball program would go on to the 2006 Sweet 16&hellip;Brought Wichita State's facilities into the modern era by leading the effort to renovate and expand Levitt Arena into Charles Koch Arena&hellip;Women's basketball, volleyball and women's golf won their first MVC titles and earned their first NCAA appearances with coaches hired by Schaus&hellip;His hirings included volleyball coach Chris Lamb, track and field coach&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/coaches/steve-rainbolt/1261" rel="smarttag" rev="1261" data-airgap-id="57">Steve Rainbolt</a></dfn>, former women's basketball coach Jody Adams, former tennis coach Chris Young, former cross country coach Randy Hasenbank, former cross country coach Marc Burns and former softball coach Tim Walton&hellip;In 2003-04, Wichita State won the MVC All-Sports Trophy for the first time since 1988&hellip;Under Schaus, WSU won four straight and, with many of his coaching hirings in place, won seven more from 2008-17 before leaving the MVC after the 2016-17 season.&nbsp; &nbsp; Karma Wagner Mason, Women's Bowling (1975-78) &nbsp; Member of the Wichita State women's bowling program from 1975-78&hellip;Team went on to win the first-ever national collegiate team championship held in 1975&hellip;Member of three team national championships in 1975, 1977 and 1978&hellip;Member of 1976 team that finished as national runner-up&hellip;Only woman in college bowling history to win three national team championships&hellip;Had a high tournament average of 196&hellip;Had a high tournament series of 638&hellip;Had a high tournament game of 279&hellip;Had a high season average of 188&hellip;Finished in fourth place at the 1976 National Collegiate Individual Championship&hellip;Team captain and anchor bowler in 1976, 1977 and 1978. &nbsp; Mackenzie Wright, Softball (2015-18) &nbsp; Utility player for the Wichita State softball program from 2015-18&hellip;One of the most decorated softball players in school history&hellip;Played in 217 games and hit .343 with 141 runs, 230 hits, 35 doubles, 3 triples, 14 home runs, 110 RBI and 53 stolen bases&hellip;Led Wichita State to its first-ever NCAA Regional final appearance at the 2018 NCAA Fayetteville Regional&hellip;Helped program to first NCAA Regional win in 2016&hellip;Appeared in two NCAA Regionals&hellip;Was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2018&hellip;Four-time First Team All-Conference selection (three MVC, one AAC)&hellip;2018 NFCA Central Region Second Team selection&hellip;Started all 55 games as a senior and hit .360 with 2 triples, 4 home runs, 10 doubles, 16 RBI and 39 runs&hellip;Had her best season offensively as a junior, hitting .360 with 5 home runs, 12 doubles, 35 RBI and 36 runs&hellip;Finished her Wichita State career third in hits, on base percentage and stolen bases, fourth in batting average, runs scored and walks, fifth in assists, sixth in at bats and eighth in doubles.</div>

WSU announces Shocker Sports HOF class of 2025

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Tara Urban, a Special Education teacher at Allen STEM Magnet School, is the September Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month.

"I teach K-2 Communication and Social Skills," Urban said. "I work with students who typically have an autism diagnosis, are developmentally delayed, or are non-verbal. For the most part, they are non-verbal. Some have a little bit of oral language. Those that do have some oral language, we're working on those skills."

Urban said she uses a lot of strategies to find out what the kids are thinking.

"I try to teach a variety of methods and find adaptations for them to use," Urban said. "Some of my students, we use gestures or what we call a PECS system, which is just a picture communication board. We also have students who use AAC devices, which are augmented communication, so they have words or pictures on like an IPad, and they can tap it and it speaks for them."

Artificial intelligence tools may actually be able to help these kids communicate, once it develops further.

"I think that there's a possibility of it helping," Urban said. "In the future, being able to do an assignment, instead of, some might struggle with fine motor, so they are not able to write, so they can do speech-to-text, then."

Urban said a lot of her students are included in the regular class for much of the day and that is a good thing, because the general education students make an effort to include her students whenever they can, both in class and at recess.

Students in Urban's class received a pizza and ice cream party, thanks to Pizza Hut and Braums on Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727132471314.jpeg" alt="Tara Urban is the Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month." />
 <figcaption>Tara Urban is the Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month.</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Tara Urban, a Special Education teacher at Allen STEM Magnet School, is the September Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month. "I teach K-2 Communication and Social Skills," Urban said. "I work with students who typically have an autism diagnosis, are developmentally delayed, or are non-verbal. For the most part, they are non-verbal. Some have a little bit of oral language. Those that do have some oral language, we're working on those skills."Urban said she uses a lot of strategies to find out what the kids are thinking."I try to teach a variety of methods and find adaptations for them to use," Urban said. "Some of my students, we use gestures or what we call a PECS system, which is just a picture communication board. We also have students who use AAC devices, which are augmented communication, so they have words or pictures on like an IPad, and they can tap it and it speaks for them."Artificial intelligence tools may actually be able to help these kids communicate, once it develops further."I think that there's a possibility of it helping," Urban said. "In the future, being able to do an assignment, instead of, some might struggle with fine motor, so they are not able to write, so they can do speech-to-text, then."Urban said a lot of her students are included in the regular class for much of the day and that is a good thing, because the general education students make an effort to include her students whenever they can, both in class and at recess.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727132707695.jpeg" alt="Photo by Ashley Weve." />
 <figcaption>Photo by Ashley Weve.</figcaption>
 </figure>Students in Urban's class received a pizza and ice cream party, thanks to Pizza Hut and Braums on Monday.

Special ed teacher is Teacher of the Month for September

Thanks to our sponsor&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/allensamuelshutch/?__cft__[0]=AZUjFQNsQu3ptNPLCieU0B02XY03ugLf5OXhnqI_4ZeHe0lgrClxcbiUo0RFrizx4CZJ0mz1XtHtJQNZM2Jv8EKcrUpV4BztSKh5dqog18jayRCTznWAzV3Erm2Drp8izlVjg9VImldpDt4j0uLgnMQ8P-pFw4iKHemx9y-pnjrV8sRJmT5wlb-jThCl2NBEv36cm2p8QK1L0MlkAxE87OcQmeUtzmTOJt65ckBrBFV8Iw&amp;__tn__=kK-y-R">Allen Samuels Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram of Hutchinson</a>&nbsp;for providing our winners the monthly gift basket from area businesses, and to Pizza Hut and Braums in Hutchinson for providing our winning teacher's class a free pizza and ice cream party!

Enter YOUR favorite teacher with a paragraph about why you think they should win! The teacher drawn will win a prize package from Allen Samuels and the entire classroom will win a&nbsp;Pizza Hut-Hutchinson&nbsp;pizza party and&nbsp;Braums-Hutchinson&nbsp;ice cream party! Winners are chosen by random drawing and announced every month on Country 102.9, My 93-1, KWBW 98.5 FM/1450 AM, HutchPost.com and our Facebook pages!

Thank you for your nomination for Teacher of the Month!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693341801280.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Teacher of the Month is back!Thanks to our sponsor&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/allensamuelshutch/?__cft__[0]=AZUjFQNsQu3ptNPLCieU0B02XY03ugLf5OXhnqI_4ZeHe0lgrClxcbiUo0RFrizx4CZJ0mz1XtHtJQNZM2Jv8EKcrUpV4BztSKh5dqog18jayRCTznWAzV3Erm2Drp8izlVjg9VImldpDt4j0uLgnMQ8P-pFw4iKHemx9y-pnjrV8sRJmT5wlb-jThCl2NBEv36cm2p8QK1L0MlkAxE87OcQmeUtzmTOJt65ckBrBFV8Iw&amp;__tn__=kK-y-R">Allen Samuels Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram of Hutchinson</a>&nbsp;for providing our winners the monthly gift basket from area businesses, and to Pizza Hut and Braums in Hutchinson for providing our winning teacher's class a free pizza and ice cream party!Enter YOUR favorite teacher with a paragraph about why you think they should win! The teacher drawn will win a prize package from Allen Samuels and the entire classroom will win a&nbsp;Pizza Hut-Hutchinson&nbsp;pizza party and&nbsp;Braums-Hutchinson&nbsp;ice cream party! Winners are chosen by random drawing and announced every month on Country 102.9, My 93-1, KWBW 98.5 FM/1450 AM, HutchPost.com and our Facebook pages!Thank you for your nomination for Teacher of the Month!<div><iframe src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScNSc-wRiybH4Ed2wcENP3GCHjM9Scm_0oEFDXDsLcVWYiZgw/viewform?embedded=true" width="640" height="1063" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading…</iframe></div>

Teacher of the Month Presented by Allen Samuels CDJR

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — William Laws Calley Jr., who as an Army lieutenant led the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4268e3e8a0554d59b71638479503111a">U.S. soldiers who killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai massacre</a>, the most notorious war crime in modern American military history, has died. He was 80.

Calley died on April 28, according to his Florida death record, which said he had been living in an apartment in Gainesville. His death was first reported by The Washington Post on Monday, citing his death certificate.

Calley had lived in obscurity in the decades since he was court-martialed and convicted in 1971, the only one of 25 men originally charged to be found guilty in the massacre, which helped turn American opinion against the war in Vietnam.

On March 16, 1968, Calley led American soldiers of the Charlie Company on a mission to confront a crack outfit of their Vietcong enemies. Instead, over several hours, the soldiers killed 504 unresisting civilians, mostly women, children and elderly men, in My Lai and a neighboring community.

The men were angry: Two days earlier, a booby trap had killed a sergeant, blinded a GI and wounded several others while Charlie Company was on patrol.

Soldiers eventually testified to the U.S. Army investigating commission that the murders began soon after Calley led Charlie Company’s first platoon into My Lai that morning. Some were bayoneted to death. Families were herded into bomb shelters and killed with hand grenades. Other civilians slaughtered in a drainage ditch. Women and girls were gang-raped.

It wasn’t until more than a year later that news of the massacre became public. And while the My Lai massacre was the most notorious massacre in modern U.S. military history, it was not an aberration: Estimates of civilians killed during the U.S. ground war in Vietnam from 1965 to 1973 range from 1 million to 2 million.

The U.S. military’s own records, filed away for three decades, described 300 other cases of what could fairly be described as war crimes. My Lai stood out because of the shocking one-day death toll, stomach-churning photographs and the gruesome details exposed by a high-level U.S. Army inquiry.

Investigations into the massacre and allegations of a Pentagon coverup were launched after a complaint by a helicopter pilot, Hugh Thompson Jr., who saved 16 Vietnamese children in the village and later testified against Calley.

Multiple other soldiers at the scene also spoke out after the scandal broke. Some said civilian deaths were inevitable in a war where the enemy could be anywhere. Others said Calley, who was charged with killing 109 civilians, shouldn’t have been singled out.

“Calley, he didn’t kill the 109 all by himself. There was a company there,” said Herbert Carter, a soldier from Houston. “We went through the village. We didn’t see any VC (Viet Cong). People came out of their hootches (huts) and the guys shot them down and then burned the hootches, or burned the hootches and then shot the people when they came out. ... It went on like this all day. Some of the guys seemed to be having a lot of fun doing it.”

Calley was convicted in 1971 for the murders of 22 people during the rampage. He was sentenced to life in prison but served only three days because President Richard Nixon ordered his sentence reduced. He served three years of house arrest.

After his release, Calley stayed in Columbus and settled into a job at a jewelry store owned by his father-in-law before moving to Atlanta, where he avoided publicity and routinely turned down journalists’ requests for interviews.

Calley broke his silence in 2009, at the urging of a friend, when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32514139">he spoke to the Kiwanis Club in Columbus, Georgia</a>, near Fort Benning, where he had been court-martialed.

“There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai,” Calley said, according to an account of the meeting reported by the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. “I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry.”

He said his mistake was following orders, which had been his defense when he was tried.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bc21d54ecc344746bc9f076d2a4e2005">His superior officer was acquitted</a>.

William George Eckhardt, the chief prosecutor in the My Lai cases, said in 2009 that he was unaware of Calley ever apologizing before.

“It’s hard to apologize for murdering so many people,” said Eckhardt. “But at least there’s an acknowledgment of responsibility.”

Calley was born in June 8, 1943 in South Florida, where friends called him “Rusty” growing up. He eventually dropped out of Palm Beach Junior College, and worked as a dishwasher, bellhop, railroad switchman, salesman and insurance appraiser before joining the Army in 1966.

At about 5-foot, 3-inches tall and 120 pounds when he was in the Army, Calley didn't stand out. Fellow officer candidates told the AP in 1969 that there was nothing unusual about him. But his military career was advancing until the scandal. Months after the massacre, he returned home, then re-upped for another tour. Eventually, he was wounded, awarded the Purple Heart, and won two Bronze Star medals.

His sister Dawn was living with their father in a mobile home in Hialeah when she told reporters during the trial that her brother was a “sweet, sensitive guy.”

Calley married and had a son after returning to civilian life, but later got divorced. Messages left for his son and ex-wife on Tuesday were not immediately returned.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722361187108.png" alt="FILE - Lt. William L. Calley, Jr., pictured during his court martial at Fort Benning, Ga., on April 23, 1971. Calley, who as an Army lieutenant led the U.S. soldiers who killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai massacre, the most notorious war crime in modern American military history, died on April 28 at a hospice center in Gainesville, Fla., The Washington Post reported Monday July 29, 2024, citing his death certificate. He was 80. (APPhoto/Joe Holloway, Jr., File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Lt. William L. Calley, Jr., pictured during his court martial at Fort Benning, Ga., on April 23, 1971. Calley, who as an Army lieutenant led the U.S. soldiers who killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai massacre, the most notorious war crime in modern American military history, died on April 28 at a hospice center in Gainesville, Fla., The Washington Post reported Monday July 29, 2024, citing his death certificate. He was 80. (APPhoto/Joe Holloway, Jr., File)</figcaption>
 </figure>GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — William Laws Calley Jr., who as an Army lieutenant led the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4268e3e8a0554d59b71638479503111a">U.S. soldiers who killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai massacre</a>, the most notorious war crime in modern American military history, has died. He was 80.Calley died on April 28, according to his Florida death record, which said he had been living in an apartment in Gainesville. His death was first reported by The Washington Post on Monday, citing his death certificate.Calley had lived in obscurity in the decades since he was court-martialed and convicted in 1971, the only one of 25 men originally charged to be found guilty in the massacre, which helped turn American opinion against the war in Vietnam.On March 16, 1968, Calley led American soldiers of the Charlie Company on a mission to confront a crack outfit of their Vietcong enemies. Instead, over several hours, the soldiers killed 504 unresisting civilians, mostly women, children and elderly men, in My Lai and a neighboring community.The men were angry: Two days earlier, a booby trap had killed a sergeant, blinded a GI and wounded several others while Charlie Company was on patrol.Soldiers eventually testified to the U.S. Army investigating commission that the murders began soon after Calley led Charlie Company’s first platoon into My Lai that morning. Some were bayoneted to death. Families were herded into bomb shelters and killed with hand grenades. Other civilians slaughtered in a drainage ditch. Women and girls were gang-raped.It wasn’t until more than a year later that news of the massacre became public. And while the My Lai massacre was the most notorious massacre in modern U.S. military history, it was not an aberration: Estimates of civilians killed during the U.S. ground war in Vietnam from 1965 to 1973 range from 1 million to 2 million.The U.S. military’s own records, filed away for three decades, described 300 other cases of what could fairly be described as war crimes. My Lai stood out because of the shocking one-day death toll, stomach-churning photographs and the gruesome details exposed by a high-level U.S. Army inquiry.Investigations into the massacre and allegations of a Pentagon coverup were launched after a complaint by a helicopter pilot, Hugh Thompson Jr., who saved 16 Vietnamese children in the village and later testified against Calley.Multiple other soldiers at the scene also spoke out after the scandal broke. Some said civilian deaths were inevitable in a war where the enemy could be anywhere. Others said Calley, who was charged with killing 109 civilians, shouldn’t have been singled out.“Calley, he didn’t kill the 109 all by himself. There was a company there,” said Herbert Carter, a soldier from Houston. “We went through the village. We didn’t see any VC (Viet Cong). People came out of their hootches (huts) and the guys shot them down and then burned the hootches, or burned the hootches and then shot the people when they came out. ... It went on like this all day. Some of the guys seemed to be having a lot of fun doing it.”Calley was convicted in 1971 for the murders of 22 people during the rampage. He was sentenced to life in prison but served only three days because President Richard Nixon ordered his sentence reduced. He served three years of house arrest.After his release, Calley stayed in Columbus and settled into a job at a jewelry store owned by his father-in-law before moving to Atlanta, where he avoided publicity and routinely turned down journalists’ requests for interviews.Calley broke his silence in 2009, at the urging of a friend, when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32514139">he spoke to the Kiwanis Club in Columbus, Georgia</a>, near Fort Benning, where he had been court-martialed.“There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai,” Calley said, according to an account of the meeting reported by the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. “I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry.”He said his mistake was following orders, which had been his defense when he was tried.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bc21d54ecc344746bc9f076d2a4e2005">His superior officer was acquitted</a>.William George Eckhardt, the chief prosecutor in the My Lai cases, said in 2009 that he was unaware of Calley ever apologizing before.“It’s hard to apologize for murdering so many people,” said Eckhardt. “But at least there’s an acknowledgment of responsibility.”Calley was born in June 8, 1943 in South Florida, where friends called him “Rusty” growing up. He eventually dropped out of Palm Beach Junior College, and worked as a dishwasher, bellhop, railroad switchman, salesman and insurance appraiser before joining the Army in 1966.At about 5-foot, 3-inches tall and 120 pounds when he was in the Army, Calley didn't stand out. Fellow officer candidates told the AP in 1969 that there was nothing unusual about him. But his military career was advancing until the scandal. Months after the massacre, he returned home, then re-upped for another tour. Eventually, he was wounded, awarded the Purple Heart, and won two Bronze Star medals.His sister Dawn was living with their father in a mobile home in Hialeah when she told reporters during the trial that her brother was a “sweet, sensitive guy.”Calley married and had a son after returning to civilian life, but later got divorced. Messages left for his son and ex-wife on Tuesday were not immediately returned.

William Calley, who led My Lai massacre that shamed US military in Vietnam, has died

Robert Thomas “Bob” Owens of Hutchinson, Kansas, passed away July 12, 2024, at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. Bob was born September 27, 1932, (or as he liked to say, “9-27- a long time ago) in Emporia, Kansas. He was the son of William P. and Loretta A. Owens. He graduated from Emporia High School, class of 1951.

During his youth, he worked cattle with his grandfather, two canneries in Oregon, and also worked for the Santa Fe Railroad. He enlisted in the United States Coast Guard December of 1951 and proudly served on the USCGC Sweetbriar during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged in June of 1954.

During his lifetime, he owned and operated 17 different businesses starting with a fireworks stand, several car washes including Robo Car Wash, Fill and Wash and Wash on Wheels. He owned a liquor store, three Pizza Huts, Patlyn Oil, Owens Oil, vending machines and several convenience stores. Bob donated yearly to St. Judes and Shriners Hospital.

Bob will be dearly missed by his family, daughter, Pamela Wait; brother, Carl Owens; grandchildren, Amanda James (Mark), Samuel Palmatier, and Kristin Wait; and great grandson, Korben Craigg, all of Hutchinson; several nieces and nephews; and his “buddies” McGuire (dog) and Mick (cat).

He is preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Caralee Mueller; his son, Robert Wait; and the love of his life Patricia “Patty” Owens.

There will be a brief graveside service at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at Memorial Park Cemetery, 5905 W. 4th Ave. Hutchinson, KS, with Pastor Victor Halfmoon officiating. Friends may sign the book on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, at Hutchinson Funeral Chapel, 300 E. 30th Ave. Hutchinson, KS. Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Shriners Hospitals for Children and can be sent in care of the funeral chapel.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721427933167.jpeg" alt="Robert "Bob" Owens" />
 <figcaption>Robert "Bob" Owens</figcaption>
 </figure>Robert Thomas “Bob” Owens of Hutchinson, Kansas, passed away July 12, 2024, at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. Bob was born September 27, 1932, (or as he liked to say, “9-27- a long time ago) in Emporia, Kansas. He was the son of William P. and Loretta A. Owens. He graduated from Emporia High School, class of 1951.During his youth, he worked cattle with his grandfather, two canneries in Oregon, and also worked for the Santa Fe Railroad. He enlisted in the United States Coast Guard December of 1951 and proudly served on the USCGC Sweetbriar during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged in June of 1954.During his lifetime, he owned and operated 17 different businesses starting with a fireworks stand, several car washes including Robo Car Wash, Fill and Wash and Wash on Wheels. He owned a liquor store, three Pizza Huts, Patlyn Oil, Owens Oil, vending machines and several convenience stores. Bob donated yearly to St. Judes and Shriners Hospital.Bob will be dearly missed by his family, daughter, Pamela Wait; brother, Carl Owens; grandchildren, Amanda James (Mark), Samuel Palmatier, and Kristin Wait; and great grandson, Korben Craigg, all of Hutchinson; several nieces and nephews; and his “buddies” McGuire (dog) and Mick (cat).He is preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Caralee Mueller; his son, Robert Wait; and the love of his life Patricia “Patty” Owens.There will be a brief graveside service at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at Memorial Park Cemetery, 5905 W. 4th Ave. Hutchinson, KS, with Pastor Victor Halfmoon officiating. Friends may sign the book on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, at Hutchinson Funeral Chapel, 300 E. 30th Ave. Hutchinson, KS. Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Shriners Hospitals for Children and can be sent in care of the funeral chapel.

Robert Thomas “Bob” Owens |1932-2024|

WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;- Wichita State Athletics is accepting public nominations for the 2025 Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame induction, Associate AD for Strategic Communications&nbsp;<a href="http://goshockers.com/staff.aspx?staff=28">Tami Cutler</a>&nbsp;announced today.

Former student-athletes are not eligible for induction until nine years after their initial enrollment at Wichita State University. This year's class must have an initial enrollment of Fall, 2016, or before.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685474248819.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Wichita State AthleticsWICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;- Wichita State Athletics is accepting public nominations for the 2025 Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame induction, Associate AD for Strategic Communications&nbsp;<a href="http://goshockers.com/staff.aspx?staff=28">Tami Cutler</a>&nbsp;announced today.Former student-athletes are not eligible for induction until nine years after their initial enrollment at Wichita State University. This year's class must have an initial enrollment of Fall, 2016, or before.Submit nominations, along with support materials to&nbsp;<a href="http://goshockers.com/staff.aspx?staff=28">Tami Cutler</a>, Associate AD/Strategic Communications, Charles Koch Arena, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, Kansas, 67260-0018 or email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:tcutler@goshockers.com">tcutler@goshockers.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;