Clay Center and Clay County Dispatch

Clay Center and Clay County Dispatch The official city newspaper of Clay Center, Kan., county newspaper of Clay County, Kan. and the USD 379 school district

07/05/2025
Happy Fourth of July!  Our office is closed today and reopens Monday. We'll also be taking a break from social media, as...
07/04/2025

Happy Fourth of July! Our office is closed today and reopens Monday. We'll also be taking a break from social media, aside from what's already pre-programmed our our Facebook groups (News for Clay Center Tigers, Fans of Clay Center Tigers, Clay Center Dispatch Local News, CC Dispatch Classifieds). Real-time posts will resume on Sunday!

An editorial cartoon from 10 years ago ...
07/04/2025

An editorial cartoon from 10 years ago ...

 The mayor’s claim to fame!
07/04/2025

The mayor’s claim to fame!

Enjoy our shots from today's Baby Walk/Crawl Contest. Winners will be in Tuesday's Paper.
07/04/2025

Enjoy our shots from today's Baby Walk/Crawl Contest. Winners will be in Tuesday's Paper.

Immobilize the Mamifada    Column by Ann CoulterIn New York City’s Democratic primary for mayor last week, Andrew Cuomo,...
07/03/2025

Immobilize the Mamifada

Column by Ann Coulter

In New York City’s Democratic primary for mayor last week, Andrew Cuomo, the former governor, son of a former governor, once married to a Kennedy (that’s admirable in Democrat circles), lost to the preposterous creature, Zohran Mamdani, who promises government-run grocery stores, free child care, free buses and other great ideas that made the Soviet Union the powerhouse economy that it was — not counting those 70 years of bad weather.

Mamdani calls himself a socialist, but that’s like Lia Thomas calling himself a woman. Socialism evokes nice Scandinavian countries, like Sweden. Except even Sweden doesn’t have government-run grocery stores, free child care and free buses. Sweden doesn’t proclaim — as Mamdani does — that the “end goal” is “seizing the means of production.” (And by the way, Sweden’s gentle socialism hasn’t been working quite so well ever since 800,000 people who look like Mamdani moved in.)

Why can’t we call a communist a communist? The word is treated as a meaningless slur used only by right-wing kooks. It is a slur, but when a candidate is lobbying for seizing the means of production and pushing for government-run breadlines, it’s anything but meaningless. Does Mamdani have to be holding a copy of “The Communist Manifesto” for us to call him one?

But why dwell on the negative? We’ll get back to Zohran. First, let’s take a moment to enjoy the good news: Cuomo is finished. He’s so far down the Anthony Weiner Highway, all that’s left is some dick pics being sent to teenage girls.

Like a Shakespeare play, there’s something for everyone in former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s epic defeat. So many reasons to hate him, so little column space!

There was his grandstanding idiocy as head of Clinton’s Department of Housing and Urban Development, where he pressured banks to take big risks in order to issue more mortgages to minorities. This was a crucial first step toward the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis that wrecked the economy, wrecked Lehman Brothers, wrecked Bear Stearns, and wrecked countless neighborhoods abandoned due to underwater mortgages.

And let’s not forget the millions of New Yorkers cowering in their homes today, unable to leave after dark, take the subway or enjoy public parks, thanks to the no-bail law Cuomo pushed through in 2019. As Democrats were about to take control of both houses of the legislature for the first time since 1964, Cuomo announced that one of his top priorities would be to release violent criminals immediately after their arrest, without their having to spend a night in jail. Good to get them right back to menacing innocent taxpayers.

His argument was that people were being put in jail “for the crime of being poor.” Yes, it seems that only the rich could afford to pay bail after knifing bodega owners, pushing New Yorkers in front of oncoming trains, sodomizing grandmothers, etc. Despite Cuomo’s no-bail law turning the city into a McDonald’s Play Place for criminals, he never questioned it, much less apologized.

Cuomo’s indifference to public safety could have been because he was so busy killing thousands of nursing home residents — in addition to killing businesses, careers, childhoods and entire industries — with his disastrous COVID policies.

But for me, my two happiest memories while watching Cuomo’s catastrophic defeat were these:

1) For Cuomo’s first date with Kerry Kennedy, his now-ex-wife, he took her on a tour of a homeless shelter.

2) Cuomo’s sticking his nose into a literal street fight, demanding an aggressive prosecution of the Proud Boys for scuffling with antifa after an event at the Metropolitan Republican Club on the Upper East Side in 2018. (Too bad the Proud Boys weren’t living in nursing homes. They’d have been toast!)

Antifa vandalized the historic townhouse housing the club, smashing windows and spray-painting the antifa “A” on the front door. They massed outside the club as attendees arrived for a speech. When the event was over, they disobeyed police orders, circled around the block and confronted the Proud Boys.

No antifa were arrested for any of that. Encouraged by the governor’s hectoring, only the Proud Boys who fought back were prosecuted. Two of them, Max Hare and John Kinsman, were sent to prison for four years each.

Among the taunts emanating from the governor’s mansion was this: “Here’s a message from a Queens boy to the so-called ‘proud boys.’ New York has zero tolerance for your BS.”

Well, now the people have spoken, and it turns out what New York has zero tolerance for is Cuomo’s BS — even if that required voting for a Muslim communist.

So that’s one down. Moving from no-bail to no-bread, the Muslim communist can still be beaten in the general election — except, unfortunately, Fox News has decided to step on New York City’s oxygen tube.

Right now, Polymarket gives these odds on the next mayor:

— The Muslim communist: 70%

— The incumbent, Eric Adams, 17%

— The universally loathed Cuomo, 11%, and

— The Republican, Curtis Sliwa, 1%.

People who care what happens to New York City — which apparently does not include Cuomo and Sliwa or they wouldn’t need to be asked — have got to pressure the two spoilers to suspend their campaigns and endorse Adams.

I don’t bear Sliwa any ill will. We have a lot in common — such as, we could both win a street fight with antifa and neither of us will ever be mayor of New York. But when Sliwa ran in a two-person race against Adams in 2021, he won 28% of the vote. New York hasn’t gotten more Republican since then.

Naturally, therefore, Fox News is encouraging people to waste their votes on him, splitting the non-lunatic vote. Since Mamdani’s primary win, Fox has promoted Sliwa in several flattering, primetime interviews.

Apart from the network’s fanatical support for amnesty and open borders a few years ago, I’ve never seen such self-destructive behavior. Perhaps the ruination of the greatest city in the world will be good for ratings.

COPYRIGHT 2025 ANN COULTER

07/03/2025

Baby WALK/Crawl Contest

Trinity Bomb Test -- Risking Doomsday They Lit the Match Anywayby John LaForgeThe U.S. scientists who tested the first a...
07/03/2025

Trinity Bomb Test -- Risking Doomsday They Lit the Match Anyway

by John LaForge

The U.S. scientists who tested the first atomic bomb, July 16, 1945, took the ultimate gamble of setting the atmosphere on fire and destroying all life on Earth.

When Robert Oppenheimer, the civilian head of the program, informed his boss, the Nobel Prize winning physicist Arthur Compton, about the test’s apocalyptic risk, Compton was appalled. According to Toby Ord in The Precipice (2020), Compton decided, “Unless they came up with a firm and reliable conclusion that our atomic bombs could not explode the air or the sea, those bombs must never be made.” In his memoir Atomic Quest (1956) Compton recalled thinking, “Better to accept the slavery of the N***s than to run a chance of drawing the final curtain on mankind!”

Gen. Leslie Groves, the military boss of the mission, also officially forbade the test unless the global risk was declared to be zero. Enrico Fermi, known as the “architect of the atomic bomb,” worked furiously on the computations and found atmospheric ignition “unlikely,” but, according to The Precipice, ominously “worried whether there were undiscovered phenomena that, under the novel conditions of extreme heat [50-million degrees Celsius], might lead to unexpected disaster.”

Even after the renowned physicist Hans Bethe concluded that the danger was “a remote possibility” and relentless, ongoing calculations failed to eliminate the doomsday peril, Compton and Groves somehow reversed themselves, okayed the detonation. Ultimately, Oppenheimer’s secretly commissioned study of the threat was unable to rule out the risk of causing mass extinction, and the “destroyer of worlds” lit the match anyway.

How could such spectacular recklessness have been accepted, reconciled with ethical conduct? I don’t believe it could. The malicious arrogance of deliberately placing all living things in jeopardy exceeds the power of language to even describe it. Gargantuan megalomania, immeasurable callousness, colossal pomposity? Words fall short.

The day of the test, Fermi privately put the chances of global ruination at “about ten percent,” and, according to Daniel Ellsberg in The Doomsday Machine (2017), Gen. Groves, rather than halting the test, drafted a press release “in case the explosion was larger than expected and destroyed Oppenheimer and the other observers.”

The President of Harvard University, James Conant, observed the test in person and thought the flash was far longer and brighter than expected. He wrote the next day, “My [first thought] was that something had gone wrong and that the thermal nuclear transformation of the atmosphere, once discussed as a possibility and jokingly referred to a few minutes earlier, had actually occurred.” Multiple personal accounts of the nighttime blast note that Fermi winkingly offered to take bets at fixed odds on the risk of atomic cataclysm.

Since then, extreme secrecy, euphemism, and official lying have concealed or sanitized the catastrophic reality of nuclear explosions. President Truman’s August 6, 1945 public announcement falsely described Hiroshima as “a military base,” chosen in order “to avoid the killing of civilians.” Today’s PR nonsense about “low-yield,” or “theater nuclear weapons,” that are “designed to limit collateral damage” are mere variations of Truman’s calculated deceit.

Concern for victims of nuclear attacks has never curtailed or limited the design of nuclear weapons. How else explain Trident missile warheads (20 on just one submarine, with 14 such submarines roaming the oceans, each 475 kiloton warhead up to 31 times the force of the Hiroshima bomb (15 kilotons, just one carried on one airplane), or the “neutron bomb” made to kill living things but leave inanimate objects intact, or the U.S.’s driving of a global arms race which is on course to burn through 2-trillion in tax dollars completely rebuilding our nuclear weapons complex.

If concern for human survival existed inside the nuclear weapons complex, the Bomb would already have been abolished, because it’s axiomatic that nuclear attacks can produce only massacres via their uncontrollable, indiscriminate, shattering blast overpressure, hurricane-force winds, firestorms, and radiation burns, poisoning, diseases. To see for yourself, watch Greg Mitchell’s short film, “Atomic Cover-Up,” at PBS.org.

Don’t be fooled this August when the old canard is repeated for the 80th time that the U.S. atomic bombings of cities “saved lives.” No mass destruction ever did that.

Schwab Praises President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, Urges Kansas to Lock InPermanent Relief for Workers and Busines...
07/03/2025

Schwab Praises President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, Urges Kansas to Lock In

Permanent Relief for Workers and Businesses

TOPEKA, KS — Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Schwab today praised the passage
of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill for delivering real relief to Kansas families and
businesses—and called on Kansas lawmakers to make key provisions permanent at the state
level.
“This bill rewards hard work, supports small business growth, and helps everyday Kansans fight
inflation,” Schwab said. “But some of those benefits are temporary. Kansans deserve to know
their state government will have their back—even if Washington wavers.”
Kansas may conform to, or recognize, these several new federal deductions. However, some of
these federal deductions are set to expire in just a few years: Unless Kansas acts, these
popular tax relief provisions will also disappear from the state tax code.
● No state tax on premium overtime pay — expires after 2027
● No state tax on car loan interest — expires after 2027
● 100% full expensing for Qualified Production Property (QPP) — expires after 2031
“If we want Kansas to stay competitive, we need to lock in this relief for Kansas workers and
small businesses—for good,” Schwab said.
Schwab pledged to work with the Kansas Legislature to ensure the state’s tax code supports
long-term growth and keeps Kansas in the spirit of Trump’s reforms.
“This isn’t about politics, it’s about fairness and good sense,” Schwab said. “We must protect the
tax relief Kansans have earned. Let’s finish the job.”

Schmidt Votes to Cancel Massive Tax Hike, Secure Border, and Lower Federal Spending WASHINGTON, DC: Congressman Derek Sc...
07/03/2025

Schmidt Votes to Cancel Massive Tax Hike, Secure Border, and Lower Federal Spending

WASHINGTON, DC: Congressman Derek Schmidt (KS-02) issued the following statement regarding passage of the budget reconciliation bill by the U.S. House of Representatives, also called the “One Big Beautiful Bill”:

“Last November, Americans voted for change in Washington, D.C. Today, Congress is delivering much of the change promised by President Trump’s America First agenda that voters in our Second Congressional District chose by a large margin.

“We make America safer by funding permanent border security and the removal of illegal aliens from our country. We also strengthen and modernize our national defense.

“We make America more affordable by canceling an estimated $1,200 tax increase scheduled for hundreds of thousands of Kansans I represent. We make permanent key parts of the 2017 tax cuts that are helping middle-class Kansas families, including the expanded child tax credit, provisions supporting main street businesses, and the increased standard deduction used by more than 90% of Second District taxpayers. We add new tax relief for seniors, workers, and families, including no tax on tips, tax cuts on the purchase of American-made vehicles, and savings that offset taxes on Social Security for more than 80% of the seniors who receive benefits. We also provide stability and support for farmers and ranchers throughout our district by enacting critical parts of the long-overdue Farm Bill. These policies support growth and economic development throughout eastern and central Kansas.

“This bill also includes specific wins for Kansas that I fought for and supported, including provisions to protect Kansas hospitals and to support low-income housing, community banks, disabled people, students, and farmers. The people of the Second District will always be my first priority, and I will continue to work to strengthen services that meet Kansas needs.

“America is more than $36 trillion in debt and sinking further each year because federal spending keeps growing faster than revenues, which is why we are bending the curve of federal spending growth downward by $1.5 trillion over the next decade. By themselves, these savings are not enough to put America’s finances in order, but they’re a long overdue start and represent the first federal spending reduction in a generation. In the coming weeks, I’ll continue working to protect taxpayers and lower spending by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse throughout our government.

“Americans expect us to do what is necessary for our country even when it is hard. In our big and diverse country, enacting change requires compromise. This legislation contains some provisions I don’t support and omits others I favor, but its benefits to the Kansans I represent easily exceed its shortcomings. America cannot remain on our decades-long path toward insolvency and weakness, nor can we tax and spend our way to prosperity, strength, or a more free and secure future. The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ takes a first step toward putting our country back on track as I promised Kansans I would work hard to do, and for that reason it received my vote.”

Rep. Mann Votes to Send One Big Beautiful Bill to President Trump's DeskWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Tr...
07/03/2025

Rep. Mann Votes to Send One Big Beautiful Bill to President Trump's Desk

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Tracey Mann (KS-01) voted to pass H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill, which delivers on Congressional Republicans and President Trump’s campaign promises of lowering taxes, securing the border, and unleashing American energy dominance, passed by a vote of 219-213. Rep. Mann released the following statement after the vote:

“Over the past four years, Kansans expressed grave concerns to me about our nation’s border security, skyrocketing prices, and a federal government that continually burdened their way of life in rural America through excessive regulations,” said Rep. Mann. “On November 5, 2024, the country overwhelmingly agreed with Kansans in the Big First and rejected even more taxes, Green New Deal regulations, and open border policies. Today, our Republican majorities succeeded in our campaign promises to uproot wasteful spending, prevent the average family from seeing a tax increase of $2,200, and deliver the largest tax cut for middle- and working-class families in American history. I am extremely proud of the work we did to give Kansas families, small businesses, and agriculture some much-needed relief and to continue getting our country back on track. When President Trump signs the One Big Beautiful Bill into law, American families will have with more money in their pockets, secure borders, and accountability for the taxpayer dollar in honor of our 249th birthday.”

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

Makes the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent, protecting the average taxpayer from a 22% tax increase in January 2026
Eliminates taxes on tips, overtime pay, and car loan interest on American-made cars
Provides additional tax relief for seniors
Makes permanent the 199A small business deduction, immediate 100% expensing, and R&D immediate amortization
Increases detention capacity for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and includes funding for ICE resources
Makes the largest border security investment in history to build the wall and invests in modern technology to assist with intercepting drugs and human smuggling at U.S. ports of entry
Invests $60 billion in strengthening the farm safety net by expanding crop insurance and updating reference prices
Makes investments to modernize our military and strengthen national defense
Restores American energy dominance and ensures affordable, reliable energy access for families across the country
Establishes commonsense work requirements for able-bodied adults without young dependents
Ends government benefit eligibility for non-citizens, focusing resources on the most vulnerable
Appropriates $12.5 billion to the Federal Aviation Administration for the modernization of air traffic control technology and infrastructure
Rescinds unobligated funds and eliminates Biden-era programs estimated to cost over $4 billion

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act will now go to the White House for President Trump’s signature.

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Clay Center Dispatch

The official city newspaper of Clay Center and county newspaper of Clay County, KS. We publish five days a week and specials sections at least once a month. Page maintained by Dispatch Publisher Alicia Paul, Senior Editor of Flint Hills Media Group Joshua Smith, Layout & Design Ali Smith.

Note: This page is strictly monitored. It is our policy to remove comments that attack this newspaper, its employees or any other individual. We also remove posts that releases information from our reports without our permission. We block and remove profanity and ban repeat and severe violators of our policy, so please keep it civil!