KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Ryan has extensively covered stories in Miami County over the past two years. The Sheriff’s Department took him on a tour of the damage in Hillsdale on Tuesday. If you want to share your story and what the path forward looks like, reach out. Share your story idea with Ryan.

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Miami County leaders are preparing to sign a state of emergency on Wednesday as Hillsdale residents clean up from Monday night’s tornado before the next batch of storms arrive.

Miami County leaders take action to get disaster aid after Hillsdale tornado

The Miami County government will officially sign the declaration to secure outside resources and aid for a rebuild.

The county of 44,000 people does not budget for disasters of this scale.

Presiding Commissioner George Pretz told KSHB 41 News Miami County Reporter Ryan Gamboa that he (Pretz) entered into a verbal agreement on Monday night, but the county will officially declare a disaster declaration at its Wednesday meeting.

“It’s get with it, and get through it, and take care of the people as quick as you can,” Pretz said.

The move follows action taken by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, who issued her own declaration of disaster on Monday night for areas impacted by major storms.

Ryan Gamboa/KSHB

“Due to the severe weather that impacted the state overnight, I’ve declared a disaster emergency to ensure state assistance was readily available if needed,” Gov. Kelly said in a news release. “I encourage all Kansans to have an emergency kit and a family plan in preparation for a tornado. Stay updated on local weather conditions by listening to a NOAA weather radio or local TV and radio stations. Once a warning is activated, it is important to take cover.”

The Kansas Division of Management has activated the State Emergency Operations Center and is monitoring the situation, according to a news release.

Ryan Gamboa/KSHB

Miami County Undersheriff Matt Kelly said the declaration is necessary to facilitate a remedy to the disaster.

“More resources, funding, things like that to get the community back to where it was prior to the storm,” Kelly said. “There was verbal declarations done early last night when the storms came through, and because of that, we were able to get the resources that we did. We were seeing state resources coming in as far away as Pottawatomie County and south as far as Wichita to help us.”

Ryan Gamboa/KSHB

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Those declarations go farther at the county level according to Pretz.

It opens of the county to more resources and the county can even apply for additional federal aid.

78-year-old Ron Warhurst spent Tuesday afternoon operating a chainsaw to help his friend, Carol, clean up her property. The tornado passed about 100 yards from Carol’s home, damaging trees and her car. Warhurst also worked to save a sapling trapped under a fallen tree.

Ryan Gamboa/KSHB

“Over there is where the tornado came through,” Warhurst said to Gamboa.

Neighbors in unincorporated Hillsdale are leaving brush piles along the road for collection on Wednesday.

“The county is supposed to come by tomorrow,” Warhurst said.

Ryan Gamboa/KSHB

Miami County Undersheriff Kelly told Gamboa that Tuesday’s efforts were to ensure the roads, structures, and community were safe to move around in.

A larger effort to clear debris and get rid of trash will begin on Wednesday, weather permitting.

“Tomorrow, we will start the cleanup phase,” Kelly said. “Without taking care of that, we can’t do the clean-up phase. That’s where we are at because we’re looking at more weather today… We couldn’t have been able to do that without these declarations, and that’s why they’re so important and crucial to make these successful recoveries.”

Ryan Gamboa/KSHB

For now, the ultimate goal for the community is to get back to regular life.

Pretz estimates a large bulk of the clean-up, if the storms hold off, should be much better by Friday. He said the goal is to get all power restored by late Wednesday.

“This is truly local government here, all hands on deck, making a difference,” Pretz added. “Miami County government has got to do everything we can to get them [Hillsdale] up and going.”

Ryan Gamboa/KSHB

Undersheriff Kelly released the latest details on the impacted structures in the Hillsdale area on Tuesday afternoon.

• Nearly 300 structures were searched
• 113 structures affected
• 41 structures significantly damaged or destroyed
• All residents have been accounted for
• Only one minor injury has been reported

Volunteers are needed to assist in the clean-up effort on Wednesday morning. Those who want to help are asked to sign up at Hillsdale Presbyterian Church, 22875 W 255th Street.

The cleanup is expected to begin at 8:30 a.m.

“We’re already seeing people step up in this community,” Kelly said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Forward Brant Byers, who ranked second behind Peter Suder in scoring for the Miami RedHawks last season with 14.2 points per game, has committed to the Penn State Nittany Lions, according to a report via Twitter/X from DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony.

Byers’ hometown of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, is about two hours south of State College.

Byers reportedly entered the transfer portal in March.

Byers also averaged 4.1 rebounds per game, and shot 47.8 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from 3-point range as a redshirt sophomore for the RedHawks. He was named an all-Mid-American Conference second-team selection.

Byers started 33 of the 34 games in which he played for the 32-2 RedHawks in 2025-26. He averaged 8.4 points per game off the bench one season earlier, as a freshman. Byers redshirted during the 2023-24 season.

Former Cincinnati Bearcats forward Josh Reed and former Xavier Musketeers forward Sasa Ciani are on the Nittany Lions’ roster.

The RedHawks received a commitment April 14 from Ball State transfer forward Preston Copeland.

The Global Champions Arabians Tour (GCAT), the world’s premier Arabian horse championship series, hit Miami, Florida, where the celebrities were out in force. 

The GCAT is an exclusive, high-stakes international championship show designed to showcase the beauty, form, and movement of Purebred Arabian horses.

Over this past weekend, the event transformed Miami Beach into a world-class equestrian stage, welcoming over 100 horses and handlers from across the globe to compete for crucial GCAT points and a share of the Americas circuit’s $2.7 million prize fund. 

It also was quite the party featuring surprise sets by 50 Cent and Sean Paul, and a Closing Ceremony performance by Jason Derulo. 

Other big names in the sports world showed up, including influencer and former Chicago Bulls Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen’s ex-wife Larsa Pippen, former Miami Hurricanes star and New Orleans Saints Super Bowl champion Jonathan Vilma, and professional golfer Paris Hilinski.

Larsa certainly stood out in this red dress:

Meanwhile, Vilma was back in Miami where he played for some of the best ‘Canes teams from 2000-2003.

Also, the likes of DJ Khaled, Bethenny Frankel, Kiki Barth, Mario Carbone, the Mayor of Miami Steven Meiner, Daymond John, Romero Britto, Stephanie and Masoud Shojaee, Terrence J, Oliver Trevena, Miami Beach Commissioner Joe Magazine.

It was quite the weekend.

“Miami Beach has once again proven to be an extraordinary stage for the Global Champions Arabians Tour,” said Faleh Al Nasr, Chairman of the Global Champions Arabians Tour. “The energy, the international audience, and the level of competition we witnessed this weekend reflect exactly what GCAT stands for. To see this sport brought to life in such an iconic destination, alongside world-class hospitality and entertainment, is incredibly meaningful as we continue to grow our presence across the Americas.”