K-State Research and Extension is offering a free, educational workshop for persons new to Medicare.

Medicare Basics: New to Medicare will be offered online&nbsp;via Zoom at noon on Aug. 30. 

Learn the basics of Medicare, including eligibility, how and when to apply, costs, what is covered by the various parts, and how to fill the gaps. Programs available to assist low-income individuals will also be discussed. Anyone interested in learning more about the Medicare maze would benefit from the program, particularly those who are nearing age 65 or who help aging parents with insurance and financial matters.

The program is presented by extension educator Deb Wood, CFP®, Central Kansas Extension District, and local SHICK counselor.&nbsp;

Registration is required to obtain the Zoom link to participate in the program. Register online at&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/830MedBasics" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/830MedBasics</a>.

This same program will be offered again on Sept. 21. Flyers for all both programs and links to register can be found on the &nbsp;Central Kansas District website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.centralkansas.ksu.edu/" target="_blank">www.centralkansas.ksu.edu</a>, or call 785-309-5850.

K-State Research and Extension is offering a free, educational workshop for persons new to Medicare.Medicare Basics: New to Medicare will be offered online&nbsp;via Zoom at noon on Aug. 30. Learn the basics of Medicare, including eligibility, how and when to apply, costs, what is covered by the various parts, and how to fill the gaps. Programs available to assist low-income individuals will also be discussed. Anyone interested in learning more about the Medicare maze would benefit from the program, particularly those who are nearing age 65 or who help aging parents with insurance and financial matters.The program is presented by extension educator Deb Wood, CFP®, Central Kansas Extension District, and local SHICK counselor.&nbsp;Registration is required to obtain the Zoom link to participate in the program. Register online at&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/830MedBasics" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/830MedBasics</a>. This same program will be offered again on Sept. 21. Flyers for all both programs and links to register can be found on the &nbsp;Central Kansas District website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.centralkansas.ksu.edu/" target="_blank">www.centralkansas.ksu.edu</a>, or call 785-309-5850.

Extension offering free, online Medicare basics program

WASHINGTON&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) released the following statement regarding the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban:

“The chaos we are seeing in Kabul was preventable. The Biden administration’s unorganized and haphazard withdraw process will make our country and the world less secure.

“President Biden’s announcement in April to completely withdraw American troops by September 11 without taking appropriate security precautions – including preparing for a return of the Taliban to Kabul – was irresponsible and will damage America’s reputation and interests for years to come. Additionally, the lack of urgency to do right by the thousands of Afghans who worked alongside Americans will be a source of shame for this administration.

“I visited Afghanistan in 2017 to engage with American servicemembers who were supporting anti-terrorism operations. Thank you to each of them and the thousands of men and women who answered the call to serve our country over the last two decades. They served with duty and purpose and deserve our thanks and respect.”

WASHINGTON&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) released the following statement regarding the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban:“The chaos we are seeing in Kabul was preventable. The Biden administration’s unorganized and haphazard withdraw process will make our country and the world less secure.“President Biden’s announcement in April to completely withdraw American troops by September 11 without taking appropriate security precautions – including preparing for a return of the Taliban to Kabul – was irresponsible and will damage America’s reputation and interests for years to come. Additionally, the lack of urgency to do right by the thousands of Afghans who worked alongside Americans will be a source of shame for this administration.“I visited Afghanistan in 2017 to engage with American servicemembers who were supporting anti-terrorism operations. Thank you to each of them and the thousands of men and women who answered the call to serve our country over the last two decades. They served with duty and purpose and deserve our thanks and respect.”

Sen. Moran Statement on the Fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a car theft and attempting to locate Joshua Jones, 32, of Ogden. 

Police would like to speak with Jones about a vehicle pursuit that started in Geary Co after a stolen car out of Riley County was located by Geary Co Sheriff's Office, according to the Riley County Police Department.

Jones is described a 5-foot-9 and weighs about 150 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen in Ogden wearing khaki shorts with suspenders and no shirt. If you see Jones, please contact RCPD at (785) 537-2112 or 911.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1626791482908.png" alt="Joshua Jones has previous convictions for burglary and battery, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections-photo Geary Co." />
 <figcaption>Joshua Jones has previous convictions for burglary and battery, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections-photo Geary Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a car theft and attempting to locate Joshua Jones, 32, of Ogden. Police would like to speak with Jones about a vehicle pursuit that started in Geary Co after a stolen car out of Riley County was located by Geary Co Sheriff's Office, according to the Riley County Police Department.Jones is described a 5-foot-9 and weighs about 150 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen in Ogden wearing khaki shorts with suspenders and no shirt. If you see Jones, please contact RCPD at (785) 537-2112 or 911.

RCPD: Car theft, chase suspect was last seen in Ogden

Former Junction City High School Athletic Trainer Brandon Martino on Monday received a 32-month sentence in the Kansas Department of Corrections, but it was suspended. Martino was placed on probation for 36 months after he immediately serves 60 days in the Geary County Detention Center.&nbsp;

According to Geary County Attorney Krista Blaisdell, Martino was remanded into custody to begin serving the time immediately following Monday's hearing. The Court also ordered that the defendant was subject to a life-time post release period and in addition, must register as a sex offender for 25 years. The Court ordered Martino not to have any contact with the minor in the case and ordered him to have no unsupervised contact with any female under the age of 18 for the duration of his probation. The sentence was handed down in Geary County District Court.

In July Martino had entered a no contest plea and was found guilty of one felony count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child.&nbsp;

The Kansas Board of Healing Arts had reported&nbsp; earlier in July that they had&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ksbha.org/boardactions/Documents/martino_21.pdf">indefinitely suspended</a>&nbsp;Martino's license.&nbsp;A student patient under age 18 received sexually explicit text messages from Martino, including a nude image of himself,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ksbha.org/boardactions/Documents/martino_21.pdf">according to the order&nbsp;</a>from the Kansas Board of Healing Arts.&nbsp;

At the time of his arrest, USD 475 suspended Martino from all duties and responsibilities. "Any behavior that jeopardizes the safety and integrity of our students and staff is unacceptable."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629158045136.png" alt="Martino photo KBI Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Martino photo KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>Former Junction City High School Athletic Trainer Brandon Martino on Monday received a 32-month sentence in the Kansas Department of Corrections, but it was suspended. Martino was placed on probation for 36 months after he immediately serves 60 days in the Geary County Detention Center.&nbsp;According to Geary County Attorney Krista Blaisdell, Martino was remanded into custody to begin serving the time immediately following Monday's hearing. The Court also ordered that the defendant was subject to a life-time post release period and in addition, must register as a sex offender for 25 years. The Court ordered Martino not to have any contact with the minor in the case and ordered him to have no unsupervised contact with any female under the age of 18 for the duration of his probation. The sentence was handed down in Geary County District Court.In July Martino had entered a no contest plea and was found guilty of one felony count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child.&nbsp;The Kansas Board of Healing Arts had reported&nbsp; earlier in July that they had&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ksbha.org/boardactions/Documents/martino_21.pdf">indefinitely suspended</a>&nbsp;Martino's license.&nbsp;A student patient under age 18 received sexually explicit text messages from Martino, including a nude image of himself,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ksbha.org/boardactions/Documents/martino_21.pdf">according to the order&nbsp;</a>from the Kansas Board of Healing Arts.&nbsp;At the time of his arrest, USD 475 suspended Martino from all duties and responsibilities. "Any behavior that jeopardizes the safety and integrity of our students and staff is unacceptable."

Former JCHS Athletic trainer is sentenced in District Court

Geary Community Hospital CEO Frank Corcoran has submitted his resignation, effective Sept. 13th. Corcoran began his time at GCH as the chief nursing officer before becoming the chief executive officer.

JC Post asked Hospital Board of Trustees Chair, Cecil Aska, why Corcoran resigned. "We were notified through CHC ( Community Hospital Corporation ) which is the process. Now we'll have to look at it and figure out what direction we're going to want to go and how we're going to move forward."

On why Corcoran resigned, Aska said he had not yet had an opportunity to really visit with the outgoing CEO. "He talked about pursuing some other opportunities, but I haven't had a chance to sit down and get into full detail with him."

Geary Community Hospital has battled financial challenges in recent years. On that front Aska noted that the hospital has been making some progress. "The Covid dollars have definitely helped. We have been regularly working on some different things to expand the revenue and that's moving forward. But I think all hospitals, particularly in Kansas, are suffering to some degree at this time. But I think from where we were a couple of years ago we definitely are in better shape but we have a long way to go yet."

Hospital leaders have just learned about the resignation. Aska added after they process the information there will be some discussion and then move forward. Hospital Trustee Theresa Bramlage also confirmed Corcoran's resignation.

In a staff notice submitted to the "GCH Family" it was noted that prior to Corcoran's departure, "the Board of Trustees will work to bring in another qualified executive."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629151652682.jpeg" alt="Geary Community Hospital CEO Frank Corcoran" />
 <figcaption>Geary Community Hospital CEO Frank Corcoran</figcaption>
 </figure>Geary Community Hospital CEO Frank Corcoran has submitted his resignation, effective Sept. 13th. Corcoran began his time at GCH as the chief nursing officer before becoming the chief executive officer.JC Post asked Hospital Board of Trustees Chair, Cecil Aska, why Corcoran resigned. "We were notified through CHC ( Community Hospital Corporation ) which is the process. Now we'll have to look at it and figure out what direction we're going to want to go and how we're going to move forward."On why Corcoran resigned, Aska said he had not yet had an opportunity to really visit with the outgoing CEO. "He talked about pursuing some other opportunities, but I haven't had a chance to sit down and get into full detail with him."Geary Community Hospital has battled financial challenges in recent years. On that front Aska noted that the hospital has been making some progress. "The Covid dollars have definitely helped. We have been regularly working on some different things to expand the revenue and that's moving forward. But I think all hospitals, particularly in Kansas, are suffering to some degree at this time. But I think from where we were a couple of years ago we definitely are in better shape but we have a long way to go yet."Hospital leaders have just learned about the resignation. Aska added after they process the information there will be some discussion and then move forward. Hospital Trustee Theresa Bramlage also confirmed Corcoran's resignation.In a staff notice submitted to the "GCH Family" it was noted that prior to Corcoran's departure, "the Board of Trustees will work to bring in another qualified executive."

Geary Community Hospital CEO resigns

JUNCTION CITY, Kan. - Heritage Park will be alive with the sounds of community involvement on Wednesday, September 1st. From 5-8p.m., Junction City Expo will allow residents the opportunity to learn more about community organizations and even get involved.

"It's an opportunity for businesses and organizations to have vendor booths," said Dawn Stephens, the Director of Member Relations for the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce. "We are planning to have some food trucks there, some drawings and games, things like that. We're going to have a fire truck out there for the kids. We'll have an RV from New Horizons, Motorcycles from City Cycle Sales, a DJ under the stage, and some performances and demonstrations going on as well."

In the past, the JCACC has hosted a business expo, similar to this year's "JC Expo," but Stephens says this year's event will fully encapsulate everything Junction City has to offer.

The JCACC also has alternate plans in case of rain, but Stephens has her fingers crossed that weather will participate and the full event can go on as planned.&nbsp;

"We have the Municipal Building as a backup in the event of rain," said Stephens. "If that happens things will change and it does look different. We'd have to limit some of the things going on, but we can still have the stage performances."

"We're going to have great Weather!" she said hopefully.&nbsp;

For more information on JC Expo or the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce, visit their <a href="https://www.junctioncitychamber.org/junction-city-expo.html">website</a>.

JUNCTION CITY, Kan. - Heritage Park will be alive with the sounds of community involvement on Wednesday, September 1st. From 5-8p.m., Junction City Expo will allow residents the opportunity to learn more about community organizations and even get involved."It's an opportunity for businesses and organizations to have vendor booths," said Dawn Stephens, the Director of Member Relations for the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce. "We are planning to have some food trucks there, some drawings and games, things like that. We're going to have a fire truck out there for the kids. We'll have an RV from New Horizons, Motorcycles from City Cycle Sales, a DJ under the stage, and some performances and demonstrations going on as well."In the past, the JCACC has hosted a business expo, similar to this year's "JC Expo," but Stephens says this year's event will fully encapsulate everything Junction City has to offer.The JCACC also has alternate plans in case of rain, but Stephens has her fingers crossed that weather will participate and the full event can go on as planned.&nbsp;"We have the Municipal Building as a backup in the event of rain," said Stephens. "If that happens things will change and it does look different. We'd have to limit some of the things going on, but we can still have the stage performances.""We're going to have great Weather!" she said hopefully.&nbsp;For more information on JC Expo or the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce, visit their <a href="https://www.junctioncitychamber.org/junction-city-expo.html">website</a>.

JCACC previews Junction City Expo

Glenn Brunkow, Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher The past couple of weeks I had the privilege of attending several Farm Bureau events in person — Big Tent Reunions, Summer Summit and Young Farmers and Ranchers Leaders Conference — without masks, and it was awesome. This isn’t a statement about restrictions, masks or vaccinations, it is a statement of how much we all need social interaction and how valuable relationships are. The whole time we were staying at home, I knew I was missing people. I just didn’t realize how much. I don’t know how many times in the last two weeks I commented on the fact I couldn’t remember the last time I saw whomever I was talking to. In many cases it was prior to March 2020. That is a long time to not see friends, and I truly believe that took as much of a toll as the virus itself. Except for a very few of us, we humans are social beings and to not be able to do so really hurts our mental wellbeing. I saw it in conversations I participated in and those I overheard. Often, they would start with the usual topics like “How much rain are you getting?” or “How do the crops look?” and then evolve from there. Many times, what started out as a fairly routine conversation would lead to much deeper topics. It makes sense, for almost a year and a half we have really only talked to our spouses, kids and close family, and they didn’t need to be told because they were there living it like we were. Here we are with 16, 17 months of pent-up joys, disasters, concerns and observations and no one to share them with. Let’s face it, it is one thing to vent to your wife and kids, but it is far more therapeutic to find sympathy and empathy from a peer. I guess that is why it was so good to attend the Big Tent Reunions I did. It was cathartic to see old friends, to share the life happenings and to find out what was going on in their lives, too. I guess I have come to realize that one of the best benefits to Farm Bureau is the friends you develop because of your involvement. I hope everyone else got as much out of the meetings and events we have recently hosted. Don’t get me wrong, the education, advocacy and service are all things our organization is built on and represent the good and important work we do. However, at the end of the day it is the relationships and friendships we gain with fellow farmers and ranchers that make it all worthwhile. I tell young farmers and ranchers on their way to their first YF&amp;R Conference that the most important thing you learn is you are not alone, and there are people going through the same things you are. I believe that to be true and something that does not change with age. The last 18 months may have limited our interactions, but I am grateful for these recent gatherings and looking forward to catching up with everyone again soon. Let’s all do our part to stay safe and ensure we can see each other in person at Kansas Farm Bureau’s annual meeting in December.

"Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Glenn Brunkow, Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher The past couple of weeks I had the privilege of attending several Farm Bureau events in person — Big Tent Reunions, Summer Summit and Young Farmers and Ranchers Leaders Conference — without masks, and it was awesome. This isn’t a statement about restrictions, masks or vaccinations, it is a statement of how much we all need social interaction and how valuable relationships are. The whole time we were staying at home, I knew I was missing people. I just didn’t realize how much. I don’t know how many times in the last two weeks I commented on the fact I couldn’t remember the last time I saw whomever I was talking to. In many cases it was prior to March 2020. That is a long time to not see friends, and I truly believe that took as much of a toll as the virus itself. Except for a very few of us, we humans are social beings and to not be able to do so really hurts our mental wellbeing. I saw it in conversations I participated in and those I overheard. Often, they would start with the usual topics like “How much rain are you getting?” or “How do the crops look?” and then evolve from there. Many times, what started out as a fairly routine conversation would lead to much deeper topics. It makes sense, for almost a year and a half we have really only talked to our spouses, kids and close family, and they didn’t need to be told because they were there living it like we were. Here we are with 16, 17 months of pent-up joys, disasters, concerns and observations and no one to share them with. Let’s face it, it is one thing to vent to your wife and kids, but it is far more therapeutic to find sympathy and empathy from a peer. I guess that is why it was so good to attend the Big Tent Reunions I did. It was cathartic to see old friends, to share the life happenings and to find out what was going on in their lives, too. I guess I have come to realize that one of the best benefits to Farm Bureau is the friends you develop because of your involvement. I hope everyone else got as much out of the meetings and events we have recently hosted. Don’t get me wrong, the education, advocacy and service are all things our organization is built on and represent the good and important work we do. However, at the end of the day it is the relationships and friendships we gain with fellow farmers and ranchers that make it all worthwhile. I tell young farmers and ranchers on their way to their first YF&amp;R Conference that the most important thing you learn is you are not alone, and there are people going through the same things you are. I believe that to be true and something that does not change with age. The last 18 months may have limited our interactions, but I am grateful for these recent gatherings and looking forward to catching up with everyone again soon. Let’s all do our part to stay safe and ensure we can see each other in person at Kansas Farm Bureau’s annual meeting in December."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Grateful for Gatherings

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with U.S. Senator Roger Marshall.

<div><iframe title="Forward Ever: U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=v7jgb-10b6d9c-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&btn-skin=3267a3&size=300" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with U.S. Senator Roger Marshall.

🎤Forward Ever: U.S. Senator Roger Marshall

MANHATTAN —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary in Manhattan.

Just after 1:30p.m. Saturday, officers filed a report for burglary in the 700 block of Canyon Drive in Manhattan.

A 23-year-old man and 27-year-old man&nbsp; reported an unknown suspect stole numerous military equipment from a car, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

The estimated total loss associated with this case is approximately $2,300.

 Anyone with information can contact RCPD or the Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

MANHATTAN —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary in Manhattan.Just after 1:30p.m. Saturday, officers filed a report for burglary in the 700 block of Canyon Drive in Manhattan.A 23-year-old man and 27-year-old man&nbsp; reported an unknown suspect stole numerous military equipment from a car, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.The estimated total loss associated with this case is approximately $2,300. Anyone with information can contact RCPD or the Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

RCPD: Suspect stole military equipment from car

RILEY COUNTY—A Manhattan teen was injured in an accident just after 1a.m. Saturday in Riley County.

According to the Riley County Police Department activity report, a 2013 Ford Fiesta driven by Analise Ortiz, 16, Manhattan, lost control of the vehicle&nbsp;near the intersection of Tuttle Cove Road and Highway 13 in Manhattan. The car hit a stone wall.

EMS transported&nbsp; Ortiz&nbsp; to Via Christ then Stormont Vail in Topeka for treatment of abdominal pain.

 A passenger Page Gram, 19, of Manhattan was transported to Via Christi then Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City for treatment of a broken leg. Ortiz was issued a citation for improper driving on a laned roadway, according to the RCPD.

RILEY COUNTY—A Manhattan teen was injured in an accident just after 1a.m. Saturday in Riley County.According to the Riley County Police Department activity report, a 2013 Ford Fiesta driven by Analise Ortiz, 16, Manhattan, lost control of the vehicle&nbsp;near the intersection of Tuttle Cove Road and Highway 13 in Manhattan. The car hit a stone wall.EMS transported&nbsp; Ortiz&nbsp; to Via Christ then Stormont Vail in Topeka for treatment of abdominal pain. A passenger Page Gram, 19, of Manhattan was transported to Via Christi then Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City for treatment of a broken leg. Ortiz was issued a citation for improper driving on a laned roadway, according to the RCPD.

2 Manhattan teens hospitalized after car strikes stone wall

Eighth Judicial Nominating Commission will convene Wednesday to interview 12 nominees for two district judge vacancies. Judge Steven Hornbaker retired June 1 and Chief Judge Michael Powers will retire Aug. 20.

Nominees that will be interviewed include Samantha Angell, Krista Blaisdell, Keith Collett, Amy Coppola, Bobby Hiebert, Douglas Jones, Valorie Leblanc, Jason Oxford, Susan Robson, Britain Stites, Laura Viar and Jennifer Wyatt.&nbsp;

The nominating commission will convene to interview nominees beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Geary County Courthouse. Interviews are open to the public. The commission will select from three to five people whose names will be submitted to the governor to consider in filling the position according to statutory qualification and residency requirements.

Eighth Judicial Nominating Commission will convene Wednesday to interview 12 nominees for two district judge vacancies. Judge Steven Hornbaker retired June 1 and Chief Judge Michael Powers will retire Aug. 20.Nominees that will be interviewed include Samantha Angell, Krista Blaisdell, Keith Collett, Amy Coppola, Bobby Hiebert, Douglas Jones, Valorie Leblanc, Jason Oxford, Susan Robson, Britain Stites, Laura Viar and Jennifer Wyatt.&nbsp;The nominating commission will convene to interview nominees beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Geary County Courthouse. Interviews are open to the public. The commission will select from three to five people whose names will be submitted to the governor to consider in filling the position according to statutory qualification and residency requirements.

Nominees will be interviewed for district judge vacancies

Create Better Health provides simple solutions and&nbsp;skills to be able to eat more meals at home, eat healthy when eating out, and move more in their everyday routine. Each lesson challenges participants to make positive&nbsp;changes to achieve good nutrition, increase physical activity, practice food resource management skills and practice proper food safety techniques. &nbsp;

SNAP-Ed staff will host the classes over Zoom every Wednesday at 4 pm starting August 18 until September 22. The classes will be 45-60 minutes long.&nbsp;

Class participants will also receive&nbsp;small kitchen items&nbsp;for completing the sessions! Items can be measuring cups, food thermometer, cutting boards, and more!&nbsp;

These classes are&nbsp;FREE&nbsp;to&nbsp;you and your family if you qualify for FDPIR, Free and Reduced Lunch Program, Head Start, Medicaid/Kancare, SNAP, TANF, TEFAP, or WIC.&nbsp;

Create Better Health provides simple solutions and&nbsp;skills to be able to eat more meals at home, eat healthy when eating out, and move more in their everyday routine. Each lesson challenges participants to make positive&nbsp;changes to achieve good nutrition, increase physical activity, practice food resource management skills and practice proper food safety techniques. &nbsp;SNAP-Ed staff will host the classes over Zoom every Wednesday at 4 pm starting August 18 until September 22. The classes will be 45-60 minutes long.&nbsp;Class participants will also receive&nbsp;small kitchen items&nbsp;for completing the sessions! Items can be measuring cups, food thermometer, cutting boards, and more!&nbsp;These classes are&nbsp;FREE&nbsp;to&nbsp;you and your family if you qualify for FDPIR, Free and Reduced Lunch Program, Head Start, Medicaid/Kancare, SNAP, TANF, TEFAP, or WIC.&nbsp;

Geary County K-State Research and Extension SNAP-Ed will offer more online nutrition classes

Geary Community Hospital has begun to provide a daily update on COVID-19 cases for that facility. As of Saturday the total patient census at GCH was 13 with six of them COVID-19 cases. Of those six all of them involved patients that had not been vaccinated for the coronavirus.

Four of the COVID-19 patients were on ventilators in the intensive care unit.

Geary Community Hospital has begun to provide a daily update on COVID-19 cases for that facility. As of Saturday the total patient census at GCH was 13 with six of them COVID-19 cases. Of those six all of them involved patients that had not been vaccinated for the coronavirus.Four of the COVID-19 patients were on ventilators in the intensive care unit.

GCH provides a daily COVID-19 update

Geary County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the 5700 block of Liberty Hall Road for a non-injury rollover accident at 2:40 a.m. Sunday.

The Sheriff's Department reported that Christian Stoddard was driving a 2004 Chevrolet pickup west bound when a deer ran out in front of the vehicle. Stoddard swerved to miss the deer and hit an embankment on the north side of the roadway, causing the truck to roll.

Geary County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the 5700 block of Liberty Hall Road for a non-injury rollover accident at 2:40 a.m. Sunday.The Sheriff's Department reported that Christian Stoddard was driving a 2004 Chevrolet pickup west bound when a deer ran out in front of the vehicle. Stoddard swerved to miss the deer and hit an embankment on the north side of the roadway, causing the truck to roll.

Deputies respond to rollover accident

MILFORD, Kan. — Several nautical entires found their way into Kansas' largest lake on Saturday, patched together by cardboard and duct tape. Each entry was judged on its appearance, and of course its ability to actually float.&nbsp;

Once each entry was scored on its appearance, they hit the water one by one, testing its buoyancy alone, with one team member inside, and then with all team members.&nbsp;

The Geary County Sheriffs Department entered multiple rafts into the regatta, taking home third place for a two-man boat, but winning the grand prize for a six-man "extreme" class sheriff's boat.&nbsp;

MILFORD, Kan. — Several nautical entires found their way into Kansas' largest lake on Saturday, patched together by cardboard and duct tape. Each entry was judged on its appearance, and of course its ability to actually float.&nbsp;Once each entry was scored on its appearance, they hit the water one by one, testing its buoyancy alone, with one team member inside, and then with all team members.&nbsp;The Geary County Sheriffs Department entered multiple rafts into the regatta, taking home third place for a two-man boat, but winning the grand prize for a six-man "extreme" class sheriff's boat.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629040921690.jpeg" alt="Sheriff's Extreme Class Boat" />
 <figcaption>Sheriff's Extreme Class Boat</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629040954938.jpeg" alt=""The Silver Bullet" Boat" />
 <figcaption>"The Silver Bullet" Boat</figcaption>
 </figure>

Sheriffs Department wins Float Your Boat 2021

By&nbsp;ALLISON KITE Kansas Reflector

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The total cost from a more than week-long cold snap that brought the Midwest power supply to the brink of collapse is nearly $1 billion — and growing.

The greatest breakdown during the storm, which forced controlled electrical blackouts in Kansas and Missouri, industry groups have said, was natural gas, which was in short supply and rose to 200 times its normal price during the worst stretch of the storm.

So far, two of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/07/30/customers-of-kansas-largest-natural-gas-utility-could-pay-cold-snap-costs-for-10-years/">Kansas’ largest natural gas companies have filed</a>&nbsp;to collect a combined $539.5 million from ratepayers over as long as 10 years. Some&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/07/08/after-winter-storm-some-evergy-customers-could-see-savings-while-others-pay-for-years/">Evergy customers in Kansas will pay for $152.3 million</a>&nbsp;in power costs from Winter Storm Uri over two years.

But as regulators review those companies’ plans and prepare to pass on the costs to Kansas ratepayers, some groups representing large-scale customers say that —&nbsp;even six months later —&nbsp;the state has more work to do investigating the cause of huge natural gas price spikes during the storm.

“We don’t know who got the bag of cash, but somebody got it,” said C. Edward Watson II, an attorney representing several large-scale customers, including the Catholic Diocese of Wichita.&nbsp;

Watson, on behalf of his clients, joined a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://estar.kcc.ks.gov/estar/ViewFile.aspx/S202107301012494448.pdf?Id=660cf248-4c2f-4f76-ac98-34cae14ffbac">motion filed with the Kansas Corporation Commission</a>&nbsp;by the Natural Gas Transportation Customer Coalition to subpoena a national gas price index to look for signs of market manipulation or dysfunction. NGTCC, represented by attorney Jim Zakoura, also wants the Kansas Gas Service to disclose the names of suppliers that charged such high prices during the storm. In the filing, Zakoura wrote KGS has not challenged the extraordinarily high February gas prices.

“Essentially, KGS has abandoned its advocacy on behalf of its Kansas ratepayers —&nbsp;the very ratepayers who will be obligated to pay $451 million for seven days of natural gas, if ordered by the commission,” the filing says.

KGS has yet to file a response to the motion but said in a statement it cooperated with investigations into the natural gas price spike and disputed some invoices from its suppliers. It did not answer whether it agreed with the call for subpoena of S&amp;P Global Platts Gas Daily.&nbsp;&nbsp;

At the same time, the attorney general’s office is investigating whether any price gouging took place during the storm.&nbsp;

The Citizens’ Utility Ratepayer Board, the state’s dedicated consumer advocate, said it’s important the parties cooperate with that investigation.&nbsp;

In a statement, Black Hills Energy’s spokesman, James Williams, also pointed to the attorney general’s investigation.

“Identifying who profited from the winter storm is the responsibility of governmental bodies, but the cost of gas is a pass-through expense for Black Hills Energy,” Williams said. “We’re committed to helping find a solution for our customers that lessens the impact of this historic event.”

In Missouri, Spire has yet to file a plan to recover the costs it incurred to keep heat on for Kansas City-area and Western Missouri residents during the storm. In an email, a spokesman said the utility would file with the Public Service Commission this fall.

<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/07/29/spire-claims-fatal-consequences-if-feds-allow-st-louis-pipeline-to-be-shut-down/">Spire is currently in a battle over a pipeline</a>&nbsp;it installed in the St. Louis area, which it says was instrumental in avoiding the need to cut off gas service to residents in eastern Missouri.

All told, the Kansas Gas Service incurred an additional $390 million in extraordinary gas costs in February, plus carrying costs. It has filed a plan to recover those over five, seven or 10 years, increasing customers’ bills by anywhere from about $5 to $11 per month.

Black Hills customers could see their bills go up by $12.23 per month to recoup $87.9 million in costs over two years.&nbsp;

Atmos Energy has yet to file a plan, but according to its quarterly report with the Securities and Exchange Commission, it incurred an estimated $76.7 million in excess natural gas costs.&nbsp;

Along with Evergy’s filings, loans taken out by municipalities that supply their residents power, and cooperatives across the state, the total cost of the storm is $953.9 million, according to a filing by NGTCC. That doesn’t account for costs incurred by large-scale customers that purchase their natural gas directly, such as hospitals, school districts and large businesses.&nbsp;

Zakoura noted Kansas ratepayers weren’t getting any new wind or solar farms, new or safer pipelines, or other upgrades in exchange for their high bills. He called it the “most costly event in the last 50 years.”

“This is $1 billion, and it’s all gone,” he said.

David Nickel, executive director of the Citizens’ Utility Ratepayer Board, called the event substantial but said the utilities were doing their due diligence to lessen the impact on customers. He said he understood Zakoura’s point that no new infrastructure came from the huge sum, but he said it depends on “how you determine value.”

“The whole concept of being able to live through this event without having massive curtailments, without having blackouts that roll through the states, like we did in Texas … I think there’s value to that,” he said.

To recover those costs from residents, the gas utilities have to incur them prudently. If they don’t, the KCC can deny the unreasonable costs. Nickel said he doesn’t see any evidence the utilities took on unreasonable costs, but that CURB and KCC staff will investigate.&nbsp;

Williams said Black Hills’ purchases followed regulators’ instructions to “do all things possible and necessary to ensure continued natural gas service.”

And while some municipalities or large consumer customers are challenging their bills, Zakoura said utilities supplying gas to residential customers aren’t doing enough to challenge the exorbitant gas prices they paid before passing the surcharges on to their customers.&nbsp;

Between Feb. 1 and Feb. 18, average gas prices on the Southern Star Pipeline, which serves Kansas, rose from $2.55 to $622.79, according to the S&amp;P Global Platts Gas Daily, which relies on gas companies to report their purchases. Zakoura said on the days the prices were highest, only a handful of trades were reported to make up that average.

Zakoura filed a motion in the Kansas Gas Service’s proceedings before the KCC to subpoena the index, saying there was “overwhelming circumstantial evidence of a dysfunctional market that was characterized by unconscionable price increases” during the cold snap.&nbsp;

The filing claimed KGS had made no effort to challenge the high prices it was charged for gas.&nbsp;

“This docket is not a docket that is solely focused on the issue of ‘the length of time’ that Kansas ratepayers will have in order to pay KGS $451 million,” the filing said. “It is equally, if not more focused on whether KGS ratepayers should pay KGS $451 million, and whether Kansas residents, businesses, and governments should pay $1 billion for seven days supply of natural gas.”

In its statement, KGS said it had made purchases tied to the S&amp;P price, which isn’t known until the market closes at the end of the day. That amounted to about 30% of the gas purchased during the storm.

The utility hasn’t “lodged an independent investigation of the prices,” said spokeswoman Dawn Tripp, who added that KGS disputed invoices from some of its suppliers.

KGS has yet to file a response with the KCC but has resisted Zakoura’s filings seeking to have the company disclose its suppliers, saying those are confidential business dealings.

Tripp said the company submitted documents to the KCC, CURB, attorney general’s office, NGTCC and others under a protective order. It noted the KCC staff and CURB had not objected to the protective order.

Tripp said KGS purchases gas through a competitive bid process it considered confidential.

“Natural gas suppliers may be reluctant to sell gas to Kansas Gas Service if the only option is under a public contract,” Tripp said. “With fewer suppliers available to purchase gas from, it would likely result in higher gas prices paid by Kansas Gas Service’s sales customers.”

Black Hills, too, said it does not publicly disclose contract prices.

KCC staff filed a response Thursday to Zakoura’s motion supporting KGS’ position that the documents should be confidential. In its filing, it noted the KCC and CURB are designated to protect residential consumers, not NGTCC.

“While staff fully understands and appreciates the extraordinary nature of the winter weather event,” the filing said, “staff finds it difficult to agree that the extraordinary nature of the event requires an extraordinary deviation from traditional commission practice related to confidentiality.”

The above story is republished with permission from <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629039370962.jpeg" alt="The Calista Compressor Station serves the Kansas Gas Service’s network in Kansas. The utility has filed with the KCC to recover $451 million in natural gas purchase and carrying costs from this February’s cold snap. Photo from Kansas Gas Service courtesy Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption>The Calista Compressor Station serves the Kansas Gas Service’s network in Kansas. The utility has filed with the KCC to recover $451 million in natural gas purchase and carrying costs from this February’s cold snap. Photo from Kansas Gas Service courtesy Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;ALLISON KITE Kansas ReflectorKANSAS CITY, Mo. — The total cost from a more than week-long cold snap that brought the Midwest power supply to the brink of collapse is nearly $1 billion — and growing.The greatest breakdown during the storm, which forced controlled electrical blackouts in Kansas and Missouri, industry groups have said, was natural gas, which was in short supply and rose to 200 times its normal price during the worst stretch of the storm.So far, two of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/07/30/customers-of-kansas-largest-natural-gas-utility-could-pay-cold-snap-costs-for-10-years/">Kansas’ largest natural gas companies have filed</a>&nbsp;to collect a combined $539.5 million from ratepayers over as long as 10 years. Some&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/07/08/after-winter-storm-some-evergy-customers-could-see-savings-while-others-pay-for-years/">Evergy customers in Kansas will pay for $152.3 million</a>&nbsp;in power costs from Winter Storm Uri over two years.But as regulators review those companies’ plans and prepare to pass on the costs to Kansas ratepayers, some groups representing large-scale customers say that —&nbsp;even six months later —&nbsp;the state has more work to do investigating the cause of huge natural gas price spikes during the storm.“We don’t know who got the bag of cash, but somebody got it,” said C. Edward Watson II, an attorney representing several large-scale customers, including the Catholic Diocese of Wichita.&nbsp;Watson, on behalf of his clients, joined a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://estar.kcc.ks.gov/estar/ViewFile.aspx/S202107301012494448.pdf?Id=660cf248-4c2f-4f76-ac98-34cae14ffbac">motion filed with the Kansas Corporation Commission</a>&nbsp;by the Natural Gas Transportation Customer Coalition to subpoena a national gas price index to look for signs of market manipulation or dysfunction. NGTCC, represented by attorney Jim Zakoura, also wants the Kansas Gas Service to disclose the names of suppliers that charged such high prices during the storm. In the filing, Zakoura wrote KGS has not challenged the extraordinarily high February gas prices.“Essentially, KGS has abandoned its advocacy on behalf of its Kansas ratepayers —&nbsp;the very ratepayers who will be obligated to pay $451 million for seven days of natural gas, if ordered by the commission,” the filing says.KGS has yet to file a response to the motion but said in a statement it cooperated with investigations into the natural gas price spike and disputed some invoices from its suppliers. It did not answer whether it agreed with the call for subpoena of S&amp;P Global Platts Gas Daily.&nbsp;&nbsp;At the same time, the attorney general’s office is investigating whether any price gouging took place during the storm.&nbsp;The Citizens’ Utility Ratepayer Board, the state’s dedicated consumer advocate, said it’s important the parties cooperate with that investigation.&nbsp;In a statement, Black Hills Energy’s spokesman, James Williams, also pointed to the attorney general’s investigation.“Identifying who profited from the winter storm is the responsibility of governmental bodies, but the cost of gas is a pass-through expense for Black Hills Energy,” Williams said. “We’re committed to helping find a solution for our customers that lessens the impact of this historic event.”In Missouri, Spire has yet to file a plan to recover the costs it incurred to keep heat on for Kansas City-area and Western Missouri residents during the storm. In an email, a spokesman said the utility would file with the Public Service Commission this fall.<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/07/29/spire-claims-fatal-consequences-if-feds-allow-st-louis-pipeline-to-be-shut-down/">Spire is currently in a battle over a pipeline</a>&nbsp;it installed in the St. Louis area, which it says was instrumental in avoiding the need to cut off gas service to residents in eastern Missouri.<h2>‘$1 billion and it’s all gone’</h2>All told, the Kansas Gas Service incurred an additional $390 million in extraordinary gas costs in February, plus carrying costs. It has filed a plan to recover those over five, seven or 10 years, increasing customers’ bills by anywhere from about $5 to $11 per month.Black Hills customers could see their bills go up by $12.23 per month to recoup $87.9 million in costs over two years.&nbsp;Atmos Energy has yet to file a plan, but according to its quarterly report with the Securities and Exchange Commission, it incurred an estimated $76.7 million in excess natural gas costs.&nbsp;Along with Evergy’s filings, loans taken out by municipalities that supply their residents power, and cooperatives across the state, the total cost of the storm is $953.9 million, according to a filing by NGTCC. That doesn’t account for costs incurred by large-scale customers that purchase their natural gas directly, such as hospitals, school districts and large businesses.&nbsp;Zakoura noted Kansas ratepayers weren’t getting any new wind or solar farms, new or safer pipelines, or other upgrades in exchange for their high bills. He called it the “most costly event in the last 50 years.”“This is $1 billion, and it’s all gone,” he said.David Nickel, executive director of the Citizens’ Utility Ratepayer Board, called the event substantial but said the utilities were doing their due diligence to lessen the impact on customers. He said he understood Zakoura’s point that no new infrastructure came from the huge sum, but he said it depends on “how you determine value.”“The whole concept of being able to live through this event without having massive curtailments, without having blackouts that roll through the states, like we did in Texas … I think there’s value to that,” he said.To recover those costs from residents, the gas utilities have to incur them prudently. If they don’t, the KCC can deny the unreasonable costs. Nickel said he doesn’t see any evidence the utilities took on unreasonable costs, but that CURB and KCC staff will investigate.&nbsp;Williams said Black Hills’ purchases followed regulators’ instructions to “do all things possible and necessary to ensure continued natural gas service.”And while some municipalities or large consumer customers are challenging their bills, Zakoura said utilities supplying gas to residential customers aren’t doing enough to challenge the exorbitant gas prices they paid before passing the surcharges on to their customers.&nbsp;Between Feb. 1 and Feb. 18, average gas prices on the Southern Star Pipeline, which serves Kansas, rose from $2.55 to $622.79, according to the S&amp;P Global Platts Gas Daily, which relies on gas companies to report their purchases. Zakoura said on the days the prices were highest, only a handful of trades were reported to make up that average.Zakoura filed a motion in the Kansas Gas Service’s proceedings before the KCC to subpoena the index, saying there was “overwhelming circumstantial evidence of a dysfunctional market that was characterized by unconscionable price increases” during the cold snap.&nbsp;The filing claimed KGS had made no effort to challenge the high prices it was charged for gas.&nbsp;“This docket is not a docket that is solely focused on the issue of ‘the length of time’ that Kansas ratepayers will have in order to pay KGS $451 million,” the filing said. “It is equally, if not more focused on whether KGS ratepayers should pay KGS $451 million, and whether Kansas residents, businesses, and governments should pay $1 billion for seven days supply of natural gas.”In its statement, KGS said it had made purchases tied to the S&amp;P price, which isn’t known until the market closes at the end of the day. That amounted to about 30% of the gas purchased during the storm.The utility hasn’t “lodged an independent investigation of the prices,” said spokeswoman Dawn Tripp, who added that KGS disputed invoices from some of its suppliers.KGS has yet to file a response with the KCC but has resisted Zakoura’s filings seeking to have the company disclose its suppliers, saying those are confidential business dealings.Tripp said the company submitted documents to the KCC, CURB, attorney general’s office, NGTCC and others under a protective order. It noted the KCC staff and CURB had not objected to the protective order.Tripp said KGS purchases gas through a competitive bid process it considered confidential.“Natural gas suppliers may be reluctant to sell gas to Kansas Gas Service if the only option is under a public contract,” Tripp said. “With fewer suppliers available to purchase gas from, it would likely result in higher gas prices paid by Kansas Gas Service’s sales customers.”Black Hills, too, said it does not publicly disclose contract prices.KCC staff filed a response Thursday to Zakoura’s motion supporting KGS’ position that the documents should be confidential. In its filing, it noted the KCC and CURB are designated to protect residential consumers, not NGTCC.“While staff fully understands and appreciates the extraordinary nature of the winter weather event,” the filing said, “staff finds it difficult to agree that the extraordinary nature of the event requires an extraordinary deviation from traditional commission practice related to confidentiality.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625673106778.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The above story is republished with permission from <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>.

As impact of winter storm nears $1B, some large KS customers want to investigate

MANHATTAN – What has worked and what to see in the future, beef cattle outlook, starting newly arrived calves on feed, and the comparison of multiple castration methods in stocker cattle are among topics planned for the 2021 Kansas State University Beef Stocker Field Day on Sept. 30.&nbsp;

The conference will be hosted at the KSU Beef Stocker Unit.&nbsp;

“We believe this year’s program will be an exceptional one,” said Dale Blasi, a professor in K-State’s Department of Animal Sciences and Industry professor and beef cattle extension specialist. “The collective wisdom and experience of many producers and university professors will shed a lot of good information as our industry moves into the future.”&nbsp;

The day will start with a welcome at 9:30 a.m. and will conclude around 5 p.m.&nbsp;

Topics for this year’s agenda include:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

●What Has Worked for Us and What We See into the Future

●Can You Manage BRD and Coccidiosis Effectively with Receiving Rations for Backgrounding Stockers

●A Novel Approach to Starting Newly Arrived Calves on Feed

 ●Comparison of Multiple Castration Methods in Stocker Cattle&nbsp;

Registration is $25 and due Sept. 10. Walk-in registration is available for $35. To register, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://asi.ksu.edu/stockerfieldday">asi.ksu.edu/stockerfieldday</a>.&nbsp;For more information, contact Lois Schreiner at 785-532-1267 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lschrein@ksu.edu" target="_blank">lschrein@ksu.edu</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

MANHATTAN – What has worked and what to see in the future, beef cattle outlook, starting newly arrived calves on feed, and the comparison of multiple castration methods in stocker cattle are among topics planned for the 2021 Kansas State University Beef Stocker Field Day on Sept. 30.&nbsp;The conference will be hosted at the KSU Beef Stocker Unit.&nbsp;“We believe this year’s program will be an exceptional one,” said Dale Blasi, a professor in K-State’s Department of Animal Sciences and Industry professor and beef cattle extension specialist. “The collective wisdom and experience of many producers and university professors will shed a lot of good information as our industry moves into the future.”&nbsp;The day will start with a welcome at 9:30 a.m. and will conclude around 5 p.m.&nbsp;Topics for this year’s agenda include:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;●What Has Worked for Us and What We See into the Future●Beef Cattle Outlook●Can You Manage BRD and Coccidiosis Effectively with Receiving Rations for Backgrounding Stockers●A Novel Approach to Starting Newly Arrived Calves on Feed ●Comparison of Multiple Castration Methods in Stocker Cattle&nbsp;Registration is $25 and due Sept. 10. Walk-in registration is available for $35. To register, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://asi.ksu.edu/stockerfieldday">asi.ksu.edu/stockerfieldday</a>.&nbsp;For more information, contact Lois Schreiner at 785-532-1267 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lschrein@ksu.edu" target="_blank">lschrein@ksu.edu</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

22nd K-State Beef Stocker Field Day scheduled for Sept. 30

Welcome back to school, college students. Embracing your First Amendment freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition while you’re there will enhance:

●Your education, by challenging you to welcome diverse viewpoints;

●Your activism, by enabling you to speak out for causes you care about;

●Your enjoyment, by learning how to engage with the diverse people you encounter.

This is not easy, but I’m convinced you are up to the challenge, even when it’s hard:

●A&nbsp;<a href="https://2cnzc91figkyqqeq8390pgd1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Campus-Expression-Survey-Report-2020.pdf">2020 Heterodox Academy survey</a>&nbsp;revealed that 62% of college students say that their campus environment prevents them from saying things they believe — up from 55% in 2019. This is especially true when hot-button topics like politics, religion, sexual orientation, race and gender are discussed. Students fear backlash from fellow students and criticism or lowered grades from professors.

●This March, more than 200 faculty members in the U.S. formed the&nbsp;<a href="https://academicfreedom.org/about/">Academic Freedom Alliance</a>&nbsp;(AFA) to uphold free speech in academia and provide legal support to faculty whose academic freedom is under attack. By May, the&nbsp;<a href="https://academicfreedom.org/after-afa-intervention-two-universities-decline-to-sanction-professors-over-speech/">AFA had defended two faculty members from being sanctioned</a>.

There are some hopeful signs that colleges are battling back and renewing their commitment to First Amendment values.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thefire.org/five-years-of-the-chicago-statement-what-have-we-learned-part-2/" target="_blank">The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education</a>&nbsp;(FIRE) reports that an increasing number of colleges are adopting some form of the&nbsp;<a href="https://provost.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/documents/reports/FOECommitteeReport.pdf" target="_blank">University of Chicago Committee on Free Expression’s statement</a>, which upholds “the University’s overarching commitment to free, robust, and uninhibited debate and deliberation among all members of the University’s community.” Some colleges are also making a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thefire.org/resources/free-speech-freshman-orientation/?vc=umUV7TwVHxUk79DMgxEFWtCeYjFdmbpKx2bDjtmCzT#modules" target="_blank">robust free expression curriculum</a>&nbsp;part of student orientation.

Policy measures can help, but your college education, activism and enjoyment will be enhanced when freewheeling First Amendment values are internalized, embraced, practiced and protected by students, teachers and administrators across the ideological spectrum. Only you can decide if you will use the flame of your First Amendment freedoms to offer heat and light to a troubled world or torch the whole neighborhood (figuratively speaking, of course).

You will get more value from your investment in college if you take to heart this from the&nbsp;<a href="https://provost.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/documents/reports/FOECommitteeReport.pdf" target="_blank">University of Chicago’s statement on free expression</a>:

Well-meaning people prefer to limit such freedom. The threat to ideological diversity on college campuses prompted scholars&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/jonathan-haidt" target="_blank">Jonathan Haidt</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272790441_How_Ideology_Has_Hindered_Sociological_Insight" target="_blank">Chris Martin</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2337&amp;context=facpub" target="_blank">Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz</a>&nbsp;to establish the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV_Dd0CpM-Y" target="_blank">Heterodox Academy</a>&nbsp;(HxA) in 2015, with a mission to “improve the quality of research and education in universities by increasing open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement.” This good deed hasn’t gone unpunished by critics on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/just-visiting/open-letter-heterodox-academy" target="_blank">left</a>&nbsp;or the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/tough-choice-faces-the-heterodox-academy" target="_blank">right</a>.

The organization spotlights thought-provoking scholars who push back against conventional thinking:

●Muslim activist&nbsp;<a href="https://moralcourage.com/founder/">Irshad Manji</a>’s&nbsp;essay, “<a href="https://heterodoxacademy.org/blog/viewpoint-diversity-white-fragility-honest-diversity/">White Fragility Is Not the Answer, Honest Diversity Is</a>,” argues against shame-based diversity training. Her&nbsp;Oprah Winfrey&nbsp;award-winning&nbsp;<a href="https://moralcourage.com/">Moral Courage Project</a>&nbsp;“teaches young people how to engage honestly about polarizing issues rather than shaming or canceling each other.”

●Black scholar and HxA Open Inquiry Award Winner&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/09/academics-are-really-really-worried-about-their-freedom/615724/">John McWhorter</a>’s&nbsp;provocative new work, “<a href="https://www.persuasion.community/p/john-mcwhorter-the-neoracists?utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=twitter">The Elect</a>,” argues against “a particular strain of the left that has come to exert a grievous influence over American institutions, to the point that we are beginning to accept as normal the kinds of language, policies and actions that Orwell wrote of as fiction.”

You can welcome diverse viewpoints without endorsing them. The First Amendment guarantees that you get to speak your mind too.

Our brains often go into self-defense mode when we feel our deepest beliefs are being challenged. Explore how we are wired against dialogue and learn practical ideas to plan for and navigate conflict.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcEVQKVHfRo" target="_blank">Watch the expert discussion here.</a>

The late congressman and civil rights activist&nbsp;John Lewis&nbsp;often urged students to use their First Amendment freedoms to “make some noise” to bring change, following the example he set in the 1960s with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

The Freedom Forum offers ample guides and resources to help you live out your freedoms of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/religion/" target="_blank">religion</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/speech/" target="_blank">speech</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/press/" target="_blank">press</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/assembly/" target="_blank">assembly</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/petition/" target="_blank">petition</a>&nbsp;and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCwS5nrGu6U" target="_blank">make some noise</a>” to champion the causes that are important to you. Get some pointers from&nbsp;<a href="https://newseumed.org/tools/video-page/how-can-students-advocate-cause" target="_blank">these students</a>&nbsp;who led a national protest movement.

Outrage generates clicks and ratings. But you are under no obligation to buy into rancor, division or hostility. Instead, you can help usher in a new generation of campus radicals. Follow the lead of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ4K82kUnqI" target="_blank">progressive professor&nbsp;Cornell West&nbsp;and conservative professor&nbsp;Robert George</a>. They bridge their stark ideological differences with nearly forgotten virtues like&nbsp;<a href="https://heterodoxacademy.org/blog/the-friendship-model-and-dei-initiatives/" target="_blank">friendship</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://ideosinstitute.com/" target="_blank">empathy</a>. Establishing friendships like this takes courage. You may risk being shunned by allies unwilling to engage with or learn from opposing views.&nbsp;<a href="https://tlh.villagesquare.us/" target="_blank">The Village Square’s</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://respectandrebellion.com/" target="_blank">Respect + Rebellion</a>&nbsp;project fosters such “<a href="https://respectandrebellion.com/stories/" target="_blank">subversive friendships</a>” on college campuses.

WATCH: THE ROLE OF FREE SPEECH IN BRIDGING THE BLUE AND RED DIVIDE

The Blueberries &amp; Cherries dinner club brings people with differing political views together to connect with meaningful, humanizing dialogue.&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DXo76Vehl0wo&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cmtettelbach%40freedomforum.org%7C2d669be74eb74090d55708d95cd83cad%7C769dac65dc844365a403d9a08681378c%7C0%7C0%7C637642906074216624%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=7Mk%2FxOyR5MJ1%2BsohVRXSpnzqos%2FK8Km5YKkkMmJwDNE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Watch a discussion with the club’s founder here.</a>

Take a risk and make a new friend who disagrees with you. Maybe your new “subversive friend” will be a Christian like&nbsp;<a href="https://inthecoracle.org/author/rick-mastroianni/" target="_blank">me</a>, a Marxist, an LGBTQ activist, a conservative or progressive. But set aside&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Label-Me-Diversity-Inflaming/dp/1250182859/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=don%27t+label+me&amp;qid=1628004884&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank">unhelpful labels</a>&nbsp;and be curious about the&nbsp;person&nbsp;who, I hope, is sharing a hearty meal and a cold beverage with you. Raise your glasses to the First Amendment, which makes it possible for such friendships to thrive amid our deepest differences.

Rick Mastroianni is the Research and Library director at the Freedom Forum. He can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:rmastroianni@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">rmastroianni@freedomforum.org</a>.

By&nbsp;RICK MASTROIANNIWelcome back to school, college students. Embracing your First Amendment freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition while you’re there will enhance:●Your education, by challenging you to welcome diverse viewpoints; ●Your activism, by enabling you to speak out for causes you care about; ●Your enjoyment, by learning how to engage with the diverse people you encounter.This is not easy, but I’m convinced you are up to the challenge, even when it’s hard:●A&nbsp;<a href="https://2cnzc91figkyqqeq8390pgd1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Campus-Expression-Survey-Report-2020.pdf">2020 Heterodox Academy survey</a>&nbsp;revealed that 62% of college students say that their campus environment prevents them from saying things they believe — up from 55% in 2019. This is especially true when hot-button topics like politics, religion, sexual orientation, race and gender are discussed. Students fear backlash from fellow students and criticism or lowered grades from professors.●This March, more than 200 faculty members in the U.S. formed the&nbsp;<a href="https://academicfreedom.org/about/">Academic Freedom Alliance</a>&nbsp;(AFA) to uphold free speech in academia and provide legal support to faculty whose academic freedom is under attack. By May, the&nbsp;<a href="https://academicfreedom.org/after-afa-intervention-two-universities-decline-to-sanction-professors-over-speech/">AFA had defended two faculty members from being sanctioned</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628994083448.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>There are some hopeful signs that colleges are battling back and renewing their commitment to First Amendment values.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thefire.org/five-years-of-the-chicago-statement-what-have-we-learned-part-2/" target="_blank">The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education</a>&nbsp;(FIRE) reports that an increasing number of colleges are adopting some form of the&nbsp;<a href="https://provost.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/documents/reports/FOECommitteeReport.pdf" target="_blank">University of Chicago Committee on Free Expression’s statement</a>, which upholds “the University’s overarching commitment to free, robust, and uninhibited debate and deliberation among all members of the University’s community.” Some colleges are also making a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thefire.org/resources/free-speech-freshman-orientation/?vc=umUV7TwVHxUk79DMgxEFWtCeYjFdmbpKx2bDjtmCzT#modules" target="_blank">robust free expression curriculum</a>&nbsp;part of student orientation.Policy measures can help, but your college education, activism and enjoyment will be enhanced when freewheeling First Amendment values are internalized, embraced, practiced and protected by students, teachers and administrators across the ideological spectrum. Only you can decide if you will use the flame of your First Amendment freedoms to offer heat and light to a troubled world or torch the whole neighborhood (figuratively speaking, of course).<h2>WELCOME DIVERSE VIEWPOINTS</h2>You will get more value from your investment in college if you take to heart this from the&nbsp;<a href="https://provost.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/documents/reports/FOECommitteeReport.pdf" target="_blank">University of Chicago’s statement on free expression</a>:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628994342341.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Well-meaning people prefer to limit such freedom. The threat to ideological diversity on college campuses prompted scholars&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/jonathan-haidt" target="_blank">Jonathan Haidt</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272790441_How_Ideology_Has_Hindered_Sociological_Insight" target="_blank">Chris Martin</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2337&amp;context=facpub" target="_blank">Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz</a>&nbsp;to establish the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV_Dd0CpM-Y" target="_blank">Heterodox Academy</a>&nbsp;(HxA) in 2015, with a mission to “improve the quality of research and education in universities by increasing open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement.” This good deed hasn’t gone unpunished by critics on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/just-visiting/open-letter-heterodox-academy" target="_blank">left</a>&nbsp;or the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/tough-choice-faces-the-heterodox-academy" target="_blank">right</a>.The organization spotlights thought-provoking scholars who push back against conventional thinking:●Muslim activist&nbsp;<a href="https://moralcourage.com/founder/">Irshad Manji</a>’s&nbsp;essay, “<a href="https://heterodoxacademy.org/blog/viewpoint-diversity-white-fragility-honest-diversity/">White Fragility Is Not the Answer, Honest Diversity Is</a>,” argues against shame-based diversity training. Her&nbsp;Oprah Winfrey&nbsp;award-winning&nbsp;<a href="https://moralcourage.com/">Moral Courage Project</a>&nbsp;“teaches young people how to engage honestly about polarizing issues rather than shaming or canceling each other.”●Black scholar and HxA Open Inquiry Award Winner&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/09/academics-are-really-really-worried-about-their-freedom/615724/">John McWhorter</a>’s&nbsp;provocative new work, “<a href="https://www.persuasion.community/p/john-mcwhorter-the-neoracists?utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=twitter">The Elect</a>,” argues against “a particular strain of the left that has come to exert a grievous influence over American institutions, to the point that we are beginning to accept as normal the kinds of language, policies and actions that Orwell wrote of as fiction.”You can welcome diverse viewpoints without endorsing them. The First Amendment guarantees that you get to speak your mind too.<h2>WATCH: OUTRAGE AND THE BRAIN</h2>Our brains often go into self-defense mode when we feel our deepest beliefs are being challenged. Explore how we are wired against dialogue and learn practical ideas to plan for and navigate conflict.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcEVQKVHfRo" target="_blank">Watch the expert discussion here.</a><h2>SPEAK OUT</h2>The late congressman and civil rights activist&nbsp;John Lewis&nbsp;often urged students to use their First Amendment freedoms to “make some noise” to bring change, following the example he set in the 1960s with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).The Freedom Forum offers ample guides and resources to help you live out your freedoms of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/religion/" target="_blank">religion</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/speech/" target="_blank">speech</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/press/" target="_blank">press</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/assembly/" target="_blank">assembly</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/petition/" target="_blank">petition</a>&nbsp;and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCwS5nrGu6U" target="_blank">make some noise</a>” to champion the causes that are important to you. Get some pointers from&nbsp;<a href="https://newseumed.org/tools/video-page/how-can-students-advocate-cause" target="_blank">these students</a>&nbsp;who led a national protest movement.<h2>ENJOY NEW FRIENDSHIPS</h2>Outrage generates clicks and ratings. But you are under no obligation to buy into rancor, division or hostility. Instead, you can help usher in a new generation of campus radicals. Follow the lead of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ4K82kUnqI" target="_blank">progressive professor&nbsp;Cornell West&nbsp;and conservative professor&nbsp;Robert George</a>. They bridge their stark ideological differences with nearly forgotten virtues like&nbsp;<a href="https://heterodoxacademy.org/blog/the-friendship-model-and-dei-initiatives/" target="_blank">friendship</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://ideosinstitute.com/" target="_blank">empathy</a>. Establishing friendships like this takes courage. You may risk being shunned by allies unwilling to engage with or learn from opposing views.&nbsp;<a href="https://tlh.villagesquare.us/" target="_blank">The Village Square’s</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://respectandrebellion.com/" target="_blank">Respect + Rebellion</a>&nbsp;project fosters such “<a href="https://respectandrebellion.com/stories/" target="_blank">subversive friendships</a>” on college campuses.<h2>WATCH: THE ROLE OF FREE SPEECH IN BRIDGING THE BLUE AND RED DIVIDE</h2>The Blueberries &amp; Cherries dinner club brings people with differing political views together to connect with meaningful, humanizing dialogue.&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DXo76Vehl0wo&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cmtettelbach%40freedomforum.org%7C2d669be74eb74090d55708d95cd83cad%7C769dac65dc844365a403d9a08681378c%7C0%7C0%7C637642906074216624%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=7Mk%2FxOyR5MJ1%2BsohVRXSpnzqos%2FK8Km5YKkkMmJwDNE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Watch a discussion with the club’s founder here.</a>Take a risk and make a new friend who disagrees with you. Maybe your new “subversive friend” will be a Christian like&nbsp;<a href="https://inthecoracle.org/author/rick-mastroianni/" target="_blank">me</a>, a Marxist, an LGBTQ activist, a conservative or progressive. But set aside&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Label-Me-Diversity-Inflaming/dp/1250182859/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=don%27t+label+me&amp;qid=1628004884&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank">unhelpful labels</a>&nbsp;and be curious about the&nbsp;person&nbsp;who, I hope, is sharing a hearty meal and a cold beverage with you. Raise your glasses to the First Amendment, which makes it possible for such friendships to thrive amid our deepest differences.Rick Mastroianni is the Research and Library director at the Freedom Forum. He can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:rmastroianni@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">rmastroianni@freedomforum.org</a>.

1st FIVE: Students, 1st Amendment values key to your college experience

GEARY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a vehicle theft and need help identifying two suspects. 

Two suspects arrived at Sapp Bros gas station, 1913 Lacy Drive in Junction driving a silver Nissan Maxima or Altima and stole a white GMC truck while the owner was inside.

The stolen truck is a white 2015 GMC Sierra with a waterfowl sticker in the back window. 

 If you have any information about the individuals and or the whereabouts of the truck, please call the junction city police department (785-762-5912) or Geary County Crime Stoppers (785-762-8477) and reference case number 2021-16906.

GEARY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a vehicle theft and need help identifying two suspects. Two suspects arrived at Sapp Bros gas station, 1913 Lacy Drive in Junction driving a silver Nissan Maxima or Altima and stole a white GMC truck while the owner was inside.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FJCPDKS%2Fposts%2F4441856042512799&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="778" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The stolen truck is a white 2015 GMC Sierra with a waterfowl sticker in the back window. If you have any information about the individuals and or the whereabouts of the truck, please call the junction city police department (785-762-5912) or Geary County Crime Stoppers (785-762-8477) and reference case number 2021-16906.

Police ask for help to ID stolen truck suspects

TOPEKA&nbsp;– The Kansas Department of Health and Environment&nbsp; and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has issued several public health advisories for Kansas lakes due to blue-green algae.

Warning Altamont City Lake “Idle Hour” Main Lake, Labette County Ford County Lake, Ford County (new) Gathering Pond at Milford, Geary County Harvey County East Lake, Harvey County Hargis Lake, Sumner County Hodgeman County State Fishing Lake, Hodgeman County (new) Jerry Ivey Pond, Saline County Lake Afton, Sedgwick County (upgraded Aug. 12) Lake Jeanette, Leavenworth County (new) Marion County Lake, Marion County Melvern Outlet Pond, Osage County Melvern Outlet Swim Pond, Osage County Milford Lake&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA4MTIuNDQ0ODczMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tkaGVrcy5nb3YvYWxnYWUtaWxsbmVzcy9kb3dubG9hZC9taWxmb3JkLWxha2Utem9uZWQucGRmP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.YuY0ZEfyI2oQPvOyuZFnkPvEvTCWpBQa63CtycN9ahE/s/1305913623/br/110825608839-l" target="_blank">Zones A</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA4MTIuNDQ0ODczMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tkaGVrcy5nb3YvYWxnYWUtaWxsbmVzcy9kb3dubG9hZC9taWxmb3JkLWxha2Utem9uZWQucGRmP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.WPbVpzaOqzZxodipna52kry7M-6L0mzbo_vpyk9mxlQ/s/1305913623/br/110825608839-l" target="_blank">C</a>, Geary County Neosho County State Fishing Lake, Neosho County (upgraded Aug. 12) South Lake, Johnson County Webster Reservoir, Rooks County

Watch Brown State Fishing Lake, Brown County Pony Creek Lake, Brown County Milford Lake Zone&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA4MTIuNDQ0ODczMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tkaGVrcy5nb3YvYWxnYWUtaWxsbmVzcy9kb3dubG9hZC9taWxmb3JkLWxha2Utem9uZWQucGRmP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.qMjeocB9snZ_l2RoXF4Gaqb0m_piDN4245Dz1z21Oo4/s/1305913623/br/110825608839-l" target="_blank">B</a>, Geary County Altamont City Lake “Idle Hour” North Lake, Labette County Big Hill Lake, Labette County Parsons Lake, Labette County Marion Reservoir, Marion County Buhler City Lake, Reno County Big Eleven Lake, Wyandotte County

Advisories Lifted 8/12/21 Overbrook City Lake, Osage County

When a warning is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:

A watch means that blue-green algae have been detected and a harmful algal bloom is present or likely to develop. People are encouraged to avoid areas of algae accumulation and keep pets and livestock away from the water.

During the watch status, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:

KDHE investigates publicly-accessible bodies of water for blue-green algae when the agency receives reports of potential algae blooms in Kansas lakes. Based on credible field observation and sampling results, KDHE reports on potentially harmful conditions.

If you observe a scum or paint-like surface on the water, small floating blue-green clumps or filaments in the water, or if the water is an opaque green, avoid contact and keep pets away. These are indications that a harmful bloom may be present. Pet owners should be aware that animals that swim in or drink water affected by a harmful algal bloom or eat dried algae along the shore may become seriously ill or die.

For information on blue-green algae and reporting potential harmful algal blooms, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA4MTIuNDQ0ODczMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtkaGVrcy5nb3YvYWxnYWUtaWxsbmVzcy9pbmRleC5odG0_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWdvdmRlbGl2ZXJ5In0.JgXbKy5ycb905FzyvctY8_UDu700TuTw7CB4ojggmNo/s/1305913623/br/110825608839-l" target="_blank">www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/index.htm</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628886806468.jpg" alt="Pixaby" />
 <figcaption>Pixaby</figcaption>
 </figure>KDHETOPEKA&nbsp;– The Kansas Department of Health and Environment&nbsp; and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has issued several public health advisories for Kansas lakes due to blue-green algae.Active advisoriesWarning Altamont City Lake “Idle Hour” Main Lake, Labette County Ford County Lake, Ford County (new) Gathering Pond at Milford, Geary County Harvey County East Lake, Harvey County Hargis Lake, Sumner County Hodgeman County State Fishing Lake, Hodgeman County (new) Jerry Ivey Pond, Saline County Lake Afton, Sedgwick County (upgraded Aug. 12) Lake Jeanette, Leavenworth County (new) Marion County Lake, Marion County Melvern Outlet Pond, Osage County Melvern Outlet Swim Pond, Osage County Milford Lake&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA4MTIuNDQ0ODczMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tkaGVrcy5nb3YvYWxnYWUtaWxsbmVzcy9kb3dubG9hZC9taWxmb3JkLWxha2Utem9uZWQucGRmP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.YuY0ZEfyI2oQPvOyuZFnkPvEvTCWpBQa63CtycN9ahE/s/1305913623/br/110825608839-l" target="_blank">Zones A</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA4MTIuNDQ0ODczMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tkaGVrcy5nb3YvYWxnYWUtaWxsbmVzcy9kb3dubG9hZC9taWxmb3JkLWxha2Utem9uZWQucGRmP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.WPbVpzaOqzZxodipna52kry7M-6L0mzbo_vpyk9mxlQ/s/1305913623/br/110825608839-l" target="_blank">C</a>, Geary County Neosho County State Fishing Lake, Neosho County (upgraded Aug. 12) South Lake, Johnson County Webster Reservoir, Rooks CountyWatch Brown State Fishing Lake, Brown County Pony Creek Lake, Brown County Milford Lake Zone&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA4MTIuNDQ0ODczMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tkaGVrcy5nb3YvYWxnYWUtaWxsbmVzcy9kb3dubG9hZC9taWxmb3JkLWxha2Utem9uZWQucGRmP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.qMjeocB9snZ_l2RoXF4Gaqb0m_piDN4245Dz1z21Oo4/s/1305913623/br/110825608839-l" target="_blank">B</a>, Geary County Altamont City Lake “Idle Hour” North Lake, Labette County Big Hill Lake, Labette County Parsons Lake, Labette County Marion Reservoir, Marion County Buhler City Lake, Reno County Big Eleven Lake, Wyandotte CountyAdvisories Lifted 8/12/21 Overbrook City Lake, Osage CountyWhen a warning is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:<ul>
 <li>Lake water is not safe to drink for pets or livestock.</li><li>Lake water, regardless of blue-green algae status, should never be consumed by humans.</li><li>Water contact should be avoided.</li><li>Fish may be eaten if they are rinsed with clean water and only the fillet portion is consumed, while all other parts are discarded.</li><li>Do not allow pets to eat dried algae.</li><li>If lake water contacts skin, wash with clean water as soon as possible.</li><li>Avoid areas of visible algae accumulation.</li>
 </ul>A watch means that blue-green algae have been detected and a harmful algal bloom is present or likely to develop. People are encouraged to avoid areas of algae accumulation and keep pets and livestock away from the water.During the watch status, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:<ul>
 <li>Signage will be posted at all public access locations.</li><li>Water may be unsafe for humans/animals.</li><li>Avoid areas of algae accumulation and do not let people/pets eat dried algae or drink contaminated water.</li><li>Swimming, wading, skiing and jet skiing are discouraged near visible blooms.</li><li>Boating and fishing are safe. However, inhalation of the spray may affect some individuals. Avoid direct contact with water, and wash with clean water after any contact.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Clean fish well with potable water and eat fillet portion only.</li>
 </ul>KDHE investigates publicly-accessible bodies of water for blue-green algae when the agency receives reports of potential algae blooms in Kansas lakes. Based on credible field observation and sampling results, KDHE reports on potentially harmful conditions.If you observe a scum or paint-like surface on the water, small floating blue-green clumps or filaments in the water, or if the water is an opaque green, avoid contact and keep pets away. These are indications that a harmful bloom may be present. Pet owners should be aware that animals that swim in or drink water affected by a harmful algal bloom or eat dried algae along the shore may become seriously ill or die.For information on blue-green algae and reporting potential harmful algal blooms, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA4MTIuNDQ0ODczMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtkaGVrcy5nb3YvYWxnYWUtaWxsbmVzcy9pbmRleC5odG0_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWdvdmRlbGl2ZXJ5In0.JgXbKy5ycb905FzyvctY8_UDu700TuTw7CB4ojggmNo/s/1305913623/br/110825608839-l" target="_blank">www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/index.htm</a>.

Public health advisories for Kansas lakes due to blue-green algae

MANHATTAN, KAN. – The 13th annual Speedy Pd Race for Parkinson’s Disease will be offered as an inperson event at Tuttle Creek State Park on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021. A virtual race option is also being offered.

Register for the Half-Mile Memorial Run/Walk, 5K, or 10K by visiting <a href="http://www.meadowlark.org">www.meadowlark.org</a>. Once registered, participants will receive e-mails and/or text messages to share more about the VIPds,

Meadowlark Parkinson’s Program, and all the generous sponsors, including this year’s presenting sponsor – Community First National Bank.

Registration and packet pick-up will be Friday, Aug. 27, at the Holiday Inn at the Campus from 4:30 to 7p.m. On race day, packet pick up and registration is from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. at Tuttle Creek State Park. The 5K/10K races begin at 8 a.m. and the Half-Mile Memorial Run/Walk will start at 9:15 a.m. Awards will start at 9:30 a.m.

Funds raised from the event benefit Meadowlark Parkinson’s Program, which provides services at no cost to improve the quality of life in the Flint Hills region for all those affected by Parkinson’s disease (PD), including: persons with PD, caregivers, therapists, nurses, and other providers. Even during the COVID19 global pandemic, program leaders continued to offer opportunities for participants to engage. This is especially important during a time of self-isolation and social distancing.

Not a runner? Donations can be made directly to the Meadowlark Parkinson’s Program by contacting the Meadowlark Foundation office at (785) 323-3843. Race and program questions can also be directed to Michelle Haub, Special Programs Leader, via e-mail at michelle.haub@meadowlark.org or (785) 323-3899.

MANHATTAN, KAN. – The 13th annual Speedy Pd Race for Parkinson’s Disease will be offered as an inperson event at Tuttle Creek State Park on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021. A virtual race option is also being offered.Register for the Half-Mile Memorial Run/Walk, 5K, or 10K by visiting <a href="http://www.meadowlark.org">www.meadowlark.org</a>. Once registered, participants will receive e-mails and/or text messages to share more about the VIPds,Meadowlark Parkinson’s Program, and all the generous sponsors, including this year’s presenting sponsor – Community First National Bank.Registration and packet pick-up will be Friday, Aug. 27, at the Holiday Inn at the Campus from 4:30 to 7p.m. On race day, packet pick up and registration is from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. at Tuttle Creek State Park. The 5K/10K races begin at 8 a.m. and the Half-Mile Memorial Run/Walk will start at 9:15 a.m. Awards will start at 9:30 a.m.Funds raised from the event benefit Meadowlark Parkinson’s Program, which provides services at no cost to improve the quality of life in the Flint Hills region for all those affected by Parkinson’s disease (PD), including: persons with PD, caregivers, therapists, nurses, and other providers. Even during the COVID19 global pandemic, program leaders continued to offer opportunities for participants to engage. This is especially important during a time of self-isolation and social distancing.Not a runner? Donations can be made directly to the Meadowlark Parkinson’s Program by contacting the Meadowlark Foundation office at (785) 323-3843. Race and program questions can also be directed to Michelle Haub, Special Programs Leader, via e-mail at michelle.haub@meadowlark.org or (785) 323-3899.

Speedy Pd Race Set for In-Person Event

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - You might want to hold off on a trip to Louisiana or that next out-of-town large conference.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment updated its travel quarantine list Friday to include the state of Louisiana, and in-state mass gatherings of 500 or more people that do not practice social distancing and wearing masks.

Out-of-state mass gatherings - such as last Saturday’s Garth Brooks concert at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. - already were on the list.

KDHE also removed the countries of countries of Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Jersey, and The United Kingdom. The changes are effective Aug. 13.

“Given the increased transmission of the Delta variant across the state, we now consider attendance at mass gatherings in state to be high risk situations,” KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman said. “The virus does not know the boundaries of our state and we must all must take steps to protect those close to us by staying home after attending any large events.”

People who are fully vaccinated, or who can show proof of a positive COVID-19 test within the previous six months do not need to quarantine, so long as they do not experience symptoms. KDHE says others must quarantine for seven days with a negative test result or 10 days without testing,quarantine. Further information on quarantine periods can be found on KDHE’s&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA4MTMuNDQ1MjcyMDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy5rZGhla3MuZ292L0RvY3VtZW50Q2VudGVyL1ZpZXcvMTY0MC9TaG9ydGVuZWQtUXVhcmFudGluZS1HdWlkYW5jZS1QREYtLTEyLTgtMjA_YmlkSWQ9JnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.hLQcxCOfzX4oJ0WQCn8qZxzFhlh0xaTW6OiqxYw2j2w/s/1305913646/br/110871761832-l">website</a>.

Here is the updated travel quarantine list from KDHE:

KDHE says it uses a formula to determine the travel quarantine list, which considers the two-week rate of new cases per 100,000 population. Locations with rates approximately three-times higher than Kansas are added to the list.

By WIBW TV's Melissa BrunnerTOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - You might want to hold off on a trip to Louisiana or that next out-of-town large conference.The Kansas Department of Health and Environment updated its travel quarantine list Friday to include the state of Louisiana, and in-state mass gatherings of 500 or more people that do not practice social distancing and wearing masks.Out-of-state mass gatherings - such as last Saturday’s Garth Brooks concert at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. - already were on the list.KDHE also removed the countries of countries of Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Jersey, and The United Kingdom. The changes are effective Aug. 13.“Given the increased transmission of the Delta variant across the state, we now consider attendance at mass gatherings in state to be high risk situations,” KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman said. “The virus does not know the boundaries of our state and we must all must take steps to protect those close to us by staying home after attending any large events.”People who are fully vaccinated, or who can show proof of a positive COVID-19 test within the previous six months do not need to quarantine, so long as they do not experience symptoms. KDHE says others must quarantine for seven days with a negative test result or 10 days without testing,quarantine. Further information on quarantine periods can be found on KDHE’s&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA4MTMuNDQ1MjcyMDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy5rZGhla3MuZ292L0RvY3VtZW50Q2VudGVyL1ZpZXcvMTY0MC9TaG9ydGVuZWQtUXVhcmFudGluZS1HdWlkYW5jZS1QREYtLTEyLTgtMjA_YmlkSWQ9JnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.hLQcxCOfzX4oJ0WQCn8qZxzFhlh0xaTW6OiqxYw2j2w/s/1305913646/br/110871761832-l">website</a>.Here is the updated travel quarantine list from KDHE:<ul>
 <li>Traveled on or after Aug. 13 to Louisiana.</li><li>Traveled on or after July 29 to Isle of Man or Martinique.</li><li>Traveled on or after July 15 to Fiji.</li><li>Traveled between July 29 – Aug. 13 to Botswana, Cuba or Gibraltar.</li><li>Traveled between July 15 – Aug. 13 to British Virgin Islands, Cyprus, Jersey or The United Kingdom.</li><li>Attendance at any out-of-state or in-state mass gatherings of 500 or more where individuals do not socially distance (6 feet) and wear a mask.</li><li>Been on a cruise ship or river cruise on or after March 15, 2020.</li>
 </ul>KDHE says it uses a formula to determine the travel quarantine list, which considers the two-week rate of new cases per 100,000 population. Locations with rates approximately three-times higher than Kansas are added to the list.

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