Storms are expected to move out of eastern Colorado and western Kansas late this afternoon and affect parts of central and south central Kansas after 9 pm.  Golf ball size hail and 70 mph winds will be possible with the stronger storms.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689860911192.jpeg" alt="NWS Severe Weather Outlook 7.20.23" />
 <figcaption>NWS Severe Weather Outlook 7.20.23</figcaption>
 </figure>NWS-WichitaStorms are expected to move out of eastern Colorado and western Kansas late this afternoon and affect parts of central and south central Kansas after 9 pm. Golf ball size hail and 70 mph winds will be possible with the stronger storms.

Severe Weather Possible Tonight, Early Friday Morning

Hays, Kan.—The Sunflower Electric Power Corp. Board of Directors has appointed Steve Epperson as interim president and CEO, effective immediately.

Epperson will replace Todd Hillman, who served as Sunflower’s president and CEO since January.

“We want to thank Todd for his service to Sunflower, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” said Wes Campbell, Sunflower’s board chairman. “We believe Steve is an excellent choice to serve in this interim role and lead Sunflower. These changes will enable Sunflower and our members to continue building on our success.”

Epperson has served as the CEO of Pioneer Electric Cooperative and Southern Pioneer Electric Company—two of Sunflower’s seven distribution member-owners—since 2011.

“I am honored to be chosen by my fellow Sunflower board members to lead Sunflower during this transition period,” Epperson said. “As always, our focus will be on taking care of our members and those they serve by supplying reliable energy at the lowest possible cost. The Sunflower board and staff remain committed to delivering excellent service and innovation our members and communities have come to expect from us.”

A search for a permanent successor is expected to begin as soon as possible. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689860708379.jpeg" alt="Steve&nbsp; Epperson. Image Courtesy Sunflower Electric Power Corp." />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp; Epperson. Image Courtesy Sunflower Electric Power Corp.</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays, Kan.—The Sunflower Electric Power Corp. Board of Directors has appointed Steve Epperson as interim president and CEO, effective immediately.Epperson will replace Todd Hillman, who served as Sunflower’s president and CEO since January.“We want to thank Todd for his service to Sunflower, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” said Wes Campbell, Sunflower’s board chairman. “We believe Steve is an excellent choice to serve in this interim role and lead Sunflower. These changes will enable Sunflower and our members to continue building on our success.”Epperson has served as the CEO of Pioneer Electric Cooperative and Southern Pioneer Electric Company—two of Sunflower’s seven distribution member-owners—since 2011.“I am honored to be chosen by my fellow Sunflower board members to lead Sunflower during this transition period,” Epperson said. “As always, our focus will be on taking care of our members and those they serve by supplying reliable energy at the lowest possible cost. The Sunflower board and staff remain committed to delivering excellent service and innovation our members and communities have come to expect from us.”A search for a permanent successor is expected to begin as soon as possible.

Sunflower Electric Power Corp. appoints interim president, CEO

NAME:Ardis,Brittany Nicole REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Probation violation

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Failure to appear,&nbsp;Driving While Suspended,&nbsp;Interfere w/ LEO; unknown circumstance, Drive w/o lights when needed,&nbsp;Poss of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689857162067.jpeg" alt="Anderson,Alexander Michael" />
 <figcaption>Anderson,Alexander Michael</figcaption>
 </figure> NAME:Anderson,Alexander MichaelREQUESTED CHARGE(S):outside warrant<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689857186397.jpeg" alt="Ardis,Brittany Nicole" />
 <figcaption>Ardis,Brittany Nicole</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Ardis,Brittany Nicole REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Probation violation <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689857258832.jpeg" alt="Jumaa,Musa Abubaker" />
 <figcaption>Jumaa,Musa Abubaker</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Jumaa,Musa AbubakerREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Outside warrant<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689857309488.jpeg" alt="Kantor,Shania Lynne" />
 <figcaption>Kantor,Shania Lynne</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Kantor,Shania LynneREQUESTED CHARGE(S):Probation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689857366489.jpeg" alt=" Lewis,Darval N" />
 <figcaption> Lewis,Darval N</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Lewis,Darval NREQUESTED CHARGE(S): In Transit<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688562049999.png" alt="Bookings No Image Available" />
 <figcaption>Bookings No Image Available</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME: Huff,Jerry AllenREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Probation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688562049999.png" alt="Bookings No Image Available" />
 <figcaption>Bookings No Image Available</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME: Wahl,Patrick JamesREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Failure to appear,&nbsp;Driving While Suspended,&nbsp;Interfere w/ LEO; unknown circumstance, Drive w/o lights when needed,&nbsp;Poss of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant

Saline County Jail Bookings, July 20

On July 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon after reaching the surface in their Apollo 11 lunar module.&nbsp;

In 1917, America’s World War I draft lottery began as Secretary of War Newton Baker, wearing a blindfold, reached into a glass bowl and pulled out a capsule containing the number 258 during a ceremony inside the Senate office building.&nbsp;

In 1944, an attempt by a group of German officials to assassinate Adolf Hitler with a bomb failed as the explosion only wounded the Nazi leader. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was nominated for a fourth term of office at the Democratic convention in Chicago.&nbsp;

In 1951, Jordan’s King Abdullah I was assassinated in Jerusalem by a Palestinian gunman who was shot dead on the spot by security.&nbsp;

In 1976, America’s Viking 1 robot spacecraft made a successful, first-ever landing on Mars.&nbsp;

In 1977, a flash flood hit Johnstown, Pennsylvania, killing more than 80 people and causing $350 million worth of damage. The U.N. Security Council voted to admit Vietnam to the world body.&nbsp;

In 1990, Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, one of the court’s most liberal voices, announced he was stepping down.&nbsp;

In 1993, White House deputy counsel Vincent Foster Jr., 48, was found shot to death in a park near Washington, D.C.; his death was ruled a suicide.&nbsp;

In 2006, the Senate voted 98-0 to renew the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act for another quarter-century.

In 2007, President George W. Bush signed an executive order prohibiting cruel and inhuman treatment, including humiliation or denigration of religious beliefs, in the detention and interrogation of terrorism suspects.&nbsp;

In 2010, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted almost totally along party lines, 13-6, to approve Elena Kagan to be the Supreme Court’s fourth female justice.&nbsp;

In 2012: Gunman James Holmes opened fire inside a crowded movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises,” killing 12 people and wounding 70 others. (Holmes was later convicted of murder and attempted murder, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.) After years of preparation and months of buildup, London’s Olympic moment finally arrived as Royal Marine Martyn Williams carried the Olympic torch from a Royal Navy Sea King helicopter into the Tower of London on the shore of the River Thames (tehmz).

In 2013, longtime White House correspondent Helen Thomas, 92, died in Washington.

In 2015, the United States and Cuba restored full diplomatic relations after more than five decades of frosty relations rooted in the Cold War. The U.N. Security Council unanimously endorsed a landmark deal to rein in Iran’s nuclear program.&nbsp;

In 2017: O.J. Simpson was granted parole after more than eight years in prison for a hotel room heist in Las Vegas. (He was released on October 1.)&nbsp;

In 2021: New York prison officials handed convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein over to authorities in California, where the former movie mogul faced additional sexual assault charges. Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH’-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON’-poh) scored 50 points as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns 105-98 to win the NBA finals, 4-2; it was the first championship for the Bucks in 50 years. Jeff Bezos (BAY'-zohs) blasted into space from West Texas on his rocket company’s first flight with people on board, becoming the second billionaire in just over a week to ride his own spacecraft. (Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson had moved up the launch of his own flight from New Mexico and beat Bezos to space by nine days.)

July 20: Bassist John Lodge of the Moody Blues is 79. Country singer T.G. Sheppard is 78. Singer Kim Carnes is 77. Guitarist Carlos Santana is 75. Guitarist Jay Jay French of Twisted Sister is 70. Drummer Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols is 66. Actor Donna Dixon (“Bosom Buddies”) is 65. Keyboardist Mick McNeil of Simple Minds is 64. Country singer Radney Foster is 63. Actor Dean Winters (“30 Rock,” Mayhem in Allstate commercials) is 58. Guitarist Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam is 56. Actor Reed Diamond (“Judging Amy,” ″Homicide: Life on the Street”) is 55. Actor Josh Holloway (“Lost”) is 53. Singer Vitamin C is 53. Actor Sandra Oh is 51. Actor Omar Epps is 49. Actor Simon Rex is 48. Actor Judy Greer (“The Village,” ″Arrested Development”) is 47. Actor Charlie Korsmo (“Can’t Hardly Wait,” ″Hook”) is 44. Singer Elliott Yamin (“American Idol”) is 44. Model Gisele Bundchen is 42. Guitarist Mike Kennerty of All-American Rejects is 42. Actor Percy Daggs the Third (“Veronica Mars”) is 40. Actor John Francis Daley (“Bones,” ″Freaks and Geeks”) is 37. Dancer-country singer Julianne Hough (“Dancing with the Stars”) is 34. Actor Billi Bruno (“According to Jim”) is 26.

<h2>Today’s Highlight in History:&nbsp;</h2>On July 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon after reaching the surface in their Apollo 11 lunar module.&nbsp;<h2>On this date:&nbsp;</h2>In 1917, America’s World War I draft lottery began as Secretary of War Newton Baker, wearing a blindfold, reached into a glass bowl and pulled out a capsule containing the number 258 during a ceremony inside the Senate office building.&nbsp;In 1944, an attempt by a group of German officials to assassinate Adolf Hitler with a bomb failed as the explosion only wounded the Nazi leader. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was nominated for a fourth term of office at the Democratic convention in Chicago.&nbsp;In 1951, Jordan’s King Abdullah I was assassinated in Jerusalem by a Palestinian gunman who was shot dead on the spot by security.&nbsp;In 1976, America’s Viking 1 robot spacecraft made a successful, first-ever landing on Mars.&nbsp;In 1977, a flash flood hit Johnstown, Pennsylvania, killing more than 80 people and causing $350 million worth of damage. The U.N. Security Council voted to admit Vietnam to the world body.&nbsp;In 1990, Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, one of the court’s most liberal voices, announced he was stepping down.&nbsp;In 1993, White House deputy counsel Vincent Foster Jr., 48, was found shot to death in a park near Washington, D.C.; his death was ruled a suicide.&nbsp;In 2006, the Senate voted 98-0 to renew the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act for another quarter-century.In 2007, President George W. Bush signed an executive order prohibiting cruel and inhuman treatment, including humiliation or denigration of religious beliefs, in the detention and interrogation of terrorism suspects.&nbsp;In 2010, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted almost totally along party lines, 13-6, to approve Elena Kagan to be the Supreme Court’s fourth female justice.&nbsp;In 2012: Gunman James Holmes opened fire inside a crowded movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises,” killing 12 people and wounding 70 others. (Holmes was later convicted of murder and attempted murder, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.) After years of preparation and months of buildup, London’s Olympic moment finally arrived as Royal Marine Martyn Williams carried the Olympic torch from a Royal Navy Sea King helicopter into the Tower of London on the shore of the River Thames (tehmz).In 2013, longtime White House correspondent Helen Thomas, 92, died in Washington.In 2015, the United States and Cuba restored full diplomatic relations after more than five decades of frosty relations rooted in the Cold War. The U.N. Security Council unanimously endorsed a landmark deal to rein in Iran’s nuclear program.&nbsp;In 2017: O.J. Simpson was granted parole after more than eight years in prison for a hotel room heist in Las Vegas. (He was released on October 1.)&nbsp;In 2021: New York prison officials handed convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein over to authorities in California, where the former movie mogul faced additional sexual assault charges. Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH’-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON’-poh) scored 50 points as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns 105-98 to win the NBA finals, 4-2; it was the first championship for the Bucks in 50 years. Jeff Bezos (BAY'-zohs) blasted into space from West Texas on his rocket company’s first flight with people on board, becoming the second billionaire in just over a week to ride his own spacecraft. (Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson had moved up the launch of his own flight from New Mexico and beat Bezos to space by nine days.)July 20: Bassist John Lodge of the Moody Blues is 79. Country singer T.G. Sheppard is 78. Singer Kim Carnes is 77. Guitarist Carlos Santana is 75. Guitarist Jay Jay French of Twisted Sister is 70. Drummer Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols is 66. Actor Donna Dixon (“Bosom Buddies”) is 65. Keyboardist Mick McNeil of Simple Minds is 64. Country singer Radney Foster is 63. Actor Dean Winters (“30 Rock,” Mayhem in Allstate commercials) is 58. Guitarist Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam is 56. Actor Reed Diamond (“Judging Amy,” ″Homicide: Life on the Street”) is 55. Actor Josh Holloway (“Lost”) is 53. Singer Vitamin C is 53. Actor Sandra Oh is 51. Actor Omar Epps is 49. Actor Simon Rex is 48. Actor Judy Greer (“The Village,” ″Arrested Development”) is 47. Actor Charlie Korsmo (“Can’t Hardly Wait,” ″Hook”) is 44. Singer Elliott Yamin (“American Idol”) is 44. Model Gisele Bundchen is 42. Guitarist Mike Kennerty of All-American Rejects is 42. Actor Percy Daggs the Third (“Veronica Mars”) is 40. Actor John Francis Daley (“Bones,” ″Freaks and Geeks”) is 37. Dancer-country singer Julianne Hough (“Dancing with the Stars”) is 34. Actor Billi Bruno (“According to Jim”) is 26.

On This Day in History, July 20

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently offered tips as the weather heats up this summer. With fair week upon us, here are some reminders.

•Stay Cool! •Wear Appropriate Clothing: Choose lightweight, loose-fitting clothing. •Stay Cool Indoors: Stay in an air-conditioned place as much as possible. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library—even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat.&nbsp;Use your stove and oven less to maintain a cooler temperature in your home. •Schedule Outdoor Activities Carefully:&nbsp;Try to limit your outdoor activity to when it’s coolest, like morning and evening hours. Rest often in shady areas so that your body has a chance to recover.&nbsp;&nbsp; •Pace Yourself:&nbsp;Cut down on exercise during the heat. If you’re not accustomed to working or exercising in a hot environment, start slowly and pick up the pace gradually. If exertion in the heat makes your heart pound and leaves you gasping for breath, STOP all activity. Get into a cool area or into the shade, and rest, especially if you become lightheaded, confused, weak, or faint.&nbsp;&nbsp; •Wear Sunscreen:&nbsp;Sunburn affects your body’s ability to cool down and can make you dehydrated. If you must go outdoors, protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and by putting on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher 30 minutes prior to going out. Continue to reapply it according to the package directions.&nbsp;&nbsp;Tip: Look for sunscreens that say “broad spectrum” or “UVA/UVB protection” on their labels- these products work best. •Do Not Leave Children in Cars: Cars can quickly heat up to dangerous temperatures, even with a window cracked open. While anyone left in a parked car is at risk, children are especially at risk of getting a heat stroke or dying.&nbsp;&nbsp; •Avoid Hot and Heavy Meals: They add heat to your body!&nbsp;&nbsp; •Stay Hydrated:&nbsp;Drink Plenty of Fluids: Drink more fluids, regardless of how active you are. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.&nbsp;Warning: If your doctor limits the amount you drink or has you on water pills, ask how much you should drink while the weather is hot.&nbsp;Stay away from very sugary or alcoholic drinks—these actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps. •Replace Salt and Minerals: Heavy sweating removes salt and minerals from the body that need to be replaced. A sports drink can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat. If you are on a low-salt diet, have diabetes, high blood pressure, or other chronic conditions, talk with your doctor before drinking a sports beverage or taking salt tablets. •Keep Your Pets Hydrated: Provide plenty of fresh water for your pets, and leave the water in a shady area.&nbsp;&nbsp; •Stay Informed:&nbsp;Check your local news for extreme heat alerts and safety tips and to learn about any cooling shelters in your area.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; •Know the Signs: Learn the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses and how to treat them.&nbsp;&nbsp; •Use a Buddy System:&nbsp;When working in the heat, monitor the condition of your co-workers and have someone do the same for you. Heat-induced illness can cause a person to become confused or lose consciousness. If you are 65 years of age or older, have a friend or relative call to check on you twice a day during a heat wave. If you know someone in this age group, check on them at least twice a day. •Monitor Those at High Risk: Although anyone at any time can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others: &nbsp;· Infants and young children · People 65 years of age or older · People who are overweight · People who overexert during work or exercise · People who are physically ill, especially with heart disease or high blood pressure, or who take certain medications, such as for depression, insomnia, or poor circulation.

The Ellis County Fair does have air-conditioned buildings so please come in and get out of the heat if you need to. We also have sunscreen available donated by the Ellis County Cancer Council. We will have a mother’s room available if you want a private space to get out of the heat to feed your baby in the Unrein building! 

Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at 785-628-9430 or moniquek@ksu.edu.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668522152076.jpeg" alt="Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension, Cottonwood District." />
 <figcaption>Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension, Cottonwood District.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently offered tips as the weather heats up this summer. With fair week upon us, here are some reminders.•Stay Cool! •Wear Appropriate Clothing: Choose lightweight, loose-fitting clothing. •Stay Cool Indoors: Stay in an air-conditioned place as much as possible. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library—even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat.&nbsp;Use your stove and oven less to maintain a cooler temperature in your home. •Schedule Outdoor Activities Carefully:&nbsp;Try to limit your outdoor activity to when it’s coolest, like morning and evening hours. Rest often in shady areas so that your body has a chance to recover.&nbsp;&nbsp; •Pace Yourself:&nbsp;Cut down on exercise during the heat. If you’re not accustomed to working or exercising in a hot environment, start slowly and pick up the pace gradually. If exertion in the heat makes your heart pound and leaves you gasping for breath, STOP all activity. Get into a cool area or into the shade, and rest, especially if you become lightheaded, confused, weak, or faint.&nbsp;&nbsp; •Wear Sunscreen:&nbsp;Sunburn affects your body’s ability to cool down and can make you dehydrated. If you must go outdoors, protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and by putting on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher 30 minutes prior to going out. Continue to reapply it according to the package directions.&nbsp;&nbsp;Tip: Look for sunscreens that say “broad spectrum” or “UVA/UVB protection” on their labels- these products work best. •Do Not Leave Children in Cars: Cars can quickly heat up to dangerous temperatures, even with a window cracked open. While anyone left in a parked car is at risk, children are especially at risk of getting a heat stroke or dying.&nbsp;&nbsp; •Avoid Hot and Heavy Meals: They add heat to your body!&nbsp;&nbsp; •Stay Hydrated:&nbsp;Drink Plenty of Fluids: Drink more fluids, regardless of how active you are. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.&nbsp;Warning: If your doctor limits the amount you drink or has you on water pills, ask how much you should drink while the weather is hot.&nbsp;Stay away from very sugary or alcoholic drinks—these actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps. •Replace Salt and Minerals: Heavy sweating removes salt and minerals from the body that need to be replaced. A sports drink can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat. If you are on a low-salt diet, have diabetes, high blood pressure, or other chronic conditions, talk with your doctor before drinking a sports beverage or taking salt tablets. •Keep Your Pets Hydrated: Provide plenty of fresh water for your pets, and leave the water in a shady area.&nbsp;&nbsp; •Stay Informed:&nbsp;Check your local news for extreme heat alerts and safety tips and to learn about any cooling shelters in your area.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; •Know the Signs: Learn the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses and how to treat them.&nbsp;&nbsp; •Use a Buddy System:&nbsp;When working in the heat, monitor the condition of your co-workers and have someone do the same for you. Heat-induced illness can cause a person to become confused or lose consciousness. If you are 65 years of age or older, have a friend or relative call to check on you twice a day during a heat wave. If you know someone in this age group, check on them at least twice a day. •Monitor Those at High Risk: Although anyone at any time can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others: &nbsp;· Infants and young children · People 65 years of age or older · People who are overweight · People who overexert during work or exercise · People who are physically ill, especially with heart disease or high blood pressure, or who take certain medications, such as for depression, insomnia, or poor circulation. The Ellis County Fair does have air-conditioned buildings so please come in and get out of the heat if you need to. We also have sunscreen available donated by the Ellis County Cancer Council. We will have a mother’s room available if you want a private space to get out of the heat to feed your baby in the Unrein building! Have a great week.Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at 785-628-9430 or moniquek@ksu.edu.

KOERNER: Stay cool, stay hydrated, stay informed

WASHINGTON, D.C.&nbsp;– U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced the&nbsp;Voluntary Groundwater Conservation Act&nbsp;to give family farmers and ranchers the flexibility they need to protect groundwater sources while keeping their agricultural lands in production. “The ongoing drought in Kansas is putting a strain on groundwater supply, including the Ogallala aquifer,”&nbsp;said Moran.&nbsp;“This legislation would enable farmers and ranchers to join a voluntary water conservation program to leverage their land and water resources with USDA, providing incentives for reducing groundwater use. By conserving our natural resources and limiting the strain on the aquifer, this legislation would help producers conserve the water their farms and ranches depend upon for future generations.” “Colorado’s family farmers and ranchers face a future that’s going to be a lot hotter and a lot drier — and they need us to ensure USDA’s conservation programs live up to their potential,”&nbsp;said Bennet.&nbsp;“Building off the work of Coloradans in the San Luis Valley who first used voluntary easements to support groundwater conservation to sustain the local agricultural economy and wildlife habitat, this legislation creates a new tool for farmers to voluntarily reduce their groundwater use and continue to farm.” “As the West continues to grapple with a historic mega-drought and the long-term aridification caused by climate change, we need solutions that will help us sustainably manage our precious and limited groundwater resources,”&nbsp;said Heinrich.&nbsp;“That’s why I'm proud to support this bipartisan bill that will provide farmers and producers with more tools to meet the short-term challenges posed by water scarcity, while protecting the long-term health of our aquifers.” America’s groundwater resources are a primary source of drinking water for rural communities and a vital irrigation water supply for many family farms and ranches across the country. However, these resources are in decline — a trend that could seriously affect communities, water users, ecosystem health and local economies. The&nbsp;Voluntary Groundwater Conservation Act&nbsp;creates a new voluntary groundwater easement program at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service NRCS) within the Agricultural Conservation Easements Program. This easement program is modeled after the experience of Colorado Open Lands, which signed the first-ever groundwater easement in 2022 for the Rio Grande River Basin. The&nbsp;Voluntary Groundwater Conservation Act&nbsp;would:

“The Voluntary Groundwater Conservation Act of 2023 is fully supported by the Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 3. This policy leadership from Senator Bennet and Senator Moran reinforces our efforts to conserve and extend the Ogallala Aquifer and the success of our agri-based rural communities that depend on vital groundwater supplies long term," said Mark Rude, executive director of the Garden City-based Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 3. 

"Southwest Kansas farmers have cut water use by 13% (over 200,000 acre-feet) in recent years while assuring the success of food, fiber and energy production in a way that works for their families and communities. We are grateful for the financial support and options afforded them through the Voluntary Groundwater Conservation Act of 2023 to close the gap between aquifer declines and stable water levels for future generations to enjoy the benefits of agriculture food security and the environment," said Rude.&nbsp; “Developed in collaboration with agricultural water users, groundwater easements offer an innovative approach to addressing the West's increasingly critical groundwater shortages,"&nbsp;said Lesli Allison, chief executive officer of the Western Landowners Alliance.&nbsp;"We appreciate that they are voluntary, flexible, compensated and durable. These are the kinds of tools needed to sustain the working lands and natural resources on which we all depend." “From spring-fed streams on the eastern plains to wetlands in the San Luis Valley, groundwater plays a critical role in sustaining vital fish and wildlife habitat important to hunters and anglers in Colorado,”&nbsp;said Alex Funk, director of water resources and senior counsel, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.&nbsp;“The Voluntary Groundwater Conservation Act will create a new, flexible tool for farmers and ranchers in Colorado and other states experiencing challenges with sustainably managing aquifer supplies, while protecting important working landscapes and water resources from further development, maintaining food and fiber production, and helping to restore groundwater-dependent ecosystems critical to sustaining fish and wildlife.” Full text of the bill can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/0/d/0d3df372-9cfb-4292-bd9b-767a2a6c9df3/31CD28A2B1B272C03CB6E2C486316319.voluntary-groundwater-conservation-act-of-2023-bill-text.pdf" target="_blank">HERE</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689712377736.jpeg" alt="Photo by Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>Office of Sen. MoranWASHINGTON, D.C.&nbsp;– U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced the&nbsp;Voluntary Groundwater Conservation Act&nbsp;to give family farmers and ranchers the flexibility they need to protect groundwater sources while keeping their agricultural lands in production. “The ongoing drought in Kansas is putting a strain on groundwater supply, including the Ogallala aquifer,”&nbsp;said Moran.&nbsp;“This legislation would enable farmers and ranchers to join a voluntary water conservation program to leverage their land and water resources with USDA, providing incentives for reducing groundwater use. By conserving our natural resources and limiting the strain on the aquifer, this legislation would help producers conserve the water their farms and ranches depend upon for future generations.” “Colorado’s family farmers and ranchers face a future that’s going to be a lot hotter and a lot drier — and they need us to ensure USDA’s conservation programs live up to their potential,”&nbsp;said Bennet.&nbsp;“Building off the work of Coloradans in the San Luis Valley who first used voluntary easements to support groundwater conservation to sustain the local agricultural economy and wildlife habitat, this legislation creates a new tool for farmers to voluntarily reduce their groundwater use and continue to farm.” “As the West continues to grapple with a historic mega-drought and the long-term aridification caused by climate change, we need solutions that will help us sustainably manage our precious and limited groundwater resources,”&nbsp;said Heinrich.&nbsp;“That’s why I'm proud to support this bipartisan bill that will provide farmers and producers with more tools to meet the short-term challenges posed by water scarcity, while protecting the long-term health of our aquifers.” America’s groundwater resources are a primary source of drinking water for rural communities and a vital irrigation water supply for many family farms and ranches across the country. However, these resources are in decline — a trend that could seriously affect communities, water users, ecosystem health and local economies. The&nbsp;Voluntary Groundwater Conservation Act&nbsp;creates a new voluntary groundwater easement program at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service NRCS) within the Agricultural Conservation Easements Program. This easement program is modeled after the experience of Colorado Open Lands, which signed the first-ever groundwater easement in 2022 for the Rio Grande River Basin. The&nbsp;Voluntary Groundwater Conservation Act&nbsp;would:<ul>
 <li>Create a new Groundwater Conservation Easement Program at USDA to encourage voluntary, compensated reductions in groundwater consumption on agricultural land and advance local, regional or state groundwater management goals;</li><li>Allow NRCS to reimburse transaction costs up to 5 percent of the federal share and requires an advance payment for limited resource producers to cover these costs;</li><li>Guarantee long-term management flexibility for a producer to continue farming and choose how they reduce their water use, as long as they conserve the amount they’ve committed to reducing each year;</li><li>Make certain farmers are fairly compensated using a payment based on the market value for the water right instead of a per acre payment; and</li><li>Clarify that easement funds shall not be counted towards a farm’s adjusted gross income and that producers with an adjusted gross income of more than $900,000 are eligible for a waiver from the Secretary to participate in groundwater conservation easements.</li>
 </ul>“The Voluntary Groundwater Conservation Act of 2023 is fully supported by the Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 3. This policy leadership from Senator Bennet and Senator Moran reinforces our efforts to conserve and extend the Ogallala Aquifer and the success of our agri-based rural communities that depend on vital groundwater supplies long term," said Mark Rude, executive director of the Garden City-based Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 3. "Southwest Kansas farmers have cut water use by 13% (over 200,000 acre-feet) in recent years while assuring the success of food, fiber and energy production in a way that works for their families and communities. We are grateful for the financial support and options afforded them through the Voluntary Groundwater Conservation Act of 2023 to close the gap between aquifer declines and stable water levels for future generations to enjoy the benefits of agriculture food security and the environment," said Rude.&nbsp; “Developed in collaboration with agricultural water users, groundwater easements offer an innovative approach to addressing the West's increasingly critical groundwater shortages,"&nbsp;said Lesli Allison, chief executive officer of the Western Landowners Alliance.&nbsp;"We appreciate that they are voluntary, flexible, compensated and durable. These are the kinds of tools needed to sustain the working lands and natural resources on which we all depend." “From spring-fed streams on the eastern plains to wetlands in the San Luis Valley, groundwater plays a critical role in sustaining vital fish and wildlife habitat important to hunters and anglers in Colorado,”&nbsp;said Alex Funk, director of water resources and senior counsel, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.&nbsp;“The Voluntary Groundwater Conservation Act will create a new, flexible tool for farmers and ranchers in Colorado and other states experiencing challenges with sustainably managing aquifer supplies, while protecting important working landscapes and water resources from further development, maintaining food and fiber production, and helping to restore groundwater-dependent ecosystems critical to sustaining fish and wildlife.” Full text of the bill can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/0/d/0d3df372-9cfb-4292-bd9b-767a2a6c9df3/31CD28A2B1B272C03CB6E2C486316319.voluntary-groundwater-conservation-act-of-2023-bill-text.pdf" target="_blank">HERE</a>.

Sen. Moran introduces legislation to help farmers and ranchers combat drought

By NATE KING Salina Post

The Saline County Sheriff's Office is investigating a burglary that occurred on Sunday involving multiple tires of different sizes.

At approximately 12:40 a.m. on July 16, a white Chevy Silverado pickup was caught on camera driving around the backside of Saline County Concrete, 1700 W. State Street. Sheriff Soldan said this morning that pry marks were found on one of the businesses' doors.

"Eight R22.5 tires, valued at $4,800, and an additional eight tires 425/65R22.5, valued at $1,200 were stolen from the business," Soldan said.&nbsp;

Total property loss is valued at $6,000. Soldan said the video surveillance did not provide them with a tag or license plate number.&nbsp;

<div><iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2379.069017423109!2d-97.63565045056248!3d38.840987075300944!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x87bccf3ffb817a65%3A0xfcbc3d62ec7a993e!2sSaline%20County%20Concrete!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1689801191043!5m2!1sen!2sus" width="600" height="450" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe>
</div>By NATE KING Salina PostThe Saline County Sheriff's Office is investigating a burglary that occurred on Sunday involving multiple tires of different sizes.At approximately 12:40 a.m. on July 16, a white Chevy Silverado pickup was caught on camera driving around the backside of Saline County Concrete, 1700 W. State Street. Sheriff Soldan said this morning that pry marks were found on one of the businesses' doors."Eight R22.5 tires, valued at $4,800, and an additional eight tires 425/65R22.5, valued at $1,200 were stolen from the business," Soldan said.&nbsp;Total property loss is valued at $6,000. Soldan said the video surveillance did not provide them with a tag or license plate number.&nbsp;

Saline County Business Reports Late Night Tire Theft 

Following is recent booking activity for the Saline County Jail, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail.

NAME:Imlay,Eric Charles&nbsp;&nbsp; REQUESTED CHARGE(S):Interf w/LEO; obstr/resist/oppose felony warrant, Probation Violation

NAME:Jones,Tatyana Lynn REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Failure to appear

NAME:Ransom,Alexanderia Diane REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Outside Warrant

NAME:&nbsp;Roberson,Darnell Alseno REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Failure to appear

NAME:&nbsp;Vermillion,Shawn Dean REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Probation Violation

Following is recent booking activity for the Saline County Jail, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689773642293.png" alt=" Imlay,Eric Charles" />
 <figcaption> Imlay,Eric Charles</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Imlay,Eric Charles&nbsp;&nbsp; REQUESTED CHARGE(S):Interf w/LEO; obstr/resist/oppose felony warrant, Probation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689773688722.png" alt="Jones,Tatyana Lynn" />
 <figcaption>Jones,Tatyana Lynn</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Jones,Tatyana Lynn REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Failure to appear<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689773722079.png" alt="Ransom,Alexanderia Diane" />
 <figcaption>Ransom,Alexanderia Diane</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Ransom,Alexanderia Diane REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Outside Warrant<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689773763827.png" alt="Roberson,Darnell Alseno" />
 <figcaption>Roberson,Darnell Alseno</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Roberson,Darnell Alseno REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Failure to appear<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689773853533.png" alt="Vermillion,Shawn Dean" />
 <figcaption>Vermillion,Shawn Dean</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Vermillion,Shawn Dean REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Probation Violation

Saline County Booking Activity, July 19

Howdy my name is Bubba. I am the goofball who was running on Holmes Road and would not let anybody catch me. I am a super good boy who just needed some time to trust the humans again. I am approximately 1.5 years young. I am fully vetted. I may need some gentle love and understanding from "YOU" my new human. I will be accepting appointment to see "YOU" my new human today (Friday) or walk in this Saturday from 10am to 1pm. My adoption fee is $75.00 until 7-15-2023 at 1pm.

Call 785-826-6535 to make an appointment to meet Bubba.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689769624996.jpeg" alt="Bubba" />
 <figcaption>Bubba</figcaption>
 </figure>By Salina Post Meet Bubba:Howdy my name is Bubba. I am the goofball who was running on Holmes Road and would not let anybody catch me. I am a super good boy who just needed some time to trust the humans again. I am approximately 1.5 years young. I am fully vetted. I may need some gentle love and understanding from "YOU" my new human. I will be accepting appointment to see "YOU" my new human today (Friday) or walk in this Saturday from 10am to 1pm. My adoption fee is $75.00 until 7-15-2023 at 1pm. With much LoveBubba "Freeto Feet" the MastiffCall 785-826-6535 to make an appointment to meet Bubba.&nbsp;

Salina Post’s Animal Shelter Pet of the Week

A mobile app available to consumers who patronize local Saline County businesses, notched another record last month.

The Choose Saline County loyalty program redeemed $12,681 in “Saline Stars” during June, rewarding shoppers for buying goods and services in Saline County over large chains and online retailers. Stars are worth $1 each.

Since launching during the late spring of 2022, Choose Saline County has seen $2.3 million in economic activity flow through the platform, and $84,800 redeemed to local businesses, said Christopher DiGirolomo, city success manager at Colu, a company from Israel, now based in New York City.

Until June, monthly redemptions had yet to eclipse $11,000.

Last month’s results were a surprise, said Ector Diaz, marketing and content coordinator for the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, and a “local ambassador” of the Choose Saline County app.

“People are loving the app and are using it more regularly. That gave us something like Christmas in June,” he said. “You would expect something like that around the holidays.”

Saline County is the leading community among seven signed up with the Colu program. Others include Peachtree Corners, GA, Utica, NY, Akron and Youngstown in Ohio, and Monterey Park, CA.

“Saline County a frontrunner and early adopter of this kind of smart city technology,” DiGirolomo said. “It is refreshing to see a county that truly champions its constituents.”

His hopes for Saline County continue to climb, expecting to reach 100,000 Stars redeemed and approach $2.5 million in economic activity within the next two months.

Economic activity is the number of dollars spent to earn the rewards and the amount of rewards being redeemed, DiGirolomo said.

More businesses are joining in as “earners,” who reward Stars to consumers, and “redeemers,” who both reward Stars and allow Stars to be used for purchases.

“Other cities are also doing well, but Saline County has had more magnitude,” he said.

County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes ran into the app while shopping for a way to bolster the local economy with the county’s $10.532 million federal allotment from the American Rescue Plan Act. It was meant to counter the pain from the COVID-19 pandemic. Saline Stars were hatched in April 2022. The first results were logged in June last year.

The county aims to spend up to $670,000 out of that fund on the loyalty program. Both Smith-Hanes and Melissa McCoy, county public information officer, lauded County Commissioners for adopting Choose Saline County as an innovative way to disperse funds.

The program is gaining in participation and in popularity.

“It absolutely encourages me to shop locally more often. I spend a lot of Stars downtown,” said Nikki Morgan, who works in Salina and lives in Assaria.

“I am more likely to make a purchase at a business that will help me to earn Stars, or where I can spend Stars,” she said.

Choose Saline County is a bit like eating Bonbons in front of the television and knowing you’re not going to gain an ounce.

The app provides a lure for folks to shop for goods and services in Salina/Saline County. Purchases can have zero effect on the budget, leaving little buyer’s remorse.

Not long ago, Melissa McCoy, the county’s public information officer, loaded up her two young sons, drove them to Brown’s Shoe Fit,&nbsp;2150 Planet Ave., in South Salina, and outfitted them with new shoes. McCoy had enough to snare some kicks for herself, spending 300 Stars.

“Ninety-nine percent of my money goes to my family, but there is no guilt when I use some Stars for myself,” she said. “Now I have a nice new pair of running shoes that doesn’t have holes in the toes.”

Choose Saline County has played a role in producing “real good results,” at Brown’s, said owner Daniel Pilkington.

“We have people getting shoes sooner that they normally would, because they can afford it,” he said.

Buying habits vary, but Stars come into play often.

“We have somebody redeeming Stars almost every day,” Pilkington said. “You get people redeeming once or twice a year, and people who use (the app) every quarter. People see us with the app who have never been in before, or they may not come in as soon,. We’ve definitely gotten new customers off of the app.”

Stars make some non-necessity purchases possible.

“I would not have gotten my lashes lifted if I could not have redeemed my Stars,” McCoy said.

That provided some income for Brandy Mauldin at Salon 2412, a redeeming business at 2412 Belmont.&nbsp;

While mosquitoes were swarming in her back yard, McCoy used Stars to stock up on insecticide Dunks to kill mosquito larvae in standing water, in an effort to cut back on the numbers of the blood-sucking, disease-spreading&nbsp;&nbsp;pests.

“I opened my (Choose Saline County) app to see where I could go. I thought ‘Why not go to Ace Hardware (321 S. Broadway) where I can get 20-percent back in Stars?’ It’s easy to fall into a routine and always frequent the same places,” McCoy said.

Some shoppers have provided suggestions to improve the app, such as convincing more merchants to be redeemers. There are currently 46 redeemers in the county and only one is a restaurant.

Proponents are on a mission to add eateries to the redeemers list. A few are edging closer to letting diners spend Stars. Among them is Tony Dong, owner of Martinelli’s Little Italy, 158 S. Santa Fe.

“It’s something I want to do. The couple of times it’s been in front of my face to get it set up, I just haven’t had time. It’s all on me,” he said. “The rollout of (Choose Saline County) was during the COVID era, and we were just like a lot of other businesses, trying to figure out how to operate, and adding something to manage just wasn’t something we wanted to do. We learned there are some hoops to jump through.”

Dong does not fear the necessary technology to become a redeemer, and nor will his 60 to 70 employees, most of them high school and college students. He’s confident that tweaking his system is do-able.

“All I need is a checklist typed out and posted somewhere,” Dong said. “I’ve just gotta be a better manager, figure out a system, and get it rolling.”

Nikki would like more places to spend her Stars.

“I feel like more businesses could definitely participate in the redeemer side of things,” she said.

Promoters are working on rectifying a number of issues.

But overall, DiGirolomo is leading cheers for the county from afar. He plans a visit to Saline County within the next few months.

“Phil’s been awesome. He cares about his constituents,” DiGirolomo said. “I love seeing all the engagement from community members, and how Saline County has been championing the community.”

The amount of rewards varies by geographic area — 5 percent in areas where the most Stars are awarded, to 20 percent in sectors that could use a boost.

It’s an effort to encourage more activity and spread it more evenly, DiGirolomo said.

Shoppers from anywhere can sign up for the app. They are limited to 250 Stars per area and up to 10 Stars per transaction.

“If I max out in a certain area, I have still trained myself to go back to those stores and shop more locally,” McCoy said.

She also peruses the app to find more Star rewarding places to shop, and those who both award Stars and redeem them.

“It’s making it almost like a game,” DiGirolomo said. “When people max out in one place, they can go elsewhere for rewards.”

“Saline Stars can be leveraged to gamify local events and initiatives, further driving consumer engagement and supporting the local economy … creating a win-win situation for both consumers and businesses.”

Choose Saline County aims to foster a fair, balanced and equitable environment that’s capable of growth.

“What we’re trying to do is increase local economic activity, establish a more circular economy that stays within Saline County. And the other piece, we want people to have a shared sense of community betterment, a sense of pride, a sense of ownership,” DiGirolomo said. “When that happens, they tend to treat home better, and it also creates a shared sense of community betterment and solidarity.”&nbsp; Colu makes money by charging fees for the software, monitoring the app and providing data, said Christopher DiGirolomo, city success manager at Colu in New York City.

FACTOID: Salon 2412 is relocating in August to a larger space at 2501 Market, with expanded services.&nbsp; Choose Saline County is funded through 2024, said Melissa McCoy, the county’s public information officer, but if the loyalty program results in a significant rise in sales tax revenue, it could continue

“It would have to be self-sustaining, but even if it ends in 2024, we still have a year and a half to benefit from this,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689768679549.jpeg" alt="The large blue sticker on the sidewalk in front of True Betty Boutique, 108 N. Santa Fe downtown Saline, shows the business is participating in the Choose Saline County mobile app. Photo courtesy of Melissa McCoy" />
 <figcaption>The large blue sticker on the sidewalk in front of True Betty Boutique, 108 N. Santa Fe downtown Saline, shows the business is participating in the Choose Saline County mobile app. Photo courtesy of Melissa McCoy</figcaption>
 </figure>By Tim UnruhA mobile app available to consumers who patronize local Saline County businesses, notched another record last month.The Choose Saline County loyalty program redeemed $12,681 in “Saline Stars” during June, rewarding shoppers for buying goods and services in Saline County over large chains and online retailers. Stars are worth $1 each.Since launching during the late spring of 2022, Choose Saline County has seen $2.3 million in economic activity flow through the platform, and $84,800 redeemed to local businesses, said Christopher DiGirolomo, city success manager at Colu, a company from Israel, now based in New York City.Until June, monthly redemptions had yet to eclipse $11,000.Last month’s results were a surprise, said Ector Diaz, marketing and content coordinator for the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, and a “local ambassador” of the Choose Saline County app.“People are loving the app and are using it more regularly. That gave us something like Christmas in June,” he said. “You would expect something like that around the holidays.”Saline County is the leading community among seven signed up with the Colu program. Others include Peachtree Corners, GA, Utica, NY, Akron and Youngstown in Ohio, and Monterey Park, CA.“Saline County a frontrunner and early adopter of this kind of smart city technology,” DiGirolomo said. “It is refreshing to see a county that truly champions its constituents.”His hopes for Saline County continue to climb, expecting to reach 100,000 Stars redeemed and approach $2.5 million in economic activity within the next two months.Economic activity is the number of dollars spent to earn the rewards and the amount of rewards being redeemed, DiGirolomo said.More businesses are joining in as “earners,” who reward Stars to consumers, and “redeemers,” who both reward Stars and allow Stars to be used for purchases.“Other cities are also doing well, but Saline County has had more magnitude,” he said.County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes ran into the app while shopping for a way to bolster the local economy with the county’s $10.532 million federal allotment from the American Rescue Plan Act. It was meant to counter the pain from the COVID-19 pandemic. Saline Stars were hatched in April 2022. The first results were logged in June last year.The county aims to spend up to $670,000 out of that fund on the loyalty program. Both Smith-Hanes and Melissa McCoy, county public information officer, lauded County Commissioners for adopting Choose Saline County as an innovative way to disperse funds.The program is gaining in participation and in popularity.“It absolutely encourages me to shop locally more often. I spend a lot of Stars downtown,” said Nikki Morgan, who works in Salina and lives in Assaria.“I am more likely to make a purchase at a business that will help me to earn Stars, or where I can spend Stars,” she said.Choose Saline County is a bit like eating Bonbons in front of the television and knowing you’re not going to gain an ounce.The app provides a lure for folks to shop for goods and services in Salina/Saline County. Purchases can have zero effect on the budget, leaving little buyer’s remorse.Not long ago, Melissa McCoy, the county’s public information officer, loaded up her two young sons, drove them to Brown’s Shoe Fit,&nbsp;2150 Planet Ave., in South Salina, and outfitted them with new shoes. McCoy had enough to snare some kicks for herself, spending 300 Stars.“Ninety-nine percent of my money goes to my family, but there is no guilt when I use some Stars for myself,” she said. “Now I have a nice new pair of running shoes that doesn’t have holes in the toes.”Choose Saline County has played a role in producing “real good results,” at Brown’s, said owner Daniel Pilkington.“We have people getting shoes sooner that they normally would, because they can afford it,” he said.Buying habits vary, but Stars come into play often.“We have somebody redeeming Stars almost every day,” Pilkington said. “You get people redeeming once or twice a year, and people who use (the app) every quarter. People see us with the app who have never been in before, or they may not come in as soon,. We’ve definitely gotten new customers off of the app.”Stars make some non-necessity purchases possible.“I would not have gotten my lashes lifted if I could not have redeemed my Stars,” McCoy said.That provided some income for Brandy Mauldin at Salon 2412, a redeeming business at 2412 Belmont.&nbsp;While mosquitoes were swarming in her back yard, McCoy used Stars to stock up on insecticide Dunks to kill mosquito larvae in standing water, in an effort to cut back on the numbers of the blood-sucking, disease-spreading&nbsp;&nbsp;pests.“I opened my (Choose Saline County) app to see where I could go. I thought ‘Why not go to Ace Hardware (321 S. Broadway) where I can get 20-percent back in Stars?’ It’s easy to fall into a routine and always frequent the same places,” McCoy said.Some shoppers have provided suggestions to improve the app, such as convincing more merchants to be redeemers. There are currently 46 redeemers in the county and only one is a restaurant.Proponents are on a mission to add eateries to the redeemers list. A few are edging closer to letting diners spend Stars. Among them is Tony Dong, owner of Martinelli’s Little Italy, 158 S. Santa Fe.“It’s something I want to do. The couple of times it’s been in front of my face to get it set up, I just haven’t had time. It’s all on me,” he said. “The rollout of (Choose Saline County) was during the COVID era, and we were just like a lot of other businesses, trying to figure out how to operate, and adding something to manage just wasn’t something we wanted to do. We learned there are some hoops to jump through.”Dong does not fear the necessary technology to become a redeemer, and nor will his 60 to 70 employees, most of them high school and college students. He’s confident that tweaking his system is do-able.“All I need is a checklist typed out and posted somewhere,” Dong said. “I’ve just gotta be a better manager, figure out a system, and get it rolling.”Nikki would like more places to spend her Stars.“I feel like more businesses could definitely participate in the redeemer side of things,” she said.Promoters are working on rectifying a number of issues.But overall, DiGirolomo is leading cheers for the county from afar. He plans a visit to Saline County within the next few months.“Phil’s been awesome. He cares about his constituents,” DiGirolomo said. “I love seeing all the engagement from community members, and how Saline County has been championing the community.”The amount of rewards varies by geographic area — 5 percent in areas where the most Stars are awarded, to 20 percent in sectors that could use a boost.It’s an effort to encourage more activity and spread it more evenly, DiGirolomo said.Shoppers from anywhere can sign up for the app. They are limited to 250 Stars per area and up to 10 Stars per transaction.“If I max out in a certain area, I have still trained myself to go back to those stores and shop more locally,” McCoy said.She also peruses the app to find more Star rewarding places to shop, and those who both award Stars and redeem them.“It’s making it almost like a game,” DiGirolomo said. “When people max out in one place, they can go elsewhere for rewards.”Like the Colu website reads:“Saline Stars can be leveraged to gamify local events and initiatives, further driving consumer engagement and supporting the local economy … creating a win-win situation for both consumers and businesses.”Choose Saline County aims to foster a fair, balanced and equitable environment that’s capable of growth.“What we’re trying to do is increase local economic activity, establish a more circular economy that stays within Saline County. And the other piece, we want people to have a shared sense of community betterment, a sense of pride, a sense of ownership,” DiGirolomo said. “When that happens, they tend to treat home better, and it also creates a shared sense of community betterment and solidarity.”&nbsp; Colu makes money by charging fees for the software, monitoring the app and providing data, said Christopher DiGirolomo, city success manager at Colu in New York City.FACTOID: Salon 2412 is relocating in August to a larger space at 2501 Market, with expanded services.&nbsp; Choose Saline County is funded through 2024, said Melissa McCoy, the county’s public information officer, but if the loyalty program results in a significant rise in sales tax revenue, it could continue“It would have to be self-sustaining, but even if it ends in 2024, we still have a year and a half to benefit from this,” she said.

‘Like Christmas in June’ Choose Saline County app raises redemption record

City offices, school board members, and special districts undergo elections in odd years, governed by distinct laws from those applicable to even-year elections. A primary election becomes necessary solely when the number of qualified candidates for an office exceeds three times the positions available. 

In Saline County, there are no races meeting these criteria, consequently rendering an August Primary election unnecessary.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689768081755.jpeg" alt="Salina County Image" />
 <figcaption>Salina County Image</figcaption>
 </figure> Saline CountyCity offices, school board members, and special districts undergo elections in odd years, governed by distinct laws from those applicable to even-year elections. A primary election becomes necessary solely when the number of qualified candidates for an office exceeds three times the positions available. In Saline County, there are no races meeting these criteria, consequently rendering an August Primary election unnecessary.

Saline County: No August Primary in Saline County

Sometimes, society’s norms make it more difficult for men to take care of their health.

“We’re told to brush it off, walk it off, don’t cry, don’t show your true feelings...,” said Brad Dirks, the associate director of Kansas State University’s Physician Assistant program.

“That’s true when we talk about (physical) health, and even mental health. Those symptoms that would normally be evident are different for men. Signs and symptoms look different because we ignore them for quite a while until it becomes something that we can’t ignore.”

Dirks and colleague Elaine Johannes – the Kansas Health Foundation Distinguished Professor of Community Health at K-State – have varying perspectives on the effects of men's tendency to put aside their immediate health.

“I’ve been married well over 40 years, and it’s hard to see the men in our lives not take care of themselves,” Johannes said. “It’s hard to also know when to intervene, when to remind, when to nudge, when to nag…and I am more and more concerned that the men in our lives are pushing so hard to provide for their families and to maintain the stamina they had when they were younger.”

Dirks noted that the leading health-related causes of death among men are – in order – heart disease, stroke, suicide, prostate cancer and lung cancer.

“We know that there are genetic links for many diseases, which you can’t control,” Dirks said.

But he added that the risk factors for common diseases are controllable. “Smoking is a risk factor for all of the top five,” Dirks said. “And, we can monitor our cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, activity and blood sugar levels.”

“We are discovering more and more links between these illnesses and the risk factors that contribute to them,” Dirks said.

Johannes said that unlike women, men don’t often talk about health amongst themselves. Pop culture is filled with images of strong men – think of superheroes like Captain America, Superman and Iron Man – who are not expected to show signs of weakness. Unwittingly, these images have caused a challenge for men’s health.

“I don’t know that men talk to each other about their health,” Johannes said. “I think the more that men are familiar with noticing their health when they’re younger, and then are willing to open up and talk about it beyond their mom and wife, the more likely they will be able to avoid or deal with diseases.”

Dirks added: “I think part of it is starting early and training young men to be open to discussing health. If it’s modeled by your father, that gives you permission. You need to start checking your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol regularly at least by age 20. If it’s okay, you can go a period of time without checking it again, but if there’s a family history of problems, that should be a motivator to stay on top of it.”

Johannes and Dirks pointed out that caring for one’s health is akin to showing care for loved ones, as well.

“Wanting to be healthy for someone else is pretty powerful,” Dirks said. “Often times, we won’t do it for ourselves; we’re fairly fatalistic in many of these things. But when we realize that we have other people we care about, we may want to do it for them.”

Listen to a longer discussion with Johannes and Dirks on the weekly radio program,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/radio-network/sound-living.html" target="_blank">Sound Living</a>, produced by K-State Research and Extension. More information on healthy living&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689766979035.jpeg" alt="Two Kansas State University experts encourage men to talk more openly about their health. KSRE photo" />
 <figcaption>Two Kansas State University experts encourage men to talk more openly about their health. KSRE photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Sometimes, society’s norms make it more difficult for men to take care of their health.“We’re told to brush it off, walk it off, don’t cry, don’t show your true feelings...,” said Brad Dirks, the associate director of Kansas State University’s Physician Assistant program.“That’s true when we talk about (physical) health, and even mental health. Those symptoms that would normally be evident are different for men. Signs and symptoms look different because we ignore them for quite a while until it becomes something that we can’t ignore.”Dirks and colleague Elaine Johannes – the Kansas Health Foundation Distinguished Professor of Community Health at K-State – have varying perspectives on the effects of men's tendency to put aside their immediate health.“I’ve been married well over 40 years, and it’s hard to see the men in our lives not take care of themselves,” Johannes said. “It’s hard to also know when to intervene, when to remind, when to nudge, when to nag…and I am more and more concerned that the men in our lives are pushing so hard to provide for their families and to maintain the stamina they had when they were younger.”Dirks noted that the leading health-related causes of death among men are – in order – heart disease, stroke, suicide, prostate cancer and lung cancer.“We know that there are genetic links for many diseases, which you can’t control,” Dirks said.But he added that the risk factors for common diseases are controllable. “Smoking is a risk factor for all of the top five,” Dirks said. “And, we can monitor our cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, activity and blood sugar levels.”“We are discovering more and more links between these illnesses and the risk factors that contribute to them,” Dirks said.Johannes said that unlike women, men don’t often talk about health amongst themselves. Pop culture is filled with images of strong men – think of superheroes like Captain America, Superman and Iron Man – who are not expected to show signs of weakness. Unwittingly, these images have caused a challenge for men’s health.“I don’t know that men talk to each other about their health,” Johannes said. “I think the more that men are familiar with noticing their health when they’re younger, and then are willing to open up and talk about it beyond their mom and wife, the more likely they will be able to avoid or deal with diseases.”Dirks added: “I think part of it is starting early and training young men to be open to discussing health. If it’s modeled by your father, that gives you permission. You need to start checking your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol regularly at least by age 20. If it’s okay, you can go a period of time without checking it again, but if there’s a family history of problems, that should be a motivator to stay on top of it.”Johannes and Dirks pointed out that caring for one’s health is akin to showing care for loved ones, as well.“Wanting to be healthy for someone else is pretty powerful,” Dirks said. “Often times, we won’t do it for ourselves; we’re fairly fatalistic in many of these things. But when we realize that we have other people we care about, we may want to do it for them.”Listen to a longer discussion with Johannes and Dirks on the weekly radio program,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/radio-network/sound-living.html" target="_blank">Sound Living</a>, produced by K-State Research and Extension. More information on healthy living&nbsp;

K-State Professors: 'Men Tend to Ignore Symptoms Before it’s too Late'

Salina Public Schools, USD 305 will have a Walk-In Enrollment and Back To School Fair on July 25. The one day, walk-in enrollment event will be at a single location, Crawford Street entrance, 650 E. Crawford Street, for all schools and all students of Salina Public Schools.&nbsp; Help with the online enrollment process will be available at walk-in enrollment. The event will be from 11:00 a.m.-7 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578755105849.jpeg" alt="Salina USD 305 new logo.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Salina USD 305 new logo.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>Salina Public Schools, USD 305 will have a Walk-In Enrollment and Back To School Fair on July 25. The one day, walk-in enrollment event will be at a single location, Crawford Street entrance, 650 E. Crawford Street, for all schools and all students of Salina Public Schools.&nbsp; Help with the online enrollment process will be available at walk-in enrollment. The event will be from 11:00 a.m.-7 p.m.

Walk-In Enrollment Day, Back to School Fair 

This is day 13 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council.

In far western Kansas, wheat harvest is well behind schedule due to weather delays that have also brought hail damage. Despite the disruptions, elevators are generally seeing a better harvest than was anticipated this spring, although hail is hindering final yields for some and test weights are declining as producers wait for conditions to dry out enough to finish cutting.&nbsp;

Harvest is still going in western Wichita County, but most producers should wrap up by the weekend across the draw area for Scott Coop, according to grain merchandiser Brinlee McNary.&nbsp;

McNary said the crop looked pretty bleak in March, but thanks to spring rains they have taken in more bushels than they expected. Combines started rolling around July 4, about 10 days behind normal, but rain delays meant most producers spent a week out of the fields before resuming cutting.&nbsp;

The wheat has been high on protein, averaging 13 percent, but test weights have been falling from initial highs due to the rain, now at 58 pounds per bushel. Producers have seen a very wide range of yields from 20 to 70 bushels per acre.&nbsp;

Overall, McNary said Scott Coop will take in about half of their five-year average. That wheat will likely stay within the United States and be sent to flour mills or Kansas gluten plants, instead of traveling south on the rail to the Gulf of Mexico for export.&nbsp;

Harvest also started at least 10 days late in Sherman County, reported Brian Linin who farms near Goodland. About half of his wheat was destroyed, with crop insurance estimates of 0.6 to 1.7 bushels per acre. Linin’s 76-year-old father can’t remember having this much trouble getting wheat up in the fall in all his years of farming.&nbsp;

Despite the initial loss, three generations still came together to run combines this year - Brian, his father Brent and his son Blair. Test weights are averaging 58.5 pounds per bushel while proteins range from 11 to 12 percent.&nbsp;

Linin's irrigated wheat is yielding 60 to 65 bushels per acre and his dryland wheat is yielding 50 to 60 bushels per acre. The range is wider than normal due to variation between heads that are not quite ripe and others that are overripe - three days ago there were still green heads in the field. Hail also hit Sherman County last week, but Linin’s wheat fields were largely spared.&nbsp;

“The only silver lining is that this wheat is this good,” Linin said, noting a big benefit from planting into stubble to set up yield potential. “The dryland fields are a big surprise.”&nbsp;

Linin will deliver his wheat to Frontier Ag or Scoular, which will go on to the domestic mill market.&nbsp;

Eric Sperber of Cornerstone Ag in Colby also noted that the Thomas County area has never started wheat harvest this late.&nbsp;The first combines finally started rolling on July 10. With high humidity, most producers can’t start cutting until early evening, but fields have finally really ripened up in the last two days.&nbsp;

He reported test weights are struggling, averaging just over 58 pounds per bushel. Overall protein is averaging 12.1 percent, but he’s seen from eight percent up to 14 percent. Recent hail did not zero out a lot of acres, but impacted fields are now yielding half of their pre-hail potential due to shattering. Yields range from 25 bushels per acre on hail-damaged fields up to 70 bushels per acre for dryland wheat.&nbsp;

Sperber said there has been a lot of variation within fields with original tillers ripening on time, followed by taller secondary tillers ripening a few days later and then suckerheads growing even taller and ripening a few days after that. Producers have faced a number of difficulties this growing season - abandoning some poor stands in the fall, battling weeds, dealing with wheat suffering from winterkill from a cold snap in December that affected wheat with poor root structure and disease pressure from rust on fields that did not have fungicide applied.&nbsp;

“It has been a challenging crop this year from planting to harvest,” Sperber said. “It’s been really weird.”

Harvest is now 50 to 60 percent complete and needs another seven days of average weather to finish up. Sperber said they need sunshine, otherwise, the current weather will mean harvest will take much longer.&nbsp;Overall, he expects they will take in about the same number of bushels as the five-year average, due to an increase in acres. He had expected more before hail struck the area.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It’s amazing with the amount of moisture we had,” he said.&nbsp;

Harvest also has about a week left to go - if there’s no rain - for Mike Sieck near Edson in Sherman County. Harvest started on July 8 but has never really kicked into full swing because most days they cannot start until noon or later - some days as late as 4:00 in the afternoon - due to humidity and scattered rains.&nbsp;

Sieck did apply fungicide, a good decision as quite a bit of stripe rust has moved into the area in the last couple of weeks. Weeds are also a contention as they aren’t dying in the cooler weather.&nbsp;

Hail has also hit the area hard. Sieck will still harvest some of the hail-damaged fields for seed wheat, even though yields have decreased to 25 bushels per acre. His average for dryland wheat is 45 bushels per acre but ranges widely. Test weights are decent at 59 to 61 pounds per bushel and protein is excellent at 13.5 to 14.5 percent.&nbsp;

He reported WestBred’s WB 4422, a replacement for Grainfield, has done well, as have the Kansas Wheat Alliance-developed varieties - KS Providence, KS Territory and KS Hamilton. North of Bird City and St. Francis, producers caught more snow and wheat is yielding even better, some places as high as 90 bushels per acre on dryland fields.&nbsp;

With varying yields and weather delays, producers are ready to close the book on the 2023 wheat harvest. As they continue cutting, Kansas Wheat will continue to share results from the field with the next harvest report scheduled for July 20.&nbsp;Look for a special edition harvest report on the hard white wheat crop on July 19.

The 2023 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use #wheatharvest23. Tag us at @kansaswheat on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to share your harvest story and photos.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689766354673.png" alt="Harvest Report Day 13" />
 <figcaption>Harvest Report Day 13</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas WheatThis is day 13 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council.In far western Kansas, wheat harvest is well behind schedule due to weather delays that have also brought hail damage. Despite the disruptions, elevators are generally seeing a better harvest than was anticipated this spring, although hail is hindering final yields for some and test weights are declining as producers wait for conditions to dry out enough to finish cutting.&nbsp;Harvest is still going in western Wichita County, but most producers should wrap up by the weekend across the draw area for Scott Coop, according to grain merchandiser Brinlee McNary.&nbsp;McNary said the crop looked pretty bleak in March, but thanks to spring rains they have taken in more bushels than they expected. Combines started rolling around July 4, about 10 days behind normal, but rain delays meant most producers spent a week out of the fields before resuming cutting.&nbsp;The wheat has been high on protein, averaging 13 percent, but test weights have been falling from initial highs due to the rain, now at 58 pounds per bushel. Producers have seen a very wide range of yields from 20 to 70 bushels per acre.&nbsp;Overall, McNary said Scott Coop will take in about half of their five-year average. That wheat will likely stay within the United States and be sent to flour mills or Kansas gluten plants, instead of traveling south on the rail to the Gulf of Mexico for export.&nbsp;Harvest also started at least 10 days late in Sherman County, reported Brian Linin who farms near Goodland. About half of his wheat was destroyed, with crop insurance estimates of 0.6 to 1.7 bushels per acre. Linin’s 76-year-old father can’t remember having this much trouble getting wheat up in the fall in all his years of farming.&nbsp;Despite the initial loss, three generations still came together to run combines this year - Brian, his father Brent and his son Blair. Test weights are averaging 58.5 pounds per bushel while proteins range from 11 to 12 percent.&nbsp;Linin's irrigated wheat is yielding 60 to 65 bushels per acre and his dryland wheat is yielding 50 to 60 bushels per acre. The range is wider than normal due to variation between heads that are not quite ripe and others that are overripe - three days ago there were still green heads in the field. Hail also hit Sherman County last week, but Linin’s wheat fields were largely spared.&nbsp;“The only silver lining is that this wheat is this good,” Linin said, noting a big benefit from planting into stubble to set up yield potential. “The dryland fields are a big surprise.”&nbsp;Linin will deliver his wheat to Frontier Ag or Scoular, which will go on to the domestic mill market.&nbsp;Eric Sperber of Cornerstone Ag in Colby also noted that the Thomas County area has never started wheat harvest this late.&nbsp;The first combines finally started rolling on July 10. With high humidity, most producers can’t start cutting until early evening, but fields have finally really ripened up in the last two days.&nbsp;He reported test weights are struggling, averaging just over 58 pounds per bushel. Overall protein is averaging 12.1 percent, but he’s seen from eight percent up to 14 percent. Recent hail did not zero out a lot of acres, but impacted fields are now yielding half of their pre-hail potential due to shattering. Yields range from 25 bushels per acre on hail-damaged fields up to 70 bushels per acre for dryland wheat.&nbsp;Sperber said there has been a lot of variation within fields with original tillers ripening on time, followed by taller secondary tillers ripening a few days later and then suckerheads growing even taller and ripening a few days after that. Producers have faced a number of difficulties this growing season - abandoning some poor stands in the fall, battling weeds, dealing with wheat suffering from winterkill from a cold snap in December that affected wheat with poor root structure and disease pressure from rust on fields that did not have fungicide applied.&nbsp;“It has been a challenging crop this year from planting to harvest,” Sperber said. “It’s been really weird.”Harvest is now 50 to 60 percent complete and needs another seven days of average weather to finish up. Sperber said they need sunshine, otherwise, the current weather will mean harvest will take much longer.&nbsp;Overall, he expects they will take in about the same number of bushels as the five-year average, due to an increase in acres. He had expected more before hail struck the area.&nbsp;&nbsp;“It’s amazing with the amount of moisture we had,” he said.&nbsp;Harvest also has about a week left to go - if there’s no rain - for Mike Sieck near Edson in Sherman County. Harvest started on July 8 but has never really kicked into full swing because most days they cannot start until noon or later - some days as late as 4:00 in the afternoon - due to humidity and scattered rains.&nbsp;Sieck did apply fungicide, a good decision as quite a bit of stripe rust has moved into the area in the last couple of weeks. Weeds are also a contention as they aren’t dying in the cooler weather.&nbsp;Hail has also hit the area hard. Sieck will still harvest some of the hail-damaged fields for seed wheat, even though yields have decreased to 25 bushels per acre. His average for dryland wheat is 45 bushels per acre but ranges widely. Test weights are decent at 59 to 61 pounds per bushel and protein is excellent at 13.5 to 14.5 percent.&nbsp;He reported WestBred’s WB 4422, a replacement for Grainfield, has done well, as have the Kansas Wheat Alliance-developed varieties - KS Providence, KS Territory and KS Hamilton. North of Bird City and St. Francis, producers caught more snow and wheat is yielding even better, some places as high as 90 bushels per acre on dryland fields.&nbsp;With varying yields and weather delays, producers are ready to close the book on the 2023 wheat harvest. As they continue cutting, Kansas Wheat will continue to share results from the field with the next harvest report scheduled for July 20.&nbsp;Look for a special edition harvest report on the hard white wheat crop on July 19.The 2023 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use #wheatharvest23. Tag us at @kansaswheat on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to share your harvest story and photos.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Day 13, Kansas Wheat Harvest Report

By Lisa Moser, K-State Research and Extension news service

MANHATTAN, Kan. — When traveling abroad to regions that experience different disease threats, there can be some preventative measures that can keep a person from experiencing sickness that occurs in a particular area of the world.

And in some cases, those diseases are carried by insects. In much the same way these vectors can also transmit bovine leukemia virus to beef cattle, say the veterinarians at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2023/07/14/collaborating-center-for-the-economics-of-animal-health-americas-bovine-leukemia-virus-and-fertility-listener-question-grazing-costs/">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast.

“Bovine leukosis is a viral infection that infects the immune system of cattle and once cows have the virus in their bodies it stays with them for life,” said K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers.

He said that while most cattle have the virus in their bodies, it is not common for the virus to develop into cancer.

“Clinical signs of cancer include swollen lymph nodes and rapid weight loss, but those leukosis cases are uncommon compared to the number of animals that carry the bovine leukemia virus,” Lubbers said.

Along with spreading this through biting insects because this is a bloodborne disease, Lubbers said humans can also transmit the virus by using palpation sleeves or equipment such as needles, ear taggers and tattoo guns on multiple animals.

To learn more about the impacts of the disease in beef cattle, K-State veterinarian Bob Larson joined with his veterinary colleague, Shaun Huser, and several others to see if there was a connection between BLV and cow fertility.

Larson said the study was done with 2,820 cows from 43 beef herds In 13 counties in northeast Kansas. The researchers looked at the age of the cow, the size of the herd, the proximity to other herds in the area, and whether or not the cows became pregnant during the breeding season. All of the animals were also tested for the virus presence as well as the virus load.

“We found that this virus is very common, as about 55% of the cattle were BLV positive… Once the cattle were four to five years of age, that number increased to about 80% of the herd,” Larson said.

Regarding the connection to fertility for BLV-positive cows, Larson said: “We found no effect on the probability of getting pregnant early in the breeding season.”

Because of the high level of spread in the herds of this virus, there is no treatment currently and it is difficult to prevent the transmission, according to the veterinarians.

Depending on whether they are working with a commercial or purebred herd, some producers may regularly test for the disease and look at different management strategies.

“Some producers may group the infected cows away from the others that don’t carry the virus as a way to reduce the risk of virus spread, but that comes at a cost,” Larson said. “The cost may not warrant an invention at this time, but looking ahead we hope that this research can help us find a cost-effective way to manage this virus.”

To hear the full discussion, listen to the&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2023/07/14/collaborating-center-for-the-economics-of-animal-health-americas-bovine-leukemia-virus-and-fertility-listener-question-grazing-costs/">Cattle Chat&nbsp;</a>podcast online or through your preferred streaming platform.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689078720186.jpeg" alt="Cattle Photo. Image Courtesy KSRE" />
 <figcaption>Cattle Photo. Image Courtesy KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure>By Lisa Moser, K-State Research and Extension news serviceMANHATTAN, Kan. — When traveling abroad to regions that experience different disease threats, there can be some preventative measures that can keep a person from experiencing sickness that occurs in a particular area of the world.And in some cases, those diseases are carried by insects. In much the same way these vectors can also transmit bovine leukemia virus to beef cattle, say the veterinarians at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2023/07/14/collaborating-center-for-the-economics-of-animal-health-americas-bovine-leukemia-virus-and-fertility-listener-question-grazing-costs/">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast.“Bovine leukosis is a viral infection that infects the immune system of cattle and once cows have the virus in their bodies it stays with them for life,” said K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers.He said that while most cattle have the virus in their bodies, it is not common for the virus to develop into cancer.“Clinical signs of cancer include swollen lymph nodes and rapid weight loss, but those leukosis cases are uncommon compared to the number of animals that carry the bovine leukemia virus,” Lubbers said.Along with spreading this through biting insects because this is a bloodborne disease, Lubbers said humans can also transmit the virus by using palpation sleeves or equipment such as needles, ear taggers and tattoo guns on multiple animals.To learn more about the impacts of the disease in beef cattle, K-State veterinarian Bob Larson joined with his veterinary colleague, Shaun Huser, and several others to see if there was a connection between BLV and cow fertility.Larson said the study was done with 2,820 cows from 43 beef herds In 13 counties in northeast Kansas. The researchers looked at the age of the cow, the size of the herd, the proximity to other herds in the area, and whether or not the cows became pregnant during the breeding season. All of the animals were also tested for the virus presence as well as the virus load.“We found that this virus is very common, as about 55% of the cattle were BLV positive… Once the cattle were four to five years of age, that number increased to about 80% of the herd,” Larson said.Regarding the connection to fertility for BLV-positive cows, Larson said: “We found no effect on the probability of getting pregnant early in the breeding season.”Because of the high level of spread in the herds of this virus, there is no treatment currently and it is difficult to prevent the transmission, according to the veterinarians.Depending on whether they are working with a commercial or purebred herd, some producers may regularly test for the disease and look at different management strategies.“Some producers may group the infected cows away from the others that don’t carry the virus as a way to reduce the risk of virus spread, but that comes at a cost,” Larson said. “The cost may not warrant an invention at this time, but looking ahead we hope that this research can help us find a cost-effective way to manage this virus.”To hear the full discussion, listen to the&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2023/07/14/collaborating-center-for-the-economics-of-animal-health-americas-bovine-leukemia-virus-and-fertility-listener-question-grazing-costs/">Cattle Chat&nbsp;</a>podcast online or through your preferred streaming platform.

KSRE: K-State Beef Cattle Veterinarian discusses Cow Fertility

On July 19, 2016, Republicans meeting in Cleveland nominated Donald Trump as their presidential standard-bearer; in brief videotaped remarks, Trump thanked the delegates, saying: “This is a movement, but we have to go all the way.”&nbsp;

In 1812, during the War of 1812, the First Battle of Sackets Harbor in Lake Ontario resulted in an American victory as U.S. naval forces repelled a British attack.

In 1969, Apollo 11 and its astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Michael Collins, went into orbit around the moon.&nbsp;

In 1975, the Apollo and Soyuz space capsules that were linked in orbit for two days separated.&nbsp;

In 1979, the Nicaraguan capital of Managua fell to Sandinista guerrillas, two days after President Anastasio Somoza fled the country.&nbsp;

In 1980, the Moscow Summer Olympics began, minus dozens of nations that were boycotting the games because of the Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

In 1989, 111 people were killed when United Air Lines Flight 232, a DC-10 which sustained the uncontained failure of its tail engine and the loss of hydraulic systems, crashed while making an emergency landing at Sioux City, Iowa; 185 other people survived.&nbsp;

In 1990, baseball’s all-time hits leader, Pete Rose, was sentenced in Cincinnati to five months in prison for tax evasion.&nbsp;

In 1993, President Bill Clinton announced a policy allowing homosexuals to serve in the military under a compromise dubbed “don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t pursue.”&nbsp;

In 2005, President George W. Bush announced his choice of federal appeals court judge John G. Roberts Jr. to replace Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. (Roberts ended up succeeding Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who died in Sept. 2005; Samuel Alito followed O’Connor.)&nbsp;

In 2006, prosecutors reported that Chicago police beat, kicked, shocked or otherwise tortured scores of Black suspects from the 1970s to the early 1990s to try to extract confessions from them.

In 2012: A controversy pitting gay rights against religious freedom began as a cake shop owner in Lakewood, Colorado, refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. (The Supreme Court would rule that Colorado’s Civil Rights Commission displayed anti-religious bias when it sanctioned the shop owner; the court did not rule on the larger issue of whether businesses can invoke religious objections to refuse service to gays and lesbians.)&nbsp;

In 2014, a New York City police officer (Daniel Pantaleo) involved in the arrest of Eric Garner, who died in custody two days earlier after being placed in an apparent chokehold, was stripped of his gun and badge and placed on desk duty. (Pantaleo was fired in August 2019.) Actor James Garner, 86, died in Los Angeles.&nbsp;

In 2017: Sen. John McCain’s office said the 80-year-old Arizona Republican and former presidential nominee had been diagnosed with a brain tumor, glioblastoma. President Donald Trump told The New York Times that he would have chosen someone else to be attorney general if he’d known that Jeff Sessions would recuse himself from the FBI probe into possible ties between Trump’s campaign and Russia.

In 2020, President Donald Trump refused to publicly commit to accepting the results of the upcoming election, telling Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday” that it was too early to make any such guarantee.

In 2021: A Florida man, Paul Allard Hodgkins, who breached the U.S. Senate chamber on Jan. 6 carrying a Trump campaign flag received an eight-month prison term; it was the first resolution for a felony case in the Capitol insurrection. The Biden administration took a step toward its goal of shutting down the Guantánamo Bay detention center for terror suspects, releasing into the custody of his home country a Moroccan (Abdullatif Nasser) who’d been held without charge almost since the U.S. opened the facility 19 years earlier. Ben &amp; Jerry’s said it would stop selling its ice cream in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and contested east Jerusalem, saying sales in the territories sought by the Palestinians were inconsistent with the company’s values.

<h2>Today’s Highlight in History:&nbsp;</h2>On July 19, 2016, Republicans meeting in Cleveland nominated Donald Trump as their presidential standard-bearer; in brief videotaped remarks, Trump thanked the delegates, saying: “This is a movement, but we have to go all the way.”&nbsp;<h2>On this date:&nbsp;</h2>In 1812, during the War of 1812, the First Battle of Sackets Harbor in Lake Ontario resulted in an American victory as U.S. naval forces repelled a British attack.In 1969, Apollo 11 and its astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Michael Collins, went into orbit around the moon.&nbsp;In 1975, the Apollo and Soyuz space capsules that were linked in orbit for two days separated.&nbsp;In 1979, the Nicaraguan capital of Managua fell to Sandinista guerrillas, two days after President Anastasio Somoza fled the country.&nbsp;In 1980, the Moscow Summer Olympics began, minus dozens of nations that were boycotting the games because of the Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan.&nbsp;In 1989, 111 people were killed when United Air Lines Flight 232, a DC-10 which sustained the uncontained failure of its tail engine and the loss of hydraulic systems, crashed while making an emergency landing at Sioux City, Iowa; 185 other people survived.&nbsp;In 1990, baseball’s all-time hits leader, Pete Rose, was sentenced in Cincinnati to five months in prison for tax evasion.&nbsp;In 1993, President Bill Clinton announced a policy allowing homosexuals to serve in the military under a compromise dubbed “don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t pursue.”&nbsp;In 2005, President George W. Bush announced his choice of federal appeals court judge John G. Roberts Jr. to replace Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. (Roberts ended up succeeding Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who died in Sept. 2005; Samuel Alito followed O’Connor.)&nbsp;In 2006, prosecutors reported that Chicago police beat, kicked, shocked or otherwise tortured scores of Black suspects from the 1970s to the early 1990s to try to extract confessions from them.In 2012: A controversy pitting gay rights against religious freedom began as a cake shop owner in Lakewood, Colorado, refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. (The Supreme Court would rule that Colorado’s Civil Rights Commission displayed anti-religious bias when it sanctioned the shop owner; the court did not rule on the larger issue of whether businesses can invoke religious objections to refuse service to gays and lesbians.)&nbsp;In 2014, a New York City police officer (Daniel Pantaleo) involved in the arrest of Eric Garner, who died in custody two days earlier after being placed in an apparent chokehold, was stripped of his gun and badge and placed on desk duty. (Pantaleo was fired in August 2019.) Actor James Garner, 86, died in Los Angeles.&nbsp;In 2017: Sen. John McCain’s office said the 80-year-old Arizona Republican and former presidential nominee had been diagnosed with a brain tumor, glioblastoma. President Donald Trump told The New York Times that he would have chosen someone else to be attorney general if he’d known that Jeff Sessions would recuse himself from the FBI probe into possible ties between Trump’s campaign and Russia.In 2020, President Donald Trump refused to publicly commit to accepting the results of the upcoming election, telling Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday” that it was too early to make any such guarantee.In 2021: A Florida man, Paul Allard Hodgkins, who breached the U.S. Senate chamber on Jan. 6 carrying a Trump campaign flag received an eight-month prison term; it was the first resolution for a felony case in the Capitol insurrection. The Biden administration took a step toward its goal of shutting down the Guantánamo Bay detention center for terror suspects, releasing into the custody of his home country a Moroccan (Abdullatif Nasser) who’d been held without charge almost since the U.S. opened the facility 19 years earlier. Ben &amp; Jerry’s said it would stop selling its ice cream in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and contested east Jerusalem, saying sales in the territories sought by the Palestinians were inconsistent with the company’s values.

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