The fall and winter flu season may bring out dishonest sellers hawking fraudulent products to unsuspecting consumers.

Some of these sellers illegally offer unproven products that claim to prevent, mitigate, treat, or cure the flu – even though they have not been evaluated or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for safety and effectiveness. These products can be found online, including popular marketplaces, and in retail stores. They may be labeled as dietary supplements, foods, hand sanitizers, nasal sprays, or devices.

These products might be dangerous to you and your family. The FDA urges consumers to avoid fraudulent flu products and offers some tips on how to spot them.

Flu is a serious disease, caused by influenza viruses, that can lead to hospitalization and even death.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/its-good-time-get-your-flu-vaccine">Getting a flu vaccine</a>&nbsp;is the best way to prevent this infectious disease and its serious complications.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that everyone age 6 months and older get vaccinated every year against influenza. This is particularly so for people at an increased risk for serious complications, including young children, adults 65 years and older, and those with chronic medical conditions. For more information on flu vaccine recommendations, visit this&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/">CDC page</a>.

The FDA has approved&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/seasonal-flu-influenza-and-fda">numerous vaccines</a>&nbsp;for the prevention of influenza. To find a flu vaccine near you, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vaccines.gov/find-vaccines/">this page</a>.

FDA-approved antiviral medications for flu

If you do get the flu, there are FDA-approved antiviral drugs, available by prescription from your health care professional, to treat it. There are several FDA-approved antiviral drugs recommended by the CDC for use against circulating influenza viruses. These drugs work best if started soon after the onset of symptoms (within 48 hours).

Flu antiviral medications are used to prevent or treat flu and are available by prescription in the form of pills, liquids, inhalers, and intravenous infusion. The various products are all approved for adolescent and adult use, and they differ in the ages for which they are approved to treat infants and children, ranging from 2-weeks-old to age 12.

If you get the flu,&nbsp;antiviral medications can make your illness milder and may make you feel better faster. Antiviral medications work best when started within the first two days of getting sick.

If you are exposed to the flu,&nbsp;antiviral medication can help prevent you from becoming sick. Talk to your health care professional if you have been or may be near a person with the flu.

If you think you have the flu,&nbsp;talk to your health care professional. There are FDA-approved drugs to help with the flu.

There are no legally marketed over-the-counter (OTC, or non-prescription) drugs to prevent, treat, or cure the flu. But there are legally marketed OTC drugs to reduce fever and to relieve muscle aches, congestion, and other symptoms typically associated with the flu.

Dietary supplements, conventional foods (such as some herbal teas), or devices (such as certain air filters and light therapies) that fraudulently claim to prevent, mitigate, treat, or cure the flu have not been evaluated by the FDA for safety and effectiveness.

The FDA is particularly concerned that fraudulent products might cause people to delay, forgo, or stop the medical treatment they need, leading to serious and life-threatening harm. The ingredients in fraudulent products could lead to unexpected side effects and interactions with other medications people may be taking.

Protect yourself and your family by looking out for potentially fraudulent flu and antiviral products being sold without a prescription, which may claim to:

●Reduce the severity and length of flu or other viral infections.

●Boost your immunity naturally without a flu vaccine.

●Act as a safe and effective alternative to the flu vaccine.

●Prevent catching the flu or viral infections.

●Be an effective treatment for flu or viral infections.

●Provide faster recovery from the flu or viral infections.

●Support your body’s natural immune defenses to fight off flu or other viruses.

Fraudsters take advantage of unsuspecting people through websites appearing to be online pharmacies selling prescription drugs.

Legitimate online pharmacies do exist. But so do many websites that look like safe online pharmacies but are actually fraudulent and engaging in illegal activity. These websites may be selling unapproved drugs that may be dangerous.

Unsure about an online pharmacy? Visit the FDA’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/quick-tips-buying-medicines-over-internet/besaferx-your-source-online-pharmacy-information">BeSafeRx</a>&nbsp;campaign to learn how to safely buy prescription medicines online. If you have a question about a treatment or product, talk to your doctor or other health care professional.

There are no FDA-approved homeopathic products

At your pharmacy and online, you may see products being sold and advertised as homeopathic. The FDA is not aware of any proven benefits of these products.

Homeopathic products are generally labeled as containing very small amounts of highly diluted substances, including ingredients from plants, animal or human sources, bacteria, minerals, and chemicals. The FDA has found that some of these products contain active drug ingredients in levels that far exceed the amount stated on the product’s label and could cause significant harm to children. Therefore, we urge caution if you are thinking about giving homeopathic flu, cough, and cold medicines to children.

There are no FDA-approved homeopathic products. Homeopathic products sold in the U.S. have not been approved by the FDA for any use and may not meet modern standards for safety, effectiveness, and quality.

FDAThe fall and winter flu season may bring out dishonest sellers hawking fraudulent products to unsuspecting consumers.Some of these sellers illegally offer unproven products that claim to prevent, mitigate, treat, or cure the flu – even though they have not been evaluated or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for safety and effectiveness. These products can be found online, including popular marketplaces, and in retail stores. They may be labeled as dietary supplements, foods, hand sanitizers, nasal sprays, or devices.These products might be dangerous to you and your family. The FDA urges consumers to avoid fraudulent flu products and offers some tips on how to spot them.<h2>A flu vaccine is the best prevention</h2>Flu is a serious disease, caused by influenza viruses, that can lead to hospitalization and even death.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/its-good-time-get-your-flu-vaccine">Getting a flu vaccine</a>&nbsp;is the best way to prevent this infectious disease and its serious complications.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that everyone age 6 months and older get vaccinated every year against influenza. This is particularly so for people at an increased risk for serious complications, including young children, adults 65 years and older, and those with chronic medical conditions. For more information on flu vaccine recommendations, visit this&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/">CDC page</a>.The FDA has approved&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/seasonal-flu-influenza-and-fda">numerous vaccines</a>&nbsp;for the prevention of influenza. To find a flu vaccine near you, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vaccines.gov/find-vaccines/">this page</a>.<h2>FDA-approved antiviral medications for flu</h2>If you do get the flu, there are FDA-approved antiviral drugs, available by prescription from your health care professional, to treat it. There are several FDA-approved antiviral drugs recommended by the CDC for use against circulating influenza viruses. These drugs work best if started soon after the onset of symptoms (within 48 hours).Flu antiviral medications are used to prevent or treat flu and are available by prescription in the form of pills, liquids, inhalers, and intravenous infusion. The various products are all approved for adolescent and adult use, and they differ in the ages for which they are approved to treat infants and children, ranging from 2-weeks-old to age 12.If you get the flu,&nbsp;antiviral medications can make your illness milder and may make you feel better faster. Antiviral medications work best when started within the first two days of getting sick.If you are exposed to the flu,&nbsp;antiviral medication can help prevent you from becoming sick. Talk to your health care professional if you have been or may be near a person with the flu.If you think you have the flu,&nbsp;talk to your health care professional. There are FDA-approved drugs to help with the flu.<h2>Types of fraudulent flu products</h2>There are no legally marketed over-the-counter (OTC, or non-prescription) drugs to prevent, treat, or cure the flu. But there are legally marketed OTC drugs to reduce fever and to relieve muscle aches, congestion, and other symptoms typically associated with the flu.Dietary supplements, conventional foods (such as some herbal teas), or devices (such as certain air filters and light therapies) that fraudulently claim to prevent, mitigate, treat, or cure the flu have not been evaluated by the FDA for safety and effectiveness.The FDA is particularly concerned that fraudulent products might cause people to delay, forgo, or stop the medical treatment they need, leading to serious and life-threatening harm. The ingredients in fraudulent products could lead to unexpected side effects and interactions with other medications people may be taking.Protect yourself and your family by looking out for potentially fraudulent flu and antiviral products being sold without a prescription, which may claim to:●Reduce the severity and length of flu or other viral infections.●Boost your immunity naturally without a flu vaccine.●Act as a safe and effective alternative to the flu vaccine.●Prevent catching the flu or viral infections.●Be an effective treatment for flu or viral infections.●Provide faster recovery from the flu or viral infections.●Support your body’s natural immune defenses to fight off flu or other viruses.<h2>Find out if your online pharmacy is safe</h2>Fraudsters take advantage of unsuspecting people through websites appearing to be online pharmacies selling prescription drugs.Legitimate online pharmacies do exist. But so do many websites that look like safe online pharmacies but are actually fraudulent and engaging in illegal activity. These websites may be selling unapproved drugs that may be dangerous.Unsure about an online pharmacy? Visit the FDA’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/quick-tips-buying-medicines-over-internet/besaferx-your-source-online-pharmacy-information">BeSafeRx</a>&nbsp;campaign to learn how to safely buy prescription medicines online. If you have a question about a treatment or product, talk to your doctor or other health care professional.<h2>There are no FDA-approved homeopathic products</h2>At your pharmacy and online, you may see products being sold and advertised as homeopathic. The FDA is not aware of any proven benefits of these products.Homeopathic products are generally labeled as containing very small amounts of highly diluted substances, including ingredients from plants, animal or human sources, bacteria, minerals, and chemicals. The FDA has found that some of these products contain active drug ingredients in levels that far exceed the amount stated on the product’s label and could cause significant harm to children. Therefore, we urge caution if you are thinking about giving homeopathic flu, cough, and cold medicines to children.There are no FDA-approved homeopathic products. Homeopathic products sold in the U.S. have not been approved by the FDA for any use and may not meet modern standards for safety, effectiveness, and quality.

Protect your family from fraudulent flu products

WESTMORELAND&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly and Kansas Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz on Tuesday announced that $40.5 million will support 33 local and off-system bridge projects across the state. This announcement comes as part of two local bridge improvement programs reshaped to take advantage of new revenue streams generated by the federally approved Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

“My administration is committed to improving Kansas’ transportation system, including city- and county-owned bridges in need of overdue repairs,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“These bridge programs demonstrate how, by fostering partnerships among all levels of government, we can build a robust, responsive infrastructure system that provides efficient and safe transportation routes and boosts state and local economies.”

The amount awarded by the Kansas Department of Transportation to cities and counties more than doubles and triples local bridge improvement funds available in these programs as part of the existing Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE).

The announcement took place at the Pottawatomie County Law Enforcement Center in Westmoreland, just a few miles from one of the selected bridges.

The KDOT bridge improvement programs include approximately $137.5 million in BIL funds over the next five years.

The&nbsp;Off-System Bridge Program&nbsp;(OSB) has been expanded from $8 million in annual funding to $20.5 million. Twenty-two projects – with awarded funds ranging from $460,000 to $1.4 million – were selected for Federal Fiscal Year 2024. In total for this round, KDOT received 99 OSB applications requesting $83.8 million.

The&nbsp;Kansas Local Bridge Improvement Program&nbsp;(KLBIP) has increased from $5 million annually to $20 million. For State Fiscal Year 2023, the 11 selected KLBIP projects will replace 10 deficient bridges and permanently remove seven deficient bridges from the local system. For this round of KLBIP selections, 114 applications were received with requests totaling more than $126 million.

“These local bridges are the lifeblood of many communities,” Lorenz said.&nbsp;“Most ag loads start in a field, are placed in a truck, and have to cross a county bridge to get to a state highway or rail line.&nbsp;Congratulations&nbsp;to these Kansas communities for partnering with KDOT and securing local matching funds that keep critical bridges open to the public and moving commerce.”

Both the OSB and KLBIP have similar-yet-different bridge eligibility requirements targeted for city and county bridges not on the state highway system and in need of replacement or repair. Funds for both programs are awarded through an application process and, in most cases, require a local contribution. KDOT uses selection criteria that include bridge condition, detour length, inability to carry legal loads, and past project history.

There are approximately 19,300 bridges on Kansas’ local road systems. About 26% – or 5,000 – of those bridges are in poor condition or unable to meet today’s weight and vehicle requirements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670950063249.png" alt="Photos by Becky Goff" />
 <figcaption>Photos by Becky Goff</figcaption>
 </figure>Post News NetworkWESTMORELAND&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly and Kansas Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz on Tuesday announced that $40.5 million will support 33 local and off-system bridge projects across the state. This announcement comes as part of two local bridge improvement programs reshaped to take advantage of new revenue streams generated by the federally approved Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).“My administration is committed to improving Kansas’ transportation system, including city- and county-owned bridges in need of overdue repairs,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“These bridge programs demonstrate how, by fostering partnerships among all levels of government, we can build a robust, responsive infrastructure system that provides efficient and safe transportation routes and boosts state and local economies.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670950106330.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The amount awarded by the Kansas Department of Transportation to cities and counties more than doubles and triples local bridge improvement funds available in these programs as part of the existing Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE).The announcement took place at the Pottawatomie County Law Enforcement Center in Westmoreland, just a few miles from one of the selected bridges.The KDOT bridge improvement programs include approximately $137.5 million in BIL funds over the next five years.The&nbsp;Off-System Bridge Program&nbsp;(OSB) has been expanded from $8 million in annual funding to $20.5 million. Twenty-two projects – with awarded funds ranging from $460,000 to $1.4 million – were selected for Federal Fiscal Year 2024. In total for this round, KDOT received 99 OSB applications requesting $83.8 million.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670950085913.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The&nbsp;Kansas Local Bridge Improvement Program&nbsp;(KLBIP) has increased from $5 million annually to $20 million. For State Fiscal Year 2023, the 11 selected KLBIP projects will replace 10 deficient bridges and permanently remove seven deficient bridges from the local system. For this round of KLBIP selections, 114 applications were received with requests totaling more than $126 million.“These local bridges are the lifeblood of many communities,” Lorenz said.&nbsp;“Most ag loads start in a field, are placed in a truck, and have to cross a county bridge to get to a state highway or rail line.&nbsp;Congratulations&nbsp;to these Kansas communities for partnering with KDOT and securing local matching funds that keep critical bridges open to the public and moving commerce.”Both the OSB and KLBIP have similar-yet-different bridge eligibility requirements targeted for city and county bridges not on the state highway system and in need of replacement or repair. Funds for both programs are awarded through an application process and, in most cases, require a local contribution. KDOT uses selection criteria that include bridge condition, detour length, inability to carry legal loads, and past project history.There are approximately 19,300 bridges on Kansas’ local road systems. About 26% – or 5,000 – of those bridges are in poor condition or unable to meet today’s weight and vehicle requirements.

Gov. announces more than $40M for 33 bridge projects across Kansas

NORTH NEWTON – As part of its mission to promote the long-term health of the land and its people, the Kansas Rural Center (KRC) has announced that it recently accepted of a Local Food Promotion Program grant from the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).

This project will see KRC and partners, Common Ground Producers and Growers, Kansas Wesleyan University, and St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church of Salina, working to create a food corridor along Interstate 135 that bridges Wichita and Salina in central Kansas, in which a new food hub will be established. 

Over the next three years, KRC will work to bring farmers together to form a new food hub organization to assist with the aggregation and marketing of locally produced agricultural products and deliver them throughout the region. Additional work will be done to connect with food purchasers and wholesale markets and make sourcing local products easier for buyers.

“We’re excited to continue our work of supporting small farmers and rural communities with this food hub project!” said Ryan Goertzen-Regier, the farmer engagement coordinator for the grant. “By forming an organization that will assist existing farmers with scaling up, marketing, and delivering their local food products I hope to see the barriers to entering farming reduced for young and beginning farmers as well, who otherwise may have an extremely difficult time getting their farm businesses up and running.”

Other aspects of the project will focus on delivering fresh produce and local foods to food deserts and other areas with low access to healthy foods. The food hub’s distribution network will assist easier movement of local food throughout the region.

“Working together is the key to building thriving communities, and we’re thrilled to be working with Common Ground Producers and Growers, Kansas Wesleyan University, and St. John’s Baptist Church of Salina to strengthen local food systems across central Kansas,” said Kansas Rural Center’s executive director, Tom Buller.

In the upcoming months, Kansas Rural Center staff will be gathering with farmers and ranchers from across a 12-county region to begin assessing farmer interest and capacity for the formation of the food hub and what legal structure it should utilize. Parties interested in becoming a seller or buyer of local foods in Sedgwick, Reno, Butler, Harvey, McPherson, Marion, Rice, Ellsworth, Saline, Dickinson, Ottawa, and Lincoln counties can stay informed by signing up for Kansas Rural Center’s mailing list at&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001FKmqi917XXq4WXlj0-thxz0k8hIfYBGvRalkOM_ENGzmNKCvhpzxLaH1q9yCe3jPZPFZu0Sc5uakFncLRc9paJzcyXy9HH3K5TnvLv0ejWvbbxi-9ICtgmZtm4SB6elM50VrpA9rkoyGzboVXk1BjRu4DdBuiDZHd9mn8GkczLQ=&amp;c=1E6zrEmXRHwbuHmY0KCqdhebozwd49eRNHfeIUeCUJASa38-Wz1pAw==&amp;ch=Pbdbzbo81v6-V2byc1lByDrEhLzLB73QNk1S0_wWaUjr2Isqq1uIBA==" target="_blank">https://kansasruralcenter.org/newsletter</a>&nbsp;or contacting&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001FKmqi917XXq4WXlj0-thxz0k8hIfYBGvRalkOM_ENGzmNKCvhpzxLbd8T4zrkC6Sd8Ss9MJhuPcf1qghLZS6Q6_zsXgsHCwA23f5Le7FsxT65qXW1FmKfOF1zsKZLh3FYVlIpGooq_msfY5oUCA7dVSDifMvdUHDuAKL9gDGzt0=&amp;c=1E6zrEmXRHwbuHmY0KCqdhebozwd49eRNHfeIUeCUJASa38-Wz1pAw==&amp;ch=Pbdbzbo81v6-V2byc1lByDrEhLzLB73QNk1S0_wWaUjr2Isqq1uIBA==" target="_blank">foodhub@kansasruralcenter.org.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670953100068.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas Rural CenterNORTH NEWTON – As part of its mission to promote the long-term health of the land and its people, the Kansas Rural Center (KRC) has announced that it recently accepted of a Local Food Promotion Program grant from the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). This project will see KRC and partners, Common Ground Producers and Growers, Kansas Wesleyan University, and St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church of Salina, working to create a food corridor along Interstate 135 that bridges Wichita and Salina in central Kansas, in which a new food hub will be established. Over the next three years, KRC will work to bring farmers together to form a new food hub organization to assist with the aggregation and marketing of locally produced agricultural products and deliver them throughout the region. Additional work will be done to connect with food purchasers and wholesale markets and make sourcing local products easier for buyers. “We’re excited to continue our work of supporting small farmers and rural communities with this food hub project!” said Ryan Goertzen-Regier, the farmer engagement coordinator for the grant. “By forming an organization that will assist existing farmers with scaling up, marketing, and delivering their local food products I hope to see the barriers to entering farming reduced for young and beginning farmers as well, who otherwise may have an extremely difficult time getting their farm businesses up and running.” Other aspects of the project will focus on delivering fresh produce and local foods to food deserts and other areas with low access to healthy foods. The food hub’s distribution network will assist easier movement of local food throughout the region. “Working together is the key to building thriving communities, and we’re thrilled to be working with Common Ground Producers and Growers, Kansas Wesleyan University, and St. John’s Baptist Church of Salina to strengthen local food systems across central Kansas,” said Kansas Rural Center’s executive director, Tom Buller. In the upcoming months, Kansas Rural Center staff will be gathering with farmers and ranchers from across a 12-county region to begin assessing farmer interest and capacity for the formation of the food hub and what legal structure it should utilize. Parties interested in becoming a seller or buyer of local foods in Sedgwick, Reno, Butler, Harvey, McPherson, Marion, Rice, Ellsworth, Saline, Dickinson, Ottawa, and Lincoln counties can stay informed by signing up for Kansas Rural Center’s mailing list at&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001FKmqi917XXq4WXlj0-thxz0k8hIfYBGvRalkOM_ENGzmNKCvhpzxLaH1q9yCe3jPZPFZu0Sc5uakFncLRc9paJzcyXy9HH3K5TnvLv0ejWvbbxi-9ICtgmZtm4SB6elM50VrpA9rkoyGzboVXk1BjRu4DdBuiDZHd9mn8GkczLQ=&amp;c=1E6zrEmXRHwbuHmY0KCqdhebozwd49eRNHfeIUeCUJASa38-Wz1pAw==&amp;ch=Pbdbzbo81v6-V2byc1lByDrEhLzLB73QNk1S0_wWaUjr2Isqq1uIBA==" target="_blank">https://kansasruralcenter.org/newsletter</a>&nbsp;or contacting&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001FKmqi917XXq4WXlj0-thxz0k8hIfYBGvRalkOM_ENGzmNKCvhpzxLbd8T4zrkC6Sd8Ss9MJhuPcf1qghLZS6Q6_zsXgsHCwA23f5Le7FsxT65qXW1FmKfOF1zsKZLh3FYVlIpGooq_msfY5oUCA7dVSDifMvdUHDuAKL9gDGzt0=&amp;c=1E6zrEmXRHwbuHmY0KCqdhebozwd49eRNHfeIUeCUJASa38-Wz1pAw==&amp;ch=Pbdbzbo81v6-V2byc1lByDrEhLzLB73QNk1S0_wWaUjr2Isqq1uIBA==" target="_blank">foodhub@kansasruralcenter.org.</a>

Kansas Rural Center building central Kansas food corridor

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

An 80-year-old man returned from a weekend away to find that someone had shot a front window at his home in east Salina.

Sometime between Saturday and Monday, someone shot a small hole in the front glass of a residence in the 700 block of Victoria Heights Terrace, Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said this morning. It is possible that the shot came from a pellet gun, he said.

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostAn 80-year-old man returned from a weekend away to find that someone had shot a front window at his home in east Salina.Sometime between Saturday and Monday, someone shot a small hole in the front glass of a residence in the 700 block of Victoria Heights Terrace, Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said this morning. It is possible that the shot came from a pellet gun, he said.The window was valued at $2,500.

Pellet gun possible used in east Salina window shooting

Congratulations to Jaden Warner of Salina, the Week 14 winner in Salina Pain Clinic's Gridiron Glory contest!

Jaden, who scored 10 of 13 points, wins $100.

Although the season is underway, you still have time to win!

<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/6457a6fe-ce1b-48df-a651-5d8582b478f7?contestid=3#registration/login">Sign up today</a>&nbsp;to make your picks for a chance to win great weekly prizes, including cash,&nbsp;gift cards, concert tickets, and Chiefs tickets.&nbsp;If you pick well, you'll also be in the running for the local season prize of $1,000 and a national season prize of a trip to Hawaii!

Don't miss out on the state's best pro football pick'em contest!&nbsp;

<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/6457a6fe-ce1b-48df-a651-5d8582b478f7?contestid=3#registration/login">Click here to register for Gridiron Glory</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662062091203.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Congratulations to Jaden Warner of Salina, the Week 14 winner in Salina Pain Clinic's Gridiron Glory contest!Jaden, who scored 10 of 13 points, wins $100.Although the season is underway, you still have time to win!<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/6457a6fe-ce1b-48df-a651-5d8582b478f7?contestid=3#registration/login">Sign up today</a>&nbsp;to make your picks for a chance to win great weekly prizes, including cash,&nbsp;gift cards, concert tickets, and Chiefs tickets.&nbsp;If you pick well, you'll also be in the running for the local season prize of $1,000 and a national season prize of a trip to Hawaii!Don't miss out on the state's best pro football pick'em contest!&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/6457a6fe-ce1b-48df-a651-5d8582b478f7?contestid=3#registration/login">Click here to register for Gridiron Glory</a>

Gridiron Glory: Congratulations Jaden Warner!

Police are looking for surveillance video after someone damaged a drive-through menu board at a Salina McDonald's.

Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said this morning that sometime between 11 p.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday, someone used a rock or other object to damage the electronic drive-through menu board at McDonald's, 701 S. Broadway.

Forrester said police are looking for surveillance video from the area that might help them identify a suspect.

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostPolice are looking for surveillance video after someone damaged a drive-through menu board at a Salina McDonald's.Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said this morning that sometime between 11 p.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday, someone used a rock or other object to damage the electronic drive-through menu board at McDonald's, 701 S. Broadway.Damage was estimated at $3,000.Forrester said police are looking for surveillance video from the area that might help them identify a suspect.

Police investigating damage to Salina McDonald's menu board

Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc. (GPM), today announced that David Disberger will succeed Linda Salem in her role as President and CEO of the company following her semi-retirement on Jan. 1, 2023. 

A 36-year veteran of the industrial sector, Disberger steps into this role from his current position as Great Plain Manufacturing executive vice president, a role he has held since 2020. In this role, David had oversight responsibility for manufacturing operations, Great Plains International, Great Plains Ag Division, and Great Plains Trucking – all preparing him for the leadership of the overall company. Salem will work in an advisory capacity during 2023 to ensure an orderly transition in GPM leadership and operations.

“Great Plains’ mission is strongly centered around customer satisfaction, taking care of our employees, and ensuring sustained profits are achieved. I look forward to carrying on our mission alongside our great team of leaders at Great Plains Manufacturing,” said Disberger.

Salem’s semi-retirement comes after more than a 28-year career with GPM, having first joined the company as director of financial reporting and holding several leadership positions that led to her role as president and CEO in 2013. 

“It has been an honor to lead this vibrant organization for so many years. The transition to ownership by Kubota North America Corporation in 2016 provided an opportunity for tremendous growth and an expanded role in our customers’ satisfaction,” said Salem. “During this time, the company grew rapidly, doubling its manufacturing footprint and forecasting sales of nearly $1 billion dollars for 2023. I am confident the strong leadership team here, led by David, will continue that same growth and success.”

This transition comes at a time of significant growth and investment in GPM. The company recently completed a construction equipment (CE) manufacturing facility in Salina with an initial Phase I investment of $53 million. The second phase of the CE facility expansion, a $124 million investment, is underway. 


<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670942770199.jpeg" alt="David Disberger. Photos courtesy&nbsp;Great Plains Manufacturing " />
 <figcaption>David Disberger. Photos courtesy&nbsp;Great Plains Manufacturing </figcaption>
 </figure>Great Plains ManufacturingGreat Plains Manufacturing, Inc. (GPM), today announced that David Disberger will succeed Linda Salem in her role as President and CEO of the company following her semi-retirement on Jan. 1, 2023. A 36-year veteran of the industrial sector, Disberger steps into this role from his current position as Great Plain Manufacturing executive vice president, a role he has held since 2020. In this role, David had oversight responsibility for manufacturing operations, Great Plains International, Great Plains Ag Division, and Great Plains Trucking – all preparing him for the leadership of the overall company. Salem will work in an advisory capacity during 2023 to ensure an orderly transition in GPM leadership and operations.“Great Plains’ mission is strongly centered around customer satisfaction, taking care of our employees, and ensuring sustained profits are achieved. I look forward to carrying on our mission alongside our great team of leaders at Great Plains Manufacturing,” said Disberger.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670942847507.jpeg" alt="Linda Salem" />
 <figcaption>Linda Salem</figcaption>
 </figure>Salem’s semi-retirement comes after more than a 28-year career with GPM, having first joined the company as director of financial reporting and holding several leadership positions that led to her role as president and CEO in 2013. “It has been an honor to lead this vibrant organization for so many years. The transition to ownership by Kubota North America Corporation in 2016 provided an opportunity for tremendous growth and an expanded role in our customers’ satisfaction,” said Salem. “During this time, the company grew rapidly, doubling its manufacturing footprint and forecasting sales of nearly $1 billion dollars for 2023. I am confident the strong leadership team here, led by David, will continue that same growth and success.”This transition comes at a time of significant growth and investment in GPM. The company recently completed a construction equipment (CE) manufacturing facility in Salina with an initial Phase I investment of $53 million. The second phase of the CE facility expansion, a $124 million investment, is underway.

Great Plains Mfg. appoints Disberger as president, CEO

A wind advisory has been issued for counties in our area.

The National Weather Service in Wichita has issued a wind advisory in effect from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday for the following counties in our area.

Southwest winds at 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph are expected.

Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high-profile vehicle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670936486314.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTA wind advisory has been issued for counties in our area.The National Weather Service in Wichita has issued a wind advisory in effect from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday for the following counties in our area.Ellsworth CountyLincoln CountyMcPherson CountySaline CountySouthwest winds at 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph are expected.Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high-profile vehicle.

NWS issues wind advisory for some area counties Tuesday

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 13, the 347th day of 2022. There are 18 days left in the year.

On Dec. 13, 2000, Republican George W. Bush claimed the presidency a day after the U.S. Supreme Court shut down further recounts of disputed ballots in Florida; Democrat Al Gore conceded, delivering a call for national unity.

In 1862, Union forces led by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside launched futile attacks against entrenched Confederate soldiers during the Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg; the soundly defeated Northern troops withdrew two days later.

In 1937, the Chinese city of Nanjing fell to Japanese forces during the Sino-Japanese War; what followed was a massacre of war prisoners, soldiers and citizens. (China maintains that up to 300,000 people were killed; Japanese nationalists say the death toll was far lower, and some maintain the massacre never happened.)

In 1981, authorities in Poland imposed martial law in a crackdown on the Solidarity labor movement. (Martial law formally ended in 1983.)

In 1993, the space shuttle Endeavour returned from its mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.

In 1996, the U.N. Security Council chose Kofi Annan of Ghana to become the world body's seventh secretary-general.

In 2001, the Pentagon publicly released a captured videotape of Osama bin Laden in which the al-Qaida leader said the deaths and destruction achieved by the September 11 attacks exceeded his "most optimistic" expectations.

In 2002, President George W. Bush announced he would take the smallpox vaccine along with U.S. military forces, but was not recommending the potentially risky inoculation for most Americans.

In 2003, Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. forces while hiding in a hole under a farmhouse in Adwar, Iraq, near his hometown of Tikrit.

In 2007, Major League Baseball's Mitchell Report was released, identifying 85 names to differing degrees in connection with the alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs.

In 2014, thousands of protesters marched in New York, Washington and other U.S. cities to call attention to the killing of unarmed Black men by white police officers who faced no criminal charges.

In 2019, the House Judiciary Committee approved two articles of impeachment accusing President Donald Trump of abuse of power in his dealings with Ukraine and obstruction of Congress in the investigation that followed.

In 2020, the first vials of the Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19 began making their way to distribution sites across the United States.

Ten years ago: U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice withdrew from consideration to replace outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton after running into opposition from Republicans over her explanation of the September attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. (Rice had said the attack stemmed from a spontaneous protest over an anti-Islamic video, an assertion which later proved incorrect.)

Five years ago: Congressional Republicans reached agreement on a major overhaul of the nation's tax laws that would provide generous tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans; middle- and low-income families would get smaller tax cuts. The New York Times published claims by three women that they had been raped by music mogul Russell Simmons in the 1980s and 1990s; Simmons denied the allegations.

One year ago: The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection voted to pursue contempt charges against former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows; lawmakers also revealed a series of frantic texts he received as the attack was underway, in which members of Congress, Fox News anchors and even President Donald Trump's son urged Meadows to push Trump to act quickly to stop the siege by his supporters. (The House voted to hold Meadows in contempt, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute.) The Air Force said it had discharged 27 people for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine; they were believed to be the first service members removed for disobeying the mandate to get the shots. The Supreme Court refused to halt a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for healthcare workers in New York that did not offer an exemption for religious reasons. The Biden administration released a federal strategy to build 500,000 charging stations for electric vehicles across the country and ultimately transform the U.S. auto industry.

Today's Birthdays: Actor-comedian Dick Van Dyke is 97. Country singer Buck White is 92. Music/film producer Lou Adler is 89. Singer John Davidson is 81. Actor Kathy Garver (TV: "Family Affair") is 77. Singer Ted Nugent is 74. Rock musician Jeff "Skunk" Baxter is 74. Actor Robert Lindsay is 73. Country singer-musician Randy Owen is 73. Actor Wendie Malick is 72. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is 72. Former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is 69. Country singer John Anderson is 68. Singer-songwriter Steve Forbert is 68. Singer-actor Morris Day is 66. Actor Steve Buscemi is 65. Actor Johnny Whitaker (TV: "Family Affair") is 63. Rock musician John Munson (Semisonic; Twilight Hours) is 60. Actor-reality TV star NeNe Leakes is 56. Actor-comedian Jamie Foxx is 55. Actor Lusia Strus is 55. Actor Bart Johnson is 52. Actor Jeffrey Pierce is 51. TV personality Debbie Matenopoulos is 48. Rock singer-musician Thomas Delonge is 47. Actor James Kyson Lee is 47. Actor Kimee Balmilero (TV: "Hawaii Five-0") is 43. Actor Chelsea Hertford is 41. Rock singer Amy Lee (Evanescence) is 41. Actor Michael Socha is 35. Actor Marcel Spears (TV: "The Mayor") is 34. Singer Taylor Swift is 33. Actor Maisy Stella is 19.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSToday is Tuesday, Dec. 13, the 347th day of 2022. There are 18 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On Dec. 13, 2000, Republican George W. Bush claimed the presidency a day after the U.S. Supreme Court shut down further recounts of disputed ballots in Florida; Democrat Al Gore conceded, delivering a call for national unity.On this date:In 1862, Union forces led by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside launched futile attacks against entrenched Confederate soldiers during the Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg; the soundly defeated Northern troops withdrew two days later.In 1937, the Chinese city of Nanjing fell to Japanese forces during the Sino-Japanese War; what followed was a massacre of war prisoners, soldiers and citizens. (China maintains that up to 300,000 people were killed; Japanese nationalists say the death toll was far lower, and some maintain the massacre never happened.)In 1981, authorities in Poland imposed martial law in a crackdown on the Solidarity labor movement. (Martial law formally ended in 1983.)In 1993, the space shuttle Endeavour returned from its mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.In 1996, the U.N. Security Council chose Kofi Annan of Ghana to become the world body's seventh secretary-general.In 2001, the Pentagon publicly released a captured videotape of Osama bin Laden in which the al-Qaida leader said the deaths and destruction achieved by the September 11 attacks exceeded his "most optimistic" expectations.In 2002, President George W. Bush announced he would take the smallpox vaccine along with U.S. military forces, but was not recommending the potentially risky inoculation for most Americans.In 2003, Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. forces while hiding in a hole under a farmhouse in Adwar, Iraq, near his hometown of Tikrit.In 2007, Major League Baseball's Mitchell Report was released, identifying 85 names to differing degrees in connection with the alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs.In 2014, thousands of protesters marched in New York, Washington and other U.S. cities to call attention to the killing of unarmed Black men by white police officers who faced no criminal charges.In 2019, the House Judiciary Committee approved two articles of impeachment accusing President Donald Trump of abuse of power in his dealings with Ukraine and obstruction of Congress in the investigation that followed.In 2020, the first vials of the Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19 began making their way to distribution sites across the United States.Ten years ago: U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice withdrew from consideration to replace outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton after running into opposition from Republicans over her explanation of the September attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. (Rice had said the attack stemmed from a spontaneous protest over an anti-Islamic video, an assertion which later proved incorrect.)Five years ago: Congressional Republicans reached agreement on a major overhaul of the nation's tax laws that would provide generous tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans; middle- and low-income families would get smaller tax cuts. The New York Times published claims by three women that they had been raped by music mogul Russell Simmons in the 1980s and 1990s; Simmons denied the allegations.One year ago: The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection voted to pursue contempt charges against former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows; lawmakers also revealed a series of frantic texts he received as the attack was underway, in which members of Congress, Fox News anchors and even President Donald Trump's son urged Meadows to push Trump to act quickly to stop the siege by his supporters. (The House voted to hold Meadows in contempt, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute.) The Air Force said it had discharged 27 people for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine; they were believed to be the first service members removed for disobeying the mandate to get the shots. The Supreme Court refused to halt a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for healthcare workers in New York that did not offer an exemption for religious reasons. The Biden administration released a federal strategy to build 500,000 charging stations for electric vehicles across the country and ultimately transform the U.S. auto industry.Today's Birthdays: Actor-comedian Dick Van Dyke is 97. Country singer Buck White is 92. Music/film producer Lou Adler is 89. Singer John Davidson is 81. Actor Kathy Garver (TV: "Family Affair") is 77. Singer Ted Nugent is 74. Rock musician Jeff "Skunk" Baxter is 74. Actor Robert Lindsay is 73. Country singer-musician Randy Owen is 73. Actor Wendie Malick is 72. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is 72. Former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is 69. Country singer John Anderson is 68. Singer-songwriter Steve Forbert is 68. Singer-actor Morris Day is 66. Actor Steve Buscemi is 65. Actor Johnny Whitaker (TV: "Family Affair") is 63. Rock musician John Munson (Semisonic; Twilight Hours) is 60. Actor-reality TV star NeNe Leakes is 56. Actor-comedian Jamie Foxx is 55. Actor Lusia Strus is 55. Actor Bart Johnson is 52. Actor Jeffrey Pierce is 51. TV personality Debbie Matenopoulos is 48. Rock singer-musician Thomas Delonge is 47. Actor James Kyson Lee is 47. Actor Kimee Balmilero (TV: "Hawaii Five-0") is 43. Actor Chelsea Hertford is 41. Rock singer Amy Lee (Evanescence) is 41. Actor Michael Socha is 35. Actor Marcel Spears (TV: "The Mayor") is 34. Singer Taylor Swift is 33. Actor Maisy Stella is 19.

Today in History - December 13

Kalie Belt has joined Norton, Wasserman, Jones &amp; Kelly, LLC, as an associate attorney.

Belt practices primarily in the areas of estate planning, estate &amp; trust administration, business law, real estate transactions, and trademark and copyright law, the firm noted in a news release.

Belt graduated in May 2022 with a Juris Doctor and certificate in media law and technology from the University of Kansas School of Law. She also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Wichita State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670900099367.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTKalie Belt has joined Norton, Wasserman, Jones &amp; Kelly, LLC, as an associate attorney.Belt practices primarily in the areas of estate planning, estate &amp; trust administration, business law, real estate transactions, and trademark and copyright law, the firm noted in a news release.Belt graduated in May 2022 with a Juris Doctor and certificate in media law and technology from the University of Kansas School of Law. She also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Wichita State University.

Kalie Belt joins Salina firm as associate attorney

A jail project update and an executive session are among the items on the Saline County Commission agenda for Tuesday.

Saline County Commission is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday in room 107 of the City-County Building, 300 W. Ash Street. The meetings also can be viewed on Saline County’s YouTube channel:

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwwZp_cTSJ3Nepp_5rOGevA">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwwZp_cTSJ3Nepp_5rOGevA</a>.

To participate in the meetings, citizens will need to use the Zoom link. Use the following link and put in the Meeting ID and passcode:

<a href="https://zoom.us/j/96835819901?pwd=bUEvaExUb2ppMEFaUnd6cUd6MmNMUT09">https://zoom.us/j/96835819901?pwd=bUEvaExUb2ppMEFaUnd6cUd6MmNMUT09</a>

For further information, contact the County Commission’s Office at (785) 309-5825.

Commissioners are scheduled to hear the monthly update concerning the new Saline County Jail project. The November summary from the construction team includes the following.

● Non-load bearing CMU Walls Complete Areas A-E

● Non-load bearing CMU Walls In Progress – Housing Units

● Exterior Soffit Framing &amp; Sheathing in Progress

● Area A – E Overhead MEP in Progress

● Light Weight Insulated Concrete Area E Complete

● Architectural Precast Panels in Housing Units in Progress

Construction on the project began in November 2021 and is scheduled to be completed in September 2023.

Other items on the Saline County Commission agenda for Tuesday include the following.

●Consider a subscription services agreement to move the county from the CivicHR platform to the Criterion platform for applicant tracking service and onboarding.

●Consider approving a change order for plumbing repairs for the Juvenile Hall remodel.

●Consider approving an agreement with Hutton for construction manager services on courtroom and office remodels.

●Consider approving a new livestock and expo fee schedule to take effect Jan. 1, 2023, and implementing a non-refundable administrative fee of $150 for pre-booking rentals.

●Consider end-of-year financial resolutions.

●Hear County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes' update.

Additionally, commissioners are scheduled to meet in an executive session for attorney-client privilege.

To see the full Saline County Commission agenda for Tuesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salinecountyks.gov/commission">click here</a>&nbsp;and then click on the Dec. 13 link.&nbsp; &nbsp;

By SALINA POSTA jail project update and an executive session are among the items on the Saline County Commission agenda for Tuesday.About the meetingSaline County Commission is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday in room 107 of the City-County Building, 300 W. Ash Street. The meetings also can be viewed on Saline County’s YouTube channel:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwwZp_cTSJ3Nepp_5rOGevA">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwwZp_cTSJ3Nepp_5rOGevA</a>.To participate in the meetings, citizens will need to use the Zoom link. Use the following link and put in the Meeting ID and passcode:<a href="https://zoom.us/j/96835819901?pwd=bUEvaExUb2ppMEFaUnd6cUd6MmNMUT09">https://zoom.us/j/96835819901?pwd=bUEvaExUb2ppMEFaUnd6cUd6MmNMUT09</a>Meeting ID: 968 3581 9901Passcode: 144636For further information, contact the County Commission’s Office at (785) 309-5825.Agenda items<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670903210535.jpeg" alt="Photos of the jail construction project courtesy the November 2022 update in the commission meeting packet" />
 <figcaption>Photos of the jail construction project courtesy the November 2022 update in the commission meeting packet</figcaption>
 </figure>Commissioners are scheduled to hear the monthly update concerning the new Saline County Jail project. The November summary from the construction team includes the following.● Housing Unit Steel Complete● Non-load bearing CMU Walls Complete Areas A-E● Non-load bearing CMU Walls In Progress – Housing Units● Housing Unit MEP in Progress● Exterior Soffit Framing &amp; Sheathing in Progress● Area A Interior Framing Complete● Area A Drywall in Progress● Area B Interior Framing in Progress● Area B Drywall in Progress● Area A – E Overhead MEP in Progress● Spray Fire Proofing Complete Area C● Light Weight Insulated Concrete Area E Complete● Architectural Precast Panels in Housing Units in Progress● Asphalt Base Complete● TPO Roofing in Progress<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670903345460.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Construction on the project began in November 2021 and is scheduled to be completed in September 2023.Other items on the Saline County Commission agenda for Tuesday include the following.●Consider a subscription services agreement to move the county from the CivicHR platform to the Criterion platform for applicant tracking service and onboarding.●Consider approving a change order for plumbing repairs for the Juvenile Hall remodel.●Consider approving an agreement with Hutton for construction manager services on courtroom and office remodels.●Consider approving a new livestock and expo fee schedule to take effect Jan. 1, 2023, and implementing a non-refundable administrative fee of $150 for pre-booking rentals.●Consider end-of-year financial resolutions.●Hear County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes' update.Additionally, commissioners are scheduled to meet in an executive session for attorney-client privilege.To see the full Saline County Commission agenda for Tuesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salinecountyks.gov/commission">click here</a>&nbsp;and then click on the Dec. 13 link.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Saline County Commissioners to hear month jail project update

Difficult Decisions: Beyond the Battlefield

ABILENE - Emerging scholars are invited to submit a presentation abstract to be a featured speaker during the annual D-Day Commemorative Symposium. 

The Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower presidential libraries seek submissions from emerging scholars to be a featured speaker during the virtual symposium held the first week of June. The symposium focuses on specialized topics related to the Allied effort in World War II.

The 2023 theme is in line with our overarching annual theme of “Difficult Decisions.” This symposium seeks to explore decisions influencing World War II not related to combat strategy and tactics. Our goal is to enhance the future of WWII scholarship by examining lesser-known topics and showcasing new and emerging scholars.

Each program is scheduled for one hour. The guest speaker will present their topic for approximately 40 minutes allowing time for audience participation and questions at the end. Each program wraps up with a Scholar Spotlight where we get to know a little bit more about each of these up-and-coming scholars.

Submission packets should include the presentation abstract, applicant contact information, education status and academic goals summary.&nbsp;Email submission packets to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:andrea.murphy@nara.gov" target="_blank">andrea.murphy@nara.gov</a>&nbsp;with the subject line D-Day Symposium no later than April 7, 2023.&nbsp;Selected participants will be notified May 12 and will receive a modest honorarium.

<h2>Difficult Decisions: Beyond the Battlefield</h2>Eisenhower Presidential LibraryABILENE - Emerging scholars are invited to submit a presentation abstract to be a featured speaker during the annual D-Day Commemorative Symposium. The Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower presidential libraries seek submissions from emerging scholars to be a featured speaker during the virtual symposium held the first week of June. The symposium focuses on specialized topics related to the Allied effort in World War II. The 2023 theme is in line with our overarching annual theme of “Difficult Decisions.” This symposium seeks to explore decisions influencing World War II not related to combat strategy and tactics. Our goal is to enhance the future of WWII scholarship by examining lesser-known topics and showcasing new and emerging scholars.Each program is scheduled for one hour. The guest speaker will present their topic for approximately 40 minutes allowing time for audience participation and questions at the end. Each program wraps up with a Scholar Spotlight where we get to know a little bit more about each of these up-and-coming scholars.Submission packets should include the presentation abstract, applicant contact information, education status and academic goals summary.&nbsp;Email submission packets to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:andrea.murphy@nara.gov" target="_blank">andrea.murphy@nara.gov</a>&nbsp;with the subject line D-Day Symposium no later than April 7, 2023.&nbsp;Selected participants will be notified May 12 and will receive a modest honorarium.

WWII Emerging Scholars Symposium call for proposals

Fire: Embers of Discovery,&nbsp;the Smoky Hill Museum’s new exhibit, truly blazes a trail toward discovery.

In this exhibit, you will encounter major fires in our nation’s history as well as stories from Salina’s past. These fires helped shape our understanding of fire and what it takes to keep us safe from its terrible destruction. 

Have you heard of the Sad Yule or the Great Chicago Fire? Do you know the fiery history of the local H.D. Lee buildings? What about the huge prairie fire that left a path of destruction in Saline County in 1982? 

These stories and many more are awaiting you at the Smoky Hill Museum. Fire: Embers of Discovery&nbsp;opens Thursday.

The Smoky Hill Museum is a nationally accredited history museum at 211 W. Iron Avenue in the heart of downtown Salina. This free museum is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670887101066.jpeg" alt="Image courtesy Smoky Hill Museum" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Smoky Hill Museum</figcaption>
 </figure>Smoky Hill MuseumFire: Embers of Discovery,&nbsp;the Smoky Hill Museum’s new exhibit, truly blazes a trail toward discovery. In this exhibit, you will encounter major fires in our nation’s history as well as stories from Salina’s past. These fires helped shape our understanding of fire and what it takes to keep us safe from its terrible destruction. Have you heard of the Sad Yule or the Great Chicago Fire? Do you know the fiery history of the local H.D. Lee buildings? What about the huge prairie fire that left a path of destruction in Saline County in 1982? These stories and many more are awaiting you at the Smoky Hill Museum. Fire: Embers of Discovery&nbsp;opens Thursday.The Smoky Hill Museum is a nationally accredited history museum at 211 W. Iron Avenue in the heart of downtown Salina. This free museum is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.

New Smoky Hill Museum exhibit to focus on major fires

By NATE KING Salina Post

Citizens of central Kansas, Kansas State University students, alumni, and community leaders discussed K-State Salina's role in K-State's overall strategic plan, high school education pathways to encourage students to pursue a college degree or post-secondary training, and the future of land grant schools during a community conversation on Dec. 5.

The morning visit to K-State Salina for the community forum is part of the <a href="https://www.k-state.edu/president/initiatives/regional-community-visits/">university’s plans</a> to hear from Kansans all across the state for the 2022-2023 academic year. During their visit, K-State President Richard Linton, Provost Charles Taber, and dean of student life Thomas Lane joined a group of current K-State students collectively known as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/president/initiatives/regional-community-visits/connected-cats/">Connected Cats. </a>

Linton said that the Connected Cats is a group of student leaders who have a diverse range of K-State experiences, a meaningful connection to engaged community work, and personal ties to Kansas' geographic regions. 

"So you probably have seen some of the billboards that say, 'Kansas State is the university for Kansas' well, we're for Kansas, but we're also for the nation and the world," Linton said. "We're trying to be able to make a very important statement that we are the only university that's in all 105 Kansas counties and communities and we want to let folks know that Kansas is always first." 

After Linton’s brief presentation and remarks, which included applause for the K-State football team winning the Big XII Championship game, K-State junior Ethan Brown, a graduate of Salina Central High School and one of the two current K-State Student Ambassadors; K-State sophomore Adelaide Easter; and K-State junior Yulissa Hernandez, a graduate of Salina South High School, discussed their college search experiences and why they selected K-State as their school of choice.  

"When I was in high school, I started looking at colleges my sophomore year," Brown said. "When I tell you, I looked everywhere in Kansas, I looked everywhere. I wanted everything. I wanted to have great people, I wanted to have great academia, I wanted great athletics. They had everything that I wanted. The main thing I wanted was accessibility. For me, that breaks down into three things affordability, campus access, and then just general academic accessibility."  

Easter spoke about the interdisciplinary connections she made at K-State. 

"I started as a freshman majoring in bakery science and food science. Through my involvement, and through self-discovery connections, I was able to be exposed to the global food system secondary major, which talks about food policy and how we can make the world a better place and make sure that people have access to food," Easter said. "Being in food security scholars and organizations like the alumni board, I've gotten connected to alumni that are just as passionate about food issues as I am." 

Hernandez, a student pilot at K-State Salina talked about how she switched her major from respiratory therapy, to aviation.&nbsp;

"When I was looking into coming to K State, I was a freshman in college at the time and I was working as a nurse assistant," Hernandez said. "I was doing my prerequisites for respiratory therapy - that same year, I met a pilot. He introduced me to aviation and at the time, I didn't know really any pilots. So it was all so new to me."

Hernandez said that her pilot friend took her on a discovery flight in a jet which made her decision easier to make.&nbsp;

"I was convinced I was just going to change my major completely, which was pretty scary at the time, because I thought I had it all figured out. But I thought a flying was just way more fun then respiratory therapies," Hernandez said.

The forum transitioned into a community conversation where community entrepreneurs, business leaders, regional high school educators, parents, and citizens were asked to discuss what they wanted to see from K-State. Topics discussed included increasing the presence of veterans affairs at the K-State Salina campus, eliminating roadblocks for transfer students, continuing to expand the local network of private industry partners, and meeting the current workforce demands.  

Following the forum, Salina Post sat down for an interview with Linton, where he discussed how students should always be the center of enrollment strategies. 

"When we started thinking about doing community visits, we reached out to other university presidents around the country and the message that came back is you have to take students and you have to take students from those communities," Linton said. "Parents and students aren't really there to listen to presidents and provosts because they can relate so much more to student stories."&nbsp;

Linton also spoke about the university's new initiative, Next-Gen K-State.

"We 're trying to develop a new strategy, a new strategic plan, for what we're calling the <a href="https://www.k-state.edu/strategic-planning/process/">Next-Gen Land Grant</a>," Linton said. "We haven't defined exactly what the next generation land grant university means yet, but we want to be the model land grant university that other land grants are looking to. When you take a look at one of those things that I know, will be an important part of the Next Gen Land Grant is better connectivity with communities around economic growth, and creation of jobs and support for every single community."

Ellsworth County Health Center: Because We Care Mental Health Summit  

Linton and the Connected Cats, traveled to Ellsworth County Medical Center, 1604 Aylward Avenue in Ellsworth, for a mental health summit hosted by K-State Extension. Midway Extension Director Jessica Kootz said that a group of individuals in the Ellsworth community started meeting virtually on a weekly basis to talk about COVID-19 updates and mental wellness. 

"This group of individuals, community stakeholders decided that we needed to focus a lot more on mental health. The COVID-19 update group became a 'Because We Care' group, and that has evolved within the last six months into a coalition that's centered around mental health," Kootz said.  

The summit featured a panel of experts including Rachel Clews, family and consumer science extension specialist in the Southwest Research Extension Center; Jennifer Kaufman, director of community support services for Central Kansas Mental Health; Derek Knopp, school-based clinical coordinator for Central Kansas Mental Health; Kerianne Ehrlich, Ellsworth County Health Department; and Jim Kirkbride, CEO at Ellsworth County Medical Center. 

"Most of our communities aren't just rural, they're considered frontier. It's that born and bred mentality that - you just pull yourself up by your bootstraps, you just push it down, and you keep going," said Clews. "When I worked with farmers, I tried to tell them that I'm a fourth generation farmer, my husband's a fourth generation Kansas farmer. I understand those issues. But I tell them, when your livestock is sick, you don't just say 'Oh, push it down, and you'll get over it.' I tell farmers, that they take better care of their machinery and their livestock than they do themselves. A lot of times they don't think to ask for help themselves because farmers are really great at helping others." 

Kootz said that in the last two months, Ellsworth had faced tragedies relating to mental health causing their group to push harder to be focused and intentional on making sure there is a comprehensive approach to addressing mental health in rural communities. 

Linton asked the panel if it could provide him with any statistics to help give context to the Kansas mental health crisis.  

"We have hired over 50 new staff at Central Kansas Mental Health, just within the past year," Kaufman said. "Trying to be able to provide services that range from front desk staff that are inundated with phone calls every day trying to get intake staff to be able to provide that initial service and if you're aware, there's a workforce shortage in most areas, and that includes social work, case managers, all lines." 

Clews added that according to the State of Mental Health in America 2023 Report, Kansas ranked last in the country, following the District of Columbia.  

"Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death for Kansas," Clews said. "Between the years 2000 and 2018, suicide rates in Kansas increased by 70 percent."  

Clews also added that suicide is the second leading cause of death for Kansans in the 15 to 34 age range.  

An obstacle that was highlighted during the summit was the lack of educational resources directing Kansans on where to turn when they needed mental health assistance.  

"As far as regional scale, the last few years, I think, especially since 2020, we've seen an increase in people who are seeking services for mental health, and we've seen is a big increase in anxiety and depression," said Knopp. "People are recognizing the need that when they are struggling there are resources available - if you know how to access them. One of the things that we [Central Kansas Mental Health] have done, we've done a lot of work in providing education on how to access mental health services, because unless you have a family member or direct connection with somebody who has accessed services before, you don't always know how to go about that."  

Linton recognized the need for more social work professionals and mentioned the recent partnership between K-State Salina and the University of Kansas. K-State Salina will offer a Master of Social Work that will be instructed at the K-State Salina campus. 

The cooperation between K-State Salina and KU will increase the availability of graduate-level social work education in rural areas of Kansas while meeting the gaps in coverage that human service agencies in rural areas of the state have been experiencing.  

"K-State Salina is committed to responding to the needs of our region by providing a trained workforce for our social service partners," said Deb Marseline, assistant dean for diversity and student success at K-State Salina, earlier this month. "Qualified, experienced social workers play an integral role in the success of any community by working with people to improve their circumstances in a variety of situations. This opportunity furthers our mission by training students to be leaders and make an impact on our state."  

Linton also stopped by Great Plains Manufacturing, 1525 E. North Street, Salina, to take part in a facilitated conversation about ways that education in the Salina region is partnering to meet the needs of industry. Dean and CEO of K-State Salina, Alysia Starkey spoke to the importance of these types of open conversations and how industry advisory boards are working to meet workforce demands.  

"How do you stay connected to the workforce needs in your region, it has to do with our industry advisory boards and making sure we're engaged with what the needs of the industry are," Starkey said. "So regardless of whatever field you're in - each of our programs, and each of our colleges and each of our degrees at the university has industry advisory boards that help correlate where it is that they're [the student] going in the future. Industry advisory boards are a key way that you all can get involved with helping to drive your workforce needs."  

Starkey also mentioned that K-State Salina has partnered with Salina USD 305 to provide an opportunity for high school students to earn industry-recognized credentials, receive college credit for general education requirements, and complete dual credits for an associate degree while in high school and graduate at the same time as their peers. The program is called the<a href="https://www.salina.k-state.edu/admissions/apply/polycats-academy/"> PolyCats Academy.</a>

"Here we have a high school program that will allow a student to get an associate's degree while they're still in high school, graduate at the same time as high school with an associate's degree, which reduces the time of entry into the career field, and it also helps to reduce the overall cost and affordability for students as well," Starkey said.  

David Disberger, executive vice president for Great Plains Manufacturing, spoke at the discussion about the<a href="https://www.salina.k-state.edu/academics/scholars-programs/"> scholar's program</a> being offered by Great Plains manufacturing.

"The scholar's program is something that came out of discussions that Dean Starkey and I had to address our needs and also address the needs of Kansas State," Disberger said. "What we've done is we've taken your traditional manufacturing engineering technology type degree, where the college student would go to school for four years to get their bachelor science degree, instead, they'll go to college for three years, and have that same BS degree."

The Great Plains Scholars Program is for students who want to earn a bachelor's degree in one of K-State Salina’s engineering technology programs and acquire first-hand knowledge of specialized industry technology by working part-time at Great Plains Manufacturing. This provides high-level learning opportunities in advanced manufacturing, basic manufacturing, advanced robotics programming, and engineering design. 

"We're able to get those workforces beginning with us at a younger age. By the time they graduate, they have over 2,400 hours of experience, and to kick this whole program off this year, we agreed to start with three students to make sure we've worked out the kinks - which we have, and it's going very well," Disberger said. "We are very pleased with the results that we're seeing thus far, we intend to continue to grow this program up to where we have 12 new students entering this program every year. Hopefully, the 12 graduating come to work for us." 

Linn Exline, Salina USD 305 superintendent, spoke about how the work field is changing the way educators prepare students for their careers after high school.  

"Over 70 percent of the jobs that we're preparing students for today will require either a two-year degree a four-year degree or some kind of industry-recognized credential," Exline said. "To that end, USD 305 has really been working on Career Exploration and career planning with students. We start that process with a semester-long class at middle school. And during that class, students use an online platform where they explore their interests. They explore their aptitudes, they explore different careers, and they try to identify a career field of interest."  

Exline also shared the successes of the Building Bridges program at USD 305.  

"Building Bridges is an effort for us to bring industry leaders, public schools, faculty, staff, our students, and business together to talk about workforce needs and how we can work together to better meet those needs," Exline said. "We are encouraging our students to understand what jobs are available here in our community because many times our students think they need to go away to get the kinds of positions that they're being trained for." Exline said that USD 305 has worked to ensure that the Building Bridges program matches with local job demands and industry standards.

"As a result of these efforts, we are seeing increased jobs. We're seeing increased internships, and we're also seeing increased number of partnerships."

Linton's visit concluded with a stop at the Salina Public Library, 301 W. Elm Street, where he and Lane read a book to children. The book selected to be read was K-State: An Alphabet Journey Across Kansas, by Debbie Mercer and Loretta Larson.&nbsp;

K-State president visits central Kansas as part of community tour

A Salina man was arrested after leading police on a chase through part of north Salina Saturday evening.

An officer noticed a black Harley-Davidson Fat Boy motorcycle with an expired license plate traveling westbound in the 600 block of E. Elm Street at approximately 6:15 p.m. Saturday, Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said this morning. The officer was able to catch up to the motorcycle in the 400 block of N. Front Street and witnessed it run stop signs at the intersections of N. Front Street/E. North Street and N. Santa Fe Avenue/E. North Street, he said.

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostA Salina man was arrested after leading police on a chase through part of north Salina Saturday evening.An officer noticed a black Harley-Davidson Fat Boy motorcycle with an expired license plate traveling westbound in the 600 block of E. Elm Street at approximately 6:15 p.m. Saturday, Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said this morning. The officer was able to catch up to the motorcycle in the 400 block of N. Front Street and witnessed it run stop signs at the intersections of N. Front Street/E. North Street and N. Santa Fe Avenue/E. North Street, he said.When the motorcycle turned north onto N. Santa Fe Avenue, the officer attempted a traffic stop, however, the motorcycle took off, reaching 75 mph and passing a pickup, Forrester said. The pursuit continued north on N. Santa Fe Avenue until the motorcycle wrecked in the parking lot of the Salvation Army, 1137 N. Santa Fe Avenue.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670770411073.jpeg" alt="Odell Wilson. Photos courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Odell Wilson. Photos courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>Forrester said the driver, identified as Odell Wilson, 56, of Salina, tried to restart the motorcycle. When that proved to be unsuccessful, Wilson allegedly attempted to flee on foot, but was tased and taken into custody. Wilson was allegedly found to be in possession of slightly more than 20 grams of methamphetamine, Forrester said.Wilson was arrested on the following requested charges, Forrester said.●Felony flee and elude●Distribution of methamphetamine●Possession of drug paraphernalia●No drug tax stamp●Interference with a law enforcement officer●Duty to report a crash●Numerous traffic violations