<a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Salina&amp;state=KS&amp;site=ICT&amp;lat=38.8158&amp;lon=-97.6178">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

Monitor local weather updates frequently in multiple ways by listening to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/nwr/">NOAA Weather Radio</a>, checking local news and emergency notifications. You can also stay informed by following Saline County and the National Weather Service on social media.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754487180940.png" alt="Weather forecast for August 6 - August, 8 2025 in Salina; according to the US National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Weather forecast for August 6 - August, 8 2025 in Salina; according to the US National Weather Service</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Salina&amp;state=KS&amp;site=ICT&amp;lat=38.8158&amp;lon=-97.6178">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>Monitor local weather updates frequently in multiple ways by listening to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/nwr/">NOAA Weather Radio</a>, checking local news and emergency notifications. You can also stay informed by following Saline County and the National Weather Service on social media.

Three day weather forecast Salina, August 6 - August 8

If you enjoy gardening, learning, and giving back as a volunteer, consider becoming an Extension Master Gardener in 2025.&nbsp; Central Kansas District K-State Research and Extension will be offering the 2025 Master Gardener Basic Training Course starting September 4th.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Classes begin September 4th and will run each Thursday through December 4th.&nbsp; This training will be held in a hybrid format online through zoom and will also include 5 in-person training days.&nbsp; Topics covered include: plant growth and development, soils, insects, diseases, pollinators, landscape maintenance, vegetables, growing fruit, turf management, native plants and biodiversity, annual and perennial flowers, and more.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Master Gardeners are K-State Research &amp; Extension volunteers who enjoy cultivating their own plants and gardens while sharing their skills and knowledge with the community around them to help others grow.&nbsp; Volunteering as an Extension Master Gardener is a wonderful way to enrich your life and the lives of others.

The decision to become a Master Gardener can be very rewarding.&nbsp; It is a decision to take your horticulture knowledge to the next level and it is a commitment to find creative ways to make a difference in our community while sharing that knowledge with the people and places around you.

Training is just one great benefit.&nbsp; Master Gardeners receive a 40-hour-plus horticulture training course from K-State Extension specialists and county Extension agents.&nbsp; The basic training provides a great starting point for those new to gardening, but is also in depth enough to apply to gardeners of any skill level.&nbsp; Other benefits of being a Master Gardener include the camaraderie of people who share similar passions, receiving ongoing horticulture training and support through K-State Research and Extension, and other local horticulture opportunities.

Once training is complete, Master Gardeners are encouraged to take their knowledge out to the community to share it with others in unique and meaningful ways.&nbsp; First year Master Gardeners volunteer 30 hours of time and during succeeding years have a commitment of just 20 hours to remain active.

Master Gardener volunteer time can be selected from current Master Gardener projects and can also be tailored to individual abilities and interests.&nbsp; Master Gardeners are encouraged to find their creativity in looking for ways to impact the community.&nbsp; A few activities many Master Gardeners enjoy volunteering on include: &nbsp;the demonstration garden, community gardens, county fairs, and educational garden tours and events.

Space for the course is limited and applications to join the course can be filled out online at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.centralkansas.ksu.edu/">www.centralkansas.ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;and are due by August 31st, 2025.&nbsp; &nbsp;Any questions about the 2025 Master Gardener Basic Training Course can be directed to Central Kansas District Horticulture Extension Agent Jason Graves at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:jlgraves@ksu.edu">jlgraves@ksu.edu</a>.&nbsp; We look forward to hearing from you!&nbsp; K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754432932459.png" alt="Master Gardener Training 2025; photo courtesy of K-State Research &amp; Extension" />
 <figcaption>Master Gardener Training 2025; photo courtesy of K-State Research &amp; Extension</figcaption>
 </figure>K-State Research &amp; ExtensionIf you enjoy gardening, learning, and giving back as a volunteer, consider becoming an Extension Master Gardener in 2025.&nbsp; Central Kansas District K-State Research and Extension will be offering the 2025 Master Gardener Basic Training Course starting September 4th.&nbsp;&nbsp;Classes begin September 4th and will run each Thursday through December 4th.&nbsp; This training will be held in a hybrid format online through zoom and will also include 5 in-person training days.&nbsp; Topics covered include: plant growth and development, soils, insects, diseases, pollinators, landscape maintenance, vegetables, growing fruit, turf management, native plants and biodiversity, annual and perennial flowers, and more.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Who are Master Gardeners?</h2>Master Gardeners are K-State Research &amp; Extension volunteers who enjoy cultivating their own plants and gardens while sharing their skills and knowledge with the community around them to help others grow.&nbsp; Volunteering as an Extension Master Gardener is a wonderful way to enrich your life and the lives of others.<h2>Why become a Master Gardener?</h2>The decision to become a Master Gardener can be very rewarding.&nbsp; It is a decision to take your horticulture knowledge to the next level and it is a commitment to find creative ways to make a difference in our community while sharing that knowledge with the people and places around you.Training is just one great benefit.&nbsp; Master Gardeners receive a 40-hour-plus horticulture training course from K-State Extension specialists and county Extension agents.&nbsp; The basic training provides a great starting point for those new to gardening, but is also in depth enough to apply to gardeners of any skill level.&nbsp; Other benefits of being a Master Gardener include the camaraderie of people who share similar passions, receiving ongoing horticulture training and support through K-State Research and Extension, and other local horticulture opportunities.<h2>What about volunteering?</h2>Once training is complete, Master Gardeners are encouraged to take their knowledge out to the community to share it with others in unique and meaningful ways.&nbsp; First year Master Gardeners volunteer 30 hours of time and during succeeding years have a commitment of just 20 hours to remain active.Master Gardener volunteer time can be selected from current Master Gardener projects and can also be tailored to individual abilities and interests.&nbsp; Master Gardeners are encouraged to find their creativity in looking for ways to impact the community.&nbsp; A few activities many Master Gardeners enjoy volunteering on include: &nbsp;the demonstration garden, community gardens, county fairs, and educational garden tours and events.<h2>Apply online</h2>Space for the course is limited and applications to join the course can be filled out online at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.centralkansas.ksu.edu/">www.centralkansas.ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;and are due by August 31st, 2025.&nbsp; &nbsp;Any questions about the 2025 Master Gardener Basic Training Course can be directed to Central Kansas District Horticulture Extension Agent Jason Graves at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:jlgraves@ksu.edu">jlgraves@ksu.edu</a>.&nbsp; We look forward to hearing from you!&nbsp; K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

K-State Research & Extension announces open applications for Master Gardener training course 

Rolling Hills Zoo is celebrating the arrival of a new addax calf, born on August 2nd about 7:45 a.m. This marks the second calf for mother Felicity and the fifth calf sired by Ajax, the zoo’s resident male addax. This calf is a sibling to Fern, a female addax born to Felicity and Ajax in July 2023.

While confirmation is still pending on the sex of the calf, with this latest birth, Rolling Hills Zoo has now successfully welcomed nine addax calves as part of the ongoing conservation efforts for this species.

Guests hoping to catch a glimpse of the new calf might need a sharp eye as it will often lay low in shallow depressions made by the adults or along the fence line. This instinctive behavior is a natural survival strategy in the wild.

Though Kansas summers can be hot, addax are remarkably adapted to extreme desert climates. These animals can withstand temperatures over 100°F by storing heat during the day and releasing it at night, thanks to a natural cooling system that protects their brains from overheating.

Native to the Sahara Desert, the addax is currently listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is considered one of the most threatened hoofed mammals in the world. Wild populations have been decimated by overhunting, poaching with modern firearms, and the widespread use of off-road vehicles in fragile desert habitats.

This addax birth is an incredible win for this species, and Rolling Hills Zoo is thrilled to welcome another critically endangered addax to the population. With fewer than 100 addaxes left in the wild and just over 180 in managed care across Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited institutions, this species teeters on the brink of extinction. Rolling Hills Zoo is among only 21 AZA-accredited institutions with addaxes in their care and is one of the few places outside of Africa where they can be seen.

The new calf has not yet been named, but guests are invited to visit and see this rare and beautiful addition to the herd—an encouraging sign of hope for a species fighting for survival.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754431513598.jpeg" alt="Addax calf arrived to the Rolling Hills Zoo on August 2nd; photo courtesy of Rolling Hills Zoo" />
 <figcaption>Addax calf arrived to the Rolling Hills Zoo on August 2nd; photo courtesy of Rolling Hills Zoo</figcaption>
 </figure>Rolling Hills ZooRolling Hills Zoo is celebrating the arrival of a new addax calf, born on August 2nd about 7:45 a.m. This marks the second calf for mother Felicity and the fifth calf sired by Ajax, the zoo’s resident male addax. This calf is a sibling to Fern, a female addax born to Felicity and Ajax in July 2023.While confirmation is still pending on the sex of the calf, with this latest birth, Rolling Hills Zoo has now successfully welcomed nine addax calves as part of the ongoing conservation efforts for this species.Guests hoping to catch a glimpse of the new calf might need a sharp eye as it will often lay low in shallow depressions made by the adults or along the fence line. This instinctive behavior is a natural survival strategy in the wild.Though Kansas summers can be hot, addax are remarkably adapted to extreme desert climates. These animals can withstand temperatures over 100°F by storing heat during the day and releasing it at night, thanks to a natural cooling system that protects their brains from overheating.Native to the Sahara Desert, the addax is currently listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is considered one of the most threatened hoofed mammals in the world. Wild populations have been decimated by overhunting, poaching with modern firearms, and the widespread use of off-road vehicles in fragile desert habitats.This addax birth is an incredible win for this species, and Rolling Hills Zoo is thrilled to welcome another critically endangered addax to the population. With fewer than 100 addaxes left in the wild and just over 180 in managed care across Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited institutions, this species teeters on the brink of extinction. Rolling Hills Zoo is among only 21 AZA-accredited institutions with addaxes in their care and is one of the few places outside of Africa where they can be seen.The new calf has not yet been named, but guests are invited to visit and see this rare and beautiful addition to the herd—an encouraging sign of hope for a species fighting for survival.

New addax calf arrives to the Rolling Hills Zoo

SALINE COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just after 4p.m. Tuesday in Saline County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Chevy Avalanche driven by&nbsp;&nbsp;Ian Patrick&nbsp;Dipaolo, 22, Aurora, Colorado was northbound on Interstate 135 just south of State Street. The Avalanche rear-ended a 2016 GMC Acadia driven by Heather Elaine&nbsp;Chamoff, 45, Bennington, who was stopped due to traffic.&nbsp; The impact pushed the Acadia into a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Thomas Scott&nbsp;Dorland, 22, Castle Rock, Colorado.

EMS transported two passengers in the Avalanche identified as&nbsp;Darley, Baker Andrew Darley, 22, Centennial, Colorado and&nbsp;and Hailie Nicole Rodarte, Parker, Colorado, to Salina Regional Health Center.

There were no others transported for treatment. Rodarte was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

SALINE COUNTY - The Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) has provided additional and updated information regarding the vehicle accidents that occurred on&nbsp;Interstate 135 north of Crawford.

According to KHP, just after 4:00 pm the Highway Patrol were notified about a multi-vehicle, non-injury crash on I-135 north of Crawford. Then shortly after, another multi-vehicle crash happened in the same area on the 93 mile marker road. This crash however, resulted in injuries that were non-life threatening.

Furthermore, a third non-injury crash took place on the same road further down from the previous two. 

Then sometime after 5:00 pm, the KHP was notified about an additional non-injury crash that occurred on the southbound side of I-135.

The KHP stated the roads on I-135 north of Crawford are currently starting to open back up.

Salina Post will provide any additional details and updates as they become available.

SALINE COUNTY —First responders are working at least two accident scenes on Interstate 135 north of Crawford.

Northbound traffic is being diverted and is backed up for several miles. There are no initial reports of injuries.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754431154868.png" alt="Image KanDrive 5p.m. Tuesday" />
 <figcaption>Image KanDrive 5p.m. Tuesday</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just after 4p.m. Tuesday in Saline County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Chevy Avalanche driven by&nbsp;&nbsp;Ian Patrick&nbsp;Dipaolo, 22, Aurora, Colorado was northbound on Interstate 135 just south of State Street. The Avalanche rear-ended a 2016 GMC Acadia driven by Heather Elaine&nbsp;Chamoff, 45, Bennington, who was stopped due to traffic.&nbsp; The impact pushed the Acadia into a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Thomas Scott&nbsp;Dorland, 22, Castle Rock, Colorado.EMS transported two passengers in the Avalanche identified as&nbsp;Darley, Baker Andrew Darley, 22, Centennial, Colorado and&nbsp;and Hailie Nicole Rodarte, Parker, Colorado, to Salina Regional Health Center.There were no others transported for treatment. Rodarte was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.------SALINE COUNTY - The Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) has provided additional and updated information regarding the vehicle accidents that occurred on&nbsp;Interstate 135 north of Crawford.According to KHP, just after 4:00 pm the Highway Patrol were notified about a multi-vehicle, non-injury crash on I-135 north of Crawford. Then shortly after, another multi-vehicle crash happened in the same area on the 93 mile marker road. This crash however, resulted in injuries that were non-life threatening.Furthermore, a third non-injury crash took place on the same road further down from the previous two. Then sometime after 5:00 pm, the KHP was notified about an additional non-injury crash that occurred on the southbound side of I-135.The KHP stated the roads on I-135 north of Crawford are currently starting to open back up.Salina Post will provide any additional details and updates as they become available.----------SALINE COUNTY —First responders are working at least two accident scenes on Interstate 135 north of Crawford.Northbound traffic is being diverted and is backed up for several miles. There are no initial reports of injuries.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

UPDATE: 2 hospitalized after 3-vehicle crash on I-135

The City of Salina Commissioners have officially announced the finalists for the hiring of the new city manager position and the location of the public meet &amp; greet that will occur on Monday, August 11th.

ORIGINAL: <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/9acbf5a2-8179-46a6-8768-08a6082f98e8">City of Salina getting closer to hiring a new city manager, meet &amp; greet next week</a>

According to the City of Salina, the meet &amp; greet will take place at the Stiefel Theatre Watson Room, 151 S. Santa Fe Ave. on Monday from 5:30 - 7:30 pm. This is a great opportunity for people of the community to ask questions, meet and spark meaningful conversations with each of the city manager finalists.&nbsp;

Darrin Tangeman (Orleans, Massachusetts)

Michael Tremblay&nbsp;(Fort George G. Meade, Maryland)

The City of Salina also provided biographies courtesy of&nbsp;Government Professional Solutions:

Darrin&nbsp;Tangeman has over 11 years of executive local government experience, serving as Chief Administrative Officer, City Manager and Town Manager for municipalities in Massachusetts and Colorado. 

Before Tangeman began his local government career, he served as a United States Army Special Forces Officer in the revered Green Berets for 11 years. Darrin has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas, a Master of Science in Defense Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado and a third Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Kansas. 

He also has successfully completed the Harvard University Senior Executive in State and Local Government Program. Darrin has been an active member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and has earned the ICMA-Credentialed Manager status. As a member of ICMA, Darrin was a Co-Founder of the ICMA Veterans Local Government Management Fellowship, which he served as the Inaugural Chair.

&nbsp;Michael Tremblay has served in the United States Army since 1995. His more recent assignments have been the CEO of Talent Management for the 1st Brigade as Commander, Chief of Staff at Fort Benning and as Garrison Commander, which is the equivalent as a City Manager, at USAG located in South Korea. 

Tremblay has two master’s degrees. The first is a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College. The second is a Master of Science in Administration/Organizational Leadership from Central Michigan University.

Jacob Wood has over 13 years of executive local government experience, serving as an Assistant City Manager, Deputy City Manager, City Administrator and Interim City Manager with multiple municipalities in Kansas. During that time, he has also served as a Logistics Officer with the United States Army Reserve for 19 years. Wood has a&nbsp;Bachelor of Science and a Master of Public Administration from Kansas State University. 

Wood has also been an active member of the Kansas Association of City/County Managers since 2009, and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) since 2008, where he has earned the ICMA-Credentialed Manager status.

On Tuesday, August 12th&nbsp;the finalists will have closed interviews with the Salina City Commission.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697467290838.jpeg" alt="The Saline County and Salina City building at 300 West Ash Street in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>The Saline County and Salina City building at 300 West Ash Street in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>By: NICOLAS FIERROSalina PostThe City of Salina Commissioners have officially announced the finalists for the hiring of the new city manager position and the location of the public meet &amp; greet that will occur on Monday, August 11th.ORIGINAL: <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/9acbf5a2-8179-46a6-8768-08a6082f98e8">City of Salina getting closer to hiring a new city manager, meet &amp; greet next week</a>According to the City of Salina, the meet &amp; greet will take place at the Stiefel Theatre Watson Room, 151 S. Santa Fe Ave. on Monday from 5:30 - 7:30 pm. This is a great opportunity for people of the community to ask questions, meet and spark meaningful conversations with each of the city manager finalists.&nbsp;The three finalists are as listed:&nbsp;Darrin Tangeman (Orleans, Massachusetts) Michael Tremblay&nbsp;(Fort George G. Meade, Maryland) Jacob Wood (Salina, Kansas)The City of Salina also provided biographies courtesy of&nbsp;Government Professional Solutions:<h2>Darrin Tangeman</h2>Darrin&nbsp;Tangeman has over 11 years of executive local government experience, serving as Chief Administrative Officer, City Manager and Town Manager for municipalities in Massachusetts and Colorado. Before Tangeman began his local government career, he served as a United States Army Special Forces Officer in the revered Green Berets for 11 years. Darrin has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas, a Master of Science in Defense Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado and a third Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Kansas. He also has successfully completed the Harvard University Senior Executive in State and Local Government Program. Darrin has been an active member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and has earned the ICMA-Credentialed Manager status. As a member of ICMA, Darrin was a Co-Founder of the ICMA Veterans Local Government Management Fellowship, which he served as the Inaugural Chair.<h2>Michael Tremblay</h2>&nbsp;Michael Tremblay has served in the United States Army since 1995. His more recent assignments have been the CEO of Talent Management for the 1st Brigade as Commander, Chief of Staff at Fort Benning and as Garrison Commander, which is the equivalent as a City Manager, at USAG located in South Korea. Tremblay has two master’s degrees. The first is a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College. The second is a Master of Science in Administration/Organizational Leadership from Central Michigan University.<h2>Jacob Wood</h2>Jacob Wood has over 13 years of executive local government experience, serving as an Assistant City Manager, Deputy City Manager, City Administrator and Interim City Manager with multiple municipalities in Kansas. During that time, he has also served as a Logistics Officer with the United States Army Reserve for 19 years. Wood has a&nbsp;Bachelor of Science and a Master of Public Administration from Kansas State University. Wood has also been an active member of the Kansas Association of City/County Managers since 2009, and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) since 2008, where he has earned the ICMA-Credentialed Manager status.On Tuesday, August 12th&nbsp;the finalists will have closed interviews with the Salina City Commission.

UPDATE: City Manager finalists and location of public meet & greet announced

The Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of Hutchinson

The Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of Hutchinson is thrilled to announce Heather Neuhofel as the inaugural Site Director of the brand-new Boys &amp; Girls Club of Salina. 

With more than a decade of experience in youth development, Heather steps into a historic role—leading the first-ever Club site in Salina and helping to shape what will become a cornerstone for youth and families in the community.

Heather’s career spans work with children from infancy through high school, with a majority of her experience rooted in service through Boys &amp; Girls Clubs across the country. Her work has supported military families, rural communities, and urban populations alike—each time reinforcing her commitment to safe, enriching, and inclusive environments that foster growth through arts, education, sports, and wellness.

Since relocating to Salina in 2021 from the Pacific Northwest, Heather has continued that mission, bringing with her not only a wealth of expertise but also a deep personal understanding of the power of community—shaped by her own upbringing in a military family.

She holds extensive training in youth safety, trauma-informed practices, mental health first aid, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and social-emotional learning frameworks. Heather’s passion lies in creating spaces where young people feel connected and confident—and where families know their children truly belong.

“I am honored and thrilled to bring my experience and passion for the movement to help make the vision of the first ever Boys &amp; Girls Club of Salina a reality,”&nbsp;said Neuhofel.&nbsp;“It’s a privilege to support and help shape the future of this incredible leadership team and community.”

Heather’s appointment marks a milestone for the city of Salina. "As the very first Site Director of the new Salina Club, Heather is in a unique and exciting position to build something lasting from the ground up."&nbsp;shared Lance Patterson. "We are privileged to welcome her to our team and confident that her leadership will positively impact both the Club and the broader Salina community for years to come."

For more information about the upcoming Club opening in Salina, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bgcsalina.com">www.bgcsalina.com</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754409207028.jpeg" alt="Heather Neuhofel, named first-ever Site Director of the Boys &amp; Girls Club of Salina; photo courtesy of The Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of Hutchinson" />
 <figcaption>Heather Neuhofel, named first-ever Site Director of the Boys &amp; Girls Club of Salina; photo courtesy of The Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of Hutchinson</figcaption>
 </figure>The Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of HutchinsonThe Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of Hutchinson is thrilled to announce Heather Neuhofel as the inaugural Site Director of the brand-new Boys &amp; Girls Club of Salina. With more than a decade of experience in youth development, Heather steps into a historic role—leading the first-ever Club site in Salina and helping to shape what will become a cornerstone for youth and families in the community.Heather’s career spans work with children from infancy through high school, with a majority of her experience rooted in service through Boys &amp; Girls Clubs across the country. Her work has supported military families, rural communities, and urban populations alike—each time reinforcing her commitment to safe, enriching, and inclusive environments that foster growth through arts, education, sports, and wellness.Since relocating to Salina in 2021 from the Pacific Northwest, Heather has continued that mission, bringing with her not only a wealth of expertise but also a deep personal understanding of the power of community—shaped by her own upbringing in a military family.She holds extensive training in youth safety, trauma-informed practices, mental health first aid, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and social-emotional learning frameworks. Heather’s passion lies in creating spaces where young people feel connected and confident—and where families know their children truly belong.“I am honored and thrilled to bring my experience and passion for the movement to help make the vision of the first ever Boys &amp; Girls Club of Salina a reality,”&nbsp;said Neuhofel.&nbsp;“It’s a privilege to support and help shape the future of this incredible leadership team and community.”Heather’s appointment marks a milestone for the city of Salina. "As the very first Site Director of the new Salina Club, Heather is in a unique and exciting position to build something lasting from the ground up."&nbsp;shared Lance Patterson. "We are privileged to welcome her to our team and confident that her leadership will positively impact both the Club and the broader Salina community for years to come."For more information about the upcoming Club opening in Salina, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bgcsalina.com">www.bgcsalina.com</a>

Heather Neuhofel named first-ever Site Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Salina

Saline County authorities are investigating a possible theft of a vehicle, after discovering the car had been abandoned, damaged and burned.

According to the Saline County Sheriff's Office on Monday, August 4th, the sheriff's office received a call about an abandoned vehicle parked in the middle of the road with its door open on the 4500 block of E. North St. 

Deputies arrived to the scene and found a 2016 Hyundai Sonata with damage to the windshield and a burnt interior.

Deputies contacted the owner of the vehicle, and the owner stated they lent the car over to a friend. Authorities then contacted the friend and stated they arrived to a home they were visiting on Riverside Dr. in Salina. 

Moreover, the friend said they left the car running in the street outside of the home they were visiting. When they came back outside, the car was gone.

The Sheriff's Office stated the car appeared to have been stolen.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754407185413.jpeg" alt="Abandoned 2016 Hyundai Sonata in the middle of the road on the 4500 block of E North St.; photo courtesy of the Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Abandoned 2016 Hyundai Sonata in the middle of the road on the 4500 block of E North St.; photo courtesy of the Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By: NICOLAS FIERROSalina PostSaline County authorities are investigating a possible theft of a vehicle, after discovering the car had been abandoned, damaged and burned.According to the Saline County Sheriff's Office on Monday, August 4th, the sheriff's office received a call about an abandoned vehicle parked in the middle of the road with its door open on the 4500 block of E. North St. Deputies arrived to the scene and found a 2016 Hyundai Sonata with damage to the windshield and a burnt interior.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754407731363.jpeg" alt="Burned interior of 2016 Hyundai Sonata; photo courtesy of Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Burned interior of 2016 Hyundai Sonata; photo courtesy of Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies contacted the owner of the vehicle, and the owner stated they lent the car over to a friend. Authorities then contacted the friend and stated they arrived to a home they were visiting on Riverside Dr. in Salina. Moreover, the friend said they left the car running in the street outside of the home they were visiting. When they came back outside, the car was gone.The Sheriff's Office stated the car appeared to have been stolen.The investigation is ongoing.

Saline County authorities investigating abandoned, damaged and burned car 

A barn and a home was lost after a fire in rural Saline County.

According to the Saline County Sheriff's Office on Monday, August 4th a barn and a home was reportedly on fire. Deputies received a call from a neighbor who stated a barn and house located on 3008 N. Gypsum Valley&nbsp; caught in flames.

Rural Fire District #5 extinguished the fire shortly after the report. 

The barn was owned by 67-year old Billy Jeffrey. He was not present when the fire happened. The home is an unoccupied dwelling.

The cause of fire is undetermined at this time.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754406887419.jpeg" alt="Barn completely consumed after fire on 3008 N Gypsum Valley; photo courtesy of the Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Barn completely consumed after fire on 3008 N Gypsum Valley; photo courtesy of the Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By: NICOLAS FIERROSalina PostA barn and a home was lost after a fire in rural Saline County.According to the Saline County Sheriff's Office on Monday, August 4th a barn and a home was reportedly on fire. Deputies received a call from a neighbor who stated a barn and house located on 3008 N. Gypsum Valley&nbsp; caught in flames.Rural Fire District #5 extinguished the fire shortly after the report. The barn was owned by 67-year old Billy Jeffrey. He was not present when the fire happened. The home is an unoccupied dwelling.The cause of fire is undetermined at this time.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754406783078.jpeg" alt="Unoccupied home on 3008 N Gypsum Valley Rd. on Monday, August 4th; photo courtesy of the Saline County Sheriff's Office.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Unoccupied home on 3008 N Gypsum Valley Rd. on Monday, August 4th; photo courtesy of the Saline County Sheriff's Office.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>

Barn and house completely consumed after fire in Saline County

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a>

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/"></a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Grinnell City Administrator Jewel Maier is visibly shaken weeks later when she repeats the words her best friend said minutes after a tornado struck this western Kansas town.

“She called me, and the first question out of her mouth was ‘Are you OK?’ I immediately start complaining about my patio table that got flipped over and just demolished,” Maier said. “Then she kind of choked up and she said, ‘Everything’s gone.’ ”

It was the moment Maier, who lives on a farm south of town, understood the devastation wreaked on her friends and neighbors in Grinnell.

On May 18, an EF-3 tornado swept into the small town of just over 240 people around 6:30 p.m., leveling a west-side neighborhood with more than 28 houses and outbuildings. The elementary school and a city-owned golf course were damaged, along with a Frontier Ag grain facility.&nbsp;

The National Weather Service reported 13 tornadoes that day in Kansas, six of them rated EF-3, which means winds 136 to 175 mph.

The destruction runs to millions of dollars. But Maier and Grinnell residents tend to focus on the lack of injuries in the stories they tell.

“There were a couple of people who just got beat up,” said Tristan Bixenman, a restaurant owner in nearby Grainfield whose family all lives in the area. “But nobody got seriously injured.”

Bixenman had been closely watching the weather and canceled a planned family dinner in town when the sky darkened.

“My parents were not very smart, and they were checking ground and happened to come up behind it,” she said, shooting a look at her mother, Christy Rathgeber, who just smiled.

“I was calling them and warning them to go to the basement, because they were in the path of it,” Rathgeber said.

She said she and her husband didn’t realize the storm’s strength until they turned a corner and saw power poles collapsing on the road in front of them.

“That’s when we stopped and backed up,” she said. “There’s so much debris. My husband barely rolled the window down, and it sucked the hat off his head. We’ll never see that hat again.”

Once she realized the tornado was heading to Grinnell, Rathgeber said she contacted family members in the path.

“We called them, and they had no intentions of going to the basement,” she said. “They didn’t think it was anything. Had we not called, I don’t know as if they would have gone to the basement in their house.

“Their house was demolished, but the china hutch was still sitting, and there were still dishes in it,” Rathgeber added.

Kenny Robben also lost his home. In his 80s, Robben had knee surgery and was sitting in his recliner, Bixenman said.

“Sirens are going off, (Robben was) watching the news. Wasn’t too concerned until the last second,” she said. “He stands up with his walker and then the wind just starts coming through his windows. He sits down and literally rides it out in his recliner.”

Bixenman shook her head. Robben was uninjured.

The list of work to be done is long. The local Catholic church lost its roof. Headstones were damaged at the VFW cemetery. The elementary school won’t reopen in time for the start of school.

Contractors are difficult to find, Maier said, but are filtering in to do the work.

A missionary team from the First Baptist Church in Dighton arrived July 21 and framed and sided a house in five days, said the Rev. Ken Bowden.

“We just asked if there was anybody we could help out specifically, and the city nominated one of the families in town to get their house rebuilt,” he said.&nbsp;

The church team of 20 included a contractor, who helped teach the others, Bowden said. They put walls up the first day, trusses the second and then finished decking it.

The town found a contractor to work on the elementary school, but all classes there are being moved to the middle school when the session starts Aug. 13, Maier said.&nbsp;

“We’re such a small school, so they’re just going to move some things around and make everybody fit for the year,” she said. “And God bless our lunch lady. She’s going to make the lunches and then hot box them down the street — they have a hot box on wheels — so they get breakfast and lunch. Prior to this, the middle schoolers would come down to eat lunch at the grade school.

“It’s been amazing to see the backbone of people,” Maier added. “Grinnell has some true grit in us. I’m so proud of our little town.”

On July 23, President Donald Trump approved disaster funding for Grinnell and Gove County, along with other Kansas counties affected by the May 18 and 19 storm. Public assistance funding is a cost-sharing federal program to pay for emergency work and repair and replace facilities damaged by storms, said Ryan Lowry-Lee, FEMA Region 7 spokesman.

The assistance will pay for debris removal and emergency protective measures, as well as permanent restoration of facilities such as roads, culverts, bridges and public buildings, he said.

“It’s been a very steep learning curve of what do you do to keep a town safe,” Maier said. “We have two paved roads in town, and everything else is sand road. We might have to dig up these roads, pull up to four inches off them and re-sand them, for safety reasons. Your kids can’t ride a bike if they’re full of nails.”

Maier, who worked in the insurance industry for 13 years, worried the town wouldn’t qualify for support because it had to show $5.8 million of damage to city-owned property. But state and FEMA staff helped her assess damages, and they made the threshold.

Along with damages to the school and the golf course, Maier said 40 water meter pits were damaged or completely gone, costing $1,000 to $1,500 each to replace.

A separate city insurance policy doesn’t cover roads and major infrastructure, and Maier didn’t expect to make the $10,000 deductible.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the Grinnell grain facility owned by Frontier Ag will take about $6 million to rebuild, said CEO Stan Remington. They have insurance of $3.5 million to $4 million, he added.

“We lost approximately 750,000 bushels of storage,” he said. “We’ll be lucky to be in operation a year from now. Contractors aren’t easy to find, and it takes time to build that kind of complex back.”

Remington said his company’s other facilities are too far away to be of use for the upcoming fall harvest. The storm damaged storage bins full of grain and forced the company to store wheat under white tents on the ground, a practice they’ll continue. But that drives costs up.

“Labor costs go up because it takes about two times the labor to put it on the ground,” he said.

Darrell Garner, a grain elevator supervisor at the facility, said they were shut down for about four days after the storm, but welders have been coming in to remove broken metal and make repairs.

“We’re doing pretty good,” he said.

While some residents are rebuilding their houses, others have chosen to sell their lots instead, Maier said.

“I think it’s going to change us forever,” said Lisa Bixenman, a Grinnell resident and a cousin of Tristan Bixenman. “I don’t think a lot of them are going to build back, maybe we’re up to half. I just don’t think it’s ever going to be the same.”

Dolly Theobald’s family chose not to rebuild, but they didn’t leave town. Instead, a local woman offered to sell them her home, and they moved in last week.

The night of the storm, Theobald had just gotten home when her sister-in-law messaged to ask if they were in the basement. After a second call from her mother, Theobald said she gathered her two children and the pets and went to the basement.

“It was crazy loud, and it was probably done in less than 30 seconds,” Theobald said. “You could hear the windows breaking. You could hear debris hit.”

Their house was a total loss. Theobald said she’s grateful her family photos were in a center room in the basement, where they were safe.

Pieces of family history were scattered throughout the area, hung up in trees, and wrapped around jagged edges of aluminum siding. The town set up three tables at the VFW where people put things they found so they could be returned to owners, Rathgeber said.

Concern from small communities poured in through financial donations, boots on the ground, offers of an apartment complex to house people short term and hotels donating free rooms, Maier said.

Volunteers arrived by the hundreds. The day after the tornado, an estimated 1,500 to 1,800 people arrived to clean up, said Grinnell resident Shari Burks.

“Farmers were all supposed to be planting, and they just parked their tractors for a week,” Lisa Bixenman said. “Or they brought them to town to help. I mean, literally it put everybody behind for a week or a week and a half, because they all just dropped everything to come. It’s incredible.”

The VFW, initially the hub of emergency activity and a storm shelter, transitioned to a community center for meals, organizing volunteers, collecting donations and bringing everyone together.

Volunteer Melissa Shupe said donations quickly came from across the country. A semi-truck of new clothing was delivered. People who had been through the Joplin, Missouri, tornado drove in with supplies. Rathgeber, who owns Broken Handle catering, and Tristan Bixenman, who owns Meraki Market, both served dinners.

Nearby restaurants donated hundreds of pizzas and sandwiches, Pepsi donated 400-plus cases of Gatorade and soda, and other companies donated chips and pallets of water, Tristan Bixenman said.

“It was an overwhelming blessing type of thing,” she said. “It can be really challenging to keep all that organized in the aftermath of a disaster. It just kept coming in.”

Trish Gruber, Grinnell’s emergency operations manager, said short-term recovery after the storm is over. That included checking for injuries, removing debris and reporting what had happened to appropriate agencies, including utility companies that moved in to clean up downed power lines, she said.&nbsp;

Gruber also had to address the tornado siren in town that didn’t go off that night.&nbsp;

The two sirens were tested about 30 minutes before the storm in a regularly scheduled test that occurs every day at noon and 6 p.m., she said.

“It was just when we tried to set it off manually, it was not catching that signal,” Gruber said.

The working siren was located on the west side of town where the tornado hit, Gruber said, adding that emergency vehicles drove through town with their sirens screaming to warn residents.

Today, the siren is fixed, and the long-term recovery, expected to take two years, is underway.

Gruber said the city has applied for a grant to update its tornado shelter. Maier is looking at other grants to help homeowners and the city rebuild.

Sitting on a bench downtown, she is hopeful for Grinnell’s future.&nbsp;

“It all came together so fast and really, so smoothly,” Maier said of the recovery. “We had an amazing group of people that really stepped up to the plate. As overwhelming as it was, it was a lot of love.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754345087321.png" alt="&nbsp;Jewel Maier, Grinnell city administrator, had been on the job for three months when a tornado hit the small western Kansas town. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Jewel Maier, Grinnell city administrator, had been on the job for three months when a tornado hit the small western Kansas town. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/"></a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>GRINNELL — “Everything’s gone.”Grinnell City Administrator Jewel Maier is visibly shaken weeks later when she repeats the words her best friend said minutes after a tornado struck this western Kansas town.“She called me, and the first question out of her mouth was ‘Are you OK?’ I immediately start complaining about my patio table that got flipped over and just demolished,” Maier said. “Then she kind of choked up and she said, ‘Everything’s gone.’ ”It was the moment Maier, who lives on a farm south of town, understood the devastation wreaked on her friends and neighbors in Grinnell.On May 18, an EF-3 tornado swept into the small town of just over 240 people around 6:30 p.m., leveling a west-side neighborhood with more than 28 houses and outbuildings. The elementary school and a city-owned golf course were damaged, along with a Frontier Ag grain facility.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754345169601.png" alt="Rubble from the May tornado could still be seen on July 9, 2025, in Grinnell. The town has continued cleaning up and making repairs but it will take months to recover. Under tarps in the background, Frontier Ag is storing grain after after its Grinnell facility sustained $5.5 million in damage. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rubble from the May tornado could still be seen on July 9, 2025, in Grinnell. The town has continued cleaning up and making repairs but it will take months to recover. Under tarps in the background, Frontier Ag is storing grain after after its Grinnell facility sustained $5.5 million in damage. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>The National Weather Service reported 13 tornadoes that day in Kansas, six of them rated EF-3, which means winds 136 to 175 mph.The destruction runs to millions of dollars. But Maier and Grinnell residents tend to focus on the lack of injuries in the stories they tell.“There were a couple of people who just got beat up,” said Tristan Bixenman, a restaurant owner in nearby Grainfield whose family all lives in the area. “But nobody got seriously injured.”<h2>Kansas resilience</h2>Bixenman had been closely watching the weather and canceled a planned family dinner in town when the sky darkened.“My parents were not very smart, and they were checking ground and happened to come up behind it,” she said, shooting a look at her mother, Christy Rathgeber, who just smiled.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754345221849.png" alt="Tristan Bixenman, owner of Meraki Market coffee shop and bakery in Grainfield, is helped by her son, Kip, in the kitchen. Bixenman provided food for volunteers and also worked for hours at the VFW in Grinnell after the tornado hit the town in May. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Tristan Bixenman, owner of Meraki Market coffee shop and bakery in Grainfield, is helped by her son, Kip, in the kitchen. Bixenman provided food for volunteers and also worked for hours at the VFW in Grinnell after the tornado hit the town in May. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>“I was calling them and warning them to go to the basement, because they were in the path of it,” Rathgeber said.She said she and her husband didn’t realize the storm’s strength until they turned a corner and saw power poles collapsing on the road in front of them.“That’s when we stopped and backed up,” she said. “There’s so much debris. My husband barely rolled the window down, and it sucked the hat off his head. We’ll never see that hat again.”Once she realized the tornado was heading to Grinnell, Rathgeber said she contacted family members in the path.“We called them, and they had no intentions of going to the basement,” she said. “They didn’t think it was anything. Had we not called, I don’t know as if they would have gone to the basement in their house.“Their house was demolished, but the china hutch was still sitting, and there were still dishes in it,” Rathgeber added.Kenny Robben also lost his home. In his 80s, Robben had knee surgery and was sitting in his recliner, Bixenman said.“Sirens are going off, (Robben was) watching the news. Wasn’t too concerned until the last second,” she said. “He stands up with his walker and then the wind just starts coming through his windows. He sits down and literally rides it out in his recliner.”Bixenman shook her head. Robben was uninjured.<h2>Rallying to rebuild</h2>The list of work to be done is long. The local Catholic church lost its roof. Headstones were damaged at the VFW cemetery. The elementary school won’t reopen in time for the start of school.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754345303986.png" alt="Rubble from the May tornado can be seen on July 9, 2025, in Grinnell. Cemeteries had headstone damage and 28 homes were destroyed. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rubble from the May tornado can be seen on July 9, 2025, in Grinnell. Cemeteries had headstone damage and 28 homes were destroyed. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Contractors are difficult to find, Maier said, but are filtering in to do the work.A missionary team from the First Baptist Church in Dighton arrived July 21 and framed and sided a house in five days, said the Rev. Ken Bowden.“We just asked if there was anybody we could help out specifically, and the city nominated one of the families in town to get their house rebuilt,” he said.&nbsp;The church team of 20 included a contractor, who helped teach the others, Bowden said. They put walls up the first day, trusses the second and then finished decking it.The town found a contractor to work on the elementary school, but all classes there are being moved to the middle school when the session starts Aug. 13, Maier said.&nbsp;“We’re such a small school, so they’re just going to move some things around and make everybody fit for the year,” she said. “And God bless our lunch lady. She’s going to make the lunches and then hot box them down the street — they have a hot box on wheels — so they get breakfast and lunch. Prior to this, the middle schoolers would come down to eat lunch at the grade school.“It’s been amazing to see the backbone of people,” Maier added. “Grinnell has some true grit in us. I’m so proud of our little town.”On July 23, President Donald Trump approved disaster funding for Grinnell and Gove County, along with other Kansas counties affected by the May 18 and 19 storm. Public assistance funding is a cost-sharing federal program to pay for emergency work and repair and replace facilities damaged by storms, said Ryan Lowry-Lee, FEMA Region 7 spokesman.The assistance will pay for debris removal and emergency protective measures, as well as permanent restoration of facilities such as roads, culverts, bridges and public buildings, he said.“It’s been a very steep learning curve of what do you do to keep a town safe,” Maier said. “We have two paved roads in town, and everything else is sand road. We might have to dig up these roads, pull up to four inches off them and re-sand them, for safety reasons. Your kids can’t ride a bike if they’re full of nails.”Maier, who worked in the insurance industry for 13 years, worried the town wouldn’t qualify for support because it had to show $5.8 million of damage to city-owned property. But state and FEMA staff helped her assess damages, and they made the threshold.Along with damages to the school and the golf course, Maier said 40 water meter pits were damaged or completely gone, costing $1,000 to $1,500 each to replace.A separate city insurance policy doesn’t cover roads and major infrastructure, and Maier didn’t expect to make the $10,000 deductible.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the Grinnell grain facility owned by Frontier Ag will take about $6 million to rebuild, said CEO Stan Remington. They have insurance of $3.5 million to $4 million, he added.“We lost approximately 750,000 bushels of storage,” he said. “We’ll be lucky to be in operation a year from now. Contractors aren’t easy to find, and it takes time to build that kind of complex back.”Remington said his company’s other facilities are too far away to be of use for the upcoming fall harvest. The storm damaged storage bins full of grain and forced the company to store wheat under white tents on the ground, a practice they’ll continue. But that drives costs up.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754345349545.png" alt="Darrell Garner, a grain elevator supervisor at Frontier Ag in Grinnell, said the facility lost its storage bins in a tornado in May. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Darrell Garner, a grain elevator supervisor at Frontier Ag in Grinnell, said the facility lost its storage bins in a tornado in May. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>“Labor costs go up because it takes about two times the labor to put it on the ground,” he said.Darrell Garner, a grain elevator supervisor at the facility, said they were shut down for about four days after the storm, but welders have been coming in to remove broken metal and make repairs.“We’re doing pretty good,” he said.<h2>So much help</h2>While some residents are rebuilding their houses, others have chosen to sell their lots instead, Maier said.“I think it’s going to change us forever,” said Lisa Bixenman, a Grinnell resident and a cousin of Tristan Bixenman. “I don’t think a lot of them are going to build back, maybe we’re up to half. I just don’t think it’s ever going to be the same.”Dolly Theobald’s family chose not to rebuild, but they didn’t leave town. Instead, a local woman offered to sell them her home, and they moved in last week.The night of the storm, Theobald had just gotten home when her sister-in-law messaged to ask if they were in the basement. After a second call from her mother, Theobald said she gathered her two children and the pets and went to the basement.“It was crazy loud, and it was probably done in less than 30 seconds,” Theobald said. “You could hear the windows breaking. You could hear debris hit.”Their house was a total loss. Theobald said she’s grateful her family photos were in a center room in the basement, where they were safe.Pieces of family history were scattered throughout the area, hung up in trees, and wrapped around jagged edges of aluminum siding. The town set up three tables at the VFW where people put things they found so they could be returned to owners, Rathgeber said.Concern from small communities poured in through financial donations, boots on the ground, offers of an apartment complex to house people short term and hotels donating free rooms, Maier said.Volunteers arrived by the hundreds. The day after the tornado, an estimated 1,500 to 1,800 people arrived to clean up, said Grinnell resident Shari Burks.“Farmers were all supposed to be planting, and they just parked their tractors for a week,” Lisa Bixenman said. “Or they brought them to town to help. I mean, literally it put everybody behind for a week or a week and a half, because they all just dropped everything to come. It’s incredible.”The VFW, initially the hub of emergency activity and a storm shelter, transitioned to a community center for meals, organizing volunteers, collecting donations and bringing everyone together.Volunteer Melissa Shupe said donations quickly came from across the country. A semi-truck of new clothing was delivered. People who had been through the Joplin, Missouri, tornado drove in with supplies. Rathgeber, who owns Broken Handle catering, and Tristan Bixenman, who owns Meraki Market, both served dinners.Nearby restaurants donated hundreds of pizzas and sandwiches, Pepsi donated 400-plus cases of Gatorade and soda, and other companies donated chips and pallets of water, Tristan Bixenman said.“It was an overwhelming blessing type of thing,” she said. “It can be really challenging to keep all that organized in the aftermath of a disaster. It just kept coming in.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754345390312.png" alt="&nbsp;Jared Mason was renting a farmhouse outside of Grinnell when a May 18 tornado hit the town. Without a basement, he went into a downstairs closet, where he heard creaking and twisting boards as the house was demolished. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Jared Mason was renting a farmhouse outside of Grinnell when a May 18 tornado hit the town. Without a basement, he went into a downstairs closet, where he heard creaking and twisting boards as the house was demolished. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Long-term recovery</h2>Trish Gruber, Grinnell’s emergency operations manager, said short-term recovery after the storm is over. That included checking for injuries, removing debris and reporting what had happened to appropriate agencies, including utility companies that moved in to clean up downed power lines, she said.&nbsp;Gruber also had to address the tornado siren in town that didn’t go off that night.&nbsp;The two sirens were tested about 30 minutes before the storm in a regularly scheduled test that occurs every day at noon and 6 p.m., she said.“It was just when we tried to set it off manually, it was not catching that signal,” Gruber said.The working siren was located on the west side of town where the tornado hit, Gruber said, adding that emergency vehicles drove through town with their sirens screaming to warn residents.Today, the siren is fixed, and the long-term recovery, expected to take two years, is underway.Gruber said the city has applied for a grant to update its tornado shelter. Maier is looking at other grants to help homeowners and the city rebuild.Sitting on a bench downtown, she is hopeful for Grinnell’s future.&nbsp;“It all came together so fast and really, so smoothly,” Maier said of the recovery. “We had an amazing group of people that really stepped up to the plate. As overwhelming as it was, it was a lot of love.”

It’s going to change us forever’: Resilient Grinnell rebuilds with grit after tornado

A child walking into a school for the first time or transitioning to secondary education can experience a wide range of emotions, which can be overwhelming for both them and their parents.

Jessica Lane, associate professor of counseling in Kansas State University's&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://coe.k-state.edu/about/people/directory/special-education-counseling-student-affairs.html">special education, counseling and student affairs department</a>, says parents can start preparing now to help support their children and navigate their emotions throughout the transition.

Set your child up for success by showing excitement, familiarizing them with the situation

Lane says that parents should understand that when kids are starting kindergarten or secondary education, there will be a lot of feelings — such as excitement and nervousness — both from the parent's perspective and the child's perspective.

Kids can pick up on the feelings from the adults in their lives, so Lane advises that parents should try to make the experience as positive as possible for the child and show excitement for the new situation whenever possible. She also recommends that parents learn as much as they can about the school and help their child get familiar with it all, too.

"Parents can bring their child to the school during back-to-school nights to get them excited and having them practice walking up to the school&nbsp;or getting to their locker to build comfort and familiarity," Lane said. "Parents can also talk with their child about how they are going to meet new people and learn new things."

Once they begin the new school experience, Lane says children may come home and fall asleep early, perhaps even before dinnertime, because of all of the new experiences and structured time at school. While that's ok, she says getting into a routine and having a set bedtime will be helpful for children, especially as they experience those first few weeks of school.

Have open communication with the school and check in with your student

Lane encourages parents to have an open door of communication with their child's teacher and recognize that the school and the family are on the same team.

"Teachers, counselors and everyone within the school want to see your child be successful," Lane said. "If you are feeling that there are challenges, reach out early. Contact the teacher or the counselor after the first couple of weeks."

Lane suggests asking teachers and counselors questions from an objective lens, such as:

Checking in with your child will also encourage a connection with them, Lane said, and watching for changes in behavior can help parents know if their child is struggling with starting school or with the transition to secondary education.

"At the end of the day, ask your child how their day was," Lane said. "What's something fun and exciting that they learned or felt they were able to be successful at? These are questions that you can have in your back pocket to help you get a better sense of how things are going for them."

Changes in behavior could include the child being more introverted or withdrawing more than usual. They could also be acting out or showing an unwillingness to go to school. Lane says this is when parents can plant a seed and let their child know that if something is bothering them, they can always talk to their parent, even if the conversation doesn't happen right in the moment.

"I think a student's success begins within the home, so making sure that we're providing them with as much structure and support at home so that they can be successful out in the world and in school is the ultimate goal," Lane said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754399531089.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas State University&nbsp;A child walking into a school for the first time or transitioning to secondary education can experience a wide range of emotions, which can be overwhelming for both them and their parents.Jessica Lane, associate professor of counseling in Kansas State University's&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://coe.k-state.edu/about/people/directory/special-education-counseling-student-affairs.html">special education, counseling and student affairs department</a>, says parents can start preparing now to help support their children and navigate their emotions throughout the transition.<h2>Set your child up for success by showing excitement, familiarizing them with the situation</h2>Lane says that parents should understand that when kids are starting kindergarten or secondary education, there will be a lot of feelings — such as excitement and nervousness — both from the parent's perspective and the child's perspective.Kids can pick up on the feelings from the adults in their lives, so Lane advises that parents should try to make the experience as positive as possible for the child and show excitement for the new situation whenever possible. She also recommends that parents learn as much as they can about the school and help their child get familiar with it all, too."Parents can bring their child to the school during back-to-school nights to get them excited and having them practice walking up to the school&nbsp;or getting to their locker to build comfort and familiarity," Lane said. "Parents can also talk with their child about how they are going to meet new people and learn new things."Once they begin the new school experience, Lane says children may come home and fall asleep early, perhaps even before dinnertime, because of all of the new experiences and structured time at school. While that's ok, she says getting into a routine and having a set bedtime will be helpful for children, especially as they experience those first few weeks of school.<h2>Have open communication with the school and check in with your student</h2>Lane encourages parents to have an open door of communication with their child's teacher and recognize that the school and the family are on the same team."Teachers, counselors and everyone within the school want to see your child be successful," Lane said. "If you are feeling that there are challenges, reach out early. Contact the teacher or the counselor after the first couple of weeks."Lane suggests asking teachers and counselors questions from an objective lens, such as:<ul>
 <li>How is my child doing academically and socially?</li><li>How are they connecting?</li><li>Who are they connecting with?</li><li>Do you feel like they're able to make friendships or connections within the group?</li>
 </ul>Checking in with your child will also encourage a connection with them, Lane said, and watching for changes in behavior can help parents know if their child is struggling with starting school or with the transition to secondary education."At the end of the day, ask your child how their day was," Lane said. "What's something fun and exciting that they learned or felt they were able to be successful at? These are questions that you can have in your back pocket to help you get a better sense of how things are going for them."Changes in behavior could include the child being more introverted or withdrawing more than usual. They could also be acting out or showing an unwillingness to go to school. Lane says this is when parents can plant a seed and let their child know that if something is bothering them, they can always talk to their parent, even if the conversation doesn't happen right in the moment."I think a student's success begins within the home, so making sure that we're providing them with as much structure and support at home so that they can be successful out in the world and in school is the ultimate goal," Lane said.

KSU expert provides parents with helpful information for their children going to school for first the time or transitioning 

SALINE COUNTY — The ground continues to shake in Saline County. The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 3.3 magnitude earthquake just before 6:30p.m. Monday was centered approximately 3 miles east of Assaria. The Kansas Geological Survey reported the quake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.7. Moments later the KGS reported a 3.1 magnitude quake in the same area.

This is the fifth quake in that area since Saturday.

Just before 4:30p.m. Saturday, a quake measuring a magnitude 3.4 was reported 4.3 miles east of Assaria, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.&nbsp; A 2.7 magnitude quake shook the same area a short time later.

Just after 5:35p.m. Sunday the USGS reported a 3.3 magnitude quake approximately 4 miles southeast of Assaria.

There are no reports of damage and no calls about the quakes, according to the Saline County Sheriff's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754388617954.png" alt="-Star marks the location of the Monday evening earthquake" />
 <figcaption>-Star marks the location of the Monday evening earthquake</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY — The ground continues to shake in Saline County. The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 3.3 magnitude earthquake just before 6:30p.m. Monday was centered approximately 3 miles east of Assaria. The Kansas Geological Survey reported the quake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.7. Moments later the KGS reported a 3.1 magnitude quake in the same area.This is the fifth quake in that area since Saturday.Just before 4:30p.m. Saturday, a quake measuring a magnitude 3.4 was reported 4.3 miles east of Assaria, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.&nbsp; A 2.7 magnitude quake shook the same area a short time later.Just after 5:35p.m. Sunday the USGS reported a 3.3 magnitude quake approximately 4 miles southeast of Assaria.There are no reports of damage and no calls about the quakes, according to the Saline County Sheriff's office.

USGS reports more earthquake activity in Saline County

A well renowned award winning Kansan columnist, author and journalist spoke about his recently published <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a> column&nbsp;at a Salina church, about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that happened on Monday, August 6, 1945.

<a href="https://www.maxmccoy.com/">Max McCoy </a>originally from Baxter Springs, on Sunday spoke at the&nbsp;<a href="https://uusalina.org/">Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Church</a> about his in-person interview in Japan with a "Hibakusha" (word for Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors) named <a href="https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/profile/yoshito-matsushige/">Yoshito Matsushige</a> in 1986, 41 years after the atomic bombings. Matsushige was a Hiroshima photographer who took photos the day of the atomic bombings. His photos were later used on Life Magazine in 1952, but it was not until McCoy's article&nbsp;from the Pittsburg (KS) Morning Sun about Matsushige and other survivor's perspective of the atomic bombings, that Matsushige's photos gained worldwide attention.

McCoy arrived to Japan in 1986 as a journalist for the Pittsburg Morning Sun, after he was encouraged to apply for a travel grant program. His editors of the Pittsburg Morning Sun agreed to sponsor him and he was then selected as one of two American journalists sent to Japan that same year.

McCoy was given the opportunity to choose who to interview about the aftermath of the atomic bombings, and Matsushige was at the top of his list.

"I wanted to walk with him from his house, to where he took the famous photographs and I ended up interviewing about 100 other atomic bomb survivors at that time," said McCoy.&nbsp;

After McCoy's experience in Japan, he stated that he was affected 'emotionally.' He commented that he encountered having nightmares that he was in a 'nuclear hellscape, trying to find his children.'&nbsp;

Most of the people McCoy interviewed in Japan were 'defensive' when talking to someone from the US about the atomic bombings. They frequently asked him why he was doing the story and wanting interviews. His response was showing them pictures of his children.

"When they would ask me why I was doing it, I showed them pictures of my children from my wallet and told them this is why I am doing it," he said.&nbsp;

His viewpoint afterwards reinforced to him how important telling personal narratives were. McCoy studied and read many books regarding the events of the atomic bombings before his trip.&nbsp;

"The power is in the narrative of what the people went through, that is the power to shape minds and change hearts," McCoy shared.

On June 7, 2017 the United Nations (UN) passed the&nbsp;<a href="https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/history/treaty-prohibition-nuclear-weapons/">Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons</a>&nbsp;(TPNW), which&nbsp;prohibits the development, testing, production, manufacturing, acquisition and possession of nuclear weapons and nuclear explosives. 122 nations adopted the treaty and 70 countries have signed the treaty since it was opened for signature on September 20, 2017. The US was not of the one countries who signed the treaty, but rather boycotted the vote.

Japan is currently under US protection through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15733368#:~:text=Despite%20the%20long%20existence%20of%20the%20Japan%2DU.S.,think%20Washington%20will%20protect%20its%20alliance%20partner.">extended nuclear deterrence</a>&nbsp;(aka, 'nuclear umbrella').

However, McCoy commented that he is 'anti-nuclear.'

He stated that we are living in an era where we are 'quickly re-arming' in terms of nuclear weapon modernization. He continued to emphasize the growth of countries becoming pro-nuclear, as he thinks there will be a 'nuclear exchange' at some point.

"The odds are increasing that at some point, we will have a nuclear exchange," said McCoy. "People look at the reduction of 70,000 warheads in '86 down to 12,000 now and that is positive, but we are also gearing up now to increase our capacity and I think we are going to see those numbers climbing back up. For many decades there was an idea that nuclear war was unthinkable. Increasingly I am seeing the idea that maybe there could be a nuclear exchange without involving a global conflict, but I do not think that is realistic."

He added that he personally feels 'disheartened and disappointed,' and that he wishes more people would know the history of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, plus the 'reality of the increase of nuclear weapons.'

"Hell is real and we have had it here on earth in Hiroshima and Nagasaki," he commented. "The horror was unimaginable and it is important to be mindful of what your leaders are doing on your behalf. I think people have a sense of powerlessness to change the world, but I would say that people can change the world."

McCoy ended his speech by encouraging the audience at the church to take a photo on Tuesday and think for themselves, "what if this is the last photo I was to take." He called it the "last photo" and told the audience to be mindful of every photo they take, which could be their last.

"Let's make our photos and actions count, keep praying for peace, but for God's sake, let's act," said McCoy.

McCoy recently just won the first-place National Society of Newspaper Columnists award in the "general interest (online)" category. He previously won first-place in 2021 for humor and second-place for general interest in 2023.&nbsp;

He currently writes for the Kansas Reflector as a Sunday columnist and writes nonfiction and fictional books.

Link to McCoy's column: <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/08/03/its-been-80-years-since-the-atomic-bombings-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-time-to-raise-some-l/">"It's been 80 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Time to raise some L."</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754328886220.jpeg" alt="Max McCoy,&nbsp;award winning Kansan columnist, author and journalist speaking at the&nbsp;Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Church in Salina on Sunday, August 3rd. McCoy spoke about his published&nbsp;Kansas Reflector column about survivor's perspective of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that happened Monday, August 6, 1945." />
 <figcaption>Max McCoy,&nbsp;award winning Kansan columnist, author and journalist speaking at the&nbsp;Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Church in Salina on Sunday, August 3rd. McCoy spoke about his published&nbsp;Kansas Reflector column about survivor's perspective of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that happened Monday, August 6, 1945.</figcaption>
 </figure>By: NICOLAS FIERROSalina PostA well renowned award winning Kansan columnist, author and journalist spoke about his recently published <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a> column&nbsp;at a Salina church, about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that happened on Monday, August 6, 1945.<a href="https://www.maxmccoy.com/">Max McCoy </a>originally from Baxter Springs, on Sunday spoke at the&nbsp;<a href="https://uusalina.org/">Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Church</a> about his in-person interview in Japan with a "Hibakusha" (word for Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors) named <a href="https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/profile/yoshito-matsushige/">Yoshito Matsushige</a> in 1986, 41 years after the atomic bombings. Matsushige was a Hiroshima photographer who took photos the day of the atomic bombings. His photos were later used on Life Magazine in 1952, but it was not until McCoy's article&nbsp;from the Pittsburg (KS) Morning Sun about Matsushige and other survivor's perspective of the atomic bombings, that Matsushige's photos gained worldwide attention.McCoy arrived to Japan in 1986 as a journalist for the Pittsburg Morning Sun, after he was encouraged to apply for a travel grant program. His editors of the Pittsburg Morning Sun agreed to sponsor him and he was then selected as one of two American journalists sent to Japan that same year.McCoy was given the opportunity to choose who to interview about the aftermath of the atomic bombings, and Matsushige was at the top of his list."I wanted to walk with him from his house, to where he took the famous photographs and I ended up interviewing about 100 other atomic bomb survivors at that time," said McCoy.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754329835332.jpeg" alt="The 'A Bomb Dome' in Hiroshima stands in 2015. The dome, which was part of the city’s industrial exhibition hall, was directly beneath the atomic bomb dropped Aug. 6, 1945. photo by Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption>The 'A Bomb Dome' in Hiroshima stands in 2015. The dome, which was part of the city’s industrial exhibition hall, was directly beneath the atomic bomb dropped Aug. 6, 1945. photo by Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Emotionally affected</h2>After McCoy's experience in Japan, he stated that he was affected 'emotionally.' He commented that he encountered having nightmares that he was in a 'nuclear hellscape, trying to find his children.'&nbsp;Most of the people McCoy interviewed in Japan were 'defensive' when talking to someone from the US about the atomic bombings. They frequently asked him why he was doing the story and wanting interviews. His response was showing them pictures of his children."When they would ask me why I was doing it, I showed them pictures of my children from my wallet and told them this is why I am doing it," he said.&nbsp;His viewpoint afterwards reinforced to him how important telling personal narratives were. McCoy studied and read many books regarding the events of the atomic bombings before his trip.&nbsp;"The power is in the narrative of what the people went through, that is the power to shape minds and change hearts," McCoy shared.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754331475680.jpeg" alt="McCoy showing his Kansas Reflector column during his speech at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Church on Sunday, August 3rd." />
 <figcaption>McCoy showing his Kansas Reflector column during his speech at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Church on Sunday, August 3rd.</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Anti-nuclear</h2>On June 7, 2017 the United Nations (UN) passed the&nbsp;<a href="https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/history/treaty-prohibition-nuclear-weapons/">Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons</a>&nbsp;(TPNW), which&nbsp;prohibits the development, testing, production, manufacturing, acquisition and possession of nuclear weapons and nuclear explosives. 122 nations adopted the treaty and 70 countries have signed the treaty since it was opened for signature on September 20, 2017. The US was not of the one countries who signed the treaty, but rather boycotted the vote.Japan is currently under US protection through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15733368#:~:text=Despite%20the%20long%20existence%20of%20the%20Japan%2DU.S.,think%20Washington%20will%20protect%20its%20alliance%20partner.">extended nuclear deterrence</a>&nbsp;(aka, 'nuclear umbrella').However, McCoy commented that he is 'anti-nuclear.'He stated that we are living in an era where we are 'quickly re-arming' in terms of nuclear weapon modernization. He continued to emphasize the growth of countries becoming pro-nuclear, as he thinks there will be a 'nuclear exchange' at some point."The odds are increasing that at some point, we will have a nuclear exchange," said McCoy. "People look at the reduction of 70,000 warheads in '86 down to 12,000 now and that is positive, but we are also gearing up now to increase our capacity and I think we are going to see those numbers climbing back up. For many decades there was an idea that nuclear war was unthinkable. Increasingly I am seeing the idea that maybe there could be a nuclear exchange without involving a global conflict, but I do not think that is realistic."He added that he personally feels 'disheartened and disappointed,' and that he wishes more people would know the history of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, plus the 'reality of the increase of nuclear weapons.'"Hell is real and we have had it here on earth in Hiroshima and Nagasaki," he commented. "The horror was unimaginable and it is important to be mindful of what your leaders are doing on your behalf. I think people have a sense of powerlessness to change the world, but I would say that people can change the world."<h2>Encouraging the audience</h2>McCoy ended his speech by encouraging the audience at the church to take a photo on Tuesday and think for themselves, "what if this is the last photo I was to take." He called it the "last photo" and told the audience to be mindful of every photo they take, which could be their last."Let's make our photos and actions count, keep praying for peace, but for God's sake, let's act," said McCoy.McCoy recently just won the first-place National Society of Newspaper Columnists award in the "general interest (online)" category. He previously won first-place in 2021 for humor and second-place for general interest in 2023.&nbsp;He currently writes for the Kansas Reflector as a Sunday columnist and writes nonfiction and fictional books.Link to McCoy's column: <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/08/03/its-been-80-years-since-the-atomic-bombings-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-time-to-raise-some-l/">"It's been 80 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Time to raise some L."</a><h2></h2>

Kansan columnist speaks at Salina church about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

A woman gives identification of a suspect, who is possibly connected to an alleged shooting that occurred at her house.

According to the Salina Police Department (SPD) on Saturday, August 2nd at around 9:00 pm, a 21-year old woman reported the front window at her house had been 'shattered' in the 300 block of E. Wilson. She reported this to SPD when arriving back home, after she was gone for the day. 

Reportedly, there were several bullet holes outside and inside the home.

When officers arrived to the scene, they interviewed neighbors and indications were made about hearing sounds of 'fireworks or a car backfiring' at about 12:30 am that same day. The neighbors also reported about possibly hearing 4-8 shots being fired.

Nobody was inside the home when the incident occurred.&nbsp;

The woman gave identification of a possible suspect. The investigation is currently ongoing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1585854024130.jpeg" alt="Salina Police Department patch" />
 <figcaption>Salina Police Department patch</figcaption>
 </figure>By: NICOLAS FIERROSalina PostA woman gives identification of a suspect, who is possibly connected to an alleged shooting that occurred at her house.According to the Salina Police Department (SPD) on Saturday, August 2nd at around 9:00 pm, a 21-year old woman reported the front window at her house had been 'shattered' in the 300 block of E. Wilson. She reported this to SPD when arriving back home, after she was gone for the day. Reportedly, there were several bullet holes outside and inside the home.When officers arrived to the scene, they interviewed neighbors and indications were made about hearing sounds of 'fireworks or a car backfiring' at about 12:30 am that same day. The neighbors also reported about possibly hearing 4-8 shots being fired.Nobody was inside the home when the incident occurred.&nbsp;The woman gave identification of a possible suspect. The investigation is currently ongoing.