By MAX MCCOY For <a href="http://kansasreflector.com">Kansas Reflector</a>

Fifty-two years ago today, Apollo 8 splashed down in the Pacific after taking humanity’s first swing around the moon.

The mission was a triumph of science, discovery and American determination. But in an undeveloped roll of film in the capsule was an image that might be the mission’s most lasting achievement, a self-portrait that continues to inspire hope that we just might transcend our worst impulses as a species.

As a kid I would sprawl in the grass in the big yard beside my parents’ house in Baxter Springs and stare into the night sky. I remember the hazy summer nights, the sharp glitter of the stars in winter, and the whine of trucks on nearby Highway 66. And I remember during the long months of 1968 being frightened, because my parents were frightened.

Then, like now, we were nearing the end of what had been a horrific year.

It had started with the bloody Tet Offensive, which rocked the American military back on its heels in Vietnam. At home, there were assassinations — King in April, Kennedy (Bobby) in June. The chaos surrounding the Democratic National Convention in August was a violent burlesque that shook the very core of American democracy. Outrage piled upon outrage, leaving average folks staring slack-jawed in horror and disbelief at the flickering nightmare thrown into their living rooms from the only screen in the house — a television.

The Cold War was accelerating, and the American and Soviet space programs were neck-and-neck for the shining prize that floated in the night sky: the moon. Despite consumer kitsch like Tang in kitchen cabinets and antigravity space pens that wrote upside down, the colorful trappings of a civilian agency called NASA and the dreams of millions of science fiction fans, the primary aim of the American space program was political. The goal was not just to reach the moon before the end of the decade, as John F. Kennedy had promised in 1962, but to beat the Russians there. And the project built to get us there was named Apollo, after the Greek god of the sun.

But in 1968, the goal seemed as distant as the inconstant moon.

The year before, a flash fire had swept through the Apollo 1 command module while it sat on the launch pad during a test, killing its three astronauts. It was a tragedy that seemed to presage the dark days to come. The moon was a quarter of a million miles away, but the farthest Americans had ventured beyond the Earth was less than a thousand nautical miles, during the Gemini project. The 363-foot Saturn V rocket, the biggest and most powerful ever made, had yet to be used in a manned flight. The lunar module, the spider-like spacecraft designed to actually touch down on the moon, was far behind schedule, plagued with technical and production problems.

But in spite of all this, NASA made the decision to launch three men into space, sending them farther and faster than human beings had ever gone, put them into lunar orbit for Christmas, and bring them back before the New Year.

I remember watching television coverage of the space program obsessively, following every detail as Walter Cronkite would patiently explain, sometimes with models of the spacecraft, each phase of the flights. My space mania had taken hold earlier in the year, when my parents had taken me to see Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” at the drive-in. This was on the advice of my brother, who was an&nbsp;<a href="https://armyhistory.org/army-reserve-officers-training-corps-hundred-years-old-still-going-strong/">ROTC</a>&nbsp;cadet at the state college in a nearby county.

I did not know then, of course, that the American space program was largely built on technology developed by the Nazis. At the end of World War II, in a secret operation called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/atlanta/exhibits/item452-exh.html">Paperclip</a>, the U.S. government had seized truckloads of V2 rocket technology and the teams of scientists and engineers behind it.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/history/vonbraun/bio.html">Wernher von Braun</a>, the architect of the Saturn V, had also been the chief rocket scientist for the Nazis, and his contributions — including gyroscopes for guidance and engines that used liquid fuel — would be the foundation for the U.S. space program. But what most Americans did not know at the time of the Apollo program was that under von Braun’s direction, the German V2s that were hurtled at London and other cities had been assembled&nbsp;<a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/wonder-weapons-and-slave-labor">with slave labor</a>&nbsp;from concentration camps.

It’s unlikely that any of this was even known to the crew of Apollo 8, which blasted off on Dec. 21, 1968. In the command module were Frank Borman, James Lovell and Bill Anders. Their primary mission was a there-and-back proof of concept, to do a photo reconnaissance of the lunar surface and to scout likely locations for a landing. The risks were considerable, including the chance of being stuck in lunar orbit for the rest of their short lives should the engine of their service module fail to fire.

It took nearly three days to reach the moon, and when they entered lunar orbit they were the first human beings to see its far side, which always faces away from Earth. Traveling at 5,000 mph, 60 miles above the lunar surface, their attention was first drawn to the dawning sunlight illuminating the ancient craters below them. But then, as the angles changed as they whipped around the moon, they saw the Earth hanging in space beyond the lunar horizon.

The moment was recalled in September 2018 by Lovell, the command module pilot,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCvW0kS3zdc&amp;t=23s">at a special event</a>&nbsp;for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 8 at the&nbsp;<a href="https://cosmo.org/">Cosmosphere</a>&nbsp;in Hutchinson.

Surrounded by a couple of dozen fellow Apollo-era astronauts and Mission Control crew members, and gently questioned by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.robertkurson.com/about">Robert Kurson</a>, author of “Rocket Men,” the 90-year-old Lovell recalled with impressive clarity the moment leading up to the taking of what may be the most iconic photo in human history.

“Then suddenly I looked up and I saw the Earth come up,” Lovell said. “And I realized what I was looking at was something that was 240,000 miles away. … I put my thumb up to the window and (discovered) I could hide the Earth behind my thumb. Which meant that over five billion people and everything I ever knew was behind my thumb. And it sort of gave me a different feeling of where we are, how we existed.”

“I looked down at the Earth,” he said, “and it was only one of nine planets in our solar system, it was a mere speck in our galaxy, and of course it was lost to oblivion in the universe. So it got you to start thinking.”

The crew realized it would make a good photograph, even though they joked it wasn’t on the event schedule.

Anders grabbed a Hasselblad camera and quickly loaded a magazine of Kodak Ektachrome slide film. He took a few photos of the view from the cabin window. Even though television coverage was beaming live from the spacecraft — including the famous&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToHhQUhdyBY">Christmas Eve reading from Genesis</a>&nbsp;— it was fuzzy. There was no way to know the power of the image Anders had captured on the Hasselblad. It would be days after splashdown before the film could be processed. The image that would eventually go up in millions of dorm rooms and inspire generations of environmentalists was not released to the world until it ran in “Life” magazine, which had an exclusive contract with NASA for first use of its moonshot images.

The original “Earthrise” was square, but the version most of us are familiar with has been cropped and rotated, giving it a familiar horizon. It is a beautiful photograph, with our living planet of swirling blue-and-white poised above the barren moonscape. It was the first time human beings had voyaged to another celestial body and looked back at home, a fragile speck in the oblivion of space.

All human beings who had ever lived, except for three, had spent their entire lives down there on that tiny blue planet. We are all essentially in a lifeboat floating on a starry sea. National boundaries appeared as they were in the cosmic scheme of things — meaningless.

Apollo 8 returned to Earth as planned on Dec. 27. Borman, the mission commander, had spent most of the early flight sick. Lovell would return to the moon in 1970 as commander of Apollo 13, but would not get a chance to walk on its surface because of an explosion that damaged the service module and aborted the mission. The crew was forced to use the lunar module as an actual lifeboat to return to Earth.

The Cosmosphere has the&nbsp;<a href="https://cosmo.org/exhibitions/hall-of-space">Apollo 13 capsule</a>&nbsp;on display. It also has several Apollo 8 artifacts, including the camera Anders used for “Earthrise.”

All three Apollo 8 astronauts are still living, men in their late 80s or early 90s.

For Anders, Apollo 8 was his first and only spaceflight. He continued to work for NASA, but his lasting contribution to the space program — and to photography, popular culture, the environmental movement and world peace — continues to be “Earthrise.”

I have often stared at the photograph and thought about Christmas 1968, and the months that followed. In July 1969 Apollo 11 landed on the moon, and Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the lunar surface. I was again in the yard beside my house in Baxter Springs, at my brother’s side, staring up at the full moon floating against the night sky. The world still seemed a dangerous place. My brother was bound for Vietnam, as an Army lieutenant, in just a couple of years.

A decade and a half later, I was an applicant for the journalist-in-space project, and I remember returning to the newsroom at the Pittsburg Morning Sun one day in January and finding the staff clustered around a small television. The space shuttle Challenger had exploded, killing all seven crew members, including teacher-in-space Christa McAuliffe. Spaceflight, which Americans had become bored with, was still risky. The journalist program was soon canceled.

Now, at the end of this year of unexpected risk and challenge, let us trust in science to bring us safely home to normal. This generation’s moonshot are the vaccines that have now properly been distributed to many frontline workers and may reach the rest of us before too many weeks or months. Let us reflect on how technology, whether it is a rocket or a social media platform, are merely tools that can be used to build or destroy.

And let us take advantage of those unexpected moments which present themselves to capture a moment of beauty and wonder, moments which might transcend our limited event schedules and serve to inspire and give hope to generations yet unborn.

The above opinion piece was republished with permission from Kansas Reflector.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609079179392.jpeg" alt="On Dec. 24, 1968, astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders held a live broadcast from lunar orbit in which they showed pictures of the Earth and moon as seen from their spacecraft. (NASA)" />
 <figcaption>On Dec. 24, 1968, astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders held a live broadcast from lunar orbit in which they showed pictures of the Earth and moon as seen from their spacecraft. (NASA)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MAX MCCOY For <a href="http://kansasreflector.com">Kansas Reflector</a>Fifty-two years ago today, Apollo 8 splashed down in the Pacific after taking humanity’s first swing around the moon.The mission was a triumph of science, discovery and American determination. But in an undeveloped roll of film in the capsule was an image that might be the mission’s most lasting achievement, a self-portrait that continues to inspire hope that we just might transcend our worst impulses as a species.That image is “Earthrise.”As a kid I would sprawl in the grass in the big yard beside my parents’ house in Baxter Springs and stare into the night sky. I remember the hazy summer nights, the sharp glitter of the stars in winter, and the whine of trucks on nearby Highway 66. And I remember during the long months of 1968 being frightened, because my parents were frightened.Then, like now, we were nearing the end of what had been a horrific year.It had started with the bloody Tet Offensive, which rocked the American military back on its heels in Vietnam. At home, there were assassinations — King in April, Kennedy (Bobby) in June. The chaos surrounding the Democratic National Convention in August was a violent burlesque that shook the very core of American democracy. Outrage piled upon outrage, leaving average folks staring slack-jawed in horror and disbelief at the flickering nightmare thrown into their living rooms from the only screen in the house — a television.The Cold War was accelerating, and the American and Soviet space programs were neck-and-neck for the shining prize that floated in the night sky: the moon. Despite consumer kitsch like Tang in kitchen cabinets and antigravity space pens that wrote upside down, the colorful trappings of a civilian agency called NASA and the dreams of millions of science fiction fans, the primary aim of the American space program was political. The goal was not just to reach the moon before the end of the decade, as John F. Kennedy had promised in 1962, but to beat the Russians there. And the project built to get us there was named Apollo, after the Greek god of the sun.But in 1968, the goal seemed as distant as the inconstant moon.The year before, a flash fire had swept through the Apollo 1 command module while it sat on the launch pad during a test, killing its three astronauts. It was a tragedy that seemed to presage the dark days to come. The moon was a quarter of a million miles away, but the farthest Americans had ventured beyond the Earth was less than a thousand nautical miles, during the Gemini project. The 363-foot Saturn V rocket, the biggest and most powerful ever made, had yet to be used in a manned flight. The lunar module, the spider-like spacecraft designed to actually touch down on the moon, was far behind schedule, plagued with technical and production problems.But in spite of all this, NASA made the decision to launch three men into space, sending them farther and faster than human beings had ever gone, put them into lunar orbit for Christmas, and bring them back before the New Year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609079347714.jpeg" alt="The Apollo 8 survival kit was a rucksack that contained two radio battery packs, one knife and water containers. Each Apollo spacecraft was equipped with two survival rucksacks. The contents were to be used in the event of an emergency landing in remote areas of the world. (Cosmosphere, Hutchinson, Kansas, <a href="http://cosmo.org">cosmo.org</a>)" />
 <figcaption>The Apollo 8 survival kit was a rucksack that contained two radio battery packs, one knife and water containers. Each Apollo spacecraft was equipped with two survival rucksacks. The contents were to be used in the event of an emergency landing in remote areas of the world. (Cosmosphere, Hutchinson, Kansas, <a href="http://cosmo.org">cosmo.org</a>)</figcaption>
 </figure>I remember watching television coverage of the space program obsessively, following every detail as Walter Cronkite would patiently explain, sometimes with models of the spacecraft, each phase of the flights. My space mania had taken hold earlier in the year, when my parents had taken me to see Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” at the drive-in. This was on the advice of my brother, who was an&nbsp;<a href="https://armyhistory.org/army-reserve-officers-training-corps-hundred-years-old-still-going-strong/">ROTC</a>&nbsp;cadet at the state college in a nearby county.I did not know then, of course, that the American space program was largely built on technology developed by the Nazis. At the end of World War II, in a secret operation called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/atlanta/exhibits/item452-exh.html">Paperclip</a>, the U.S. government had seized truckloads of V2 rocket technology and the teams of scientists and engineers behind it.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/history/vonbraun/bio.html">Wernher von Braun</a>, the architect of the Saturn V, had also been the chief rocket scientist for the Nazis, and his contributions — including gyroscopes for guidance and engines that used liquid fuel — would be the foundation for the U.S. space program. But what most Americans did not know at the time of the Apollo program was that under von Braun’s direction, the German V2s that were hurtled at London and other cities had been assembled&nbsp;<a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/wonder-weapons-and-slave-labor">with slave labor</a>&nbsp;from concentration camps.It’s unlikely that any of this was even known to the crew of Apollo 8, which blasted off on Dec. 21, 1968. In the command module were Frank Borman, James Lovell and Bill Anders. Their primary mission was a there-and-back proof of concept, to do a photo reconnaissance of the lunar surface and to scout likely locations for a landing. The risks were considerable, including the chance of being stuck in lunar orbit for the rest of their short lives should the engine of their service module fail to fire.It took nearly three days to reach the moon, and when they entered lunar orbit they were the first human beings to see its far side, which always faces away from Earth. Traveling at 5,000 mph, 60 miles above the lunar surface, their attention was first drawn to the dawning sunlight illuminating the ancient craters below them. But then, as the angles changed as they whipped around the moon, they saw the Earth hanging in space beyond the lunar horizon.The moment was recalled in September 2018 by Lovell, the command module pilot,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCvW0kS3zdc&amp;t=23s">at a special event</a>&nbsp;for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 8 at the&nbsp;<a href="https://cosmo.org/">Cosmosphere</a>&nbsp;in Hutchinson.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609079484858.jpeg" alt="Apollo 8 command module pilot Jim Lovell at a special event for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 8 at the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson. (Cosmosphere, Hutchinson <a href="http://cosmo.org">cosmo.org</a>)" />
 <figcaption>Apollo 8 command module pilot Jim Lovell at a special event for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 8 at the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson. (Cosmosphere, Hutchinson <a href="http://cosmo.org">cosmo.org</a>)</figcaption>
 </figure>Surrounded by a couple of dozen fellow Apollo-era astronauts and Mission Control crew members, and gently questioned by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.robertkurson.com/about">Robert Kurson</a>, author of “Rocket Men,” the 90-year-old Lovell recalled with impressive clarity the moment leading up to the taking of what may be the most iconic photo in human history.“Then suddenly I looked up and I saw the Earth come up,” Lovell said. “And I realized what I was looking at was something that was 240,000 miles away. … I put my thumb up to the window and (discovered) I could hide the Earth behind my thumb. Which meant that over five billion people and everything I ever knew was behind my thumb. And it sort of gave me a different feeling of where we are, how we existed.”Then Lovell grew even more philosophic.“I looked down at the Earth,” he said, “and it was only one of nine planets in our solar system, it was a mere speck in our galaxy, and of course it was lost to oblivion in the universe. So it got you to start thinking.”The crew realized it would make a good photograph, even though they joked it wasn’t on the event schedule.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609079624415.jpeg" alt="Astronaut Bill Anders, Apollo 8 lunar module pilot, used this camera to take the famous Earthrise photograph on December 24, 1968. (Cosmosphere, Hutchinson <a href="http://cosmo.org">cosmo.org</a>)" />
 <figcaption>Astronaut Bill Anders, Apollo 8 lunar module pilot, used this camera to take the famous Earthrise photograph on December 24, 1968. (Cosmosphere, Hutchinson <a href="http://cosmo.org">cosmo.org</a>)</figcaption>
 </figure>Anders grabbed a Hasselblad camera and quickly loaded a magazine of Kodak Ektachrome slide film. He took a few photos of the view from the cabin window. Even though television coverage was beaming live from the spacecraft — including the famous&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToHhQUhdyBY">Christmas Eve reading from Genesis</a>&nbsp;— it was fuzzy. There was no way to know the power of the image Anders had captured on the Hasselblad. It would be days after splashdown before the film could be processed. The image that would eventually go up in millions of dorm rooms and inspire generations of environmentalists was not released to the world until it ran in “Life” magazine, which had an exclusive contract with NASA for first use of its moonshot images.The original “Earthrise” was square, but the version most of us are familiar with has been cropped and rotated, giving it a familiar horizon. It is a beautiful photograph, with our living planet of swirling blue-and-white poised above the barren moonscape. It was the first time human beings had voyaged to another celestial body and looked back at home, a fragile speck in the oblivion of space.All human beings who had ever lived, except for three, had spent their entire lives down there on that tiny blue planet. We are all essentially in a lifeboat floating on a starry sea. National boundaries appeared as they were in the cosmic scheme of things — meaningless.Apollo 8 returned to Earth as planned on Dec. 27. Borman, the mission commander, had spent most of the early flight sick. Lovell would return to the moon in 1970 as commander of Apollo 13, but would not get a chance to walk on its surface because of an explosion that damaged the service module and aborted the mission. The crew was forced to use the lunar module as an actual lifeboat to return to Earth.The Cosmosphere has the&nbsp;<a href="https://cosmo.org/exhibitions/hall-of-space">Apollo 13 capsule</a>&nbsp;on display. It also has several Apollo 8 artifacts, including the camera Anders used for “Earthrise.”All three Apollo 8 astronauts are still living, men in their late 80s or early 90s.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609079741699.jpeg" alt="In this official NASA portrait, William Anders poses with a Gemini, rather than an Apollo, spacecraft. (NASA)" />
 <figcaption>In this official NASA portrait, William Anders poses with a Gemini, rather than an Apollo, spacecraft. (NASA)</figcaption>
 </figure>For Anders, Apollo 8 was his first and only spaceflight. He continued to work for NASA, but his lasting contribution to the space program — and to photography, popular culture, the environmental movement and world peace — continues to be “Earthrise.”I have often stared at the photograph and thought about Christmas 1968, and the months that followed. In July 1969 Apollo 11 landed on the moon, and Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the lunar surface. I was again in the yard beside my house in Baxter Springs, at my brother’s side, staring up at the full moon floating against the night sky. The world still seemed a dangerous place. My brother was bound for Vietnam, as an Army lieutenant, in just a couple of years.A decade and a half later, I was an applicant for the journalist-in-space project, and I remember returning to the newsroom at the Pittsburg Morning Sun one day in January and finding the staff clustered around a small television. The space shuttle Challenger had exploded, killing all seven crew members, including teacher-in-space Christa McAuliffe. Spaceflight, which Americans had become bored with, was still risky. The journalist program was soon canceled.Now, at the end of this year of unexpected risk and challenge, let us trust in science to bring us safely home to normal. This generation’s moonshot are the vaccines that have now properly been distributed to many frontline workers and may reach the rest of us before too many weeks or months. Let us reflect on how technology, whether it is a rocket or a social media platform, are merely tools that can be used to build or destroy.And let us take advantage of those unexpected moments which present themselves to capture a moment of beauty and wonder, moments which might transcend our limited event schedules and serve to inspire and give hope to generations yet unborn.The above opinion piece was republished with permission from Kansas Reflector.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603046178114.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

OPINION: Story of famous photograph, taken at end of horrific year, starts, ends in KS

SEWARD, Neb. -- Concordia University, Nebraska, recently named 244 students to its honors list for the Fall 2020 semester. 

The top 25 percent of all undergraduate students who complete at least 12 credit hours qualify for the honors list.

Area students receiving Fall 2020 term honors include:

Concordia University, Nebraska, founded in 1894, is a fully accredited, coeducational university located in Seward, Neb., which currently serves more than 2,500 students. Concordia offers more than 100 undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in an excellent academic and Christ-centered community that equips men and women for lives of learning, service and leadership in the church and world. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://cune.edu">cune.edu</a>.

SEWARD, Neb. -- Concordia University, Nebraska, recently named 244 students to its honors list for the Fall 2020 semester. The top 25 percent of all undergraduate students who complete at least 12 credit hours qualify for the honors list.Area students receiving Fall 2020 term honors include:Jennifer Horne of CantonLogan Srna of CulverConcordia University, Nebraska, founded in 1894, is a fully accredited, coeducational university located in Seward, Neb., which currently serves more than 2,500 students. Concordia offers more than 100 undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in an excellent academic and Christ-centered community that equips men and women for lives of learning, service and leadership in the church and world. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://cune.edu">cune.edu</a>.

Area students named to Concordia University, Nebraska honors list

By RON WILSON Kansas State University

High school football is a family affair in rural Kansas. On Friday nights, moms and dads, grandparents, brothers and sisters, friends, neighbors and community members gather at the high school stadium for the weekly football game. It becomes a unifying community event. Today we’ll learn more about a Kansas family with a remarkable, multi-generational record of success in high school football.&nbsp;

Last week we learned about Roger Barta, the legendary high school football coach who led the Smith Center Redmen to the nation’s longest high school winning streak. Not only did Roger have a great career, he also coached his son Brooks, who was a tough player and an outstanding athlete at Smith Center, a rural community of 1,665 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

Brooks went on to play college ball at K-State. These were the bad old days of K-State football, when the team was mired in a 27-game winless streak that would lead to the team being identified by Sports Illustrated as Futility U. But shortly after Brooks Barta arrived on campus, so did another gentleman by the name of Bill Snyder. Things began to change.&nbsp;

“The time and effort (that was required) probably doubled under coach Snyder,” Brooks said. Barta met the challenge of this demanding new work ethic and he saw the results.&nbsp;

Brooks was a four-year starter and a three-time co-captain under coach Snyder. He received First Team All-Big 8 honors and helped the Wildcats to a 7-4 record in 1991, their winningest season since 1954. He was the team leader in tackles all four years.&nbsp;

Brooks’ hometown, Smith Center, is in northern Kansas just about 15 miles south of the Nebraska line. Growing up that close to Nebraska, Brooks was well aware that Nebraska had long been the dominant football program. When NU played in Manhattan, the stadium would be more red than purple as Nebraska fans made the trip to watch another win over K-State.&nbsp;

But under coach Snyder, the balance of power began to shift. “In one game, we were ahead of Nebraska by a couple of touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and we were earning respect,” Brooks said. He and his teammates laid the foundation of what has been called “the greatest turnaround in college football history” – and it’s not one to be taken lightly.&nbsp;

Brooks Barta finished his career ranking second in school history in career tackles (436) and career assisted tackles (281). He was also an achiever in the classroom. An Academic All-American and four-time First Team All-Big 8 selection, he compiled a 3.25 GPA in math education and twice received the K-State Outstanding Scholar-Athlete Award.&nbsp;

Brooks taught and coached at Abilene for three years and earned a National Football Foundation scholarship for getting his master’s degree in administration. In 1996, he accepted the head coaching position at Holton High School.&nbsp;

At Holton, he has achieved a remarkable level of success. His teams have won three state championships and made it to the state championship game seven times. What have been the keys to his success?&nbsp;

“I played for great coaches who had a great relationship with their players,” Brooks said. “Toughness, intelligence and team: Those are the three foundations we use,” he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“It’s a team game. We ask a lot of our kids and we want them to have a good experience. We make all our kids feel valued. It’s important for the parents to see their little boys grow into young men.&nbsp;

“Holton is a great place to raise our family,” Brooks said. His wife Tonya is president of Farmers State Bank in Holton. They have a son Mason and a daughter Tabor who are both students at K-State.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

High school football is a family affair, with family and community members coming together to support the team. We commend Roger and Brooks Barta and their families for making a difference with excellence in coaching, and in teaching young men the lessons of life.&nbsp;

And there’s more. The Bartas have another generation of football success within their family. We’ll learn about that next week.&nbsp;

Audio and text files of Kansas Profiles are available at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasprofile.com/" target="_blank">http://www.kansasprofile.com</a>. For more information about the Huck Boyd Institute, interested persons can visit&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huckboydinstitute.org/" target="_blank">http://www.huckboydinstitute.org</a>.

Ron Wilson is director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600566316666.jpeg" alt="Ron Wilson. Photo courtesy KSRE" />
 <figcaption>Ron Wilson. Photo courtesy KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Kansas State UniversityHigh school football is a family affair in rural Kansas. On Friday nights, moms and dads, grandparents, brothers and sisters, friends, neighbors and community members gather at the high school stadium for the weekly football game. It becomes a unifying community event. Today we’ll learn more about a Kansas family with a remarkable, multi-generational record of success in high school football.&nbsp;Last week we learned about Roger Barta, the legendary high school football coach who led the Smith Center Redmen to the nation’s longest high school winning streak. Not only did Roger have a great career, he also coached his son Brooks, who was a tough player and an outstanding athlete at Smith Center, a rural community of 1,665 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;Brooks went on to play college ball at K-State. These were the bad old days of K-State football, when the team was mired in a 27-game winless streak that would lead to the team being identified by Sports Illustrated as Futility U. But shortly after Brooks Barta arrived on campus, so did another gentleman by the name of Bill Snyder. Things began to change.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608734773017.png" alt="Brooks Barta. Photo KSRE" />
 <figcaption>Brooks Barta. Photo KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure>“The time and effort (that was required) probably doubled under coach Snyder,” Brooks said. Barta met the challenge of this demanding new work ethic and he saw the results.&nbsp;Brooks was a four-year starter and a three-time co-captain under coach Snyder. He received First Team All-Big 8 honors and helped the Wildcats to a 7-4 record in 1991, their winningest season since 1954. He was the team leader in tackles all four years.&nbsp;Brooks’ hometown, Smith Center, is in northern Kansas just about 15 miles south of the Nebraska line. Growing up that close to Nebraska, Brooks was well aware that Nebraska had long been the dominant football program. When NU played in Manhattan, the stadium would be more red than purple as Nebraska fans made the trip to watch another win over K-State.&nbsp;But under coach Snyder, the balance of power began to shift. “In one game, we were ahead of Nebraska by a couple of touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and we were earning respect,” Brooks said. He and his teammates laid the foundation of what has been called “the greatest turnaround in college football history” – and it’s not one to be taken lightly.&nbsp;Brooks Barta finished his career ranking second in school history in career tackles (436) and career assisted tackles (281). He was also an achiever in the classroom. An Academic All-American and four-time First Team All-Big 8 selection, he compiled a 3.25 GPA in math education and twice received the K-State Outstanding Scholar-Athlete Award.&nbsp;Brooks taught and coached at Abilene for three years and earned a National Football Foundation scholarship for getting his master’s degree in administration. In 1996, he accepted the head coaching position at Holton High School.&nbsp;At Holton, he has achieved a remarkable level of success. His teams have won three state championships and made it to the state championship game seven times. What have been the keys to his success?&nbsp;“I played for great coaches who had a great relationship with their players,” Brooks said. “Toughness, intelligence and team: Those are the three foundations we use,” he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“It’s a team game. We ask a lot of our kids and we want them to have a good experience. We make all our kids feel valued. It’s important for the parents to see their little boys grow into young men.&nbsp;“Holton is a great place to raise our family,” Brooks said. His wife Tonya is president of Farmers State Bank in Holton. They have a son Mason and a daughter Tabor who are both students at K-State.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;High school football is a family affair, with family and community members coming together to support the team. We commend Roger and Brooks Barta and their families for making a difference with excellence in coaching, and in teaching young men the lessons of life.&nbsp;And there’s more. The Bartas have another generation of football success within their family. We’ll learn about that next week.&nbsp;Audio and text files of Kansas Profiles are available at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasprofile.com/" target="_blank">http://www.kansasprofile.com</a>. For more information about the Huck Boyd Institute, interested persons can visit&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huckboydinstitute.org/" target="_blank">http://www.huckboydinstitute.org</a>.Ron Wilson is director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.

NOW THAT'S RURAL: Brooks Barta, football family, part 2

Kick off the new year with a hike in a Kansas State Park.

The guided First Day Hike is part of a program sponsored by America’s State Parks. The First Day Hikes offer individuals and families an opportunity to begin the New Year connecting with the outdoors by taking a healthy hike on New Year’s Day at a state park. 

First Day Hikes offer a great way to get outside, exercise, enjoy nature and welcome New Year with friends and family. There are hundreds of scheduled First Day Hikes across the United States. Following are some of the First Day Hikes scheduled in our area.

Details: Dress warm, water, snacks, and bring binoculars or a camera for wildlife pictures.  1-2 mile hike.

Cancellation Information: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GlenElderStatePark">Glen Elder State Park Facebook page</a>

Contact: Glen Elder Park (785) 545-3345 or <a href="mailto:kdwpt.gleneldersp@ks.gov">email Glen Elder State Park</a>

Details: Water, snacks, appropriate winter clothing, good walking shoes/boots, binoculars, cameras, easy 1.6 miles. Coffee and hot chocolate provided at the park office before and after the hike.

Cancellation Information: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KanopolisStatePark">Kanopolis State Park Facebook page</a>

Contact: Kanopolis State Park office 785-546-2565 or <a href="https://ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks/Locations/Kanopolis/Email-Kanopolis">email Kanopolis State Park</a>

Meeting Location: Parking Lot near Park Office

Details: Dress warm with comfortable, warm hiking shoes/boots. Easy to moderate in difficulty. Water, hot chocolate and snacks.

Cancellation Information: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MilfordStatePark">Milford State Park Facebook Page</a>

Contact: Milford State Park (785) 238-3014 or <a href="mailto:kdwpt.milfordsp@ks.gov">email Milford State Park</a>

For a complete list of the First Day Hikes scheduled scheduled at Kansas State Parks, <a href="https://ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks/Special-Events/First-Day-Hikes?fbclid=IwAR3tLcFfc0maSE2MnGsp3gu_I2iQLQN-RsdY4FVRq9nRLYLWAwQZ4Lf3o4A">click here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609039861856.jpeg" alt="A view of Kanopolis State Park. Photo taken on Sept.&nbsp; 27, 2017, courtesy <a href="http://travelks.com">travelks.com</a>" />
 <figcaption>A view of Kanopolis State Park. Photo taken on Sept.&nbsp; 27, 2017, courtesy <a href="http://travelks.com">travelks.com</a></figcaption>
 </figure>Kick off the new year with a hike in a Kansas State Park.The guided First Day Hike is part of a program sponsored by America’s State Parks. The First Day Hikes offer individuals and families an opportunity to begin the New Year connecting with the outdoors by taking a healthy hike on New Year’s Day at a state park. First Day Hikes offer a great way to get outside, exercise, enjoy nature and welcome New Year with friends and family. There are hundreds of scheduled First Day Hikes across the United States. Following are some of the First Day Hikes scheduled in our area.<h2>Glen Elder State Park</h2>Date: Jan. 1, 2021Time of Event: 10 a.m.Trail: Waconda TrailMeeting Location: Park OfficeDetails: Dress warm, water, snacks, and bring binoculars or a camera for wildlife pictures. 1-2 mile hike.Restrictions: Pet Friendly (on leash)Cancellation Information: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GlenElderStatePark">Glen Elder State Park Facebook page</a>Contact: Glen Elder Park (785) 545-3345 or <a href="mailto:kdwpt.gleneldersp@ks.gov">email Glen Elder State Park</a><h2>Kanopolis State Park</h2>Date: Jan. 1, 2021Time of Event: 10 a.m.Trail: Split Boulder TrailMeeting Location: State Park OfficeDetails: Water, snacks, appropriate winter clothing, good walking shoes/boots, binoculars, cameras, easy 1.6 miles. Coffee and hot chocolate provided at the park office before and after the hike.Restrictions: Pet Friendly (on leash)Cancellation Information: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KanopolisStatePark">Kanopolis State Park Facebook page</a>Contact: Kanopolis State Park office 785-546-2565 or <a href="https://ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks/Locations/Kanopolis/Email-Kanopolis">email Kanopolis State Park</a><h2>Milford State Park</h2>Date: Jan. 1, 2021Time of Event: 1-3 p.m.Trail: Eagle Ridge TrailMeeting Location: Parking Lot near Park OfficeDetails: Dress warm with comfortable, warm hiking shoes/boots. Easy to moderate in difficulty. Water, hot chocolate and snacks.Restrictions: Pet Friendly (on leash)Cancellation Information: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MilfordStatePark">Milford State Park Facebook Page</a>Contact: Milford State Park (785) 238-3014 or <a href="mailto:kdwpt.milfordsp@ks.gov">email Milford State Park</a>For a complete list of the First Day Hikes scheduled scheduled at Kansas State Parks, <a href="https://ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks/Special-Events/First-Day-Hikes?fbclid=IwAR3tLcFfc0maSE2MnGsp3gu_I2iQLQN-RsdY4FVRq9nRLYLWAwQZ4Lf3o4A">click here</a>.

Start off the new year with a First Day Hike at a Kansas State Park

Today is Sunday, Dec. 27, the 362nd day of 2020. There are four days left in the year. 

On Dec. 27, 1979, Soviet forces seized control of Afghanistan. President Hafizullah Amin, who was overthrown and executed, was replaced by Babrak Karmal. 

In 1822, scientist Louis Pasteur was born in Dole, France. 

In 1831, naturalist Charles Darwin set out on a round-the-world voyage aboard the HMS Beagle. 

In 1945, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund were formally established. 

In 1958, American physicist James Van Allen reported the discovery of a second radiation belt around Earth, in addition to one found earlier in the year. 

In 1968, Apollo 8 and its three astronauts made a safe, nighttime splashdown in the Pacific. 

In 1985, Palestinian guerrillas opened fire inside the Rome and Vienna airports; 19 victims were killed, plus four attackers who were slain by police and security personnel. American naturalist Dian Fossey, 53, who had studied gorillas in the wild in Rwanda, was found hacked to death. 

In 1995, Israeli jeeps sped out of the West Bank town of Ramallah, capping a seven-week pullout giving Yasser Arafat control over 90 percent of the West Bank's 1 million Palestinian residents and one-third of its land. 

In 1999, Space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew returned to Earth after fixing the Hubble Space Telescope.

In 2000, President Bill Clinton put the first Black judge on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals serving several Southern states. (The nomination of Roger Gregory had been stalled in the Senate, but Clinton used a recess appointment to put him on the bench.)

In 2001, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld announced that Taliban and al-Qaida prisoners would be held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 

In 2002, a defiant North Korea ordered U.N. nuclear inspectors to leave the country and said it would restart a laboratory capable of producing plutonium for nuclear weapons; the U.N. nuclear watchdog said its inspectors were "staying put" for the time being. 

In 2016, actor Carrie Fisher died in a hospital four days after suffering a medical emergency aboard a flight to Los Angeles; she was 60.

Ten years ago: A Russian court found imprisoned oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky guilty of stealing nearly $30 billion in oil from his company, Yukos. (His supporters charged that Khodorkovsky's prosecution was politically motivated; he was pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Dec. 2013.) Economist and former government official Alfred E. Kahn, known as "the father of airline deregulation," died in Ithaca, New York, at age 93.

Five years ago: British Prime Minister David Cameron sent hundreds more troops into northern England to help exhausted residents and emergency workers fight back rising river waters that had inundated towns and cities after weeks of heavy rain. Death claimed Harlem Globetrotter Meadowlark Lemon at age 83; baseball player Dave Henderson at age 57; cinematographer Haskell Wexler at age 93; painter-sculptor Ellsworth Kelly at age 92.

One year ago: Radio personality Don Imus died in Texas at the age of 79; he had risen to fame with a caustic persona, but his career took a plunge after a nationally-broadcast racial slur. Kawhi Leonard of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers was named the Associated Press' male athlete of the year. Breakthrough singer-rapper Lizzo was named Entertainer of the Year by The Associated Press.

Today's Birthdays: Actor John Amos is 81. Rock musician Mick Jones (Foreigner) is 76. Singer Tracy Nelson is 76. Actor Gerard Depardieu is 72. Jazz singer-musician T.S. Monk is 71. Singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff is 69. Rock musician David Knopfler (Dire Straits) is 68. Actor Tovah Feldshuh is 67. Journalist-turned-politician Arthur Kent is 67. Actor Maryam D'Abo is 60. Actor Ian Gomez is 56. Actor Theresa Randle is 56. Actor Eva LaRue is 54. Wrestler and actor Bill Goldberg is 54. Bluegrass singer-musician Darrin Vincent (Dailey &amp; Vincent) is 51. Rock musician Guthrie Govan is 49. Musician Matt Slocum is 48. Actor Wilson Cruz is 47. Singer Olu is 47. Actor Masi Oka is 46. Actor Aaron Stanford is 44. Actor Emilie de Ravin is 39. Actor Jay Ellis is 39. Christian rock musician James Mead (Kutless) is 38. Rock singer Hayley Williams (Paramore) is 32. Country singer Shay Mooney (Dan &amp; Shay) is 29. Actor Timothee Chalamet is 25.

<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 Sunday, Dec. 27, the 362nd day of 2020. There are four days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 27, 1979, Soviet forces seized control of Afghanistan. President Hafizullah Amin, who was overthrown and executed, was replaced by Babrak Karmal. On this date: In 1822, scientist Louis Pasteur was born in Dole, France. In 1831, naturalist Charles Darwin set out on a round-the-world voyage aboard the HMS Beagle. In 1945, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund were formally established. In 1958, American physicist James Van Allen reported the discovery of a second radiation belt around Earth, in addition to one found earlier in the year. In 1968, Apollo 8 and its three astronauts made a safe, nighttime splashdown in the Pacific. In 1985, Palestinian guerrillas opened fire inside the Rome and Vienna airports; 19 victims were killed, plus four attackers who were slain by police and security personnel. American naturalist Dian Fossey, 53, who had studied gorillas in the wild in Rwanda, was found hacked to death. In 1995, Israeli jeeps sped out of the West Bank town of Ramallah, capping a seven-week pullout giving Yasser Arafat control over 90 percent of the West Bank's 1 million Palestinian residents and one-third of its land. In 1999, Space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew returned to Earth after fixing the Hubble Space Telescope.In 2000, President Bill Clinton put the first Black judge on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals serving several Southern states. (The nomination of Roger Gregory had been stalled in the Senate, but Clinton used a recess appointment to put him on the bench.)In 2001, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld announced that Taliban and al-Qaida prisoners would be held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In 2002, a defiant North Korea ordered U.N. nuclear inspectors to leave the country and said it would restart a laboratory capable of producing plutonium for nuclear weapons; the U.N. nuclear watchdog said its inspectors were "staying put" for the time being. In 2016, actor Carrie Fisher died in a hospital four days after suffering a medical emergency aboard a flight to Los Angeles; she was 60.Ten years ago: A Russian court found imprisoned oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky guilty of stealing nearly $30 billion in oil from his company, Yukos. (His supporters charged that Khodorkovsky's prosecution was politically motivated; he was pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Dec. 2013.) Economist and former government official Alfred E. Kahn, known as "the father of airline deregulation," died in Ithaca, New York, at age 93.Five years ago: British Prime Minister David Cameron sent hundreds more troops into northern England to help exhausted residents and emergency workers fight back rising river waters that had inundated towns and cities after weeks of heavy rain. Death claimed Harlem Globetrotter Meadowlark Lemon at age 83; baseball player Dave Henderson at age 57; cinematographer Haskell Wexler at age 93; painter-sculptor Ellsworth Kelly at age 92.One year ago: Radio personality Don Imus died in Texas at the age of 79; he had risen to fame with a caustic persona, but his career took a plunge after a nationally-broadcast racial slur. Kawhi Leonard of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers was named the Associated Press' male athlete of the year. Breakthrough singer-rapper Lizzo was named Entertainer of the Year by The Associated Press.Today's Birthdays: Actor John Amos is 81. Rock musician Mick Jones (Foreigner) is 76. Singer Tracy Nelson is 76. Actor Gerard Depardieu is 72. Jazz singer-musician T.S. Monk is 71. Singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff is 69. Rock musician David Knopfler (Dire Straits) is 68. Actor Tovah Feldshuh is 67. Journalist-turned-politician Arthur Kent is 67. Actor Maryam D'Abo is 60. Actor Ian Gomez is 56. Actor Theresa Randle is 56. Actor Eva LaRue is 54. Wrestler and actor Bill Goldberg is 54. Bluegrass singer-musician Darrin Vincent (Dailey &amp; Vincent) is 51. Rock musician Guthrie Govan is 49. Musician Matt Slocum is 48. Actor Wilson Cruz is 47. Singer Olu is 47. Actor Masi Oka is 46. Actor Aaron Stanford is 44. Actor Emilie de Ravin is 39. Actor Jay Ellis is 39. Christian rock musician James Mead (Kutless) is 38. Rock singer Hayley Williams (Paramore) is 32. Country singer Shay Mooney (Dan &amp; Shay) is 29. Actor Timothee Chalamet is 25.

Today in History -- Dec. 27

OCCK, Inc. is seeking Direct Support Professionals. These individuals are residential in their supported Living Department in the Salina, Beloit, and Concordia locations. Full time with benefits, EOE, drug testing.

This person will be coordinating services and provide Independent living skills. Training will be provided as needed. Need to be a compassionate and a problem solver.

Must be at least 18 years old with strong oral and written communication skills, math skills and valid driver’s license and proof of insurance. Must have the ability to work with a diverse group of people in a team setting. Various shifts available.

OCCK, Inc. is a not-for-profit, mission-based organization that has been providing services to people with disabilities since 1970. With regional offices throughout North Central Kansas. Help others and getting paid to do so. Apply at&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.appone.com/Search/Search.aspx?ServerVar=occkinc.appone.com">https://www2.appone.com/Search/Search.aspx?ServerVar=occkinc.appone.com</a>&nbsp;.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592535783410.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OCCK, Inc. is seeking Direct Support Professionals. These individuals are residential in their supported Living Department in the Salina, Beloit, and Concordia locations. Full time with benefits, EOE, drug testing.This person will be coordinating services and provide Independent living skills. Training will be provided as needed. Need to be a compassionate and a problem solver.Must be at least 18 years old with strong oral and written communication skills, math skills and valid driver’s license and proof of insurance. Must have the ability to work with a diverse group of people in a team setting. Various shifts available.OCCK, Inc. is a not-for-profit, mission-based organization that has been providing services to people with disabilities since 1970. With regional offices throughout North Central Kansas. Help others and getting paid to do so. Apply at&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.appone.com/Search/Search.aspx?ServerVar=occkinc.appone.com">https://www2.appone.com/Search/Search.aspx?ServerVar=occkinc.appone.com</a>&nbsp;.&nbsp;

NWS: Elevated grassland fire danger for counties in our area

From the period Dec. 19 through Dec. 21, a series of transportation-type businesses were damaged. 

 In these events, it appeared that either a brick or rock was used to the cause the damages, and there may have been multiple person involved based on various videos. 

●On Dec. 20, between 12:20-12:22 a.m., at Hico Motors, 645 South Santa Fe Avenue, unknown person(s) caused damage to a $900 dollar window.  20-35808.

●On Dec. 20, between 7:32-8:15 p.m., at The Car Shoppe, 1409 West Crawford Street, unknown person(s) caused damage to a $500 dollar window.  20-35858.

 ●On Dec. 20, between 8:37-8:38 p.m., at Salina Elite Auto Sales, 1842 Hageman, unknown person(s) caused damage to a window, and computer printer.  The value of the loss was $1,100.  20-35864.

●Between 6 p.m. on Dec. 20 and 8 a.m. Dec. 21&nbsp; at Affordable Transportation, 1818 South Broadway Boulevard unknown person(s) caused damage to a $100 window screen.  20-35890.

●Between 5 p.m. Dec. 19 and 8:30 a.m. Dec. 21 at GS Auto Repair, 828 North Broadway Boulevard, unknown person(s) caused damage to a $300 dollar glass door.  20-35895. 

If you have any information concerning these events or identification of the individuals involved, call Crimestoppers at 825-TIPS, text SATIPS to CRIMES (274637), or visit <a href="https://new.tipsubmit.com/en/create-report/anonymous/salina.org?fbclid=IwAR1u8xLRoUnea7gjH3o0nQM7PfFExhLoMHf79n0uelxtsZ3YAfQ9Bny4Eho" target="_blank">https://new.tipsubmit.com/.../create.../anonymous/salina.org</a> to submit a web tip. You may receive a cash reward of up to $1,000, and you are not required to give your name. Detective Vaughan.&nbsp;&nbsp;

From the period Dec. 19 through Dec. 21, a series of transportation-type businesses were damaged. In these events, it appeared that either a brick or rock was used to the cause the damages, and there may have been multiple person involved based on various videos. The events were:●On Dec. 20, between 12:20-12:22 a.m., at Hico Motors, 645 South Santa Fe Avenue, unknown person(s) caused damage to a $900 dollar window. 20-35808.●On Dec. 20, between 7:32-8:15 p.m., at The Car Shoppe, 1409 West Crawford Street, unknown person(s) caused damage to a $500 dollar window. 20-35858. ●On Dec. 20, between 8:37-8:38 p.m., at Salina Elite Auto Sales, 1842 Hageman, unknown person(s) caused damage to a window, and computer printer. The value of the loss was $1,100. 20-35864.●Between 6 p.m. on Dec. 20 and 8 a.m. Dec. 21&nbsp; at Affordable Transportation, 1818 South Broadway Boulevard unknown person(s) caused damage to a $100 window screen. 20-35890.●Between 5 p.m. Dec. 19 and 8:30 a.m. Dec. 21 at GS Auto Repair, 828 North Broadway Boulevard, unknown person(s) caused damage to a $300 dollar glass door. 20-35895. If you have any information concerning these events or identification of the individuals involved, call Crimestoppers at 825-TIPS, text SATIPS to CRIMES (274637), or visit <a href="https://new.tipsubmit.com/en/create-report/anonymous/salina.org?fbclid=IwAR1u8xLRoUnea7gjH3o0nQM7PfFExhLoMHf79n0uelxtsZ3YAfQ9Bny4Eho" target="_blank">https://new.tipsubmit.com/.../create.../anonymous/salina.org</a> to submit a web tip. You may receive a cash reward of up to $1,000, and you are not required to give your name. Detective Vaughan.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Crimestoppers seeks tips about damage to multiple business windows

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/category/obituaries" target="_blank">HERE</a>&nbsp;to view the most recent obituaries and service times from our funeral home partners.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/category/obituaries" target="_blank">HERE</a>&nbsp;to view the most recent obituaries and service times from our funeral home partners.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Recent obituaries

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="http://kansasreflector.com">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — J.T. Burnley says he owes everything to Saint Francis Ministries.

Like others whose lives have intersected with the Salina-based foster care provider, he was sorry to see the organization “catapulted into limelight,” as he puts it, by the financial scandal surrounding recently deposed leadership.

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/12/20/kansas-foster-care-leader-charged-469k-to-credit-cards-hid-financial-losses/">Kansas Reflector first reported</a>&nbsp;on an investigator’s conclusion that former Saint Francis CEO Robert “Father Bobby” Smith made personal charges with the nonprofit’s credit cards, hid financial losses from his board of directors, and made inappropriate investments in Bill Whymark’s software company.

“I can only hold my head high when I hear that because I can stand before you as a grown man and say that is not Saint Francis,” Burnley said. “I will be indebted to Saint Francis every day of my life. It changed my life. I owe my development as an equestrian.”

As a boy in the 1970s, Burnley was removed from his small-town Louisiana home, where his violent father inflicted physical and emotional pain, and placed by court order at a Saint Francis boys home in Ellsworth. Now 60,&nbsp;Burnley is an international dressage competitor who trains horses through the company he owns and operates with his wife in southwest Kentucky.

In Ellsworth, Burnley benefited from an equine therapy program. He found it easier to connect with horses and people, and the staff helped him harness the talent that would help him excel at dressage. For the unfamiliar, Burnley described the Olympic sport as “ballet with a horse.” He has competed&nbsp;in Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, Holland, Canada, Mexico and Brazil.

“What sparked this interest was the time I spent at Saint Francis,” Burnley said. “It was learning how to be responsible for yourself and instead of cower away from everything, or live in fear, to hold your head high and be respectful of other people.”

One time, after trying to protect his brother, Burnley’s father beat him so badly he had to lay in the bathtub with epsom salts for three days so his bloody wounds from his shoulders to his knees wouldn’t get infected.

In his final year at Saint Francis, he got a job at a ranch owned by the father of a Saint Francis counselor, Cory Rathbun.

“I remember seeing Cory say, ‘I love you, Dad,’ and hug his dad. And I’d never seen that in my life,” Burnley said. “I thought, ‘Holy Jesus. I can’t imagine having that kind of relationship with my father.’ It’s kind of terrifying and kind of unbelievable and kind of just hurts. Just completely earth shattering.”

The experience, he said, changed his life.

Rathbun’s wife, Cheryl, is now part of the Saint Francis leadership team working to restore focus on work to help children and families. The organization employs 1,600 people in six states, and serves more than 10,000 children and families.

Cheryl Rathbun, chief clinical officer, has spent 43 years at Saint Francis. She said employees need time to process the details of the investigative report that led to the departure of Smith, general counsel David Schaffer and chief operating officer Tom Blythe.

“It’s just hard,” she said. “I don’t know how else to say it. It’s just hard.”

Her message to staff: “These folks are not a reflection of the work you do, and what you do is much more important than what they’ve done. Keep doing that good work.”

Trish Bryant, vice president for residential services, has been at Saint Francis for 35 years. She said her focus is on working tirelessly to ensure children and families are well taken care of.

“I have experienced a range of emotions over the past month as we’ve worked through this, and I think disappointed is probably where I spend time — feeling just disappointed in that this has happened,” Bryant said.

Saint Francis’ board of directors immediately suspended leadership in October when newly hired chief financial officer Lora Winchell made them aware of the organization’s severe financial problems. The board hired an attorney from Kansas City, Kansas, to investigate her concerns.

The board was unaware of the amounts of money Smith authorized on software and miracle food projects that he had explained would someday turn a profit, or that he purchased $65,000 worth of Chicago Cubs tickets with the intent to flip them for more money. He didn’t tell the board that he knew a five-year contract signed with Nebraska in 2019 would cost the organization millions.

Cash flow problems reached a tipping point this spring when Intrust Bank refused to expand a $10 million line of credit for an organization that appeared to have no way of becoming solvent. At one point, in an email to Blythe, Smith proposed canceling the contract with the state of Kansas to save money — a move that would have jeopardized the care for 3,100 foster children. Instead, the nonprofit received a $10 million loan through the federal paycheck protection program.

Interim CEO William Clark said the new leadership team has worked to restore financial stability by working out new deals with Kansas and Nebraska, and reining in spending. The organization is on pace to be cash flow neutral by the end of the current fiscal year, which ends in six months, he said.

“The work that’s been done to move the organization forward in a two-month timeframe is absolutely incredible if you think about it,” Clark said.

In addition to implementing new controls to prevent another scandal, Clark said he is promoting a culture of integrity within Saint Francis.

His mantra: “You do the right thing at the right time for the right reason when nobody’s looking.”

The above story is republished with permission from Kansas Reflector.

Sherman Smith has written award-winning news stories about the instability of the Kansas foster care system, misconduct by government officials, sexual abuse, technology, education, and the Legislature. He spent 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal, where he started on the copy desk, then oversaw digital operations, was the managing editor and reported from the Statehouse.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608992928453.jpeg" alt="J.T. Burnley's experience at a Saint Francis Ministries boys home in Ellsworth helped him harness the talent that would make him an international dressage competitor. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>J.T. Burnley's experience at a Saint Francis Ministries boys home in Ellsworth helped him harness the talent that would make him an international dressage competitor. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="http://kansasreflector.com">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — J.T. Burnley says he owes everything to Saint Francis Ministries.Like others whose lives have intersected with the Salina-based foster care provider, he was sorry to see the organization “catapulted into limelight,” as he puts it, by the financial scandal surrounding recently deposed leadership.<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/12/20/kansas-foster-care-leader-charged-469k-to-credit-cards-hid-financial-losses/">Kansas Reflector first reported</a>&nbsp;on an investigator’s conclusion that former Saint Francis CEO Robert “Father Bobby” Smith made personal charges with the nonprofit’s credit cards, hid financial losses from his board of directors, and made inappropriate investments in Bill Whymark’s software company.“I can only hold my head high when I hear that because I can stand before you as a grown man and say that is not Saint Francis,” Burnley said. “I will be indebted to Saint Francis every day of my life. It changed my life. I owe my development as an equestrian.”As a boy in the 1970s, Burnley was removed from his small-town Louisiana home, where his violent father inflicted physical and emotional pain, and placed by court order at a Saint Francis boys home in Ellsworth. Now 60,&nbsp;Burnley is an international dressage competitor who trains horses through the company he owns and operates with his wife in southwest Kentucky.In Ellsworth, Burnley benefited from an equine therapy program. He found it easier to connect with horses and people, and the staff helped him harness the talent that would help him excel at dressage. For the unfamiliar, Burnley described the Olympic sport as “ballet with a horse.” He has competed&nbsp;in Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, Holland, Canada, Mexico and Brazil.“What sparked this interest was the time I spent at Saint Francis,” Burnley said. “It was learning how to be responsible for yourself and instead of cower away from everything, or live in fear, to hold your head high and be respectful of other people.”One time, after trying to protect his brother, Burnley’s father beat him so badly he had to lay in the bathtub with epsom salts for three days so his bloody wounds from his shoulders to his knees wouldn’t get infected.In his final year at Saint Francis, he got a job at a ranch owned by the father of a Saint Francis counselor, Cory Rathbun.“I remember seeing Cory say, ‘I love you, Dad,’ and hug his dad. And I’d never seen that in my life,” Burnley said. “I thought, ‘Holy Jesus. I can’t imagine having that kind of relationship with my father.’ It’s kind of terrifying and kind of unbelievable and kind of just hurts. Just completely earth shattering.”The experience, he said, changed his life.Rathbun’s wife, Cheryl, is now part of the Saint Francis leadership team working to restore focus on work to help children and families. The organization employs 1,600 people in six states, and serves more than 10,000 children and families.Cheryl Rathbun, chief clinical officer, has spent 43 years at Saint Francis. She said employees need time to process the details of the investigative report that led to the departure of Smith, general counsel David Schaffer and chief operating officer Tom Blythe.“It’s just hard,” she said. “I don’t know how else to say it. It’s just hard.”Her message to staff: “These folks are not a reflection of the work you do, and what you do is much more important than what they’ve done. Keep doing that good work.”Trish Bryant, vice president for residential services, has been at Saint Francis for 35 years. She said her focus is on working tirelessly to ensure children and families are well taken care of.“I have experienced a range of emotions over the past month as we’ve worked through this, and I think disappointed is probably where I spend time — feeling just disappointed in that this has happened,” Bryant said.Saint Francis’ board of directors immediately suspended leadership in October when newly hired chief financial officer Lora Winchell made them aware of the organization’s severe financial problems. The board hired an attorney from Kansas City, Kansas, to investigate her concerns.The board was unaware of the amounts of money Smith authorized on software and miracle food projects that he had explained would someday turn a profit, or that he purchased $65,000 worth of Chicago Cubs tickets with the intent to flip them for more money. He didn’t tell the board that he knew a five-year contract signed with Nebraska in 2019 would cost the organization millions.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608993051329.jpeg" alt="William Clark, interim CEO at Saint Francis Ministries, says he is working to promote a culture of integrity: “Do the right thing at the right time for the right reason when nobody’s looking.”&nbsp;Photo by Sherman Smith courtesy Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption>William Clark, interim CEO at Saint Francis Ministries, says he is working to promote a culture of integrity: “Do the right thing at the right time for the right reason when nobody’s looking.”&nbsp;Photo by Sherman Smith courtesy Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure>Cash flow problems reached a tipping point this spring when Intrust Bank refused to expand a $10 million line of credit for an organization that appeared to have no way of becoming solvent. At one point, in an email to Blythe, Smith proposed canceling the contract with the state of Kansas to save money — a move that would have jeopardized the care for 3,100 foster children. Instead, the nonprofit received a $10 million loan through the federal paycheck protection program.Interim CEO William Clark said the new leadership team has worked to restore financial stability by working out new deals with Kansas and Nebraska, and reining in spending. The organization is on pace to be cash flow neutral by the end of the current fiscal year, which ends in six months, he said.“The work that’s been done to move the organization forward in a two-month timeframe is absolutely incredible if you think about it,” Clark said.In addition to implementing new controls to prevent another scandal, Clark said he is promoting a culture of integrity within Saint Francis.His mantra: “You do the right thing at the right time for the right reason when nobody’s looking.”The above story is republished with permission from Kansas Reflector.Sherman Smith has written award-winning news stories about the instability of the Kansas foster care system, misconduct by government officials, sexual abuse, technology, education, and the Legislature. He spent 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal, where he started on the copy desk, then oversaw digital operations, was the managing editor and reported from the Statehouse.

After financial scandal, SFM holds ‘head high’ and focuses on good work

Kansas Wesleyan University has announced the addition of multiple staff members to its marketing and communications team.

Karen Bonar joins KWU as the associate coordinator of Marketing and Communications. She comes from the Catholic Diocese of Salina, where she served as the editor, lead photographer and chief writer for The Register, the Diocese’s monthly newspaper. Bonar has a journalism career that dates back nearly 18 years, including stops in Hays, Independence and at the Salina Journal. She has won multiple reporting awards during her time in the industry and also captured the Best Front Page honor from the Catholic Press Awards earlier this year.

Bonar has previous experience at KWU, having photographed Commencement as a freelancer on multiple occasions. She will serve as the university’s lead feature writer, main campus photographer and primary page layout specialist, in addition to assisting with media relations and numerous other tasks.

Rachel Hinde-Constantino, a 2009 alumna of KWU, joins the team as a communications specialist. Hinde-Constantino previously served as the community engagement coordinator for the city of Salina, where she was a key member in the implementation of communications strategies for numerous multi-million dollar projects, including the Downtown Streetscape Project. She also developed and implemented the city’s first internal social media policy and oversaw the development of the city’s 2014 website redesign. At KWU, she will act as the department’s primary webmaster, as well as aiding with marketing strategy and social media communication.

Theresa Stevens comes to KWU as a graphic designer. Stevens has worked with the university at length previously through her freelance design efforts. Her work has included designing much of the KWU signage visible at the Salina Regional Airport, as well as this year’s invitation for Christmas by Candlelight and several other important pieces throughout the past few months.

“We couldn’t be happier to bring all of these talented individuals into the KWU family,“ said Brad Salois, director of marketing and communications. “We believe that, particularly when teamed with our current staff, this group has a chance to be truly special. I look forward to seeing the great things we can accomplish together.”

Both Stevens and Hinde-Constantino will serve in part-time roles. All members will be in place Jan. 4.

Kansas Wesleyan University has announced the addition of multiple staff members to its marketing and communications team.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608991619489.jpeg" alt="Karen Bonar. Photo by David Mayes courtesy KWU" />
 <figcaption>Karen Bonar. Photo by David Mayes courtesy KWU</figcaption>
 </figure>Karen Bonar joins KWU as the associate coordinator of Marketing and Communications. She comes from the Catholic Diocese of Salina, where she served as the editor, lead photographer and chief writer for The Register, the Diocese’s monthly newspaper. Bonar has a journalism career that dates back nearly 18 years, including stops in Hays, Independence and at the Salina Journal. She has won multiple reporting awards during her time in the industry and also captured the Best Front Page honor from the Catholic Press Awards earlier this year.Bonar has previous experience at KWU, having photographed Commencement as a freelancer on multiple occasions. She will serve as the university’s lead feature writer, main campus photographer and primary page layout specialist, in addition to assisting with media relations and numerous other tasks.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608991700071.jpeg" alt="Rachel Hinde-Constantino. Photo courtesy KWU" />
 <figcaption>Rachel Hinde-Constantino. Photo courtesy KWU</figcaption>
 </figure>Rachel Hinde-Constantino, a 2009 alumna of KWU, joins the team as a communications specialist. Hinde-Constantino previously served as the community engagement coordinator for the city of Salina, where she was a key member in the implementation of communications strategies for numerous multi-million dollar projects, including the Downtown Streetscape Project. She also developed and implemented the city’s first internal social media policy and oversaw the development of the city’s 2014 website redesign. At KWU, she will act as the department’s primary webmaster, as well as aiding with marketing strategy and social media communication.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608991765303.jpeg" alt="Theresa Stevens. Photo courtesy KWU" />
 <figcaption>Theresa Stevens. Photo courtesy KWU</figcaption>
 </figure>Theresa Stevens comes to KWU as a graphic designer. Stevens has worked with the university at length previously through her freelance design efforts. Her work has included designing much of the KWU signage visible at the Salina Regional Airport, as well as this year’s invitation for Christmas by Candlelight and several other important pieces throughout the past few months.“We couldn’t be happier to bring all of these talented individuals into the KWU family,“ said Brad Salois, director of marketing and communications. “We believe that, particularly when teamed with our current staff, this group has a chance to be truly special. I look forward to seeing the great things we can accomplish together.”Both Stevens and Hinde-Constantino will serve in part-time roles. All members will be in place Jan. 4.

KWU announces additions to marketing and communications staff

December can be a controversial month in public schools. Millions of Americans are celebrating holidays like Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanzaa. Public-school educators, many of whom are celebrating themselves, are looking for creative and engaging ways of bringing some of that holiday cheer into their classrooms.

Conversely, parents are subjected to a steady stream of homework assignments and classroom party requests that range from educationally sound to legally dubious, resulting in questions such as: “Can my child’s teacher even talk about religion in public school?” or “Why are they learning about Christmas anyway?”

Here’s how students can learn about Christmas and many other holidays as part of a well-rounded public education that respects First Amendment rights for all:

Is it constitutional to teach about religion in public schools? Yes!

Organizations from across the religious and political spectrum offer seemingly contradictory proclamations about the role and value of religion, so it is understandable that many Americans are confused about what is constitutionally appropriate.

In 1963, the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1962/142" target="_blank">ruled</a>&nbsp;8-1 against Pennsylvania’s School District of Abington Township, which required students to read from the Bible each morning. Because public schools are an extension of the government, the justices rightfully saw the practice as a violation of the Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from favoring, or “establishing,” any single religion over another. Moreover, in a pluralistic society, parents from varied backgrounds want to know their children can receive a public education without being indoctrinated into a faith not their own.

Critically, this does not mean schools should omit any discussion of religion in the classroom. In fact,&nbsp;Justice Thomas Clark&nbsp;foresaw such arguments:

“… it might well be said that one’s education is not complete without a study of comparative religion or the history of religion and its relationship to the advancement of civilization. It certainly may be said that the Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities. Nothing we have said here indicates that such study of the Bible or of religion, when presented objectively as part of a secular program of education, may not be effected consistently with the First Amendment.”

Justice Clark carved out a method for teaching about religion in public school, going so far as to suggest religious literacy might be an essential aspect of any complete education. In contrast to a devotional approach, which is concerned with how a particular doctrine or text may impact the daily life of a practitioner, an academic approach is one that is seeks to neutrally understand that same doctrine or text through its historical impact, asking questions like, “Who wrote this verse” and “What was the author’s community like?” Devotional and academic approaches are not mutually exclusive; many believers and academics employ both approaches in their personal and professional lives, however, the Establishment Clause limits public school teachers to only teaching about religion from a non-devotional, neutral standpoint. Teachers and parents can be assured their school is following constitutional guidelines when the school strives to broaden students’ awareness of other faiths without asking students to accept them as equally valid expressions of religiosity, when curricula focus on the study of religion, not its practice, and when educators and administrators expose students to the diversity of religious views without imposing those views on students.

Should students learn about religion in public schools?

There are legal and moral considerations to weigh in addition to pedagogical concerns when deciding whether or how to teach about religion in the classroom. Despite those challenges, globalization and technology have dramatically amplified our contact with different peoples and ideologies and, therefore, the need for understanding one another across our differences has never been greater.

Religious literacy helps students encounter new people and ideas without hostility or fear, understanding how deeply held beliefs shape the mundane and sacred lives of billions of people every day. But just because it is permissible or even desirable to teach about religion academically, public school teachers should avoid jumping into the constitutional deep end unprepared.

In a pluralistic country like America, religious literacy is even more necessary as a civic virtue for living in a diverse democracy. Public school classrooms are one of the few remaining places where we are compelled to come together across differences to achieve common goals — where young Americans can learn and practice how to live with their neighbors who think, look, cook and pray differently than they do. Therefore, teachers, students and parents must go beyond academic performance or career-readiness to include this civic responsibility.

Increasing religious literacy is also likely to combat stereotypes and violence, especially against marginalized communities. According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s “<a href="https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/hcv0415.pdf" target="_blank">Hate Crime Victimization, 2004-2015</a>” report, the percentage of hate crimes motivated by religious bias was nearly three times higher in 2012 (28 percent) than in 2004 (10 percent).&nbsp;<a href="https://ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime/2019/topic-pages/offenders" target="_blank">FBI reporting</a>&nbsp;also reveals that a disturbing percentage of hate crime offenders are school age, with 15 percent under age 18 in 2015, 19 percent in 2014, and 32 percent in 2013. There is no panacea for such violence and hatred, but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.press.umich.edu/2180004/teaching_about_religions" target="_blank">studies</a>&nbsp;have demonstrated that religious literacy can be a key factor in fighting ignorance and reducing harmful stereotypes among students.

Should students learn about Christmas in public schools?

Religious holidays can be an exciting and engaging topic for young students. The problem arises when schools or teachers focus solely on one holiday or one religion. Such an approach not only limits the diversity students are exposed to, but also violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Stakeholders should ensure their public school district follows, or at least publishes, an inclusive holiday calendar that is responsive to the evolving demographics of the community and country. To meet both the legal requirement under the Establishment Clause as well as the responsibility to prepare students for life in a diverse democracy, educators should teach about holidays from a variety of traditions throughout the school year. For example, a lesson about the lunar cycle can include a discussion of the beliefs, behaviors and communities of belonging around different lunar festivals like China’s mid-autumn Mooncake Festival or an exploration of lunar calendars like the one used by Jews to denote sacred holidays. This approach also helps educators avoid placing unfounded significance on some holidays, like Hannukah, which is a relatively minor Jewish holiday, to teach about Christmas solely because they are close in date.

Above all else, educators must be ready to enrich students’ understanding of history and culture while not promoting or denigrating religious belief. In doing so, teachers have an opportunity to prepare students for living in a pluralistic society that values the beliefs of all people, religious or not.

David Callaway is the project manager of the Georgia Rights, Responsibility, Respect Project, an education initiative of the Religious Freedom Center. His email address is:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:dcallaway@freedomforum.org">dcallaway@freedomforum.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599745128387.jpeg" alt="David Callaway. Photo courtesy Freedom Forum" />
 <figcaption>David Callaway. Photo courtesy Freedom Forum</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID CALLAWAY December can be a controversial month in public schools. Millions of Americans are celebrating holidays like Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanzaa. Public-school educators, many of whom are celebrating themselves, are looking for creative and engaging ways of bringing some of that holiday cheer into their classrooms.Conversely, parents are subjected to a steady stream of homework assignments and classroom party requests that range from educationally sound to legally dubious, resulting in questions such as: “Can my child’s teacher even talk about religion in public school?” or “Why are they learning about Christmas anyway?”Here’s how students can learn about Christmas and many other holidays as part of a well-rounded public education that respects First Amendment rights for all:Is it constitutional to teach about religion in public schools? Yes!Organizations from across the religious and political spectrum offer seemingly contradictory proclamations about the role and value of religion, so it is understandable that many Americans are confused about what is constitutionally appropriate.In 1963, the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1962/142" target="_blank">ruled</a>&nbsp;8-1 against Pennsylvania’s School District of Abington Township, which required students to read from the Bible each morning. Because public schools are an extension of the government, the justices rightfully saw the practice as a violation of the Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from favoring, or “establishing,” any single religion over another. Moreover, in a pluralistic society, parents from varied backgrounds want to know their children can receive a public education without being indoctrinated into a faith not their own.Critically, this does not mean schools should omit any discussion of religion in the classroom. In fact,&nbsp;Justice Thomas Clark&nbsp;foresaw such arguments:“… it might well be said that one’s education is not complete without a study of comparative religion or the history of religion and its relationship to the advancement of civilization. It certainly may be said that the Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities. Nothing we have said here indicates that such study of the Bible or of religion, when presented objectively as part of a secular program of education, may not be effected consistently with the First Amendment.”Justice Clark carved out a method for teaching about religion in public school, going so far as to suggest religious literacy might be an essential aspect of any complete education. In contrast to a devotional approach, which is concerned with how a particular doctrine or text may impact the daily life of a practitioner, an academic approach is one that is seeks to neutrally understand that same doctrine or text through its historical impact, asking questions like, “Who wrote this verse” and “What was the author’s community like?” Devotional and academic approaches are not mutually exclusive; many believers and academics employ both approaches in their personal and professional lives, however, the Establishment Clause limits public school teachers to only teaching about religion from a non-devotional, neutral standpoint. Teachers and parents can be assured their school is following constitutional guidelines when the school strives to broaden students’ awareness of other faiths without asking students to accept them as equally valid expressions of religiosity, when curricula focus on the study of religion, not its practice, and when educators and administrators expose students to the diversity of religious views without imposing those views on students.Should students learn about religion in public schools?There are legal and moral considerations to weigh in addition to pedagogical concerns when deciding whether or how to teach about religion in the classroom. Despite those challenges, globalization and technology have dramatically amplified our contact with different peoples and ideologies and, therefore, the need for understanding one another across our differences has never been greater.Religious literacy helps students encounter new people and ideas without hostility or fear, understanding how deeply held beliefs shape the mundane and sacred lives of billions of people every day. But just because it is permissible or even desirable to teach about religion academically, public school teachers should avoid jumping into the constitutional deep end unprepared.In a pluralistic country like America, religious literacy is even more necessary as a civic virtue for living in a diverse democracy. Public school classrooms are one of the few remaining places where we are compelled to come together across differences to achieve common goals — where young Americans can learn and practice how to live with their neighbors who think, look, cook and pray differently than they do. Therefore, teachers, students and parents must go beyond academic performance or career-readiness to include this civic responsibility.Increasing religious literacy is also likely to combat stereotypes and violence, especially against marginalized communities. According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s “<a href="https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/hcv0415.pdf" target="_blank">Hate Crime Victimization, 2004-2015</a>” report, the percentage of hate crimes motivated by religious bias was nearly three times higher in 2012 (28 percent) than in 2004 (10 percent).&nbsp;<a href="https://ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime/2019/topic-pages/offenders" target="_blank">FBI reporting</a>&nbsp;also reveals that a disturbing percentage of hate crime offenders are school age, with 15 percent under age 18 in 2015, 19 percent in 2014, and 32 percent in 2013. There is no panacea for such violence and hatred, but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.press.umich.edu/2180004/teaching_about_religions" target="_blank">studies</a>&nbsp;have demonstrated that religious literacy can be a key factor in fighting ignorance and reducing harmful stereotypes among students.Should students learn about Christmas in public schools?Religious holidays can be an exciting and engaging topic for young students. The problem arises when schools or teachers focus solely on one holiday or one religion. Such an approach not only limits the diversity students are exposed to, but also violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Stakeholders should ensure their public school district follows, or at least publishes, an inclusive holiday calendar that is responsive to the evolving demographics of the community and country. To meet both the legal requirement under the Establishment Clause as well as the responsibility to prepare students for life in a diverse democracy, educators should teach about holidays from a variety of traditions throughout the school year. For example, a lesson about the lunar cycle can include a discussion of the beliefs, behaviors and communities of belonging around different lunar festivals like China’s mid-autumn Mooncake Festival or an exploration of lunar calendars like the one used by Jews to denote sacred holidays. This approach also helps educators avoid placing unfounded significance on some holidays, like Hannukah, which is a relatively minor Jewish holiday, to teach about Christmas solely because they are close in date.Above all else, educators must be ready to enrich students’ understanding of history and culture while not promoting or denigrating religious belief. In doing so, teachers have an opportunity to prepare students for living in a pluralistic society that values the beliefs of all people, religious or not.David Callaway is the project manager of the Georgia Rights, Responsibility, Respect Project, an education initiative of the Religious Freedom Center. His email address is:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:dcallaway@freedomforum.org">dcallaway@freedomforum.org</a>.

FIRST FIVE: American students should learn about Christmas in schools

Today is Saturday, Dec. 26, the 361st day of 2020. There are five days left in the year. 

On Dec. 26, 2004, more than 230,000 people, mostly in southern Asia, were killed by a 100-foot-high tsunami triggered by a 9.1-magnitude earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean. 

In 1776, British forces suffered a major defeat in the Battle of Trenton during the Revolutionary War.

In 1799, former President George Washington was eulogized by Col. Henry Lee as "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen." 

In 1908, Jack Johnson became the first African-American boxer to win the world heavyweight championship as he defeated Canadian Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia.

In 1910, the London Palladium, Britain's famous variety theater, first opened.

In 1917, during World War I, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation authorizing the government to take over operation of the nation's railroads. 

In 1941, during World War II, Winston Churchill became the first British prime minister to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress.

In 1980, Iranian television footage was broadcast in the United States, showing a dozen of the American hostages sending messages to their families. 

In 1985, Ford Motor Company began selling its Taurus and Sable sedans and station wagons. 

In 1994, French commandos stormed a hijacked Air France jetliner on the ground in Marseille, killing four Algerian hijackers and freeing 170 hostages. 

In 1996, six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey was found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado. (To date, the slaying remains unsolved.) 

In 2003, an earthquake struck the historic Iranian city of Bam, killing at least 26,000 people. Three snowboarders were killed in an avalanche in Provo Canyon, Utah. 

In 2006, former President Gerald R. Ford died in Rancho Mirage, California, at age 93. 

Ten years ago: A powerful East Coast blizzard stranded thousands of travelers and dumped more than a foot of snow in some areas. Salvador Jorge Blanco, 84, a former president of the Dominican Republic, died in Santo Domingo. Soul singer-songwriter Teena Marie, 54, died in Pasadena, California.

Five years ago: A new onslaught of tornadoes began erupting in the South; twisters ended up hitting parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Chicago police killed 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier, a college student who an officer said was coming at him with a bat, and 55-year-old Bettie Jones, a neighbor who police said was shot accidentally. Basketball player Stephen Curry was named The Associated Press 2015 Male Athlete of the Year.

One year ago: Tony Award-winning composer Jerry Herman, who wrote the music and lyrics for such classic shows as "Mame," "Hello, Dolly!" and "La Cage aux Folles," died in Miami at the age of 88. A winter storm brought downpours and extensive snowfall to parts of Southern California, triggering a tornado and snarling post-Christmas travel. The pilot and six passengers died when a tour helicopter crashed on the top of a mountain on the island of Kauai. Gymnast Simone Biles was named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year.

Today's Birthdays: Rhythm-and-blues singer Abdul "Duke" Fakir (The Four Tops) is 85. Record producer (and convicted murderer) Phil Spector is 81. "America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh is 75. Country musician Bob Carpenter (The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) is 74. Funk musician George Porter Jr. (The Meters) is 73. Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk is 73. Retired MLB All-Star Chris Chambliss is 72. Baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith is 66. Former Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., is 65. Humorist David Sedaris is 64. Rock musician James Kottak (The Scorpions) is 58. Rock musician Lars Ulrich (Metallica) is 57. Actor Nadia Dajani is 55. Rock musician J is 53. Country singer Audrey Wiggins is 53. Rock singer James Mercer (The Shins; Flake) is 50. Actor-singer Jared Leto is 49. Actor Kendra C. Johnson is 44. Rock singer Chris Daughtry is 41. Actor Beth Behrs is 35. Actor Kit Harington is 34. Actor Eden Sher is 29. Pop singer Jade Thirlwall (Little Mix Actor) is 28. Actor Zach Mills is 25.

<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 Saturday, Dec. 26, the 361st day of 2020. There are five days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 26, 2004, more than 230,000 people, mostly in southern Asia, were killed by a 100-foot-high tsunami triggered by a 9.1-magnitude earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean. On this date: In 1776, British forces suffered a major defeat in the Battle of Trenton during the Revolutionary War.In 1799, former President George Washington was eulogized by Col. Henry Lee as "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen." In 1908, Jack Johnson became the first African-American boxer to win the world heavyweight championship as he defeated Canadian Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia.In 1910, the London Palladium, Britain's famous variety theater, first opened.In 1917, during World War I, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation authorizing the government to take over operation of the nation's railroads. In 1941, during World War II, Winston Churchill became the first British prime minister to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress.In 1980, Iranian television footage was broadcast in the United States, showing a dozen of the American hostages sending messages to their families. In 1985, Ford Motor Company began selling its Taurus and Sable sedans and station wagons. In 1994, French commandos stormed a hijacked Air France jetliner on the ground in Marseille, killing four Algerian hijackers and freeing 170 hostages. In 1996, six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey was found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado. (To date, the slaying remains unsolved.) In 2003, an earthquake struck the historic Iranian city of Bam, killing at least 26,000 people. Three snowboarders were killed in an avalanche in Provo Canyon, Utah. In 2006, former President Gerald R. Ford died in Rancho Mirage, California, at age 93. Ten years ago: A powerful East Coast blizzard stranded thousands of travelers and dumped more than a foot of snow in some areas. Salvador Jorge Blanco, 84, a former president of the Dominican Republic, died in Santo Domingo. Soul singer-songwriter Teena Marie, 54, died in Pasadena, California.Five years ago: A new onslaught of tornadoes began erupting in the South; twisters ended up hitting parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Chicago police killed 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier, a college student who an officer said was coming at him with a bat, and 55-year-old Bettie Jones, a neighbor who police said was shot accidentally. Basketball player Stephen Curry was named The Associated Press 2015 Male Athlete of the Year.One year ago: Tony Award-winning composer Jerry Herman, who wrote the music and lyrics for such classic shows as "Mame," "Hello, Dolly!" and "La Cage aux Folles," died in Miami at the age of 88. A winter storm brought downpours and extensive snowfall to parts of Southern California, triggering a tornado and snarling post-Christmas travel. The pilot and six passengers died when a tour helicopter crashed on the top of a mountain on the island of Kauai. Gymnast Simone Biles was named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year. Today's Birthdays: Rhythm-and-blues singer Abdul "Duke" Fakir (The Four Tops) is 85. Record producer (and convicted murderer) Phil Spector is 81. "America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh is 75. Country musician Bob Carpenter (The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) is 74. Funk musician George Porter Jr. (The Meters) is 73. Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk is 73. Retired MLB All-Star Chris Chambliss is 72. Baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith is 66. Former Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., is 65. Humorist David Sedaris is 64. Rock musician James Kottak (The Scorpions) is 58. Rock musician Lars Ulrich (Metallica) is 57. Actor Nadia Dajani is 55. Rock musician J is 53. Country singer Audrey Wiggins is 53. Rock singer James Mercer (The Shins; Flake) is 50. Actor-singer Jared Leto is 49. Actor Kendra C. Johnson is 44. Rock singer Chris Daughtry is 41. Actor Beth Behrs is 35. Actor Kit Harington is 34. Actor Eden Sher is 29. Pop singer Jade Thirlwall (Little Mix Actor) is 28. Actor Zach Mills is 25.

Today in History -- Dec. 26

The autumn of 1980 found 29-year-old Randy Roelofsen
and his friend Loren Engel solving problems for the ever-changing agriculture
industry. In the early 80s, farmers were facing lean times, as many factors
were driving the prices of commodities as well as land value down.

As any farmer knows, despite these challenges, harvest
must go on.

One of the many virtues that farmers are known for,
especially during dark financial times, is thrift. Randy, who grew up on a farm
and had also seen the inside of the salvage industry, had an idea that would
connect old tractor parts with new users.

Recycling good used tractor and combine parts not only
helped farmers stretch their budgets – it proved to be a business venture with
legs. Taking root along Old Highway 40 between Solomon and Abilene, Randy and
Loren grew their endeavor with hard work, a bit of good luck and the kind of
go-hard attitude that growing up as a farm boy instills.

Todd Roelofsen, Randy’s nephew, joined the salvage
parts and equipment resale operation in 1981. Eight years later, the business
officially became Abilene Machine.

By 1990, the team was 50-strong. As the company grew
and more employees joined the team, many things changed. But, one thing
remained the same from day one.

“We think family all the way up and down the ranks. I
preach that to my people,” Randy said. “I’m proud of our outstanding team. They
work tirelessly to ensure that every time a customer interacts with Abilene
Machine, they receive the highest level of service and satisfaction.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608944884960.jpeg" alt="Abilene Machine&nbsp;Photos courtesy Abilene Machine" />
 <figcaption>Abilene Machine&nbsp;Photos courtesy Abilene Machine</figcaption>
 </figure>The autumn of 1980 found 29-year-old Randy Roelofsen
and his friend Loren Engel solving problems for the ever-changing agriculture
industry. In the early 80s, farmers were facing lean times, as many factors
were driving the prices of commodities as well as land value down.As any farmer knows, despite these challenges, harvest
must go on.One of the many virtues that farmers are known for,
especially during dark financial times, is thrift. Randy, who grew up on a farm
and had also seen the inside of the salvage industry, had an idea that would
connect old tractor parts with new users.Recycling good used tractor and combine parts not only
helped farmers stretch their budgets – it proved to be a business venture with
legs. Taking root along Old Highway 40 between Solomon and Abilene, Randy and
Loren grew their endeavor with hard work, a bit of good luck and the kind of
go-hard attitude that growing up as a farm boy instills.Todd Roelofsen, Randy’s nephew, joined the salvage
parts and equipment resale operation in 1981. Eight years later, the business
officially became Abilene Machine.By 1990, the team was 50-strong. As the company grew
and more employees joined the team, many things changed. But, one thing
remained the same from day one.“We think family all the way up and down the ranks. I
preach that to my people,” Randy said. “I’m proud of our outstanding team. They
work tirelessly to ensure that every time a customer interacts with Abilene
Machine, they receive the highest level of service and satisfaction.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608945482996.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In the early days, Todd saw opportunity to expand
their operation.“When I first started, I was the only parts guy,” he
said. “We kept getting calls for the same used parts. At times, we would sell
our entire supply of certain used parts.”Rather than send customers away, the team found ways
to rebuild old parts and even manufacture some new ones, leading to the
company’s expansion into aftermarket agricultural machinery parts.“Our main goal was to acquire the ability to provide
the parts our customers needed. We’ve always been here to help farmers
succeed,” Todd said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608945590788.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Abilene Machine remanufactures hydraulic pumps, fuel
injection pumps for diesel engines, final drives, and even complete engines and
transmissions. Each is rebuilt to OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer)
specifications by team members who come from mostly agricultural backgrounds.
The roots run deep here.In 1992, Abilene Machine released its first parts
catalog. With 72 pages featuring used and remanufactured parts, the company
began to establish a national footprint in the ag parts industry.Four decades later, the Roelofsens are still in the
business of providing value to the agriculture industry with their family-owned
and operated company. So what’s the secret to success in this industry? In a
word – innovation. Just like other sectors of the agriculture industry, these
last 40 years have been about adapting to the ever-changing conditions to
overcome each challenge.For example, a 2004 fire destroyed Abilene Machine’s
main office and 15,000 square feet of warehouse and inventory. On the cusp of a
worldwide economic recession, Randy and Todd faced the task of rebuilding their
business to replace what was lost.Adaptation is key, according to the Roelofsens. For
decades, parts sales happened in person and over the phone. People ordered from
catalogs, went to trade shows or learned about the company through
word-of-mouth. Recent economic events have shown how important a strong digital
presence is for a retail company’s continued success. Or survival, for that
matter.A newly updated website enables a customer to sign
into a personal account and add all of his or her equipment to a “shed.” Each
personalized shed stores equipment information so the customer can easily look
up and order parts in minutes. Once ordered, the parts are shipped right to
their door.“The new generation of farmers is adopting e-commerce
for everything – from tractor parts to groceries,” said Kenny Roelofsen,
Abilene Machine Digital Marketing Manager. “We’re meeting them there, in the
digital marketplace, where we are continuing the spirit of innovation that has
brought us this far. Even though we’re a large company, every customer –
whether at the parts counter or on the internet – can still expect the same
kind of honest, personal, service that Abilene Machine is known for.”Abilene Machine is steadily growing to meet increasing
demand and has evolved from that single-car garage to one of the largest
single-site agricultural salvage yards in the U.S. In addition to multiple
manufacturing and remanufacturing facilities and a 39,000 square-foot new
aftermarket parts warehouse at their Kansas headquarters, they have also built
successful operations in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Bishopville, South
Carolina.“It’s an amazing business,” said Todd, who is now an
owner and vice president. “We have a lot of great people working here, and each
of them is just like family.”--<a href="http://www.abilenemachine.com">Abilene Machine</a>--

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