As of Sept. 1, there are 16 weekends until Christmas. Sixteen Saturdays to do all of your holiday shopping, gift wrapping, baking and more. While it might seem fairly distant, it won’t be long before our communities are adorned with holiday cheer and Christmas carols fill the airwaves. Your checkbook may still be recovering from back to school shopping, but it’s not too early to start planning for Christmas.

Research shows that 22 percent of Americans believe their Christmas spending will leave them in debt and over 60 percent admit to buying their gifts less than a week before the holiday. By planning ahead and starting early, you can reduce the risk of going into debt this season. Here are a few tips to get you started on your holiday shopping.

Set your overall spending budget. If you are already struggling with debt, be careful about how much you set to spend on Christmas gifts. Look at how much you spent last year. Is it reasonable to spend the same or even increase your budget, or do you need to cut your costs this year?

Make a list. Write down every person you plan to buy for this season and set a budget for how much to spend on each. From the company office exchange to close family, don’t leave anyone out. When you buy a gift, put it on the list along with the amount spent and adjust your overall budget accordingly.

Price check. One benefit to starting early is that you have time to track the regular selling price on those must-have items on your list and decide what constitutes a good “sale” price. When the Black Friday ads are released, you’ll be ready to decide what are your go-to items based on the best sales. Finding the best deals will stretch your already set spending budget. If you have money left over, start your 2021 Christmas savings account.

Although I’m encouraging you to get a head start on holiday shopping, take time to enjoy the fall season. The cooler temperatures and changing leaves make it my most favorite season of the year.

Julie Smith is a&nbsp;family resource management and entrepreneurship agent with the Wildcat Extension District.&nbsp;The above story was included in this week's Better Kansas blog from K-State Research and Extension. To subscribe to the blog,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/blogs/">click here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598202745665.jpeg" alt="&nbsp; Image by&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/Jeannieinabottle-3619/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=588786">Jeannieinabottle</a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=588786">Pixabay</a>" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp; Image by&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/Jeannieinabottle-3619/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=588786">Jeannieinabottle</a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=588786">Pixabay</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;JULIE SMITH As of Sept. 1, there are 16 weekends until Christmas. Sixteen Saturdays to do all of your holiday shopping, gift wrapping, baking and more. While it might seem fairly distant, it won’t be long before our communities are adorned with holiday cheer and Christmas carols fill the airwaves. Your checkbook may still be recovering from back to school shopping, but it’s not too early to start planning for Christmas.Research shows that 22 percent of Americans believe their Christmas spending will leave them in debt and over 60 percent admit to buying their gifts less than a week before the holiday. By planning ahead and starting early, you can reduce the risk of going into debt this season. Here are a few tips to get you started on your holiday shopping.Set your overall spending budget. If you are already struggling with debt, be careful about how much you set to spend on Christmas gifts. Look at how much you spent last year. Is it reasonable to spend the same or even increase your budget, or do you need to cut your costs this year?Make a list. Write down every person you plan to buy for this season and set a budget for how much to spend on each. From the company office exchange to close family, don’t leave anyone out. When you buy a gift, put it on the list along with the amount spent and adjust your overall budget accordingly.Price check. One benefit to starting early is that you have time to track the regular selling price on those must-have items on your list and decide what constitutes a good “sale” price. When the Black Friday ads are released, you’ll be ready to decide what are your go-to items based on the best sales. Finding the best deals will stretch your already set spending budget. If you have money left over, start your 2021 Christmas savings account.Although I’m encouraging you to get a head start on holiday shopping, take time to enjoy the fall season. The cooler temperatures and changing leaves make it my most favorite season of the year.Happy Shopping!Julie Smith is a&nbsp;family resource management and entrepreneurship agent with the Wildcat Extension District.&nbsp;The above story was included in this week's Better Kansas blog from K-State Research and Extension. To subscribe to the blog,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/blogs/">click here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Christmas spending: Planning ahead matters

For months, the Saline County Commission has been sorting through information and soliciting public opinion concerning what to do about the Saline County Jail.

In April, the commission voted to pursue the option of building an entirely new jail and sheriff's office. On Tuesday, the commissioners approved a resolution to place a question on the Nov. 3 ballot that, if approved, would impose a half-cent sales tax for the purpose of constructing, furnishing, and equipping a new jail and sheriff's office.

If the increase is approved, the difference in sales tax paid on a $100 purchase is 50 cents. The county estimates that the sales tax would generate approximately $6 million annually.

The sales tax would pay for the general obligation bonds that would be needed to finance the construction of the facility, not to exceed $89,655,000, and would end once the bonds are paid off, as required by law. The county's financial advisors for the project have estimated that the bonds could be paid off in 15 to 20 years, depending on sales tax revenues received.

Why a sales tax increase rather than a property tax increase? According to the county, an advantage of utilizing a sales tax increase is that a sales tax would be collected from everyone who spends money in Saline County. A property tax increase would only be collected from property owners. The county estimates that 25 percent of sales tax revenues in Saline County come from people living outside the county.

The proposal is more than just the Saline County Sheriff's Office wanting a new facility. A number of studies, including a needs assessment, have been completed to provide recommendations on proposed project and future capacity projections, according to information from the county.

The existing original sheriff's office and jail was constructed in 1962. An addition was completed in 1995. The jail has a total of 192 beds, 40 of which are in the older part of the jail. The average daily inmate population for 2019 was 247, the Saline County Sheriff's Office, which runs the jail, noted. Twenty-year projections show the average daily inmate population exceeding 400.

According to inmate statistics from the sheriff's office, the Saline County Jail has been over-capacity for 10 years. During that time, the county has paid more than $6 million to house some of its inmates in other counties. 

Additionally, the county has incurred the costs of transporting those inmates to and from other counties. According to information from the county, sheriff's office personnel make an annual average of 600 trips to transport Saline County inmates to and from other facilities.

If the sales tax is not approved, the county will be forced to continue housing a number of inmates out of county. According to the county, a 20-year projection of continuing to house Saline County inmates out of county would cost the county an estimated $66,125,431 just in contract housing. 

In an information flier about the need for a new jail, the county identifies a number of deficiencies in the current jail, including the following.

●Not compliant with modern jail standards

●Inefficient facility, requiring increased inmate movement and decreasing staff safety

●Insufficient technology infrastructure

●Insufficient isolation and individual cells for quarantine

●No medical and negative air flow cells

The new jail would be built at an entirely different location and would have 392 beds. Other plans for the new facility would include the following.

●A dedicated medical areas for males and females and dedicated areas for those who need mental health care.

●Expanded program space to add programs to help with rehabilitation and re-entry.

●Space for dedicated program staff with the potential to add a facility specific social worker or mental health professional.

●Energy efficient, utilities that are more accessible for repairs, staff efficiencies.

●$89,655,000 total project costs that includes funds for purchasing property to build on

●49 additional full-time staff will be needed to run the facility at full capacity. The jail already employs 55 people.

●A new sheriff’s office space for administration, patrol, investigations, and records.

What would happen to the current facility? According to the county, a letter has been received from the North Central Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Facility expressing interest in transforming the 1995 portion of the jail into a juvenile center run by them.

To see more about the jail project, go to the <a href="http://saline.org">Saline County website</a> and click on JAIL PROJECT 2020.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598200596351.png" alt="The proposed configuration of a new jail for Saline County. Image courtesy Saline County" />
 <figcaption>The proposed configuration of a new jail for Saline County. Image courtesy Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTFor months, the Saline County Commission has been sorting through information and soliciting public opinion concerning what to do about the Saline County Jail.In April, the commission voted to pursue the option of building an entirely new jail and sheriff's office. On Tuesday, the commissioners approved a resolution to place a question on the Nov. 3 ballot that, if approved, would impose a half-cent sales tax for the purpose of constructing, furnishing, and equipping a new jail and sheriff's office.If the increase is approved, the difference in sales tax paid on a $100 purchase is 50 cents. The county estimates that the sales tax would generate approximately $6 million annually.The sales tax would pay for the general obligation bonds that would be needed to finance the construction of the facility, not to exceed $89,655,000, and would end once the bonds are paid off, as required by law. The county's financial advisors for the project have estimated that the bonds could be paid off in 15 to 20 years, depending on sales tax revenues received.Why a sales tax increase rather than a property tax increase? According to the county, an advantage of utilizing a sales tax increase is that a sales tax would be collected from everyone who spends money in Saline County. A property tax increase would only be collected from property owners. The county estimates that 25 percent of sales tax revenues in Saline County come from people living outside the county.The need for a new jailThe proposal is more than just the Saline County Sheriff's Office wanting a new facility. A number of studies, including a needs assessment, have been completed to provide recommendations on proposed project and future capacity projections, according to information from the county.The existing original sheriff's office and jail was constructed in 1962. An addition was completed in 1995. The jail has a total of 192 beds, 40 of which are in the older part of the jail. The average daily inmate population for 2019 was 247, the Saline County Sheriff's Office, which runs the jail, noted. Twenty-year projections show the average daily inmate population exceeding 400.According to inmate statistics from the sheriff's office, the Saline County Jail has been over-capacity for 10 years. During that time, the county has paid more than $6 million to house some of its inmates in other counties. Additionally, the county has incurred the costs of transporting those inmates to and from other counties. According to information from the county, sheriff's office personnel make an annual average of 600 trips to transport Saline County inmates to and from other facilities.If the sales tax is not approved, the county will be forced to continue housing a number of inmates out of county. According to the county, a 20-year projection of continuing to house Saline County inmates out of county would cost the county an estimated $66,125,431 just in contract housing. In an information flier about the need for a new jail, the county identifies a number of deficiencies in the current jail, including the following.●Not compliant with modern jail standards●Inefficient facility, requiring increased inmate movement and decreasing staff safety●Leaking pipes●Rusted elevator●Insufficient medical areas●Insufficient technology infrastructure●Insufficient isolation and individual cells for quarantine●No medical and negative air flow cellsA new facilityThe new jail would be built at an entirely different location and would have 392 beds. Other plans for the new facility would include the following.●A dedicated medical areas for males and females and dedicated areas for those who need mental health care.●Expanded program space to add programs to help with rehabilitation and re-entry.●Space for dedicated program staff with the potential to add a facility specific social worker or mental health professional.●Energy efficient, utilities that are more accessible for repairs, staff efficiencies.●$89,655,000 total project costs that includes funds for purchasing property to build on●49 additional full-time staff will be needed to run the facility at full capacity. The jail already employs 55 people.●A new sheriff’s office space for administration, patrol, investigations, and records.What would happen to the current facility? According to the county, a letter has been received from the North Central Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Facility expressing interest in transforming the 1995 portion of the jail into a juvenile center run by them.To see more about the jail project, go to the <a href="http://saline.org">Saline County website</a> and click on JAIL PROJECT 2020.

Half-cent sales tax question on Nov. 3 ballot for jail project

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

High speed on the High Plains. That is what one can find when we see the product of the work done by an innovative entrepreneur in rural northwest Kansas.&nbsp;

During the last two weeks we have learned about Heidi Plumb and Kale Dankenbring, who traveled around the globe as newlyweds. They came back to Kale’s hometown of St. Francis to become the founders and co-owners of Fresh Seven Coffee, plus a business next door named High Plains Moto. This business services and sells products for motorcycles and other, smaller motorized vehicles such as ATVs.&nbsp;

When Kale was 10 years old, his cousin was involved in a bad motorcycle accident. Some years later, Kale was riding on a motorcycle with his father’s friend when they crashed on a muddy road.&nbsp;

“I had an insane fear of motorcycles,” Kale said. However, Kale also had a fascination with them. He bought one for himself at age 22. “I would ride it during the summer. In the winter, I would tear it apart to learn how it worked,” he said. Soon he was helping his friends work on their motorcycles as well, and found he was quite good at it.&nbsp;

One day in 2001, he was riding his motorcycle on the street when a car pulled out directly in front of him. “I T-boned the car,” Kale said. “I woke up in the helicopter on the way to the hospital,” he said. He had numerous broken bones and spent a week in the hospital and another month home in bed.&nbsp;

“I knew I never wanted to ride a motorcycle on the street again,” Kale said. However, he realized that he could still enjoy his motorcycle by taking up road racing on enclosed tracks, and that is what he did. He enjoyed road racing, and also put his expertise to use by opening a motorcycle shop with a partner.&nbsp;

After Kale met and married Heidi, he sold his share of the business to his partner so he and Heidi could travel the globe. While traveling, he and Heidi learned that an abandoned building was for sale in Kale’s hometown of St. Francis. This would become the site of their coffee roastery. Next door to the coffee shop, Kale opened a motorcycle sales and service business of his own. He named it High Plains Moto.&nbsp;

High Plains Moto serves motorcycles as well as other vehicles. “A lot of farmers are using dirt bikes or ATVs to check cattle or wells or sprinklers, and that kept me busy at first,” Kale said. Those vehicles came from farms near rural communities such as Sharon Springs, population 748; Bird City, population 477; and McDonald, population 156 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

High Plains Moto specializes in equipment and service for track-day and motorcycle road-race machines. These are the gorgeous speedy motorcycles that swoop low on the turns and can go up to 190 miles an hour in the straightaway. Kale works on exhaust and brake systems, hand and foot controls, tires and tire warmers, racing suits, stands and more. In 2019, Kale became a technician certified by Ohlins, the Swedish suspension company.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Before he opened his shop, bike riders in the area had to make multiple trips to drop off their bikes in in Denver or Nebraska for service or repairs. Now, Kale offers convenient service for bike riders throughout the three-state region.&nbsp;

Kale continues to race himself. “I race for fun and to promote my business,” he said. “If I happen to win prize money, that’s a bonus. The fastest I’ve ever gone on a track was 172 (miles per hour).”&nbsp;

For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.highplainsmoto.com/" target="_blank">www.highplainsmoto.com</a>.&nbsp;

High speed on the high plains. That describes what a person can achieve when working with Kale at High Plains Moto. We commend Kale Dankenbring and Heidi Plumb for making a difference with their skills and entrepreneurship. He’s helping people safely achieve high speeds on the High Plains, and such a business has high value.

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/2020/6/1592753893213.jpeg" alt="Ron Wilson. Photo courtesy KSRE" />
 <figcaption>Ron Wilson. Photo courtesy KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSONHigh speed on the High Plains. That is what one can find when we see the product of the work done by an innovative entrepreneur in rural northwest Kansas.&nbsp;During the last two weeks we have learned about Heidi Plumb and Kale Dankenbring, who traveled around the globe as newlyweds. They came back to Kale’s hometown of St. Francis to become the founders and co-owners of Fresh Seven Coffee, plus a business next door named High Plains Moto. This business services and sells products for motorcycles and other, smaller motorized vehicles such as ATVs.&nbsp;When Kale was 10 years old, his cousin was involved in a bad motorcycle accident. Some years later, Kale was riding on a motorcycle with his father’s friend when they crashed on a muddy road.&nbsp;“I had an insane fear of motorcycles,” Kale said. However, Kale also had a fascination with them. He bought one for himself at age 22. “I would ride it during the summer. In the winter, I would tear it apart to learn how it worked,” he said. Soon he was helping his friends work on their motorcycles as well, and found he was quite good at it.&nbsp;One day in 2001, he was riding his motorcycle on the street when a car pulled out directly in front of him. “I T-boned the car,” Kale said. “I woke up in the helicopter on the way to the hospital,” he said. He had numerous broken bones and spent a week in the hospital and another month home in bed.&nbsp;“I knew I never wanted to ride a motorcycle on the street again,” Kale said. However, he realized that he could still enjoy his motorcycle by taking up road racing on enclosed tracks, and that is what he did. He enjoyed road racing, and also put his expertise to use by opening a motorcycle shop with a partner.&nbsp;After Kale met and married Heidi, he sold his share of the business to his partner so he and Heidi could travel the globe. While traveling, he and Heidi learned that an abandoned building was for sale in Kale’s hometown of St. Francis. This would become the site of their coffee roastery. Next door to the coffee shop, Kale opened a motorcycle sales and service business of his own. He named it High Plains Moto.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598139686608.jpeg" alt="High Plains Moto&nbsp;specializes in equipment and service for track-day and motorcycle road-race machines.&nbsp;Photo courtesy KSRE&nbsp;&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>High Plains Moto&nbsp;specializes in equipment and service for track-day and motorcycle road-race machines.&nbsp;Photo courtesy KSRE&nbsp;&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>High Plains Moto serves motorcycles as well as other vehicles. “A lot of farmers are using dirt bikes or ATVs to check cattle or wells or sprinklers, and that kept me busy at first,” Kale said. Those vehicles came from farms near rural communities such as Sharon Springs, population 748; Bird City, population 477; and McDonald, population 156 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;High Plains Moto specializes in equipment and service for track-day and motorcycle road-race machines. These are the gorgeous speedy motorcycles that swoop low on the turns and can go up to 190 miles an hour in the straightaway. Kale works on exhaust and brake systems, hand and foot controls, tires and tire warmers, racing suits, stands and more. In 2019, Kale became a technician certified by Ohlins, the Swedish suspension company.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Before he opened his shop, bike riders in the area had to make multiple trips to drop off their bikes in in Denver or Nebraska for service or repairs. Now, Kale offers convenient service for bike riders throughout the three-state region.&nbsp;Kale continues to race himself. “I race for fun and to promote my business,” he said. “If I happen to win prize money, that’s a bonus. The fastest I’ve ever gone on a track was 172 (miles per hour).”&nbsp;For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.highplainsmoto.com/" target="_blank">www.highplainsmoto.com</a>.&nbsp;High speed on the high plains. That describes what a person can achieve when working with Kale at High Plains Moto. We commend Kale Dankenbring and Heidi Plumb for making a difference with their skills and entrepreneurship. He’s helping people safely achieve high speeds on the High Plains, and such a business has high value.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: Kale Dankenbring and Heidi Plumb, Part 3 – High Plains Moto

ABILENE -- Memorial Health System recently honored 42 employees for their 465 years of combined service during a service awards ceremony.

The ceremony was in the Nichols Education Center in Abilene and included a presentation of service pins and gifts.

Employees honored for five years of service were:&nbsp; Dawn Berry, Tamara Black, Michelle Brown, Hannah Burleson, Shelbie Carter, Jordan Findley, Danielle Gantner, Ashley Hernandez, Herman Hoffman, Kay Hoffman, Viktoria Koehler, Kelly Mayden, Carolyn Mikesell, Laurol Schmidt, Rachelle Sims, Sandra Spani, Susan Weberg, Ellaina White, and Denise Zook.

Employees receiving 10-year service awards were:&nbsp; Katy Barbieri, Beth Bryson, Jennifer Brooks, Michelle McClanahan, Matt Mead, Renauda Rutz, Matt Schlagel, and Ladonna Shaffer.&nbsp;

Employees honored for 15 years of service were:&nbsp; Elisa Clore, Ryan Crist, Jennell Hartman, Carla Richardson, Maureen Riordan, Judy Weaver, Leslie Welsh, and Kathy Woodard.

Four employees honored for 20 years of service were:&nbsp; Matilda Calvin, Amy Rice, Dr. William Short, and Melissa Taplin.

Those honored for 30 years of service were:&nbsp; Susan Keim, Holly Pomeroy, and Barb Karraker.

ABILENE -- Memorial Health System recently honored 42 employees for their 465 years of combined service during a service awards ceremony.The ceremony was in the Nichols Education Center in Abilene and included a presentation of service pins and gifts.Employees honored for five years of service were:&nbsp; Dawn Berry, Tamara Black, Michelle Brown, Hannah Burleson, Shelbie Carter, Jordan Findley, Danielle Gantner, Ashley Hernandez, Herman Hoffman, Kay Hoffman, Viktoria Koehler, Kelly Mayden, Carolyn Mikesell, Laurol Schmidt, Rachelle Sims, Sandra Spani, Susan Weberg, Ellaina White, and Denise Zook.Employees receiving 10-year service awards were:&nbsp; Katy Barbieri, Beth Bryson, Jennifer Brooks, Michelle McClanahan, Matt Mead, Renauda Rutz, Matt Schlagel, and Ladonna Shaffer.&nbsp;Employees honored for 15 years of service were:&nbsp; Elisa Clore, Ryan Crist, Jennell Hartman, Carla Richardson, Maureen Riordan, Judy Weaver, Leslie Welsh, and Kathy Woodard.Four employees honored for 20 years of service were:&nbsp; Matilda Calvin, Amy Rice, Dr. William Short, and Melissa Taplin.Those honored for 30 years of service were:&nbsp; Susan Keim, Holly Pomeroy, and Barb Karraker.

Memorial Health System in Abilene honors employees

Today is Sunday, Aug. 23, the 236th day of 2020. There are 130 days left in the year. 

On August 23, 1939, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to a non-aggression treaty, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, in Moscow. 

In 1754, France's King Louis XVI was born at Versailles.

In 1775, Britain's King George III proclaimed the American colonies to be in a state of "open and avowed rebellion." 

In 1912, actor, dancer, director and choreographer Gene Kelly was born Eugene Curran Kelly in Pittsburgh.

In 1914, Japan declared war against Germany in World War I. 

In 1926, silent film star Rudolph Valentino died in New York at age 31. 

In 1927, amid worldwide protests, Italian-born anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were executed in Boston for the murders of two men during a 1920 robbery. (On the 50th anniversary of their executions, then-Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis issued a proclamation that Sacco and Vanzetti had been unfairly tried and convicted.) 

In 1973, a bank robbery-turned-hostage-taking began in Stockholm, Sweden; the four hostages ended up empathizing with their captors, a psychological condition now referred to as "Stockholm Syndrome." 

In 1982, Lebanon's parliament elected Christian militia leader Bashir Gemayel president. (Gemayel was assassinated some three weeks later.) 

In 2003, former priest John Geoghan, the convicted child molester whose prosecution sparked the sex abuse scandal that shook the Roman Catholic Church nationwide, died after another inmate attacked him in a Massachusetts prison. 

In 2008, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama introduced his choice of running mate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, before a crowd outside the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. 

In 2013, a military jury convicted Maj. Nidal Hasan in the deadly 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, that claimed 13 lives; the Army psychiatrist was later sentenced to death. Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, the U.S. soldier who'd massacred 16 Afghan civilians, was sentenced at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, to life in prison with no chance of parole. 

In 2018, the United States and China imposed tariff increases on an additional $16 billion of each other's goods.

Ten years ago: A jury in Goldsboro, North Carolina, convicted former Marine Cesar Laurean of first-degree murder in the death of a pregnant colleague, Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach. (Laurean was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.) Tiger Woods and his wife, Elin Nordegren, officially divorced.

Five years ago: Islamic State militants destroyed a temple at ancient ruins of Palmyra in Syria, realizing the worst fears archaeologists had for the fate of the 2,000-year-old Roman-era city after the extremists seized it and beheaded a local scholar. The United Arab Emirates said its military had freed a British hostage, Robert Douglas Semple, who was kidnapped 18 months earlier ago by al-Qaida in Yemen. Ohio State became the first unanimous preseason No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll.

One year ago: The Supreme Court said 86-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had completed radiation therapy for a cancerous tumor on her pancreas, and there was no evidence of the disease remaining. Billionaire industrialist David Koch, who with his brother Charles was a major donor to conservative causes and educational groups, died at the age of 79. President Donald Trump threatened to use the emergency power granted by a powerful but obscure federal law to make good on his tweeted "order" to U.S. businesses to cut ties in China.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Vera Miles is 90. Actor Barbara Eden is 89. Political satirist Mark Russell is 88. Pro Football Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen is 86. Actor Richard Sanders is 80. Ballet dancer Patricia McBride is 78. Former Surgeon General Antonia Novello is 76. Pro Football Hall of Famer Rayfield Wright is 75. Country singer Rex Allen Jr. is 73. Actor David Robb is 73. Singer Linda Thompson is 73. Actor Shelley Long is 71. Actor-singer Rick Springfield is 71. Country singer-musician Woody Paul (Riders in the Sky) is 71. Queen Noor of Jordan is 69. Actor-producer Mark Hudson is 69. Actor Skipp Sudduth is 64. Retired MLB All-Star pitcher Mike Boddicker is 63. Rock musician Dean DeLeo (Army of Anyone; Stone Temple Pilots) is 59. Country musician Ira Dean (Trick Pony) is 51. Actor Jay Mohr is 50. Actor Ray Park is 46. Actor Scott Caan is 44. Country singer Shelly Fairchild is 43. Figure skater Nicole Bobek is 43. Rock singer Julian Casablancas (The Strokes) is 42. Actor Joanne Froggatt is 40. Actor Jaime Lee Kirchner is 39. Neo-soul musician Actor Annie Ilonzeh is 37. Dance musician Sky Blu is 34. Actor Kimberly Matula is 32. Basketball player Jeremy Lin is 32.

<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, Aug. 23, the 236th day of 2020. There are 130 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On August 23, 1939, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to a non-aggression treaty, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, in Moscow. On this date: In 1754, France's King Louis XVI was born at Versailles.In 1775, Britain's King George III proclaimed the American colonies to be in a state of "open and avowed rebellion." In 1912, actor, dancer, director and choreographer Gene Kelly was born Eugene Curran Kelly in Pittsburgh.In 1914, Japan declared war against Germany in World War I. In 1926, silent film star Rudolph Valentino died in New York at age 31. In 1927, amid worldwide protests, Italian-born anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were executed in Boston for the murders of two men during a 1920 robbery. (On the 50th anniversary of their executions, then-Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis issued a proclamation that Sacco and Vanzetti had been unfairly tried and convicted.) In 1973, a bank robbery-turned-hostage-taking began in Stockholm, Sweden; the four hostages ended up empathizing with their captors, a psychological condition now referred to as "Stockholm Syndrome." In 1982, Lebanon's parliament elected Christian militia leader Bashir Gemayel president. (Gemayel was assassinated some three weeks later.) In 2003, former priest John Geoghan, the convicted child molester whose prosecution sparked the sex abuse scandal that shook the Roman Catholic Church nationwide, died after another inmate attacked him in a Massachusetts prison. In 2008, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama introduced his choice of running mate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, before a crowd outside the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. In 2013, a military jury convicted Maj. Nidal Hasan in the deadly 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, that claimed 13 lives; the Army psychiatrist was later sentenced to death. Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, the U.S. soldier who'd massacred 16 Afghan civilians, was sentenced at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, to life in prison with no chance of parole. In 2018, the United States and China imposed tariff increases on an additional $16 billion of each other's goods.Ten years ago: A jury in Goldsboro, North Carolina, convicted former Marine Cesar Laurean of first-degree murder in the death of a pregnant colleague, Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach. (Laurean was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.) Tiger Woods and his wife, Elin Nordegren, officially divorced.Five years ago: Islamic State militants destroyed a temple at ancient ruins of Palmyra in Syria, realizing the worst fears archaeologists had for the fate of the 2,000-year-old Roman-era city after the extremists seized it and beheaded a local scholar. The United Arab Emirates said its military had freed a British hostage, Robert Douglas Semple, who was kidnapped 18 months earlier ago by al-Qaida in Yemen. Ohio State became the first unanimous preseason No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll.One year ago: The Supreme Court said 86-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had completed radiation therapy for a cancerous tumor on her pancreas, and there was no evidence of the disease remaining. Billionaire industrialist David Koch, who with his brother Charles was a major donor to conservative causes and educational groups, died at the age of 79. President Donald Trump threatened to use the emergency power granted by a powerful but obscure federal law to make good on his tweeted "order" to U.S. businesses to cut ties in China. Today's Birthdays: Actor Vera Miles is 90. Actor Barbara Eden is 89. Political satirist Mark Russell is 88. Pro Football Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen is 86. Actor Richard Sanders is 80. Ballet dancer Patricia McBride is 78. Former Surgeon General Antonia Novello is 76. Pro Football Hall of Famer Rayfield Wright is 75. Country singer Rex Allen Jr. is 73. Actor David Robb is 73. Singer Linda Thompson is 73. Actor Shelley Long is 71. Actor-singer Rick Springfield is 71. Country singer-musician Woody Paul (Riders in the Sky) is 71. Queen Noor of Jordan is 69. Actor-producer Mark Hudson is 69. Actor Skipp Sudduth is 64. Retired MLB All-Star pitcher Mike Boddicker is 63. Rock musician Dean DeLeo (Army of Anyone; Stone Temple Pilots) is 59. Country musician Ira Dean (Trick Pony) is 51. Actor Jay Mohr is 50. Actor Ray Park is 46. Actor Scott Caan is 44. Country singer Shelly Fairchild is 43. Figure skater Nicole Bobek is 43. Rock singer Julian Casablancas (The Strokes) is 42. Actor Joanne Froggatt is 40. Actor Jaime Lee Kirchner is 39. Neo-soul musician Actor Annie Ilonzeh is 37. Dance musician Sky Blu is 34. Actor Kimberly Matula is 32. Basketball player Jeremy Lin is 32.

Today in History -- Aug. 23

MCPHERSON -- The McPherson County Health Department today announced a new confirmed case of COVID-19, bringing the county total to 179.

The newest case is a symptomatic male in his 40s with suspected travel exposure who is recovering at home.

Of the county's 179 total confirmed cases, 166 have now met Kansas Department of Health and Environment recovery guidelines.

MCPHERSON -- The McPherson County Health Department today announced a new confirmed case of COVID-19, bringing the county total to 179.The newest case is a symptomatic male in his 40s with suspected travel exposure who is recovering at home.Of the county's 179 total confirmed cases, 166 have now met Kansas Department of Health and Environment recovery guidelines.

McPherson County reports 1 new case of COVID-19

So, you think the already harsh language in this year’s presidential campaign is the worst ever?

Probably not — and additionally, political speech, vulgarities, mocking nicknames, claims of incompetence and criminal conduct and a host of personal attacks all are protected by the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech.

The high legal bar for public figures to successfully sue for defamation, combined with a historical judicial reluctance to intervene in political campaigns, allows candidates and their surrogates to sling the most vituperative verbal assaults.

Historian&nbsp;Rick Shenkman, author of&nbsp;“Presidential Ambition: Gaining Power at Any Cost,” has said, “Our first two elections were pretty clean, but after that they became dirty … Even George Washington (who ran unopposed in his first election, in 1788) complained he had to endure more attacks than Emperor Nero.”

The first real presidential contest, in 1800, produced what many historians might rank as number one in personal attacks, as then-President&nbsp;John Adams&nbsp;faced off against Vice President&nbsp;Thomas Jefferson.

From the president of Yale University, an Adams supporter, came the warning that if Jefferson won, “We would see our wives and daughters&nbsp;the victims of legal prostitution.” A newspaper in Connecticut declared that Jefferson would establish a nation where “murder, robbery, rape, adultery and incest will openly be taught and practiced.”

In response, Jefferson’s advocates wrote that Adams was a liar, a would-be king, repulsive and a “gross hypocrite” who “behaved neither like a man nor like a woman but instead possessed a hideous hermaphroditical character.”

A cartoon in 1800 shows a kneeling Jefferson about to place the U.S. Constitution into a fire built on a pedestal labeled French “despotism,” already ablaze with papers labeled as American patriotic essays.

Adams’s son,&nbsp;John Quincy Adams, was both target and attacker in the presidential elections of 1824 and 1828 when facing Andrew Jackson, who lost to Adams in the first contest and won four years later.

<a href="http://millercenter.org/president/jackson/essays/biography/3" target="_blank">“American President: A Reference Resource”</a>&nbsp;by the Miller Center at the University of Virginia, notes that in those contests, Adams called Jackson a “corruptionist, an aristocrat and a budding tyrant in the model of Caesar or Napoleon,” whose election would mean the end of the new American nation.

Adams’s opponents spread the unjustified charge that the president had arranged a sexual liaison between a young American girl and the Russian tsar during Adams’s time as U.S. ambassador to Russia. On the lighter side, they also published reports that Adams did not wear underwear and went barefoot to church services.

Jackson suffered through attacks in the 1828 election on his wife, Rachel, who it was said — apparently with some justification by historians — had not yet divorced her first husband before marrying Jackson. She died of a heart attack after Election Day but before Jackson’s inauguration, and at her funeral, the president-elect blamed his campaign opponents for her death. “May God Almighty forgiver her murderers, as I know she forgave them,” he said. “I never can.”

In a harbinger of today’s brief-and-biting tweets and social media posts, in the 1880s,&nbsp;President Grover Cleveland&nbsp;was accused of fathering a child out of wedlock and had to endure campaign chants of “Ma, Ma, Where’s My Pa?”

While social media may have energized today’s political exchanges — for good or bad — use and abuse of new means of communication In the presidential election of 1928, eventual winner&nbsp;Herbert Hoover&nbsp;ran against three-term N.Y. Gov.&nbsp;Al Smith, the first Catholic to be nominated by either major party. Smith’s religion was a major factor in the campaign, just three years after the Ku Klux Klan held a major parade in the streets of Washington, D.C.

“News photos” were manipulated and false claims spread that New York City’s just-completed Holland Tunnel was in fact a secret passage not to New Jersey, but to Vatican City — to be used by the pope, who would prompt Smith to take over the United States. In similar fashion, a political cartoon titled “Cabinet Meeting — If Al were elected” appeared in the “Fellowship Forum,” an official publication of the Klan. It shows the pope and other Catholic clergy at a table in the White House, with Smith in a servant’s uniform holding a whiskey jug. A news report says “more than 100,000 copies were intended to flood” southern states days before the election.

(Smith, soundly defeated, had a last laugh: In accounts by both his supporters and opponents, who no doubt had differing views on its meaning, Smith is said to have sent a one-word telegram to the pope after losing: “Unpack.”)

Some political opponents have a much more serious response to what they see as scurrilous or defamatory political speech. In 2010, an Iowa state senator won a lawsuit and more than $230,000 in damages against his opponent over a political ad he said falsely linked him to a company alleged to have sold a dangerous drug to children.

But the Iowa Supreme Court overturned the jury verdict, saying “The result … is not to imply actual malice cannot exist within the rough and tumble Wild West approach to negative commercials that have seemingly become standard discourse in many political campaigns. … but the high standards established under the First Amendment to permit a free exchange of ideas within the same discourse must also be protected.”

Two other legal defenses also protect political candidates (and other speakers). One is the lyrically named “rhetorical hyperbole,” in which statements by candidates find shelter in a doctrine that essentially allows grandiose statements under the guise that they are not factual (or are so out of bounds no one really believes them). The other is narrower: so-called anti-SLAPP laws, which allow defendants to recover their costs if a court finds that the actual purpose of the defamation lawsuit was not necessarily to win but to force an expensive legal defense.

President Trump&nbsp;has said multiple times that he wants to “open up” libel laws, which could affect future campaigns by weakening free speech protections resting on a landmark 1964 U.S. Supreme Court decision, New York Times Co. v. Sullivan.&nbsp;It reinforced those protections when public officials (later expanded to include public figures) are involved.

Justice&nbsp;William Brennan&nbsp;wrote that the decision was rooted in a “profound national commitment to the principle that debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust and wide open and that it may well include vehement, caustic and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public officials.”

Whether offended by Trump’s impolitic use of derogatory nicknames for his opponents, or by “Saturday Night Live” Trump parodies on TV, that commitment to “uninhibited, robust and wide-open” debate on issues and even candidate personalities is a hallmark of American democracy — even if, at times, we might cringe at how it’s carried out.

Politicians get their say during campaigns. Government stays out of the way. And we get to respond at the ballot box.

Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. He can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:gpolicinski@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">gpolicinski@freedomforum.org</a>, or follow him on Twitter at&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/@genefac" target="_blank">@genefac</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593729871227.png" alt="Gene Policinski. Photo courtesy Freedom Forum" />
 <figcaption>Gene Policinski. Photo courtesy Freedom Forum</figcaption>
 </figure>By GENE POLICINSKISo, you think the already harsh language in this year’s presidential campaign is the worst ever?Probably not — and additionally, political speech, vulgarities, mocking nicknames, claims of incompetence and criminal conduct and a host of personal attacks all are protected by the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech.The high legal bar for public figures to successfully sue for defamation, combined with a historical judicial reluctance to intervene in political campaigns, allows candidates and their surrogates to sling the most vituperative verbal assaults.And throughout our history, they have.Historian&nbsp;Rick Shenkman, author of&nbsp;“Presidential Ambition: Gaining Power at Any Cost,” has said, “Our first two elections were pretty clean, but after that they became dirty … Even George Washington (who ran unopposed in his first election, in 1788) complained he had to endure more attacks than Emperor Nero.”The first real presidential contest, in 1800, produced what many historians might rank as number one in personal attacks, as then-President&nbsp;John Adams&nbsp;faced off against Vice President&nbsp;Thomas Jefferson.From the president of Yale University, an Adams supporter, came the warning that if Jefferson won, “We would see our wives and daughters&nbsp;the victims of legal prostitution.” A newspaper in Connecticut declared that Jefferson would establish a nation where “murder, robbery, rape, adultery and incest will openly be taught and practiced.”In response, Jefferson’s advocates wrote that Adams was a liar, a would-be king, repulsive and a “gross hypocrite” who “behaved neither like a man nor like a woman but instead possessed a hideous hermaphroditical character.”A cartoon in 1800 shows a kneeling Jefferson about to place the U.S. Constitution into a fire built on a pedestal labeled French “despotism,” already ablaze with papers labeled as American patriotic essays.Adams’s son,&nbsp;John Quincy Adams, was both target and attacker in the presidential elections of 1824 and 1828 when facing Andrew Jackson, who lost to Adams in the first contest and won four years later.<a href="http://millercenter.org/president/jackson/essays/biography/3" target="_blank">“American President: A Reference Resource”</a>&nbsp;by the Miller Center at the University of Virginia, notes that in those contests, Adams called Jackson a “corruptionist, an aristocrat and a budding tyrant in the model of Caesar or Napoleon,” whose election would mean the end of the new American nation.Adams’s opponents spread the unjustified charge that the president had arranged a sexual liaison between a young American girl and the Russian tsar during Adams’s time as U.S. ambassador to Russia. On the lighter side, they also published reports that Adams did not wear underwear and went barefoot to church services.Jackson suffered through attacks in the 1828 election on his wife, Rachel, who it was said — apparently with some justification by historians — had not yet divorced her first husband before marrying Jackson. She died of a heart attack after Election Day but before Jackson’s inauguration, and at her funeral, the president-elect blamed his campaign opponents for her death. “May God Almighty forgiver her murderers, as I know she forgave them,” he said. “I never can.”In a harbinger of today’s brief-and-biting tweets and social media posts, in the 1880s,&nbsp;President Grover Cleveland&nbsp;was accused of fathering a child out of wedlock and had to endure campaign chants of “Ma, Ma, Where’s My Pa?”While social media may have energized today’s political exchanges — for good or bad — use and abuse of new means of communication In the presidential election of 1928, eventual winner&nbsp;Herbert Hoover&nbsp;ran against three-term N.Y. Gov.&nbsp;Al Smith, the first Catholic to be nominated by either major party. Smith’s religion was a major factor in the campaign, just three years after the Ku Klux Klan held a major parade in the streets of Washington, D.C.“News photos” were manipulated and false claims spread that New York City’s just-completed Holland Tunnel was in fact a secret passage not to New Jersey, but to Vatican City — to be used by the pope, who would prompt Smith to take over the United States. In similar fashion, a political cartoon titled “Cabinet Meeting — If Al were elected” appeared in the “Fellowship Forum,” an official publication of the Klan. It shows the pope and other Catholic clergy at a table in the White House, with Smith in a servant’s uniform holding a whiskey jug. A news report says “more than 100,000 copies were intended to flood” southern states days before the election.(Smith, soundly defeated, had a last laugh: In accounts by both his supporters and opponents, who no doubt had differing views on its meaning, Smith is said to have sent a one-word telegram to the pope after losing: “Unpack.”)Some political opponents have a much more serious response to what they see as scurrilous or defamatory political speech. In 2010, an Iowa state senator won a lawsuit and more than $230,000 in damages against his opponent over a political ad he said falsely linked him to a company alleged to have sold a dangerous drug to children.But the Iowa Supreme Court overturned the jury verdict, saying “The result … is not to imply actual malice cannot exist within the rough and tumble Wild West approach to negative commercials that have seemingly become standard discourse in many political campaigns. … but the high standards established under the First Amendment to permit a free exchange of ideas within the same discourse must also be protected.”Two other legal defenses also protect political candidates (and other speakers). One is the lyrically named “rhetorical hyperbole,” in which statements by candidates find shelter in a doctrine that essentially allows grandiose statements under the guise that they are not factual (or are so out of bounds no one really believes them). The other is narrower: so-called anti-SLAPP laws, which allow defendants to recover their costs if a court finds that the actual purpose of the defamation lawsuit was not necessarily to win but to force an expensive legal defense.President Trump&nbsp;has said multiple times that he wants to “open up” libel laws, which could affect future campaigns by weakening free speech protections resting on a landmark 1964 U.S. Supreme Court decision, New York Times Co. v. Sullivan.&nbsp;It reinforced those protections when public officials (later expanded to include public figures) are involved.Justice&nbsp;William Brennan&nbsp;wrote that the decision was rooted in a “profound national commitment to the principle that debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust and wide open and that it may well include vehement, caustic and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public officials.”Whether offended by Trump’s impolitic use of derogatory nicknames for his opponents, or by “Saturday Night Live” Trump parodies on TV, that commitment to “uninhibited, robust and wide-open” debate on issues and even candidate personalities is a hallmark of American democracy — even if, at times, we might cringe at how it’s carried out.Politicians get their say during campaigns. Government stays out of the way. And we get to respond at the ballot box.Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. He can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:gpolicinski@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">gpolicinski@freedomforum.org</a>, or follow him on Twitter at&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/@genefac" target="_blank">@genefac</a>.

FIRST 5: Harsh words in presidential campaigns protected

MCPHERSON -- Raising funds for a good cause. From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/McphersonFireDepartment/">McPherson Fire Department</a> Facebook page:

MCPHERSON -- Raising funds for a good cause. From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/McphersonFireDepartment/">McPherson Fire Department</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMcphersonFireDepartment%2Fposts%2F2165971276882983&width=500" width="500" height="669" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>

Raising funds for first responders

The back story about&nbsp; a measure to help veterans. From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kansashistorical/">Kansas Historical Society</a> Facebook page:

The back story about&nbsp; a measure to help veterans. From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kansashistorical/">Kansas Historical Society</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fkansashistorical%2Fphotos%2Fa.96155485090%2F10158187807420091%2F%3Ftype%3D3&width=500" width="500" height="608" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>

KHS: Kansan played important role in measure to help veterans

Award-winning USD 305 teachers recently were honored by the board of education for their accomplishments.

Vickie Marcozzi, 2020 Kansas Master Teacher

Members of NEA-Salina selected Vickie Marcozzi, Oakdale Elementary art and reading teacher, as the USD 305 Master Teacher. She is one of seven Kansas teachers chosen by Emporia State University as the 2020 Kansas Master Teachers.

Marcozzi earned a bachelor’s degree in 1991 from West Virginia University. She began her teaching career in West Virginia, moved to Texas and taught there for three years before moving to Salina where she has taught since 1996.

She teaches every child as if they were her very own, and while doing so, challenges them to go beyond what they thought was possible. Marcozzi knows the importance of discovering the very limits of each child’s potential and guiding them while they ascertain what is attainable if they are willing to think, process, plan, discover, and dream. She knows that the key to this is a valuable relationship and a sense of mutual trust and respect. 

Marcozzi explains, “A child will gladly work above and beyond, and even go to the ends of the earth for you if they know you care.”

Marcozzi built the Oakdale after school FLASH program to provide extra experiences and opportunities for students to benefit socially, emotionally and academically. Nearly 30 Lakewood Middle School and Central High School student ambassadors volunteer each day in the program.

A former principal described Marcozzi’s approach, “In each situation, she puts students first. In each situation, she increased parent participation. In each situation, she was innovative and considered each child to be unique.”

2020 Elementary Teacher of the Year: JaNae Basinger fifth grade teacher at Heusner Elementary School

JaNae Basinger has been teaching in USD 305 for 11 years. She began teaching seventh/eighth reading at Lakewood Middle School and since then has taught fifth grade at Oakdale and Heusner Elementary; she will be transitioning into the Literacy Coach position this fall at Heusner. Basinger has served as a Kagan Trainer for the district, a facilitator for the Mentee/Mentor Program, served as a mentor for new teachers, worked on the Guided Leadership Team at Oakdale and Heusner, taught summer school for six summers, and supported student teachers and other students in their teacher training programs. She enjoys gardening, walking, being a foster care parent, traveling and spending time with her own family.

Basinger connects well with students from different backgrounds, grounding her interactions in a warm, kind and thoughtful manner. She truly relates with students on an emotional level and has a talent for reaching even the most reluctant.

Known for her innate ability to listen and ask questions that empower those around her, she is a leader continuously working behind the scenes to elevate others’ skills, confidence and trust. As a Kagan Coach, Basinger plans, model-teaches and co-teaches with her colleagues. She generously gives of her time and energy, volunteering whenever a need arises.

Lori Munsell, Heusner principal, said, “JaNae is honest and operates at the highest level of integrity. She exemplifies what great leaders look like and the commitment they have to children.”

Secondary Teacher of the Year: Megan Pommer sixth grade English and reading teacher at South Middle School

Megan Pommer is entering her 16th year of teaching. After graduating from Kansas State University, Pommer taught first and fourth grades in South Dakota and then fifth grade in Wellington for one year before coming to Salina where she taught fifth grade at Coronado Elementary School. Moving away with her husband, she taught sixth grade for one year in Nebraska before finally arriving back in Salina. She rejoined the Coronado team until three years ago, when she accepted a sixth grade English position at South Middle School. Pommer enjoys shopping, traveling, and running with her dog, but most of all, she loves being a mother to her two children.

Pommer creates a safe zone for her students to learn, take risks and grow from their mistakes – while she skillfully and patiently guides them toward success. Her students know she cares about them personally and they respond in positive ways.

A former student shared, “Mrs. Pommer truly takes the time to support her students individually and meet their exact needs in order for them to not only become the best possible students, but better kids as well.”

“Megan goes above and beyond to serve those around her: students, colleagues, and friends. You will find her at the middle school athletic events and dances, or helping a team member with a new social-emotional learning initiative,” said a former principal. “She is always extending a helping hand.”

Award-winning USD 305 teachers recently were honored by the board of education for their accomplishments.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598113649596.jpeg" alt="Vickie Marcozzi. Photos courtesy USD 305" />
 <figcaption>Vickie Marcozzi. Photos courtesy USD 305</figcaption>
 </figure>Vickie Marcozzi, 2020 Kansas Master TeacherMembers of NEA-Salina selected Vickie Marcozzi, Oakdale Elementary art and reading teacher, as the USD 305 Master Teacher. She is one of seven Kansas teachers chosen by Emporia State University as the 2020 Kansas Master Teachers.Marcozzi earned a bachelor’s degree in 1991 from West Virginia University. She began her teaching career in West Virginia, moved to Texas and taught there for three years before moving to Salina where she has taught since 1996.She teaches every child as if they were her very own, and while doing so, challenges them to go beyond what they thought was possible. Marcozzi knows the importance of discovering the very limits of each child’s potential and guiding them while they ascertain what is attainable if they are willing to think, process, plan, discover, and dream. She knows that the key to this is a valuable relationship and a sense of mutual trust and respect. Marcozzi explains, “A child will gladly work above and beyond, and even go to the ends of the earth for you if they know you care.”Marcozzi built the Oakdale after school FLASH program to provide extra experiences and opportunities for students to benefit socially, emotionally and academically. Nearly 30 Lakewood Middle School and Central High School student ambassadors volunteer each day in the program.A former principal described Marcozzi’s approach, “In each situation, she puts students first. In each situation, she increased parent participation. In each situation, she was innovative and considered each child to be unique.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598113803316.jpeg" alt="JaNae Basinger" />
 <figcaption>JaNae Basinger</figcaption>
 </figure>2020 Elementary Teacher of the Year: JaNae Basinger fifth grade teacher at Heusner Elementary SchoolJaNae Basinger has been teaching in USD 305 for 11 years. She began teaching seventh/eighth reading at Lakewood Middle School and since then has taught fifth grade at Oakdale and Heusner Elementary; she will be transitioning into the Literacy Coach position this fall at Heusner. Basinger has served as a Kagan Trainer for the district, a facilitator for the Mentee/Mentor Program, served as a mentor for new teachers, worked on the Guided Leadership Team at Oakdale and Heusner, taught summer school for six summers, and supported student teachers and other students in their teacher training programs. She enjoys gardening, walking, being a foster care parent, traveling and spending time with her own family.Basinger connects well with students from different backgrounds, grounding her interactions in a warm, kind and thoughtful manner. She truly relates with students on an emotional level and has a talent for reaching even the most reluctant.Known for her innate ability to listen and ask questions that empower those around her, she is a leader continuously working behind the scenes to elevate others’ skills, confidence and trust. As a Kagan Coach, Basinger plans, model-teaches and co-teaches with her colleagues. She generously gives of her time and energy, volunteering whenever a need arises.Lori Munsell, Heusner principal, said, “JaNae is honest and operates at the highest level of integrity. She exemplifies what great leaders look like and the commitment they have to children.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598113925080.jpeg" alt="Megan Pommer" />
 <figcaption>Megan Pommer</figcaption>
 </figure>Secondary Teacher of the Year: Megan Pommer sixth grade English and reading teacher at South Middle SchoolMegan Pommer is entering her 16th year of teaching. After graduating from Kansas State University, Pommer taught first and fourth grades in South Dakota and then fifth grade in Wellington for one year before coming to Salina where she taught fifth grade at Coronado Elementary School. Moving away with her husband, she taught sixth grade for one year in Nebraska before finally arriving back in Salina. She rejoined the Coronado team until three years ago, when she accepted a sixth grade English position at South Middle School. Pommer enjoys shopping, traveling, and running with her dog, but most of all, she loves being a mother to her two children.Pommer creates a safe zone for her students to learn, take risks and grow from their mistakes – while she skillfully and patiently guides them toward success. Her students know she cares about them personally and they respond in positive ways.A former student shared, “Mrs. Pommer truly takes the time to support her students individually and meet their exact needs in order for them to not only become the best possible students, but better kids as well.”“Megan goes above and beyond to serve those around her: students, colleagues, and friends. You will find her at the middle school athletic events and dances, or helping a team member with a new social-emotional learning initiative,” said a former principal. “She is always extending a helping hand.”

Board of education honors award-winning teachers

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

“Forced isolation” is not a pretty phrase, but for Kansas senior citizens, that has been our new reality since COVID-19 struck.

Whether it is the loss of social interaction with friends and family at graduations, holidays, the lake, the restaurant or ballgames, or the loss of worship, or the loss of meetings to attend, or the loss of daily socialization and friendship meals (and air conditioning) at the local senior center, or the inability to see family in the hospital, COVID-19 has significantly impacted Kansas seniors’ lives.

Plus, just the fear of catching it limits our activities and interactions.

I have been closely tracking&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/">Kansas Department of Health and Environment COVID-19 data</a>&nbsp;since mid-May. During that time, I have watched Kansas seniors’ COVID-19 numbers grow each time KDHE updates their tracking information.

Early in the pandemic there was mention in the media of how it would adversely affect older folks. From my analysis, I can tell you that in Kansas, this is a&nbsp;fact.&nbsp;In Kansas, 78% of the people who have died and 43% of the people who have had to be hospitalized are age 65 or older. However, this group only represents about 11% of the state’s total number of COVID-19 cases.

Kansas seniors who catch COVID-19 are more likely than the rest of Kansans to go to the hospital or die.

As of August 21, KDHE reports that 3,979 Kansas seniors with COVID-19 have been identified, 925 have been hospitalized and 327 have died. These are not just numbers. Each represents a Kansas senior life adversely affected by COVID-19.

COVID-19 protections put in place by institutions have&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/07/30/kansans-in-care-facilities-have-a-right-to-visitors-its-time-to-give-them-a-voice/">increased the isolation and loneliness of those inside</a>. Those living in long-term care settings are now unable to see or touch family members.

I cannot help but think of the 925 people hospitalized. All they see are the eyes and masks of the doctors and nurses caring for them, as most hospital COVID policies prevent family visits, so they suffer alone. Experts tell us that complications from COVID-19 can extend these hospital stays too. The 327 who have died most probably died without any family or faith contact, a horribly isolated way to end one’s life.

The frustrating thing for me, as I have watched this pandemic unfold, is its politicization. As Kansans, we obviously have not learned anything from almost tripling the number of new cases during July.

During August, Kansans seniors’ cases have increased by 207, hospitalizations by 62 and deaths by 27 than over the same period in July. For the August 21 KDHE reporting cycle, Kansas seniors added 141 new COVID-19 cases. This is the second highest reporting period increase since 161 new cases were reported on July 20.

Kansas now has 419 reported fatalities from COVID-19, more than the state’s estimated count of traffic fatalities in 2019, which was 411.

COVID-19 is not going away. We have an obligation to our families and neighbors to take appropriate action, even if it is a bit uncomfortable.

Medical professionals tell us that masks, handwashing and social distancing&nbsp;are&nbsp;effective in slowing or preventing transmission of COVID-19. That is actually a pretty simple solution to stopping this thing, isn’t it?

Cases in every Kansas age group are increasing. As schools and colleges start up, I worry about Kansas seniors. If we fail in our COVID-19 protection plans in schools, many more will become sick. Since many grandparents care for school-aged grandchildren before school, after school, or both, there is a real possibility we will see increasing cases among Kansas seniors.

Because it is clear that seniors get sicker with COVID-19, if this happens we will see more hospitalizations and deaths.

If you are a Kansas senior and do not think the risk is real, please reconsider.

The data clearly indicates that if you get COVID-19, you have a one-in-four chance of going to the hospital; if you go to the hospital, you have an almost 40% chance of dying. This is for&nbsp;each&nbsp;Kansan over age 65.

During August, Kansas senior hospitalizations and deaths are increasing faster than previously.&nbsp;It is time to take COVID-19 seriously.

For all Kansans, I ask that when you are out and about, consider Kansas seniors and wear a mask when necessary, wash your hands and practice social distancing.

Kansas Seniors truly depend on your compassion, responsibility and compliance. Please take a second to write, call or safely visit your parents or grandparents — they need to hear from you now more than ever. Forced Isolation is not fun.

The Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state.&nbsp;Ross Boelling represents Dickinson County in the&nbsp;<a href="http://kansas-shl.org/">Kansas Silver Haired Legislature</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Through its opinion section, the Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. For information, including how to submit your own commentary, click&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/submit-opinion/">here</a>.

By ROSS BOELLING For <a href="http://kansasreflector.com">Kansas Reflector</a>“Forced isolation” is not a pretty phrase, but for Kansas senior citizens, that has been our new reality since COVID-19 struck.Whether it is the loss of social interaction with friends and family at graduations, holidays, the lake, the restaurant or ballgames, or the loss of worship, or the loss of meetings to attend, or the loss of daily socialization and friendship meals (and air conditioning) at the local senior center, or the inability to see family in the hospital, COVID-19 has significantly impacted Kansas seniors’ lives.Plus, just the fear of catching it limits our activities and interactions.I have been closely tracking&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/">Kansas Department of Health and Environment COVID-19 data</a>&nbsp;since mid-May. During that time, I have watched Kansas seniors’ COVID-19 numbers grow each time KDHE updates their tracking information.Early in the pandemic there was mention in the media of how it would adversely affect older folks. From my analysis, I can tell you that in Kansas, this is a&nbsp;fact.&nbsp;In Kansas, 78% of the people who have died and 43% of the people who have had to be hospitalized are age 65 or older. However, this group only represents about 11% of the state’s total number of COVID-19 cases.Kansas seniors who catch COVID-19 are more likely than the rest of Kansans to go to the hospital or die.As of August 21, KDHE reports that 3,979 Kansas seniors with COVID-19 have been identified, 925 have been hospitalized and 327 have died. These are not just numbers. Each represents a Kansas senior life adversely affected by COVID-19.COVID-19 protections put in place by institutions have&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/07/30/kansans-in-care-facilities-have-a-right-to-visitors-its-time-to-give-them-a-voice/">increased the isolation and loneliness of those inside</a>. Those living in long-term care settings are now unable to see or touch family members.I cannot help but think of the 925 people hospitalized. All they see are the eyes and masks of the doctors and nurses caring for them, as most hospital COVID policies prevent family visits, so they suffer alone. Experts tell us that complications from COVID-19 can extend these hospital stays too. The 327 who have died most probably died without any family or faith contact, a horribly isolated way to end one’s life.The frustrating thing for me, as I have watched this pandemic unfold, is its politicization. As Kansans, we obviously have not learned anything from almost tripling the number of new cases during July.During August, Kansans seniors’ cases have increased by 207, hospitalizations by 62 and deaths by 27 than over the same period in July. For the August 21 KDHE reporting cycle, Kansas seniors added 141 new COVID-19 cases. This is the second highest reporting period increase since 161 new cases were reported on July 20.Kansas now has 419 reported fatalities from COVID-19, more than the state’s estimated count of traffic fatalities in 2019, which was 411.COVID-19 is not going away. We have an obligation to our families and neighbors to take appropriate action, even if it is a bit uncomfortable.Medical professionals tell us that masks, handwashing and social distancing&nbsp;are&nbsp;effective in slowing or preventing transmission of COVID-19. That is actually a pretty simple solution to stopping this thing, isn’t it?Cases in every Kansas age group are increasing. As schools and colleges start up, I worry about Kansas seniors. If we fail in our COVID-19 protection plans in schools, many more will become sick. Since many grandparents care for school-aged grandchildren before school, after school, or both, there is a real possibility we will see increasing cases among Kansas seniors.Because it is clear that seniors get sicker with COVID-19, if this happens we will see more hospitalizations and deaths.If you are a Kansas senior and do not think the risk is real, please reconsider.The data clearly indicates that if you get COVID-19, you have a one-in-four chance of going to the hospital; if you go to the hospital, you have an almost 40% chance of dying. This is for&nbsp;each&nbsp;Kansan over age 65.During August, Kansas senior hospitalizations and deaths are increasing faster than previously.&nbsp;It is time to take COVID-19 seriously.For all Kansans, I ask that when you are out and about, consider Kansas seniors and wear a mask when necessary, wash your hands and practice social distancing.Kansas Seniors truly depend on your compassion, responsibility and compliance. Please take a second to write, call or safely visit your parents or grandparents — they need to hear from you now more than ever. Forced Isolation is not fun.The Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state.&nbsp;Ross Boelling represents Dickinson County in the&nbsp;<a href="http://kansas-shl.org/">Kansas Silver Haired Legislature</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;Through its opinion section, the Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. For information, including how to submit your own commentary, click&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/submit-opinion/">here</a>.

BOELLING: Kansas, please protect seniors from COVID-19

ABILENE --&nbsp;Politics on the Platform: Woman Suffrage at the Chautauqua will be the topic of the next virtual Eisenhower Library Lunch &amp; Learn.

The program is scheduled to begin at noon Central Time on Thursday, so please sign in 10 minutes early.

Politics on the Platform: Woman Suffrage at the Chautauqua will be presented by guest speaker Sarah Bell with Humanities Kansas.

Chautauqua was a movement focusing on moral education and self-improvement through programs on reform, religion, and culture. The movement was useful for advancing the cause of “womanhood" and to discuss important issues of the day. By the 1890s, women had succeeded in making it a space that promoted woman suffrage. The Ottawa Chautauqua was one of these significant venues that supported discussions of women's rights.

This presentation will examine how women used the Chautauqua platform to engage in political activism, particularly suffrage and temperance, and how this early movement laid the groundwork for contemporary issues of feminism and gender equality. Sarah Bell received her PhD in History from the University of Kansas and is the development officer at the Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence.

Google Meet URL:&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001wNuEzRAFQ2rU9gsabizBH3GJ8eNeKVHeYWnDgC6rBqjHUey_bUKvVyWuZJSMUBxc1ISjf4mN3A42sK01hVylXR_4o_eqGc6AA7tDCaNx61n-dTxhR0qtv5PZdagGUDK9qDsWXGFjgSaOktU9CnUvoqdQk8gtiWoq&amp;c=7REDbUyFm0dpQ2PlZS_UM0JTy06OWBVbbO2BsB12a-oC3jp9iTNdgw==&amp;ch=HoPb86jh35Ss2IVUmYUGpoeYowLJXXAukoDMvlxKsd8GvXCMHIbi-A==" target="_blank">meet.google.com/nfb-yjkm-sun</a>

<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001wNuEzRAFQ2rU9gsabizBH3GJ8eNeKVHeYWnDgC6rBqjHUey_bUKvVyWuZJSMUBxc1ISjf4mN3A42sK01hVylXR_4o_eqGc6AA7tDCaNx61n-dTxhR0qtv5PZdagGUDK9qDsWXGFjgSaOktU9CnUvoqdQk8gtiWoq&amp;c=7REDbUyFm0dpQ2PlZS_UM0JTy06OWBVbbO2BsB12a-oC3jp9iTNdgw==&amp;ch=HoPb86jh35Ss2IVUmYUGpoeYowLJXXAukoDMvlxKsd8GvXCMHIbi-A==" target="_blank"></a>Telephone: 617-675-4444‬ (PIN: ‪511 045 556 7306#)

Please join 10 minutes early so the program may begin on time.

The 2020&nbsp;Lunch &amp; Learn&nbsp;series is made possible courtesy of the Eisenhower Foundation and the Union Pacific Foundation. This program is part of the National Archives'&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001wNuEzRAFQ2rU9gsabizBH3GJ8eNeKVHeYWnDgC6rBqjHUey_bUKvV3lYK44v_7vezuxtehPPTNW_Oh9cS9f1EmM3bBPBucO5vIgWAoPGInEgoa4Rgbyv9n6YdatzQ48mN6xuqC06q7akNSDwlDU9bg==&amp;c=7REDbUyFm0dpQ2PlZS_UM0JTy06OWBVbbO2BsB12a-oC3jp9iTNdgw==&amp;ch=HoPb86jh35Ss2IVUmYUGpoeYowLJXXAukoDMvlxKsd8GvXCMHIbi-A==" target="_blank">19th amendment centennial celebration</a>&nbsp;made possible by the National Archives Foundation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ABILENE --&nbsp;Politics on the Platform: Woman Suffrage at the Chautauqua will be the topic of the next virtual Eisenhower Library Lunch &amp; Learn.The program is scheduled to begin at noon Central Time on Thursday, so please sign in 10 minutes early. Politics on the Platform: Woman Suffrage at the Chautauqua will be presented by guest speaker Sarah Bell with Humanities Kansas. Chautauqua was a movement focusing on moral education and self-improvement through programs on reform, religion, and culture. The movement was useful for advancing the cause of “womanhood" and to discuss important issues of the day. By the 1890s, women had succeeded in making it a space that promoted woman suffrage. The Ottawa Chautauqua was one of these significant venues that supported discussions of women's rights. This presentation will examine how women used the Chautauqua platform to engage in political activism, particularly suffrage and temperance, and how this early movement laid the groundwork for contemporary issues of feminism and gender equality. Sarah Bell received her PhD in History from the University of Kansas and is the development officer at the Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence.JOIN THE PRESENTATION Google Meet URL:&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001wNuEzRAFQ2rU9gsabizBH3GJ8eNeKVHeYWnDgC6rBqjHUey_bUKvVyWuZJSMUBxc1ISjf4mN3A42sK01hVylXR_4o_eqGc6AA7tDCaNx61n-dTxhR0qtv5PZdagGUDK9qDsWXGFjgSaOktU9CnUvoqdQk8gtiWoq&amp;c=7REDbUyFm0dpQ2PlZS_UM0JTy06OWBVbbO2BsB12a-oC3jp9iTNdgw==&amp;ch=HoPb86jh35Ss2IVUmYUGpoeYowLJXXAukoDMvlxKsd8GvXCMHIbi-A==" target="_blank">meet.google.com/nfb-yjkm-sun</a><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001wNuEzRAFQ2rU9gsabizBH3GJ8eNeKVHeYWnDgC6rBqjHUey_bUKvVyWuZJSMUBxc1ISjf4mN3A42sK01hVylXR_4o_eqGc6AA7tDCaNx61n-dTxhR0qtv5PZdagGUDK9qDsWXGFjgSaOktU9CnUvoqdQk8gtiWoq&amp;c=7REDbUyFm0dpQ2PlZS_UM0JTy06OWBVbbO2BsB12a-oC3jp9iTNdgw==&amp;ch=HoPb86jh35Ss2IVUmYUGpoeYowLJXXAukoDMvlxKsd8GvXCMHIbi-A==" target="_blank"></a>Telephone: 617-675-4444‬ (PIN: ‪511 045 556 7306#)Please join 10 minutes early so the program may begin on time.The 2020&nbsp;Lunch &amp; Learn&nbsp;series is made possible courtesy of the Eisenhower Foundation and the Union Pacific Foundation. This program is part of the National Archives'&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001wNuEzRAFQ2rU9gsabizBH3GJ8eNeKVHeYWnDgC6rBqjHUey_bUKvV3lYK44v_7vezuxtehPPTNW_Oh9cS9f1EmM3bBPBucO5vIgWAoPGInEgoa4Rgbyv9n6YdatzQ48mN6xuqC06q7akNSDwlDU9bg==&amp;c=7REDbUyFm0dpQ2PlZS_UM0JTy06OWBVbbO2BsB12a-oC3jp9iTNdgw==&amp;ch=HoPb86jh35Ss2IVUmYUGpoeYowLJXXAukoDMvlxKsd8GvXCMHIbi-A==" target="_blank">19th amendment centennial celebration</a>&nbsp;made possible by the National Archives Foundation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ike Lunch & Learn: 'Woman Suffrage at the Chautauqua'

MANHATTAN -- Kansas Forest Service (KFS) officials caution Kansans against planting a single or limited variety of tree and shrub species this fall.&nbsp;

Kim Bomberger, a community forester, said landowners and homeowners should plant a variety of trees in the landscape to reduce the vulnerability of tree canopies to pests, disease and climatic stressors. Fall is often a time when landowners plant trees and shrubs in rural and community landscapes, she said.&nbsp;

“Fall is a great time to plant and by branching out to choose trees not already present in our yards, neighborhoods, woodlands or agroforests, we are building defenses against future catastrophic loss,” Bomberger said.&nbsp;

One insect in particular, Emerald ash borer, is having a devasting impact on community and rural forests in northeast Kansas.&nbsp;

The wood-boring insect attacks and kills all species of North American ash. The devasting effect of the insect is especially apparent in communities and rural landscapes where the tree canopy contains a large percentage of ash trees – sometimes up to 25% of the tree canopy - which were planted in high densities for shade trees.&nbsp;

First discovered in Wyandotte County in 2012 by the Kansas Department of Agriculture, EAB is now confirmed in 10 counties including Atchison, Doniphan Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami, Shawnee, and is suspected to be present in several others. &nbsp;

EAB is not the only insect of concern for KFS foresters, Bomberger said.&nbsp;

“We must learn the lessons of monoculture and low-diversity planting,” she said. “Communities and rural landscapes with large populations of maple, for example, could be devasted if the Asian longhorned beetle is transported to Kansas.”&nbsp;

The Asian longhorned beetle has been found in four eastern states: New York, South Carolina, Massachusetts and Ohio. Much like EAB, ALB is a wood boring insect that will eventually kill the host tree. Trees at risk from ALB include many species found in Kansas. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service predicts that ALB could be more damaging than Dutch elm disease, chestnut blight and gypsy moths combined with the potential to destroy millions of acres of hardwood forests.&nbsp;

Trees threatened by EAB and ALB can be treated to ward off the invasive pests, but treatment can be costly and is not guaranteed to save the tree. Without preventative treatment, preferred host trees are likely to be killed by an infestation.&nbsp;

Given the cost of treatment and high mortality rate of trees targeted by the invasive pests, planting a diversity of tree species is one of the best options for landowners to reduce the vulnerability of their forests and windbreaks.&nbsp;

“While working in garden centers early in my career, people would ask for trees they knew the names of, or they had seen in their neighbor’s yard. When it comes to trees, it is good to be different. Go out of your way to select a type of tree not already found on your landscape or neighborhood,” Bomberger said.&nbsp;

While insects and disease can devastate a population of trees comprised of one or a few species, severe storm events, drought and other weather extremes also threaten canopy coverage throughout the state. Despite times of abundant rainfall, the lingering effects of past drought and climatic stressors are apparent to foresters. Several large trees have died in the last several years, leaving large voids in community canopies, windbreaks, along streams and rivers and other rural areas.&nbsp;

Bomberger notes when trees are lost, the services they provide to people, communities, homesteads and even production agriculture is lost. The best time to plant a diverse array of trees is this fall, she said.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598057432413.jpeg" alt="Volunteers recently planted a diversity of trees in Piper, a community hit hard by emerald ash borer. The&nbsp;Kansas Forest Service says a variety of trees reduces vulnerability to pests, disease, and climatic stressors, Photo courtesy KFS" />
 <figcaption>Volunteers recently planted a diversity of trees in Piper, a community hit hard by emerald ash borer. The&nbsp;Kansas Forest Service says a variety of trees reduces vulnerability to pests, disease, and climatic stressors, Photo courtesy KFS</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN -- Kansas Forest Service (KFS) officials caution Kansans against planting a single or limited variety of tree and shrub species this fall.&nbsp;Kim Bomberger, a community forester, said landowners and homeowners should plant a variety of trees in the landscape to reduce the vulnerability of tree canopies to pests, disease and climatic stressors. Fall is often a time when landowners plant trees and shrubs in rural and community landscapes, she said.&nbsp;“Fall is a great time to plant and by branching out to choose trees not already present in our yards, neighborhoods, woodlands or agroforests, we are building defenses against future catastrophic loss,” Bomberger said.&nbsp;One insect in particular, Emerald ash borer, is having a devasting impact on community and rural forests in northeast Kansas.&nbsp;The wood-boring insect attacks and kills all species of North American ash. The devasting effect of the insect is especially apparent in communities and rural landscapes where the tree canopy contains a large percentage of ash trees – sometimes up to 25% of the tree canopy - which were planted in high densities for shade trees.&nbsp;First discovered in Wyandotte County in 2012 by the Kansas Department of Agriculture, EAB is now confirmed in 10 counties including Atchison, Doniphan Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami, Shawnee, and is suspected to be present in several others. &nbsp;EAB is not the only insect of concern for KFS foresters, Bomberger said.&nbsp;“We must learn the lessons of monoculture and low-diversity planting,” she said. “Communities and rural landscapes with large populations of maple, for example, could be devasted if the Asian longhorned beetle is transported to Kansas.”&nbsp;The Asian longhorned beetle has been found in four eastern states: New York, South Carolina, Massachusetts and Ohio. Much like EAB, ALB is a wood boring insect that will eventually kill the host tree. Trees at risk from ALB include many species found in Kansas. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service predicts that ALB could be more damaging than Dutch elm disease, chestnut blight and gypsy moths combined with the potential to destroy millions of acres of hardwood forests.&nbsp;Trees threatened by EAB and ALB can be treated to ward off the invasive pests, but treatment can be costly and is not guaranteed to save the tree. Without preventative treatment, preferred host trees are likely to be killed by an infestation.&nbsp;Given the cost of treatment and high mortality rate of trees targeted by the invasive pests, planting a diversity of tree species is one of the best options for landowners to reduce the vulnerability of their forests and windbreaks.&nbsp;“While working in garden centers early in my career, people would ask for trees they knew the names of, or they had seen in their neighbor’s yard. When it comes to trees, it is good to be different. Go out of your way to select a type of tree not already found on your landscape or neighborhood,” Bomberger said.&nbsp;While insects and disease can devastate a population of trees comprised of one or a few species, severe storm events, drought and other weather extremes also threaten canopy coverage throughout the state. Despite times of abundant rainfall, the lingering effects of past drought and climatic stressors are apparent to foresters. Several large trees have died in the last several years, leaving large voids in community canopies, windbreaks, along streams and rivers and other rural areas.&nbsp;Bomberger notes when trees are lost, the services they provide to people, communities, homesteads and even production agriculture is lost. The best time to plant a diverse array of trees is this fall, she said.&nbsp;

KFS: Plant a diversity of trees to improve resilience 

Sunny and hot is in our future for the next week or so, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Wichita.

We will have an abundance of sunshine and high temperatures in the mid- to upper-90s, NWS noted. According to the latest forecast, our next chance for rain, and a slight one at that, will be Friday.

Today Sunny, with a high near 93. South southwest wind 6 to 11 mph.

Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 69. South wind 8 to 10 mph.

Sunday Sunny, with a high near 96. South southwest wind 7 to 10 mph.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598097790687.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Sunny and hot is in our future for the next week or so, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Wichita.We will have an abundance of sunshine and high temperatures in the mid- to upper-90s, NWS noted. According to the latest forecast, our next chance for rain, and a slight one at that, will be Friday.Here's the forecast from NWS:Today Sunny, with a high near 93. South southwest wind 6 to 11 mph.Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 69. South wind 8 to 10 mph.Sunday Sunny, with a high near 96. South southwest wind 7 to 10 mph.Sunday Night Clear, with a low around 70. South wind around 7 mph.Monday Sunny, with a high near 96. South southwest wind 6 to 8 mph.Monday Night Clear, with a low around 70.Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 96.Tuesday Night Clear, with a low around 70.Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 96.Wednesday Night Clear, with a low around 72.Thursday Sunny and hot, with a high near 97.Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 71.Friday A 20-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny, with a high near 92.

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