A Salina man was out $1,200 after visiting an acquaintance Friday evening.

The 61-year-old Salina man was visiting an acquaintance at an apartment at 837 East Wayne Avenue between 6:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said this morning. After the man left, he realized that his wallet, which contained $1,200 in cash, was missing, Forrester explained.

The man told police that he returned to the apartment complex and inquired as to whether anyone had see the wallet, Forrester said. A female acquaintance said she had found the wallet on the ground near a dumpster, however the $1,200 in cash was missing, he added.

According to Forrester, surveillance video from the area showed a man in a bright green shirt exit the apartment building and place an item on the ground near the dumpster. The video was shown to the victim who identified the man as the acquaintance he had been visiting: Walter Hopkins, 55, of Salina, Forrester said.

Hopkins was arrested on a requested charge of felony theft, Forrester said.

A Salina man was out $1,200 after visiting an acquaintance Friday evening.The 61-year-old Salina man was visiting an acquaintance at an apartment at 837 East Wayne Avenue between 6:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said this morning. After the man left, he realized that his wallet, which contained $1,200 in cash, was missing, Forrester explained.The man told police that he returned to the apartment complex and inquired as to whether anyone had see the wallet, Forrester said. A female acquaintance said she had found the wallet on the ground near a dumpster, however the $1,200 in cash was missing, he added.According to Forrester, surveillance video from the area showed a man in a bright green shirt exit the apartment building and place an item on the ground near the dumpster. The video was shown to the victim who identified the man as the acquaintance he had been visiting: Walter Hopkins, 55, of Salina, Forrester said.Hopkins was arrested on a requested charge of felony theft, Forrester said.

Salina man arrested in missing wallet case, police say

The following statement was released today by OCCK Transportation in response to questions about their future service plans:

Starting on Monday, June 15, 2020, all OCCK public transportation services will resume to pre-COVID-19 operating hours.&nbsp;

CityGo will run 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, with peak routes running 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;Saturdays will return to 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Regional paratransit services and City of Abilene transportation will resume serving all customers for all trips.&nbsp;

81 Connection will return to three daily routes between Belleville and Salina, Monday through Friday.&nbsp;

The Transportation office will still be limited access.

Vehicles are cleaned throughout the day to protect drivers and passengers.&nbsp;&nbsp;Cleaning Before and After Service: Every vehicle is cleaned before it leaves for daily service- this includes wiping down seats, grab handles and other surfaces with disinfectant. Additionally, "deep cleaning" vehicles is done after each day of service. The crew cleans, disinfects, and deodorizes all surfaces in the vehicle. This includes and is not limited to: grab bars, wall surfaces, windows, floors, seats, stop request pull cords.&nbsp;&nbsp;Cleaning While In Service: Drivers disinfect the high-touch surfaces of buses and vans after they finish a run and before they start another trip or round.

The following statement was released today by OCCK Transportation in response to questions about their future service plans:“We’re back.”Starting on Monday, June 15, 2020, all OCCK public transportation services will resume to pre-COVID-19 operating hours.&nbsp;CityGo will run 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, with peak routes running 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;Saturdays will return to 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Regional paratransit services and City of Abilene transportation will resume serving all customers for all trips.&nbsp;81 Connection will return to three daily routes between Belleville and Salina, Monday through Friday.&nbsp;The Transportation office will still be limited access.Vehicles are cleaned throughout the day to protect drivers and passengers.&nbsp;&nbsp;Cleaning Before and After Service: Every vehicle is cleaned before it leaves for daily service- this includes wiping down seats, grab handles and other surfaces with disinfectant. Additionally, "deep cleaning" vehicles is done after each day of service. The crew cleans, disinfects, and deodorizes all surfaces in the vehicle. This includes and is not limited to: grab bars, wall surfaces, windows, floors, seats, stop request pull cords.&nbsp;&nbsp;Cleaning While In Service: Drivers disinfect the high-touch surfaces of buses and vans after they finish a run and before they start another trip or round.

OCCK Public Transportation back to regular hours June 15

Police are looking for the person who ransacked a house in north Salina and stole multiple items from it.

Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said this morning that sometime between Friday and Sunday, someone broke into a house in the 700 block of North Eighth Street and ransacked it. Items taken include the following, he said.

Damage to the door was estimated at $100, Forrester said.

Police are looking for the person who ransacked a house in north Salina and stole multiple items from it.Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said this morning that sometime between Friday and Sunday, someone broke into a house in the 700 block of North Eighth Street and ransacked it. Items taken include the following, he said.A 70-inch television valued at $850An air compressor valued at $200A seven-person tent valued at $150A Craftsman tool box valued at $250Miscellaneous tools valued at $1,000Damage to the door was estimated at $100, Forrester said.

Police investigating break-in at north Salina residence

ABILENE -- Much of the Dickinson County Courthouse is closed today because of air conditioning issues. From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dickinson-County-Kansas-183363591711637/">Dickinson County, Kansas</a> Facebook page:

ABILENE -- Much of the Dickinson County Courthouse is closed today because of air conditioning issues. From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dickinson-County-Kansas-183363591711637/">Dickinson County, Kansas</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3D3193921313989168%26id%3D183363591711637&width=500" width="500" height="217" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>

Air conditioning woes close much of Dickinson County Courthouse

MANHATTAN — Excellence in research has earned several students at Kansas State University recognition through the sixth annual&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lib.k-state.edu/kirmser-undergraduate-research-award" target="_blank">Kirmser Undergraduate Research Awards</a>. In May, the award committee, made up of faculty from varying disciplines, rewarded outstanding undergraduate research in topics ranging from anthropology to theater. Grand prize awards were given in three categories: individual freshman, individual non-freshman and group. The individual grand prizewinners received $1,000 each, and the group grand prizewinners shared a $3,000 award. Honorable mentions were also named in the three categories. The awards are made possible through a gift from the Philip and Jeune Kirmser estate. Both grand and honorable mention prizewinners are invited to archive their projects in the university's institutional repository, the K-State Research Exchange, or K-REx, so that they are available online to the public. The grand prize in the group research category was for the project "The Effects of Childhood Separation: A Study on Mental Health" for the Social Research Methods &amp; Analysis class taught by Jung Sim Jun, assistant professor of social work. The following students were recognized through the Kirmser Undergraduate Research Awards: Jennifer Hughes, junior in social work,&nbsp;Grainfield, honorable mention, group research project; Rebekah Castle, junior in social work,&nbsp;Hoxie, grand prize, group research project; Samantha Rios, senior in social work,&nbsp;Hutchinson, honorable mention, group research project; Jaedn Cooper, junior in social work,&nbsp;Junction City, honorable mention, group research project; Jackson Berland, freshman in theater,&nbsp;Lawrence, honorable mention, individual freshman project; Cole Griffin, senior in social work,&nbsp;Olathe, grand prize, group research project; Clayton Jarrard, senior in anthropology,&nbsp;Olathe,&nbsp;grand prize in the individual non-freshman research category for his project, "Conviction as Divine Influence or Human Manipulation: LGBTQ+ Christians and a Harmful Habitus," completed for the class Anthropological Theory taught by Trevor Durbin, assistant professor of sociology, anthropology and social work; and Kate Brull, freshman in life sciences and mathematics,&nbsp;Salina, grand prize in the individual freshman project for her project, "The Moral Dilemma to Antibiotic Overprescription," completed for the class Introduction to Moral Philosophy taught by Amelia Hicks, assistant professor of philosophy. From out of state: Taya Josenberger, junior in social work,&nbsp;Kansas City, Missouri,&nbsp;grand prize, group research project; and Ethan Copple, senior in industrial engineering and anthropology,&nbsp;Elkhorn, Nebraska,&nbsp;honorable mention, individual non-freshman project.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591620244268.jpeg" alt="Kate Brull. Photo courtesy KSU" />
 <figcaption>Kate Brull. Photo courtesy KSU</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN — Excellence in research has earned several students at Kansas State University recognition through the sixth annual&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lib.k-state.edu/kirmser-undergraduate-research-award" target="_blank">Kirmser Undergraduate Research Awards</a>. In May, the award committee, made up of faculty from varying disciplines, rewarded outstanding undergraduate research in topics ranging from anthropology to theater. Grand prize awards were given in three categories: individual freshman, individual non-freshman and group. The individual grand prizewinners received $1,000 each, and the group grand prizewinners shared a $3,000 award. Honorable mentions were also named in the three categories. The awards are made possible through a gift from the Philip and Jeune Kirmser estate. Both grand and honorable mention prizewinners are invited to archive their projects in the university's institutional repository, the K-State Research Exchange, or K-REx, so that they are available online to the public. The grand prize in the group research category was for the project "The Effects of Childhood Separation: A Study on Mental Health" for the Social Research Methods &amp; Analysis class taught by Jung Sim Jun, assistant professor of social work. The following students were recognized through the Kirmser Undergraduate Research Awards: Jennifer Hughes, junior in social work,&nbsp;Grainfield, honorable mention, group research project; Rebekah Castle, junior in social work,&nbsp;Hoxie, grand prize, group research project; Samantha Rios, senior in social work,&nbsp;Hutchinson, honorable mention, group research project; Jaedn Cooper, junior in social work,&nbsp;Junction City, honorable mention, group research project; Jackson Berland, freshman in theater,&nbsp;Lawrence, honorable mention, individual freshman project; Cole Griffin, senior in social work,&nbsp;Olathe, grand prize, group research project; Clayton Jarrard, senior in anthropology,&nbsp;Olathe,&nbsp;grand prize in the individual non-freshman research category for his project, "Conviction as Divine Influence or Human Manipulation: LGBTQ+ Christians and a Harmful Habitus," completed for the class Anthropological Theory taught by Trevor Durbin, assistant professor of sociology, anthropology and social work; and Kate Brull, freshman in life sciences and mathematics,&nbsp;Salina, grand prize in the individual freshman project for her project, "The Moral Dilemma to Antibiotic Overprescription," completed for the class Introduction to Moral Philosophy taught by Amelia Hicks, assistant professor of philosophy. From out of state: Taya Josenberger, junior in social work,&nbsp;Kansas City, Missouri,&nbsp;grand prize, group research project; and Ethan Copple, senior in industrial engineering and anthropology,&nbsp;Elkhorn, Nebraska,&nbsp;honorable mention, individual non-freshman project.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Salina's Brull among winners of Kirmser Undergraduate Research Awards

MANHATTAN – They’re masters of hiding in plain sight, those woody-looking bags that hang from evergreens and other broadleaf plants and shrubs this time of year. But bagworms can be destructive to their host plants, so now’s the time to scout your trees and shrubs and take steps to manage them, according to a Kansas State University entomologist.

“Although the cool weather we experienced this spring slowed development, and consequently larvae hatching from eggs, bagworm caterpillars will eventually be present throughout Kansas, feeding on broadleaf and evergreen trees and shrubs,” said Raymond Cloyd, entomologist with K-State Research and Extension. “So, be prepared to act against bagworms once they are observed on plants.”

Bagworms are primarily a pest of conifers, those trees that bear cones and have needle-like leaves, such as pines, redcedar and junipers. They also sometimes feed on other plants, including broadleafs such as rose, honey locust, hackberry, and flowering plum.

Cloyd said it is important to apply insecticides when bagworms are less than one-fourth inch long to maximize effectiveness of insecticide applications and reduce plant damage.

Several insecticides are labeled for use against bagworms including those with the following active ingredients: acephate,&nbsp;Bacillus thuringiensis&nbsp;subspecies&nbsp;kurstaki (Bt kurstaki), cyfluthrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, trichlorfon, indoxacarb, chlorantraniliprole, and spinosad, he said. Most of these active ingredients are commercially available and sold under various trade names or as generic products, although some may not be directly available to homeowners.

Managing this insect pest requires some persistence by homeowners, Cloyd said, adding that applying insecticides must happen early and frequently enough to kill the highly susceptible young caterpillars feeding on plant foliage.

Frequent applications are essential because the larvae do not hatch from eggs simultaneously, but rather hatch over time depending on temperature. In addition, young bagworms can ‘blow in’ (called ‘ballooning’) from neighboring plants on silken threads. If left unchecked, they can cause significant damage and ruin the aesthetic quality of plants, and in some cases, kill plants. Newly transplanted small evergreens are the most susceptible, because evergreens do not usually produce another flush of growth after being fed upon or defoliated by bagworms.

“Applying insecticides weekly for four to five weeks when bagworms are first noticed will reduce problems with bagworms later in the year,” Cloyd said. The bacterium,&nbsp;Bt kurstaki, which is sold under various trade names, is only active on young caterpillars and must be consumed or ingested to be effective, so thorough coverage of all plant parts and frequent applications are required.

The insecticide degrades in sunlight and rainfall, which reduces its residual activity, Cloyd said.

Spinosad is the active ingredient in several homeowner products, including: Natural Guard Spinosad; Captain Jack’s DeadBug Brew; and Monterey Garden Insect Spray. Although it works by contact, the best control is when bagworms ingest it.

Cyfluthrin (BioAdvanced Vegetable &amp; Garden Insect Spray, lambda-cyhalothrin&nbsp; (Spectracide Triazicide, Bonide Caterpillar Killer, trichlorfon, chlorantraniliprole, and indoxacarb can also be used against young caterpillars.

Finally, Cloyd said, it’s important to get thorough coverage of all plant parts when treating with an insecticide, especially the tops of trees and shrubs where bagworms commonly start feeding.

Questions about managing bagworms can be directed to your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/about/stateandareamaps.html" target="_blank">county or district horticulture agent</a>. In addition, a new publication,&nbsp;<a href="https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF3474.pdf" target="_blank">Bagworm: Insect Pest of Trees and Shrubs</a>&nbsp;is available free online.

Cloyd and his counterparts in K-State’s Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources produce a weekly Horticulture Newsletter with tips for keeping yards healthy year-round. The newsletter is&nbsp;<a href="https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/index.html" target="_blank">available to view online</a>&nbsp;or can be delivered by email each week.

Interested persons can also send entomology-related questions to Cloyd at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:rcloyd@ksu.edu" target="_blank">rcloyd@ksu.edu</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591579083620.jpeg" alt="A young bagworm feeding on an evergreen. Photo courtesy KSRE" />
 <figcaption>A young bagworm feeding on an evergreen. Photo courtesy KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN – They’re masters of hiding in plain sight, those woody-looking bags that hang from evergreens and other broadleaf plants and shrubs this time of year. But bagworms can be destructive to their host plants, so now’s the time to scout your trees and shrubs and take steps to manage them, according to a Kansas State University entomologist.“Although the cool weather we experienced this spring slowed development, and consequently larvae hatching from eggs, bagworm caterpillars will eventually be present throughout Kansas, feeding on broadleaf and evergreen trees and shrubs,” said Raymond Cloyd, entomologist with K-State Research and Extension. “So, be prepared to act against bagworms once they are observed on plants.”Bagworms are primarily a pest of conifers, those trees that bear cones and have needle-like leaves, such as pines, redcedar and junipers. They also sometimes feed on other plants, including broadleafs such as rose, honey locust, hackberry, and flowering plum.Cloyd said it is important to apply insecticides when bagworms are less than one-fourth inch long to maximize effectiveness of insecticide applications and reduce plant damage.Several insecticides are labeled for use against bagworms including those with the following active ingredients: acephate,&nbsp;Bacillus thuringiensis&nbsp;subspecies&nbsp;kurstaki (Bt kurstaki), cyfluthrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, trichlorfon, indoxacarb, chlorantraniliprole, and spinosad, he said. Most of these active ingredients are commercially available and sold under various trade names or as generic products, although some may not be directly available to homeowners.Managing this insect pest requires some persistence by homeowners, Cloyd said, adding that applying insecticides must happen early and frequently enough to kill the highly susceptible young caterpillars feeding on plant foliage.Frequent applications are essential because the larvae do not hatch from eggs simultaneously, but rather hatch over time depending on temperature. In addition, young bagworms can ‘blow in’ (called ‘ballooning’) from neighboring plants on silken threads. If left unchecked, they can cause significant damage and ruin the aesthetic quality of plants, and in some cases, kill plants. Newly transplanted small evergreens are the most susceptible, because evergreens do not usually produce another flush of growth after being fed upon or defoliated by bagworms.“Applying insecticides weekly for four to five weeks when bagworms are first noticed will reduce problems with bagworms later in the year,” Cloyd said. The bacterium,&nbsp;Bt kurstaki, which is sold under various trade names, is only active on young caterpillars and must be consumed or ingested to be effective, so thorough coverage of all plant parts and frequent applications are required.The insecticide degrades in sunlight and rainfall, which reduces its residual activity, Cloyd said.Spinosad is the active ingredient in several homeowner products, including: Natural Guard Spinosad; Captain Jack’s DeadBug Brew; and Monterey Garden Insect Spray. Although it works by contact, the best control is when bagworms ingest it.Cyfluthrin (BioAdvanced Vegetable &amp; Garden Insect Spray, lambda-cyhalothrin&nbsp; (Spectracide Triazicide, Bonide Caterpillar Killer, trichlorfon, chlorantraniliprole, and indoxacarb can also be used against young caterpillars.Finally, Cloyd said, it’s important to get thorough coverage of all plant parts when treating with an insecticide, especially the tops of trees and shrubs where bagworms commonly start feeding.Questions about managing bagworms can be directed to your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/about/stateandareamaps.html" target="_blank">county or district horticulture agent</a>. In addition, a new publication,&nbsp;<a href="https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF3474.pdf" target="_blank">Bagworm: Insect Pest of Trees and Shrubs</a>&nbsp;is available free online.Cloyd and his counterparts in K-State’s Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources produce a weekly Horticulture Newsletter with tips for keeping yards healthy year-round. The newsletter is&nbsp;<a href="https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/index.html" target="_blank">available to view online</a>&nbsp;or can be delivered by email each week.Interested persons can also send entomology-related questions to Cloyd at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:rcloyd@ksu.edu" target="_blank">rcloyd@ksu.edu</a>.

Hiding in plain sight: Now’s the time to control bagworms

ABILENE --&nbsp;Employees of Memorial Health System (MHS) recently wore blue jeans at work for a Jeans Day fundraiser. 

Employees who made a donation of at least $5 were allowed to wear blue jeans on the last Friday of May. A total donation of $220 was presented to Abilene Girl Scouts. 

The day was organized by the MHS Employer of Choice (EOC) committee.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591578599619.jpeg" alt="From left are Sara Boyd, EOC committee member; Jandi Wells, Abilene Girl Scout troop leader; and Haley Jones, EOC committee member. Photo courtesy MHS" />
 <figcaption>From left are Sara Boyd, EOC committee member; Jandi Wells, Abilene Girl Scout troop leader; and Haley Jones, EOC committee member. Photo courtesy MHS</figcaption>
 </figure>ABILENE --&nbsp;Employees of Memorial Health System (MHS) recently wore blue jeans at work for a Jeans Day fundraiser. Employees who made a donation of at least $5 were allowed to wear blue jeans on the last Friday of May. A total donation of $220 was presented to Abilene Girl Scouts. The day was organized by the MHS Employer of Choice (EOC) committee.

MHS employees donate Jeans Day funds to Abilene Girl Scouts

Israeli universities will be re-opening “in a limited format” upon approval from their Health Ministry, according to the May 9 issue of “The Jerusalem Post.” What Israel recognizes and the United States college administrators do not, is the inability to replace “laboratory classes and hands-on workshops.”

Today in the U.S., online “simulated labs” are being touted as equal or even better. Such claims ignore the many properties of reality-based experiences that are missing in computer simulations. The below lists the values of real labs and the utter failure of online simulations.&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Immediacy. Our brains pay attention to the here-and-now. Video of a lecture or of a dissection that is not happening now, is history. It does not trigger the attention that immediacy requires. This is also the major shortcoming of asynchronous lectures, no different from the failed television courses of the 1970s.

Genuine multisensory interaction. Students who memorize words or pictures do not associate anatomy terms with real tissues. Students who have seen and held the organs of an animal in a laboratory&nbsp; have rich mental context to remember these structures through memories laid down by feel. Computer simulations may claim to be “interactive” but that refers to a trivial property of providing different media responses when typing on a keyboard or clicking a mouse.

Automatic manipulation skills. Many students understand the need for a sports players to repeat an action over and over until it becomes automatic or “second nature.” Sometimes named “muscle memory,” it is only acquired by physical practice. This sense of touch is not only an important input for students to understand the nature of organs, but with repetition, provides the skills for careful surgery. Medical doctors use this sense in “palpation,” the diagnosis of organs by feel. &nbsp;

Learning to observe. Observing nature closely for detail is a learned skill. Organs are often color-coded in books. In reality, a student must probe and trace which tissues are connected to others in order to identify the organ.&nbsp; An earthworm’s digestive system has two bulges. Pressing on one that is empty and collapses reveals the crop, a storage organ. Pressing the solid and firm bulge reveals the gizzard, a muscular grinding organ.

Motivation. We strive for basic biology literacy for all. But some students will become motivated from interaction with real organisms and want to enter medicine as a career. Such motivation is rarely provided by media. Performing to please a teacher is weak motivation. Being able to successfully interact with real material is real success handling the real world, and is not dependent upon other’s judgement.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Playing on the surface of the real. Textbooks and online media portray “perfect” examples. But real anatomy varies from these textbook-perfect images. Some specimens will vary, being left-right reversed or possessing four kidneys rather than two. A good laboratory instructor will detect such variations and draw every student’s attention to them.

Test-truthfulness. Only genuine materials and experiments are test truthful. Simulations only exhibit perfect results, or provide a programmed range of variation. Real labs provide test truthfulness including the important lessons of failure. Textbooks and online simulations will continue to need revision as we move ahead and continue refining our understanding. Real labs have all the truth in them for the looking.

Career Motivation. Real labs lead some students to go beyond the lesson and conduct additional real experiments, a desire not promoted by passive simulations where students fail to interact with reality.

Universality.&nbsp; Regardless of culture or language, laboratory work confirms that the science results are genuine. The Russian scientist Trofim Lysenko promoted a wrong idea of inheritance of acquired characteristics through textbooks. But real laboratory results eventually showed it to be incorrect.

Real consequences. Genuine experiences and experiments are naturally exciting. Veteran biology teachers know that the only way a student overcomes a fear of snakes is to see other students handle a harmless snake without harm. And when a teacher lays the coils into the trembling hands of the student, the trembling stops. In-hand experience accomplishes what cannot be accomplished by any other method.

Respect. Biologists and medical doctors who have gone through extensive laboratory-based education operate with a greater respect for the complex internal anatomy because they now have a deep and genuine understanding. Being squeamish about blood or feces is not positive or neutral, but a handicap to students who one day will need to diaper an infant or apply a band-aid. Good lab instructors treat their animal specimens and human cadavers with respect and require their students to do likewise.

Affordability. Digital media programs are more expensive because they are soon obsolete due to the short life of computer hardware and software. And online simulations fail to do the jobs described above.

Today, digital enthusiasts proclaim that all classwork should have a digital component. Why? Most online materials are inaccurate or distorted. Only real experiences provide the basis for developing accurate meaning.&nbsp;&nbsp;

John Richard Schrock has trained biology teachers for more than 30 years in Kansas. He also has lectured at 27 universities in 20 trips to China. He holds the distinction of “Faculty Emeritus” at Emporia State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573490075841.jpeg" alt="John Richard Schrock" />
 <figcaption>John Richard Schrock</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN RICHARD SCHROCKIsraeli universities will be re-opening “in a limited format” upon approval from their Health Ministry, according to the May 9 issue of “The Jerusalem Post.” What Israel recognizes and the United States college administrators do not, is the inability to replace “laboratory classes and hands-on workshops.” Today in the U.S., online “simulated labs” are being touted as equal or even better. Such claims ignore the many properties of reality-based experiences that are missing in computer simulations. The below lists the values of real labs and the utter failure of online simulations.&nbsp;&nbsp; Immediacy. Our brains pay attention to the here-and-now. Video of a lecture or of a dissection that is not happening now, is history. It does not trigger the attention that immediacy requires. This is also the major shortcoming of asynchronous lectures, no different from the failed television courses of the 1970s. Genuine multisensory interaction. Students who memorize words or pictures do not associate anatomy terms with real tissues. Students who have seen and held the organs of an animal in a laboratory&nbsp; have rich mental context to remember these structures through memories laid down by feel. Computer simulations may claim to be “interactive” but that refers to a trivial property of providing different media responses when typing on a keyboard or clicking a mouse. Automatic manipulation skills. Many students understand the need for a sports players to repeat an action over and over until it becomes automatic or “second nature.” Sometimes named “muscle memory,” it is only acquired by physical practice. This sense of touch is not only an important input for students to understand the nature of organs, but with repetition, provides the skills for careful surgery. Medical doctors use this sense in “palpation,” the diagnosis of organs by feel. &nbsp; Learning to observe. Observing nature closely for detail is a learned skill. Organs are often color-coded in books. In reality, a student must probe and trace which tissues are connected to others in order to identify the organ.&nbsp; An earthworm’s digestive system has two bulges. Pressing on one that is empty and collapses reveals the crop, a storage organ. Pressing the solid and firm bulge reveals the gizzard, a muscular grinding organ. Motivation. We strive for basic biology literacy for all. But some students will become motivated from interaction with real organisms and want to enter medicine as a career. Such motivation is rarely provided by media. Performing to please a teacher is weak motivation. Being able to successfully interact with real material is real success handling the real world, and is not dependent upon other’s judgement.&nbsp; &nbsp; Playing on the surface of the real. Textbooks and online media portray “perfect” examples. But real anatomy varies from these textbook-perfect images. Some specimens will vary, being left-right reversed or possessing four kidneys rather than two. A good laboratory instructor will detect such variations and draw every student’s attention to them. Test-truthfulness. Only genuine materials and experiments are test truthful. Simulations only exhibit perfect results, or provide a programmed range of variation. Real labs provide test truthfulness including the important lessons of failure. Textbooks and online simulations will continue to need revision as we move ahead and continue refining our understanding. Real labs have all the truth in them for the looking. Career Motivation. Real labs lead some students to go beyond the lesson and conduct additional real experiments, a desire not promoted by passive simulations where students fail to interact with reality. Universality.&nbsp; Regardless of culture or language, laboratory work confirms that the science results are genuine. The Russian scientist Trofim Lysenko promoted a wrong idea of inheritance of acquired characteristics through textbooks. But real laboratory results eventually showed it to be incorrect. Real consequences. Genuine experiences and experiments are naturally exciting. Veteran biology teachers know that the only way a student overcomes a fear of snakes is to see other students handle a harmless snake without harm. And when a teacher lays the coils into the trembling hands of the student, the trembling stops. In-hand experience accomplishes what cannot be accomplished by any other method. Respect. Biologists and medical doctors who have gone through extensive laboratory-based education operate with a greater respect for the complex internal anatomy because they now have a deep and genuine understanding. Being squeamish about blood or feces is not positive or neutral, but a handicap to students who one day will need to diaper an infant or apply a band-aid. Good lab instructors treat their animal specimens and human cadavers with respect and require their students to do likewise. Affordability. Digital media programs are more expensive because they are soon obsolete due to the short life of computer hardware and software. And online simulations fail to do the jobs described above. Today, digital enthusiasts proclaim that all classwork should have a digital component. Why? Most online materials are inaccurate or distorted. Only real experiences provide the basis for developing accurate meaning.&nbsp;&nbsp;John Richard Schrock has trained biology teachers for more than 30 years in Kansas. He also has lectured at 27 universities in 20 trips to China. He holds the distinction of “Faculty Emeritus” at Emporia State University.

Education Frontlines: 'Online labs' are fraud

Today is Monday, June 8, the 160th day of 2020. There are 206 days left in the year.

On June 8, 1967, during the six-day Middle East war, 34 American servicemen were killed when Israel attacked the USS Liberty, a Navy intelligence-gathering ship in the Mediterranean Sea. (Israel later said the Liberty had been mistaken for an Egyptian vessel.)

In 1845, Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States, died in Nashville, Tennessee.

In 1864, Abraham Lincoln was nominated for another term as president during the National Union (Republican) Party's convention in Baltimore.

In 1867, modern American architect Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin.

In 1939, Britain's King George VI and his consort, Queen Elizabeth, arrived in Washington, D.C., where they were received at the White House by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In 1966, a merger was announced between the National and American Football Leagues, to take effect in 1970.

In 1968, authorities announced the capture in London of James Earl Ray, the suspected assassin of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1972, during the Vietnam War, an Associated Press photographer took a picture of a screaming 9-year-old girl, Phan Thi Kim Phuc (fahn thee kihm fook, as she ran naked and severely burned from the scene of a South Vietnamese napalm attack.

In 1978, a jury in Clark County, Nevada, ruled the so-called "Mormon will," purportedly written by the late billionaire Howard Hughes, was a forgery.

In 1995, U.S. Marines rescued Capt. Scott O'Grady, whose F-16C fighter jet had been shot down by Bosnian Serbs on June 2. Mickey Mantle received a liver transplant at a Dallas hospital; however, the baseball great died two months later.

In 1998, the National Rifle Association elected actor Charlton Heston to be its president.

In 2009, North Korea's highest court sentenced American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee to 12 years' hard labor for trespassing and "hostile acts." (The women were pardoned in early August 2009 after a trip to Pyongyang by former President Bill Clinton.)

In 2018, celebrity chef, author and CNN host Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his hotel room in eastern France in what authorities determined was a suicide.

Ten years ago: In high-profile Republican state primaries, Meg Whitman won the nomination for California governor while Carly Fiorina got the nod to oppose three-term Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer; in Nevada, Sharron Angle won the right to oppose Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. (All three ended up losing their respective contests.) In South Carolina, political unknown Alvin Greene won the Democratic primary to challenge U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint (Greene lost in November).

Five years ago: Acknowledging setbacks, President Barack Obama said at the close of a G-7 summit in Germany that the United States still lacked a "complete strategy" for training Iraqi forces to fight the Islamic State. Siding with the White House in a foreign-policy power struggle with Congress, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Americans born in the disputed city of Jerusalem could not list Israel as their birthplace on passports. The NCAA approved multiple rule changes to men's basketball for the 2015-16 season, including a 30-second shot clock and fewer timeouts for each team.

One year ago: Eighth-seeded Ash Barty won her first major tennis championship, beating Marketa Vondrousova in the French Open women's final.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Millicent Martin is 86. Actor James Darren is 84. Singer Nancy Sinatra is 80. Singer Chuck Negron is 78. Musician Boz Scaggs is 76. Author Sara Paretsky is 73. Actress Sonia Braga is 70. Actress Kathy Baker is 70. Country musician Tony Rice is 69. Rock singer Bonnie Tyler is 69. Actor Griffin Dunne is 65. "Dilbert" creator Scott Adams is 63. Actor-director Keenen Ivory Wayans is 62. Singer Mick Hucknall (Simply Red) is 60. Musician Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran) is 58. Rhythm-and-blues singer Doris Pearson (Five Star) is 54. Actress Julianna Margulies is 53. Actor Dan Futterman is 53. Actor David Sutcliffe is 51. Actor Kent Faulcon is 50. Rhythm-and-blues singer Nicci Gilbert is 50. Actress Kelli Williams is 50. Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., is 50. Actor Mark Feuerstein is 49. Contemporary Christian musician Mike Scheuchzer (MercyMe) is 45. Actor Eion Bailey is 44. Former tennis player Lindsay Davenport is 44. Rapper Kanye West is 43. TV personality-actress Maria Menounos is 42. Country singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson is 42. Blues-rock musician Derek Trucks (The Derek Trucks Band) is 41. Rock singer Alex Band (The Calling) is 39. Folk-bluegrass singer-musician Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek) is 39. Former tennis player Kim Clijsters is 37. Actress Torrey DeVitto is 36. Tennis player Jelena Ostapenko is 23.

Thought for Today: "Love hath no physic for a grief too deep." — Robert Nathan, American author and poet (1894-1985).

<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>Today is Monday, June 8, the 160th day of 2020. There are 206 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On June 8, 1967, during the six-day Middle East war, 34 American servicemen were killed when Israel attacked the USS Liberty, a Navy intelligence-gathering ship in the Mediterranean Sea. (Israel later said the Liberty had been mistaken for an Egyptian vessel.)On this date:In 1845, Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States, died in Nashville, Tennessee.In 1864, Abraham Lincoln was nominated for another term as president during the National Union (Republican) Party's convention in Baltimore.In 1867, modern American architect Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin.In 1939, Britain's King George VI and his consort, Queen Elizabeth, arrived in Washington, D.C., where they were received at the White House by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.In 1966, a merger was announced between the National and American Football Leagues, to take effect in 1970.In 1968, authorities announced the capture in London of James Earl Ray, the suspected assassin of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.In 1972, during the Vietnam War, an Associated Press photographer took a picture of a screaming 9-year-old girl, Phan Thi Kim Phuc (fahn thee kihm fook, as she ran naked and severely burned from the scene of a South Vietnamese napalm attack.In 1978, a jury in Clark County, Nevada, ruled the so-called "Mormon will," purportedly written by the late billionaire Howard Hughes, was a forgery.In 1995, U.S. Marines rescued Capt. Scott O'Grady, whose F-16C fighter jet had been shot down by Bosnian Serbs on June 2. Mickey Mantle received a liver transplant at a Dallas hospital; however, the baseball great died two months later.In 1998, the National Rifle Association elected actor Charlton Heston to be its president.In 2009, North Korea's highest court sentenced American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee to 12 years' hard labor for trespassing and "hostile acts." (The women were pardoned in early August 2009 after a trip to Pyongyang by former President Bill Clinton.)In 2018, celebrity chef, author and CNN host Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his hotel room in eastern France in what authorities determined was a suicide.Ten years ago: In high-profile Republican state primaries, Meg Whitman won the nomination for California governor while Carly Fiorina got the nod to oppose three-term Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer; in Nevada, Sharron Angle won the right to oppose Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. (All three ended up losing their respective contests.) In South Carolina, political unknown Alvin Greene won the Democratic primary to challenge U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint (Greene lost in November).Five years ago: Acknowledging setbacks, President Barack Obama said at the close of a G-7 summit in Germany that the United States still lacked a "complete strategy" for training Iraqi forces to fight the Islamic State. Siding with the White House in a foreign-policy power struggle with Congress, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Americans born in the disputed city of Jerusalem could not list Israel as their birthplace on passports. The NCAA approved multiple rule changes to men's basketball for the 2015-16 season, including a 30-second shot clock and fewer timeouts for each team.One year ago: Eighth-seeded Ash Barty won her first major tennis championship, beating Marketa Vondrousova in the French Open women's final.Today's Birthdays: Actress Millicent Martin is 86. Actor James Darren is 84. Singer Nancy Sinatra is 80. Singer Chuck Negron is 78. Musician Boz Scaggs is 76. Author Sara Paretsky is 73. Actress Sonia Braga is 70. Actress Kathy Baker is 70. Country musician Tony Rice is 69. Rock singer Bonnie Tyler is 69. Actor Griffin Dunne is 65. "Dilbert" creator Scott Adams is 63. Actor-director Keenen Ivory Wayans is 62. Singer Mick Hucknall (Simply Red) is 60. Musician Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran) is 58. Rhythm-and-blues singer Doris Pearson (Five Star) is 54. Actress Julianna Margulies is 53. Actor Dan Futterman is 53. Actor David Sutcliffe is 51. Actor Kent Faulcon is 50. Rhythm-and-blues singer Nicci Gilbert is 50. Actress Kelli Williams is 50. Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., is 50. Actor Mark Feuerstein is 49. Contemporary Christian musician Mike Scheuchzer (MercyMe) is 45. Actor Eion Bailey is 44. Former tennis player Lindsay Davenport is 44. Rapper Kanye West is 43. TV personality-actress Maria Menounos is 42. Country singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson is 42. Blues-rock musician Derek Trucks (The Derek Trucks Band) is 41. Rock singer Alex Band (The Calling) is 39. Folk-bluegrass singer-musician Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek) is 39. Former tennis player Kim Clijsters is 37. Actress Torrey DeVitto is 36. Tennis player Jelena Ostapenko is 23.Thought for Today: "Love hath no physic for a grief too deep." — Robert Nathan, American author and poet (1894-1985).Copyright 2020, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Today in History -- June 8

These positions are full time with benefits. The positions available are:

Check out these jobs! To apply for these positions, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.russellstover.com/careers">www.russellstover.com/careers</a>.

Russell Stover Chocolates factory and store is located right of I-70 at exit 270 on the west side of Abilene, Kansas, and has been in business nationally since 1923.

Russell Stover Chocolates is an equal opportunity employer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588967511121.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>These positions are full time with benefits. The positions available are:· 1st Shift Candy Makers· 2nd Shift Candy Makers· 2nd Shift Service· 2nd Shift Packers· 2nd Shift Wrapping Lead· 2nd Shift Machine OperatorsCheck out these jobs! To apply for these positions, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.russellstover.com/careers">www.russellstover.com/careers</a>.Russell Stover Chocolates factory and store is located right of I-70 at exit 270 on the west side of Abilene, Kansas, and has been in business nationally since 1923.Russell Stover Chocolates is an equal opportunity employer.

2 from Salina hospitalized after motorcycle blows tire on I-70

In-person public comments will resume at the Salina City Commission meeting on Monday.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Monday in room 107 of the City-County Building, 300 West Ash Street.

Because Saline County is now in Phase 3 of its reopening plan, which allows mass gatherings of up to 50 people, the city commission meeting will once again be open to the public, but with some limitations. According to information in the commission meeting packet, room 107 will be arranged to accommodate a total of 50 people, with overflow seating and a video monitor provided in room 107B.

Additionally, you can view the meetings on Salina Media Connection, either via Cox Cable Channel 20 or online at <a href="http://www.salinatv.org">www.salinatv.org</a> or on the City of Salina YouTube channel, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/cityofSalinaKansas">https://www.youtube.com/cityofSalinaKansas</a>.

Commissioners are scheduled to consider a request by DVACK to proclaim the month of June 2020 as "Elder Abuse Awareness Month." Courtney Train, youth advocate mentor with DVACK is scheduled to read the proclamation.

In other items on the Salina City Commission agenda for Monday, commissioners are scheduled to:

•hear the second reading of Ordinance No. 20-11032 terminating the Lambertz Addition/Kohl's Tax Increment Financing Project Redevelopment District.

•consider a change to the special alcohol funding allocation for the remainder of the two-year period of 2019-2020.

•consider acceptance of proposed easement and restricted access dedications on the proposed final plat of the Southgate Plaza Addition, located on the west side of South Ohio Street between Albert Avenue and Buckeye Avenue.

•consider a request to meet in executive session "to discuss the subject of a specific economic development prospect based upon the need to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets." 

To see the entire Salina City Commission meeting packet (47-pages, <a href="http://weblink.salina.org/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=446697&amp;dbid=0&amp;repo=Salina">click here</a>.

In-person public comments will resume at the Salina City Commission meeting on Monday.The meeting is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Monday in room 107 of the City-County Building, 300 West Ash Street.Because Saline County is now in Phase 3 of its reopening plan, which allows mass gatherings of up to 50 people, the city commission meeting will once again be open to the public, but with some limitations. According to information in the commission meeting packet, room 107 will be arranged to accommodate a total of 50 people, with overflow seating and a video monitor provided in room 107B.Additionally, you can view the meetings on Salina Media Connection, either via Cox Cable Channel 20 or online at <a href="http://www.salinatv.org">www.salinatv.org</a> or on the City of Salina YouTube channel, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/cityofSalinaKansas">https://www.youtube.com/cityofSalinaKansas</a>.Commissioners are scheduled to consider a request by DVACK to proclaim the month of June 2020 as "Elder Abuse Awareness Month." Courtney Train, youth advocate mentor with DVACK is scheduled to read the proclamation.In other items on the Salina City Commission agenda for Monday, commissioners are scheduled to:•hear the second reading of Ordinance No. 20-11032 terminating the Lambertz Addition/Kohl's Tax Increment Financing Project Redevelopment District.•consider a change to the special alcohol funding allocation for the remainder of the two-year period of 2019-2020.•consider acceptance of proposed easement and restricted access dedications on the proposed final plat of the Southgate Plaza Addition, located on the west side of South Ohio Street between Albert Avenue and Buckeye Avenue.•consider a request to meet in executive session "to discuss the subject of a specific economic development prospect based upon the need to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets." To see the entire Salina City Commission meeting packet (47-pages, <a href="http://weblink.salina.org/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=446697&amp;dbid=0&amp;repo=Salina">click here</a>.

City again allowing public in commission meetings beginning Monday

DICKINSON COUNTY — Two people were injured in an accident just before 1:30p.m. Sunday in Dickinson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1992 Chevy pickup driven by Raul Martinez, 57, Chase, was northbound on U.S. 56 three miles south of Kansas 4 Highway.

The driver failed to stop at the stop sign at U.S. 77 and rear ended a 2019 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Mark P. Brown, 40, Council Grove and a Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Robert W.Bartholic, 58, Ogden, which were&nbsp;stationary facing north sitting at the stop sign of U.S. 77 and U.S. 56 in Herington.

EMS transported Brown and&nbsp;Bartholic to the hospital in Abilene.&nbsp; Martinez was not injured. Brown and Baretholic were not wearing helmets, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591628973924.png" alt="Sunday crash scene -photos courtesy Kansas Highway Patrol" />
 <figcaption>Sunday crash scene -photos courtesy Kansas Highway Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>DICKINSON COUNTY — Two people were injured in an accident just before 1:30p.m. Sunday in Dickinson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1992 Chevy pickup driven by Raul Martinez, 57, Chase, was northbound on U.S. 56 three miles south of Kansas 4 Highway.The driver failed to stop at the stop sign at U.S. 77 and rear ended a 2019 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Mark P. Brown, 40, Council Grove and a Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Robert W.Bartholic, 58, Ogden, which were&nbsp;stationary facing north sitting at the stop sign of U.S. 77 and U.S. 56 in Herington.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591629023368.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>EMS transported Brown and&nbsp;Bartholic to the hospital in Abilene.&nbsp; Martinez was not injured. Brown and Baretholic were not wearing helmets, according to the KHP.

2 hospitalized after pickup rear-ends 2 motorcycles

Have an interest in the census? Check this out! From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/salina.ks.gov/">City of Salina </a>Facebook page:

Have an interest in the census? Check this out! From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/salina.ks.gov/">City of Salina </a>Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsalina.ks.gov%2Fphotos%2Fa.10153627179731339%2F10157827739931339%2F%3Ftype%3D3&width=500" width="500" height="574" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>

Public invited to Census - Complete Count Committee meeting

Well, you don't see this every day! From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HarveyCountySheriff/">Harvey County Sheriff's Office</a> Facebook page:

Well, you don't see this every day! From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HarveyCountySheriff/">Harvey County Sheriff's Office</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FHarveyCountySheriff%2Fposts%2F3368281293202232&width=500" width="500" height="808" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>

A different kind of crowd control

The Salina Family YMCA's Corporate Cup challenge begins later this month and registration is now open for companies interested in participating.

"Any company regardless of size is invited to join in and compete for the YMCA Corporate Cup," Maxwell Kuhn, corporate and community engagement coordinator for the YMCA, told Salina Post.

The events for this year's YMCA Corporate Cup challenge include the following.

Horseshoes -- 6 p.m. June 24 (Sunset Park)

Kickball -- 8 a.m. June 27 (YMCA fields)

Sand Volleyball -- 8 a.m. July 11 (location to be determined)

Cornhole -- 1 p.m. July 18 (YMCA fields)

Kuhn said participation in the YMCA Corporate Cup has multiple benefits, including team building, improved communication, business networking, public health.

For more information or to register a team, contact Kuhn via email at <a href="mailto:mkuhn@salinaymca.org">mkuhn@salinaymca.org</a> or call 785-825-2151.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591540932412.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Salina Family YMCA's Corporate Cup challenge begins later this month and registration is now open for companies interested in participating."Any company regardless of size is invited to join in and compete for the YMCA Corporate Cup," Maxwell Kuhn, corporate and community engagement coordinator for the YMCA, told Salina Post.The events for this year's YMCA Corporate Cup challenge include the following.Horseshoes -- 6 p.m. June 24 (Sunset Park)Kickball -- 8 a.m. June 27 (YMCA fields)Sand Volleyball -- 8 a.m. July 11 (location to be determined)Cornhole -- 1 p.m. July 18 (YMCA fields)Kuhn said participation in the YMCA Corporate Cup has multiple benefits, including team building, improved communication, business networking, public health.For more information or to register a team, contact Kuhn via email at <a href="mailto:mkuhn@salinaymca.org">mkuhn@salinaymca.org</a> or call 785-825-2151.

YMCA seeks entries for Corporate Cup challenge

By RON WILSON Kansas State University

A Kansas man was almost overwhelmed by a flood. But it wasn’t a flood of water, it was a flood of interest – specifically, an interest in finding local foods. Now that interest is helping build connections that are benefitting farmers and consumers across the state.

Rick McNary is a writer, photographer, global hunger expert and founder of a remarkable new Facebook group known as Shop Kansas Farms. For 20 years, he served as a pastor of a church in Potwin, Kansas. After going on a mission trip and interacting with starving people in Nicaragua, he organized a humanitarian food relief organization.&nbsp;&nbsp;Today, he is still involved in such efforts through&nbsp;<a href="https://outreachprogram.org/" target="_blank">The Outreach Program</a>, a non-profit that organizes food packaging events across the country.

Rick has published three books.&nbsp;&nbsp;Many of his articles have been published in Kansas Farm Bureau’s&nbsp;Kansas Living&nbsp;magazine.

Then the coronavirus hit. “One night I was sitting in my recliner, talking to my wife Christine,” Rick said. “We had just had a delicious supper of beef which we had gotten from our friends Kregg and Katie Carothers in Harper County, but Christine told me that she had been to the store and the meat counter was empty.”

That meant there was a disconnect between the people raising beef and the consumers who were looking for it in the store. Rick wondered if social media might provide a way to connect local producers and consumers.

“I didn’t know much about Facebook groups but I thought I would give it a try,” Rick said.&nbsp;&nbsp;He created a group called Shop Kansas Farms on Facebook. That night he checked on the group and was startled to see how many people had already joined.

“Oh my,” he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Then I checked the next morning, and it was, `Holy cow!’”&nbsp;&nbsp;The interest in the group took off.

“I felt like a little kid who was walking along a dam and saw a strange object, which happened to be a plug, and pulled on it, unleashing a pent-up flood of water behind it,” Rick wrote. In four weeks, the Shop Kansas Farms Facebook group went from zero to more than 130,000 members.

Many producers were posting about their products, and many consumers were asking about them. Products included vegetables, beef, pork, cheese, honey, lavender and more.

“I’m so thankful that some friends stepped in as administrators and moderators to help manage the group,” Rick said. These included social media expert Olivia Fletcher, Meagan Cramer of Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas Department of Agriculture staff and others.

“It’s a crazy idea that has taken off,” Rick said. Interest is so great that a Shop Kansas Farms website is being created so that people can search specifically for producers in their region.

“We want to help farmers prosper,” Rick said. “When a farmer tells me that he thought they were going to have to fold, and now they’re making money, that’s meaningful. This is creating new opportunities and people are becoming friends of farmers again.”

The project is making a difference. It’s quite an accomplishment for someone from the rural community of Potwin, population 449 people. Now, that’s rural.

After the first three weeks, Rick posted his thoughts about this phenomenon, including the following observations:

“A local and regional community is being built around agriculture. Consumers are learning real-time about how agriculture works…Rural revitalization is taking place. People want to buy local. In the previous food chain, the average calorie traveled 1,500 miles to reach our plates. Now, people are purchasing food from as close as their next-door neighbor. This is a movement. Already, these types of “Shop Our State Farms” are springing up around America as people follow this model. I believe this movement will continue long after the COVID-19 crisis.”

It was a flood – a flood of interest in local foods. Rick McNary is now gratified by the results. He wrote about those who have helped with the Facebook group: “They have channeled the tumultuous waters into a life-giving river that is providing education, connection, commerce, behavior standards, new friendships, and most of all, hope.”

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;<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/2020/6/1591494815342.jpeg" alt="Rick McNary. Photo courtesy KSRE" />
 <figcaption>Rick McNary. Photo courtesy KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Kansas State UniversityA Kansas man was almost overwhelmed by a flood. But it wasn’t a flood of water, it was a flood of interest – specifically, an interest in finding local foods. Now that interest is helping build connections that are benefitting farmers and consumers across the state.Rick McNary is a writer, photographer, global hunger expert and founder of a remarkable new Facebook group known as Shop Kansas Farms. For 20 years, he served as a pastor of a church in Potwin, Kansas. After going on a mission trip and interacting with starving people in Nicaragua, he organized a humanitarian food relief organization.&nbsp;&nbsp;Today, he is still involved in such efforts through&nbsp;<a href="https://outreachprogram.org/" target="_blank">The Outreach Program</a>, a non-profit that organizes food packaging events across the country.Rick has published three books.&nbsp;&nbsp;Many of his articles have been published in Kansas Farm Bureau’s&nbsp;Kansas Living&nbsp;magazine.Then the coronavirus hit. “One night I was sitting in my recliner, talking to my wife Christine,” Rick said. “We had just had a delicious supper of beef which we had gotten from our friends Kregg and Katie Carothers in Harper County, but Christine told me that she had been to the store and the meat counter was empty.”That meant there was a disconnect between the people raising beef and the consumers who were looking for it in the store. Rick wondered if social media might provide a way to connect local producers and consumers.“I didn’t know much about Facebook groups but I thought I would give it a try,” Rick said.&nbsp;&nbsp;He created a group called Shop Kansas Farms on Facebook. That night he checked on the group and was startled to see how many people had already joined.“Oh my,” he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Then I checked the next morning, and it was, `Holy cow!’”&nbsp;&nbsp;The interest in the group took off.“I felt like a little kid who was walking along a dam and saw a strange object, which happened to be a plug, and pulled on it, unleashing a pent-up flood of water behind it,” Rick wrote. In four weeks, the Shop Kansas Farms Facebook group went from zero to more than 130,000 members.Many producers were posting about their products, and many consumers were asking about them. Products included vegetables, beef, pork, cheese, honey, lavender and more.“I’m so thankful that some friends stepped in as administrators and moderators to help manage the group,” Rick said. These included social media expert Olivia Fletcher, Meagan Cramer of Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas Department of Agriculture staff and others.“It’s a crazy idea that has taken off,” Rick said. Interest is so great that a Shop Kansas Farms website is being created so that people can search specifically for producers in their region.“We want to help farmers prosper,” Rick said. “When a farmer tells me that he thought they were going to have to fold, and now they’re making money, that’s meaningful. This is creating new opportunities and people are becoming friends of farmers again.”The project is making a difference. It’s quite an accomplishment for someone from the rural community of Potwin, population 449 people. Now, that’s rural.After the first three weeks, Rick posted his thoughts about this phenomenon, including the following observations:“A local and regional community is being built around agriculture. Consumers are learning real-time about how agriculture works…Rural revitalization is taking place. People want to buy local. In the previous food chain, the average calorie traveled 1,500 miles to reach our plates. Now, people are purchasing food from as close as their next-door neighbor. This is a movement. Already, these types of “Shop Our State Farms” are springing up around America as people follow this model. I believe this movement will continue long after the COVID-19 crisis.”It was a flood – a flood of interest in local foods. Rick McNary is now gratified by the results. He wrote about those who have helped with the Facebook group: “They have channeled the tumultuous waters into a life-giving river that is providing education, connection, commerce, behavior standards, new friendships, and most of all, hope.”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;<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:  Rick McNary, Shop Kansas Farms

Beginning Monday,&nbsp; the Saline County Road and Bridge Maintenance Division will modify its working hours as a measure to ensure the safety of staff working in the summer months. 

Normal operating hours will be changed to 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

These hours of operation will continue until Labor Day.

The Engineering Division will remain open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Crews will continue to be available should a situation arise that requires immediate attention. 

Beginning Monday,&nbsp; the Saline County Road and Bridge Maintenance Division will modify its working hours as a measure to ensure the safety of staff working in the summer months. Normal operating hours will be changed to 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.These hours of operation will continue until Labor Day.The Engineering Division will remain open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Crews will continue to be available should a situation arise that requires immediate attention.

Saline County Road and Bridge Department modifies hours for some staff

Today is Sunday, June 7, the 159th day of 2020. There are 207 days left in the year.

On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia offered a resolution to the Continental Congress stating "That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States."

In 1654, King Louis XIV, age 15, was crowned in Rheims, 11 years after the start of his reign.

In 1712, Pennsylvania's colonial assembly voted to ban the further importation of slaves.

In 1892, Homer Plessy, a "Creole of color," was arrested for refusing to leave a whites-only car of the East Louisiana Railroad. (Ruling on his case, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld "separate but equal" racial segregation, a concept it renounced in 1954.)

In 1942, the Battle of Midway ended in a decisive victory for American naval forces over Imperial Japan, marking a turning point in the Pacific War.

In 1954, British mathematician, computer pioneer and code breaker Alan Turing died at age 41, an apparent suicide. (Turing, convicted in 1952 of "gross indecency" for a homosexual relationship, was pardoned in 2013.

In 1958, singer-songwriter Prince was born Prince Rogers Nelson in Minneapolis.

In 1965, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Griswold v. Connecticut, struck down, 7-2, a Connecticut law used to prosecute a Planned Parenthood clinic in New Haven for providing contraceptives to married couples.

In 1977, Britons thronged London to celebrate the silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, who was marking the 25th year of her reign.

In 1981, Israeli military planes destroyed a nuclear power plant in Iraq, a facility the Israelis charged could have been used to make nuclear weapons.

In 1993, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that religious groups could sometimes meet on school property after hours. Ground was broken for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

In 1998, in a crime that shocked the nation, James Byrd Jr., a 49-year-old black man, was hooked by a chain to a pickup truck and dragged to his death in Jasper, Texas. (Two white men were later sentenced to death; one of them, Lawrence Russell Brewer, was executed in 2011 and the other, John William King, was executed in April, 2019. A third defendant received life with the possibility of parole.)

In 2004, a steady, near-silent stream of people circled through the rotunda of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, where the body of the nation's 40th president lay in repose before traveling to Washington two days later for a state funeral.

Ten years ago: U.S. defense officials announced that Army Spc. Bradley Manning had been detained in Baghdad in connection with a video posted on WikiLeaks showing Apache helicopters gunning down unarmed men in Iraq. Veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas, 89, abruptly retired after calling for Israelis to get "out of Palestine" in an online video. An Indian court convicted seven former employees of Union Carbide's India subsidiary of "death by negligence" for their roles in the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama opened a visit to Germany for a G-7 summit, where he praised the leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Turkish voters rebuked President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ambitions to expand his powers, stripping his party of its simple majority in parliament. Stan Wawrinka beat Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to win the men's French Open title. "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" won best play at the Tony Awards; "Fun Home" won best musical. Actor Christopher Lee, 93, died in London.

One year ago: President Donald Trump announced that he had suspended plans to impose tariffs on Mexico, tweeting that the country had "agreed to take strong measures" to stem the flow of Central American migrants into the United States; the deal appeared to fall short of some of the dramatic overhauls sought by the United States. NASA announced that the International Space Station would be open for visits by private citizens; a round-trip ticket was expected to cost $58 million. Barnes &amp; Noble, a bookstore chain that had suffered under competition from Amazon and other online sellers, was acquired by hedge fund Elliott Management for $476 million. The University of Alabama returned a $26.5 million donation from philanthropist Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr., and took his name off the university's law school, a week after he called on students to boycott the institution over Alabama's new abortion ban.

Today's Birthdays: Movie director James Ivory is 92. Former Canadian Prime Minister John Turner is 91. Actress Virginia McKenna is 89. Singer Tom Jones is 80. Actor Ronald Pickup is 80. Poet Nikki Giovanni is 77. Former talk show host Jenny Jones is 74. Americana singer-songwriter Willie Nile is 72. Actress Anne Twomey is 69. Actor Liam Neeson is 68. Actress Colleen Camp is 67. Author Louise Erdrich is 66. Actor William Forsythe is 65. Record producer L.A. Reid is 64. Latin pop singer Juan Luis Guerra is 63. Vice President Mike Pence is 61. Rock singer-musician Gordon Gano (The Violent Femmes) is 57. Rapper Ecstasy (Whodini) is 56. Rock musician Eric Kretz (Stone Temple Pilots) is 54. Rock musician Dave Navarro is 53. Actress Helen Baxendale is 50. Actor Karl Urban is 48. TV personality Bear Grylls is 46. Rock musician Eric Johnson (The Shins) is 44. Actress Adrienne Frantz is 42. Actor-comedian Bill Hader is 42. Actress Anna Torv is 41. Actress Larisa Oleynik is 39. Former tennis player Anna Kournikova is 39. Actor Michael Cera is 32. Actress Shelley Buckner is 31. Rapper Iggy Azalea is 30. Actress-model Emily Ratajkowski is 29. Rapper Fetty Wap is 29.

Thought for Today: "Two men look out through the same bars: One sees the mud and one the stars." — Frederick Langbridge, English clergyman and author (1849-1922.)

<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>Today is Sunday, June 7, the 159th day of 2020. There are 207 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia offered a resolution to the Continental Congress stating "That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States."On this date:In 1654, King Louis XIV, age 15, was crowned in Rheims, 11 years after the start of his reign.In 1712, Pennsylvania's colonial assembly voted to ban the further importation of slaves.In 1892, Homer Plessy, a "Creole of color," was arrested for refusing to leave a whites-only car of the East Louisiana Railroad. (Ruling on his case, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld "separate but equal" racial segregation, a concept it renounced in 1954.)In 1942, the Battle of Midway ended in a decisive victory for American naval forces over Imperial Japan, marking a turning point in the Pacific War.In 1954, British mathematician, computer pioneer and code breaker Alan Turing died at age 41, an apparent suicide. (Turing, convicted in 1952 of "gross indecency" for a homosexual relationship, was pardoned in 2013.In 1958, singer-songwriter Prince was born Prince Rogers Nelson in Minneapolis.In 1965, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Griswold v. Connecticut, struck down, 7-2, a Connecticut law used to prosecute a Planned Parenthood clinic in New Haven for providing contraceptives to married couples.In 1977, Britons thronged London to celebrate the silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, who was marking the 25th year of her reign.In 1981, Israeli military planes destroyed a nuclear power plant in Iraq, a facility the Israelis charged could have been used to make nuclear weapons.In 1993, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that religious groups could sometimes meet on school property after hours. Ground was broken for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.In 1998, in a crime that shocked the nation, James Byrd Jr., a 49-year-old black man, was hooked by a chain to a pickup truck and dragged to his death in Jasper, Texas. (Two white men were later sentenced to death; one of them, Lawrence Russell Brewer, was executed in 2011 and the other, John William King, was executed in April, 2019. A third defendant received life with the possibility of parole.)In 2004, a steady, near-silent stream of people circled through the rotunda of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, where the body of the nation's 40th president lay in repose before traveling to Washington two days later for a state funeral.Ten years ago: U.S. defense officials announced that Army Spc. Bradley Manning had been detained in Baghdad in connection with a video posted on WikiLeaks showing Apache helicopters gunning down unarmed men in Iraq. Veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas, 89, abruptly retired after calling for Israelis to get "out of Palestine" in an online video. An Indian court convicted seven former employees of Union Carbide's India subsidiary of "death by negligence" for their roles in the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy.Five years ago: President Barack Obama opened a visit to Germany for a G-7 summit, where he praised the leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Turkish voters rebuked President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ambitions to expand his powers, stripping his party of its simple majority in parliament. Stan Wawrinka beat Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to win the men's French Open title. "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" won best play at the Tony Awards; "Fun Home" won best musical. Actor Christopher Lee, 93, died in London.One year ago: President Donald Trump announced that he had suspended plans to impose tariffs on Mexico, tweeting that the country had "agreed to take strong measures" to stem the flow of Central American migrants into the United States; the deal appeared to fall short of some of the dramatic overhauls sought by the United States. NASA announced that the International Space Station would be open for visits by private citizens; a round-trip ticket was expected to cost $58 million. Barnes &amp; Noble, a bookstore chain that had suffered under competition from Amazon and other online sellers, was acquired by hedge fund Elliott Management for $476 million. The University of Alabama returned a $26.5 million donation from philanthropist Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr., and took his name off the university's law school, a week after he called on students to boycott the institution over Alabama's new abortion ban.Today's Birthdays: Movie director James Ivory is 92. Former Canadian Prime Minister John Turner is 91. Actress Virginia McKenna is 89. Singer Tom Jones is 80. Actor Ronald Pickup is 80. Poet Nikki Giovanni is 77. Former talk show host Jenny Jones is 74. Americana singer-songwriter Willie Nile is 72. Actress Anne Twomey is 69. Actor Liam Neeson is 68. Actress Colleen Camp is 67. Author Louise Erdrich is 66. Actor William Forsythe is 65. Record producer L.A. Reid is 64. Latin pop singer Juan Luis Guerra is 63. Vice President Mike Pence is 61. Rock singer-musician Gordon Gano (The Violent Femmes) is 57. Rapper Ecstasy (Whodini) is 56. Rock musician Eric Kretz (Stone Temple Pilots) is 54. Rock musician Dave Navarro is 53. Actress Helen Baxendale is 50. Actor Karl Urban is 48. TV personality Bear Grylls is 46. Rock musician Eric Johnson (The Shins) is 44. Actress Adrienne Frantz is 42. Actor-comedian Bill Hader is 42. Actress Anna Torv is 41. Actress Larisa Oleynik is 39. Former tennis player Anna Kournikova is 39. Actor Michael Cera is 32. Actress Shelley Buckner is 31. Rapper Iggy Azalea is 30. Actress-model Emily Ratajkowski is 29. Rapper Fetty Wap is 29.Thought for Today: "Two men look out through the same bars: One sees the mud and one the stars." — Frederick Langbridge, English clergyman and author (1849-1922.)Copyright 2020, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Today in History -- June 7

We're in for another hot one today. Fortunately, the heat indices will be a bit lower though.

According to the National Weather Service, high temperatures will once again be above normal. Fortunately, the heat indices will be about five degrees less today than the previous two days. 

Winds will also increase today from the south with gusts in central Kansas expected to be near 40 mph.

After a hot Monday, temperatures are expected to return to near normal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591531154584.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>We're in for another hot one today. Fortunately, the heat indices will be a bit lower though.According to the National Weather Service, high temperatures will once again be above normal. Fortunately, the heat indices will be about five degrees less today than the previous two days. Winds will also increase today from the south with gusts in central Kansas expected to be near 40 mph.After a hot Monday, temperatures are expected to return to near normal.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591531201426.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

NWS: Hot Sunday, Monday, then a return to normal temperatures

HAYS – Fort Hays State University’s Department of Criminal Justice continued the tradition of awarding students who have gone above and beyond in the classroom, on campus, and/or in the community. Award recipients for the 2019-20 academic year are as follows: Abby Hayes, sophomore from Baldwin City, Departmental Service Award, which goes to a student who goes above and beyond in service to the department, the university, and the community. Brooke Luedke, senior from Mankato, Wendell W. Wyatt Scholarship, awarded to a student who entering their junior or senior year demonstrated leadership in and out of the classroom and academic success. Nia Vasquez-Ward, graduating senior from Colorado Springs, Colo., Outstanding Senior Award, given to a graduating senior who demonstrated leadership both in and out of the classroom, involved in a variety of campus activities and organizations, engaged in the community, and academic success. Nia graduated this semester with a bachelor of science in criminal justice and a minor in psychology. This award ceremony would have occurred during the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Honors Reception. The reception was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but these outstanding students still deserve recognition for their hard work and dedication.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591495652770.png" alt="Photos courtesy FHSU" />
 <figcaption>Photos courtesy FHSU</figcaption>
 </figure>HAYS – Fort Hays State University’s Department of Criminal Justice continued the tradition of awarding students who have gone above and beyond in the classroom, on campus, and/or in the community. Award recipients for the 2019-20 academic year are as follows: Abby Hayes, sophomore from Baldwin City, Departmental Service Award, which goes to a student who goes above and beyond in service to the department, the university, and the community. Brooke Luedke, senior from Mankato, Wendell W. Wyatt Scholarship, awarded to a student who entering their junior or senior year demonstrated leadership in and out of the classroom and academic success. Nia Vasquez-Ward, graduating senior from Colorado Springs, Colo., Outstanding Senior Award, given to a graduating senior who demonstrated leadership both in and out of the classroom, involved in a variety of campus activities and organizations, engaged in the community, and academic success. Nia graduated this semester with a bachelor of science in criminal justice and a minor in psychology. This award ceremony would have occurred during the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Honors Reception. The reception was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but these outstanding students still deserve recognition for their hard work and dedication.&nbsp;&nbsp;

FHSU criminal justice department recognizes outstanding students

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; &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; &nbsp;

Recent obituaries

KANcycle,&nbsp;the bike share program of&nbsp;north central Kansas, may be looking for another provider following a recent announcement from Zagster.

OCCK, Inc. has been advised that Zagster, the company responsible for providing the bicycles for the KANcycle bike sharing program, had closed bike sharing in many locations across the country, including Wichita.&nbsp;OCCK has also been advised that Zagster is going out of business and will be liquidating its assets effective immediately.&nbsp;OCCK has not received a direct notification from the company.

The company sent an email to other partners earlier this week.

"We are disappointed by this recent turn of events," said Michelle Griffin, Mobility Manager for north central Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;"Zagster closed down bike sharing at the end of March because of COVID-19, but we hoped that it was just temporary.&nbsp;KANcycle has been so successful and we know people are enjoying riding bikes.&nbsp;If these advisements are true, we plan to have another bike share supplier soon."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591486807578.jpeg" alt="KanCycle bicycles at Kansas Wesleyan University. Salina Post photo" />
 <figcaption>KanCycle bicycles at Kansas Wesleyan University. Salina Post photo</figcaption>
 </figure>KANcycle,&nbsp;the bike share program of&nbsp;north central Kansas, may be looking for another provider following a recent announcement from Zagster.OCCK, Inc. has been advised that Zagster, the company responsible for providing the bicycles for the KANcycle bike sharing program, had closed bike sharing in many locations across the country, including Wichita.&nbsp;OCCK has also been advised that Zagster is going out of business and will be liquidating its assets effective immediately.&nbsp;OCCK has not received a direct notification from the company.The company sent an email to other partners earlier this week."We are disappointed by this recent turn of events," said Michelle Griffin, Mobility Manager for north central Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;"Zagster closed down bike sharing at the end of March because of COVID-19, but we hoped that it was just temporary.&nbsp;KANcycle has been so successful and we know people are enjoying riding bikes.&nbsp;If these advisements are true, we plan to have another bike share supplier soon."OCCK is in the process of researching and partnering with other vendors.&nbsp;Additional announcements will be made in the future once decisions are made.KANcycle, a program of OCCK, provides north central Kansas with convenient, affordable access to bicycles as an easy, fun, healthy and eco-friendly means of transportation and recreation.&nbsp;Bike racks can be found in Salina, Minneapolis, Concordia, Belleville, Mankato, Beloit, Lincoln and Ellsworth.&nbsp;KANcycle is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas.OCCK, Inc. provides services in north central Kansas to anyone with any type of long or short-term disability, starting as early as birth and following people through their whole lives.&nbsp;OCCK provides an array of supports for success at home and in the community, including independent living skills and supports, employment and career training, Alzheimer's supports, autism services, assistive technology, children's services, transportation, specialized therapies, and home health care.For more information about KANcycle, visit www.kancycle.org.&nbsp;For more information about OCCK, Inc., visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.occk.com./" target="_blank">www.occk.com.</a>

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