By RON WILSON Kansas State University

Unsung heroes. They can take many forms, from a hard-working single parent to an inspirational teacher to your local firefighter or police officer. Today we’ll learn about a Kansas-based educational center which is seeking to share examples of unsung heroes so as to improve our communities and our world.

Last week we met Norm Conard, a long-time social studies teacher at Uniontown High School. His students did many award-winning history projects through the years, one of which was a play about Irena Sendler. Sendler was a Polish social worker who rescued 2,500 Jewish children from the Nazis during World War II.&nbsp;&nbsp;After the communists overtook Poland, they suppressed her story for another 45 years before Mr. Conard’s students became aware of it.

Three of Mr. Conard’s high school students did a play for National History Day about Irena Sendler. Eventually her story gained national recognition. The unsung heroism of this woman became known to a grateful world.

Having seen the transformative power of this work, Norm Conard thought about how to create more impact. During his teaching career, he was a USA Today All-American Teacher, Kansan of the Year, member of the National Teachers Hall of Fame, and recipient of many other honors.

As he sought to enhance education using these stories of unsung heroes, he developed a grant proposal to the Milken Family Foundation to create an educational center based on this idea. Not only was the grant ultimately approved, Norm retired from teaching to become the center’s executive director.

Today the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes is located in Fort Scott, Kansas. Its mission is to “transform&nbsp;classrooms and communities through student-driven projects that discover unsung heroes from history and teach the power of one to create positive change.”

The center works with students and educators to develop history projects that highlight role models demonstrating courage, compassion and respect. “It is project-based learning, which allows the students to take ownership,” Norm said.

The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes provides tools, resources and ongoing support for students and educators who are engaged in the development of Unsung Heroes projects. Project participants conduct primary research and interviews to discover and develop an Unsung Hero’s story through an interactive learning process that cultivates critical-thinking, problem-solving and leadership skills. They then create ways to share the story, including student-driven plays, documentary films, websites, museum exhibits and more.

“We present the stories of unsung heroes in history who have made an impact,” Norm Conard said. The museum’s Hall of Unsung Heroes features these stories, one of which is about Irena Sendler herself. “The impact of the Irena Sendler story is world-wide,” Norm said.

“We’ve become a repository of these great stories of people who you might not have heard of,” he said. The center has developed books and school curricula about unsung heroes. The center sponsors national competitions for historic unsung heroes’ presentations with cash prizes totaling $14,000 for students.&nbsp;&nbsp;Each year, the center also sponsors an LMC Fellows program through which educators nationwide are selected for high-level professional development.

Ultimately, the goal of these projects is to help create lasting change in attitudes and behaviors within classrooms, schools and communities across the U.S. and throughout the world.

“A trip to the center is a `wow’ experience,” Norm said. “Last year we had record attendance of 12,000 people.” Visitors have come from all 50 states and 100 countries.

One of Norm’s co-workers, program director Megan Felt, was one of those three high school girls who wrote that original play and began this remarkable movement in support of Irena Sendler. Megan came from the nearby rural community of Bronson, population 323 people. Now, that’s rural.

For more information about the center, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.lowellmilkencenter.org/" target="_blank">www.lowellmilkencenter.org</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.irenasendler.org/" target="_blank">www.irenasendler.org</a>.

Unsung heroes. Not only should we appreciate them, we can learn from them.&nbsp;&nbsp;We commend Norm Conard and all those involved with the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes for making a difference by sharing these heroic stories.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thanks to this center, their praises can be sung, lessons can be learned, and lives can be inspired.

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/2020/3/1583635787501.jpeg" alt="Norm Conard. Photo courtesy KSRE" />
 <figcaption>Norm Conard. Photo courtesy KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Kansas State UniversityUnsung heroes. They can take many forms, from a hard-working single parent to an inspirational teacher to your local firefighter or police officer. Today we’ll learn about a Kansas-based educational center which is seeking to share examples of unsung heroes so as to improve our communities and our world.Last week we met Norm Conard, a long-time social studies teacher at Uniontown High School. His students did many award-winning history projects through the years, one of which was a play about Irena Sendler. Sendler was a Polish social worker who rescued 2,500 Jewish children from the Nazis during World War II.&nbsp;&nbsp;After the communists overtook Poland, they suppressed her story for another 45 years before Mr. Conard’s students became aware of it.Three of Mr. Conard’s high school students did a play for National History Day about Irena Sendler. Eventually her story gained national recognition. The unsung heroism of this woman became known to a grateful world.Having seen the transformative power of this work, Norm Conard thought about how to create more impact. During his teaching career, he was a USA Today All-American Teacher, Kansan of the Year, member of the National Teachers Hall of Fame, and recipient of many other honors.As he sought to enhance education using these stories of unsung heroes, he developed a grant proposal to the Milken Family Foundation to create an educational center based on this idea. Not only was the grant ultimately approved, Norm retired from teaching to become the center’s executive director.Today the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes is located in Fort Scott, Kansas. Its mission is to “transform&nbsp;classrooms and communities through student-driven projects that discover unsung heroes from history and teach the power of one to create positive change.”The center works with students and educators to develop history projects that highlight role models demonstrating courage, compassion and respect. “It is project-based learning, which allows the students to take ownership,” Norm said.The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes provides tools, resources and ongoing support for students and educators who are engaged in the development of Unsung Heroes projects. Project participants conduct primary research and interviews to discover and develop an Unsung Hero’s story through an interactive learning process that cultivates critical-thinking, problem-solving and leadership skills. They then create ways to share the story, including student-driven plays, documentary films, websites, museum exhibits and more.“We present the stories of unsung heroes in history who have made an impact,” Norm Conard said. The museum’s Hall of Unsung Heroes features these stories, one of which is about Irena Sendler herself. “The impact of the Irena Sendler story is world-wide,” Norm said.“We’ve become a repository of these great stories of people who you might not have heard of,” he said. The center has developed books and school curricula about unsung heroes. The center sponsors national competitions for historic unsung heroes’ presentations with cash prizes totaling $14,000 for students.&nbsp;&nbsp;Each year, the center also sponsors an LMC Fellows program through which educators nationwide are selected for high-level professional development.Ultimately, the goal of these projects is to help create lasting change in attitudes and behaviors within classrooms, schools and communities across the U.S. and throughout the world.“A trip to the center is a `wow’ experience,” Norm said. “Last year we had record attendance of 12,000 people.” Visitors have come from all 50 states and 100 countries.One of Norm’s co-workers, program director Megan Felt, was one of those three high school girls who wrote that original play and began this remarkable movement in support of Irena Sendler. Megan came from the nearby rural community of Bronson, population 323 people. Now, that’s rural.For more information about the center, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.lowellmilkencenter.org/" target="_blank">www.lowellmilkencenter.org</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.irenasendler.org/" target="_blank">www.irenasendler.org</a>.Unsung heroes. Not only should we appreciate them, we can learn from them.&nbsp;&nbsp;We commend Norm Conard and all those involved with the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes for making a difference by sharing these heroic stories.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thanks to this center, their praises can be sung, lessons can be learned, and lives can be inspired.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.

Kansas Profile:  Norm Conard, Part 2 – Unsung Heroes

THE STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED TO CORRECT THAT THE FORD F150 WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BY THE SONATA. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY CONFUSION THE ORIGINAL STORY MAY HAVE CAUSED.

MCPHERSON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 10:30 p.m. Saturday in McPherson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Ford F150 driven by Daniel I. Gaylor, 53, Little River, was northbound on Interstate 135 five miles south of McPherson.

The pickup was rear-ended by a 2016 Hyundai Sonata driven by Tyus J. Price, 24, Wichita.&nbsp;

EMS transported a passenger in the pickup Dana C. Clifford, 48, Little River, to the hospital in McPherson. Gaylor and Price were not injured.

All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

THE STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED TO CORRECT THAT THE FORD F150 WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BY THE SONATA. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY CONFUSION THE ORIGINAL STORY MAY HAVE CAUSED.MCPHERSON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 10:30 p.m. Saturday in McPherson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Ford F150 driven by Daniel I. Gaylor, 53, Little River, was northbound on Interstate 135 five miles south of McPherson.The pickup was rear-ended by a 2016 Hyundai Sonata driven by Tyus J. Price, 24, Wichita.&nbsp;EMS transported a passenger in the pickup Dana C. Clifford, 48, Little River, to the hospital in McPherson. Gaylor and Price were not injured.All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

UPDATE: Kansas woman hospitalized after I-135 rear-end crash

CONCORDIA --&nbsp;Students from Salina South High School recently toured the cadaver lab and nursing department at Cloud County Community College.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583633106516.jpeg" alt="Salina South students pictured, from left are: Mackenzie Bullis, Maritza Dominguez, DJ Woodward, Aila Yager, Whitney Young, Grace Allen, and Hadley Lawson. Second row, from left are: Jayden McLaughlin, Michelle Tran, Tiffani Campbell, Peri Anderson, Rohan Patel, Jailing Nguyen, Emily Like, and Analeigh Thomas. Back row, from left are: Audrey Chestnut, Rocio Figuena, Nayeli Cabrillero, Madisyn Vannoy, and Lilyian Hanks. Photo courtesy CCCC" />
 <figcaption>Salina South students pictured, from left are: Mackenzie Bullis, Maritza Dominguez, DJ Woodward, Aila Yager, Whitney Young, Grace Allen, and Hadley Lawson. Second row, from left are: Jayden McLaughlin, Michelle Tran, Tiffani Campbell, Peri Anderson, Rohan Patel, Jailing Nguyen, Emily Like, and Analeigh Thomas. Back row, from left are: Audrey Chestnut, Rocio Figuena, Nayeli Cabrillero, Madisyn Vannoy, and Lilyian Hanks. Photo courtesy CCCC</figcaption>
 </figure>CONCORDIA --&nbsp;Students from Salina South High School recently toured the cadaver lab and nursing department at Cloud County Community College.&nbsp;

Salina South students tour CCCC departments

LINDSBORG -- Bethany Lutheran Church soon will have a new pastor.

The church has announced that Rev. Christopher Deines has accepted the call to serve the church. The Deines family is scheduled to arrive in Lindsborg sometime in mid-March and Deines’ first Sunday serving the church will be Easter Sunday, April 12.

Deines and his wife, Chelsea, are both graduates of Bethany College, classes of 2007 and 2006 respectively. They have three children aged 9, 7, and 2. Deines, ordained in 2012, graduated from Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. He comes to Lindsborg from a two-point ELCA parish in southwest Missouri, which he has been serving for about the last eight years.

“It is with great joy that we have been called to walk with one another in ministry. I am excited to build relationships with God’s children and to move into the future guided by the love and grace of God,” said Deines. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583632540367.jpeg" alt="The Deines family. Photo courtesy Bethany Lutheran Church" />
 <figcaption>The Deines family. Photo courtesy Bethany Lutheran Church</figcaption>
 </figure>LINDSBORG -- Bethany Lutheran Church soon will have a new pastor.The church has announced that Rev. Christopher Deines has accepted the call to serve the church. The Deines family is scheduled to arrive in Lindsborg sometime in mid-March and Deines’ first Sunday serving the church will be Easter Sunday, April 12.Deines and his wife, Chelsea, are both graduates of Bethany College, classes of 2007 and 2006 respectively. They have three children aged 9, 7, and 2. Deines, ordained in 2012, graduated from Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. He comes to Lindsborg from a two-point ELCA parish in southwest Missouri, which he has been serving for about the last eight years.“It is with great joy that we have been called to walk with one another in ministry. I am excited to build relationships with God’s children and to move into the future guided by the love and grace of God,” said Deines.

Bethany Lutheran Church announces new pastor

A new Salina League of Women Voters program emphasizing increased voter turnout is the topic for the organization's upcoming Lunch and Learn Program.

Members and non-members will meet 12:15 p.m. Tuesday in the Prescott Room of Salina Public Library, 301 West Elm Street, to discuss SalinaVotes.

League members will discuss ways to increase voter turnout with proven methods. Get voter registration training and learn about online tools such as <a href="http://VoterToVoter.org">VoterToVoter.org</a> and <a href="http://MapTheVote.org">MapTheVote.org</a>.

Funding for this months-long project comes from the Greater Salina Community Foundation, YWCA Legacy Fund, and UUVotes. Assisting in the work is the LWVK, NAACP, Salina Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, and others.

The program is open to all. The league will provide refreshments.

A new Salina League of Women Voters program emphasizing increased voter turnout is the topic for the organization's upcoming Lunch and Learn Program.Members and non-members will meet 12:15 p.m. Tuesday in the Prescott Room of Salina Public Library, 301 West Elm Street, to discuss SalinaVotes.League members will discuss ways to increase voter turnout with proven methods. Get voter registration training and learn about online tools such as <a href="http://VoterToVoter.org">VoterToVoter.org</a> and <a href="http://MapTheVote.org">MapTheVote.org</a>.Funding for this months-long project comes from the Greater Salina Community Foundation, YWCA Legacy Fund, and UUVotes. Assisting in the work is the LWVK, NAACP, Salina Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, and others.The program is open to all. The league will provide refreshments.

Salina LWV to discuss SalinaVotes

Today is Sunday, March 8, the 68th day of 2020. There are 298 days left in the year.

On March 8, 1979, technology firm Philips demonstrated a prototype compact disc player during a press conference in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

In 1618, German astronomer Johannes Kepler devised his third law of planetary motion.

In 1702, England's Queen Anne acceded to the throne upon the death of King William III.

In 1862, during the Civil War, the ironclad CSS Virginia rammed and sank the USS Cumberland and heavily damaged the USS Congress, both frigates, off Newport News, Virginia.

In 1948, the Supreme Court, in McCollum v. Board of Education, struck down voluntary religious education classes in Champaign, Illinois, public schools, saying the program violated separation of church and state.

In 1960, Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard M. Nixon won the New Hampshire presidential primary.

In 1965, the United States landed its first combat troops in South Vietnam as 3,500 Marines arrived to defend the U.S. air base at Da Nang.

In 1983, in a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals convention in Orlando, Florida, President Ronald Reagan referred to the Soviet Union as an "evil empire."

In 1988, 17 soldiers were killed when two Army helicopters from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, collided in mid-flight.

In 1999, baseball Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio died in Hollywood, Florida, at age 84.

In 2000, President Bill Clinton submitted to Congress legislation to establish permanent normal trade relations with China. (The U.S. and China signed a trade pact in November 2000.)

In 2008, President George W. Bush vetoed a bill that would have banned the CIA from using simulated drowning and other coercive interrogation methods to gain information from suspected terrorists.

In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 with 239 people on board, vanished during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, setting off a massive search. (To date, the fate of the jetliner and its occupants has yet to be determined.)

Ten years ago: President Barack Obama made a spirited, shirt-sleeved appeal for passage of health care legislation during a visit to Arcadia University in Pennsylvania. A magnitude 6 earthquake struck eastern Turkey, killing at least 41 people.

Five years ago: Thousands of people crowded the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, many jammed shoulder to shoulder, to commemorate a bloody confrontation 50 years earlier between police and peaceful protesters that helped bring about the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Sam Simon, 59, a co-creator of "The Simpsons" and an animal-rights advocate, died in Pacific Palisades, California.

One year ago: Maryland's highest court denied a new trial for Adnan Syed, whose murder conviction was chronicled in the hit podcast "Serial." (The court agreed with a lower court that Syed's legal counsel was deficient in failing to investigate an alibi witness, but it disagreed that the deficiency prejudiced the case.) Former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who had served years in prison for leaking classified documents, was sent to jail for up to 18 months for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. (Manning remains behind bars, vowing not to cooperate in the investigation.) A grand jury in Chicago indicted "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett on 16 felony counts related to making a false report that he was attacked by two men who shouted racial and homophobic slurs. (Prosecutors dropped the case in March, but a grand jury revived it in February 2020, indicting Smollett on charges of lying to police about the alleged attack.)

Today's Birthdays: Jazz musician George Coleman is 85. Actress Sue Ane Langdon is 84. College Football Hall of Famer Pete Dawkins is 82. Songwriter Carole Bayer Sager is 76. Actor-director Micky Dolenz (The Monkees) is 75. Singer-musician Randy Meisner is 74. Pop singer Peggy March is 72. Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Rice is 67. Jazz musician Billy Childs is 63. Singer Gary Numan is 62. NBC News anchor Lester Holt is 61. Actor Aidan Quinn is 61. Country musician Jimmy Dormire is 60. Actress Camryn Manheim is 59. Actor Leon is 59. Country-rock singer Shawn Mullins is 52. Neo-soul singer Van Hunt is 50. Actress Andrea Parker is 50. Actor Boris Kodjoe is 47. Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. is 44. Actress Laura Main is 43. Actor James Van Der Beek is 43. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kameelah Williams (702) is 42. Actor Nick Zano is 42. Rock singer Tom Chaplin (Keane) is 41. Rock musician Andy Ross (OK Go) is 41. Actress Jessica Collins is 37. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kristinia DeBarge is 30.

Thought for Today: "The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell." — Simone Weil, French philosopher (1909-1943).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock.com</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock.com</a></figcaption>
 </figure>Today is Sunday, March 8, the 68th day of 2020. There are 298 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On March 8, 1979, technology firm Philips demonstrated a prototype compact disc player during a press conference in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.On this date:In 1618, German astronomer Johannes Kepler devised his third law of planetary motion.In 1702, England's Queen Anne acceded to the throne upon the death of King William III.In 1862, during the Civil War, the ironclad CSS Virginia rammed and sank the USS Cumberland and heavily damaged the USS Congress, both frigates, off Newport News, Virginia.In 1948, the Supreme Court, in McCollum v. Board of Education, struck down voluntary religious education classes in Champaign, Illinois, public schools, saying the program violated separation of church and state.In 1960, Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard M. Nixon won the New Hampshire presidential primary.In 1965, the United States landed its first combat troops in South Vietnam as 3,500 Marines arrived to defend the U.S. air base at Da Nang.In 1983, in a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals convention in Orlando, Florida, President Ronald Reagan referred to the Soviet Union as an "evil empire."In 1988, 17 soldiers were killed when two Army helicopters from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, collided in mid-flight.In 1999, baseball Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio died in Hollywood, Florida, at age 84.In 2000, President Bill Clinton submitted to Congress legislation to establish permanent normal trade relations with China. (The U.S. and China signed a trade pact in November 2000.)In 2008, President George W. Bush vetoed a bill that would have banned the CIA from using simulated drowning and other coercive interrogation methods to gain information from suspected terrorists.In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 with 239 people on board, vanished during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, setting off a massive search. (To date, the fate of the jetliner and its occupants has yet to be determined.)Ten years ago: President Barack Obama made a spirited, shirt-sleeved appeal for passage of health care legislation during a visit to Arcadia University in Pennsylvania. A magnitude 6 earthquake struck eastern Turkey, killing at least 41 people.Five years ago: Thousands of people crowded the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, many jammed shoulder to shoulder, to commemorate a bloody confrontation 50 years earlier between police and peaceful protesters that helped bring about the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Sam Simon, 59, a co-creator of "The Simpsons" and an animal-rights advocate, died in Pacific Palisades, California.One year ago: Maryland's highest court denied a new trial for Adnan Syed, whose murder conviction was chronicled in the hit podcast "Serial." (The court agreed with a lower court that Syed's legal counsel was deficient in failing to investigate an alibi witness, but it disagreed that the deficiency prejudiced the case.) Former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who had served years in prison for leaking classified documents, was sent to jail for up to 18 months for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. (Manning remains behind bars, vowing not to cooperate in the investigation.) A grand jury in Chicago indicted "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett on 16 felony counts related to making a false report that he was attacked by two men who shouted racial and homophobic slurs. (Prosecutors dropped the case in March, but a grand jury revived it in February 2020, indicting Smollett on charges of lying to police about the alleged attack.)Today's Birthdays: Jazz musician George Coleman is 85. Actress Sue Ane Langdon is 84. College Football Hall of Famer Pete Dawkins is 82. Songwriter Carole Bayer Sager is 76. Actor-director Micky Dolenz (The Monkees) is 75. Singer-musician Randy Meisner is 74. Pop singer Peggy March is 72. Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Rice is 67. Jazz musician Billy Childs is 63. Singer Gary Numan is 62. NBC News anchor Lester Holt is 61. Actor Aidan Quinn is 61. Country musician Jimmy Dormire is 60. Actress Camryn Manheim is 59. Actor Leon is 59. Country-rock singer Shawn Mullins is 52. Neo-soul singer Van Hunt is 50. Actress Andrea Parker is 50. Actor Boris Kodjoe is 47. Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. is 44. Actress Laura Main is 43. Actor James Van Der Beek is 43. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kameelah Williams (702) is 42. Actor Nick Zano is 42. Rock singer Tom Chaplin (Keane) is 41. Rock musician Andy Ross (OK Go) is 41. Actress Jessica Collins is 37. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kristinia DeBarge is 30.Thought for Today: "The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell." — Simone Weil, French philosopher (1909-1943).Copyright 2020, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Today in History -- March 8

Interest in exploring alternative pest control measures has increased due to environmental and food safety concerns. A variety of "organic" pest control methods are available for many vegetables commonly grown in Kansas. These methods require regular observations, familiarity with the life cycle of the different pests, and timely, appropriate, and sometimes tedious action.

Remember, pesticides are just one of the many options available to effectively manage pests. Before resorting to use of any pesticide or control measure, consult the following checklist of good gardening practices. By first adopting these practices, you can greatly reduce or eliminate the need for pesticide and control measures.

* Create a "healthy" soil--In the rush to plant, this important step is often overlooked, yet it can make the difference between a productive and a so-so garden. Many insects are attracted to unhealthy, poorly growing plants. Poorly growing plants also recover more slowly from insect injury. Have a soil test and follow the recommendations to supply a full range of nutrients. Adding extra fertilizer won't create healthy soil, because excess nitrogen or phosphorus can promote insect and disease injuries. Add organic matter to the soil each year in the form of soil amendments or mulch.

* Choose pest-resistant or tolerant varieties- Nursery and garden catalogs often identify such varieties.

* Start with quality seeds and healthy plants--Purchase stocky, dark green transplants, and buy certified virus-free seed potatoes.

* Eliminate competition--Remove weeds and grass from the growing site because they compete for nutrients and water. Keep plants growing vigorously. Rapidly growing vegetables can better tolerate or outgrow insect and disease damage, but they also quickly use up available nutrients. Applying fertilizer and water at critical times during maximum plant growth is essential for producing pest- and disease-resistant plants.

* Keep it clean--Remove plants and debris after harvest to avoid harboring insects and diseases. Remove weeds which may provide shelter for pests. Dispose of or burn diseased plants, fruits, and vegetables. Composting is seldom thorough enough to eliminate disease-causing fungi and bacteria.

* Rotate crops--Planting the same crop in the same place year after year invites losses due to soilborne diseases and overwintering pests. Follow a crop rotation of at least three years for the four major vegetable plant families--Solanum (tomato, potato, pepper, eggplant); Cucurbit (melons, squash, cucumbers); Cruciferous (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts); and Allium (onion, garlic, leeks).

* Choose a sunny location away from large trees-- Eight to ten hours of direct sunlight a day are necessary for proper growth, flowering, and fruiting of most vegetable crops. Sunlight also helps to dry foliage and reduce many fungal and bacterial diseases.

* Water properly--Plants receiving either too much or not enough water will be less vigorous and more susceptible to diseases and pests. Consider using a form of drip irrigation, which keeps foliage dry and helps prevent foliar diseases while using water more efficiently.

* Use mulch--Mulches help control weeds and reduce moisture evaporation from the soil surface. They also help to prevent rot caused when fruit is in contact with bare soil. When tilled under, organic mulches become valuable soil amendments.

* Provide good air circulation--Overcrowding plants can cause weak growth and an increase in foliar diseases. Stakes, cages, trellises, and pruning all help to increase air circulation.

* Plant at the proper time--Seeds planted too early are more susceptible to rot. Delay planting until the soil has warmed to allow rapid germination and growth of the young plants.

* Get to know the major pests in your area--Learn the weaknesses in their life cycle, their habits, and at which stages they are most easily controlled. Refrain from using any pesticide until you have correctly identified a pest.

* Grow crops that have fewer pest problems-- Plants that have few insect and disease problems include looseleaf lettuce, rhubarb, Swiss chard, garlic, cos lettuce, leeks, parsley, sweetpotatoes, okra, beets, snap peas, parsnips, carrots, onions, and kale.

* Put up bird feeders and birdhouses--Birds are the leading predators of insects. For instance, more than a dozen species of birds are known to feed on moth larvae.

* Inspect the entire garden at least weekly--Check the undersides of leaves. Discover any symptoms when they first develop so that they can be more easily controlled.

* Be realistic in your expectations--Accept the fact that there may be some damage and even an occasional crop failure. This is also the case in many gardens using conventional pest control methods. 

The above article was included in the March 5 Better Kansas blog from K-State Research and Extension. To see the entire blog or to subscribe to the email version of the blog,&nbsp;<a href="https://blogs.k-state.edu/ksrenews/">click here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583448983183.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Adopt good gardening practices. Photo by&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/walkersalmanac-1995717/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;amp;utm_content=1176406">walkersalmanac </a>courtesy <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;amp;utm_content=1176406">Pixabay</a>" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Adopt good gardening practices. Photo by&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/walkersalmanac-1995717/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;amp;utm_content=1176406">walkersalmanac </a>courtesy <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;amp;utm_content=1176406">Pixabay</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By K-STATE RESEARCH AND EXTENSIONInterest in exploring alternative pest control measures has increased due to environmental and food safety concerns. A variety of "organic" pest control methods are available for many vegetables commonly grown in Kansas. These methods require regular observations, familiarity with the life cycle of the different pests, and timely, appropriate, and sometimes tedious action.Remember, pesticides are just one of the many options available to effectively manage pests. Before resorting to use of any pesticide or control measure, consult the following checklist of good gardening practices. By first adopting these practices, you can greatly reduce or eliminate the need for pesticide and control measures.Checklist of good gardening practices* Create a "healthy" soil--In the rush to plant, this important step is often overlooked, yet it can make the difference between a productive and a so-so garden. Many insects are attracted to unhealthy, poorly growing plants. Poorly growing plants also recover more slowly from insect injury. Have a soil test and follow the recommendations to supply a full range of nutrients. Adding extra fertilizer won't create healthy soil, because excess nitrogen or phosphorus can promote insect and disease injuries. Add organic matter to the soil each year in the form of soil amendments or mulch.* Choose pest-resistant or tolerant varieties- Nursery and garden catalogs often identify such varieties.* Start with quality seeds and healthy plants--Purchase stocky, dark green transplants, and buy certified virus-free seed potatoes.* Eliminate competition--Remove weeds and grass from the growing site because they compete for nutrients and water. Keep plants growing vigorously. Rapidly growing vegetables can better tolerate or outgrow insect and disease damage, but they also quickly use up available nutrients. Applying fertilizer and water at critical times during maximum plant growth is essential for producing pest- and disease-resistant plants.* Keep it clean--Remove plants and debris after harvest to avoid harboring insects and diseases. Remove weeds which may provide shelter for pests. Dispose of or burn diseased plants, fruits, and vegetables. Composting is seldom thorough enough to eliminate disease-causing fungi and bacteria.* Rotate crops--Planting the same crop in the same place year after year invites losses due to soilborne diseases and overwintering pests. Follow a crop rotation of at least three years for the four major vegetable plant families--Solanum (tomato, potato, pepper, eggplant); Cucurbit (melons, squash, cucumbers); Cruciferous (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts); and Allium (onion, garlic, leeks).* Choose a sunny location away from large trees-- Eight to ten hours of direct sunlight a day are necessary for proper growth, flowering, and fruiting of most vegetable crops. Sunlight also helps to dry foliage and reduce many fungal and bacterial diseases.* Water properly--Plants receiving either too much or not enough water will be less vigorous and more susceptible to diseases and pests. Consider using a form of drip irrigation, which keeps foliage dry and helps prevent foliar diseases while using water more efficiently.* Use mulch--Mulches help control weeds and reduce moisture evaporation from the soil surface. They also help to prevent rot caused when fruit is in contact with bare soil. When tilled under, organic mulches become valuable soil amendments.* Provide good air circulation--Overcrowding plants can cause weak growth and an increase in foliar diseases. Stakes, cages, trellises, and pruning all help to increase air circulation.* Plant at the proper time--Seeds planted too early are more susceptible to rot. Delay planting until the soil has warmed to allow rapid germination and growth of the young plants.* Get to know the major pests in your area--Learn the weaknesses in their life cycle, their habits, and at which stages they are most easily controlled. Refrain from using any pesticide until you have correctly identified a pest.* Grow crops that have fewer pest problems-- Plants that have few insect and disease problems include looseleaf lettuce, rhubarb, Swiss chard, garlic, cos lettuce, leeks, parsley, sweetpotatoes, okra, beets, snap peas, parsnips, carrots, onions, and kale.* Put up bird feeders and birdhouses--Birds are the leading predators of insects. For instance, more than a dozen species of birds are known to feed on moth larvae.* Inspect the entire garden at least weekly--Check the undersides of leaves. Discover any symptoms when they first develop so that they can be more easily controlled.* Be realistic in your expectations--Accept the fact that there may be some damage and even an occasional crop failure. This is also the case in many gardens using conventional pest control methods. The above article was included in the March 5 Better Kansas blog from K-State Research and Extension. To see the entire blog or to subscribe to the email version of the blog,&nbsp;<a href="https://blogs.k-state.edu/ksrenews/">click here</a>.

KSRE: Use good gardening practices to reduce pesticide use

OCCK Transportation has announced that Michelle Griffin is the returning mobility manager for north central Kansas.

Griffin, housed at OCCK Transportation, will continue work within the north central Kansas counties of Saline, Ellsworth, Lincoln, Ottawa, Mitchell, Cloud, Republic, and Jewell to identify and close gaps in transportation services, as well as help facilitate agreements and relationships between transportation providers, major employment and medical providers, and cities and counties.

Projects that Griffin has been involved in include:

The 81 Connection fixed route bus service from Belleville to Salina.

The creation of the Kansas Rides website showcasing all public transit options across the state of Kansas.

And KANcycle, the newly created one-of-a-kind regional bike sharing program.&nbsp;

"I'm excited to be back working with north central Kansas to improve public transportation options for all residents," Griffin said."I am looking forward to continuing to grow what we've started and looking at other necessary options. There are several gaps in transportation services but there is potential to meet those needs. By working together, we can continue to help north central Kansas thrive and prosper by allowing residents to stay independent and age in place which benefits us all."

Contact Griffin to schedule presentations on public transportation options within the eight counties of north central Kansas.&nbsp;Travel training is also available for CityGo and 81 Connection fixed routes.

There are currently two other Mobility Managers in the state as well.&nbsp;Mike Spadafore covers the greater Topeka region, and Mike Wilson is based out of Manhattan.&nbsp;Plans are to have Mobility Managers covering all 10 transit districts in Kansas.&nbsp;Mobility management is a joint project between the member transportation agencies in the eight-county region and the Kansas Department of Transportation.

For more information about OCCK Transportation, visit <a href="http://www.salinacitygo.com">www.salinacitygo.com</a> or call 785-826-1583.&nbsp;More information can also be found on the Kansas Rides website at <a href="http://www.ksrides.org">www.ksrides.org</a>.&nbsp;Find out about KANcycle at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kancycle.org/" target="_blank">www.kancycle.org</a>.

OCCK Transportation has announced that Michelle Griffin is the returning mobility manager for north central Kansas.Griffin, housed at OCCK Transportation, will continue work within the north central Kansas counties of Saline, Ellsworth, Lincoln, Ottawa, Mitchell, Cloud, Republic, and Jewell to identify and close gaps in transportation services, as well as help facilitate agreements and relationships between transportation providers, major employment and medical providers, and cities and counties.Projects that Griffin has been involved in include:The 81 Connection fixed route bus service from Belleville to Salina.The creation of the Kansas Rides website showcasing all public transit options across the state of Kansas.And KANcycle, the newly created one-of-a-kind regional bike sharing program.&nbsp;"I'm excited to be back working with north central Kansas to improve public transportation options for all residents," Griffin said."I am looking forward to continuing to grow what we've started and looking at other necessary options. There are several gaps in transportation services but there is potential to meet those needs. By working together, we can continue to help north central Kansas thrive and prosper by allowing residents to stay independent and age in place which benefits us all."Contact Griffin to schedule presentations on public transportation options within the eight counties of north central Kansas.&nbsp;Travel training is also available for CityGo and 81 Connection fixed routes.There are currently two other Mobility Managers in the state as well.&nbsp;Mike Spadafore covers the greater Topeka region, and Mike Wilson is based out of Manhattan.&nbsp;Plans are to have Mobility Managers covering all 10 transit districts in Kansas.&nbsp;Mobility management is a joint project between the member transportation agencies in the eight-county region and the Kansas Department of Transportation.For more information about OCCK Transportation, visit <a href="http://www.salinacitygo.com">www.salinacitygo.com</a> or call 785-826-1583.&nbsp;More information can also be found on the Kansas Rides website at <a href="http://www.ksrides.org">www.ksrides.org</a>.&nbsp;Find out about KANcycle at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kancycle.org/" target="_blank">www.kancycle.org</a>.

Mobility manager returning to north-central Kansas

MANHATTAN – A leading official for one of the United States’ leading providers of cattle genetics told producers Friday that the future is very bright for their industry.

Lorna Marshall, vice president of beef programs for Select Sires of Plain City, Ohio, gave a lively, one-hour talk during the 107th annual Cattlemen’s Day, held at Kansas State University. Officials said there were more than 600 producers from Kansas and nearby states that registered for this year’s event.

“I think the beef industry will have to be very progressive in terms of some of the genetic and reproductive technologies that we adopt to remain competitive within the U.S. market and the global market,” Marshall said. “The neat thing is that the technology is there for us to be very competitive with other protein sources.”

Marshall talked about such advancements as molecular genetics, gene editing, embryo transfer and a better understanding of observable traits (phenotypes) in beef cattle that are helping to move the industry forward.

But, she said, “If you think the change has been dramatic over the last five years, I think it’s getting ready to change at a much faster pace going forward because of several things that are happening to the genetics side of the business from outside pressures that we’re having to work around and adopt.”

Two challenges Marshall talked about were management practices, especially labor involved in raising beef cattle; and consumer’s demands to know how their beef is being raised.

“With social media today, we are more transparent than we ever have been in the past, so we are going to have to be more responsive to consumer demands,” Marshall said. “The cool thing is that with today’s technologies we can positively impact both consumer demands and management practices to make our industry more competitive.”

Marshall added, though, that advancements in genetics are not currently the greatest opportunity for U.S. beef producers: “I think the greatest opportunity in the beef industry is traceability (the ability to follow an animal or group of animals through the supply chain,” she said. “The consumer wants that from us. The side benefit of having a more traceable product is it’s going to identify places where we can be more efficient and a do a better job of meeting the customer’s demands.”

Marshall’s talk was one of the highlights in a day geared to discuss advancements in the beef industry and what the future might look like.

“It’s really impressive,” said Mike Day, head of K-State’s Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, which hosts the event. “I think this is one of those events that is unique to Kansas State and only a few other places, where producers are willing to come to Manhattan and attend these in full force.”

Among other highlights, Oklahoma State University livestock economist Derrell Peel gave an update on the world’s export and import markets for beef cattle, citing access to China as a great opportunity for U.S. producers.

“We don’t have to try to dominate the Chinese market,” Peel said. “Given where it’s at, and how it’s been growing, if we could get 2% or 5% of that market, that’s a really big deal for the U.S. industry. That would be more growth than we’ve seen in any other market in a long time. The Chinese market is a big market, and if you can get even 1% of a big market, that’s a bunch.”

“We are slowly getting back to marketing U.S. beef in China,” he added.

Mike Ehrlich, a cow-calf producer from Marion, Kansas, said he attended Cattlemen’s Day this year to learn about “cattle health and vaccines. And more profitability would always be nice.”

John and Shannon Wertzberger, a husband and wife team who own Wertzberger Ranch Equipment in Alma, Kansas, were among three dozen vendors showing their products. But the Wertzberger’s said they had a little time to visit other booths and gather information for their own cattle operation.

In addition to morning talks by Marshall and Peel, this year’s Cattlemen’s Day offered breakout sessions on reproduction, calving, ruminant digestion, factors influencing the sale of calves, forage sampling and more.

As part of the weekend, K-State also hosted the 50th annual Stockmen’s Dinner on March 5, where Patsy Houghton of McCook, Nebraska, was recognized as 2020 Stockman of the Year; and the 43rd annual Legacy Bull and Female Sale March 6 at the Stanley Stout Center, north of the main campus.

“Cattlemen’s Day allows us to stay in contact with stakeholders,” said Ernie Minton, dean of K-State’s College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension. “This event focuses on something that we all know is quite important to the state of Kansas and the region, so we’re happy to bring educational programs, highlights on research and other things that bring us into contact with those people.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583622097680.jpeg" alt="More than 600 producers from Kansas and nearby states attended the 107th annual Cattlemen’s Day Friday at Kansas State University. Photo courtesy KSRE" />
 <figcaption>More than 600 producers from Kansas and nearby states attended the 107th annual Cattlemen’s Day Friday at Kansas State University. Photo courtesy KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN – A leading official for one of the United States’ leading providers of cattle genetics told producers Friday that the future is very bright for their industry.Lorna Marshall, vice president of beef programs for Select Sires of Plain City, Ohio, gave a lively, one-hour talk during the 107th annual Cattlemen’s Day, held at Kansas State University. Officials said there were more than 600 producers from Kansas and nearby states that registered for this year’s event.“I think the beef industry will have to be very progressive in terms of some of the genetic and reproductive technologies that we adopt to remain competitive within the U.S. market and the global market,” Marshall said. “The neat thing is that the technology is there for us to be very competitive with other protein sources.”Marshall talked about such advancements as molecular genetics, gene editing, embryo transfer and a better understanding of observable traits (phenotypes) in beef cattle that are helping to move the industry forward.But, she said, “If you think the change has been dramatic over the last five years, I think it’s getting ready to change at a much faster pace going forward because of several things that are happening to the genetics side of the business from outside pressures that we’re having to work around and adopt.”Two challenges Marshall talked about were management practices, especially labor involved in raising beef cattle; and consumer’s demands to know how their beef is being raised.“With social media today, we are more transparent than we ever have been in the past, so we are going to have to be more responsive to consumer demands,” Marshall said. “The cool thing is that with today’s technologies we can positively impact both consumer demands and management practices to make our industry more competitive.”Marshall added, though, that advancements in genetics are not currently the greatest opportunity for U.S. beef producers: “I think the greatest opportunity in the beef industry is traceability (the ability to follow an animal or group of animals through the supply chain,” she said. “The consumer wants that from us. The side benefit of having a more traceable product is it’s going to identify places where we can be more efficient and a do a better job of meeting the customer’s demands.”Marshall’s talk was one of the highlights in a day geared to discuss advancements in the beef industry and what the future might look like.“It’s really impressive,” said Mike Day, head of K-State’s Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, which hosts the event. “I think this is one of those events that is unique to Kansas State and only a few other places, where producers are willing to come to Manhattan and attend these in full force.”Among other highlights, Oklahoma State University livestock economist Derrell Peel gave an update on the world’s export and import markets for beef cattle, citing access to China as a great opportunity for U.S. producers.“We don’t have to try to dominate the Chinese market,” Peel said. “Given where it’s at, and how it’s been growing, if we could get 2% or 5% of that market, that’s a really big deal for the U.S. industry. That would be more growth than we’ve seen in any other market in a long time. The Chinese market is a big market, and if you can get even 1% of a big market, that’s a bunch.”“We are slowly getting back to marketing U.S. beef in China,” he added.Mike Ehrlich, a cow-calf producer from Marion, Kansas, said he attended Cattlemen’s Day this year to learn about “cattle health and vaccines. And more profitability would always be nice.”John and Shannon Wertzberger, a husband and wife team who own Wertzberger Ranch Equipment in Alma, Kansas, were among three dozen vendors showing their products. But the Wertzberger’s said they had a little time to visit other booths and gather information for their own cattle operation.In addition to morning talks by Marshall and Peel, this year’s Cattlemen’s Day offered breakout sessions on reproduction, calving, ruminant digestion, factors influencing the sale of calves, forage sampling and more.As part of the weekend, K-State also hosted the 50th annual Stockmen’s Dinner on March 5, where Patsy Houghton of McCook, Nebraska, was recognized as 2020 Stockman of the Year; and the 43rd annual Legacy Bull and Female Sale March 6 at the Stanley Stout Center, north of the main campus.“Cattlemen’s Day allows us to stay in contact with stakeholders,” said Ernie Minton, dean of K-State’s College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension. “This event focuses on something that we all know is quite important to the state of Kansas and the region, so we’re happy to bring educational programs, highlights on research and other things that bring us into contact with those people.”

Cattlemen’s Day highlights new advances in beef industry

PHILLIPS COUNTY — Three people were injured in an accident just after noon Saturday in Phillips County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Dodge Ram driven by Wade Cecil Fitzgerald Haskett, 32, Agra, was westbound on U.S. 36 at the 183&nbsp; Junction on the east edge of Phillipsburg.

The Dodge turned in front of a&nbsp; 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by&nbsp; Steven Edward Sherrick, 52, Abilene. The Jeep struck the Dodge on the passenger side.

EMS transported Sherrick and passengers in the Jeep, Tristan Taylor, 11, and Twila Taylor, 5, both of Phillipsburg, to the Phillips County Hospital.&nbsp; Haskett and a 78-year-old passenger in the Dodge were not injured. All five were properly restrained at the time of the accicdent, according to the KHP.

PHILLIPS COUNTY — Three people were injured in an accident just after noon Saturday in Phillips County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Dodge Ram driven by Wade Cecil Fitzgerald Haskett, 32, Agra, was westbound on U.S. 36 at the 183&nbsp; Junction on the east edge of Phillipsburg.The Dodge turned in front of a&nbsp; 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by&nbsp; Steven Edward Sherrick, 52, Abilene. The Jeep struck the Dodge on the passenger side.EMS transported Sherrick and passengers in the Jeep, Tristan Taylor, 11, and Twila Taylor, 5, both of Phillipsburg, to the Phillips County Hospital.&nbsp; Haskett and a 78-year-old passenger in the Dodge were not injured. All five were properly restrained at the time of the accicdent, according to the KHP.

Man from Abilene, 2 children hospitalized after crash

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

United States Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) learned about rural medicine and primary care preparation during a stop in Salina Friday afternoon. 

With two fourth-year medical students as guides, Moran toured the University of Kansas School of Medicine Salina campus at 138 North Santa Fe Avenue.

The Salina campus opened in 2011 and is "designed for students with a strong interest in Rural Medicine, Primary Care, and providing medical services to rural Kansas," according to information provided by the school. Eight students are admitted each year. As of May 2019, five classes, a total of 39 students, have graduated. 

Since the fall of 2017, the Salina medical school has shared space with the KU School of Nursing-Salina. With a similar intent, the local KU School of Nursing facility focuses on "educating nurses to practice in rural Kansas," according to information from the school.

Dean Robert Moser, M.D., noted that funding from several foundations, not the State of Kansas, was used to establish the Salina campus, which occupies the old Planters State Bank/Bank of America building in downtown Salina.

Moran spent approximately an hour at the Salina campus, touring the facility and asking questions of the student guides and school officials who were on the tour.

The facility stays true to its Kansas mission, even down to the colorful artwork on the walls.

"So you'll see some different artworks as we go around and they're all Kansas which is kind of sticking with the theme of what this campus represents and how we encorporate Kansas every day," said tour guide Emily Lenherr, a fourth-year medical student from Windom.

Moran asked the students whether they thought there was anything missing from their experience here that they might get at a larger medical school.

"Is there anything that you think you are missing. I assume that you could tell me that there are things, a good reason to be here, not there, but is there something that you regret that is not taking place?" Moran asked.

"I don't regret anything," said fourth-year student Clara Strunk from Mulvane.

"No. I think you would be hard-pressed to find a Salina student who says otherwise. We just have such wonderful experiences here and we feel so supported, and I would not have dreamed of a better way to go to medical school," Lenherr added.

Moran then asked the students whether the big campuses treat Salina students with respect. Both agreed that they did.

"They should. You get higher grades," Salina physican Trent Davis quipped.

"When they come over as third-year students, they are very well prepared," he assured Moran.

"So the medical community across Kansas wouldn't have any reason to differentiate between a student who graduates here or Wichita or Kansas City," Moran noted.

Davis is one of a number of Salina physicians who help train the medical students.

"Are there students who come here with no intention of a rural practice, but the setting then lent itself to maybe that's really what I want to do?" Moran asked his student tour guides.

"I think that you can definitely say that that's happened to a couple of people that have gone out from this campus. You know, you just kind of fall in love with the way the medicine is practiced in a smaller town. I think certainly we have people that come in dead set that they're going to go rural and realize that maybe that's not what they're doing," Strunk responded.

"Either way, I think it benefits rural medicine, simply because you end up with people who are passionate about rural medicine in those rural areas and they're more likely to stay," she added.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583614284224.jpeg" alt="Moran with fourth-year medical students Clara Strunk and Emily Lenherr. Salina Post photo" />
 <figcaption>Moran with fourth-year medical students Clara Strunk and Emily Lenherr. Salina Post photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostUnited States Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) learned about rural medicine and primary care preparation during a stop in Salina Friday afternoon. With two fourth-year medical students as guides, Moran toured the University of Kansas School of Medicine Salina campus at 138 North Santa Fe Avenue.The Salina campus opened in 2011 and is "designed for students with a strong interest in Rural Medicine, Primary Care, and providing medical services to rural Kansas," according to information provided by the school. Eight students are admitted each year. As of May 2019, five classes, a total of 39 students, have graduated. Since the fall of 2017, the Salina medical school has shared space with the KU School of Nursing-Salina. With a similar intent, the local KU School of Nursing facility focuses on "educating nurses to practice in rural Kansas," according to information from the school.Dean Robert Moser, M.D., noted that funding from several foundations, not the State of Kansas, was used to establish the Salina campus, which occupies the old Planters State Bank/Bank of America building in downtown Salina.Moran spent approximately an hour at the Salina campus, touring the facility and asking questions of the student guides and school officials who were on the tour.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583614386298.jpeg" alt="This group of paintings depicting the four seasons, are just part of the art created by Kansas artists on display in the Salina facility. Salina Post photo&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>This group of paintings depicting the four seasons, are just part of the art created by Kansas artists on display in the Salina facility. Salina Post photo&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>The facility stays true to its Kansas mission, even down to the colorful artwork on the walls."So you'll see some different artworks as we go around and they're all Kansas which is kind of sticking with the theme of what this campus represents and how we encorporate Kansas every day," said tour guide Emily Lenherr, a fourth-year medical student from Windom.Moran asked the students whether they thought there was anything missing from their experience here that they might get at a larger medical school."Is there anything that you think you are missing. I assume that you could tell me that there are things, a good reason to be here, not there, but is there something that you regret that is not taking place?" Moran asked."I don't regret anything," said fourth-year student Clara Strunk from Mulvane."No. I think you would be hard-pressed to find a Salina student who says otherwise. We just have such wonderful experiences here and we feel so supported, and I would not have dreamed of a better way to go to medical school," Lenherr added.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583614601391.jpeg" alt="Dr. Trent Davis , left, joined the students and Moran on the tour. Salina Post photo" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Trent Davis , left, joined the students and Moran on the tour. Salina Post photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Moran then asked the students whether the big campuses treat Salina students with respect. Both agreed that they did."They should. You get higher grades," Salina physican Trent Davis quipped."When they come over as third-year students, they are very well prepared," he assured Moran."So the medical community across Kansas wouldn't have any reason to differentiate between a student who graduates here or Wichita or Kansas City," Moran noted.Davis is one of a number of Salina physicians who help train the medical students."Are there students who come here with no intention of a rural practice, but the setting then lent itself to maybe that's really what I want to do?" Moran asked his student tour guides."I think that you can definitely say that that's happened to a couple of people that have gone out from this campus. You know, you just kind of fall in love with the way the medicine is practiced in a smaller town. I think certainly we have people that come in dead set that they're going to go rural and realize that maybe that's not what they're doing," Strunk responded."Either way, I think it benefits rural medicine, simply because you end up with people who are passionate about rural medicine in those rural areas and they're more likely to stay," she added.

Moran visits Salina, KU School of Medicine

Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas is hosting a free emergency preparedness workshop March 18.

The faith-based FEMA training event is scheduled for 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. March 18 in the Hall of Bishops at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 118 North Ninth Street. The workshop is open to leaders of all churches, faith-based organizations, and community leaders, according to information on Catholic Charities' <a href="https://www.facebook.com/catholiccharitiesofnorthernks/">Facebook page</a>.

The deadline to register is March 12, the posting noted. To register or for more information, go to <a href="http://ccnks.org">ccnks.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583599634473.jpeg" alt="Image courtesy Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas</figcaption>
 </figure>Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas is hosting a free emergency preparedness workshop March 18.The faith-based FEMA training event is scheduled for 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. March 18 in the Hall of Bishops at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 118 North Ninth Street. The workshop is open to leaders of all churches, faith-based organizations, and community leaders, according to information on Catholic Charities' <a href="https://www.facebook.com/catholiccharitiesofnorthernks/">Facebook page</a>.The deadline to register is March 12, the posting noted. To register or for more information, go to <a href="http://ccnks.org">ccnks.org</a>.

Catholic Charities hosts emergency preparedness workshop

Wise words from the Salina Fire Department. From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/salinafire/">Salina Fire</a> Facebook page:

Wise words from the Salina Fire Department. From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/salinafire/">Salina Fire</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsalinafire%2Fposts%2F2612119458885564%3A0&width=500" width="500" height="699" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>

Salina Fire: Change your clocks and batteries

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Recent obituaries

Americans sometimes assume they are equipped with everything they need — laws, policies and cultural norms — to exercise their right to religious freedom. But is that true? What circumstances need to exist for religious freedom to be possible? What conditions must already be in place if Americans are to exercise their right to believe and act in accordance with their religious identities?

Corey D. B. Walker, a religious studies scholar at the University of Richmond, recently raised these questions at a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforuminstitute.org/2020/02/13/lifting-every-voice-in-religious-freedom/" target="_blank">course</a>&nbsp;exploring African-American perspectives about religious freedom. Drawing on the work of Enlightenment philosopher&nbsp;Immanuel Kant, Walker asked students to consider the “conditions of possibility” for religious freedom. So, what are the conditions necessary for enabling religious freedom in the first place?

Consider the Trump administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/trump-announces-school-prayer-guidance-9-agencies-draft-religious-freedom-rules.html" target="_blank">proposed changes</a>&nbsp;to rules in nine federal agencies. The changes are complex and differ somewhat across agencies, but one common theme is the elimination of certain religious liberty protections for social service beneficiaries. These rules were implemented pursuant to an executive order signed by&nbsp;President Obama&nbsp;in 2010 (<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2010-11-22/pdf/2010-29579.pdf" target="_blank">Executive Order 13559</a>). With this order, President Obama embraced recommendations made by his inaugural Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which was comprised of both progressive and conservative religious and community leaders. The order states in part:

If a beneficiary or prospective beneficiary of a social service program supported by federal financial assistance objects to the religious character of an organization that provides services under the program, that organization shall, within a reasonable time after the date of the objection, refer the beneficiary to an alternative provider.

In other words, a religiously affiliated group — like a Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist or Sikh ministry or aid society — can receive a federal grant or contract to provide a social service such as emergency shelter, food supplement or job training programs, addiction treatment services and more. If a religiously affiliated group does so, then the group must refer beneficiaries (those who receive the service) to other groups if the beneficiary objects to the religious affiliation or character of the service provider.

Furthermore, the rules require social service providers to notify beneficiaries that they can request such a referral. The task force that made these recommendations asserted that beneficiaries cannot be expected to know about these protections — social service providers are responsible for informing them.

The Trump administration would eliminate the alternative provider requirement. It would also no longer obligate social service providers to notify beneficiaries that they could request an alternative provider. Beneficiaries could still seek a referral to such a provider, but they would not be told about that option. But under the proposed rule, providers would not be required to try to find an alternative provider.

Do the proposed rules create the “conditions of possibility” for religious freedom? The Trump administration argues the rules would put religious social service providers on a level playing field with non-religious providers, thereby promoting one possible condition for freedom: equality. The administration contends that the alternative provider requirement and beneficiary notice are discriminatory for placing special obligations on religious social service providers. They say those rules are in tension with recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Others assert that these requirements are consistent with the Establishment&nbsp;and&nbsp;Free Exercise Clauses in the First Amendment. And the Supreme Court cases that the Trump administration cites involve governmental policies that refuse to allow religious bodies to compete for state funding or religious individuals to run for certain public offices, not reasonable conditions that apply to government grants religious bodies do receive.

In either case, the Trump administration’s proposed rules would eliminate another condition for freedom: knowledge. If social service beneficiaries are not notified about these religious liberty protections, they may not know that they can request a different religious or non-religious provider. Our judicial system has long acknowledged the link between knowledge of rights and the ability to exercise those rights. Anyone who has watched a crime show knows that the police need to read suspects their&nbsp;<a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-miranda-warning-is-born-47-years-ago-today" target="_blank">Miranda rights</a>, for example.

The Trump administration should not eliminate the alternative referral requirement and beneficiary notice if they want to safeguard the conditions that make religious freedom possible. Even if one accepts their claim that the alternative provider and beneficiary notice requirements present a possibly unconstitutional burden on religious social service providers — a claim vigorously disputed by some church-state lawyers, including&nbsp;Melissa Rogers&nbsp;— the administration could maintain these religious liberty protections for beneficiaries in other ways. The administration could require&nbsp;both&nbsp;religious and non-religious social service providers to make referrals to alternative providers and notify beneficiaries about religious liberty protections for them. Or governmental bodies, not providers, could notify beneficiaries of existing protections. (As Melissa Rogers notes, “[t]he only indefensible approach would be to end such religious freedom requirements”).

Too often those in power present religious freedom as a zero-sum game. In this case, the Trump administration argues that the government can extend religious liberty protections to social service providers or beneficiaries, but not both. But the administration can maintain protections for both and thereby affirm conditions that both conservatives and progressives argue are necessary for religious freedom to exist at all.

A British Council&nbsp;<a href="https://www.britishcouncil.us/sites/default/files/usukreligionbeliefreport_1.pdf" target="_blank">survey</a>&nbsp;released to the public earlier this year found that 89 percent of people in the United States agree that freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental right. As Americans, we should urge the government to do everything it can to create the conditions that make it possible for Americans of all religions and none to exercise that fundamental right.

I am grateful to Melissa Rogers, former executive director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships (2013-2017, for sharing her comments on the proposed rule changes by the Trump administration. Her insightful feedback inspired this column.

Benjamin P. Marcus is religious literacy specialist at the Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum. His email address is:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:bmarcus@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">bmarcus@freedomforum.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576172282950.jpeg" alt="Benjamin Marcus" />
 <figcaption>Benjamin Marcus</figcaption>
 </figure>By BENJAMIN MARCUSAmericans sometimes assume they are equipped with everything they need — laws, policies and cultural norms — to exercise their right to religious freedom. But is that true? What circumstances need to exist for religious freedom to be possible? What conditions must already be in place if Americans are to exercise their right to believe and act in accordance with their religious identities?Corey D. B. Walker, a religious studies scholar at the University of Richmond, recently raised these questions at a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforuminstitute.org/2020/02/13/lifting-every-voice-in-religious-freedom/" target="_blank">course</a>&nbsp;exploring African-American perspectives about religious freedom. Drawing on the work of Enlightenment philosopher&nbsp;Immanuel Kant, Walker asked students to consider the “conditions of possibility” for religious freedom. So, what are the conditions necessary for enabling religious freedom in the first place?Consider the Trump administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/trump-announces-school-prayer-guidance-9-agencies-draft-religious-freedom-rules.html" target="_blank">proposed changes</a>&nbsp;to rules in nine federal agencies. The changes are complex and differ somewhat across agencies, but one common theme is the elimination of certain religious liberty protections for social service beneficiaries. These rules were implemented pursuant to an executive order signed by&nbsp;President Obama&nbsp;in 2010 (<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2010-11-22/pdf/2010-29579.pdf" target="_blank">Executive Order 13559</a>). With this order, President Obama embraced recommendations made by his inaugural Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which was comprised of both progressive and conservative religious and community leaders. The order states in part:If a beneficiary or prospective beneficiary of a social service program supported by federal financial assistance objects to the religious character of an organization that provides services under the program, that organization shall, within a reasonable time after the date of the objection, refer the beneficiary to an alternative provider.In other words, a religiously affiliated group — like a Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist or Sikh ministry or aid society — can receive a federal grant or contract to provide a social service such as emergency shelter, food supplement or job training programs, addiction treatment services and more. If a religiously affiliated group does so, then the group must refer beneficiaries (those who receive the service) to other groups if the beneficiary objects to the religious affiliation or character of the service provider.Furthermore, the rules require social service providers to notify beneficiaries that they can request such a referral. The task force that made these recommendations asserted that beneficiaries cannot be expected to know about these protections — social service providers are responsible for informing them.The Trump administration would eliminate the alternative provider requirement. It would also no longer obligate social service providers to notify beneficiaries that they could request an alternative provider. Beneficiaries could still seek a referral to such a provider, but they would not be told about that option. But under the proposed rule, providers would not be required to try to find an alternative provider.Do the proposed rules create the “conditions of possibility” for religious freedom? The Trump administration argues the rules would put religious social service providers on a level playing field with non-religious providers, thereby promoting one possible condition for freedom: equality. The administration contends that the alternative provider requirement and beneficiary notice are discriminatory for placing special obligations on religious social service providers. They say those rules are in tension with recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Others assert that these requirements are consistent with the Establishment&nbsp;and&nbsp;Free Exercise Clauses in the First Amendment. And the Supreme Court cases that the Trump administration cites involve governmental policies that refuse to allow religious bodies to compete for state funding or religious individuals to run for certain public offices, not reasonable conditions that apply to government grants religious bodies do receive.In either case, the Trump administration’s proposed rules would eliminate another condition for freedom: knowledge. If social service beneficiaries are not notified about these religious liberty protections, they may not know that they can request a different religious or non-religious provider. Our judicial system has long acknowledged the link between knowledge of rights and the ability to exercise those rights. Anyone who has watched a crime show knows that the police need to read suspects their&nbsp;<a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-miranda-warning-is-born-47-years-ago-today" target="_blank">Miranda rights</a>, for example.The Trump administration should not eliminate the alternative referral requirement and beneficiary notice if they want to safeguard the conditions that make religious freedom possible. Even if one accepts their claim that the alternative provider and beneficiary notice requirements present a possibly unconstitutional burden on religious social service providers — a claim vigorously disputed by some church-state lawyers, including&nbsp;Melissa Rogers&nbsp;— the administration could maintain these religious liberty protections for beneficiaries in other ways. The administration could require&nbsp;both&nbsp;religious and non-religious social service providers to make referrals to alternative providers and notify beneficiaries about religious liberty protections for them. Or governmental bodies, not providers, could notify beneficiaries of existing protections. (As Melissa Rogers notes, “[t]he only indefensible approach would be to end such religious freedom requirements”).Too often those in power present religious freedom as a zero-sum game. In this case, the Trump administration argues that the government can extend religious liberty protections to social service providers or beneficiaries, but not both. But the administration can maintain protections for both and thereby affirm conditions that both conservatives and progressives argue are necessary for religious freedom to exist at all.A British Council&nbsp;<a href="https://www.britishcouncil.us/sites/default/files/usukreligionbeliefreport_1.pdf" target="_blank">survey</a>&nbsp;released to the public earlier this year found that 89 percent of people in the United States agree that freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental right. As Americans, we should urge the government to do everything it can to create the conditions that make it possible for Americans of all religions and none to exercise that fundamental right.I am grateful to Melissa Rogers, former executive director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships (2013-2017, for sharing her comments on the proposed rule changes by the Trump administration. Her insightful feedback inspired this column.Benjamin P. Marcus is religious literacy specialist at the Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum. His email address is:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:bmarcus@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">bmarcus@freedomforum.org</a>.

First Five: Conditions of possibility for religious freedom

McPHERSON – A gallery exhibit at McPherson College titled, “Who Does She Think She Is?” brings together women artists, poets, and writers from across Kansas to celebrate women and commemorate the 100th&nbsp;anniversary of the passage of the 19th&nbsp;Amendment, guaranteeing and protecting women’s constitutional right to vote.

The exhibition features works from both young and old, traditional and contemporary. The works cover a wide range of media including, drawing, painting, graphic design, sculpture, assemblage, textiles, jewelry, photography, ceramics, and more. Poems and writings by women writers from the college also accompany the artwork.

“I was inspired by this year’s celebration of 100 years of women’s suffrage and by the under-representation of women in the arts,” Gallery Director Michaela Valli Groeblacher said. “The genesis of this show is rather organic and spontaneous. I invited women from all over Kansas to exhibit their art, poetry, and prose, focusing on works that many might not have seen before.”

Women artists have been marginalized for centuries, according to Groeblacher. The exhibition cites information from the National Museum of Women in the Arts that says until the 1970s it was nearly impossible to find information about women artists referenced in art history books. Women artists still face obstacles and disparities today and are persistently underrepresented in museum collections and exhibitions.

The exhibition is open now through April 18 in Friendship Hall on the college campus. It is open to the public during regular business hours, Monday through Friday. An artists’ reception will be held on April 18 from 5-7 p.m. 

A video featuring the artwork on exhibit can be found at:&nbsp;<a href="http://icm-tracking.meltwater.com/link.php?DynEngagement=true&amp;H=qJ9juQrYQnz1cqUgIm8psgUQ75z%2Bv%2FUt%2BmzLgDhho6nnEEJMrQdYl%2FO1uOlcfyBy1CpxG6jZvV%2FPHykqfH55BH0QsLYg0I1d5AXgLexfsnQo12GUY9TakcjuM%2Fn1e7oF&amp;G=0&amp;R=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mcpherson.edu%2F2020%2F03%2Fgallery-exhibit-at-mcpherson-college-celebrates-women%2F&amp;I=20200305220856.000005b4c177%40mail6-42-usnbn1&amp;X=MHwxMDQ2NzU4OjVlNjE3ODc0YjIzZmU5NjZmMDllYmFiMjs%3D&amp;S=kW7mKR6Va0N-fSzPUm2hDr344LD26vRven4m3gHs_Ro" target="_blank">https://www.mcpherson.edu/2020/03/gallery-exhibit-at-mcpherson-college-celebrates-women/</a>

--<a href="http://mcpherson.edu">mcpherson.edu</a>--

McPHERSON – A gallery exhibit at McPherson College titled, “Who Does She Think She Is?” brings together women artists, poets, and writers from across Kansas to celebrate women and commemorate the 100th&nbsp;anniversary of the passage of the 19th&nbsp;Amendment, guaranteeing and protecting women’s constitutional right to vote.The exhibition features works from both young and old, traditional and contemporary. The works cover a wide range of media including, drawing, painting, graphic design, sculpture, assemblage, textiles, jewelry, photography, ceramics, and more. Poems and writings by women writers from the college also accompany the artwork.“I was inspired by this year’s celebration of 100 years of women’s suffrage and by the under-representation of women in the arts,” Gallery Director Michaela Valli Groeblacher said. “The genesis of this show is rather organic and spontaneous. I invited women from all over Kansas to exhibit their art, poetry, and prose, focusing on works that many might not have seen before.”Women artists have been marginalized for centuries, according to Groeblacher. The exhibition cites information from the National Museum of Women in the Arts that says until the 1970s it was nearly impossible to find information about women artists referenced in art history books. Women artists still face obstacles and disparities today and are persistently underrepresented in museum collections and exhibitions.The exhibition is open now through April 18 in Friendship Hall on the college campus. It is open to the public during regular business hours, Monday through Friday. An artists’ reception will be held on April 18 from 5-7 p.m. A video featuring the artwork on exhibit can be found at:&nbsp;<a href="http://icm-tracking.meltwater.com/link.php?DynEngagement=true&amp;H=qJ9juQrYQnz1cqUgIm8psgUQ75z%2Bv%2FUt%2BmzLgDhho6nnEEJMrQdYl%2FO1uOlcfyBy1CpxG6jZvV%2FPHykqfH55BH0QsLYg0I1d5AXgLexfsnQo12GUY9TakcjuM%2Fn1e7oF&amp;G=0&amp;R=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mcpherson.edu%2F2020%2F03%2Fgallery-exhibit-at-mcpherson-college-celebrates-women%2F&amp;I=20200305220856.000005b4c177%40mail6-42-usnbn1&amp;X=MHwxMDQ2NzU4OjVlNjE3ODc0YjIzZmU5NjZmMDllYmFiMjs%3D&amp;S=kW7mKR6Va0N-fSzPUm2hDr344LD26vRven4m3gHs_Ro" target="_blank">https://www.mcpherson.edu/2020/03/gallery-exhibit-at-mcpherson-college-celebrates-women/</a>Artists in the exhibition include:Becky Hyberger - BenningtonDebbie Wagner - BenningtonRoberta Eichenberg – EmporiaLinda Ganstrom – HaysJulie Unruh - LinnLee Becker – LindsborgMaleta Forsberg – LindsborgTara Killingsworth – LindsborgPhyllis Liljegren-Newson – LindsborgMichaela Valli Groeblacher – LindsborgBriana Zimmerling – LindsborgGeraldine Craig - ManhattanDee Erway-Sherwood – McPhersonJen Pollard – McPhersonAngela Muller – RussellRuth Amortize - SalinaConnie Burket – SalinaKarla Prickett – SalinaSandy Wedel – SalinaCarol Long – St. JohnBarbara Waterman-Peters - TopekaKelsey Gosset Dennis – WichitaMarilyn Grisham – Wichita--<a href="http://mcpherson.edu">mcpherson.edu</a>--

McPherson College gallery exhibit celebrates women

Much of the state is once again under red flag warnings today.

A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Wichita has issued a red flag warning for extreme grassland fire danger in effect from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday for the following counties in our area.

Winds: South 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.

Impacts: Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly and   become very difficult to control. Outdoor burning is not   recommended. Please be mindful of anything that may cause a spark.

NWS in Topeka has issued a red flag warning in effect from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday for the following counties in our area.

WIND: South to southwest winds of 25 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.

HUMIDITY: Afternoon humidity values will fall from 15 to 20 percent.

IMPACTS: Any fires that develop will spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.

NWS in Hastings, Neb., has issued a red flag warning in effect from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday for the following counties in our area.

WINDS: South 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 to 45 mph.

IMPACTS: Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.

Additionally, a wind advisory remains in effect from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday for the following counties in our area.

Strong wind gusts could blow around unsecured objects. High profile vehicles will be susceptible to strong and sudden wind gusts, especially on east-west oriented roads and highways.

Much of the state is once again under red flag warnings today.A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.The National Weather Service (NWS) in Wichita has issued a red flag warning for extreme grassland fire danger in effect from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday for the following counties in our area.Ellsworth CountyLincoln CountyMarion CountyMcPherson CountySaline CountyWinds: South 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.Relative Humidity: As low as 24 percent.Impacts: Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly and become very difficult to control. Outdoor burning is not recommended. Please be mindful of anything that may cause a spark.NWS in Topeka has issued a red flag warning in effect from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday for the following counties in our area.Clay CountyCloud CountyDickinson CountyOttawa CountyRepublic CountyWIND: South to southwest winds of 25 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.HUMIDITY: Afternoon humidity values will fall from 15 to 20 percent.IMPACTS: Any fires that develop will spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.NWS in Hastings, Neb., has issued a red flag warning in effect from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday for the following counties in our area.Jewell CountyMitchell CountyWINDS: South 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 to 45 mph.RELATIVE HUMIDITY: As low as 17 percent.IMPACTS: Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.Additionally, a wind advisory remains in effect from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday for the following counties in our area.Ellsworth CountyLincoln CountyMarion CountyMcPherson CountySaline CountyStrong wind gusts could blow around unsecured objects. High profile vehicles will be susceptible to strong and sudden wind gusts, especially on east-west oriented roads and highways.

NWS issues red flag warnings for Saturday 

Today is Saturday, March 7, the 67th day of 2020. There are 299 days left in the year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock.com</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock.com</a></figcaption>
 </figure>Today is Saturday, March 7, the 67th day of 2020. There are 299 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On March 7, 1965, a march by civil rights demonstrators was violently broken up at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, by state troopers and a sheriff's posse in what came to be known as "Bloody Sunday."On this date:In 1793, during the French Revolutionary Wars, France declared war on Spain.In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell received a U.S. patent for his telephone.In 1911, President William Howard Taft ordered 20,000 troops to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border in response to the Mexican Revolution.In 1912, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen arrived in Hobart, Australia, where he dispatched telegrams announcing his success in leading the first expedition to the South Pole the previous December.In 1926, the first successful trans-Atlantic radio-telephone conversations took place between New York and London.In 1936, Adolf Hitler ordered his troops to march into the Rhineland, thereby breaking the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Pact.In 1945, during World War II, U.S. forces crossed the Rhine at Remagen, Germany, using the damaged but still usable Ludendorff Bridge.In 1975, the U.S. Senate revised its filibuster rule, allowing 60 senators to limit debate in most cases, instead of the previously required two-thirds of senators present.In 1994, the U.S. Navy issued its first permanent orders assigning women to regular duty on a combat ship — in this case, the USS Eisenhower.In 1999, movie director Stanley Kubrick, whose films included "Dr. Strangelove," ''A Clockwork Orange" and "2001: A Space Odyssey," died in Hertfordshire, England, at age 70, having just finished editing "Eyes Wide Shut."In 2001, Ariel Sharon was sworn in as Israel's prime minister, serving until he suffered a stroke in 2006.In 2005, President George W. Bush nominated John Bolton to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, an appointment that ran into Democratic opposition, prompting Bush to make a recess appointment.Ten years ago: The Iraq war thriller "The Hurt Locker" received six Academy Awards including best picture, with Kathryn Bigelow accepting the first directing Oscar awarded to a woman. Iraq held an election in which neither the Sunni-backed coalition nor the Shiite political bloc won a majority, spawning an eight-month deadlock and stalling formation of a new government.Five years ago: President Barack Obama joined tens of thousands of people in Selma, Alabama, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the "Bloody Sunday" march of 1965, saying that America's racial history "still casts its long shadow upon us." Nigeria's home-grown Boko Haram Islamic extremists pledged formal allegiance to the Islamic State group as they battled a multinational force that had dislodged them from a number of towns in the north. Izola Ware Curry, who had stabbed the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the chest with a letter opener at a Harlem book signing in 1958, died at a nursing home in Queens, New York, at age 98.One year ago: Longtime Colombo crime family boss Carmine "The Snake" Persico died at the age of 85 at the Duke University Medical Center; he'd been serving what was effectively a life sentence at a federal prison in Butner, North Carolina. Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was sentenced in Virginia to nearly four years in prison for tax and bank fraud related to his work advising Ukrainian politicians; a federal judge in Washington a week later added three and a-half years to that sentence.Today's Birthdays: TV personality Willard Scott is 86. International Motorsports Hall of Famer Janet Guthrie is 82. Actor Daniel J. Travanti is 80. Entertainment executive Michael Eisner is 78. Rock musician Chris White (The Zombies) is 77. Rock singer Peter Wolf is 74. Rock musician Matthew Fisher (Procol Harum) is 74. Pro Football Hall of Famer Franco Harris is 70. Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Lynn Swann is 68. Rhythm-and-blues singer-musician Ernie Isley (The Isley Brothers) is 68. Rock musician Kenny Aronoff (BoDeans, John Mellencamp) is 67. Actor Bryan Cranston is 64. Actress Donna Murphy is 61. Actor Nick Searcy is 61. Golfer Tom Lehman is 61. International Tennis Hall of Famer Ivan Lendl is 60. Actress Mary Beth Evans is 59. Singer-actress Taylor Dayne is 58. Actor Bill Brochtrup is 57. Author E.L. James is 57. Author Bret Easton Ellis is 56. Opera singer Denyce Graves is 56. Comedian Wanda Sykes is 56. Actor Jonathan Del Arco is 54. Rock musician Randy Guss (Toad the Wet Sprocket) is 53. Actress Rachel Weisz is 50. Actor Peter Sarsgaard is 49. Actor Jay Duplass is 47. Classical singer Sebastien Izambard (Il Divo) is 47. Rock singer Hugo Ferreira (Tantric) is 46. Actress Jenna Fischer is 46. Actor Tobias Menzies is 46. Actress Sarayu Blue is 45. Actress Audrey Marie Anderson is 45. Actor TJ Thyne is 45. Bluegrass singer-musician Frank Solivan is 43. Actress Laura Prepon is 40. Actress Bel Powley is 28. Actress Giselle Eisenberg (TV: "Life in Pieces") is 13.Thought for Today: "In a democracy dissent is an act of faith. Like medicine, the test of its value is not in its taste, but in its effects." — J. William Fulbright, U.S. senator (1905-1995).Copyright 2020, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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