BELOIT -- The Beloit Police Department got tagged. From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/beloitkspd/">Beloit KS Police Department</a> Facebook page:

BELOIT -- The Beloit Police Department got tagged. From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/beloitkspd/">Beloit KS Police Department</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fbeloitkspd%2Fposts%2F1968152699976366&width=500" width="500" height="631" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>

Beloit PD gets tagged, thanks tag artist

Salina USD 305 has closed all of its playgrounds in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/USD305/">USD 305</a> Facebook page:

Salina USD 305 has closed all of its playgrounds in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/USD305/">USD 305</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FUSD305%2Fposts%2F2839420219439784%3A0&width=500" width="500" height="594" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>

Salina USD 305 closes its playgrounds

Two small earthquakes rattled parts of Saline and Dickinson counties Saturday.

The first was a 2.4 magnitude quake that was centered just southeast of the intersection of 800 Avenue and Sage Road in Dickinson County, according to the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS). The quake was recorded at 4:32 a.m. Saturday.

The second was a 2.7 magnitude quake that was centered southeast of Salina between South Holmes Road and South Simpson Road on the west and east and East Water Well Road and East Farrelly Road on the north and south. The quake was recorded just a few seconds before 5:06 p.m. Saturday

Two small earthquakes rattled parts of Saline and Dickinson counties Saturday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585500971105.jpeg" alt="The location of the earthquake in Dickinson County. Maps courtesy KGS" />
 <figcaption>The location of the earthquake in Dickinson County. Maps courtesy KGS</figcaption>
 </figure>The first was a 2.4 magnitude quake that was centered just southeast of the intersection of 800 Avenue and Sage Road in Dickinson County, according to the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS). The quake was recorded at 4:32 a.m. Saturday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585501084661.jpeg" alt="The location of the Saline County earthquake." />
 <figcaption>The location of the Saline County earthquake.</figcaption>
 </figure>The second was a 2.7 magnitude quake that was centered southeast of Salina between South Holmes Road and South Simpson Road on the west and east and East Water Well Road and East Farrelly Road on the north and south. The quake was recorded just a few seconds before 5:06 p.m. Saturday

Two small quakes shake parts of Saline, Dickinson counties

UPDATE: SM Hanson Music has canceled this year's Heartland Bluegrass festival because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Rick Hanson, CEO and president of SM Hanson Music.

SM Hanson Music is bringing back bluegrass! A bluegrass festival, that is.

The SM Hanson Heartland Bluegrass Festival 2020 is scheduled for April 26. The event is scheduled at The Temple, 336 South Santa Fe Avenue, with doors opening at 10:30 a.m. This venue is handicap accessible.

"The SM Hanson Heartland Bluegrass Festival 2020 will include several bluegrass bands from around the state, some general playing and picking sessions, an Instrument Petting Zoo (for kids and adults, open mic stage time, a few instrument vendors, and local food trucks," said Rick Hanson, CEO and president of SM Hanson Music, Inc. "Attendees are encouraged to bring their instrument to join in the music community during the day."

Admission to the event will be by a suggested cash donation or canned food donation for the Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank, Hanson said. 

"This will be our first bluegrass festival since the mid 1970s. We held several events in the '70s at Memorial Hall with bluegrass bands coming from Oklahoma and Arkansas," Hanson explained.

This year, however, the festival will be at The Temple.

"We will use the Grand Entrance on Santa Fe (big bronze doors," Hanson noted. "The steps can be a place to begin picking if the weather is nice. The foyer and second floor space will provide adequate room for performances, picking areas, petting zoo and vendors."

The schedule of performers will be released closer to the date of the event, Hanson said.

The Kansas Bluegrass Association also plans to participate in the festival, he said.

Additionally, The Temple will have volunteers on hand to discuss the  beautiful and historic facility that is being used for so many events. 

"This will be a great opportunity for the public to see The Temple and listen/participate in the bluegrass music event," Hanson said. 

According to Hanson, the festival is sponsored in part by Salina Arts &amp; Humanities.

UPDATE: SM Hanson Music has canceled this year's Heartland Bluegrass festival because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Rick Hanson, CEO and president of SM Hanson Music.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583291607418.jpeg" alt="The Temple in Salina. Salina Post photo" />
 <figcaption>The Temple in Salina. Salina Post photo</figcaption>
 </figure>SM Hanson Music is bringing back bluegrass! A bluegrass festival, that is.The SM Hanson Heartland Bluegrass Festival 2020 is scheduled for April 26. The event is scheduled at The Temple, 336 South Santa Fe Avenue, with doors opening at 10:30 a.m. This venue is handicap accessible."The SM Hanson Heartland Bluegrass Festival 2020 will include several bluegrass bands from around the state, some general playing and picking sessions, an Instrument Petting Zoo (for kids and adults, open mic stage time, a few instrument vendors, and local food trucks," said Rick Hanson, CEO and president of SM Hanson Music, Inc. "Attendees are encouraged to bring their instrument to join in the music community during the day."Admission to the event will be by a suggested cash donation or canned food donation for the Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank, Hanson said. "This will be our first bluegrass festival since the mid 1970s. We held several events in the '70s at Memorial Hall with bluegrass bands coming from Oklahoma and Arkansas," Hanson explained.This year, however, the festival will be at The Temple."We will use the Grand Entrance on Santa Fe (big bronze doors," Hanson noted. "The steps can be a place to begin picking if the weather is nice. The foyer and second floor space will provide adequate room for performances, picking areas, petting zoo and vendors."The schedule of performers will be released closer to the date of the event, Hanson said.The Kansas Bluegrass Association also plans to participate in the festival, he said.Additionally, The Temple will have volunteers on hand to discuss the beautiful and historic facility that is being used for so many events. "This will be a great opportunity for the public to see The Temple and listen/participate in the bluegrass music event," Hanson said. According to Hanson, the festival is sponsored in part by Salina Arts &amp; Humanities.

UPDATE: SM Hanson cancels Heartland Bluegrass Festival

By RON WILSON Kansas State University

Do you like raspberry pie? I do. Today we’ll learn about a different kind of raspberry pie – the kind spelled P-I, as in the mathematical symbol. In this case, Raspberry Pi is the name of a type of computer used by students who are learning to do computer coding.&nbsp;&nbsp;This high-tech project is an initiative of an innovative economic development director in rural Kansas.

Nick Poels is executive director of economic development in Phillips County. He works to build partnerships in various ways to benefit the county as a whole. Phillips County includes the rural communities of Phillipsburg, Logan, Agra, Kirwin, Long Island, Prairie View, Glade, population 86, and Speed, population 35 people. Now, that’s rural.

Nick uses various programs to benefit the county, such as rural opportunity zones, Network Kansas, a commercial revitalization program, and more. In 2018, Nick was in a site council meeting with the Phillipsburg school district when there was discussion about the need to integrate more computer science into education. Forward-looking educators recognized the need for students to have high-tech skills for future careers.

Thanks to Nex-Tech, the local rural telephone company, the community has access to high capacity fiber-optic cable. “Phillipsburg had the benefit of fiber-to-the-premise infrastructure before it reached places like Topeka and Olathe,” Nick said.

He recognized an opportunity to use this capacity and to help students learn high-tech skills. He proposed to his county economic development board that Phillips County Economic Development would partner with the school in a student initiative on computer coding. With the board’s support, PCED bought equipment and online curricula for this project.

At the Fischer Building in downtown Phillipsburg, PCED set up a facility called TechSpace with 25 computer work stations. Nick worked with the school to offer one curriculum for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade and another, more advanced, curriculum for kids in sixth grade through high school.

Among other things, the younger kids were to work with introductory equipment such as Sphero robots and Lego Mindstorm kits. The older kids were to use training computer modules called Raspberry Pi and Arduino, an&nbsp;open-source electronic prototyping software with which users can create interactive electronic devices such as robots.

The program started with the 2019 academic year. “I expected 25 or 30 students,” Nick said. “Now we have 351 students using TechSpace each week.” The school provides busses to take the kids to and from the Fischer Building.

The younger kids are exposed to the basics of computer coding, which is essentially creating digital instructions to direct a computer to carry out a specific task. The older kids’ class time alternates between online classes and hands-on robotics work.

Some kids practice by writing lines of code to direct robots through a maze. Others are building computer games.

Nick’s ultimate goal is to enhance the students’ skills and benefit the workforce and the families of Philips County. He has reached out to people such as Scott DeLoach, head of K-State’s Computer Science department, who has encouraged the project.

“Research from K-State suggests that last year, 600,000 computer science jobs were available in the U.S., with 1 million projected in 2020,” Nick said. “However, the U.S. is only graduating 49,000 computer science graduates a year.”

“This is something totally new for (the students, and they love the challenge,” one teacher said.

“This project has worked so much better than we could have ever expected,” Nick said.&nbsp;

Other communities have expressed interest in this initiative also. “It is with small steps such as this, that we could collectively work toward positioning the state of Kansas as the most computer-literate state in the union,” Nick said.

For more information on Phillips County, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.phillipscountyks.org/" target="_blank">www.phillipscountyks.org</a>.

Do you like raspberry pie? I like the kind from the kitchen. I’m also glad that these students in rural Kansas are using the electronic version. We commend Nick Poels and all those involved with Phillips County Economic Development for making a difference with this futuristic initiative to build high-tech skills. I think the results are delicious.

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/2020/3/1585442713516.jpeg" alt="Phillips County TechSpace. Photo courtesy KSRE" />
 <figcaption>Phillips County TechSpace. Photo courtesy KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Kansas State UniversityDo you like raspberry pie? I do. Today we’ll learn about a different kind of raspberry pie – the kind spelled P-I, as in the mathematical symbol. In this case, Raspberry Pi is the name of a type of computer used by students who are learning to do computer coding.&nbsp;&nbsp;This high-tech project is an initiative of an innovative economic development director in rural Kansas.Nick Poels is executive director of economic development in Phillips County. He works to build partnerships in various ways to benefit the county as a whole. Phillips County includes the rural communities of Phillipsburg, Logan, Agra, Kirwin, Long Island, Prairie View, Glade, population 86, and Speed, population 35 people. Now, that’s rural.Nick uses various programs to benefit the county, such as rural opportunity zones, Network Kansas, a commercial revitalization program, and more. In 2018, Nick was in a site council meeting with the Phillipsburg school district when there was discussion about the need to integrate more computer science into education. Forward-looking educators recognized the need for students to have high-tech skills for future careers.Thanks to Nex-Tech, the local rural telephone company, the community has access to high capacity fiber-optic cable. “Phillipsburg had the benefit of fiber-to-the-premise infrastructure before it reached places like Topeka and Olathe,” Nick said.He recognized an opportunity to use this capacity and to help students learn high-tech skills. He proposed to his county economic development board that Phillips County Economic Development would partner with the school in a student initiative on computer coding. With the board’s support, PCED bought equipment and online curricula for this project.At the Fischer Building in downtown Phillipsburg, PCED set up a facility called TechSpace with 25 computer work stations. Nick worked with the school to offer one curriculum for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade and another, more advanced, curriculum for kids in sixth grade through high school.Among other things, the younger kids were to work with introductory equipment such as Sphero robots and Lego Mindstorm kits. The older kids were to use training computer modules called Raspberry Pi and Arduino, an&nbsp;open-source electronic prototyping software with which users can create interactive electronic devices such as robots.The program started with the 2019 academic year. “I expected 25 or 30 students,” Nick said. “Now we have 351 students using TechSpace each week.” The school provides busses to take the kids to and from the Fischer Building.The younger kids are exposed to the basics of computer coding, which is essentially creating digital instructions to direct a computer to carry out a specific task. The older kids’ class time alternates between online classes and hands-on robotics work.Some kids practice by writing lines of code to direct robots through a maze. Others are building computer games.Nick’s ultimate goal is to enhance the students’ skills and benefit the workforce and the families of Philips County. He has reached out to people such as Scott DeLoach, head of K-State’s Computer Science department, who has encouraged the project.“Research from K-State suggests that last year, 600,000 computer science jobs were available in the U.S., with 1 million projected in 2020,” Nick said. “However, the U.S. is only graduating 49,000 computer science graduates a year.”“This is something totally new for (the students, and they love the challenge,” one teacher said.“This project has worked so much better than we could have ever expected,” Nick said.&nbsp;Other communities have expressed interest in this initiative also. “It is with small steps such as this, that we could collectively work toward positioning the state of Kansas as the most computer-literate state in the union,” Nick said.For more information on Phillips County, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.phillipscountyks.org/" target="_blank">www.phillipscountyks.org</a>.Do you like raspberry pie? I like the kind from the kitchen. I’m also glad that these students in rural Kansas are using the electronic version. We commend Nick Poels and all those involved with Phillips County Economic Development for making a difference with this futuristic initiative to build high-tech skills. I think the results are delicious.Audio and text files of Kansas Profiles are available at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasprofile.com/" target="_blank">http://www.kansasprofile.com</a>. For more information about the Huck Boyd Institute, interested persons can visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huckboydinstitute.org/" target="_blank">http://www.huckboydinstitute.org</a>.Ron Wilson is director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.

Now That’s Rural: Nick Poels, Phillips County coding

The Salina City Commission will meet via telephone conference on Monday despite the day being the fifth Monday of the month.

Commissioners are scheduled to convene on Monday at 2:30 p.m. in room 107 of the City-County Building, 300 W. Ash St.

This is
considered a special meeting as the governing body does not typically meet on
the fifth Monday of the month.

In order to observe guidance restricting gatherings to 10
or less, the meeting will take place via telephone conference which can be
viewed on Salina Media Connection via Cox Cable Channel 20 or online at <a href="http://www.salinatv.org">www.salinatv.org</a>. The meeting will also be broadcasted live on the City of
Salina YouTube channel, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/cityofSalinaKansas">https://www.youtube.com/cityofSalinaKansas</a>.

Citizens that wish to address the City Commission may
provide public comments by dialing (785) 621-0800 and entering participant code
782956 followed by #.

If citizens wish to speak either during the public forum or
when the Mayor requests public comment on an item, citizens must dial *9 from
their phone to alert the moderator, who will open the line.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Items on the city commission agenda for Monday include the first reading of Ordinance No. 20-11031 establishing a temporary moratorium on future  building  permits  in  the  Grand  Prairie  Addition. Should the commission decide to do so, the proposed ordinance may receive a second reading during the meeting, according to the agenda information.

Also on the agenda is a continued financial discussion.

To see the entire Salina City Commission meeting packet (nine pages, <a href="http://weblink.salina.org/WebLink/Browse.aspx?startid=177362&amp;&amp;dbid=0&amp;cr=1">click here</a>.

The Salina City Commission will meet via telephone conference on Monday despite the day being the fifth Monday of the month.Commissioners are scheduled to convene on Monday at 2:30 p.m. in room 107 of the City-County Building, 300 W. Ash St.This is
considered a special meeting as the governing body does not typically meet on
the fifth Monday of the month.In order to observe guidance restricting gatherings to 10
or less, the meeting will take place via telephone conference which can be
viewed on Salina Media Connection via Cox Cable Channel 20 or online at <a href="http://www.salinatv.org">www.salinatv.org</a>. The meeting will also be broadcasted live on the City of
Salina YouTube channel, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/cityofSalinaKansas">https://www.youtube.com/cityofSalinaKansas</a>.Citizens that wish to address the City Commission may
provide public comments by dialing (785) 621-0800 and entering participant code
782956 followed by #.If citizens wish to speak either during the public forum or
when the Mayor requests public comment on an item, citizens must dial *9 from
their phone to alert the moderator, who will open the line.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Items on the city commission agenda for Monday include the first reading of Ordinance No. 20-11031 establishing a temporary moratorium on future building permits in the Grand Prairie Addition. Should the commission decide to do so, the proposed ordinance may receive a second reading during the meeting, according to the agenda information.Also on the agenda is a continued financial discussion.To see the entire Salina City Commission meeting packet (nine pages, <a href="http://weblink.salina.org/WebLink/Browse.aspx?startid=177362&amp;&amp;dbid=0&amp;cr=1">click here</a>.

City commission to meet Monday in special session

UPDATED with additional information from USD 305:

Wave to the bus drivers on SUNDAY! According to USD 305, students are not to gather as a group at bus stops. "Be on your own porch, be in your own vehicle, but do not gather as a group at a bus stop," USD 305 noted. This is for health and safety of all. From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/USD305/">USD 305</a> Facebook page:

UPDATED with additional information from USD 305:Wave to the bus drivers on SUNDAY! According to USD 305, students are not to gather as a group at bus stops. "Be on your own porch, be in your own vehicle, but do not gather as a group at a bus stop," USD 305 noted. This is for health and safety of all. From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/USD305/">USD 305</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FUSD305%2Fposts%2F2838795172835622%3A0&width=500" width="500" height="467" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>

UPDATE: Durham buses on routes, honking, waving SUNDAY

Rick Hanson is committed to bringing Festival Jam to Salina in 2020.

"SM Hanson Music started the Festival Jam 34 years ago as a pre-event to the official Smoky Hill River Festival and have continued to organize, manage and support the Festival Jam as a community event every year since," said Hanson, CEO and president of SM Hanson Music, Inc. "We are committed to bringing a late summer or fall 2020 Festival Jam to the Eric Stein Stage."

On Monday, the Salina City Commission, at the recommendation of Salina Arts &amp; Humanities, voted to cancel this year's festival in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

Hanson told Salina Post that he would like to see this particular Festival Jam to have longer sets for the performers.

"I have suggested that the event be lengthened to allow each of the sixteen bands to perform a 25-minute set, instead of the normal 12-minute set. A longer Festival Jam would allow the entertainers to stretch out a bit and food vendors to benefit from the 6-8 hour event," Hanson said.

Additionally, he would like for the 2020 event, should it happen, to not have an admission charge.

"We would like the event to be free to the public, a celebration of the music community, and rejoice that the community pulled through the COVID-19 disaster," Hanson said.

According to Hanson, the entertainers and bands who were to play at the regular Festival Jam have committed to playing at an event later in the year.

"They would love to participate. The performers at Festival Jam have never been paid and this event would be no different, even though they would play a longer set," he said.

Hanson told Salina Post that he was looking forward to working with Salina Arts &amp; Humanities and the city to bring a special Festival Jam to the community later in 2020.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585439163521.jpeg" alt="The crowd listens to a performance at the first Festival Jam in Salina's Oakdale Park. Photo courtesy SM Hanson Music, Inc." />
 <figcaption>The crowd listens to a performance at the first Festival Jam in Salina's Oakdale Park. Photo courtesy SM Hanson Music, Inc.</figcaption>
 </figure>Rick Hanson is committed to bringing Festival Jam to Salina in 2020."SM Hanson Music started the Festival Jam 34 years ago as a pre-event to the official Smoky Hill River Festival and have continued to organize, manage and support the Festival Jam as a community event every year since," said Hanson, CEO and president of SM Hanson Music, Inc. "We are committed to bringing a late summer or fall 2020 Festival Jam to the Eric Stein Stage."On Monday, the Salina City Commission, at the recommendation of Salina Arts &amp; Humanities, voted to cancel this year's festival in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;Hanson told Salina Post that he would like to see this particular Festival Jam to have longer sets for the performers."I have suggested that the event be lengthened to allow each of the sixteen bands to perform a 25-minute set, instead of the normal 12-minute set. A longer Festival Jam would allow the entertainers to stretch out a bit and food vendors to benefit from the 6-8 hour event," Hanson said.Additionally, he would like for the 2020 event, should it happen, to not have an admission charge."We would like the event to be free to the public, a celebration of the music community, and rejoice that the community pulled through the COVID-19 disaster," Hanson said.According to Hanson, the entertainers and bands who were to play at the regular Festival Jam have committed to playing at an event later in the year."They would love to participate. The performers at Festival Jam have never been paid and this event would be no different, even though they would play a longer set," he said.Hanson told Salina Post that he was looking forward to working with Salina Arts &amp; Humanities and the city to bring a special Festival Jam to the community later in 2020.

Hanson: Festival Jam possible later in 2020

Today is Sunday, March 29, the 89th day of 2020. There are 277 days left in the year.

On March 29, 1971, Army Lt. William L. Calley Jr. was convicted of murdering 22 Vietnamese civilians in the 1968 My Lai (mee ly) massacre. (Calley ended up serving three years under house arrest.) A jury in Los Angeles recommended the death penalty for Charles Manson and three female followers for the 1969 Tate-La Bianca murders. (The sentences were later commuted.)

In 1638, Swedish colonists settled in present-day Delaware.

In 1812, the first White House wedding took place as Lucy Payne Washington, the sister of first lady Dolley Madison, married Supreme Court Justice Thomas Todd.

In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln ordered plans for a relief expedition to sail to South Carolina's Fort Sumter, which was still in the hands of Union forces despite repeated demands by the Confederacy that it be turned over.

In 1912, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott, with his doomed expedition stranded in an Antarctic blizzard after failing to be the first to reach the South Pole, wrote the last words of his journal: "For Gods sake look after our people."

In 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted in New York of conspiracy to commit espionage for the Soviet Union. (They were executed in June 1953.)

In 1951, The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The King and I" opened on Broadway.

In 1962, Jack Paar hosted NBC's "Tonight" show for the final time. (Johnny Carson debuted as host the following October.)

In 1973, the last United States combat troops left South Vietnam, ending America's direct military involvement in the Vietnam War.

In 1974, eight Ohio National Guardsmen were indicted on federal charges stemming from the shooting deaths of four students at Kent State University. (The charges were later dismissed.)

In 2003, in Iraq, a bomber posing as a taxi driver blew up his vehicle, killing himself and four American soldiers. A Turkish man who'd hijacked a Turkish Airlines flight the day before was persuaded by Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to release his 204 hostages after the plane landed in Athens, Greece.

In 2009, General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner resigned under White House pressure. A gunman killed seven residents of the Pinelake Health and Rehabilitation Center in Carthage, N.C., along with a nurse. (Robert Kenneth Stewart was convicted of second-degree murder and other charges and sentenced to more than 140 years in prison.)

In 2017, Britain filed for divorce from the European Union as Prime Minister Theresa May sent a six-page letter to EU Council President Donald Tusk. Two former aides to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie were sentenced to prison for creating a colossal traffic jam at the George Washington Bridge for political revenge, a scandal that sank Christie's White House hopes.

Ten years ago: Two female suicide bombers blew themselves up in twin attacks on Moscow subway stations jam-packed with rush-hour passengers, killing at least 40 people and wounding more than 100. Pop star Ricky Martin confirmed he was gay in bilingual online posts.

Five years ago: A two-day Arab summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, ended with a vow to defeat Iranian-backed Shiite rebels in Yemen and the formal unveiling of plans to form a joint Arab intervention force.

One year ago: A federal judge found that President Donald Trump had exceeded his authority when he reversed bans on offshore drilling in vast parts of the Arctic Ocean and dozens of canyons in the Atlantic Ocean; the ruling blocked oil and gas development off Alaska and in parts of the Atlantic. As they were honored along with five all-male British bands with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Stevie Nicks and Janet Jackson offered support and encouragement for other female artists. President Donald Trump threatened to shut down America's border with Mexico unless Mexican authorities immediately halted all illegal immigration. (Trump later eased off of that threat.) Lyft shares soared as the ride-hailing company went public; the stock opened 21 percent higher than its initial offering price and closed with a gain of 8.7 percent.

Today's Birthdays: Author Judith Guest is 84. Former British Prime Minister Sir John Major is 77. Comedian Eric Idle is 77. Composer Vangelis is 77. Basketball Hall of Famer Walt Frazier is 75. Singer Bobby Kimball (Toto) is 73. Actor Bud Cort is 72. Actor Brendan Gleeson is 65. Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Earl Campbell is 65. Actress Marina Sirtis is 65. International Gymnastics Hall of Famer Kurt Thomas is 64. Actor Christopher Lambert is 63. Rock singer Perry Farrell (Porno for Pyros; Jane's Addiction) is 61. Comedian-actress Amy Sedaris is 59. Model Elle Macpherson is 57. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., is 56. Actress Annabella Sciorra is 56. Movie director Michel Hazanavicius is 53. Rock singer-musician John Popper (Blues Traveler) is 53. Actress Lucy Lawless is 52. Country singer Regina Leigh (Regina Regina) is 52. Country singer Brady Seals is 51. Former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is 49. CBS News correspondent Lara Logan is 49. Actor Sam Hazeldine is 48. International Tennis Hall of Famer Jennifer Capriati is 44. Actor Chris D'Elia is 40. Rhythm and blues singer PJ Morton is 39. Actress Megan Hilty is 39. Pop singer Kelly Sweet is 32.

Thought for Today: "A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for." — William G.T. Shedd, American theologian (1820-1894).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>Today is Sunday, March 29, the 89th day of 2020. There are 277 days left in the year.Today's Highlights in History:On March 29, 1971, Army Lt. William L. Calley Jr. was convicted of murdering 22 Vietnamese civilians in the 1968 My Lai (mee ly) massacre. (Calley ended up serving three years under house arrest.) A jury in Los Angeles recommended the death penalty for Charles Manson and three female followers for the 1969 Tate-La Bianca murders. (The sentences were later commuted.)On this date:In 1638, Swedish colonists settled in present-day Delaware.In 1812, the first White House wedding took place as Lucy Payne Washington, the sister of first lady Dolley Madison, married Supreme Court Justice Thomas Todd.In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln ordered plans for a relief expedition to sail to South Carolina's Fort Sumter, which was still in the hands of Union forces despite repeated demands by the Confederacy that it be turned over.In 1912, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott, with his doomed expedition stranded in an Antarctic blizzard after failing to be the first to reach the South Pole, wrote the last words of his journal: "For Gods sake look after our people."In 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted in New York of conspiracy to commit espionage for the Soviet Union. (They were executed in June 1953.)In 1951, The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The King and I" opened on Broadway.In 1962, Jack Paar hosted NBC's "Tonight" show for the final time. (Johnny Carson debuted as host the following October.)In 1973, the last United States combat troops left South Vietnam, ending America's direct military involvement in the Vietnam War.In 1974, eight Ohio National Guardsmen were indicted on federal charges stemming from the shooting deaths of four students at Kent State University. (The charges were later dismissed.)In 2003, in Iraq, a bomber posing as a taxi driver blew up his vehicle, killing himself and four American soldiers. A Turkish man who'd hijacked a Turkish Airlines flight the day before was persuaded by Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to release his 204 hostages after the plane landed in Athens, Greece.In 2009, General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner resigned under White House pressure. A gunman killed seven residents of the Pinelake Health and Rehabilitation Center in Carthage, N.C., along with a nurse. (Robert Kenneth Stewart was convicted of second-degree murder and other charges and sentenced to more than 140 years in prison.)In 2017, Britain filed for divorce from the European Union as Prime Minister Theresa May sent a six-page letter to EU Council President Donald Tusk. Two former aides to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie were sentenced to prison for creating a colossal traffic jam at the George Washington Bridge for political revenge, a scandal that sank Christie's White House hopes.Ten years ago: Two female suicide bombers blew themselves up in twin attacks on Moscow subway stations jam-packed with rush-hour passengers, killing at least 40 people and wounding more than 100. Pop star Ricky Martin confirmed he was gay in bilingual online posts.Five years ago: A two-day Arab summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, ended with a vow to defeat Iranian-backed Shiite rebels in Yemen and the formal unveiling of plans to form a joint Arab intervention force.One year ago: A federal judge found that President Donald Trump had exceeded his authority when he reversed bans on offshore drilling in vast parts of the Arctic Ocean and dozens of canyons in the Atlantic Ocean; the ruling blocked oil and gas development off Alaska and in parts of the Atlantic. As they were honored along with five all-male British bands with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Stevie Nicks and Janet Jackson offered support and encouragement for other female artists. President Donald Trump threatened to shut down America's border with Mexico unless Mexican authorities immediately halted all illegal immigration. (Trump later eased off of that threat.) Lyft shares soared as the ride-hailing company went public; the stock opened 21 percent higher than its initial offering price and closed with a gain of 8.7 percent.Today's Birthdays: Author Judith Guest is 84. Former British Prime Minister Sir John Major is 77. Comedian Eric Idle is 77. Composer Vangelis is 77. Basketball Hall of Famer Walt Frazier is 75. Singer Bobby Kimball (Toto) is 73. Actor Bud Cort is 72. Actor Brendan Gleeson is 65. Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Earl Campbell is 65. Actress Marina Sirtis is 65. International Gymnastics Hall of Famer Kurt Thomas is 64. Actor Christopher Lambert is 63. Rock singer Perry Farrell (Porno for Pyros; Jane's Addiction) is 61. Comedian-actress Amy Sedaris is 59. Model Elle Macpherson is 57. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., is 56. Actress Annabella Sciorra is 56. Movie director Michel Hazanavicius is 53. Rock singer-musician John Popper (Blues Traveler) is 53. Actress Lucy Lawless is 52. Country singer Regina Leigh (Regina Regina) is 52. Country singer Brady Seals is 51. Former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is 49. CBS News correspondent Lara Logan is 49. Actor Sam Hazeldine is 48. International Tennis Hall of Famer Jennifer Capriati is 44. Actor Chris D'Elia is 40. Rhythm and blues singer PJ Morton is 39. Actress Megan Hilty is 39. Pop singer Kelly Sweet is 32.Thought for Today: "A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for." — William G.T. Shedd, American theologian (1820-1894).Copyright 2020, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Today in History -- March 29

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/even-40-kansans-getting-covid-19-six-months-would-overwhelm-states-hospitals#stream/0">Kansas News Service</a>

Dr. Joe Meier’s hospital in Wilson County has 15 beds, no intensive 
care unit and one ventilator. Two of his neighboring counties in 
southeast Kansas have no hospital at all, and another two have no ICU 
either.

So Meier has a plea to the residents of his region: Stay home.

"It's not a matter of 'if' (COVID-19) is going to hit here,' he said. "It’s a matter of when."

Harvard University researchers looked at&nbsp;<a href="https://globalepidemics.org/2020/03/17/caring-for-covid-19-patients/" target="_blank">nine scenarios</a>&nbsp;for
 how many Americans could catch COVID-19, and how fast. Kansas, it 
turned out, could only handle the milder scenarios. More moderate or 
severe situations would overload the state’s hospitals without dramatic 
steps — such as clearing hospitals of other patients and convincing the 
public to shelter in place.

As of Thursday afternoon, Kansas had 
about 200 confirmed cases of COVID-19, though the true number of people 
carrying the bug is unknown. State officials have said at times that 
they expect to see cases double every three or four days.

Staff at Wilson Medical Center are preparing to run an ad hoc ICU and 
convert spaces used for other purposes into coronavirus wards. The 
hospital is ordering more&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/27/how-ventilators-work-and-why-they-are-so-important-in-saving-people-with-coronavirus" target="_blank">ventilators</a>, which are needed to help severely ill COVID-19 patients breathe, but those could take a month or more to arrive.

“If Wichita becomes full and Topeka becomes full and Kansas City is 
full,” Meier said, “we're going to have to take care of them whether we 
have ICU beds or not.”

While most cases of the new coronavirus are mild, about <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/methodology-how-propublica-mapped-hospital-capacity-for-coronavirus" target="_blank">one in five</a>
 people become sick enough for hospitalization. If too many need that 
level of care at once, Kansas would need field hospitals. Facilities 
could have to ration ventilators and other equipment, as has <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/03/15/coronavirus-rationing-us/" target="_blank">happened elsewhere</a>.

“Everybody
 has a role to play in terms of slowing the spread,” said Thomas Tsai, a
 professor at the Harvard Global Health Institute, which produced the 
study.

But the country’s window of opportunity is closing, he 
added. Strict social distancing is needed to avoid the worst-case 
scenarios and buy time for hospitals that are waiting on equipment and 
protective gear, and training staff on handling COVID-19 patients.

There’s
 a big difference, for example, between 20% of the U.S. catching 
COVID-19 over the next 18 months versus 40% in a year or 60% in half a 
year.

Harvard’s scenarios took into account likely hospitalization rates and how full hospitals already were.

Health
 care facilities in the Kansas City metro and surrounding areas that 
depend on it — what’s known as a hospital referral region — could handle
 only the mildest of Harvard’s scenarios.

That’s a situation in 
which the disease hits 20% of the 2.6 million people over the next 
year-and-a-half. Anything beyond that, and the region’s hospitals would 
overflow.

The vast Wichita referral region (population 1.3 
million, including west and southeast Kansas) could handle up to a 40% 
infection rate over a year-and-a-half. The Topeka referral region 
(population 460,000) could handle a 20% infection rate over a year or 
year-and-a-half.

Kansas didn’t appear ready, according to the researchers’ findings, 
for higher infection rates and swifter spread. Even if hospitals had no 
other patients, there wouldn’t be enough beds in the state for a 40% 
infection rate over six months.

Hospitals have tapered down or shuttered <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/most-kansas-city-area-hospitals-put-elective-surgeries-prepare-covid-19" target="_blank">non-emergency care</a>
 to make space and the state’s main population centers are under 
stay-home orders. Kansas health secretary Lee Norman urges the rest of 
the state to shelter in place, too.

Kansas has asked the federal government for 100 more ventilators from
 a national stockpile, Norman said Wednesday, and may turn to <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/letters-health-care-providers/ventilator-supply-mitigation-strategies-letter-health-care-providers" target="_blank">machines meant for sleep apnea</a>
 to help COVID-19 patients breathe. To address a looming shortage of 
face masks, it’s trying to get ultraviolet lights that would let health 
workers sterilize and reuse the items several times.

The state is also scouring options for <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2020/03/23/coronavirus-and-the-states-governors-plan-field-hospitals-heartland-unemployment-spikes" target="_blank">temporary bed space</a>; in other parts of the U.S., officials are turning to everything from <a href="https://mynorthwest.com/1775827/king-county-field-hospitals-coronavirus/" target="_blank">soccer fields</a> to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/states-closed-hospitals-college-dorms-meet-coronavirus-demands/story?id=69683447" target="_blank">closed hospitals</a>.

Norman
 expected to know more soon about the state’s risks for running out of 
bed space and its options to repurpose existing buildings if needed.

“As
 much as it seems like ‘Oh, well, we’ll call in the National Guard and 
set up tents,” he said, “that's hard. We would much rather move into a 
built environment that was built for patient care, that has (ventilator)
 gases and all the safety features.”

In Topeka, Stormont Vail 
Health swiftly renovated 16 rooms, adding to 31 that were already 
equipped with the right air systems to handle COVID-19 patients. It may 
renovate another 16 rooms, CEO and physician Robert Kenagy said.

His
 hospital is also turning one of its clinics into an acute respiratory 
location to screen and care for suspected COVID-19 patients more 
efficiently and safely.

“We believe that we will be able to 
handle what's coming,” Kenagy said, if Kansans take social distancing 
seriously. “It is vitally important. This is our one opportunity to 
dampen the effect of the pandemic.”

Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Celia_LJ" target="_blank">@celia_LJ</a> or email her at celia@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585421658372.png" alt="Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service " />
 <figcaption>Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service </figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/even-40-kansans-getting-covid-19-six-months-would-overwhelm-states-hospitals#stream/0">Kansas News Service</a>Dr. Joe Meier’s hospital in Wilson County has 15 beds, no intensive 
care unit and one ventilator. Two of his neighboring counties in 
southeast Kansas have no hospital at all, and another two have no ICU 
either.So Meier has a plea to the residents of his region: Stay home."It's not a matter of 'if' (COVID-19) is going to hit here,' he said. "It’s a matter of when."Harvard University researchers looked at&nbsp;<a href="https://globalepidemics.org/2020/03/17/caring-for-covid-19-patients/" target="_blank">nine scenarios</a>&nbsp;for
 how many Americans could catch COVID-19, and how fast. Kansas, it 
turned out, could only handle the milder scenarios. More moderate or 
severe situations would overload the state’s hospitals without dramatic 
steps — such as clearing hospitals of other patients and convincing the 
public to shelter in place.As of Thursday afternoon, Kansas had 
about 200 confirmed cases of COVID-19, though the true number of people 
carrying the bug is unknown. State officials have said at times that 
they expect to see cases double every three or four days.Staff at Wilson Medical Center are preparing to run an ad hoc ICU and 
convert spaces used for other purposes into coronavirus wards. The 
hospital is ordering more&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/27/how-ventilators-work-and-why-they-are-so-important-in-saving-people-with-coronavirus" target="_blank">ventilators</a>, which are needed to help severely ill COVID-19 patients breathe, but those could take a month or more to arrive.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585421697296.jpeg" alt=" Hospitals have tapered off non-emergency care to free up beds. That could help Kansas weather a storm of COVID-19 infections, but experts say only if Kansans also practice social distancing. Credit Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> Hospitals have tapered off non-emergency care to free up beds. That could help Kansas weather a storm of COVID-19 infections, but experts say only if Kansans also practice social distancing. Credit Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>“If Wichita becomes full and Topeka becomes full and Kansas City is 
full,” Meier said, “we're going to have to take care of them whether we 
have ICU beds or not.”While most cases of the new coronavirus are mild, about <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/methodology-how-propublica-mapped-hospital-capacity-for-coronavirus" target="_blank">one in five</a>
 people become sick enough for hospitalization. If too many need that 
level of care at once, Kansas would need field hospitals. Facilities 
could have to ration ventilators and other equipment, as has <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/03/15/coronavirus-rationing-us/" target="_blank">happened elsewhere</a>.“Everybody
 has a role to play in terms of slowing the spread,” said Thomas Tsai, a
 professor at the Harvard Global Health Institute, which produced the 
study.But the country’s window of opportunity is closing, he 
added. Strict social distancing is needed to avoid the worst-case 
scenarios and buy time for hospitals that are waiting on equipment and 
protective gear, and training staff on handling COVID-19 patients.There’s
 a big difference, for example, between 20% of the U.S. catching 
COVID-19 over the next 18 months versus 40% in a year or 60% in half a 
year.Harvard’s scenarios took into account likely hospitalization rates and how full hospitals already were.Health
 care facilities in the Kansas City metro and surrounding areas that 
depend on it — what’s known as a hospital referral region — could handle
 only the mildest of Harvard’s scenarios.That’s a situation in 
which the disease hits 20% of the 2.6 million people over the next 
year-and-a-half. Anything beyond that, and the region’s hospitals would 
overflow.The vast Wichita referral region (population 1.3 
million, including west and southeast Kansas) could handle up to a 40% 
infection rate over a year-and-a-half. The Topeka referral region 
(population 460,000) could handle a 20% infection rate over a year or 
year-and-a-half.Kansas didn’t appear ready, according to the researchers’ findings, 
for higher infection rates and swifter spread. Even if hospitals had no 
other patients, there wouldn’t be enough beds in the state for a 40% 
infection rate over six months.Hospitals have tapered down or shuttered <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/most-kansas-city-area-hospitals-put-elective-surgeries-prepare-covid-19" target="_blank">non-emergency care</a>
 to make space and the state’s main population centers are under 
stay-home orders. Kansas health secretary Lee Norman urges the rest of 
the state to shelter in place, too.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585421732792.jpeg" alt=" Health secretary Lee Norman talks to reporters about COVID-19. (Press briefings are now less crowded and follow social distancing rules.) Credit Jim McLean / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> Health secretary Lee Norman talks to reporters about COVID-19. (Press briefings are now less crowded and follow social distancing rules.) Credit Jim McLean / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas has asked the federal government for 100 more ventilators from
 a national stockpile, Norman said Wednesday, and may turn to <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/letters-health-care-providers/ventilator-supply-mitigation-strategies-letter-health-care-providers" target="_blank">machines meant for sleep apnea</a>
 to help COVID-19 patients breathe. To address a looming shortage of 
face masks, it’s trying to get ultraviolet lights that would let health 
workers sterilize and reuse the items several times.The state is also scouring options for <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2020/03/23/coronavirus-and-the-states-governors-plan-field-hospitals-heartland-unemployment-spikes" target="_blank">temporary bed space</a>; in other parts of the U.S., officials are turning to everything from <a href="https://mynorthwest.com/1775827/king-county-field-hospitals-coronavirus/" target="_blank">soccer fields</a> to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/states-closed-hospitals-college-dorms-meet-coronavirus-demands/story?id=69683447" target="_blank">closed hospitals</a>.Norman
 expected to know more soon about the state’s risks for running out of 
bed space and its options to repurpose existing buildings if needed.“As
 much as it seems like ‘Oh, well, we’ll call in the National Guard and 
set up tents,” he said, “that's hard. We would much rather move into a 
built environment that was built for patient care, that has (ventilator)
 gases and all the safety features.”In Topeka, Stormont Vail 
Health swiftly renovated 16 rooms, adding to 31 that were already 
equipped with the right air systems to handle COVID-19 patients. It may 
renovate another 16 rooms, CEO and physician Robert Kenagy said.His
 hospital is also turning one of its clinics into an acute respiratory 
location to screen and care for suspected COVID-19 patients more 
efficiently and safely.“We believe that we will be able to 
handle what's coming,” Kenagy said, if Kansans take social distancing 
seriously. “It is vitally important. This is our one opportunity to 
dampen the effect of the pandemic.”Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Celia_LJ" target="_blank">@celia_LJ</a> or email her at celia@kcur.org.

Even 40% of Kansans getting COVID-19 in 6 months would overwhelm hospitals 

Here is a look at some of the highest measured wind gusts -- as of 3 p.m. -- across central, south-central, and southeast Kansas from the National Weather Service in Wichita.

It was windy out there today! Here is a look at some of the highest measured wind gusts -- as of 3 p.m. -- across central, south-central, and southeast Kansas from the National Weather Service in Wichita.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585447202892.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

NWS: It was a windy day!

Here is Saturday's COVID-19 update from Saline County:

As of 5 pm, March 28th, 2020, Saline County does not have any residents that have a confirmed positive case of COVID-19. Just because no positive cases have been reported through our official channels, doesn’t mean that there isn’t a potential for a positive case to exist within our community. It is possible that a person hasn’t met the requirements for the testing set by KDHE and have been advised by their medical provider to self-quarantine. When a positive case is identified in Saline County, the Saline County Health Department will be the only official source to release that information.

On Saturday, March 28th, Governor Kelly issued a Statewide Stay-At-Home that takes priority over the Saline County Safer-At-Home order issued by the Saline County Health Officer. The Statewide order is in effect beginning 12:01 am, Monday, March 30th until April 19, 2020 unless extended or rescinded. The Saline County Safer-At-Home order would then go into effect on April 20th, 2020 unless sooner amended, superseded or rescinded.

A copy of the Governor’s Executive Order issuing the Statewide Stay-at-Home order and a copy of her Kansas Essential Functions are attached to this release. If there are any questions from our business community as to whether or not they are deemed essential or any activity is deemed essential, please email your questions to <a href="mailto:keff@ks.gov">keff@ks.gov</a> .

Our County website <a href="http://www.saline.org">www.saline.org</a> has been updated with the most current information.

As stated many times before, this is a rapidly changing situation. Our local government leaders are working hard and are making difficult decisions as it relates to the best interests of the health and safety of our citizens and employees.

Here is Saturday's COVID-19 update from Saline County:As of 5 pm, March 28th, 2020, Saline County does not have any residents that have a confirmed positive case of COVID-19. Just because no positive cases have been reported through our official channels, doesn’t mean that there isn’t a potential for a positive case to exist within our community. It is possible that a person hasn’t met the requirements for the testing set by KDHE and have been advised by their medical provider to self-quarantine. When a positive case is identified in Saline County, the Saline County Health Department will be the only official source to release that information.On Saturday, March 28th, Governor Kelly issued a Statewide Stay-At-Home that takes priority over the Saline County Safer-At-Home order issued by the Saline County Health Officer. The Statewide order is in effect beginning 12:01 am, Monday, March 30th until April 19, 2020 unless extended or rescinded. The Saline County Safer-At-Home order would then go into effect on April 20th, 2020 unless sooner amended, superseded or rescinded.A copy of the Governor’s Executive Order issuing the Statewide Stay-at-Home order and a copy of her Kansas Essential Functions are attached to this release. If there are any questions from our business community as to whether or not they are deemed essential or any activity is deemed essential, please email your questions to <a href="mailto:keff@ks.gov">keff@ks.gov</a> .Our County website <a href="http://www.saline.org">www.saline.org</a> has been updated with the most current information.As stated many times before, this is a rapidly changing situation. Our local government leaders are working hard and are making difficult decisions as it relates to the best interests of the health and safety of our citizens and employees.

Salina County COVID-19 update for Saturday

Salina Area United Way is now accepting applications for funds that have been raised through the SAUW COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund.&nbsp; 

Based upon the charitable structure of the COVID-19 Response Fund, the grants are limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, groups fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, or other charitable organizations able to receive a tax-deductible contribution, such as schools, faith-based organizations, and other public entities.

According to information provided by SAUW, the organization will prioritize community organizations that are providing short-term access to basic needs ie., food, shelter, education, health, and financial stability.&nbsp;

Please complete the application found at the SAUW website,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unitedwaysalina.org/covid-19" target="_blank">https://www.unitedwaysalina.org/covid-19</a>,&nbsp; include a copy of your non-profit status and return a copy to <a href="mailto:info@unitedwaysalina.org">info@unitedwaysalina.org</a>. Your application will be reviewed within two business days.&nbsp; The maximum grant awarded to applicants will not exceed $5,000.

Donations can still be made to the fund in three easy ways:

Online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.unitedwaysalina.org/sauw-covid-19" target="_blank">www.unitedwaysalina.org/sauw-covid-19</a>

Mail a check to Salina Area United Way,&nbsp;210 E Walnut #100, Salina, KS 67401. Please include “Relief Fund” in the memo.

For more information about Salina Area United Way, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.unitedwaysalina.org/" target="_blank">www.unitedwaysalina.org</a>&nbsp;or call Salina Area United Way at 785-827-1312.&nbsp;

Salina Area United Way is now accepting applications for funds that have been raised through the SAUW COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund.&nbsp; Based upon the charitable structure of the COVID-19 Response Fund, the grants are limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, groups fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, or other charitable organizations able to receive a tax-deductible contribution, such as schools, faith-based organizations, and other public entities.According to information provided by SAUW, the organization will prioritize community organizations that are providing short-term access to basic needs ie., food, shelter, education, health, and financial stability.&nbsp;Please complete the application found at the SAUW website,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unitedwaysalina.org/covid-19" target="_blank">https://www.unitedwaysalina.org/covid-19</a>,&nbsp; include a copy of your non-profit status and return a copy to <a href="mailto:info@unitedwaysalina.org">info@unitedwaysalina.org</a>. Your application will be reviewed within two business days.&nbsp; The maximum grant awarded to applicants will not exceed $5,000.Donations can still be made to the fund in three easy ways:Online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.unitedwaysalina.org/sauw-covid-19" target="_blank">www.unitedwaysalina.org/sauw-covid-19</a>Text “TOGETHERUNITED” at 41444Mail a check to Salina Area United Way,&nbsp;210 E Walnut #100, Salina, KS 67401. Please include “Relief Fund” in the memo.For more information about Salina Area United Way, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.unitedwaysalina.org/" target="_blank">www.unitedwaysalina.org</a>&nbsp;or call Salina Area United Way at 785-827-1312.&nbsp;

SAUW now accepting applications for COVID-19 fund

The City of Salina has announced street work for this week.

Monday through Friday, Circle C Construction of Goddard, will continue sealing cracks on the
following City of Salina streets, weather permitting:

Residents will be asked
to remove their cars from streets to facilitate the work, which will take place
generally between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Access to properties within
work zones will be maintained at all times. “Road Work Ahead” signs will be
placed in advance of work zones, and temporary single-lane closures are to be
expected. Motorists are asked to proceed with caution when approaching work
zones for the safety of the crews performing the work. 

The annual crack and
joint sealing program is an important and cost-effective preventive maintenance
component of the City of Salina’s annual street repair program. Crack sealing
the pavement helps prevent water from penetrating into the pavement structure
or sub-base material and aids in reducing a number of pavement problems which
include: crack spreading; formation of voids under pavement; swelling and
shrinking of sub-base materials; freeze-thaw action; alligator cracking; potholing;
and complete failure. Because of its importance and cost- effectiveness, the
Department of Public Works strives to seal each asphalt street in Salina no
less often than every seven years. Approximately 20 centerline miles of streets
will be sealed in 2020.

The $259,000 project is
a major component of the City of Salina’s $5.4 million 2020 maintenance capital
improvement program.

The City of Salina has announced street work for this week.Monday through Friday, Circle C Construction of Goddard, will continue sealing cracks on the
following City of Salina streets, weather permitting:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585419974565.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Residents will be asked
to remove their cars from streets to facilitate the work, which will take place
generally between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Access to properties within
work zones will be maintained at all times. “Road Work Ahead” signs will be
placed in advance of work zones, and temporary single-lane closures are to be
expected. Motorists are asked to proceed with caution when approaching work
zones for the safety of the crews performing the work. The annual crack and
joint sealing program is an important and cost-effective preventive maintenance
component of the City of Salina’s annual street repair program. Crack sealing
the pavement helps prevent water from penetrating into the pavement structure
or sub-base material and aids in reducing a number of pavement problems which
include: crack spreading; formation of voids under pavement; swelling and
shrinking of sub-base materials; freeze-thaw action; alligator cracking; potholing;
and complete failure. Because of its importance and cost- effectiveness, the
Department of Public Works strives to seal each asphalt street in Salina no
less often than every seven years. Approximately 20 centerline miles of streets
will be sealed in 2020.The $259,000 project is
a major component of the City of Salina’s $5.4 million 2020 maintenance capital
improvement program.

Crack sealing work continues on multiple streets

MCPHERSON -- The McPherson County Health Department has announced the county's second and third confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Following is a news release from the McPherson County Health Department.

MCPHERSON -- The McPherson County Health Department has announced the county's second and third confirmed cases of COVID-19.Following is a news release from the McPherson County Health Department.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585421146016.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

McPherson County: Two more COVID-19 cases

As a child, I attended weekend classes at our local synagogue to learn about Judaism. I remember one lesson above all from those years: past Jewish experience of pogroms and the Holocaust demands that Jews speak out against authoritarianism in the present and future.

Government interference in Jewish religious life represents one common sign of creeping authoritarianism. Historically, when governments prohibited Jews from exercising their religious rights, arrests and death soon followed. But how should we respond when the government imposes restrictions on religion in order to protect life?

That is the question that ran through my head when I saw a video on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/YiddishNews/status/1240472711249494016" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;last week of New York City police officers dispersing a crowd of Jews in Crown Heights at the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters who were gathered for evening prayers. Dissenters were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fox5ny.com/news/nypd-fdny-disperse-orthodox-jewish-groups-amid-covid-19-outbreak" target="_blank">threatened</a>&nbsp;with arrest. Again I considered the question when I saw&nbsp;<a href="https://collive.com/fdny-disbands-crowd-filled-jewish-wedding-in-williamsburg/" target="_blank">pictures</a>&nbsp;of the New York City Fire Department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/nyregion/coronavirus-hasidic-weddings-brooklyn.html" target="_blank">disbanding</a>&nbsp;a Jewish wedding in Williamsburg.

Despite the negative visceral reaction I have to those images, and despite the reservations I would otherwise have as a religious liberty advocate who is grounded in Jewish history, I fully support the government’s decision to limit religious gatherings to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

Around the world, governments are implementing measures that enforce social distancing in order to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. For example, last week the New York government banned all gatherings of 50 or more people. The measure applies to all gatherings, religious or not.

Some religious communities have reacted with anger and defiance to action taken by towns, states and the federal government. Last week, three plaintiffs&nbsp;<a href="https://onenewsnow.com/ap/religion/new-hampshire-ban-on-large-gatherings-challenged-in-court" target="_blank">sued</a>&nbsp;New Hampshire’s governor for issuing an order prohibiting gatherings of 50 people or more. In their complaint, the plaintiffs list disrupted activities in which they want to participate in person, including Baptist church services and Sunday school. Other religious leaders have openly defied state bans on large gatherings. On Twitter, a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/rhowardbrowne/status/1239295863173910529" target="_blank">video</a>&nbsp;shows&nbsp;Rodney Howard-Browne, pastor of The River at Tampa Bay church in Florida, inviting congregants to shake hands with one another. “This church will never close,” he declared. And in Louisiana, the Rev.&nbsp;Tony Spell&nbsp;brought together hundreds of people in Life Tabernacle Church,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/21cb04e62aba8144ee0672883dc6eddb" target="_blank">saying</a>, “We hold our religious rights dear and we are going to assemble no matter what someone says.”

But religious freedom — like all freedoms — is not absolute. As my colleague&nbsp;Lata Nott&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/2020/03/19/in-crisis-times-balancing-safety-and-freedom/" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;last week, rights and government interests must be balanced. The government can enact laws that disrupt the free exercise of religion if the government can demonstrate a “compelling interest” for doing so. In this case, the government has a compelling interest to protect public safety and health in the midst of a pandemic by limiting large gatherings. The limits apply equally to religious and non-religious groups, so they are neutrally applicable — another key religious freedom test by courts. And the laws against gatherings are the least restrictive option available to the government to ensure public health.

Importantly, the government has not prohibited other types of religious activities that do not involve large public gatherings. Many houses of worship have chosen to live stream their services so that their members can still participate in religious life. For example, last week more than 25,000 people watched a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2020/03/15/dc-churches-open-sunday-coronavirus-outbreak/" target="_blank">live stream</a>&nbsp;of a service at the Washington National Cathedral. And religious groups around the country, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/churches-overcome-social-distancing-to-continue-outreach" target="_blank">Methodists</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jta.org/2020/03/11/united-states/preparing-for-the-worst-case-scenario-jewish-aid-groups-scramble-amid-the-coronavirus-outbreak" target="_blank">Jews</a>, continue to provide critical social services like meal deliveries to the elderly and the food insecure.

In addition, despite handwringing by some religious leaders about government restrictions that disrupt gatherings, some religious institutions have elected to cancel their own services to protect the most vulnerable in their communities. Numerous Catholic dioceses chose to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2020/03/19/masses-cancelled-how-can-catholics-practice-their-faith-home" target="_blank">suspend</a>&nbsp;celebrations of the Mass. The ADAMS Center in Virginia — the second-biggest mosque in the country — decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2020/03/13/dilemma-facing-religious-leaders-when-close-doors-during-pandemic/" target="_blank">cancel</a>&nbsp;Friday prayer services. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, often referred to as the Mormon Church,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.deseret.com/faith/2020/3/12/21177623/mormon-church-lds-meetings-canceled-worldwide-coronavirus-covid-19" target="_blank">canceled</a>&nbsp;all meetings and activities worldwide. And many Jewish leaders have&nbsp;<a href="https://forward.com/news/441834/at-least-100-test-positive-for-coronavirus-in-hasidic-brooklyn/" target="_blank">called for</a>&nbsp;synagogues and yeshivas to close — and thankfully, communities have begun to&nbsp;<a href="https://thecity.nyc/2020/03/hasidic-leaders-sound-the-alarm-a-fire-is-burning.html" target="_blank">take heed</a>.

Religious liberty advocates should nevertheless pay close attention to government action in the coming weeks and months. A pandemic does not give the government carte blanche to abridge fundamental rights. Thankfully, a number of governmental and civil society organizations are serving as watchdogs to ensure that governments do not cross any bright lines. For example, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has published a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2020%20Factsheet%20Covid-19%20and%20FoRB.pdf" target="_blank">fact sheet</a>&nbsp;about the global pandemic and its impact on religious practice and freedom. And a multi-national research group called&nbsp;<a href="https://diresom.net/" target="_blank">DiReSom</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;Diritto e Religione nelle Società Multiculturali, or Law and Religion in Multicultural Societies — is tracking legal regulations on religion during the COVID-19 outbreak.

But the best way to guard our rights, now as always, is for every person to read or watch the news, contact their representatives when necessary, and insist that we responsibly balance our individual rights and responsibilities to others. COVID-19 will be with us for a long time. Religious freedom will survive this pandemic if we are vigilant.

Benjamin P. Marcus is religious literacy specialist at the Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum Institute. 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. Photo courtesy Freedom Forum" />
 <figcaption>Benjamin Marcus. Photo courtesy Freedom Forum</figcaption>
 </figure>By BENJAMIN MARCUSAs a child, I attended weekend classes at our local synagogue to learn about Judaism. I remember one lesson above all from those years: past Jewish experience of pogroms and the Holocaust demands that Jews speak out against authoritarianism in the present and future.Government interference in Jewish religious life represents one common sign of creeping authoritarianism. Historically, when governments prohibited Jews from exercising their religious rights, arrests and death soon followed. But how should we respond when the government imposes restrictions on religion in order to protect life?That is the question that ran through my head when I saw a video on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/YiddishNews/status/1240472711249494016" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;last week of New York City police officers dispersing a crowd of Jews in Crown Heights at the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters who were gathered for evening prayers. Dissenters were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fox5ny.com/news/nypd-fdny-disperse-orthodox-jewish-groups-amid-covid-19-outbreak" target="_blank">threatened</a>&nbsp;with arrest. Again I considered the question when I saw&nbsp;<a href="https://collive.com/fdny-disbands-crowd-filled-jewish-wedding-in-williamsburg/" target="_blank">pictures</a>&nbsp;of the New York City Fire Department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/nyregion/coronavirus-hasidic-weddings-brooklyn.html" target="_blank">disbanding</a>&nbsp;a Jewish wedding in Williamsburg.Despite the negative visceral reaction I have to those images, and despite the reservations I would otherwise have as a religious liberty advocate who is grounded in Jewish history, I fully support the government’s decision to limit religious gatherings to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic.Around the world, governments are implementing measures that enforce social distancing in order to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. For example, last week the New York government banned all gatherings of 50 or more people. The measure applies to all gatherings, religious or not.Some religious communities have reacted with anger and defiance to action taken by towns, states and the federal government. Last week, three plaintiffs&nbsp;<a href="https://onenewsnow.com/ap/religion/new-hampshire-ban-on-large-gatherings-challenged-in-court" target="_blank">sued</a>&nbsp;New Hampshire’s governor for issuing an order prohibiting gatherings of 50 people or more. In their complaint, the plaintiffs list disrupted activities in which they want to participate in person, including Baptist church services and Sunday school. Other religious leaders have openly defied state bans on large gatherings. On Twitter, a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/rhowardbrowne/status/1239295863173910529" target="_blank">video</a>&nbsp;shows&nbsp;Rodney Howard-Browne, pastor of The River at Tampa Bay church in Florida, inviting congregants to shake hands with one another. “This church will never close,” he declared. And in Louisiana, the Rev.&nbsp;Tony Spell&nbsp;brought together hundreds of people in Life Tabernacle Church,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/21cb04e62aba8144ee0672883dc6eddb" target="_blank">saying</a>, “We hold our religious rights dear and we are going to assemble no matter what someone says.”But religious freedom — like all freedoms — is not absolute. As my colleague&nbsp;Lata Nott&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/2020/03/19/in-crisis-times-balancing-safety-and-freedom/" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;last week, rights and government interests must be balanced. The government can enact laws that disrupt the free exercise of religion if the government can demonstrate a “compelling interest” for doing so. In this case, the government has a compelling interest to protect public safety and health in the midst of a pandemic by limiting large gatherings. The limits apply equally to religious and non-religious groups, so they are neutrally applicable — another key religious freedom test by courts. And the laws against gatherings are the least restrictive option available to the government to ensure public health.Importantly, the government has not prohibited other types of religious activities that do not involve large public gatherings. Many houses of worship have chosen to live stream their services so that their members can still participate in religious life. For example, last week more than 25,000 people watched a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2020/03/15/dc-churches-open-sunday-coronavirus-outbreak/" target="_blank">live stream</a>&nbsp;of a service at the Washington National Cathedral. And religious groups around the country, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/churches-overcome-social-distancing-to-continue-outreach" target="_blank">Methodists</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jta.org/2020/03/11/united-states/preparing-for-the-worst-case-scenario-jewish-aid-groups-scramble-amid-the-coronavirus-outbreak" target="_blank">Jews</a>, continue to provide critical social services like meal deliveries to the elderly and the food insecure.In addition, despite handwringing by some religious leaders about government restrictions that disrupt gatherings, some religious institutions have elected to cancel their own services to protect the most vulnerable in their communities. Numerous Catholic dioceses chose to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2020/03/19/masses-cancelled-how-can-catholics-practice-their-faith-home" target="_blank">suspend</a>&nbsp;celebrations of the Mass. The ADAMS Center in Virginia — the second-biggest mosque in the country — decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2020/03/13/dilemma-facing-religious-leaders-when-close-doors-during-pandemic/" target="_blank">cancel</a>&nbsp;Friday prayer services. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, often referred to as the Mormon Church,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.deseret.com/faith/2020/3/12/21177623/mormon-church-lds-meetings-canceled-worldwide-coronavirus-covid-19" target="_blank">canceled</a>&nbsp;all meetings and activities worldwide. And many Jewish leaders have&nbsp;<a href="https://forward.com/news/441834/at-least-100-test-positive-for-coronavirus-in-hasidic-brooklyn/" target="_blank">called for</a>&nbsp;synagogues and yeshivas to close — and thankfully, communities have begun to&nbsp;<a href="https://thecity.nyc/2020/03/hasidic-leaders-sound-the-alarm-a-fire-is-burning.html" target="_blank">take heed</a>.Religious liberty advocates should nevertheless pay close attention to government action in the coming weeks and months. A pandemic does not give the government carte blanche to abridge fundamental rights. Thankfully, a number of governmental and civil society organizations are serving as watchdogs to ensure that governments do not cross any bright lines. For example, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has published a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2020%20Factsheet%20Covid-19%20and%20FoRB.pdf" target="_blank">fact sheet</a>&nbsp;about the global pandemic and its impact on religious practice and freedom. And a multi-national research group called&nbsp;<a href="https://diresom.net/" target="_blank">DiReSom</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;Diritto e Religione nelle Società Multiculturali, or Law and Religion in Multicultural Societies — is tracking legal regulations on religion during the COVID-19 outbreak.But the best way to guard our rights, now as always, is for every person to read or watch the news, contact their representatives when necessary, and insist that we responsibly balance our individual rights and responsibilities to others. COVID-19 will be with us for a long time. Religious freedom will survive this pandemic if we are vigilant.Benjamin P. Marcus is religious literacy specialist at the Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum Institute. His email address is:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:bmarcus@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">bmarcus@freedomforum.org</a>.

First Five: Can religious freedom survive COVID-19?

MANHATTAN – Officials of two lead Kansas agencies responding to the COVID-19 outbreak will provide information for small businesses online Friday at 9:30 am, as part of K-State Research and Extension’s First Friday monthly webinar series.&nbsp;

The call will be recorded and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/community/business/entrepreneurship/" target="_blank">archived</a>.

The session, to be conducted via Zoom, is free and open to anyone interested in resources available to the public, particularly small businesses and employees in Kansas affected by the global pandemic.

David Toland, Kansas Secretary of Commerce

Laurel Klein Searles, Kansas Director of Unemployment Services

“Kansas has responded quickly to the concerns of small businesses and employees who have lost their livelihoods because of COVID-19,” said Nancy Knopp Daniels, community vitality specialist with K-State Research and Extension. “This call occurs every month in support of small business, but this month we have a special edition to highlight these response programs.”

She noted that a record 3.3 million Americans filed unemployment claims in the past week, which eclipsed the old record of 695,000 new claims in 1982.

To participate, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://ksu.zoom.us/j/2636377104" target="_blank">https://ksu.zoom.us/j/2636377104</a>; or One-Tap Mobile, +&nbsp;13462487799,,2636377104#.

More information about First Friday e-Calls is available&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/community/business/entrepreneurship/" target="_blank">online</a>&nbsp;or by contacting Daniels at 785-410-6352 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:nkdaniels@ksu.edu" target="_blank">nkdaniels@ksu.edu</a>.

MANHATTAN – Officials of two lead Kansas agencies responding to the COVID-19 outbreak will provide information for small businesses online Friday at 9:30 am, as part of K-State Research and Extension’s First Friday monthly webinar series.&nbsp;The call will be recorded and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/community/business/entrepreneurship/" target="_blank">archived</a>.The session, to be conducted via Zoom, is free and open to anyone interested in resources available to the public, particularly small businesses and employees in Kansas affected by the global pandemic.Speakers include:David Toland, Kansas Secretary of CommerceDelia Garcia, Kansas Secretary of LaborLaurel Klein Searles, Kansas Director of Unemployment Services“Kansas has responded quickly to the concerns of small businesses and employees who have lost their livelihoods because of COVID-19,” said Nancy Knopp Daniels, community vitality specialist with K-State Research and Extension. “This call occurs every month in support of small business, but this month we have a special edition to highlight these response programs.”She noted that a record 3.3 million Americans filed unemployment claims in the past week, which eclipsed the old record of 695,000 new claims in 1982.To participate, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://ksu.zoom.us/j/2636377104" target="_blank">https://ksu.zoom.us/j/2636377104</a>; or One-Tap Mobile, +&nbsp;13462487799,,2636377104#.More information about First Friday e-Calls is available&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/community/business/entrepreneurship/" target="_blank">online</a>&nbsp;or by contacting Daniels at 785-410-6352 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:nkdaniels@ksu.edu" target="_blank">nkdaniels@ksu.edu</a>.

KSRE's First Friday webinar to focus on small businesses

Foods from farm animals also are considered safe from the virus

MANHATTAN – The director of a Kansas State University veterinary laboratory that responds to animal health issues across the state says that while coronavirus is a disease familiar to livestock producers, it is not the same strain of the virus that is grabbing headlines across the globe.

The novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, is transmitted through humans. There is no evidence that livestock can transmit the disease to humans, and the food products from livestock cannot carry COVID-19 to humans.

“Producers are well aware that there is a (different strain of) coronavirus that is associated with neo-natal diarrhea, and there’s another one that we think is now associated with cattle respiratory disease,” said Gregg Hanzlicek, director of the production animal field investigations unit in K-State’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

“But I want to make it perfectly clear that our cattle coronavirus has no relationship to the coronavirus that is currently circulating in humans. These coronaviruses are very species-specific. There is absolutely no indication that livestock can be carriers of COVID-19 and be a source of infection to humans, either through carrying it on their skin or their hair or anywhere else.”

He added: “Milk, eggs, beef pork…whatever proteins that are produced by livestock are absolutely safe to eat. People do not have to worry about those products carrying COVID-19 to the population.”

Hanzlicek said that producers are safe to go about the business of taking care of animals: “They need to minimize the amount of exposure they have to humans. At this point, they should keep on doing what they do every day with their livestock.”

Livestock producers who think they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should see their medical professional. If their livestock begin showing signs of illness, as well, Hanzlicek said they should contact their local veterinarian.

“The local vet will call the state or federal veterinarian and then a decision will be made whether to test those animals for COVID-19,” Hanzlicek said. “We don’t want to just start blanket sampling all animals. Again, with this virus, we do not believe that livestock are associated with spreading the disease.”

Hanzlicek said that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has relaxed its rules just a bit to allow producers to consult with a veterinarian through ‘tele-medicine’ – that is, communicating sickness to a veterinarian by phone or online technology.

“The veterinarian is not necessarily required to make a trip to actually look at the animals,” thus maintain ‘social distance’ guidelines for humans, Hanzlicek said.

The K-State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which tests samples for suspected livestock disease, remains open during the university’s limited operations status. Hanzlicek said the lab is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Hanzlicek and others also are still available to travel throughout Kansas to help local veterinarians diagnose suspected livestock disease. The staff can be contacted by calling 785-532-5650, or through its web site,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ksvdl.org/" target="_blank">www.ksvdl.org</a>.

Hanzlicek said the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fda.gov/coronavirus" target="_blank">FDA also maintains a useful site</a>&nbsp;with information for livestock owners regarding COVID-19.

<h2>Foods from farm animals also are considered safe from the virus</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585403028580.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy <a href="http://www.ksre.ksu.edu">KSRE</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy <a href="http://www.ksre.ksu.edu">KSRE</a></figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN – The director of a Kansas State University veterinary laboratory that responds to animal health issues across the state says that while coronavirus is a disease familiar to livestock producers, it is not the same strain of the virus that is grabbing headlines across the globe.The novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, is transmitted through humans. There is no evidence that livestock can transmit the disease to humans, and the food products from livestock cannot carry COVID-19 to humans.“Producers are well aware that there is a (different strain of) coronavirus that is associated with neo-natal diarrhea, and there’s another one that we think is now associated with cattle respiratory disease,” said Gregg Hanzlicek, director of the production animal field investigations unit in K-State’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.“But I want to make it perfectly clear that our cattle coronavirus has no relationship to the coronavirus that is currently circulating in humans. These coronaviruses are very species-specific. There is absolutely no indication that livestock can be carriers of COVID-19 and be a source of infection to humans, either through carrying it on their skin or their hair or anywhere else.”He added: “Milk, eggs, beef pork…whatever proteins that are produced by livestock are absolutely safe to eat. People do not have to worry about those products carrying COVID-19 to the population.”Hanzlicek said that producers are safe to go about the business of taking care of animals: “They need to minimize the amount of exposure they have to humans. At this point, they should keep on doing what they do every day with their livestock.”Livestock producers who think they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should see their medical professional. If their livestock begin showing signs of illness, as well, Hanzlicek said they should contact their local veterinarian.“The local vet will call the state or federal veterinarian and then a decision will be made whether to test those animals for COVID-19,” Hanzlicek said. “We don’t want to just start blanket sampling all animals. Again, with this virus, we do not believe that livestock are associated with spreading the disease.”Hanzlicek said that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has relaxed its rules just a bit to allow producers to consult with a veterinarian through ‘tele-medicine’ – that is, communicating sickness to a veterinarian by phone or online technology.“The veterinarian is not necessarily required to make a trip to actually look at the animals,” thus maintain ‘social distance’ guidelines for humans, Hanzlicek said.The K-State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which tests samples for suspected livestock disease, remains open during the university’s limited operations status. Hanzlicek said the lab is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.Hanzlicek and others also are still available to travel throughout Kansas to help local veterinarians diagnose suspected livestock disease. The staff can be contacted by calling 785-532-5650, or through its web site,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ksvdl.org/" target="_blank">www.ksvdl.org</a>.Hanzlicek said the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fda.gov/coronavirus" target="_blank">FDA also maintains a useful site</a>&nbsp;with information for livestock owners regarding COVID-19.

K-State vet: No evidence livestock can transmit COVID-19

Salina USD 305's free grab-and-go meals will be continuing. 

When originally announced, the end-date of the program was listed as Friday, however USD 305 announced Fridaynafternoon that the program will continue. Here's the information from USD 305:

Salina Public Schools will continue to communicate through parent notifications, its <a href="http://usd305.com">website</a>, local media outlets, and on social media.

Salina USD 305's free grab-and-go meals will be continuing. When originally announced, the end-date of the program was listed as Friday, however USD 305 announced Fridaynafternoon that the program will continue. Here's the information from USD 305:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585345066565.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Salina Public Schools will continue to communicate through parent notifications, its <a href="http://usd305.com">website</a>, local media outlets, and on social media.

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