Singing and celebrating! From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/salinafoodbank/">Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank</a> Facebook page:

Singing and celebrating! From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/salinafoodbank/">Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsalinafoodbank%2Fvideos%2F295156448071591%2F&show_text=1&width=560" width="560" height="427" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>

Food bank sings and celebrates donation

Check out this great deal from Eagle Radio's Christmas Cyber Sale:

This Double Venetian Bowl Onyx Collection Vanity Top from Mead Lumber is 91" by 22.5" and retails for $504, but you can buy it now for $80! The color of this bathroom vanity top is black constellation.

Eagle Radio's Christmas Cyber Sale has items to bid on and items that you can buy immediately. All items are from local and area businesses, so when you bid or buy, you’re helping the local and area economy.

So how do you bid or buy? Just&nbsp;<a href="https://cyberxmas19.givesmart.com/" target="_blank">click here</a>&nbsp;to get started.&nbsp;

The Christmas Cyber Sale ends at midnight on Dec. 30, so get to biding and buying today!

Christmas image courtesy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.canstockphoto.com/" target="_blank">© Can Stock Photo / Irisangel</a>

Check out this great deal from Eagle Radio's Christmas Cyber Sale:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576891796105.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>This Double Venetian Bowl Onyx Collection Vanity Top from Mead Lumber is 91" by 22.5" and retails for $504, but you can buy it now for $80! The color of this bathroom vanity top is black constellation.Eagle Radio's Christmas Cyber Sale has items to bid on and items that you can buy immediately. All items are from local and area businesses, so when you bid or buy, you’re helping the local and area economy.So how do you bid or buy? Just&nbsp;<a href="https://cyberxmas19.givesmart.com/" target="_blank">click here</a>&nbsp;to get started.&nbsp;The Christmas Cyber Sale ends at midnight on Dec. 30, so get to biding and buying today!Christmas image courtesy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.canstockphoto.com/" target="_blank">© Can Stock Photo / Irisangel</a>

Christmas Cyber Sale: Mead Lumber vanity top

TOPEKA – Brent Wade of Salina has been playing the Kansas Lottery ever since it started. That persistence paid off this week with a $25,000 win playing the $5 Winter Ice Multiplier instant scratch ticket!

“I’m still kind of in shock, I can’t believe that I won,” said Wade. “The most I’d ever won before this was $500. It’s definitely a blessing for me.”

Wade was going about his typical day when he decided to cash in some winning tickets at the store. Instead of cash, he used his winnings to get more scratch tickets.

“I bought a group of tickets, and it was the seventh ticket that was the big winner. I was standing at the end of the counter scratching them off, and all of a sudden there was the matching number with the ‘$25,000’ prize amount,” Wade said. “I thought I was seeing things, so I showed one of the workers and she confirmed it was a big winner! We all celebrated together for a minute before they reminded me to sign the back of the ticket.”

Wade has several ideas of what he’s going to do with his winnings. “I’m going to put some toward my car payments and get ahead of those. I’m also going to donate some to my church. Whatever is left over, I’ll probably just leave in the bank for now,” he said.

The winning ticket was purchased at Dillons 95 on 1235 East Cloud Street in Salina. There is still one top prize left in the&nbsp;<a href="https://kslottery.com/games/instants/?gameid=164" target="_blank">$5 Winter Ice Multiplier</a>&nbsp;instant scratch game, as well as thousands in other cash prizes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576880369335.jpeg" alt="Brent Wade is a Kansas Lottery winner. Photo courtesy Kansas Lottery" />
 <figcaption>Brent Wade is a Kansas Lottery winner. Photo courtesy Kansas Lottery</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA – Brent Wade of Salina has been playing the Kansas Lottery ever since it started. That persistence paid off this week with a $25,000 win playing the $5 Winter Ice Multiplier instant scratch ticket!“I’m still kind of in shock, I can’t believe that I won,” said Wade. “The most I’d ever won before this was $500. It’s definitely a blessing for me.”Wade was going about his typical day when he decided to cash in some winning tickets at the store. Instead of cash, he used his winnings to get more scratch tickets.“I bought a group of tickets, and it was the seventh ticket that was the big winner. I was standing at the end of the counter scratching them off, and all of a sudden there was the matching number with the ‘$25,000’ prize amount,” Wade said. “I thought I was seeing things, so I showed one of the workers and she confirmed it was a big winner! We all celebrated together for a minute before they reminded me to sign the back of the ticket.”Wade has several ideas of what he’s going to do with his winnings. “I’m going to put some toward my car payments and get ahead of those. I’m also going to donate some to my church. Whatever is left over, I’ll probably just leave in the bank for now,” he said.The winning ticket was purchased at Dillons 95 on 1235 East Cloud Street in Salina. There is still one top prize left in the&nbsp;<a href="https://kslottery.com/games/instants/?gameid=164" target="_blank">$5 Winter Ice Multiplier</a>&nbsp;instant scratch game, as well as thousands in other cash prizes.

Salina man wins $25,000 from Kansas Lottery

UPDATED 1:40 p.m. Friday: Here's the latest concerning the shooting in west Salina early this morning. From Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester:

"On Dec. 20 at approximately 2 a.m., officers were sent to the 1500 block of West Crawford for a subject with a gunshot wound to the leg.   The victim, Paul Davenport, 41, from Salina, reported that he was walking in the area when a black Honda drove by occupied by two black males.   The passenger of the vehicle fired a shot striking Davenport in the right thigh area.   A bullet (projectile) was found in front of 721 Osage.   We are currently reviewing video surveillance in the area.   Davenport was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.   We do  not think this is a random event. "&nbsp;

-------------------------------------------

Police are&nbsp; still investigating the early Friday morning shooting of a man on the west side of Salina just before 2 am.

Captain Paul Forrester said the man was shot in the leg and the wound is non-life threatening.

Investigators as of late Friday morning were still trying to gather information to determine the facts of the shooting.

Forrester said more information could be released later Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574453792382.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>UPDATED 1:40 p.m. Friday: Here's the latest concerning the shooting in west Salina early this morning. From Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester:"On Dec. 20 at approximately 2 a.m., officers were sent to the 1500 block of West Crawford for a subject with a gunshot wound to the leg. The victim, Paul Davenport, 41, from Salina, reported that he was walking in the area when a black Honda drove by occupied by two black males. The passenger of the vehicle fired a shot striking Davenport in the right thigh area. A bullet (projectile) was found in front of 721 Osage. We are currently reviewing video surveillance in the area. Davenport was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. We do not think this is a random event. "&nbsp;-------------------------------------------Police are&nbsp; still investigating the early Friday morning shooting of a man on the west side of Salina just before 2 am.Captain Paul Forrester said the man was shot in the leg and the wound is non-life threatening.Investigators as of late Friday morning were still trying to gather information to determine the facts of the shooting.Forrester said more information could be released later Friday.

UPDATED: Salina Police investigate early Friday morning shooting

JEWELL COUNTY -- It was a moose sighting in Jewell County! From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kdwpt/">Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism</a> Facebook page:

JEWELL COUNTY -- It was a moose sighting in Jewell County! From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kdwpt/">Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fkdwpt%2Fposts%2F10157178516193640&width=500" width="500" height="699" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>

But where is squirrel?

On Dec. 16, 2019, between 4:30-7 p.m., a trailer was taken from the 900 block of North Seventh Street.

The stolen trailer was described as a single axle wooden trailer, with a black metal frame. The victim had contact with two men who were on her property earlier in the day, and believes that the men may have been involved. The two men were photographed. 

Both men were described as white males, 30-40s, medium height and build, with dark hair and facial hair.

Salina Police detectives are seeking information as to the identity of these two men.

If you have any information concerning this event, call Crimestoppers at 825-TIPS, text SATIPS to CRIMES (274637, or visit <a href="http://www.pd.salina.org">www.pd.salina.org</a> and follow the Crimestoppers link to submit a web tip. You may receive a cash reward of up to $1,000 and you are not required to give your name.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576865758503.jpeg" alt="Salina Police are seeking tips as to the identity of these men. Photos courtesy Salina Police Department" />
 <figcaption>Salina Police are seeking tips as to the identity of these men. Photos courtesy Salina Police Department</figcaption>
 </figure>On Dec. 16, 2019, between 4:30-7 p.m., a trailer was taken from the 900 block of North Seventh Street.The stolen trailer was described as a single axle wooden trailer, with a black metal frame. The victim had contact with two men who were on her property earlier in the day, and believes that the men may have been involved. The two men were photographed. Both men were described as white males, 30-40s, medium height and build, with dark hair and facial hair.Salina Police detectives are seeking information as to the identity of these two men.If you have any information concerning this event, call Crimestoppers at 825-TIPS, text SATIPS to CRIMES (274637, or visit <a href="http://www.pd.salina.org">www.pd.salina.org</a> and follow the Crimestoppers link to submit a web tip. You may receive a cash reward of up to $1,000 and you are not required to give your name.

Crimestoppers seeks tips about trailer theft

A 28-year-old Salina man was taken into custody on requested charges of DUI, reckless driving, and no proof of insurance after hitting two vehicles and two handicapped parking signs, and running over a shopping cart in the Walmart parking lot late Thursday night.

Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said officers were sent to Walmart at 2900 S. 9th about 10:30 p.m. on the report of a vehicle striking vehicles&nbsp; and sign poles in the parking lot.

When officers arrived, the found Tyler Sunderlin in a disabled 2007 Jeep Liberty.&nbsp; Witnesses said the Jeep was going southbound and accelerated rapidly.&nbsp;

The Jeep first struck a parked 1997 Ford Ranger pickup owned by Austin Coloazo of Salina. It then hit the poles of two handicapped parking signs that were secured in concrete, before hitting the rear passenger side of an RV owned by Robert Saltzman of Salina.

Forrester said Sunderlin appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576863502220.jpeg" alt="Tyler Sunderlin , Saline County Sheriff's Office photo." />
 <figcaption>Tyler Sunderlin , Saline County Sheriff's Office photo.</figcaption>
 </figure>A 28-year-old Salina man was taken into custody on requested charges of DUI, reckless driving, and no proof of insurance after hitting two vehicles and two handicapped parking signs, and running over a shopping cart in the Walmart parking lot late Thursday night.Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said officers were sent to Walmart at 2900 S. 9th about 10:30 p.m. on the report of a vehicle striking vehicles&nbsp; and sign poles in the parking lot.When officers arrived, the found Tyler Sunderlin in a disabled 2007 Jeep Liberty.&nbsp; Witnesses said the Jeep was going southbound and accelerated rapidly.&nbsp;The Jeep first struck a parked 1997 Ford Ranger pickup owned by Austin Coloazo of Salina. It then hit the poles of two handicapped parking signs that were secured in concrete, before hitting the rear passenger side of an RV owned by Robert Saltzman of Salina.Forrester said Sunderlin appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Salina man arrested after striking vehicles, sign post

In the end, no agreement was reached, but Thursday night, city and county commissioners seemed to be closer to an agreement on an expo center lease than they have been in quite some time.

The Saline County Commission and the Salina City Commission met in a joint session Thursday night in the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce Visit Salina Annex. Approximately 35 people were on hand to observe the proceedings.

Salina Mayor Trent Davis opened the meeting by telling those officials assembled to put aside what has already been said on the issue. 

"We're going to, I think, take a little different tack on this tonight," Davis said. "Now for this to work, everybody around this table has to forget everything we've ever discussed. Alright?"

Going into the meeting, the county had asked the city for a 40-year lease, with the county making $5.7 million in improvements to the seven acres of property in Salina's Kenwood Park that the county uses for the expo center. The city, on the other hand, proposed a 25-year lease with three five-year extensions.

"What we want to look at, from our perspective, is how's it look...the form," Davis said. "The function of what goes on at the expo center has probably become intertwined in the form part and I don't think we should necessarily get into telling you how to run the expo center because it's your expo center. We just want to make sure it is appealing to the eye. A word I heard was 'pop.' It may not pop like the Christmas lights across Santa Fe, but we want it to be attractive."

Davis then asked Vice-Mayor Mike Hoppock to speak about items on a list proposed by GH2, an equine design firm the county asked to create a proposed master plan for the upgrade of the expo center. The GH2 proposal came to slightly more than $5.75 million.

"As a taxpayer, I'm not sure I want to end up paying $5.7 million to upgrade that facility," Hoppock said. "So I think what we need to do tonight is not look at what problems we have, but what solutions we can come up with to continue the relationship we have."

Hoppock asked the county commissioners whether the GH2 proposal to demolish barns 3, 5, and 6 and replace them with new stalls was something that was needed or just an alternative.

"In my way of thinking, it was a request from the city because of the asthetics that those buildings look like at this current point," County Commission Chair Robert Vidricksen responded. "It goes back to an asthetic value that the city placed on it at the time, what a year and a half ago. Two years ago. Whatever it was."

Hoppock said he thought changes could be made to the barns to make them more asthetically pleasing rather than incur the greater cost of replacing them.

After haggling over which items on the GH2 list were asthetic items, the joint commissioner group came up with a list of potential updates that once completed would meet the city's request for the facility to be attractive. Among those items are the following.

New windows for Agricultural Hall (Ag Hall)

Davis said that he and Vidricksen had walked around each building. 

"Barn 2, for example. It is our opinion that by touching the building and looking at it, that the whole skin doesn't need to be replaced. If you could do it in panels. I'm assuming it's not all one big sheet of metal, but there are places that need to be fixed. Alot of it is structurally intact," Davis said.

It was noted that the GH2 proposal included a plaza at the front of Ag Hall, however it had been determined that such an area was not possible because of the need for trailers to access the double doors.

City Manager Mike Schrage as whether a strip of grass could be planted along the curbing to make the asphalt-paved area in front of Ag Hall more appealing. Currently the area is paved with asphalt from the building to the curb.

Expo Center Director Rick Lamer said that the area is used to park large stock trailers and every inch of space is need. 

County Commissioner Jim Weese suggested the use of brick pavers, such as the city had used in the downtown streetscape project, rather than grass to enhance the look of the front of Ag Hall. The use of pavers would not reduce the space for parking stock trailers and would enhance the look of the area.

Weese also suggested a 30-year lease with no extensions. That proposal was met somewhat favorably, but nothing was finalized during the meeting.

The next step, according to Vidricksen, is for the county to take the list of agreed-upon enhancements and determine actual dollar amounts for each one, before any sort of lease -- 30 years or otherwise -- would be negotiated.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576863385108.jpeg" alt="City and county commissioners and staff gathered in the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce Visit Salina Annex for a joint meeting concerning the expo center. Salina Post photos" />
 <figcaption>City and county commissioners and staff gathered in the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce Visit Salina Annex for a joint meeting concerning the expo center. Salina Post photos</figcaption>
 </figure>In the end, no agreement was reached, but Thursday night, city and county commissioners seemed to be closer to an agreement on an expo center lease than they have been in quite some time.The Saline County Commission and the Salina City Commission met in a joint session Thursday night in the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce Visit Salina Annex. Approximately 35 people were on hand to observe the proceedings.Salina Mayor Trent Davis opened the meeting by telling those officials assembled to put aside what has already been said on the issue. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576863554932.jpeg" alt="Mayor Trent Davis" />
 <figcaption>Mayor Trent Davis</figcaption>
 </figure>"We're going to, I think, take a little different tack on this tonight," Davis said. "Now for this to work, everybody around this table has to forget everything we've ever discussed. Alright?"Going into the meeting, the county had asked the city for a 40-year lease, with the county making $5.7 million in improvements to the seven acres of property in Salina's Kenwood Park that the county uses for the expo center. The city, on the other hand, proposed a 25-year lease with three five-year extensions."What we want to look at, from our perspective, is how's it look...the form," Davis said. "The function of what goes on at the expo center has probably become intertwined in the form part and I don't think we should necessarily get into telling you how to run the expo center because it's your expo center. We just want to make sure it is appealing to the eye. A word I heard was 'pop.' It may not pop like the Christmas lights across Santa Fe, but we want it to be attractive."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576863610889.jpeg" alt="Ag Hall, left, and the 4-H Building" />
 <figcaption>Ag Hall, left, and the 4-H Building</figcaption>
 </figure>Davis then asked Vice-Mayor Mike Hoppock to speak about items on a list proposed by GH2, an equine design firm the county asked to create a proposed master plan for the upgrade of the expo center. The GH2 proposal came to slightly more than $5.75 million."As a taxpayer, I'm not sure I want to end up paying $5.7 million to upgrade that facility," Hoppock said. "So I think what we need to do tonight is not look at what problems we have, but what solutions we can come up with to continue the relationship we have."Hoppock asked the county commissioners whether the GH2 proposal to demolish barns 3, 5, and 6 and replace them with new stalls was something that was needed or just an alternative."In my way of thinking, it was a request from the city because of the asthetics that those buildings look like at this current point," County Commission Chair Robert Vidricksen responded. "It goes back to an asthetic value that the city placed on it at the time, what a year and a half ago. Two years ago. Whatever it was."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576863717231.jpeg" alt="One of the barn behind Ag Hall" />
 <figcaption>One of the barn behind Ag Hall</figcaption>
 </figure>Hoppock said he thought changes could be made to the barns to make them more asthetically pleasing rather than incur the greater cost of replacing them.After haggling over which items on the GH2 list were asthetic items, the joint commissioner group came up with a list of potential updates that once completed would meet the city's request for the facility to be attractive. Among those items are the following.Update barns 2, 3, 5 and 6New windows for Agricultural Hall (Ag Hall)Repair and paint Barn 1Repair and paint Kenwood HallDavis said that he and Vidricksen had walked around each building. "Barn 2, for example. It is our opinion that by touching the building and looking at it, that the whole skin doesn't need to be replaced. If you could do it in panels. I'm assuming it's not all one big sheet of metal, but there are places that need to be fixed. Alot of it is structurally intact," Davis said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576863818573.jpeg" alt="The barn area at the entrance to Kenwood Park from the Greeley Avenue bridge" />
 <figcaption>The barn area at the entrance to Kenwood Park from the Greeley Avenue bridge</figcaption>
 </figure>It was noted that the GH2 proposal included a plaza at the front of Ag Hall, however it had been determined that such an area was not possible because of the need for trailers to access the double doors.City Manager Mike Schrage as whether a strip of grass could be planted along the curbing to make the asphalt-paved area in front of Ag Hall more appealing. Currently the area is paved with asphalt from the building to the curb.Expo Center Director Rick Lamer said that the area is used to park large stock trailers and every inch of space is need. County Commissioner Jim Weese suggested the use of brick pavers, such as the city had used in the downtown streetscape project, rather than grass to enhance the look of the front of Ag Hall. The use of pavers would not reduce the space for parking stock trailers and would enhance the look of the area.Weese also suggested a 30-year lease with no extensions. That proposal was met somewhat favorably, but nothing was finalized during the meeting.The next step, according to Vidricksen, is for the county to take the list of agreed-upon enhancements and determine actual dollar amounts for each one, before any sort of lease -- 30 years or otherwise -- would be negotiated.

City, county commissioners discuss expo center

Salina Police will be adding officers on patrol to look for impaired drivers for the "Taking Down DUI's " campaign December 26th-January 1st.

Officer Brent Rupert said the officers will be looking for drivers who may be under the influence and watching for other violations .

The campaign is paid for with grants from the STEP program of the Department of Transportation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/7/1562670466849.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Salina Police will be adding officers on patrol to look for impaired drivers for the "Taking Down DUI's " campaign December 26th-January 1st.Officer Brent Rupert said the officers will be looking for drivers who may be under the influence and watching for other violations .The campaign is paid for with grants from the STEP program of the Department of Transportation.

Salina Police to increase officers on patrol to look for impaired drivers

Salina Police Friday morning have taken more than a dozen reports of b-b gun vandalism from late Thursday night into early Friday morning.

Captain Paul Forrester said one business on Santa Fe reported damage to a window. The rest of the reports were of vehicles being damaged.&nbsp;

The reports have come in from most areas of the city.&nbsp; Forrester said more information on the extent of the damage will be available Monday.

Salina Police Friday morning have taken more than a dozen reports of b-b gun vandalism from late Thursday night into early Friday morning.Captain Paul Forrester said one business on Santa Fe reported damage to a window. The rest of the reports were of vehicles being damaged.&nbsp;The reports have come in from most areas of the city.&nbsp; Forrester said more information on the extent of the damage will be available Monday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/8/1565131813378.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Police take several reports of b-b gun vandalism

City and county offices and facilities will be closed for the Christmas holiday.

City offices will be closed Wednesday and Thursday in observance of the Christmas holiday, according to a news release from the city. Staff will return to the regular schedule on Dec. 27.  

The Salina Public Library will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday in observance of the Christmas holiday, according to information on its website.

Saline County offices and facilities will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday in observance of the Christmas holiday, according to the county's holiday schedule on its website. Regular hours will resume on Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576854230290.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>City and county offices and facilities will be closed for the Christmas holiday.City offices will be closed Wednesday and Thursday in observance of the Christmas holiday, according to a news release from the city. Staff will return to the regular schedule on Dec. 27. The Salina Public Library will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday in observance of the Christmas holiday, according to information on its website.Saline County offices and facilities will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday in observance of the Christmas holiday, according to the county's holiday schedule on its website. Regular hours will resume on Thursday.

City, county offices, facilities closing for Christmas



HAYS – Garden City will be the first stop in the 2020 edition of Fort Hays State University’s three-state, 12-city student recognition program (SRP) tour.

The annual, month-long series recognizes high school and transfer students who are interested in learning more about FHSU and those who have been awarded scholarships from the university for the next academic year. The event also provides an overview of what makes FHSU a special place, both in and out of the classroom.

The Office of Admissions encourages all juniors and seniors in high school, as well as all prospective transfer students, to attend these free events.

The Garden City event begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, at Garden City High School.

There is still time for students and their families to sign up, if they haven’t already, by going to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/srp" target="_blank">www.fhsu.edu/srp</a>. The SRP schedule, below, includes the core area served at each program site, but students are welcome to attend any SRP program. However, they must RSVP by calling 785-628-5673 or by signing up online through the link.

This year, the tour will feature four&nbsp;new scholarships with award levels ranging from $15,000 to $6,000 over four-years, or $3,750 to $1,500 yearly. They are the $3,750 Tiger Pride Scholarship; the $2,750 Victor E. Scholarship; the $2,000 Black and Gold Scholarship; and the $1,500 Hays City Scholarship.

Scholarships awarded under the revised scholarship program can also be fully renewable, provided students meet renewal criteria. These scholarships are not need-based, and there are no built-in award amount reduction for students who secure additional financial awards from other sources.

Fort Hays State’s enhanced scholarship program will include three levels of transfer scholarship awards, ranging from $500 to $1,500. These awards are based on the student’s GPA and the completion of at least 30 credit hours.

A highlight at each event is when President Tisa Mason individually recognizes students who have already been awarded scholarships to FHSU for the next academic year. Other university officers, administrators and faculty also attend the programs to answer questions and to visit with prospective students and their families and friends.

Another highlight is the dessert or pizza buffet after the recognition portion of the program. Dessert is served at the Garden City SRP. Students and their friends and families have the opportunity to mingle with FHSU faculty, staff and administrators before and after the scholarship presentations.

Since its beginning in the 1987-88 year, Fort Hays State’s SRP program – unique in higher education – has had the mission of recognizing all students interested in college, and their friends and families. the public is welcome to attend.

Students and families in Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska can sign up now to attend programs in their areas. High school juniors, seniors and transfer students have already been invited to Student Recognition Programs in their areas.

Each SRP event features three drawings – one for a $600 book scholarship, one for a $500 FHSU Student Recognition Program Scholarship, and another for a laptop computer.

Four $500 SRP scholarships are awarded at the reception in Hays.

Garden City, 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26,&nbsp;at Garden City High School, 2720 Buffalo Way. Dessert will be served.Garden City serves students from 13 southwest Kansas counties and four southeast Colorado counties: Finney, Grant, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Kearny, Lane, Morton, Scott, Seward, Stanton, Stevens and Wichita in Kansas; and Baca, Bent, Kiowa and Prowers counties in Colorado.

Dodge City, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26,&nbsp;at Dodge City High School, 2201 W. Ross Road. Pizza will be served. The Dodge City SRP serves eight counties – Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ford, Gray, Hodgeman, Kiowa and Meade – and Ness City in Ness County.

Beloit, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30,&nbsp;at Beloit High School, 1711 Walnut. Pizza will be served. The Beloit SRP is for students from the Kansas counties of Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Republic and Washington and from the cities of Osborne and Downs in Osborne County. Students from the Nebraska counties of Clay, Jefferson, Nuckolls and Thayer are also invited.

Great Bend, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3,&nbsp;at the Great Bend Event Center, 3111 E. 10th St. Pizza will be served. Students invited to the Great Bend SRP are from Barton, Pawnee, Pratt, Rice, Russell and Stafford counties and from the cities of Bison and Otis in Rush County.

Colby, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6,&nbsp;at Colby High School, 1890 S. Franklin. Pizza will be served. Students from nine Kansas counties, two Colorado counties and four Nebraska counties are invited to the Colby SRP: Cheyenne, Decatur, Gove, Logan, Rawlins, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas and Wallace in Kansas; Cheyenne and Kit Carson in Colorado; and Chase, Dundy, Hayes and Hitchcock counties in Nebraska.

Overland Park, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9,&nbsp;at the Doubletree Hotel, 10100 College Blvd., serving 12 eastern Kansas counties and the Kansas City metropolitan area. Dessert will be served. The Kansas counties served are Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Bourbon, Doniphan, Douglas, Franklin, Johnson, Leavenworth, Linn, Miami and Wyandotte.

Topeka, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9,&nbsp;at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, 1717 SW Topeka Blvd. Dessert will be served. Topeka serves students from 14 counties: Brown, Coffey, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Lyon, Marshall, Morris, Nemaha, Osage, Pottawatomie, Riley, Shawnee and Wabaunsee.

Wichita, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16,&nbsp;at the Marriott, 9100 Corporate Hills Drive. Dessert will be served. The Wichita SRP serves students from 19 south-central and southeast Kansas counties: Barber, Butler, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cowley, Crawford, Elk, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho, Reno, Sedgwick, Sumner, Wilson and Woodson.

Salina, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16,&nbsp;at the Hilton-Garden Inn, 3320 S. Ninth St. Pizza will be served. Students from eight counties are invited to Salina: Chase, Clay, Dickinson, Ellsworth, Marion, McPherson, Ottawa and Saline.

Kearney, Neb., 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23,&nbsp;at the Holiday Inn, 110 S. Second Ave. Dessert will be served. Students from 14 Nebraska counties are invited to the Kearney SRP: Adams, Buffalo, Dawson, Franklin, Frontier, Furnas, Gosper, Hall, Harlan, Kearney, Lincoln, Phelps, Red Willow and Webster.

Hays, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23,&nbsp;in the Fort Hays Ballroom of FHSU's Memorial Union, 700 College Drive. Dessert will be served.&nbsp;The Hays SRP serves students from seven counties: Ellis, Graham, Norton, Phillips, Rooks, Smith and Trego counties and from the cities of La Crosse in Rush County, Natoma in Osborne County, and Ransom in Ness County.

Denver, 2 p.m. Mountain time Sunday, March 1,&nbsp;at the Renaissance Denver Hotel, 3801 Quebec St. Dessert will be served. The Denver SRP serves students from all Colorado counties except for Bent, Baca, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Kit Carson and Prowers counties, which are served by SRP programs in Colby and Garden City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576784929777.jpeg" alt="The&nbsp;t-shirt design for FHSU's 2020 scholarship recognition programs. Image courtesy FHSU" />
 <figcaption>The&nbsp;t-shirt design for FHSU's 2020 scholarship recognition programs. Image courtesy FHSU</figcaption>
 </figure>

HAYS – Garden City will be the first stop in the 2020 edition of Fort Hays State University’s three-state, 12-city student recognition program (SRP) tour.The annual, month-long series recognizes high school and transfer students who are interested in learning more about FHSU and those who have been awarded scholarships from the university for the next academic year. The event also provides an overview of what makes FHSU a special place, both in and out of the classroom.The Office of Admissions encourages all juniors and seniors in high school, as well as all prospective transfer students, to attend these free events.The Garden City event begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, at Garden City High School.There is still time for students and their families to sign up, if they haven’t already, by going to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/srp" target="_blank">www.fhsu.edu/srp</a>. The SRP schedule, below, includes the core area served at each program site, but students are welcome to attend any SRP program. However, they must RSVP by calling 785-628-5673 or by signing up online through the link.This year, the tour will feature four&nbsp;new scholarships with award levels ranging from $15,000 to $6,000 over four-years, or $3,750 to $1,500 yearly. They are the $3,750 Tiger Pride Scholarship; the $2,750 Victor E. Scholarship; the $2,000 Black and Gold Scholarship; and the $1,500 Hays City Scholarship.Scholarships awarded under the revised scholarship program can also be fully renewable, provided students meet renewal criteria. These scholarships are not need-based, and there are no built-in award amount reduction for students who secure additional financial awards from other sources.Fort Hays State’s enhanced scholarship program will include three levels of transfer scholarship awards, ranging from $500 to $1,500. These awards are based on the student’s GPA and the completion of at least 30 credit hours.A highlight at each event is when President Tisa Mason individually recognizes students who have already been awarded scholarships to FHSU for the next academic year. Other university officers, administrators and faculty also attend the programs to answer questions and to visit with prospective students and their families and friends.Another highlight is the dessert or pizza buffet after the recognition portion of the program. Dessert is served at the Garden City SRP. Students and their friends and families have the opportunity to mingle with FHSU faculty, staff and administrators before and after the scholarship presentations.Since its beginning in the 1987-88 year, Fort Hays State’s SRP program – unique in higher education – has had the mission of recognizing all students interested in college, and their friends and families. the public is welcome to attend.Students and families in Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska can sign up now to attend programs in their areas. High school juniors, seniors and transfer students have already been invited to Student Recognition Programs in their areas.Each SRP event features three drawings – one for a $600 book scholarship, one for a $500 FHSU Student Recognition Program Scholarship, and another for a laptop computer.Four $500 SRP scholarships are awarded at the reception in Hays.The program schedule:Garden City, 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26,&nbsp;at Garden City High School, 2720 Buffalo Way. Dessert will be served.Garden City serves students from 13 southwest Kansas counties and four southeast Colorado counties: Finney, Grant, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Kearny, Lane, Morton, Scott, Seward, Stanton, Stevens and Wichita in Kansas; and Baca, Bent, Kiowa and Prowers counties in Colorado.Dodge City, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26,&nbsp;at Dodge City High School, 2201 W. Ross Road. Pizza will be served. The Dodge City SRP serves eight counties – Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ford, Gray, Hodgeman, Kiowa and Meade – and Ness City in Ness County.Beloit, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30,&nbsp;at Beloit High School, 1711 Walnut. Pizza will be served. The Beloit SRP is for students from the Kansas counties of Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Republic and Washington and from the cities of Osborne and Downs in Osborne County. Students from the Nebraska counties of Clay, Jefferson, Nuckolls and Thayer are also invited.Great Bend, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3,&nbsp;at the Great Bend Event Center, 3111 E. 10th St. Pizza will be served. Students invited to the Great Bend SRP are from Barton, Pawnee, Pratt, Rice, Russell and Stafford counties and from the cities of Bison and Otis in Rush County.Colby, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6,&nbsp;at Colby High School, 1890 S. Franklin. Pizza will be served. Students from nine Kansas counties, two Colorado counties and four Nebraska counties are invited to the Colby SRP: Cheyenne, Decatur, Gove, Logan, Rawlins, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas and Wallace in Kansas; Cheyenne and Kit Carson in Colorado; and Chase, Dundy, Hayes and Hitchcock counties in Nebraska.Overland Park, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9,&nbsp;at the Doubletree Hotel, 10100 College Blvd., serving 12 eastern Kansas counties and the Kansas City metropolitan area. Dessert will be served. The Kansas counties served are Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Bourbon, Doniphan, Douglas, Franklin, Johnson, Leavenworth, Linn, Miami and Wyandotte.Topeka, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9,&nbsp;at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, 1717 SW Topeka Blvd. Dessert will be served. Topeka serves students from 14 counties: Brown, Coffey, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Lyon, Marshall, Morris, Nemaha, Osage, Pottawatomie, Riley, Shawnee and Wabaunsee.Wichita, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16,&nbsp;at the Marriott, 9100 Corporate Hills Drive. Dessert will be served. The Wichita SRP serves students from 19 south-central and southeast Kansas counties: Barber, Butler, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cowley, Crawford, Elk, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho, Reno, Sedgwick, Sumner, Wilson and Woodson.Salina, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16,&nbsp;at the Hilton-Garden Inn, 3320 S. Ninth St. Pizza will be served. Students from eight counties are invited to Salina: Chase, Clay, Dickinson, Ellsworth, Marion, McPherson, Ottawa and Saline.Kearney, Neb., 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23,&nbsp;at the Holiday Inn, 110 S. Second Ave. Dessert will be served. Students from 14 Nebraska counties are invited to the Kearney SRP: Adams, Buffalo, Dawson, Franklin, Frontier, Furnas, Gosper, Hall, Harlan, Kearney, Lincoln, Phelps, Red Willow and Webster.Hays, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23,&nbsp;in the Fort Hays Ballroom of FHSU's Memorial Union, 700 College Drive. Dessert will be served.&nbsp;The Hays SRP serves students from seven counties: Ellis, Graham, Norton, Phillips, Rooks, Smith and Trego counties and from the cities of La Crosse in Rush County, Natoma in Osborne County, and Ransom in Ness County.Denver, 2 p.m. Mountain time Sunday, March 1,&nbsp;at the Renaissance Denver Hotel, 3801 Quebec St. Dessert will be served. The Denver SRP serves students from all Colorado counties except for Bent, Baca, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Kit Carson and Prowers counties, which are served by SRP programs in Colby and Garden City.

FHSU's student recognition tour coming to Beloit, Salina next year

Today is Friday, Dec. 20, the 354th day of 2019. There are 11 days left in the year.

On Dec. 20, 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was completed as ownership of the territory was formally transferred from France to the United States.

In 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union as all 169 delegates to a special convention in Charleston voted in favor of separation.

In 1924, Adolf Hitler was released from prison after serving nine months for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch.

In 1961, playwright-director Moss Hart, 57, died in Palm Springs, Calif.

In 1963, the Berlin Wall was opened for the first time to West Berliners, who were allowed one-day visits to relatives in the Eastern sector for the holidays.

In 1968, author John Steinbeck died in New York at age 66.

In 1978, former White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman was released from prison after serving 18 months for his role in the Watergate cover-up.

In 1987, more than 4,300 people were killed when the Dona Paz, a Philippine passenger ship, collided with the tanker Vector off Mindoro island.

In 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, sending troops into Panama to topple the government of Gen. Manuel Noriega.

In 1995, an American Airlines Boeing 757 en route to Cali, Colombia, slammed into a mountain, killing all but four of the 163 people aboard. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, NATO began its peacekeeping mission, taking over from the United Nations.

In 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that homosexual couples were entitled to the same benefits and protections as wedded heterosexual couples.

In 2002, Trent Lott resigned as Senate Republican leader two weeks after igniting a political firestorm with racially charged remarks. The nation's ten biggest brokerages agreed to pay $1.44 billion and fundamentally change the way they did business to settle allegations they'd misled investors by hyping certain companies' stocks.

In 2005, a federal judge ruled that "intelligent design" could not be mentioned in biology classes in a Pennsylvania public school district, delivering a stinging attack on the Dover Area School Board.

Ten years ago: Relatives reported the death of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, 87, the spiritual father of Iran's reform movement. Actress Brittany Murphy, who'd starred in "Clueless" and "8 Mile," died at age 32. Character actor Arnold Stang died in Newton, Massachusetts, at age 91.

Five years ago: A gunman who'd announced online that he was planning to shoot two "pigs" in retaliation for the police chokehold death of Eric Garner ambushed two New York City officers in a patrol car; Ismaaiyl Brinsley shot Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu to death before running to a subway station and killing himself.

One year ago: President Donald Trump announced that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who had differed with Trump on Syria, Afghanistan and ties to NATO, would retire at the end of February; in a resignation letter, Mattis said Trump deserved a defense chief "whose views are better aligned with yours." (Days later, Trump pushed Mattis out two months earlier than planned.) Trump declared that he would not sign a bill to keep funding the government because it failed to provide billions of dollars for his border wall with Mexico. The Trump administration announced that people seeking asylum at the U.S. border with Mexico would no longer be released into the United States and would instead be forced to wait in Mexico. Drones buzzing over the runway forced the shutdown of London's Gatwick Airport during one of the busiest times of the year.

Today's Birthdays: Original Mouseketeer Tommy Cole (TV: "The Mickey Mouse Club") is 78. Rhythm and blues singer-musician Walter "Wolfman" Washington is 76. Rock musician-music producer Bobby Colomby is 75. Rock musician Peter Criss is 74. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is 73. Psychic/illusionist Uri Geller is 73. Producer Dick Wolf ("Law &amp; Order") is 73. Rock musician Alan Parsons is 71. Actress Jenny Agutter is 67. Actor Michael Badalucco is 65. Actress Blanche Baker is 63. Rock singer Billy Bragg is 62. Rock singer-musician Mike Watt (The Secondmen, Minutemen, fIREHOSE) is 62. Actor Joel Gretsch is 56. Country singer Kris Tyler is 55. Rock singer Chris Robinson is 53. Actress Nicole deBoer is 49. Movie director Todd Phillips is 49. Singer David Cook ("American Idol") is 37. Actor Jonah Hill is 36. Actor Bob Morley is 35. Singer JoJo is 29. Actor Colin Woodell is 28.

Thought for Today: "All the mistakes I ever made were when I wanted to say 'No' and said 'Yes.'" — Moss Hart, American playwright and director (born 1904, died this date in 1961).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Today is Friday, Dec. 20, the 354th day of 2019. There are 11 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On Dec. 20, 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was completed as ownership of the territory was formally transferred from France to the United States.On this date:In 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union as all 169 delegates to a special convention in Charleston voted in favor of separation.In 1924, Adolf Hitler was released from prison after serving nine months for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch.In 1961, playwright-director Moss Hart, 57, died in Palm Springs, Calif.In 1963, the Berlin Wall was opened for the first time to West Berliners, who were allowed one-day visits to relatives in the Eastern sector for the holidays.In 1968, author John Steinbeck died in New York at age 66.In 1978, former White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman was released from prison after serving 18 months for his role in the Watergate cover-up.In 1987, more than 4,300 people were killed when the Dona Paz, a Philippine passenger ship, collided with the tanker Vector off Mindoro island.In 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, sending troops into Panama to topple the government of Gen. Manuel Noriega.In 1995, an American Airlines Boeing 757 en route to Cali, Colombia, slammed into a mountain, killing all but four of the 163 people aboard. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, NATO began its peacekeeping mission, taking over from the United Nations.In 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that homosexual couples were entitled to the same benefits and protections as wedded heterosexual couples.In 2002, Trent Lott resigned as Senate Republican leader two weeks after igniting a political firestorm with racially charged remarks. The nation's ten biggest brokerages agreed to pay $1.44 billion and fundamentally change the way they did business to settle allegations they'd misled investors by hyping certain companies' stocks.In 2005, a federal judge ruled that "intelligent design" could not be mentioned in biology classes in a Pennsylvania public school district, delivering a stinging attack on the Dover Area School Board.Ten years ago: Relatives reported the death of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, 87, the spiritual father of Iran's reform movement. Actress Brittany Murphy, who'd starred in "Clueless" and "8 Mile," died at age 32. Character actor Arnold Stang died in Newton, Massachusetts, at age 91.Five years ago: A gunman who'd announced online that he was planning to shoot two "pigs" in retaliation for the police chokehold death of Eric Garner ambushed two New York City officers in a patrol car; Ismaaiyl Brinsley shot Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu to death before running to a subway station and killing himself.One year ago: President Donald Trump announced that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who had differed with Trump on Syria, Afghanistan and ties to NATO, would retire at the end of February; in a resignation letter, Mattis said Trump deserved a defense chief "whose views are better aligned with yours." (Days later, Trump pushed Mattis out two months earlier than planned.) Trump declared that he would not sign a bill to keep funding the government because it failed to provide billions of dollars for his border wall with Mexico. The Trump administration announced that people seeking asylum at the U.S. border with Mexico would no longer be released into the United States and would instead be forced to wait in Mexico. Drones buzzing over the runway forced the shutdown of London's Gatwick Airport during one of the busiest times of the year.Today's Birthdays: Original Mouseketeer Tommy Cole (TV: "The Mickey Mouse Club") is 78. Rhythm and blues singer-musician Walter "Wolfman" Washington is 76. Rock musician-music producer Bobby Colomby is 75. Rock musician Peter Criss is 74. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is 73. Psychic/illusionist Uri Geller is 73. Producer Dick Wolf ("Law &amp; Order") is 73. Rock musician Alan Parsons is 71. Actress Jenny Agutter is 67. Actor Michael Badalucco is 65. Actress Blanche Baker is 63. Rock singer Billy Bragg is 62. Rock singer-musician Mike Watt (The Secondmen, Minutemen, fIREHOSE) is 62. Actor Joel Gretsch is 56. Country singer Kris Tyler is 55. Rock singer Chris Robinson is 53. Actress Nicole deBoer is 49. Movie director Todd Phillips is 49. Singer David Cook ("American Idol") is 37. Actor Jonah Hill is 36. Actor Bob Morley is 35. Singer JoJo is 29. Actor Colin Woodell is 28.Thought for Today: "All the mistakes I ever made were when I wanted to say 'No' and said 'Yes.'" — Moss Hart, American playwright and director (born 1904, died this date in 1961).Copyright 2019, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Today in History -- Dec. 20

LAWRENCE — If you’re prone to depression, this holiday season you might want to say “bah humbug” to offers of sugar plum pudding, caramel corn, and chocolate babka.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030698771930876X?via%3Dihub#b0095" target="_blank">new study</a>&nbsp;from a team of clinical psychologists at the University of Kansas suggests eating added sugars – common in so many holiday foods – can trigger metabolic, inflammatory and neurobiological processes tied to depressive illness. The work is published in the journal Medical Hypotheses.

Coupled with dwindling light in wintertime and corresponding changes in sleep patterns, high sugar consumption could result in a “perfect storm” that adversely affects mental health, according to the researchers.

“For many people, reduced sunlight exposure during the winter will throw off circadian rhythms, disrupting healthy sleep and pushing five to 10% of the population into a full-blown episode of clinical depression,” said Stephen Ilardi, KU associate professor of clinical psychology.

Ilardi, who coauthored the study with KU graduate students Daniel Reis (lead author, Michael Namekata, Erik Wing and Carina Fowler (now of Duke University, said these symptoms of “winter-onset depression” could prompt people to consume more sweets.

“One common characteristic of winter-onset depression is craving sugar,” he said. “So, we’ve got up to 30% of the population suffering from at least some symptoms of winter-onset depression, causing them to crave carbs – and now they’re constantly confronted with holiday sweets.”

Ilardi said avoidance of added dietary sugar might be especially challenging because sugar offers an initial mood boost, leading some with depressive illness to seek its temporary emotional lift.

“When we consume sweets, they act like a drug,” said the KU researcher, who also is author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888" target="_blank">“The Depression Cure“</a>&nbsp;(First De Capo Press, 2009). “They have an immediate mood-elevating effect, but in high doses they can also have a paradoxical, pernicious longer-term consequence of making mood worse, reducing well-being, elevating inflammation and causing weight gain.”

The investigators reached their conclusions by analyzing a wide range of research on the physiological and psychological effects of consuming added sugar, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/102/2/454/4564524" target="_blank">Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0094715" target="_blank">NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study</a>, a study of Spanish university graduates, and studies of Australian and Chinese soda-drinkers.

Ilardi cautioned it might be appropriate to view added sugar, at high enough levels, as physically and psychologically harmful, akin to drinking a little too much liquor.

“We have pretty good evidence that one alcoholic drink a day is safe, and it might have beneficial effect for some people,” he said. “Alcohol is basically pure calories, pure energy, non-nutritive and super toxic at high doses. Sugars are very similar. We’re learning when it comes to depression, people who optimize their diet should provide all the nutrients the brain needs and mostly avoid these potential toxins.”

The researchers found inflammation is the most important physiological effect of dietary sugar related to mental health and depressive disorder.

“A large subset of people with depression have high levels of systemic inflammation,” said Ilardi. “When we think about inflammatory disease we think about things like diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis – diseases with a high level of systemic inflammation. We don’t normally think about depression being in that category, but it turns out that it really is – not for everyone who’s depressed, but for about half. We also know that inflammatory hormones can directly push the brain into a state of severe depression. So, an inflamed brain is typically a depressed brain. And added sugars have a pro-inflammatory effect on the body and brain.”

Ilardi and his collaborators also identify sugar’s impact on the microbiome as a potential contributor to depression.

“Our bodies host over 10 trillion microbes and many of them know how to hack into the brain,” Ilardi said. “The symbiotic microbial species, the beneficial microbes, basically hack the brain to enhance our well-being. They want us to thrive so they can thrive. But there are also some opportunistic species that can be thought of as more purely parasitic – they don’t have our best interest in mind at all. Many of those parasitic microbes thrive on added sugars, and they can produce chemicals that push the brain in a state of anxiety and stress and depression. They’re also highly inflammatory.”

Ilardi recommended a minimally processed diet rich in plant-based foods and Omega-3 fatty acids for optimal psychological benefit. As for sugar, the KU researcher recommended caution – not just during the holidays, but year-round.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to predicting exactly how any person’s body will react to any given food at any given dose,” Ilardi stated. “As a conservative guideline, based on our current state of knowledge, there could be some risk associated with high-dose sugar intake – probably anything above the American Heart Association guideline, which is 25 grams of added sugars per day.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576813449131.jpeg" alt="Don't let holiday sweets contribute to the blues.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.canstockphoto.com">© Can Stock Photo / Brebca</a>" />
 <figcaption>Don't let holiday sweets contribute to the blues.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.canstockphoto.com">© Can Stock Photo / Brebca</a></figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE — If you’re prone to depression, this holiday season you might want to say “bah humbug” to offers of sugar plum pudding, caramel corn, and chocolate babka.A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030698771930876X?via%3Dihub#b0095" target="_blank">new study</a>&nbsp;from a team of clinical psychologists at the University of Kansas suggests eating added sugars – common in so many holiday foods – can trigger metabolic, inflammatory and neurobiological processes tied to depressive illness. The work is published in the journal Medical Hypotheses.Coupled with dwindling light in wintertime and corresponding changes in sleep patterns, high sugar consumption could result in a “perfect storm” that adversely affects mental health, according to the researchers.“For many people, reduced sunlight exposure during the winter will throw off circadian rhythms, disrupting healthy sleep and pushing five to 10% of the population into a full-blown episode of clinical depression,” said Stephen Ilardi, KU associate professor of clinical psychology.Ilardi, who coauthored the study with KU graduate students Daniel Reis (lead author, Michael Namekata, Erik Wing and Carina Fowler (now of Duke University, said these symptoms of “winter-onset depression” could prompt people to consume more sweets.“One common characteristic of winter-onset depression is craving sugar,” he said. “So, we’ve got up to 30% of the population suffering from at least some symptoms of winter-onset depression, causing them to crave carbs – and now they’re constantly confronted with holiday sweets.”Ilardi said avoidance of added dietary sugar might be especially challenging because sugar offers an initial mood boost, leading some with depressive illness to seek its temporary emotional lift.“When we consume sweets, they act like a drug,” said the KU researcher, who also is author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888" target="_blank">“The Depression Cure“</a>&nbsp;(First De Capo Press, 2009). “They have an immediate mood-elevating effect, but in high doses they can also have a paradoxical, pernicious longer-term consequence of making mood worse, reducing well-being, elevating inflammation and causing weight gain.”The investigators reached their conclusions by analyzing a wide range of research on the physiological and psychological effects of consuming added sugar, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/102/2/454/4564524" target="_blank">Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0094715" target="_blank">NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study</a>, a study of Spanish university graduates, and studies of Australian and Chinese soda-drinkers.Ilardi cautioned it might be appropriate to view added sugar, at high enough levels, as physically and psychologically harmful, akin to drinking a little too much liquor.“We have pretty good evidence that one alcoholic drink a day is safe, and it might have beneficial effect for some people,” he said. “Alcohol is basically pure calories, pure energy, non-nutritive and super toxic at high doses. Sugars are very similar. We’re learning when it comes to depression, people who optimize their diet should provide all the nutrients the brain needs and mostly avoid these potential toxins.”The researchers found inflammation is the most important physiological effect of dietary sugar related to mental health and depressive disorder.“A large subset of people with depression have high levels of systemic inflammation,” said Ilardi. “When we think about inflammatory disease we think about things like diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis – diseases with a high level of systemic inflammation. We don’t normally think about depression being in that category, but it turns out that it really is – not for everyone who’s depressed, but for about half. We also know that inflammatory hormones can directly push the brain into a state of severe depression. So, an inflamed brain is typically a depressed brain. And added sugars have a pro-inflammatory effect on the body and brain.”Ilardi and his collaborators also identify sugar’s impact on the microbiome as a potential contributor to depression.“Our bodies host over 10 trillion microbes and many of them know how to hack into the brain,” Ilardi said. “The symbiotic microbial species, the beneficial microbes, basically hack the brain to enhance our well-being. They want us to thrive so they can thrive. But there are also some opportunistic species that can be thought of as more purely parasitic – they don’t have our best interest in mind at all. Many of those parasitic microbes thrive on added sugars, and they can produce chemicals that push the brain in a state of anxiety and stress and depression. They’re also highly inflammatory.”Ilardi recommended a minimally processed diet rich in plant-based foods and Omega-3 fatty acids for optimal psychological benefit. As for sugar, the KU researcher recommended caution – not just during the holidays, but year-round.“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to predicting exactly how any person’s body will react to any given food at any given dose,” Ilardi stated. “As a conservative guideline, based on our current state of knowledge, there could be some risk associated with high-dose sugar intake – probably anything above the American Heart Association guideline, which is 25 grams of added sugars per day.--<a href="http://news.ku.edu/">news.ku.edu</a>--

New report suggests skipping sweets to avoid holiday blues

Applications are now being taken for the advanced Citizens Academy.

Sponsored by the Saline County Sheriff's Office and the Salina Police Department, the advanced academy is scheduled to run from Feb. 5, 2020, to March 25, 2020, according to Saline County Sheriff's Lieutenant Sean Kochanowski. 

Persons interested in taking the advanced class must have completed the basic Citizens Academy offered in the fall each year, Kochanowski said. Both versions of the Citizens Academy provide participants with an inside look at law enforcement work. They also provide law enforcement personnel with citizens' perspectives of law enforcement.

Applications are available on the Saline County Sheriff's Office website or at the Saline County Sheriff's Office and the Salina Police Department. Applications will be accepted through Dec. 31, Kochanowski said.

Applications are now being taken for the advanced Citizens Academy.Sponsored by the Saline County Sheriff's Office and the Salina Police Department, the advanced academy is scheduled to run from Feb. 5, 2020, to March 25, 2020, according to Saline County Sheriff's Lieutenant Sean Kochanowski. Persons interested in taking the advanced class must have completed the basic Citizens Academy offered in the fall each year, Kochanowski said. Both versions of the Citizens Academy provide participants with an inside look at law enforcement work. They also provide law enforcement personnel with citizens' perspectives of law enforcement.Applications are available on the Saline County Sheriff's Office website or at the Saline County Sheriff's Office and the Salina Police Department. Applications will be accepted through Dec. 31, Kochanowski said.

Applications being accepted for advanced Citizens Academy

A Salina woman has pleaded guilty to arson and conspiracy to commit arson, the Kansas Attorney General's Office announced Wednesday.

Sandra Ann Davis, 51, this week pleaded guilty in Saline County District Court to one felony count of arson and one felony count of conspiracy to commit arson, according to information from the Kansas Attorney General's Office. Chief Judge Rene Young accepted the pleas and scheduled sentencing for March 9, 2020, at 11 a.m., the information noted.

On Feb. 6, Saline County Undersheriff Brent Melander said that the case had been under investigation since the house at 801 N. Fairchilds Road was destroyed by fire on Jan. 28, 2018. Melander said the house, located just west of Salina, was owned by Daniel D’Albini, 57, of Marion, Kan.

During the briefing on Feb. 6,&nbsp;Melander said that in addition to Davis, the following arrests were made.

D’Albini was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson, insurance fraud, making a false police report, and theft by deception.

Charles Maltbie II, 51, of Tescott, Kan., was arrested on suspicion of insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.

An investigation by the Saline County Sheriff’s Office found that in January 2018, Davis conspired with a co-defendant to set fire to a residence on North Fairchilds Road as a part of a plan to collect insurance proceeds for the residence. Davis eventually set fire to the residence, resulting in a total loss, the information from the attorney general's office noted.

According to information provided to SalinaPost.com by the attorney general's office, charges against D'Albini remain pending. Additionally, Maltbie has entered into a diversion agreement with the attorney general's office, the information noted.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576718229657.jpeg" alt="Sandra Davis. Photos courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Sandra Davis. Photos courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>A Salina woman has pleaded guilty to arson and conspiracy to commit arson, the Kansas Attorney General's Office announced Wednesday.Sandra Ann Davis, 51, this week pleaded guilty in Saline County District Court to one felony count of arson and one felony count of conspiracy to commit arson, according to information from the Kansas Attorney General's Office. Chief Judge Rene Young accepted the pleas and scheduled sentencing for March 9, 2020, at 11 a.m., the information noted.On Feb. 6, Saline County Undersheriff Brent Melander said that the case had been under investigation since the house at 801 N. Fairchilds Road was destroyed by fire on Jan. 28, 2018. Melander said the house, located just west of Salina, was owned by Daniel D’Albini, 57, of Marion, Kan.During the briefing on Feb. 6,&nbsp;Melander said that in addition to Davis, the following arrests were made.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576790074758.jpeg" alt="Daniel D'Albini" />
 <figcaption>Daniel D'Albini</figcaption>
 </figure>D’Albini was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson, insurance fraud, making a false police report, and theft by deception.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576790136873.jpeg" alt="Charles Maltbie II" />
 <figcaption>Charles Maltbie II</figcaption>
 </figure>Charles Maltbie II, 51, of Tescott, Kan., was arrested on suspicion of insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.An investigation by the Saline County Sheriff’s Office found that in January 2018, Davis conspired with a co-defendant to set fire to a residence on North Fairchilds Road as a part of a plan to collect insurance proceeds for the residence. Davis eventually set fire to the residence, resulting in a total loss, the information from the attorney general's office noted.According to information provided to SalinaPost.com by the attorney general's office, charges against D'Albini remain pending. Additionally, Maltbie has entered into a diversion agreement with the attorney general's office, the information noted.

UPDATE: Salina woman pleads guilty to arson

County Club Road between Holmes Road and Simpson Road will be opened to traffic this afternoon. 

It will, however, be closed again Saturday in order to construct the remaining piece of asphalt pavement between the new concrete railroad crossing pads, according to information from the Saline County Road and Bridge Department. 

 This should be a one-day operation with the road opened to traffic at the end of the day, the road and bridge information noted.&nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575504945473.jpeg" alt="Map courtesy Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Map courtesy Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>County Club Road between Holmes Road and Simpson Road will be opened to traffic this afternoon. It will, however, be closed again Saturday in order to construct the remaining piece of asphalt pavement between the new concrete railroad crossing pads, according to information from the Saline County Road and Bridge Department. This should be a one-day operation with the road opened to traffic at the end of the day, the road and bridge information noted.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Section of Country Club Road opening temporarily

ABILENE -- Dickinson County school districts and business and community leaders are uniting to launch the inaugural Dickinson County CEO program.

CEO was created in 2008 by the Illinois-based Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship. CEO, which stands for "creating entrepreneurial opportunities," is a year-long course designed to utilize partnerships to teach students about business. Classes will consist of 20 students. Each class will create a business and each student will also launch their own business.

“This is a great opportunity for our county to be involved not only in educating our youth, but also assisting startup businesses,” said Brenda Holm, CEO board member and investor.&nbsp; “Other CEO programs experience a 10 percent continuation rate in their students’ businesses past high school. We hope to not only see these businesses continue in Dickinson County, but also the students continue their relationships with the businesses they engage with either as future employees or peer businesses.”

Dickinson County CEO will be the first program in Kansas. There are more than 50 programs nationwide.

To date, the steering committee has raised more than $30,000/year in three-year pledges to facilitate the program.

“CEO is a unique opportunity to expand a high school student’s education in a non-traditional way,” said Brenda Holm, CEO board member and investor. “It will engage talented young minds and future consumers with an outstanding business community enriching both parties throughout the county.”&nbsp; &nbsp;

The program is geared towards young adults, who are in their junior or senior year of high school. Student recruitment will begin in January with the inaugural class beginning in August 2020.

Of note, all of Dickinson County’s five high schools are participating in the program.

“We are excited to be part of this program connecting students and business leaders,” said J.B. Pritchard, Herington High School counselor. “Herington High School has an outstanding FBLA program and we see this program as an added benefit to the students in our district.”

In addition to recruiting students, the board is also recruiting a facilitator. The facilitator is a half-time position, with 90 minutes a day spent with the students. The facilitator will coordinate business visits, arrange guest speakers and maintain good relationships with the business community in order to create a learning environment that allows students to succeed.

“When looking for a facilitator, we want someone who is a kid magnet. This person needs to build strong relationships with both the student and the business community,” said Kyle Becker, Dickinson County CEO president “We don’t see this as a front of the room classroom teacher, they need to be able to engage students and help guide them on their own path of CEO.”

For more information or to apply, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dickinsoncountyceo.com/facilitator" target="_blank">www.DickinsonCountyCEO.com/facilitator</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576782986150.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ABILENE -- Dickinson County school districts and business and community leaders are uniting to launch the inaugural Dickinson County CEO program.CEO was created in 2008 by the Illinois-based Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship. CEO, which stands for "creating entrepreneurial opportunities," is a year-long course designed to utilize partnerships to teach students about business. Classes will consist of 20 students. Each class will create a business and each student will also launch their own business.“This is a great opportunity for our county to be involved not only in educating our youth, but also assisting startup businesses,” said Brenda Holm, CEO board member and investor.&nbsp; “Other CEO programs experience a 10 percent continuation rate in their students’ businesses past high school. We hope to not only see these businesses continue in Dickinson County, but also the students continue their relationships with the businesses they engage with either as future employees or peer businesses.”Dickinson County CEO will be the first program in Kansas. There are more than 50 programs nationwide.To date, the steering committee has raised more than $30,000/year in three-year pledges to facilitate the program.“CEO is a unique opportunity to expand a high school student’s education in a non-traditional way,” said Brenda Holm, CEO board member and investor. “It will engage talented young minds and future consumers with an outstanding business community enriching both parties throughout the county.”&nbsp; &nbsp;The program is geared towards young adults, who are in their junior or senior year of high school. Student recruitment will begin in January with the inaugural class beginning in August 2020.Of note, all of Dickinson County’s five high schools are participating in the program.“We are excited to be part of this program connecting students and business leaders,” said J.B. Pritchard, Herington High School counselor. “Herington High School has an outstanding FBLA program and we see this program as an added benefit to the students in our district.”In addition to recruiting students, the board is also recruiting a facilitator. The facilitator is a half-time position, with 90 minutes a day spent with the students. The facilitator will coordinate business visits, arrange guest speakers and maintain good relationships with the business community in order to create a learning environment that allows students to succeed.“When looking for a facilitator, we want someone who is a kid magnet. This person needs to build strong relationships with both the student and the business community,” said Kyle Becker, Dickinson County CEO president “We don’t see this as a front of the room classroom teacher, they need to be able to engage students and help guide them on their own path of CEO.”For more information or to apply, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dickinsoncountyceo.com/facilitator" target="_blank">www.DickinsonCountyCEO.com/facilitator</a>.

Dickinson County CEO program first of its kind in Kansas

Police are investigating the theft of a car from a west Salina convenience store early this morning.

Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said Thursday that at approximately 3:20 a.m. Thursday, Jennifer Hobson, 46, of Salina, left her 2012 silver Ford Fiesta running while she went in to purchase a drink from the Kwik Shop at 1727 West Crawford. Her purse and other items were in the vehicle, he said.

The car, valued at $8,000, had a Kansas license plate of 373 GPE, Forrester said.

Hobson told police that she looked out and saw a white male with a dark beard and wearing a black hoodie pulled up over his head get into her car and drive east on West Crawford, Forrester said. The man was described as being about 5'4" and of small build, he added.

Forrester said police were attempting to gain access to surveillance video from Kwik Shop.

Police are investigating the theft of a car from a west Salina convenience store early this morning.Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said Thursday that at approximately 3:20 a.m. Thursday, Jennifer Hobson, 46, of Salina, left her 2012 silver Ford Fiesta running while she went in to purchase a drink from the Kwik Shop at 1727 West Crawford. Her purse and other items were in the vehicle, he said.The car, valued at $8,000, had a Kansas license plate of 373 GPE, Forrester said.Hobson told police that she looked out and saw a white male with a dark beard and wearing a black hoodie pulled up over his head get into her car and drive east on West Crawford, Forrester said. The man was described as being about 5'4" and of small build, he added.Forrester said police were attempting to gain access to surveillance video from Kwik Shop.

Police investigating theft of car from west Salina convenience store

The Saline County Sheriff's Office has made two arrests in a case from July in which more than 40 guns were stolen in Smolan.

Saline County Sheriff's Lieutenant Michael Ascher said Thursday that for nearly five months, Sheriff's Office personnel interviewed dozens of people and followed up on numerous tips and leads concerning the residential burglary in the 100 block of South Third Street in Smolan on July 24. During the burglary, more than 30 rifles and shotguns, at least a dozen handguns, and approximately $500 worth of $2 bills were stolen.

On Tuesday, Saline County Sheriff's Office investigators arrested Joshua Mudd, 29, of Smolan, on suspicion of the following, Ascher said.

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

On Wednesday, a deputy arrested Kylee Smith, 33, of Smolan, on suspicion of the following, Ascher said.

The Saline County Sheriff's Office has made two arrests in a case from July in which more than 40 guns were stolen in Smolan.Saline County Sheriff's Lieutenant Michael Ascher said Thursday that for nearly five months, Sheriff's Office personnel interviewed dozens of people and followed up on numerous tips and leads concerning the residential burglary in the 100 block of South Third Street in Smolan on July 24. During the burglary, more than 30 rifles and shotguns, at least a dozen handguns, and approximately $500 worth of $2 bills were stolen.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576682304338.jpeg" alt="Joshua Mudd. Photos courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Joshua Mudd. Photos courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>On Tuesday, Saline County Sheriff's Office investigators arrested Joshua Mudd, 29, of Smolan, on suspicion of the following, Ascher said.Burglary with intent to steal a firearmFelony theftPossession of a firearm by a convicted felonAggravated child endangermentContributing to a child’s misconductCriminal damage to property<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576682955178.jpeg" alt="Kylee Smith" />
 <figcaption>Kylee Smith</figcaption>
 </figure>On Wednesday, a deputy arrested Kylee Smith, 33, of Smolan, on suspicion of the following, Ascher said.Burglary with intent to steal a firearmFelony theftAggravated child endangermentContributing to a child’s misconductAscher said several firearms have been recovered, however, more than 30 guns are still on the streets. The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are likely, he said.Persons with information concerning the case or the whereabouts of the other guns are asked to contact the Saline County Sheriff's Office at 785-826-6500, call Crimestoppers at 825-TIPS, text SATIPS to CRIMES (274637, or visit <a href="http://www.pd.salina.org">www.pd.salina.org</a> and follow the Crimestoppers link to submit a web tip. You may receive a cash reward of up to $1000 and you are not required to give your name.

Local