Today is Wednesday, Dec. 29, the 363rd day of 2021. There are two days left in the year. 

On Dec. 29, 1940, during World War II, Germany dropped incendiary bombs on London, setting off what came to be known as "The Second Great Fire of London." 

In 1170, Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was slain in Canterbury Cathedral by knights loyal to King Henry II. 

In 1812, during the War of 1812, the American frigate USS Constitution engaged and severely damaged the British frigate HMS Java off Brazil. 

In 1845, Texas was admitted as the 28th state. 

In 1851, the first Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in the United States was founded in Boston.

In 1890, the Wounded Knee massacre took place in South Dakota as an estimated 300 Sioux Indians were killed by U.S. troops sent to disarm them.

In 1916, James Joyce's first novel, "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man," was first published in book form in New York after being serialized in London. 

In 1972, Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, crashed into the Florida Everglades near Miami International Airport, killing 101 of the 176 people aboard. 

In 1989, dissident and playwright Vaclav Havel assumed the presidency of Czechoslovakia. 

In 1992, New York Gov. Mario Cuomo commuted the prison sentence of Jean Harris, the convicted killer of "Scarsdale Diet" author Herman Tarnower. 

In 1996, guerrilla and government leaders in Guatemala signed an accord ending 36 years of civil conflict.

In 2006, word reached the United States of the execution of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (because of the time difference, it was the morning of Dec. 30 in Iraq when the hanging took place). In a statement, President George W. Bush called Saddam's execution an important milestone on Iraq's road to democracy. 

In 2007, the New England Patriots ended their regular season with a remarkable 16-0 record following a 38-35 comeback victory over the New York Giants. (New England became the first NFL team since the 1972 Dolphins to win every game on the schedule.) 

Ten years ago: Fed-up voters in Jamaica threw out the ruling party and delivered a landslide triumph to the opposition People's National Party and its leader, former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller. The No. 15 Baylor Bears, led by Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, pulled out an Alamo Bowl victory in the highest-scoring regulation bowl game in history, beating the Washington Huskies 67-56 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Five years ago: The United States struck back at Russia for hacking the U.S. presidential campaign with a sweeping set of punishments targeting Russia's spy agencies and diplomats. Tennis star Serena Williams announced her engagement to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian — on Reddit. (The couple married on Nov. 16, 2017.)

One year ago: A Colorado National Guardsman who'd been sent to help out at a nursing home struggling with a COVID-19 outbreak was reported to be the first in the U.S. to have a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus that had been circulating in England. Just days before he would have been sworn in as a new Republican member of the U.S. House from Louisiana, Luke Letlow died at the age of 41 from complications related to COVID-19. A statue of Abraham Lincoln with a freed slave appearing to kneel at his feet was removed from its downtown Boston perch. French designer Pierre Cardin died at 98. Phyllis McGuire, the last surviving member of the singing McGuire Sisters, died at her estate in Las Vegas at 89.

Today's Birthdays: Country singer Rose Lee Maphis is 99. Actor Inga Swenson is 89. Retired ABC newscaster Tom Jarriel is 87. Actor Barbara Steele is 84. Actor Jon Voight is 83. Singer Marianne Faithfull is 75. Retired Hall of Fame Jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. is 75. Actor Ted Danson is 74. Singer-actor Yvonne Elliman is 70. The president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, is 68. Actor Patricia Clarkson is 62. Comedian Paula Poundstone is 62. Rock singer-musician Jim Reid (The Jesus and Mary Chain) is 60. Actor Michael Cudlitz is 57. Rock singer Dexter Holland (The Offspring) is 56. Actor-comedian Mystro Clark is 55. Actor Jason Gould is 55. News anchor Ashleigh Banfield is 54. Movie director Lilly Wachowski is 54. Actor Jennifer Ehle is 52. Actor Patrick Fischler is 52. Rock singer-musician Glen Phillips is 51. Actor Kevin Weisman is 51. Actor Jude Law is 49. Actor Maria Dizzia is 47. Actor Mekhi Phifer is 47. Actor Shawn Hatosy is 46. Actor Katherine Moennig is 44. Actor Diego Luna is 42. Actor Alison Brie is 39. Country singer Jessica Andrews is 38. Actor Iain de Caestecker is 34. Actor Jane Levy is 32. Singer-actor-dancer Ross Lynch is 26. Rock musician Danny Wagner is 23.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSToday is Wednesday, Dec. 29, the 363rd day of 2021. There are two days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 29, 1940, during World War II, Germany dropped incendiary bombs on London, setting off what came to be known as "The Second Great Fire of London." On this date: In 1170, Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was slain in Canterbury Cathedral by knights loyal to King Henry II. In 1812, during the War of 1812, the American frigate USS Constitution engaged and severely damaged the British frigate HMS Java off Brazil. In 1845, Texas was admitted as the 28th state. In 1851, the first Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in the United States was founded in Boston.In 1890, the Wounded Knee massacre took place in South Dakota as an estimated 300 Sioux Indians were killed by U.S. troops sent to disarm them.In 1916, James Joyce's first novel, "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man," was first published in book form in New York after being serialized in London. In 1972, Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, crashed into the Florida Everglades near Miami International Airport, killing 101 of the 176 people aboard. In 1989, dissident and playwright Vaclav Havel assumed the presidency of Czechoslovakia. In 1992, New York Gov. Mario Cuomo commuted the prison sentence of Jean Harris, the convicted killer of "Scarsdale Diet" author Herman Tarnower. In 1996, guerrilla and government leaders in Guatemala signed an accord ending 36 years of civil conflict.In 2006, word reached the United States of the execution of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (because of the time difference, it was the morning of Dec. 30 in Iraq when the hanging took place). In a statement, President George W. Bush called Saddam's execution an important milestone on Iraq's road to democracy. In 2007, the New England Patriots ended their regular season with a remarkable 16-0 record following a 38-35 comeback victory over the New York Giants. (New England became the first NFL team since the 1972 Dolphins to win every game on the schedule.) Ten years ago: Fed-up voters in Jamaica threw out the ruling party and delivered a landslide triumph to the opposition People's National Party and its leader, former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller. The No. 15 Baylor Bears, led by Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, pulled out an Alamo Bowl victory in the highest-scoring regulation bowl game in history, beating the Washington Huskies 67-56 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.Five years ago: The United States struck back at Russia for hacking the U.S. presidential campaign with a sweeping set of punishments targeting Russia's spy agencies and diplomats. Tennis star Serena Williams announced her engagement to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian — on Reddit. (The couple married on Nov. 16, 2017.)One year ago: A Colorado National Guardsman who'd been sent to help out at a nursing home struggling with a COVID-19 outbreak was reported to be the first in the U.S. to have a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus that had been circulating in England. Just days before he would have been sworn in as a new Republican member of the U.S. House from Louisiana, Luke Letlow died at the age of 41 from complications related to COVID-19. A statue of Abraham Lincoln with a freed slave appearing to kneel at his feet was removed from its downtown Boston perch. French designer Pierre Cardin died at 98. Phyllis McGuire, the last surviving member of the singing McGuire Sisters, died at her estate in Las Vegas at 89.Today's Birthdays: Country singer Rose Lee Maphis is 99. Actor Inga Swenson is 89. Retired ABC newscaster Tom Jarriel is 87. Actor Barbara Steele is 84. Actor Jon Voight is 83. Singer Marianne Faithfull is 75. Retired Hall of Fame Jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. is 75. Actor Ted Danson is 74. Singer-actor Yvonne Elliman is 70. The president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, is 68. Actor Patricia Clarkson is 62. Comedian Paula Poundstone is 62. Rock singer-musician Jim Reid (The Jesus and Mary Chain) is 60. Actor Michael Cudlitz is 57. Rock singer Dexter Holland (The Offspring) is 56. Actor-comedian Mystro Clark is 55. Actor Jason Gould is 55. News anchor Ashleigh Banfield is 54. Movie director Lilly Wachowski is 54. Actor Jennifer Ehle is 52. Actor Patrick Fischler is 52. Rock singer-musician Glen Phillips is 51. Actor Kevin Weisman is 51. Actor Jude Law is 49. Actor Maria Dizzia is 47. Actor Mekhi Phifer is 47. Actor Shawn Hatosy is 46. Actor Katherine Moennig is 44. Actor Diego Luna is 42. Actor Alison Brie is 39. Country singer Jessica Andrews is 38. Actor Iain de Caestecker is 34. Actor Jane Levy is 32. Singer-actor-dancer Ross Lynch is 26. Rock musician Danny Wagner is 23.

Today in History - Dec. 29

SHAWNEE COUNTY–Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for multiple felony charges following a pursuit that began late Christmas night.

Just after 11:30p.m. Saturday, a deputy conducted a traffic stop near SE 4th Street and SE Golden Avenue in Shawnee County on an orange 2018 Subaru Crosstrek with a license plate that did not belong on that vehicle, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

 The driver failed to stop for the deputy, initiating a pursuit. The driver fled down multiple streets before striking the median at SE 6th Avenue and SE Branner Street and disabling the vehicle. 

The driver later identified as&nbsp;Richard C. Cabrera, 25, of Topeka, exited the vehicle and fled on foot.

Deputies located him in an alley nearby and placed him into custody. The vehicle had been reported stolen through the City of Topeka, according to Christian.

Cabrera was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for two misdemeanor warrants through Shawnee County and requested charges of felony flee and elude, felony possession of stolen property, felony interference with law enforcement, possession of drug paraphernalia, reckless driving, numerous traffic violations and operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s license, registration and insurance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640626010007.png" alt="Cabrera-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Cabrera-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY–Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for multiple felony charges following a pursuit that began late Christmas night.Just after 11:30p.m. Saturday, a deputy conducted a traffic stop near SE 4th Street and SE Golden Avenue in Shawnee County on an orange 2018 Subaru Crosstrek with a license plate that did not belong on that vehicle, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. The driver failed to stop for the deputy, initiating a pursuit. The driver fled down multiple streets before striking the median at SE 6th Avenue and SE Branner Street and disabling the vehicle. The driver later identified as&nbsp;Richard C. Cabrera, 25, of Topeka, exited the vehicle and fled on foot.Deputies located him in an alley nearby and placed him into custody. The vehicle had been reported stolen through the City of Topeka, according to Christian.Cabrera was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for two misdemeanor warrants through Shawnee County and requested charges of felony flee and elude, felony possession of stolen property, felony interference with law enforcement, possession of drug paraphernalia, reckless driving, numerous traffic violations and operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s license, registration and insurance.

Sheriff: Kan. man caught driving stolen vehicle Christmas night

By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2021-12-21/overworked-former-kansas-teacher-has-nothing-left-to-give-public-schools">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA, Kansas — Kelly Kluthe is one of those rock-star science teachers schools need.

She landed an <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/community/joco-913/olathe-southwest-joco/article230955708.html" target="_blank">innovative teaching grant at Olathe West High</a>.
 She speaks at national conferences about ways to make science lessons 
fun. She mentored new teachers through the University of Kansas <a href="https://stemteach.ku.edu/" target="_blank">Center for STEM Learning</a> and the UKanTeach program, where she got her start.

She’s been teaching for a decade. Loves science, kids, public education.

“While
 I love and believe in education for every student despite their 
circumstances, public schools as a system don’t love their teachers 
back,” <a href="https://twitter.com/KlutheScience/status/1469770513316777984" target="_blank">Kluthe posted on Twitter</a> recently.

“The
 working conditions have always been challenging, but they became 
downright unsustainable since the start of the pandemic,” she tweeted. 
“We’re overworked, undervalued, and constantly under attack from people 
who have no idea what the hell they’re talking about.”

Kluthe is leaving Crossroads Preparatory Academy, a public charter school in Kansas City, Missouri, for <a href="https://www.ndsion.edu/admissions/grade-school/tuition--fees/11-program" target="_blank">Notre Dame de Sion</a> Grade School, a private Catholic school known for its small classes and college-prep trajectory.

That <a href="https://twitter.com/KlutheScience/status/1469319268449849354" target="_blank">tweet about her mid-year departure</a> drew thousands of responses from teachers across the country, many of whom say they’re burned out, depressed and disillusioned.

They point to struggles over teaching in-person and remote students simultaneously, filling in for peers during <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2021-10-18/kansas-schools-were-already-struggling-to-find-substitute-teachers-then-covid-hit" target="_blank">substitute shortages</a> and feeling the pressure to make up for lost learning time. What’s more, they’re caught in the middle of <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2021-08-23/wichita-boe-votes-to-mandate-masks-for-students-employees" target="_blank">controversial mask mandates</a>, <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2021-12-13/conservatives-see-critical-race-theory-in-anti-racist-schooling-and-they-want-it-gone-from-kansas" target="_blank">debates over critical race theory</a> and <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2021-11-10/goddard-school-district-reverses-decision-to-pull-library-books" target="_blank">challenges to books</a> in school libraries.

Steve
 Case, a former teacher and research professor who ran the University of
 Kansas’ now-defunct STEM Center, says schools should prepare for a mass
 exodus of teachers in coming months.

“I’m very, very afraid of a 
collapsing system here,” he said. “We will see a very large number of 
teachers who leave teaching altogether and don’t come back.”

Case,
 who taught Kluthe at KU, said mid-year resignations that were once rare
 are becoming more common. Generally, teachers will “gut it out for the 
kids” until the end of the year, he said. But a notably different tenor 
this fall has some Kansas teachers speaking out against what they say is
 a toxic environment.

During a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI5h568Llok" target="_blank">recent meeting of the Blue Valley school board</a>, veteran teacher Dianne O’Bryan urged communities to ease up on the negativity or risk losing more teachers.

“For
 those angry, highly critical, accusatory parents in our district, 
please know that you’re a major contributing factor to teachers 
leaving,” O’Bryan said. “You have a choice to be angry, but we also have
 a choice to leave.”

Kluthe, 31, said in an interview that she 
didn’t intend to resign mid-year, but the stresses of teaching started 
to affect her physical and mental health.

“I was getting anxiety 
almost every single work night, just dreading coming to work,” she said.
 “I was starting to resent the students for behavior issues … when I 
know a lot of those things are outside of their control. It was just not
 a healthy place for me to be.”

On Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/KlutheScience/status/1469506746611765248" target="_blank">she wrote</a>: “I’m exhausted. I’m burnt out. I have nothing left to give. I need to step away and take care of myself for a bit.”

Her private-school job comes with less pay but also less pressure, 
Kluthe said — about 10 students per class instead of 23 or more. She 
also pointed to more planning time, a tight-knit school community and 
the “freedom to be creative and follow my passions.” She’ll teach 
fourth- and fifth-grade science, technology, engineering and math, or 
STEM, classes, mentor peers and write a new social justice curriculum.

“I want to retire (as) a teacher,” she said, “but I need a school that will love me as much as I love my work.”

Case, the retired research professor, said Kluthe’s comments echo a 
growing frustration among teachers “who have not had a voice” in 
discussions around education.

“It’s like, yeah, we’re talking 
about it. We know all this stuff,” he said. “But nobody’s doing anything
 about it, and that’s where hope gets lost.”

Suzanne Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @SuzPerezICT.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640628378982.png" alt="Kelly Kluthe, who has taught in public high schools in Kansas and Missouri, recently took a job at a private Catholic grade school, saying she has lost faith in public education. Courtesy Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Kelly Kluthe, who has taught in public high schools in Kansas and Missouri, recently took a job at a private Catholic grade school, saying she has lost faith in public education. Courtesy Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2021-12-21/overworked-former-kansas-teacher-has-nothing-left-to-give-public-schools">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA, Kansas — Kelly Kluthe is one of those rock-star science teachers schools need.She landed an <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/community/joco-913/olathe-southwest-joco/article230955708.html" target="_blank">innovative teaching grant at Olathe West High</a>.
 She speaks at national conferences about ways to make science lessons 
fun. She mentored new teachers through the University of Kansas <a href="https://stemteach.ku.edu/" target="_blank">Center for STEM Learning</a> and the UKanTeach program, where she got her start.She’s been teaching for a decade. Loves science, kids, public education.And she just quit.“While
 I love and believe in education for every student despite their 
circumstances, public schools as a system don’t love their teachers 
back,” <a href="https://twitter.com/KlutheScience/status/1469770513316777984" target="_blank">Kluthe posted on Twitter</a> recently.“The
 working conditions have always been challenging, but they became 
downright unsustainable since the start of the pandemic,” she tweeted. 
“We’re overworked, undervalued, and constantly under attack from people 
who have no idea what the hell they’re talking about.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I&#39;m absolutely stunned by all the well-wishes I received from teachers across the country yesterday after announcing my resignation from teaching public HS biology. Below is a few more details as to why I&#39;m leaving and what comes next. ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/fJfQUWPDIh">pic.twitter.com/fJfQUWPDIh</a>&mdash; Kelly Kluthe (she/her) (@KlutheScience) <a href="https://twitter.com/KlutheScience/status/1469770513316777984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>Kluthe is leaving Crossroads Preparatory Academy, a public charter school in Kansas City, Missouri, for <a href="https://www.ndsion.edu/admissions/grade-school/tuition--fees/11-program" target="_blank">Notre Dame de Sion</a> Grade School, a private Catholic school known for its small classes and college-prep trajectory.That <a href="https://twitter.com/KlutheScience/status/1469319268449849354" target="_blank">tweet about her mid-year departure</a> drew thousands of responses from teachers across the country, many of whom say they’re burned out, depressed and disillusioned.They point to struggles over teaching in-person and remote students simultaneously, filling in for peers during <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2021-10-18/kansas-schools-were-already-struggling-to-find-substitute-teachers-then-covid-hit" target="_blank">substitute shortages</a> and feeling the pressure to make up for lost learning time. What’s more, they’re caught in the middle of <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2021-08-23/wichita-boe-votes-to-mandate-masks-for-students-employees" target="_blank">controversial mask mandates</a>, <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2021-12-13/conservatives-see-critical-race-theory-in-anti-racist-schooling-and-they-want-it-gone-from-kansas" target="_blank">debates over critical race theory</a> and <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2021-11-10/goddard-school-district-reverses-decision-to-pull-library-books" target="_blank">challenges to books</a> in school libraries.Steve
 Case, a former teacher and research professor who ran the University of
 Kansas’ now-defunct STEM Center, says schools should prepare for a mass
 exodus of teachers in coming months.“I’m very, very afraid of a 
collapsing system here,” he said. “We will see a very large number of 
teachers who leave teaching altogether and don’t come back.”Case,
 who taught Kluthe at KU, said mid-year resignations that were once rare
 are becoming more common. Generally, teachers will “gut it out for the 
kids” until the end of the year, he said. But a notably different tenor 
this fall has some Kansas teachers speaking out against what they say is
 a toxic environment.During a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI5h568Llok" target="_blank">recent meeting of the Blue Valley school board</a>, veteran teacher Dianne O’Bryan urged communities to ease up on the negativity or risk losing more teachers.“For
 those angry, highly critical, accusatory parents in our district, 
please know that you’re a major contributing factor to teachers 
leaving,” O’Bryan said. “You have a choice to be angry, but we also have
 a choice to leave.”Kluthe, 31, said in an interview that she 
didn’t intend to resign mid-year, but the stresses of teaching started 
to affect her physical and mental health.“I was getting anxiety 
almost every single work night, just dreading coming to work,” she said.
 “I was starting to resent the students for behavior issues … when I 
know a lot of those things are outside of their control. It was just not
 a healthy place for me to be.”On Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/KlutheScience/status/1469506746611765248" target="_blank">she wrote</a>: “I’m exhausted. I’m burnt out. I have nothing left to give. I need to step away and take care of myself for a bit.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I resigned today. I&#39;m no longer a high school biology teacher after next week and it feels weird.&mdash; Kelly Kluthe (she/her) (@KlutheScience) <a href="https://twitter.com/KlutheScience/status/1469319268449849354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>Her private-school job comes with less pay but also less pressure, 
Kluthe said — about 10 students per class instead of 23 or more. She 
also pointed to more planning time, a tight-knit school community and 
the “freedom to be creative and follow my passions.” She’ll teach 
fourth- and fifth-grade science, technology, engineering and math, or 
STEM, classes, mentor peers and write a new social justice curriculum.“I want to retire (as) a teacher,” she said, “but I need a school that will love me as much as I love my work.”Case, the retired research professor, said Kluthe’s comments echo a 
growing frustration among teachers “who have not had a voice” in 
discussions around education.“It’s like, yeah, we’re talking 
about it. We know all this stuff,” he said. “But nobody’s doing anything
 about it, and that’s where hope gets lost.”Suzanne Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @SuzPerezICT.

Former Kan. teacher has ‘nothing left to give’ public schools and she's not alone 

https://www.hallchapel.com/obituary/Donna-Tillett

July 24, 1942 ~ December 24, 2021 (age 79)

Donna Marie Tillett was born on July 24, 1942 on her family farm south of Vesper, KS to her parents Lillian and William Feldkamp. She passed away December 24, 2021 in Salina, KS at the age of 79.

Donna spent the majority of her life in Vesper, KS, but went to college at Brown Mackie in Salina. While living with her sister, May (Feldkamp) Tenofsky, Donna met her husband, Carl Tillett from Cambridge, OH while he was stationed at Schilling Air Force Base. They had a son, Danny Tillett, and a daughter, Dorie (Tillett) Falcon and raised their family in Vesper.

Donna was a homemaker for the first part of her marriage. Later on, she painted houses, inside and out, throughout Lincoln County. Then, Donna became a driver for Lincoln Schools and drove to Beloit and also worked as a para. She was a para for 20 years in Beloit. She loved her students and coworkers, but perhaps she loved the classroom therapy dog, Edgar, most. 

Donna also enjoyed walking, gardening, canning, and playing sports with her grandchildren. She would throw a Frisbee or bean bag, toss a wiffle ball, and shoot a basketball any chance she could get with her grands and great-grands. Donna loved to play golf with her brother, Darrell Feldkamp at the Lincoln golf course. She made amazing quilts that she shared with her family and spent hours every day working on her puzzle books. 

Her very favorite thing to do was to spend time with her family and helping everyone. She was always ready to play a game of cards! No one could have adored her grandkids and great-grandkids more than her. She was an amazing ‘GG’ and played with cars, did puzzles, read books, and sang songs with the kids every chance she had!

Donna was preceded in death by her parents William and Lillian Feldkamp; son Danny Tillett; husband Carl Tillett; brother Darrell Feldkamp; and nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and friends. 

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Dorie and Todd Falcon of Salina; grandchildren Andrew and wife Montse Falcon of Salina, Courtney Falcon of Salina, Brittney Falcon of Topeka, KS, and Brandon Falcon of Salina; great-grandchildren Luna, Trent, and Tate Falcon (children of Andrew and Montse Falcon); siblings Larry Feldkamp (Jeanette) of Vesper, Adis Wacker of Lincoln, Carol Feldkamp (Louise) of Lincoln, and May Tenofsky (Art) of Wichita, KS; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

The family is planning a viewing for friends on Wednesday afternoon from 1:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with the family present from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. A Celebration of Life service is planned for 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 30, 2021 at Lincoln United Methodist Church, 216 N 4th Street, Lincoln, KS. 

Memorials can be made to the Lincoln United Methodist Church in care of Hall Chapel, P.O. Box 37, Lincoln, KS 67455.&nbsp;

To&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hallchapel.com/obituary/Donna-Tillett/sympathy">send flowers</a>&nbsp;to the family or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hallchapel.com/obituary/Donna-Tillett/1069525/memorial-tree">plant a tree</a>&nbsp;in memory of Donna, please&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hallchapel.com/obituary/Donna-Tillett/sympathy">visit our floral store.</a>

<h2>Donna Marie Tillett, Vesper</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640713065546.jpeg" alt="Donna Marie Tillett" />
 <figcaption>Donna Marie Tillett</figcaption>
 </figure>https://www.hallchapel.com/obituary/Donna-TillettJuly 24, 1942 ~ December 24, 2021 (age 79)Donna Marie Tillett was born on July 24, 1942 on her family farm south of Vesper, KS to her parents Lillian and William Feldkamp. She passed away December 24, 2021 in Salina, KS at the age of 79.Donna spent the majority of her life in Vesper, KS, but went to college at Brown Mackie in Salina. While living with her sister, May (Feldkamp) Tenofsky, Donna met her husband, Carl Tillett from Cambridge, OH while he was stationed at Schilling Air Force Base. They had a son, Danny Tillett, and a daughter, Dorie (Tillett) Falcon and raised their family in Vesper.Donna was a homemaker for the first part of her marriage. Later on, she painted houses, inside and out, throughout Lincoln County. Then, Donna became a driver for Lincoln Schools and drove to Beloit and also worked as a para. She was a para for 20 years in Beloit. She loved her students and coworkers, but perhaps she loved the classroom therapy dog, Edgar, most. Donna also enjoyed walking, gardening, canning, and playing sports with her grandchildren. She would throw a Frisbee or bean bag, toss a wiffle ball, and shoot a basketball any chance she could get with her grands and great-grands. Donna loved to play golf with her brother, Darrell Feldkamp at the Lincoln golf course. She made amazing quilts that she shared with her family and spent hours every day working on her puzzle books. Her very favorite thing to do was to spend time with her family and helping everyone. She was always ready to play a game of cards! No one could have adored her grandkids and great-grandkids more than her. She was an amazing ‘GG’ and played with cars, did puzzles, read books, and sang songs with the kids every chance she had!Donna was preceded in death by her parents William and Lillian Feldkamp; son Danny Tillett; husband Carl Tillett; brother Darrell Feldkamp; and nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and friends. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Dorie and Todd Falcon of Salina; grandchildren Andrew and wife Montse Falcon of Salina, Courtney Falcon of Salina, Brittney Falcon of Topeka, KS, and Brandon Falcon of Salina; great-grandchildren Luna, Trent, and Tate Falcon (children of Andrew and Montse Falcon); siblings Larry Feldkamp (Jeanette) of Vesper, Adis Wacker of Lincoln, Carol Feldkamp (Louise) of Lincoln, and May Tenofsky (Art) of Wichita, KS; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.The family is planning a viewing for friends on Wednesday afternoon from 1:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with the family present from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. A Celebration of Life service is planned for 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 30, 2021 at Lincoln United Methodist Church, 216 N 4th Street, Lincoln, KS. Memorials can be made to the Lincoln United Methodist Church in care of Hall Chapel, P.O. Box 37, Lincoln, KS 67455.&nbsp;To&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hallchapel.com/obituary/Donna-Tillett/sympathy">send flowers</a>&nbsp;to the family or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hallchapel.com/obituary/Donna-Tillett/1069525/memorial-tree">plant a tree</a>&nbsp;in memory of Donna, please&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hallchapel.com/obituary/Donna-Tillett/sympathy">visit our floral store.</a>

Donna Marie Tillett

COLUMBUS –&nbsp; A Kansas man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murders of two individuals in 2020, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

Mark Hopkins II, 30, of Columbus was sentenced by Senior Judge Robert Fleming in Cherokee County District Court. Hopkins was sentenced to life in a Kansas Department of Corrections facility without the possibility of parole for 50 years. Hopkins last month pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree premeditated murder.

The crime occurred in June 2020, resulting in the deaths of Blaze Swank and Kylan Shook in Cherokee County. The case was investigated by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Related charges against another defendant remain pending. Charges are merely accusations; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

CHEROKEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are searching for two suspects who escaped from the Cherokee County Jail and are now offering a $5000 reward for information leading to their capture, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff.

Just after 11p.m. Monday 30-year-old double murder suspect Mark Gerald Hopkins II and 34-year-old drug suspect Michael Wayne Martsolf escaped from the Cherokee County Jail in Columbus, Kansas, according to Sheriff David Grove.

The suspects may be driving a 2008 White Honda Accord with a Missouri tag LG2XOF.&nbsp; Both suspects have extensive tattoos throughout their bodies.&nbsp; Both should be considered armed and dangerous. If you see them, call 911.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1622299174237.png" alt="Authorities captured Hopkins in Oklahoma -Photo Cherokee Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Authorities captured Hopkins in Oklahoma -Photo Cherokee Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>COLUMBUS –&nbsp; A Kansas man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murders of two individuals in 2020, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1621960469451.png" alt="Hopkins-photo Cherokee Co." />
 <figcaption>Hopkins-photo Cherokee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Mark Hopkins II, 30, of Columbus was sentenced by Senior Judge Robert Fleming in Cherokee County District Court. Hopkins was sentenced to life in a Kansas Department of Corrections facility without the possibility of parole for 50 years. Hopkins last month pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree premeditated murder. The crime occurred in June 2020, resulting in the deaths of Blaze Swank and Kylan Shook in Cherokee County. The case was investigated by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Related charges against another defendant remain pending. Charges are merely accusations; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ------------<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1622043301789.png" alt="Hopkins photo Cherokee Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Hopkins photo Cherokee Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>CHEROKEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are searching for two suspects who escaped from the Cherokee County Jail and are now offering a $5000 reward for information leading to their capture, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1621960532851.png" alt="Michael Martsolf photo Cherokee Co." />
 <figcaption>Michael Martsolf photo Cherokee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 11p.m. Monday 30-year-old double murder suspect Mark Gerald Hopkins II and 34-year-old drug suspect Michael Wayne Martsolf escaped from the Cherokee County Jail in Columbus, Kansas, according to Sheriff David Grove.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1621960469451.png" alt="Hopkins booking photo Cherokee County" />
 <figcaption>Hopkins booking photo Cherokee County</figcaption>
 </figure>The suspects may be driving a 2008 White Honda Accord with a Missouri tag LG2XOF.&nbsp; Both suspects have extensive tattoos throughout their bodies.&nbsp; Both should be considered armed and dangerous. If you see them, call 911.

Man who escaped Kan. jail sentenced  for double murder

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 28, the 362nd day of 2021. There are three days left in the year. 

On Dec. 28, 2014, the war in Afghanistan, fought for 13 bloody years and still raging, came to a formal end with a quiet flag-lowering ceremony in Kabul that marked the transition of the fighting from U.S.-led combat troops to the country's own security forces. 

In 1612, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei observed the planet Neptune, but mistook it for a star. (Neptune wasn't officially discovered until 1846 by Johann Gottfried Galle.)

In 1832, John C. Calhoun became the first vice president of the United States to resign, stepping down because of differences with President Andrew Jackson. 

In 1895, the Lumiere brothers, Auguste and Louis, held the first public showing of their movies in Paris.

In 1908, a major earthquake followed by a tsunami devastated the Italian city of Messina, killing at least 70,000 people. 

In 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance. 

In 1972, Kim Il Sung, the premier of North Korea, was named the country's president under a new constitution. 

In 1973, the Endangered Species Act was signed into law by President Richard Nixon. 

In 1975, the "Hail Mary pass" entered the football lexicon as Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach tossed the ball to Drew Pearson for an improbable 50-yard touchdown with 24 seconds left to help the Cowboys come back to edge the Minnesota Vikings 17-14.

In 1981, Elizabeth Jordan Carr, the first American "test-tube" baby, was born in Norfolk, Virginia. 

In 1991, nine people died in a crush of people trying to get into a rap celebrity basketball game at City College in New York.

In 2007, Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was laid to rest as the country's army tried to quell a frenzy of rioting in the wake of her assassination. 

In 2015, a grand jury in Cleveland declined to indict a white rookie police officer in the killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, a Black youngster who was shot while playing with what turned out to be a pellet gun.

Ten years ago: North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong Un, escorted his father's hearse in an elaborate state funeral, bowing somberly and saluting in front of tens of thousands of citizens who wailed and stamped their feet in grief for Kim Jong Il. Turkish warplanes mistakenly killed 35 smugglers and other villagers in an operation targeting Kurdish rebels in Iraq. Kaye Stevens, a singer and actor who performed with the Rat Pack and was a frequent guest on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show," died in The Villages, Florida, at age 79.

Five years ago: Film star Debbie Reynolds, who lit up the screen in "Singin' in the Rain" and other Hollywood classics, died at age 84 a day after losing her daughter, Carrie Fisher, who was 60. Former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic said she was retiring from tennis after a series of injuries meant she could no longer play at the highest level.

One year ago: Residents and staff members at a Seattle-area nursing home that had the first deadly COVID-19 outbreak in the United States began receiving vaccines. A Chinese court sentenced a former lawyer who had reported on the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak to four years in prison on charges of "picking fights and provoking trouble." A white Columbus, Ohio, police officer, Adam Coy, was fired after bodycam footage showed him fatally shooting Andre Hill – a Black man who was holding a cellphone – and failing to administer first aid for several minutes. (Coy is scheduled to face trial for murder in 2022.) "Full House" actor Lori Loughlin was released from prison after spending two months behind bars for paying a half million dollars in bribes to get her two daughters into college.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Nichelle Nichols is 89. Actor Dame Maggie Smith is 87. Former Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., is 75. Rock singer-musician Edgar Winter is 75. Actor Denzel Washington is 67. TV personality Gayle King is 67. Actor Chad McQueen is 61. Country singer-musician Marty Roe (Diamond Rio) is 61. Actor Malcolm Gets is 58. Actor Mauricio Mendoza is 52. Actor Elaine Hendrix is 51. Political commentator Ana Navarro is 50. Talk show host Seth Meyers is 48. Actor Brendan Hines is 45. Actor Joe Manganiello is 45. Actor Vanessa Ferlito is 44. R&amp;B singer John Legend is 43. Rapper-musician-producer Terrace Martin is 43. Actor Andre Holland is 42. Actor Sienna Miller is 40. Actor Beau Garrett (TV: "The Good Doctor") is 39. Actor Thomas Dekker is 34. Actor Mackenzie Rosman is 32. Pop singer David Archuleta is 31. Actor Mary-Charles Jones (TV: "Kevin Can Wait") is 20. Actor Miles Brown is 17.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSToday is Tuesday, Dec. 28, the 362nd day of 2021. There are three days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 28, 2014, the war in Afghanistan, fought for 13 bloody years and still raging, came to a formal end with a quiet flag-lowering ceremony in Kabul that marked the transition of the fighting from U.S.-led combat troops to the country's own security forces. On this date: In 1612, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei observed the planet Neptune, but mistook it for a star. (Neptune wasn't officially discovered until 1846 by Johann Gottfried Galle.)In 1832, John C. Calhoun became the first vice president of the United States to resign, stepping down because of differences with President Andrew Jackson. In 1895, the Lumiere brothers, Auguste and Louis, held the first public showing of their movies in Paris.In 1908, a major earthquake followed by a tsunami devastated the Italian city of Messina, killing at least 70,000 people. In 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance. In 1972, Kim Il Sung, the premier of North Korea, was named the country's president under a new constitution. In 1973, the Endangered Species Act was signed into law by President Richard Nixon. In 1975, the "Hail Mary pass" entered the football lexicon as Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach tossed the ball to Drew Pearson for an improbable 50-yard touchdown with 24 seconds left to help the Cowboys come back to edge the Minnesota Vikings 17-14.In 1981, Elizabeth Jordan Carr, the first American "test-tube" baby, was born in Norfolk, Virginia. In 1991, nine people died in a crush of people trying to get into a rap celebrity basketball game at City College in New York.In 2007, Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was laid to rest as the country's army tried to quell a frenzy of rioting in the wake of her assassination. In 2015, a grand jury in Cleveland declined to indict a white rookie police officer in the killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, a Black youngster who was shot while playing with what turned out to be a pellet gun.Ten years ago: North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong Un, escorted his father's hearse in an elaborate state funeral, bowing somberly and saluting in front of tens of thousands of citizens who wailed and stamped their feet in grief for Kim Jong Il. Turkish warplanes mistakenly killed 35 smugglers and other villagers in an operation targeting Kurdish rebels in Iraq. Kaye Stevens, a singer and actor who performed with the Rat Pack and was a frequent guest on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show," died in The Villages, Florida, at age 79. Five years ago: Film star Debbie Reynolds, who lit up the screen in "Singin' in the Rain" and other Hollywood classics, died at age 84 a day after losing her daughter, Carrie Fisher, who was 60. Former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic said she was retiring from tennis after a series of injuries meant she could no longer play at the highest level.One year ago: Residents and staff members at a Seattle-area nursing home that had the first deadly COVID-19 outbreak in the United States began receiving vaccines. A Chinese court sentenced a former lawyer who had reported on the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak to four years in prison on charges of "picking fights and provoking trouble." A white Columbus, Ohio, police officer, Adam Coy, was fired after bodycam footage showed him fatally shooting Andre Hill – a Black man who was holding a cellphone – and failing to administer first aid for several minutes. (Coy is scheduled to face trial for murder in 2022.) "Full House" actor Lori Loughlin was released from prison after spending two months behind bars for paying a half million dollars in bribes to get her two daughters into college.Today's Birthdays: Actor Nichelle Nichols is 89. Actor Dame Maggie Smith is 87. Former Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., is 75. Rock singer-musician Edgar Winter is 75. Actor Denzel Washington is 67. TV personality Gayle King is 67. Actor Chad McQueen is 61. Country singer-musician Marty Roe (Diamond Rio) is 61. Actor Malcolm Gets is 58. Actor Mauricio Mendoza is 52. Actor Elaine Hendrix is 51. Political commentator Ana Navarro is 50. Talk show host Seth Meyers is 48. Actor Brendan Hines is 45. Actor Joe Manganiello is 45. Actor Vanessa Ferlito is 44. R&amp;B singer John Legend is 43. Rapper-musician-producer Terrace Martin is 43. Actor Andre Holland is 42. Actor Sienna Miller is 40. Actor Beau Garrett (TV: "The Good Doctor") is 39. Actor Thomas Dekker is 34. Actor Mackenzie Rosman is 32. Pop singer David Archuleta is 31. Actor Mary-Charles Jones (TV: "Kevin Can Wait") is 20. Actor Miles Brown is 17.

Today in History - Dec. 28

&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two&nbsp; suspects on drug charges after a traffic stop.

On Dec. 21, a Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped a 2019 Ford Escape near 126th&nbsp;and U.S. Highway 75 for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

Deputies arrested Richard Michael Lane, 40, of Topeka and booked him into the Jackson County Jail for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and making false information.&nbsp;

 Jennifer Leigh Crabill, 36, of Holton, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges that include possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.&nbsp; She was also wanted on outstanding Jackson County warrants, according to Morse.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640625393005.png" alt="Lane-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Lane-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two&nbsp; suspects on drug charges after a traffic stop.On Dec. 21, a Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped a 2019 Ford Escape near 126th&nbsp;and U.S. Highway 75 for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.Deputies arrested Richard Michael Lane, 40, of Topeka and booked him into the Jackson County Jail for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and making false information.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640625361475.png" alt="Crabill photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Crabill photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure> Jennifer Leigh Crabill, 36, of Holton, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges that include possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.&nbsp; She was also wanted on outstanding Jackson County warrants, according to Morse.

Sheriff: Kan. couple jailed for alleged drug possession after traffic stop

By&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mark-canada-273149">MARK CANADA</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christina-downey-616058">CHRISTINA DOWNEY</a> For The Conversation

If you’ve made a New Year’s resolution, your plot for self-improvement probably kicks into gear sometime on Jan. 1, when the hangover wears off and the quest for the “new you” begins in earnest.

But if research on habit change is any indication,&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234097">only about half</a>&nbsp;of New Year’s resolutions are likely to make it out of January, much less last a lifetime.

As experts in&nbsp;<a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=yrmBP5AAAAAJ&amp;hl=en">positive psychology</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=QrpiSzEAAAAJ&amp;hl=en">literature</a>, we recommend an unconventional but more promising approach.

We call it the “old year’s resolution.”

It combines insights from psychologists and America’s first self-improvement guru, Benjamin Franklin, who pioneered a habit-change model that was way ahead of its time.

With the “old year” approach, perhaps you can sidestep the inevitable challenges that come with traditional New Year’s resolutions and achieve lasting, positive changes.

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1159/000324861">Research has highlighted</a>&nbsp;two potential pitfalls with New Year’s resolutions.

First, if you lack the confidence to invest in a full-fledged effort, failure to achieve the goal may become a self-fulfilling prophesy. Furthermore, if you maintain the change but perceive progress as unacceptably slow or inadequate, you may abandon the effort.

The old year’s resolution is different. Instead of waiting until January to start trying to change your life, you do a dry run before the New Year begins.

First, identify a change you want to make in your life. Do you want to eat better? Move more? Sock away more savings? Now, with Jan. 1 days away, start living according to your commitment. Track your progress. You might stumble now and then, but here’s the thing: You’re just practicing.

If you’ve ever rehearsed for a play or played scrimmages, you’ve used this kind of low-stakes practice to prepare for the real thing. Such experiences give us permission to fail.

Psychologist&nbsp;<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/44330/mindset-by-carol-s-dweck-phd/">Carol Dweck</a>&nbsp;and her colleagues&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2012.722805">have shown</a>&nbsp;that when people see failure as the natural result of striving to achieve something challenging, they are more likely to persist to the goal.

However, if people perceive failure as a definitive sign that they are not capable – or even deserving – of success, failure can lead to surrender.

If you become convinced that you cannot achieve a goal, something called “<a href="https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/lhtheoryevidence.pdf">learned helplessness</a>” can result, which means you’re likely to abandon the endeavor altogether.

Many of us unintentionally set ourselves up for failure with our New Year’s resolutions. On Jan. 1, we jump right into a new lifestyle and, unsurprisingly, slip, fall, slip again – and eventually never get up.

The old year’s resolution takes the pressure off. It gives you permission to fail and even learn from failure. You can slowly build confidence, while failures become less of a big deal, since they’re all happening before the official “start date” of the resolution.

Long before he became one of America’s greatest success stories, Franklin devised a method that helped him overcome life’s inevitable failures – and could help you master your old year’s resolutions.

When he was still a young man, Franklin came up with what he called his “bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection.” With charming confidence, he set out to master 13 virtues, including temperance, frugality, chastity, industry, order and humility.

In a typically Franklinian move, he applied a little strategy to his efforts, concentrating on one virtue at a time. He likened this approach to that of a gardener who “does not attempt to eradicate all the bad herbs at once, which would exceed his reach and his strength, but works on one of the beds at a time.”

<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/20203/20203-h/20203-h.htm">In his autobiography</a>, where he described this project in detail, Franklin did not say that he tied his project to a new year. He also did not give up when he slipped once – or more than once.

“I was surpris’d to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined; but I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish,” Franklin wrote.

He made his progress visible in a book, where he recorded his slip-ups.&nbsp;<a href="https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p15150coll7/id/107">One page</a>&nbsp;– perhaps only a hypothetical example – shows 16 of them tied to “temperance” in a single week. (Instead of marking faults, we recommend recording successes in line with&nbsp;<a href="https://time.com/5756833/better-control-emotions-better-habits/">the work of habit expert B.J. Fogg</a>, whose research suggests that celebrating victories helps to drive habit change.)

Repeated failures might discourage someone enough to abandon the endeavor altogether. But Franklin kept at it – for years. To Franklin, it was all about perspective: This effort to make himself better was a “project,” and projects take time.

Many years later, Franklin&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/20203/20203-h/20203-h.htm">admitted that he never was perfect</a>, despite his best efforts. His final assessment, however, is worth remembering:

“But, on the whole, tho’ I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavour, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it.”

Treating self-improvement as a project with no rigid time frame worked for Franklin. In fact, his scheme probably helped him&nbsp;<a href="https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/benjamin-franklin">succeed wildly in business, science and politics</a>. Importantly, he also found immense personal satisfaction in the endeavor: “This little artifice, with the blessing of God,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/20203/20203-h/20203-h.htm">he wrote</a>, was the key to “the constant felicity of his life, down to his 79th year, in which this is written.”

You can enjoy the same success Franklin did if you start on your own schedule – now, during the old year – and treat self-improvement not as a goal with a starting date but as an ongoing “project.”

It might also help to remember Franklin’s note to himself on a virtue he called, coincidentally, “Resolution”: “Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.”

Mark Canada is executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at Indiana University Kokomo. 

Christina Downey is a professor of psychology at Indiana University.

The above story is republished with permission from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>.

By&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mark-canada-273149">MARK CANADA</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christina-downey-616058">CHRISTINA DOWNEY</a> For The ConversationIf you’ve made a New Year’s resolution, your plot for self-improvement probably kicks into gear sometime on Jan. 1, when the hangover wears off and the quest for the “new you” begins in earnest.But if research on habit change is any indication,&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234097">only about half</a>&nbsp;of New Year’s resolutions are likely to make it out of January, much less last a lifetime.As experts in&nbsp;<a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=yrmBP5AAAAAJ&amp;hl=en">positive psychology</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=QrpiSzEAAAAJ&amp;hl=en">literature</a>, we recommend an unconventional but more promising approach.We call it the “old year’s resolution.”It combines insights from psychologists and America’s first self-improvement guru, Benjamin Franklin, who pioneered a habit-change model that was way ahead of its time.With the “old year” approach, perhaps you can sidestep the inevitable challenges that come with traditional New Year’s resolutions and achieve lasting, positive changes.<h2>A period to practice – and fail</h2><a href="https://doi.org/10.1159/000324861">Research has highlighted</a>&nbsp;two potential pitfalls with New Year’s resolutions.First, if you lack the confidence to invest in a full-fledged effort, failure to achieve the goal may become a self-fulfilling prophesy. Furthermore, if you maintain the change but perceive progress as unacceptably slow or inadequate, you may abandon the effort.The old year’s resolution is different. Instead of waiting until January to start trying to change your life, you do a dry run before the New Year begins.How does that work?First, identify a change you want to make in your life. Do you want to eat better? Move more? Sock away more savings? Now, with Jan. 1 days away, start living according to your commitment. Track your progress. You might stumble now and then, but here’s the thing: You’re just practicing.If you’ve ever rehearsed for a play or played scrimmages, you’ve used this kind of low-stakes practice to prepare for the real thing. Such experiences give us permission to fail.Psychologist&nbsp;<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/44330/mindset-by-carol-s-dweck-phd/">Carol Dweck</a>&nbsp;and her colleagues&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2012.722805">have shown</a>&nbsp;that when people see failure as the natural result of striving to achieve something challenging, they are more likely to persist to the goal.However, if people perceive failure as a definitive sign that they are not capable – or even deserving – of success, failure can lead to surrender.If you become convinced that you cannot achieve a goal, something called “<a href="https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/lhtheoryevidence.pdf">learned helplessness</a>” can result, which means you’re likely to abandon the endeavor altogether.Many of us unintentionally set ourselves up for failure with our New Year’s resolutions. On Jan. 1, we jump right into a new lifestyle and, unsurprisingly, slip, fall, slip again – and eventually never get up.The old year’s resolution takes the pressure off. It gives you permission to fail and even learn from failure. You can slowly build confidence, while failures become less of a big deal, since they’re all happening before the official “start date” of the resolution.<h2>A gardener weeding one bed at a time</h2>Long before he became one of America’s greatest success stories, Franklin devised a method that helped him overcome life’s inevitable failures – and could help you master your old year’s resolutions.When he was still a young man, Franklin came up with what he called his “bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection.” With charming confidence, he set out to master 13 virtues, including temperance, frugality, chastity, industry, order and humility.In a typically Franklinian move, he applied a little strategy to his efforts, concentrating on one virtue at a time. He likened this approach to that of a gardener who “does not attempt to eradicate all the bad herbs at once, which would exceed his reach and his strength, but works on one of the beds at a time.”<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/20203/20203-h/20203-h.htm">In his autobiography</a>, where he described this project in detail, Franklin did not say that he tied his project to a new year. He also did not give up when he slipped once – or more than once.“I was surpris’d to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined; but I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish,” Franklin wrote.He made his progress visible in a book, where he recorded his slip-ups.&nbsp;<a href="https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p15150coll7/id/107">One page</a>&nbsp;– perhaps only a hypothetical example – shows 16 of them tied to “temperance” in a single week. (Instead of marking faults, we recommend recording successes in line with&nbsp;<a href="https://time.com/5756833/better-control-emotions-better-habits/">the work of habit expert B.J. Fogg</a>, whose research suggests that celebrating victories helps to drive habit change.)Repeated failures might discourage someone enough to abandon the endeavor altogether. But Franklin kept at it – for years. To Franklin, it was all about perspective: This effort to make himself better was a “project,” and projects take time.<h2>‘A better and a happier man’</h2>Many years later, Franklin&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/20203/20203-h/20203-h.htm">admitted that he never was perfect</a>, despite his best efforts. His final assessment, however, is worth remembering:“But, on the whole, tho’ I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavour, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it.”Treating self-improvement as a project with no rigid time frame worked for Franklin. In fact, his scheme probably helped him&nbsp;<a href="https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/benjamin-franklin">succeed wildly in business, science and politics</a>. Importantly, he also found immense personal satisfaction in the endeavor: “This little artifice, with the blessing of God,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/20203/20203-h/20203-h.htm">he wrote</a>, was the key to “the constant felicity of his life, down to his 79th year, in which this is written.”You can enjoy the same success Franklin did if you start on your own schedule – now, during the old year – and treat self-improvement not as a goal with a starting date but as an ongoing “project.”It might also help to remember Franklin’s note to himself on a virtue he called, coincidentally, “Resolution”: “Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.”<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173725/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1"></iframe></div>Mark Canada is executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at Indiana University Kokomo. Christina Downey is a professor of psychology at Indiana University.The above story is republished with permission from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>.

Best way to follow through on New Year’s resolution? Make an ‘old year’s resolution’

Today is Monday, Dec. 27, the 361st day of 2021. There are four days left in the year. 

On Dec. 27, 2001, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld announced that Taliban and al-Qaida prisoners would be held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 

In 1831, naturalist Charles Darwin set out on a round-the-world voyage aboard the HMS Beagle. 

In 1932, New York City's Radio City Music Hall first opened.

In 1949, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands signed an act recognizing Indonesia's sovereignty after more than three centuries of Dutch rule.

In 1958, American physicist James Van Allen reported the discovery of a second radiation belt around Earth, in addition to one found earlier in the year. 

In 1964, the Cleveland Browns defeated the Baltimore Colts 27-0 to win the NFL Championship Game played at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

In 1968, Apollo 8 and its three astronauts made a safe, nighttime splashdown in the Pacific. 

In 1979, Soviet forces seized control of Afghanistan. President Hafizullah Amin, who was overthrown and executed, was replaced by Babrak Karmal.

In 1985, Palestinian guerrillas opened fire inside the Rome and Vienna airports; 19 victims were killed, plus four attackers who were slain by police and security personnel. American naturalist Dian Fossey, 53, who had studied gorillas in the wild in Rwanda, was found hacked to death. 

In 1995, Israeli jeeps sped out of the West Bank town of Ramallah, capping a seven-week pullout giving Yasser Arafat control over 90 percent of the West Bank's 1 million Palestinian residents and one-third of its land. 

In 1999, space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew returned to Earth after fixing the Hubble Space Telescope. 

In 2000, President Bill Clinton put the first Black judge on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals serving several Southern states. (The nomination of Roger Gregory had been stalled in the Senate, but Clinton used a recess appointment to put him on the bench.) 

In 2002, a defiant North Korea ordered U.N. nuclear inspectors to leave the country and said it would restart a laboratory capable of producing plutonium for nuclear weapons; the U.N. nuclear watchdog said its inspectors were "staying put" for the time being. 

Ten years ago: Tens of thousands of defiant Syrian protesters thronged the streets of Homs, calling for the execution of President Bashar Assad shortly after his army pulled its tanks back and allowed Arab League monitors in for the first time to the city at the heart of the anti-government uprising.

Five years ago: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, accompanied by President Barack Obama, visited Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, where he offered his "sincere and everlasting condolences to the souls of those who lost their lives" in Japan's 1941 attack; Abe did not apologize, but conceded his country "must never repeat the horrors of war again." Actor Carrie Fisher died in a hospital four days after suffering a medical emergency aboard a flight to Los Angeles; she was 60.

One year ago: Nearly 1.3 million people went through U.S. airports, the highest level of air travel in more than nine months, despite fears that trips would lead to more cases of COVID-19. President Donald Trump signed a $900 billion pandemic relief package, ending days of drama over his refusal to accept the bipartisan deal that would deliver cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown. Federal authorities identified the man they said was responsible for a Christmas Day bombing that tore through downtown Nashville; they said Anthony Quinn Warner had died in the blast.

Today's Birthdays: Actor John Amos is 82. Rock musician Mick Jones (Foreigner) is 77. Singer Tracy Nelson is 77. Actor Gerard Depardieu is 73. Jazz singer-musician T.S. Monk is 72. Singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff is 70. Rock musician David Knopfler (Dire Straits) is 69. Actor Tovah Feldshuh is 68. Journalist-turned-politician Arthur Kent is 68. Actor Maryam D'Abo is 61. Actor Ian Gomez is 57. Actor Theresa Randle is 57. Actor Eva LaRue is 55. Wrestler and actor Bill Goldberg is 55. Bluegrass singer-musician Darrin Vincent (Dailey &amp; Vincent) is 52. Rock musician Guthrie Govan is 50. Musician Matt Slocum is 49. Actor Wilson Cruz is 48. Actor Masi Oka is 47. Actor Aaron Stanford is 45. Actor Emilie de Ravin is 40. Actor Jay Ellis is 40. Christian rock musician James Mead (Kutless) is 39. Rock singer Hayley Williams (Paramore) is 33. Country singer Shay Mooney (Dan &amp; Shay) is 30. Actor Timothee Chalamet is 26.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSToday is Monday, Dec. 27, the 361st day of 2021. There are four days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 27, 2001, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld announced that Taliban and al-Qaida prisoners would be held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. On this date: In 1831, naturalist Charles Darwin set out on a round-the-world voyage aboard the HMS Beagle. In 1932, New York City's Radio City Music Hall first opened.In 1949, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands signed an act recognizing Indonesia's sovereignty after more than three centuries of Dutch rule.In 1958, American physicist James Van Allen reported the discovery of a second radiation belt around Earth, in addition to one found earlier in the year. In 1964, the Cleveland Browns defeated the Baltimore Colts 27-0 to win the NFL Championship Game played at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.In 1968, Apollo 8 and its three astronauts made a safe, nighttime splashdown in the Pacific. In 1979, Soviet forces seized control of Afghanistan. President Hafizullah Amin, who was overthrown and executed, was replaced by Babrak Karmal.In 1985, Palestinian guerrillas opened fire inside the Rome and Vienna airports; 19 victims were killed, plus four attackers who were slain by police and security personnel. American naturalist Dian Fossey, 53, who had studied gorillas in the wild in Rwanda, was found hacked to death. In 1995, Israeli jeeps sped out of the West Bank town of Ramallah, capping a seven-week pullout giving Yasser Arafat control over 90 percent of the West Bank's 1 million Palestinian residents and one-third of its land. In 1999, space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew returned to Earth after fixing the Hubble Space Telescope. In 2000, President Bill Clinton put the first Black judge on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals serving several Southern states. (The nomination of Roger Gregory had been stalled in the Senate, but Clinton used a recess appointment to put him on the bench.) In 2002, a defiant North Korea ordered U.N. nuclear inspectors to leave the country and said it would restart a laboratory capable of producing plutonium for nuclear weapons; the U.N. nuclear watchdog said its inspectors were "staying put" for the time being. Ten years ago: Tens of thousands of defiant Syrian protesters thronged the streets of Homs, calling for the execution of President Bashar Assad shortly after his army pulled its tanks back and allowed Arab League monitors in for the first time to the city at the heart of the anti-government uprising. Five years ago: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, accompanied by President Barack Obama, visited Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, where he offered his "sincere and everlasting condolences to the souls of those who lost their lives" in Japan's 1941 attack; Abe did not apologize, but conceded his country "must never repeat the horrors of war again." Actor Carrie Fisher died in a hospital four days after suffering a medical emergency aboard a flight to Los Angeles; she was 60. One year ago: Nearly 1.3 million people went through U.S. airports, the highest level of air travel in more than nine months, despite fears that trips would lead to more cases of COVID-19. President Donald Trump signed a $900 billion pandemic relief package, ending days of drama over his refusal to accept the bipartisan deal that would deliver cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown. Federal authorities identified the man they said was responsible for a Christmas Day bombing that tore through downtown Nashville; they said Anthony Quinn Warner had died in the blast. Today's Birthdays: Actor John Amos is 82. Rock musician Mick Jones (Foreigner) is 77. Singer Tracy Nelson is 77. Actor Gerard Depardieu is 73. Jazz singer-musician T.S. Monk is 72. Singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff is 70. Rock musician David Knopfler (Dire Straits) is 69. Actor Tovah Feldshuh is 68. Journalist-turned-politician Arthur Kent is 68. Actor Maryam D'Abo is 61. Actor Ian Gomez is 57. Actor Theresa Randle is 57. Actor Eva LaRue is 55. Wrestler and actor Bill Goldberg is 55. Bluegrass singer-musician Darrin Vincent (Dailey &amp; Vincent) is 52. Rock musician Guthrie Govan is 50. Musician Matt Slocum is 49. Actor Wilson Cruz is 48. Actor Masi Oka is 47. Actor Aaron Stanford is 45. Actor Emilie de Ravin is 40. Actor Jay Ellis is 40. Christian rock musician James Mead (Kutless) is 39. Rock singer Hayley Williams (Paramore) is 33. Country singer Shay Mooney (Dan &amp; Shay) is 30. Actor Timothee Chalamet is 26.

Today in History - Dec. 27

From the Salina Public Library Facebook page:

See what's new this week at the Salina Public Library at:

*** <a href="http://wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?fb&amp;p=5578-432&amp;fbclid=IwAR1p0UrqFxgEVo_4e6eW4DVtJl0gRTC8AhBklfMuF6Wl1ZwHxTfl9LprTq4" target="_blank">http://wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?fb&amp;p=5578-432</a> ***

There are seven new bestsellers, six new movies, one new music CD, and 54 other new books. The new bestsellers this week include "Laptop from Hell: Hunter Biden, Big Tech, and the Dirty Secrets the President Tried to Hide," "Python Crash Course, 2nd Edition," and "The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game." The new movies this week include "Belfast," "Cicada," and "Explosion."&nbsp;&nbsp;

From the Salina Public Library Facebook page:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640491145469.png" alt="Image courtesy Salina Public Library" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Salina Public Library</figcaption>
 </figure>See what's new this week at the Salina Public Library at:*** <a href="http://wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?fb&amp;p=5578-432&amp;fbclid=IwAR1p0UrqFxgEVo_4e6eW4DVtJl0gRTC8AhBklfMuF6Wl1ZwHxTfl9LprTq4" target="_blank">http://wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?fb&amp;p=5578-432</a> ***There are seven new bestsellers, six new movies, one new music CD, and 54 other new books. The new bestsellers this week include "Laptop from Hell: Hunter Biden, Big Tech, and the Dirty Secrets the President Tried to Hide," "Python Crash Course, 2nd Edition," and "The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game." The new movies this week include "Belfast," "Cicada," and "Explosion."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Check out what's new at the Salina Public Library

Today is Sunday, Dec. 26, the 360th day of 2021. There are five days left in the year. 

On Dec. 26, 1799, former President George Washington was eulogized by Col. Henry Lee as "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen." 

In 1908, Jack Johnson became the first African-American boxer to win the world heavyweight championship as he defeated Canadian Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia. 

In 1917, during World War I, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation authorizing the government to take over operation of the nation's railroads. 

In 1941, during World War II, Winston Churchill became the first British prime minister to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress. 

In 1974, comedian Jack Benny died in Los Angeles at age 80.

In 1980, Iranian television footage was broadcast in the United States showing a dozen of the American hostages sending messages to their families. 

In 1994, French commandos stormed a hijacked Air France jetliner on the ground in Marseille, killing four Algerian hijackers and freeing 170 hostages. 

In 1996, six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey was found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado. (To date, the slaying remains unsolved.)

In 2003, an earthquake struck the historic Iranian city of Bam, killing at least 26,000 people. 

In 2004, more than 230,000 people, mostly in southern Asia, were killed by a 100-foot-high tsunami triggered by a 9.1-magnitude earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean. 

In 2006, former President Gerald R. Ford died in Rancho Mirage, California, at age 93. 

In 2012, Toyota Motor Corp. said it had reached a settlement worth more than $1 billion in a case involving unintended acceleration problems in its vehicles.

Ten years ago: A heart surgeon and a technician from a Mayo Clinic in Florida, flying across the northern corner of the state to retrieve a heart for transplant, were killed along with the pilot when their helicopter crashed. Drew Brees set the NFL record for yards passing in a season and the New Orleans Saints clinched the NFC South title with a 45-16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. (The passing record would be broken two years later by Denver's Peyton Manning.)

Five years ago: President-elect Donald Trump and President Barack Obama traded competing claims about who would have won had the presidential election been a contest between the two of them; Obama suggested in a podcast he still held enough sway over the coalition of voters that elected him twice to get them to vote for him once again while Trump tweeted: "He should say that but I say NO WAY!"

One year ago: A California woman, Miya Ponsetto, wrongly accused a Black teen of taking her phone at a New York City hotel and grabbed at him as he tried to leave; she would later be charged with a hate crime. (The teen's family has sued the woman and the hotel, alleging racial profiling.) Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, who pitched well into his 40s with a knuckleball that baffled big league hitters, died after a long fight with cancer; he was 81. LeBron James was voted Male Athlete of the Year by the AP after winning his fourth NBA title, putting the Lakers on top of the basketball world again and taking a stand for social justice and voting rights.

Today's Birthdays: R&amp;B singer Abdul "Duke" Fakir (The Four Tops) is 86. "America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh is 76. Country musician Bob Carpenter (The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) is 75. Funk musician George Porter Jr. (The Meters) is 74. Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk is 74. Retired MLB All-Star Chris Chambliss is 73. Baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith is 67. Former Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., is 66. Humorist David Sedaris is 65. Rock musician James Kottak (The Scorpions) is 59. Rock musician Lars Ulrich (Metallica) is 58. Actor Nadia Dajani is 56. Rock musician J is 54. Rock singer James Mercer (The Shins; Flake) is 51. Actor-singer Jared Leto is 50. Actor Kendra C. Johnson is 45. Rock singer Chris Daughtry is 42. Actor Beth Behrs is 36. Actor Kit Harington is 35. Actor Eden Sher is 30. Pop singer Jade Thirlwall (Little Mix Actor) is 29. Actor Zach Mills is 26.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSToday is Sunday, Dec. 26, the 360th day of 2021. There are five days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 26, 1799, former President George Washington was eulogized by Col. Henry Lee as "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen." On this date: In 1908, Jack Johnson became the first African-American boxer to win the world heavyweight championship as he defeated Canadian Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia. In 1917, during World War I, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation authorizing the government to take over operation of the nation's railroads. In 1941, during World War II, Winston Churchill became the first British prime minister to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress. In 1966, Kwanzaa was first celebrated.In 1974, comedian Jack Benny died in Los Angeles at age 80.In 1980, Iranian television footage was broadcast in the United States showing a dozen of the American hostages sending messages to their families. In 1994, French commandos stormed a hijacked Air France jetliner on the ground in Marseille, killing four Algerian hijackers and freeing 170 hostages. In 1996, six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey was found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado. (To date, the slaying remains unsolved.)In 2003, an earthquake struck the historic Iranian city of Bam, killing at least 26,000 people. In 2004, more than 230,000 people, mostly in southern Asia, were killed by a 100-foot-high tsunami triggered by a 9.1-magnitude earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean. In 2006, former President Gerald R. Ford died in Rancho Mirage, California, at age 93. In 2012, Toyota Motor Corp. said it had reached a settlement worth more than $1 billion in a case involving unintended acceleration problems in its vehicles.Ten years ago: A heart surgeon and a technician from a Mayo Clinic in Florida, flying across the northern corner of the state to retrieve a heart for transplant, were killed along with the pilot when their helicopter crashed. Drew Brees set the NFL record for yards passing in a season and the New Orleans Saints clinched the NFC South title with a 45-16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. (The passing record would be broken two years later by Denver's Peyton Manning.) Five years ago: President-elect Donald Trump and President Barack Obama traded competing claims about who would have won had the presidential election been a contest between the two of them; Obama suggested in a podcast he still held enough sway over the coalition of voters that elected him twice to get them to vote for him once again while Trump tweeted: "He should say that but I say NO WAY!" One year ago: A California woman, Miya Ponsetto, wrongly accused a Black teen of taking her phone at a New York City hotel and grabbed at him as he tried to leave; she would later be charged with a hate crime. (The teen's family has sued the woman and the hotel, alleging racial profiling.) Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, who pitched well into his 40s with a knuckleball that baffled big league hitters, died after a long fight with cancer; he was 81. LeBron James was voted Male Athlete of the Year by the AP after winning his fourth NBA title, putting the Lakers on top of the basketball world again and taking a stand for social justice and voting rights.Today's Birthdays: R&amp;B singer Abdul "Duke" Fakir (The Four Tops) is 86. "America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh is 76. Country musician Bob Carpenter (The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) is 75. Funk musician George Porter Jr. (The Meters) is 74. Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk is 74. Retired MLB All-Star Chris Chambliss is 73. Baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith is 67. Former Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., is 66. Humorist David Sedaris is 65. Rock musician James Kottak (The Scorpions) is 59. Rock musician Lars Ulrich (Metallica) is 58. Actor Nadia Dajani is 56. Rock musician J is 54. Rock singer James Mercer (The Shins; Flake) is 51. Actor-singer Jared Leto is 50. Actor Kendra C. Johnson is 45. Rock singer Chris Daughtry is 42. Actor Beth Behrs is 36. Actor Kit Harington is 35. Actor Eden Sher is 30. Pop singer Jade Thirlwall (Little Mix Actor) is 29. Actor Zach Mills is 26.

Today in History - Dec. 26

NEW YORK (AP) — Airlines&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-lifestyle-health-travel-e9d4d1fab0394328dbb829df7dc8335c">continued to cancel&nbsp;</a>hundreds of flights Saturday as staffing issues tied to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">COVID-19</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-lifestyle-health-travel-98fd363107e8a09bca3916de4022b9e4">disrupted holiday celebrations</a>&nbsp;during one of the busiest travel times of the year.

FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, noted 921 flights entering, leaving or inside the U.S. canceled Saturday, up from 690&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-lifestyle-health-travel-e9d4d1fab0394328dbb829df7dc8335c">Friday</a>. Over 200 more flights were already canceled for Sunday. FlightAware does not say why flights are canceled.

Delta, United and JetBlue on Friday had all said the omicron variant was causing staffing problems leading to flight cancellations. United spokesperson Maddie King said staffing shortages were still causing cancellations and it was unclear when normal operations would return. “This was unexpected,” she said of omicron’s impact on staffing. Delta and JetBlue did not immediately respond to questions Saturday.

According to FlightAware, the three airlines canceled more than 10% of their Saturday scheduled flights. American Airlines also canceled 90 flights Saturday, about 3% of its schedule, according to FlightAware. American spokesperson Derek Walls said the cancellations stemmed from “COVID-related sick calls” and the airline contacted customers on Friday. European and Australian airlines have also canceled holiday-season flights due to staffing problems tied to COVID.

FlightAware, which does not give a reason for why flights are canceled, said airlines scrapped nearly 6,000 flights globally on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as of Saturday afternoon, with almost one-third of affected flights to, from or within the United States. Chinese airlines made up many of the canceled flights, and Chinese airports topped FlightAware’s lists of those with most cancellations. China has strict pandemic control measures including frequent lockdowns, and the government set one on Xi’an, a city of 13 million people, earlier this week.

Flight delays and cancellations tied to staffing shortages have been a regular problem for the U.S. airline industry this year. Airlines encouraged workers to quit in 2020, when air travel collapsed, and were caught short-staffed this year as travel recovered.

To ease staffing shortages, countries including Spain and the U.K. have reduced the length of COVID-19 quarantines by letting people return to work sooner after testing positive or being exposed to the virus.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian was among those who have called on the Biden administration to take similar steps or risk further disruptions in air travel. On Thursday, the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-rochelle-walensky-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-fa39bf97bc5ad51df5163b2cb4f8c58d">shortened COVID-19 isolation rules&nbsp;</a>for health care workers only.

NEW YORK (AP) — Airlines canceled hundreds of flights as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">omicron variant</a>&nbsp;jumbled schedules and drew down staffing levels at some carriers during the busy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-lifestyle-health-travel-98fd363107e8a09bca3916de4022b9e4">holiday travel season</a>.

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines together canceled more than 600 flights on Friday and Saturday. As of early evening Friday, Delta canceled had 149 flights on Friday and 188 for Christmas Day, according to FlightAware. (Other factors, such as weather, are also causing cancellations.) United called off 189 flights on Friday, about 10% of its schedule, and 140 on Saturday. Planned cancellations continued into&nbsp;<a href="https://flightaware.com/live/cancelled/plus2days" target="_blank">Sunday</a>.

Not all airlines said COVID was disrupting their travel schedules. American Airlines said it had “nothing to report,” while Southwest Airlines said “things are running smoothly.” JetBlue, which FlightAware said had canceled nearly 150 flights over Friday and Saturday, did not respond to a request for comment.

Flight delays and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-travel-air-travel-airlines-aadab96b3fc151d10cc9f4f58643acd7">cancellations</a>&nbsp;tied to staffing shortages have been a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-health-business-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-658f555ab74bdf9341ff761eff5bba63">regular problem</a>&nbsp;for the U.S. airline industry this year. Airlines encouraged workers to quit in 2020, when air travel collapsed, and were caught short-staffed this year as travel recovered.

“The nationwide spike in omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation,” United said in a statement. “As a result, we’ve unfortunately had to cancel some flights and are notifying impacted customers in advance of them coming to the airport.”

Delta said it canceled flights Friday because of the impact of omicron and possibility of bad weather after it had “exhausted all options and resources — including rerouting and substitutions of aircraft and crews to cover scheduled flying.

The airlines both said they were trying to rebook passengers.

While some travelers canceled holiday plans because of rising case numbers, many others kept to their vacations during some of the year’s busiest travel days. The Transportation Security Administration said it expects to screen nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TSA/status/1472899834298441733?s=20" target="_blank">30 million people</a>&nbsp;from Dec. 20 through Jan. 3, compared with nearly 44 million during the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2020/01/10/tsa-screened-record-breaking-number-travelers-during-end-year" target="_blank">last holiday season</a>&nbsp;before the pandemic.

Germany-based Lufthansa said Friday that it was canceling a dozen long-haul transatlantic flights over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-lifestyle-health-travel-98fd363107e8a09bca3916de4022b9e4">Christmas holiday period</a>&nbsp;because of a “massive rise” in sick leave among pilots. The cancellations on flights to Houston, Boston and Washington come despite a “large buffer” of additional staff for the period. The airline says it couldn’t speculate on whether COVID-19 infections or quarantines were responsible because it was not informed about the sort of illness. Passengers were booked on other flights.

Australian airline Jetstar said many of its workers had to test and isolate because of COVID spread, leading to last-minute delays and cancellations. It said it has rebooked the majority of passengers. FlightAware said Jetstar had 45 cancellations on Thursday and 34 on Friday.

According to&nbsp;<a href="https://flightaware.com/live/cancelled/today" target="_blank">FlightAware</a>, there are more than 3,900 canceled flights on Friday and Saturday, with close to half of the cancellations by Chinese airlines. About 30% of affected flights — more than 1,100 — were to, from or within the U.S. This is still a small fraction of global flights. FlightAware says it has tracked more than 100,000 arrivals in the past 24 hours.

Coronavirus infections fueled by the new variant have also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-pandemics-london-7004e1f1b1847b9831623e6adcedb5f3">squeezed staffing</a>&nbsp;at hospitals, police departments, supermarkets and other critical operations that have struggled to maintain a full contingent of front-line workers.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian was among those who have called on the Biden administration to take similar steps or risk further disruptions in air travel. On Thursday, the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-rochelle-walensky-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-fa39bf97bc5ad51df5163b2cb4f8c58d">shortened COVID-19 isolation rules for health care workers</a>&nbsp;only.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640461231896.png" alt="Christmas Day flights leaving Kansas City-photo MCI" />
 <figcaption>Christmas Day flights leaving Kansas City-photo MCI</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Airlines&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-lifestyle-health-travel-e9d4d1fab0394328dbb829df7dc8335c">continued to cancel&nbsp;</a>hundreds of flights Saturday as staffing issues tied to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">COVID-19</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-lifestyle-health-travel-98fd363107e8a09bca3916de4022b9e4">disrupted holiday celebrations</a>&nbsp;during one of the busiest travel times of the year.FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, noted 921 flights entering, leaving or inside the U.S. canceled Saturday, up from 690&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-lifestyle-health-travel-e9d4d1fab0394328dbb829df7dc8335c">Friday</a>. Over 200 more flights were already canceled for Sunday. FlightAware does not say why flights are canceled.Delta, United and JetBlue on Friday had all said the omicron variant was causing staffing problems leading to flight cancellations. United spokesperson Maddie King said staffing shortages were still causing cancellations and it was unclear when normal operations would return. “This was unexpected,” she said of omicron’s impact on staffing. Delta and JetBlue did not immediately respond to questions Saturday.According to FlightAware, the three airlines canceled more than 10% of their Saturday scheduled flights. American Airlines also canceled 90 flights Saturday, about 3% of its schedule, according to FlightAware. American spokesperson Derek Walls said the cancellations stemmed from “COVID-related sick calls” and the airline contacted customers on Friday. European and Australian airlines have also canceled holiday-season flights due to staffing problems tied to COVID.FlightAware, which does not give a reason for why flights are canceled, said airlines scrapped nearly 6,000 flights globally on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as of Saturday afternoon, with almost one-third of affected flights to, from or within the United States. Chinese airlines made up many of the canceled flights, and Chinese airports topped FlightAware’s lists of those with most cancellations. China has strict pandemic control measures including frequent lockdowns, and the government set one on Xi’an, a city of 13 million people, earlier this week.Flight delays and cancellations tied to staffing shortages have been a regular problem for the U.S. airline industry this year. Airlines encouraged workers to quit in 2020, when air travel collapsed, and were caught short-staffed this year as travel recovered.To ease staffing shortages, countries including Spain and the U.K. have reduced the length of COVID-19 quarantines by letting people return to work sooner after testing positive or being exposed to the virus.Delta CEO Ed Bastian was among those who have called on the Biden administration to take similar steps or risk further disruptions in air travel. On Thursday, the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-rochelle-walensky-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-fa39bf97bc5ad51df5163b2cb4f8c58d">shortened COVID-19 isolation rules&nbsp;</a>for health care workers only.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640348190954.png" alt="Photo Denver International Airport" />
 <figcaption>Photo Denver International Airport</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Airlines canceled hundreds of flights as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">omicron variant</a>&nbsp;jumbled schedules and drew down staffing levels at some carriers during the busy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-lifestyle-health-travel-98fd363107e8a09bca3916de4022b9e4">holiday travel season</a>.Delta Air Lines and United Airlines together canceled more than 600 flights on Friday and Saturday. As of early evening Friday, Delta canceled had 149 flights on Friday and 188 for Christmas Day, according to FlightAware. (Other factors, such as weather, are also causing cancellations.) United called off 189 flights on Friday, about 10% of its schedule, and 140 on Saturday. Planned cancellations continued into&nbsp;<a href="https://flightaware.com/live/cancelled/plus2days" target="_blank">Sunday</a>.Not all airlines said COVID was disrupting their travel schedules. American Airlines said it had “nothing to report,” while Southwest Airlines said “things are running smoothly.” JetBlue, which FlightAware said had canceled nearly 150 flights over Friday and Saturday, did not respond to a request for comment.Flight delays and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-travel-air-travel-airlines-aadab96b3fc151d10cc9f4f58643acd7">cancellations</a>&nbsp;tied to staffing shortages have been a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-health-business-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-658f555ab74bdf9341ff761eff5bba63">regular problem</a>&nbsp;for the U.S. airline industry this year. Airlines encouraged workers to quit in 2020, when air travel collapsed, and were caught short-staffed this year as travel recovered.“The nationwide spike in omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation,” United said in a statement. “As a result, we’ve unfortunately had to cancel some flights and are notifying impacted customers in advance of them coming to the airport.”Delta said it canceled flights Friday because of the impact of omicron and possibility of bad weather after it had “exhausted all options and resources — including rerouting and substitutions of aircraft and crews to cover scheduled flying.The airlines both said they were trying to rebook passengers.While some travelers canceled holiday plans because of rising case numbers, many others kept to their vacations during some of the year’s busiest travel days. The Transportation Security Administration said it expects to screen nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TSA/status/1472899834298441733?s=20" target="_blank">30 million people</a>&nbsp;from Dec. 20 through Jan. 3, compared with nearly 44 million during the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2020/01/10/tsa-screened-record-breaking-number-travelers-during-end-year" target="_blank">last holiday season</a>&nbsp;before the pandemic.Germany-based Lufthansa said Friday that it was canceling a dozen long-haul transatlantic flights over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-lifestyle-health-travel-98fd363107e8a09bca3916de4022b9e4">Christmas holiday period</a>&nbsp;because of a “massive rise” in sick leave among pilots. The cancellations on flights to Houston, Boston and Washington come despite a “large buffer” of additional staff for the period. The airline says it couldn’t speculate on whether COVID-19 infections or quarantines were responsible because it was not informed about the sort of illness. Passengers were booked on other flights.Australian airline Jetstar said many of its workers had to test and isolate because of COVID spread, leading to last-minute delays and cancellations. It said it has rebooked the majority of passengers. FlightAware said Jetstar had 45 cancellations on Thursday and 34 on Friday.According to&nbsp;<a href="https://flightaware.com/live/cancelled/today" target="_blank">FlightAware</a>, there are more than 3,900 canceled flights on Friday and Saturday, with close to half of the cancellations by Chinese airlines. About 30% of affected flights — more than 1,100 — were to, from or within the U.S. This is still a small fraction of global flights. FlightAware says it has tracked more than 100,000 arrivals in the past 24 hours.Coronavirus infections fueled by the new variant have also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-pandemics-london-7004e1f1b1847b9831623e6adcedb5f3">squeezed staffing</a>&nbsp;at hospitals, police departments, supermarkets and other critical operations that have struggled to maintain a full contingent of front-line workers.To ease staffing shortages, countries including Spain and the U.K. have reduced the length of COVID-19 quarantines by letting people return to work sooner after testing positive or being exposed to the virus.Delta CEO Ed Bastian was among those who have called on the Biden administration to take similar steps or risk further disruptions in air travel. On Thursday, the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-rochelle-walensky-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-fa39bf97bc5ad51df5163b2cb4f8c58d">shortened COVID-19 isolation rules for health care workers</a>&nbsp;only.___