Secrecy surrounds the firing of Stephen Wade following investigation into employee concerns

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/kansas-house-agrees-to-raise-legal-smoking-age-to-21/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — As Stephen Wade struggled to navigate the turbulence of his final days as Topeka city manager, he frequently turned to a city hall colleague for solace.

He met with her at a bar on the evening of May 31, then exchanged a series of Teams messages with her later that night.

“Am in a pretty bad place,” Wade wrote.

The sentiment underscored the end of Wade’s nine-month reign as the city’s top administrator. He requested a leave of absence one week later, and the city council fired him for undisclosed reasons after a closed-door meeting July 11.

Documents obtained by Kansas Reflector, along with interviews conducted for this story, indicate that Wade struggled to cope with complaints about a worsening crisis with unsheltered residents and the police killings of mentally disabled Black men. Additionally, city employees raised concerns about his conduct, which eventually became the subject of a law firm’s investigation and part of the discussion leading to his dismissal.

The secrecy surrounding Wade’s departure shields city officials, the mayor and council members from explaining their own role in hiring and working alongside him until the bitter end.

Council members were warned not to hire Wade in an anonymous letter sent to them in April 2022. The letter referred to Wade, previously the city’s finance director, as “a tyrant with poor people skills.”

“Wade has mastery of numbers and finance but his moral compass is broken and his decision-making ability is questionable,” the letter warned.

Councilman Spencer Duncan said city employees reached out to him with “concerns” about Wade, and that he was working to confirm those concerns when Wade requested his leave of absence during a closed-door meeting June 6.

The concerns raised by city employees were “part of the discussion” that resulted in the 10-0 vote to terminate Wade’s contract, Duncan said.

The other eight council members and mayor declined to respond to Kansas Reflector questions about why they hired Wade, if they had any reservations at the time, and whether they were aware of any concerns with him before June 1.

“None of the reasons for Mr. Wade’s termination involve concerns of criminal actions,” Duncan said. “They are personnel issues. As they fall under that category, there are federal and state laws that limit what information can be disclosed.”

When the mayor and city council hired Wade in September in a unanimous vote, he was hailed as a candidate with strong local ties rather than another in a series of outsiders.

Wade previously worked at the Topeka Capital-Journal, where he was publisher from 2018 to 2020. (Kansas Reflector’s Sherman Smith, Tim Carpenter and Clay Wirestone worked for Wade at the Capital-Journal.) He joined the city staff in the summer of 2020 and wrangled a budget strained by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He expressed excitement in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fb.watch/lRdF1O2d-e/">a video produced by the city</a>&nbsp;shortly after he became city manager.

“Any time you have an internal promotion, it’s a win for the team,” Wade said. “And so I guess what I would say to the staff is this is a win for us.”

Wade made sweeping changes to the structure of city government. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/local/2023/07/05/stephen-wade-beefs-up-topekas-city-government-with-34-new-positions/70362762007/">Topeka Capital-Journal reported</a>&nbsp;that he created 34 new positions, including seven with six-figure salaries. They included the promotion in December of Hannah Uhlrig, previously the city’s deputy public works director, to a job that pays $125,000. Her new title was director of special projects and innovation.

Teams messages, which the city provided in response to an open records request, show that Wade frequently turned to Uhlrig for support as he faced increasing pressure. They met for meals and drinks and engaged in late-night chats. He thanked her for the company.

They laughed off a reporter’s questions about the amount of money&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/07/top-bid-of-7-5-million-received-in-auction-to-sell-off-topeka-hotel/70294286007/">the city would pay for a hotel</a>&nbsp;— $7.6 million, more than twice the appraised value, in an effort to ensure redevelopment of the property. And they bashed Councilwoman Karen Hiller before and after a meeting between Wade and Hiller on June 2.

“That woman drives my blood pressure sky high,” Wade wrote.

In a series of messages after 8:40 p.m. June 5, the night before he requested a leave of absence, Uhlrig repeatedly encouraged him to think of “a positive interaction” he had that day.

The brightest moment for Wade: “The drive thru chic got my order right.”

Councilwoman Christina Valdivia-Alcala complained about Wade’s “unprofessional” relationship with the Topeka Rescue Mission as she addressed the crowd at a July 17 meeting in North Topeka.

Valdivia-Alcala represents a district that includes the area known as NOTO, a collection of art galleries, shops, restaurants and other small businesses just north of the Kansas River. The area is also known for its close proximity to the rescue mission, a homeless shelter situated between the pocket of commerce and tent encampments along the river.

Wade had been working with leaders of the rescue mission as he looked for ways to funnel taxpayer cash to the shelter.

“I’m going to be real blunt when I say this,” Valdivia-Alcala said. “I’m sad he’s gone. But his relationship with the mission was unprofessional. It was unprofessional. He carried their water.”

Kansas Reflector obtained Wade’s calendar items, emails and the text messages through an open records request with the city. The records show he frequently met and corresponded with rescue mission officials, including executive director LaManda Broyles, in the weeks before he went on leave.

Wade worked with Broyles to draft&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/resolution-for-funding-replacement.pdf">a resolution</a>&nbsp;that would use $316,966 from the city’s general fund to replace a grant the rescue mission had failed to win from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It would have been an unprecedented allocation of local taxpayer funding to the faith-based nonprofit.

“I cannot promise I am going to be successful,” Wade told Broyles in a May 19 text message, the same day she helped him&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/resolution-for-funding-replacement-revised.pdf">revise the proposed resolution</a>.

Broyles provided various estimates of the number of families the rescue mission assists through federal funding. She suggested that hundreds of families could be displaced without the transfer of city dollars.

Wade planned to ask the council to support the resolution at the June 6 meeting.

Separately, he told Broyles in a June 1 text that he was adding $1 million into the city’s operating budget for the homeless shelter. The city now says a task force will determine how that money will be spent.

“I know the weight on your mind and shoulders is heavy regarding this,” Broyles said. “Thank you for caring the way you do. Caring for the unsheltered while also caring for a thriving Topeka. I, and TRM, are in this with you. Through successes and setbacks. God guides it all.”

LaRonna Lassiter Saunders sensed that Wade was growing frustrated as she tried to make him understand the need for better relations between the community and law enforcement.

Their conversation stemmed from the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/local/2022/10/20/topeka-police-department-probe-black-men-killed-ywca-northeast-kansas-among-groups/69569048007/">police killings last year</a>&nbsp;of two Black men who struggled with mental wellness. The city refused to make public the video captured by police body cameras.

Lassiter Saunders, an attorney and justice advocate, was grateful that Wade was willing to meet with her and other advocates. But she said Wade, the son of a retired Kansas Highway Patrol officer, couldn’t understand the unresolved trauma that Black and Latino residents have from negative experiences with police.

“That’s what I kept trying to explain to Steve, and he was frustrated,” Lassiter Saunders said. “I could tell he was frustrated because at one point I said, ‘Do you understand what I’m saying? He said, ‘No.’ And I’m like OK, I can appreciate at least you’re being honest. But I think his frustration was he couldn’t understand that it was really a problem.”

Lassiter Saunders works with Bridging the Gap, a campaign focused on mental health awareness, training young people to know their rights during police interactions, and building relationships. The meeting took place a few days before Wade took a leave of absence.

Wade listened as Lassiter Saunders tried to explain the distrust that marginalized people have with police. To her, he appeared overwhelmed.

She wanted to know who the community could talk to when they have a concern or want to ask a question. Wade’s solution: People could call him personally.

Maybe his heart was in the right place, she thought, but that wasn’t a viable answer. How would people know the city manager’s number?

She wondered how the conversation was supposed to go: “My son just got pulled over, which we feel was racially motivated. Let me call the city manager see what he can do about it.”

Lassiter Saunders said she was “in his face,” pointing out things that didn’t make sense. That probably added to his frustration, she said. The conversation helped her realize the challenge was bigger than she thought.

“Not only are we trying to heal hurt and damage, but we’re also dealing with two different realities,” she said.

The city council and mayor fired Wade on July 11 following a two-hour meeting behind closed doors.

None of the council members who were present for the meeting or the mayor would answer reporters’ questions. Wade didn’t respond to a text message seeking comment.

City attorney Amanda Stanley said Chris McHugh, a civil litigation attorney from a Kansas City law firm, delivered an investigative report to the council during the closed meeting. The city hired the law firm to “investigate a complaint,” Stanley said.

“Other than that, we don’t comment on personnel matters,” Stanley said.

Stanley said the investigative report wouldn’t be made public.

She declined to say whether Wade had retained legal counsel or if the city anticipated Wade to file a lawsuit.

City residents&nbsp;responded to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fb.watch/lTOAZR-Vad/">city council meeting video on Facebook</a>. Genie Allgood referred to the secrecy as “complete and utter bs.”

“I would like to know why the reason the city manager was on paid leave and what he did (or didn’t do) to get fired! Transparency???” Allgood wrote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689890223668.jpeg" alt="A Topeka police officer guards the closed doors of the city chamber during the July 11, 2023, city council meeting. When the doors opened, the council and mayor voted 10-0 to fire city manager Stephen Wade. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>A Topeka police officer guards the closed doors of the city chamber during the July 11, 2023, city council meeting. When the doors opened, the council and mayor voted 10-0 to fire city manager Stephen Wade. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Secrecy surrounds the firing of Stephen Wade following investigation into employee concerns</h2>By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/kansas-house-agrees-to-raise-legal-smoking-age-to-21/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — As Stephen Wade struggled to navigate the turbulence of his final days as Topeka city manager, he frequently turned to a city hall colleague for solace.He met with her at a bar on the evening of May 31, then exchanged a series of Teams messages with her later that night.“Am in a pretty bad place,” Wade wrote.The sentiment underscored the end of Wade’s nine-month reign as the city’s top administrator. He requested a leave of absence one week later, and the city council fired him for undisclosed reasons after a closed-door meeting July 11.Documents obtained by Kansas Reflector, along with interviews conducted for this story, indicate that Wade struggled to cope with complaints about a worsening crisis with unsheltered residents and the police killings of mentally disabled Black men. Additionally, city employees raised concerns about his conduct, which eventually became the subject of a law firm’s investigation and part of the discussion leading to his dismissal.The secrecy surrounding Wade’s departure shields city officials, the mayor and council members from explaining their own role in hiring and working alongside him until the bitter end.Council members were warned not to hire Wade in an anonymous letter sent to them in April 2022. The letter referred to Wade, previously the city’s finance director, as “a tyrant with poor people skills.”“Wade has mastery of numbers and finance but his moral compass is broken and his decision-making ability is questionable,” the letter warned.<h2>Personnel issues</h2>Councilman Spencer Duncan said city employees reached out to him with “concerns” about Wade, and that he was working to confirm those concerns when Wade requested his leave of absence during a closed-door meeting June 6.The concerns raised by city employees were “part of the discussion” that resulted in the 10-0 vote to terminate Wade’s contract, Duncan said.The other eight council members and mayor declined to respond to Kansas Reflector questions about why they hired Wade, if they had any reservations at the time, and whether they were aware of any concerns with him before June 1.“None of the reasons for Mr. Wade’s termination involve concerns of criminal actions,” Duncan said. “They are personnel issues. As they fall under that category, there are federal and state laws that limit what information can be disclosed.”When the mayor and city council hired Wade in September in a unanimous vote, he was hailed as a candidate with strong local ties rather than another in a series of outsiders.Wade previously worked at the Topeka Capital-Journal, where he was publisher from 2018 to 2020. (Kansas Reflector’s Sherman Smith, Tim Carpenter and Clay Wirestone worked for Wade at the Capital-Journal.) He joined the city staff in the summer of 2020 and wrangled a budget strained by the COVID-19 pandemic.He expressed excitement in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fb.watch/lRdF1O2d-e/">a video produced by the city</a>&nbsp;shortly after he became city manager.“Any time you have an internal promotion, it’s a win for the team,” Wade said. “And so I guess what I would say to the staff is this is a win for us.”Wade made sweeping changes to the structure of city government. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/local/2023/07/05/stephen-wade-beefs-up-topekas-city-government-with-34-new-positions/70362762007/">Topeka Capital-Journal reported</a>&nbsp;that he created 34 new positions, including seven with six-figure salaries. They included the promotion in December of Hannah Uhlrig, previously the city’s deputy public works director, to a job that pays $125,000. Her new title was director of special projects and innovation.Teams messages, which the city provided in response to an open records request, show that Wade frequently turned to Uhlrig for support as he faced increasing pressure. They met for meals and drinks and engaged in late-night chats. He thanked her for the company.They laughed off a reporter’s questions about the amount of money&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/07/top-bid-of-7-5-million-received-in-auction-to-sell-off-topeka-hotel/70294286007/">the city would pay for a hotel</a>&nbsp;— $7.6 million, more than twice the appraised value, in an effort to ensure redevelopment of the property. And they bashed Councilwoman Karen Hiller before and after a meeting between Wade and Hiller on June 2.“That woman drives my blood pressure sky high,” Wade wrote.In a series of messages after 8:40 p.m. June 5, the night before he requested a leave of absence, Uhlrig repeatedly encouraged him to think of “a positive interaction” he had that day.The brightest moment for Wade: “The drive thru chic got my order right.”<h2>Carrying water</h2>Councilwoman Christina Valdivia-Alcala complained about Wade’s “unprofessional” relationship with the Topeka Rescue Mission as she addressed the crowd at a July 17 meeting in North Topeka.Valdivia-Alcala represents a district that includes the area known as NOTO, a collection of art galleries, shops, restaurants and other small businesses just north of the Kansas River. The area is also known for its close proximity to the rescue mission, a homeless shelter situated between the pocket of commerce and tent encampments along the river.Wade had been working with leaders of the rescue mission as he looked for ways to funnel taxpayer cash to the shelter.“I’m going to be real blunt when I say this,” Valdivia-Alcala said. “I’m sad he’s gone. But his relationship with the mission was unprofessional. It was unprofessional. He carried their water.”Kansas Reflector obtained Wade’s calendar items, emails and the text messages through an open records request with the city. The records show he frequently met and corresponded with rescue mission officials, including executive director LaManda Broyles, in the weeks before he went on leave.Wade worked with Broyles to draft&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/resolution-for-funding-replacement.pdf">a resolution</a>&nbsp;that would use $316,966 from the city’s general fund to replace a grant the rescue mission had failed to win from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It would have been an unprecedented allocation of local taxpayer funding to the faith-based nonprofit.“I cannot promise I am going to be successful,” Wade told Broyles in a May 19 text message, the same day she helped him&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/resolution-for-funding-replacement-revised.pdf">revise the proposed resolution</a>.Broyles provided various estimates of the number of families the rescue mission assists through federal funding. She suggested that hundreds of families could be displaced without the transfer of city dollars.Wade planned to ask the council to support the resolution at the June 6 meeting.Separately, he told Broyles in a June 1 text that he was adding $1 million into the city’s operating budget for the homeless shelter. The city now says a task force will determine how that money will be spent.“I know the weight on your mind and shoulders is heavy regarding this,” Broyles said. “Thank you for caring the way you do. Caring for the unsheltered while also caring for a thriving Topeka. I, and TRM, are in this with you. Through successes and setbacks. God guides it all.”<h2>Different realities</h2>LaRonna Lassiter Saunders sensed that Wade was growing frustrated as she tried to make him understand the need for better relations between the community and law enforcement.Their conversation stemmed from the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/local/2022/10/20/topeka-police-department-probe-black-men-killed-ywca-northeast-kansas-among-groups/69569048007/">police killings last year</a>&nbsp;of two Black men who struggled with mental wellness. The city refused to make public the video captured by police body cameras.Lassiter Saunders, an attorney and justice advocate, was grateful that Wade was willing to meet with her and other advocates. But she said Wade, the son of a retired Kansas Highway Patrol officer, couldn’t understand the unresolved trauma that Black and Latino residents have from negative experiences with police.“That’s what I kept trying to explain to Steve, and he was frustrated,” Lassiter Saunders said. “I could tell he was frustrated because at one point I said, ‘Do you understand what I’m saying? He said, ‘No.’ And I’m like OK, I can appreciate at least you’re being honest. But I think his frustration was he couldn’t understand that it was really a problem.”Lassiter Saunders works with Bridging the Gap, a campaign focused on mental health awareness, training young people to know their rights during police interactions, and building relationships. The meeting took place a few days before Wade took a leave of absence.Wade listened as Lassiter Saunders tried to explain the distrust that marginalized people have with police. To her, he appeared overwhelmed.She wanted to know who the community could talk to when they have a concern or want to ask a question. Wade’s solution: People could call him personally.Maybe his heart was in the right place, she thought, but that wasn’t a viable answer. How would people know the city manager’s number?She wondered how the conversation was supposed to go: “My son just got pulled over, which we feel was racially motivated. Let me call the city manager see what he can do about it.”“That doesn’t happen,” she said.Lassiter Saunders said she was “in his face,” pointing out things that didn’t make sense. That probably added to his frustration, she said. The conversation helped her realize the challenge was bigger than she thought.“Not only are we trying to heal hurt and damage, but we’re also dealing with two different realities,” she said.<h2>Utter BS</h2>The city council and mayor fired Wade on July 11 following a two-hour meeting behind closed doors.None of the council members who were present for the meeting or the mayor would answer reporters’ questions. Wade didn’t respond to a text message seeking comment.City attorney Amanda Stanley said Chris McHugh, a civil litigation attorney from a Kansas City law firm, delivered an investigative report to the council during the closed meeting. The city hired the law firm to “investigate a complaint,” Stanley said.“Other than that, we don’t comment on personnel matters,” Stanley said.Stanley said the investigative report wouldn’t be made public.She declined to say whether Wade had retained legal counsel or if the city anticipated Wade to file a lawsuit.City residents&nbsp;responded to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fb.watch/lTOAZR-Vad/">city council meeting video on Facebook</a>. Genie Allgood referred to the secrecy as “complete and utter bs.”“I would like to know why the reason the city manager was on paid leave and what he did (or didn’t do) to get fired! Transparency???” Allgood wrote.

Topeka city manager was ‘in a pretty bad place’ in final days on the job

Sometimes, society’s norms make it more difficult for men to take care of their health.

“We’re told to brush it off, walk it off, don’t cry, don’t show your true feelings...,” said Brad Dirks, the associate director of Kansas State University’s Physician Assistant program.

“That’s true when we talk about (physical) health, and even mental health. Those symptoms that would normally be evident are different for men. Signs and symptoms look different because we ignore them for quite a while until it becomes something that we can’t ignore.”

Dirks and colleague Elaine Johannes – the Kansas Health Foundation Distinguished Professor of Community Health at K-State – have varying perspectives on the effects of men's tendency to put aside their immediate health.

“I’ve been married well over 40 years, and it’s hard to see the men in our lives not take care of themselves,” Johannes said. “It’s hard to also know when to intervene, when to remind, when to nudge, when to nag…and I am more and more concerned that the men in our lives are pushing so hard to provide for their families and to maintain the stamina they had when they were younger.”

Dirks noted that the leading health-related causes of death among men are – in order – heart disease, stroke, suicide, prostate cancer and lung cancer.

“We know that there are genetic links for many diseases, which you can’t control,” Dirks said.

But he added that the risk factors for common diseases are controllable. “Smoking is a risk factor for all of the top five,” Dirks said. “And, we can monitor our cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, activity and blood sugar levels.”

“We are discovering more and more links between these illnesses and the risk factors that contribute to them,” Dirks said.

Johannes said that unlike women, men don’t often talk about health amongst themselves. Pop culture is filled with images of strong men – think of superheroes like Captain America, Superman and Iron Man – who are not expected to show signs of weakness. Unwittingly, these images have caused a challenge for men’s health.

“I don’t know that men talk to each other about their health,” Johannes said. “I think the more that men are familiar with noticing their health when they’re younger, and then are willing to open up and talk about it beyond their mom and wife, the more likely they will be able to avoid or deal with diseases.”

Dirks added: “I think part of it is starting early and training young men to be open to discussing health. If it’s modeled by your father, that gives you permission. You need to start checking your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol regularly at least by age 20. If it’s okay, you can go a period of time without checking it again, but if there’s a family history of problems, that should be a motivator to stay on top of it.”

Johannes and Dirks pointed out that caring for one’s health is akin to showing care for loved ones, as well.

“Wanting to be healthy for someone else is pretty powerful,” Dirks said. “Often times, we won’t do it for ourselves; we’re fairly fatalistic in many of these things. But when we realize that we have other people we care about, we may want to do it for them.”

Listen to a longer discussion with Johannes and Dirks on the weekly radio program,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/radio-network/sound-living.html" target="_blank">Sound Living</a>, produced by K-State Research and Extension. More information on healthy living&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689766979035.jpeg" alt="Two Kansas State University experts encourage men to talk more openly about their health. KSRE photo" />
 <figcaption>Two Kansas State University experts encourage men to talk more openly about their health. KSRE photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Sometimes, society’s norms make it more difficult for men to take care of their health.“We’re told to brush it off, walk it off, don’t cry, don’t show your true feelings...,” said Brad Dirks, the associate director of Kansas State University’s Physician Assistant program.“That’s true when we talk about (physical) health, and even mental health. Those symptoms that would normally be evident are different for men. Signs and symptoms look different because we ignore them for quite a while until it becomes something that we can’t ignore.”Dirks and colleague Elaine Johannes – the Kansas Health Foundation Distinguished Professor of Community Health at K-State – have varying perspectives on the effects of men's tendency to put aside their immediate health.“I’ve been married well over 40 years, and it’s hard to see the men in our lives not take care of themselves,” Johannes said. “It’s hard to also know when to intervene, when to remind, when to nudge, when to nag…and I am more and more concerned that the men in our lives are pushing so hard to provide for their families and to maintain the stamina they had when they were younger.”Dirks noted that the leading health-related causes of death among men are – in order – heart disease, stroke, suicide, prostate cancer and lung cancer.“We know that there are genetic links for many diseases, which you can’t control,” Dirks said.But he added that the risk factors for common diseases are controllable. “Smoking is a risk factor for all of the top five,” Dirks said. “And, we can monitor our cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, activity and blood sugar levels.”“We are discovering more and more links between these illnesses and the risk factors that contribute to them,” Dirks said.Johannes said that unlike women, men don’t often talk about health amongst themselves. Pop culture is filled with images of strong men – think of superheroes like Captain America, Superman and Iron Man – who are not expected to show signs of weakness. Unwittingly, these images have caused a challenge for men’s health.“I don’t know that men talk to each other about their health,” Johannes said. “I think the more that men are familiar with noticing their health when they’re younger, and then are willing to open up and talk about it beyond their mom and wife, the more likely they will be able to avoid or deal with diseases.”Dirks added: “I think part of it is starting early and training young men to be open to discussing health. If it’s modeled by your father, that gives you permission. You need to start checking your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol regularly at least by age 20. If it’s okay, you can go a period of time without checking it again, but if there’s a family history of problems, that should be a motivator to stay on top of it.”Johannes and Dirks pointed out that caring for one’s health is akin to showing care for loved ones, as well.“Wanting to be healthy for someone else is pretty powerful,” Dirks said. “Often times, we won’t do it for ourselves; we’re fairly fatalistic in many of these things. But when we realize that we have other people we care about, we may want to do it for them.”Listen to a longer discussion with Johannes and Dirks on the weekly radio program,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/radio-network/sound-living.html" target="_blank">Sound Living</a>, produced by K-State Research and Extension. More information on healthy living&nbsp;

K-State Professors: 'Men Tend to Ignore Symptoms Before it’s too Late'

By Lisa Moser, K-State Research and Extension news service

MANHATTAN, Kan. — When traveling abroad to regions that experience different disease threats, there can be some preventative measures that can keep a person from experiencing sickness that occurs in a particular area of the world.

And in some cases, those diseases are carried by insects. In much the same way these vectors can also transmit bovine leukemia virus to beef cattle, say the veterinarians at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2023/07/14/collaborating-center-for-the-economics-of-animal-health-americas-bovine-leukemia-virus-and-fertility-listener-question-grazing-costs/">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast.

“Bovine leukosis is a viral infection that infects the immune system of cattle and once cows have the virus in their bodies it stays with them for life,” said K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers.

He said that while most cattle have the virus in their bodies, it is not common for the virus to develop into cancer.

“Clinical signs of cancer include swollen lymph nodes and rapid weight loss, but those leukosis cases are uncommon compared to the number of animals that carry the bovine leukemia virus,” Lubbers said.

Along with spreading this through biting insects because this is a bloodborne disease, Lubbers said humans can also transmit the virus by using palpation sleeves or equipment such as needles, ear taggers and tattoo guns on multiple animals.

To learn more about the impacts of the disease in beef cattle, K-State veterinarian Bob Larson joined with his veterinary colleague, Shaun Huser, and several others to see if there was a connection between BLV and cow fertility.

Larson said the study was done with 2,820 cows from 43 beef herds In 13 counties in northeast Kansas. The researchers looked at the age of the cow, the size of the herd, the proximity to other herds in the area, and whether or not the cows became pregnant during the breeding season. All of the animals were also tested for the virus presence as well as the virus load.

“We found that this virus is very common, as about 55% of the cattle were BLV positive… Once the cattle were four to five years of age, that number increased to about 80% of the herd,” Larson said.

Regarding the connection to fertility for BLV-positive cows, Larson said: “We found no effect on the probability of getting pregnant early in the breeding season.”

Because of the high level of spread in the herds of this virus, there is no treatment currently and it is difficult to prevent the transmission, according to the veterinarians.

Depending on whether they are working with a commercial or purebred herd, some producers may regularly test for the disease and look at different management strategies.

“Some producers may group the infected cows away from the others that don’t carry the virus as a way to reduce the risk of virus spread, but that comes at a cost,” Larson said. “The cost may not warrant an invention at this time, but looking ahead we hope that this research can help us find a cost-effective way to manage this virus.”

To hear the full discussion, listen to the&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2023/07/14/collaborating-center-for-the-economics-of-animal-health-americas-bovine-leukemia-virus-and-fertility-listener-question-grazing-costs/">Cattle Chat&nbsp;</a>podcast online or through your preferred streaming platform.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689078720186.jpeg" alt="Cattle Photo. Image Courtesy KSRE" />
 <figcaption>Cattle Photo. Image Courtesy KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure>By Lisa Moser, K-State Research and Extension news serviceMANHATTAN, Kan. — When traveling abroad to regions that experience different disease threats, there can be some preventative measures that can keep a person from experiencing sickness that occurs in a particular area of the world.And in some cases, those diseases are carried by insects. In much the same way these vectors can also transmit bovine leukemia virus to beef cattle, say the veterinarians at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2023/07/14/collaborating-center-for-the-economics-of-animal-health-americas-bovine-leukemia-virus-and-fertility-listener-question-grazing-costs/">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast.“Bovine leukosis is a viral infection that infects the immune system of cattle and once cows have the virus in their bodies it stays with them for life,” said K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers.He said that while most cattle have the virus in their bodies, it is not common for the virus to develop into cancer.“Clinical signs of cancer include swollen lymph nodes and rapid weight loss, but those leukosis cases are uncommon compared to the number of animals that carry the bovine leukemia virus,” Lubbers said.Along with spreading this through biting insects because this is a bloodborne disease, Lubbers said humans can also transmit the virus by using palpation sleeves or equipment such as needles, ear taggers and tattoo guns on multiple animals.To learn more about the impacts of the disease in beef cattle, K-State veterinarian Bob Larson joined with his veterinary colleague, Shaun Huser, and several others to see if there was a connection between BLV and cow fertility.Larson said the study was done with 2,820 cows from 43 beef herds In 13 counties in northeast Kansas. The researchers looked at the age of the cow, the size of the herd, the proximity to other herds in the area, and whether or not the cows became pregnant during the breeding season. All of the animals were also tested for the virus presence as well as the virus load.“We found that this virus is very common, as about 55% of the cattle were BLV positive… Once the cattle were four to five years of age, that number increased to about 80% of the herd,” Larson said.Regarding the connection to fertility for BLV-positive cows, Larson said: “We found no effect on the probability of getting pregnant early in the breeding season.”Because of the high level of spread in the herds of this virus, there is no treatment currently and it is difficult to prevent the transmission, according to the veterinarians.Depending on whether they are working with a commercial or purebred herd, some producers may regularly test for the disease and look at different management strategies.“Some producers may group the infected cows away from the others that don’t carry the virus as a way to reduce the risk of virus spread, but that comes at a cost,” Larson said. “The cost may not warrant an invention at this time, but looking ahead we hope that this research can help us find a cost-effective way to manage this virus.”To hear the full discussion, listen to the&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2023/07/14/collaborating-center-for-the-economics-of-animal-health-americas-bovine-leukemia-virus-and-fertility-listener-question-grazing-costs/">Cattle Chat&nbsp;</a>podcast online or through your preferred streaming platform.

KSRE: K-State Beef Cattle Veterinarian discusses Cow Fertility

OPENING STATEMENT: “Alright welcome back, we’re looking forward to getting this thing started. Got a good group of guys coming in, we’ll be about one deep (for the next few days) so are going to have to work the rotation as we go with the camp, but it’ll be a good one for us to get these young guys some reps, looking forward to that. Once the vets get in really, you’ll probably see them up here today, Turk (Tershawn Wharton) will be starting off on PUP and we’ll just make a decision with (Isiah) Pacheco as we go forward, but those are really the only two that would be on the list as of right now. Other than that, we’re ready to giddy up and go and I’ll throw it out to you guys.”

Q: Last year you started thinking very early about how Patrick (Mahomes) was driving everything in terms of leadership and sort of the fire of it all, what have you seen this offseason?

REID: “Really during OTA’s you saw that, he’s not going to change that role, he’s going to continue to be one of the leaders of the team. You saw that with (Travis) Kelce, you know I had Chris Jones in here somewhere as things go on, he’ll be another one that helps step things up. We’ve got a variety of young guys, they’ve got great personalities and I’m expecting them to continue to grow in that area, too.”

Q: Where’s the room for growth with Patrick (Mahomes)? Obviously, it’s there somewhere, how do you really focus on that?

REID: “Well listen, with quarterbacks the work is never done. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s like being a farmer, you just keep on cranking. We’re always trying to give him new challenges with things, and he loves that, he loves to attack those type of things so that’s where it’s at. But you know what, there’s always things to work on, fundamentally there’s always things to work on. He spends a tremendous amount of time on that and puts a lot of effort into it and so then obviously the new plays.”

Q: Do you anticipate Chris Jones being here on the first day?

REID: “I don’t know that, we’ll just have to see how that goes. I mean there’s communication going on so that’s the important part and we’ll just have to see.”

Q: Patrick Mahomes mentioned that camp is different than the offseason workouts. With the rookies, have they really got the taste yet of what its like to be in the NFL and to be joining a team where the expectations are this high?

REID: “I think they’ll feel that a little bit more now. I think you’re a little bit guarded just by the rules for your OTA’s but it’s a good foundation to build, but this here, this tests you both mentally and physically when you have to go through a training camp and then they’ve got to deal with you guys every day. You know it’s just different. There are a lot of eyes on them, all the fans out there, a lot of eyes, so it’s different. There’s a different intensity level, plus you are getting ready for the season and you are building that foundation for the season.”

Q: if you say that being a quarterback is like being on a farm, from your world, when do you start thinking about training camp before you show up?

REID: “Listen, I take my work with me. I’ll spend a couple hours a day working on things, I enjoy doing that, you know some people read novels, I look at plays.”

Q: When you know something that maybe nobody else in the organization knows or when you stumble upon something that sparks your interest, what’s the feeling like knowing that eventually you are going to reveal to everyone what you figured out?

REID: “There’s not a lot of that that goes on, I try to keep open communication with my guys, and I don’t throw a lot of surprises out there for them, but this will be challenging. We try to create that every year, it always ends up being created in a new way, so we’ll just see how that goes.”

Q: You talk about challenges year in and year out. What keeps you motivated, obviously coming off a Super Bowl win, but what keeps you motivated to keep pressing on?

REID: “Visiting with you guys. I love the game, we got a good football team. I love the organization, being up here at Missouri Western State University. And the way people treat us up here is phenomenal. So all of those things I look forward to and enjoy doing.”

Q: Have you watched the Quarterback series on Netflix as it’s been presented at the end here?

REID: “I haven’t, I went through it with (Executive Vice President of Communications) Ted (Crews) before it was out, when we were going through the process. I had a pretty good idea of what was going on and it sounds like, you know my wife watched it, so sounds like it’s a pretty good show. I’m happy, it’s good for the NFL. It’s great for people to know what the quarterbacks go through.”

Q: On the process of deciding what information was shown in the Quarterback series.

REID: “Yeah, Pat’s (Mahomes) got a good feel for that, too. And likewise, (Executive Vice President of Communications) Ted (Crews). Ted had probably the biggest part in all of it, having to go every inch of it. But listen, there are things that you don’t want out there. I mean the best you possibly can, it’s hard in today’s world with all the technology, but there’s some things you’d like to keep in-house, particularly the way we teach things. And so that’s what we tried to do with that. To a point, we shared a few things, too.”

Q: You mentioned Isiah Pacheco a minute ago. Longer term, is there any concern that he may not be ready for the regular season, or do you feel like you have enough time?

REID: “You know Adam (Teicher), I think we’ll have enough time. Let’s see how this all goes. Curious to talk to him, I haven’t seen him yet, and likewise (Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance) Rick (Burkholder) is going to talk to him.”

Q: How big are the next three days for the rookies, pinpointing Rashee Rice. What can he accomplish and learn to prepare him for when the full practice starts on Sunday?

REID: “I think it’s great for the young guys. I think it’s good for the older guys just to get tuned up, they know what it takes to get themselves ready for the season. This is a way to knock a little rust off, but for the young guys I think it’s even more beneficial. And it’s also beneficial for the coaches to see the young guys and see what they can do and the progress they’re making throughout the three games. So, we’ll just see how that rolls. I like having some form of preseason games, I just think that ends up getting you started for the season, kind of smooths out some things.”

Q: On if any adjustments were made during the shortened offseason due to Super Bowl celebrations and camp starting earlier than in years past.

REID: “I think everybody’s kind of ready to get going. Just turn the page, it’s over, all that stuff’s over. And we’re moving forward. I think the camp takes care of the rest of that.”

Q: What lessons did you learn from winning the Super Bowl and then going back and losing the next year?

REID: “You have to maintain your edge all the way through the season. You don’t take anything for granted. So, the guys that have been through that experience know that. And you gotta have the ball flip the right way for you. There’s so much parity in this league, there’s nothing that’s granted to you. You have to earn it, and there’s got to be certain things that just happen for you in the right direction. And then you’d have a chance to do something like that, but to do that you’ve got to go with this one day at a time approach. And you’ve got to be intense through those days that you’re given an opportunity to get better with.”

Q: How much do you rely on guys like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce to set that environment?

REID: “Yeah, I love their attitude, that’s infectious. There’s a number of guys that do that, but those two, they’ve got eyes on them. And the way they go about their business is that they want to be great every day and do the best they can do every day. And they understand that through the tough parts of this, that it pays off for you down the road.”

Q: It’s well understood that you and Patrick Mahomes have had a wavelength since you’ve met. How much closer are you and Patrick to a shared vision of everything at this stage and is there even room for that to grow?

REID: “I mean, I think time does that to you enough. He knows, he’s got a great feel for things, and he knows what we’re all about and what I want, and I know what he wants. And we just go about it and makes sure we get everything taken care of.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676086443395.jpeg" alt="(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)" />
 <figcaption>(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)</figcaption>
 </figure>HEAD COACH ANDY REIDOPENING STATEMENT: “Alright welcome back, we’re looking forward to getting this thing started. Got a good group of guys coming in, we’ll be about one deep (for the next few days) so are going to have to work the rotation as we go with the camp, but it’ll be a good one for us to get these young guys some reps, looking forward to that. Once the vets get in really, you’ll probably see them up here today, Turk (Tershawn Wharton) will be starting off on PUP and we’ll just make a decision with (Isiah) Pacheco as we go forward, but those are really the only two that would be on the list as of right now. Other than that, we’re ready to giddy up and go and I’ll throw it out to you guys.”Q: Last year you started thinking very early about how Patrick (Mahomes) was driving everything in terms of leadership and sort of the fire of it all, what have you seen this offseason?REID: “Really during OTA’s you saw that, he’s not going to change that role, he’s going to continue to be one of the leaders of the team. You saw that with (Travis) Kelce, you know I had Chris Jones in here somewhere as things go on, he’ll be another one that helps step things up. We’ve got a variety of young guys, they’ve got great personalities and I’m expecting them to continue to grow in that area, too.”Q: Where’s the room for growth with Patrick (Mahomes)? Obviously, it’s there somewhere, how do you really focus on that? REID: “Well listen, with quarterbacks the work is never done. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s like being a farmer, you just keep on cranking. We’re always trying to give him new challenges with things, and he loves that, he loves to attack those type of things so that’s where it’s at. But you know what, there’s always things to work on, fundamentally there’s always things to work on. He spends a tremendous amount of time on that and puts a lot of effort into it and so then obviously the new plays.”Q: Do you anticipate Chris Jones being here on the first day?REID: “I don’t know that, we’ll just have to see how that goes. I mean there’s communication going on so that’s the important part and we’ll just have to see.”Q: Patrick Mahomes mentioned that camp is different than the offseason workouts. With the rookies, have they really got the taste yet of what its like to be in the NFL and to be joining a team where the expectations are this high?REID: “I think they’ll feel that a little bit more now. I think you’re a little bit guarded just by the rules for your OTA’s but it’s a good foundation to build, but this here, this tests you both mentally and physically when you have to go through a training camp and then they’ve got to deal with you guys every day. You know it’s just different. There are a lot of eyes on them, all the fans out there, a lot of eyes, so it’s different. There’s a different intensity level, plus you are getting ready for the season and you are building that foundation for the season.”Q: if you say that being a quarterback is like being on a farm, from your world, when do you start thinking about training camp before you show up?REID: “Listen, I take my work with me. I’ll spend a couple hours a day working on things, I enjoy doing that, you know some people read novels, I look at plays.”Q: When you know something that maybe nobody else in the organization knows or when you stumble upon something that sparks your interest, what’s the feeling like knowing that eventually you are going to reveal to everyone what you figured out?REID: “There’s not a lot of that that goes on, I try to keep open communication with my guys, and I don’t throw a lot of surprises out there for them, but this will be challenging. We try to create that every year, it always ends up being created in a new way, so we’ll just see how that goes.”Q: You talk about challenges year in and year out. What keeps you motivated, obviously coming off a Super Bowl win, but what keeps you motivated to keep pressing on?REID: “Visiting with you guys. I love the game, we got a good football team. I love the organization, being up here at Missouri Western State University. And the way people treat us up here is phenomenal. So all of those things I look forward to and enjoy doing.”Q: Have you watched the Quarterback series on Netflix as it’s been presented at the end here?REID: “I haven’t, I went through it with (Executive Vice President of Communications) Ted (Crews) before it was out, when we were going through the process. I had a pretty good idea of what was going on and it sounds like, you know my wife watched it, so sounds like it’s a pretty good show. I’m happy, it’s good for the NFL. It’s great for people to know what the quarterbacks go through.”Q: On the process of deciding what information was shown in the Quarterback series.REID: “Yeah, Pat’s (Mahomes) got a good feel for that, too. And likewise, (Executive Vice President of Communications) Ted (Crews). Ted had probably the biggest part in all of it, having to go every inch of it. But listen, there are things that you don’t want out there. I mean the best you possibly can, it’s hard in today’s world with all the technology, but there’s some things you’d like to keep in-house, particularly the way we teach things. And so that’s what we tried to do with that. To a point, we shared a few things, too.”Q: You mentioned Isiah Pacheco a minute ago. Longer term, is there any concern that he may not be ready for the regular season, or do you feel like you have enough time?REID: “You know Adam (Teicher), I think we’ll have enough time. Let’s see how this all goes. Curious to talk to him, I haven’t seen him yet, and likewise (Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance) Rick (Burkholder) is going to talk to him.”Q: How big are the next three days for the rookies, pinpointing Rashee Rice. What can he accomplish and learn to prepare him for when the full practice starts on Sunday?REID: “I think it’s great for the young guys. I think it’s good for the older guys just to get tuned up, they know what it takes to get themselves ready for the season. This is a way to knock a little rust off, but for the young guys I think it’s even more beneficial. And it’s also beneficial for the coaches to see the young guys and see what they can do and the progress they’re making throughout the three games. So, we’ll just see how that rolls. I like having some form of preseason games, I just think that ends up getting you started for the season, kind of smooths out some things.”Q: On if any adjustments were made during the shortened offseason due to Super Bowl celebrations and camp starting earlier than in years past.REID: “I think everybody’s kind of ready to get going. Just turn the page, it’s over, all that stuff’s over. And we’re moving forward. I think the camp takes care of the rest of that.”Q: What lessons did you learn from winning the Super Bowl and then going back and losing the next year?REID: “You have to maintain your edge all the way through the season. You don’t take anything for granted. So, the guys that have been through that experience know that. And you gotta have the ball flip the right way for you. There’s so much parity in this league, there’s nothing that’s granted to you. You have to earn it, and there’s got to be certain things that just happen for you in the right direction. And then you’d have a chance to do something like that, but to do that you’ve got to go with this one day at a time approach. And you’ve got to be intense through those days that you’re given an opportunity to get better with.”Q: How much do you rely on guys like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce to set that environment?REID: “Yeah, I love their attitude, that’s infectious. There’s a number of guys that do that, but those two, they’ve got eyes on them. And the way they go about their business is that they want to be great every day and do the best they can do every day. And they understand that through the tough parts of this, that it pays off for you down the road.”Q: It’s well understood that you and Patrick Mahomes have had a wavelength since you’ve met. How much closer are you and Patrick to a shared vision of everything at this stage and is there even room for that to grow?REID: “I mean, I think time does that to you enough. He knows, he’s got a great feel for things, and he knows what we’re all about and what I want, and I know what he wants. And we just go about it and makes sure we get everything taken care of.”

Q&A With KC Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid

Virginia (Garman) Pettit, 84, of Hueytown, AL passed away on Friday, July 14, 2023, at&nbsp;Self Care Health &amp; Rehab, Hueytown, AL.

Virginia was born on August 9, 1938, on her parent’s farm north of Burr Oak, Kansas, the daughter of Robert and Helen (Miller) Garman.&nbsp; She spent her earlier years playing and working on the farm with her Brother’s and Sister’s (Jean, Robert, Daniel and Sandra).&nbsp;&nbsp;Her cherished memory was getting to go to the wheat fields to ride on the tractor with her dad when she was little.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A couple of her fondest memories with her siblings growing up was listening to the Grand Ol’ Opery show on a battery-operated radio, playing Andy andy over and on Saturday nights the whole family would load up in the car and drive into Guide Rock NE to the dances.

She attended and graduated from Burr Oak High School in 1956.

Her pride and joy were her three son’s and a daughter (Robert, Douglas, Janet and Steven) she was blessed with through the years. Along with becoming a Grandma of 7 Grandchildren (Lindsey, Lexis, Stephanie, Samantha, Wyatt, and Joshua. 9 Great-grandchildren (Eloise, Jaden, Annalise, Jo, Grayson, ZaRiyah, Cobe, Connor, and Liam).

On October 3rd, 1987 she married her childhood playmate David Pettit, who lived right up the road when they were growing up.

Always an entrepreneur at heart, through the years Virginia owned and operated 4 restaurants and an antique store in Nebraska and Kansas. She often joked that she and Dave retired and moved back to Mankato, Kansas, and retirement only lasted a few months. She saw that Bob’s Inn in Mankato had closed down. She purchased it and came out of retirement to operate it. In 2007 Virginia and Dave sold Bob’s Inn and finally retired for the final time. Never to let the grass grow under her feet, she would take order and bake kolache’s from her home during retirement. She also wrote and published her own cookbook during retirement.

Virginia loved her dog Twiggy and she also enjoyed having people come over and play cards, fishing, reading, cooking, and word puzzle books.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;Virginia loved Jesus and attended various churches through the years. As a little girl of 8, her Aunt &amp; Uncle who were Missionaries came to visit. They took her to a tent revival meeting. A day that changed her life forever, as she walked down the aisle to the Old Rugged Cross being sung. She asked Jesus to be her Lord and Savior.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Survivors include: children, Robert Burns of Acworth, GA, Douglas (Trudy) Burns of McPherson, KS, Janet (Ed) Cox of St. Marys, GA and Steven (Gwen) Burns of Fayetteville, NC; Grandchildren, Lindsey Roman of Palm Coast, FL, Stephanie Burns, Samantha Burns of Villa Rica, GA, Lexis Hadley of Franklin, TN, Wyatt Burns of Dallas, GA, Joshua Tessen, of Kansas City, KS; Great Grandchildren, Eloise, Annalise, and Jo, Palm Coast, FL,&nbsp;&nbsp;Jadan, Villa Rica, GA, Grayson, Franklin, TN, ZaRiyah, Winston-Salem, NC, Cobe, Connor, and Liam, Kansas City, KS; Sister-in-law, Hazel Garman, Guide Rock, NE; Brother-in-law, Jon Adams, Saint Paul, MN &amp; many Nieces and Nephews of her siblings.&nbsp;

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and her 4 siblings.&nbsp;

Visitation will be from 1-8 pm with the family will receive friends from 5-7 PM, Thursday, July 20, 2023, at Melby Mortuary, Mankato, KS.&nbsp;

Funeral Services are 10:30 AM, Friday, July 21, 2023 at Harmony United Methodist Church, Mankato, KS with Pastor Jim Rice officiating.&nbsp;&nbsp;Burial will follow at Shaffer Cemetery, rural Mankato, KS.

Memorial donations can be made to Harmony United Methodist Church in care of the funeral home.&nbsp;&nbsp;For online condolences, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.melbymotuary.com/" target="_blank">www.melbymotuary.com</a>. Melby Mortuary, 402 N. High, PO Box 384, Mankato, KS 66956.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689733622792.jpeg" alt="Virgina Pettit" />
 <figcaption>Virgina Pettit</figcaption>
 </figure>Virginia (Garman) Pettit, 84, of Hueytown, AL passed away on Friday, July 14, 2023, at&nbsp;Self Care Health &amp; Rehab, Hueytown, AL. Virginia was born on August 9, 1938, on her parent’s farm north of Burr Oak, Kansas, the daughter of Robert and Helen (Miller) Garman.&nbsp; She spent her earlier years playing and working on the farm with her Brother’s and Sister’s (Jean, Robert, Daniel and Sandra).&nbsp;&nbsp;Her cherished memory was getting to go to the wheat fields to ride on the tractor with her dad when she was little.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A couple of her fondest memories with her siblings growing up was listening to the Grand Ol’ Opery show on a battery-operated radio, playing Andy andy over and on Saturday nights the whole family would load up in the car and drive into Guide Rock NE to the dances. She attended and graduated from Burr Oak High School in 1956. Her pride and joy were her three son’s and a daughter (Robert, Douglas, Janet and Steven) she was blessed with through the years. Along with becoming a Grandma of 7 Grandchildren (Lindsey, Lexis, Stephanie, Samantha, Wyatt, and Joshua. 9 Great-grandchildren (Eloise, Jaden, Annalise, Jo, Grayson, ZaRiyah, Cobe, Connor, and Liam). On October 3rd, 1987 she married her childhood playmate David Pettit, who lived right up the road when they were growing up. Always an entrepreneur at heart, through the years Virginia owned and operated 4 restaurants and an antique store in Nebraska and Kansas. She often joked that she and Dave retired and moved back to Mankato, Kansas, and retirement only lasted a few months. She saw that Bob’s Inn in Mankato had closed down. She purchased it and came out of retirement to operate it. In 2007 Virginia and Dave sold Bob’s Inn and finally retired for the final time. Never to let the grass grow under her feet, she would take order and bake kolache’s from her home during retirement. She also wrote and published her own cookbook during retirement. Virginia loved her dog Twiggy and she also enjoyed having people come over and play cards, fishing, reading, cooking, and word puzzle books.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Virginia loved Jesus and attended various churches through the years. As a little girl of 8, her Aunt &amp; Uncle who were Missionaries came to visit. They took her to a tent revival meeting. A day that changed her life forever, as she walked down the aisle to the Old Rugged Cross being sung. She asked Jesus to be her Lord and Savior.&nbsp;&nbsp; Survivors include: children, Robert Burns of Acworth, GA, Douglas (Trudy) Burns of McPherson, KS, Janet (Ed) Cox of St. Marys, GA and Steven (Gwen) Burns of Fayetteville, NC; Grandchildren, Lindsey Roman of Palm Coast, FL, Stephanie Burns, Samantha Burns of Villa Rica, GA, Lexis Hadley of Franklin, TN, Wyatt Burns of Dallas, GA, Joshua Tessen, of Kansas City, KS; Great Grandchildren, Eloise, Annalise, and Jo, Palm Coast, FL,&nbsp;&nbsp;Jadan, Villa Rica, GA, Grayson, Franklin, TN, ZaRiyah, Winston-Salem, NC, Cobe, Connor, and Liam, Kansas City, KS; Sister-in-law, Hazel Garman, Guide Rock, NE; Brother-in-law, Jon Adams, Saint Paul, MN &amp; many Nieces and Nephews of her siblings.&nbsp; She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and her 4 siblings.&nbsp; Visitation will be from 1-8 pm with the family will receive friends from 5-7 PM, Thursday, July 20, 2023, at Melby Mortuary, Mankato, KS.&nbsp;Funeral Services are 10:30 AM, Friday, July 21, 2023 at Harmony United Methodist Church, Mankato, KS with Pastor Jim Rice officiating.&nbsp;&nbsp;Burial will follow at Shaffer Cemetery, rural Mankato, KS. Memorial donations can be made to Harmony United Methodist Church in care of the funeral home.&nbsp;&nbsp;For online condolences, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.melbymotuary.com/" target="_blank">www.melbymotuary.com</a>. Melby Mortuary, 402 N. High, PO Box 384, Mankato, KS 66956.

Virginia (Garman) Pettit

By NATE KING Salina Post

Father's Day isn't a day some children look forward to because their father isn't a positive influence in their lives. Many homes have no male role model; according to a 2022 U.S. Census Bureau report, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/families/children.html">1 in 4 kids</a>&nbsp;live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in their home. Even when mothers are doing their best trying to fill the role, there is often still an emotional impact caused by absent fatherhood.

Back in June, 99KG's Shane McClintock teamed up with his trusty radio sidekick The Beaver, Salina Police Chief C.J. Wise, Sporting KC, and The Kansas City Royals to give a group of kids and their moms a once-in-a-lifetime experience.&nbsp;

"There are three things we [99KG] always get asked about. Summer Splash, the Toy-a-thon, and then one thing sticks out more than anything that we do big or small throughout the year and that is Dad For a Day," McClintock said. "Traditionally it is always the most talked about thing when I visit with listeners they'll always say something about Dad at Dad day. It's the smallest, but biggest promotion that we do all year long."

The Dad For a Day promotion began back when McClintock was a radio personality for Q104 in Kansas City. The idea consisted of the males at the radio station would serve as a father figure.

"The premise was built around the males of the radio station taking kids without male father figures in their lives on a trip around Father's Day," McClintock said. "Kids who either their dad is in prison or jail, they passed away or maybe kids just live with a single mom."

According to McClintock in years past the day consisted of taking the Trolley to Arrowhead Stadium for a top-down tour of the stadium, which included seeing the Kansas City Chiefs locker rooms and press box.

&nbsp;"From there, we would go to a place called Paradise Park in Lee's Summit and then we'd go to Kauffman Stadium either for a tour or a game," McClintock said.

McClintock said in past years Country Duo Big and Rich flew out to Kansas City and performed acoustically for the children and their moms.

After returning to Salina in 2013, McClintock started the Dad For a Day Promotion at 99KG.&nbsp;

"Our trips would always depend on if the Royals were in town or not," McClintock said. "If the Royals were out of town we would take a tour Kauffman if they were in town, we'd go to a game."

For the mothers and children who won the trip, it was like "winning the lottery." One of the mothers who went was Heidi Black, a single mom of two. Black said between her busy work schedule, tight budget, and no vacation days, family trips were few and far between.&nbsp;

"Being a single mother, we really do live paycheck to paycheck," Black said. "We've gone to the beach at Kanopolis and met friends and other people who have campers and things like that. But nothing compares to this."

Heidi and her two children, toured Kauffman Stadium, including the dugouts, locker rooms, press box, TV Media Center, and suites.&nbsp;

"My son just started playing baseball in his teens and his team is called the Royals," Black said. "He was really excited about getting to go. He got to go into the dugout and we got some KC Royals World Series shirts. He's never been there before. It was a day we will never forget."

For Black, life as a single mom began after a traumatic series of incidents involving her ex-husband.&nbsp;

"It was a very tumultuous relationship. We had dated since high school. We were married, but he chose a different path in life and became upset when I didn't want to go there with him," Black said. "I ended up leaving him and he attempted to murder me."

Black said she left her ex when her daughter was only one year old and her son was three.&nbsp;

"My daughter has never had her father in her life and my son barely remembers him," Black said. "It's nothing I did. It was just a very abusive situation, that got out of control."

Black said she was scared to leave him for a long time, but was glad she summoned the courage to do so. Tragedy struck her family a second time when Black's brother, the children's surrogate father figure, passed away six months after she left the children's father.&nbsp;

"I've already been through the worst of it. Life is looking up now but it was like they lost their daddy and their uncle at the same time. Thankfully they still see their grandpa who takes them fishing,” Black said.

Black said the children's father is serving a 28-year prison sentence. Black's daughter will be 30 years old when he is released.&nbsp;

"Making memories and having an opportunity to just spend a day doing several things we probably otherwise would have never been able to do in our lifetime," Black said. "It's the most memorable thing that I think we've done together so far in their little lives."

Black said since the children's father is not present in their lives, she has filled in some of the fatherly roles, like coaching her son's baseball and basketball teams.

One addition to this year's trip was Salina Police Chief Wise. This was his first year participating in 99KG's Dad For a Day.&nbsp;

"I was honored to be a part of the event. It was awesome to see the children have a great time with their mothers and just be kids," Wise said. "I have the utmost respect for the mothers I got to meet and was glad to get to spend the day with their family."

&nbsp;McClintock told Salina Post he appreciates community partners, Long McArthur, who donated the vans used to transport the group to Kansas City, and Doug Bradley Trucking, who donated $20 for every child to use during the trip.&nbsp;

The group also stopped at Prehistoric Putt, a dinosaur-themed putt-putt golf course in Independence, Missouri. The trip concluded with a tour of Sporting KC Children's Mercy Park, and a trip to the water park at Great Wolf Lodge.&nbsp;

"As we walked into the executive level, I saw the 99KG logo on one of the television screens I thought that was pretty cool," McClintock said. "That was when our tour guide said, 'It doesn't end here.' That was awesome to see."&nbsp;

When the group made their way onto the field they discovered that every television monitor within the stadium had the 99KG logo on display.

McClintock, whose parents divorced in 1989, said his own father wasn't always there every day with him while he was growing up.

"When my parents divorced in 1989, my stepdad and dad became good friends. My dad was still very active in my life, but he wasn't there every single day," McClintock said. "I'd see him three days a week. So When you see some of these kids, and they just kind of latch on and gravitate towards you while you are playing putt-putt, it gives you that feeling like you are doing something that has impact and meaning."

99KG's Dad For a Day promotion was more than just a day of fun- it was a day where memories were made and day-to-day struggles were forgotten.

"We'll always remember Shane and C.J. and Beaver," Black said. "They'll remember it forever. I'm sure in 10 years or so from now when they see Shane, they're going to remember."&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689737784300.png" alt="Shane McClintock 99KG Dad For a Day group photo." />
 <figcaption>Shane McClintock 99KG Dad For a Day group photo.</figcaption>
 </figure>By NATE KING Salina PostFather's Day isn't a day some children look forward to because their father isn't a positive influence in their lives. Many homes have no male role model; according to a 2022 U.S. Census Bureau report, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/families/children.html">1 in 4 kids</a>&nbsp;live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in their home. Even when mothers are doing their best trying to fill the role, there is often still an emotional impact caused by absent fatherhood.Back in June, 99KG's Shane McClintock teamed up with his trusty radio sidekick The Beaver, Salina Police Chief C.J. Wise, Sporting KC, and The Kansas City Royals to give a group of kids and their moms a once-in-a-lifetime experience.&nbsp;"There are three things we [99KG] always get asked about. Summer Splash, the Toy-a-thon, and then one thing sticks out more than anything that we do big or small throughout the year and that is Dad For a Day," McClintock said. "Traditionally it is always the most talked about thing when I visit with listeners they'll always say something about Dad at Dad day. It's the smallest, but biggest promotion that we do all year long."The Dad For a Day promotion began back when McClintock was a radio personality for Q104 in Kansas City. The idea consisted of the males at the radio station would serve as a father figure."The premise was built around the males of the radio station taking kids without male father figures in their lives on a trip around Father's Day," McClintock said. "Kids who either their dad is in prison or jail, they passed away or maybe kids just live with a single mom."According to McClintock in years past the day consisted of taking the Trolley to Arrowhead Stadium for a top-down tour of the stadium, which included seeing the Kansas City Chiefs locker rooms and press box.&nbsp;"From there, we would go to a place called Paradise Park in Lee's Summit and then we'd go to Kauffman Stadium either for a tour or a game," McClintock said.McClintock said in past years Country Duo Big and Rich flew out to Kansas City and performed acoustically for the children and their moms.After returning to Salina in 2013, McClintock started the Dad For a Day Promotion at 99KG.&nbsp;"Our trips would always depend on if the Royals were in town or not," McClintock said. "If the Royals were out of town we would take a tour Kauffman if they were in town, we'd go to a game."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689787911770.png" alt="Kauffman Stadium " />
 <figcaption>Kauffman Stadium </figcaption>
 </figure>For the mothers and children who won the trip, it was like "winning the lottery." One of the mothers who went was Heidi Black, a single mom of two. Black said between her busy work schedule, tight budget, and no vacation days, family trips were few and far between.&nbsp;"Being a single mother, we really do live paycheck to paycheck," Black said. "We've gone to the beach at Kanopolis and met friends and other people who have campers and things like that. But nothing compares to this."Heidi and her two children, toured Kauffman Stadium, including the dugouts, locker rooms, press box, TV Media Center, and suites.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689787834245.png" alt="Kansas City Royals Press room at Kauffman Stadium. Photos Courtesy Shane McClintock" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals Press room at Kauffman Stadium. Photos Courtesy Shane McClintock</figcaption>
 </figure>"My son just started playing baseball in his teens and his team is called the Royals," Black said. "He was really excited about getting to go. He got to go into the dugout and we got some KC Royals World Series shirts. He's never been there before. It was a day we will never forget."For Black, life as a single mom began after a traumatic series of incidents involving her ex-husband.&nbsp;"It was a very tumultuous relationship. We had dated since high school. We were married, but he chose a different path in life and became upset when I didn't want to go there with him," Black said. "I ended up leaving him and he attempted to murder me."Black said she left her ex when her daughter was only one year old and her son was three.&nbsp;"My daughter has never had her father in her life and my son barely remembers him," Black said. "It's nothing I did. It was just a very abusive situation, that got out of control."Black said she was scared to leave him for a long time, but was glad she summoned the courage to do so. Tragedy struck her family a second time when Black's brother, the children's surrogate father figure, passed away six months after she left the children's father.&nbsp;"I've already been through the worst of it. Life is looking up now but it was like they lost their daddy and their uncle at the same time. Thankfully they still see their grandpa who takes them fishing,” Black said.Black said the children's father is serving a 28-year prison sentence. Black's daughter will be 30 years old when he is released.&nbsp;"Making memories and having an opportunity to just spend a day doing several things we probably otherwise would have never been able to do in our lifetime," Black said. "It's the most memorable thing that I think we've done together so far in their little lives."Black said since the children's father is not present in their lives, she has filled in some of the fatherly roles, like coaching her son's baseball and basketball teams.One addition to this year's trip was Salina Police Chief Wise. This was his first year participating in 99KG's Dad For a Day.&nbsp;"I was honored to be a part of the event. It was awesome to see the children have a great time with their mothers and just be kids," Wise said. "I have the utmost respect for the mothers I got to meet and was glad to get to spend the day with their family."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689788946130.png" alt="Water Slides at Great Wolf Lodge " />
 <figcaption>Water Slides at Great Wolf Lodge </figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;McClintock told Salina Post he appreciates community partners, Long McArthur, who donated the vans used to transport the group to Kansas City, and Doug Bradley Trucking, who donated $20 for every child to use during the trip.&nbsp;The group also stopped at Prehistoric Putt, a dinosaur-themed putt-putt golf course in Independence, Missouri. The trip concluded with a tour of Sporting KC Children's Mercy Park, and a trip to the water park at Great Wolf Lodge.&nbsp;"As we walked into the executive level, I saw the 99KG logo on one of the television screens I thought that was pretty cool," McClintock said. "That was when our tour guide said, 'It doesn't end here.' That was awesome to see."&nbsp;When the group made their way onto the field they discovered that every television monitor within the stadium had the 99KG logo on display.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689789144531.png" alt="Buffalo Funds Executive Level at Children's Mercy Park" />
 <figcaption>Buffalo Funds Executive Level at Children's Mercy Park</figcaption>
 </figure>McClintock, whose parents divorced in 1989, said his own father wasn't always there every day with him while he was growing up."When my parents divorced in 1989, my stepdad and dad became good friends. My dad was still very active in my life, but he wasn't there every single day," McClintock said. "I'd see him three days a week. So When you see some of these kids, and they just kind of latch on and gravitate towards you while you are playing putt-putt, it gives you that feeling like you are doing something that has impact and meaning."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689789257648.png" alt="The jumbo screen displaying 99KG's logo at Children's Mercy Park" />
 <figcaption>The jumbo screen displaying 99KG's logo at Children's Mercy Park</figcaption>
 </figure>99KG's Dad For a Day promotion was more than just a day of fun- it was a day where memories were made and day-to-day struggles were forgotten."We'll always remember Shane and C.J. and Beaver," Black said. "They'll remember it forever. I'm sure in 10 years or so from now when they see Shane, they're going to remember."&nbsp;

 99KG's Shane McClintock Marks 10 Years of Dad For a Day  

Myra Steel (Duthie) Grabon, 82 of Salina, passed away Wednesday, July 5th, 2023.

Myra was the first child of Robert Duthie and Ann Jamieson (Scouller) Duthie born on April 1st, 1941, in Forfar, Scotland. She grew up in the small community with her younger sister Katreena and brother Howard.

Myra attended local schools while growing up, and later studied to be, and became, a Registered Nurse in Scotland.

While working as a nurse in the hospital on a Naval base in Scotland, Myra met her future husband, George Grabon, who was stationed there. Myra eventually married George on June 26, 1971, in Dundee, Scotland. After getting married, Myra moved from Scotland, to Jamaica, Queens, New York City, with George, and soon began working at Mary Immaculate Hospital as a ward nurse.

On December, 9th, 1976, Myra gave birth to her only child, a son Andrew. She left full-time nursing to be a stay-at-home mother. She later became a traveling Hospice Nurse on Long Island when Andrew entered high school, working as such until she retired in the mid-2000's. In the early 2010's Myra and George moved to Kansas to be closer to their son and his family.

Myra enjoyed singing and listening to music, watching birds, looking at flowers, watching classic films, and reading. She was saved in her childhood and always stayed close to the Lord throughout her life. She had a close bond with her sister and brother, and enjoyed chatting with them over the phone when able, along with other friends and family in Scotland.

Myra was preceded in death by her parents: Robert and Ann, husband; George, as well as her younger brother; Howard.

Myra is survived by her son; Andrew and his wife Susan Grabon of Beloit, one grandson; Evan Grabon and her younger sister: Katreena of the United Kingdom.

Myra will be laid to rest alongside her husband George at the Veteran’s Cemetery at Fort Riley, 5181 Wildcat Creek Rd, Manhattan, KS.

Memorial donations can be made to Hospice of Salina https://hospiceofsalina.org/donations/

Arrangements have been entrusted to Roselawn Burial and Cremation Services. Online condolences may be sent to www.roselawnsalina.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688996551767.jpeg" alt="Myra Grabon" />
 <figcaption>Myra Grabon</figcaption>
 </figure>Myra Steel (Duthie) Grabon, 82 of Salina, passed away Wednesday, July 5th, 2023.Myra was the first child of Robert Duthie and Ann Jamieson (Scouller) Duthie born on April 1st, 1941, in Forfar, Scotland. She grew up in the small community with her younger sister Katreena and brother Howard.Myra attended local schools while growing up, and later studied to be, and became, a Registered Nurse in Scotland.While working as a nurse in the hospital on a Naval base in Scotland, Myra met her future husband, George Grabon, who was stationed there. Myra eventually married George on June 26, 1971, in Dundee, Scotland. After getting married, Myra moved from Scotland, to Jamaica, Queens, New York City, with George, and soon began working at Mary Immaculate Hospital as a ward nurse.On December, 9th, 1976, Myra gave birth to her only child, a son Andrew. She left full-time nursing to be a stay-at-home mother. She later became a traveling Hospice Nurse on Long Island when Andrew entered high school, working as such until she retired in the mid-2000's. In the early 2010's Myra and George moved to Kansas to be closer to their son and his family.Myra enjoyed singing and listening to music, watching birds, looking at flowers, watching classic films, and reading. She was saved in her childhood and always stayed close to the Lord throughout her life. She had a close bond with her sister and brother, and enjoyed chatting with them over the phone when able, along with other friends and family in Scotland.Myra was preceded in death by her parents: Robert and Ann, husband; George, as well as her younger brother; Howard.Myra is survived by her son; Andrew and his wife Susan Grabon of Beloit, one grandson; Evan Grabon and her younger sister: Katreena of the United Kingdom.Myra will be laid to rest alongside her husband George at the Veteran’s Cemetery at Fort Riley, 5181 Wildcat Creek Rd, Manhattan, KS.Memorial donations can be made to Hospice of Salina https://hospiceofsalina.org/donations/Arrangements have been entrusted to Roselawn Burial and Cremation Services. Online condolences may be sent to www.roselawnsalina.com.

Myra Steel (Duthie) Grabon

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly and a bipartisan group of Kansas legislative leaders agreed Friday to designate $170,000 to cover the cost of deploying hazmat teams in Kansas after an anonymous person mailed letters contained white powder and hostile text to about 100 politicians in the state.

(click below to watch a replay of the meeting)

The State Finance Council, which includes Republicans and Democrats from the House and Senate, unanimously approved the expenditure sought by state fire marshal Doug Jorgensen. He said the request was necessary because he lacked authority to spend more than $25,000 per incident from the agency’s emergency response fund without consent of the State Finance Council.

“In the recent event,” Jorgensen said, “we had eight of those hazmat teams active.”

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation in mid-June began an inquiry of suspicious letters sent legislators and public officials in Kansas, including Attorney General Kris Kobach. The KBI had 60 special agents, forensic scientists and colleagues working to collect, screen, manage and track evidence.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said preliminary testing showed the white substance was presumptively negative for dangerous biological agents.

Delivery of similar letters in Tennessee and Montana prompted the Federal Bureau of Investigation to take the lead role in the inquiry on June 20. So far, more than 120 Republicans in the three states have received the bizarre letters.

Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican who received one of the letters, said after the State Finance Council’s vote that he was pleased Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa, denounced individuals responsible for mailing the letters.

“I appreciate what she did,” Hawkins said. “I sure wished I would have heard from our governor about that.”

Kelly said she appreciated the House speaker’s point of view and promised to issue a formal statement when the federal and state investigation concluded.

“You can rest assured that there is no way in the world that I would approve or condone this kind of action,” the Democratic governor said. “I am waiting for the KBI and FBI to complete their investigation so we can know all the facts in the case.”

After inviting the governor to comment and listening to her remarks during the State Finance Council meeting, Hawkins issued a statement faulting Kelly’s approach to an investigation that hadn’t produced an arrest in Kansas or elsewhere. Hawkins said the governor’s decision to await outcome of the investigation was an “excuse” to sidestep talking about what he considered an “act of terror.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688838952944.png" alt="The State Finance Council approved expenditure of $170,000 by state fire marshal Doug Jorgensen in response to about 100 letters containing a white powder sent to Kansas political figures in June. House Speaker Dan Hawkins criticized Gov. Laura Kelly for not publicly denouncing the letters. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from State Finance Council’s YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption>The State Finance Council approved expenditure of $170,000 by state fire marshal Doug Jorgensen in response to about 100 letters containing a white powder sent to Kansas political figures in June. House Speaker Dan Hawkins criticized Gov. Laura Kelly for not publicly denouncing the letters. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from State Finance Council’s YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly and a bipartisan group of Kansas legislative leaders agreed Friday to designate $170,000 to cover the cost of deploying hazmat teams in Kansas after an anonymous person mailed letters contained white powder and hostile text to about 100 politicians in the state.(click below to watch a replay of the meeting)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UTtYD21s7i4?start=3" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The State Finance Council, which includes Republicans and Democrats from the House and Senate, unanimously approved the expenditure sought by state fire marshal Doug Jorgensen. He said the request was necessary because he lacked authority to spend more than $25,000 per incident from the agency’s emergency response fund without consent of the State Finance Council.“In the recent event,” Jorgensen said, “we had eight of those hazmat teams active.”The Kansas Bureau of Investigation in mid-June began an inquiry of suspicious letters sent legislators and public officials in Kansas, including Attorney General Kris Kobach. The KBI had 60 special agents, forensic scientists and colleagues working to collect, screen, manage and track evidence.The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said preliminary testing showed the white substance was presumptively negative for dangerous biological agents.Delivery of similar letters in Tennessee and Montana prompted the Federal Bureau of Investigation to take the lead role in the inquiry on June 20. So far, more than 120 Republicans in the three states have received the bizarre letters.Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican who received one of the letters, said after the State Finance Council’s vote that he was pleased Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa, denounced individuals responsible for mailing the letters.“I appreciate what she did,” Hawkins said. “I sure wished I would have heard from our governor about that.”Kelly said she appreciated the House speaker’s point of view and promised to issue a formal statement when the federal and state investigation concluded.“You can rest assured that there is no way in the world that I would approve or condone this kind of action,” the Democratic governor said. “I am waiting for the KBI and FBI to complete their investigation so we can know all the facts in the case.”After inviting the governor to comment and listening to her remarks during the State Finance Council meeting, Hawkins issued a statement faulting Kelly’s approach to an investigation that hadn’t produced an arrest in Kansas or elsewhere. Hawkins said the governor’s decision to await outcome of the investigation was an “excuse” to sidestep talking about what he considered an “act of terror.”