<a href="https://www.yazelmeglifh.com/obituaries/melvin-gradert">Melvin Gradert Obituary 2022 - Yazel - Megli Funeral Homes (yazelmeglifh.com)</a>

Melvin M. (Mel) Gradert was born January 31, 1929, in Newton, Kansas, at the then Axtell Hospital. He was the son of John F. Gradert and Georgia (Jorja) (porter) Gradert. 

He attended Newton schools through the seventh grade. One notable event which nearly ended his life occurred when he was ten years old. While walking from Cooper School he was run over by a Santa Fe Freight Train at the Broadway and Walnut Street crossing, but miraculously escaped with minor injuries, having fallen between the rails unconscious until the train had passed.

When his family moved to Wichita, he attended Marshall Intermediate and graduated North High School in 1947. He attended and graduated from Wichita University, and upon graduation entered the United States Air Force where he served during the Korean war.

 In 1956 he entered Washburn University Law School, graduating in February 1959. 

He was selected as law clerk for then United States District Judge, later 10th Circuit Judge, Dehnas Hill. He then became an assistant county attorney in Wichita serving under Keith Sanborn, then County Attorney. Following a year as a Sedgwick County Prosecutor he was appointed Assistant United States Attorney by Robert Kennedy, serving in the Wichita office. He later was appointed a Special Attorney General under Robert Londerholm. 

He later served as Counsel to the Garvey Companies.

 In 1970 he returned to Newton and joined the Speir, Stroberg &amp; Sizemore firm. In 1975 he was asked and accepted appointment as County Counselor and County Administrator for Harvey County, a position he held until 1980 when he was appointed District Judge for the Eighth Judicial District by Governor John Carlin. This required a move to Marion County, and he traveled the district which consisted of Marion, Morris, Dickinson, and Geary Counties. After retirement he was appointed as Senior Judge where he served until 2005. He continued to hear cases as retired judge when assigned.

He was preceded in death by his parents. 

He is survived by his wife Janice (pierce) Gradert; son Steven K. (DeAnn) Gradert of Wichita, daughter Kimberly A. Miller, San Bernardino CA; grandchildren Jessica (Mike) Zacharias, and Lauren (Grant) Langhofer, and Mitchell (Katie) Gradert and Alesia and Simeon Miller; great-grandchildren Ella, Mia Zacharias, and Fiona, Louisa Langhofer; stepchildren Jackie (Mike) Sigwing of Wichita, Ed (Linda) Robinson of Florence, Kevin (Janet) Robinson of Florence; and stepgrandchildren Kelly (David) Seume of Kansas City, Jeremy (Katlyn) Robinson of Newton, KayCee (Isaac) Hett of Marion, and Krisde (Tervor) Kruse of Marion; and stepgreat-grandchildren Hayden, Hallie Heidi, Henri Seume, and Kolten, Jaylee, Kenzi, Jentry Robinson; sister Bonita (Gradert) Jarvis, of Grove, OK;&nbsp; and a host of Porter family cousins.

His philosophy as a judge was that there were three things needed to do a good job as a judge, and that was patience, and patience, and patience. Those who practiced before him appreciated his willingness to listen. He enjoyed his work and family and laughter. One of his philosophies was to not take himself too seriously, and he was always quick with a joke to ease tensions when necessary.

He was an avid but not particularly good golfer. He was member of Masonic Lodge 142, Newton, past member of Midian Shrine, member and Past Commander, Hillsboro Post 366, member of American Legion Post 2 Newton, and a member and past Exalted Ruler of Newton Lodge 706 of The BPOE Newton.

Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 13, 2022, at the Breezy Lake Clubhouse, 12219 W. Sheriac, Wichita, KS. Yazel Megli Funeral Home of Marion, KS is serving the family. 

Please sign his online guestbook and leave a memory of Mel at yazelmeglifh.com.

To plant&nbsp;<a href="https://condolences.com/Yazel-Megli-Funeral-Home-Marion/trees/?bgs=F%2BG5KOa%2FTtiSY9jKc5jDU8%2F7LWs%2B9u7wIa2tWRsyqUdmnQfIwWiP8lOr5nmWIewit%2Foa8D%2B3PTueIEriBo0n5y%2BtDvrkPRqguchZLy%2BMktTfuteuTxhpDxXfJB6cxvQV3tZ%2FUrZznrpIt31YaOyfo346xvGiLFjAQBOWT0fqTNECAQwVdD4smSaQTU6HZaLaG8fB49EcCEKOIMvIXyUrcqaCD9q8GZje0Y4AvKSakYyK7BnLNodSg9uhYbI3syBzRNSWz7%2BSj2zAhFJaTcts9Vnm%2Ft%2BhU4jELBJuUsOQrPUrRJolUGGUn2Kyq7pH6of7XSbsOzeKu0F3YAVgUPIiG%2FrHFayA4Vhg68AAGd52UoKyPYt2ScuIV6b3gggTh3pgiSpOQsbBaThZSVYbCzIWqBVehi5mBNAjb45kz3ppRbZcQO8%2FZMkM15qJLPQUHv1EC5iYOLeIBbGVlhJ700iFff3QJGxTKxQLk%2FEh6MfFJtvjDziMqV%2Bs9iiZ9iNi1UEK%2BqLK2NlKAgxzIx0PJIPqp0eOwwNG3BpilgxC6qNyjJVCYYp4wacmDYKlkNACi2Dg0qyfd%2BOh6LT1HpmJu71KZ29KiJ%2FyH%2FfqhBtDGtaayd7i2aTTnqLFcQqYQFbKsP2xhHQGMEQxhfvCKfIOYdPYLcOAM2D9wehLlNmtZ2JNpKHD98C6MGYYgI3JN1N6pa6MPqPO7UUAsS3TqZggXW0pRGbhj2pEXYqfc9wy7zrTmDjk%2FpVj2YNcteH2vf4k4rYkOEDlIsdB6JKs%2FMWVoAeIz0ZFuz90K8cGkhDhPZwOoGYOce7oK7BSkcQlCkiDGEilPEfrrNx%2FZk8fJNtQ2zhpeDWbkrX%2F3ggtGhPxd4UaUQT40ADITEeqiOgPeu%2BuClyyAntm%2BOc7EXZyBIShUbneMLDLzu9kvPr78bFSni%2FYasjA928C4VRmTG3wXCavOfwlbxrcMLrwBCTaD73pZsT4lXlwBrfxhVgflIBzWH8Er958z7kE3fA2E0iibHr7UCpwdPG4HkBBfGoNAiB7PUHI%2FFQueaLbOh35r39mIgnTUfTV%2BfDyNpQ5fNa0zds4VJ3mKCbAQjGdqQY3t6j5UBuVCZO%2Bft81uC0Wk8B3g7w0OtRB51k%2BbiBDah%2FvHa5RiJ%2Bl1QPjqA1iTzeVzTr8dZJarnnQ7z12zobmNSjjRSIix3IkQ1YXPbUHB8Ln80FmHbkUt69n6yBSce6MO4EI0Np73Gvw%2FvIRRttRCkZJeQkX39zRZ7PmUaKQo3kjKzQ0a2RK6msJvhjB6L76IBY0TOBfze0xUF2j6cFWviTNY%2B8PCg6uLlkhOHHmVRVQAPhNU7XuYhT3rqJqOA5aSaYyFLm1UvxJiJTfdC6fUThm0%2BIhwSMECQ3V8xvVBsWCzkABQK1fhBzFrLsW2khPXNRhsuQUTg%3D%3D">memorial trees</a>&nbsp;or send flowers to the family in memory of Melvin Gradert, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://condolences.com/Yazel-Megli-Funeral-Home-Marion/flowers/?bgs=F%2BG5KOa%2FTtiSY9jKc5jDU8%2F7LWs%2B9u7wIa2tWRsyqUdmnQfIwWiP8lOr5nmWIewit%2Foa8D%2B3PTueIEriBo0n5y%2BtDvrkPRqguchZLy%2BMktTfuteuTxhpDxXfJB6cxvQV3tZ%2FUrZznrpIt31YaOyfo346xvGiLFjAQBOWT0fqTNECAQwVdD4smSaQTU6HZaLaG8fB49EcCEKOIMvIXyUrcqaCD9q8GZje0Y4AvKSakYyK7BnLNodSg9uhYbI3syBzRNSWz7%2BSj2zAhFJaTcts9Vnm%2Ft%2BhU4jELBJuUsOQrPUrRJolUGGUn2Kyq7pH6of7XSbsOzeKu0F3YAVgUPIiG%2FrHFayA4Vhg68AAGd52UoKyPYt2ScuIV6b3gggTh3pgiSpOQsbBaThZSVYbCzIWqBVehi5mBNAjb45kz3ppRbZcQO8%2FZMkM15qJLPQUHv1EC5iYOLeIBbGVlhJ700iFff3QJGxTKxQLk%2FEh6MfFJtvjDziMqV%2Bs9iiZ9iNi1UEK%2BqLK2NlKAgxzIx0PJIPqp0eOwwNG3BpilgxC6qNyjJVCYYp4wacmDYKlkNACi2Dg0qyfd%2BOh6LT1HpmJu71KZ29KiJ%2FyH%2FfqhBtDGtaayd7i2aTTnqLFcQqYQFbKsP2xhHQGMEQxhfvCKfIOYdPYLcOAM2D9wehLlNmtZ2JNpKHD98C6MGYYgI3JN1N6pa6MPqPO7UUAsS3TqZggXW0pRGbhj2pEXYqfc9wy7zrTmDjk%2FpVj2YNcteH2vf4k4rYkOEDlIsdB6JKs%2FMWVoAeIz0ZFuz90K8cGkhDhPZwOoGYOce7oK7BSkcQlCkiDGEilPEfrrNx%2FZk8fJNtQ2zhpeDWbkrX%2F3ggtGhPxd4UaUQT40ADITEeqiOgPeu%2BuClyyAntm%2BOc7EXZyBIShUbneMLDLzu9kvPr78bFSni%2FYasjA928C4VRmTG3wXCavOfwlbxrcMLrwBCTaD73pZsT4lXlwBrfxhVgflIBzWH8Er958z7kE3fA2E0iibHr7UCpwdPG4HkBBfGoNAiB7PUHI%2FFQueaLbOh35r39mIgnTUfTV%2BfDyNpQ5fNa0zds4VJ3mKCbAQjGdqQY3t6j5UBuVCZO%2Bft81uC0Wk8B3g7w0OtRB51k%2BbiBDah%2FvHa5RiJ%2Bl1QPjqA1iTzeVzTr8dZJarnnQ7z12zobmNSjjRSIix3IkQ1YXPbUHB8Ln80FmHbkUt69n6yBSce6MO4EI0Np73Gvw%2FvIRRttRCkZJeQkX39zRZ7PmUaKQo3kjKzQ0a2RK6msJvhjB6L76IBY0TOBfze0xUF2j6cFWviTNY%2B8PCg6uLlkhOHHmVRVQAPhNU7XuYhT3rqJqOA5aSaYyFLm1UvxJiJTfdC6fUThm0%2BIhwSMECQ3V8xvVBsWCzkABQK1fhBzFrLsW2khPXNRhsuQUTg%3D%3D">flower store</a>.

<h2>Melvin Merle Gradert</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662741425081.png" alt="Melvin Merle Gradert" />
 <figcaption>Melvin Merle Gradert</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.yazelmeglifh.com/obituaries/melvin-gradert">Melvin Gradert Obituary 2022 - Yazel - Megli Funeral Homes (yazelmeglifh.com)</a>January 31, 1929 - September 7, 2022Melvin M. (Mel) Gradert was born January 31, 1929, in Newton, Kansas, at the then Axtell Hospital. He was the son of John F. Gradert and Georgia (Jorja) (porter) Gradert. He attended Newton schools through the seventh grade. One notable event which nearly ended his life occurred when he was ten years old. While walking from Cooper School he was run over by a Santa Fe Freight Train at the Broadway and Walnut Street crossing, but miraculously escaped with minor injuries, having fallen between the rails unconscious until the train had passed.When his family moved to Wichita, he attended Marshall Intermediate and graduated North High School in 1947. He attended and graduated from Wichita University, and upon graduation entered the United States Air Force where he served during the Korean war. In 1956 he entered Washburn University Law School, graduating in February 1959. He was selected as law clerk for then United States District Judge, later 10th Circuit Judge, Dehnas Hill. He then became an assistant county attorney in Wichita serving under Keith Sanborn, then County Attorney. Following a year as a Sedgwick County Prosecutor he was appointed Assistant United States Attorney by Robert Kennedy, serving in the Wichita office. He later was appointed a Special Attorney General under Robert Londerholm. He later served as Counsel to the Garvey Companies. In 1970 he returned to Newton and joined the Speir, Stroberg &amp; Sizemore firm. In 1975 he was asked and accepted appointment as County Counselor and County Administrator for Harvey County, a position he held until 1980 when he was appointed District Judge for the Eighth Judicial District by Governor John Carlin. This required a move to Marion County, and he traveled the district which consisted of Marion, Morris, Dickinson, and Geary Counties. After retirement he was appointed as Senior Judge where he served until 2005. He continued to hear cases as retired judge when assigned.He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife Janice (pierce) Gradert; son Steven K. (DeAnn) Gradert of Wichita, daughter Kimberly A. Miller, San Bernardino CA; grandchildren Jessica (Mike) Zacharias, and Lauren (Grant) Langhofer, and Mitchell (Katie) Gradert and Alesia and Simeon Miller; great-grandchildren Ella, Mia Zacharias, and Fiona, Louisa Langhofer; stepchildren Jackie (Mike) Sigwing of Wichita, Ed (Linda) Robinson of Florence, Kevin (Janet) Robinson of Florence; and stepgrandchildren Kelly (David) Seume of Kansas City, Jeremy (Katlyn) Robinson of Newton, KayCee (Isaac) Hett of Marion, and Krisde (Tervor) Kruse of Marion; and stepgreat-grandchildren Hayden, Hallie Heidi, Henri Seume, and Kolten, Jaylee, Kenzi, Jentry Robinson; sister Bonita (Gradert) Jarvis, of Grove, OK;&nbsp; and a host of Porter family cousins.His philosophy as a judge was that there were three things needed to do a good job as a judge, and that was patience, and patience, and patience. Those who practiced before him appreciated his willingness to listen. He enjoyed his work and family and laughter. One of his philosophies was to not take himself too seriously, and he was always quick with a joke to ease tensions when necessary.He was an avid but not particularly good golfer. He was member of Masonic Lodge 142, Newton, past member of Midian Shrine, member and Past Commander, Hillsboro Post 366, member of American Legion Post 2 Newton, and a member and past Exalted Ruler of Newton Lodge 706 of The BPOE Newton.Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 13, 2022, at the Breezy Lake Clubhouse, 12219 W. Sheriac, Wichita, KS. Yazel Megli Funeral Home of Marion, KS is serving the family. Please sign his online guestbook and leave a memory of Mel at yazelmeglifh.com.To plant&nbsp;<a href="https://condolences.com/Yazel-Megli-Funeral-Home-Marion/trees/?bgs=F%2BG5KOa%2FTtiSY9jKc5jDU8%2F7LWs%2B9u7wIa2tWRsyqUdmnQfIwWiP8lOr5nmWIewit%2Foa8D%2B3PTueIEriBo0n5y%2BtDvrkPRqguchZLy%2BMktTfuteuTxhpDxXfJB6cxvQV3tZ%2FUrZznrpIt31YaOyfo346xvGiLFjAQBOWT0fqTNECAQwVdD4smSaQTU6HZaLaG8fB49EcCEKOIMvIXyUrcqaCD9q8GZje0Y4AvKSakYyK7BnLNodSg9uhYbI3syBzRNSWz7%2BSj2zAhFJaTcts9Vnm%2Ft%2BhU4jELBJuUsOQrPUrRJolUGGUn2Kyq7pH6of7XSbsOzeKu0F3YAVgUPIiG%2FrHFayA4Vhg68AAGd52UoKyPYt2ScuIV6b3gggTh3pgiSpOQsbBaThZSVYbCzIWqBVehi5mBNAjb45kz3ppRbZcQO8%2FZMkM15qJLPQUHv1EC5iYOLeIBbGVlhJ700iFff3QJGxTKxQLk%2FEh6MfFJtvjDziMqV%2Bs9iiZ9iNi1UEK%2BqLK2NlKAgxzIx0PJIPqp0eOwwNG3BpilgxC6qNyjJVCYYp4wacmDYKlkNACi2Dg0qyfd%2BOh6LT1HpmJu71KZ29KiJ%2FyH%2FfqhBtDGtaayd7i2aTTnqLFcQqYQFbKsP2xhHQGMEQxhfvCKfIOYdPYLcOAM2D9wehLlNmtZ2JNpKHD98C6MGYYgI3JN1N6pa6MPqPO7UUAsS3TqZggXW0pRGbhj2pEXYqfc9wy7zrTmDjk%2FpVj2YNcteH2vf4k4rYkOEDlIsdB6JKs%2FMWVoAeIz0ZFuz90K8cGkhDhPZwOoGYOce7oK7BSkcQlCkiDGEilPEfrrNx%2FZk8fJNtQ2zhpeDWbkrX%2F3ggtGhPxd4UaUQT40ADITEeqiOgPeu%2BuClyyAntm%2BOc7EXZyBIShUbneMLDLzu9kvPr78bFSni%2FYasjA928C4VRmTG3wXCavOfwlbxrcMLrwBCTaD73pZsT4lXlwBrfxhVgflIBzWH8Er958z7kE3fA2E0iibHr7UCpwdPG4HkBBfGoNAiB7PUHI%2FFQueaLbOh35r39mIgnTUfTV%2BfDyNpQ5fNa0zds4VJ3mKCbAQjGdqQY3t6j5UBuVCZO%2Bft81uC0Wk8B3g7w0OtRB51k%2BbiBDah%2FvHa5RiJ%2Bl1QPjqA1iTzeVzTr8dZJarnnQ7z12zobmNSjjRSIix3IkQ1YXPbUHB8Ln80FmHbkUt69n6yBSce6MO4EI0Np73Gvw%2FvIRRttRCkZJeQkX39zRZ7PmUaKQo3kjKzQ0a2RK6msJvhjB6L76IBY0TOBfze0xUF2j6cFWviTNY%2B8PCg6uLlkhOHHmVRVQAPhNU7XuYhT3rqJqOA5aSaYyFLm1UvxJiJTfdC6fUThm0%2BIhwSMECQ3V8xvVBsWCzkABQK1fhBzFrLsW2khPXNRhsuQUTg%3D%3D">memorial trees</a>&nbsp;or send flowers to the family in memory of Melvin Gradert, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://condolences.com/Yazel-Megli-Funeral-Home-Marion/flowers/?bgs=F%2BG5KOa%2FTtiSY9jKc5jDU8%2F7LWs%2B9u7wIa2tWRsyqUdmnQfIwWiP8lOr5nmWIewit%2Foa8D%2B3PTueIEriBo0n5y%2BtDvrkPRqguchZLy%2BMktTfuteuTxhpDxXfJB6cxvQV3tZ%2FUrZznrpIt31YaOyfo346xvGiLFjAQBOWT0fqTNECAQwVdD4smSaQTU6HZaLaG8fB49EcCEKOIMvIXyUrcqaCD9q8GZje0Y4AvKSakYyK7BnLNodSg9uhYbI3syBzRNSWz7%2BSj2zAhFJaTcts9Vnm%2Ft%2BhU4jELBJuUsOQrPUrRJolUGGUn2Kyq7pH6of7XSbsOzeKu0F3YAVgUPIiG%2FrHFayA4Vhg68AAGd52UoKyPYt2ScuIV6b3gggTh3pgiSpOQsbBaThZSVYbCzIWqBVehi5mBNAjb45kz3ppRbZcQO8%2FZMkM15qJLPQUHv1EC5iYOLeIBbGVlhJ700iFff3QJGxTKxQLk%2FEh6MfFJtvjDziMqV%2Bs9iiZ9iNi1UEK%2BqLK2NlKAgxzIx0PJIPqp0eOwwNG3BpilgxC6qNyjJVCYYp4wacmDYKlkNACi2Dg0qyfd%2BOh6LT1HpmJu71KZ29KiJ%2FyH%2FfqhBtDGtaayd7i2aTTnqLFcQqYQFbKsP2xhHQGMEQxhfvCKfIOYdPYLcOAM2D9wehLlNmtZ2JNpKHD98C6MGYYgI3JN1N6pa6MPqPO7UUAsS3TqZggXW0pRGbhj2pEXYqfc9wy7zrTmDjk%2FpVj2YNcteH2vf4k4rYkOEDlIsdB6JKs%2FMWVoAeIz0ZFuz90K8cGkhDhPZwOoGYOce7oK7BSkcQlCkiDGEilPEfrrNx%2FZk8fJNtQ2zhpeDWbkrX%2F3ggtGhPxd4UaUQT40ADITEeqiOgPeu%2BuClyyAntm%2BOc7EXZyBIShUbneMLDLzu9kvPr78bFSni%2FYasjA928C4VRmTG3wXCavOfwlbxrcMLrwBCTaD73pZsT4lXlwBrfxhVgflIBzWH8Er958z7kE3fA2E0iibHr7UCpwdPG4HkBBfGoNAiB7PUHI%2FFQueaLbOh35r39mIgnTUfTV%2BfDyNpQ5fNa0zds4VJ3mKCbAQjGdqQY3t6j5UBuVCZO%2Bft81uC0Wk8B3g7w0OtRB51k%2BbiBDah%2FvHa5RiJ%2Bl1QPjqA1iTzeVzTr8dZJarnnQ7z12zobmNSjjRSIix3IkQ1YXPbUHB8Ln80FmHbkUt69n6yBSce6MO4EI0Np73Gvw%2FvIRRttRCkZJeQkX39zRZ7PmUaKQo3kjKzQ0a2RK6msJvhjB6L76IBY0TOBfze0xUF2j6cFWviTNY%2B8PCg6uLlkhOHHmVRVQAPhNU7XuYhT3rqJqOA5aSaYyFLm1UvxJiJTfdC6fUThm0%2BIhwSMECQ3V8xvVBsWCzkABQK1fhBzFrLsW2khPXNRhsuQUTg%3D%3D">flower store</a>.

Melvin Merle Gradert

The Bennington State Bank is giving Southeast of Saline and Minneapolis football fans a chance to enjoy this Friday's game for free!

From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BSBKSAuthentic">The Bennington State Bank Facebook page</a>:

Attention all Southeast of Saline and Minneapolis High School fans!!

The Bennington State Bank is proud to sponsor the Southeast of Saline vs Minneapolis football game this Friday and we are buying all tickets to the game to be able to give everyone FREE admission to the game!

What: FREE admission to the SES v Minneapolis football game

Come cheer on your team this Friday with free admission from BSB, along with fun prizes and giveaways! Good luck Trojans and Lions!

And remember: If you can't make it to the game for this sweet deal, you can listen to the game on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) or watch the live stream on <a href="http://SalinaPost.com">SalinaPost.com</a>!

By SALINA POSTThe Bennington State Bank is giving Southeast of Saline and Minneapolis football fans a chance to enjoy this Friday's game for free!From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BSBKSAuthentic">The Bennington State Bank Facebook page</a>:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663089016175.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Attention all Southeast of Saline and Minneapolis High School fans!! The Bennington State Bank is proud to sponsor the Southeast of Saline vs Minneapolis football game this Friday and we are buying all tickets to the game to be able to give everyone FREE admission to the game! What: FREE admission to the SES v Minneapolis football gameWhen: Friday, Sept 16Time: 7:00Where: Minneapolis High SchoolCome cheer on your team this Friday with free admission from BSB, along with fun prizes and giveaways! Good luck Trojans and Lions!

And remember: If you can't make it to the game for this sweet deal, you can listen to the game on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) or watch the live stream on <a href="http://SalinaPost.com">SalinaPost.com</a>!

SES vs. Minneapolis game free thanks to Bennington State Bank

Legendary NBC anchor&nbsp;Tom Brokaw&nbsp;had just returned to work on Sept. 11, 2001, after taking the summer off. A friend asked how it was to be back in the saddle.

“I’m doing fine but there’s no news,” Brokaw, now 81, complained. “It’s hard to get cranked back up.”

Little did anyone know everyone’s world was about to be changed forever.

At 8:46 a.m. on that splendid, crisp September morning, a plane hijacked by terrorists sliced into the World Trade Center’s North Tower. Seventeen minutes later, another hijacked plane smashed into the South Tower. By 10:28 a.m., both towers had collapsed, killing nearly 3,000 people in the space of 102 minutes.

By noon, a third hijacked plane plowed into the Pentagon (reported by AP at 9:43 a.m.) and a fourth, on which passengers tried to stop the hijackers, crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pa. (11:19 a.m.). No one on the four hijacked planes survived.

If ever there was a day where journalists proved the incalculable benefits of the First Amendment, and why they are so desperately needed to inform and educate the public, Sept. 11 was that day.

While many fled lower Manhattan and the Pentagon for their lives, every sort of journalist did what they have always done best: They ran toward danger. They kept their cameras trained on the horror. They commandeered taxis, borrowed bikes and jumped into strangers’ cars, ordering them to drive toward the scene. Their reports helped provide a sense of what was happening even when no one knew exactly what was happening.

More than 1,800 fashion writers from around the world in New York for the spring 2002 collection were pressed into service. Associated Press (AP) photographer&nbsp;Richard Drew&nbsp;left the show and headed to the scene, shooting some of the most arresting photos of that day. Many photographers like Drew were still using rolls of film.

“We were watching a guy clinging to the side of the building on the North Tower while people were falling from the building,” Drew told the&nbsp;<a href="https://newseumed.org/tools/lesson-plan/running-toward-danger-video-lesson" target="_blank">Newseum in 2002</a>. “You know what you have to do. You make pictures. There’s one image I shot of a man falling head first from the building. I felt like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/richard-drew-on-photographing-the-falling-man-on-911/" target="_blank">the photo</a>&nbsp;captured part of his life.”

Twenty-one years ago, Drew and hundreds of other journalists didn’t have the technology they have today. If reporters had cell phones then, they were primitive — and didn’t work anyway with cell towers down. The planes destroyed cell towers atop the Twin Towers, knocking many TV stations temporarily off the air until they hooked up to backup satellite and cable lines. Phone lines jammed. You needed rolls of quarters for a pay phone, if you could find one. Each was 10 to 12 deep in people waiting to make calls.

Then, there was no social media to muddy up the then much-needed information expressway. Today, everyone’s a publisher. Everyone is hyperconnected for nearly every aspect of their lives. Nearly 80 percent of U.S. adults have broadband at home. In March 2001, according to the Pew Research Center, just 6 percent did.

On Sept. 11, AP writer&nbsp;Sara Kugler&nbsp;finally found a pay phone at 9:39 a.m. “Mostly I gave color,” she said. “As I got closer to Vesey Street, I saw men’s shoes. Then I realized that people had been blown out of their shoes”

About the same time, in Arlington, Va., Reuters news assistant&nbsp;Molly Riley&nbsp;ran home from a doctor’s visit to get her bike, grabbed her Nikon digital Coolpix camera and pedaled to the Pentagon. She called the news desk to ask what was happening. Senior photographer&nbsp;Herman Beals&nbsp;replied: “Everything short of World War III.”

At 10:28 a.m., a stunned&nbsp;Aaron Brown, then CNN’s anchor, watched in horror — as did millions — as the second tower collapsed into a massive pile of dust, rubble, clothing and body parts. “Good Lord, there are no words.”

It was a day like no other. For that one day – only—the heads of CBS, ABC, CNN and NBC declared whatever footage one had, the others could use. No need for written agreements. The agreement ended the next day.

For journalists, it was personal too. It was happening to them. Some were physically injured, emotionally scared, traumatized. They did their jobs while worrying about their own families, their own safety, squashing their fears to heroically document a day anyone alive then has seared into their brains.

No other news event since has gripped the nation in real time like Sept. 11. TV stations stayed live all day, nearly 80 million people glued to cable or broadcast. Or they listened to the radio or tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to get information online. Newspapers put out extra editions.

Sure, now there’s live hurricane coverage, and millions tuned in to watch former President Trump’s impeachment hearings.

But not like on Sept. 11. At about 12:36 p.m. that day, CNN’s Brown said words he’d never imagined saying. “The United States of America is under attack … Those are really hard words to say.”

And yet, anchors around the world uttered those same words on Jan. 6, 2021, the day thousands stormed the U.S. Capitol when it was in session, breaking through police barriers, climbing through windows, pummeling the police — even trying to assault then-Vice President&nbsp;Mike Pence&nbsp;— in a futile effort to prevent certification of the 2020 presidential election.

This time, the attackers were Americans. But on that day too, the nation watched in horror. And on that day too, journalists ran toward danger.

Alicia Shepard is an independent journalist, former NPR ombudsman, journalism professor and co-author of “Running Toward Danger: Stories Behind the Breaking News of 9/11.” She is also the author of “Woodward and Bernstein: Life in the Shadow of Watergate.” Her Twitter handle is @<a href="https://twitter.com/ombudsman" target="_blank">ombudsman</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662779891218.jpeg" alt="The towers of New York City's World Trade Center burn on Sept. 11, 2001. Photo by Michael Foran, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0">CC BY 2.0</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;via Wikimedia Commons" />
 <figcaption>The towers of New York City's World Trade Center burn on Sept. 11, 2001. Photo by Michael Foran, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0">CC BY 2.0</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;via Wikimedia Commons</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;ALICIA SHEPARDLegendary NBC anchor&nbsp;Tom Brokaw&nbsp;had just returned to work on Sept. 11, 2001, after taking the summer off. A friend asked how it was to be back in the saddle.“I’m doing fine but there’s no news,” Brokaw, now 81, complained. “It’s hard to get cranked back up.”Little did anyone know everyone’s world was about to be changed forever.At 8:46 a.m. on that splendid, crisp September morning, a plane hijacked by terrorists sliced into the World Trade Center’s North Tower. Seventeen minutes later, another hijacked plane smashed into the South Tower. By 10:28 a.m., both towers had collapsed, killing nearly 3,000 people in the space of 102 minutes.By noon, a third hijacked plane plowed into the Pentagon (reported by AP at 9:43 a.m.) and a fourth, on which passengers tried to stop the hijackers, crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pa. (11:19 a.m.). No one on the four hijacked planes survived.If ever there was a day where journalists proved the incalculable benefits of the First Amendment, and why they are so desperately needed to inform and educate the public, Sept. 11 was that day.While many fled lower Manhattan and the Pentagon for their lives, every sort of journalist did what they have always done best: They ran toward danger. They kept their cameras trained on the horror. They commandeered taxis, borrowed bikes and jumped into strangers’ cars, ordering them to drive toward the scene. Their reports helped provide a sense of what was happening even when no one knew exactly what was happening.More than 1,800 fashion writers from around the world in New York for the spring 2002 collection were pressed into service. Associated Press (AP) photographer&nbsp;Richard Drew&nbsp;left the show and headed to the scene, shooting some of the most arresting photos of that day. Many photographers like Drew were still using rolls of film.“We were watching a guy clinging to the side of the building on the North Tower while people were falling from the building,” Drew told the&nbsp;<a href="https://newseumed.org/tools/lesson-plan/running-toward-danger-video-lesson" target="_blank">Newseum in 2002</a>. “You know what you have to do. You make pictures. There’s one image I shot of a man falling head first from the building. I felt like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/richard-drew-on-photographing-the-falling-man-on-911/" target="_blank">the photo</a>&nbsp;captured part of his life.”Twenty-one years ago, Drew and hundreds of other journalists didn’t have the technology they have today. If reporters had cell phones then, they were primitive — and didn’t work anyway with cell towers down. The planes destroyed cell towers atop the Twin Towers, knocking many TV stations temporarily off the air until they hooked up to backup satellite and cable lines. Phone lines jammed. You needed rolls of quarters for a pay phone, if you could find one. Each was 10 to 12 deep in people waiting to make calls.It’s a different world today.Then, there was no social media to muddy up the then much-needed information expressway. Today, everyone’s a publisher. Everyone is hyperconnected for nearly every aspect of their lives. Nearly 80 percent of U.S. adults have broadband at home. In March 2001, according to the Pew Research Center, just 6 percent did.On Sept. 11, AP writer&nbsp;Sara Kugler&nbsp;finally found a pay phone at 9:39 a.m. “Mostly I gave color,” she said. “As I got closer to Vesey Street, I saw men’s shoes. Then I realized that people had been blown out of their shoes”About the same time, in Arlington, Va., Reuters news assistant&nbsp;Molly Riley&nbsp;ran home from a doctor’s visit to get her bike, grabbed her Nikon digital Coolpix camera and pedaled to the Pentagon. She called the news desk to ask what was happening. Senior photographer&nbsp;Herman Beals&nbsp;replied: “Everything short of World War III.”At 10:28 a.m., a stunned&nbsp;Aaron Brown, then CNN’s anchor, watched in horror — as did millions — as the second tower collapsed into a massive pile of dust, rubble, clothing and body parts. “Good Lord, there are no words.”It was a day like no other. For that one day – only—the heads of CBS, ABC, CNN and NBC declared whatever footage one had, the others could use. No need for written agreements. The agreement ended the next day.For journalists, it was personal too. It was happening to them. Some were physically injured, emotionally scared, traumatized. They did their jobs while worrying about their own families, their own safety, squashing their fears to heroically document a day anyone alive then has seared into their brains.No other news event since has gripped the nation in real time like Sept. 11. TV stations stayed live all day, nearly 80 million people glued to cable or broadcast. Or they listened to the radio or tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to get information online. Newspapers put out extra editions.Sure, now there’s live hurricane coverage, and millions tuned in to watch former President Trump’s impeachment hearings.But not like on Sept. 11. At about 12:36 p.m. that day, CNN’s Brown said words he’d never imagined saying. “The United States of America is under attack … Those are really hard words to say.”And yet, anchors around the world uttered those same words on Jan. 6, 2021, the day thousands stormed the U.S. Capitol when it was in session, breaking through police barriers, climbing through windows, pummeling the police — even trying to assault then-Vice President&nbsp;Mike Pence&nbsp;— in a futile effort to prevent certification of the 2020 presidential election.This time, the attackers were Americans. But on that day too, the nation watched in horror. And on that day too, journalists ran toward danger.Alicia Shepard is an independent journalist, former NPR ombudsman, journalism professor and co-author of “Running Toward Danger: Stories Behind the Breaking News of 9/11.” She is also the author of “Woodward and Bernstein: Life in the Shadow of Watergate.” Her Twitter handle is @<a href="https://twitter.com/ombudsman" target="_blank">ombudsman</a>.

FIRST 5: On 9/11, journalists ran toward danger

All-vocal country entertainers Home Free are coming to Salina's Stiefel Theatre for the holidays.

Home Free Family Christmas is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6 in the Stiefel Theatre, 151 S. Santa Fe Avenue. The group will be joined by Texas Hill and Caroline Jones.

Tickets start at $39 and go on sale at noon Sept. 16. Buy tickets online at <a href="http://www.stiefeltheatre.org">www.stiefeltheatre.org</a>, by telephone at 785-827-1998, or in person at the Stiefel Theatre box office. The Stiefel Theatre box office is open for phone or walk-up sales from noon-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

About the performers courtesy the Stiefel Theatre

Home Free will be bringing new music from an all original recording project, So Long Dixie, late 2022. The acclaimed group lit up the 2021 holiday season by hitting the road on their Warmest Winter Holiday Tour – showcasing songs off their most recent studio album, Warmest Winter (2020, Home Free Records), which features 12 festive staples, memorable collaborations and Home Free originals – all guaranteed to get you in the holiday spirit. This new project follows the acclaimed group’s Dive Bar Saints album, which arrived at No. 2 on the Billboard Country Album Sales chart. Home Free's extensive catalog spotlights six Top 10 albums, including Timeless, Full of (Even More) Cheer, Full of Cheer, Country Evolution, and their breakout debut Crazy Life (2014).

With praise rolling in from the likes of Billboard, Rolling Stone, FOX &amp; Friends and American Songwriter, the extraordinary showmen have continued to build a loyal fanbase with their harmony-laden versions of hits by John Mayer, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Maren Morris, the Oak Ridge Boys, and more.

Join us for a perfect evening mixed with upbeat, Nashville-dipped pop hits, country and western standards, incredible harmony, and quick-witted humor.

Texas Hill is the new vocal trio of Craig Wayne Boyd, Adam Wakefield and Casey James. Boyd offers a voice full of gospel-tinged country smoke, Wakefield blends a rootsy bluegrass-and-Americana rasp, and James wraps it with a blue-eyed soul quality and deft blues guitar chops. The result is a band that’s both rock solid and highly adaptive. Texas Hill is instantly identifiable, thanks to its well-developed signature sound: a proud, in-your-face harmonic wall. Each of the individual Texas Hill members earned a national presence as contestants on TV music competitions – Boyd and Wakefield were both members of Blake Shelton’s team during different seasons of NBC’s The Voice, and James developed a following during the Simon Cowell era of FOX’s American Idol. Texas Hill's highly anticipated debut album Heaven Down Here was recently released Jan. 21, 2022. Sounds Like Nashville praised the project, "With its real-life-inspired lyricism and multi-genre stylistic influences – which melds soul, R&amp;B, country, southern rock, and even some Memphis blues – Heaven Down Here encapsulates the true spirit of down-home music... an easy-listen and strong appeal to both country and non-country fans."

Lauded by Rolling Stone as “an ambitious, entrepreneurial guitar heroine primed to bring back the pop-country glory of the nineties,” Caroline Jones is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist enriching the country scene with her unique, independent spirit. Her sophomore album, Antipodes (November 2021), debuted at No. 4 on the iTunes Country Chart and its lead single, Come In (But Don’t Make Yourself Comfortable), is Jones’ first Top 30 country hit that is still climbing the charts thanks to its viral TikTok line dance that has been played over 539M times. As with her debut album Bare Feet (August 2017), Jones co-produced Antipodes with Ric Wake (Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston), performed the majority of the instruments, and solo wrote the majority of the tracks. Antipodes also features collaborations with industry heavy-hitters Zac Brown, Joe Bonamassa, Mac McAnally, and Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey.

Jones' skilled musicianship and addictive, foot-stomping hits have led to performances on The Tonight Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, TODAY Show, as well as multiple appearances at the legendary Grand Ole Opry. Perhaps most impressive about Jones’ young career, though, is the list of mentors who have taken her under their wing and on tour, including Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Vince Gill, Jake Owen, Trisha Yearwood, The Eagles, OneRepublic, and most significantly, Jimmy Buffett and the Zac Brown Band. Buffett brought Jones out on tour in 2018, signed her to a distribution deal with his Mailboat Records, and wrote Gulf Coast Girl for her, which he featured on along with Kenny Chesney, Mac McAnally, and Lukas Nelson. Following three consecutive years as their staple opening act, Jones officially joined the Zac Brown Band as a special guest member in 2021. Highlights with the group include performing at the CMAs and opening for The Rolling Stones at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Jones is currently playing in ZBB as a special guest — performing at Citi Field, Fenway Park, Hollywood Bowl, and Wrigley Field among other anticipated highlights — while headlining her own shows in support of Antipodes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662778320472.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy Stiefel Theatre" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Stiefel Theatre</figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTAll-vocal country entertainers Home Free are coming to Salina's Stiefel Theatre for the holidays.Home Free Family Christmas is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6 in the Stiefel Theatre, 151 S. Santa Fe Avenue. The group will be joined by Texas Hill and Caroline Jones.Tickets start at $39 and go on sale at noon Sept. 16. Buy tickets online at <a href="http://www.stiefeltheatre.org">www.stiefeltheatre.org</a>, by telephone at 785-827-1998, or in person at the Stiefel Theatre box office. The Stiefel Theatre box office is open for phone or walk-up sales from noon-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.About the performers courtesy the Stiefel TheatreHome Free will be bringing new music from an all original recording project, So Long Dixie, late 2022. The acclaimed group lit up the 2021 holiday season by hitting the road on their Warmest Winter Holiday Tour – showcasing songs off their most recent studio album, Warmest Winter (2020, Home Free Records), which features 12 festive staples, memorable collaborations and Home Free originals – all guaranteed to get you in the holiday spirit. This new project follows the acclaimed group’s Dive Bar Saints album, which arrived at No. 2 on the Billboard Country Album Sales chart. Home Free's extensive catalog spotlights six Top 10 albums, including Timeless, Full of (Even More) Cheer, Full of Cheer, Country Evolution, and their breakout debut Crazy Life (2014). With praise rolling in from the likes of Billboard, Rolling Stone, FOX &amp; Friends and American Songwriter, the extraordinary showmen have continued to build a loyal fanbase with their harmony-laden versions of hits by John Mayer, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Maren Morris, the Oak Ridge Boys, and more.Join us for a perfect evening mixed with upbeat, Nashville-dipped pop hits, country and western standards, incredible harmony, and quick-witted humor.Texas Hill is the new vocal trio of Craig Wayne Boyd, Adam Wakefield and Casey James. Boyd offers a voice full of gospel-tinged country smoke, Wakefield blends a rootsy bluegrass-and-Americana rasp, and James wraps it with a blue-eyed soul quality and deft blues guitar chops. The result is a band that’s both rock solid and highly adaptive. Texas Hill is instantly identifiable, thanks to its well-developed signature sound: a proud, in-your-face harmonic wall. Each of the individual Texas Hill members earned a national presence as contestants on TV music competitions – Boyd and Wakefield were both members of Blake Shelton’s team during different seasons of NBC’s The Voice, and James developed a following during the Simon Cowell era of FOX’s American Idol. Texas Hill's highly anticipated debut album Heaven Down Here was recently released Jan. 21, 2022. Sounds Like Nashville praised the project, "With its real-life-inspired lyricism and multi-genre stylistic influences – which melds soul, R&amp;B, country, southern rock, and even some Memphis blues – Heaven Down Here encapsulates the true spirit of down-home music... an easy-listen and strong appeal to both country and non-country fans."Lauded by Rolling Stone as “an ambitious, entrepreneurial guitar heroine primed to bring back the pop-country glory of the nineties,” Caroline Jones is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist enriching the country scene with her unique, independent spirit. Her sophomore album, Antipodes (November 2021), debuted at No. 4 on the iTunes Country Chart and its lead single, Come In (But Don’t Make Yourself Comfortable), is Jones’ first Top 30 country hit that is still climbing the charts thanks to its viral TikTok line dance that has been played over 539M times. As with her debut album Bare Feet (August 2017), Jones co-produced Antipodes with Ric Wake (Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston), performed the majority of the instruments, and solo wrote the majority of the tracks. Antipodes also features collaborations with industry heavy-hitters Zac Brown, Joe Bonamassa, Mac McAnally, and Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey.  Jones' skilled musicianship and addictive, foot-stomping hits have led to performances on The Tonight Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, TODAY Show, as well as multiple appearances at the legendary Grand Ole Opry. Perhaps most impressive about Jones’ young career, though, is the list of mentors who have taken her under their wing and on tour, including Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Vince Gill, Jake Owen, Trisha Yearwood, The Eagles, OneRepublic, and most significantly, Jimmy Buffett and the Zac Brown Band. Buffett brought Jones out on tour in 2018, signed her to a distribution deal with his Mailboat Records, and wrote Gulf Coast Girl for her, which he featured on along with Kenny Chesney, Mac McAnally, and Lukas Nelson. Following three consecutive years as their staple opening act, Jones officially joined the Zac Brown Band as a special guest member in 2021. Highlights with the group include performing at the CMAs and opening for The Rolling Stones at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Jones is currently playing in ZBB as a special guest — performing at Citi Field, Fenway Park, Hollywood Bowl, and Wrigley Field among other anticipated highlights — while headlining her own shows in support of Antipodes.

Home Free plans holiday concert in Salina's Stiefel Theatre

<a href="https://www.wigginsfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/Glennis-Schropp/#!/TributeWall">Glennis Lea Schropp Obituary - Visitation &amp; Funeral Information (wigginsfuneralhomes.com)</a>

Glennis Lee Schropp, 91, of McPherson, KS passed away at 6:05 a.m. on Tuesday, September 6th, surrounded by her son Monte, and daughter in-law Tami, at her residence as she had requested.

Glennis was born in Burlington, KS on August 22, 1931, the daughter of Inez Lee (Wentworth) and Selden Burk Laird.

Glennis attended Beechwood School in Sedgwick County and graduated from Hartford High School, Hartford, KS. 

Glennis loved her family. She proudly wore her "Schropp's Grandma" sweatshirt to her grandchildren and eventually her great-grandchildren's sporting events and activities.Glennis was a passionate fan of the Kansas City Chiefs. A diehard fan who loved them through both feast and famine, a love she shared with Don and Monte and eventually some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was able to celebrate both Super Bowl wins of the team. 

She and Don went to many games over the years and took children and grandchildren along to enjoy. On game day the Chief's flag always flew high at 615 E. Kansas. 

Glennis spent countless hours preparing for and cleaning up after camping and fishing trips and hunting adventures. She would prepare whatever they brought to her kitchen to cook.

Glennis was feisty and had a quick wit, but was also a very tender and compassionate woman. She was a quiet woman, who had a listening ear and a hot cup of coffee for anyone who needed it. She never imposed her wishes on anyone, but would let you know what she thought if you asked. "I guess, I guess" "Oh boy, oh boy" and "Oh sh-" were some of her most familiar sayings. Through the years and countless documents, Glennis' middle name has raised questions and spawned stories having been spelled both "Lee" and "Lea". Glennis said the latter was incorrect even though that's what is on her birth certificate. 

One thing is true, no matter how it is spelled, she has a nephew, great-nephew, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters who proudly bear the name of this beloved woman.

Glennis took great pride in her appearance while she was in the workforce. She worked for Farmers Alliance Insurance for 30 years. She was always dressed to the nines with perfectly manicured nails and her hair done just right. Because of this, Glennis was admired by many. 

She loved her friends and co-workers and enjoyed bringing her grandchildren to the annual Easter egg hunt, and attending the retiree's dinner with her sister as her plus-one. She joked that this November she would have been retired for 30 years so she would get paid to not work for as many years as she had worked. 

After retirement Glennis worked briefly for the hospital auxiliary, a position she loved until family needs became more pressing.

She took care of many people through the years. Her sons when they had health challenges, with train trips to St. Louis and later weekly trips to Wichita. Don was diagnosed with leukemia and they dealt with that together as a couple. Some time after, upon her father's passing, Glennis and Don moved her mother in with them and cared for her until she returned to Arkansas in 1995. She took care of Don in their home until he passed in 2002, according to his wishes. He commented on their final anniversary together "You know we've been together for 50 years." She always made it a point to offer care to those who needed it.

Glennis L. Laird was united in marriage to Donald D. Schropp on February 10th, 1952, in Hartford, KS. The young couple established their first home together in Wichita, KS. This union was blessed with five children, one daughter and four sons, Ginger, Michael, Monte, Mark, and adopted son Ron Wege. 

The family moved to Peabody, then Newton, KS until 1962, when they settled in McPherson, KS.

She is survived by her son Monte Schropp and his wife Tami of McPherson, KS; adopted daughter-in-law Claudette Wege of Coleridge, NE; and sister Loretta Costner of McPherson, KS. She is also survived by 16 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren: Kim (Marc) Wurzinger, Colin, Kerry, Katie, of Channahon, IL; Mike (Missy) Mead, Ava, Ella, of Olathe, KS; Jason (Kim) Schropp, Kaitlyn (Tray) Asbil, Hailee Schropp, of Bell Aire, KS; Jennifer (Justin Dietzel) Schropp, Alex Kalkorst, Tyler and Autumn LaSalle, of McPherson, KS; Jody Schropp, Rilynn, Keigan and Kynlee Newhouse, of McPherson, KS; Jacob (Tara) Schropp, Owen, Brynley, Monster McCall, of Broken Arrow, OK; Jessica Schropp (Clay Roby), Jonah Schropp, of McPherson, KS; Chris (Makayla) Schropp, of McPherson, KS; Chad Schropp, Drake, of McPherson, KS; Casey Schropp, Gentry, Barlow Dishman, of Moundridge, KS; other relatives and many friends.

Glennis was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Don, her daughter Ginger Mead and sons Michael, infant son Mark, and sister Gladys (Newkirk) McCalister, and their beloved dogs Hebrie and Wally.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 13, 2022 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Glidden - Ediger-Wiggins Chapel in McPherson, KS. Service will be held on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in McPherson, KS with Rev. Tim Leaf officiating. A private family burial will be held at McPherson Cemetery, McPherson, KS.

Memorial donations can be made to McPherson Special Olympics, and can be sent to Glidden - Ediger - Wiggins Funeral Home, 222 W. Euclid St., McPherson, KS 67460.

To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Glennis Lea Schropp please visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wigginsfuneralhomes.com/store/Category.aspx?CategoryId=319&amp;icn=desktop_memorial_obituary_link#chooser">Sympathy Store</a>.

<h2>Glennis Lea Schropp, McPherson</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662742572720.jpeg" alt="Glennis Lea Schropp" />
 <figcaption>Glennis Lea Schropp</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.wigginsfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/Glennis-Schropp/#!/TributeWall">Glennis Lea Schropp Obituary - Visitation &amp; Funeral Information (wigginsfuneralhomes.com)</a> August 22, 1931 - September 6, 2022Glennis Lee Schropp, 91, of McPherson, KS passed away at 6:05 a.m. on Tuesday, September 6th, surrounded by her son Monte, and daughter in-law Tami, at her residence as she had requested.Glennis was born in Burlington, KS on August 22, 1931, the daughter of Inez Lee (Wentworth) and Selden Burk Laird.Glennis attended Beechwood School in Sedgwick County and graduated from Hartford High School, Hartford, KS. Glennis loved her family. She proudly wore her "Schropp's Grandma" sweatshirt to her grandchildren and eventually her great-grandchildren's sporting events and activities.Glennis was a passionate fan of the Kansas City Chiefs. A diehard fan who loved them through both feast and famine, a love she shared with Don and Monte and eventually some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was able to celebrate both Super Bowl wins of the team. She and Don went to many games over the years and took children and grandchildren along to enjoy. On game day the Chief's flag always flew high at 615 E. Kansas. Glennis spent countless hours preparing for and cleaning up after camping and fishing trips and hunting adventures. She would prepare whatever they brought to her kitchen to cook.Glennis was feisty and had a quick wit, but was also a very tender and compassionate woman. She was a quiet woman, who had a listening ear and a hot cup of coffee for anyone who needed it. She never imposed her wishes on anyone, but would let you know what she thought if you asked. "I guess, I guess" "Oh boy, oh boy" and "Oh sh-" were some of her most familiar sayings. Through the years and countless documents, Glennis' middle name has raised questions and spawned stories having been spelled both "Lee" and "Lea". Glennis said the latter was incorrect even though that's what is on her birth certificate. One thing is true, no matter how it is spelled, she has a nephew, great-nephew, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters who proudly bear the name of this beloved woman.Glennis took great pride in her appearance while she was in the workforce. She worked for Farmers Alliance Insurance for 30 years. She was always dressed to the nines with perfectly manicured nails and her hair done just right. Because of this, Glennis was admired by many. She loved her friends and co-workers and enjoyed bringing her grandchildren to the annual Easter egg hunt, and attending the retiree's dinner with her sister as her plus-one. She joked that this November she would have been retired for 30 years so she would get paid to not work for as many years as she had worked. After retirement Glennis worked briefly for the hospital auxiliary, a position she loved until family needs became more pressing.She took care of many people through the years. Her sons when they had health challenges, with train trips to St. Louis and later weekly trips to Wichita. Don was diagnosed with leukemia and they dealt with that together as a couple. Some time after, upon her father's passing, Glennis and Don moved her mother in with them and cared for her until she returned to Arkansas in 1995. She took care of Don in their home until he passed in 2002, according to his wishes. He commented on their final anniversary together "You know we've been together for 50 years." She always made it a point to offer care to those who needed it.Glennis L. Laird was united in marriage to Donald D. Schropp on February 10th, 1952, in Hartford, KS. The young couple established their first home together in Wichita, KS. This union was blessed with five children, one daughter and four sons, Ginger, Michael, Monte, Mark, and adopted son Ron Wege. The family moved to Peabody, then Newton, KS until 1962, when they settled in McPherson, KS.She is survived by her son Monte Schropp and his wife Tami of McPherson, KS; adopted daughter-in-law Claudette Wege of Coleridge, NE; and sister Loretta Costner of McPherson, KS. She is also survived by 16 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren: Kim (Marc) Wurzinger, Colin, Kerry, Katie, of Channahon, IL; Mike (Missy) Mead, Ava, Ella, of Olathe, KS; Jason (Kim) Schropp, Kaitlyn (Tray) Asbil, Hailee Schropp, of Bell Aire, KS; Jennifer (Justin Dietzel) Schropp, Alex Kalkorst, Tyler and Autumn LaSalle, of McPherson, KS; Jody Schropp, Rilynn, Keigan and Kynlee Newhouse, of McPherson, KS; Jacob (Tara) Schropp, Owen, Brynley, Monster McCall, of Broken Arrow, OK; Jessica Schropp (Clay Roby), Jonah Schropp, of McPherson, KS; Chris (Makayla) Schropp, of McPherson, KS; Chad Schropp, Drake, of McPherson, KS; Casey Schropp, Gentry, Barlow Dishman, of Moundridge, KS; other relatives and many friends.Glennis was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Don, her daughter Ginger Mead and sons Michael, infant son Mark, and sister Gladys (Newkirk) McCalister, and their beloved dogs Hebrie and Wally.Visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 13, 2022 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Glidden - Ediger-Wiggins Chapel in McPherson, KS. Service will be held on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in McPherson, KS with Rev. Tim Leaf officiating. A private family burial will be held at McPherson Cemetery, McPherson, KS.Memorial donations can be made to McPherson Special Olympics, and can be sent to Glidden - Ediger - Wiggins Funeral Home, 222 W. Euclid St., McPherson, KS 67460.To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Glennis Lea Schropp please visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wigginsfuneralhomes.com/store/Category.aspx?CategoryId=319&amp;icn=desktop_memorial_obituary_link#chooser">Sympathy Store</a>.

Glennis Lea Schropp

It's the battle of Trojans as Southeast of Saline takes to the gridiron to do battle with Beloit Friday night.

If you can't make it to the game in Beloit, you can listen to it on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM). Devin Hanney has the call. You also can watch a live stream of the game on Salina Post thanks to Salina Ortho! 

Click the link below to watch the game Friday at 7 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662701341712.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTIt's the battle of Trojans as Southeast of Saline takes to the gridiron to do battle with Beloit Friday night.If you can't make it to the game in Beloit, you can listen to it on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM). Devin Hanney has the call. You also can watch a live stream of the game on Salina Post thanks to Salina Ortho! Click the link below to watch the game Friday at 7 p.m.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vqcvEgOrPh8"></iframe>
 <figcaption>Video by Bryan Dennett</figcaption>
 </figure>

🎥Watch live as Southeast of Saline takes on Beloit Friday night!

<a href="https://kansaslivingmagazine.com/articles/2022/08/09/keeping-the-kansas-workforce-in-kansas">Kansas Living</a>

Zoe Alba, a freshman at Garden City Achieve High School, stood 
outside Hy-Plains Feedyard in Montezuma, while owner Tom Jones explained
 the different genetic traits of cattle. Alba and the other students 
listening to Jones all had one thing in common — a passion for cattle 
and ranching.

It’s those kinds of passions Jones and other business owners and 
educators hope anchor students to the area to become vital pieces of the
 southwest Kansas economy.

“We want them to know what kinds of opportunities there are and what 
kind of a life they can make right in or near their hometowns,” Jones 
says.

Alba was one of 100 students from eight schools in southwest Kansas 
and Tyron, Okla., who attended the event aimed at showcasing 
opportunities in western Kansas, which was held in late April at the 
feedyard.

“I’m interested in the cattle industry, so I thought today would be a good chance to see what’s out there for jobs,” Alba says.

Since Alba is a freshman, she says her exact career path isn’t known,
 but a showcase like this could help her decide and point her in the 
right direction.

“With the right chance, I would stick around southwest Kansas,” she says.

Alba and other students were part of the spring Hy-Plains Western 
Showcase, a summit designed to educate students on southwest Kansas 
industries and attract them to opportunities in the area.

Two other showcases have been held at Hy-Plains, and one at the 
Southwest Plains Regional Service Center in Sublette. The next one is 
slated for September. The events have reached more than 500 students.

Jones has been instrumental in forming the showcase and serves on the
 Advantage Kansas Coordinating Council. The council was established in 
2021 to help align education with state agencies and business needs, 
including workforce development.

Joe Coles from Coles Consulting serves as an educational consultant and has assisted Jones in the development of the showcase.

“Tom really got things going when he started having a leadership day 
where he taught students about agriculture,” Coles says. “That got the 
ball rolling on this. He started this in Gray County as an effort to try
 to keep students around to help the economy there.”

Since then, the showcases have grown to include informational days for school counselors and educational days for students.

“The reason we do this is to show students what kind of work is right here in southwest Kansas,” Coles says. “We have smaller, shrinking communities, and we want to keep these communities vibrant. There is opportunity for them here to make a good living.”

In addition to Coles and Jones, the showcase in Montezuma featured speakers from the Kansas Principals Association, Trane, Foley Equipment, Davis Electric, Hutton Construction, MJE Livestock Equipment, Weber Heating and Cooling, Dodge City Community College, Garden City Community College, Seward Community College and Tatro Plumbing. Rep. Boyd Orr was also featured as a speaker during the showcase.

Jones says he hopes the showcases impact students and influence the kind
 of future they see for themselves. He provided tours of the Hy-Plains 
facility and urged students to stick around southwest Kansas.

“There is so much going on here in the state, and so many plans and options for the students,” Jones says.

Dan Whisler, educator in residence for Trane, works with school 
districts across Kansas to lead the BTU Crew PBL energy education 
program, which is a K-12 STEM education program that takes a 
project-based learning (PBL) approach to help students learn about 
energy while increasing their analytical and problem-solving skills and 
exploring future careers.

Whisler told students about the opportunities with energy-related 
jobs like wind turbine technicians and energy analysts. These types of 
technical jobs are available, no matter where you are.

“We want to give everyone the same opportunity despite school size and location,” Whisler says. “And technology can do that.

Kansas builds its talent but sees issues in retaining what it builds.

“We are 47th in the nation at keeping students in the state,” Clayton
 Tatro, vice president for workforce development at Dodge City Community
 College, says. “What’s the biggest export of Kansas? Our talent.”

Tatro says 25 percent of jobs in the current economy require a 
four-year degree, while 65 percent of jobs right now require a technical
 degree.

“We’ve spent the last two generations telling students to go get a 
four-year degree,” he says. “Then we sent the last 30 years of 
manufacturing overseas.”

Tatro says there are plenty of opportunities for students who want to
 earn two-year or four-year degrees, but the focus during the showcase 
is on technical careers and opportunities.

“This is such a cool opportunity,” Tatro says. “My passion is 
getting kids involved in tech ed. These students are passionate about 
things like construction, welding, diesel, farming and ranching. We 
specialize in hands on learning and putting students directly to work.”

Bob Kreutzer, who is retired from Tatro Plumbing but is part of the 
Advantage Kansas Coordinating Council, said students should learn about 
opportunities, meet employers and be a team player. He talked about why 
high school classes are important, even if students don’t plan to go to a
 four-year university, and what skills are needed to succeed in the 
workforce.

“As you go away from here today, look at your possible careers and 
think about it,” Kreutzer told the students attending the showcase in 
Montezuma. “Talk to other people who aren’t here today. Bounce ideas off
 them. Help them help you decide.

“You should love what you do,” Kreutzer continued. “It won’t be easy, but it can be an absolute joy when you figure it out.”

Success can be measured in several ways, but for Coles, it’s learning
 about students who are making connections to businesses they’re 
interested in.

“In all my years of doing what we do, when we can help one person, 
it’s a success,” Coles says. “We’ve already gotten direct feedback that 
students are reaching out to businesses.”

Coles says despite what the future brings for southwest Kansas 
students, he hopes those with correlating interests consider remaining 
in that corner of the state.

“We want them to find a career they would do for free, but they get 
to make a living and have a life they are passionate about. We hope they
 find that here,” Coles says. “We believe what makes this more than just
 a career day is how it’s a process. The leadership skills and training 
integrated into the experience for the students make these events more 
than just learning about careers — they also learn how to be successful 
in their chosen career and community,” Coles says.

Alba is considering staying in southwest Kansas and will choose an 
educational path as it aligns with potential future careers and 
opportunities.

“It was good to see what kind of jobs are here in southwest Kansas,”
 Alba says after the showcase. “It definitely got me thinking about my 
future and the kinds of jobs available to me.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661873475120.png" alt="Courtesy Kansas Living Magazine" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy Kansas Living Magazine</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://kansaslivingmagazine.com/articles/2022/08/09/keeping-the-kansas-workforce-in-kansas">Kansas Living</a>Zoe Alba, a freshman at Garden City Achieve High School, stood 
outside Hy-Plains Feedyard in Montezuma, while owner Tom Jones explained
 the different genetic traits of cattle. Alba and the other students 
listening to Jones all had one thing in common — a passion for cattle 
and ranching.It’s those kinds of passions Jones and other business owners and 
educators hope anchor students to the area to become vital pieces of the
 southwest Kansas economy.“We want them to know what kinds of opportunities there are and what 
kind of a life they can make right in or near their hometowns,” Jones 
says.Alba was one of 100 students from eight schools in southwest Kansas 
and Tyron, Okla., who attended the event aimed at showcasing 
opportunities in western Kansas, which was held in late April at the 
feedyard.“I’m interested in the cattle industry, so I thought today would be a good chance to see what’s out there for jobs,” Alba says.Since Alba is a freshman, she says her exact career path isn’t known,
 but a showcase like this could help her decide and point her in the 
right direction.“With the right chance, I would stick around southwest Kansas,” she says.<h2>SHOWCASING WESTERN KANSAS TO STUDENTS</h2>Alba and other students were part of the spring Hy-Plains Western 
Showcase, a summit designed to educate students on southwest Kansas 
industries and attract them to opportunities in the area.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661873554401.png" alt="Courtesy Kansas Living Magazine" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy Kansas Living Magazine</figcaption>
 </figure>Two other showcases have been held at Hy-Plains, and one at the 
Southwest Plains Regional Service Center in Sublette. The next one is 
slated for September. The events have reached more than 500 students.Jones has been instrumental in forming the showcase and serves on the
 Advantage Kansas Coordinating Council. The council was established in 
2021 to help align education with state agencies and business needs, 
including workforce development.Joe Coles from Coles Consulting serves as an educational consultant and has assisted Jones in the development of the showcase.“Tom really got things going when he started having a leadership day 
where he taught students about agriculture,” Coles says. “That got the 
ball rolling on this. He started this in Gray County as an effort to try
 to keep students around to help the economy there.”Since then, the showcases have grown to include informational days for school counselors and educational days for students.“The reason we do this is to show students what kind of work is right here in southwest Kansas,” Coles says. “We have smaller, shrinking communities, and we want to keep these communities vibrant. There is opportunity for them here to make a good living.”In addition to Coles and Jones, the showcase in Montezuma featured speakers from the Kansas Principals Association, Trane, Foley Equipment, Davis Electric, Hutton Construction, MJE Livestock Equipment, Weber Heating and Cooling, Dodge City Community College, Garden City Community College, Seward Community College and Tatro Plumbing. Rep. Boyd Orr was also featured as a speaker during the showcase.Jones says he hopes the showcases impact students and influence the kind
 of future they see for themselves. He provided tours of the Hy-Plains 
facility and urged students to stick around southwest Kansas.“There is so much going on here in the state, and so many plans and options for the students,” Jones says.Dan Whisler, educator in residence for Trane, works with school 
districts across Kansas to lead the BTU Crew PBL energy education 
program, which is a K-12 STEM education program that takes a 
project-based learning (PBL) approach to help students learn about 
energy while increasing their analytical and problem-solving skills and 
exploring future careers.Whisler told students about the opportunities with energy-related 
jobs like wind turbine technicians and energy analysts. These types of 
technical jobs are available, no matter where you are.“We want to give everyone the same opportunity despite school size and location,” Whisler says. “And technology can do that.<h2>KEEPING TALENT IN KANSAS</h2>Kansas builds its talent but sees issues in retaining what it builds.“We are 47th in the nation at keeping students in the state,” Clayton
 Tatro, vice president for workforce development at Dodge City Community
 College, says. “What’s the biggest export of Kansas? Our talent.”Tatro says 25 percent of jobs in the current economy require a 
four-year degree, while 65 percent of jobs right now require a technical
 degree.“We’ve spent the last two generations telling students to go get a 
four-year degree,” he says. “Then we sent the last 30 years of 
manufacturing overseas.”Tatro says there are plenty of opportunities for students who want to
 earn two-year or four-year degrees, but the focus during the showcase 
is on technical careers and opportunities.“This is such a cool opportunity,” Tatro says. “My passion is 
getting kids involved in tech ed. These students are passionate about 
things like construction, welding, diesel, farming and ranching. We 
specialize in hands on learning and putting students directly to work.”<h2>LEARNING WHAT MATTERS</h2>Bob Kreutzer, who is retired from Tatro Plumbing but is part of the 
Advantage Kansas Coordinating Council, said students should learn about 
opportunities, meet employers and be a team player. He talked about why 
high school classes are important, even if students don’t plan to go to a
 four-year university, and what skills are needed to succeed in the 
workforce.“As you go away from here today, look at your possible careers and 
think about it,” Kreutzer told the students attending the showcase in 
Montezuma. “Talk to other people who aren’t here today. Bounce ideas off
 them. Help them help you decide.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661873626454.png" alt="Courtesy Kansas Living Magazine" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy Kansas Living Magazine</figcaption>
 </figure>“You should love what you do,” Kreutzer continued. “It won’t be easy, but it can be an absolute joy when you figure it out.”<h2>DISCOVERING THEIR INTERESTS</h2>Success can be measured in several ways, but for Coles, it’s learning
 about students who are making connections to businesses they’re 
interested in.“In all my years of doing what we do, when we can help one person, 
it’s a success,” Coles says. “We’ve already gotten direct feedback that 
students are reaching out to businesses.”Coles says despite what the future brings for southwest Kansas 
students, he hopes those with correlating interests consider remaining 
in that corner of the state.“We want them to find a career they would do for free, but they get 
to make a living and have a life they are passionate about. We hope they
 find that here,” Coles says. “We believe what makes this more than just
 a career day is how it’s a process. The leadership skills and training 
integrated into the experience for the students make these events more 
than just learning about careers — they also learn how to be successful 
in their chosen career and community,” Coles says.Alba is considering staying in southwest Kansas and will choose an 
educational path as it aligns with potential future careers and 
opportunities.“It was good to see what kind of jobs are here in southwest Kansas,”
 Alba says after the showcase. “It definitely got me thinking about my 
future and the kinds of jobs available to me.”&nbsp;

Showcase aims to keep the Kansas workforce in Kansas

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday endorsed&nbsp;updated COIVD-19 boosters, opening the way for a fall vaccination campaign that could blunt a winter surge if enough Americans roll up their sleeves.

The new booster shots – one by Moderna and another from Pfizer-BioNTech – come as more than <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html">450 people are still dying of COVID-19 every day in the U.S</a>.

As of Aug. 31, 2022, only <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-people-additional-dose-totalpop">48.5% of booster-eligible people in the U.S. have received their first booster shot</a>, and just under 34% of those eligible have received their second. These low numbers may in part be influenced by <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-you-get-a-covid-19-booster-shot-now-or-wait-until-fall-two-immunologists-help-weigh-the-options-184809">people waiting for the newer versions of the vaccines</a> to provide better protection. But booster shots have proven to be an <a href="https://theconversation.com/low-vaccine-booster-rates-are-now-a-key-factor-in-covid-19-deaths-and-racial-disparities-in-booster-rates-persist-187272">essential layer of protection against COVID-19</a>.

<a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jJVj3sUAAAAJ&amp;hl=en">Prakash Nagarkatti</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=af7TahQAAAAJ&amp;hl=en">Mitzi Nagarkatti</a>
 are immunologists who study infectious disorders and how vaccines 
trigger different aspects of the immune system to fight infection. They 
weigh in on how the updated booster shots train the immune system and 
how protective they might be against COVID-19.

By PRAKASH NAGARKATTI and MITZI&nbsp;NAGARKATTI <a href="https://theconversation.com/will-omicron-specific-booster-shots-be-more-effective-at-combating-covid-19-5-questions-answered-189610">The Conversation</a>

1. What is different about the updated booster shots?

The newly authorized shots are the first updates to the original 
COVID-19 vaccines that were introduced in late 2020. They use the same <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-mrna-vaccines-from-pfizer-and-moderna-work-why-theyre-a-breakthrough-and-why-they-need-to-be-kept-so-cold-150238">mRNA technology as the original vaccines</a>.
 The key difference between the original COVID-19 shots and the new 
“bivalent” version is that the latter consists of a mixture of mRNA that
 encodes the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41401-020-0485-4">spike proteins</a> of both the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.o1969">recent omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5</a>.

As of late August 2022, the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants are dominant worldwide. <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions">In the U.S., currently</a> 89% of COVID-19 infections are caused by BA.5 and 11% are caused by BA.4.

The inability of the original vaccine strains to prevent reinfection and <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-long-does-protective-immunity-against-covid-19-last-after-infection-or-vaccination-two-immunologists-explain-177309">to trigger long-term protective immunity</a> prompted the need for the reformulated vaccines.

2. How does a bivalent vaccine trigger an immune response?

In an actual COVID-19 infection, the SARS-CoV-2 virus uses its protruding <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2003138117">spike protein to latch onto human cells</a> and gain entry into cells. The spike protein triggers the production of so-called <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abd7728">neutralizing antibodies</a>, which bind to the spike protein and prevent the virus from invading other cells.

But <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fv14030640">when the virus mutates</a>,
 as we know that it does, the antibodies that were previously produced 
in response to the virus can no longer effectively bind to the newly 
mutated spike protein. In this respect, the SARS-CoV-2 virus acts like a
 chameleon – a master of disguise – by changing its body configuration 
and escaping recognition by the immune system.

The ongoing viral mutations are why antibodies produced in response 
to the original vaccine strains have over time become less effective at 
fending off infections by new variants.

The concept of bivalent vaccines aimed at protecting against two different strains of a virus is not new. For instance, <a href="https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/vaccines/cervarix">Cervarix is an FDA-approved bivalent vaccine</a> that provides protection against two different types of human papillomaviruses that cause cancer.

3. How protective will the new shots be against infection?

There are as of yet no human studies on the efficacy of the new 
bivalent vaccine at preventing reinfections and providing long-term 
immune protection.

However, in human clinical trials and laboratory studies, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ade6584">both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna found</a>
 that their initial version of the bivalent vaccine, which was directed 
against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and an earlier omicron strain, 
BA.1, induced a strong immune response and longer protection against 
both the original strain and the BA.1 variant. In addition, the 
companies reported that the same early combination generated a 
significant antibody response against the newest omicron subvariants, 
BA.4 and BA.5, though this antibody response was lower than that seen 
against subvariant BA.1.

Based on those results, in spring 2022 the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-recommends-inclusion-omicron-ba45-component-covid-19-vaccine-booster">FDA rejected</a>
 the BA.1 bivalent boosters because the agency felt the boosters may 
fall short of providing sufficient protection against the newest 
strains, BA.4 and BA.5, which were by then spreading quickly throughout 
the U.S. and the world. So the FDA asked Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/fda-recommends-inclusion-ba4-ba5-subvariants-covid-boosters-2022-06-30/">to develop bivalent vaccines specifically targeting BA.4 and BA.5</a>, instead of BA.1.

Because clinical trials are time-consuming, the <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/08/18/1117778748/whats-behind-the-fdas-controversial-strategy-for-evaluating-new-covid-boosters">FDA was willing to consider animal studies</a>
 and other laboratory findings, such as the ability of antibodies to 
neutralize the virus, to decide whether to authorize the bivalent 
boosters.

This decision <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/08/18/1117778748/whats-behind-the-fdas-controversial-strategy-for-evaluating-new-covid-boosters">has stirred up controversy</a>
 over whether it is appropriate for the FDA to approve a booster without
 direct human data to support it. However, the FDA has stated that 
millions of people have safely received the mRNA vaccines – which were 
originally tested in humans – and that the changes in the mRNA sequences
 in the vaccines <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/fall-covid-19-boosters-roll-pending-green-light/story?id=88973334">do not affect vaccine safety</a>. Thus, it concluded that the bivalent vaccines are safe and that there is no need to wait for human clinical trials.

It is also noteworthy that influenza vaccines are introduced each 
year based on prediction of the strain that is likely to be dominant, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ade6584">and such formulations do not undergo new clinical trials</a>.

Based on available evidence from the previous COVID-19 vaccines, we 
believe it is very likely that the new boosters will continue to offer 
strong protection from <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0318-COVID-19-vaccines-protect.html">severe COVID-19 leading to hospitalization and death</a>.
But whether they will protect against reinfection and breakthrough infections remains to be seen.

The bivalent vaccines <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-moderna-pfizer-biontech-bivalent-covid-19-vaccines-use">can only be used</a>
 as a booster shot at least two months after the completion of the 
primary series – or initial required shots – or following a previous 
booster shot. The Moderna bivalent vaccine is authorized for use in 
people 18 years of age, while the Pfizer bivalent vaccine is authorized 
for those 12 years of age and older.

Because of the superiority of the bivalent vaccines, the FDA has also
 removed the use authorization for the original monovalent Moderna and 
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for booster purposes in individuals 18 years of
 age and older and 12 years of age and older, respectively. 

The new <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ade6584">bivalent vaccines contain a lower dose of mRNA</a>, and as such are meant to be used only as boosters and not in people who have never received a COVID-19 vaccination.

5. Will the new shots protect against future variants?

How well the bivalent vaccines will perform in the face of new 
variants that might arise will depend on the nature of future spike 
protein mutations. 

If it is a minor mutation or set of mutations when compared to the 
original strain or to omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5, the new shots will
 provide good protection. However, if a hypothetical new strain were to 
possess highly unique mutations in its spike protein, then it’s likely 
that it could once again dodge immune protection. 

On the flip side, the successful development of the updated vaccines 
demonstrates that the mRNA vaccine technology is nimble and innovative 
enough that – within a couple of months of the emergence of a new 
variant – it is now likely possible to develop and distribute new 
vaccines that are tailor-made to fight an emerging variant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662130237578.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday endorsed&nbsp;updated COIVD-19 boosters, opening the way for a fall vaccination campaign that could blunt a winter surge if enough Americans roll up their sleeves.The new booster shots – one by Moderna and another from Pfizer-BioNTech – come as more than <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html">450 people are still dying of COVID-19 every day in the U.S</a>. As of Aug. 31, 2022, only <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-people-additional-dose-totalpop">48.5% of booster-eligible people in the U.S. have received their first booster shot</a>, and just under 34% of those eligible have received their second. These low numbers may in part be influenced by <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-you-get-a-covid-19-booster-shot-now-or-wait-until-fall-two-immunologists-help-weigh-the-options-184809">people waiting for the newer versions of the vaccines</a> to provide better protection. But booster shots have proven to be an <a href="https://theconversation.com/low-vaccine-booster-rates-are-now-a-key-factor-in-covid-19-deaths-and-racial-disparities-in-booster-rates-persist-187272">essential layer of protection against COVID-19</a>. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jJVj3sUAAAAJ&amp;hl=en">Prakash Nagarkatti</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=af7TahQAAAAJ&amp;hl=en">Mitzi Nagarkatti</a>
 are immunologists who study infectious disorders and how vaccines 
trigger different aspects of the immune system to fight infection. They 
weigh in on how the updated booster shots train the immune system and 
how protective they might be against COVID-19. By PRAKASH NAGARKATTI and MITZI&nbsp;NAGARKATTI <a href="https://theconversation.com/will-omicron-specific-booster-shots-be-more-effective-at-combating-covid-19-5-questions-answered-189610">The Conversation</a><h2>1. What is different about the updated booster shots?</h2>The newly authorized shots are the first updates to the original 
COVID-19 vaccines that were introduced in late 2020. They use the same <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-mrna-vaccines-from-pfizer-and-moderna-work-why-theyre-a-breakthrough-and-why-they-need-to-be-kept-so-cold-150238">mRNA technology as the original vaccines</a>.
 The key difference between the original COVID-19 shots and the new 
“bivalent” version is that the latter consists of a mixture of mRNA that
 encodes the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41401-020-0485-4">spike proteins</a> of both the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.o1969">recent omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5</a>.As of late August 2022, the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants are dominant worldwide. <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions">In the U.S., currently</a> 89% of COVID-19 infections are caused by BA.5 and 11% are caused by BA.4.The inability of the original vaccine strains to prevent reinfection and <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-long-does-protective-immunity-against-covid-19-last-after-infection-or-vaccination-two-immunologists-explain-177309">to trigger long-term protective immunity</a> prompted the need for the reformulated vaccines.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vZeTs9-rgPU"></iframe>
 <figcaption>The booster shots target the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the omicron variant, as well as the original version of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>2. How does a bivalent vaccine trigger an immune response?</h2>In an actual COVID-19 infection, the SARS-CoV-2 virus uses its protruding <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2003138117">spike protein to latch onto human cells</a> and gain entry into cells. The spike protein triggers the production of so-called <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abd7728">neutralizing antibodies</a>, which bind to the spike protein and prevent the virus from invading other cells.But <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fv14030640">when the virus mutates</a>,
 as we know that it does, the antibodies that were previously produced 
in response to the virus can no longer effectively bind to the newly 
mutated spike protein. In this respect, the SARS-CoV-2 virus acts like a
 chameleon – a master of disguise – by changing its body configuration 
and escaping recognition by the immune system. The ongoing viral mutations are why antibodies produced in response 
to the original vaccine strains have over time become less effective at 
fending off infections by new variants.The concept of bivalent vaccines aimed at protecting against two different strains of a virus is not new. For instance, <a href="https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/vaccines/cervarix">Cervarix is an FDA-approved bivalent vaccine</a> that provides protection against two different types of human papillomaviruses that cause cancer.<h2>3. How protective will the new shots be against infection?</h2>There are as of yet no human studies on the efficacy of the new 
bivalent vaccine at preventing reinfections and providing long-term 
immune protection.However, in human clinical trials and laboratory studies, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ade6584">both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna found</a>
 that their initial version of the bivalent vaccine, which was directed 
against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and an earlier omicron strain, 
BA.1, induced a strong immune response and longer protection against 
both the original strain and the BA.1 variant. In addition, the 
companies reported that the same early combination generated a 
significant antibody response against the newest omicron subvariants, 
BA.4 and BA.5, though this antibody response was lower than that seen 
against subvariant BA.1.Based on those results, in spring 2022 the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-recommends-inclusion-omicron-ba45-component-covid-19-vaccine-booster">FDA rejected</a>
 the BA.1 bivalent boosters because the agency felt the boosters may 
fall short of providing sufficient protection against the newest 
strains, BA.4 and BA.5, which were by then spreading quickly throughout 
the U.S. and the world. So the FDA asked Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/fda-recommends-inclusion-ba4-ba5-subvariants-covid-boosters-2022-06-30/">to develop bivalent vaccines specifically targeting BA.4 and BA.5</a>, instead of BA.1. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">On <a href="https://twitter.com/ASOpodcast?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@asopodcast</a>, hear from White House <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Covid19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Covid19</a> Response Coordinator Dr. <a href="https://twitter.com/AshishKJha46?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AshishKJha46</a>, where we talk next generation <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vaccines?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#vaccines</a>, when to get your booster, &amp; what’s behind <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paxlovid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paxlovid</a> rebound. Listen now: <a href="https://t.co/7zPSjU2SnO">https://t.co/7zPSjU2SnO</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/medtwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#medtwitter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pandemic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pandemic</a> <a href="https://t.co/yZnvRJryMq">pic.twitter.com/yZnvRJryMq</a>&mdash; Bill Frist, M.D. (@bfrist) <a href="https://twitter.com/bfrist/status/1561732830211735553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>Because clinical trials are time-consuming, the <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/08/18/1117778748/whats-behind-the-fdas-controversial-strategy-for-evaluating-new-covid-boosters">FDA was willing to consider animal studies</a>
 and other laboratory findings, such as the ability of antibodies to 
neutralize the virus, to decide whether to authorize the bivalent 
boosters. This decision <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/08/18/1117778748/whats-behind-the-fdas-controversial-strategy-for-evaluating-new-covid-boosters">has stirred up controversy</a>
 over whether it is appropriate for the FDA to approve a booster without
 direct human data to support it. However, the FDA has stated that 
millions of people have safely received the mRNA vaccines – which were 
originally tested in humans – and that the changes in the mRNA sequences
 in the vaccines <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/fall-covid-19-boosters-roll-pending-green-light/story?id=88973334">do not affect vaccine safety</a>. Thus, it concluded that the bivalent vaccines are safe and that there is no need to wait for human clinical trials.It is also noteworthy that influenza vaccines are introduced each 
year based on prediction of the strain that is likely to be dominant, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ade6584">and such formulations do not undergo new clinical trials</a>. Based on available evidence from the previous COVID-19 vaccines, we 
believe it is very likely that the new boosters will continue to offer 
strong protection from <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0318-COVID-19-vaccines-protect.html">severe COVID-19 leading to hospitalization and death</a>.
But whether they will protect against reinfection and breakthrough infections remains to be seen. <h2>4. Will it only be a booster shot?</h2>The bivalent vaccines <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-moderna-pfizer-biontech-bivalent-covid-19-vaccines-use">can only be used</a>
 as a booster shot at least two months after the completion of the 
primary series – or initial required shots – or following a previous 
booster shot. The Moderna bivalent vaccine is authorized for use in 
people 18 years of age, while the Pfizer bivalent vaccine is authorized 
for those 12 years of age and older. Because of the superiority of the bivalent vaccines, the FDA has also
 removed the use authorization for the original monovalent Moderna and 
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for booster purposes in individuals 18 years of
 age and older and 12 years of age and older, respectively. The new <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ade6584">bivalent vaccines contain a lower dose of mRNA</a>, and as such are meant to be used only as boosters and not in people who have never received a COVID-19 vaccination. <h2>5. Will the new shots protect against future variants?</h2>How well the bivalent vaccines will perform in the face of new 
variants that might arise will depend on the nature of future spike 
protein mutations. If it is a minor mutation or set of mutations when compared to the 
original strain or to omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5, the new shots will
 provide good protection. However, if a hypothetical new strain were to 
possess highly unique mutations in its spike protein, then it’s likely 
that it could once again dodge immune protection. On the flip side, the successful development of the updated vaccines 
demonstrates that the mRNA vaccine technology is nimble and innovative 
enough that – within a couple of months of the emergence of a new 
variant – it is now likely possible to develop and distribute new 
vaccines that are tailor-made to fight an emerging variant.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189610/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1"></iframe></div>

🎥 Immunologists: What you need to know about new COVID boosters

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

On Sept. 4, 
2002, the tragic and inexplicable occurred: an unknown subject murdered 
two Great Bend residents and walked away from the Dolly Madison bakery -
 one of the city's busiest intersections at one of the busiest times of 
day. Yet 20 years later, the case remains unsolved.

Just before 8 
p.m. that evening, a delivery driver found the bodies of 24-year-old 
Mandi Alexander and 79-year-old Mary Drake. Alexander had recently begun
 working at the bakery outlet store, and Drake was a customer that day. 

Alicia
 Mong (Drake) graduated from Great Bend High School in 1996. In 2002,&nbsp; 
she was living in Hutchinson. Sept. 4 should have been an otherwise 
unremarkable day except it was a long one and Mong remembers being 
tired. She tried to call her grandmother, Mary, before going to bed.

"She
 didn’t answer," Mong said. "I was not at all concerned because she was 
fiercely independent and spent a lot of time at her sisters' houses. We 
went on with it and went to bed. I really do not know what time it was 
when we were awoken by loud banging on our front door. We opened it, and
 there were two police officers telling me that I needed to call my dad 
because something had happened to my grandma, and she was deceased."

With
 few details to go on, Mong gathered her family and made the 70-minute 
drive to Great Bend. She dropped her kids off with family and headed for
 the bakery.

"When we pulled up there were so many cars, lights and people 
standing around," said Mong. "I found my dad and just hugged him. He 
told me what he knew, which was very little. I just remember feeling so 
very sad for him. His mom was murdered, people were staring at our 
family, driving up asking questions. Officers were asking questions, and
 all he could do was stand there and endure it. It sucked, simple as 
that."

Once the body was removed from the bakery at 10th and 
Harrison, the family retreated to Mong's parents' home and began 
notifying other family members of the death. The following day, an agent
 from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation asked the family for access to 
Mary's home. Mong and her father accompanied the agent.

"The agent
 asked a lot of questions, as he should," Mong said, "but the one that 
stood out to me was directed to my dad. 'Did your mom have any enemies 
that we should know about? Is there anyone who was angry at her or would
 have reason to hurt her?' I don’t know why, but it angered me. I could 
only think, 'Seriously, no! What the heck! Why would you ask that?' No 
one was so mad at my 79-year-old, four-foot, 11-inch grandma that they 
would want to kill her. I know now they had to ask those types of 
questions, but man, did that hit me wrong."

Everything changed for
 the family after Sept. 4. All families deal with loss, but most, 
fortunately, never have to endure a murder investigation. "In my 
experience, everything was so secretive and scary," said Mong. "There 
was some sort of law enforcement around all the time, at the viewing, 
the funeral service, and the burial. I thought differently about going 
places. I looked at people differently."

Mong recalls attending 
the Kansas State Fair shortly after the double murder. She saw a 
potential suspect in every passerby. "I watched people walk by; I 
studied them," she said. "I remember thinking, 'Someone here could know 
something, or someone here could be the person who killed my grandma.' I
 remember internally yelling at myself to stop, put the thoughts away, 
enjoy the time with my family, but it wasn’t going to happen. We ended 
up leaving the fair pretty early."

The Dolly Madison case is also 
exceptional because it has yet to be solved. There is no closure in 
brutal crimes, but a conviction would provide some relief, and perhaps, 
even answers. The Drake family never received that. Alicia's father and 
Mary's son, Ron, passed away in October 2020, never seeing a killer 
brought to justice. The nature of the crime brought about many theories.

"I
 started to question the truth and believe all the stories I heard from 
people, hoping they were the one," Mong said. "The one that could give 
us the golden information. But I realized there were a lot of people 
that just thought they knew what happened or wanted to be the hero and 
had all the answers.

"This never heals. It never goes away. In the
 last 20 years, we have had several phone calls, texts, Facebook 
messages from strangers telling us they know what happened that night. 
They tell us names, places, and stories that we relay to law 
enforcement, but nothing ever comes from it. They also tell us the 
police know what happened, but they will never be able to convict anyone
 for the crime. It never slips your mind, and when it does finally get 
put to the back of your brain, something pops up again, and the pain and
 anger resurface."

There is one saving grace about Sept. 4, 2002. 
According to an eyewitness that day, before going to the bakery, Mary 
had stopped by Alicia's sister's home to pick up her granddaughter for 
the trip. Fortunately, no one was home. "Her daughter could have easily 
been with Grandma and things could have been much, much worse," Mong 
said. "This will always stick with us."

Mong remembers being close to her grandmother growing up. She said 
Mary was strong, independent, loving, compassionate, and resourceful. 
Mong wants her to be remembered as more than a murder victim but also as
 a sister, an aunt, a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

"My
 grandma was my idol," Mong said. "She was my person. I can’t remember a
 time or a memory that she was not a part of. She meant so much to my 
family that there are no words to express how grateful I am to have had 
her in my life."

Mary's mother passed away at a young age during 
childbirth, so Mary and her siblings were raised by her father and 
grandmother. Mary had three sons, enduring her own grief when the eldest
 passed away in his 20s. She later divorced and raised her other two 
sons on her own, working at Fuller Brush until retirement. She enjoyed 
playing cards and spending time with her family.

Mong said her 
fondest childhood memories always include her grandmother. On Saturday 
nights, Mary set up the hideaway couch for Alicia and her sister, 
watching "Saturday Night Live" with some old-fashioned popcorn that 
included spray-on butter unique to Mary's house. Other nights it was the
 same routine in front of "Hee Haw" or "Barbara Mandrell &amp; the 
Mandrel Sisters." On especially good nights, Mary treated the girls to 
slivers of a frozen Snickers bar and ice-cold Pepsi.

"Then every 
Sunday morning there was no TV, but the radio was on, and the music was 
playing," Mong recalls. "She would clean and do laundry on Sundays, and I
 remember watching her dance around. She loved to Polka and sing while 
she was working. As my sister and I got older and busier, we didn’t 
spend as much time with Grandma but that changed again when mine and my 
sister’s oldest were born and Grandma became a great-grandma. Those 
girls changed her life, and she loved them. She was the center of our 
world when we were little, and then she became the center of their world
 as well. She was so much more than a murder victim."

Twenty years
 later, Mong still feels anger and disappointment. She said she knows 
about as much today as she did in 2002, but the feelings are compounded 
by not having any answers - of disappointing Mary and Ron for not being 
able to find the tip that might lead to the murderer. She's angry that 
she and her family have been denied the opportunity to properly grieve 
the loss of a loved one.

"Normally after the service and burial, 
you start to gradually heal," she said. "Your anger and sadness 
eventually turn into happy memories. Not with this. This will never end.
 I knew that no one was being held responsible for the murders. I knew 
the murderer was out there walking around among us somewhere. I was 
always on the lookout for someone that might match the sketch. I 
listened to every conversation I could, watched every person around me, 
and couldn’t think of anything else. 

"It was not because I was 
scared. I was angry. I was so very angry that this happened to my 
grandma. I was mad that it seemed everyone knew what was going on except
 for us. We knew very little. I was mad because it felt that there was 
not enough being done. I was angry that I knew how much my grandma 
suffered during her last minutes, instead of peacefully passing in her 
old age. I was angry that this affected my parents so severely. The two 
and their marriage were never the same. I was angry that my sister was 
so hurt and anxious, and there was absolutely nothing that I or anyone 
could do about it. I was angry that they took her from her 
great-grandchildren. 

"I have learned to deal with the anger for 
the most part, but I must admit that I am still angry after 20 years. 
"We are without answers and still no closer to justice and closure. I am
 angry because it doesn’t seem, in any way, that law enforcement is 
trying to find these monsters. Most of all, I am still angry that 
someone took my person away from me."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662124319156.jpeg" alt="Mary Drake with her son and granddaughters years before the double homicide in Great Bend 20 years ago on Sept. 4, 2002." />
 <figcaption>Mary Drake with her son and granddaughters years before the double homicide in Great Bend 20 years ago on Sept. 4, 2002.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostOn Sept. 4, 
2002, the tragic and inexplicable occurred: an unknown subject murdered 
two Great Bend residents and walked away from the Dolly Madison bakery -
 one of the city's busiest intersections at one of the busiest times of 
day. Yet 20 years later, the case remains unsolved.Just before 8 
p.m. that evening, a delivery driver found the bodies of 24-year-old 
Mandi Alexander and 79-year-old Mary Drake. Alexander had recently begun
 working at the bakery outlet store, and Drake was a customer that day. Alicia
 Mong (Drake) graduated from Great Bend High School in 1996. In 2002,&nbsp; 
she was living in Hutchinson. Sept. 4 should have been an otherwise 
unremarkable day except it was a long one and Mong remembers being 
tired. She tried to call her grandmother, Mary, before going to bed."She
 didn’t answer," Mong said. "I was not at all concerned because she was 
fiercely independent and spent a lot of time at her sisters' houses. We 
went on with it and went to bed. I really do not know what time it was 
when we were awoken by loud banging on our front door. We opened it, and
 there were two police officers telling me that I needed to call my dad 
because something had happened to my grandma, and she was deceased."With
 few details to go on, Mong gathered her family and made the 70-minute 
drive to Great Bend. She dropped her kids off with family and headed for
 the bakery.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662124347303.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"When we pulled up there were so many cars, lights and people 
standing around," said Mong. "I found my dad and just hugged him. He 
told me what he knew, which was very little. I just remember feeling so 
very sad for him. His mom was murdered, people were staring at our 
family, driving up asking questions. Officers were asking questions, and
 all he could do was stand there and endure it. It sucked, simple as 
that."Once the body was removed from the bakery at 10th and 
Harrison, the family retreated to Mong's parents' home and began 
notifying other family members of the death. The following day, an agent
 from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation asked the family for access to 
Mary's home. Mong and her father accompanied the agent."The agent
 asked a lot of questions, as he should," Mong said, "but the one that 
stood out to me was directed to my dad. 'Did your mom have any enemies 
that we should know about? Is there anyone who was angry at her or would
 have reason to hurt her?' I don’t know why, but it angered me. I could 
only think, 'Seriously, no! What the heck! Why would you ask that?' No 
one was so mad at my 79-year-old, four-foot, 11-inch grandma that they 
would want to kill her. I know now they had to ask those types of 
questions, but man, did that hit me wrong."Everything changed for
 the family after Sept. 4. All families deal with loss, but most, 
fortunately, never have to endure a murder investigation. "In my 
experience, everything was so secretive and scary," said Mong. "There 
was some sort of law enforcement around all the time, at the viewing, 
the funeral service, and the burial. I thought differently about going 
places. I looked at people differently."Mong recalls attending 
the Kansas State Fair shortly after the double murder. She saw a 
potential suspect in every passerby. "I watched people walk by; I 
studied them," she said. "I remember thinking, 'Someone here could know 
something, or someone here could be the person who killed my grandma.' I
 remember internally yelling at myself to stop, put the thoughts away, 
enjoy the time with my family, but it wasn’t going to happen. We ended 
up leaving the fair pretty early."The Dolly Madison case is also 
exceptional because it has yet to be solved. There is no closure in 
brutal crimes, but a conviction would provide some relief, and perhaps, 
even answers. The Drake family never received that. Alicia's father and 
Mary's son, Ron, passed away in October 2020, never seeing a killer 
brought to justice. The nature of the crime brought about many theories."I
 started to question the truth and believe all the stories I heard from 
people, hoping they were the one," Mong said. "The one that could give 
us the golden information. But I realized there were a lot of people 
that just thought they knew what happened or wanted to be the hero and 
had all the answers."This never heals. It never goes away. In the
 last 20 years, we have had several phone calls, texts, Facebook 
messages from strangers telling us they know what happened that night. 
They tell us names, places, and stories that we relay to law 
enforcement, but nothing ever comes from it. They also tell us the 
police know what happened, but they will never be able to convict anyone
 for the crime. It never slips your mind, and when it does finally get 
put to the back of your brain, something pops up again, and the pain and
 anger resurface."There is one saving grace about Sept. 4, 2002. 
According to an eyewitness that day, before going to the bakery, Mary 
had stopped by Alicia's sister's home to pick up her granddaughter for 
the trip. Fortunately, no one was home. "Her daughter could have easily 
been with Grandma and things could have been much, much worse," Mong 
said. "This will always stick with us."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662124384403.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Mong remembers being close to her grandmother growing up. She said 
Mary was strong, independent, loving, compassionate, and resourceful. 
Mong wants her to be remembered as more than a murder victim but also as
 a sister, an aunt, a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother."My
 grandma was my idol," Mong said. "She was my person. I can’t remember a
 time or a memory that she was not a part of. She meant so much to my 
family that there are no words to express how grateful I am to have had 
her in my life."Mary's mother passed away at a young age during 
childbirth, so Mary and her siblings were raised by her father and 
grandmother. Mary had three sons, enduring her own grief when the eldest
 passed away in his 20s. She later divorced and raised her other two 
sons on her own, working at Fuller Brush until retirement. She enjoyed 
playing cards and spending time with her family.Mong said her 
fondest childhood memories always include her grandmother. On Saturday 
nights, Mary set up the hideaway couch for Alicia and her sister, 
watching "Saturday Night Live" with some old-fashioned popcorn that 
included spray-on butter unique to Mary's house. Other nights it was the
 same routine in front of "Hee Haw" or "Barbara Mandrell &amp; the 
Mandrel Sisters." On especially good nights, Mary treated the girls to 
slivers of a frozen Snickers bar and ice-cold Pepsi."Then every 
Sunday morning there was no TV, but the radio was on, and the music was 
playing," Mong recalls. "She would clean and do laundry on Sundays, and I
 remember watching her dance around. She loved to Polka and sing while 
she was working. As my sister and I got older and busier, we didn’t 
spend as much time with Grandma but that changed again when mine and my 
sister’s oldest were born and Grandma became a great-grandma. Those 
girls changed her life, and she loved them. She was the center of our 
world when we were little, and then she became the center of their world
 as well. She was so much more than a murder victim."Twenty years
 later, Mong still feels anger and disappointment. She said she knows 
about as much today as she did in 2002, but the feelings are compounded 
by not having any answers - of disappointing Mary and Ron for not being 
able to find the tip that might lead to the murderer. She's angry that 
she and her family have been denied the opportunity to properly grieve 
the loss of a loved one."Normally after the service and burial, 
you start to gradually heal," she said. "Your anger and sadness 
eventually turn into happy memories. Not with this. This will never end.
 I knew that no one was being held responsible for the murders. I knew 
the murderer was out there walking around among us somewhere. I was 
always on the lookout for someone that might match the sketch. I 
listened to every conversation I could, watched every person around me, 
and couldn’t think of anything else. "It was not because I was 
scared. I was angry. I was so very angry that this happened to my 
grandma. I was mad that it seemed everyone knew what was going on except
 for us. We knew very little. I was mad because it felt that there was 
not enough being done. I was angry that I knew how much my grandma 
suffered during her last minutes, instead of peacefully passing in her 
old age. I was angry that this affected my parents so severely. The two 
and their marriage were never the same. I was angry that my sister was 
so hurt and anxious, and there was absolutely nothing that I or anyone 
could do about it. I was angry that they took her from her 
great-grandchildren. "I have learned to deal with the anger for 
the most part, but I must admit that I am still angry after 20 years. 
"We are without answers and still no closer to justice and closure. I am
 angry because it doesn’t seem, in any way, that law enforcement is 
trying to find these monsters. Most of all, I am still angry that 
someone took my person away from me."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662124407999.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

20 years later: Memories of life before, after Great Bend murders

The Trojans kick off their 2022 season by hosting the Rock Creek Mustangs at 7 p.m. Friday, and it should be a good one!

Southeast of Saline is preseason ranked No. 1 in Class 2A while Rock Creek is preseason ranked No. 4 in Class 3A. Both teams went deep into the Class 3A playoffs last year, making it to the round of eight.

READ: <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/8d0a3b36-f07b-439e-b5b4-6da1c6aee5bf">2022 Preseason Profile: Southeast of Saline Football</a>

If you can't make it to the game, you can listen to it on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM). Devin Hanney and Russ Cossel have the call.

As an added bonus, you also can watch a live stream of the game on Salina Post thanks to L&amp;L Advisors! Click the link below to watch the game Friday at 7 p.m.

By SALINA POSTSoutheast of Saline football is back! The Trojans kick off their 2022 season by hosting the Rock Creek Mustangs at 7 p.m. Friday, and it should be a good one!Southeast of Saline is preseason ranked No. 1 in Class 2A while Rock Creek is preseason ranked No. 4 in Class 3A. Both teams went deep into the Class 3A playoffs last year, making it to the round of eight.READ: <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/8d0a3b36-f07b-439e-b5b4-6da1c6aee5bf">2022 Preseason Profile: Southeast of Saline Football</a>If you can't make it to the game, you can listen to it on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM). Devin Hanney and Russ Cossel have the call.As an added bonus, you also can watch a live stream of the game on Salina Post thanks to L&amp;L Advisors! Click the link below to watch the game Friday at 7 p.m.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pFt2wmgTUyE"></iframe>
 <figcaption>Video by Bryan Dennett</figcaption>
 </figure>

Southeast of Saline takes on Rock Creek Friday; watch it live here!

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach fielded media questions during an online presser Wednesday. Following is a transcription of the event as provided by the Chiefs.

OPENING STATEMENT: “I appreciate you guys for hopping on this Zoom call. We’ve had an exciting last few weeks of camp. As always, I’d like to start off by thanking the personnel staff and the coaching staff for all the hard work. We had a lot of work to do this offseason starting with the free agency period, into the draft and getting to St. Joe. We’ve had a lot of new players on the roster, young players, and again, can’t thank them enough for all the hard work that they have done for this organization the last few months. And I want to thank the players, who had a great camp, (a) great few weeks in St. Joe, in fact, (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) and I were talking a few days ago about the level of focus and dedication from this group. So it was certainly an outstanding group to work with. Congratulations to the guys that made our active roster and our practice squad. I certainly want to thank the guys who are pursuing other interests at different places. Again, the group as a whole was one of the better groups that we’ve had the privilege to work with, so with that, I’ll open it up and take some questions.”

Q:&nbsp;Can you explain the decision to keep three quarterbacks and where the need is there?

VEACH:&nbsp;“We always try to strive and keep the best players on the team, and you know, we have been very fortunate to have Chad Henne here the last few years and he’s been outstanding to have both on the field and in the classroom. And last year, bringing Shane (Buechele) in here, we just continued to see the growth and development in him, and we like that room. There’s a great chemistry with all three of those guys. At the end of the day, we always tell the guys that once we get them here, we like to put the decision in their hands and Shane was one of those guys that played well and earned a spot on this roster.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you feel like he is capable of helping you guys win a game now if you needed him to play? Where do you feel like he is on the developmental timeline?

VEACH:&nbsp;“Yeah, we do. I think just in general the guys that we end up keeping on that 53, I think we have the same mindset with all those guys. That they’re going to be up and active. They’re going to be ready to help us out, and again, we’ve been through this both ways. We’ve gotten lucky some years that everyone at that position has stayed healthy, and we’ve also had to use more than just one guy the last few years. There is no position as important as that position so when you have a guy like Shane come in here and do the things that he has, especially at that position, it’s something we feel confident in.”

Q:&nbsp;What do you think about this group of rookies? Nine of the 10 made the initial roster. Is that something that somewhat surprised you guys perhaps before camp started and as you guys progressed to this decision?

VEACH:&nbsp;“I think the thing that surprised us the most with this group is, and (Defensive Coordinator) Steve (Spagnuolo) may have mentioned this a few press conferences ago, is how quickly they have been able to catch up to speed. Usually when you bring in a group of guys, and we’ve had a big group this year, but usually when you bring in a rookie class, they’re all on a little bit of a different timeline in regards to ‘can they get up to speed’ and ‘can they be in a position to help this team out.’ And at what point? A few weeks into the season? Halfway point? I think the one surprising thing is the group, as a whole, I think has shown that they’ve been able to come in here and A: (show) that the game isn’t too big for them, and they fit athletically and skillset wise. And B: that the coaches have shown the ability to put their trust in them and to work them in. I think you guys have seen a lot of these young guys working in, not just playing time wise, but working in there with the first group and second group and they’re getting caught up to speed quickly. I think it’s surprising to have such a big class and have a majority, if not all of them kind of show that they’re ready to go. There’s still a lot of work to be done with these guys and Steve, (Offensive Coordinator) EB (Eric Bieniemy) and Coach Reid will be the first ones to say that we like where we are at right now, but to get to where we need to be, there is still a lot of work ahead of us.”

Q:&nbsp;What has Isiah Pacheco shown to give you confidence that he’s going to fit a role in this offense as a seventh-round pick?

VEACH:&nbsp;“Well as you guys know, we’re certainly a pass heavy offense, so I think when these young guys come in here, they certainly have to have the running skillset, but I think the ability to pick up pass protections and have reliable hands out of the backfield is certainly something that those guys have to show and demonstrate on a consistent basis, and he’s been one of those guys. Again, with all these rookies to come in here and show that yeah, listen, they’re going to know how to run the ball when given the opportunity but the blitz pickups, the protection checks and then just being consistent with their hands out of the backfield is something from day one that I think that Isiah has shown and we’re excited. Like all these young guys, we’re excited where he is now and that he has a great future ahead of him.”