With all the commercials and marketing that accompany the holiday season, how can parents teach their young children about giving and putting others first at this time of year?

Christmas is a traditional time to give and help others. But even for adults, it’s easy to get so caught up the glitz that we end up forgetting to teach our kids how to give and why it’s so important. How do we make sure they learn the satisfaction of giving to others at an early age? Here are a few easy ideas.  

Send an extra snack with them to school. Then, at lunch they can give it to a friend. When they get back home, find out who they shared the snack with and talk about what happened. It can be as simple as that. Also, encourage your kids to pass along compliments. Sharing a kind word with a classmate, or even their teacher, will go a long way toward brightening someone’s day any time of year.  

When you’re involved in giving or helping others in any way, take your kids with you. If you’re sponsoring a family through your church, or participating in a charity drive, let your kids be part of the buying and delivery process. When you make giving memories together, they’ll stick with your kids for years to come.

If you really want to make the kids part of the process, you could let them pick a charity to help. If you give them a commission for doing jobs around the house, or if they’re older and have a part-time job, they can start saving a percentage to donate. Another idea might be giving away old toys. Take some time to gather up all the toys they don’t play with and don’t want anymore. Search the closet together, and choose things to take to Goodwill or another charitable organization.

Remember, you’re the adult. That means it’s your job to set an example and create teachable moments. So, this year give your kids nice gifts within your budget. But take time to create situations that allow them to participate in wonderful giving experiences, as well — because giving truly is better than receiving.

Dave Ramsey&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596845065840.jpeg" alt="Dave Ramsey&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Dear Dave,With all the commercials and marketing that accompany the holiday season, how can parents teach their young children about giving and putting others first at this time of year?MarynDear Maryn,Christmas is a traditional time to give and help others. But even for adults, it’s easy to get so caught up the glitz that we end up forgetting to teach our kids how to give and why it’s so important. How do we make sure they learn the satisfaction of giving to others at an early age? Here are a few easy ideas. Send an extra snack with them to school. Then, at lunch they can give it to a friend. When they get back home, find out who they shared the snack with and talk about what happened. It can be as simple as that. Also, encourage your kids to pass along compliments. Sharing a kind word with a classmate, or even their teacher, will go a long way toward brightening someone’s day any time of year. When you’re involved in giving or helping others in any way, take your kids with you. If you’re sponsoring a family through your church, or participating in a charity drive, let your kids be part of the buying and delivery process. When you make giving memories together, they’ll stick with your kids for years to come.If you really want to make the kids part of the process, you could let them pick a charity to help. If you give them a commission for doing jobs around the house, or if they’re older and have a part-time job, they can start saving a percentage to donate. Another idea might be giving away old toys. Take some time to gather up all the toys they don’t play with and don’t want anymore. Search the closet together, and choose things to take to Goodwill or another charitable organization.Remember, you’re the adult. That means it’s your job to set an example and create teachable moments. So, this year give your kids nice gifts within your budget. But take time to create situations that allow them to participate in wonderful giving experiences, as well — because giving truly is better than receiving.Merry Christmas, Maryn!DaveDave Ramsey&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

DAVE SAYS: Teach them to be givers…and be an example

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs had no additional positive COVID-19 tests Wednesday, one day after seven players were added to the reserve list, a promising sign that an outbreak that infected 16 players in all may have subsided.

Now, the question facing the Chiefs — and many other teams — is whether they will have such stars as wide receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones available in time for Sunday's game against Pittsburgh.

Or for that matter, whether they will even play the Steelers on Sunday.

"It's part of the world we live in today," Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said after Wednesday's practice. "Guys have done a good job so far of trying to stay away from people. But at the end of the day, COVID can hit anyone. We have a lot of great guys in the locker room. We have full trust they can get the job done."

The Chiefs had as many as 16 players on the reserve list this week — 13 from the active roster and three from the practice squad — but got a couple of them back Wednesday. 

Wide receiver Josh Gordon and linebacker Willie Gay Jr., both of whom missed last week's win over the Chargers, were cleared to return to practice and should be available Sunday.

Jones also missed the game against Los Angeles, but has not been cleared to return to practice.

Still on the reserve list with Hill, Kelce and Jones are starting defensive backs Charvarius Ward and Rashad Fenton; starting linebacker Nick Bolton; kicker Harrison Butker; starting right tackle Lucas Niang and backup offensive lineman Kyle Long; backup tight end Blake Bell; backup safety Armani Watts.

In some positive news, cornerback L'Jarius Sneed returned to practice Wednesday. He's missed the past two games since his older brother, TQ Harrison, was stabbed to death in his hometown of Minden, La.

"L'Jarius has gone through a couple rough weeks here," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, "but he's in a good place and ready to go. That's great, great to get him back in there. I think it's good for our team. I also think it's good for him overall to keep his mind off the other thing, and be able to move forward from there."

Reid said he's not aware of any discussions to move the game against Pittsburgh from Sunday. The NFL pushed three games back in Week 15 to provide teams that were particularly hard hit by COVID-19 with more time to clear players for kickoff.

That means the Chiefs, trying protect the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff race and clinch their sixth straight AFC West title, are busy getting a whole slew of fill-ins ready to go for a game with major postseason implications.

Gordon and Byron Pringle are in line to get more playing time alongside wide receiver Mecole Hardman should Hill be unable to play. Hill is second in the league to Cooper Kupp with 102 receptions this season.

The Chiefs already have tight end Jody Fortson on injured reserve. Losing Kelce and Hill leaves only rookie Noah Gray on the active roster at an important position in the Kansas City offense. 

Andrew Wylie would slide back into the starting job at right tackle. He's played extensively this season with starter Mike Remmers on injured reserve and Niang having missed several games with a rib injury.

On defense, the Chiefs remain hopeful that Jones will test negative and be available against Pittsburgh. The Chiefs struggled to get pressure on Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert when he was out of the lineup last week.

Gay's return should help the Chiefs deal with the potential loss of Bolton, their standout rookie linebacker, who leads the team with 102 tackles despite not assuming a starting role until midway through this season.

In the defensive backfield, Sneed is expected to start opposite Mike Hughes, who has played well the past several weeks at cornerback. Tyrann Mathieu, who tested positive for COVID-19 before the season, would continue to start alongside Juan Thornhill at safety with Daniel Sorensen backing them up.

The Chiefs added Elliott Fry to the active roster to handle kicking duties with Butker out.

"Listen, we have plenty of bodies and guys that want to play, so nothing has really changed," Reid said. "We went this long without (an outbreak) and now we're kind of working through it. You see different teams going through these stretches where that happens, and that's kind of where we're at. I don't know what is going to happen going forward."

NOTES: Practice squad wide receivers Gehrig Dieter and Daurice Fountain and linebacker Darius Harris also remain on the reserve list. ... Defensive end Joshua Kaindoh was at practice Wednesday, a sign that he's been designated to return from injured reserve. The rookie was placed on IR in October with an ankle injury and now has 21 days to return to the active roster. "He's made great progress and we're glad that he's back and healthy," Reid said, "and we'll just see how things go here."

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs had no additional positive COVID-19 tests Wednesday, one day after seven players were added to the reserve list, a promising sign that an outbreak that infected 16 players in all may have subsided.Now, the question facing the Chiefs — and many other teams — is whether they will have such stars as wide receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones available in time for Sunday's game against Pittsburgh.Or for that matter, whether they will even play the Steelers on Sunday."It's part of the world we live in today," Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said after Wednesday's practice. "Guys have done a good job so far of trying to stay away from people. But at the end of the day, COVID can hit anyone. We have a lot of great guys in the locker room. We have full trust they can get the job done."The Chiefs had as many as 16 players on the reserve list this week — 13 from the active roster and three from the practice squad — but got a couple of them back Wednesday. Wide receiver Josh Gordon and linebacker Willie Gay Jr., both of whom missed last week's win over the Chargers, were cleared to return to practice and should be available Sunday.Jones also missed the game against Los Angeles, but has not been cleared to return to practice.Still on the reserve list with Hill, Kelce and Jones are starting defensive backs Charvarius Ward and Rashad Fenton; starting linebacker Nick Bolton; kicker Harrison Butker; starting right tackle Lucas Niang and backup offensive lineman Kyle Long; backup tight end Blake Bell; backup safety Armani Watts.In some positive news, cornerback L'Jarius Sneed returned to practice Wednesday. He's missed the past two games since his older brother, TQ Harrison, was stabbed to death in his hometown of Minden, La."L'Jarius has gone through a couple rough weeks here," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, "but he's in a good place and ready to go. That's great, great to get him back in there. I think it's good for our team. I also think it's good for him overall to keep his mind off the other thing, and be able to move forward from there."Reid said he's not aware of any discussions to move the game against Pittsburgh from Sunday. The NFL pushed three games back in Week 15 to provide teams that were particularly hard hit by COVID-19 with more time to clear players for kickoff.That means the Chiefs, trying protect the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff race and clinch their sixth straight AFC West title, are busy getting a whole slew of fill-ins ready to go for a game with major postseason implications.Gordon and Byron Pringle are in line to get more playing time alongside wide receiver Mecole Hardman should Hill be unable to play. Hill is second in the league to Cooper Kupp with 102 receptions this season.The Chiefs already have tight end Jody Fortson on injured reserve. Losing Kelce and Hill leaves only rookie Noah Gray on the active roster at an important position in the Kansas City offense. Andrew Wylie would slide back into the starting job at right tackle. He's played extensively this season with starter Mike Remmers on injured reserve and Niang having missed several games with a rib injury.On defense, the Chiefs remain hopeful that Jones will test negative and be available against Pittsburgh. The Chiefs struggled to get pressure on Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert when he was out of the lineup last week.Gay's return should help the Chiefs deal with the potential loss of Bolton, their standout rookie linebacker, who leads the team with 102 tackles despite not assuming a starting role until midway through this season.In the defensive backfield, Sneed is expected to start opposite Mike Hughes, who has played well the past several weeks at cornerback. Tyrann Mathieu, who tested positive for COVID-19 before the season, would continue to start alongside Juan Thornhill at safety with Daniel Sorensen backing them up.The Chiefs added Elliott Fry to the active roster to handle kicking duties with Butker out."Listen, we have plenty of bodies and guys that want to play, so nothing has really changed," Reid said. "We went this long without (an outbreak) and now we're kind of working through it. You see different teams going through these stretches where that happens, and that's kind of where we're at. I don't know what is going to happen going forward."NOTES: Practice squad wide receivers Gehrig Dieter and Daurice Fountain and linebacker Darius Harris also remain on the reserve list. ... Defensive end Joshua Kaindoh was at practice Wednesday, a sign that he's been designated to return from injured reserve. The rookie was placed on IR in October with an ankle injury and now has 21 days to return to the active roster. "He's made great progress and we're glad that he's back and healthy," Reid said, "and we'll just see how things go here."

Chiefs with no new COVID-19 positives; Gordon, Gay return

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fighting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/omicron-majority-us-cases-833001ef99862bd6ac17935f65c896cf">the omicron variant</a>&nbsp;surging through the country, President Joe Biden announced the government will provide 500 million free rapid home-testing kits, increase support for hospitals under strain and redouble vaccination and boosting efforts.

Click below to listen to the President's statement on vaccine misinformation.

At the White House on Tuesday, Biden detailed major changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/videos-0b3c9530137646c0b261750472007d27">his COVID-19 winter plan</a>, his hand forced by the fast-spreading variant, whose properties are not yet fully understood by scientists. Yet his message was clear that the winter holidays could be close to normal for the vaccinated while potentially dangerous for the unvaccinated.

His pleas are not political, he emphasized. He noted that former President Donald Trump has gotten his booster shot, and he said it’s Americans’ “patriotic duty” to get vaccinated.

“It’s the only responsible thing to do,” the president said. “Omicron is serious and potentially deadly business for unvaccinated people.”

Biden chastised social media and people on cable TV who have made misleading statements to discourage people from getting vaccinated.

The outbreak from this latest strain of the coronavirus has required the federal government to get more aggressive in addressing the wave of infections, but Biden promised a weary nation that there would not be a mass lockdown of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-nhl-technology-entertainment-sports-4e3dde5757172cc9124774e13ea7c47a">schools or businesses.</a>

“I know you’re tired, and I know you’re frustrated. We all want this to be over. But we’re still in it,” Biden said. “We also have more tools than we had before. We’re ready, we’ll get through this.”

Scientists don’t know everything about omicron yet, but they do know that vaccination should offer strong protection against severe illness and death. The variant has spread at such an alarming rate since it was identified in South Africa about a month ago that the Biden administration snapped into action to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/21/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-protect-americans-and-help-communities-and-hospitals-battle-omicron/" target="_blank">offer new tests and additional aid</a>. Still more is needed, some medical experts said.

A cornerstone of the plan is for the government to purchase 500 million&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-home-testing-kits-supply-demand-57f8ec4b7bc78d0e70216b91717287ee">coronavirus rapid tests</a>&nbsp;for free shipment to Americans starting in January. People will use a new website to order their tests, which will then be sent by U.S. mail at no charge. The 500 million could be increased, depending on developments.

It marks a major shift for Biden, who earlier had called for many Americans to purchase the hard-to-find tests on their own and then seek reimbursement from health insurance. For the first time, the U.S. government will send free COVID-19 tests directly to Americans, after more than a year of urging by public health experts.

Experts had criticized Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-9939eee264b651fbc88f66c957a5e6e4">initial buy-first, get-paid-later approach</a>&nbsp;as unwieldy and warned that the U.S. would face another round of testing problems at a critical time. Testing advocates point to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-lifestyle-holidays-europe-f225f13329feb22eb525bb8931ac7e4c">nations including the U.K. and Germany,</a>&nbsp;which have distributed billions of tests to the public and recommend people test themselves twice a week.

The federal government will also establish new testing sites and use&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-2019-2020-coronavirus-pandemic-bbb0f14dd5032760657c563565ecfe06">the Defense Production Act</a>&nbsp;to help manufacture more tests. The first new federally supported testing site&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-new-york-new-york-city-nyc-state-wire-bc53a7d561a965a660f24db7e657b3fb">will open in New York</a>&nbsp;this week. The new sites will add to 20,000 already available. White House officials said they’re working with Google so that people will be able to find them by searching “free COVID test near me.”

Still, Biden’s testing surge would need to be supported by a further jump in production for all Americans to test at the recommended rate of twice weekly. The U.S. would need 2.3 billion tests per month for everyone 12 and older to do that, according to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. That’s nearly five times the half-billion tests Biden will deploy.

Currently, the U.S. can conduct about 600 million tests per month, with home tests accounting for about half, according to researchers from Arizona State University.

In another prong to Biden’s amped-up plan, he is prepared to deploy an additional 1,000 troops with medical skills to assist hospitals buckling under the virus surge. Also, he is immediately sending federal medical personnel to Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Hampshire and Vermont. And there are plans to ready additional ventilators and protective equipment from the national stockpile, expanding hospital resources.

As a backstop, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will deploy hundreds of ambulances and paramedic teams so that if one hospital fills up, it can transport patients to open beds in another. Ambulances are already headed to New York and Maine, and paramedic teams are going to New Hampshire, Vermont and Arizona.

But vaccination remains the main defense, since it can head off disease in the first place. The government will support multiple vaccination sites and provide hundreds of personnel to administer shots. New rules will make it easier for pharmacists to work across state lines to administer a broader range of shots.

Biden said in response to a question that he may lift the Southern Africa travel ban that was imposed to delay omicron from reaching the U.S.

Some prominent experts said that Biden’s new actions are a step in the right direction but he hasn’t gone far enough, given the risks of infections and hospitals being overwhelmed.

“I don’t know that the measures being proposed are going to be adequate,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Hotez said the government may need to authorize a second booster shot for health care workers to prevent infections that would sideline clinicians when all hands are needed.

Dr. Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California, said the administration “finally sees the light” with Biden’s plan to ship 500 million tests, but “we need to pull out all the stops, and we’re not doing that still.”

“We don’t have control of this pandemic here,” said Topol.

He said the government could redefine “fully vaccinated” as three shots instead of two of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Biden could order a ban on air travel by people who are not fully vaccinated, and the government could use its authority to ramp up production of high quality masks for free distribution.

“There’s a lack of boldness,” Topol said. “I am disappointed.”

Scientists say omicron spreads even more easily than other coronavirus strains, including delta. It accounted for nearly three-quarters of new U.S. infections last week.

Underscoring the reach of the virus, the White House said late Monday that Biden had been in close contact with a staff member who later tested positive for COVID-19. The staffer spent about 30 minutes around the president on Air Force One on Friday. The staffer, who was fully vaccinated and boosted, tested positive Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Psaki said Biden has tested negative twice since Sunday and will test again on Wednesday. He cleared his throat several times at Tuesday’s event but spoke firmly and appeared fine.

In New York City,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-omicron-coronavirus-holidays-179cd759ed851789db86fa206986a736">nearly 42,600 people citywide tested positive</a>&nbsp;from Wednesday through Saturday — compared with fewer than 35,800 in the entire month of November. The city has never had so many people test positive in such a short period of time since testing became widely available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640115794186.png" alt="At the White House on Tuesday, President Biden asked those on social media and cable TV who he believes are spreading COVID vaccine misinformation to "stop it, stop it now!"" />
 <figcaption>At the White House on Tuesday, President Biden asked those on social media and cable TV who he believes are spreading COVID vaccine misinformation to "stop it, stop it now!"</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Fighting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/omicron-majority-us-cases-833001ef99862bd6ac17935f65c896cf">the omicron variant</a>&nbsp;surging through the country, President Joe Biden announced the government will provide 500 million free rapid home-testing kits, increase support for hospitals under strain and redouble vaccination and boosting efforts.Click below to listen to the President's statement on vaccine misinformation.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/95NfeWiJfRs?start=699" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>At the White House on Tuesday, Biden detailed major changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/videos-0b3c9530137646c0b261750472007d27">his COVID-19 winter plan</a>, his hand forced by the fast-spreading variant, whose properties are not yet fully understood by scientists. Yet his message was clear that the winter holidays could be close to normal for the vaccinated while potentially dangerous for the unvaccinated.His pleas are not political, he emphasized. He noted that former President Donald Trump has gotten his booster shot, and he said it’s Americans’ “patriotic duty” to get vaccinated.“It’s the only responsible thing to do,” the president said. “Omicron is serious and potentially deadly business for unvaccinated people.”Biden chastised social media and people on cable TV who have made misleading statements to discourage people from getting vaccinated.The outbreak from this latest strain of the coronavirus has required the federal government to get more aggressive in addressing the wave of infections, but Biden promised a weary nation that there would not be a mass lockdown of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-nhl-technology-entertainment-sports-4e3dde5757172cc9124774e13ea7c47a">schools or businesses.</a>“I know you’re tired, and I know you’re frustrated. We all want this to be over. But we’re still in it,” Biden said. “We also have more tools than we had before. We’re ready, we’ll get through this.”Scientists don’t know everything about omicron yet, but they do know that vaccination should offer strong protection against severe illness and death. The variant has spread at such an alarming rate since it was identified in South Africa about a month ago that the Biden administration snapped into action to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/21/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-protect-americans-and-help-communities-and-hospitals-battle-omicron/" target="_blank">offer new tests and additional aid</a>. Still more is needed, some medical experts said.A cornerstone of the plan is for the government to purchase 500 million&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-home-testing-kits-supply-demand-57f8ec4b7bc78d0e70216b91717287ee">coronavirus rapid tests</a>&nbsp;for free shipment to Americans starting in January. People will use a new website to order their tests, which will then be sent by U.S. mail at no charge. The 500 million could be increased, depending on developments.It marks a major shift for Biden, who earlier had called for many Americans to purchase the hard-to-find tests on their own and then seek reimbursement from health insurance. For the first time, the U.S. government will send free COVID-19 tests directly to Americans, after more than a year of urging by public health experts.Experts had criticized Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-9939eee264b651fbc88f66c957a5e6e4">initial buy-first, get-paid-later approach</a>&nbsp;as unwieldy and warned that the U.S. would face another round of testing problems at a critical time. Testing advocates point to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-lifestyle-holidays-europe-f225f13329feb22eb525bb8931ac7e4c">nations including the U.K. and Germany,</a>&nbsp;which have distributed billions of tests to the public and recommend people test themselves twice a week.The federal government will also establish new testing sites and use&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-2019-2020-coronavirus-pandemic-bbb0f14dd5032760657c563565ecfe06">the Defense Production Act</a>&nbsp;to help manufacture more tests. The first new federally supported testing site&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-new-york-new-york-city-nyc-state-wire-bc53a7d561a965a660f24db7e657b3fb">will open in New York</a>&nbsp;this week. The new sites will add to 20,000 already available. White House officials said they’re working with Google so that people will be able to find them by searching “free COVID test near me.”Still, Biden’s testing surge would need to be supported by a further jump in production for all Americans to test at the recommended rate of twice weekly. The U.S. would need 2.3 billion tests per month for everyone 12 and older to do that, according to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. That’s nearly five times the half-billion tests Biden will deploy.Currently, the U.S. can conduct about 600 million tests per month, with home tests accounting for about half, according to researchers from Arizona State University.In another prong to Biden’s amped-up plan, he is prepared to deploy an additional 1,000 troops with medical skills to assist hospitals buckling under the virus surge. Also, he is immediately sending federal medical personnel to Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Hampshire and Vermont. And there are plans to ready additional ventilators and protective equipment from the national stockpile, expanding hospital resources.As a backstop, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will deploy hundreds of ambulances and paramedic teams so that if one hospital fills up, it can transport patients to open beds in another. Ambulances are already headed to New York and Maine, and paramedic teams are going to New Hampshire, Vermont and Arizona.But vaccination remains the main defense, since it can head off disease in the first place. The government will support multiple vaccination sites and provide hundreds of personnel to administer shots. New rules will make it easier for pharmacists to work across state lines to administer a broader range of shots.Biden said in response to a question that he may lift the Southern Africa travel ban that was imposed to delay omicron from reaching the U.S.Some prominent experts said that Biden’s new actions are a step in the right direction but he hasn’t gone far enough, given the risks of infections and hospitals being overwhelmed.“I don’t know that the measures being proposed are going to be adequate,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.Hotez said the government may need to authorize a second booster shot for health care workers to prevent infections that would sideline clinicians when all hands are needed.Dr. Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California, said the administration “finally sees the light” with Biden’s plan to ship 500 million tests, but “we need to pull out all the stops, and we’re not doing that still.”“We don’t have control of this pandemic here,” said Topol.He said the government could redefine “fully vaccinated” as three shots instead of two of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Biden could order a ban on air travel by people who are not fully vaccinated, and the government could use its authority to ramp up production of high quality masks for free distribution.“There’s a lack of boldness,” Topol said. “I am disappointed.”Scientists say omicron spreads even more easily than other coronavirus strains, including delta. It accounted for nearly three-quarters of new U.S. infections last week.Underscoring the reach of the virus, the White House said late Monday that Biden had been in close contact with a staff member who later tested positive for COVID-19. The staffer spent about 30 minutes around the president on Air Force One on Friday. The staffer, who was fully vaccinated and boosted, tested positive Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.Psaki said Biden has tested negative twice since Sunday and will test again on Wednesday. He cleared his throat several times at Tuesday’s event but spoke firmly and appeared fine.In New York City,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-omicron-coronavirus-holidays-179cd759ed851789db86fa206986a736">nearly 42,600 people citywide tested positive</a>&nbsp;from Wednesday through Saturday — compared with fewer than 35,800 in the entire month of November. The city has never had so many people test positive in such a short period of time since testing became widely available.___

🎥 Biden on vaccine misinformation: Stop it, stop it now!

Michael Gene Hart, age 70, formerly of Concordia, Kansas, passed away on Friday, December 17, 2021 at Autumn Oaks Caring Center in Mountain Grove, Missouri. He was born on August 1, 1951 to Norman E. and Joyce (Ellis) Hart Hammang.

Michael attended Concordia Public Schools.

Michael worked for Combustion Engineering in Concordia for several years.

He enjoyed playing pool and listening to music.

Michael is survived by two sisters, Michelle Reed (Doyle) of Concordia, and Lonnie Yockers of Bartlesville, OK; and a brother, Mark Hart of Fremont, NE.

He was preceded in death by his parents Norman E. Hart and Joyce E. Hammang; a brother, Danny Hart; and sister-in-law, Alice Hart, brother-in-law, Lanny Yockers.

Visitation will be held from 1-5 pm on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 at the Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home, Concordia, Kansas. 

A private Family graveside service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at the Sulphur Springs Cemetery rural, Concordia, Kansas.

Memorial contributions may be given to the Freedom Club, Concordia in care of Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home, PO Box 606, Concordia, KS 66901.  For online condolences, please visit www.chaputbuoy.com.

Michael Gene Hart, age 70, formerly of Concordia, Kansas, passed away on Friday, December 17, 2021 at Autumn Oaks Caring Center in Mountain Grove, Missouri. He was born on August 1, 1951 to Norman E. and Joyce (Ellis) Hart Hammang.Michael attended Concordia Public Schools.Michael worked for Combustion Engineering in Concordia for several years.He enjoyed playing pool and listening to music.Michael is survived by two sisters, Michelle Reed (Doyle) of Concordia, and Lonnie Yockers of Bartlesville, OK; and a brother, Mark Hart of Fremont, NE.He was preceded in death by his parents Norman E. Hart and Joyce E. Hammang; a brother, Danny Hart; and sister-in-law, Alice Hart, brother-in-law, Lanny Yockers.Visitation will be held from 1-5 pm on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 at the Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home, Concordia, Kansas. A private Family graveside service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at the Sulphur Springs Cemetery rural, Concordia, Kansas.Memorial contributions may be given to the Freedom Club, Concordia in care of Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home, PO Box 606, Concordia, KS 66901. For online condolences, please visit www.chaputbuoy.com.

Michael Gene Hart

My wife and I are trying to help our son and daughter-in-law. They are both 29-years old, and they have been married for three years. They have good jobs, but the problem is they ask for money on a regular basis. Helping them out hasn’t been a strain, because we’re in good shape financially, but we have started encouraging them to live on a monthly budget. They always say they will try, but it never seems to happen. At this point, it feels like we may be enabling them instead of helping. How can we make sure we are doing the best thing?

The first thing you and your wife need to do is sit down and have a loving, but serious, talk with these&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/relationships/why-kids-need-value-hard-work?int_cmpgn=no_campaign&amp;int_dept=dr_blog_bu&amp;int_lctn=Blog-Text_Link&amp;int_fmt=text&amp;int_dscpn=ways_to_teach_kids_about_money_blog-inline_link_why_kids_need_value_hard_work" target="_blank">kids</a>. If they’ve asked for money before, and this is something that has turned into a habit, you have every right to know more about their spending and other circumstances.

Don’t be surprised if they act defensive, or maybe even get angry. People are often embarrassed to admit to, or talk about, their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/real-estate/4-mistakes-to-avoid-when-renting" target="_blank">mistakes</a>. They may even tell you these things are none of your business. If they do, that’s fine. But they should understand you two won’t be opening your checkbook again if they don’t open up about their financial behavior. This isn’t about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/relationships/talk-to-your-parents-about-money" target="_blank">mom and dad</a>&nbsp;being controlling or snooping around, it’s about you and your wife making sure you’re not enabling what you consider to be bad behavior going forward.

It always hurts parents to see their kids go through things like this. But if they’re acting irresponsibly with money, they need to suffer the consequences of their actions. Who knows? That, along with your love and guidance, might help put them on the right track to win with money!

<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a>&nbsp;is a seven-time #1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596845065840.jpeg" alt="Dave Ramsey" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey</figcaption>
 </figure>Dear Dave,My wife and I are trying to help our son and daughter-in-law. They are both 29-years old, and they have been married for three years. They have good jobs, but the problem is they ask for money on a regular basis. Helping them out hasn’t been a strain, because we’re in good shape financially, but we have started encouraging them to live on a monthly budget. They always say they will try, but it never seems to happen. At this point, it feels like we may be enabling them instead of helping. How can we make sure we are doing the best thing?C.M.Dear C.M.,The first thing you and your wife need to do is sit down and have a loving, but serious, talk with these&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/relationships/why-kids-need-value-hard-work?int_cmpgn=no_campaign&amp;int_dept=dr_blog_bu&amp;int_lctn=Blog-Text_Link&amp;int_fmt=text&amp;int_dscpn=ways_to_teach_kids_about_money_blog-inline_link_why_kids_need_value_hard_work" target="_blank">kids</a>. If they’ve asked for money before, and this is something that has turned into a habit, you have every right to know more about their spending and other circumstances.Don’t be surprised if they act defensive, or maybe even get angry. People are often embarrassed to admit to, or talk about, their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/real-estate/4-mistakes-to-avoid-when-renting" target="_blank">mistakes</a>. They may even tell you these things are none of your business. If they do, that’s fine. But they should understand you two won’t be opening your checkbook again if they don’t open up about their financial behavior. This isn’t about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/relationships/talk-to-your-parents-about-money" target="_blank">mom and dad</a>&nbsp;being controlling or snooping around, it’s about you and your wife making sure you’re not enabling what you consider to be bad behavior going forward.It always hurts parents to see their kids go through things like this. But if they’re acting irresponsibly with money, they need to suffer the consequences of their actions. Who knows? That, along with your love and guidance, might help put them on the right track to win with money!Dave<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a>&nbsp;is a seven-time #1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

DAVE SAYS: What’s the best thing?

Darrell Ward, 72, of Salina, passed away December 10, 2021 at home peacefully in his sleep. He was born March 1, 1949 in Russell, Kansas to Dean and Helen (Strecker) Ward. He married Ileta Hoffman June 16, 1979 in Navarrre, Kansas. Darrell attended school at Russell and Plainville. He served in the United States Army for 4 years. Darrell worked 22 years at Exide in Salina before retiring from Kriz-Davis. His love for music started in his younger years when he played trumpet in a band. You could always find him in his garage listening to music. He is survived by his wife, Ileta of Salina; sons, Christopher Ward (Elizabeth) of Independence, Brian Baldridge of Hutchinson and daughter, Lisa Bunch of Salina; brother, Brad Ward of Tomball, Texas; 7 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. Darrell was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, Larry. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 am, Monday December 27th at Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home. Memorial donations may be made to the family in care of Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home,&nbsp;500 S. Ohio St., Salina, Kansas 67401. To send an online condolence, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.carlsonfh.net/" target="_blank">www.carlsonfh.net</a>&nbsp;or on Facebook.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639536077107.jpeg" alt="Darrell Ward" />
 <figcaption>Darrell Ward</figcaption>
 </figure>Darrell Ward, 72, of Salina, passed away December 10, 2021 at home peacefully in his sleep. He was born March 1, 1949 in Russell, Kansas to Dean and Helen (Strecker) Ward. He married Ileta Hoffman June 16, 1979 in Navarrre, Kansas. Darrell attended school at Russell and Plainville. He served in the United States Army for 4 years. Darrell worked 22 years at Exide in Salina before retiring from Kriz-Davis. His love for music started in his younger years when he played trumpet in a band. You could always find him in his garage listening to music. He is survived by his wife, Ileta of Salina; sons, Christopher Ward (Elizabeth) of Independence, Brian Baldridge of Hutchinson and daughter, Lisa Bunch of Salina; brother, Brad Ward of Tomball, Texas; 7 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. Darrell was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, Larry. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 am, Monday December 27th at Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home. Memorial donations may be made to the family in care of Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home,&nbsp;500 S. Ohio St., Salina, Kansas 67401. To send an online condolence, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.carlsonfh.net/" target="_blank">www.carlsonfh.net</a>&nbsp;or on Facebook.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Darrell Ward

Southeast of Saline basketball travels to Abilene Tuesday night to take on the Abilene Cowgirls and Cowboys, and if you can't make it to the games, Salina Post and KINA have you covered!

You can watch a livestream of both the girls and boys varsity games right here on Salina Post. Just click the link below. The girls game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, with the boys game following at approximately 7:30 p.m.

You also can listen to the games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM).

As usual, Devin Hanney will have the call for both the livestream and the broadcast.

Southeast of Saline basketball travels to Abilene Tuesday night to take on the Abilene Cowgirls and Cowboys, and if you can't make it to the games, Salina Post and KINA have you covered!You can watch a livestream of both the girls and boys varsity games right here on Salina Post. Just click the link below. The girls game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, with the boys game following at approximately 7:30 p.m.You also can listen to the games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM).As usual, Devin Hanney will have the call for both the livestream and the broadcast.Click below to watch the games live.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WZUscoU8aac"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

🎥Watch live as Southeast of Saline takes on Abilene tonight!

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Folks around the NFL have been wondering the past few weeks what the Kansas City Chiefs would look like if they could marry their suddenly stingy defense with their traditionally prolific offense.

The Raiders had the misfortune of finding out Sunday.

The Chiefs' defense forced five turnovers, their offense turned them into 28 points, and Patrick Mahomes and Co. cruised the rest of the way to a 48-9 victory — the largest margin in 126 games against their old AFL rivals.

It kept the Chiefs (9-4) one game ahead of the Chargers (8-5) heading into their Thursday night showdown in Los Angeles.

"We're playing a good football team this next week that we've already played once this season," said Mahomes, who threw two touchdown passes against Las Vegas. "We have familiarity with them. We still have to go out and do it. The defense is playing good football right now. Offensively, we're proving we can drive the length of the field."

The Chiefs already led 7-0 thanks to Mike Hughes' fumble return touchdown on the game's first play when Mahomes led them on an 80-yard touchdown march. He followed with another 80-yard TD drive a few minutes later, then needed to go just 39 yards for a third touchdown in three series, and a 28-0 lead.

Kansas City added another touchdown before halftime, along with a couple field goals by Harrison Butker and Frank Gore's 51-yard touchdown scamper, to surpass the previous record margin of 35 points against the Raiders set in 1960 — the first year of the rivalry in the AFL.

The Chiefs finished plus-5 in turnovers. They gained 372 yards while surrendering 290, held Josh Jacobs to 24 yards rushing and sacked Derek Carr four times. They were 9 of 13 on third downs, averaged 6.5 yards per play and punted once.

In short, the defense continued its midseason surge while the offense finally showed up again.

"Listen, I'm proud of the way the guys are playing," said Andy Reid, who became the third Chiefs coach to win 100 games for the organization. "It doesn't matter if you're up or down; you have to keep going. Consistency becomes important."

Especially given what's at stake against the Chargers on Thursday night.

Mahomes showed signs of coming out of his midseason funk, throwing his first two TD passes since mid-November. He was 20 of 24 for 258 yards against Las Vegas while scrambling for another 20 in a confidence-boosting performance.

The offensive line has been excellent all season, but it struggled at certain points on Sunday. Mahomes was sacked three times and fill-in right tackle Andrew Wylie continues to get beaten. He's been starting in place of Mike Remmers, who is on injured reserve, and Lucas Niang, who has been dealing with a rib injury.

Defensive back Hughes caused two fumbles and returned one for a touchdown while leading the Chiefs with nine tackles. He got considerably more playing time because starting cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, whose brother was killed over the weekend, remained with his family in his native Louisiana.

Demarcus Robinson continues to slide down the wide receiver pecking list in Kansas City. He didn't have a single target while Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Mecole Hardman all caught passes. So did Josh Gordon, who scored his first touchdown since he was catching passes from Tom Brady in New England a couple years ago.

3 — The Chiefs have held three consecutive opponents to nine points apiece. That ties the second-longest streak of holding teams to fewer than 10 in a single season; the record is five games set in 1968. The Chiefs also have held six straight teams to 17 points or fewer, the longest active streak in the NFL.

Defensive back Rashad Fenton was active after missing time with a knee injury, though the Chiefs elected to hold him out in advance of their crucial game against Los Angeles. Otherwise, they are about as healthy as they've been all season.

The Chiefs lost to the Chargers earlier this season, so losing the return game Thursday night not only leave the two teams tied atop the AFC West but also give Los Angeles the tiebreaker with three games remaining.

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. — Folks around the NFL have been wondering the past few weeks what the Kansas City Chiefs would look like if they could marry their suddenly stingy defense with their traditionally prolific offense.The Raiders had the misfortune of finding out Sunday.The Chiefs' defense forced five turnovers, their offense turned them into 28 points, and Patrick Mahomes and Co. cruised the rest of the way to a 48-9 victory — the largest margin in 126 games against their old AFL rivals.It kept the Chiefs (9-4) one game ahead of the Chargers (8-5) heading into their Thursday night showdown in Los Angeles."We're playing a good football team this next week that we've already played once this season," said Mahomes, who threw two touchdown passes against Las Vegas. "We have familiarity with them. We still have to go out and do it. The defense is playing good football right now. Offensively, we're proving we can drive the length of the field."They did that with aplomb on Sunday.The Chiefs already led 7-0 thanks to Mike Hughes' fumble return touchdown on the game's first play when Mahomes led them on an 80-yard touchdown march. He followed with another 80-yard TD drive a few minutes later, then needed to go just 39 yards for a third touchdown in three series, and a 28-0 lead.Kansas City added another touchdown before halftime, along with a couple field goals by Harrison Butker and Frank Gore's 51-yard touchdown scamper, to surpass the previous record margin of 35 points against the Raiders set in 1960 — the first year of the rivalry in the AFL.The Chiefs finished plus-5 in turnovers. They gained 372 yards while surrendering 290, held Josh Jacobs to 24 yards rushing and sacked Derek Carr four times. They were 9 of 13 on third downs, averaged 6.5 yards per play and punted once.In short, the defense continued its midseason surge while the offense finally showed up again."Listen, I'm proud of the way the guys are playing," said Andy Reid, who became the third Chiefs coach to win 100 games for the organization. "It doesn't matter if you're up or down; you have to keep going. Consistency becomes important."Especially given what's at stake against the Chargers on Thursday night.WHAT'S WORKINGMahomes showed signs of coming out of his midseason funk, throwing his first two TD passes since mid-November. He was 20 of 24 for 258 yards against Las Vegas while scrambling for another 20 in a confidence-boosting performance.WHAT NEEDS HELPThe offensive line has been excellent all season, but it struggled at certain points on Sunday. Mahomes was sacked three times and fill-in right tackle Andrew Wylie continues to get beaten. He's been starting in place of Mike Remmers, who is on injured reserve, and Lucas Niang, who has been dealing with a rib injury.STOCK UPDefensive back Hughes caused two fumbles and returned one for a touchdown while leading the Chiefs with nine tackles. He got considerably more playing time because starting cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, whose brother was killed over the weekend, remained with his family in his native Louisiana.STOCK DOWNDemarcus Robinson continues to slide down the wide receiver pecking list in Kansas City. He didn't have a single target while Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Mecole Hardman all caught passes. So did Josh Gordon, who scored his first touchdown since he was catching passes from Tom Brady in New England a couple years ago.KEY NUMBER3 — The Chiefs have held three consecutive opponents to nine points apiece. That ties the second-longest streak of holding teams to fewer than 10 in a single season; the record is five games set in 1968. The Chiefs also have held six straight teams to 17 points or fewer, the longest active streak in the NFL.INJURY REPORTDefensive back Rashad Fenton was active after missing time with a knee injury, though the Chiefs elected to hold him out in advance of their crucial game against Los Angeles. Otherwise, they are about as healthy as they've been all season.NEXT STEPSThe Chiefs lost to the Chargers earlier this season, so losing the return game Thursday night not only leave the two teams tied atop the AFC West but also give Los Angeles the tiebreaker with three games remaining.

Offense, defense come together as Chiefs roll toward LA

<a href="https://www.ryanmortuary.com/obituary/Dominga-Nava">Obituary for Dominga Nava | Ryan Mortuary</a>

January 27, 1947 ~ December 8, 2021 (age 74)

Dominga Nava, Salina, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021. She was born on January 27, 1947 in Salado, TX to Eleno Lopez and Eufemia Zamarripa-Ortega. 

Dominga worked for IBP in Holcomb for 27 years. She spent most of her life in Garden City. She retired in 2008 and moved to Salina to be closer to her children. 

She enjoyed reading and listening to music; she loved to go dancing and to the casino. She loved making homemade tortillas for the family. She never missed an episode of “Family Feud” (Steve Harvey). She was always the life of the party and loved to be surrounded by her family.

She is survived by her daughters Sophia Otero Russell (Stormy), Wichita, Melissa Calderon (Jesus), Isabel Nava, Vanessa Nava and Cassandra Nava, all of Salina. She has 15 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren; four sisters; Yolanda Corral, Holcomb, Juanita Venturi, Rochester, MN, Carmen Tarin, Deming, NM, Diana Ortega, Garden City and one brother, Jose Ortega, Greeley, CO.

She is preceded in death by her parents, sisters Manuela Andrada, Bernadine Porras, Durelia Camilo and Gloria Rosas and one brother, Roberto Ortega.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral, Salina. Vigil services will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening, Dec. 14, 2021 also at the Sacred Heart Cathedral. Burial will be in the All Saints Catholic Cemetery, Salina, KS.&nbsp;

To&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ryanmortuary.com/obituary/Dominga-Nava/sympathy">send flowers</a>&nbsp;to the family or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ryanmortuary.com/obituary/Dominga-Nava/1074854/memorial-tree">plant a tree</a>&nbsp;in memory of Dominga, please&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ryanmortuary.com/obituary/Dominga-Nava/sympathy">visit our floral store.</a>

<h2>Dominga Nava, Salina</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639351348291.jpeg" alt="Dominga Nava" />
 <figcaption>Dominga Nava</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.ryanmortuary.com/obituary/Dominga-Nava">Obituary for Dominga Nava | Ryan Mortuary</a>January 27, 1947 ~ December 8, 2021 (age 74)Dominga Nava, Salina, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021. She was born on January 27, 1947 in Salado, TX to Eleno Lopez and Eufemia Zamarripa-Ortega. Dominga worked for IBP in Holcomb for 27 years. She spent most of her life in Garden City. She retired in 2008 and moved to Salina to be closer to her children. She enjoyed reading and listening to music; she loved to go dancing and to the casino. She loved making homemade tortillas for the family. She never missed an episode of “Family Feud” (Steve Harvey). She was always the life of the party and loved to be surrounded by her family.She is survived by her daughters Sophia Otero Russell (Stormy), Wichita, Melissa Calderon (Jesus), Isabel Nava, Vanessa Nava and Cassandra Nava, all of Salina. She has 15 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren; four sisters; Yolanda Corral, Holcomb, Juanita Venturi, Rochester, MN, Carmen Tarin, Deming, NM, Diana Ortega, Garden City and one brother, Jose Ortega, Greeley, CO.She is preceded in death by her parents, sisters Manuela Andrada, Bernadine Porras, Durelia Camilo and Gloria Rosas and one brother, Roberto Ortega.A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral, Salina. Vigil services will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening, Dec. 14, 2021 also at the Sacred Heart Cathedral. Burial will be in the All Saints Catholic Cemetery, Salina, KS.&nbsp;To&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ryanmortuary.com/obituary/Dominga-Nava/sympathy">send flowers</a>&nbsp;to the family or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ryanmortuary.com/obituary/Dominga-Nava/1074854/memorial-tree">plant a tree</a>&nbsp;in memory of Dominga, please&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ryanmortuary.com/obituary/Dominga-Nava/sympathy">visit our floral store.</a>

Dominga Nava

By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2021-12-09/house-hunting-in-kansas-heres-why-the-middle-class-has-it-especially-hard">Kansas News Service</a>

The first comprehensive look at <a href="https://kshousingcorp.org/kansas-statewide-housing-needs-assessment-2021/" target="_blank">housing needs</a>
 in Kansas in nearly three decades confirmed the obvious — the state 
needs more — and pinpointed a particular shortage of options for middle 
class families.

Much of the state’s housing stock has been aimed 
where the money is — high-priced single-family homes or 
taxpayer-subsidized affordable housing.

Ryan Vincent, executive director of the <a href="https://kshousingcorp.org/" target="_blank">Kansas Housing Resources Corporation</a>, said that leaves a huge chunk of the population in the middle without many options for making Kansas home.

“That’s
 our teachers. It’s our police officers. It’s our nurses and the people 
that our society depends on to function,” Vincent said. “That moderate 
income housing band is absolutely essential for virtually every 
community, rural and urban alike.”

The report from the state and 
the Kansas Housing Resources Corp. surveyed more than 4,000 Kansans 
earlier this year and analyzed data from the U.S. Census to paint a 
picture of the state’s most pressing housing challenges and potential 
solutions.

Vincent said the state’s lack of middle income housing 
has been a consistent theme he’s heard from Kansans at the assessment’s 
listening sessions, which continued this month with stops in Hays and 
nine other cities statewide.

Especially with this year’s rise in 
the price of construction materials, the cost to build a small- to 
medium-sized house in rural Kansas often exceeds the finished home’s 
value upon appraisal.

“We’re hearing from communities from Salina 
to Iola to Norton that there’s employers wanting to come in and bring in
 good-paying jobs,” he said. “But the housing, the homes are what's 
holding us back.”

And the state’s housing shortage doesn’t just have economic development implications.

Vincent
 points out that housing stability is also a key factor in shaping the 
health and education outcomes for Kansas families. He said that’s felt 
across the state.

“If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s 
that we’re all interdependent and interconnected,” he said. “We all 
benefit when we have enough healthy, affordable, accessible homes across
 our state in every region.”

So what will it take to meet this critical need across Kansas?

The report points to several potential solutions.

Another solution that could 
address Kansas' housing shortfall would be to expand funding for a 
program that has already seen success.

The state’s <a href="https://kshousingcorp.org/moderate-income-housing/" target="_blank">moderate-income housing grant</a>
 program has helped some rural towns take on new housing projects over 
the past nine years. For example, Dodge City has used those state tax 
dollars to fund a <a href="https://dc3.edu/2020/07/dc3-and-chad-host-open-house-for-building-project/?fbclid=IwAR2iZJCFLXoJ4IGaD1SEwDilh0tMarm3Fp6OA3FQtcSL2EfiZahpBiWigHw" target="_blank">partnership</a> with the local community college where students build moderately priced duplexes as part of their construction training.

But
 the state funding for that program — currently $2 million a year — 
doesn’t come close to meeting the demand, so many communities that apply
 for the grant get turned away. 

And the program is currently only
 available to places with less than 60,000 residents, so opening it up 
to larger cities could boost middle-income housing development in places
 like Wichita and Topeka.

State Treasurer Lynn Rogers, who 
attended the Hays listening session, said that the data in the report — 
illustrating Kansas’ widespread housing problems and the potential 
impact of real solutions — could finally help build the political 
capital needed to spur momentum in the Legislature.

“We’ve got the
 stats to help them understand that it’s a statewide issue,” Rogers 
said. “It’s not a partisan issue. It's a community survival, community 
growth issue.”

The full report and its recommendations will be released within a few weeks.

David Condos covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/davidcondos" target="_blank">@davidcondos</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639060377974.png" alt="A for sale sign sits in front of a home in Hays. Especially in rural areas, a lack of moderately priced homes and an aging housing stock have strained the market. David Condos / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>A for sale sign sits in front of a home in Hays. Especially in rural areas, a lack of moderately priced homes and an aging housing stock have strained the market. David Condos / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2021-12-09/house-hunting-in-kansas-heres-why-the-middle-class-has-it-especially-hard">Kansas News Service</a>The first comprehensive look at <a href="https://kshousingcorp.org/kansas-statewide-housing-needs-assessment-2021/" target="_blank">housing needs</a>
 in Kansas in nearly three decades confirmed the obvious — the state 
needs more — and pinpointed a particular shortage of options for middle 
class families.Much of the state’s housing stock has been aimed 
where the money is — high-priced single-family homes or 
taxpayer-subsidized affordable housing.Ryan Vincent, executive director of the <a href="https://kshousingcorp.org/" target="_blank">Kansas Housing Resources Corporation</a>, said that leaves a huge chunk of the population in the middle without many options for making Kansas home.“That’s
 our teachers. It’s our police officers. It’s our nurses and the people 
that our society depends on to function,” Vincent said. “That moderate 
income housing band is absolutely essential for virtually every 
community, rural and urban alike.”The report from the state and 
the Kansas Housing Resources Corp. surveyed more than 4,000 Kansans 
earlier this year and analyzed data from the U.S. Census to paint a 
picture of the state’s most pressing housing challenges and potential 
solutions.Vincent said the state’s lack of middle income housing 
has been a consistent theme he’s heard from Kansans at the assessment’s 
listening sessions, which continued this month with stops in Hays and 
nine other cities statewide.Especially with this year’s rise in 
the price of construction materials, the cost to build a small- to 
medium-sized house in rural Kansas often exceeds the finished home’s 
value upon appraisal.“We’re hearing from communities from Salina 
to Iola to Norton that there’s employers wanting to come in and bring in
 good-paying jobs,” he said. “But the housing, the homes are what's 
holding us back.”And the state’s housing shortage doesn’t just have economic development implications.Vincent
 points out that housing stability is also a key factor in shaping the 
health and education outcomes for Kansas families. He said that’s felt 
across the state.“If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s 
that we’re all interdependent and interconnected,” he said. “We all 
benefit when we have enough healthy, affordable, accessible homes across
 our state in every region.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639060451740.png" alt="At the assessment's listening session in Hays, consultant Amy Haase presents the study's findings and recommendations. David Condos" />
 <figcaption>At the assessment's listening session in Hays, consultant Amy Haase presents the study's findings and recommendations. David Condos</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>An issue of survival</h2>So what will it take to meet this critical need across Kansas?The report points to several potential solutions. <ul>
 <li>Building
 more housing for middle-class Kansans may mean taxpayer subsidies that 
can make the math work for development in areas where resale prices are 
low. That could include tax breaks for businesses that put money toward 
home construction in communities where workers live.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Fixing
 up the state’s aging housing stock. The report shows that most homes in
 Kansas were built before 1960. In rural parts of northwest and 
north-central Kansas, a majority of homes date back to the 1940s. Many 
have become dilapidated or sit vacant. So the report not only suggests 
more money for new construction. It also calls for more loans for 
refurbishing aging housing.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Diversifying from the 
detached single-family homes that dominate the state’s housing market, 
especially in rural areas. For instance, building smaller single-family 
homes, or more duplexes and condominiums to accommodate people at 
different stages of their lives. The report suggests more flexible 
zoning and streamlined construction permit processes.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>The
 report says the state needs more people capable of working in home 
construction. It suggests more funding for training at community 
colleges and high schools.</li>
 </ul>Another solution that could 
address Kansas' housing shortfall would be to expand funding for a 
program that has already seen success.The state’s <a href="https://kshousingcorp.org/moderate-income-housing/" target="_blank">moderate-income housing grant</a>
 program has helped some rural towns take on new housing projects over 
the past nine years. For example, Dodge City has used those state tax 
dollars to fund a <a href="https://dc3.edu/2020/07/dc3-and-chad-host-open-house-for-building-project/?fbclid=IwAR2iZJCFLXoJ4IGaD1SEwDilh0tMarm3Fp6OA3FQtcSL2EfiZahpBiWigHw" target="_blank">partnership</a> with the local community college where students build moderately priced duplexes as part of their construction training.But
 the state funding for that program — currently $2 million a year — 
doesn’t come close to meeting the demand, so many communities that apply
 for the grant get turned away. And the program is currently only
 available to places with less than 60,000 residents, so opening it up 
to larger cities could boost middle-income housing development in places
 like Wichita and Topeka.State Treasurer Lynn Rogers, who 
attended the Hays listening session, said that the data in the report — 
illustrating Kansas’ widespread housing problems and the potential 
impact of real solutions — could finally help build the political 
capital needed to spur momentum in the Legislature.“We’ve got the
 stats to help them understand that it’s a statewide issue,” Rogers 
said. “It’s not a partisan issue. It's a community survival, community 
growth issue.”The full report and its recommendations will be released within a few weeks.David Condos covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/davidcondos" target="_blank">@davidcondos</a>.

House hunting in Kan.? Why the middle class has it especially hard

Two local churches are sharing the true meaning of Christmas through an interactive program.

The education building at Trinity Lutheran Church, S. Ninth Street and Crawford Street, has been transformed into a small turn-of-the-first century town for The Streets of Bethlehem, a Christmas pageant in which guests walk through street where they will hear villagers talking about the bright star they saw the night before. According to information from the church, "there will be Roman soldiers, innkeepers, various store keepers, and town people. The various locations will attempt to show what the town of Bethlehem looked like at Jesus' birth."

Although the pageant began last weekend, you still have time to view it this weekend. The Streets of Bethlehem is scheduled for 1-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The pageant is open to the public at no charge. Tours start every 10-15 minutes. While those attending await their turn to walk the streets, they can listen to some great music. Refreshments will be available after the tour.

Members of Trinity Lutheran Church are joined by members of Salina's Christ the King Lutheran Church in the pageant. More than 40 cast members and an additional 90 volunteers put their time into sharing a unique perspective of the time of Christ's birth.

"Both churches welcome all to see, hear, and enjoy the experience of Bethlehem while pondering the miraculous birth of our God coming in the flesh," Trinity Lutheran Church noted in a news release.

The Christmas pageant originated with St. Peter Lutheran Church in Holyrood more than 20 years ago, according to information from Trinity Lutheran Church. After some time, the Holyrood church passed the pageant on to Redeemer Lutheran Church in Hutchinson, donating its props and sets to the Hutchinson church. Then, in 2017, Redeemer Lutheran Church asked Trinity Lutheran Church to produce the pageant on alternating years and Trinity members agree. Now members of Christ the King Lutheran Church join in the biennial effort to bring The Streets of Bethlehem to Salina.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639229939081.jpeg" alt="Some of the cast members from The Streets of Bethlehem. Photos courtesy Brenda Gutierrez" />
 <figcaption>Some of the cast members from The Streets of Bethlehem. Photos courtesy Brenda Gutierrez</figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTTwo local churches are sharing the true meaning of Christmas through an interactive program.The education building at Trinity Lutheran Church, S. Ninth Street and Crawford Street, has been transformed into a small turn-of-the-first century town for The Streets of Bethlehem, a Christmas pageant in which guests walk through street where they will hear villagers talking about the bright star they saw the night before. According to information from the church, "there will be Roman soldiers, innkeepers, various store keepers, and town people. The various locations will attempt to show what the town of Bethlehem looked like at Jesus' birth."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639230101057.jpeg" alt="The pageant includes more than 40 cast members." />
 <figcaption>The pageant includes more than 40 cast members.</figcaption>
 </figure>Although the pageant began last weekend, you still have time to view it this weekend. The Streets of Bethlehem is scheduled for 1-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The pageant is open to the public at no charge. Tours start every 10-15 minutes. While those attending await their turn to walk the streets, they can listen to some great music. Refreshments will be available after the tour.Members of Trinity Lutheran Church are joined by members of Salina's Christ the King Lutheran Church in the pageant. More than 40 cast members and an additional 90 volunteers put their time into sharing a unique perspective of the time of Christ's birth."Both churches welcome all to see, hear, and enjoy the experience of Bethlehem while pondering the miraculous birth of our God coming in the flesh," Trinity Lutheran Church noted in a news release.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639230211723.jpeg" alt="Townspeople share their stories as guests walk through." />
 <figcaption>Townspeople share their stories as guests walk through.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Christmas pageant originated with St. Peter Lutheran Church in Holyrood more than 20 years ago, according to information from Trinity Lutheran Church. After some time, the Holyrood church passed the pageant on to Redeemer Lutheran Church in Hutchinson, donating its props and sets to the Hutchinson church. Then, in 2017, Redeemer Lutheran Church asked Trinity Lutheran Church to produce the pageant on alternating years and Trinity members agree. Now members of Christ the King Lutheran Church join in the biennial effort to bring The Streets of Bethlehem to Salina.

You still have time to walk 'The Streets of Bethlehem' this weekend

By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/12/09/kansas-classroom-safety-panel-grows-increasingly-concerned-as-students-mental-health-issues-rise/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A rise in youth suicide rates, accompanied by increased 
reports of anxiety and depression among school-age children, has a 
Kansas panel focused on pandemic safety in the classroom concerned as 
the pandemic drags on.

Kelli Netson, a neuropsychologist, kicked off a panel discussion on 
pandemic-related mental health issues in Kansas by noting statistics 
that suggest upward of 50% of youths are reporting increased distress 
levels. This has manifested itself in anxiety and depression, so while 
they may not have a diagnosis, they are reporting much higher levels of 
stress than in years past.

While the holidays and winter break may provide an outlet for some to
 relieve stress, Netson said, for some going home can be just as 
difficult.

“I have concerns about what the next six weeks look like,” Netson 
said. “We as parents should be listening to what our kids are seeking, 
listening to what kids are experiencing, validating those experiences 
and then just letting your kids talk.”

The Safer Classrooms Workgroup’s discussion on Wednesday came after the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/07/science/pandemic-adolescents-depression-anxiety.html">nation’s top physician reported</a>
 young people are facing “devastating” mental health effects as a result
 of the pandemic. The 53-page report noted emergency room visits from 
youths suffering from mental health issues are on the rise.

Emergency room visits for suicide attempts increased by 51% for 
adolescent girls and 4% for boys in early 2021 compared with the same 
period in 2019.

Stephanie Kuhlmann, a panel member and pediatric hospitalist division
 director at Wesley Children’s Hospital, said the mental health issues 
extend to hospital staff treating these students and teachers working to
 educate them.

“The resurgence of COVID numbers in our rural communities, and even 
here in our higher-populated communities, which comes at the time of the
 holidays, continues to put a stress and burden on our already burnt-out
 workers,” Kuhlmann said.

In October, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy 
of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Children’s Hospital 
Association joined to declare “a national emergency” in youth mental 
health. One issue is an increase in deaths from overdoses because of 
self-medication.

Kimber Kasitz, director of health for Wichita Public Schools, also 
has been working with the School Mental Health Advisory Council, which 
is considering both ongoing and future issues that could arise.

“We’re really empowering the school districts to not just identify 
kids with these issues, but what happens after they go into an inpatient
 hospital setting for psychiatric treatment,” Kasitz said. “What does 
that process look like while still maintaining confidentiality for that 
child, while also communicating with the parents and the hospital, the 
clinic, whoever, so that we can develop a safety plan.”

The frequently changing dynamics of the pandemic has led to increased
 stressors for youths and teachers, said Kansas education commissioner 
Randy Watson. Currently there are 49 active outbreaks in schools across 
the state, down from 53 last week.

Watson acknowledged the uncertainty ahead. Wednesday’s meeting of the safer classrooms panel is the last one scheduled.

“We’re in a constant churn of kids being quarantined or being taken 
out because of viral load,” Watson said. “And a teacher every day 
doesn’t know what they are going to have to plan for. Sometimes when 
you’re in the daily fight, as all of us are, you lose sight of where 
we’ve been since (the beginning of the pandemic) and the different ways 
in which we’ve all had to respond to this crisis.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639077370810.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/12/09/kansas-classroom-safety-panel-grows-increasingly-concerned-as-students-mental-health-issues-rise/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A rise in youth suicide rates, accompanied by increased 
reports of anxiety and depression among school-age children, has a 
Kansas panel focused on pandemic safety in the classroom concerned as 
the pandemic drags on.Kelli Netson, a neuropsychologist, kicked off a panel discussion on 
pandemic-related mental health issues in Kansas by noting statistics 
that suggest upward of 50% of youths are reporting increased distress 
levels. This has manifested itself in anxiety and depression, so while 
they may not have a diagnosis, they are reporting much higher levels of 
stress than in years past.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639077434541.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>While the holidays and winter break may provide an outlet for some to
 relieve stress, Netson said, for some going home can be just as 
difficult.“I have concerns about what the next six weeks look like,” Netson 
said. “We as parents should be listening to what our kids are seeking, 
listening to what kids are experiencing, validating those experiences 
and then just letting your kids talk.”The Safer Classrooms Workgroup’s discussion on Wednesday came after the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/07/science/pandemic-adolescents-depression-anxiety.html">nation’s top physician reported</a>
 young people are facing “devastating” mental health effects as a result
 of the pandemic. The 53-page report noted emergency room visits from 
youths suffering from mental health issues are on the rise.Emergency room visits for suicide attempts increased by 51% for 
adolescent girls and 4% for boys in early 2021 compared with the same 
period in 2019.Stephanie Kuhlmann, a panel member and pediatric hospitalist division
 director at Wesley Children’s Hospital, said the mental health issues 
extend to hospital staff treating these students and teachers working to
 educate them.“The resurgence of COVID numbers in our rural communities, and even 
here in our higher-populated communities, which comes at the time of the
 holidays, continues to put a stress and burden on our already burnt-out
 workers,” Kuhlmann said.In October, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy 
of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Children’s Hospital 
Association joined to declare “a national emergency” in youth mental 
health. One issue is an increase in deaths from overdoses because of 
self-medication.Kimber Kasitz, director of health for Wichita Public Schools, also 
has been working with the School Mental Health Advisory Council, which 
is considering both ongoing and future issues that could arise.“We’re really empowering the school districts to not just identify 
kids with these issues, but what happens after they go into an inpatient
 hospital setting for psychiatric treatment,” Kasitz said. “What does 
that process look like while still maintaining confidentiality for that 
child, while also communicating with the parents and the hospital, the 
clinic, whoever, so that we can develop a safety plan.”The frequently changing dynamics of the pandemic has led to increased
 stressors for youths and teachers, said Kansas education commissioner 
Randy Watson. Currently there are 49 active outbreaks in schools across 
the state, down from 53 last week.Watson acknowledged the uncertainty ahead. Wednesday’s meeting of the safer classrooms panel is the last one scheduled.“We’re in a constant churn of kids being quarantined or being taken 
out because of viral load,” Watson said. “And a teacher every day 
doesn’t know what they are going to have to plan for. Sometimes when 
you’re in the daily fight, as all of us are, you lose sight of where 
we’ve been since (the beginning of the pandemic) and the different ways 
in which we’ve all had to respond to this crisis.”

Rise of student mental health issues the focus of Kan. school safety panel

I thought I was going to get control of my money and make a lot of other positive changes in my life this year, but very few of the things I wanted to accomplish happened. I started strong, and began with serious intentions, but somewhere along the way I lost focus. Can you give me some advice for making and sticking to my resolutions in 2022?

Lots of people make big promises with the best intentions on December 31st. It seems everyone comes up with a laundry list of New Year’s resolutions, but research&nbsp;shows&nbsp;very few people actually achieve their goals. If you’re ready — and I mean&nbsp;really&nbsp;ready — to reset your life and succeed with your New Year’s&nbsp;resolutions, here are a few simple, proven steps that’ll help.

First, write down your top goal.&nbsp;Pick the resolution that means the most to you&nbsp;and write it down. You’re more likely to succeed if you can focus on a single&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/personal-growth/types-of-goals" target="_blank">goal</a>, and you have&nbsp;a greater chance of achieving it&nbsp;if you write it down — on paper, on purpose. And make sure the resolution you choose is very important to you. Writing down a goal just because it’s what someone else is doing, or because it sounds like a good idea, isn’t good enough. If your goal isn’t&nbsp;yours, it won’t happen.

Second, set benchmarks. Let’s say you want to pay off your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/debt/debt-to-income-ratio-calculator" target="_blank">credit cards</a>&nbsp;before July. You need to make that goal measurable throughout the year by setting benchmarks. If you owe $5,000 on your credit cards and want to pay them off in six months, you need to pay about $833 towards them every month. Write your benchmark down beneath your goal, and make a plan for how you’re going to get it done.

Three, find an accountability partner.&nbsp;A great accountability partner isn’t afraid to ask how your goals are coming along, and they’ll call you on it when you’re slacking. If you set a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/retirement/investment-calculator" target="_blank">financial goal</a>, a good accountability partner isn’t going to be the friend who always asks you to go shopping. Studies have shown that having a strong accountability partner increases the likelihood of achieving a goal dramatically.

And finally, make sure you reward yourself along the way.&nbsp;It’s tough to stay motivated when hitting your goal takes a while. Lots of folks start out at full speed, only to see the momentum disappear over time. You might treat yourself to a night at the movies when you’ve paid off the first $1,000 on your credit cards, or maybe a nice, new shirt when you’ve paid off half the card.

Sometimes life doesn’t work out the way we think it will, Isaac. Our priorities can change, and our goals may change, too. If that’s why you didn’t make your resolutions happen this year, that’s fine. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s too late to change and improve your life!

<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a>&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596845065840.jpeg" alt="Dave Ramsey" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey</figcaption>
 </figure>Dear Dave,I thought I was going to get control of my money and make a lot of other positive changes in my life this year, but very few of the things I wanted to accomplish happened. I started strong, and began with serious intentions, but somewhere along the way I lost focus. Can you give me some advice for making and sticking to my resolutions in 2022?IsaacDear Isaac,Lots of people make big promises with the best intentions on December 31st. It seems everyone comes up with a laundry list of New Year’s resolutions, but research&nbsp;shows&nbsp;very few people actually achieve their goals. If you’re ready — and I mean&nbsp;really&nbsp;ready — to reset your life and succeed with your New Year’s&nbsp;resolutions, here are a few simple, proven steps that’ll help.First, write down your top goal.&nbsp;Pick the resolution that means the most to you&nbsp;and write it down. You’re more likely to succeed if you can focus on a single&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/personal-growth/types-of-goals" target="_blank">goal</a>, and you have&nbsp;a greater chance of achieving it&nbsp;if you write it down — on paper, on purpose. And make sure the resolution you choose is very important to you. Writing down a goal just because it’s what someone else is doing, or because it sounds like a good idea, isn’t good enough. If your goal isn’t&nbsp;yours, it won’t happen.Second, set benchmarks. Let’s say you want to pay off your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/debt/debt-to-income-ratio-calculator" target="_blank">credit cards</a>&nbsp;before July. You need to make that goal measurable throughout the year by setting benchmarks. If you owe $5,000 on your credit cards and want to pay them off in six months, you need to pay about $833 towards them every month. Write your benchmark down beneath your goal, and make a plan for how you’re going to get it done.Three, find an accountability partner.&nbsp;A great accountability partner isn’t afraid to ask how your goals are coming along, and they’ll call you on it when you’re slacking. If you set a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/retirement/investment-calculator" target="_blank">financial goal</a>, a good accountability partner isn’t going to be the friend who always asks you to go shopping. Studies have shown that having a strong accountability partner increases the likelihood of achieving a goal dramatically.And finally, make sure you reward yourself along the way.&nbsp;It’s tough to stay motivated when hitting your goal takes a while. Lots of folks start out at full speed, only to see the momentum disappear over time. You might treat yourself to a night at the movies when you’ve paid off the first $1,000 on your credit cards, or maybe a nice, new shirt when you’ve paid off half the card.Sometimes life doesn’t work out the way we think it will, Isaac. Our priorities can change, and our goals may change, too. If that’s why you didn’t make your resolutions happen this year, that’s fine. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s too late to change and improve your life!Dave<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a>&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

DAVE SAYS: Help your New Year’s resolutions stick

<a href="https://crick-christiansfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/994/Kathryn-Frantz/obituary.html#tribute-start">Obituary of Kathryn Marie Frantz | Christians Funeral Home located ... (crick-christiansfuneralhome.com)</a>

Kathryn M. Frantz, age 95, went home to be with the Lord on December 3, 2021. She was born in the New Gottland Township on June 16, 1926 to Emanuel and Verlie Emeline Keding. She grew up on a farm north of McPherson and later moved to Lindsborg.

Kathryn attended Lindsborg schools and graduated from Lindsborg Rural High School. 

She married Carl J. Frantz of Lindsborg in Durham, NC on April 5, 1944, right before he shipped out with the 35th Infantry Division for Europe. After the war Carl and Kathryn established their home in Lindsborg. 

In 1954 the family moved to McPherson where they lived until 1986 when they returned to Lindsborg. During the years they lived in McPherson, Kathryn worked at Raleigh’s Drug Store and McPherson &amp; Citizens State Bank which later became McPherson Bank and Trust and then Bank IV. Kathryn began her banking career as a teller and retired as an officer. She especially enjoyed her tenure as Status 55 Coordinator in which she managed the “club” for senior bank customers. In this position she organized events and trips all over North America. 

Kathryn is survived by her son Carl “Dan” Frantz of Redmond, WA; her daughters Judy Pilewski and husband Edward of Lindsborg, Shirley Miller and husband Bill of Salina, Peggy Weddle and husband Mark of Manhattan, KS, and Susan Achenbach and her husband Scott of Lindsborg. Kathryn is also survived by 19 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, her brother Willard Keding of Lindsborg, sister Clarice Hayes of Angier, NC, her beloved companion Warren Webster and numerous nieces and nephews. She was days/weeks away from meeting her first two great-great-grandchildren. 

Kathryn enjoyed singing in the Messiah Chorus for over 50 years, was a wonderful cook and loved attending concerts and programs in which her grandchildren and great-grandchildren participated. She was proud of her Swedish heritage and sang the praises of Lindsborg to any who would listen. She was thankful to be able to travel to Europe several times with visits to Sweden and Normandy especially meaningful. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, her stepfather George Keding, her husband Carl Frantz, her son Richard Frantz, her daughter-in-law Janet Frantz, sisters Vivian McCoy, Margaret Nelson, Ellen Box and brother Robert Keding.

The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to Kindred Hospice of McPherson and Bethany Village. 

The funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday, December 10, 2021 at Lindsborg Evangelical Covenant Church with Pastors Jeff Waugh and Darrell Cooper officiating. A private family burial at Smoky Hill Cemetery will precede the service. 

To view a live stream of the service, go to www.lindsborgcov.org or to the church’s Facebook page, Lindsborg Evangelical Covenant Church.  

Memorial contributions may be given to Smoky Hill Cemetery or Child Evangelism Fellowship in care of Crick-Christians Funeral Home, 103 N. Washington, Lindsborg, KS 67456.

<h2>Kathryn M. Frantz</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638920388170.jpeg" alt="Kathryn M. Frantz" />
 <figcaption>Kathryn M. Frantz</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://crick-christiansfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/994/Kathryn-Frantz/obituary.html#tribute-start">Obituary of Kathryn Marie Frantz | Christians Funeral Home located ... (crick-christiansfuneralhome.com)</a>June 16, 1926 - December 3, 2021Kathryn M. Frantz, age 95, went home to be with the Lord on December 3, 2021. She was born in the New Gottland Township on June 16, 1926 to Emanuel and Verlie Emeline Keding. She grew up on a farm north of McPherson and later moved to Lindsborg.Kathryn attended Lindsborg schools and graduated from Lindsborg Rural High School. She married Carl J. Frantz of Lindsborg in Durham, NC on April 5, 1944, right before he shipped out with the 35th Infantry Division for Europe. After the war Carl and Kathryn established their home in Lindsborg. In 1954 the family moved to McPherson where they lived until 1986 when they returned to Lindsborg. During the years they lived in McPherson, Kathryn worked at Raleigh’s Drug Store and McPherson &amp; Citizens State Bank which later became McPherson Bank and Trust and then Bank IV. Kathryn began her banking career as a teller and retired as an officer. She especially enjoyed her tenure as Status 55 Coordinator in which she managed the “club” for senior bank customers. In this position she organized events and trips all over North America. Kathryn is survived by her son Carl “Dan” Frantz of Redmond, WA; her daughters Judy Pilewski and husband Edward of Lindsborg, Shirley Miller and husband Bill of Salina, Peggy Weddle and husband Mark of Manhattan, KS, and Susan Achenbach and her husband Scott of Lindsborg. Kathryn is also survived by 19 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, her brother Willard Keding of Lindsborg, sister Clarice Hayes of Angier, NC, her beloved companion Warren Webster and numerous nieces and nephews. She was days/weeks away from meeting her first two great-great-grandchildren. Kathryn enjoyed singing in the Messiah Chorus for over 50 years, was a wonderful cook and loved attending concerts and programs in which her grandchildren and great-grandchildren participated. She was proud of her Swedish heritage and sang the praises of Lindsborg to any who would listen. She was thankful to be able to travel to Europe several times with visits to Sweden and Normandy especially meaningful. She was preceded in death by her parents, her stepfather George Keding, her husband Carl Frantz, her son Richard Frantz, her daughter-in-law Janet Frantz, sisters Vivian McCoy, Margaret Nelson, Ellen Box and brother Robert Keding.The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to Kindred Hospice of McPherson and Bethany Village. The funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday, December 10, 2021 at Lindsborg Evangelical Covenant Church with Pastors Jeff Waugh and Darrell Cooper officiating. A private family burial at Smoky Hill Cemetery will precede the service. To view a live stream of the service, go to www.lindsborgcov.org or to the church’s Facebook page, Lindsborg Evangelical Covenant Church. Memorial contributions may be given to Smoky Hill Cemetery or Child Evangelism Fellowship in care of Crick-Christians Funeral Home, 103 N. Washington, Lindsborg, KS 67456.

Kathryn M. Frantz

Southeast of Saline basketball travels to Lindsborg Tuesday night to take on the Smoky Valley Vikings, and if you can't make it to the games, Salina Post and KINA have you covered!

Southeast of Saline basketball travels to Lindsborg Tuesday night to take on the Smoky Valley Vikings, and if you can't make it to the games, Salina Post and KINA have you covered!You can watch a livestream of both the girls and boys varsity games right here on Salina Post. Just click the link below. The girls game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, with the boys game following at approximately 7:30 p.m.You also can listen to the games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM).As usual, Devin Hanney will have the call for both the livestream and the broadcast.Click below to watch the games live.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9IcocAGGmac"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Watch live as Southeast of Saline takes on Smoky Valley tonight!

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-united-states-mississippi-65751e1b9ca7d34f1458ffe9729f82b2">heard arguments</a>&nbsp;in which it was asked to overturn a nationwide right to abortion that has existed for nearly 50 years.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2021/19-1392">Click here to</a> listen to the replay of the oral arguments.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638369620989.png" alt="Protesters outside the Supreme Court during Wednesday' oral arguments. Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Protesters outside the Supreme Court during Wednesday' oral arguments. Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-united-states-mississippi-65751e1b9ca7d34f1458ffe9729f82b2">heard arguments</a>&nbsp;in which it was asked to overturn a nationwide right to abortion that has existed for nearly 50 years.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2021/19-1392">Click here to</a> listen to the replay of the oral arguments.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2021/19-1392_gfbi.pdf">Click here to read</a> the transcript of the arguments.The fate of the court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion throughout the United States and its 1992 ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which reaffirmed Roe, probably won’t be known until late June.But during nearly two hours of arguments on Wednesday, conservative justices indicated they had questions about the court’s current abortion framework. The justices were being asked to overrule the two seminal decisions in the context of a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks. The court’s Roe and Casey precedents say a state can regulate but not ban abortion before the point of viability, at about 24 weeks. All six conservative justices, including three appointed by former President Donald Trump, indicated they would uphold Mississippi’s law.In their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-voting-rights-john-roberts-32d2ff1e016c8f72012c49a4ed2bf2e1">writings and statements</a>&nbsp;before Wednesday, Justice Clarence Thomas had been the only justice to call openly for overruling Roe and Casey.Here are some of the things the justices said during arguments:CONSERVATIVES:Chief Justice John Roberts called a 15-week ban “not a dramatic departure from viability.” He said: “If you think ... that women should have a choice to terminate their pregnancy, that supposes that there is a point at which they’ve had the fair choice, opportunity to choice, and why would 15 weeks be an inappropriate line? Because viability, it seems to me, doesn’t have anything to do with choice. But, if it really is an issue about choice, why is 15 weeks not enough time?”Justice Clarence Thomas suggested the right to abortion appears nowhere in the Constitution: “If we were talking about the Second Amendment, I know exactly what we’re talking about. If we’re talking about the Fourth Amendment, I know what we’re talking about because it’s written. It’s there. What specifically is the right here that we’re talking about?”Justice Samuel Alito said people on both sides of the abortion issue have said the court’s viability line “really doesn’t make a lot of sense.” He suggested a woman still “has the same interest in terminating her pregnancy after the viability line has been crossed.” He added: “The fetus has an interest in having a life, and that doesn’t change, does it, from the point before viability to the point after viability?”Justice Neil Gorsuch asked what the court should do if it were to “reject the viability line.” “Do you see any other intelligible principle that the court could choose?” he asked the Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, who was arguing that Mississippi’s ban should be struck down.Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested overruling precedent has been an important part of the court’s history: “If you think about some of the most important cases, the most consequential cases in this court’s history, there’s a string of them where the cases overruled precedent.” Kavanaugh cited cases that extended rights beyond where they were previously, including those that outlawed segregation and said gay couples have a right to marry. “If we think that the prior precedents are seriously wrong, if that, why then doesn’t the history of this court’s practice with respect to those cases tell us that the right answer is actually a return to the position of neutrality and — and not stick with those precedents in the same way that all those other cases didn’t?”Justice Amy Coney Barrett suggested that so-called safe haven laws in all 50 states that allow mothers to relinquish parental rights mean women can’t be forced into motherhood. She asked about states “requiring the woman to go 15, 16 weeks more” past the point of viability “and then terminate parental rights at the conclusion.” ”Why didn’t you address the safe haven laws and why don’t they matter?” she asked a lawyer arguing against Mississippi’s ban.LIBERALS:Justice Stephen Breyer said that where the court is overturning a watershed case like Roe it “better be damn sure” before doing so. He quoted the Casey case about the dangers of overruling precedent, saying: “To overrule under fire in the absence of the most compelling reason, to reexamine a watershed decision, would subvert the court’s legitimacy beyond any serious question.”Justice Sonia Sotomayor said reversing Roe and Casey would damage the court. She asked: “Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts?”Justice Elena Kagan said of the current case: “I guess what strikes me when I look at this case is that, you know, not much has changed since Roe and Casey, that people think it’s right or wrong based on the things that they have always thought it was right and wrong for.” Since Roe, however, there’s been “50 years of water under the bridge, 50 years of decisions saying that this is part of our law, that this is part of the fabric of women’s existence in this country.”