Did you enjoy doing something as a kid, but wrote it off as silly? Were you discouraged from pursuing something you really enjoyed when you were younger? As a result, you might feel unsatisfied and frustrated with your direction in life.

Meaningful, fulfilling work happens when you use your talent (what you do best), to perform your passion (what you love to do most), to achieve your mission (results that matter deeply to you). The more you understand yourself and what’s important to you, the more clarity you’ll have in your career—and the closer you’ll be to finding work you’re excited about.

Here are some questions to help you dig down and get specific:

What kind of work comes easily to me?&nbsp;

Maybe it’s caring for your pets, or organizing your house. Maybe it’s fixing cars, or keeping a garden alive and thriving. Whatever it is, don’t judge the skill or underestimate its potential. You might think a particular skill isn’t a big deal, but you probably haven’t thought about all the ways that skill could transfer to the workplace.

What were my best subjects or activities in school?

Were you a piano prodigy? A great speller? Were you on the quiet side, but always ready to listen? All these are clues that can point you toward your natural talents.

Have you noticed any patterns in the comments or compliments you get from others? These could be simple or detailed, deep or surface level. I’m not talking about grandma saying you should be a model, or your dad saying you could be president one day. All that has value, but you should really pay attention to compliments from people who don’t already think you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread.

What are my strongest personality traits?

Don’t be humble with this question! Sometimes you have to give yourself a pat on the back, and be confident in the strengths you&nbsp;know&nbsp;you have.

Which skill set do I gravitate toward?

Are you better with people, manual labor, or data? Skill sets tend to fall into these three areas. Although, there&nbsp;are&nbsp;other areas, and it’s possible to be good at more than one.

Some people would rather talk to customers on the phone than make a spreadsheet. For others, picking up the phone is their worst nightmare. Some people like to make or fix things, while others are happiest crunching numbers at their desk. Take time to think about which of these categories, if any, resonates with you.

What’s usually my role when I’m part of a team project?&nbsp;

Group projects can tell you a lot about your strengths, and the kinds of roles you naturally fall into. Take stock of the last few team projects you’ve been part of, and see if a pattern starts to emerge.

What kind of training or experience do I already have?&nbsp;

Even if you don’t have a degree in a particular subject or haven’t had a certain kind of job, it doesn’t mean you don’t have experience in that area. Classes, certifications, trainings, internships, freelance work, or just doing something because you enjoy it counts as experience.

Maybe you’ve never had an education or paid work in event planning, but you’ve hosted plenty of dinners, been the best man or maid of honor for a couple of friends, or planned five years’ worth of birthday parties for your kids. That sounds like event planning experience to me! You could take a few courses in event planning, and start building a portfolio from there.

Once you open up, dig deeper, and get to know yourself a little better, some of those career ideas you’ve had floating around in your head might not seem so farfetched after all!

Ken Coleman&nbsp;is the nationally syndicated radio host of The Ken Coleman&nbsp;Show&nbsp;and a No. 1 national best-selling author. He has been featured in Forbes, appeared on Fox News, Fox Business Network, and the Rachel Ray Show. Since 2014, he has served at Ramsey Solutions, where he offers expert advice to help thousands of people every day discover what they were meant to do and how to land their dream job. Follow Ken on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/kencoleman" target="_blank">Twitter</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/kencoleman/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KenColemanShow/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/KenColemanShow/featured" target="_blank">YouTube</a>&nbsp;or at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kencoleman.com/" target="_blank">kencoleman.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598543766283.jpeg" alt="Ken Coleman" />
 <figcaption>Ken Coleman</figcaption>
 </figure>By KEN COLEMANDid you enjoy doing something as a kid, but wrote it off as silly? Were you discouraged from pursuing something you really enjoyed when you were younger? As a result, you might feel unsatisfied and frustrated with your direction in life.Meaningful, fulfilling work happens when you use your talent (what you do best), to perform your passion (what you love to do most), to achieve your mission (results that matter deeply to you). The more you understand yourself and what’s important to you, the more clarity you’ll have in your career—and the closer you’ll be to finding work you’re excited about.Here are some questions to help you dig down and get specific:What kind of work comes easily to me?&nbsp;Maybe it’s caring for your pets, or organizing your house. Maybe it’s fixing cars, or keeping a garden alive and thriving. Whatever it is, don’t judge the skill or underestimate its potential. You might think a particular skill isn’t a big deal, but you probably haven’t thought about all the ways that skill could transfer to the workplace.What were my best subjects or activities in school?Were you a piano prodigy? A great speller? Were you on the quiet side, but always ready to listen? All these are clues that can point you toward your natural talents.What do people compliment me on?Have you noticed any patterns in the comments or compliments you get from others? These could be simple or detailed, deep or surface level. I’m not talking about grandma saying you should be a model, or your dad saying you could be president one day. All that has value, but you should really pay attention to compliments from people who don’t already think you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread.What are my strongest personality traits?Don’t be humble with this question! Sometimes you have to give yourself a pat on the back, and be confident in the strengths you&nbsp;know&nbsp;you have.Which skill set do I gravitate toward?Are you better with people, manual labor, or data? Skill sets tend to fall into these three areas. Although, there&nbsp;are&nbsp;other areas, and it’s possible to be good at more than one.Some people would rather talk to customers on the phone than make a spreadsheet. For others, picking up the phone is their worst nightmare. Some people like to make or fix things, while others are happiest crunching numbers at their desk. Take time to think about which of these categories, if any, resonates with you.What’s usually my role when I’m part of a team project?&nbsp;Group projects can tell you a lot about your strengths, and the kinds of roles you naturally fall into. Take stock of the last few team projects you’ve been part of, and see if a pattern starts to emerge.What kind of training or experience do I already have?&nbsp;Even if you don’t have a degree in a particular subject or haven’t had a certain kind of job, it doesn’t mean you don’t have experience in that area. Classes, certifications, trainings, internships, freelance work, or just doing something because you enjoy it counts as experience.Maybe you’ve never had an education or paid work in event planning, but you’ve hosted plenty of dinners, been the best man or maid of honor for a couple of friends, or planned five years’ worth of birthday parties for your kids. That sounds like event planning experience to me! You could take a few courses in event planning, and start building a portfolio from there.Once you open up, dig deeper, and get to know yourself a little better, some of those career ideas you’ve had floating around in your head might not seem so farfetched after all!Ken Coleman&nbsp;is the nationally syndicated radio host of The Ken Coleman&nbsp;Show&nbsp;and a No. 1 national best-selling author. He has been featured in Forbes, appeared on Fox News, Fox Business Network, and the Rachel Ray Show. Since 2014, he has served at Ramsey Solutions, where he offers expert advice to help thousands of people every day discover what they were meant to do and how to land their dream job. Follow Ken on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/kencoleman" target="_blank">Twitter</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/kencoleman/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KenColemanShow/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/KenColemanShow/featured" target="_blank">YouTube</a>&nbsp;or at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kencoleman.com/" target="_blank">kencoleman.com</a>.

COLEMAN: Know your strengths and find what you do well

When Abby Metcalf recently won a contest among Eagle Radio employees in Salina, there was no mistaking where she wanted the $1,000 prize to go: the American Red Cross.

On Monday, Metcalf, a marketing consultant for Eagle Radio in Salina, presented the $1,000 check from the Robert E. and Patricia A. Schmidt Foundation to the American Red Cross during the annual PUMP Up The Volume Salina Community Blood Drive that is sponsored by Eagle Radio and its entities: 99KG, 94.5 Prime FM, KINA, and Salina Post.

With a critical shortage in the nation's blood supply, the blood drive is more important than ever. The PUMP Up The Volume Salina Community Blood Drive continues until 7 p.m. Tuesday and from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday at Sunrise Presbyterian Church, 825 E. Beloit Avenue.

Radio listeners are challenged to donate during the three-day drive and vote for their favorite participating radio station. The winning station receives bragging rights and a traveling trophy to display for a year.

Since 2010, the Pump Up the Volume Blood Drive has raised more than 4,125 donations, according to information from the American Red Cross. This year’s goal is 234 donations.

Healthy donors are asked to make an appointment to give at this year’s Pump Up the Volume Blood Drive by using the Blood Donor App, visiting <a href="http://RedCrossBlood.org">RedCrossBlood.org</a>, calling 1-800-733-2767 or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

All who donate through June 30 will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card by email. Restrictions apply and are available at <a href="http://RedCrossBlood.org/SummerFullOfLife">RedCrossBlood.org/SummerFullOfLife</a>.

According to the American Red Cross, a rise trauma cases, organ transplants and elective surgeries requiring blood products over recent months has depleted the nation’s blood inventory. The demand for blood from hospitals with trauma centers rose by 10 percent in 2021 compared to 2019. That's more than five times the growth of demand for blood at other facilities that provide transfusions.

Additionally, hospitals are responding to an atypically high number of traumas and emergency room visits, the American Red Cross noted. Twenty to 40 percent of trauma deaths that occur after hospital admission involve massive hemorrhaging. In these dire circumstances, doctors may need hundreds of blood products, depending on the severity of the trauma, to help save a life.

Patients who deferred care during the height of the pandemic also are straining blood supplies as many now have more advanced disease progression and require more transfusions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1625000301398.jpeg" alt="Eagle Radio's Abby Metcalf, left, presents the $1,000 check to Teri Novotny of the American Red Cross during the PUMP Up The Volume Salina Community Blood Drive on Monday. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Eagle Radio's Abby Metcalf, left, presents the $1,000 check to Teri Novotny of the American Red Cross during the PUMP Up The Volume Salina Community Blood Drive on Monday. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTWhen Abby Metcalf recently won a contest among Eagle Radio employees in Salina, there was no mistaking where she wanted the $1,000 prize to go: the American Red Cross.On Monday, Metcalf, a marketing consultant for Eagle Radio in Salina, presented the $1,000 check from the Robert E. and Patricia A. Schmidt Foundation to the American Red Cross during the annual PUMP Up The Volume Salina Community Blood Drive that is sponsored by Eagle Radio and its entities: 99KG, 94.5 Prime FM, KINA, and Salina Post.With a critical shortage in the nation's blood supply, the blood drive is more important than ever. The PUMP Up The Volume Salina Community Blood Drive continues until 7 p.m. Tuesday and from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday at Sunrise Presbyterian Church, 825 E. Beloit Avenue.Radio listeners are challenged to donate during the three-day drive and vote for their favorite participating radio station. The winning station receives bragging rights and a traveling trophy to display for a year.Since 2010, the Pump Up the Volume Blood Drive has raised more than 4,125 donations, according to information from the American Red Cross. This year’s goal is 234 donations.Healthy donors are asked to make an appointment to give at this year’s Pump Up the Volume Blood Drive by using the Blood Donor App, visiting <a href="http://RedCrossBlood.org">RedCrossBlood.org</a>, calling 1-800-733-2767 or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.All who donate through June 30 will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card by email. Restrictions apply and are available at <a href="http://RedCrossBlood.org/SummerFullOfLife">RedCrossBlood.org/SummerFullOfLife</a>.Why a blood shortage?According to the American Red Cross, a rise trauma cases, organ transplants and elective surgeries requiring blood products over recent months has depleted the nation’s blood inventory. The demand for blood from hospitals with trauma centers rose by 10 percent in 2021 compared to 2019. That's more than five times the growth of demand for blood at other facilities that provide transfusions.Additionally, hospitals are responding to an atypically high number of traumas and emergency room visits, the American Red Cross noted. Twenty to 40 percent of trauma deaths that occur after hospital admission involve massive hemorrhaging. In these dire circumstances, doctors may need hundreds of blood products, depending on the severity of the trauma, to help save a life.Patients who deferred care during the height of the pandemic also are straining blood supplies as many now have more advanced disease progression and require more transfusions.

Eagle Radio's Metcalf donates $1,000 to Red Cross at local blood drive

Don't forget: the annual PUMP Up The Volume Salina Community Blood Drive continues today.

The nation is in the midst of a severe blood shortage and the need for donations is more critical than ever.

You can help by donating blood today from noon to 7 p.m. and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sunrise Presbyterian Church, 825 E. Beloit Avenue. The blood drive is sponsored by Eagle Radio and its entities: 99 KG, 94.5 Prime FM, KINA, and Salina Post.

According to information from the American Red Cross, hospitals are responding to an atypically high number of traumas and emergency room visits. Twenty to 40 percent of trauma deaths that occur after hospital admission involve massive hemorrhaging. In these dire circumstances, doctors may need hundreds of blood products, depending on the severity of the trauma, to help save a life, the American Red Cross noted.

Don't forget: the annual PUMP Up The Volume Salina Community Blood Drive continues today.The nation is in the midst of a severe blood shortage and the need for donations is more critical than ever.You can help by donating blood today from noon to 7 p.m. and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sunrise Presbyterian Church, 825 E. Beloit Avenue. The blood drive is sponsored by Eagle Radio and its entities: 99 KG, 94.5 Prime FM, KINA, and Salina Post.Radio listeners are challenged to donate during the three-day drive and vote for their favorite participating radio station. The winning station receives bragging rights and a traveling trophy to display for a year.Since 2010, the Pump Up the Volume Blood Drive has raised more than 4,125 donations, according to information from the American Red Cross. This year’s goal is 234 donations.Healthy donors are asked to make an appointment to give at this year’s Pump Up the Volume Blood Drive by using the Blood Donor App, visiting <a href="http://RedCrossBlood.org">RedCrossBlood.org</a>, calling 1-800-733-2767 or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.All who donate through June 30 will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card by email. Restrictions apply and are available at <a href="http://RedCrossBlood.org/SummerFullOfLife">RedCrossBlood.org/SummerFullOfLife</a>.Why a blood shortage?According to the American Red Cross, a rise trauma cases, organ transplants and elective surgeries requiring blood products over recent months has depleted the nation’s blood inventory. The demand for blood from hospitals with trauma centers rose by 10 percent in 2021 compared to 2019. That's more than five times the growth of demand for blood at other facilities that provide transfusions.According to information from the American Red Cross, hospitals are responding to an atypically high number of traumas and emergency room visits. Twenty to 40 percent of trauma deaths that occur after hospital admission involve massive hemorrhaging. In these dire circumstances, doctors may need hundreds of blood products, depending on the severity of the trauma, to help save a life, the American Red Cross noted.Patients who deferred care during the height of the pandemic also are straining blood supplies as many now have more advanced disease progression and require more transfusions.

Nationwide blood shortage continues; you can help today!

The American Red Cross wants you to PUMP Up The Volume!

The annual PUMP Up The Volume Salina Community Blood Drive is scheduled for noon to 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday at Sunrise Presbyterian Church, 825 E. Beloit Avenue. The blood drive is sponsored by Eagle Radio and its entities: 99 KG, 94.5 Prime FM, KINA, and Salina Post.

Healthy donors are asked to make an appointment to give at this year’s Pump Up the Volume Blood Drive by using the Blood Donor App, visiting&nbsp;<a href="http://redcrossblood.org/">RedCrossBlood.org</a>, calling 1-800-733-2767 or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

All who donate through June 30 will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card by email. Restrictions apply and are available at&nbsp;<a href="http://redcrossblood.org/SummerFullOfLife">RedCrossBlood.org/SummerFullOfLife</a>.

According to the American Red Cross, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented challenges to blood donations and in the care and treatment of cancer patients. The Red Cross continues to feel the ongoing effects of COVID-19 as each month roughly 1,000 drives are canceled, impacting the collection of approximately 30,000 units of lifesaving blood.

Additionally, the American Cancer Society reported that many patient visits and procedures were forced to be delayed or canceled early in the pandemic to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19. According to the American Cancer Society, while cancer deaths dropped at the onset of the pandemic, those rates will likely increase in the months and years to come due to delays in diagnosis and treatment

This June, the American Red Cross and the American Cancer Society are teaming up to encourage people across the country to Give Blood to Give Time. Many cancer patients, especially those undergoing chemotherapy, will likely have a need for blood products. When donors give blood or platelets to the Red Cross, they’re helping cancer patients receive the care they need.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622771762163.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The American Red Cross wants you to PUMP Up The Volume!The annual PUMP Up The Volume Salina Community Blood Drive is scheduled for noon to 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday at Sunrise Presbyterian Church, 825 E. Beloit Avenue. The blood drive is sponsored by Eagle Radio and its entities: 99 KG, 94.5 Prime FM, KINA, and Salina Post.Radio listeners are challenged to donate during the three-day drive and vote for their favorite participating radio station. The winning station receives bragging rights and a traveling trophy to display for a year.Since 2010, the Pump Up the Volume Blood Drive has raised more than 4,125 donations, according to information from the American Red Cross. This year’s goal is 234 donations.Healthy donors are asked to make an appointment to give at this year’s Pump Up the Volume Blood Drive by using the Blood Donor App, visiting&nbsp;<a href="http://redcrossblood.org/">RedCrossBlood.org</a>, calling 1-800-733-2767 or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.All who donate through June 30 will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card by email. Restrictions apply and are available at&nbsp;<a href="http://redcrossblood.org/SummerFullOfLife">RedCrossBlood.org/SummerFullOfLife</a>.According to the American Red Cross, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented challenges to blood donations and in the care and treatment of cancer patients. The Red Cross continues to feel the ongoing effects of COVID-19 as each month roughly 1,000 drives are canceled, impacting the collection of approximately 30,000 units of lifesaving blood.Additionally, the American Cancer Society reported that many patient visits and procedures were forced to be delayed or canceled early in the pandemic to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19. According to the American Cancer Society, while cancer deaths dropped at the onset of the pandemic, those rates will likely increase in the months and years to come due to delays in diagnosis and treatmentThis June, the American Red Cross and the American Cancer Society are teaming up to encourage people across the country to Give Blood to Give Time. Many cancer patients, especially those undergoing chemotherapy, will likely have a need for blood products. When donors give blood or platelets to the Red Cross, they’re helping cancer patients receive the care they need.

PUMP Up The Volume blood drive begins today

SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — The death toll from the collapse of a Florida beachfront condo building has risen to nine as search-and-rescue efforts continue, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Sunday.

One person died in the hospital, and workers pulled four more bodies from the wreckage, the mayor said.

Scores of rescue workers remained on the massive pile of rubble, working to find survivors among the more than 150 people who remain unaccounted for. Four of the dead have been identified and next of kin notified, the mayor said.

Four days after Thursday’s collapse,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-education-religion-lifestyle-caa7f48c23277637b8a7ed921c1f162d">more than 150 people remain unaccounted for</a>&nbsp;in Surfside, and authorities and loved ones fear the toll will go much higher.

As rotating teams of rescuers used heavy machinery and power tools to clear the rubble from the top and tunnel in from below, the Noriega family hoped that their 92-year-old matriarch, Hilda Noriega, had somehow survived.

When Mike Noriega heard that part of the condominium tower where his grandmother lived had collapsed, he rushed with his father to the scene. They arrived at a nightmarish 30-foot pile of broken concrete and mangled metal, the remains of the 12-story building known as Champlain Towers South.

But among the flying debris, they stumbled across mementos that bore witness to Hilda’s life on the sixth floor: an old picture of her with her late husband and their infant son, and a birthday card that friends from her prayer group sent two weeks earlier with the acronym “ESM,” Spanish for “hand-delivered,” scrawled across the yellow envelope with a butterfly etching.

“There was a message in the mess of all this,” said Mike Noriega, who last spoke with his grandmother the day before the disaster. “It means not to give up hope. To have faith.”

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett sought to assure families Sunday that rescuers were working nonstop. “Nothing else on our mind, with the only objective of pulling their family members out of that rubble,” he told ABC’s “This Week.”

“We’re not going to stop doing that -- not today, not tomorrow, not the next day. We’re going to keep going until everybody’s out.”

The Noriega family described Hilda as a fiercely independent and vivacious retiree — in Mike’s words, “the youngest 92-year-old I know ... 92 going on 62.”

Hilda Noriega had called Champlain Towers South home for more than 20 years. But six years after her husband’s death, she was ready to leave. The condo was for sale, and she planned to move in with family.

She loved living near the ocean and friends, but “when you lose a spouse, you want to be surrounded by family ... and she wanted to spend more time with her family and grandchildren,” said Sally Noriega, Hilda’s daughter-in-law.

Hilda Noriega was a loving person who built a life with her husband and raised a family after coming to the U.S. from Cuba in 1960, her daughter-in-law said.

“She was just one of those people who from the first time she met a person she instantly loved that person, and that person instantly loved her,” Sally said.

Carlos Noriega, Hilda’s son and police chief of nearby North Bay Village, was one of the emergency responders atop the pile.

The Noriegas don’t entirely know what to make of the treasured mementos found amid the chaos, but Sally said: “We are a family of faith. We’ll just leave it at that.”

They are among dozens of anguished families awaiting word on the fate of loved ones. The wait has been agonizing.

The atmosphere inside a hotel ballroom where around 200 family members were being briefed by authorities Saturday was tense, two people present told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversations.

The two said families frustrated with the slow pace of recovery efforts had demanded they be allowed to go to the scene and attempt a collective shout — an attempt as much to find survivors as a cathartic farewell to those who had died.

The mayor said Saturday that the identification of three bodies had dropped the number of people unaccounted for down to 156, and crews also discovered other unspecified human remains. The remains are being sent to the medical examiner, and authorities are gathering DNA samples from family members to aid in identification.

A video posted online showed an official briefing families. When he said they had found remains among the rubble, people began sobbing.

Late Saturday, four of the victims were identified, as Stacie Dawn Fang, 54; Antonio Lozano, 83, and Gladys Lozano, 79; and Manuel LaFont, 54.

Burkett said a city official had led a cursory review of the nearby&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fl-state-wire-business-038431368e29b1d3c2729e11e7e536ab">Champlain Towers North and Champlain Towers East</a>&nbsp;buildings but “didn’t find anything out of the ordinary.”

The news came after word of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fl-state-wire-florida-2a241993956ea842262e593812ad3ada">2018 engineering report</a>&nbsp;that showed the building, which was built in 1981, had “major structural damage” to a concrete slab below its pool deck that needed extensive repairs, part of a series of documents released by the city of Surfside.

Further documentation showed the estimated cost of the repairs would total over $9 million. That included more than $3.8 million for garage, entrance and pool remediation and nearly $3.2 million for fixes to the exterior façade.

While officials said no cause for the collapse early Thursday has been determined, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said a “definitive answer” was needed in a timely manner.

SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — Rescue crews found another body in the rubble of a collapsed 12-story condominium tower near Miami on Saturday, raising the death toll to five as they raced to recover any survivors while fighting back fire and smoke deep inside the concrete and metal remains.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced the heightened toll at an evening news briefing, saying the identification of three bodies had dropped the number of unaccounted for down to 156. She said crews also discovered other unspecified human remains.

Officials said the remains they find are being sent to the medical examiner, and they are also gathering DNA samples from family members to help identify them.

Separately, a video posted online showed an official briefing families of missing loved ones. When he said they had found remains among the rubble, people began sobbing.

Throughout the day, rescue workers scoured the mountain of debris with trained dogs and sonar, searching for any survivors. “Our top priority continues to be search and rescue and saving any lives that we can,” the mayor said.

But crews had to fight flames in the debris during the day. At one point Saturday, a fire hose blasted one of the lower floors on the north side of the tower as white smoke or steam streamed out. A bitter, sulfur-like smell hung in the air.

“The stench is very thick,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

A crane removed pieces of debris from the more than 30-foot pile in the city of Surfside, and scores of rescuers used big machines, small buckets, drones, microphones and their own hands to pick through the rubble.

For many anxious for missing loved ones, the wait was agonizing. The atmosphere inside a hotel ballroom where around 200 family members were being briefed by authorities was tense, two people present told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversations.

Among those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-education-religion-lifestyle-caa7f48c23277637b8a7ed921c1f162d">awaiting word</a>&nbsp;of loved ones was Rachel Spiegel, whose mother, 66-year-old Judy Spiegel, lived on the sixth floor. Speaking beside her siblings, she said Saturday that “we’re trying to hold it together.”

“I know my mom is a fighter. I know she loves us. I know she doesn’t want to give up. So, you know, it’s day three, so it’s hard,” Spiegel said.

President Joe Biden said via Twitter that he had spoken with DeSantis on Friday to offer assistance as needed.

“My heart is with the community of Surfside as they grieve their lost loved ones and wait anxiously as search and rescue efforts continue,” Biden tweeted.

Authorities announced they were beginning an audit of buildings nearing their 40-year review — like the fallen Champlain Towers South — to make sure they’re safe. The mayor asked other cities in the county to join the building review and said there will be state and federal funding to help.

Federal Emergency Management Agency officials have joined local and state authorities at the site, DeSantis said. He added a nearby “sister building” of the collapsed tower is also being looked at because it was built at the same time and with the same designer.

Late Saturday, Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said that a city official had led a cursory review of the nearby Champlain Towers North and Champlain Towers East buildings.

“They didn’t find anything out of the ordinary,” he said.

He emphasized the priority now was on rescuing anyone still alive.

“What we’re doing now is we’re saving lives and we’re bringing people out of the rubble. What we’re going to do in the next phase, after we address support for the families, is we are going to do a very deep dive into why this building fell down,” Burkett said.

Burkett had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fl-state-wire-business-038431368e29b1d3c2729e11e7e536ab">said earlier he was working on a plan</a>&nbsp;to temporarily relocate residents of the Champlain Towers North, which was constructed the same year and sits about 100 yards away from the collapsed building, and that FEMA has agreed to pay for lodging.

The mayor said he didn’t plan to order residents to evacuate, but if he lived there, “I’d be gone.”

Surfside city staffers had also been gathering details about Champlain Towers East, which was built in a different style and apparently was built at a different time.

The news came after word of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fl-state-wire-florida-2a241993956ea842262e593812ad3ada">2018 engineering report that showed</a>&nbsp;the building had “major structural damage” to a concrete slab below its pool deck that needed extensive repairs, part of a series of documents released by the city of Surfside.

While officials said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fl-state-wire-florida-2a241993956ea842262e593812ad3ada">no cause for the collapse early Thursday has been determined</a>, DeSantis said a “definitive answer” was needed in a timely manner. Video showed the center of the building appearing to tumble down first, followed by a section nearer to the beach.

The 2018 report was part of preliminary work by the engineering company conducting the building’s required inspections for a recertification due this year of the building’s structural integrity at 40 years. The condominium tower was built in 1981.

A federal agency specializing in disaster losses and structure failures is sending a half dozen scientists and engineers to collect direct information at the site, for determining whether to pursue a more thorough study.

The first team members arrived Friday, said Jason Averill, an official at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. That agency also investigated the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11, and more recently, Hurricane Maria devastation in Puerto Rico, among other disasters.

Separately, the government of Israel said it was sending a team of engineering and rescue specialists to aid the search. Israeli media have reported that some 20 citizens of that country were believed among the missing.

Another 22 people unaccounted for were from Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay and Paraguay, including relatives of Paraguayan first lady Silvana de Abdo Benítez.

SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — Fire and smoke coming from deep inside the concrete and metal remains of a collapsed 12-story condominium tower near Miami hampered rescue efforts Saturday as emergency workers raced to recover any survivors beneath the mountain of rubble.

Rescuers used infrared technology, water and foam to battle the blaze, whose source was unclear, and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the smoke has been the biggest challenge. In a news conference, she described the blaze as “very deep” and said rescuers faced “incredible difficulties” because of the flames.

A fire hose blasted one of the lower floors on the north side of the tower as white smoke or steam streamed out, and a bitter, sulfur-like smell hung in the air.

Among those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-education-religion-lifestyle-caa7f48c23277637b8a7ed921c1f162d">anxiously awaiting word</a>&nbsp;of missing loved ones was Rachel Spiegel, whose mother, 66-year-old Judy Spiegel, lived on the sixth floor. Speaking alongside her siblings, she said Saturday that “we’re trying to hold it together.”

One hundred fifty-nine people were still unaccounted for two days after Thursday’s collapse, which killed at least four.

Federal Emergency Management Agency officials have joined local and state authorities at the site, DeSantis said. He added that a nearby “sister building” of the collapsed tower is also being looked at because it was built at the same time and with the same designer.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fl-state-wire-business-038431368e29b1d3c2729e11e7e536ab">said he was working on a plan</a>&nbsp;to temporarily relocate residents of the Champlain Towers North, which was constructed the same year and sits about 100 yards away from the collapsed building, and that FEMA has agreed to pay for lodging.

Burkett added that he was also trying to arrange an emergency inspection and until that happens, he can’t tell residents whether they’re safe in their homes.

“I know that the identical building collapsed for an inexplicable reason,” Burkett said. “Buildings in the United States do not just fall down. ... Something very, very wrong was going on at that building, and we need to find out.”

Surfside city staffers were also gathering details about a third building, Champlain Towers East, which was built in a different style and appears to have been constructed at a different time.

The government of Israel said it was sending a team of engineering and rescue specialists to assist in the search. Israeli media have reported that some 20 citizens of that country were believed to be among the missing.

SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — Officials say fire has spread amid the rubble of the collapsed condominium in South Florida, hampering rescue efforts. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Saturday that the flames are deep and firefighters have not been able to find their source. She says 159 remain unaccounted for. 

A 2018 engineering report said that the oceanfront condominium building that collapsed this week near Miami had “major structural damage” to a concrete structural slab below its pool deck that needed extensive repairs. 

The engineering report did not warn of imminent danger from the damage. But it did note the need for costly repairs to fix the slab as well as damaged concrete columns beams and walls.

SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — The tortuous wait for word of nearly 160 people unaccounted for after an oceanfront condominium building collapsed near Miami, killing at least four, is taking a toll on relatives who can do little but pray and hope their loved ones will somehow be found alive in an increasingly dire hunt for survivors.

As scores of rescuers used big machines, small buckets, drones, microphones and their own hands on Friday to pick through the mountain of debris that had been the 12-story Champlain Towers South, Rachel Spiegel was anxious for any update on her missing mother, 66-year-old Judy Spiegel, who lived on the sixth floor.

“I’m just praying for a miracle,” Spiegel said. “We’re heartbroken that she was even in the building.”

Jeanne Ugarte was coming to grips with what she feared was a tragic end for longtime friends Juan and Ana Mora and their son Juan Jr., who was visiting his parents in their condo at the tower.

“I know they’re not going to find them (alive),” Ugarte said. “It’s been too long.”

Hopes rested on how quickly crews could complete their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-technology-business-029e3e9686b5a40e30175ebd77353ebd">grim, yet delicate task</a>&nbsp;in Surfside, just a few miles north of Miami’s South Beach.

“Any time that we hear a sound, we concentrate in that area,” Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah said. “It could be just steel twisting, it could be debris raining down, but not specifically sounds of tapping or sounds of a human voice.”

Buffeted by gusty winds and pelted by intermittent rain, two heavy cranes removed debris from the pile using large claws Friday, creating a din of crashing glass and metal as they picked up material and dumped it to the side. A smoky haze rose from the site.

Once the machines paused, firefighters wearing protective masks and carrying red buckets climbed atop the pile to remove smaller pieces by hand in hope of finding spots where people might be trapped. In a parking garage, rescuers in knee-deep water used power tools to cut into the building from below.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said crews were doing everything possible to save as many people as they could.

“We do not have a resource problem, we have a luck problem,” he said.

Families cling to hope as condo collapse toll rises 

By RON WILSON Kansas State University

A little spark can get a fire going – or in this case, it might help get entrepreneurship going. I’m referring to an organization named Spark which serves as a hub for resources to support entrepreneurs.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sarah Siders is executive director of Spark.&nbsp;A Kansas State University graduate in social work, she left Manhattan briefly and planned to work overseas but came back a year later.&nbsp;She got married, went to graduate school for clinical social work with the goal of becoming a therapist, and then worked in the mental health department at Fort Riley’s Irwin Army Community Hospital.&nbsp;She and her husband also serve as a co-pastors of a Manhattan-based church, The Well.&nbsp;After nine years in the mental health field, she opened her own business.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;“When I started my own counseling and coaching practice, I found I loved the business side of things,” Sarah said.&nbsp;She joined the organizing team of the 1 Million Cups entrepreneurship organization, worked closely with some of the original founders of the Manhattan co-working space called The Fellow, and wrote for Manhattan Business News.&nbsp;In 2019, colleagues encouraged her to run for Manhattan City Commission, which she did but was not elected.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;“Five days after the election, a member of the organizing team recruited me to help develop a new entrepreneurship nonprofit organization in Manhattan called Spark,” Sarah said.&nbsp;In the first few months, Sarah developed Spark's branding and took the lead on the proposal securing the bulk of Spark's funding.&nbsp;In July 2020, Sarah was selected as executive director and the organization earned 501(c)3 status.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Spark has “a vision to connect, resource, and successfully launch entrepreneurs and promote a dynamic and inclusive culture of entrepreneurship and innovation in the greater Manhattan region.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We spent the first six months doing a lot of listening to what business groups and resources were already doing,” Sarah said.&nbsp;“Everything we do is through collaboration and partnerships.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Spark is sponsored by Kansas State University Innovation Partners, the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Kansas Gas Service, and a private donor. It partners with the Small Business Development Center, K-State Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship, Network Kansas, Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills, Pottawatomie County Economic Development, K-State Research and Extension - Riley County, and more.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We want to serve as a hub where entrepreneurs can connect with resources to support them,” Sarah said.&nbsp;

She believes everyone has a role. “We are all part of the entrepreneurial network, whether you’re an investor, entrepreneur or business owner, service provider, or buying local,” she said. “That’s why we call it an entrepreneurial ecosystem, we’re all connected.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

She encouraged everyone to go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sparkmhk.com/" target="_blank">www.sparkmhk.com</a>&nbsp;for more information and to share resources, contacts and events.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Spark logo is carefully and intentionally designed.&nbsp;“It is all lowercase letters, because a spark starts small,” Sarah said.&nbsp;The logo also has different shades of color.&nbsp;“It starts with the light of a bright idea and progressively moves to the deep dark red of established growth,” she said.&nbsp;“As we go forward, we’ll be targeting industry-specific innovation that our region is uniquely designed to support.”&nbsp;

Spark continues to support 1 Million Cups, an area pitch competition called Startup MHK, and is currently offering an entrepreneurship business basics class.&nbsp;“We’re based in Manhattan, but we want to support people across the region,” Sarah said.&nbsp;For example, she told about a business which she had worked with in the&nbsp;rural&nbsp;community of St. Marys, population 2,627 people.&nbsp;Now, that’s&nbsp;rural.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We need investors to help provide the resources to support entrepreneurs,” Sarah said.&nbsp;“We encourage those who are in the pre-venture or early stages of starting a business to contact us.&nbsp;

&nbsp;“We want to tell the story that greater Manhattan is a great place to start and grow a business,” Sarah said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A little spark can get a fire going, and this Spark organization is helping entrepreneurs get going too.&nbsp;We salute Sarah Siders and all those involved with Spark for making a difference with support for small businesses.&nbsp;I hope the results will ignite a flame of entrepreneurship.

Audio and text files of Kansas Profiles are available at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasprofile.com/" target="_blank">http://www.kansasprofile.com</a>. For more information about the Huck Boyd Institute, interested persons can visit&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huckboydinstitute.org/" target="_blank">http://www.huckboydinstitute.org</a>.

Ron Wilson is director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623560862487.jpeg" alt="Ron Wilson. Photo courtesy KSRE" />
 <figcaption>Ron Wilson. Photo courtesy KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Kansas State UniversityA little spark can get a fire going – or in this case, it might help get entrepreneurship going. I’m referring to an organization named Spark which serves as a hub for resources to support entrepreneurs.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sarah Siders is executive director of Spark.&nbsp;A Kansas State University graduate in social work, she left Manhattan briefly and planned to work overseas but came back a year later.&nbsp;She got married, went to graduate school for clinical social work with the goal of becoming a therapist, and then worked in the mental health department at Fort Riley’s Irwin Army Community Hospital.&nbsp;She and her husband also serve as a co-pastors of a Manhattan-based church, The Well.&nbsp;After nine years in the mental health field, she opened her own business.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“When I started my own counseling and coaching practice, I found I loved the business side of things,” Sarah said.&nbsp;She joined the organizing team of the 1 Million Cups entrepreneurship organization, worked closely with some of the original founders of the Manhattan co-working space called The Fellow, and wrote for Manhattan Business News.&nbsp;In 2019, colleagues encouraged her to run for Manhattan City Commission, which she did but was not elected.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Five days after the election, a member of the organizing team recruited me to help develop a new entrepreneurship nonprofit organization in Manhattan called Spark,” Sarah said.&nbsp;In the first few months, Sarah developed Spark's branding and took the lead on the proposal securing the bulk of Spark's funding.&nbsp;In July 2020, Sarah was selected as executive director and the organization earned 501(c)3 status.&nbsp;&nbsp;Spark has “a vision to connect, resource, and successfully launch entrepreneurs and promote a dynamic and inclusive culture of entrepreneurship and innovation in the greater Manhattan region.”&nbsp;&nbsp;“We spent the first six months doing a lot of listening to what business groups and resources were already doing,” Sarah said.&nbsp;“Everything we do is through collaboration and partnerships.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Spark is sponsored by Kansas State University Innovation Partners, the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Kansas Gas Service, and a private donor. It partners with the Small Business Development Center, K-State Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship, Network Kansas, Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills, Pottawatomie County Economic Development, K-State Research and Extension - Riley County, and more.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We want to serve as a hub where entrepreneurs can connect with resources to support them,” Sarah said.&nbsp;She believes everyone has a role. “We are all part of the entrepreneurial network, whether you’re an investor, entrepreneur or business owner, service provider, or buying local,” she said. “That’s why we call it an entrepreneurial ecosystem, we’re all connected.”&nbsp;&nbsp;She encouraged everyone to go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sparkmhk.com/" target="_blank">www.sparkmhk.com</a>&nbsp;for more information and to share resources, contacts and events.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Spark logo is carefully and intentionally designed.&nbsp;“It is all lowercase letters, because a spark starts small,” Sarah said.&nbsp;The logo also has different shades of color.&nbsp;“It starts with the light of a bright idea and progressively moves to the deep dark red of established growth,” she said.&nbsp;“As we go forward, we’ll be targeting industry-specific innovation that our region is uniquely designed to support.”&nbsp;Spark continues to support 1 Million Cups, an area pitch competition called Startup MHK, and is currently offering an entrepreneurship business basics class.&nbsp;“We’re based in Manhattan, but we want to support people across the region,” Sarah said.&nbsp;For example, she told about a business which she had worked with in the&nbsp;rural&nbsp;community of St. Marys, population 2,627 people.&nbsp;Now, that’s&nbsp;rural.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We need investors to help provide the resources to support entrepreneurs,” Sarah said.&nbsp;“We encourage those who are in the pre-venture or early stages of starting a business to contact us.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We want to tell the story that greater Manhattan is a great place to start and grow a business,” Sarah said.&nbsp;&nbsp;A little spark can get a fire going, and this Spark organization is helping entrepreneurs get going too.&nbsp;We salute Sarah Siders and all those involved with Spark for making a difference with support for small businesses.&nbsp;I hope the results will ignite a flame of entrepreneurship.Audio and text files of Kansas Profiles are available at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasprofile.com/" target="_blank">http://www.kansasprofile.com</a>. For more information about the Huck Boyd Institute, interested persons can visit&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huckboydinstitute.org/" target="_blank">http://www.huckboydinstitute.org</a>.Ron Wilson is director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.

NOW THAT'S RURAL: Sarah Siders, Spark

I’m 22, and I just recently graduated from college. I’m lucky enough to be walking into a job making $60,000 a year with a company I interned with during school, and I’ll be living with parents for the next few months. I have about $50,000 in student loan debt, but I also have $25,000 in savings, along with an E-Trade account with two single stocks that was given to me a couple of years ago. Those stocks are now worth about $13,000 combined. Should I sell the stocks to help pay off debt, or put the money from their sale into mutual funds?&nbsp;

In situations like yours, I teach folks to pull out any money they have that’s not in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/retirement/daves-investing-philosophy" target="_blank">retirement plans</a>, and use it to pay off debt. The shortest distance between where you are now, and wealth, isn’t a couple of stocks in an E-Trade account. The shortest distance between you and wealth is becoming debt-free and taking control of your largest wealth-building tool—your income.

If I’m you, I’m going to clean out everything, including my savings—down to $1,000—and throw it at debt. After that, I’m living on a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/budgeting/guide-to-budgeting" target="_blank">strict budget</a>&nbsp;with no unnecessary spending until that debt is all gone. Man, with the money you’ll make right out of college you can be debt-free, and on your way to building a fully-funded emergency fund&nbsp;and&nbsp;wealth, so fast it’ll make your head spin.

I’ve been in sales for 15 years. I love my job, and I love my company. Our business wasn’t affected as much as some during the pandemic, but my numbers have become stagnant. They’re still good, but I feel I can do better. Do you have any advice for someone who wants to raise their sales and become a more productive team member?

Boy, I wish more people had the same attitude about their jobs. Folks with that kind of drive and sense of responsibility are almost always successful in their professional&nbsp;and&nbsp;personal lives.

I want you to think about one simple word—<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/business/heart-of-capitalism-service" target="_blank">serving</a>. It isn’t just a word or an idea, it’s an attitude. Serving means you provide what you have to offer in a way that makes customers happy to trade their money and time for it.

But don’t make the mistake of confusing&nbsp;serving&nbsp;with&nbsp;subservient. What I’m talking about is being proactive with customers individually and in the marketplace. It means being excited about what you have to offer, and believing you’ve got a great product at a great price. It means you’re determined to give your customers a great experience 100% of the time, and that going the extra mile—whether you have to or not—is just business as usual. And, it means if something goes wrong, you’ll step up and make things right in a way that will make them forget a glitch ever happened.

If you help enough people, and make that the first order of your business and those&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/relationships/boomerang-kid-relationships" target="_blank">relationships</a>, you’ll never have to worry about success!

<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><h2>Clean 'em out, and move ahead!</h2>Dear Dave,I’m 22, and I just recently graduated from college. I’m lucky enough to be walking into a job making $60,000 a year with a company I interned with during school, and I’ll be living with parents for the next few months. I have about $50,000 in student loan debt, but I also have $25,000 in savings, along with an E-Trade account with two single stocks that was given to me a couple of years ago. Those stocks are now worth about $13,000 combined. Should I sell the stocks to help pay off debt, or put the money from their sale into mutual funds?&nbsp;TylerDear Tyler,In situations like yours, I teach folks to pull out any money they have that’s not in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/retirement/daves-investing-philosophy" target="_blank">retirement plans</a>, and use it to pay off debt. The shortest distance between where you are now, and wealth, isn’t a couple of stocks in an E-Trade account. The shortest distance between you and wealth is becoming debt-free and taking control of your largest wealth-building tool—your income.If I’m you, I’m going to clean out everything, including my savings—down to $1,000—and throw it at debt. After that, I’m living on a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/budgeting/guide-to-budgeting" target="_blank">strict budget</a>&nbsp;with no unnecessary spending until that debt is all gone. Man, with the money you’ll make right out of college you can be debt-free, and on your way to building a fully-funded emergency fund&nbsp;and&nbsp;wealth, so fast it’ll make your head spin.Get this done, Tyler. Today!Dave<h2>On the job training</h2>Dear Dave,I’ve been in sales for 15 years. I love my job, and I love my company. Our business wasn’t affected as much as some during the pandemic, but my numbers have become stagnant. They’re still good, but I feel I can do better. Do you have any advice for someone who wants to raise their sales and become a more productive team member?SaraDear Sara,Boy, I wish more people had the same attitude about their jobs. Folks with that kind of drive and sense of responsibility are almost always successful in their professional&nbsp;and&nbsp;personal lives.I want you to think about one simple word—<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/business/heart-of-capitalism-service" target="_blank">serving</a>. It isn’t just a word or an idea, it’s an attitude. Serving means you provide what you have to offer in a way that makes customers happy to trade their money and time for it.But don’t make the mistake of confusing&nbsp;serving&nbsp;with&nbsp;subservient. What I’m talking about is being proactive with customers individually and in the marketplace. It means being excited about what you have to offer, and believing you’ve got a great product at a great price. It means you’re determined to give your customers a great experience 100% of the time, and that going the extra mile—whether you have to or not—is just business as usual. And, it means if something goes wrong, you’ll step up and make things right in a way that will make them forget a glitch ever happened.If you help enough people, and make that the first order of your business and those&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/relationships/boomerang-kid-relationships" target="_blank">relationships</a>, you’ll never have to worry about success!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: Clean 'em out and move ahead; on the job training

“The Red Cross is currently experiencing a severe blood shortage,” said Chris Hrouda, president of Red Cross Biomedical Services. “Our teams are working around the clock to meet the extraordinary blood needs of hospitals and patients – distributing about 75,000 more blood products than expected over the past three months to meet demand – but we can’t do it without donors. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood.”

“Some hospitals are being forced to slow the pace of elective surgeries until the blood supply stabilizes, delaying crucial patient care. As we return to pre-pandemic activities and resume travel to visit loved ones, we want people to remember the needs of patients this summer and the power so many of us have to help save lives,” Hrouda said.

The American Red Cross noted that there is an emergency need for type O donors. Type O is the most needed blood group by hospitals, as type O positive is the most transfused blood type and can be transfused to Rh-positive patients of any blood type. Additionally, type O negative is the universal blood type and what emergency room personnel reach for when there is no time to determine the blood type of patients in the most serious situations, the American Red Cross reported.

An emergency need also exists for platelets, the clotting portion of blood, which must be transfused within five days of being donated. The American Red Cross explained that nearly half of all platelet donations are given to patients undergoing cancer treatments – a disease all too familiar to millions of Americans and their families.

Numerous blood drives are scheduled through the end of June.

The annual PUMP Up The Volume Salina Community Blood Drive is scheduled for noon to 7 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday at Sunrise Presbyterian Church, 825 E. Beloit Avenue. The blood drive is sponsored by Eagle Radio and its entities: 99 KG, 94.5 Prime FM, KINA, and Salina Post.

All who donate through the end of June will receive a $5 <a href="http://Amazon.com">Amazon.com</a> gift card by email. Restrictions apply and are available at <a href="http://RedCrossBlood.org/SummerFullOfLife">RedCrossBlood.org/SummerFullOfLife</a>.

Other blood drives in the area include the following.

Tuesday: noon - 6 p.m., Catholic Church, 307 East 5th

Wednesday: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., OCCK Inc, 1502 Lincoln Street

Friday: 1 - 6 p.m., Christian Community Center, 137 N. 4th Street

Friday: noon - 6 p.m., West Zion Church, 101 S. Washington

Wednesday: noon - 6 p.m., Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 1827 Q Street

Monday: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., OCCK, 1710 W. Schilling Road

Remember, you can make an appointment to give blood by using the Blood Donor App, visiting <a href="http://RedCrossBlood.org">RedCrossBlood.org</a>, calling 1-800-733-2767 or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624501655188.jpeg" alt="The need for blood donations is critical. Photo by&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/@luannhunt180?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">LuAnn Hunt</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/blood-donation?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>" />
 <figcaption>The need for blood donations is critical. Photo by&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/@luannhunt180?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">LuAnn Hunt</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/blood-donation?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTThe nation is in the midst of a severe blood shortage and the need for donations is more critical than ever.According to the American Red Cross, a rise trauma cases, organ transplants and elective surgeries requiring blood products over recent months has depleted the nation’s blood inventory. The demand for blood from hospitals with trauma centers rose by 10 percent in 2021 compared to 2019. That's more than five times the growth of demand for blood at other facilities that provide transfusions.“The Red Cross is currently experiencing a severe blood shortage,” said Chris Hrouda, president of Red Cross Biomedical Services. “Our teams are working around the clock to meet the extraordinary blood needs of hospitals and patients – distributing about 75,000 more blood products than expected over the past three months to meet demand – but we can’t do it without donors. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood.”According to information from the American Red Cross, hospitals are responding to an atypically high number of traumas and emergency room visits. Twenty to 40 percent of trauma deaths that occur after hospital admission involve massive hemorrhaging. In these dire circumstances, doctors may need hundreds of blood products, depending on the severity of the trauma, to help save a life, the American Red Cross noted.Patients who deferred care during the height of the pandemic also are straining blood supplies as many now have more advanced disease progression and require more transfusions.“Some hospitals are being forced to slow the pace of elective surgeries until the blood supply stabilizes, delaying crucial patient care. As we return to pre-pandemic activities and resume travel to visit loved ones, we want people to remember the needs of patients this summer and the power so many of us have to help save lives,” Hrouda said.<h2>The need for type O blood and platelets</h2>The American Red Cross noted that there is an emergency need for type O donors. Type O is the most needed blood group by hospitals, as type O positive is the most transfused blood type and can be transfused to Rh-positive patients of any blood type. Additionally, type O negative is the universal blood type and what emergency room personnel reach for when there is no time to determine the blood type of patients in the most serious situations, the American Red Cross reported.An emergency need also exists for platelets, the clotting portion of blood, which must be transfused within five days of being donated. The American Red Cross explained that nearly half of all platelet donations are given to patients undergoing cancer treatments – a disease all too familiar to millions of Americans and their families.<h2>What can you do to help?</h2>Numerous blood drives are scheduled through the end of June.The annual PUMP Up The Volume Salina Community Blood Drive is scheduled for noon to 7 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday at Sunrise Presbyterian Church, 825 E. Beloit Avenue. The blood drive is sponsored by Eagle Radio and its entities: 99 KG, 94.5 Prime FM, KINA, and Salina Post.Radio listeners are challenged to donate during the three-day drive and vote for their favorite participating radio station. The winning station receives bragging rights and a traveling trophy to display for a year.Since 2010, the Pump Up the Volume Blood Drive has raised more than 4,125 donations, according to information from the American Red Cross. This year’s goal is 234 donations.Healthy donors are asked to make an appointment to give at this year’s Pump Up the Volume Blood Drive by using the Blood Donor App, visiting <a href="http://RedCrossBlood.org">RedCrossBlood.org</a>, calling 1-800-733-2767 or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.All who donate through the end of June will receive a $5 <a href="http://Amazon.com">Amazon.com</a> gift card by email. Restrictions apply and are available at <a href="http://RedCrossBlood.org/SummerFullOfLife">RedCrossBlood.org/SummerFullOfLife</a>.Other blood drives in the area include the following.<h2>CLOUD COUNTY</h2>ConcordiaTuesday: noon - 6 p.m., Catholic Church, 307 East 5thWednesday: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., OCCK Inc, 1502 Lincoln Street<h2>LINCOLN COUNTY</h2>LincolnFriday: 1 - 6 p.m., Christian Community Center, 137 N. 4th Street<h2>MCPHERSON COUNTY</h2>MoundridgeFriday: noon - 6 p.m., West Zion Church, 101 S. Washington<h2>REPUBLIC COUNTY</h2>BellevilleWednesday: noon - 6 p.m., Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 1827 Q Street<h2>SALINE COUNTY</h2>SalinaMonday: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., OCCK, 1710 W. Schilling RoadRemember, you can make an appointment to give blood by using the Blood Donor App, visiting <a href="http://RedCrossBlood.org">RedCrossBlood.org</a>, calling 1-800-733-2767 or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

Red Cross: Critical blood shortage; donations urgently needed

The annual PUMP Up The Volume Salina Community Blood Drive is scheduled for noon to 7 p.m. June 28-29 and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. June 30 at Sunrise Presbyterian Church, 825 E. Beloit Avenue. The blood drive is sponsored by Eagle Radio and its entities: 99 KG, 94.5 Prime FM, KINA, and Salina Post.

All who donate June 14-30 will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card by email. Restrictions apply and are available at&nbsp;<a href="http://redcrossblood.org/SummerFullOfLife">RedCrossBlood.org/SummerFullOfLife</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622771762163.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The American Red Cross wants you to PUMP Up The Volume!The annual PUMP Up The Volume Salina Community Blood Drive is scheduled for noon to 7 p.m. June 28-29 and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. June 30 at Sunrise Presbyterian Church, 825 E. Beloit Avenue. The blood drive is sponsored by Eagle Radio and its entities: 99 KG, 94.5 Prime FM, KINA, and Salina Post.Radio listeners are challenged to donate during the three-day drive and vote for their favorite participating radio station. The winning station receives bragging rights and a traveling trophy to display for a year.Since 2010, the Pump Up the Volume Blood Drive has raised more than 4,125 donations, according to information from the American Red Cross. This year’s goal is 234 donations.Healthy donors are asked to make an appointment to give at this year’s Pump Up the Volume Blood Drive by using the Blood Donor App, visiting&nbsp;<a href="http://redcrossblood.org/">RedCrossBlood.org</a>, calling 1-800-733-2767 or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.All who donate June 14-30 will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card by email. Restrictions apply and are available at&nbsp;<a href="http://redcrossblood.org/SummerFullOfLife">RedCrossBlood.org/SummerFullOfLife</a>.According to the American Red Cross, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented challenges to blood donations and in the care and treatment of cancer patients. The Red Cross continues to feel the ongoing effects of COVID-19 as each month roughly 1,000 drives are canceled, impacting the collection of approximately 30,000 units of lifesaving blood.Additionally, the American Cancer Society reported that many patient visits and procedures were forced to be delayed or canceled early in the pandemic to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19. According to the American Cancer Society, while cancer deaths dropped at the onset of the pandemic, those rates will likely increase in the months and years to come due to delays in diagnosis and treatmentThis June, the American Red Cross and the American Cancer Society are teaming up to encourage people across the country to Give Blood to Give Time. Many cancer patients, especially those undergoing chemotherapy, will likely have a need for blood products. When donors give blood or platelets to the Red Cross, they’re helping cancer patients receive the care they need.

It's almost time to help PUMP Up The Volume; made an appointment?

<a href="https://www.carlsonfh.net/obituaries/Donna-Mae-Burkholder?obId=21424338#/obituaryInfo">Donna Mae Burkholder Obituary - Visitation &amp; Funeral Information (carlsonfh.net)</a>

Donna Mae (Pancake) Burkholder of Salina, Kansas passed away on June 12 at the age of 90. Born on January 7, 1931 to Clarence and Ella Pancake, she was the youngest of six children. She grew up on a farm near Enterprise and graduated from Chapman High School. She spent most of her life in her home state of Kansas but also lived in Chicago and Puerto Rico. She was preceded in death by her parents and her five siblings, Viola Grose, Margaret Dolton, Doris McKinney, Verna Jean Skelton, and Gerald Pancake. Donna worked in retail for most of her adult life. Folks shopping at JC Penney, Kline's or Dillard's over the years will remember Donna as a kind soul who was always willing to help others. After retirement, Donna continued to work part time at USD 305 for many years, reinforcing her strong work ethic and desire to stay engaged and active. She liked to stay busy and productive.

In addition to work, Donna enjoyed listening to music, being outdoors, having coffee with friends, reading, going to church and spending time with her family. She raised four daughters and taught them to be kind and compassionate. She also had a wonderfully wry and subtle sense of humor. Donna is survived by her four daughters Elena Goetz of Salina, Linda Moore of Ada, Oklahoma, Colette Scott of Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and Kelly Woodlock of Crystal Lake, Illinois; seven grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. She was a strong woman who was loved by all and will be greatly missed. Visitation will be held Friday, June 18 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home, 500 S. Ohio St., Salina. A graveside service will be held on Saturday, June 19 at 11:00 a.m. at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Oat Rd. and 2000 Avenue, Enterprise, Kansas.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Donna Mae Burkholder, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://carlsongeisendorf-funeral-home-crematory.tributestore.com/?oId=21424338&amp;tag=&amp;otv=Frazer_MScont&amp;source=tco_description&amp;mtph=1" target="_blank">Tribute Store.</a>

<h2>Donna Mae Burkholder</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623943259363.jpeg" alt="Donna Mae Burkholder" />
 <figcaption>Donna Mae Burkholder</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.carlsonfh.net/obituaries/Donna-Mae-Burkholder?obId=21424338#/obituaryInfo">Donna Mae Burkholder Obituary - Visitation &amp; Funeral Information (carlsonfh.net)</a>January 7, 1931 - June 12, 2021Donna Mae (Pancake) Burkholder of Salina, Kansas passed away on June 12 at the age of 90. Born on January 7, 1931 to Clarence and Ella Pancake, she was the youngest of six children. She grew up on a farm near Enterprise and graduated from Chapman High School. She spent most of her life in her home state of Kansas but also lived in Chicago and Puerto Rico. She was preceded in death by her parents and her five siblings, Viola Grose, Margaret Dolton, Doris McKinney, Verna Jean Skelton, and Gerald Pancake. Donna worked in retail for most of her adult life. Folks shopping at JC Penney, Kline's or Dillard's over the years will remember Donna as a kind soul who was always willing to help others. After retirement, Donna continued to work part time at USD 305 for many years, reinforcing her strong work ethic and desire to stay engaged and active. She liked to stay busy and productive. In addition to work, Donna enjoyed listening to music, being outdoors, having coffee with friends, reading, going to church and spending time with her family. She raised four daughters and taught them to be kind and compassionate. She also had a wonderfully wry and subtle sense of humor. Donna is survived by her four daughters Elena Goetz of Salina, Linda Moore of Ada, Oklahoma, Colette Scott of Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and Kelly Woodlock of Crystal Lake, Illinois; seven grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. She was a strong woman who was loved by all and will be greatly missed. Visitation will be held Friday, June 18 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home, 500 S. Ohio St., Salina. A graveside service will be held on Saturday, June 19 at 11:00 a.m. at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Oat Rd. and 2000 Avenue, Enterprise, Kansas.To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Donna Mae Burkholder, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://carlsongeisendorf-funeral-home-crematory.tributestore.com/?oId=21424338&amp;tag=&amp;otv=Frazer_MScont&amp;source=tco_description&amp;mtph=1" target="_blank">Tribute Store.</a>

Donna Mae Burkholder

The housing market is white hot right now! Home prices are&nbsp;way&nbsp;up over last year, and 50% of homes are selling for more than the asking price—$20,000, $50,000, even $100,000 more in some cases.<a href="https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-half-of-homes-sell-above-list-price/" target="_blank">[1]</a>&nbsp;That’s causing buyers everywhere to do&nbsp;some insane things to get the houses they want. More than half made an offer last year without seeing the house in person.<a href="https://www.redfin.com/news/remote-homebuying-surges-to-new-high/" target="_blank">[2]</a>&nbsp;Many are even willing to skip a home inspection if it will get their offer accepted. In case you’re wondering, both are really bad ideas.

There’s nothing mysterious about a hot housing market. It’s what happens when you have more buyers than homes to buy. Demand is high, but the supply is low, and that drives up prices. I’ve heard a lot of people say we’re actually in a housing bubble. That’s when demand causes home prices to jump so high, so fast, that buyers can’t keep up. Homes stop selling, flooding the market and causing prices to drop like a rock. But I don’t think that’s what’s going on.

We have a housing&nbsp;shortage, fueled by a shortage in building supplies—another thing to thank COVID-19 for. With fewer new homes to choose from, buyers are looking at used homes, but not many people are selling right now. Plus, a lot of the buyers are moving to areas with a much lower cost of living, so they have the cash to make these wild offers on the homes that are available. That’s the perfect combination for the feeding frenzy we’re seeing now. And even though I think the frenzy will slow and prices will stabilize, I don’t think home prices will drop significantly any time soon.

What does a hot housing market mean for sellers?

This is great news for sellers! With more motivated buyers than sellers, competition is fierce, and sellers have the advantage. You can sit back, let the offers roll in, and pick the best one. But you shouldn’t make the leap to sell until you’re sure you’re financially&nbsp;and&nbsp;emotionally ready. If you are, the next step is to find a reputable agent and talk over your situation:

●Are you selling&nbsp;and&nbsp;buying?&nbsp;Sell your home before you buy. You’ll likely be able to sell your home before you find a new one, but you never want risk being stuck paying&nbsp;two&nbsp;mortgages.

●Use your advantage in your favor.&nbsp;In a hot housing market, buyers will be more likely to accept&nbsp;your&nbsp;terms. Take advantage of it!

●A multiple-offer game plan is a must.&nbsp;Get on the same page with your agent on price, types of financing, and contingencies you’ll accept so it’s easy to pick the best offer.

●Higher price point homes aren’t moving quite as fast.&nbsp;Houses valued at $500,000 and up may take a little longer to sell, so don’t get discouraged if it takes a few more showings to get offers.

What does a hot housing market mean for buyers?&nbsp;

It may be a seller’s market right now. But buyers aren’t completely out of luck. One thing’s for sure: Buyers need a seasoned real estate pro on their side. Between crazy offers and fewer homes to choose from, this is no time for amateur hour.

Here’s some advice for winning in a seller’s market:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596845065840.jpeg" alt="Dave Ramsey" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE RAMSEYThe housing market is white hot right now! Home prices are&nbsp;way&nbsp;up over last year, and 50% of homes are selling for more than the asking price—$20,000, $50,000, even $100,000 more in some cases.<a href="https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-half-of-homes-sell-above-list-price/" target="_blank">[1]</a>&nbsp;That’s causing buyers everywhere to do&nbsp;some insane things to get the houses they want. More than half made an offer last year without seeing the house in person.<a href="https://www.redfin.com/news/remote-homebuying-surges-to-new-high/" target="_blank">[2]</a>&nbsp;Many are even willing to skip a home inspection if it will get their offer accepted. In case you’re wondering, both are really bad ideas.There’s nothing mysterious about a hot housing market. It’s what happens when you have more buyers than homes to buy. Demand is high, but the supply is low, and that drives up prices. I’ve heard a lot of people say we’re actually in a housing bubble. That’s when demand causes home prices to jump so high, so fast, that buyers can’t keep up. Homes stop selling, flooding the market and causing prices to drop like a rock. But I don’t think that’s what’s going on.We have a housing&nbsp;shortage, fueled by a shortage in building supplies—another thing to thank COVID-19 for. With fewer new homes to choose from, buyers are looking at used homes, but not many people are selling right now. Plus, a lot of the buyers are moving to areas with a much lower cost of living, so they have the cash to make these wild offers on the homes that are available. That’s the perfect combination for the feeding frenzy we’re seeing now. And even though I think the frenzy will slow and prices will stabilize, I don’t think home prices will drop significantly any time soon.What does a hot housing market mean for sellers?This is great news for sellers! With more motivated buyers than sellers, competition is fierce, and sellers have the advantage. You can sit back, let the offers roll in, and pick the best one. But you shouldn’t make the leap to sell until you’re sure you’re financially&nbsp;and&nbsp;emotionally ready. If you are, the next step is to find a reputable agent and talk over your situation:●Are you selling&nbsp;and&nbsp;buying?&nbsp;Sell your home before you buy. You’ll likely be able to sell your home before you find a new one, but you never want risk being stuck paying&nbsp;two&nbsp;mortgages.●Use your advantage in your favor.&nbsp;In a hot housing market, buyers will be more likely to accept&nbsp;your&nbsp;terms. Take advantage of it!●A multiple-offer game plan is a must.&nbsp;Get on the same page with your agent on price, types of financing, and contingencies you’ll accept so it’s easy to pick the best offer.●Higher price point homes aren’t moving quite as fast.&nbsp;Houses valued at $500,000 and up may take a little longer to sell, so don’t get discouraged if it takes a few more showings to get offers.What does a hot housing market mean for buyers?&nbsp;It may be a seller’s market right now. But buyers aren’t completely out of luck. One thing’s for sure: Buyers need a seasoned real estate pro on their side. Between crazy offers and fewer homes to choose from, this is no time for amateur hour.Here’s some advice for winning in a seller’s market:●Stick to your budget.&nbsp;Don’t let emotion or a time crunch cause you to make bad money decisions. House fever causes 20% of first-time home buyers to go over budget.<a href="https://www.realtor.com/research/first-time-home-buyers-housing-2021/">[3]</a>&nbsp;This is a&nbsp;bad&nbsp;idea.●Know what it takes to have a competitive offer.&nbsp;If you’re buying with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/real-estate/mortgage-calculator">mortgage</a>, get preapproved—not just prequalified—for a&nbsp;conventional loan. I always recommend a 15-year, fixed-rate loan, where the monthly payments are no more than 25% of your take-home pay.●Make a cash offer if you can.&nbsp;Cash is king, and it’ll set you apart from other buyers in a good way!●Know when to walk away.&nbsp;Before you blow your budget or settle for a home you don’t really want, stop and let things cool off a bit. Waiting a few months may feel like an eternity, but it can be just enough time to let a hot housing market settle down.●Be prepared for a longer search.&nbsp;This is especially true if you’re a first-time home buyer.Most real estate pros agree this seller’s market is here to stay for a while. While home prices have exploded nationwide, every market is different, so be prepared for just about anything. Regardless, play it smart. A new home should be a blessing, not a burden—both emotionally&nbsp;and&nbsp;financially!Dave Ramsey&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national bestselling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He has appeared on&nbsp;Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business&nbsp;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.&nbsp;&nbsp;