Salina Public Library is seeking volunteers to adopt its Little Libraries. Clubs, organizations, groups or families are encouraged to tend one of the nine free book exchanges around Salina.

Volunteers are asked to commit to one year of caring for a Little Library. They would be responsible for stocking the library with books provided by Salina Public Library and keeping the library clean and tidy. Volunteers would need to check the library about once a week. Adopters may be thanked for their work on the library website and in Little Library materials.

Little Libraries allow the public to pick up gently used books and to give books from their own collections. The small boxes have been created by community members and act as an extension of the library’s mission to connect people to information, learning and culture.

If interested in adopting a Little Library, contact Lori, outreach librarian, at <a href="mailto:infoservices.lori@salinapublic.org">infoservices.lori@salinapublic.org</a> or (785) 825-4624, ext. 243.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686601193504.jpeg" alt="An example of one of Salina’s Little Libraries. Photo courtesy Salina Public Library" />
 <figcaption>An example of one of Salina’s Little Libraries. Photo courtesy Salina Public Library</figcaption>
 </figure>Salina Public Library Salina Public Library is seeking volunteers to adopt its Little Libraries. Clubs, organizations, groups or families are encouraged to tend one of the nine free book exchanges around Salina.Volunteers are asked to commit to one year of caring for a Little Library. They would be responsible for stocking the library with books provided by Salina Public Library and keeping the library clean and tidy. Volunteers would need to check the library about once a week. Adopters may be thanked for their work on the library website and in Little Library materials.Little Libraries allow the public to pick up gently used books and to give books from their own collections. The small boxes have been created by community members and act as an extension of the library’s mission to connect people to information, learning and culture.If interested in adopting a Little Library, contact Lori, outreach librarian, at <a href="mailto:infoservices.lori@salinapublic.org">infoservices.lori@salinapublic.org</a> or (785) 825-4624, ext. 243.

Salina Public Library seeks volunteers to adopt little libraries

COLUMBUS, Kan. (AP) — Students spread out in their rural Kansas classroom, answering questions with a partner about invaders atop elephants attempting to sack Rome more than 2,000 years ago.

“Do you want to read?” one of the third graders, Parker, asked his partner after the lesson on the Punic Wars. “Because I’m not really good.”

Bekah Noel told her students to jot down answers for their partners if they needed extra help writing or spelling. Halfway through the school year, with some of her students reading nearly 200 words per minute and others struggling to sound out around 10, she has had to make a lot of tweaks like this.

Exiting from the pandemic, the assumption might be that Noel’s students should be among the least scathed. The tiny, 900-student school system in Columbus pivoted to remote learning briefly in March 2020 before going back in person that fall, initially without masks. While some U.S. students spent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-covid-46cb725e08110f8ad3c1b303ec9eefad">a year or more learning online</a>, pandemic school in rural Kansas was as normal as it got.

But the upheaval still took a toll. Students and teachers got sick, social distancing made it hard to teach kids in small groups, and the pace of teaching ground to a crawl. Three years later, Noel has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-reading-test-science-1fc4a95538b6b5c72b447a2935ee0f87">more third graders than ever</a>&nbsp;who are reading below grade level. That’s the true elephant in the room.

“I have kids,” Noel said midway through the year, “that legitimately cannot read.”

Noel is used to adapting to students’ needs, and she has been pulling out all the strategies in her toolkit. She pairs strong and struggling students, reads questions aloud and jots down dictated answers for students to rewrite in their own handwriting.

As the pandemic was raging, the district also adopted a new strategy: a reading curriculum that is heavy on phonics — a stressful gamble that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/phonics-science-reading-c715dea43f338f163715b01b83bb1066">the science-backed curriculum</a>&nbsp;might help kids catch up.

There are signs the changes are helping, particularly for older students. Educators from other schools have been coming to observe the changes. But this is third grade, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reading-third-grade-phonics-d0f7143c1a09bff3cf9a89a15d00ca09">last year students are typically taught to read</a>.

AS VIRUS SPREAD, ‘EVERYBODY WAS STRESSED OUT'

During a group session in October, third grader Emmett Mayfield and a classmate dismantled the word “athletic” with paraprofessional Jessica Seitz. Columbus used federal pandemic relief money to double the number of paraprofessionals assigned to help its small groups of struggling students.

“How many syllables do we have?” she asked. Emmett answered: “Three.”

It was part of a lesson on closed syllables, a term that refers to a vowel being followed by a consonant. This matters because it creates a short vowel sound, meaning the letter “A” in the word is pronounced as “ah.” If it was a long vowel, it would sound more like the name of the letter.

“Make a fist,” Seitz instructed. “We are closing that door. The consonant is stopping that vowel from saying its name.”

This type of lesson is a common one now that the district emphasizes the so-called science of reading that is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reading-scores-phonics-mississippi-alabama-louisiana-5bdd5d6ff719b23faa37db2fb95d5004">gaining momentum nationwide</a>. Schools piloted two new reading curriculums for a few weeks in November and December of 2020, as COVID-19 case levels soared.

Spared initially, small towns in rural Kansas were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-c924f4f1ecc5f561e9b4fd6e6bdd0e33">so overwhelmed</a>&nbsp;that hospitals had to fly patients hundreds of miles away for treatment. Parker’s mom, Chelsea Brinson, a medical assistant, was testing droves of COVID samples at a clinic. “Everybody was stressed out,” said Brinson, who now works as a nurse’s assistant in the district.

Students started masking. But that meant mask breaks were added to the already disrupted schedule.

Reading specialist Kelly Walters asked the overwhelmed teachers whether they wanted to put the reading pilot on hold.

“One hundred percent of our staff said, ‘No, we want to move forward,’” recalled Walters, who struggled so much to learn to read herself that she suspects an undiagnosed case of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reading-adhd-dyslexia-learning-disability-8636d7537cb25b8df1faf135301f9d92">dyslexia</a>&nbsp;was to blame.

The program they picked weaves phonics and other reading changes throughout the curriculum. No longer are those elements mostly isolated to worksheets. Staff praised it, which was encouraging to Walters, who tested the materials on her youngest child, just 3 at the time, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reading-adhd-dyslexia-learning-disability-8636d7537cb25b8df1faf135301f9d92">stuck at home early in the pandemic</a>.

“As a mom, who was a struggling reader, to give that gift —” she said, and then stopped and corrected herself. “I shouldn’t have said it was a gift, because it’s not a gift. It’s a right.”

THIRD GRADERS WERE READING LIKE FIRST GRADERS

In late November, Noel taught a science lesson on the skeletal system. Like the rest of the curriculum, it also incorporated reading instruction, with “structure” among the vocabulary words she highlighted.

“Have you ever seen a house being built before?” Noel asked. The students blurted out examples before she continued: “And they’ll have the wood up first, and it will be like beams.”

She then asked whether the word “structure” was a noun, verb, adjective or adverb. Why, she then asked, was it one of the vocabulary words in a lesson on the skeletal system?

Parker shared his answer: “Because our spine holds up the rest of our body.” Noel rewarded him with a fist bump.

Parker started the year reading at the level of a first grader. He was, Noel, said, “embarrassed.” Midway through the year he seemed stuck, learning new skills and then seeming to forget it all. Staff were worried. He was flagged for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/special-education-disability-depression-adhd-82c09d1d97b05c63cff195077d0c4fb9">special education assessment</a>.

When the pandemic first closed schools in 2020, Parker was a kindergartener. His mom recalled “freaking out,” trying to figure out what to do with him. To get him to do schoolwork, his grandmother or someone else had to sit beside him at all times. Otherwise, Parker said, he would “squirrel off.”

Columbus and many other rural school systems reopened that fall. With strong opposition to masks locally, the district instead added “sneeze guards” to desks. But in-person school was far from normal. The pandemic had hobbled one of teachers’ most effective tools: small groups.

Typically, they would pull kids from different classes to create groups targeting specific skills, Noel said. But with COVID, they were trying to keep each of the classes separated to limit the spread of disease. And then there was COVID itself. Between illnesses and quarantines, students and staff were missing two weeks or more of school multiple times throughout the year.

“It was taking us two days to do something that would have taken us one,” Noel said.

Noel was infected twice, forced to miss school again just this past fall&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-flu-rsv-child-care-guidelines-4ca836af42cf3bbee4ac6e101c467a71">because of a COVID-sickened child</a>. Parker caught COVID in first grade, missing two weeks of school.

Across the country, federal data show, the disruptions wrought by the pandemic were accompanied by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-government-and-politics-covid-education-39e01a570b560c685b5340078c8dcdee">widespread learning setbacks</a>, even in states that saw students return quickly to in-person learning. Among those showing the largest learning losses are this year’s crop of third graders, who were in kindergarten when the pandemic hit, a foundational year for learning to read.

Now Noel’s students and other third graders are under pressure to master reading ahead of later grades, where literacy is key to learning everything else.

By late January, it was time to show off at “Books and Breakfast,” with parents, grandparents, preschool-age siblings and friends visiting Highland School to see what the children were learning. The students sprawled around the school building, eating doughnuts and reading books to their special guests.

As Emmett read aloud from “Grumpy Monkey,” he got some help with the word “discovery” and plowed ahead, reading clearly how the bananas were “too sweet.”

“I used to didn’t like to read,” said Emmett, who started the year reading more like an early second grader, “but I just started reading.”

At home, though, he is still resisting reading, said his mother, Jessica Mayfield, a 39-year-old hospital lab technician. She blames it in part on those “awful” days of virtual learning. There were meltdowns, and she fretted even then that he would fall behind, with those early years of school so “crucial.”

Mayfield, herself an avid reader, doesn’t know what more the district could have done. “I think,” she said, “it’s just to be expected.”

Assessments showed 13 of Noel’s 24 students are reading below grade level. Many of them are kids who moved to the district in the middle of this school year. Nine have been getting the most intensive so-called tier-three level of support. Some of her students scored so highly they were evaluated for the gifted program. In a rarity, none fell in the middle tier group of kids needing just a little extra help.

It’s a trend seen elsewhere around the country as the pandemic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-reading-test-science-1fc4a95538b6b5c72b447a2935ee0f87">widened the gap between higher- and lower-performing students</a>.

Noel is working harder than ever to keep her advanced students from getting bored, assigning them special projects. Grace Epler, an advanced reader who is prone to finishing assignments early, sometimes spends her free time making up math problems, helping her classmates or playing educational games on her iPad.

State tests are looming, and it weighs heavily on Grace.

“They compare this school to all the other elementary schools in Kansas, and it scares me,” she said at lunchtime, her wrist in a pink splint after a swing mishap. “I might get, like, five wrong.”

This even though she reads nearly anything put in front of her. She is particularly partial to a book the kids wrote and illustrated themselves that documented what they will miss most about their soon-to-close school, a building filled with quirks like a toilet in an old shower stall.

Many kids in Noel’s class are progressing, but not as much as she would like.

“Those highs grew even more,” Noel said. “And the lows, they grew, but they’re still quite a bit lower.”

One day in April, Emmett and Parker were taking a turn in the small group getting extra reading help. After talk of the basketball and softball seasons, the small group took turns reading a book called “A Prince Among Donkeys,” with lots of words and spelling patterns they’ve seen before.

Parker rested his hand on his forehead, reading: “To Adam’s surprise, Emma smelled.” Then, a quick correction: “smelled” to “smiled.”

Imperfect though it was, something had happened over these months of phonics drills and small-group work. When the special education testing came back, not only did it show he didn’t qualify, but he also made so much progress he was close to reading at the level of a beginning third grader.

“I actually do like reading now,” Parker explained. He described evenings spent on the couch with his mother, practicing. He and Emmett are now obsessed with the same book series about a superhero cat. “It’s just fun to do.”

When Parker finished his turn reading, he had the choice of picking who would go next. But he didn’t choose Emmett or any of the other kids.

“Can I pick myself?” he asked. And he kept reading.

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTHCOLUMBUS, Kan. (AP) — Students spread out in their rural Kansas classroom, answering questions with a partner about invaders atop elephants attempting to sack Rome more than 2,000 years ago.“Do you want to read?” one of the third graders, Parker, asked his partner after the lesson on the Punic Wars. “Because I’m not really good.”Bekah Noel told her students to jot down answers for their partners if they needed extra help writing or spelling. Halfway through the school year, with some of her students reading nearly 200 words per minute and others struggling to sound out around 10, she has had to make a lot of tweaks like this.Exiting from the pandemic, the assumption might be that Noel’s students should be among the least scathed. The tiny, 900-student school system in Columbus pivoted to remote learning briefly in March 2020 before going back in person that fall, initially without masks. While some U.S. students spent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-covid-46cb725e08110f8ad3c1b303ec9eefad">a year or more learning online</a>, pandemic school in rural Kansas was as normal as it got.But the upheaval still took a toll. Students and teachers got sick, social distancing made it hard to teach kids in small groups, and the pace of teaching ground to a crawl. Three years later, Noel has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-reading-test-science-1fc4a95538b6b5c72b447a2935ee0f87">more third graders than ever</a>&nbsp;who are reading below grade level. That’s the true elephant in the room.“I have kids,” Noel said midway through the year, “that legitimately cannot read.”Noel is used to adapting to students’ needs, and she has been pulling out all the strategies in her toolkit. She pairs strong and struggling students, reads questions aloud and jots down dictated answers for students to rewrite in their own handwriting.As the pandemic was raging, the district also adopted a new strategy: a reading curriculum that is heavy on phonics — a stressful gamble that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/phonics-science-reading-c715dea43f338f163715b01b83bb1066">the science-backed curriculum</a>&nbsp;might help kids catch up.There are signs the changes are helping, particularly for older students. Educators from other schools have been coming to observe the changes. But this is third grade, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reading-third-grade-phonics-d0f7143c1a09bff3cf9a89a15d00ca09">last year students are typically taught to read</a>.And time is running out.___AS VIRUS SPREAD, ‘EVERYBODY WAS STRESSED OUT' During a group session in October, third grader Emmett Mayfield and a classmate dismantled the word “athletic” with paraprofessional Jessica Seitz. Columbus used federal pandemic relief money to double the number of paraprofessionals assigned to help its small groups of struggling students.“How many syllables do we have?” she asked. Emmett answered: “Three.”It was part of a lesson on closed syllables, a term that refers to a vowel being followed by a consonant. This matters because it creates a short vowel sound, meaning the letter “A” in the word is pronounced as “ah.” If it was a long vowel, it would sound more like the name of the letter.“Make a fist,” Seitz instructed. “We are closing that door. The consonant is stopping that vowel from saying its name.”This type of lesson is a common one now that the district emphasizes the so-called science of reading that is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reading-scores-phonics-mississippi-alabama-louisiana-5bdd5d6ff719b23faa37db2fb95d5004">gaining momentum nationwide</a>. Schools piloted two new reading curriculums for a few weeks in November and December of 2020, as COVID-19 case levels soared.Spared initially, small towns in rural Kansas were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-c924f4f1ecc5f561e9b4fd6e6bdd0e33">so overwhelmed</a>&nbsp;that hospitals had to fly patients hundreds of miles away for treatment. Parker’s mom, Chelsea Brinson, a medical assistant, was testing droves of COVID samples at a clinic. “Everybody was stressed out,” said Brinson, who now works as a nurse’s assistant in the district.Students started masking. But that meant mask breaks were added to the already disrupted schedule.Reading specialist Kelly Walters asked the overwhelmed teachers whether they wanted to put the reading pilot on hold.“One hundred percent of our staff said, ‘No, we want to move forward,’” recalled Walters, who struggled so much to learn to read herself that she suspects an undiagnosed case of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reading-adhd-dyslexia-learning-disability-8636d7537cb25b8df1faf135301f9d92">dyslexia</a>&nbsp;was to blame.The program they picked weaves phonics and other reading changes throughout the curriculum. No longer are those elements mostly isolated to worksheets. Staff praised it, which was encouraging to Walters, who tested the materials on her youngest child, just 3 at the time, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reading-adhd-dyslexia-learning-disability-8636d7537cb25b8df1faf135301f9d92">stuck at home early in the pandemic</a>.“As a mom, who was a struggling reader, to give that gift —” she said, and then stopped and corrected herself. “I shouldn’t have said it was a gift, because it’s not a gift. It’s a right.”___THIRD GRADERS WERE READING LIKE FIRST GRADERS In late November, Noel taught a science lesson on the skeletal system. Like the rest of the curriculum, it also incorporated reading instruction, with “structure” among the vocabulary words she highlighted.“Have you ever seen a house being built before?” Noel asked. The students blurted out examples before she continued: “And they’ll have the wood up first, and it will be like beams.”She then asked whether the word “structure” was a noun, verb, adjective or adverb. Why, she then asked, was it one of the vocabulary words in a lesson on the skeletal system?Parker shared his answer: “Because our spine holds up the rest of our body.” Noel rewarded him with a fist bump.Parker started the year reading at the level of a first grader. He was, Noel, said, “embarrassed.” Midway through the year he seemed stuck, learning new skills and then seeming to forget it all. Staff were worried. He was flagged for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/special-education-disability-depression-adhd-82c09d1d97b05c63cff195077d0c4fb9">special education assessment</a>.When the pandemic first closed schools in 2020, Parker was a kindergartener. His mom recalled “freaking out,” trying to figure out what to do with him. To get him to do schoolwork, his grandmother or someone else had to sit beside him at all times. Otherwise, Parker said, he would “squirrel off.”Columbus and many other rural school systems reopened that fall. With strong opposition to masks locally, the district instead added “sneeze guards” to desks. But in-person school was far from normal. The pandemic had hobbled one of teachers’ most effective tools: small groups.Typically, they would pull kids from different classes to create groups targeting specific skills, Noel said. But with COVID, they were trying to keep each of the classes separated to limit the spread of disease. And then there was COVID itself. Between illnesses and quarantines, students and staff were missing two weeks or more of school multiple times throughout the year.“It was taking us two days to do something that would have taken us one,” Noel said.Noel was infected twice, forced to miss school again just this past fall&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-flu-rsv-child-care-guidelines-4ca836af42cf3bbee4ac6e101c467a71">because of a COVID-sickened child</a>. Parker caught COVID in first grade, missing two weeks of school.Across the country, federal data show, the disruptions wrought by the pandemic were accompanied by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-government-and-politics-covid-education-39e01a570b560c685b5340078c8dcdee">widespread learning setbacks</a>, even in states that saw students return quickly to in-person learning. Among those showing the largest learning losses are this year’s crop of third graders, who were in kindergarten when the pandemic hit, a foundational year for learning to read.Now Noel’s students and other third graders are under pressure to master reading ahead of later grades, where literacy is key to learning everything else.___KIDS START CATCHING UP, BUT SLOWLY By late January, it was time to show off at “Books and Breakfast,” with parents, grandparents, preschool-age siblings and friends visiting Highland School to see what the children were learning. The students sprawled around the school building, eating doughnuts and reading books to their special guests.As Emmett read aloud from “Grumpy Monkey,” he got some help with the word “discovery” and plowed ahead, reading clearly how the bananas were “too sweet.”“I used to didn’t like to read,” said Emmett, who started the year reading more like an early second grader, “but I just started reading.”At home, though, he is still resisting reading, said his mother, Jessica Mayfield, a 39-year-old hospital lab technician. She blames it in part on those “awful” days of virtual learning. There were meltdowns, and she fretted even then that he would fall behind, with those early years of school so “crucial.”Mayfield, herself an avid reader, doesn’t know what more the district could have done. “I think,” she said, “it’s just to be expected.”Assessments showed 13 of Noel’s 24 students are reading below grade level. Many of them are kids who moved to the district in the middle of this school year. Nine have been getting the most intensive so-called tier-three level of support. Some of her students scored so highly they were evaluated for the gifted program. In a rarity, none fell in the middle tier group of kids needing just a little extra help.It’s a trend seen elsewhere around the country as the pandemic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-reading-test-science-1fc4a95538b6b5c72b447a2935ee0f87">widened the gap between higher- and lower-performing students</a>.Noel is working harder than ever to keep her advanced students from getting bored, assigning them special projects. Grace Epler, an advanced reader who is prone to finishing assignments early, sometimes spends her free time making up math problems, helping her classmates or playing educational games on her iPad.State tests are looming, and it weighs heavily on Grace.“They compare this school to all the other elementary schools in Kansas, and it scares me,” she said at lunchtime, her wrist in a pink splint after a swing mishap. “I might get, like, five wrong.”This even though she reads nearly anything put in front of her. She is particularly partial to a book the kids wrote and illustrated themselves that documented what they will miss most about their soon-to-close school, a building filled with quirks like a toilet in an old shower stall.Many kids in Noel’s class are progressing, but not as much as she would like.“Those highs grew even more,” Noel said. “And the lows, they grew, but they’re still quite a bit lower.”___READING ‘ACTUALLY’ BECOMES FUN One day in April, Emmett and Parker were taking a turn in the small group getting extra reading help. After talk of the basketball and softball seasons, the small group took turns reading a book called “A Prince Among Donkeys,” with lots of words and spelling patterns they’ve seen before.Parker rested his hand on his forehead, reading: “To Adam’s surprise, Emma smelled.” Then, a quick correction: “smelled” to “smiled.”Imperfect though it was, something had happened over these months of phonics drills and small-group work. When the special education testing came back, not only did it show he didn’t qualify, but he also made so much progress he was close to reading at the level of a beginning third grader.“I actually do like reading now,” Parker explained. He described evenings spent on the couch with his mother, practicing. He and Emmett are now obsessed with the same book series about a superhero cat. “It’s just fun to do.”When Parker finished his turn reading, he had the choice of picking who would go next. But he didn’t choose Emmett or any of the other kids.“Can I pick myself?” he asked. And he kept reading.___

This Kan. school reopened quickly after COVID. Kids' reading was still behind

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor

For the Salina Liberty, the title defense began with a bang on Saturday, as the reigning champs handled their business at home, knocking off the Gillette Mustangs 37-30 to punch their ticket to a fourth consecutive Champions Bowl.

This win marks the ninth of the season for the Liberty while the book closes on a still-impressive 8-4 campaign for the Mustangs.

The first half of this semifinal bout was very similar to the two teams meeting a few weeks back, although this time it would be Gillette that held the narrow 17-16 lead at the intermission.

That score would hold all the way through the third quarter, as the defensive units tightened the screws, with the deadlock finally broken on an Aaron Aiken touchdown scamper that put the Mustangs up by seven following a missed extra point.

With the scoring restarted the Liberty wasted no time getting to work, as Tracy Brooks took the ensuing kickoff to the four, setting himself up for a two-yard touchdown plunge just two plays later.

It was a brand new ballgame with 10 minutes to play and a 23-23 tie, and after forcing Gillette into a long field goal try Salina found some much-anticipated special teams magic.

Ed Smith caught the short miss in his own end zone and collected the defense on the right side of the field before spinning back to his left and finding a perfectly-blocked crease, taking it to the house for a Liberty touchdown.

That return would deliver Salina their first lead of the day, and the Liberty never looked back as Donavyn Jackson lept into action picking off Aiken with under 2:00 to play to secure the game for the red white, and blue.

Salina would add an insurance touchdown before all was said and done, and the Mustangs would find the scoreboard one final time, but it was too little too late as the Liberty cruised to a 37-30 victory.

In the other semifinal, the Omaha Beef maintained their status as the only undefeated squad in the CIF, bulldozing Billings 42-6 to ensure the trilogy with Salina in a third-straight title bout.

Champions Bowl VIII will take place at Ralston Arena in Omaha on Saturday, June 17th with a 6:30 pm kickoff.

For continuing coverage of Liberty football all postseason long stay tuned to the Salina, Little Apple, and JC Posts.

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributorFor the Salina Liberty, the title defense began with a bang on Saturday, as the reigning champs handled their business at home, knocking off the Gillette Mustangs 37-30 to punch their ticket to a fourth consecutive Champions Bowl.This win marks the ninth of the season for the Liberty while the book closes on a still-impressive 8-4 campaign for the Mustangs.The first half of this semifinal bout was very similar to the two teams meeting a few weeks back, although this time it would be Gillette that held the narrow 17-16 lead at the intermission.That score would hold all the way through the third quarter, as the defensive units tightened the screws, with the deadlock finally broken on an Aaron Aiken touchdown scamper that put the Mustangs up by seven following a missed extra point.With the scoring restarted the Liberty wasted no time getting to work, as Tracy Brooks took the ensuing kickoff to the four, setting himself up for a two-yard touchdown plunge just two plays later.It was a brand new ballgame with 10 minutes to play and a 23-23 tie, and after forcing Gillette into a long field goal try Salina found some much-anticipated special teams magic.Ed Smith caught the short miss in his own end zone and collected the defense on the right side of the field before spinning back to his left and finding a perfectly-blocked crease, taking it to the house for a Liberty touchdown.That return would deliver Salina their first lead of the day, and the Liberty never looked back as Donavyn Jackson lept into action picking off Aiken with under 2:00 to play to secure the game for the red white, and blue.Salina would add an insurance touchdown before all was said and done, and the Mustangs would find the scoreboard one final time, but it was too little too late as the Liberty cruised to a 37-30 victory.In the other semifinal, the Omaha Beef maintained their status as the only undefeated squad in the CIF, bulldozing Billings 42-6 to ensure the trilogy with Salina in a third-straight title bout.Champions Bowl VIII will take place at Ralston Arena in Omaha on Saturday, June 17th with a 6:30 pm kickoff.For continuing coverage of Liberty football all postseason long stay tuned to the Salina, Little Apple, and JC Posts.

Liberty eliminate Mustangs with fourth-quarter comeback

With the CIF quarterfinals officially in the books, the Salina Liberty will return to Tony’s Pizza Events Center on Saturday for a semifinal tilt with the Gillette Mustangs.

The 2-seeded Liberty are fresh off a bye-week that they earned with a 43-41 win in Gillette just two weeks ago, while the Mustangs come into this one having knocked off the Southwest Kansas Storm 40-35 last week.

Salina’s youth was tested in the first battle between these two, but several players rose to the occasion and will be prepared if called upon to answer the bell again in this one.

“We saw a lot of young players really grow up in that first game with Gillette,” Liberty head coach Heron O’Neal said. “Antoine Brown made the game-clinching interception in his first start, Donavyn Jackson led us in tackles as a rookie and Parker faced some adversity for the first time but he adjusted and helped us solidify the win.”

Unlike in their first meeting, the Liberty will have this game in front of a ruckus home fanbase that has turned out in numbers to spur Salina all season.

“Having our city support us the way they have this year has been huge,” O’Neal said. “We’ve seen some of the biggest crowds that this team has ever played in front of and these fans expect to see us compete for championships now. It’s been fun to see the hard work of so many people pay off and we don’t do what we do without them.”

To make a return to their third-consecutive Champions Bowl, the Liberty will have to overcome a Gillette squad that has silenced their opponents this season, ranking second in the league in both scoring defense (32 PPGA), and total defense (155 Y/GA)

“Defensively this is a team that doesn’t let you into that end zone,” he said. “Coach Walker was a legend as a defensive specialist with the Arizona Rattlers and he’s built this defense in his image. They fly around and make plays all over the field. It’s a tough unit to go against but we’re looking forward to battling them on Saturday.”

In addition to a stout defense, the Mustangs have retooled their attack around new QB Aaron Aiken, who has racked up 14 touchdowns, including nine on the ground, in just three games under center.

“This is a Mustang team that is very well coached,” O’Neal said. “They had great personnel on that line and a great running game already but then they bring in Aaron Aiken and he’s added a dynamic to this offense. He has the experience of playing in big games and that’s put them in a different place as a team.”

Two weeks ago, the Liberty emphasized and won the turnover battle, and this week's focus will be no different as Salina turns their attention to taking care of the football as well as the battle up-front.

“This game will be won or lost in the trenches,” he said. “We have some things that we need to be ready for and this should be a fun battle between two supremely talented lines. Just like in that first matchup, we can’t turn the ball over and we have to find ways to generate turnovers on them again.”

Kickoff between the Liberty and Mustangs is set for 6:30 CT at Tony’s Pizza Events Center and as always, the game can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) courtesy of Eagle Radio.

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617387097958.png" alt="Coverage of Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing</figcaption>
 </figure>With the CIF quarterfinals officially in the books, the Salina Liberty will return to Tony’s Pizza Events Center on Saturday for a semifinal tilt with the Gillette Mustangs.The 2-seeded Liberty are fresh off a bye-week that they earned with a 43-41 win in Gillette just two weeks ago, while the Mustangs come into this one having knocked off the Southwest Kansas Storm 40-35 last week.Salina’s youth was tested in the first battle between these two, but several players rose to the occasion and will be prepared if called upon to answer the bell again in this one.“We saw a lot of young players really grow up in that first game with Gillette,” Liberty head coach Heron O’Neal said. “Antoine Brown made the game-clinching interception in his first start, Donavyn Jackson led us in tackles as a rookie and Parker faced some adversity for the first time but he adjusted and helped us solidify the win.”Unlike in their first meeting, the Liberty will have this game in front of a ruckus home fanbase that has turned out in numbers to spur Salina all season.“Having our city support us the way they have this year has been huge,” O’Neal said. “We’ve seen some of the biggest crowds that this team has ever played in front of and these fans expect to see us compete for championships now. It’s been fun to see the hard work of so many people pay off and we don’t do what we do without them.”To make a return to their third-consecutive Champions Bowl, the Liberty will have to overcome a Gillette squad that has silenced their opponents this season, ranking second in the league in both scoring defense (32 PPGA), and total defense (155 Y/GA)“Defensively this is a team that doesn’t let you into that end zone,” he said. “Coach Walker was a legend as a defensive specialist with the Arizona Rattlers and he’s built this defense in his image. They fly around and make plays all over the field. It’s a tough unit to go against but we’re looking forward to battling them on Saturday.”In addition to a stout defense, the Mustangs have retooled their attack around new QB Aaron Aiken, who has racked up 14 touchdowns, including nine on the ground, in just three games under center.“This is a Mustang team that is very well coached,” O’Neal said. “They had great personnel on that line and a great running game already but then they bring in Aaron Aiken and he’s added a dynamic to this offense. He has the experience of playing in big games and that’s put them in a different place as a team.”Two weeks ago, the Liberty emphasized and won the turnover battle, and this week's focus will be no different as Salina turns their attention to taking care of the football as well as the battle up-front.“This game will be won or lost in the trenches,” he said. “We have some things that we need to be ready for and this should be a fun battle between two supremely talented lines. Just like in that first matchup, we can’t turn the ball over and we have to find ways to generate turnovers on them again.”Kickoff between the Liberty and Mustangs is set for 6:30 CT at Tony’s Pizza Events Center and as always, the game can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) courtesy of Eagle Radio.

Liberty host Gillette to kick off title defense in CIF semifinals

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;unveiled new initiatives Thursday to protect LGBTQ+ communities but hastily postponed a big Pride Month celebration on the White House lawn with thousands of guests from around the country because of poor air quality from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-canada-quebec-3291016eaa4905177c90feae02a139c5">the Canadian wildfires</a>.

The event, which will now be held on Saturday, was intended to be a high-profile show of support at a time when members of the LGBTQ+ community feel under attack like never before and the White House has little recourse to beat back a flood of state-level legislation against them.

The Biden administration announced initiatives designed to protect LGBTQ+ communities from attack, help young people with mental health issues and homelessness, and counter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">book bans</a>, though the effects may be limited. Biden was to discuss them at the event, which the White House had said would be the largest Pride Month celebration ever held there.

Thousands of guests had been invited from around the country for an evening filled with food, games and other activities on the South Lawn. Queen HD the DJ was handling the music, and singer Betty Who was on tap to perform.

But the nation’s capital by late morning Thursday was under a “code purple” air quality alert, the fifth-highest level on the six-level&nbsp;<a href="https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/">U.S. air quality index</a>, with authorities recommending that everyone limit their exposure to the hazardous smoke wafting south from Canada. District of Columbia schools canceled all outdoor activities for a second day Thursday, and the National Zoo also closed.

The White House initially resisted altering its plans for the celebration, saying there were no changes, even as the air quality steadily worsened along the East Coast on Wednesday and into Thursday.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the first openly gay White House press secretary, said Wednesday that Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses are strong supporters of the LGBTQ+ community and think a celebration is an important way to “lift up” their accomplishments and contributions. She said LGBTQ+ people need to know Biden “has their back” and “will continue to fight for them. And that’s the message that we want to make sure that gets out there.”

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer individuals, earlier this week declared&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-emergency-human-rights-campaign-guidebook-5a1195f8a6759bdfd37cd7f5a6c5ee34">a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ individuals</a>&nbsp;in the United States and released a guidebook outlining laws it deems discriminatory in each state.

Just a few days into June's Pride Month, the campaign said it acted in response to an “unprecedented and dangerous” spike in discriminatory laws sweeping statehouses this year, with more than 525 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced and more than 70 signed into law so far — more than double last year’s number.

Kelley Robinson, the campaign's president, called for a “swift and powerful” response by people in power, including in government, business and education.

"This is a full-out crisis for our communities that demands a concerted response," she said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I think this is kind of a national call to action and a call to arms to stand up and fight back.”

Biden, a Democrat, announced that the Department of Homeland Security, working with the Justice and Health and Human Services departments, will partner with LGBTQ+ community organizations to provide safety resources and training to help thwart violent attacks.

Separately, HHS and the Department of Housing and Urban Development will provide resources to help LGBTQ+ young people with mental health needs, support in foster care and homelessness.

To confront a spike in book bans, the Department of Education's civil rights office will appoint a new coordinator to work with schools to address that threat. The White House said banning books erodes democracy, deprives students of material needed for learning and can contribute to the stigma and isolation that LGBTQ+ youth feel because books about them are often the ones that are prohibited.

The White House points to Biden's support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals. He has appointed many to prominent positions in the White House, such as Jean-Pierre, and throughout the federal government. He signed legislation to protect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-marriage-united-states-government-virginia-state-4968ff59107e511609fc3e301890942e">marriage equality</a>&nbsp;and continues to urge Congress to send him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-lgbtq-protections-9347578b80d3ad3ac4b92365da81096e">the Equality Act</a>, which would add civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ individuals to federal law.

Polls show public support for the rights of people who are gay and lesbian has expanded dramatically over the last two decades, with about 7 in 10 U.S. adults in polling by Gallup saying that marriages between same-sex adults should be legally valid and that gay and lesbian relationships are morally acceptable.

But attitudes toward transgender people are complex: In polls conducted in 2022 by KFF and the Washington Post and by the Pew Research Center, majorities said they support laws prohibiting discrimination against transgender people in areas such as housing, jobs and schools.

At the same time, both polls found that a majority of Americans think that whether someone is a man or a woman is determined by sex assigned at birth, and many also support restrictive policies aimed at people who are transgender, for example preventing transgender women and girls from participating in sports teams matching their gender identity, along with restrictions on access to medical treatment like puberty blockers and hormone treatment for transgender teens and children.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;has invited thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals to celebrate Pride Month on Thursday in a high-profile show of support at a time when the community feels under attack like never before and the White House has little recourse to beat back a flood of state-level legislation against them.

Biden announced new initiatives to protect LGBTQ+ communities from attacks, help youths with mental health resources and homelessness and counter book bans, though the impacts may be limited.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the first openly gay White House press secretary, said Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses are strong supporters of the LGBTQ+ community and think that having a celebration is an important way to “lift up” their accomplishments and contributions.

She said LGBTQ+ people need to know that Biden “has their back” and “will continue to fight for them. And that’s the message that we want to make sure that gets out there.”

The White House was closely monitoring air quality due to hazardous smoke from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-wildfires-air-quality-8af805b127ba4d4f5933463cf8fdc746">Canadian wildfires</a>&nbsp;to determine whether to proceed with plans for a Thursday night picnic featuring food, games, face painting and photos. Queen HD the DJ was handling the music; singer Betty Who was on tap to perform. The nation's capital was under a “code purple” air quality alert, the fifth-highest level on the six-level&nbsp;<a href="https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/">U.S. air quality index</a>, with authorities recommending that all people limit their exposure to smoke, and District of Columbia schools canceled all outdoor activities for a second day Thursday.

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer individuals, earlier this week declared a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-emergency-human-rights-campaign-guidebook-5a1195f8a6759bdfd37cd7f5a6c5ee34">state of emergency for LGBTQ+ individuals</a>&nbsp;in the United States and released a guidebook outlining laws it deems discriminatory in each state.

Hundreds of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-transgender-rights-rainbow-flag-gay-pride-bbab91ca858e13b3aca88afbbef35843">bills have been proposed</a>&nbsp;restricting the rights of transgender people, including limiting their access to certain forms of health care, and LGBTQ+ advocates say they’ve seen a record number of such measures&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/restrictions-targeting-transgender-people-legislative-updates-df66b5a86be47b03dd5a50449d239275">in statehouses</a>.

The White House points to Biden's support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals, including appointing them to prominent positions in the White House, such as Jean-Pierre, and across the federal government.

After the Supreme Court last year overturned a woman's constitutional right to an abortion, Biden signed legislation to protect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-marriage-united-states-government-virginia-state-4968ff59107e511609fc3e301890942e">marriage equality</a>. He continues to urge Congress to send him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-lgbtq-protections-9347578b80d3ad3ac4b92365da81096e">the Equality Act</a>, which would add civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ individuals to federal law.

The Log Cabin Republicans, which represents LGBTQ+ conservatives, criticized the Human Rights Campaign's declaration of a “state of emergency” as a “PR stunt so ignorantly detached” from the community's progress over the past decade.

Charles Moran, the group's president, noted the gay marriage legislation Biden signed, increased public support for equal rights for LGBTQ+ Americans and their higher visibility across society and accused the campaign of “destructively redefining” support for these individuals around trans surgeries for minors, biological men competing in women’s sports, and sex and gender identity lessons in kindergarten.

“While these issues can be emotional and complex, they in no way pose an unprecedented ‘state of emergency’ to the LGBT community, which has persevered through far worse,” Moran said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656015992947.png" alt="President Biden during a White House Pride Month reception in June of 2022-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden during a White House Pride Month reception in June of 2022-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;unveiled new initiatives Thursday to protect LGBTQ+ communities but hastily postponed a big Pride Month celebration on the White House lawn with thousands of guests from around the country because of poor air quality from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-canada-quebec-3291016eaa4905177c90feae02a139c5">the Canadian wildfires</a>.The event, which will now be held on Saturday, was intended to be a high-profile show of support at a time when members of the LGBTQ+ community feel under attack like never before and the White House has little recourse to beat back a flood of state-level legislation against them.The Biden administration announced initiatives designed to protect LGBTQ+ communities from attack, help young people with mental health issues and homelessness, and counter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">book bans</a>, though the effects may be limited. Biden was to discuss them at the event, which the White House had said would be the largest Pride Month celebration ever held there.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671017343149.png" alt="In December the White House lit up&nbsp; rainbow to celebrate Biden's signature on a gay marriage bill- White House&nbsp; photo" />
 <figcaption>In December the White House lit up&nbsp; rainbow to celebrate Biden's signature on a gay marriage bill- White House&nbsp; photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Thousands of guests had been invited from around the country for an evening filled with food, games and other activities on the South Lawn. Queen HD the DJ was handling the music, and singer Betty Who was on tap to perform.But the nation’s capital by late morning Thursday was under a “code purple” air quality alert, the fifth-highest level on the six-level&nbsp;<a href="https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/">U.S. air quality index</a>, with authorities recommending that everyone limit their exposure to the hazardous smoke wafting south from Canada. District of Columbia schools canceled all outdoor activities for a second day Thursday, and the National Zoo also closed.The White House initially resisted altering its plans for the celebration, saying there were no changes, even as the air quality steadily worsened along the East Coast on Wednesday and into Thursday.Karine Jean-Pierre, the first openly gay White House press secretary, said Wednesday that Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses are strong supporters of the LGBTQ+ community and think a celebration is an important way to “lift up” their accomplishments and contributions. She said LGBTQ+ people need to know Biden “has their back” and “will continue to fight for them. And that’s the message that we want to make sure that gets out there.”The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer individuals, earlier this week declared&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-emergency-human-rights-campaign-guidebook-5a1195f8a6759bdfd37cd7f5a6c5ee34">a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ individuals</a>&nbsp;in the United States and released a guidebook outlining laws it deems discriminatory in each state.Just a few days into June's Pride Month, the campaign said it acted in response to an “unprecedented and dangerous” spike in discriminatory laws sweeping statehouses this year, with more than 525 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced and more than 70 signed into law so far — more than double last year’s number.Kelley Robinson, the campaign's president, called for a “swift and powerful” response by people in power, including in government, business and education."This is a full-out crisis for our communities that demands a concerted response," she said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I think this is kind of a national call to action and a call to arms to stand up and fight back.”Biden, a Democrat, announced that the Department of Homeland Security, working with the Justice and Health and Human Services departments, will partner with LGBTQ+ community organizations to provide safety resources and training to help thwart violent attacks.Separately, HHS and the Department of Housing and Urban Development will provide resources to help LGBTQ+ young people with mental health needs, support in foster care and homelessness.To confront a spike in book bans, the Department of Education's civil rights office will appoint a new coordinator to work with schools to address that threat. The White House said banning books erodes democracy, deprives students of material needed for learning and can contribute to the stigma and isolation that LGBTQ+ youth feel because books about them are often the ones that are prohibited.The White House points to Biden's support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals. He has appointed many to prominent positions in the White House, such as Jean-Pierre, and throughout the federal government. He signed legislation to protect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-marriage-united-states-government-virginia-state-4968ff59107e511609fc3e301890942e">marriage equality</a>&nbsp;and continues to urge Congress to send him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-lgbtq-protections-9347578b80d3ad3ac4b92365da81096e">the Equality Act</a>, which would add civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ individuals to federal law.Polls show public support for the rights of people who are gay and lesbian has expanded dramatically over the last two decades, with about 7 in 10 U.S. adults in polling by Gallup saying that marriages between same-sex adults should be legally valid and that gay and lesbian relationships are morally acceptable.But attitudes toward transgender people are complex: In polls conducted in 2022 by KFF and the Washington Post and by the Pew Research Center, majorities said they support laws prohibiting discrimination against transgender people in areas such as housing, jobs and schools.At the same time, both polls found that a majority of Americans think that whether someone is a man or a woman is determined by sex assigned at birth, and many also support restrictive policies aimed at people who are transgender, for example preventing transgender women and girls from participating in sports teams matching their gender identity, along with restrictions on access to medical treatment like puberty blockers and hormone treatment for transgender teens and children.___WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;has invited thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals to celebrate Pride Month on Thursday in a high-profile show of support at a time when the community feels under attack like never before and the White House has little recourse to beat back a flood of state-level legislation against them.Biden announced new initiatives to protect LGBTQ+ communities from attacks, help youths with mental health resources and homelessness and counter book bans, though the impacts may be limited.Karine Jean-Pierre, the first openly gay White House press secretary, said Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses are strong supporters of the LGBTQ+ community and think that having a celebration is an important way to “lift up” their accomplishments and contributions.She said LGBTQ+ people need to know that Biden “has their back” and “will continue to fight for them. And that’s the message that we want to make sure that gets out there.”The White House was closely monitoring air quality due to hazardous smoke from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-wildfires-air-quality-8af805b127ba4d4f5933463cf8fdc746">Canadian wildfires</a>&nbsp;to determine whether to proceed with plans for a Thursday night picnic featuring food, games, face painting and photos. Queen HD the DJ was handling the music; singer Betty Who was on tap to perform. The nation's capital was under a “code purple” air quality alert, the fifth-highest level on the six-level&nbsp;<a href="https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/">U.S. air quality index</a>, with authorities recommending that all people limit their exposure to smoke, and District of Columbia schools canceled all outdoor activities for a second day Thursday.The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer individuals, earlier this week declared a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-emergency-human-rights-campaign-guidebook-5a1195f8a6759bdfd37cd7f5a6c5ee34">state of emergency for LGBTQ+ individuals</a>&nbsp;in the United States and released a guidebook outlining laws it deems discriminatory in each state.Just a few days into June's Pride Month, the campaign said it acted in response to an “unprecedented and dangerous” spike in discriminatory laws sweeping statehouses this year, with more than 525 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced and more than 70 signed into law so far — more than double last year’s number.Kelley Robinson, the campaign's president, called for a “swift and powerful” response by people in power, including in government, business and education."This is a full-out crisis for our communities that demands a concerted response," she said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I think this is kind of a national call to action and a call to arms to stand up and fight back.”Biden, a Democrat, announced that the Department of Homeland Security, working with the Justice and Health and Human Services departments, will partner with LGBTQ+ community organizations to provide safety resources and training to help thwart violent attacks.Separately, HHS and the Department of Housing and Urban Development will provide resources to help LGBTQ+ young people with mental health needs, support in foster care and homelessness.To confront a spike in book bans, the Department of Education's civil rights office will appoint a new coordinator to work with schools to address that threat. The White House said banning books erodes democracy, deprives students of material needed for learning and can contribute to the stigma and isolation that LGBTQ+ youth feel because books about them are often the ones that are prohibited.Hundreds of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-transgender-rights-rainbow-flag-gay-pride-bbab91ca858e13b3aca88afbbef35843">bills have been proposed</a>&nbsp;restricting the rights of transgender people, including limiting their access to certain forms of health care, and LGBTQ+ advocates say they’ve seen a record number of such measures&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/restrictions-targeting-transgender-people-legislative-updates-df66b5a86be47b03dd5a50449d239275">in statehouses</a>.The White House points to Biden's support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals, including appointing them to prominent positions in the White House, such as Jean-Pierre, and across the federal government.After the Supreme Court last year overturned a woman's constitutional right to an abortion, Biden signed legislation to protect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-marriage-united-states-government-virginia-state-4968ff59107e511609fc3e301890942e">marriage equality</a>. He continues to urge Congress to send him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-lgbtq-protections-9347578b80d3ad3ac4b92365da81096e">the Equality Act</a>, which would add civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ individuals to federal law.Polls show public support for the rights of people who are gay and lesbian has expanded dramatically over the last two decades, with about 7 in 10 U.S. adults in polling by Gallup saying that marriages between same-sex adults should be legally valid and that gay and lesbian relationships are morally acceptable.But attitudes toward transgender people are complex: In polls conducted in 2022 by KFF and the Washington Post and by the Pew Research Center, majorities said they support laws prohibiting discrimination against transgender people in areas such as housing, jobs and schools.At the same time, both polls found that a majority of Americans think that whether someone is a man or a woman is determined by sex assigned at birth, and many also support restrictive policies aimed at people who are transgender, for example preventing transgender women and girls from participating in sports teams matching their gender identity, along with restrictions on access to medical treatment like puberty blockers and hormone treatment for transgender teens and children.The Log Cabin Republicans, which represents LGBTQ+ conservatives, criticized the Human Rights Campaign's declaration of a “state of emergency” as a “PR stunt so ignorantly detached” from the community's progress over the past decade.Charles Moran, the group's president, noted the gay marriage legislation Biden signed, increased public support for equal rights for LGBTQ+ Americans and their higher visibility across society and accused the campaign of “destructively redefining” support for these individuals around trans surgeries for minors, biological men competing in women’s sports, and sex and gender identity lessons in kindergarten.“While these issues can be emotional and complex, they in no way pose an unprecedented ‘state of emergency’ to the LGBT community, which has persevered through far worse,” Moran said.___

Pride Month: Biden unveils updated LGBTQ+ initiatives 

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Pat Robertson, a religious broadcaster who turned a tiny Virginia station into the global Christian Broadcasting Network, tried a run for president and helped make religion central to Republican Party politics in America through his Christian Coalition, has died. He was 93.

Robertson's death Thursday was announced by his broadcasting network. No cause was given.

Robertson’s enterprises also included Regent University, an evangelical Christian school in Virginia Beach; the American Center for Law and Justice, which defends the First Amendment rights of religious people; and Operation Blessing, an international humanitarian organization.

For more than a half-century, Robertson was a familiar presence in American living rooms, known for his “700 Club” television show, and in later years, his televised pronouncements of God’s judgment, blaming natural disasters on everything from homosexuality to the teaching of evolution.

The money poured in as he solicited donations, his influence soared, and he brought a huge following with him when he moved directly into politics by seeking the GOP presidential nomination in 1988.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-evangelical-abortion-iowa-0707607982651226d6859733637a453e">Robertson pioneered the now-common strategy</a>&nbsp;of courting Iowa’s network of evangelical Christian churches, and finished in second place in the Iowa caucuses, ahead of Vice President George H.W. Bush.

His masterstroke was insisting that three million followers across the U.S. sign petitions before he would decide to run, Robertson biographer Jeffrey K. Hadden said. The tactic gave him an army.

″He asked people to pledge that they’d work for him, pray for him and give him money,” Hadden, a University of Virginia sociologist,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3265228b1b14e865922bd51ac0bf1bc9">told The Associated Press in 1988</a>. ″Political historians may view it as one of the most ingenious things a candidate ever did.″

Robertson later endorsed Bush, who won the presidency. Pursuit of Iowa’s evangelicals is now a ritual for Republican hopefuls, including those currently seeking the White House in 2024.

Robertson started the Christian Coalition in Chesapeake in 1989, saying it would further his campaign’s ideals. The coalition became a major political force in the 1990s, mobilizing conservative voters through grass-roots activities.

By the time of his resignation as the coalition's president in 2001 — Robertson said he wanted to concentrate on ministerial work — his impact on both religion and politics in the U.S. was “enormous,” according to John C. Green, an emeritus political science professor at The University of Akron.

Many followed the path Robertson cut in religious broadcasting,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pat-robertson-700-club-steps-down-as-host-cf058279cc326ce21e089fef05357382#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI%20will%20no%20longer%20be,to%20thank%20all%20of%20you.%E2%80%9D">Green told the AP in 2021</a>. In American politics, Robertson helped “cement the alliance between conservative Christians and the Republican Party.”

Marion Gordon “Pat” Robertson was born March 22, 1930, in Lexington, Virginia, to Absalom Willis Robertson and Gladys Churchill Robertson. His father served for 36 years as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Virginia.

After graduating from Washington and Lee University, he served as assistant adjutant of the 1st Marine Division in Korea.

He received a law degree from Yale University Law School, but failed the bar exam and chose not to pursue a law career.

Robertson met his wife, Adelia “Dede” Elmer, at Yale in 1952. He was a Southern Baptist, she was a Catholic, earning a master’s in nursing. Eighteen months later, they ran off to be married by a justice of the peace, knowing neither family would approve.

Robertson was interested in politics until he found religion, Dede Robertson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-television-united-states-virginia-norfolk-b345bab8c17c66e7836ff7db3488ebd7#:~:text=NORFOLK%2C%20Va.,Robertson%20was%2094.">told the AP in 1987</a>. He stunned her by pouring out their liquor, tearing a nude print off the wall and declaring he had found the Lord.

They moved into a commune in New York City’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood because Robertson said God told him to sell all his possessions and minister to the poor. She was tempted to return home to Ohio, “but I realized that was not what the Lord would have me do ... I had promised to stay, so I did,” she told the AP.

Robertson received a master’s in divinity from New York Theological Seminary in 1959, then drove south with his family to buy a bankrupt UHF television station in Portsmouth, Va. He said he had just $70 in his pocket, but soon found investors, and CBN went on the air on Oct. 1, 1961. Established as a tax-exempt religious nonprofit, CBN brought in hundreds of millions, disclosing $321 million in “ministry support” in 2022 alone.

One of Robertson’s innovations was to use the secular talk-show format on the network’s flagship show, the “700 Club,” which grew out of a telethon when Robertson asked 700 viewers for monthly $10 contributions. It was more suited to television than traditional revival meetings or church services, and gained a huge audience.

“Here’s a well-educated person having sophisticated conversations with a wide variety of guests on a wide variety of topics,” said Green, the University of Akron political science professor. “It was with a religious inflection to be sure. But it was an approach that took up everyday concerns.”

His guests eventually included several U.S. presidents — Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump.

At times, his on-air pronouncements drew criticism.

He claimed that the terrorist attacks that killed thousands of Americans on Sept. 11, 2001 were caused by God, angered by the federal courts, pornography, abortion rights and church-state separation. Talking again about 9-11 on his TV show a year later, Robertson described Islam as a violent religion that wants to “dominate” and “destroy,” prompting President George W. Bush to distance himself and say Islam is a peaceful and respectful religion.

He called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in 2005. Later that year, he warned residents of a rural Pennsylvania town not to be surprised if disaster struck them because they voted out school board members who favored teaching “intelligent design” over evolution. And in 1998, he said Orlando, Florida, should beware of hurricanes after allowing the annual Gay Days event.

In 2014, he angered Kenyans when he warned that towels in Kenya could transmit AIDS. CBN issued a correction, saying Robertson “misspoke about the possibility of getting AIDS through towels.”

Robertson also could be unpredictable: In 2010, he called for ending mandatory prison sentences for marijuana possession convictions. Two years later, he said on the “700 Club” that marijuana should be legalized and treated like alcohol because the government’s war on drugs had failed.

Robertson condemned Democrats caught up in sex scandals, saying for example that President Bill Clinton turned the White House into a playpen for sexual freedom. But he helped solidify evangelical support for Donald Trump, dismissing the candidate's sexually predatory comments about women as an attempt “to look like he’s macho.”

After Trump took office, Robertson interviewed the president at the White House. And CBN welcomed Trump advisers, such as Kellyanne Conway, as guests.

But after President Trump lost to Joe Biden in 2020, Robertson said Trump was living in an “alternate reality” and should “move on,” news outlets reported.

Robertson’s son, Gordon, succeeded him in December 2007 as chief executive of CBN, which is now based in Virginia Beach. Robertson remained chairman of the network and continued to appear on the “700 Club.”

Robertson stepped down as host of the show after half a century in 2021, with his son Gordon taking over the weekday show.

Robertson also was founder and chairman of International Family Entertainment Inc., parent of The Family Channel basic cable TV network. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. bought IFE in 1997.

Regent University, where classes began in Virginia Beach in 1978, now has more than 30,000 alumni, CBN said in a statement.

Robertson wrote 15 books, including “The Turning Tide” and “The New World Order.”

His wife Dede, who was a founding board member of CBN,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-television-united-states-virginia-norfolk-b345bab8c17c66e7836ff7db3488ebd7#:~:text=NORFOLK%2C%20Va.,Robertson%20was%2094.">died last year at the age of 94</a>. The couple had four children, 14 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren, CBN said in a statement.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Pat Robertson, a religious broadcaster who turned a tiny Virginia station into the global Christian Broadcasting Network, tried a run for president and helped make religion central to Republican Party politics in America through his Christian Coalition, has died. He was 93.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">With great sadness, we announce that Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson has gone home to be with his Lord and Savior today, June 8, 2023. Thank you for your prayers for the Robertson family and the ministry of CBN at this time. For more details on Pat’s life and legacy, visit… <a href="https://t.co/vxbvrNxEG8">pic.twitter.com/vxbvrNxEG8</a>&mdash; CBN News (@CBNNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBNNews/status/1666776042969653249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Robertson's death Thursday was announced by his broadcasting network. No cause was given.Robertson’s enterprises also included Regent University, an evangelical Christian school in Virginia Beach; the American Center for Law and Justice, which defends the First Amendment rights of religious people; and Operation Blessing, an international humanitarian organization.For more than a half-century, Robertson was a familiar presence in American living rooms, known for his “700 Club” television show, and in later years, his televised pronouncements of God’s judgment, blaming natural disasters on everything from homosexuality to the teaching of evolution.The money poured in as he solicited donations, his influence soared, and he brought a huge following with him when he moved directly into politics by seeking the GOP presidential nomination in 1988.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-evangelical-abortion-iowa-0707607982651226d6859733637a453e">Robertson pioneered the now-common strategy</a>&nbsp;of courting Iowa’s network of evangelical Christian churches, and finished in second place in the Iowa caucuses, ahead of Vice President George H.W. Bush.His masterstroke was insisting that three million followers across the U.S. sign petitions before he would decide to run, Robertson biographer Jeffrey K. Hadden said. The tactic gave him an army.″He asked people to pledge that they’d work for him, pray for him and give him money,” Hadden, a University of Virginia sociologist,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3265228b1b14e865922bd51ac0bf1bc9">told The Associated Press in 1988</a>. ″Political historians may view it as one of the most ingenious things a candidate ever did.″Robertson later endorsed Bush, who won the presidency. Pursuit of Iowa’s evangelicals is now a ritual for Republican hopefuls, including those currently seeking the White House in 2024.Robertson started the Christian Coalition in Chesapeake in 1989, saying it would further his campaign’s ideals. The coalition became a major political force in the 1990s, mobilizing conservative voters through grass-roots activities.By the time of his resignation as the coalition's president in 2001 — Robertson said he wanted to concentrate on ministerial work — his impact on both religion and politics in the U.S. was “enormous,” according to John C. Green, an emeritus political science professor at The University of Akron.Many followed the path Robertson cut in religious broadcasting,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pat-robertson-700-club-steps-down-as-host-cf058279cc326ce21e089fef05357382#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI%20will%20no%20longer%20be,to%20thank%20all%20of%20you.%E2%80%9D">Green told the AP in 2021</a>. In American politics, Robertson helped “cement the alliance between conservative Christians and the Republican Party.”Marion Gordon “Pat” Robertson was born March 22, 1930, in Lexington, Virginia, to Absalom Willis Robertson and Gladys Churchill Robertson. His father served for 36 years as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Virginia.After graduating from Washington and Lee University, he served as assistant adjutant of the 1st Marine Division in Korea.He received a law degree from Yale University Law School, but failed the bar exam and chose not to pursue a law career.Robertson met his wife, Adelia “Dede” Elmer, at Yale in 1952. He was a Southern Baptist, she was a Catholic, earning a master’s in nursing. Eighteen months later, they ran off to be married by a justice of the peace, knowing neither family would approve.Robertson was interested in politics until he found religion, Dede Robertson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-television-united-states-virginia-norfolk-b345bab8c17c66e7836ff7db3488ebd7#:~:text=NORFOLK%2C%20Va.,Robertson%20was%2094.">told the AP in 1987</a>. He stunned her by pouring out their liquor, tearing a nude print off the wall and declaring he had found the Lord.They moved into a commune in New York City’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood because Robertson said God told him to sell all his possessions and minister to the poor. She was tempted to return home to Ohio, “but I realized that was not what the Lord would have me do ... I had promised to stay, so I did,” she told the AP.Robertson received a master’s in divinity from New York Theological Seminary in 1959, then drove south with his family to buy a bankrupt UHF television station in Portsmouth, Va. He said he had just $70 in his pocket, but soon found investors, and CBN went on the air on Oct. 1, 1961. Established as a tax-exempt religious nonprofit, CBN brought in hundreds of millions, disclosing $321 million in “ministry support” in 2022 alone.One of Robertson’s innovations was to use the secular talk-show format on the network’s flagship show, the “700 Club,” which grew out of a telethon when Robertson asked 700 viewers for monthly $10 contributions. It was more suited to television than traditional revival meetings or church services, and gained a huge audience.“Here’s a well-educated person having sophisticated conversations with a wide variety of guests on a wide variety of topics,” said Green, the University of Akron political science professor. “It was with a religious inflection to be sure. But it was an approach that took up everyday concerns.”His guests eventually included several U.S. presidents — Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump.At times, his on-air pronouncements drew criticism.He claimed that the terrorist attacks that killed thousands of Americans on Sept. 11, 2001 were caused by God, angered by the federal courts, pornography, abortion rights and church-state separation. Talking again about 9-11 on his TV show a year later, Robertson described Islam as a violent religion that wants to “dominate” and “destroy,” prompting President George W. Bush to distance himself and say Islam is a peaceful and respectful religion.He called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in 2005. Later that year, he warned residents of a rural Pennsylvania town not to be surprised if disaster struck them because they voted out school board members who favored teaching “intelligent design” over evolution. And in 1998, he said Orlando, Florida, should beware of hurricanes after allowing the annual Gay Days event.In 2014, he angered Kenyans when he warned that towels in Kenya could transmit AIDS. CBN issued a correction, saying Robertson “misspoke about the possibility of getting AIDS through towels.”Robertson also could be unpredictable: In 2010, he called for ending mandatory prison sentences for marijuana possession convictions. Two years later, he said on the “700 Club” that marijuana should be legalized and treated like alcohol because the government’s war on drugs had failed.Robertson condemned Democrats caught up in sex scandals, saying for example that President Bill Clinton turned the White House into a playpen for sexual freedom. But he helped solidify evangelical support for Donald Trump, dismissing the candidate's sexually predatory comments about women as an attempt “to look like he’s macho.”After Trump took office, Robertson interviewed the president at the White House. And CBN welcomed Trump advisers, such as Kellyanne Conway, as guests.But after President Trump lost to Joe Biden in 2020, Robertson said Trump was living in an “alternate reality” and should “move on,” news outlets reported.Robertson’s son, Gordon, succeeded him in December 2007 as chief executive of CBN, which is now based in Virginia Beach. Robertson remained chairman of the network and continued to appear on the “700 Club.”Robertson stepped down as host of the show after half a century in 2021, with his son Gordon taking over the weekday show.Robertson also was founder and chairman of International Family Entertainment Inc., parent of The Family Channel basic cable TV network. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. bought IFE in 1997.Regent University, where classes began in Virginia Beach in 1978, now has more than 30,000 alumni, CBN said in a statement.Robertson wrote 15 books, including “The Turning Tide” and “The New World Order.”His wife Dede, who was a founding board member of CBN,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-television-united-states-virginia-norfolk-b345bab8c17c66e7836ff7db3488ebd7#:~:text=NORFOLK%2C%20Va.,Robertson%20was%2094.">died last year at the age of 94</a>. The couple had four children, 14 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren, CBN said in a statement.

Pat Robertson, broadcaster, former presidential candidate has died

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for alleged theft.&nbsp;

Just after 5a.m. Wednesday, a witness called 911 to report that they heard the sound of a Sawzall cutting metal coming from the Super Car Guy’s lot in the 100 block of N. West Street in Wichita, according to a media release. 

Officers responded to the scene and located 32-year-old Sean Gisick of Wichita crawling on the parking lot floor with 3 catalytic convertors and a handheld Sawzall. 

Investigators located 3 vehicles in the car lot with their catalytic convertors cut and removed.&nbsp; 

Officers arrested Gisick and booked on requested charges of&nbsp;felony charges of theft of property and criminal damage to property.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686153254344.png" alt="Gisick-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Gisick-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for alleged theft.&nbsp;Just after 5a.m. Wednesday, a witness called 911 to report that they heard the sound of a Sawzall cutting metal coming from the Super Car Guy’s lot in the 100 block of N. West Street in Wichita, according to a media release. Officers responded to the scene and located 32-year-old Sean Gisick of Wichita crawling on the parking lot floor with 3 catalytic convertors and a handheld Sawzall. Investigators located 3 vehicles in the car lot with their catalytic convertors cut and removed.&nbsp; Officers arrested Gisick and booked on requested charges of&nbsp;felony charges of theft of property and criminal damage to property.

Police catch man cutting catalytic converters at Kan. car dealer

David Toelle's work ethic, loyalty, longevity and patience at Kansas Wesleyan have been rewarded.

Toelle '01, '08, sports information director since 2001, has been promoted to associate athletic director of athletics communications.&nbsp;

"For me this is a promotion that has been waiting for a very long time," KWU Director of Athletics Miguel Paredes said in making the announcement. "David has tremendous knowledge of Kansas Wesleyan athletics — to me, he's like a history book. Any information you want, he has it. When you think of Kansas Wesleyan athletics, you think of David Toelle."

Toelle has been at KWU since 1996, when he arrived as a freshman, member of the cross country team and aspiring athletic trainer. Toelle changed his major to Computer Information Systems and after completion of his degree in 2001, and worked part-time in the information technology office and in the athletics office before taking on the SID full-time in 2005. During his time, he has established himself as one of the top SIDs in the Kansas Conference and all of small college athletics.

Former longtime Director of Athletics Jerry Jones installed Toelle as fulltime sports information director in 2005.&nbsp;

"Best hire I ever had," Jones said last summer.

●&nbsp; KCAC statistician for seven years

● Statistician for KCAC tournament soccer, basketball, baseball and softball

● Helped develop the KWU athletic department website

● Mentored the development of the Coyote Sports Network

● The development of live video productions at KWU events

● KCAC Sports Information Director of the Year, 2012 and 2020

● Inductee in the Coyote Athletic Hall of Fame, 2022

"It is extremely humbling," Toelle said of the promotion. "It's something that I've hoped for and hoped would come, but sometimes you just have to be patient and wait. Good things come to those who wait and those who put in the time and the effort to make things happen.

"When I first stepped into this position, I didn't know what I was doing. I had the opportunity to have some strong mentors and some people who helped along the way. Being able to develop my skills put me in the position that I am in now."

The promotion will allow Toelle to assume more of a leadership role within the department, according to Paredes.

"It's more of the hands-on, it's more of us solidifying a graduate assistant for him, so that way he can oversee a lot more of the events that he would like to do," he said. "This gives him the ability to delegate certain responsibilities when it comes to sports information, game-day administration and the live stream.

"I go back to my coaching days: You have your head coach, then you have your coordinators — David's like a coordinator. He knows exactly what type of offense and defense we're going to run; he knows exactly how we're going to do it."

Under Toelle's guidance, KWU has become a leader in the live stream of athletic events. He frequently coordinates KCAC championship events, as well, along with nonathletic events on campus.

"I go back to a comment that was made to us by a parent that kind of critiqued our live streaming," Paredes said. "They saw the stream and their email response was, 'Oh my, best ever. Did you hire a professional crew?' I said, 'No, that was David Toelle and his staff.' He takes a lot of pride in his work."

Toelle credits the university for allowing him to enhance and grow the stream.

"When we got into streaming, we were using a junky camera that people would laugh at," he said. "Now we're using industry standard equipment. We've been fortunate to have the opportunity to get those things and put those things in place.&nbsp;

"I can do some of the tech stuff, but when the magic happens, that's just the good group of people that we have."

Richard Speas, director of athletic recruiting and fundraising, knows the effect of Toelle's work.

"In the past 11 months, our athletic website had 1.5 million views," he said. "Is that impactful to branding and marketing opportunities? I think the answer is yes, and I think most people would look at that and say, 'Wow, that's impressive.'

"Dave is extremely involved in game-day operations — more so than most SIDs, and I've been at various institutions. Not only from a technology standpoint, obviously, but he does a lot of other things, as well, like getting personnel lined up and accompanying them."

Helping the athletics department grow is Toelle's top objective.

"I hope that someday we'll get to a point that in some sport we can claim a national title or we can get individuals to win national titles," he said. "That's the ultimate goal, and it's the goal for everyone in the room and everyone on campus. I think we have plenty of opportunities to continue to grow and make ourselves known on the national scene in all sports."

Paredes said he knew of Toelle before taking over the department in January.

"A gentleman from Columbia College (Mo.) who found out that I got the job here at Kansas Wesleyan told me, 'It's an amazing place; you'll be working with a living legend. Your SID is amazing,'" said Paredes, who came to KWU from Missouri.

"David is known not just throughout the KCAC but throughout the NAIA for his work and what he's done."

"David Toelle is a Kansas Wesleyan institution. His work not only increases the exposure of our teams but it betters the student-athlete experience by providing some of the best coverage, dollar-for-dollar, in the state. He's been a leader in his field for years and is constantly thinking of ways to make his results, and thus Kansas Wesleyan, better." —&nbsp;Ken Oliver, executive vice president for advancement and university operations

"David is Kansas Wesleyan. What he has done to enhance the athletic department is second to none, not only in the KCAC but the NAIA, as well. He is a tireless worker who gives his time and effort to make sure every program here is represented to the highest level possible." —&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/1/13280" target="_blank">Anthony Monson</a>, men's basketball coach

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592241582372.png" alt="David Toelle KWU image" />
 <figcaption>David Toelle KWU image</figcaption>
 </figure>KWUDavid Toelle's work ethic, loyalty, longevity and patience at Kansas Wesleyan have been rewarded.Toelle '01, '08, sports information director since 2001, has been promoted to associate athletic director of athletics communications.&nbsp;"For me this is a promotion that has been waiting for a very long time," KWU Director of Athletics Miguel Paredes said in making the announcement. "David has tremendous knowledge of Kansas Wesleyan athletics — to me, he's like a history book. Any information you want, he has it. When you think of Kansas Wesleyan athletics, you think of David Toelle."Toelle has been at KWU since 1996, when he arrived as a freshman, member of the cross country team and aspiring athletic trainer. Toelle changed his major to Computer Information Systems and after completion of his degree in 2001, and worked part-time in the information technology office and in the athletics office before taking on the SID full-time in 2005. During his time, he has established himself as one of the top SIDs in the Kansas Conference and all of small college athletics.Former longtime Director of Athletics Jerry Jones installed Toelle as fulltime sports information director in 2005.&nbsp;"Best hire I ever had," Jones said last summer.Some of Toelle's accomplishments:●&nbsp; KCAC statistician for seven years● Statistician for KCAC tournament soccer, basketball, baseball and softball● Helped develop the KWU athletic department website● Mentored the development of the Coyote Sports Network● The development of live video productions at KWU events● KWU Young Alumnus Award winner, 2011● KCAC Sports Information Director of the Year, 2012 and 2020● Inductee in the Coyote Athletic Hall of Fame, 2022"It is extremely humbling," Toelle said of the promotion. "It's something that I've hoped for and hoped would come, but sometimes you just have to be patient and wait. Good things come to those who wait and those who put in the time and the effort to make things happen."When I first stepped into this position, I didn't know what I was doing. I had the opportunity to have some strong mentors and some people who helped along the way. Being able to develop my skills put me in the position that I am in now."The promotion will allow Toelle to assume more of a leadership role within the department, according to Paredes."It's more of the hands-on, it's more of us solidifying a graduate assistant for him, so that way he can oversee a lot more of the events that he would like to do," he said. "This gives him the ability to delegate certain responsibilities when it comes to sports information, game-day administration and the live stream."I go back to my coaching days: You have your head coach, then you have your coordinators — David's like a coordinator. He knows exactly what type of offense and defense we're going to run; he knows exactly how we're going to do it."Under Toelle's guidance, KWU has become a leader in the live stream of athletic events. He frequently coordinates KCAC championship events, as well, along with nonathletic events on campus."I go back to a comment that was made to us by a parent that kind of critiqued our live streaming," Paredes said. "They saw the stream and their email response was, 'Oh my, best ever. Did you hire a professional crew?' I said, 'No, that was David Toelle and his staff.' He takes a lot of pride in his work."Toelle credits the university for allowing him to enhance and grow the stream."When we got into streaming, we were using a junky camera that people would laugh at," he said. "Now we're using industry standard equipment. We've been fortunate to have the opportunity to get those things and put those things in place.&nbsp;"I can do some of the tech stuff, but when the magic happens, that's just the good group of people that we have."Richard Speas, director of athletic recruiting and fundraising, knows the effect of Toelle's work."In the past 11 months, our athletic website had 1.5 million views," he said. "Is that impactful to branding and marketing opportunities? I think the answer is yes, and I think most people would look at that and say, 'Wow, that's impressive.'"Dave is extremely involved in game-day operations — more so than most SIDs, and I've been at various institutions. Not only from a technology standpoint, obviously, but he does a lot of other things, as well, like getting personnel lined up and accompanying them."Helping the athletics department grow is Toelle's top objective."I hope that someday we'll get to a point that in some sport we can claim a national title or we can get individuals to win national titles," he said. "That's the ultimate goal, and it's the goal for everyone in the room and everyone on campus. I think we have plenty of opportunities to continue to grow and make ourselves known on the national scene in all sports."Paredes said he knew of Toelle before taking over the department in January."A gentleman from Columbia College (Mo.) who found out that I got the job here at Kansas Wesleyan told me, 'It's an amazing place; you'll be working with a living legend. Your SID is amazing,'" said Paredes, who came to KWU from Missouri."David is known not just throughout the KCAC but throughout the NAIA for his work and what he's done."<h2>What others at KWU are saying</h2>"David Toelle is a Kansas Wesleyan institution. His work not only increases the exposure of our teams but it betters the student-athlete experience by providing some of the best coverage, dollar-for-dollar, in the state. He's been a leader in his field for years and is constantly thinking of ways to make his results, and thus Kansas Wesleyan, better." —&nbsp;Ken Oliver, executive vice president for advancement and university operations"David is Kansas Wesleyan. What he has done to enhance the athletic department is second to none, not only in the KCAC but the NAIA, as well. He is a tireless worker who gives his time and effort to make sure every program here is represented to the highest level possible." —&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/1/13280" target="_blank">Anthony Monson</a>, men's basketball coach"David is the legend of SIDs in the KCAC. He does a great job of pushing the limits on technology and vision in sports. He is the hidden gem to our successful teams since he has been at KWU." —&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/18/13818" target="_blank">Jessica Biegert</a>, women's volleyball coach"David does a lot of the behind-the-scenes work for KWU athletics. Many hours are spent making sure we are the standard in sports information not only in our conference but regionally as well." —&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/2/13621" target="_blank">Ryan Showman</a>, women's basketball coach"David continues to make the KWU experience for students and families better every year. He has set the standard for SIDs in the conference and the country."&nbsp;—&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/5/13353" target="_blank">Matt Myers</a>, football coach