KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs coordinators and linebacker&nbsp;Anthony Hitchens talk football during a Thursday presser. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:

You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM), your local Chiefs Radio Network stations.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs coordinators and linebacker&nbsp;Anthony Hitchens talk football during a Thursday presser. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fvideos%2F463876324498339%2F&show_text=true&width=734&height=523&appId" width="734" height="523" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM), your local Chiefs Radio Network stations.

📹Chiefs coordinators, Hitchens talk football Thursday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid and players Patrick Mahomes,&nbsp;Juan Thornhill, and Eric Fisher field media questions during a Wednesday presser. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid and players Patrick Mahomes,&nbsp;Juan Thornhill, and Eric Fisher field media questions during a Wednesday presser. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fvideos%2F772064620282967%2F&show_text=true&width=734&height=504&appId" width="734" height="504" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM), your local Chiefs Radio Network stations.

📹Chiefs' Reid, Mahomes, Thornhill, Fisher talk football

By PATRICIA WEEMS GASTON <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/27/what-it-meant-for-one-young-kansan-to-be-in-the-room-with-gale-sayers/">For the Kansas Reflector</a>

I will never forget Gale 
Sayers sitting for an interview with us high school journalists in 1976 
during summer camp at the University of Kansas. I don’t recall his exact
 words, what current event we talked about, but I am sure we sat there 
with starry eyes as he discussed his storied Kansas and NFL careers. He 
was in the room.

That summer, there were a 
lot of people in the room at the Midwestern Music and Art Camp and the 
Urban Journalism Workshop. There was <a href="https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/george-l-brown-1926-2006-first-african-american-hold-statewide-office-us">Lt. Gov. George Brown of Colorado</a>
 (J’ 52, second black KU journalism graduate); Emory Greene, manager of 
Technological Operations with the Public Broadcasting System (PBS); <a href="https://www.nabj.org/news/142589/NABJ-Founding-Executive-Director-honored-by-the-National-Black-Public-Relations-Society-NBPRS.htm">Paul Brock</a>, vice president of the Mutual Black Network; Owen T. Wilkerson, news executive of Scouting, USA; <a href="https://news.stthomas.edu/dave-nimmer-honored-by-threesixty-urban-journalism-workshop/">David Nimmer</a>, managing editor of the Minneapolis Star; <a href="https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/jim-richardson/19750">Jim Richardson</a>, staff photographer for the Topeka Capital Journal.

“The Urban Journalism 
Workshop is intended to make minority students aware of career 
opportunities in journalism communication. It provides them with 
abilities to write that will help them in whatever career area they will
 go,” associate professor <a href="https://klcjournal.com/ku-journalism-professor-led-with-love-amid-hate/">Samuel L. Adams</a> told The Kamper Kansan at the time.

<a href="https://kuathletics.com/kansas-comet-gale-sayers-passes-away-at-77/">Sayers’s death last week</a>
 reminded me of that heady June day, but it also reminded me that access
 is key whatever age in school you are. Without it our eyes are closed 
to the beauty and possibilities that the world has for each of us.

As a 16-year-old, my eyes 
to another world were opened by Adams, and before him my high school 
journalism teacher, Maryanne Lyons. I got a chance to roam the Lawrence 
campus for two weeks, live in a dorm, make new friends (some of whom I 
am still friends with today), report on events, sit in hot, stuffy Flint
 Hall classrooms and get tips and tools from academics and see that 
there was a place in journalism for me.

I knew I was going to 
college and I always knew it would be KU. I come from a long line of 
thinkers, teachers, musicians, doctors and nurses. My aunt, Christine 
Weems Northern, was the first black graduate of KU’s School of Nursing 
in 1952. My great uncle, Bertram Caruthers Sr., studied zoology in the 
1930s on Mount Oread.

But the journalism space 
was foreign turf. In my house, we got every newspaper and magazine 
available. And my parents, Charles and Camille Weems, were very familiar
 with the <a href="https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/historicmissourians/name/b/bluford/">Lucile Bluford</a>-run <a href="https://kccallnews.com/">Kansas City Call</a> and Helen Gray’s articles on religion in the Kansas City Star. But they didn’t see their little girl in the profession.

It was through my hard work and from the encouragement of Lyons, Adams, and associate dean <a href="http://archive.news.ku.edu/2008/august/6/shaw.shtml">Susanne Shaw</a>
 that my parents saw that I could make journalism mine and would be able
 to take care of myself. Shaw led me through the matriculation process 
and I got a copy editing job in Rochester, New York, the August after I 
graduated in 1981. Again, these people welcomed me into the room. And it
 was left up to me what I did with it. It was as simple as that.

In recent years, I learned
 of things they did to help me further my career: Putting in a good word
 for me at The Washington Post, helping me sort out work-family balance,
 providing a listening ear when things got tough in the newsroom, and 
now giving me encouraging words and ideas as <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/16/how-it-feels-to-come-home-to-kansas-after-decades-away/">I am still new in the classroom</a>. Before Adams died in 2019 at age 93, we chatted about my new role as the <a href="https://journalism.ku.edu/patricia-weems-gaston">Lacy C. Haynes professor</a>,
 how I could mentor students as he had done for me and countless others 
and more importantly, what I would mean to the students because I was in
 the room.

One of my students upon 
her graduation in May wrote that when she got to KU she had so wished 
she had a Black female professor to work with, that her dream came true 
and she was so grateful. She got a job and is now working as a reporter.

The day Sayers died, I 
sent students (past and present) announcements about internship and 
election fellowship opportunities. And I began mentoring a new faculty 
member who can teach me as much about teaching as I can about the 
journalism profession.

Every day is a good day because I am in the room and can bestow on my students what others have given me.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601318884001.png" alt="A detail of a photo in the June 25, 1976, edition of The Kamper Kansan. The caption read: "Gale Sayers in a news conference with high school Midwestern Journalism Camp and Urban Workshop students reaches out to express himself. (Photo by Dawn Price)."" />
 <figcaption>A detail of a photo in the June 25, 1976, edition of The Kamper Kansan. The caption read: "Gale Sayers in a news conference with high school Midwestern Journalism Camp and Urban Workshop students reaches out to express himself. (Photo by Dawn Price)."</figcaption>
 </figure>By PATRICIA WEEMS GASTON <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/27/what-it-meant-for-one-young-kansan-to-be-in-the-room-with-gale-sayers/">For the Kansas Reflector</a>I will never forget Gale 
Sayers sitting for an interview with us high school journalists in 1976 
during summer camp at the University of Kansas. I don’t recall his exact
 words, what current event we talked about, but I am sure we sat there 
with starry eyes as he discussed his storied Kansas and NFL careers. He 
was in the room.That summer, there were a 
lot of people in the room at the Midwestern Music and Art Camp and the 
Urban Journalism Workshop. There was <a href="https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/george-l-brown-1926-2006-first-african-american-hold-statewide-office-us">Lt. Gov. George Brown of Colorado</a>
 (J’ 52, second black KU journalism graduate); Emory Greene, manager of 
Technological Operations with the Public Broadcasting System (PBS); <a href="https://www.nabj.org/news/142589/NABJ-Founding-Executive-Director-honored-by-the-National-Black-Public-Relations-Society-NBPRS.htm">Paul Brock</a>, vice president of the Mutual Black Network; Owen T. Wilkerson, news executive of Scouting, USA; <a href="https://news.stthomas.edu/dave-nimmer-honored-by-threesixty-urban-journalism-workshop/">David Nimmer</a>, managing editor of the Minneapolis Star; <a href="https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/jim-richardson/19750">Jim Richardson</a>, staff photographer for the Topeka Capital Journal.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601318965531.png" alt="A page of stories produced by the high school journalism staff of the Kamper Kansan in June 1976." />
 <figcaption>A page of stories produced by the high school journalism staff of the Kamper Kansan in June 1976.</figcaption>
 </figure>“The Urban Journalism 
Workshop is intended to make minority students aware of career 
opportunities in journalism communication. It provides them with 
abilities to write that will help them in whatever career area they will
 go,” associate professor <a href="https://klcjournal.com/ku-journalism-professor-led-with-love-amid-hate/">Samuel L. Adams</a> told The Kamper Kansan at the time.<a href="https://kuathletics.com/kansas-comet-gale-sayers-passes-away-at-77/">Sayers’s death last week</a>
 reminded me of that heady June day, but it also reminded me that access
 is key whatever age in school you are. Without it our eyes are closed 
to the beauty and possibilities that the world has for each of us.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>As a 16-year-old, my eyes 
to another world were opened by Adams, and before him my high school 
journalism teacher, Maryanne Lyons. I got a chance to roam the Lawrence 
campus for two weeks, live in a dorm, make new friends (some of whom I 
am still friends with today), report on events, sit in hot, stuffy Flint
 Hall classrooms and get tips and tools from academics and see that 
there was a place in journalism for me.I knew I was going to 
college and I always knew it would be KU. I come from a long line of 
thinkers, teachers, musicians, doctors and nurses. My aunt, Christine 
Weems Northern, was the first black graduate of KU’s School of Nursing 
in 1952. My great uncle, Bertram Caruthers Sr., studied zoology in the 
1930s on Mount Oread.But the journalism space 
was foreign turf. In my house, we got every newspaper and magazine 
available. And my parents, Charles and Camille Weems, were very familiar
 with the <a href="https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/historicmissourians/name/b/bluford/">Lucile Bluford</a>-run <a href="https://kccallnews.com/">Kansas City Call</a> and Helen Gray’s articles on religion in the Kansas City Star. But they didn’t see their little girl in the profession.It was through my hard work and from the encouragement of Lyons, Adams, and associate dean <a href="http://archive.news.ku.edu/2008/august/6/shaw.shtml">Susanne Shaw</a>
 that my parents saw that I could make journalism mine and would be able
 to take care of myself. Shaw led me through the matriculation process 
and I got a copy editing job in Rochester, New York, the August after I 
graduated in 1981. Again, these people welcomed me into the room. And it
 was left up to me what I did with it. It was as simple as that.In recent years, I learned
 of things they did to help me further my career: Putting in a good word
 for me at The Washington Post, helping me sort out work-family balance,
 providing a listening ear when things got tough in the newsroom, and 
now giving me encouraging words and ideas as <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/16/how-it-feels-to-come-home-to-kansas-after-decades-away/">I am still new in the classroom</a>. Before Adams died in 2019 at age 93, we chatted about my new role as the <a href="https://journalism.ku.edu/patricia-weems-gaston">Lacy C. Haynes professor</a>,
 how I could mentor students as he had done for me and countless others 
and more importantly, what I would mean to the students because I was in
 the room.One of my students upon 
her graduation in May wrote that when she got to KU she had so wished 
she had a Black female professor to work with, that her dream came true 
and she was so grateful. She got a job and is now working as a reporter.The day Sayers died, I 
sent students (past and present) announcements about internship and 
election fellowship opportunities. And I began mentoring a new faculty 
member who can teach me as much about teaching as I can about the 
journalism profession.Every day is a good day because I am in the room and can bestow on my students what others have given me.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601318993375.png" alt="Patricia E. Weems Gaston is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the Lacy C. Haynes Professor at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Gaston graduated from KU in 1981; she has a master's degree in sports management from The George Washington University. Before joining The Washington Post in 1997, she worked at the Dallas Morning News, where she was an assistant foreign editor and was co-editor of the 1994 Pulitzer Prize-winning series on violence against women." />
 <figcaption>Patricia E. Weems Gaston is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the Lacy C. Haynes Professor at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Gaston graduated from KU in 1981; she has a master's degree in sports management from The George Washington University. Before joining The Washington Post in 1997, she worked at the Dallas Morning News, where she was an assistant foreign editor and was co-editor of the 1994 Pulitzer Prize-winning series on violence against women.</figcaption>
 </figure>

OPINION: What it meant for one young Kansan to be ‘in the room’ with Sayers

The Salina Symphony is putting a virtual spin on its musical offerings.

The symphony will launch its Virtual Chamber Concert Series on Sunday at 4 p.m. The first concert of the “Listen Together” series will feature the Salina Symphony Woodwind Quintet and String Quartet. The concert will be premiered and available for viewing on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SalinaSymphony">Salina Symphony</a> Facebook page.

The string program for the Sunday concert will include selections from Dvořák’s String Quartet No. 12, “American,” and “Tango Chromatique” by Michael McLean. The quintet will present two movements from “Quintet No. 3 in D minor” by Franz Danzi, “Theme for Wind Quintet” by Meri Jenkins and selections from “Woodwind Quintet No. 1” by Anthony O’Toole.

The Virtual Chamber Concert Series will feature a monthly concert on the following dates: Nov. 8, Dec. 13, Jan. 24 and Feb. 21.

Following the conclusion of the virtual series, the symphony plans to present an abbreviated concert series during the spring/summer of 2021. The symphony plans to return to the Stiefel Theatre stage on March 28 with “An Afternoon of Rodgers &amp; Hammerstein.”

More information about the symphony season and the Virtual Chamber Concert Series can be found at <a href="http://www.salinasymphony.org">www.salinasymphony.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601314682424.jpeg" alt="Salina Symphony Woodwind Quintet records its portion of the concert. Photo courtesy Salina Symphony" />
 <figcaption>Salina Symphony Woodwind Quintet records its portion of the concert. Photo courtesy Salina Symphony</figcaption>
 </figure>The Salina Symphony is putting a virtual spin on its musical offerings. The symphony will launch its Virtual Chamber Concert Series on Sunday at 4 p.m. The first concert of the “Listen Together” series will feature the Salina Symphony Woodwind Quintet and String Quartet. The concert will be premiered and available for viewing on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SalinaSymphony">Salina Symphony</a> Facebook page.The string program for the Sunday concert will include selections from Dvořák’s String Quartet No. 12, “American,” and “Tango Chromatique” by Michael McLean. The quintet will present two movements from “Quintet No. 3 in D minor” by Franz Danzi, “Theme for Wind Quintet” by Meri Jenkins and selections from “Woodwind Quintet No. 1” by Anthony O’Toole.The Virtual Chamber Concert Series will feature a monthly concert on the following dates: Nov. 8, Dec. 13, Jan. 24 and Feb. 21.Following the conclusion of the virtual series, the symphony plans to present an abbreviated concert series during the spring/summer of 2021. The symphony plans to return to the Stiefel Theatre stage on March 28 with “An Afternoon of Rodgers &amp; Hammerstein.”More information about the symphony season and the Virtual Chamber Concert Series can be found at <a href="http://www.salinasymphony.org">www.salinasymphony.org</a>.

Salina Symphony to launch Virtual Chamber Concert Series

By MAJOR MARGARET ZIFFER Kansas Army National Guard

For the third year, the state of Kansas has expanded its capability to respond to wildland fires, thanks to a partnership between the Kansas National Guard and the Kansas Forest Service.

Together, the agencies conducted the Wildland Firefighting Red Card Certification Course, certifying additional Guardsmen across the state to respond to wildland fires, at the Great Plains Joint Training Center, Salina, Sept. 14-18.

Lt. Col. Larry Leupold, director of military support for the Kansas National Guard, said the need for increased wildland firefighting capability stemmed out of the major wildland fires that occurred in the 2016-2017 season.

“The Starbuck fire and the Anderson Creek fire burned thousands of acres,” Leupold said. “At that point, we realized we needed to have more state level capabilities and resources.”

The program relies on the expertise and instruction of the Kansas Forest Service, which provides the instructors who certify the students.

“What we’re trying to accomplish today is to get more people in Kansas qualified for firefighter level II,” said course instructor Dennis Carlson, assistant fire management officer with the Kansas Forest Service. “A lot of times here in Kansas we talk about how we don’t have a lot of fires, but we do. When we get some of these really big fires, we need a lot more resources.”

For students working toward their first-time Red Card certification, the training consisted of four days of classroom training and one day of field training. The field training was comprised of three stations teaching students about fire engines, hose lays, pumps, water sources, digging lines and setting up dip tanks. The day culminated in conducting a controlled burn.

“Fire is an important part of the natural resource management,” Carlson said. “A lot of people think fire is a bad thing, but in order to keep the grass landscape stable and healthy, prescribed burns are needed.”

Not all students were first time attendees; some students in the course were taking their annual recertification, which consisted of only one day of refresher training. All students who successfully complete their respective certification or recertification training are firefighter level II certified and can be called to respond to wildland fires throughout the state of Kansas.

Students also had the option to try to pass the Pack Test – a three-mile hike carrying 45 pounds, which must be completed in under 45 minutes. Those who pass the Pack Test are eligible to respond to wildland fire emergencies outside the state of Kansas.

“We could have a disaster in any part of the state, sometimes multiple parts of the state at the same time,” Leupold said. “So it gives us the flexibility to be more responsive to the local communities’ needs by having trained Guardsmen throughout the state.”

This year’s training certified about 35 new students and recertified about 20 more.

Leupold explained that the goal is to build a force capability of 100 Guardsmen that can support other wildland firefighting entities in statewide efforts at any given time.

“When we work together at all levels, from the local level up to the state level, that’s where we do our best work,” Leupold said. “It comes down to how we get the right resources, the right capabilities to the right place at the right time to protect our families across the state. The Kansas Forest Service has been a great partner in helping us prepare for that.”

Carlson, a 22-year veteran of the Forest Service, discussed what he liked about instructing the course, and how the partnership benefits the entire state when it comes to emergency preparedness.

“Working together, we can get more people more knowledge about doing wildland firefighting,” Carlson said. “Once you start getting into a situation where resources are needed, you know where to find those resources and bring them together.”

“This is a special part of who we are as the Kansas National Guard,” Leupold said. “Not only do we have to maintain our readiness to protect our citizens by deploying abroad, but we also start here at home when it comes to disasters. Having the opportunity to come out and train and work with our interagency partners like the Forest Service – whether it’s a winter storm, wildland fire, or a world pandemic – this is what the Guard does. This is who we are. It’s something I know all our guardsmen are very proud of.”

Maj. Margaret Ziffer is with the&nbsp;105th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601157406538.jpeg" alt="Kansas National Guard members train during the Wildland Firefighting Red Card Certification Course at the Great Plains Joint Training Center, Salina. Photos courtesy Kansas Army National Guard" />
 <figcaption>Kansas National Guard members train during the Wildland Firefighting Red Card Certification Course at the Great Plains Joint Training Center, Salina. Photos courtesy Kansas Army National Guard</figcaption>
 </figure>By MAJOR MARGARET ZIFFER Kansas Army National GuardFor the third year, the state of Kansas has expanded its capability to respond to wildland fires, thanks to a partnership between the Kansas National Guard and the Kansas Forest Service.Together, the agencies conducted the Wildland Firefighting Red Card Certification Course, certifying additional Guardsmen across the state to respond to wildland fires, at the Great Plains Joint Training Center, Salina, Sept. 14-18.Lt. Col. Larry Leupold, director of military support for the Kansas National Guard, said the need for increased wildland firefighting capability stemmed out of the major wildland fires that occurred in the 2016-2017 season.“The Starbuck fire and the Anderson Creek fire burned thousands of acres,” Leupold said. “At that point, we realized we needed to have more state level capabilities and resources.”The program relies on the expertise and instruction of the Kansas Forest Service, which provides the instructors who certify the students.“What we’re trying to accomplish today is to get more people in Kansas qualified for firefighter level II,” said course instructor Dennis Carlson, assistant fire management officer with the Kansas Forest Service. “A lot of times here in Kansas we talk about how we don’t have a lot of fires, but we do. When we get some of these really big fires, we need a lot more resources.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601157665572.jpeg" alt="Kansas National Guard members trained in the field as well as the classroom." />
 <figcaption>Kansas National Guard members trained in the field as well as the classroom.</figcaption>
 </figure>For students working toward their first-time Red Card certification, the training consisted of four days of classroom training and one day of field training. The field training was comprised of three stations teaching students about fire engines, hose lays, pumps, water sources, digging lines and setting up dip tanks. The day culminated in conducting a controlled burn.“Fire is an important part of the natural resource management,” Carlson said. “A lot of people think fire is a bad thing, but in order to keep the grass landscape stable and healthy, prescribed burns are needed.”Not all students were first time attendees; some students in the course were taking their annual recertification, which consisted of only one day of refresher training. All students who successfully complete their respective certification or recertification training are firefighter level II certified and can be called to respond to wildland fires throughout the state of Kansas.Students also had the option to try to pass the Pack Test – a three-mile hike carrying 45 pounds, which must be completed in under 45 minutes. Those who pass the Pack Test are eligible to respond to wildland fire emergencies outside the state of Kansas.“We could have a disaster in any part of the state, sometimes multiple parts of the state at the same time,” Leupold said. “So it gives us the flexibility to be more responsive to the local communities’ needs by having trained Guardsmen throughout the state.”This year’s training certified about 35 new students and recertified about 20 more.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601159169227.jpeg" alt="Guardsmen listen to instruction from Kansas Forest Service personnel." />
 <figcaption>Guardsmen listen to instruction from Kansas Forest Service personnel.</figcaption>
 </figure>Leupold explained that the goal is to build a force capability of 100 Guardsmen that can support other wildland firefighting entities in statewide efforts at any given time.“When we work together at all levels, from the local level up to the state level, that’s where we do our best work,” Leupold said. “It comes down to how we get the right resources, the right capabilities to the right place at the right time to protect our families across the state. The Kansas Forest Service has been a great partner in helping us prepare for that.”Carlson, a 22-year veteran of the Forest Service, discussed what he liked about instructing the course, and how the partnership benefits the entire state when it comes to emergency preparedness.“Working together, we can get more people more knowledge about doing wildland firefighting,” Carlson said. “Once you start getting into a situation where resources are needed, you know where to find those resources and bring them together.”“This is a special part of who we are as the Kansas National Guard,” Leupold said. “Not only do we have to maintain our readiness to protect our citizens by deploying abroad, but we also start here at home when it comes to disasters. Having the opportunity to come out and train and work with our interagency partners like the Forest Service – whether it’s a winter storm, wildland fire, or a world pandemic – this is what the Guard does. This is who we are. It’s something I know all our guardsmen are very proud of.”Maj. Margaret Ziffer is with the&nbsp;105th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

Kansas Guard expands wildland firefighting capabilities

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/22/heartbroken-grandparents-make-emotional-appeals-for-kansas-foster-care-reform/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kathy Winters had
 responsibility for care of two of her grandchildren for 16 months, but 
eventually learned from caseworkers, child advocates and her attorney 
that adoption of the boys would be impossible unless she offered court 
testimony denouncing her daughter.

Winters, who is now 
retired from the Lenexa Police Department, said Monday she refused to 
play along with the people who advised her to offer false testimony 
against the boys’ mother.

“If I did not say bad 
things about my daughter in court, which I did not believe, I would lose
 my grandsons and not be allowed to adopt them,” Winters told a 
committee of the Kansas Legislature studying foster care. “I told them I
 could not lie under oath and under God.”

She said the boys were 
subsequently ordered into foster care. They were transferred to a home 
that within one month became the subject of a substantiated allegation 
of child abuse. Her supervised visits with the two children were limited
 to one hour each month.

“They would scream for me 
not to leave them,” Winters said. “I still have nightmares of this and 
cannot bear to hear a child cry.”

Winters, who co-founded Kansas Family Rights Coalition in 2008, said she had not seen her grandsons in 12 years.

Cindy Poe, who lived in 
Topeka when her three grandchildren were placed in foster care, shared 
another perspective with lawmakers. The maternal grandmother said her 
anxiety about being separated from the children was transformed into 
heartbreak in 2014 when one of them, 10-month-old Kadillak Marie, died 
after left in a sweltering vehicle by her foster parents in Wichita.

She alleged the couple 
caring for the girl were in the house eating pizza and smoking marijuana
 while the infant was perished in a car amid 90-degree heat.

“I want to know why this 
foster system is so poorly (managed),” she said. “That’s all it took, a 
child’s death, to get peoples’ attention. The foster parents got crap on
 jail time.”

The Legislature’s foster 
care oversight committee opened two days of meetings by inviting Kansans
 and organizations with an interest in foster care to share insight into
 the state’s privatized system responsible for more than 7,000 children.
 Their testimony came before comments by officials of the Kansas 
Department for Children and Families.

Kansas has a history of 
struggle regarding children in state custody. They are legally removed 
from homes due to neglect and abuse. The children know what it feels 
like to be rejected, traumatized and marginalized. In recent years, DCF 
has allowed foster children to be bounced among temporary homes and 
compelled to sleep in office buildings. DCF has been criticized for 
losing track of dozens of children in foster care and for death of 
children in the system.

Jason Drahota, a former 
foster parent, told legislators that he and his wife welcomed a 
2-year-old boy into their home in 2015. The child’s parental rights were
 terminated in 2016 and the boy “was dearly loved and he absolutely knew
 it,” Drahota said.

Eventually, one of the 
child’s half-brothers turned 17 and sought custody. The initial decision
 in 2018 was to allow the boy to remain with the Drahotas and for the 
family to proceed with adoption.

On appeal to DCF, the boy was ordered into his step-brother’s custody.

“We asked for clarity on 
why this was reversed,” Drahota said. “Why was this in the child’s best 
interest now? We received absolutely no clarity.”

He said the 5-year-old boy
 became hysterical when informed of DCF’s decision. His wailing carried 
through office walls to the waiting room where his foster parents were 
seated.

“It was a sound that still plays in our head and hurts us to this day,” he said. “The little boy never got to see us again.”

Abbey Dohm, a foster 
parent for 10 years and volunteer director of foster care at City Life 
Church in Wichita, said Kansas children would be better served if state 
officials, private contractors and the legal system took seriously input
 from foster parents.

“Foster parents are with 
the children 24/7. We see the children at their best and at their 
worst,” Dohm said. “We interact with schools and churches and sports. 
Foster parents are advocates for the children in their home. They are 
family.”

She said Kansas’ system of
 foster care had been in crisis for a long time. The number of children 
in foster care vastly exceeds availability of foster homes, she said.

“In some cases,” she said,
 “it is in the best interest of children to return home to family. But 
there are also cases where this is not appropriate. Foster parents 
deserve and need a bigger voice within the system.”

Gordon Hibbard, a 
Manhattan resident and former president of the Kansas 4-H Foundation, 
said he was drawn into the foster care issue after his son and 
daughter-in-law committed to become foster parents.

He said the Legislature 
and Gov. Laura Kelly lacked the “money or the will” to implement changes
 to address the state’s ill-equipped, underfunded system.

He said legislators ought 
to remove all incentives, quotas or financial awards available to 
private agencies that could cloud decisions regarding what was best for a
 foster child. Kansas should appoint an ombudsman — someone outside DCF —
 to investigate violation or inconsistent application of policy on 
foster care. Compensation and training of caseworkers must be increased,
 he said.

“We need psychiatric 
residential treatment facilities to help build a framework for healing 
and restoration,” Hibbard said. “I have been told currently that we have
 more than 80 children on the wait list to receive these services.”

Jared Broyles, executive 
director of Foster the Cause, said the organization has focused in the 
Topeka area on recruiting, training and supporting new Christian foster 
and adoptive families through collaborations with churches.

“Let me say how very sorry
 I am that we as the church in Kansas have left the state to do the work
 alone for far too long. We were wrong. But we are here now,” Broyles 
said.

Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600877254585.png" alt="Kathy Winters, right, comforts Cindy Poe following Poe's testimony Tuesday about the death of her grandchild within the foster care system. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) " />
 <figcaption>Kathy Winters, right, comforts Cindy Poe following Poe's testimony Tuesday about the death of her grandchild within the foster care system. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) </figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/22/heartbroken-grandparents-make-emotional-appeals-for-kansas-foster-care-reform/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kathy Winters had
 responsibility for care of two of her grandchildren for 16 months, but 
eventually learned from caseworkers, child advocates and her attorney 
that adoption of the boys would be impossible unless she offered court 
testimony denouncing her daughter.Winters, who is now 
retired from the Lenexa Police Department, said Monday she refused to 
play along with the people who advised her to offer false testimony 
against the boys’ mother.“If I did not say bad 
things about my daughter in court, which I did not believe, I would lose
 my grandsons and not be allowed to adopt them,” Winters told a 
committee of the Kansas Legislature studying foster care. “I told them I
 could not lie under oath and under God.”She said the boys were 
subsequently ordered into foster care. They were transferred to a home 
that within one month became the subject of a substantiated allegation 
of child abuse. Her supervised visits with the two children were limited
 to one hour each month.“They would scream for me 
not to leave them,” Winters said. “I still have nightmares of this and 
cannot bear to hear a child cry.”Winters, who co-founded Kansas Family Rights Coalition in 2008, said she had not seen her grandsons in 12 years.<h2>A child’s death</h2>Cindy Poe, who lived in 
Topeka when her three grandchildren were placed in foster care, shared 
another perspective with lawmakers. The maternal grandmother said her 
anxiety about being separated from the children was transformed into 
heartbreak in 2014 when one of them, 10-month-old Kadillak Marie, died 
after left in a sweltering vehicle by her foster parents in Wichita.She alleged the couple 
caring for the girl were in the house eating pizza and smoking marijuana
 while the infant was perished in a car amid 90-degree heat.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600877319793.png" alt="Cindy Poe shared with a Kansas legislative committee with oversight of the foster care the agony of having three grandchildren removed from her after declining to make disparaging remarks about her daughter in court. One of those grandchildren, a girl, died when left unattended in a vehicle by her new foster family. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Cindy Poe shared with a Kansas legislative committee with oversight of the foster care the agony of having three grandchildren removed from her after declining to make disparaging remarks about her daughter in court. One of those grandchildren, a girl, died when left unattended in a vehicle by her new foster family. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>“I want to know why this 
foster system is so poorly (managed),” she said. “That’s all it took, a 
child’s death, to get peoples’ attention. The foster parents got crap on
 jail time.”The Legislature’s foster 
care oversight committee opened two days of meetings by inviting Kansans
 and organizations with an interest in foster care to share insight into
 the state’s privatized system responsible for more than 7,000 children.
 Their testimony came before comments by officials of the Kansas 
Department for Children and Families.Kansas has a history of 
struggle regarding children in state custody. They are legally removed 
from homes due to neglect and abuse. The children know what it feels 
like to be rejected, traumatized and marginalized. In recent years, DCF 
has allowed foster children to be bounced among temporary homes and 
compelled to sleep in office buildings. DCF has been criticized for 
losing track of dozens of children in foster care and for death of 
children in the system.<h2>Hysterical wailing</h2>Jason Drahota, a former 
foster parent, told legislators that he and his wife welcomed a 
2-year-old boy into their home in 2015. The child’s parental rights were
 terminated in 2016 and the boy “was dearly loved and he absolutely knew
 it,” Drahota said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600877352383.png" alt="Jason Drahota outlined in testimony to a committee of the Kansas Legislature the decision by a state agency to overturn a decision to allow a 5-year-old boy to remain with his family for purposes of adoption. Taking the boy from them after nearly three years was traumatizing. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Jason Drahota outlined in testimony to a committee of the Kansas Legislature the decision by a state agency to overturn a decision to allow a 5-year-old boy to remain with his family for purposes of adoption. Taking the boy from them after nearly three years was traumatizing. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Eventually, one of the 
child’s half-brothers turned 17 and sought custody. The initial decision
 in 2018 was to allow the boy to remain with the Drahotas and for the 
family to proceed with adoption.On appeal to DCF, the boy was ordered into his step-brother’s custody.“We asked for clarity on 
why this was reversed,” Drahota said. “Why was this in the child’s best 
interest now? We received absolutely no clarity.”He said the 5-year-old boy
 became hysterical when informed of DCF’s decision. His wailing carried 
through office walls to the waiting room where his foster parents were 
seated.“It was a sound that still plays in our head and hurts us to this day,” he said. “The little boy never got to see us again.”<h2>Listening</h2>Abbey Dohm, a foster 
parent for 10 years and volunteer director of foster care at City Life 
Church in Wichita, said Kansas children would be better served if state 
officials, private contractors and the legal system took seriously input
 from foster parents.“Foster parents are with 
the children 24/7. We see the children at their best and at their 
worst,” Dohm said. “We interact with schools and churches and sports. 
Foster parents are advocates for the children in their home. They are 
family.”She said Kansas’ system of
 foster care had been in crisis for a long time. The number of children 
in foster care vastly exceeds availability of foster homes, she said.“In some cases,” she said,
 “it is in the best interest of children to return home to family. But 
there are also cases where this is not appropriate. Foster parents 
deserve and need a bigger voice within the system.”<h2>Reform ideas</h2>Gordon Hibbard, a 
Manhattan resident and former president of the Kansas 4-H Foundation, 
said he was drawn into the foster care issue after his son and 
daughter-in-law committed to become foster parents.He said the Legislature 
and Gov. Laura Kelly lacked the “money or the will” to implement changes
 to address the state’s ill-equipped, underfunded system.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600877386402.png" alt="Jared Broyles, executive director of Foster the Cause, says he’s leading an organization based in Topeka that recruits and trains Christians to serve as foster parents. He apologized for past indifference of some churches to the state’s foster care crisis. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Jared Broyles, executive director of Foster the Cause, says he’s leading an organization based in Topeka that recruits and trains Christians to serve as foster parents. He apologized for past indifference of some churches to the state’s foster care crisis. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>He said legislators ought 
to remove all incentives, quotas or financial awards available to 
private agencies that could cloud decisions regarding what was best for a
 foster child. Kansas should appoint an ombudsman — someone outside DCF —
 to investigate violation or inconsistent application of policy on 
foster care. Compensation and training of caseworkers must be increased,
 he said.“We need psychiatric 
residential treatment facilities to help build a framework for healing 
and restoration,” Hibbard said. “I have been told currently that we have
 more than 80 children on the wait list to receive these services.”Jared Broyles, executive 
director of Foster the Cause, said the organization has focused in the 
Topeka area on recruiting, training and supporting new Christian foster 
and adoptive families through collaborations with churches.“Let me say how very sorry
 I am that we as the church in Kansas have left the state to do the work
 alone for far too long. We were wrong. But we are here now,” Broyles 
said.Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International.&nbsp;

Heartbroken grandparents plead for Kan. foster care reform

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — It began with devastation in the New York City area, followed by a summertime crisis in the Sun Belt. Now the coronavirus outbreak is heating up fast in smaller cities in the heartland, often in conservative corners of America where anti-mask sentiment runs high.

Elsewhere around the country, Florida’s Republican governor lifted all restrictions on restaurants and other businesses Friday and all but set aside local mask ordinances in the political battleground state, in a move attacked by Democrats as hasty.

Meanwhile, confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S. hit another milestone — 7 million — according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University, though the real number of infections is believed to be much higher.

The spike across the Midwest as well as parts of the West has set off alarms at hospitals, schools and colleges.

Wisconsin is averaging more than 2,000 new cases a day over the last week, compared with 675 three weeks earlier. Hospitalizations in the state are at their highest level since the outbreak took hold in the U.S. in March.

Utah has seen its average daily case count more than double from three weeks earlier. Oklahoma and Missouri are regularly recording 1,000 new cases a day, and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a staunch opponent of mask rules, tested positive this week. Kansas and Iowa are also witnessing a spike in cases. And South Dakota and Idaho are seeing sky-high rates of tests coming back positive.

“What we’re seeing is the newer hot spots rise over the course of the last several weeks, predominantly in the Upper Midwest,” said Thomas Tsai, a professor at Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health.

The U.S. is averaging more than 40,000 new confirmed cases a day. While that number is dramatically lower than the peak of nearly 70,000 over the summer, the numbers are worrisome nonetheless. The nation’s death toll eclipsed 200,000 this week, the highest in the world.

In the Midwest, the virus is now landing squarely in places where there is strong resistance to masks and governors have been reluctant to require face coverings.

In Springfield, Missouri, hospitals are starting to fill up with COVID-19 patients and the city has seen a big spike in deaths over the past month.

Amelia Montgomery, a nurse working in the COVID unit at Cox South Hospital in Springfield, describes a maddening routine where family members of sick patients call up medical staff on the phone on a daily basis and question whether their loved ones truly have the virus and and the veracity of positive test results.

“We know what COVID looks like now after six months of dealing with it,” Montgomery said. “It is like beating your head against a brick wall when you are constantly having patients, family members of these patients and the community argue so intensely that it is not real or we are treating it in the wrong way.”

The skepticism about the virus coincides with deep frustration over mask requirements in the Midwestern cities that actually have them.

Mike Cooper, a 59-year-old and sign shop owner from the Branson, Missouri, area, is among those who have grown weary of virus restrictions that he sees as out-of-control government overreach. He has no doubts about the seriousness of the virus, but says the financial toll of business and school shutdowns creates its own set of health problems, such as alcoholism, suicide and depression. “Financial ruin kills people too,” he said.

“To me, flatten the curve means extend the plague. Flatten the curve means you are just going to kill the same number of people over a longer period of time, so they are going to extend the plague,” Cooper said.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a major ally of President Donald Trump, gave businesses the OK to reopen, declaring, “We’re not closing anything going forward.”

The governor, who has resisted making mask-wearing mandatory statewide, also said he will stop cities and counties from collecting fines from people who don’t cover their faces, virtually nullifying local mask ordinances.

Florida was a major hot spot over the summer, and the death toll there stands at nearly 14,000. Deaths are running at over 100 a day, and newly confirmed infections at about 2,700 a day.

Like Trump, DeSantis has questioned the effectiveness of closing down businesses, arguing that states that more aggressively shut down, including California, have fared no better.

“The state of Florida is probably the most open big state in the country,” he boasted Friday.

Florida Democrats have bemoaned the governor’s push to reopen.

“No one is advocating for a full-scale lockdown in Florida. But we have been and continue to ask for common-sense prevention measures such as face masks, which are essential to preventing further spread,” state Sen. Audrey Gibson said Thursday.

— Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced he and his wife have tested positive, though he said he has no symptoms. Northam, a Democrat who is also a doctor and usually wears a mask in public, has been criticized by Republicans who say his restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the virus are too stringent.

— Two former administrators of a Massachusetts veterans home where nearly 80 people died were charged with neglect over their handling of the outbreak. They could go to prison if convicted. It is believed to be the nation’s first criminal case brought against nursing home officials for actions during the crisis.

— In New York City, which beat back the virus after a disastrous spring, four Orthodox Jewish schools were closed for violating social-distancing rules. Health officials said if virus cases in these neighborhoods continue to build, the city might roll back the reopening in some places and require businesses to close back down.

Mask and social distancing rules are starting to cause fatigue in some areas of the Midwest and West.

In Joplin, Missouri, a mask ordinance was allowed to expire in mid-August as virus fatigue grew. Since then, the number of positive cases there and in surrounding Jasper County — a deeply conservative county that Trump won by more than 50 percentage points over Hillary Clinton in 2016 — has risen about 80%.

“I am getting sick and tired of telling people to wear their masks, and I know they are sick and tired of me saying it,” said Tony Moehr, chief of the Jasper County Health Department. “And it just seems like people have heard it so many times, I’m not sure if they really even hear it anymore when we say it.”

At the home of the University of Oklahoma, the Norman City Council voted 5-3 this week to require that masks be worn indoors at house parties if more than 25 people are present. The ordinance passed over objections from members of the public.

“You can make any law that you want to. You come into my house telling me that I got to wear this stupid thing and you’re going to have a firefight on your hands,” said Josh Danforth, holding a mask, who identified himself as an Iraq war veteran.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599689971178.png" alt="Kansas Department of Health Secretary Dr. Lee Norman listens to questions during his press conference Wednesday" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Department of Health Secretary Dr. Lee Norman listens to questions during his press conference Wednesday</figcaption>
 </figure>MISSION, Kan. (AP) — It began with devastation in the New York City area, followed by a summertime crisis in the Sun Belt. Now the coronavirus outbreak is heating up fast in smaller cities in the heartland, often in conservative corners of America where anti-mask sentiment runs high.Elsewhere around the country, Florida’s Republican governor lifted all restrictions on restaurants and other businesses Friday and all but set aside local mask ordinances in the political battleground state, in a move attacked by Democrats as hasty.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601054548620.png" alt="Friday Sept. 25, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Friday Sept. 25, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>Meanwhile, confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S. hit another milestone — 7 million — according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University, though the real number of infections is believed to be much higher.The spike across the Midwest as well as parts of the West has set off alarms at hospitals, schools and colleges.Wisconsin is averaging more than 2,000 new cases a day over the last week, compared with 675 three weeks earlier. Hospitalizations in the state are at their highest level since the outbreak took hold in the U.S. in March.Utah has seen its average daily case count more than double from three weeks earlier. Oklahoma and Missouri are regularly recording 1,000 new cases a day, and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a staunch opponent of mask rules, tested positive this week. Kansas and Iowa are also witnessing a spike in cases. And South Dakota and Idaho are seeing sky-high rates of tests coming back positive.“What we’re seeing is the newer hot spots rise over the course of the last several weeks, predominantly in the Upper Midwest,” said Thomas Tsai, a professor at Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health.The U.S. is averaging more than 40,000 new confirmed cases a day. While that number is dramatically lower than the peak of nearly 70,000 over the summer, the numbers are worrisome nonetheless. The nation’s death toll eclipsed 200,000 this week, the highest in the world.In the Midwest, the virus is now landing squarely in places where there is strong resistance to masks and governors have been reluctant to require face coverings.In Springfield, Missouri, hospitals are starting to fill up with COVID-19 patients and the city has seen a big spike in deaths over the past month.Amelia Montgomery, a nurse working in the COVID unit at Cox South Hospital in Springfield, describes a maddening routine where family members of sick patients call up medical staff on the phone on a daily basis and question whether their loved ones truly have the virus and and the veracity of positive test results.“We know what COVID looks like now after six months of dealing with it,” Montgomery said. “It is like beating your head against a brick wall when you are constantly having patients, family members of these patients and the community argue so intensely that it is not real or we are treating it in the wrong way.”The skepticism about the virus coincides with deep frustration over mask requirements in the Midwestern cities that actually have them.Mike Cooper, a 59-year-old and sign shop owner from the Branson, Missouri, area, is among those who have grown weary of virus restrictions that he sees as out-of-control government overreach. He has no doubts about the seriousness of the virus, but says the financial toll of business and school shutdowns creates its own set of health problems, such as alcoholism, suicide and depression. “Financial ruin kills people too,” he said.“To me, flatten the curve means extend the plague. Flatten the curve means you are just going to kill the same number of people over a longer period of time, so they are going to extend the plague,” Cooper said.In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a major ally of President Donald Trump, gave businesses the OK to reopen, declaring, “We’re not closing anything going forward.”The governor, who has resisted making mask-wearing mandatory statewide, also said he will stop cities and counties from collecting fines from people who don’t cover their faces, virtually nullifying local mask ordinances.Florida was a major hot spot over the summer, and the death toll there stands at nearly 14,000. Deaths are running at over 100 a day, and newly confirmed infections at about 2,700 a day.Like Trump, DeSantis has questioned the effectiveness of closing down businesses, arguing that states that more aggressively shut down, including California, have fared no better.“The state of Florida is probably the most open big state in the country,” he boasted Friday.Florida Democrats have bemoaned the governor’s push to reopen.“No one is advocating for a full-scale lockdown in Florida. But we have been and continue to ask for common-sense prevention measures such as face masks, which are essential to preventing further spread,” state Sen. Audrey Gibson said Thursday.In other developments:— Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced he and his wife have tested positive, though he said he has no symptoms. Northam, a Democrat who is also a doctor and usually wears a mask in public, has been criticized by Republicans who say his restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the virus are too stringent.— Two former administrators of a Massachusetts veterans home where nearly 80 people died were charged with neglect over their handling of the outbreak. They could go to prison if convicted. It is believed to be the nation’s first criminal case brought against nursing home officials for actions during the crisis.— In New York City, which beat back the virus after a disastrous spring, four Orthodox Jewish schools were closed for violating social-distancing rules. Health officials said if virus cases in these neighborhoods continue to build, the city might roll back the reopening in some places and require businesses to close back down.Mask and social distancing rules are starting to cause fatigue in some areas of the Midwest and West.In Joplin, Missouri, a mask ordinance was allowed to expire in mid-August as virus fatigue grew. Since then, the number of positive cases there and in surrounding Jasper County — a deeply conservative county that Trump won by more than 50 percentage points over Hillary Clinton in 2016 — has risen about 80%.“I am getting sick and tired of telling people to wear their masks, and I know they are sick and tired of me saying it,” said Tony Moehr, chief of the Jasper County Health Department. “And it just seems like people have heard it so many times, I’m not sure if they really even hear it anymore when we say it.”At the home of the University of Oklahoma, the Norman City Council voted 5-3 this week to require that masks be worn indoors at house parties if more than 25 people are present. The ordinance passed over objections from members of the public.“You can make any law that you want to. You come into my house telling me that I got to wear this stupid thing and you’re going to have a firefight on your hands,” said Josh Danforth, holding a mask, who identified himself as an Iraq war veteran.

Virus cases rise in US heartland, home to anti-mask feelings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs coordinators and player Tyrann Mathieu fielded media questions on Friday. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs coordinators and player Tyrann Mathieu fielded media questions on Friday. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fvideos%2F2754988944758514%2F&show_text=true&width=734&height=504&appId" width="734" height="504" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM), your local Chiefs Radio Network stations.

📹Chiefs' coordinators, Tyrann Mathieu field media questions

Use non-retirement account to pay off debt?

I have $11,000 in a mutual fund account that is not a retirement account. My wife has a retirement account through her job as a teacher, but I do not have one at all. We’re in Baby Step 2, so should we cash out the $11,000 in the investment account to help pay off debt?

If this money is designated as non-retirement funds, I’d say go ahead and cash it out. Use the money to pay down debt, and continue to stay focused working the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/dave-ramsey-7-baby-steps" target="_blank">Baby Steps</a>. Get that debt paid off, build an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses, then it’s&nbsp;your&nbsp;turn to start investing.

The quickest way to build wealth is to get control of your largest wealth-building tool—your income. When all your money is going out the door to other people, you don’t have that tool at your disposal when it comes to important things like saving and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/smartvestor/investment-calculator?snid=tools.investingcalc" target="_blank">investing.</a>&nbsp;There’s some math in there, but it’s also about behavior and being intentional. Getting out of debt dramatically shortens the distance between you and wealth.

A lot of people are having some major “never again” moments right now in the wake of COVID-19 and all the other stuff 2020 has thrown at us. They’re saying things like, “Never again will I be broke, never again will I have debt, and never again will I live with no&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chrishogan360.com/riq/" target="_blank">savings</a>&nbsp;to help take care of me and my family.”

You can do this, Chris. Get after it!&nbsp;

Simply put, a zero-based budget is income minus outgo equals zero.&nbsp;If you earn $4,000 a month, and you’re doing a zero-based&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everydollar.com/guide-to-budgeting-dave-says" target="_blank">budget</a>, every item you spend, save, give and invest should add up to $4,000. It’s a method of knowing where every single one of your dollars is going. Most people don’t live on a budget. They just cash checks, write checks, then they look up and wonder where all their money went. Not having a plan, especially for your money, is a&nbsp;bad&nbsp;plan.

List all your income from all sources for the month.&nbsp;Next, list every single expense you have each month.&nbsp;Rent, food, cable, phones, and anything else you pay for gets added to the list. Your expenses vary from one month to the next, which is why you make a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/money-habits-we-need-to-break" target="_blank">spending</a>&nbsp;plan each month.

Now, here’s where it gets real. Subtract your income from your expenses.&nbsp;Ideally, this number will be zero. It might take some practice, so don’t be discouraged if everything doesn’t balance out perfectly the first few times. All that means is you need to find a way to bring one of the numbers up, the other one down—or both. But whatever you do, don’t spend a dime that’s not accounted for.

If you have a problem with spending more than you make, make some cuts in order to equalize your income and your outgo. Using coupons, cutting back on groceries, or carpooling to work are great ideas to reduce spending. If you want to generate more money, get a second job on weekends or sell some stuff.

You’re the boss of the budget—in the beginning. Once it’s committed to paper, in a spreadsheet, or on an app like EveryDollar,&nbsp;the budget is the boss!

<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a>&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of The Dave Ramsey Show, heard by more than 16 million listeners each week. He has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596845065840.jpeg" alt="Dave Ramsey" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey</figcaption>
 </figure>Use non-retirement account to pay off debt?Dear Dave,I have $11,000 in a mutual fund account that is not a retirement account. My wife has a retirement account through her job as a teacher, but I do not have one at all. We’re in Baby Step 2, so should we cash out the $11,000 in the investment account to help pay off debt?ChrisDear Chris,If this money is designated as non-retirement funds, I’d say go ahead and cash it out. Use the money to pay down debt, and continue to stay focused working the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/dave-ramsey-7-baby-steps" target="_blank">Baby Steps</a>. Get that debt paid off, build an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses, then it’s&nbsp;your&nbsp;turn to start investing.The quickest way to build wealth is to get control of your largest wealth-building tool—your income. When all your money is going out the door to other people, you don’t have that tool at your disposal when it comes to important things like saving and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/smartvestor/investment-calculator?snid=tools.investingcalc" target="_blank">investing.</a>&nbsp;There’s some math in there, but it’s also about behavior and being intentional. Getting out of debt dramatically shortens the distance between you and wealth.A lot of people are having some major “never again” moments right now in the wake of COVID-19 and all the other stuff 2020 has thrown at us. They’re saying things like, “Never again will I be broke, never again will I have debt, and never again will I live with no&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chrishogan360.com/riq/" target="_blank">savings</a>&nbsp;to help take care of me and my family.”You can do this, Chris. Get after it!&nbsp;DaveZero-based budgeting explainedDear Dave,What exactly is a zero-based budget?DeanDear Dean,Simply put, a zero-based budget is income minus outgo equals zero.&nbsp;If you earn $4,000 a month, and you’re doing a zero-based&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everydollar.com/guide-to-budgeting-dave-says" target="_blank">budget</a>, every item you spend, save, give and invest should add up to $4,000. It’s a method of knowing where every single one of your dollars is going. Most people don’t live on a budget. They just cash checks, write checks, then they look up and wonder where all their money went. Not having a plan, especially for your money, is a&nbsp;bad&nbsp;plan.List all your income from all sources for the month.&nbsp;Next, list every single expense you have each month.&nbsp;Rent, food, cable, phones, and anything else you pay for gets added to the list. Your expenses vary from one month to the next, which is why you make a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/money-habits-we-need-to-break" target="_blank">spending</a>&nbsp;plan each month.Now, here’s where it gets real. Subtract your income from your expenses.&nbsp;Ideally, this number will be zero. It might take some practice, so don’t be discouraged if everything doesn’t balance out perfectly the first few times. All that means is you need to find a way to bring one of the numbers up, the other one down—or both. But whatever you do, don’t spend a dime that’s not accounted for.If you have a problem with spending more than you make, make some cuts in order to equalize your income and your outgo. Using coupons, cutting back on groceries, or carpooling to work are great ideas to reduce spending. If you want to generate more money, get a second job on weekends or sell some stuff.You’re the boss of the budget—in the beginning. Once it’s committed to paper, in a spreadsheet, or on an app like EveryDollar,&nbsp;the budget is the boss!Dave<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a>&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of The Dave Ramsey Show, heard by more than 16 million listeners each week. He has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.&nbsp;&nbsp;

DAVE SAYS: Paying off debt and zero-based budgeting

The undefeated Southeast of Saline football team hits the road Friday to take on Russell.

The game between the Trojans (3-0) and the Broncos (0-3) is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff. 

If you can't travel to the game, you can listen to it on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) or you can watch a livestream of the game thanks to Salina Post! We'll have a link to the livestream on <a href="http://SalinaPost.com">SalinaPost.com</a> late Friday afternoon. And, of course, we'll share that link on the Salina Post Facebook page!

Get your snacks ready, don your purple and white, and get ready to watch the Trojans take on the Broncos via Salina Post!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600988234522.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The undefeated Southeast of Saline football team hits the road Friday to take on Russell.The game between the Trojans (3-0) and the Broncos (0-3) is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff. If you can't travel to the game, you can listen to it on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) or you can watch a livestream of the game thanks to Salina Post! We'll have a link to the livestream on <a href="http://SalinaPost.com">SalinaPost.com</a> late Friday afternoon. And, of course, we'll share that link on the Salina Post Facebook page!Get your snacks ready, don your purple and white, and get ready to watch the Trojans take on the Broncos via Salina Post!

Watch a livestream of the SES vs. Russell football game on Salina Post

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid,&nbsp;Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones, and Mitchell Schwartz fielded media questions during a presser Thursday. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid,&nbsp;Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones, and Mitchell Schwartz fielded media questions during a presser Thursday. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fvideos%2F2703602713302065%2F&show_text=true&width=734&height=523&appId" width="734" height="523" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM), your local Chiefs Radio Network stations.

📹Chiefs' Reid, players field media questions Thursday

Look who is AFC Special Teams Player of the Week! Congrats Harrison Butker! From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:

Look who is AFC Special Teams Player of the Week! Congrats Harrison Butker! From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fposts%2F10158744565923373&show_text=true&width=552&height=590&appId" width="552" height="590" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM), your local Chiefs Radio Network stations.

Chiefs' Butker receives AFC Player of the Week honors

By SARAH JANE TRIBBLE <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-09-22/rural-hospitals-in-kansas-and-elsewhere-are-looking-at-federal-coronavirus-loans-skeptically">Kansas News Service</a>

David Usher, chief financial officer for a 12-bed rural hospital in western Kansas, is sitting on $1.7 million he's scared to spend.

The
 money lent from the federal government is meant to help hospitals and 
other health care providers weather the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet some 
hospital administrators have called it a payday loan program that is now
 brutally due for repayment at a time when the institutions still need 
help.

Coronavirus cases have "picked up recently and it's quite 
worrying," says Usher, who is the chief financial officer for Edwards 
County Medical Center in Kinsley, Kansas. He would like to use the 
federal loan money to build a negative-pressure room. Such rooms are a 
common and effective tool for keeping contagious patients apart from 
those in the rest of the hospital.

But he's not sure it's safe to spend that cash. Officially, the total repayment of the loan
 is due this month. Otherwise, according to the loan's terms, federal 
regulators will stop reimbursing the hospitals for Medicare patients' 
treatments until the loan is repaid in full.

When will the creditor come calling?

The
 federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services has not yet begun 
trying to recoup its investment, with the coronavirus still affecting 
communities nationwide, but hospital leaders fear it may come calling for repayment any day now.

Hospital
 leaders across the country say there has been no communication from CMS
 on whether or when it will adjust the repayment deadline. A CMS 
spokesperson did not respond to our questions by publishing time.

"It's
 great having the money," Usher says. "But if I don't know how much I 
get to keep, I don't get to spend the money wisely and effectively on 
the facility."

Usher took out the loan from Medicare's Accelerated
 and Advance Payments program. The program, which existed long before 
the pandemic, was generally used sparingly by hospitals when they were 
faced with emergencies such as hurricanes or tornadoes. It was expanded 
for use during the coronavirus pandemic — part of billions approved <a href="https://khn.org/news/amid-coronavirus-distress-wealthy-hospitals-hoard-millions/" target="_blank">in federal relief funds</a> for health care providers this spring.

A
 full repayment of a hospital's loan is technically due 120 days after 
it was received. If it is not paid, Medicare will stop reimbursing 
claims until it recoups the money it is owed — a point spelled out in 
the program's rules. Medicare reimburses nearly <a href="https://data.cdc.gov/Administrative/Provider-Relief-Fund-Accelerated-and-Advance-Payme/v2pi-w3up" target="_blank">$60 billion in payments</a> to health care providers nationwide under Medicare's Part A program, which makes payments to hospitals.

More
 than 65% of the nation's small, rural hospitals — many of which were 
operating at a deficit before the pandemic — jumped at the Medicare 
loans when the pandemic hit because they were the first funds available, says <a href="https://www.ruralhealthweb.org/about-nrha/staff-directory" target="_blank">Maggie Elehwany</a>, former vice president of government affairs for the National Rural Health Association.

CMS halted new loan applications to the program at the end of April.

"The
 pandemic has simply gone on longer than anyone anticipated back in 
March," says Joanna Hiatt Kim, vice president of payment policy and 
analysis for the American Hospital Association. The trade association <a href="https://www.aha.org/system/files/media/file/2020/07/cms-urged-to-delay-repayment-of-accelerated-payments-letter-7-29-20.pdf" target="_blank">sent a letter</a> to CMS in late July asking for a delay in the recoupment.

On
 Monday, the House Appropriations Committee included partial relief for 
all hospitals in a new government funding plan. The committee's proposal
 would extend the start of the repayment period for hospitals and the 
amount of time they are allowed to take to repay.

The <a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/Continuing%20Appropriations%202021%20Extensions%202020%20Summary.pdf" target="_blank">continuing resolution</a>
 that includes this language about relief for hospitals (among many, 
many other things) is still being hammered out, though it does face its 
own deadline: It must be approved by the House and the Senate within the
 next nine days or the federal government faces a shutdown.

"Still in the middle of this crisis"

Tom Nickels, executive vice president at the AHA, says his organization appreciates the House committee's effort to address the loans in the new bill, but full forgiveness of the loans is still needed.

Sen.
 Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, has called for changes to the
 loan repayment period for months and said Monday "our work is far from 
over."

"We are still in the middle of this crisis — from both health and economic standpoints," Shaheen says.

Meanwhile,
 hospital administrators like Peter Wright are holding their breath, 
waiting to see if, in order to settle the debt, Medicare will stop 
making payments to hospitals, even as the facilities continue to grapple
 with the coronavirus in their communities.

"The feds, if you owe 
them money, they just take it," says Wright, who oversees two small 
hospitals for Central Maine Healthcare in Bridgton, Maine. He says his 
health care system took the money because "we had no other choice; it 
was a cash flow issue."

For many hospitals, Medicare payments make
 up 40% or more of their revenue. Not being reimbursed by Medicare would
 be crippling — akin to a household losing nearly half its income.

"We have no idea what we're going to do if we have to pay it back as quickly as they say," Wright says.

In
 rural Kentucky, hospital executive Sheila Currans says she "vacillated"
 for about a week or so, trying to decide whether to tap the loan 
program for her hospital — she knew it would have to be repaid and 
worried that could prove difficult.

"It was a desperate time," 
says Currans, chief executive of Harrison Memorial Hospital in 
Cynthiana, Ky. In early March her hospital was the first in the state to
 treat a COVID-19 patient, she says.

The hospital immediately quarantined dozens of staff members at the time and
 shut down elective procedures. Once COVID-19 was confirmed in the 
community, there was a "horrible fear" among residents of getting 
infected, Currans says, and that kept people from seeking outpatient 
care as well.

"Through March and April and most of May, I was in a
 complete spiral," Currans says, and by the end of April her hospital 
was losing millions of dollars. To cope with the pandemic, she 
furloughed staff and turned one wing of the hospital into a "cough 
clinic" to be used exclusively by patients whose symptoms suggested they
 might be infected with the coronavirus.

Currans says the hospital
 is still seeing cases of COVID-19 show up, but other patients are 
beginning to return for services, too, such as at the outpatient 
clinics.

In terms of the hospital's finances, "it's still not a 
wonderful time," Currans says, adding that the Medicare loan and other 
support from the federal government "helped us — at least for now — 
survive it."

She's hoping the repayment demand will be pushed back to 2021 or, perhaps, the loan will be forgiven.

"I know it's a pipe dream," Currans says. "But this has been a historic event."

<a href="https://khn.org/" target="_blank">Kaiser Health News</a> is a nonprofit, independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, and is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

Sarah Jane Tribble spent more than a year and a half <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/khn.org/news/tag/no-mercy/__;!!Iwwt!Bq6oM4K2JC4j2urJjlZnjh7wtAM_dzduY7xXFLXAOdeinR9h2LJlUEZHTNUhtg$" target="_blank">reporting</a>
 on a Kansas town that lost its only hospital. This month, KHN and St. 
Louis Public Radio will launch "Where It Hurts," a podcast exploring the
 often painful cracks growing in America's health system. You can listen
 to Episode 1 of the podcast's first season, "<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-hurts/id1529977695__;!!Iwwt!Bq6oM4K2JC4j2urJjlZnjh7wtAM_dzduY7xXFLXAOdeinR9h2LJlUEZCVurJdQ$" target="_blank">No Mercy</a>," on Sept. 29.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600800818154.png" alt="The hospital in this central Kansas town is nervous about taking a loan from the federal government to help pay for COVID-19 expenses. Scott Canon / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>The hospital in this central Kansas town is nervous about taking a loan from the federal government to help pay for COVID-19 expenses. Scott Canon / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By SARAH JANE TRIBBLE <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-09-22/rural-hospitals-in-kansas-and-elsewhere-are-looking-at-federal-coronavirus-loans-skeptically">Kansas News Service</a>David Usher, chief financial officer for a 12-bed rural hospital in western Kansas, is sitting on $1.7 million he's scared to spend.The
 money lent from the federal government is meant to help hospitals and 
other health care providers weather the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet some 
hospital administrators have called it a payday loan program that is now
 brutally due for repayment at a time when the institutions still need 
help.Coronavirus cases have "picked up recently and it's quite 
worrying," says Usher, who is the chief financial officer for Edwards 
County Medical Center in Kinsley, Kansas. He would like to use the 
federal loan money to build a negative-pressure room. Such rooms are a 
common and effective tool for keeping contagious patients apart from 
those in the rest of the hospital.But he's not sure it's safe to spend that cash. Officially, the total repayment of the loan
 is due this month. Otherwise, according to the loan's terms, federal 
regulators will stop reimbursing the hospitals for Medicare patients' 
treatments until the loan is repaid in full.When will the creditor come calling?The
 federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services has not yet begun 
trying to recoup its investment, with the coronavirus still affecting 
communities nationwide, but hospital leaders fear it may come calling for repayment any day now.Hospital
 leaders across the country say there has been no communication from CMS
 on whether or when it will adjust the repayment deadline. A CMS 
spokesperson did not respond to our questions by publishing time."It's
 great having the money," Usher says. "But if I don't know how much I 
get to keep, I don't get to spend the money wisely and effectively on 
the facility."Usher took out the loan from Medicare's Accelerated
 and Advance Payments program. The program, which existed long before 
the pandemic, was generally used sparingly by hospitals when they were 
faced with emergencies such as hurricanes or tornadoes. It was expanded 
for use during the coronavirus pandemic — part of billions approved <a href="https://khn.org/news/amid-coronavirus-distress-wealthy-hospitals-hoard-millions/" target="_blank">in federal relief funds</a> for health care providers this spring.A
 full repayment of a hospital's loan is technically due 120 days after 
it was received. If it is not paid, Medicare will stop reimbursing 
claims until it recoups the money it is owed — a point spelled out in 
the program's rules. Medicare reimburses nearly <a href="https://data.cdc.gov/Administrative/Provider-Relief-Fund-Accelerated-and-Advance-Payme/v2pi-w3up" target="_blank">$60 billion in payments</a> to health care providers nationwide under Medicare's Part A program, which makes payments to hospitals.More
 than 65% of the nation's small, rural hospitals — many of which were 
operating at a deficit before the pandemic — jumped at the Medicare 
loans when the pandemic hit because they were the first funds available, says <a href="https://www.ruralhealthweb.org/about-nrha/staff-directory" target="_blank">Maggie Elehwany</a>, former vice president of government affairs for the National Rural Health Association.CMS halted new loan applications to the program at the end of April."The
 pandemic has simply gone on longer than anyone anticipated back in 
March," says Joanna Hiatt Kim, vice president of payment policy and 
analysis for the American Hospital Association. The trade association <a href="https://www.aha.org/system/files/media/file/2020/07/cms-urged-to-delay-repayment-of-accelerated-payments-letter-7-29-20.pdf" target="_blank">sent a letter</a> to CMS in late July asking for a delay in the recoupment.On
 Monday, the House Appropriations Committee included partial relief for 
all hospitals in a new government funding plan. The committee's proposal
 would extend the start of the repayment period for hospitals and the 
amount of time they are allowed to take to repay.The <a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/Continuing%20Appropriations%202021%20Extensions%202020%20Summary.pdf" target="_blank">continuing resolution</a>
 that includes this language about relief for hospitals (among many, 
many other things) is still being hammered out, though it does face its 
own deadline: It must be approved by the House and the Senate within the
 next nine days or the federal government faces a shutdown."Still in the middle of this crisis"Tom Nickels, executive vice president at the AHA, says his organization appreciates the House committee's effort to address the loans in the new bill, but full forgiveness of the loans is still needed.Sen.
 Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, has called for changes to the
 loan repayment period for months and said Monday "our work is far from 
over.""We are still in the middle of this crisis — from both health and economic standpoints," Shaheen says.Meanwhile,
 hospital administrators like Peter Wright are holding their breath, 
waiting to see if, in order to settle the debt, Medicare will stop 
making payments to hospitals, even as the facilities continue to grapple
 with the coronavirus in their communities."The feds, if you owe 
them money, they just take it," says Wright, who oversees two small 
hospitals for Central Maine Healthcare in Bridgton, Maine. He says his 
health care system took the money because "we had no other choice; it 
was a cash flow issue."For many hospitals, Medicare payments make
 up 40% or more of their revenue. Not being reimbursed by Medicare would
 be crippling — akin to a household losing nearly half its income."We have no idea what we're going to do if we have to pay it back as quickly as they say," Wright says.In
 rural Kentucky, hospital executive Sheila Currans says she "vacillated"
 for about a week or so, trying to decide whether to tap the loan 
program for her hospital — she knew it would have to be repaid and 
worried that could prove difficult."It was a desperate time," 
says Currans, chief executive of Harrison Memorial Hospital in 
Cynthiana, Ky. In early March her hospital was the first in the state to
 treat a COVID-19 patient, she says.The hospital immediately quarantined dozens of staff members at the time and
 shut down elective procedures. Once COVID-19 was confirmed in the 
community, there was a "horrible fear" among residents of getting 
infected, Currans says, and that kept people from seeking outpatient 
care as well."Through March and April and most of May, I was in a
 complete spiral," Currans says, and by the end of April her hospital 
was losing millions of dollars. To cope with the pandemic, she 
furloughed staff and turned one wing of the hospital into a "cough 
clinic" to be used exclusively by patients whose symptoms suggested they
 might be infected with the coronavirus.Currans says the hospital
 is still seeing cases of COVID-19 show up, but other patients are 
beginning to return for services, too, such as at the outpatient 
clinics.In terms of the hospital's finances, "it's still not a 
wonderful time," Currans says, adding that the Medicare loan and other 
support from the federal government "helped us — at least for now — 
survive it."She's hoping the repayment demand will be pushed back to 2021 or, perhaps, the loan will be forgiven."I know it's a pipe dream," Currans says. "But this has been a historic event."<a href="https://khn.org/" target="_blank">Kaiser Health News</a> is a nonprofit, independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, and is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.Sarah Jane Tribble spent more than a year and a half <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/khn.org/news/tag/no-mercy/__;!!Iwwt!Bq6oM4K2JC4j2urJjlZnjh7wtAM_dzduY7xXFLXAOdeinR9h2LJlUEZHTNUhtg$" target="_blank">reporting</a>
 on a Kansas town that lost its only hospital. This month, KHN and St. 
Louis Public Radio will launch "Where It Hurts," a podcast exploring the
 often painful cracks growing in America's health system. You can listen
 to Episode 1 of the podcast's first season, "<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-hurts/id1529977695__;!!Iwwt!Bq6oM4K2JC4j2urJjlZnjh7wtAM_dzduY7xXFLXAOdeinR9h2LJlUEZCVurJdQ$" target="_blank">No Mercy</a>," on Sept. 29.

Rural hospitals in Kan. looking at federal coronavirus loans skeptically

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs' Head Coach Andy Reid fields media questions during a news conference Monday at Arrowhead Stadium. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs' Head Coach Andy Reid fields media questions during a news conference Monday at Arrowhead Stadium. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fvideos%2F1142197449515329%2F&show_text=true&width=734&height=504&appId" width="734" height="504" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM), your local Chiefs Radio Network stations.

📹Chiefs' Reid reviews team's play against Chargers; looks to MNF



Lunchtime in China lasts for two hours, from noon to 2pm. Students and parents then return to finish their 8-hour day from 2pm until 6pm. This is a prime time to watch television. China also seizes this time to educate about new developments.

China is expanding the use of cameras in public spaces, although still somewhat behind England and other highly monitored European countries. However, while eating lunch last year in China, I was able to watch footage on CCTV of an older man extorting money from passing motorists.

China has more cars than any other country and there is a shortage of parking. Many side streets are just one lane with cars parked along both sides and a narrow single lane down the middle.

Unaware that there had been a camera installed on this street, this older gentleman walked alongside the driving lane, rather than on the sidewalk. He walked in the same direction as the cars that would have to slowly squeeze by him from behind. At the moment he detected the car coming from behind was alongside, he leaned out slightly so the mirror would hit his arm. He then dramatically acted as if it had hit him and pushed him against the parked car.

The motorist would immediately stop, hop out and console this poor man that he had apparently struck with his mirror. Insofar as any car-pedestrian collisions can result in hefty fines, the older man acting in pain and holding his shoulder suggests that a few hundred yuan would suffice for his injuries and avoid filing a report. Of course he is not injured at all, but good at acting.

This roadside extortion is called “peng ci” or a pretend crime and it was becoming common. It worked until more cameras were installed. Now, by showing this on noon television, it soon brought this extortion to a halt. The driver could merely say “I’ll wait to see the camera footage.” If the criminal states that there is no camera on that street, it reveals that he has checked that beforehand and is trying to extort money.

My Chinese colleagues appreciate the fact that outside public behaviors are subject to cameras recording street scenes and apartment entrances. China is nearly five times more crowded than the U.S. This helps the unarmed police monitor public places and see more than if they were walking the beat. My colleagues also ask me why Americans do not want surveillance cameras in public places? It is hard to explain why we would not want to be able to detect and record criminal activity. &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

But once they enter their homes, they expect privacy.&nbsp; And that is where Americans are giving up far more privacy than in China. We purchase Echo, Alexa and other “virtual assistant” devices so we can ask it to play certain music or answer some factual question. But companies that produce them can listen in on in-home conversations for various technical reasons.&nbsp; And that is an invasion of privacy that my Chinese colleagues would not like.

Our assertion of a right to privacy when we are out in public strikes them as strange. That is where many harmful acts occur and where they can be stopped with cameras. The old man pretending to be hit by a car mirror would not do that if a policeman was present, and the camera serves as a witness. Why do we fear cameras in public but then give away our privacy at home?

And when a West Coast terrorist was killed by police after shooting many victims, why would the cell phone company not unlock his phone so police could see if he was communicating with other dangerous terrorists? Fortunately, with time the police were able to hack into the phone, but without the help of the company.&nbsp;&nbsp;

You have undoubtedly noticed that if you search online for a product, that within a short time your screen is bombarded with a gadzillion ads about that product. While Americans demand privacy, the big online services are making millions tracking our online actions and selling that information. What we deny to government we give away to businesses.

The Sept. 4 issue of “The Week,” describes how the Secret Service bought location data generated by smartphone apps.&nbsp; “Law enforcement agencies must get a warrant to ‘compel a company to provide location data,’ but there is nothing that bars an agency from ‘simply buying the data instead.’”



John Richard Schrock has trained biology teachers for more than 30 years in Kansas. He also has lectured at 27 universities in 20 trips to China. He holds the distinction of “Faculty Emeritus” at Emporia State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573490075841.jpeg" alt="John Richard Schrock" />
 <figcaption>John Richard Schrock</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN RICHARD SCHROCK

Lunchtime in China lasts for two hours, from noon to 2pm. Students and parents then return to finish their 8-hour day from 2pm until 6pm. This is a prime time to watch television. China also seizes this time to educate about new developments.China is expanding the use of cameras in public spaces, although still somewhat behind England and other highly monitored European countries. However, while eating lunch last year in China, I was able to watch footage on CCTV of an older man extorting money from passing motorists.China has more cars than any other country and there is a shortage of parking. Many side streets are just one lane with cars parked along both sides and a narrow single lane down the middle.Unaware that there had been a camera installed on this street, this older gentleman walked alongside the driving lane, rather than on the sidewalk. He walked in the same direction as the cars that would have to slowly squeeze by him from behind. At the moment he detected the car coming from behind was alongside, he leaned out slightly so the mirror would hit his arm. He then dramatically acted as if it had hit him and pushed him against the parked car.The motorist would immediately stop, hop out and console this poor man that he had apparently struck with his mirror. Insofar as any car-pedestrian collisions can result in hefty fines, the older man acting in pain and holding his shoulder suggests that a few hundred yuan would suffice for his injuries and avoid filing a report. Of course he is not injured at all, but good at acting.This roadside extortion is called “peng ci” or a pretend crime and it was becoming common. It worked until more cameras were installed. Now, by showing this on noon television, it soon brought this extortion to a halt. The driver could merely say “I’ll wait to see the camera footage.” If the criminal states that there is no camera on that street, it reveals that he has checked that beforehand and is trying to extort money.My Chinese colleagues appreciate the fact that outside public behaviors are subject to cameras recording street scenes and apartment entrances. China is nearly five times more crowded than the U.S. This helps the unarmed police monitor public places and see more than if they were walking the beat. My colleagues also ask me why Americans do not want surveillance cameras in public places? It is hard to explain why we would not want to be able to detect and record criminal activity. &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;But once they enter their homes, they expect privacy.&nbsp; And that is where Americans are giving up far more privacy than in China. We purchase Echo, Alexa and other “virtual assistant” devices so we can ask it to play certain music or answer some factual question. But companies that produce them can listen in on in-home conversations for various technical reasons.&nbsp; And that is an invasion of privacy that my Chinese colleagues would not like.Our assertion of a right to privacy when we are out in public strikes them as strange. That is where many harmful acts occur and where they can be stopped with cameras. The old man pretending to be hit by a car mirror would not do that if a policeman was present, and the camera serves as a witness. Why do we fear cameras in public but then give away our privacy at home?And when a West Coast terrorist was killed by police after shooting many victims, why would the cell phone company not unlock his phone so police could see if he was communicating with other dangerous terrorists? Fortunately, with time the police were able to hack into the phone, but without the help of the company.&nbsp;&nbsp;You have undoubtedly noticed that if you search online for a product, that within a short time your screen is bombarded with a gadzillion ads about that product. While Americans demand privacy, the big online services are making millions tracking our online actions and selling that information. What we deny to government we give away to businesses.The Sept. 4 issue of “The Week,” describes how the Secret Service bought location data generated by smartphone apps.&nbsp; “Law enforcement agencies must get a warrant to ‘compel a company to provide location data,’ but there is nothing that bars an agency from ‘simply buying the data instead.’”

John Richard Schrock has trained biology teachers for more than 30 years in Kansas. He also has lectured at 27 universities in 20 trips to China. He holds the distinction of “Faculty Emeritus” at Emporia State University.

EDUCATION FRONTLINES: Different standards of privacy

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Saturday promised to put forth a female nominee in the coming week to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, pushing the Republican-controlled Senate to consider the pick without delay.

Taking the stage at a North Carolina rally to chants of “Fill that seat,” the president said he would nominate his selection despite Democrats’ objections. And, after conducting what he joked was a “very scientific poll” of the Fayetteville crowd as to whether supporters wanted a man or a woman, he declared the choice would be “a very talented, very brilliant woman.”

He added that he did not yet know whom he would choose.

“We win an election and those are the consequences,” said the president, who then seemed to signal that he’d be willing to accept a vote on his nominee during the lame duck period after the election. “We have a lot of time. We have plenty of time. We’re talking about January 20th.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Saturday promised to put forth a female nominee in the coming week to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, pushing the Republican-controlled Senate to consider the pick without delay.Taking the stage at a North Carolina rally to chants of “Fill that seat,” the president said he would nominate his selection despite Democrats’ objections. And, after conducting what he joked was a “very scientific poll” of the Fayetteville crowd as to whether supporters wanted a man or a woman, he declared the choice would be “a very talented, very brilliant woman.”He added that he did not yet know whom he would choose.“We win an election and those are the consequences,” said the president, who then seemed to signal that he’d be willing to accept a vote on his nominee during the lame duck period after the election. “We have a lot of time. We have plenty of time. We’re talking about January 20th.”But one Republican senator already broke ranks. Maine’s Susan Collins, who is in a tough reelection battle, said Saturday that she believed replacing Ginsburg should be the decision of the president who is elected Nov. 3. Three more defections from the GOP ranks would be needed to stop Trump’s nominee from joining the court.At stake is a seat held by a justice who was a champion of women’s rights and spent her final years on the bench as the unquestioned leader of the court’s liberal wing. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. vowed to call a vote for Trump’s nominee, but Democrats countered that Republicans should follow the precedent that GOP legislators set in 2016 by refusing to consider a Supreme Court choice in the run-up to an election.The impending clash over the vacant seat — when to fill it and with whom — scrambles the stretch run of a presidential race for a nation already reeling from the pandemic that has killed nearly 200,000 people, left millions unemployed and heightened partisan tensions and anger.McConnell pledged to Trump in a phone call Friday night to bring the choice to a vote though he has not said if it would be before the election. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said any selection should come after Nov. 3. “Voters should pick the president and the president should pick the justice to consider,” he said.The president this month added 20 more names to his roster of potential court nominees, and aides in recent days have focused on a short list heavy on female candidates, according to four White House aides and officials close to the process. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations.Those under close consideration for the high court include three women who are federal appeals court judges: Amy Coney Barrett, beloved among conservatives and an early favorite; Barbara Lagoa, who is Hispanic and comes from the battleground state of Florida; and Allison Jones Rushing, who clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas and for Neil Gorsuch, when the current Trump-appointed justice was an appeals court judge.At least one man, appeals court Judge Amul Thapar, has also been under consideration. A McConnell ally from Kentucky, he has been screened by Trump’s team for past openings and he would be the first Asian-American on the high court.McConnell, who sets the calendar in the Senate and has made judicial appointments his priority, declared unequivocally in a statement that Trump’s nominee would receive a confirmation vote. In 2016, McConnell refused to consider President Barack Obama’s nominee months before the election, eventually preventing a vote on Judge Merrick Garland.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York convened a conference call with Democratic senators at midday Saturday, according to a person on the private call who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. He told senators the “number one goal” must be to communicate the stakes of the confirmation vote.Schumer also warned that if Republicans push through the nominee, “nothing is off the table” for Senate rules changes to come, the person said.Ginsburg’s death seemed certain to stoke enthusiasm in both political parties as the election could now be viewed as referendum on the high court’s decisions, including the future of abortion rights. Democrats raised more than $71 million in the hours after Ginsburg’s death, indicating her passing has already galvanized the party’s base.Hundreds of mourners gathered for a second night outside the Supreme Court building, holding candles in honor of Ginsburg and listening to a succession of testimonies and rallying speeches. Among the speakers was Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who eulogized Ginsberg as “an icon, a trailblazer and a friend” and accused McConnell of seeking to cynically hijack the confirmation process.“Today Mitch McConnell and his henchmen think they can ram through a Supreme Court justice only 45 days before the election,” Warren said. “What Mitch McConnell doesn’t understand is that the fight has just begun.”A confirmation vote in the Senate is not guaranteed, even with a Republican majority.McConnell has launched a risky, unprecedented strategy. It could motivate conservative voters to rally behind Trump and GOP senators or it could push away moderates who prefer to see the Senate stick to norms or are fearful of a right-leaning court stripping away women’s right to choose an abortion.Typically, it takes several months to vet and hold hearings on a Supreme Court nominee, and time is short before November. Key senators may be reluctant to cast votes so close to the election. With a slim GOP majority, 53 seats in the 100-member chamber, Trump’s choice could afford to lose only a few.McConnell did not specify the timing. But trying for confirmation in a lame-duck session after the Nov. 3 election, if Trump had lost to Biden or Republicans had lost the Senate, would carry further political complications.Democrats immediately denounced McConnell’s move as hypocritical, pointing out that he refused to call hearings for Garland 237 days before the 2016 election. The 2020 election is 46 days away.The average number of days to confirm a justice, according to the Congressional Research Service, is 69, which would be after the election. But some Republicans quickly noted that Ginsburg was confirmed in just 42 days. Obama waited more than a month to nominate Garland after Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016.John Fischetti, who waited in line more than two hours to enter Trump’s Fayetteville rally, said replacing Ginsburg would inflame tensions but was within the president’s rights.“I would assume it would make everyone more energized,” Fischetti said of the political repercussions. “Trump’s people want him to always press forward.”Four GOP defections could defeat a nomination, while a tie vote could be broken by Vice President Mike Pence. After Collins’ decision, focus grew on Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah, who have been critical of Trump and protective of the institution of the Senate.And because the Arizona Senate race is a special election, that seat could be filled as early as Nov. 30 — which would narrow the window for McConnell if the Democratic candidate, Mark Kelly, wins.The next pick could shape important decisions beyond abortion rights, including any legal challenges that may stem from the 2020 election. In the interim, if the court were to take cases with eight justices, 4-4 ties would revert the decision to a lower court; for instance, the Affordable Care Act could then be struck down by a lower Texas court.Biden has promised to nominate a Black woman to the high court if given the chance. His campaign reiterated Saturday that it would not release names before the election.___