<a href="https://www.roselawnsalina.com/obituary/derald-armbrust">Obituary | Derald Dean Armbrust of SALINA, Kansas | Roselawn Mortuary and Memorial Park (roselawnsalina.com)</a>

Derald Dean Armbrust, 89 of Salina, passed away Saturday, February 20, 2021 surrounded by those he loved, and those that loved him.

He was born June 30, 1931 in Ellsworth, Ks to Andy and Ella (Dolezal) Armbrust.

In 1951, at the young age of 18, Derald enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. After finishing his introduction into boot camp, Derald was sent to Europe and fought during the Korean War. While there, Derald earned the Korean Service Medal with two (2) Stars, as well as the National Defense Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal.

Upon his release from active duty, Derald took an interest in construction, then becoming a welder. He worked for Rickel Manufacturing, Building “Big A”. In 1971, he started a lawn mowing business that he ran for 49 years. In 2003, he retired after 23 years as a welding at Great Plains Manufacturing.

In his younger years, he enjoyed racing dirt bikes, fishing, gardening, and could build anything out of metal. He enjoyed listening to Red Foxx on cassette tape in his Ford pickup.

Derald reveled in sharing his stories about his service to his counrty during the Korean War, as well as sharing stories about his childhood.

Derald also knew and understood heartache with the passing of his parents, Andy, and Ella (Dolezal) Armbrust; his beloved wife, Sylvia Armbrust; his three (3) children, Bob Armbrust, Karen Jackson, and Infant Tammy; brothers, Dell Armbrust and Melvin Armbrust, and especially his beloved and loyal companion, “Red.”

Those left to remember his tales and his spirit are his sons, Donald Armbrust, and Larry Armbrust; both of Salina, sister, Gladys Russell, of Texas, 7 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren.

A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, March 12, 2021 at 1:00pm at Roselawn Heights Memorial Chapel, 1920 E. Crawford, Salina, where Derald will receive full Military Honors from the VFW, Post 1432.

Memorials may be made to Diabetes Association in care of Roselawn Mortuary, PO Box 2322, Salina, 67402.

For online condolences contact Roselawn at <a href="http://www.roselawnsalina.com">www.roselawnsalina.com</a>.

<h2>Derald Dean Armbrust, Salina</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615039749879.png" alt="Derald Dean Armbrust" />
 <figcaption>Derald Dean Armbrust</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.roselawnsalina.com/obituary/derald-armbrust">Obituary | Derald Dean Armbrust of SALINA, Kansas | Roselawn Mortuary and Memorial Park (roselawnsalina.com)</a>June 30, 1931 - February 20, 2021Derald Dean Armbrust, 89 of Salina, passed away Saturday, February 20, 2021 surrounded by those he loved, and those that loved him.He was born June 30, 1931 in Ellsworth, Ks to Andy and Ella (Dolezal) Armbrust.In 1951, at the young age of 18, Derald enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. After finishing his introduction into boot camp, Derald was sent to Europe and fought during the Korean War. While there, Derald earned the Korean Service Medal with two (2) Stars, as well as the National Defense Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal.Upon his release from active duty, Derald took an interest in construction, then becoming a welder. He worked for Rickel Manufacturing, Building “Big A”. In 1971, he started a lawn mowing business that he ran for 49 years. In 2003, he retired after 23 years as a welding at Great Plains Manufacturing.In his younger years, he enjoyed racing dirt bikes, fishing, gardening, and could build anything out of metal. He enjoyed listening to Red Foxx on cassette tape in his Ford pickup.Derald reveled in sharing his stories about his service to his counrty during the Korean War, as well as sharing stories about his childhood.Derald also knew and understood heartache with the passing of his parents, Andy, and Ella (Dolezal) Armbrust; his beloved wife, Sylvia Armbrust; his three (3) children, Bob Armbrust, Karen Jackson, and Infant Tammy; brothers, Dell Armbrust and Melvin Armbrust, and especially his beloved and loyal companion, “Red.”Those left to remember his tales and his spirit are his sons, Donald Armbrust, and Larry Armbrust; both of Salina, sister, Gladys Russell, of Texas, 7 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren.A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, March 12, 2021 at 1:00pm at Roselawn Heights Memorial Chapel, 1920 E. Crawford, Salina, where Derald will receive full Military Honors from the VFW, Post 1432.Memorials may be made to Diabetes Association in care of Roselawn Mortuary, PO Box 2322, Salina, 67402.For online condolences contact Roselawn at <a href="http://www.roselawnsalina.com">www.roselawnsalina.com</a>.

Derald Dean Armbrust

James "Sonny" A. Brown, Jr., Republic&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.chaputbuoy.com/obituary/james-sonny-brown-jr">Obituary | James "Sonny" A. Brown, Jr. of Republic, Kansas | Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home</a>

James (Sonny) Allen Brown, Jr., age 64, of Republic, KS, passed away on Monday, March 1, 2021 at Salina Regional Health Center, Salina, KS, with his wife by his side. He was born on Dec. 3, 1956 in Memphis, TN to James A. &amp; Juanita O. (Bryson) Brown, Sr.

Sonny graduated from Raleigh High School. Sonny worked on the oil rigs in Houston, owned and operated his own security system business, worked as a technician for Sprint and later Nex-Tech. The last eight years he was working for Action Resources, Inc.

Sonny loved music and shared it with all his family &amp; friends. He loved the *blues* but listened to many genres. Working as a truck driver the last 15 years, music followed him everywhere. He enjoyed sports of all kind with football leading the way with anything Tennessee and Kansas, but Oklahoma was in there too. He loved his fellow man so, so he could and did talk to everyone. He joined the volunteer fire department in Republic.

He is survived by his wife, Sarah (Kay) Campbell Brown, Republic; his children: Daniel Brown, KC, MO, Jesse Brown, MO &amp; Ryan Brown, Wichita; their fur babies, Luna, Gunny, Probee &amp; Abbie with Mr. Gibbs as the canine leader; his brother, Robert (Cindy) Brown, Union City, TN; sister, Becky (Joe) Hunt, Decatur, IL; step-daughters, Cassandra (Erin) Long, Shawnee &amp; Jessica (Michael) Lee, Lawrence; three grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; older brothers, Earl (Doc) Walker &amp; Donald (Bubba) Walker &amp; parents in law, H. Lee &amp; Gwen (Moody) Campbell.

It was Sonny’s wish to be cremated. There will be a Celebration of Life on March 20, 2021 at the Norway Gym located on Hwy 148, KS. Doors open at 11:30 am. Please bring your favorite dish and share a meal with us. Meat will be provided. We will have prayer and stories to tell following. &nbsp;The family suggests memorials to the Shriners Children's Hospitals in care of the funeral home. For online condolences, please visit www.chaputbuoy.com.

To plant Memorial Trees in memory of&nbsp;James "Sonny" A. Brown, Jr., please&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.chaputbuoy.com/obituary/james-sonny-brown-jr/gifts?campaign=obituaryThemed-gifts-textLink-obitText">click here to visit our Sympathy Store</a>.

<h2>James "Sonny" A. Brown, Jr., Republic&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614954604583.jpeg" alt="James "Sonny" A. Brown, Jr.&nbsp;&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>James "Sonny" A. Brown, Jr.&nbsp;&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.chaputbuoy.com/obituary/james-sonny-brown-jr">Obituary | James "Sonny" A. Brown, Jr. of Republic, Kansas | Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home</a>December 3, 1956 - March 1, 2021James (Sonny) Allen Brown, Jr., age 64, of Republic, KS, passed away on Monday, March 1, 2021 at Salina Regional Health Center, Salina, KS, with his wife by his side. He was born on Dec. 3, 1956 in Memphis, TN to James A. &amp; Juanita O. (Bryson) Brown, Sr.Sonny graduated from Raleigh High School. Sonny worked on the oil rigs in Houston, owned and operated his own security system business, worked as a technician for Sprint and later Nex-Tech. The last eight years he was working for Action Resources, Inc.Sonny loved music and shared it with all his family &amp; friends. He loved the *blues* but listened to many genres. Working as a truck driver the last 15 years, music followed him everywhere. He enjoyed sports of all kind with football leading the way with anything Tennessee and Kansas, but Oklahoma was in there too. He loved his fellow man so, so he could and did talk to everyone. He joined the volunteer fire department in Republic.He is survived by his wife, Sarah (Kay) Campbell Brown, Republic; his children: Daniel Brown, KC, MO, Jesse Brown, MO &amp; Ryan Brown, Wichita; their fur babies, Luna, Gunny, Probee &amp; Abbie with Mr. Gibbs as the canine leader; his brother, Robert (Cindy) Brown, Union City, TN; sister, Becky (Joe) Hunt, Decatur, IL; step-daughters, Cassandra (Erin) Long, Shawnee &amp; Jessica (Michael) Lee, Lawrence; three grandchildren.He was preceded in death by his parents; older brothers, Earl (Doc) Walker &amp; Donald (Bubba) Walker &amp; parents in law, H. Lee &amp; Gwen (Moody) Campbell.It was Sonny’s wish to be cremated. There will be a Celebration of Life on March 20, 2021 at the Norway Gym located on Hwy 148, KS. Doors open at 11:30 am. Please bring your favorite dish and share a meal with us. Meat will be provided. We will have prayer and stories to tell following. &nbsp;The family suggests memorials to the Shriners Children's Hospitals in care of the funeral home. For online condolences, please visit www.chaputbuoy.com.To plant Memorial Trees in memory of&nbsp;James "Sonny" A. Brown, Jr., please&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.chaputbuoy.com/obituary/james-sonny-brown-jr/gifts?campaign=obituaryThemed-gifts-textLink-obitText">click here to visit our Sympathy Store</a>.

 James "Sonny" A. Brown, Jr.

Do you think I should get a new hybrid car to save money on gas? A lot of my friends have done this, and with the rise in gas and oil prices lately, they’re telling me I should, too. According to them, I’ll save a ton of money, especially since I have a bigger car and a longer drive to work. What are your thoughts?

I get lots of questions about these kinds of scenarios, and how it plays into people’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everydollar.com/guide-to-budgeting-dave-says" target="_blank">budgets</a>. Many folks wonder if it would be better to go out and get a new vehicle with better gas mileage. Well, do you really want to lose&nbsp;more&nbsp;money?

Let's say you currently drive a vehicle worth $10,000 that gets 15 miles per gallon. There's a $25,000 hybrid you're thinking about buying that gets 25 miles per gallon. That's a $15,000 price difference just to get 10 more miles a gallon. If you drive 100 miles a week, that's about a $10 difference a week. That would be about $40 extra you're&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/the-cure-for-excessive-spending" target="_blank">spending</a>&nbsp;a month in gas if you stuck with the current car. A monthly car payment is a whole lot more than that! In short, the math doesn’t work. You'd have to drive to the moon and back to make it worthwhile.

There are a lot smarter things you can do to cut down on your fuel bill. Have you thought about trading for something smaller? If you’re driving a gas guzzler, trade it in on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/car-buying-tips" target="_blank">another car</a>&nbsp;worth no more than your current car's selling price. This means better fuel efficiency without a car payment. Carpooling is an option, too, even if you split the driving just a few days a week.

If you want to get a little more radical with the money-saving ideas, you could think about moving closer to work. Spend some time doing the calculations and looking at the specifics to see if it makes sense in your case. Finally, and this may be a last ditch effort, you could consider changing jobs. No one’s forcing you to work where you do, especially if you’re spending a lot of time and money on the road just getting to and from your job. If you’re really spending a ridiculous amount on gas each month, it might even be time to look into ideas you may have once had to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/the-basics-of-starting-a-business" target="_blank">start your own business</a>.

But don't use better gas mileage, or bad advice from your friends, as a rationalization for buying a new car. It’s just not worth it!

<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 Ramsey Show, heard by more than 16 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596845065840.jpeg" alt="Dave Ramsey" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey</figcaption>
 </figure>Dear Dave,Do you think I should get a new hybrid car to save money on gas? A lot of my friends have done this, and with the rise in gas and oil prices lately, they’re telling me I should, too. According to them, I’ll save a ton of money, especially since I have a bigger car and a longer drive to work. What are your thoughts?DaneenDear Daneen,I get lots of questions about these kinds of scenarios, and how it plays into people’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everydollar.com/guide-to-budgeting-dave-says" target="_blank">budgets</a>. Many folks wonder if it would be better to go out and get a new vehicle with better gas mileage. Well, do you really want to lose&nbsp;more&nbsp;money?Let's say you currently drive a vehicle worth $10,000 that gets 15 miles per gallon. There's a $25,000 hybrid you're thinking about buying that gets 25 miles per gallon. That's a $15,000 price difference just to get 10 more miles a gallon. If you drive 100 miles a week, that's about a $10 difference a week. That would be about $40 extra you're&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/the-cure-for-excessive-spending" target="_blank">spending</a>&nbsp;a month in gas if you stuck with the current car. A monthly car payment is a whole lot more than that! In short, the math doesn’t work. You'd have to drive to the moon and back to make it worthwhile.There are a lot smarter things you can do to cut down on your fuel bill. Have you thought about trading for something smaller? If you’re driving a gas guzzler, trade it in on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/car-buying-tips" target="_blank">another car</a>&nbsp;worth no more than your current car's selling price. This means better fuel efficiency without a car payment. Carpooling is an option, too, even if you split the driving just a few days a week.If you want to get a little more radical with the money-saving ideas, you could think about moving closer to work. Spend some time doing the calculations and looking at the specifics to see if it makes sense in your case. Finally, and this may be a last ditch effort, you could consider changing jobs. No one’s forcing you to work where you do, especially if you’re spending a lot of time and money on the road just getting to and from your job. If you’re really spending a ridiculous amount on gas each month, it might even be time to look into ideas you may have once had to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/the-basics-of-starting-a-business" target="_blank">start your own business</a>.But don't use better gas mileage, or bad advice from your friends, as a rationalization for buying a new car. It’s just not worth it!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 Ramsey Show, heard by more than 16 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

DAVE SAYS: It’s just not worth it

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A bill that would require high school students to pass a civics test to graduate has won initial approval in the Kansas House.

(Click below to listen to the House debate about a civics test)

Lawmakers voted Wednesday to advance the bill despite opposition from the Kansas State Board of Education, which said the bill encroaches on its constitutional authority to set graduation requirements. The bill faces a final House vote before going to the Senate.

The legislation would require students to pass one or more tests consisting of 60 questions from the 128-question U.S. citizenship test. The bill does not set a passing grade, and students would be able to take the test multiple times. Valley Center Republican Rep. Steve Huebert, the bill’s chief proponent, said teachers could decide what constitutes passing.

The test would also require high schools to submit an annual report to the state board showing how students are doing on the tests.

Supporters say the test would give students basic knowledge to become engaged citizens. Nineteen states require high school graduates to take a civics test, according to the Kansas Department of Legislative Research.

The bill faces pushback from education groups, including the Kansas National Education Association, which says that students are already getting an education in civics in government and history classes.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A bill that would require high school students to pass a civics test to graduate has won initial approval in the Kansas House.(Click below to listen to the House debate about a civics test)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4QAIh32JLJ0?start=17474" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Lawmakers voted Wednesday to advance the bill despite opposition from the Kansas State Board of Education, which said the bill encroaches on its constitutional authority to set graduation requirements. The bill faces a final House vote before going to the Senate.The legislation would require students to pass one or more tests consisting of 60 questions from the 128-question U.S. citizenship test. The bill does not set a passing grade, and students would be able to take the test multiple times. Valley Center Republican Rep. Steve Huebert, the bill’s chief proponent, said teachers could decide what constitutes passing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614884863187.png" alt="Valley Center Republican Rep. Steve Huebert, the bill’s chief proponent, said teachers could decide what constitutes passing." />
 <figcaption>Valley Center Republican Rep. Steve Huebert, the bill’s chief proponent, said teachers could decide what constitutes passing.</figcaption>
 </figure>The test would also require high schools to submit an annual report to the state board showing how students are doing on the tests.Supporters say the test would give students basic knowledge to become engaged citizens. Nineteen states require high school graduates to take a civics test, according to the Kansas Department of Legislative Research.The bill faces pushback from education groups, including the Kansas National Education Association, which says that students are already getting an education in civics in government and history classes.

🎥  Kan. House gives initial approval to civics test for graduation

Wanda Ann (Kemper) Huntington, 50, passed away on December 31,2020, at the Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, KS.&nbsp;

She is survived by her parents, Gary and Ellen Kemper of Phillipsburg, KS; sister Brenda Maeske (Jim Klavis) of Chantilly, VA; sons David of Hays, KS and Shawn of Minneapolis, KS; nieces Jessica (Michael) Stone of Reston, VA and Alexandra Spittle (James Sorokos) of Norfolk, Virginia; sisters-in-law Sharon (Lloyd) Sandlin and Shelly Derting of Minneapolis, KS; uncle Marvin Gaines of Logan, KS and many cousins.&nbsp;

Wanda was a free-spirit who loved her family and friends. She read her Bible every day and had a relationship with the lord. She listened to gospel music and attended religious services either in-person or by watching on television. She also loved to watch football and was a big fan of the Kansas City Chiefs.&nbsp;

A memorial service for Wanda will be held at 10:30 a.m.&nbsp; Friday, March 5, 2021, at the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg, with Pastor Joel Hiesterman officiating.&nbsp; The services will be streamed live on the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel Facebook page. &nbsp; A private inurnment will take place in the Pleasant View Cemetery, Logan, KS.

Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, 1115 2nd Street, Phillipsburg, KS is in charge of arrangements.

Wanda Ann (Kemper) Huntington, 50, passed away on December 31,2020, at the Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, KS.&nbsp;She is survived by her parents, Gary and Ellen Kemper of Phillipsburg, KS; sister Brenda Maeske (Jim Klavis) of Chantilly, VA; sons David of Hays, KS and Shawn of Minneapolis, KS; nieces Jessica (Michael) Stone of Reston, VA and Alexandra Spittle (James Sorokos) of Norfolk, Virginia; sisters-in-law Sharon (Lloyd) Sandlin and Shelly Derting of Minneapolis, KS; uncle Marvin Gaines of Logan, KS and many cousins.&nbsp;Wanda was a free-spirit who loved her family and friends. She read her Bible every day and had a relationship with the lord. She listened to gospel music and attended religious services either in-person or by watching on television. She also loved to watch football and was a big fan of the Kansas City Chiefs.&nbsp;A memorial service for Wanda will be held at 10:30 a.m.&nbsp; Friday, March 5, 2021, at the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg, with Pastor Joel Hiesterman officiating.&nbsp; The services will be streamed live on the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel Facebook page. &nbsp; A private inurnment will take place in the Pleasant View Cemetery, Logan, KS.Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, 1115 2nd Street, Phillipsburg, KS is in charge of arrangements.

Wanda Ann (Kemper) Huntington

BOSTON (AP) — Six Dr. Seuss books — including “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” and “If I Ran the Zoo” — will stop being published because of racist and insensitive imagery, the business that preserves and protects the author’s legacy said Tuesday.

“These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.seussville.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Seuss Enterprises</a>&nbsp;told The Associated Press in a statement that coincided with the late author and illustrator’s birthday.

“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” it said.

The other books affected are “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!,” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.”

The decision to cease publication and sales of the books was made last year after months of discussion, the company told AP.

“Dr. Seuss Enterprises listened and took feedback from our audiences including teachers, academics and specialists in the field as part of our review process. We then worked with a panel of experts, including educators, to review our catalog of titles,” it said.

Books by Dr. Seuss — who was born Theodor Seuss Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts, on March 2, 1904 —- have been translated into dozens of languages as well as in braille and are sold in more than 100 countries. He died in 1991.

He remains popular, earning an estimated $33 million before taxes in 2020, up from just $9.5 million five years ago, the company said. Forbes listed him No. 2 on its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2020/11/13/the-highest-paid-dead-celebrities-of-2020/?sh=34ac0ff63b4b" target="_blank">highest-paid dead celebrities</a>&nbsp;of 2020, behind only the late pop star Michael Jackson.

As adored as Dr. Seuss is by millions around the world for the positive values in many of his works, including environmentalism and tolerance, there has been increasing criticism in recent years over the way Blacks, Asians and others are drawn in some of his most beloved children’s books, as well as in his earlier advertising and propaganda illustrations.

The National Education Association, which founded Read Across America Day in 1998 and deliberately aligned it with Geisel’s birthday, has for several years deemphasized Seuss and encouraged a more diverse reading list for children.

School districts across the country have also moved away from Dr. Seuss, prompting Loudoun County, Virginia, schools just outside Washington, D.C., to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lcps.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&amp;ModuleInstanceID=321579&amp;ViewID=7b97f7ed-8e5e-4120-848f-a8b4987d588f&amp;RenderLoc=0&amp;FlexDataID=401331&amp;PageID=235586" target="_blank">douse</a>&nbsp;rumors last month that they were banning the books entirely.

“Research in recent years has revealed strong racial undertones in many books written/illustrated by Dr. Seuss,” the school district said in a statement.

In 2017, a school librarian in Cambridge, Massachusetts,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hbook.com/?detailStory=dear-mrs-trump" target="_blank">criticized</a>&nbsp;a gift of 10 Seuss books from first lady Melania Trump, saying many of his works were “steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes.”

In 2018, a Dr. Seuss museum in his hometown of Springfield&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/99a4c5d6dd8b4c9f9b91a4c2ab8af54d">removed a mural</a>&nbsp;that included an Asian stereotype.

“The Cat in the Hat,” one of Seuss’ most popular books, has received criticism, too, but will continue to be published for now.

Dr. Seuss Enterprises, however, said it is “committed to listening and learning and will continue to review our entire portfolio.”

Numerous other popular children’s series have been criticized in recent years for alleged racism.

In the 2007 book, “Should We Burn Babar?,” the author and educator Herbert R. Kohl contended that the “Babar the Elephant” books were celebrations of colonialism because of how the title character leaves the jungle and later returns to “civilize” his fellow animals.

One of the books, “Babar’s Travels,” was removed from the shelves of a British library in 2012 because of its alleged stereotypes of Africans. Critics also have faulted the “Curious George” books for their premise of a white man bringing home a monkey from Africa.

And Laura Ingalls Wilder’s portrayals of Native Americans in her “Little House On the Prairie” novels have been faulted so often that the American Library Association removed her name in 2018 from a lifetime achievement award it gives out each year.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614690497408.png" alt="" />
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 </figure>BOSTON (AP) — Six Dr. Seuss books — including “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” and “If I Ran the Zoo” — will stop being published because of racist and insensitive imagery, the business that preserves and protects the author’s legacy said Tuesday.“These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.seussville.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Seuss Enterprises</a>&nbsp;told The Associated Press in a statement that coincided with the late author and illustrator’s birthday.“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” it said.The other books affected are “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!,” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.”The decision to cease publication and sales of the books was made last year after months of discussion, the company told AP.“Dr. Seuss Enterprises listened and took feedback from our audiences including teachers, academics and specialists in the field as part of our review process. We then worked with a panel of experts, including educators, to review our catalog of titles,” it said.Books by Dr. Seuss — who was born Theodor Seuss Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts, on March 2, 1904 —- have been translated into dozens of languages as well as in braille and are sold in more than 100 countries. He died in 1991.He remains popular, earning an estimated $33 million before taxes in 2020, up from just $9.5 million five years ago, the company said. Forbes listed him No. 2 on its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2020/11/13/the-highest-paid-dead-celebrities-of-2020/?sh=34ac0ff63b4b" target="_blank">highest-paid dead celebrities</a>&nbsp;of 2020, behind only the late pop star Michael Jackson.As adored as Dr. Seuss is by millions around the world for the positive values in many of his works, including environmentalism and tolerance, there has been increasing criticism in recent years over the way Blacks, Asians and others are drawn in some of his most beloved children’s books, as well as in his earlier advertising and propaganda illustrations.The National Education Association, which founded Read Across America Day in 1998 and deliberately aligned it with Geisel’s birthday, has for several years deemphasized Seuss and encouraged a more diverse reading list for children.School districts across the country have also moved away from Dr. Seuss, prompting Loudoun County, Virginia, schools just outside Washington, D.C., to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lcps.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&amp;ModuleInstanceID=321579&amp;ViewID=7b97f7ed-8e5e-4120-848f-a8b4987d588f&amp;RenderLoc=0&amp;FlexDataID=401331&amp;PageID=235586" target="_blank">douse</a>&nbsp;rumors last month that they were banning the books entirely.“Research in recent years has revealed strong racial undertones in many books written/illustrated by Dr. Seuss,” the school district said in a statement.In 2017, a school librarian in Cambridge, Massachusetts,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hbook.com/?detailStory=dear-mrs-trump" target="_blank">criticized</a>&nbsp;a gift of 10 Seuss books from first lady Melania Trump, saying many of his works were “steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes.”In 2018, a Dr. Seuss museum in his hometown of Springfield&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/99a4c5d6dd8b4c9f9b91a4c2ab8af54d">removed a mural</a>&nbsp;that included an Asian stereotype.“The Cat in the Hat,” one of Seuss’ most popular books, has received criticism, too, but will continue to be published for now.Dr. Seuss Enterprises, however, said it is “committed to listening and learning and will continue to review our entire portfolio.”Numerous other popular children’s series have been criticized in recent years for alleged racism.In the 2007 book, “Should We Burn Babar?,” the author and educator Herbert R. Kohl contended that the “Babar the Elephant” books were celebrations of colonialism because of how the title character leaves the jungle and later returns to “civilize” his fellow animals.One of the books, “Babar’s Travels,” was removed from the shelves of a British library in 2012 because of its alleged stereotypes of Africans. Critics also have faulted the “Curious George” books for their premise of a white man bringing home a monkey from Africa.And Laura Ingalls Wilder’s portrayals of Native Americans in her “Little House On the Prairie” novels have been faulted so often that the American Library Association removed her name in 2018 from a lifetime achievement award it gives out each year.___

Racist images: Why Dr. Seuss Enterprises shelved 6 books 

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

ABILENE -- Dickinson County residents: If you want to make a difference in the final days of peoples' lives, Hospice of Dickinson County needs you.

The organization seeks volunteers to assist with a variety of tasks and has scheduled new hospice volunteer training for persons interested in volunteering. 

The training is set for 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Friday and March 12 at Home Health and Hospice, 1111 North Brady Street in Abilene. The training is for individuals who would like to help support hospice patients and their families, and will include how the program works and how volunteers are an important part of the hospice program, according to information from the organization.

"Hospice volunteers are caring, compassionate individuals who want to make a difference in the final days of someone’s life," Adrianne Russell-Pestinger, hospice volunteer coordinator, told Salina Post. "It is important to note that this doesn’t always mean direct patient care.  It takes every single person who is a part of our organization to help provide the quality care that our patients deserve, and there are many different volunteer opportunities."

Russell-Pestinger explained that most of the volunteers fall into one of two main groups: direct care and indirect care.

"Direct patient-care volunteers provide companionship and support directly to hospice patients and their families, in their homes, nursing homes, and in facilities," she noted.

Services provided by direct-care volunteers vary depending on the needs of the patients and their loved ones. According to Russell-Pestinger, those services can include the following.

●Companionship in the form of conversation, listening, sitting quietly with the patient, reading, written correspondence, and general socialization.

●Caregiver respite – staying with the patient while the caregiver gets away for a short period of time. This gives the caregiver the opportunity to run errands, grab groceries, go for a walk, or even take a nap.

●Providing transportation to and from appointments

Russell-Pestinger explained that indirect care includes administrative support, such as:

In addition to direct and indirect care services, volunteers can sign up to help with the following, Russell-Pestinger noted.

Russell-Pestinger explained that time commitments are dependent upon the volunteer’s availability and the patient/family, administrative, or event needs. As an example, she noted that direct patient care volunteers donate one-four hours per week on average, but that can vary depending on the individual needs of the patient/family.

"Volunteers are an essential part of the hospice team and provide invaluable service by helping to provide patients and families with compassionate care and support during the end-of-life process," Russell-Pestinger replied.

To register or request more information, contact Russell-Pestinger at (785) 263-6630 or send a message through the organization's Facebook page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Home-Health-and-Hospice-of-Dickinson-County-Kansas-102670457873184">Home Health and Hospice of Dickinson County</a>.

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostABILENE -- Dickinson County residents: If you want to make a difference in the final days of peoples' lives, Hospice of Dickinson County needs you.The organization seeks volunteers to assist with a variety of tasks and has scheduled new hospice volunteer training for persons interested in volunteering. The training is set for 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Friday and March 12 at Home Health and Hospice, 1111 North Brady Street in Abilene. The training is for individuals who would like to help support hospice patients and their families, and will include how the program works and how volunteers are an important part of the hospice program, according to information from the organization."Hospice volunteers are caring, compassionate individuals who want to make a difference in the final days of someone’s life," Adrianne Russell-Pestinger, hospice volunteer coordinator, told Salina Post. "It is important to note that this doesn’t always mean direct patient care. It takes every single person who is a part of our organization to help provide the quality care that our patients deserve, and there are many different volunteer opportunities."Russell-Pestinger explained that most of the volunteers fall into one of two main groups: direct care and indirect care.Direct care"Direct patient-care volunteers provide companionship and support directly to hospice patients and their families, in their homes, nursing homes, and in facilities," she noted.Services provided by direct-care volunteers vary depending on the needs of the patients and their loved ones. According to Russell-Pestinger, those services can include the following.●Companionship in the form of conversation, listening, sitting quietly with the patient, reading, written correspondence, and general socialization.●Caregiver respite – staying with the patient while the caregiver gets away for a short period of time. This gives the caregiver the opportunity to run errands, grab groceries, go for a walk, or even take a nap.●Helping with household chores●Light meal prep●Providing transportation to and from appointments●Shopping●Yard work●Pet careIndirect careRussell-Pestinger explained that indirect care includes administrative support, such as:●Answering telephones●Filing●Help with mailings and newslettersIn addition to direct and indirect care services, volunteers can sign up to help with the following, Russell-Pestinger noted.●Fundraising events●Working at fair booths●Making crafts●Cooking/baking●Refreshments●Speaking●PhotographyRussell-Pestinger explained that time commitments are dependent upon the volunteer’s availability and the patient/family, administrative, or event needs. As an example, she noted that direct patient care volunteers donate one-four hours per week on average, but that can vary depending on the individual needs of the patient/family."Volunteers are an essential part of the hospice team and provide invaluable service by helping to provide patients and families with compassionate care and support during the end-of-life process," Russell-Pestinger replied.To register or request more information, contact Russell-Pestinger at (785) 263-6630 or send a message through the organization's Facebook page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Home-Health-and-Hospice-of-Dickinson-County-Kansas-102670457873184">Home Health and Hospice of Dickinson County</a>.

Hospice of Dickinson County plans new volunteer training

BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — A foul-mouthed Kansas judge accused of bigotry who cursed at courthouse employees so often that a trial clerk kept a “swear journal” documenting his obscene outbursts was on Friday suspended from the bench for one year.

(Click below to listen to the Kansas Supreme Court hearing on the matter of Hon. F. William Cullins)

The Kansas Supreme Court called Montgomery County Judge F. William Cullins’ behavior “quite troubling” while meting out a punishment that was harsher than the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/894102b113cb812dfa3d904d3c342f37">censure and coaching</a>&nbsp;that a disciplinary panel recommended last year.

“He has intimidated and publicly humiliated court employees. He has shown bias and the appearance of bias by his insulting and careless remarks, even while on the bench and presiding over hearings. By his coarse language in the courthouse, he has sullied the dignity and propriety of the judiciary,” the court said in its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kscourts.org/KSCourts/media/KsCourts/Opinions/122565.pdf?ext=.pdf" target="_blank">decision</a>.

The ruling is effective immediately, but the court said it would consider waiving the remaining suspension after 60 days if Cullins enters into an approved plan for training and counseling. It also ordered Cullins to pay all the costs of his disciplinary proceeding.

His attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

The court agreed with the disciplinary panel that Cullins’ conduct violated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/417c50987595c0e4faf7f18cf825f330">judicial canons of decorum, integrity and impartiality.&nbsp;</a>The panel also found he harmed public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary and that his conduct exhibited unfairness and unsound character.

Cullins acknowledged during his December 2019 disciplinary hearing that he frequently cursed in his conversations with employees and attorneys, and was sometimes unprofessional in his conduct, but he insisted he didn’t abuse court staff or direct vulgar and sexist terms at female workers. He called his profanity a lifelong habit,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/492e61efcb4965cc81680a57b3248533">saying he has a “salty” personality</a>&nbsp;that some people see as “down to earth.”

The high court affirmed the disciplinary panel’s finding that Cullins’ use of foul, derogatory words directed at women manifested a clear gender bias.

It also addressed an instance in which Cullins was recorded in court referring to an out-of-state Black athlete as “not even a Kansas boy” and telling a Black male resident, “you’re a Kansas boy” — language that could be considered demeaning to an African American man.

Although the panel found credible Cullins’ testimony that he was referring to geographic origin and didn’t intend racial derision, it said the term could be interpreted as bias and therefore violated judicial rules. The high court agreed.

“Regardless of inflection, tone, or local custom, this court has little trouble finding there was clear and convincing evidence to support the panel’s conclusion that the statements made by (Cullins) during these bond hearings created a reasonable perception of racial bias,” according to the ruling.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614519264372.png" alt="Judge Cullins and members of the Kansas Supreme Court during a hearing on his behavior." />
 <figcaption>Judge Cullins and members of the Kansas Supreme Court during a hearing on his behavior.</figcaption>
 </figure>BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — A foul-mouthed Kansas judge accused of bigotry who cursed at courthouse employees so often that a trial clerk kept a “swear journal” documenting his obscene outbursts was on Friday suspended from the bench for one year.(Click below to listen to the Kansas Supreme Court hearing on the matter of Hon. F. William Cullins)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fy4ZZGAiWkA?start=108" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The Kansas Supreme Court called Montgomery County Judge F. William Cullins’ behavior “quite troubling” while meting out a punishment that was harsher than the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/894102b113cb812dfa3d904d3c342f37">censure and coaching</a>&nbsp;that a disciplinary panel recommended last year.“He has intimidated and publicly humiliated court employees. He has shown bias and the appearance of bias by his insulting and careless remarks, even while on the bench and presiding over hearings. By his coarse language in the courthouse, he has sullied the dignity and propriety of the judiciary,” the court said in its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kscourts.org/KSCourts/media/KsCourts/Opinions/122565.pdf?ext=.pdf" target="_blank">decision</a>.The ruling is effective immediately, but the court said it would consider waiving the remaining suspension after 60 days if Cullins enters into an approved plan for training and counseling. It also ordered Cullins to pay all the costs of his disciplinary proceeding.His attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.The court agreed with the disciplinary panel that Cullins’ conduct violated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/417c50987595c0e4faf7f18cf825f330">judicial canons of decorum, integrity and impartiality.&nbsp;</a>The panel also found he harmed public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary and that his conduct exhibited unfairness and unsound character.Cullins acknowledged during his December 2019 disciplinary hearing that he frequently cursed in his conversations with employees and attorneys, and was sometimes unprofessional in his conduct, but he insisted he didn’t abuse court staff or direct vulgar and sexist terms at female workers. He called his profanity a lifelong habit,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/492e61efcb4965cc81680a57b3248533">saying he has a “salty” personality</a>&nbsp;that some people see as “down to earth.”The high court affirmed the disciplinary panel’s finding that Cullins’ use of foul, derogatory words directed at women manifested a clear gender bias.It also addressed an instance in which Cullins was recorded in court referring to an out-of-state Black athlete as “not even a Kansas boy” and telling a Black male resident, “you’re a Kansas boy” — language that could be considered demeaning to an African American man.Although the panel found credible Cullins’ testimony that he was referring to geographic origin and didn’t intend racial derision, it said the term could be interpreted as bias and therefore violated judicial rules. The high court agreed.“Regardless of inflection, tone, or local custom, this court has little trouble finding there was clear and convincing evidence to support the panel’s conclusion that the statements made by (Cullins) during these bond hearings created a reasonable perception of racial bias,” according to the ruling.

🎥Supreme Court suspends foul-mouthed Kansas judge 

My husband started working at a new company about a year ago. As part of his sign on, they gave him $5,000 in company stock. The stock has nearly doubled in value since then, and we were wondering if we should buy more, considering how well it has done.

I totally get why you two might be excited over a stock that doubled in value over the course of a year. But what you’re talking about doing right now is a very risky proposition. The truth is any&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/smartvestor/investment-calculator?snid=tools.investingcalc" target="_blank">stock</a>&nbsp;that doubles in value over the course of just one year is highly volatile. It’s unusual for stocks to do things like that, and it also means it could go down just as fast—or even faster.

I don’t know where you and your husband are in your overall financial situation, but I recommend people become&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/7-characteristics-of-debt-free-people" target="_blank">debt-free</a>&nbsp;except for their homes, and have an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses saved up before investing. Once you reach that point, I strongly advise to begin putting 15 percent of your income toward retirement before you start any outside investing.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind a little selective and educated dabbing here and there once the basics are taken care of first. However, I’d never recommend putting more than 10 percent of your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/how-to-build-a-big-nest-egg" target="_blank">nest egg</a>&nbsp;into a single stock. The reason? If the single stock tanks and you lose it all, then your loss is only a blip on your financial radar.

Of course, it would be fantastic if this single stock went through the roof and you two made a ton of money. Just make sure you limit the potential for damage in this kind of scenario by limiting your exposure.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596845065840.jpeg" alt="Dave Ramsey" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey</figcaption>
 </figure>Dear Dave,My husband started working at a new company about a year ago. As part of his sign on, they gave him $5,000 in company stock. The stock has nearly doubled in value since then, and we were wondering if we should buy more, considering how well it has done.CathiDear Cathi,I totally get why you two might be excited over a stock that doubled in value over the course of a year. But what you’re talking about doing right now is a very risky proposition. The truth is any&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/smartvestor/investment-calculator?snid=tools.investingcalc" target="_blank">stock</a>&nbsp;that doubles in value over the course of just one year is highly volatile. It’s unusual for stocks to do things like that, and it also means it could go down just as fast—or even faster.I don’t know where you and your husband are in your overall financial situation, but I recommend people become&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/7-characteristics-of-debt-free-people" target="_blank">debt-free</a>&nbsp;except for their homes, and have an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses saved up before investing. Once you reach that point, I strongly advise to begin putting 15 percent of your income toward retirement before you start any outside investing.Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind a little selective and educated dabbing here and there once the basics are taken care of first. However, I’d never recommend putting more than 10 percent of your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/how-to-build-a-big-nest-egg" target="_blank">nest egg</a>&nbsp;into a single stock. The reason? If the single stock tanks and you lose it all, then your loss is only a blip on your financial radar.Of course, it would be fantastic if this single stock went through the roof and you two made a ton of money. Just make sure you limit the potential for damage in this kind of scenario by limiting your exposure.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 Ramsey Show, heard by more than 16 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

DAVE SAYS: Limit the potential for damage

<a href="https://www.mcdonaldrobertsfuneralservice.com/obituary/virgil-english">Obituary | Virgil English of Beloit, Kansas | Roberts Family Funeral Service (mcdonaldrobertsfuneralservice.com)</a>

Virgil Marvin English passed away on Friday, February 19, 2021 at the Mitchell County Hospital in Beloit Kansas, at the age of 89 years. Virgil and his twin sister, Vonna, were born June 25, 1931 on the family farm in Asherville township, they were the youngest of five children born to Ernest and Myrtle (Jones) English. Virgil was the last surviving sibling. He graduated from Beloit High School in 1949. In 1951 Virgil entered the Army and was a Veteran of the Korean War. Upon returning from the war, he worked for his uncles on the Jones custom combine crew from Lincoln County. He later worked for Payne Motor Company in Beloit.

Virgil met his wife, Nancy Shaver, on a blind date. They were married on September 20, 1959 at the Jewell Christian Church in Jewell, Kansas and celebrated over 61 years together.

He retired from Fuller Chevrolet as an auto body repairman after working there for many years.

Virgil was a quiet man. He could repair or fix most things and liked to tinker in the garage for many hours during the day. He also liked to dismantle things to see how they were made. The grandkids enjoyed being in the garage with their Grandpa. They could usually find a small piece of board that he had left for them to pound on or use it to build something. Virgil liked to listen to polka music and watch Mollie B Polka Party on television. He liked old cars, trucks, and tractors.

For several years Virgil lived at Hilltop Lodge in Beloit. Some of his favorite things to do were music therapy, dudes coffee group, and wine Wednesday. He especially enjoyed going out to the courtyard and watching and feeding the peacocks, turtles and fish.

He is preceded in death by his Mother and Father, 3 sisters, Aileen Wilson-Spatz, Eula Wilson, twin sister Vonna Nelson, and brother, Dale English. Virgil is survived by his wife, Nancy of the home; daughter Elaine Mitchell (Terry) of Beloit, Kansas and Richard English (Michelle) of Beloit, Kansas. Grandchildren Jacob English (Jordan) of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Grant English of Manhattan, Kansas; Bethany Mitchell of Beloit, Kansas. Great-grandchildren Riley English and Astrid English of Virginia Beach, Virginia. One sister-in law Sandra Railsback of Smith Center, KS; cousins, and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial services will be at 10 AM Saturday, February 27 at the Beloit First Christian Church. Cremation has taken place. Friends may sign the register book from 9 AM to 5 PM Friday at the Roberts Family Funeral Home. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Mitchell County Veterans Memorial, Mitchell County Regional Medical Foundation, or the Church.

To plant Memorial Trees in memory of&nbsp;Virgil English, please&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mcdonaldrobertsfuneralservice.com/obituary/virgil-english/gifts?campaign=obituaryInline-gifts-textLink-obitText">click here to visit our Sympathy Store</a>.

<h2>Virgil English; Beloit</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614262688792.jpeg" alt="Virgil English" />
 <figcaption>Virgil English</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.mcdonaldrobertsfuneralservice.com/obituary/virgil-english">Obituary | Virgil English of Beloit, Kansas | Roberts Family Funeral Service (mcdonaldrobertsfuneralservice.com)</a>June 25, 1931 - February 19, 2021Virgil Marvin English passed away on Friday, February 19, 2021 at the Mitchell County Hospital in Beloit Kansas, at the age of 89 years. Virgil and his twin sister, Vonna, were born June 25, 1931 on the family farm in Asherville township, they were the youngest of five children born to Ernest and Myrtle (Jones) English. Virgil was the last surviving sibling. He graduated from Beloit High School in 1949. In 1951 Virgil entered the Army and was a Veteran of the Korean War. Upon returning from the war, he worked for his uncles on the Jones custom combine crew from Lincoln County. He later worked for Payne Motor Company in Beloit.Virgil met his wife, Nancy Shaver, on a blind date. They were married on September 20, 1959 at the Jewell Christian Church in Jewell, Kansas and celebrated over 61 years together.He retired from Fuller Chevrolet as an auto body repairman after working there for many years.Virgil was a quiet man. He could repair or fix most things and liked to tinker in the garage for many hours during the day. He also liked to dismantle things to see how they were made. The grandkids enjoyed being in the garage with their Grandpa. They could usually find a small piece of board that he had left for them to pound on or use it to build something. Virgil liked to listen to polka music and watch Mollie B Polka Party on television. He liked old cars, trucks, and tractors.For several years Virgil lived at Hilltop Lodge in Beloit. Some of his favorite things to do were music therapy, dudes coffee group, and wine Wednesday. He especially enjoyed going out to the courtyard and watching and feeding the peacocks, turtles and fish.He is preceded in death by his Mother and Father, 3 sisters, Aileen Wilson-Spatz, Eula Wilson, twin sister Vonna Nelson, and brother, Dale English. Virgil is survived by his wife, Nancy of the home; daughter Elaine Mitchell (Terry) of Beloit, Kansas and Richard English (Michelle) of Beloit, Kansas. Grandchildren Jacob English (Jordan) of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Grant English of Manhattan, Kansas; Bethany Mitchell of Beloit, Kansas. Great-grandchildren Riley English and Astrid English of Virginia Beach, Virginia. One sister-in law Sandra Railsback of Smith Center, KS; cousins, and many nieces and nephews.Memorial services will be at 10 AM Saturday, February 27 at the Beloit First Christian Church. Cremation has taken place. Friends may sign the register book from 9 AM to 5 PM Friday at the Roberts Family Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Mitchell County Veterans Memorial, Mitchell County Regional Medical Foundation, or the Church. To plant Memorial Trees in memory of&nbsp;Virgil English, please&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mcdonaldrobertsfuneralservice.com/obituary/virgil-english/gifts?campaign=obituaryInline-gifts-textLink-obitText">click here to visit our Sympathy Store</a>.

Virgil English

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-02-18/kansas-meatpacking-workers-faced-outbreak-after-outbreak-but-still-cant-get-a-covid-vaccine">Kansas News Service</a>

Thousands of meatpacking workers in southwest Kansas continue to wait for any news about when they’ll get the COVID-19 vaccine.

That
 wait drags on even as some counties vaccinate college faculty, first 
responders and postal workers, and as Kansas launches a new program to 
get a first dose into the arm of every school worker by early April.

Meatpacking
 plants have been the state’s third-biggest source of coronavirus 
outbreaks, eclipsed only by long-term care facilities (such as nursing 
homes) and jails and prisons.

“Meatpacking workers have taken one 
of the hardest hits of this pandemic,” said Monica Vargas-Huertas, a 
political director for the United Food and Commercial Workers 
International Union Local 2 representing 7,000 meatpacking workers in 
two southwest Kansas counties. “They have been in the front lines from 
Day One.”

The factory-scale slaughterhouses stayed open when many other businesses closed under <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-03-28/kansas-governor-issues-a-statewide-stay-at-home-order-which-starts-monday" target="_blank">statewide stay-at-home</a> orders last spring.

“They kept working, securing the food (supply),” Vargas-Huertas said, “and securing the economy of the state.”

But
 state officials say meatpacking facilities took steps that greatly 
reduced transmission within their walls. In the past two weeks, they 
say, the plants have seen no fresh coronavirus outbreaks involving five 
or more cases.

And Kansas simply doesn’t receive enough vaccines 
per week from the federal government to quickly vaccinate all essential 
workers.

Ashley Goss, deputy secretary for public health, says 
Gov. Laura Kelly wants to get children back to school as soon as 
possible because missing so much in-person contact with peers and 
educators can have long-term effects on learning and mental health.

“She’s
 had to make some really tough decisions,” Goss said. “And she feels 
very strongly for our school staff to be the next push.”

Kansas 
was receiving fewer than 100,000 doses a week from the federal 
government, though shipments should soon increase to about 115,000 a 
week.

To speed shots to school workers, Kansas is redirecting some
 doses from counties that have made more progress than others on 
vaccinating their residents.

For now, it will not do the same for meatpacking workers.

Kansas
 has some of the country’s most productive beef-packing plants. The 
industry drives the economies of Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal.

The meatpacking workers are largely immigrants and people of color. <a href="https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/early-state-vaccination-data-raise-warning-flags-racial-equity/" target="_blank">Mounting evidence</a> from other states suggests people of color across the country aren’t receiving equitable access to the coronavirus vaccine.

Kansas will soon publish vaccination statistics that shed light on whether that holds true here, too.

The state’s figures on known COVID cases already show Hispanic people <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas" target="_blank">significantly more likely</a> to catch the virus than non-Hispanic people.

Nearly 4,000 known cases of COVID-19 and two dozen deaths link directly to the slaughterhouses in Kansas.

Infections
 related to the plants continue to have serious ripple effects. Five 
ongoing outbreaks linked to the plants have led to nearly 1,800 known 
cases in their communities and 14 deaths.

<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-the-u-s-is-underestimating-covid-reinfection/" target="_blank">Scientists remain uncertain</a> how long a survivor enjoys immunity before catching the illness again, meaning workers fear re-infection.

“We want to prevent a new wave,” Vargas-Huertas said. “We cannot wait four or five months.”

Meatpacking
 workers fall into Phase 2 of the state’s vaccine rollout plan. (Phase 1
 focused on health care workers and nursing homes.)

But Phase 2 is
 a bucket so massive that it includes about 1 million people, or a third
 of the state’s population. It covers everyone over the age of 65 and a 
wide variety of other groups, such as teachers, police and grocery 
clerks.

The state largely lets each county make its own decisions on how to prioritize within that bucket.

“We’ve
 tried to stick with public health being decentralized in our state,” 
Goss said. “Local health authorities have the ability to decide.”

This week the governor’s office announced one exception: It will start earmarking doses each week for school workers.

But meatpackers in Seward, Ford and Finney counties remain unclear when their turn will come.

UFCW
 International Local 2 represents workers at plants in Seward and Ford 
counties and communicates regularly with other workers in Finney County.

It says workers haven’t been able to get shots unless they qualify based on reasons other than their jobs.

“Only
 those workers over 65 years old have received a vaccine or an 
appointment,” Vargas-Huertas said. “The rest of the workers, they 
haven’t even received an appointment.”

The sites are eagerly 
preparing, she said. Health care workers employed by the plants have 
already gathered information from employees to prioritize which ones 
face the greatest health risks and should get the shots first when they 
become available.

State health officials say plants have applied 
to give the vaccine on site, so eventually Kansas will send doses to 
them directly.

Only, Kansas can’t get its hands on enough doses 
yet to make that happen, Goss said, despite pleading with every federal 
agency it can think of.

“Oh my gosh,” Goss said. “I’ve told anyone
 who will listen. … Anyone who has an ear in the federal government or 
is part of it. We tell them if there’s anyone’s vaccine (who) can’t use 
it, doesn’t want it, that you just want to give us — we’ll take it. 
We’re more than happy to beg and borrow.”

Early
 in the pandemic, some meatpacking workers said their plants should 
close for deep cleaning when coronavirus began spreading on the 
slaughterhouse floors. At <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/emails-show-kansas-agencies-helped-keep-meatpacking-plants-open-despite-concerns-about" target="_blank">least one county medical officer agreed</a>.

The
 companies opposed closure, and National Beef urged the Kelly 
administration to make clear to meatpacking workers — many of whom were 
fearful of continuing to show up for work in buildings where the disease
 was spreading — that they have a “special responsibility” to do their 
jobs.

State officials said they could close the plants if 
necessary, but wanted to avoid that and require changes within the 
buildings to promote safety instead.

The Kelly and <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/emails-show-the-meatpacking-industry-drafted-an-executive-order-to-keep-plants-open" target="_blank">Trump</a> administrations threw their weight behind ramping up COVID-19 testing for meatpacking plants to keep the facilities open. <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/emails-show-kansas-agencies-helped-keep-meatpacking-plants-open-despite-concerns-about" target="_blank">The state said</a> workers with known COVID-19 exposure could keep going to work unless they showed symptoms.

But inside the plants, true <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-04/despite-meatpacking-plants-efforts-kansas-workers-say-were-right-next-to-each-other" target="_blank">social distancing is impossible</a>, the union says, and plexiglass and face masks can only do so much.

Public
 announcements on the Facebook pages and websites of Seward, Finney and 
Ford counties and a southwest Kansas clinic that has helped with 
outreach and giving shots don’t say when meatpacking workers will get 
their doses.

Nor have workers been able to find that out from the state health department.

By late January, Finney County was vaccinating people over the age of 65, police officers, firefighters and clergy.

Day care workers, UPS, FedEx and postal workers, city employees and taxi drivers were among those who became eligible next.

This week, community college faculty and school employees also get their turn.

The
 most recent update on the Seward County Facebook page, meanwhile, says 
the county is scheduling people over the age of 90 or in critical 
functions, but doesn’t elaborate on the latter category.

The 
Kansas News Service has reached out to Finney, Seward and Ford counties 
seeking more information. A regional health clinic that has helped 
administer doses in southwest Kansas deferred to local health 
authorities.

Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and
 education for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter 
@celia_LJ or email her at celia@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613744554329.png" alt="The Cargill beefpacking plant in Dodge City. Corinne Boyer / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>The Cargill beefpacking plant in Dodge City. Corinne Boyer / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-02-18/kansas-meatpacking-workers-faced-outbreak-after-outbreak-but-still-cant-get-a-covid-vaccine">Kansas News Service</a>Thousands of meatpacking workers in southwest Kansas continue to wait for any news about when they’ll get the COVID-19 vaccine.That
 wait drags on even as some counties vaccinate college faculty, first 
responders and postal workers, and as Kansas launches a new program to 
get a first dose into the arm of every school worker by early April.Meatpacking
 plants have been the state’s third-biggest source of coronavirus 
outbreaks, eclipsed only by long-term care facilities (such as nursing 
homes) and jails and prisons.“Meatpacking workers have taken one 
of the hardest hits of this pandemic,” said Monica Vargas-Huertas, a 
political director for the United Food and Commercial Workers 
International Union Local 2 representing 7,000 meatpacking workers in 
two southwest Kansas counties. “They have been in the front lines from 
Day One.”The factory-scale slaughterhouses stayed open when many other businesses closed under <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-03-28/kansas-governor-issues-a-statewide-stay-at-home-order-which-starts-monday" target="_blank">statewide stay-at-home</a> orders last spring.“They kept working, securing the food (supply),” Vargas-Huertas said, “and securing the economy of the state.”But
 state officials say meatpacking facilities took steps that greatly 
reduced transmission within their walls. In the past two weeks, they 
say, the plants have seen no fresh coronavirus outbreaks involving five 
or more cases.And Kansas simply doesn’t receive enough vaccines 
per week from the federal government to quickly vaccinate all essential 
workers.Ashley Goss, deputy secretary for public health, says 
Gov. Laura Kelly wants to get children back to school as soon as 
possible because missing so much in-person contact with peers and 
educators can have long-term effects on learning and mental health.“She’s
 had to make some really tough decisions,” Goss said. “And she feels 
very strongly for our school staff to be the next push.”Kansas 
was receiving fewer than 100,000 doses a week from the federal 
government, though shipments should soon increase to about 115,000 a 
week.To speed shots to school workers, Kansas is redirecting some
 doses from counties that have made more progress than others on 
vaccinating their residents.For now, it will not do the same for meatpacking workers.<h2>Hot spots</h2>Kansas
 has some of the country’s most productive beef-packing plants. The 
industry drives the economies of Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal.The meatpacking workers are largely immigrants and people of color. <a href="https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/early-state-vaccination-data-raise-warning-flags-racial-equity/" target="_blank">Mounting evidence</a> from other states suggests people of color across the country aren’t receiving equitable access to the coronavirus vaccine.Kansas will soon publish vaccination statistics that shed light on whether that holds true here, too.The state’s figures on known COVID cases already show Hispanic people <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas" target="_blank">significantly more likely</a> to catch the virus than non-Hispanic people.Nearly 4,000 known cases of COVID-19 and two dozen deaths link directly to the slaughterhouses in Kansas.Infections
 related to the plants continue to have serious ripple effects. Five 
ongoing outbreaks linked to the plants have led to nearly 1,800 known 
cases in their communities and 14 deaths.<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-the-u-s-is-underestimating-covid-reinfection/" target="_blank">Scientists remain uncertain</a> how long a survivor enjoys immunity before catching the illness again, meaning workers fear re-infection.“We want to prevent a new wave,” Vargas-Huertas said. “We cannot wait four or five months.”<h2>Phase 2 vaccines</h2>Meatpacking
 workers fall into Phase 2 of the state’s vaccine rollout plan. (Phase 1
 focused on health care workers and nursing homes.)But Phase 2 is
 a bucket so massive that it includes about 1 million people, or a third
 of the state’s population. It covers everyone over the age of 65 and a 
wide variety of other groups, such as teachers, police and grocery 
clerks.The state largely lets each county make its own decisions on how to prioritize within that bucket.“We’ve
 tried to stick with public health being decentralized in our state,” 
Goss said. “Local health authorities have the ability to decide.”This week the governor’s office announced one exception: It will start earmarking doses each week for school workers.But meatpackers in Seward, Ford and Finney counties remain unclear when their turn will come.UFCW
 International Local 2 represents workers at plants in Seward and Ford 
counties and communicates regularly with other workers in Finney County.It says workers haven’t been able to get shots unless they qualify based on reasons other than their jobs.“Only
 those workers over 65 years old have received a vaccine or an 
appointment,” Vargas-Huertas said. “The rest of the workers, they 
haven’t even received an appointment.”The sites are eagerly 
preparing, she said. Health care workers employed by the plants have 
already gathered information from employees to prioritize which ones 
face the greatest health risks and should get the shots first when they 
become available.State health officials say plants have applied 
to give the vaccine on site, so eventually Kansas will send doses to 
them directly.Only, Kansas can’t get its hands on enough doses 
yet to make that happen, Goss said, despite pleading with every federal 
agency it can think of.“Oh my gosh,” Goss said. “I’ve told anyone
 who will listen. … Anyone who has an ear in the federal government or 
is part of it. We tell them if there’s anyone’s vaccine (who) can’t use 
it, doesn’t want it, that you just want to give us — we’ll take it. 
We’re more than happy to beg and borrow.”<h2>No plant shutdowns</h2>Early
 in the pandemic, some meatpacking workers said their plants should 
close for deep cleaning when coronavirus began spreading on the 
slaughterhouse floors. At <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/emails-show-kansas-agencies-helped-keep-meatpacking-plants-open-despite-concerns-about" target="_blank">least one county medical officer agreed</a>.The
 companies opposed closure, and National Beef urged the Kelly 
administration to make clear to meatpacking workers — many of whom were 
fearful of continuing to show up for work in buildings where the disease
 was spreading — that they have a “special responsibility” to do their 
jobs.State officials said they could close the plants if 
necessary, but wanted to avoid that and require changes within the 
buildings to promote safety instead.The Kelly and <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/emails-show-the-meatpacking-industry-drafted-an-executive-order-to-keep-plants-open" target="_blank">Trump</a> administrations threw their weight behind ramping up COVID-19 testing for meatpacking plants to keep the facilities open. <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/emails-show-kansas-agencies-helped-keep-meatpacking-plants-open-despite-concerns-about" target="_blank">The state said</a> workers with known COVID-19 exposure could keep going to work unless they showed symptoms.<h2>Finding a shot</h2>But inside the plants, true <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-04/despite-meatpacking-plants-efforts-kansas-workers-say-were-right-next-to-each-other" target="_blank">social distancing is impossible</a>, the union says, and plexiglass and face masks can only do so much.Public
 announcements on the Facebook pages and websites of Seward, Finney and 
Ford counties and a southwest Kansas clinic that has helped with 
outreach and giving shots don’t say when meatpacking workers will get 
their doses.Nor have workers been able to find that out from the state health department.By late January, Finney County was vaccinating people over the age of 65, police officers, firefighters and clergy.Day care workers, UPS, FedEx and postal workers, city employees and taxi drivers were among those who became eligible next.This week, community college faculty and school employees also get their turn.The
 most recent update on the Seward County Facebook page, meanwhile, says 
the county is scheduling people over the age of 90 or in critical 
functions, but doesn’t elaborate on the latter category.The 
Kansas News Service has reached out to Finney, Seward and Ford counties 
seeking more information. A regional health clinic that has helped 
administer doses in southwest Kansas deferred to local health 
authorities.Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and
 education for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter 
@celia_LJ or email her at celia@kcur.org.

Despite outbreaks, Kan. meatpacking workers wait in line for their COVID vaccine

We’d like to own a home someday, but we know we’re not ready for that kind of financial commitment yet. Where does buying a house fit in your Baby Steps plan?

Buying a home when you’re broke is the easiest way I know to become a foreclosure statistic. I’m glad you two are being thoughtful and sensible about taking such a big step.

If you remember, in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/dave-ramsey-7-baby-steps" target="_blank">Baby Step</a>&nbsp;1 I advise people to save up a beginner emergency fund of $1,000. Baby Step 2 is paying off all consumer debt from smallest to largest using the debt snowball method. Then, Baby Step 3 is where you go back and grow your emergency fund to a full three to six months of living expenses.

With all this in mind, let’s call getting ready to buy a home Baby Step 3b. Save up for a down payment of at least 20 percent to avoid PMI (private mortgage insurance). Also, make sure any&nbsp;<a href="https://goo.gl/rsYiFK" target="_blank">mortgage</a>&nbsp;loan is a 15-year, fixed rate loan, where the payments are no more than 25 percent of your monthly take-home pay.

Doing it this way may delay your dream of being a homeowner for a while, but it will help ensure your new home is a blessing and not a financial curse!&nbsp;

How far in advance do you recommend figuring future purchases into your budget?

I recommend starting to put money aside, and including it in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everydollar.com/guide-to-budgeting-dave-says" target="_blank">your budget</a>&nbsp;as soon as you know the need for an item is a real possibility. Waiting until things go wrong or something breaks down will leave you in a real mess, more times than not.

For example, if you’re pretty sure you’ll need another vehicle in a year or two, the smart thing is to start putting money aside now. Do some research on prices, then do the math to see how much you’ll need to set aside each month.

And remember, it’s a whole lot easier to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/askdave/budgeting/watch-your-spending-while-saving" target="_blank">save money</a>&nbsp;when you don’t have things like credit card payments and other debt hanging around your neck. That’s one of the big reasons I want to help people learn to live debt-free!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596845065840.jpeg" alt="Dave Ramsey" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Mortgages and Baby Steps</h2>Dear Dave,We’d like to own a home someday, but we know we’re not ready for that kind of financial commitment yet. Where does buying a house fit in your Baby Steps plan?HeatherDear Heather,Buying a home when you’re broke is the easiest way I know to become a foreclosure statistic. I’m glad you two are being thoughtful and sensible about taking such a big step.If you remember, in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/dave-ramsey-7-baby-steps" target="_blank">Baby Step</a>&nbsp;1 I advise people to save up a beginner emergency fund of $1,000. Baby Step 2 is paying off all consumer debt from smallest to largest using the debt snowball method. Then, Baby Step 3 is where you go back and grow your emergency fund to a full three to six months of living expenses.With all this in mind, let’s call getting ready to buy a home Baby Step 3b. Save up for a down payment of at least 20 percent to avoid PMI (private mortgage insurance). Also, make sure any&nbsp;<a href="https://goo.gl/rsYiFK" target="_blank">mortgage</a>&nbsp;loan is a 15-year, fixed rate loan, where the payments are no more than 25 percent of your monthly take-home pay.Doing it this way may delay your dream of being a homeowner for a while, but it will help ensure your new home is a blessing and not a financial curse!&nbsp;Dave<h2>Plan for future purchases</h2>Dear Dave,How far in advance do you recommend figuring future purchases into your budget?RobbieDear Robbie,I recommend starting to put money aside, and including it in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everydollar.com/guide-to-budgeting-dave-says" target="_blank">your budget</a>&nbsp;as soon as you know the need for an item is a real possibility. Waiting until things go wrong or something breaks down will leave you in a real mess, more times than not.For example, if you’re pretty sure you’ll need another vehicle in a year or two, the smart thing is to start putting money aside now. Do some research on prices, then do the math to see how much you’ll need to set aside each month.And remember, it’s a whole lot easier to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/askdave/budgeting/watch-your-spending-while-saving" target="_blank">save money</a>&nbsp;when you don’t have things like credit card payments and other debt hanging around your neck. That’s one of the big reasons I want to help people learn to live debt-free!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 Ramsey Show, heard by more than 16 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

DAVE SAYS: Mortgages and baby steps; Plan for future purchases

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) —Rush Limbaugh, the talk radio host who ripped into liberals and laid waste to political correctness with a merry brand of malice that made him one of the most powerful voices on the American right and foretold the rise of Donald Trump, died Wednesday. He was 70.

Limbaugh, an outspoken lover of cigars, had been diagnosed with lung cancer. His death was announced by his wife Kathryn to open her husband's radio show Wednesday and on his website.

President Trump, during a State of the Union speech, awarded Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Unflinchingly conservative, wildly partisan, bombastically self-promoting and larger than life, Limbaugh galvanized listeners for more than 30 years with his talent for vituperation and sarcasm.

He called himself an entertainer, but his rants during his three-hour weekday radio show broadcast on nearly 600 U.S. stations shaped the national political conversation, swaying ordinary Republicans and the direction of their party.

Blessed with a made-for-broadcasting voice, he delivered his opinions with such certainty that his followers, or “Ditto-heads,” as he dubbed them, took his words as sacred truth.

“In my heart and soul, I know I have become the intellectual engine of the conservative movement,” Limbaugh, with typical immodesty, told author Zev Chafets in the 2010 book “Rush Limbaugh: An Army of One.”

Forbes magazine estimated his 2018 income at $84 million, ranking him behind only Howard Stern among radio personalities.

Limbaugh took as a badge of honor the title “most dangerous man in America.” He said he was the “truth detector,” the “doctor of democracy,” a “lover of mankind,” a “harmless, lovable little fuzz ball” and an “all-around good guy.” He claimed he had “talent on loan from God.”

Long before Trump’s rise in politics, Limbaugh was pinning insulting names on his enemies and raging against the mainstream media, accusing it of feeding the public lies. He called Democrats and others on the left communists, wackos, feminazis, liberal extremists, faggots and radicals.

When actor Michael J. Fox, suffering from Parkinson’s disease, appeared in a Democratic campaign commercial, Limbaugh mocked his tremors. When a Washington advocate for the homeless killed himself, he cracked jokes. As the AIDS epidemic raged in the 1980s, he made the dying a punchline. He called 12-year-old Chelsea Clinton a dog.

He suggested that the Democrats’ stand on reproductive rights would have led to the abortion of Jesus Christ. When a woman accused Duke University lacrosse players of rape, he derided her as a “ho,” and when a Georgetown University law student supported expanded contraceptive coverage, he dismissed her as a “slut.” When Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, Limbaugh said: “I hope he fails.”

He was frequently accused of bigotry and blatant racism for such antics as playing the song “Barack the Magic Negro” on his show. The lyrics, set to the tune of “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” describe Obama as someone who “makes guilty whites feel good” and is “black, but not authentically.”

Limbaugh often enunciated the Republican platform better and more entertainingly than any party leader, becoming a GOP kingmaker whose endorsement and friendship were sought. Polls consistently found he was regarded as the voice of the party.

His idol, Ronald Reagan, wrote a letter of praise that Limbaugh proudly read on the air in 1992: “You’ve become the number one voice for conservatism.” In 1994, Limbaugh was so widely credited with the first Republican takeover of Congress in 40 years that the GOP made him an honorary member of the new class.

During the 2016 presidential primaries, Limbaugh said he realized early on that Trump would be the nominee, and he likened the candidate’s deep connection with his supporters to his own. In a 2018 interview, he conceded Trump is rude but said that is because he is “fearless and willing to fight against the things that no Republican has been willing to fight against.”

Trump, for his part, heaped praise on Limbaugh, and they golfed together. (The president’s Mar-a-Lago estate is eight miles down the same Palm Beach boulevard as Limbaugh’s $40 million beachfront expanse.) In honoring Limbaugh at the State of the Union, Trump called his friend “a special man beloved by millions.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1580901433879.png" alt="Limbaugh was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the State of the Union address in 2020 -image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Limbaugh was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the State of the Union address in 2020 -image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) —Rush Limbaugh, the talk radio host who ripped into liberals and laid waste to political correctness with a merry brand of malice that made him one of the most powerful voices on the American right and foretold the rise of Donald Trump, died Wednesday. He was 70.Limbaugh, an outspoken lover of cigars, had been diagnosed with lung cancer. His death was announced by his wife Kathryn to open her husband's radio show Wednesday and on his website.President Trump, during a State of the Union speech, awarded Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.Unflinchingly conservative, wildly partisan, bombastically self-promoting and larger than life, Limbaugh galvanized listeners for more than 30 years with his talent for vituperation and sarcasm.He called himself an entertainer, but his rants during his three-hour weekday radio show broadcast on nearly 600 U.S. stations shaped the national political conversation, swaying ordinary Republicans and the direction of their party.Blessed with a made-for-broadcasting voice, he delivered his opinions with such certainty that his followers, or “Ditto-heads,” as he dubbed them, took his words as sacred truth.“In my heart and soul, I know I have become the intellectual engine of the conservative movement,” Limbaugh, with typical immodesty, told author Zev Chafets in the 2010 book “Rush Limbaugh: An Army of One.”Forbes magazine estimated his 2018 income at $84 million, ranking him behind only Howard Stern among radio personalities.Limbaugh took as a badge of honor the title “most dangerous man in America.” He said he was the “truth detector,” the “doctor of democracy,” a “lover of mankind,” a “harmless, lovable little fuzz ball” and an “all-around good guy.” He claimed he had “talent on loan from God.”Long before Trump’s rise in politics, Limbaugh was pinning insulting names on his enemies and raging against the mainstream media, accusing it of feeding the public lies. He called Democrats and others on the left communists, wackos, feminazis, liberal extremists, faggots and radicals.When actor Michael J. Fox, suffering from Parkinson’s disease, appeared in a Democratic campaign commercial, Limbaugh mocked his tremors. When a Washington advocate for the homeless killed himself, he cracked jokes. As the AIDS epidemic raged in the 1980s, he made the dying a punchline. He called 12-year-old Chelsea Clinton a dog.He suggested that the Democrats’ stand on reproductive rights would have led to the abortion of Jesus Christ. When a woman accused Duke University lacrosse players of rape, he derided her as a “ho,” and when a Georgetown University law student supported expanded contraceptive coverage, he dismissed her as a “slut.” When Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, Limbaugh said: “I hope he fails.”He was frequently accused of bigotry and blatant racism for such antics as playing the song “Barack the Magic Negro” on his show. The lyrics, set to the tune of “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” describe Obama as someone who “makes guilty whites feel good” and is “black, but not authentically.”Limbaugh often enunciated the Republican platform better and more entertainingly than any party leader, becoming a GOP kingmaker whose endorsement and friendship were sought. Polls consistently found he was regarded as the voice of the party.His idol, Ronald Reagan, wrote a letter of praise that Limbaugh proudly read on the air in 1992: “You’ve become the number one voice for conservatism.” In 1994, Limbaugh was so widely credited with the first Republican takeover of Congress in 40 years that the GOP made him an honorary member of the new class.During the 2016 presidential primaries, Limbaugh said he realized early on that Trump would be the nominee, and he likened the candidate’s deep connection with his supporters to his own. In a 2018 interview, he conceded Trump is rude but said that is because he is “fearless and willing to fight against the things that no Republican has been willing to fight against.”Trump, for his part, heaped praise on Limbaugh, and they golfed together. (The president’s Mar-a-Lago estate is eight miles down the same Palm Beach boulevard as Limbaugh’s $40 million beachfront expanse.) In honoring Limbaugh at the State of the Union, Trump called his friend “a special man beloved by millions.”Limbaugh influenced the likes of Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly and countless other conservative commentators who pushed the boundaries of what passes as acceptable public discourse.His brand of blunt, no-gray-area debate spread to cable TV, town hall meetings, political rallies and Congress itself, emerging during the battles over health care and the ascent of the tea party movement.“What he did was to bring a paranoia and really mean, nasty rhetoric and hyperpartisanship into the mainstream,” said Martin Kaplan, a University of Southern California professor who is an expert on the intersection of politics and entertainment and a frequent critic of Limbaugh. “The kind of antagonism and vituperativeness that characterized him instantly became acceptable everywhere.”In one breathless segment in 1991, he railed against the homeless, AIDS patients, criticism of Christopher Columbus, aid to the Soviet Union, condoms in schools, animal rights advocates, multiculturalism and the social safety net.His foes accused him of trafficking in half-truths, bias and outright lies — the very tactics he decried in others. Al Franken, the comedian and one-time senator, came out with a book in 1996 called “Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations.”In 2003, Limbaugh admitted an addiction to painkillers and went into rehab. Authorities opened an investigation into alleged “doctor shopping,” saying he received up to 2,000 pills from four doctors over six months.He ultimately reached a deal with prosecutors in which they agreed to drop the charge if he continued with drug treatment and paid $30,000 toward the cost of the investigation.He lost his hearing around that time. He said it was from an autoimmune disorder, while his critics said hearing loss is a known side effect of painkiller abuse. He received cochlear implants, which restored his hearing and saved his career.A portly, round-faced figure, Limbaugh was divorced three times, after marrying Roxy Maxine McNeely in 1977, Michelle Sixta in 1983 and Marta Fitzgerald in 1994. He married his fourth wife, Kathryn Rogers, in a lavish 2010 ceremony featuring Elton John. He had no children.Rush Hudson Limbaugh III was born Jan. 12, 1951, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. His mother was the former Mildred Armstrong, and his father, Rush Limbaugh Jr., was a lawyer.Rusty, as the younger Limbaugh was known, was chubby and shy, with little interest in school but a passion for broadcasting. He would turn down the radio during St. Louis Cardinals baseball games, offering play-by-play, and gave running commentary during the evening news. By high school, he had snagged a radio job.Limbaugh dropped out of Southeast Missouri State University for a string of DJ gigs, from his hometown, to McKeesport, Pennsylvania, to Pittsburgh and then Kansas City. Known as Rusty Sharpe and then Jeff Christie on the air, he mostly spun Top 40 hits and sprinkled in glimpses of his wit and conservatism.“One of the early reasons radio interested me was that I thought it would make me popular,” he once wrote.But he didn’t gain the following he craved and gave up on radio for several years, beginning in 1979, becoming promotions director for baseball’s Kansas City Royals. He ultimately returned to broadcasting, again in Kansas City and then Sacramento, California.It was there in the early 1980s that Limbaugh really garnered an audience, broadcasting shows dripping with sarcasm and bravado. The stage name was gone.Limbaugh began broadcasting nationally in 1988 from WABC in New York. While his know-it-all commentary quickly gained traction, he was dismayed by his reception in the big city. He thought he would be welcomed by Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather.“I came to New York,” he wrote, “and I immediately became a nothing, a zero.”Ultimately, Limbaugh moved his radio show to Palm Beach and bought his massive estate. Talkers Magazine, which covers the industry, said Limbaugh had the nation’s largest audience in 2019, with 15 million unique listeners each week.“When Rush wants to talk to America, all he has to do is grab his microphone. He attracts more listeners with just his voice than the rest of us could ever imagine,” Beck wrote in Time magazine in 2009. “He is simply on another level.”Limbaugh expounded on his world view in the best-selling books “The Way Things Ought to Be” and “See, I Told You So.”He had a late-night TV show in the 1990s that got decent ratings but lackluster advertising because of his divisive message. When he guest-hosted “The Pat Sajak Show” in 1990, audience members called him a Nazi and repeatedly shouted at him.He was fired from a short-lived job as an NFL commentator on ESPN in 2003 after he said the media had made a star out of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb because it was “very desirous that a black quarterback do well.” His racial remarks also derailed a 2009 bid to become one of the owners of the NFL’s St. Louis Rams.“Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and just think to yourself, `I am just full of hot gas?’” David Letterman asked him in 1993 on “The Late Show.”“I am a servant of humanity,” Limbaugh replied. “I am in the relentless pursuit of the truth. I actually sit back and think that I’m just so fortunate to have this opportunity to tell people what’s really going on.”--------Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has died at the age of 70, according his wife Kathryn, who announced the news to open her husband's radio show Wednesday.In February of 2020, Limbaugh revealed that he had advanced lung cancer. A few days later, President Trump invited Limbaugh to attend the State of the Union Address.&nbsp;During the address, Limbaugh appeared stunned, when the President announced he was awarding the talk show legend with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.&nbsp; Others sat in silence as first lady Melania Trump draped the medal around his neck on the spot.“Thank you for your decades of tireless devotion to our country,” Trump told Limbaugh, commending “all that you have done for our Nation, the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire.”-The Associated Press contributed to this report