Today is Friday, July 17, the 199th day of 2020. There are 167 days left in the year. 

On July 17, 1944, during World War II, 320 men, two-thirds of them African-Americans, were killed when a pair of ammunition ships exploded at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in California. 

In 1717, George Frideric Handel's "Water Music" was first performed by an orchestra during a boating party on the River Thames (tehmz), with the musicians on one barge, and King George I listening from another. 

In 1862, during the Civil War, Congress approved the Second Confiscation Act, which declared that all slaves taking refuge behind Union lines were to be set free. 

In 1918, Russia's Czar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks. 

In 1945, following Nazi Germany's surrender, President Harry S. Truman, Soviet leader Josef Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill began meeting at Potsdam in the final Allied summit of World War II. 

In 1962, the United States conducted its last atmospheric nuclear test to date, detonating a 20-kiloton device, codenamed Little Feller I, at the Nevada Test Site. 

In 1975, an Apollo spaceship docked with a Soyuz spacecraft in orbit in the first superpower link-up of its kind. 

In 1981, 114 people were killed when a pair of suspended walkways above the lobby of the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel collapsed during a tea dance. 

In 1996, TWA Flight 800, a Europe-bound Boeing 747, exploded and crashed off Long Island, New York, shortly after departing John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 230 people on board. 

In 1997, Woolworth Corp. announced it was closing its 400 remaining five-and-dime stores across the country, ending 117 years in business. 

In 2007, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was indicted by a federal grand jury in Richmond, Virginia, on charges related to competitive dogfighting. (Vick later admitted bankrolling the dogfighting operation and helping to kill six to eight dogs; he served 23 months in federal custody, the last 60 days in home confinement.) 

In 2009, former CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite died in New York at 92. 

In 2014, Eric Garner, an unarmed Black man accused of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes, died shortly after being wrestled to the ground by New York City police officers; a video of the takedown showed Garner repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe." (Garner's family received $5.9 million from the city in 2015 to settle a wrongful death claim.) All 298 passengers and crew aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 were killed when the Boeing 777 was shot down over rebel-held eastern Ukraine; both Ukraine's government and pro-Russian separatists denied responsibility. 

Ten years ago: Federal authorities in Puerto Rico arrested alleged drug kingpin Jose Figueroa Agosto after a decade-long chase through the Caribbean. Thousands of gays and lesbians from around Europe marched through Poland's capital, Warsaw, to demand equal rights and more tolerance in the heavily Roman Catholic nation.

Five years ago: More than 1,000 people attended an interfaith service in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to mourn four Marines who had been shot to death at a reserve facility by a Kuwaiti-born gunman. A suicide bomber with the Islamic State group attacked a crowded marketplace in Iraq's Diyala province, killing 115 people.

One year ago: Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was sentenced to life behind bars in a U.S. prison. Prosecutors in Massachusetts dropped a case accusing actor Kevin Spacey of groping a young man at a resort island bar in 2016; the accuser had refused to testify about a missing cellphone that defense lawyers said would support Spacey's claims of innocence.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Donald Sutherland is 85. Rock musician Spencer Davis is 81. Sportscaster Verne Lundquist is 80. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is 73. Rock musician Terry "Geezer" Butler is 71. Actress Lucie Arnaz is 69. Actor David Hasselhoff is 68. Rock musician Fran Smith Jr. (The Hooters) is 68. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is 66. Television producer Mark Burnett is 60. Actress Nancy Giles is 60. Singer Regina Belle is 57. Country singer Craig Morgan is 56. Rock musician Lou Barlow is 54. Contemporary Christian singer Susan Ashton is 53. Actor Andre Royo is 52. Actress Bitty Schram is 52. Actor Jason Clarke is 51. Movie director F. Gary Gray is 51. Singer JC (PM Dawn) is 49. Rapper Sole' is 47. Country singer Luke Bryan is 44. Actor Eric Winter is 44. Actor Mike Vogel is 41. Actor Tom Cullen is 35. Actor Brando Eaton is 34. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jeremih is 33. Actress Summer Bishil is 32. Actress Billie Lourd is 28. Actor Leo Howard is 23.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSToday is Friday, July 17, the 199th day of 2020. There are 167 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 17, 1944, during World War II, 320 men, two-thirds of them African-Americans, were killed when a pair of ammunition ships exploded at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in California. On this date: In 1717, George Frideric Handel's "Water Music" was first performed by an orchestra during a boating party on the River Thames (tehmz), with the musicians on one barge, and King George I listening from another. In 1862, during the Civil War, Congress approved the Second Confiscation Act, which declared that all slaves taking refuge behind Union lines were to be set free. In 1918, Russia's Czar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks. In 1945, following Nazi Germany's surrender, President Harry S. Truman, Soviet leader Josef Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill began meeting at Potsdam in the final Allied summit of World War II. In 1962, the United States conducted its last atmospheric nuclear test to date, detonating a 20-kiloton device, codenamed Little Feller I, at the Nevada Test Site. In 1975, an Apollo spaceship docked with a Soyuz spacecraft in orbit in the first superpower link-up of its kind. In 1981, 114 people were killed when a pair of suspended walkways above the lobby of the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel collapsed during a tea dance. In 1996, TWA Flight 800, a Europe-bound Boeing 747, exploded and crashed off Long Island, New York, shortly after departing John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 230 people on board. In 1997, Woolworth Corp. announced it was closing its 400 remaining five-and-dime stores across the country, ending 117 years in business. In 2007, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was indicted by a federal grand jury in Richmond, Virginia, on charges related to competitive dogfighting. (Vick later admitted bankrolling the dogfighting operation and helping to kill six to eight dogs; he served 23 months in federal custody, the last 60 days in home confinement.) In 2009, former CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite died in New York at 92. In 2014, Eric Garner, an unarmed Black man accused of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes, died shortly after being wrestled to the ground by New York City police officers; a video of the takedown showed Garner repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe." (Garner's family received $5.9 million from the city in 2015 to settle a wrongful death claim.) All 298 passengers and crew aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 were killed when the Boeing 777 was shot down over rebel-held eastern Ukraine; both Ukraine's government and pro-Russian separatists denied responsibility. Ten years ago: Federal authorities in Puerto Rico arrested alleged drug kingpin Jose Figueroa Agosto after a decade-long chase through the Caribbean. Thousands of gays and lesbians from around Europe marched through Poland's capital, Warsaw, to demand equal rights and more tolerance in the heavily Roman Catholic nation. Five years ago: More than 1,000 people attended an interfaith service in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to mourn four Marines who had been shot to death at a reserve facility by a Kuwaiti-born gunman. A suicide bomber with the Islamic State group attacked a crowded marketplace in Iraq's Diyala province, killing 115 people. One year ago: Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was sentenced to life behind bars in a U.S. prison. Prosecutors in Massachusetts dropped a case accusing actor Kevin Spacey of groping a young man at a resort island bar in 2016; the accuser had refused to testify about a missing cellphone that defense lawyers said would support Spacey's claims of innocence. Today's Birthdays: Actor Donald Sutherland is 85. Rock musician Spencer Davis is 81. Sportscaster Verne Lundquist is 80. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is 73. Rock musician Terry "Geezer" Butler is 71. Actress Lucie Arnaz is 69. Actor David Hasselhoff is 68. Rock musician Fran Smith Jr. (The Hooters) is 68. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is 66. Television producer Mark Burnett is 60. Actress Nancy Giles is 60. Singer Regina Belle is 57. Country singer Craig Morgan is 56. Rock musician Lou Barlow is 54. Contemporary Christian singer Susan Ashton is 53. Actor Andre Royo is 52. Actress Bitty Schram is 52. Actor Jason Clarke is 51. Movie director F. Gary Gray is 51. Singer JC (PM Dawn) is 49. Rapper Sole' is 47. Country singer Luke Bryan is 44. Actor Eric Winter is 44. Actor Mike Vogel is 41. Actor Tom Cullen is 35. Actor Brando Eaton is 34. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jeremih is 33. Actress Summer Bishil is 32. Actress Billie Lourd is 28. Actor Leo Howard is 23.

Today in History -- July 17

MANHATTAN – Teenagers who responded to a&nbsp;<a href="https://4-h.org/about/research/#!healthy-living" target="_blank">survey commissioned by the National 4-H Council</a>&nbsp;said that more than 7 in 10 kids between the ages of 13-19 are struggling with their mental health.

Perhaps of equal concern: The same survey indicates that teens are feeling more pressured to hide their feelings, rather than talk to a supportive adult.

“It’s not unusual for young people to report that they’re feeling distressed, anxious or depressed, but I do think what’s unique and probably troublesome around the National 4-H Council report is that the young people thought they couldn’t talk about the feelings they had,” said Elaine Johannes, an extension 4-H Youth Development specialist at Kansas State University.

“They felt pressured to hide their feelings, to pretend they weren’t worried, and to deal with problems on their own. That’s unique.”

The National 4-H Council’s survey was conducted by The Harris Poll from May 4-14. There were 1,516 respondents; 230 of those were 4-H members, and 1,286 had never participated in 4-H.

<a href="https://www.kansas4-h.org/" target="_blank">Kansas 4-H</a>&nbsp;state leader Wade Weber said the data indicate that 71 percent of the teens felt that they are misunderstood by an older person in their life; 67 percent said at times the pressure is too much for them to handle; and they are three times more likely to feel pressured to talk about their problems than they are to drink alcohol or do drugs.

“The National 4-H Council’s survey takes a temperature of what youth are talking about today,” Weber said. “I think it’s important to highlight those things because young people… are not finding ready-made pathways for them to talk about their problems with the adults who are very concerned about them. Those are the types of things that we are wanting to follow up on as a state 4-H program.”

Johannes said the current findings are very similar to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2019/02/20/most-u-s-teens-see-anxiety-and-depression-as-a-major-problem-among-their-peers" target="_blank">2019 study of mental health of teens</a>, conducted by the Pew Research Center. However, teens did report that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased their sense of loneliness and made it more difficult to connect with their support systems.

Teens, she said, may be reacting to the perception that adults also are distressed.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/05/07/a-third-of-americans-experienced-high-levels-of-psychological-distress-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak" target="_blank">The Pew Research Center reported in May</a>&nbsp;that 33 percent of Americans are experiencing greater psychological distress as a result of the global pandemic.

“I do think that is a factor in how the young people who responded to the (National 4-H Council) poll saying they were not comfortable talking about their own emotional health,” Johannes said. “I assume they are noticing that the adults probably don’t have the capacity to listen right now because we are struggling with our own emotional health.

“It’s this constellation of issues that really puts our young people at most risk, but also may make them more resilient.”

Other key findings from the National 4-H Council’s survey include:

71% of those surveyed say school work makes them feel anxious or depressed.

65% of those surveyed say uncertainty about the future makes them feel anxious or depressed.

Approximately 45% say that they try to ignore their feelings or spend more time alone when they are dealing with mental health issues.

46% of teens reported social media as their most common outlet for learning about coping mechanisms for mental health and 43% follow or support someone on social media who openly talks about their mental health issues.

82% of teens are calling on America to talk more openly and honestly about mental health issues in this country.

79% of teens surveyed wish there was an inclusive environment or safe space for people in school to talk about mental health. 70% wish their school taught them more about mental health and coping mechanisms.

While the survey brought out some grim statistics, Weber said it’s important that adults hear the message and respond in positive ways, rather than try to shield their children from life’s realities. He notes that 65 percent of teens also reported that they want their family members to talk with them more about their mental health.

“Exercise some courage; exercise some humility to be able to say we’re in a challenging time right now, but it’s an opportunity to hear one another and work toward solutions together,” he said. “Doing so will help us develop resiliency as a family unit and as individuals. It’s important that young people believe that they can disclose their problems while knowing that there are support systems in their lives that want to help them navigate those in a way that includes healthy coping mechanisms and practices.”

For parents, that may mean re-framing the challenges they are facing, according to Johannes.

“Change the language you’re using and the focus in such a way that we are representing resilience,” she said. “You can model resilience and use words that represent growing stronger. For example, instead of talking about deficits, risks and limits, talk about opportunities for the young person to discover their identity, and the social and emotional health they are building during this time of challenge.”

Weber added: “One of the things I would encourage along the way is the ability to be patient, purposeful and persistent. Because you can’t just turn around and say to a young person, ‘Okay dad has 30 minutes, what’s going on?’ That’s usually not the recipe for authentic conversation and sharing.

“But if you can give that 30 minutes, be with them, try and connect into their world, see the world through their eyes. The ability to empathize – not necessarily solve their problems – is a key first step in helping that connection to form.”

A full interview on this topic with Johannes and Weber is&nbsp;<a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/soundlivingksu/SL-071020L.mp3" target="_blank">available online</a>.&nbsp;The National 4-H Council’s full report is available online at&nbsp;<a href="https://4-h.org/about/research/#!healthy-living" target="_blank">https://4-h.org/about/research/#!healthy-living</a>.

MANHATTAN – Teenagers who responded to a&nbsp;<a href="https://4-h.org/about/research/#!healthy-living" target="_blank">survey commissioned by the National 4-H Council</a>&nbsp;said that more than 7 in 10 kids between the ages of 13-19 are struggling with their mental health.Perhaps of equal concern: The same survey indicates that teens are feeling more pressured to hide their feelings, rather than talk to a supportive adult.“It’s not unusual for young people to report that they’re feeling distressed, anxious or depressed, but I do think what’s unique and probably troublesome around the National 4-H Council report is that the young people thought they couldn’t talk about the feelings they had,” said Elaine Johannes, an extension 4-H Youth Development specialist at Kansas State University.“They felt pressured to hide their feelings, to pretend they weren’t worried, and to deal with problems on their own. That’s unique.”The National 4-H Council’s survey was conducted by The Harris Poll from May 4-14. There were 1,516 respondents; 230 of those were 4-H members, and 1,286 had never participated in 4-H.<a href="https://www.kansas4-h.org/" target="_blank">Kansas 4-H</a>&nbsp;state leader Wade Weber said the data indicate that 71 percent of the teens felt that they are misunderstood by an older person in their life; 67 percent said at times the pressure is too much for them to handle; and they are three times more likely to feel pressured to talk about their problems than they are to drink alcohol or do drugs.“The National 4-H Council’s survey takes a temperature of what youth are talking about today,” Weber said. “I think it’s important to highlight those things because young people… are not finding ready-made pathways for them to talk about their problems with the adults who are very concerned about them. Those are the types of things that we are wanting to follow up on as a state 4-H program.”Johannes said the current findings are very similar to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2019/02/20/most-u-s-teens-see-anxiety-and-depression-as-a-major-problem-among-their-peers" target="_blank">2019 study of mental health of teens</a>, conducted by the Pew Research Center. However, teens did report that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased their sense of loneliness and made it more difficult to connect with their support systems.Teens, she said, may be reacting to the perception that adults also are distressed.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/05/07/a-third-of-americans-experienced-high-levels-of-psychological-distress-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak" target="_blank">The Pew Research Center reported in May</a>&nbsp;that 33 percent of Americans are experiencing greater psychological distress as a result of the global pandemic.“I do think that is a factor in how the young people who responded to the (National 4-H Council) poll saying they were not comfortable talking about their own emotional health,” Johannes said. “I assume they are noticing that the adults probably don’t have the capacity to listen right now because we are struggling with our own emotional health.“It’s this constellation of issues that really puts our young people at most risk, but also may make them more resilient.”Other key findings from the National 4-H Council’s survey include:71% of those surveyed say school work makes them feel anxious or depressed.65% of those surveyed say uncertainty about the future makes them feel anxious or depressed.Approximately 45% say that they try to ignore their feelings or spend more time alone when they are dealing with mental health issues.46% of teens reported social media as their most common outlet for learning about coping mechanisms for mental health and 43% follow or support someone on social media who openly talks about their mental health issues.82% of teens are calling on America to talk more openly and honestly about mental health issues in this country.79% of teens surveyed wish there was an inclusive environment or safe space for people in school to talk about mental health. 70% wish their school taught them more about mental health and coping mechanisms.While the survey brought out some grim statistics, Weber said it’s important that adults hear the message and respond in positive ways, rather than try to shield their children from life’s realities. He notes that 65 percent of teens also reported that they want their family members to talk with them more about their mental health.“Exercise some courage; exercise some humility to be able to say we’re in a challenging time right now, but it’s an opportunity to hear one another and work toward solutions together,” he said. “Doing so will help us develop resiliency as a family unit and as individuals. It’s important that young people believe that they can disclose their problems while knowing that there are support systems in their lives that want to help them navigate those in a way that includes healthy coping mechanisms and practices.”For parents, that may mean re-framing the challenges they are facing, according to Johannes.“Change the language you’re using and the focus in such a way that we are representing resilience,” she said. “You can model resilience and use words that represent growing stronger. For example, instead of talking about deficits, risks and limits, talk about opportunities for the young person to discover their identity, and the social and emotional health they are building during this time of challenge.”Weber added: “One of the things I would encourage along the way is the ability to be patient, purposeful and persistent. Because you can’t just turn around and say to a young person, ‘Okay dad has 30 minutes, what’s going on?’ That’s usually not the recipe for authentic conversation and sharing.“But if you can give that 30 minutes, be with them, try and connect into their world, see the world through their eyes. The ability to empathize – not necessarily solve their problems – is a key first step in helping that connection to form.”A full interview on this topic with Johannes and Weber is&nbsp;<a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/soundlivingksu/SL-071020L.mp3" target="_blank">available online</a>.&nbsp;The National 4-H Council’s full report is available online at&nbsp;<a href="https://4-h.org/about/research/#!healthy-living" target="_blank">https://4-h.org/about/research/#!healthy-living</a>.

Survey indicates 7 in 10 teens struggle with mental health

NEW YORK (AP) — Target, CVS Health and Publix Super Markets on Thursday joined the growing list of national chains that will require customers to wear face masks regardless of where cities or states stand on the issue.

Target’s mandatory face mask policy will go into effect Aug. 1, and all CVS stores will begin requiring them on Monday. Publix Super Markets Inc., based in Lakeland, Florida, said that its rule will kick in on Tuesday at all 1,200 stores.

More than 80% of Target’s 1,800 stores already require customers to wear masks due to local and state regulations. Target will hand out masks at entrances to those who need them.&nbsp;

The announcements come one day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2efc9640fe70badfa6c8f6f5b3923f68">the nation’s largest retailer, Walmart,</a>&nbsp;said that it would mandate face shields for all customers starting Monday.

Starbucks, Best Buy, Kohl’s and Kroger Co. have also announced mandatory masks nationwide in recent days.

Retailers have hesitated to make masks mandatory nationwide out of fear of angering some customers over what, even in a pandemic, has become a political issue.

They have been reluctant to put employees in the position of becoming enforcers. Confrontations with customers and store employees have played out in multiple incidents caught on video.

It was difficult to enforce such rules even in states that mandate face masks. However, the recent surge of new virus cases — particularly in Florida, California, Texas and Arizona — has left them with no choice, retail experts say.

“To be clear, we’re not asking our store employees to play the role of enforcer, ” said Jon Roberts, the chief operating officer at CVS. “What we are asking is that customers help protect themselves and those around them by listening to the experts and heeding the call to wear a face covering.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590784947764.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Target, CVS Health and Publix Super Markets on Thursday joined the growing list of national chains that will require customers to wear face masks regardless of where cities or states stand on the issue.Target’s mandatory face mask policy will go into effect Aug. 1, and all CVS stores will begin requiring them on Monday. Publix Super Markets Inc., based in Lakeland, Florida, said that its rule will kick in on Tuesday at all 1,200 stores.More than 80% of Target’s 1,800 stores already require customers to wear masks due to local and state regulations. Target will hand out masks at entrances to those who need them.&nbsp;The announcements come one day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2efc9640fe70badfa6c8f6f5b3923f68">the nation’s largest retailer, Walmart,</a>&nbsp;said that it would mandate face shields for all customers starting Monday.Starbucks, Best Buy, Kohl’s and Kroger Co. have also announced mandatory masks nationwide in recent days.Retailers have hesitated to make masks mandatory nationwide out of fear of angering some customers over what, even in a pandemic, has become a political issue.They have been reluctant to put employees in the position of becoming enforcers. Confrontations with customers and store employees have played out in multiple incidents caught on video.It was difficult to enforce such rules even in states that mandate face masks. However, the recent surge of new virus cases — particularly in Florida, California, Texas and Arizona — has left them with no choice, retail experts say.“To be clear, we’re not asking our store employees to play the role of enforcer, ” said Jon Roberts, the chief operating officer at CVS. “What we are asking is that customers help protect themselves and those around them by listening to the experts and heeding the call to wear a face covering.”

List of national retail chains requiring masks is growing

TOPEKA -- The 47th Kansas Shrine Bowl is scheduled for Saturday in Topeka, and if you can't make the game, you can listen to it on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM).

The all-star football classic is scheduled to kick at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Hummer Sports Complex, 2751 SW East Circle Dr S #1, in Topeka.

Local and area players scheduled to participate in the game include the following.

No. 12 Jackson Kavanagh, Salina High School Central

No. 14 Ty Garrett, Salina High School South

No. 60 Creighton Johnson, Beloit High School

No. 74 Eyann Zimmerman, Republic County High School

TOPEKA -- The 47th Kansas Shrine Bowl is scheduled for Saturday in Topeka, and if you can't make the game, you can listen to it on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM).The all-star football classic is scheduled to kick at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Hummer Sports Complex, 2751 SW East Circle Dr S #1, in Topeka.Pregame on KINA will begin at 6:45 p.m.Local and area players scheduled to participate in the game include the following.No. 12 Jackson Kavanagh, Salina High School CentralNo. 14 Ty Garrett, Salina High School SouthNo. 60 Creighton Johnson, Beloit High SchoolNo. 74 Eyann Zimmerman, Republic County High School

Listen to the 47th Kansas Shrine Bowl on KINA

TOPEKA—Governor Laura Kelly’s Commission on Racial Equity and Justice met for their first meeting Thursday afternoon.&nbsp;

<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DylmJgK8kuiU&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cd4fa028bae0f4393454108d8251538be%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637300120359291733&amp;sdata=vt8ORYrrKVWjSH3rjTglaZLVRXDynNEqpFgY764LN0c%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Click here</a>&nbsp;to watch a replay of the meeting.

In a media release, Governor Kelly said, “This is not the first time a group like this has been convened to discuss the structural inequalities that exist in our country. But I believe this national moment has provided the Commission on Racial Equity and Justice, and the state of Kansas an opportunity to have an honest and informed conversation about the work that must be done.”

Co-chairs Dr. Tiffany Anderson, Superintendent of Topeka Public Schools USD 501, and Dr. Shannon Portillo, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs KU Edwards Campus &amp; School of Professional Studies, led the conversation in discussing the structure, schedule, and priority goals of the Commission.

“We had a robust discussion in our first meeting, outlining areas for inquiry and listening sessions,”&nbsp;Dr. Shannon Portillo, said.&nbsp;“I am looking forward to engaging with our community listening sessions, and ultimately developing a report for Governor Kelly’s administration to take action on.”

The Commission plans to meet biweekly, every other Thursday, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for July 23rd, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. The meetings will continue to be held virtually and streamed to&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fchannel%2FUChH3fB2PkiJjZlo55c9UH2Q%3Fview_as%3Dsubscriber&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cd4fa028bae0f4393454108d8251538be%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637300120359291733&amp;sdata=fJQxKTScrj4scj3PuJzDC7TcOMi8bqKHlomOVq5qvaA%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Governor Laura Kelly’s YouTube page.</a>

Governor Kelly tasked the Commission with focusing their work first on law enforcement and policing in Kansas. Commission members discussed the following possible topics for the initial focus of their work:

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC)

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training (KSCPOST)

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Former Commissions and reports (Federal &amp; Local)

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;School resource officers and policing in schools

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bail bonds

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;K-9 officers and dispute resolution

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Qualified immunity

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Corrections officers

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Recruitment, hiring, and decertification practices

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Police misconduct records

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Police unions and contract negotiations

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Officer Residency requirements

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Social determinants of health in prisons

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Debtors’ prisons

The group discussed the methods of collecting data and reports for the Commission. National Governors Association, Governor’s staff, and stakeholders will be facilitating data and research for the work of the Commission.

“Engaging with the public throughout the course of these meetings will be crucial to crafting recommendations and policies that are specific to Kansas, and to amplifying as many voices throughout the community as possible,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.

The Commission plans to hold a number of virtual listening sessions with stakeholders and communities across the state. This includes, but is not limited to:

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Public Defenders

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Law Enforcement

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Community members who have engaged with the criminal justice system

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Spanish and other non-English-speaking communities

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Immigrant and refugee communities

To engage with the public, the Commission will be providing an email address, mailing address, constituent services line, and Twitter hashtag (#KansasCREJ). More information regarding how constituents can submit feedback and testimony will be made available next week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594415416015.png" alt="Governor Laura Kelly and members of her Commission on Racial Equality held their first meeting online this week." />
 <figcaption>Governor Laura Kelly and members of her Commission on Racial Equality held their first meeting online this week.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA—Governor Laura Kelly’s Commission on Racial Equity and Justice met for their first meeting Thursday afternoon.&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DylmJgK8kuiU&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cd4fa028bae0f4393454108d8251538be%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637300120359291733&amp;sdata=vt8ORYrrKVWjSH3rjTglaZLVRXDynNEqpFgY764LN0c%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Click here</a>&nbsp;to watch a replay of the meeting.In a media release, Governor Kelly said, “This is not the first time a group like this has been convened to discuss the structural inequalities that exist in our country. But I believe this national moment has provided the Commission on Racial Equity and Justice, and the state of Kansas an opportunity to have an honest and informed conversation about the work that must be done.”Co-chairs Dr. Tiffany Anderson, Superintendent of Topeka Public Schools USD 501, and Dr. Shannon Portillo, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs KU Edwards Campus &amp; School of Professional Studies, led the conversation in discussing the structure, schedule, and priority goals of the Commission.“We had a robust discussion in our first meeting, outlining areas for inquiry and listening sessions,”&nbsp;Dr. Shannon Portillo, said.&nbsp;“I am looking forward to engaging with our community listening sessions, and ultimately developing a report for Governor Kelly’s administration to take action on.”The Commission plans to meet biweekly, every other Thursday, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for July 23rd, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. The meetings will continue to be held virtually and streamed to&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fchannel%2FUChH3fB2PkiJjZlo55c9UH2Q%3Fview_as%3Dsubscriber&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cd4fa028bae0f4393454108d8251538be%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637300120359291733&amp;sdata=fJQxKTScrj4scj3PuJzDC7TcOMi8bqKHlomOVq5qvaA%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Governor Laura Kelly’s YouTube page.</a>Governor Kelly tasked the Commission with focusing their work first on law enforcement and policing in Kansas. Commission members discussed the following possible topics for the initial focus of their work:•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC)•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training (KSCPOST)•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Former Commissions and reports (Federal &amp; Local)<ul>
 <li>The President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing</li><li>Forward Through Ferguson Police Reform</li><li>Kerner Commission</li><li>Other Kansas-specific reports</li>
 </ul>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;School resource officers and policing in schools•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bail bonds•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;K-9 officers and dispute resolution•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Qualified immunity•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Corrections officers•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Recruitment, hiring, and decertification practices•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Police misconduct records•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Police unions and contract negotiations•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Officer Residency requirements•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Social determinants of health in prisons•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Debtors’ prisonsThe group discussed the methods of collecting data and reports for the Commission. National Governors Association, Governor’s staff, and stakeholders will be facilitating data and research for the work of the Commission.“Engaging with the public throughout the course of these meetings will be crucial to crafting recommendations and policies that are specific to Kansas, and to amplifying as many voices throughout the community as possible,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.The Commission plans to hold a number of virtual listening sessions with stakeholders and communities across the state. This includes, but is not limited to:•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Public Defenders•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Law Enforcement•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Community members who have engaged with the criminal justice system•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Spanish and other non-English-speaking communities•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Immigrant and refugee communitiesTo engage with the public, the Commission will be providing an email address, mailing address, constituent services line, and Twitter hashtag (#KansasCREJ). More information regarding how constituents can submit feedback and testimony will be made available next week.

 🎥  Governor’s Commission on Racial Equity, Justice begins work

In
light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Salina Symphony has announced the delay
of the coming season to 2021. 

“Many factors led to this decision, including concern
for the health and safety of musicians and patrons as well as the challenges
presented by socially distanced seating requirements,” said Adrienne Allen,
executive director. 

The current plan for the coming season is to
hold four subscription concerts in the spring/summer of 2021. A decision will be made about the Youth Education Program in the
coming weeks.

“Although we’re disappointed the season had to be delayed,
we’re doing all we
can to ensure that the symphony is equipped to
return strong,” said Allen. “Despite this temporary disruption,
our musicians and patrons have much to look forward to in the relatively near
future. Our music director search is well underway, and we will be entering an
exciting new era in the fall of 2021 when we begin to bring candidates in to
conduct.”

Until the symphony can safely
return to concerts at the Stiefel, they plan to seek out creative ways to fulfill
the mission and provide opportunities for musicians to perform. 

“I’m delighted
to announce that we will be presenting a Virtual Chamber Concert Series, titled
‘Listen Together,’ beginning in October,” Allen said. 

The monthly series will
feature a variety of ensembles composed of Salina Symphony musicians. 

More information about the symphony
season and the Virtual Chamber Concert Series will be made available on the symphony
<a href="http://www.salinasymphony.org">website</a> and on social media.

In
light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Salina Symphony has announced the delay
of the coming season to 2021. “Many factors led to this decision, including concern
for the health and safety of musicians and patrons as well as the challenges
presented by socially distanced seating requirements,” said Adrienne Allen,
executive director. The current plan for the coming season is to
hold four subscription concerts in the spring/summer of 2021. A decision will be made about the Youth Education Program in the
coming weeks. 
“Although we’re disappointed the season had to be delayed,
we’re doing all we
can to ensure that the symphony is equipped to
return strong,” said Allen. “Despite this temporary disruption,
our musicians and patrons have much to look forward to in the relatively near
future. Our music director search is well underway, and we will be entering an
exciting new era in the fall of 2021 when we begin to bring candidates in to
conduct.”Virtual
Chamber Concert SeriesUntil the symphony can safely
return to concerts at the Stiefel, they plan to seek out creative ways to fulfill
the mission and provide opportunities for musicians to perform. “I’m delighted
to announce that we will be presenting a Virtual Chamber Concert Series, titled
‘Listen Together,’ beginning in October,” Allen said. The monthly series will
feature a variety of ensembles composed of Salina Symphony musicians. More information about the symphony
season and the Virtual Chamber Concert Series will be made available on the symphony
<a href="http://www.salinasymphony.org">website</a> and on social media.

Salina Symphony postpones season to 2021

Brandon Taylor, recently elected board president of the Central and Western Kansas chapter of the American Red Cross, is hitting the ground running with a virtual tour of the chapter’s 60-county territory.

Taylor, who will serve as board president for the coming year, is Special Programs Manager at Fort Hays State University. He has served on the board for two years. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management degree, a Master of Business Administration degree, and a leadership and grant-writing certificate from Fort Hays State University. He currently is working on his pastoral ministry degree from Newman University.

Taylor’s family was impacted by the Greensburg tornado in 2007. “I still remember the Red Cross vehicle driving the streets, handing out water and sunscreen, which was most needed while going through debris,” Taylor said. “Those individuals were the kindest people you will ever meet, and the world needs more like them.”

Taylor said he is excited to lead the board as it executes a strategic plan they have developed. He will conduct a virtual tour through each county, talking to emergency management officials, city and county officials, and other stakeholders, while reviewing Red Cross’s role in those communities. Because he firmly believes those working on the front line are at the heart of any successful operation. Taylor stated he will be calling all volunteers to listen to their experiences and feedback.

“Many people don’t realize the many services the Red Cross offers, besides blood donation and disaster services,” Taylor said. “I want to make those trainings accessible to not only individuals but also create business partnerships as well.” Another area he wants to stress is Service to the Armed Forces (SAF), which assists active duty and veterans in communities.

Knowing that the chapter could not operate without the support of donors, Taylor is working with the board to identify the greatest needs in the chapter and bolster fundraising in the chapter. “Anyone that gives wants to see how their dollar makes an impact,” he said. “Anyone can check a box for it to go to the general fund or designate it to towards a specific area, but the report back to the donor I feel is most key on where their hard-earned dollar went.”

Taylor says he wants to hear from you! If you have any suggestions, Red Cross stories, looking to get more involved with the Red Cross, want to host a blood drive, want more information about different training sessions available, hear about current fundraising projects, become a Red Cross advocate in your community, know of a veteran or current service member in need of assistance, or anything else, he asks that you please email him at redcrossbrandon@gmail.com

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594314859558.jpeg" alt="Brandon Taylor. Photo courtesy American Red Cross" />
 <figcaption>Brandon Taylor. Photo courtesy American Red Cross</figcaption>
 </figure>Brandon Taylor, recently elected board president of the Central and Western Kansas chapter of the American Red Cross, is hitting the ground running with a virtual tour of the chapter’s 60-county territory.Taylor, who will serve as board president for the coming year, is Special Programs Manager at Fort Hays State University. He has served on the board for two years. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management degree, a Master of Business Administration degree, and a leadership and grant-writing certificate from Fort Hays State University. He currently is working on his pastoral ministry degree from Newman University.Taylor’s family was impacted by the Greensburg tornado in 2007. “I still remember the Red Cross vehicle driving the streets, handing out water and sunscreen, which was most needed while going through debris,” Taylor said. “Those individuals were the kindest people you will ever meet, and the world needs more like them.”Taylor said he is excited to lead the board as it executes a strategic plan they have developed. He will conduct a virtual tour through each county, talking to emergency management officials, city and county officials, and other stakeholders, while reviewing Red Cross’s role in those communities. Because he firmly believes those working on the front line are at the heart of any successful operation. Taylor stated he will be calling all volunteers to listen to their experiences and feedback.“Many people don’t realize the many services the Red Cross offers, besides blood donation and disaster services,” Taylor said. “I want to make those trainings accessible to not only individuals but also create business partnerships as well.” Another area he wants to stress is Service to the Armed Forces (SAF), which assists active duty and veterans in communities.Knowing that the chapter could not operate without the support of donors, Taylor is working with the board to identify the greatest needs in the chapter and bolster fundraising in the chapter. “Anyone that gives wants to see how their dollar makes an impact,” he said. “Anyone can check a box for it to go to the general fund or designate it to towards a specific area, but the report back to the donor I feel is most key on where their hard-earned dollar went.”Taylor says he wants to hear from you! If you have any suggestions, Red Cross stories, looking to get more involved with the Red Cross, want to host a blood drive, want more information about different training sessions available, hear about current fundraising projects, become a Red Cross advocate in your community, know of a veteran or current service member in need of assistance, or anything else, he asks that you please email him at redcrossbrandon@gmail.com

Taylor elected president of area Red Cross chapter

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach, Head Coach Andy Reid, and Quarterback Patrick Mahomes met with the media today to discuss Mahomes new 10-year contract extension.

BRETT VEACH OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Well, I’d like to start off by welcoming everyone to this Zoom today. It’s certainly a historic day for the Kansas City Chiefs organization, our great fanbase – the Chiefs Kingdom – and really the entire NFL. If there was ever a player that was truly deserving of the largest contract in US sports history, it’s definitely Pat Mahomes. Pat exemplifies excellence both on and off the field. Yesterday, when I was with Pat and his family and his agents, Chris (Cabott) and Leigh (Steinberg), we just talked about how amazing this relationship has been and really how we’ve come full circle in three short years. It started back in 2017. This organization, Clark Hunt, Mark (Donovan), Andy (Reid), we had a belief and a vision that Pat was going to be the next superstar of this league and really do things the league hasn’t really seen before. And after a 2018 season that saw Pat throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdown passes, while&nbsp; being named league MVP, following that up with a 2019 season that saw him help us bring the first Lamar Hunt Trophy to Kansas City, our first Super Bowl win in 50 years, and capping that off by being named Super Bowl MVP, here we sat at the negotiating table, and now it was Pat and his family putting that same trust, that same belief in our organization. And a deal of this length doesn’t get done unless Pat truly believes in the vision of the Hunt family, the trust he has for Coach Reid and his outstanding coaching staff, and our personnel staff. I think when you take a step back and look at this contract, though, the most exciting thing of this contract, and I believe Pat would agree with me, is that this contract shows just a total commitment and love for Kansas City. Pat wants win. He wants to start a dynasty, and he wants to do all those things here in Kansas City. And that’s extremely exciting for us and our fanbase. Before I turn it over to Coach Reid real quick, I do want to give a special thanks to his agents – Chris Cabott, Leigh Steinberg – for really their open-mindedness, certainly we’re all in this together. They wanted protections for Pat, but they also wanted to make sure Pat was surrounded by talent, and it’s very important. Pat, again, is a long-term thinker, and Pat understands the long game here. And on our end, my staff, Brandt Tilis and Chris Shea, just for their creative thinking. Certainly, there are some obstacles and hurdles to overcome on doing a deal of this magnitude, and those two were outstanding. And, again, the effort they put in, just want to thank them so much for everything. With that, I’d like to turn it over to Coach.”

COACH REID OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, thanks Brett. So happy for Pat, for the Kansas City Chiefs organization, and really for the city of Kansas City for this opportunity to have a true franchise quarterback here in Kansas City, one that was drafted here, which hasn’t happened for almost the duration of the Chiefs organization. And then, I think Brett did a phenomenal job of organizing this. Brett, I had mentioned before, had been instrumental in helping bring Pat to the Chiefs. I’ve joked that he wore (John) Dorsey and I out about bringing Pat here and made us watch all the clips on him and saying he was the best player he’d ever seen. So, that’s kind of come to fruition for all of us to witness like Brett had. Brett’s got a great crew with him. All his scouts and guys that work with him, in this instance, in particular Chris Shea and Brandt Tilis, who really, I think Brandt did a phenomenal job of organizing the numbers for this and the plan, all with Brett setting this up. None of this happens without Clark Hunt, obviously. That’s a bold move. We’ve gone above and beyond and found something that is phenomenal for Pat and his family and also for the Kansas City Chiefs. Pat was so, so aware of the surroundings, as he is on everything, of making sure not only is his deal done, but also almost to a T, he wanted the organization to have an opportunity to be able to bring in players. That’s, in this day and age, that unselfishness is a tough thing to find at times, so my hat goes off to him and his maturity in this whole thing. Brett mentioned Chris Cabott and the time he spent the last two years here, couple years of visiting our building. He was always here and kind of went above and beyond there to make sure this all worked for Pat and his family and also the Chiefs. And then Leigh Steinberg, who has a tremendous history with quarterbacks in this league. It’s awesome. All in all, I think it’s a great thing. Very seldom do you come out of a deal and go, ‘You know, it’s a win-win. It’s a win for the player, and it’s a win for the team, the organization.’ I’m one happy guy. I put on my best Tommy Bahama for all of you today just to celebrate this. It’s a big day. It’s an awesome thing. Again, Brett and I just appreciate everything that the Hunts do. We’ve got a great President in Mark Donovan who supports us on everything, too. So, it’s a good event here. Hope everybody has a chance to celebrate it. With that, enough said. I’m going to turn it over to the man of the day here and that’s Pat.”

PATRICK MAHOMES OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Thanks Coach. Obviously, a very exciting time for me and my family. I want to give thanks to so many people, but always first I just want to thank God for putting me in this situation, truly an amazing situation where I’m surrounded by a lot of great people, a lot of great players, a lot of just great human beings who have supported me my entire career so far. I talked about my family with Brittany, my mom and dad, my support team that has kind of been with me the entire way, and they have continued to be with me and treated me the exact same. I just want to thank them. The Chiefs organization, like I said earlier, Coach Reid, Brett Veach, Mark Donovan, Clark Hunt, everybody. It’s been a team effort the entire way, and I think that’s the special thing about this organization is that, like Veach said, there’s trust amongst everybody. As much as I trust in them, they trust in me. We’re able to go out there and get this contract done the right way, the way that not only gives me the security that I’ve always wanted, but also allows opportunity for the team to be great around me the entire duration of my career. I have full trust that things will get handled the right way as we go throughout this career, and we will be in a position to win a lot of football games, and hopefully win a lot more championships as my career goes on. I want to thank the Chiefs Kingdom. Obviously, their support for me has been tremendous since the day I got drafted. The fact that they’ve been behind me and supported me has been truly special and it’s a one of a kind thing. I knew the moment I stepped on Arrowhead’s field that this was the place I wanted to be for my entire career. And I think I’ve reiterated that my entire career that I’ve been here and can’t wait. And then my agents and my support team. For them to go out and do this contract and do it the right way. I told them what I wanted from the beginning. They brought me different options. They worked hand in hand with the Chiefs the entire time and Veach and his team and Coach Reid and all the coaches. They pretty much put it out there and to the best way, like I said, so we can be a great team moving forward, and obviously, to have the security that I want. It’s an exciting time. I’m just glad I get to continue to keep building this legacy in Kansas City. Obviously with everything going on in the world, with COVID and all this different stuff, to have this security to go into the community and be able to give back, I can’t wait to not only build this legacy, not only on the field, but off it. I’m excited for the future ahead, not only for me, but for the Kansas City Chiefs and the communities that have brought me up so far.”

Q:&nbsp;Brett, can you sort of explain the amount of work that it takes to get a deal like this done?

VEACH:&nbsp;“It’s kind of been said out there that going through the first free agency that I was a part of back in ’18, we had the mindset to structure deals to prepare for an extension for Pat. Again, it goes to the level of belief and the faith we have in Pat, and this was before he was a fulltime starter. Now the one thing in Pat’s favor was that as the season went on, the number kept getting bigger and bigger. So, we were planning for the normal quarterback market back in ’18 free agency, well ‘when Pat gets to this point, we’ll be right in here.’ And it just took off. That certainly was a good challenge to have. It goes back to my initial statement, Brandt Tilis and Chris Shea, I remember when the (Mike) Trout deal came out, Brandt coming down to my office and saying ‘Pat’s going to be a baseball contract. That’s how good this kid is going to be, and we need to start thinking like this.’ The cool thing about it is, and Coach alluded to this, the maturity level of Pat, in this day and age you’re looking around, three year, four year deals, but Pat was just so committed to this city and wanted certainly security like every player does, but also wanted to be here and to win and to establish a dynasty. He said, ‘Shoot, let’s be creative. Let’s figure out a way to do this. I want to be here for the rest of my career, and I want to win.’ So the discussions on this contract have really been years in the making.”

Q:&nbsp;Brett, with regards to this contract, how confident are you in it that it will actually work out for both sides?

VEACH:&nbsp;“Again, it starts back in 2017, and it starts from the initial stages when we saw this kid, we had a vision. We knew that pairing Pat with Coach Reid was going to be something special, and they were going to be able to accomplish things that the league hasn’t seen before. And again, you go back to the league MVP performance in 2018, and then what he accomplished last year in helping our organization win the first title in 50 years, and as Coach and Pat will tell you, there’s still a lot of improvement for Pat and his game. He’s still growing and learning. He’s hungry. He’s on the call here, so it’s a little awkward, but he’s special. He’s a special kid. At such a young age, he’s so mature and he understands big picture thinking, and he understands that there needs to be a sense of long-term thinking and ‘I want to win a long time here in Kansas City. There are only certain ways that this can be possible, and this is what’s important to me. I know I’m going to be taken care of the rest of my life, but I want to leave behind a legacy. And Kansas City is the place I want to do it.’ Again, it’s just a special day and it takes a special kid too – Adam, you asked about our level of confidence in Pat and this contract, and I think it speaks for itself. People can look at this any way they want to, but this contract is a 10-year extension and this is something we believe that there could be a small one after it because that’s how confident we are in this kid.”

Q:&nbsp;How did your relationship with Pat and also your relationship with Chris Cabott and the agency impact getting this deal done?

VEACH:&nbsp;“I would say that’s true. Every aspect of the NFL is competitive, and deals are no different. It was unique in the sense that there was never a sense of ‘we need to win this.’ Or ‘we have to win this.’ This was ‘how can we get this done.’ And again, that goes back to Pat because ultimately Chris and Leigh work for Pat, and Pat has to have, again, I keep repeating myself, this long-term vision on what he wants his legacy to be. But there was never a sense, and again I’ve seen all different forms and fashions with bigger deals and longer deals, there’s always a pretentious point. And I don’t think it ever reached that because we were just all on the same page. We were all committed to making this work. Certainly, Pat is deserving of the largest contract in US sports history, but how can we get creative to recognize him to set those benchmarks but also find a way that we can surround him with talent and he can go out there and have fun and do the things he’s capable of. I think to your question, I think having that relationship and going back to Chris and I talking about this vision back in ’17 and now that we’re here, let’s continue and how can we turn one Super Bowl into two, three and four and continue to add to Pat’s legacy.”

Q:&nbsp;When you alluded to the fact that this was going to be more baseball structured, how much of that was designed even looking back at 2018, trying to figure out the best way possible to have flexibility for you guys to build the rest of the roster around Patrick [Mahomes]?

VEACH:&nbsp;“His structure was fluid. When we started doing free agent contracts in 2018, we did so with the mindset of structuring those deals to allow for a deal at the franchise quarterback level. Now the broader concepts, the baseball type contracts, was something as the 2018 season went along and turned into the 2019 season. For Brandt Tilis, that was an ongoing project for him. He would literally come down into my office in spring of last year talking about this and thinking about that. We wanted to hopefully refine those ideas and concepts even more and once we get to this stage, we’ll have something to work from. A lot of credit to those guys. This was something that we talked about different forms of this, and as Patrick’s success continued to climb, we were geared more towards this. A lot of good foresight from the staff that I have working for me.”

Q:&nbsp;Given your background, learning how contract negotiations are handled through your father, understanding the baseball historical context of contracts of this magnitude, how much did that give you a perspective on what you exactly wanted in terms of having long term security with the organization?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I would say it definitely played a part. Being able to talk to my dad and LaTroy [Hawkins] about it and being able to go through that process.&nbsp; They didn’t sign that long-term contract, but they were around and saw players who did and how they got that long-term security and were able to go out there and play free, knowing that they had that security that they always wanted. It was something I was able to talk to them about and get a lot of information from them. You can’t do this with every single organization, but when you have stability in an organization like the Chiefs have, I felt very comfortable and I had a lot of trust knowing that we were going to have that same stability at the end of that contract.”

Q:&nbsp;You’ve said several times that you want to maintain the ability to go out and put talent around Patrick. The number is huge. Is there anything you can point to as to how that number doesn’t cancel out the ability to put players around him? And what kind of uncertainty do you have about the COVID environment with the salary cap, not knowing if you’re going to have fans in the stands, if you’re going to finish the season? How much does that hang over this contract and putting together the team the way that you’re talking about?

VEACH:&nbsp;“I think that when you have a structure like this, I think one of the things that’s beneficial for us is certainly in regards to what we’re dealing with every year. When these things don’t work out and you’re running into the final year of your deal, tags go up and things become contentious. I think we’re dealing with a known factor now. We know where we’re going to be, and we know that there is potentially a tough time ahead of us and none of us know exactly where the cap is going to be next year. We’ve kind of prepared for that in some degree but you don’t know for sure until you have the final numbers. We’re dealing with known numbers and known figures and it prepares us for the future and allows us to prepare and plan every year. Like I said, when you have structural stability, we believe this contract allows us to have a working number to deal with every year. With this contract, we can do certain things in order to create cap space. But now, we’re dealing with something that we know as opposed to the unknown which, is never a good scenario for a team to encounter during the offseason.”

REID: “I’d probably ditto what Brett just said, I think he covered just about every base. But I will tell you that Patrick was very cautious about the whole situation about being able to keep players. That was in the dialogue there. He made it known to us. Then Brett, Brandt, and Chris got together and did the thing and made it work. They came up with a plan and presented it to Chris Cabott, and Chris had some ideas, so between them, they were able to formulate something. Clark Hunt is brilliant. He’s got a phenomenal mind and a great business mind. He also was able to oversee this and understand and put in whatever input he had on it. He’s more aware of the COVID situation than anyone, being the owner of the football team and he felt comfortable with it when it was all said and done. We’ll be able to go forward and sign players even if the cap does decrease a little bit.”

VEACH: “I will say that if the ownership thing doesn’t work out for Clark Hunt, he’d be a great cap guy because this deal went as smoothly as it could’ve gone. When we did run into a couple different hiccups, it was amazing how quickly Clark had an answer. As Coach mentioned, certainly Brandt and Chris pulling all the leg work there. Clark always has a few tricks up his sleeve and we extremely appreciate his oversight on this for sure.”

Q:&nbsp;What were the expectations when you started talking about getting a long-term deal done in Kansas City? Did you both have in mind a way you thought it was going to go?

MAHOMES: “I think I’ve said it a lot in press conferences that I’ve had in the past, but obviously I wanted the security to take care of my family and future generations of my family, but I also wanted to keep really good football players around me. I’m not going to sit here and lie and say that having a great football team around me doesn’t help me while I’m on the field. I wanted to find the best way that I could do that and I feel like as we talked and as Chris and all these guys talked that they came to me with this idea and concept of making me financially secure, but having the ability to go out and sign and resign these guys. We’re obviously returning 20 or 21 starters from last season; I knew that this was going to be the right way to do it where we can accomplish those things that were important to me.”

VEACH: “I would just add that we were a little bit ahead of the game just because of the ongoing dialogue that we’ve had for over a year. Sometimes you get into these negotiations and both sides are starting from scratch and all the ideas and concepts are from left field. Because we had a unique relationship, we were ahead of the game in some regard.”

Q:&nbsp;When I think of a great quarterback and coach tandems, I think of Brady and Belichick, Brees and Payton. What does this contract do for you and your coaching shelf-life when you know that you’ve got Mahomes in Kansas City for the next 12 years and you’re going to be in your young 70s? What does this do for you?

REID:&nbsp;“In the young 70s, huh? Listen, I haven’t got to that point mentally where I’m thinking about retirement. One of the great things about this job is when you look forward to coming to work and to deal with the players and coaches. I’m lucky enough to be around good players and coaches. This guy here [Mahomes], makes it even better. He has a unique ability with what he does with his teammates. The Honey Badger [Tyrann Mathieu] was part of this too. He was the first guy who texted me and Brett when the deal got done. He just said, “what a great thing you did.” Both of those two guys make our jobs very enjoyable. I come to work and have two great leaders like that, along with other players who love to play the game. Listen, if it takes me into my 70s then let’s roll. Herbie, doggone it, I’m ready to go.”

Q:&nbsp;At what point during the conversation did the length of the contract really settle exclusively on a longer term? Was a shorter deal like 4, 5 or 6 years ever discussed? And what sides really focused on settling the conversation on a longer deal like 10 years?

VEACH: “Chris [Cabott] and Leigh [Steinberg] had two big things they wanted and that was protection for Pat and surrounding Pat with talent. Coach and I know as well as anybody that if he’s healthy and there is talent around him, it’s unstoppable. The framework was based on how we can get him the most protection and at the same time, continually allowing to have great talent around him, so it kind of started in the longer term. Pat is very mature at his young age and he knows he has a great city, great ownership, a hall of fame coach, so it’s going to be hard to beat this. We thought how we could put Pat in a position where he is the highest paid player in the game, which he is and on top of that, put it in a format that will continually allow us to have talent around him. I give credit to their staff for wanting to get him a legacy deal and not just a cash deal. You have to have a special and unique person like we have in Pat to understand that, he’s going to make more money than I’ll ever know what to do with, but I just want to see the organization reward other players and be surrounded with players like the Badger and Tyreek and all of these guys. I joked with Chris and said it’s almost impossible to have the largest contract in sports history and have the player look unselfish, but somehow he’s the highest paid player in the game and will be for a long time, and does so in a way that allows us to reward his teammates along the way. It’s unique. I don’t think the city should take that for granted, I know they won’t. Like I said in my opening statement, this contract’s length speaks to Pat’s love and commitment to Kansas City. He wants to win, and he wants to do it here in Kansas City.”

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“He just hit it right on the head. I went in there with an open mind. I went with those two concepts of wanting to keep great players around me and reward them for being great players and being a great teammate, and I wanted the security that I’ve always talked about. Once this concept came to me, I was all on board. It was all about the details at that point. I thought the Chiefs organization did a great job. I had a lot of phone calls with Chris and Leigh, it interrupted a few golf games, almost every single day. I went in with an open mind and when the concept came to me, I loved the idea. We were able to do it the right way and I’m excited for the future ahead.”

Q:&nbsp;So much has been said about trust in all of this and its obviously essential. Patrick, can you just describe going back with Andy and Brett and how you came to trust them so much?

MAHOMES: “I think that trust is something that’s built and with my three years in the Chiefs organization, you see the trust that everyone has within each other. Everything that Coach Reid says, everything that Veach says, and what everyone in this organization says is that those things happen, and they put in the work every single day. It’s almost a challenge if I can beat Coach Reid or Veach to the facility some days. They put in as much effort as anyone and when you have a culture like that from the top down, with Clark Hunt to the 75th, 90th, whatever man on the roster, that trust and that culture was something that I wanted to be a part of. It’s something that is built on every single day. It’s been built every day that I’ve been a part of this organization.”

Q:&nbsp;So much has been said about trust in all of this and its obviously essential. What can you say about your relationship with the other two and how that drove this?

REID: “I would tell you that when you talk about team, you talk about trust. I think that it’s one of the biggest factors when you’re dealing with an organization. If I can’t trust Mark Donovan, Clark Hunt or Brett Veach, if the players can’t keep an open book with everybody here, then we have a problem. We’ve tried to strive for that. Not only do we do it with Pat, but the coaches do it with their players. Don’t say something that you can’t back up or that you don’t mean. The players eventually end up trusting that you’re going to do what is right for them, and likewise within the organization. You try to be as honest as you can with people so that they trust you. Sometimes honesty is a tough thing, especially in this day and age. With all this technology, there is no better time to be honest than right now. You’re held accountable to everything that you say. Be truthful or don’t say anything. That’s kind of how we roll.”

VEACH: “Both Pat and I got to learn from the best in Coach Reid. When I come to the facility every day, I know, and Pat knows that there’s not going to be a team in the NFL that is more prepared to play on Sunday. Coach and I know that there’s not going to be a quarterback who is more prepared to play than Pat. I hope that Coach and Pat know that when we enter free agency or the draft, that our staff will be ready to go and be prepared. It’s just accountability. It’s knowing that we trust the guy next to us to do their job and we know that we have some of the best in the NFL to do it. That trust is infectious, and it spreads to everything. Everyone knows that there really are no egos here in a business where it’s hard to avoid. We’re able to operate under those guidelines and Coach Reid sets the tone for that.”

Q:&nbsp;Going back to high school and the decision you made to pursue your passion for playing football in college, I know you were playing baseball too, but turning down more than a million-dollar signing bonus. Have you had a chance to think back on what it means to you to bet on yourself in that way and win from a financial perspective and the message you can share about telling everyone to trust in yourself and follow your passions?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I haven’t really reflected on it yet honestly, but I think the biggest thing is just like you said. That’s how I’ve always been built. That’s how I’ve always thought of myself, just to follow my passions and do whatever I can to the best of my ability. That was something that was instilled in me by my parents when I was young, and I still believe the same things today. It’s never been about money to me, obviously it’s awesome and it’s an exciting time for me, but at the same time, I’ve always been about being the best person, the best player that I can be every single day. I believe this is another step in the journey that’s just beginning and I’m just excited that we have this done and I have that security that I can go out there and be the same player that I was and that same person that I was the day I stepped in this league.”

Q:&nbsp;I know you watched The Last Dance and Michael Jordan’s career, what he was able to accomplish. You have had one of the most outstanding starts to any NFL career. I was wondering how much that legacy idea that you want to not only put together a good year or two, but a good 15 years, how much of that went into you deciding that even though you are going to make this really big number, you are still allowing this organization to surround you with pieces so you can achieve things that no one else ever has?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think it happened even before that. I think watching The Last Dance and watching Michael and all of the stuff that he did and that he’s done and all of the success that he has is just affirmation. It’s something that I’ve always believed in those things about the legacy. About going out there and being the best player and having the best teammates around me. It’s not about one person, it’s about the team and I think that’s the biggest thing. I think you see that with our whole entire team. When you see we have a lot of these guys coming back that want to be a part of this. They want to be a part of this culture. They want to be a part of trying to build a dynasty because those things aren’t easy to do, and we understand that. So, it’s going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of dedication and I feel like we have that with the guys we have in this locker room.”

Q:&nbsp;I thought it was really interesting what you said about your godfather and your father. There are certainly some people around the league who did want you to tie a deal to the percentage of the cap. What did LaTroy Hawkins and your dad tell you about why it was so important to build a contract that was beneficial to both sides and wouldn’t be a super contentious negotiation?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think the biggest thing that they preached to me is kind of the same thing that I had already thought and it was good just hear them and it was that you want to have great players around you. You don’t want to be a guy that takes up all of the money and then all of the sudden you’re having to find different guys that will take cheaper deals because those guys need to be rewarded as well. It’s not about one person and I truly believe that. I know the situation that I was brought into and how good of a situation it was where I had to sit a year behind a great quarterback who taught me a lot and I got to play with a lot of great players the moment I stepped on the football field. I understand that I have a bigger perspective to go out there and get the security that I want but at the same time reward the guys that have helped me be the person that I am, and be the player that I am. I feel like with the contract and how it was done, I feel like I got both of those things. We’re going to be able to reward players and keep a lot of these guys around that have built the culture even before I was here and at the same time have the security that I know that my future generations will be able to have.”

Q:&nbsp;When you hear the number $503 million, what does that mean to you and how do you push this forward with all of your off the field stuff?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think that’s the main thing. Obviously in the time that we are in right now there’s so much opportunity to go out there and try to help the world become the best place that it can possibly be. I feel like having the security and this trust in the organization and obviously the financial help, I’ll be able to do that and not only in the Kansas City community where I hope to impact as much as I can as quickly as I can, but hopefully around the world. To have this trust in the organization to be behind me not only on but off the field as well, I feel like I’ll be able to make a huge impact in this world in many ways and I’m just excited for the next step and to continue doing whatever I can to help achieve that.”

Q:&nbsp;This deal puts you in elite company in all of sports. In your mind, does that raise the pressure in your level of play? Can you walk us through when you received the call from Leigh Steinberg and Chris Cabott saying that the deal was done?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I don’t think it raises the pressure honestly. To me the money never was the main objective. To me it’s all about going out there, winning football games and winning with your teammates, your brothers and the culture that you’ve been a part of. That’s what it was always about. Last year I felt like I had just as much pressure on myself to go out there and win after falling short in the AFC Championship game the year before and I feel like going into this next season I will have the same amount of pressure of going out there and showing that it wasn’t a fluke and showing that we want to find a way to go back-to-back which is so hard to do in the NFL. It’s something where it’s not about the money to me. It’s about going out there and winning, not only for myself but for the guys around me. I got the call on July 4th. There was minor, minor details that still had to get finalized, but Chris called me and told me that the numbers were where they were at. Obviously, you all have seen that and that we had gotten the guarantees and the guarantee mechanisms that were one of kind that we haven’t seen so far and that gave me that security. I knew that once that was in place it was just the little details. I got that on July 4th&nbsp;and ended up signing on July 6th, so it was a great July 4th&nbsp;seeing the fireworks in the backyard with my family.”

Q:&nbsp;Why were you so willing to go so many years on a contract rather than sign for a shorter period and maybe see what things look like then? Are you going to make sure Andy stays around for all 12 of these seasons as well?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I talked to him I think before I signed the deal and he said what he said to y’all that he had no thoughts of retirement any time soon. Obviously, that’s a huge part of it. I think having Brett Veach who is a young general manager who has done a great job of drafting and putting a lot of great players around me was definitely another huge boost of confidence to sign this 10-year extension. I think there’s positives to either/or contract. If you sign the short-term contract it’s kind of like the bet on yourself type thing but also you never know what can happen in this sport. That’s the biggest thing about football. For me having the 10-year contract knowing that things could happen, the economy could boost, but at the same time look at the world that we’re in today and stuff could happen that way too. I just wanted to have the security of knowing that I’m going to be a Kansas City Chief for a long time. I’m obviously going to have enough money that I’ll to be able to help out future generations, my grandkids, their grandkids everything like that and at the same time I think we did a good job with Chris and Brett and all those guys of having enough money to pay all of the guys around me. That was the biggest thing of the deal that I loved about it that we’re going to be a good football team for a long time. It’s about going out there and just executing and finding ways to win.”

Q:&nbsp;Beyond wanting to be in Kansas City for a long time and wanting the team to have enough money to pay everyone how into the details did you get in this negotiation?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I was pretty deep in there. Chris called me pretty much every day that he had a conversation with the Chiefs to get updates and everything like that. These deals take a little bit of time and they have been talking for a long time about these deals and I feel like I was very informed of what was going on. I think the biggest thing to me was those guarantee mechanisms in the later years of the contract. Those were kind of the deal sealers to me of knowing that they have full trust in me and that the Chiefs are going to do whatever they can to have the best team around me every single year until hopefully the end of my career.”

Q:&nbsp;What are your expectations about whether this is going to be a firm 10-year deal or do expect to have the team come to you and renegotiate and at times move money around for cap purposes? Do you feel like this gives you an opportunity to put a voice to who’s around you on this team?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I kind of leave that to Veach and Coach Reid for the most part. They’ve done a great job of building great teams wherever they were. If that was in Philly or if that was in Kansas City, they’ve built great teams and picked the right players. Obviously, they come to me sometimes and ask me questions here or there and I give my input, but it all comes down to them pulling the trigger and getting the right guys. Obviously, with the deal and how it was structured we’ll have a lot of room to move money around and keep great teams around and you’ve seen a lot of great quarterbacks do that in the recent years with (Aaron) Rodgers and (Matthew) Stafford and all these guys who do these different type of things and I wanted to have that flexibility to do that because like I said you want to have a great team. You want to be in the playoffs every year, you want to be competing for championships and that’s my goal and having that flexibility will be key to having success year in and year out.”

--<a href="http://chiefs.com">CHIEFS</a>--

Chiefs' Veach, Reid, Mahomes discuss QB1's new contract extension

Salina USD 305 has provided additional information about its Walk-the Stage ceremonies for its 2020 graduates.

As we first reported on June 29,&nbsp;on Aug. 1, 2020, both USD 305 high schools will each host a Walk-The-Stage ceremony for their 2020 graduates at Salina Stadium. Central High School: 8 a.m.,&nbsp;Salina Stadium South High School: 10 a.m., Salina Stadium With safety precautions in place, 2020 graduates will wear their cap and gown, have their name read, walk across the stage and be photographed. Students will receive a letter with information about where and when to report, social distancing and hand sanitizing.

Guests and families are asked to wear facemasks and social distance, six feet apart, from other families. Seating will begin on the west side of the stadium with the east side planned for overflow.

Guests and families need to follow guidance from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/1/Home" target="_blank">Kansas Department of Health and Environment&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;(KDHE) regarding travel to other states with increased numbers of COVID-19. Travel and Exposure Related Isolation/Quarantine information is available at this&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/175/Travel-Exposure-Related-Isolation-Quaran" target="_blank">KDHE site</a>.

The traditional graduation ceremonies were originally scheduled for May 17, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, USD 305 canceled the ceremonies. Instead, Eagle Radio's 99KG broadcast an on-air graduation ceremony&nbsp; for each high school on May 17. Graduation speakers included student leaders, principals, and guests. Student names were read during the on-air ceremonies. You can listen to the ceremonies <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/5ec1d4fdeb7f17053605311f">here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594127573857.png" alt="Image courtesy USD 305" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy USD 305</figcaption>
 </figure>Salina USD 305 has provided additional information about its Walk-the Stage ceremonies for its 2020 graduates.As we first reported on June 29,&nbsp;on Aug. 1, 2020, both USD 305 high schools will each host a Walk-The-Stage ceremony for their 2020 graduates at Salina Stadium. Central High School: 8 a.m.,&nbsp;Salina Stadium South High School: 10 a.m., Salina Stadium With safety precautions in place, 2020 graduates will wear their cap and gown, have their name read, walk across the stage and be photographed. Students will receive a letter with information about where and when to report, social distancing and hand sanitizing.Guests and families are asked to wear facemasks and social distance, six feet apart, from other families. Seating will begin on the west side of the stadium with the east side planned for overflow.Guests and families need to follow guidance from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/1/Home" target="_blank">Kansas Department of Health and Environment&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;(KDHE) regarding travel to other states with increased numbers of COVID-19. Travel and Exposure Related Isolation/Quarantine information is available at this&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/175/Travel-Exposure-Related-Isolation-Quaran" target="_blank">KDHE site</a>.The traditional graduation ceremonies were originally scheduled for May 17, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, USD 305 canceled the ceremonies. Instead, Eagle Radio's 99KG broadcast an on-air graduation ceremony&nbsp; for each high school on May 17. Graduation speakers included student leaders, principals, and guests. Student names were read during the on-air ceremonies. You can listen to the ceremonies <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/5ec1d4fdeb7f17053605311f">here</a>.

USD 305 provides additional information about Walk-the-Stage events

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Department of Veterans Affairs is making significant progress in its efforts to change a culture that has been beset by complaints from veterans and low employee morale, the leader of the agency said Thursday.

Robert Wilkie, secretary of Veterans Affairs, made his comments after touring the Kansas City VA Medical Center, which has been the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bad821ff8c4722015975a5bcbce4958d">target</a>&nbsp;of complaints, lawsuits and protests alleging that minority employees have faced discrimination and harassment for years.

Wilkie said the agency has improved its culture across the country after years of complaints about inadequate care for veterans and that improvements in Kansas City have occurred since David Isaacks was brought in to be medical center director in September 2019.

He praised Isaacks for bringing employees together through a new diversity inclusion council and by promising their complaints will be heard and administrators will be held accountable for problems.

“We are emphasizing accountability, we are emphasizing listening to those who work for us and that is part of a culture change that has seen a transformation across the VA in the last three years,” said Wilkie, who added surveys show employees and patient satisfaction has increased in Kansas City and across the country.

Wilkie’s optimistic assessment comes as U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, and several civil rights organizations demanded changes at the Kansas City hospital.

Moran, who in March sought 10 years of information from the hospital and a plan to address the problems, said in a statement Thursday that he appreciated the time Wilkie had spent addressing the ongoing complaints. He said he plans a roundtable discussion with minority veterans and employees on July 22 to encourage more discussion on the topic.

Black employees at the hospital have complained for years of a hostile work environment and the allegations have drawn new attention since March, when several employees met with the NAACP to discuss their concerns. At least two lawsuits have been filed and more are expected.

In the lawsuits and several internal hospital complaints, Black employees said they were the targets of pervasive discrimination, such as hearing frequent racial epithets, being denied promotions that were awarded to lesser-qualified white employees, being monitored more closely than white employees and receiving no support when they complained.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Department of Veterans Affairs is making significant progress in its efforts to change a culture that has been beset by complaints from veterans and low employee morale, the leader of the agency said Thursday.Robert Wilkie, secretary of Veterans Affairs, made his comments after touring the Kansas City VA Medical Center, which has been the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bad821ff8c4722015975a5bcbce4958d">target</a>&nbsp;of complaints, lawsuits and protests alleging that minority employees have faced discrimination and harassment for years.Wilkie said the agency has improved its culture across the country after years of complaints about inadequate care for veterans and that improvements in Kansas City have occurred since David Isaacks was brought in to be medical center director in September 2019.ADVERTISEMENTHe praised Isaacks for bringing employees together through a new diversity inclusion council and by promising their complaints will be heard and administrators will be held accountable for problems.“We are emphasizing accountability, we are emphasizing listening to those who work for us and that is part of a culture change that has seen a transformation across the VA in the last three years,” said Wilkie, who added surveys show employees and patient satisfaction has increased in Kansas City and across the country.Wilkie’s optimistic assessment comes as U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, and several civil rights organizations demanded changes at the Kansas City hospital.Moran, who in March sought 10 years of information from the hospital and a plan to address the problems, said in a statement Thursday that he appreciated the time Wilkie had spent addressing the ongoing complaints. He said he plans a roundtable discussion with minority veterans and employees on July 22 to encourage more discussion on the topic.Black employees at the hospital have complained for years of a hostile work environment and the allegations have drawn new attention since March, when several employees met with the NAACP to discuss their concerns. At least two lawsuits have been filed and more are expected.In the lawsuits and several internal hospital complaints, Black employees said they were the targets of pervasive discrimination, such as hearing frequent racial epithets, being denied promotions that were awarded to lesser-qualified white employees, being monitored more closely than white employees and receiving no support when they complained.

Veterans Affairs says agency is changing troubled culture

Due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak in our area, we respectfully request that persons attending visitations and funerals at this time to wear masks or other type of facial covering, and to practice social distancing guidelines.

Any changes in current services will be announced on local media, posted on our website, and on our Facebook page.

Thank you, and please stay safe. – Randy, Joseph, and the staff of Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home

Deloris Marie (Holthus) Chizek was born at rural Elk Creek, Nebraska on March 13, 1936 to John and Frieda (Lampe) Holthus. She received her education at Long Branch schools. Dee passed away Saturday, June 27, 2020 at her home in Cuba, Kansas due to pancreatic cancer.

She and Joe met in 1956 when she worked at a café and he was with a road construction crew. They were married on December 30, 1958 and lived at Fort Campbell, Kentucky for two years while Joe served in the 101st Airborne, United States Army.

In 1961 they moved their mobile home to Cuba, Kansas. In 1963 they alone built their present home. Dee drove half the nails,&nbsp; blocks to &nbsp;shingles. She enjoyed her flowers, gardening, helping on the farm and baby sat with many neighboring children while raising her own four children. She was an excellent mother and teacher to all.

Dee was a member of the Elk Creek Riders Saddle Club, Republic County Czech Club and Cuba Booster Club. She loved her entire family, listening and dancing to Polka music, her “0” turn lawn mower and riding the golf cart around town. Dee was proud of her German heritage and loved her Czech man.

She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters Nelva and Owen Beethe, Ellen and Glen Beethe; brothers Alvin and Leroy Holthus; brother-in-law John Cawley.

Dee will be forever remembered by her husband Joe; sisters Eileen Rich and Janice Cawley; sister-in-law Angela Holthus; three daughters: Tammy Wickstrum (Mike), Cuba, KS, Kathleen Steinle (Brad), Talmo, KS, and Lisa Pierce (Clint), Augusta, KS; son David Chizek (Stacey), Manhattan, KS; five grandchildren: Kelly Steinle (Joseph Bergkamp), Wichita, KS, Kate Fisher (Tate), KCMO, Brian Steinle (Becca), Augusta, KS, Megan Spilker (Trent), Harbine, NE, and Patrick Chizek, Manhattan, KS; five great grandchildren: Dade Fisher, Harlie Steinle, Avery, Dani and Riley Spilker; numerous nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends.

A Celebration of her life will be 10:00am Saturday, July 11th, 2020 at the Cuba Community Hall, Cuba, Kansas. The day of the annual “turtle feed” which Dee cooked the turtles for over 30 years. Her urn made of hedge, yellow in color, Dee’s favorite color, by son David will be buried in National Bohemian Cemetery No. 13, rural Cuba with Stacey Chizek officiating. Following the committal service, lunch will be in the Cuba City Park.

Memorials are suggested to be made to the Cuba Booster Club or Meadowlark Hospice of Clay Center, KS. Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home, Belleville, Kansas assisted the Chizek family with these arrangements.

Memorials are requested to the Cuba Booster Club or Meadowlark Hospice, and may be sent in care of the funeral home.&nbsp;

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 </figure><h2>Due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak in our area, we respectfully request that persons attending visitations and funerals at this time to wear masks or other type of facial covering, and to practice social distancing guidelines.</h2><h2>Any changes in current services will be announced on local media, posted on our website, and on our Facebook page.</h2><h2>Thank you, and please stay safe. – Randy, Joseph, and the staff of Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home</h2>Deloris Marie (Holthus) Chizek was born at rural Elk Creek, Nebraska on March 13, 1936 to John and Frieda (Lampe) Holthus. She received her education at Long Branch schools. Dee passed away Saturday, June 27, 2020 at her home in Cuba, Kansas due to pancreatic cancer.She and Joe met in 1956 when she worked at a café and he was with a road construction crew. They were married on December 30, 1958 and lived at Fort Campbell, Kentucky for two years while Joe served in the 101st Airborne, United States Army.In 1961 they moved their mobile home to Cuba, Kansas. In 1963 they alone built their present home. Dee drove half the nails,&nbsp; blocks to &nbsp;shingles. She enjoyed her flowers, gardening, helping on the farm and baby sat with many neighboring children while raising her own four children. She was an excellent mother and teacher to all.Dee was a member of the Elk Creek Riders Saddle Club, Republic County Czech Club and Cuba Booster Club. She loved her entire family, listening and dancing to Polka music, her “0” turn lawn mower and riding the golf cart around town. Dee was proud of her German heritage and loved her Czech man.She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters Nelva and Owen Beethe, Ellen and Glen Beethe; brothers Alvin and Leroy Holthus; brother-in-law John Cawley.Dee will be forever remembered by her husband Joe; sisters Eileen Rich and Janice Cawley; sister-in-law Angela Holthus; three daughters: Tammy Wickstrum (Mike), Cuba, KS, Kathleen Steinle (Brad), Talmo, KS, and Lisa Pierce (Clint), Augusta, KS; son David Chizek (Stacey), Manhattan, KS; five grandchildren: Kelly Steinle (Joseph Bergkamp), Wichita, KS, Kate Fisher (Tate), KCMO, Brian Steinle (Becca), Augusta, KS, Megan Spilker (Trent), Harbine, NE, and Patrick Chizek, Manhattan, KS; five great grandchildren: Dade Fisher, Harlie Steinle, Avery, Dani and Riley Spilker; numerous nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends.A Celebration of her life will be 10:00am Saturday, July 11th, 2020 at the Cuba Community Hall, Cuba, Kansas. The day of the annual “turtle feed” which Dee cooked the turtles for over 30 years. Her urn made of hedge, yellow in color, Dee’s favorite color, by son David will be buried in National Bohemian Cemetery No. 13, rural Cuba with Stacey Chizek officiating. Following the committal service, lunch will be in the Cuba City Park.Memorials are suggested to be made to the Cuba Booster Club or Meadowlark Hospice of Clay Center, KS. Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home, Belleville, Kansas assisted the Chizek family with these arrangements.Memorials are requested to the Cuba Booster Club or Meadowlark Hospice, and may be sent in care of the funeral home.&nbsp;

Deloris Marie (Holthus) Chizek

Due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak in our area, we respectfully request that persons attending visitations&nbsp;at this time to wear masks or other type of facial covering, and to practice social distancing guidelines.

Dr. Victor Carl Hurtig, Jr. DVM, 80, resident of Courtland, KS, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his wife and four children on Tuesday, June 30th, 2020.&nbsp; He was born February 14th, 1940, in Concordia, KS, to Dr. Victor Carl Hurtig, Sr. and Eula Mae Celeste (Anderson) Hurtig.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593733957411.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak in our area, we respectfully request that persons attending visitations&nbsp;at this time to wear masks or other type of facial covering, and to practice social distancing guidelines.</h2><h2>Any changes in current services will be announced on local media, posted on our website, and on our Facebook page.</h2><h2>Thank you, and please stay safe. – Randy, Joseph, and the staff of Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home</h2>Dr. Victor Carl Hurtig, Jr. DVM, 80, resident of Courtland, KS, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his wife and four children on Tuesday, June 30th, 2020.&nbsp; He was born February 14th, 1940, in Concordia, KS, to Dr. Victor Carl Hurtig, Sr. and Eula Mae Celeste (Anderson) Hurtig.As a young child, Victor loved to play on the floor at the back door, and listen to his father talk to Veterinary clients who came to the house... thus the start of his path of becoming a Veterinarian just like his own father. He grew up riding down country roads with his father on innumerable veterinary calls, wearing holes in the passenger seat with his feet standing to see all that was going on. &nbsp;Victor was an All-Star High School athlete of Courtland High School, playing 6 man football, basketball, and track. Victor held the state record for the longest javelin throw at 198 ft., He graduated from Courtland High School in 1958. &nbsp;Victor enrolled at Kansas State University in 1958 to fulfill his lifelong dream of being a Veterinarian. He was a college track athlete. After a bout of both Rheumatic fever and Mononucleosis causing a slight pause in his trajectory, he graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine in 1966 along with the “fearless foursome”, and many dear Veterinary friends he still held close to this day.Victor found the love of his life when a cute cheerleader from Kackley arrived at his door with her injured dog. He then proceeded to make house calls to check on the animal daily. Once he found the number to call, 2866, Carlene accepted the date, and off they went to the drive in theater. This began a life of love together filled with adventures and fun times. Victor and Carlene spent a lot of time waterskiing on Lovewell Lake, and even some irrigation canals. Carlene was studying at Fort Hays State University, but was quickly convinced to attend Kansas State University by Victor.There they spent many nights dancing and enjoying hot fudge sundaes. Victor started his racing career early on the streets of Manhattan to get Carlene back by curfew to the Kappa Delta sorority house. Once his studies were completed, Victor graduated on June 5th,and then married the love of his life, Carlene on the following Sunday, June 12th, 1966.&nbsp; To this union five children were born.&nbsp; Sarah Elizabeth Hurtig (deceased), Natalie Ann Hurtig, Edward Carl Hurtig, Melissa Mae Boisseau, and Victor Carl Hurtig, III “Trey”.Victor invested and devoted his life into his career, community and family.&nbsp; The Hurtig family made their lifelong home in Courtland area. Together, “Doc” and “Vic, Jr” practiced veterinary medicine together, establishing The Hurtig Veterinary Clinic as a staple of the community from 1926-2014. Victor serviced both large and small animals in the area. He also helped train numerous interns, welcoming and hosting them into their home and mentored them as future vets.&nbsp; Practicing Veterinary medicine for 48 years, Victor was a Member of the Kansas Veterinary Medical Association, served on the Board of Examiners, and was a lifetime member of the American Veterinary Medical Association.Victor will be remembered as a visionary and pillar of the community. His tremendous investments of his time and his resources began in the 70s when he and other community leaders went in and donated the land for, and subsequently created, the Courtland Swimming Pool, Mini Park, Tennis Courts, and Basketball courts. Victor also helped to reconstruct the Courtland Baseball Field and Crow’s Nest. Victor‘s initiatives were pivotal in helping to renovate the Courtland Community Center, the City Hall, and the Library. Victor also was instrumental in establishing the Sunflower Manor Senior Citizen Center. Serving as President of the Pride Club and on the Courtland Arts Council for many years, Victor took pride in serving leadership positions in the community. Victor’s leadership extended to the Ada Lutheran Church Council, on the School Board as President and member for many years, and was a 49 year member of the Elks.Victor’s spare time included numerous hobbies mostly centered around his family. He and his wife became certified licensed pilots in 1971/1972. As members of the Belleville Flying Club, Victor and Carlene routinely took all 5 kids in their airplane for many midwest adventures.&nbsp; Victor’s need for speed then translated to the racetrack in the late 80s where he decoratively raced IMCA Modified, Mini Stock and Cruisers on dirt tracks across Kansas and Nebraska.A passion for both water and snow skiing was a skill Victor personally enjoyed and in turn instilled in his 5 children and all 9 grandchildren. He loved boating at Lovewell Lake. On the slopes, his family fondly recalls Victor leisurely skiing backwards down many a ski slope with a video camera in hand and his signature cowboy hat.&nbsp; Every Christmas for well over the last decade, Victor gathered his entire family on the ski slopes for family fun and memories. Other hobbies he shared with his family included raising cattle, golf, carpentry, gardening, and landscaping. His family cherished his artistic side as well enjoying his photography, cartooning and wood carving.A devoted Kansas State fan, Victor started a tailgating tradition with his family in the early 80s in the gravel parking lot outside of the football stadium with his kids that spans 3 generations, and continues on today with his grandchildren.&nbsp; He was Founder &amp; President of the Beaver Creek Social Club, and with his bride are Lifetime members of the Kansas State Alumni Association. &nbsp;One of Victor’s most epic, endearing, and unique qualities was that of his storytelling. He was a man of humor, and will be remembered for incredible stories ranging from pulling calves to UFOs, flying his plane amidst unpredictable Kansas weather and many wild Vegas adventures.&nbsp;In his retirement, Victor enjoyed KSU football, Las Vegas, taxidermy, gardening, caring for his backyard oasis that he created to entertain family &amp; friends and traveling to see grandchilden’s activities that he was so very proud of. &nbsp;He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters: Carol Hurtig Copening and Virginia Hurtig Henson, and daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Hurtig.He is survived by his wife of 54 years Carlene Elizabeth Hurtig; daughter, Natalie Ann Hurtig and Steve Dearholt of Steamboat Springs, CO; son, Edward Carl Hurtig and Megan Hurtig of Linwood, KS; daughter, Melissa Mae Boisseau and Justin Boisseau of Rye, NY; son, Victor Carl Hurtig, III “Trey” and Jane Hurtig of Olathe, KS; Grandchildren: Hayden Hurtig, Hudson Hurtig, Dalton Boisseau, Eva Hurtig, Rocklan Boisseau, Alana Boisseau, Hunter Hurtig, Violet Hurtig and Adler Boisseau.The family is grieving privately and are holding an intimate, private funeral service on the family farm, with a burial immediately following at Ada Lutheran Cemetary. Public visitation at Tibbets-Fischer Funeral Home for those that wish to pay their respects will be held on Friday, July 3rd, 2020 at 12:00-8:00pm, and Saturday, July 4th, 2020 from 9:00am-5:00pm. A proper Celebration of Life honoring Victor is being planned for a later date.In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to the Dr. Victor C. Hurtig, Jr. Courtland Community Development Fund or the Courtland Arts Center.Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home of Belleville assisted the Hurtig family with these arrangements, www.tibbettsfischerfuneralhome.com