The months after Christmas until mid-to late March are the most difficult of the year in my opinion. 

Spring and summer have always warmed my heart as well as my back as I bend over tomato plants in the garden or flowers growing in their beds. Over time, I learned to love fall with all its color and pre-frigid weather symphonies despite knowing what comes next.

 However, winter is a struggle. It requires effort to celebrate long nights and colorless days.&nbsp;Years ago, an unexpected visitor brightened our lives and gave me a happy memory.

While gazing at our dusty, forlorn yard, wondering how it would survive continued drought, a small brown creature, looking a great deal like a moving piece of bark circling the trunk of our elm, caught my eye. It started at the bottom and moved corkscrew-like up the tree to the suet basket where it stopped to noodle the fatty, seed-laden glob. After feeding, it continued spiraling upward.

At first glance, I thought our newcomer was an out-of-season wren, but it didn’t fly or feed like a wren. It was small and colored much like summer wrens, but I’d never seen those birds maneuver around a tree the way this little guy did while picking delicately with a down-curved bill into bark crevices.

I called in reinforcement — my husband — and we dashed for the bird book and binoculars. I don’t do so well with binocs, so I scanned pages while my other half noted the creature’s long prop-like tail, mottled wing feathers, and unique bobbing flight, much like a woodpecker’s.

After eliminating all possible wrens, we found our fellow on the same page nuthatches occupy. That ID seemed timely as it shared the tree with several of those upside-down crawling avians throughout the morning. 

While nuthatches maneuvered the world in reverse, the brown creeper circled the trunk, poked into nooks and crannies, snacked on suet, and then bobbed beyond our sight. 

According to my bird book, this newcomer is a “common but inconspicuous small woodland bird.” On an internet site, one writer stated, "His head, which is as the sentient handle to a very delicate instrument, is moved with such science, such dentistry, that one feels and appreciates each turn of it."

 The article itself fascinated me as the author published his work in 1948 in a Smithsonian Museum publication. Apparently, brown creepers’ charms include the fact it’s rarely seen with movements so artful one can’t help but fall under its spell.

For two weeks, we made certain the suet basket was filled, even making an emergency stop in Hays when I accidentally bought a seed block instead of suet for the cage-like feeding station. Our visitor rewarded us with frequent returns to that aged elm.

Though temps required me to wear a coat outside, and our trees stood leafless in a yard dry and dusty, my days brightened. I looked forward to seeing that brown creeper sharing our tree with hordes of nuthatches, juncos, flickers, woodpeckers, and a growing flock of chickadees.

Watching this tiny bird charmed away my wintry blues. I only have to think about that memory to brighten the present.

Karen Madorin is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and sixth-generation Kansan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768322930272.jpeg" alt="Brown Creeper. Photo by Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Brown Creeper. Photo by Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By KAREN MADORIN The months after Christmas until mid-to late March are the most difficult of the year in my opinion. Spring and summer have always warmed my heart as well as my back as I bend over tomato plants in the garden or flowers growing in their beds. Over time, I learned to love fall with all its color and pre-frigid weather symphonies despite knowing what comes next. However, winter is a struggle. It requires effort to celebrate long nights and colorless days.&nbsp;Years ago, an unexpected visitor brightened our lives and gave me a happy memory.While gazing at our dusty, forlorn yard, wondering how it would survive continued drought, a small brown creature, looking a great deal like a moving piece of bark circling the trunk of our elm, caught my eye. It started at the bottom and moved corkscrew-like up the tree to the suet basket where it stopped to noodle the fatty, seed-laden glob. After feeding, it continued spiraling upward.At first glance, I thought our newcomer was an out-of-season wren, but it didn’t fly or feed like a wren. It was small and colored much like summer wrens, but I’d never seen those birds maneuver around a tree the way this little guy did while picking delicately with a down-curved bill into bark crevices.I called in reinforcement — my husband — and we dashed for the bird book and binoculars. I don’t do so well with binocs, so I scanned pages while my other half noted the creature’s long prop-like tail, mottled wing feathers, and unique bobbing flight, much like a woodpecker’s.After eliminating all possible wrens, we found our fellow on the same page nuthatches occupy. That ID seemed timely as it shared the tree with several of those upside-down crawling avians throughout the morning. While nuthatches maneuvered the world in reverse, the brown creeper circled the trunk, poked into nooks and crannies, snacked on suet, and then bobbed beyond our sight. Certhia Americana was our welcome guest.According to my bird book, this newcomer is a “common but inconspicuous small woodland bird.” On an internet site, one writer stated, "His head, which is as the sentient handle to a very delicate instrument, is moved with such science, such dentistry, that one feels and appreciates each turn of it." The article itself fascinated me as the author published his work in 1948 in a Smithsonian Museum publication. Apparently, brown creepers’ charms include the fact it’s rarely seen with movements so artful one can’t help but fall under its spell.For two weeks, we made certain the suet basket was filled, even making an emergency stop in Hays when I accidentally bought a seed block instead of suet for the cage-like feeding station. Our visitor rewarded us with frequent returns to that aged elm.Though temps required me to wear a coat outside, and our trees stood leafless in a yard dry and dusty, my days brightened. I looked forward to seeing that brown creeper sharing our tree with hordes of nuthatches, juncos, flickers, woodpeckers, and a growing flock of chickadees.Watching this tiny bird charmed away my wintry blues. I only have to think about that memory to brighten the present.Karen Madorin is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and sixth-generation Kansan.

MADORIN: Brown Creeper therapy

By STEVE GILLILAND Explore Kansas Outdoors

I thought of this story the other day, and decided it needed telling.

One cold, frosty December morning a couple winters ago, I slowly steered my pickup into the midst of several weathered old hay bales, and stepped out into the crisp, pre-dawn air. 

With the full moon illuminating the landscape like a spotlight and the frost making everything underfoot crunch like cornflakes, slipping in to our deer blind unnoticed this morning would be like trying to slip into the house past Mom when I was a kid and had stayed out past curfew. 

It was the last Saturday of deer rifle season and my heart was not really in it. I gathered my gear and began the short trek that would take me through a stretch of soybean stubble, across a small grassy meadow, down a creek bank and up the other side to the blind. 

To the right of our blind lay a small woodlot that was a popular bedding area for the local deer, so my goal was to slip in quietly and catch early morning browsers as they left the area to feed.

I crossed the stubble field and as I entered the meadow, I began hearing a strange quiet sort of popping sound -&nbsp; kind of like one of those kids' push toys that pops a ping pong ball around inside as its pushed across the floor. 

At first, I thought it was my insulated coveralls rubbing tufts of frosted grass as I walked, but that couldn’t be, because the moonlight was so bright, I could sidestep everything noisy. Or maybe it was just my old arthritic joints cracking and popping like Jiffy Pop popcorn with every step, but I stood still for awhile and the sound still continued. Baffled at what I heard, but figuring I was making who-knows-what kind of noise because of my Bull-in-a-China-Closet syndrome, I strode onward.

I’d taken just a couple more steps when an enormous eruption somewhere in front of me stopped me cold. I instinctively reeled backwards, and starring skyward, found the bright moonlit sky filled with the huge black shapes of wild turkeys, looking for all the world like beach balls with wings as they scattered to the four winds. 

Then it hit me that many times I had heard hen turkeys make that familiar quiet popping sound as they milled around me during turkey hunts. For anyone who has never seen or heard wild turkeys come down from a roost in the morning, it’s about the loudest, most awkward and unscripted event you’ll ever witness, and that’s when they’re not spooked! 

When the dust settled, the moonlight revealed numerous more roosted in the trees all around me. 

I remember starring at all those black shapes in the trees and thinking “This ain't gonna end well,” when, like shots from a Roman candle, every few seconds another group would leave their perches and scatter in a different direction. 

And finally, as if any deer were still left in this part of the township, the last group set sail and glided right through the middle of the very woodlot I’d hoped would produce a deer for me that morning! 

Every fiber of my being told me “Just go back home to bed; you tried but your hunt is surely ruined for the morning,” but I regained my composure, readjusted my now warm wet shorts, and continued on anyway.

Our blind was a trailer with a camper shell on top that had two sliding windows in front. The insides of all the windows were frosted over, which we were used to, but as I tried to slide open the two front windows, I found them frozen shut (well, of course they were.) I found an ice scraper and placing it sideways against one of the windows, I preceded to rap on it with my fist until one-at-a-time both&nbsp;windows broke free and slid open.

&nbsp;As things stood then, any living thing not spooked from the property by the turkey explosion, or rousted from the area by the eerie hulking figure strolling about in the bright moonlight was surely driven from the territory by the sound of a jackhammer being run from inside our hunting blind.

At that point, I might as well have stood on top of the trailer and sung the Star-Spangled Banner at the top of my lungs as the sun came up, or built a roaring fire in the middle of the stubble field and danced around it to the beat of a thousand native drums; it would have made little difference in the outcome of my Saturday morning deer hunt. 

A couple hours later as I walked to the truck, my once-wet shorts now frozen and crunching with every step, I had to take solace that sometimes all the caution in the world just can’t outwit Mother Nature.

Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve Gilliland. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Steve Gilliland. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By STEVE GILLILAND Explore Kansas Outdoors I thought of this story the other day, and decided it needed telling.One cold, frosty December morning a couple winters ago, I slowly steered my pickup into the midst of several weathered old hay bales, and stepped out into the crisp, pre-dawn air. With the full moon illuminating the landscape like a spotlight and the frost making everything underfoot crunch like cornflakes, slipping in to our deer blind unnoticed this morning would be like trying to slip into the house past Mom when I was a kid and had stayed out past curfew. It was the last Saturday of deer rifle season and my heart was not really in it. I gathered my gear and began the short trek that would take me through a stretch of soybean stubble, across a small grassy meadow, down a creek bank and up the other side to the blind. To the right of our blind lay a small woodlot that was a popular bedding area for the local deer, so my goal was to slip in quietly and catch early morning browsers as they left the area to feed.I crossed the stubble field and as I entered the meadow, I began hearing a strange quiet sort of popping sound -&nbsp; kind of like one of those kids' push toys that pops a ping pong ball around inside as its pushed across the floor. At first, I thought it was my insulated coveralls rubbing tufts of frosted grass as I walked, but that couldn’t be, because the moonlight was so bright, I could sidestep everything noisy. Or maybe it was just my old arthritic joints cracking and popping like Jiffy Pop popcorn with every step, but I stood still for awhile and the sound still continued. Baffled at what I heard, but figuring I was making who-knows-what kind of noise because of my Bull-in-a-China-Closet syndrome, I strode onward.I’d taken just a couple more steps when an enormous eruption somewhere in front of me stopped me cold. I instinctively reeled backwards, and starring skyward, found the bright moonlit sky filled with the huge black shapes of wild turkeys, looking for all the world like beach balls with wings as they scattered to the four winds. Then it hit me that many times I had heard hen turkeys make that familiar quiet popping sound as they milled around me during turkey hunts. For anyone who has never seen or heard wild turkeys come down from a roost in the morning, it’s about the loudest, most awkward and unscripted event you’ll ever witness, and that’s when they’re not spooked! When the dust settled, the moonlight revealed numerous more roosted in the trees all around me. I remember starring at all those black shapes in the trees and thinking “This ain't gonna end well,” when, like shots from a Roman candle, every few seconds another group would leave their perches and scatter in a different direction. And finally, as if any deer were still left in this part of the township, the last group set sail and glided right through the middle of the very woodlot I’d hoped would produce a deer for me that morning! Every fiber of my being told me “Just go back home to bed; you tried but your hunt is surely ruined for the morning,” but I regained my composure, readjusted my now warm wet shorts, and continued on anyway.Our blind was a trailer with a camper shell on top that had two sliding windows in front. The insides of all the windows were frosted over, which we were used to, but as I tried to slide open the two front windows, I found them frozen shut (well, of course they were.) I found an ice scraper and placing it sideways against one of the windows, I preceded to rap on it with my fist until one-at-a-time both&nbsp;windows broke free and slid open.&nbsp;As things stood then, any living thing not spooked from the property by the turkey explosion, or rousted from the area by the eerie hulking figure strolling about in the bright moonlight was surely driven from the territory by the sound of a jackhammer being run from inside our hunting blind.At that point, I might as well have stood on top of the trailer and sung the Star-Spangled Banner at the top of my lungs as the sun came up, or built a roaring fire in the middle of the stubble field and danced around it to the beat of a thousand native drums; it would have made little difference in the outcome of my Saturday morning deer hunt. A couple hours later as I walked to the truck, my once-wet shorts now frozen and crunching with every step, I had to take solace that sometimes all the caution in the world just can’t outwit Mother Nature.Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Explore Kansas Outdoors: Doomed from the start

By MARK JOSLYN Insight Kansas Political polarization grabs headlines. But it’s not the whole story.&nbsp;

Majorities in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/hiddencommonground/2019/12/05/hidden-common-ground-americans-divided-politics-seek-civility/4282301002/">both</a>&nbsp;parties believe there is more common ground than the news media and political leaders suggest. They report&nbsp;having constructive conversations with those holding opposing political views, and despite differences, say they’ve often worked together to address community challenges. Majorities in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/696494/americans-show-consensus-democracy-related-matters.aspx">both</a>&nbsp;parties also agree on fundamental democratic principles and overwhelmingly&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.electionsafety.org/snapshot-three">oppose</a>&nbsp;election violence. They believe their parties should never tolerate officials who back groups promoting&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/10/30/what-americans-want-and-expect-from-party-leaders/">violence</a>&nbsp;against the other party.

Majorities in both parties think workers should&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2024/4/26/voters-think-its-time-to-raise-the-minimum-wage">earn</a>&nbsp;at least the federal minimum wage, that government should&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://navigatorresearch.org/creating-a-nationwide-paid-leave-program-and-bolstering-medicares-negotiating-power-are-overwhelmingly-popular/">establish</a>&nbsp;a national paid family and medical leave program, that companies should&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rff.org/publications/reports/climate-insights-2024-american-climate-policy-opinions/">limit</a>&nbsp;greenhouse gas emissions, that immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://americasvoice.org/press_releases/new-gallup-immigration-polling-americans-remain-strongly-supportive-of-immigration-and-citizenship-want-reform-over-broken-status-quo/">children</a>&nbsp;should have a pathway to citizenship, and that campaign spending should have limits.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/09/19/how-americans-view-proposals-to-change-the-political-system/">Supermajorities</a>&nbsp;endorse term and age limits across all three branches of government. They&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/652523/americans-endorse-early-voting-voter-verification.aspx">support</a>&nbsp;photo ID and citizenship verification to vote, alongside measures to make voting more convenient.

Even on issues presented as hopelessly divided, common ground exists. Both&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnorc.org/projects/support-for-legal-abortion-remains-strong/">parties</a>&nbsp;support abortion access when a mother’s health is at risk, when there are lethal fetal abnormalities, or in cases of rape or incest. At the same time, 80 percent of Americans agree that abortion should be illegal in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/321143/americans-stand-abortion.aspx">final</a>&nbsp;trimester.&nbsp;Nine in ten say&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/507230/fewer-say-sex-relations-morally-acceptable.aspx">birth control</a>&nbsp;is morally acceptable and want government to safeguard access to contraception.&nbsp; More than two-thirds say having access to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/05/13/americans-overwhelmingly-say-access-to-ivf-is-a-good-thing/#:~:text=An%20April%20Pew%20Research%20Center,%2C%20while%2022%25%20are%20unsure.">in vitro</a>&nbsp;fertilization is a good thing, while majorities of each party favor government&nbsp; protecting access and requiring insurance to cover costs.&nbsp;

Guns produce agreement as well. About 90 percent&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/04/Fox_April-21-24-2023_Cross-Tabs_April-27-Release.pdf">favor</a>&nbsp;requiring criminal background checks on all gun buyers. Both parties favor background checks at private gun shows,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/220637/americans-widely-support-tighter-regulations-gun-sales.aspx">support</a>&nbsp;a 30-day waiting period after purchase, raising the legal buying age, and confiscating guns from people deemed a danger to themselves and others. And when&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/1645/guns.aspx#:~:text=This%20is%20consistent%20with%20the,kept%20as%20they%20are%20now.">asked</a>&nbsp;whether handgun possession should be banned by law, 80 percent said no.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks/2025-kansas-speaks-report_final-10-27-20251.pdf">Polls</a>&nbsp;show similar cross-party agreement in Kansas. Majorities in both parties back Medicaid expansion, legal marijuana, and higher taxes on cigarettes and alcohol. They agree that women, not politicians, should make their own choices about abortion, and that legal migrants fuel economic growth.

Kansans agree on affordable childcare, saying it strengthens the economy, removes a major barrier to women’s progress, and deserves federal action to expand access.&nbsp;Both sides favor increasing the state's minimum wage and consider postsecondary education a wise investment for students and the state.&nbsp; 

These examples reveal a very different story than the headlines.&nbsp;The story is about connection and collaboration, not conflict and cancellation.&nbsp;This new year offers a chance to embrace that story and rediscover the common ground in our politics.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Dr. Mark Joslynis a professor of political science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761067718839.png" alt="Mark Joslyn. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Mark Joslyn. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARK JOSLYN Insight Kansas Political polarization grabs headlines. But it’s not the whole story.&nbsp;Majorities in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/hiddencommonground/2019/12/05/hidden-common-ground-americans-divided-politics-seek-civility/4282301002/">both</a>&nbsp;parties believe there is more common ground than the news media and political leaders suggest. They report&nbsp;having constructive conversations with those holding opposing political views, and despite differences, say they’ve often worked together to address community challenges. Majorities in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/696494/americans-show-consensus-democracy-related-matters.aspx">both</a>&nbsp;parties also agree on fundamental democratic principles and overwhelmingly&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.electionsafety.org/snapshot-three">oppose</a>&nbsp;election violence. They believe their parties should never tolerate officials who back groups promoting&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/10/30/what-americans-want-and-expect-from-party-leaders/">violence</a>&nbsp;against the other party. Majorities in both parties think workers should&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2024/4/26/voters-think-its-time-to-raise-the-minimum-wage">earn</a>&nbsp;at least the federal minimum wage, that government should&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://navigatorresearch.org/creating-a-nationwide-paid-leave-program-and-bolstering-medicares-negotiating-power-are-overwhelmingly-popular/">establish</a>&nbsp;a national paid family and medical leave program, that companies should&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rff.org/publications/reports/climate-insights-2024-american-climate-policy-opinions/">limit</a>&nbsp;greenhouse gas emissions, that immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://americasvoice.org/press_releases/new-gallup-immigration-polling-americans-remain-strongly-supportive-of-immigration-and-citizenship-want-reform-over-broken-status-quo/">children</a>&nbsp;should have a pathway to citizenship, and that campaign spending should have limits.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/09/19/how-americans-view-proposals-to-change-the-political-system/">Supermajorities</a>&nbsp;endorse term and age limits across all three branches of government. They&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/652523/americans-endorse-early-voting-voter-verification.aspx">support</a>&nbsp;photo ID and citizenship verification to vote, alongside measures to make voting more convenient.Even on issues presented as hopelessly divided, common ground exists. Both&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnorc.org/projects/support-for-legal-abortion-remains-strong/">parties</a>&nbsp;support abortion access when a mother’s health is at risk, when there are lethal fetal abnormalities, or in cases of rape or incest. At the same time, 80 percent of Americans agree that abortion should be illegal in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/321143/americans-stand-abortion.aspx">final</a>&nbsp;trimester.&nbsp;Nine in ten say&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/507230/fewer-say-sex-relations-morally-acceptable.aspx">birth control</a>&nbsp;is morally acceptable and want government to safeguard access to contraception.&nbsp; More than two-thirds say having access to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/05/13/americans-overwhelmingly-say-access-to-ivf-is-a-good-thing/#:~:text=An%20April%20Pew%20Research%20Center,%2C%20while%2022%25%20are%20unsure.">in vitro</a>&nbsp;fertilization is a good thing, while majorities of each party favor government&nbsp; protecting access and requiring insurance to cover costs.&nbsp;Guns produce agreement as well. About 90 percent&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/04/Fox_April-21-24-2023_Cross-Tabs_April-27-Release.pdf">favor</a>&nbsp;requiring criminal background checks on all gun buyers. Both parties favor background checks at private gun shows,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/220637/americans-widely-support-tighter-regulations-gun-sales.aspx">support</a>&nbsp;a 30-day waiting period after purchase, raising the legal buying age, and confiscating guns from people deemed a danger to themselves and others. And when&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/1645/guns.aspx#:~:text=This%20is%20consistent%20with%20the,kept%20as%20they%20are%20now.">asked</a>&nbsp;whether handgun possession should be banned by law, 80 percent said no.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks/2025-kansas-speaks-report_final-10-27-20251.pdf">Polls</a>&nbsp;show similar cross-party agreement in Kansas. Majorities in both parties back Medicaid expansion, legal marijuana, and higher taxes on cigarettes and alcohol. They agree that women, not politicians, should make their own choices about abortion, and that legal migrants fuel economic growth.Kansans agree on affordable childcare, saying it strengthens the economy, removes a major barrier to women’s progress, and deserves federal action to expand access.&nbsp;Both sides favor increasing the state's minimum wage and consider postsecondary education a wise investment for students and the state.&nbsp; These examples reveal a very different story than the headlines.&nbsp;The story is about connection and collaboration, not conflict and cancellation.&nbsp;This new year offers a chance to embrace that story and rediscover the common ground in our politics.&nbsp; &nbsp;Dr. Mark Joslynis a professor of political science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;

Insight Kansas: Rediscovering common ground

By STEVE GILLILAND Explore Kansas Outdoors

The first year I trapped beavers in Kansas was a terribly dry year, yet I found a rogue stretch of river just north of where I live that still held water; lots of water! There were holes in this stretch too deep for me to wade into with chest waders, yet from there the river turned east, and was bone dry as far as the eye could see. In this deep portion was a colony of beavers and that morning I had just caught the first one.

When I watch hunting shows where a hunter harvests a big animal high up in the mountains, I often wonder if he had considered all the extra work it’s was gonna’ take to get it packed out of there. Along those same lines, I don’t know what I was thinking when I set that trap. It was a challenge just to get to, let along tote anything out that I might catch. So, picture this; my wife (who is at least a head shorter) and I standing in the middle of the dry river bed, she about 6 feet in front of me, with an 8-foot tree limb between us on our shoulders. Trussed up with a rope and dangling precariously from that limb hung a 50-pound beaver. This was my wife’s idea and at first I had scoffed. But aside from the fact that we must have looked like 2 natives hauling a dead monkey from the jungle for dinner, it worked pretty well.

Telling you we were 300 yards from our pickup doesn’t begin to give you the whole picture. For starters, the first 50 yards included a short trek along the dry river bed then straight up a deer trail to the bank 10 feet above. After a much-needed break, we followed that same deer trail through an obstacle course of briars and downed tree limbs for another 50 yards to the edge of an alfalfa field, took another breather and then untrussed the beaver and literally drug it and ourselves the final 200 yards through the alfalfa to the truck.

River beavers usually dig large den holes into the bank with the entrance below the water line. Wading along the river can often locate the dens, but this wasn’t an option here since the water was so deep. The only way to catch these beavers was to place traps to take advantage of the creature’s movements and social behaviors. Beavers are very territorial and mark their boundaries by building mounds of mud and debris on the bank called castor mounds. They scent these mounds with secretion from glands at the base of their tail called “castor glands.” Other beavers that travel through the area stop and place their scent on these mounds too, so the resident adults are always checking these to see if any intruders are present. I found one of those mounds that didn’t appear to be used anymore, and “spiced” it up with some lure to make the residents believe they needed to check it again, and one of them soon found himself dangling from the tree limb between Joyce and I.

Trapping, like hunting and fishing, is a harvest. With this stretch of river being one of very few holding water enough for beavers that year their population could easily have grown out of control. The landowner had already complained to me about them dropping trees across his electric fence. I caught 3 beavers from that short stretch of river; certainly&nbsp;not enough to hurt there population much, or for my wife’s fur coat, but maybe enough to keep them out of trouble with their landlord!

Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve Gilliland. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Steve Gilliland. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By STEVE GILLILAND Explore Kansas OutdoorsThe first year I trapped beavers in Kansas was a terribly dry year, yet I found a rogue stretch of river just north of where I live that still held water; lots of water! There were holes in this stretch too deep for me to wade into with chest waders, yet from there the river turned east, and was bone dry as far as the eye could see. In this deep portion was a colony of beavers and that morning I had just caught the first one.When I watch hunting shows where a hunter harvests a big animal high up in the mountains, I often wonder if he had considered all the extra work it’s was gonna’ take to get it packed out of there. Along those same lines, I don’t know what I was thinking when I set that trap. It was a challenge just to get to, let along tote anything out that I might catch. So, picture this; my wife (who is at least a head shorter) and I standing in the middle of the dry river bed, she about 6 feet in front of me, with an 8-foot tree limb between us on our shoulders. Trussed up with a rope and dangling precariously from that limb hung a 50-pound beaver. This was my wife’s idea and at first I had scoffed. But aside from the fact that we must have looked like 2 natives hauling a dead monkey from the jungle for dinner, it worked pretty well.Telling you we were 300 yards from our pickup doesn’t begin to give you the whole picture. For starters, the first 50 yards included a short trek along the dry river bed then straight up a deer trail to the bank 10 feet above. After a much-needed break, we followed that same deer trail through an obstacle course of briars and downed tree limbs for another 50 yards to the edge of an alfalfa field, took another breather and then untrussed the beaver and literally drug it and ourselves the final 200 yards through the alfalfa to the truck.River beavers usually dig large den holes into the bank with the entrance below the water line. Wading along the river can often locate the dens, but this wasn’t an option here since the water was so deep. The only way to catch these beavers was to place traps to take advantage of the creature’s movements and social behaviors. Beavers are very territorial and mark their boundaries by building mounds of mud and debris on the bank called castor mounds. They scent these mounds with secretion from glands at the base of their tail called “castor glands.” Other beavers that travel through the area stop and place their scent on these mounds too, so the resident adults are always checking these to see if any intruders are present. I found one of those mounds that didn’t appear to be used anymore, and “spiced” it up with some lure to make the residents believe they needed to check it again, and one of them soon found himself dangling from the tree limb between Joyce and I.Trapping, like hunting and fishing, is a harvest. With this stretch of river being one of very few holding water enough for beavers that year their population could easily have grown out of control. The landowner had already complained to me about them dropping trees across his electric fence. I caught 3 beavers from that short stretch of river; certainly&nbsp;not enough to hurt there population much, or for my wife’s fur coat, but maybe enough to keep them out of trouble with their landlord!Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Explore Kansas Outdoors: Beaver on a stick

By BILL FIANDER Insight Kansas

It’s a New Years question etched in dichotomous reflection as we find ourselves thinking back and looking ahead at the same time. A conundrum summed up by When Harry Met Sally’s Harry Burns (aka Billy Crystal) “Does that mean we should forget old acquaintances? Or does it mean that if we happened to forget them, we should remember them, which is not possible because we already forgot ‘em?”

As we reflect on Kansas political affairs circa 2025, these four notable “acquaintances” caught my eye as maybe something we should have forgotten.

· Property Tax Cuts (cough) – The Kansas Legislature leadership had made property tax cuts the first, second, and third priority of the 2025 session. By the end of the session, they had saved a $200,000 homeowner $35 in property taxes and passed the largest income tax cut since Brownback. Furthermore, any future budget savings are dedicated to lowering income taxes until it hits 4%. Gov. Laura Kelly proclaimed this switcheroo the “kiss of death for the Kansas budget”. Meanwhile, a November legislative post audit found substantial underfunding of counties for mandated state services like elections, law enforcement, and motor vehicle registration which Counties primarily funded with…you guessed it…property taxes.

· Gerrymander Fever – Was there a more undemocratic contagion threatening the sovereignty of states than the presidentially induced re-districting for partisan control of the U.S. House? Kansas statehouse legislative leaders – Ty Masterson and Dan Hawkins – caught the fever boldly proclaiming their desire to gerrymander Kansas’ only Democratic congressional representative (Sharice Davids) out of existence in a special session. The fever was broken by a handful of inoculated GOP House members only to be petulantly banished by Hawkins to the political equivalent of Siberia. But Masterson, a GOP candidate for governor, has vowed to rally a veto-proof supermajority in 2026. Gov. Kelly says its unpopular with Kansans.

· Town Hall Flex – The federal government wasn’t the only thing shut down in 2025. In March, videos surfaced of U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall ending his own town hall early in Oakley after calling the crowd “one of the rudest audiences I’ve ever had” and being pressed on health care for veterans in light of massive DOGE cuts. Sen. Marshall didn’t answer. He walked out. Town halls are not political rallies. It’s one of the few&nbsp;chances our elected officials in Washington get to face the people they serve. Listening is their job. Contrast this with Kelly’s People’s Budget listening tour which drew mockery from Speaker Hawkins. Marshall is up for re-election in 2026. Hawkins is running for Insurance Commissioner.

· Farm Blues – It’s been a rough 2025 for the Kansas farmer. First, DOGE put USAID and Food for Peace through the woodchipper, decimating wheat farmer exports without warning. Thanks to Sen. Moran, Food for Peace was re-appropriated $1.2 billion in 2026. Secondly, farmers became entangled in President Trump’s tariff/trade wars. China finally resumed soybean and sorghum commitments late this fall which is important to Kansas as the leading sorghum-producing state ($1.1 billion in exports). A $12 billion federal bridge payment for farmers softened these self-inflicted “market disruptions” but stands as a conspicuous indictment of federal ag policies and the first of more bailouts.

Let’s raise a cup of kindness to these “acquaintances” and in the words of Sally Albright (aka Meg Ryan), “…remember that we forgot them.” Or would like to.

Michael Smith is a professor of political science at Emporia State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757520322866.jpeg" alt="Bill Fiander, Washburn University, is a university lecturer in Kansas specializing in public administration, urban planning, and state/local government. Photo by Megan Martin&nbsp;&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Bill Fiander, Washburn University, is a university lecturer in Kansas specializing in public administration, urban planning, and state/local government. Photo by Megan Martin&nbsp;&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By BILL FIANDER Insight KansasShould old acquaintance be forgot?It’s a New Years question etched in dichotomous reflection as we find ourselves thinking back and looking ahead at the same time. A conundrum summed up by When Harry Met Sally’s Harry Burns (aka Billy Crystal) “Does that mean we should forget old acquaintances? Or does it mean that if we happened to forget them, we should remember them, which is not possible because we already forgot ‘em?”Got it?As we reflect on Kansas political affairs circa 2025, these four notable “acquaintances” caught my eye as maybe something we should have forgotten.· Property Tax Cuts (cough) – The Kansas Legislature leadership had made property tax cuts the first, second, and third priority of the 2025 session. By the end of the session, they had saved a $200,000 homeowner $35 in property taxes and passed the largest income tax cut since Brownback. Furthermore, any future budget savings are dedicated to lowering income taxes until it hits 4%. Gov. Laura Kelly proclaimed this switcheroo the “kiss of death for the Kansas budget”. Meanwhile, a November legislative post audit found substantial underfunding of counties for mandated state services like elections, law enforcement, and motor vehicle registration which Counties primarily funded with…you guessed it…property taxes.· Gerrymander Fever – Was there a more undemocratic contagion threatening the sovereignty of states than the presidentially induced re-districting for partisan control of the U.S. House? Kansas statehouse legislative leaders – Ty Masterson and Dan Hawkins – caught the fever boldly proclaiming their desire to gerrymander Kansas’ only Democratic congressional representative (Sharice Davids) out of existence in a special session. The fever was broken by a handful of inoculated GOP House members only to be petulantly banished by Hawkins to the political equivalent of Siberia. But Masterson, a GOP candidate for governor, has vowed to rally a veto-proof supermajority in 2026. Gov. Kelly says its unpopular with Kansans.· Town Hall Flex – The federal government wasn’t the only thing shut down in 2025. In March, videos surfaced of U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall ending his own town hall early in Oakley after calling the crowd “one of the rudest audiences I’ve ever had” and being pressed on health care for veterans in light of massive DOGE cuts. Sen. Marshall didn’t answer. He walked out. Town halls are not political rallies. It’s one of the few&nbsp;chances our elected officials in Washington get to face the people they serve. Listening is their job. Contrast this with Kelly’s People’s Budget listening tour which drew mockery from Speaker Hawkins. Marshall is up for re-election in 2026. Hawkins is running for Insurance Commissioner.· Farm Blues – It’s been a rough 2025 for the Kansas farmer. First, DOGE put USAID and Food for Peace through the woodchipper, decimating wheat farmer exports without warning. Thanks to Sen. Moran, Food for Peace was re-appropriated $1.2 billion in 2026. Secondly, farmers became entangled in President Trump’s tariff/trade wars. China finally resumed soybean and sorghum commitments late this fall which is important to Kansas as the leading sorghum-producing state ($1.1 billion in exports). A $12 billion federal bridge payment for farmers softened these self-inflicted “market disruptions” but stands as a conspicuous indictment of federal ag policies and the first of more bailouts.Let’s raise a cup of kindness to these “acquaintances” and in the words of Sally Albright (aka Meg Ryan), “…remember that we forgot them.” Or would like to.Happy New Year!Michael Smith is a professor of political science at Emporia State University.

Insight Kansas: Remembering a forgetful year in Kansas politics

Anyone using cell phones gets reminded of events you’d rather forget. Recently, the US Weather Service shared a post regarding a severe ice storm that shut down our region 18 years ago. That triggered memories of cold, dark days and nights, dogs and us mummified in blankets, and how much I appreciated lineman by the time power kicked back on.

The historical report explained this storm that snapped thousands of poles and downed electric lines arrived on December 10, 2007. Though some argued the one in 2005 was much worse, I won’t join that disagreement. However, if anyone wants to praise linemen, I’ll gratefully stand in line.

I do recollect knowing that frigid storm headed our way and feeling glad I’d fully stocked cupboards and fridge. At the time, we lived several miles in the country on caliche and dirt roads. Once the storm began, I was glad we prepared. In short time, weighted branches snapped and shattered while lights flickered. Walking outside to feed critters was more than a notion and required careful steps in heavy-duty shoe treads.

Our three dogs who normally loved roaming our acres contentedly remained inside except for essential potty breaks. For the next few days their job changed from running coyotes off the property to sharing body heat with us.

Being optimists, we expected a short-lived event, but insistent warnings encouraged us to prep for multiple powerless days. I thought of Little House on the Prairie life as I dug candles, lanterns, flashlights, and matches out of cupboards and filled our bathtub so we’d have water to flush the toilet should power go out. Yep, folks on well water without generators have concerns townies don’t. I laid extra blankets at end of the bed, expecting we’d need them.

Unfortunately, the weatherman wasn’t wrong. This front deposited heavy ice across a broad region shutting down power, roads, services, and normal life. I can’t imagine how electric company dispatchers felt as callers without power flooded phone lines. Families were forced to warm and feed themselves without setting the house on fire or carbon-monoxiding themselves. While we had candles, lanterns, and flashlights, some didn’t.

As hours passed and temps dropped, I added clothing layers. Still chilly, I’d urge two big dogs and a terrier to crawl under my lap quilt to generate more heat. We started the storm with the thermostat at a comfortable 68. By the third day without electricity, it dropped into the 40s with a continuing downward spiral. The whole time, I wondered how linesmen working outside held up under frigid conditions. So many depended on them, including their own loved ones.

Day 4 meant diminishing flushing water with a thermostat edging the thirties. Thoughts of freezing pipes alarmed shivering brain cells. Though worrying doesn’t raise temps, 3 dogs warmed me when the light over sink flickered and brightened the room. I shouted for joy hearing the furnace kick on.

While our immediate issues were resolved, power company employees faced months of hard labor in extreme conditions. Since that experience, I’m profoundly grateful for those working in extreme conditions so we have power. They are heroes!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1767020125179.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By KAREN MADORINAnyone using cell phones gets reminded of events you’d rather forget. Recently, the US Weather Service shared a post regarding a severe ice storm that shut down our region 18 years ago. That triggered memories of cold, dark days and nights, dogs and us mummified in blankets, and how much I appreciated lineman by the time power kicked back on.The historical report explained this storm that snapped thousands of poles and downed electric lines arrived on December 10, 2007. Though some argued the one in 2005 was much worse, I won’t join that disagreement. However, if anyone wants to praise linemen, I’ll gratefully stand in line.I do recollect knowing that frigid storm headed our way and feeling glad I’d fully stocked cupboards and fridge. At the time, we lived several miles in the country on caliche and dirt roads. Once the storm began, I was glad we prepared. In short time, weighted branches snapped and shattered while lights flickered. Walking outside to feed critters was more than a notion and required careful steps in heavy-duty shoe treads.Our three dogs who normally loved roaming our acres contentedly remained inside except for essential potty breaks. For the next few days their job changed from running coyotes off the property to sharing body heat with us.Being optimists, we expected a short-lived event, but insistent warnings encouraged us to prep for multiple powerless days. I thought of Little House on the Prairie life as I dug candles, lanterns, flashlights, and matches out of cupboards and filled our bathtub so we’d have water to flush the toilet should power go out. Yep, folks on well water without generators have concerns townies don’t. I laid extra blankets at end of the bed, expecting we’d need them.Unfortunately, the weatherman wasn’t wrong. This front deposited heavy ice across a broad region shutting down power, roads, services, and normal life. I can’t imagine how electric company dispatchers felt as callers without power flooded phone lines. Families were forced to warm and feed themselves without setting the house on fire or carbon-monoxiding themselves. While we had candles, lanterns, and flashlights, some didn’t.As hours passed and temps dropped, I added clothing layers. Still chilly, I’d urge two big dogs and a terrier to crawl under my lap quilt to generate more heat. We started the storm with the thermostat at a comfortable 68. By the third day without electricity, it dropped into the 40s with a continuing downward spiral. The whole time, I wondered how linesmen working outside held up under frigid conditions. So many depended on them, including their own loved ones.Day 4 meant diminishing flushing water with a thermostat edging the thirties. Thoughts of freezing pipes alarmed shivering brain cells. Though worrying doesn’t raise temps, 3 dogs warmed me when the light over sink flickered and brightened the room. I shouted for joy hearing the furnace kick on.While our immediate issues were resolved, power company employees faced months of hard labor in extreme conditions. Since that experience, I’m profoundly grateful for those working in extreme conditions so we have power. They are heroes!

MADORIN: Ice coated heroes

By MICHAEL A. SMITH Insight Kansas

The beleaguered Kansas City Chiefs just scored their biggest win of the year. On December 22, the Chiefs announced a new agreement with the state of Kansas to spend $3.3 billion on a new domed stadium in western Wyandotte County, relying heavily on the tax mechanism called STAR bonds. Governor Laura Kelly and other policymakers are ecstatic about the deal, which also includes an entertainment district.

Unfortunately, economists have thoroughly documented that <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/blog/sports-stadium-subsidies-taxpayers/">sports stadium incentives do not pay for themselves</a>. The massive amounts of revenue diverted to pay back the STAR bonds could fund schools, libraries, first responders, and infrastructure. What economic growth the Chiefs generate is being relocated within the Kansas City area, not “created.” If the proposed entertainment district materializes, it will simply move the spending from other parts of the metro, such as Kansas City, MO’s Power and Light District.

It should also be noted that Kansas is a <a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/right-to-work-states-have-lower-wages/">“right to work”</a> state, meaning that the laws protecting unions are much weaker than Missouri’s. Non-union contractors paying workers less will likely be involved in constructing the new stadium– some may not even be located here. This also affects those who work at the concessions, who are <a href="https://www.seiu1.org/blog/2019/03/22/seiu-local-1-arrowhead-stadium-maintenance-workers-game-day-staff-win-strong-new-contract-kansas-city-chiefs">currently unionized</a> at the Truman Sports Complex in Missouri. After the big move, they may be stripped of their right to representation as well as some pay and benefits.

The Chiefs chose scrappy, often-overlooked Kansas City, Kansas over wealthy Johnson County for their project. Known as the Legends, the site lies in the western portion of Wyandotte County, surrounded by existing development including the Kansas Speedway, a soccer stadium, a theme park, hotels, and shopping. Unfortunately, because the STAR bonds will use the tax revenue generated to pay for the development itself, there will be little if any benefit to the eastern part of Wyandotte County, one of the poorest parts of the state where good jobs, stable tax revenue, and infrastructure development are badly needed.

The Chiefs deal and associated negotiations with the Royals also scuttled the border war truce. From 2009 until the truce was signed in 2018, Missouri and Kansas <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/how-kansas-city-chiefs-royals-restarted-subsidies-war">wasted $335 million in potential tax revenue</a> luring businesses back and forth across the state line, creating only 1200 jobs, costing about $280,000 per job. The sports deals ended the truce, and just this week, real estate developer VanTrust Real Estate accepted nearly $120 million to move insurance brokerage firm Lockton to Leawood from Kansas City, MO’s Country Club Plaza, while the Plaza’s own developers simultaneously requested nearly half a billion in tax incentives of their own to redevelop that area.

In 2024, Jackson County, MO affordable housing advocates led a backlash against the sales tax funding the Truman Complex, arguing that a sales tax on food (among other things) should not be used to subsidize real estate developers and for-profit sports teams when others struggle to find affordable groceries and housing.

Now, any hope of taxpayers, unions, and property tax-reliant local schools being involved in a tax deal is gone. Team owners, politicians, and developers are back in the driver’s seat. This project will not pay for itself. Given their generosity, Kansas taxpayers can only hope that the Chiefs match their win in the capitol with more victories on the field.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751494323778.jpeg" alt="Michael Smith. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Michael Smith. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MICHAEL A. SMITH Insight KansasThe beleaguered Kansas City Chiefs just scored their biggest win of the year. On December 22, the Chiefs announced a new agreement with the state of Kansas to spend $3.3 billion on a new domed stadium in western Wyandotte County, relying heavily on the tax mechanism called STAR bonds. Governor Laura Kelly and other policymakers are ecstatic about the deal, which also includes an entertainment district.Unfortunately, economists have thoroughly documented that <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/blog/sports-stadium-subsidies-taxpayers/">sports stadium incentives do not pay for themselves</a>. The massive amounts of revenue diverted to pay back the STAR bonds could fund schools, libraries, first responders, and infrastructure. What economic growth the Chiefs generate is being relocated within the Kansas City area, not “created.” If the proposed entertainment district materializes, it will simply move the spending from other parts of the metro, such as Kansas City, MO’s Power and Light District.It should also be noted that Kansas is a <a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/right-to-work-states-have-lower-wages/">“right to work”</a> state, meaning that the laws protecting unions are much weaker than Missouri’s. Non-union contractors paying workers less will likely be involved in constructing the new stadium– some may not even be located here. This also affects those who work at the concessions, who are <a href="https://www.seiu1.org/blog/2019/03/22/seiu-local-1-arrowhead-stadium-maintenance-workers-game-day-staff-win-strong-new-contract-kansas-city-chiefs">currently unionized</a> at the Truman Sports Complex in Missouri. After the big move, they may be stripped of their right to representation as well as some pay and benefits.The Chiefs chose scrappy, often-overlooked Kansas City, Kansas over wealthy Johnson County for their project. Known as the Legends, the site lies in the western portion of Wyandotte County, surrounded by existing development including the Kansas Speedway, a soccer stadium, a theme park, hotels, and shopping. Unfortunately, because the STAR bonds will use the tax revenue generated to pay for the development itself, there will be little if any benefit to the eastern part of Wyandotte County, one of the poorest parts of the state where good jobs, stable tax revenue, and infrastructure development are badly needed.The Chiefs deal and associated negotiations with the Royals also scuttled the border war truce. From 2009 until the truce was signed in 2018, Missouri and Kansas <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/how-kansas-city-chiefs-royals-restarted-subsidies-war">wasted $335 million in potential tax revenue</a> luring businesses back and forth across the state line, creating only 1200 jobs, costing about $280,000 per job. The sports deals ended the truce, and just this week, real estate developer VanTrust Real Estate accepted nearly $120 million to move insurance brokerage firm Lockton to Leawood from Kansas City, MO’s Country Club Plaza, while the Plaza’s own developers simultaneously requested nearly half a billion in tax incentives of their own to redevelop that area.Here we go again.In 2024, Jackson County, MO affordable housing advocates led a backlash against the sales tax funding the Truman Complex, arguing that a sales tax on food (among other things) should not be used to subsidize real estate developers and for-profit sports teams when others struggle to find affordable groceries and housing.Now, any hope of taxpayers, unions, and property tax-reliant local schools being involved in a tax deal is gone. Team owners, politicians, and developers are back in the driver’s seat. This project will not pay for itself. Given their generosity, Kansas taxpayers can only hope that the Chiefs match their win in the capitol with more victories on the field.Michael Smith is a professor of political science at Emporia State University.

Insight Kansas: Playing devils advocate on the Chiefs deal

I’m a professor and biomedical researcher at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC). I grew up in rural Kansas (Plainville), where my parents and community instilled values like honesty, hard work, and helping others. I rely on these values to guide my career, and I’m proud to contribute to my home state. However, it’s a challenging time for medical research and health care in Kansas.

KU Medical Center Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professions are all dedicated to training new health care providers for Kansans. Although affiliated with The University of Kansas Health System, these educational programs are mainly funded by your state tax dollars and student tuition.

Faculty in these schools not only teach but also conduct research, ranging from basic science discoveries to practical methods for preventing and treating diseases, both clinically and in the communities throughout Kansas. Taxpayer dollars primarily fund our research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and this investment in the NIH has enabled U.S. biomedical research to become the world's best.

More importantly, this research is used to develop and advance medical care for us and our loved ones. NIH funding and the research environment it provides also play a vital role in training future health care providers and helping them adapt to the changing landscape they will encounter throughout their careers serving Kansans.

KU Medical Center, as a medical research university, provides the necessary infrastructure to educate and train high-quality health professionals across the state. However, NIH and state funding for KUMC currently face significant challenges.

If health care for you and your loved ones matters to you, please consider talking to your state and federal elected officials to maintain or enhance funding for education and research. This funding has a direct impact on the number of health care providers and the quality of scientifically advanced health care in our state.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698091063975.png" alt="Courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>I’m a professor and biomedical researcher at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC). I grew up in rural Kansas (Plainville), where my parents and community instilled values like honesty, hard work, and helping others. I rely on these values to guide my career, and I’m proud to contribute to my home state. However, it’s a challenging time for medical research and health care in Kansas.KU Medical Center Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professions are all dedicated to training new health care providers for Kansans. Although affiliated with The University of Kansas Health System, these educational programs are mainly funded by your state tax dollars and student tuition.Faculty in these schools not only teach but also conduct research, ranging from basic science discoveries to practical methods for preventing and treating diseases, both clinically and in the communities throughout Kansas. Taxpayer dollars primarily fund our research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and this investment in the NIH has enabled U.S. biomedical research to become the world's best.More importantly, this research is used to develop and advance medical care for us and our loved ones. NIH funding and the research environment it provides also play a vital role in training future health care providers and helping them adapt to the changing landscape they will encounter throughout their careers serving Kansans.KU Medical Center, as a medical research university, provides the necessary infrastructure to educate and train high-quality health professionals across the state. However, NIH and state funding for KUMC currently face significant challenges.If health care for you and your loved ones matters to you, please consider talking to your state and federal elected officials to maintain or enhance funding for education and research. This funding has a direct impact on the number of health care providers and the quality of scientifically advanced health care in our state.— John P. Thyfault, PhD

LETTER: Health care in Kansas relies on well-trained doctors, scientific progress

Who doesn’t love getting Christmas cards? Since childhood, I’ve loved receiving friends’ and loved ones’ annual greetings. The best part after the letter is the scene on the front of the card.

For me, peaceful outdoor scenes top all others. It’s a struggle to find cards that express how I feel about the out-of-doors, which leads to selecting kitschy snowman scenes or clever verse simply because I can’t find a perfect image. Of course, it’d help if the picture was 3-D with a sound chip. If it met those criteria, I know exactly how it would look and sound.

A deer hunt decades ago led me into an enchanted Christmas card setting. That afternoon we hunted hills overlooking the Saline where overnight, windless snow had fallen for hours, blanketing hills in pristine white. Nothing had traveled before us, so our tracks were the first to mark previously unspoiled surfaces.

Enough snow frosted cedars dotting hillsides that it weighted branches, draping them artistically. Whenever small birds would light and flit away, their movements created mini-blizzards like one might see in snow globes.

While appreciating the stunning view, we struggled through heavy snow to an enchanted deer stand. White crystals disguised ordinary, prickly yucca disguising them as surrealistic snow sculptures. Because flakes had drifted gently, they formed outlandish shapes when they collected on spiny leaves and center spikes. Disney horticulturists couldn’t have created better fantasy creatures.

Upon reaching our destination, my feet ached and icicles dangled from my hunter orange face mask. Disregarding tingles creeping into toes, nose, and fingers, I savored the view of the river valley.

Grey sky silhouetted old cottonwood and hackberry branches. Trees hugged the river bank while a cut milo field stretched beyond, rust and burnished gold. Whitetails grazed unconcernedly. If I’d been seriously after game, I’d have been aggravated because the deer stood out of range. Instead, I enjoyed watching them browse stubble rows.

We sat midway downhill next to a large cedar that sheltered us from a breeze that made falling snowflakes dance lackadaisically about our heads. Low-hanging clouds and butt numbing snow muffled sound. I was grateful I’d done chores early so I could see this Christmas card world.

Despite muted noise, something to our north caught my attention. My husband, not wanting to signal our whereabouts or break the spell, signaled the direction from which the strange squawks and calls came. As I focused, I realized it was an army of turkeys marching single file to feed on fallen milo. I tried counting but found it impossible to number that descending horde.

After watching the flock feed, we saw them resume single file and count cadence toward their roost. By this time, another sound from somewhere over my shoulder edged into my awareness. The hubs noticed me looking toward the soft whistling and mouthed in a frosty vapor, “Bobwhite Come Here call.” I’d heard those notes many times, but this was the first time I associated them with this perky, top-notched creature. The cry signaled to these small gamebirds that dusk descended, and they needed to gather. I agreed. It was time to head home to daughters and toasty kitchen.

For an instant, I spent an afternoon in my own Christmas card. That enchanted memory still warms me.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766083318680.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By KAREN MADORINWho doesn’t love getting Christmas cards? Since childhood, I’ve loved receiving friends’ and loved ones’ annual greetings. The best part after the letter is the scene on the front of the card.For me, peaceful outdoor scenes top all others. It’s a struggle to find cards that express how I feel about the out-of-doors, which leads to selecting kitschy snowman scenes or clever verse simply because I can’t find a perfect image. Of course, it’d help if the picture was 3-D with a sound chip. If it met those criteria, I know exactly how it would look and sound.A deer hunt decades ago led me into an enchanted Christmas card setting. That afternoon we hunted hills overlooking the Saline where overnight, windless snow had fallen for hours, blanketing hills in pristine white. Nothing had traveled before us, so our tracks were the first to mark previously unspoiled surfaces.Enough snow frosted cedars dotting hillsides that it weighted branches, draping them artistically. Whenever small birds would light and flit away, their movements created mini-blizzards like one might see in snow globes.While appreciating the stunning view, we struggled through heavy snow to an enchanted deer stand. White crystals disguised ordinary, prickly yucca disguising them as surrealistic snow sculptures. Because flakes had drifted gently, they formed outlandish shapes when they collected on spiny leaves and center spikes. Disney horticulturists couldn’t have created better fantasy creatures.Upon reaching our destination, my feet ached and icicles dangled from my hunter orange face mask. Disregarding tingles creeping into toes, nose, and fingers, I savored the view of the river valley.Grey sky silhouetted old cottonwood and hackberry branches. Trees hugged the river bank while a cut milo field stretched beyond, rust and burnished gold. Whitetails grazed unconcernedly. If I’d been seriously after game, I’d have been aggravated because the deer stood out of range. Instead, I enjoyed watching them browse stubble rows.We sat midway downhill next to a large cedar that sheltered us from a breeze that made falling snowflakes dance lackadaisically about our heads. Low-hanging clouds and butt numbing snow muffled sound. I was grateful I’d done chores early so I could see this Christmas card world.Despite muted noise, something to our north caught my attention. My husband, not wanting to signal our whereabouts or break the spell, signaled the direction from which the strange squawks and calls came. As I focused, I realized it was an army of turkeys marching single file to feed on fallen milo. I tried counting but found it impossible to number that descending horde.After watching the flock feed, we saw them resume single file and count cadence toward their roost. By this time, another sound from somewhere over my shoulder edged into my awareness. The hubs noticed me looking toward the soft whistling and mouthed in a frosty vapor, “Bobwhite Come Here call.” I’d heard those notes many times, but this was the first time I associated them with this perky, top-notched creature. The cry signaled to these small gamebirds that dusk descended, and they needed to gather. I agreed. It was time to head home to daughters and toasty kitchen.For an instant, I spent an afternoon in my own Christmas card. That enchanted memory still warms me.Karen Madorin is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and sixth-generation Kansan.

MADORIN: Living Christmas card

Across America, county jails have become the de facto front line for mental health crises. That is neither safe nor sustainable—for the people in crisis, for detention staff or for taxpayers. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports about 44% of people in local jails have been told by a professional they have a mental disorder, and one in four meets the threshold for severe psychological distress in just the past 30 days.

Those numbers carry human consequences behind our walls. People with untreated mental illness face elevated risks while incarcerated, including a higher likelihood of self-harm and suicide if care is delayed or inconsistent. Quick access to treatment can save lives.

Here at home, we feel this pressure every day. Our detention officers and medical providers do outstanding work, but a county jail is not a hospital—and it cannot, and should not, serve as a long-term mental health facility. When a person needs inpatient stabilization or competency services, they typically must go to Larned State Hospital or another licensed facility. In recent years, wait times for competency evaluation and restoration have stretched from weeks to months, prompting action by the State of Kansas.

That is precisely why the High Plains Mental Health Center Crisis Intervention Center in Hays is so important. High Plains has broken ground on a 22-bed facility in the Hadley Center’s east wing—the first of its kind in western Kansas—to provide short-term stabilization and detox services for adults in crisis, including both voluntary and non-voluntary referrals. The center is designed to relieve pressure on our jail and on state hospitals, shorten wait times and get people into treatment faster.

This is not just a humanitarian imperative—it is fiscally responsible. Evaluations of diversion and crisis-care models show that connecting people to treatment instead of cycling them through jail reduces re-arrests and saves taxpayers thousands of dollars per person.

High Plains continues to seek private donations, business sponsorships and civic grants to complete the build-out, hire staff, and provide 24/7 care. Community support matters just as much. Every dollar helps turn a crisis into a care plan—and turns a jail bed back into a last resort, not a default.

Ellis County deputies and detention officers are committed to protecting public safety. But we also see the people behind the calls. When our neighbors get the right help at the right time, they become safer, healthier and more productive members of our community—and we all save money by avoiding the costs of repeated incarceration.

That’s the promise of the Crisis Intervention Center, and it’s why I’m asking our community to stand behind it. If you’re able, please consider giving to High Plains Mental Health Center and sharing this message with friends, churches and civic groups. Together, we can build a response that is smarter, safer and more compassionate—for Ellis County and for western Kansas.

— Sheriff Scott J. Braun Ellis County

Editor's note: Information about donating to the Crisis Intervention Center can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://donatehighplains.com/">donatehighplains.com</a>

Gifts can be made online or by check, payable to HPMHC Endowment. High Plains can also accept pledges and set up payment plans. Contact&nbsp;donate@hpmh.com. Gifts of $500 or more receive a plaque on the center's mobile donor wall.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698091063975.png" alt="Courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>Across America, county jails have become the de facto front line for mental health crises. That is neither safe nor sustainable—for the people in crisis, for detention staff or for taxpayers. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports about 44% of people in local jails have been told by a professional they have a mental disorder, and one in four meets the threshold for severe psychological distress in just the past 30 days.Those numbers carry human consequences behind our walls. People with untreated mental illness face elevated risks while incarcerated, including a higher likelihood of self-harm and suicide if care is delayed or inconsistent. Quick access to treatment can save lives.Here at home, we feel this pressure every day. Our detention officers and medical providers do outstanding work, but a county jail is not a hospital—and it cannot, and should not, serve as a long-term mental health facility. When a person needs inpatient stabilization or competency services, they typically must go to Larned State Hospital or another licensed facility. In recent years, wait times for competency evaluation and restoration have stretched from weeks to months, prompting action by the State of Kansas.That is precisely why the High Plains Mental Health Center Crisis Intervention Center in Hays is so important. High Plains has broken ground on a 22-bed facility in the Hadley Center’s east wing—the first of its kind in western Kansas—to provide short-term stabilization and detox services for adults in crisis, including both voluntary and non-voluntary referrals. The center is designed to relieve pressure on our jail and on state hospitals, shorten wait times and get people into treatment faster.This is not just a humanitarian imperative—it is fiscally responsible. Evaluations of diversion and crisis-care models show that connecting people to treatment instead of cycling them through jail reduces re-arrests and saves taxpayers thousands of dollars per person.High Plains continues to seek private donations, business sponsorships and civic grants to complete the build-out, hire staff, and provide 24/7 care. Community support matters just as much. Every dollar helps turn a crisis into a care plan—and turns a jail bed back into a last resort, not a default.Ellis County deputies and detention officers are committed to protecting public safety. But we also see the people behind the calls. When our neighbors get the right help at the right time, they become safer, healthier and more productive members of our community—and we all save money by avoiding the costs of repeated incarceration.That’s the promise of the Crisis Intervention Center, and it’s why I’m asking our community to stand behind it. If you’re able, please consider giving to High Plains Mental Health Center and sharing this message with friends, churches and civic groups. Together, we can build a response that is smarter, safer and more compassionate—for Ellis County and for western Kansas.— Sheriff Scott J. Braun Ellis County---Editor's note: Information about donating to the Crisis Intervention Center can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://donatehighplains.com/">donatehighplains.com</a>Gifts can be made online or by check, payable to HPMHC Endowment. High Plains can also accept pledges and set up payment plans. Contact&nbsp;donate@hpmh.com. Gifts of $500 or more receive a plaque on the center's mobile donor wall.&nbsp;

LETTER: Why our community needs Crisis Intervention Center

If you or someone you know, a friend or family member, has ever had a crisis of an emotional, behavioral or psychiatric nature—some kind of painful experience that caused so much distress that you didn’t know where to turn, you can probably easily understand the life-changing nature of such an experience.

We’ve often called such crises times and episodes “having a nervous breakdown," a time of great emotional, mental and even physical upheaval. In such episodes, it’s common to feel an overwhelming amount of stress, confusion, fear, anxiety or depression. 

In turn, our ability to cope and to function in our daily lives, to relate to family and loved ones, friends, co-workers, and employers is deeply affected. The overwhelming emotional distress and feelings of depression can even become life-threatening for some.

In emotional and psychiatric crisis situations like these, we need the assistance of others when we can’t assist ourselves. Friends and family may not have the needed resources to assist in a crisis or may not know where to turn.

Sometimes, police become involved if safety issues are in question. Although usually well-intended, law enforcement interventions may add even more stress for a person in crisis and may not even result in effectively meeting the immediate need for treatment. So, where can we turn for help?

High Plains Mental Health is ready to answer the call. The High Plains planned <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5e84760a-7c74-4287-a983-669114414f47">Crisis Intervention Center</a> to be housed in the Hadley Center on East Seventh St. in Hays will provide much-needed 24/7 specialized psychiatric treatment for voluntary and involuntary adults in the Hays community and the surrounding area.

It has been many years since an adult psychiatric crisis treatment facility has been available in Hays to meet the mental health crisis needs of folks in the area.

With the new High Plains Crisis Intervention Center, access to crisis services will not require the added stress of being transported long distances or having to wait hours upon hours to gain access to needed interventions and treatment. Compassionate, effective stabilization interventions can be given sooner, closer to home, and provide the gateway to recovery.

The High Plains Crisis Intervention Center is planned to be operational by this coming spring. But we need your help. Money continues to be raised both through grants and private donations. I kindly urge you to consider contributing in any amount you can to this most worthy cause. You will be helping someone who may need crisis care at the most vulnerable and volatile time in their lives. What better way can there be to serve others?

Thank you most kindly. — Ken Windholz---

More information about donating to the Crisis Intervention Center can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://donatehighplains.com/">donatehighplains.com</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698091063975.png" alt="Courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>If you or someone you know, a friend or family member, has ever had a crisis of an emotional, behavioral or psychiatric nature—some kind of painful experience that caused so much distress that you didn’t know where to turn, you can probably easily understand the life-changing nature of such an experience.We’ve often called such crises times and episodes “having a nervous breakdown," a time of great emotional, mental and even physical upheaval. In such episodes, it’s common to feel an overwhelming amount of stress, confusion, fear, anxiety or depression. In turn, our ability to cope and to function in our daily lives, to relate to family and loved ones, friends, co-workers, and employers is deeply affected. The overwhelming emotional distress and feelings of depression can even become life-threatening for some.In emotional and psychiatric crisis situations like these, we need the assistance of others when we can’t assist ourselves. Friends and family may not have the needed resources to assist in a crisis or may not know where to turn.Sometimes, police become involved if safety issues are in question. Although usually well-intended, law enforcement interventions may add even more stress for a person in crisis and may not even result in effectively meeting the immediate need for treatment. So, where can we turn for help?High Plains Mental Health is ready to answer the call. The High Plains planned <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5e84760a-7c74-4287-a983-669114414f47">Crisis Intervention Center</a> to be housed in the Hadley Center on East Seventh St. in Hays will provide much-needed 24/7 specialized psychiatric treatment for voluntary and involuntary adults in the Hays community and the surrounding area.It has been many years since an adult psychiatric crisis treatment facility has been available in Hays to meet the mental health crisis needs of folks in the area.With the new High Plains Crisis Intervention Center, access to crisis services will not require the added stress of being transported long distances or having to wait hours upon hours to gain access to needed interventions and treatment. Compassionate, effective stabilization interventions can be given sooner, closer to home, and provide the gateway to recovery.The High Plains Crisis Intervention Center is planned to be operational by this coming spring. But we need your help. Money continues to be raised both through grants and private donations. I kindly urge you to consider contributing in any amount you can to this most worthy cause. You will be helping someone who may need crisis care at the most vulnerable and volatile time in their lives. What better way can there be to serve others?Thank you most kindly. — Ken Windholz-------More information about donating to the Crisis Intervention Center can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://donatehighplains.com/">donatehighplains.com</a>Gifts can be made online or by check, payable to HPMHC Endowment. High Plains can also accept pledges and set up payment plans. Contact&nbsp;donate@hpmh.com. Gifts of $500 or more receive a plaque on the center's mobile donor wall.&nbsp;

LETTER: Crisis Intervention Center seeks donations 

Welcome to Kansas, you’ll know when you’re here, Cause we hunt our pheasants, our quail and our deer.

But that wiley ole’ Grinch tried to spoil my deer season And he gave me no clue, not a why, not a reason.

I hunted deer high, and I hunted deer low But I left empty handed, not a buck nor a doe.

Now the Who’s down in Whoville continued to feast When that Grinch wrecked their Christmas and stole their roast beast.

But I needed a plan to show all was not lost Then I scratched on my noggin” and I thought and I thought.

So, I set out to prove I could spoil his Grinch notion, When out in the field there arose a commotion.

As I peered from my blind, what did appear, But a strange looking sleigh pulled by flying reindeer.

So, I’m thinking “Take that” Mr. Grinch you old geezer, Just one of those deer will fill my fridge and my freezer.

They landed their rig not far away, And a chubby old man tumbled out of the sleigh.

Now I’m thinkin’ it’s Grinch dressed like St Nick, Out here to fool me with some kind of trick.

To keep me from shootin’ one of these beasts, To keep me from havin’ a fine reindeer feast.

But instead of defending his steeds from my hunt, He gestured their way and said “Which one do you want?”

Now I thought this was odd for even the Grinch, That he’d let me shoot one and not even flinch.

But the deer in the front had a bright shiny nose, It’d be hard to miss that one the way that it glowed.

So, I lined up my shot, my freezer to fill When commotion again came from over the hill

It’s looked like ole’ Santa runnin’ our way, Seems the Grinch had tossed him out of his sleigh.

He tackled Ole’ Grinch and took back his red suit, Then he put on his hat, his coat and his boots.

He climbed into the sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And off they all flew like the down of a thistle.

And I heard him exclaim as they flew out of sight, “Thanks for not shootin’ Rudolph and ruining the night.”

But he also admonished to all who could hear “Keep Christ in Christmas and Happy New Year.”

Guess I’ll travel to Whoville and join in their feast, And hope that Ole’ Grinch gave them back their roast beast.

Merry Christmas from Steve and Joyce at Exploring Kansas Outdoors.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve Gilliland. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Steve Gilliland. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By STEVE GILLILAND Explore Kansas OutdoorsWelcome to Kansas, you’ll know when you’re here, Cause we hunt our pheasants, our quail and our deer.But that wiley ole’ Grinch tried to spoil my deer season And he gave me no clue, not a why, not a reason. I hunted deer high, and I hunted deer low But I left empty handed, not a buck nor a doe.Now the Who’s down in Whoville continued to feast When that Grinch wrecked their Christmas and stole their roast beast.But I needed a plan to show all was not lost Then I scratched on my noggin” and I thought and I thought.So, I set out to prove I could spoil his Grinch notion, When out in the field there arose a commotion.As I peered from my blind, what did appear, But a strange looking sleigh pulled by flying reindeer.So, I’m thinking “Take that” Mr. Grinch you old geezer, Just one of those deer will fill my fridge and my freezer.They landed their rig not far away, And a chubby old man tumbled out of the sleigh.Now I’m thinkin’ it’s Grinch dressed like St Nick, Out here to fool me with some kind of trick.To keep me from shootin’ one of these beasts, To keep me from havin’ a fine reindeer feast.But instead of defending his steeds from my hunt, He gestured their way and said “Which one do you want?”Now I thought this was odd for even the Grinch, That he’d let me shoot one and not even flinch.But the deer in the front had a bright shiny nose, It’d be hard to miss that one the way that it glowed.So, I lined up my shot, my freezer to fill When commotion again came from over the hillIt’s looked like ole’ Santa runnin’ our way, Seems the Grinch had tossed him out of his sleigh.He tackled Ole’ Grinch and took back his red suit, Then he put on his hat, his coat and his boots.He climbed into the sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And off they all flew like the down of a thistle.And I heard him exclaim as they flew out of sight, “Thanks for not shootin’ Rudolph and ruining the night.”But he also admonished to all who could hear “Keep Christ in Christmas and Happy New Year.”Guess I’ll travel to Whoville and join in their feast, And hope that Ole’ Grinch gave them back their roast beast.Merry Christmas from Steve and Joyce at Exploring Kansas Outdoors.

Explore Kansas Outdoors: You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch

Northwest Kansas Community Corrections strongly supports the need and implementation of the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5e84760a-7c74-4287-a983-669114414f47">Crisis Intervention Center</a> in Hays. The CIC will directly address a critical need in our community by providing immediate treatment to those experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.

I believe this project will significantly improve the lives of individuals suffering from a mental health crisis by providing crisis intervention care for those who are pending inpatient psychiatric treatment at the state hospitals. Too often, those who screen for inpatient services are placed on a wait list, and it can be days or even weeks before a bed becomes available. 

The CIC will provide a safe and therapeutic place for them to stay while they await that bed date. Additionally, receiving immediate treatment through the CIC may potentially eliminate a patient's need for a bed at a state hospital, returning them home to their family and friends sooner.

Those suffering from substance use disorders will also benefit from the CIC. Currently, the closest state-funded medical detox facility is over 90 miles away. Those beds are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and finding safe transportation to those facilities can be difficult. Having this service available right here in Hays will be a huge benefit and will help alleviate the transportation barrier, ensuring people receive the appropriate detox services they need promptly.

I am excited to see this project come to fruition and look forward to the positive impact it will have on our community and western Kansas.

— Erin Geist, director Northwest Kansas Community Corrections

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698091063975.png" alt="Courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>Northwest Kansas Community Corrections strongly supports the need and implementation of the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5e84760a-7c74-4287-a983-669114414f47">Crisis Intervention Center</a> in Hays. The CIC will directly address a critical need in our community by providing immediate treatment to those experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.I believe this project will significantly improve the lives of individuals suffering from a mental health crisis by providing crisis intervention care for those who are pending inpatient psychiatric treatment at the state hospitals. Too often, those who screen for inpatient services are placed on a wait list, and it can be days or even weeks before a bed becomes available. The CIC will provide a safe and therapeutic place for them to stay while they await that bed date. Additionally, receiving immediate treatment through the CIC may potentially eliminate a patient's need for a bed at a state hospital, returning them home to their family and friends sooner.Those suffering from substance use disorders will also benefit from the CIC. Currently, the closest state-funded medical detox facility is over 90 miles away. Those beds are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and finding safe transportation to those facilities can be difficult. Having this service available right here in Hays will be a huge benefit and will help alleviate the transportation barrier, ensuring people receive the appropriate detox services they need promptly.I am excited to see this project come to fruition and look forward to the positive impact it will have on our community and western Kansas.— Erin Geist, director Northwest Kansas Community Corrections

LETTER: Support for the Crisis Intervention Center, community corrections director

By Russell Arben Fox Insight Kansas

As the year comes to its end, thoughts often take an introspective turn. For me, for reasons both personal and public, that turn has me reflecting on the matriarchal nature of our state.

Of course, given Kansas’s strong conservative streak and often rather traditional Christian culture, it’s easy for outsiders to assume that Kansas history reflects an antiquated “Father Knows Best” politics. And it’s true that men still dominate the Kansas Republican party, which has nearly twice the number of supporters across the state as the Democrats.

But last week, while attending the burial of a powerful and beloved local woman and friend in Sedgwick County, I couldn’t help thinking about the women who have built, and continue to shape, this state.

Some were crusaders with national reputations, whose time in Kansas was only part of their full story.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://civilwaronthewesternborder.org/encyclopedia/nichols-clarina-irene-howard">Clarina Howard Nichols</a>&nbsp;was an abolitionist who relocated to Kansas in the years before the Civil War, and spent her time in the state fighting not only the evil of slavery but for temperance and women’s rights as well.&nbsp;It is due to women like her that Kansas granted women the right to vote in school board elections as early as 1861.

&nbsp;The activist and lawyer&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/essays/mary-elizabeth-lease-populist-reformer">Mary Elizabeth Lease</a>&nbsp;is another example; an orator and organizer who helped shape the Kansas People’s Party, and thereby the national Populist movement, the arguments she developed in Kanas became foundational to American reform movements throughout the early 20th&nbsp;century.

But many of the women that came to my mind were people whose influence was inseparable from their deep roots in our state, and the families and communities they were entwined with.

<a target="_blank" href="https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/fa/428/">Mary Skubitz</a>&nbsp;was a Slovenian immigrant to Kansas as a child in 1890; as a wife and mother in Crawford County, she helped organize the “Amazon Army” in 1921, a mass protest of women demanding improvements of the terrible conditions their husbands and sons suffered in the coal mines.&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.explorelawrence.com/blog/post/womens-history-month-honoring-lawrences-trailblazers/">Minnie Wish-Ken-O</a>&nbsp;was a Potawatomie woman and farmer in Jackson County who took up leadership in her tribe during the 1930s, and led the fight against the national government’s efforts at tribal re-organization and termination over the subsequent two decades.

Even more humbly, a filmmaker colleague of mine&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://sodandstubble.com/">has resurrected the story of Rosa Ise</a>, a new bride who settled with her husband Henry and raised a family in Osborne County in the 1870s; the frontier challenges she overcame made her a determined believer in education, and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news-and-publications/news/stories/2024/12/kansas-profile-deb-goodrich-sod-and-stubble.html">leading to her children graduating from some of the most prestigious schools in America</a>.

Education is a constant in so many of these stories, leading up to the present day.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li_2014/b2013_14/committees/misc/ctte_s_ed_1_20130307_03_other.pdf">Eldora Dugan Love</a>&nbsp;settled with her husband Charles in Butler County in the 1870s; from her homestead, she published a women’s journal which made educational and religious improvement its central message.

Three generations on her great-granddaughter,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.heartlandhero.org/post/they-didn-t-watch-us-weave-how-the-fringe-became-the-fabric-of-education-reform">Becky Love Elder</a>, became a devout believer in home schooling, and spent her life organizing and raising money for independent schools that defined not only the lives of her children and grandchildren, but of hundreds of others who were touched by her indefatigable commitment to learning, reading, and community.

Attending Becky’s graveside service, I was struck by the pastor’s invocation of “place,” and of Becky’s commitment to putting down roots, to growing and blessing others, from where she made her home. The same can be said, I think, of hundreds of matriarchs across Kansas history, whose strength was, and is, inseparable from the soil which all us Kansans—both native-born and new arrivals—share. Bless them, each and every one.

Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750955074364.jpeg" alt="Russell Arben Fox. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Russell Arben Fox. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By Russell Arben Fox Insight KansasAs the year comes to its end, thoughts often take an introspective turn. For me, for reasons both personal and public, that turn has me reflecting on the matriarchal nature of our state.Of course, given Kansas’s strong conservative streak and often rather traditional Christian culture, it’s easy for outsiders to assume that Kansas history reflects an antiquated “Father Knows Best” politics. And it’s true that men still dominate the Kansas Republican party, which has nearly twice the number of supporters across the state as the Democrats.But last week, while attending the burial of a powerful and beloved local woman and friend in Sedgwick County, I couldn’t help thinking about the women who have built, and continue to shape, this state.Some were crusaders with national reputations, whose time in Kansas was only part of their full story.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://civilwaronthewesternborder.org/encyclopedia/nichols-clarina-irene-howard">Clarina Howard Nichols</a>&nbsp;was an abolitionist who relocated to Kansas in the years before the Civil War, and spent her time in the state fighting not only the evil of slavery but for temperance and women’s rights as well.&nbsp;It is due to women like her that Kansas granted women the right to vote in school board elections as early as 1861.&nbsp;The activist and lawyer&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/essays/mary-elizabeth-lease-populist-reformer">Mary Elizabeth Lease</a>&nbsp;is another example; an orator and organizer who helped shape the Kansas People’s Party, and thereby the national Populist movement, the arguments she developed in Kanas became foundational to American reform movements throughout the early 20th&nbsp;century.But many of the women that came to my mind were people whose influence was inseparable from their deep roots in our state, and the families and communities they were entwined with.<a target="_blank" href="https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/fa/428/">Mary Skubitz</a>&nbsp;was a Slovenian immigrant to Kansas as a child in 1890; as a wife and mother in Crawford County, she helped organize the “Amazon Army” in 1921, a mass protest of women demanding improvements of the terrible conditions their husbands and sons suffered in the coal mines.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.explorelawrence.com/blog/post/womens-history-month-honoring-lawrences-trailblazers/">Minnie Wish-Ken-O</a>&nbsp;was a Potawatomie woman and farmer in Jackson County who took up leadership in her tribe during the 1930s, and led the fight against the national government’s efforts at tribal re-organization and termination over the subsequent two decades.Even more humbly, a filmmaker colleague of mine&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://sodandstubble.com/">has resurrected the story of Rosa Ise</a>, a new bride who settled with her husband Henry and raised a family in Osborne County in the 1870s; the frontier challenges she overcame made her a determined believer in education, and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news-and-publications/news/stories/2024/12/kansas-profile-deb-goodrich-sod-and-stubble.html">leading to her children graduating from some of the most prestigious schools in America</a>.Education is a constant in so many of these stories, leading up to the present day.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li_2014/b2013_14/committees/misc/ctte_s_ed_1_20130307_03_other.pdf">Eldora Dugan Love</a>&nbsp;settled with her husband Charles in Butler County in the 1870s; from her homestead, she published a women’s journal which made educational and religious improvement its central message. Three generations on her great-granddaughter,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.heartlandhero.org/post/they-didn-t-watch-us-weave-how-the-fringe-became-the-fabric-of-education-reform">Becky Love Elder</a>, became a devout believer in home schooling, and spent her life organizing and raising money for independent schools that defined not only the lives of her children and grandchildren, but of hundreds of others who were touched by her indefatigable commitment to learning, reading, and community.Attending Becky’s graveside service, I was struck by the pastor’s invocation of “place,” and of Becky’s commitment to putting down roots, to growing and blessing others, from where she made her home. The same can be said, I think, of hundreds of matriarchs across Kansas history, whose strength was, and is, inseparable from the soil which all us Kansans—both native-born and new arrivals—share. Bless them, each and every one.Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Kansas, a land made by matriarchs

The recent approval of the Tallgrass Development LLC solar farm is a profound moral and regulatory failure.

For four years, a small handful of landowners worked in secret to secure corporate leases, looking their neighbors in the eye and lying to people they called friends.

They prioritized personal profit over the well-being of the community and chose a payout over decades of friendship, but the betrayal doesn't end there. It has now escalated to outright bullying. 

The leasing landowners recently hired an attorney who threatened me with a lawsuit in a cowardly attempt to silence any opposition. Using legal pressure to intimidate your neighbors is an admission that your position cannot withstand honest scrutiny.

This project isn't being built on "green energy." It is being built on a foundation of deception and a ruthless "profit at any cost" mentality. 

To add insult to injury, the leasing landowners live miles away, comfortably insulated from the project’s impact, while neighbors and former friends are forced to live with the adverse consequences of their naked greed.

Unfortunately, rather than carefully and systematically reviewing the implications of a massive solar conversion facility, the Ellis County Planning and Zoning Committee facilitated this unscrupulous behavior. 

The developers plotted for four years, but the public was given a mere 20 days’ notice before zoning approval. This window, conveniently spanning holiday closings, was clearly designed to stifle dissent and speed the project to approval.

Even more alarming is that the committee moved this project forward with a list of conditions that weren't even finalized or made public.

I spent the morning after the meeting searching for specific requirements, only to find many are still being "decided." 

How can our officials recommend a 35-year conditional-use permit when significant details of the project are still a mystery?

Perhaps the worst of failures (almost too many to count) is the lack of basic due diligence regarding our natural resources.

To approve three decades of industrial construction and operation without securing a water source is the height of irresponsibility.

By approving this project, the Zoning and Planning Committee has effectively signed a blank check to a corporation and left the community to deal with the social, environmental and financial fallout. 

We deserve better than a government that rewards secrecy and intimidation, while ignoring basic due diligence. 

We deserve a government that protects its residents from corporate-funded bullying and demands transparency before the project has been approved, not after the damage is done

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698091063975.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The recent approval of the Tallgrass Development LLC solar farm is a profound moral and regulatory failure.For four years, a small handful of landowners worked in secret to secure corporate leases, looking their neighbors in the eye and lying to people they called friends.They prioritized personal profit over the well-being of the community and chose a payout over decades of friendship, but the betrayal doesn't end there. It has now escalated to outright bullying. The leasing landowners recently hired an attorney who threatened me with a lawsuit in a cowardly attempt to silence any opposition. Using legal pressure to intimidate your neighbors is an admission that your position cannot withstand honest scrutiny.This project isn't being built on "green energy." It is being built on a foundation of deception and a ruthless "profit at any cost" mentality. To add insult to injury, the leasing landowners live miles away, comfortably insulated from the project’s impact, while neighbors and former friends are forced to live with the adverse consequences of their naked greed.Unfortunately, rather than carefully and systematically reviewing the implications of a massive solar conversion facility, the Ellis County Planning and Zoning Committee facilitated this unscrupulous behavior. The developers plotted for four years, but the public was given a mere 20 days’ notice before zoning approval. This window, conveniently spanning holiday closings, was clearly designed to stifle dissent and speed the project to approval.Even more alarming is that the committee moved this project forward with a list of conditions that weren't even finalized or made public.I spent the morning after the meeting searching for specific requirements, only to find many are still being "decided." How can our officials recommend a 35-year conditional-use permit when significant details of the project are still a mystery?Perhaps the worst of failures (almost too many to count) is the lack of basic due diligence regarding our natural resources.To approve three decades of industrial construction and operation without securing a water source is the height of irresponsibility.By approving this project, the Zoning and Planning Committee has effectively signed a blank check to a corporation and left the community to deal with the social, environmental and financial fallout. We deserve better than a government that rewards secrecy and intimidation, while ignoring basic due diligence. We deserve a government that protects its residents from corporate-funded bullying and demands transparency before the project has been approved, not after the damage is done— Keith Pfannenstiel, Mt. Pleasant Road, Hays

Opinion