By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;

Can one man’s journey change history?&nbsp;

“Yes,” said writer and historian Deb Goodrich. She points to William Becknell’s 1821 trade mission to Mexico as a pivotal point in the history of the west. Now she is leading the effort to commemorate the bicentennial of the Santa Fe Trail.&nbsp;

Goodrich is a journalist, historian and television host. A Virginia native, she was a student at Washburn University who became enamored of western history. She is now historian in residence at Fort Wallace in Kansas. Among many other things, she chairs the Santa Fe Trail 200 committee, which is commemorating the bicentennial of this historic trail.&nbsp;

“In 1821, change was racing across the west like a prairie fire,” Goodrich said. “Missouri was a brand new state and Mexico was a newly liberated nation.”&nbsp;

Missouri was also in a financial depression. A Missouri salt-maker named William Becknell was one of those in financial trouble. He was on the verge of going to jail because he could not pay his debts.&nbsp;

In September 1821, Becknell and five companions headed west to hunt and trade horses and mules. They traveled hundreds of miles by horseback through challenging territory. Nearly two-and-a-half months later, they arrived in Santa Fe.&nbsp;

Their timing was good. Since Mexico had just gained its independence from Spain, its citizens were eager to trade with the neighboring country to the north, unlike the Spanish conquistadors. According to legend, Becknell’s trade mission was so successful that when he returned to Missouri, he slashed open a rawhide bag of silver coins and spilled onto the cobblestone street. Observers literally saw the riches resulting from this trading relationship, and others joined in.&nbsp;

“Becknell’s legendary trip inaugurated a new era in American and Mexican history,” Goodrich said. “While William Becknell’s successful trip into Mexico was history-making, it was only opening the door.” Eventually this region would become the state of New Mexico.&nbsp;

There were also consequences for the indigenous tribes and the military in this region.&nbsp;&nbsp;Native tribes were displaced. Military posts were established, including Fort Riley, Fort Larned and more.&nbsp;

This was the beginning of what would become the great prairie highway now known as the Santa Fe National Historic Trail. In 1825, George Sibley surveyed what would become known as the “highway between nations.”&nbsp;

By 1855, the value of traded goods on the trail was estimated at $5 million. This route of commerce functioned for nearly 60 years until the coming of the railroad. Modern highways continue as a route of travel and commerce.&nbsp;

The Santa Fe Trail Association is a non-profit organization that was established in 1986 to protect, preserve and promote the historic trail. Congress designated the Santa Fe Trail as a national historic trail in 1987. Joanne VanCoevern of Salina is the executive director of the SFTA. The SFTA is commemorating the bicentennial of the trail from 2021 to 2025.&nbsp;

“Continuing our official commemoration through 2025 gives us the opportunity to build on the relationships we have established, to expand our audience and share stories on a deeper level,” Goodrich said. Local chapters of the SFTA in Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico promote the trail in their regions. Notably, more of the trail is found in Kansas than any other state.&nbsp;

Kansas Tourism has developed promotional information about attractions and museums related to the trail in communities such as Olathe, Fairway, Gardner, Leavenworth, Council Grove, Great Bend, Lyons, Dodge City, Ulysses, Elkhart; and rural communities such as Pawnee Rock, population 193 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.santafetrail.org/">www.santafetrail.org</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.santafetrail200.org/">www.santafetrail200.org</a>.&nbsp;

Can one man’s journey change history? In the case of William Becknell two centuries ago, it did.&nbsp;

We commend the chapters of the Santa Fe Trail Association, Deb Goodrich, Joanne VanCoevern, and all others involved with the association for making a difference by promoting and preserving this history.&nbsp;

As stated on the SFTA website: “The Santa Fe Trail was a route of commerce but quickly became a route of cultural exchange that is still with us, and still benefits us, today.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654696606408.png" alt="Screen Shot 2022-06-08 at 8.56.23 AM.png" />
 <figcaption>Screen Shot 2022-06-08 at 8.56.23 AM.png</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp; Can one man’s journey change history?&nbsp;“Yes,” said writer and historian Deb Goodrich. She points to William Becknell’s 1821 trade mission to Mexico as a pivotal point in the history of the west. Now she is leading the effort to commemorate the bicentennial of the Santa Fe Trail.&nbsp;Goodrich is a journalist, historian and television host. A Virginia native, she was a student at Washburn University who became enamored of western history. She is now historian in residence at Fort Wallace in Kansas. Among many other things, she chairs the Santa Fe Trail 200 committee, which is commemorating the bicentennial of this historic trail.&nbsp;“In 1821, change was racing across the west like a prairie fire,” Goodrich said. “Missouri was a brand new state and Mexico was a newly liberated nation.”&nbsp;Missouri was also in a financial depression. A Missouri salt-maker named William Becknell was one of those in financial trouble. He was on the verge of going to jail because he could not pay his debts.&nbsp;In September 1821, Becknell and five companions headed west to hunt and trade horses and mules. They traveled hundreds of miles by horseback through challenging territory. Nearly two-and-a-half months later, they arrived in Santa Fe.&nbsp;Their timing was good. Since Mexico had just gained its independence from Spain, its citizens were eager to trade with the neighboring country to the north, unlike the Spanish conquistadors. According to legend, Becknell’s trade mission was so successful that when he returned to Missouri, he slashed open a rawhide bag of silver coins and spilled onto the cobblestone street. Observers literally saw the riches resulting from this trading relationship, and others joined in.&nbsp;“Becknell’s legendary trip inaugurated a new era in American and Mexican history,” Goodrich said. “While William Becknell’s successful trip into Mexico was history-making, it was only opening the door.” Eventually this region would become the state of New Mexico.&nbsp;There were also consequences for the indigenous tribes and the military in this region.&nbsp;&nbsp;Native tribes were displaced. Military posts were established, including Fort Riley, Fort Larned and more.&nbsp;This was the beginning of what would become the great prairie highway now known as the Santa Fe National Historic Trail. In 1825, George Sibley surveyed what would become known as the “highway between nations.”&nbsp;By 1855, the value of traded goods on the trail was estimated at $5 million. This route of commerce functioned for nearly 60 years until the coming of the railroad. Modern highways continue as a route of travel and commerce.&nbsp;The Santa Fe Trail Association is a non-profit organization that was established in 1986 to protect, preserve and promote the historic trail. Congress designated the Santa Fe Trail as a national historic trail in 1987. Joanne VanCoevern of Salina is the executive director of the SFTA. The SFTA is commemorating the bicentennial of the trail from 2021 to 2025.&nbsp;“Continuing our official commemoration through 2025 gives us the opportunity to build on the relationships we have established, to expand our audience and share stories on a deeper level,” Goodrich said. Local chapters of the SFTA in Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico promote the trail in their regions. Notably, more of the trail is found in Kansas than any other state.&nbsp;Kansas Tourism has developed promotional information about attractions and museums related to the trail in communities such as Olathe, Fairway, Gardner, Leavenworth, Council Grove, Great Bend, Lyons, Dodge City, Ulysses, Elkhart; and rural communities such as Pawnee Rock, population 193 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.santafetrail.org/">www.santafetrail.org</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.santafetrail200.org/">www.santafetrail200.org</a>.&nbsp;Can one man’s journey change history? In the case of William Becknell two centuries ago, it did.&nbsp;We commend the chapters of the Santa Fe Trail Association, Deb Goodrich, Joanne VanCoevern, and all others involved with the association for making a difference by promoting and preserving this history.&nbsp;As stated on the SFTA website: “The Santa Fe Trail was a route of commerce but quickly became a route of cultural exchange that is still with us, and still benefits us, today.”&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural: Deb Goodrich, Santa Fe Trail Association 

As a first-generation college student, I know on a deeply personal level the importance of the Fort Hays State University drive to offer the best value in higher education – anywhere! We believe in the transformative power of a college education and how it impacts generations of families and communities.

I have a vivid memory of listening to a colleague talk about the American dream. She described with eloquence the grit and determination in which our nation – and our university – were founded.

In doing so, she used a common phrase: all one needs to do is to “pull oneself up by one’s bootstraps.” I agree. Resilience is&nbsp;definitely to&nbsp;what I attribute my success. Certainly, socioeconomic advancement is something that everyone should be able to experience, right? After all, we live in the United State of America – the land of opportunity. We hear story after story how hard work pays off.

Then, my colleague reminded us that not everyone is born with bootstraps. That’s when I realized that although my college journey did indeed include hard work and sacrifice, I was also blessed with a loving family, caring faculty, and so many more advantages. I realized I was indeed a first-generation student, coming from a modest income home, who had been born with bootstraps.

Through these columns and other presentations, I have shared stories of students who have overcome remarkable odds to get to college and graduate. Students from shattered families and even some without a family. Students who were illegally brought to this country as babies and grew up not knowing they were not citizens – knowledge that painted a very bleak future. Adult students who struggled with addictions, poverty, loss, and even prison sentences. Students without bootstraps.&nbsp;

Each extraordinary story I have shared has ended with a Fort Hays State graduate. I am so proud to be part of a university that has always been focused on making student success equitable and inclusive by expanding opportunities for students who would otherwise have few, if any, options for realizing the American Dream.

Our ability to expand access and success requires many partners. The university itself has embraced a historic commitment to underserved student populations with an exemplary learning and teaching-centered culture. Our philanthropists and community partners have demonstrated consistent generosity through scholarship programs. State and federal government funding have also helped with student access and affordability. One such program is the Pell Grant – need-based grants to low-income undergraduates designed to make college attendance an affordable reality.

Congress is currently considering doubling the maximum Pell Grant award to $13,000. Think about the value that would have at Fort Hays State University!

We believe that cost should not be a barrier to the success of our students. Our unmatched value would get even better, help more students, create more bootstraps, should Double Pell come to fruition. Look what Pell has done for Rylie and Slater.

Slater&nbsp;Heglin, from Ulysses, is a senior at Fort Hays State University and a highly respected student leader. He is majoring in business education with a concentration in talent development. Slater is also receiving certificates in leadership studies, human resource management, business management, banking, and marketing. He is involved in the FHSU Society for Human Resource Management, FHSU Foundation &amp; Alumni Association Tigers Forever, Circle K, Collegiate 4-H, and Encounter.&nbsp;

Slater shared that “coming from a single-parent home, I knew from a young age that I would be paying for college on my own.”

He is grateful for the Pell Grant and scholarships that have helped him achieve his goal of graduating debt-free. He has worked diligently to achieve a high GPA, along with his community involvement both on campus and in the community. He works three jobs and applies for many scholarships each year, but Slater acknowledged that Pell Grant has contributed greatly toward his goal of graduating from college debt-free.

“My experience as a college student at Fort Hays State University has been a catalyst in pursuing my life-long passion for servant-leadership,” he said. “Since I have received tremendous support through scholarship and Pell opportunities, I have been able to devote my time and resources to serving in over four organizations and committees on campus.&nbsp; Without the financial support I have received through Pell, I may not have had the opportunity to serve in the capacity that I have thus far.&nbsp; Obtaining my undergraduate and potential graduate degree from FHSU would show that, no matter what background an individual comes from, with hard work, grit and determination, dreams do come true. Fort Hays State University is truly investing in the leaders of today and tomorrow.”

“Higher education would not have been possible for me without the opportunity of being awarded the Pell grant. With the financial burden of college reduced, I have been able to prioritize my studies and focus my time on doing well in classes,” she said. “I am excited to pursue a degree in agriculture education, and the financial responsibilities have been one less thing to worry about because of the Pell.”

Rylie is a sophomore majoring in agriculture education, and like Slater, she will be receiving a certificate in leadership studies.

I do love how our students take such a strong interest in leadership. Rylie works on campus in the Financial Aid office. Even though she benefits from both Pell and other aid, Rylie also works two jobs off campus. By the way, a recent study by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs indicates that 93% of our students work, and 10% work both on-campus and off-campus jobs.

Doubling the Pell Grant would&nbsp;increase the pool&nbsp;of students – students like Rylie and Slater – eligible for the aid, providing more opportunities to attend college. It also would, on average, cut student debt by more than half, according to&nbsp;research&nbsp;by the Gender Equity Policy Institute.

Tiger Nation is a diverse and welcoming community, dedicated to sharing ideas and serving the greater good. On campus, online, and all over the world, we invest in close and lifelong relationships that nurture the humanity in all of us and educate the next generation of globally engaged citizen leaders.

As we continue our important work, on behalf of a young Tisa, Rylie, Slater, and so many other Tigers, I thank our philanthropists and legislators for their investment in higher education, I also join my colleagues in urging our Kansas congressional delegation to push for courageous and meaningful improvements to the Pell Grant program.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575301942236.jpeg" alt="Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president</figcaption>
 </figure>As a first-generation college student, I know on a deeply personal level the importance of the Fort Hays State University drive to offer the best value in higher education – anywhere! We believe in the transformative power of a college education and how it impacts generations of families and communities.I have a vivid memory of listening to a colleague talk about the American dream. She described with eloquence the grit and determination in which our nation – and our university – were founded.In doing so, she used a common phrase: all one needs to do is to “pull oneself up by one’s bootstraps.” I agree. Resilience is&nbsp;definitely to&nbsp;what I attribute my success. Certainly, socioeconomic advancement is something that everyone should be able to experience, right? After all, we live in the United State of America – the land of opportunity. We hear story after story how hard work pays off.Then, my colleague reminded us that not everyone is born with bootstraps. That’s when I realized that although my college journey did indeed include hard work and sacrifice, I was also blessed with a loving family, caring faculty, and so many more advantages. I realized I was indeed a first-generation student, coming from a modest income home, who had been born with bootstraps.Through these columns and other presentations, I have shared stories of students who have overcome remarkable odds to get to college and graduate. Students from shattered families and even some without a family. Students who were illegally brought to this country as babies and grew up not knowing they were not citizens – knowledge that painted a very bleak future. Adult students who struggled with addictions, poverty, loss, and even prison sentences. Students without bootstraps.&nbsp;Each extraordinary story I have shared has ended with a Fort Hays State graduate. I am so proud to be part of a university that has always been focused on making student success equitable and inclusive by expanding opportunities for students who would otherwise have few, if any, options for realizing the American Dream.Our ability to expand access and success requires many partners. The university itself has embraced a historic commitment to underserved student populations with an exemplary learning and teaching-centered culture. Our philanthropists and community partners have demonstrated consistent generosity through scholarship programs. State and federal government funding have also helped with student access and affordability. One such program is the Pell Grant – need-based grants to low-income undergraduates designed to make college attendance an affordable reality.Congress is currently considering doubling the maximum Pell Grant award to $13,000. Think about the value that would have at Fort Hays State University!We believe that cost should not be a barrier to the success of our students. Our unmatched value would get even better, help more students, create more bootstraps, should Double Pell come to fruition. Look what Pell has done for Rylie and Slater.Slater&nbsp;Heglin, from Ulysses, is a senior at Fort Hays State University and a highly respected student leader. He is majoring in business education with a concentration in talent development. Slater is also receiving certificates in leadership studies, human resource management, business management, banking, and marketing. He is involved in the FHSU Society for Human Resource Management, FHSU Foundation &amp; Alumni Association Tigers Forever, Circle K, Collegiate 4-H, and Encounter.&nbsp;Slater shared that “coming from a single-parent home, I knew from a young age that I would be paying for college on my own.”He is grateful for the Pell Grant and scholarships that have helped him achieve his goal of graduating debt-free. He has worked diligently to achieve a high GPA, along with his community involvement both on campus and in the community. He works three jobs and applies for many scholarships each year, but Slater acknowledged that Pell Grant has contributed greatly toward his goal of graduating from college debt-free.“My experience as a college student at Fort Hays State University has been a catalyst in pursuing my life-long passion for servant-leadership,” he said. “Since I have received tremendous support through scholarship and Pell opportunities, I have been able to devote my time and resources to serving in over four organizations and committees on campus.&nbsp; Without the financial support I have received through Pell, I may not have had the opportunity to serve in the capacity that I have thus far.&nbsp; Obtaining my undergraduate and potential graduate degree from FHSU would show that, no matter what background an individual comes from, with hard work, grit and determination, dreams do come true. Fort Hays State University is truly investing in the leaders of today and tomorrow.”Rylie Zeller from Little River agrees.“Higher education would not have been possible for me without the opportunity of being awarded the Pell grant. With the financial burden of college reduced, I have been able to prioritize my studies and focus my time on doing well in classes,” she said. “I am excited to pursue a degree in agriculture education, and the financial responsibilities have been one less thing to worry about because of the Pell.”Rylie is a sophomore majoring in agriculture education, and like Slater, she will be receiving a certificate in leadership studies.I do love how our students take such a strong interest in leadership. Rylie works on campus in the Financial Aid office. Even though she benefits from both Pell and other aid, Rylie also works two jobs off campus. By the way, a recent study by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs indicates that 93% of our students work, and 10% work both on-campus and off-campus jobs.Doubling the Pell Grant would&nbsp;increase the pool&nbsp;of students – students like Rylie and Slater – eligible for the aid, providing more opportunities to attend college. It also would, on average, cut student debt by more than half, according to&nbsp;research&nbsp;by the Gender Equity Policy Institute.Tiger Nation is a diverse and welcoming community, dedicated to sharing ideas and serving the greater good. On campus, online, and all over the world, we invest in close and lifelong relationships that nurture the humanity in all of us and educate the next generation of globally engaged citizen leaders.As we continue our important work, on behalf of a young Tisa, Rylie, Slater, and so many other Tigers, I thank our philanthropists and legislators for their investment in higher education, I also join my colleagues in urging our Kansas congressional delegation to push for courageous and meaningful improvements to the Pell Grant program.

MASON: Pell Grants vital to student success

By GREG DOERING Kansas Farm Bureau It’s easy to forget today that agriculture is the foundation of civilization. It’s the process that ended our ceaseless following of food and allowed us to settle into cities. What followed, over the past several millennia is the world we inhabit today. In short, farming and ranching are the essential drivers of the manufacturing- or service-based economy we all enjoy. In the United States, where about 1 in 50 people grow the crops and livestock that end up on our dinner plates, it’s easy to overlook the importance of agriculture. Through our industriousness and separation of labor, we’ve made it easy for generations of citizens to imagine food only comes from the grocery store or the double-doors to a restaurant kitchen. All of that’s true, but it’s also slightly misleading. Fewer than 2 percent of the U.S. population is directly involved in growing the raw inputs—food, fuel, fiber—our nation consumes. But the crops and livestock they produce go on to support the jobs of nearly 1 in 3 Americans, illustrating just how long the road is from farm to fork. It’s worth reading the full report at&nbsp;<a href="https://kfb.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=45bba928f411d21617c5eadbe&amp;id=1c8f01abcc&amp;e=5bf0f0e5fe">www.feedingtheeconomy.com</a>, but here are the highlights: 43,464,211 jobs, $2.3 Trillion (capitalized for effect) in wages, $182.9 billion in exports and $7.4 trillion in total output. While those numbers are impressive, they’re not exactly representative. After all, we’re talking about the wealthiest country in the world some 12,000 years after humans first began bending the will of nature to their own ends by domesticating plants and animals. But it wasn’t until within the last century that we as species went from accidental agriculturalists to the purposeful planners we are today. Norman Borlaug proved it was possible to dramatically increase crop yields by switching from low-yield crops to high-yield varieties, which had a two-fold effect on the world’s economy. First, increasing the productivity of land meant farmers had more money to invest in labor-saving machinery further boosting their efficiency. Second, while machines did indeed replace many farm workers, the displaced workers were able to find higher-paying manufacturing or service jobs in towns or cities. In a University of Chicago paper, authors Gollin, Hansen and Wingender, speculate that without this transformation, the gross domestic product in the developing world would be half its current level. Or, more realistically, if these advances had simply been delayed by a decade, the world would have missed out on about $83 Trillion (again, capitalized for effect) in benefits from the increased nutrition unleashed by Boulaug and his disciples. To shed even more light on this miraculous achievement that has enriched the lives of everyone today is that agriculture is no longer an extractive industry. Even after the discovery and widespread use of high-yield crops and synthetic fertilizer, agriculture still needed more land to grow the food necessary to nourish a growing population. As the folks at&nbsp;<a href="http://ourworldindata.org/">ourworldindata.org</a>&nbsp;put it, humans cleared one-third of the world’s forests and nearly two-thirds of the grasslands since the end of the last ice age all to sustain our species through agriculture since the only way to expand production was through cultivating wildlands. With the tools provided by modern science and industry, however, that’s no longer the case. In fact, the world has passed “peak agricultural land,” a recent article declared. What that means is farmers and ranchers are producing more food than ever while at the same time reducing the number of acres devoted to that task. In essence, it’s not just everyday people like you and me who are more divorced from how our food is raised. Earth itself is becoming increasingly separated from production agriculture because the riches of production agriculture are being realized in both dollars and the land left unspoiled.

"Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574694551876.png" alt="Greg Doering&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Greg Doering&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By GREG DOERING Kansas Farm Bureau It’s easy to forget today that agriculture is the foundation of civilization. It’s the process that ended our ceaseless following of food and allowed us to settle into cities. What followed, over the past several millennia is the world we inhabit today. In short, farming and ranching are the essential drivers of the manufacturing- or service-based economy we all enjoy. In the United States, where about 1 in 50 people grow the crops and livestock that end up on our dinner plates, it’s easy to overlook the importance of agriculture. Through our industriousness and separation of labor, we’ve made it easy for generations of citizens to imagine food only comes from the grocery store or the double-doors to a restaurant kitchen. All of that’s true, but it’s also slightly misleading. Fewer than 2 percent of the U.S. population is directly involved in growing the raw inputs—food, fuel, fiber—our nation consumes. But the crops and livestock they produce go on to support the jobs of nearly 1 in 3 Americans, illustrating just how long the road is from farm to fork. It’s worth reading the full report at&nbsp;<a href="https://kfb.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=45bba928f411d21617c5eadbe&amp;id=1c8f01abcc&amp;e=5bf0f0e5fe">www.feedingtheeconomy.com</a>, but here are the highlights: 43,464,211 jobs, $2.3 Trillion (capitalized for effect) in wages, $182.9 billion in exports and $7.4 trillion in total output. While those numbers are impressive, they’re not exactly representative. After all, we’re talking about the wealthiest country in the world some 12,000 years after humans first began bending the will of nature to their own ends by domesticating plants and animals. But it wasn’t until within the last century that we as species went from accidental agriculturalists to the purposeful planners we are today. Norman Borlaug proved it was possible to dramatically increase crop yields by switching from low-yield crops to high-yield varieties, which had a two-fold effect on the world’s economy. First, increasing the productivity of land meant farmers had more money to invest in labor-saving machinery further boosting their efficiency. Second, while machines did indeed replace many farm workers, the displaced workers were able to find higher-paying manufacturing or service jobs in towns or cities. In a University of Chicago paper, authors Gollin, Hansen and Wingender, speculate that without this transformation, the gross domestic product in the developing world would be half its current level. Or, more realistically, if these advances had simply been delayed by a decade, the world would have missed out on about $83 Trillion (again, capitalized for effect) in benefits from the increased nutrition unleashed by Boulaug and his disciples. To shed even more light on this miraculous achievement that has enriched the lives of everyone today is that agriculture is no longer an extractive industry. Even after the discovery and widespread use of high-yield crops and synthetic fertilizer, agriculture still needed more land to grow the food necessary to nourish a growing population. As the folks at&nbsp;<a href="http://ourworldindata.org/">ourworldindata.org</a>&nbsp;put it, humans cleared one-third of the world’s forests and nearly two-thirds of the grasslands since the end of the last ice age all to sustain our species through agriculture since the only way to expand production was through cultivating wildlands. With the tools provided by modern science and industry, however, that’s no longer the case. In fact, the world has passed “peak agricultural land,” a recent article declared. What that means is farmers and ranchers are producing more food than ever while at the same time reducing the number of acres devoted to that task. In essence, it’s not just everyday people like you and me who are more divorced from how our food is raised. Earth itself is becoming increasingly separated from production agriculture because the riches of production agriculture are being realized in both dollars and the land left unspoiled."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: Riches of agriculture

With the 2022 Kansas spring turkey season ending, I sat here&nbsp;at my&nbsp;computer&nbsp;recalling spring turkey hunts from the past, and one particular hunt years ago keeps rambling through my mind. Now, everyone knows wild turkeys MUST&nbsp;be hunted from the ground. Sitting on the ground or on a&nbsp;five-gallon&nbsp;bucket until your butt and both legs are numb is just part of the turkey hunting&nbsp;experience, and NOT to do so would certainly be&nbsp;as un-American as eating pizza without potato chips, or owning a corvette with an automatic transmission. Yet&nbsp;there I stood, gazing longingly up the ladder of the&nbsp;landowner’s&nbsp;tree stand thinking what a perfect spot it would be&nbsp;to call-in the gobbler that roamed this&nbsp;wood lot.&nbsp;But I must persevere and not break turkey hunting protocol!

“What a great seat,” I thought to myself as I surveyed my surroundings from above&nbsp;(I’m sure you saw this coming.)&nbsp;At this point several acres of nice timber separated the crop field to my left from the river. Right here is where I wanted to be, but the&nbsp;ground below was unusually void&nbsp;of the normal brush and downed tree limbs that make such good camouflage, so I put out a couple hen decoys and up the tree I went.

My “yelps” were occasionally answered by a gobble from afar, and soon a young gobbler and a hen appeared from the far corner of the crop field and started toward me. “This is too easy” I thought as the pair steadily came my way. At fifty yards, they veered away and taunted me from the edge of the trees, hidden from sight by limbs on the tree next to my perch. For the next forty-five minutes it was a stand-off, and my desire to harvest him soon turned to wishes that he would just leave so I could climb down without totally spooking him and start afresh in the morning.&nbsp;

The next&nbsp;morning,&nbsp;I followed my bouncing flashlight beam across the field, found the proper tree, set the decoys out and scaled the ladder once more up and into the tree stand. This tree stood barely three feet into the woodlot&nbsp;from the edge of the crop field; if I fell out, I’d land in the bean stubble. I figured the gobbler to be roosted at the end of the crop field and along the river, some distance away. Usually you can hear a gobbler even in the dark, as he’ll often gobble at every barking dog,&nbsp;hooting owl&nbsp;or slamming car door, but this morning the woods was unusually quiet. Perhaps that wasn’t good; perhaps I had misdiagnosed where he roosted and would be left high and dry.&nbsp;Trying not to shatter yet another turkey hunting rule of&nbsp;“calling very sparingly while the turkeys are still roosted,”&nbsp;I watched and waited as daylight slowly poured itself across the landscape around me. I yelped softly with the box call and a gobble erupted beside me along the river probably&nbsp;seventy yards away; the rascal was&nbsp;roosting where I had not even considered. For thirty minutes he gobbled away, and I tried to find a good balance between calling back to let him know I was still interested and playing hard to get to make him come find me. For those thirty minutes he seemed not to move, and&nbsp;suddenly he was silent. I called softly a couple times but heard nothing in return. My heart dropped to my toes; what had I done wrong or not done right?&nbsp;

As I tossed the situation around in my mind, a gobble broke the stillness again, this time directly in front of me not far away; he had snuck quietly through the trees and was in the bean stubble where I knew he would see my plastic decoy “jezebels.”&nbsp;Soon I saw him strutting his way toward me in the open field. I put the call aside and brought the shotgun&nbsp;around into position. He got so close I heard him spit each time&nbsp;he&nbsp;fanned out, and could hear the scratching noise as each wingtip drug across the ground. I could see him well, but too many tree limbs were in the way for a sure shot. Like a target in an&nbsp;arcade,&nbsp;he marched back and forth but would not come any closer. I had just read an article where the author&nbsp;warned about placing decoys too close and creating just such a situation. It became another standoff as he remained behind too many limbs for a safe&nbsp;killing shot. I decided it was time for a plan “B”; if he would just step&nbsp;a little closer&nbsp;to the edge of the trees during his little show, he would momentarily be in a small clear spot for a shot.&nbsp;Finally,&nbsp;he appeared to stray a little closer to the trees,&nbsp;so as his back was toward me as he turned, I swung the shotgun around and leaned out around the tree trunk in front of me. He saw or heard me move and immediately&nbsp;dropped his tail feathers to run, but the&nbsp;twelve-gauge&nbsp;nailed him to the ground before he could take more than a couple steps.&nbsp;

If&nbsp;this story leaves&nbsp;some of you turkey hunting purists shaking your heads, I apologize. I’ve never been one to worry much about protocol. Maybe more of you have shot turkeys from tree stands than I know, but if not and the situation presents itself, give it a try. If you&nbsp;decide to&nbsp;try it, access your shooting lanes and place your decoys appropriately to draw the gobbler past you and to put him in a position for a clear shot if he hangs&nbsp;up a ways out. Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>With the 2022 Kansas spring turkey season ending, I sat here&nbsp;at my&nbsp;computer&nbsp;recalling spring turkey hunts from the past, and one particular hunt years ago keeps rambling through my mind. Now, everyone knows wild turkeys MUST&nbsp;be hunted from the ground. Sitting on the ground or on a&nbsp;five-gallon&nbsp;bucket until your butt and both legs are numb is just part of the turkey hunting&nbsp;experience, and NOT to do so would certainly be&nbsp;as un-American as eating pizza without potato chips, or owning a corvette with an automatic transmission. Yet&nbsp;there I stood, gazing longingly up the ladder of the&nbsp;landowner’s&nbsp;tree stand thinking what a perfect spot it would be&nbsp;to call-in the gobbler that roamed this&nbsp;wood lot.&nbsp;But I must persevere and not break turkey hunting protocol!“What a great seat,” I thought to myself as I surveyed my surroundings from above&nbsp;(I’m sure you saw this coming.)&nbsp;At this point several acres of nice timber separated the crop field to my left from the river. Right here is where I wanted to be, but the&nbsp;ground below was unusually void&nbsp;of the normal brush and downed tree limbs that make such good camouflage, so I put out a couple hen decoys and up the tree I went.My “yelps” were occasionally answered by a gobble from afar, and soon a young gobbler and a hen appeared from the far corner of the crop field and started toward me. “This is too easy” I thought as the pair steadily came my way. At fifty yards, they veered away and taunted me from the edge of the trees, hidden from sight by limbs on the tree next to my perch. For the next forty-five minutes it was a stand-off, and my desire to harvest him soon turned to wishes that he would just leave so I could climb down without totally spooking him and start afresh in the morning.&nbsp;The next&nbsp;morning,&nbsp;I followed my bouncing flashlight beam across the field, found the proper tree, set the decoys out and scaled the ladder once more up and into the tree stand. This tree stood barely three feet into the woodlot&nbsp;from the edge of the crop field; if I fell out, I’d land in the bean stubble. I figured the gobbler to be roosted at the end of the crop field and along the river, some distance away. Usually you can hear a gobbler even in the dark, as he’ll often gobble at every barking dog,&nbsp;hooting owl&nbsp;or slamming car door, but this morning the woods was unusually quiet. Perhaps that wasn’t good; perhaps I had misdiagnosed where he roosted and would be left high and dry.&nbsp;Trying not to shatter yet another turkey hunting rule of&nbsp;“calling very sparingly while the turkeys are still roosted,”&nbsp;I watched and waited as daylight slowly poured itself across the landscape around me. I yelped softly with the box call and a gobble erupted beside me along the river probably&nbsp;seventy yards away; the rascal was&nbsp;roosting where I had not even considered. For thirty minutes he gobbled away, and I tried to find a good balance between calling back to let him know I was still interested and playing hard to get to make him come find me. For those thirty minutes he seemed not to move, and&nbsp;suddenly he was silent. I called softly a couple times but heard nothing in return. My heart dropped to my toes; what had I done wrong or not done right?&nbsp;As I tossed the situation around in my mind, a gobble broke the stillness again, this time directly in front of me not far away; he had snuck quietly through the trees and was in the bean stubble where I knew he would see my plastic decoy “jezebels.”&nbsp;Soon I saw him strutting his way toward me in the open field. I put the call aside and brought the shotgun&nbsp;around into position. He got so close I heard him spit each time&nbsp;he&nbsp;fanned out, and could hear the scratching noise as each wingtip drug across the ground. I could see him well, but too many tree limbs were in the way for a sure shot. Like a target in an&nbsp;arcade,&nbsp;he marched back and forth but would not come any closer. I had just read an article where the author&nbsp;warned about placing decoys too close and creating just such a situation. It became another standoff as he remained behind too many limbs for a safe&nbsp;killing shot. I decided it was time for a plan “B”; if he would just step&nbsp;a little closer&nbsp;to the edge of the trees during his little show, he would momentarily be in a small clear spot for a shot.&nbsp;Finally,&nbsp;he appeared to stray a little closer to the trees,&nbsp;so as his back was toward me as he turned, I swung the shotgun around and leaned out around the tree trunk in front of me. He saw or heard me move and immediately&nbsp;dropped his tail feathers to run, but the&nbsp;twelve-gauge&nbsp;nailed him to the ground before he could take more than a couple steps.&nbsp;If&nbsp;this story leaves&nbsp;some of you turkey hunting purists shaking your heads, I apologize. I’ve never been one to worry much about protocol. Maybe more of you have shot turkeys from tree stands than I know, but if not and the situation presents itself, give it a try. If you&nbsp;decide to&nbsp;try it, access your shooting lanes and place your decoys appropriately to draw the gobbler past you and to put him in a position for a clear shot if he hangs&nbsp;up a ways out. Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: Tree top turkey

By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;&nbsp;

How about we go to a garden store? Or, what if the garden store could come to you?&nbsp;

Today we’ll meet an innovative young rural-preneur who has created a mobile system to bring vegetables, herbs, ornamentals and plant care information to the public.&nbsp;

Renata Goossen is the founder of Renata’s Garden in her hometown of Potwin. Her parents gardened, her dad raised tomatoes, and her mother’s family operates Henry Creek Farms, a fourth-generation family farm.&nbsp;

“I grew up in 4-H,” Goossen said. She tried the horticulture project and found that she loved it. “Our Butler County extension horticulture agent, Larry Crouse, was excellent at encouraging young people with judging and plant identification. Our extension agents influenced me greatly.”&nbsp;

“In junior high, I started a project I called Renata’s Garden,” she said. She raised special varieties of plants, created a catalog and marketed those plants to the community.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Thankfully I have great parents who were willing to drive me to deliver those plants when we went to school or 4-H functions.”&nbsp;

Goossen attended Kansas State University where she earned her degree in horticulture.&nbsp;&nbsp;“The College of Agriculture is really great at helping you find where you fit,” Goossen said. “I had great professors who helped me.”&nbsp;

She earned several scholarships and business internships, including serving as a horticulture marketing specialist for a growers business in Ohio. “I was taken aback that more hort businesses weren’t using extension resources,” Goossen said. As a student, she conducted and published undergraduate research and traveled to Europe with a study abroad program.&nbsp;

In the Netherlands, she observed mobile street vendors. It reminded her of seeing a renovated school bus which had been used for summer feeding programs back in Butler County.&nbsp;

After graduation from K-State, Goossen considered her options. “I liked dealing with the consumer and I also liked the reward of successfully growing a crop,” she said.&nbsp;

She decided to combine the two and create a mobile horticultural retail business of her own, using the name Renata’s Garden again. She built a greenhouse and produces specialty plants such as Celebrity Tomato, Large-Leaf Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, Patio Baby Eggplant, Snackabelle Pepper, Marigold Strawberry Blonde flowers, Everleaf Emerald Tower Basil, and many more.&nbsp;

She purchased and renovated an old school bus, painted a floral design on the exterior, and refitted it with benches custom-designed to hold flats of her plants with space for pots, soil and other supplies underneath. The bus has “Renata’s Garden” and “Plant Bus” printed in big letters on the front and side.&nbsp;

Goossen drives the bus to various locations where customers can purchase the plants she has raised. “I wanted to put a Kansas twist on the European mobile cart idea,” she said.&nbsp;

“I set it up like a pop-up shop and notify people where I’ll be on my social media and website,” Goossen said. She makes a circuit of Wichita, Newton, El Dorado and surrounding communities where she stops for a day or a few hours for the public to step on board and purchase her plants.&nbsp;

Plant care and education are important to Goossen. She includes a QR code on each plant label which links to the plant care information for that specific plant. She also produces a weekly YouTube program, called&nbsp;Unearth Horticulture, that discusses plant care.&nbsp;

“I love seeing people’s eyes light up when they see the inside of the bus,” Goossen said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“People are excited to embrace this kind of business. When there’s a little kid trying edible flowers for the first time or an older person who gets on the bus and says, `I’ve never seen anything like this,’ those moments are amazing.”&nbsp;

It's a remarkable business to originate in a rural community such as Potwin, population 421 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

For more information, see&nbsp;<a href="http://www.renatasgarden.com/">www.renatasgarden.com</a>.&nbsp;

Would you like to go to the plant store?&nbsp;&nbsp;What if the plant store came to you?&nbsp;&nbsp;We commend Renata Goossen for making a difference with her creative approach to marketing and educating horticultural consumers. I’d say her business is on the move.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654089439927.png" alt="Renata Goossen" />
 <figcaption>Renata Goossen</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;&nbsp;How about we go to a garden store? Or, what if the garden store could come to you?&nbsp;Today we’ll meet an innovative young rural-preneur who has created a mobile system to bring vegetables, herbs, ornamentals and plant care information to the public.&nbsp;Renata Goossen is the founder of Renata’s Garden in her hometown of Potwin. Her parents gardened, her dad raised tomatoes, and her mother’s family operates Henry Creek Farms, a fourth-generation family farm.&nbsp;“I grew up in 4-H,” Goossen said. She tried the horticulture project and found that she loved it. “Our Butler County extension horticulture agent, Larry Crouse, was excellent at encouraging young people with judging and plant identification. Our extension agents influenced me greatly.”&nbsp;“In junior high, I started a project I called Renata’s Garden,” she said. She raised special varieties of plants, created a catalog and marketed those plants to the community.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Thankfully I have great parents who were willing to drive me to deliver those plants when we went to school or 4-H functions.”&nbsp;Goossen attended Kansas State University where she earned her degree in horticulture.&nbsp;&nbsp;“The College of Agriculture is really great at helping you find where you fit,” Goossen said. “I had great professors who helped me.”&nbsp;She earned several scholarships and business internships, including serving as a horticulture marketing specialist for a growers business in Ohio. “I was taken aback that more hort businesses weren’t using extension resources,” Goossen said. As a student, she conducted and published undergraduate research and traveled to Europe with a study abroad program.&nbsp;In the Netherlands, she observed mobile street vendors. It reminded her of seeing a renovated school bus which had been used for summer feeding programs back in Butler County.&nbsp;After graduation from K-State, Goossen considered her options. “I liked dealing with the consumer and I also liked the reward of successfully growing a crop,” she said.&nbsp;She decided to combine the two and create a mobile horticultural retail business of her own, using the name Renata’s Garden again. She built a greenhouse and produces specialty plants such as Celebrity Tomato, Large-Leaf Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, Patio Baby Eggplant, Snackabelle Pepper, Marigold Strawberry Blonde flowers, Everleaf Emerald Tower Basil, and many more.&nbsp;She purchased and renovated an old school bus, painted a floral design on the exterior, and refitted it with benches custom-designed to hold flats of her plants with space for pots, soil and other supplies underneath. The bus has “Renata’s Garden” and “Plant Bus” printed in big letters on the front and side.&nbsp;Goossen drives the bus to various locations where customers can purchase the plants she has raised. “I wanted to put a Kansas twist on the European mobile cart idea,” she said.&nbsp;“I set it up like a pop-up shop and notify people where I’ll be on my social media and website,” Goossen said. She makes a circuit of Wichita, Newton, El Dorado and surrounding communities where she stops for a day or a few hours for the public to step on board and purchase her plants.&nbsp;Plant care and education are important to Goossen. She includes a QR code on each plant label which links to the plant care information for that specific plant. She also produces a weekly YouTube program, called&nbsp;Unearth Horticulture, that discusses plant care.&nbsp;“I love seeing people’s eyes light up when they see the inside of the bus,” Goossen said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“People are excited to embrace this kind of business. When there’s a little kid trying edible flowers for the first time or an older person who gets on the bus and says, `I’ve never seen anything like this,’ those moments are amazing.”&nbsp;It's a remarkable business to originate in a rural community such as Potwin, population 421 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;For more information, see&nbsp;<a href="http://www.renatasgarden.com/">www.renatasgarden.com</a>.&nbsp;Would you like to go to the plant store?&nbsp;&nbsp;What if the plant store came to you?&nbsp;&nbsp;We commend Renata Goossen for making a difference with her creative approach to marketing and educating horticultural consumers. I’d say her business is on the move.&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural:  Renata Goossen, Renata’s Garden 

National attention has turned, once again, to&nbsp;the gun debate following the horrific&nbsp;events at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas&nbsp;last month.&nbsp;

One day prior to the school shooting that killed 19 children and 2 adults, the Kansas legislature adjourned without taking action on proposed bills aimed to ban so called “ghost&nbsp;guns”, like the one used&nbsp;in the shooting at&nbsp;Olathe East High School in March of this year.

Ghost guns are&nbsp;firearms that don’t have serial numbers.&nbsp;Usually,&nbsp;they are privately assembled from parts ordered via the internet or 3-D printed.&nbsp;These types of&nbsp;untraceable&nbsp;firearms are virtually impossible to regulate.

Ghost guns are thought to be widespread, and production of them has&nbsp;only&nbsp;increased in recent years. According to a report by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), about 20,000 were recovered by law enforcement&nbsp;in 2021.

The availability of ghost guns makes it easier for those&nbsp;banned&nbsp;from owning a firearm by Kansas law&nbsp;to gain&nbsp;access to guns&nbsp;—&nbsp;ownership&nbsp;prohibitions include felony convictions, domestic violence offenses and protection orders, substance abuse, extreme mental health&nbsp;diagnoses, and&nbsp;(with some exceptions)&nbsp;possession by a minor&nbsp;under the age of 18.

The ability to purchase gun kits or 3-D printing instructions from the internet circumvent these reasonable restrictions on firearm possession.

In fact, these restrictions&nbsp;— and some even more stringent policies —&nbsp;are extremely popular with Kansas voters.&nbsp;

The 2019 Kansas Speaks survey, conducted by the Docking Institute for Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University,&nbsp;found&nbsp;that 88% of Kansans support requiring background checks on all gun sales — currently&nbsp;Kansas only requires&nbsp;background checks for sales conducted through a licensed dealer.&nbsp;85.5% supported preventing sales to individuals who have been deemed dangerous by mental health providers.&nbsp;Nearly 74% supported not allowing people who have been convicted of violent misdemeanors to purchase firearms.&nbsp;And just under 70%&nbsp;thought&nbsp;that only those&nbsp;above&nbsp;21 years of age should be able to purchase a gun.

If most Kansans support&nbsp;the&nbsp;laws that these ghost guns circumvent, then why didn’t the state legislature pass&nbsp;the&nbsp;ban?

Some on the gun safety side of the debate will point to lobbying efforts by gun rights organizations, like the National Rifle Association and similar groups.&nbsp;However,&nbsp;this is an incomplete explanation.&nbsp;

Over the past several years they have been consistently outspent by gun safety groups, like Moms Demand Action.&nbsp;Despite the weakening of the spending power of gun rights groups, their political power is still strong.

Research in political science shows that&nbsp;gun owners participate in politics&nbsp;more than non-owners. They vote, donate money,&nbsp;contact&nbsp;elected officials, and discuss politics more than&nbsp;citizens who don’t own firearms. Especially when it comes to gun issues.

Furthermore, rural gun owners are even more participatory&nbsp;on gun issues&nbsp;than&nbsp;their&nbsp;urban and suburban&nbsp;counterparts.

As such, gun rights organizations don’t have to&nbsp;bother dumping&nbsp;loads of money&nbsp;into&nbsp;the state legislature&nbsp;to prevent&nbsp;the passage of&nbsp;gun safety legislation&nbsp;because their supporters are a well-organized minority.&nbsp;

Lawmakers&nbsp;aren’t going to vote for a bill that their most vocal and engaged constituents oppose.Doing so would all but guarantee a primary challenger in the next election cycle.

Supporting&nbsp;even the most reasonable&nbsp;“gun control” legislation as a member of the Republican Party&nbsp;—&nbsp;who’s most ardent supporters tend to be gun rights activists&nbsp;—&nbsp;is&nbsp;difficult. It’s easier, and safer,&nbsp;to let such a bill die in committee. Which is exactly what happened with both ghost gun bills&nbsp;during this legislative session.

Alexandra Middlewood, PhD&nbsp;is an Assistant&nbsp;Professor of Political Science at&nbsp;Wichita State&nbsp;University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633377761670.jpeg" alt="Alexandra Middlewood, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Wichita State University." />
 <figcaption>Alexandra Middlewood, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Wichita State University.</figcaption>
 </figure>National attention has turned, once again, to&nbsp;the gun debate following the horrific&nbsp;events at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas&nbsp;last month.&nbsp;One day prior to the school shooting that killed 19 children and 2 adults, the Kansas legislature adjourned without taking action on proposed bills aimed to ban so called “ghost&nbsp;guns”, like the one used&nbsp;in the shooting at&nbsp;Olathe East High School in March of this year.Ghost guns are&nbsp;firearms that don’t have serial numbers.&nbsp;Usually,&nbsp;they are privately assembled from parts ordered via the internet or 3-D printed.&nbsp;These types of&nbsp;untraceable&nbsp;firearms are virtually impossible to regulate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Ghost guns are thought to be widespread, and production of them has&nbsp;only&nbsp;increased in recent years. According to a report by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), about 20,000 were recovered by law enforcement&nbsp;in 2021.The availability of ghost guns makes it easier for those&nbsp;banned&nbsp;from owning a firearm by Kansas law&nbsp;to gain&nbsp;access to guns&nbsp;—&nbsp;ownership&nbsp;prohibitions include felony convictions, domestic violence offenses and protection orders, substance abuse, extreme mental health&nbsp;diagnoses, and&nbsp;(with some exceptions)&nbsp;possession by a minor&nbsp;under the age of 18.The ability to purchase gun kits or 3-D printing instructions from the internet circumvent these reasonable restrictions on firearm possession.In fact, these restrictions&nbsp;— and some even more stringent policies —&nbsp;are extremely popular with Kansas voters.&nbsp;The 2019 Kansas Speaks survey, conducted by the Docking Institute for Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University,&nbsp;found&nbsp;that 88% of Kansans support requiring background checks on all gun sales — currently&nbsp;Kansas only requires&nbsp;background checks for sales conducted through a licensed dealer.&nbsp;85.5% supported preventing sales to individuals who have been deemed dangerous by mental health providers.&nbsp;Nearly 74% supported not allowing people who have been convicted of violent misdemeanors to purchase firearms.&nbsp;And just under 70%&nbsp;thought&nbsp;that only those&nbsp;above&nbsp;21 years of age should be able to purchase a gun.If most Kansans support&nbsp;the&nbsp;laws that these ghost guns circumvent, then why didn’t the state legislature pass&nbsp;the&nbsp;ban?Some on the gun safety side of the debate will point to lobbying efforts by gun rights organizations, like the National Rifle Association and similar groups.&nbsp;However,&nbsp;this is an incomplete explanation.&nbsp;Over the past several years they have been consistently outspent by gun safety groups, like Moms Demand Action.&nbsp;Despite the weakening of the spending power of gun rights groups, their political power is still strong.Research in political science shows that&nbsp;gun owners participate in politics&nbsp;more than non-owners. They vote, donate money,&nbsp;contact&nbsp;elected officials, and discuss politics more than&nbsp;citizens who don’t own firearms. Especially when it comes to gun issues.Furthermore, rural gun owners are even more participatory&nbsp;on gun issues&nbsp;than&nbsp;their&nbsp;urban and suburban&nbsp;counterparts.As such, gun rights organizations don’t have to&nbsp;bother dumping&nbsp;loads of money&nbsp;into&nbsp;the state legislature&nbsp;to prevent&nbsp;the passage of&nbsp;gun safety legislation&nbsp;because their supporters are a well-organized minority.&nbsp;Lawmakers&nbsp;aren’t going to vote for a bill that their most vocal and engaged constituents oppose.Doing so would all but guarantee a primary challenger in the next election cycle.Supporting&nbsp;even the most reasonable&nbsp;“gun control” legislation as a member of the Republican Party&nbsp;—&nbsp;who’s most ardent supporters tend to be gun rights activists&nbsp;—&nbsp;is&nbsp;difficult. It’s easier, and safer,&nbsp;to let such a bill die in committee. Which is exactly what happened with both ghost gun bills&nbsp;during this legislative session.Alexandra Middlewood, PhD&nbsp;is an Assistant&nbsp;Professor of Political Science at&nbsp;Wichita State&nbsp;University.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Ghost gun bans die in committee

There’s just something about a toad that “conjures” up visions of a witch in a huge black hat with a big hairy wart on her nose&nbsp;mumbling spells as she stirs a bubbling pot full of potion.&nbsp;Toads just look creepy,&nbsp;and then&nbsp;of course&nbsp;there is that propensity they possess to pee on anyone picking&nbsp;them up.&nbsp;Despite having a face only a mother could love, toads are extremely important to our planet.&nbsp;It is reported that a toad can eat ten&nbsp;thousand insects&nbsp;in one summer&nbsp;and are&nbsp;a big&nbsp;part of natures pest patrol&nbsp;(the person who did the counting for that study really needs a life!)

Toads begin their lives as tiny swimming tadpoles and eventually crawl onto land and begin breathing air, yet another of God’s creative mysteries.&nbsp;Toads, like other amphibians actually absorb air through their skin as well as getting it from their lungs with occasional breaths. They also absorb water though their skin rather than drinking&nbsp;it through their mouths.&nbsp;

If you have a dog, I’m quite sure you already know that toads have a mild toxin on their skin as protection. After licking or grabbing a toad with their mouth, a dog will begin frothing-at-the-mouth uncontrollably for a few minutes. It’s very temporary but quite funny at the time. One of our two little dogs doesn’t have the sense God gave a goose, and despite this being nearly a daily&nbsp;occurrence, she still cruises the flower beds looking for toads, after which she emerges, slobbering and frothing like some kind of crazed&nbsp;beast.

Because of toxins in their environment, toad populations are said to be declining nearly to the point of crisis, although I certainly see no evidence of that at my house. Raccoons, skunks and snakes are natural predators of toads. Besides protection from these predators, toads also need cool dark places to get away from the bright sun&nbsp;and weather.

Joyce has several large flower gardens and scattered throughout each garden she has created what she calls “toad abodes.”&nbsp;She takes broken clay or ornamental flower pots&nbsp;and turns them into cool, dark, secret hideaways for the resident toads. She finds an already shady spot beneath a big perennial plant, then simply&nbsp;lays the broken pot on its side to form a little round-top enclosure&nbsp;into&nbsp;which&nbsp;the toads can easily crawl&nbsp;and hide themselves away from predators, pets and the heat of the day.&nbsp;One such hideaway is even made from the bleached white pelvic bone of a cow,drug home from the woods by our grandson. Laid beneath a big plant with long slender leaves that hang down over it, the arched shape makes a perfect secret hideout for a toad or two.&nbsp;Any object that has room for a toad to crawl inside will work, and besides protecting the toads, they look very decorative and rustic in the flower bed too.

So the next time you buy your pet a new toy or treat, think about your insect removal friends too. Find a broken clay pot or bowl and place it in a new spot in the garden for yet another toad abode. And next year, when you ask yourself what in the world that broken pot is doing in your flower bed and pick it up to remove it, don’t be surprised to see a pair of dark eyes looking back at you from beneath it. If you pick up that toad, hold it out away from you or you’ll probably get your shoes wet, and if you suddenly find your dog frothing and foaming at the mouth, don’t shoot it, it just licked a toad!...&nbsp;Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at&nbsp;stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>There’s just something about a toad that “conjures” up visions of a witch in a huge black hat with a big hairy wart on her nose&nbsp;mumbling spells as she stirs a bubbling pot full of potion.&nbsp;Toads just look creepy,&nbsp;and then&nbsp;of course&nbsp;there is that propensity they possess to pee on anyone picking&nbsp;them up.&nbsp;Despite having a face only a mother could love, toads are extremely important to our planet.&nbsp;It is reported that a toad can eat ten&nbsp;thousand insects&nbsp;in one summer&nbsp;and are&nbsp;a big&nbsp;part of natures pest patrol&nbsp;(the person who did the counting for that study really needs a life!)Toads begin their lives as tiny swimming tadpoles and eventually crawl onto land and begin breathing air, yet another of God’s creative mysteries.&nbsp;Toads, like other amphibians actually absorb air through their skin as well as getting it from their lungs with occasional breaths. They also absorb water though their skin rather than drinking&nbsp;it through their mouths.&nbsp;If you have a dog, I’m quite sure you already know that toads have a mild toxin on their skin as protection. After licking or grabbing a toad with their mouth, a dog will begin frothing-at-the-mouth uncontrollably for a few minutes. It’s very temporary but quite funny at the time. One of our two little dogs doesn’t have the sense God gave a goose, and despite this being nearly a daily&nbsp;occurrence, she still cruises the flower beds looking for toads, after which she emerges, slobbering and frothing like some kind of crazed&nbsp;beast.Because of toxins in their environment, toad populations are said to be declining nearly to the point of crisis, although I certainly see no evidence of that at my house. Raccoons, skunks and snakes are natural predators of toads. Besides protection from these predators, toads also need cool dark places to get away from the bright sun&nbsp;and weather.Joyce has several large flower gardens and scattered throughout each garden she has created what she calls “toad abodes.”&nbsp;She takes broken clay or ornamental flower pots&nbsp;and turns them into cool, dark, secret hideaways for the resident toads. She finds an already shady spot beneath a big perennial plant, then simply&nbsp;lays the broken pot on its side to form a little round-top enclosure&nbsp;into&nbsp;which&nbsp;the toads can easily crawl&nbsp;and hide themselves away from predators, pets and the heat of the day.&nbsp;One such hideaway is even made from the bleached white pelvic bone of a cow,drug home from the woods by our grandson. Laid beneath a big plant with long slender leaves that hang down over it, the arched shape makes a perfect secret hideout for a toad or two.&nbsp;Any object that has room for a toad to crawl inside will work, and besides protecting the toads, they look very decorative and rustic in the flower bed too.So the next time you buy your pet a new toy or treat, think about your insect removal friends too. Find a broken clay pot or bowl and place it in a new spot in the garden for yet another toad abode. And next year, when you ask yourself what in the world that broken pot is doing in your flower bed and pick it up to remove it, don’t be surprised to see a pair of dark eyes looking back at you from beneath it. If you pick up that toad, hold it out away from you or you’ll probably get your shoes wet, and if you suddenly find your dog frothing and foaming at the mouth, don’t shoot it, it just licked a toad!...&nbsp;Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at&nbsp;stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: The toad abode

By ERIC THOMAS <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/06/03/screaming-on-the-sidelines-confessions-of-a-semi-reformed-sports-dad-in-kansas/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>

Any parent who has a child playing sports has a story like this.

This weekend we were watching the 
closing minutes of a soccer game before my son was taking the field with
 his team. The game was between teams of 18-year-olds in a tournament, 
and clearly something contentious had happened earlier.

The coaches were jawing at the 
referee. The players seemed more focused on pushing each other around 
than winning the ball or scoring goals. It was tense, but also lazy, 
soccer. My wife and I watched the feisty grind to pass time.

As a loose ball skittered into a 
dangerous area, a defender lost track of the forward he was marking. 
Once he relocated him, it was too late to do anything but foul him. The 
defender brought his opponent down in a dangerous rugby tackle, 
maliciously hooking the forward’s legs as they rolled on the ground. The
 forward sprung up from the tackle, prepared for a fight. And he got 
it.&nbsp;

The goalkeeper rushed forward and blindsided him with a shove.&nbsp;

What followed was a predictable 
shower of yellow cards and red cards, eventually sending off three 
players. That’s where the drama should have ended. As someone who didn’t
 care a bit about which team won, I judged that the referee had done his
 job. Tempers subsided.

But then, the dad from the sidelines piped up.

“That’s just terrible,” he said to the referee. “How can you do that to my son? You are just terrible!”

The ref spun on his heels and asked, rhetorically he hoped, “Do you want to leave too?”

“You should be parking cars!” the dad shouted. “You are awful. You should be parking cars!”

If I printed here the number of times
 the dad mentioned the referee’s acumen with storing automobiles, you 
wouldn’t believe it. It was his furious public mantra. Over and over, 
louder and louder, with “parking cars!”

A field marshal arrived. More 
shouting, plus an escort to the parking lot (fittingly) for the dad. 
After five minutes, the game resumed.

This story is just this weekend’s 
installment from our experience watching parent madness in youth soccer.
 We’ve seen parents ejected. Parents mouthing at opposing 12-year-olds 
while they are playing. One parent glowered over a referee as he stalked
 after him, saying, “I’m gonna kick your a**.”

Years ago, while photographing a 
football game, I saw a referee call off the rest of the game after a 
parent stormed onto the field on the opening kickoff! Just one play was 
the entirety of a game. Thanks to one parent.

I write these words with full 
understanding of how unreasonable I have been. My family even has a meme
 of something I once said to a teenage ref — during a soccer game for 
10-year-olds — after his call led to a goal.&nbsp;

I screamed, “That’s on you, sir!” with a toxic blend of accusation and mocking respect.

I have found it difficult to be the 
good sports parent that I hope to be. We want our kids to win. We want 
them to compete fairly. And we get particularly livid when we feel 
missed calls put them at risk of injury. There are reasons behind the 
madness festering in the folding chair on the sidelines.

This year, I made a promise to my 
son. I would stop coaching him from the sidelines. We pay a coach who is
 far more talented than me for that. I would also stop screaming at the 
refs.

At the outset of my promise, I kept 
score using a note on my phone. Each game that I avoided coaching my kid
 or the ref earned me a tally. It helped me see that I was making 
progress.

And it worked — mostly. I made it 
through a season with dozens of games without coaching my boy. My wife 
only occasionally has to reach over with a calming hand on my forearm to
 remind me of my silliness toward officials.

The irony is that my son is now 
reffing games. What would I think if I saw a dad yelling at my son that 
he is awful or that he had ruined a family’s weekend by failing to raise
 an offside flag?

Sports leagues <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/12/06/youth-sports-referees-quitting-shortage-sports-officials-quit/">struggle to fill officiating slots</a>.
 We have an insatiable appetite for youth sports that requires hundreds 
of referees for games every weekend: Baseball, soccer, basketball and 
volleyball run essentially year-round. Yet our ferocity towards 
officials <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/21/sports/referee-shortage-youth-sports.html">repels so many potential young refs</a>. One <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/youreoffside">social media account</a> documents the nationwide problems of parents who yell during youth sports.

As I work to be more reasonable, I 
have realized the biggest reward for being a sane parent comes on the 
ride home after the game. You might think “venting” toward the ref about
 a missed offsides call or a questionable foul would have left me 
feeling relieved.

But the truth is, time after time, I 
felt ashamed. My focus was on how I embarrassed myself, wishing I could 
take it back, rather than on the truly incredible thing: My son was 
playing soccer — a far more elegant brand of soccer than any soccer I 
ever played — with a gaggle of friends he loves and a coach he admires.

That is my goal these days: to shut 
up with my negativity on the sidelines so that after the game I can 
return home with a light heart, and do an incredible job of parking my 
car.

<a target="_blank" href="https://journalism.ku.edu/eric-thomas">Eric Thomas</a>&nbsp;directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the University of Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654266244855.png" alt="A foul? Not a foul? Youth sports games can turn parents into abusive maniacs rather than supportive fans, writes our columnist. (Eric Thomas)" />
 <figcaption>A foul? Not a foul? Youth sports games can turn parents into abusive maniacs rather than supportive fans, writes our columnist. (Eric Thomas)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ERIC THOMAS <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/06/03/screaming-on-the-sidelines-confessions-of-a-semi-reformed-sports-dad-in-kansas/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>Any parent who has a child playing sports has a story like this.This weekend we were watching the 
closing minutes of a soccer game before my son was taking the field with
 his team. The game was between teams of 18-year-olds in a tournament, 
and clearly something contentious had happened earlier.The coaches were jawing at the 
referee. The players seemed more focused on pushing each other around 
than winning the ball or scoring goals. It was tense, but also lazy, 
soccer. My wife and I watched the feisty grind to pass time.But then chaos broke out.As a loose ball skittered into a 
dangerous area, a defender lost track of the forward he was marking. 
Once he relocated him, it was too late to do anything but foul him. The 
defender brought his opponent down in a dangerous rugby tackle, 
maliciously hooking the forward’s legs as they rolled on the ground. The
 forward sprung up from the tackle, prepared for a fight. And he got 
it.&nbsp;The goalkeeper rushed forward and blindsided him with a shove.&nbsp;What followed was a predictable 
shower of yellow cards and red cards, eventually sending off three 
players. That’s where the drama should have ended. As someone who didn’t
 care a bit about which team won, I judged that the referee had done his
 job. Tempers subsided.But then, the dad from the sidelines piped up.“That’s just terrible,” he said to the referee. “How can you do that to my son? You are just terrible!”The ref spun on his heels and asked, rhetorically he hoped, “Do you want to leave too?”“You should be parking cars!” the dad shouted. “You are awful. You should be parking cars!”If I printed here the number of times
 the dad mentioned the referee’s acumen with storing automobiles, you 
wouldn’t believe it. It was his furious public mantra. Over and over, 
louder and louder, with “parking cars!”A field marshal arrived. More 
shouting, plus an escort to the parking lot (fittingly) for the dad. 
After five minutes, the game resumed.This story is just this weekend’s 
installment from our experience watching parent madness in youth soccer.
 We’ve seen parents ejected. Parents mouthing at opposing 12-year-olds 
while they are playing. One parent glowered over a referee as he stalked
 after him, saying, “I’m gonna kick your a**.”Years ago, while photographing a 
football game, I saw a referee call off the rest of the game after a 
parent stormed onto the field on the opening kickoff! Just one play was 
the entirety of a game. Thanks to one parent.I write these words with full 
understanding of how unreasonable I have been. My family even has a meme
 of something I once said to a teenage ref — during a soccer game for 
10-year-olds — after his call led to a goal.&nbsp;I screamed, “That’s on you, sir!” with a toxic blend of accusation and mocking respect.I have found it difficult to be the 
good sports parent that I hope to be. We want our kids to win. We want 
them to compete fairly. And we get particularly livid when we feel 
missed calls put them at risk of injury. There are reasons behind the 
madness festering in the folding chair on the sidelines.But it’s madness still.This year, I made a promise to my 
son. I would stop coaching him from the sidelines. We pay a coach who is
 far more talented than me for that. I would also stop screaming at the 
refs.At the outset of my promise, I kept 
score using a note on my phone. Each game that I avoided coaching my kid
 or the ref earned me a tally. It helped me see that I was making 
progress.And it worked — mostly. I made it 
through a season with dozens of games without coaching my boy. My wife 
only occasionally has to reach over with a calming hand on my forearm to
 remind me of my silliness toward officials.The irony is that my son is now 
reffing games. What would I think if I saw a dad yelling at my son that 
he is awful or that he had ruined a family’s weekend by failing to raise
 an offside flag?Sports leagues <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/12/06/youth-sports-referees-quitting-shortage-sports-officials-quit/">struggle to fill officiating slots</a>.
 We have an insatiable appetite for youth sports that requires hundreds 
of referees for games every weekend: Baseball, soccer, basketball and 
volleyball run essentially year-round. Yet our ferocity towards 
officials <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/21/sports/referee-shortage-youth-sports.html">repels so many potential young refs</a>. One <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/youreoffside">social media account</a> documents the nationwide problems of parents who yell during youth sports.As I work to be more reasonable, I 
have realized the biggest reward for being a sane parent comes on the 
ride home after the game. You might think “venting” toward the ref about
 a missed offsides call or a questionable foul would have left me 
feeling relieved.But the truth is, time after time, I 
felt ashamed. My focus was on how I embarrassed myself, wishing I could 
take it back, rather than on the truly incredible thing: My son was 
playing soccer — a far more elegant brand of soccer than any soccer I 
ever played — with a gaggle of friends he loves and a coach he admires.That is my goal these days: to shut 
up with my negativity on the sidelines so that after the game I can 
return home with a light heart, and do an incredible job of parking my 
car.<a target="_blank" href="https://journalism.ku.edu/eric-thomas">Eric Thomas</a>&nbsp;directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the University of Kansas.

Screaming on the sidelines: Confessions of a semi-reformed sports dad

After the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, in 2018, psychology professor <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=70eLrWwAAAAJ">Paul Boxer</a> and his colleagues reviewed research to see what could be learned from what they refer to as the “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21766">science of violence prevention</a>.”
 In the wake of the May 24, 2022, massacre at Robb Elementary School in 
Uvalde, Texas, Boxer has revisited that research anew – and other 
research conducted since then – for insights on what can be done to 
reduce the risk of school shootings in the future. Here he offers five 
policy changes – based on his findings – that can be implemented to 
achieve that end.

By PAUL BOXER <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-ways-to-reduce-school-shootings-183965">The Conversation</a>

When my colleagues and I looked at gun regulations on a state-by-state basis, we found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdab047">more restrictive gun laws are associated with lower rates of homicides by guns</a>.

This relation held even after we took demographic, economic and 
educational factors into account. Others researchers have found that 
“permissive firearm laws and higher rates of gun ownership” were linked 
with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220.2021.2018332">higher rates of school shootings</a>.

What these results essentially mean is that in states where it is 
more difficult to acquire a gun, fewer people are killed by guns. 
Examples of these restrictions are raising the age for legal purchase, 
imposing lengthy waiting periods before access, requiring meaningful 
background checks, and more. These and similar measures – for example, 
eliminating access for individuals at a high risk of committing 
violence, such as the perpetrators of domestic violence – all move 
toward making it significantly harder to access guns, which would reduce
 gun violence substantially.

Placing meaningful restrictions or outright bans on firearm equipment
 associated with greater lethality, such as assault-style rifles and 
high-capacity magazines, should also lower the number of people being 
killed by firearms. Research <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106599">already has shown</a> that greater access to guns is associated with higher numbers of gun deaths.

2. Use more violence risk assessments in schools

In the years since the Columbine shooting in 1999, researchers and federal law enforcement agencies have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.1007">studied school shootings</a> and developed <a href="https://doi.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Ftam0000038">risk assessments</a> to gauge the likelihood of actual violence by a young person identified as a possible risk.

These assessments are conducted by professionals that include police 
officers, school officials and teachers. They also involve mental health
 professionals, such as school counselors and psychologists. Together, 
these professionals all consult with one another to determine a young 
person’s risk for violence.

These teams may not be able to prevent every possible incident. 
Still, this sort of approach is critical to improving the process of 
identifying and stopping potential shooters overall. Guidance on how to 
use these assessments is <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/making-prevention-a-reality.pdf/view">freely available</a> and based in extensive applied research. For example, in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/tam0000038">one 2015 study</a>, the <a href="https://dev.curry.virginia.edu/faculty-research/centers-labs-projects/research-labs/youth-violence-project/virginia-student-threat">Virginia Student Threat Assessment Guidelines</a>
 – a set of guidelines for the investigation of a reported threat, 
thorough assessment of the individual making the threat, and preventive 
or protective measures to be taken in response – were shown to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/tam0000038">reduce rates of student aggression</a>. They were also shown to lower out-of-school suspension rates while improving teacher and student perceptions of safety.

3. Expand evidence-based strategies to reduce violent behavior

To help reduce the number of youths who grow up to become violent, 
governmental agencies could increase the availability and use of 
evidence-based interventions in schools. 

Aggressive and violent behavior has been shown by research to emerge from a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01233.x">mix of personal and environmental risk factors</a>. The factors include impulsivity, callousness, exposure to violence and victimization.

In light of this research, effective approaches were developed to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-013-9576-4">prevent</a>
 aggression by teaching students to problem-solve for better responses 
to peer conflict. They also teach students to think carefully about 
others’ motivations when they feel provoked.

Programs shown to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.72.4.571">reduce</a>
 aggressive behavior typically train youths who already have exhibited 
some aggression on new and better coping skills for managing stress and 
anger. And for youths who have become seriously violent, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.73.3.445">treatments</a>
 teach new, constructive behavioral and communication skills to youths 
and their caregivers. The treatments also help young people develop 
better relationships with family members and school personnel.

The Robb Elementary School shooter entered the school building through a door that reportedly <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/05/31/uvalde-teacher-door-closed/">malfunctioned</a>. This highlights the absolute importance for schools to take and maintain physical security measures.

In the wake of school shootings, schools often turn to solutions such as <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/05/30/1102035766/u-s-schools-increase-security-after-uvalde-shooting-texas">upgraded camera surveillance or increased law enforcement</a>.

These measures can have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.06.008">mixed effects</a>
 on students’ perceptions of safety and support – cameras posted outside
 appear to increase felt safety, whereas cameras posted inside seem to 
promote unease.

Increased law enforcement presence might make <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2020.1844547">teachers feel safer</a> in school. But it also might <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12512">criminalize student misbehavior</a> without <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2020.1846458">actually making schools safer</a>.

Still, there are number of ways for schools to <a href="https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.88.10614">improve physical security</a>
 without increasing student anxiety or needlessly deploying law 
enforcement. For example, in one large study, students were less likely 
to skip school because of safety concerns when metal detectors were <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904816673735">used at school entry points</a>. In that study, those metal detectors also reduced the likelihood of weapons being brought into schools.

5. Reduce exposure to violence through media and social media

Entertainment media and social media are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.1">saturated with violent images</a>
 of physical assaults, gun violence and gore. Exposure to and 
participation in virtual violence might not lead to aggressive behavior 
for all children and adolescents. But watching violent programs and 
playing violent video games can lead to increased <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21655">hostility</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21427">aggressive feelings</a>, emotional <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021711">desensitization to violence</a> and ultimately <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.160.4.348">aggressive behavior</a>.
 These effects can potentially be lessened by reducing the amount of 
screen violence to which children and adolescents are exposed over time,
 particularly early in development.

Paul Boxer is a Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University.

After the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, in 2018, psychology professor <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=70eLrWwAAAAJ">Paul Boxer</a> and his colleagues reviewed research to see what could be learned from what they refer to as the “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21766">science of violence prevention</a>.”
 In the wake of the May 24, 2022, massacre at Robb Elementary School in 
Uvalde, Texas, Boxer has revisited that research anew – and other 
research conducted since then – for insights on what can be done to 
reduce the risk of school shootings in the future. Here he offers five 
policy changes – based on his findings – that can be implemented to 
achieve that end.By PAUL BOXER <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-ways-to-reduce-school-shootings-183965">The Conversation</a><h2>1. Dramatically limit access to guns</h2>Gun regulation matters.When my colleagues and I looked at gun regulations on a state-by-state basis, we found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdab047">more restrictive gun laws are associated with lower rates of homicides by guns</a>. This relation held even after we took demographic, economic and 
educational factors into account. Others researchers have found that 
“permissive firearm laws and higher rates of gun ownership” were linked 
with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220.2021.2018332">higher rates of school shootings</a>. What these results essentially mean is that in states where it is 
more difficult to acquire a gun, fewer people are killed by guns. 
Examples of these restrictions are raising the age for legal purchase, 
imposing lengthy waiting periods before access, requiring meaningful 
background checks, and more. These and similar measures – for example, 
eliminating access for individuals at a high risk of committing 
violence, such as the perpetrators of domestic violence – all move 
toward making it significantly harder to access guns, which would reduce
 gun violence substantially.Placing meaningful restrictions or outright bans on firearm equipment
 associated with greater lethality, such as assault-style rifles and 
high-capacity magazines, should also lower the number of people being 
killed by firearms. Research <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106599">already has shown</a> that greater access to guns is associated with higher numbers of gun deaths.<h2>2. Use more violence risk assessments in schools</h2>In the years since the Columbine shooting in 1999, researchers and federal law enforcement agencies have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.1007">studied school shootings</a> and developed <a href="https://doi.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Ftam0000038">risk assessments</a> to gauge the likelihood of actual violence by a young person identified as a possible risk.These assessments are conducted by professionals that include police 
officers, school officials and teachers. They also involve mental health
 professionals, such as school counselors and psychologists. Together, 
these professionals all consult with one another to determine a young 
person’s risk for violence.These teams may not be able to prevent every possible incident. 
Still, this sort of approach is critical to improving the process of 
identifying and stopping potential shooters overall. Guidance on how to 
use these assessments is <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/making-prevention-a-reality.pdf/view">freely available</a> and based in extensive applied research. For example, in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/tam0000038">one 2015 study</a>, the <a href="https://dev.curry.virginia.edu/faculty-research/centers-labs-projects/research-labs/youth-violence-project/virginia-student-threat">Virginia Student Threat Assessment Guidelines</a>
 – a set of guidelines for the investigation of a reported threat, 
thorough assessment of the individual making the threat, and preventive 
or protective measures to be taken in response – were shown to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/tam0000038">reduce rates of student aggression</a>. They were also shown to lower out-of-school suspension rates while improving teacher and student perceptions of safety. <h2>3. Expand evidence-based strategies to reduce violent behavior</h2>To help reduce the number of youths who grow up to become violent, 
governmental agencies could increase the availability and use of 
evidence-based interventions in schools. Aggressive and violent behavior has been shown by research to emerge from a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01233.x">mix of personal and environmental risk factors</a>. The factors include impulsivity, callousness, exposure to violence and victimization. In light of this research, effective approaches were developed to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-013-9576-4">prevent</a>
 aggression by teaching students to problem-solve for better responses 
to peer conflict. They also teach students to think carefully about 
others’ motivations when they feel provoked.Programs shown to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.72.4.571">reduce</a>
 aggressive behavior typically train youths who already have exhibited 
some aggression on new and better coping skills for managing stress and 
anger. And for youths who have become seriously violent, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.73.3.445">treatments</a>
 teach new, constructive behavioral and communication skills to youths 
and their caregivers. The treatments also help young people develop 
better relationships with family members and school personnel.<h2>4. Make school buildings safer</h2>The Robb Elementary School shooter entered the school building through a door that reportedly <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/05/31/uvalde-teacher-door-closed/">malfunctioned</a>. This highlights the absolute importance for schools to take and maintain physical security measures.In the wake of school shootings, schools often turn to solutions such as <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/05/30/1102035766/u-s-schools-increase-security-after-uvalde-shooting-texas">upgraded camera surveillance or increased law enforcement</a>. These measures can have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.06.008">mixed effects</a>
 on students’ perceptions of safety and support – cameras posted outside
 appear to increase felt safety, whereas cameras posted inside seem to 
promote unease. Increased law enforcement presence might make <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2020.1844547">teachers feel safer</a> in school. But it also might <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12512">criminalize student misbehavior</a> without <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2020.1846458">actually making schools safer</a>.Still, there are number of ways for schools to <a href="https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.88.10614">improve physical security</a>
 without increasing student anxiety or needlessly deploying law 
enforcement. For example, in one large study, students were less likely 
to skip school because of safety concerns when metal detectors were <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904816673735">used at school entry points</a>. In that study, those metal detectors also reduced the likelihood of weapons being brought into schools.<h2>5. Reduce exposure to violence through media and social media</h2>Entertainment media and social media are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.1">saturated with violent images</a>
 of physical assaults, gun violence and gore. Exposure to and 
participation in virtual violence might not lead to aggressive behavior 
for all children and adolescents. But watching violent programs and 
playing violent video games can lead to increased <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21655">hostility</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21427">aggressive feelings</a>, emotional <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021711">desensitization to violence</a> and ultimately <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.160.4.348">aggressive behavior</a>.
 These effects can potentially be lessened by reducing the amount of 
screen violence to which children and adolescents are exposed over time,
 particularly early in development.Paul Boxer is a Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University. 
 <div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/183965/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1"></iframe></div>

ANALYSIS: 5 ways to reduce school shootings

By JACKIE MUNDT Pratt County farmer and rancher Memorial Day serves in my mind as the unofficial start of the summer, Independence Day the middle, and Labor Day the end. I am aware that this timeframe has inaccuracies, but this engrained set of time landmarks can’t be changed in my mind. And I don’t think I am alone. The popular agreement of Memorial Day being summer’s kick-off celebration brings with it criticism that too many people think of the holiday as an excuse to party or a day off instead of an opportunity to observe its true meaning. Memorial Day is intended to be a day of remembrance for the sacrifice military personnel who died in service to their country. Some people more broadly recognize the contributions of service in the armed forces on this day, which seems appropriate, too, as they have lost comrades and were willing to sacrifice for the country. My firm association of Memorial Day launching summer does surprise me a little as I don’t ever remember this weekend being associated with anything like vacation or party-like in my childhood. I have countless memories of gathering with a small crowd of community members at the local cemetery to watch the high school band play, see the VFW members present the colors, students leading the pledge of allegiance, speakers with words of remembrance, a prayer by local clergy and the chills of 21-gun salutes followed by taps for a somber ending. Memorial Day never felt like a celebration, but it also never really a time of mourning for me. Beyond the rituals of the ceremonies, I remember appropriately somber reflection on what it must be like for families who lost a loved one and whether or not I could willingly sacrifice my life for my country. I also remember anticipation to go to an event where I could visit with family members and friends from the community. Important parts of my character and values were being formed by attending those events. I was learning to take pride in my country, to feel and express gratitude for those who serve, to enjoy community, to feel empathy for those who have lost, and to think about how I could serve in my life. Another thing I remember is that there weren’t a lot of families or kids at the ceremonies. I am not sure if this is because other families where traveling or maybe some thought it too mature for children. I would guess that there are less families attending now than ever and that makes me sad. Memorial Day helped instill in me the patriotic ideals of our country: freedom, service and sacrifice. It built a sense of community and challenged me to think about how I could continue to contribute to that community. Some reading this will have attended Memorial Day ceremonies. Thank you for attending and taking time to remember, and build our communities. For others thoughts of military service may only have come from watching the latest “Top Gun” movie. You weren’t alone, it was a great movie. However, I would challenge you to make a little time to remember the sacrifices of others and to think about how you can serve your community in the future. And don’t forget to take your kids, they will remember the time with you and the lessons for the rest of their lives.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575406519723.jpeg" alt="Jackie Mundt" />
 <figcaption>Jackie Mundt</figcaption>
 </figure>By JACKIE MUNDT Pratt County farmer and rancher Memorial Day serves in my mind as the unofficial start of the summer, Independence Day the middle, and Labor Day the end. I am aware that this timeframe has inaccuracies, but this engrained set of time landmarks can’t be changed in my mind. And I don’t think I am alone. The popular agreement of Memorial Day being summer’s kick-off celebration brings with it criticism that too many people think of the holiday as an excuse to party or a day off instead of an opportunity to observe its true meaning. Memorial Day is intended to be a day of remembrance for the sacrifice military personnel who died in service to their country. Some people more broadly recognize the contributions of service in the armed forces on this day, which seems appropriate, too, as they have lost comrades and were willing to sacrifice for the country. My firm association of Memorial Day launching summer does surprise me a little as I don’t ever remember this weekend being associated with anything like vacation or party-like in my childhood. I have countless memories of gathering with a small crowd of community members at the local cemetery to watch the high school band play, see the VFW members present the colors, students leading the pledge of allegiance, speakers with words of remembrance, a prayer by local clergy and the chills of 21-gun salutes followed by taps for a somber ending. Memorial Day never felt like a celebration, but it also never really a time of mourning for me. Beyond the rituals of the ceremonies, I remember appropriately somber reflection on what it must be like for families who lost a loved one and whether or not I could willingly sacrifice my life for my country. I also remember anticipation to go to an event where I could visit with family members and friends from the community. Important parts of my character and values were being formed by attending those events. I was learning to take pride in my country, to feel and express gratitude for those who serve, to enjoy community, to feel empathy for those who have lost, and to think about how I could serve in my life. Another thing I remember is that there weren’t a lot of families or kids at the ceremonies. I am not sure if this is because other families where traveling or maybe some thought it too mature for children. I would guess that there are less families attending now than ever and that makes me sad. Memorial Day helped instill in me the patriotic ideals of our country: freedom, service and sacrifice. It built a sense of community and challenged me to think about how I could continue to contribute to that community. Some reading this will have attended Memorial Day ceremonies. Thank you for attending and taking time to remember, and build our communities. For others thoughts of military service may only have come from watching the latest “Top Gun” movie. You weren’t alone, it was a great movie. However, I would challenge you to make a little time to remember the sacrifices of others and to think about how you can serve your community in the future. And don’t forget to take your kids, they will remember the time with you and the lessons for the rest of their lives."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: A day to remember

My husband and I are in our mid-twenties, and we are expecting our first baby this year. We are also debt-free, except for our mortgage, and we expect to have it paid off in about four years. It has always been our dream for me to stay home with our kids, and maybe even homeschool them, when the time was right. My husband makes more than enough for us to live on, so we have always put the paychecks from my human resources job toward paying off the house. What do you think, Dave? I kind of hate to give up the income, but I want to do what is best for my family.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

First, congratulations on expecting a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/relationships/what-i-learned-from-being-a-proud-parent">new baby!</a>&nbsp;I know it’s an exciting time in your lives. It sounds like you two have been killing it financially as well. You’ve both worked hard to set yourselves up for a great future.

Honestly, there’s no wrong answer here. Under the circumstances, the big question is what do&nbsp;you&nbsp;want to do? Of course, the final decision should be made by you and your husband&nbsp;together, but you’re doing the smart thing by analyzing the trade-off. By that, I mean comparing the ideas of continuing to bring extra cash to the household or being at home with your baby.

If you love your job and want to continue those duties full-time, it doesn’t make you a bad mom. It just makes you a working mom. But if you’re in a season of life where you don’t need a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/career-advice/resume-guide">career</a>&nbsp;income or workplace identity to be fulfilled, or if you just want to be home with your child, that’s a really cool thing, too. And hey, if you like your job, there’s no reason you couldn’t perform some HR functions from home on a contract basis, like 20 to 25 hours a week while the little one’s napping, with minimal strain on motherhood.

Even if you quit today and it takes a couple more years for you guys to pay off your house, so what? It’s still not a bad choice. The bad thing is, lots of ladies end up with mom-guilt no matter what they do. They feel guilty if they’re not staying home with the little one, and they feel guilty if they aren’t generating an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/retirement/investment-options-for-high-income-earners">income</a>. Society wants you to be everything, and when you choose to be one or the other, it doesn’t know what to do with you—and lots of times becomes really judgey.

You’re blessed to be in a unique financial situation, Ann. So, do what you and your husband feel in your hearts is best for you and your family. Sit down together and talk about it, then make a plan and don’t worry about what the world thinks. God bless you guys!&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/">Dave Ramsey&nbsp;</a>is an eight-time #1 national bestselling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people take control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648177011035.png" alt="Dave Ramsey" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey</figcaption>
 </figure>Dear Dave,My husband and I are in our mid-twenties, and we are expecting our first baby this year. We are also debt-free, except for our mortgage, and we expect to have it paid off in about four years. It has always been our dream for me to stay home with our kids, and maybe even homeschool them, when the time was right. My husband makes more than enough for us to live on, so we have always put the paychecks from my human resources job toward paying off the house. What do you think, Dave? I kind of hate to give up the income, but I want to do what is best for my family.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;AnnDear Ann,First, congratulations on expecting a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/relationships/what-i-learned-from-being-a-proud-parent">new baby!</a>&nbsp;I know it’s an exciting time in your lives. It sounds like you two have been killing it financially as well. You’ve both worked hard to set yourselves up for a great future.Honestly, there’s no wrong answer here. Under the circumstances, the big question is what do&nbsp;you&nbsp;want to do? Of course, the final decision should be made by you and your husband&nbsp;together, but you’re doing the smart thing by analyzing the trade-off. By that, I mean comparing the ideas of continuing to bring extra cash to the household or being at home with your baby.If you love your job and want to continue those duties full-time, it doesn’t make you a bad mom. It just makes you a working mom. But if you’re in a season of life where you don’t need a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/career-advice/resume-guide">career</a>&nbsp;income or workplace identity to be fulfilled, or if you just want to be home with your child, that’s a really cool thing, too. And hey, if you like your job, there’s no reason you couldn’t perform some HR functions from home on a contract basis, like 20 to 25 hours a week while the little one’s napping, with minimal strain on motherhood.Even if you quit today and it takes a couple more years for you guys to pay off your house, so what? It’s still not a bad choice. The bad thing is, lots of ladies end up with mom-guilt no matter what they do. They feel guilty if they’re not staying home with the little one, and they feel guilty if they aren’t generating an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/retirement/investment-options-for-high-income-earners">income</a>. Society wants you to be everything, and when you choose to be one or the other, it doesn’t know what to do with you—and lots of times becomes really judgey.You’re blessed to be in a unique financial situation, Ann. So, do what you and your husband feel in your hearts is best for you and your family. Sit down together and talk about it, then make a plan and don’t worry about what the world thinks. God bless you guys!&nbsp;&nbsp;— Dave<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/">Dave Ramsey&nbsp;</a>is an eight-time #1 national bestselling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people take control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

Dave Says: What do you want to do?

On June 20, 1872, the Great Seal of the United States was adopted, sporting the bald eagle at its center, and for the past&nbsp;150&nbsp;years the bald eagle has served as the living symbol of freedom, courage, strength, spirit, independence and excellence, all the things America stands for. June 20, was proclaimed nationwide &nbsp;American Eagle Day as a way to celebrate&nbsp;the bald eagle, Americas living symbol of freedom and to bring attention to its dramatic recovery from the brink of extinction. In honor of that, here are some bald eagle facts and trivia.&nbsp;

In the early 1960’s the bald eagle population in the lower 48 states had dropped to less than 500 nesting pairs, and in 1967 they were classified as endangered. In 1995, bald eagles were moved up to a list of threatened species, and&nbsp;today, thanks to conservation efforts&nbsp;there&nbsp;are&nbsp;estimated to be nearly 138,000 bald eagles&nbsp;in those same 48 states.&nbsp;Kansas Dept of Wildlife and Parks, (KDWP) estimates there to be 137 nesting pairs here in Kansas, and&nbsp;several thousand&nbsp;bald eagles spend time in Kansas each winter.&nbsp;The best time to view bald eagles in Kansas is&nbsp;from November through February, and the best viewing is near any of our large lakes and reservoirs and anywhere along the rivers.&nbsp;

Bald eagles often build nests 50 feet or more off the ground. Nests are not particularly pretty, resembling&nbsp;a haphazard pile of sticks. The same pair&nbsp;uses&nbsp;the same nest year after year, making them larger each time, and after several years a bald eagle nest can easily be the size of a small room.&nbsp;The largest eagle nest ever recorded was in Florida and measured 9 ½ feet across, was 20 feet high from top-to-bottom and weighed an estimated 4500 pounds.&nbsp;A female bald eagle lays from 1 to 3&nbsp;pure white&nbsp;eggs once per year in the spring.&nbsp;When I still lived in Ohio there were numerous active eagle nests along Lake Erie, and a game warden friend of mine was in charge of overseeing those nests. He had hours of amazing video of them checking the&nbsp;nests and the chicks in them each spring. They did it by helicopter using 3 people; the pilot, a second person who was lowered from the helicopter down into each nest and a third person as a lookout, constantly watching the sky for the adult eagles to prevent them from flying into the helicopter blades, killing the eagle and crashing the helicopter in the process. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The majority of the bald eagle’s diet is fish and waterfowl, so when things freeze solid in the winter up north, the eagles migrate south to find open water where they can still fish.&nbsp;Even when our&nbsp;Kansas reservoirs freeze over,&nbsp;the rivers feeding each reservoir still offer open water.&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;ice fishermen&nbsp;often leave a few carp or other rough fish on the ice for the eagles.&nbsp;The&nbsp;huge influx of waterfowl through Kansas each winter&nbsp;is also a big draw to eagles.&nbsp;From their vantage point 1,000 or more feet above the&nbsp;ground an&nbsp;eagle’s miraculous eyes can spot prey over a 3 square mile area.&nbsp;

Sadly, it seems&nbsp;American&nbsp;Eagle Day gets very little publicity.&nbsp;At a time such as this, with all the negativity about our country and all the internal division, there would seem to me to be no better time than now to find something to celebrate and bring us together as Americans. So, remember this coming June 20th&nbsp;and take a little time, not only to celebrate the tenacity of our national symbol the bald eagle, but also to remember that we live in what is still the best country in the world.

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>On June 20, 1872, the Great Seal of the United States was adopted, sporting the bald eagle at its center, and for the past&nbsp;150&nbsp;years the bald eagle has served as the living symbol of freedom, courage, strength, spirit, independence and excellence, all the things America stands for. June 20, was proclaimed nationwide &nbsp;American Eagle Day as a way to celebrate&nbsp;the bald eagle, Americas living symbol of freedom and to bring attention to its dramatic recovery from the brink of extinction. In honor of that, here are some bald eagle facts and trivia.&nbsp;In the early 1960’s the bald eagle population in the lower 48 states had dropped to less than 500 nesting pairs, and in 1967 they were classified as endangered. In 1995, bald eagles were moved up to a list of threatened species, and&nbsp;today, thanks to conservation efforts&nbsp;there&nbsp;are&nbsp;estimated to be nearly 138,000 bald eagles&nbsp;in those same 48 states.&nbsp;Kansas Dept of Wildlife and Parks, (KDWP) estimates there to be 137 nesting pairs here in Kansas, and&nbsp;several thousand&nbsp;bald eagles spend time in Kansas each winter.&nbsp;The best time to view bald eagles in Kansas is&nbsp;from November through February, and the best viewing is near any of our large lakes and reservoirs and anywhere along the rivers.&nbsp;Bald eagles often build nests 50 feet or more off the ground. Nests are not particularly pretty, resembling&nbsp;a haphazard pile of sticks. The same pair&nbsp;uses&nbsp;the same nest year after year, making them larger each time, and after several years a bald eagle nest can easily be the size of a small room.&nbsp;The largest eagle nest ever recorded was in Florida and measured 9 ½ feet across, was 20 feet high from top-to-bottom and weighed an estimated 4500 pounds.&nbsp;A female bald eagle lays from 1 to 3&nbsp;pure white&nbsp;eggs once per year in the spring.&nbsp;When I still lived in Ohio there were numerous active eagle nests along Lake Erie, and a game warden friend of mine was in charge of overseeing those nests. He had hours of amazing video of them checking the&nbsp;nests and the chicks in them each spring. They did it by helicopter using 3 people; the pilot, a second person who was lowered from the helicopter down into each nest and a third person as a lookout, constantly watching the sky for the adult eagles to prevent them from flying into the helicopter blades, killing the eagle and crashing the helicopter in the process. &nbsp;&nbsp;The majority of the bald eagle’s diet is fish and waterfowl, so when things freeze solid in the winter up north, the eagles migrate south to find open water where they can still fish.&nbsp;Even when our&nbsp;Kansas reservoirs freeze over,&nbsp;the rivers feeding each reservoir still offer open water.&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;ice fishermen&nbsp;often leave a few carp or other rough fish on the ice for the eagles.&nbsp;The&nbsp;huge influx of waterfowl through Kansas each winter&nbsp;is also a big draw to eagles.&nbsp;From their vantage point 1,000 or more feet above the&nbsp;ground an&nbsp;eagle’s miraculous eyes can spot prey over a 3 square mile area.&nbsp;Sadly, it seems&nbsp;American&nbsp;Eagle Day gets very little publicity.&nbsp;At a time such as this, with all the negativity about our country and all the internal division, there would seem to me to be no better time than now to find something to celebrate and bring us together as Americans. So, remember this coming June 20th&nbsp;and take a little time, not only to celebrate the tenacity of our national symbol the bald eagle, but also to remember that we live in what is still the best country in the world.Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: American Eagle Day

By REBECCA LYN PHILLIPS <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/27/in-my-story-and-those-of-others-opportunities-to-demystify-mental-illness/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>

I was an overachiever big-time 
growing up. I attended a private, Christian school in Topeka, and I also
 signed a book contract with a major publisher in Nashville when I was 
just 15 years old. I also had a baby-sitting business and was involved 
in track, orchestra, choir and several musicals and plays. Never did I 
think I would be diagnosed with a mental illness, let alone 
schizophrenia.

“Schizophrenia?!” I thought to myself
 when they told my mom and me at the psychiatric hospital in the cold 
winter of 1994. I thought they were telling me I was stupid and not 
smart anymore. I thought they were telling me I would never amount to 
anything and I might as well just roll over and die.

Unfortunately, too many folks end up 
thinking similar thoughts when they or a loved one is diagnosed with a 
serious mental illness. It can happen to anyone. I have a good friend 
who has schizophrenia who attended Mount Holyoke and received a 
bachelor’s degree in political science and an M.B.A. from Baker. Her dad
 was a doctor and they were a close family.

Yes, mental illness can happen to anyone.

So much of the time, however, we only
 hear about mental health when a shooting happens or something else that
 is terrible and disturbing. Words like “nutcase” or “psycho” or “crazy”
 or “schizo” are often used to describe someone who is a bad person.

I was filmed in a national 
documentary several years ago, and the psychologist in the short film, 
Xavier Amador, is consulted by many powerful organizations and law 
enforcement to discuss people who end up doing things when they were 
psychotic.

Amador, who taught at Columbia and 
travels the world to speak to professionals about communicating with 
people with mental illness, is a true advocate of the mentally ill. He 
was Bethenny Frankel’s counselor in New York City. He also had a brother
 with schizophrenia who he talks about in his book, “I’m Not Sick, I 
Don’t Need Help.” He helps people learn how to help their loved one 
accept treatment even when they don’t think they have a problem.

So many hot topics in today’s society
 relate to mental health and its challenges — from health insurance, 
like Medicaid, to housing, to law enforcement, to stigma, to family 
support. My mom, Claire, helps teach a family support group for our 
local NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The other three 
ladies who guide the group are brave and compassionate. That
 is just what it takes to deal with the issues and challenges that those
 with mental illness present. Mental illness is not a bad behavior or a 
sin: It is a chemical imbalance in the brain. And yes, the brain is a 
physical part of the body. It’s all connected.

Valeo CEO Bill Persinger has one of 
the biggest jobs in Topeka trying to figure out how to help people in 
need, many of whom arrive at Valeo underinsured or not insured at all. 
With the implementation of KanCare, the three managed-care companies 
that make up Kansas Medicaid, many behavioral health care providers have
 had to rise to the immense and incredible challenge of dealing not with
 one managed care company, but three. Medicaid cuts haven’t been kind to
 providers either.

Housing is another huge issue that 
affects too many with serious mental health challenges. Breakthrough 
House, another Topeka nonprofit organization, offers several group 
homes, but what is really needed is about 25 group homes.

Breakthrough House staff does their 
best to try to help individuals find shelter. They also have a clubhouse
 in the former Social Security building downtown where clients can come 
for meals and support. They help them get housing, help them in their 
pursuit of finding a job or going back to school, or volunteering.

The third program is a financial 
management service where the clients get help paying their rent and 
other bills. Financial abuse is a huge issue as well for folks with 
mental illness. Too often they are taken advantage of and misused. I 
have two friends who have boyfriends who use them for their money and 
their family’s money.

Recent news about Brittney Spears’ 
situation has raised the subject of guardianship or conservatorship, 
which is when a person with mental illness has someone who makes 
financial and other types of decisions for them. These relationships can
 too often become abusive.

Another important issue is law 
enforcement and how the police respond to mental health crisis. Many 
police departments have Crisis Intervention Team officers who have been 
trained in learning how to respond to these situations.&nbsp;

I have spoken at the annual Topeka 
CIT Training and showed the documentary I was in for the past eight 
years, except last year. Too often, across the nation, officers don’t 
understand how to communicate with these folks in need and in crisis. 
The Topeka Police Department does a great job, however.

So, is there recovery for people with
 mental illness? I am a firm believer in recovery, but it is more of a 
recovery journey, not a destination, because there is no cure or magical
 healing. I continue to share because without talking about mental 
illness and its challenges, there can be no understanding of how to 
offer help and hope.

Since it is Mental Health Awareness 
Month, every one of us needs to ask ourselves, “How can I reach out to 
those in need? How can I help end stigma and start the conversation 
regarding mental illness?”

By starting a conversation in one’s 
family or at a coffee shop with friends or anywhere else, one can dare 
to care and dare to offer a glimmer of hope. There is hope. There is a 
way to recovery. We just need to open our eyes and be brave. We need to 
reach beyond our comfort zone, and take a step outside our door into the
 big world of knowledge and compassion.

Rebecca Lyn Phillips is a published author, speaker and mental health advocate. Several years ago, she was filmed in a national documentary about mental illness. The national premiere was in Washington, D.C., and she has traveled nationwide to share her story. Five years ago, she was also published in Guideposts magazine, which reaches 2 million readers each month. For nine years, she has shared at the Topeka Police Department for the annual Crisis Intervention Team training. Rebecca is a firm believer in recovery.

By REBECCA LYN PHILLIPS <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/27/in-my-story-and-those-of-others-opportunities-to-demystify-mental-illness/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>I was an overachiever big-time 
growing up. I attended a private, Christian school in Topeka, and I also
 signed a book contract with a major publisher in Nashville when I was 
just 15 years old. I also had a baby-sitting business and was involved 
in track, orchestra, choir and several musicals and plays. Never did I 
think I would be diagnosed with a mental illness, let alone 
schizophrenia.“Schizophrenia?!” I thought to myself
 when they told my mom and me at the psychiatric hospital in the cold 
winter of 1994. I thought they were telling me I was stupid and not 
smart anymore. I thought they were telling me I would never amount to 
anything and I might as well just roll over and die.Unfortunately, too many folks end up 
thinking similar thoughts when they or a loved one is diagnosed with a 
serious mental illness. It can happen to anyone. I have a good friend 
who has schizophrenia who attended Mount Holyoke and received a 
bachelor’s degree in political science and an M.B.A. from Baker. Her dad
 was a doctor and they were a close family.Yes, mental illness can happen to anyone.So much of the time, however, we only
 hear about mental health when a shooting happens or something else that
 is terrible and disturbing. Words like “nutcase” or “psycho” or “crazy”
 or “schizo” are often used to describe someone who is a bad person.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653661843885.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>I was filmed in a national 
documentary several years ago, and the psychologist in the short film, 
Xavier Amador, is consulted by many powerful organizations and law 
enforcement to discuss people who end up doing things when they were 
psychotic.Amador, who taught at Columbia and 
travels the world to speak to professionals about communicating with 
people with mental illness, is a true advocate of the mentally ill. He 
was Bethenny Frankel’s counselor in New York City. He also had a brother
 with schizophrenia who he talks about in his book, “I’m Not Sick, I 
Don’t Need Help.” He helps people learn how to help their loved one 
accept treatment even when they don’t think they have a problem.So many hot topics in today’s society
 relate to mental health and its challenges — from health insurance, 
like Medicaid, to housing, to law enforcement, to stigma, to family 
support. My mom, Claire, helps teach a family support group for our 
local NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The other three 
ladies who guide the group are brave and compassionate. That
 is just what it takes to deal with the issues and challenges that those
 with mental illness present. Mental illness is not a bad behavior or a 
sin: It is a chemical imbalance in the brain. And yes, the brain is a 
physical part of the body. It’s all connected.Valeo CEO Bill Persinger has one of 
the biggest jobs in Topeka trying to figure out how to help people in 
need, many of whom arrive at Valeo underinsured or not insured at all. 
With the implementation of KanCare, the three managed-care companies 
that make up Kansas Medicaid, many behavioral health care providers have
 had to rise to the immense and incredible challenge of dealing not with
 one managed care company, but three. Medicaid cuts haven’t been kind to
 providers either.Housing is another huge issue that 
affects too many with serious mental health challenges. Breakthrough 
House, another Topeka nonprofit organization, offers several group 
homes, but what is really needed is about 25 group homes.Breakthrough House staff does their 
best to try to help individuals find shelter. They also have a clubhouse
 in the former Social Security building downtown where clients can come 
for meals and support. They help them get housing, help them in their 
pursuit of finding a job or going back to school, or volunteering.The third program is a financial 
management service where the clients get help paying their rent and 
other bills. Financial abuse is a huge issue as well for folks with 
mental illness. Too often they are taken advantage of and misused. I 
have two friends who have boyfriends who use them for their money and 
their family’s money.Recent news about Brittney Spears’ 
situation has raised the subject of guardianship or conservatorship, 
which is when a person with mental illness has someone who makes 
financial and other types of decisions for them. These relationships can
 too often become abusive.Another important issue is law 
enforcement and how the police respond to mental health crisis. Many 
police departments have Crisis Intervention Team officers who have been 
trained in learning how to respond to these situations.&nbsp;I have spoken at the annual Topeka 
CIT Training and showed the documentary I was in for the past eight 
years, except last year. Too often, across the nation, officers don’t 
understand how to communicate with these folks in need and in crisis. 
The Topeka Police Department does a great job, however.So, is there recovery for people with
 mental illness? I am a firm believer in recovery, but it is more of a 
recovery journey, not a destination, because there is no cure or magical
 healing. I continue to share because without talking about mental 
illness and its challenges, there can be no understanding of how to 
offer help and hope.Since it is Mental Health Awareness 
Month, every one of us needs to ask ourselves, “How can I reach out to 
those in need? How can I help end stigma and start the conversation 
regarding mental illness?”By starting a conversation in one’s 
family or at a coffee shop with friends or anywhere else, one can dare 
to care and dare to offer a glimmer of hope. There is hope. There is a 
way to recovery. We just need to open our eyes and be brave. We need to 
reach beyond our comfort zone, and take a step outside our door into the
 big world of knowledge and compassion.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653661950723.jpeg" alt="phillips" />
 <figcaption>phillips</figcaption>
 </figure>Rebecca Lyn Phillips is a published author, speaker and mental health advocate. Several years ago, she was filmed in a national documentary about mental illness. The national premiere was in Washington, D.C., and she has traveled nationwide to share her story. Five years ago, she was also published in Guideposts magazine, which reaches 2 million readers each month. For nine years, she has shared at the Topeka Police Department for the annual Crisis Intervention Team training. Rebecca is a firm believer in recovery.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

OPINION: Opportunities to demystify mental illness in personal stories

The Kansas legislative year ended in&nbsp;a stalemate for culture warriors and without any major legislation for overall improvement of teaching and learning, because none of the bills addressed the elephant in the middle of the room—a shortage of fully prepared teachers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593719779701.jpeg" alt="Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education." />
 <figcaption>Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas legislative year ended in&nbsp;a stalemate for culture warriors and without any major legislation for overall improvement of teaching and learning, because none of the bills addressed the elephant in the middle of the room—a shortage of fully prepared teachers.During this year’s legislative session more than 50 school-related bills were put forward. Many reflected a partisan battle at the national level between Republicans and Democrats.In Kansas, the battle is more often between public school supporters and conservatives who advocate school choice and criticize how race, gender and history is taught.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Unfortunately, we’re in a situation where political motives can be very different from important concerns that everyday people have for their kids’ education.&nbsp;In these circumstances big problems, such as teacher shortages, can become invisible, like the proverbial elephant in the middle of the room, and any real progress to improve schools overlooked.With the legislature adjourned, each political side can claim victories.&nbsp;The most important and far reaching success for supporters of public education was the abandonment of a bill, defeated last year, which would allow parents to use public tax dollars to send their children to costly, selective admission, ideologically driven private schools.&nbsp;Supporters of public education also prevailed when Governor Kelly vetoed the “Parents Bill of Rights” legislation that educators found to be transparency overkill and an unfunded mandate.&nbsp;This bill required schools and individual teachers to post and maintain for parental review volumes of curriculum information as well as information on school library holdings.Conservates scored a win when Governor Kelly signed into law an open enrollment plan that allows out-of-district students, regardless of where they live, to transfer to any public school.&nbsp;The policy sets precedent for enlarging school-choice; however, it won’t be effective until 2024.&nbsp;School districts will determine their own enrollment capacity and not be required to accept all students who apply, plus parents will have to pay for transportation, so there likely won’t be many shifts in school enrollment.&nbsp;Conservatives also backed a policy requirement included in the school finance bill that requires&nbsp;local school boards to annually review state academic assessments when approving the school district’s budget.&nbsp;Some legislation did receive across-the-aisle cooperation.&nbsp; For example, a change requiring high schools to offer at least one computer science course and an individual income tax credit of $250 per year for teachers’ classroom and school supplies.Yet, no legislation addressed the preparation or retention of teachers even though there is a major shortage of teachers and substitutes and a consensus among educators that to improve student learning we must stabilize the pool of qualified teachers.&nbsp;Data from the Kansas State Department of Education for spring 2022 shows 1381 unfilled teacher vacancies. Special education openings were reported at 305, elementary education at 251, English language arts at 108, math at 94 and science at 86. These numbers don’t include classrooms currently filled by teachers not fully licensed for the subjects they teach.&nbsp;&nbsp;There are currently 906 active emergency licenses for substitutes holding only a high school diploma.&nbsp;&nbsp;Downgrading requirements for teachers and substitutes have increased over the past five years, that helps fill our classrooms without growing the number of teachers prepared and licensed to teach their assigned courses.&nbsp;The shortage is becoming dire.Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.

Opinion