My hubs and I follow the build a life you don’t need a vacation from philosophy. Our interests relate to the outdoors so we plant gardens and set out water to attract birds and insects we enjoy watching. To triple our fun, we feed squirrels and bunnies and search for yard art that tickles our funny bone. With so much happening outside, we spend hours enjoying nature’s miracles and murders. Depending on evidence left behind, I borrow techniques from Columbo, a favorite TV character, to solve those crimes.

You read MURDER right. We plan our garden so it has plenty of plants to hide birds when the neighborhood cooper’s hawk dashes in to dine. Quick access to get-away-tunnels usually protects our yard birds so she (yes, she--based on size) rarely snags a meal. Sadly, occasional feather piles tell us she periodically fills her belly.

She’s not the only killer in our Hood. We have spiders that weave traps designed to capture crawling and flying insects we then spy struggling in silken snares. Every now and then, we do our own frantic web-wiping dance trying to escape one we walked into while paying attention to something else.

This summer, we’ve watched cicada killers, which look like huge wasps, hovering near the ash tree while awaiting inattentive targets. We once spied one snag a cicada and wrestle it to the ground. Once down, these killers carry their catch to a den in the lawn. I researched what happens after that, which resulted in new nightmares. After the lumbering wasp transfers her tranquilized victim underground, it deposits eggs on the still-living cicada to feed larvae maturing into future cicada killers.

My current challenge involves explaining three cicada carcasses recently deposited on my deck. Each one had its head ripped off and placed adjacent to a hollowed-out body with wings and legs left intact. My hero Columbo would have sought a killer that consumed victims’ innards. As I followed his procedural, I eliminated cicada killers since they require a living food source to nurture larvae. What other vicious monster resides near us and our cicada chorus?

Following additional research, I hollered Eureka! Multiple praying mantises occupy our flower pots and gardens. They have both jaws and strength to wreak the havoc observed outside our back door. Sure enough, sources document that mantises devour cicadas. Mulling this circumstantial evidence, I then witnessed a mantis murder in progress.

While removing dried lily stems, what did I spy? A mantis gnawing a hummingbird moth beside my hand. Those powerful jaws don’t go for hors d’ oeuvres; they desire a Thanksgiving feast. Because the moth had expired, I didn’t interrupt the predator’s meal. Besides, one less moth means I’ll find fewer tomato worms in my vegetable garden. Witnessing this event upped the odds that a mantis left those headless carcasses behind.

Like Columbo, I’m muddling through clues. However, after watching that mantis consume a huge moth, I’d put a dollar on my suspicions. Who’da thunk in our life that doesn’t require vacations, we’d play detective every now and then.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725481033221.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By KAREN MADORINMy hubs and I follow the build a life you don’t need a vacation from philosophy. Our interests relate to the outdoors so we plant gardens and set out water to attract birds and insects we enjoy watching. To triple our fun, we feed squirrels and bunnies and search for yard art that tickles our funny bone. With so much happening outside, we spend hours enjoying nature’s miracles and murders. Depending on evidence left behind, I borrow techniques from Columbo, a favorite TV character, to solve those crimes.You read MURDER right. We plan our garden so it has plenty of plants to hide birds when the neighborhood cooper’s hawk dashes in to dine. Quick access to get-away-tunnels usually protects our yard birds so she (yes, she--based on size) rarely snags a meal. Sadly, occasional feather piles tell us she periodically fills her belly.She’s not the only killer in our Hood. We have spiders that weave traps designed to capture crawling and flying insects we then spy struggling in silken snares. Every now and then, we do our own frantic web-wiping dance trying to escape one we walked into while paying attention to something else.This summer, we’ve watched cicada killers, which look like huge wasps, hovering near the ash tree while awaiting inattentive targets. We once spied one snag a cicada and wrestle it to the ground. Once down, these killers carry their catch to a den in the lawn. I researched what happens after that, which resulted in new nightmares. After the lumbering wasp transfers her tranquilized victim underground, it deposits eggs on the still-living cicada to feed larvae maturing into future cicada killers.My current challenge involves explaining three cicada carcasses recently deposited on my deck. Each one had its head ripped off and placed adjacent to a hollowed-out body with wings and legs left intact. My hero Columbo would have sought a killer that consumed victims’ innards. As I followed his procedural, I eliminated cicada killers since they require a living food source to nurture larvae. What other vicious monster resides near us and our cicada chorus?Following additional research, I hollered Eureka! Multiple praying mantises occupy our flower pots and gardens. They have both jaws and strength to wreak the havoc observed outside our back door. Sure enough, sources document that mantises devour cicadas. Mulling this circumstantial evidence, I then witnessed a mantis murder in progress.While removing dried lily stems, what did I spy? A mantis gnawing a hummingbird moth beside my hand. Those powerful jaws don’t go for hors d’ oeuvres; they desire a Thanksgiving feast. Because the moth had expired, I didn’t interrupt the predator’s meal. Besides, one less moth means I’ll find fewer tomato worms in my vegetable garden. Witnessing this event upped the odds that a mantis left those headless carcasses behind.Like Columbo, I’m muddling through clues. However, after watching that mantis consume a huge moth, I’d put a dollar on my suspicions. Who’da thunk in our life that doesn’t require vacations, we’d play detective every now and then.

MADORIN: Murder on the deck – playing Columbo in my backyard

By KARISSA WINKEL Cottonwood Extension District

Early last spring, I was giddy to plant the garden. We picked out a variety of crops from watermelon, okra, and yellow squash, to tomatoes, and cauliflower. However, the ever-changing Kansas weather seemed to get the best of it. From the start, high winds, hail, and heat made it difficult for the garden to get established. By June, the only plant producing was the hearty yellow squash. And when I say hearty, I mean it. The squash didn’t seem to mind the harsh weather. In fact, it overtook half of the garden and we are still pawning off dozens of the bright yellow vegetables weekly.

So, if you’re anything like me, maybe you haven’t had the best garden this year, but you’re grateful to harvest a few crops so far. Perhaps you’ve had an abundance of summer squash or zucchini and you’re looking for new ways to prevent it from going to waste. After all, squash is great for you! It’s full of vitamin C, potassium, beta carotene, and fiber.

To preserve squash, one option is to freeze it. In fact, freezing it can preserve it for 10 months. This way, you can reap the benefits of it later this year. To freeze squash, first choose young squash with tender skins. Wash and cut into ½-inch slices. Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes; cool in ice water for at least 3 minutes. Drain and package into freezer bags or freezer containers, leaving ½-inch headspace.

· Grated zucchini (for baking): Choose young tender zucchini. Wash and grate. Steam blanch in small quantities 1 to 2 minutes until translucent. Pack in measured amounts into containers, leaving ½-inch headspace. Cool by placing the containers in ice water. Seal and freeze. If watery when thawed, discard the liquid before using the zucchini.

Another way to save zucchini or summer squash is to pickle it, but always make sure to follow a tested recipe. For example, the National Center for Home Preservation website provides safe recipes for pickling squash, and note that it is not recommended to can squash.

· To pickle squash, it may be diced or shredded by hand instead of a food processor. In any recipe, a variety of onion is acceptable, and celery salt may be substituted for celery seed for a taste preference. Also, fresh relish can be enjoyed without processing, but fresh or opened jars should be refrigerated. For best quality and safety, consume refrigerated pickled squash within 7 days.

For immediate use, there are hundreds of ways to prepare the versatile vegetable. Sautee or grill it for a side dish, make zucchini boats, throw it in a stir fry, or breakfast scramble. Try it in a casserole or vegetable lasagna. Hide it in a pasta dish by blending it into the sauce or cook it into a soup. Dice it finely and mix it into a salad. Alternatively, create a treat by baking it in a quick bread!

If you’re anything like me, you don’t have a shortage of squash. Luckily, there isn’t a shortage of ways to prepare it! So, be creative this season. You might find your new favorite way to soak up the nutrients of squash and prevent your hard work in the garden from going to waste.

Karissa Winkel is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 620-793-1910 or krwinkel@ksu.edu.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697546908793.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By KARISSA WINKEL Cottonwood Extension DistrictEarly last spring, I was giddy to plant the garden. We picked out a variety of crops from watermelon, okra, and yellow squash, to tomatoes, and cauliflower. However, the ever-changing Kansas weather seemed to get the best of it. From the start, high winds, hail, and heat made it difficult for the garden to get established. By June, the only plant producing was the hearty yellow squash. And when I say hearty, I mean it. The squash didn’t seem to mind the harsh weather. In fact, it overtook half of the garden and we are still pawning off dozens of the bright yellow vegetables weekly.So, if you’re anything like me, maybe you haven’t had the best garden this year, but you’re grateful to harvest a few crops so far. Perhaps you’ve had an abundance of summer squash or zucchini and you’re looking for new ways to prevent it from going to waste. After all, squash is great for you! It’s full of vitamin C, potassium, beta carotene, and fiber.To preserve squash, one option is to freeze it. In fact, freezing it can preserve it for 10 months. This way, you can reap the benefits of it later this year. To freeze squash, first choose young squash with tender skins. Wash and cut into ½-inch slices. Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes; cool in ice water for at least 3 minutes. Drain and package into freezer bags or freezer containers, leaving ½-inch headspace.· Grated zucchini (for baking): Choose young tender zucchini. Wash and grate. Steam blanch in small quantities 1 to 2 minutes until translucent. Pack in measured amounts into containers, leaving ½-inch headspace. Cool by placing the containers in ice water. Seal and freeze. If watery when thawed, discard the liquid before using the zucchini.Another way to save zucchini or summer squash is to pickle it, but always make sure to follow a tested recipe. For example, the National Center for Home Preservation website provides safe recipes for pickling squash, and note that it is not recommended to can squash.· To pickle squash, it may be diced or shredded by hand instead of a food processor. In any recipe, a variety of onion is acceptable, and celery salt may be substituted for celery seed for a taste preference. Also, fresh relish can be enjoyed without processing, but fresh or opened jars should be refrigerated. For best quality and safety, consume refrigerated pickled squash within 7 days.For immediate use, there are hundreds of ways to prepare the versatile vegetable. Sautee or grill it for a side dish, make zucchini boats, throw it in a stir fry, or breakfast scramble. Try it in a casserole or vegetable lasagna. Hide it in a pasta dish by blending it into the sauce or cook it into a soup. Dice it finely and mix it into a salad. Alternatively, create a treat by baking it in a quick bread!If you’re anything like me, you don’t have a shortage of squash. Luckily, there isn’t a shortage of ways to prepare it! So, be creative this season. You might find your new favorite way to soak up the nutrients of squash and prevent your hard work in the garden from going to waste.Karissa Winkel is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 620-793-1910 or krwinkel@ksu.edu.

WINKEL: A surplus of squash, get creative in the kitchen

TOPEKA — The Kansas Legislative Budget Committee conducted its first meeting of the interim on Wednesday.&nbsp; 

Rep. Troy L. Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, serves as vice-chairman of the committee and requested the Kansas Corporation Commission present on the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/099d982a-98ff-4352-8a78-a592e5b71d28">National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor</a>.&nbsp;

Waymaster questioned the United State Department of Energy’s authority of the language they are using to produce this proposed corridor in counties within the 109th Kansas House District, represented by Waymaster.&nbsp;

“It appears to me that the language added to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a clear violation of states' rights, that this is a violation of the 10th Amendment,” Waymaster challenged.&nbsp; He continued, “it is also apparent by this clause that they are also circumventing the [Kansas Corporation Commission]’s authority, as well.”&nbsp;

Waymaster expressed to Paul Owings,&nbsp;Kansas Corporation Commission deputy chief engineer, “We have citizens in our state, constituents in my district, that are concerned, and I’m concerned.&nbsp; They could lose their agricultural land, oil production, homes and way of life.”&nbsp;

Owings did share with the&nbsp;Legislative Budget Committee that the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/f10501d0-213e-46c5-9eb0-55f8cacc9e0b">Grain Belt Express</a>, which was approved by the&nbsp;Kansas Corporation Commission on Dec. 7, 2011, follows the Midwest-Plains Corridor of the transmission line.&nbsp;

He also advised the committee that Grain Belt Express plans to formally request to the United States Department of Energy to narrow the corridor from the proposed five-mile preliminary corridor to just half-mile wide.&nbsp;

Waymaster expressed concern to the&nbsp;Kansas Corporation Commission about the five-mile corridor with the Midwest-Plains Corridor of the transmission line and said, “this is what prompted me to meet with the Legislative Revisors Office in August to have a bill drafted to protect our citizens, the state of Kansas, and our rights under the 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution.”&nbsp; Waymaster continued, “we are also formalizing a meeting in Russell County, and I am personally inviting the [Kansas Corporation Commission] to attend.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The 109th Kansas House District consists of the entire counties of Ellsworth, Lincoln, Osborne, Russell and Smith.&nbsp;Waymaster has served the 109th District in the Kansas House of Representatives since 2013.

Please contact Rep.Waymaster regarding the transmission line at troy.waymaster@house.ks.gov.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633970422056.jpeg" alt="Rep. Troy L. Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Troy L. Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA — The Kansas Legislative Budget Committee conducted its first meeting of the interim on Wednesday.&nbsp; Rep. Troy L. Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, serves as vice-chairman of the committee and requested the Kansas Corporation Commission present on the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/099d982a-98ff-4352-8a78-a592e5b71d28">National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor</a>.&nbsp; Waymaster questioned the United State Department of Energy’s authority of the language they are using to produce this proposed corridor in counties within the 109th Kansas House District, represented by Waymaster.&nbsp;“It appears to me that the language added to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a clear violation of states' rights, that this is a violation of the 10th Amendment,” Waymaster challenged.&nbsp; He continued, “it is also apparent by this clause that they are also circumventing the [Kansas Corporation Commission]’s authority, as well.”&nbsp;Waymaster expressed to Paul Owings,&nbsp;Kansas Corporation Commission deputy chief engineer, “We have citizens in our state, constituents in my district, that are concerned, and I’m concerned.&nbsp; They could lose their agricultural land, oil production, homes and way of life.”&nbsp;Owings did share with the&nbsp;Legislative Budget Committee that the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/f10501d0-213e-46c5-9eb0-55f8cacc9e0b">Grain Belt Express</a>, which was approved by the&nbsp;Kansas Corporation Commission on Dec. 7, 2011, follows the Midwest-Plains Corridor of the transmission line.&nbsp; He also advised the committee that Grain Belt Express plans to formally request to the United States Department of Energy to narrow the corridor from the proposed five-mile preliminary corridor to just half-mile wide.&nbsp;Waymaster expressed concern to the&nbsp;Kansas Corporation Commission about the five-mile corridor with the Midwest-Plains Corridor of the transmission line and said, “this is what prompted me to meet with the Legislative Revisors Office in August to have a bill drafted to protect our citizens, the state of Kansas, and our rights under the 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution.”&nbsp; Waymaster continued, “we are also formalizing a meeting in Russell County, and I am personally inviting the [Kansas Corporation Commission] to attend.”&nbsp;&nbsp;The 109th Kansas House District consists of the entire counties of Ellsworth, Lincoln, Osborne, Russell and Smith.&nbsp;Waymaster has served the 109th District in the Kansas House of Representatives since 2013.Please contact Rep.Waymaster regarding the transmission line at troy.waymaster@house.ks.gov.&nbsp;

'Clear violation of states' rights': Rep. Waymaster fights transmission line

By KARISSA WINKEL Cottonwood Extension District

Did you know that 48 million cases of foodborne diseases cause Americans to become ill every year?

On the bright side, the U.S. is among the safest food supply systems in the world, and to keep food safe, we recognize September as Food Safety Education Month. So, let's take a few minutes to review food handling techniques to keep you safe and decrease the number of foodborne illnesses each year.

There are four easy steps to remember when preparing food: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill.

1. Clean. Wash hands and surfaces often. Make sure to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before handling food or changing tasks. Wash cutting boards, utensils, dishes, and, countertops with hot soapy water after preparing each item.

2. Separate. Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other foods. Items that require the highest cooking temperature should be put on the bottom of the fridge. Use color-coded cutting boards to prevent cross-contamination between raw meats and ready-to-eat foods.

3. Cook. Color and texture don’t tell the whole story regarding safety. A thermometer is the only way to ensure foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria.

4. Chill. Refrigerate foods within 2 hours of cooking or purchasing, and divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers to cool quickly. Never thaw food at room temperature; only defrost food in the refrigerator, cold water, or microwave.

Symptoms of foodborne illnesses can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and headache. These symptoms usually occur within 1 to 3 days of eating contaminated food.

Most healthy people will recover from foodborne illness quickly while others can develop chronic, life-threatening health conditions. People at great risk include those with a weakened immune system, pregnant women, young children, and older adults. To keep you and your loved ones safe, remember to practice safe food handling this September and all year long.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697546908793.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By KARISSA WINKEL Cottonwood Extension DistrictDid you know that 48 million cases of foodborne diseases cause Americans to become ill every year?On the bright side, the U.S. is among the safest food supply systems in the world, and to keep food safe, we recognize September as Food Safety Education Month. So, let's take a few minutes to review food handling techniques to keep you safe and decrease the number of foodborne illnesses each year.There are four easy steps to remember when preparing food: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill.1. Clean. Wash hands and surfaces often. Make sure to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before handling food or changing tasks. Wash cutting boards, utensils, dishes, and, countertops with hot soapy water after preparing each item.2. Separate. Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other foods. Items that require the highest cooking temperature should be put on the bottom of the fridge. Use color-coded cutting boards to prevent cross-contamination between raw meats and ready-to-eat foods.3. Cook. Color and texture don’t tell the whole story regarding safety. A thermometer is the only way to ensure foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria.4. Chill. Refrigerate foods within 2 hours of cooking or purchasing, and divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers to cool quickly. Never thaw food at room temperature; only defrost food in the refrigerator, cold water, or microwave.Symptoms of foodborne illnesses can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and headache. These symptoms usually occur within 1 to 3 days of eating contaminated food.Most healthy people will recover from foodborne illness quickly while others can develop chronic, life-threatening health conditions. People at great risk include those with a weakened immune system, pregnant women, young children, and older adults. To keep you and your loved ones safe, remember to practice safe food handling this September and all year long.Karissa Winkel is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 620-793-1910 or krwinkel@ksu.edu.

WINKEL: National Food Safety month

By STEVE GILLILAND Exploring Kansas Outdoors

I assume all you readers are familiar with the mythical and legendary Jackalope, a jackrabbit with horns like an antelope. While jackelopes have not made their way to Kansas yet, everything else seems to have. That fact, along with things I’ve seen in the last three-and-one-half years that I thought I would never see in my lifetime, make me believe its only a matter of time before jackalopes also call Kansas home. I found a copy of Wyoming regulations for hunting jackalopes, so, using that as a template, here will be the Kansas regulations for harvesting a jackelope in the state of Kansas; after all, we might as well prepare ourselves for the coming jackalope onslaught. (I’ve made a few revisions to make it applicable to our state.)

A certification of sanity (or a willingness to surrender it)

- A bottle of hot sauce and maybe a flask or two of Grandma Waltons recipe (for courage)

- September 1st to November 30th, or until all hunters have fled in terror (the season can be lengthened if the jackalope population explodes.)

- One Jackalope per hunter, or as many as you can outrun (this will also increase with time.)

- Dawn to dusk, or whenever you get the chance to shoot one (this rule is obviously pretty flexible.)

- Rifles, shotguns, or a really strong pair of running shoes

- No using glitter bombs or rainbow-colored lassos (they just make the Jackalope more elusive)

- If it has antlers, whiskers, and a mischievous grin, it's a Jackalope!

- If it's just a rabbit in a onesie with a pair of horns tied to its head, and ridden by a leprechaun, you're the victim of a prank

- Once you've caught your Jackalope, perform the traditional "Jackalope Dance" to honor your prey

- Then, and only then, can you claim your prize (a pat on the back and a great story) Plus, I hear fried jackalope tastes just like chicken.

- Failure to comply with regulations will result in a mandatory viewing of "The Jackalope Whisperer" documentary

- Repeated offenses will require a hunter to wear a "I'm with Stupid" t-shirt on their next hunt

Remember, hunting Jackalope is a Wyoming tradition and may soon become popular here in Kansas too! Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By STEVE GILLILAND Exploring Kansas OutdoorsI assume all you readers are familiar with the mythical and legendary Jackalope, a jackrabbit with horns like an antelope. While jackelopes have not made their way to Kansas yet, everything else seems to have. That fact, along with things I’ve seen in the last three-and-one-half years that I thought I would never see in my lifetime, make me believe its only a matter of time before jackalopes also call Kansas home. I found a copy of Wyoming regulations for hunting jackalopes, so, using that as a template, here will be the Kansas regulations for harvesting a jackelope in the state of Kansas; after all, we might as well prepare ourselves for the coming jackalope onslaught. (I’ve made a few revisions to make it applicable to our state.)*License Requirements:- A valid Kansas hunting licenseA certification of sanity (or a willingness to surrender it)- A bottle of hot sauce and maybe a flask or two of Grandma Waltons recipe (for courage)*Season Dates:- September 1st to November 30th, or until all hunters have fled in terror (the season can be lengthened if the jackalope population explodes.)*Bag Limit:- One Jackalope per hunter, or as many as you can outrun (this will also increase with time.)*Hunting Hours:- Dawn to dusk, or whenever you get the chance to shoot one (this rule is obviously pretty flexible.)*Permitted Weapons:- Rifles, shotguns, or a really strong pair of running shoes- No using glitter bombs or rainbow-colored lassos (they just make the Jackalope more elusive)*Jackalope Identification:- If it has antlers, whiskers, and a mischievous grin, it's a Jackalope!- If it's just a rabbit in a onesie with a pair of horns tied to its head, and ridden by a leprechaun, you're the victim of a prank*Harvesting:- Once you've caught your Jackalope, perform the traditional "Jackalope Dance" to honor your prey- Then, and only then, can you claim your prize (a pat on the back and a great story) Plus, I hear fried jackalope tastes just like chicken.*Penalties:- Failure to comply with regulations will result in a mandatory viewing of "The Jackalope Whisperer" documentary- Repeated offenses will require a hunter to wear a "I'm with Stupid" t-shirt on their next huntRemember, hunting Jackalope is a Wyoming tradition and may soon become popular here in Kansas too! Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor!Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Kansas Outdoors: Lets be prepared

By MICHAEL A. SMITH Insight Kansas

Last week, Kansas politics was rocked by scandal. Policymakers must respond with carefully-crafted policy change, not knee-jerk reactions that could derail the efforts of Kansans working to rebuild their lives.

The late Jonathan Clayton’s truck and body were found on Sunday, August 25, apparently having left the road and hit a tree several days earlier.&nbsp; Clayton had worked as the Director of Economic Recovery in the Kansas Department of Commerce until 2023, where he oversaw millions of dollars in grants from a program called Building a Stronger Economy (BASE). On August 8, Clayton apparently sent an email to journalists predicting his own death and suggesting that the Department of Commerce used a “scheme” to choose grant finalists, favoring the projects in the districts of certain elected officials. Curious readers can read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article291613255.html">this unfolding story</a>&nbsp;in this newspaper and other Kansas sources.

Reporters next discovered that Clayton had been convicted of mishandling millions of public dollars while working in Pennsylvania. A statement by Governor Laura Kelly’s Office stated that Kansas Law prohibited a federal background check before hiring Clayton.&nbsp; Kelly is calling for changes to the law, and she has begun an investigation.

Of course, it is scandalous for the state to hire someone overseeing millions of taxpayer dollars, without knowing that he had a criminal conviction for mishandling finances in another state.&nbsp; However, the Governor and Legislature must respond wisely.

A foolhardy response by policymakers would mean havoc for hundreds of thousands of Kansans seeking to rebuild their lives after criminal convictions.&nbsp; In 2018, Kansas joined many other states in backing “<a href="https://www.nelp.org/insights-research/ban-the-box-fair-chance-hiring-state-and-local-guide/">ban the box</a>,” a nationwide campaign to remove the “have you ever been convicted of a felony” question from state job applications.&nbsp; Currently, 37 states join 150 cities and counties in banning the box for state job applicants.&nbsp; The federal government has done so as well, and they also ban the box for employees of government contractors.&nbsp; Fifteen states and several cities have also banned the box for private employers.&nbsp; These include nearby Kansas City, MO and Columbia, MO, but none in Kansas.&nbsp; “Ban the box” laws are important and should be expanded, not repealed.

Millions of Americans have felony convictions.&nbsp; These are mostly for nonviolent offenses, often when the person was much younger.&nbsp; Most are drug related.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nelp.org/app/uploads/2024/04/Research-Supports-Fair-Chance-Policies-Apr.2024.pdf">Research shows</a>&nbsp;that felony convictions make it far harder for those who have served their sentences to find work, even if the offense was decades ago and had nothing to do with the work they seek. Additional research shows that finding steady work is the single most important thing that a person can do to avoid re-offending. Many have families that they will be unable to support if they cannot work, or if they return to prison.&nbsp; Often, this forces those families to rely on public assistance.&nbsp; Some become homeless.

Banning the box does not have to stop an employer from inquiring into a job applicant’s criminal history.&nbsp; It only prevents the employer from pre-emptively screening and ruling out applicants.&nbsp; Laws can still allow a complete background check on applicants such as Mr. Clayton, once the employer has tentatively decided to offer them a job. The job offer can be revoked if the inquiry reveals disqualifying convictions directly related to the job being filled.&nbsp; This is exactly how the Kansas law needs to be changed.&nbsp; Smart policies can protect the public from fraud, but policymakers should not react to this scandal by ruining the futures of hundreds of thousands of Kansans seeking a second chance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700168795368.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By MICHAEL A. SMITH Insight KansasLast week, Kansas politics was rocked by scandal. Policymakers must respond with carefully-crafted policy change, not knee-jerk reactions that could derail the efforts of Kansans working to rebuild their lives.The late Jonathan Clayton’s truck and body were found on Sunday, August 25, apparently having left the road and hit a tree several days earlier.&nbsp; Clayton had worked as the Director of Economic Recovery in the Kansas Department of Commerce until 2023, where he oversaw millions of dollars in grants from a program called Building a Stronger Economy (BASE). On August 8, Clayton apparently sent an email to journalists predicting his own death and suggesting that the Department of Commerce used a “scheme” to choose grant finalists, favoring the projects in the districts of certain elected officials. Curious readers can read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article291613255.html">this unfolding story</a>&nbsp;in this newspaper and other Kansas sources.Reporters next discovered that Clayton had been convicted of mishandling millions of public dollars while working in Pennsylvania. A statement by Governor Laura Kelly’s Office stated that Kansas Law prohibited a federal background check before hiring Clayton.&nbsp; Kelly is calling for changes to the law, and she has begun an investigation.Of course, it is scandalous for the state to hire someone overseeing millions of taxpayer dollars, without knowing that he had a criminal conviction for mishandling finances in another state.&nbsp; However, the Governor and Legislature must respond wisely.A foolhardy response by policymakers would mean havoc for hundreds of thousands of Kansans seeking to rebuild their lives after criminal convictions.&nbsp; In 2018, Kansas joined many other states in backing “<a href="https://www.nelp.org/insights-research/ban-the-box-fair-chance-hiring-state-and-local-guide/">ban the box</a>,” a nationwide campaign to remove the “have you ever been convicted of a felony” question from state job applications.&nbsp; Currently, 37 states join 150 cities and counties in banning the box for state job applicants.&nbsp; The federal government has done so as well, and they also ban the box for employees of government contractors.&nbsp; Fifteen states and several cities have also banned the box for private employers.&nbsp; These include nearby Kansas City, MO and Columbia, MO, but none in Kansas.&nbsp; “Ban the box” laws are important and should be expanded, not repealed.Millions of Americans have felony convictions.&nbsp; These are mostly for nonviolent offenses, often when the person was much younger.&nbsp; Most are drug related.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nelp.org/app/uploads/2024/04/Research-Supports-Fair-Chance-Policies-Apr.2024.pdf">Research shows</a>&nbsp;that felony convictions make it far harder for those who have served their sentences to find work, even if the offense was decades ago and had nothing to do with the work they seek. Additional research shows that finding steady work is the single most important thing that a person can do to avoid re-offending. Many have families that they will be unable to support if they cannot work, or if they return to prison.&nbsp; Often, this forces those families to rely on public assistance.&nbsp; Some become homeless.Banning the box does not have to stop an employer from inquiring into a job applicant’s criminal history.&nbsp; It only prevents the employer from pre-emptively screening and ruling out applicants.&nbsp; Laws can still allow a complete background check on applicants such as Mr. Clayton, once the employer has tentatively decided to offer them a job. The job offer can be revoked if the inquiry reveals disqualifying convictions directly related to the job being filled.&nbsp; This is exactly how the Kansas law needs to be changed.&nbsp; Smart policies can protect the public from fraud, but policymakers should not react to this scandal by ruining the futures of hundreds of thousands of Kansans seeking a second chance.

INSIGHT KANSAS: The case for ban the box

By MONIQUE KOERNER Cottonwood Extension District

Speaking, singing, and making other sounds require many parts of your body to work together. Your brain thinks of ideas. Your lungs move air in and out. Your vocal cords vibrate. Your mouth and nose help shape sound.

“Our whole body participates in the production of voice, speech, and breathing. So we can get a lot of information about our health from them,” says Dr. Yael Bensoussan, a voice researcher at the University of South Florida.

Many conditions can impact the various body parts involved in sound production. These include depression, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, lung problems, and even cancer. Measuring voice, speech, and breathing patterns could help diagnose health problems.

Researchers are testing ways to use apps and other tools to let people measure such information at home. For example, a recent study showed that a computer program could identify patients with Parkinson’s disease by their breathing patterns during sleep.

“Voice, speech, and breathing are easy to access, inexpensive, and non-invasive to measure,” Bensoussan says. “For example, for a test for lung function, you currently have to go to a hospital and blow into a machine. Then you need someone to analyze that test. Just recording your voice or breathing sounds on your phone would be a lot cheaper and easier.”

Speech pattern analysis has shown promise for diagnosing impairments in memory or thinking abilities, and mental health conditions like depression. The way people speak, the tone of voice, and even the words used can all change when someone develops depression, explains Dr. Gari Clifford, a biomedical engineer at Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Clifford’s team is trying to use speech patterns and facial expression changes to catch depression early in people with dementia. They are now testing their technology in certain tablet and smartphone apps to track changes in people’s daily health. This could help doctors see the effects of depression treatments in real time and change them quickly if needed. It could also provide early warning that someone’s health is declining.

Other research teams are testing speech analysis to screen for additional mental health problems, like anxiety. They’re also looking at speech patterns to help diagnose diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) early.

Bensoussan’s team is building the world’s largest collection of voice and speech samples related to health information. They’re including people from a wide range of backgrounds and health conditions. They hope this will aid researchers in building new tools for diagnosis.

Voice and speech analysis tools will eventually have to take people’s whole health into account, just like a doctor would, Bensoussan says. “Multiple different diseases can cause the same voice changes. For example, for a hoarse voice, someone with cancer of the throat and someone with laryngitis can sound exactly the same,” she explains.

You can’t yet talk into your phone and get a full health report. But Bensoussan encourages people to pay attention to changes in their voice and speech. “If you have a voice change for more than two to three weeks, it may indicate an issue with your health,” she says.

Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 785-628-9430 or moniquek@ksu.edu

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668522152076.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By MONIQUE KOERNER Cottonwood Extension DistrictSpeaking, singing, and making other sounds require many parts of your body to work together. Your brain thinks of ideas. Your lungs move air in and out. Your vocal cords vibrate. Your mouth and nose help shape sound.“Our whole body participates in the production of voice, speech, and breathing. So we can get a lot of information about our health from them,” says Dr. Yael Bensoussan, a voice researcher at the University of South Florida.Many conditions can impact the various body parts involved in sound production. These include depression, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, lung problems, and even cancer. Measuring voice, speech, and breathing patterns could help diagnose health problems.Researchers are testing ways to use apps and other tools to let people measure such information at home. For example, a recent study showed that a computer program could identify patients with Parkinson’s disease by their breathing patterns during sleep.“Voice, speech, and breathing are easy to access, inexpensive, and non-invasive to measure,” Bensoussan says. “For example, for a test for lung function, you currently have to go to a hospital and blow into a machine. Then you need someone to analyze that test. Just recording your voice or breathing sounds on your phone would be a lot cheaper and easier.”Speech pattern analysis has shown promise for diagnosing impairments in memory or thinking abilities, and mental health conditions like depression. The way people speak, the tone of voice, and even the words used can all change when someone develops depression, explains Dr. Gari Clifford, a biomedical engineer at Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology.Clifford’s team is trying to use speech patterns and facial expression changes to catch depression early in people with dementia. They are now testing their technology in certain tablet and smartphone apps to track changes in people’s daily health. This could help doctors see the effects of depression treatments in real time and change them quickly if needed. It could also provide early warning that someone’s health is declining.Other research teams are testing speech analysis to screen for additional mental health problems, like anxiety. They’re also looking at speech patterns to help diagnose diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) early.Bensoussan’s team is building the world’s largest collection of voice and speech samples related to health information. They’re including people from a wide range of backgrounds and health conditions. They hope this will aid researchers in building new tools for diagnosis.Voice and speech analysis tools will eventually have to take people’s whole health into account, just like a doctor would, Bensoussan says. “Multiple different diseases can cause the same voice changes. For example, for a hoarse voice, someone with cancer of the throat and someone with laryngitis can sound exactly the same,” she explains.You can’t yet talk into your phone and get a full health report. But Bensoussan encourages people to pay attention to changes in their voice and speech. “If you have a voice change for more than two to three weeks, it may indicate an issue with your health,” she says.Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 785-628-9430 or moniquek@ksu.edu

KOERNER: Tracking voice, speech, breathing for health

Late summer has arrived, depositing ripe tomatoes on my window ledge. Just as I rely on moon cycles and flipping calendar pages, I expect a moment during the last days of August and beginning of September when I wake up every morning to see red-orange fruits standing sentinel-like above our kitchen sink.

I’ve already canned or frozen the first heavy tomato harvest, adding onions, peppers, garlic, and seasonings to turn them into salsa that dresses potato and corn chips and well as salads and casseroles throughout the upcoming months. Once that initial picking and canning ends, our vines take a breather every summer, due, perhaps, to scorching heat that prevents them from pollinating.

No matter how diligently I water or mulch, triple digit temps force those vines to kick back and rest. I get it. I want to do the same when just walking out the door produces drenching sweat. Once evenings and early mornings turn cooler, little yellow blossoms once again morph into ballooning green fruits. However, it takes a while for the plants to catch up to earlier production mode. Once fruits start turning orange, I pick em and put em on the window sill to prevent birds and grasshoppers from nibbling them. This strategy results in a couple of tomatoes every day or two for a couple of weeks--not enough to freeze or can.

Who knows how, but I learned not to keep whole tomatoes in the fridge. As a result, these loners sunbathe in the window as they ripen and end up chopped into salads or sliced with bacon or ham on sandwiches. Eventually, more collect than we eat in a day, but not enough to freeze or can so there they sit, looking forlorn. Left to their own devices, they invite fruit flies to get to know one another so well that we soon have a swarm of progeny acting like our kitchen is Dulles Airport. Yikes.

That event requires either eating the tomatoes faster or constructing traps to control those miniscule flies high school biology classes study. It also begs the question. Are fresh tomatoes worth inviting fruit flies into the kitchen? Absolutely!

Once you conquer the fruit fly invasion, summer’s great pleasure involves fresh from the vine tomatoes. Devour the first standing in the garden with juices dribbling down your chin. After that, satisfaction requires a straight week of BLT sandwiches once, twice, or thrice a day. Once those sammies get boring, it’s time to slice those orbs thick to make tomato/mayo sandwiches for another feast or three. Follow that with a week-long barrage of thick tomato slices topped with fresh mozzarella and broiled til golden cheese drizzles over the edges. As harvest escalates, add chopped tomatoes to creamy cottage cheese or stuff hollowed-out tomatoes with cottage cheese or tuna salad to add variety. The possibilities are limitless.

Enough time has passed that that line of tomatoes on the window sill will soon overflow the space. In short time, fruits ripening two at time will shift to harvest overload. Fire up the canner or make room in the freezer!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724969837127.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By KAREN MADORINLate summer has arrived, depositing ripe tomatoes on my window ledge. Just as I rely on moon cycles and flipping calendar pages, I expect a moment during the last days of August and beginning of September when I wake up every morning to see red-orange fruits standing sentinel-like above our kitchen sink.I’ve already canned or frozen the first heavy tomato harvest, adding onions, peppers, garlic, and seasonings to turn them into salsa that dresses potato and corn chips and well as salads and casseroles throughout the upcoming months. Once that initial picking and canning ends, our vines take a breather every summer, due, perhaps, to scorching heat that prevents them from pollinating.No matter how diligently I water or mulch, triple digit temps force those vines to kick back and rest. I get it. I want to do the same when just walking out the door produces drenching sweat. Once evenings and early mornings turn cooler, little yellow blossoms once again morph into ballooning green fruits. However, it takes a while for the plants to catch up to earlier production mode. Once fruits start turning orange, I pick em and put em on the window sill to prevent birds and grasshoppers from nibbling them. This strategy results in a couple of tomatoes every day or two for a couple of weeks--not enough to freeze or can.Who knows how, but I learned not to keep whole tomatoes in the fridge. As a result, these loners sunbathe in the window as they ripen and end up chopped into salads or sliced with bacon or ham on sandwiches. Eventually, more collect than we eat in a day, but not enough to freeze or can so there they sit, looking forlorn. Left to their own devices, they invite fruit flies to get to know one another so well that we soon have a swarm of progeny acting like our kitchen is Dulles Airport. Yikes.That event requires either eating the tomatoes faster or constructing traps to control those miniscule flies high school biology classes study. It also begs the question. Are fresh tomatoes worth inviting fruit flies into the kitchen? Absolutely!Once you conquer the fruit fly invasion, summer’s great pleasure involves fresh from the vine tomatoes. Devour the first standing in the garden with juices dribbling down your chin. After that, satisfaction requires a straight week of BLT sandwiches once, twice, or thrice a day. Once those sammies get boring, it’s time to slice those orbs thick to make tomato/mayo sandwiches for another feast or three. Follow that with a week-long barrage of thick tomato slices topped with fresh mozzarella and broiled til golden cheese drizzles over the edges. As harvest escalates, add chopped tomatoes to creamy cottage cheese or stuff hollowed-out tomatoes with cottage cheese or tuna salad to add variety. The possibilities are limitless.Enough time has passed that that line of tomatoes on the window sill will soon overflow the space. In short time, fruits ripening two at time will shift to harvest overload. Fire up the canner or make room in the freezer!

MADORIN: Maters in the window

Most folks generally accept that maintaining good health includes an annual visit to the doctor to check their heart, teeth, ears and more.

But there’s more to personal health than some may realize.

“The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has done quite a bit of research over the years that affirms that a little over 50% of our overall health is related to the places that we live, learn, work, play and pray,” said Johannes, the Kansas Health Foundation’s Distinguished Professor of Community Health at Kansas State University.

Research indicates that engaging in one’s community is connected to living longer and healthier.

“So,” she says, “we should look for opportunities to be civically engaged, and be aware of opportunities to volunteer, be involved in clubs and organizations, vote and contribute to local community improvement projects. That’s part of civic health.”

The National Conference on Citizenship, which has studied civic life for ten years, reports that communities with higher employment rates, stronger schools and more responsive governments have better health among its residents.

Civic health reflects the opportunities people have to participate in their communities, and can be summed up in three areas:

· Places – Healthy communities have places where people can get together formally or informally, such as festivals in a city park; or a library with extended hours.

· Processes – Healthy communities make it easier for residents to have their voices heard. Some examples: Are voting processes easily understood? Do people know how to voice their support for new projects or changes in

ordinances? Can people participate in local city or county meetings in-person and online?

· People – In healthy communities, people get involved as volunteers and in other roles. People are socially engaged and active.

“When social capital is in place – places, processes, and people – the community is stronger,” Johannes said. “Then, the overall health of the people in the community improves. And there’s research that shows that civic health matters to our physical and mental health.”

The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute annually publishes the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps for every county in the United States. Johannes said the report provides data and evidence that reveals overall community health improvements due to community-led health equity and access efforts.

The yearly report includes links to information specific to Kansas counties, rating each according to such health outcomes as length of life and quality of life; and such health factors as adult smoking, obesity, physical activity and more.

Johannes said the recent report includes information about the civic health of states and counties. She said Kansas is among 16 states that have more structural barriers to civic health.

“Research shows that states with well-resourced civic infrastructure have more civic participation, which is tied to how well and how long we live,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697546908793.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By KARISSA WINKEL Cottonwood Extension DistrictMost folks generally accept that maintaining good health includes an annual visit to the doctor to check their heart, teeth, ears and more.But there’s more to personal health than some may realize.“The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has done quite a bit of research over the years that affirms that a little over 50% of our overall health is related to the places that we live, learn, work, play and pray,” said Johannes, the Kansas Health Foundation’s Distinguished Professor of Community Health at Kansas State University.Research indicates that engaging in one’s community is connected to living longer and healthier.“So,” she says, “we should look for opportunities to be civically engaged, and be aware of opportunities to volunteer, be involved in clubs and organizations, vote and contribute to local community improvement projects. That’s part of civic health.”The National Conference on Citizenship, which has studied civic life for ten years, reports that communities with higher employment rates, stronger schools and more responsive governments have better health among its residents.Civic health reflects the opportunities people have to participate in their communities, and can be summed up in three areas:· Places – Healthy communities have places where people can get together formally or informally, such as festivals in a city park; or a library with extended hours.· Processes – Healthy communities make it easier for residents to have their voices heard. Some examples: Are voting processes easily understood? Do people know how to voice their support for new projects or changes inordinances? Can people participate in local city or county meetings in-person and online?· People – In healthy communities, people get involved as volunteers and in other roles. People are socially engaged and active.“When social capital is in place – places, processes, and people – the community is stronger,” Johannes said. “Then, the overall health of the people in the community improves. And there’s research that shows that civic health matters to our physical and mental health.”The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute annually publishes the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps for every county in the United States. Johannes said the report provides data and evidence that reveals overall community health improvements due to community-led health equity and access efforts.The yearly report includes links to information specific to Kansas counties, rating each according to such health outcomes as length of life and quality of life; and such health factors as adult smoking, obesity, physical activity and more.Johannes said the recent report includes information about the civic health of states and counties. She said Kansas is among 16 states that have more structural barriers to civic health.“Research shows that states with well-resourced civic infrastructure have more civic participation, which is tied to how well and how long we live,” she said.Karissa Winkel is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 620-793-1910 or krwinkel@ksu.edu.

WINKEL: Community health boosts personal health

July 1 is traditionally the opening day of Kansas Bull Frog Season, a hunting season that gets little fanfare, and frankly a season that’s as underutilized here in Kansas as is squirrel or rabbit season. Nonetheless, hunting bull frogs can be an action-packed way to spend a hot summer night, and will reward you with a feast of sweet tasty frog legs.

My introduction to frog hunting came when I was in third or fourth grade. Across the road from the neighbor’s house was a deep drainage ditch that always harbored a few frogs. The three neighbor kids had a BB gun, and when we weren’t behind their barn trying to shoot their big boar hog in the butt with it, we were at the ditch tryin’ to shoot frogs. We were such poor shots with that old BB gun that the frog population always kept ahead of us, so there were always plenty to chase. When we did kill one, it was retrieved and cut open to get back our BB (the ultimate in recycling!)

I can think of no other hunting sport where there are so many legal ways to harvest your quarry, even though shooting them with a BB gun is NOT among them. For starters, you can don old sneakers or waders and walk, or you can hunt from a canoe, kayak or any kind of boat. Frogs can legally be caught by hand, with a dip net, by hook and line, speared with a gig, or shot with a bow or a crossbow outfitted with a bow fishing rig that uses a barbed arrow attached to the bow or crossbow with a reel or string, and even though most frog hunting is done at night, any of these methods can also be employed during daylight hours to harvest frogs.

Nighttime bull frog hunting has additional challenges, but after dark is the standard tried-and-true time to hunt them. A bright flashlight or headlamp is perhaps the most important tool for nighttime frog hunts no matter the method you choose. Most ponds, lakes, rivers, streams (and yes, even drainage ditches) contain bull frogs; you’ll hear their deep, soothing “harumm, harumm, harumm” nighttime calls piercing the darkness. The trick is to creep silently up on them, whether by boat or by boot, then shine the flashlight or headlamp into their glowing eyes, which temporarily blinds and stuns them, allowing the hunter to capture them by whatever method.

Perhaps my most memorable frog hunt was an ill-conceived safari I took with a coworker when I was a kid. I worked with this guy named Frank who was at least 15 or 20 years my senior and the strange thing was I didn’t even like the guy! To say Frank was eccentric was like calling Chernobyl a small hazardous waste spill. The guy had built a huge box kite that he launched from the back of his old flat bed truck by driving like a maniac through a field, then hoisting it into the sky with a winch! Anyway, for whatever reason, I agreed to take him frog hunting that particular night. It was well past 10 as we drove along a dirt road to a creek where I had never hunted frogs before. I seem to remember that I drove, and somehow in the process of getting off the road far enough to park, I slid my old pickup into the ditch. We decided to hunt frogs then worry about that predicament latter. The fact that my truck was in the ditch kinda soured the whole experience for me, and after wading the unknown creek for awhile, we returned to the “stuck-truck” empty-handed and proceeded to try wresting our transportation from said ditch. After a time of “nothing working,” we trekked up the road to the nearest house and knocked on the door. By then it was past midnight, and as we waited for the owner to stumble to the door, or to

shoot at us, whichever came first, some kids heard the commotion and stuck their heads out a couple upstairs windows right above us. As they stared down at the two wet, stinking absolute strangers below, their brief conversation I’ll take with me to the grave. “Who is it?” asked one kid. “I don’t know” answered a second. Then a third kid chimed in “Looks like a couple bums to me!”

So here are my tips for a fun and successful frog hunting experience. First of all, go with someone you actually like. Secondly, don’t put your truck in the ditch. Thirdly, find yourselves a farm pond, lake or stream full of bull frogs and have at it with whatever method of harvest you choose. When you get home, butcher the frogs by cutting off the big, white, meaty hind legs, skin them with a pair of pliers, rinse them, pat them dry, dredge them in a milk/egg mixture, roll them in flour or cornmeal and fry them just a short time until they’re golden brown. Their sweet taste will amaze you and you’ll be hooked on Kansas Froggin’. Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By STEVE GILLILAND Exploring Kansas OutdoorsJuly 1 is traditionally the opening day of Kansas Bull Frog Season, a hunting season that gets little fanfare, and frankly a season that’s as underutilized here in Kansas as is squirrel or rabbit season. Nonetheless, hunting bull frogs can be an action-packed way to spend a hot summer night, and will reward you with a feast of sweet tasty frog legs.My introduction to frog hunting came when I was in third or fourth grade. Across the road from the neighbor’s house was a deep drainage ditch that always harbored a few frogs. The three neighbor kids had a BB gun, and when we weren’t behind their barn trying to shoot their big boar hog in the butt with it, we were at the ditch tryin’ to shoot frogs. We were such poor shots with that old BB gun that the frog population always kept ahead of us, so there were always plenty to chase. When we did kill one, it was retrieved and cut open to get back our BB (the ultimate in recycling!)I can think of no other hunting sport where there are so many legal ways to harvest your quarry, even though shooting them with a BB gun is NOT among them. For starters, you can don old sneakers or waders and walk, or you can hunt from a canoe, kayak or any kind of boat. Frogs can legally be caught by hand, with a dip net, by hook and line, speared with a gig, or shot with a bow or a crossbow outfitted with a bow fishing rig that uses a barbed arrow attached to the bow or crossbow with a reel or string, and even though most frog hunting is done at night, any of these methods can also be employed during daylight hours to harvest frogs.Nighttime bull frog hunting has additional challenges, but after dark is the standard tried-and-true time to hunt them. A bright flashlight or headlamp is perhaps the most important tool for nighttime frog hunts no matter the method you choose. Most ponds, lakes, rivers, streams (and yes, even drainage ditches) contain bull frogs; you’ll hear their deep, soothing “harumm, harumm, harumm” nighttime calls piercing the darkness. The trick is to creep silently up on them, whether by boat or by boot, then shine the flashlight or headlamp into their glowing eyes, which temporarily blinds and stuns them, allowing the hunter to capture them by whatever method.Perhaps my most memorable frog hunt was an ill-conceived safari I took with a coworker when I was a kid. I worked with this guy named Frank who was at least 15 or 20 years my senior and the strange thing was I didn’t even like the guy! To say Frank was eccentric was like calling Chernobyl a small hazardous waste spill. The guy had built a huge box kite that he launched from the back of his old flat bed truck by driving like a maniac through a field, then hoisting it into the sky with a winch! Anyway, for whatever reason, I agreed to take him frog hunting that particular night. It was well past 10 as we drove along a dirt road to a creek where I had never hunted frogs before. I seem to remember that I drove, and somehow in the process of getting off the road far enough to park, I slid my old pickup into the ditch. We decided to hunt frogs then worry about that predicament latter. The fact that my truck was in the ditch kinda soured the whole experience for me, and after wading the unknown creek for awhile, we returned to the “stuck-truck” empty-handed and proceeded to try wresting our transportation from said ditch. After a time of “nothing working,” we trekked up the road to the nearest house and knocked on the door. By then it was past midnight, and as we waited for the owner to stumble to the door, or toshoot at us, whichever came first, some kids heard the commotion and stuck their heads out a couple upstairs windows right above us. As they stared down at the two wet, stinking absolute strangers below, their brief conversation I’ll take with me to the grave. “Who is it?” asked one kid. “I don’t know” answered a second. Then a third kid chimed in “Looks like a couple bums to me!”So here are my tips for a fun and successful frog hunting experience. First of all, go with someone you actually like. Secondly, don’t put your truck in the ditch. Thirdly, find yourselves a farm pond, lake or stream full of bull frogs and have at it with whatever method of harvest you choose. When you get home, butcher the frogs by cutting off the big, white, meaty hind legs, skin them with a pair of pliers, rinse them, pat them dry, dredge them in a milk/egg mixture, roll them in flour or cornmeal and fry them just a short time until they’re golden brown. Their sweet taste will amaze you and you’ll be hooked on Kansas Froggin’. Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Kansas Outdoors: Kansas Froggin’

By RUSSELL FOX Insight Kansas

I recently read the manuscript of a soon-to-be-published scholarly book looking at one of Kansas’s major cities. It was filled with sharp observations and smart ideas; when it’s published, I’ll buy copies of it for all my local representatives, in hopes that they’ll read it and learn something. But there’s one point in the manuscript that I can’t get out of my head.

When the author–who, like me, is not a Kansas native–arrived in the Sunflower state, they were struck by how the city they were moving to seemed to sprout out of the ground without warning. Flying into a Kansas airport, the book suggests, you look around, seeing nothing but farmland, and then suddenly a city is there, seemingly at random. The point being that Kansas’s urban areas--with Kansas City’s agglomeration of Overland Park and Olathe, Leavenworth and Lenexa, being the sole exception–are stand-alone entities, the product of geographic happenstance or boundary-line-drawing rooted decades, or even centuries, in the past.

Cities everywhere are both products and providers of connectivity; making connections and pursuing opportunities is why people congregate together, why businesses and investment capital flow to urban areas. So when you see a solitary city or town standing in an otherwise entirely rural space, there is the temptation to wonder how “real” a place it actually is.

Given that global trade and internet communication means that no city or town, no matter how small, is truly disconnected any longer, this kind of wondering is more a matter of perception than reality. Unless, of course, the perception becomes a self-imposed trap, and thus accidentally, or perhaps preemptively, sets the terms for the real-world decisions that follow.

That kind of self-referential trapping is not unusual in Kansas, I fear. There are positive aspects to it, of course; it can encourage people to focus on their local resources, adding to the culture of our state by supporting and celebrating the creativity that can be found in local places. But too often this dynamic takes a negative tone, whether it be a defiant pride in disconnection, or a hopelessness that dismisses new connections and possibilities before they’ve even been tried.

Look at Kansas politics through this frame, and you can see examples everywhere. State policies that could be easily adapted to Kansas’s population–like Medicaid expansion, legal medical marijuana, and more–face opposition from political interests that mostly offer a simple “it won’t work here” rather than any serious policy argument. Counties with farmers looking to bring in additional income and companies happy to pay them to install solar arrays face onerous regulations instead, because otherwise “people will complain.” Cities trying to manage their slow growth by establishing more reliable revenue streams, reconsidering the costs of an overbuilt infrastructure, free parking, and mill levies that haven’t been touched in decades, shy away from moving forward, fearing that Kansans are “too cheap” to ever pay for improving public goods.

Obviously such perceptions don’t explain everything about these disputes; political disagreements, backed by powerful partisan interests, are real, and simple boosterism won’t change that. But pushing back against the idea that certain things just “can’t happen in Kansas” is nonetheless important, I think, because that’s a perception rooted in an assumption based on Kansas’s spatiality, its supposed disconnectedness, and not on our common resources and will.

The fact that there are, and always have been, many throughout Kansas’s cities and towns willing to do that kind of pushing back is evidence enough that the political powers that be aren’t the whole story. That’s my hopeful perception, at least.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690389122282.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By RUSSELL FOX Insight KansasI recently read the manuscript of a soon-to-be-published scholarly book looking at one of Kansas’s major cities. It was filled with sharp observations and smart ideas; when it’s published, I’ll buy copies of it for all my local representatives, in hopes that they’ll read it and learn something. But there’s one point in the manuscript that I can’t get out of my head.When the author–who, like me, is not a Kansas native–arrived in the Sunflower state, they were struck by how the city they were moving to seemed to sprout out of the ground without warning. Flying into a Kansas airport, the book suggests, you look around, seeing nothing but farmland, and then suddenly a city is there, seemingly at random. The point being that Kansas’s urban areas--with Kansas City’s agglomeration of Overland Park and Olathe, Leavenworth and Lenexa, being the sole exception–are stand-alone entities, the product of geographic happenstance or boundary-line-drawing rooted decades, or even centuries, in the past.Cities everywhere are both products and providers of connectivity; making connections and pursuing opportunities is why people congregate together, why businesses and investment capital flow to urban areas. So when you see a solitary city or town standing in an otherwise entirely rural space, there is the temptation to wonder how “real” a place it actually is.Given that global trade and internet communication means that no city or town, no matter how small, is truly disconnected any longer, this kind of wondering is more a matter of perception than reality. Unless, of course, the perception becomes a self-imposed trap, and thus accidentally, or perhaps preemptively, sets the terms for the real-world decisions that follow.That kind of self-referential trapping is not unusual in Kansas, I fear. There are positive aspects to it, of course; it can encourage people to focus on their local resources, adding to the culture of our state by supporting and celebrating the creativity that can be found in local places. But too often this dynamic takes a negative tone, whether it be a defiant pride in disconnection, or a hopelessness that dismisses new connections and possibilities before they’ve even been tried.Look at Kansas politics through this frame, and you can see examples everywhere. State policies that could be easily adapted to Kansas’s population–like Medicaid expansion, legal medical marijuana, and more–face opposition from political interests that mostly offer a simple “it won’t work here” rather than any serious policy argument. Counties with farmers looking to bring in additional income and companies happy to pay them to install solar arrays face onerous regulations instead, because otherwise “people will complain.” Cities trying to manage their slow growth by establishing more reliable revenue streams, reconsidering the costs of an overbuilt infrastructure, free parking, and mill levies that haven’t been touched in decades, shy away from moving forward, fearing that Kansans are “too cheap” to ever pay for improving public goods.Obviously such perceptions don’t explain everything about these disputes; political disagreements, backed by powerful partisan interests, are real, and simple boosterism won’t change that. But pushing back against the idea that certain things just “can’t happen in Kansas” is nonetheless important, I think, because that’s a perception rooted in an assumption based on Kansas’s spatiality, its supposed disconnectedness, and not on our common resources and will.The fact that there are, and always have been, many throughout Kansas’s cities and towns willing to do that kind of pushing back is evidence enough that the political powers that be aren’t the whole story. That’s my hopeful perception, at least.Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita, KS.

INSIGHT KANSAS: The problem of Kansas’s self-perception

Cereal rye can provide excellent weed suppression as a cover crop; however, it should be handled carefully. Cereal rye can be introduced into a wheat field by contamination of harvest or seed conditioning equipment, dry fertilizer spreaders, or drills. Seeds and pollen can also be moved by wind or other natural means.

Cereal rye is very similar to wheat in terms of life cycle, growth requirements, and appearance. There are a few features that distinguish rye from wheat. First, cereal rye is generally taller than winter wheat, and the seed heads are usually longer and thinner. Other differences require a closer look. The ligule of cereal rye does not have a fringe of hairs (winter wheat does), and cereal rye does not have prominent auricles (winter wheat does). Cereal rye seeds are longer than wheat seeds and usually shaded more yellow or green rather than red.

Chemical control in wheat is limited to herbicide-tolerant varieties (discussed later in this article). Because there are few herbicide options in crops, preventing the introduction of cereal rye into wheat fields is critical. Cleaning equipment and planting weed-free seed are two important measures. Control during other phases of the crop rotation is also important. For example, letting rye emerge during a fallow phase of the rotation and applying glyphosate and/or atrazine. Hand rouging has long been used to remove cereal rye from wheat.

Herbicide-tolerant wheat varieties - Clearfield wheat varieties allow the use of Beyond (imazamox). Imazamox is more effective on other cool-season grass weeds, and only provides suppression of cereal rye. If you choose a Clearfield variety, be sure to spray before rye tillers and use a nitrogen fertilizer (up to 50% of the spray solution). Two applications (fall and spring) will provide better control than a single application.

CoAXium wheat varieties allow the use of Aggressor (quizalofop). Quizalofop provides excellent control of cereal rye. In studies at Great Bend control was 94% or greater with 10 or 12 fl oz of Aggressor applied with either NIS or MSO in fall or spring. Quizalofop is a Group 1 herbicide that only controls grasses.

In both systems, cereal rye control will be reduced if applications are made when temperatures are below 40F during the week following application.

Reminder Control Volunteer Wheat - since we have been fortunate enough to get some much-needed moisture in the last month or so. Any volunteer wheat that has came up will need to be controlled before wheat is drilled. It is recommended to have all volunteer wheat controlled two weeks prior to any wheat being planted. To allow sufficient time for the wheat curl mites to die off. The mites preferred host plant is wheat, so any volunteer wheat around will more than likely

harbor wheat curl mites. Which are important vectors of wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), one of the most destructive wheat diseases in Kansas.

One tool in the toolbox - other than timely control of volunteer wheat, genetic resistance is also an important tool for WSMV control. Genetic resistance to wheat streak mosaic can also reduce the risk of severe disease problems. There are currently several wheat varieties adapted to Kansas that have wheat streak mosaic virus resistance. To see what those varieties are go to the July 18th issue of K-State Agronomy eUpdate.

Stacy Campbell is a Crop Production Extension agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at scampbel@ksu.edu or by calling 785-628-9430.

Cereal rye can provide excellent weed suppression as a cover crop; however, it should be handled carefully. Cereal rye can be introduced into a wheat field by contamination of harvest or seed conditioning equipment, dry fertilizer spreaders, or drills. Seeds and pollen can also be moved by wind or other natural means.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681266655144.jpeg" alt="written by: Stacy Campbell - Cottonwood Extension District" />
 <figcaption>written by: Stacy Campbell - Cottonwood Extension District</figcaption>
 </figure>Cereal rye is very similar to wheat in terms of life cycle, growth requirements, and appearance. There are a few features that distinguish rye from wheat. First, cereal rye is generally taller than winter wheat, and the seed heads are usually longer and thinner. Other differences require a closer look. The ligule of cereal rye does not have a fringe of hairs (winter wheat does), and cereal rye does not have prominent auricles (winter wheat does). Cereal rye seeds are longer than wheat seeds and usually shaded more yellow or green rather than red.Chemical control in wheat is limited to herbicide-tolerant varieties (discussed later in this article). Because there are few herbicide options in crops, preventing the introduction of cereal rye into wheat fields is critical. Cleaning equipment and planting weed-free seed are two important measures. Control during other phases of the crop rotation is also important. For example, letting rye emerge during a fallow phase of the rotation and applying glyphosate and/or atrazine. Hand rouging has long been used to remove cereal rye from wheat.Herbicide-tolerant wheat varieties - Clearfield wheat varieties allow the use of Beyond (imazamox). Imazamox is more effective on other cool-season grass weeds, and only provides suppression of cereal rye. If you choose a Clearfield variety, be sure to spray before rye tillers and use a nitrogen fertilizer (up to 50% of the spray solution). Two applications (fall and spring) will provide better control than a single application.CoAXium wheat varieties allow the use of Aggressor (quizalofop). Quizalofop provides excellent control of cereal rye. In studies at Great Bend control was 94% or greater with 10 or 12 fl oz of Aggressor applied with either NIS or MSO in fall or spring. Quizalofop is a Group 1 herbicide that only controls grasses.In both systems, cereal rye control will be reduced if applications are made when temperatures are below 40F during the week following application.Reminder Control Volunteer Wheat - since we have been fortunate enough to get some much-needed moisture in the last month or so. Any volunteer wheat that has came up will need to be controlled before wheat is drilled. It is recommended to have all volunteer wheat controlled two weeks prior to any wheat being planted. To allow sufficient time for the wheat curl mites to die off. The mites preferred host plant is wheat, so any volunteer wheat around will more than likelyharbor wheat curl mites. Which are important vectors of wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), one of the most destructive wheat diseases in Kansas.One tool in the toolbox - other than timely control of volunteer wheat, genetic resistance is also an important tool for WSMV control. Genetic resistance to wheat streak mosaic can also reduce the risk of severe disease problems. There are currently several wheat varieties adapted to Kansas that have wheat streak mosaic virus resistance. To see what those varieties are go to the July 18th issue of K-State Agronomy eUpdate.Stacy Campbell is a Crop Production Extension agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at scampbel@ksu.edu or by calling 785-628-9430.

Campbell: Cereal rye control in wheat

By TISA MASON Fort Hays State University President

Fort Hays State University is a regional public university with a global reach. In the academic year 2023, our enrollment served 16,922 students, including 11,715 students from the United States, with 8,000 of these U.S. students hailing from Kansas. This means that more than 68 percent of our U.S.-based students are Kansans. The 8,000 Kansans served included more than 5,000 students from western Kansas and more than 2,000 from Ellis County.

Among those we served are 4,022 on-campus students, 7,693 online students, and 5,207 students who study at our partner campuses in Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, and Senegal.

The diverse mix of students we serve aligns with our mission: Fort Hays State University provides accessible quality education to Kansas, the nation, and the world through an innovative community of teacher-scholars and professionals to develop engaged global citizen-leaders.

In the ever-changing landscape of higher education, universities must continuously adapt and evolve to meet the needs of their students and communities. With our relentless focus on providing accessible, affordable tuition, we recognized the importance of strategic growth to ensure our continued success and relevance in the education sector. We embedded strategic growth to expand the university's reach and impact through thoughtful planning and implementation of initiatives as goal three of our strategic plan.

Dr. Dennis King, Associate VP for Student Affairs/Enrollment Management, was crucial in leading this goal. His expertise in enrollment management and collaboration with various stakeholders across campus were instrumental in the success of Goal 3. Reflecting on his experience, Dr. King acknowledged the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted historical data and planning. Despite these challenges, we implemented critical initiatives such as reimagining an office of university marketing and implementing new technology to enhance communication with students. The pandemic also prompted changes to the scholarship program, demonstrating FHSU's adaptability and commitment to supporting students during uncertain times.

A selection of Goal 3 successes was the growth of strategic enrollment plans in areas such as social work, history, clinical psychology, and medical diagnostic imaging majors. We signed the first state-wide community college articulation agreement guaranteeing nursing program admission to all community college-trained registered nurses. Additionally, the construction of the Wilmer and Lorena Kellogg Training Center for the Shotgun Team showcased FHSU's commitment to supporting co-curricular activities and enhancing the student experience. Women's wrestling created a new opportunity for thousands of women high school wrestlers across Kansas.

Dr. King emphasized that the strategic growth initiative has positively impacted university culture, fostering a desire for better data and refined ROI models. By implementing new tools and processes, FHSU aims to continue improving the university community and providing all students (on campus, online, and globally) with the support they need to succeed.

Dr. King expressed confidence that the 2019-2024 strategic enrollment work will serve as a foundation for ongoing efforts to enhance the university's enrollment during the next iteration of our strategic plan. Recognizing the dedication and collaboration of everyone involved in the process, Dr. King expressed pride in the achievements of Goal 3 and the impact it has had on FHSU's campus community.

Dr. Joey Linn, VP for Student Affairs and co-chair for Goal 3, emphasized the significance of enrollment stabilization in the post-pandemic era of higher education. Dr. Linn highlighted the importance of experimentation and innovation in enrollment strategies, noting that 44 plans were created and reviewed over the five years, 31 were selected and funded, and five were discontinued. “Discontinuance is essential, as the role of experimentation is to create a proof-of-concept opportunity,” Dr. Linn said. “We learn from those experiments that work and those that do not.”

One of the key strategies under Goal 3 was the development of a financial aid leveraging plan to support university growth and enhance student retention. By re-evaluating the scholarship program and implementing new models of data collection and needs-based funding, FHSU improved persistence (the percentage of all degree-seeking students moving through the university) and graduation rates. The success of the financial aid leveraging plan was evident in the proactive transition to new scholarship programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed for a wider disbursement of scholarship funds.

Goal 3 also emphasized attracting and retaining diverse faculty and staff to support institutional growth. This initiative, led by Dr. Grady Dixon, Dean of the Werth College of Science, Technology, and Mathematics, highlighted the progress made in closing faculty representation gaps among women and minorities to increase a sense of belonging among all members of Tiger Nation.

By leveraging the success of past initiatives and embracing new opportunities for stability and growth, FHSU aims to enhance the student experience and prepare students for success in an ever-changing world. As FHSU continues to evolve and adapt to the demands of higher education, Goal 3 will continue to serve as a guiding framework for future strategic planning, relentlessly focusing on our mission to provide a quality, affordable option for our citizens.

We strive every day to deliver the best value in education anywhere. The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREEOPP.org) used data from the U.S. Department's College Scorecard on the earnings of students receiving federal financial aid from over 30,000 bachelor's degree programs at U.S. colleges and universities. Looking across the 27 programs evaluated at FHSU, the cumulative lifetime ROI of FHSU programs provided an economic impact of more than $1.1 billion from the students who graduated during the study period. (https://www.fhsu.edu/president/heart-of-a-tiger/final-heart-of-a-tiger-for-aug-31.pdf)

Through the dedication and collaboration of key stakeholders, FHSU has adapted to challenges and seized opportunities in critical areas such as enrollment, scholarship programs, and faculty diversity. The success of Goal 3 reflects FHSU's commitment to excellence and innovation in higher education, positioning the university for continued success and impact in the years to come. By building upon the achievements of Goal 3 and embracing new challenges and opportunities, FHSU will remain a leader in higher education and a beacon of growth and opportunity for its students, faculty, and community.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575301942236.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By TISA MASON Fort Hays State University PresidentFort Hays State University is a regional public university with a global reach. In the academic year 2023, our enrollment served 16,922 students, including 11,715 students from the United States, with 8,000 of these U.S. students hailing from Kansas. This means that more than 68 percent of our U.S.-based students are Kansans. The 8,000 Kansans served included more than 5,000 students from western Kansas and more than 2,000 from Ellis County.Among those we served are 4,022 on-campus students, 7,693 online students, and 5,207 students who study at our partner campuses in Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, and Senegal.The diverse mix of students we serve aligns with our mission: Fort Hays State University provides accessible quality education to Kansas, the nation, and the world through an innovative community of teacher-scholars and professionals to develop engaged global citizen-leaders.In the ever-changing landscape of higher education, universities must continuously adapt and evolve to meet the needs of their students and communities. With our relentless focus on providing accessible, affordable tuition, we recognized the importance of strategic growth to ensure our continued success and relevance in the education sector. We embedded strategic growth to expand the university's reach and impact through thoughtful planning and implementation of initiatives as goal three of our strategic plan.Dr. Dennis King, Associate VP for Student Affairs/Enrollment Management, was crucial in leading this goal. His expertise in enrollment management and collaboration with various stakeholders across campus were instrumental in the success of Goal 3. Reflecting on his experience, Dr. King acknowledged the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted historical data and planning. Despite these challenges, we implemented critical initiatives such as reimagining an office of university marketing and implementing new technology to enhance communication with students. The pandemic also prompted changes to the scholarship program, demonstrating FHSU's adaptability and commitment to supporting students during uncertain times.A selection of Goal 3 successes was the growth of strategic enrollment plans in areas such as social work, history, clinical psychology, and medical diagnostic imaging majors. We signed the first state-wide community college articulation agreement guaranteeing nursing program admission to all community college-trained registered nurses. Additionally, the construction of the Wilmer and Lorena Kellogg Training Center for the Shotgun Team showcased FHSU's commitment to supporting co-curricular activities and enhancing the student experience. Women's wrestling created a new opportunity for thousands of women high school wrestlers across Kansas.Dr. King emphasized that the strategic growth initiative has positively impacted university culture, fostering a desire for better data and refined ROI models. By implementing new tools and processes, FHSU aims to continue improving the university community and providing all students (on campus, online, and globally) with the support they need to succeed.Dr. King expressed confidence that the 2019-2024 strategic enrollment work will serve as a foundation for ongoing efforts to enhance the university's enrollment during the next iteration of our strategic plan. Recognizing the dedication and collaboration of everyone involved in the process, Dr. King expressed pride in the achievements of Goal 3 and the impact it has had on FHSU's campus community.Dr. Joey Linn, VP for Student Affairs and co-chair for Goal 3, emphasized the significance of enrollment stabilization in the post-pandemic era of higher education. Dr. Linn highlighted the importance of experimentation and innovation in enrollment strategies, noting that 44 plans were created and reviewed over the five years, 31 were selected and funded, and five were discontinued. “Discontinuance is essential, as the role of experimentation is to create a proof-of-concept opportunity,” Dr. Linn said. “We learn from those experiments that work and those that do not.”One of the key strategies under Goal 3 was the development of a financial aid leveraging plan to support university growth and enhance student retention. By re-evaluating the scholarship program and implementing new models of data collection and needs-based funding, FHSU improved persistence (the percentage of all degree-seeking students moving through the university) and graduation rates. The success of the financial aid leveraging plan was evident in the proactive transition to new scholarship programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed for a wider disbursement of scholarship funds.Goal 3 also emphasized attracting and retaining diverse faculty and staff to support institutional growth. This initiative, led by Dr. Grady Dixon, Dean of the Werth College of Science, Technology, and Mathematics, highlighted the progress made in closing faculty representation gaps among women and minorities to increase a sense of belonging among all members of Tiger Nation.By leveraging the success of past initiatives and embracing new opportunities for stability and growth, FHSU aims to enhance the student experience and prepare students for success in an ever-changing world. As FHSU continues to evolve and adapt to the demands of higher education, Goal 3 will continue to serve as a guiding framework for future strategic planning, relentlessly focusing on our mission to provide a quality, affordable option for our citizens.We strive every day to deliver the best value in education anywhere. The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREEOPP.org) used data from the U.S. Department's College Scorecard on the earnings of students receiving federal financial aid from over 30,000 bachelor's degree programs at U.S. colleges and universities. Looking across the 27 programs evaluated at FHSU, the cumulative lifetime ROI of FHSU programs provided an economic impact of more than $1.1 billion from the students who graduated during the study period. (https://www.fhsu.edu/president/heart-of-a-tiger/final-heart-of-a-tiger-for-aug-31.pdf)Through the dedication and collaboration of key stakeholders, FHSU has adapted to challenges and seized opportunities in critical areas such as enrollment, scholarship programs, and faculty diversity. The success of Goal 3 reflects FHSU's commitment to excellence and innovation in higher education, positioning the university for continued success and impact in the years to come. By building upon the achievements of Goal 3 and embracing new challenges and opportunities, FHSU will remain a leader in higher education and a beacon of growth and opportunity for its students, faculty, and community.

Heart of a Tiger: Celebrating success, part 3

Unfortunately for several of my gardening friends this summer, grasshoppers descended in mass and devoured entire gardens as well as leaves and bark off trees. For those expecting to load canning shelves and freezers with summer harvests, this invasion devastated their plans.

While we saw plenty of hoppers in our yard, garden, and flower bed, numbers didn’t increase enough to do more than leave moth-eaten leaves. Compounding the insult, some insects landed on unsuspecting humans, causing them to jerk and thrash like a victim with a severe case of St. Vitus’ Dance. As a result, when I see a grasshopper, I exercise permanent population control. While I race after zig-zagging, bristle-legged insects, my town chickens cheer me on, hopping from foot to foot eagerly awaiting their daily connection to nature’s food chain.

I’ve learned early morning offers my best opportunity to catch elusive insects. Cooler temps slow the critters until they act downright sluggish. Morning dew offers me an additional edge. Jumping and crawling through good size droplets that collect on insect wings and legs impedes their flying and leaping.

When we lived in the country, our chickens free-ranged over yard and prairie, snagging all the hoppers they wanted. Our current town girls live a restricted life in their princess pen with excelsior-lined nesting boxes. As royalty, they eagerly await a minion’s delivery of lettuce and zucchini for breakfast. While they peck at their greens, they ogle me racing about the yard and through the garden seeking fresh protein to contribute.

Over decades serving as a chicken tender, I’ve learned chickens are smarter than they look. They recognize words, people, and actions, and make decisions accordingly. When they see me exit the garage first thing each morning, they line up ready to compete for the best pickins from the scrap bowl. While nibbling veggies, their attentive eyes and clucks urge me to collect leaf-devouring hoppers and deliver them. In their minds, insects trump veggies any morning of the week.

While the girls await my success at grabbing grasshoppers hiding in our lawn, crawling up garden plants, and drying off on the shed wall, I suspect they tally how many I snag. They then devise ways they can beat their fellow cackleberry-droppers to my bug-filled fingers as I pop one at a time into their enclosure.

In general, our ISO Browns are gentle, sweet little gals. However, mornings get western when one hen grabs a succulent hopper from the beak of another. If that hopper falls to the ground during the snatch and escapes, chaos erupts. Millenia of genetic wiring drive these ladies to a frenzy, releasing inner Tyrannosaurus Rexes. Suddenly, I have four prowling predators until one finds the prey and gobbles it.

In a perfect world, these hens would free range. Being town girls, they need help. As that helper, I get exercise and agility training, my plants survive with fewer holes gnawed in them, and the hens get fresh-from-nature food. Returning the favor, they bless us with our link to nature’s food chain—the best eggs ever.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724432953538.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By KAREN MADORINUnfortunately for several of my gardening friends this summer, grasshoppers descended in mass and devoured entire gardens as well as leaves and bark off trees. For those expecting to load canning shelves and freezers with summer harvests, this invasion devastated their plans.While we saw plenty of hoppers in our yard, garden, and flower bed, numbers didn’t increase enough to do more than leave moth-eaten leaves. Compounding the insult, some insects landed on unsuspecting humans, causing them to jerk and thrash like a victim with a severe case of St. Vitus’ Dance. As a result, when I see a grasshopper, I exercise permanent population control. While I race after zig-zagging, bristle-legged insects, my town chickens cheer me on, hopping from foot to foot eagerly awaiting their daily connection to nature’s food chain.I’ve learned early morning offers my best opportunity to catch elusive insects. Cooler temps slow the critters until they act downright sluggish. Morning dew offers me an additional edge. Jumping and crawling through good size droplets that collect on insect wings and legs impedes their flying and leaping.When we lived in the country, our chickens free-ranged over yard and prairie, snagging all the hoppers they wanted. Our current town girls live a restricted life in their princess pen with excelsior-lined nesting boxes. As royalty, they eagerly await a minion’s delivery of lettuce and zucchini for breakfast. While they peck at their greens, they ogle me racing about the yard and through the garden seeking fresh protein to contribute.Over decades serving as a chicken tender, I’ve learned chickens are smarter than they look. They recognize words, people, and actions, and make decisions accordingly. When they see me exit the garage first thing each morning, they line up ready to compete for the best pickins from the scrap bowl. While nibbling veggies, their attentive eyes and clucks urge me to collect leaf-devouring hoppers and deliver them. In their minds, insects trump veggies any morning of the week.While the girls await my success at grabbing grasshoppers hiding in our lawn, crawling up garden plants, and drying off on the shed wall, I suspect they tally how many I snag. They then devise ways they can beat their fellow cackleberry-droppers to my bug-filled fingers as I pop one at a time into their enclosure.In general, our ISO Browns are gentle, sweet little gals. However, mornings get western when one hen grabs a succulent hopper from the beak of another. If that hopper falls to the ground during the snatch and escapes, chaos erupts. Millenia of genetic wiring drive these ladies to a frenzy, releasing inner Tyrannosaurus Rexes. Suddenly, I have four prowling predators until one finds the prey and gobbles it.In a perfect world, these hens would free range. Being town girls, they need help. As that helper, I get exercise and agility training, my plants survive with fewer holes gnawed in them, and the hens get fresh-from-nature food. Returning the favor, they bless us with our link to nature’s food chain—the best eggs ever.

MADORIN: Grandma and the hoppers

For decades, the 1984 Chevron Doctrine gave unelected D.C. bureaucrats the power to bury Kansas businesses—especially our oil fields, farms, and ranches—in unnecessary regulations. Thankfully, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Chevron decision just a few weeks ago, finally reining in those powers.&nbsp;

This is a significant win for Kansas’ economy. Bureaucrats will no longer have free rein to impose extreme environmental regulations that stifle economic growth while offering little progress towards leaving this world cleaner than we found it. Under the Chevron Doctrine, businesses were legally powerless to fight back against these Washington-imposed rules. Federal agencies held all the cards, leaving our elected representatives with little say.&nbsp;

But those days are over. The legal playing field has now been leveled, giving Kansans a fair chance to challenge regulations that threaten their livelihoods. Federal agencies’ unchecked power has been curtailed, slowing down the regulatory assault on businesses across Kansas—from our fields and factories to Main Street.&nbsp;

The Chevron Doctrine was responsible for harmful regulations like the Obama and Biden Administrations’ Waters of the United States rule, which absurdly classified a puddle on a farm as federal water. It also allowed for overbearing, costly rules that hindered medical treatments and burdened workplaces with unnecessary safety regulations. Now, these kinds of federal rules can be legally scrutinized, delaying or even stopping them before they take effect.&nbsp;

This Supreme Court decision is a win for voters, too. It returns some power to our elected officials, ensuring that Washington’s bureaucratic class is more accountable to the people. Unelected agents still hold considerable regulatory power, but now they must adhere more closely to the laws written by Congress—the voice of the American people.&nbsp;

This is a victory for Kansas industries and the companies that call our state home. Reducing overregulation will spur economic activity, create good-paying jobs, and lower the cost of living.&nbsp;

We all want clean water, clean air, and to protect endangered species. But it’s Congress, not unelected bureaucrats, that should define what those terms mean.&nbsp;

— Sen.&nbsp;Roger Marshall, R-Kan.

For decades, the 1984 Chevron Doctrine gave unelected D.C. bureaucrats the power to bury Kansas businesses—especially our oil fields, farms, and ranches—in unnecessary regulations. Thankfully, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Chevron decision just a few weeks ago, finally reining in those powers.&nbsp;This is a significant win for Kansas’ economy. Bureaucrats will no longer have free rein to impose extreme environmental regulations that stifle economic growth while offering little progress towards leaving this world cleaner than we found it. Under the Chevron Doctrine, businesses were legally powerless to fight back against these Washington-imposed rules. Federal agencies held all the cards, leaving our elected representatives with little say.&nbsp;But those days are over. The legal playing field has now been leveled, giving Kansans a fair chance to challenge regulations that threaten their livelihoods. Federal agencies’ unchecked power has been curtailed, slowing down the regulatory assault on businesses across Kansas—from our fields and factories to Main Street.&nbsp;The Chevron Doctrine was responsible for harmful regulations like the Obama and Biden Administrations’ Waters of the United States rule, which absurdly classified a puddle on a farm as federal water. It also allowed for overbearing, costly rules that hindered medical treatments and burdened workplaces with unnecessary safety regulations. Now, these kinds of federal rules can be legally scrutinized, delaying or even stopping them before they take effect.&nbsp;This Supreme Court decision is a win for voters, too. It returns some power to our elected officials, ensuring that Washington’s bureaucratic class is more accountable to the people. Unelected agents still hold considerable regulatory power, but now they must adhere more closely to the laws written by Congress—the voice of the American people.&nbsp;This is a victory for Kansas industries and the companies that call our state home. Reducing overregulation will spur economic activity, create good-paying jobs, and lower the cost of living.&nbsp;We all want clean water, clean air, and to protect endangered species. But it’s Congress, not unelected bureaucrats, that should define what those terms mean.&nbsp;— Sen.&nbsp;Roger Marshall, R-Kan.

Marshall: Overturning Chevron delivers regulatory relief for Kansas’ economy 

Handwashing might seem like a routine activity in today’s world, especially after COVID, but that wasn’t always the case. Have you ever wondered where we got this idea? I learned about it in graduate school and was fascinated by how it came about. It wasn’t until the 19th century that handwashing was actually researched and the birth of modern handwashing came about. And the physician that pioneered this work was ridiculed!

Ignaz Semmelweis (1840s) was Hungarian physician that discovered handwashing with chlorinated lime solutions dramatically reduced the incidence of puerperal fever (childbed fever) in his obstetric wards. Despite his findings, his ideas were initially met with skepticism. In the 1800’s the understanding of disease transmission and germ theory were rudimentary. Semmelweis noticed that there was a stark difference in mortality rates between two maternity wards at the Vienna General Hospital. The ward attended by medical students had a much higher mortality rate compared to the ward run by midwives.

With further investigation he found that medical students moved between the dissection room and the maternity ward which we know now that they carried infectious material from the cadavers to the women in labor causing the high mortality rates. In 1847, Semmelweis introduced a policy requiring medical students and doctors to wash their hands with a chlorinated lime solution before examining patients. Handwashing lowered rates of puerperal fever and mortality rates in the maternity ward. However, he faced professional isolation and resistance from his colleagues.

Semmelweis’s methods were dismissed and ridiculed by the medical community and his findings were not accepted until later with the work of Joseph Lister (1860s) and Louis Pasteur that furthered microbiology and germ theory that Semmelweis’s work was accepted. Joseph Lister was a British surgeon who built on Semmelweis’s work by promoting antiseptic techniques in surgery. Lister’s use of carbolic acid (phenol) as an antiseptic led to a significant decrease in post-surgical infections.

Moving forward to the 20th century commercialization of antiseptic agents and soap improved hand hygiene practices, especially in the medical field but then later would move to the general public with Handwashing Campaigns in the 1970s-1980s. Handwashing became a public health issue.

Today handwashing is recognized as one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent the spread of illness.

Extension agents promote handwashing often whether it’s cooking in the kitchen, outdoor parties, or in the classroom or workplace.

Hands pick up bacteria during daily routines, including gardening, taking out the trash, driving, playing with pets and many other activities.

It only takes 20 seconds with soap and warm water or about the time it takes to sing the alphabet. Be sure to scrub your hands…because the bubbles really do pick up the dirt and take it away.

A fun way we teach this to kids (and adults) is through our Glo-Germ Handwashing program that uses a black light to show the germs on your hands before washing and how they are gone after handwashing. We can also teach high speed handwashing that helps students learn to wash hands quickly and efficiently to save water! Call or email Monique today if you would like to introduce or remind your students how to properly wash their hands to keep everyone as healthy as possible this school year!

Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 785-628-9430 or moniquek@ksu.edu.

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 </figure>By MONIQUE KOERNER Cottonwood Extension DistrictHandwashing might seem like a routine activity in today’s world, especially after COVID, but that wasn’t always the case. Have you ever wondered where we got this idea? I learned about it in graduate school and was fascinated by how it came about. It wasn’t until the 19th century that handwashing was actually researched and the birth of modern handwashing came about. And the physician that pioneered this work was ridiculed!Ignaz Semmelweis (1840s) was Hungarian physician that discovered handwashing with chlorinated lime solutions dramatically reduced the incidence of puerperal fever (childbed fever) in his obstetric wards. Despite his findings, his ideas were initially met with skepticism. In the 1800’s the understanding of disease transmission and germ theory were rudimentary. Semmelweis noticed that there was a stark difference in mortality rates between two maternity wards at the Vienna General Hospital. The ward attended by medical students had a much higher mortality rate compared to the ward run by midwives.With further investigation he found that medical students moved between the dissection room and the maternity ward which we know now that they carried infectious material from the cadavers to the women in labor causing the high mortality rates. In 1847, Semmelweis introduced a policy requiring medical students and doctors to wash their hands with a chlorinated lime solution before examining patients. Handwashing lowered rates of puerperal fever and mortality rates in the maternity ward. However, he faced professional isolation and resistance from his colleagues.Semmelweis’s methods were dismissed and ridiculed by the medical community and his findings were not accepted until later with the work of Joseph Lister (1860s) and Louis Pasteur that furthered microbiology and germ theory that Semmelweis’s work was accepted. Joseph Lister was a British surgeon who built on Semmelweis’s work by promoting antiseptic techniques in surgery. Lister’s use of carbolic acid (phenol) as an antiseptic led to a significant decrease in post-surgical infections.Moving forward to the 20th century commercialization of antiseptic agents and soap improved hand hygiene practices, especially in the medical field but then later would move to the general public with Handwashing Campaigns in the 1970s-1980s. Handwashing became a public health issue.Today handwashing is recognized as one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent the spread of illness.Extension agents promote handwashing often whether it’s cooking in the kitchen, outdoor parties, or in the classroom or workplace.Hands pick up bacteria during daily routines, including gardening, taking out the trash, driving, playing with pets and many other activities.It only takes 20 seconds with soap and warm water or about the time it takes to sing the alphabet. Be sure to scrub your hands…because the bubbles really do pick up the dirt and take it away.A fun way we teach this to kids (and adults) is through our Glo-Germ Handwashing program that uses a black light to show the germs on your hands before washing and how they are gone after handwashing. We can also teach high speed handwashing that helps students learn to wash hands quickly and efficiently to save water! Call or email Monique today if you would like to introduce or remind your students how to properly wash their hands to keep everyone as healthy as possible this school year!Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 785-628-9430 or moniquek@ksu.edu.

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