Kansans have learned that culture wars don’t stop at the state line. They invade most every aspect of our daily life.&nbsp; Lately the teaching of American history has come under fire.&nbsp; Whether the battle is political (Republican vs Democrat) or ideological (critical race theory vs traditional explanations of history), this media-fed assault is taking aim at public schools.

Our schools should be a place where students learn about our democratic system and their place in it, not a battleground for opposing viewpoints.

The culture war now raging reaches far beyond arguments over what view of America history should be taught.&nbsp; It’s a struggle that encompasses the core of democracy, because American democracy transcends the organization and functioning of government to embrace wider responsibilities of citizenship—respect, decency, civic obligation and love of liberty.&nbsp;

To fulfill the fore founders’ original purpose of public education to create an informed electorate, what should we teach our K-12 students today about history and our way of life?&nbsp;

For the current year, Kansas teachers are required to teach civics embedded in the curriculum of students in grades K-four.&nbsp; Social studies classes or embedded instruction in the intermediate grades are determined by individual school districts. For high school students, study of&nbsp;world history, American history and government including concepts of Kansas history and government and the U.S. constitution are required for graduation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Virtually all of us can agree that this is a strong curricula.&nbsp; The furor, however, is not about “what” is required in our schools. It’s about “how” it’s taught.

Chairman of the Kansas House Education Committee Steve Huebert wants to require high school students to pass a citizenship test to graduate.&nbsp; The test would be similar to that given to immigrants applying for U. S. citizenship.&nbsp; Introduced in the last legislative session, the bill did not pass.&nbsp;

According to the Kansas law what is required in Kansas public schools is the purview of local school boards based on state policy and federal law.&nbsp; Currently state standards present a centrist approach.&nbsp; Both the unfair, unjust events in American history as well as the nation’s rise to become a beacon for liberty and the strongest economic and military force in the world are taught by presenting comprehensive, accurate accounts of the past.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Critical race theory—the current center of contention—illuminates institutional and personal racism that continues to this day.&nbsp; Other accounts describe American history as a march of slow progress.&nbsp; Neither is fully accurate.&nbsp; From the thinking of early Greeks to the present, humankind has been unable to produce any one theory that connects the full sweep of history to explain why the past happened the way it did.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansans must not allow piecemeal legislation or full-blown curriculum coming from any political or ideological group to overtake school curricula.&nbsp;&nbsp;Historical theories are the work of university-level studies.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Directionless yet significant public contention over the teaching of American history should be met with local school-district examination of social studies and history curriculum by teachers and administrators, involve community input and culminate in elected school board review.&nbsp; Democracy put into practice will either identify areas of needed improvement or reassure parents and students that their school is on the right track.&nbsp;

Respect for diversity and patriotism are not mutually exclusive concepts, except in culture wars.&nbsp;

Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593719779701.jpeg" alt="Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education." />
 <figcaption>Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansans have learned that culture wars don’t stop at the state line. They invade most every aspect of our daily life.&nbsp; Lately the teaching of American history has come under fire.&nbsp; Whether the battle is political (Republican vs Democrat) or ideological (critical race theory vs traditional explanations of history), this media-fed assault is taking aim at public schools.Our schools should be a place where students learn about our democratic system and their place in it, not a battleground for opposing viewpoints.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The culture war now raging reaches far beyond arguments over what view of America history should be taught.&nbsp; It’s a struggle that encompasses the core of democracy, because American democracy transcends the organization and functioning of government to embrace wider responsibilities of citizenship—respect, decency, civic obligation and love of liberty.&nbsp;To fulfill the fore founders’ original purpose of public education to create an informed electorate, what should we teach our K-12 students today about history and our way of life?&nbsp;For the current year, Kansas teachers are required to teach civics embedded in the curriculum of students in grades K-four.&nbsp; Social studies classes or embedded instruction in the intermediate grades are determined by individual school districts. For high school students, study of&nbsp;world history, American history and government including concepts of Kansas history and government and the U.S. constitution are required for graduation.&nbsp;&nbsp;Virtually all of us can agree that this is a strong curricula.&nbsp; The furor, however, is not about “what” is required in our schools. It’s about “how” it’s taught.Chairman of the Kansas House Education Committee Steve Huebert wants to require high school students to pass a citizenship test to graduate.&nbsp; The test would be similar to that given to immigrants applying for U. S. citizenship.&nbsp; Introduced in the last legislative session, the bill did not pass.&nbsp;According to the Kansas law what is required in Kansas public schools is the purview of local school boards based on state policy and federal law.&nbsp; Currently state standards present a centrist approach.&nbsp; Both the unfair, unjust events in American history as well as the nation’s rise to become a beacon for liberty and the strongest economic and military force in the world are taught by presenting comprehensive, accurate accounts of the past.&nbsp;&nbsp;Critical race theory—the current center of contention—illuminates institutional and personal racism that continues to this day.&nbsp; Other accounts describe American history as a march of slow progress.&nbsp; Neither is fully accurate.&nbsp; From the thinking of early Greeks to the present, humankind has been unable to produce any one theory that connects the full sweep of history to explain why the past happened the way it did.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansans must not allow piecemeal legislation or full-blown curriculum coming from any political or ideological group to overtake school curricula.&nbsp;&nbsp;Historical theories are the work of university-level studies.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Directionless yet significant public contention over the teaching of American history should be met with local school-district examination of social studies and history curriculum by teachers and administrators, involve community input and culminate in elected school board review.&nbsp; Democracy put into practice will either identify areas of needed improvement or reassure parents and students that their school is on the right track.&nbsp;Respect for diversity and patriotism are not mutually exclusive concepts, except in culture wars.&nbsp;Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Despite culture wars, U.S. history can be taught

On a hot summer day, people often dress in light clothing, drink more water than normal and seek shade to minimize the impacts on the body from heat and humidity. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute experts said cattle need many of those same strategies for maximum performance over the summer. Talking on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2021/05/28/feed-efficiency-feet-and-leg-scores-heat-stress/" target="_blank">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast, veterinarians Bob Larson, Brian Lubbers and Brad White; and nutritionist Phillip Lancaster agreed that providing plenty of water and shade are two keys to success in keeping cattle comfortable. &nbsp;&nbsp;

But first it is important to recognize the signs of stress, Lubbers said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Cattle that are experiencing heat stress will have decreased production, so it is important to know the signs, which often mimic respiratory disease,” he said. Cattle that are breathing rapidly might be experiencing heat stress.&nbsp;&nbsp;

White said sometimes it is difficult to detect: “If you see one animal breathing hard in the heat often there is another set of calves that are also experiencing heat stress but not showing the signs to the same degree as the one you noticed.” &nbsp;&nbsp;

Larson added that oftentimes it is the young calves that are most impacted by the heat.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Very young calves seem to be more sensitive to the heat when compared to their older herd mates,” he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Along with noting the daytime high temperatures, Lubbers said producers need to monitor the nighttime low temperatures as well. &nbsp;&nbsp;

“If it doesn’t cool down overnight, the cattle can’t dissipate the heat like they would otherwise, so those are the days that you need to be extra vigilant in watching for signs of heat stress,” Lubbers said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Relating to cattle performance, Jennifer Bormann, beef cattle geneticist with the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at K-State, said research has shown cattle that readily shed their haircoat in hot temperatures perform better. &nbsp;&nbsp;

“One study scored the cattle at the same time each spring and then tracked their performance. Cattle that shed their haircoats early produced calves with higher weaning weights than the cows that took longer to shed their winter haircoats,” Bormann said. “The theory is that those early shedding cows suffered less heat stress and greater performance in the summer months than the others in the study.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Along with a slick haircoat, Lancaster said it is important to offer cattle extra water on the hot days.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Check the watering systems often because on the really hot days they may not be able to keep up with the demands for water that the cattle are placing on them,” Lancaster said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

And regarding shade, Lancaster offered this advice: “Whether it is a tree in the pasture or an artificial shade, it is important to confirm it is big enough to allow good airflow moving underneath the shade.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

White added: “If there are 30 cows all grouped in close sitting under the shade tree, they will not be that much cooler than if they were all sitting out in the sun because of the lack of air movement.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:aboor@ksu.edu">aboor@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or calling 620-793-1910&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573141354634.png" alt="Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District." />
 <figcaption>Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District.</figcaption>
 </figure>On a hot summer day, people often dress in light clothing, drink more water than normal and seek shade to minimize the impacts on the body from heat and humidity. &nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute experts said cattle need many of those same strategies for maximum performance over the summer. Talking on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2021/05/28/feed-efficiency-feet-and-leg-scores-heat-stress/" target="_blank">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast, veterinarians Bob Larson, Brian Lubbers and Brad White; and nutritionist Phillip Lancaster agreed that providing plenty of water and shade are two keys to success in keeping cattle comfortable. &nbsp;&nbsp;But first it is important to recognize the signs of stress, Lubbers said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Cattle that are experiencing heat stress will have decreased production, so it is important to know the signs, which often mimic respiratory disease,” he said. Cattle that are breathing rapidly might be experiencing heat stress.&nbsp;&nbsp;White said sometimes it is difficult to detect: “If you see one animal breathing hard in the heat often there is another set of calves that are also experiencing heat stress but not showing the signs to the same degree as the one you noticed.” &nbsp;&nbsp;Larson added that oftentimes it is the young calves that are most impacted by the heat.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Very young calves seem to be more sensitive to the heat when compared to their older herd mates,” he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;Along with noting the daytime high temperatures, Lubbers said producers need to monitor the nighttime low temperatures as well. &nbsp;&nbsp;“If it doesn’t cool down overnight, the cattle can’t dissipate the heat like they would otherwise, so those are the days that you need to be extra vigilant in watching for signs of heat stress,” Lubbers said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Relating to cattle performance, Jennifer Bormann, beef cattle geneticist with the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at K-State, said research has shown cattle that readily shed their haircoat in hot temperatures perform better. &nbsp;&nbsp;“One study scored the cattle at the same time each spring and then tracked their performance. Cattle that shed their haircoats early produced calves with higher weaning weights than the cows that took longer to shed their winter haircoats,” Bormann said. “The theory is that those early shedding cows suffered less heat stress and greater performance in the summer months than the others in the study.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Along with a slick haircoat, Lancaster said it is important to offer cattle extra water on the hot days.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Check the watering systems often because on the really hot days they may not be able to keep up with the demands for water that the cattle are placing on them,” Lancaster said. &nbsp;&nbsp;And regarding shade, Lancaster offered this advice: “Whether it is a tree in the pasture or an artificial shade, it is important to confirm it is big enough to allow good airflow moving underneath the shade.”&nbsp;&nbsp;White added: “If there are 30 cows all grouped in close sitting under the shade tree, they will not be that much cooler than if they were all sitting out in the sun because of the lack of air movement.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:aboor@ksu.edu">aboor@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or calling 620-793-1910&nbsp;

BOOR: Cattle need water, shade in extreme temperatures

By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

Stand out above the crowd – in fact, 14 feet above the crowd. What makes this possible? Pole vaulting. Today we will learn about an innovative rural Kansan who is coaching and mentoring young people in pole vaulting and in life.&nbsp;

Doctor Mark Breault (pronounced “bro”) is the founder and operator of Tailwind Pole Vault Club. Mark grew up at Concordia, attended Cloud County Community College and then chiropractic college in Iowa before returning to open a chiropractic practice in his hometown. As a doctor of chiropractic, he became known locally as Doc Bro. He retired in 2014.&nbsp;

“I had pole vaulted in high school,” Doc said. “When my son got into school, there was no coach for that event. My old coach was still the head track coach there, so I volunteered to coach the pole vaulters.”&nbsp;

His coaching responsibilities expanded. “In the first year I coached junior high, the second year I coached junior high and high school, and in the third year I coached junior high, high school, and college,” he said. As his pole vaulters’ success grew, students and families from other schools approached him about coaching them as well.&nbsp;

In 2007, Coach Breault started his own independent pole vault group. Because a good tailwind always helps a pole vaulter, he named it Tailwind Pole Vault Club.&nbsp;

But where could his club have an indoor facility? Pole vaulting is the type of activity which can’t be conducted in your typical storefront building. It requires a long space and high ceiling.&nbsp;

Doc looked around the region and found that the nearby community of Jamestown had a former high school building, including a gymnasium, that was available. “At first they just let me use it for free,” Doc said. “Eventually I bought the building and remodeled it.” Now the facility includes living space where Doc lives, plus a wrestling area and weight room in addition to the runway, box, crossbar and pit used for pole vaulting itself. More than 500 poles are also available for rent. The former school stage is now a little kids’ play area. “It’s very family friendly,” Doc said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pole vaulting camps are held in the summer. Those camps typically sell out well in advance.&nbsp;

The Tailwind Pole Vault Club has had tremendous success through the years. “Multiple Olympic vaulters, All-Americans and world-record holders have coached and jumped here,” Doc said. “We’ve had more than 200 state champions and multiple national champions from our club.”&nbsp;

But this isn’t only about pole vaulting. It is about positive life skills. “Pole vaulting is an excuse for me to interact with people,” Doc said with a smile. “Kids need a positive experience. My greatest reward is to see them learn and grow in self-confidence and succeed in life.”&nbsp;

One camp slogan is “Don’t get high, Jump high.”&nbsp;

“I tell kids that anyone can go out and drink or do drugs, but it takes a special person to commit to pole vaulting,” he said. “You can stand out above the crowd. Not many guys can jump 14 feet. Not many girls can jump 10 feet, but we can teach you to pole vault,” Doc said. “It takes hard work and focus, but we can do it.”&nbsp;

“We also teach kids to work with others. We don’t allow cocky attitudes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Everyone is taught to help the younger kids. We focus on having fun, being safe, and jumping high.”&nbsp;

Many kids who trained at Tailwind Pole Vault Club have gotten college scholarships at some level. Vaulters have come from as far away as California and Florida.&nbsp;

That’s a remarkable record for a program at the rural community of Jamestown, population 286 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tailwindpolevaultclub.com/">Tailwind Pole Vault Club online</a>.&nbsp;

Stand out above the crowd – even 14 feet above, if you become an excellent pole vaulter at Tailwind Pole Vault Club. We salute Dr. Mark Breault for making a difference by teaching life skills as well as pole vaulting. His approach stands out – and I think it’s outstanding.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623251545177.png" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural DevelopmentStand out above the crowd – in fact, 14 feet above the crowd. What makes this possible? Pole vaulting. Today we will learn about an innovative rural Kansan who is coaching and mentoring young people in pole vaulting and in life.&nbsp;Doctor Mark Breault (pronounced “bro”) is the founder and operator of Tailwind Pole Vault Club. Mark grew up at Concordia, attended Cloud County Community College and then chiropractic college in Iowa before returning to open a chiropractic practice in his hometown. As a doctor of chiropractic, he became known locally as Doc Bro. He retired in 2014.&nbsp;“I had pole vaulted in high school,” Doc said. “When my son got into school, there was no coach for that event. My old coach was still the head track coach there, so I volunteered to coach the pole vaulters.”&nbsp;His coaching responsibilities expanded. “In the first year I coached junior high, the second year I coached junior high and high school, and in the third year I coached junior high, high school, and college,” he said. As his pole vaulters’ success grew, students and families from other schools approached him about coaching them as well.&nbsp;In 2007, Coach Breault started his own independent pole vault group. Because a good tailwind always helps a pole vaulter, he named it Tailwind Pole Vault Club.&nbsp;But where could his club have an indoor facility? Pole vaulting is the type of activity which can’t be conducted in your typical storefront building. It requires a long space and high ceiling.&nbsp;Doc looked around the region and found that the nearby community of Jamestown had a former high school building, including a gymnasium, that was available. “At first they just let me use it for free,” Doc said. “Eventually I bought the building and remodeled it.” Now the facility includes living space where Doc lives, plus a wrestling area and weight room in addition to the runway, box, crossbar and pit used for pole vaulting itself. More than 500 poles are also available for rent. The former school stage is now a little kids’ play area. “It’s very family friendly,” Doc said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pole vaulting camps are held in the summer. Those camps typically sell out well in advance.&nbsp;The Tailwind Pole Vault Club has had tremendous success through the years. “Multiple Olympic vaulters, All-Americans and world-record holders have coached and jumped here,” Doc said. “We’ve had more than 200 state champions and multiple national champions from our club.”&nbsp;But this isn’t only about pole vaulting. It is about positive life skills. “Pole vaulting is an excuse for me to interact with people,” Doc said with a smile. “Kids need a positive experience. My greatest reward is to see them learn and grow in self-confidence and succeed in life.”&nbsp;One camp slogan is “Don’t get high, Jump high.”&nbsp;“I tell kids that anyone can go out and drink or do drugs, but it takes a special person to commit to pole vaulting,” he said. “You can stand out above the crowd. Not many guys can jump 14 feet. Not many girls can jump 10 feet, but we can teach you to pole vault,” Doc said. “It takes hard work and focus, but we can do it.”&nbsp;“We also teach kids to work with others. We don’t allow cocky attitudes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Everyone is taught to help the younger kids. We focus on having fun, being safe, and jumping high.”&nbsp;Many kids who trained at Tailwind Pole Vault Club have gotten college scholarships at some level. Vaulters have come from as far away as California and Florida.&nbsp;That’s a remarkable record for a program at the rural community of Jamestown, population 286 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tailwindpolevaultclub.com/">Tailwind Pole Vault Club online</a>.&nbsp;Stand out above the crowd – even 14 feet above, if you become an excellent pole vaulter at Tailwind Pole Vault Club. We salute Dr. Mark Breault for making a difference by teaching life skills as well as pole vaulting. His approach stands out – and I think it’s outstanding.

Now That’s Rural: Mark Breault, Tailwind Pole Vault Club 

BY GREG DOERING Kansas Farm Bureau The deadline to file for local elections passed recently, and it’s worth thanking every school board hopeful and municipal candidate for their willingness to run. The past 15 months has proven what I’ve long believed — local elections have the biggest impact on the day-to-day lives of Kansans. Mask ordinances, business restrictions, how and where children attended school this past year ultimately weren’t dictated by officials in Washington and Topeka. Instead, local school boards made the call on what classrooms looked like. Your city commission or council also had the option to impose their own measures to fight the pandemic. Some did while others didn’t. I won’t say the system worked perfectly because no human endeavor ever will, but it generally worked as designed. The people making those decisions not only had to live with the effects of their decisions, but they also answered to their neighbors, friends and family members. That offers a pretty good dose of accountability. This fall, incumbents and newcomers alike will answer to voters in either the August primary or November’s general. July 13 is the deadline to register to vote for the Aug. 3 primary, and Oct. 12 is the last day to register for the election on Nov. 2. All of the contests are nonpartisan, but the lack of party affiliation doesn’t mean there’s a lack of politics. But even the fiercest debates seem cordial when compared to partisan counterparts. Bond issues to build new schools or sales tax initiatives for municipal projects are likely to be on the ballot as well. With more than 300 school districts and 600-plus cities in Kansas, there’s always demand for good candidates. The job description is essentially full-time work with little to no pay, little thanks and a good number of people with opinions on the job you are doing, even if those thoughts are belatedly relayed. While I’ve never served in elected office, I’ve been in the room for hundreds of school board meetings or city council sessions over the years. Occasionally members of the public crowd into those meetings if there’s a big issue, but more often there’s little engagement outside of staff. For a variety of reasons, there’s an inverse relationship between the power local officials have over the public’s everyday lives and the amount of time we as citizens spend sorting through the issues. This lack of civic engagement starts at the ballot box, where voters will turnout in fewer numbers than statewide or national elections. It’s the reason why the most important quality local leaders can have is the ability to tap into their social networks and get feedback. Meetings may be where votes are counted, but the decision making process has to begin by getting input from outside the room. I’m hopeful there won’t be another year as difficult as 2020 was, but even under the best of circumstances officials often have to make decisions based on incomplete information. I’m always amazed and appreciate there are people who volunteer to serve in these roles. &nbsp; Those who step forward to fill these positions, you’ll always have my respect. I wish you well in your campaign. Should you win, your prize is weeknight meetings going to midnight or later where decisions will be second guessed by neighbors, friends and even family members. But we all owe you a debt of gratitude for your willingness to share your time, talent and perspective to make your community, and by extension the rest of the state, a better place to live.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574694551876.png" alt="Greg Doering&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Greg Doering&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>BY GREG DOERING Kansas Farm Bureau The deadline to file for local elections passed recently, and it’s worth thanking every school board hopeful and municipal candidate for their willingness to run. The past 15 months has proven what I’ve long believed — local elections have the biggest impact on the day-to-day lives of Kansans. Mask ordinances, business restrictions, how and where children attended school this past year ultimately weren’t dictated by officials in Washington and Topeka. Instead, local school boards made the call on what classrooms looked like. Your city commission or council also had the option to impose their own measures to fight the pandemic. Some did while others didn’t. I won’t say the system worked perfectly because no human endeavor ever will, but it generally worked as designed. The people making those decisions not only had to live with the effects of their decisions, but they also answered to their neighbors, friends and family members. That offers a pretty good dose of accountability. This fall, incumbents and newcomers alike will answer to voters in either the August primary or November’s general. July 13 is the deadline to register to vote for the Aug. 3 primary, and Oct. 12 is the last day to register for the election on Nov. 2. All of the contests are nonpartisan, but the lack of party affiliation doesn’t mean there’s a lack of politics. But even the fiercest debates seem cordial when compared to partisan counterparts. Bond issues to build new schools or sales tax initiatives for municipal projects are likely to be on the ballot as well. With more than 300 school districts and 600-plus cities in Kansas, there’s always demand for good candidates. The job description is essentially full-time work with little to no pay, little thanks and a good number of people with opinions on the job you are doing, even if those thoughts are belatedly relayed. While I’ve never served in elected office, I’ve been in the room for hundreds of school board meetings or city council sessions over the years. Occasionally members of the public crowd into those meetings if there’s a big issue, but more often there’s little engagement outside of staff. For a variety of reasons, there’s an inverse relationship between the power local officials have over the public’s everyday lives and the amount of time we as citizens spend sorting through the issues. This lack of civic engagement starts at the ballot box, where voters will turnout in fewer numbers than statewide or national elections. It’s the reason why the most important quality local leaders can have is the ability to tap into their social networks and get feedback. Meetings may be where votes are counted, but the decision making process has to begin by getting input from outside the room. I’m hopeful there won’t be another year as difficult as 2020 was, but even under the best of circumstances officials often have to make decisions based on incomplete information. I’m always amazed and appreciate there are people who volunteer to serve in these roles. &nbsp; Those who step forward to fill these positions, you’ll always have my respect. I wish you well in your campaign. Should you win, your prize is weeknight meetings going to midnight or later where decisions will be second guessed by neighbors, friends and even family members. But we all owe you a debt of gratitude for your willingness to share your time, talent and perspective to make your community, and by extension the rest of the state, a better place to live."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: Debts of gratitude

Kansas Common crude at CHS starts the week at $59.75 per barrel, the best price in McPherson since October 2018.&nbsp; That's up nearly two dollars from the first of the month and $21 higher than at the first of the year. By midday, Monday the Nymex benchmark futures contract was down 16 cents from Friday's settlement, to $69.46 per barrel. London Brent reached $72.17 a barrel in intraday trading Friday, the highest price for the international benchmark since 2019. Brent prices remained above $71 Monday. Kansas crude-oil production rose 15% in March from the month before, according to a government report. But state output remained more than 11% behind March of last year. The Energy Information Administration said Kansas production reached 2.3 million barrels in March. That's about 77,000 barrels per day, compared to 67,000 barrels a day the month before and 87,000 barrels per day a year earlier. EIA reports U.S. output in March reached 11.2 million barrels per day, up 14% on the month, but down 12 percent from March 2020. After a big drop in February, crude output in Texas jumped 26% in March to 4.4 million barrels per day. The government's weekly petroleum report shows production, inventories and imports all dropped last week. U.S. operators produced 10.88 million barrels per day during the week ending May 28. That's down 168,000 barrels per day from the week before and about 300,000 barrels per day less than the same week last year. EIA said inventories dropped more than half a million barrels. Stockpiles are about three percent below the five-year seasonal average. Imports were down more than half a million barrels per day last week at 5.6 million barrels per day. EIA said over the last four weeks, average imports are slightly lower than the same four weeks last year. The Rig Count in Kansas from Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service was down one rig in the eastern half of the state and unchanged out west. Drilling was underway on one lease in Ellis County Friday. Baker Hughes reports 456 active drilling rigs across the U.S., which is down one gas rig from last week. The count in Texas was down two while New Mexico was up two. There are 18 new drilling permits in Kansas this week, including 11 in Western Kansas, to bring the total so far this year to 369 new drilling permits. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 21 newly-completed wells across Kansas, 11 of them west of Wichita. That's 321 well completions so far this year. Weekly oil-by-rail totals posted a 27% increase over last year at this time. The Association of American Railroads reports 11,163 tanker cars moving petroleum products for the week ending May 29. That's up 363 tankers from the week before. AAR says total U.S. rail traffic in May was up 28% over May of 2020. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 21 weeks of the year was up nearly 14% compared to last year. The auto club AAA says gasoline demand has jumped steadily since the end of April, dropping supply levels around the country.&nbsp; That means pump prices are likely to see fluctuation this month. The average price across the country was just over $3.04, or more than a dollar a gallon higher than a year ago. The average across Kansas was just under $2.83 per gallon.&nbsp; Filling up a 15-gallon tank locally will cost you about a dollar more than last week, a dollar less than last month, and about $17 more than a year ago at this time.&nbsp; The government says U.S. energy consumption last year dropped by a record seven percent from the year before. The Energy Information Administration sways energy use decreased for all fuels except renewable energy, which increased by two percent. Petroleum consumption last year dropped by 13%, and natural gas was down two percent. Authorities braced for protests in northern Minnesota in the final construction push to replace a crude oil pipeline. Environmental and tribal groups oppose Enbridge Energy’s ongoing effort to replace its aging Line 3, which carries Canadian crude from Alberta. It clips a corner of North Dakota on its way across northern Minnesota to Enbridge’s terminal in Superior, Wisconsin. The Canadian and Wisconsin replacement segments are already carrying oil. The Minnesota segment is about 60% complete.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592847975802.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN P. TRETBARKansas Common crude at CHS starts the week at $59.75 per barrel, the best price in McPherson since October 2018.&nbsp; That's up nearly two dollars from the first of the month and $21 higher than at the first of the year. By midday, Monday the Nymex benchmark futures contract was down 16 cents from Friday's settlement, to $69.46 per barrel. London Brent reached $72.17 a barrel in intraday trading Friday, the highest price for the international benchmark since 2019. Brent prices remained above $71 Monday. Kansas crude-oil production rose 15% in March from the month before, according to a government report. But state output remained more than 11% behind March of last year. The Energy Information Administration said Kansas production reached 2.3 million barrels in March. That's about 77,000 barrels per day, compared to 67,000 barrels a day the month before and 87,000 barrels per day a year earlier. EIA reports U.S. output in March reached 11.2 million barrels per day, up 14% on the month, but down 12 percent from March 2020. After a big drop in February, crude output in Texas jumped 26% in March to 4.4 million barrels per day. The government's weekly petroleum report shows production, inventories and imports all dropped last week. U.S. operators produced 10.88 million barrels per day during the week ending May 28. That's down 168,000 barrels per day from the week before and about 300,000 barrels per day less than the same week last year. EIA said inventories dropped more than half a million barrels. Stockpiles are about three percent below the five-year seasonal average. Imports were down more than half a million barrels per day last week at 5.6 million barrels per day. EIA said over the last four weeks, average imports are slightly lower than the same four weeks last year. The Rig Count in Kansas from Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service was down one rig in the eastern half of the state and unchanged out west. Drilling was underway on one lease in Ellis County Friday. Baker Hughes reports 456 active drilling rigs across the U.S., which is down one gas rig from last week. The count in Texas was down two while New Mexico was up two. There are 18 new drilling permits in Kansas this week, including 11 in Western Kansas, to bring the total so far this year to 369 new drilling permits. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 21 newly-completed wells across Kansas, 11 of them west of Wichita. That's 321 well completions so far this year. Weekly oil-by-rail totals posted a 27% increase over last year at this time. The Association of American Railroads reports 11,163 tanker cars moving petroleum products for the week ending May 29. That's up 363 tankers from the week before. AAR says total U.S. rail traffic in May was up 28% over May of 2020. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 21 weeks of the year was up nearly 14% compared to last year. The auto club AAA says gasoline demand has jumped steadily since the end of April, dropping supply levels around the country.&nbsp; That means pump prices are likely to see fluctuation this month. The average price across the country was just over $3.04, or more than a dollar a gallon higher than a year ago. The average across Kansas was just under $2.83 per gallon.&nbsp; Filling up a 15-gallon tank locally will cost you about a dollar more than last week, a dollar less than last month, and about $17 more than a year ago at this time.&nbsp; The government says U.S. energy consumption last year dropped by a record seven percent from the year before. The Energy Information Administration sways energy use decreased for all fuels except renewable energy, which increased by two percent. Petroleum consumption last year dropped by 13%, and natural gas was down two percent. Authorities braced for protests in northern Minnesota in the final construction push to replace a crude oil pipeline. Environmental and tribal groups oppose Enbridge Energy’s ongoing effort to replace its aging Line 3, which carries Canadian crude from Alberta. It clips a corner of North Dakota on its way across northern Minnesota to Enbridge’s terminal in Superior, Wisconsin. The Canadian and Wisconsin replacement segments are already carrying oil. The Minnesota segment is about 60% complete.

News From the Oil Patch: Best Kan. crude prices since October 2018

By DAN GLICKMAN Former congressman and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

Now that all adults are 
eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, we should inject our political 
leaders with a healthy dose of authentic, self-deprecating humor, so 
they can make themselves the butt of their jokes instead of using them 
to add more poison to the American body politic. Seriously, when was the
 last time you heard a politician in Congress making fun of him or 
herself?

According to Thomas Ford, a psychologist at Western Carolina University and editor-in-chief of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.humorstudies.org/JournalCenter.htm">HUMOR: The International Journal of Humor Research</a>, “Non-aggressive forms of humor have a real bonding effect. There’s a&nbsp;<a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_laughter_brings_us_together">special connection</a>&nbsp;we make with one another when we laugh with one another.”

Throughout American history, we’ve seen our leaders use humor to appease “warring” parties and bring people together — to get things done
 and make America a better, more humane country.&nbsp;Many of our impactful 
leaders of the past, from Lincoln to FDR to Kennedy and Reagan, were 
able to use the power of humor, especially at their own expense, to 
persuade, persevere and ultimately make valuable progress for everyone.

If you can laugh at 
yourself and encourage others to do the same, people will like you, 
which means you can more easily inspire others to follow. A friendly 
sense of humor can make people feel closer to each other, a first step 
toward compromise — and getting things done.

Positive humor relieves 
stress while negative humor increases it. Jokes at someone’s expense 
tend to keep those people entrenched in their polarizing views, 
especially when they think they are being attacked for their values or 
policy positions. Tacit approval of negative humor on both sides of the 
political spectrum makes people less willing to embrace compromise.

<a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/profile/jill_suttie">Jill Suttie</a>, a doctor of psychology and staff writer at <a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/">Greater Good</a>,
 says that “humor could be used to heal our political divide rather than
 encourage it.” This is true for conservatives and liberals, as both 
have a choice to make: Do they stay in their silos and use negative 
humor to take potshots at each other, or do they opt to look in the 
mirror, make fun of themselves for a change, and extend an olive branch 
to their “friends across the aisle” and get things done. Because isn’t that the point of being in Congress — to get things done?

Our current political leadership, at all levels of government, is missing an opportunity to bring people together and
 become more relatable to voters. Where is the spirit of Mark Twain and 
Will Rogers when we need them?&nbsp;We are living in an age of mean-spirited 
discourse (if you can call it that) and relentless vitriol, which may 
score points for TV pundits but does nothing to create progress. In 
fact, it’s getting us nowhere fast.

As a nine-term congressman
 from Kansas, secretary of agriculture under President Bill Clinton, and
 chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, I faced thorny 
challenges on a regular basis. Humor, especially at my own expense, was 
often my best way to communicate and create mutual understanding and 
became my chosen method to get things done. If others could follow my example, it would benefit the country.

Of course, I am not so 
naïve to think that humor is a cure-all by itself, and I agree that 
hard-charging rhetoric is sometimes justified during political battles. 
But humor can keep these conflicts from becoming endless wars, which 
just might save our democracy in the process.

I’m not suggesting that 
politicians become stand-up comedians. God help us. But folks could 
surely lighten up. Humor can puncture pomposity, defuse tense 
situations, attract allies, and bring focus to serious issues. It is 
essential to disarming colleagues and to get things done.

Incidentally, “<a href="https://kansaspress.ku.edu/978-0-7006-3213-8.html">Laughing at Myself</a>” is the title of my new memoir, out this month from the University Press of Kansas.

Life is about building 
bridges between rivals, not making permanent enemies, and if we are ever
 going to achieve fairness and equality, humor can help us get there.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, one of Kansas’s favorite sons, expressed this best.

“A sense of humor is part of leadership,” he said, “of getting along with people; of getting things done.”

Dan Glickman celebrates his book release at two virtual events this month: 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8, at Wichita’s <a href="https://www.watermarkbooks.com/event/dan-glickman">Watermark Books &amp; Café</a>, and 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 16 at Lawrence’s <a href="https://www.ravenbookstore.com/event/dan-glickman-conversation-burdett-loomis">Raven Book Store</a>.

Dan Glickman is a senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center; adjunct professor of agriculture and nutrition, Tufts University; board member of the World Food Program USA; and recently retired as vice president and executive director of the Aspen Institute Congressional Program. He served for eighteen years in the U.S. House of Representatives representing the 4th Congressional District of Kansas, as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture from 1995 to 2001, and as chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc., from 2004 to 2010.

Republished courtesy the Kansas Reflector.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623093655021.jpeg" alt="Dan Glickman" />
 <figcaption>Dan Glickman</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAN GLICKMAN Former congressman and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Now that all adults are 
eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, we should inject our political 
leaders with a healthy dose of authentic, self-deprecating humor, so 
they can make themselves the butt of their jokes instead of using them 
to add more poison to the American body politic. Seriously, when was the
 last time you heard a politician in Congress making fun of him or 
herself?According to Thomas Ford, a psychologist at Western Carolina University and editor-in-chief of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.humorstudies.org/JournalCenter.htm">HUMOR: The International Journal of Humor Research</a>, “Non-aggressive forms of humor have a real bonding effect. There’s a&nbsp;<a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_laughter_brings_us_together">special connection</a>&nbsp;we make with one another when we laugh with one another.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Throughout American history, we’ve seen our leaders use humor to appease “warring” parties and bring people together — to get things done
 and make America a better, more humane country.&nbsp;Many of our impactful 
leaders of the past, from Lincoln to FDR to Kennedy and Reagan, were 
able to use the power of humor, especially at their own expense, to 
persuade, persevere and ultimately make valuable progress for everyone.If you can laugh at 
yourself and encourage others to do the same, people will like you, 
which means you can more easily inspire others to follow. A friendly 
sense of humor can make people feel closer to each other, a first step 
toward compromise — and getting things done.Positive humor relieves 
stress while negative humor increases it. Jokes at someone’s expense 
tend to keep those people entrenched in their polarizing views, 
especially when they think they are being attacked for their values or 
policy positions. Tacit approval of negative humor on both sides of the 
political spectrum makes people less willing to embrace compromise.<a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/profile/jill_suttie">Jill Suttie</a>, a doctor of psychology and staff writer at <a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/">Greater Good</a>,
 says that “humor could be used to heal our political divide rather than
 encourage it.” This is true for conservatives and liberals, as both 
have a choice to make: Do they stay in their silos and use negative 
humor to take potshots at each other, or do they opt to look in the 
mirror, make fun of themselves for a change, and extend an olive branch 
to their “friends across the aisle” and get things done. Because isn’t that the point of being in Congress — to get things done?Our current political leadership, at all levels of government, is missing an opportunity to bring people together and
 become more relatable to voters. Where is the spirit of Mark Twain and 
Will Rogers when we need them?&nbsp;We are living in an age of mean-spirited 
discourse (if you can call it that) and relentless vitriol, which may 
score points for TV pundits but does nothing to create progress. In 
fact, it’s getting us nowhere fast.As a nine-term congressman
 from Kansas, secretary of agriculture under President Bill Clinton, and
 chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, I faced thorny 
challenges on a regular basis. Humor, especially at my own expense, was 
often my best way to communicate and create mutual understanding and 
became my chosen method to get things done. If others could follow my example, it would benefit the country.Of course, I am not so 
naïve to think that humor is a cure-all by itself, and I agree that 
hard-charging rhetoric is sometimes justified during political battles. 
But humor can keep these conflicts from becoming endless wars, which 
just might save our democracy in the process.I’m not suggesting that 
politicians become stand-up comedians. God help us. But folks could 
surely lighten up. Humor can puncture pomposity, defuse tense 
situations, attract allies, and bring focus to serious issues. It is 
essential to disarming colleagues and to get things done.Incidentally, “<a href="https://kansaspress.ku.edu/978-0-7006-3213-8.html">Laughing at Myself</a>” is the title of my new memoir, out this month from the University Press of Kansas.Life is about building 
bridges between rivals, not making permanent enemies, and if we are ever
 going to achieve fairness and equality, humor can help us get there.President Dwight D. Eisenhower, one of Kansas’s favorite sons, expressed this best.“A sense of humor is part of leadership,” he said, “of getting along with people; of getting things done.”Dan Glickman celebrates his book release at two virtual events this month: 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8, at Wichita’s <a href="https://www.watermarkbooks.com/event/dan-glickman">Watermark Books &amp; Café</a>, and 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 16 at Lawrence’s <a href="https://www.ravenbookstore.com/event/dan-glickman-conversation-burdett-loomis">Raven Book Store</a>.Dan Glickman is a senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center; adjunct professor of agriculture and nutrition, Tufts University; board member of the World Food Program USA; and recently retired as vice president and executive director of the Aspen Institute Congressional Program. He served for eighteen years in the U.S. House of Representatives representing the 4th Congressional District of Kansas, as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture from 1995 to 2001, and as chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc., from 2004 to 2010.Republished courtesy the Kansas Reflector.

GLICKMAN: What the world needs now is humor

Senate Scene 2021 Wrap-up - Legislature Adjourns Sine Die on May 26

On May 26, the Senate wrapped up the 2021 legislative session. Known in the legislature as Sine Die, it officially marks the final adjournment for the 2021 Legislative Session and ended on Day 86. The House sent 70 bills to the governor with the Senate sending 46 bills for a total of 116 bills for the 2021 Legislature. The governor vetoed five bills with no over-rides attempted in the Senate or the House. There was a total of 315 Senate bills introduced in 2021.

In a Senate Republican caucus following adjournment on the Senate floor, Larry Alley from Winfield was elected as the new Senate Majority Leader. Barring a special session, the full legislature will return on January 10, 2022.

STATE GRANTS – SENATE DISTRICT #36

The Kansas Historical Society awarded $499,645 in Kansas Rural Preservation Grants to 15 projects in 13 counties. These funds will be used toward structural repairs, roof replacement, window restoration and masonry repointing. The Belrhost Bros. Hardware building in Sylvan Grove in Lincoln County was awarded $36,000 and the Post Office Block building in Marysville was awarded $38,700 and the historic Frankfort School in Frankfort (both in Marshall County) was awarded $50,000. The Kansas Historic Preservation Fund Grant through the National Park Service awarded nearly $230,000 in grants for 10 projects including the city of Lincoln for an ADA improvement plan for city hall for $17,500.

The Department of Transportation announced $42 million in infrastructure projects for 30 construction projects across Kansas for the KDOT Cost Share Program for 2021. Cost Share is a component of the 10-year Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE). Two of these projects are in Senate District 36 – the City of Miltonvale for the Miltonvale City Street Improvements for Safety and the City of Phillipsburg for a runway extension.

Every ten years, the Kansas Legislature looks at the U.S. census numbers and assigns committees to review and redraw the legislative boundaries for the state-both state offices and federal offices. The United States Constitution and federal statutes require a federal census to be conducted every ten years and congressional districts adjusted to the new numbers. The Kansas Constitution and state law also requires the reapportionment of the state senate districts, the state house of representative districts, and the school board districts in the state based on the census information.

In March, the U.S. Census Bureau announced delays in the collection and distribution of information due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Previously, census data had been delivered to each state by April 1 the year after the census was completed. The new deadline for states to receive 2020 data is now September 30, 2021. Expect rural districts in both the Senate and the House to grow in geographical size and urban districts to shrink due to population decline and shift. House and Senate Committees will begin to meet soon and use the data when available to build the new state and federal district maps. The Kansas Legislative Research Department has a page dedicated to redistricting and has posted data the state has a received to date –<a href="http://www.kslegresearch.org/KLRD-web/Redistricting.html"> http://www.kslegislature.org/</a> use Research Department tab under the Legislative Resources tab then to Policy Areas and then&nbsp;Redistricting tab. You will find a listing of all counties since April 2010 to April 2019 with populations and percentage changes.

The State of Kansas has over $400 million dollars in unclaimed property waiting for the rightful owner to find and claim. Unclaimed property stats from the first of the year include 437,320 searches, $8,065,732.67 returned with the average claim paid at $1999.47. These holdings at the Treasurer’s office include bank accounts, cash, stocks, bonds, refunds (utilities), royalties, insurance proceeds and even safe deposit box contents. To search for your name, visit <a href="https://www.kansasstatetreasurer.com/up_search.php">www.kansasastatetreasurer.com</a> and enter your name or business name to see if your name is on this list. Senate District #36 has over 4,000 entries in the 13 counties it covers. If you would like more personal assistance, call 800-432-0386 or 785-296-4165.

The Secretary of State is one of four state offices authorized by the Kansas Constitution. Although created by the state constitution, the duties of the office are defined by almost 1,000 state laws. Among the many duties of the Office of the Kansas Secretary of State is maintaining primary responsibility for administering elections, collecting certain records of Kansas businesses and publishing the official publications for the state of Kansas. The agency oversees cemeteries, Kansas notaries and even trademarks. As a result, hundreds of thousands of documents are kept by the Secretary of State. Generally, they fall into four categories – executive, legislative, elections and business. Several YouTube Videos highlighting the agency and brief clips on processes can be found on their website at <a href="https://www.sos.ks.gov/">www.sos.ks.gov</a>.

GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF APPOINTMENTS

The Office of Appointments assists the Governor with the appointment of over 1,000 individuals to serve on Kansas’ boards and commissions. All qualified and service-minded Kansans are encouraged to participate in our state's government by offering to serve on a board or commission or by recommending qualified candidates. Additional information can be found at <a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/serving-kansans/office-of-appointments/">https://governor.ks.gov/</a>. Find the Serving Kansans tab where you will find a screen to apply for service. If you are interested in the opportunity to serve or would like to nominate someone, please call the office at 785 368-8500 or apply online.

The 2022 Kansas Legislative Session will begin January 10, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. when we will be back in our offices at the capitol in Topeka. Over the summer and fall, I can be reached at my legislative email at elaine.bowers@senate.ks.gov or my work email elaine@concordiaautomart.com. My work address in Concordia is 212 E. 6th St., Concordia, KS 66901 and if you are in Concordia, drop by. My daytime work number is 785-243-3325x2 or email me questions, concerns or ideas for legislative bills for the next session. Visit the Kansas Legislature website in the office session at <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/">www.kslegislature.org</a> which has extensive information on legislators, committees, bills, past sessions, historical data, internships, and pages for next year. It is an honor to serve you in the 36th Kansas Senate District and please feel free to contact me anytime.

Senator Elaine Bowers Kansas State Capitol Building Room 223-E 300 SW 10th St. Topeka, KS 66612 elaine.bowers@senate.ks.gov elaine@concordiaautomart.com <a href="https://elainebowers.com/">www.elainebowers.com</a> 785-243-3325 x2 or 785-296-7389 <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/">www.kslegislature.org</a>

Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, is the 36th Kansas District senator.&nbsp;The 36th District includes&nbsp;Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, Ottawa, Republic, Rooks, Russell, Smith and Washington counties.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1580853658061.jpeg" alt="Sen. Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, 36th Dist.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, 36th Dist.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Senate Scene 2021 Wrap-up - Legislature Adjourns Sine Die on May 26On May 26, the Senate wrapped up the 2021 legislative session. Known in the legislature as Sine Die, it officially marks the final adjournment for the 2021 Legislative Session and ended on Day 86. The House sent 70 bills to the governor with the Senate sending 46 bills for a total of 116 bills for the 2021 Legislature. The governor vetoed five bills with no over-rides attempted in the Senate or the House. There was a total of 315 Senate bills introduced in 2021.In a Senate Republican caucus following adjournment on the Senate floor, Larry Alley from Winfield was elected as the new Senate Majority Leader. Barring a special session, the full legislature will return on January 10, 2022.STATE GRANTS – SENATE DISTRICT #36The Kansas Historical Society awarded $499,645 in Kansas Rural Preservation Grants to 15 projects in 13 counties. These funds will be used toward structural repairs, roof replacement, window restoration and masonry repointing. The Belrhost Bros. Hardware building in Sylvan Grove in Lincoln County was awarded $36,000 and the Post Office Block building in Marysville was awarded $38,700 and the historic Frankfort School in Frankfort (both in Marshall County) was awarded $50,000. The Kansas Historic Preservation Fund Grant through the National Park Service awarded nearly $230,000 in grants for 10 projects including the city of Lincoln for an ADA improvement plan for city hall for $17,500.The Department of Transportation announced $42 million in infrastructure projects for 30 construction projects across Kansas for the KDOT Cost Share Program for 2021. Cost Share is a component of the 10-year Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE). Two of these projects are in Senate District 36 – the City of Miltonvale for the Miltonvale City Street Improvements for Safety and the City of Phillipsburg for a runway extension.REDISTRICTING IN 2021-2022Every ten years, the Kansas Legislature looks at the U.S. census numbers and assigns committees to review and redraw the legislative boundaries for the state-both state offices and federal offices. The United States Constitution and federal statutes require a federal census to be conducted every ten years and congressional districts adjusted to the new numbers. The Kansas Constitution and state law also requires the reapportionment of the state senate districts, the state house of representative districts, and the school board districts in the state based on the census information.In March, the U.S. Census Bureau announced delays in the collection and distribution of information due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Previously, census data had been delivered to each state by April 1 the year after the census was completed. The new deadline for states to receive 2020 data is now September 30, 2021. Expect rural districts in both the Senate and the House to grow in geographical size and urban districts to shrink due to population decline and shift. House and Senate Committees will begin to meet soon and use the data when available to build the new state and federal district maps. The Kansas Legislative Research Department has a page dedicated to redistricting and has posted data the state has a received to date –<a href="http://www.kslegresearch.org/KLRD-web/Redistricting.html"> http://www.kslegislature.org/</a> use Research Department tab under the Legislative Resources tab then to Policy Areas and then&nbsp;Redistricting tab. You will find a listing of all counties since April 2010 to April 2019 with populations and percentage changes.UNCLAIMED PROPERTY IN KANSASThe State of Kansas has over $400 million dollars in unclaimed property waiting for the rightful owner to find and claim. Unclaimed property stats from the first of the year include 437,320 searches, $8,065,732.67 returned with the average claim paid at $1999.47. These holdings at the Treasurer’s office include bank accounts, cash, stocks, bonds, refunds (utilities), royalties, insurance proceeds and even safe deposit box contents. To search for your name, visit <a href="https://www.kansasstatetreasurer.com/up_search.php">www.kansasastatetreasurer.com</a> and enter your name or business name to see if your name is on this list. Senate District #36 has over 4,000 entries in the 13 counties it covers. If you would like more personal assistance, call 800-432-0386 or 785-296-4165.KANSAS SECRETARY OF STATEThe Secretary of State is one of four state offices authorized by the Kansas Constitution. Although created by the state constitution, the duties of the office are defined by almost 1,000 state laws. Among the many duties of the Office of the Kansas Secretary of State is maintaining primary responsibility for administering elections, collecting certain records of Kansas businesses and publishing the official publications for the state of Kansas. The agency oversees cemeteries, Kansas notaries and even trademarks. As a result, hundreds of thousands of documents are kept by the Secretary of State. Generally, they fall into four categories – executive, legislative, elections and business. Several YouTube Videos highlighting the agency and brief clips on processes can be found on their website at <a href="https://www.sos.ks.gov/">www.sos.ks.gov</a>.GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF APPOINTMENTSThe Office of Appointments assists the Governor with the appointment of over 1,000 individuals to serve on Kansas’ boards and commissions. All qualified and service-minded Kansans are encouraged to participate in our state's government by offering to serve on a board or commission or by recommending qualified candidates. Additional information can be found at <a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/serving-kansans/office-of-appointments/">https://governor.ks.gov/</a>. Find the Serving Kansans tab where you will find a screen to apply for service. If you are interested in the opportunity to serve or would like to nominate someone, please call the office at 785 368-8500 or apply online.OFF-SESSION CONTACT INFORMATIONThe 2022 Kansas Legislative Session will begin January 10, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. when we will be back in our offices at the capitol in Topeka. Over the summer and fall, I can be reached at my legislative email at elaine.bowers@senate.ks.gov or my work email elaine@concordiaautomart.com. My work address in Concordia is 212 E. 6th St., Concordia, KS 66901 and if you are in Concordia, drop by. My daytime work number is 785-243-3325x2 or email me questions, concerns or ideas for legislative bills for the next session. Visit the Kansas Legislature website in the office session at <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/">www.kslegislature.org</a> which has extensive information on legislators, committees, bills, past sessions, historical data, internships, and pages for next year. It is an honor to serve you in the 36th Kansas Senate District and please feel free to contact me anytime.Senator Elaine Bowers Kansas State Capitol Building Room 223-E 300 SW 10th St. Topeka, KS 66612 elaine.bowers@senate.ks.gov elaine@concordiaautomart.com <a href="https://elainebowers.com/">www.elainebowers.com</a> 785-243-3325 x2 or 785-296-7389 <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/">www.kslegislature.org</a>Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, is the 36th Kansas District senator.&nbsp;The 36th District includes&nbsp;Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, Ottawa, Republic, Rooks, Russell, Smith and Washington counties.

BOWERS: Senate Scene 2021 Wrap up

I’ll never forget the look on Fritz Berger’s face as he spun around in the bow of the boat and exclaimed “Flathead; big flathead” with his hands spread wide apart to show us the length of the fish. The boat rocked wildly back-and-forth as he stabbed the long-handled dip net into a raft of floating debris trying to capture the big fish that had escaped his first attempt. 

“Got him,” he hollered as the net came up bulging with the beast. “Now I don’t know how to get him in the boat.” After a time, Fritz was able to drag the fish around to the side of the boat to get around the tall railing that wrapped around the front and unceremoniously dump it into the tank in the middle of the boat. Welcome to electro-fishing, the method used by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) to sample Kansas lakes, reservoirs and ponds to show them everything they need to know about fish populations in a given water impoundment, so they can better manage the fish populations therein. It helps them determine how many of what fish species are in the water, and shows them the condition of sport fish there. Today, a friend and I got to hang out with our District Fisheries Biologist Bryan Sowards and his summer intern Fritz Berger as they electro-shocked the small pond just east of Inman on property owned by the city of Inman affectionately known as “the city pasture.” The city has contracted with KDWPT to manage this pond for fishing.&nbsp;

Here’s how the electro fishing process works. A compartment near the center of the flat bottom aluminum boat houses a generator, and controls allow the operator to start and stop the unit plus adjust voltage and amperage. Two 36-inch diameter round steel wheels with numerous small metal rods dangling from them are lowered into the water and electrify a portion of water 6 to 8 feet deep and 6 to 8 feet in diameter around each wheel with 220 volts and 5 to 7 amps of electricity when the generator is started. These wheels hang from arms on each side of the bow of the boat, and can be adjusted for length and from side to side. The plan is usually to work around the edge of the lake or pond as near the bank as possible to capture fish that are lurking under the bank for protection. The fish are stunned long enough for “netters” working in the front of the boat to scoop them from the water and deposit them into a water tank for weighing and measuring.

The first challenge when electro-shocking a small pond like this became apparent immediately; there was no boat ramp. The boat trailer was driven to a spot with the most room to navigate and backed as near the water as possible. Equipment was loaded onto the boat, then after a fair tussle, the 4 of us managed to rock and shove the boat from the trailer onto the pond. We all piled aboard, Bryan at the controls, Fritz in the front manning the net and my friend and I off to the side, out of the way. The generator was started and Bryan steered the boat toward the nearest bank. The pond is odd-shaped with overhanging trees and lots of floating debris around its edge, so the next challenge became getting the hanging wheels dispensing the electricity close enough to the bank to do their job without tearing everything up. Fish of all species and sizes began floating to the surface where Fritz netted them and dumped them into the tank. Some shallow little coves littered with downed limbs and trash took a couple tries to properly sample. After making a loop completely around the pond, Bryan ran the boat ashore and we stopped to count and weigh the collection.

There were a couple nice largemouth bass of 2 to 3 pounds, several smaller largemouths, a couple small channel catfish, a few smaller crappies, both black and white, some rough fish like carp and buffalo that were immediately removed and the big flathead that was around 30 inches long and probably weighed 25 pounds. Also seen were numerous shad, the main baitfish found in our large Kansas lakes and reservoirs, and Bryan had no answer for how they came to be there.&nbsp;

The boat was much easier to load back onto the trailer that it was to get into the pond, and they were on there way. Sowards was amazed at the diversity of fish found in that small pond, but was not impressed with the mix of fish present when looking at things from the viewpoint of managing it for fishing. He will put together a report to present to the city with recommendations on how best to proceed. Our KDWPT wildlife and fisheries biologists and conservation officers do a crack job of managing God’s creation here in Kansas as far as I’m concerned. The next time you see one of them out-and-about, give them a “Thank You” for helping you be able to Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>I’ll never forget the look on Fritz Berger’s face as he spun around in the bow of the boat and exclaimed “Flathead; big flathead” with his hands spread wide apart to show us the length of the fish. The boat rocked wildly back-and-forth as he stabbed the long-handled dip net into a raft of floating debris trying to capture the big fish that had escaped his first attempt. “Got him,” he hollered as the net came up bulging with the beast. “Now I don’t know how to get him in the boat.” After a time, Fritz was able to drag the fish around to the side of the boat to get around the tall railing that wrapped around the front and unceremoniously dump it into the tank in the middle of the boat. Welcome to electro-fishing, the method used by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) to sample Kansas lakes, reservoirs and ponds to show them everything they need to know about fish populations in a given water impoundment, so they can better manage the fish populations therein. It helps them determine how many of what fish species are in the water, and shows them the condition of sport fish there. Today, a friend and I got to hang out with our District Fisheries Biologist Bryan Sowards and his summer intern Fritz Berger as they electro-shocked the small pond just east of Inman on property owned by the city of Inman affectionately known as “the city pasture.” The city has contracted with KDWPT to manage this pond for fishing.&nbsp;Here’s how the electro fishing process works. A compartment near the center of the flat bottom aluminum boat houses a generator, and controls allow the operator to start and stop the unit plus adjust voltage and amperage. Two 36-inch diameter round steel wheels with numerous small metal rods dangling from them are lowered into the water and electrify a portion of water 6 to 8 feet deep and 6 to 8 feet in diameter around each wheel with 220 volts and 5 to 7 amps of electricity when the generator is started. These wheels hang from arms on each side of the bow of the boat, and can be adjusted for length and from side to side. The plan is usually to work around the edge of the lake or pond as near the bank as possible to capture fish that are lurking under the bank for protection. The fish are stunned long enough for “netters” working in the front of the boat to scoop them from the water and deposit them into a water tank for weighing and measuring.The first challenge when electro-shocking a small pond like this became apparent immediately; there was no boat ramp. The boat trailer was driven to a spot with the most room to navigate and backed as near the water as possible. Equipment was loaded onto the boat, then after a fair tussle, the 4 of us managed to rock and shove the boat from the trailer onto the pond. We all piled aboard, Bryan at the controls, Fritz in the front manning the net and my friend and I off to the side, out of the way. The generator was started and Bryan steered the boat toward the nearest bank. The pond is odd-shaped with overhanging trees and lots of floating debris around its edge, so the next challenge became getting the hanging wheels dispensing the electricity close enough to the bank to do their job without tearing everything up. Fish of all species and sizes began floating to the surface where Fritz netted them and dumped them into the tank. Some shallow little coves littered with downed limbs and trash took a couple tries to properly sample. After making a loop completely around the pond, Bryan ran the boat ashore and we stopped to count and weigh the collection.There were a couple nice largemouth bass of 2 to 3 pounds, several smaller largemouths, a couple small channel catfish, a few smaller crappies, both black and white, some rough fish like carp and buffalo that were immediately removed and the big flathead that was around 30 inches long and probably weighed 25 pounds. Also seen were numerous shad, the main baitfish found in our large Kansas lakes and reservoirs, and Bryan had no answer for how they came to be there.&nbsp;The boat was much easier to load back onto the trailer that it was to get into the pond, and they were on there way. Sowards was amazed at the diversity of fish found in that small pond, but was not impressed with the mix of fish present when looking at things from the viewpoint of managing it for fishing. He will put together a report to present to the city with recommendations on how best to proceed. Our KDWPT wildlife and fisheries biologists and conservation officers do a crack job of managing God’s creation here in Kansas as far as I’m concerned. The next time you see one of them out-and-about, give them a “Thank You” for helping you be able to Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: Well, that was shocking!

Another school year has come to an end but that does not mean that a family schedule is impossible. Yes, it will be important to give your kids some down time in between their ball practices or swimming lessons. But do make an effort to limit screen time either in front of the TV or any of the other electronic devices that many children are literally glued to.&nbsp;

A Facebook friend of mine posted a neat suggestion for families titled, “School Holiday Rules.” I have shared the information with parents who have appreciated having something that can be printed off and followed.&nbsp; While it does require a parent to help enforce the rules, I love the concept. So here goes with some suggested “School Holiday Rules.”

Children may have as much time on the iPad or TV as long as all of the following jobs have been completed BEFORE they turn on the screen.

The way I have it figured, a child who completes this list will have spent at least 3 and a half hours in productive and perhaps creative activity. They may find that the book they are reading is so enticing that they can’t put it down, or that their outdoor activity they have chosen is great fun.&nbsp;

It takes me back to my own childhood when our summer schedule looked quite similar. But it would have included at least one hour of work in the garden and when I was old enough a three-hour block to mow the grass when needed. Of course, there were 4-H projects to work on and occasionally driving the tractor to pick up hay bales.&nbsp;

I will post the rules on our Cottonwood Extension District website. I printed the “School Holiday Rules” on hot pink paper so they will really stand out on the refrigerator or bathroom mirror. If you decide to adopt these rules in your household let me know how it goes. And have a great summer!

Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or <a href="mailto:dkrug@ksu.edu">dkrug@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573141404420.png" alt="Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District." />
 <figcaption>Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District.</figcaption>
 </figure>Another school year has come to an end but that does not mean that a family schedule is impossible. Yes, it will be important to give your kids some down time in between their ball practices or swimming lessons. But do make an effort to limit screen time either in front of the TV or any of the other electronic devices that many children are literally glued to.&nbsp;A Facebook friend of mine posted a neat suggestion for families titled, “School Holiday Rules.” I have shared the information with parents who have appreciated having something that can be printed off and followed.&nbsp; While it does require a parent to help enforce the rules, I love the concept. So here goes with some suggested “School Holiday Rules.”Children may have as much time on the iPad or TV as long as all of the following jobs have been completed BEFORE they turn on the screen.<ul>
 <li>Made your bed</li><li>Eaten breakfast (the most important meal of the day)</li><li>Gotten dressed</li><li>Brushed teeth</li><li>Brushed hair</li><li>20 minutes of reading</li><li>20 minutes of writing or coloring</li><li>Clean up 1 room (TV room or bedroom)</li><li>Played outside for 30 minutes</li><li>Made or built something creative (Lego, craft, sand, etc.….)</li><li>Helped someone in the family (Ask if there is a job you can do, if you cannot think of something yourself)</li>
 </ul>The way I have it figured, a child who completes this list will have spent at least 3 and a half hours in productive and perhaps creative activity. They may find that the book they are reading is so enticing that they can’t put it down, or that their outdoor activity they have chosen is great fun.&nbsp;It takes me back to my own childhood when our summer schedule looked quite similar. But it would have included at least one hour of work in the garden and when I was old enough a three-hour block to mow the grass when needed. Of course, there were 4-H projects to work on and occasionally driving the tractor to pick up hay bales.&nbsp;I will post the rules on our Cottonwood Extension District website. I printed the “School Holiday Rules” on hot pink paper so they will really stand out on the refrigerator or bathroom mirror. If you decide to adopt these rules in your household let me know how it goes. And have a great summer!Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or <a href="mailto:dkrug@ksu.edu">dkrug@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;

KRUG: Summer rules for kids

From DC to Kansas, culture war issues are topping the conservative agenda. Many conservatives are advocating restricting speech in schools to ban something called “critical race theory” (CRT).&nbsp;

CRT isn’t a theory like, say, the theory of gravity that has clear rules and equations. Rather, it’s more like a perspective. Oversimplified, it means thinking about how race matters in law, society, and institutions, often in ways that promote racial inequality.&nbsp;

For example, Black families generally have less inherited wealth than White families. CRT might encourage considering how slavery and segregation limited economic opportunities for Blacks over generations, contributing to a racial wealth gap today.&nbsp;

That’s it. You don’t need a fancy academic label like “CRT” to think about how race matters in America.&nbsp;

CRT is not diversity or racial sensitivity training. It doesn’t regulate speech, require supporting reparations, or say that racism explains everything. Of course, like any idea, some people use CRT to voice controversial opinions, and that gets cherry picked for dramatic political arguments.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Conservatives are using coordinated language to attack CRT as some big boogeyman, calling it anti-American, anti-White, socialist, unpatriotic, anti-individualism, divisive, etcetera.&nbsp;

But conservatives have largely manufactured this CRT controversy as “outrage of the day” political fodder. Yes, schools teach and talk about race. But overwhelmingly, schools don’t teach CRT.&nbsp;

The real impact of this controversy is on freedom of speech in schools—whether and how students are exposed to discussions of race. In some states, conservatives have outlawed or attempted to outlaw CRT in schools. The Kansas Attorney General has also joined a letter that some interpret as anti-CRT.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It’s harder for conservatives to ban CRT than you’d think. Since CRT is just a perspective, it’s often difficult to identify and censor.&nbsp;&nbsp;

For example, under these proposed speech codes, schools can teach that slavery happened. But you can’t control reactions to that. Maybe a parent or politician feels that a lesson about slavery implied something imperfect about America. Or maybe that lesson included the opinion of a Black person about what slavery means to them, and that upset some folks. Under the varied regulations that conservatives are promoting in states to ban CRT, that lesson can be interpreted as breaking the law because of how it made someone feel. Hello, lawsuit.&nbsp;

Critical thinking about race also gets dangerous. Under these new regulations, discussing race and criminal justice in a social studies class gets borderline criminal depending upon who expressed what opinion and how that conversation was interpreted.&nbsp;

Teachers in some states are telling reporters that they would rather avoid discussing race than risk breaking new speech laws. Thus, in censoring how race gets discussed, conservatives are pressuring educators to just ignore the topic.&nbsp;

If you’re wondering why the mass conniption about something that overwhelmingly isn’t in school curricula, politics is the answer. Some consultant probably distributed a memo on how to blow this issue up and agitate some chunk of voters.&nbsp;

Especially with conservatives attacking how social media companies regulate speech on privately-owned platforms, it’s ironic that many of them advocate using government power to censor discussions about race in schools. If this manufactured crisis comes to Kansas and our 2022 elections, it will be to the detriment of not just free speech and schools, but the many issues that politicians will be neglecting.&nbsp;

Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575644168170.png" alt="Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas. " />
 <figcaption>Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas. </figcaption>
 </figure>From DC to Kansas, culture war issues are topping the conservative agenda. Many conservatives are advocating restricting speech in schools to ban something called “critical race theory” (CRT).&nbsp;CRT isn’t a theory like, say, the theory of gravity that has clear rules and equations. Rather, it’s more like a perspective. Oversimplified, it means thinking about how race matters in law, society, and institutions, often in ways that promote racial inequality.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>For example, Black families generally have less inherited wealth than White families. CRT might encourage considering how slavery and segregation limited economic opportunities for Blacks over generations, contributing to a racial wealth gap today.&nbsp;That’s it. You don’t need a fancy academic label like “CRT” to think about how race matters in America.&nbsp;CRT is not diversity or racial sensitivity training. It doesn’t regulate speech, require supporting reparations, or say that racism explains everything. Of course, like any idea, some people use CRT to voice controversial opinions, and that gets cherry picked for dramatic political arguments.&nbsp;&nbsp;Conservatives are using coordinated language to attack CRT as some big boogeyman, calling it anti-American, anti-White, socialist, unpatriotic, anti-individualism, divisive, etcetera.&nbsp;But conservatives have largely manufactured this CRT controversy as “outrage of the day” political fodder. Yes, schools teach and talk about race. But overwhelmingly, schools don’t teach CRT.&nbsp;The real impact of this controversy is on freedom of speech in schools—whether and how students are exposed to discussions of race. In some states, conservatives have outlawed or attempted to outlaw CRT in schools. The Kansas Attorney General has also joined a letter that some interpret as anti-CRT.&nbsp;&nbsp;It’s harder for conservatives to ban CRT than you’d think. Since CRT is just a perspective, it’s often difficult to identify and censor.&nbsp;&nbsp;For example, under these proposed speech codes, schools can teach that slavery happened. But you can’t control reactions to that. Maybe a parent or politician feels that a lesson about slavery implied something imperfect about America. Or maybe that lesson included the opinion of a Black person about what slavery means to them, and that upset some folks. Under the varied regulations that conservatives are promoting in states to ban CRT, that lesson can be interpreted as breaking the law because of how it made someone feel. Hello, lawsuit.&nbsp;Critical thinking about race also gets dangerous. Under these new regulations, discussing race and criminal justice in a social studies class gets borderline criminal depending upon who expressed what opinion and how that conversation was interpreted.&nbsp;Teachers in some states are telling reporters that they would rather avoid discussing race than risk breaking new speech laws. Thus, in censoring how race gets discussed, conservatives are pressuring educators to just ignore the topic.&nbsp;If you’re wondering why the mass conniption about something that overwhelmingly isn’t in school curricula, politics is the answer. Some consultant probably distributed a memo on how to blow this issue up and agitate some chunk of voters.&nbsp;Especially with conservatives attacking how social media companies regulate speech on privately-owned platforms, it’s ironic that many of them advocate using government power to censor discussions about race in schools. If this manufactured crisis comes to Kansas and our 2022 elections, it will be to the detriment of not just free speech and schools, but the many issues that politicians will be neglecting.&nbsp;Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;

INSIGHT KANSAS: Critical race theory — manufacturing a crisis

One of the things I love most about my Extension career is that every day is just a little bit different. Like this past Tuesday, when my day started before 8 with a quick trip to the grocery store to get supplies for a program later in the day. My normal mode of transportation, (bicycle) had to be replaced by our van thanks to early morning showers. But our timing was perfect. As my husband and I were leaving the store, I spotted a cross country cyclist pulling in under the entryway.&nbsp; I smiled and said “Welcome to Kansas.”&nbsp;

For the next 20 minutes we enjoyed learning about our new friends’ cross-country trek that started in Lander, WY, 12 days earlier. Over the course of the next 10 weeks Mike’s plan is to travel east to Richmond, VA, then fly to the west coast and cycle home to Wyoming. We noticed his bike was loaded with camping gear, so we asked where had spent the night. With his late arrival and ensuing storms, he opted for a motel.&nbsp;

If you have traveled along highway 96 you may have noticed the cycling signs which designate we are on the trans-America bike trail. It is exciting for our community of Great Bend to be included on this route. With cycling season upon us, we are sure to see more cross-country cyclists, looking to re-stock their supplies, and get a good night’s rest. Mike was looking forward to buying some fresh veggies and needed some new tubes for his bike tires from our Golden Belt Bicycle shop. He commented how hard it was to find fresh produce early on his trip and how many stickers he encountered in western Kansas!

My husband, John, and I, are active participants on the Be Well Barton County task force. One of our projects has been to develop a campground for cross-country cyclists in the grassy area behind Central Baptist Church. The church installed a bicycle repair station several years ago. Small grants from our Central KS Partnership have been used to repair two picnic tables and provide electrical outlets for cyclists to charge their phones. A kiosk will be added soon that will provide contact information in case of an emergency and a map of services our community offers the cyclists.&nbsp;

We want everyone who visits our communities, to have a positive experience. Each one of us has an opportunity to become engaged in our community and promote the great place we have to live, work and raise a family.&nbsp;

Consider sharing ideas with members of the Be Well Barton County Task force or our Cottonwood Extension District Community Development committee. We would welcome your input. Feel free to give me a call for more information.

Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research &amp; Extension – Great Bend office. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or <a href="mailto:dkrug@ksu.edu">dkrug@ksu.edu</a> &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573141404420.png" alt="Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research &amp; Extension." />
 <figcaption>Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research &amp; Extension.</figcaption>
 </figure>One of the things I love most about my Extension career is that every day is just a little bit different. Like this past Tuesday, when my day started before 8 with a quick trip to the grocery store to get supplies for a program later in the day. My normal mode of transportation, (bicycle) had to be replaced by our van thanks to early morning showers. But our timing was perfect. As my husband and I were leaving the store, I spotted a cross country cyclist pulling in under the entryway.&nbsp; I smiled and said “Welcome to Kansas.”&nbsp;For the next 20 minutes we enjoyed learning about our new friends’ cross-country trek that started in Lander, WY, 12 days earlier. Over the course of the next 10 weeks Mike’s plan is to travel east to Richmond, VA, then fly to the west coast and cycle home to Wyoming. We noticed his bike was loaded with camping gear, so we asked where had spent the night. With his late arrival and ensuing storms, he opted for a motel.&nbsp;If you have traveled along highway 96 you may have noticed the cycling signs which designate we are on the trans-America bike trail. It is exciting for our community of Great Bend to be included on this route. With cycling season upon us, we are sure to see more cross-country cyclists, looking to re-stock their supplies, and get a good night’s rest. Mike was looking forward to buying some fresh veggies and needed some new tubes for his bike tires from our Golden Belt Bicycle shop. He commented how hard it was to find fresh produce early on his trip and how many stickers he encountered in western Kansas!My husband, John, and I, are active participants on the Be Well Barton County task force. One of our projects has been to develop a campground for cross-country cyclists in the grassy area behind Central Baptist Church. The church installed a bicycle repair station several years ago. Small grants from our Central KS Partnership have been used to repair two picnic tables and provide electrical outlets for cyclists to charge their phones. A kiosk will be added soon that will provide contact information in case of an emergency and a map of services our community offers the cyclists.&nbsp;We want everyone who visits our communities, to have a positive experience. Each one of us has an opportunity to become engaged in our community and promote the great place we have to live, work and raise a family.&nbsp;Consider sharing ideas with members of the Be Well Barton County Task force or our Cottonwood Extension District Community Development committee. We would welcome your input. Feel free to give me a call for more information.Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research &amp; Extension – Great Bend office. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or <a href="mailto:dkrug@ksu.edu">dkrug@ksu.edu</a> &nbsp;

KRUG: Are you engaged in your community?

What great joy it was to have in-person Fort Hays State University commencement ceremonies this spring!

Now that June has arrived, we are officially returning to pre-COVID-19 policies and practices. In general, this means that face coverings are no longer required. Classrooms will be returned to “normal” capacity. The Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center will retire its classroom pandemic re-assignment and re-embrace its performing arts purpose. And a myriad of opportunities to connect and grow in our relationships will proliferate. It is finally time to see smiles as we reconnect deeply and sincerely.&nbsp;

We celebrated this return with a campus-wide picnic on June 2, and I am excited and brimming with optimism.

As we celebrate this renewal, I am reminded of a saying: Grace grows best in the winter. For me, COVID-19 was a time of slowing down, of creating new self-care routines, and being intentional in nurturing and growing key relationships. Now, the great outdoors awaits with a flurry of promises and hope. Masks have been packed away. Dinner parties, parades, concerts, and summer holiday celebrations await.

As my summer calendar quickly fills up, I find myself pausing for a moment to reflect on what I have learned while living, surrendering, and growing through a world-wide pandemic as the Fort Hays State University president. Here are a few of my thoughts:

First, we took the time to frame our path forward by adopting guiding principles before designing strategy or policy. Those guiding principles were: prioritize the health and safety of faculty, staff, and students; protect the mission of FHSU; maintain critical operations and fiscal footing; be mindful of good governance principles; remain nimble and true to FHSU’s innovative culture; and comply with any Kansas Board of Regents directives. These guiding principles helped us stay clear during times of multiple options and especially when our decisions differed from our peers.

Second, we focused on, and drew from, our core institutional characteristics of resiliency, innovation, and care. Our grit and determination have always propelled this western Kansas university forward. From our meager beginnings to our unprecedented successful present, we did what we do best – we got to work. As we confidently “rolled up our sleeves,” we drew upon our legacy as a pioneer in quality distance education. Since 1902, we have delivered learning solutions that fit students’ circumstances – and this time of pandemic was no different. Through a lot of hard work and intelligent risks, our community borrowed best practices while forging our own path.&nbsp;

While the curriculum was boldly being redesigned by our faculty, our staff created care teams to check in on every student throughout the pandemic. This coalition of more than 100 faculty, staff, and student volunteers helped our students stay connected and on track with their academic plans. Our student emergency fund was ramped up. FHSU Foundation trustees wrote checks and asked, “How can I help?”

During the spring of 2020, all students who had an on-campus job were paid whether or not they worked or were unable to work due to returning home. Throughout the pandemic, not one FHSU employee lost their position due to COVID-19. Our highest-need students received an additional $2.9 million in aid, thanks to government assistance. Our 2020-2021 academic calendar remained unchanged, and all breaks were honored so that our people could rest.

As I write about our planning and decisions, it seems so simple. But in the moment, we were leading on the edge. Our people were working harder and intentionally in ways that cannot even be described. It was intense. It was hard.&nbsp;

Third, throughout the process we had incredible partners. The Kansas Board of Regents facilitated information sharing while giving us the latitude to make individual and regional decisions. My colleagues, the university presidents of the other five KBOR universities, met weekly to exchange information and strategies. Though unpopular to some, the city of Hays mask mandate helped us normalize best practices, while the Ellis County Health Department assisted in reinforcing community expectations and protocols. Ellis County went a step further by helping us fund our quarantine protocol by providing hotel and food vouchers for students while our campus care team continually checked on our students. That was remarkable!

Finally, throughout this entire process, I came to understand that this would be a growing season for me. One of the ways I grew as a professional was to learn on a very deep level the difference between managing and leading. I had to figure out where my voice was needed and when my trust was needed more than my voice, when to step into discussions, and when to resist the temptation “to be in charge” so that those closer to critical issues had the space to rely on their expertise to drive solutions. Sometimes these moments were humbling. Sometimes they were nerve-racking. But mostly, I felt the deepest gratitude to be surrounded by strong, smart, humble, hardworking colleagues. As trust was tested and nurtured, I learned a lot about letting go of managing to increase my capacity to lead.

In reflecting back upon this past year and half, I realize that while there will always be challenges and changes, Tiger Nation will continue to press on and grow in spite of them. It is who we are.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575301942236.jpeg" alt="Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president</figcaption>
 </figure>What great joy it was to have in-person Fort Hays State University commencement ceremonies this spring!Now that June has arrived, we are officially returning to pre-COVID-19 policies and practices. In general, this means that face coverings are no longer required. Classrooms will be returned to “normal” capacity. The Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center will retire its classroom pandemic re-assignment and re-embrace its performing arts purpose. And a myriad of opportunities to connect and grow in our relationships will proliferate. It is finally time to see smiles as we reconnect deeply and sincerely.&nbsp;We celebrated this return with a campus-wide picnic on June 2, and I am excited and brimming with optimism.As we celebrate this renewal, I am reminded of a saying: Grace grows best in the winter. For me, COVID-19 was a time of slowing down, of creating new self-care routines, and being intentional in nurturing and growing key relationships. Now, the great outdoors awaits with a flurry of promises and hope. Masks have been packed away. Dinner parties, parades, concerts, and summer holiday celebrations await.As my summer calendar quickly fills up, I find myself pausing for a moment to reflect on what I have learned while living, surrendering, and growing through a world-wide pandemic as the Fort Hays State University president. Here are a few of my thoughts:First, we took the time to frame our path forward by adopting guiding principles before designing strategy or policy. Those guiding principles were: prioritize the health and safety of faculty, staff, and students; protect the mission of FHSU; maintain critical operations and fiscal footing; be mindful of good governance principles; remain nimble and true to FHSU’s innovative culture; and comply with any Kansas Board of Regents directives. These guiding principles helped us stay clear during times of multiple options and especially when our decisions differed from our peers.Second, we focused on, and drew from, our core institutional characteristics of resiliency, innovation, and care. Our grit and determination have always propelled this western Kansas university forward. From our meager beginnings to our unprecedented successful present, we did what we do best – we got to work. As we confidently “rolled up our sleeves,” we drew upon our legacy as a pioneer in quality distance education. Since 1902, we have delivered learning solutions that fit students’ circumstances – and this time of pandemic was no different. Through a lot of hard work and intelligent risks, our community borrowed best practices while forging our own path.&nbsp;While the curriculum was boldly being redesigned by our faculty, our staff created care teams to check in on every student throughout the pandemic. This coalition of more than 100 faculty, staff, and student volunteers helped our students stay connected and on track with their academic plans. Our student emergency fund was ramped up. FHSU Foundation trustees wrote checks and asked, “How can I help?”During the spring of 2020, all students who had an on-campus job were paid whether or not they worked or were unable to work due to returning home. Throughout the pandemic, not one FHSU employee lost their position due to COVID-19. Our highest-need students received an additional $2.9 million in aid, thanks to government assistance. Our 2020-2021 academic calendar remained unchanged, and all breaks were honored so that our people could rest.As I write about our planning and decisions, it seems so simple. But in the moment, we were leading on the edge. Our people were working harder and intentionally in ways that cannot even be described. It was intense. It was hard.&nbsp;Third, throughout the process we had incredible partners. The Kansas Board of Regents facilitated information sharing while giving us the latitude to make individual and regional decisions. My colleagues, the university presidents of the other five KBOR universities, met weekly to exchange information and strategies. Though unpopular to some, the city of Hays mask mandate helped us normalize best practices, while the Ellis County Health Department assisted in reinforcing community expectations and protocols. Ellis County went a step further by helping us fund our quarantine protocol by providing hotel and food vouchers for students while our campus care team continually checked on our students. That was remarkable!Finally, throughout this entire process, I came to understand that this would be a growing season for me. One of the ways I grew as a professional was to learn on a very deep level the difference between managing and leading. I had to figure out where my voice was needed and when my trust was needed more than my voice, when to step into discussions, and when to resist the temptation “to be in charge” so that those closer to critical issues had the space to rely on their expertise to drive solutions. Sometimes these moments were humbling. Sometimes they were nerve-racking. But mostly, I felt the deepest gratitude to be surrounded by strong, smart, humble, hardworking colleagues. As trust was tested and nurtured, I learned a lot about letting go of managing to increase my capacity to lead.In reflecting back upon this past year and half, I realize that while there will always be challenges and changes, Tiger Nation will continue to press on and grow in spite of them. It is who we are.

MASON: Count on us to be Tiger strong

Many people mistake little barley (Hordeum pusillum) for a little foxtail because the foxtail and little barley seedheads are similar. However, little barley is a winter annual that comes up in late September - October and spends the winter as a small plant. It thrives in the cooler spring temperatures, forms seed heads, and dies out usually by July. Foxtail, on the other hand, is a summer annual that does well in hot weather. Also, foxtail will not produce seedheads until mid-to late-summer. So, why are we talking about little barley now? Because now is NOT the time to control it unless it is in an area where a non-selective herbicide that kills everything such as glyphosate (Roundup) can be used. The best control for little barley in turf is a thick lawn that is mowed high enough that sunlight does not hit the soil. Little barley seed will not germinate in such conditions. Overseeding in early September can thicken up a tall fescue lawn and prevent a little barley infestation. However, if you do not plan to overseed even though the lawn is a bit thin, preemergence herbicides can be used to provide at least partial control of this weed. The only preemergence herbicide that I know is labeled specifically for little barley is&nbsp; Weed Impede by Monterey Lawn and Garden. Weed Impede can only be used on warm-season grasses (bermudagrass, buffalograss, zoysiagrass) and tall fescue that is grown in warm-season areas such as Kansas. However, Dimension (dithiopyr) a pre-emergent, is labeled for barley (Herodium spp.) which would include little barley and therefore can be used to keep this weed under control. Because little barley is a winter annual, apply the preemergence herbicide about mid-September and water in to activate. If overseeding, do not apply any preemergence herbicide as it will interfere with the germination of tall fescue. Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. If you have questions, she can be contacted by e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lfick@k-state.edu">lfick@k-state.edu</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 785-628-9430 or 620-793-1910.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1580750915301.jpeg" alt="Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Many people mistake little barley (Hordeum pusillum) for a little foxtail because the foxtail and little barley seedheads are similar. However, little barley is a winter annual that comes up in late September - October and spends the winter as a small plant. It thrives in the cooler spring temperatures, forms seed heads, and dies out usually by July. Foxtail, on the other hand, is a summer annual that does well in hot weather. Also, foxtail will not produce seedheads until mid-to late-summer. So, why are we talking about little barley now? Because now is NOT the time to control it unless it is in an area where a non-selective herbicide that kills everything such as glyphosate (Roundup) can be used. The best control for little barley in turf is a thick lawn that is mowed high enough that sunlight does not hit the soil. Little barley seed will not germinate in such conditions. Overseeding in early September can thicken up a tall fescue lawn and prevent a little barley infestation. However, if you do not plan to overseed even though the lawn is a bit thin, preemergence herbicides can be used to provide at least partial control of this weed. The only preemergence herbicide that I know is labeled specifically for little barley is&nbsp; Weed Impede by Monterey Lawn and Garden. Weed Impede can only be used on warm-season grasses (bermudagrass, buffalograss, zoysiagrass) and tall fescue that is grown in warm-season areas such as Kansas. However, Dimension (dithiopyr) a pre-emergent, is labeled for barley (Herodium spp.) which would include little barley and therefore can be used to keep this weed under control. Because little barley is a winter annual, apply the preemergence herbicide about mid-September and water in to activate. If overseeding, do not apply any preemergence herbicide as it will interfere with the germination of tall fescue. Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. If you have questions, she can be contacted by e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lfick@k-state.edu">lfick@k-state.edu</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 785-628-9430 or 620-793-1910.&nbsp;

FICK: Little barley in lawns 

OPEC and its allies have confirmed plans to return more than two million barrels of crude oil per day to the international marketplace. Energy ministers on Tuesday said they plan to add back 350,000 barrels per day in June and 440,000 barrels per day in July, while Saudi Arabia adds back its one million barrels in additional, voluntary cuts. A technical report from the cartel Monday suggested world oil demand is set for a big rebound. Crude futures prices gained nearly four percent in morning trading Tuesday, ahead of the announcement of increased output. Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week and the month of June at $56.50 per barrel. That's up a quarter from the week before, but nearly three dollars higher than a month earlier. The average price for the month of May was $55.28 per barrel. Independent Oil &amp; Gas reports four active rigs in eastern Kansas, down two for the week, and 18 west of Wichita, down one. Operators are about to spud three new wells in Ellis County, and reached total depth on two more. Drilling was underway on one lease in Stafford County. Baker Hughes reported 457 active drilling rigs across the U.S. on Friday, an increase of three oil rigs.&nbsp; The count in Texas was up four rigs, while New Mexico was down one. The national count is down 4% in the last month, but up 63% year-over-year, according to Enverus Rig Analytics. Out of 27 new drilling permits approved across Kansas last week, just three were west of Wichita. That's 351 new drilling permits so far this year, compared to 187 by the end of May last year amid the pandemic slowdown. It's seven permits short of the total through May of 2019. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reported 23 new well-completions for the week, nine in eastern Kansas and 14 west of Wichita. That's 300 completed wells so far this year across the state. Weekly U.S. crude-oil production topped eleven million barrels per day for the first time in five weeks, increasing 92,000 barrels per day from the week before. The government reported a slight drop in imports and inventories. For the week ending May 21, domestic stockpiles dropped 1.7 million barrels to just over 484 million. That's about two percent below the five-year seasonal average. Domestic gasoline stockpiles dropped by 1.7 million barrels last week, and are now about three percent below the five-year average. Crude imports were down 138,000 barrels to 6.3 million barrels per day. The four-week average for U.S. imports is down slightly from a year ago. Memorial Day weekend gasoline prices were the highest in seven years. The auto club AAA says the national average Thursday was just over $3.04 per gallon, more than a dollar higher than last year. The average across Kansas was $2.82 per gallon. Prices held steady locally, with most stations in Hays and Great Bend posting $2.74 per gallon. Your 15-gallon fill-up cost nearly $17 more than it did last Memorial Day. Oil-by-rail traffic was down last week but remains nearly ten percent above the totals from a year ago. The Association of American Railroads reported 10,800 tanker cars moving petroleum or petroleum products for the week ending May 22. That's down 430 cars from the week before but it marks a 9.8 percent increase over the same week last year. An oil-drillers group in Canada is raising its drilling forecast for the year. The Petroleum Services Association of Canada, raised it's annual forecast to 3,600 new wells this year, up 7.5 percent from their prediction at the start of the year. A report in the Financial Post credits higher oil demand, support for higher prices, and a big government fund to keep service workers busy decommissioning wells. Drilling in Canada was down 30% in the first quarter of 2021, compared to a year earlier. But the group expects drilling from April to December to double that for the same 9-month period in 2020. The world's largest energy companies are increasingly being forced to rethink their positions on climate change, after historic defeats in the boardroom and in the courtroom. Exxon Mobil lost at least two board seats to a small activist hedge fund making green demands in what was the most expensive proxy fight in history. Vote tallies for five more seats on the Exxon board were too close to call. Shareholders at Chevron backed a call for that company to cut emissions from the end-use of its products. &nbsp;61 percent of voting stockholders supported the petition. And, a judge has ordered Royal Dutch Shell to slash emissions from the end use of its products by 45% in less than ten years. Shell said it would appeal, and analysts said the decision is not the final word in the case. A new government report suggests a huge drop in US electricity consumption last summer, except at home, where usage spiked. Total usage was the lowest in five years. Commercial and Industrial consumption dropped to the lowest level since 2004. But residential consumption was through the roof. The Energy Information Administration says near-record high temperatures, along with more people spending more time at home, prompted all-time record high consumption among residential users. This year, EIA predicts growth in consumption among commercial and industrial customers, and a decline in residential use. The state-run oil company of Mexico is buying the remaining interest in a refinery complex it operates in Houston. For nearly thirty years, PEMEX and Shell have jointly operated the Deer Park facility in a fifty-fifty partnership. Now Pemex is buying out its partner for $596 million in cash, debt, and inventory. Shell officials said they had not planned on marketing their half of the refinery, but reached the agreement following an unsolicited offer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592847975802.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN P. TRETBAROPEC and its allies have confirmed plans to return more than two million barrels of crude oil per day to the international marketplace. Energy ministers on Tuesday said they plan to add back 350,000 barrels per day in June and 440,000 barrels per day in July, while Saudi Arabia adds back its one million barrels in additional, voluntary cuts. A technical report from the cartel Monday suggested world oil demand is set for a big rebound. Crude futures prices gained nearly four percent in morning trading Tuesday, ahead of the announcement of increased output. Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week and the month of June at $56.50 per barrel. That's up a quarter from the week before, but nearly three dollars higher than a month earlier. The average price for the month of May was $55.28 per barrel. Independent Oil &amp; Gas reports four active rigs in eastern Kansas, down two for the week, and 18 west of Wichita, down one. Operators are about to spud three new wells in Ellis County, and reached total depth on two more. Drilling was underway on one lease in Stafford County. Baker Hughes reported 457 active drilling rigs across the U.S. on Friday, an increase of three oil rigs.&nbsp; The count in Texas was up four rigs, while New Mexico was down one. The national count is down 4% in the last month, but up 63% year-over-year, according to Enverus Rig Analytics. Out of 27 new drilling permits approved across Kansas last week, just three were west of Wichita. That's 351 new drilling permits so far this year, compared to 187 by the end of May last year amid the pandemic slowdown. It's seven permits short of the total through May of 2019. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reported 23 new well-completions for the week, nine in eastern Kansas and 14 west of Wichita. That's 300 completed wells so far this year across the state. Weekly U.S. crude-oil production topped eleven million barrels per day for the first time in five weeks, increasing 92,000 barrels per day from the week before. The government reported a slight drop in imports and inventories. For the week ending May 21, domestic stockpiles dropped 1.7 million barrels to just over 484 million. That's about two percent below the five-year seasonal average. Domestic gasoline stockpiles dropped by 1.7 million barrels last week, and are now about three percent below the five-year average. Crude imports were down 138,000 barrels to 6.3 million barrels per day. The four-week average for U.S. imports is down slightly from a year ago. Memorial Day weekend gasoline prices were the highest in seven years. The auto club AAA says the national average Thursday was just over $3.04 per gallon, more than a dollar higher than last year. The average across Kansas was $2.82 per gallon. Prices held steady locally, with most stations in Hays and Great Bend posting $2.74 per gallon. Your 15-gallon fill-up cost nearly $17 more than it did last Memorial Day. Oil-by-rail traffic was down last week but remains nearly ten percent above the totals from a year ago. The Association of American Railroads reported 10,800 tanker cars moving petroleum or petroleum products for the week ending May 22. That's down 430 cars from the week before but it marks a 9.8 percent increase over the same week last year. An oil-drillers group in Canada is raising its drilling forecast for the year. The Petroleum Services Association of Canada, raised it's annual forecast to 3,600 new wells this year, up 7.5 percent from their prediction at the start of the year. A report in the Financial Post credits higher oil demand, support for higher prices, and a big government fund to keep service workers busy decommissioning wells. Drilling in Canada was down 30% in the first quarter of 2021, compared to a year earlier. But the group expects drilling from April to December to double that for the same 9-month period in 2020. The world's largest energy companies are increasingly being forced to rethink their positions on climate change, after historic defeats in the boardroom and in the courtroom. Exxon Mobil lost at least two board seats to a small activist hedge fund making green demands in what was the most expensive proxy fight in history. Vote tallies for five more seats on the Exxon board were too close to call. Shareholders at Chevron backed a call for that company to cut emissions from the end-use of its products. &nbsp;61 percent of voting stockholders supported the petition. And, a judge has ordered Royal Dutch Shell to slash emissions from the end use of its products by 45% in less than ten years. Shell said it would appeal, and analysts said the decision is not the final word in the case. A new government report suggests a huge drop in US electricity consumption last summer, except at home, where usage spiked. Total usage was the lowest in five years. Commercial and Industrial consumption dropped to the lowest level since 2004. But residential consumption was through the roof. The Energy Information Administration says near-record high temperatures, along with more people spending more time at home, prompted all-time record high consumption among residential users. This year, EIA predicts growth in consumption among commercial and industrial customers, and a decline in residential use. The state-run oil company of Mexico is buying the remaining interest in a refinery complex it operates in Houston. For nearly thirty years, PEMEX and Shell have jointly operated the Deer Park facility in a fifty-fifty partnership. Now Pemex is buying out its partner for $596 million in cash, debt, and inventory. Shell officials said they had not planned on marketing their half of the refinery, but reached the agreement following an unsolicited offer.

News From the Oil Patch: OPEC+ to increase output

By KIM BALDWIN McPherson County farmer and rancher Summer is here! The kids completed their last day of school and have officially reported for summer duty as farm kids. During a recent breakfast conversation, my family sat down to identify some goals for this summer. The kids want to bake cupcakes, ride their bikes, go fishing and visit some museums. My husband wants to harvest wheat and manage irrigation. I want to maintain a clean house. I know some goals are loftier than others. &nbsp; Another major goal is to keep the kids learning so they don’t experience the “summer slip.” &nbsp; A weekly visit to the local library, daily reading expectations, intentional quiet time, and going outside to enjoy and explore the outdoors (while also burning off energy) are all on the agenda. There’s a lot of “learning” my husband and I want the kids to experience this summer.&nbsp; &nbsp; As we were having this family conversation, storm clouds were forming in the counties to the far west of us. The TV weather personalities began mentioning the potential for extreme weather later in the day. As the day continued, the sky to the west of us began darkening and you could hear an occasional rumble of thunder in the distance. &nbsp; By late afternoon, my daughter’s tee-ball coach began texting parents to determine if we’d continue with our evening practice. The atmosphere was changing, and you could feel it in the air. The weather personalities were now on the TV more than the regular programs while a radar image filled the screen. The folks in the counties west of us were definitely experiencing some weather. &nbsp; As our tee-ballers were learning how to hit a ball and run to first base, the darkness filling the horizon to the west expanded to include the northern sky. Rumbles of thunder became more frequent and closer. &nbsp; Practice was cut short because of &nbsp;the threat of lightning. As we drove home we talked about the great science lesson we were about to experience. We’d be able to enjoy an unobstructed view to watch those western storm clouds build and move to the east while staying well to the north of us.&nbsp; &nbsp; Once at our prime viewing spot, I could tell the kids clearly felt the energy building to the north and west of us. It was an impressive display of darkness within those moving clouds. We could hear the thunder. We could see the lightning. We could smell the rain. And we could feel when the wind shifted. &nbsp; The storm that was once to the north of us was now rapidly moving toward us. We quickly moved the vehicles into our shop before the rain began. We went back to the house and turned on the TV. The radar showed what we already knew. &nbsp; From our porch we watched excitedly as the rain fell hard and our driveway quickly became a stream. And then the hail began. Large hail. Tapping on the roof, beating the trees and bushes, bouncing before carpeting the ground. The kids’ excitement turned to concern as the hail continued falling. It kept falling. We witnessed the most wicked hail we have ever experienced. &nbsp; Early the next morning, the kids were with us as my husband and I scouted our fields and assessed the damage. The kids helped find all of the dents and broken mirrors and busted windshields I needed to take photos of for insurance. They counted the holes now allowing light to shine through into the machine shed. They walked into the saturated wheat fields to help their daddy count the broken stems of full wheat heads that would have been harvested in just a few weeks. They drove through the water to check on the submerged fields of newly planted corn and soybeans. &nbsp; They heard my husband and I calmly evaluating and problem-solving each situation.&nbsp; &nbsp; And they learned through our words and our reactions that it could have been much worse and there is still so much to be thankful for even with all of the damage. &nbsp; I can’t quite connect all of the formal educational standards and competencies we covered during this event, but know wholeheartedly that even though it's summer break, our kids have already gained some pretty important lessons here on the farm.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573617414005.jpeg" alt="Kim Baldwin&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Kim Baldwin&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By KIM BALDWIN McPherson County farmer and rancher Summer is here! The kids completed their last day of school and have officially reported for summer duty as farm kids. During a recent breakfast conversation, my family sat down to identify some goals for this summer. The kids want to bake cupcakes, ride their bikes, go fishing and visit some museums. My husband wants to harvest wheat and manage irrigation. I want to maintain a clean house. I know some goals are loftier than others. &nbsp; Another major goal is to keep the kids learning so they don’t experience the “summer slip.” &nbsp; A weekly visit to the local library, daily reading expectations, intentional quiet time, and going outside to enjoy and explore the outdoors (while also burning off energy) are all on the agenda. There’s a lot of “learning” my husband and I want the kids to experience this summer.&nbsp; &nbsp; As we were having this family conversation, storm clouds were forming in the counties to the far west of us. The TV weather personalities began mentioning the potential for extreme weather later in the day. As the day continued, the sky to the west of us began darkening and you could hear an occasional rumble of thunder in the distance. &nbsp; By late afternoon, my daughter’s tee-ball coach began texting parents to determine if we’d continue with our evening practice. The atmosphere was changing, and you could feel it in the air. The weather personalities were now on the TV more than the regular programs while a radar image filled the screen. The folks in the counties west of us were definitely experiencing some weather. &nbsp; As our tee-ballers were learning how to hit a ball and run to first base, the darkness filling the horizon to the west expanded to include the northern sky. Rumbles of thunder became more frequent and closer. &nbsp; Practice was cut short because of &nbsp;the threat of lightning. As we drove home we talked about the great science lesson we were about to experience. We’d be able to enjoy an unobstructed view to watch those western storm clouds build and move to the east while staying well to the north of us.&nbsp; &nbsp; Once at our prime viewing spot, I could tell the kids clearly felt the energy building to the north and west of us. It was an impressive display of darkness within those moving clouds. We could hear the thunder. We could see the lightning. We could smell the rain. And we could feel when the wind shifted. &nbsp; The storm that was once to the north of us was now rapidly moving toward us. We quickly moved the vehicles into our shop before the rain began. We went back to the house and turned on the TV. The radar showed what we already knew. &nbsp; From our porch we watched excitedly as the rain fell hard and our driveway quickly became a stream. And then the hail began. Large hail. Tapping on the roof, beating the trees and bushes, bouncing before carpeting the ground. The kids’ excitement turned to concern as the hail continued falling. It kept falling. We witnessed the most wicked hail we have ever experienced. &nbsp; Early the next morning, the kids were with us as my husband and I scouted our fields and assessed the damage. The kids helped find all of the dents and broken mirrors and busted windshields I needed to take photos of for insurance. They counted the holes now allowing light to shine through into the machine shed. They walked into the saturated wheat fields to help their daddy count the broken stems of full wheat heads that would have been harvested in just a few weeks. They drove through the water to check on the submerged fields of newly planted corn and soybeans. &nbsp; They heard my husband and I calmly evaluating and problem-solving each situation.&nbsp; &nbsp; And they learned through our words and our reactions that it could have been much worse and there is still so much to be thankful for even with all of the damage. &nbsp; I can’t quite connect all of the formal educational standards and competencies we covered during this event, but know wholeheartedly that even though it's summer break, our kids have already gained some pretty important lessons here on the farm."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: Continuing lessons

By JASON BERRYMAN Topeka West High School

To say the least, this school year in the teaching profession has been challenging.
 I believe many teachers would agree with that assessment, especially 
when working with remote students. From a perspective of teaching the 
arts, how to get supplies to students? How do students submit a jewelry 
assignment via Google Classroom? How to teach a lesson on Illustrator 
when students are working on Chromebooks?

Luckily, digital 
photography worked out easier for my students because most have access 
to a digital camera on their cell phones. But teaching remotely, and 
then in person (with only half a class in the morning and the other half
 in the afternoon), then remotely again, then completing the school year
 with most of the student body in person and a smaller number remotely —
 much of the details about photography have either been gleaned over or 
not covered.

Though the overall quality
 of student photography dipped a little, what drastically increased was 
students’ understanding of what they can (or cannot) accomplish with the
 camera on their cell phones and a few free photo-editing applications.

American photographer Chase Jarvis stated it best: “The best camera is the one that you have with you!”

Two portraits by Topeka 
West juniors Austin Schimmel and Lily Salazar precisely capture the 
daily life that we all have been living for over a year: masks! I can 
honestly say that in all my years of teaching I’ve never had students 
submit photos where half of the model’s face is covered by a cloth mask.

Still life images of clothes hanging in a closet and a softly lit potted plant were both created at home by senior Ella Teter and junior Nolan Noonan. These images are notable for their skill, composition, and the fact that both were captured with cell phone cameras while students were working remotely away from the high school.

Lastly, I absolutely had to show off senior Taylor Reinert’s “Tiny Planet” image just for the fact that it is so cool. Taylor created the photograph by flying his unmanned aerial vehicle over the west edge of the Topeka West campus. He then captured a 360˚ panorama of the landscape using his cell phone (that he uses to also to control the UAV) camera. Lastly, using Adobe Photoshop, Tayler bent the panorama into a circle creating the tiny planet.

Every year, pandemic or not, I am always amazed by our students’ talent and creativity.

Jason Berryman teaches digital photography and chairs the art 
department at Topeka West High School. He shares student work on the <a href="https://twestphotosynthesis.blogspot.com/">Photosynthesis blog</a>. Republished courtesy the <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/06/01/what-this-year-looked-like-through-the-lens-of-kansas-high-school-photography-students/">Kansas Reflector</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622575701590.png" alt="Though this image was created for a specific project in Digital Photography 1, sophomore Jessica Fitzgerald's reflection in the broken mirror emanates a feeling of frustration even when photographing a self-portrait, says Topeka West High School digital photography teacher Jason Berryman. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>Though this image was created for a specific project in Digital Photography 1, sophomore Jessica Fitzgerald's reflection in the broken mirror emanates a feeling of frustration even when photographing a self-portrait, says Topeka West High School digital photography teacher Jason Berryman. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure>By JASON BERRYMAN Topeka West High SchoolTo say the least, this school year in the teaching profession has been challenging.
 I believe many teachers would agree with that assessment, especially 
when working with remote students. From a perspective of teaching the 
arts, how to get supplies to students? How do students submit a jewelry 
assignment via Google Classroom? How to teach a lesson on Illustrator 
when students are working on Chromebooks?Luckily, digital 
photography worked out easier for my students because most have access 
to a digital camera on their cell phones. But teaching remotely, and 
then in person (with only half a class in the morning and the other half
 in the afternoon), then remotely again, then completing the school year
 with most of the student body in person and a smaller number remotely —
 much of the details about photography have either been gleaned over or 
not covered.Though the overall quality
 of student photography dipped a little, what drastically increased was 
students’ understanding of what they can (or cannot) accomplish with the
 camera on their cell phones and a few free photo-editing applications.American photographer Chase Jarvis stated it best: “The best camera is the one that you have with you!”Two portraits by Topeka 
West juniors Austin Schimmel and Lily Salazar precisely capture the 
daily life that we all have been living for over a year: masks! I can 
honestly say that in all my years of teaching I’ve never had students 
submit photos where half of the model’s face is covered by a cloth mask.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622575772141.png" alt="“Kick,” a photograph by Topeka West High School junior Austin Schimmel. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>“Kick,” a photograph by Topeka West High School junior Austin Schimmel. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622575805666.png" alt="“Tallulah,” a photograph by Topeka West High School junior Lily Salazar. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>“Tallulah,” a photograph by Topeka West High School junior Lily Salazar. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure>Still life images of clothes hanging in a closet and a softly lit potted plant were both created at home by senior Ella Teter and junior Nolan Noonan. These images are notable for their skill, composition, and the fact that both were captured with cell phone cameras while students were working remotely away from the high school.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622575848665.png" alt="“Repetition,” by Topeka West High School senior Ella Teter. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>“Repetition,” by Topeka West High School senior Ella Teter. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622575872246.png" alt="“Desklamp,” by Topeka West High School senior Nolan Noonan. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>“Desklamp,” by Topeka West High School senior Nolan Noonan. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure>Lastly, I absolutely had to show off senior Taylor Reinert’s “Tiny Planet” image just for the fact that it is so cool. Taylor created the photograph by flying his unmanned aerial vehicle over the west edge of the Topeka West campus. He then captured a 360˚ panorama of the landscape using his cell phone (that he uses to also to control the UAV) camera. Lastly, using Adobe Photoshop, Tayler bent the panorama into a circle creating the tiny planet.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622575913826.png" alt="“Tiny Planet,” by Topeka West High School senior Taylor Reinert. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>“Tiny Planet,” by Topeka West High School senior Taylor Reinert. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure>Every year, pandemic or not, I am always amazed by our students’ talent and creativity.Jason Berryman teaches digital photography and chairs the art 
department at Topeka West High School. He shares student work on the <a href="https://twestphotosynthesis.blogspot.com/">Photosynthesis blog</a>. Republished courtesy the <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/06/01/what-this-year-looked-like-through-the-lens-of-kansas-high-school-photography-students/">Kansas Reflector</a>.

What 2020 looked like through the lens of Kan. photography students

Today, I am announcing my candidacy for the Hays City Commission. 

I have had the privilege of serving as Hays city commissioner for the past 4 ½ years. It has been the most challenging and gratifying position I have had the honor of holding.

It is my belief that public service is a responsibility that we share and we should all be willing to contribute our time and best effort toward the well-being of the community in which we live, work and play. I am aware of the needs of the community, the resources available and am aware of the public concerns that face Hays.

I am a lifetime resident of Hays and have a passion for this amazing community. My husband and I have raised our family here and I have been active as a businesswoman, community volunteer and now have been a city commissioner, elected four years ago. 

I approached the campaign and election with four things in mind:

· Leaving this community better than I found it · Sustainable, responsible and planned economic growth · Fiscal responsibility · Quality of life

My initial goals for our community have not changed. I continue to believe there is more to be done to ensure the future of Hays is constantly on our radar — 10, 25 and 50 years from now.

I believe I can continue to add value to the commission and would add the following to my list of intentions: 

· A continued focus on collaboration, working with the county commissioners as we look to Hays, Ellis County and our region. 

The future of rural America continues to be in the hands of residents just like you and me, and I appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve Hays and its residents.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622582156427.jpeg" alt="Sandy Jacobs has filed for re-election to the Hays City Commission. She currently serves as mayor.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Sandy Jacobs has filed for re-election to the Hays City Commission. She currently serves as mayor.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Today, I am announcing my candidacy for the Hays City Commission. I have had the privilege of serving as Hays city commissioner for the past 4 ½ years. It has been the most challenging and gratifying position I have had the honor of holding.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>It is my belief that public service is a responsibility that we share and we should all be willing to contribute our time and best effort toward the well-being of the community in which we live, work and play. I am aware of the needs of the community, the resources available and am aware of the public concerns that face Hays.I am a lifetime resident of Hays and have a passion for this amazing community. My husband and I have raised our family here and I have been active as a businesswoman, community volunteer and now have been a city commissioner, elected four years ago. I approached the campaign and election with four things in mind:· Leaving this community better than I found it · Sustainable, responsible and planned economic growth · Fiscal responsibility · Quality of life My initial goals for our community have not changed. I continue to believe there is more to be done to ensure the future of Hays is constantly on our radar — 10, 25 and 50 years from now.I believe I can continue to add value to the commission and would add the following to my list of intentions: · A continued focus on collaboration, working with the county commissioners as we look to Hays, Ellis County and our region. The future of rural America continues to be in the hands of residents just like you and me, and I appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve Hays and its residents.Sandy Jacobs, Hays

LETTER: Jacobs announces filing for Hays City Commission 

“My Republican colleagues will not talk about Medicaid expansion. They just won’t. I don’t understand it.”

So said first-term Representative Christina Haswood this past week during a discussion of the 2021 legislative session, responding to a question about what had surprised her at the Capitol.

As a student of legislatures, I find this disheartening and a bit surprising.&nbsp; After all, talking is what lawmakers do, much of the time. Moreover, on a major issue like this, one expects spirited debate and engagement.&nbsp; We have had it in the past, but no more. As Representative Haswood reports, there is an almost total unwillingness to even mention the issue.

So, why this reluctance to engage, especially on an issue of immense fiscal and health importance to Kansans?&nbsp; My hunch is that GOP lawmakers have no serious policy response because they have no policy, just a reflexive “no” to expansion, especially when backed by a Democratic governor.

This is truly incredible in that by expanding Medicaid Kansas would:

(1)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;have brought $4 billion to 5 billion into state coffers over the past decade;

(2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;provide for a 90 percent federal-fund contribution of state costs, with total reimbursement over the next two years;

(3)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;provide 130,000 – 150,000 Kansans with basic medical coverage;

(4)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;increase revenues at all Kansas hospitals and especially help those in rural areas, which are mostly represented by Republican legislators;

(5)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;allow Kansas to recapture hundreds of millions of dollars in federal tax dollars that currently subsidize health care in the 36 states that have implemented expansion. At present, Kansas gets nothing in return for the Medicaid tax dollars we send to Washington and are in turn distributed to those 36 states, including California and New York.

(6)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;reflect the overwhelming preferences of Kansans, with 70 percent of a residents and more than 60 percent of Republicans supporting expansion.

Although this seems like a familiar issue, take a few seconds to re-read these bullet points. Kansas could gain billions of dollars, provide coverage to many Kansans who lack it, help rural hospitals, and stop the outflow of our federal tax dollars while receiving nothing in return.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1622143694044.jpeg" alt="Burdett Loomis is an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Kansas. " />
 <figcaption>Burdett Loomis is an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Kansas. </figcaption>
 </figure>“My Republican colleagues will not talk about Medicaid expansion. They just won’t. I don’t understand it.”So said first-term Representative Christina Haswood this past week during a discussion of the 2021 legislative session, responding to a question about what had surprised her at the Capitol.As a student of legislatures, I find this disheartening and a bit surprising.&nbsp; After all, talking is what lawmakers do, much of the time. Moreover, on a major issue like this, one expects spirited debate and engagement.&nbsp; We have had it in the past, but no more. As Representative Haswood reports, there is an almost total unwillingness to even mention the issue.So, why this reluctance to engage, especially on an issue of immense fiscal and health importance to Kansans?&nbsp; My hunch is that GOP lawmakers have no serious policy response because they have no policy, just a reflexive “no” to expansion, especially when backed by a Democratic governor.This is truly incredible in that by expanding Medicaid Kansas would:(1)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;have brought $4 billion to 5 billion into state coffers over the past decade;(2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;provide for a 90 percent federal-fund contribution of state costs, with total reimbursement over the next two years;(3)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;provide 130,000 – 150,000 Kansans with basic medical coverage;(4)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;increase revenues at all Kansas hospitals and especially help those in rural areas, which are mostly represented by Republican legislators;(5)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;allow Kansas to recapture hundreds of millions of dollars in federal tax dollars that currently subsidize health care in the 36 states that have implemented expansion. At present, Kansas gets nothing in return for the Medicaid tax dollars we send to Washington and are in turn distributed to those 36 states, including California and New York.(6)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;reflect the overwhelming preferences of Kansans, with 70 percent of a residents and more than 60 percent of Republicans supporting expansion.Although this seems like a familiar issue, take a few seconds to re-read these bullet points. Kansas could gain billions of dollars, provide coverage to many Kansans who lack it, help rural hospitals, and stop the outflow of our federal tax dollars while receiving nothing in return.What, I would ask, is the downside?&nbsp; Honestly, the unwavering resistance is baffling, from almost any perspective.&nbsp; In the end, as with their desire to kill the Affordable Care Act, Republicans have no health policy, just knee-jerk opposition to Democratic proposals, either state or federal.&nbsp;To be sure, the Legislature did pass a bill that allows insurance companies to sell shoddy, low coverage plans that provide the illusion, not the reality, of coverage. Governor Kelly properly vetoed that bill.&nbsp; That’s not health care, that’s a charade.If Republicans had actual, substantive objections to expansion, their lawmakers could talk about these in concrete terms, beyond their ultimate, petty fear that in the future the state might actually have to pay a little to get a lot.So mum’s the word, as Republican lawmakers talk about trans women playing sports, restrictions on voting, and revoking mask mandates, all the while ignoring the fiscal and health implications of their actions and bypassing the preferences of the very voters they claim to represent.

Opinion