Roughly one in five of the manned oil and gas production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico are still evacuated, according to a report Sunday from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. The Bureau says personnel at 137 production platforms remain evacuated. The report also says personnel have not yet returned to two of the 12 moored drilling rigs working in the region. The unmoored, so-called "dynamically positioned" rigs have all returned to their working locations. The government estimates nearly 70% of the oil production and nearly 50% of the gas production in the Gulf remain shut in. Baker Hughes reported 254 active drilling rigs nationwide. That's a decline of three oil rigs but an increase of three seeking natural gas. The counts in Texas and New Mexico were each down one. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports five active rigs in eastern Kansas, down one from last week, and five west of Wichita, which is also down one.&nbsp; Operators in the Sunflower State completed seven wells last week, all of them west of Wichita. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports the total so far this year is just 612 completed wells, compared to 964 at this time last year. Regulators approved seven permits for drilling at new locations across Kansas last week, five of them east of Wichita and two in the western half of the state. Triple-A says the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline last week was $2.20. Kansas remains just a fraction below two dollars, among just ten states below that price. Most of the stations across Hays and Great Bend were at $1.999 on Thursday. Filling up your 15-gallon tank will cost you about four dollars less than a year ago at this time. The Energy Information Administration says U.S. crude-oil inventories dropped by nearly half a million barrels last week to 507.8 million barrels. EIA reports stockpiles are about 15% above the five-year average for this time of year. The government reported an increase in U.S. crude production for the third week in a row. The Energy Information Administration reports total output of over 10.8 million barrels during the week ending August 14. That's an increase of 143,000 barrels a day over the week before. The government said U.S. refineries imported 5.9 million barrels per day last week, an increase of 185,000 barrels per day. The four-week average shows we imported nearly 17% less than during the same four week period a year ago. Oil-by-rail in the United States slumped again last week, down nearly 14% compared to a year ago at 10,517 tanker cars. The Association of American Railroads says increases in shipments of grain and other farm products helped bolster the totals for intermodal traffic, but overall, freight train use is still three percent lower than last year at this time. The Bureau of Land Management is moving forward with energy lease sales along the northern coastal plain of Alaska. The Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge is listed in 2017's federal tax cut bill, which requires at least two lease sales of 400,000 acres each. A formal Record of Decision by the BLM last week set the standards for land use and bidding in an auction expected before December 21. State officials hailed the move, which has been blocked or delayed for nearly forty years due to concerns over wildlife in the area. The Alaska governor's office says there are between four and twelve billion barrels of crude oil there. Federal lease sales for parcels in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas netted more than eight million dollars last week. There were 113 parcels totaling more than 76 square miles in the offering. The government says about half of that will go to the states where the leases are located. One company paid more than $21,000 per acre for a 120-acre parcel in southeastern New Mexico. One of the largest brokerages in the U.S. is being sued by traders who lost money back in April when futures prices dropped below zero. Bloomberg reports the plaintiffs were unable to sell the worthless contracts due to a system failure. The lawsuit was filed August 18 in the Northern District of California. It alleges that E-Trade Securities did not properly test its online trading platform for the possibility of negative oil futures prices in advance. The plaintiffs also say the firm failed to disclose that futures prices could fall below the zero mark. That's exactly what happened April 20. The plaintiffs say they tried to mitigate their losses by selling their worthless futures contracts, but they say the system crashed. This is not the first lawsuit over negative futures prices. In June, a class action suit was filed against the United States Oil Fund, also known as USO, for allegedly not disclosing risks properly.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592847975802.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN P. TRETBARRoughly one in five of the manned oil and gas production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico are still evacuated, according to a report Sunday from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. The Bureau says personnel at 137 production platforms remain evacuated. The report also says personnel have not yet returned to two of the 12 moored drilling rigs working in the region. The unmoored, so-called "dynamically positioned" rigs have all returned to their working locations. The government estimates nearly 70% of the oil production and nearly 50% of the gas production in the Gulf remain shut in. Baker Hughes reported 254 active drilling rigs nationwide. That's a decline of three oil rigs but an increase of three seeking natural gas. The counts in Texas and New Mexico were each down one. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports five active rigs in eastern Kansas, down one from last week, and five west of Wichita, which is also down one.&nbsp; Operators in the Sunflower State completed seven wells last week, all of them west of Wichita. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports the total so far this year is just 612 completed wells, compared to 964 at this time last year. Regulators approved seven permits for drilling at new locations across Kansas last week, five of them east of Wichita and two in the western half of the state. Triple-A says the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline last week was $2.20. Kansas remains just a fraction below two dollars, among just ten states below that price. Most of the stations across Hays and Great Bend were at $1.999 on Thursday. Filling up your 15-gallon tank will cost you about four dollars less than a year ago at this time. The Energy Information Administration says U.S. crude-oil inventories dropped by nearly half a million barrels last week to 507.8 million barrels. EIA reports stockpiles are about 15% above the five-year average for this time of year. The government reported an increase in U.S. crude production for the third week in a row. The Energy Information Administration reports total output of over 10.8 million barrels during the week ending August 14. That's an increase of 143,000 barrels a day over the week before. The government said U.S. refineries imported 5.9 million barrels per day last week, an increase of 185,000 barrels per day. The four-week average shows we imported nearly 17% less than during the same four week period a year ago. Oil-by-rail in the United States slumped again last week, down nearly 14% compared to a year ago at 10,517 tanker cars. The Association of American Railroads says increases in shipments of grain and other farm products helped bolster the totals for intermodal traffic, but overall, freight train use is still three percent lower than last year at this time. The Bureau of Land Management is moving forward with energy lease sales along the northern coastal plain of Alaska. The Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge is listed in 2017's federal tax cut bill, which requires at least two lease sales of 400,000 acres each. A formal Record of Decision by the BLM last week set the standards for land use and bidding in an auction expected before December 21. State officials hailed the move, which has been blocked or delayed for nearly forty years due to concerns over wildlife in the area. The Alaska governor's office says there are between four and twelve billion barrels of crude oil there. Federal lease sales for parcels in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas netted more than eight million dollars last week. There were 113 parcels totaling more than 76 square miles in the offering. The government says about half of that will go to the states where the leases are located. One company paid more than $21,000 per acre for a 120-acre parcel in southeastern New Mexico. One of the largest brokerages in the U.S. is being sued by traders who lost money back in April when futures prices dropped below zero. Bloomberg reports the plaintiffs were unable to sell the worthless contracts due to a system failure. The lawsuit was filed August 18 in the Northern District of California. It alleges that E-Trade Securities did not properly test its online trading platform for the possibility of negative oil futures prices in advance. The plaintiffs also say the firm failed to disclose that futures prices could fall below the zero mark. That's exactly what happened April 20. The plaintiffs say they tried to mitigate their losses by selling their worthless futures contracts, but they say the system crashed. This is not the first lawsuit over negative futures prices. In June, a class action suit was filed against the United States Oil Fund, also known as USO, for allegedly not disclosing risks properly.

News From the Oil Patch: Storms wreak havoc on Gulf production

Are you thinking about purchasing an air fryer as your next small kitchen appliance? Or perhaps you have one but are unsure of its many uses. Mark your calendar for Wednesday, September 2nd and join us at the Great Bend Activity Center, 2715 18th Street, for a free educational program titled, “Healthy Air Fryer Cooking.” Jen Webster, Pawnee County Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent, will share her tips for using an air fryer successfully. This busy mom and Extension educator is excited about the versatility of this small appliance that can cut out some of the fat that is used in traditional cooking methods.

I have resisted purchasing an air fryer so far. After all, I have enough things taking up space on my kitchen counter without adding another small appliance. I have received numerous questions about using an air fryer, so I am happy that Jen accepted my invitation to share her experiences preparing food in an air fryer.&nbsp;

So what is an air fryer? An air fryer does not fry food like deep frying or pan frying does – it is more like oven fried. It is basically a little hot air chamber convection oven. It cooks a little faster, distributes heat more evenly, and suspends food in a perforated basket. It can really speed things up, allowing a person to prepare good food quickly.

Most air fryers do not need to preheat, so that saves time. They also cook food quickly, so in warmer climates, they won’t heat up the kitchen the way the oven can. Basically anything you can bake you can make in an air fryer. Various meats are cooked to a perfect temperature, and they remain juicy and tender. Air fryers are also great for cooking most vegetables. A light spritz of olive oil will help your veggies to brown and become crispy. Most veggies are done in under 10 minutes according to my sources.&nbsp;

I heard Jen share that air fryers are also great for reheating leftovers, especially pizza. It revives it and makes it crispy. Jen will share some of her favorite foods to prepare in her air fryer. Her presentation will also include features to keep in mind if you are in the market to purchase an air fryer.&nbsp;

The program Wednesday is free and open to everyone. I hope to see you there!

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593016082485.png" alt="Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District – Great Bend office." />
 <figcaption>Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District – Great Bend office.</figcaption>
 </figure>Are you thinking about purchasing an air fryer as your next small kitchen appliance? Or perhaps you have one but are unsure of its many uses. Mark your calendar for Wednesday, September 2nd and join us at the Great Bend Activity Center, 2715 18th Street, for a free educational program titled, “Healthy Air Fryer Cooking.” Jen Webster, Pawnee County Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent, will share her tips for using an air fryer successfully. This busy mom and Extension educator is excited about the versatility of this small appliance that can cut out some of the fat that is used in traditional cooking methods.I have resisted purchasing an air fryer so far. After all, I have enough things taking up space on my kitchen counter without adding another small appliance. I have received numerous questions about using an air fryer, so I am happy that Jen accepted my invitation to share her experiences preparing food in an air fryer.&nbsp;So what is an air fryer? An air fryer does not fry food like deep frying or pan frying does – it is more like oven fried. It is basically a little hot air chamber convection oven. It cooks a little faster, distributes heat more evenly, and suspends food in a perforated basket. It can really speed things up, allowing a person to prepare good food quickly.Most air fryers do not need to preheat, so that saves time. They also cook food quickly, so in warmer climates, they won’t heat up the kitchen the way the oven can. Basically anything you can bake you can make in an air fryer. Various meats are cooked to a perfect temperature, and they remain juicy and tender. Air fryers are also great for cooking most vegetables. A light spritz of olive oil will help your veggies to brown and become crispy. Most veggies are done in under 10 minutes according to my sources.&nbsp;I heard Jen share that air fryers are also great for reheating leftovers, especially pizza. It revives it and makes it crispy. Jen will share some of her favorite foods to prepare in her air fryer. Her presentation will also include features to keep in mind if you are in the market to purchase an air fryer.&nbsp;The program Wednesday is free and open to everyone. I hope to see you there!Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District – Great Bend office. You may reach her at: (620) 793-1910 or <a href="mailto:dkrug@ksu.edu">dkrug@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

KRUG: Healthy air fryer cooking program

I’m always raving about all the wildlife and outdoor adventures we have here in Kansas, but much like an inverse bucket list, there are also things I’m glad we DON’T have here. The other night I watched a TV show about the Florida Everglades. The host of the show was there to try and catch a monster everglades bull shark, and as sort of a rite-of-passage, his local guides made him first swim with alligators and then help them catch a huge python snake which are an invasive species to the everglades and are wreaking havoc with its fragile ecosystem. In years past, I’ve trapped muskrats in the McPherson Valley wetlands just outside Inman, which can involve wading around in marshes of cattails taller than I am that look a little like areas of the Everglades. I’m eternally grateful I don’t have to keep my eyes peeled for gators’ and pythons; geez, I’m glad we don’t have those in Kansas.

I think Joyce and I must have been storm chasers in a previous life; when the tornado sirens blare and the TV weathers guys are yellin’ at us to get in our storm cellars or go to the basement, we’re bustin’ out lawn chairs and watching for the twister. Some of the memories I’ll take with me to the grave are pictures and news footage showing cities and states ravaged by hurricanes like Katrina, and of the huge devastating walls of water produced by tsunamis as they wash cars and buildings through the streets of seaside countries like Haiti. So as much as I’d like to own some ocean front property outside Inman, I’ll take the occasional tornado that can wipe out parts of towns along its way over a hurricane or tsunami that can wipe out the entire state; geez I’m glad we don’t have those in Kansas.

The adventure that inspired this column came from a trip a few years ago to Mesa, Arizona where Joyce and I spent time with my late father who wintered there. He had a place in a nice “snowbird park” and one of the activities he enjoyed was picking oranges, lemons and grapefruits with other guys from the park. The Mesa and Scottsdale areas are havens for citrus fruit trees. There are acres of commercial orange groves within the Mesa city limits, plus many homeowners have citrus trees in their backyards like homeowners in Kansas have apple, apricot and pear trees. And like homeowners here, many people don’t want or don’t use most of the citrus fruit from those trees. Each February a crew of guys from dad’s park would go one day each week and pick unwanted fruit for homeowners, then bag the fruit and take it back to the park and put it out for any residents who wanted it. Many of the homeowners even gave the guys gas money for picking and taking their unwanted fruit. It was a win-win deal all the way around, but the homeowners there seemed much more serious about getting rid of their unwanted oranges, lemons and grapefruit than homeowners here are about getting rid of their unwanted fruit, and I often wondered why. I found out it’s because of a rodent called a “roof rat.”&nbsp;

Roof rats are also known as black rats (but are not really black) and are slightly distinguished from other rats by the length of their tails which are longer than their bodies. Roof rats are historically thought to be the vermin that spread the Plague or Black Death during the Middle Ages. They were first noticed in Phoenix AZ in 2001, and soon became a problem throughout the area because fresh fruit and especially citrus fruit is their favorite meal. I found a website maintained by Maricopa County AZ, which contains the cities of Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa, called www.roofrat.net. Its mission statement reads “To help neighborhoods work, donate quality fruit and eradicate roof rats.” On a list of roof rats preferred foods, the top 6 are citrus fruits, which according to the website they will even eat off the tree. To help eradicate roof rats, the website urges homeowners to “Promptly and completely pick all fruit (ripe or not) from citrus and other fruit and nut trees, and to pick up all fallen fruit every season.” I was told that Scottsdale residents may even incur a hefty fine for not doing so. Roof rats nest in attics, hedges and even in trees.

Maybe writing this column was a lesson in just how good we Kansans have it compared to some other states. Yes, we have ticks and brown spiders which both require our respect. It can turn terribly dry or we can have earth shattering thunderstorms and tornados, but not hurricanes. We have bull snakes, rat snakes and the occasional prairie rattler, but not gators’ and pythons. We have mice, rats and pack rats (which can be a problem if not discovered,) but not roof rats to eat the fruit right off our trees and infest our neighborhoods. Geez I’m glad we don’t have those in Kansas!&nbsp;

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’m always raving about all the wildlife and outdoor adventures we have here in Kansas, but much like an inverse bucket list, there are also things I’m glad we DON’T have here. The other night I watched a TV show about the Florida Everglades. The host of the show was there to try and catch a monster everglades bull shark, and as sort of a rite-of-passage, his local guides made him first swim with alligators and then help them catch a huge python snake which are an invasive species to the everglades and are wreaking havoc with its fragile ecosystem. In years past, I’ve trapped muskrats in the McPherson Valley wetlands just outside Inman, which can involve wading around in marshes of cattails taller than I am that look a little like areas of the Everglades. I’m eternally grateful I don’t have to keep my eyes peeled for gators’ and pythons; geez, I’m glad we don’t have those in Kansas.I think Joyce and I must have been storm chasers in a previous life; when the tornado sirens blare and the TV weathers guys are yellin’ at us to get in our storm cellars or go to the basement, we’re bustin’ out lawn chairs and watching for the twister. Some of the memories I’ll take with me to the grave are pictures and news footage showing cities and states ravaged by hurricanes like Katrina, and of the huge devastating walls of water produced by tsunamis as they wash cars and buildings through the streets of seaside countries like Haiti. So as much as I’d like to own some ocean front property outside Inman, I’ll take the occasional tornado that can wipe out parts of towns along its way over a hurricane or tsunami that can wipe out the entire state; geez I’m glad we don’t have those in Kansas.The adventure that inspired this column came from a trip a few years ago to Mesa, Arizona where Joyce and I spent time with my late father who wintered there. He had a place in a nice “snowbird park” and one of the activities he enjoyed was picking oranges, lemons and grapefruits with other guys from the park. The Mesa and Scottsdale areas are havens for citrus fruit trees. There are acres of commercial orange groves within the Mesa city limits, plus many homeowners have citrus trees in their backyards like homeowners in Kansas have apple, apricot and pear trees. And like homeowners here, many people don’t want or don’t use most of the citrus fruit from those trees. Each February a crew of guys from dad’s park would go one day each week and pick unwanted fruit for homeowners, then bag the fruit and take it back to the park and put it out for any residents who wanted it. Many of the homeowners even gave the guys gas money for picking and taking their unwanted fruit. It was a win-win deal all the way around, but the homeowners there seemed much more serious about getting rid of their unwanted oranges, lemons and grapefruit than homeowners here are about getting rid of their unwanted fruit, and I often wondered why. I found out it’s because of a rodent called a “roof rat.”&nbsp;Roof rats are also known as black rats (but are not really black) and are slightly distinguished from other rats by the length of their tails which are longer than their bodies. Roof rats are historically thought to be the vermin that spread the Plague or Black Death during the Middle Ages. They were first noticed in Phoenix AZ in 2001, and soon became a problem throughout the area because fresh fruit and especially citrus fruit is their favorite meal. I found a website maintained by Maricopa County AZ, which contains the cities of Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa, called www.roofrat.net. Its mission statement reads “To help neighborhoods work, donate quality fruit and eradicate roof rats.” On a list of roof rats preferred foods, the top 6 are citrus fruits, which according to the website they will even eat off the tree. To help eradicate roof rats, the website urges homeowners to “Promptly and completely pick all fruit (ripe or not) from citrus and other fruit and nut trees, and to pick up all fallen fruit every season.” I was told that Scottsdale residents may even incur a hefty fine for not doing so. Roof rats nest in attics, hedges and even in trees.Maybe writing this column was a lesson in just how good we Kansans have it compared to some other states. Yes, we have ticks and brown spiders which both require our respect. It can turn terribly dry or we can have earth shattering thunderstorms and tornados, but not hurricanes. We have bull snakes, rat snakes and the occasional prairie rattler, but not gators’ and pythons. We have mice, rats and pack rats (which can be a problem if not discovered,) but not roof rats to eat the fruit right off our trees and infest our neighborhoods. Geez I’m glad we don’t have those in Kansas!&nbsp;Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Outdoors Kan.: Geez, I’m glad we don’t have those here

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

The thank-you note came from the office of former President George W. Bush, expressing appreciation for the wonderful pork rinds provided by this remarkable business.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Thaddeus and Kelly Perry are owners and founders of Perry’s Pork Rinds in Bronson.&nbsp;&nbsp;They grew up in southeast Kansas, married and moved to Bronson to be near family.

Thaddeus, a butcher, would occasionally fry pork rinds in the backyard as a hobby. Kelly remembered delicious pork rinds from the Ozarks.&nbsp;

When Kelly and Thaddeus wanted to earn some extra money for a cruise, they decided to sell pork rinds and funnel cakes at an upcoming fair in Missouri.&nbsp;&nbsp;

They looked online for seasonings and USDA-inspected pork rinds, borrowed a kettle, and set up a tent at the fair. Then a thunderstorm came through and ruined any chance of cooking. “I cried,” Kelly said. “But my husband is the hardest-working guy I know.&nbsp;&nbsp;After the storm passed, he cooked more pork rinds all night long.”&nbsp;

The pork rinds were a big hit. Kelly and Thaddeus were soon headed to his niece’s wedding in Manhattan and she posted on Facebook about the few bags of pork rinds they had remaining. When she checked messages after the wedding, she realized the rinds were in high demand. “We sold all we had left and paid for our cruise in full,” Kelly said.&nbsp;

Kelly and Thaddeus set up their own LLC as Perry’s Pork Rinds in September 2017. “We haven’t stopped since,” Kelly said.&nbsp;

“Several customers were interested in nutritional facts so we contacted Dr. Elizabeth Boyle and Dr. Fadi at K-State. They were so helpful with our nutrition labeling,” Kelly said. The Perrys also joined the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s From the Land of Kansas program.&nbsp;

“We use soybean oil and we heat it to just over 400 degrees,” Thaddeus said. “Soybean oil is a heart-healthy oil and it smells better than lard,” Kelly said. “We hand-season them. Our pork rinds are unique flavors, a very fresh, light crunch that’s not hard, a really good, low-carb snack option,” she said.&nbsp;

Perry’s Pork Rinds now offers this tasty snack in 10 flavors and three seasonal ones. “Everything we do is because we listen to our customers,” Kelly said. “I would post different flavors on Facebook and ask our customers to vote on them,” she said.&nbsp;

Today, Perry’s Pork Rinds come as original, spicy, ranch, barbecue, cinnamon sugar, sour cream &amp; onion, cheddar cheese, chili cheese, chili lime, and garlic parmesan. (Is your mouth watering yet?) Product sales got another boost when posted on the Shop Kansas Farms Facebook page. Sales boomed and two full-time employees were hired.&nbsp;

Kelly likes to experiment with recipes using pork rinds. “I made a bacon, jalapeño,&nbsp;cheddar-cheese, pork-rind meatloaf,” she said. “Anything that calls for breadcrumbs, you can use pork rinds for. They’re great in chili, taco salad, and other dishes,” she said. “It’s more than just a snack, it can help make a family meal,” Kelly said.&nbsp;

Perry’s Pork Rinds have gone to all 50 states plus Canada and as far away as Saudi Arabia. The office of former President Bush ordered products and sent a complimentary thank-you note afterward.&nbsp;

Sales in 2019 were up 328%. Perry’s Pork Rinds was named the Kansas Department of Commerce Minority-Owned Business of the Year in Sales and Distribution.&nbsp;

The Perrys plan to open the Famous Perry’s Pork Rind Country Store and production facility in a new building along Highway 54 at the site of a former gas station. This will feature other Kansas products including in-house made fudge, saltwater taffy, jerky, smoked cheese, popcorn and more.&nbsp;

That’s exciting to see in a rural community like Bronson, population 323 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.perrysporkrinds.com/">www.perrysporkrinds.com</a>&nbsp;or follow them on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/PerrysPorkRinds">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/perrysporkrinds/">Instragram</a>.&nbsp;

The note came from the office of former President George Bush, thanking them for the product. We commend Thaddeus and Kelly Perry for making a difference with hard work and entrepreneurship with this tasty snack. For that, I am thankful.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598448592302.png" alt="Thaddeus and Kelly Perry " />
 <figcaption>Thaddeus and Kelly Perry </figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;The thank-you note came from the office of former President George W. Bush, expressing appreciation for the wonderful pork rinds provided by this remarkable business.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thaddeus and Kelly Perry are owners and founders of Perry’s Pork Rinds in Bronson.&nbsp;&nbsp;They grew up in southeast Kansas, married and moved to Bronson to be near family. Thaddeus, a butcher, would occasionally fry pork rinds in the backyard as a hobby. Kelly remembered delicious pork rinds from the Ozarks.&nbsp;When Kelly and Thaddeus wanted to earn some extra money for a cruise, they decided to sell pork rinds and funnel cakes at an upcoming fair in Missouri.&nbsp;&nbsp;They looked online for seasonings and USDA-inspected pork rinds, borrowed a kettle, and set up a tent at the fair. Then a thunderstorm came through and ruined any chance of cooking. “I cried,” Kelly said. “But my husband is the hardest-working guy I know.&nbsp;&nbsp;After the storm passed, he cooked more pork rinds all night long.”&nbsp;The pork rinds were a big hit. Kelly and Thaddeus were soon headed to his niece’s wedding in Manhattan and she posted on Facebook about the few bags of pork rinds they had remaining. When she checked messages after the wedding, she realized the rinds were in high demand. “We sold all we had left and paid for our cruise in full,” Kelly said.&nbsp;Kelly and Thaddeus set up their own LLC as Perry’s Pork Rinds in September 2017. “We haven’t stopped since,” Kelly said.&nbsp;“Several customers were interested in nutritional facts so we contacted Dr. Elizabeth Boyle and Dr. Fadi at K-State. They were so helpful with our nutrition labeling,” Kelly said. The Perrys also joined the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s From the Land of Kansas program.&nbsp;“We use soybean oil and we heat it to just over 400 degrees,” Thaddeus said. “Soybean oil is a heart-healthy oil and it smells better than lard,” Kelly said. “We hand-season them. Our pork rinds are unique flavors, a very fresh, light crunch that’s not hard, a really good, low-carb snack option,” she said.&nbsp;Perry’s Pork Rinds now offers this tasty snack in 10 flavors and three seasonal ones. “Everything we do is because we listen to our customers,” Kelly said. “I would post different flavors on Facebook and ask our customers to vote on them,” she said.&nbsp;Today, Perry’s Pork Rinds come as original, spicy, ranch, barbecue, cinnamon sugar, sour cream &amp; onion, cheddar cheese, chili cheese, chili lime, and garlic parmesan. (Is your mouth watering yet?) Product sales got another boost when posted on the Shop Kansas Farms Facebook page. Sales boomed and two full-time employees were hired.&nbsp;Kelly likes to experiment with recipes using pork rinds. “I made a bacon, jalapeño,&nbsp;cheddar-cheese, pork-rind meatloaf,” she said. “Anything that calls for breadcrumbs, you can use pork rinds for. They’re great in chili, taco salad, and other dishes,” she said. “It’s more than just a snack, it can help make a family meal,” Kelly said.&nbsp;Perry’s Pork Rinds have gone to all 50 states plus Canada and as far away as Saudi Arabia. The office of former President Bush ordered products and sent a complimentary thank-you note afterward.&nbsp;Sales in 2019 were up 328%. Perry’s Pork Rinds was named the Kansas Department of Commerce Minority-Owned Business of the Year in Sales and Distribution.&nbsp;The Perrys plan to open the Famous Perry’s Pork Rind Country Store and production facility in a new building along Highway 54 at the site of a former gas station. This will feature other Kansas products including in-house made fudge, saltwater taffy, jerky, smoked cheese, popcorn and more.&nbsp;That’s exciting to see in a rural community like Bronson, population 323 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.perrysporkrinds.com/">www.perrysporkrinds.com</a>&nbsp;or follow them on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/PerrysPorkRinds">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/perrysporkrinds/">Instragram</a>.&nbsp;The note came from the office of former President George Bush, thanking them for the product. We commend Thaddeus and Kelly Perry for making a difference with hard work and entrepreneurship with this tasty snack. For that, I am thankful.&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural: Kelly and Thaddeus Perry, Perry’s Pork Rinds 

We have had a number of contacts regarding lilacs that were virtually defoliated with leaves showing many spots on the leaves. Cercospora leaf spot appears to be the causal agent. This is one of those diseases that only shows up during wet, humid summers. Though the shrubs look bad, loss of leaves this late in the season will not harm otherwise healthy plants. Therefore, there is no need to apply a fungicide. Also, an application this late would not help anyway. However, cleaning up dead leaves will reduce the amount of inoculum for next year and is recommended. This disease is weather-dependent and requires wet, humid weather at certain times to flourish. Therefore, lilacs that were hammered this year may not become infected next. Even if we do have another wet summer that encourages this disease, we do not recommend a fungicide application as damage to the plant is negligible.

Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. If you have questions she can be contacted by e-mail at lfick@k-state.edu 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>We have had a number of contacts regarding lilacs that were virtually defoliated with leaves showing many spots on the leaves. Cercospora leaf spot appears to be the causal agent. This is one of those diseases that only shows up during wet, humid summers. Though the shrubs look bad, loss of leaves this late in the season will not harm otherwise healthy plants. Therefore, there is no need to apply a fungicide. Also, an application this late would not help anyway. However, cleaning up dead leaves will reduce the amount of inoculum for next year and is recommended. This disease is weather-dependent and requires wet, humid weather at certain times to flourish. Therefore, lilacs that were hammered this year may not become infected next. Even if we do have another wet summer that encourages this disease, we do not recommend a fungicide application as damage to the plant is negligible.Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. If you have questions she can be contacted by e-mail at lfick@k-state.edu or by phone at 785-628-9430 or 620-793-1910.&nbsp;

FICK: Lilac leaf spot

This year, like every election year, I have students asking me: “Why is voting so hard?”

My initial response is: “It’s not hard at all!” That answer is basically accurate, as the high levels of turnout among the older segments of our population demonstrate. Still, I can’t deny that there are reasons why voting nonetheless so often seems that way to my students.

Indeed, even experts like me can get mixed-up when answering questions for students and others, especially when mundane electoral procedures unexpectedly become subject to intense partisan argument, and contradictory information (or plain misinformation) surrounds us.&nbsp;

In the last month, I’ve twice found myself getting basic things wrong, as when I distinguished between the level of voter security provided by signing in at a polling station when casting an in-person vote versus signing the back of a mail-in ballot’s envelope. (The actual correct answer: there’s no difference at all.) If someone who has voted in every election for 30 years can get confused, perhaps we shouldn’t blame young people too much for feeling the same.

Who can we blame for the confusion, then? There are culprits aplenty. But rather than going after political or partisan targets, I would suggest thinking about the structure of elections themselves.

Historically, the power to organize elections in the United States has been held by the 50 different states. Important pieces of legislation and Supreme Court decisions in the 1960s nationalized some aspects of voting in America–but mostly our country remains a patchwork of different registration deadlines, ballot access rules, voting procedures, and more.

Again, it’s not hard to learn the rules and deadlines where you live, and so these differences aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps it’s reasonable that the different states take primary responsibility for managing democracy within their own political cultures.

Those distinct political cultures, however, no longer reflect many voters’ attitudes. Between the centralization of campaign fundraising, the speed and ease of networking technology, and the collapse of local journalism, citizens now often end up approaching elections with only the national context in mind. State and local political candidates know this, and thus they increasingly rely on national partisan rhetoric, perpetuating the shift.

This nationalization of our electoral thinking makes certain voting restrictions hard to justify. For example, why shouldn’t a registered voter, casting their ballot on Election Day, be able to do so at any polling location in the nation, in the same way anyone with a valid credit card can shop at any store in the country? The technology would be complicated, but since systems already exist to recognize your Visa card anywhere, national voter recognition should be possible as well.

There have been some efforts to address these changing electoral perspectives, like a new law that should allow in-person Kansas voters to use polling stations besides their assigned ones. But that’s a tiny, county-by-county change. As electoral rules are written by those who have managed to get elected under them, the incentive for larger changes isn’t strong.

In the end, I tell my students that voting, despite our many instantaneous national connections, will likely remain an inconsistent state-based patchwork. Clearing up any confusion which that contributes to is the responsibility of everyone who takes their citizenship seriously–which of course, includes the responsibility of checking to make sure we have our facts right first.

Dr. Russell Arben Fox runs the History &amp; Politics major and the Honors program at Friends University in Wichita, KS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586443443315.jpeg" alt="Professor Russell Arben Fox directs the History &amp; Politics major and the Honors program at Friends University in Wichita, KS." />
 <figcaption>Professor Russell Arben Fox directs the History &amp; Politics major and the Honors program at Friends University in Wichita, KS.</figcaption>
 </figure>This year, like every election year, I have students asking me: “Why is voting so hard?”My initial response is: “It’s not hard at all!” That answer is basically accurate, as the high levels of turnout among the older segments of our population demonstrate. Still, I can’t deny that there are reasons why voting nonetheless so often seems that way to my students.Indeed, even experts like me can get mixed-up when answering questions for students and others, especially when mundane electoral procedures unexpectedly become subject to intense partisan argument, and contradictory information (or plain misinformation) surrounds us.&nbsp;In the last month, I’ve twice found myself getting basic things wrong, as when I distinguished between the level of voter security provided by signing in at a polling station when casting an in-person vote versus signing the back of a mail-in ballot’s envelope. (The actual correct answer: there’s no difference at all.) If someone who has voted in every election for 30 years can get confused, perhaps we shouldn’t blame young people too much for feeling the same.Who can we blame for the confusion, then? There are culprits aplenty. But rather than going after political or partisan targets, I would suggest thinking about the structure of elections themselves.Historically, the power to organize elections in the United States has been held by the 50 different states. Important pieces of legislation and Supreme Court decisions in the 1960s nationalized some aspects of voting in America–but mostly our country remains a patchwork of different registration deadlines, ballot access rules, voting procedures, and more.Again, it’s not hard to learn the rules and deadlines where you live, and so these differences aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps it’s reasonable that the different states take primary responsibility for managing democracy within their own political cultures.Those distinct political cultures, however, no longer reflect many voters’ attitudes. Between the centralization of campaign fundraising, the speed and ease of networking technology, and the collapse of local journalism, citizens now often end up approaching elections with only the national context in mind. State and local political candidates know this, and thus they increasingly rely on national partisan rhetoric, perpetuating the shift.This nationalization of our electoral thinking makes certain voting restrictions hard to justify. For example, why shouldn’t a registered voter, casting their ballot on Election Day, be able to do so at any polling location in the nation, in the same way anyone with a valid credit card can shop at any store in the country? The technology would be complicated, but since systems already exist to recognize your Visa card anywhere, national voter recognition should be possible as well.There have been some efforts to address these changing electoral perspectives, like a new law that should allow in-person Kansas voters to use polling stations besides their assigned ones. But that’s a tiny, county-by-county change. As electoral rules are written by those who have managed to get elected under them, the incentive for larger changes isn’t strong.In the end, I tell my students that voting, despite our many instantaneous national connections, will likely remain an inconsistent state-based patchwork. Clearing up any confusion which that contributes to is the responsibility of everyone who takes their citizenship seriously–which of course, includes the responsibility of checking to make sure we have our facts right first.Dr. Russell Arben Fox runs the History &amp; Politics major and the Honors program at Friends University in Wichita, KS.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Some confusion about voting is inevitable

Soil organic matter (SOM) is an indicator of how healthy and productive a soil is and serves many important functions. The higher the SOM, the better the soil is. It is the part of the soil that is composed of anything that once lived. It includes plant and animal remains in various states of decomposition, cells and tissues of soil organisms, and substances from plant roots and soil microbes.

After this material is well decomposed through time, about 10% of it forms into stable SOM, or humus. This is the porous, spongy material of the soil that has a pleasant, earthy smell that is dark in color. SOM forms slower in warmer and drier climates where the amount of plant biomass that can be grown is limited.

Soil organic matter is a reservoir of nutrients that are mineralized by microorganisms and released in the soil that plants can use. For each percent of SOM in the soil about 25 pounds of nitrogen, 5 pounds of P2O5, and 3 pounds of sulfur become plant available annually. In high SOM soils this can lead to significant fertilizer savings. The warmer the soil temperature the more nutrients are released, so summer crops benefit more from SOM mineralization than winter crops.

SOM behaves like a sponge and increases the water holding capacity of the soil. It can and hold up to 90% of its weight in water. This is especially important in drier climates where soil moisture is almost always the most limiting factor when it comes to crop yields.

High SOM soils have a higher percentage of stable soil aggregates which don’t break down, consolidate or condense when it rains. This improved soil structure increases the pore space in the soil which helps the soil take in more water. It also decreases runoff and erosion.

It is not easy, and it takes years to see a significant improvement, but there are ways that we can increase SOM levels in the soil.

* Reduce tillage. Tillage aerates the soil and causes a flush of soil microbial activity that speeds up the decomposition of organic matter. Tillage also increases erosion so when soil leaves the field organic matter goes with it, since most of the SOM is near the surface of the soil. Before our prairie soils were broken out, they naturally had about 3 to 4% SOM. The use of intensive tillage over several decades has reduced soil SOM levels by about half of what they originally were. By decreasing the amount of tillage, we can stabilize, and through time, increase SOM levels.

* Soil test on a regular basis and fertilize accordingly. Proper fertilization, based on a soil analysis and realistic yield goals, encourages plant growth and more root development. This can help build or maintain SOM levels, even when top growth is removed for forage.

* Intensify the crop rotation with additional cash or cover crops. Without a green growing plant that provides plant residue and roots that feed the soil biology, there is nothing there to build organic matter.

It makes economic sense to do what you can to maintain and improve organic matter levels in your soils. 

The higher the organic matter the less fertilizer you will need because more plant nutrients are released in the soil. High organic matter soils can help keep a crop growing and healthier longer during prolonged dry periods because of the higher water holding capacity. In some years this can be the difference between growing a profitable crop and not growing one, so it can affect the bottom line.

Consider using these practices on your operation to build and maintain organic matter levels in your soil.

For more information about this or other soil health practices you can contact me at dale.younker@ks.usda.gov or contact any local NRCS office.

Dale Younker is a&nbsp;soil health specialist with the&nbsp;Natural Resources Conservation Service in Jetmore.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593956609910.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Soil organic matter (SOM) is an indicator of how healthy and productive a soil is and serves many important functions. The higher the SOM, the better the soil is. It is the part of the soil that is composed of anything that once lived. It includes plant and animal remains in various states of decomposition, cells and tissues of soil organisms, and substances from plant roots and soil microbes.After this material is well decomposed through time, about 10% of it forms into stable SOM, or humus. This is the porous, spongy material of the soil that has a pleasant, earthy smell that is dark in color. SOM forms slower in warmer and drier climates where the amount of plant biomass that can be grown is limited.Soil organic matter is a reservoir of nutrients that are mineralized by microorganisms and released in the soil that plants can use. For each percent of SOM in the soil about 25 pounds of nitrogen, 5 pounds of P2O5, and 3 pounds of sulfur become plant available annually. In high SOM soils this can lead to significant fertilizer savings. The warmer the soil temperature the more nutrients are released, so summer crops benefit more from SOM mineralization than winter crops.SOM behaves like a sponge and increases the water holding capacity of the soil. It can and hold up to 90% of its weight in water. This is especially important in drier climates where soil moisture is almost always the most limiting factor when it comes to crop yields.High SOM soils have a higher percentage of stable soil aggregates which don’t break down, consolidate or condense when it rains. This improved soil structure increases the pore space in the soil which helps the soil take in more water. It also decreases runoff and erosion.It is not easy, and it takes years to see a significant improvement, but there are ways that we can increase SOM levels in the soil. Here are just a few:* Reduce tillage. Tillage aerates the soil and causes a flush of soil microbial activity that speeds up the decomposition of organic matter. Tillage also increases erosion so when soil leaves the field organic matter goes with it, since most of the SOM is near the surface of the soil. Before our prairie soils were broken out, they naturally had about 3 to 4% SOM. The use of intensive tillage over several decades has reduced soil SOM levels by about half of what they originally were. By decreasing the amount of tillage, we can stabilize, and through time, increase SOM levels.* Soil test on a regular basis and fertilize accordingly. Proper fertilization, based on a soil analysis and realistic yield goals, encourages plant growth and more root development. This can help build or maintain SOM levels, even when top growth is removed for forage.* Intensify the crop rotation with additional cash or cover crops. Without a green growing plant that provides plant residue and roots that feed the soil biology, there is nothing there to build organic matter.It makes economic sense to do what you can to maintain and improve organic matter levels in your soils. The higher the organic matter the less fertilizer you will need because more plant nutrients are released in the soil. High organic matter soils can help keep a crop growing and healthier longer during prolonged dry periods because of the higher water holding capacity. In some years this can be the difference between growing a profitable crop and not growing one, so it can affect the bottom line.Consider using these practices on your operation to build and maintain organic matter levels in your soil.For more information about this or other soil health practices you can contact me at dale.younker@ks.usda.gov or contact any local NRCS office.Dale Younker is a&nbsp;soil health specialist with the&nbsp;Natural Resources Conservation Service in Jetmore.&nbsp;&nbsp;

YOUNKER: Soil organic matter is important to soil health and profitability

Marches, protests and demonstrations, on the street or now online, 
are how the United States talks to itself. And, to the benefit of the 
nation, we are doing a lot of talking these days.

Propelled and protected by the First Amendment freedoms of speech, 
assembly and petition, we have taken to the streets today and in the 
past to call the country to consider national challenges and solve 
national inequities, to press for change or to voice opposition to 
policies, plans and practices.

Our next national moment: Friday, Aug. 28, the planned commemoration 
of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It could not come 
at a more appropriate time.

If 2020 is to be remembered for more than the COVID-19 pandemic, it 
will be as a year in which our fellow citizens — and, very often, those 
among us who see themselves as outside the majority in one way or 
another — demanded to be heard in matters of freedom and social justice 
and, even more, demanded more loudly than ever to see positive change as
 a result.

The planned commemorations will include Rep. John Lewis, the youngest speaker at the ’63 event and all but certain to be the patron-in-absentia for the event and others now planned:

The marches, however they mesh, will be about more than memories. 
Some will be demonstrating that day against continuing police brutality 
targeting Black citizens or other people of color. Others will press for
 major reforms in policing and funding for police overall, and for 
sentencing and prison reform.

Consider for a moment the lasting impact of the critical moment of the 1963 march, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech, with words that have resounded through the years.

King’s speech, some 10 minutes longer than the six minutes he was 
allotted, didn’t include its memorable title until gospel singer Mahalia Jackson,
 recalling earlier King speeches as she stood behind him at the podium 
on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, said to him, “Tell ’em about the 
dream, Martin, tell ’em about the dream!”

Setting aside his prepared remarks, King told an estimated 150,000 at
 the memorial and nearby Reflecting Pool that “ … even though we face 
the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream … that … we
 will be able to speed up that day when all God’s children, Black men 
and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be 
able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 
‘Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’”

It may not be a focus of this year’s commemorations, but the march 57
 years ago was rooted in a similar event planned but not held more than 
two decades earlier. In 1941, A. Philip Randolph, 
founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters labor union, called 
for a march on Washington, D.C., to protest exclusion of Black workers 
from defense industry jobs. In return for cancelling that event, 
Randolph gained an executive order issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt forming the Fair Employment Practices Commission to investigate racial discrimination in the national defense industry.

Lest we forget, commemorations around the 1963 march likely won’t be 
the only calls for a “redress of grievances” on that day. Ongoing 
national protests include groups opposing each other in public over 
COVID-19-related issues — back-to-school plans, government orders to 
wear face coverings in public, the renewal of limits on store hours or 
openings, restrictions on worship services and social public gatherings,
 even the very nature and extent of the pandemic itself.

The breadth of current public outcries may be surprising, but the 
depth of emotion behind them shouldn’t be — protest is backed into the 
nation’s civic DNA: From pre-revolutionary times, when colonials took to
 cobblestone streets to protest taxes and British rule, to rallies and 
marches by pro- and anti-slavery advocates in the early- to mid-1800s; 
from anti-draft demonstrations during the Civil War to a decade of 
anti-war rallies during the Vietnam War; from suffragette marches in the
 late 1800s and early 1900s to the ERA battles of the 1970s; from 
marches that led to a Prohibition amendment in 1920 to marches that led 
to its repeal in 1933; from white-robed Ku Klux Klan demonstrations 
across the nation peaking in the 1920s to the civil rights movement 
peaking in the 1960s; to the LGBTQ movement, from Stonewall in 1969 to 
recent demonstrations over marriage laws and employment equality.

“We Protest” may well stand next to “In God We Trust” as a national 
motto. Certainly, the founders saw those core freedoms of speech, 
assembly and petition as central to keeping the nation safe from the 
“tyranny of the majority,” where minority voices and calls for change 
were stifled before having any real chance to produce reforms or form a 
new majority, seen all-too often in the European nations of their time.

There’s no guarantee under the First Amendment that when America 
talks to itself, Americans will listen. But our history is marked by 
those moments when as a nation we do hear, sometimes belatedly, what 
protesters, demonstrators and marchers are saying. And we are a fairer, 
more honest, more just country as a result.

As King said in his last public speech in 1968, nearly five years 
after the March on Washington: “Somewhere I read of the freedom of 
assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of
 the freedom of press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is
 the right to protest for right.”

March on, citizens, on Aug. 28 and the days after. Use your freedoms.

Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the
 Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom
 Forum Institute. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:gpolicinski@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">gpolicinski@freedomforum.org</a>, or follow him on Twitter at&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/@genefac" target="_blank">@genefac</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593729871227.png" alt="Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. " />
 <figcaption>Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. </figcaption>
 </figure>Marches, protests and demonstrations, on the street or now online, 
are how the United States talks to itself. And, to the benefit of the 
nation, we are doing a lot of talking these days.Propelled and protected by the First Amendment freedoms of speech, 
assembly and petition, we have taken to the streets today and in the 
past to call the country to consider national challenges and solve 
national inequities, to press for change or to voice opposition to 
policies, plans and practices.Our next national moment: Friday, Aug. 28, the planned commemoration 
of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It could not come 
at a more appropriate time.If 2020 is to be remembered for more than the COVID-19 pandemic, it 
will be as a year in which our fellow citizens — and, very often, those 
among us who see themselves as outside the majority in one way or 
another — demanded to be heard in matters of freedom and social justice 
and, even more, demanded more loudly than ever to see positive change as
 a result.The planned commemorations will include Rep. John Lewis, the youngest speaker at the ’63 event and all but certain to be the patron-in-absentia for the event and others now planned:<ul>
 <li>The Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network 
(NAN), in collaboration with several other sponsors, plans a march with 
as many as 100,000 participants and tents on or near the National Mall 
and other events, according to permit information made public in June. 
Officially, it’s the “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” march, recognizing 
the death of George Floyd.</li><li>The NAACP plans a Virtual March on Washington, streamed across key 
social media platforms and television networks starting Thursday 
evening, Aug. 27 and concluding the next evening. At midday Friday, Martin Luther King III
 and representatives of the families of Black people who have died at 
the hands of police, will march online, bolstered by an actual march in 
Washington, D.C.</li>
 </ul>The marches, however they mesh, will be about more than memories. 
Some will be demonstrating that day against continuing police brutality 
targeting Black citizens or other people of color. Others will press for
 major reforms in policing and funding for police overall, and for 
sentencing and prison reform.Consider for a moment the lasting impact of the critical moment of the 1963 march, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech, with words that have resounded through the years.King’s speech, some 10 minutes longer than the six minutes he was 
allotted, didn’t include its memorable title until gospel singer Mahalia Jackson,
 recalling earlier King speeches as she stood behind him at the podium 
on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, said to him, “Tell ’em about the 
dream, Martin, tell ’em about the dream!”Setting aside his prepared remarks, King told an estimated 150,000 at
 the memorial and nearby Reflecting Pool that “ … even though we face 
the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream … that … we
 will be able to speed up that day when all God’s children, Black men 
and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be 
able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 
‘Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’”It may not be a focus of this year’s commemorations, but the march 57
 years ago was rooted in a similar event planned but not held more than 
two decades earlier. In 1941, A. Philip Randolph, 
founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters labor union, called 
for a march on Washington, D.C., to protest exclusion of Black workers 
from defense industry jobs. In return for cancelling that event, 
Randolph gained an executive order issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt forming the Fair Employment Practices Commission to investigate racial discrimination in the national defense industry.Lest we forget, commemorations around the 1963 march likely won’t be 
the only calls for a “redress of grievances” on that day. Ongoing 
national protests include groups opposing each other in public over 
COVID-19-related issues — back-to-school plans, government orders to 
wear face coverings in public, the renewal of limits on store hours or 
openings, restrictions on worship services and social public gatherings,
 even the very nature and extent of the pandemic itself.The breadth of current public outcries may be surprising, but the 
depth of emotion behind them shouldn’t be — protest is backed into the 
nation’s civic DNA: From pre-revolutionary times, when colonials took to
 cobblestone streets to protest taxes and British rule, to rallies and 
marches by pro- and anti-slavery advocates in the early- to mid-1800s; 
from anti-draft demonstrations during the Civil War to a decade of 
anti-war rallies during the Vietnam War; from suffragette marches in the
 late 1800s and early 1900s to the ERA battles of the 1970s; from 
marches that led to a Prohibition amendment in 1920 to marches that led 
to its repeal in 1933; from white-robed Ku Klux Klan demonstrations 
across the nation peaking in the 1920s to the civil rights movement 
peaking in the 1960s; to the LGBTQ movement, from Stonewall in 1969 to 
recent demonstrations over marriage laws and employment equality.“We Protest” may well stand next to “In God We Trust” as a national 
motto. Certainly, the founders saw those core freedoms of speech, 
assembly and petition as central to keeping the nation safe from the 
“tyranny of the majority,” where minority voices and calls for change 
were stifled before having any real chance to produce reforms or form a 
new majority, seen all-too often in the European nations of their time.There’s no guarantee under the First Amendment that when America 
talks to itself, Americans will listen. But our history is marked by 
those moments when as a nation we do hear, sometimes belatedly, what 
protesters, demonstrators and marchers are saying. And we are a fairer, 
more honest, more just country as a result.As King said in his last public speech in 1968, nearly five years 
after the March on Washington: “Somewhere I read of the freedom of 
assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of
 the freedom of press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is
 the right to protest for right.”March on, citizens, on Aug. 28 and the days after. Use your freedoms.Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the
 Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom
 Forum Institute. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:gpolicinski@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">gpolicinski@freedomforum.org</a>, or follow him on Twitter at&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/@genefac" target="_blank">@genefac</a>.

FIRST FIVE: We march, demonstrate and protest — we’re America

Across the Fort Hays State University campus, you will find many examples of what are called high-impact educational practices. They are important, because these teaching and learning practices have proven effective for college students with varied backgrounds and learning styles. They exist at FHSU because our faculty are energized by working with and mentoring our students. I truly value this emphasis and the examples I see on a daily basis of how our faculty invest in our students.&nbsp;

From first-year seminars, to our living and learning communities, to our undergraduate research opportunities, our faculty step forward and go deeper in driving student success. Each of these programs are based on personal relationships between students and faculty. They are squarely focused on helping students become successful – and this is important – in ways that truly matter to the student. Our faculty mentor and fuel the dreams of our students, and that makes the FHSU student experience the best investment in one’s future.

Here’s just one example. It is the story of Dr. Whitney Whitaker, assistant professor of psychology, and student Skyler Krull, a senior psychology major from Durango, Colo. Skyler and Dr. Whitaker met when Skyler’s academic advisor, Dr. Trey Hill, learned of Skyler’s interest in areas that aligned with Dr. Whitaker’s research. So, Dr. Hill encouraged Skyler to email Dr. Whitaker. Skyler followed through.

After working together on a research poster for our annual Scholarly and Creative Activities Day in the spring of 2019, Skyler approached Dr. Whitaker with an idea. He wanted to come up with a way to try to help people who suffer from drug-resistant epilepsy. This population finds very limited – if any – relief from their seizures through the use of medications.&nbsp;

“I sent Dr. Whitaker an ambitious research proposal, and to my surprise she began to help me realize my vision of conducting a telehealth study to measure the effect ashtanga yoga has on people with epilepsy,” Skyler shared. “This is an incredibly involved study, and the fact that she trusted me to conduct a study like this demonstrates her selfless character and altruistic desire to support my growth as a researcher.”&nbsp;

Skyler said that being able to work on this project “surpassed my wildest dreams.”

“Dr. Whitaker has involved me in every aspect of the research process. She helped me with things like: study design; procuring approximately $7,000 in funding; the IRB application; editing my work and providing feedback; and putting in many hours to assist with recruitment for this project,” he said. “There are countless other ways Dr. Whitaker has helped make my research idea a reality; however, I simply do not have space to mention them all here. What I can tell you is that Dr. Whitaker cares about making our study the best it can be while supporting my personal growth.”

With Skyler’s idea crystalized, he and Dr. Whitaker worked together to develop the study. They are currently testing the effectiveness of a behavioral intervention at reducing seizure frequency and improving the quality of life for people who suffer from drug-resistant epilepsy.

As a side note, our students who have an interest in research have opportunity to work alongside faculty from their very first semester – and it is incredible what they are learning and accomplishing. At many universities, such research opportunities are reserved for upper-class students and often only for graduate students.

Skyler and Dr. Whitaker are collecting physiological data through the use of sensors that they send out to participants in the mail. According to Dr. Whitaker, they “have had a very neat opportunity to meet participants from all over the country who are completing the study, and have been fortunate enough to collaborate with some incredible people through epilepsy organizations and hospitals in various states.”&nbsp;

The fact that they are working together in such important and meaningful work is impressive. But one thing that might surprise you is that Skyler and Dr. Whitaker have never met in person. Skyler is an online student living in Colorado. They’ve been collaborating and working together through Zoom.&nbsp;

Dr. Whitaker describes Skyler as a remarkable student and an incredible person. I love her description of him because it captures the respect and admiration that our faculty, like Dr. Whitaker, have for the students with whom they work.

“She makes me feel like her equal,” Skyler said of Dr. Whitaker. “She is always compassionate, considerate and humble. She has given me so much and only expects my best effort in return.”

Skyler will apply for graduate programs to start next fall after he earns his bachelor’s degree from FHSU. Dr. Whitaker says, “It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with Skyler and to work on a project that’s really meaningful to him and to so many others.”

This story is only one of a gazillion examples of how our faculty invest in our students. I am confident Skyler will go on to graduate school and make a positive impact on our world. I am grateful and honored that while Skyler leaves to change our world, Dr. Whitaker will remain and invest in the hopes and dreams of many more current and future Tigers who will follow.

<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>Across the Fort Hays State University campus, you will find many examples of what are called high-impact educational practices. They are important, because these teaching and learning practices have proven effective for college students with varied backgrounds and learning styles. They exist at FHSU because our faculty are energized by working with and mentoring our students. I truly value this emphasis and the examples I see on a daily basis of how our faculty invest in our students.&nbsp;From first-year seminars, to our living and learning communities, to our undergraduate research opportunities, our faculty step forward and go deeper in driving student success. Each of these programs are based on personal relationships between students and faculty. They are squarely focused on helping students become successful – and this is important – in ways that truly matter to the student. Our faculty mentor and fuel the dreams of our students, and that makes the FHSU student experience the best investment in one’s future.Here’s just one example. It is the story of Dr. Whitney Whitaker, assistant professor of psychology, and student Skyler Krull, a senior psychology major from Durango, Colo. Skyler and Dr. Whitaker met when Skyler’s academic advisor, Dr. Trey Hill, learned of Skyler’s interest in areas that aligned with Dr. Whitaker’s research. So, Dr. Hill encouraged Skyler to email Dr. Whitaker. Skyler followed through.After working together on a research poster for our annual Scholarly and Creative Activities Day in the spring of 2019, Skyler approached Dr. Whitaker with an idea. He wanted to come up with a way to try to help people who suffer from drug-resistant epilepsy. This population finds very limited – if any – relief from their seizures through the use of medications.&nbsp;“I sent Dr. Whitaker an ambitious research proposal, and to my surprise she began to help me realize my vision of conducting a telehealth study to measure the effect ashtanga yoga has on people with epilepsy,” Skyler shared. “This is an incredibly involved study, and the fact that she trusted me to conduct a study like this demonstrates her selfless character and altruistic desire to support my growth as a researcher.”&nbsp;Skyler said that being able to work on this project “surpassed my wildest dreams.”“Dr. Whitaker has involved me in every aspect of the research process. She helped me with things like: study design; procuring approximately $7,000 in funding; the IRB application; editing my work and providing feedback; and putting in many hours to assist with recruitment for this project,” he said. “There are countless other ways Dr. Whitaker has helped make my research idea a reality; however, I simply do not have space to mention them all here. What I can tell you is that Dr. Whitaker cares about making our study the best it can be while supporting my personal growth.”With Skyler’s idea crystalized, he and Dr. Whitaker worked together to develop the study. They are currently testing the effectiveness of a behavioral intervention at reducing seizure frequency and improving the quality of life for people who suffer from drug-resistant epilepsy.As a side note, our students who have an interest in research have opportunity to work alongside faculty from their very first semester – and it is incredible what they are learning and accomplishing. At many universities, such research opportunities are reserved for upper-class students and often only for graduate students.Skyler and Dr. Whitaker are collecting physiological data through the use of sensors that they send out to participants in the mail. According to Dr. Whitaker, they “have had a very neat opportunity to meet participants from all over the country who are completing the study, and have been fortunate enough to collaborate with some incredible people through epilepsy organizations and hospitals in various states.”&nbsp;The fact that they are working together in such important and meaningful work is impressive. But one thing that might surprise you is that Skyler and Dr. Whitaker have never met in person. Skyler is an online student living in Colorado. They’ve been collaborating and working together through Zoom.&nbsp;Dr. Whitaker describes Skyler as a remarkable student and an incredible person. I love her description of him because it captures the respect and admiration that our faculty, like Dr. Whitaker, have for the students with whom they work.“She makes me feel like her equal,” Skyler said of Dr. Whitaker. “She is always compassionate, considerate and humble. She has given me so much and only expects my best effort in return.”Skyler will apply for graduate programs to start next fall after he earns his bachelor’s degree from FHSU. Dr. Whitaker says, “It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with Skyler and to work on a project that’s really meaningful to him and to so many others.”This story is only one of a gazillion examples of how our faculty invest in our students. I am confident Skyler will go on to graduate school and make a positive impact on our world. I am grateful and honored that while Skyler leaves to change our world, Dr. Whitaker will remain and invest in the hopes and dreams of many more current and future Tigers who will follow.

MASON: FHSU professor, student join forces for epilepsy research

We are receiving inquiries regarding large wasps flying around. These are the Eastern cicada killer (Sphecius speciosus); not the Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarinia). Cicada killer females search for, kill, and provision each cell within a nest located in the ground with a dog day cicada (Tibicen pruinosa) adult. The dead cicada is a food source for young cicada killer larvae. Cicada killers are an urban nuisance pest, especially when nesting in large numbers, in bare areas, in turfgrass, or around a structure. People are generally concerned because cicada killers resemble giant yellowjackets or they think cicada killers are the Asian giant hornet. Cicada killers are approximately 2.0 inches long and black with yellow-banded markings on the abdomen. The head and transparent wings are red-brown (Figure&nbsp;

1). Cicada killers are not dangerous, but they are intimidating; especially the males. Cicada killers are ground-nesting solitary wasps, with the female digging a 6 to 10- inch burrow (1/2 inch in diameter) in the ground; usually in sandy or loose soil. A pile of sand or soil, depending on soil type, will surround the entrance.

Females search for and sting large insects such as a cicada or katydid, and then bring the immobilized or paralyzed prey back to the burrow

The female places prey into a chamber in the nest and then lays an egg on the body. Afterward, the female covers the burrow, digs another burrow, and repeats the process. A legless grub-like larva will emerge (eclose) from the egg and proceed to consume the prey. Full-grown larvae overwinter in the burrow, pupate in spring, and emerge as adults from July through August. Male cicada killers establish aerial territories and patrol for intruders. A male cicada killer wards-off other males that enter his territory and attempt to mate with females. An individual that walks into the territory is typically confronted by a very large wasp hovering in front of the face and ‘zips’ to the side and back. However, after determining that the intruder is not a rival or a threat, the male cicada killer ignores the individual. Nevertheless, an individual walking across a lawn, fairway, or other area where cicada killers are nesting, will experience the same treatment through each male’s territory. After females have left the nest then males will eventually leave. Cicada killers, in general, will not sting an individual. Wasp and bee stingers are modified egg-laying devices (ovipositors), so males cannot sting. Females, however, may sting if crushed or if stepped on with bare feet, or grabbed with bare hands.

Cicada killers are common in areas with bare soil, so mulching, planting ground covers, or sodding may reduce issues with cicada killers. Cicada killers can be a problem in well-maintained areas such as irrigated and regularly fertilized turfgrass. In addition, cicada killers can be a problem when nesting in areas accessible to or frequented by the public. Applying carbaryl or pyrethroid insecticides containing the active ingredients; permethrin, bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, and/or lambda-cyhalothrin to the burrowed area will kill females in golf course sand traps. In home yards, sandboxes should be covered with a tarp when not in use to deter cicada killers. Sand below swings, jungle gyms, or other playground equipment should be replaced with bark mulch or shredded tires. Managing cicada killers in baseball infields and volleyball courts is more challenging because people with minimal clothing and exposed skin are diving and sliding onto the ground; thus making it difficult to recommend using an insecticide. However, in the case of a volleyball court, a geotextile fabric placed beneath the sand may create a barrier that prevents cicada killers from creating burrows.

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 aboor@ksu.edu or calling 620-793-1910.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592579538317.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>We are receiving inquiries regarding large wasps flying around. These are the Eastern cicada killer (Sphecius speciosus); not the Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarinia). Cicada killer females search for, kill, and provision each cell within a nest located in the ground with a dog day cicada (Tibicen pruinosa) adult. The dead cicada is a food source for young cicada killer larvae. Cicada killers are an urban nuisance pest, especially when nesting in large numbers, in bare areas, in turfgrass, or around a structure. People are generally concerned because cicada killers resemble giant yellowjackets or they think cicada killers are the Asian giant hornet. Cicada killers are approximately 2.0 inches long and black with yellow-banded markings on the abdomen. The head and transparent wings are red-brown (Figure&nbsp;1). Cicada killers are not dangerous, but they are intimidating; especially the males. Cicada killers are ground-nesting solitary wasps, with the female digging a 6 to 10- inch burrow (1/2 inch in diameter) in the ground; usually in sandy or loose soil. A pile of sand or soil, depending on soil type, will surround the entrance.Females search for and sting large insects such as a cicada or katydid, and then bring the immobilized or paralyzed prey back to the burrowThe female places prey into a chamber in the nest and then lays an egg on the body. Afterward, the female covers the burrow, digs another burrow, and repeats the process. A legless grub-like larva will emerge (eclose) from the egg and proceed to consume the prey. Full-grown larvae overwinter in the burrow, pupate in spring, and emerge as adults from July through August. Male cicada killers establish aerial territories and patrol for intruders. A male cicada killer wards-off other males that enter his territory and attempt to mate with females. An individual that walks into the territory is typically confronted by a very large wasp hovering in front of the face and ‘zips’ to the side and back. However, after determining that the intruder is not a rival or a threat, the male cicada killer ignores the individual. Nevertheless, an individual walking across a lawn, fairway, or other area where cicada killers are nesting, will experience the same treatment through each male’s territory. After females have left the nest then males will eventually leave. Cicada killers, in general, will not sting an individual. Wasp and bee stingers are modified egg-laying devices (ovipositors), so males cannot sting. Females, however, may sting if crushed or if stepped on with bare feet, or grabbed with bare hands.Cicada killers are common in areas with bare soil, so mulching, planting ground covers, or sodding may reduce issues with cicada killers. Cicada killers can be a problem in well-maintained areas such as irrigated and regularly fertilized turfgrass. In addition, cicada killers can be a problem when nesting in areas accessible to or frequented by the public. Applying carbaryl or pyrethroid insecticides containing the active ingredients; permethrin, bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, and/or lambda-cyhalothrin to the burrowed area will kill females in golf course sand traps. In home yards, sandboxes should be covered with a tarp when not in use to deter cicada killers. Sand below swings, jungle gyms, or other playground equipment should be replaced with bark mulch or shredded tires. Managing cicada killers in baseball infields and volleyball courts is more challenging because people with minimal clothing and exposed skin are diving and sliding onto the ground; thus making it difficult to recommend using an insecticide. However, in the case of a volleyball court, a geotextile fabric placed beneath the sand may create a barrier that prevents cicada killers from creating burrows.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 aboor@ksu.edu or calling 620-793-1910.

BOOR: Eastern cicada killer

OK, so even though I call myself a “realist” my wife most often labels me a “pessimist.” I’m not very warm and fuzzy, I don’t go about turning cartwheels of joy and there is usually not a smile on my face for no good reason. But It’s becoming increasingly apparent that for us as a people to get through this current “whatever you choose to call it,” I need to begin making lemonade from the lemons life is currently doling out. So, I’ve come up with some ways wearing these dreadful face masks might actually benefit Kansas sportsmen.

I talk to myself…a lot, and by the way, I’ve never lost an argument with me. With a mask over my face and looking for all the world like Billy The Kid robbing a train, I can stroll down the isle at Cabalas and talk myself into or out of buying another gun, and no one will be the wiser. Behind the mask, my mouth and lips can be reciting the pledge of allegiance a dozen times forward and backward and none will ever know. Unless of course I violate the first rule of talking to yourself and speak so loudly my wife can hear me through the closed bathroom door (yes this is experience speaking again.) And for those of us (you know who you are) who have trouble keeping your mouths shut in a deer blind, viola, the dreaded face mask solves that problem too.

There are myriads of scents associated with hunting, fishing and trapping. From the sweet, musky scent of gunpowder or spring wildflowers to the near stench of catfish bait or that awful gamey smell of an old tom turkey. And let’s not forget the tear rendering smells that can boil forth from a cabin or tent full of deer hunters, especially after consuming aunt Martha’s secret family baked bean recipe the night before.&nbsp; Once again, face masks to the rescue, as its devilish hard to smell anything through one of those contraptions. It brings to mind a deer hunting trip decades ago when I would have given anything for a face mask.

One deer season while I was a youth still living in Ohio, I went with a much older coworker who was convinced we needed to hunt Pennsylvania, so we dragged his tiny (very tiny) camping trailer with us to a state park somewhere in PA. The next morning, we stepped out into 8 to 10 inches of fresh powdery snow. This trip was put together on a whim, and we had absolutely no idea what we were doing or where to go, but off we went. After a dismal and exhausting day trudging up and down wooded hills and through endless valleys, and not seeing another life form, we miraculously found the trailer again, and decided to go somewhere for a good hot meal before bed. We found a little café and settled in to await a couple nice steaks. My buddy ordered a beer to go with his steak, and then noticed on the bar what was often a staple in those days at little country bars; a gallon jug of pickled hard-boiled eggs. After we had devoured our steaks, and he’d had another beer and consumed half-a-dozen eggs from the jar, we returned to the tiny trailer and crawled into bed. 

That night I learned that there is a terrible chemical reaction that takes place between beer and pickled hard-boiled eggs deep within the recesses of the consumers body. I can honestly say I would have given anything for a face mask and to sleep outside in the snow…continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>OK, so even though I call myself a “realist” my wife most often labels me a “pessimist.” I’m not very warm and fuzzy, I don’t go about turning cartwheels of joy and there is usually not a smile on my face for no good reason. But It’s becoming increasingly apparent that for us as a people to get through this current “whatever you choose to call it,” I need to begin making lemonade from the lemons life is currently doling out. So, I’ve come up with some ways wearing these dreadful face masks might actually benefit Kansas sportsmen.I talk to myself…a lot, and by the way, I’ve never lost an argument with me. With a mask over my face and looking for all the world like Billy The Kid robbing a train, I can stroll down the isle at Cabalas and talk myself into or out of buying another gun, and no one will be the wiser. Behind the mask, my mouth and lips can be reciting the pledge of allegiance a dozen times forward and backward and none will ever know. Unless of course I violate the first rule of talking to yourself and speak so loudly my wife can hear me through the closed bathroom door (yes this is experience speaking again.) And for those of us (you know who you are) who have trouble keeping your mouths shut in a deer blind, viola, the dreaded face mask solves that problem too.There are myriads of scents associated with hunting, fishing and trapping. From the sweet, musky scent of gunpowder or spring wildflowers to the near stench of catfish bait or that awful gamey smell of an old tom turkey. And let’s not forget the tear rendering smells that can boil forth from a cabin or tent full of deer hunters, especially after consuming aunt Martha’s secret family baked bean recipe the night before.&nbsp; Once again, face masks to the rescue, as its devilish hard to smell anything through one of those contraptions. It brings to mind a deer hunting trip decades ago when I would have given anything for a face mask.One deer season while I was a youth still living in Ohio, I went with a much older coworker who was convinced we needed to hunt Pennsylvania, so we dragged his tiny (very tiny) camping trailer with us to a state park somewhere in PA. The next morning, we stepped out into 8 to 10 inches of fresh powdery snow. This trip was put together on a whim, and we had absolutely no idea what we were doing or where to go, but off we went. After a dismal and exhausting day trudging up and down wooded hills and through endless valleys, and not seeing another life form, we miraculously found the trailer again, and decided to go somewhere for a good hot meal before bed. We found a little café and settled in to await a couple nice steaks. My buddy ordered a beer to go with his steak, and then noticed on the bar what was often a staple in those days at little country bars; a gallon jug of pickled hard-boiled eggs. After we had devoured our steaks, and he’d had another beer and consumed half-a-dozen eggs from the jar, we returned to the tiny trailer and crawled into bed. That night I learned that there is a terrible chemical reaction that takes place between beer and pickled hard-boiled eggs deep within the recesses of the consumers body. I can honestly say I would have given anything for a face mask and to sleep outside in the snow…continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: To mask or not to mask

By GREG DOERING Kansas Farm Bureau

Dozens of Kansas communities are in danger of missing out on significant amounts of money from the federal government because residents haven’t completed their 2020 Census. Statewide, more than two-thirds of the population has completed the task so far, leaving 31.1 percent unaccounted for at this point. As a whole, Kansas is doing better than the nationwide response rate of 64 percent, but there are 10 counties with less than 50 percent of residents completing their forms. All are rural, and they all stand to miss out on their share of billions in federal dollars that will come to Kansas over the next decade based on this year’s census. One county’s response rate is below 40 percent, which could mean the loss of an estimated $50 million in federal aid over the next year. That’s the equivalent of missing out on about $1,300 for every man, woman and child in the county each year. It’s money unavailable to assist with local highway planning and construction, water and wastewater systems, health care assistance and hundreds of other programs. Overall, a 1 percent undercount of Kansans would result in an estimated loss of more than $600 million in federal funding over the next decade. That’s money we pay in federal taxes going to projects in other states. In short, the Census is about money and power. The people who complete the form get their fair share of both. If you skip it, both go elsewhere. COVID-19 has stretched our communities thin, which means ensuring you’re counted is more important than ever. I wrote about how vital it is to stand up and be counted way back in early March, just ahead of the Census Bureau mailing forms urging people to self-respond either through the U.S. Postal Service, online at&nbsp;<a href="http://my2020census.gov/">my2020census.gov</a>&nbsp;or by calling 844-330-2020. Unfortunately, other events soon gripped our state and nation as the pandemic hit, pushing the counting of our population on the back burner for people. While the pandemic certainly lowered self-response rates, it also hampered the federal effort to ensure everyone is recorded. Census workers who would have normally followed up with households that hadn’t filled out a survey in May and June are just now knocking on doors. The federal government, fearful social distancing measures will hamper the vast data processing required by the year’s end, bumped up the response deadline to Sept. 30, shaving a full month off the original timeline. Like just about everything else in 2020, trimming 31 days off the deadline isn’t ideal. But there’s still time to take a few minutes to respond, ensuring your town’s story is told to help get the most out of the American dream. If you’ve already responded, you can still help by checking with friends and family to see if they’ve done so as well. If they haven’t, tell them what’s on the line and direct them to the website or phone number above. It’s not going to complete the COVID-19 recovery overnight, but federal funding for roads, bridges, broadband internet connections and a litany of other projects won’t just help Kansas’ economic convalescence, but power us to an even brighter future. Act now while there’s still time to make your voice count.

"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" />
 <figcaption>Greg Doering</figcaption>
 </figure>By GREG DOERING Kansas Farm BureauDozens of Kansas communities are in danger of missing out on significant amounts of money from the federal government because residents haven’t completed their 2020 Census. Statewide, more than two-thirds of the population has completed the task so far, leaving 31.1 percent unaccounted for at this point. As a whole, Kansas is doing better than the nationwide response rate of 64 percent, but there are 10 counties with less than 50 percent of residents completing their forms. All are rural, and they all stand to miss out on their share of billions in federal dollars that will come to Kansas over the next decade based on this year’s census. One county’s response rate is below 40 percent, which could mean the loss of an estimated $50 million in federal aid over the next year. That’s the equivalent of missing out on about $1,300 for every man, woman and child in the county each year. It’s money unavailable to assist with local highway planning and construction, water and wastewater systems, health care assistance and hundreds of other programs. Overall, a 1 percent undercount of Kansans would result in an estimated loss of more than $600 million in federal funding over the next decade. That’s money we pay in federal taxes going to projects in other states. In short, the Census is about money and power. The people who complete the form get their fair share of both. If you skip it, both go elsewhere. COVID-19 has stretched our communities thin, which means ensuring you’re counted is more important than ever. I wrote about how vital it is to stand up and be counted way back in early March, just ahead of the Census Bureau mailing forms urging people to self-respond either through the U.S. Postal Service, online at&nbsp;<a href="http://my2020census.gov/">my2020census.gov</a>&nbsp;or by calling 844-330-2020. Unfortunately, other events soon gripped our state and nation as the pandemic hit, pushing the counting of our population on the back burner for people. While the pandemic certainly lowered self-response rates, it also hampered the federal effort to ensure everyone is recorded. Census workers who would have normally followed up with households that hadn’t filled out a survey in May and June are just now knocking on doors. The federal government, fearful social distancing measures will hamper the vast data processing required by the year’s end, bumped up the response deadline to Sept. 30, shaving a full month off the original timeline. Like just about everything else in 2020, trimming 31 days off the deadline isn’t ideal. But there’s still time to take a few minutes to respond, ensuring your town’s story is told to help get the most out of the American dream. If you’ve already responded, you can still help by checking with friends and family to see if they’ve done so as well. If they haven’t, tell them what’s on the line and direct them to the website or phone number above. It’s not going to complete the COVID-19 recovery overnight, but federal funding for roads, bridges, broadband internet connections and a litany of other projects won’t just help Kansas’ economic convalescence, but power us to an even brighter future. Act now while there’s still time to make your voice count."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;

Kan. Farm Bureau Insight: Still time to make it count

Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week at $32.50 per barrel, after dropping 25 cents per barrel on Friday. Current prices are 25 cents higher than a week ago, two dollars higher than at the first of the month, but nearly $19 lower than at the first of the year.&nbsp; Pump prices are dropping from their cheapest summer levels in decades. AAA says that over the last four weeks, U.S. gasoline prices have steadily decreased, reaching a summer peak around $2.20 a gallon a month ago. The national average on Thursday was $2.18 a gallon, about 40 cents less than a year ago. Statewide, Kansas, at $1.97 per gallon, remains among just eleven states where average prices are below two dollars. We found $1.92 a gallon at some stations in Hays and $1.94 in Great Bend. You'll save nearly five dollars on your 15-gallon fill-up compared to a year ago. Baker Hughes reports an increase in drilling activity across the U.S. There are 254 active drilling rigs in the company's latest Rotary Rig Count, an increase of eleven oil rigs. The count in Texas was up eight rigs, New Mexico was up two. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports an increase of three drilling rigs in eastern Kansas, but the count west of Wichita dropped by one. Kansas regulators approved eight permits for drilling at new locations last week, bringing the year-to-date total to just 265 new permits. There were two new permits east of Wichita and six in Western Kansas including one in Russell County. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports eight newly-completed wells for the week, seven of them west of Wichita. Operators completed two wells in Barton County, one in Ellis County and one in Stafford County. The report shows 605 completions so far this year. U.S. production increased slightly last week over the week before. At just under 10.74 million barrels per day, EIA says domestic output remains about one-and-a-half-million barrels per day behind last year's pace. The Energy Information Administration says U.S. commercial crude oil inventories declined by 1.6 million barrels last week, but remain about 15% above the five-year seasonal average. The government said crude-oil imports increased slightly last week, up to 5.7 million barrels per day. The four-week average is about 22% less than the same four-week period last week. Oil by rail traffic dropped last week by about 12-hundred tanker cars from the week before. The Association of American Railroads reports operators loaded 10,812 tanker cars with petroleum or petroleum products during the week ending August 15. That's down ten percent from the same week a year ago. Most freight categories are down from a year ago, except grain shipments, which are up more than 14% from a year ago. Some observers point to increases in drilling activity in the Permian Basin as a good sign. With prices holding steady above $42 per barrel, Baker Hughes reported ten additional rigs on its active list last week, the biggest jump since prices collapsed. The world's biggest fracking provider Halliburton is expecting the worst-ever slump in oil exploration to end soon. CEO Jeff Miller told Bloomberg-TV the company expects to see a recovery during the "back half" of this year, after reaching a bottom during the third quarter. Analysts at Rystad Energy say curtailed U.S. output that was shut-in by the pandemic could begin to return to production soon. But other sources indicate a full recovery might still be a ways off. The government offered mixed news, predicting a continuing decline in total U.S. shale production, but growth in the two largest shale plays. EIA's Drilling Productivity Report for August predicts total shale production will drop 19,000 barrels per day from August to September. But Permian production will increase by a little over a tenth of a percent and North Dakota output is expected to rise about half a percent. North Dakota regulators this week offered mixed expectations. Lynn Helms of the Department of Mineral Resources told reporters he expects rising prices will prompt operators to bring more shut-in wells back into production. And that, he says, could add up to 200,000 barrels per day in July and another 300,000 in August. But Helms said drilling activity has receded dramatically, and might not bounce back before late next year.&nbsp; The top oil and gas regulator in Canada predicts that the country's oil production will gradually recover over the rest of this year, after operators halted production upwards of one million barrels per day because of low prices. Still, The Canada Energy Regulator says total production this year will average 4.38 million barrels per day, down nearly seven percent from last year. New natural gas pipelines coming online this year could be a game changer for several markets in the U.S. The Energy Information Administration lists nearly a dozen new or expanded gas pipelines going into service between January and July of this year. The new pipes can bring up to five billion cubic feet per day of natural gas to growth markets in the South-Central, Mountain and Northeast regions. Monthly energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. fell to 307 million metric tons in April, the lowest in government records since 1973. The Energy Information Administration credits travel restrictions and other measures to mitigate the spread of coronavirus in April, which dramatically reduced consumption. Saudi Arabia’s state oil company has reportedly ended its joint effort to build a huge new refinery in China. The $10 billion joint venture was signed back in February of 2019, when the kingdom's Crown Prince visited Beijing. It was seen at the time as a landmark deal with a key ally. The Saudi's hoped to increase their market share in Asia. They had planned to supply upwards of 70 percent of the crude for a refinery needing 300,000 barrels per day. But Bloomberg reports the Saudis decided to back out based on the uncertain market outlook. The Chinese will move forward with the project. Saudi Aramco is slashing spending on a lot of capital projects, as the kingdom continues to reel from low crude prices. A trade group for the staffing industry says nearly one third of all oil and gas jobs in Canada could be fully automated within the next twenty years. A report from E-Y Canada says new technologies driving that change include robotic process automation, artificial intelligence, language processing and machine learning.&nbsp; Company head Lance Mortlock says many companies have already begun the transition and the Covid-19 pandemic has brought new urgency. Mortlock says about half of the job skills in exploration and production will soon be automated. He says oil workers must develop skills in emotional intelligence, critical thinking and data analysis to be competitive. The owner of the world's largest fleet of offshore drilling rigs has filed for bankruptcy protection. Valaris becomes the latest casualty in the global slump in oil prices. The firm hopes to restructure more than seven billion dollars in debt.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592847975802.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN P. TRETBARKansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week at $32.50 per barrel, after dropping 25 cents per barrel on Friday. Current prices are 25 cents higher than a week ago, two dollars higher than at the first of the month, but nearly $19 lower than at the first of the year.&nbsp; Pump prices are dropping from their cheapest summer levels in decades. AAA says that over the last four weeks, U.S. gasoline prices have steadily decreased, reaching a summer peak around $2.20 a gallon a month ago. The national average on Thursday was $2.18 a gallon, about 40 cents less than a year ago. Statewide, Kansas, at $1.97 per gallon, remains among just eleven states where average prices are below two dollars. We found $1.92 a gallon at some stations in Hays and $1.94 in Great Bend. You'll save nearly five dollars on your 15-gallon fill-up compared to a year ago. Baker Hughes reports an increase in drilling activity across the U.S. There are 254 active drilling rigs in the company's latest Rotary Rig Count, an increase of eleven oil rigs. The count in Texas was up eight rigs, New Mexico was up two. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports an increase of three drilling rigs in eastern Kansas, but the count west of Wichita dropped by one. Kansas regulators approved eight permits for drilling at new locations last week, bringing the year-to-date total to just 265 new permits. There were two new permits east of Wichita and six in Western Kansas including one in Russell County. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports eight newly-completed wells for the week, seven of them west of Wichita. Operators completed two wells in Barton County, one in Ellis County and one in Stafford County. The report shows 605 completions so far this year. U.S. production increased slightly last week over the week before. At just under 10.74 million barrels per day, EIA says domestic output remains about one-and-a-half-million barrels per day behind last year's pace. The Energy Information Administration says U.S. commercial crude oil inventories declined by 1.6 million barrels last week, but remain about 15% above the five-year seasonal average. The government said crude-oil imports increased slightly last week, up to 5.7 million barrels per day. The four-week average is about 22% less than the same four-week period last week. Oil by rail traffic dropped last week by about 12-hundred tanker cars from the week before. The Association of American Railroads reports operators loaded 10,812 tanker cars with petroleum or petroleum products during the week ending August 15. That's down ten percent from the same week a year ago. Most freight categories are down from a year ago, except grain shipments, which are up more than 14% from a year ago. Some observers point to increases in drilling activity in the Permian Basin as a good sign. With prices holding steady above $42 per barrel, Baker Hughes reported ten additional rigs on its active list last week, the biggest jump since prices collapsed. The world's biggest fracking provider Halliburton is expecting the worst-ever slump in oil exploration to end soon. CEO Jeff Miller told Bloomberg-TV the company expects to see a recovery during the "back half" of this year, after reaching a bottom during the third quarter. Analysts at Rystad Energy say curtailed U.S. output that was shut-in by the pandemic could begin to return to production soon. But other sources indicate a full recovery might still be a ways off. The government offered mixed news, predicting a continuing decline in total U.S. shale production, but growth in the two largest shale plays. EIA's Drilling Productivity Report for August predicts total shale production will drop 19,000 barrels per day from August to September. But Permian production will increase by a little over a tenth of a percent and North Dakota output is expected to rise about half a percent. North Dakota regulators this week offered mixed expectations. Lynn Helms of the Department of Mineral Resources told reporters he expects rising prices will prompt operators to bring more shut-in wells back into production. And that, he says, could add up to 200,000 barrels per day in July and another 300,000 in August. But Helms said drilling activity has receded dramatically, and might not bounce back before late next year.&nbsp; The top oil and gas regulator in Canada predicts that the country's oil production will gradually recover over the rest of this year, after operators halted production upwards of one million barrels per day because of low prices. Still, The Canada Energy Regulator says total production this year will average 4.38 million barrels per day, down nearly seven percent from last year. New natural gas pipelines coming online this year could be a game changer for several markets in the U.S. The Energy Information Administration lists nearly a dozen new or expanded gas pipelines going into service between January and July of this year. The new pipes can bring up to five billion cubic feet per day of natural gas to growth markets in the South-Central, Mountain and Northeast regions. Monthly energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. fell to 307 million metric tons in April, the lowest in government records since 1973. The Energy Information Administration credits travel restrictions and other measures to mitigate the spread of coronavirus in April, which dramatically reduced consumption. Saudi Arabia’s state oil company has reportedly ended its joint effort to build a huge new refinery in China. The $10 billion joint venture was signed back in February of 2019, when the kingdom's Crown Prince visited Beijing. It was seen at the time as a landmark deal with a key ally. The Saudi's hoped to increase their market share in Asia. They had planned to supply upwards of 70 percent of the crude for a refinery needing 300,000 barrels per day. But Bloomberg reports the Saudis decided to back out based on the uncertain market outlook. The Chinese will move forward with the project. Saudi Aramco is slashing spending on a lot of capital projects, as the kingdom continues to reel from low crude prices. A trade group for the staffing industry says nearly one third of all oil and gas jobs in Canada could be fully automated within the next twenty years. A report from E-Y Canada says new technologies driving that change include robotic process automation, artificial intelligence, language processing and machine learning.&nbsp; Company head Lance Mortlock says many companies have already begun the transition and the Covid-19 pandemic has brought new urgency. Mortlock says about half of the job skills in exploration and production will soon be automated. He says oil workers must develop skills in emotional intelligence, critical thinking and data analysis to be competitive. The owner of the world's largest fleet of offshore drilling rigs has filed for bankruptcy protection. Valaris becomes the latest casualty in the global slump in oil prices. The firm hopes to restructure more than seven billion dollars in debt.

News From the Oil Patch: Some positive indicators 

By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

High speed on the High Plains. That is what one can find when we see the product of the work done by an innovative entrepreneur in rural northwest Kansas.&nbsp;

During the last two weeks we have learned about Heidi Plumb and Kale Dankenbring, who traveled around the globe as newlyweds. They came back to Kale’s hometown of St. Francis to become the founders and co-owners of Fresh Seven Coffee, plus a business next door named High Plains Moto. This business services and sells products for motorcycles and other, smaller motorized vehicles such as ATVs.&nbsp;

When Kale was 10 years old, his cousin was involved in a bad motorcycle accident. Some years later, Kale was riding on a motorcycle with his father’s friend when they crashed on a muddy road.&nbsp;

“I had an insane fear of motorcycles,” Kale said. However, Kale also had a fascination with them. He bought one for himself at age 22. “I would ride it during the summer. In the winter, I would tear it apart to learn how it worked,” he said. Soon he was helping his friends work on their motorcycles as well, and found he was quite good at it.&nbsp;

One day in 2001, he was riding his motorcycle on the street when a car pulled out directly in front of him. “I T-boned the car,” Kale said. “I woke up in the helicopter on the way to the hospital,” he said. He had numerous broken bones and spent a week in the hospital and another month home in bed.&nbsp;

“I knew I never wanted to ride a motorcycle on the street again,” Kale said. However, he realized that he could still enjoy his motorcycle by taking up road racing on enclosed tracks, and that is what he did. He enjoyed road racing, and also put his expertise to use by opening a motorcycle shop with a partner.&nbsp;

After Kale met and married Heidi, he sold his share of the business to his partner so he and Heidi could travel the globe. While traveling, he and Heidi learned that an abandoned building was for sale in Kale’s hometown of St. Francis. This would become the site of their coffee roastery. Next door to the coffee shop, Kale opened a motorcycle sales and service business of his own. He named it High Plains Moto.&nbsp;

High Plains Moto serves motorcycles as well as other vehicles. “A lot of farmers are using dirt bikes or ATVs to check cattle or wells or sprinklers, and that kept me busy at first,” Kale said. Those vehicles came from farms near rural communities such as Sharon Springs, population 748; Bird City, population 477; and McDonald, population 156 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

High Plains Moto specializes in equipment and service for track-day and motorcycle road-race machines. These are the gorgeous speedy motorcycles that swoop low on the turns and can go up to 190 miles an hour in the straightaway. Kale works on exhaust and brake systems, hand and foot controls, tires and tire warmers, racing suits, stands and more. In 2019, Kale became a technician certified by Ohlins, the Swedish suspension company.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Before he opened his shop, bike riders in the area had to make multiple trips to drop off their bikes in in Denver or Nebraska for service or repairs. Now, Kale offers convenient service for bike riders throughout the three-state region.&nbsp;

Kale continues to race himself. “I race for fun and to promote my business,” he said. “If I happen to win prize money, that’s a bonus. The fastest I’ve ever gone on a track was 172 (miles per hour).”&nbsp;

For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.highplainsmoto.com/">www.highplainsmoto.com</a>.&nbsp;

High speed on the high plains. That describes what a person can achieve when working with Kale at High Plains Moto. We commend Kale Dankenbring and Heidi Plumb for making a difference with their skills and entrepreneurship. He’s helping people safely achieve high speeds on the High Plains, and such a business has high value.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597843580729.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural DevelopmentHigh speed on the High Plains. That is what one can find when we see the product of the work done by an innovative entrepreneur in rural northwest Kansas.&nbsp;During the last two weeks we have learned about Heidi Plumb and Kale Dankenbring, who traveled around the globe as newlyweds. They came back to Kale’s hometown of St. Francis to become the founders and co-owners of Fresh Seven Coffee, plus a business next door named High Plains Moto. This business services and sells products for motorcycles and other, smaller motorized vehicles such as ATVs.&nbsp;When Kale was 10 years old, his cousin was involved in a bad motorcycle accident. Some years later, Kale was riding on a motorcycle with his father’s friend when they crashed on a muddy road.&nbsp;“I had an insane fear of motorcycles,” Kale said. However, Kale also had a fascination with them. He bought one for himself at age 22. “I would ride it during the summer. In the winter, I would tear it apart to learn how it worked,” he said. Soon he was helping his friends work on their motorcycles as well, and found he was quite good at it.&nbsp;One day in 2001, he was riding his motorcycle on the street when a car pulled out directly in front of him. “I T-boned the car,” Kale said. “I woke up in the helicopter on the way to the hospital,” he said. He had numerous broken bones and spent a week in the hospital and another month home in bed.&nbsp;“I knew I never wanted to ride a motorcycle on the street again,” Kale said. However, he realized that he could still enjoy his motorcycle by taking up road racing on enclosed tracks, and that is what he did. He enjoyed road racing, and also put his expertise to use by opening a motorcycle shop with a partner.&nbsp;After Kale met and married Heidi, he sold his share of the business to his partner so he and Heidi could travel the globe. While traveling, he and Heidi learned that an abandoned building was for sale in Kale’s hometown of St. Francis. This would become the site of their coffee roastery. Next door to the coffee shop, Kale opened a motorcycle sales and service business of his own. He named it High Plains Moto.&nbsp;High Plains Moto serves motorcycles as well as other vehicles. “A lot of farmers are using dirt bikes or ATVs to check cattle or wells or sprinklers, and that kept me busy at first,” Kale said. Those vehicles came from farms near rural communities such as Sharon Springs, population 748; Bird City, population 477; and McDonald, population 156 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;High Plains Moto specializes in equipment and service for track-day and motorcycle road-race machines. These are the gorgeous speedy motorcycles that swoop low on the turns and can go up to 190 miles an hour in the straightaway. Kale works on exhaust and brake systems, hand and foot controls, tires and tire warmers, racing suits, stands and more. In 2019, Kale became a technician certified by Ohlins, the Swedish suspension company.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Before he opened his shop, bike riders in the area had to make multiple trips to drop off their bikes in in Denver or Nebraska for service or repairs. Now, Kale offers convenient service for bike riders throughout the three-state region.&nbsp;Kale continues to race himself. “I race for fun and to promote my business,” he said. “If I happen to win prize money, that’s a bonus. The fastest I’ve ever gone on a track was 172 (miles per hour).”&nbsp;For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.highplainsmoto.com/">www.highplainsmoto.com</a>.&nbsp;High speed on the high plains. That describes what a person can achieve when working with Kale at High Plains Moto. We commend Kale Dankenbring and Heidi Plumb for making a difference with their skills and entrepreneurship. He’s helping people safely achieve high speeds on the High Plains, and such a business has high value.&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural: High Plains Moto 

BY C.J. JANOVY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/25/struggling-with-the-pandemic-this-kansans-story-will-help/">Kansas Reflector</a>

It’s time for a dramatic intervention, perspective-wise.

Back in the cold days of 
March, it was hard to imagine making it to the end of lockdown, maybe 
around Memorial Day. Imagining the start of a new school year in our <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/10/kdhe-secretary-warns-of-lethal-brew-yearns-for-mask-mandate-says-schools-not-yet-safe/">current state of abnormality</a> was not among (most of) our <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/02/kansas-school-districts-should-prepare-students-for-the-possibility-of-teachers-dying/">thought exercises</a>. But here we are, having <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/07/23/attention-kansas-leaders-here-is-mental-health-help-from-the-states-most-famous-psychologist/">passed wits’ end</a> a while back.

This particular stretch of
 the pandemic appears to be especially hard for a subset of parents and 
students whose lives are being ruined by the loss of fall sports. 
Begging school boards to let them play, kids describe working their 
whole lives for senior seasons and parents fear <a href="https://shawneemissionpost.com/2020/08/14/teens-and-parents-plead-with-johnson-county-commission-to-allow-for-high-school-sports-during-covid-19-pandemic-98857/">losing out on college scholarships</a>.

Right about now, all of us could stand to hear from one Johnson County resident.

It’s only been a few years
 since assemblies full of Kansas school kids had visits from Sonia 
Warshawski, whose story, captured in the documentary “<a href="https://bigsonia.com/">Big Sonia</a>,” has only grown more relevant since the film’s release in November 2016.

Watching it is guaranteed to make anyone’s current situation easier to endure.

Warshawski was almost 14 
when Nazis came to Międzyrzec, Poland. They rounded up her father and 
brother, who she never saw again. Her sister escaped, but soldiers 
loaded Warshawski and her mother into a cattle car.

She spent years in three different concentration camps.

“You’re living every moment with fear,” she says. “It was really like living in hell.”

The worst moment was when she was 17, at <a href="http://www.majdanek.eu/en">Majdanek</a>, when she heard sirens and found a peephole just in time to see her mother in a line of women outside the gas chamber.

“All of them knew where they go,” she says. “I saw my mom in this column. I saw her holding together another lady.”

She remembers the heavy boots of the soldier in <a href="http://auschwitz.org/en/">Auschwitz-Birkenau</a> who beat her nearly to death.

Warshawski was 19 when her camp was liberated. Prisoners could hear the tanks arriving, and guards began shooting.

“I did not realize what is
 happening to me until the blood start coming and I knew that I’m 
dying,” Warshawski remembers of the bullet that missed her heart by a 
centimeter. “So this was a terrible experience to see on the day of 
liberation, after so much struggle. But I made it.”

“Sometimes even people were joking about something,” she says, “I would catch myself if i was even laughing. I felt guilty.”

But you live with it. She married John — the couple met in <a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/history-and-overview-of-bergen-belsen">Bergen-Belsen</a> — and they ended up in Kansas where they raised children who had children.

The inspiration for “Big 
Sonia” was far less dramatic than the film. John owned a tailor shop at 
Metcalf South mall and after he died, Sonia took it over, creating a 
colorful and loving space that kept her busy so she didn’t think so 
much.

But Metcalf South was dying, too, and Sonia was certain to lose the shop. Warshawski’s granddaughter, a filmmaker named <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2261681/">Leah Warshawski</a>, wanted to document that struggle.

In their interviews, Sonia
 opened up about her concentration camp experience for the first time. 
And, with white supremacy and other familiar forms of hatred on the 
rise, she realized she needed to tell her story widely.

By the end of the film, 
Sonia is visiting prisoners in Lansing. One, who has been there for 32 
years, says he couldn’t have endured what she did.

“She gave me a kick in the butt,” says another, “because I have a tendency of pity parties.”

Maybe, like one of those <a href="https://www.wichitalibrary.org/bigread/Pages/default.aspx">Big Reads</a>, Kansas could have a Big Watch for “Big Sonia.” It would require 90 minutes and a few bucks on a streaming platform.

That’s already happening in some places, says Leah Warshawski.

“A lot of people are now 
watching digitally, and we’ve done a number of virtual screenings and 
director talkbacks since March,” she says, and they’ve created an <a href="https://bigsonia.com/for-educators/">educational package</a> for schools.

“We’re hearing from people that the film is giving them hope right now when there’s so much anxiety and fear,” Leah says.

She reports that her 
grandmother hasn’t been going to work because she doesn’t want to get 
sick, but is enjoying her garden. She shares a voicemail Sonia left her 
in April:

“She knows that things could always be worse,” Leah says. “As she puts it, ‘At least I’m not in a concentration camp.’ ”

If that’s not enough 
perspective for Kansans who might be forced to make some new dreams, 
here’s some wisdom passed down from Sonia Warshawski’s mother.

“Whenever you are down,” she told Sonia, “look more down and you’ll be on top.”

C.J. Janovy is a veteran journalist with deep roots in the Midwest. Before joining the Kansas Reflector, she was an editor and reporter at Kansas City’s NPR affiliate, KCUR. Before that, she edited the city’s alt-weekly newspaper, The Pitch.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598364766943.png" alt="Sonia Warshawski drives a classic Oldsmobile in the 2016 documentary "Big Sonia." (Gloria Baker Feinstein)" />
 <figcaption>Sonia Warshawski drives a classic Oldsmobile in the 2016 documentary "Big Sonia." (Gloria Baker Feinstein)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY C.J. JANOVY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/25/struggling-with-the-pandemic-this-kansans-story-will-help/">Kansas Reflector</a>It’s time for a dramatic intervention, perspective-wise.Back in the cold days of 
March, it was hard to imagine making it to the end of lockdown, maybe 
around Memorial Day. Imagining the start of a new school year in our <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/10/kdhe-secretary-warns-of-lethal-brew-yearns-for-mask-mandate-says-schools-not-yet-safe/">current state of abnormality</a> was not among (most of) our <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/02/kansas-school-districts-should-prepare-students-for-the-possibility-of-teachers-dying/">thought exercises</a>. But here we are, having <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/07/23/attention-kansas-leaders-here-is-mental-health-help-from-the-states-most-famous-psychologist/">passed wits’ end</a> a while back.This particular stretch of
 the pandemic appears to be especially hard for a subset of parents and 
students whose lives are being ruined by the loss of fall sports. 
Begging school boards to let them play, kids describe working their 
whole lives for senior seasons and parents fear <a href="https://shawneemissionpost.com/2020/08/14/teens-and-parents-plead-with-johnson-county-commission-to-allow-for-high-school-sports-during-covid-19-pandemic-98857/">losing out on college scholarships</a>.Right about now, all of us could stand to hear from one Johnson County resident.It’s only been a few years
 since assemblies full of Kansas school kids had visits from Sonia 
Warshawski, whose story, captured in the documentary “<a href="https://bigsonia.com/">Big Sonia</a>,” has only grown more relevant since the film’s release in November 2016.Watching it is guaranteed to make anyone’s current situation easier to endure.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xe1Mq_en-XY"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Warshawski was almost 14 
when Nazis came to Międzyrzec, Poland. They rounded up her father and 
brother, who she never saw again. Her sister escaped, but soldiers 
loaded Warshawski and her mother into a cattle car.She spent years in three different concentration camps.“You’re living every moment with fear,” she says. “It was really like living in hell.”The worst moment was when she was 17, at <a href="http://www.majdanek.eu/en">Majdanek</a>, when she heard sirens and found a peephole just in time to see her mother in a line of women outside the gas chamber.“All of them knew where they go,” she says. “I saw my mom in this column. I saw her holding together another lady.”She remembers the heavy boots of the soldier in <a href="http://auschwitz.org/en/">Auschwitz-Birkenau</a> who beat her nearly to death.Warshawski was 19 when her camp was liberated. Prisoners could hear the tanks arriving, and guards began shooting.“I did not realize what is
 happening to me until the blood start coming and I knew that I’m 
dying,” Warshawski remembers of the bullet that missed her heart by a 
centimeter. “So this was a terrible experience to see on the day of 
liberation, after so much struggle. But I made it.”Nothing would ever be normal.“Sometimes even people were joking about something,” she says, “I would catch myself if i was even laughing. I felt guilty.”But you live with it. She married John — the couple met in <a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/history-and-overview-of-bergen-belsen">Bergen-Belsen</a> — and they ended up in Kansas where they raised children who had children.The inspiration for “Big 
Sonia” was far less dramatic than the film. John owned a tailor shop at 
Metcalf South mall and after he died, Sonia took it over, creating a 
colorful and loving space that kept her busy so she didn’t think so 
much.But Metcalf South was dying, too, and Sonia was certain to lose the shop. Warshawski’s granddaughter, a filmmaker named <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2261681/">Leah Warshawski</a>, wanted to document that struggle.In their interviews, Sonia
 opened up about her concentration camp experience for the first time. 
And, with white supremacy and other familiar forms of hatred on the 
rise, she realized she needed to tell her story widely.By the end of the film, 
Sonia is visiting prisoners in Lansing. One, who has been there for 32 
years, says he couldn’t have endured what she did.“She gave me a kick in the butt,” says another, “because I have a tendency of pity parties.”Maybe, like one of those <a href="https://www.wichitalibrary.org/bigread/Pages/default.aspx">Big Reads</a>, Kansas could have a Big Watch for “Big Sonia.” It would require 90 minutes and a few bucks on a streaming platform.That’s already happening in some places, says Leah Warshawski.“A lot of people are now 
watching digitally, and we’ve done a number of virtual screenings and 
director talkbacks since March,” she says, and they’ve created an <a href="https://bigsonia.com/for-educators/">educational package</a> for schools.“We’re hearing from people that the film is giving them hope right now when there’s so much anxiety and fear,” Leah says.She reports that her 
grandmother hasn’t been going to work because she doesn’t want to get 
sick, but is enjoying her garden. She shares a voicemail Sonia left her 
in April:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fbigsoniamovie%2Fvideos%2F3190564277621818%2F&show_text=0&width=476" width="476" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>“She knows that things could always be worse,” Leah says. “As she puts it, ‘At least I’m not in a concentration camp.’ ”If that’s not enough 
perspective for Kansans who might be forced to make some new dreams, 
here’s some wisdom passed down from Sonia Warshawski’s mother.“Whenever you are down,” she told Sonia, “look more down and you’ll be on top.”C.J. Janovy is a veteran journalist with deep roots in the Midwest. Before joining the Kansas Reflector, she was an editor and reporter at Kansas City’s NPR affiliate, KCUR. Before that, she edited the city’s alt-weekly newspaper, The Pitch.

OPINION: Struggling with the pandemic? This Kansan’s story will help

I have to admit, I deserve to get beat up. I have brought this on myself. All of the warnings were there and I just ignored them. I knew a long time ago I needed to do something—or I would get beat up.

The beating has left me sore in my neck and my shoulders. My hands hurt. When I went to church Sunday morning, I had no idea that there were so many stairs, as every muscle in my legs hurt and my knees were screaming at me.&nbsp;

I spent this last winter doing very little, other than an occasional workout. I knew that by June 20th, I needed to be ready—but I delayed and waited.&nbsp;

Finally, Saturday, April 25th, I got back on my bicycle to get ready for a bicycle trip beginning June 20th. It felt great to get out and ride. Though it was windy, I pushed on—riding just over 15 short miles.&nbsp;

That evening, in the middle of the night, I woke up hurting everywhere, convinced that someone had snuck into my room and beat me with a baseball bat. I looked over at my wife, Barbara, but she was asleep. I ruled her out.&nbsp;

Sometimes, I have families come into my office seeking help. One family recently had been to two of my workshops (as well as a workshop of an estate/trust planning attorney) and had even visited with my staff on the phone.&nbsp;

Now they were here, some three years later, both elderly, and wanting to preserve assets in light of a new illness one of them had.

I will be able to help them, but unfortunately, it will not work the same as if they had come to me before the illness—if they had come to me three years ago. Now our opportunities are more limited. The plan is more complicated, more costly and will have a less favorable result—but it is the best that we can do.&nbsp;

After a two and a half hour meeting, I am sure they felt beat up. In fact, I stopped the meeting so that we could get together again and finish the planning—at a time that they were not so beat up.&nbsp;

One of the most disappointing parts of my practice is when someone comes in to see me, I lay out a plan for them, and they decide not to do anything. I always wonder what I could have done differently. I always feel like I have let them down by not convincing them. I have to admit, it wakes me up at night.

I know that if I keep plugging away at riding my bicycle, the soreness will leave me, and then eventually riding will become enjoyable again. If I keep plugging away, I will be ready for my bicycle trip on June 20th. If I falter, the June 20th trip is going to be very, very difficult.&nbsp;

I know that the family that recently came to see me will one day enjoy peace of mind- they just need to let me help them “train” them—just as I am trying to train myself on my bicycle.

Please, please do not wait. If you are facing a chronic illness or want to get a plan in place as not to lose everything, DO SOMETHING NOW.&nbsp;

As with bike riding, the longer the wait, the harder it is going to be to get a plan in place—in fact, one day it may be too late.

*Article previously published in April 2015

Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, 
Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To 
contact him, please send an email to randy@clinkscaleslaw.com. 
Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information 
purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different 
and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable 
law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578498921842.png" alt="Randy Clinkscales" />
 <figcaption>Randy Clinkscales</figcaption>
 </figure>I have to admit, I deserve to get beat up. I have brought this on myself. All of the warnings were there and I just ignored them. I knew a long time ago I needed to do something—or I would get beat up.The beating has left me sore in my neck and my shoulders. My hands hurt. When I went to church Sunday morning, I had no idea that there were so many stairs, as every muscle in my legs hurt and my knees were screaming at me.&nbsp;Yes, I got beat up.I spent this last winter doing very little, other than an occasional workout. I knew that by June 20th, I needed to be ready—but I delayed and waited.&nbsp;Finally, Saturday, April 25th, I got back on my bicycle to get ready for a bicycle trip beginning June 20th. It felt great to get out and ride. Though it was windy, I pushed on—riding just over 15 short miles.&nbsp;That evening, in the middle of the night, I woke up hurting everywhere, convinced that someone had snuck into my room and beat me with a baseball bat. I looked over at my wife, Barbara, but she was asleep. I ruled her out.&nbsp;Sometimes, I have families come into my office seeking help. One family recently had been to two of my workshops (as well as a workshop of an estate/trust planning attorney) and had even visited with my staff on the phone.&nbsp;Now they were here, some three years later, both elderly, and wanting to preserve assets in light of a new illness one of them had.I will be able to help them, but unfortunately, it will not work the same as if they had come to me before the illness—if they had come to me three years ago. Now our opportunities are more limited. The plan is more complicated, more costly and will have a less favorable result—but it is the best that we can do.&nbsp;After a two and a half hour meeting, I am sure they felt beat up. In fact, I stopped the meeting so that we could get together again and finish the planning—at a time that they were not so beat up.&nbsp;One of the most disappointing parts of my practice is when someone comes in to see me, I lay out a plan for them, and they decide not to do anything. I always wonder what I could have done differently. I always feel like I have let them down by not convincing them. I have to admit, it wakes me up at night.I know that if I keep plugging away at riding my bicycle, the soreness will leave me, and then eventually riding will become enjoyable again. If I keep plugging away, I will be ready for my bicycle trip on June 20th. If I falter, the June 20th trip is going to be very, very difficult.&nbsp;I know that the family that recently came to see me will one day enjoy peace of mind- they just need to let me help them “train” them—just as I am trying to train myself on my bicycle.Please, please do not wait. If you are facing a chronic illness or want to get a plan in place as not to lose everything, DO SOMETHING NOW.&nbsp;As with bike riding, the longer the wait, the harder it is going to be to get a plan in place—in fact, one day it may be too late.Do not let that happen to you.*Article previously published in April 2015Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, 
Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To 
contact him, please send an email to randy@clinkscaleslaw.com. 
Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information 
purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different 
and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable 
law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.

Opinion