By GLENN BRUNKOW Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher

Judging by my mailbox, TV and social media, we are in the silly season of politics. Yes, the August primary is drawing near and the last, final and, in some cases, desperate push for your vote is happening. This year is a critical year for those of us in agriculture to make sure ag-friendly candidates are elected. I would also make the case that for those of you not involved in agriculture it is in your best interest as a consumer of food to elect ag-friendly candidates.

I know you are as overwhelmed by information and claims from candidates as I am. It is hard to cut out the noise and disinformation to figure out what is the truth and where the candidates stand on issues important to your business and livelihood. If there was only some way to find out who the friendliest candidates to agriculture are? Well, you are in luck, we have a list of candidates endorsed by our Voters Organized To Elect Farm Bureau Friends (VOTE FBF).

This is a committee of 10 Farm Bureau members elected to serve on the board from each district in the state. They weigh information sent to them from each of the county Farm Bureaus, look at the voting records of incumbents and information provided by candidates to determine which of the potential legislators has agriculture’s best interest in mind. I have witnessed the process firsthand, and I can tell you quite a lot goes into each selection. The committee has an incredible success rate, with more than 90 percent of our endorsed candidates being elected.

First, the information is gleaned at the county level. Each county has the opportunity to weigh in on candidates in their area. I know the board gives this information a great deal of weight. Then the voting records on issues critical to agriculture are considered. Each candidate is evaluated on how closely they aligned to policy developed from our grassroots, member-driven system. Then, after several meetings and hours of deliberation, decisions are made on which candidate to give the highly coveted Kansas Farm Bureau endorsement to. Often the endorsement means more to the candidates than any monetary donations we may give to their campaign.

I would ask you also do your homework and decide which candidate to vote for on your own. However, when doing this, make sure to check the list put out by VOTE FBF by going to www.kfb.org/votefbf. Again, I cannot tell you just how important the upcoming primary and the general election are for our nation and for agriculture. We need to make sure the right people are elected.

Equally as important is ensuring you exercise your right to vote for the candidate of your choice. Our nation depends on its citizens making informed decisions and voting. So come Aug. 4, do your patriotic duty, and make your voice heard.

"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.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576508626397.png" alt="Glenn Brunkow" />
 <figcaption>Glenn Brunkow</figcaption>
 </figure>By GLENN BRUNKOW Pottawatomie County farmer and rancherJudging by my mailbox, TV and social media, we are in the silly season of politics. Yes, the August primary is drawing near and the last, final and, in some cases, desperate push for your vote is happening. This year is a critical year for those of us in agriculture to make sure ag-friendly candidates are elected. I would also make the case that for those of you not involved in agriculture it is in your best interest as a consumer of food to elect ag-friendly candidates.I know you are as overwhelmed by information and claims from candidates as I am. It is hard to cut out the noise and disinformation to figure out what is the truth and where the candidates stand on issues important to your business and livelihood. If there was only some way to find out who the friendliest candidates to agriculture are? Well, you are in luck, we have a list of candidates endorsed by our Voters Organized To Elect Farm Bureau Friends (VOTE FBF).This is a committee of 10 Farm Bureau members elected to serve on the board from each district in the state. They weigh information sent to them from each of the county Farm Bureaus, look at the voting records of incumbents and information provided by candidates to determine which of the potential legislators has agriculture’s best interest in mind. I have witnessed the process firsthand, and I can tell you quite a lot goes into each selection. The committee has an incredible success rate, with more than 90 percent of our endorsed candidates being elected.First, the information is gleaned at the county level. Each county has the opportunity to weigh in on candidates in their area. I know the board gives this information a great deal of weight. Then the voting records on issues critical to agriculture are considered. Each candidate is evaluated on how closely they aligned to policy developed from our grassroots, member-driven system. Then, after several meetings and hours of deliberation, decisions are made on which candidate to give the highly coveted Kansas Farm Bureau endorsement to. Often the endorsement means more to the candidates than any monetary donations we may give to their campaign.I would ask you also do your homework and decide which candidate to vote for on your own. However, when doing this, make sure to check the list put out by VOTE FBF by going to www.kfb.org/votefbf. Again, I cannot tell you just how important the upcoming primary and the general election are for our nation and for agriculture. We need to make sure the right people are elected.Equally as important is ensuring you exercise your right to vote for the candidate of your choice. Our nation depends on its citizens making informed decisions and voting. So come Aug. 4, do your patriotic duty, and make your voice heard."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.

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: Voting for agriculture

My wife’s dislike of ticks is legendary around our house, and that dislike greatly affects her enjoyment of spring and summer activities. My brother in Ohio tells me the ticks are so bad there this year that just a walk down his driveway often ends with multiple ticks on them.

Ticks are tiny, slow-crawling, wingless, eight-legged parasites that feed exclusively on blood and their life cycle from egg, larvae, nymph to adult takes about one year to complete, so the ticks we see early each spring have survived the winter somehow either as eggs or adults. They are found clinging to tall grass and weeds, in brush and on low over-hanging tree limbs where they wait for a host on which to attach. When any warm-blooded creature brushes against their “perch” they release their grip and cling to their new host.&nbsp;

Besides being creepy, the main problem with ticks here in Kansas is their ability to transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis, none of which should be taken lightly. All information I was given agreed that any tick found and removed within a few hours is unlikely to cause any disease problems. If, however a tick is found already engorged with blood and has obviously been there a long time, it is wise to keep that tick in a jar of alcohol for ten to fourteen days so that if flu-like symptoms or a rash around the bite develops, the tick can be shown to the doctor to better help determine the correct course of treatment. Also, if you wish to know what variety of tick you find, put one in a plastic zip lock bag and take it to your county extension office where they can identify it for you.&nbsp;

As a deterrent to ticks, wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts, tuck the shirt tail into your pants and roll and tuck the pants legs into your socks or shoes. Additional protection can be had by wrapping rubber bands around your shirt’s sleeves at the wrist and around your pants legs at the ankle. Light colored clothing also helps by making ticks more visible as they search your pants or shirt for an opening. Wear a hat if working or walking under low-hanging limbs. The same aerosol products containing DEET that repel mosquitoes also help repel ticks. Spray your pants from feet to knees, your hands &amp; wrists and around your collar. We use a product sold by the Sawyer Co. called Permethrin (which is the active ingredient.) It’s used to spray clothing only and says it remains effective through 6 washes. Always error on the pessimistic side and assume that no amount of deterrent will prevent all ticks from getting on you, so upon arrival back home, check everyone’s shoes and clothing for ticks. Shower as soon as possible, and if feasible launder all clothing. Check everyone’s bare skin, looking for “crawling freckles” or skin flaps that weren’t there before. Also check around the eyes, ears, nose and bellies of your pets.

Probably no other subject associated with the outdoors elicits a bigger variety of solutions than the removal of an attached tick. I found everything from suffocating them with petroleum jelly, fingernail polish remover, butter, dish washing liquid or hot candle wax, to touching them with a hot needle or snuffed-out match. I even found a tool called the O’Tom Tick Twister.&nbsp; It’s a plastic rig resembling a tiny crow bar; the notch in the bent end of “the crow bar” is slipped over the tick and it’s pried out with the handle. All the above methods will probably cause an embedded tick to detach itself, but all pose the distinct risk of causing the tick to regurgitate its gut or stomach contents back into your body, which besides being nasty, heightens the possibility of disease. The one tried and true best method of removing an attached tick that was recommended above all others by EVERY source I checked, is to grasp it snuggly by the head (completely against your skin) with a pair of slim tweezers and exert steady vertical pressure for a few seconds and the tick will detach itself.

&nbsp;We all know that spending time in the Kansas outdoors comes with the distinct possibility of finding the occasional tick on ourselves. Be smart, remove them correctly, call a doctor if flu-like symptoms develop after finding an embedded tick on yourself or a family member, and continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>My wife’s dislike of ticks is legendary around our house, and that dislike greatly affects her enjoyment of spring and summer activities. My brother in Ohio tells me the ticks are so bad there this year that just a walk down his driveway often ends with multiple ticks on them.Ticks are tiny, slow-crawling, wingless, eight-legged parasites that feed exclusively on blood and their life cycle from egg, larvae, nymph to adult takes about one year to complete, so the ticks we see early each spring have survived the winter somehow either as eggs or adults. They are found clinging to tall grass and weeds, in brush and on low over-hanging tree limbs where they wait for a host on which to attach. When any warm-blooded creature brushes against their “perch” they release their grip and cling to their new host.&nbsp;Besides being creepy, the main problem with ticks here in Kansas is their ability to transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis, none of which should be taken lightly. All information I was given agreed that any tick found and removed within a few hours is unlikely to cause any disease problems. If, however a tick is found already engorged with blood and has obviously been there a long time, it is wise to keep that tick in a jar of alcohol for ten to fourteen days so that if flu-like symptoms or a rash around the bite develops, the tick can be shown to the doctor to better help determine the correct course of treatment. Also, if you wish to know what variety of tick you find, put one in a plastic zip lock bag and take it to your county extension office where they can identify it for you.&nbsp;As a deterrent to ticks, wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts, tuck the shirt tail into your pants and roll and tuck the pants legs into your socks or shoes. Additional protection can be had by wrapping rubber bands around your shirt’s sleeves at the wrist and around your pants legs at the ankle. Light colored clothing also helps by making ticks more visible as they search your pants or shirt for an opening. Wear a hat if working or walking under low-hanging limbs. The same aerosol products containing DEET that repel mosquitoes also help repel ticks. Spray your pants from feet to knees, your hands &amp; wrists and around your collar. We use a product sold by the Sawyer Co. called Permethrin (which is the active ingredient.) It’s used to spray clothing only and says it remains effective through 6 washes. Always error on the pessimistic side and assume that no amount of deterrent will prevent all ticks from getting on you, so upon arrival back home, check everyone’s shoes and clothing for ticks. Shower as soon as possible, and if feasible launder all clothing. Check everyone’s bare skin, looking for “crawling freckles” or skin flaps that weren’t there before. Also check around the eyes, ears, nose and bellies of your pets.Probably no other subject associated with the outdoors elicits a bigger variety of solutions than the removal of an attached tick. I found everything from suffocating them with petroleum jelly, fingernail polish remover, butter, dish washing liquid or hot candle wax, to touching them with a hot needle or snuffed-out match. I even found a tool called the O’Tom Tick Twister.&nbsp; It’s a plastic rig resembling a tiny crow bar; the notch in the bent end of “the crow bar” is slipped over the tick and it’s pried out with the handle. All the above methods will probably cause an embedded tick to detach itself, but all pose the distinct risk of causing the tick to regurgitate its gut or stomach contents back into your body, which besides being nasty, heightens the possibility of disease. The one tried and true best method of removing an attached tick that was recommended above all others by EVERY source I checked, is to grasp it snuggly by the head (completely against your skin) with a pair of slim tweezers and exert steady vertical pressure for a few seconds and the tick will detach itself.&nbsp;We all know that spending time in the Kansas outdoors comes with the distinct possibility of finding the occasional tick on ourselves. Be smart, remove them correctly, call a doctor if flu-like symptoms develop after finding an embedded tick on yourself or a family member, and continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: Tricks for ticks

Statewide crude production dropped 1.6% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to a year earlier, to just below eight million barrels. First-quarter Kansas production averaged 88,000 barrels per day according to the latest update from the Kansas Geological Survey. 

Production in the first three months of the year increased over last year in several counties. Barton County output was up about a thousand barrels over last year, at just short of 400,000 barrels, or 4,386 barrels per day. Ellis County production topped 629,000 barrels, an increase of about 5,000 barrels year-on-year. That's an average of 6,916 barrels per day. Russell County production was up about 3,000 barrels year on the year, to just over 4,000 barrels per day.&nbsp; At about 2,815 barrels per day, Stafford County's first quarter totals outpaced last year by 2,617 barrels.&nbsp; Kansas crude-oil prices in June were down nearly $4 from a month earlier. Prices at CHS in McPherson were down nearly $20 from a year earlier. Many operators, and bankers, plan long-term budgets based on the average monthly price of crude oil. The average for June in Kansas was $28.61 per barrel, down more than $16 from the average midway through last year. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports some drilling activity returning to western Kansas.&nbsp; There are seven active drilling rigs west of Wichita, up three from last week. There's one active rig in eastern Kansas, unchanged from a week earlier.&nbsp; Operators are drilling on one lease in Russell County, and are about to spud a new well in Stafford County. Rig Counts across the U.S. were down five rigs at 258. Baker Hughes reports the count in Texas was down five, and New Mexico was up one. Regulators approved 15 permits for drilling at new locations last week, 229 so far this year. There were nine in eastern Kansas and six west of Wichita, including one each in Russell and Stafford counties. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports nine newly completed wells during the week ending July 9. Seven were in western Kansas, including one in Stafford County. The Kansas Corporation Commission reports 29 new intent-to-drill notices filed in the month of June across Kansas, compared to 39 in May and 115 in June 2019.&nbsp; The total midway through the year 2020 is 268. That's down by about half from a year earlier. The KCC reported one new intent-to-drill notice filed in Barton County last month. For the second week in a row, U.S. crude production increased slightly, but remained below 11 million barrels per day. The Energy Information Administration reported U.S. output for the week ending July 3 increased 36,000 barrels per day, to 10.9 million barrels per day. The government said U.S. crude-oil imports averaged 7.4 million barrels per day, an increase of &nbsp;1.4 million barrels per day from the week before.&nbsp; EIA said over the past four weeks, imports averaged 8.5 percent less than the same period last year. EIA reported a big increase in U.S. crude-oil inventories, up 5.7 million barrels from the week before. Stockpiles are about 18% above the five-year average for this time of year.&nbsp; The government says U.S. crude-oil production in the month April dropped nearly eight percent, down 33 million barrels from the near-record production achieved the month before just as prices began to plummet. Monthly numbers from the U.S. Energy Information Administration are more reliable than the weekly reports. Operators in the U.S. pumped 12.06 million barrels per day in April. That's despite prices that dropped from over $50 to under $20 a barrel. EIA said Kansas production in April was down 16% from the month before, and was 20% lower than a year earlier.&nbsp; According to the federal report, Kansas operators produced 75,533 barrels per day in April, compared to nearly 90,000 barrels per day in March and over 94,000 barrels per day in April of last year. North Dakota regulators rejected the idea of placing limits on the state's oil production to prevent waste amid the collapse in prices. The state joins Texas and Oklahoma which both nixed proration measures this year. The Bismarck Tribune reports the decision by the North Dakota Industrial Commission was unanimous. During a hearing in May, the state's largest producer, Continental Resources, argued in favor of the idea, to provide coordination across the region, as each producer reacted differently to low prices. Slawson Exploration sought state intervention to ensure companies did not rush to boost production as prices rise, thus flooding the market and drawing out the price recovery. But many tribal leaders, producers and the North Dakota Petroleum Council asked the state to step back and let the market decide. &nbsp; North Dakota could take a big hit if the closure of the Dakota Access pipeline survives an appeal. A U.S. district court judge ruled that the pipeline must be shut down, and drained, by Aug. 5. This marks the first time a major pipeline in service was ordered shut because of environmental concerns. The court decided it should remain closed until a proper environmental review is complete. That process could extend into next year. The system currently carries more than a third of the region's oil to market. The alternative of using rail would more than double transportation costs. The ruling is the latest twist in a long-running legal battle. Tribal leaders have long argued that a spill under the nearby Missouri River could pollute the water they rely on for fishing, drinking and religious ceremonies. Without addressing the environmental concerns, the operator of the pipeline promised a speedy appeal.&nbsp; The Association of American Railroads reports oil-by-rail year-to-date totals midway through 2020 are down 11% from a year ago. Total freight traffic is down 13%.&nbsp; For the week ending July 4, there were 9,934 tanker cars moving petroleum or petroleum products, down 1,000 cars from the week before and more than 21% below the weekly total a year ago.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592847975802.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Statewide crude production dropped 1.6% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to a year earlier, to just below eight million barrels. First-quarter Kansas production averaged 88,000 barrels per day according to the latest update from the Kansas Geological Survey. Production in the first three months of the year increased over last year in several counties. Barton County output was up about a thousand barrels over last year, at just short of 400,000 barrels, or 4,386 barrels per day. Ellis County production topped 629,000 barrels, an increase of about 5,000 barrels year-on-year. That's an average of 6,916 barrels per day. Russell County production was up about 3,000 barrels year on the year, to just over 4,000 barrels per day.&nbsp; At about 2,815 barrels per day, Stafford County's first quarter totals outpaced last year by 2,617 barrels.&nbsp; Kansas crude-oil prices in June were down nearly $4 from a month earlier. Prices at CHS in McPherson were down nearly $20 from a year earlier. Many operators, and bankers, plan long-term budgets based on the average monthly price of crude oil. The average for June in Kansas was $28.61 per barrel, down more than $16 from the average midway through last year. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports some drilling activity returning to western Kansas.&nbsp; There are seven active drilling rigs west of Wichita, up three from last week. There's one active rig in eastern Kansas, unchanged from a week earlier.&nbsp; Operators are drilling on one lease in Russell County, and are about to spud a new well in Stafford County. Rig Counts across the U.S. were down five rigs at 258. Baker Hughes reports the count in Texas was down five, and New Mexico was up one. Regulators approved 15 permits for drilling at new locations last week, 229 so far this year. There were nine in eastern Kansas and six west of Wichita, including one each in Russell and Stafford counties. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports nine newly completed wells during the week ending July 9. Seven were in western Kansas, including one in Stafford County. The Kansas Corporation Commission reports 29 new intent-to-drill notices filed in the month of June across Kansas, compared to 39 in May and 115 in June 2019.&nbsp; The total midway through the year 2020 is 268. That's down by about half from a year earlier. The KCC reported one new intent-to-drill notice filed in Barton County last month. For the second week in a row, U.S. crude production increased slightly, but remained below 11 million barrels per day. The Energy Information Administration reported U.S. output for the week ending July 3 increased 36,000 barrels per day, to 10.9 million barrels per day. The government said U.S. crude-oil imports averaged 7.4 million barrels per day, an increase of &nbsp;1.4 million barrels per day from the week before.&nbsp; EIA said over the past four weeks, imports averaged 8.5 percent less than the same period last year. EIA reported a big increase in U.S. crude-oil inventories, up 5.7 million barrels from the week before. Stockpiles are about 18% above the five-year average for this time of year.&nbsp; The government says U.S. crude-oil production in the month April dropped nearly eight percent, down 33 million barrels from the near-record production achieved the month before just as prices began to plummet. Monthly numbers from the U.S. Energy Information Administration are more reliable than the weekly reports. Operators in the U.S. pumped 12.06 million barrels per day in April. That's despite prices that dropped from over $50 to under $20 a barrel. EIA said Kansas production in April was down 16% from the month before, and was 20% lower than a year earlier.&nbsp; According to the federal report, Kansas operators produced 75,533 barrels per day in April, compared to nearly 90,000 barrels per day in March and over 94,000 barrels per day in April of last year. North Dakota regulators rejected the idea of placing limits on the state's oil production to prevent waste amid the collapse in prices. The state joins Texas and Oklahoma which both nixed proration measures this year. The Bismarck Tribune reports the decision by the North Dakota Industrial Commission was unanimous. During a hearing in May, the state's largest producer, Continental Resources, argued in favor of the idea, to provide coordination across the region, as each producer reacted differently to low prices. Slawson Exploration sought state intervention to ensure companies did not rush to boost production as prices rise, thus flooding the market and drawing out the price recovery. But many tribal leaders, producers and the North Dakota Petroleum Council asked the state to step back and let the market decide. &nbsp; North Dakota could take a big hit if the closure of the Dakota Access pipeline survives an appeal. A U.S. district court judge ruled that the pipeline must be shut down, and drained, by Aug. 5. This marks the first time a major pipeline in service was ordered shut because of environmental concerns. The court decided it should remain closed until a proper environmental review is complete. That process could extend into next year. The system currently carries more than a third of the region's oil to market. The alternative of using rail would more than double transportation costs. The ruling is the latest twist in a long-running legal battle. Tribal leaders have long argued that a spill under the nearby Missouri River could pollute the water they rely on for fishing, drinking and religious ceremonies. Without addressing the environmental concerns, the operator of the pipeline promised a speedy appeal.&nbsp; The Association of American Railroads reports oil-by-rail year-to-date totals midway through 2020 are down 11% from a year ago. Total freight traffic is down 13%.&nbsp; For the week ending July 4, there were 9,934 tanker cars moving petroleum or petroleum products, down 1,000 cars from the week before and more than 21% below the weekly total a year ago.

News From the Oil Patch: 1Q production up in Ellis, Russell counties

Yes, there’s this election business coming up this fall, and the (partial) results are already in. Yes, 24 Republicans and nine Democrats have basically been elected to the 125-member House, and five Republicans and one Democrat have basically been elected to the 40-member Senate.

That is the number—39—of lawmakers or lawmakers-to-be who have no primary election or general election opposition. So,&nbsp; unless they do something really…what’s the verb involved here…well, let’s go with dumb, they already have won. That really dumb? Maybe backing over their county party chairman’s dog, or robbing a liquor store or something like that.

And those non-opposed candidates? Well, this is the year that we get a read on just how politically smart they are. If your name is alone on the ballot for your House or Senate district, well, it’s going to be hard to lose unless you really screw up.

But that lack of opposition also means that out of respect for your constituents you figure a way to campaign anyway. To let them know that even though there is just one filed candidate, that candidate still respects the process and makes friends and promises to do his/her best to make the district and the state a better place to live for all of us.

Oh, there are also 13 House districts in which the race is essentially over at the primary election. In 10 districts, Republicans will choose among GOP candidates only and in three districts, it’s just a choice among Democrats. Then, the winner becomes the only name on the November ballot. In the Senate, there are five districts where the GOP primary election winner becomes the eventual senator, with no challengers in November.

Now that brings the election cycle for the Legislature down to 29 real Republican-Democrat scraps in the Senate and 79 in the House, for 108 races to be decided in November.

What about those 57 candidates who will be done in August? What do they do until they show up to winter in Topeka in January?

After all, those candidates are going to get to spend the winter with an underground parking garage, and it will be all indoor work. So, even those candidates probably ought to be campaigning to those single-choice voters this fall.

And where does that go? Well, we all want to know about taxes and who pays them and who doesn’t, and on what.

And then we’re going to want things to get nicer here, aren’t we? So, even if there’s no scrap at your ballot box, there ought to be some serious discussion on your doorstep, to make sure that the skating-into-office candidates ought to be selling themselves and what they want for you and your neighbors.

Like schools, as the yet-unassessed impact that COVID-19 has had on not only the basic skills like mathematics and geography and spelling, but the social skills that we’re going to want those students to gain while they aren’t able to interact as we did when we were in school.

And those all-but-in-office candidates probably ought to be prepared to tell you where they are on social programs for the poor, for food assistance to the hungry, and for your safety, ranging from what’s a reasonable penalty for criminals to what’s a reasonable plan for making sure that the state’s prisoners are safe, as well.

This shouldn’t be easy for the all-but-sworn in candidates. After all, they are going to be earning $88 a day in your money and mine…

Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver's Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hawvernews.com/">www.hawvernews.com</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592848178110.png" alt="Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver's Capitol Report." />
 <figcaption>Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver's Capitol Report.</figcaption>
 </figure>Yes, there’s this election business coming up this fall, and the (partial) results are already in. Yes, 24 Republicans and nine Democrats have basically been elected to the 125-member House, and five Republicans and one Democrat have basically been elected to the 40-member Senate.That is the number—39—of lawmakers or lawmakers-to-be who have no primary election or general election opposition. So,&nbsp; unless they do something really…what’s the verb involved here…well, let’s go with dumb, they already have won. That really dumb? Maybe backing over their county party chairman’s dog, or robbing a liquor store or something like that.And those non-opposed candidates? Well, this is the year that we get a read on just how politically smart they are. If your name is alone on the ballot for your House or Senate district, well, it’s going to be hard to lose unless you really screw up.But that lack of opposition also means that out of respect for your constituents you figure a way to campaign anyway. To let them know that even though there is just one filed candidate, that candidate still respects the process and makes friends and promises to do his/her best to make the district and the state a better place to live for all of us.Oh, there are also 13 House districts in which the race is essentially over at the primary election. In 10 districts, Republicans will choose among GOP candidates only and in three districts, it’s just a choice among Democrats. Then, the winner becomes the only name on the November ballot. In the Senate, there are five districts where the GOP primary election winner becomes the eventual senator, with no challengers in November.Now that brings the election cycle for the Legislature down to 29 real Republican-Democrat scraps in the Senate and 79 in the House, for 108 races to be decided in November.What about those 57 candidates who will be done in August? What do they do until they show up to winter in Topeka in January?After all, those candidates are going to get to spend the winter with an underground parking garage, and it will be all indoor work. So, even those candidates probably ought to be campaigning to those single-choice voters this fall.And where does that go? Well, we all want to know about taxes and who pays them and who doesn’t, and on what.And then we’re going to want things to get nicer here, aren’t we? So, even if there’s no scrap at your ballot box, there ought to be some serious discussion on your doorstep, to make sure that the skating-into-office candidates ought to be selling themselves and what they want for you and your neighbors.Like schools, as the yet-unassessed impact that COVID-19 has had on not only the basic skills like mathematics and geography and spelling, but the social skills that we’re going to want those students to gain while they aren’t able to interact as we did when we were in school.And those all-but-in-office candidates probably ought to be prepared to tell you where they are on social programs for the poor, for food assistance to the hungry, and for your safety, ranging from what’s a reasonable penalty for criminals to what’s a reasonable plan for making sure that the state’s prisoners are safe, as well.This shouldn’t be easy for the all-but-sworn in candidates. After all, they are going to be earning $88 a day in your money and mine…Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver's Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hawvernews.com/">www.hawvernews.com</a>

HAWVER: It's election year for those running unopposed, too

This letter is in response to the article posted on July 9, 2020, by Laura Allen declaring her write-in candidacy on the Democratic ballot for Ellis County Clerk. I am Bobbi Dreiling and I am currently the Ellis County Deputy Clerk. I have been in this position since January 2013. I would like to address Ms. Allen's comments, assumptions and untruths she put forth in her letter.

Ms. Allen: “I don't see why the Clerk's office can't work timely and efficiently with other offices."

Fact: The Clerk's office does work timely and efficiently with all offices of Ellis County. Ms. Allen is invited to come to the County Clerk's office and ask either myself or Clerk Maskus how the tax roll process works, the obstacles that are placed before us, and how we work through it.

Ms. Allen: “I have watched as Ellis County has struggled with handling elections, being the last County to report to the State the&nbsp; results.” 

Fact: Ellis County has not struggled with any elections and has never been last to report to the State. Our office reports unofficial results the night of election and official results after the Board of Canvassers meet to certify results.

Ms. Allen: “... purging thousands of voters because of wrong addresses, and other things." 

Fact: I will presume Ms. Allen is referring to the mail ballot election that was just held. While we had 1,061 ballots returned to our office (not thousands) because of insufficient addresses, we did not purge any voter from the voter roll (KSA 25-2316d)&nbsp; KSA 25-2531(d)(2) allows the voter to stay on the voter roll for two federal elections before taken off the voter roll.&nbsp; No voters were purged contrary to Ms. Allen's statement.

Ms. Allen: “I watched the last election as it was revealed that the machines used in Ellis County were defective and not reliably reporting the true results of the election."

Fact: The last election was November 2019 (City/School) the new voting equipment was in place and there were no problems. This election was entirely paper ballot based and an audit was conducted per KSA 25-3009.

Ms. Allen: “The response of the County Clerk was to spend $350,000 on yet more machines.”

Fact: The County Clerk spent exactly $121,456.50. Ellis County citizens can visit the Clerk's office to review any expenditures of the County.

Ms. Allen: “Now, we have another new system that is inappropriate for our times."&nbsp; Ms. Allen said “for decades elections were held by casting votes on paper ballots." 

Fact: Our new voting system is entirely paper ballots.&nbsp;

Ms. Allen: “I am not part of the 'good ol' girl network and want to break that cycle."

Fact: The position for the Ellis County Clerk is not&nbsp; automatically handed down to the next person in line. Ms. Allen has grossly misrepresented how the election process works. Every Clerk must run for this office and be elected by the electors of Ellis County.

Ms. Allen: “I will make it so that any citizen can access minutes of meetings, voter registration information, tax parcels, boundary lines, personnel contact information, apply for passports. No more will people need to worry about whether the office is open over lunch hour or past 4 o'clock."

Fact: All of the aforementioned information is accessible online, some via the County Clerk's office, others via other County offices (i.e. Treasurer's, Appraiser's offices). Per Federal law, a US Citizen must appear before a passport agent in order to complete the application process; the form itself is available online to fill out ahead of the actual personal application. The County Clerk's office is open through the lunch hour and the 4 o'clock closing was voted on and decided by the County Commissioners. &nbsp;

In closing,&nbsp; the above information should clear up some of Ms Allen's comments and concerns about the County Clerk's office. As we near election day, Ellis County voters can take the above factual information to help determine their vote for this position.&nbsp; It is obvious experience and firsthand knowledge do play a big part in the Clerk's position. &nbsp;

Bobbi Dreiling, Ellis County Deputy Clerk

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582312931775.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>This letter is in response to the article posted on July 9, 2020, by Laura Allen declaring her write-in candidacy on the Democratic ballot for Ellis County Clerk. I am Bobbi Dreiling and I am currently the Ellis County Deputy Clerk. I have been in this position since January 2013. I would like to address Ms. Allen's comments, assumptions and untruths she put forth in her letter.Ms. Allen: “I don't see why the Clerk's office can't work timely and efficiently with other offices."Fact: The Clerk's office does work timely and efficiently with all offices of Ellis County. Ms. Allen is invited to come to the County Clerk's office and ask either myself or Clerk Maskus how the tax roll process works, the obstacles that are placed before us, and how we work through it.Ms. Allen: “I have watched as Ellis County has struggled with handling elections, being the last County to report to the State the&nbsp; results.” Fact: Ellis County has not struggled with any elections and has never been last to report to the State. Our office reports unofficial results the night of election and official results after the Board of Canvassers meet to certify results.Ms. Allen: “... purging thousands of voters because of wrong addresses, and other things." Fact: I will presume Ms. Allen is referring to the mail ballot election that was just held. While we had 1,061 ballots returned to our office (not thousands) because of insufficient addresses, we did not purge any voter from the voter roll (KSA 25-2316d)&nbsp; KSA 25-2531(d)(2) allows the voter to stay on the voter roll for two federal elections before taken off the voter roll.&nbsp; No voters were purged contrary to Ms. Allen's statement.Ms. Allen: “I watched the last election as it was revealed that the machines used in Ellis County were defective and not reliably reporting the true results of the election."Fact: The last election was November 2019 (City/School) the new voting equipment was in place and there were no problems. This election was entirely paper ballot based and an audit was conducted per KSA 25-3009.Ms. Allen: “The response of the County Clerk was to spend $350,000 on yet more machines.”Fact: The County Clerk spent exactly $121,456.50. Ellis County citizens can visit the Clerk's office to review any expenditures of the County.Ms. Allen: “Now, we have another new system that is inappropriate for our times."&nbsp; Ms. Allen said “for decades elections were held by casting votes on paper ballots." Fact: Our new voting system is entirely paper ballots.&nbsp;Ms. Allen: “I am not part of the 'good ol' girl network and want to break that cycle."Fact: The position for the Ellis County Clerk is not&nbsp; automatically handed down to the next person in line. Ms. Allen has grossly misrepresented how the election process works. Every Clerk must run for this office and be elected by the electors of Ellis County.Ms. Allen: “I will make it so that any citizen can access minutes of meetings, voter registration information, tax parcels, boundary lines, personnel contact information, apply for passports. No more will people need to worry about whether the office is open over lunch hour or past 4 o'clock."Fact: All of the aforementioned information is accessible online, some via the County Clerk's office, others via other County offices (i.e. Treasurer's, Appraiser's offices). Per Federal law, a US Citizen must appear before a passport agent in order to complete the application process; the form itself is available online to fill out ahead of the actual personal application. The County Clerk's office is open through the lunch hour and the 4 o'clock closing was voted on and decided by the County Commissioners. &nbsp;In closing,&nbsp; the above information should clear up some of Ms Allen's comments and concerns about the County Clerk's office. As we near election day, Ellis County voters can take the above factual information to help determine their vote for this position.&nbsp; It is obvious experience and firsthand knowledge do play a big part in the Clerk's position. &nbsp;Bobbi Dreiling, Ellis County Deputy Clerk

LETTER: Ellis Co. Deputy Clerk responds to criticism

I guess you could say “The Heat is on!”&nbsp; But after all it is July and County Fairs are in full swing, so what else could we expect?&nbsp; As we look ahead to a forecast of triple digit heat it seems like the perfect time to remind everyone about the importance of staying hydrated. A good rule of thumb for the amount of water you need is to divide your body weight by two. The resulting number is the number of ounces of water you should be drinking under normal circumstances and more is needed as summer temperatures and humidity rise. So for an example, a 150-pound individual should have at least 75 ounces, but more during this heat wave. Sometimes we forget that 55-75 percent of our body’s weight is water; the brain is 70 percent water; blood is 82 percent water, and the lungs are nearly 90 percent water. Water is also responsible for carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells; cushions organs, tissue, bones and joints; removes waste; and regulates body temperature.

Exposure to the sun or getting sunburned will speed fluid loss, and so will drinking beverages containing caffeine or alcohol, which both act as diuretics. Fluid replacement is essential, but it is best to not wait until you are thirsty. Excessive water loss or dehydration can impair body function and lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke and can be life threatening. It is a good idea to become familiar with the signs of heat exhaustion. They include: dizziness, weakness, feeling thirsty, uncoordinated or nauseated. Most people sweat a lot during heat exhaustion. The signs of a heat stroke are different. They include: a body temperature of 104 or above, confusion, staggering, possible fainting, either a rapid pulse or a slow weak pulse, and not sweating, despite the heat. It is important to get medical help right away if you suspect a heat stroke.

Cool water is recommended for the majority of fluid replacement because it is easily absorbed. Many foods also have a high water content and should be included in a healthy summer diet. Melons and most other fruits, along with tomatoes, vegetables, soups, smoothies, puddings and gelatin salads should not be overlooked. Sports beverages may be helpful for athletes who are exercising more than one hour and are in need of electrolytes and quick energy, but consider diluting them with water in order to reduce sugar consumption.&nbsp;

The bottom line on staying hydrated is to drink fluids before you become thirsty. As we age our ability to sense thirst declines, leaving older people unable to rely on their thirst to prompt them to drink enough fluids. Infants and small children also need to be monitored closely to assure that dehydration does not occur. Little ones lose more fluids because they have a greater proportion of skin surface in relation to their size. Offer water frequently, each time a child passes through the kitchen and before, during and after play.

Let’s hope that the heat breaks soon before the 2020 summer goes into the record books.

Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. She may be reached 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/2020/1/1578680101176.jpeg" alt="onna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension" />
 <figcaption>onna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension</figcaption>
 </figure>I guess you could say “The Heat is on!”&nbsp; But after all it is July and County Fairs are in full swing, so what else could we expect?&nbsp; As we look ahead to a forecast of triple digit heat it seems like the perfect time to remind everyone about the importance of staying hydrated. A good rule of thumb for the amount of water you need is to divide your body weight by two. The resulting number is the number of ounces of water you should be drinking under normal circumstances and more is needed as summer temperatures and humidity rise. So for an example, a 150-pound individual should have at least 75 ounces, but more during this heat wave. Sometimes we forget that 55-75 percent of our body’s weight is water; the brain is 70 percent water; blood is 82 percent water, and the lungs are nearly 90 percent water. Water is also responsible for carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells; cushions organs, tissue, bones and joints; removes waste; and regulates body temperature.Exposure to the sun or getting sunburned will speed fluid loss, and so will drinking beverages containing caffeine or alcohol, which both act as diuretics. Fluid replacement is essential, but it is best to not wait until you are thirsty. Excessive water loss or dehydration can impair body function and lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke and can be life threatening. It is a good idea to become familiar with the signs of heat exhaustion. They include: dizziness, weakness, feeling thirsty, uncoordinated or nauseated. Most people sweat a lot during heat exhaustion. The signs of a heat stroke are different. They include: a body temperature of 104 or above, confusion, staggering, possible fainting, either a rapid pulse or a slow weak pulse, and not sweating, despite the heat. It is important to get medical help right away if you suspect a heat stroke.Cool water is recommended for the majority of fluid replacement because it is easily absorbed. Many foods also have a high water content and should be included in a healthy summer diet. Melons and most other fruits, along with tomatoes, vegetables, soups, smoothies, puddings and gelatin salads should not be overlooked. Sports beverages may be helpful for athletes who are exercising more than one hour and are in need of electrolytes and quick energy, but consider diluting them with water in order to reduce sugar consumption.&nbsp;The bottom line on staying hydrated is to drink fluids before you become thirsty. As we age our ability to sense thirst declines, leaving older people unable to rely on their thirst to prompt them to drink enough fluids. Infants and small children also need to be monitored closely to assure that dehydration does not occur. Little ones lose more fluids because they have a greater proportion of skin surface in relation to their size. Offer water frequently, each time a child passes through the kitchen and before, during and after play.Let’s hope that the heat breaks soon before the 2020 summer goes into the record books.Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. She may be reached at (620)793-1910 or <a href="mailto:dkrug@ksu.edu">dkrug@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;

KRUG: Tips on managing heat, humidity safely

The U.S. Supreme Court has set the stage for new battles about 
government funding for private religious schools. By ruling that state 
governments choosing to subsidize private education must offer equal 
treatment to religious and secular schools, at least in the context of 
vouchers and tax credits, the court has put in place new obstacles for 
advocates who say taxpayer money should never fund religious education —
 even indirectly.

On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/18-1195_g314.pdf" target="_blank">ruled</a>
 in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue that a “no-aid” clause of 
the Montana Constitution — which bars even indirect government aid to a 
school “controlled in whole or in part by any church, sect, or 
denomination” — violates the Free Exercise Clause of the U.S. 
Constitution. According to the court, the no-aid clause of the Montana 
Constitution cannot prohibit indirect state funding for religious 
schools (e.g. through vouchers or tax credits) purely because of the 
schools’ religious “status.”

Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court, 
explained: “A state need not subsidize private education. But once a 
state decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely
 because they are religious.”

The court based its opinion in Espinoza on a 2017 case, Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer. In <a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/2016/15-577" target="_blank">that case</a>,
 a church-owned preschool in Missouri was barred from a state-funded 
grant program that helped non-profits resurface playgrounds. The court 
ruled that Missouri discriminated against the church-owned preschool 
“simply because of what it is — a church.” Such status-based 
discrimination did not stand up to strict scrutiny.

Importantly, the majority in Trinity Lutheran and in Espinoza referred to court precedent in <a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/2003/02-1315" target="_blank">yet another case</a>, Locke v. Davey (2003), which upheld limitations on certain religious uses for state funds. In Locke, Joshua Davey
 was denied a state-funded scholarship because he wanted to use the 
funds to support his ministerial training. The court reasoned that 
Washington State excluded Davey because of how he intended to use the money, not just because of his status as a religious person.

Given the court’s decisions in Espinoza, Trinity Lutheran and Locke, 
those who oppose even indirect government funding for religious schools 
might adopt one or more of three legal and legislative strategies — all 
of which face serious obstacles.

First, state lawmakers could stop subsidizing all private schools, 
religious or not. Public school supporters — including some religious 
freedom advocates, like the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious 
Liberty’s <a href="https://twitter.com/AmandaTylerBJC/status/1279045687724904451" target="_blank">Amanda Tyler</a>
 — would likely welcome challenges to vouchers and tax subsidy programs,
 which indirectly support private education. Religious conservatives and
 “school choice” advocates, including U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, would vehemently oppose such a move.

Second, legislators might propose laws or constitutional amendments 
that prohibit the use of state funds for devotional religious 
instruction. Such laws and amendments might pass the muster of previous 
court decisions by limiting how religious institutions use government
 funds rather than limiting access to state funds purely on the basis of
 religious status. However, it is not yet clear whether such strategies 
will succeed before this court. In his concurring opinion in Espinoza, Justice Neil Gorsuch
 questions the distinction between denials of funds based on religious 
status versus religious use. He writes: “[I]t is not as if the First 
Amendment cares.” Justice Sonia Sotomayor might reply, 
as in her Espinoza dissent, that such an interpretation of the Free 
Exercise Clause “risks reading the Establishment Clause out of the 
Constitution.”

Third, policymakers might try to limit state funding to schools that 
do not abide by neutral antidiscrimination laws. For example, by denying
 federal funding to any schools that <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/know.html" target="_blank">discriminate</a> on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age, policymakers might try to block the flow of funds to <a href="https://twitter.com/rklein90/status/1277972937463586820" target="_blank">private</a>
 religious schools that bar LGBTQ or special needs students. Perhaps 
foreshadowing future challenges to government-subsidized religious 
education, groups opposing the Espinoza decision — like Americans United
 for Separation of Church and State — have already released <a href="https://www.au.org/media/press-releases/supreme-court-decision-in-espinoza-v-montana-corrupts-foundational-principle" target="_blank">statements</a> pointing out discriminatory policies among some religious schools.

There is some evidence to think this last strategy might be 
successful. In a case decided in February 2020, a state advisory 
committee in Maryland barred a private Christian school, Bethel 
Christian Academy, from a voucher program because the school violated 
the program’s antidiscrimination policies. A federal judge in February <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-md-bethel-lawsuit-vouchers-maryland-20200207-eqcoz7vxkvhezkdyvgze42smuq-story.html" target="_blank">sided</a> with the Maryland state officials.

But in its July 8 decision in <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/19-267_1an2.pdf" target="_blank">Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru</a>, the court interpreted the <a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/2020/05/28/should-courts-decide-who-is-a-religious-minister-do-they-have-a-choice/" target="_blank">ministerial exception</a>
 to mean that antidiscrimination laws do not protect “members of the 
school staff who were entrusted most directly with the responsibility of
 educating their students in the faith” and who “guide their students, 
by word and deed, toward the goal of living their lives in accordance 
with the faith.” In his dissent in the Espinoza decision, Justice Stephen Breyer
 explicitly argues that the subsidy in question in Espinoza will pay for
 the salaries of teachers and administrators who are classified as 
“ministers” — and therefore exempt religious schools from 
antidiscrimination laws that prohibit hiring or firing based on factors 
including age or disability.

How and whether the decision in Our Lady of Guadalupe School relates 
to enforcement of antidiscrimination laws in the context of school 
funding remains to be seen. For that, and many other reasons, it is not 
yet clear which strategies lawyers and legislators will use to fight 
upcoming battles against government funding of religious schools. But 
one thing is certain: the war over government funding of private 
religious education will continue.

Benjamin P. Marcus is religious literacy specialist at the Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum. His email address is: <a href="mailto:bmarcus@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">bmarcus@freedomforum.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588964297688.png" alt="Benjamin P. Marcus is religious literacy specialist at the Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum. " />
 <figcaption>Benjamin P. Marcus is religious literacy specialist at the Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum. </figcaption>
 </figure>The U.S. Supreme Court has set the stage for new battles about 
government funding for private religious schools. By ruling that state 
governments choosing to subsidize private education must offer equal 
treatment to religious and secular schools, at least in the context of 
vouchers and tax credits, the court has put in place new obstacles for 
advocates who say taxpayer money should never fund religious education —
 even indirectly.On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/18-1195_g314.pdf" target="_blank">ruled</a>
 in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue that a “no-aid” clause of 
the Montana Constitution — which bars even indirect government aid to a 
school “controlled in whole or in part by any church, sect, or 
denomination” — violates the Free Exercise Clause of the U.S. 
Constitution. According to the court, the no-aid clause of the Montana 
Constitution cannot prohibit indirect state funding for religious 
schools (e.g. through vouchers or tax credits) purely because of the 
schools’ religious “status.”Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court, 
explained: “A state need not subsidize private education. But once a 
state decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely
 because they are religious.”The court based its opinion in Espinoza on a 2017 case, Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer. In <a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/2016/15-577" target="_blank">that case</a>,
 a church-owned preschool in Missouri was barred from a state-funded 
grant program that helped non-profits resurface playgrounds. The court 
ruled that Missouri discriminated against the church-owned preschool 
“simply because of what it is — a church.” Such status-based 
discrimination did not stand up to strict scrutiny.Importantly, the majority in Trinity Lutheran and in Espinoza referred to court precedent in <a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/2003/02-1315" target="_blank">yet another case</a>, Locke v. Davey (2003), which upheld limitations on certain religious uses for state funds. In Locke, Joshua Davey
 was denied a state-funded scholarship because he wanted to use the 
funds to support his ministerial training. The court reasoned that 
Washington State excluded Davey because of how he intended to use the money, not just because of his status as a religious person.Given the court’s decisions in Espinoza, Trinity Lutheran and Locke, 
those who oppose even indirect government funding for religious schools 
might adopt one or more of three legal and legislative strategies — all 
of which face serious obstacles.First, state lawmakers could stop subsidizing all private schools, 
religious or not. Public school supporters — including some religious 
freedom advocates, like the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious 
Liberty’s <a href="https://twitter.com/AmandaTylerBJC/status/1279045687724904451" target="_blank">Amanda Tyler</a>
 — would likely welcome challenges to vouchers and tax subsidy programs,
 which indirectly support private education. Religious conservatives and
 “school choice” advocates, including U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, would vehemently oppose such a move.Second, legislators might propose laws or constitutional amendments 
that prohibit the use of state funds for devotional religious 
instruction. Such laws and amendments might pass the muster of previous 
court decisions by limiting how religious institutions use government
 funds rather than limiting access to state funds purely on the basis of
 religious status. However, it is not yet clear whether such strategies 
will succeed before this court. In his concurring opinion in Espinoza, Justice Neil Gorsuch
 questions the distinction between denials of funds based on religious 
status versus religious use. He writes: “[I]t is not as if the First 
Amendment cares.” Justice Sonia Sotomayor might reply, 
as in her Espinoza dissent, that such an interpretation of the Free 
Exercise Clause “risks reading the Establishment Clause out of the 
Constitution.”Third, policymakers might try to limit state funding to schools that 
do not abide by neutral antidiscrimination laws. For example, by denying
 federal funding to any schools that <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/know.html" target="_blank">discriminate</a> on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age, policymakers might try to block the flow of funds to <a href="https://twitter.com/rklein90/status/1277972937463586820" target="_blank">private</a>
 religious schools that bar LGBTQ or special needs students. Perhaps 
foreshadowing future challenges to government-subsidized religious 
education, groups opposing the Espinoza decision — like Americans United
 for Separation of Church and State — have already released <a href="https://www.au.org/media/press-releases/supreme-court-decision-in-espinoza-v-montana-corrupts-foundational-principle" target="_blank">statements</a> pointing out discriminatory policies among some religious schools.There is some evidence to think this last strategy might be 
successful. In a case decided in February 2020, a state advisory 
committee in Maryland barred a private Christian school, Bethel 
Christian Academy, from a voucher program because the school violated 
the program’s antidiscrimination policies. A federal judge in February <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-md-bethel-lawsuit-vouchers-maryland-20200207-eqcoz7vxkvhezkdyvgze42smuq-story.html" target="_blank">sided</a> with the Maryland state officials.But in its July 8 decision in <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/19-267_1an2.pdf" target="_blank">Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru</a>, the court interpreted the <a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/2020/05/28/should-courts-decide-who-is-a-religious-minister-do-they-have-a-choice/" target="_blank">ministerial exception</a>
 to mean that antidiscrimination laws do not protect “members of the 
school staff who were entrusted most directly with the responsibility of
 educating their students in the faith” and who “guide their students, 
by word and deed, toward the goal of living their lives in accordance 
with the faith.” In his dissent in the Espinoza decision, Justice Stephen Breyer
 explicitly argues that the subsidy in question in Espinoza will pay for
 the salaries of teachers and administrators who are classified as 
“ministers” — and therefore exempt religious schools from 
antidiscrimination laws that prohibit hiring or firing based on factors 
including age or disability.How and whether the decision in Our Lady of Guadalupe School relates 
to enforcement of antidiscrimination laws in the context of school 
funding remains to be seen. For that, and many other reasons, it is not 
yet clear which strategies lawyers and legislators will use to fight 
upcoming battles against government funding of religious schools. But 
one thing is certain: the war over government funding of private 
religious education will continue.Benjamin P. Marcus is religious literacy specialist at the Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum. His email address is: <a href="mailto:bmarcus@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">bmarcus@freedomforum.org</a>.

FIRST FIVE: The next battle against government funding in religious schools?

By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

The aroma of new-mown hay. The smell of baking bread. The sweet scent of lavender.&nbsp;&nbsp;These fragrances can connect with our senses in compelling ways. Today we’ll learn about a remarkable Kansas company which is infusing these fragrances into their soy-based candles and connecting with customers nationwide.

Scott and Jennie Andersen are the founders and co-owners of the Kansas Earth and Sky Candle Company. Jennie grew up at Ellinwood and went to the University of Kansas, where she met and married Scott. Due to his father’s business career, Scott and his family had lived in several cities around the nation before coming to Kansas City. “I was a kid from the suburbs,” Scott said.

Scott earned a graphic design degree at KU and went to work for a company in the Kansas City area. He also did design work on the side through his own business, Forcefield Design.

Then Jennie’s parents asked if they would consider moving to Ellinwood to live in their large farmhouse. Ultimately, Scott and Jennie made the move. They now have two children, ages seven and five.

Scott continued his design business from there. The company offers design services for websites, branding and logos, marketing, album art, merchandise and clothing. His company’s website is<a href="http://www.forcefielddesign.com/">www.forcefielddesign.com</a>.

“One day,” Scott said, “my wife showed me a cool candle online, and asked what I thought about getting it. I said, ‘I think I could make that.’” He did some research, got some equipment and made her a candle. It was fun, so he made candles for other family members for Christmas. The candles were so well received that this became a business. “We work as a team,” Scott said of himself and Jennie.

They weren’t sure what to name their business, but knew they wanted to use natural fragrances that related to their life in Kansas. “We wanted to highlight our small-town life,” Scott said. The business name they chose is Kansas Earth and Sky Candle Company.

“I had lived in Connecticut just before moving to Kansas City, and my buddies were giving me grief about coming to Kansas,” Scott said. “Then I got here, and it’s much bigger. The Flint Hills are awesome, and it’s amazing to me how epic western Kansas is.”

The Andersens used natural soy oil as a base for their hand-poured candles and added various fragrances. The business began to grow.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We were pouring candles in our bedroom and it got too crowded with kids and cats,” Scott said. He and Jennie rented an old, historic building on Main Street in downtown Ellinwood. They later purchased and renovated the building, which was known as the Cyclone Building.

Today, the Kansas Earth and Sky Candle Company produces natural soy candles, soy wax melts, room spray, and lip balm. “A lot of candle companies use paraffin which is made from petroleum,” Scott said. “Our candles are made from soybeans which grow in Kansas, and they burn twice as long,” he said. “We want to be sustainable so we recycle boxes and use natural products wherever we can,” he said.

The company offers candles with home-grown fragrances such as Greener Pastures, Sunwashed Apricot, Prairie Wildflower, Sweet Clover and Alfalfa, Lavender Honey, Fresh Baked, Country Clothesline and more. The candles are poured in the back of the building where the Andersens also host candle-making classes. The front of the building is a studio gallery which features local artists. Products are sold online as well.

Kansas Earth and Sky products have gone all over North America and overseas. One wholesale account is in New Hampshire. That’s impressive for a business in a rural community such as Ellinwood, population 1,969 people. Now, that’s rural.

“We’d love to bring more people to Ellinwood,” Scott said. “It has historic underground tunnels, lots of antique stories, and good restaurants.”

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

Now we can enjoy the scent of new-mown hay or baking bread anytime we want, just by lighting a candle. We salute Scott and Jennie Andersen for their creative entrepreneurship. Their ideas make a lot of scents.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594215647623.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural DevelopmentThe aroma of new-mown hay. The smell of baking bread. The sweet scent of lavender.&nbsp;&nbsp;These fragrances can connect with our senses in compelling ways. Today we’ll learn about a remarkable Kansas company which is infusing these fragrances into their soy-based candles and connecting with customers nationwide.Scott and Jennie Andersen are the founders and co-owners of the Kansas Earth and Sky Candle Company. Jennie grew up at Ellinwood and went to the University of Kansas, where she met and married Scott. Due to his father’s business career, Scott and his family had lived in several cities around the nation before coming to Kansas City. “I was a kid from the suburbs,” Scott said.Scott earned a graphic design degree at KU and went to work for a company in the Kansas City area. He also did design work on the side through his own business, Forcefield Design.Then Jennie’s parents asked if they would consider moving to Ellinwood to live in their large farmhouse. Ultimately, Scott and Jennie made the move. They now have two children, ages seven and five.Scott continued his design business from there. The company offers design services for websites, branding and logos, marketing, album art, merchandise and clothing. His company’s website is<a href="http://www.forcefielddesign.com/">www.forcefielddesign.com</a>.“One day,” Scott said, “my wife showed me a cool candle online, and asked what I thought about getting it. I said, ‘I think I could make that.’” He did some research, got some equipment and made her a candle. It was fun, so he made candles for other family members for Christmas. The candles were so well received that this became a business. “We work as a team,” Scott said of himself and Jennie.They weren’t sure what to name their business, but knew they wanted to use natural fragrances that related to their life in Kansas. “We wanted to highlight our small-town life,” Scott said. The business name they chose is Kansas Earth and Sky Candle Company.“I had lived in Connecticut just before moving to Kansas City, and my buddies were giving me grief about coming to Kansas,” Scott said. “Then I got here, and it’s much bigger. The Flint Hills are awesome, and it’s amazing to me how epic western Kansas is.”The Andersens used natural soy oil as a base for their hand-poured candles and added various fragrances. The business began to grow.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We were pouring candles in our bedroom and it got too crowded with kids and cats,” Scott said. He and Jennie rented an old, historic building on Main Street in downtown Ellinwood. They later purchased and renovated the building, which was known as the Cyclone Building.Today, the Kansas Earth and Sky Candle Company produces natural soy candles, soy wax melts, room spray, and lip balm. “A lot of candle companies use paraffin which is made from petroleum,” Scott said. “Our candles are made from soybeans which grow in Kansas, and they burn twice as long,” he said. “We want to be sustainable so we recycle boxes and use natural products wherever we can,” he said.The company offers candles with home-grown fragrances such as Greener Pastures, Sunwashed Apricot, Prairie Wildflower, Sweet Clover and Alfalfa, Lavender Honey, Fresh Baked, Country Clothesline and more. The candles are poured in the back of the building where the Andersens also host candle-making classes. The front of the building is a studio gallery which features local artists. Products are sold online as well.Kansas Earth and Sky products have gone all over North America and overseas. One wholesale account is in New Hampshire. That’s impressive for a business in a rural community such as Ellinwood, population 1,969 people. Now, that’s rural.“We’d love to bring more people to Ellinwood,” Scott said. “It has historic underground tunnels, lots of antique stories, and good restaurants.”For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasearthandskycandle.com/">www.kansasearthandskycandle.com</a>.Now we can enjoy the scent of new-mown hay or baking bread anytime we want, just by lighting a candle. We salute Scott and Jennie Andersen for their creative entrepreneurship. Their ideas make a lot of scents.

Now That’s Rural: Scott Andersen, Kansas Earth and Sky Candle Co.

By GREG DOERING Kansas Farm Bureau A recent survey of Kansas Ag Alliance members reveals the economic turmoil wrought by Covid-19 on the state’s farmers, ranchers and ag retailers. The survey was conducted in late May. Responses came from a broad spectrum of growers and other agriculturally related businesses across the state. The survey went to members of statewide associations representing corn, sorghum, soybeans, wheat, livestock, electrical cooperatives and Kansas Farm Bureau. More than two-thirds of respondents reported negative or very negative effects on their farm or business as a result of the pandemic. Less than 10 percent reported a positive impact on farm or business revenue. The top three issues for respondents are what you would expect, disrupted markets, cashflow problems and not being able to find a place to process products. But there are some other concerns, like one cattle producer who also shoes horses. “With the horse shows, rodeos and barrel races canceled, it has hurt my business because clients are trimming more and shoeing less,” the farrier reported. “So, a $140 shoeing turns into a $50 trim.” The disruption to markets is widespread in the cattle industry, and the slowdown of packing plants has filtered down to smaller custom processors, which has caused another set of headaches. “Direct sales to the consumer is our preferred method of marketing our beef,” one rancher said. “With the bottleneck in small, overwhelmed processing facilities, we are unable to process our animals in a timely manner, which means they have to go through the sale barn at a lower price.”&nbsp; Others are seeing a slow down in the normal course of business because of the virus. “Most suppliers I deal with are scared to death they will have a positive employee and have to close their facility,” one grower wrote. “This leads to very inefficient interaction with the businesses. We are getting through it, but it has taken a lot more planning to get things in place.” Ninety percent of responses indicate they’ve taken advantage of at least one Covid-19-related government program, like the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, Paycheck Protection Program or received an Economic Injury Disaster Loan. These programs fall short of making farmers and ranchers whole from the economic disruption from the pandemic, but there’s growing unease about the scale of government support of agriculture. Especially following on the heels of recent Market Facilitation Payments. “My main concern is that if we don’t find an exit strategy for these government programs, we will be plunging further into socialism,” one respondent remarked. Others voiced concerns about how commodity markets will respond as the pandemic drags on and wondered if input costs will go down. Cellular phone service and access to broadband internet also are on the minds of farmers and ranchers who saw their children return home after schools and colleges closed. The disparity between what producers receive and consumers pay also drew plenty of comments, none more succinct than one respondent who said, “It has exposed the total disconnect between farm gate prices and grocery store prices.” None of the responses are earthshaking, but they do provide a good reminder of just how far the misery has spread across the countryside. Despite all the new things to worry about, one farmer recently told me not much has changed in his daily routine. “Get up, feed everything in the morning, harvest, bale hay, just like normal,” he said. There can be solace found in a job well done.

"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 Bureau A recent survey of Kansas Ag Alliance members reveals the economic turmoil wrought by Covid-19 on the state’s farmers, ranchers and ag retailers. The survey was conducted in late May. Responses came from a broad spectrum of growers and other agriculturally related businesses across the state. The survey went to members of statewide associations representing corn, sorghum, soybeans, wheat, livestock, electrical cooperatives and Kansas Farm Bureau. More than two-thirds of respondents reported negative or very negative effects on their farm or business as a result of the pandemic. Less than 10 percent reported a positive impact on farm or business revenue. The top three issues for respondents are what you would expect, disrupted markets, cashflow problems and not being able to find a place to process products. But there are some other concerns, like one cattle producer who also shoes horses. “With the horse shows, rodeos and barrel races canceled, it has hurt my business because clients are trimming more and shoeing less,” the farrier reported. “So, a $140 shoeing turns into a $50 trim.” The disruption to markets is widespread in the cattle industry, and the slowdown of packing plants has filtered down to smaller custom processors, which has caused another set of headaches. “Direct sales to the consumer is our preferred method of marketing our beef,” one rancher said. “With the bottleneck in small, overwhelmed processing facilities, we are unable to process our animals in a timely manner, which means they have to go through the sale barn at a lower price.”&nbsp; Others are seeing a slow down in the normal course of business because of the virus. “Most suppliers I deal with are scared to death they will have a positive employee and have to close their facility,” one grower wrote. “This leads to very inefficient interaction with the businesses. We are getting through it, but it has taken a lot more planning to get things in place.” Ninety percent of responses indicate they’ve taken advantage of at least one Covid-19-related government program, like the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, Paycheck Protection Program or received an Economic Injury Disaster Loan. These programs fall short of making farmers and ranchers whole from the economic disruption from the pandemic, but there’s growing unease about the scale of government support of agriculture. Especially following on the heels of recent Market Facilitation Payments. “My main concern is that if we don’t find an exit strategy for these government programs, we will be plunging further into socialism,” one respondent remarked. Others voiced concerns about how commodity markets will respond as the pandemic drags on and wondered if input costs will go down. Cellular phone service and access to broadband internet also are on the minds of farmers and ranchers who saw their children return home after schools and colleges closed. The disparity between what producers receive and consumers pay also drew plenty of comments, none more succinct than one respondent who said, “It has exposed the total disconnect between farm gate prices and grocery store prices.” None of the responses are earthshaking, but they do provide a good reminder of just how far the misery has spread across the countryside. Despite all the new things to worry about, one farmer recently told me not much has changed in his daily routine. “Get up, feed everything in the morning, harvest, bale hay, just like normal,” he said. There can be solace found in a job well done."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: Worries and routines

During the summer grazing months many producers run into issues with lame cattle. The effects of lameness may show itself by decreased fertility, weight loss, decreased performance, and increased labor and medicine costs. It has been estimated that 88-92% of lameness in cattle stems from the foot. Several issues could be the culprit, but we will review some of the common causes and the key differences between the clinical signs. It is a good idea to contact your local veterinarian to create a treatment plan for these conditions prior to the grazing season.

The first way to determining the cause of lameness is to observe obvious swelling. The swelling most commonly effects the lower limb, indicating the area of inflammation just above the hoof. It is important to distinguish if the swelling is symmetrical (equal on both sides of the foot), or asymmetrical (only effecting one side). Swelling may also be noticed effecting single or multiple joints in both calves and cows.

Footrot is a common disease process that occurs in pasture cattle. Footrot is a bacterial infection of the foot that manifests itself with symmetric swelling encompassing the lower limb just above the hooves. Upon closer inspection, producers will notice a crack in the skin between the hooves and a foul pungent odor. Injectable antibiotic treatment is typically very rewarding when treated in the early stages of the disease. With delayed or late treatment of cases, however, deeper structures of the foot (tendons, joints, even bone) may become involved. Delayed treatment often requires extended therapy, and leads to increased cull rates from the herd.

It is always important to closely inspect symmetric swelling cases in the pasture settings. Wire, bale wrap, or other foreign bodies can wrap around and entrap the lower foot causing very similar symptoms as footrot. If the swelling has a well demarcated line horizontally across the foot, further investigation in warranted. The entrapping foreign body must be removed.

Single sided or asymmetric swelling of the foot often indicates a more serious condition in cattle. This type of clinical sign is often the result of deep structure issues. Puncture wounds, sole abscesses, or chronic infections can cause single sided joint, bone, or tendon infections. Extensive footwork on a tilt table or under sedation is often indicated in these cases. Contact your veterinarian when these cases are identified.

Single or multiple joint swelling with lameness can also be observed in pasture settings. In calves this is often the result of septic arthritis. This is a bacterial infection of the joints. In very young calves it can be the sequela of naval ill, or from bacteria that get into the blood stream. It is not uncommon to see this condition a week to 10 days following a bout of respiratory disease with some pathogens as well. Even with appropriate treatment, the inflammation in the joint often takes several weeks to resorb back into the body. Joint swelling in mature animals can also occur. Many times this is a result of an orthopedic break down. Torn cruciate ligaments in the stifles of breeding bulls, or hock damage from riding activity are examples of these conditions. Consult with your veterinarian for potential treatment or course of action if these situations occur.

Obvious lameness to one or more limbs with no noticeable swelling can often be challenging to diagnose appropriately. One of these conditions is called Hairy Heel Warts, also known as Digital Dermatitis, or Strawberry Footrot. These animals often display obvious lameness and will attempt to walk on the “tippy toe” of the foot. Upon closer observation you will notice wart like growths or bright red scab lesions below the dewclaws and above the heel bulbs of the foot. Topical treatment with an astringent or antibacterial solution is warranted for this condition.

The last condition we see more commonly in newly arrived stocker calves, is called toe tip necrosis (toe abscesses). These animals often appear with shifting lameness of the back legs. They will usually stand in strange orientations to protect and get pressure off the of the damaged toe. The rear, outside hooves are most often affected. Treatment of these consists of picking up the feet and using hoof testers to confirm the condition. Then the toes are slightly opened with hoof nippers to release the pressure. Without opening the toes, healing will not occur.

Lameness can be challenging to diagnose in a field situation, but understanding the subtle differences will help will proper and timely treatment. Visit with your veterinarian about any non-responsive lameness issues. Further diagnostics and treatment may be indicated.

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>During the summer grazing months many producers run into issues with lame cattle. The effects of lameness may show itself by decreased fertility, weight loss, decreased performance, and increased labor and medicine costs. It has been estimated that 88-92% of lameness in cattle stems from the foot. Several issues could be the culprit, but we will review some of the common causes and the key differences between the clinical signs. It is a good idea to contact your local veterinarian to create a treatment plan for these conditions prior to the grazing season.Lameness with Swelling:The first way to determining the cause of lameness is to observe obvious swelling. The swelling most commonly effects the lower limb, indicating the area of inflammation just above the hoof. It is important to distinguish if the swelling is symmetrical (equal on both sides of the foot), or asymmetrical (only effecting one side). Swelling may also be noticed effecting single or multiple joints in both calves and cows.Footrot is a common disease process that occurs in pasture cattle. Footrot is a bacterial infection of the foot that manifests itself with symmetric swelling encompassing the lower limb just above the hooves. Upon closer inspection, producers will notice a crack in the skin between the hooves and a foul pungent odor. Injectable antibiotic treatment is typically very rewarding when treated in the early stages of the disease. With delayed or late treatment of cases, however, deeper structures of the foot (tendons, joints, even bone) may become involved. Delayed treatment often requires extended therapy, and leads to increased cull rates from the herd.It is always important to closely inspect symmetric swelling cases in the pasture settings. Wire, bale wrap, or other foreign bodies can wrap around and entrap the lower foot causing very similar symptoms as footrot. If the swelling has a well demarcated line horizontally across the foot, further investigation in warranted. The entrapping foreign body must be removed.Single sided or asymmetric swelling of the foot often indicates a more serious condition in cattle. This type of clinical sign is often the result of deep structure issues. Puncture wounds, sole abscesses, or chronic infections can cause single sided joint, bone, or tendon infections. Extensive footwork on a tilt table or under sedation is often indicated in these cases. Contact your veterinarian when these cases are identified.Single or multiple joint swelling with lameness can also be observed in pasture settings. In calves this is often the result of septic arthritis. This is a bacterial infection of the joints. In very young calves it can be the sequela of naval ill, or from bacteria that get into the blood stream. It is not uncommon to see this condition a week to 10 days following a bout of respiratory disease with some pathogens as well. Even with appropriate treatment, the inflammation in the joint often takes several weeks to resorb back into the body. Joint swelling in mature animals can also occur. Many times this is a result of an orthopedic break down. Torn cruciate ligaments in the stifles of breeding bulls, or hock damage from riding activity are examples of these conditions. Consult with your veterinarian for potential treatment or course of action if these situations occur.Lameness with no noticeable swelling:Obvious lameness to one or more limbs with no noticeable swelling can often be challenging to diagnose appropriately. One of these conditions is called Hairy Heel Warts, also known as Digital Dermatitis, or Strawberry Footrot. These animals often display obvious lameness and will attempt to walk on the “tippy toe” of the foot. Upon closer observation you will notice wart like growths or bright red scab lesions below the dewclaws and above the heel bulbs of the foot. Topical treatment with an astringent or antibacterial solution is warranted for this condition.The last condition we see more commonly in newly arrived stocker calves, is called toe tip necrosis (toe abscesses). These animals often appear with shifting lameness of the back legs. They will usually stand in strange orientations to protect and get pressure off the of the damaged toe. The rear, outside hooves are most often affected. Treatment of these consists of picking up the feet and using hoof testers to confirm the condition. Then the toes are slightly opened with hoof nippers to release the pressure. Without opening the toes, healing will not occur.Lameness can be challenging to diagnose in a field situation, but understanding the subtle differences will help will proper and timely treatment. Visit with your veterinarian about any non-responsive lameness issues. Further diagnostics and treatment may be indicated.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: Summer grazing and lame cattle

This is the time of year when people really notice crabgrass infestations. By far the best way to control crabgrass is to prevent it by maintaining a good, thick lawn. Crabgrass is an annual that must come up from seed each year and the seed must have light in order to germinate. If a lawn is thick enough that sunlight does not reach the soil, the crabgrass will not germinate. Under Kansas conditions it is not easy to maintain such a lawn; so many gardeners do the next best thing and apply a crabgrass preventer in the spring. Crabgrass preventers kill the seed as it germinates. Most do not have any effect on crabgrass that has already come up. If we are too late to apply a preventer, we do have other herbicides that will kill crabgrass plants including Ortho Weed-B-Gon Max +Crabgrass Control, Fertilome Weed-Out with Crabgrass Control, Monterey Crab-E-Rad and BioAdvanced Lawn Weed &amp; Crabgrass Killer. Each contains quinclorac, which is a crabgrass herbicide, as well as other active ingredients that control broadleaf weeds. Quinclorac is an excellent crabgrass killer that controls not only crabgrass, but also has good activity on foxtail and certain broadleaves such as field bindweed, black medic, and clover. However, it does little to nothing to goosegrass.

​Fortunately, crabgrass starts declining about the middle of August. This is about the same time that cool- season grasses such as tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass start to come out of their summer doldrums. By the first of September, the crabgrass will be less noticeable. Therefore, a small infestation is best ignored. Remember that crabgrass is a warm-season annual and will be killed by the first frost.

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." />
 <figcaption>Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District.</figcaption>
 </figure>This is the time of year when people really notice crabgrass infestations. By far the best way to control crabgrass is to prevent it by maintaining a good, thick lawn. Crabgrass is an annual that must come up from seed each year and the seed must have light in order to germinate. If a lawn is thick enough that sunlight does not reach the soil, the crabgrass will not germinate. Under Kansas conditions it is not easy to maintain such a lawn; so many gardeners do the next best thing and apply a crabgrass preventer in the spring. Crabgrass preventers kill the seed as it germinates. Most do not have any effect on crabgrass that has already come up. If we are too late to apply a preventer, we do have other herbicides that will kill crabgrass plants including Ortho Weed-B-Gon Max +Crabgrass Control, Fertilome Weed-Out with Crabgrass Control, Monterey Crab-E-Rad and BioAdvanced Lawn Weed &amp; Crabgrass Killer. Each contains quinclorac, which is a crabgrass herbicide, as well as other active ingredients that control broadleaf weeds. Quinclorac is an excellent crabgrass killer that controls not only crabgrass, but also has good activity on foxtail and certain broadleaves such as field bindweed, black medic, and clover. However, it does little to nothing to goosegrass.​Fortunately, crabgrass starts declining about the middle of August. This is about the same time that cool- season grasses such as tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass start to come out of their summer doldrums. By the first of September, the crabgrass will be less noticeable. Therefore, a small infestation is best ignored. Remember that crabgrass is a warm-season annual and will be killed by the first frost.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: Crabgrass control

I have a love / hate relationship with squirrels. They’re fun to hear as they chatter and scold you from a backyard tree or from a perch near your deer stand, and their crazy antics are entertaining as they chase each other around a tree or roll around inside a glass jar feeder. But they chisel holes in my new front lawn to bury acorns, and in the spring, our front flower bed would soon become an oak forest if we didn’t pull out all the little oak saplings that spring forth from their buried treasures.

Besides frog season, I thought all Kansas hunting seasons began in the fall and concluded with turkey season in the spring. Now, I knew full well there was a squirrel season in Kansas, but imagine my surprise to find it actually begins in June and runs statewide through the end of February. The daily bag limit is 5 squirrels and the possession limit is 20. Since squirrels are small critters, small firearms like a .410 shotgun or a .22 rifle with a good scope are the best choices for harvesting equipment, and all that’s needed is a general Kansas hunting license. Traditional ways of cooking squirrel are to cut them up into pieces and fry them like chicken, or to roast them whole. But there is an event held each fall in Bentonville, Arkansas that centers around all things squirrel cooking.

Local Bentonville resident Joe Wilson cut his teeth on hunting rabbits, squirrels and other small game before graduating to hunting deer. Bentonville has developed many artsy and historical tourist attractions, even displaying prominent artwork in local hotels, and while Wilson appreciates that immensely, he and other hunters and outdoorsmen his age began to feel that the area was slowly losing its “Ozark flavor,” as he puts it. In 2006, a group of older and retired deer hunters, tired of having to fight each year for good spots to hunt deer, decided to get back to what they all cut their teeth on, hunting squirrels and small game, and the novel organization Squirrels Unlimited, (SqU for short) was formed. Besides helping revive that local Ozark Flavor, a main goal of the group is also to get the youth hunters of today interested in hunting small game like they themselves had done. In 2012, while helping a film crew from the Travel Channel film an episode of “Bizarre Foods,” Wilson was asked if they could cook squirrels. To embellish a little, Wilson told them “Not only do we cook squirrels, we throw the World Champion Squirrel Cookoff.” Wilson said that to cover his lie, they had to scramble to put together the first event which took place in October of 2012. Teams from across the region converged on a warehouse in Bentonville in the middle of a sleet storm, and today the annual World Champion Squirrel Cookoff is so popular it has outgrown several locations.

The rules of the cookoff are simple; each dish must contain 80% squirrel meat. An advertisement for the event in one prominent magazine read “Every fall hundreds of chefs from around the country head to Bentonville, Arkansas to take part in a heated competition. They baste, emulsify, marinade and flambe’. They make everything from bratwurst to lollipops. Yes, welcome to the World Champion Squirrel Cookoff.”&nbsp; Some of the dishes from past year’s cookoffs have been squirrel poppers made with squirrel loins and jalapeno cheese, minced squirrel brains with cream cheese in a puff pastry, bacon-wrapped squirrel wings, squirrel pizza, squirrel tamales, squirrel dogs, squirrel gumbo, squirrel sliders, squirrel tacos, squirrel dumplings, squirrel enchiladas, and even squirrel flavored ice cream.&nbsp; Many of the teams are named for their entertainment value as well, with handles like team Chicken of the Tree, the Spice Squirrels and the Rawhide Nut Pirates. Last year’s event even hosted a cookoff team from the Netherlands; not sure how the Dutch know anything about cooking squirrels, but alright.&nbsp; Cookoff winners are awarded cash prizes and any profit from the event goes to local charities.

Wilson said that as a kid, he collected and sold squirrel tails to Mepps, a large fishing tackle manufacturer that uses the hair from the tails on many of it’s fishing lures. Mepps buys and uses hundreds of thousands of squirrel tails each year, and has become a major sponsor of Squirrels Unlimited and of the cookoff. A squirrel skinning contest has also been added to the event.

Call them tree bacon, limb chicken, tofu of the woods or roof rats, squirrels can be entertaining or they can be a major nuisance. Even though Cousin Eddy from the movie “Christmas Vacation” says he quit eatin’ squirrel cause’ its high in cholesterol, squirrel meat is good, but DOES NOT taste just like chicken. This is yet another chance to take a kid hunting without having to purchase an expensive permit or other hunting equipment as you 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>I have a love / hate relationship with squirrels. They’re fun to hear as they chatter and scold you from a backyard tree or from a perch near your deer stand, and their crazy antics are entertaining as they chase each other around a tree or roll around inside a glass jar feeder. But they chisel holes in my new front lawn to bury acorns, and in the spring, our front flower bed would soon become an oak forest if we didn’t pull out all the little oak saplings that spring forth from their buried treasures.Besides frog season, I thought all Kansas hunting seasons began in the fall and concluded with turkey season in the spring. Now, I knew full well there was a squirrel season in Kansas, but imagine my surprise to find it actually begins in June and runs statewide through the end of February. The daily bag limit is 5 squirrels and the possession limit is 20. Since squirrels are small critters, small firearms like a .410 shotgun or a .22 rifle with a good scope are the best choices for harvesting equipment, and all that’s needed is a general Kansas hunting license. Traditional ways of cooking squirrel are to cut them up into pieces and fry them like chicken, or to roast them whole. But there is an event held each fall in Bentonville, Arkansas that centers around all things squirrel cooking.Local Bentonville resident Joe Wilson cut his teeth on hunting rabbits, squirrels and other small game before graduating to hunting deer. Bentonville has developed many artsy and historical tourist attractions, even displaying prominent artwork in local hotels, and while Wilson appreciates that immensely, he and other hunters and outdoorsmen his age began to feel that the area was slowly losing its “Ozark flavor,” as he puts it. In 2006, a group of older and retired deer hunters, tired of having to fight each year for good spots to hunt deer, decided to get back to what they all cut their teeth on, hunting squirrels and small game, and the novel organization Squirrels Unlimited, (SqU for short) was formed. Besides helping revive that local Ozark Flavor, a main goal of the group is also to get the youth hunters of today interested in hunting small game like they themselves had done. In 2012, while helping a film crew from the Travel Channel film an episode of “Bizarre Foods,” Wilson was asked if they could cook squirrels. To embellish a little, Wilson told them “Not only do we cook squirrels, we throw the World Champion Squirrel Cookoff.” Wilson said that to cover his lie, they had to scramble to put together the first event which took place in October of 2012. Teams from across the region converged on a warehouse in Bentonville in the middle of a sleet storm, and today the annual World Champion Squirrel Cookoff is so popular it has outgrown several locations.The rules of the cookoff are simple; each dish must contain 80% squirrel meat. An advertisement for the event in one prominent magazine read “Every fall hundreds of chefs from around the country head to Bentonville, Arkansas to take part in a heated competition. They baste, emulsify, marinade and flambe’. They make everything from bratwurst to lollipops. Yes, welcome to the World Champion Squirrel Cookoff.”&nbsp; Some of the dishes from past year’s cookoffs have been squirrel poppers made with squirrel loins and jalapeno cheese, minced squirrel brains with cream cheese in a puff pastry, bacon-wrapped squirrel wings, squirrel pizza, squirrel tamales, squirrel dogs, squirrel gumbo, squirrel sliders, squirrel tacos, squirrel dumplings, squirrel enchiladas, and even squirrel flavored ice cream.&nbsp; Many of the teams are named for their entertainment value as well, with handles like team Chicken of the Tree, the Spice Squirrels and the Rawhide Nut Pirates. Last year’s event even hosted a cookoff team from the Netherlands; not sure how the Dutch know anything about cooking squirrels, but alright.&nbsp; Cookoff winners are awarded cash prizes and any profit from the event goes to local charities.Wilson said that as a kid, he collected and sold squirrel tails to Mepps, a large fishing tackle manufacturer that uses the hair from the tails on many of it’s fishing lures. Mepps buys and uses hundreds of thousands of squirrel tails each year, and has become a major sponsor of Squirrels Unlimited and of the cookoff. A squirrel skinning contest has also been added to the event.Call them tree bacon, limb chicken, tofu of the woods or roof rats, squirrels can be entertaining or they can be a major nuisance. Even though Cousin Eddy from the movie “Christmas Vacation” says he quit eatin’ squirrel cause’ its high in cholesterol, squirrel meat is good, but DOES NOT taste just like chicken. This is yet another chance to take a kid hunting without having to purchase an expensive permit or other hunting equipment as you continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: Squirrel — it’s what’s for dinner

There are times you can be for something or against something or neutral. But other times, like&nbsp; when you are jumping out of a plane, you either pull the ripcord or you don’t. Not deciding is the same as deciding not to. The world has now jumped out of a Boeing 747 and the momentum is carrying us toward more and more COVID-19 infections. At this moment, this very moment, we have to decide how to slow the momentum down.&nbsp;

We have the choice between being pro-humanity or anti-humanity.&nbsp; To be anti-humanity is to not be concerned about the public good as a whole and be only concerned about one’s own survival. To be pro-humanity means to be concerned about your fellow humans as well as yourself.&nbsp; When it comes to the global pandemic that we are facing right now, there is no middle ground. You are either pro-humanity or anti-humanity.

The COVID-19 virus is anti-humanity. It knows only one thing and that is to attack the human system in various ways in order to survive. The virus is definitely anti-humanity.

The headline on Hays Post on July 2, 2020 reads “Masks Encouraged, Not Required in Ellis County.”&nbsp; What we know about masks at this point is not as mysterious as the County Health Director lets on. The main purpose of the mask is to protect others. When you wear a mask , the mask provides minimal protection for you. But where the mask shines is in protecting others from your particles that you project into the air. Think of it like using a kleenex or handkerchief when you sneeze.&nbsp; You do it for other people. &nbsp;

So when you are in Dillons where the pro-humanity workers are wearing their masks to protect you, and you go in without a mask, you, demonstrating anti-humanity behavior, are placing the workers at Dillons at risk. If everyone is wearing a mask in Dillons, both workers and patrons, it is a pro-humanity win-win situation.

Let’s take a quiz and see if our county commissioners are pro-humanity or anti-humanity. We will even include the Ellis County Health Director since most of the information concerning the virus comes from him. I will be using quotes from the Hays Post article mentioned above, which I believe gets to the essence of their arguments concerning masks. Good luck!

•	Jason Kennedy, Ellis County Director of Health

Kennedy said when it comes to the county’s response to the pandemic, it would not require masks in public. “We have eight active cases, we have zero hospitalizations, and thankfully,we have zero deaths”, Kennedy said. “Our hospital capacity is sufficient to handle anything we want at this point.”

Would you feel horrified if I told you that we have plenty of open cemetery plots at this time, as a response to COVID-19? There is little difference between that and the county health director telling us that we have plenty of ICU bed spaces; so party on, dudes!&nbsp;

•	Pro-humanity &nbsp;•	Anti-humanity

2) Ellis County Commissioner Dustin Roths

“I encourage anyone that wants to wear a mask, that might be at risk, that may be around other people, and not be able to social distance for a period of time, feel free (to wear a mask). We actually probably encourage it.”

Remember that a mask is most effective for protecting others around you. Commissioner Roths seems to be saying to those who are most vulnerable “go ahead and take the risk of being around those without a mask. It’s your funeral.”

3) Ellis County Commissioner Dean Haselhorst

“If you feel threatened at all out in public or when you are at a gathering, please do wear a mask.” “I encourage you to do that.”

Thanks, Commissioner Haselhorst, for giving us permission to wear a mask. Again, the mask is worn by others in order to protect those who are feeling threatened. Was it “opposite day” at the county commission meeting on Thursday?

4) Ellis County Commissioner Butch Schlyer

“They don’t want to be told what they have to wear (the citizens of Ellis County) that sense of independence, people just thrive on it.” “They don’t want to be dictated to and mandated to, especially by some bureaucrat in some distant land.”

Sounding like a petulant teenager arguing with his mom about what shirt to wear to school, Commissioner Schlyer, the former Ellis County Health Director, is advocating every man, woman and child for himself during a global pandemic. He concluded with a good pinch of misogyny that the Governor will not tell him what to do. Even if that means killing off a few people?

•	Pro-humanity&nbsp; &nbsp;•	Anti-humanity

If you answered b to all of the above, good job! &nbsp;

By now you may be feeling like an orphan when it comes to the county protecting your health and well being. But there is hope.

“We are at war with COVID-19. Do your civic duty and wear a mask to keep your family and neighbors healthy and keep Kansas open for business.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>There are times you can be for something or against something or neutral. But other times, like&nbsp; when you are jumping out of a plane, you either pull the ripcord or you don’t. Not deciding is the same as deciding not to. The world has now jumped out of a Boeing 747 and the momentum is carrying us toward more and more COVID-19 infections. At this moment, this very moment, we have to decide how to slow the momentum down.&nbsp;We have the choice between being pro-humanity or anti-humanity.&nbsp; To be anti-humanity is to not be concerned about the public good as a whole and be only concerned about one’s own survival. To be pro-humanity means to be concerned about your fellow humans as well as yourself.&nbsp; When it comes to the global pandemic that we are facing right now, there is no middle ground. You are either pro-humanity or anti-humanity.The COVID-19 virus is anti-humanity. It knows only one thing and that is to attack the human system in various ways in order to survive. The virus is definitely anti-humanity.The headline on Hays Post on July 2, 2020 reads “Masks Encouraged, Not Required in Ellis County.”&nbsp; What we know about masks at this point is not as mysterious as the County Health Director lets on. The main purpose of the mask is to protect others. When you wear a mask , the mask provides minimal protection for you. But where the mask shines is in protecting others from your particles that you project into the air. Think of it like using a kleenex or handkerchief when you sneeze.&nbsp; You do it for other people. &nbsp;So when you are in Dillons where the pro-humanity workers are wearing their masks to protect you, and you go in without a mask, you, demonstrating anti-humanity behavior, are placing the workers at Dillons at risk. If everyone is wearing a mask in Dillons, both workers and patrons, it is a pro-humanity win-win situation.Let’s take a quiz and see if our county commissioners are pro-humanity or anti-humanity. We will even include the Ellis County Health Director since most of the information concerning the virus comes from him. I will be using quotes from the Hays Post article mentioned above, which I believe gets to the essence of their arguments concerning masks. Good luck!	•	Jason Kennedy, Ellis County Director of HealthKennedy said when it comes to the county’s response to the pandemic, it would not require masks in public. “We have eight active cases, we have zero hospitalizations, and thankfully,we have zero deaths”, Kennedy said. “Our hospital capacity is sufficient to handle anything we want at this point.”Would you feel horrified if I told you that we have plenty of open cemetery plots at this time, as a response to COVID-19? There is little difference between that and the county health director telling us that we have plenty of ICU bed spaces; so party on, dudes!&nbsp;	•	Pro-humanity &nbsp;•	Anti-humanity2) Ellis County Commissioner Dustin Roths“I encourage anyone that wants to wear a mask, that might be at risk, that may be around other people, and not be able to social distance for a period of time, feel free (to wear a mask). We actually probably encourage it.”Remember that a mask is most effective for protecting others around you. Commissioner Roths seems to be saying to those who are most vulnerable “go ahead and take the risk of being around those without a mask. It’s your funeral.”	•	Pro-humanity &nbsp;•	Anti-humanity3) Ellis County Commissioner Dean Haselhorst“If you feel threatened at all out in public or when you are at a gathering, please do wear a mask.” “I encourage you to do that.”Thanks, Commissioner Haselhorst, for giving us permission to wear a mask. Again, the mask is worn by others in order to protect those who are feeling threatened. Was it “opposite day” at the county commission meeting on Thursday?	•	Pro-humanity &nbsp;•	Anti-humanity4) Ellis County Commissioner Butch Schlyer“They don’t want to be told what they have to wear (the citizens of Ellis County) that sense of independence, people just thrive on it.” “They don’t want to be dictated to and mandated to, especially by some bureaucrat in some distant land.”Sounding like a petulant teenager arguing with his mom about what shirt to wear to school, Commissioner Schlyer, the former Ellis County Health Director, is advocating every man, woman and child for himself during a global pandemic. He concluded with a good pinch of misogyny that the Governor will not tell him what to do. Even if that means killing off a few people?	•	Pro-humanity&nbsp; &nbsp;•	Anti-humanityIf you answered b to all of the above, good job! &nbsp;By now you may be feeling like an orphan when it comes to the county protecting your health and well being. But there is hope.Governor of Kansas Laura Kelly“We are at war with COVID-19. Do your civic duty and wear a mask to keep your family and neighbors healthy and keep Kansas open for business.”Definitely pro-humanity.&nbsp;Jacinta Faber, Ellis County

LETTER: Mask decisions — pro- or anti-humanity?

This will be the week we get a good handle on just how counties are going to react to Gov. Laura Kelly’s “mask order” which requires Kansans, and visitors here, to wear facemasks when in public spaces where they are likely to be less than 6 feet apart.

County commissions will get the chance this week – and some already have – to pare down that ruling about masks in public spaces for whatever county reason there is. It just takes a public vote at a county commission meeting to say, “never mind in this county.” Nobody’s sure whether it could be stretched to say…unless your car tag is from a different county where there are more COVID-19 cases than we are comfortable with.

For us Statehouse habitués, the argument over the masks and who can tell whom to wear them and when and where is entertaining because if lobbyists used the same sort of arguments, well…they wouldn’t have much success for their clients.&nbsp;&nbsp;

There’s that initial argument by anti-maskers that “this is another state mandate on our lives.” That’s interesting, partly because the concept behind the mask rule is to save lives or at least reduce the inconvenience of catching or possibly dying of COVID-19.

And some of us under the Dome are wondering whether this whole mask issue was portrayed convincingly right from the beginning. There’s a little talk that if the masks had initially been described as a way to&nbsp;reduce&nbsp;catching the disease rather than&nbsp;spreading&nbsp;the disease, there might be fewer opponents to the issue.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Gotta wonder also whether the Kelly mask order, which has been described by Senate President Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, as an&nbsp; “iron-fisted state order,” is just that iron-fisted if counties can opt out of it. Nobody can remember whether the “iron -fisted order” argument was used to rally public protest against, say, those sneeze guards at the salad bar?&nbsp; …or to arbitrarily set .8 percent as the bright red line on driving while intoxicated?

And nobody’s talking out loud about it, but there is also that underlying benefit for businesses and stores and bars and such by having in place a statewide order. That way business owners and their masked employees can point toward Topeka and say, “we’re not keeping you from shopping here, it’s the governor.”

Nothing much better than finding someone else to blame for angering some customers, is there? That makes it simple, and probably means that store owners aren’t going to have to explain, probably unsuccessfully, why they won’t let anti-maskers into the store.

There’s also the issue of those $2,500 fines for violating the mask order. Yes, while the order leaves enforcement of the order up to the counties, and their sheriff’s officers, and county attorneys, nobody’s seen a fine issued yet.

Not wearing a mask in a county that hasn’t exempted itself from the order carries a civil fine of up to $2,500. It’s civil, so it won’t show up as a criminal act that will damage your chances for landing a job, or test-driving a car, but it’s still up to $2,500, though local officials could say, “we’ll call it good with just a warning, or maybe a $10 fine to cover the cost of copying the paperwork.”

Chances are good that the full fine wouldn’t be levied by your local district attorney unless you weren’t wearing a mask while robbing a liquor store…

So, yes, Statehouse regulars are wondering where this mask rule goes next session, when there are going to be brand-new legislators in the hallways…and when the real campaigning for the governor’s office starts again.

Although, the six-foot distance rule probably sounds good to some fathers of dating-age daughters…

Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver's Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hawvernews.com/">www.hawvernews.com</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592848178110.png" alt="Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver's Capitol Report." />
 <figcaption>Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver's Capitol Report.</figcaption>
 </figure>This will be the week we get a good handle on just how counties are going to react to Gov. Laura Kelly’s “mask order” which requires Kansans, and visitors here, to wear facemasks when in public spaces where they are likely to be less than 6 feet apart.County commissions will get the chance this week – and some already have – to pare down that ruling about masks in public spaces for whatever county reason there is. It just takes a public vote at a county commission meeting to say, “never mind in this county.” Nobody’s sure whether it could be stretched to say…unless your car tag is from a different county where there are more COVID-19 cases than we are comfortable with.For us Statehouse habitués, the argument over the masks and who can tell whom to wear them and when and where is entertaining because if lobbyists used the same sort of arguments, well…they wouldn’t have much success for their clients.&nbsp;&nbsp;There’s that initial argument by anti-maskers that “this is another state mandate on our lives.” That’s interesting, partly because the concept behind the mask rule is to save lives or at least reduce the inconvenience of catching or possibly dying of COVID-19.And some of us under the Dome are wondering whether this whole mask issue was portrayed convincingly right from the beginning. There’s a little talk that if the masks had initially been described as a way to&nbsp;reduce&nbsp;catching the disease rather than&nbsp;spreading&nbsp;the disease, there might be fewer opponents to the issue.&nbsp;&nbsp;Gotta wonder also whether the Kelly mask order, which has been described by Senate President Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, as an&nbsp; “iron-fisted state order,” is just that iron-fisted if counties can opt out of it. Nobody can remember whether the “iron -fisted order” argument was used to rally public protest against, say, those sneeze guards at the salad bar?&nbsp; …or to arbitrarily set .8 percent as the bright red line on driving while intoxicated?And nobody’s talking out loud about it, but there is also that underlying benefit for businesses and stores and bars and such by having in place a statewide order. That way business owners and their masked employees can point toward Topeka and say, “we’re not keeping you from shopping here, it’s the governor.”Nothing much better than finding someone else to blame for angering some customers, is there? That makes it simple, and probably means that store owners aren’t going to have to explain, probably unsuccessfully, why they won’t let anti-maskers into the store.There’s also the issue of those $2,500 fines for violating the mask order. Yes, while the order leaves enforcement of the order up to the counties, and their sheriff’s officers, and county attorneys, nobody’s seen a fine issued yet.Not wearing a mask in a county that hasn’t exempted itself from the order carries a civil fine of up to $2,500. It’s civil, so it won’t show up as a criminal act that will damage your chances for landing a job, or test-driving a car, but it’s still up to $2,500, though local officials could say, “we’ll call it good with just a warning, or maybe a $10 fine to cover the cost of copying the paperwork.”Chances are good that the full fine wouldn’t be levied by your local district attorney unless you weren’t wearing a mask while robbing a liquor store…So, yes, Statehouse regulars are wondering where this mask rule goes next session, when there are going to be brand-new legislators in the hallways…and when the real campaigning for the governor’s office starts again.Although, the six-foot distance rule probably sounds good to some fathers of dating-age daughters…Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver's Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hawvernews.com/">www.hawvernews.com</a>

HAWVER: County reactions to Kan. facemask order

Last Thursday, July 2, I had one of my most disheartening and disturbing experiences as an Ellis County citizen. I attended the County Commissioner’s special meeting to decide whether Ellis County would honor the governor’s mandate for wearing masks. Given the fact that this significant health-related question was to be decided by a body of men with no medical background but with political points to gain, I should not have been surprised at their unanimous decision to ignore the mandate.

Let’s take a moment to consider one by one their arguments in support of their decision:

“Wear a mask if you believe you’re at risk. It’s a matter of personal preference.”

This argument completely ignores the often-repeated fact that wearing a mask protects OTHER PEOPLE more than it protects the wearer. Wearing a mask offers little protection if others are not also wearing masks—hence the need for a mandate.

“People don’t like to be told what to do. In fact, if someone tells me what to do, I’m going to do the opposite.”

This argument, made by Commissioner Schlyer, sounds like a teenager’s whining, not a sound reason to ignore a mandate that could help us avoid a spike of cases in Ellis County. Someone might want to go barefoot into a restaurant, but “No shirt, no shoes, no service” is a mandate we’ve accepted for years for health reasons.

“I’m not going to support a mandate in a free country.”

Commissioner Roths made this argument, similar to the one above. But even in a free country, we have mandates to protect public safety. Speed limits are just one example.

“It shouldn’t be ‘one size fits all.’ ”

The thinking here seems to be that because we are in a rural part of the state, we don’t have to take precautions to slow the spread of the pandemic. Only counties with larger populations or larger spikes of cases need those precautions. I’ll return to the speed limit example. There’s much more traffic along I-70 in Johnson County than in Ellis County, yet we still have comparable speed limits for public safety. And speaking of I-70—because travelers come through Ellis County, we should not become complacent and assume the virus won’t find us here.

“Many of my constituents called to say they opposed the mandate.”

Commissioners revealed that many constituents were opposed to the mandate, and some were in favor of it. One of those in favor, who called each commissioner, was a medical doctor. For a medical decision, wouldn’t it make more sense to listen to a doctor than to constituents with non-medical backgrounds? The main reason for not doing so seems to be political, with a fear of losing votes being stronger than any desire to protect at-risk citizens. And if you don’t think this decision was political, consider Commissioner Schlyer’s argument:

“If Kobach was governor, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”

That statement spoke volumes to me. Let me point out that even the staunchly conservative governor of Texas has finally called for a mask mandate. Governor Kelly was simply trying to be proactive, not waiting for unnecessary deaths and hospital ICUs at 95% capacity and climbing, as they’re seeing in Texas after waiting too long to act.

“This mandate is an attack on small business.”

I found this argument by Commissioner Roths especially ironic since the opposite is actually true. I and many of my at-risk friends have avoided shopping in Hays because of the lack of masks. On a recent trip to Steamboat Springs, I felt comfortable going in stores and restaurants because of a city-wide mask mandate. Not so in Hays. If businesses want everybody’s business, they need to ensure everyone feels safe walking in the door.

“Some people struggle with wearing a mask—for example, asthma sufferers.”

To me, this is actually the most convincing argument, but it, too, can be addressed. Wouldn’t it be possible for such individuals to receive an exemption? They could apply through the County Health Office, perhaps, and receive an exemption card they could carry. Yes, this would mean that a few such individuals would be in public without masks, but surely that’s preferable to having the vast majority of individuals carelessly going out in public without masks.

Since our County Commissioners have failed to support a mandate that would protect citizens’ health, I must appeal instead to the compassion and common sense of business owners and those who go out in public while COVID-19 is still a threat. Please ask your patrons to wear masks—and for everyone reading this, please wear a mask when you’re out in public.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Last Thursday, July 2, I had one of my most disheartening and disturbing experiences as an Ellis County citizen. I attended the County Commissioner’s special meeting to decide whether Ellis County would honor the governor’s mandate for wearing masks. Given the fact that this significant health-related question was to be decided by a body of men with no medical background but with political points to gain, I should not have been surprised at their unanimous decision to ignore the mandate.Let’s take a moment to consider one by one their arguments in support of their decision:“Wear a mask if you believe you’re at risk. It’s a matter of personal preference.”This argument completely ignores the often-repeated fact that wearing a mask protects OTHER PEOPLE more than it protects the wearer. Wearing a mask offers little protection if others are not also wearing masks—hence the need for a mandate.“People don’t like to be told what to do. In fact, if someone tells me what to do, I’m going to do the opposite.”This argument, made by Commissioner Schlyer, sounds like a teenager’s whining, not a sound reason to ignore a mandate that could help us avoid a spike of cases in Ellis County. Someone might want to go barefoot into a restaurant, but “No shirt, no shoes, no service” is a mandate we’ve accepted for years for health reasons.“I’m not going to support a mandate in a free country.”Commissioner Roths made this argument, similar to the one above. But even in a free country, we have mandates to protect public safety. Speed limits are just one example.“It shouldn’t be ‘one size fits all.’ ”The thinking here seems to be that because we are in a rural part of the state, we don’t have to take precautions to slow the spread of the pandemic. Only counties with larger populations or larger spikes of cases need those precautions. I’ll return to the speed limit example. There’s much more traffic along I-70 in Johnson County than in Ellis County, yet we still have comparable speed limits for public safety. And speaking of I-70—because travelers come through Ellis County, we should not become complacent and assume the virus won’t find us here.“Many of my constituents called to say they opposed the mandate.”Commissioners revealed that many constituents were opposed to the mandate, and some were in favor of it. One of those in favor, who called each commissioner, was a medical doctor. For a medical decision, wouldn’t it make more sense to listen to a doctor than to constituents with non-medical backgrounds? The main reason for not doing so seems to be political, with a fear of losing votes being stronger than any desire to protect at-risk citizens. And if you don’t think this decision was political, consider Commissioner Schlyer’s argument:“If Kobach was governor, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”That statement spoke volumes to me. Let me point out that even the staunchly conservative governor of Texas has finally called for a mask mandate. Governor Kelly was simply trying to be proactive, not waiting for unnecessary deaths and hospital ICUs at 95% capacity and climbing, as they’re seeing in Texas after waiting too long to act.“This mandate is an attack on small business.”I found this argument by Commissioner Roths especially ironic since the opposite is actually true. I and many of my at-risk friends have avoided shopping in Hays because of the lack of masks. On a recent trip to Steamboat Springs, I felt comfortable going in stores and restaurants because of a city-wide mask mandate. Not so in Hays. If businesses want everybody’s business, they need to ensure everyone feels safe walking in the door.“Some people struggle with wearing a mask—for example, asthma sufferers.”To me, this is actually the most convincing argument, but it, too, can be addressed. Wouldn’t it be possible for such individuals to receive an exemption? They could apply through the County Health Office, perhaps, and receive an exemption card they could carry. Yes, this would mean that a few such individuals would be in public without masks, but surely that’s preferable to having the vast majority of individuals carelessly going out in public without masks.Since our County Commissioners have failed to support a mandate that would protect citizens’ health, I must appeal instead to the compassion and common sense of business owners and those who go out in public while COVID-19 is still a threat. Please ask your patrons to wear masks—and for everyone reading this, please wear a mask when you’re out in public.Cheryl Hofstetter Duffy, Hays

LETTER: County decision on masks 'disheartening'

By Betsy Wearing Northwest Kansas Today

The census is still happening!
With the many other issues in the news, don’t forget that Kansas needs to get a
complete count for the 2020 census.

It is not too late to complete
the information for your household. You can go online to 2020census.gov to
respond.&nbsp; If you are not comfortable responding online, you can either
fill out the paper form you should have received in the mail, or call, 1-844-330-2020
(1-844-468-2020 for Spanish language).

For every Kansan that is not
counted, our state, and by trickle down, our hometowns lose more than
$2,000&nbsp;every year&nbsp;for 10 years.

So, for each person counted,
Kansas gains $20,000 in federal dollars over the coming decade. 

These funds are
critical for schools, highways, and a host of other programs and projects that
affect our daily lives. The census also is used to determine our representation
in Washington.

Be sure to count every person
in your household, from newborn babies born on or before April 1, to
grandparents, other relatives or friends who live with you.

If you have a friend or
neighbor you suspect might need help completing the census, offer to help or
share the phone number above.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587556040230.jpeg" alt="Ellis County has 66.10% response rate for the 2020 census as of July 2." />
 <figcaption>Ellis County has 66.10% response rate for the 2020 census as of July 2.</figcaption>
 </figure>By Betsy Wearing Northwest Kansas Today The census is still happening!
With the many other issues in the news, don’t forget that Kansas needs to get a
complete count for the 2020 census.It is not too late to complete
the information for your household. You can go online to 2020census.gov to
respond.&nbsp; If you are not comfortable responding online, you can either
fill out the paper form you should have received in the mail, or call, 1-844-330-2020
(1-844-468-2020 for Spanish language).For every Kansan that is not
counted, our state, and by trickle down, our hometowns lose more than
$2,000&nbsp;every year&nbsp;for 10 years. So, for each person counted,
Kansas gains $20,000 in federal dollars over the coming decade. These funds are
critical for schools, highways, and a host of other programs and projects that
affect our daily lives. The census also is used to determine our representation
in Washington.In short, it’s important!Be sure to count every person
in your household, from newborn babies born on or before April 1, to
grandparents, other relatives or friends who live with you.If you have a friend or
neighbor you suspect might need help completing the census, offer to help or
share the phone number above.Currently Kansas is at just
over 65% response rate. It’s better than the national average, but not as good
as it was in 2010 or as good as Kansas needs it to be.Here are the response rates as
of July 2 for Northwest Kansas counties, none of which have yet met the rate of
response from the 2010 census:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593951672981.png" alt="Northwest Kansas 2020 census response rates as of July 2." />
 <figcaption>Northwest Kansas 2020 census response rates as of July 2.</figcaption>
 </figure>

Opinion