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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: To mask or not to mask

By GREG DOERING Kansas Farm Bureau

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

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574694551876.png" alt="Greg Doering" />
 <figcaption>Greg Doering</figcaption>
 </figure>By GREG DOERING Kansas Farm BureauDozens of Kansas communities are in danger of missing out on significant amounts of money from the federal government because residents haven’t completed their 2020 Census. Statewide, more than two-thirds of the population has completed the task so far, leaving 31.1 percent unaccounted for at this point. As a whole, Kansas is doing better than the nationwide response rate of 64 percent, but there are 10 counties with less than 50 percent of residents completing their forms. All are rural, and they all stand to miss out on their share of billions in federal dollars that will come to Kansas over the next decade based on this year’s census. One county’s response rate is below 40 percent, which could mean the loss of an estimated $50 million in federal aid over the next year. That’s the equivalent of missing out on about $1,300 for every man, woman and child in the county each year. It’s money unavailable to assist with local highway planning and construction, water and wastewater systems, health care assistance and hundreds of other programs. Overall, a 1 percent undercount of Kansans would result in an estimated loss of more than $600 million in federal funding over the next decade. That’s money we pay in federal taxes going to projects in other states. In short, the Census is about money and power. The people who complete the form get their fair share of both. If you skip it, both go elsewhere. COVID-19 has stretched our communities thin, which means ensuring you’re counted is more important than ever. I wrote about how vital it is to stand up and be counted way back in early March, just ahead of the Census Bureau mailing forms urging people to self-respond either through the U.S. Postal Service, online at&nbsp;<a href="http://my2020census.gov/">my2020census.gov</a>&nbsp;or by calling 844-330-2020. Unfortunately, other events soon gripped our state and nation as the pandemic hit, pushing the counting of our population on the back burner for people. While the pandemic certainly lowered self-response rates, it also hampered the federal effort to ensure everyone is recorded. Census workers who would have normally followed up with households that hadn’t filled out a survey in May and June are just now knocking on doors. The federal government, fearful social distancing measures will hamper the vast data processing required by the year’s end, bumped up the response deadline to Sept. 30, shaving a full month off the original timeline. Like just about everything else in 2020, trimming 31 days off the deadline isn’t ideal. But there’s still time to take a few minutes to respond, ensuring your town’s story is told to help get the most out of the American dream. If you’ve already responded, you can still help by checking with friends and family to see if they’ve done so as well. If they haven’t, tell them what’s on the line and direct them to the website or phone number above. It’s not going to complete the COVID-19 recovery overnight, but federal funding for roads, bridges, broadband internet connections and a litany of other projects won’t just help Kansas’ economic convalescence, but power us to an even brighter future. Act now while there’s still time to make your voice count."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

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

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

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

News From the Oil Patch: Some positive indicators 

By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now That’s Rural: High Plains Moto 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She spent years in three different concentration camps.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Article previously published in April 2015

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

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

CLINKSCALES: 'Getting beat up'

What parent does not want the best for their child? All parents also want their children to do well in school. The best time to set a plan in motion is at the beginning of the school year. One of the most important things to do is approach all school work with a positive outlook.&nbsp;

Kathleen A. Olson, Extension educator in family relations from the University of Minnesota suggests setting aside a regular time and place for homework. Help your child with their homework but do not do it for them.&nbsp;

Olson shared these other guidelines for a successful problem-solving approach to school and homework.&nbsp;

It is the parent’s job to help their child develop a system to keep track of assignments and projects. Many schools use an electronic system for parents to track their students’ progress, but don’t forget to look for paper notes and other information that may come home in their backpack. It needs to be checked every day to make sure you don’t miss anything

Don’t forget to recognize your child for work that is well done. Always encourage them and then praise them for papers that are complete and find a place to display work for everyone to see. With a little planning and implementation of some time management tools, you and your child will have a successful school year.

Berny Unruh is the Family and Community Wellness Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District.&nbsp; She can be reached at 785-628-9430 or at <a href="mailto:bunruh@ksu.edu">bunruh@ksu.edu</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588274071306.jpeg" alt="Berny Unruh is Family and Community Wellness agent for the Cottonwood Extension District." />
 <figcaption>Berny Unruh is Family and Community Wellness agent for the Cottonwood Extension District.</figcaption>
 </figure>What parent does not want the best for their child? All parents also want their children to do well in school. The best time to set a plan in motion is at the beginning of the school year. One of the most important things to do is approach all school work with a positive outlook.&nbsp;Kathleen A. Olson, Extension educator in family relations from the University of Minnesota suggests setting aside a regular time and place for homework. Help your child with their homework but do not do it for them.&nbsp;Olson shared these other guidelines for a successful problem-solving approach to school and homework.&nbsp;<ol>
 <li>Set an example by working on something of your own during the time set aside for homework. Encourage them to ask questions and even think out loud to help them solve a problem. It is important that your child knows that you are available for them.&nbsp;</li><li>Ask your child questions about his homework. Perhaps they could do a problem for you or describe what they’ve been reading. Then, when your child needs help, your goal should be to help them do it themselves. Help them find information. Ask lots of questions. Don’t be afraid to say, "I don’t know." Remember: you’re a guide and a support to your child.</li><li>An assignment may be overwhelming to your child. Help your child break the assignment down and help him identify the steps needed to complete the homework.</li><li>Assist your child with technology. If you have access to a computer, work together so you know what they are doing.&nbsp;</li><li>If you can’t physically be available, you can still set aside a time and place and check on their homework when you get a chance.</li><li>Encourage children to think of their homework as their job. The biggest part of the job is to learn.</li>
 </ol>It is the parent’s job to help their child develop a system to keep track of assignments and projects. Many schools use an electronic system for parents to track their students’ progress, but don’t forget to look for paper notes and other information that may come home in their backpack. It needs to be checked every day to make sure you don’t miss anythingDon’t forget to recognize your child for work that is well done. Always encourage them and then praise them for papers that are complete and find a place to display work for everyone to see. With a little planning and implementation of some time management tools, you and your child will have a successful school year.	Berny Unruh is the Family and Community Wellness Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District.&nbsp; She can be reached at 785-628-9430 or at <a href="mailto:bunruh@ksu.edu">bunruh@ksu.edu</a>

UNRUH: How to handle homework

So, you think the already harsh language in this year’s presidential campaign is the worst ever?

Probably not — and additionally, political speech, vulgarities, 
mocking nicknames, claims of incompetence and criminal conduct and a 
host of personal attacks all are protected by the First Amendment’s 
guarantee of freedom of speech.

The high legal bar for public figures to successfully sue for 
defamation, combined with a historical judicial reluctance to intervene 
in political campaigns, allows candidates and their surrogates to sling 
the most vituperative verbal assaults.

Historian Rick Shenkman, author of “Presidential Ambition: Gaining Power at Any Cost,”
 has said, “Our first two elections were pretty clean, but after that 
they became dirty … Even George Washington (who ran unopposed in his 
first election, in 1788) complained he had to endure more attacks than 
Emperor Nero.”

The first real presidential contest, in 1800, produced what many 
historians might rank as number one in personal attacks, as 
then-President John Adams faced off against Vice President Thomas Jefferson.

From the president of Yale University, an Adams supporter, came the warning that if Jefferson won, “We would see our wives and daughters the
 victims of legal prostitution.” A newspaper in Connecticut declared 
that Jefferson would establish a nation where “murder, robbery, rape, 
adultery and incest will openly be taught and practiced.”

In response, Jefferson’s advocates wrote that Adams was a liar, a 
would-be king, repulsive and a “gross hypocrite” who “behaved neither 
like a man nor like a woman but instead possessed a hideous 
hermaphroditical character.”

A cartoon in 1800 shows a kneeling Jefferson about to place the U.S. 
Constitution into a fire built on a pedestal labeled French “despotism,”
 already ablaze with papers labeled as American patriotic essays.

Adams’s son, John Quincy Adams, was both target and 
attacker in the presidential elections of 1824 and 1828 when facing 
Andrew Jackson, who lost to Adams in the first contest and won four 
years later.

<a href="http://millercenter.org/president/jackson/essays/biography/3" target="_blank">“American President: A Reference Resource”</a>
 by the Miller Center at the University of Virginia, notes that in those
 contests, Adams called Jackson a “corruptionist, an aristocrat and a 
budding tyrant in the model of Caesar or Napoleon,” whose election would
 mean the end of the new American nation.

Adams’s opponents spread the unjustified charge that the president 
had arranged a sexual liaison between a young American girl and the 
Russian tsar during Adams’s time as U.S. ambassador to Russia. On the 
lighter side, they also published reports that Adams did not wear 
underwear and went barefoot to church services.

Jackson suffered through attacks in the 1828 election on his wife, 
Rachel, who it was said — apparently with some justification by 
historians — had not yet divorced her first husband before marrying 
Jackson. She died of a heart attack after Election Day but before 
Jackson’s inauguration, and at her funeral, the president-elect blamed 
his campaign opponents for her death. “May God Almighty forgiver her 
murderers, as I know she forgave them,” he said. “I never can.”

While social media may have energized today’s political exchanges — 
for good or bad — use and abuse of new means of communication In the 
presidential election of 1928, eventual winner Herbert Hoover ran against three-term N.Y. Gov. Al Smith,
 the first Catholic to be nominated by either major party. Smith’s 
religion was a major factor in the campaign, just three years after the 
Ku Klux Klan held a major parade in the streets of Washington, D.C.

“News photos” were manipulated and false claims spread that New York 
City’s just-completed Holland Tunnel was in fact a secret passage not to
 New Jersey, but to Vatican City — to be used by the pope, who would 
prompt Smith to take over the United States. In similar fashion, a 
political cartoon titled “Cabinet Meeting — If Al were elected” appeared
 in the “Fellowship Forum,” an official publication of the Klan. It 
shows the pope and other Catholic clergy at a table in the White House, 
with Smith in a servant’s uniform holding a whiskey jug. A news report 
says “more than 100,000 copies were intended to flood” southern states 
days before the election.

(Smith, soundly defeated, had a last laugh: In accounts by both his 
supporters and opponents, who no doubt had differing views on its 
meaning, Smith is said to have sent a one-word telegram to the pope 
after losing: “Unpack.”)

Some political opponents have a much more serious response to what 
they see as scurrilous or defamatory political speech. In 2010, an Iowa 
state senator won a lawsuit and more than $230,000 in damages against 
his opponent over a political ad he said falsely linked him to a company
 alleged to have sold a dangerous drug to children.

But the Iowa Supreme Court overturned the jury verdict, saying “The 
result … is not to imply actual malice cannot exist within the rough and
 tumble Wild West approach to negative commercials that have seemingly 
become standard discourse in many political campaigns. … but the high 
standards established under the First Amendment to permit a free 
exchange of ideas within the same discourse must also be protected.”

President Trump has said multiple times that he 
wants to “open up” libel laws, which could affect future campaigns by 
weakening free speech protections resting on a landmark 1964 U.S. 
Supreme Court decision, New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. It reinforced those protections when public officials (later expanded to include public figures) are involved.

Justice William Brennan wrote that the decision was 
rooted in a “profound national commitment to the principle that debate 
on public issues should be uninhibited, robust and wide open and that it
 may well include vehement, caustic and sometimes unpleasantly sharp 
attacks on government and public officials.”

Whether offended by Trump’s impolitic use of derogatory nicknames for
 his opponents, or by “Saturday Night Live” Trump parodies on TV, that 
commitment to “uninhibited, robust and wide-open” debate on issues and 
even candidate personalities is a hallmark of American democracy — even 
if, at times, we might cringe at how it’s carried out.

Politicians get their say during campaigns. Government stays out of the way. And we get to respond at the ballot box.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593729871227.png" alt="Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. " />
 <figcaption>Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. </figcaption>
 </figure>So, you think the already harsh language in this year’s presidential campaign is the worst ever?Probably not — and additionally, political speech, vulgarities, 
mocking nicknames, claims of incompetence and criminal conduct and a 
host of personal attacks all are protected by the First Amendment’s 
guarantee of freedom of speech.The high legal bar for public figures to successfully sue for 
defamation, combined with a historical judicial reluctance to intervene 
in political campaigns, allows candidates and their surrogates to sling 
the most vituperative verbal assaults.And throughout our history, they have.Historian Rick Shenkman, author of “Presidential Ambition: Gaining Power at Any Cost,”
 has said, “Our first two elections were pretty clean, but after that 
they became dirty … Even George Washington (who ran unopposed in his 
first election, in 1788) complained he had to endure more attacks than 
Emperor Nero.”The first real presidential contest, in 1800, produced what many 
historians might rank as number one in personal attacks, as 
then-President John Adams faced off against Vice President Thomas Jefferson.From the president of Yale University, an Adams supporter, came the warning that if Jefferson won, “We would see our wives and daughters the
 victims of legal prostitution.” A newspaper in Connecticut declared 
that Jefferson would establish a nation where “murder, robbery, rape, 
adultery and incest will openly be taught and practiced.”In response, Jefferson’s advocates wrote that Adams was a liar, a 
would-be king, repulsive and a “gross hypocrite” who “behaved neither 
like a man nor like a woman but instead possessed a hideous 
hermaphroditical character.”A cartoon in 1800 shows a kneeling Jefferson about to place the U.S. 
Constitution into a fire built on a pedestal labeled French “despotism,”
 already ablaze with papers labeled as American patriotic essays.Adams’s son, John Quincy Adams, was both target and 
attacker in the presidential elections of 1824 and 1828 when facing 
Andrew Jackson, who lost to Adams in the first contest and won four 
years later.<a href="http://millercenter.org/president/jackson/essays/biography/3" target="_blank">“American President: A Reference Resource”</a>
 by the Miller Center at the University of Virginia, notes that in those
 contests, Adams called Jackson a “corruptionist, an aristocrat and a 
budding tyrant in the model of Caesar or Napoleon,” whose election would
 mean the end of the new American nation.Adams’s opponents spread the unjustified charge that the president 
had arranged a sexual liaison between a young American girl and the 
Russian tsar during Adams’s time as U.S. ambassador to Russia. On the 
lighter side, they also published reports that Adams did not wear 
underwear and went barefoot to church services.Jackson suffered through attacks in the 1828 election on his wife, 
Rachel, who it was said — apparently with some justification by 
historians — had not yet divorced her first husband before marrying 
Jackson. She died of a heart attack after Election Day but before 
Jackson’s inauguration, and at her funeral, the president-elect blamed 
his campaign opponents for her death. “May God Almighty forgiver her 
murderers, as I know she forgave them,” he said. “I never can.”While social media may have energized today’s political exchanges — 
for good or bad — use and abuse of new means of communication In the 
presidential election of 1928, eventual winner Herbert Hoover ran against three-term N.Y. Gov. Al Smith,
 the first Catholic to be nominated by either major party. Smith’s 
religion was a major factor in the campaign, just three years after the 
Ku Klux Klan held a major parade in the streets of Washington, D.C.“News photos” were manipulated and false claims spread that New York 
City’s just-completed Holland Tunnel was in fact a secret passage not to
 New Jersey, but to Vatican City — to be used by the pope, who would 
prompt Smith to take over the United States. In similar fashion, a 
political cartoon titled “Cabinet Meeting — If Al were elected” appeared
 in the “Fellowship Forum,” an official publication of the Klan. It 
shows the pope and other Catholic clergy at a table in the White House, 
with Smith in a servant’s uniform holding a whiskey jug. A news report 
says “more than 100,000 copies were intended to flood” southern states 
days before the election.(Smith, soundly defeated, had a last laugh: In accounts by both his 
supporters and opponents, who no doubt had differing views on its 
meaning, Smith is said to have sent a one-word telegram to the pope 
after losing: “Unpack.”)Some political opponents have a much more serious response to what 
they see as scurrilous or defamatory political speech. In 2010, an Iowa 
state senator won a lawsuit and more than $230,000 in damages against 
his opponent over a political ad he said falsely linked him to a company
 alleged to have sold a dangerous drug to children.But the Iowa Supreme Court overturned the jury verdict, saying “The 
result … is not to imply actual malice cannot exist within the rough and
 tumble Wild West approach to negative commercials that have seemingly 
become standard discourse in many political campaigns. … but the high 
standards established under the First Amendment to permit a free 
exchange of ideas within the same discourse must also be protected.”President Trump has said multiple times that he 
wants to “open up” libel laws, which could affect future campaigns by 
weakening free speech protections resting on a landmark 1964 U.S. 
Supreme Court decision, New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. It reinforced those protections when public officials (later expanded to include public figures) are involved.Justice William Brennan wrote that the decision was 
rooted in a “profound national commitment to the principle that debate 
on public issues should be uninhibited, robust and wide open and that it
 may well include vehement, caustic and sometimes unpleasantly sharp 
attacks on government and public officials.”Whether offended by Trump’s impolitic use of derogatory nicknames for
 his opponents, or by “Saturday Night Live” Trump parodies on TV, that 
commitment to “uninhibited, robust and wide-open” debate on issues and 
even candidate personalities is a hallmark of American democracy — even 
if, at times, we might cringe at how it’s carried out.Politicians get their say during campaigns. Government stays out of the way. And we get to respond at the ballot box.Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the
 Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom
 Forum Institute. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:gpolicinski@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">gpolicinski@freedomforum.org</a>, or follow him on Twitter at&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/@genefac" target="_blank">@genefac</a>.

FIRST FIVE: Harsh words in presidential campaigns — protected, nothing new

If your garden is producing more fresh vegetables than you can work in to the daily menu plan you may want to consider freezing. Most vegetables need to be blanched before freezing to inactivate enzymes and protect their quality. This is done by water or steam blanching. Enzymes are a natural component of food. They work inside food and can change flavor, texture, color and nutrition. Blanching stops enzymes and protects the food from quality changes.&nbsp;

Occasionally I will get a call from someone who asks if blanching can be done in the microwave? Using the microwave may produce poor results. Due to uneven heating, the microwave may not completely inactivate enzymes. This results in off flavors, poor texture and loss of color. The microwave does not save time or energy.&nbsp;

To blanch vegetables correctly, briefly expose them to boiling water or steam. Then cool rapidly in ice water to stop cooking. Blanching destroys microorganisms on the vegetable surface and is essential for top-quality frozen vegetables.

For products like tomatoes you will notice that they will have a mushy texture when thawed and are suitable only for cooking in soups, stews and sauces. Tomatoes that are frozen raw become watery and can develop an off-flavor after a short time in the freezer. Tomatoes that are too ripe for safe canning but still sound and free from decay can be frozen safely.&nbsp;

If you are wanting to freeze sweet corn, it is important to preserve it as soon after harvest as possible for best quality. To prepare corn-on-the-cob for freezing: Blanch small ears (1 ¼ inches or less in diameter) 7 minutes in boiling water; medium-size ears (1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches) 9 minutes; and large ears (1 ½ inches or more) 11 minutes. Cool in several changes of ice cold water and drain. If desired, cut ears into uniform 4-, 6-, or 8-inch pieces and package in freezer bags or containers.

Be aware there is a significant difference between a plastic storage bag and plastic freezer bags. Make sure you are using the heavier freezer bags for best results.

Excellent reference bulletins for a variety of vegetables and fruits are available at: &nbsp;

<a href="http://www.rrc.k-state.edu/preservation/freezing.html">www.rrc.k-state.edu/preservation/freezing.html</a>&nbsp;

A little work now to preserve the harvest will certainly be enjoyed and appreciated next winter! Call me if you have any questions.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593016082485.png" alt="Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent for K-State Research &amp; Extension – Cottonwood District.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent for K-State Research &amp; Extension – Cottonwood District.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>If your garden is producing more fresh vegetables than you can work in to the daily menu plan you may want to consider freezing. Most vegetables need to be blanched before freezing to inactivate enzymes and protect their quality. This is done by water or steam blanching. Enzymes are a natural component of food. They work inside food and can change flavor, texture, color and nutrition. Blanching stops enzymes and protects the food from quality changes.&nbsp;Occasionally I will get a call from someone who asks if blanching can be done in the microwave? Using the microwave may produce poor results. Due to uneven heating, the microwave may not completely inactivate enzymes. This results in off flavors, poor texture and loss of color. The microwave does not save time or energy.&nbsp;To blanch vegetables correctly, briefly expose them to boiling water or steam. Then cool rapidly in ice water to stop cooking. Blanching destroys microorganisms on the vegetable surface and is essential for top-quality frozen vegetables.For products like tomatoes you will notice that they will have a mushy texture when thawed and are suitable only for cooking in soups, stews and sauces. Tomatoes that are frozen raw become watery and can develop an off-flavor after a short time in the freezer. Tomatoes that are too ripe for safe canning but still sound and free from decay can be frozen safely.&nbsp;If you are wanting to freeze sweet corn, it is important to preserve it as soon after harvest as possible for best quality. To prepare corn-on-the-cob for freezing: Blanch small ears (1 ¼ inches or less in diameter) 7 minutes in boiling water; medium-size ears (1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches) 9 minutes; and large ears (1 ½ inches or more) 11 minutes. Cool in several changes of ice cold water and drain. If desired, cut ears into uniform 4-, 6-, or 8-inch pieces and package in freezer bags or containers.Be aware there is a significant difference between a plastic storage bag and plastic freezer bags. Make sure you are using the heavier freezer bags for best results.Excellent reference bulletins for a variety of vegetables and fruits are available at: &nbsp;<a href="http://www.rrc.k-state.edu/preservation/freezing.html">www.rrc.k-state.edu/preservation/freezing.html</a>&nbsp;A little work now to preserve the harvest will certainly be enjoyed and appreciated next winter! Call me if you have any questions.Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent for K-State Research &amp; Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or <a href="mailto:dkrug@ksu.edu">dkrug@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

KRUG: Prepping vegetables for freezing

Many young, smooth, thin-barked trees such as honeylocusts, fruit trees, ashes, oaks, maples, lindens, and willows are susceptible to sunscald and bark cracks. Sunscald normally develops on the south or southwest side of the tree during late winter. Sunny, warm winter days may heat the bark to relatively high temperatures. 

Research done in Georgia has shown that the southwest side of the trunk of a peach tree can be 40 degrees warmer than shaded bark. This warming action can cause a loss of cold hardiness of the bark tissue resulting in cells becoming active. These cells then become susceptible to lethal freezing when the temperature drops at night. The damaged bark tissue becomes sunken and discolored in late spring.&nbsp; Damaged bark will eventually crack and slough off.&nbsp; Trees often recover but need TLC — especially watering during dry weather.

If you have seen this type of damage in previous years or fear you have susceptible trees, preventative measures are called for.&nbsp; Applying a light-colored tree wrap from the ground to the start of the first branches can protect young and/or recently planted trees. This should be done in October to November and removed the following March. Failure to remove the tree wrap in the spring can prove detrimental to the tree.

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. K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

<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>Many young, smooth, thin-barked trees such as honeylocusts, fruit trees, ashes, oaks, maples, lindens, and willows are susceptible to sunscald and bark cracks. Sunscald normally develops on the south or southwest side of the tree during late winter. Sunny, warm winter days may heat the bark to relatively high temperatures. Research done in Georgia has shown that the southwest side of the trunk of a peach tree can be 40 degrees warmer than shaded bark. This warming action can cause a loss of cold hardiness of the bark tissue resulting in cells becoming active. These cells then become susceptible to lethal freezing when the temperature drops at night. The damaged bark tissue becomes sunken and discolored in late spring.&nbsp; Damaged bark will eventually crack and slough off.&nbsp; Trees often recover but need TLC — especially watering during dry weather.If you have seen this type of damage in previous years or fear you have susceptible trees, preventative measures are called for.&nbsp; Applying a light-colored tree wrap from the ground to the start of the first branches can protect young and/or recently planted trees. This should be done in October to November and removed the following March. Failure to remove the tree wrap in the spring can prove detrimental to the tree.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. K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

FICK: Preventing sunscald on thin-barked trees

&nbsp;The August primary elections produced sobering results for all Kansas politicians and, for the matter, all Kansans.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sometimes important elections, like the presidential contest of 2020, easily display their importance. Others, however, may seem quite ordinary, even as they produce or reflect substantial change.&nbsp; The recent primary falls into this category, largely because it hastens a powerful trend in Kansas politics – the growing national-style partisanship that reduces our capacity to address serious problems.

This year, right-wing Republican state senate candidates won six primary races, knocking off such notable Republican moderates as John Skubal (Overland Park), Randy Hardy (Salina), and Ed Berger (Hutchinson), all who won their seats in 2016 and who faced well-funded, highly conservative opponents.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Several of these GOP winners will cruise to victory, while some other conservative Republicans will face strong Democratic opponents; indeed, Democrats could well pick up a few Senate seats in November, further squeezing out moderate Republicans.

And the Kansas Legislature will take one more step toward embracing the partisanship that infects Washington.

In the modern era of Kansas governance, from the late-1960s on, three familiar factions have dominated the state’s political landscape: moderate Democrats, moderate Republicans, and conservative Republicans.&nbsp; Although their respective numbers have changed as their political fortunes have waxed and waned, ordinarily any two of them could defeat the third.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Given their centrist status, moderate Republicans often held disproportionate power in determining final outcomes, even when they did not dominate the GOP leadership, which has recently been the case.&nbsp; To be sure, this is a familiar Kansas story, but it remains significant in that so many other states have become heavily polarized, with no real ideological center.

In Oklahoma, for example, a strong GOP emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, as the state evolved from its long-time southern Democratic roots. New Republicans were conservative, while moderates remained Democrats. The idea of a “moderate Republican” was and is inconceivable.

Reacting to the Brownback administration, moderate Republicans reasserted themselves in the election of 2016 and hung on in 2018. Meanwhile, Democrats came back in the state legislature, as well as winning the governorship and a congressional seat.&nbsp; Thus, the three-party system was resurrected, however tenuously.

That gets us to the 2020 elections. Almost certainly, the Legislature will host more far-right Republicans, more Democrats, and fewer moderate Republicans.&nbsp;

In addition, the 2020 elections will likely produce enough Democrat legislative seats to render the Legislature “veto-proof,” in that Governor Kelly’s fellow partisans will have more than a third of the seats in at least one chamber.&nbsp; This means that even conservative Republicans will have to negotiate with Kelly, given her veto power.

This negotiation can happen in one of two ways. First, Republican legislative leaders could encourage the chambers to work bills in committees and bring those with adequate support to the floor, allow requisite votes, and send them on to the governor for her signature or veto.&nbsp; In short, it could be a relatively collegial process.

Alternatively, they could make every issue a partisan test, delaying issues (per Medicaid with Senate President Wagle) and forcing an ultimate budget deal that would leave almost everyone dissatisfied and many issues unresolved.

Let’s hope that legislative leaders opt for acting responsibly and that the Governor reaches out to them.&nbsp; If so, Kansans will be well served by their public servants.

Burdett Loomis is an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574348610067.jpeg" alt="Burdett Loomis is an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Kansas." />
 <figcaption>Burdett Loomis is an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Kansas.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;The August primary elections produced sobering results for all Kansas politicians and, for the matter, all Kansans.&nbsp;&nbsp;Sometimes important elections, like the presidential contest of 2020, easily display their importance. Others, however, may seem quite ordinary, even as they produce or reflect substantial change.&nbsp; The recent primary falls into this category, largely because it hastens a powerful trend in Kansas politics – the growing national-style partisanship that reduces our capacity to address serious problems.This year, right-wing Republican state senate candidates won six primary races, knocking off such notable Republican moderates as John Skubal (Overland Park), Randy Hardy (Salina), and Ed Berger (Hutchinson), all who won their seats in 2016 and who faced well-funded, highly conservative opponents.&nbsp;&nbsp;Several of these GOP winners will cruise to victory, while some other conservative Republicans will face strong Democratic opponents; indeed, Democrats could well pick up a few Senate seats in November, further squeezing out moderate Republicans.And the Kansas Legislature will take one more step toward embracing the partisanship that infects Washington.In the modern era of Kansas governance, from the late-1960s on, three familiar factions have dominated the state’s political landscape: moderate Democrats, moderate Republicans, and conservative Republicans.&nbsp; Although their respective numbers have changed as their political fortunes have waxed and waned, ordinarily any two of them could defeat the third.&nbsp;&nbsp;Given their centrist status, moderate Republicans often held disproportionate power in determining final outcomes, even when they did not dominate the GOP leadership, which has recently been the case.&nbsp; To be sure, this is a familiar Kansas story, but it remains significant in that so many other states have become heavily polarized, with no real ideological center.In Oklahoma, for example, a strong GOP emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, as the state evolved from its long-time southern Democratic roots. New Republicans were conservative, while moderates remained Democrats. The idea of a “moderate Republican” was and is inconceivable.Reacting to the Brownback administration, moderate Republicans reasserted themselves in the election of 2016 and hung on in 2018. Meanwhile, Democrats came back in the state legislature, as well as winning the governorship and a congressional seat.&nbsp; Thus, the three-party system was resurrected, however tenuously.That gets us to the 2020 elections. Almost certainly, the Legislature will host more far-right Republicans, more Democrats, and fewer moderate Republicans.&nbsp;In addition, the 2020 elections will likely produce enough Democrat legislative seats to render the Legislature “veto-proof,” in that Governor Kelly’s fellow partisans will have more than a third of the seats in at least one chamber.&nbsp; This means that even conservative Republicans will have to negotiate with Kelly, given her veto power.This negotiation can happen in one of two ways. First, Republican legislative leaders could encourage the chambers to work bills in committees and bring those with adequate support to the floor, allow requisite votes, and send them on to the governor for her signature or veto.&nbsp; In short, it could be a relatively collegial process.Alternatively, they could make every issue a partisan test, delaying issues (per Medicaid with Senate President Wagle) and forcing an ultimate budget deal that would leave almost everyone dissatisfied and many issues unresolved.Let’s hope that legislative leaders opt for acting responsibly and that the Governor reaches out to them.&nbsp; If so, Kansans will be well served by their public servants.Burdett Loomis is an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Kansas.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Kansas in a partisan era

A Kansas State University agricultural economist has completed an exhaustive study on hedging cattle prices, which he says could help producers manage their economic risks – perhaps especially so in times of crisis.

Brian Coffey looked at the average price of steers and heifers sold in Kansas between 2010 and June 2020 to determine if hedging – a strategy to lock in prices using futures markets – is a reliable strategy for selling live cattle.

“One thing that came out of this will be surprising to a lot of people,” Coffey said. “If we look just at the average price that live cattle would have been sold for from 2010 to 2020, the hedged prices are lower, but they are only 48 cents per hundredweight (cwt) lower than unhedged sales, on average. In other words, the risk-management benefits of hedging come at a fairly lower cost per hundredweight, on average.

“A lot of times, people have in mind that to get the risk-management benefit of hedging, you take a pretty big hit on expected average returns. But over the long term, we’re just not seeing that.”

Hedging helps to protect against adverse price changes in the markets by allowing a producer who is feeding cattle to establish an approximate selling price now and be protected if prices decline by the time they market those animals later.

“In given weeks or months, you can definitely give up potential gains in some of those extreme times when cash prices rally unexpectedly,” Coffey said. “But you also avoid extreme losses in weeks or months when cash prices decline unexpectedly.”

Coffey notes that more detailed information on hedging is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://agmanager.info/">AgManager.info</a>, a website managed by the K-State Department of Agricultural Economics.

In his study, Coffey assumed a feeding period of 160 days while comparing what a producer might have earned on live cattle sales had they hedged those sales instead.

“Basically what I assumed was that a producer would hedge cattle immediately upon placement, then immediately lift the hedge when those live cattle are priced or sold,” he said. “It’s a very disciplined and systematic hedging routine.”

While he found a slight average-price decrease when hedging during normal times, Coffey said hedging can provide huge benefits when disaster hits the industry – such as has happened twice in the past year.

In Fall 2019, a fire destroyed a packing plant owned by Tyson Fresh Meats in Holcomb, Kansas, which had a daily capacity of 6,000 head – or about 6% of the United States’ slaughter capacity.

Coffey compared live cattle prices for 23 weeks, between July and October 2019 to see what impact hedging would have had on producers’ profits.

“What I saw was the hedged price, on average, was about $10 per cwt higher,” he said. “If someone was marketing fed cattle week after week through that same time period, having those cattle hedged was worth an extra $10 per cwt higher.”

Put another way, the average weekly value of gain for hedged cattle was $123 higher per head than for unhedged cattle.

More recently, Coffey also looked at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing prices between February 2020 and the end of June. Again, hedging proved to be a successful strategy during crisis.

“The hedged value of gain averaged about $221 per head higher,” Coffey said.

“The take-home lesson from both of those instances,” he said, “is that hedging can protect from scenarios that can, frankly, end a business. Hedging protects against catastrophic losses.”

Coffey’s full report, titled&nbsp;Hedging Kansas Live Cattle: A Summary of Outcomes over the Past 10 Years, is&nbsp;<a href="https://agmanager.info/">available online at Agmanager.info</a>.

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>A Kansas State University agricultural economist has completed an exhaustive study on hedging cattle prices, which he says could help producers manage their economic risks – perhaps especially so in times of crisis.Brian Coffey looked at the average price of steers and heifers sold in Kansas between 2010 and June 2020 to determine if hedging – a strategy to lock in prices using futures markets – is a reliable strategy for selling live cattle.“One thing that came out of this will be surprising to a lot of people,” Coffey said. “If we look just at the average price that live cattle would have been sold for from 2010 to 2020, the hedged prices are lower, but they are only 48 cents per hundredweight (cwt) lower than unhedged sales, on average. In other words, the risk-management benefits of hedging come at a fairly lower cost per hundredweight, on average.“A lot of times, people have in mind that to get the risk-management benefit of hedging, you take a pretty big hit on expected average returns. But over the long term, we’re just not seeing that.”Hedging helps to protect against adverse price changes in the markets by allowing a producer who is feeding cattle to establish an approximate selling price now and be protected if prices decline by the time they market those animals later.“In given weeks or months, you can definitely give up potential gains in some of those extreme times when cash prices rally unexpectedly,” Coffey said. “But you also avoid extreme losses in weeks or months when cash prices decline unexpectedly.”Coffey notes that more detailed information on hedging is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://agmanager.info/">AgManager.info</a>, a website managed by the K-State Department of Agricultural Economics.In his study, Coffey assumed a feeding period of 160 days while comparing what a producer might have earned on live cattle sales had they hedged those sales instead.“Basically what I assumed was that a producer would hedge cattle immediately upon placement, then immediately lift the hedge when those live cattle are priced or sold,” he said. “It’s a very disciplined and systematic hedging routine.”While he found a slight average-price decrease when hedging during normal times, Coffey said hedging can provide huge benefits when disaster hits the industry – such as has happened twice in the past year.In Fall 2019, a fire destroyed a packing plant owned by Tyson Fresh Meats in Holcomb, Kansas, which had a daily capacity of 6,000 head – or about 6% of the United States’ slaughter capacity.Coffey compared live cattle prices for 23 weeks, between July and October 2019 to see what impact hedging would have had on producers’ profits.“What I saw was the hedged price, on average, was about $10 per cwt higher,” he said. “If someone was marketing fed cattle week after week through that same time period, having those cattle hedged was worth an extra $10 per cwt higher.”Put another way, the average weekly value of gain for hedged cattle was $123 higher per head than for unhedged cattle.More recently, Coffey also looked at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing prices between February 2020 and the end of June. Again, hedging proved to be a successful strategy during crisis.“The hedged value of gain averaged about $221 per head higher,” Coffey said.“The take-home lesson from both of those instances,” he said, “is that hedging can protect from scenarios that can, frankly, end a business. Hedging protects against catastrophic losses.”Coffey’s full report, titled&nbsp;Hedging Kansas Live Cattle: A Summary of Outcomes over the Past 10 Years, is&nbsp;<a href="https://agmanager.info/">available online at Agmanager.info</a>.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: Hedging cattle prices

Yesterday the Board of Canvassers made the decision to not put my name, Laura Allen, on the November General Election ballot as a candidate for Ellis County Clerk. I understand why they made that decision, based on input from state election officials. I absolutely believe that if I chose to challenge the statute, by bringing suit, I would win. I won’t go into the details again, a letter from John Bird explaining that position has been published. I do not; however, believe that a lawsuit is in the best interest of the county or the state. Unlike the Republican Party, who threatened a lawsuit immediately if my name was put on the ballot, my goal is not to put undue strain of any sort on already sparse resources.

I do; however, believe that the spirit of an election is choice. I do not, as has been suggested, have a personal agenda. In trying to learn and become more involved in how our county and city are run, I realized that the people of Ellis County have not had a “say” in their County Clerk for some time. While it has always been an elected position, when there is no opposition, there is no choice, essentially, no election. I also realized that I do not want to be one of the folks who complain and criticize without stepping up to try to make a difference. Because of this I will continue my write-in campaign, and give the voters a choice. A write-in campaign is more difficult, and will take a bit more work than marking a bubble, but, I don’t know very many Ellis County residents who are afraid of a little extra work, it’s that western Kansas work ethic we should be proud of!

I also feel it is important to explain why I did not file before the deadline. It was not a matter of not being serious, or a disregard for deadlines. As a single parent, I do not have an extra $700. Especially with socioeconomics changing frequently based on the COVID-19 pandemic. I also have a son who had a heart transplant almost three years ago, and is now immunocompromised. Putting us in a position to be in contact with a number of people we don’t know, in order to get signatures for a petition, was not in his best interest. When I read the requirements for a write in campaign, I felt 5 percent of registered Democrats was something I could achieve. We all know how that turned out! At this point, I don’t think anyone should question my dedication or my seriousness about this election.

I was born and raised in Hays, as were my parents and their parents before them. My great-great-grandparents settled in Catherine with the first group that ventured this far west to build a new life. My grandmother cut chickens at Al’s Chickenette, which was also my first job. I graduated from TMP and then Fort Hays with a degree in business administration. I have one child who graduated from Hays High School, one currently at Hays High and another who went to TMP. I am a member of St. Joseph’s Church and am active in community events.

I have had opportunities to move out of Hays, but have chosen to stay here. It is my home and where I belong. My only hope is that we are all engaged and doing what is best for our community, and that local government is an extension of that community.

I am truly looking forward to the next three months!

Yesterday the Board of Canvassers made the decision to not put my name, Laura Allen, on the November General Election ballot as a candidate for Ellis County Clerk. I understand why they made that decision, based on input from state election officials. I absolutely believe that if I chose to challenge the statute, by bringing suit, I would win. I won’t go into the details again, a letter from John Bird explaining that position has been published. I do not; however, believe that a lawsuit is in the best interest of the county or the state. Unlike the Republican Party, who threatened a lawsuit immediately if my name was put on the ballot, my goal is not to put undue strain of any sort on already sparse resources.I do; however, believe that the spirit of an election is choice. I do not, as has been suggested, have a personal agenda. In trying to learn and become more involved in how our county and city are run, I realized that the people of Ellis County have not had a “say” in their County Clerk for some time. While it has always been an elected position, when there is no opposition, there is no choice, essentially, no election. I also realized that I do not want to be one of the folks who complain and criticize without stepping up to try to make a difference. Because of this I will continue my write-in campaign, and give the voters a choice. A write-in campaign is more difficult, and will take a bit more work than marking a bubble, but, I don’t know very many Ellis County residents who are afraid of a little extra work, it’s that western Kansas work ethic we should be proud of!I also feel it is important to explain why I did not file before the deadline. It was not a matter of not being serious, or a disregard for deadlines. As a single parent, I do not have an extra $700. Especially with socioeconomics changing frequently based on the COVID-19 pandemic. I also have a son who had a heart transplant almost three years ago, and is now immunocompromised. Putting us in a position to be in contact with a number of people we don’t know, in order to get signatures for a petition, was not in his best interest. When I read the requirements for a write in campaign, I felt 5 percent of registered Democrats was something I could achieve. We all know how that turned out! At this point, I don’t think anyone should question my dedication or my seriousness about this election.I was born and raised in Hays, as were my parents and their parents before them. My great-great-grandparents settled in Catherine with the first group that ventured this far west to build a new life. My grandmother cut chickens at Al’s Chickenette, which was also my first job. I graduated from TMP and then Fort Hays with a degree in business administration. I have one child who graduated from Hays High School, one currently at Hays High and another who went to TMP. I am a member of St. Joseph’s Church and am active in community events.I have had opportunities to move out of Hays, but have chosen to stay here. It is my home and where I belong. My only hope is that we are all engaged and doing what is best for our community, and that local government is an extension of that community.I am truly looking forward to the next three months!Laura Allen

LETTER: Allen to continue write-in campaign for Ellis County Clerk

By GLENN BRUNKOW Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher

I have a neighbor who is in his 80s and several years ago he planted a grove of walnut trees. Now that is faith and foresight. I am sure he is not planning on reaping the benefits of those walnut trees unless he has somehow found the fountain of youth. The trees have done quite well, and they have grown very fast for walnut trees but at a conservative guess I will say they are 50, 60 maybe even 100 years away from someone gaining economically from them. That is a crop that requires a great deal of patience.

That kind of forward thinking makes me marvel at the sacrifice my neighbor is making for the sake of a future generation. Those acres could be planted to crops or at least mowed for hay, but instead he has decided to plant those walnut trees to benefit someone a generation or two or maybe even four down the road. Someday someone he does not know will benefit greatly from the hard work he is putting in today. In many ways this is like our Kansas Farm Bureau Foundation.

Sure, our Foundation is funding things now. Things like financial help to counties sending members to the Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference or helping to feed those who are hungry in our own communities. That is important but what our Foundation will do in the future is even of greater importance. It will ensure that our counties will have access to funds to promote agriculture, aid in operations of the county Farm Bureau and better the lives of our members.

That is why it is so critical that all of us as members contribute to the Foundation. I know money is tight and ag prices have seen better days. Believe me I know, and I feel your pain. Any gift is appreciated, and all gifts go toward doing important work locally and statewide. I am also aware there are many organizations and causes vying for our limited dollars, but what is more important than to ensure that we continue to have a strong and vibrant Kansas Farm Bureau?

I am asking that you look at donating to the Kansas Farm Bureau Foundation or the Kansas Farm Bureau Legal Foundation now because, if you haven’t noticed, it is already mid-August, and the end of the year is right around the corner. I know many of you are already planning for the new year and wrapping up this past year. I also know that this is the time many of us make charitable contributions, and I would ask that you look at a donation one of our foundations.

Think of it like planting a grove of walnut trees without all the back-breaking labor and years of watering. You can watch the funds in the Foundation grow, all the time knowing that someday the next generation of Farm Bureau member will benefit.

"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 rancherI have a neighbor who is in his 80s and several years ago he planted a grove of walnut trees. Now that is faith and foresight. I am sure he is not planning on reaping the benefits of those walnut trees unless he has somehow found the fountain of youth. The trees have done quite well, and they have grown very fast for walnut trees but at a conservative guess I will say they are 50, 60 maybe even 100 years away from someone gaining economically from them. That is a crop that requires a great deal of patience.That kind of forward thinking makes me marvel at the sacrifice my neighbor is making for the sake of a future generation. Those acres could be planted to crops or at least mowed for hay, but instead he has decided to plant those walnut trees to benefit someone a generation or two or maybe even four down the road. Someday someone he does not know will benefit greatly from the hard work he is putting in today. In many ways this is like our Kansas Farm Bureau Foundation.Sure, our Foundation is funding things now. Things like financial help to counties sending members to the Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference or helping to feed those who are hungry in our own communities. That is important but what our Foundation will do in the future is even of greater importance. It will ensure that our counties will have access to funds to promote agriculture, aid in operations of the county Farm Bureau and better the lives of our members.That is why it is so critical that all of us as members contribute to the Foundation. I know money is tight and ag prices have seen better days. Believe me I know, and I feel your pain. Any gift is appreciated, and all gifts go toward doing important work locally and statewide. I am also aware there are many organizations and causes vying for our limited dollars, but what is more important than to ensure that we continue to have a strong and vibrant Kansas Farm Bureau?I am asking that you look at donating to the Kansas Farm Bureau Foundation or the Kansas Farm Bureau Legal Foundation now because, if you haven’t noticed, it is already mid-August, and the end of the year is right around the corner. I know many of you are already planning for the new year and wrapping up this past year. I also know that this is the time many of us make charitable contributions, and I would ask that you look at a donation one of our foundations.Think of it like planting a grove of walnut trees without all the back-breaking labor and years of watering. You can watch the funds in the Foundation grow, all the time knowing that someday the next generation of Farm Bureau member will benefit."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: Seeding success

Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week at $32.25 per barrel after dropping 25 cents on Friday. That's 75 cents a barrel more than a week earlier, and a dollar seventy-five higher than at the beginning of the month, but about 13 dollars a barrel less than a year ago. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports the statewide rig count in Kansas is unchanged from a week ago, up 25% from a month ago, but down 71% from last year at this time.&nbsp; Operators reached total depth on a well in Stafford County with evaluation to follow, and completion activity is underway at a pair of leases in Ellis County.&nbsp; Baker Hughes reports 244 active drilling rigs across the U.S., showing four fewer oil rigs that last week's report. The count in Texas was down four rigs. Exploration in the U.S. oil patch has reached a 15-year low, but Bloomberg says the number of active oil rigs last week reached its lowest level since 1940. Weekly Baker Hughes rig counts have consistently dropped for the last four and a half months. Regulators approved just two new drilling permits in Kansas last week, one in eastern Kansas, and one in the western half of the state. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports ten newly-completed wells across Kansas last week, three of them east of Wichita, and seven in Western Kansas including one dry hole in Russell County. Operators have completed 597 wells in the Sunflower State so far this year, compared to 924 at this time last year. Triple A says weekly gasoline prices were slightly cheaper in some places, but steady in most parts of the country, with a national average Thursday of $2.17 per gallon. The average across the Sunflower State was just over $1.96. We spotted $1.95 across Hays Thursday and $1.94 in Great Bend. Your 15-gallon fill-up will cost you about the same as last week, half a dollar less than last month, and five dollars less than last year at this time. The government says U.S. crude-oil inventories dropped by nearly five million barrels last week.&nbsp; At just over 514 million barrels, domestic stockpiles are about 15% above the five-year seasonal average. The Energy Information Administration reported a big drop in U.S. crude production last week, but says much of that is due to benchmarking adjustments made as the agency compares its surveys to other data each month. Domestic crude output totaled just over 10.7 million barrels per day, down nearly 300,000 barrels per day from the week before. This month's re-benchmarking reduced that figure by three percent of the total. Over the last four weeks, U.S. crude-oil imports averaged 20% less than the same period last year. For the week ending August 7, we imported 5.6 million barrels per day, down 389,000 barrels per day from the week before. Oil by rail shipments increased last week by 11% over the week before, but remain about 16% behind the totals at this time last year, according to weekly numbers from the Association of American Railroads. The broader rail freight industry remains about six percent behind last year's totals. An industry group says total oilfield service job-losses caused by the pandemic are approaching 100,000. The Petroleum Equipment and Services Association says total pink slips jumped 43% from June to July. According to the report, oilfield service employment is down more than 118,000 jobs since July of last year, and has reached its lowest level since March 2017. The Energy Information Administration says exports of Liquefied Natural Gas, or LNG, fell to less than half of the record levels reached in January. Industry press reports note the recent cancellation of at least 75 LNG shipping cargoes originally scheduled for export in August and September.&nbsp; Global oil demand won’t return to 2019 levels until at least 2022 and the gap may be getting wider than it seemed a month ago. All three of the world’s main oil forecasting agencies—the International Energy Agency, the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries -- published new quarterly forecasts last week and none project oil demand back at 2019 levels by the end of next year. In it's Monthly Oil Market Report, The OPEC cartel again revised downward its forecast for global economic growth this year, citing additional impact from the pandemic.&nbsp; The closely watched report predicts continuing weak demand for transportation fuels for the rest of this year. The report said international crude futures prices and spot prices rose in July for the third month in a row.&nbsp; The U.S. government now predicts rising oil prices for the rest of this year, with the average throughout the third and fourth quarters reaching $43 a barrel. In its monthly Short Term Energy Outlook, the Energy Information Administration predicts prices will average $50 a barrel next year. EIA estimates that liquid fuels consumption in the second quarter of this year dropped 20% from the same figure a year ago. June crude-oil output increased in North Dakota, the second-biggest producer in the U.S. The Department of Mineral Resources reports production in June increased about 60,000 barrels over May's total. Operators in North Dakota pumped more than 890,000 barrels per day in June. That's a little over half of the all-time high posted last November. International watchdogs are worried about a new high-tech tactic designed to evade sanctions against Iran. Authorities say more than a dozen supertanker operators are now manipulating Automatic Identification Systems data, so that it shows a vessel in one place when it is actually in another. Lloyd's List reports authorities have de-flagged at least four ships after satellite images showed them taking on crude oil from Iran, while the tracking system showed them a hundred miles away.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592847975802.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week at $32.25 per barrel after dropping 25 cents on Friday. That's 75 cents a barrel more than a week earlier, and a dollar seventy-five higher than at the beginning of the month, but about 13 dollars a barrel less than a year ago. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports the statewide rig count in Kansas is unchanged from a week ago, up 25% from a month ago, but down 71% from last year at this time.&nbsp; Operators reached total depth on a well in Stafford County with evaluation to follow, and completion activity is underway at a pair of leases in Ellis County.&nbsp; Baker Hughes reports 244 active drilling rigs across the U.S., showing four fewer oil rigs that last week's report. The count in Texas was down four rigs. Exploration in the U.S. oil patch has reached a 15-year low, but Bloomberg says the number of active oil rigs last week reached its lowest level since 1940. Weekly Baker Hughes rig counts have consistently dropped for the last four and a half months. Regulators approved just two new drilling permits in Kansas last week, one in eastern Kansas, and one in the western half of the state. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports ten newly-completed wells across Kansas last week, three of them east of Wichita, and seven in Western Kansas including one dry hole in Russell County. Operators have completed 597 wells in the Sunflower State so far this year, compared to 924 at this time last year. Triple A says weekly gasoline prices were slightly cheaper in some places, but steady in most parts of the country, with a national average Thursday of $2.17 per gallon. The average across the Sunflower State was just over $1.96. We spotted $1.95 across Hays Thursday and $1.94 in Great Bend. Your 15-gallon fill-up will cost you about the same as last week, half a dollar less than last month, and five dollars less than last year at this time. The government says U.S. crude-oil inventories dropped by nearly five million barrels last week.&nbsp; At just over 514 million barrels, domestic stockpiles are about 15% above the five-year seasonal average. The Energy Information Administration reported a big drop in U.S. crude production last week, but says much of that is due to benchmarking adjustments made as the agency compares its surveys to other data each month. Domestic crude output totaled just over 10.7 million barrels per day, down nearly 300,000 barrels per day from the week before. This month's re-benchmarking reduced that figure by three percent of the total. Over the last four weeks, U.S. crude-oil imports averaged 20% less than the same period last year. For the week ending August 7, we imported 5.6 million barrels per day, down 389,000 barrels per day from the week before. Oil by rail shipments increased last week by 11% over the week before, but remain about 16% behind the totals at this time last year, according to weekly numbers from the Association of American Railroads. The broader rail freight industry remains about six percent behind last year's totals. An industry group says total oilfield service job-losses caused by the pandemic are approaching 100,000. The Petroleum Equipment and Services Association says total pink slips jumped 43% from June to July. According to the report, oilfield service employment is down more than 118,000 jobs since July of last year, and has reached its lowest level since March 2017. The Energy Information Administration says exports of Liquefied Natural Gas, or LNG, fell to less than half of the record levels reached in January. Industry press reports note the recent cancellation of at least 75 LNG shipping cargoes originally scheduled for export in August and September.&nbsp; Global oil demand won’t return to 2019 levels until at least 2022 and the gap may be getting wider than it seemed a month ago. All three of the world’s main oil forecasting agencies—the International Energy Agency, the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries -- published new quarterly forecasts last week and none project oil demand back at 2019 levels by the end of next year. In it's Monthly Oil Market Report, The OPEC cartel again revised downward its forecast for global economic growth this year, citing additional impact from the pandemic.&nbsp; The closely watched report predicts continuing weak demand for transportation fuels for the rest of this year. The report said international crude futures prices and spot prices rose in July for the third month in a row.&nbsp; The U.S. government now predicts rising oil prices for the rest of this year, with the average throughout the third and fourth quarters reaching $43 a barrel. In its monthly Short Term Energy Outlook, the Energy Information Administration predicts prices will average $50 a barrel next year. EIA estimates that liquid fuels consumption in the second quarter of this year dropped 20% from the same figure a year ago. June crude-oil output increased in North Dakota, the second-biggest producer in the U.S. The Department of Mineral Resources reports production in June increased about 60,000 barrels over May's total. Operators in North Dakota pumped more than 890,000 barrels per day in June. That's a little over half of the all-time high posted last November. International watchdogs are worried about a new high-tech tactic designed to evade sanctions against Iran. Authorities say more than a dozen supertanker operators are now manipulating Automatic Identification Systems data, so that it shows a vessel in one place when it is actually in another. Lloyd's List reports authorities have de-flagged at least four ships after satellite images showed them taking on crude oil from Iran, while the tracking system showed them a hundred miles away.

News From the Oil Patch: Prices still low, but climbing

Looks like a couple weeks when the Statehouse is going to be virtually empty as Democrats, then Republicans, hold national conventions online; no crowds, social distancing can be done by zip codes, and there aren’t going to be any free-drink receptions for reporters covering the events.

And at the Statehouse, it’s going to be quiet, with lots of issues to be considered, planned, schemed, but nothing really major in the way of events and only one or two interim legislative committees considering legislation for the upcoming session.

The under-the-sheets action will be, of course, considering just what the pandemic has done and will do to the state’s revenues which are predicted to be about $600 million or more below estimates that lawmakers are comfortable working with, and nobody wanting to talk out loud about how to make that revenue stretch to cover the needs and wants of Kansans.

So, what’s being quietly discussed—or specifically not discussed out loud where it might show up in the news?

The budget, of course, and whether there’s enough money to keep basic services for most Kansans, and especially the poor, the ill, and their children, in place, along with the standard law enforcement and education funding for elementary and secondary schools…and higher education in an era when there is growing legislative interest in short-term, job-skills post high school.

But the focus is most strong in the next couple weeks on the national political conventions, where former Vice President Joe Biden has chosen Sen. Kamala&nbsp; Harris as his running-mate, and there is still some insider wondering whether President Donald Trump will keep Mike Pence as his vice president, or maybe…not.

For Kansans, that national ticket for both parties will undoubtedly trickle down to votes for Kansas House and Senate candidates…and later this week we ought to know just who those legislative candidates are going to be after the state canvass board checks and rechecks votes from border to border to see who will be on the November ballot.&nbsp; That’s not all settled yet, but soon we ought to know who survived that handful of close legislative primary elections.

And there’s going to be more politics springing up when we learn just where the counties have spent about $400 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act money that the state’s Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Task Force has handed them. Look for every dime to be examined not only for recovery benefits, but to see just what groups got the federal money—and their political leanings if they can be discerned.

Oh, yes, and there’s the reopening of schools in many districts and colleges and universities and whether they trigger a new increase in COVID-19 cases which will ripple from the schoolhouses and campuses into the state as a whole, with the now predictable economic damage to the economy—and yes, again—state revenues.

<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>Looks like a couple weeks when the Statehouse is going to be virtually empty as Democrats, then Republicans, hold national conventions online; no crowds, social distancing can be done by zip codes, and there aren’t going to be any free-drink receptions for reporters covering the events.And at the Statehouse, it’s going to be quiet, with lots of issues to be considered, planned, schemed, but nothing really major in the way of events and only one or two interim legislative committees considering legislation for the upcoming session.The under-the-sheets action will be, of course, considering just what the pandemic has done and will do to the state’s revenues which are predicted to be about $600 million or more below estimates that lawmakers are comfortable working with, and nobody wanting to talk out loud about how to make that revenue stretch to cover the needs and wants of Kansans.So, what’s being quietly discussed—or specifically not discussed out loud where it might show up in the news?The budget, of course, and whether there’s enough money to keep basic services for most Kansans, and especially the poor, the ill, and their children, in place, along with the standard law enforcement and education funding for elementary and secondary schools…and higher education in an era when there is growing legislative interest in short-term, job-skills post high school.But the focus is most strong in the next couple weeks on the national political conventions, where former Vice President Joe Biden has chosen Sen. Kamala&nbsp; Harris as his running-mate, and there is still some insider wondering whether President Donald Trump will keep Mike Pence as his vice president, or maybe…not.For Kansans, that national ticket for both parties will undoubtedly trickle down to votes for Kansas House and Senate candidates…and later this week we ought to know just who those legislative candidates are going to be after the state canvass board checks and rechecks votes from border to border to see who will be on the November ballot.&nbsp; That’s not all settled yet, but soon we ought to know who survived that handful of close legislative primary elections.And there’s going to be more politics springing up when we learn just where the counties have spent about $400 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act money that the state’s Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Task Force has handed them. Look for every dime to be examined not only for recovery benefits, but to see just what groups got the federal money—and their political leanings if they can be discerned.Oh, yes, and there’s the reopening of schools in many districts and colleges and universities and whether they trigger a new increase in COVID-19 cases which will ripple from the schoolhouses and campuses into the state as a whole, with the now predictable economic damage to the economy—and yes, again—state revenues.Lots of low-key activity that might grow to become major import to the state and the remaining two years of Gov. Laura Kelly’s term as governor and the tilt of the Legislature next session.&nbsp;The national political conventions? Essentially a diversion for most Kansans, who already know who gets their vote. But in a strong Republican state, that pandemic and the administration’s response to it may move votes, especially in the U.S. Senate race.And while all that’s going on, we still need Kansans to take fill out the Census forms so they get counted.***Lots of activity, and strangely, most of it to be observed from home on the TV in the next couple weeks…when some of us who have had their loafers on the ground for 16 national political conventions&nbsp; just try to get comfortable on the sofa…and pay for our own drinks…(Note: The At The Rail column will be on hiatus the next two weeks while Statehouse activity is expected to be minimal; in non-pandemic presidential election years, The Rail column at this time provided coverage of Kansas delegates at their Republican and Democratic conventions.)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>

Opinion